-Charlie Munger
Something strange is unfolding in America’s workforce. A quiet unraveling the likes of which we’ve never seen.
Not on factory floors. Not in shipping yards. But in offices. On college campuses. Inside the career paths we were taught to trust, and in DMs from students asking us what the hell is going on.
Well, here’s what’s going on:
Recent college grads are now going through their worst relative job market in almost 40 years.
Our take? The companies that used to hire 10 new grads now hire 2, and hand the rest to AI.
Pitch decks, research memos, junior-level code… all getting filled in by software that doesn’t need PTO, sleep, or health insurance.
That’s crack for a CEO.
Which means… the entry points to today’s white-collar America are shrinking — and fast.
We believe in education. But something’s off when the cost of a degree keeps rising — up 41% since 2005, after adjusting for inflation — while the opportunities it’s meant to unlock keep disappearing. It’s part of why we built the Contrarian Community.
None of this is surprising. It’s just incentives playing out.
Whether you’re a student, an owner, or a 9-to-5er, the question shouldn’t be: “How do I compete with AI”? That ship has sailed. The real question is: “How do I compete WITH AI”?
So below is a simple framework for putting AI to work, before it puts you out of it…
Ever watched a Michelin-starred kitchen in motion? It’s quiet. Surgical. Almost balletic.
At certain points, the chef steps in to taste the soup, talk to a diner, or wipe the plate edge… And when that happens, everyone watching thinks the same thing:
Because that kind of choreography doesn’t happen by accident. It takes science, sweat, and systematizing. That’s what you’re really paying for, and it’s the skillset more students and knowledge workers need today.
We call it The Human-AI Stack, and here’s how it works:
Start with AI. Let it do the prep: chop the veggies, measure the ingredients, clean the mess. These are structured, repeatable, low-context tasks. This is where AI gives you speed.
Now is when you really step in. You apply heat. Adjust seasoning. Decide when it’s ready. This is where timing and instinct matter a lot. This is where you give AI taste.
Once you’ve nailed a dish — a workflow, a prompt, a tool — don’t just move on. Codify it. Systematize it. Build the infrastructure so others can repeat it without reinventing it. That’s how you turn one good plate into a high-functioning restaurant.
That’s the system. Learn to use it every day, and that’s how you’ll go from degree-holding and directionless… to dangerous.
A truth you might not want to hear: If your only incentive is to get an A or save time, you’ll treat AI like a toy or a hack.
But if your incentive is to be rewarded for learning what’s possible, you’ll start using it differently. Will it help you build a 7-figure business? Probably not overnight. But we used it to spin up a business in a single day and actually made money:
https://youtu.be/3B8Zy_jq3MA?feature=shared
AI will let you move faster, learn quicker, and achieve more. So the question isn’t can AI help you. It’s whether you’ll wield it, or watch someone else do it.
The tools are here. The oven is on. You’ve got the ingredients.
Let’s cook.
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The information contained here is educational, may not be typical, and does not guarantee returns. Background, education, effort, and application will affect your experience and the profitability of any business. Individual results may vary.
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