The Decent Human Strategy

As tech layoffs cross 23,000 and VC liquidity dries up, we find ourselves in a moment of great churn. Agentic AI, while creating new industries and opportunities, is also replacing roles. Stable government jobs or blue collar jobs are no longer the safe haven for the middle class as they once were, and institutions are being reshaped by economic markets like never before — sometimes shifting their allegiances from inter populum (the people) to paucos electos (the chosen few).

As the lines blur between what we've traditionally viewed as "good" or "bad," the question of human agency has been on my mind more than ever. I've begun drafting a paper: "Reclaiming Will: Human Agency in an Algorithmic World."

To me, the highest utility of human will is this: to be ourselves — weird, kind, and empathetic. These remain our superpowers in every era.

I just wrapped up teaching a course on Entrepreneurship at the University of Mississippi. While the subject was venture building, my hidden goal was always to help build decent humans — because only they can be a true force for good.

"Success does not have to be defined by money, power, or influence. True success is found in tireless work for others, in the quiet dignity of love and care, in empathy and kindness. Even when ideas fail, leaders who lead this way never truly fail — they grow."

— Caroline Pankey, CSCI 490 - Entrepreneur in Computing Student

May we all find such clarity within ourselves, as we seek opportunities in this fast-changing Fifth Industrial Revolution.