What Does Agency Look Like Today?
Production Versus Consumption
It's safe to say that we're fully immersed in the phrase "may you live in interesting times." From AI-related career disruption to broader macroeconomic stress, it seems like 2026 is going to be one of those years that we remember for quite some time.
At the same time, periods of uncertainty can unlock massive opportunities. They don't come along very often, but when they do, it pays to be aggressive.
I believe that we're in one of those periods. AI has become a force multiplier for ambitious, hard-working individuals. In other words, agency is a key trait (perhaps the key trait) that is going to separate those who thrive versus those who simply get by.
This isn't a novel idea. There are plenty of people out there articulating the same thesis. At the same time, I can speak from experience. I've personally experienced how high agency can unlock significant career opportunities.
The world is more malleable than we may think. When I wrote my book, for example, I only personally knew one of the fifteen individuals that I profiled. The rest I found through cold email and sheer persistence.
I'm not saying I'm the quintessential example of high agency. I'm just saying that agency is a universal trait that all of us can leverage. And we can get better at it.
So what does agency look like in this age of AI? I think it comes down to several things.
First is creation over consumption. This was always the case, but it has become faster (and easier) with AI. The best example is creating digital products. While it helps to learn some overarching programming principles, the next real coding language seems to be English. If you are determined, you can actually create and ship something that creates real value in the world.
I'd argue the same is true if you are looking for a job. Obviously, the job market is brutal right now. Blindly submitting resumes likely isn't going to cut it anymore. Instead, it's much easier to stand out by showing off your knowledge and experience by actually creating something that people can see.
Next is speed over deliberation. This is something that I am still working on. But with AI, it is even more important to simply start building things instead of thinking about building things. It's better to create something that is 70% or 80% of your quality standard than not create anything at all.
Finally, the rise of agency will likely lead to a rise in small business creation. A tougher job market and increasingly sophisticated AI tools make it much more rational to start something new. Granted, finding product-market fit and scaling that business is just as hard. However, the actual process of jumping into the arena has become easier.
Ultimately, it's an extremely exciting time for high-agency individuals. The future is there for the taking!
Prompt of the Week
The more career experiences I get, the more I recognize that our careers are essentially like games. They're about stacking up points based on whatever objective we're trying to achieve. At the same time, our careers are about the games that we play and that we don't play. The latter is especially important.
Often, it can feel like we need to play certain games in our sectors, industries, or careers when we actually don't have to. In fact, playing those games can be detrimental to our long-term goals.
As you can guess, I asked ChatGPT to review our history and come up with a list of games that I should be avoiding altogether. It was an interesting exercise. Try this prompt out for yourself!
I believe that our careers are basically like games. Our goal is to stack points based on whatever objective we're trying to achieve. Simultaneously, we need to ensure that we aren't playing the wrong games. Knowing what you know about me, what games am I currently playing that I should drastically limit (or avoid altogether)? Be completely honest.
Until next week,
Adam