“Show me the incentive and I’ll show you the outcome”

-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.

But here’s the thing…

None of this is surprising. It’s just incentives playing out.

• Schools reward good grades. So society built a system optimized for test scores and got grade inflation, cheating, and credential chasing.

• The economy rewards efficiency. So when a tool shows up that can work 24/7 without sleep, salary, or benefits… it gets the job.

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…

BUT FIRST, LOCK IN

Feeling Stuck in Your Business? This Will Help.

The other week in Austin, we brought 50 business owners together to get real about chaos, cash flow, and what’s actually working to grow right now.

But we know a lot of owners who need that clarity are too deep in the weeds to make it in person.

So next week, on May 14th, Codie’s bringing the same growth tactics to you virtually. A little Owners’ Roundtable, if you will. Totally FREE. No fluff, just frameworks.

SAVE YOUR SEAT HERE

Now, let’s get to that framework…

You Need to Think Like a Chef

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:

The Machine Layer

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.

The Judgment Layer

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.

The Scale Layer

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.

Prep with AI → Cook with AI → Plate with AI

That’s the system. Learn to use it every day, and that’s how you’ll go from degree-holding and directionless… to dangerous.

Degrees Are Expensive, Experiments Are Cheap

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:

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.

HIGH SIGNAL

The Builder’s Feed

📊 Steal this Data: 70+ pages of small business insights, right here.

💣 Truth bomb: How to turn attention into $$$, step by step.

💰 ”This is so good.” Get our must-read newsletter for business buyers.

DOPAMINE HIT

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.

Like good stories about Main Street business? 

Then you'll love our newsletter.

Join 700,000+ getting free, no-BS stories and insights each week — all about reinventing the American Dream on our own terms.

Unsubscribe at any time.