Michael Saylor, founder and ideological inspiration of Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy), has shared his vision of career strategy in the face of the rapid development of artificial intelligence. In a recent interview, he gave young professionals extremely clear and pragmatic advice: do not try to compete with AI, but learn to use it to solve problems that no one has posed yet.
Core principle: do not learn to do what AI already knows how to do
Saylor argues that AI is increasingly taking over routine operations related to data processing. Therefore, mastering such skills is a dead-end path. Instead, he suggests focusing on setting tasks for neural networks. "It is better to learn how to ask AI to perform a task that no one has solved before," he emphasizes. This could be creating a fundamentally new product or radically reducing the cost of an existing service.
The "new S-curve" method
Saylor compares technological progress to an S-curve: a slow start, a sharp rise, and subsequent stabilization. In his view, AI and other digital technologies are currently precisely at the stage of exponential growth. The key task is to spot a field that has only just become possible thanks to this leap and to take a place in it among the first. This is what he calls "finding the new S-curve."
In this context, Saylor once again returned to his favorite topic — bitcoin. He explained why traditional investments, such as real estate, look increasingly less attractive against the backdrop of digital assets: "It is easier for ordinary people to invest money in an asset that grows by 15% per year and forget about their problems," he reasons.
Is Saylor's approach fair?
Research confirms that AI's impact on productivity is generally positive, but the market for graduates is becoming tougher. The key takeaway from Saylor's words is the importance of expertise. The ability to skillfully compose prompts for ChatGPT will not provide a sustainable advantage. Far more significant is the combination of AI skills and a deep understanding of a specific industry.
However, it is worth remembering that Strategy itself is going through difficult times. The company holds 840,447 BTC, purchased for $63.36 billion, but in the second quarter it recorded a net loss of $8.22 billion due to the decline in the price of bitcoin. The company's shares have lost almost 40% since the beginning of the year, and Saylor himself has warned investors of "difficult years" ahead.
My view: Saylor's advice is universal and timely. In an era when technology is radically changing the labor market, it is not the strongest who survive, but the most adaptable. However, his own aggressive strategy shows that even a brilliant idea can collide with the harsh reality of the market. The combination of boldness and diversification is what truly sets successful players apart.