Why I’m Pivoting Everything Toward AI
I built my first website in 1995. You are visiting it right now.
Back then, the internet was still a novelty, something you connected to with a screaming modem and explained to your relatives like you were describing a foreign country.
Over the past 30 years, I’ve watched five major technology revolutions reshape how we work: the web, search, social media, mobile, and blockchain. I’ve built companies through each cycle. I’ve watched smart people panic. I’ve watched experienced teams freeze. And I’ve watched a few—very few—figure out how to move forward with both speed and judgment.
Now, with AI, I’m recognizing the same pattern all over again. And I’m making a conscious decision to pivot everything I do toward helping leaders understand this cycle, navigate it, and come out ahead.
I’ve Seen This Movie Five Times
When the web arrived in the mid-90s, everyone said: “This changes everything.” Some people moved. Most waited. A few became billionaires.
When search became the organizing principle of the web, the same thing happened. When social media arrived. When mobile shifted everything. When blockchain made everyone question what decentralization actually meant.
Each time, the cycle was the same:
- Disruption — Noise. Confusion. Everyone’s suddenly talking about it.
- Doubt — Experienced people wondering if they’re already behind. Panic. Second-guessing.
- Clarity — Your pattern recognition kicks in. You see what actually matters.
- Confidence — You’re moving. Building. Not reacting anymore.
- Momentum — You’re early again. Everyone else is just starting to ask the questions you answered months ago.
I call this the Disruption Confidence Cycle. And every technology revolution follows it. Which means I know exactly where we are right now with AI, and where we’re heading.
Why I’m Making This Pivot Now
For years, I’ve written books, hosted podcasts, and given talks about technology, business, and internet culture. That work is still important. But I’m watching something happen right now that I can’t ignore.
Leaders everywhere are stuck in Stage 2: Doubt. They know AI is real. They know it matters. But they’re paralyzed by the gap between the hype they’re hearing and the judgment they need to make.
Experienced professionals are wondering if their expertise is obsolete. Boards are making decisions without clarity. Organizations are either moving recklessly or not moving at all.
What they need is not another AI evangelist. What they need is someone who’s lived through this before. Someone who understands that the technology isn’t the hard part. The judgment is. Someone who can give them permission to move forward without losing their mind to every piece of hype.
That’s what I’m positioning myself to do. Not as a technologist. Not as a futurist. As an AI translator.
What This Pivot Actually Looks Like
I’m speaking at conferences about the five stages of AI adoption. I’m keynoting Fortune 500 companies about moving through disruption with clarity. I’m writing about what I’ve learned across five technology cycles that applies directly to what we’re experiencing right now.
I’m hosting the AI for Everyone podcast focused on cutting through the hype and finding what’s actually real. I’m building frameworks, like the Disruption Confidence Cycle, that help leaders see the pattern beneath the noise.
And I’m being explicit about my positioning: I’m not here to sell you AI tools. I’m not here to convince you that disruption is good. I’m here to help you understand what’s actually changing, what’s hype, and how to move forward with both speed and judgment.
The Honest Part
This pivot is not just about opportunity. It’s about recognizing where I can actually be useful.
I spent years writing about social media, crypto, and blockchain. Good work. Real insights. But the conversations I’m having now, about AI adoption, organizational transformation, and how to navigate disruption with judgment, these conversations are where my 30 years of pattern recognition actually matter most.
Being early through five revolutions gives you something valuable: you know what the pattern looks like. You know what signals matter and what’s noise. You know that the organizations that win are never the fastest, they’re the ones that move with clarity.
And right now, with AI, clarity is the rarest resource. Most of what you’re hearing is either hype or fear. Finding the signal in between, that’s what I’m good at. That’s where I’m focusing everything.
If You’re In Stage 2, This Is Essential
If you’re a leader, executive, or professional in that Stage 2 space right now, wondering if you’re behind, whether your expertise still matters, how to move forward without getting swept up in the hype, you’re not alone. Millions of competent people are feeling exactly what you’re feeling.
The good news is that Stage 2 is predictable. It always feels like crisis, but it’s just a stage. You can move through it faster by understanding the pattern.
My book, AI Made Simple: Artificial Intelligence for Everyday Life, comes out in December 2026. I hope that is helps people around the world to move forward without anxiety. That’s what I’m here for. Come find me when you’re ready to talk about it.
