We are experiencing a cumulative inflection marked by "death by a thousand signals."
There’s an economic fatigue that isn’t officially classified as a recession, yet many are cutting back, living paycheck to paycheck, delaying healthcare, and downsizing their dreams. This reflects a genuine economic reality without clear signs of collapse.
Trust is eroding across various systems, including government, media, brands, and institutions, leading to a post-trust society. In this context, the identity of the messenger becomes crucial when the message is no longer trusted.
Technology disillusionment is also prevalent. AI is not the main event; it accelerates the unraveling of already weak systems built on noise rather than true value.
We observe career dislocation through trends such as quiet quitting, layoffs, and a shrinking middle management. Gen Z is opting out, while burned-out Gen X workers are rejoining on their own terms. A shift in labor is underway in marketing and knowledge work, even if it isn't clearly defined.
We are realizing that our systems for scaling marketing no longer work—if they ever truly did for those doing the work. This is why resilience is essential; it is a stance amidst a long, complicated shift.
I have what is possibly a dumb question.
Those past inflection points were all related to real world events (the dotcom burst, the great recession, the pandemic).
But if there is indeed an inflection point happening now, what's the event correlated with it?
Does there need to be one?
Are we saying AI is the event?
We are experiencing a cumulative inflection marked by "death by a thousand signals."
There’s an economic fatigue that isn’t officially classified as a recession, yet many are cutting back, living paycheck to paycheck, delaying healthcare, and downsizing their dreams. This reflects a genuine economic reality without clear signs of collapse.
Trust is eroding across various systems, including government, media, brands, and institutions, leading to a post-trust society. In this context, the identity of the messenger becomes crucial when the message is no longer trusted.
Technology disillusionment is also prevalent. AI is not the main event; it accelerates the unraveling of already weak systems built on noise rather than true value.
We observe career dislocation through trends such as quiet quitting, layoffs, and a shrinking middle management. Gen Z is opting out, while burned-out Gen X workers are rejoining on their own terms. A shift in labor is underway in marketing and knowledge work, even if it isn't clearly defined.
We are realizing that our systems for scaling marketing no longer work—if they ever truly did for those doing the work. This is why resilience is essential; it is a stance amidst a long, complicated shift.