How to Design Your Own Opportunity

Introduction

I bet you a million dollars your inbox is filled with articles about automation, displacement, and disruption right now. Isn’t it?

You don’t even have to look because you know it’s true.

There is no greater concern in 2026 than artificial intelligence (AI) and the disappearance of jobs, and that news hits hard, especially when you’re a white-collar worker.

In fact, McKinsey Global Institute cited in their Generative AI and the Future of Work Report, “by 2030, activities that account for up to 30 percent of hours currently worked across the US economy could be automated—a trend accelerated by generative AI.

This news is quite alarming.

Here you are, 15 to 20 years into your career, built yourself a nice little reputation, and mastered complex work - precisely the kind AI automates first.

And then the panic sets in, and your mind starts racing: "Should I retrain completely?" "Is my expertise obsolete?" "How do I compete with technology that never sleeps?

And you’re not the only one trying to figure out what to do.

You’ve even got a subset of folks returning to school because they can’t find work. You might still have your job, but you’ve been on the other side of the fence, too, and throw AI and outsourcing into the mix.

It’s not easy out there. The last thing you need is to be replaced.

But keep this in mind: AI can’t replace you. I mean that.

You can't compete with AI.

And you shouldn't try.

Instead, you’re better off spending that time designing opportunities AI can't touch, like human-first work or experiences that machines will never be able to replicate.

But first, let’s talk about how you can use that fear to drive you to design your next opportunity, and not be at the mercy of unsubstantiated musings or forecasts.

AI is here to say, but the truth is: you don't have to panic. Machines are powerful, but they can't replicate what makes a human valuable.

The Future of Work

This next wave of work is going to look different. Very different.

And it’s going to require you to get out of your comfort zone and make some changes.

Let me drop some wisdom on you: The real opportunity will be in how you think.

In a world being reshaped by AI, automation, and algorithms, the most valuable asset isn't your resume. It’s your perspective. Your lived experience. Your ability to notice what's missing, what's broken, and what only a human can understand and fix.

Think about it: AI can process millions of data points and identify patterns, but it can't recognize when those patterns are misleading. It can't understand the unspoken context in a meeting. It can't read between the lines when a client says one thing but means another.

That's not replicable by an algorithm trained on historical data.

Your Competitive Edge is Being Human

AI isn’t your competitor.

This next chapter is about designing smarter and looking for the chance to:

• Solve problems AI can't comprehend

• Bring empathy to systems that have none

• Spot patterns AI isn't trained to see

• Deliver nuance, care, and connection where tech still falls short

We're entering a time where being deeply human is your competitive edge. Even in the simplest of situations.

If I’m at a place of business, for example, and I have an issue with customer service, I don’t want to speak to a chatbot or a robot about it. I want to speak directly to a human. Even if the issue gets escalated to management, I want a human to read my written complaint (whether it’s through a Medallia survey or straight to the corporate email). AI might be able to parse the information to analyze the complaint, but it’s not going to understand the context the way you and I would. And nothing is going to anger you more than a chatbot spitting out a very programmed or even completely inappropriate response (they aren’t fool proof, you know).

But most importantly, it can't recognize when the complaints aren't really about the process, they're about people feeling unheard or receiving lack of proper treatment. That distinction changes everything about the solution.

And these aren't rare cases either, they’re among the most prevalent problems organizations face. And they require human judgment that no machine can replicate.

Where Your Opportunity Lives

In the words of William Arthur Ward, “Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you’ll miss them.”

The same is true for finding solutions to problems around you. You need to be tuned into your environment to look for those opportunities - or they’ll just pass you by.

So, right now, I need you to pay close attention here and write this down, because you're going to need to put your investigator's hat on and do some deep diving to try and figure out the following:

• What are the pain problems you see in everyday life?

• What questions are people asking that go unanswered?

• Where do you see breakdowns—communication, trust, connection, context—that AI simply can't repair?

Those cracks you discover in your investigation? That's where your opportunity lives.

Look at your own industry. Where are people frustrated? Where do projects stall not because of technical problems, but because of human dynamics? Where are decisions being made on data alone, missing the crucial context that someone with your experience would catch immediately?

Those gaps? Those are opportunities.

What You Might Create

What you envision and end up creating is up to you.

Based on what you discover, you might end up starting a business or creating some kind of a tool, experience, or service that bridges the gap between people and machines, between information and meaning.

You might even find that your role is not to replace what AI can do, but to elevate what it can't.

The possibilities are endless.

Just remember, this isn't about adding "AI skills" to your resume. It's about recognizing where your deeply human capabilities become more valuable, not less, as AI handles the routine work.

Designing Your Next Move

The key is to stay open-minded, tuned into your surroundings, and embrace creativity on multiple levels to design your own opportunity.

You might be surprised what you come up with.

The professionals who will win in the AI age won't be the ones who compete on efficiency. They'll be the ones who position themselves where algorithms fail and humans win and where ambiguity requires judgment.

And when you think back on all your 20 years of experience you’ve acquired, it was more than just work knowledge, you’ve gathered experience in life (which is the foundation for opportunities AI can't touch).

But recognizing the opportunity isn't enough. You need to position yourself strategically. You need to design your next move intentionally, not stumble into whatever comes next.

Keep your eyes and ears open.