What’s coming in 2026 isn’t just more disruption. It’s not another wave of AI tools or a new generation entering the workforce. What’s coming is a reckoning—a sharp reassessment of which leadership skills still matter, and which are quietly expiring.
When most people think about expansion, they imagine doing more—more sales, more effort, more hustle, more hours. But expansion isn’t about “more.” Scaling is altogether different.
The piece highlights how AI is rapidly compressing the “half-life” of many technical skills. What once remained relevant for a decade now erodes within 18–24 months.
In the early years of a startup, many founders are taught to prioritize the pitch deck over the sales call.
Raise capital. Extend the runway. Buy time.
That was the game. For a while, it worked.
But we’re not in that era anymore.