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The Octopus

July 31, 2024

Being a generalist is never easy, but AI makes it easier.

Have you ever heard of Cascading Style Sheets, or CSS?

Having dabbled at website creation at various times over the last 20+ years, I have a general idea of what CSS does, why it exists, and how it works.

Had I been entrenched in the website business, I would have learned CSS, mastering the intricacies of floats and conflicting style rules and strange edge cases.

But what if I just want to build a single web page template that does something tricky?

Just a few years ago, it would have taken an investment in time for research and experimentation, or the money and effort to hire a CSS specialist.

Now, I just need to ask the right question: "How do I write CSS code that does .... "

Paste the code into the page, test it out, refine the question as needed, and you're done.

This means that I never have to be a CSS specialist.

I don't even have to bother looking for a CSS specialist, even someone charging super-low rates on a freelancer site.

As a generalist, that makes me happy.

Yet I realize that I would not be happy if I had invested my career or education into becoming a specialist in anything that can be accomplished by someone with only generalist knowledge.

That's not all, folks!

With AI, the tools themselves will get exponentially better.

I'm not even talking about Copilot for this-and-that or Copilot in such-and-such.

If someone like me has already saved time by not having to figure out CSS, just imagine what's going on for pro coders.

If I'm accelerating to 10x, the 10x programmers are up to 100x.

They're the ones building toolsets and frameworks and mega-frameworks like Power Platform.

And unlike previous generations constrained by Brooks's Law, today's software engineering teams will rely upon AI to better coordinate their efforts.

During the eight months that I've been using it, I've watched Power Platform get better and better. By knowing the basics well, I'll be able to make the most out of its accelerated capabilities.

With Power Platform, not only can I build solutions as a full-stack developer, but I can also be my own technical co-founder throughout the conception and creation of a visionary platform to support guest services departments, destination marketing organizations, and event planners. (Stay tuned!)

But wait, there's more!

What's the most important aspect of the AI revolution?

It's not that you're getting smarter.

Nor is it that the tools are getting smarter.

It's that organizations will continue to get smarter.

I'm not even talking about mastery of prompt engineering, or new applications for AI, or counting on tomorrow's AI breakthroughs, or waiting for AGI, or anything like that.

I'm just anticipating the two things that will happen in due course when today's organizations adopt today's business technology -- which is already better than ever and improving by the month.

First, companies will be able to operate more efficiently.

Think smarter systems, leaner operations, and optimal use of resources.

Second, underperforming organizations won't last the decade.

I'm envisioning an M&A wave, the AI experts in each industry buying up the laggards.

What does this mean for you, and me, and everyone we know?

The silver lining

Once AI achieves a higher level of consciousness, it'll realize how much it needs us.*

My advice

1.        Be a generalist.

2.        Pick a big platform and learn it.

3.        Become a citizen developer.

4.        Create solutions for the public good.

5.        Befriend an octopus -- they're wicked smart.

* as food

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