10 AI skills you should know in 2026

 

AI isn’t replacing you.
But the people who master these 10 skills absolutely will.

If you learn these AI skills now, you’ll stay employable, valuable, and ahead of 95% of the workforce by 2026.

AI is evolving faster than any skill market in history.
The people who win in 2026 won’t be those who learn “prompting”…
but those who learn the full stack of AI skills, from agents to automation to multimodal systems.

This framework lays out the 10 most important AI skills you must master to stay relevant, future-proof your career, and unlock new earning potential.

1. Prompt Engineering (Still Foundational)
Craft prompts that get structured, reliable, and repeatable AI outputs.

2. AI Agents
Build systems that think, decide, and execute tasks without human intervention.

3. Workflow Automation
Automate end-to-end tasks, processes, and operations using Make, Zapier, n8n, and AI workflows.

4. Agentic AI
Create AI that adapts, self-corrects, and performs complex reasoning for business operations.

5. Multimodal AI
Use AI that handles text, images, audio, video, and code to produce richer results.

6. Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
Connect AI to real company data so it answers with accuracy, not hallucinations.

7. GEO / AEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
Optimize content so AI-generated platforms surface your brand better than search engines.

8. AI Tool Stacking
Combine multiple AI tools to create powerful, always-on workflows.

9. AI Content Systems
Build automated systems that generate, repurpose, and scale content 24/7.

10. LLM Management & AI Ops
Monitor, improve, and operationalize AI models for reliability and cost efficiency.

The winners of 2026 won’t be the ones who learn “AI”…
but the ones who learn how to use AI as a system.

Master these 10 skills, and you’ll future-proof your income, impact, and career.

Credit to Sumit Gupta. Follow him for more.

https://tinyurl.com/mfzz85jf

40 reasons you should build a start-up in 2026

I'm 35 and I've been building businesses for 15+ years.

Hands down, 2026 is the best time ever to build a start-up.

I say that with confidence.

The market conditions for startups are perfect right now.

I've put together 40 reasons why this is true in the carousel for you below.
The advancement of technology is utterly crazy.

Claude Code lets one person build what used to require a 5-person dev team, and cloud infrastructure makes building cheap.

But that's only one element of it.

Buyers want what startups offer.

They want flexibility and real solutions to actual problems.
They want partners who move fast and care about outcomes.
And from a hiring perspective, employees are attracted to startup culture.

Because the best talent are sick of legacy companies and no progression.

I've built and sold businesses in multiple cycles.

The combination of technology, market demand, talent availability, and capital conditions has never aligned like this.

- When I built Verb Brands, I bootstrapped for 10 years before exiting.
- When I built Lottie, we scaled to 100+ people and got to a 9-figure valuation.
- When I built Searchable, we went from idea to beta customers in 100 DAYS.

Each cycle got faster because the conditions improved.

2026 is the best environment I've seen for starting a business.
If you've been waiting for the right time, this is it.

The opportunity is here, the timing is now, and the window is wide open (for now).

What's one prediction you have for building businesses in 2026?
Let me know in the comments.

If prediction #1 comes true, and I believe it will,
Your business needs to be visible in AI search.

That's why we built Searchable.

It optimises your content everywhere your customers might be.
Not just Google, but ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude as well.

Click here to start your 14-day free trial:
https://lnkd.in/epgXyFmi

https://tinyurl.com/32asxbj2  

6 Storytelling Frameworks Every CEO Needs to Know

 

Most CEOs get storytelling wrong.

And it's costing them millions.

I've seen brilliant ideas die in boardrooms.
Watched potential investors check their phones.
Noticed employees' eyes glaze over during speeches.

Not because the ideas were bad.
But because the story wasn't there.

These 6 frameworks change everything:

1) Simon Sinek's Golden Circle
↳ Don't start with what you do. Start with WHY you do it.
↳ Then explain HOW you do it differently.
↳ Only then share WHAT you actually offer.

When Airbnb pitches, they don't just say "we rent rooms."
They start with "we create belonging."

2) Minto's Pyramid Principle
↳ Hit them with your main point first.
↳ Support it with clear evidence.
↳ Add details only if they ask.

Your busy stakeholders will love you for this.
No more waiting until slide 20 for the punchline.

3) The Pixar Pitch
↳ "Once upon a time..." (set the scene)
↳ "Every day..." (show the problem)
↳ "Until one day..." (introduce your solution)
↳ "Because of that..." (share the impact)
↳ "Until finally..." (reveal the transformation)

This structure is pure magic for showing
your company's journey or vision.

4) StoryBrand Framework
↳ Your customer is Luke Skywalker
↳ You're Yoda, the guide
↳ Show them how to win

Stop making your company the hero. It's not about you.

5) What, So What, Now What
↳ State the facts clearly
↳ Explain why anyone should care
↳ Define the next steps

Perfect for turning quarterly reports from sleep aids
into action drivers.

6) ABT (And, But, Therefore)
↳ Set up what everyone agrees on
↳ Introduce the challenge
↳ Present your solution

When you need to be quick and compelling,
this is your go-to.

In today's world, the best story wins.

It wins the talent.
It wins the customers.
It wins the investment.

Your brilliance deserves a story that matches it.

Master these frameworks, and watch what happens to:

Your impact.
Your influence.
Your bottom line.

Credits to Eric Partaker, make sure to follow!

https://tinyurl.com/mtnzb86v