2026: A year of uncertainty and opportunity

Something changed for me last year. For most of my career I have been a designer. I create brands, products and strategies for companies. But I always relied on developers to build the actual thing. That changed in 2025.

With the help of AI I became a developer. Not a traditional one who spent years learning to code, but someone who can now actually build real products. Working apps. Functional software. Things that work and that people can use. To me this is honestly mind blowing. It opens up so many possibilities that just were not there before.

And I am far from alone in this. AI is enabling people everywhere to do things they could never do before.

This year will be insane

AI continues to evolve at a pace that is hard to comprehend. Every few months there are new capabilities, new models, new tools. And all of this is empowering more people to do wonderful things. Build apps. Conduct research. Develop strategies. Design new brands. Create marketing campaigns. Start companies.

The barriers to entry are falling fast.

But here is the thing. As more people gain these superpowers, competition will get harder. When everyone can build, what separates the winners from the rest?

I think what will matter more going forward is the idea itself, the go to market strategy and the execution. Having a good idea is not enough. You need to actually get it out there. Ship it. Compete. The ability to build is becoming commoditized but the ability to build the right thing and bring it to market is not.

Robots enter the arena

This is also the year when robots will start to become real. Not the clunky industrial machines we have seen before, but physical versions of AI that can move through the world and do things.

This raises fascinating questions. What happens when the cost of certain types of labor approaches zero? What kind of companies and products can be built then? What industries get disrupted? What new ones emerge?

I do not have all the answers but I know we are about to find out.

A less stable world

While technology races forward, the world around us feels less stable than it has in a long time.

The United States is alienating itself from old partners and alliances that have held for decades. Europe is being forced to stand more on its own. Russia continues to be a war machine in Ukraine with no end in sight and the possibility of attacking more countries looming. China is eyeing Taiwan. The Middle East remains in turmoil as it has been for so long. And through all of this, climate change keeps warming the planet.

These are genuinely interesting and uncertain times to live through. A lot can happen this year. A lot will happen.

What I am planning to do

On my part I will keep doing what I do best. Designing products and brands for others as well as myself. I built some ideas late last year that I want to test and see if anything gains traction. I also plan to develop my hobby startup Minutemailer further and see if that can take off.

But time is always limited. I can not spread myself too thin or nothing will get done well.

I believe we are living in decisive times. What you do in the next one to three years will matter more than what you did in the last ten. The ground is shifting and the people who position themselves well now will have a significant advantage.

My advice for you

Be open minded. Try new things. Explore and learn constantly.

Things are moving so fast that you can not just rely on what you already know. The knowledge and skills that got you here might not be the ones that take you forward. You have to be willing to reinvent yourself.

This applies no matter what your background is. Whether you come from design, marketing, development, management or entrepreneurship. The old categories and silos are breaking down. The people who will thrive are the ones who can learn new things and adapt.

So stay curious. Stay hungry. And make the most of this wild ride we are all on.

Also read 2025: The year AI transforms our lives