…the end of prestige? #culture #ai #succession #future #newworld #tech #succession #prestige

We're witnessing the death of prestige, and most people don't even realize it yet. Think about it. For centuries, prestige was everything. It shaped who was hired, who was heard, funded, or followed. It was the Ivy League diploma framed like a holy relic. Forbes, 30 under 30, the blue checkmark. It was the legal associate grinding in a Manhattan skyscraper, reviewing contracts for 12 hours, billed at $1,200 an hour that a chatbot can now do in 12 seconds. See, prestige was never just about talent. It was about scarcity. Scarcity of access, information, and tools. And AI just made all three infinite. Because when a kid in Jakarta can vibe code an eight-figure startup, or create an AI shot short in a day that'll rack up more views and brand affinity than a million-dollar ad spot, the game changes. Prestige relied on institutions to legitimize value, but institutions are slow. AI is instant. I've noticed something strange happening. The ones clinging the hardest to prestige are starting to panic. They want to preserve the illusion. They're trying to regulate and gatekeep it, but there's nothing sacred behind those gates anymore. Their rules don't matter. Because the future doesn't care about prestige. It cares about what you can build, how fast you can learn, and who you can reach. Results beat accolades. Signal beats legacy. This isn't theoretical. This has already happened. The suits are still showing up to work, but the value is shifting elsewhere. Because it's no longer just about what you know. It's about how you leverage what the machines know.