Written by: Chris Allaire
2026 Is the Year of Separation
Value Add Wins. Shortcuts Lose. Skill Decides.
The last three years didn’t just reshape the market, they exposed it.
What we lived through from 2023 to now wasn’t a cycle.
It was a sorting mechanism.
And walking into 2026, the divide is no longer subtle.
It’s clear.
It’s structural.
It’s permanent.
This is the year where value add separates from volume,
execution separates from talk,and real skill separates from convenience.
If you’re a founder or employer, this matters because you’re not just hiring people anymore, you’re hiring judgment, accountability, and outcomes.
2023: We All Got Crushed
2023 was unforgiving.
Budgets froze.
Hiring slowed to a crawl.
Late-stage deals died.
Trust eroded across the board.
Everyone felt it.
This wasn’t a “bad year.”
It was a stress test.
And stress tests don’t lie. They reveal:
- Who actually understands their craft
- Who built real relationships versus transactional ones
- Who can deliver when there’s friction, ambiguity, and pressure
2023 stripped everything down to fundamentals.
No momentum.
No padding.
No hiding.
2024: The Shortcut Mindset Took Hold
By late 2024, the narrative shifted.
Not toward mastery but toward shortcuts.
“The year of efficiency.”
“The year of leverage.”
“The year of automation.”
And it sounded like this:
“Let’s automate it.”
“Let’s AI it.”
“Let’s remove humans from the equation.”
AI exploded, and yes, it mattered. Still does.
A lot of people didn’t pivot.
They didn’t evolve.
They didn’t double down on skill.
But instead of using it to augment skill, many tried to use it to replace effort.
Critical thinking? Deferred.
Communication? Automated.
Listening? Skipped.
Judgment? Outsourced.
The market didn’t collapse in 2024, it got quiet.
That quiet was the warning.
2025: Why Can’t We Just AI Our Way to the Top?
Then reality hit.
Hard.
It’s not what AI IS doing, its what it’s NOT doing!
2025 became the year of the uncomfortable question:
“Why isn’t AI doing my job?”
“Why isn’t it finding problems to solve?”
“Wait… I still have to think?”
“I still have to work?”
Email SPAM at its peak:
- Less than 1% Open Rates
- .3% Positive Response rates
- Trust eroded
This is where the 95% failure rate showed up.
Because AI doesn’t:
- Know what matters
- Decide what’s worth solving
- Build trust
- Navigate ambiguity
- Take accountability when something breaks
And for a lot of people, that realization was brutal.
They weren’t under-skilled at the tool.
They were under-skilled at the job.
AI didn’t fail them.
It exposed them.
The Bat Is the Same Now
Here’s the truth no one can dodge anymore:
We all have the same bat (think baseball 😉) .
Same tools.
Same AI.
Same access.
Same platforms.
But can you actually hit a 100-mph fastball? (Again, the baseball reference…stick with me)
Because that is skill.
Timing is everything.
Reps build consistency.
Pressure reveals judgment.
And experience is earned the hard way.
Using a calculator doesn’t make you good at math.
Using AI doesn’t make you valuable.
Everyone can add.
Everyone can prompt.
Not everyone can execute.
The Divide Is Now Obvious
What used to be fuzzy is now undeniable:
Amazing —
- Cognitive, critical and independent thinkers
- Strong judgment in ambiguity
- Deep listening and fast interpretation
- Real relationships that hold under pressure
- Consistent delivery when stakes are high
Very Good —
- Strong fundamentals
- Need structure and direction
- Capable executors
Decent —
- Interchangeable
- Reliable, not differentiating
Poor —
- Button pushers
- Prompt jockeys
- Shortcut chasers
- Confusing activity for impact
This isn’t about effort alone.
It’s about skill density.
And the market has stopped pretending otherwise.
Real Work Still Wins
Let’s reset expectations.
You still have to work your ass off.
There is no automation for:
- Trust
- Taste
- Judgment
- Accountability
- Reputation
- Hard-earned relationships
AI can help you move faster.
It cannot help you think deeper — unless you already can.
It amplifies skill.
It does not create it.
Why 2026 Is Different
2026 isn’t a rebuild year.
It isn’t a bounce-back year.
Instead it’s a separation year.
This is where:
- Fewer people do bigger, more meaningful deals
- Real operators rise quietly
- Value add beats volume without question
At that point, you’re either:
- Playing at the Olympic level
- Or realizing you’ve been practicing for a game that no longer exists
The field isn’t level anymore.
And it’s not going to be again.
Value Add Is the Only Currency Left
No vendor.
No middleman.
And definitely no noise generator.
Value add.
Clarity.
Judgment.
Execution.
Delivery.
Measured, not imagined (recruiting data from Averity):
- 31 days to fill
- 78% acceptance rate
- 8:1 submission-to-hire ratio
That’s not marketing.
That’s performance.
The Gap Is Opening — Quietly, Permanently
2026 belongs to:
- The skilled, not the comfortable
- The disciplined, not the loud
- The prepared, not the hopeful
As a result, The people who kept sharpening real skills while others chased ease?
They’re already pulling away.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Decisively.This is the year of separation.
And separation favors the ones who can still hit the fastball.
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