The Arrogant Tech CEOs; ¨Just Adapt

Aravind Srinivas CEO of Perplexity

Another day, another tech CEO telling regular people they're doing life wrong.

This time it's Aravind Srinivas from Perplexity. His advice? Stop scrolling Instagram and start using AI tools. Because apparently that's how you "add value to the new society." What does he mean by this? Well, if you don't become an AI expert right now, you're worthless. What? He said that?

The Problem with This Thinking

These guys live in a bubble. They got lucky, made it big, and now they think everyone else just needs to follow their playbook. Become entrepreneurs. But here's what they don't get:

Not everyone can afford to reinvent themselves. Allow me to introduce a 54-year-old carpenter that lives in Minnesota. He's got a mortgage, kids in college, and bills to pay. He can't just drop everything to learn prompt engineering or whatever the hell these people think is essential now.

Not everyone should be an entrepreneur. We need plumbers, teachers, nurses, mechanics. Society literally falls apart without these people. But according to tech bros, if you're not building the next unicorn startup, you're not adding value.

Not everyone has the same starting point. These CEOs had access to elite education, wealthy networks, and the luxury of taking risks, plus being at the right place at the right time. Most people aren´t this lucky or have rich parents to fall back on when their brilliant AI startup idea crashes and burns.

The Real Message

When Srinivas says "everyone will have to adapt fast," what he's really saying is: "Figure it out yourself. If you can't keep up, that's your problem."

It's the same as telling someone to learn to code when they lose their factory job. Or suggesting people work three gig economy jobs instead of asking why one job doesn't pay enough to live on. They're putting all the responsibility on individuals while ignoring how quickly the new systems they are creating are changing radically everyone´s lives.

What They Don't Want to Admit

Here's the thing these CEOs won't tell you: They benefit from this chaos. When people are desperate to stay relevant, they'll work harder for less money. When everyone thinks they need to be an entrepreneur, they'll accept that stable jobs with benefits are a thing of the past.

The carpenter who's been building houses for 30 years has real skills and real value. But now he's supposed to feel insecure because he doesn't know how to use ChatGPT?

That's not progress. That's manufactured anxiety designed to keep people scrambling.

What We Should Be Talking About Instead

Here's what's really going on: This isn't about individual failure to adapt. It's about an economic system that puts profit over people.

When companies use AI to cut jobs, that's a choice. When they pocket the savings instead of retraining workers, that's a choice. When they tell displaced workers to figure it out themselves, that's a choice.

We could be having different conversations. Like how to create retraining programs that actually work. Or universal basic income so people aren't terrified of losing their jobs to automation. Or regulations that make sure when AI makes companies more money, workers get a piece of it too.

But that would require these tech CEOs to admit they have some responsibility for the mess they're creating. Much easier to just tell everyone to learn AI and call it a day.

The Bottom Line

Stop letting these people make you feel like you're falling behind. Your worth isn't determined by how quickly you can adapt to whatever tech trend is hot this month. You don't need to become an AI expert to matter. You don't need to start a company to have value.

Most of these tech CEOs got where they are through luck, timing, and privilege. Then they rewrite history to make it sound like pure genius and hard work. Don't buy their BS. The real problem isn't that people aren't adapting fast enough. It's that we've created an economy where a few people get incredibly rich while everyone else is told to be grateful for the scraps and hustle harder.

Maybe instead of telling carpenters to learn AI, we should be asking why the people who build our homes can't afford to live in them.

But that's a conversation these CEOs don't want to have.

Thanks for Reading. Abrazos.

Diego Rojas