In 2001, We Were Told to Build the Future. None of Us Chose the Internet.
Build to Thrive caters to professionals and founders seeking clarity, leverage, and income in the new AI economy. It is built for people navigating real transitions and applying what they know to new opportunities as the rules of business change. As a subscriber, you get thoughtful deep dives, timely insights, and practical operating systems you can use to build and adapt in real time. As a paid subscriber, you unlock full access to every article, premium prompts, and our growing library of tools, while joining a community of more than 4,000 founders and aspiring entrepreneurs navigating this path together.
It was the spring of 2001.
My business professor split us into teams of five and gave us a challenge: build a business that mattered. Something people would truly need or want. We had sixty days.
It was the tail end of the dot-com crash. The world was still trying to make sense of what had happened. For a few years, everyone believed the internet would take over everything. As business students chasing the next big thing, the internet sat at the center of nearly every plan. Venture capital chased clicks and page views. Profit was an afterthought. It’s no surprise the bubble burst.
When we finally presented our ideas, I was surprised.
Restaurants.
Home repair services.
Fitness studios.
Childcare centers.
Real businesses solving real problems.
Not one was built on the internet. No one wanted to pursue a company that existed solely online. We were cautious. Almost embarrassed. As if choosing something tangible meant we’d missed the future.
Twenty-five years later, I look back with optimism, but with clear eyes.
The internet didn’t fail. It settled. The hype collapsed before the value could fully emerge. What followed was quieter, more foundational, and ultimately world-changing.
AI feels different. Bigger. More disruptive. Less forgiving.
This isn’t just another tool. It’s a force that will shift the tectonic plates beneath how we work, create, decide, and define value. There will be real disruption. Real loss, and a long storm before equilibrium returns.
But if history is any guide, humanity doesn’t stop at the chaos. We adapt. We recalibrate. We rebuild around what actually serves us.
The leap forward doesn’t come at the height of the hype.
It comes after the storm, when the technology stops trying to replace humanity and starts reshaping itself around it.
JS