In last week's newsletter, I began exploring what will truly differentiate professionals in an age where AI capabilities are becoming universally accessible. I focused on two distinctly human qualities: taste (the ability to make discerning judgments about quality and value) and human connection (the network of relationships built on trust and reciprocity).

Today, I'm continuing with the final two components of the human edge: charm and unique perspective—followed by practical strategies for maintaining your distinctive advantages in the AI era.

The technological landscape is shifting beneath our feet faster than most realize.

Welcome to Catalyst—your bi-weekly insights on emerging fintech and Web3 trends, a behind-the-scenes look at some of the top players in the space, and actionable strategies you can implement today. No fluff. No basic takes. Just clear insights on what's actually happening in fintech. 💻

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Will’s Picks

A few things I’ve loved reading this week—

• People who demand nothing of you (or, notes on charismatic people)

• The Psychology of Meaningful Connection

• In the Age of AI, What Makes People Unique?

• How You Become Irreplaceable in the Age of AI

• Founder Led Content Success Metrics

Charm: The Quality AI Can't Manufacture

AI can be programmed to be helpful, informative, and even somewhat personable, but it cannot replicate genuine charm—that magnetic quality that draws people in and makes them want to work with you specifically.

Charm isn't just about being likable (though that helps), it's about bringing a distinct energy and perspective that makes interactions with you memorable. It's the difference between a technically correct response and one that makes someone think, "I'm glad I talked to this specific person."

The most successful individuals and brands in the coming years will be genuinely interesting. They'll bring humor, warmth, and unexpected perspectives that make their work stand out in a sea of algorithmically-assisted adequacy.

Three dimensions of charm worth developing:

1. Authentic enthusiasm: Genuine passion for your work is contagious and impossible to fake

2. Thoughtful personality: Having opinions that go beyond conventional wisdom

3. Contextual awareness: Reading the room and adapting appropriately

Cultivating a Unique Perspective

A unique perspective is something you develop through deliberate exposure to diverse influences and ideas. No one is born crying out novel ideas.

In an era of algorithmic recommendations, maintaining an independent perspective requires conscious effort. Platforms are designed to feed you more of what you've already consumed, creating echo chambers rather than challenging viewpoints.

Developing a distinctive perspective requires:

1. Diverse inputs: Consuming information from varied and unexpected sources

2. Thoughtful curation: Building a personal collection of ideas that resonate with you

3. Cross-disciplinary thinking: Connecting concepts across traditionally separate domains

4. Independent judgment: Forming opinions based on your values, not consensus

When everyone has the same AI tools and information sources, your perspective becomes your differentiator. It's the lens through which you filter possibilities and make distinctive choices.

Four Strategies for Amplifying Your Human Edge

How do you maintain and strengthen your human advantages as AI capabilities advance? Here are four practical approaches:

1. Use AI as a Force Multiplier, Not a Replacement

The most effective approach isn't avoiding AI, but using it to amplify your unique strengths. Think of AI as a collaborator, not a competitor.

AI excels at certain tasks:

• Information gathering

• First drafts and outlines

• Technical validation

• Process automation

This frees you to focus on uniquely human elements:

• Strategic vision

• Creative direction

• Relationship building

• Taste-driven decisions

The relationship should be conversational—you provide direction, AI assists execution, you refine and guide. The more context you provide, the better AI will align with your vision.

For example, rather than having AI write a market analysis from scratch, share your unique insights and ask AI to expand on specific points, find supporting data, or organize your thoughts more coherently. This approach leverages AI's capabilities while preserving your distinctive perspective.

2. Focus on Outcomes, Not Technology

The strongest brands don't lead with technological capabilities—they lead with benefits. They emphasize what something does for the customer, not how it works.

This applies equally to AI implementation. Customers rarely care which technology powers your solution; they care about what problems it solves for them. The most successful applications of AI are often invisible to end users, improving experiences without drawing attention to themselves.

Ask yourself: Are you showcasing AI because it's impressive, or because it delivers measurable value to your audience?

In fintech, this might mean using AI to:

• Make complex financial decisions more understandable

• Personalize offerings based on user behavior

• Streamline tedious compliance processes

• Flag potential fraud more accurately

In each case, the focus isn't on the technology itself but on the improved outcome it creates for users.

3. Invest in What AI Cannot Replicate

The wisest long-term strategy is developing qualities that AI struggles to replicate:

• Original creative vision

• Emotional intelligence

• Physical presence and craft

• Community building

• Ethical judgment

These fundamental human capabilities become more valuable as technical execution becomes commoditized. The less replaceable your core skills are, the more stable your position in an AI-influenced landscape.

For financial services professionals, this might mean focusing on:

• Building deeper client relationships

• Developing more nuanced risk assessments

• Creating experiences that blend digital and physical touchpoints

• Crafting narratives that connect financial products to human values

4. Create Personal Context for AI

AI performs exponentially better when given rich context. Building a personal knowledge base—a collection of ideas, references, and examples that resonate with you—creates the foundation for more effective AI collaboration.

This is about developing your taste and perspective so your direction becomes more valuable. Modern AI tools can process extensive context (from 1,500 words a few years ago to over a million words today), but they need your curation to produce truly distinctive work.

Practical steps include:

• Saving articles, quotes, and ideas that inspire you

• Developing a coherent point of view on industry trends

• Collecting examples of exceptional work in your field

• Articulating your values and principles explicitly

When you provide this context to AI tools, they become extensions of your thinking rather than generic productivity utilities.

The Paradox of AI Advancement

Here's a fascinating paradox emerging in the AI revolution: as technical execution becomes more accessible, human judgment becomes more valuable.

When anyone with an internet connection can produce decent work in almost any domain, the differentiator becomes knowing what's worth making in the first place. The question shifts from "Can we make this?" to "Should we make this, and how should it feel?"

This applies across domains:

• In marketing, technical execution matters less than having a distinctive point of view

• In product design, technical features matter less than thoughtful user experiences

• In content creation, word count matters less than perspective and voice

The companies that thrive won't be those with the most advanced AI implementations, but those who know how to direct AI toward truly valuable outcomes.

Preparing for What's Next

Many of us define our professional value by the outputs we create—documents, code, designs, analyses, but this puts us in direct competition with increasingly capable AI.

Take time this week to reflect on the fundamental outcomes your role serves and how you can focus more on driving these outcomes while leveraging AI to handle routine outputs.

Some questions to guide your reflection:

• What business outcomes am I ultimately responsible for?

• What aspects of my work require uniquely human judgment?

• Where does my distinctive perspective add the most value?

• How can I redirect time saved by AI toward higher-value activities?

I want to be clear—none of this diminishes the extraordinary potential of AI. These technologies are transformative and will continue to reshape how we work, create, and connect, but the future isn't a binary choice between soulless efficiency and luddite resistance. It's about finding the sweet spot where technology amplifies humanity rather than replacing it.

The most successful individuals and organizations in the coming years will be those who embrace technology while doubling down on their distinctive human qualities—taste, charm, connection, and perspective.

Technology will change rapidly, but human connection and discernment remain constants. Build your professional value on these enduring foundations.