Your Skill Stack: Unlocking Your Value in an AI-Driven World

Most folks I talk to are trying to figure out how to stay relevant in a world being reshaped by AI. And a lot of them feel stuck.

Some think they need to become more technical. Others believe their current skills won’t matter much in a few years.

But here’s the truth: you already have what you need. You just haven’t looked at it the right way.

One of my favorite frameworks is the idea of skill stacking. The idea is simple: most of us won’t be the best in the world at any single thing. That’s normal. What matters is how you combine what you know.

That combination, your unique stack of skills, interests, experiences, and curiosities - is where your real leverage lives.

The problem is most people don’t look at their skills and experience that way. They compartmentalize.

"I used to do marketing."

"I worked in HR."

"I’m decent at writing."

"I like coaching, but I also run ops."

Everything sits in its own mental box. No clear connection. No common thread. So it’s easy to undervalue what you’ve done. You end up focusing on what you’re not, instead of what you already bring to the table.

But if you zoom out and look for patterns, what people come to you for, what you enjoy doing without being asked, what you’ve figured out the hard way -you’ll usually find a theme.

And here’s the part that’s often missed: your stack isn’t limited to what’s on your resume.

Some of your most valuable skills might come from outside your day job.

The podcast you’ve been quietly running for three years.

The parent group you organized from scratch.

The habit of writing short essays on your commute.

The love of strategy you’ve honed through years of coaching youth sports.

These things count. Especially now.

Because in a world where AI can do more and more of the surface-level work, the value is shifting to the human layer. Insight. Taste. Judgment. Context. Creativity. Those things aren’t tied to a job title. They’re built from lived experience.

Your advantage isn’t one skill. It’s the mix only you can bring.

So don’t start by asking what job you need to pivot into. Start by asking what strengths you already have, and how they work together.

That’s your stack.

It’s probably more powerful than you think.

You just need to see it clearly so you can start using it on purpose.