AOL to AI… here’s what I’m thinking
Happy Sunday, squad.
Just wanted to drop in and leave you with three questions that might help shift how you think about investing — especially if you’re into stocks.
What technology do you use daily that didn’t exist 10 years ago?
As someone born in '95, I’ve seen a ton of change. I remember the first time using AOL and waiting forever for the internet to load up. I remember when phones were Nokias with just the snake or rocket ship game. I remember using an iPod for the first time and getting Instagram in 10th grade — before the For You page, before influencers. You just followed your friends from school.
Now, we’re here — livestream shopping, AI everything, VR headsets. Things evolve fast. And one of the smartest things you can do as an investor is stay humble and curious. Ask yourself: Where is technology going next?
Last week, I saw a Tesla get delivered — driverless — straight to someone’s apartment in Austin. No driver. That would’ve sounded like science fiction in 2005. But here we are.
TikTok Shop is turning livestreams into shopping malls. AI is replacing Google for a lot of people. In this new world, you don’t just want to use tech — you want to understand who’s profiting from it.
Who’s behind the scenes powering that technology?
When I invest, I look at the operators — not just the product. Who are the minds building the future? What companies are making it possible?
If you think iPhones will be around for another decade, cool. But who makes their chips? (TSMC). Who supplies their AI tools? (Apple Vision Pro). Who powers their cloud storage or payments?
ChatGPT is impressive. But the real upside might be in NVIDIA (makes the chips), Microsoft (hosts it via Azure), or even Adobe (building tools on top of AI).
It’s like the old saying: During a gold rush, don’t just mine for gold. Sell the pickaxes.
Am I learning these tools — or ignoring them?
This might be the biggest one.
If you're in your late 20s or early 30s, you’ve seen shifts firsthand. But are you adapting?
A lot of people still resist AI. But the ones who lean in are already leveling up — learning faster, building faster, making better decisions.
Don’t just scroll past what’s happening. Zoom out.
Ask:
What jobs are AI going to eliminate?
What new skills will matter?
How will people shop in 2028?
What industries will disappear — and what will explode?
The people who win in the next 5–10 years won’t just be tech founders or engineers. It’ll be the curious ones — the people who study the wave instead of just surfing it.
If you don’t stay learning, you risk becoming the equivalent of your parents trying to figure out how to switch to HDMI 2 on the TV.
Three Extra Ways to Apply This Right Now
Track what you use: I keep a notepad of the apps, tech, and platforms I use every day.
Then I ask: Is this company public? Is it growing? Should I learn more about it?
Use this filter when thinking about the next opportunity:
Is it growing fast?
Is it solving a real problem?
Do I believe in it myself?
Write down 3 technologies you’ve adopted in the past year. Then ask:
“Who benefits from this? How can I invest in it, learn from it, or get in earlier next time?”
You don’t have to be an expert stock picker. You can build wealth by:
Investing in simple index funds
Learning new tech skills
Positioning yourself to understand the next shift before it goes mainstream
These are the kinds of convos we break down in my Bootcamp and the Net Worth Room — real-world examples, no fluff, just helping people turn curiosity into strategy.
LFG,
Gabriel