What the Fiverr CEO's Viral Letter Really Means for Your Career (and What to Do About It)
Today, I’m excited to give you a deep dive into one of the most talked about topics around the future of work right now.
The viral CEO letter from Misha Kaufman, CEO of Fiverr, has made it’s rounds for the past month and for good reason.
Radical Candor: The (Unpleasant) Truth About AI and Your Job
Kaufman’s message is blunt: AI is coming for your job. Not just if you’re a programmer or designer, but across industries—product management, law, finance, sales, support, you name it.
His core message:
The line between easy, hard, and impossible tasks is shifting. What was considered “easy” work just a year ago is on its way out, “hard” is becoming the new normal, and “impossible” is the next frontier.
Real World Example:
Remember when captioning short-form video was a sought-after skill? That work is now automated by apps. The future? Even complex video motion graphics could be point-and-click by next year. If your value stops at what used to be hard (but is now routine), it’s time to level up.
The CEO’s 7-Point Survival Plan
Kaufman doesn’t only ring the alarm like most. He hands out a playbook, and honestly, it’s more concrete than most CEO “guidance” out there. Here are your action items:
Master the Latest AI Tools in Your Field:
Don’t settle for just knowing the basics. Seek out the solutions that give you “superpowers”—the ability to do more with better quality, faster.
Find the Best People to Learn From:
Whether they’re on your team, on YouTube, or writing newsletters, surround yourself with those ahead of the curve.
Outpace 2024’s Workflow:
You’re not just expected to keep up anymore. You’re expected to be more efficient and effective using modern tools—and quickly.
Become a Prompt Engineer:
The way you interact with AI (your prompts!) is becoming as fundamental as knowing how to use Google was twenty years ago.
Drive Efficiency in Your Organization:
Don’t just USE AI—use it to help your team and company become better and leaner.
Contribute Proactively:
Don’t wait to be asked for ideas. Treat your company’s mission as your own, pitch ways to improve, and take ownership.
Create Learning Opportunities:
High-agency folks—those who jump on chances to learn and adapt—will stand out. Waiting for someone to hand you growth? That era is over.
My Take: High-Agency Is Your Golden Ticket
What really struck me is how aligned this is with what we talk about all the time on the pod: taking initiative, embracing learning, and turning uncertainty into opportunity.
If you do even two or three of these things seriously, you’re putting yourself in the top tier—the high-agency camp that every organization is going to be searching for.
You don’t need to copy everything the Fiverr CEO says, but the themes here are showing up everywhere in tech, business, and the freelance world. If you work at a big company (or hope to), your leadership is probably thinking along these lines already.
Don’t panic…but also don’t snooze on this. The world isn’t waiting for anyone to catch up anymore.
Approach AI and “always learning” as must-have, not nice-to-have, and you’ll be more likely to future-proof yourself in the process.
In your corner,
Misbah Haque
