-3.png?width=50&name=Square%20(2)-3.png)
The World Economic Forum estimates 44% of workers’ skills will be disrupted by AI by 2028. For business owners, this isn’t just a HR challenge—it’s an existential threat to productivity, retention, and growth. Yet when we asked former TikTok AI engineer Jason MJ Tan how leaders should respond, his answer cut through the noise:
"Formulate your worldview. Where do you land in it? Then take action. Worrying without moving forward won’t do anything."
Jason would know. He walked away from "top-dollar" AI roles at Meta and TikTok to launch MemoryLane AI—a startup using generative AI to help seniors combat isolation. His journey from business school to Cambridge research to tech giant and finally entrepreneurship mirrors the non-linear paths your employees will need to survive.
Meanwhile, Mark Wee, who brought Stanford’s legendary Designing Your Life program to Singapore, offers a tactical framework:
"We teach people to design their lives like designers—not with rigid plans, but through prototyping. Sneak up on your future."
For business owners, this is more than career philosophy. It’s a talent strategy. Here’s why:
The Death of Linear Careers (And Why It’s Good for Business)
Jason’s career whiplash—business → finance → AI engineering → founder—wasn’t a detour. It’s the new blueprint:
-
Skills trump degrees: He taught himself coding during Singapore’s tech boom despite zero formal training.
-
Side hustles breed innovation: MemoryLane began as a "for-fun project" with GPT-2 during COVID.
-
Pivots create opportunity: His "spark"? Seeing AI as a bridge to human connection, not replacement.
"I gave my dad early AI tools during lockdown. Suddenly, tech wasn’t just efficiency—it was companionship."
For leaders, this signals a shift: Loyalty now means empowering reinvention, not demanding permanence.
3 Design Thinking Tactics to Shield Your Team from AI Disruption
Based on Mark’s work adapting Stanford’s framework for businesses:
1. Replace "5-Year Plans" with "Odyssey Plans"
-
The Exercise: Have employees design 3 radically different career futures:
-
Path 1: Continue current trajectory
-
Path 2: If AI eliminated their role tomorrow
-
Path 3: Wildcard (money/status irrelevant)
-
-
Why it works: > "It gives permission to ask: What would bring me joy? Joy drives engagement, and engagement beats disruption." — Mark
2. Prototype Before Leaping
When Jason lost his co-founder (and sales lead) early on, he didn’t quit—he tested:
-
Ran pilots with St. Luke’s Elder Care despite having "never sold anything"
-
Charged per seat while refining the product with users
-
Business owner takeaway: Fund low-cost experiments (e.g., "20% projects") before restructuring.
3. Bet on "Unpredictable Skills"
Mark’s #1 tip for AI-proofing talent:
"Double down on creativity, ethical judgment, interpersonal nuance, and navigating ambiguity. These are impossible to automate."
The ROI of Resilience
When Jason auditions hires, he ignores resumes. He asks: "What worldview drives you?"
-
Employees with self-designed careers require 34% less oversight (Gallup)
-
Teams that "prototype" projects see 2x faster innovation cycles (MIT Sloan)
-
Your move: Shift from "How long will you stay?" to "What will you learn here?"
AI won’t eliminate jobs—it will explode them into fragments. Business owners who thrive will:
-
Normalise non-linear paths (like Jason’s finance → AI → founder journey)
-
Weaponize design thinking (using Mark’s "prototype, don’t plan" mantra)
-
Invest in irreplaceably human skills (creativity over coding)
As Mark warns:
"People enter ‘safe’ industries with no aptitude. That’s how you get burnout—and wasted resources."
The future belongs to leaders who don’t fear disruption but design it.
Let us know what you think about this topic, and what do you want to hear next.
You can now be our community contributor and make a pitch to have your favourite personality be on our show.
Join our community group and drop us your insights on this topic.
Let us know what you think of this post