Greed is Good: Why I’m Betting Everything on People in an AI-First World
Why Generosity, Gratitude and Human Relationships Are the Framework All of Our Creator Businesses Need Most in 2026 - Includes the Generosity Flywheel Workbook
In 2026, I’m working directly with 100 creators building real businesses.
I want to bring operating strategy, competitive positioning, and financial planning to a community that’s fundamentally different from my typical industrial and technology clients.
For the first 100 creator founders: Four 60-minute 1:1 advisory sessions for $95.
Context: My standard engagement starts at $10K/month. This isn’t that. This is me learning from you while helping you build something sustainable.
Limited to 100 spots. 71 of 100 have filled. Offer expires this Friday, February 6th at midnight. And once it’s gone, it will not be returning.
Warren Buffett famously said: “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” I think it’s safe to say that right now the world is fearful.
AI is coming for white-collar jobs. Layoffs are mounting. The careers we sacrificed to build, the educational debt we accumulated, the “safe” promises we chased suddenly don’t feel so safe anymore.
Software development.
Law.
Consulting.
Management.
Accounting.
Banking.
The professional paths we were told would guarantee security are being rewritten by technology in real-time.
So I’m tripling down on gratitude, generosity, and betting on humans. I’m choosing to give away everything I’ve learned about building businesses, creating financial outcomes, and operating companies to help individuals build sustainable businesses of their own. I believe the skill that will be most in demand in an AI-first world, is the skill of building small businesses.
I agree with Buffett: be greedy when others are fearful. I’m all in on business building, every chip in the middle of the table. It’s the answer for laid-off workers, unemployed graduates, the frustrated and underemployed, and those who feel they’ve aged out of their professions. It’s our answer.
The creator economy started as a niche for social media-savvy young people building influencer careers. Its future is something bigger: the democratization of small business building, art making, and freedom chasing for everyone.
That’s my contrarian bet. And this article explains why I’m making it.
- john -
What I’ve Spent 20 Years Learning
Before I explain the bet, let me tell you what I’m betting with.
I’ve spent my professional life studying economics, markets, investing, and business building from inside the machine.
The economic cycles I’ve studied and lived through:
The post-9/11 real estate boom that followed the dot-com crash
The explosion of the app economy and the transformation of the social landscape
The 2008-09 financial crisis and the subsequent stock market and Silicon Valley boom
COVID’s economic impact and the technological stacking that created the current AI revolution
The business experience I’ve accumulated:
I’ve operated, optimized, grown and scaled businesses. I’ve exited.
Helped others build and sell businesses across industries
Learned how to construct “money machines”, optimize operations, manage to EBITDA, reduce costs, create financial returns
Spent years as a strategic advisor to family businesses, industrial companies and technology companies just getting started
I’ve built teams, hired hundreds of people, promoted dozens of people and helped as many people just starting to build their careers strategize about the best steps to take, the best majors to pursue, grad school to attend and job offers to accept.
I studied economics at Harvard and pursued my PhD in economics at the University of Chicago. I’ve spent the last two decades learning how to build efficient operating systems and create businesses that deliver financial outcomes.
And right now, I’m choosing to give away everything that I’ve learned and whatever I have that can be used to help you build the business, career and future that
The Sorting Year: What We Learned From 2025 & Where We’re Going in 2026
WINNING THE LOSER’S GAME: The Creator Economy and the Companies We All Need to Build
The Careers We Were Promised
Let me paint the picture of the moment we’re all living through.
We followed the playbook. We got the good test scores. We took on educational debt for degrees that were supposed to be “worth it.” We chose careers that were supposed to be stable, prestigious, secure.
Computer science, the “safe” degree that guaranteed employment. Law school, the professional credential that opened doors. MBAs and consulting paths built on the assumption that human judgment would always command premium fees. Accounting, banking, software development, the professional infrastructure that companies would always need.
We sacrificed nights, weekends, relationships.
We delayed gratification.
We did everything right.
And now?
AI can write code better and faster than we can.
AI can draft legal documents better and more quickly and often more accurately than an associate.
AI can analyze data, generate reports, and build presentations better than an MBA and than many experienced managers.
The skills we spent years developing are being replicated by systems that don’t sleep, don’t take vacation, and cost a fraction of our salaries. Something that doesn’t get discussed enough is that for many companies the AI will simply create work that is good enough. It doesn’t have to be better than what we would do in every instance, it just has to be good enough to make the cost savings the more valuable variable in the consideration.
The future we thought was secured through sacrifice and the right credentials now feels uncertain.
Nobody is coming to save us.
Not our employers. Not the institutions that sold us those credentials. Not the government. Not anyone.
The playbook we followed is being rewritten in real-time. And the only people who will thrive in what comes next are the ones who write their own.
So I’m Choosing to Be Greedy
In a world consumed by fear about AI, I’m betting on the one thing AI can’t replicate: humanity.
Not as a platitude. This is my greedy business strategy.
Here’s what I’m greedy for:
1. Gratitude
I’m choosing to see this moment as an opportunity, not a threat. The same forces disrupting traditional careers are creating unprecedented ability for individuals to build autonomous, sustainable businesses. The tools are better than ever. The distribution is more democratic than ever. The barriers to starting something are lower than ever.
I’m grateful for this moment, not despite the uncertainty, but because of what the uncertainty makes possible.
2. Generosity
I’m giving away hard-won knowledge instead of hoarding it. In a world where everyone is protecting their edge, trying to stay one step ahead of the machine, racing to acquire skills before they become obsolete, I’m doing the opposite.
I’m opening up everything I’ve learned about building businesses, operating companies, creating financial outcomes, and sharing it freely with people building their own thing. I believe that execution is always the variable. Knowledge and information access were commoditized by the Internet, mobile and now AI. What we do with the information we have and the discipline with which we execute against the knowledge is the variable.
3. Relationships
I’m betting that human connection becomes more valuable, not less. That listening, helping, and giving will compound in ways that algorithms can’t replicate. That the trust built through genuine generosity will create opportunities no amount of optimization could engineer.
I believe the value of the human community building, creating, and offering generosity into the void of fear and uncertainty will be the most valuable asset when everything is said and done.
That’s my bet.
The Moment I Realized This Was the Path
When I look back at every meaningful success I’ve had, there’s a common thread. It was never really about credentials and single specific hard skill. It was never the spreadsheet or model. It was always the relationship.
Getting into Harvard was predicated on hard work and test scores, yes, but the difference maker was the relationships I built with TAs and professors who wrote my letters of recommendation.
My ability to communicate sincerity.
My passion for learning.
My willingness to do any and all work necessary.
My openness to critical feedback, not defending what wasn’t good about my work, but learning from it to make it better.
The relationships opened the door.
Every negotiation of a seven or eight figure contract for my company followed the same pattern. The deal never happened because of a brilliant proposal or a perfectly optimized pricing model. It happened because of the innumerable hours spent meeting with decision makers. Solving problems. Putting out fires. Showing my counterpart, over and over, how reliable I was. How well I could listen to their problems and come back to the table with creative solutions that solved an immediate need. The willingness to help with a million small tasks. Building more slide decks than I can count. Spending time helping colleagues prepare for meetings where they needed a win, meetings that had no direct impact on my immediate bottom line. But those moments created human connection. And that connection led them to want to work with me, our company, our teams.
That’s the pattern I’ve seen my entire career: meaningful relationships built on trust, shared goals, and genuine generosity create outcomes that no amount of optimization or strategy can replicate.
Generosity isn’t soft. It’s strategic. Opportunity is built on generosity and gratitude. And in a world where everyone is afraid, being generous is the most contrarian bet you can make.
The One-Person Business Revolution
The other side of fear is unprecedented opportunity.
The same forces threatening traditional careers are creating conditions that have never existed before for individuals who want to build something of their own.
What’s now possible:
Tools that let one person do what required ten just five years ago
Distribution platforms that let anyone build a global audience without permission from gatekeepers
Knowledge work that can be packaged, productized, and sold without institutional infrastructure
The ability to build a “business of one” with autonomy, control, and freedom that traditional employment never offered
This is the structural reality of the moment we’re in.
Who this is for:
One-person consulting firms built around hard-won expertise
Creators building businesses around health, wellness, and personal transformation
People monetizing intellectual hobbies and passions they’ve carried since childhood
Small business owners who want to think like operators
Anyone who wants to build sustainable income around their knowledge instead of trading time for money
The question isn’t whether this opportunity exists. The question is whether you’ll take it, and whether you’ll have the frameworks, knowledge, and support to build something sustainable.
That’s where I think I can help.
The Real Edge in an Interest-Graph World
We hear it constantly:
“Your humanity is your edge. AI can’t replicate human connection.”
But that’s too vague to be useful. Let me be specific, and explain why the market structure has actually changed in ways that make generosity the winning strategy, not just a nice philosophy.
The Follower Count Trap
For years, the creator economy preached a simple gospel: grow your following. Get more followers. Chase the algorithm. Hack your way to visibility.
The logic was straightforward, more followers meant more reach, more reach meant more opportunity. Build the biggest audience possible, then figure out monetization later.
This made sense in a social-graph world, where platforms showed you content from people you already followed. Your followers were your distribution. No followers, no reach. This world was predicated on the emphasis email marketers had placed on accumulating larger and larger lists of addresses.
But that world is dying.
The Interest Graph Revolution
TikTok changed everything. They built a fundamentally different social engine with their algorithm, the Interest Graph.
TikTok’s algorithm doesn’t care if you have 100 followers or 100,000. It predicts what users will enjoy and surfaces content accordingly. The result: content discovery has been democratized. Posts reach audiences because they’re engaging, not because the creator already had an audience.
And now every major platform is copying this model. Instagram Reels. YouTube Shorts. Even LinkedIn’s algorithm increasingly favors content relevance over follower relationships. The interest graph isn’t a TikTok feature—it’s the future of how all social media works.
Why This Changes Everything
In a social-graph world, the strategy was clear: hack the algorithm, chase followers, build the biggest audience possible, then figure out monetization.
In an interest-graph world, that strategy is broken.
The new reality:
Accounts with 50K followers can generate more revenue than accounts with 500K—if they have the right niche and genuine engagement
Micro-creators with tight communities often outperform large influencers on conversion because their audience sees them as trusted, not just followed
The platforms themselves are shifting measurement from follower acquisition to attention and engagement
This is why I’m not interested in teaching you algorithm hacks or follower-growth tactics. In an interest-graph world, those are vanity metrics.
The winning strategy is different: go deep on a niche you genuinely care about, create content that genuinely helps people, and build relationships that generate trust.
In other words: be generous.
The TikTok Innovation That Changed the Game
Before TikTok, social media ran on the “social graph”—platforms showed you content from people you already knew or followed. Facebook built an empire connecting you with high school friends. Instagram showed you posts from accounts you chose to follow. Your feed was your network.
TikTok built something different: an “interest graph” that connects users to content based on their inferred preferences and behaviors, independent of who they follow. The For You Page doesn’t prioritize creators you follow—it surfaces content it predicts you’ll enjoy, regardless of the creator’s follower count.
The result was revolutionary:
A creator with zero followers can get 10 million views if the content resonates
Users spend an average of 95 minutes per day on TikTok—far exceeding other platforms—because the discovery is addictive and personalized
Content reaches audiences because it’s engaging, not because it was shared by someone familiar
The industry response: Every major platform is now copying this model. Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and even LinkedIn are shifting toward interest-based distribution. YouTube is reevaluating its algorithm to pivot from a social graph-focused model to an interest graph-centric one.
What this means for you: The era where follower count determined your reach is ending. The era where value, niche expertise, and genuine engagement determine your reach is beginning. This isn’t a philosophical preference, it’s the infrastructure of how modern platforms work.
Here’s a link to a Google doc to build your own Generosity Flywheel.
Why This Beats the Follower-Growth Playbook
You don’t need permission from the algorithm. In an interest-graph world, good content finds its audience. You’re not fighting for algorithmic favor, you’re creating value that the algorithm wants to distribute.
Niche depth beats broad reach. A thousand people who trust your judgment and will pay for your expertise is worth more than a million casual followers who scroll past.
Generosity creates asymmetric returns. When you help someone without expectation, you build a reservoir of trust that compounds. Referrals, collaborations, opportunities you couldn’t have planned—they come from relationships, not follower counts.
Trust is the moat AI can’t cross. AI can generate content. It can’t generate the relationship someone has with you after you’ve helped them. Trust earned through generosity over time is your actual competitive advantage.
The old playbook was: grow followers → monetize followers.
The new playbook is: help people → build trust → trust creates opportunity.
The interest graph makes the second approach work even if you’re starting from zero.
What I’m Committing To
This isn’t a vague promise about “providing value.” Here’s exactly what Operating by John Brewton will deliver every week, for the next 52 weeks.
The fine print: Some articles are completely free. Some are for paid subscribers. But every paid article includes previews and summary details so you can decide if it’s worth going deeper. No bait-and-switch. No hidden paywalls on promised content.
Seven days a week. Fifty-two weeks. That’s the commitment.
Join Me
If you’re building something, a one-person business, a consulting practice, a creator brand, a small company, I want to help.
That’s the bet I’m making. Not on algorithms. Not on AI optimization. On you.
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73 of 100 spots have filled. Once it’s gone, it will not be returning.
Buffett made his fortune being greedy when others were fearful, buying assets everyone else was selling.
I’m doing the same thing.
Except the asset I’m buying is community, relationships, trust, and storytelling. I’m investing in the chance to help.
In a world obsessed with what machines can do, I’m betting everything on what humans can be for each other. I’m betting on us and what we can collectively, collaboratively build together.
That’s my edge. And if I’m right, it will be yours too.
Now let’s build.
— j —
In 2026, I’m working directly with 100 creators building real businesses.
I want to bring operating strategy, competitive positioning, and financial planning to a community that’s fundamentally different from my typical industrial and technology clients.
For the first 100 creator founders: Four 60-minute 1:1 advisory sessions for $95.
Context: My standard engagement starts at $10K/month. This isn’t that. This is me learning from you while helping you build something sustainable.
Limited to 100 spots. 73 of 100 have filled. Offer expires this Friday, February 6th at midnight. And once it’s gone, it will not be returning.
John Brewton documents the history and future of operating companies at Operating by John Brewton. He is a graduate of Harvard University and began his career as a Phd. student in economics at the University of Chicago. After selling his family’s B2B industrial distribution company in 2021, he has been helping business owners, founders and investors optimize their operations ever since. He is the founder of 6A East Partners, a research and advisory firm asking the question: What is the future of companies? He still cringes at his early LinkedIn posts and loves making content each and everyday, despite the protestations of his beloved wife, Fabiola, at times.
John, This is such a wonderful piece and very timely with the structural changes happening with the future of employment.
John, this is the perfect framing for altruistic greediness. I have also been doing a lot of thinking recently about the jobs we were promised and how rather than being a danger to us, AI presents us with the genuine opportunities to free ourselves from the yolk of other people's dreams and start building our own. Thanks for offering to guide us ok our journey. 🙏