Who Entered the Chat? DeepSeek
Um yeah. We need to talk. Like right now.
Tech bros are in full panic mode. Stocks are tanking. The AI arms race just took a wild turn, and most people are sleeping on it.
DeepSeek R1 just dropped. Some people are calling it the Sputnik of technology.
Why?
Because a little-known Chinese AI startup built a top-tier model without the bottomless budget of OpenAI, Meta, or Google. They didn’t need 16,000 chips and billions of dollars. They did it with 2,000 Nvidia chips and $6M—10X less than what Meta spent.
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Is it a Sputnik moment? I don’t know. But here is what we do know:
AI isn’t just for the tech elite anymore.
The playing field is wide open for those who move fast.
Job security is a myth if you’re not taking control of your own future.
If you’re still following outdated career rules, you’re already behind.
How Did DeepSeek Pull This Off? Knowledge Distillation & AI Mimicry
DeepSeek didn’t just build a powerful AI model with a fraction of OpenAI’s budget it seems they likely extracted knowledge from OpenAI’s own models using a technique called distillation.
Here’s how it works:
Imagine a student model learning from a parent model—just like a human student learns from a teacher.
The student model asks the parent model millions of questions, mimicking how humans learn through trial, error, and reasoning.
By doing this, the student model absorbs the reasoning process of the parent model—essentially sucking out its knowledge and replicating its intelligence.
This process, called knowledge distillation, is a well-known AI technique in deep learning. But here’s where it gets interesting: There’s strong evidence that DeepSeek used this exact technique on OpenAI’s models.
Raise your hand ib you think OpenAI is happy about it. Seeing none we will move on…
DeepSeek may have reverse-engineered OpenAI’s AI model, not by stealing code, but by training their AI to learn like a human. By asking questions. In this case millions of questions but you know, go big or go home I guess.
This flips the AI game upside down because it means:
AI development no longer requires massive compute resources—just smart training techniques.
Anyone who understands knowledge distillation can replicate powerful AI models.
Big Tech no longer has a monopoly on AI.
Which brings us to the real question: What does this mean for the future?
The DeepSeek Effect: What It Means for You
This isn’t just about AI. It’s about power.
This put the smackdown on Big Tech. They thought their billions made them untouchable. DeepSeek proved otherwise.
The "only a few companies can build AI" narrative? Ded. Efficiency, ingenuity, and audacity just won over deep pockets.
AI isn’t evolving gradually, it’s accelerating. What we thought would take years is happening in weeks.
And if you’re waiting for your employer to figure this out for you? You’re setting yourself up to lose. While all these people who have been laid off find AI to help them find jobs, companies are scrambling to find out to replace them with AI. And it is not going tobe as cost prohibitive as we thought.
Imma keep saying it - AI isn’t replacing you. But someone who knows how to use it will.
What’s Your Next Move?
I was laid off. I know what it’s like to do everything "right" and still get cut. I am working very hard to change the world of work so it doesn’t happen to you.
Here’s the truth:
A 9-to-5 won’t save you. The “safest” jobs are the first on the chopping block.
Freelancers, solopreneurs, and intrepreneurs are thriving. Companies are paying more for impact than for full-time loyalty. (An intrepreneur is someone who thinks and operates like an entrepreneur—inside a company.)
If you don’t have a personal brand, a skill stack, or a network that values you (and this is going to hurt) you’re disposable.
The only way forward? Build leverage. Periodt.
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The Intrepreneur Playbook: Own Your Work, Time, and Future
Forget "job security." You need career security.
Here’s how you can do it in 2025:
Learn how to use AI. If you don’t, you’re making yourself irrelevant. (Coursera has a good one and you can get certified too!)
Stop waiting for someone to hand you an opportunity. Build one.
Diversify your income. Freelancing, consulting, brand-building—pick one and start.
Position yourself as someone who can’t be ignored. If your job won’t pay you what you’re worth, another company (or your own business) will. (I just wrote the Unapologetically You: Personal Brand Playbook and you can get it free!)
Start Playing Offense
Most people will ignore this.
They’ll hope things go "back to normal."
They’ll wait for their employer to “figure it out.”
They’ll do nothing.
And then they’ll be shocked when the next wave of layoffs hits.
Not you.
You see the writing on the wall. You’re done waiting for permission. You’re ready to build something that no one can take away.
So what’s your move?
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Let’s Talk.
What’s your personal AI strategy right now?
Are you building something outside your 9-to-5?
What’s stopping you from taking the next step?
I would love it if you hit reply! I actually read these. Let’s build.
Coming Next Week: The Silent Killer of Productivity—Decision Fatigue.
AI isn’t the problem. Your brain is fried from too many choices.
Next week, we’re tackling:
How to stop overthinking and start executing.
The real reason most people stay stuck (and how to break out).
You don’t want to miss this.
Your Power Moment
“If you don’t control your time, someone else will.”
Read that again.
Let’s build.
🔥 Got Feedback? Let’s Build This Together.
I want to hear from you - I mean it.