The Playbook

The Playbook

Blink & You'll Miss a Revolution.

How to stay relevant in a fast-moving tech world.

Julien Martin's avatar
Julien Martin
May 06, 2025
∙ Paid
1
Share

Every now and then, I take a step back and reflect on my career. And its milestones.

They usually show up during deep shifts — when something so big hits the industry, you can’t ignore it. The kind that makes you feel like a beginner again. Like you’re about to get replaced… or maybe reborn.

AI is one of those moments.

I didn’t welcome it with open arms.

At first, it felt off like yet another overhyped trendy product. Then came fear. But slowly, like the first time I held an iPhone in 2007, I started to lean in.

While I miss spending eight days straight crafting a single app screen in Photoshop, I’m not chasing the past or being too anchored to it.

I’m just recalibrating. Trying to stay sharp and focused.

When the iPhone came out, I had a visceral reaction.

I previously wrote:

The OG iPhone had just launched. Rushed to the 5th Avenue Apple Store on Day 1 to get one. The App Store didn’t exist yet. I couldn’t afford one and was struggling to pay rent, but I was obsessed. Obsessed with what it m…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to The Playbook to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 The Playbook
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture