tech
February 21, 2026
OpenAI is charging $20K/month for an AI employee
The unit of work in software just changed from instructions to tokens. If you’re still thinking about AI as a productivity tool for developers, you’re missing what’s actually happening: computing itself has changed form, and the second-order effects are already reshaping careers, org charts, and entire markets.
TL;DR
- Token management is the new core competency in software development.
- The developer role is diversifying into three tracks: orchestrators, systems builders, and domain translators.
- Enterprises are restructuring around intelligence throughput, potentially creating a 3x-5x revenue-per-employee gap compared to traditional headcount models.
- Vertical AI is enabling companies to serve niche markets previously considered too small.
- Combining domain expertise with AI fluency offers economic advantages for individuals.
- As intelligence becomes commoditized, finding an edge requires strategic positioning.
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