17. Super Employees
And how to become one in the age of AI
A funny thing happens every time a new technology shows up. Most people think about how it will replace humans. Fewer ask the better question: how will it make some people ten times more valuable?
I’ve been thinking about this ever since I saw Shaan Puri’s diagram - The Triangle of Talent — I believe AI will replace Level 1, 2, and 3 employees, but supercharge Level 4 and 5. It felt obvious the moment I saw it. But I couldn’t stop wondering: what separates those who get replaced from those who become super employees? And more importantly — can someone at Level 1, 2 and 3, become a level 4 or 5 employee?
It’s not just skills. It’s how you think.
And the good news is, you can learn to think like a super employee. But first, you have to stop thinking like an employee at all.
From Tasks to Problems
The most reliable way to get stuck at Level 2 is to think in tasks. Tasks are what someone hands you. Problems are what you own.
Most people, especially early in their careers, wait for tasks. That’s what school teaches you: sit, listen, complete the assignment. But the most valuable people don’t wait. They find the real problem hiding under the tasks.
For example, I have worked with designers who didn’t just “design screens.” They’d ask, “What’s the user really trying to do here?” Half the time, we’d realise the feature was wrong. We didn’t finish the task. We solved the problem.
If you want to become a super employee, start there. Stop asking, “What do you need me to do?” Start asking, “What problem are we trying to solve?”
Learn to Think in Systems
One of the worst feelings at work is fixing the same problem twice.
This is where systems thinking comes in. Super employees don’t just solve problems — they solve classes of problems. They notice the pattern, fix the system, and make the problem disappear forever.
Systems thinking sounds fancy, but it’s simple: every time you solve something, ask, “How do I make sure I never have to solve this again?”
Communication is a Strategic Skill
Here’s a secret: the best communicators win. Not because they talk the most, but because they make things clearer for everyone else.
Most people think communication is soft. Super employees know it’s leverage.
The best product managers I’ve worked with weren’t the smartest. They were the clearest. They wrote the best memos. They ran the meetings where everyone finally understood what the hell was going on.
Writing is the easiest place to start. Write more. Write clearly. The ability to explain complex things simply is a superpower — and a signal you really understand the problem.
Build a Compound Skill Stack
It’s hard to be the best in the world at one thing. It’s much easier to be in the top 10% of three things — especially if they combine in interesting ways.
That’s what Scott Adams calls a “talent stack.” And it’s how most super employees operate. They’re not just good at marketing. They’re good at marketing, analytics, and storytelling. Or engineering, product, and negotiation.
If you want to become a super employee, start stacking. Pick adjacent skills. Take a course. Shadow someone. Combine your strengths until you’re hard to replace.
Create Feedback Loops
One of the most overlooked traits of great people is this: they’re constantly adjusting.
They don’t just work hard. They work hard, check if it’s working, and then change course. Super employees build tight feedback loops. They ask “customers”. They measure. They reflect. Then they get better. Fast.
Operate with High Agency
You can usually tell within ten minutes of meeting someone if they’re high-agency.
It’s the way they talk. Instead of waiting for permission, they’re already figuring out how to solve the problem.
High-agency people believe problems are solvable. They act like the world is bendable. And funny enough, it often is — but only for them.
If you want to build this muscle, start noticing where you hesitate. The next time you think, “Someone should fix this,” try being the one who does.
Zoom Out Often — Become a Market-Aware Operator
Most employees live inside their company’s walls. Super employees zoom out.
They understand the market, the competitors, the trends. They know why things are happening, not just what’s happening.
Try this: once a week, spend an hour just learning about the world outside your company. Read. Listen to podcasts. Join communities that talk about your favourite topics.
Use AI as a Force Multiplier, Not a Crutch
Here’s where it gets interesting.
AI is great at doing things humans used to hate — summarising, drafting, brainstorming. But the people who get replaced will be the ones who use it to avoid thinking. The super employees will use it to think better.
For example, I use a CustomGPT at work, where I can paste the Slack message into, and convert it into a Jira Ticket content. Is it perfect? No — but it saves me 15-20 minutes for most ticket. I call it PM intern.
This is where the Human-AI partnership shines. Let AI do the grunt work. You focus on judgment.
Continuous Learning — AI as Your Personal Mentor
The best part? AI can be your coach too.
You don’t need to wait for your boss to teach you. Ask ChatGPT to explain things. Summarise books. Role-play scenarios. The super employees won’t just learn on the job. They’ll learn all the time.
Go Deep Where AI is Shallow
Here’s the paradox: AI is a generalist. So the most valuable humans will be specialists.
Find a domain. Go deep. Become the person who knows how healthcare really works. Or supply chains. Or the psychology of users.
The deeper your domain knowledge, the more you can direct AI to do useful work. Generalists get replaced. Experts get multiplied by AI.
So, How Do You Become One?
It’s not one big leap. It’s small shifts:
Move from tasks to owning problems.
Think in systems.
Write and speak clearly.
Stack adjacent skills.
Build feedback loops.
Act with high agency.
Zoom out often.
Use AI as leverage, not escape.
Sharpen your judgment.
Learn constantly.
Go deep where AI is shallow.
Do that, and you won’t just survive this shift. You’ll thrive. We are not far away from the future, where an entire product area is owned by 5 people instead of 50.
Love it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Something I also tell my team - yes, AI can help us solve problems, but it also unlocks opportunities that wasn't possible before.
Truly valuable insights to become a super employee