Michael Saylor has a message for young people: get ahead of the AI curve before it flattens you. The Strategy executive chairman, speaking this week, urged the next generation to learn artificial intelligence early and hunt for opportunities that others haven't spotted — using what he calls the 'new S-curve' trick. He also took a moment to defend Bitcoin, calling it a compelling asset that appreciates 15% a year without the headaches of real estate or starting a company.
The S-curve argument
Saylor described technological progress as an S-curve: slow development, then rapid improvement, then maturity. The trick, he said, is positioning yourself near the start of that rapid-growth phase — before everyone else piles in. He advised against learning routine knowledge work that AI can already handle. Instead, he said, people should learn how to ask AI to do something that has never been done before.
It's a blunt pitch, but it fits the moment. Stanford researchers said in July that AI's impact on worker productivity is generally positive, and that a tougher job market for recent graduates may be partly linked to AI. Saylor's advice essentially tells graduates to stop competing with the machine and start directing it.
Bitcoin and Strategy's rough year
Saylor's Bitcoin endorsement arrives as his own company, Strategy — formerly MicroStrategy — is taking heat. The firm held 840,447 Bitcoin as of August 16, bought for roughly $63.36 billion at an average price of $75,385. But the stock has lost nearly 40% year-to-date, and Strategy reported an $8.22 billion Q2 net loss, largely from falling Bitcoin prices.
There's also criticism over shareholder dilution and recent Bitcoin sales — a notable shift after years of Saylor preaching a strong hold philosophy. He's now telling investors to prepare for 'difficult years.' That's not exactly a rallying cry, but it's honest.
What the advice means for the next wave
Saylor's S-curve framing isn't new — it's how he's talked about technology for years. But applying it to AI and tying it to Bitcoin in the same breath shows how he's positioning Strategy for the long haul. He's betting that AI will handle the mundane work, freeing up people to find the next exponential jump, and that Bitcoin remains the asset to hold through the volatility.
Whether that bet pays off is still an open question. For now, Saylor's advice to young people is simple: don't learn what the machine can already do. Find the part of the curve that's about to take off — and get there first.
