The first‑job problem: learning and earning in the AI era

Starting out when entry roles shrink Tools compress low‑variance work, so the front door narrows. The path that still works is proof‑of‑work: shipped artifacts, public notes, and small wins that compound. A 90‑day ladder that compounds Pick one specific pain - say, turning meeting notes into tasks for a freelance team. Build three tiny tools around it over three weeks each. Every week, publish a short demo and what changed. Talk to ten users; write down exactly where they slowed and what you changed because of it. Distribution and ethics Explain the problem better than anyone else. Share your failures and make your tools easy to try. This is how credibility grows without a job title. Getting paid without a gatekeeper Offer a 7 - 10 day micro‑engagement with a fixed price and a single outcome. This reduces risk for both sides and often converts to a longer engagement once trust is earned. Portfolio that reads like evidence Structure a single page with three shipped artifacts, the problem they solve, a 30s clip, and one metric each. This is the modern cover letter: short, verifiable, and focused on outcomes.