How To Build High-Value Skills For 2026

Crafting your unique value in this AI-obsessed world

Author

Ross Stevenson
December 16th, 2025

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 TODAY’S THOUGHTS ☠️

Hey there 👋,

We’re shifting gears a little today.

Our world is overloaded with skills, and we each need to craft our unique value in this AI-obsessed time by identifying the most high-value skills.

So, today, we’ll explore how to identify your high-value skills and why this is valuable for you whether you’re a 9-5 warrior, consultant or an all-hours entrepreneur.

It’s about to get controversial (probably).

Get your tea or beverage of choice ready 🍵.

We've got lots to discuss!

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P.P.S I’m running a short survey on what AI tools you actually use and why. Use 90 seconds to take part and get the full report in the next month.

 IN THIS DROP 📔

  • Identifying the high value skills that truly matter

  • The hidden skills that deliver more impact than you think

  • What happens when AI plans your career journey?

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 THE BIG THOUGHT 👀

How To Build High-Value Skills in 2026

Let me throw a big question your way.

Are you working on building your 100-million-dollar skills?

I'm not saying these skills will magically deposit a cool $100 million in your bank account tomorrow (but wouldn't that be something?).

The term "100-million dollar skills" isn't about actual dollar value (sorry).

It’s a metaphor borrowed from Alex Hormozi to describe the ultra-valuable skills that can elevate your career opportunities and overall wealth. It’s about focusing on the quality of skills, not just quantity.

For the purpose of this post, when I refer to “100 million dollar skills”, I don’t mean that these skills are going to make you $100 million dollars. I’m referring to the high value nature of these skills in today’s world.

Why High-Value Skills Matter

Historically, everyone used to craft better opportunities with fancy job titles.

Thankfully, the world has changed.

Niche skills make you stand out, and I consider these your career currency.

They’re the skills that separate you from the pack. I’m talking about the way you communicate, your ability to think critically, make sound judgments, and how you work intelligently with AI.

Why focus on high-value skills?

I’d hope the answer to this is obvious but I’ll play ball anyway.

Like money, you can compound these skills to unlock better opportunities further down the road. We’re playing an infinite game in a finite space after all. Think of it as investing in a high-yield stock that keeps giving back yearly. Building skills in high demand ensures that you are a key player in your field with an advantage very few possess.

As Tim Ferriss said: “Don’t try to be one of, be the only”.

The 100 million dollar skills principle in action

Speaking of Tim Ferriss, he’s a good example to explore on this.

For those who don’t know, Tim is the popular author and I suppose ‘productivity/self-help consultant’ of the 4-hr books, and his podcast.

Tim’s career began in technology startups in Silicon Valley, a highly competitive environment where efficiency and rapid learning are crucial.

Although he found early success, Ferriss was overwhelmed by overwork and stress, pushing him to seek more efficient ways to manage his time and productivity.

Recognising the need for a change, Ferriss started focusing on what he terms "meta-learning", a skill of learning how to learn efficiently and effectively.

He explored various techniques for time management, productivity, and personal optimisation, aiming to work smarter, not harder. This exploration led to the development of the "4-Hour" concept, which he first applied to his personal health and fitness routines.

I’ve always struggled to clearly define what Tim actually does.

His skill has always felt like ‘Tim Ferris’ because he’s the only one doing the many things he does in the way he does them. Meta-learning sounds much better, though.

How Tim unlocked unique opportunities with niche skills

Ferriss's breakthrough came with the publication of "The 4-Hour Workweek".

A book that encapsulated his principles of lifestyle design and productivity. The book, which details how to outsource life tasks, automate business processes, and design an ideal lifestyle, struck a chord with a global audience tired of the traditional 9-to-5 grind.

Including me, back in 2015.

The success of "The 4-Hour Workweek" transformed Tim from a stressed entrepreneur into a leading voice in life hacking (do people still use this word?) and personal productivity.

His ability to distill complex subjects into actionable advice proved to be a high-value skill, setting him apart from other self-help authors.

Especially at the time because many self-help authors acted like gurus, where as Tim adopted a professor approach of showing, not just telling.

Building on his success, Tim continued to expand his niche skills into other areas, including cooking ("The 4-Hour Chef") and fitness ("The 4-Hour Body"). Each project leveraged his meta-learning skills, showing others how to master complex skills quickly and efficiently.

He also launched a popular podcast, "The Tim Ferriss Show" where he interviews world-class performers from diverse areas to share their experience.

This podcast has run for over a decade with millions of listeners.

Today, Tim Ferriss is recognised not just for his books and podcast but for his unique approach to learning and productivity.

Like I said, he’s kinda known for doing Tim Ferris stuff which no one else is even attempting.

His mastery of meta-learning, combined with his skill in communicating these concepts to a broad audience, has not only built his career but showcases the power of niche skills in creating a successful and influential career.

The 9-5 example

You might read the above example and think “That’s cool but I’m not going to be able to do that”.

I totally get that. Tim is in the 1% of that category.

So, what could this look like for us in the 9-5 game? Let me tell you the story of my pal, Dave. He’s a great guy and works a 9-5 (probably a few more hours here and there) like most of us.

On the surface, you might not think Dave is killing it in the Career Game.

But in reality, he’s crafted a set of skills which has turned him into a in-demand consultant able to command an annual salary of up to $150k. How is he doing this you ask? AI, quantum physics, world class heart surgeon??

No - his skills are niche in Excel and data visualisation.

Were you expecting something sexier? Most people do. Dave is not doing anything revolutionary. He discovered early in his career that people are terrified of excel.

They love the data output and beautiful visualisations, yet seeing rows induced a sense of doom.

Dave didn’t see doom here, he saw opportunity.

He told me “I saw an opportunity to scale something I could do well and tolerate what others couldn’t”. He quickly found his skills in-demand in his first organisation because no one else wanted to tame the beast of excel.

Dave became the Excel and data king 👑.

It turns out, that people will pay kings very well. You could do this too, as could I. Everyone has access to and uses Excel. We all produce data in many apps, yet most of us suck at it. Dave understood that and built his 100-million dollar skillset around that.

You can do this in any job and industry with the millions of apps we each use.

Let’s unpack the blueprint to do that together ↓

How to identify your High-Value Skills

Identifying which skills can catapult your career into that $100-million valuation starts with a good look at your current job and industry.

Ask yourself:

  • What skills are most admired and rewarded in my field?

  • Which abilities do top performers in my sector possess that I can develop?

  • How do my unique insights and capabilities stand out?

The idea is to zero in on skills that add significant value to your work and enhance your unique selling proposition.

Whether it's exceptional project management, innovative problem-solving, or cutting-edge tech proficiency, these are the skills that can define a high-value career.

4 ways to compound these High-Value Skills

  1. Focused Learning: Pick one skill at a time to develop. Trying to master multiple skills simultaneously often leads to mediocrity. If critical thinking is your target, dedicate time to courses, books, and activities that enhance that skill specifically.

  2. Practical Application: Apply what you learn in real-world scenarios. If you're improving your tech skills, work on projects that allow you to use new tools. Real-world application cements learning far more effectively than theory alone.

  3. Feedback and Iteration: Seek feedback from peers and mentors. Understand how your skills are perceived and where you can improve further.

  4. Network and Collaborate: Engage with others who excel in areas you aspire to master. Networking isn’t about swapping business cards anymore. It’s about exchanging ideas and strategies that can help refine your own skills.

Final thoughts

Building your high-value skills isn't about adding more to your plate.

Be brutally specific on the 3 - 5 skills that can make the difference in your industry or even cross-industry. Start today, focus deeply, and create your own opportunities.

Oh, and be like Dave.

→ If you’ve found this helpful, please consider sharing it wherever you hang out online, tag me in and share your thoughts.

A MESSAGE FROM MENTIMETER

Prove it with smart experiments

Run quick experiments in Mentimeter: set a hypothesis, stagger rollouts, spot the signal. Kick off with our free templates.

 VIDEO THOUGHTS 💾

Want To Find A New Career? There's an AI for That! (Google Career Dreamer Review)

Google Labs is back with another experiment this time it’s Career Dreamer, a playful AI tool designed to help you explore new career possibilities.

In this video, I take you through the tool from start to finish: entering past roles, adding skills, generating career statements, and seeing how Google’s AI suggests new job paths (some more useful than others!).

We’ll also look at how it connects to Gemini for supporting your job search and application process.

If you’re curious about how AI can support career development, or just love exploring experimental Google tools, this walkthrough will give you the full picture.

Enjoy 😊.

Till next time, you stay classy, learning friend!

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