iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 18/05/2025

This post was generated by Al. That's my name. And that's a lowercase "L"

Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

GenAI didn’t kill creativity. It just made 𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱. That’s the real risk. This week in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘭: 👉 What happens when average becomes automated— and how to stand out by being statistically unlikely. 📬 Subscribe: thenarrativeintel.intelligistgroup.com

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

6/ 📬 Subscribe here: thenarrativeintel.intelligistgroup.com This one’s for anyone trying to build trust, influence decisions, or be remembered in a GenAI world. #GenAI #NarrativeIntel #AI #Differentiation #ThoughtLeadership #Startups

thenarrativeintel.intelligistgroup.com

The Narrative Intel

Weekly insights on narrative, strategy, and big questions

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

5/ Next week in The Narrative Intel, I’m writing about this: 👉 What happens when average becomes automated 👉 Why most people don’t see the risk 👉 And how to make yourself statistically unlikely

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

4/ This isn’t a rant about AI. I use it every day. The risk isn’t that GenAI makes us dumber. The risk is that it makes us invisible.

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

3/ That’s not all bad. It makes average easier to achieve. It lifts the floor. But it also lowers your signal—because now everyone sounds polished, fluent, and confident. Even when they have nothing new to say.

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

2/ We’re in a new era of “mass mediocrity at scale.” GenAI doesn’t write full thoughts. It predicts the next most likely word. Which means everything it creates… is statistically average.

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 15/05/2025

1/ Everyone’s using GenAI. Most of it sounds smart. A lot of it sounds the same. That’s the part no one’s talking about. 🧵

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

There is nothing so fleeting as the post you see for a split second before the screen refreshes and you can never find it again.

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

3/ One of my favorite lines from the piece: “Your swim lane isn’t a limitation. It’s a signal.” Find the thing you want to be trusted for. Then show up for it—again and again. (Yes, there's an actual pancake recipe at the end.) What’s your swim lane?

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

2/ This issue is about the edge that outlasts AI and trends: 🥇 Being trusted for something specific. Inside: 🥄 The myth of expertise 🧠 Capability ≠ memorability 🛟 Clarity earns trust—and leeway 🥞 Plus: pancakes + crayons 🔗 thenarrativeintel.intelligistgroup.com/p/your-swim-...

thenarrativeintel.intelligistgroup.com

Your Swim Lane Is a Signal, Not a Constraint

Being good at everything isn’t nearly as valuable as being trusted for something.

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

1/ New from The 𝘕𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘭: 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘄𝗶𝗺 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗜𝘀 𝗮 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 Being good at everything sounds impressive. But trust comes from clarity. People remember the first call, not the most versatile. 🧵

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

6/ This week's edition of The Narrative Intel breaks it all down: Why "I'll call you back" matters Why uncertainty breaks trust And how writing your own “user manual” might be the move Read it here ↓ thenarrativeintel.intelligistgroup.com

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

6/ The issue drops soon. If you're not subscribed yet, now's the time. 📬 thenarrativeintel.intelligistgroup.com Title: Your Swim Lane Is a Signal, Not a Constraint You don’t need to do everything. You need to be trusted for something.

thenarrativeintel.intelligistgroup.com

The Narrative Intel

Weekly insights on narrative, strategy, and big questions

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

5/ That’s how trust is built. And trust is what gives you: → Leeway to stretch → Permission to evolve → A seat at the table

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

4/ Your swim lane isn’t a limitation. It’s a signal. It says: “This is where I show up. This is what I do better than anyone else.”

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

3/ Being good at everything sounds impressive. But it makes you forgettable. People don’t remember generalists. They remember the first person they think to call when it matters.

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

2/ This week in The Narrative Intel I’m talking about a timeless edge—one that even AI struggles with: 👉 Being trusted for something. Not flashy. Just essential.

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

1/ Everyone says: “Be adaptable.” “Show range.” “Do it all.” But the people who get called first? They’re trusted for one specific thing. 🧵

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

And how writing your own “user manual” might be the move Read it here ↓ thenarrativeintel.intelligistgroup.com/p/ill-call-y...

thenarrativeintel.intelligistgroup.com

I'll Call You Back.

Setting, managing, and meeting expectations makes everyone's life better

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

5/ It’s not about speed. It’s not even about being perfect. It’s about setting, managing, and meeting expectations. That’s the hidden engine behind customer experience, leadership, and communication that works.

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

4/ Years ago, a doctor ran 40 minutes late. When she walked in, she said: “Thanks for waiting. I had an emergency. And if you were the emergency, I’d do the same for you.” She reset my expectation — and earned my trust.

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

3/ When expectations aren’t clear, people make up their own. And they’ll hold you to them. This shows up in: Customer service Team dynamics Sales cycles Relationships Everywhere.

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

2/ What do those words mean? To me: “I’ll finish what I’m doing and call you later today.” To them? Maybe just: “I see you called.” That gap in expectations? That’s the problem.

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

“I’ll call you back.” Four words that seem harmless… until they aren’t. This week, I ran into a string of them — and only one person actually did. So I wrote about it. 🧵

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

Thought leadership isn't a title. It's what earns you a seat in the room where decisions get made. New Narrative Intel issue: thenarrativeintel.intelligistgroup.com/p/real-thoug...

thenarrativeintel.intelligistgroup.com

Real thought leadership helps people decide

What separates those who pitch from those who are part of the decision

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

GPT doesn’t know what I know. Because some knowledge isn’t written down. It’s shared over coffee, through connection, and across lived experience. Issue #8 of The Narrative Intel is live: 🔗 thenarrativeintel.intelligistgroup.com/p/gpt-doesn-... #TheNarrativeIntel #AI #Mentorship #Networking

thenarrativeintel.intelligistgroup.com

GPT Doesn't Know What I Know

The future of work needs a liberal arts degree

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

When I tell Starbucks my name is Al, it looks like AI on the cup. Also, only works with sans-serif fonts. Also, I don't go to Starbucks anymore.

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

I had Creighton in my bracket. There’s an ointment for that.

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

I'm MS Word zoom in setting of 130% years old.

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

I migrated DNS from one authoritative nameserver to a new one for my Intelligist Group domain. Haven't done something that technical in years. There was no one around to high five me. Can you help me out?

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

I wasn't even close with how I tried to spell "cacophony" in my newsletter this week.

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Reposted by Alan Berkson

Fabian Nicieza @fabiannicieza.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

Just saw Meta used both of my novels as part of its theft of work. I certainly hope the two words it drew from that absorption were FUCK and YOU.

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Tesla goes from being the Progressive flex to the MAGA flex.

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Reposted by Alan Berkson

Jill Twiss @jilltwiss.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

YOLNT - cats

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

So is impeachment, apparently. And felony convictions.

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Reposted by Alan Berkson

Jill Twiss @jilltwiss.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Well I went to the gym and someone stepped on my phone and so I think we have all learned a good lesson about going to the gym

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

The term "antilibrary" has stuck with me

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

...and Nassim Taleb said: You will accumulate more knowledge and more books as you grow older, and the growing number of unread books on the shelves will look at you menacingly. Indeed, the more you know, the larger the rows of unread books. Let us call this collection of unread books an antilibrary

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Umberto Eco said: "It is foolish to think that you have to read all the books you buy...it would be like saying that you should use all the cutlery or glasses or screwdrivers or drill bits you bought before buying new ones."

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

I lost the most skin to the cheese grater.

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Alan Berkson @berkson0.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

I saw some of the article. Have to pay to see the rest of it. Seems like good content.

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