For three decades, the tech industry operated like a factory floor. Product managers wrote specs. Designers pushed pixels. Engineers wrote code. QA tested. DevOps deployed. Each specialist stayed in their lane, coordinating through handoffs, meetings, and Jira tickets.
That model made sense when each function required years of specialized training and expensive tooling. A designer needed to master Photoshop, understand color theory, and develop an eye for visual hierarchy. An engineer needed to understand algorithms, system architecture, and the quirks of specific programming languages.
But in 2025, something fundamental changed.
Factory Era
- 5 specialists coordinating
- Assembly line model
- 3-month cycles
- 10-person teams
- Deep specialization valued
Craftsperson Era
- 1-2 builders + AI
- Artisan workshop model
- 2-week cycles
- 2-3 person teams
- Full-stack capability valued
The New Reality
AI is collapsing the boundaries between disciplines. The walls that once separated product, design, and engineering are crumbling under the weight of increasingly capable AI assistants.
The premium for "just one function" is evaporating.
What This Means For You
If you've built your career around a single specialty, this shift might feel threatening. But it's actually an opportunity. The craftsperson era rewards people who can:
Think in Systems
Understanding how product, design, and engineering connect creates leverage. You don't need to be an expert in all three, but you need to understand their constraints and possibilities.
Learn AI Tools Quickly
The specific tools will keep changing. Cursor, Claude, v0, Copilot, and whatever comes next. The meta-skill is learning how to learn these tools and integrate them into your workflow.
Focus on Judgment
AI can execute, but it can't judge. Knowing what to build, when to cut scope, how to prioritize, and why one approach is better than another, that's where human expertise still matters.
The Coach Advantage
In the factory era, you could learn your specialty and coast. In the craftsperson era, continuous learning isn't optional. And the fastest way to learn isn't courses or documentation. It's working with someone who's already made the transition.
That's why getcounsel exists. We connect you with senior tech leaders who've navigated these shifts, people who can help you expand beyond your current specialty while preserving what makes you valuable.
The shift is happening whether you're ready or not. The question is whether you'll adapt or get left behind.