I learned it on pay-per-thought

Around the lounge, structural holographs flicker, placed strategically between lush greenery and the gleam of prestigious mahogany award plaques. She's grateful her wardrobe autocomplete chose comfort today. The receptionist waves at her with a professional nod.

- They’re ready for you.

She inhales, gathering every last bit of courage, and enters the sleek conference room.

- Thank you for your patience. We can proceed with the final round.

As she sits, the chair subtly adjusts its contours, adapting instantly to ease the tension she hadn't realised she was holding in her lower back. The woman with the thick-rimmed glasses takes over.

- Before we proceed, there’s still one thing that puzzles me. How exactly did you put together such an impressive portfolio without any formal training?

- I learned it on Pay-Per-Thought.

- All of this?

- Yes. Spending years memorising building codes and material specs didn't make sense when AI could handle that faster and better, and I would end up as a human AI operator anyway.

The woman frowns, tapping her stylus with calculated precision to swipe through her portfolio.

- Yet you've included detailed sustainability analyses that would typically require advanced coursework. We're curious about your learning journey. Your work shows remarkable depth.

She taps the wristband lightly, muting the gentle vibration. Her body's signals always betray more nerves than she'd like.

- I chose to invest in direct knowledge acquisition instead of traditional education.

She explains, with a voice far steadier than she feels.

- Shaping the spaces we inhabit has always fascinated me. But I could never afford to get a formal degree. Pay-Per-Thought tracks the physiological response of learners’ aha moments to charge only for things you truly learned and understood. Given my tiny budget, that was a more efficient way to learn. I refer to my strategy as insight stacking or forced quantitative imagination. Instead of following the traditional sequential modules, I learned through promising combinations. For example, traditional Japanese joinery with parametric design and biomimicry…

Thick rimmed glasses interrupt again.

- Theory is one thing, but application is another entirely. Take your Harada Project you've included here. How did you address the thermal bridging issues in the south façade? That's typically covered in third-year structural engineering.

The challenge in the voice is unmistakable.

- The Harada design's thermal bridging isn't actually a structural engineering problem. It's a biomimetic opportunity.

She gestures to the holographic display, which responds to her movements.

- May I?

The interviewing panel nods, intrigued, as she manipulates the building schematic, with practised precision, zooming into the problematic south façade.

- The conventional approach would be to add thermal breaks here and there but that creates material redundancy. Instead...

Her fingers trace glowing lines across the image and the hologram morphs under her guidance.

- I designed an overlapping scale system inspired by the breathable structure of South American termite mounds. It acts like living skin, creating a natural, self-ventilating airflow that cuts energy use by 43% and reduces materials by over a quarter.

A stunned silence falls over the room.

- That's... unconventional.

- But brilliant.

- Forgive my directness, but how can we be certain you truly grasp the theoretical foundations? Any candidate from an accredited program would have completed comprehensive exams and…

She interrupts, her voice steady despite her racing heart.

- Would you like me to take one?

- Right now?

The room falls silent.

- Actually, that's an excellent suggestion.

- We could run a portion of our standard technical assessment.

After a few seconds of his fingers flying around the console, a holographic architectural model starts floating between them.

- This is a rendering of an urban renewal project, deliberately flawed in ways that would be obvious to any properly trained architect. Think aloud as you walk us through your thoughts on this project.

She begins, her hands manipulating the model. But that's the obvious diversion.

- Let me see. First, the cantilevered eastern wing is placing dangerous stress on the primary supports. It’s practically waiting to collapse.

She rotates the building, revealing layers beneath the surface.

- The real issues are threefold. First, the ventilation system conflicts with the structural supports here, here, and here. Second, the passive solar gain calculations are based on outdated atmospheric carbon levels.

She pulls up the environmental analysis with a gesture.

- And finally, this one's subtle. When exposed to maximum summer temperatures, the biomaterials chosen for these interior walls would release toxic fumes with the proposed ventilation system.

The room falls silent again, but differently now, shifting from scepticism to reluctant reassessment.

- That was... comprehensive.

- Standard architectural education follows linear progressions. My learning was polycentric. What initially was a saving strategy helped me build interconnections between traditionally separated disciplines. Indigenous construction techniques with advanced materials science. Parametric design with biomimicry principles from five different ecosystems… Traditional education is structured by semester and requirements, not optimal learning patterns. Pay-Per-Thought incentivises efficiency. I guess in my case, at least.

- We appreciate your candour. The truth is, every industry is changing. Half our projects now require expertise that didn't exist when I was at school.

He exchanges a few long looks with colleagues, a subtle eyebrow raise, a faint nod, the almost imperceptible language of cautious approval.

- We’d like to propose something a bit different. How about starting as a Junior Sustainability Analyst, but also helping us pioneer a hybrid credentialing system? Who knows, maybe blending traditional qualifications and Pay-Per-Thought could reshape how the industry learns?

- The firm would also subsidise your continued learning with no limits, as long as you document your methodology.

She takes a moment to process this.

- You want me to be a case study.

- We want you to help bridge two worlds. Traditional education has immense value, but so does your approach. The industry needs both.

She glances at the hologram once more, feeling a strange sense of calm she hasn't known for years. A small, private smile spreads gently. Maybe everything she'd risked had finally paid off?

- We have a feeling you're going to impact a lot more than just our credentialing system.

---

Hello Practical Futurists,

Welcome back from the future, where learning and understanding have been reunited through biological feedback.

Hit the "Like" button at the top or bottom of this page to help other strategic thinkers build a future-ready mindset.

Great leaders don't just think about the future. They experience it.

Like elite athletes who vividly visualise their performance, exceptional leaders build detailed mental pictures of possible futures to inform better decisions today.

Each week, our imagination workouts combine futures thinking and practical sci-fi, helping you build a personal library of future memories. These vivid mental scenarios transform abstract possibilities into clear reference points, sharpening your strategic instincts and enhancing your readiness for the age of AI.

Ready to expand your imagination? Start here:

Now, let's make this future personal.

We'll connect the ideas from the story directly to your life, turning abstract possibilities into practical memories you can use to navigate tomorrow's challenges confidently.

Personal life reflection prompts

1. In a world where understanding is measured by "aha moments" rather than hours spent on learning, which subject would you prioritise that previously seemed too time-consuming?

2. How might AI-enhanced learning systems that adapt to your personal comprehension patterns change your willingness to explore challenging subjects?

3. Think about that challenging subject you successfully mastered after the AI learning system adapted to your unique comprehension patterns:

- What surprising format or approach did the system discover worked best for your understanding?

- How did real-time physiological feedback change your engagement with difficult material?

- Which previously intimidating topic became accessible through these personalised pathways?

- How did this success change your willingness to tackle other challenging domains?

4. Consider a limitation in your life that ultimately became a unique strength. What perspective shift transformed this constraint into an advantage?

5. Think about a time when connecting seemingly unrelated knowledge areas led to a personal breakthrough. How did this unconventional connection change your perspective?

Fantastic work!

You're building an impressive collection of future-focused insights. Now, let's supercharge your thinking by adding powerful professional leadership moments.

How will you guide your team or organisation through the future you've just envisioned? Let's create memorable leadership experiences together.

Professional life reflection prompts

1. How might recruitment and hiring practices in your industry evolve if candidates were evaluated on demonstrated problem-solving abilities rather than traditional credentials?

2. Recall your first hiring process after your organisation started evaluating candidates based on problem-solving demonstrations rather than credential verification:

- What surprising talent emerged that traditional screening would have overlooked?

- How did you design challenges that revealed genuine competence rather than rehearsed responses?

- What resistance did you encounter from traditionally credentialed applicants?

- How did this approach change team dynamics and performance metrics?

3. What knowledge verification systems might replace conventional credentials in your field as AI increasingly manages factual information?

4. Think back to implementing that hybrid credentialing system at your company that recognises both traditional qualifications and demonstrated mastery:

- What resistance did you encounter from various stakeholders?

- Which unexpected department became the most enthusiastic early adopter?

- How did you measure the impact on innovation and problem-solving capacity?

- What policy changes followed after the initial success metrics became clear?

5. How might the balance between human judgment and AI assistance evolve in your field as machines increasingly handle factual knowledge while humans focus on novel connections?

6. Try to recall that workflow redesign where you redefined the balance between AI systems and human judgment in your decision-making processes:

- What tasks did you confidently delegate to AI that previously required human expertise?

- How did you redesign roles to emphasise uniquely human capabilities like novel connections?

- What unexpected challenges emerged in the human-AI collaboration?

- How did this new equilibrium change what your organisation values in human talent?

---

You did amazing! Excellent work!

Today's insights are valuable additions to your growing library of future experiences.

Thank you for expanding your imagination with us. Leaders with bold ideas move our world forward.

Think bright, and see you soon.
Pawel Halicki

---

Add your dose of Practical Futurism to your LinkedIn scroll

Connect with even more future-focused professionals.

Do you want stories like this in your inbox?

Join strategic imagination workouts that inspire change-makers in market-leading organisations, including Visa, Deloitte, Barclays, UEFA, Nielsen, Morgan Stanley, and many more.