Why Now Is the Time to Raise Creators, Not Workers
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what kind of world my daughters will live in when they’re my age. The short version? It won’t be the world I grew up in. Not even close. But that is not a surprise for you innit?
Information is instant. Answers are automatic. Machines calculate better than any human ever could.
AI agents are not just “coming” — they are already here, orchestrating work at speeds and scales we can’t yet fully grasp. So what does that mean for our kids?
It means memorizing facts is useless. It means passing tests is irrelevant. It means following instructions like a good soldier is the fastest route to becoming obsolete. My kids speak five languages bilingually, but still fail english tests at primary school because of the convoluted grammar and pre-conceived scorecards. (Got that, Germany?) – Exactly the same way when I was a college student: My classmates who did not know how a router worked would pass “Foundations of computer networks”, and me, doing taking my journey on white hat hacking would not. Tests are made to conform. The future is for the non-conformists.
The new currency isn’t knowledge. It’s creativity, discernment and agency. The Future Belongs to fucking Builders.
For the past few months, I’ve been training my 8- and 10-year-old daughters — not to be “students,” not even just to be “coders” (to hell with the 2010’s craze on ‘get your kids to code’) — but to be builders. Makers of things. Designers of systems. Explorers of problems. Leaders of their own ideas.
One of them is designing a Google Maps–enhanced virtual reality app, layering street data with interactive storytelling. The other is creating a collection of kid-designed table games and trading cards to teach about the animal kingdom — and iterating based on early user feedback from family and friends. They are also creating comics and stories where they job is to curate, validate and distribute. They created the idea. Iterated over it and designed it.
Both have access to an army of coders, designers, AI assistants (and yes, some heavy-duty Dad help when needed to show them what’s possible and push them when they got lazy). But they are the CEOs of their projects.
They brainstorm. They prototype. They pitch. They test with users. They revise. They’re 8 and 10 and they already think more like founders and product managers than most MBA students I know.
Sure, there’s a lot of father bias here, but you get the idea.
Why I’m Sharing This? I’m not telling you this to brag. (OK, maybe a little. They’re amazing.) I’m telling you because every kid deserves this chance to do this and now they can. And every parent, regardless of your location or income, has the power to make it happen. But only if we change how we think about education.
The Old Way is Dead. Here’s what our kids really need instead:
- First Principles Thinking
Teach them not to memorize answers, but to break problems down to their atomic parts and rebuild from scratch. - Creative Confidence
Let them build bad prototypes. Let them draw weird ideas. Let them invent solutions nobody asked for. Praise the process, not the polish. - Communication as a Superpower
Help them sell their ideas — not just with flashy slides, but with ethos, pathos, and logos. Can they explain why it matters? Can they make you care? - Emotional Mastery
Teach them that emotions aren’t obstacles — they’re fuel. Joy, fear, pride, frustration — all part of the journey. - Resilience in Chaos
Throw curveballs. Change plans. Let things break. Model how to adapt. Protecting them from discomfort is the real danger. - Building Proof, Not Chasing Praise
No more chasing grades. No more empty certificates. “Show me what you made this month” — that’s the metric. - Machine Literacy
They must understand code, AI, systems. Not to become robots themselves — but so robots serve them. - Sacred Stillness
Make time for awe. Forests. Music. Silence. Not every minute needs a screen. Not every thought needs a comment. - Ethical Rebellion
Raise rebels. Kids who challenge dumb rules. Who redesign broken systems. Who stand for something bigger than themselves. - Walking Beside Them
Model it. Build with them. Fail with them. Reflect with them. Grow with them. This is not outsourced work. This is the path.
Why This Matters Now More Than Ever
Because if we don’t, someone else will shape their minds. The algorithms. The noise. The systems optimized for compliance, not creativity. You are either raising your child to be an architect of the future, or you are letting someone else use them as a cog in their machine. There is no neutral ground anymore.
What It Looks Like (and Feels Like)
This isn’t about building perfect apps or winning science fairs. It’s about how building things rewires them:
They face uncertainty — and instead of freezing, they ask better questions.
They get feedback — and instead of crumbling, they adapt and improve.
They hit dead ends — and instead of quitting, they pivot.
They imagine something new — and believe, deep down, that they can build it.
You should see their faces when an early prototype works. Even if it’s glitchy. Even if it’s messy. The spark is unmistakable: “I made this real.”. This is the very reason I became a software developer. Because I could create worlds. Or why I play guitar. I can create and distribute emotions.
How You Can Start Today
- Let them choose a real project.
It could be anything. An app. A comic book. A scavenger hunt app. A Minecraft city. A new cookie recipe. Something they like and does not feel like “homework”. Make sure it is not your project or what you like. It does not matter what it is. - Help them frame it around a real user.
“Who is this for?”, “What problem does it solve?”, “Would someone buy this, and if so, for how much?”, “How do you imagine yourself using it?”. - Give them superpowers (tools).
Introduce them to kid-friendly tech: Scratch for coding. Canva for design. ChatGPT for brainstorming, ideas, storytelling. Replit, Bolt or lovable for coding agents. Kling or Runway for video.
And monitor the technology because that list will be obsolete yesterday. Basically, give them shovels. Tons of them.
But most importantly: show them how to use that. You have to become an inventor yourself as well. - Set a short feedback loop.
Early, messy feedback is gold. Family members and friends = first test users. Let them share with their classmates and teachers. Impromptu presentations in the neighbourhood. Let them get used to presenting and to rejection. - Celebrate progress, not polish.
A glitchy game, a half-finished map, a messy board game — that’s proof of learning in action. Bugs are just steps in the way. - Track XP, not grades.
In our house, we track weekly “Creativity XP,” “Courage XP,” “Thinking XP.” Levels up. (And sometimes you get to design your own badge.) (Yep, here’s a old bearded d&d fan). I don’t fucking care about your grades. - Reflect Together.
Every Sunday (or whenever you have family time), we do a “Weekly Mission Debrief.” What did you make? What surprised you? What’s one thing you want to explore next?
Reflection is what cements the learning.
Final Thoughts
I don’t know what the job market will look like in 2040. Nobody does. Nobody can even imagine it. But I know this: The kids who can imagine something new, build it, test it, sell it, adapt it, and lead others through uncertainty — those kids will NEVER be irrelevant.
They won’t just survive the future. They’ll shape it.
That’s why we train now. That’s why we build now. That’s why we walk the path with them. Not just for their future. For ours.
(PS: If you want the templates, games, scorecards, and activities we use at home for this, DM me. Happy to share.)
I’ve summarized all the points that comprise the New World Parenting Manifesto here: https://thepiratecto.com/the-new-world-parent-manifesto/