Originally shared in our May 2026 Top of Mind Newsletter.
Reed Hastings built one of the most disruptive companies in history, and he didn’t do it by focusing solely on technical skills. In a recent conversation on the Possible podcast, the Netflix cofounder and chairman made a case that’s worth sitting with: as AI takes over more of what computers used to require humans to do, the skills that will matter most are the ones machines can’t replicate. Emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and the ability to understand people, context, and consequence.
Hastings put it plainly, “If I had a 3-year-old today, I would be doubling down on the emotional skills.” He’s backed that belief with $50 million to his alma mater Bowdoin College to establish an initiative at the intersection of AI and the humanities.
For anyone in the business of developing people, this is a meaningful signal: the mindset advantage isn’t going away. If anything, it’s becoming the only durable advantage left.