In the study I mentioned a moment ago…

 

 

There’s an overlooked angle:

 

Each bar in that chart above is also a “Return to Real Wedge” – proof of what people are missing most in a world that many believe has become too digital, too artificial, too synthetic…

 

And if you look carefully…

 

There’s an opportunity within each of these verticals to not only live, but also give what the world is craving…

 

Like for example…

 

1/ Personal writing + editing (18% combined) – AI helps you draft emails, but the deeper hunger is for seeking a genuine authentic voice. Real-world play: in-person storytelling, physical paper book clubs, and spaces where people can learn how to discover (and follow) the Contrarian Voice of Their Heart…

 

(RTR Shift: Heart, Humor, Humanity)

 

2/ Tutoring + teaching (10.2%) – The data suggest that the desire isn’t just for a smarter tutor, but for a someone who actually sees you. Real-world opportunities: Everything from in-person micro-schools to modern apprenticeships where kids (and adults) learn AI while felling trees and baking bread.

 

(RTR Shift: Hands in the Dirt)

 

3/ How-to advice (8.5%) – Yes, AI can show you how to meal prep. But people ultimately want lived knowledge. Real-world wedge: workshops and analog experiences led by practitioners who have actually done the thing – e.g. homestead / AI intensives (like our sold-out Vermont Farm Mastermind Experience from earlier this month…)

 

(RTR Shift: Going Analog)

 

4/ Health, fitness, beauty, self-care (5.7%) – People ask AI about their bodies, but what they crave is feeling alive in their bodies. Real wedge: outdoor adventure travel is the fastest growing tourism category. People don’t just want to “see something new” they want to feel alive, challenged, and changed.

 

(RTR Shift: The Best Things Don’t Scale)

 

5/ Translation (4.5%) – What’s missing isn’t just literal translation – it’s experiencing cross-cultural connection. Real-world wedge: I remember living in China with my tiny red Chinese-English dictionary in my back pocket, and my “state-of-the-art” Palm Pilot loaded with Pleco software. In virtually every situation – translation was rooted in seeking a deeper understanding and deeper connection with another real human being with a real beating heart.

 

(RTR Shift: Oxytocin over Dopamine)

 

6/ Computer programming (4.2%) – Devs want copilots. But zoom out: the deeper trend is people wanting to build things again. Real wedge: maker labs, wood shops, AI robotics clubs – coding paired with crafting. I experienced this very thing this weekend: vibe-coding a simple app in Claude.ai to optimize our soccer roster rotations – so I could be more present in-person for real-time-coaching with our kids. (I think I was the only coach crazy enough to do this.)

 

(RTR Shift: Become a Category of One)

 

7/ Purchasable products (2.1%) – Sure, people want AI shopping help. But what they trust most are objects with a story. Real wedge: handcrafted goods, provenance-rich products, “farm-to-fable” stories. The new luxury is actually getting to know the maker, not just passively accepting the algorithm that landed the product in your social media newsfeed.

 

(RTR Shift: Between Death & Danger is The Path)

 

And this is just the beginning…