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I’m back on Threads, and the gatekeepers are back out with a vengeance.
The thread started with a standard-issue dismissal from a developer:
“Vibe coders, listen to me: You're building something that was already built in 2020.” — @lucamarchicaa.
My response was a simple one: “Something that was built in 2020... That I don’t have to pay for now.”
But then came the pivot. Another user, @xor22h, lunged into the conversation with a pre-packaged insult I didn't even prompt:
“Sure, instead of paying for working solution - now you pay for hosting your own SaaS and all the AI credits. But at least, you can call yourself an entrepreneur now.”
The funny thing? I never claimed to be an entrepreneur. I was talking about code and costs. But for the gatekeeper, that word is a weapon—a title they believe they’ve locked inside a vault that only a 15-year career can unlock.
The Setup: Identifying the "Gray Glasses"
When I read that jab about entrepreneurship, I immediately recognized the lenses. This guy is wearing Gray Glasses.
As I’ve written before, these are the glasses that turn every innovation into evidence of decline. Through those lenses, a new tool isn’t a way to build; it’s a way to "cheat" or worse, steal.
A new person solving a problem isn't a peer; they’re a "wannabe" playing pretend with a title they haven't "earned."
The State of the World
This gatekeeper brought up entrepreneurship because he thinks it’s all about making money (or taking it away from him). He’s wrong.
To many, entrepreneurship is a survival mechanism. It thrives in three specific conditions:
- Great technological advancement.
- A crisis (like a global pandemic).
- Mass unemployment.
We are currently living in a historical trifecta.
When companies stop hiring, when a pandemic forces a massive pivot, and when technology like AI levels the playing field, people don’t wait for a "15-year career" to start building.
They do their own thing because they have to.
They aren't trying to be "tech bros" or get a VC-funded office. They are trying to support themselves in a world that has stopped offering them opportunity.
To mock someone for "paying for AI credits" while they try to build a life is seriously week. Have you ever started a business? It's brutal. These people deserve support, not sarcasm from the back of a 15-year career (not that much in the grand scale of things).
AI as the Survival Kit
If you’re a new entrepreneur, AI isn't a shortcut—it's your best friend.
It’s the tool that lets a storyteller, a designer, or a laid-off creative build the infrastructure they used to have to hire a gatekeeper to manage. It bridges the gap between a "sad" project and a functioning business.
The gatekeeper thinks you’re "paying for AI credits" to buy a title. In reality, you’re paying for the autonomy that he’s spent 15 years trading away.
The Shift: If someone tries to "wannabe" you or gatekeep a title you didn't even ask for, remember: they are defending a world that’s different than the one we live in right now.
Entrepreneurship isn't a badge of honor bestowed by veterans. It’s a tool for the curious and the desperate. In a world of Gray Glasses, the smartest thing you can do is keep building—whether the gatekeepers think you’ve earned the title or not.
Are you building out of curiosity or necessity? I’m talking about the rise of the "New Entrepreneur" and the tools that make it possible over on Threads. Join the conversation with me there. Connect on @Threads