The Permanent Underclass
How to protect your future
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ICYM the last issue, read here
Founder’s Note
You know how it feels when you’re young that you can’t wait to grow up so you can leave your parents home and be independent. You just can’t seem to do something about it because:
1. You are simply young with little to no life experience.
2. Even if you try to earn some money, you can only work menial jobs fit for your age, so you make little money by default.
Now, put this into perspective of a future where some people are permanently at the top, and some are permanently below. No more corporate ladder or career journey. You either have enough social/economic data, or you’re pushed to the factory line.
This is the looming incoming permanent underclass - a joke going around in silicon valley that’s not really a joke for the discerning mind.
In 3 - 5 years, we’re going to have the dirt poor and the dirt rich. No amount of work you do can or will be better than an AI or robot would. Everything as you know it will be reset. The world will go analog, and a few will be at the top, enjoying some returns on their investments and investing more in robots to do your jobs.
I don’t know what the future holds precisely, but now is the time for you to stack real world skills, go out and meet people, start a local business, learn a trades skill, save a lot of money, reduce expenses to bare minimum and keep an open mind to deep tech.
We get about 300 of you guys reading our newsletter every week, so this awakening message is something to cherish.
I implore you once again to be urgent with your life. If you had 10 year goals, compress it now into 1 year.
I’m saying this from a place of privilege as I’ve stacked enough hard and soft skills over the years for me not to worry about this. But I imagine a lot of you are still young and seeking clarity.
Next week, I’ll talk about some tech skills that are still open for learning to stay afloat.
Stay focused.
~ Thanni
State of Skills
Omoalhaja has this to say 👇🏾
For Data analysts 📌
Are you building in private or public ❓️
Joseph has this to say 👇🏾
Problems in the tech industry you can solve with your skills 📍
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How to document your projects as a Data analyst 📊
Skill stacking is powerful 🎯
Remote Resource Worth Sharing
Free Microsoft DP-600 and DP-700 Certification Exams: Microsoft is offering free exam vouchers for the DP-600 (Fabric Analytics Engineer) and DP-700 (Fabric Data Engineer) certifications through a limited campaign. To qualify, you must join the Fabric Community, complete three Microsoft Learn modules, attend a live session, and submit the application before February 28, 2026, with vouchers limited to the first 10,000 applicants.
Freelance Formulas
LinkedIn hack 👇🏾
For Upwork freelancers 📍
Extrasriv has this to say 🤔
Founders Files
Execution happens in public 📌
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Jobs
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Recently on NDZ
We published a new blog “Tech Trends Nigerian Students Must Not Ignore in 2026” Top tech trends Nigerian students should watch in 2026, including AI, data analytics, cybersecurity, cloud computing, Web3, automation, and remote work skills shaping future careers.
Last week’s newsletter “Solipsism” explained that real progress demands intense focus. Distractions cost opportunities, so sometimes you must block out the noise, protect your time, and concentrate fully on your goals.
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Tech Events
NCTS Legacy 3.0! (Feb 21st, 2026)
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Tech Unite Africa (March 26, 2026)
Africa Deep Tech Conference (Feb 24th)
Quotes of the week
Action is the foundational key to all success.
~ Pablo Picasso