Hey! Back in your inbox after a small hiatus.

For the past few months I've written several articles on AI. Increasingly my research, and what I publish, has expanded beyond the future of entertainment.

I'm convinced AI represents a massive business opportunity. It's something I'm continuing to explore, and writing is the best way to do that. At the same time, I want to stay true to the theme of this newsletter.

The solution?

Today I'm launching Inside Track, an AI-focused newsletter that will co-exist alongside In Transit.

Inside Track will explore the new rules of business as AI rewrites them in real-time. It will dive into practical and tangible ways to leverage AI, and the opportunities I see emerging.

In Transit continues, and will refocus on its original purpose: decoding the future of entertainment as it intersects with emerging technologies.

I have several essays and new frameworks in the works, including an in-depth report on "The Fandom Opportunity." and some thoughts about the future of moviegoing.

Watch this space.

If you also want to explore all things AI with me, head over to The Inside Track and sign up!

As a preview of what to expect from Inside Track, this week's essay is a cross-post from there. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks for your continued support.

– Martin

Shifting Your Mindset

The key to adopting AI-first workflows that gives you a lead.

I have a simple, but powerful AI conviction:

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There's a massive opportunity right now for anyone to outperform their peers by adapting AI tools into their workflows.

Imagine two people with comparable skillsets, both seeking to build a new venture.

The output ratio for person A is 1:1.

The ratio for person B is 1:1.5.

Both have the same numbers of hours available, but person B can produce 50% more output that creates progress towards her goal.

Who do you think will have the most success over time?

Spoiler alert, it's person B.

Over time, AI will make its way into all the tools we use. Everyone will work smarter.

For now, access to this commoditised intelligence is like a raw material. Anyone can have access to ChatGPT, but making it work for you requires effort (that’s why the green line starts with a downward slope).

The Plot Twist: Time Is a Flat Circle

Most people won't adjust their way of working. They'll continue along the 1:1 ratio, repeating the same patterns.

Why? Because time is a flat circle.

We don't change because we are trapped in our own historical loops. The way you’ve worked before feels natural, inevitable—even when the world around is shifting.

AI is creating a new reality, but most will stay stuck in the old one, reaping the efficiency rewards as the technology diffuse.

This creates your opportunity: Build your own AI stack, get the expertise and experience to become the 1:1.5 ratio person.

And then 1:2

And then 1:5.

Why Won't People Adapt?

1. Path Dependence & Habit – The inertia of past workflows keeps people stuck. It takes intention to break free.

2. The Fragmented, Moving Target of AI – The fragmentation of tools and their rapid evolution makes it hard to know where to start. This leads many to do nothing at all.

The good news? If you can break the loop and step outside the cycle, you gain an asymmetric advantage.

AI is a lever. The question is whether you'll pull it—or watch others do it first.

How Can You Adapt?

So, you want to be in the 1:1.5 ratio category? Great. Here's how to do it.

Breaking out of any habit is difficult. And it requires being intentional. This also goes for the workflows and processes you have adopted for work.

• Regularly pause to ask: "How can I solve this with AI?"

• Accept a higher time investment initially to reap automation efficiencies in the long run

Working with AI to push ahead of the curve requires experimentation. Failure is one of the natural outcomes of any experiment. This can be a tough pill to swallow when it comes to work.

“Why spend 2 hours experimenting with an AI agent for a task, risking that it doesn't work, when instead I can just use 30 minutes of my own time (like I usually do) and get it done?”

This is path dependence in practice. It's a trap.

And it’s the hurdle you have to shift away from.

I’ll share some of my own key AI workflows soon, so stay tuned for that.

As always, reach out to me if you have feedback or are working on something cool you want to discuss. (X, Farcaster, LinkedIn)