Parminder Singh, former Managing Director at Google and Twitter and now founder of ClayboxAI and co-founder of Kampd, has sparked conversation on X (formerly Twitter) with a blunt caution for young professionals who are eager to dive into strategy roles too soon. In a sharply worded post, Singh warned that skipping the learning curve of hands-on experience may result in careers that are easily replaced by AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
“Without real, hands-on experience, you risk becoming a PowerPoint strategist – big on slides, light on substance,” Singh wrote in his social media post.
He pointed out that this trend has become more visible in the age of AI, where superficial strategists are being rapidly replaced by machines that can churn out presentations and plans far more efficiently. “The mediocre strategists, the ones spinning decks with little real-world grounding, are being replaced… in droves,” he said, adding that he personally sees such applicants daily.
Addressing young professionals directly, Singh advised them to build foundational skills before eyeing strategy titles. “Close deals. Run operations. Hire people. Fix supply chain messes. Build things, break things, and learn from the trenches,” he wrote. He added that only after doing all of this, can they step into strategy. “That’s how you build a real, resilient career, the one AI can’t replace,” he added.
The post has struck a chord across professional circles, with many praising the advice as timely and brutally honest. One of the users on X wrote, “Absolutely spot on. You can’t aspire to be a Brigadier or a General unless you have experienced rigorous and rough edges on ground as a junior No Technology can replace learning process from grassroots.”