Chris Marchese

At the start of the year, I thought I was good at Al.

Then I started building a new company, and it completely reset my perspective.

In 2026, Al won't replace you.
But someone who understands this stack might.

Either way, Al will play a bigger role in your career than it ever has before.

1. Prompt engineering
This is leverage. Clear prompts turn Al from a text generator into a thinking partner. If you can't direct it, you'll always get shallow output.

2. Al agents
Replies are easy. Completion is valuable. Agents take a goal and finish the work end-to-end without babysitting.

3. Workflow automation
This is where real-time savings come from. If a task repeats, automate it with tools like Zapier or n8n.

4. Agentic Al
The next step up. Al that can plan, adapt, and correct itself mid-task. A huge part of my learning this year has come from watching the Searchable team build these systems.

5. Multimodal Al
Al that moves seamlessly between text, visuals, audio, and code.

6. RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)
Generic Al is risky. RAG grounds models in your data so accuracy improves over time. This is how Al starts thinking like an employee.

7. AEO / GEO
Search is changing. If Al answers the questions and your brand isn't in those answers, you disappear.

8. Al tool stacking
One tool helps. Connected tools become a system that runs quietly in the background. Find 4-5 you use daily, that's your stack.

9. Al content generation
Use it for consistency, not churn. This is how small teams produce daily output without burning out.

10. LLM management
Control cost and performance, or you lose track of ROl fast.

You don't need all of this today.

But these are the skills that compound over the next decade.

Start 2026 by nailing the ones that will actually move your career or business forward

Follow Chris Marchese for more

✨ History in the Making. ✨
On September 19th, Yorkville becomes the center of art, fashion, and culture.

For the first time in Canada, artwork signed by Michael Joseph Jackson will be unveiled alongside the runway debut of my 1/1 wearable art Drip Line.

This invite-only evening at the Peter Triantos Gallery promises:
🎨 A once-in-a-lifetime art unveiling
👗 Couture runway fashion show
🤝 An elite gathering of leaders, innovators, and cultural icons

📍 Yorkville, Toronto
🎟️ Limited to 100 guests

This will sell out. Be part of the most exclusive event of the season.

The countdown is on ⏳

I’ve teamed up with to drop these custom, hand-painted bikinis. One-of-one pieces that blur the line between fashion and art.

But this is only the preview.

On September 19th, I’m debuting my first full clothing line in Toronto at an exclusive event with just 100 tickets available. They’re already moving fast.

The official flyer goes live at 8pm est this evening!

Lock in your spot before it’s gone 🎟️

Legendary.


michael