The Linkedin Apocalypse
A recurring series on performance culture, fake wisdom, and why substance still wins
What actually broke LinkedIn
LinkedIn did not collapse because of AI. It collapsed because performance replaced thinking.
Most content today is not written to share insight. It is written to trigger approval. Likes. Comments. Algorithmic validation.
The fake authenticity loop
People are not lying. They are over-performing sincerity. That is worse.
When every post looks like a TED Talk audition, real experience gets buried.
Someone actually building systems posts once a month. Someone repeating frameworks posts every day. Guess who the algorithm rewards.
Why is this bad for the builders
If you are actually building things, this environment does two dangerous things:
- It pressures you to talk before you understand
- It rewards confidence over correctness
Engineers become storytellers. Product people become philosophers. AI beginners become prophets. Meanwhile, real work happens quietly.
What still works
Substance still wins. Just slower.
Clear thinking beats viral formatting.
Specific lessons beat cinematic stories.
Showing work beats announcing titles.
Writing less but sharper beats daily noise.
The core truth
LinkedIn does not need more leaders. It needs more people who actually understand what they are talking about.
No grand arcs. No fake humility. No AI messiah complexes.
Just ideas. Just work. Just reality.
