Our biggest wish for you for 2026

Dear entrepreneur,

For many, 2025 felt like the year of AI. And without a doubt, it was. AI accelerated, simplified, and democratized things that used to require more time, more people, and bigger budgets. But at the same time, we noticed something else happening…

AI mainly exposed just how average our world had already become. Campaigns started to look even more alike. Brands adopted the same tone, the same promises, the same visuals. LinkedIn began to feel like one endless AI-generated feed. Instagram captions started to read the same across brands. Not because there’s a lack of talent or ambition inside companies, but because it’s simply very easy, and infinitely reproducible. What already existed got copied faster. What already worked got repeated more often. And so everything began to resemble everything else even more. 2025, more than ever, became the year of average.

In our book Fight The Average, we wrote about a world slowly losing its nerve. AI didn’t cause that process, but it did accelerate it mercilessly. As if daring suddenly became a risk best avoided.And yet, that’s exactly where the solution lies. Not in more content.Not in louder communication. Not in even better prompts…

But in identity. In DNA. In companies that truly know who they are, what they stand for, and who they are there for. Companies that understand their place in the landscape, dare to fully commit to it, and go all in.

When that clarity is there, everything changes. You stop being one of the options and become the only logical choice. You no longer have to compete on price. You don’t need absurd marketing budgets to stand out (let’s be honest, all signs point to 2026 not being a year of overflowing budgets). You get recognized by the right people, without having to shout. That’s why identity becomes crucial. Not as a layer of paint, a nice logo, or a fresh website, but as a foundation. As a north star for decisions. As an anchor in a world that keeps getting louder, faster, and flatter.

So our intention for you in 2026 is clear: identity. More focus. More clarity. More courage to make choices and stick to them. We wish entrepreneurs a year in which they dare to stand for something again. A year where brands stop trying to please everyone, and instead aim to be the very best for the right people. Where standing out isn’t a coincidence, but the result of clear, conscious choices.

Our book can help with that. And if you feel you need extra sharpness or guidance, we’re here.

Here’s to a year where brands dare to be themselves again.Not who the algorithm tells them to be, but who they truly are.

Happy 2026. Fight the average & live a little.

Dries & Yuri