Hey ScorpA\rents!

If you’ve been wondering whether AI is about to steal your job, Intel just reminded us that markets are still very… human. Messy, emotional, and occasionally allergic to good news.

That’s the theme today. AI isn’t ready to replace you, effort still matters, and the people who win are the ones who adapt faster—not panic faster.

Before we dive in, a quick shoutout to the folks helping humans work with AI instead of fighting it:

• Attio is rethinking CRM from the ground up with AI at the core—because managing relationships shouldn’t feel like spreadsheet archaeology.

• Levanta is blending AI with actual humans in shopping, proving that tech works best when it doesn’t forget people still like… people.

Alright, coffee topped up? Let’s get into it.

🔎 TL;DR

1) STING OF GROW: AI HUSTLES

• AI Isn’t Taking Your Job Yet
  AI agents are improving fast, but real-world work is still messy and multi-tool. For now, think “helpful intern,” not “instant replacement.”

2) STING OF WEALTH: INVESTING

• Intel’s Wake-Up Call
  Server demand is real, but execution and margins matter more than hype.
  Strong sales don’t save a stock when expectations run ahead of reality.

3) STING OF SUCCESS: MILLIONAIRE MINDSET

• Why Effort Is the Real Edge
  The 10X Rule reminds us that average input delivers average outcomes.
  In markets, careers, and side hustles — massive, focused action still wins.

Estimated Reading Time: 5-6 minutes

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Are AI Agents Really Ready for Your Job? Not So Fast.

The Big Promise (Still Pending) 
Two years ago, Satya Nadella said AI would replace knowledge work. Lawyers, bankers, consultants — all on notice.
Fast forward to today, and most white-collar desks look… exactly the same. Why?

AI Looks Smart, But Trips at Work 
Yes, models can research, plan, and talk confidently. But real jobs are messy, fragmented, and full of context switching.
And that’s where things start breaking.

The APEX-Agents Wake-Up Call
New research from Mercor tested AI on actual consulting, banking, and legal tasks. The result? A new benchmark called APEX-Agents — and every major model failed. Even the best systems got only ~25% of real professional questions right.

Why Models Struggle – Real Work Isn’t One Prompt
According to Mercor CEO Brendan Foody, AI struggles across tools and domains. Humans jump between Slack, Google Drive, emails, policies, and laws — constantly.
Most AI agents still can’t reliably connect those dots.

Example from the Trenches – Law Isn’t Google Search
One legal task required interpreting EU privacy law and company policy.
The right answer existed — but only after multi-step reasoning.
That’s hard even for humans… and still very hard for AI.

Who’s Closest? (But Still Not There)
Top scores on APEX-Agents:
- Gemini 3 Flash: ~24% accuracy
- GPT‑5.2: ~23%
- Others hovered around ~18%.
Translation? AI today = intern who’s right one out of four times.

This Isn’t the Endgame
The benchmark is public now. That’s a challenge, not a verdict. Last year, AI interns were right only 5–10% of the time. Improvement is fast — and compounding.

ScorpA\rents's Quick Strike

If you’re a working parent or side hustler, this is actually good news.
AI isn’t replacing you — it’s becoming your leverage.
Those who learn to direct AI will outpace those waiting to be replaced.

• AI agents ≠ job-ready (yet).

• Multi-tool, real-world work is the bottleneck.

• Think AI manager, not AI victim.

• Build skills that combine judgment + tools.

• Calm adaptation beats panic every time.

AI won’t take your job tomorrow — but someone using AI better than you might.

Intel Shock: Q4 Plunge Amid Robust Server Sales

Good Numbers, Bad Reaction Yes, Intel beat expectations in several areas. Yes, server demand is strong and AI is clearly helping. And yet… the stock dropped over 11%. Why?

Expectations Were Too High Intel’s pre-earnings rally baked in a clean turnaround story. The market wanted confirmation that recovery was here, not eventually. What it got instead was “strong long-term, messy short-term.”

Server CPUs – Demand Is Real, Supply Is the Problem Data Center & AI revenue jumped 15% QoQ. That’s solid. Margins improved for the sixth straight quarter — also solid. But capacity is tight, and management focused on yield and allocation, not price hikes.

Reality Check – This Is Not a Memory-Style Boom Unlike memory chips, CPUs don’t enjoy oligopoly pricing power. Intel made it clear: no aggressive ASP hikes coming. Translation? Growth is real, but profits won’t explode overnight.

PC Business – The Real Disappointment The PC segment missed on both revenue and profit. Even with AI PC shipments up 16% sequentially, total PC revenue fell 4%.
That kills the “PC recovery is back” narrative.

Hidden Headwind – Memory Prices Are Biting Management openly admitted rising memory and storage prices hurt PC demand. That pressure likely extends into 2026. Combined with capacity being diverted to servers, PCs look like the weak link.

Foundry & 18A – Pain Before Promise Intel’s new 18A node (Panther Lake) is officially live. But early ramps are expensive, and margins will suffer first. Q1 2026 gross margin guidance confirmed that pain is just beginning.

Capex Contrast – Intel vs TSMC While Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is aggressively raising capex, Intel is staying cautious. 2026 spending is now “flat to slightly down.” And for 14A? No customer commitments, no capacity build.

Numbers That Matter (Quick Hit)

• Revenue: $13.7B (beat, but still -4% YoY)

• Data Center profit: +234% YoY

• Foundry loss: $2.51B (worsening)

• Q1 outlook: lower revenue, lower margins, another GAAP loss

Strong pieces. Weak overall picture.

Time, Not Timing The server CPU story and 18A turnaround are multi-year bets. They won’t show up cleanly quarter to quarter. Intel needs time — and investors need patience.

ScorpA\rents’s Bite of Wealth

This is a classic expectations trap. Good fundamentals don’t matter if the timeline disappoints. For long-term investors, this is about process, not panic.

• Server demand = real, but capped by supply

• PC recovery = weaker than headlines suggest

• Foundry turnaround = long road ahead

• Don’t confuse volatility with failure

• Patience beats prediction here

Intel didn’t break — it just reminded Wall Street that turnarounds don’t happen on earnings calls.

The 10X Rule - Why Average Effort Keeps You Stuck
By Grant Cardone

Playing Small Is the Real Risk Ever feel like you’re working hard… but results aren’t moving? That’s exactly the problem The 10X Rule calls out. Average goals create average lives.

10X Is the Baseline, Not the Bonus The core idea is simple: set goals 10 times bigger than you think are reasonable. Then take 10 times more action than feels comfortable. Sounds intense? That’s the point.

Action Beats Talent Every Time Success doesn’t come from luck or genius. Life only rewards action — especially massive, consistent action. Waiting to feel “ready” is just procrastination in a nice outfit.

The 4 Degrees of Action – Why Most People Stall Grant breaks action into four levels: do nothing, retreat, normal action, and massive action. Most people hover at “normal” and wonder why results are slow. Only massive action creates momentum that’s hard to stop.

Time Myths – You Don’t Need Balance, You Need Progress Forget perfect schedules and productivity hacks. Time isn’t your enemy — underestimating effort is. If a goal matters, overcommit early and adjust later.

Mindset Shift – Success Is Attracted, Not Chased You don’t force success. You become the person that success sticks to. Consistency beats perfection every single time.

ScorpA\rents’s Strike of Success

Between work, family, and side hustles, energy is limited. The 10X Rule says: don’t spread it thin — aim it hard. Fewer goals. Bigger execution.

• Stop setting “safe” goals

• Multiply effort before you expect results

• Trade perfection for consistency

• Take action even when motivation is missing

• Play offense, not defense

The biggest risk isn’t failing big — it’s aiming small and succeeding at nothing.

TOGETHER WITH OUR PARTNER

The Future of Shopping? AI + Actual Humans.

AI has changed how consumers shop, but people still drive decisions. Levanta’s research shows affiliate and creator content continues to influence conversions, plus it now shapes the product recommendations AI delivers. Affiliate marketing isn’t being replaced by AI, it’s being amplified.

Download the full report

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