Originally published on LinkedIn (reformatted for zahradnik.io / Medium)
A year ago, I taught a small cohort-based course called How to Outsmart the Corporate.
Ten people.
Zero marketing.
Free of charge.
All I wanted was feedback — and I got plenty.
You’ve never heard of this course because I refused to run funnels, fake urgency, countdown timers, or any of the standard “guru” tactics. I put it aside intentionally.
I prefer to teach only when I meet people who are aligned, not desperate.
From the name alone, it might sound like a rebellious siege against the corporate world.
In reality, it was something very different.
Over the years, I learned how to navigate corporations without losing myself.
The breakthrough came when I reframed employment as:
"I am exchanging the most precious asset I have — my finite time — for money."
When you see it this way, you start valuing yourself properly.
The essence of the course was simple:
🔹 Sovereignty at work.
We all have to work — that part is non-negotiable.
But how you work, and what you negotiate for, is entirely up to you.
Most jobs revolve around three currencies:
➡️ Money
➡️ Time
➡️ Fulfillment
If you have all three: congratulations — you’ve won the corporate lottery.
If you have two: that’s a decent job.
If you have only one — or less — it’s time to reconsider your path.
While preparing the material, I realized that my own situation at the time wasn’t ideal either.
I had the income.
I wasn’t overworking.
But I had lost fulfillment.
So earlier this year, after mutual agreement, I left the project.
Time has proven that everything we covered in that course — including the acceleration of AI — was correct.
And the need for sovereignty has only increased.
I believe I have a system that can dramatically increase your job stability.
But here’s the truth many people don’t want to hear:
No one can do the hard part for you.
The real protection in today’s world isn’t a job title or a certificate.
It’s creativity, original thinking, and the return of the modern generalist —
the line that connects da Vinci, Elon Musk,
… and yes, people wired like me.
If this resonates and you want to learn more,
my DMs are open.
