What we’re betting on in 2026

Read time: 4 mins…

Welcome back, everyone! 🖐

This week’s Automation Playbook covers:

⚙️ What’s actually changing in 2026

💡 The bets we’re placing (and why)

🤖 What you can do now to get ahead

Last week…

I spent a day in a room full of smart people, exploring how to make better decisions.

No tools. No frameworks. No mention of AI.

That says everything.

While the industry’s obsessed with AI, most entrepreneurs and team members I speak to want something simpler: clarity.

They’re not chasing new frameworks or hype.

They want to work faster, make better calls, and build things that actually help people.

And frankly, we do too.

So this week’s edition is all about what we’re betting on next year, based on what’s already working well.

I caught myself scanning yet another “tech trends for 2026” post, 90 percent hype, 10 percent insight.

It got me thinking:

• What are we actually seeing on the ground?

• What’s genuinely changing for the teams and businesses we support every day?

Here’s where we’re placing our bets; no jargon, no crystal ball, just practical moves that are already making a difference.

Let’s dive in! 👇

⚙️ What’s actually changing in 2026

Not much is new… but what’s working is becoming obvious.

✅ Teams are tired of over-complication

✅ Leaders want clear defaults and faster delivery

✅ Clients don’t care about code, they care about outcomes

The shift isn’t flashy. It’s foundational. Teams are asking:

“Does this help us build better, faster, smarter?”

Real trend: Clarity is the new competitive edge.

💡 The bets we’re placing (and why)

🧱 Micro-apps over mega platforms

Lean internal tools that solve specific pain dashboards, approval flows, data portals. Fast to build, easy to use.

📏 Opinionated stacks

Speed comes from fewer choices. We’re leaning into defaults that devs don’t want to debate every sprint.

🤖 AI as force-multiplier, not fortune-teller

Used properly (with good prompts, context, and structure) AI is already adding the equivalent of an extra full-time dev. We’ve seen 2 solid devs + smart AI = output of 3.

🧠 Dev leads shifting from coders to coaches

With AI handling more grunt work, leadership is about thinking. The best leads aren’t giving orders, they’re unblocking logic and asking better questions.

🤝 Trust is shifting from AI to human coaches

Leaders don’t want AI making decisions. They trust humans who challenge their thinking. In 2026, the best leaders will use AI for deep thinking not delegating decision making. They will win trust by coaching, not commanding.

🔄 Templates and playbooks over reinventing the wheel

Repeatable wins beat one-off magic. If it works, systemise it.

💬 Tighter client feedback loops

Less handover, more collaboration. Shared docs, async reviews, and real-time iteration are becoming the norm.

Takeaway: The smartest teams aren’t chasing trends, they’re going deep on 1 or 2 things that genuinely move the needle.

🤖 What you can do now

Planning your 2026 roadmap? Start here:

🔹 Spot the drag: Where are things slow, clunky, or overthought?

🔹 Pick your bet: What would actually improve delivery or UX?

🔹 Go small first: Test it. Measure it. Learn fast.

Big wins often start with small bets.

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help:

• You can check out the latest episode of the Ctrl Alt Dev podcast where I break down what's working right now in detail with my co-host Sean Sale.

• Take our Escape the Chaos audit to learn the critical factors to scaling businesses with automation in 5 minutes.

• Need a fresh perspective? I’m here to help. Book a 1-1 call with me, and we’ll figure it out together.