Five scarcity audit
Practicum for Chapter 7, "Skills That Become More Valuable." Version: 2026-06-20. Time: 25 to 30 minutes. Use your last working week, not your resume.
Faster option: The interactive browser version helps you choose one scarce capability for the quarter and suggests a move. You do not need to install anything, and your data stays on your device.
As output gets cheaper, five capabilities become scarce: judgment, taste, trust, attention, and distribution. Here, distribution means getting your work in front of the right people. Authenticity is not a sixth item. It is a quality of all five. Each one becomes more valuable when people can see the human behind it.
This worksheet is not a list of "future skills." It is a diagnosis. Which scarce capability do you already have but the market cannot see? Which one is weak?
Step 1. Three tasks from your week
Choose three specific tasks. If you completed the usefulness level self-check, use the same tasks. Do not write "worked on a project." Write "reviewed a contract" or "assembled a report."
____________________________________________________________________________________
Step 2. Five questions for each task
Answer one question about each scarce capability for every task.
| Scarce capability | Question |
|---|---|
| Judgment | Which decisions depend on the situation and stay with me? What happens if the model makes them? |
| Taste | How many options do I choose from, and what standard tells me that one is good? |
| Trust | Does someone check my work again, or do they approve it without checking? |
| Attention | Did the result reach the person who makes the decision? |
| Distribution | Will anyone outside this task know that I did the work? |
Step 3. Map the five capabilities
Mark each task as strong / neutral / weak. You can also use the special mark "not visible." Use it when you have the capability but the market cannot see it. Your move then points toward authenticity and proof.
| Scarce capability | Task 1 | Task 2 | Task 3 | Not visible? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judgment | ||||
| Taste | ||||
| Trust | ||||
| Attention | ||||
| Distribution |
Step 4. One capability, one move, one quarter
Choose one scarce capability where a move would help most. Do not choose three.
- My scarce capability:
____________ - One move this quarter: For example, "Distribution is weak, so I will publish one analysis each month," or "My judgment is not visible, so I will write down the criteria I use to tell solid work from work that only looks convincing."
____________________________________________________________ - Review date:
____________
Check for self-deception
- A capability counts as strong only when you can name an example and its consequences. A self-rating is not enough.
- Other people's behavior confirms trust. For example, they approve your work without checking it again. Your own feeling does not confirm it.
- Make one move, not three. Splitting your effort across all five usually produces no change.
Current skill premiums and authenticity infrastructure: Skills that pay.
Back: Chapter 7 Practicum. Version: 2026-06-20.