The Hype Cycle Playbook
Every technology wave — crypto, AI, whatever comes next — produces the same 25 roles. Most people default into one without choosing. The assessment helps you find yours.
Builds the foundational technology on which the entire cycle is based
Earns via: Equity and token holdings that compound as adoption grows
Implements products and systems on top of foundational technology
Earns via: Salary at funded companies, freelance at premium rates during hype phases, equity in early-stage projects, or building their own product over time.
Builds publicly, generating reputation and ecosystem effects
Earns via: Grants and sponsoring (often minimal in early phases)
Creates protocols and interoperability that hold the ecosystem together
Earns via: Employment at the firm pushing the standard
Builds bootstrapped, autonomous businesses optimizing for freedom and recurring revenue
Earns via: Recurring revenue (SaaS, subscriptions, productized services)
Founds VC-backed companies optimizing for market dominance and exit
Earns via: Equity (illiquid until exit)
Sells specific products within the ecosystem, lives by the pipeline
Earns via: Base salary plus commission (typically 10-30% of deal value)
Sells expertise to organizations that lack internal know-how
Earns via: Daily rates ($1,500-$5,000 depending on seniority and demand)
Builds in the background for others — invisible but often highly profitable
Earns via: Project fees
Sells skills project-by-project without long-term commitments
Earns via: Hourly or project rates ($200-$500/h during hype phases for scarce technical skills)
Understands patterns, evaluates technologies and markets
Earns via: Employment at VC or research firms
Translates complexity into comprehensibility, builds audience as cumulative asset
Earns via: YouTube AdSense
Controls information flow, builds reach and narratives
Earns via: Salary at editorial outlets
Filters and structures information flow — databases and leaderboards
Earns via: Advertising
Provides capital and profits from all other roles — strongest leverage position
Earns via: 2% management fee + 20% performance fee on gains
Builds networks and ecosystems that generate convertible social capital
Earns via: Sponsoring, donations, small ticket events (often minimal). Primary value is indirect: social capital that converts into founding, investing, and advisory opportunities.
Monetizes the hype directly through events, tickets, and sponsoring
Earns via: Ticket revenue
Profits from the talent scarcity that every hype phase creates
Earns via: Placement fees (typically 20-30% of placed candidate's annual salary)
Connects actors who wouldn't otherwise meet — produces nothing, controls everything
Earns via: Finder's fees
Works at the intersection of technology and government
Earns via: Salary at policy organizations
Earns from regulatory complexity regardless of technology outcome
Earns via: Billable hours (typically $500-$1,500/h for technology specialists)
Introduces technology within existing organizations — Chief AI Officer role
Earns via: Salary and bonus at large organizations
Sits on the government side and defines the rules for everyone else
Earns via: Government salary (typically lower than private sector)
The 'shovel sellers' — earns regardless of which end-products succeed
Earns via: Hosting fees
Optimizes price differentials and cost structures between markets
Earns via: Trading profits from price differential capture
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