You’ve spent weeks, maybe even months, chasing a lead. You’ve customized your pitch, sent countless follow-up emails, and even memorized the names of their kids. Then, out of the blue, you get the dreaded "we've decided to go in a different direction" email. It’s a soul-crushing experience that every salesperson knows all too well.

The headlines are everywhere: "AI is coming for your job," "Robots will replace us all." It’s enough to make anyone anxious about their future. But what if the narrative is wrong? What if AI isn’t the villain, but the sidekick you’ve been waiting for?

The U.S. government is a treasure trove of opportunities, with billions of dollars in contracts up for grabs every year. This is the modern-day gold rush, and you don’t need a pickaxe to get in on the action. You just need a computer and a little bit of know-how.

This shift in perspective is a game-changer. It’s the difference between pushing a boulder uphill and riding a wave. Instead of fighting for attention, you’re being sought out for your solutions. It’s a more collaborative, less adversarial approach to business, and it can be incredibly rewarding.

Your Next Career Move: Why Government Contracting is the AI-Proof Job You've Been Searching For.

At the absolute apex of entrepreneurial regret is the devastating realization, often coming far too late, that the unwavering focus required to build an empire resulted in the neglect and eventual loss of the most important human connections. This is not a minor misgiving; it is consistently described as the most painful and deeply felt sorrow an entrepreneur faces when looking back on their life.

The evidence for this is both powerful and poignant. Steve Jobs, a figure synonymous with uncompromising vision and world-changing success, confessed to his biographer Walter Isaacson that his greatest regret was not being there for his children. "I wanted my kids to know me," Jobs said. "I wasn't always there for them, and I wanted them to know why and to understand what I did".14 This sentiment was underscored by his staggering admission that having children was "10,000 times better than anything I've ever done" , a clear-eyed, end-of-life accounting that reveals a profound sense of misplaced priorities.

Similarly, Bill Gates, another icon of the technology industry, has been candid that his divorce from Melinda French Gates was "the mistake I most regret," placing it unequivocally at the "top of the list" of his life's failures. He has acknowledged the inherent imbalance in their parenting dynamic, where Melinda shouldered the vast majority of the responsibilities, admitting the ratio was likely "10:1" despite his efforts to be more present than his own father had been.