Issue 73: The Algorithm vs. The Boardroom
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The Algorithm vs. The Boardroom: Who's Actually Advising Your Kid? By Staff Writer, Advisory Auditor 2026 - Week 33 THE INTERNET — A recent, comprehensive audit of the strategic decision-making of local high school sophomore Chloe Jenkins has yielded a startling revelation: her "Personal Board of Advisors"—the esteemed collective of trusted voices she consults for life, academic, and career guidance—currently consists of exactly three entities. First, there is her mother, who is well-intentioned but currently operating on career advice from 1998. Second, there is her guidance counselor, who is a wonderful human being but is currently responsible for 450 other students and can only see Chloe for twelve minutes every six months. And third, there is the TikTok algorithm. "I get all my best advice from this guy who yells at me from his car," Chloe explained, referencing a creator known as @HustleMindsetBro, whose primary qualification appears to be owning a ring light and a leased BMW. "He told me that college is a scam and I should invest my allowance in rare digital sneakers. My mom says I should just focus on getting a B in chemistry. It’s a lot to balance." This brings us to the core of the issue. We tell students to "seek advice," but we don't teach them how to build a Personal Board of Advisors. For the average teenager, this board is assembled by default rather than design. It’s a chaotic, echo-filled chamber of well-intentioned panic and algorithmic manipulation. At Work In Progmess, we believe that every student needs a deliberately built group of people who offer different perspectives—not just one overwhelmed counselor, one parent, or one internet expert. Consider the corporate boardroom. It’s not filled with people who all have the same job or the same background. It’s a collection of specialists: the financial expert, the operations guru, the creative visionary, the legal counsel. They provide the "friction" necessary to polish a good idea. Chloe’s board, however, is lacking friction. It’s all "love" (from Mom) or "hype" (from TikTok). There’s no one to provide the middle ground, the professional insight, or the lived experience of someone just a few steps ahead of her. The "Bold" Move: Curating Your Inner Circle Building a Personal Board of Advisors isn't about finding a group of famous people to follow on Twitter. It’s about identifying the specific roles you need in your life to make better decisions. You need the Industry Insider (someone working in a field you’re curious about). You need the Recent Graduate (someone who just finished the path you’re starting). You need the Skill Master (a teacher or coach who knows your specific strengths). And yes, you still need the Unconditional Support (Mom). When Chloe was challenged to fire the TikTok algorithm and hire a new board member, she reached out to her cousin who is a sophomore in college studying design. That one conversation provided more actionable, realistic advice than a hundred @HustleMindsetBro videos. The goal isn't to have more voices; it’s to have better voices. It’s about moving away from the "Echo Chamber of Panic" and towards a "Strategic Brain Trust." When a student learns to curate their advisors, they stop being a passenger in their own life, driven by the whims of an algorithm. They become the CEO of their own future.So, the next time your student is about to make a major life decision based on a three-minute video they watched at 2:00 AM, ask them: "Who else is on the board? And have they actually seen the room they’re advising you to enter?"They don't need more followers. They need a better board. ✅ Proof of Life✅ Yep, that’s it Your inner circle shouldn't just be people who have to love you or people who want to sell you something. A diverse board provides the friction necessary to polish a good idea. 💬 Worth Sitting With Are we helping students build a network of diverse mentors, or are we leaving them to navigate the most important decisions of their lives with only the most immediate (and often loudest) voices? ❓ A Question to Carry Who is one person you respect whose life looks nothing like yours? What would happen if you asked them for their perspective on your next big move? Still in Progmess. P.S. Have they read The Business of You already? And why not? Find us on all the Socials! |
