Dreams Make Good Stories.

Continuing from my recent post on why agencies can’t afford to wait for perfect clarity on AI before taking action, I’ve been thinking a lot about the space between vision and motion, the dream and the doing.

I was watching Dune, again, when Duncan Idaho’s line made me pause, literally, and rewind to hear it, again.

"Dreams make good stories. But everything important happens when we're awake. Because that's when we make things happen."

While I have heard this dialogue so many times before, maybe because of everything I’ve been writing lately - about AI, about aging, about reinvention, about the difference between imagining a future and actually living it, it was different this time.

Dreams Are Comfortable

We like the dream state. We can visualize new roles for older workers, imagine AI-powered workflows, fantasize about writing that book or launching that idea. And in an age of endless prompts and infinite content, it’s easy to get stuck in imagining.

But action is where the friction and the value lives.

As my father says, ' Put your feet to prayer.’ It’s not enough to want something. You have to move toward it.

The Epilogue Economy Is Happening. Now.

Aging is often discussed in terms of future planning: What will we do when we retire? What will longevity look like? What kinds of care systems will we need? We talk about the future of aging, of work, of identity, as if it’s out there somewhere. It’s not.

It’s already here.

The Epilogue Economy isn’t a theory, It’s the largest growth market in generations, an emerging space shaped by longer lives, later-stage reinvention, and the shifting identities of people who aren’t done yet.

Too often, aging is discussed as a horizon issue. Someday, we’ll need to rethink retirement. Eventually, we’ll redesign systems to support longer working lives. But that’s all dream-state language.

It’s already happening.

This is not a future market. It’s a current force. And it belongs to those willing to step into it, those who raise their hands, take risks, launch new roles, new ventures, new ways of being seen. And new opportunities for growth and revenue.

AI and the Myth of “Not Yet”

The same is true of AI. I talk to companies who say, “We’re watching the space closely.” That’s code for dreaming. Waiting for clarity. For someone else to go first. It's reactive, not proactive.

But clarity doesn’t come from observing. It comes from participating. From making something, testing it, learning, changing, and trying again. From waking up and taking the first step.

This is what I really admire about how Christel Buchanan and her team at ChatAndBuild are spreading the word about her latest venture. I had the pleasure of attending one of their first builder meetings. Its entire foundation, at least to me, is that she is looking to democratize the ability to “Think it, Say it, See it.”.

She has been working to lower the barrier, or open the door, or any other metaphor you want to insert here, into moving us from dreaming about it to doing it. And they are doing it not from talking about it. They are putting butts in seats, in front of machines, and guiding them towards making a thing, anything. What ever you have dreamed about, just try it.

I made a thing to help me with my business, but the guy next to me made a video game, and someone else made a personal reminder system, tailored to how she wanted it to work. All in the same room, all at the same session. All from what we have thought about.

Dreams matter. They give us narrative, direction, and fuel. But everything important, everything that changes the world, or your life, happens when you’re awake.

Waiting Is Not a Strategy.

In my previous post, I argued that Brands and Agencies who are waiting for AI to settle down are making a mistake. The solution you’re waiting for is already outdated. The only way to learn, and lead, is by using it, not just dreaming about it.

And yet, I continue to speak with agencies that do just the opposite. Dreaming. Waiting. Talking about AI, and AI-focused talent, like it’s a someday project, something that needs a task force, a roadmap, a perfect use case. They’re building decks and having steering meeting discussions instead of building momentum.

But the truth is that the moment of action is already behind us. If you’re waiting for AI to stabilize, to become safe or sanctioned or fully understood, you’re already trailing those who moved when it was still messy. The solutions you’re waiting for? They’re already outdated.

We have to stop mistaking contemplation for progress. We need fewer whiteboard sessions and more test environments, fewer prediction panels, and more prototypes.

Agencies don’t need more vision. They need more action.

Brands put their future in the hands of agencies.

In this new climate, Brands need to start demanding more. They need to demand that their Agencies not play it safe, but respond, adapt, and move forward. Because this isn’t a moment for clean briefs and polished decks, it’s uncharted territory.

So why not navigate it together?

We love to say, “Brand X partners with Agency Y.” But in the 18 months since starting RockPaperScissors and in the countless interviews I’ve had with both brand and agency leaders, I’ve rarely seen that partnership in action. It still feels like Brands brief and Agencies respond.

I have yet to hear someone say, “We co-developed this.” I haven’t heard, “We built the solution together.” And I definitely haven’t heard about a shared workflow or tech stack that unlocked real progress or process wins. (*If you have done any of the above, I would love to have you share that in the comments, or via DM.)

I am also challenged by this. Since starting RockPaperScissors, I have had three clients who have sat around the table, either virtually or physically, to co-develop processes and ways of working as a result of testing and using various GenAI tools. Only three, in 18 months.

We’re Awake Now. Act Like It.

Maybe I’m asking too much, too soon. But maybe not. Because these early days, these messy, blurry, wake-up-and-try-it days, this is when it should be happening.

Because we’re awake now.

Duncan Idaho’s quote works because it feels ancient and urgent. Like all good science fiction, it tells a truth we already know: vision without action is a nice bedtime story.

And everything important happens when we’re awake.

The dreamers will inspire. But the builders will lead.

If you’re looking for a partner to help you turn vision into velocity, that’s what we do at Rock Paper Scissors. Whether it’s an AI-focused workshop designed for your business, a co-creation sprint to unlock agency-brand alignment, or a keynote on the growth opportunity of the Epilogue Economy, this is the moment to act.

Because dreaming is easy.

But making things happen? That’s what we do when we’re awake. Which is usually around 6:30am.

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