The Parable of the Mapmaker (Why I Failed That Interview)
I had the certification. I knew the theory. But I didn't get the job.
In 2006, shortly after I moved to the UK, I walked into an interview at the Law Society feeling invincible.
I was interviewing for a Project Coordinator role. On paper, I was the perfect candidate. I had just spent months gathering certifications. I had my PRINCE2. I had my ITIL. I had my ISEB.
I was “hot.” I knew every theme, every principle, and every process. I had memorised the textbook.
The interviewer looked at my CV, then looked at me, and asked a simple question: “Do you know how to use a dictaphone to record meeting minutes?”
I froze. I fumbled the answer. I tried to pivot back to theory.
She paused and asked: “I see you are PRINCE2 qualified. Did you just write the exam?”
Excited to show off my academic prowess, I beamed and said: “Yes!”
She laughed. She closed her folder. And she said: “We will get back to you.”
I didn’t get the job.
The Lesson
That moment stayed with me for 20 years. I realised that I was a “Paper Tiger.” I knew the syntax of project management, but I had zero capability. I had the map, but I had never actually navigated the terrain.
This realisation led me to found Conceptsworld Academy, where I helped thousands of people gain practical experience, not just theory.
And today, it is the exact same philosophy that drives Readie AI.
The Parable of the Mapmaker
I call this problem “The Parable of the Mapmaker.”
Let me tell you a story about how we used to learn.
In a kingdom long ago, a student spent four years studying to become a Royal Navigator. He memorised every coastline. He learned the exact location of every rock, every reef, and every harbour. At the end of four years, he passed a gruelling exam. He was given a gold medal and a certificate: “Master Navigator.”
He was set for life.
But the very next morning, a massive earthquake struck the kingdom. Rivers changed course. Islands sank. New mountains rose from the sea.
The student walked out to the harbour, confident in his certificate. But when he looked at his map, it was useless. He knew where the rocks used to be, but that knowledge was now dangerous.
Imagine a student who spends four years memorising a map of the kingdom. He gets a certificate: “Master Navigator.” But the next morning, an earthquake hits. The coastline changes. He walks out with his certificate, looks at his map, and realizes it is useless.
The Earthquake is AI
For the last 50 years, corporate education has sold us “Maps.” We study. We get a degree. We get a badge. We treat it as static validation.
But in the Agentic Era, the ground is moving too fast. The software you mastered in January is obsolete by June. If you are relying on a certification you got in 2023, you are navigating with an old map.
From “Static Validation” to “Dynamic Readiness”
In the Age of AI, we have to stop measuring Education (what you did in the past) and start measuring Readiness (what you can do today).
Here are the three shifts I see coming:
1. From Retention to Orchestration We used to test memory. “Do you know the formula?” AI has solved retention. It knows every formula. The new test is Orchestration. Can you guide the AI to the right result? We shouldn’t be testing for answers; we should be testing for judgment.
2. From “The Event” to “The Streak” Learning can no longer be a one-time event. It has to be hygiene. This is the philosophy behind Readie Streaks. We don’t want you to binge-watch 10 hours of video once a year. We want you to do 5 minutes of “AI Calisthenics” every morning.
3. From Syntax to Humanity As the technical barrier lowers, the human barrier rises. The most valuable “certifications” of the future won’t be in Python script; they will be in Ethics, Facilitation, and Critical Thinking.
Why We Are Rebuilding Readie (Readie 2.0)
I refused to let Readie become another “certification factory” that produces Paper Tigers like I was in 2006.
So, we made a hard decision. We are rebuilding our Readie Streaks engine for Readie 2.0 (Coming Feb 2026).
We are moving from “Tips” to “Drills.”
Pulse Checks: Instead of a quiz to see if you remember a fact, we benchmark your current readiness against the market.
Skill Decay Monitoring: Our engine identifies which of your skills are “decaying” because the technology has moved on.
Nano-Lessons & Drills: We serve you a 3-minute lesson followed by a practical “Drill” to polish that specific skill immediately.
The Era of the Compass
We are building a system that acts like a compass. It doesn’t just tell you where North was yesterday. It recalibrates to where North is today.
The Waitlist Opens in January
We are launching the new Readie 2.0 experience in February 2026. If you want to stop memorising the map and start building a compass, keep an eye on this newsletter.
I will be opening the Priority Access Waitlist in January.
Your Move
Stop asking your team: “Are you certified?” Start asking: “Are you ready?”
Take it from the guy who failed the interview in 2006: The map is not the territory. Throw away the static map. Learn to read the wind.
To your readiness,
Davies Bamigboye