taste was the talk of the town. is it still?

A couple of months ago, everyone was talking about taste. And honestly, I was right there with them. I bought into the idea that taste is the new currency.

The argument made sense: if AI can build almost anything, then building isn't the hard part anymore. Choosing is. What should exist? What should be cut? What feels right? That's taste.

But lately I've been wondering if that's the full story.

AI is getting really good at average taste. A decent song, a solid business plan, a stylish outfit, a well-written email. And for most people, average is good enough.

Real cultural taste is rarer. It's knowing what's next before it's obvious. It's knowing when something is technically good but emotionally dead. That kind of taste will stay valuable for a while.

But I don't think taste alone is the moat. I think the moat is taste plus context.

Taste is your sense of what's good. Context is your understanding of the situation. Taste tells you a song is great. Context tells you whether it's right for this moment, this room, these people. You need both.

AI can generate a thousand options. Taste helps you pick one. Context helps you keep picking well, because you understand your users, your culture, your constraints, and the small details that make something feel specific instead of generic.

So maybe taste is the new core skill. But it's not the final answer.

When anyone can make anything, the differentiator is what you choose to make, and whether you have the context to keep choosing well.