My advice for aspiring ML / AI engineers

This article is not about GPT-5 (disappointing, I know ...)

Today’s article isn’t going to be a technical breakdown.

Truth is, it’s a piece of advice I’d like to give to anyone who wants to hear it, especially if you’re just starting out in this chaotic field of AI.

I’ve spent the past few weeks in Galicia (my home in the north of Spain) taking a break, recharging my batteries before coming back with more hands-on content.

That said, every now and then I open LinkedIn or Substack to see what the accounts I follow are saying: new breakthroughs, trends, that kind of thing.

And what do I find?

Everyone’s talking about GPT-5! Like non-stop 🤣

Why you should try it!

Why you shouldn’t try it!

Benchmarks! Criticism! Praise!

At first, something in me (something primitive) kicked in:

"Miguel, you’re missing out! Grab your laptop right now, start using GPT-5 and talk about it!"

But I quickly realised who was talking.

It wasn’t the voice of reason, it was the voice of FOMO.

The Fear Of Missing Out

And that’s exactly what today’s piece is about.

My “antidote” for the FOMO that will definitely hit you at some point in your journey to becoming an ML / AI engineer 👇

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Because FOMO is not a joke …

If you spend time on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, or Substack (sadly, the virus has spread here too…), you’ve probably seen headlines like 👇

HUGE! 💥💥💥

BREAKING! 🔥🔥🔥

GAME-CHANGER! 🚨🚨🚨

Right? 🤣

There have been so many LLMs that supposedly “changed everything.”

So many techniques that “killed” RAG, I’ve lost count …

But even if you know those hooks are overhyped, you’ve probably still felt that little impulse when someone drops a new paper on RAG or announces the latest LLM from HuggingFace (or now, GPT-5 😅).

That voice whispering:

“You’re missing out. This is your only chance!”

The voice of FOMO, as I mentioned before. And honestly? It’s not a joke, since it can mess with your head, especially when you’re trying to stay focused on your goals.

I’ve been there … chasing every new framework, every new model, thinking I was falling behind if I wasn’t on top of everything.

The truth?

No matter how many papers you read or tools you master.

It’s never enough.

But don’t worry. There’s a cure 😉

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JOMO: The Joy Of Missing Out

Just like water calms fire, there’s a mindset that brings you back to center.

It’s called JOMO: the Joy Of Missing Out.

When I started

The Neural Maze

, I made a choice:

I chose to embrace JOMO.

Sure, I could play AI news anchor, reposting every release, every “breakthrough,” every flashy update from Twitter.

But is that really helping anyone?

Or is it just feeding the ego with quick posts and easy reposts?

Honestly, I know my answer.

So, after 9+ years in AI and almost a year creating content, here’s my final advice:

1. Come up with a project idea

2. Stop scrolling and shout out the noise (embrace JOMO)

3. Start building something real

The results will blow your mind 🫶