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Mining AI Free Credits: A Gold Rush of Investor Cash and Unpacking Deep-Seated Tensions

January 2, 2026 Technology

I was sipping my cup of cacao this morning, scrolling through LinkedIn, when another AI tool ad caught my eye—same recycled pitch, just a different logo. It’s almost comical now, with new tools popping up every week, dangling free credits to lure users. I’ve been working this angle hard, hacking these platforms to do my bidding without spending a dime. It’s not unlike how I’ve navigated the food bank network for resources, except this time, it’s not government funds I’m tapping—it’s investor money, splashed out in a frantic bid to back the next big winner. With zero switching costs, they’re hemorrhaging cash while I hop from one free trial to the next. Today’s Oracle casting—35 (Progress) and 50 (The Cauldron)—feels like a subtle nudge from the universe. “Horses in large numbers” and “supreme good fortune”? I’m taking that as a sign to keep pushing. (Curious about the full reading or want to cast your own? Check it out at https://oracle.truesight.me/?reading=8-6-6-7-8-7).

Let’s break down this AI gold rush, my strategy to redirect these credits for growth, and a raw, personal reflection—tied to childhood memories and a striking encounter—that’s got me digging into the deep-seated tensions driving my reactions.

The AI Gold Rush: Shovels, Miners, and a Scam in Plain Sight

Think back to the California Gold Rush—most miners went bust, while the real money came from selling shovels and jeans. It’s the same dynamic with AI today. Foundational model giants (like OpenAI or Anthropic) and infrastructure players (cloud providers, chipmakers) are the shovel-sellers, stacking wealth. Meanwhile, app-layer startups—spamming LinkedIn with ads—are the miners, burning investor cash on free credits to hook users. I’ve tested a few: Trigger.dev (https://trigger.dev/pricing), Orchids (hyped at https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kevin-lu-22724b1a5_introducing-orchids-the-worlds-first-vibe-ugcPost-7404192001048547328-vH4c), and WisprFlow.ai (https://wisprflow.ai/). Used their credits, dropped them when they ran out. WisprFlow had some value, but $15 a month? My iPhone does a decent job for free. No switching cost means no loyalty—I’m just browsing YC batches and Product Hunt for the next freebies to exploit.

Here’s the unvarnished truth: it’s a race to the bottom. Investors keep dumping money into these “airdrops” of credits, hoping for stickiness, while foundational model companies hype the app layer—almost like a scam in broad daylight. They’re getting startups and investors to bankroll the grunt work of UI/UX research. Once a viable use case emerges, the big players replicate it or absorb the startup. It’s brutal, but I’m not here to lament—I’m too busy siphoning the spillover. (Side note: these AI credit drops are far more practical than crypto airdrops, which lock you into gas fees and platform dependency. That’s why we still use Google Sheets for ledgers—free, or close enough.)

Key observation: Wealth accumulates at the foundation, not the app layer. But while investors bleed, I’m redirecting their “free money” to where it serves me.

Redirecting the Rush: Free Credits for Retailer Outreach

Here’s the play I’ve been turning over in my mind—why not harness these free credits to power up our retailer online outreach? I’m imagining a smooth, portable funnel, ideally driven by a single AI prompt, that I can plug into any tool. When one startup’s credits dry up, I pivot to the next. If I can make this work, it’s like funneling investor funds—intended for these AI startups’ growth—straight into expanding our distribution network. No equity dilution, no pitching for capital, just pure resourcefulness.

Reflections for the day: Resources are always out there if you squint; the trick is repurposing them. This ties into the “supreme good fortune” of The Cauldron from today’s Oracle—transforming raw stuff into something powerful. Here’s how it could shake out:

I’ve been tinkering with an AI block editor lately, and at about a dollar a day for just one blog post edit, it’s not exactly a steal. Makes me even more driven to squeeze value from these free credits elsewhere. If I can get this funnel dialed in, it’s like harnessing the “horses in large numbers” from the Oracle’s Progress reading—driving growth without the usual fundraising slog.

Meditation Insight: Concepts, Childhood Tensions, and a Nomad’s Whisper

Now for something heavier that bubbled up during my morning meditation. I was in that quiet, post-session space when a stray thought crept in: “I haven’t received my DMV sticker yet.” Minor issue, right? But as it landed, I felt adrenaline hit—a tightness between my shoulder blades, a familiar tension. I traced the chain: concept to emotion to physical sensation. Then I paused—why the fixation? Why let this thought turn into a feeling when I could just watch it pass like a cloud? Back to my breath, and soon, the tension eased. The mind moved on.

But this tension—it’s an old friend. I flashed back to childhood, elementary school, when forgetting something like a notebook at home would send me into a spiral. That same tightness between my shoulder blades, that uncontrollable stress. I wonder now if it’s tied to conditioning—those moments when a parent or caretaker would come at me with a cane for some mistake or misstep. Physical punishment when things went “wrong” might’ve wired this reaction deep into me. Even now, as an adult, certain environmental triggers bring that tension back. I’m more aware of it these days, and it’s taken a lot of effort to start unwiring it, but it’s still there, lurking.

This brought to mind a haunting encounter from a New Year’s Eve camp with some nomads. There was this woman—tired, drained, yet still socializing and fixing things for others. I watched her, noticing how every time she tried to return to a lounging spot to rest, another nomad would pull her into some errand. When she finally got a moment, she leaned in and whispered to me that she’s not actually social at all—she feels “really fucked up.” She can’t say no; she jumps to action whenever someone needs something. I asked about the root of this. She looked me dead in the eyes, silent for a beat, then whispered that as a child, someone tried to kill her. I assumed it was a caretaker. That moment clicked something in me. Isn’t the tension I feel—between my shoulder blades, triggered by certain stimuli—a variant of what she’s carrying? A body memory of fear, of needing to fix or control to avoid harm?

Here’s the insight—this is how a concept gains a life of its own. A thought, whether it’s a missing sticker or the urge to “fix” a situation, triggers chemical reactions, physical sensations. It’s not just in your mind; it’s in your body, wired from past experiences. Linking this to the AI gold rush, aren’t we all driven by concepts that feel alive, often rooted in deeper tensions? “Disruption,” “growth,” “don’t miss out”—these spark urgency or FOMO, pushing investors to burn cash and folks like me to chase credits. But stepping back, observing without attachment—especially to those old, wired-in tensions—maybe I can play the game without being consumed by it.

Wrapping Up: What Tensions Drive Your Hustle?

I’m down to the last of my cacao, still scheming on turning these AI credits into outreach gold. The Oracle’s hints of progress and good fortune remind me to keep redirecting resources where they count. But I’m curious—what old tensions or body memories drive your hustle? Are you chasing something like these AI freebies, and if so, is there a deeper, wired-in root behind it? And when an external trigger brings that tension back—between the shoulder blades or elsewhere—how do you step back and just observe?

Share your thoughts below, or let them brew over your next cup of cacao. I’m off to test a prompt that might just unlock this funnel. Let’s see what unfolds.

Quick question—do you want to dive deeper into the connection between childhood conditioning and current tensions, or perhaps tie this more directly to how it influences the resource-chasing mindset in the AI gold rush? I’m ready to refine or expand wherever you’d like.