The Problem
Credentials don't expire. A 20-year-old degree doesn't prove current capability.
Titles accumulate. "Former Director of X" stays on the resume forever.
Skills rust. What you could do five years ago isn't what you can do now.
Our Alternative
Authority decays. Recent work weighs more than old work. Standing fades without renewal.
Practice renews. Continued work in a domain maintains your standing.
Teaching renews. Passing knowledge to others demonstrates continued competence.
Authority Over Time
Example
Alex earned a carpentry certification in 2015.
Without continued practice, that certification's effective authority decays. By 2025, it carries less weight than recent demonstrated work.
But Alex kept working. Projects in 2023 and 2024, witnessed by clients and collaborators, renew their standing.
The track record shows: active practitioner, not just once certified.