Broken Ladder: The Collapse of Entry-Level Jobs in a World Transformed by Autonomous AI Agents

The first rung has disappeared.
If you're still building ladders, you're already behind.
Autonomous AI agents are replacing entry-level roles at scale, silently, efficiently, and without remorse. What once offered learning, belonging, and forward motion is now a closed door. And while talent pipelines run dry, leaders are left clinging to outdated systems that no longer attract top talent.
Broken Ladder is a call to rebuild the beginning. Not as an afterthought. As a design imperative. If you are responsible for hiring, onboarding, or developing tomorrow's workforce, this book speaks directly to you.
Daniel Stouffer, a systems strategist and trusted futurist, offers both an accurate diagnosis and a profoundly human solution: stop pretending the old model works. Replace it with something that does.
Inside, you'll learn how to:
Uncover the silent failures hidden inside your hiring practices
Build hybrid AI-human systems that develop capability, not just compliance.
Create access for those whose pedigree-driven pipelines have never served.
Redesign work from the first step, not the last title
Lead transformation that's actionable, inclusive, and built to last.
You don't need another playbook for jobs that no longer exist. You need a blueprint for building what's next. Broken Ladder is this book.
(short) Daniel Stouffer is the founder of Kaperider Publishing and a guide to organizations reshaping work through systems thinking and soul-level clarity.
OR
(long) Daniel Stouffer is a workplace futurist and systems thinker who helps organizations reimagine how they grow talent. He writes for leaders ready to move from reactive HR to cultural redesign. With empathy, foresight, and practical tools, Daniel shows how to turn broken hiring systems into launchpads for hybrid talent.