This holiday season, an unexpected treat has stepped into the limelight and onto the buffet table at many a festive gathering: the Jell-O shot. But the shot in question, which is currently going viral on TikTok and popping up on high-end menus across New York City, is nothing like the ones you probably remember from the sticky basement of a college frat party. Instead, these treats are sleek, refined, classy, and covetedin short, the opposite of electric green slime in a plastic cup.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by s o l i d w i g g l e s (@solidwiggles)
Brooklyn-based Solid Wiggles, cofounded by pastry chef Jena Derman and mixologist Jack Schramm, is among the pioneers of this Jell-O shot revival. Founded in 2020, the company describes its mission as reimagining the nostalgic Jell-O shot with its “cocktail jellies” that double as edible art. Flavors include margarita, espresso martini, and mezcal negroni, all presented in eye-catching cubes with epertly layered colors, flavors, and designs. A 40-piece, full-menu sampler costs $115.
After just five years in business, Solid Wiggles are on the menu at 20 bars and restaurants in the U.S., including NYCs ultrapopular restaurant Tatiana, helmed by James Beard award-winning chef Kwame Onwuachi. According to Derman, the brands sales have roughly doubled every year for the past three years, and its gearing up to release its own cookbook with Penguin Random House in 2026.
A clear trend is emerging: the Jell-O shot is getting a rebrand as a classy treat for a more mature drinker (foodie?) In a growing number of circles, its no longer a kitschy throwback, but instead a fashionable food statement.
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The Jell-O shot’s tasteful rebrand
To get a taste of the Jell-O shots newfound popularity, one need only search the term on TikTok and brows through some of the most popular videos.
Maturing is realizing your friends will take jello shots if you call them edible cocktails, reads the caption of one recent TikTok with 13,000 likes, starring Jell-O shots with encased maraschino cherries cut into cubes.
Another TikTok of lychee martini jello-shots with cherries, once again artfully cubed (and this time dusted in powdered sugar), amassed nearly 140,000 likes in just two days. And a third YouTube Short, also sharing a lychee martini shot recipe, recently surpassed half a million views.
Im 27, and a real shot sends chills through my literal spine these days, creator @babytamazz explains in the clip. Im still gonna take them, but a Jell-O shot is just preferred at this time. Plus, theyre so fun and bitchy and an awesome party pull.
Perhaps the most popular video, though, was created by the publication Punch and features Solid Wiggles unique take on the Jell-O shot. Derman says its now been viewed more than eight million times across social media, leading to what she described as a “colossal” spike in sales just before the holidays.
Solid Wiggles has spent five years trying to convince consumers that the Jell-O shot can be cooland, clearly, its paying off.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by s o l i d w i g g l e s (@solidwiggles)
Recipe for success
Derman and Schramm met back in 2014, when they both worked at the popular dessert spot Milk Bar. They parted ways when Derman pursued commercial bakery consulting and Schramm went on to work in upscale cocktail bars. After reconnecting during the pandemic, they founded Solid Wiggles.
In 2020, all the bars that I was working at were closed, Schramm says. Jena, ever entrepreneurial, was working on this jelly project where she was using coconut water as a clear base to make these big, elaborate, beautiful jelly centerpieces, but wanted to branch out into some new flavors. She reached out to me because I had centrifuge expertise to make juices clear, and we met at her apartment and made some really tasty jellies.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by s o l i d w i g g l e s (@solidwiggles)
That first day, Schramm recalls, he said, Lets put some booze in these”and the pair havent looked back since.
Not your mother’s Jell-O shot
Jelly desserts have existed for centuries, from France in the Middle Ages to Mexico City in the 40s, but Solid Wiggles is perhaps the first business to pioneer the edible Jell-O shot art category.
Though creative uses of gelatin often evoke an ill-advised recipe from the 1950s (savory Jell-O salad, anyone?), Derman says Solid Wiggles customers are a grown and sexy crowd. These are folks who are sick of just bringing a bottle of wine to a dinner and want to wow their hosts with something new.
We spend all this time making it so that when it finally hits your mouth, you can’t distinguish any of the texturesit all should read as one,” she says. “It should come across as being really simple, even though it’s not so simple.
Schramm believes one of the main factors driving enduring interest in the dessert is that it’s broadly nostalgic.
I think the nice thing about Jell-O in general is it’s not limited in terms of demographics that enjoy it, Schramm says. It’s sort of universally enjoyed by all ages, all demographicseven frat bros grow up at some point and want something delicious that’s also a little bit more beautiful.
Its normalperhaps even biologicalto slow down at the end of the year. Winter weather brings less sunlight, causing our bodies to produce more melatonin and less Vitamin D.
Humans have to fight the urge to hibernate like bears because of the exhausting holiday season. If you find yourself behind and needing to cross off some last-minute items on your to-do list, heres a handy guide to your options on Christmas Day 2025.
Are banks open on Christmas?
No. Christmas is a federal holiday, so brick-and-mortar locations are closed. Online banking and outdoor ATMs are available.
Is mail delivered on Christmas?
The United States Postal Service will not deliver mail on Christmas, and post offices are closed. The only exception: Priority Mail Express is delivered on the holiday.
Is the stock market open?
No. Both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq exchange are closed for the holiday.
What grocery and convenience stores are open?
Trader Joes, Costco, and Aldi are closed. That’s bad news for shoppers but good news for their employees.
The following stores are open:
Acme Market: Some East Coast locations are open.
Albertsons: Some stores are open; hours vary by location.
Caseys General Store: Opens at 10 a.m.
Circle K: Most locations are open 24 hours, even on Christmas, but check your local store to be sure.
Cumberland Farms: Hours vary by location.
Safeway: Some locations are open; hours vary by location.
Wawa: Most are open 24 hours.
7-Eleven: Most are open 24 hours.
Are big-box retailers open?
Most major retail chains, including Walmart and Target, are closed on Christmas.
What about major pharmacy chains?
CVS: Most locations are open with reduced hours; check your local store.
Walgreens: Some locations are open 24/7, though most are operating with reduced hours; check your local pharmacy.
Are fast-food restaurants open on Christmas Day?
Its hard to pinpoint which fast-food restaurants are open because many are franchised, so its up to the individual owners discretion whether or not to remain open. Here are some that should be available.
McDonalds: Most locations are open, but check your local restaurant for hours.
Burger King: Most are open with reduced hours; schedules vary by location.
Starbucks: Many locations are open, but check your favorite spot ahead of time for hours.
What about other restaurants?
If you pull a Scott Calvin from The Santa Clause and burn the turkey, never fear: Many restaurants are open on Christmas Day.
Its important to note, however, that these establishments will most likely have reduced hours and potentially limited menus. The following restaurants will be open with hours that vary by location unless otherwise specified; check the individual location finders for local hours.
Applebees
Buffalo Wild Wings
Dennys (This is Scott Calvins restaurant of choice.)
Huddle House: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
IHOP
Papa Johns
Perkins: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Red Lobster
Waffle House
Many Chinese restaurants are also open on Christmas Day.
Are movie theaters open?
Buttery popcorn and good flicks? Yes! Most movie theaters are open for business on Christmas Day.
Families and those young at heart can check out Zootopia 2 from Disney or The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants from Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon.
If youre in the mood for a sexy, suspenseful drama, consider The Housemaid starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried. Sci-fi fans can catch James Camerons latest epic, Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Artsy types will enjoy Marty Supreme from A24. Star Timothée Chalamet is already getting early Oscar buzz for his performance.
Want more housing market stories from Lance Lamberts ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter.
Theres no doubt about it: Housing market softening across the Sunbeltthe epicenter of U.S. homebuildinghas caused homebuilders to lose pricing power over the past year.
Amid the additional margin compression, some giant homebuilders are adjusting their strategies. Lennar is finally easing up a little on its market share, taking volume-over-margin strategy, while KB Homea homebuilder ranked No. 526 on the Fortune 1000said on December 18 that it plans to lean even harder into built-to-order (more on that below).
At the end of last week, KB Home posted its Q4 2025 earningsthe three months ending November 30. During its earnings call, it underscored just how tricky the current housing market remains, even for builders that have avoided the most aggressive incentive wars and speculative inventory strategies.
In todays article, ResiClub highlights seven key takeaways from KB Homes latest earnings.
1. KB Homes margins compress to the lowest Q4 level since 2016
During the Pandemic Housing Boom, many publicly traded homebuilders achieved record profit margins as home prices soared and buyer demand ran red-hot. Ever since the national housing demand boom fizzled out in the summer of 2022, many large homebuilders have reduced margin and made affordability/pricing adjustments where and when needed to maintain their sales pace or prevent a bigger sales pullback.
That includes KB Home, which reported a housing gross profit margin of 17% in Q4 2025down from a Q4 cycle peak of 24.1% in Q4 2021. Its margin has now compressed to its lowest Q4 level since Q4 2016.
As KB Home CFO Robert Dillard said on the company’s December 18, 2025 earnings call:
Housing gross profit margin was 17%, and adjusted housing gross profit margin, which excluded $13.7 million of inventory-related charges, was 17.8%. Adjusted housing gross profit margin was 310 basis points lower due to pricing pressure, negative operating leverage, higher relative land costs, regional mix, and product mix, which was pronounced due to the age and price of incremental volume versus guidance.
2. KB Homes average selling price is down 8.8% from its 2022 peak
Unlike many giant homebuilders such as Lennarwhich has preferred to pull the mortgage rate buydown lever when making affordability adjustments this cycleKB Home has chosen to rely more on outright price cuts. [Back in summer 2023, KB Home CEO Jeffrey Mezger told me that these price cuts would be their strategy if any of their regional housing markets weakened further.]
In Q4 2025, KB Homes average selling price ($465,600) was 7.1% below Q4 2024 ($501,000) and 8.8% below its cycle peak in Q4 2022 ($510,400). While part of this decline is due to mix shift, KB Home has previously acknowledged cutting home prices over the past 18 months in markets such as Austin and San Antonio, as well as in Orlando and Jacksonville, Florida.
Average selling price declined 7% to $466,000 due to regional and product mix and general market conditions,” Dillard said on the earnings call.
3. KB Homes margin defense plan: leaning harder into Built-to-Order
KB Home is making no secret of its goal: Increase built-to-order deliveries as a share of business to 70% or more of total volume, up from 57% in Q4 2025.
The reason is simplebuilt-to-order margins are materially higher for KB Home. Built-to-order homes tend to generate higher margins because theyre sold before construction begins, reducing inventory carrying costs. Buyers also tend to select higher-margin upgrades and options, which lifts gross profit per home.
KB Home COO Robert McGibney said on the company’s December 18 earnings call:
While we always have some inventory homes available for those buyers that need a quicker move-in date, the superior margins we generate on built-to-order homes will allow us to realize greater value from our communities. Our gross margins on built-to-order homes are trending 3 percentage points to 5 percentage points higher than on inventory sales, and we began to see a shift toward more built-to-order sales during November, an encouraging trend that has continued into December. As we remain focused on selling our built-to-order homes and these sales become deliveries over the course of fiscal 2026, we expect to achieve a favorable trajectory in our gross margins.
Were very focused on getting back to at least a 70/30 [built-to-order] ratio, and we see a great opportunity to drive that change with the new communities coming in the spring.
KB Home executives believe that by leaning more into built-to-order, itll help see their margins bottom in Q1 2026.
KB Home CEO Jeffrey Mezger said on the earnings call:
We’ve already shared that the first quarter margins are the low-water mark, and we expect improvement quarter-over-quarter as the year progresses from there. And it’s a combination of better leverage as we grow revenue back and better margins as our community mix rotates around.
4. KB Homes home sales are down 10% year over year
KB Homes net new orders by Q4
Q4 2018 > 2,013
Q4 2019 > 2,777
Q4 2020 > 3,937
Q4 2021 > 3,529
Q4 2022 > 692 (mortgage rate shockpause before pricing recalibration/easing backlog)
Q4 2023 > 1,909
Q4 2024 > 2,688
Q4 2025 > 2,414
We were disciplined in not taking overly aggressive steps to capture sales during the seasonally slower fourth quarter,” Mezger said on the earnings call. “By doing so, we believe we are positioned to achieve better margins on these sales in our 2026 first quarter than we would otherwise have produced.
5. KB Homes margin compression would be greater right now if not for modest declines in construction and material costs this year
This margin pressure was again partially offset by lower direct construction costs per unit,” Dillard said on the earnings call. “It’s notable that average costs per unit declined in the quarter as direct construction costs and material costs declined more than lot costs increased.
6. KB Homes cancellation rate remains stable
7. Faster build times
KB Home has reduced build times by roughly 20% year over year, hitting its company-wide target of 120 days or better for built-to-order homes. Some divisions are now averaging under 100 days.
Where does KB Home actually build?
Pulling data from the ResiClub Terminalwhere we keep footprint data for Americas 21 largest homebuilderswe made the map below.
Apple and Google would like to see your identification, please.
With the formers Digital ID launch last week, both companies now let you scan a digital version of your passport at more than 250 Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, using an iPhone or Android phone. A growing number of U.S. states already support digital drivers licenses for the same purpose.
But the push for these digital IDs isnt merely about airport security (which still requires you to carry a physical license or passport anyway). Its really part of a broader effort to verify who you are online, one that can finally start in earnest with passport-based digital IDs that are available nationwide.
This story first appeared in Advisorator, Jareds weekly tech advice newsletter. Sign up to get more insights every Tuesday.
How it works
From left: Digital IDs in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet
Apple and Google have similar processes for digitizing a license or passport:
Open the Apple Wallet (iPhone) or Google Wallet (Android) app.
Hit the + button and select the ID option.
Scan your IDs main page with your phones camera.
Scan the back of your license, or place your phone on top of your passports barcode page to scan the embedded RFID chip.
Submit a photo of your face.
Capture one or more short videos of your face performing some kind of movement. (This is presumably to prevent someone from digitizing your ID without permission.)
After a brief verification period, youll be able to access your ID through your phones digital wallet screen, the same place youd use Apple Pay or Google Pay.
While digital passports are available nationwide, support for digital drivers licenses or state IDs varies. Apple and Google currently let you digitize a license from Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Puerto Rico. Apples system also works in Hawaii and Ohio. A smaller number of states maintain their own digital ID apps, either in addition to or instead of Apples and Googles versions, as listed on the TSA website.
Scanning a license or passport doesnt mean you can leave the print version at home. The TSA may still want to see the real thing, and passport control agencies wont accept the digital version when you cross the border.
Moreover, digital ID support will be spotty outside of airports. While some states have been encouraging bars, restaurants, and other businesses to accept digital IDs, the merchant needs a phone or other identity-reader hardware for that. Much like in the early days of Apple Pay and Google Pay, trying to use your digital ID probably wont be worth the potential weird looks and awkwardness.
So whats the point?
Apple and Google both have bigger plans for digital IDs beyond just a slightly more seamless TSA process.
Apples Digital ID setup page, for instance, says itll eventually work while booking flights or hotels and opening new online accounts. Google is more specific, saying its digital ID will let you recover an Amazon account if youre locked out, log into health portals such as CVS Health and Epics MyChart, and verify your profile with companies like Uber. Some states that have enacted age verification laws for porn sites have started accepting digital IDs as well.
Therein lies the true endgame with these digital IDs: The point isnt really to replace physical IDs in the real world, but to verify your identity in the digital one. You can easily imagine a future in which a digital passport lives alongside or even replaces traditional passwords as a way to prove who you are online, with a verification process that feels a lot like checking out with Apple Pay.
This obviously introduces some new concerns. The convenience of digital IDs could also become an excuse to gate off large swaths of the internet, so you might need ID to visit a local brewerys website, rent an R-rated digital movie, or access sites with social features of any kind.
And while Apple and Google tout the ability to keep your personal details privatefor instance, by sharing just your age with a website without revealing your name or addressthat assumes the companies asking for your ID wont request or store more details than they need. Combined with broader use of digital IDs, this could make it a lot harder to browse the internet anonymously.
A lot of this is still theoretical, but it seems to be the future were headed toward. So be aware of what Apple and Google are really asking for when they encourage you to create a digital ID. In the long run its about a lot more than getting through the airport.
This story first appeared in Advisorator, Jareds weekly tech advice newsletter. Sign up to get more insights every Tuesday.
Somewhere between endless meetings and half-finished projects, we all went looking for better ways to get things done this year. These are the 2025 titles that helped people stay organized, focused, and finally finish what they started.
Learn something new every day with Book Bites, 15-minute audio summaries of the latest and greatest nonfiction. Get started by downloading the Next Big Idea app today!
Move. Think. Rest.: Redefining Productivity & Our Relationship With Time
By Natalie Nixon
A creativity whisperer to the C-Suite keynote speaker teaches how to harness the power of everyday activities to stress less and be more productive. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Natalie Nixon, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Mastery: Why Deeper Learning Is Essential in an Age of Distraction
By Tony Wagner and Ulrik Juul Christensen
In a world where AI can deliver information faster and more accurately than any human, what matters most are the uniquely human skills of critical thinking, communication, creativity, collaboration, and character. This is why we need to replace our outdated, time-based education model with a mastery-based approach. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by coauthors Tony Wagner and Ulrik Juul Christensen, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Your Hidden Genius: The Science-Backed Strategy to Uncovering and Harnessing Your Innate Talents
By Betsy Wills and Alex Ellison
Traditional career advice places too much emphasis on skills and intereststwo things that change over time. Aptitudes are the permanent, reliable guide to how every person can uniquely flourish, thrive, and achieve their potential. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by coauthor Alex Ellison, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life
By Maggie Smith
We are all creative beings because making your life is the ultimate creative act. For those who choose to tune their senses as artists, there are ten key principles to improving your craft. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Maggie Smith, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career
By Lorraine K. Lee
You can be an incredibly hard worker who delivers quality results time and again, but still get overlooked for that big promotion. The true accelerator of ambitious goals is an unforgettable presence. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Lorraine K. Lee, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Who Better Than You?: The Art of Healthy Arrogance & Dreaming Big
By Will Packer
Trailblazing filmmaker and powerhouse CEO Will Packer presents powerful and illuminating stories from the front lines of Hollywood to offer a clear vision on how to manifest your own successby believing there is no one more deserving of it than you. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Will Packer, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
How to Break Up With Your Phone
By Catherine Price
Smartphones have stolen an alarming amount of our attentionand therefore our lives. To nurture habits that fill our precious time with fun, excitement, and connection, start by breaking up with your phone. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Catherine Price, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Four Days a Week: The Life-Changing Solution for Reducing Employee Stress, Improving Well-Being, and Working Smarter
By Juliet Schor
Research increasingly shows that switching from five to four is a win for employees and their entire company. The benefits are so impressive that governments are getting involved in legislating fewer working hours. Times are changing, and modern life and modern business are better off on a four-day work schedule. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Juliet Schor, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Theres Got to Be a Better Way: How to Deliver Results and Get Rid of the Stuff That Gets in the Way of Real Work
By Nelson Repenning and Donald Kieffer
A lot of companies struggle with workflow design challenges that stand in the way of getting real work done. Fortunately, for these similar obstacles there exist solutions that apply across industries. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-authors Nelson Repenning and Donald Kieffer, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
The Brain at Rest: How the Art and Science of Doing Nothing Can Improve Your Life
By Joseph Jebelli
Your brains default network is the most important part of your brain that you have probably never heard about. It is critical for maintaining intelligence, creativity, memory, and so much more. The key to a healthy default network? Rest. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Joseph Jebelli, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Finding Focus: Own Your Attention in an Age of Distraction
By Zelana Montminy
We live in a world that is quietly, relentlessly unraveling our attention and, with it, our capacity to think clearly, feel deeply, and live purposefully. Finding Focus is about how to come home to yourself and what matters most. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Zelana Montminy, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Digital Exhaustion: Simple Rules for Reclaiming Your Life
By Paul Leonardi
A revelatory examination of why youre feeling so worn outand practical daily strategies to change your relationship with your devices. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Paul Leonardi, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
The Key Ideas in 15 Minutes
If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books, Roald Dahl once famously said. The only trouble is, reading even one book from cover to cover takes hoursand you may not have many hours to spare.
But imagine for a moment: What if you could read a groundbreaking new book every day? Or even better, what if you could invite a world-renowned thinker into your earbuds, where they personally describe the five key takeaways from their work in just 15 minutes?
With the Next Big Idea app, weve turned this fantasy into a reality. We partnered with hundreds of acclaimed authors to create Book Bites, short audio summaries of the latest nonfiction that are prepared and read aloud by the authors themselves. Discover cutting-edge leadership skills, productivity hacks, the science of happiness and well-being, and much moreall in the time it takes to drive to work or walk the dog.
I love this app! The Book Bites are brilliant, perfect to have in airports, waiting rooms, anywhere I need to not doomscroll You guys are the best! Missy G.
Go Deeper With a Next Big Idea Club Membership
The Next Big Idea app is free for anyone to tryand if you love it, we invite you to become an official member of the Next Big Idea Club. Membership grants you unlimited access to Book Bites and unlocks early-release, ad-free episodes of our LinkedIn-partnered podcast. You also gain entry to our private online discussion group, where you can talk big ideas with fellow club members and join exclusive live Q&A sessions with featured authors.
For a more focused learning experience, we recommend a Hardcover or eBook Membership. Every few months, legendary authors and club curators Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Adam Grant, and Daniel Pink select two new nonfiction books as the must-reads of the season. We then send hardcover copies straight to your doorstep, or eBook versions to your favorite digital device. We also collaborate with the authors of selected books to produce original reading guides and premium e-courses, 50-minute master classes that take you step by step through their most life-changing ideas. And yes, its all available through the Next Big Idea app.
My biggest Thank You is for the quality of book selections so far. I look on my shelf and see these great titles, and I find myself taking down one or two each month to reread an underlined passage. Full marks to all involved! Tim K.
Learn Faster, From the Worlds Leading Thinkers
Whether you prefer to read, listen, or watch, the Next Big Idea is here to help you work smarter and live better. Wake up with an always-fresh Idea of the Day, the perfect shot of inspiration to go with your morning coffee. Then dive into one of our Challenges, hand-picked collections of Book Bites that form crash courses in subjects like communication, motivation, and career acceleration. Later, watch the playback of an interview with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Stanford psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt, or philosopher John Kaag. And be sure to check the Events tab in the app, so that you can join an upcoming live Q&A and personally chat with the next featured thought leader.
If youre hoping to grow as a person or as a professional, we hope youll join us and tens of thousands of others who enjoy the Next Big Idea. Get started by downloading the app today!
Enjoy our full library of Book Bitesread by the authors!in the Next Big Idea app.
This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission.
This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps.
I like pushing AI to be less predictable. When AI assistants are less bland and more bold, they challenge my blind spots and nudge me to rethink.
So I asked one of the boldest AI experimenters I know, Alexandra Samuel, to share unconventional tips and tactics when she visited New York recently from Vancouver.
Alex, who writes about AI for The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review, surprised me with the scale of her AI efforts. She described creating 200-plus automation scripts and building a personal idea database that helps with drafting pitch emails. Her quirkiest tactic? Using Suno to generate songs to explain complex concepts.
Her lively new podcast, Me + Viv, explores her unusual relationship with an AI assistant she trained to serve as her coach and collaborator. She interviews AI skeptics like Oliver Burkeman and Karen Hao to challenge her own embrace of AI. The Suno songs Alex generated serve as a recurring musical thread throughout the series.
In a recent episode, Im So Sycophantic, Alex confronts Vivs most irritating flaw: her pathological tendency to flatter Alex and agree with everything she says.
The shows intriguing premise reminded me of another podcast I love, Evan Ratliffs Shell Game, whose second season debuted recently. Both are excellent explorations of what its like to engage deeply with AI assistants, resourceful and flawed as they are.
Five tips from Alex
1. Use Suno to turn words into catch music.What Suno is: An AI music generation platform for creating custom songs
Alex uses Suno extensively to create songs for her podcast about AI, treating it as a storytelling tool rather than just music creation.
Im like a monkey with a slot machine. Its pretty typical for me to generate the same song 50 or 100 times, maybe even 200 times, she says.
The iterative process helps her find the perfect version. She says Suno struggles with switching between male and female voices, musical styles, or languages mid-song. Alex suggests bringing your own lyrics to Suno for better results than relying on its built-in lyric generation. Heres documentation she wrote up about how she uses Suno.
An alternative she recommends: Work iteratively with an AI assistant like Claude to develop lyrics that you then import into Suno.
Try it for: Turning articles or announcements into short promo songs; creating engaging musical explainers; or generating a newsletter signup song
Alternatives: Udio, ElevenLabs Music
2. Coda: Create your own productivity hubWhat Coda is: A software tool for creating customized documents and databases. Ive written about how underrated Coda is as an alternative to other useful tools like Notion and Airtable.
Alex calls Coda an everything hub where you can build your own tools. New AI features make it easier to use and more flexible. Alex used Coda to design her own pitch machine, a sophisticated story tracking system.
She has one table in the pitch machine with all of her story ideas. Another table in Coda has all the publications she writes for, with editors names and contact info.
With the press of a button in Coda, she can combine multiple story pitches into a single Gmail draft while automatically updating tracking fields and follow-up dates. It took a while to set up, but now it saves her time.
Who is Coda for? Alex recommends Coda for power users who like messing around with tech. She offers this test: If you use XLOOKUP in Excel, then you should use Coda. If you dont know XLOOKUP, you should use Notion. Its like a nerd-o-meter.
Try it for: Project and campaign idea tracking, managing a client database, or automated email or Slack message generation
Alternatives: Notion, Airtable, Google Workspace, Obsidian3. CapCut: Create social videos with AI helpWhat it is: A video editing platform with AI features
Alex uses CapCut, along with custom Python scripts, to create music videos for Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. She says she has mixed feelings about CapCut because of its TikTok/ByteDance ownership, but relies on it for now. Shes been working on a system for syncing the appearance of captions on-screen to the moment when song lyrics are heard.
Try it for: Creating stylish, captioned social media videos or turning podcasts into videos
Alternatives: Captions, Descript, or Kapwing
4. Claude + MCP: Connect AI to your docsWhat it is: An AI assistant connected to external databases and tools via Model Context Protocol (MCP)
MP servers let you connect sites and apps to AI platforms. Thats how Alex connected her Coda account to Claude.
Now that theyre linked, Alex can pose casual questions to Claude, which can then look for things in her Coda docs.
I can actually just have a conversation with Claude and say, Hey Claude, I just talked to an editor. Theyre looking for articles about data privacy. Can you look at my Coda doc and see what story ideas I have that might be relevant?
She emphasizes security considerations: Journalists covering sensitive subjects should avoid this type of experimental workflow if theyre protecting anonymous source information.
Try it for: Querying complex databases, finding relevant past work for new projects, analyzing patterns across your own documents, combining multiple data sources for insights
Alternatives: The Google Drive connector in Claude or ChatGPT; or a custom setup of NotebookLM
5. Claude Code: Reduce repetitive workWhat it is: An AI-powered coding assistant that runs locally on your computer. It helps developers code faster. It also helps nonprogrammers accomplish technical tasks using natural language prompts. You can use it to organize files on your laptop, create Python scripts, or make little interactive applications or games.
Despite limited formal programming training, Alex has written approximately 200 Python scripts using Claude Code.
She says, Whenever you hear yourself with the deep sigh of, like, This is gonna be a drag, just go to the AI and say, Hey, heres this thing I have to do. Is there a way that could be made into a script?
Alexs scripts have helped her combine PDFs and generate time-coded captions for video. She also used Claude Code to build her own Firefox extension for a financial tracking app.
Try it for: Batch file processing, converting data, or whipping up browser extensions to solve specific-to-you problems
Alternatives: Replit, Cursor, Claude Artifacts, Windsurf
This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps.
My working days often unfold in either Zoom minimalist workplaces or glass-walled conference rooms with sleek windows, filled with entrepreneurs pitching ideas. As a marketing executive and startup mentor, I lead strategies for companies of various sizes, guide founders at startup accelerators TechStars and Founder Institute, and serve as an awards jury member. My calendar overflows with executive consultations, brand campaign planning, and deadline sprints.
But between Christmas and New Year’s, I trade those sterile spaces for museum halls alive with color and history.
It wasnt easy getting out the door the first time I did this in 2021. I was filled with fears. What if a startup stalled? What if a client bailed?
Eventually, though, I did it. I carved out full days for museums. No notifications mid-visit, no news feeds. Just artand a notebook.
This wasn’t a lazy holiday stroll. I didn’t set out to make this a blueprint. I just craved difference. What I didn’t expect was how profoundly it refueled me. I feared it would derail momentum; instead, it unlocked clarity.
If you’re a leader convinced you can’t afford the pause, that’s precisely why you must. Here’s how to begin.
What the museum ritual looked like
I timed it consciously: Christmas week plus New Year’s Eve, overlapping holidays when clients slow down anyway, so I missed zero critical days.
While I was out, my colleagues handled brand campaigns; an assistant triaged the rest. If a force majeure broke out, they’d route it.
Christmas Eve morning last year, I headed out. Here’s a day in the ritual:
Slow walk to an art gallery, followed by unhurried coffee, sketching initial impressions. Then, hours absorbing art. No music in headphones, no quick email scans. Full presence.
Leaving the gallery, I wandered to the local Christmas market near the town hall. I savored warm coffee and bagels, relishing the heat of the cup in my hands.
By the end of the day, the inspiration hit. I filled my notebooknot pitches, but reflections: yearly goals reframed, market blind spots, forgotten creative hunches, leadership values dusty from neglect.
Insights flowed because I carved the space. They stuck.
Three insights that reshaped me
Here are three insights I stumbled upon while I took a moment for a pause:
1. Different lenses multiply breakthroughs.
A single perspective limits you. As I moved from the Cubism hall to the Impressionism hall in one museum, I recalled a direct-to-consumer brand struggling in Asia. They were obsessed with premium customers but missing the mass market. My walking and thinking led to a simple pivot: Tailor messaging to local culture. Sales took off.
Now my mornings begin with one question: “What lens am I using today?” Calm. Global. Daring. I lead from vision now, not reaction. The world meets me there.
2. Stillness trumps speed.
Startups move fast. Metrics can triple in a month. But speed under pressure clouds your judgment. In one case, a data management company struggled with positioning. Their new product features were failing despite endless debates. After the Christmas pause, fresh ideas clicked. We repositioned the product and landed a major client in days. Now I always ask myself: “Is this vision or just velocity?” The pause comes first.
3. Dare to break the rules.
Art thrives by breaking conventions. Picasso’s Cubism shattered traditional views, just like the best startups do. During one gallery visit in December, I thought about a tech team stuck in safe, predictable marketing. We shifted to bold, unexpected ideas, like blending AI visuals with Renaissance art vibes in January. It felt risky, but the client loved it. Sales jumped. Now I ask every team: “What’s the rule we can break?” Daring moves win in tech.
Why more leaders should try a museum ritual
Your mind craves depth, not distraction. We grant muscles recovery; why starve our creativity? Step into galleries, and ideas resurfacevision sharpens, you reconnect to the leader unswayed by noise.
Perhaps museums arent your catalyst: Lakeside solitude, hiking trails, or a quiet café moment might move you more. The central pointthat leaders need deliberate downtime to recharge and generate catalytic ideasremains.
Taking a break didn’t slow me down; it realigned me to essentials. We mistake time off for indulgence. Wrong. It’s leadership disciplineslowing down to think about what’s vital.
In 2025, AI became officially unavoidable: It had been lurking in the background before, as early adapters experimented with it. But this year, companies invested more than $202 billion in AI, a 75% increase from $114 billion invested in 2024. Major tech companies fought bitterly over AI talent, offering astronomical pay packages.
There was a groundswell of demand for talent, and unsurprisingly this spread to the demand for AI, data science, and engineering jobs, which increased 28% compared to 2024, according to data provided to Fast Company by IT staffing company Mondo. The firm also provided data on the top five jobs that took off in 2025, which weve listed by volume of demand.
Some of the jobs are new to Mondos dataset. Others saw explosive growth in demand compared to 2024. But theyre all related to AI. Theres a spike in certain jobs growth every year, but as we wrap up 2025, its clear: This was the year of artificial intelligence.
And the technology isnt going anywhere. Neither are these jobs:
1. Data Engineer (18% growth)
An AI is only as strong as the data thats powering it. Accurate and reliable data is a must, and as the demand for AI increases, so does the demand for data engineers who can ensure models are fed the highest-quality data.
2. Analytics Engineer (25% growth)
Analytics engineers ensure that companies can make sense of the data they have and use it to provide actionable insights. They organize data so its easier to analyze, apply software engineering best practices to analytics code, and design and maintain data models. They also collaborate with other teams inside the organization to help turn these insights into better decisions.
3. AI Full-Stack Engineer (new)
AI full-stack engineers can create complete AI applications: They can build the front-end user experience, the back-end infrastructure that powers the application, and embed AI as needed. In a world where everyone wants to be on the AI bandwagon, AI full-stack engineers are the next generation of full- stack engineers.
4. AI Solutions Consultant (new)
One of the largest challenges companies deploying AI are facing is understanding where the tech can make a difference. AI solutions consultants serve as a bridge between business leaders and technical teams. They identify use cases for AI, evaluate which tools to employ, and weigh in on how AI should be implemented.
5. AI Business Insights Analyst: (new)
An AI business insights analyst pairs data analysis and insights from AI with the surrounding business context to help leaders understand how to shape their strategy in an ever-changing world.
The fastest-growing roles sit at the intersection of AI, data infrastructure, and business translation, reflecting employer demand for talent that can deploy, govern, and operationalize AI at scale, Mondo Stephanie Wernick Barker wrote in an email. Compared to 2024, employers are hiring fewer generalists and more hybrid specialists who combine technical depth with measurable business impact.
The biggest brands pour creativity into being instantly recognizable. A logo you can spot at 20 paces. A color palette that becomes cultural shorthand (think Oreo blue or Coca-Cola red).
That visual obsession runs through every corner of marketing. TV, social, out-of-home, retail, and packaging. Millions go into crafting imagery, with every frame revised until it perfectly reinforces the brand.
So, of course visuals matterthey always will matter.
But the best performing brands arent blinded by them. They understand that a cohesive sonic identity that spans campaigns and touchpoints ensures your brand is remembered long after someone closes their phone or walks away from the TV.
YOU CANT AFFORD TO TUNE OUT AUDIO
Too often, sound is an afterthought. Tracks are chosen on personal taste, or even whatever can still be licensed at the end of a strained budget.
But audio isnt decoration. Its not the garnish. It deserves the same rigor as visuals. Treating it as a last-minute flourish isnt a creative misstep, its a missed business opportunity.
Thats because sound is one of the fastest, most powerful emotional triggers we have. Attention research shows that audio advertising generates at least 50% higher active attention and brand lift than visual formats. A drum roll can build tension. A chord can pull you into nostalgia. A single synth line can do what a thousand highly polished frames cannot.
Leaving that kind of influence to chance limits effectiveness across channels. It also leads to global inconsistency, with local teams relying on instinct rather than strategy.
The fix is simple. Stop treating audio as a backing track. Bring it into the creative process from minute one.
HERES HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT FIT
Choosing music is more than scanning the charts. A trending track isnt automatically the right choice. To score effectiveness, you need to look past taste and into the science, assessing four dimensions:
1. Engagement: Will it capture and hold attention?
2. Fit: Does it complement the narrative and the visuals?
3. Surprise: Does it offer the unexpected?
4. Recall: Will it be remembered?
Take a well-known commercial track. Immediate recognition is a win. But over-familiarity can also blunt surprise, reducing impact. A better route might be a reimagined version: a cover that keeps the sentiment but feels new, distinctive, and more ownable. Often, its also more cost-effective.
Look at music through both a creative and an objective lens and you give your brand cultural relevance without compromising quality.
And the data backs this up. IPA research, created with MassiveMusic, shows that:
Highly memorable music makes your brand four times more effective at driving brand recall
Unexpected music makes ads five times more likely to drive brand fame
Highly fitting music makes consumers nearly seven times more willing to pay higher prices
Highly engaging music boosts ROI by around 32% on average, and the very best performers on engagement can double your return on marketing investment.
SOUND ISNT OPTIONAL ANYMORE
For years, music sat in the category of well know it when we hear it. That era is over. We can now quantify musical effectiveness with the same precision we apply to visuals, linking specific sonic choices to measurable gains in attention, salience, and commercial return. Its no longer guesswork.
In the attention economy, where differentiation is under threat, music can be the lever that cuts through the noise. From recall to emotion to willingness to pay, its impact is too broad to ignore.
Brands that embrace a scientific, strategic methodology for sound build sonic identities that are consistent, creative, and emotionally resonant.
And brands that dont? If your campaign budget is in the millions, youre effectively gambling six-figure returns by not testing your music. The uplift from a well-chosen track dwarfs the cost of getting it right.
Paul Langworthy is chief revenue officer at Songtradr.
Artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping countless industries; education is no exception. As AI tools rapidly enter classrooms, there are concerns about fair access, effective implementation, and the risk of widening the still persistent digital divide. Who are the players best positioned to guide this transition in a way that truly benefits every student?
I recently spoke with Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose, an education nonprofit where teachers submit funding requests based on classroom needs. Ninety percent of public schools in America have teachers using DonorsChoose, which tackles funding gaps by focusing on the most granular level: individual teacher requests. Alix, a former math and science teacher, edtech founder, and nonprofit leader, shares why he believes listening to the front linesthe teachersis the most important strategic bet we can make to ensure AI fulfills its promise for all students.
Q: Your background as a public school teacher and startup founder is unique. How has that journey shaped your vision for DonorsChoose and its mission to resource every classroom?
Alix Guerrier: Im a proud product of the New Haven, Connecticut, public school system. I had a front-row seat to the resourcing challenges schools face, which inspired me to become a public school teacher. Despite funding constraints, teachers went above and beyond for their students, and I saw the potential of a grassroots approach that serves individual teachers, which I later brought to my startup.
DonorsChoose is unique because we maintain a laser-like focus on the needs of individual teachers and their students, while partnering with school, district, and state leaders. Together, we can learn from the grassroots innovation, then use those insights to shape broader policy and funding decisions, which we have been leaning into as an organization.
Q: DonorsChoose has an unrivaled view of teacher needs. What is your data currently telling you about changing trends in classroom requests?
Alix: We have access to a wealth of qualitative and quantitative data, because our model requires teachers to submit descriptions of the resources they need and how they plan to use them. Some requests remain the same year over year. For example, books were a primary request at our founding in 2000 and remain an important need today.
Instructional technology, however, has been a major category of change. Over the past 25 years, weve tracked the shift from older tech to smartboards and Chromebooks. And starting in 2020, we saw a dramatic, sustained change in the amount of instructional technology requested. While AI-specific requests are still a small category, they are rapidly growing. Last school year, we saw around 600 requests for AI learning tools and resources; that number is already 1,000+ this school year.
What has been most surprising is the primary AI use case emerging from our data. We expected to see requests centered on student productivity or teacher planning, and those exist. But the majority are focused on addressing diverse student needs. Teachers are using AI to generate real-time translation tools for multilingual language learners, or to rapidly adapt a lesson plan for students with disabilities. We are seeing teachers leverage AI to hyper-personalize learning.
Q: How can we ensure that AI funding doesnt exacerbate existing challenges, like the digital divide?
Alix: Resource equity is explicitly woven into DonorsChoose DNA. Its our goal that every student in every community has access to a great education regardless of a schools resources. This year, over 80% of funding directed through DonorsChoose went to projects in historically under-resourced schools. Moreover, our work to close the digital resource gap felt by these schools must include AI learning tools.
Access to the hardware is only part of the equation. We know that the vast majority of teachers97%, according to a survey we conducteddont feel they have the necessary training to successfully implement AI in the classroom. Educators have a hunger and readiness to incorporate AI learning tools, but theres a clear gap in preparedness. This points to our biggest strategic bet: The sector-wide conversation about the future of AI in K-12 education must be driven by what teachers know about the actual needs of their kids.
Q: If you had a single message for those designing the next wave of AI tools and the policymakers making education funding decisions, what would it be?
Alix: Stay forcefully focused on the needs and experiences of students.
In education, as in other fields, new technologies are often first adopted by individuals on the groundthe teachers running micro-experiments every day in their classrooms. Their collective wisdom about what works and enables a better learning outcome is an invaluable dataset. If we, as a sector, choose to be guided by those use casesthe ways teachers are actually succeeding, like using AI to personalize learning for a non-native English speakerwe can effectively scale.
The technologies that truly support student learning and growth are those that are human-centered, supporting a learners exploration and creativity. By staying anchored to the individual learner, we ensure the immense power of AI is directed toward the highest and best usemaking a meaningful difference in the life of every child.
Q: Looking ahead 10 years, what is the most important role you hope DonorsChoose played in ensuring this AI revolution was accessible, effective, and human-centered?
Alix: I hope we will have been the critical platform that elevated the teacher’s voice to the forefront of the AI conversation. We want to be the connective tissue that translates the thousands of successful, human-centered AI experiments happening in classrooms across the country into actionable insights for the entire system.
We have an opportunity now to steer the ship. We know more than ever before about how students learn and what they need to thrive, and we have the technology to make dramatic improvements. Our role at DonorsChoose is to use our unique access to the grassroots to keep the entire sectorthe companies, the foundations, the policy leadersfocused on the human impact, not just the technical promise. We are equipped to do amazing things, but we just have to decide to do so. And Im optimistic that we will.
Celia Jones is global chief marketing officer of FINN Partners.
