The Class of 2020 still arent over the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling their graduation. Apparently they never stop bringing it up, according to TikTok. Now their complaints are being used as a punchline.
Being robbed? Did you know that I didnt get a graduation.
Slip on ice? I didnt have a prom, I didnt have a homecoming.
Oh, your grandma just died? Okay, well if you think thats bad, I literally didnt graduate.
While the trend has been around since Gen Z didor didntgraduate in 2020, with some reminiscing on those unprecedented times and others crashing their siblings graduations in place of their own, it has recently picked up traction again.
@cobreezzy That lockdown had us all acting crazy lol my dad came up with this idea #classof2020 #graduation #family original sound – Conor OBrien
In the past few weeks, it has merged with another trend in which TikTokkers explain how certain people would react to a glass being half full or half empty. Instead of just the classic optimist or pessimist, the trend includes the points of view of random people, characters, or the Class of 2020.
@briemcp Disclaimer: I was a victim of 2020 so let me clown #glasshalffull #glasshalfempty #fyp #fyp #pessimist Classic classical gymnopedie solo piano(1034554) – Lyrebirds music
It wasnt even like a graduation, it was like a drive thru and you just grabbed your diploma, one creator laments.
@iamjoeyleon Ball knowledge required #fyp #funny #basketball original sound – Joey
The humor is mostly self-referential, reflecting Gen Zs coping mechanism of choice: Me using every opportunity to remind my friends that I was Class of 2020, another jokes.
@zayaperysian And Ill never get over it actually #classof2020 @Spencer Hunt original sound – –
And its hard to deny the Class of 2020 were dealt a bad hand. Their senior year did, after all, coincide with a global health crisis. Five years ago, what started as a week off school spiraled into an unprecedented global emergency, the ripple effects of which are still being felt.
While the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Americans of all ages, the Class of 2020 was uniquely positioned to experience the shockwaves across their social lives, finances, and careers as they transitioned into adulthood.
In the throes of the pandemic, unemployment among people under age 24 jumped from 8.4% to 24.4%. Researchers have found that beginning a career during a recession can depress earnings for 10 years and leave lasting impacts for decades.
Its no surprise, then, that the identities of the Class of 2020 are tied to this once-in-a-lifetime crisis. If they want to complain about it, the least we can do is let them.
Its been a big week for aliens in Washington.
In a podcast that aired last weekend, former President Obama revealed that he believes in extraterrestrial life. Days later, President Trump declared that he would order Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other agency leads to start declassifying government files pertaining to alien life and UAPs, short for unidentified aerial phenomena the mysterious sightings we once called UFOs.
In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump announced his plans, citing intense interest on a subject once lumped in with the paranormal. Interest in all things alien has surged in the last five years as the U.S. government began to release formerly classified documents, hold hearings, and generally acknowledge a topic once seen as too far out.
I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters, Trump wrote.
Obama wants to believe
Obama set off the current firestorm of excitement around alien life when he casually confirmed his beliefs in an interview with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen. “They’re real but I haven’t seen them,” Obama said. “They’re not being kept in Area 51. There’s no underground facility unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.
The comments generated so much buzz that he published an Instagram post the following day clarifying his thoughts: Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good theres life out there, Obama wrote, adding that solar systems are so far apart that the odds are low weve been visited by aliens and as president he never witnessed anything to convince him otherwise.
Trump promised to release the fresh documents after accusing Obama of divulging classified information in the interview when he veered into alien territory. I don’t know if they’re real or not, Trump told Fox News. I can tell you, he gave classified information. He’s not supposed to be doing that he made a big mistake.
Obamas comments werent his first time weighing in on matters extraterrestrial. In 2021, the former president told James Corden that UAPs are as real as anything else that the U.S. military observes.
What is true, and Im actually being serious here, is that there is footage and records of objects in the skies that we dont know exactly what they are, Obama said. A former president speaking candidly on the subject might be surprising, but Obama famously counts Liu Cixins elaborate thought experiment on an alien invasion of Earth, The Three-Body Problem, among his favorite books.
Extraterrestrial talk gains legitimacy
After decades of being shunned as a topic best left to the tinfoil hat set, the government has lent mysterious flying objects and alien life major heft in recent years.
In 2020, the Department of Defense published three clips of unexplained aerial phenomena observed by Navy pilots that had previously leaked to the public. The worlds most powerful military admitting that it couldnt explain the strange behavior of some objects in the sky through intel or scientific means was a surreal, historic moment met with excitement from UAP enthusiasts.
That same year, the DoD formed a dedicated task force to investigate UAP sightings. The mission of the task force is to detect, analyze and catalog UAPs that could potentially pose a threat to U.S. national security, the agency wrote in its announcement. Other explanations, like malfunctioning equipment and stray weather balloons, pose no threat and remain very much in the mix.
The governments disclosures didnt stop there. In 2021, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence published a preliminary assessment on the topic to give Congress an overview of how the intelligence agency handles reports of mysterious flying objects, which are sometimes spotted by servicemembers. We currently lack data to indicate any UAP are part of a foreign collection program or indicative of a major technological advancement by a potential adversary, the agency wrote in the report, ruling out one possible avenue of explanation.
A year later, Congress held its first hearing on UFOs in more than 50 years. While testimony from Pentagon officials flatly rejected claims that the U.S. has knowingly been visited by alien spacecraft a stance echoed by a more recent report the government confirmed that it doesnt always have an explanation for some of the things pilots spot in the skies. The truth remains out there, somewhere.
Were told from a young age to follow our dreams. But for Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon, chasing your dreams is overrated. Instead, she recommends a different approach, especially for young people: Chase your talents, not your dreams.
The 49-year-old, who has a $400 million-plus net worth, shared the advice in an Instagram reel this week: I just got off the phone with a young woman who is looking for career advice, she says in the clip, which has since racked up over 482,000 likes and thousands of comments. She wants to switch from one job to another, Witherspoon says, adding that the woman is currently unhappy at work.
This is a predicament many will relate to. LinkedIn data consistently finds that the average worker will change roles every three to four years.
But when Witherspoon questioned her about what she was actually good at, the woman drew a blank. She had a hard time telling me what her specific talents were. This, to Witherspoon, is the key.
Gallup data shows that roughly 60% of employees feel emotionally detached at work, while fewer than one in four strongly believe their job aligns with their strengths.
You dont chase your dreamsyou chase your talents, Witherspoon explains. Everybody has dreams. It doesnt mean youre gonna be that thing. You are supposed to do what youre talented at.
This advice should speak to a generation increasingly moving away from the idea of a dream job altogether, and instead prioritizing work-life balance over climbing the career ladder.
According to Gallup research, those who use their talents are six times as likely as other employees to be engaged at work, and are three times more likely to report a high quality of life than those who do not.
Its your job in life to figure out what your specific unique talents are, and go chase them, says Witherspoon.
So, the next time you feel lost or stuck at a crossroads in your career, take Witherspoons advice and:
Get clear on your dreams.
Be honest about where your talent truly lies.
Find the roles where the two intersect.
That path that is meant for youthe one youre looking for? Likely, it will show up when you follow what youre naturally good at.
My family had Slide Show Night when I was growing up. Not every Saturday, but a whole bunch of Saturdays. Either my sister or I would be in charge of setting up the projector, the screen, and loading the carousel. During the show, there’d be a few landscapes or skylines taken during vacations, but almost all the shots were up close. Like most dads, mine wasn’t a professional photographer, but he did a good job of capturing memory triggers: faces, gestures, and decorations.
Before we were driving age, my sister and I were given our own cameras as Christmas gifts. We’d spend our own money buying and developing film. We basically documented our Gen X life: playing in the woods, sledding, beach trips, birthday parties, and even selfies. (I shot a 24-exposure roll of me stupidly rock climbing in regular clothes and treadless high-tops on Pikes Peak in Colorado.)
Years later, when I graduated college and started working on transportation studies, that same camera came with me. It seemed natural to shoot study areas before and after team meetings. When I’d put together slide shows to document the work we did, I kept noticing two distinct types of picture: the charming local ingredient (e.g. historic train caboose), and the oppressive transportation ingredient (e.g. wide arterial with turn lanes on all corners).
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Documenting improvements
I’d look at those pictures and recall how dangerous it felt getting those shots to document the transportation “improvements.” My industry of highly educated professional planners and engineers was defining success in ways that didn’t make sense when you looked at the pictures I took of the study areas. Infrastructure projects were being executed in ways that prevented residents and visitors from taking a comfortable walk around town.
What is it about a place that makes people reach for a camera, hang out, spend money, and keep coming back? The status quo experts arent asking questions like that. Instead, theyre focused on technical requirements and processes that dont consider what the average person is looking for: a bench in the shade, a fountain, or a plaza for people-watching.
Professionals create infrastructure that makes or breaks bonds between friends, families, and strangers. It’s paramount to understand the context of our work. Town planners and engineers have the opportunity to turn ordinary studies into recipes for creating places that are loveable, enticing, and even irresistible.
Memorable human experiences
If you make decisions according to industry norms, your downtown will be easy to resist, because itll be entirely oriented around motor vehicle traffic rather than memorable human experiences. Regulations and permitting are anchored to car-oriented engineering, and that anchor weighs down our communities.
People across generations want walkable, bikeable downtowns. Millennials want them. Baby Boomers want them. Surveys consistently show communities of all types have an appetite for walkable, bikeable places. These are the places we see on family Slide Show Night or the modern social media equivalent.
Encourage your local leaders to plan infrastructure for slideshow-worthy human experiences. Consider how people of all ages are going to interact with each other and with their environment, and then (only then!) design the infrastructure. The internet is loaded with friendly people who would love to exchange ideas with you about irresistible places.
As legendary musician Frank Zappa said, progress requires deviation from the norm. That absolutely applies to planners and engineers working to create lovable, enticing downtowns.
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The Supreme Court struck down President Trumps sweeping tariffs on Friday, ruling that he overstepped his authority in imposing them on global imports.
In a 6-3 ruling, the court wrote that Trumps actions were unprecedented, noting that Trumps attempt to use his power to unilaterally impose unbounded tariffs and change them at will overstepped the law, and that his administrations view would represent a transformative expansion of the Presidents authority over tariff policy.
The ruling continued: It is also telling that in IEEPAs [International Emergency Economic Powers Act’s] half century of existence, no President has invoked the statute to impose any tariffs, let alone tariffs of this magnitude and scope.
In effect, the Supreme Court ruled that, despite Trumps assertions otherwise, the President lacks the authority to impose tariffs, and that he improperly used the premise of an emergency to impose them, most of which came during Liberation Day early last year. The government had collected somewhere in the neighborhood of $230 billion in tariff revenue between January and December 2025.
Critically, not all tariffs have been struck downonly the ones that Trump has imposed as an emergency under International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff laws from the 1970s.
Will consumers get refunds for the tariffs?
Also critically, the Supreme Court did not indicate whether tariffs already paid would need to be refunded. So as it stands, its unclear whether anyone is due a refund for dues paid.
It could be a messy situation in terms of sorting it all out, and it appears that many legislators are trying to get ahead of that.
Several questions remain unanswered, including what happens to the revenue already collected and how the Administration may use alternative authorities to impose tariffs, said Senator John Curtis, a Republican from Utah, in a statement following the ruling. Looking ahead, it is critical that we provide the clarity and predictability businesses need.
That could result in individuals and companies looking to shipping and logistics companies for guidance and refunds. A spokesperson at DHL Express Americas tells Fast Company that the company is closely monitoring the legal developments regarding IEEPA tariffs to ensure our customers are positioned to exercise their full rights under the law.”
“We would play a technical role in the process, leveraging our customs brokerage technology to track filings to ensure that if refunds are authorized, our clients receive their capital back accurately and efficiently,” the DHL spokesperson added.
Fast Company has also reached out to UPS and FedEx for comment as well.
Additionally, businesses can try to request a refund on imports (assuming they qualify), or take legal action. For instance, they can file a formal protest with the U.S. Customers and Border Protection (CBP), or file a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade.
The ruling blows a hole in Trumps economic agenda. Administration officials have said, however, that they were prepared to respond. Last month, Jamieson Greer, the United States Trade Representative, told The New York Times that the administration would start the next day to find ways to reimpose tariffs if the Supreme Court ended up striking them down.
In response, the markets increased slightly; as of midday Friday, the S&P 500 was up about 0.5%. President Trump, meeting with the nations governors on Friday, called the decision a disgrace.
A federal judge has ruled that Tesla is still required to pay $243 million over a 2019 crash involving a Tesla equipped with Autopilot, despite the companys efforts to overturn the verdict.
In August 2025, a jury found Tesla liable for the death of Naibel Benavides Leon, a 22-year-old woman who was killed when George McGee, who was driving a Tesla Model S, drove through an intersection while he bent to look for his dropped phone.
The crash occurred in Key Largo, Florida, in 2019. McGees vehicle, which was equipped with Teslas Autopilot technology, crashed into an SUV that was parked on the shoulder, killing Leon and injuring Dillon Angulo.
I trusted the technology too much, McGee said in 2025. I believed that if the car saw something in front of it, it would provide a warning and apply the brakes.
That jury assigned Tesla 33% of the fault for the collision, and awarded $200 million in punitive damages, and $43 million in compensatory damages.
A courtroom first
The 2025 verdict was a first from a federal jury over a fatal Autopilot accident, though there have been multiple incidents of Tesla vehicles in Autopilot mode that were involved in vehicle collisions.
Soon after that case, Tesla challenged the verdict, filing a motion asking the court to throw it out, or grant a new trial.
The company argued that the Model S was not defective, and that there wasnt evidence that the company failed to provide warnings or instructions concerning Autopilot.
This week, however, U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami disagreed with Teslas arguments.
Bloom ruled that the evidence from the 2025 trial more than supported the verdict, and that the company did not present any additional arguments.
That means Tesla is on the hook for the $243 million in damages.
“The grounds for relief that Tesla relies upon are virtually the same as those Tesla put forth previously during the course of trial and in their briefings on summary judgment-arguments that were already considered and rejected,” the decision said, according to MarketWatch.
Fast Company reached out to Tesla for comment.
Prior to the 2025 trial, Tesla had rejected a $60 million settlement offer for the case.
Tesla has “indicated” that it will appeal the ruling, Electrek reports, but even if that appeal is successful, the judgement is still likely to be more than that settlement offer.
You’re stuck in traffic again, late for work, watching brake lights stretch to the horizon. According to the most recent data in the U.S. (2024), here are some of the ways traffic jams are lowering the quality of life:
Americans lost an average of an entire work week sitting in traffic.
Commuter costs have surged 16% over the past five years to reach $269 billion annually.
Congestion time for commuters has gone up 10% since 2019 and its 19% for trucks delivering all the products we buy.
Stress increases of 80%, and aggressiveness increases of 52%.
Long stretches in traffic lead to back pain, leg pain, and headaches.
Theres no one solution to dealing with crowds of people all trying to move in the same direction at the same time, but there is one opportunity staring us all in the face that hardly any commuter seems to noticepublic transit.
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The power of public transit
If you’re like most drivers, public transit is for other people. But here’s the thing: investing in better buses and trains could make your commute faster and less stressful, without you ever setting foot on one. Maybe transit is for other people to ride, but it can help improve your car trips.
A surprisingly small drop in cars on the roadjust 5-10%can dramatically ease congestion, and public transit is one of the most effective ways to get that drop.
Congestion doesnt increase linearly as the number of vehicles goes up. Streets handle car traffic just fine, until you cross a certain capacity threshold when everything quickly collapses. A transportation planning model developed in the 1960s quantifies this phenomenon. On a typical urban road running at 90% capacity:
Baseline: About 10% delay over free-flow conditions
5% fewer cars (85% capacity): Delay drops by roughly 18%
10% fewer cars (81% capacity): Delay plummets by 35%
Weve all experienced the exponential improvements in travel time from modest reductions in vehicle volume. If transit gives some commuters a viable alternative, your commute could save minutes each day without building a single new lane.
Transit helps people who dont use transit
A transportation system that offers reliable and convenient public transit isn’t forcing you out of your car. Theres only so much space on the roads, and one bus can hold 40 or 50 people, replacing that many cars. One train can replace hundreds of cars.
Transit already saves Americans 865 million hours in traffic delays annually. In dense urban areas, the potential is even greater.
Case study: New York
New York City’s decongestion zone offers a real-world example. By charging people who choose to drive into Manhattan’s core, the city reduced traffic volumes and delivered major wins: pollution fell, streets flowed better, and spillover congestion to outer areas decreased. And the people who drive themselves benefit from less crowded roads.
You might be thinking I will never use public transit, so why should I fund something I won’t use?” Whether or not you use public transit, think of it as an investment that delivers:
Better travel times because fewer people are driving at the same time.
Fewer crashes because fewer people are driving at the same time.
Less stress on you because fewer people are driving at the same time.
Transportation systems work better when people have real choices. You might always opt for driving yourself, and thats fine. But when others have practical alternatives like buses, trains, and subways, your drive is improved. Remember, if just 5-10% of people arent driving themselves, your experience on the roads can be dramatically improved.
The best thing for drivers might be investing in something they’ll never personally use, and it might be the fastest way to improve quality of life.
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We have a complicated relationship with creativity. Intuitively, we understand its valuethe ability to produce new ideas and novel innovation. Instinctively, we know that it presents opportunities for marketplace advancements. When we think of some of the most revered organizations in modern times, like the Apples and Disneys of the world, we point to their creative contributions and their impact. However, although most companies revere organizations with a creative culture, there is a deep-seated misnomer that some companies are inherently creative and others just arent, as if creativity is a rare gene or a divine gift that is bestowed on some and coveted by others. But perhaps the mystical nature of creativity isnt that mysterious after all? What if a culture of creativity was more obtainable than you think? Something you can build, not just be born with? As unbelievable as that may seem, Alejandro Chavetta, the Executive Creative Director at Adobe, has made a career of doing that very thing; so, we invited him onto the From The Culture podcast to discuss what it means to facilitate a culture of creativity.
What is creativity?
To start, we need to lay some groundwork. If organizational culture is the operating system by which individuals co-labor, or collaborate, then fortifying a culture of creativity requires instituting an operating system that facilitates creativity. Simple enough, right? But what is creativity? There are a host of scholarly definitions but far too many are too abstract to apply or too esoteric to operationalize. Therefore, we must first establish a working understanding of what creativity actually is if we are to integrate it into our operating system.
Dan Wieden, the renewed advertiser who cofounded the most celebrated advertising agency on the planet, Wieden+Kennedy, and came up with such legendary campaigns as Just Do It for Nike, once described creativity as subversion. That is to say that creativity is the act of bending, contorting, or refashioning what is into something that could be. This framing of creativity makes what has long been considered something reserved for the few something far more democratized for the manyfor all of us. We may not all be able to conceive of brilliant taglines like Dan Wieden, per se, but we can all certainly subvert. In fact, we all do it, every day, unknowingly.
Subversion is merely the act of looking at something in a different way, usurping the orthodox frames by which we see a problem or situation. We all have the ability to subvert because we all bring new perspectives to the table in our organizations. We all see the world differently, and the heterogeneity of our diverse perspectives create a plethora of potential subversions that could lead to innovative solutions, new products, or new ways of work. The challenge isnt our ability to subvert, its that our organizations dont recognize this ability in its employees.
Chavetta argues that the key to facilitating a culture of creativity is to realize that everyone in the organization can be creativebecause everyone can subvert. Not just the creative directors. Not just the marketing team. But everyone. The guy in finance, Chavetta illustrates as an example, might see something that the copywriter does not, or might bring a point of view that may have otherwise been missed by the creative team which subverts the pre-existing way by which everyone else saw the situation. This new framing might reveal blind spots or unearth unrealized opportunities for the organization that lead to new outcomesa boon to any organizations business, regardless of the industry. And if that be the case, then its the job of the organizations leadership to facilitate an environment that invites everyone to realize this super power that lies within us and inspire them to share it freely.
Ideas come from anywhere
In the advertising industry, where Ive spent the lions share of my career, there is a ubiquitous refrain: ideas can come from anywherefrom the CEO to the janitor. Although these words are repeated in the halls and pitch decks of just about every creative agency on the planet, rarely are they ever truly practiced. Instead, there is a walled-off garden where creativity dwells. In advertising, we call it the creative department. It might go by another name somewhere else. Whatever the nomenclature, the designation of creativity is relegated to a specific group of people which insinuates that creativity is only capable of and expected from a few.
But what if we thought of creativity as something we all harness within us and creation as something achieved through craft? This small, but powerful, shift in thinking could not only welcome new perspectives that lead to new outcomes but also institutionalize an operating system inside the organization where everyone feels licensed to contributethus, facilitating a culture of creativity.
Check our full conversation with Alejandro Chavetta as we discuss creative work and organizations on the latest episode of FROM THE CULTURE podcast.
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When word started circling that AMC Theaters was screening an AI-generated short film, the internet’s cinephiles took it personally.
On Wednesday, some social media users reported that the short was playing in the pre-show before trailers at select AMC locations. A little digging revealed the source: Earlier this week, the short, titled Thanksgiving Day, was announced as the winner of the inaugural Frame Forward Animated AI Film Festival. The prize package included a nationwide theatrical release, which apparently entailed making its way to AMCs screens.
Movie lovers across social media were immediately up in arms. Some called for boycotts. Some found it insulting that if pre-show screen time were being given to short films, AMC would feature AI-generated content rather than human-made movies. Almost all seemed to agree that the move was, as one disgruntled user put it, “hot garbage.”
Don't go to AMC theatres.Boycott all slop. https://t.co/x4HrMttzGB— Ewan Morrison (@MrEwanMorrison) February 18, 2026
Imagine if they were screening traditionally made short films … https://t.co/cvCTtKlYMF— Scott Jeschke (@ScottJeschke) February 18, 2026
hey @AMCTheatres this is hot garbage https://t.co/aL1b05Xw46— Miss Gender (@girldrawsghosts) February 18, 2026
Less than 24 hours later, AMC issued a statement to set things straight. Showing Thanksgiving Day wasnt AMCs idea, but an initiative from Screenvision Media, a cinema advertising company that co-organized the Frame Forward festival. According to AMC, Screenvisions pre-show advertising packages run in fewer than 30 percent of AMCs U.S. locations.
AMC was not involved in the creation of the content or the initiative and has informed Screenvision that AMC locations will not participate, the statement, which was given to the Hollywood Reporter, concluded.
Social media users celebrated the news that AMC would no longer screen the short. Yes, its a victory in itself for anti-AI advocates. But perhaps more importantly, it suggests that brands take notice when consumers speak out against AI integration.
According to film critic Jacob Harper, claims about AIs inevitably dont hold water. Stand firm against AI in film! Make them listen and they WILL listen! Never underestimate the power of your voice! Harper wrote in his post on X. Very proud of AMC for this!
AI is inevitable. Adapt or be left behindNOPE. Stand firm against AI in film! Make them listen and they WILL listen! Never underestimate the power of your voice!Very proud of AMC for this! https://t.co/N8ExrXiKij— Jacob Harper (@JacobAtTheMovie) February 19, 2026
Good Keep being loud about how much you dislike AI. It works! https://t.co/7oLsZqwOjZ— Is this a 3D model? (@IsThisA3DModel) February 19, 2026
A wonderful example ofYou slop, you flop. https://t.co/WScuO9FEY6— Ewan Morrison (@MrEwanMorrison) February 20, 2026
KEEP COMPLAINING ABOUT AI!!! https://t.co/xBodh0vSEc— Drew (@HeyImReallyDrew) February 19, 2026
AMC wasnt the only theater showing the short, and its not the only theater to axe it. Social media users also reported seeing Thanksgiving Day ahead of films at Hollywoods iconic TCL Chinese Theatre, prompting similar outrage from moviegoers.
PUT SOME LOONEY TUNES ON INSTEAD OR SOMETHING WTF https://t.co/qfsjuEqsN8— Zac (@ZacStrikesAgain) February 18, 2026
But a representative for the theater tells Fast Company that the short has been removed, following AMCs example.
Though Thanksgiving Day may no longer be part of the AMC experience, organizers of the Frame First festival, including AI film company Modern Uprising Studios, arent giving up on the short.
In a statement issued by the festival, president and studio head of MUS Joel Roodman said that the theatrical run was only the beginning of plans for the AI-generated film, which include adapting Thanksgiving Day for a new immersive theatrical venue coming to New York City.
Shared theatrical experiences are an important cultural bond,” Roodman said. “The traditional theatrical chains are vital to our cohesion as a society, and are duly cautious [about AI]. However, the media landscape is changing and evolving rapidly.”
“They may be prudent, but it is important to MUS immersive that new and exciting films, filmmakers, cinematic language, and spaces for these shared experiences continue to develop,” Roodman added. “We will bring new content, and important existing content, to our developing venue network of venues, starting in New York. We will not see the theatrical window wither on our watch.
At one point in my life, I managed a team of seven. My days consisted of 1:1 calls, performance reviews, and running interference between the team, other departments, and customers.
I thought thats what I wanted: the perceived power and responsibility of being a manager. But in reality, it was very stressful.
Today, I have been a solopreneur for three years. The assumption is that solo businesses are a starting point. You launch alone, build momentum, hire employees, and scale. That’s the entrepreneurs playbook, right?
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But over 80% of small businesses in the U.S. have no employees, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. For many of us, that’s not a limitation. Staying solo is a deliberate strategy that prioritizes control and flexibility over growth for growths sake.
Small is a strategy, not a stepping stone
The “grow or die” mentality makes sense for companies that have dreams of becoming large, enterprise organizations. And some small businesses may have that dream.
The cultural assumption is that a solo business is Phase One: something to outgrow. But many solopreneurs are choosing to stay small permanently.
Hiring employees fundamentally changes what you do every day. You stop being a practitioner and become a manager. Some people want that transition. Many don’tand recognizing that isn’t a failure of ambition. It’s simply prioritizing a different way of working.
Revenue isn’t profit
A report by Gusto found that 77% of solopreneurs are profitable in their first year, compared to just 54% of businesses with employees. And 93% of solopreneurs expect to be profitable in 2025, versus 80% of employer businesses.
A company earning a million dollars per year sounds impressive until you subtract salaries, benefits, payroll taxes, equipment, and the overhead required to keep it all running. The owner of that business may take home less than a solopreneur earning a third of that revenue with almost no overhead.
When you stay solo, you can increase your effective rate by being selective. You might take on fewer, better-paying clients instead of chasing volume. In the end, revenue is a vanity metric if you’re working more hours for less take-home pay.
You don’t need permission to reinvent yourself
Staying solo means retaining total control over your business and your life. When you have employees, every pivot requires buy-in, transition planning, and often difficult conversations. You can’t just decide to raise your rates, shift your niche, or take a three-month sabbatical.
In the several years Ive worked for myself, Ive gone through several iterations of Who am I? What do I do? What clients should I serve?
I can change my entire service offering without consulting anyone. I can walk away from a client who isn’t working out without worrying about how it affects someone else’s paycheck. That flexibility is especially valuable in an uncertain economy because I can respond to market changes in days, not months.
The question solopreneurs should ask themselves isnt necessarily, “How can I grow and scale?” It’s “What kind of business do I actually want to run?”
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