Time and attention have become the most depleted resource in the modern workplace. Back-to-back meetings, calendar congestion, and constant context-switching crushing our ability to carry the daily cognitive load have created a time deficit that undermines performance, energy, and decision quality.
Managers can spend up to 23 hours a week in meetings. Yet a recent study found 70% of meetings keep employees from valuable work, and that 71% of managers reported meetings to be costly and unproductive. Other sources report meeting overload costs an estimated $37 billion in productivity losses per year. Similar research echoes this, pointing to the psychological and cognitive toll of unproductive meetings: lost focus, delayed decisions, shallow work, and chronic burnout.
The problem isnt just the number of meetingsits the lack of discipline around what meetings are for.
When team meetings try to do everythingbrainstorming, decision-making, status updates, conflict resolution, and social connectionthey end up doing nothing particularly well. Worse, they sap time from crucial areas such as deep thinking, team coaching, problem-solving, decision making, and actual execution.
The fix isnt expanding or tightening agendas. Its about making bold fixes: cutting what doesnt belong, investing time where it matters, and establishing group or team norms that prioritize value over volume.
To help combat time wasting tendencies from your team meetings, I have found simple fixes to common meeting problems that can give your team some much needed time back each week.
1. Stick to focused agendas
Overstuffed agendas cause meetings to run long, drift off course, overflow, kicking topics down the road then requiring follow-ups to resolve what wasnt finished. Research from Harvard reports that poorly planned and executed agendas are of the top drivers of time wasters. When it comes to agenda prioritization, trade-offs can be made.
The FixDefine what is truly meeting worthy, then narrow the scope for the agenda. Name a meeting executor, and have them be a stickler for managing topics, time and outcomes. Examples include:
Meeting worthy
Issues that need collaborative input or high-stakes alignment
Topics with clear urgency and strategic impact
Decisions with broader impact needing stakeholder perspectives
Meeting unworthy
Status updates (move to asynchronous tools like Loom videos or email)
Topics without a decision requirement or clear purpose
Client Case Tip
A global technology firm I partner with cut their 90-minute executive meeting down to 50 minutes by using a topic submission rubric. If a topic wasnt timely, decision-ready, or aligned to the top three priorities, it was deferred or redirected to another time or appropriate forum.
2. Be selective about participants
Including everyone to be fair or be seen as inclusive creates bloated attendee lists and meetings where most participants arent essential. Some cultures signal that if you receive a meeting invitation, accept it as normative behavior no matter if you think you should attend. MIT researchers suggest that even simple acts of becoming more deliberate about accepting meeting invitations will make a positive impact.
The FixInvite only those with a clear purposeand say a kind refusal to contextual participants, who can get briefed on the meeting through other means.
Include
People with decision rights, implementation roles, or critical knowledge to share or weigh in
Defined roles (e.g., decider, advisor, executor)
Someone or AI tracking the decisions, actions, and essential communication follow-through items with ownership to share with those who need informational outputs
Exclude
Stakeholders without a direct role in the outcome
Passive or contextual participants coming only to follow whats happening on a project or issue
Client Case Tip
One global leadership team assigned a project lead to review the AI summary and output from every meeting, along with the recording in order to clarify the stakeholders who would need to be kept in the loop. Leaders cut attendance by 35% and saw meeting quality and preparation engagement rise significantly.
3. Create Meeting Norms
Meetings that feel productive in the moment often generate confusion afterward when the expectations of how the meeting should unfold are unmet. My observation is that team members have unspoken and mixed expectations about meeting etiquette, norms, and outcomes. As such, unmet expectations can easily result in everything from disgruntled emotions to repeated discussions that waste time and create churn. Stephen Rogelberg, a professor at University of North Carolina and author of The Surprising Science of Meetings, recommends norms such as taking breaks, limiting individual speaking time so everyone gets a chance to weigh in, and disciplined accountability discussions at the close of meetings to reduce confusion, delays, and rework.
The FixBuild in useful closure norms, such as 5 to 10 minute closure with mandatory ownership and accountability discussions closing every meeting as to be clear on expectations.
Include
Budget for a minimum five-minute end-of-meeting recap of what was resolvedand what wasnt. Leave no loose end unattended to by speaking about where and when what didnt get resolved would be reviewed
Capture clear decisions, action items with ownership, timing for completion, and next steps. Many AI tools can summarize and clarify meeting highlights, decisions, actions steps, and other specifics that simply need reviewing for accuracy and distributing to team members
Exclude
Ok, it looks like we are out of time, from poor agenda and time management
Unhelful or dated norms that serve as tradition but have no real purpose
Open-ended conversations with no resolution, especially when the purpose is to manage through a conflict or conflicting ideas
Deferred decisions without a timeline
Client Case Tips
I worked recently with a team that was notorious for raising issues and bringing ideas to the tablea seemingly great thinguntil they ran out of time every meeting. I noticed many off-topic issues were surfaced and time was squandered away from the meetings purpose. Eventually, they would place those topics in the parking lot of topics, never to be revisited. This was a legacy norm from the previous leader, providing no value, yet consuming precious time. I asked them to assess the relevance of these issues and either commit to discussing them if pertinent or take responsibility for moving the topics to a relevant meeting.
Once they realized no one followed up on the items, the choice became easy and the parking lot practice was dropped.
Another team of executives I worked with would talk over one another until the loudest person in the room dominated the conversation. This left out valuable feedback and points of view prior to important decisions being made. A norm the team agreed upon was to sound a specific ringtone chime when the dynamic occurred. The team would then break for 5 to 10 minutes and return to decide next steps so other voices could be heard in the room.
Finally, one team I worked with saved roughly 32 hours per quarter by simply standardizing next-step assignments at the end of each meeting.
4. Get rid of legacy recurring meetings
Recurring meetings often persist out of habiteven when their original purpose has faded. This cuts into time for strategic work and deep thinking.
The FixOnce a meeting has a purpose, spend time ruthlessly on that purpose. When that purpose has been met, carefully consider the need to keep meeting or pivot toward addressing a different purpose.
On Purpose
Meetings with required prework and defined outcomes
Pre-aligned prep expectations (e.g., review docs, submit questions)
Assessing how close the team is to addressing the purpose fully
When/if purpose has been fulfilled, determine next steps immediately
Non on Purpose
Standing meetings without an active agenda
Meetings held just because its Monday
Legacy meetings that have been repetitively happening out of habit, but no one knows why
Case StudyA consulting firm eliminated a recurring hour-long weekly meeting and replaced it with a decision-ready model. Team members were expected to complete prework and submit questions five days in advance. If prep engagement was low, the meeting was canceled, and decision rights were delegated to the project lead. This reclaimed over 100 hours per yeartime reallocated to design work, coaching, and client strategy.
Time as a Strategic Asset
Meetings are not just a coordination toolthey are a budgeting choice. Every meeting is a trade-off with real work, deep thinking, and energy management.
When leaders begin treating time like capitalwith scrutiny, intention, and disciplineteams get better outcomes with fewer meetings. They make decisions faster, feel less drained, and spend more time on what actually moves the needle. Even at a minimum, teams can reclaim time starting with one question: What are we willing to stop doing so we can spend time where it counts?
Every career path has obstacles. Even the most accomplished leaders have faced moments where their goals felt out of reach. What separates the people who moved forward is how they respondedby adapting, learning, and finding new ways to progress.
Below, 17 members of Fast Company Executive Board share the challenges that once stood in their path and the lessons they drew from those experiences. If any of these roadblocks sound familiar, apply their expert advice for working through them.
1. TAKING THINGS PERSONALLY
I used to take every loss personally. I was rejected from Cambridge, I lost my first three boxing matches, VCs passed, deals collapsed. And Id lose control, trying to figure out what I did wrong. As time passed, I learned that the world doesnt punish you; it reveals you. A setback says, somethings not alignedyet. Now I see setbacks as course corrections. Youre not being punished, youre being prepared. – Aron Alexander, Runa
2. BEING TOO AMBITIOUS
Early in my career, my ambition often clashed with my career goal timeline. I thought I was ready for a promotion, but I hadnt yet learned that the business also needs to be ready for you to step into a new role (not just the other way around). As I grew into the executive level, I found balance in the following: keep driving forward, but recognize that not everything will follow my timelineand thats okay. – Irina Soriano, Seismic
3. FAILING TO BALANCE TECH WITH GENUINE HUMAN CONNECTION
I once believed that the right tools, dashboards, and processes would drive innovation. But I learned the hard wayinnovation is a team sport. Without a genuine human connection, even the best tech fails. That experience taught me to lead with relationships. I see this mistake repeating with AIchasing efficient systems over trust and collaboration. Thats a recipe for disaster that I hope others avoid. – Alex Goryachev
4. STRIVING FOR PERFECTION
Early in my journey, I let perfectionism delay progress. I wanted every detail to be flawless before taking the next step. But I was taught magic lives in momentum. I overcame it by embracing imperfection as part of the story. My advice? Start before youre ready. Let passion lead, and polish as you go. Progress, not perfection, opens the door to your purpose. – Sudhir Gupta, FACTICERIE
5. CONFUSING DREAMS AND GOALS
Learning how to set a goal with honesty was transformative. Recognizing the difference between a dream, a goal, and an objective helped me give myself adequate time and grace. It takes work to evaluate your personal and environmental readiness, and sitting with myself in truth was often the first and most difficult obstacle. Check yourself, check your resources, check your alliesthen go. – Joynicole Martinez, The Alchemist Agency
6. DOING IT ALL ALONE
Trying to do everything myself slowed my progress toward key goals. Like many entrepreneurs, I believed no one could match my pace or standards. Over time, I learned to delegate and build a team I trust. That shift allowed me to scale faster and focus on what really moves the business forward. The takeaway: growth often starts when you stop doing it all alone. – Boris Dzhingarov, ESBO ltd
7. FEARING ‘NO’
Early in my career, fear of rejection stopped me from pitching big ideas. I overcame it by reframing no as feedback. Practicing small, low-risk pitches built confidence. Others can adopt this mindset shift to turn setbacks into growth. – Gianluca Ferruggia, DesignRush
8. LACKING BALANCE BETWEEN VISION AND EXECUTION
In the early days of my career, it was not that easy to balance vision and execution. It took some time for me to create a structured approach to taking ideas to action. To find a solution, I started to think about small, manageable tasks with the approach of using my mentors to guide me. My best advice is to focus on small iterative progress rather than trying to hit a perfect presentation. – Asad Khan, LambdaTest Inc.
9. BEING A ‘JACK OF ALL TRADES’
Early on at our agency, we struggled with being a “jack of all trades,” trying to do everything instead of focusing on our strengths. It was hard to let go of potential opportunities, but narrowing our focus to what we do best led to greater success and growthproving that specializing can be more rewarding than trying to do it all. – Martin Pedersen, Stellar Agency
10. LACKING CONFIDENCE
Lack of confidence held me back early in my career. I overcame it by leaning into small wins, seeking feedback, and focusing on progress over perfection. Building self-trust made a real difference. My advice: dont wait until you feel 100 percent readytake action, learn as you go, and growth will follow. – Maria Alonso, Fortune 206
11. KEEPING COMPANY THAT IS AFRAID TO BRANCH OUT
My biggest setback came from sticking with a circle that valued stability over innovation. Once I sought out peers who weren’t afraid to disrupt norms, my career accelerated rapidly. Your network sets your ceiling, so build relationships with people whose bold ideas push you beyond your comfort zone. – Eddy Vertil, Vertil & Company
12. THINKING SUCCESS IS LINEAR
Early in my career, Ibelieved that career success followed a linear path: do X, get Y, and you progress. I couldnt have been more wrong. What it really took for me was quite the opposite: embracing risk, raising my hand, and pursuing unexpected opportunities to truly move forward and eventually achieve my goals. – Jani Hirvonen, Google
13. DISAGREEING WITH CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK
I would sometimes get feedback that I didn’t accept (it wasn’t always accurate). I needed to learn that it didn’t matter if it was true or notI had to address the feedback of that person. If 99 percent of folks thought I was a good communicator, but the one percent was an influencer, it was up to me to help that one percent see me differently. Reframe yourself because one size doesn’t fit all. – Sabrina Farmer, GitLab
14. STAYING COMFORTABLE
The biggest obstacle was my comfort zone. Chasing perfection sometimes paralyzed me. Instead of overthinking, I embraced imperfection and took bold, imperfect actions. I didn’t reach the goal right away, but I learned to celebrate small wins. Failure can be the best teacher. Instead of aiming for a perfect path, be willing to stumble. It’s in those mistakes that true growth and creativity happen. – Shawn Galloway, ProAct Safety, Inc.
15. CHASING EVERY OPPORTUNITY
As a classic achiever, I passionately chased almost every opportunity. As a result, I spread myself thin and was often behind the wave, not my best self. Learning to get altitude wasn’t just shifting perspective; it was knowing which priorities deserved my focus and would energize me. I am slower to jump, more selective, and happier. – Dr. Camille Preston, AIM Leadership, LLC
16. CARING WHAT OTHERS THINK
My ego stood in the way. I was too focused on how others perceived me, which ultimately hurt my progress. Real growth came when I prioritized purpose over image. Letting go of that mindset ultimately allowed me to move forward, making smarter decisions and building a successful company. – Toni Pisano, PortPro Technologies, Inc.
17. FAILING TO PRIORITIZE GROWTH
Prioritizing the work over growth is a very common challenge for emerging leaders. There are always competing priorities, and there will always be “something else” to do, but you have to make the time to prioritize your growth. – Monica Hickey, The Evoke Agency
The Trump administration is backtracking on a plan that would have forced airlines to give passengers cash as compensation for late flights.
The Department of Transportation tossed out the proposal, which the Biden administration set into motion late last year, according to a filing posted on Thursday. In the filing, government officials called the decision Consistent with Department and administration priorities.
The new rule would have implemented a tiered system that required airlines to pay passengers between $200 and $775 for flight delays of more than three hours, depending on the duration of the delay. The same rule would have required airlines to rebook passengers dealing with canceled flights for free.
This action were announcing is another step forward into a better era for commercial air travelwhere the flying public is better protected and passengers arent expected to bear the cost of disruptions caused by airlines, former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at the time, noting that airlines received more than $50 billion in federal bailouts during the pandemic to keep them afloat.
Airlines also would have been required to cover meals, overnight lodging and transportation for passengers stranded from a flight cancellation or delay. The compensation would have been required in instances when the flight disruption was caused by an airline, like in instances of software meltdowns and mechanical issues.
In a statement to Fast Company, a Department of Transportation spokesperson said that the agency will reconsider other extra-statutory federal rules from the Biden administration that go beyond regulations put in place by Congress.
We will faithfully implement all aviation consumer protection requirements mandated by Congress, including the requirement to refund ticket prices to passengers in the case of airline canceled or substantially delayed flights when consumers choose not to travel, the spokesperson said.
Trumps record on airlines
During his tenure, Bidens Department of Transportation focused on implementing consumer-friendly regulations for the airline industry and addressing some of the post-pandemic chaos that saw flight cancellations and delays soar. In some instances, the requirements would bring U.S. airlines into parity with its European counterparts, which are required to provide compensation for late and canceled flights when the circumstances are not out of their control. In the U.S., airlines can opt in to compensating disgruntled fliers, but the customer service experience around disrupted flights is notoriously uneven.
In contrast, Trump has emphasized deregulation across the board an agenda that will inevitably see the current administration peeling back many Biden-era rules. How those priorities will shake out for U.S. airlines and their passengers remains to be seen. So far, Trump has made efforts to revamp the threadbare air traffic control system. That move garnered praise from industry group Airlines for America, which celebrated the passage of Trumps so-called Big Beautiful Bill and the presidents vision for a golden age of air travel.
Few people have had the gumption to take on the vast undertaking of modernizing our nations complex ATC system, but President Trump and Secretary Duffy addressed the dire need quickly and are acting with urgency, Airlines for America President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio said. The industry group also applauded the TSAs decision to allow fliers to keep their shoes on, a major policy change the agency said would modernize and enhance traveler experience and shorten wait times in security lines.
Airlines might be happy with Trumps deregulatory bent, but they are likely less pleased with the White Houses chaotic tariff crusade. With new tariffs in place, airlines stand to pay huge additional sums on top of the already massive cost of an aircraft when importing planes and parts built abroad into the U.S.
Buying an abandoned golf course and restoring it from scratch sounds like a dream for many golf fans. For one man in Maine, that dream is now reality.
A user who posts under the handle @thefairwayfields on TikTok and YouTube,(and who lists his real name only as “Tye,” purchased the abandoned golf course in Chesterville, Maine, earlier this year.
After picking up golf last year, he quickly realized there wasnt anywhere to play within 40 minutes. So he decided to build his own course.
@thefairwayfields Not in the best shape but well get there Fairway Fields original sound – thefairwayfields
Tye detailed his vision for the abandoned course on his TikTok account, which includes an outdoor simulator bay, a normal driving range, as well as an Airbnb, which can be used as a venue for weddings and other events. The purchase also came with a trove of out-of-use equipment and vintage golf clubs he plans to restore. He has since named the project Fairway Fields.
@thefairwayfields Fairway Fields – phase 1 American Nights – Zach Bryan
Balancing the restoration with a full-time job, Tye began posting updates in June. His videos struck a chord, helping Fairway Fields attract nearly 800,000 followers across Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, with many clips reaching millions of views.
Has potential to be the greatest TikTok series of all time, one TikTok user wrote. My new life goal: buying an abandoned golf course with the boys, joked another. A third user commented: If I won the lottery I wouldnt tell anyone, but there would be signs. (Fast Company has reached out to Fairway Fields for comment.)
@thefairwayfields Hole 1 day 1 – Fairway Fields – John (Songs Station) – user52912547838
In one video, Tye shows how far he has come in restoring the greens to their former glory. In another, he documents the painstaking process of reviving maintenance equipment unused for a decade.
@thefairwayfields Hole 1 day 1 – Fairway Fields – John (Songs Station) – user52912547838
The progress in just a few months has been striking, with a loyal community eager to see the project succeed. Some commenters have offered their labor, others their money via GoFundMe, and many say theyll travel across the country once Fairway Fields opens.
That may be soon. In his latest video, Tye announced the range portion of the course should open to the public next week.
@thefairwayfields Fairway Fields from a birds POV suono originale – New60s70srevenge ̵ New60s70srevenge
Apples annual iPhone event is happening next week, when the company is expected to unveil a range of new devices that includes its thinnest phone to date. Its also the first iPhone event since the embarrassing Apple Intelligence flub earlier this year, which saw the company push back AI-powered Siri features announced last year all the way into 2026.
Apple is rarely first to introduce cutting-edge new features, instead preferring to wait until it can offer a differentiated take on technology thats ready for the mainstream. With AI, though, Apple has essentially issued a mea culpa; it actually wanted to jump into the fray, but just couldnt get ready in time.
With that in mind, its worth looking at the current smartphone landscape to see what the new iPhones will be going up against. Apple made the case last year that AI would transform the smartphone experience, even if it whiffed on actually shipping anything to that end. So what about the alternatives?
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Google Pixel 10 Pro
The just-announced Pixel 10 Pro phones are Googles most advanced yet when it comes to AI capabilities, and arguably the most AI-forward options on the market.
Googles AI focus with the Pixel 10 line goes right down to the decisions it made with the Tensor G5 system-on-chip, which was designed in-house and, for the first time, fabricated on TSMCs leading-edge 3nm process. But that hasnt brought a huge leap in performance; instead, Google is devoting a huge amount of the die space to Tensor cores, which handle on-device processing tasks. That means that the Pixel 10 doesnt perform all that well in benchmarks or gaming compared to other current flagship phonesGoogle is putting its silicon where its mouth is when it comes to the importance of AI.
This year, Magic Cue is the most prominent new AI feature, and its notably reminiscent of what Apple claimed the iPhone would be able to do with Apple Intelligence. Its a context-aware feature that proactively surfaces information from across your other apps; for example, if youre in a chat and a friend mentions a restaurant reservation thats buried in another inbox, Magic Cue will suggest the information and relevant actions right there within your current app. This all runs on-device using Googles Gemini Nano model.
Pixel phones have long been ahead of the curve when it comes to processing language on-device. The auto-transcribing Recorder app is a godsend for journalists, while the ability to automatically add translated subtitles to any audio or video in real time opens up whole new worlds of content. This year, the Pixel 10 adds the ability to translate phone calls in real time, meaning the person on the other end of the call hears you talking in their language in what sounds something like your own voice.
Its hard to say exactly how reliant the Pixel phones are on their AI-focused silicon, because most of these features simply dont work on other phones. What is clear, though, is that Google has identified AI as the biggest differentiator for its own smartphones, which historically have been a minor player in terms of market share.
This feels like more of a long-term play rather than something that will attract most consumers today. But its hard to deny that the Pixel 10 Pro offers the most advanced and complete implementation of AI technology on a smartphone today.
Samsung Galaxy
Samsung, meanwhile, didnt shower itself in glory during the years when it was pushing its Bixby voice assistant on everyone, but Galaxy phones are in much better shape today when it comes to AI. Although much of the Galaxy AI suite relies heavily on Googles own technology, Samsung has implemented it in smart ways and benefits from tight collaboration with Google.
The Circle to Search feature, for example, which scans whats on your screen for text and visual information and lets you search based on that, actually made its debut on Samsung phones in 2024 before later coming to Googles own Pixel. Samsung has also been up to speed when launching features like real-time Gemini Live chat across its phones and watches. And all of this works alongside Samsungs own system-level implementation of features like generative photo editing, writing and translation tools.
Samsungs Galaxy Z Fold 7 is also the most advanced foldable phone available in the U.S., a form factor that Ive found is particularly well-suited for AI workflows. The square-ish inner screen can be an awkward fit for many mobile apps, but ChatGPT and Gemini have handy column-based interfaces that give more real estate for responses, which often include tables or other formatting that can be difficult to read on a regular phone screen. AI apps are also especially well-suited for multitasking; foldable phones let you essentially run two full-size phone apps at once, which is very helpful when editing and cross-referencing.
Apple iPhone
Part of the reason the botched Apple Intelligence rollout was so surprising is that it felt like Apple should have this in the bag from a hardware perspective. Apple Silicon is the envy of the entire tech industry, with Apples homegrown chips powering unbeatable performance across Macs and iPhones alike.
The A17 chip in last years iPhones does have a lot of theoretical AI capability due to the large on-board NPU, which Apple calls the Neural Engine, but its difficult to see how that truly improves the current iOS experience. Right now the chip mostly seems to be deployed to speed up core functionality like photo processing and Face ID scanning, which isnt nothing, but might not be maximizing the potential of the silicon.
There is definitely a conceivable future where Apple delivers the best overall AI smartphone experience due to its on-device capabilities, but despite its hardware advantage, right now were nowhere close. Its unlikely that the iPhone 17 lineup will do anything to change thatat least not until Apple gets its AI software in order.
That said, Apple is much better at keeping software leaks under wraps than its hardware. Its possible the new iPhonesand the new chip that powers themwill come with some new AI features that were developed separately from the Siri disaster.
Itll be interesting to see to what extent next weeks iPhone announcement does or doesnt mention AI. But regardless of whats in the pipeline, the bar has already been set a whole lot higher than where the iPhone is currently at.
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Theres a great clip from the Today Show back in 1994. Anchors Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel are trying to figure out what, exactly, “the internet” is. They’re confused by an email address. Theyre not quite sure what @ means. Its funny now, but also a reminder of how big changes often start.
I think well look back on the early days of stablecoins the same way.
Dubbed stablecoin summer, it sounds like nothing more than a fad right now. However, its actually the beginning of a long-overdue upgrade to how money works for everyone, not just for finance nerds or crypto bros.
What’s different this time?
Stablecoins are digital dollars that move at internet speed. Thanks to the GENIUS Act, they now have a formal regulatory framework in the U.S., including access to the Feds payment rails. Translation: These dollars are just as legitimate as the ones in our bank accountsbut theyre faster, always on, and programmable (meaning they can be engineered to do specific things based on milestones, such as send money only when an electronic signature is completed).
Its tempting to frame this all as a Wall Street or capital markets story. And full disclosure, there is a big capital markets story and I am a student of financial history and fintech. My college thesis was on mortgage markets and I spent years at fintechs SoFi, Brex, and now Figure. But Im also a person with a mortgage and young kids, and what excites me most is how this plays out in real life, with real life impact.
Here are five ways this shift to stablecoins is changing how we save, spend, and invest.
1. Paycheck stability
With stablecoin-based payroll, you can get paid the minute you clock out. No processing delays. No Friday-to-Monday gaps.
According to Korn Ferry, there are currently more than 80 million gig workers in the U.S., and projections indicate that over 50% of the workforce will be involved in the gig economy by 2027. Stablecoins will be a game-changer for gig workers, freelancers, and anyone juggling multiple income streams.
While there are other innovations in real-time payments that could theoretically bring paycheck stability, it is the programmable nature of stablecoins that makes this innovation most likely. Online verifications could be done automatically (such as hours worked, compliance, etc.) which would enable payroll software to release funds instantly, post shift or employment period completion.
2. Borderless money movement
Ever tried wiring money overseas? The fees, the delays, the confusion, the currency conversionnone of it makes sense in a global, connected world.
With stablecoins, you can send money across borders in seconds. Whether its friends splitting a vacation rental in Berlin or getting funds to a cousin in Bogota, the experience is ultra-smooth. And, theres no arbitrary ~3% penalty just because someone lives in a different country.
3. Your money, your hours
If you want to shift cash into a yield account on a Saturday night or rebalance your investments before the market opens, stablecoin makes that possible.
Tokenized assetslike on-chain Treasuries or private creditdont need to follow Wall Streets calendar. You move when youre ready, not when the bank is.
That kind of flexibility starts to feel really important when the system stutters, like it did in 2023 with the fall of SVB, First Republic, and Signature Bank. When those banks froze, people realized just how fragile their financial options really were. Stablecoin plus self-custody gives people back some control.
4. Yield that doesnt hide behind glass
For years, banks have borrowed money for next to nothing, then loaned it back at higher rates. Its the oldest play in finance, and the least transparent.
Now, platforms like Aave, Compound, and Democratized Prime let stablecoin holders tap into real yields, without the middlemen. Its a more transparent and low-cost system, where your money can finally pull its weight.
5. AI and stablecoin
One additional opportunity looks beyond present-day needs. In AI, there is a lot of talk about autonomous agents that will do tasks for humans (search the internet, buy an item when the price drops, or plan a trip). These agents will need to be able to pay for things we approve of on our behalf, and therefore they will need programmable money that works around the clock (as these agents are always on). They will need stablecoin.
The beginning of something better
Stablecoins arent here to replace the dollar. Theyre here to make it more useful, with less friction, more control, and fewer delays. Its akin to deciding between snail mail and a text.
The rails of money are finally catching up with the rest of the internet. Years from now, just like that clip from the Today Show, well laugh at how uncertain this moment felt. But right now, were at the part where things start to click. No one wonders what @ means anymore. And soon, no one will wonder why their paycheck hasnt cleared yet.
Michael Tannenbaum is the CEO of Figure.
As the world muddles its way through this period of profound uncertainty, design must assume yet another mandate. Well beyond surface aesthetics and smooth usability, good design today calls for empathy, adaptability, resilience, and accountability. This new paradigm asks more of designers and challenges them to imagine solutions to pressing challenges.
Through my work with iF Design, I have the privilege of engaging with extraordinary changemakers and thought leaders around the world, and what I see is a powerful and evolving imperative: Design must be human-centered, environmentally responsive, and future-focused. The insights that follow offer examples of this new paradigm in action. I hope the expert perspectives spark a renewed sense of optimism about the future and deliver hope for designs power to drive meaningful change. A new era of design is here, and its up to companies and designers alike to embrace the opportunity.
Empathy
Great design solves human problems; but to solve these problems, we must first identify them. Sure, technology and creativity are crucial, but the first step is always empathy. This goes beyond simply asking what users want; it involves getting immersed in their experiences, listening to their stories, observing their behaviors, and uncovering unspoken pain points and aspirations. This insight can then inform design choices, ensuring that products, services, and spaces feel intuitive, supportive, and resonant for the community(ies) that use them.
Richard Trigg is a longtime design leader, UX strategist, and design partner at Tangent in London. When I asked how he defines great design, Trigg responded that his approach is all about empathy. He added, Ive worked across every kind of design from brand communications to digital products, but the thread that ties it all together is empathydesigning experiences that help people complete their goals while supporting business objectives and increasingly, the planet too.
Adaptability
Today, the world moves at an even faster pace than just a few years ago, and design is no exception. In this rapidly shifting landscape where AI and other emerging technologies threaten domination, and cultural sensitivities shift with the tides, adaptability is essential. Weve seen once cutting-edge designs become obsolete almost overnight and award-winning creative cancelled without warning. These examples underscore just how quickly technology can reshape society, and how anything that fails to take the future into consideration risks being left behind.
Adaptability isnt just a competitive advantage. Its the foundation of lasting impact. The most successful designs are responsive, and account for the inevitability of change. Moreover, great design historically and now again increasingly, is built to be repaired, reused, and updated versus discarded.
Kenny Arnold, a circular designer at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, believes this will continue to be an important trend in design. However, companies should be able to clearly explain and provide evidence of how they incorporate circular design attributes into a product, (e.g. provide spare parts, easy repair, product as a service, etc.). By embracing flexibility and continuous evolution, we can create real solutions that remain relevant and create less waste.
Resilience
Among the areas of design most impacted by the climate crisis is our built environment. Increasingly, architects, urban planners, interior designers, and landscape architects have a growing urgency to respond and anticipate whats still coming.
As Achim Nagel, architect and managing director of Primus Developments, a German real estate development company focused on creating sustainable and innovative residential and commercial buildings, says: I strongly believe that right now, we have a historical chance to develop completely new ideas and designs that help us form a safer and more resilient habitat for mankind. Perhaps not sophisticated and elegant in the ways we think of design today, but definitely NEW.
Lisa SanFilippo, also an architect and now the senior design specialist in sustainability at market leader Turner Construction, describes the mandate as she sees it: Ultimately, resilient design is about anticipating disruption and responding in a way that protects people, supports recovery, and reduces long-term impact. Its not about overbuilding. Its about designing smarter, planning earlier, and making decisions that reflect both climate reality and human priorities.
In both cases, were talking about a shift from short-term cost to long-term value, serving people and the planet in a risk-informed way.
Accountability
According to Harvard Business Review, while 65% of consumers say they want to buy purpose-driven or sustainable brands, only about 26% actually do.We spoke about this issue with Joe Brown, founder, publisher, and editorial director of one5c, an action-oriented sustainability and climate action publication. Companies, no matter who runs them, are ultimately beholden to the people who use their products. When consumers prioritize sustainability, it pushes companies to respond. But the products need to exist first. Rightfully, Joe calls this a chicken-and-egg issue where designers must create options consumers are eager to choose.
Enter design. If consumers are ready to hold themselves accountable, its time for designers to do the same. In recent years, major brands have paid lip service to sustainable initiatives, recognizing environmental consciousness as a powerful value-add in todays market. Yet, as statistics show, many consumers are unwilling to sacrifice quality, functionality, aesthetic appeal, or affordability for the more sustainable alternative. The solution is clear: Designers must make sustainability a nonnegotiable in every design, while businesses must figure out how to make it profitable for shareholders and safe for workers. Exceptional design and responsibility can not only coexist, but must. Accountability from designers and their management will not only help the planet and consumers, but will future-proof leading companies.
Final word
A simple answer to the environmental crisis posed by harmful, short-lived products is the principle of fewer, better which was of course, the core philosophy of Bauhaus and other great design movements throughout time. This proposition calls for designs that are empathetic, adaptable, resilient and accountable to people and planet, our present and shared future.
May the design and business worlds be inspired to rise to the challenge.
Lisa Gralnek is global head of sustainability and impact for iF Design, managing director of iF Design USA Inc., and creator/host of the podcast, FUTURE OF XYZ.
There comes a time in every companys journey when they need help sharing their story. And choosing the right partner to help tell that story is an important decision.
Selecting the ideal PR agency isnt just about finding the firm with the best reputation. The right partner will understand your business, align with your values, and act as a strategic advisor in helping you navigate the media landscape, build connections, and uncover opportunities.
When theres alignment in communication style, industry expertise, and shared vision, your PR efforts become more impactful. It also becomes more efficient and authentic. Here are four ways to ensure alignment.
1. Should I choose a generalist or specialized agency?
Determining whether to partner with a generalist agency or one thats specialized for your industry is an important first step. My advice is to consider your elevator pitch.
When explaining your company to others, how long does that elevator ride need to be?
If you can explain what you do in 10 floors or less, a generalist agency could be a safe option. However, if that elevator ride is going to the top of a New York City skyscraper, you probably want to consider a specialized agency.
The more complex or niche your business, the more important a specialized communications partner becomes.
Successful communication today requires partners who are industry experts willing to see both the familiar and the unfamiliar in new ways, Sarah Biller, cofounder of Fintech Sandbox told me. I look for professional communication agencies whose teams can synthesize information and make substantive connections that may not be immediately obvious to others in the industry.
Youll want a team that talks your talk and has the ability to accurately translate your messaging to journalists, your target audiences, and other key stakeholders.
2. Whats the business value?
More and more, clients need to tie communications and marketing efforts directly to sales and company revenue.
The right agency partner will work with you to develop tailored strategies and KPIs that align with your broader business goals, and theyll act as an extension of your team to help you track toward success. Whether creating a bespoke media relations plan or building a targeted paid social campaign, youll want a partner who understands the tactics that are most likely to drive meaningful impact.
Be wary of agencies that equate PR with press releases only. Often, the media outreach around an announcement is more impactful than the press release itself. Look for a partner who will brainstorm with you and think through how to make your biggest moments even bigger.
3. Are they well connected?
Connections are important. When choosing an agency partner, evaluate their industry ties. The more niche your industry, the more important this becomes. Without deep industry relationships, surface-level PR tactics may not be enough.
First, consider the agencys relationships with reporters. Do they have close connections with publications and journalists of value to your business? Understanding what media are looking for and which publications will be most impactful is essential.
Equally importantthough often overlookedis an agencys connectivity to industry conferences and events. A partner with a close pulse on the most impactful events for your industry can guide you on which are worth attending, speaking at or sponsoring, ultimately saving you time and money.
And finally, consider broader connectivity in your industry. Relationships are the foundation of business, and you never know what connections could be built through your agencys network.
4. Do our cultures align?
The right communications partner will become a valuable extension of your team. Its important to know and trust the people on the other side of the table (or computer screen).
As you evaluate potential agencies, try to get a sense of how their team operates and thinks. Youll want a partner whose working style and values align with yours.
Culture clashes dont work for anyone. You should be able to rely on your agency if things go south. Youll spend a considerable amount of time together, so ensuring culture alignment must be a priority.
Choosing the right PR partner requires research, due diligence, and thoughtful evaluation. But when you find a partner that truly aligns with your companys vision and goals, you open the door to meaningful collaboration and powerful opportunities.
By using the considerations outlined above as your guide, youll be well on your way to finding the right communications partner for your business.
Grace Keith Rodriguez is CEO of Caliber Corporate Advisers.
In the first half of 2025, she racked up over 55 million views on TikTok and 4 million likes, mostly from tweens glued to their cellphones. Not bad for an AI-generated cartoon ballerina with a cappuccino teacup for a head.
Her name is Ballerina Cappuccina. Her smiling, girlish face is accompanied by a deep, computer-generated male voice singing in Italianor, at least, some Italian. The rest is gibberish.
She is one of the most prominent characters in the internet phenomenon known as Italian Brain Rot,” a series of memes that exploded in popularity this year, consisting of unrealistic AI-generated animal-object hybrids with absurdist, pseudo-Italian narration.
The trend has baffled parents, to the delight of young people experiencing the thrill of a new, fleeting cultural signifier that is illegible to older generations.
Experts and fans alike say the trend is worth paying attention to, and tells us something about the youngest generation of tweens.
A nonsensical, AI-generated realm
The first Italian brain-rot character was Tralalero Tralala, a shark with blue Nike sneakers on his elongated fins. Early Tralalero Tralala videos were scored with a curse-laden Italian song that sounds like a crude nursery rhyme.
Other characters soon emerged: Bombardiro Crocodilo, a crocodile-headed military airplane; Liril Laril, an elephant with a cactus body and slippers; and Armadillo Crocodillo, an armadillo inside a coconut, to name a few.
Content creators around the world have created entire storylines told through intentionally ridiculous songs. These videos have proven so popular that they have launched catchphrases that have entered mainstream culture for Generation Alpha, which describes anyone born between 2010 and 2025.
Fabian Mosele, 26, calls themselves an Italian brain rot connoisseur. An Italian animator who lives in Germany and works with AI by trade, Mosele created their first Italian brain-rot content in March. Shortly after, Mosele’s video of Italian brain-rot characters at an underground rave garnered about a million views overnight, they said. It has since topped 70 million.
Even as the hysteria over the absurdist subgenre has slowed, Mosele said the characters have transcended the digital realm and become an indelible part of pop culture.
It feels so ephemeral,” Mosele said, but it also feels so real.
This summer, one of the most popular games on Roblox, the free online platform that has approximately 111 million monthly users, was called “Steal a Brainrot.” The goal of the game, as the title would suggest, is to steal brain-rot characters from other players. More popular characters, like Tralalero Tralala, are worth more in-game money.
Sometimes, the games’ administratorswho are also playerscheat to steal the characters, a move called “admin abuse” that sent many kids and teens into a frenzy. One video of a young child hysterically crying over a stolen character has 46.8 million views on TikTok.
It’s not supposed to make sense
In the non-virtual world, some have made physical toy replicas of the characters, while others have created real-life plays featuring them.
The nonsensical songs have at times gestured to real-world issues: One clip of Bombardiro Crocodilo sparked outrage for seemingly mocking the war in Gaza.
But ultimately, the majority of videos are silly and absurd.
Mosele said Italian brain-rot consumers largely dont care about how the images relate to what is being said or sung. They often dont even care to translate the nonsensical Italian to English.
Its funny because its nonsense, Mosele said.
Seeing something so dark, in a way, and out of the ordinary, that breaks all the norms of what we would expect to see on TVthats just super appealing.
The rise of brain rot
Italian brain rot didnt go viral in a vacuum. Brain rot, the 2024 Oxford University Press word of the year, is defined as the numbing of an intellectual state resulting from the “overconsumption of trivial or unchallenging material.
It can also be used to describe the brain-rotting content itself.
Lots of content falls into that category. Consider videos of the game Subway Surfers split-screened next to full episodes of television shows, or Skibidi Toilet, an animated series featuring toilets with human heads popping out of their bowls.
Those not chronically online might instinctively recoil at the term “brain rot,” with its vaguely gory connotations, especially as concern about the potential harms of social media for adolescents mounts.
When “brain rot” was crowned word of the year, Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl said the term speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time.
Emilie Owens, 33, a children’s media researcher, agreed that endless scrolling poses dangers for young people. But she said that the concern about brain rot is misguided.
It’s normal to view the thing the newest generation is doing with fear and suspicion,” she said, pointing to how past generations have had similar concerns about the detrimental effects of comic books, television, and even novels at one time.
Concerns about brain rotthat it is unproductive and pointlessactually reveal a great deal about their appeal, Owens said. Brain rot is an acute rejection of the intense pressures on young people to self-optimize.
Its very normal for everyone to need to switch their brains off now and again, she said.
By Safiyah Riddle, Associated Press/Report For America
Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
When you hear governance, what pops to mind? We often picture limitations or roadblocks. Yet the opposite is true, particularly with artificial intelligence. AI governance is about discovering what your organization can do.
Organizations implementing comprehensive AI governance experience measurable returns, including $840,000 in operational efficiency gains and 80% in productivity improvements.
Building out your AI roadmap requires a mindset shift. These ideas will move you from limitation to acceleration.
CLARIFY YOUR BUSINESS CONCERNS
Implementing AI governance helps you learn what your business needs. Every business has constraints, like legal obligations, privacy rules, and internal risk tolerances. Every company also has ambitionsefficiency, acceleration, or gaining a competitive advantage. Governance lets you express your boundaries and goals within a scalable system.
Dont think of it as a checklist. Think of it as a steering wheel.
Before rushing to deploy the latest model, answer this: What AI technology is mature enough to be useful for us right now, and which parts of the business are ready for it?
That framing alone changes the game. Governance becomes less about saying no and more about learning whats viable.
Many organizations have swiftly adopted internal-facing AI tooling, with uses for documentation, meeting summaries, and extracting key insights from reports. The risk is lower, the value is immediate, and accountability is clear.
Governance plays a different role in higher-risk domains. iCAD, a healthcare technology company using AI to help identify breast cancer, is developing end-user services. Their models score lesions and cases based on diverse global data sets. This isnt casual experimentation; it’s AI applied with domain specificity, regulatory oversight, and extremely high reliability standards.
In both cases, governance didnt slow things down. It helped define where AI could make an immediate impact.
ACCEPT THAT THERES NOT ONE MAGIC FRAMEWORK
In the early days of the internet, downloading a single JPEG took 30 minutes. Building a basic website lasted weeks. There wasnt one standard for everything. We iterated as we went and accepted that because we knew what the web could unlock.
Were in a similar moment with AI governance.
Right now, theres no magic bullet. No single framework works for every company, every team, or every use case. We must understand the different dimensions of needs. A tool managing data provenance isnt the same as one that ensures secure software runtimes.
AI governance is about intentionality. Resist the temptation to have organization-wide, looming mandates for AI usage. That suppresses the ability of individual business functions to discover whats right for them. Sometimes, the best solution might be an outsourced, third-party AI service; that idea may be unfeasible in other scenarios. Governance at this stage is about enabling safe, domain-specific exploration.
COMMUNICATE AND OFFER TRANSPARENCY
In our report, Bridging the AI Model Governance Gap, we asked respondents what would most help improve model governance. Their top three: better-integrated tools, better visibility into model components, and team training.
The common thread between those priorities is transparency. About three in four companies have a fragmented toolchain, a set of tools to build or develop software. Thats okayif you understand why youre doing it. Large governance failures come from misaligned teams, not bad tools.
This misalignment can play out poorly in the real world. Air Canada had a chatbot deliver false discount information to a passenger, then refused to honor what the chatbot said. The airline claimed the chatbot was a separate legal entity that is responsible for its own actions. The courts disagreed, and the public trust fallout was worse than the legal ruling.
The governance around this AI lacked a shared understanding of accountability, review, and team communication. Grow that trust by bringing together the legal team, compliance, and data steward, letting them ride alongside the builders. Bring together the most open-minded people from each group to co-create and develop governance in tandem, rather than adding it afterward.
MOVE QUICKLY AND SUPPORT YOUR TEAM
The AI landscape is constantly evolving through regulatory landscapes, compliance requirements, and licensing uncertainties. A team somewhere stood up a new data pipeline while you read that last sentence.
In this environment, governance helps your teams to operate quickly without crashing through new habits, new tools, and a new level of discipline. If your teams deploy projects with significant AI coding, expect to write more monitoring, tests, and validation suites. Does it work? is no longer the question. Instead, ask, Can we explain why it works, and what happens if it doesnt?
Theres a reason F1 race car drivers spend time strengthening their neck muscles. When that 5G turn hits, they dont get whipsawed. Its all in the preparation.
Part of any teams time should be allocated to professional development. They can learn best practices, experiment, and figure out how to implement real guardrails at business and technology levels. Governance and experimentation cant be split like a budget. Embed both at the team level.
Governance is an emerging discipline. The teams building that muscle now are laying the foundation for long-term advantage.
Peter Wang is the cofounder and chief AI and innovation officer of Anaconda.
