Its that time of year again. My mailbox is stuffed with catalogs. Targeted seasonal ads from Amazon, Walmart, and Target are following me around the internet. And every other email in my overflowing inbox offers me the go-to 2025 gift guide for everyone on my list!
Anyone else out there starting to dread gift-giving?
Sometime in the past 30 years, cheaply made stuff became easily available at the click of a button on our phones, and that took a lot of the shine off of gifts.
Not only did online shopping make it much easier to buy things for ourselves (whether we needed them or not), but also it was much easier to buy things for other people. And that influx of stuff has also helped illuminate the very short life cycle of thing I covet to dust collector to trash.
Why would I spend money on a gift thats just going to end up in a landfill?
If you, too, are sick of the gift guides hawking next years refuse, heres the anti-gift-guide gift guide that will help you survive the 2025 holiday season without losing your mind or all your money.
Define your gifting ethos
This may sound ridiculously obvious, but my goal with gift-giving is to find something that the recipient will appreciate and use. I want the gift to show that I was thinking about them and that I pay attention to their likes and dislikes. (Groundbreaking, I know.)
But if youve ever gotten a sweater that is wildly the wrong size in a color best described as baby diarrhea umber, you know not everyone adheres to such giving goals. In fact, many of us give gifts for reasons other than wanting to please the recipient.
If you are giving presents to people because of obligation, because of habit, or because its a complex dance of meanness disguised as altruism, remember that you dont have to. Figure out who you want to give presents to, and go from there.
That doesnt necessarily mean you can just bow out of giving gifts to everyone who expects it. You may still need to continue the long-standing revenge gifting with your sister-in-law until the heat death of the universe. But you can at least put more thought into the gifts you give to the people you actually care about and dial back the effort and money on those obligatory gifts.
Think beyond objects
Figuring out what your recipients want often starts with understanding what they dont want. In many cases, thats clutter. If you know your friends and family well enough to identify a charitable organization thats close to their hearts, making a donation in their name could be a great gift.
But you may not be on So whos your favorite charity? terms with everyone on your list. To find the right present for those recipients, check out our anti-junk gift guide below. These are all gifts your loved ones and friends will appreciate that they generally dont have to find a spot for in their home.
Heartfelt words
Believe it or not, letting people know how much you appreciate them is often the best gift you can give. This is especially true for anyone who occupies what might be described as a thankless position.
This former educator would especially encourage you to write a heartfelt note to your childs teacher, rather than give them a mug with an assortment of teas and hot chocolates. (You know who else is probably giving Juniors teacher a mug? Every other parent in the classroom.)
It doesnt need to be long or poetic. Just relay a quick anecdote about something your kid said or did as a result of the teachers hard work and sign your name. If you attach a small piece of chocolate to the card, youll elevate it to the best teacher gift ever.
But this isnt just a gift for teachers. Writing a letter to your significant other, to your in-laws, to your kids, to your parents, to your best friend, or to anyone you want to acknowledge will probably be one of the most memorable gifts you could ever give. Tell them how you feel and share a memory. Tell them something they may not know about your relationship. Tell them what you hope for the new year. They will cherish your words.
Experiences
Even though my sister is possibly the easiest person in my life to shop for (she has impeccable taste that is easy to identify), I find its more meaningful for both of us if I buy experiential gifts for her instead of another piece of art or jewelry.
Thats why my Hanukkah gift for her this year is a pair of tickets to see Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter in Waiting for Godot on Broadway. Because watching Bill and Ted perform Samuel Beckett is the kind of experience that must be shared.
Similarly, I like to purchase concert tickets for my husband, who loves live music. He returns the favor by buying me tickets to see some of my favorite comedians live.
But there are plenty of other experience gifts that could be the best present under the tree: cooking, art, language, or music classes; museum or zoo memberships; camp registration; a vacation or weekend getaway.
Photos
It is a truth universally acknowledged that all our favorite photographs are never framed and put up on the wallespecially since the invention of Instagram. An easy and inexpensive gift that your friends and family will appreciate is taking the time to print out some of the best photos of you all together and getting them framed.
For a bigger gift, you could create an entire photo book if youd like to commemorate your relationship over the years. These kinds of photo books are relatively easy to make and print using sites like Shutterfly.
Consumables
Giving consumable gifts is an easy way to ensure your presents dont have a subtext of Here, you throw this away. And the holiday season is a traditional time to exchange gifts of cookies, wine, and other treats. But remember, there are other types of consumable gifts.
This gift guide is 100% affiliate-marketing free: Were not giving you specific items or linking to stuff to buy. Just consider consumable gifts like these for your loved ones:
Candles or incense
Essential oils
Bath bombs, bath salts, or bubble bath
Hand soap nd lotion
Infused olive oil or vinegar
Gourmet spices
Coffee, tea, or cocoa
Temporary tattoos (for kids)
A more practical gift guide
We all need things like socks, sunscreen, an ice scraper, a warm hat, a tool kit, and a first aid kit. And while most people probably already have most of these at home, they probably dont have high-quality versions of them.
High-end practical essentials from brands that you personally love can be a great gift, especially if you know the recipient would never spend money on little luxuries for themselves.
You can personalize these kinds of gifts. For example, my son and I recently tie-dyed some white bucket hats for an older relative who needed some additional sun protection. Making these sun hats one-of-a-kind made her even more delighted with the unexpected present.
Books
While some people may consider books to be clutter (blasphemers, all of them), many booklovers are happy to accept literary giftssince most methods of getting rid of a book are unlikely to contribute to environmental pollution. If you know your recipient is an avid reader, dont be afraid to give them a book.
Of course, as any booklover who has been given books that did not in any way reflect their reading taste can attest, its not enough to simply pick up whatever book du jour is getting the most press and give it to your friend. And while no book aficionado will ever turn down a gift card to a local small bookseller, its a little impersonal. The best book gift is one youve read yourself that made you think of the recipient. I still treasure a book I received nearly 25 years ago, because the narrators sarcasm reminded the giver of my sense of humor.
A guide to more joyful gift-giving
When were all awash with too much stuff and anything we need is a one-click overnight delivery away, gift-giving loses a lot of its meaning. We can put the meaning back in if we embrace an anti-junk gift ethos for the holiday season.
Instead of buying stuff just to have something to exchange, lets try to really give our loved ones things they will appreciate and remember, rather than something that will become the 2025 layer of municipal solid landfill waste.
Social media has become inexorably intertwined with our daily lives, but not all platforms are equally popular. For every cultural phenomenon like TikTok, there’s a Mastodon.
It would be easy, based on the news media’s borderline obsession with TikTok and X, to assume that those platforms are, if not the most used social media tools in America today, then very close to the top. They’re not. In fact, they’re squarely in the middle, according to a new study from Pew Research.
Instead, it’s YouTube that is the most commonly used social media platform in the U.S.by a landslide. Pew reports that 84% of U.S. adults use YouTube. (The platform is also the most widely used by U.S. teens.) Facebook ranks high in usage as well, with 71% of adults saying they use it. Roughly half of U.S. adults say they visit each of these platforms at least once a day.
Another Meta holding, Instagram, comes in third with 50% of the 5,022 adults surveyed saying they use it. Things fall off from there, though. YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram are the only platforms with usage figures above 50%.
TikTok, which ranks fourth, is used by just 37% of the adult respondents (usage numbers by teens and tweens are almost certainly much higher). WhatsApp comes in at 32% and Reddit at 26%, which is just a fraction above Snapchat’s 25%.
While X comes in with roughly 20% of respondents saying they use it, Meta’s Threads is used by just 8% of the people Pew surveyed, Bluesky by 4%, and Truth Social is last among the ranked sites, coming in at just 3%.
Pew’s study looked beyond which sites are the most popular to also give a demographic breakdown of who’s using what. As you might expect, adults younger than 30 are more frequent users of social media than older adults, but that also can vary by platform. (For instance, while YouTube sees heavy usage from all age groups, Instagram is used by 80% of adults between 18 and 29, but only 19% of people 65 or older.)
Here’s how usage breaks down by other demographic fields.
Gender
Women are much more likely to use platforms that lean toward communication and interaction. Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are most used by that demographic, while men opt more for X and Reddit.
Ethnicity
While people of all races and ethnicities use social media, some groups favor certain platforms more than others. Pew reports that TikTok and WhatsApp are used more frequently by Black and Hispanic adults. Among the survey pool, Instagram is used regularly by 62% of Hispanics, 58% of Asians, and 54% of Black adults versus 45% of white adults.
Education
Americans with higher levels of education are more likely to use Reddit, WhatsApp, and Instagram, the study found. People with less education lean toward TikTok. Roughly 40% of American adults with a college degree say they use Reddit, compared to just 15% of people with a high school diploma or less.
Political leanings
You can probably figure this one out without the study. Democrats and left-leaning folks are more likely than Republicans to use WhatsApp, Reddit, TikTok, Bluesky, and Threads. When it comes to X and Truth Social, things are reversed. Just two years ago, though, things weren’t as cut-and-dried. In 2023, Democrats were more likely than Republicans to use X (which was still Twitter until July 23 of that year).
What does it mean to be a courageous leader in 2025? Stanley McChrystal, retired four-star general in the U.S. Army, joins futurist and culture critic Baratunde Thurston to discuss McChrystals new book, On Character, the responsibility of leaders today, and the weight of being an active citizen in democracy. Considering President Trumps deployment of the National Guard, McChrystal explores the role of the military in civil society.
This is an abridged transcript of an interview from Rapid Response, recorded live at the 2025 Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco. From the team behind the Masters of Scale podcast, Rapid Response features candid conversations with todays top business leaders navigating real-time challenges. Subscribe to Rapid Response wherever you get your podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.
I was moved by your book. I was moved by your philosophical exploration, the concept of characternot just pushing a specific version of it, but breaking it down into component parts. Character is conviction plus discipline, and the thing that you argue for is to be curious about our convictions. Why is it important for you, for us, to not just have character or have good character, but to challenge the components of it in our lives?
If you break character into the convictions, the strongly held beliefs you havetimes your discipline to live to them, because anything is zero if you don’t have the discipline to live to itthe convictions matter a lot, but they’re not the things that someone just told you. And if you think about it, most of us are the religion we were raised in, were the nationality we were born into. We are a product of the experience we’ve had. So much of what we believe is what was sort of handed to us as we went along, and that doesn’t make it right.
I remember in the counterterrorist fight we would be against members of Al-Qaeda who were extraordinarily effective, and they were killing people and they were trying to kill us. At the same time, the best they had were loyal, they were brave, they were focused on a cause that they believed in. And the only difference between me and my people and them was the life’s journey. Had we switched life’s journey, every probability is we’d have been at the other place.
And so once you get there, you step back and go, Well then, maybe they’re not entirely wrong. Doesn’t mean I agree with them, it doesn’t mean I support them, but it means that my convictions need me to pressure-test them to the greatest degree possible.
Part of that comes with philosophy, and I didn’t do it through much of my life. I did a few things, but then as I get older [Im] realizing how important character always was. It was always the thing. At the moment, you didn’t always consider it that way. You were trying to be more proficient in this or more successful in this or more powerful. And then at the end . . . the common denominator of getting it right was always character.
The decisions that I’m most proud of were good character and the ones that I regretand there are somethey were places where I didn’t live to the character that I knew was the right answer. And so I think we’ve got to be humble enough to decide what we think we believe and then challenge it.
I want to follow up on the humility and on what we do, and I use we intentionally. I know I have not always lived up to the character I profess and deeply believe in. I’ve put my emotional needs before someone close to mean act of small but significant selfishness. And maybe you’ve had your own versions and people here have. What have you found works when we recognize that we haven’t lived up to our character, to recover from that and still maintain a good path forward?
I think the first thing is we say, “Well, that’s not me.” But if any of you flew here and you made the mistake of checking your luggage, you had to go to the turnstile where the bags come out. And what do you typically see? You see people crowded right up next to it, like wildebeests at the last watering hole in the Serengeti. And there’s this idea that my bag’s going to come out faster if I’m closer. But the people down below putting the bags on the thing, they don’t care. If we all stepped back three or four feet, everybody could see it, we could calmly get in and reach our bag when it came out, and we could move on.
Yet why are we that way? Not because we’re bad people, I don’t think. It’s because those people in that moment, we are anonymous to. We’re tired, we want to get home, we’re never going to see them again, so we can be that way.
And how many times do you deal with somebody or some instance where you just think, I’m going to be this way because I’m angry or it serves my purposes? Things you would never do around people that you see routinely or your family. And then you realize we have lapses. So I think that the key thing for me isand I’m pretty self-criticalat the end of every day I literally say and think of the times in the day when I was not the person I should have been, when I responded incorrectly to somebody. I got mad, I was short . . . you name it, there’s just a litany.
And the key is not to make that the new standard. The key is to say that was wrong, and tomorrow I’m going to try to do better, knowing you’re never going to get to perfect. . . . And I think the other thing that we desperately need in society are norms where we hold each other accountable, where we’re willing to do that. Your mom would do that, but if your mom’s not around, who will do it?
Sometimes we need to look each other in the eye and just go, “That’s not the way we do things. That’s not the way we treat other people. That’s not what we would consider the standard that we all want to hold ourselves to.”
Since you brought up how we treat other people, let’s talk about what is happening with the U.S. government right now, which has a duty of care to treat people a certain way and is making really radical decisions on how to deploy the services of the government. How do you respond to the deployment of armed forces in American cities, particularly those run by Democrats, but really any city, or the deployment of immigration officers dressed as special operators? How do you see this, and how do you feel [about] this use of our military right now?
Well, I think it’s unfortunate and I think it’s a big mistake. But if we stepped back and sort of antiseptically said, someone looks at you and you didn’t like it, and they say, “Well, you don’t believe in illegal immigration, do you?” And I sort of don’t believe in anything that begins with illegal, but that’s really not the issue here.
The issue is how we’re treating each other, how we’re treating people. And there are probably two levels to it. The first is people are human beings and there should be a standard that we all decide we’re going to treat people, particularly people who are less strong than we are, who need to be supported, who need to be respected, who need to be helped.
Then the use of the miltary, and this is of course personal to me, there’s a tradition of not using the military in the streets of the United States, the Posse Comitatus rule, and it’s got a really good reason. It’s because you don’t want the American people to identify the military with people that come and police. . . . We dont want the American people to grow to fear or be resentful of our own military.
Now, are there instances where the military can do things other organizations cant? Absolutely. There’s a common-sense point of this, but I think the apolitical nature of our military is one of the sacred norms that we have respected for most of our historynever perfectly, but pretty darn well.
When I was a senior officer, actually at all ranks, I never knew the political persuasion of any of my peers. I didn’t know if they were liberal. I didn’t know if they were conservative. We didn’t talk about it. It was considered inappropriate to do that. And of course it was inappropriate to talk about it with your subordinates because that’s undue influence. You just didn’t because the military wasn’t part of that.
The problem is if a military gets politicizedwe need only to look around the world for examples where that happensthen suddenly it has a different role in society, and we won’t like it. I guarantee it.
Every year, companies and space agencies launch hundreds of rockets into spaceand that number is set to grow dramatically with ambitious missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. But these dreams hinge on one critical challenge: propulsionthe methods used to push rockets and spacecraft forward.
To make interplanetary travel faster, safer, and more efficient, scientists need breakthroughs in propulsion technology. Artificial intelligence is one type of technology that has begun to provide some of these necessary breakthroughs.
Were a team of engineers and graduate students who are studying how AI in general, and a subset of AI called machine learning in particular, can transform spacecraft propulsion. From optimizing nuclear thermal engines to managing complex plasma confinement in fusion systems, AI is reshaping propulsion design and operations. It is quickly becoming an indispensable partner in humankinds journey to the stars.
Machine learning and reinforcement learning
Machine learning is a branch of AI that identifies patterns in data that it has not explicitly been trained on. It is a vast field with its own branches, with a lot of applications. Each branch emulates intelligence in different ways: by recognizing patterns, parsing and generating language, or learning from experience. This last subset in particular, commonly known as reinforcement learning, teaches machines to perform their tasks by rating their performance, enabling them to continuously improve through experience.
As a simple example, imagine a chess player. The player does not calculate every move but rather recognizes patterns from playing a thousand matches. Reinforcement learning creates similar intuitive expertise in machines and systems, but at a computational speed and scale impossible for humans. It learns through experiences and iterations by observing its environment. These observations allow the machine to correctly interpret each outcome and deploy the best strategies for the system to reach its goal.
Reinforcement learning can improve human understanding of deeply complex systemsthose that challenge the limits of human intuition. It can help determine the most efficient trajectory for a spacecraft heading anywhere in space, and it does so by optimizing the propulsion necessary to send the craft there. It can also potentially design better propulsion systems, from selecting the best materials to coming up with configurations that transfer heat between parts in the engine more efficiently.
In reinforcement learning, you can train an AI model to complete tasks that are too complex for humans to complete themselves.
Reinforcement learning for propulsion systems
In regard to space propulsion, reinforcement learning generally falls into two categories: those that assist during the design phasewhen engineers define mission needs and system capabilitiesand those that support real-time operation once the spacecraft is in flight.
Among the most exotic and promising propulsion concepts is nuclear propulsion, which harnesses the same forces that power atomic bombs and fuel the Sun: nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.
Fission works by splitting heavy atoms such as uranium or plutonium to release energya principle used in most terrestrial nuclear reactors. Fusion, on the other hand, merges lighter atoms such as hydrogen to produce even more energy, though it requires far more extreme conditions to initiate.
Fission is a more mature technology that has been tested in some space propulsion prototypes. It has even been used in space in the form of radioisotope thermoelectric generators, like those that powered the Voyager probes. But fusion remains a tantalizing frontier.
Nuclear thermal propulsion could one day take spacecraft to Mars and beyond at a lower cost than that of simply burning fuel. It would get a craft there faster than electric propulsion, which uses a heated gas made of charged particles called plasma.
Unlike these systems, nuclear propulsion relies on heat generated from atomic reactions. That heat is transferred to a propellant, typically hydrogen, which expands and exits through a nozzle to produce thrust and shoot the craft forward.
So how can reinforcement learning help engineers develop and operate these powerful technologies? Lets begin with design.
Reinforcement learnings role in design
Early nuclear thermal propulsion designs from the 1960s, such as those in NASAs NERVA program, used solid uranium fuel molded into prism-shaped blocks. Since then, engineers have explored alternative configurationsfrom beds of ceramic pebbles to grooved rings with intricate channels.
Why has there been so much experimentation? Because the more efficiently a reactor can transfer heat from the fuel to the hydrogen, the more thrust it generates.
This area is where reinforcement learning has proved to be essential. Optimizing the geometry and heat flow between fuel and propellant is a complex problem, invlving countless variablesfrom the material properties to the amount of hydrogen that flows across the reactor at any given moment. Reinforcement learning can analyze these design variations and identify configurations that maximize heat transfer. Imagine it as a smart thermostat but for a rocket engineone you definitely dont want to stand too close to, given the extreme temperatures involved.
Reinforcement learning and fusion technology
Reinforcement learning also plays a key role in developing nuclear fusion technology. Large-scale experiments such as the JT-60SA tokamak in Japan are pushing the boundaries of fusion energy, but their massive size makes them impractical for spaceflight. Thats why researchers are exploring compact designs such as polywells. These exotic devices look like hollow cubes, about a few inches across, and they confine plasma in magnetic fields to create the conditions necessary for fusion.
Controlling magnetic fields within a polywell is no small feat. The magnetic fields must be strong enough to keep hydrogen atoms bouncing around until they fusea process that demands immense energy to start but can become self-sustaining once underway. Overcoming this challenge is necessary for scaling this technology for nuclear thermal propulsion.
Reinforcement learning and energy generation
However, reinforcement learnings role doesnt end with design. It can help manage fuel consumptiona critical task for missions that must adapt on the fly. In todays space industry, theres growing interest in spacecraft that can serve different roles depending on the missions needs and how they adapt to priority changes through time.
Military applications, for instance, must respond rapidly to shifting geopolitical scenarios. An example of a technology adapted to fast changes is Lockheed Martins LM400 satellite, which has varied capabilities such as missile warning or remote sensing.
But this flexibility introduces uncertainty. How much fuel will a mission require? And when will it need it? Reinforcement learning can help with these calculations.
From bicycles to rockets, learning through experiencewhether human or machineis shaping the future of space exploration. As scientists push the boundaries of propulsion and intelligence, AI is playing a growing role in space travel. It may help scientists explore within and beyond our solar system and open the gates for new discoveries.
Marcos Fernandez Tous is an assistant professor of space studies at the University of North Dakota.
Preeti Nair is a master’s student in aerospace sciences at the University of North Dakota.
Sai Susmitha Guddanti is a Ph.D. student in aerospace sciences at the University of North Dakota.
Sreejith Vidhyadharan Nair is a research assistant professor of aviation at the University of North Dakota.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The day after Thanksgiving is a holiday in itself for retailers.
Historically, Black Friday has been a time when shoppers wake up early and head to stores for the best deals of the year. More recently, though, more and more consumers have been opting out of the mad rush in stores and turning to online deals, many of which started a week ago and now extend all weekend long till Cyber Monday, December 1.
For those who like to be there when doors open, this is for you. Here’s everything you need to know.
What time do Target, Best Buy, Kohl’s, and Walmart open?
Many major big-box retailers open their doors nice and early for Black Friday, starting with Kohl’s and JCPenney, which open at 5 a.m.; followed by Target, Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Walmart at 6 a.m.; and T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Petco, and PetSmart at 7 a.m. Costco opens at 9 a.m., according to USA Today.
Are there any stores closed on Black Friday?
REI stores are closed not only on Thanksgiving but also on Black Friday.
Are banks closed on Black Friday?
Most banks are open on Black Friday, as it is not a federal holiday. However, check your local branch, as hours may vary.
What about the U.S. stock market?
The NYSE and Nasdaq Stock Market are open on Black Friday, but only for a half day of trading, ending at 1 p.m. ET.
Isn’t there a Black Friday boycott?
Yes, there are two boycotts: Mass Blackout and We Aint Buying It. The first boycott protests billionaires and the Trump administrations policies, and urges you not to participate in this years extended Black Friday sales, already underway, that run through Tuesday, December 2.
The “We Aint Buying It boycott urges consumers not to buy anything from three companies: Target (for its rollback on DEI), Home Depot (for working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has been arresting, detaining, and deporting immigrants), and Amazon (for allegedly funding the Trump administration to secure corporate tax cuts).
AI is rapidly changing the world around us, from the way we engage online to how we work. But while the technology is able to complete an astonishing number of tasks, humans are far from obsolete.
A new report from McKinsey is shining light on why humans are still essential. According to the report, roughly 57% of work hours can be automated. Meanwhile, 70% of the skills employers look for can be used for both automated work and nonautomated work. This means over the next five years, humans will have to adjust their work habits to make room for automation.
McKinsey designed an index to assess how automation will impact each skill used in the workplace today. According to the index, skills like digital and information processing, accounting, and coding are the most likely to be impacted by AI.
Jobs requiring physical activity will see less of an impact, accounting for 35% of U.S. work hours. While robots have made huge strides in their ability to complete physical tasks, they cannot rival the “fine motor skills, dexterity, and situational awareness” of humans, the report says.
Skills that rely on emotional awareness and personal connectionsuch as coaching, assisting, caring, or negotiatingwill see the least amount of impact. The report explains that “even under a full adoption” of AI, emotional skills will remain relevant in many roles.
Currently about 75% of the demand for AI skills falls into one of three categories: computer or mathematical jobs (44%), management roles (19%), and business and financial operations (7%). However, the report goes on to highlight “nearly all occupations have at least one highly disrupted skilldefined as being in the top quartile of change by 2030, and that a third of occupations will see more than 10% of their skills highly changed.”
While many jobs will change, new jobs will also be created where working alongside AI will become essential. In fact, the report says, demand for workers who understand AI is growing faster than any other skill set.
“Workers will spend less time preparing documents and doing basic research, for example, and more time framing questions and interpreting results,” the report says. “Employers may increasingly prize skills that add value to AI.”
Making space for AI in the workplace is key. The tech could unlock around $2.9 trillion in economic value in the U.S. if companies can utilize employees to work together with automation, the report projects. Either way, while humans are still necessary for most jobs, AI will inevitably continue to change how humans workno matter their role.
Just a handful of years ago, the idea of one person creating a company worth over a billion dollars seemed like a pipe dream. Thanks to rapid advancements in AI, the possibility of a solopreneur unicorn is less a matter of “if and more a matter of when.
Earlier this year, OpenAI founder Sam Altman told Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian that his group chat of tech CEO friends have a betting pool for when the world will see a one-person billion-dollar company. Ten months later, some experts suggest that the company could be founded in 2026, if it hasn’t been already, due to rapid advancements in agentic AI.
The ability of a person to scale themselves, to automate their lives, has just become amazing, says Kyle Jensen, the director of entrepreneurship programs, associate dean and professor in the practice of entrepreneurship at Yale School of Management. If you’re very skilled with those tools, you can have the productivity of 10 people.
Jensen adds that solopreneurship has historically been more akin to mom-and-pop-style small business ownership, with practitioners selling goods and services through the internet.
While many solopreneurs still fit that mold, he sees another kind of solopreneur emerging; one that better resembles a high-growth startup, using new tools in lieu of hiring.
There have been a handful of companies that had private market valuations in excess of a billion dollars with very small teamsWhatsApp is a very famous example, he says. What is the probability that you’ll see a solo-entrepreneur who’s like, some engineer from Google, who decided she doesn’t want to do that anymoreand she’s going to do her AI startup from home, and become the first unicorn? I think its a pretty decent probability.
Unicorns are shrinking
The first one-person company to surpass a billion dollars may not be all that far off. In recent years some one-person businesses have achieved smaller, yet still eye-popping valuations. At the same time the record for smallest unicorn company keeps getting broken.
Earlier this year, for example, solopreneur Maor Sholomo sold his AI app-building platform Base44 to website builder Wix for $80 million, just six months after launch.
Instagram had only 13 employees when it was sold to Facebook for a billion dollars in 2012. One of those cofounders, Mike Krieger, went on to found Anthropic in 2021, which was recently valued at $350 billion. Speaking with Fast Company earlier this year, Krieger suggested the one-person unicorn is closer than you think.
It feels like every month were getting closer and closer, says Anthropics Head of Startup Sales, Jamie Neuwirth. Companies that we’re working with, for example, at Y Combinator who are very smallusually two or three peoplethey’re getting to market faster, and that opportunity for them to become a unicorn is very real.
A virtual cofounder
In the recent past, solopreneurs were able to automate certain operations, but it often required a high degree of technical know-how and many hours of building custom tools.
Now, Neuwirth says AI tools like Anthropics AI assistant Claude can serve as a collaborator, taking on more advanced and critical tasks, without requiring founders to have a deep technical background.
I think of AIand Claude in particularas everything from this virtual collaborator to a kind of the chief of staff, but the way I think about it when it comes to solopreneurs is more of your virtual cofounder, he says. You can have a less technical background, and there’s still a lot that can be achieved with these tools.
Where to look for solo unicorns
In recent months, AI companies like Base 44, Anthropic, and Swedish vibe coding app Loveablewhich lets users build apps and websites by describing it in plain languagehave dominated the headlines with eye-popping valuations, but Neuwirth says the first one-person unicorn wont necessarily emerge from the AI field.
Thats because those very solutions are allowing small teams and individuals to build, test, prototype, and ultimately sell technical solutions without deep technical skills.
As the model capabilities get a lot better, I think we’re going to see it come from different industries, he says. To me, it goes back to, where is the need immediate, and the market really big?
One sector Neuwirth believes is ripe for a first solo-unicorn is healthcare, where he says there are lots of legacy practices and processes, and a massive, global market eager for innovation.
Tim Cortinovis, speaker and author of The Single-Handed Unicorn, meanwhile, believes the first one-person billion-dollar company will offer an easy interface to a complicated process, or a simple solution to a universal problem.
If you are able to put in a very easy interface between agents and the tasks at hand in, let’s say, a heavy machinery industry or the energy sector, I think this will solve a massive problem, he says. My advice is, dont try to create the first single-handed unicorn, but try to solve a huge problem. You wont win the game by thinking about winning.
The first solo unicorn may have already been born
Though it may take that solopreneur founder several years to reach a 10-figure valuation, Cortinovis says 2025 will go down as the year that the necessary tools to accomplish such a feat became available.
In other words, it is possible that the first individual who will accomplish that feat has already begun building their business.
In 2025 we reached the capacities of AI agents to accomplish these complicated tasks and orchestration, Cortinovis says, explaining that this year AI broke out of the chatbot box and is now able to work with other tools and apps to complete more complicated tasks, like build apps and websites, manage a marketing campaign, or handle more complicated customer service inquiries. Maybe we will see the first results at the end of ’26 or at the beginning of ’27 and then maybe two years later well get the first real single-handed unicorn on the market with that valuation.
Whenever that one-person company does emerge, Cortinovis says the implications would extend well beyond the individual founder.
I think it opens up the path for more people [to pursue entrepreneurship] because it proves you don#8217;t need an extensive team, you don’t need to start hiring massively to start an enterprise, he says.
It symbolizes a new wave of founders. Even if youre not going after a massive valuation, it will make them more willing to found an enterprise, because it shows how much easier it is with the technology.
For the past 99 years at Macys annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, spectators have craned their necks to watch giant balloons and larger-than-life floats pass through the streets of New York City. But a word to the wise this year: Dont forget to look down. You might just catch a glimpse of the tiniest float in the parades history.
The floatwhich is 49 times smaller than the average displaycomes courtesy of Goldfish, which is returning to the parade for the first time in more than a decade. The floats design features a wintery snowscape covered with frolicking Goldfish crackers towed by an equally tiny Ram truck. According to Brendan Kennedy, director of creative production at Macys Studios, the float measures less than 8 inches tall and 14 inches long. Throughout the parade, it will be circling Herald Square, just outside Macys department store.
[Photo: Goldfish]
Kennedy, who stepped into his role at the helm of the parade in April 2024, says hes been spending quite a bit of time digging through the events history for its upcoming centennial anniversary. In all that research, hes never come across another float quite like this one.
I don’t think this has ever come close to happening, Kennedy says.
[Photo: Goldfish]
Inside Goldfishs return to the parade
Every year, Kennedy says the team at Macys is working around 18 months ahead of time to prepare for the next Thanksgiving parade: ensuring the event will have enough street space, selecting brand partners, and ironing out the production schedule. The floats themselves take anywhere from three to six months to fully plan and design. When Goldfish reached out to Macys with the idea to build what the company is calling the Littlest Float in early September, Kennedy says the team was already in the home stretch of building this years six new floats.
Despite the quick turnaround, he knew they had to make it happen. I got a call from our partnership team, and they said Goldfish has this idea, what do you think? Kennedy says. I was like, Absolutely. I’m in.
Designing a new float always starts with nailing down a solid story, Kennedy says. In this case, the Goldfish and Macys teams pulled inspiration from Snow Day, a Goldfish ad originally released in 2015 that shows a crew of three hat-wearing Goldfish crackers sledding, playing hockey, building snowmen, and warming up by the fire. The floats mock-up included a team of Goldfish enjoying wintery activities in a snowy landscape, topped off by a Goldfish-shaped mound of snow.
The last time Goldfish was in the parade was back in 2012, when the brand debuted a somewhat meta float of Goldfish crackers putting on their own parade. “After more than a decade, returning with the Littlest Float allowed us to show up in a way that feels both true to the brand and meaningful to fans, says Mike Fanelli, the brand’s senior director of marketing.
[Photo: Goldfish]
Bringing the tiniest Thanksgiving float ever to life
Bringing the design to life was an entirely new challenge for the Macys team. Typically, Kennedy explains, theyre contending with the massive scale of the floats, which need to be simultaneously spectacular but also street-safe and foldable in order to pack up for transport. Designing a tiny float invited its own host of unique considerations: namely, how to make the wintery scene durable at such a small size.
Kennedys team addressed that concern by building a custom base, which is hidden by a lining of orange fringe around the float. Its an aluminum structure, made in the shape of a Goldfish cracker, that was hand-cut in-house. Kennedy describes it as essentially a thick skateboard. Most important for the floats longevity, its wheels are omnidirectional, meaning it wont easily be tripped up on uneven surfaces.
[The wheels] kind of look like a Ping-Pong ball inside of a metal scoop, Kennedy says. They’re used in robotics a lot of the time. We found that these worked best because of their omnidirectional ability. A traditional float bed just has to roll straight and then turn, and it’s just these big old tires. But for this, it could basically go in any direction at any point.
[Photo: Goldfish]
On top of the aluminum base, the part of the Littlest Float thats actually visible is a 3D-printed landscape thats been sanded down and hand-painted to achieve a detailed look up close. As a finishing touch, the whole contraption is pulled by a tiny Ram truck with workable blinkers and side mirrors, manufactured by a company called Primal RC that makes an officially licensed miniature of the vehicle. Kennedy says this element was important for continuity, since Ram is a sponsor of the parade, and its trucks will be pulling all the standard-size floats.
To get the right shot of the diminutive float, the Macys team worked with NBC, the parades broadcast partner, to set up a dedicated steady rig camera that sits just 6 inches off the ground. On the day of the event, a team of actorspurposefully selected to be above-average height in order to play up the conceitwill follow the Littlest Float around the square and keep an eye on it.
I think it’s really fun and silly, and it’s such a good way of showing how the Macy’s Studios team can come together and reinvent what it means to parade, Kennedy says. It’s clowns, and performances, and magicto make everybody look up, see some balloons, forget about their day or week or year, and just have some fun. We really just like coming up with new ways to do that for all the folks on the street and at home.
Thanksgiving is a beautiful day filled with family, loved ones, and good food. All that merriment takes copious amounts of labor and planning ahead.
It is almost inevitable that something will fall between the cracks and a last-minute store run will be necessary. But is that even possible?
Heres a quick breakdown of what is open and closed on Thanksgiving 2025 to help you out in a pinch should you have a missing cranberry sauce crisis.
But first lets take a look at everyday services:
Is Thanksgiving a federal holiday?
Yes, Thanksgiving is a federal holiday celebrated annually in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. This makes November 27 the big day in 2025. Federal workers get a day off to observe the holiday.
Will mail be delivered on Thanksgiving?
No, there will be no letter or bills delivered on Thanksgiving. The only exception is Priority Mail Express. The United States Postal Service (USPS) will keep post offices closed, but some self-service kiosks will still be open.
UPS will also be closed and not delivering on turkey day. The only exception is UPS Express Critical service.
Similarly, FedEx locations will be closed. The only deliveries being made on Thanksgiving day are FedEx Custom Critical.
Are banks open on Thanksgiving?
No, banks are not open on Thanksgiving day. If you need some cash, though, ATMs outside of locations are generally open. Online banking is also an option.
Is the stock market trading on Thanksgiving?
No. Both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq exchange will be closed for business. No opening bells will ring out.
What stores are open on Thanksgiving?
Its time to get into the cranberry sauce of it all. The following stores are open.
Grocery stores
Whole Foods: Open with limited hours. Hours vary by location
Sprouts: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
H Mart: Hours vary by location.
Kroger: Some stores open with limited hours and a 5 p.m. closing time. Some pharmacies will be closed.
Meijer: 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Save A Lot: Hours vary by location
Retailers
Starbucks: Hours vary by location
Dollar General: Hours vary by location
Family Dollar: Hours vary by location
Bass Pro Shops: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Big Lots: Most open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. but hours vary by location.
Cabelas: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
What stores are closed on Thanksgiving?
Do not try your luck at the following stores, as they will all be closed:
Trader Joes
Publix
Costco
Walmart
My kid is sick. Are any 24-hour pharmacies open?
Many regular Walgreens stores will be closed on Thanksgiving, but its another story for their 24-pharmacy locations. Most of these will be open for business and emergency medicine runs.
CVS, meanwhile, is open but with limited holiday hours.
If you need medication, be sure to check your local store hours before making a trip.
Thanksgiving is a beautiful day filled with family, loved ones, and good food. All that merriment takes copious amounts of labor and planning ahead.
It is almost inevitable that something will fall between the cracks and a last-minute store run will be necessary. But is that even possible?
Heres a quick breakdown of what is open and closed on Thanksgiving 2025 to help you out in a pinch should you have a missing cranberry sauce crisis.
But first lets take a look at everyday services:
Is Thanksgiving a federal holiday?
Yes, Thanksgiving is a federal holiday celebrated annually in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. This makes November 27 the big day in 2025. Federal workers get a day off to observe the holiday.
Will mail be delivered on Thanksgiving?
No, there will be no letter or bills delivered on Thanksgiving. The only exception is Priority Mail Express. The United States Postal Service (USPS) will keep post offices closed, but some self-service kiosks will still be open.
UPS will also be closed and not delivering on turkey day. The only exception is UPS Express Critical service.
Similarly, FedEx locations will be closed. The only deliveries being made on Thanksgiving day are FedEx Custom Critical.
Are banks open on Thanksgiving?
No, banks are not open on Thanksgiving day. If you need some cash, though, ATMs outside of locations are generally open. Online banking is also an option.
Is the stock market trading on Thanksgiving?
No. Both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq exchange will be closed for business. No opening bells will ring out.
What stores are open on Thanksgiving?
Its time to get into the cranberry sauce of it all. The following stores are open.
Grocery stores
Whole Foods: Open with limited hours. Hours vary by location
Sprouts: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
H Mart: Hours vary by location.
Kroger: Some stores open with limited hours and a 5 p.m. closing time. Some pharmacies will be closed.
Meijer: 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Save A Lot: Hours vary by location
Retailers
Starbucks: Hours vary by location
Dollar General: Hours vary by location
Family Dollar: Hours vary by location
Bass Pro Shops: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Big Lots: Most open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. but hours vary by location.
Cabelas: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
What stores are closed on Thanksgiving?
Do not try your luck at the following stores, as they will all be closed:
Trader Joes
Publix
Costco
Walmart
My kid is sick. Are any 24-hour pharmacies open?
Many regular Walgreens stores will be closed on Thanksgiving, but its another story for their 24-pharmacy locations. Most of these will be open for business and emergency medicine runs.
CVS, meanwhile, is open but with limited holiday hours.
If you need medication, be sure to check your local store hours before making a trip.
