What's on Your Mind?

Whataburger is rethinking the fast-food kids meal. The Texas-based burger chain just relaunched its Kids Whatameal with a new focus on an engaging packaging experience over a singular plastic toy. In a sense, the packaging is now the toy: The meals come in a bright, white-and-orange box with a handle on top, an interactive maze printed on the side, and one of five collectible sticker packs inside. “We wanted to build something that was a bit more intentional and experience-led,” Scott Hudler, Whataburger’s chief marketing officer, tells Fast Company. But the experiential strategy is first visible in the food options themselves—essentially by providing kids wit…

Generative AI has done something strange to the economics of knowledge work: it has dramatically lowered the cost of generating ideas. Any reasonably capable professional with a chatbot can now produce a dozen plausible strategies, memos, product concepts, or marketing plans before lunch. In some cases, AI lowers the cost of execution too—but not nearly as far or as fast. Shipping even one of those ideas still takes weeks, months, or years. The result is already showing up across workplaces: more initiatives than teams can carry, more tools than anyone can learn, and more priorities than any reasonable person can hold in their head. Leaders keep layering on new wo…

No matter who you are, searching for work while unemployed is a difficult, sometimes soul-crushing endeavor. Across the country, job seekers are desperately looking for ways to stand out in an increasingly competitive job market as AI complicates the search process and career boards fill up with nonexistent “ghost jobs.” Still, some job seekers apparently enjoy an advantage that others don’t: they have wives who’ve stepped in, leveraging their own resources and networks to try and find them a job. Journalist and writer Anne Helen Petersen first noticed this phenomenon on her own Substack Culture Study. There, she saw multiple requests from women looking for job o…

It’s the three-row SUV of big-box retail. Target’s bold red shopping cart has always anchored customers inside a Target store, promising a middle-class fancy experience. For the next few years, Target will be replacing its fleet of half a million shopping carts with an even beefier model that promises to hold more stuff while making it easier to maneuver around the store. It’s the first all-plastic design Target will launch nationwide, while paradoxically being more sustainable than Target carts of yore. And yes, it’ll even hold your big dumb cup. “The cart for us is the first touchpoint that the guest meets right when they walk in the store,” says Sarah Deut…

It’s hard enough to publish a book, but getting people to buy it is an entirely different battle. As new platforms reshape how readers gather and interact online, authors are finding that sometimes platforms built to showcase writing can also double as powerful engines for discovery. The most high-profile example so far might be Girls creator Lena Dunham, who bolstered the traditional press tour for her new memoir Famesick with interviews and features on the newsletter platform Substack. In an interview with Arielle Swedback for her On Substack newsletter (which is published, of course, on Substack), Dunham made the case in blunt terms: “Someone I trust told me t…

Generative AI has made it possible for individuals to perform tasks that once required entire teams. Today, a single marketer can produce campaign assets, analyze data, and generate content at scale. A product manager can prototype, test, and iterate without relying on engineering; and developers can ship reams of high-quality code written by machines. The result is the rise of the “superpowered individual” who can do the work of many. It’s tempting to extrapolate from this that human collaboration is becoming obsolete. If AI can replicate or augment the cognitive contributions of multiple individuals, why bother with the friction of teamwork at all? In our work w…

Tony Soprano was a master of coercion. Through violence, extortion, and bribery, he rose to the top of his industry, crushing competitors and delivering strong margins, despite some unfortunate employee turnover along the way. But even Soprano began to suspect there might be another way. His psychiatrist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi, encouraged him to try a more collaborative approach, to become a better listener, and to engage with subordinates more thoughtfully. Soprano paused, thought about it, and, after considering the implications, asked, “Then how do I get people to do what I want?” That’s the Tony Soprano Problem. And today, every leader feels it. We want to be th…

After a long day in the office, you catch a sight of yourself in the bathroom mirror: Hair, frizzy. Skin, dry. Eyes, puffy. “Office air” has claimed yet another victim. The term, which has recently gone viral on TikTok, puts its finger on a complaint office workers have suffered in silence for years. Coined by content creator Noa Donlan, her videos documenting the phenomenon have recently amassed millions of views across TikTok and Instagram. “I first noticed it as a student, but it became unmistakable once I started working full-time four years ago,” Donlan told People in a recent interview. “I’d leave the house feeling put together, then catch myself in t…

Sara Blakely founded the $1.2 billion shapewear and apparel company Spanx with just $5,000 in savings, relying on offbeat marketing methods and a good bit of her own grit. The entrepreneur recently revealed that while working toward her success, she had help: a motivational cassette tape that shaped the way she thought about her future. Blakely spoke about the tape while addressing the graduates at Florida State University’s spring 2026 commencement ceremony. She told the crowd that when she was 16, her father gave her a tape called How to Be a No-Limit Person, by Wayne Dyer, a self-help author, motivational speaker, and licensed therapist with an EdD in counseling w…

Today’s work environment is more challenging than ever. With layoffs, the uncertainty that comes from the intrusion of AI, and changing codes of conduct, tempers are bound to flare up. Insults may follow. If you are a recipient of one of the six following insults, here’s how you can best respond. 1. SHOUTING AT YOU Suppose you are in a meeting and your boss shouts at you, for example: “You didn’t hear me. I said we’d save that discussion for next time.” Don’t answer that rudeness with your own anger. That would only make things worse. Instead, respond to the substance of his words. You might say “Fine, we’ll postpone the discussion.” The point is to detach your…

When I first launched my business, I believed growth meant saying yes to everything. Every client who reached out, every opportunity that landed in my inbox, every late-night email that felt urgent. It all felt like momentum. I had spent years in the finance industry learning how to be reliable, responsive, and endlessly available. So when I went out on my own, I brought those habits with me. I believed boundaries were something you earned later, once you’d proven yourself. To make matters worse, there’s an unspoken belief in founder culture that “serious” entrepreneurs are always available, always hustling, always willing to sacrifice their lives for their businesses…

We tend to treat our digital lives like a basement that never runs out of square footage. Thousands of unorganized files in your downloads folder, the monthly subscription for a project management tool you haven’t opened in a year, and a professional bio that still claims you’re passionate about trends that aren’t even trends anymore. In nerdy circles, we talk a lot about technical debt, which is the cost of choosing an easy solution now instead of a better one that takes longer. We rarely talk about digital rot: the accumulation of digital debris that slowly drains your focus, your storage, and your bank account. Clearing out the clutter is a tactical necessi…

Most people think of California as the home of Hollywood liberals, neglecting to acknowledge its many rural and more conservative areas. Despite its modern reputation as a Democratic state, the world’s 4th largest economy has actually had more Republican governors. Without a clear Democratic frontrunner for the current election cycle, Republican candidates have an opening. Tonight, CNN is hosting a California governors debate to give the crowded candidate field a chance to make their case. Even those outside the state will be tuning in to see what trends might impact the larger midterm Congressional elections later this year. Here’s what you need to know bef…

Coinbase is cutting around 700 roles—or 14% of its workforce—because of AI, according to CEO Brian Armstrong. On Tuesday, Armstrong made a post on X that included the full email he sent to employees regarding the layoffs. “We’re currently in a down market and need to adjust our cost structure now so that we emerge from this period leaner, faster, and more efficient for our next phase of growth,” Armstrong wrote. Coinbase will not only cut costs and reduce head count but also “fundamentally” change how the company operates, he said. For one, Armstrong said the company would flatten its structure to a maximum of five layers between executives and employees.…

What you read reflects who you are. Leaders like Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Indra Nooyi, and Mark Cuban advocate reading extensively to gain knowledge and challenge assumptions. At a minimum, reading widely develops a key business skill—making intelligent small talk. More importantly, reading and actively discussing ideas enhances critical thinking skills. Unfortunately, some studies show that only 16% of Americans read daily and for pleasure. Before the digital revolution, that number was well over 50%. Even more concerning, the latest statistics show that about a third of high school graduates have college-level reading skills. Leading a book club is…

Bose is rethinking its approach to smart speakers. While the company has released plenty of Wi-Fi-connected speakers over the years, its new Lifestyle Ultra line is a strategic reset, with a new platform that Bose spent the last few years building. (The name is also a nod to Bose’s original Lifestyle systems from the 1990s.) The new Bose offerings include a $299 standalone speaker, a $1,099 soundbar, and an $899 subwoofer, which can also be combined into a surround system. Raza Haider, Bose’s president of premium consumer audio, says these are the first of many speakers that it will launch on the new technology stack. “It’s a completely brand new platform, whe…

The biggest misconception about small business growth? That it’s a solo sport. The small business owners who navigate complexity and capture opportunity are rarely doing it alone. They’re learning from peers by leaning into community and investing in their own growth. Running a business today means extraordinary opportunity as well as real complexity. The demands have never been greater, but neither have the tools, communities, and resources available to help you rise to them. Today’s small business owners are expected to be operators, marketers, analysts, and customer service reps, all while delivering the craft and expertise that makes their business so special.…

Finding qualified talent locally is harder than it was a year ago, according to 60% of U.S. leaders who responded to Remote’s 2025 Global Workforce Report. More than 3,600 HR and business leaders around the world responded to the survey. On the surface, it looks like a cooler hiring market because overall hiring in the U.S. has slowed. But that is not the full picture. When some industries are cutting roles, others are still competing for specialized talent. Companies are struggling to find the specific skills they need locally. At the same time, immigration pathways have tightened and AI is reshaping job requirements faster than many workers can reskill, adding to hi…

Alysa Liu surveyed the glittery crowd arrayed in front of her, sipping cocktails and chatting. It was her first Met Gala, and she hesitated for a second, searching for a word to describe it. “It’s … BIG,” the Olympic skater finally said with a grin. But what Liu, dressed in a blood-red custom Louis Vuitton gown with a full skirt and huge ruffles, couldn’t quite get was how big SHE had become. Even at a party full of very, very famous people, everyone wanted to greet her. Some Met Gala guests have been famous for many years. Others have achieved fame with dizzying speed. For Liu, all it took was a gold-medal performance that charmed the whole world. “Everybody recogniz…

When markets swing, plans break, inboxes explode, and everyone starts saying the situation is “unprecedented” again, most teams do what humans have always done under pressure: they grip tighter. They add meetings. Escalate more decisions. Demand more updates. Work longer hours. And mistake motion for control. That response is understandable. It is also exactly how teams get slower, more political, and more exhausted at the moment they most need clarity. What’s the big idea? The teams that perform best in chaos rely less on heroics and more on habits. They do not magically become unflappable; they build simple, repeatable ways of working that reduce confusion, s…

I have a very conflicted relationship with my jute rug. I love the organic, textured aesthetic that makes my dining room feel earthy and relaxed. But over time, I’ve come to resent how scratchy it feels underfoot, how the fibers shed and splinter, and how if my toddler spills yogurt on it, there’s no way to get it out of the nooks and crannies, so it becomes part of the rug forever. Ruggable, the company that launched nearly a decade ago on the premise that rugs should be washable, has been on a mission to reimagine the jute rug. And after nearly two years of development, it is launching a machine-washable rug called Performance Weave that mimics jute so convincingly, yo…

Another major food brand is voluntarily recalling products after potential salmonella contamination linked to milk powder. Utz Quality Foods LLC, a subsidiary of Pennsylvania-based Utz Brands Inc, recalled some varieties of its Zapp’s and Dirty potato chips. The impacted chips’ seasoning contained dry milk powder manufactured by food producer California Dairies, which might be contaminated with salmonella. That’s according to a recall notice posted Monday by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “The affected seasoning batches tested negative for Salmonella prior to use; however, out of an abundance of caution, Utz is recalling the limited varieties of Zapp’…

Growing up, graphic designer, editor, and author Chip Kidd was about as artsy as he could be in 1970s suburban Reading, Pennsylvania. “I glommed onto comic books very early on,” he says. “I loved to draw. I loved to write. I took up the drums and joined the marching band; all of this typical artsy-gay-kid-that-can’t-come-out stuff.” Still, he says, he knew he wasn’t the most talented in drawing. “There’s always that other kid that draws better than you who gets the gig to draw everything for the yearbook; It’s not tragic. It’s like, alright, I’ve got to figure something else out.” That something else, as it happens, worked out pretty well. Today, Kidd is app…