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Conflict resolution is vital in guiding disputes that arise from differing interests, values, or beliefs. You’ll find that addressing the underlying issues rather than just surface disagreements is fundamental for effective resolution. Developing emotional intelligence, practicing active listening, and nurturing clear communication can greatly improve your ability to resolve conflicts. As you explore this guide, you’ll uncover strategies that not just address existing disputes but likewise prevent future conflicts in various settings. Key Takeaways Conflict resolution involves navigating disputes to achieve peaceful outcomes, focusing on underlying issues rather than just surface problems. Understanding conflict requires recognizing the emotional and cognitive dimensions that influence beliefs and behaviors during disagreements. Key strategies for resolution include active listening, emotional intelligence, and proactive prevention to address issues before they escalate. Mediation facilitates structured dialogue between conflicting parties to help uncover underlying issues and promote mutual solutions. Cultivating a culture of trust and clear communication can significantly reduce misunderstandings and prevent conflicts in the workplace. Definition of Conflict Resolution Conflict resolution is an important process that helps parties navigate disputes and disagreements, aiming to achieve peaceful outcomes. When you think about conflict, what does it mean? At its core, conflict arises from differing interests, values, or beliefs. Comprehending conflict information meaning is vital, as it encompasses the various dimensions of disagreement, including emotional and cognitive aspects. Conflict resolution meaning refers to the methods employed to address these disputes, which can range from informal discussions to formal mediation or arbitration. Effective conflict resolution involves recognizing the underlying issues rather than just addressing surface-level problems. This process requires skills like active listening and empathy, enabling you to cultivate a better comprehension among the parties involved. In the end, successful resolution promotes cooperation and can lead to stronger relationships, making it an invaluable skill in both personal and professional settings. Importance of Addressing Deeply Held Values When addressing conflicts, it’s essential to recognize how deeply held values influence your beliefs and behaviors. Utilizing value-based communication techniques can help you express your core beliefs during respecting others, which is important for resolving value-driven disputes. Core Beliefs Influence Conflict Grasping how core beliefs influence conflict is vital for effective resolution. Deeply held values form the foundation of your beliefs and actions, directly impacting your motivations in disputes. When conflicts arise that challenge these personal identities or core values, they often become intense and difficult to resolve. Addressing these values during conflict resolution is important, as it reveals the underlying interests of everyone involved. Value-Based Communication Techniques Addressing deeply held values during conflicts is vital for effective communication and resolution. These values often shape your beliefs and motivations, driving emotional responses. When conflicts arise over significant issues, like cultural or religious beliefs, the intensity can complicate resolution efforts. By comprehending and acknowledging these values, you can navigate conflicts more effectively. Techniques such as active listening and perspective-taking are imperative; they help uncover underlying values and promote empathy. This approach nurtures respect among conflicting parties, enabling you to find common ground. In the end, employing value-based communication leads to a deeper grasp of issues, paving the way for sustainable and satisfactory resolutions in conflicts. Engaging with these values directly helps create a collaborative atmosphere for resolution. Resolving Value-Driven Disputes Comprehending the importance of addressing deeply held values in conflict resolution can greatly influence the outcome of disputes. Conflicts driven by values often involve personal beliefs and identities, which makes them challenging to navigate. If not handled carefully, these disputes can escalate because of defensiveness. Techniques like perspective-taking and empathy are essential; they help you understand the underlying motivations of others, nurturing a collaborative atmosphere. Acknowledging these values guarantees everyone feels heard and respected, which is fundamental for rebuilding trust and relationships. Successful resolution often requires ongoing dialogue and negotiation, as entrenched beliefs may take time and patience to understand fully and agree upon. Addressing values leads to more sustainable and effective solutions. Key Strategies for Effective Resolution To resolve conflicts effectively, you can implement conflict coaching techniques and proactive prevention strategies. Conflict coaching improves your management and communication skills, as well as proactive strategies help address issues before they escalate. Conflict Coaching Techniques Effective conflict coaching techniques play a crucial role in enhancing your ability to manage disputes and improve communication skills. These techniques typically involve one-on-one sessions focused on your personal growth, helping you develop customized conflict resolution strategies. Core components, such as active listening and emotional intelligence, enable you to better understand and empathize with differing perspectives. Furthermore, practicing role-playing scenarios during coaching sessions prepares you for real-life conflicts, allowing you to explore potential outcomes and responses. Ongoing support and follow-up sessions guarantee your continuous improvement, reinforcing the skills you’ve developed. By engaging in conflict coaching, you equip yourself with practical tools and insights necessary for effective conflict management in various settings. Proactive Conflict Prevention Strategies Conflict resolution isn’t just about handling disputes after they arise; it also involves taking proactive steps to prevent them from happening in the first place. Establishing clear expectations promotes transparency, as cultivating a culture of trust encourages open dialogue. Training in effective communication can reduce misunderstandings, and regular team-building activities improve collaboration. Viewing conflicts as growth opportunities rather than threats can transform team dynamics. Strategy Description Benefits Clear Expectations Set norms to prevent misunderstandings Reduces potential conflicts Culture of Trust Encourage open dialogue and feedback Promotes accountability Conflict Resolution Training Equip employees with skills to handle disputes Creates a positive work atmosphere The Role of Mediation and Training Mediation plays an vital role in resolving disputes by facilitating discussions between conflicting parties, guiding them toward a mutually agreeable solution through structured dialogue. This process helps address underlying issues that contribute to conflicts, allowing for a more thorough resolution. Training programs in conflict resolution improve these mediation efforts by promoting comprehension, effective communication, and teamwork within organizations. By participating in structured training, individuals enhance their conflict management capabilities, encouraging a culture of respect and collaboration. Ongoing training, including one-on-one coaching sessions and facilitated dialogues, builds mutual trust among participants. This environment is fundamental for maintaining a positive workplace atmosphere and improving overall teamwork. As you engage in these mediation processes and training programs, you contribute to long-term relationship building and a harmonious work environment, eventually leading to more effective conflict resolution. Navigating Workplace Dynamics Maneuvering workplace dynamics requires a grasp of the various factors that contribute to interpersonal relationships among colleagues. Conflicts often arise from differing opinions, goals, or values, which can hinder productivity and morale if not addressed swiftly. To navigate these situations effectively, you must develop emotional intelligence, allowing you to acknowledge and manage emotions during disagreements. Recognizing underlying causes, such as miscommunication or unmet expectations, is essential for resolving conflicts. Clear communication and active listening are critical skills; they guarantee that all parties feel heard and respected during discussions. Furthermore, cultivating a culture of trust and respect within your team can prevent conflicts from escalating. When colleagues feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, it promotes open dialogue and collaboration. By focusing on these principles, you can create a supportive workplace environment that minimizes conflicts and improves teamwork. Proactive Measures for Conflict Prevention To effectively prevent conflicts in the workplace, it’s crucial to establish clear expectations and norms from the outset. Defined roles and communication protocols minimize misunderstandings that can lead to disputes. Nurturing a culture of trust and respect encourages open dialogue, allowing employees to share concerns early on. This proactive approach prevents issues from escalating into significant conflicts. Training in self-serving fairness interpretations and effective communication equips your team with the skills needed to recognize and address potential conflicts. Regular team check-ins and feedback sessions help maintain a positive work atmosphere and facilitate early identification of tensions. Focusing on collaboration and mutual problem-solving creates a supportive environment where conflicts are less likely to arise. When they do occur, addressing them swiftly becomes more manageable. Frequently Asked Questions What Are the 5 C’s of Conflict Resolution? The 5 C’s of conflict resolution are Communication, Collaboration, Compromise, Creativity, and Commitment. Communication involves expressing thoughts clearly during actively listening to others. Collaboration promotes teamwork to find solutions that benefit everyone. Compromise requires parties to make concessions to reach a satisfactory agreement. Creativity nurtures innovative problem-solving beyond traditional methods, and Commitment guarantees that all parties remain dedicated to the resolution process, working together toward a successful outcome. What Is the Understanding of Conflict Resolution? Conflict resolution refers to the process of resolving disputes by promoting collaboration and comprehension between parties. You’ll often encounter methods like mediation, negotiation, and arbitration, each varying in formality. Key elements include active listening, emotional intelligence, and clear communication, which help address underlying issues. Successful conflict resolution isn’t just a one-time effort; it requires ongoing commitment and adjustment to guarantee lasting solutions that respect deeply held values and interests of all involved. What Are the 4 C’s of Conflict Resolution? The 4 C’s of conflict resolution are Communication, Cooperation, Compromise, and Consensus. First, you need effective Communication to guarantee everyone feels heard. Next, Cooperation helps you work together in the direction of a shared goal, nurturing teamwork. Compromise involves making concessions, allowing all parties to find a middle ground. Finally, the aim is Consensus, where all parties agree on a solution that everyone can support, even though it’s not their first choice. What Are the 5 Steps of Conflict Resolution? The five steps of conflict resolution are crucial for addressing disputes effectively. First, you need to acknowledge the conflict exists. Next, create a safe space for discussion, allowing for a resolution-focused conversation. Then, let each party express their perspective fully to promote comprehension. After that, brainstorm potential solutions together. Finally, agree on the best solution, outlining clear responsibilities for implementation. Following these steps can lead to a constructive resolution for everyone involved. Conclusion In conclusion, conflict resolution is crucial for maintaining healthy relationships and effective communication. By recognizing the underlying values that fuel disputes and employing key strategies such as active listening and emotional intelligence, you can address conflicts more effectively. Mediation and training can further improve your skills, making it easier to navigate workplace dynamics. Taking proactive measures to prevent conflicts guarantees a collaborative environment, eventually leading to better problem-solving and stronger connections among individuals. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "Understanding Conflict Resolution: a How-To Guide †’ Understanding the Meaning of Conflict Resolution" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Conflict resolution is vital in guiding disputes that arise from differing interests, values, or beliefs. You’ll find that addressing the underlying issues rather than just surface disagreements is fundamental for effective resolution. Developing emotional intelligence, practicing active listening, and nurturing clear communication can greatly improve your ability to resolve conflicts. As you explore this guide, you’ll uncover strategies that not just address existing disputes but likewise prevent future conflicts in various settings. Key Takeaways Conflict resolution involves navigating disputes to achieve peaceful outcomes, focusing on underlying issues rather than just surface problems. Understanding conflict requires recognizing the emotional and cognitive dimensions that influence beliefs and behaviors during disagreements. Key strategies for resolution include active listening, emotional intelligence, and proactive prevention to address issues before they escalate. Mediation facilitates structured dialogue between conflicting parties to help uncover underlying issues and promote mutual solutions. Cultivating a culture of trust and clear communication can significantly reduce misunderstandings and prevent conflicts in the workplace. Definition of Conflict Resolution Conflict resolution is an important process that helps parties navigate disputes and disagreements, aiming to achieve peaceful outcomes. When you think about conflict, what does it mean? At its core, conflict arises from differing interests, values, or beliefs. Comprehending conflict information meaning is vital, as it encompasses the various dimensions of disagreement, including emotional and cognitive aspects. Conflict resolution meaning refers to the methods employed to address these disputes, which can range from informal discussions to formal mediation or arbitration. Effective conflict resolution involves recognizing the underlying issues rather than just addressing surface-level problems. This process requires skills like active listening and empathy, enabling you to cultivate a better comprehension among the parties involved. In the end, successful resolution promotes cooperation and can lead to stronger relationships, making it an invaluable skill in both personal and professional settings. Importance of Addressing Deeply Held Values When addressing conflicts, it’s essential to recognize how deeply held values influence your beliefs and behaviors. Utilizing value-based communication techniques can help you express your core beliefs during respecting others, which is important for resolving value-driven disputes. Core Beliefs Influence Conflict Grasping how core beliefs influence conflict is vital for effective resolution. Deeply held values form the foundation of your beliefs and actions, directly impacting your motivations in disputes. When conflicts arise that challenge these personal identities or core values, they often become intense and difficult to resolve. Addressing these values during conflict resolution is important, as it reveals the underlying interests of everyone involved. Value-Based Communication Techniques Addressing deeply held values during conflicts is vital for effective communication and resolution. These values often shape your beliefs and motivations, driving emotional responses. When conflicts arise over significant issues, like cultural or religious beliefs, the intensity can complicate resolution efforts. By comprehending and acknowledging these values, you can navigate conflicts more effectively. Techniques such as active listening and perspective-taking are imperative; they help uncover underlying values and promote empathy. This approach nurtures respect among conflicting parties, enabling you to find common ground. In the end, employing value-based communication leads to a deeper grasp of issues, paving the way for sustainable and satisfactory resolutions in conflicts. Engaging with these values directly helps create a collaborative atmosphere for resolution. Resolving Value-Driven Disputes Comprehending the importance of addressing deeply held values in conflict resolution can greatly influence the outcome of disputes. Conflicts driven by values often involve personal beliefs and identities, which makes them challenging to navigate. If not handled carefully, these disputes can escalate because of defensiveness. Techniques like perspective-taking and empathy are essential; they help you understand the underlying motivations of others, nurturing a collaborative atmosphere. Acknowledging these values guarantees everyone feels heard and respected, which is fundamental for rebuilding trust and relationships. Successful resolution often requires ongoing dialogue and negotiation, as entrenched beliefs may take time and patience to understand fully and agree upon. Addressing values leads to more sustainable and effective solutions. Key Strategies for Effective Resolution To resolve conflicts effectively, you can implement conflict coaching techniques and proactive prevention strategies. Conflict coaching improves your management and communication skills, as well as proactive strategies help address issues before they escalate. Conflict Coaching Techniques Effective conflict coaching techniques play a crucial role in enhancing your ability to manage disputes and improve communication skills. These techniques typically involve one-on-one sessions focused on your personal growth, helping you develop customized conflict resolution strategies. Core components, such as active listening and emotional intelligence, enable you to better understand and empathize with differing perspectives. Furthermore, practicing role-playing scenarios during coaching sessions prepares you for real-life conflicts, allowing you to explore potential outcomes and responses. Ongoing support and follow-up sessions guarantee your continuous improvement, reinforcing the skills you’ve developed. By engaging in conflict coaching, you equip yourself with practical tools and insights necessary for effective conflict management in various settings. Proactive Conflict Prevention Strategies Conflict resolution isn’t just about handling disputes after they arise; it also involves taking proactive steps to prevent them from happening in the first place. Establishing clear expectations promotes transparency, as cultivating a culture of trust encourages open dialogue. Training in effective communication can reduce misunderstandings, and regular team-building activities improve collaboration. Viewing conflicts as growth opportunities rather than threats can transform team dynamics. Strategy Description Benefits Clear Expectations Set norms to prevent misunderstandings Reduces potential conflicts Culture of Trust Encourage open dialogue and feedback Promotes accountability Conflict Resolution Training Equip employees with skills to handle disputes Creates a positive work atmosphere The Role of Mediation and Training Mediation plays an vital role in resolving disputes by facilitating discussions between conflicting parties, guiding them toward a mutually agreeable solution through structured dialogue. This process helps address underlying issues that contribute to conflicts, allowing for a more thorough resolution. Training programs in conflict resolution improve these mediation efforts by promoting comprehension, effective communication, and teamwork within organizations. By participating in structured training, individuals enhance their conflict management capabilities, encouraging a culture of respect and collaboration. Ongoing training, including one-on-one coaching sessions and facilitated dialogues, builds mutual trust among participants. This environment is fundamental for maintaining a positive workplace atmosphere and improving overall teamwork. As you engage in these mediation processes and training programs, you contribute to long-term relationship building and a harmonious work environment, eventually leading to more effective conflict resolution. Navigating Workplace Dynamics Maneuvering workplace dynamics requires a grasp of the various factors that contribute to interpersonal relationships among colleagues. Conflicts often arise from differing opinions, goals, or values, which can hinder productivity and morale if not addressed swiftly. To navigate these situations effectively, you must develop emotional intelligence, allowing you to acknowledge and manage emotions during disagreements. Recognizing underlying causes, such as miscommunication or unmet expectations, is essential for resolving conflicts. Clear communication and active listening are critical skills; they guarantee that all parties feel heard and respected during discussions. Furthermore, cultivating a culture of trust and respect within your team can prevent conflicts from escalating. When colleagues feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, it promotes open dialogue and collaboration. By focusing on these principles, you can create a supportive workplace environment that minimizes conflicts and improves teamwork. Proactive Measures for Conflict Prevention To effectively prevent conflicts in the workplace, it’s crucial to establish clear expectations and norms from the outset. Defined roles and communication protocols minimize misunderstandings that can lead to disputes. Nurturing a culture of trust and respect encourages open dialogue, allowing employees to share concerns early on. This proactive approach prevents issues from escalating into significant conflicts. Training in self-serving fairness interpretations and effective communication equips your team with the skills needed to recognize and address potential conflicts. Regular team check-ins and feedback sessions help maintain a positive work atmosphere and facilitate early identification of tensions. Focusing on collaboration and mutual problem-solving creates a supportive environment where conflicts are less likely to arise. When they do occur, addressing them swiftly becomes more manageable. Frequently Asked Questions What Are the 5 C’s of Conflict Resolution? The 5 C’s of conflict resolution are Communication, Collaboration, Compromise, Creativity, and Commitment. Communication involves expressing thoughts clearly during actively listening to others. Collaboration promotes teamwork to find solutions that benefit everyone. Compromise requires parties to make concessions to reach a satisfactory agreement. Creativity nurtures innovative problem-solving beyond traditional methods, and Commitment guarantees that all parties remain dedicated to the resolution process, working together toward a successful outcome. What Is the Understanding of Conflict Resolution? Conflict resolution refers to the process of resolving disputes by promoting collaboration and comprehension between parties. You’ll often encounter methods like mediation, negotiation, and arbitration, each varying in formality. Key elements include active listening, emotional intelligence, and clear communication, which help address underlying issues. Successful conflict resolution isn’t just a one-time effort; it requires ongoing commitment and adjustment to guarantee lasting solutions that respect deeply held values and interests of all involved. What Are the 4 C’s of Conflict Resolution? The 4 C’s of conflict resolution are Communication, Cooperation, Compromise, and Consensus. First, you need effective Communication to guarantee everyone feels heard. Next, Cooperation helps you work together in the direction of a shared goal, nurturing teamwork. Compromise involves making concessions, allowing all parties to find a middle ground. Finally, the aim is Consensus, where all parties agree on a solution that everyone can support, even though it’s not their first choice. What Are the 5 Steps of Conflict Resolution? The five steps of conflict resolution are crucial for addressing disputes effectively. First, you need to acknowledge the conflict exists. Next, create a safe space for discussion, allowing for a resolution-focused conversation. Then, let each party express their perspective fully to promote comprehension. After that, brainstorm potential solutions together. Finally, agree on the best solution, outlining clear responsibilities for implementation. Following these steps can lead to a constructive resolution for everyone involved. Conclusion In conclusion, conflict resolution is crucial for maintaining healthy relationships and effective communication. By recognizing the underlying values that fuel disputes and employing key strategies such as active listening and emotional intelligence, you can address conflicts more effectively. Mediation and training can further improve your skills, making it easier to navigate workplace dynamics. Taking proactive measures to prevent conflicts guarantees a collaborative environment, eventually leading to better problem-solving and stronger connections among individuals. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "Understanding Conflict Resolution: a How-To Guide †’ Understanding the Meaning of Conflict Resolution" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Xteink X4 is a wallet-sized e-reader from China that has attracted a cult following of tinkerers online for its no-frills charm and crisp 4.3-inch display. When I reviewed it last year, I had a few minor complaints, but "too big" definitely wasn't one of them—not surprising, given I was already an adherent of the phone-sized Boox Palma 2. But now that I have tested out the Xteink X3, the X4's even tinier brother, I can't help but wonder if there exists an e-reader so small I won't prefer it. Xteink X3 E-reader $79.03 at Xteink Shop Now Shop Now $79.03 at Xteink Xteink X4 $69.00 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $69.00 at Amazon SEE -1 MORE The X3 has a 3.7-inch screen measured diagonally, which makes it about 14% smaller than the X4; including the bezels, it has an overall footprint that's roughly 20% smaller. When we're already talking about a device so small my wife rolled her eyes when I showed it to her, you'd think that downsizing would make it unusable—but after spending a few weeks using it to read one of the longest novels on my TBR (the 900-page 1985 western Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry), not only did I find myself preferring the X3 for being even less obtrusive to carry around with me, I didn't think the loss of screen space affected the reading experience at all. (Here's where I note that if the idea of reading on such a cramped device makes you anxious, consider the possibility that this device is just not for you, or that the people who like it are nuts, or both.) Credit: Joel Cunningham Sizing differences between the Xteink X3 and Xteink X4The X4 measures 114 x 69 x 5.98 mm and weighs 74g, while the X3 is 98 x 64 x 4.98 mm and 55g. Both are small and light to be sure, but at about the size of a credit card, the X3 is so tiny, you might forget you're carrying it around. It's worth noting that while early images of the X4 advertised it could magnetically attach to the back of your phone (ostensibly so you'd flip your phone over to read instead of doomscrolling), it was too big to do so securely on my iPhone 14. The X3, on the other hand, is sized just right, though I still don't think I'd ever actually do this, as the connection is loose enough that the e-reader slides off the back of the phone when I take it out of my pocket.) Credit: Joel Cunningham Readability differences between the Xteink X3 and Xteink X4Compared to a Kindle Paperwhite's 6.8-inch screen, both the X3 and the X4 look pretty tiny, but I find both to be equally readable. Both offer 480x800 resolution, but because the screen on the X3 is smaller, the resolution is actually better, at 250ppi versus 220ppi for the X4. Unless you're about an inch from the screen, you probably won't be able to spot this difference with the naked eye, however—text on both is nice and crisp. I prefer to read in portrait mode, and find both devices show enough text that I don't feel like I'm turning pages too often. If you instead read in landscape mode, here's a comparison showing how much text fits on a page (with a large-print trade paperback for scale): Credit: Joel Cunningham Battery and charging differences between the Xteink X3 and Xteink X4Both devices have the same 650 mAh battery, which will give you at least two weeks of regular use on one charge, but how you charge them is different: While the X4 uses a standard USB-C cable, to save on space, the X3 has pgo pins on the back that require a special charging cable. I charge it rarely enough that this doesn't bother me, but I don't love needing to remember where I put yet another proprietary cable. (Members of the Xteink Reddit suggest a fix for this—a USB-C-to-pogo adapter—but that kinda just seems like something else I'd lose.) Differences in buttons between the Xteink X3 and Xteink X4While both have physical buttons, the X3 has one extra, adding discreet up/down (or is that left/right?) buttons on either side of the device, rather than the X4's single dual-function rocker on the right-hand side. This improves usability somewhat, as every once in a while I would put pressure on the wrong side of the X4's page-turn button, and move back a page instead of forward a page. (Both devices have the same dual-purpose buttons on the bottom front bezel, however, and they will still take a little while to get used to.) I also like that the power/sleep button has been moved to the top, where I'm less likely to press it accidentally. Gyroscope and NFC on the Xteink X3 and Xteink X4The X3 also adds a gyroscope that will ostensibly allow you to turn pages by tilting the device, but in practice, it isn't very useful, as I found the amount of movement necessary to trigger a page turn inconsistent (you can toggle in the settings between more and less movement, but neither option worked well for me). The X3 also supports near-field communication (NFC) to support wireless connection with your phone for file transfers, but I found it just as easy to use Bluetooth or wifi, which are supported on both. Storage differences between the Xteink X3 and Xteink X4Neither device has internal storage, opting instead for a card slot that accepts flash cards up to 512GB, which is enough to hold all of your books unless you are a major league digital hoarder. Price differences between the Xteink X3 and Xteink X4While both e-readers are fairly inexpensive, at $69, the X4 is weirdly cheaper than the X3, which costs $10 more (likely due to the added tech and inclusion of the pogo cable). Installing the CrossPoint firmware is a must, whichever you chooseThe big caveat for both of these e-readers is that the native software kind of sucks. Though the developers keep updating it, as of this writing it only offers two font choices, it can't display images, and text styling like bold and italics are a no-go. Luckily, a huge online community has sprung up around the device, and there are multiple crowdsourced options for replacing the firmware—and the process is so easy, anyone who can plug in a USB cable into their computer can do it. The best known of these alternate operating systems is called CrossPoint, and once installed, these Xteink devices will do basically everything a reader could ask for. You can switch fonts, install new ones, change your lock screen wallpaper (or use the cover of the book you're reading), tweak your margins, remap the buttons, set a sleep timer, automate page turns, sync with the KOreader reading app, and more. There are currently a bunch of CrossPoint variations ("forks") that offer slightly different features, so poke around to find one that suits you—whether it's CrossPet, which adds a Tamagotchi-like virtual chicken game to your reader; or this one, which is loaded with options to track your reading stats. Flashing your Xteink device with CrossPoint couldn't be simpler. You just plug it into your computer, and point your browser at this website (https://xteink.dve.al/). Scroll down the page until you see the "Flash CrossPoint firmware" button. Click it, and your device will automatically load the new operating system and reset itself. Where to buy the Xteink X3While the Xteink X4 has been available on Amazon for a few weeks, if you want the X3, you'll need to order directly from Xteink. If you want to save some cash, you can also pick up both devices from AliExpress, which is sort of like China's answer to Amazon Marketplace; you'll likely pay a bit less for the device, and it's likely to ship with the Chinese version of the firmware installed—but that's fine, because you're going to flash CrossPoint anyway, right? View the full article

The challenges with AI adoption have little to do with the technology itself. In the work environment, the hardest part is bringing together a new orchestration model that fully integrates AI tools while ensuring teams both adopt and master new behaviors to deliver tangible results. As Steve Lucas recently wrote in Fast Company, we have entered the era of the “AI natives and the AI nots.” This delta will become vividly apparent this year. At the center of the AI revolution: a fundamental reevaluation of organizational design. Roles are evolving because the skills, intelligence, and processes we have relied on are being upended and redefined. OLD PROCESSES AND NEW ONES What we see broadly in knowledge work is two kinds of behavioral ecosystems operating in tandem. The first is our old processes and systems. At the administrative level, individual job descriptions and responsibilities require certain tasks to go through certain people. However, setting up an AI agent can replace some of this administrative work. The blocker is the transition from the old to the new and how to get there without disrupting the business. Most of us are not pulling off the Band-Aid and replacing people with AI agents because there are not enough people in organizations that can reliably vet, learn, set up, train, and adopt AI platforms and agents without disruption and also while guaranteeing a better outcome. This means that for many organizations, a fundamentally new way of running a business and doing certain kinds of knowledge work means leveraging AI along with human roles and activities. The challenge is that it can be hard for businesses to quickly and easily integrate AI. The short-term disruption is too great and the ROI is unclear from the start. MANUAL VERSUS MACHINE I like to think of this as the John Henry stage of AI. As folklore has it, John Henry used his human might to manually hammer a hole into the rock faster than a steam drill, only to die victorious with a hammer in his hand as his heart and body gave out. Similarly, we see AI outpace humans in certain work while some people continue using old methods. Ironically, transitioning to a new method requires individuals to meet and discuss how to do it. So the largest hurdle to surmount is the process to get from strategy to adoption and behavior change, so that execution preserves both speed and craft. PEOPLE ARE THE PROBLEM What is the problem at the center of all orchestration redesign problems? People. There is a common adage born from Price’s Law that about 10% of the people in an organization (technically, the square root of the total number of participants) do 50% of the work. When you layer AI tools into the mix, the few AI superusers become increasingly indispensable while the rest of your knowledge workers become less valuable and more inclined to hold onto their old methods. In Dan Davies’ 2024 book, The Unaccountability Machine, he coins the term accountability sinks and argues that since World War II, modern businesses have over-indexed on process, resulting in diffused decision-making. This obscures and deflects responsibility and consequences. The result is a difficulty in identifying mistakes and fixing them. AI orchestration promises to reorient the accountability sink paradigm. When you incrementally interrogate most business processes, no individual aspect appears inherently confusing or unclear. But when layering in human delegation without articulating the skills and steps to achieve a goal, things go awry. ACCOUNTABILITY OBFUSCATION I would argue that to some degree, all administrative knowledge work has built-in accountability obfuscation. If a job requires delegation as a primary job function, you open the door to deflect accountability. If you replace administrative functions that rely on delegation with AI agents, these functions hypothetically become more bilateral. They either work or they don’t. To move beyond the problem with AI adoption, I’d place my bets on an internal innovator over a John Henry in your organization. A full stack worker that has a success- and outcome-focused mindset may fumble and make mistakes. But they will be driven because their “if you’re not first, you’re last” outlook will spark real progress to break free of accountability sinks. Find the individuals inside and outside your organization with the passion, curiosity, and talent to build new methods of AI orchestration. It will be messy and imperfect, but the alternative is to die with a proverbial hammer in your hand. For me, the choice is clear. Matt Owens is chief design and innovation officer at Athletics. View the full article

The same ChatGPT chatbot that gave OpenAI’s chief financial officer Sarah Friar a tilapia recipe for a recent Sunday night dinner at home is also now doing her most mundane tasks at work like summarizing her emails and Slack messages. Friar and other company executives are banking OpenAI’s future on more of the latter as it shifts its focus to business-oriented products while shedding some of its consumer offerings as a pathway to profitability. OpenAI says it will introduce a new artificial intelligence model for “high-value professional work” as the company faces heightened competition with rival Anthropic in attracting corporate customers to adopt AI assistants in their workplaces. “You’ll see a new model coming from us in short order. We feel very excited about it,” Friar said in an interview with The Associated Press. OpenAI boasts of more than 900 million weekly users of its core ChatGPT product, and Friar said about 95% of them “don’t pay anything” for the popular chatbot. But while all those interactions build habits and reliance, they also strain the costly computing resources needed to power the company’s AI systems and highlight the need for big business customers to help pay the bills. OpenAI, valued at $852 billion, and Anthropic, valued at $380 billion, both lose more money than they make, putting the privately-owned San Francisco-based AI research laboratories in a fierce competition to generate more revenue as they race toward becoming publicly traded on Wall Street. A push to improve performance and sales of OpenAI’s business-oriented products — already Anthropic’s bread and butter — has driven OpenAI to abandon some consumer initiatives, like the AI video generator app Sora. “I think it was a little heartbreaking, but we’re like, OK, it’s not the main event right now,” Friar said. “We need to make sure that our new model that’s coming has enough compute.” Codenamed Spud, OpenAI says its “smartest model yet” offers “stronger reasoning, better understanding of intent and dependencies, better follow-through and more reliable output in production.” It will be part of OpenAI’s answer to Anthropic’s new Claude Mythos, which Anthropic claims is so “strikingly capable” that it is limiting its use to select customers because of its apparent ability to surpass human cybersecurity experts in finding or exploiting computer vulnerabilities. While most people can’t use Mythos, Anthropic also on Thursday released Opus 4.7, describing it as its most powerful “generally available” model. Friar, the former CEO of neighborhood social platform Nextdoor, said business customers accounted for about 20% of OpenAI’s revenue when she was hired in 2024 as chief financial officer. She said it’s now 40% and expected to account for half of OpenAI’s sales by the end of the year. It’s a sharp turnaround from late last year, when OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman was promoting a now-shuttered Sora partnership with Disney, launching a plan to sell ads on ChatGPT and floating the idea of letting ChatGPT engage in erotica with paid adult users. Altman said on the “Mostly Human” podcast earlier this month that a sharper focus was needed — and Friar agrees. “Tech companies, when they’re growing, it’s just this natural thing that happens. There’s so many cool things you could do,” she said, adding that companies can end up doing “really badly” if they do too many things, while “great companies are very good at, in a reasonable period of time, kind of doing that winnowing down and refocusing and it’s super painful.” Signaling that shift was the hiring three months ago of Slack CEO Denise Dresser to be OpenAI’s first chief revenue officer. Dresser said in a recent AP interview that she has been laser-focused on meeting with corporate leaders and positioning OpenAI as the go-to platform for workplaces employing AI agents to automate a variety of computer-based job tasks. “It’s really clear to me that companies are past the experimentation phase and they’re into using AI to do real work,” Dresser said. “Leaders at companies are recognizing that AI is probably the most consequential shift of their lifetime.” But those leaders also have a choice, namely Anthropic’s Claude that has become widely used by software professionals. Founded in 2021 by a group of ex-OpenAI leaders who said they wanted to prioritize AI safety, Anthropic has positioned itself as the more responsible AI vendor. The distinction drew attention when President Donald The President’s administration punished the startup after a contract dispute over AI use in the military, and Altman used the opportunity to cement OpenAI’s own deal with the Pentagon. Consumer interest in Anthropic surged and the company said its annualized revenues hit $30 billion, a higher number than what OpenAI has reported, though they measure it differently. Friar and Dresser declined to reveal OpenAI’s latest sales but both have suggested that Anthropic’s number is inflated because it doesn’t account for revenue it must share with cloud computing providers Amazon and Google. Even so, it remains a tight competition that’s also tied to the health of the stock market and the future of the economy. “They’re likely quite close,” said Luke Emberson, a researcher at nonprofit institute Epoch AI. “Certainly the trends show Anthropic is growing much faster than OpenAI. If that continues, they’re likely to cross soon.” The urgency led Dresser to send a memo to OpenAI employees on Sunday, first reported by The Verge, that asserted that Anthropic’s coding focus “gave them an early wedge” but expressing confidence that OpenAI has the “real structural advantage” as AI usage expands beyond software developers and OpenAI builds enough computing capacity to operate its AI systems. “Their story is built on fear, restriction, and the idea that a small group of elites should control AI,” Dresser’s memo said of Anthropic. “Our positive message will win over time: build powerful systems, put in the right safeguards, expand access, and help people do more.” But for skeptics of the financial viability of the AI industry, the trajectory of both money-losing companies is alarming as smaller startups increasingly become dependent on their AI tools. Anthropic has imposed rate limits on heavy users, forcing some to wait for hours to use Claude, and both companies have set up service tiers that reward premium payers, said author and AI critic Ed Zitron. “It’s what I call the subprime AI crisis,” Zitron said. “People built their lives and they built their businesses on top of these companies that, as they try and save money, will start turning the screws.” One thing that both AI leaders and critics agree on is that it is an expensive technology, though whether it is worth the cost in electricity-hungry AI computers remains to be seen. “People will say, well, ‘Once they go public, they’re safe.’ That’s not true,” Zitron said. “Public companies can and will die, especially ones that are dependent on $100 billion to $200 billion every year or so, just to keep breathing.” —Matt O’Brien, AP technology writer View the full article

Agreement could increase the chance of securing a permanent end to the war between the US and IranView the full article

If you've ever started a new workout routine with the best intentions only to find yourself skipping sessions by week two, you're not alone. I'm the type to get trapped in the same cycle of burnout, where I go hard for a couple of weeks, feel exhausted, feel guilty, and repeat. For me, what finally broke that cycle wasn't a new gym membership or a fancy fitness app, but a simple scheduling hack: the "3-3-3 rule." I'd seen this rule applied it to general productivity, and all the same principles can apply to your fitness habits, too. Here's how you can use the 3-3-3 rules to structure your workouts and create a habit that sticks. What is the 3-3-3 rule?The 3-3-3 "rule" (or "method," or "gentle suggestion") is essentially a weekly workout framework built around three types of movement, each done three times per week: Three strength training sessions. This includes lifting weights, bodyweight circuits, resistance bands, whatever builds muscle and challenges your body. Three cardio sessions. This includes running, cycling, swimming, jump rope, a dance class—what counts as "cardio" is up for debate, but here, I think of it as anything that gets your heart pumping. Three active recovery days. This includes light walking, yoga, stretching, foam rolling, and so on. And yes, I realize this math adds up to nine intentional days of movement across a seven-day week. Here's the thing: You do double duty some days, or skip workouts here and there, or adjust to a nine-day cycle, because the point isn't rigid scheduling. The point is rhythm over a strict structure. For me, the 3-3-3 rule provides a sense of momentum that's flexible enough to fit into real life, but consistent enough to actually stick to. Why the 3-3-3 rule works for meBefore I get into how the 3-3-3 rule helped me specifically, let's talk about why so many workout plans fall apart in the first place. I believe most of them make two classic mistakes. The first is doing too much, too soon. You go from zero to six days a week at the gym, you get burnt out, and the whole thing unravels. The second mistake is having no real structure at all—just vague intentions, like "I'll work out when I can," which never materializes into anything real for a lot of people. For me, the 3-3-3 rule solves both of those problems. It gives me enough structure to build habit and momentum, but not so much intensity that my body and brain feel overwhelmed. I personally adore running, but I struggle to motivate myself to lift weights; the 3-3-3 rhythm here helped me find a middle ground between those two workouts. When I know I have three strength sessions to hit in a week (or nine-ish day cycle), I can look at my calendar and find three slots without too much drama or dread. There's also plenty of breathing room built into the plan, which was the biggest game changer for me. I used to have the (toxic) thought that my rest days were wasted days, which is a mentality that led to either overtraining or complete inactivity with pretty much no middle ground. Plus, there's something psychologically satisfying about the number three. I know and love the rule of threes in photography, comedy, survival tips, and all over the place. How to make a 3-3-3 workout schedule work for youThe 3-3-3 rule has a ton of wiggle room for customization. Here are some ideas for how you can approach it: For strength days, pick a format you actually enjoy. That might be a full-body circuit, a push/pull/legs split, or a class at your gym. (Boxing, anyone?) Your focus on these days should be a progressive challenge—push yourself, yes, but don't obliterate yourself. For cardio days, variety helps. Mix a longer, easier effort with a shorter, more intense session (like a 20-minute interval run). I know I'm biased, but cardio really shouldn't feel like punishment. For recovery days, resist the urge to "make them count" by sneaking in extra work. The whole point is to let your body consolidate the gains from your harder days. Walk, stretch, breathe, and trust the process. Another practical tip: Pick a night to map out your 3-3-3 week ahead of time. You'll probably find that the week arranges itself pretty naturally once you're looking for those nine windows. The bottom lineAs always, consistency should always be your priority in fitness. If you've been struggling to find a rhythm, if your past workout plans have always fizzled out around week three, give the 3-3-3 rule an honest four-week try. Maybe start with a 1-1-1 month! After all, the 3-3-3 rule isn't a hack to totally transform your physique, but I do think it can provide something way more valuable. Finding a routine that works for you—like the 3-3-3 rule works for me—is the first step to make exercise a reliable, sustainable part of your life. View the full article

A tariff refund program will open next week over The President’s now invalidated tariffs. But consumers shouldn’t get too excited — the program is only aimed at companies, not individuals. On Friday, the program was introduced by U.S. Customers and Border Protection (CBP), which said the tool, Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) will open in phases, with the first phase beginning on April 20. “CAPE will simplify International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) duty refund requests made pursuant to court order and in accordance with appropriate statutory authority by providing an electronic pathway to submit valid IEEPA duty refund claims,” CBP explains on its website. The tariff refund system’s introduction comes after the Supreme Court struck down tariffs President The President imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). In his ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts said the president lacked the authority to impose such tariffs, given Congress did not grant him that power. He said, “In light of the breadth, history, and constitutional context of that asserted authority, he must identify clear congressional authorization to exercise it,” asserting that the president had not done so. After the Supreme Court’s ruling, Judge Richard Eaton then ordered CBP to calculate what importers would have paid without The President’s tariffs and to begin processing refunds. Eaton said that up to 82% of IEEPA duty payments, amounting to $127 billion, may be eligible for refunds. More than 3,000 companies have filed lawsuits over the impact of The President’s tariffs, according to research from Manufacturing Dive. Who should apply? Only businesses impacted by The President’s tariffs can apply for tariff refunds through CAPE. According to CBP, the first phase of CAPE’s launch will only be for “certain unliquidated entries and certain entries within 80 days of liquidation.” Applicants need to have an ACE Secure Data Portal account, provide CBP with their bank account information, and submit their declaration through the CAPE portal. CBP says, “Once a CAPE Declaration is validated and accepted, ACE will update the appropriate entry summary lines by removing the IEEPA Harmonized Tariff Schedule Chapter 99 provision and the corresponding IEEPA duties, resulting in an updated version of the entry.” Only businesses that paid IEEPA tariffs and customs brokers that paid duties on an importer’s behalf are eligible. CBP also noted that it will not accept applications from attorneys filing on behalf of importers. How long will refunds take? Refunds will take anywhere from 60 to 90 days following an acceptance from CAPE, “unless a compliance concern requires further CBP review,” CBP says. Questions about refunds can be sent to: traderelations@cbp.dhs.gov. What about consumers? CAPE is only designed to issue refunds to businesses, not consumers. Regardless, recent polling from Groundwork Collaborative and Data for Progress found that 42% of voters think “refunds should go directly to American households”, given businesses passed price hikes onto customers. According to a Joint Economic Committee fact sheet, American consumers paid more than $231 billion from February 2025 through January 2026 due to The President’s tariffs. On average, that comes out to around $1,745 per family. View the full article

As Jennifer Harris, director of the Economy and Society Initiative at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, has recently pointed out, we are at a particularly fraught moment. Rising inequality means that fewer people have spending power, creating incentives that sharpen the affordability crisis for everybody else. But there are remedies that don’t require draconian taxes and are proven to work—at their core is ownership. Since 1984, worker productivity in the United States has risen by 80%. Real wages have risen by 20%. The stock market, in the same period, has risen by roughly 9,000%. Now comes artificial intelligence—poised, in BlackRock CEO Larry Fink’s words, to “repeat that pattern at an even larger scale.” The wealth from the next great technological wave—like the ones before it—is on track to flow to the people who own things, not the people who do things. We are right in the extraordinarily messy middle of what economic historian Carlota Pérez calls the installation phase of a technological revolution. During such periods, finance operates in a casino-like economy, financiers and high-tech barons capture most of the gains, inequality spikes, and populism rises. The Gilded Age looked like this. The Roaring Twenties looked like this. So does 2026. But Perez’s framework contains an underappreciated ray of hope. Every installation phase has eventually given way to a “golden age”—a deployment phase in which the new technologies spread widely, productivity and wages finally move together, and prosperity broadens. The age of steel, electricity and heavy engineering had its Belle Époque. The age of petroleum mass production had the postwar boom. With all the talk of AI widening income inequality, we should be spending at least as much energy and intellect on what conditions are necessary for a golden age to follow. Chief among those conditions, historically, is getting money out of the casino and into productive enterprise that benefits the workers who create the value. I believe there is a policy mechanism hiding in plain sight that could accelerate this shift. It won’t require taxing the rich into submission or building a new federal bureaucracy. It involves changing the incentives so that more companies convert to worker ownership—through Employee Stock Ownership Plans, worker cooperatives, or other broad-based equity structures. The idea is not new, but it is newly urgent, and the evidence for its benefits have never been stronger. The Evergreen Inspiration I had a revealing conversation recently with Dave Whorton, the founder of the Tugboat Institute and co-author (with Bo Burlingham) of Another Way: Building Companies That Last and Last and Last. Whorton spent years in Silicon Valley venture capital before becoming disillusioned with the grow-fast-and-exit model. He set out to find companies built on a different logic, and discovered what he calls “evergreen” companies. Examples include high-performing companies such as the SAS Institute, Springfield Remanufacturing, Enterprise Rental Car, and Radio Flyer. They share a set of practices that look countercultural from a Wall Street vantage point: little or no debt, open-book management, and people development practices favoring long-term skill development and growth. The fact that there are so many financially successful companies that people love to work at and that are regarded as exceptional employers raises a question: why aren’t more companies built this way? Whorton’s answer is simple and structural. “There’s a powerful ecosystem that financially benefits from the current model.” This includes the investment banks, private equity players, venture funds, and wealth managers who need the IPO-or-exit conveyor belt to continue running. The incentives tell you all you need to know. A Hard-Nosed Reason for a Golden Age approach But, we may well be on the brink of an era in which the smart money realizes the sheer destructiveness of the current model. Compelling recent evidence for the benefits of worker ownership comes from none other than KKR, one of the world’s largest private equity firms. Pete Stavros, KKR’s co-head of global private equity, has spent fifteen years proving a model. Starting in 2011, he began giving equity stakes to all employees in KKR’s investments, not just to senior management. The results have been remarkable by any measure. At C.H.I. Overhead Doors, an Illinois garage door manufacturer KKR acquired in 2015, only 18 employees were shareholders at the time of purchase. KKR extended ownership to all 800 workers. When the company was sold to Nucor in 2022, hourly employees averaging $50,000 a year received payouts averaging $175,000—plus $9,000 in dividends paid out earlier. More recently, at CoolIT Systems in Calgary, workers received average payouts of roughly $240,000 when KKR exited—Wall Street bonus territory. At Ingersoll Rand, 16,000 employees across 80 countries shared $800 million in wealth creation. KKR now oversees ownership plans at 84 portfolio companies covering nearly 200,000 non-management workers, and has already distributed $1.8 billion across 13 exits. Total projected payouts when remaining companies are sold or listed: as much as $14 billion. But here’s the thing Stavros wants the business world to understand: this is not philanthropy. Employee turnover at these companies has fallen dramatically. At some portfolio companies, KKR was “hiring three thousand fewer people every year” after implementing ownership—a direct cost saving. Engagement scores moved from the twentieth percentile to the ninetieth. Employee-owned companies attract better talent and keep it longer. KKR has won competitive auctions—including the $1.6 billion acquisition of Simon & Schuster in 2023—partly because sellers and employees value its commitment to broad ownership. Stavros is blunt about the underlying problem he’s trying to solve: “It’s hard to get rich on your labor alone. People build wealth in this country by owning things. But that hasn’t been the case for frontline workers.” What the Policy Landscape Is Missing Current ESOP law, created in the 1970s, was intended to formalize and incentivize broad ownership. But even today, only about 15 million workers are part-owners of their employers. The technical requirements are burdensome, the lawsuit exposure is high, and for large companies, converting to an ESOP structure is complex. Stavros’s nonprofit Ownership Works and its coalition Expanding ESOPs are pushing for federal legislative changes to simplify the rules, expand tax incentives, and provide better legal protections for ESOP transactions. This is the right direction. Here are several specific interventions that could further accelerate the conversion of firms to worker ownership: Expand seller-side tax incentives. Under current law, owners who sell their company to an ESOP can defer—and in some cases eliminate—capital gains taxes. This is a powerful incentive for business owners approaching retirement to sell to employees rather than to private equity or a strategic buyer or to simply shut the business. Pennsylvania recently extended this benefit at the state level. More could be done along these lines. Simplify the ESOP formation process. The legal and fiduciary requirements for forming an ESOP remain complex. A streamlined, standardized formation process—akin to the B Corp certification framework—would lower the barrier dramatically. Create a “cooperative conversion” loan facility. Just as the invention of the 30-year mortgage made the previously-unheard-of idea of average workers becoming homeowners, a similar innovation could help average workers become owners. The New Economy Coalition supports a version of such a facility. Reform stock buyback taxation to favor ownership investment. Since the SEC’s 1982 ruling legalizing open-market buybacks, public companies have funneled trillions of dollars into share repurchases rather than wages, training, or capital investment. The Inflation Reduction Act imposed a 1 percent excise tax on buybacks—a start, but too small to meaningfully alter behavior. Raising that tax while providing benefits for companies that implement broad employee ownership plans could shift the calculus. Require ownership disclosures in government contracting. The federal government spends over $700 billion a year on contracts. Requiring bidders to disclose their employee ownership structure and giving preference to firms with broad-based ownership or ESOP status could create powerful market incentives without mandates. The Challenge of the Turning Point Golden ages don’t just happen. They need governments to provide directionality. They need long-term corporate decisions, in which capital is directed productively, not, as Warren Buffett argues, “wasted” on a casino-like environment. They need fresh ideas, such as those coming out of the Committee on Economic Development, which shaped much of the Post WWII Golden Age. The gilded age of the current digital revolution has lasted longer than it should. Financialization has meant, as Whorton observed, that “you can make more money jiggling around with financial assets than you can investing in real companies.” Worker ownership is one of the most direct ways to break this loop. When employees are shareholders, the productivity gains from AI and other technologies accrue—at least in part—to the people doing the work. The incentive to underinvest in workers reverses. The “quit rate” falls because employees have a financial stake in the outcome. Open-book management, which Whorton’s evergreen companies practice almost universally, becomes natural because employees with equity have reason to understand and care about the numbers. Jack Stack rebuilt Springfield Remanufacturing on exactly this insight: “Give them the numbers, show them how to play the game and win—and they’ll help you do that.” The Moment We’re In A wave of baby boomer business owners is approaching retirement over the next decade. Something like $10 trillion in privately held business assets will change hands in the next twenty years. The default outcome, if nothing changes, is that most of those businesses will close, be sold to private equity or strategic acquirers, or broken up. The employees who built them will receive nothing beyond their wages. This is the window. With the right incentives, a meaningful fraction of those transfers could flow to workers, creating the kind of broad-based prosperity that Perez’s framework says is necessary for a golden age to take root. The Stavros model shows that this doesn’t require sacrificing returns. The evergreen companies show that it doesn’t require selling out to capital markets. What it requires is changing the defaults—the legal structures, the tax incentives, the financing tools—so that employee ownership becomes the default rather than an arduous exception. An even wilder idea is to imagine shifting away from the corporate forms suitable to the mass production era to those that fit an age of digitally enabled, smart offerings, such as LLC’s or even Decentralized Autonomous Organizations, governed by smart contracts. Imagine that—no formal Boards, no IPO’s, just owners, making the best decisions they can for the long-term health of themselves, their companies, and their communities. View the full article

Prime minister says ‘things can’t go on like this’ in meeting with tech groups View the full article

As founder, chair, and CEO of the Exceptional Women Alliance, I am privileged to engage with extraordinary female leaders across industries. This month, I spoke with Shari Hofer about a workforce issue hiding in plain sight: eldercare. For many organizations, caregiving is still viewed as something employees manage quietly outside of work. According to the 2025 Caregiving in the US report, released by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, approximately 63 million Americans provide family care, with almost 48 million providing unpaid care to adults. The 2021 AARP report estimated that the economic value of care was over $600 billion annually. Today, these professionals are simultaneously leading teams, raising families, and caring for aging parents. The result is an invisible workforce dynamic that is already impacting performance, retention, and leadership effectiveness. Hofer wrote With Love: A Practical Guide for Caregiving for Aging Parents Through End of Life with coauthor Shabnam Kazmi. Both built demanding global careers while raising families and caring for aging parents through dementia, Parkinson’s, and end-of-life decisions. Their new book reframes caregiving not as a private hardship, but as a leadership and organizational imperative. Q: How did your caregiving journey begin, and when did it significantly intensify—both personally and professionally? Hofer: It began when my siblings and I learned our father had macular degeneration and dementia. We had already lost our mother, and we were all living in different states. We knew the road ahead would be long and complex, and that we would need to step in, because our father wouldn’t make any changes or be able to care for himself without assistance. The intensity escalated when we moved him closer to us. That was the turning point—when caregiving shifted from something we managed at a distance to an integral part of our daily lives. Q: What was the moment caregiving shifted from a private responsibility to something that affected your work identity? Hofer: In the final years, I relied heavily on my team and my manager. I shared just enough to get support, but kept most of it private. The reality was too painful. And there was always a risk that sharing more broadly could change how I was perceived—a sad but very real part of corporate culture. When my father passed, everything surfaced. The physical effects of burnout and grief became impossible to ignore. I had powered through for years, but the cost showed up in my body and my ability to stay engaged. That’s when I realized: The effects of caregiving last long after the role ends. Q: Did caregiving change how you lead? Hofer: Absolutely. It deepened my understanding of trust, delegation, and succession planning—I had to rely on others in ways I hadn’t before. And it made me realize that our existing leadership structures need to be rebuilt because they did not factor in the reality of caregiving. More importantly, it changed how I view performance. High-performing employees are often carrying invisible weight. Leadership isn’t just about driving results—it’s about understanding context and creating systems that allow people to perform sustainably and consistently. Q: How did you handle burnout, and what workplace lessons did you take from it? Hofer: Burnout is not something you can outwork. Staying busy doesn’t fix it. When it surfaces, you have to listen and act. It’s a signal, not a weakness. From a workplace perspective, leaders must normalize conversations around capacity. Ignoring burnout doesn’t protect performance—it erodes it over time. Q: What do employers still misunderstand about employees who are caregivers? Hofer: They’re only seeing part of the story. If someone’s performance or engagement shifts, there’s often more beneath the surface. Caregiving is unpredictable and rarely linear. Leaders need to ask questions—with empathy—and create space for honest answers. Q: How can companies move beyond talking about work-life balance to actually supporting eldercare challenges? Hofer: It comes down to lived values. If organizations say they prioritize people, leaders have to model that. Flexibility cannot exist only in policy—it has to show up in daily behavior. Employees notice the gap between what’s said and what’s rewarded. Q: What should leaders do now? Hofer: Eldercare is not a future issue—it is a present reality. For organizations to effectively support a workforce increasingly shaped by caregiving responsibilities, leaders must move beyond awareness and into action. Three shifts are critical: 1. Normalize transparency around capacity 2. Redefine performance through context, not just output 3. Align culture with practice, not just policy. Organizations that continue to treat caregiving as an unspoken issue will face rising burnout, disengagement, and talent loss. Those that acknowledge it as a shared reality—and design cultures, expectations, and systems accordingly—will build stronger, more resilient, and more human organizations. Caregiving does not just change individuals. It is reshaping the workforce. The leaders who understand and act on that will define the next era of leadership. Larraine Segil is founder, chair, and CEO of The Exceptional Women Alliance. View the full article

Kanishka Narayan says Britain needs to ‘make most of opportunities’ as government launches £500mn unit View the full article

Over the past few years, words that once had no place in workplace conversations have slowly entered HR agendas: menstruation, endometriosis, perimenopause, menopause, breast cancer and—more slowly—male andropause or prostate cancer. These are not passing trends. They signal a deeper shift in how we understand work and the people who do it. For decades, work was designed around a fiction, that of the “neutral” worker, an abstract individual assumed to be fully available, consistent, rational, and unaffected by bodily constraints. But this neutrality was never real. As Caroline Criado Perez has shown in her brilliant book Invisible Women, many systems and environments have been designed around a male body treated as the default. And that includes workplaces. Hence, the implicit expectation is that women adapt to a model never designed for them, to organizational structures, as well as tools and equipment. Yet people do not leave their bodies at the door when they enter the workplace. Hormonal cycles, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, menopause, and andropause are not “private” issues without professional consequences. They affect energy levels, cognitive load, availability, and sometimes long-term career trajectories. Their historical invisibility has come at a huge cost (albeit largely ignored) both for individuals and for organizations. It is essential to note that gendered health is not only about biological differences. It also reveals how work itself is structured. Women, for example, experience higher rates of musculoskeletal disorders, partly because they are overrepresented in repetitive jobs and are more likely to carry a disproportionate share of unpaid caregiving and domestic labor. Work is never experienced in isolation. It is embedded in real lives, with cumulative fatigue, constraints, and vulnerabilities. Gendered health, in that sense, sits at the intersection of biology and the sociology of work. Persistent taboos Taboos are slowly shifting. Menstruation, endometriosis, and menopause are more visible in public debate than they were a decade ago. Yet in many organizations, silence remains the norm. Many women remain cautious about speaking openly, all too aware of the risk of being reduced to sexist stereotypes. Male themes are as invisible if not more. Andropause, i.e. the gradual testosterone decline associated with aging, is less socially recognized than menopause. Its invisibility reinforces the myth that only women’s bodies are a “problem”. In reality, aging affects everyone. As workforces age and careers extend, organizations are increasingly confronted with more diverse, uneven, and non-linear health trajectories. There is a structural tension here. Acknowledging gendered health can trigger unintended consequences. It can reinforce bias by framing women as less stable. In some cases, even well-designed policies—such as leave for endometriosis or pregnancy loss—are underused because employees fear stigma. In cultures that remain implicitly sexist, formal rights do not automatically translate into real usage. A more universal approach is required This is why a purely category-based approach has its limitations. A more effective lens may be a more universal approach to vulnerability. Rather than segmenting workers into fixed groups (“women,” “seniors,” “caregivers”), it may be more accurate to focus on life “moments”. Work lives are punctuated by predictable and unpredictable disruptions: disease, grief, separation, caregiving responsibilities, burnout, recovery periods. These situations are widespread and recurrent. Today, a majority of workers are caregivers in one way or another. And there will be more and more of them with population aging. At the same time, careers lengthen and transitions multiply. Therefore the stable, continuous and homogeneous industrial model of work no longer reflects reality. This is where the idea of universal design comes in handy. Originally developed in disability studies, it proposes designing systems starting from the most constrained users. In practice, what improves accessibility for people with disabilities often improves usability for everyone. Applied to work, this logic invites us to rethink schedules, career paths, flexibility, and recovery periods—not as exceptions, but as structural features. The goal is robustness through inclusivity. And we need to think differently about age All this also requires revisiting how we think about age. Behind gendered health lies another blind spot: ageism. We still tend to treat chronological age as a proxy for capability. Yet age is a weak indicator of health, energy, or engagement. With longer life expectancy, variation within age groups is widening. A 60-year-old worker may be fully capable—or significantly constrained. The average says increasingly little. Long term the model of the “ideal worker” is unsustainable. This fully available, always-healthy, unencumbered employee has never been representative of reality. But demographic change is making this fiction even less viable. Organizations should now be managing diversity of conditions as a structural norm. That’s why gendered health is not a niche topic. It is an entry point into a broader question: how durable is work as currently designed? Recognizing bodies, ages, and life moments is the very condition for organizational resilience. View the full article

Federal Reserve Gov. Stephen Miran Thursday said that the Iran war and tariffs will not have long-term impacts on inflation, but did say he is reconsidering his rate cut outlook for the year. View the full article

Visa is stepping into the future of commerce with its latest offering, Intelligent Commerce Connect, aimed at revolutionizing how small businesses engage with consumers in an increasingly AI-driven marketplace. This innovative solution promises to streamline payment processes and provide small business owners with a competitive edge in a rapidly changing retail landscape. As consumers become more reliant on AI agents to handle their purchases, the need for businesses to adapt their payment systems has never been more urgent. Intelligent Commerce Connect acts as a seamless bridge, allowing businesses to connect with and leverage AI-powered commerce without the complexities typically associated with establishing new payment systems. Andrew Torre, President of Value-Added Services at Visa, emphasized the significance of this change: “From small businesses to the world’s biggest retailers, Visa powers how people pay every day, millions of times over. Intelligent Commerce Connect brings that same, trusted payment acceptance infrastructure into the emerging world of AI-driven commerce, so businesses can let AI agents buy on behalf of consumers, securely and at scale.” Key benefits for small business owners include: Integration with Major Token Vault Providers: This feature allows businesses to use existing credential infrastructure, providing flexibility and preventing vendor lock-in. Seamless Acceptance of Agent-Initiated Payments: Merchant adoption of payments initiated through established agent protocols, including Trusted Agent Protocol and Machine Payments Protocol, becomes straightforward and accessible. Discoverability of Merchant Catalogs: This allows small businesses to make their products easily discoverable within AI platforms, enhancing visibility and potential sales without extensive marketing efforts. Support for Transaction Processing: For businesses that may feel overwhelmed by the technical requirements of AI-driven commerce, Visa offers support for the orchestration and compliance aspects of agentic transactions. Single Integration via Visa Acceptance Platform: This modular suite makes it simpler for businesses to integrate various payment tools without needing multiple systems. Small businesses, particularly those still adapting to e-commerce, may find the idea of integrating AI payment systems daunting. The digital landscape is littered with complex systems and high entry barriers—Intelligent Commerce Connect aims to dismantle these obstacles. However, while this technology presents numerous advantages, small business owners may face challenges that require consideration. Integrating new systems often brings risks, particularly about training staff and ensuring cybersecurity. As AI technology rapidly evolves, staying informed about potential vulnerabilities becomes crucial. Additionally, there is the underlying requirement for small businesses to evaluate whether their target market adopts AI payment methods. Those primarily serving customers who prefer traditional purchasing methods may need to think critically about the timing of this integration. The pilot phase for Intelligent Commerce Connect is currently ongoing with select partners, including companies like AWS and Mesh, with broader rollout anticipated throughout the year. As more small businesses are encouraged to explore this technology, they must weigh its advantages against practical challenges in their operations. In an era where digital adaptation often determines success, Visa’s Intelligent Commerce Connect offers a promising pathway for small businesses. With powerful tools designed to enhance transaction efficiency and consumer engagement, small business owners are urged to consider this evolution in commerce seriously. For more insights on Intelligent Commerce Connect, you can visit the original Visa press release here. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Visa Launches AI-Driven Commerce Solution to Simplify Business Payments" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Visa is stepping into the future of commerce with its latest offering, Intelligent Commerce Connect, aimed at revolutionizing how small businesses engage with consumers in an increasingly AI-driven marketplace. This innovative solution promises to streamline payment processes and provide small business owners with a competitive edge in a rapidly changing retail landscape. As consumers become more reliant on AI agents to handle their purchases, the need for businesses to adapt their payment systems has never been more urgent. Intelligent Commerce Connect acts as a seamless bridge, allowing businesses to connect with and leverage AI-powered commerce without the complexities typically associated with establishing new payment systems. Andrew Torre, President of Value-Added Services at Visa, emphasized the significance of this change: “From small businesses to the world’s biggest retailers, Visa powers how people pay every day, millions of times over. Intelligent Commerce Connect brings that same, trusted payment acceptance infrastructure into the emerging world of AI-driven commerce, so businesses can let AI agents buy on behalf of consumers, securely and at scale.” Key benefits for small business owners include: Integration with Major Token Vault Providers: This feature allows businesses to use existing credential infrastructure, providing flexibility and preventing vendor lock-in. Seamless Acceptance of Agent-Initiated Payments: Merchant adoption of payments initiated through established agent protocols, including Trusted Agent Protocol and Machine Payments Protocol, becomes straightforward and accessible. Discoverability of Merchant Catalogs: This allows small businesses to make their products easily discoverable within AI platforms, enhancing visibility and potential sales without extensive marketing efforts. Support for Transaction Processing: For businesses that may feel overwhelmed by the technical requirements of AI-driven commerce, Visa offers support for the orchestration and compliance aspects of agentic transactions. Single Integration via Visa Acceptance Platform: This modular suite makes it simpler for businesses to integrate various payment tools without needing multiple systems. Small businesses, particularly those still adapting to e-commerce, may find the idea of integrating AI payment systems daunting. The digital landscape is littered with complex systems and high entry barriers—Intelligent Commerce Connect aims to dismantle these obstacles. However, while this technology presents numerous advantages, small business owners may face challenges that require consideration. Integrating new systems often brings risks, particularly about training staff and ensuring cybersecurity. As AI technology rapidly evolves, staying informed about potential vulnerabilities becomes crucial. Additionally, there is the underlying requirement for small businesses to evaluate whether their target market adopts AI payment methods. Those primarily serving customers who prefer traditional purchasing methods may need to think critically about the timing of this integration. The pilot phase for Intelligent Commerce Connect is currently ongoing with select partners, including companies like AWS and Mesh, with broader rollout anticipated throughout the year. As more small businesses are encouraged to explore this technology, they must weigh its advantages against practical challenges in their operations. In an era where digital adaptation often determines success, Visa’s Intelligent Commerce Connect offers a promising pathway for small businesses. With powerful tools designed to enhance transaction efficiency and consumer engagement, small business owners are urged to consider this evolution in commerce seriously. For more insights on Intelligent Commerce Connect, you can visit the original Visa press release here. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Visa Launches AI-Driven Commerce Solution to Simplify Business Payments" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

As the capabilities of frontier models advance, gaining access to the technology could become critically importantView the full article

Have you noticed that in the current discourse around artificial intelligence, the narrative often slips into one of two extremes? There is either a techno-utopian dream of total automation or a dystopian nightmare where human agency is erased. But there are other options! As we navigate this inflection point in civilization, I invite you to consider a third path: pragmatic optimism. And that’s because we are currently in the midst of a human revolution, not a tech revolution. The most successful organizations of 2026 and beyond will not be those that simply use AI to do more things faster. Instead, they will be the ones that use AI as a creativity accelerator, freeing up human capacity for the work that only we can do: imagining, connecting, and creating meaning. Optimistic macroeconomic forecasts, such as those from Citrini Research, suggest that AI could trigger a global intelligence boom, driving sustained productivity growth and real wage gains, provided that we treat machine intelligence as complementary to human judgment and truth. To ensure this virtuous cycle benefits everyone, leaders must move beyond managing compliance and begin cultivating the conditions and structures where creativity and psychological safety can flourish. By integrating the principles of Move, Think, and Rest (or MTR, pronounced “motor”) into the core of organizational culture, we can build creative resilience and work with AI rather than be displaced by it. Here are three calls to action to help us remain the architects of our own future. 1. Design in Friction In a world obsessed with seamless automation, friction is often viewed as a bug. But friction is where learning happens. To Move within this principle, become a “clumsy student” of something physical. Embodied learning, the kind that comes from using your hands or your body, is irreplaceable and builds what I call sentient intelligence. To Think, resist the urge to automate everything immediately. Instead, struggle with ambiguity: read fiction, ask “But… why?” Follow the question past the obvious answer. And to Rest, pause before automating any workflow. Rather than simply making an old process faster, use that pause to reimagine the workflow entirely- much like the shift from steam to electrification required a total redesign of factory floors, not just faster steam engines. The leaders who will thrive are not those who eliminate friction. They are those who learn to distinguish productive friction, the kind that generates insight, from the kind that merely generates frustration. Remember, at the end of the day, friction yields energy! Nissan’s former head of design, Jerry Hirshberg, called this “creative abrasion”. 2. Protect Serendipity As digital experiences accelerate, high-touch, analog encounters will become the new premium. To Move toward serendipity, prioritize in-person interactions that allow for the “creative abrasion” necessary for innovation. Ideas that change industries rarely emerge from a Slack thread. To Think, lean into fun ambiguity. Seek out conversations and encounters that don’t have a predetermined outcome. That’s where the most original thinking is born. To Rest, I recommend the Dutch practice of Niksen: the deliberate art of doing nothing, together. It is in the quiet space between people that human connection deepens and unexpected insights surface. Serendipity is not accidental. It is a design choice. Organizations that schedule unstructured time, invest in physical space for collision, and resist the urge to fill every moment with an agenda are making a bet on human creativity that no algorithm can replicate. 3. Pay Attention The speed of AI should buy us time, not just fill it with more tasks. To Move, lean into what is real: touch, taste, nature, smell. These are not indulgences; they are vital inputs of sentient intelligence that no large language model can access. To Think, be rigorous in daily self-assessment. Ask yourself: “Is this tool sharpening my thinking, or is it replacing it?” The answer should make you uncomfortable at least occasionally. That discomfort is useful data. To Rest, be intentional about the time you reclaim. If AI returns hours to your day, the question is not what to fill them with, but what deserves that space. Attention is the scarcest resource in the Imagination Era. The leaders and organizations that protect it structurally, culturally, and personally- will have a durable advantage over those who simply automate their way to busyness. The Architects of Our Own Future Ultimately, AI should be our co-pilot, amplifying what makes us uniquely human. By being intentional about how we design friction, protect serendipity, and pay attention, we can ensure that the “intelligence boom” leads to true human flourishing rather than the mere acceleration of the status quo. The Imagination Era is not something that will happen to us. We must call upon our own agency to ensure that we are building a human-centric future, one decision at a time. The question is whether those decisions will be made by default or by design. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. As HBO's Industry begins, the recent grads working at prestigious investment bank Pierpoint & Co. are given their marching orders: There are a lot of them and only a few full-time job openings, so they'll need to prove themselves if they hope to stick around. They respond to this challenge by doing whatever it takes—whatever it takes. Renewed for a fifth and final season, Industry has been the streaming era's most cogent take on the world of finance bros (of any gender), and modern white collar workers in a more upscale Glengarry Glen Ross mode. While you wait for this story of disaster capitalism to return, dive into these 10 other shows that make work look even more stressful than it is. Sweetbitter (2018 – 2019) Taking on restaurant culture in place of finance, Sweetbitter finds much of the same stress, intensity, and competitiveness non display—probably no surprise if you watch The Bear. The show is adapted from the Stephanie Danler novel of the same name; she based it on her experiences as an NYC waitress (she also created the series and wrote the pilot), so we can assume a certain level of verisimilitude. Yellowjackets' Ella Purnell plays Tess, 21 at the series' opening and arriving in the city with big dreams. She gets a job at a prestigious restaurant where, as we (and she) quickly learn, there's at least as much drama (including drugs, booze, and sex) on the service side of the industry as there is in the kitchen. Stream Sweetbitter on Prime Video. Sweetbitter (2018 – 2019) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014) A critically-acclaimed sensation on its initial release, there's a really impressive, stressful, universal sense of realism in this show about white-collar work in South Korea. Im Si-wan is Jang Geu-rae, a young man who has done nothing but work toward his goal of becoming a professional Baduk (a game which you might know better as Go) player since childhood. By his 20s, though, it's clear that it's not to be, and all he can do is take an office job as a provisional contractor with a shipping company. A complete outsider, he's even less prepared than the other interns for a high-stress world in which a work-life balance is all but impossible. Its intensity is very much in the mode of Industry, but there's hopefulness in Geu-rae's determination not to lose himself. Stream Misaeng: Incomplete Life on Netflix and Tubi. Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix Billions (2016 – 2023) Less young-Brit oriented and more of a cat-and-mouse game, this one is a (darkly) satirical dive into the shady world of high finance. Paul Giamatti is rather ruthless as U.S. attorney Chuck Rhoades (based in part on the real-life Preet Bharara), who is working to bring down shady hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis). The tone is that of a darkly comic soap opera, and it stays fresh over seven seasons by playing off the contrast between Axelrod's willingness to use all the money and power at his disposal to stay on top and out of jail, and Rhoades' willingness to resort to shady, not-entirely-legal tactics to reel in his big fish. Stream Billions on Paramount+ and Prime Video. Billions (2016 – 2023) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ How to Make It in America (2010 – 2011) A bit of counter-programming, perhaps, in this dramedy about a couple of scrappy New York City outsiders who would never fit in with the Industry crew. And yet! There's a sense here that getting ahead requires tremendous hustle, and that drive for big success carries with it the potential for an even bigger fall. Bryan Greenberg is Ben Epstein, a quiet guy with any number of big ideas, while Victor Rasuk is outgoing, often shameless, Cam Calderon—together they manage a startup clothing business with the benefits of neither money nor experience, amiably hustling their ways to success, maybe. It's like Industry if that show were about nicer, goofier guys who are at their best when talking themselves out of trouble. Stream How to Make It in America on HBO Max and Netflix. How to Make It in America (2010 – 2011) at HBO Max Learn More Learn More at HBO Max The Dropout (2022) The passage of time has made the story of Theranos founder and fraudster Elizabeth Holmes feel positively quaint, not least because a few of her high-profile backers are serving in the current White House. Amanda Seyfried plays the "entrepreneur" whose rise and precipitous fall has already been the subject of a handful of documentaries. It starts at age 18, when she dropped out of Stanford to build a startup around an at-home blood testing machine that didn't work even a little bit. Years of charming big-name investors with big promises, lies agreed upon, and cleverly faked results lead to big money for Theranos and a lot of bad diagnoses for patients. Stream The Dropout on Hulu. The Dropout (March 3) at Hulu Learn More Learn More at Hulu WeCrashed (2022) Another true-life story of big business and a big fall, this one stars Jared Leto, Anne Hathaway, and Kyle Marvin as the co-founders of WeWork, the (eventually) billion-dollar company that leases co-working spaces. The focus is on Leto and Hathaway's Adam and Rebekah Neumann, portrayed as simultaneously delusional and calculating, operating as almost toxically nice cult leaders while firing people for stepping into their eyelines at the wrong time. The title's crash comes when the company files an now-infamous S-1 form to go public, confidently documenting big losses, extremely precarious financial arrangements, and the weird relationship between the Neumanns and the larger company. Don't worry, though, this one has a happy ending: WeWork lost billions but the Neumanns remain very, very rich. Stream WeCrashed on Apple TV. WeCrashed (2022) at Apple TV Learn More Learn More at Apple TV Mad Men (2007 – 2015) One of the deservedly big names in prestige TV, Mad Men feels, in many ways, like the blueprint for Industry; each creates characters with novelistic depth in wildly cynical and intense environments. The mid-century modern stylings of a New York City ad agency make for a contrast with that of a modern London finance house, but the pressure-cooker environments and excesses feel very much in line. Stream Mad Men on HBO Max. Mad Men (2007 – 2015) at HBO Max Learn More Learn More at HBO Max Boiling Point (2023) Back to the restaurant industry: BBC One's Boiling Point serves as a direct sequel to the 2021 film, though it doesn't really require you to have seen the original—all you really need to know is that the movie's main character, Andy Jones (Stephen Graham) is recovering from a stress and substance abuse-fueled heart attack, while series lead and Andy's former sous chef Carly (Vinette Robinson) has poached much of the old staff to start a new operation called Point North. The show navigates between the high-pressure environment of a restaurant start-up and the personal lives of its staff, while Andy's fall from grace smartly offers a glimpse of a possible future for the driven staff. Stream Boiling Point on Prime Video. Boiling Point (2023) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Skins (2007 – 2013) I'm calling this one a prequel to Industry (it absolutely is not), in that it deals with similar themes in a (largely) high school environment. Skins makes clear that adolescence is an absolute pressure-cooker, and it feels as though any number of these intense, competitive, often hard-partying characters could graduate into Industry—and, in fact, the final season of Skins sees one-time Kaya Scodelario's Effy Stonem take a job in finance (and dabble in insider trading) as part of an arc that feels very much like Industry in miniature. The popular and controversial British series launched names like Nicholas Hoult, Daniel Kaluuya, and Dev Patel while dealing with hot-button issues like mental illness, substance abuse, and bullying. Look for Freya Mavor (Industry's Daria Greenock) in both shows. Stream Skins on Hulu. Skins (2007 – 2013) at Hulu Learn More Learn More at Hulu Halt and Catch Fire (2014 – 2017) A show that largely flew under the radar during its four seasons, this one offers up a (heavily) fictionalized portrait of the rise of personal computers in the 1980s, into the early days of broad adoption of the internet in the '90s. Lee Pace plays Joe MacMillan, the antihero lead who leaves IBM in 1983 to join the fictional Cardiff Electric. He's charismatic, manipulative, and not terribly tech-proficient, but nonetheless has dreams of building the next big tech innovation—starting by reverse-engineering the IBM PC. It's a show that comes up on any number of critical best-of lists and has a sick opening sequence. And did I mention Lee Pace? Stream Halt and Catch Fire on Prime Video. Halt and Catch Fire (2014 – 2017) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video View the full article

This week's Freddie Mac mortgage rate survey shows rates at the lowest in four weeks, but homebuyers are giving mixed signals even with improved purchase power. View the full article

Microlending platforms serve as a bridge between borrowers, often from underserved communities, and lenders ready to provide small loans, typically under $50,000. These platforms operate through various models, such as peer-to-peer lending and institutional microfinance. Borrowers submit applications detailing their financial needs, and upon approval, they receive funds to support their ventures. Comprehending how these platforms function can reveal their potential benefits and challenges for aspiring entrepreneurs. What factors should you consider before applying for a microloan? Key Takeaways Microlending platforms connect borrowers, often from underserved communities, with lenders willing to provide small loans, typically under $50,000. They utilize various models, including peer-to-peer financing and institutional lending through microfinance organizations. Platforms like Kiva and Accion Opportunity Fund offer loans alongside financial education and business training to enhance borrower success. Approval processes typically involve evaluating personal and business financial details, allowing access even for those with low or no credit scores. Microlending platforms aim to empower individuals and promote financial independence while managing risks such as high interest rates and potential default. What Is Microlending? Microlending is a financial practice that provides small loans, typically under $50,000, to individuals and entrepreneurs who mightn’t qualify for traditional banking services. Originating with Grameen Bank in 1976, microlending aims to empower marginalized groups, particularly women, by offering them vital financial resources for business ventures. Unlike traditional loans, microloans have less stringent qualification criteria, making them accessible to people with limited or no credit history. Interest rates usually range from 6.5% to 15%, with repayment terms from one to five years, depending on the lender’s policies and the borrower’s creditworthiness. Today, microlending platforms, often utilizing p2p platforms, connect borrowers directly with lenders. These digital platforms streamline the loan application process as they evaluate creditworthiness through alternative data points, enhancing the chances for underserved communities to secure needed funding. Consequently, microlending plays a significant role in promoting financial inclusion and economic empowerment. How Microlending Works When you consider microlending, it’s important to understand the application process and how funding works. You’ll typically need to fill out an application and provide documentation, which can lead to funding in about 30 to 90 days. Once approved, you’ll repay the loan in installments, with interest rates varying based on your creditworthiness and the lender’s policies. Application Process Overview Applying for a microloan involves several key steps that you should comprehend before proceeding. First, you’ll need to choose a microlender and complete an application, which typically requires personal and business details along with supporting documents. Once submitted, the approval process can take anywhere from 30 to 90 days, during which lenders assess your creditworthiness and business viability. Microloans usually range from $500 to $50,000, with the average amount around $13,000; interest rates often vary between 6.5% and 15%. Furthermore, many microlending platforms connect borrowers with lenders, including options for peer-to-peer lending, where multiple investors can fund a single loan. Comprehending these steps will help you navigate the microloan application process effectively. Funding and Repayment Structure For those seeking small loans, microlending offers a unique funding structure that caters to individuals who may struggle to access traditional credit. Typically, microloans range from $500 to $50,000 and have simpler qualification criteria. You can apply through various microlending platforms, which evaluate your creditworthiness using personal and business data. Once approved, repayment terms usually vary from 1 to 7 years, depending on the lender and loan specifics. Interest rates can range from 6.5% to 15%, though some platforms, like Kiva, offer 0% interest loans funded by crowdfunding. Generally, the application process takes 30 to 90 days, and you’ll need to repay the loan in installments according to the agreed terms. Borrower Qualifications for Microloans Comprehending borrower qualifications for microloans is essential if you’re considering this financing option to support your business endeavors. Microloans have specific criteria that potential borrowers must meet, which can vary by lender. Here are some common qualifications: Basic credit assessment, with low or no credit scores often accepted Evaluation of personal income, business revenue, and operational duration Documentation to verify income sources, business plans, and intended use of funds Focus on supporting underserved groups, like women and minorities Targeting new entrepreneurs or small business owners Understanding these qualifications can help you prepare your application effectively. Since microlenders prioritize business plans and revenue potential, focusing on these aspects can improve your chances of securing the funds you need. Types of Microlending Models During the exploration of the domain of microlending, it’s important to understand the various models available, as each offers distinct features and benefits. The primary models include peer-to-peer (P2P) financing and institutional lending through microfinance organizations or nonprofits. In the P2P model, you can connect directly with individual borrowers, often selecting them based on their profiles and loan requests. This approach allows for pooling funds from multiple lenders to meet the loan amount. On the other hand, institutional lenders, like microfinance institutions (MFIs), typically focus on social impact, offering loans along with business training and support. Some platforms, such as Kiva, implement crowdfunding to gather capital for microloans, enabling individual investors to fund small portions of loans with zero interest and flexible repayment terms. Each model has its own eligibility criteria and loan structures, with microloans usually ranging from $500 to $50,000, aimed at those who may struggle with traditional financing. Benefits of Microlending for Borrowers Microlending offers you easier access to capital, especially if you struggle to qualify for traditional loans. With flexible repayment terms and amounts customized to your needs, you can manage your finances more effectively. Furthermore, many microlending platforms provide financial education opportunities, helping you build the skills necessary for long-term success. Easier Access to Capital Access to capital can be a significant hurdle for many aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those from underserved communities. Microlending platforms ease this challenge by providing funding options typically ranging from $500 to $50,000. These platforms often prioritize social impact, allowing individuals with limited credit histories to secure loans. Here are some key benefits of microlending: Flexible qualification criteria cater to diverse backgrounds. Lower interest rates, usually between 6.5% and 15%, make financing more affordable. Shorter repayment periods of 1 to 5 years help manage cash flow. Access to additional resources, such as business training and mentorship. Empowerment of small business owners who mightn’t qualify for traditional loans. These factors make microlending an appealing opportunity for many. Flexible Repayment Terms For many borrowers, the flexibility of repayment terms offered by microlending platforms can greatly ease the financial burden often associated with loans. These platforms typically allow you to choose repayment timelines that fit your unique situation, often ranging from 1 to 5 years. This adaptability helps reduce financial pressure when compared to traditional loans with rigid structures. Furthermore, many microlending platforms report your repayments to credit bureaus, which aids in building your credit history. With interest rates usually between 6.5% and 15%, microlending offers competitive options. The average loan amount is around $13,000, making it manageable for small businesses to repay without overextending financially. This flexibility finally empowers you to make informed financial decisions. Financial Education Opportunities How can financial education transform your borrowing experience? Microlending platforms often provide valuable resources that improve your financial management skills. These initiatives empower you, especially if you’re a woman entrepreneur, by offering not just loans but also extensive training. Here are some key benefits you’ll gain from financial education through microlending: Access to business training workshops Mentorship opportunities in budgeting and financial planning Improved credit scores from timely repayments Upgraded operational management skills Connections to community networks for ongoing support Risks and Challenges in Microlending Though microlending platforms provide essential financial services to underserved populations, they come with notable risks and challenges that borrowers and investors should carefully consider. Microlending often involves higher interest rates, ranging from 7.99% to 35.99%, reflecting the increased risk of lending to individuals without traditional credit histories. Borrowers frequently face short repayment terms of 1 to 5 years, which can create financial strain if their cash flow is limited. Significant default rates may result in little or no recovery for lenders, as economic factors can hinder borrowers’ ability to repay. The lack of collateral requirements can encourage over-borrowing, leading to unsustainable debt levels. Furthermore, high service fees associated with these platforms can diminish overall returns for investors, making microlending a riskier investment option compared to traditional lending. Careful assessment of these factors is vital for anyone considering participation in microlending. Leading Microlending Platforms As you explore the scenery of microlending platforms, you’ll find several leading options that cater to diverse borrower needs and investor preferences. These platforms provide unique advantages and target different demographics, making them valuable resources in the microlending environment. Here’s a look at some of the top players: Kiva: Offers interest-free loans starting at $25, supporting entrepreneurs globally. Accion Opportunity Fund: Provides microloans from $5,000 to $100,000, focusing on diverse business owners and offering financial education. Grameen America: Targets women entrepreneurs with loans starting at $2,000 and emphasizes community support. LendingClub: Facilitates peer-to-peer lending for loans ranging from $1,000 to $40,000, with flexible terms. Upstart: Requires accredited investors, offering loans with a minimum investment of $100 and terms of three or five years. These platforms illustrate the variety and adaptability found within the microlending sector. How to Apply for a Microloan Have you ever wondered what it takes to secure a microloan? The application process begins with checking your eligibility, which involves evaluating your personal credit score, annual revenue, and existing debt. You’ll typically complete an online form that requires both personal and business information, alongside uploading supporting documents. Here’s a quick overview of the steps: Step Description Timeframe Check Eligibility Evaluate credit score, revenue, and debt status Before applying Complete Application Fill out online form and upload documents 1-2 hours Approval Process Wait for processing and verification A few days to weeks Repayment Terms Understand repayment schedule and terms 6 months to several years Once approved, you’ll need to repay the loan in installments according to the lender’s terms. Is Microlending Right for Your Business? Is microlending the right choice for your business? If you’re a small business owner needing quick access to funds, microlending may be a viable option. These platforms offer loans between $500 and $50,000, often with flexible qualification criteria. Nevertheless, consider the following: Average microloans are around $13,000, suitable for inventory, payroll, or operational costs. Approval times can take 30 to 90 days, impacting immediate cash flow. Borrowers may face higher interest rates, typically between 6.5% and 15%. Repayment terms are usually shorter, ranging from 1 to 5 years. Microlending can support underserved communities, including women and minorities. Evaluate your business needs and financial situation carefully. Microlending can provide valuable resources, but it’s crucial to understand the implications of borrowing before making a decision. Frequently Asked Questions What Is Microlending and How Does It Work? Microlending is a financial practice where small loans, usually under $50,000, are provided to individuals or businesses lacking access to traditional banking services. You apply through a microlender, and the funding process typically takes 30 to 90 days. Interest rates range from 6.5% to 15%, with repayment terms from one to five years. Lenders evaluate your creditworthiness using various factors, often relying on alternative data because of limited credit histories. Who Typically Uses Micro Lending? You’ll find that microlending is often utilized by entrepreneurs, particularly those from underserved communities. Small business owners, including many women, seek these loans to start or grow their ventures when traditional JPMorgan Chase deny them access. Typically, individuals with low incomes or poor credit scores turn to microlending platforms, as they offer flexible eligibility criteria. Loan amounts can range from $500 to $50,000, with the average microloan being around $13,000. What Is the Best Example of Micro Financing? The best example of microfinancing is Kiva, which offers interest-free microloans starting at $25 to borrowers worldwide. You can lend directly to entrepreneurs in underserved communities, encouraging financial inclusion. Kiva’s crowdfunding model shows a repayment rate over 96%, emphasizing its effectiveness. What Is Micro Financing and How Does It Work? Microfinancing is a financial service providing small loans, usually under $50,000, to individuals or businesses that lack access to traditional banking. You apply through a microlender, submit necessary documentation, and receive funding within 30 to 90 days. Repayment occurs in installments with varying interest rates, typically between 6.5% and 15%. These loans can be used for business needs like inventory or operational costs, but not for settling debt or purchasing real estate. Conclusion In conclusion, microlending platforms provide vital financial support to underserved borrowers, enabling them to access small loans for their entrepreneurial needs. By comprehending how these platforms operate, the types of loans available, and the qualifications required, you can make informed decisions about your financing options. During microlending offers numerous benefits, it’s important to evaluate the associated risks and challenges. In the end, appraising whether microlending aligns with your business goals can help you leverage this resource effectively. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "What Are Microlending Platforms and How Do They Function?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Microlending platforms serve as a bridge between borrowers, often from underserved communities, and lenders ready to provide small loans, typically under $50,000. These platforms operate through various models, such as peer-to-peer lending and institutional microfinance. Borrowers submit applications detailing their financial needs, and upon approval, they receive funds to support their ventures. Comprehending how these platforms function can reveal their potential benefits and challenges for aspiring entrepreneurs. What factors should you consider before applying for a microloan? Key Takeaways Microlending platforms connect borrowers, often from underserved communities, with lenders willing to provide small loans, typically under $50,000. They utilize various models, including peer-to-peer financing and institutional lending through microfinance organizations. Platforms like Kiva and Accion Opportunity Fund offer loans alongside financial education and business training to enhance borrower success. Approval processes typically involve evaluating personal and business financial details, allowing access even for those with low or no credit scores. Microlending platforms aim to empower individuals and promote financial independence while managing risks such as high interest rates and potential default. What Is Microlending? Microlending is a financial practice that provides small loans, typically under $50,000, to individuals and entrepreneurs who mightn’t qualify for traditional banking services. Originating with Grameen Bank in 1976, microlending aims to empower marginalized groups, particularly women, by offering them vital financial resources for business ventures. Unlike traditional loans, microloans have less stringent qualification criteria, making them accessible to people with limited or no credit history. Interest rates usually range from 6.5% to 15%, with repayment terms from one to five years, depending on the lender’s policies and the borrower’s creditworthiness. Today, microlending platforms, often utilizing p2p platforms, connect borrowers directly with lenders. These digital platforms streamline the loan application process as they evaluate creditworthiness through alternative data points, enhancing the chances for underserved communities to secure needed funding. Consequently, microlending plays a significant role in promoting financial inclusion and economic empowerment. How Microlending Works When you consider microlending, it’s important to understand the application process and how funding works. You’ll typically need to fill out an application and provide documentation, which can lead to funding in about 30 to 90 days. Once approved, you’ll repay the loan in installments, with interest rates varying based on your creditworthiness and the lender’s policies. Application Process Overview Applying for a microloan involves several key steps that you should comprehend before proceeding. First, you’ll need to choose a microlender and complete an application, which typically requires personal and business details along with supporting documents. Once submitted, the approval process can take anywhere from 30 to 90 days, during which lenders assess your creditworthiness and business viability. Microloans usually range from $500 to $50,000, with the average amount around $13,000; interest rates often vary between 6.5% and 15%. Furthermore, many microlending platforms connect borrowers with lenders, including options for peer-to-peer lending, where multiple investors can fund a single loan. Comprehending these steps will help you navigate the microloan application process effectively. Funding and Repayment Structure For those seeking small loans, microlending offers a unique funding structure that caters to individuals who may struggle to access traditional credit. Typically, microloans range from $500 to $50,000 and have simpler qualification criteria. You can apply through various microlending platforms, which evaluate your creditworthiness using personal and business data. Once approved, repayment terms usually vary from 1 to 7 years, depending on the lender and loan specifics. Interest rates can range from 6.5% to 15%, though some platforms, like Kiva, offer 0% interest loans funded by crowdfunding. Generally, the application process takes 30 to 90 days, and you’ll need to repay the loan in installments according to the agreed terms. Borrower Qualifications for Microloans Comprehending borrower qualifications for microloans is essential if you’re considering this financing option to support your business endeavors. Microloans have specific criteria that potential borrowers must meet, which can vary by lender. Here are some common qualifications: Basic credit assessment, with low or no credit scores often accepted Evaluation of personal income, business revenue, and operational duration Documentation to verify income sources, business plans, and intended use of funds Focus on supporting underserved groups, like women and minorities Targeting new entrepreneurs or small business owners Understanding these qualifications can help you prepare your application effectively. Since microlenders prioritize business plans and revenue potential, focusing on these aspects can improve your chances of securing the funds you need. Types of Microlending Models During the exploration of the domain of microlending, it’s important to understand the various models available, as each offers distinct features and benefits. The primary models include peer-to-peer (P2P) financing and institutional lending through microfinance organizations or nonprofits. In the P2P model, you can connect directly with individual borrowers, often selecting them based on their profiles and loan requests. This approach allows for pooling funds from multiple lenders to meet the loan amount. On the other hand, institutional lenders, like microfinance institutions (MFIs), typically focus on social impact, offering loans along with business training and support. Some platforms, such as Kiva, implement crowdfunding to gather capital for microloans, enabling individual investors to fund small portions of loans with zero interest and flexible repayment terms. Each model has its own eligibility criteria and loan structures, with microloans usually ranging from $500 to $50,000, aimed at those who may struggle with traditional financing. Benefits of Microlending for Borrowers Microlending offers you easier access to capital, especially if you struggle to qualify for traditional loans. With flexible repayment terms and amounts customized to your needs, you can manage your finances more effectively. Furthermore, many microlending platforms provide financial education opportunities, helping you build the skills necessary for long-term success. Easier Access to Capital Access to capital can be a significant hurdle for many aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those from underserved communities. Microlending platforms ease this challenge by providing funding options typically ranging from $500 to $50,000. These platforms often prioritize social impact, allowing individuals with limited credit histories to secure loans. Here are some key benefits of microlending: Flexible qualification criteria cater to diverse backgrounds. Lower interest rates, usually between 6.5% and 15%, make financing more affordable. Shorter repayment periods of 1 to 5 years help manage cash flow. Access to additional resources, such as business training and mentorship. Empowerment of small business owners who mightn’t qualify for traditional loans. These factors make microlending an appealing opportunity for many. Flexible Repayment Terms For many borrowers, the flexibility of repayment terms offered by microlending platforms can greatly ease the financial burden often associated with loans. These platforms typically allow you to choose repayment timelines that fit your unique situation, often ranging from 1 to 5 years. This adaptability helps reduce financial pressure when compared to traditional loans with rigid structures. Furthermore, many microlending platforms report your repayments to credit bureaus, which aids in building your credit history. With interest rates usually between 6.5% and 15%, microlending offers competitive options. The average loan amount is around $13,000, making it manageable for small businesses to repay without overextending financially. This flexibility finally empowers you to make informed financial decisions. Financial Education Opportunities How can financial education transform your borrowing experience? Microlending platforms often provide valuable resources that improve your financial management skills. These initiatives empower you, especially if you’re a woman entrepreneur, by offering not just loans but also extensive training. Here are some key benefits you’ll gain from financial education through microlending: Access to business training workshops Mentorship opportunities in budgeting and financial planning Improved credit scores from timely repayments Upgraded operational management skills Connections to community networks for ongoing support Risks and Challenges in Microlending Though microlending platforms provide essential financial services to underserved populations, they come with notable risks and challenges that borrowers and investors should carefully consider. Microlending often involves higher interest rates, ranging from 7.99% to 35.99%, reflecting the increased risk of lending to individuals without traditional credit histories. Borrowers frequently face short repayment terms of 1 to 5 years, which can create financial strain if their cash flow is limited. Significant default rates may result in little or no recovery for lenders, as economic factors can hinder borrowers’ ability to repay. The lack of collateral requirements can encourage over-borrowing, leading to unsustainable debt levels. Furthermore, high service fees associated with these platforms can diminish overall returns for investors, making microlending a riskier investment option compared to traditional lending. Careful assessment of these factors is vital for anyone considering participation in microlending. Leading Microlending Platforms As you explore the scenery of microlending platforms, you’ll find several leading options that cater to diverse borrower needs and investor preferences. These platforms provide unique advantages and target different demographics, making them valuable resources in the microlending environment. Here’s a look at some of the top players: Kiva: Offers interest-free loans starting at $25, supporting entrepreneurs globally. Accion Opportunity Fund: Provides microloans from $5,000 to $100,000, focusing on diverse business owners and offering financial education. Grameen America: Targets women entrepreneurs with loans starting at $2,000 and emphasizes community support. LendingClub: Facilitates peer-to-peer lending for loans ranging from $1,000 to $40,000, with flexible terms. Upstart: Requires accredited investors, offering loans with a minimum investment of $100 and terms of three or five years. These platforms illustrate the variety and adaptability found within the microlending sector. How to Apply for a Microloan Have you ever wondered what it takes to secure a microloan? The application process begins with checking your eligibility, which involves evaluating your personal credit score, annual revenue, and existing debt. You’ll typically complete an online form that requires both personal and business information, alongside uploading supporting documents. Here’s a quick overview of the steps: Step Description Timeframe Check Eligibility Evaluate credit score, revenue, and debt status Before applying Complete Application Fill out online form and upload documents 1-2 hours Approval Process Wait for processing and verification A few days to weeks Repayment Terms Understand repayment schedule and terms 6 months to several years Once approved, you’ll need to repay the loan in installments according to the lender’s terms. Is Microlending Right for Your Business? Is microlending the right choice for your business? If you’re a small business owner needing quick access to funds, microlending may be a viable option. These platforms offer loans between $500 and $50,000, often with flexible qualification criteria. Nevertheless, consider the following: Average microloans are around $13,000, suitable for inventory, payroll, or operational costs. Approval times can take 30 to 90 days, impacting immediate cash flow. Borrowers may face higher interest rates, typically between 6.5% and 15%. Repayment terms are usually shorter, ranging from 1 to 5 years. Microlending can support underserved communities, including women and minorities. Evaluate your business needs and financial situation carefully. Microlending can provide valuable resources, but it’s crucial to understand the implications of borrowing before making a decision. Frequently Asked Questions What Is Microlending and How Does It Work? Microlending is a financial practice where small loans, usually under $50,000, are provided to individuals or businesses lacking access to traditional banking services. You apply through a microlender, and the funding process typically takes 30 to 90 days. Interest rates range from 6.5% to 15%, with repayment terms from one to five years. Lenders evaluate your creditworthiness using various factors, often relying on alternative data because of limited credit histories. Who Typically Uses Micro Lending? You’ll find that microlending is often utilized by entrepreneurs, particularly those from underserved communities. Small business owners, including many women, seek these loans to start or grow their ventures when traditional JPMorgan Chase deny them access. Typically, individuals with low incomes or poor credit scores turn to microlending platforms, as they offer flexible eligibility criteria. Loan amounts can range from $500 to $50,000, with the average microloan being around $13,000. What Is the Best Example of Micro Financing? The best example of microfinancing is Kiva, which offers interest-free microloans starting at $25 to borrowers worldwide. You can lend directly to entrepreneurs in underserved communities, encouraging financial inclusion. Kiva’s crowdfunding model shows a repayment rate over 96%, emphasizing its effectiveness. What Is Micro Financing and How Does It Work? Microfinancing is a financial service providing small loans, usually under $50,000, to individuals or businesses that lack access to traditional banking. You apply through a microlender, submit necessary documentation, and receive funding within 30 to 90 days. Repayment occurs in installments with varying interest rates, typically between 6.5% and 15%. These loans can be used for business needs like inventory or operational costs, but not for settling debt or purchasing real estate. Conclusion In conclusion, microlending platforms provide vital financial support to underserved borrowers, enabling them to access small loans for their entrepreneurial needs. By comprehending how these platforms operate, the types of loans available, and the qualifications required, you can make informed decisions about your financing options. During microlending offers numerous benefits, it’s important to evaluate the associated risks and challenges. In the end, appraising whether microlending aligns with your business goals can help you leverage this resource effectively. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "What Are Microlending Platforms and How Do They Function?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Modern-day Luddites are gaining ground because tech titans haven’t shown people how innovation will improve their livesView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. “Be able to do a pull-up” is a common fitness goal, and if you work hard—with negative pull-ups, inverted rows, and more—someday you’ll get there. Go ahead, take a minute to celebrate. But don’t drop the workouts that you were doing pre-pull-up. It’s tempting to change up your training, because for weeks or months (maybe years!) you were doing the things that you do when you can’t do a pull-up. You may have been doing negative pull-ups, where you start at the top of the movement and slowly lower yourself down. You may have been doing inverted rows, where you pull yourself toward a low bar or rings. You may have been doing assisted pull-ups on a machine, banded pull-ups with decreasing thicknesses of elastic, lat pulldowns, dumbbell rows, and more. But your first pull-up is not a graduation from all of that. You should not leave the resistance bands and the lat pulldown machines in the dust. They need to stay with you during the next phase of your journey. JFIT Deluxe Doorway Pull-Up Bar $30.76 at Amazon $43.99 Save $13.23 Get Deal Get Deal $30.76 at Amazon $43.99 Save $13.23 Why you might not be able to consistently do a pull-upSo you did a pull-up today. That doesn’t mean you’ll be able to do one tomorrow. That’s probably confusing, so let me explain. We all have a range of abilities that we can do on any given day. For example, if you squatted 225 pounds last week, that doesn’t mean you could also squat 225 today. We might say that your “range” is 200-225, and when you’re well-rested and psyched up, you’re able to hit the top of that range. But even on a bad day, you know you can hit at least 200. Pull-ups are like that, too. Maybe when you started working toward a pull-up, your strength was in the range of 50-55% of what it takes to do a pull-up. That means that when you get your first pull-up, your range might be something like 95-100%. The day you did the pull-up is a 100% day. The next day, maybe you’re only at 99%. You’ll wonder why you “can’t” do one anymore. What you need to do now is keep working until doing one pull-up is the bottom of your range of abilities. If you’re hovering between being able to do 0-1 pull-ups, you want to expand that range until it’s about 1-3 pull-ups. By the time you can do two or three pull-ups some days, you’ll be able to do one pull-up any day. By the way, everything I’m saying applies to chin-ups, as well. (A pull-up has your palms facing away from you; a chin-up is with palms toward you.) Chin-ups are slightly easier than pull-ups, so if you can do a pull-up sometimes, you might already be able to do chin-ups pretty consistently. Feel free to mix chin-ups and pull-ups in your training. How to get your second pull-upGetting that first pull-up doesn’t unlock a whole new world of workouts; it just gives you one extra tool. You already have a variety of exercises you currently do that build your pull-up strength, and you can do those exercises at a variety of rep ranges and difficulty levels. To that, you can add “do one pull-up.” That one pull-up is not enough to replace everything else. If you need a refresher on great pull-up accessories, they include: Negative pull-ups (slowly lowering yourself down). You can do these for reps, or you can aim to make each set a single, ultra-slow, perhaps 10 or 15 second motion. Banded pull-ups (with a resistance band supporting your feet—either hanging from the pull-up bar or stretched across the rack underneath you). You can do more reps with a heavier band, or fewer reps with a lighter band. These work best when done as a slow, controlled rep. Box or bench pull-ups, with one or both feet on a surface underneath you. Push with your foot just as much as you need to complete each rep. The lat pulldown machine or the assisted pull-up machine. Both of these work your upper body pulling muscles, although they aren’t as effective at training your core or your body position. Rows, rows, rows. My favorites are Kroc rows with dumbbells that are so heavy you need to “cheat” by twisting your whole body (this is a good thing, since it gets your core working). Other great rows include barbell rows, seated cable rows, bent-over dumbbell and kettlebell rows, and bodyweight inverted rows. When you’ve finished your other pull-up accessories for the day, do a few sets of rows. Your pull-up program may have included other exercises as well, like planks and other core work, grip training, dead hangs, or maybe even stretches for your shoulders. Keep doing those, too. If you’ve only been doing one or two of the things from the list above, feel free to add one or two more. Do not feel like you have to do all of them. I’d pick one of the pull-up variations each day—negatives, banded, or bench-assisted—and then add two more exercises from the rest of the list (one machine and one row, or two different rows). How to do more and more repsThat singular pull-up you can do, at least sometimes? Definitely do it at the beginning of your workout. One pull-up, rest a minute or two, then attempt it again. Once you fail, move on to the rest of your workout—the negatives and rows and so on. If you can do a pull-up more than once in a day, you’re getting close to being able to do two or three in a set. If you do a pull-up and it doesn’t feel like a struggle, go for a second rep. Soon enough, you’ll be hitting sets of two or three. Once you can consistently do at least three pull-ups, you can start making this more of a cornerstone of your workouts, rather than a fun bonus. Do three sets of three every day that you do upper-body exercises, and it’s now that you can drop one of your other pull-up exercises. (Still, keep the rows in.) At this point, if you want something more intensive that has you doing pull-ups almost every day, consider the “3RM” version of the Fighter Pull-up Program. Once you can do sets of five consistently, I’d recommend the Armstrong Pull-up Program instead, which is a bit more sustainable. And soon enough, you’ll be repping out pull-ups, instead of just doing one. View the full article

Welcome to AI Decoded, Fast Company’s weekly newsletter that breaks down the most important news in the world of AI. You can sign up to receive this newsletter every week via email here. Is the Altman firebomb just the start of extreme doomer violence? On April 10, someone threw a molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s house in San Francisco. The alleged assailant, 20-year-old Daniel Moreno-Gama, didn’t stop there. He then went to OpenAI’s headquarters and told the security guards there that he intended to burn down the building and everyone inside. Two days later, someone allegedly fired two shots from a car driving past Altman’s house, but OpenAI said that event was unrelated to the firebombing and didn’t target Altman. The firebombing is an extreme reaction to the rapid evolution of AI systems over the past few years, and to fears that such systems may not act in humans’ best interests. Moreno-Gama said as much in the “manifesto” document police found in his possession. He discusses the “purported risk AI poses to humanity” and “our impending extinction.” He includes a personal letter to Altman, in which he urges the CEO to change. He also advocates for killing CEOs of other AI companies and their investors. Altman has spoken many times about the dangers of AI systems while also pushing OpenAI to develop and release increasingly intelligent models. Some have suggested that when Altman talks about the dangers of AI, it’s really a sort of humble-brag about OpenAI’s models (“so intelligent they’re dangerous”). It’s true that AI labs continue to make big strides in intelligence with every new model. AI coding tools are speeding up development, so new releases, and jumps in capability, are happening more frequently. Meanwhile, the public has grown increasingly concerned, even angsty, about the risks of AI systems, which can range from job losses to AI-assisted cybercrime to human extinction. AI’s transformation of business and life is just getting underway. Models will grow scarily smart. With AI labs under pressure to deliver returns for their investors, there’s almost no chance of hitting “pause.” There’s little reason to think incidents like the Altman firebombing won’t happen again. Sarah Federman, a professor of conflict resolution at the University of San Diego, says that people often resort to violence when they feel powerless to speak out effectively against a perceived wrong. “We’re starting to see the breaking point,” Federman says. “There is all of this fear and nowhere for it to go.” She also believes that as AI labs race to release the best model, concerns about ethics have been pushed aside. She’s got a point. AI companies have spent significant time engaging with lawmakers, explaining how their systems work and why regulating model development can be counterproductive. Many in Washington, D.C., were charmed by Altman, who they found forthright, earnest, and technically proficient. But these companies spend far less time speaking directly to the public. They don’t hold town halls or host AI ethics debates on Fox News or CNN. They’re more likely to start “institutes” to study the future effects of AI on society. And the issue of AI alignment may, by its nature, push people like Moreno-Gama toward extreme behavior. There’s now plenty of AI-doom content online to send some people down a very deep rabbit hole where they lose sight of the myriad of factors that will determine how humans live with superhuman AI. They may see only the “if you build it, we will die” narrative, then feel desperate to act. They may even be helped along by the mildly sycophantic chatbot of their choice. OpenAI releases security-focused GPT-5.4-Cyber model to compete with Anthropic’s Mythos A week after Anthropic announced its controversial new cybersecurity-focused Claude Mythos model, OpenAI has released a similarly focused model called GPT-5.4-Cyber. The company says “Cyber” is a specialized version of its latest general AI model, GPT-5.4, designed to help cybersecurity professionals detect and analyze software vulnerabilities. OpenAI says GPT-5.4-Cyber is trained for defensive use cases, such as analyzing and reverse-engineering potential cyberthreats. Of course, an AI tool that can find and reverse-engineer threats can also be used offensively by bad actors to find vulnerabilities in target systems and create exploits. So OpenAI says access to GPT-5.4-Cyber will initially be limited to vetted organizations, researchers, and security vendors. Anthropic did something similar with its Mythos model, granting access to a group of well-known cybersecurity and infrastructure companies that will use it to find and patch vulnerabilities in widely used software. This, the thinking goes, will give defensive cybersecurity efforts a head start against hackers who will get access to Mythos-level models eventually. Anthropic has no immediate plans to release its Mythos model. OpenAI said the rollout reflects a shift toward broader but controlled deployment of powerful AI systems, emphasizing collaboration with security professionals while attempting to limit potential misuse. xAI is again under fire for “sexualized” chatbot for kids xAI’s Grok chatbot continues to generate sexual deepfake imagery, a recent NBC News investigation found, prompting calls for Elon Musk’s AI company to change course. xAI had earlier promised to restrict such content. Separately, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) found that Grok’s child-focused chatbot, “Good Rudi,” can engage in sexually explicit conversations. NCOSE is calling for xAI to restrict access to the chatbot. NBC News says it found dozens of AI-generated sexual images and videos depicting real people posted on Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) social media app over the past month. NBC says the images show women whose likenesses were edited by the AI chatbot to put them in more revealing clothing, such as towels, sports bras, skintight Spider-Woman outfits, or bunny costumes. Many of the women were female pop stars or actors. NCOSE researchers found that Grok’s Good Rudi chatbot can tell sexually explicit stories. “As soon as I started a conversation with Rudi, it began the conversation by wanting to share a fun childish story,” one researcher said. “After some prompting, I eventually got the companion to bypass all safety programming.” The chatbot then told a sexy story about two young adults that contained graphic descriptions of sexual encounters, including the characters “getting into sexual positions, and sexual penetration.” More AI coverage from Fast Company: An AI agent opened a store in San Francisco. Then it forgot the staff AI is rewriting the rules of biological experiments. Safety regulations aren’t keeping up New findings from this Gallup poll show how Americans are using AI for health advice I lost $23 investing with ChatGPT, but at least Jason Alexander sang me Happy Birthday Want exclusive reporting and trend analysis on technology, business innovation, future of work, and design? 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