ResidentialBusiness

The Federal Reserve Board of Governors voted Wednesday to reappoint 11 sitting regional Fed presidents, without any dissents. The move precludes any effort the White House might have made to pressure the board to deny reappointments. View the full article

On Thursday, prosecutors unsuccessfully tried again to ask a grand jury in a different Virginia court to return an indictment. View the full article

A quiet shift is reshaping the trajectory of wealth in America, but it isn’t happening in the boardrooms of Wall Street or the halls of Silicon Valley. It’s unfolding in neighborhoods, driveways, and home offices across the country, powered by teachers, software engineers, nurses, military families, and small-business owners who never expected to become real estate investors at all. As the cofounder and CEO of a rental technology company that supports independent property owners (and as an investor myself), I see this transformation every day. What starts as an unexpected ownership moment often turns into a thoughtful plan for long-term financial stability. Many investors simply kept a first home when they moved for work. Some inherited a property from aging parents. Others bought a place for a college-age child and discovered the economics made surprising sense. While these beginnings may have been accidental, rental owners are discovering that, with support from intelligent technologies, they’re able to operate it with a level of clarity, confidence, and professionalism. They are becoming strategic wealth builders and redefining what “small-scale investing” looks like in America. And they’re doing it with intention: leaning on smart systems rather than putting in extra hours, to operate their investments with the kind of discipline, insight, and confidence historically attributed only to large institutional players. THE RISE OF THE MODERN, SMALL-SCALE INVESTOR Across the country, independent property owners are already operating with a sophistication level once limited to professional firms. They’re using technology to streamline operations, reduce friction, and gain clarity. What once required a stack of paperwork and late-night phone calls now lives inside simple, reliable systems that elevate the investor’s role from administrator to strategist. Smart investors are no longer scaling effort; they’re scaling insight, spending more time understanding the story the numbers tell—and less time performing the manual tasks that used to consume nights and weekends. This shift is happening every day, in homes someone once lived in, inherited, or never intended to treat as a business. These properties are becoming the foundation of long-term financial wellbeing because their owners are operating with intention, clarity, and professional-level structure. A NEW PATH TO FINANCIAL FREEDOM What stands out to me is how everyday investors are redefining the American dream itself. Financial freedom is no longer tied exclusively to stock options, venture bets, or legacy wealth. It’s being built one smart, well-run property at a time by people who value resilience over speculation. And because investors are managing their assets with data and systems—rather than instinct alone—they’re achieving a stability that once seemed to be reserved for much larger players. Small investors now own more than 90% of single-family rental housing in the United States—a sign of just how central they’ve become to the country’s housing infrastructure. This isn’t a fringe pocket of the market or a niche economic group. It’s one of the most significant forces shaping communities and stabilizing local economies. WHEN ACCIDENTAL INVESTORS BECOME INTENTIONAL OPERATORS When the operational burden lifts, strategy takes its place. That’s exactly what’s happening as more independent investors adopt smart systems. Accidental investors are building predictable experiences for their residents, strengthening the predictability of their own financial outcomes. Rent collection is a good example. Smart operators are using automated reminders and autopay to keep cash flow consistent, and the impact is striking. Our data shows that residents enrolled in autopay pay on time 99% of the time, compared with 88% for those not using it, giving investors far clearer monthly stability. Maintenance coordination is often the most dreaded part of owning a rental property, but smart investors are already turning it into one of the most manageable systems. Shared portals with in-app chats keep everything organized, and residents submit issues the moment they notice them (often with a photo or quick video) so investors understand what’s happening before a small problem becomes a big one. Work orders stay orderly, responses stay timely, and the entire process remains calm and predictable on both sides. This level of operational clarity matches the professionalism that accidental investors bring from their careers. Whether someone is balancing shift work, teaching classes, running a business, or logging into a late-night deployment, the systems supporting their properties keep everything moving smoothly so they can stay focused on the bigger picture. Accidental investors are discovering that thoughtful, system-supported management creates opportunities that simply weren’t available when everything depended on manual effort. They’re building stability in a way that fits into their lives. DEMOCRATIZE WEALTH CREATION What stands out most is how accessible this path has become. With the right tools, even one well-managed property can serve as the foundation for long-term financial wellbeing. And as these investors gain confidence, many expand their portfolios. This approach is democratizing real estate investing. It’s giving more Americans the chance to build multigenerational stability without needing to become full-time operators or navigate complex financial strategies. It’s turning ordinary life events into opportunities for resilience. THE NEXT ERA OF THE AMERICAN DREAM The next era of American wealth is being built quietly and steadily. It’s unfolding in spare bedrooms, inherited duplexes, starter homes, and small multifamily buildings. It’s being shaped by everyday investors who are thoughtful, organized, and forward-looking. These are people who might never describe themselves as “real estate people,” yet are operating their investments with impressive savvy. They are wealth builders who are transforming accidental beginnings into intentional, long-term advantage, creating financial stability that grows with them, supports their families, and strengthens their neighborhoods. The shift isn’t loud, but it’s powerful. And it’s redefining the American dream for new generations. Ryan Barone is cofounder and CEO of RentRedi. View the full article

Every company is racing to modernize. There’s a sense that if you aren’t adopting new technology fast enough, you’re already behind. From AI and automation to digital platforms, the list keeps growing. Leaders make big investments, employees sit through onboarding sessions, and for a few weeks, excitement fills the air. Then the momentum fades. Dashboards sit idle. Pilots stall. The return on investment never arrives. We see it all the time. On the factory floor, operators are juggling a dozen tools that don’t talk to each other. Managers chase data that doesn’t reflect what’s really happening. Teams try to keep up with systems meant to help them but instead end up slowing them down. In moments like that, it’s clear that transformation isn’t just about technology—it’s about people. TRANSFORMATION STARTS WITH CLARITY Real transformation begins with clarity. A tool must serve a defined purpose, be anchored to measurable outcomes, and be designed around the people who use it. True impact happens when it’s tied to measurable business goals and shaped around the people who actually use it. Together as the CEO and the customer strategy lead of Squint, a manufacturing AI startup, we spend our days in our customers’ factories, walking the floor with production managers, maintenance crews, and line operators. We see firsthand how new systems can either make work smoother or create new friction. Over time, we’ve noticed a pattern: Too many teams start with the tool instead of the goal. They adopt technology because it looks impressive, not because they’ve defined what success should look like. Implementation should always begin with two simple questions: What problem are we solving? How will we know when we’ve solved it? At one food and beverage manufacturer we worked with, the operations team made a single smart decision. They tied their rollout to a company-wide goal of reducing downtime. That clarity changed everything. Instead of running scattered pilots across departments, they focused on the process that mattered most: unplanned line stoppages in their packaging area. Within weeks, operators were using the new system to run machines more smoothly, and technicians were diagnosing problems faster. Downtime dropped noticeably. The transformation didn’t come from the tool itself, but from the focus and from the people. Once the team anchored implementation to a business priority, adoption took care of itself. People didn’t have to be convinced to use it; they saw its value immediately. On another visit, we met with a maintenance team that was struggling because they spent half their time walking between the floor and a back office just to check paper manuals. The tech couldn’t solve any real problems until what was getting in people’s way was defined. Once they could access that information digitally, troubleshooting time dropped dramatically. More importantly, the team wanted to use the new system because it solved a problem that actually mattered to them. If people don’t find value in a tool, no amount of training or policy will make it work. But when technology removes friction from their day, adoption becomes natural. That’s what good implementation does. It removes friction and gives people back the focus they need for the work that matters most. KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER IS CRITICAL TO IMPLEMENTATION The last piece of effective implementation is knowledge transfer. Every organization has experts whose know-how keeps things running, but much of that knowledge exists only in their heads. When those people retire or move on, it disappears. Implementation should include ways to capture and share what they know so the organization continues to learn. We’ve seen companies build training systems around their most experienced workers, turning decades of individual experience into company-wide capability. That’s when technology stops being a project and starts becoming a culture, one that learns, adapts, and grows as its people do. Across the board, it is clear that people-first, problem-centered implementation is the real differentiator. The organizations that win don’t just buy tools; they implement them strategically, tie them to measurable goals, and design them around their people. Because great technology doesn’t replace people; it amplifies them. And in the end, technology doesn’t transform companies. People do. Devin Bhushan is the CEO and founder of Squint and Carolina Lago Pena Maia is the customer strategy lead at Squint View the full article

Hanukkah (or "Chanukah," if you prefer; it’s a transliteration, so there is no “correct” spelling) is an annual eight-day Jewish religious festival that usually takes place in late November or early December. In 2025, Hanukkah begins on the evening of Sunday, December 14, and continues through Monday December 22. Why does Hanukkah fall on different dates each year?While Hanukkah falls on different dates every year on the Gregorian calendar you’re probably familiar with, it begins on the same day every year on the Hebrew calendar: 25th of Kislev. The Hebrew calendar is based on the moon, and Hanukkah falls on the 25th day after the new moon that marks the beginning of the month of Kislev. What is Hanukkah about, anyway? Hanukkah celebrates the anniversary of the beginning of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire and the re-dedication of the Second Temple that happened in the 2nd century BCE. That’s the strict definition of the holiday. In practice, in present day America, Hanukkah is the “festival of lights,” a winter celebration usually marked by gift-giving, delicious foods, candle-lighting, and the boring game of dreidel (more on that below). Religiously, Hanukkah is a comparatively minor holiday, not nearly as significant as the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but it is a favorite among children, particularly American children. These days, the holiday is marked in Jewish communities all over the world, but Jewish kids in the U.S. are the undisputed Hanukkah kings and queens. The origins of Hanukkah: A Hebrew rebellion brought to you by Cincinnati rabbisThere are two ways to think about the origin of the Festival of Lights. You could say Hanukkah began around 200 BCE when Greek leaders prevented Jews from practicing their religion, leading the Maccabees to rise up in defiance. Or you could say Hanukkah began in Cincinnati. Before a couple hundred years ago, there’s no record of how anyone celebrated Hanukkah—maybe it was done, but it seems that no one made too big of a deal about it. That all changed in the mid-to-late 1800s, when a couple of Cincinnati rabbis, Isaac M. Wise and Max Lilienthal, put Hanukkah on the holiday map. They popularized, promoted, and Americanized the holiday, introducing celebrations of Hanukkah to their congregations and promoting it in national Jewish publications. Wise and Lilienthal were leaders of Reform Judaism, a more modern, less orthodox form of the religion, and to some extent, the holiday they popularized reflects that set of values. It was meant to help Jewish children in America honor their heritage by presenting an exciting, relatable historical event featuring Jewish heroes. it was also meant to be Christmas-like—a family holiday that’s fun. Lilienthal noted the rising popularity of Christmas celebrations in the U.S. in the 1800s, and was impressed with the way Christian churches used the secular aspects of the holiday to teach their faith, so he borrowed the gift-giving and lighthearted nature of non-religious Christmas celebrations and put a Jewish spin on ‘em. Thus modern Hanukkah was born. “We must do something, too, to enliven our children… [They] shall have a grand and glorious Chanukah festival nicer than any Christmas festival.” Lilienthal wrote in 1876. The traditions of Hanukkah: You’ve been wrong about the menorah your whole lifeThe main event of Hanukkah among most who celebrate is the lighting of candles before dinner, one more for each successive night of the festival. When the Maccabees rebuilt the temple back in the olden times, they re-lit the menorahs—candle holders for seven candles—but they only had enough oil for the candles to burn for one night (or so the story goes). Miraculously, the lights stayed on for eight nights. Technically, most people don’t light menorahs on Hanukkah. Menorahs have eight lights. Hanukkah candles are usually in a “hanukkiah” which holds nine: eight main candles and the helper candle that lights them all. Foodwise, you can eat whatever you like—this isn't a fasting holiday. Fried foods, particularly latkes (fried potato pancakes), are popular and delicious, especially if served with sour cream and/or apple sauce. Jelly doughnuts are another favorite. But like I said, you can eat whatever you like. Many Hanukkah-heads give gifts too—one for each night. Why aren’t there many classic Hanukkah songs like there are Christmas standards?Hanukkah carols have never really caught on because golden age Jewish songwriters were busy writing “Let it Snow,” “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,” “Silver Bells,” “White Christmas,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and almost every other Christmas song that isn’t a hymn. But there's "I Have a Little Dreidel," a folksong with English lyrics attributed to Samuel E. Goldfarb, but that's not explicitly about the holiday. This all leaves Adam Sandler's "Hanukkah Song" as the most well-known tune commemorating the Festival of Lights. Speaking of dreidels, though... How do you play dreidel? Many households break out dreidels (spinning tops with Hebrew characters on them) and play with them for a few minutes after dinner. Dreidels are marked with Nun (נ), Gimel (ג), Hey (ה), and Shin (ש), which form an acronym for "Nes Gadol Hayah Sham" (A great miracle happened there). Here's how the game is traditionally played: Everyone starts with the same amount of something "valuable," usually chocolate coins. At the start of a round, everyone antes up, then they takes turns spinning the dreidel, following the directions of which character it lands on. נ (Nun) means “nisht” or “nothing.” Player does nothing if Nun comes up. ה (Hey) means “halb” or “half.” The player gets half of the pot. (If there is an odd number of pieces, the player gets the extra.) ש (Shin) means “shtel” or “put in.” The player adds a chocolate coin to the pot. ג (Gimel) means “gantz” or “everything.” The player gets everything in the pot. Jackpot! (It's not a very good game: all luck; no skill.) It’s widely believed that dreidel is the most popular Hanukkah game, but this is a lie. The most popular (and best) Hanukkah game is “guess which candle will be the last to go out,” a much more nuanced and exciting game played by everyone who has ever fired up a menorah (sorry, a hanukkiah) before dinner. Do darker candles burn faster than lighter ones? Does placement matter? How about wick length? All of this and more must be considered and discussed if you’re going to master this exciting game. Is it cool to celebrate Hanukkah if you’re not Jewish?You can celebrate any holiday you want; it's a free country. Hanukkah is generally seen as a “fun” holiday, without the deep religious significance of other Jewish holidays. While I don’t speak for anyone else, none of the Jews I know take offense if non-Jews want to light some candles and watch 8 Crazy Nights to capture some of that Hanukkah magic. Some of the traditions of the holiday were partly inspired by Christmas anyway, and much of Christmas was (maybe) appropriated from pagan solstice celebrations itself, so go nuts—it’s the holidays. View the full article

Early in my career, I learned a valuable lesson that has stayed front and center. I was working for a company struggling to meet its marks. We were doing fine, but not knocking it out of the park. I walked into a quarterly business review, confident in our marketing metrics. We were hitting or surpassing every KPI, and I presented our achievements with pride. My CEO made a statement that stopped me in my tracks: “Marketing success means nothing unless the company as a whole is winning.” That moment was a turning point. In our focus on metrics, it’s easy to overlook what really matters. It’s a lesson I was grateful to learn early and one I believe every leader should embrace. THE POWER OF MEASURING WHAT MATTERS MOST As business, and particularly marketing professionals, metrics are drilled into us. It’s what we were taught, so it would be predictable for me to operate like that. Don’t get me wrong, metrics still matter. But they aren’t the only thing that matters. The problem with a laser focus on your individual department’s goals is that it tends to be myopic, focused only on your stats. We track what’s measurable. We celebrate what’s improving. We report on what highlights our team’s productivity. However, it’s easy to optimize for your own scorecard without checking whether those scores are driving company growth. The harder work is asking whether we’re moving the needle on the larger business goals and aligning your metrics to that. Unfortunately, your department dashboard can show improvement while the company and customers need something different. Your team can hit targets while overall revenue needs a different kind of support. My CEO’s feedback helped me see this gap. Marketing wins that don’t translate to business wins are just activity, and this insight applies to all areas of the business. Fortunately for me, this CEO knew that I was early in my career and provided me with a teachable moment. MY APPROACH NOW Since that conversation, I’ve changed what my team measures and how we define success. Every initiative has to answer two questions: How does this support overall company growth and health? And how does this help our customers? Not just “how does this improve our brand score” or “how does this boost engagement?” Those might indicate progress, but they’re not the end goal. Business impact is the goal. This means: Throwing support behind products customers will actually buy Building brand equity that translates into customer preference and pricing power Improving customer experience in ways that drive retention and expansion Creating demand that converts to revenue 4 WAYS TO ALIGN METRICS WITH BUSINESS GOALS If you lead any function, here are four things to consider to better align your efforts with business outcomes. See if any of these resonate with you: Start with company goals. What three to five outcomes would make your CEO and board happy this year? Revenue growth? Customer retention? Market share? Margin improvement? Build your metrics from there. Connect your work to those outcomes. Draw clear lines between your initiatives and company business goals. If you can’t make that connection, you have an opportunity to refocus. Celebrate progress, not victory. Improving KPIs shows progress. That’s worth acknowledging. But it’s not the finish line. Make your metrics achievable, with room for growth. The best metrics show you where you’re creating value and where you have room to improve. They help you make better decisions about where to focus your efforts. WHY BUSINESS ALIGNMENT CREATES BETTER RESULTS When you tie your success to your company’s success, several things happen. You make better decisions about what to prioritize. You have clearer opportunities for collaboration with other departments, reducing silos. You create more customer value. You build stronger cases for resources because you’re speaking business impact language. HOW MY TEAM OPERATES TODAY When my team presents quarterly results now, we start with how the business is performing. Then we show how our work has contributed, or the opportunities for improvement. It connects our work to what matters. It helps us focus (or refocus) on creating real value rather than just checking boxes. The CEO was right. Marketing success means nothing unless the company as a whole is winning. But here’s the good news: When you align your metrics with business goals, everyone wins more often. Melissa Puls is chief marketing officer and SVP of customer success and renewals at Ivanti. View the full article

‘International Manager’ programme closed to new recruits as CEO Georges Elhedery reshapes Europe’s largest lenderView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The latest AirPods Pro are a big step up from the first generation buds. The third (and newest) generation comes with OTA updates that the AirPods Pro 2 also got to enjoy—but considering the second and third generations are the same price right now, why not go with the newer version? If you want the latest Apple has to offer, this is a great time to do so. The AirPods Pro 3 are down to $199 (originally $249.99) for the first time since their September release—the lowest price yet, according to price tracking tools. Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds $199.00 at Amazon $249.00 Save $50.00 Get Deal Get Deal $199.00 at Amazon $249.00 Save $50.00 Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds $199.00 at Walmart $249.00 Save $50.00 Get Deal Get Deal $199.00 at Walmart $249.00 Save $50.00 SEE -1 MORE The AirPods Pro 3 improve on already great premium earbuds with new features (like a heart rate sensor) without increasing the list price. You'll get Personalized Spatial Audio (so you can hear sounds seemingly coming from different directions as you move your head) and the ability to use head gestures to tell Siri "yes" or "no" (this also works for answering or denying calls). Apple added a live translation feature to both the second- and third-generation AirPods Pro when iOS 26 rolled out earlier this year. You'll also get features like Conversation Awareness, which lowers your music volume when your AirPods detect that you're talking to someone; Transparency Mode, which lets you better hear your surroundings while your earbuds are in; and Adaptive Audio, which combines ANC and Transparency mode to adjust ANC levels based on the noise around you. Since these are in-ear earbuds (as supposed to regular earbuds like the AirPods 4) the ANC is much better since it naturally blocks out the noise with a tight seal, but the ANC technology itself has also improved—as has the sound quality, thanks to the new H3 chip, as PCMag detailed in its "exemplary" review. You can expect about eight hours of juice, depending on your usage, and another 24 hours from the charging case. View the full article

OpenAI is having a hell of a day. First, the company announced a $1 billion equity investment from Disney, alongside a licensing deal that will let Sora users generate videos with characters like Mickey Mouse, Luke Skywalker, and Simba. Shortly after, OpenAI revealed its latest large language model: GPT-5.2. OpenAI says that this new GPT model is particularly useful for "professional knowledge work." The company advertises how GPT-5.2 is better than previous models at making spreadsheets, putting together presentations, writing code, analyzing pictures, and working through multi-step projects. For this model, the company also gathered insights from tech companies: Supposedly, Notion, Box Shopify, Harvey, and Zoom all find GPT-5.2 to have "state-of-the-art long-horizon reasoning," while Databricks, Hex, and Triple Whale believe GPT-5.2 to be "exceptional" with both agentic data science and document analysis tasks. But most of OpenAI's user base aren't professionals. Most of the users who will interact with GPT-5.2 are using ChatGPT, and many of those for free, at that. What can those users expect when OpenAI upgrades the free version of ChatGPT with these new models? How GPT-5.2 performs in ChatGPTOpenAI says that GPT-5.2 will improve ChatGPT's "day to day" functionality. The new model supposedly makes the chatbot more structured, reliable, and "enjoyable to talk to," though I've never found the last part to be necessarily true. GPT-5.2 will impact the ChatGPT experience differently depending on which of the three models you happen to be using. According to OpenAI, GPT-5.2 Instant is for "everyday work and learning." It's apparently better for questions seeking information about certain subjects, how-to questions and walkthroughs, technical writing, and translations—maybe ChatGPT will get you to give up your Duolingo obsession. GPT-5.2 Thinking, however, is supposedly made for "deeper work." OpenAI wants you using this model for coding, summarizing lengthy documents, answering queries about files you send to ChatGPT, solving math and logic problems, and decision making. Finally, there's GPT-5.2 Pro, OpenAI's "smartest and most trustworthy option" for the most complicated questions. The company says 5.2 Pro produces fewer errors and stronger performance compared to previous models. GPT-5.2's safety policyOpenAI says that this latest update improves how the models responds to distressing prompts, such as those showing signs of suicide, self-harm, or emotional dependence on the AI. As such, the company says this model has "fewer undesirable responses" in GPT-5.2 Instant and Thinking compared to GPT-5.1 Instant and Thinking. In addition, the company is working on an "age prediction model," which will automatically place content restrictions on users who the model think are under 18. These safety improvements are important—critical, even—as we start to understand the correlations between chatbots and mental health. The company has admitted its failure in "recognizing signs of delusion," as users turned to the tool for emotional support. In some cases, ChatGPT fed into delusional thinking, encouraging people's dangerous beliefs. Some families have even sued companies like OpenAI over claims that their chatbots helped or encouraged victims commit suicide. Actively acknowledging improvements to user safety is undoubtedly a good thing, but I think companies like OpenAI still have a lot to reckon with—and a long way to go. OpenAI says GPT-5.2 Instant, Thinking, and Pro will all roll out today, Thursday, Dec. 11, to paid plans. Developers can access the new models in the API today, as well. Disclosure: Lifehacker’s parent company, Ziff Davis, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems. View the full article

The battle for Warner Brothers Discovery got hotter this week as Paramount launched a hostile bid of $108.4 billion for the company, topping Netflix’s agreement last week to pay nearly $83 billion for the company’s streaming and studio assets. It’s the largest M&A deal of 2025 and rightfully will receive tough scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe. The ultimate price for Warner Brothers Discovery will certainly factor heavily into who wins the fight, especially with investors, and there could be additional bidders and proposals. For sure, an acquisition by Netflix of one of the oldest Hollywood studios, Warner Brothers, and its HBO Max streaming service would have ripple effects across the industry, though not in the way critics contend. Sen. Elizabeth Warren called it an “anti-monopoly nightmare” that would harm consumers and American workers. Actress Jane Fonda, who’s appeared in successful Netflix shows and movies, called it “catastrophic.” Titanic Director James Cameron declared it a “disaster.” Roy Price, the former head of rival Amazon Studios, penned a New York Times editorial proclaiming “the end of Hollywood.” Such histrionics forget how Netflix already slowly yet systematically reordered the global entertainment industry over the last 25 years through a strategy of addition, not subtraction. By innovating from the margins, Netflix challenged outdated models, rewarded risk-takers, and gave consumers more control for better value. In doing so, it created countless opportunities for all stakeholders. Traditional antitrust reviews focus on market share and whether the resulting combination has the power to harm consumers and competitors alike. Key will be how narrowly or broadly antitrust authorities define the market. For example, will they evaluate the deal solely on streaming TV services, all TV including broadcast and cable, or all entertainment options including games, music, etc. But even in the narrowest of interpretations, a Netflix-HBO combination would still face steep competition from well-funded rivals such as Disney, Amazon, Comcast, Apple, and Paramount. And this merger review will have the added intrigue of President The President already making clear he’ll be directly involved in deciding which offer gets approved despite his son-in-law Jared Kushner partially funding Paramount’s bid. With all that said, Paramount has already mounted an aggressive roadshow for Warner Brothers Discovery investors to convince them to pledge their shares. That means Netflix too will need to woo investors, regulators, and politicians in what will undoubtedly be its biggest publicity tour ever. And the strongest argument it can make lies in its very own story. Full disclosure: I led Netflix corporate communications team from 2014 to 2017, know the company deeply, and remain a shareholder. I also led PR for other corporate mergers including Xerox’s hostile bid for HP until the effort was scrapped due to the pandemic. I served as lead antitrust reporter at Bloomberg News during the late 1990s. The Netflix Narrative Today many people look at Netflix and see an entertainment behemoth valued at more than $400 billion with a lot of market power. But it didn’t start out that way and its success certainly wasn’t assured. In its most fundamental sense, Netflix epitomizes the American Dream. Not because it became big, but because it began small and showed how ordinary people with a better idea and a lot of grit could up-end well-entrenched industries. Netflix demonstrated when you level the playing field and bet on people instead of institutions, you unleash possibility that couldn’t previously be imagined. Netflix has been underestimated at every turn, perhaps even this latest one. In the early days, banks turned it down for financing, Blockbuster Video executives laughed them out of the room and former Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes famously dismissed the company as the equivalent of “the Albanian army,” suggesting it was no threat at all. Netflix didn’t succeed by manipulating government loopholes or seeking regulatory protections to fend off competition. It identified a compelling need in the marketplace, analyzed how new technologies could solve it, and got to work building an alternative. It took risks, learned, pivoted, and kept moving, leaving no aspect of the entertainment experience untouched. Candidly, it would be hard to overstate the many ways Netflix’s very existence benefited consumers, the entire entertainment ecosystem as well as adjacent markets such as consumer electronics, telecom, tech, marketing, language translation, and more. From the start with mail-order DVDs and then as a streaming platform, Netflix put consumers and their pain points at the heart of its decision-making. For example, I recall numerous meetings where we discussed whether price increases should go into effect for inactive accounts. (Short answer: No. In fact, I believe Netflix is now cancelling inactive accounts rather than continuing to charge people.) It partnered wherever possible even with would-be competitors to simplify, expand, and enhance the entertainment experience. When Netflix launched original streaming content in 2012-2013, the company didn’t just usher in a new Golden Age of TV. They changed everything from how content was made, released and experienced within the broader ecosystem. How? Here are just a few ways: It broke the scarcity model of appointment TV and movie windows, exponentially increasing the number of stories told as well as the formats, frequency and topics. Its increasing content budgets forced rivals to do the same, putting billions more into the creative community than previously existed. This year alone, Netflix is expected to spend $18 billion on content for a global audience topping 300 million. Many of its hits including Stranger Things, Squid Games, and Orange is the New Black never would have found a home or as large an audience on traditional networks. By broadening the pool of creators and reducing risk, Netflix also has been able to save beloved shows including most recently Sesame Street as well as launching unknown talent and reigniting careers of others. (Looking at you, Jane Fonda.) By releasing all episodes of a TV show at once, Netflix didn’t just create binge-watching. It disintermediated traditional distribution methods that frustrated consumers and restructured the entire entertainment business. Cable bundles eroded, theaters needed to rethink exclusive agreements, studios launched their own streaming apps, and direct-to-consumer models stopped being where you dumped content that bombed at the box office. Consumers were able to decide on what schedule to watch shows and whether they’d prefer to see something in a theater or on the couch at home. And instead of having to pay for each movie or show separately, Netflix provided an enormous portfolio of content for a flat monthly fee. Beyond content, Netflix transformed the entire entertainment experience from end to end. By insisting on effortless viewing for consumers, Netflix accelerated entire industries, from Smart TVs and mobile devices to cloud computing and AI. In Los Gatos, labs tested and rated TVs, devices, and even internet service providers—calling out ISPs that throttled speeds to protect cable monopolies—and shared those ratings publicly so consumers could choose accordingly. Engineers built advanced compression technology to reduce mobile data overages and deliver high-quality streaming even on limited bandwidth. To build its OpenConnect Network, Netflix invested more than $1 billion to deploy some 17,000 servers in 158 countries that prepositioned popular titles close to viewers. This eliminated buffering (Who could forget that spinning circle from the early days?), reduced global internet congestion, and saved ISPs billions in transit costs. By aggressively distributing 4K and HDR content at scale, it sped adoption of Ultra HD, reshaping consumer demand and pushing the entire hardware industry toward higher-quality images. And while the company has been bringing the world’s stories to the world, it has invested heavily in the country where it got its start. As if knowing it would need to make this case at some point, Netflix posted a Made in America document on its website back in April of this year, highlighting the ways it benefits America. According to the document, it has contributed $125 billion to the US economy from 2020–2024, hired more than 140,000 cast and crew members, worked with over 550+ U.S. production companies, and filmed more than 900 titles across all 50 states. Netflix attracted more than 300 million subscribers by building the world’s most powerful global distribution platform and ensuring its content is easy to access and enjoyable to watch. It’s not in the company’s business interests to horde content made by Warner Brothers and nothing in its history would suggest such an approach. As for the theater owners expressing concern, their stiff-arming of Netflix led the company to buy its own theaters in L.A. and NYC to premiere movies so they could be awards eligible. This combination may finally force them to face society’s viewing evolution and up their game to attract more theatergoers. Chief Salesperson Both co-CEOs at Netflix—Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters—are impressive. But if Netflix’s corporate story is one of the American Dream, it’s the same for Ted’s personal one. I often thought Ted must wake up every day and say “pinch me.” Because nothing about his childhood would make anyone think he’d be in the lofty position he is today at the top of an industry he deeply and thoroughly loves. One of five children, he grew up in a working class, Greek-American family in Phoenix, where he often recalled watching videotaped soap operas and other shows with the whole family gathered round. He dropped out of college after two years and worked at the local video store near his home. It was after he began climbing the ranks at video rental companies that Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings reached out and sold him on the idea of joining Netflix. The rest, as they say, is history. As the chief content officer prior to co-CEO, Ted was the main driver behind the company’s move into original programming. Through a combination of passion, charm, and high intuition, he built the company’s credibility in a clubby industry that long looked askance at outsiders. Not only did his American Dream unfold alongside Netflix’s, he’s a highly skilled communicator, who connects with people in a very human way through personal storytelling and warmth. And with critics concerned about how Netflix’s tech pedigree might change old Hollywood, Ted’s love for all things and people Tinsel Town oozes from every pore. Netflix Everywhere When we launched Netflix globally in early 2016, we used #NetflixEverywhere to mark the moment. That edict has never been more appropriate and necessary in the battle for Warner Brothers Discovery. Netflix will need to actively tell its story to every audience on repeat for the next 12–18 months or, as we’ve already seen, risk having its many detractors push unflattering and perhaps even untrue counternarratives. Media interviews, major business and investor conferences, and congressional meetings all provide the opportunity to remind decision-makers and would-be critics that success itself isn’t a problem if it was obtained fairly and by serving customers better than others. It’s not like other companies didn’t have ample time to beat Netflix at their own game over the last 10–15 years. And no one loves a come-from-behind story better than the guy in the Oval Office. View the full article

The rent reporting platform says it's helped tenants raise their credit scores by double digits and unlocked $30 billion more in mortgage lending. View the full article

FT investigation sheds light on Wirecard fraudster’s activities in north Africa and shadow life as a Russian agent of influence View the full article

As we enter the 2025 home stretch, Bitcoin is once again down, and dipped below $90,000 on Thursday, following the Federal Reserve’s highly anticipated interest rate cut by 25 basis points on December 10. So why are the markets up, but crypto is taking a hit? Why Bitcoin is faltering One reason for Bitcoin’s drop after the rate cut is that traders had already fully priced in the cut ahead of the Fed’s announcement. “Unlike stocks, bitcoin is already in a bear market, where bad news gets accentuated and good news ignored,” Michael Terpin, author of Bitcoin Supercycle, told Fast Company. “Since the 25 basis point cut was already built in, bitcoin traders – particularly ETF investors experiencing their first bear market – were looking for more and pressed the sell button.” Some other reasons for the sell off: Trader took a long term look at the macro economic environment ahead and got spooked, plus fear of increased inflation in 2026, according to analysts who spoke to Decrypt. On midday Thursday, at the time of this writing, the digital cryptocurrency (BTC) was trading down over 2%. It’s part of an overall decline in the crypto market that also saw closely watched digital asset XRP (XRP-USD) fall about 3%, hovering around $2 per token on Thursday, while Ethereum (ETH-USD) was down over 5% and was trading at $3,223 at the time of this writing. Crypto, equities continue to decouple Meanwhile, the stock market continues to experience gains (the S&P 500 is up over 16% this year), decoupling from Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies which continue to struggle—marking the first time the crypto and stock markets have split since 2014, Bloomberg reported.) “For most of its history, Bitcoin has been decoupled from stocks. It’s only in recent years that it mimicked tech stocks during risk-on to risk-off swings,” Terpin explained. “Bitcoin follows a four-year cycle, while stock market cycles prior to the money printing bonanza of the pandemic have been ten year cycles ending in 1929, 1989. 1999-2000, and 2009.” View the full article

Regarding customer surveys, comprehending best practices can markedly influence the quality of your insights. By defining clear objectives, you can tailor your questions to gather specific information. Crafting concise and engaging questions is vital, as it encourages participation and improves the quality of responses. Choosing the right survey platform guarantees ease of use and efficient distribution. Nevertheless, the process doesn’t end there. It’s fundamental to analyze feedback effectively and continually refine your approach. What other strategies can improve your survey effectiveness? Key Takeaways Define clear objectives to ensure all questions align with desired insights and support actionable business decisions. Craft concise and engaging questions, mixing open and close-ended types to gather richer data. Choose a user-friendly survey platform that allows for real-time tracking and effective distribution methods. Analyze feedback using advanced analytics to identify trends and prioritize changes based on customer pain points. Continuously improve your survey process by regularly reviewing methodologies and adapting to participant expectations. Define Clear Objectives for Your Survey When you’re planning a customer survey, it’s crucial to define clear objectives first, as this sets the foundation for your entire project. Specific goals guide your design process, ensuring that each question aligns with the insights you want to gather. By writing down these objectives, you maintain clarity and direction, which improves the overall effectiveness of your survey. When thinking about what does a survey look like, keep in mind a focused approach eliminates unrelated questions that could confuse respondents. This focus minimizes the risk of vague or misleading items, ensuring the reliability of your data. Clear objectives additionally support actionable business decisions, allowing you to prioritize changes based on your findings. In the end, following these customer survey best practices will lead to more meaningful insights, making your survey efforts worthwhile. Craft Concise and Engaging Questions Clear objectives pave the way for effective survey questions that resonate with respondents. To guarantee clarity, keep your questions short and focused. Lengthy phrases can confuse participants and lead to inaccurate answers. Incorporate a mix of open-ended and close-ended questions to enrich your data, but limit the open-ended options to prevent overwhelming respondents. Avoid leading questions, as they can bias responses; each question should maintain a neutral tone, allowing for honest feedback. Use relatable, straightforward language, steering clear of internal jargon that might alienate some participants. Testing your survey questions with a small audience is essential; this helps identify potential confusion or biases before full deployment. Choose the Right Survey Platform How do you select the right survey platform for your needs? Start by evaluating the features each platform offers. For instance, SurveyMonkey provides an extensive library of pre-designed templates, which can save you time in survey creation, whereas Qualtrics focuses on thorough experience management solutions. If you need something quick and user-friendly, Google Forms integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace tools and allows real-time response tracking. Next, consider the platform’s distribution methods. Some tools offer varied options for reaching respondents effectively, which can improve your survey’s reach. A user-friendly interface is also crucial, as it enhances the survey creation and response experience, leading to higher response rates and better quality insights. Analyze Feedback for Actionable Insights Analyzing feedback is essential for uncovering trends and patterns that can drive improvements in your products and services. By effectively utilizing advanced analytics and sentiment analysis, you can proactively identify anomalies that highlight customer pain points. This allows you to adapt your offerings in response to customer needs. Engaging respondents in the analysis process can furthermore encourage collaboration across your teams, leading to more actionable insights. Prioritizing changes based on the impact of customer feedback guarantees that you focus on improvements that notably enhance the customer experience. In addition, regularly revisiting and updating your surveys based on previous feedback helps maintain their relevance and responsiveness to evolving customer expectations. This continuous loop of analysis and action not merely strengthens customer relationships but also positions your brand favorably in a competitive market. Finally, effective analysis of feedback is an essential step in implementing meaningful changes that resonate with your audience. Continuously Improve Your Survey Process As you endeavor to improve the effectiveness of your customer surveys, it’s vital to continually refine your survey process. Regularly review and update your methodologies based on feedback from previous surveys. This not just aligns you with best practices but likewise keeps your surveys relevant and engaging. Cultivate a culture of learning by sharing insights across teams to elevate decision-making and collaboration. It’s important to adapt your approach to meet changing participant expectations. Utilize pilot testing with a small audience to identify confusing elements in your survey design before wider distribution. Finally, set regular intervals for re-evaluating your survey processes to guarantee they meet the evolving needs of your customers. Best Practices Actions to Implement Review Methodologies Update based on feedback Cultivate Collaboration Share insights across teams Pilot Testing Test questions with a small group Frequently Asked Questions What Are the 3 C’s of Customer Satisfaction? The 3 C’s of customer satisfaction are Consistency, Communication, and Care. Consistency means you provide reliable service across all interactions, avoiding confusion. Communication involves actively listening to feedback and keeping customers informed, nurturing trust. Care emphasizes showing genuine concern for customers’ needs and preferences, which builds emotional connections. Which Are the Important Elements to Remember While Doing a Customer Survey? When conducting a customer survey, remember to clearly define your objectives. This helps in designing questions that align with your goals. Use a mix of open-ended and closed-ended questions for thorough data. Keep surveys concise, ideally under ten questions, to improve participation. Randomize the question order to reduce bias, and place sensitive questions later to build trust. Finally, test your survey for clarity to guarantee respondents understand and engage with the questions effectively. What Makes a Good Customer Survey? A good customer survey focuses on clear objectives that align with your business goals, guaranteeing you collect relevant data. Keep it concise with ten or fewer questions to boost response rates and minimize fatigue. Use a mix of open-ended and closed-ended questions for richer feedback. Ascertain the design is user-friendly, employing clear language and visual appeal. Finally, pilot test your questions to identify any biases or clarity issues before launching the survey. What Are the 7 Steps to Creating a Good Survey? To create a good survey, start by defining your objectives and identifying your target audience. Next, design clear and concise questions that avoid jargon. Use a mix of open-ended and closed-ended questions to gather diverse insights. Pilot the survey with a small group to catch any issues. After refining it, consider offering incentives to boost response rates. Finally, distribute the survey widely and explore the collected data for actionable insights. Conclusion By implementing these five best practices, you can improve the effectiveness of your customer surveys. Defining clear objectives guarantees your questions yield valuable insights, whereas crafting concise questions keeps participants engaged. Selecting the right platform simplifies distribution and collection. Analyzing feedback allows for actionable changes, and continuously improving your survey process guarantees ongoing benefits. By following these steps, you’ll not just gather useful information but likewise promote a better comprehension of your customers’ needs and preferences. Image via Google Gemini This article, "5 Essential Best Practices for Customer Surveys You Need to Know" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Regarding customer surveys, comprehending best practices can markedly influence the quality of your insights. By defining clear objectives, you can tailor your questions to gather specific information. Crafting concise and engaging questions is vital, as it encourages participation and improves the quality of responses. Choosing the right survey platform guarantees ease of use and efficient distribution. Nevertheless, the process doesn’t end there. It’s fundamental to analyze feedback effectively and continually refine your approach. What other strategies can improve your survey effectiveness? Key Takeaways Define clear objectives to ensure all questions align with desired insights and support actionable business decisions. Craft concise and engaging questions, mixing open and close-ended types to gather richer data. Choose a user-friendly survey platform that allows for real-time tracking and effective distribution methods. Analyze feedback using advanced analytics to identify trends and prioritize changes based on customer pain points. Continuously improve your survey process by regularly reviewing methodologies and adapting to participant expectations. Define Clear Objectives for Your Survey When you’re planning a customer survey, it’s crucial to define clear objectives first, as this sets the foundation for your entire project. Specific goals guide your design process, ensuring that each question aligns with the insights you want to gather. By writing down these objectives, you maintain clarity and direction, which improves the overall effectiveness of your survey. When thinking about what does a survey look like, keep in mind a focused approach eliminates unrelated questions that could confuse respondents. This focus minimizes the risk of vague or misleading items, ensuring the reliability of your data. Clear objectives additionally support actionable business decisions, allowing you to prioritize changes based on your findings. In the end, following these customer survey best practices will lead to more meaningful insights, making your survey efforts worthwhile. Craft Concise and Engaging Questions Clear objectives pave the way for effective survey questions that resonate with respondents. To guarantee clarity, keep your questions short and focused. Lengthy phrases can confuse participants and lead to inaccurate answers. Incorporate a mix of open-ended and close-ended questions to enrich your data, but limit the open-ended options to prevent overwhelming respondents. Avoid leading questions, as they can bias responses; each question should maintain a neutral tone, allowing for honest feedback. Use relatable, straightforward language, steering clear of internal jargon that might alienate some participants. Testing your survey questions with a small audience is essential; this helps identify potential confusion or biases before full deployment. Choose the Right Survey Platform How do you select the right survey platform for your needs? Start by evaluating the features each platform offers. For instance, SurveyMonkey provides an extensive library of pre-designed templates, which can save you time in survey creation, whereas Qualtrics focuses on thorough experience management solutions. If you need something quick and user-friendly, Google Forms integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace tools and allows real-time response tracking. Next, consider the platform’s distribution methods. Some tools offer varied options for reaching respondents effectively, which can improve your survey’s reach. A user-friendly interface is also crucial, as it enhances the survey creation and response experience, leading to higher response rates and better quality insights. Analyze Feedback for Actionable Insights Analyzing feedback is essential for uncovering trends and patterns that can drive improvements in your products and services. By effectively utilizing advanced analytics and sentiment analysis, you can proactively identify anomalies that highlight customer pain points. This allows you to adapt your offerings in response to customer needs. Engaging respondents in the analysis process can furthermore encourage collaboration across your teams, leading to more actionable insights. Prioritizing changes based on the impact of customer feedback guarantees that you focus on improvements that notably enhance the customer experience. In addition, regularly revisiting and updating your surveys based on previous feedback helps maintain their relevance and responsiveness to evolving customer expectations. This continuous loop of analysis and action not merely strengthens customer relationships but also positions your brand favorably in a competitive market. Finally, effective analysis of feedback is an essential step in implementing meaningful changes that resonate with your audience. Continuously Improve Your Survey Process As you endeavor to improve the effectiveness of your customer surveys, it’s vital to continually refine your survey process. Regularly review and update your methodologies based on feedback from previous surveys. This not just aligns you with best practices but likewise keeps your surveys relevant and engaging. Cultivate a culture of learning by sharing insights across teams to elevate decision-making and collaboration. It’s important to adapt your approach to meet changing participant expectations. Utilize pilot testing with a small audience to identify confusing elements in your survey design before wider distribution. Finally, set regular intervals for re-evaluating your survey processes to guarantee they meet the evolving needs of your customers. Best Practices Actions to Implement Review Methodologies Update based on feedback Cultivate Collaboration Share insights across teams Pilot Testing Test questions with a small group Frequently Asked Questions What Are the 3 C’s of Customer Satisfaction? The 3 C’s of customer satisfaction are Consistency, Communication, and Care. Consistency means you provide reliable service across all interactions, avoiding confusion. Communication involves actively listening to feedback and keeping customers informed, nurturing trust. Care emphasizes showing genuine concern for customers’ needs and preferences, which builds emotional connections. Which Are the Important Elements to Remember While Doing a Customer Survey? When conducting a customer survey, remember to clearly define your objectives. This helps in designing questions that align with your goals. Use a mix of open-ended and closed-ended questions for thorough data. Keep surveys concise, ideally under ten questions, to improve participation. Randomize the question order to reduce bias, and place sensitive questions later to build trust. Finally, test your survey for clarity to guarantee respondents understand and engage with the questions effectively. What Makes a Good Customer Survey? A good customer survey focuses on clear objectives that align with your business goals, guaranteeing you collect relevant data. Keep it concise with ten or fewer questions to boost response rates and minimize fatigue. Use a mix of open-ended and closed-ended questions for richer feedback. Ascertain the design is user-friendly, employing clear language and visual appeal. Finally, pilot test your questions to identify any biases or clarity issues before launching the survey. What Are the 7 Steps to Creating a Good Survey? To create a good survey, start by defining your objectives and identifying your target audience. Next, design clear and concise questions that avoid jargon. Use a mix of open-ended and closed-ended questions to gather diverse insights. Pilot the survey with a small group to catch any issues. After refining it, consider offering incentives to boost response rates. Finally, distribute the survey widely and explore the collected data for actionable insights. Conclusion By implementing these five best practices, you can improve the effectiveness of your customer surveys. Defining clear objectives guarantees your questions yield valuable insights, whereas crafting concise questions keeps participants engaged. Selecting the right platform simplifies distribution and collection. Analyzing feedback allows for actionable changes, and continuously improving your survey process guarantees ongoing benefits. By following these steps, you’ll not just gather useful information but likewise promote a better comprehension of your customers’ needs and preferences. Image via Google Gemini This article, "5 Essential Best Practices for Customer Surveys You Need to Know" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The “Architects of AI” were named Time’s person of the year Thursday, with the magazine citing 2025 as when the potential of artificial intelligence “roared into view” with no turning back. “For delivering the age of thinking machines, for wowing and worrying humanity, for transforming the present and transcending the possible, the Architects of AI are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year,” Time said in a social media post. The magazine was deliberate in selecting people — the “individuals who imagined, designed, and built AI” — rather than the technology itself, though there would have been some precedent for that. “We’ve named not just individuals but also groups, more women than our founders could have imagined (though still not enough), and, on rare occasions, a concept: the endangered Earth, in 1988, or the personal computer, in 1982,” wrote Sam Jacobs, the editor-in-chief, in an explanation of the choice. “The drama surrounding the selection of the PC over Apple’s Steve Jobs later became the stuff of books and a movie.” One of the cover images resembling the “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper” photograph from the 1930s shows eight tech leaders sitting on the beam: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, AMD CEO Lisa Su, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the CEO of Google’s DeepMind division Demis Hassabis, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li, who launched her own startup World Labs last year. Another cover image shows scaffolding surrounding the giant letters “AI” made to look like computer componentry. Five of the eight people selected — Musk, Zuckerberg, Huang, Altman and Su — are already billionaires with a collective fortune of $870 billion, based on the latest estimates compiled by Forbes magazine. Much of the wealth has been accumulated during the past three years of AI fever. It made sense for Time to anoint AI because 2025 was the year that it shifted from “a novel technology explored by early adopters to one where a critical mass of consumers see it as part of their mainstream lives,” Thomas Husson, principal analyst at research firm Forrester, said by email. The magazine noted AI company CEOs’ attendance at President Donald The President’s inauguration this year at the Capitol as a herald for the prominence of the sector. “This was the year when artificial intelligence’s full potential roared into view, and when it became clear that there will be no turning back or opting out,” Jacobs wrote. Some experts expressed caution over the AI boom and the race to develop increasingly powerful systems. “Leading AI companies are working feverishly to replace humans in every facet of life, and they’re not being shy about it,” said Anthony Aguirre, executive director of the nonprofit Future of Life Institute, which works on AI safety issues. “The impact on our society could be catastrophic if there are no guardrails protecting what’s human, and most important to us.” AI was a leading contender for the top slot, according to prediction markets, along with Huang and Altman. Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope whose election this year followed the death of Pope Francis, was also considered a contender, with The President, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani topping lists as well. After winning his second bid for the White House, The President was named 2024’s person of the year by the magazine, succeeding Taylor Swift, who was the 2023 person of the year. The magazine was bought by Marc Benioff in 2018. Benioff, one of the co-founders of cloud-computing firm Salesforce, has called AI “probably the most important” technological wave of his lifetime. He has repeatedly said he doesn’t get involved in Time’s editorial decisions. The magazine’s selection dates from 1927, when its editors have picked the person they say most shaped headlines over the previous 12 months. —Mike Catalini, Associated Press Associated Press writers Matt O’Brien, Kelvin Chan, and Michael Liedtke contributed to this article. View the full article

SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic will break new ground — potentially with the scale of their lossesView the full article

Amazon’s latest advancements in artificial intelligence aim to revolutionize how small businesses operate by enhancing their access to cutting-edge technology. With the introduction of four new models in its Nova portfolio, alongside groundbreaking services like Nova Forge and Nova Act, Amazon unleashes powerful tools that empower organizations to create tailored AI solutions. Amazon’s Nova 2 models promise industry-leading performance at competitive prices. These models elevate capabilities in reasoning, multimodal processing, conversational AI, code generation, and agentic tasks, offering small businesses the opportunity to leverage high-level AI technology without breaking the bank. “Nova 2 models deliver industry-leading price-performance across reasoning, multimodal processing, conversational AI, code generation, and agentic tasks,” an Amazon spokesperson stated. The Nova Forge service is particularly noteworthy as it allows businesses to build their customized models. Using an “open training” approach, organizations can infuse their proprietary data into the model early in the training process. This tailored approach enables small businesses to adapt the AI to their specific needs and challenges, enhancing relevance and efficacy. On the automation front, Nova Act achieves a remarkable 90% reliability rate for browser-based UI workflows. “Nova Act achieves breakthrough 90% reliability for browser-based UI automation workflows built by early customers,” highlighted an Amazon representative. This high reliability can be a game-changer for small businesses looking to streamline operations, reduce manual labor, and enhance productivity. Key Takeaways: The Nova 2 models feature robust capabilities in multiple AI applications and are tailored for price-conscious businesses. Nova Forge enables organizations to create custom AI models using their own data, allowing for more relevant and effective applications. Nova Act offers a high degree of reliability in task automation, making it suitable for businesses that require consistency and efficiency. While these developments present promising opportunities, small business owners should approach them with a discerning eye. First, implementing AI solutions like Nova Forge requires a certain technical proficiency and understanding of AI technologies. This could mean investing time and resources into training staff or hiring specialized talent to manage these new systems effectively. Moreover, data security and privacy concerns can also pose challenges. As businesses seek to integrate proprietary data into AI models, they must be vigilant against potential breaches that could compromise sensitive information. Establishing strong data governance practices becomes imperative. Additionally, small business owners might consider the costs associated with initial setup and ongoing maintenance when adopting these technologies. Although the payoffs can be significant, particularly in time savings and operational efficiency, the upfront investment can be a hurdle for businesses operating on tight budgets. In navigating these challenges, small business owners should engage with relevant resources to demystify AI integration. Local workshops, online courses, or collaborations with tech-savvy firms can provide invaluable insights tailored to their specific sectors and needs. Amazon’s expanded Nova portfolio not only democratizes access to advanced AI technologies but also encourages small business growth and innovation. By strategically leveraging these tools, small businesses can optimize operations and enhance their competitiveness in an increasingly digital marketplace. For further details on Amazon’s Nova advancements, visit the original press release: Amazon Press Release. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Amazon Unveils Nova Expansion with New AI Models and Customization Tools" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Amazon’s latest advancements in artificial intelligence aim to revolutionize how small businesses operate by enhancing their access to cutting-edge technology. With the introduction of four new models in its Nova portfolio, alongside groundbreaking services like Nova Forge and Nova Act, Amazon unleashes powerful tools that empower organizations to create tailored AI solutions. Amazon’s Nova 2 models promise industry-leading performance at competitive prices. These models elevate capabilities in reasoning, multimodal processing, conversational AI, code generation, and agentic tasks, offering small businesses the opportunity to leverage high-level AI technology without breaking the bank. “Nova 2 models deliver industry-leading price-performance across reasoning, multimodal processing, conversational AI, code generation, and agentic tasks,” an Amazon spokesperson stated. The Nova Forge service is particularly noteworthy as it allows businesses to build their customized models. Using an “open training” approach, organizations can infuse their proprietary data into the model early in the training process. This tailored approach enables small businesses to adapt the AI to their specific needs and challenges, enhancing relevance and efficacy. On the automation front, Nova Act achieves a remarkable 90% reliability rate for browser-based UI workflows. “Nova Act achieves breakthrough 90% reliability for browser-based UI automation workflows built by early customers,” highlighted an Amazon representative. This high reliability can be a game-changer for small businesses looking to streamline operations, reduce manual labor, and enhance productivity. Key Takeaways: The Nova 2 models feature robust capabilities in multiple AI applications and are tailored for price-conscious businesses. Nova Forge enables organizations to create custom AI models using their own data, allowing for more relevant and effective applications. Nova Act offers a high degree of reliability in task automation, making it suitable for businesses that require consistency and efficiency. While these developments present promising opportunities, small business owners should approach them with a discerning eye. First, implementing AI solutions like Nova Forge requires a certain technical proficiency and understanding of AI technologies. This could mean investing time and resources into training staff or hiring specialized talent to manage these new systems effectively. Moreover, data security and privacy concerns can also pose challenges. As businesses seek to integrate proprietary data into AI models, they must be vigilant against potential breaches that could compromise sensitive information. Establishing strong data governance practices becomes imperative. Additionally, small business owners might consider the costs associated with initial setup and ongoing maintenance when adopting these technologies. Although the payoffs can be significant, particularly in time savings and operational efficiency, the upfront investment can be a hurdle for businesses operating on tight budgets. In navigating these challenges, small business owners should engage with relevant resources to demystify AI integration. Local workshops, online courses, or collaborations with tech-savvy firms can provide invaluable insights tailored to their specific sectors and needs. Amazon’s expanded Nova portfolio not only democratizes access to advanced AI technologies but also encourages small business growth and innovation. By strategically leveraging these tools, small businesses can optimize operations and enhance their competitiveness in an increasingly digital marketplace. For further details on Amazon’s Nova advancements, visit the original press release: Amazon Press Release. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Amazon Unveils Nova Expansion with New AI Models and Customization Tools" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

This fall, President The President took aim at the H-1B visa, in a move that has been telegraphed for years amid criticism that the program diverts jobs away from American workers. In September, The President announced that new applications for the work visa would now be subject to a $100,000 fee—a bold attempt to curtail excessive use of the H-1B program. The H-1B program, which was established through the Immigration Act of 1990, has been widely embraced by tech employers to enable hiring skilled talent from abroad, with companies like Amazon and Meta sponsoring thousands of H-1B workers every year. While H-1B workers hail from dozens of countries, an outsized portion of them—about 80%—are hired from India and China. But the program has also repeatedly come under fire due to claims that it outsources jobs and undercuts wages by paying foreign workers below market rate. The President’s proclamation has sparked confusion as employers have scrambled to figure out how the fee would reshape their hiring and recruitment plans—and which workers would be subject to it. For the big tech companies that are among the most avid users of the H-1B visa, a $100,000 fee is not a huge price to pay. But lawyers say many companies that use the visa more sparingly are now unable to shoulder the steep cost of hiring H-1B workers. “What we’re seeing is the $100,000 fee is not just impacting small employers who are like, ‘we can’t pay that,’” says immigration lawyer Sandra Feist, who works with many people who are seeking an H-1B visa. “No employer that I have spoken with—and that includes very large organizations and large universities—has said it’s worth it. This impact is being felt across all sizes of companies and institutions.” In fact, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a major business lobbying group, has filed a lawsuit challenging the fee, deeming it “unlawful” and “cost-prohibitive” for employers seeking to hire H-1B workers. Feist says several companies she works with that typically enter the H-1B lottery on an annual basis are reevaluating their hiring strategy and planning to sit it out next year. In many cases, the muddled rollout of the fee and the lack of clarity on exceptions has created a chilling effect that is discouraging employers from sponsoring foreign workers altogether, even if they already have a visa. “There are a lot of instances where this fee does apply and is prohibitive, but there are also many circumstances where this fee would not apply based on the current guidance that we’ve received,” Feist says. “But employers are so fearful of the uncertainty and volatility around immigration.” How the fee is impacting employers The same logic has influenced how early and mid-stage startups are approaching hiring at the moment, according to Sophie Alcorn, an immigration lawyer who works with tech startups and founders. A significant portion of H-1B visas are held by people who came to the U.S. as students and simply changed their immigration status. But many founders are now hesitant to hire foreign nationals, even if they have already obtained a work visa or are currently authorized to work in the U.S. “A lot of small businesses just don’t have the resources or information to understand that if those people are maintaining valid status in the U.S., then the $100,000 fee would not apply to them,” Alcorn says, citing the example of speaking with a recent graduate who had three job offers revoked when their immigration status was disclosed. (This person was authorized to work without restriction for the year ahead.) H-1B workers can often play a significant role at small companies and startups, where they might be the sole person hired with their particular skillset, Alcorn says. Due to the visa fee, however, Alcorn has found that startups are steering clear of those workers and opting instead to hire people who have secured the O-1 visa. (That visa does not have to be tied to the employer, and is awarded to people who possess “extraordinary ability” in their field. It can offer more flexibility and job mobility than the H-1B, particularly in fields that rely on freelance or contract work.) But this can deny opportunities to workers who don’t have the qualifications they might need to secure an O-1. “A lot of the really brilliant, talented engineers are not famous and don’t have a public profile,” she adds. “Many of them are not PhD researchers. They’re often very scrappy individuals with a lot of work experience.” The $100,000 fee is supposed to only apply to new applications—but existing H-1B workers are feeling the effects of it all the same. While H-1B workers can transfer their visa status if they find a new job, the restrictions of the visa can leave people in a precarious limbo if they get laid off. H-1B workers who lose their jobs are granted a 60-day grace period to find new employment and retain their visa status. In this job market, however, it’s no small feat for workers to land a new role within that timeframe. Sharadha Kodem, an immigration lawyer who represents many H-1B workers, says that with the $100,000 fee in place, employers may be forced to pay up if they want to hire an H-1B worker but are unable to do so within 60 days. If a worker has to leave the country in the interim, their new employer risks being saddled with the $100,000 fee when they return with a new visa, Kodem says. What this means for foreign workers For aspiring H-1B workers—be it students or refugees with temporary status protecting them from deportation—the fee has thrown a wrench in their future plans. The The President administration has claimed that the $100,000 fee will not be levied on current H-1B workers or recent graduates who are seeking to change their status and switch to an H-1B visa. But their guidance also notes that the fee will be imposed if a worker is “deemed ineligible for a change of status or extension.” This vague language gives the administration “broad discretion” to determine who is eligible for a change of status, Feist says—and whether they will be slapped with a $100,000 bill. A recent Washington Post report found that foreign workers are already facing greater scrutiny—and denials—when they apply for work visas, including the H-1B. It’s not just tech workers or H-1B visa aspirants from India and China who are impacted by stringent policies like this one. “I’m working with a costume designer from Ukraine, and our plan was to file in the lottery this spring,” Feist says. “I’ll have to revisit that in light of the $100,000 fee.” Feist is working with several people from Ukraine who have temporary protected status, for whom securing an H-1B would have been their best chance at staying in the U.S. If the administration has the final say on whether the fee should be waived, they could arbitrarily foist it on applicants from certain countries, Feist says. “The general hope is that, as the administration sees what a chilling effect this has on employers who are seeking essential workers that they can’t find in the U.S. workforce, that they will slowly narrow the scope of the fee and perhaps provide more clear guidance,” she adds. “Our hope is that the administration sees the light.” Why this does not address H-1B abuses The The President administration has framed this fee as a ploy to discourage companies from abusing the H-1B program or using it to source cheaper labor. In practice, however, the fee seems to be making it more difficult for companies to use the program the way it was originally conceived: to recruit highly skilled talent that they can’t find stateside. Meanwhile, for the leading tech companies that routinely file thousands of H-1B petitions to sponsor workers from abroad, $100,000 amounts to the equivalent of a paltry rounding error—and hardly qualifies as an obstacle. Those companies will likely face less competition for H-1B approvals, as the fee deters many employers from applying at all. “This is benefiting the exact employers that [the administration says] they are targeting,” Feist says. “It is only very large companies that over rely upon H-1B and sponsor tens of thousands of them each year that will benefit from this. And normal employers who are hiring an ophthalmologist or a teacher or a therapist or an architect—they will be disadvantaged.” The debate over the H-1B program dates back decades, with people on both sides of the aisle calling for reform long before President The President assumed office. One of the key critiques of the program has been that deep-pocketed companies can effectively game the lottery by flooding it with applications—and that certain companies use the H-1B visa to undercut wages. The H-1B program has wage requirements but offers four different wage levels, and some research indicates that many workers are being paid at the lowest wage levels, which are supposed to be reserved for entry-level jobs. (Other research has found that employers are by and large paying market rate.) The backlog of green card applications also leaves many H-1B workers without a legitimate path to citizenship, forcing them to spend decades in the U.S. on a visa that is tied to their employment. Daniel Costa, the director of immigration law and policy research at the Economic Policy Institute, says that employers who pay lower wages to H-1B workers—which typically includes outsourcing and staffing firms like Infosys, Cognizant, and Tata—still benefit from the program, even if they are now saddled with the $100,000 fee. “They’re multi-billion dollar companies, and they get a lot of wage savings from using the program,” he says. “So [the fee] is not very well-targeted, and it could have unintended effects. And it just doesn’t get at the heart of what’s wrong with the H-1B program.” What could actually reform the H-1B program The new fee fails to reform the H-1B program in a meaningful way, and it seems even The President is of two minds about the role of this visa. Even as The President has cracked down on legal immigration, he has touted the value of H-1B. In a Fox News interview last month—not long after he introduced the $100,000 fee—The President said the U.S. workforce lacked “certain talents” and needed the H-1B visa to bring over highly skilled workers. “You can’t take people off an unemployment line and say, ‘I’m going to put you into a factory and we’re going to make missiles,’” he added. There are changes to the H-1B program that could move the needle, though it’s not clear whether those efforts will actually target the companies that lean heavily on the H-1B visa. The The President administration is putting forth proposals that would likely amend the lottery system and prioritize applications for H-1B petitions that are at a higher wage level—in other words, give more weight to jobs that pay better. In theory, this could help prevent tech companies and outsourcing firms from exploiting the lottery system, while also ensuring H-1B workers are paid fairly. But some lawyers argue that it would simply reinforce the advantage held by tech firms, who can afford to pay higher wages, and make it more difficult for other applicants to land an H-1B visa if overall wages are depressed in their sector. The Labor Department has also stepped up enforcement of the H-1B program through an initiative called Project Firewall, which is intended to investigate potential abuses of the H-1B visa, including but not limited to wage theft. Still, as Costa points out, the threat of enforcement may not be a deterrent for billion-dollar employers that have come to rely on the H-1B visa. “Companies get disbarred from the program very, very rarely,” he says. “If the penalty is mostly just recovering back wages, then you’re just paying what you owed that worker anyway.” View the full article

The government-sponsored enterprise removed a limit on adjustable-rate mortgages, and added flexibilities for repair, manufactured home and ADU financing. View the full article

Former Nato leader on the future of the transatlantic alliance View the full article

After the end of the draw periods that range from two to five years, the amortization begins, during which borrowers have a repayment period ranging from three to 25 years. View the full article

The database company’s stock looks like a leveraged bet on OpenAI being able to meet its long-term promisesView the full article

Creating a winning social media content strategy involves a systematic approach that begins with clear goal setting. You need to identify your objectives, understand your target audience, and analyze your competitors. This foundational work informs your content plan, enabling you to craft engaging material that resonates. By building a content calendar and leveraging data insights, you can optimize your posting strategy. The next steps will guide you in measuring results effectively and refining your approach for better engagement. Key Takeaways Set SMART goals to define specific, measurable objectives that align with your overall business vision. Research your audience and analyze competitors to understand preferences and effective content strategies. Develop a diverse content plan and calendar, scheduling posts strategically for maximum engagement. Measure key metrics regularly to assess performance and make data-driven adjustments to your strategy. Focus on continuous improvement by adapting content based on audience feedback and engagement trends. Identify and Set Goals When you start developing your social media content strategy, it’s crucial to identify and set clear goals, as this lays the foundation for your overall success. Establish SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—to provide objectives that help measure ROI. For instance, you might aim to increase your follower count by 20% in six months or drive website traffic by 30% within a quarter. Align these goals with your broader business objectives to maximize brand visibility. Regularly revisit and adjust your goals based on performance data and analytics, ensuring you stay responsive to audience engagement and market trends. Focus on key metrics like engagement rates and conversion rates to evaluate how to create a content strategy for social media effectively. Research Your Audience To create content that truly resonates, you need to understand your audience’s demographics, preferences, and behaviors. Tools like Google Analytics can provide crucial insights. Furthermore, engaging surveys and polls allow you to gather direct feedback. Moreover, analyzing social media conversations helps you identify what topics and formats engage your target demographic most effectively. Demographic Insights Gathering How well do you really know your audience? To create an effective content strategy, you need to gather demographic insights. Start by using tools like Google Analytics and Facebook Page Insights to collect data on age, gender, location, and online behaviors. These metrics can shape your content creation and targeting strategies. Furthermore, conduct surveys and interviews to understand your audience’s preferences and pain points, enabling you to tailor content accordingly. Developing buyer personas based on these insights will help you visualize your ideal customers and their motivations. Finally, monitor industry trends and competitor activities to stay informed about shifts in demographics, ensuring your content remains relevant and appealing to your target market. Engaging Surveys and Polls Engaging surveys and polls serve as valuable tools for comprehending your audience, as they invite followers to share their preferences and opinions at the same time cultivating a sense of community. Utilizing platforms like Google Forms or built-in polling features on social media can improve audience interaction considerably, with posts featuring polls yielding up to 20% higher engagement than standard posts. By incorporating engaging questions, such as multiple-choice or rating scales, you can boost response quality and encourage more participation. This method not only helps gather demographic insights but likewise collects feedback on your content performance, allowing you to refine your strategies for producing more relevant, engaging content. Poll Type Engagement Level Multiple-choice High Rating scale Very High Open-ended Moderate Yes/No Low Analyzing Social Media Conversations Comprehension of your audience goes beyond engaging surveys and polls; it involves a thorough analysis of social media conversations. By examining these conversations, you can gather real-time insights into audience preferences, sentiment, and engagement patterns, all of which are crucial for effective content marketing strategy development. Tools like Sprout‘s AI-enabled Query Builder help you capture relevant discussions and identify trends, providing a clearer picture of how customers engage with your brand and industry. Pay close attention to the language and tone used by your audience, as this can inform adjustments to your brand voice. Regularly analyzing these conversations keeps your content relevant and aligned with current trends, in the end enhancing audience engagement and satisfaction. Analyze Your Social Media Competitors To strengthen your social media strategy, start by analyzing the content types and engagement practices of at least five competitors. Look at what formats they use, how often they post, and how their audience interacts with their content. This assessment will help you identify successful tactics and trends, allowing you to refine your own approach and maintain a competitive edge. Competitor Content Types During the analysis of your competitors’ social media content types, it’s crucial to understand the environment in which your brand operates. Start by identifying the types of content they produce, such as videos, blogs, or infographics, to see what resonates with their audience. By examining their posts, you can discover trends in high and low performance, which can inform how to create a content marketing strategy customized to your brand. Utilize competitive analysis tools to gather quantitative data on engagement metrics like likes, shares, and comments. Furthermore, assess the language and tone they use to guarantee your content aligns with your voice as you appeal to potential customers. Regular audits can reveal gaps in their strategies, offering opportunities for unique content. Engagement Practices Assessment Analyzing your competitors’ engagement practices provides valuable insights that can shape your own social media strategy. Conducting a competitive analysis allows you to identify effective content types and audience engagement methods. By using quantitative data from analysis tools, you can evaluate metrics like engagement rates and follower growth. Pay attention to the language and tone in their high-performing posts to align with your brand voice. Additionally, note the trends in content types that resonate, such as videos or user-generated content. Regular audits will help you compare your performance and spot gaps for improvement in your engagement practices. Competitor Engagement Rate Content Type Competitor A 5% Video Competitor B 3% Infographic Competitor C 6% User-Generated Content Competitor D 4% Blog Post Competitor E 2% Polls Develop a Social Media Content Plan Creating a social media content plan involves careful consideration of various elements that work together to engage your audience effectively. A structured approach guarantees you maintain interest and encourage interaction. Here are key components to include in your content strategy plan: Diverse Content Types: Incorporate how-tos, user-generated content, and live events to keep your audience engaged. Data-Driven Insights: Use insights from previous content audits to adapt your strategy based on trends and preferences. Repurpose High-Performing Content: Maximize reach by sharing successful content across different platforms as you maintain your brand messaging. Additionally, utilizing tools like Sprout’s Ideal Send Times can help you determine the best posting times, enhancing audience engagement and guaranteeing a cohesive execution of your content plan. Build a Content Calendar Building a content calendar is vital for organizing and visualizing your social media posts, as it helps guarantee a consistent posting schedule aligned with your marketing goals. By incorporating diverse content types, such as educational, promotional, and user-generated content, you’ll keep your audience engaged and encourage interaction. Scheduling posts in advance allows for strategic planning around national holidays, events, and relevant themes, maximizing content relevance and reach. Utilize tools like Sprout’s Ideal Send Times to identify the best times to post, enhancing audience engagement and visibility. Regularly reviewing and adjusting your content calendar based on performance analytics is fundamental for improving future content strategies and enhancing overall effectiveness, making it a key element in building a content strategy that works. Measure Results and Optimize Strategy After establishing a solid content calendar, the next step involves measuring results and optimizing your strategy to confirm effectiveness. To guarantee your content development strategy aligns with your goals, focus on key metrics that matter. Regularly assess reach, engagement, and conversions. Use tools like Sprout Social to track analytics and audience insights. Conduct A/B testing to discover what content resonates best. Implement monthly performance reviews to evaluate your alignment with SMART goals. By concentrating on three to five core metrics, you can avoid data overwhelm and maintain targeted efforts. This approach will help you effectively measure results and optimize strategy, confirming continuous improvement in your social media efforts. Frequently Asked Questions What Are the 7 C’s of Social Media Strategy? The 7 C’s of social media strategy are Clarity, Consistency, Creativity, Content, Community, Conversation, and Conversion. Clarity guarantees your message aligns with brand goals. Consistency builds trust by maintaining a uniform voice and posting schedule. Creativity captures attention through engaging content. Community nurtures relationships with followers, whereas Conversation encourages interaction. Finally, Conversion measures how effectively your strategy turns engagement into sales or desired actions, enhancing overall effectiveness. What Is the 5 5 5 Rule on Social Media? The 5 5 5 Rule on social media suggests that for every 15 pieces of content you share, five should educate, five should entertain, and five should promote your brand or products. This balanced approach guarantees you provide value to your audience during the same time achieving your business goals. What Is the 50/30/20 Rule for Social Media? The 50/30/20 rule for social media content suggests you allocate 50% of your posts to engaging and entertaining your audience, 30% to informative and educational content, and 20% to promotional material. This balanced strategy keeps your followers interested without overwhelming them with sales pitches. By diversifying your content, you improve engagement rates and cultivate a more authentic connection. Regularly reviewing your content’s performance can likewise help you adjust your strategy based on audience preferences. How to Build a Content Strategy for Social Media? To build a content strategy for social media, start by setting SMART goals that align with your marketing objectives. Conduct audience research to create detailed buyer personas, ensuring your content resonates with your target demographic. Develop a diverse content plan that includes various formats, and maintain a content calendar for consistent posting. Analyze competitors to identify effective practices and regularly gauge performance using key metrics to optimize your strategy based on data insights. Conclusion In summary, establishing a successful social media content strategy involves a systematic approach, starting with clear goals and audience comprehension. By analyzing competitors, developing a content plan, and maintaining a content calendar, you can guarantee your posts resonate with your audience. Regularly measuring results allows for optimization, enabling you to adapt to changes effectively. Following these steps not solely improves engagement but additionally aligns your social media efforts with your overall business objectives for sustained growth. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Create a Winning Social Media Content Strategy: A Step-by-Step Guide" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article