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President steps up threats to target civil infrastructure if Tehran does not agree deal by Tuesday nightView the full article

Good news for this Monday: Jackie and Shadow, California’s world famous Big Bear Bald Eagles, are parents again. Fans were able to welcome the two new chicks to the world over the weekend thanks to a web camera maintained by the nonprofit Friends of the Big Bear Valley (FOBBV). Here’s some background information so you can be the resident Bald Eagle expert in your office. When did Jackie lay her eggs? The eggs that hatched this season were actually the second clutch laid by Jackie. The first two were laid on January 23 and 26, but unfortunately ravens breached the eggs while Mom and Dad were away. About a month later, Jackie laid an additional clutch on February 24 and 27. Pip watch began on March 31 for these eggs. When did the eggs hatch? The first pip, or crack, actually came on April 3 for egg number one. Egg number two’s pip was just one day behind. The first chick hatched on April 4 while the second chick emerged the following day. When was the first feeding? Hatching is not an easy feat, and the chicks have to do it all on their own. Mom and Dad do not typically help. Nature has a way of fueling this strenuous process. Before making their world debut, the chick consumes the remaining yolk sac. It does this by pulling the yolk into its abdomen through its belly button. This meal is packed full of nutrients, such as proteins, fats, and water, so it gives both the parents and the chicks some extra coverage in the first 24 to 72 hours of life. The chicks do not need to eat right away, because of this meal. Jackie and Shadow are not first-time parents. They have successfully raised previous chicks named Sunny, Gizmo, Spirit, and Simba. What are the new chicks’ names? Right now, the chicks do not have monikers. The honor of naming the chicks is a team effort. Typically, the public is able to suggest names for a small donation. Those suggestions are compiled into a list that is presented to local third grade students in Big Bear who vote on their favorite. How to help the Big Bear Bald Eagles For the last 25 years, RCK Properties has wanted to develop the Moon Camp property located about one mile away from Jackie and Shadow’s nest. This area is important to the eagles because they hunt for fish and perch in it. If RCK’s deal goes through, 50 custom homes and 55 boat slips would be built instead. Environmentalists predict the disruption would cause the eagles to abandon their nest. FOBBV was formed in 2001 in part to prevent this from happening. The nonprofit is teaming up with the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust to purchase the property with the goal of preserving the open space for future generations. This objective comes with a steep price tag of $10 million that needs to be raised by July 31. Fundraising efforts have generated about $1.7 million as of today. View the full article

From Peppa Pig to Sesame Street, kids will be able to step into their favorite character’s universe in a new Netflix gaming app for children launching Monday. Aimed at children aged 8 years and under, ‘Netflix Playground’ is the streaming giant’s latest app offering age-appropriate games and activities included in all Netflix memberships. “We’re building a world where kids can not only watch their favorite stories, they can step inside them and interact with their favorite characters,” said John Derderian, Netflix Vice President of Animation Series and Kids & Family TV, in a press release announcing the app. Netflix Playground is set to be available in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and The Philippines starting on April 6. The app will be rolled out internationally on April 28 from Apple’s App Store and Google Play. Netflix first introduced mobile gaming in 2021, linked to popular franchises like Stranger Things. But, despite the streamer’s popularity, the gaming offering failed to gain traction. A year after its introduction, less than 1% of Netflix users had interacted with the streamer’s video games. A second shot at gaming Experts had pointed out that one of the major challenges with early adoption of Netflix Games could be linked to the games not being instantly playable, a criticism that Netflix has since addressed with the children’s app. Netflix Playground is a part of the streaming giant’s ongoing bet on video games, with a shifting and more intentional strategy revealed last year, including a move to to make games instantly playable . With Netflix Playground app, it seems gaming will finally be easily accessible to players. Designed to be simple and offline-friendly Users wishing to use Netflix Playground may download the app via the Google Play store or Apple App store. Then, they must log in to their existing Netflix accounts to access the app’s content library. Games are instantly playable and can be available offline. “Netflix Playground is the perfect companion for long airplane rides or grocery trips, ensuring the only surprise is how much fun kids have along the way,” the streaming giant said in a press statement. Familiar characters front and center The gaming app’s debut already features an extensive content library filled with familiar characters. On “Playtime With Peppa Pig,” kids can care for guinea pigs and make smoothies. On Sesame Street, users can play with flagship characters like Elmo and Cookie Monster and play games like memory cards. The Dr Seuss universe also gets it own slate of games, with three different games featuring characters like Horton, from “Horton Hears a Who!”; Stella Sneedy from “The Sneetches and Other Stories,” and the fishes from “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.” “For parents, the to-do list can be never-ending. That’s why we want to make Netflix a curated space where parents know kids are entertained, engaged and enriched,” the press statement added. “Combined with our comprehensive parental controls, this high-quality, curated environment lets kids discover at their own pace while giving parents added confidence and peace of mind.” View the full article

When you download an app from the App Store or Play Store, how much research do you do ahead of time? Do you look into who makes the app, and where that company is based? Do you scan the app's privacy policy to make sure your data is handled responsibly? You might not, but, as it turns out, the FBI wants you to. The FBI issued a warning last Tuesday concerning "foreign-developer mobile applications (apps)." (Thank you, FBI, for that clarification.) The FBI's thesis is this: Many of the most popular apps in the U.S. aren't developed here—instead, they're often developed and maintained by foreign companies. Now, these discussions can verge dangerously close to xenophobic, especially considering the U.S.'s current administration, but some of the FBI's concerns are legitimate. The FBI's chief issue is with the security laws of countries like China, which the FBI says could allow China's government to access U.S. user data. This was one of the concerns that led to the TikTok ban, and why there is now a majority-U.S. ownership of the platform. In its PSA, the FBI highlights how some apps will encourage you to invite friends or contacts to use the app as well. The companies behind those apps can then store that contact information, including names, email addresses, phone numbers user IDs, and home addresses. Even if you, personally, don't use the app, or share your contact info with the app, someone else who does have your contact information may share it themselves. The FBI also points to the privacy policies of some apps, that admit that data is stored in Chinese-based servers for "as long as the developers deem necessary." Finally, some apps may contain malware that exploits security vulnerabilities in your devices' operating systems. The FBI highlights that this malware can run programs in the background without your knowledge, designed to steal your data. What the FBI recommends you doThe PSA walks through a number of steps you can take to protect your data and protect your devices—regardless of whether or not you're using apps developed out of the U.S. That includes the following: Disabling data sharing whenever you can Downloading apps from official app stores, as opposed to unregulated online marketplaces Change and update your passwords frequently Install updates when they become available Read terms of services and license agreements when downloading apps The FBI also encourages you to file a report with the IC3 if you believe your data has been compromised. The FBI's tips above are actually generally useful, but none is necessarily groundbreaking. These are pretty standard best practices for cybersecurity—though changing your passwords frequently without reason isn't as widely recommended anymore. Follow these tips, though, and you'll help protect your data as you engage with the internet. Watch out for shady apps in general, not just "foreign" developersIt's a bit impractical to ask Americans to abstain from, or even be wary of, foreign-developed apps. Yes, other countries have different security laws than the U.S., but the U.S.'s current laws allow companies to scrape our data for profit. If not, Meta and Google would be hurting for business. The FBI isn't concerned about American companies having access to Americans' data, of course; just foreign governments. I understand the logic, but I don't think it's something that you, as an individual American with a smartphone, needs to be all that worried about. Instead, I think your concern should be more general: rather than worry where an app was developed, look into what data that apps wants. It doesn't matter if the app is American, Chinese, or made by a company based somewhere else: If the app is asking for a whole bunch of data, don't give it to them without reason. If you're using a messaging app and want to be able to sync your contacts, that's one thing; if your meditation app wants your contacts, it's probably best to deny them. Malware is definitely of the most biggest points of concern right now, especially as bad actors exploit some major vulnerabilities in platforms like iOS. While issues with malware are highlighted in this PSA, I think that's where the FBI should be focusing its attention. Downloading an app from a random site on the the internet, or from a dubious listing on the App Store or Play Store, can compromise your device and its data. It doesn't really matter where the app is from: Doing a bit of research before hitting "install" can protect you from a major headache in the future. View the full article

The latest government-sponsored enterprise changes include a more flexible sampling and a longer maximum term for some manufactured housing loans, respectively. View the full article

When it comes to deciding on a job, Gen Z isn’t just thinking about paid time off, return-to-office mandates or salary negotiations. They’re checking whether a company will cover GLP-1 weight-loss drugs—and they’re not alone. It’s a benefit that could actually push young employees from one job offer to another. A new ZipHealth survey of over 1,000 workers found that nearly half (47%) of Gen Z said GLP-1 coverage would affect their choices between two similar jobs—that’s compared to 35% of millennials and 36% of Gen X. In more extreme cases, another 7% of workers said they would be open to taking a pay cut if it meant working somewhere that offers GLP-1 coverage. That number rose to 9% among Gen Z. Overall, the majority (54%) of workers said they would give up at least one workplace perk for employer-covered GLP-1 treatment. One in eight would give up a full week of PTO. GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic have completely changed the game when it comes to weight-loss or diabetes management, moving from celebrity circles to the mainstream. Originally developed for diabetes, the prescription medications have evolved in popularity in recent years. Some pharmaceutical companies—like Indianapolis-based drugmaker Eli Lilly—have recently introduced platforms that let companies offer their employees more affordable access to weight-loss drugs. Last November, a KFF poll found that one in eight adults said they were taking a GLP-1 drug for weight loss, diabetes or other conditions. In December, the Food and Drug Administration approved Wegovy in pill-form—making the drug more accessible. Now, the weight-loss drug is even permeating the workplace: The majority of workers surveyed by ZipHealth said GLP-1 medication coverage should be a standard benefit. According to a 2025 survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, 55% of employers provided coverage of GLP-1 drugs, but only for the treatment of diabetes. In the past, Gen Z has approached weight-loss drugs with more skepticism compared to millennials or Gen X. A Levity survey from last September found that Gen Z favored more regulation around GLP-1 than millennials, and the majority (58%) of them didn’t think the drug would be in their treatment plan in the coming year. For a chronically-online generation dealing with burnout and a turbulent job market, fitness and wellness have become full-on lifestyles that social media has pushed young adults to embrace. For employers, that might mean free snacks or healthy catered lunches might not cut it anymore. Even as workers prioritize access to GLP-1’s in the workplace, it’s not something they’re quite ready to talk about with HR—especially for Gen Z. Among the demographic, the majority (58%) said they wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing their weight management goals with HR, while 53% were uncomfortable disclosing GLP-1 use, according to the ZipHealth data. As GLP-1 usage becomes less stigmatized and influences career decisions, there’s still a missing facet of workplace cultures that encourages discussing health and wellness benefits—which a a growing number of young employees really want. View the full article

Conference comes after Donald The President warns western allies they will have to secure the strategically important waterwayView the full article

Are you a freelancer yearning to break free from the expectations of others and truly embrace who you are? The freelance journey is an open field for creativity, self-direction, and the chance to shape your professional identity. Or it's supposed to be — but sometimes it can feel like you need to fit a certain mold to succeed. We freelancers often feel pressured to fit into boxes—whether it’s matching a certain style, following industry trends, or projecting the persona we think clients expect. Maybe you’ve seen bold personalities like me, Hardy Brooklyn, and wondered if you need to be loud or extreme to succeed. The truth is, you don’t need to be flamboyant to attract clients or do great work —you just need to be unapologetically you, at your own pace and in your own style. Why Authenticity Looks Different for Every Freelancer Authenticity isn’t a one-size-fits-all experience, especially in the freelance world. For me, being authentic has meant learning to trust my instincts, honor my unique values, and show up as myself in client relationships and creative projects, even when that doesn’t look like the typical freelancer’s path. Every freelancer’s version of authenticity is as individual as their portfolio. What feels honest and freeing for me—you may have seen my purple hair and beard down at the Hub!—might not resonate for you, and that’s exactly how it should be. What’s more, embracing your authentic self isn’t just good for your business—it’s good for your health. Research has shown that when we live and work in alignment with our true selves, we experience less stress, lower burnout rates, and greater overall well-being. When you stop pretending or performing and start working from a place of genuine motivation, you not only attract the right clients but also create a more sustainable and satisfying freelance life. That's been my personal experience, too. Your story, background, and dreams are uniquely yours. Embracing authenticity means leaning into what makes you different, not trying to fit into someone else’s mold — even if you admire their boldness or style. For freelancers, this might mean developing a niche, showcasing a personal creative process, or simply communicating with clients in a way that feels natural. Simple Ways to Practice Authenticity as a FreelancerClarify your values: Take time to identify what professional values matter most to you, and let them guide your decisions and interactions.Embrace your unique process: Don’t be afraid to work in the way that suits you best — even if it’s different from industry norms. Communicate honestly: Whether connecting with clients or collaborators, aim to express your needs, boundaries, and strengths openly.Pay attention to your well-being: Notice how you feel when you are authentic versus when you are not. Often, living and working authentically leads to greater peace, resilience, and long-term health.Find your community: Seek out other freelancers whose styles and stories resonate with you. Sharing experiences can help you stay true to yourself.You don’t have to be as bold as me, to be real. Authenticity for freelancers is about finding what makes you feel comfortable, confident, and true to yourself —whatever that looks like for you. Being true to yourself isn’t just a personal benefit— it’s a professional asset and a foundation for a healthier, happier freelance journey. The freelance world has space for every personality and working style, and your well-being is just as important as your professional success. View the full article

Are you a freelancer yearning to break free from the expectations of others and truly embrace who you are? The freelance journey is an open field for creativity, self-direction, and the chance to shape your professional identity. Or it's supposed to be — but sometimes it can feel like you need to fit a certain mold to succeed. We freelancers often feel pressured to fit into boxes—whether it’s matching a certain style, following industry trends, or projecting the persona we think clients expect. Maybe you’ve seen bold personalities like me, Hardy Brooklyn, and wondered if you need to be loud or extreme to succeed. The truth is, you don’t need to be flamboyant to attract clients or do great work —you just need to be unapologetically you, at your own pace and in your own style. Why Authenticity Looks Different for Every Freelancer Authenticity isn’t a one-size-fits-all experience, especially in the freelance world. For me, being authentic has meant learning to trust my instincts, honor my unique values, and show up as myself in client relationships and creative projects, even when that doesn’t look like the typical freelancer’s path. Every freelancer’s version of authenticity is as individual as their portfolio. What feels honest and freeing for me—you may have seen my purple hair and beard down at the Hub!—might not resonate for you, and that’s exactly how it should be. What’s more, embracing your authentic self isn’t just good for your business—it’s good for your health. Research has shown that when we live and work in alignment with our true selves, we experience less stress, lower burnout rates, and greater overall well-being. When you stop pretending or performing and start working from a place of genuine motivation, you not only attract the right clients but also create a more sustainable and satisfying freelance life. That's been my personal experience, too. Your story, background, and dreams are uniquely yours. Embracing authenticity means leaning into what makes you different, not trying to fit into someone else’s mold — even if you admire their boldness or style. For freelancers, this might mean developing a niche, showcasing a personal creative process, or simply communicating with clients in a way that feels natural. Simple Ways to Practice Authenticity as a FreelancerClarify your values: Take time to identify what professional values matter most to you, and let them guide your decisions and interactions.Embrace your unique process: Don’t be afraid to work in the way that suits you best — even if it’s different from industry norms. Communicate honestly: Whether connecting with clients or collaborators, aim to express your needs, boundaries, and strengths openly.Pay attention to your well-being: Notice how you feel when you are authentic versus when you are not. Often, living and working authentically leads to greater peace, resilience, and long-term health.Find your community: Seek out other freelancers whose styles and stories resonate with you. Sharing experiences can help you stay true to yourself.You don’t have to be as bold as me, to be real. Authenticity for freelancers is about finding what makes you feel comfortable, confident, and true to yourself —whatever that looks like for you. Being true to yourself isn’t just a personal benefit— it’s a professional asset and a foundation for a healthier, happier freelance journey. The freelance world has space for every personality and working style, and your well-being is just as important as your professional success. View the full article

Most freelancers don't have a time management problem. They have a time allocation problem. You're booked solid, but your bank account doesn't reflect it. You're working constantly, but the numbers don't add up. You wake up looking at your calendar and think, "How did I get here?" You're not bad at managing time; the problem is what you're spending those hours on. You're replying to Slack messages that don't move projects forward. You're formatting client deliverables for three hours when the actual strategy work took one. You're on your fifth "quick call" of the day that wasn't on the original scope. You're spending Tuesday afternoon learning a new project management tool even though your current system works fine. These aren't time management failures. They're time allocation failures. Your best hours often go to $0 work: work that generates zero revenue, builds zero systems, and moves your business zero steps forward. Work that keeps you busy but broke. Work that used to energize you but now just exhausts you. How do I know? I’ve been there. I used to measure my days by how many things I crossed off my to-do list. One day, I looked at everything I'd done that week and asked: "What did this actually earn me?" The answer was brutal. Half of it made zero dollars. And the stuff that could actually move the needle? It got pushed to the bottom every single day. So I built a process. A simple audit that helped me finally see where my time was going and what it was worth. I built an on-demand workshop on this system called the $1K Time Audit. Here’s a sneak peek at the process. Separate Your Work Into Two Buckets Before you can audit anything, you need to understand that freelance work falls into two distinct categories: Working IN your business (aka client work): the deliverables, the calls, the revisions, everything you do directly for clients. Working ON your business (aka everything else): admin, systems, marketing, strategy, the work that keeps your business running but doesn't have an immediate paycheck attached. Most freelancers only pay attention to the first category. Paying attention to working ON your business is one of the key boss mindset shifts you need to make if you want to be a sustainable business, not a task rabbit that sells anything to the highest bidder. Build Your Ranking FrameworkHere's how to categorize the work you do IN your business (for clients): The $0 Work: This is what I call "the BS" work that generates zero revenue but eats up hours: Over-delivering on tasks the client didn't ask forBeing micromanaged (constant status updates, out-of-scope edits)Task-switching between 10 different projects in a single day"Pain and suffering" (e.g., lying awake worrying about client emails, dealing with difficult clients who drain your energy)The $50-100 Work: This is the "Goldilocks problem": work that's either too high or too low: Too high: You're not great at it yet, so it takes longer and delivers less value to the client. Maybe you took on something outside your wheelhouse, or you're building a new skill. Too low: You've mastered it to the point of it being brainless. Someone else could probably do it faster or cheaper. You're really good at it, but when it shows up on your calendar, you think, "Not this again." The $500+ Work: This is your superpower: Feels like rocket science to everyone else, but you can do it instinctivelyYou're twice as fast at it as anyone elseIt's still challenging enough that you actually love doing itNow, here’s the big caveat: our businesses will always be a combination of all three levels because we evolve as we learn. What was once your superpower may be your $50 work in a year. What was “too high” will become your superpower. The key is paying attention, so you’re not stuck in a business you’ve grown to hate. And then there are things we do that are priceless, like showing up human-to-human for clients and colleagues: sending a thank you note, talking a peer through a problem, and buying your best client a gift when they need a pick-me-up. Not everything is about money, and an hour spent here is often worth more than anything. Evaluate Your Business Work DifferentlyFor the work you do ON your business, the criteria shift. Use these categories: Admin: Can someone else do this better, faster, or cheaper? Systems: Are you solving real problems or theoretical ones? Are you building things that make future work more efficient, or procrastinating by "fixing" things that aren't broken? Networking/Marketing: Are you testing things out randomly, or implementing clear, targeted strategies based on what you've learned? Strategy: Are you reflecting on what actually worked and creating short-cycle goals, or copying what you saw on Pinterest? Here's a personal example: I do all my own bookkeeping. I handle all my billing, and I love it. But there’s a threshold there; right now, I have enough time to do that, and I’m pretty good at it, which means I’m fast and effective. There may come a day when that’s no longer true for my business, which means I’ll have to make a different decision. That lands differently when you admit you love bookkeeping versus white-knuckling through it because you think you "should" do it yourself. Build YOUR Criteria (Not Mine) Here's where most people get stuck: they try to use someone else's framework exactly as written. One participant asked: "What if something is my superpower and I'm good at it, but I don't enjoy it?" I told her to put it in the "too low" category. Because if you're spending all your time doing $500+ tasks that you hate, what's the point? Another participant couldn't categorize a major part of their client work: "It takes me a long time, longer than I would like to, but it is valuable for my customers and it's not necessarily something I enjoy doing 100%." This is the messy reality of freelance work that productivity advice doesn't account for: Sometimes the thing that makes you the most money isn't the thing you're best at, and it's definitely not the thing you love most. The framework isn't about simple categorization. It's about creating your own criteria—skill level, preference, value to client, BS level—and then being honest about what you see. Audit Your Actual Week (Not Your Ideal Week) Pull up your calendar. Look at last week, or pick a representative week that shows what you typically do. List out everything. And I mean everything: Client deliverablesEmails and Slack messagesAdmin tasksThe two hours you spent learning a new project management tool, even though your spreadsheet works fineThat thing you've been moving on your to-do list for three weeksNow rank each task using your criteria and you'll start seeing patterns: 50% of your week might be $0 workThings you used to love are now just "neutral"You're spending prime hours on work someone else could do cheaperYou're procrastinating on actual strategy by solving theoretical problemsIdentify the Sneaky $0 WorkThe hardest things to identify are the invisible time sucks that don't show up on your calendar. To find these, you might need to look beyond your calendar: Your task listYour inboxYour Slack activityHow many times you checked email todayThe "quick client edit" that took three hoursThese are the $0 things creeping in that you don't even realize are there until you actually look. Decide What to ShiftOnce you've identified what needs to change, you have four options: 1. Let it go: What if you just stopped doing it? Earlier this year, I stopped doing my podcast. It freed up hours every week. But it also had implications: that was one of my main content engines. I had to think about different ways to produce content for my audience. 2. Limit it: Place boundaries around it. Check email three times a day instead of 15. Batch client calls on specific days. Stop being available on Slack 24/7. 3. Structure it: Build systems to make it more efficient. I used to manually send emails for a project every week. Then I built an automation. That task went from one hour per week to one minute. Did I bill the client less? No. It's a flat-rate contract. I'm still delivering the same value, I'm just doing it better, faster, and cheaper for myself. 4. Outsource it: If someone can do it better, faster, or cheaper, delegate. But here's the thing: None of these are silver bullets in isolation. Acknowledge That This Isn't Simple Here's what gets missed in most productivity advice: this work is nuanced. One participant in the live $1K Time Audit workshop shared something that's probably true for you too: "I'm looking at something that is medium-high effort and medium value. It makes me a decent amount of money, but it's a fuck ton of work and it exhausts me. Where do I put that?" I walked them through applying additional criteria: What's the value to your client? What's the value to your business model? They realized: "It's my biggest work. It doesn't even really fit in my business model." That's not a "stop doing it tomorrow" realization. But it IS information that helps you make better decisions going forward. Understanding the Ripple Effects Here's what makes this complicated: every decision about how you spend your time has ripple effects across your entire business. This is why I use the Sustainable Scale Framework as the foundation to balance all of this: Work (strategy + systems)Worth (profit + value)Wisdom (clients + services)When you change one thing, it impacts everything else. If you decide to stop doing "too low" work, that might mean: Raising your rates (pricing shift)Changing who you serve (client shift)Restructuring your packages (business model shift)Hiring someone (capacity shift)Setting new boundaries (relationship shift)It's not a simple "let it go, limit it, structure it, or outsource it" checklist. Each decision represents a choice that might impact your pricing, your business model, the types of clients you serve, your capacity, your boundaries, everything. What Comes Next One participant summed it up: "I like the framework a lot. I feel like I would need about three to four times as much time to actually do each of these steps. I almost want six copies of this so I can do it every other month or something." This isn't a one-time exercise. It's a regular practice because your business constantly shifts. What you used to love might become neutral. And what feels neutral now might become something you love again once you change the conditions around it. The point isn't to achieve some perfect calendar where every hour is $500+ work you love. The point is to stop waking up one day with four hours of work on your calendar that makes you think, "How did I get here? I don't want to do that." The point is to make conscious decisions about your business model instead of just reacting to whatever lands in your inbox. The audit isn't about squeezing more productivity out of your day. It's about reclaiming hours for income-generating work and the rest of your life. Because what's the point of running your own business if it runs you? This post initially appeared on Sarah Duran's website, Fruition Initiatives. View the full article

Most freelancers don't have a time management problem. They have a time allocation problem. You're booked solid, but your bank account doesn't reflect it. You're working constantly, but the numbers don't add up. You wake up looking at your calendar and think, "How did I get here?" You're not bad at managing time; the problem is what you're spending those hours on. You're replying to Slack messages that don't move projects forward. You're formatting client deliverables for three hours when the actual strategy work took one. You're on your fifth "quick call" of the day that wasn't on the original scope. You're spending Tuesday afternoon learning a new project management tool even though your current system works fine. These aren't time management failures. They're time allocation failures. Your best hours often go to $0 work: work that generates zero revenue, builds zero systems, and moves your business zero steps forward. Work that keeps you busy but broke. Work that used to energize you but now just exhausts you. How do I know? I’ve been there. I used to measure my days by how many things I crossed off my to-do list. One day, I looked at everything I'd done that week and asked: "What did this actually earn me?" The answer was brutal. Half of it made zero dollars. And the stuff that could actually move the needle? It got pushed to the bottom every single day. So I built a process. A simple audit that helped me finally see where my time was going and what it was worth. I built an on-demand workshop on this system called the $1K Time Audit. Here’s a sneak peek at the process. Separate Your Work Into Two Buckets Before you can audit anything, you need to understand that freelance work falls into two distinct categories: Working IN your business (aka client work): the deliverables, the calls, the revisions, everything you do directly for clients. Working ON your business (aka everything else): admin, systems, marketing, strategy, the work that keeps your business running but doesn't have an immediate paycheck attached. Most freelancers only pay attention to the first category. Paying attention to working ON your business is one of the key boss mindset shifts you need to make if you want to be a sustainable business, not a task rabbit that sells anything to the highest bidder. Build Your Ranking FrameworkHere's how to categorize the work you do IN your business (for clients): The $0 Work: This is what I call "the BS" work that generates zero revenue but eats up hours: Over-delivering on tasks the client didn't ask forBeing micromanaged (constant status updates, out-of-scope edits)Task-switching between 10 different projects in a single day"Pain and suffering" (e.g., lying awake worrying about client emails, dealing with difficult clients who drain your energy)The $50-100 Work: This is the "Goldilocks problem": work that's either too high or too low: Too high: You're not great at it yet, so it takes longer and delivers less value to the client. Maybe you took on something outside your wheelhouse, or you're building a new skill. Too low: You've mastered it to the point of it being brainless. Someone else could probably do it faster or cheaper. You're really good at it, but when it shows up on your calendar, you think, "Not this again." The $500+ Work: This is your superpower: Feels like rocket science to everyone else, but you can do it instinctivelyYou're twice as fast at it as anyone elseIt's still challenging enough that you actually love doing itNow, here’s the big caveat: our businesses will always be a combination of all three levels because we evolve as we learn. What was once your superpower may be your $50 work in a year. What was “too high” will become your superpower. The key is paying attention, so you’re not stuck in a business you’ve grown to hate. And then there are things we do that are priceless, like showing up human-to-human for clients and colleagues: sending a thank you note, talking a peer through a problem, and buying your best client a gift when they need a pick-me-up. Not everything is about money, and an hour spent here is often worth more than anything. Evaluate Your Business Work DifferentlyFor the work you do ON your business, the criteria shift. Use these categories: Admin: Can someone else do this better, faster, or cheaper? Systems: Are you solving real problems or theoretical ones? Are you building things that make future work more efficient, or procrastinating by "fixing" things that aren't broken? Networking/Marketing: Are you testing things out randomly, or implementing clear, targeted strategies based on what you've learned? Strategy: Are you reflecting on what actually worked and creating short-cycle goals, or copying what you saw on Pinterest? Here's a personal example: I do all my own bookkeeping. I handle all my billing, and I love it. But there’s a threshold there; right now, I have enough time to do that, and I’m pretty good at it, which means I’m fast and effective. There may come a day when that’s no longer true for my business, which means I’ll have to make a different decision. That lands differently when you admit you love bookkeeping versus white-knuckling through it because you think you "should" do it yourself. Build YOUR Criteria (Not Mine) Here's where most people get stuck: they try to use someone else's framework exactly as written. One participant asked: "What if something is my superpower and I'm good at it, but I don't enjoy it?" I told her to put it in the "too low" category. Because if you're spending all your time doing $500+ tasks that you hate, what's the point? Another participant couldn't categorize a major part of their client work: "It takes me a long time, longer than I would like to, but it is valuable for my customers and it's not necessarily something I enjoy doing 100%." This is the messy reality of freelance work that productivity advice doesn't account for: Sometimes the thing that makes you the most money isn't the thing you're best at, and it's definitely not the thing you love most. The framework isn't about simple categorization. It's about creating your own criteria—skill level, preference, value to client, BS level—and then being honest about what you see. Audit Your Actual Week (Not Your Ideal Week) Pull up your calendar. Look at last week, or pick a representative week that shows what you typically do. List out everything. And I mean everything: Client deliverablesEmails and Slack messagesAdmin tasksThe two hours you spent learning a new project management tool, even though your spreadsheet works fineThat thing you've been moving on your to-do list for three weeksNow rank each task using your criteria and you'll start seeing patterns: 50% of your week might be $0 workThings you used to love are now just "neutral"You're spending prime hours on work someone else could do cheaperYou're procrastinating on actual strategy by solving theoretical problemsIdentify the Sneaky $0 WorkThe hardest things to identify are the invisible time sucks that don't show up on your calendar. To find these, you might need to look beyond your calendar: Your task listYour inboxYour Slack activityHow many times you checked email todayThe "quick client edit" that took three hoursThese are the $0 things creeping in that you don't even realize are there until you actually look. Decide What to ShiftOnce you've identified what needs to change, you have four options: 1. Let it go: What if you just stopped doing it? Earlier this year, I stopped doing my podcast. It freed up hours every week. But it also had implications: that was one of my main content engines. I had to think about different ways to produce content for my audience. 2. Limit it: Place boundaries around it. Check email three times a day instead of 15. Batch client calls on specific days. Stop being available on Slack 24/7. 3. Structure it: Build systems to make it more efficient. I used to manually send emails for a project every week. Then I built an automation. That task went from one hour per week to one minute. Did I bill the client less? No. It's a flat-rate contract. I'm still delivering the same value, I'm just doing it better, faster, and cheaper for myself. 4. Outsource it: If someone can do it better, faster, or cheaper, delegate. But here's the thing: None of these are silver bullets in isolation. Acknowledge That This Isn't Simple Here's what gets missed in most productivity advice: this work is nuanced. One participant in the live $1K Time Audit workshop shared something that's probably true for you too: "I'm looking at something that is medium-high effort and medium value. It makes me a decent amount of money, but it's a fuck ton of work and it exhausts me. Where do I put that?" I walked them through applying additional criteria: What's the value to your client? What's the value to your business model? They realized: "It's my biggest work. It doesn't even really fit in my business model." That's not a "stop doing it tomorrow" realization. But it IS information that helps you make better decisions going forward. Understanding the Ripple Effects Here's what makes this complicated: every decision about how you spend your time has ripple effects across your entire business. This is why I use the Sustainable Scale Framework as the foundation to balance all of this: Work (strategy + systems)Worth (profit + value)Wisdom (clients + services)When you change one thing, it impacts everything else. If you decide to stop doing "too low" work, that might mean: Raising your rates (pricing shift)Changing who you serve (client shift)Restructuring your packages (business model shift)Hiring someone (capacity shift)Setting new boundaries (relationship shift)It's not a simple "let it go, limit it, structure it, or outsource it" checklist. Each decision represents a choice that might impact your pricing, your business model, the types of clients you serve, your capacity, your boundaries, everything. What Comes Next One participant summed it up: "I like the framework a lot. I feel like I would need about three to four times as much time to actually do each of these steps. I almost want six copies of this so I can do it every other month or something." This isn't a one-time exercise. It's a regular practice because your business constantly shifts. What you used to love might become neutral. And what feels neutral now might become something you love again once you change the conditions around it. The point isn't to achieve some perfect calendar where every hour is $500+ work you love. The point is to stop waking up one day with four hours of work on your calendar that makes you think, "How did I get here? I don't want to do that." The point is to make conscious decisions about your business model instead of just reacting to whatever lands in your inbox. The audit isn't about squeezing more productivity out of your day. It's about reclaiming hours for income-generating work and the rest of your life. Because what's the point of running your own business if it runs you? This post initially appeared on Sarah Duran's website, Fruition Initiatives. View the full article

The product preserves borrower's first mortgage, and its potentially lower mortgage rate, without requiring the new monthly payments of a traditional HELOC, FOA says. View the full article

As if modern dating weren’t difficult enough, the internet has become obsessed with finding niche compatibility tests and categorizing the differences between partners, with a string of so-called relationship gaps going viral on platforms such as TikTok recently. Now the latest one has arrived, and it’s already proving to be polarizing: the restaurant gap. Described by The New York Times as “a misalignment in tastes, spending habits and culinary curiosity,” a restaurant gap can take many forms. Take a picky eater and an adventurous foodie, or even a devout reservation chaser who incessantly scrolls through Resy versus someone who couldn’t care less as long as food is served. For many on social media, the gap rings true to life. “As someone that doesn’t often enjoy fine dining, I will not continue a relationship with someone that loves it,” a user said on X, responding to a thread on the topic posted by Elena Burger, a new media writer for a16z. As part of that same thread, Burger shared a screenshot from Hinge with a reply that read, in part, “What if I said I’d take you to Nobu Malibu for oceanview drinks . . . ” Burger then commented: “I take back everything I said. restaurant gaps are real.” Another X user replied: “Lost me at Nobu.” The latest in a flurry of viral relationship gaps While wage and age gaps have long been mainstream labels for relationships, newer variations have taken over social media. Notoriously, a “swag gap” refers to a relationship with an imbalance in style and coolness. gaps in relationships: – restaurant gap (going out vs. staying in) – museum gap (do you want wander vs. sprint) – travel gap (need to travel a lot vs. fine with 1-2 trips a year) – money gap (spending heavily vs. stingy) – living gap (city vs. suburb vs. middle of nowhere) -… — mads campbell (@martyrdison) April 4, 2026 For some, these labels are an easy ways of explaining whether a relationship might work. Some gaps, like a politics gap—liberal versus conservative—are straightforward, while others might be more niche, like a credit card gap: Are you a cash back or a reward points person? The surge in viral relationship gaps may highlight tensions in dating that are often repeated and could potentially be avoided. “Not all reservations about gaps are unwarranted,” the Atlantic argued last month. “Asymmetries can, for instance, result in lopsided power dynamics. Just think of the granddaddy of today’s hyperspecific divisions: the age gap, which is far more likely to involve an older man and a younger woman, and can truly be troubling when the younger party is very young.” But for others, the abundance of gaps reveals a cultural dissonance of modern dating. “More men and women need to hear the phrase ‘work it out’ the first time their relationship hits the slightest bump,” one user said on X. And others even highlight how gaps might make for more interesting interactions. “How boring would it be to be with someone who sees the world exactly the way you do,” one person wrote on X in reply to a list of relationship gaps. “There’s supposed to be some duality.” As the discourse continues, and the internet awaits the next buzzy gap, others argue that, at least in terms of the restaurant gap, there might be more important debates to be had. “[How] can we have this dialogue when society hasn’t even gotten over the “even split vs itemized” debate,” one X user said. View the full article

One need not be a sadist to enjoy the deeply unflattering body cam footage of Tiger Woods’ recent drunk driving arrest. Even before factoring in anyone’s personal feelings about the peerlessly accomplished but past-his-prime athlete, or their feelings about drunk drivers in general, the photos are internet-gold that lend themselves easily to memes and jokes. Still, there’s an unsavory aftertaste to this schadenfreude fiesta. It’s the same gamey flavor baked into the release last month of body cam footage from Justin Timberlake’s 2024 arrest, also for drunk driving. While there may be a cheap dopamine hit in watching famous people with highly managed public images in a situation where they have no control—especially if it’s a famous person one doesn’t particularly approve of, for whatever reason—this lurid form of entertainment has a steeper price than many observers might realize or admit. What the viral phenomenon costs us is the implicit agreement that, on a really bad day, anyone could be next. It’s surreal to witness a tool of police accountability become a weapon for shaming the people being policed. The tabloidification of arrest footage is not a recent development, though—dash cam video of Reese Witherspoon’s DUI arrest back in 2013, for instance, was such an overcooked spectacle, even a headline from then-reputable CBS News offered the non-commentary that the video “does not disappoint.” The dynamics at play in body cam footage released for our amusement go back way further—and point toward a future where privacy is a fragile privilege The original rotten tomatoes The powerful have been using public humiliation to dissuade would-be law-breakers for hundreds of years. Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, criminals in England convicted of crimes such as “swearing” and “drunkenness” were made to sit in stocks or stand in pillories in the town square, so their neighbors could jeer at them and throw rotten produce. This result fused the offenders’ punishment with the townspeople’s entertainment. The message was clear: Much better to be the one throwing the tomatoes than the one getting hit. A few hundred years later, public shaming became part of the process for arresting high-profile criminals. The FBI introduced the perp walk in the 1930s, parading a suspect before a gauntlet of news cameras on the way to the courthouse. This ritual served the dual purpose of showing off the police’s heroic efficiency—what’s now known as ‘copaganda’—while also telegraphing the undignified infamy waiting for criminals when they inevitably got caught. Toward the end of the 20th century, the reality-based show Cops emerged, transforming the perp walk into stocks-and-pillories style entertainment for a much larger town square. The long-running show primed Americans to appreciate the high voyeuristic value of arrest footage, well before society found a more important, urgent and useful reason to regularly capture it. Smile, you’re on extremely candid camera A handful of U.S. police departments were piloting body camera programs as early as 2012. Each officer’s POV would be recorded in real time for posterity and, ideally, the facts of how each arrest went down would remain beyond dispute. Voila: Police accountability. These programs flew largely under public radar for the first couple of years, until an officer in Ferguson, Missouri shot and killed teenager Michael Brown in 2014 for the alleged crime of shoplifting a bag of candy and giving chase. Once that tragic shooting captured national attention, the push for body cameras reached a fever pitch. By the following summer, a YouGov/Economist poll claimed that 92% of Democrats and 84% of Republicans were reportedly in favor of them. Although it’s impossible to tell how many incidents of excessive police force the proliferation of body cameras has prevented, some studies indicate that complaints against officers have decreased significantly in tandem with their usage in the field. Whatever amount they’ve improved the lives of citizens, though, is complicated by the secondary purpose the cameras now serve. Widespread use of body cams has created a system where anyone with enough time and gumption can file a Freedom of Information Act request for footage of an arrest and, depending on state laws, receive a copy to use however they see fit. Because obtaining such footage is relatively easy, it’s not just celebrities whose arrest videos are seeing daylight anymore. In recent years, YouTube channels like Police Activity (6.88 million subscribers) have been fishing for arrest footage they can turn into content. Because of their efforts, people like the woman who shoplifted from Target last summer have become unwitting stars of viral videos. A slew of accounts on X are similarly devoted to capturing people in their most vulnerable moments, sometimes while clearly in the depths of a substance-use disorder. Not only does the town-square humiliation of an arrest now carry the permanence of living online, mercenary third parties are able to monetize it. We were warned Public demand for police body cams may have started with the best intentions, but there were always warning signs about their misuse. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sounded the alarm early on, publishing a policy paper on body cams in October 2013. In reference to the widely circulated dash cam footage of Reese Witherspoon earlier that year, ACLU senior policy analyst Jay Stanley wrote, “The potential for such merely embarrassing and titillating releases of video is significantly increased by body cams. Therefore, it is vital that any deployment of these cameras be accompanied by good privacy policies so the benefits of the technology are not outweighed by invasions of privacy.” It was foreseeable, even at the dawn of the body cam era, that the footage these devices captured could have a utility beyond accountability; that without redaction rules, retention limits, and release standards, ordinary citizens and celebrities alike could see their worst moments turned into clickbait. What only seems obvious with the benefit of hindsight, though, is that the detriments of body cam footage would flourish under an administration that publicly shames those protesting it by releasing their names and arrest photos online. It might not just be a coincidence. Perhaps Americans’ voyeuristic appetite for scandalous arrest footage has hit a higher level recently as a result of everyone being transfixed by the most famous person in the world constantly evading accountability. If it’s not possible to see Donald The President in an embarrassing perp walk, after all, at least you can watch it happen to Tiger Woods. Of course, on a bad enough day, it’s just as likely Tiger Woods will be watching your arrest video. View the full article

An Ipsos survey of U.S. adults found 63% say ads in AI search results would reduce trust. Early advertiser data offers limited, mixed signals. The post Trust In AI Search Could Drop With Ads, Survey Shows appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Creating an effective questionnaire for survey samples is essential for gathering accurate information. Clear and concise questions help respondents understand what you’re asking, which leads to better data quality. It’s important to mix open and closed-ended questions to capture a range of insights. Furthermore, balancing response options can guarantee diverse perspectives are included. As you consider these elements, think about how the structure and flow of your questionnaire might influence participant engagement. What strategies will you implement to improve clarity and reliability? Key Takeaways Design clear and unbiased questions to ensure accurate data collection and interpretation. Use a balanced mix of closed-ended and open-ended questions to capture diverse opinions. Structure the questionnaire logically, starting with engaging questions and placing sensitive topics later. Keep the survey concise, ideally under one page, with a maximum of ten questions. Pre-test the questionnaire to identify and address any ambiguous or biased questions before distribution. Importance of Clear Question Design When you design a questionnaire, the clarity of your questions plays a significant role in gathering accurate data. Clear question design is fundamental; ambiguous or biased questions can lead to misinterpretation and skewed results. Using simple, straightforward language helps guarantee that respondents understand what you’re asking, reducing confusion and increasing the likelihood of thoughtful answers. Maintaining consistent wording and context across similar questions improves comparability, critical for tracking changes in attitudes over time. The questionnaire format is important; the order of your questions can impact responses, as earlier inquiries can shape how respondents interpret later ones. Consequently, a logical flow is imperative. Don’t forget to pre-test your questions through methods like focus groups. This process can reveal potential clarity issues or biases, allowing you to refine your questionnaire. Types of Survey Questions When creating your questionnaire, comprehending the types of survey questions is essential. You’ll typically encounter open-ended questions, which allow respondents to express their thoughts freely, and closed-ended questions, which limit responses to specific options. Each type serves a distinct purpose, so choosing the right format can greatly influence the quality of your data collection. Open-Ended Questions How can open-ended questions improve your survey? Open-ended questions allow respondents to express their thoughts in their own words, providing rich qualitative data that offers insights often missed by closed-ended questions. This approach is particularly useful when exploring complex topics or gathering detailed feedback. To augment the effectiveness of these questions in your questionnaire format for market survey, guarantee clarity and specificity, guiding respondents toward relevant answers. Nevertheless, limit the number of open-ended questions to prevent respondent fatigue and maintain quality responses. Keep in mind that analyzing open-ended responses can be more complex, requiring qualitative coding techniques to identify common themes and patterns. Closed-Ended Questions Closed-ended questions serve as a strong tool in survey design, offering a structured way for respondents to provide feedback. These questions present predefined answers, making it easier for you to analyze and quantify data collected from surveys. Common types include multiple-choice, dichotomous (yes/no), Likert scale, and ranking questions, each serving distinct purposes in your questionnaire template. Multiple-choice questions allow for single or multiple selections, whereas dichotomous questions simplify responses to two options, enhancing clarity. Likert scale questions gauge attitudes by asking respondents to indicate their level of agreement with a statement. When designing a marketing questionnaire, it’s vital to maintain a clear and balanced set of response options to avoid bias and guarantee all relevant perspectives are represented. Crafting Balanced Response Options Crafting balanced response options is vital for obtaining accurate and meaningful survey results, as it helps to represent respondents’ true opinions. When designing your questionnaire sample, include an equal number of positive and negative choices to avoid skewing results. A neutral option, like “Neither agree nor disagree,” allows respondents to express ambivalence, preventing forced choices that can lead to inaccuracies. Consistent scales across questions improve clarity, making it easier to compare responses, which is fundamental for data analysis. Limit the number of response options to four or five to avoid overwhelming respondents, thereby enhancing the quality of their answers. Including an “Other” option is likewise beneficial, as it captures perspectives that may not fit predefined categories. If you’re looking for a practical tool, consider a survey template word free download to help guide you in crafting balanced response options effectively. Structuring Your Questionnaire When you structure your questionnaire effectively, you set the stage for more reliable and insightful responses. Here are key strategies to reflect on: Start with engaging questions: Begin with easy, relatable items that capture interest and encourage participation. Group related questions logically: Organize questions by theme to maintain a coherent flow and help respondents understand the context. Place sensitive questions later: Save demographic or potentially uncomfortable questions for the end to build rapport and trust. Use connecting statements: Clearly guide respondents between sections, ensuring they understand shifts in focus. Testing and Pre-Testing Questions To guarantee your questionnaire effectively captures the information you need, testing and pre-testing questions play a vital role in refining your survey tools. Using qualitative methods like focus groups or cognitive interviews, you can identify ambiguous or biased questions before including them in your final questionnaire template for your research project. This process helps improve clarity and comprehension, ensuring respondents interpret your questions as intended. Conducting pilot tests with a diverse group of participants reveals potential issues with question wording, response options, and the overall flow of your research questionnaire format. Insights gained from pre-testing are significant for improving the validity and reliability of your questionnaire, allowing it to accurately measure the constructs you aim to explore. Regular updates and revisions based on feedback from pre-testing are critical to keeping your questions relevant and aligned with evolving public opinions and trends. Measuring Change Over Time Measuring change over time in attitudes and opinions requires a careful approach to ascertain that the data collected is both reliable and relevant. To effectively build a questionnaire that tracks these changes, consider the following: Consistent Wording: Use the same phrasing for questions across different surveys to ascertain comparability. Panel Studies: Conduct repeated surveys of the same individuals to gather more reliable data on changes in attitudes. Question Types: Employ Likert scale questions, as they provide a structured way for respondents to express their opinions consistently. Methodological Consistency: Maintain the same survey format, whether online or phone, to avoid variations in responses that could skew your results. Addressing Bias in Survey Questions Addressing bias in survey questions is essential for obtaining accurate and truthful data from respondents. Bias in survey questions can arise from leading language that steers respondents toward specific answers instead of their genuine opinions. To minimize this risk, avoid using loaded terms, which can evoke strong emotions or assumptions, thereby skewing results. Furthermore, steer clear of double-barreled questions; these ask about two issues at once, which can confuse respondents and lead to inaccurate answers. Instead, focus on one question at a time. When dealing with sensitive topics, consider including a “prefer not to answer” option, as this can help mitigate social desirability bias by allowing respondents to skip uncomfortable questions. Finally, conduct pilot studies to test different phrasing, revealing how variations in wording can affect responses and helping you identify and eliminate potential biases before the final survey is administered. Ensuring Logical Question Flow When crafting a questionnaire, ensuring logical question flow is vital for guiding respondents through the survey experience. A clear structure helps maintain engagement and accuracy. To achieve this, consider the following: Start with easy questions: Begin with engaging, simple queries to capture interest and set a positive survey tone. Group related questions: Keep similar topics together, allowing smooth shifts and reducing confusion. Build rapport: Introduce less sensitive questions first, creating a sense of comfort before addressing more personal inquiries. Use transition statements: Provide context between sections, helping respondents understand the purpose of upcoming questions. Best Practices for Survey Length and Engagement To create an effective survey, you should focus on keeping it concise, ideally under one page with 10 or fewer questions, to maintain respondent engagement. It’s furthermore important to optimize question order by randomizing them and placing sensitive questions later to build trust. In addition, consider offering engaging incentives, like cash or gift cards, to boost response rates and encourage participation. Keep Surveys Concise Creating a concise survey is crucial for maintaining respondent engagement and collecting quality data. Aim for a one-page format with 10 or fewer questions. Here are some best practices to follow: Prioritize crucial questions at the beginning to capture key information early. Use screening questions at the start to qualify respondents, ensuring only relevant participants continue. Randomize question order to reduce bias and improve engagement, making the survey feel less predictable. Implement incentives, like cash rewards, to boost response rates and keep the survey length manageable. Utilizing a questionnaire template word can help streamline your design, and an example of survey questionnaire format or sample research questionnaire format can guide you in creating effective surveys. Optimize Question Order Optimizing the order of questions in your survey is essential for enhancing engagement and ensuring high-quality responses. Start with simple, engaging questions to capture interest, encouraging respondents to continue. When you’re formulating research questionnaires, group related questions together; this maintains a logical flow and improves comprehension. Sensitive topics should come later in the questionnaire model for research, allowing you to build rapport and trust before tackling uncomfortable issues. Use change statements between sections to signal shifts in topics, making the experience smoother for respondents. Finally, keep your survey concise, ideally ten questions or fewer, to prevent fatigue and abandonment. An effective example of a questionnaire format follows these guidelines, ensuring better quality data collection. Use Engaging Incentives Engaging incentives can greatly improve your survey’s response rates, making them a fundamental element in the design process. Here are some best practices to contemplate: Offer cash or gift cards: Cash is the most effective incentive, as it motivates participation considerably. Tailor the amount: Verify your incentives are substantial enough for your target audience during the maintenance of data quality. Use prepaid incentives: Offering compensation upfront can lead to higher response rates compared to post-survey rewards. Randomize incentives: This helps reduce bias and makes respondents feel fairly treated, as they know the incentive isn’t guaranteed. Incorporating these strategies in your survey questionnaire sample or client questionnaire template can improve engagement and completion rates. Frequently Asked Questions How to Design a Good Survey Questionnaire? To design a good survey questionnaire, start by defining your objectives clearly. Use a mix of question types like multiple-choice and open-ended to gather varied responses. Group related questions logically, beginning with simpler ones to build rapport. Pre-test your questionnaire with a small sample to identify any confusing parts. Aim for brevity, keeping it under five minutes to improve completion rates during ensuring all questions are clear and unbiased. How to Make a Sample Survey Questionnaire? To make a sample survey questionnaire, start by defining your survey’s purpose, ensuring each question aligns with your research objectives. Use a variety of question types, like multiple-choice and open-ended, to gather thorough data. Keep your wording clear and simple, and consider pre-testing your questions to identify issues. Organize your questionnaire logically, grouping similar topics, and include an “Other” option in closed-ended questions to capture diverse responses that may not fit standard categories. What Are 5 Good Survey Questions? You might consider these five effective survey questions: First, ask respondents to rate their satisfaction on a Likert scale from 1 to 5. Next, use a multiple-choice question to identify their preferred product features. Include an open-ended question to gather additional feedback. A demographic question can help segment your data, and finally, offer a “Prefer not to answer” option for sensitive topics. These questions can improve clarity and boost response rates. What Are the Key Elements of a Well-Designed Survey Questionnaire? A well-designed survey questionnaire includes several key elements. First, your questions should be clear and concise, avoiding complex jargon. It’s crucial to balance open and closed-ended questions for depth and ease of analysis. Verify a logical flow by starting with engaging questions and grouping related items. Offering varied response options, like Likert scales, can yield nuanced insights. Finally, pilot testing helps refine your questions and identify biases, enhancing overall quality before distribution. Conclusion In summary, designing an effective questionnaire is essential for gathering reliable survey data. By focusing on clear question design, utilizing diverse question types, and ensuring balanced response options, you can improve participant engagement and accuracy. Structuring your questionnaire logically and pre-testing it will further refine your approach. In the end, addressing potential biases and measuring change over time will enhance the overall quality of your research, leading to more meaningful insights and informed decisions. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Creating an Effective Questionnaire for Survey Samples" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Creating an effective questionnaire for survey samples is essential for gathering accurate information. Clear and concise questions help respondents understand what you’re asking, which leads to better data quality. It’s important to mix open and closed-ended questions to capture a range of insights. Furthermore, balancing response options can guarantee diverse perspectives are included. As you consider these elements, think about how the structure and flow of your questionnaire might influence participant engagement. What strategies will you implement to improve clarity and reliability? Key Takeaways Design clear and unbiased questions to ensure accurate data collection and interpretation. Use a balanced mix of closed-ended and open-ended questions to capture diverse opinions. Structure the questionnaire logically, starting with engaging questions and placing sensitive topics later. Keep the survey concise, ideally under one page, with a maximum of ten questions. Pre-test the questionnaire to identify and address any ambiguous or biased questions before distribution. Importance of Clear Question Design When you design a questionnaire, the clarity of your questions plays a significant role in gathering accurate data. Clear question design is fundamental; ambiguous or biased questions can lead to misinterpretation and skewed results. Using simple, straightforward language helps guarantee that respondents understand what you’re asking, reducing confusion and increasing the likelihood of thoughtful answers. Maintaining consistent wording and context across similar questions improves comparability, critical for tracking changes in attitudes over time. The questionnaire format is important; the order of your questions can impact responses, as earlier inquiries can shape how respondents interpret later ones. Consequently, a logical flow is imperative. Don’t forget to pre-test your questions through methods like focus groups. This process can reveal potential clarity issues or biases, allowing you to refine your questionnaire. Types of Survey Questions When creating your questionnaire, comprehending the types of survey questions is essential. You’ll typically encounter open-ended questions, which allow respondents to express their thoughts freely, and closed-ended questions, which limit responses to specific options. Each type serves a distinct purpose, so choosing the right format can greatly influence the quality of your data collection. Open-Ended Questions How can open-ended questions improve your survey? Open-ended questions allow respondents to express their thoughts in their own words, providing rich qualitative data that offers insights often missed by closed-ended questions. This approach is particularly useful when exploring complex topics or gathering detailed feedback. To augment the effectiveness of these questions in your questionnaire format for market survey, guarantee clarity and specificity, guiding respondents toward relevant answers. Nevertheless, limit the number of open-ended questions to prevent respondent fatigue and maintain quality responses. Keep in mind that analyzing open-ended responses can be more complex, requiring qualitative coding techniques to identify common themes and patterns. Closed-Ended Questions Closed-ended questions serve as a strong tool in survey design, offering a structured way for respondents to provide feedback. These questions present predefined answers, making it easier for you to analyze and quantify data collected from surveys. Common types include multiple-choice, dichotomous (yes/no), Likert scale, and ranking questions, each serving distinct purposes in your questionnaire template. Multiple-choice questions allow for single or multiple selections, whereas dichotomous questions simplify responses to two options, enhancing clarity. Likert scale questions gauge attitudes by asking respondents to indicate their level of agreement with a statement. When designing a marketing questionnaire, it’s vital to maintain a clear and balanced set of response options to avoid bias and guarantee all relevant perspectives are represented. Crafting Balanced Response Options Crafting balanced response options is vital for obtaining accurate and meaningful survey results, as it helps to represent respondents’ true opinions. When designing your questionnaire sample, include an equal number of positive and negative choices to avoid skewing results. A neutral option, like “Neither agree nor disagree,” allows respondents to express ambivalence, preventing forced choices that can lead to inaccuracies. Consistent scales across questions improve clarity, making it easier to compare responses, which is fundamental for data analysis. Limit the number of response options to four or five to avoid overwhelming respondents, thereby enhancing the quality of their answers. Including an “Other” option is likewise beneficial, as it captures perspectives that may not fit predefined categories. If you’re looking for a practical tool, consider a survey template word free download to help guide you in crafting balanced response options effectively. Structuring Your Questionnaire When you structure your questionnaire effectively, you set the stage for more reliable and insightful responses. Here are key strategies to reflect on: Start with engaging questions: Begin with easy, relatable items that capture interest and encourage participation. Group related questions logically: Organize questions by theme to maintain a coherent flow and help respondents understand the context. Place sensitive questions later: Save demographic or potentially uncomfortable questions for the end to build rapport and trust. Use connecting statements: Clearly guide respondents between sections, ensuring they understand shifts in focus. Testing and Pre-Testing Questions To guarantee your questionnaire effectively captures the information you need, testing and pre-testing questions play a vital role in refining your survey tools. Using qualitative methods like focus groups or cognitive interviews, you can identify ambiguous or biased questions before including them in your final questionnaire template for your research project. This process helps improve clarity and comprehension, ensuring respondents interpret your questions as intended. Conducting pilot tests with a diverse group of participants reveals potential issues with question wording, response options, and the overall flow of your research questionnaire format. Insights gained from pre-testing are significant for improving the validity and reliability of your questionnaire, allowing it to accurately measure the constructs you aim to explore. Regular updates and revisions based on feedback from pre-testing are critical to keeping your questions relevant and aligned with evolving public opinions and trends. Measuring Change Over Time Measuring change over time in attitudes and opinions requires a careful approach to ascertain that the data collected is both reliable and relevant. To effectively build a questionnaire that tracks these changes, consider the following: Consistent Wording: Use the same phrasing for questions across different surveys to ascertain comparability. Panel Studies: Conduct repeated surveys of the same individuals to gather more reliable data on changes in attitudes. Question Types: Employ Likert scale questions, as they provide a structured way for respondents to express their opinions consistently. Methodological Consistency: Maintain the same survey format, whether online or phone, to avoid variations in responses that could skew your results. Addressing Bias in Survey Questions Addressing bias in survey questions is essential for obtaining accurate and truthful data from respondents. Bias in survey questions can arise from leading language that steers respondents toward specific answers instead of their genuine opinions. To minimize this risk, avoid using loaded terms, which can evoke strong emotions or assumptions, thereby skewing results. Furthermore, steer clear of double-barreled questions; these ask about two issues at once, which can confuse respondents and lead to inaccurate answers. Instead, focus on one question at a time. When dealing with sensitive topics, consider including a “prefer not to answer” option, as this can help mitigate social desirability bias by allowing respondents to skip uncomfortable questions. Finally, conduct pilot studies to test different phrasing, revealing how variations in wording can affect responses and helping you identify and eliminate potential biases before the final survey is administered. Ensuring Logical Question Flow When crafting a questionnaire, ensuring logical question flow is vital for guiding respondents through the survey experience. A clear structure helps maintain engagement and accuracy. To achieve this, consider the following: Start with easy questions: Begin with engaging, simple queries to capture interest and set a positive survey tone. Group related questions: Keep similar topics together, allowing smooth shifts and reducing confusion. Build rapport: Introduce less sensitive questions first, creating a sense of comfort before addressing more personal inquiries. Use transition statements: Provide context between sections, helping respondents understand the purpose of upcoming questions. Best Practices for Survey Length and Engagement To create an effective survey, you should focus on keeping it concise, ideally under one page with 10 or fewer questions, to maintain respondent engagement. It’s furthermore important to optimize question order by randomizing them and placing sensitive questions later to build trust. In addition, consider offering engaging incentives, like cash or gift cards, to boost response rates and encourage participation. Keep Surveys Concise Creating a concise survey is crucial for maintaining respondent engagement and collecting quality data. Aim for a one-page format with 10 or fewer questions. Here are some best practices to follow: Prioritize crucial questions at the beginning to capture key information early. Use screening questions at the start to qualify respondents, ensuring only relevant participants continue. Randomize question order to reduce bias and improve engagement, making the survey feel less predictable. Implement incentives, like cash rewards, to boost response rates and keep the survey length manageable. Utilizing a questionnaire template word can help streamline your design, and an example of survey questionnaire format or sample research questionnaire format can guide you in creating effective surveys. Optimize Question Order Optimizing the order of questions in your survey is essential for enhancing engagement and ensuring high-quality responses. Start with simple, engaging questions to capture interest, encouraging respondents to continue. When you’re formulating research questionnaires, group related questions together; this maintains a logical flow and improves comprehension. Sensitive topics should come later in the questionnaire model for research, allowing you to build rapport and trust before tackling uncomfortable issues. Use change statements between sections to signal shifts in topics, making the experience smoother for respondents. Finally, keep your survey concise, ideally ten questions or fewer, to prevent fatigue and abandonment. An effective example of a questionnaire format follows these guidelines, ensuring better quality data collection. Use Engaging Incentives Engaging incentives can greatly improve your survey’s response rates, making them a fundamental element in the design process. Here are some best practices to contemplate: Offer cash or gift cards: Cash is the most effective incentive, as it motivates participation considerably. Tailor the amount: Verify your incentives are substantial enough for your target audience during the maintenance of data quality. Use prepaid incentives: Offering compensation upfront can lead to higher response rates compared to post-survey rewards. Randomize incentives: This helps reduce bias and makes respondents feel fairly treated, as they know the incentive isn’t guaranteed. Incorporating these strategies in your survey questionnaire sample or client questionnaire template can improve engagement and completion rates. Frequently Asked Questions How to Design a Good Survey Questionnaire? To design a good survey questionnaire, start by defining your objectives clearly. Use a mix of question types like multiple-choice and open-ended to gather varied responses. Group related questions logically, beginning with simpler ones to build rapport. Pre-test your questionnaire with a small sample to identify any confusing parts. Aim for brevity, keeping it under five minutes to improve completion rates during ensuring all questions are clear and unbiased. How to Make a Sample Survey Questionnaire? To make a sample survey questionnaire, start by defining your survey’s purpose, ensuring each question aligns with your research objectives. Use a variety of question types, like multiple-choice and open-ended, to gather thorough data. Keep your wording clear and simple, and consider pre-testing your questions to identify issues. Organize your questionnaire logically, grouping similar topics, and include an “Other” option in closed-ended questions to capture diverse responses that may not fit standard categories. What Are 5 Good Survey Questions? You might consider these five effective survey questions: First, ask respondents to rate their satisfaction on a Likert scale from 1 to 5. Next, use a multiple-choice question to identify their preferred product features. Include an open-ended question to gather additional feedback. A demographic question can help segment your data, and finally, offer a “Prefer not to answer” option for sensitive topics. These questions can improve clarity and boost response rates. What Are the Key Elements of a Well-Designed Survey Questionnaire? A well-designed survey questionnaire includes several key elements. First, your questions should be clear and concise, avoiding complex jargon. It’s crucial to balance open and closed-ended questions for depth and ease of analysis. Verify a logical flow by starting with engaging questions and grouping related items. Offering varied response options, like Likert scales, can yield nuanced insights. Finally, pilot testing helps refine your questions and identify biases, enhancing overall quality before distribution. Conclusion In summary, designing an effective questionnaire is essential for gathering reliable survey data. By focusing on clear question design, utilizing diverse question types, and ensuring balanced response options, you can improve participant engagement and accuracy. Structuring your questionnaire logically and pre-testing it will further refine your approach. In the end, addressing potential biases and measuring change over time will enhance the overall quality of your research, leading to more meaningful insights and informed decisions. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Creating an Effective Questionnaire for Survey Samples" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

While a side hustle can be a great way to start a business or boost your income, many options do have start-up costs. However, there are several that you can essentially start with just the tools and materials you already have (assuming you have an internet connection). “There are so many ways to get started with no money,” says Shaun Ghavami, founder of 10XBNB, which co-hosts short-term rentals and also offers courses on the topic. “You just need to get creative, and you need a niche.” Ghavami started that way. He launched his co-hosting side hustle with no investment, reaching out to landlords that were not having luck renting their furnished properties and offering to handle their Airbnb listing and act as property manager. He started by charging 20 percent of the Airbnb revenue, but today takes a 35 percent cut. His Vancouver-based company has generated over $5 million in booking fees since its founding in 2020. If managing properties on Airbnb isn’t for you, here are six side hustles that don’t require any upfront investment but still have notable earnings potential. Social-media consultant Companies are always on the lookout for people who can help them turn heads and capture people’s attention in a crowded market. There’s more to a social-media consultant role than just attracting attention, though—you’ll also need to monitor engagement metrics and increase interaction. This is a good choice for people who have their own experience building a following on TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, or other social-media outlets. Sites like Upwork and Freelancer.com are a good place to start looking for clients. Outbound lead generation B2B plays are often overlooked when people consider side hustles, which can be an opportunity for someone with the right skills. For this side-hustle business, you’ll identify, attract, and nurture prospective customers for businesses, along with gathering information like contacts, combining data from places like LinkedIn, X, and Meta. You can make the initial outreach to these places and book meetings for your client. You’ll need to be good at research to identify prospective leads. And if you’ve got cold outreach skills, that can be a deal sweetener for prospective clients. Copywriting There are thousands of listings for copywriters on sites like Indeed and LinkedIn. Some companies need help connecting with customers through landing pages or social media. Others need someone to write video scripts. If you can turn around high-quality writing in a short period of time, you’ll quickly find demand for your services. The top niche areas for writers, as of last year, are digital marketing, SaaS/e-commerce, and health/lifestyle. SEO auditing If your skillset includes pushing web pages to the top of Google’s search rankings, there’s definitely demand for that from small- and medium-sized businesses. Launching an SEO audit side hustle involves reviewing client websites and recommending improvements that will boost their visibility. A key part of this gig (which could easily become a full-time startup once you’ve established a track record) is keeping up with changes to search algorithms from Google, Bing, and others. You could also expand into the growing field of generative engine optimization (GEO), which optimizes content to be discovered and cited by chatbots. Industry trend reports People who have strong researching skills can earn extra income by assembling reports focused on sector-specific news and analysis, as well as shifts in consumer preferences or relevant technology. Businesses rely on this sort of information to gain an advantage over their competitors but often don’t have someone on staff tasked to compile it. You’ll also want to create actionable bullet points to include in your report. Focus on a niche area and carefully source your information. AI can be a valuable assistant, but be sure to verify any data it provides, as your reputation is a critical part of running this sort of business. Tours You know your town’s hotspots and points of interest better than anybody, so why not capitalize on that? If you live in a vacation destination, starting a tour business is a great way to pick up extra income and can easily become a full-time business. The trick is coming up with an angle that professional tour companies aren’t already covering. Still, if you’re passionate about parts of your city, you can use platforms like Facebook, Upwork, and Viator to market yourself. Some guides say they average between $100 and $300 per tour, often earning much more. If you don’t live in a tourist town, consider guiding locals in everything from ghost tours to off-roading, depending on your area. —Chris Morris This article originally appeared on Fast Company’s sister website, Inc.com. Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy. View the full article

WhatsApp has rolled out a suite of new features aimed at transforming the way users interact with the platform, making it particularly relevant for small business owners juggling multiple demands. As digital communication continues to evolve, these enhancements can help entrepreneurs stay organized, connect more efficiently, and leverage multimedia in their messaging. One of the standout features is the ability to manage storage directly within conversations. For many small business owners, digital clutter can impede productivity. The new “Manage Storage” function allows users to easily identify and delete large files without having to erase entire chat histories. This means you can keep essential conversations intact while freeing up valuable space on your device, a boon for those who are constantly sharing updates, photos, and documents. “Your WhatsApp chats become a record of the moments that matter: conversations with family, laughs with friends, and the photos and videos you couldn’t stop sharing,” WhatsApp highlights, underscoring the platform’s multifaceted role in both personal and professional settings. Another significant upgrade is the cross-platform chat transfer feature. Transitioning between devices often poses a challenge, but now users can move their chat history seamlessly from iOS to Android and vice versa, in addition to within the same platform. For small business owners who may switch devices frequently, this function ensures that conversations, photos, and important files travel with them, thereby eliminating the potential for lost information. Furthermore, small business owners can now manage two WhatsApp accounts on a single iPhone, enabling a clear separation between work communications and personal chats. As WhatsApp noted, “You’ll always know which account you’re in because your profile picture will now be visible in the bottom tab.” This functionality reduces the need to carry multiple devices, streamlining workflow for those balancing multiple responsibilities. The app has also revamped its sticker feature. By suggesting stickers that correspond with typed emojis, WhatsApp caters to those who wish to add a personal touch to their messages. For small businesses engaging on social media, this could enhance brand voice and customer interactions, creating a more engaging user experience. Small business owners should also take note of the capability to edit photos and utilize AI for touch-ups before sending images. This tool allows for a quick polish, making it easier to ensure that any visuals shared in chats are professional and appealing. It’s a small yet impactful shift that can enhance the quality of presentations, proposals, or social media content sent via WhatsApp. Another feature that could be particularly useful is the AI Writing Help. This tool provides suggested responses based on existing conversations, ensuring that messages are effective and well-articulated. For small business owners who may find themselves pressed for time, this could be an invaluable timesaver, allowing them to maintain effective communication without sacrificing content quality. As these features roll out, small business owners should be aware of their potential benefits and challenges. While these advancements aim to streamline tasks, users may need time to adjust to new functionalities, particularly concerning data management strategies. It is essential for businesses to adopt best practices for data security, especially when transferring chat histories and handling multimedia content. WhatsApp’s continuous evolution reflects the growing need for flexible, intuitive communication tools that accommodate the dynamic nature of small businesses. With features designed to reduce clutter and enhance communication, WhatsApp positions itself as a vital resource for entrepreneurs navigating their work-life balance while fostering connections that matter. These features are currently rolling out and will soon be available for all users. To learn more about these updates, visit the original post here. Image via Google Gemini This article, "WhatsApp Unveils New Features to Enhance Chat Experience and Organization" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

WhatsApp has rolled out a suite of new features aimed at transforming the way users interact with the platform, making it particularly relevant for small business owners juggling multiple demands. As digital communication continues to evolve, these enhancements can help entrepreneurs stay organized, connect more efficiently, and leverage multimedia in their messaging. One of the standout features is the ability to manage storage directly within conversations. For many small business owners, digital clutter can impede productivity. The new “Manage Storage” function allows users to easily identify and delete large files without having to erase entire chat histories. This means you can keep essential conversations intact while freeing up valuable space on your device, a boon for those who are constantly sharing updates, photos, and documents. “Your WhatsApp chats become a record of the moments that matter: conversations with family, laughs with friends, and the photos and videos you couldn’t stop sharing,” WhatsApp highlights, underscoring the platform’s multifaceted role in both personal and professional settings. Another significant upgrade is the cross-platform chat transfer feature. Transitioning between devices often poses a challenge, but now users can move their chat history seamlessly from iOS to Android and vice versa, in addition to within the same platform. For small business owners who may switch devices frequently, this function ensures that conversations, photos, and important files travel with them, thereby eliminating the potential for lost information. Furthermore, small business owners can now manage two WhatsApp accounts on a single iPhone, enabling a clear separation between work communications and personal chats. As WhatsApp noted, “You’ll always know which account you’re in because your profile picture will now be visible in the bottom tab.” This functionality reduces the need to carry multiple devices, streamlining workflow for those balancing multiple responsibilities. The app has also revamped its sticker feature. By suggesting stickers that correspond with typed emojis, WhatsApp caters to those who wish to add a personal touch to their messages. For small businesses engaging on social media, this could enhance brand voice and customer interactions, creating a more engaging user experience. Small business owners should also take note of the capability to edit photos and utilize AI for touch-ups before sending images. This tool allows for a quick polish, making it easier to ensure that any visuals shared in chats are professional and appealing. It’s a small yet impactful shift that can enhance the quality of presentations, proposals, or social media content sent via WhatsApp. Another feature that could be particularly useful is the AI Writing Help. This tool provides suggested responses based on existing conversations, ensuring that messages are effective and well-articulated. For small business owners who may find themselves pressed for time, this could be an invaluable timesaver, allowing them to maintain effective communication without sacrificing content quality. As these features roll out, small business owners should be aware of their potential benefits and challenges. While these advancements aim to streamline tasks, users may need time to adjust to new functionalities, particularly concerning data management strategies. It is essential for businesses to adopt best practices for data security, especially when transferring chat histories and handling multimedia content. WhatsApp’s continuous evolution reflects the growing need for flexible, intuitive communication tools that accommodate the dynamic nature of small businesses. With features designed to reduce clutter and enhance communication, WhatsApp positions itself as a vital resource for entrepreneurs navigating their work-life balance while fostering connections that matter. These features are currently rolling out and will soon be available for all users. To learn more about these updates, visit the original post here. Image via Google Gemini This article, "WhatsApp Unveils New Features to Enhance Chat Experience and Organization" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

After years of working with clients across various industries at Dreamix, certain patterns repeat. Not the technical work—that varies enormously—but in the conversations that happen before the work begins. The assumptions clients bring into a vendor selection process often shape the outcome more than the technology choices that follow. Three of those assumptions are worth questioning before signing anything. 1. Don’t design the team before scoping the problem. A client arrives with a fixed requirement for five senior engineers, a specific tech stack, and product availability by a certain date. The project scope comes later. I understand their reasoning. Senior engineers are scarce and expensive, and securing them early feels like getting ahead of the problem. What this actually does, however, is optimize for the wrong variable. Clients are the experts on their business—what needs to be solved, what success looks like, what the constraints are. Translating that into the right team composition is a different kind of expertise. Mixing the two up or doing them out of order often creates problems that show up later. Senior engineers are built for complexity—ambiguous problems, high-stakes architectural decisions, situations where experience is the differentiating factor. When the work turns out to be well-defined and execution-focused, that same engineer is likely to disengage. We had one case at Dreamix where a client strongly insisted on a heavily senior team before proper scoping was done. We expressed our reservations, but eventually went along with it. Within months, the lead engineer was visibly demotivated—the work wasn’t complex enough. What began as the client’s ideal scenario became a retention problem, then a restructure. By the time we brought in a more suitable team, the project lost weeks, and a significant amount of institutional knowledge walked out with that engineer. 2. Don’t assume the solution is AI before validating the problem. Boards are pushing AI initiatives downward, and by the time they reach a vendor conversation, they’ve often hardened into requirements. The problem is that not every process that looks like an AI use case actually is one. We regularly encounter clients who arrive with an AI brief that, after proper analysis, turns out to describe a rule-based problem—one that a straightforward workflow can solve more reliably, at lower cost, and with less maintenance. Sometimes the response to that assessment is: “Can we still call it AI?” When the problem genuinely calls for AI, that’s a different conversation entirely. The vendors best positioned to advise here are those whose teams are actively working with AI—building with it, testing its limits, following where the technology is heading. That hands-on exposure is what makes the difference between a recommendation grounded in real experience and one based on what a client wants to hear. A 2025 MIT study found that 95% of enterprise AI pilots deliver little to no measurable impact on profitability, while the 5% that do succeed share one characteristic: They focused on a single, concrete pain point rather than broad adoption. A vendor who talks you into AI when you don’t need it is optimizing for their engagement, not your outcome. 3. Don’t leave the business outcomes undefined at kickoff. Purely technical teams have a tendency to pursue quality beyond what the business actually requires. A system performing at 90% accuracy sounds insufficient until you learn that the previous baseline was 80%. At that point, 90% is already a significant result, and pushing to 95% means spending time and budget on a standard no one asked for. We had exactly that conversation with a client. The engineering instinct was to keep improving the model, but tracking business results alongside technical ones prompted us to check in first. What we’d already delivered was, in their words, transformational. The more valuable next step was releasing it, not refining it. Before the build starts, align with your vendor on what success looks like in business terms. What gap are you closing? What are the must-have features versus the ones that can wait? What is the timeline, and why does hitting it matter? THE VENDOR CONVERSATION IS PART OF THE WORK These three mistakes usually happen before the first line of code is written, and they set the conditions for everything that follows. A good vendor partnership runs in both directions. Clients who come with clearly defined business outcomes and openness to pushback tend to get better results, because they create the conditions for honest advice. Denis Danov is CTO of Dreamix. View the full article

AI inspires strong feelings. Some love it, some hate it, few are indifferent. But, usually, AI's biggest proponents are the companies that make and sell the tech. You expect OpenAI to tout ChatGPT's benefits, or Google to talk-up how useful Gemini is. For a company like these to say that their AI tools are nothing but a plaything would be a ludicrous concept—and yet, that's apparently what Microsoft did. As reported by TechCrunch, Microsoft's terms of service for Copilot aren't too laudatory of the AI tech or its capabilities. The policy, which was last updated on October 24, 2025, says the following: “Copilot is for entertainment purposes only...It can make mistakes, and it may not work as intended. Don’t rely on Copilot for important advice. Use Copilot at your own risk.” To be fair, most—if not all—AI companies put a warning like this on their tools. You'll see it with ChatGPT and Gemini, urging you to exercise caution when using AI for, well, anything. The tech is not perfect, and may quite literally make things up. As such, the alerts are there to remind you that the results you get may not be accurate—and if you're using the tech for something important, you should probably check the bot's work yourself. But the noteworthy thing here is that first line: "Copilot is for entertainment purposes only." That's pretty rich, considering the fact the company has not only infused most of its apps and services (as well as Windows itself) with Copilot features, but it actively advertises Copilot as a tool for work. Copilot is a part of the entire Microsoft 365 worksuite now—to say that a "core" element to apps like PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams is just "entertainment" undermines Microsoft's sales pitch (while emboldening its critics). It also comes at the same time the company is removing what it calls "unnecessary" Copilot features from its products. To be fair, Microsoft is not standing by this description. In a comment to PCMag, a company rep shared that Microsoft will be updating "legacy language." The full quote reads: "The ‘entertainment purposes’ phrasing is legacy language from when Copilot originally launched as a search companion service in Bing. As the product has evolved, that language is no longer reflective of how Copilot is used today and will be altered with our next update." Generative AI features were definitely more entertainment focused that productivity focused following ChatGPT's launch in late 2022 (I tested the chatbot by asking it to write me stories and poems). But the AI race has been in full swing for about three years at this point: Copilot is no longer a companion to Bing; it's one of the major AI tools out there. For Microsoft to not catch this "legacy language" is a bit emblematic of the company as a whole at this point. Microsoft wants users to take its AI tech seriously, but it’s overlooking the little details that actually matter to those users. What we’re left with is not a clean, well-optimized version of Windows, but one stuffed with AI features few actually wanted—features that are, apparently, for entertainment purposes only. View the full article

The White House's proposed 2027 budget would slash funding to the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, the latest in an ongoing campaign from the The President administration to dismantle the politically popular program. View the full article

In the first twenty-four hours of the war with Iran, the United States struck a thousand targets. By the end of the week, the total exceeded three thousand — twice as many as in the “shock and awe” phase of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, according to Pete Hegseth. This unprecedented number of strikes was made possible by artificial intelligence. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) insists that humans remain in the loop on every targeting decision, and that the AI is there to help them to make “smarter decisions faster.” But exactly what role humans can play when the systems are operating at this pace is unclear. Israel’s use of AI-enabled targeting in its war on Hamas may offer some insights. An investigation last year reported that the Israeli military had deployed an AI system called Lavender to identify suspected militants in Gaza. The official line is that all targeting decisions involved human assessment. But according to one of Lavender’s operators, as the humans involved came to trust the system, they limited their own checks to nothing more than confirming that the target was a male. “I would invest 20 seconds for each target,” the operator said. “I had zero added-value as a human, apart from being a stamp of approval. It saved a lot of time.” The same pattern has already taken hold in business. In 2023, ProPublica revealed that Cigna, one of America’s largest health insurers, had deployed an algorithm to flag claims for denial. Its physicians, who were legally required to exercise their clinical judgment, signed off on the algorithm’s decisions in batches, spending an average of 1.2 seconds on each case. One doctor denied more than 60,000 claims in a single month. “We literally click and submit,” a former Cigna doctor said. “It takes all of 10 seconds to do 50 at a time.” Twenty seconds to approve a strike; 1.2 seconds to deny a claim. The human is in the loop. Humanity is not. Difficulty by Design The novelist Milan Kundera writes of the terrifying weight of being confronted with the enduring seriousness of our actions. But while lightness might seem attractive in the face of this impossibly heavy burden, it is ultimately unbearable. Disconnection from the weightiness of our decisions deprives them of substance, of meaning. Some things are important enough that we ought to feel their weight. It ought to take time to decide to kill a person or deny a healthcare claim. It ought to be difficult to figure out which buildings to bomb. AI makes those decisions quicker and easier – but some decisions ought to be hard. And when AI lifts the weight, when it takes away the burden of making decisions about who lives and who dies, this is not progress. This is moral degradation. AI promises to lift the burden of difficult and cognitively demanding work — it makes the work lighter. In many domains, that is genuine progress. But some things are important enough that we ought to feel their weight. It ought to take time to decide to kill a person or deny a healthcare claim. It ought to be difficult to figure out which buildings to bomb. In such decisions, the difficulty serves a function — it is a feature, not a bug. It is a mechanism that forces institutions to reckon with what they are doing. And when AI removes that weight, the institution doesn’t become more efficient. It becomes numb. If the human in the loop is spending mere seconds on each decision, then the question of whether the system is autonomous or human-supervised becomes largely semantic. We need to insist on humanity in the loop as well. In cases like these, the human must be allowed to be human, even if that means they are slower, less accurate, and less efficient. That is the cost we pay for something absolutely necessary: We need the human to feel the weight of the decisions they are making, because difficulty creates the friction that makes people pause, question, and push back. Institutional Culture When hard decisions become easy, the institution itself changes. People stop questioning because there is nothing that feels worth questioning — the system has already decided and the human’s role is to confirm. Dissent drops because dissent requires friction, and friction has been engineered out. Accountability is undermined because everyone knows that it’s the computer that’s making the decisions. The Cigna physician who denied 60,000 claims in a month was not cruel. They had been placed in a system where denying a claim required no more effort than clicking a button. The system did something more insidious than corrupt their judgment — it made it unnecessary. That is why the Cigna case is not a story about a single bad actor. Rather, it is a story about what happens to any institution that systematically engineers the weight out of its hardest decisions. The Cost of Hollowing Out Accountability Hollowed-out accountability has a cost that shows up in three places for businesses. First, liability. An algorithm cannot be sued, fired, or held responsible for its errors. The organization that deployed it can. Rubber-stamp oversight is not a legal gray area — it is a liability waiting for lawyers to mobilize. Second, institutional fragility. When humans stop genuinely engaging with decisions, they stop learning from them. When the machine always seems to get things right, no one develops the kind of judgment needed to determine when it is actually wrong. Organizations that optimize humans out of their decision loops become dependent on systems they no longer fully understand. And this leads to brittleness in precisely the moments that demand resilience. Third, trust. Customers, employees, and regulators may want to know whether an AI made a decision. But they will definitely want to know if anyone is truly responsible for it. The answer, in too many organizations, is no, and that answer has deep consequences for the organization’s relationships with those it is answerable to. The Weight Test Before using AI to make any decision process easier, leaders should ask four questions: 1. What institutional behaviors does the current difficulty of this decision produce — e.g., scrutiny, escalation, dissent — and what is the cost of losing them? 2. If something goes wrong, can we identify someone who wrestled with the decision — or only someone who clicked approve? 3. How would we know if the humans in this process have become rubber stamps? What would we measure, and are we measuring it? 4. If the people affected by this decision learned exactly how it was made and how long the human spent on it, would the institution be comfortable defending that process in public? These questions won’t appear in any AI vendor’s implementation checklist. That is precisely why they matter. Conclusion We are told that AI liberates us — from drudgery, from slow processes, from the burden of hard decisions. And often it does. But not every burden is a problem to be solved. Sometimes, the burdens are the point. The weight a commander should feel before authorizing a strike, the effort a physician expends before denying care — these are not inefficiencies to be optimized away. They are the mechanisms that keep institutions honest about the power they exercise. Of course, organizations that engineer that weight away will be faster and lighter. For a while, it may even appear like they are winning. But these organizations will also be the ones that discover, too late, that the difficulty was the price of being the one who decides — and the moment an organization stops paying it, it has no business deciding at all. View the full article

If you rank your own product #1 in “best of” listicles, it’s not just a search-quality issue — it may violate FTC rules that took effect in October 2024. Driving the news. As Lily Ray noted on LinkedIn, the FTC’s Consumer Review Rule (16 CFR Part 465) prohibits several deceptive practices tied to reviews and testimonials, including: Presenting company-controlled content as independent reviews. Publishing reviews of products or services never actually used. Attributing reviews to people who didn’t write them. Penalties can reach up to $53,088 per violation, and each page may count separately. Ray also shared a reference table she generated with the help of Claude: Why now. “Best X” and “Top 10 Y” listicles have surged as a GEO tactic over the past couple of years. These pages often perform well in search and increasingly influence AI-generated answers. The backstory. Before the rule was formalized, Ray said at least one company faced legal action for publishing hundreds of “best of” pages that: Ranked its own services #1. Included fabricated competitor reviews. Used fake reviews on third-party platforms. The Better Business Bureau later censured the company for unsubstantiated claims. What’s happening. Many modern listicles follow a similar pattern: A brand publishes a “best tools” list. Includes competitors it hasn’t tested. Uses subjective or invented scoring systems. Ranks itself #1. These listicles may imply independence or firsthand evaluation when neither exists. The nuance. You can publish comparison content that includes your own product. However, based on FTC guidance, risk increases when: You imply objectivity, but promote your own product. You present reviews not based on real experience. You fail to clearly disclose material relationships. What Google is saying. Google is aware of the low-quality listicle trend. In a statement to The Verge, a Google spokesperson said the company applies protections against manipulation in Search and Gemini, and reiterated its guidance: create content for people and ensure it’s understandable to search systems. Why we care. What has worked as a visibility tactic may carry risk on two fronts — regulators and a potential Google Search algorithm change. That means this popular GEO tactic could decline quickly as its effectiveness drops. Caveat. I’m not a lawyer. Consult your own legal counsel if you’re concerned about using this tactic. View the full article