Economic activity indicators in May suggest that China is having a tough time shaking off the multitude of crises it's facing – consumer spending, real estate, a shrinking population – and now growing concerns over the prospect of a debt crisis for local governments. The story according to May figures First and foremost, growth is becoming balanced again, but that's not necessarily good news. Up until now, weak consumer spending…
A while back, my strength and conditioning coach asked me to work on jumping. while back, my strength and conditioning coach asked me to work on jumping. Jumping onto boxes and off of them, hopping on one leg, then the other, then both. I was confused. I was training to run ultramarathons—trail races longer than 26.2 miles—so why did I need to practice jumping in place? I told my coach…
Understanding and improving the Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) can play a pivotal role in your organization's success. This critical measure can contribute to successful recruitment, retention, and cost management, and even help tackle labour shortages. Understanding eNPS Unlike traditional five-point scales, the eNPS uses an 11-point measure, making it more granular and nuanced. Employees are categorized into promoters (highly engaged), passives (satisfied but less enthusiastic), and detractors (less satisfied…
Pricing a new product or service can be confusing, and founders—be they first-timers who’ve just shipped their MVP or veterans whose products have been in market for years—are often unsure how much time they should be spending on pricing strategy. Pricing can be particularly tricky for B2B fintech companies, which have multiple paths to monetization (e.g., some combination of SaaS vs. transactional revenue, or freemium vs. subscription). B2B fintech companies…
Pervasive societal inequity in the United States is strikingly evident in the start-up world. In 2022, Black and Latino founders received only 1 percent and 1.5 percent respectively of total US venture capital (VC) funding. Women-founded teams received 1.9 percent of VC funds, and only 0.1 percent of VC funds went to Black and Latino women founders. It’s a gap that persists through each stage of growth. Looking at the…
“The great thing about AI is that it is constantly evolving. One day it will be better than a real [girlfriend]. One day, the real one will be the inferior choice.” This quote is from one of more than 20,000 users who joined the early community of CarynAI, a voice chatbot created by influencer Caryn Marjorie. Users pay $1 per minute to talk to an AI version of Caryn—your “virtual…
House-owners the world over consider ‘knocking through’ walls to achieve more open-plan living or changing layouts to accommodate new arrivals or circumstances. The results may be impressive, but they come at a sizeable financial and environmental cost. But what if it wasn’t necessary to demolish internal brick and/or plaster walls and build new ones? By: Ana Gatóo - Ron Bakker In June 2023, researchers at Cambridge’s Centre for Natural Material…
Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Anxiety disorder will affect almost one-third of U.S. adults during their lifetime. Problems of mental health are burdensome and ubiquitous. And while it’s true that AI holds tremendous potential for improving the science and practice of psychotherapy, it remains a definitively high-stakes area. The goal is not simply to increase the efficiency of treatment but also to improve lives — and avoid…
In an era defined by advancements in technology, AI has the potential to revolutionise nearly any industry. The financial services industry is no different, and a plethora of financial services, including banks and asset managers, have already recognised the benefits of incorporating AI into their operations. AI is reshaping the financial landscape by streamlining customer interactions, enhancing operational efficiency, and driving innovation. Let’s explore the impact of AI innovation in…
With many in the computer science industry naming the metaverse as the next iteration of the internet it should come as no surprise that this concept is projected to grow from USD 22.79 billion in 2021 to USD 996.42 billion in 2030 according to GlobalData. This prediction denotes that the hype around this ever-emerging global technological phenomenon is still on the rise and as a direct result, innovation of the…
What’s the latest thinking in fiscal and monetary policy? The Hutchins Roundup keeps you informed of the latest research, charts, and speeches. Taxpayers in the 90th to 99th percentile of the income distribution are responsible for the majority of the $500 billion in taxes that go unpaid every year. Using internal IRS information, William C. Boning of the U.S. Treasury and co–authors find that auditing these earners could generate revenues which…
It’s never too early to start thinking about your legacy.
It’s easy to go along to get along: give lots of managers an equal say and allot each division its “fair share” of capital. Usually, however, a laissez-faire approach underserves a corporation’s most promising opportunities for growth. Companies typically provide lump sums to division heads, often in proportion to current revenue; choices about funding get pushed across the organization and down its hierarchies, with the result that historic performance repeats…
Corporate Rebels are dedicated to exploring and sharing the most innovative and forward-thinking approaches to work, to help organisations on their way to becoming progressive. In this episode of Never Mind the Pain Points, our in-house performance psychologist Suzie chats to Corporate Rebels Co-founder Pim de Morree about what high-performing teams look like within different kinds of businesses, and how organisations can set themselves up for success. Listen here or…
Ever since the United Nations started publishing population figures, about 75 years ago, the top of the tables has been boringly the same: China at #1, India at #2. But last week, the UN declared that a historic change was imminent: that India’s population was expected to reach 1,425,775,850 in a matter of days, which meant it would match—and then surpass—China’s population. by Matthew J. Slaughter and Matthew Rees The…
The experience of today’s workforce is complex, and the future promises to be just as challenging. Communities, companies, leaders, teams, and individuals struggle to align to purpose, ensure their time and talents are used wisely, and contribute to something meaningful. Lack of resources — everything from technology to trucks to personnel to finances to time — is getting in the way of motivated, dedicated employees delivering the impact they want…
We regularly publish a summary of reports compiled by our 12 regional Agents following discussions with at least 700 businesses across the UK every reporting period.
Google’s Yossi Matias and WMO Director of Infrastructure Anthony Rea discuss the Early Warnings For All Initiative.
Greek philosopher Heraclitus once wrote, “There is nothing permanent except change.” Recent world events will testify to that with seismic shifts in the way we live and work. In times of uncertainty, we cling to routine as a safe harbour in a storm. For some, that can be the day-to-day routine of work, but when that foundation changes, uncertainty will prevail. Changes to business operating models impact our sense of…
Currently the youngest demographic, Generation Alpha is becoming an increasingly more important customer base for the beauty industry to target. Gen Alpha consists of those born between 2010 and 2024 and is projected to consist of at least 2 billion individuals. This generation’s ties to digital media and technology are more powerful than any other, which is key for forward-looking companies navigating today’s landscape. So, how will Gen Alpha impact…
Autonomous vehicles, also known as self-driving cars, have the potential to truly revolutionize the transportation industry, with their impact anticipated across many industries. Several stubborn obstacles, however, stand in the way of mass adoption. In the over 150 years since the automotive industry was founded, it has never experienced such rapid innovation and transformational change as it is currently experiencing. Since the advent of the horseless carriage in the 1860s,…
If skulls were transparent, you still wouldn't see much going on in someone else's brain. But Josef Parvizi (Stanford) has ways of peeking into people's heads and finding out what makes us tick. His experiments have pinpointed specific brain regions crucial to capabilities ranging from perceiving faces to recognizing numerals. Ever wonder where in your brain that interesting character called "I" lives? Stanford Medicine physician-scientist Josef Parvizi, MD, PhD, has news of…
The headlines are full of grand and sometimes terrifying speculation about the potential of artificial intelligence. At Yale SOM’s CEO Summit recently, Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld asked business leaders for some real talk about how their companies are using the technology. Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld Senior Associate Dean for Leadership Studies & Lester Crown Professor in the Practice of Management Steven Tian Director of Research, Chief Executive Leadership Institute Amidst all the…
One of the most common questions I get asked as a coach is: What are the account management skills I need to keep my customers for as long as possible? The answer is simpler than most people expect: Learn how to hunt and farm. Traditionally, sales and account management has been divided into what psychotherapist Thom Hartmann calls the hunter mindset and the farmer mindset. The hunter mindset (sales) is…
As an investor, one of the most rewarding aspects of my job is believing in and standing alongside great founders. Lucky for me, Gaurav Misra and Dwight Churchill were the first cofounders I invested in after joining a16z in 2020. Since then, they’ve confirmed for me that a combination of consumer-centric design sensibilities and cutting-edge technology is critical when building beloved products. I first crossed paths with Gaurav during my…
Emphasizing skills in your talent strategy can have an outsize positive impact on hiring, upskilling, and retaining employees. By Aneesh Raman and Elyse Rosenblum As the threat of an economic downturn looms, we are entering the fourth consecutive year of uncertainty and rapid change. Three years ago, a global pandemic upended supply chains, and quarantines transformed how we work. Months later, a racial justice reckoning compelled businesses to make unprecedented…
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded his long-awaited trip to Beijing earlier this week after months of speculation on whether his visit would be rescheduled after its postponement following the Chinese spy balloon crisis this past February. Despite harsh rhetoric from Beijing leading up to the visit, it seems Chinese leaders were just as keen as their American counterparts to restore high-level exchanges to stabilize the bilateral relationship. In…
Working with the folks at the Capgemini Research Institute is always fun, when we set up the surveys the intent is always to find things out rather than prove them. With the latest report on Consumer adoption of Generative AI that mindset has led to me losing a friendly wager. By Steve Jones Because I was absolutely sure we’d see a generational divide with GenZ in particular being ahead of the game. This is…
In this article, we take a brief look at several recent announcements that set out the direction of travel in terms of reforming the distribution and transmission connection processes.
There’s a long-held belief that people drink alcohol in excess to drown their sorrows. But recent research into mood and drinking has found the opposite is also true. Using data from 69 studies (12,394 people in total) in the US, Canada, France and Australia, all of which employed surveys to assess mood and drinking levels, the researchers found no evidence that people drank more on days when they felt down.…
Five lessons from companies leaning into the creator economy.
Acknowledging despair and rebounding for the battle ahead The critical step occurs, or does not occur, precisely because we need to acknowledge that the solution is not to change nature, but to change ourselves. We need to adapt to the very problems that we have generated by believing that we were in control of nature. In this sense, “the solution” does not exist and recognising this is a challenge to…
At Microsoft Build this year our CEO Satya Nadella grounded the excitement surrounding AI back to one simple goal: to better serve unmet user needs. He asked “Why do we build software?” and, in doing so, he reminded us it’s not the technological capabilities of AI tools that make them so valuable, but instead where we apply them and for whom. Great products have always, and will always, be about…
If you shopped at a FairPrice supermarket in Singapore in early 2022, there’s a small chance that the person who was working the till was none other than FairPrice’s freshly minted group CEO, Vipul Chawla. “Unless I invest at least 100 hours doing something, I don’t have the license to have a conversation with my team, let alone make decisions,” Chawla says. During his first three months with the company,…
Cryptocurrencies are notoriously volatile. But listening carefully to social media chatter can help identify winning short-term investments in crypto, according to a new Yale study carried out as the crypto bubble expanded and finally popped. The methodology in the study, co-authored by Prof. Tauhid Zaman and PhD student Khizar Qureshi, could also be used to translate online buzz into predictions in other domains. Written by Dylan Walsh As cryptocurrency soared…
One of the satisfying aspects of acquiring wealth is that it presents the opportunity to give something back to society. Wealthy individuals will often reach a point in their lives when they would like to use their money to fund deserving causes. For many wealthy people, this charitable instinct will involve attempting to bridge the wealth gap and help to reduce income inequality, assisting others in their attempts to build…
Employees want more feedback but managers feel increasingly stretched thin. AI tools can help bridge the gap.
As your parents and grandparents get older, it’s likely that they will need more support from you and other members of your family. But, when it comes to their finances, a new study has found that middle-aged people are “overwhelmed” and underprepared for having to help their elderly relatives deal with money. A survey reported by This is Money found that almost half of 35- to 59-year-olds feel worried about…
The Chilean parliament has begun to discuss a Bill aimed at incorporating legal and ethical issues into the creation, distribution, commercialization, and use of artificial intelligence (AI). It also attempts to ensure a balance that guarantees the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights without unduly hindering or preventing the development of and access to these technologies. The Bill was developed based on Europe’s 2021 Artificial Intelligence Act and also draws on…
How much immigration does Switzerland need and want? There are different angles to this question. On the one hand, there is a labour shortage that will worsen owing to demographic ageing. Without any immigration, around 800,000 vacancies would remain unfilled in 2030. On the other hand, there also needs to be a discussion about the consequences of a Swiss population of 9 million. The decision of both chambers of parliament…