David Lidsky's Blog, page 107

How to prepare for your digital legacy after death

A law clinic at the University of Colorado Boulder is offering guidance on a wide range of digital estate concerns, including setting up digital legacy tools.

From family photos in the cloud to email archives and social media accounts, the digital lives of Americans are extensive and growing.

Gen Alpha side hustles: How kids are earning big online before they can even drive

From selling vintage clothes to streaming games, Gen A is turning screen time into serious income, with many earning more than the federal minimum wage and planning full-time careers before finishing high school.

If Gen Z is known as the side hustle generation, Gen Alpha may soon take the crown.

Enough hype about AI in health—let’s talk about results

AI is already transforming medicine, but more people need access.

There’s no shortage of big promises about AI in healthcare. The U.S. government announced a $500 billion Stargate initiative to fund AI infrastructure, while the UK government announced £82.6 million in research funding for three projects, two of which are using AI to tackle cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. 

Welcome to the clubhouse: How retail is becoming ritual

The mall isn’t dead, but the store experience must be reimagined.

Walk through any trendy shopping area and you’ll notice something. A familiar grouping of brands. Entryways into hospitable, curated spaces inviting you in for a hang. The music is right. The lighting is low. Brand-approved candles are lit. The mood is unmistakable. 

Boring is expensive

Get away from the sameness and push for something bold—it can pay off.

Boring is expensive. The first time I saw those words was the summer of 2023. Our head of strategy in New York had them on a slide during a meeting, and it stopped me cold.

Gavin Newsom is having his social media moment

California’s governor is embracing TikTok as a platform for political resistance—and personal branding.

“Fuck around” and “find out,” read a TikTok post that followed a screenshot announcing that California is suing President Donald Trump for deploying the National Guard to the streets of Los Angeles.

‘This was peak technology’: Gen Z is bringing back the BlackBerry

Once the king of smartphones, the BlackBerry is making a nostalgic comeback as Gen Z embraces retro tech for digital detoxes and vintage vibes.

It’s 2009. Everyone is rocking ankle socks. “Tik Tok” is just a Ke$ha song. You pull out your BlackBerry Bold 9700 and update your BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) status. All is well.

How E.l.f. is using humor and hard data to push for boardroom diversity

The beauty brand’s “So Many Dicks” campaign revealed a shocking stat: Men named Dick outnumber entire groups of underrepresented people on corporate boards.

Before launching a viral campaign that would jolt corporate boardrooms, E.l.f. Beauty faced a familiar problem: a lack of data—and an even bigger lack of direction on how to turn that data into action.

Tariffs, end of EV tax credits, and bad consumer sentiment are ruining automakers’ plans

What’s the solution? Hybrids

The ongoing tariff war, the potential end of federal incentives, and a general slowdown in consumer demand all spell uncertainty for the future of electric vehicles in the United States—and for automakers’ future product lineups.

Starbucks just developed an ingenious way to add 15 grams of protein to almost any drink

Cold foam is one of Starbucks’s most popular add-ons. Now, it can be packed with protein, too.

Since Brian Niccol took over as Starbucks CEO last September, he’s been promising to counter slow sales by revitalizing the company’s commitment to being a “third place”—a space where customers sit and stay a while.