David Lidsky's Blog, page 14

Ex-Starbucks staff take to TikTok after losing their jobs amid hundreds of sudden closures

‘Starbucks permanently closing my store and leaving us jobless was not on my 2025 bingo card.’

Last week, Starbucks announced the closure of 1% of its North American stores by the end of 2025, resulting in sudden job losses for hundreds of baristas. 

A24’s Scott Belsky fuels his creativity ‘with a fresh dose of surprise’

The head of A24 Labs and partner at the indie studio darling thinks about creativity as a system, yet always leaves room to ‘unlock a door of intrigue.’

When Scott Belsky talks about creativity, he uses words like “output” and “production.” “Creativity is the source, with the problem of mining,” says the founder, author, and early stage investor. “It requires machinery and practice and discipline and whatever else.” 

This new twist on venture capital is transforming investing

What is VCaaS and why is it becoming so popular?

In recent years, Venture Capital-as-a-Service (VCaaS) has become more predominant since it offers more flexibility than the traditional VC model. It is designed perfectly for corporations, family offices, and sovereign wealth funds that want to engage in startup investment without managing a full-fledged VC team. Let’s understand the mechanics behind VCaaS and why corporations are embracing it.

Sweethearts candy joins the list of brands that are tapping into the tragic dating lives of Gen Z

Ever been ghosted after a few dates? Now there’s a blank candy heart for that.

They made things exciting. You thought you were in love. And now a week has gone by with no reply. Odds are they’re not getting back to you. But don’t take it personally: We’re all ensnared in a ghosting epidemic.

This photo-tweaking time-saver is a perfect Google Photos power-up

For all of its snazzy editing smarts, Google Photos can’t do what PhotoStack accomplishes.

The way we edit images is in the midst of a massive reinvention right now.

How to curate a winning team

In an excerpt from his new book, bestselling author Mark Murphy explains five different roles on teams and how they work.

What are the qualities of a great team? You’ve probably been taught that team success requires building trust, fostering psychological safety, and cultivating a unified mindset. Seems logical. You might have learned that consensus is important and hierarchies are bad. Okay. You’ve undoubtedly been given that old chestnut, “There’s no I in team.” A classic. Team building 101. It’s conventional wisdom, and yet it completely misses the paradox of teams: While companies often focus on merging everyone into a single homogeneous entity, truly great teams embrace the distinct, diverse roles and talents of their team members.

Quantum computing is a path to energy-efficient AI

Three ways annealing quantum computing could head off AI’s escalating computational crunch

The AI boom is driving an explosive surge in computational demands and reshaping the landscape of technology, infrastructure, and innovation. One of the biggest barriers to widespread AI deployment today is access to power. Some estimates suggest AI-driven data centers now consume more electricity than entire nations. The World Economic Forum projects a doubling of energy use by data centers from 2024 to 2027, driven by the energy-intensive nature of AI workloads.

Snapchat is now charging for storage, drawing ire over ‘subscription creep.’ Here’s what to do if you don’t want to pay

Some users could soon be forced to pay up to save their Memories—but there are a couple of free work-arounds, including downloading your data.

Snapchat rankled some of its most loyal (and heavy) users when it announced last week it will begin charging for storage plans for Memories, its version of a digital archive for Snaps and stories.

Former Cisco CEO talks about AI’s parallels to the internet, job market shifts, and China

John Chambers, 76, recently discussed the promise and perils of the AI boom with the Associated Press.

Former Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers learned all about technology’s volatile highs and lows as a veteran of the internet’s early boom days during the late 1990s and the ensuing meltdown that followed the mania.

Taylor Swift’s ‘Life of a Showgirl’ could be the lifeline Target desperately needs

With traffic down, boycotts dragging on, and stock slumping, the retail chain is betting on Swifties—and another exclusive vinyl drop—to bring shoppers back.

With foot traffic down and Target’s stock still slumping, Taylor Swift’s new album release might be the shot in the arm the retailer needs.