David Lidsky's Blog, page 42

Why State Bags went stealth about its philanthropy

The high-end backpack brand donates hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to helping under-resourced kids. It believes it’s better to under-communicate and over deliver on these efforts.

Scot and Jacqueline Tatelman never planned on launching a backpack startup—much less a cult brand that now generates $100 million a year in revenue. Each of them had spent their childhood summers going to idyllic places for sleep-away camp, and they wanted kids from under-resourced communities to have this life-changing experience.

Older Americans like using AI, but trust issues remain, survey shows

Researchers found that older adults who use AI in their homes find it helpful for living independently and safely.

Artificial intelligence is a lively topic of conversation in schools and workplaces, which could lead you to believe that only younger people use it. However, older Americans are also using AI. This raises the questions of what they’re doing with the technology and what they think of it.

AI gives students more reasons to not read books. It’s hurting their literacy

Even before generative AI, fewer people were reading books for pleasure or their studies.

A perfect storm is brewing for reading.

How to make a good apology

Skipping an apology can erode trust. This framework will help you craft a good apology.

A recent event in my community was a reminder that most companies (and people) don’t know how to apologize—and that has repercussions. A restaurant opened nearby with the aim of serving the vegan community. Soon after opening, several patrons found out that the restaurant was using nonvegan ingredients in some of its recipes. The owners promised to fix the situation, closed for a few days for “renovations,” and then reopened. No mention was made on any of their social media channels of the incident that led to the closure.

Employers need help managing workers who are taking second jobs

A new survey of U.S. employees shows many are turning to additional employment because they’re under financial strain.

Employers who sense rising levels of anxiety and signs of disengagement or displeasure in their workplace now have survey data to explain the sources of that unsettling vibe. But those insights also suggest managers need to address the sources of that unhappiness to avoid losing employees to companies that are already doing so.

Mark Cuban and Sam Altman just warned about disappearing jobs and the need to learn AI

Like the typewriter, the PC, and then the smartphone, AI is poised to radically change the office environment.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman isn’t shy about discussing the future of AI. As the CEO of a market leading company, his predictions carry plenty of weight, such as his worry that AI could make things go “horribly wrong,” or that AI agents will completely transform the workplace. Nor is billionaire Mark Cuban, who also sees vast changes to an AI-dominated workplace.

This week in business: Big perks, big layoffs, and a few PR face-plants

From no-fee credit cards with premium travel perks to an ad campaign’s backlash, here are the 10 biggest business stories you need to know right now.

This week’s business headlines reflected a market still finding its footing in a post-pandemic, tech-driven, politically charged economy. The themes were clear: Companies are refining strategies to capture new audiences, governments are making moves with high economic stakes, and consumer behavior is forcing industries to adapt.

The week the plant-based dining movement wilted

Eleven Madison Park, Sweetgreen, and Impossible: They brought bravado to eating mostly plants, but as MAHA rules, they’re backpedaling.

This fall, for the first time in four years, meat will be back on the menu at New York City’s legendary Eleven Madison Park restaurant. It’s a notable about-face for chef Daniel Humm, who had famously eliminated all animal products from his menu—and evangelized a new way forward for fine dining—when the restaurant reemerged after the pandemic.

Pandemic housing boom tightness fades as housing market lot supply rises

Zonda chief economist Ali Wolf: ‘This slower pace of construction [has] contributed to the 5-year high in Zonda’s Lot Supply Index, as fewer lots were converted into starts.’

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter.

Taco Bell’s new purple soda is a big ‘screw you’ to MAHA

Mountain Dew Baja Midnight is Taco Bell’s newest high fructose, Red 40-dyed menu addition.

In Taco Bell restaurants across the nation, a new electric purple beverage is now available on tap. It’s called Mountain Dew Baja Midnight, and one sip would probably send a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) supporter into a cold faint.