David Lidsky's Blog, page 7

Big Tech’s old revenue playbook is dead. Shared value is the only path forward

Stop extracting value from your users and start partnering with them.

Let’s be honest: Monetization today is broken. Most platforms are still stuck in a mindset that treats users like ATMs, squeezing every last drop of value through interruptive ads, upsells, and bait-and-switch tactics. It’s lazy, short-term thinking, and it’s killing loyalty, destroying brand equity, and stunting real growth.

What defined the business week: Safety, software, and strategy

Apple’s iOS 26, falling credit scores, and fresh retail closures headline a busy stretch for consumers and investors.

This week in business was a bit of a balancing act. Consumers faced a number of fresh reminders this week that everyday products are not always safe or convenient. Companies are rethinking their footprints, closing stores in some markets while making bold moves to expand elsewhere. The markets reminded everyone that investor confidence can rise faster than fundamentals, especially when a big name signals conviction.

The self-defeating beliefs that may keep Gen X from retiring

The same wry cynicism that’s helped Gen X shrug off a lifetime of economic tribulations may now be keeping many from retiring.

Generation X prides itself on never being surprised, which has generally served us well. Keeping our expectations low and our cynicism-level high has allowed Gen X to remain agile throughout numerous economic and political upheavals.

Fall equinox 2025 is arriving along with a partial solar eclipse in the Southern Hemisphere. You can stream it live

Before you bust out your scarves and warmer clothes, the night sky is going to show off. Here’s what to know.

Autumn doesn’t boldly announce its presence but rather creeps in. Since schools are back in session in August and early September, many who consider these last few weeks to be the beginning of fall start consuming pumpkin-flavored treats, even in extreme heat.

Got Google Calendar? This is the AI assistant you’ve been missing

This smart scheduling genie brings a brilliant boost to Google Calendar as well as Outlook Calendar and virtually any other calendar service.

It’s 2025. We’ve got cars that can drive themselves, robots that can program themselves, and all sorts of other mind-bogglingly futuristic tech achievements (for better or, erm, maybe sometimes for worse).

OpenAI’s research shows AI models lie deliberately

The report details a behavior the company calls ‘scheming’: when AI models intentionally try to deceive people, such as pretending to have completed work.

In a new report, OpenAI said it found that AI models lie, a behavior it calls “scheming.” The study performed with AI safety company Apollo Research tested frontier AI models. It found “problematic behaviors” in the AI models, which most commonly looked like the technology “pretending to have completed a task without actually doing so.” Unlike “hallucinations,” which are akin to AI taking a guess when it doesn’t know the correct answer, scheming is a deliberate attempt to deceive. 

Stop hiring product managers like project managers

Know the difference in what questions each role asks—that’s your guide.

There’s a quiet disaster happening in product organizations right now. Companies are hiring armies of people with “product manager” on their business cards, but they’re treating them like project management with better vocabulary.

Tesla’s door handles are dangerous. They might finally be getting a redesign

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration just opened an investigation into Tesla’s electronic door handles. Tesla’s design chief says a redesign is underway.

Tesla’s door handle design is notoriously terrible, unintuitive, and dangerous. Customers have been saying it for years. After multiple damning reports, the company might finally be doing something about it.

What is ‘tariff hacking’—and can it help keep prices down?

Retailers are rethinking their supply chain strategies amid Trump’s trade war. Here’s what that means for consumers.

Businesses are currently facing a “tariff tsunami,” not to mention global economic uncertainty as the ripple effect of President Trump’s tariffs impact and reverberate through the supply chain worldwide, according to Forbes.

3 ways to build a brand that actually sticks in 2025

At the Fast Company Innovation Festival, the founders of Poppi, Phlur, Olive & June, and Nutrafol discussed how small brands can go up against incumbents and win.

When the indie fragrance brand Phlur first launched in 2022, it was only available online—meaning customers had to buy its perfumes without ever smelling them. At the time, creative director Chriselle Lim wasn’t sure whether anyone would actually want to take that risk. But after she posted on TikTok that the signature fragrance “Missing Person” was inspired by her own experience with “the smell of a heartbreak,” the orders started flooding in.