David Lidsky's Blog, page 8

This new law solves a longstanding sound design problem: ads that are way too loud

Finally, ads can’t be louder than the show you’re watching (if you’re in California, that is).

If you’ve ever been startled while watching a show on a streaming service that was interrupted by an unreasonably loud commercial and thought to yourself, that should be illegal, soon it will be. At least in California.

Markets and crypto are down today. Why these stocks are an unusual exception

Trump spats with China over export controls of rare earth minerals, threatening ‘massive increase of tariffs’ and triggering a widespread market sell-off.

On October 10, shares of U.S. rare earth stocks rose after President Donald Trump accused China of strict export controls and threatened a “massive increase of tariffs on Chinese products” once again. However, the comments ended up triggering a market sell-off.

Your Google ratings are ESG in action

But accounting still calls them expenses instead of value.

The cracks in postmodern economic theories are visible. They’ve spilled into politics, with governments slashing budgets worldwide.

Move from reactive to proactive customer service

New models of customer centricity can change the business-customer relationship.

Customer experience is entering the sci-fi age: knowing and understanding customers on an individual level, providing personalized service, and dedicated moments. All of this is becoming possible thanks to technological innovation. And as it shifts, we’re moving beyond the age of reactive service, where customer satisfaction was measured by stale, bi-annual surveys. We’re entering an era of proactive, predictive customer care. Companies’ missions today should be to transform every interaction into a moment of loyalty and growth, a goal we are working to achieve through our latest in-house innovation: the Customer Experience Index, or CXI.

Former Syrian president Assad is video gaming in a luxury Moscow apartment: Report

Exiled after years of civil war, Bashar al-Assad now spends hours playing online games, according to German newsweekly Die Zeit. 

Syria’s former President Bashar al-Assad, whose notoriously brutal rule over the country earned him the nickname “The Butcher,” was deposed in 2024 after years of bloody civil war. 

GLP-1s are reshaping bodies and budgets

How financial institutions can also be a weight loss partner

Michelle, a 42-year-old marketing executive, was scrolling through her grocery app when she saw the total: $87. A year ago, her weekly cart never dipped below $200. Chips, late-night snacks, and bottles of wine had given way to produce, yogurt, and lean proteins.

The holy grail of modern marketing

Move beyond the next best action for an AI-powered next best experience

To survive in today’s market, enterprises must deliver experiences that feel instant and intelligent. Customers expect brands to anticipate their needs and guide them through interactions that are seamless and personal. It’s the promise of having the right conversation at exactly the right moment.

4 ways to make a brand indispensable

Why you should design for emotional needs

When we first started Little Spoon, our mission was clear: Make fresh, healthy food accessible at every age and stage of early childhood. But we quickly realized checking the proverbial boxes alone (nutritious: check, convenient: check) wasn’t enough. After all, parents are inundated with options—the decision fatigue surrounding parenting choices is overwhelming.

Heard kids saying ‘6-7’? It’s so annoying that schools are banning it

The obvious reason why the latest brain rot phrase is driving non-Gen Alphas up the wall.

The teaching profession requires a certain degree of patience. Particularly when students discover a new trend to latch onto and repeat at every given opportunity. The latest so-called “brain rot” phrase to flood the classroom: “6-7.”

Your calm is contagious but so is your chaos

A working parent lesson for World Mental Health Day.

The other day, a friend confessed her new nightly routine: hiding in the bathroom for 10 minutes after putting her kids to bed. The reason wasn’t to scroll TikTok, but to breathe. “It’s either that or cry into the mac and cheese,” she laughed. It struck me: parenting in 2025 often looks like quietly triaging our own stress while juggling work deadlines, permission slips, Slack pings, and dinner prep.