Six Links That Make You Think #785

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Just Evil Enough, Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another:

Post-Scarcity Blues – Found Footage From The Future – KNGMKR – YouTube. “Sometimes AI-generated content can be art. The lyrics to this really hit.” (Alistair for Hugh). Late Night With Seth Meyers Writers Panel – In Creative Company – YouTube . “At the start of Covid I ran some free online sessions about the future of events. One of my points was that we should learn from late night talk show hosts, who were rethinking content in their own way. They embraced their bloopers, called out to their cast and crew, responded to YouTube comments, and generally became more chill and authentic. Perhaps nobody has stuck to this as well as Seth Meyers, whose ‘Corrections’ segment directly responds to pedantic online critics and whose ‘Surprise Inspection’ segment picks on awful jokes his writers submitted. Since then, I’ve been fascinated with what happens in the writers’ room of talkshows, and this interview is a gift.” (Alistair for Mitch). Trump Wants A New Armada. Can America Still Build One? – The Telegraph – YouTube . “The China-US competition has so many facets, one of them is control of the seas. The headline number is incredible: China’s overall shipbuilding output is 232 times greater than the US and last year they built 30 naval ships to 6 new ships added to the US fleet. While the trendlines are clear, there’s more to the story. And the US has announced $47.3B in new spending for 19 new naval ships. Here’s retired UK Royal Navy Commander Tom Sharpe, talking sailing, war fighting and what the battle for the world’s oceans might look like.” (Hugh for Alistair).  Sustaining Growth In An Aging World – Bertrand Gruss And Diaa Noureldin – Finance And Developement Magazine . “An amazing stat I keep hearing: 70 year olds today have the cognitive abilities of 50 years olds just 25 years ago. Here’s the article everyone is quoting.” (Hugh for Mitch).  Agencymaxxing – Jose Luis Ricon – Nintil . “You can’t say the words ‘artificial intelligence’ these days and not talk about both human agency and agentic outcomes (both are very different things). This may well be one of the better ways to think about agency that I have read. Most people don’t lack ambition, they lack agency. That’s the provocative thesis of this sharp essay on why so many smart folks live small, autopiloted lives. True agency isn’t just making decisions, it’s realizing there’s a whole hidden menu beyond what culture, comfort or circumstance offers. How can you get there? Expand your awareness (through role models, reflection and literal stillness), then act on it… awkwardly, imperfectly and with enough reps to make weird ideas real. Think of it like entrepreneurship for your identity: your choices are your startup. And here’s my hot take: This isn’t just self-help, it’s a business strategy. In an economy that rewards uniqueness, those who question defaults and act on underutilized paths win. Brand leaders, founders, creators: If your current playbook feels stale, it’s because you’re stuck choosing from the kids’ menu. Real growth happens when you stop asking ‘what should I do next?’ and start asking ‘what haven’t I even considered?’ Agency, like creativity, isn’t a talent, it’s a discipline of noticing and doing. And if AI is going where it looks like it’s going… this might be all we’ve got.” (Mitch for Alistair). Rory Sutherland On Thinking Differently – Mindset To Millions – TikTok . “I’ve posted (more than a few times) about Rory Sutherland and how miuch I love his thinking. This is another one that made me laugh and realize that serious thought experiments can sometimes be easy to start and might end in a different way of seeing things. Forget about whether or note you like the idea of electric cars, this is just a great way to work through some work challenges: Invert the timeline. Which version makes the most sense now? Are you lost? Just watch the video…” (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on X, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

@mindset.to.mills Imagine everyone drives electric—and then someone pitches a car that needs liquid fuel to move, needs constant refuelling at special stations, and pollutes the air. No one would go for it. Rory Sutherland-style thinking flips the script: sometimes what we accept as “normal” only makes sense because it came first. #rorysutherland #evs #petrolcars #innovation #behavioraleconomics #perspectiveflip ♬ original sound – Mindset To Millions

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.