Jocelyn K. Glei A curator’s attempt at finding creativity and meaning in a world of fake productivity and infinite distraction.
Angus Hervey Preventing dystopia through optimism: the political economist on a mission to prove that science and tech can save us.
Ashleigh Axios The creative director of Obama’s White House calls on designers to tackle the biggest challenges of our time.
Bryce Roberts No more chasing the unicorn: the venture capitalist with a fairer and more humble investment strategy.
“We’ve become very good at making time for busy-work, and very bad at making time for our best work.”
Jocelyn K. Glei wants to empower everyone to find meaning in doing their best work. Through her podcast, ‘Hurry Slowly’, her talks, and her books, she strives to show us the way to walk the best paths around the pitfalls of tech’s addictive new tools without falling into the traps of anxiety and fake productivity. Her ultimate goal? To teach us how to be creative and insightful, avoid burnout, and leave ourselves open to ‘great ideas and deep work in the age of distraction.’
“We’re in this wash of unintended consequences – ‘black swan’ events that are spiralling around us.”
Rather than perpetuating the widely-held fear that our world is getting worse and worse, political economist and journalist Angus Hervey believes that our future is brighter than we think. He is optimistic that we are at a moment in history when the entire world can make the choice to take part in a process of great change that is positive and full of hope, and that is even now advancing humanity beyond our wildest imaginations. As he blends others’ ideas with his own through his talks, his writings, and his platform, Future Crunch, he spreads the news about how the vastly disruptive technological breakthroughs of our time will affect our lives, our economies, and our society.
“We need to shift the focus of some of the most talented designers away from things that are already working pretty well but serve a few people, to the things that are badly broken that affect entire communities and cultures.”
As creative director and digital strategist at the Obama White House, Ashleigh Axios was part of an administration that used design and technology in unprecedented ways to achieve its goals. That once-in-a-life- time experience turned her into an outspoken advocate for design’s ability to break barriers and create positive social change. She now urges designers to elevate their game and think bigger: only through proactive civic engagement can our institutions get ahead of the technological curve and reform the public services required for a healthy democracy.
“For a lot of founders, building a business that can sustain itself is no longer the goal. They’re just on a never-ending search for growth, because growth is what is exciting.”
A venture capitalist with no interest in chasing the next unicorn and no desire to exercise control through equity: Bryce Roberts is not like your average investor. Far away from Silicon Valley, near the ski slopes of Salt Lake City, he runs his tiny investment firm Indie.vc. With a focus on ‘real businesses’ that aim for profitability and measured growth, Bryce not only advocates for a more sustainable approach to tech entrepreneurship: over half of his portfolio consists of female-led companies, setting a new standard for funding underrepresented groups whose ideas have traditionally been overlooked.
→ bryce.vc
Take a break from your screen. Be inspired by thoughtful conversations in beautiful print.
Unfoundered
Food for thought by Gemma Milne.
Telic Like It Is
Food for thought by Khe Hy.
Projects
A collection of projects and ideas worth exploring, curated by Sam Millen-Cramer, Rachel Smith and Kai Brach.
Interview
Jocelyn K. Glei on fake productivity, smartphones as anti-risk-taking devices, and the benefits of walking for creative success.
A Day With
Spend a day with Madoka Ochi.
A Day With
Spend a day with Brett Torrey Haynes.
The Internet of Things
Working towards a more responsible IoT, with Laura James and Peter Bihr.
Interview
Angus Hervey on intelligent optimism that informs action, technology's unintended consequences, and his excitement about new developments in the non-western world.
Rules of Business
Guiding principles for doing business, by Yasmine Mustafa.
Stats
Putting numbers in perspective.
Gear
A collection of useful and beautiful office products, curated by Sam Millen-Cramer, Rachel Smith and Kai Brach.
Interview
Ashleigh Axios on how to prepare for working at the Obama White House, the need for more citizen engagement, and design's ability to create positive social change.
Profile
Sean McGeady speaks to David Risher, co-founder of Worldreader, a non-profit organisation that aims to bring digital books to the developing world.
One Question
We asked our readers: What’s one thing you learned about yourself recently that changed the way you work?
Workspace
A tour around the offices of Chilid, Viva Wallet, ironSource, Slack, and Globant.
Visit: Antwork
Teresa Marenzi stopped by co-working space Antwork in Beirut, Lebanon, and asked eight random people what they’re currently working on.
Interview
Bryce Roberts on defying the never-ending search for growth, his focus on funding entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups, and his decoder ring for mental well-being.
Ten Things I’ve Learned
Anjali Ramachandran and Vicki Boykis share ten life lessons from working on the web.
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