Demis Hassabis: “One of the challenges I think of this [AI] space is obviously the underlying tech is moving unbelievably fast, and I think that’s quite different even from the other big revolutionary techs: internet and mobile. At some point you get some sort of stabilization of the tech stack so that then the focus can be on product, or exploiting that tech stack. And what we’ve got here, which I think is very unusual but also quite exciting from a researcher perspective, is the tech stack itself is evolving incredibly fast, as you guys know. So I think that makes it uniquely challenging, actually, on the product side. Not just for us at Google and DeepMind, but for startups — for anyone, really, any company, small and large — the challenge is: What do you bet on right now when that could be 100 percent better in a year, as we’ve seen. And so you’ve got this interesting thing where you need fairly deeply technical sort of product people — product designers and managers — in order to intercept where the technology may be in a year. So there’s things it can’t do today, and you want to design a product that’s going to come out in a year, so you’ve got to have a pretty deep understanding of the tech and where it might go, to work out what features you can rely on. And so it’s an interesting one, I think that’s what you’re seeing: So many different things being tried out, and then if something works, we’ve got to really double down quickly on that.”
WaPo: “Visual clutter is “anything that disrupts the calm and intentional flow of your home,” says Molly Heartfield, the founder and CEO of Heart & Co. Home Organizing and Design. “It’s the pile of mail on the counter, or the random cords peeking out from behind furniture.” Corey Pence, a senior manager of in-home organizing services at the Container Store, describes visual clutter as an “overwhelming or excessive amount of visual elements in a space that make it difficult to focus on important information or executing tasks.” Too many objects, colors, shapes or details competing for attention can overwhelm the brain. Note: Visual clutter is not synonymous with mess. “Even if items are neatly arranged, visual clutter can make a space feel disorganized or messy and can reduce the overall aesthetic and functionality of the space,” Pence says.”…Getting control over the visual clutter in your home prioritizes simplicity and organization. “Reducing visual clutter creates an immediate sense of peace and clarity. It lowers stress levels, boosts productivity and helps you feel more at ease in your own space,” Heartfield says. “A decluttered home allows your personality, your favorite pieces and your design choices to shine.””
Rich Lesser: “The story of the like button is a lesson in just how messy and unguided innovation can be. It’s not typically about lone geniuses or carefully plotted strategies, despite the allure of the hero’s journey narrative. It’s about collaboration, timing, recombination, and serendipity—an evolutionary, collective effort. Silicon Valley’s culture of open sharing created the fertile ground for the like button to grow. That unplanned path led to a simple and powerful idea: a thumbs-up gesture recognized across time and cultures, activated through a single click. People took to it because it was familiar, frictionless, and intuitive—not because it was novel. The like button is also powerful because it connects with an essential part of being human. Neuroscience tells us that liking—and being liked—releases dopamine, tapping into ancient evolutionary wiring that underpins our need for social belonging, affirmation, and learning from those we identify with.” [via BCG newsletter]
WSJ: “[David] Droga spoke about the 2019 deal with Accenture as one of mutual benefit: Accenture’s size and stores of data could help Droga5 do better work, while Droga5 could help Accenture with creative ideas and taste. He was promoted just over two years later to CEO of Accenture Interactive, as the company’s marketing division was called until he renamed it Accenture Song. Revenue at Accenture’s marketing unit increased to $19 billion in 2024 from $12.5 billion in 2021, the year Droga became CEO. Accenture has continued to acquire agencies in marketing, design, technology and customer experience to better compete for client dollars with ad holding companies including WPP, Omnicom Group and Publicis Groupe.”
