Gilt Groupe, the once high-profile flash-sale e-commerce company, served as an early training ground for many employees who later launched their own startups. A number of these founders were women who credit their time at Gilt with giving them the operational and entrepreneurial skills to strike out on their own.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-15
A software engineering essay makes the case for proactively doing other people's jobs when they won't act themselves, citing Intel engineers who reportedly added 32-bit CPU support directly into Microsoft's compiler rather than waiting for Microsoft to do it. The piece extends this logic to dealing with unresponsive managers and slow-moving 'Scaled Agile' planning processes, suggesting direct patches often beat waiting for bureaucratic scheduling.
yosefk.com
· 2026-09-15
As autonomous vehicles spread, the article argues they will standardize driving behavior that has long varied dramatically by region—from aggressive New York drivers to Cairo's horn-based communication system to Jakarta's informal traffic-conductor tipping rituals. These local driving cultures, shaped by decades of human adaptation to specific urban conditions, could disappear as algorithmic driving replaces human judgment.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-11
Research highlighted in the report shows people are talking to each other less often than in the past, a shift attributed largely to rising reliance on digital communication over in-person interaction. Analysts warn this decline in conversation is already affecting mental health and workplace dynamics, yet most organizations have not adjusted policies to address it.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-10
Researchers cultured dozens of cancer cell lines alongside normal primary epithelial cells to profile surface proteins near known tumor markers. They applied a graph-learning computational method to identify 'proximity antigens'—proteins located near established cancer targets on the cell membrane—that could serve as new markers for tumor-specific therapies. The work combined wet-lab cell culture across breast, lung, colon, pancreatic, gastric and other cancer types with a novel AI-driven proximity mapping approach.
nature.com
· 2026-09-09
Sixty years after its 1966 debut, Star Trek is being credited with popularizing several concepts that eventually became real-world technologies. Despite airing only three seasons before cancellation, the show grew into a massive media franchise with films, spinoffs and merchandise, and its speculative gadgets influenced generations of engineers and inventors.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-08
A satirical piece published under the title 'We Must Return to the Office to Use AI in Person' imagines a dystopian company, Mondo Mayo, that forces employees back into the office under absurd 'Core Principles' and constant AI surveillance tools like 'Best Buddy' and 'SlurryHose.' The narrator, an 'Associate Slop Doula,' recounts mandatory retreats, an overabundance of leadership titles, and a rented robotic 'Mondo Machine' that parents family life remotely, all framed as justification for RTO policies.
mcsweeneys.net
· 2026-09-08
A branding blueprint identifies four core components companies should intentionally design into their identity to achieve authenticity. The framework argues that authenticity has become an overused buzzword, yet it remains the foundation that makes any brand identity meaningful and credible.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-08
Fast Company has released its 2026 Best Workplaces for Innovators list, recognizing nine companies with 50 or fewer employees for category honors. Judges evaluated these small firms specifically on how well they cultivate cultures that encourage innovation among staff.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-08
Fast Company has recognized 13 companies with 201 to 999 employees as category winners in its Best Workplaces for Innovators 2026 list. Judges evaluated these growing, midsize enterprises for how effectively they build cultures that support innovation, ranking them above peers of similar size.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-08
The performance coach who works with world No. 1 tennis player Aryna Sabalenka argues that popular productivity techniques break down when real pressure hits. Drawing on personal experience surviving on the streets as a teenager, he contrasts the mindset of a 'warrior' with that of a 'fighter' as the key to performing under stress. He says he has seen conventional advice fail repeatedly across sports arenas, corporate settings, and his own life.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-07
A commentary piece argues that common sense functions like a muscle that weakens from disuse, and asks why practical judgment is so rare in modern workplaces. The piece suggests organizational structures and processes may be crowding out employees' basic instincts and reasoning.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-07