From bullet trains to espresso, we have long had a cultural fascination with speed. In my last post, I considered Fitts' MABA-MABA framework: the deceptively simple question of what (hu)man(s) are better at and what machines are better at. Today I'd like to apply that question to the first of three acts of modern life: work.

Trillions of dollars of brand equity rest on a single assumption: that the buyer has feelings, hopes, dreams, aspirations, and that a brand can somehow speak to them. What happens when it can't?

Our early models of human-machine collaboration frame the debate in terms of tasks: what should we delegate, what should we keep and where the boundary ought to sit. While this is a useful question, it is also a limited one. In spiritual traditions, the question of human life has never been about efficiency but about attention, awareness, and the cultivation of meaning.

What are High Net Worth Individuals starting to question about success — and why does wellness and longevity keep coming up? We reflected this question with Tom Waller in relation to our recent fieldwork with HNWIs across the US, Europe, and China.

When does data turn into belonging? We are fluent in measurement. Sleep scores, strain, recovery, readiness. Data accumulates quietly in the background of daily life, promising insight and improvement. Yet engagement often stalls.

Do retail stores need cafés? In our work with a global cosmetics brand, the most effective stores were not the most indulgent, theatrical or stimulating. They were the most attuned to customers’ desired feel states across spatial zoning.