Concert barriers are built to be baked in the hot sun, transported through busy venues, battered by excited concert-goers, and, ultimately, disposed of. A company in Paris is giving them a second life.
Maximum, a French furniture designer that specializes in turning industrial and municipal waste into luxe home goods, has now transformed defunct concert barriers into customizable, office-ready bench seating as part of its latest project called Bultan.
The firm works by first identifying industrial surplus that, because of overproduction, imperfections, or wear and tear, can no longer serve its original purpose. Then, they find a way to extend the lifetime of that material by fashioning it into something entirely new. Past projects include a line of chairs made from discarded ground plastics, a stool fashioned from imperfect banknotes, and a chic lamp built out of used fluorescent tubes.
[Photo: courtesy Maximum]
Yesterday’s concert barriers become today’s found material
While concert barriers may be built to withstand force, theyre surprisingly susceptible to fatal flaws, according to Maximum.
Their legs are their Achilles’ heel, the Bultans product description reads. Often crushed, they condemn the entire frame to the dumpster, even when it remains intact. A few bends are enough to transform a Vauban barrier into a structure for Bultan.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Maximum (@maximum_officiel)
Maximum is rescuing these out-of-commission frames to serve as the structure of its Bultan benches, offering them in either a colorful powder coated option or a sleek galvanized steel. And the company isn’t stopping thereevery other element of the Bultan seat is also fashioned from a recycled material.
[Photo: courtesy Maximum]
Repurposing unappealing wood and plastic scraps into works of art
To structurally support the benches seating and back rest, Maximum sourced wood from local workshops that was discarded due to the presence of wood knots, which caused them to be deemed aesthetically unusable. Because these slats are hidden under the Bultans cushions, theyre perfectly suitable for the task. For the cushions themselves, Maximum turned to La Maison de la Mousse et du Caoutchouc, a rubber goods supplier.
[Photo: courtesy Maximum]
Below a certain size, the production waste from La Maison de la Mousse et du Caoutchouc is deemed unusable, the product page reads. As thin and elongated as they are, the Bultan cushions fit between the bars and exploit this waste, which results in the scrapping of several cubic meters of high-quality foam every day.
[Photo: courtesy Maximum]
As a finishing touch, the company pulled rejected fabrics from the automotive interiors company Tesca to serve as the chairs dark-toned upholstery.
The result is a chair that visually evokes its origins as a concert barrier, but also appears perfectly suited for a professional or commercial setting. Its a compelling case for reimagining how we might use industrial waste to more sustainably furnish our offices, waiting rooms, and public spaces.
In late July, the Trump administration released its long-awaited AI Action Plan, which includes steps to cut environmental requirements and streamline permitting policies to make it easier to build data centers and power infrastructure.
But even with massive deregulation, the fact remains: we have no idea where well find all the energy, water, and grid capacity to meet the enormous speed and scale of the emerging AI revolution.
Recently, experts from the International Energy Agency estimated that electricity use from data centers could more than double in the next five years. By 2030, these facilities could use nearly 9% of all electricity in the United States. Without major investments, this growth will strain our power grid and lead to higher energy bills for everyone.
And its not just energy. Globally, by 2027, water consumption from AI alone is estimated to reach the equivalent of more than half the annual water usage of the U.K. Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, estimate that a ChatGPT user session that involves a series of between 5 and 50 prompts or questions can consume up to 500 milliliters of water (about the amount in a 16-ounce bottle). Google used a fifth more water in 2022 compared to 2021 as it ramped up its artificial intelligence work. Microsofts water usage increased by 34% over the same period. On top of all this, many communities are protesting or rejecting data center construction due to factors like noise disturbances and limited job-creation benefits.
Its easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of the task before us as a nation, especially considering that winning the AI race with China requires overcoming all these constraints, quickly. But the answer isnt despair, or even just deregulation. We need to innovate. Lets imagine and build data centers that stack as many functions as possible for sustainability, efficiency, and even social good.
While the most obvious sustainability move for data centers is clean energy, permitting wait times and baseload requirements mean many new constructions are developing behind-the-meter power plants with natural gas. Even these systems can transform their environmental impact. Imagine if data centers could capture waste heat and CO and put it to the best possible usefor example, fueling nearby industrial-scale greenhouses that grow fresh, high-quality food. The CO emissions, when introduced into greenhouses, could accelerate photosynthesis, significantly boosting crop yields. Heat captured from servers can also keep greenhouses warm year-round. In other words, you could grow local tomatoes, lettuce, and herbs in the middle of a Northeast or Midwest winter by harnessing data center emissions. Because data centers often choose less populated areas for affordable land and available space, these projects could provide fresh produce to rural food deserts, addressing nutritional gaps and stimulating local economies.
In summer months, when greenhouses require less CO, innovative data centers could convert excess emissions into clean hydrogen fuel. Emerging carbon-capture and electrolysis technologies can transform emissions into hydrogen, which could power backup systems, fuel cells, or even local transit. Likewise, organic waste from the greenhouses could be composted or converted into biochar onsite, enriching soils, sequestering carbon, and further contributing to local agriculture. Multiple sustainability functions can be creatively stacked, maximizing environmental benefits and turning traditional liabilities into assets.
Data centers also offer major untapped potential for sustainable water solutions. Their expansive, flat roofsoften exceeding 100,000 square feetare ideal for rainwater harvesting. Just one inch of rain on a 50,000-square-foot roof can yield over 31,000 gallons of water, significantly offsetting cooling demands and reducing dependence on local municipal sources. This harvested rainwater can directly irrigate adjacent greenhouses, creating further efficiencies. Tech giants like Google and Microsoft are already starting to demonstrate the value of this straightforward yet promising approach.
Traditionally, data centers are criticized for providing few long-term jobs. Construction might employ up to 1,500 people temporarily, but ongoing operations usually support only about 50 permanent workers. By integrating greenhouse agriculture and carbon capture, data centers can significantly expand employment opportunities. These integrated campuses could provide apprenticeships, educational programs, and hands-on training in data operations, energy management, sustainable agriculture, and related fields. This approach would promote diverse, long-term job creation and deeper community integration, ensuring more meaningful local benefits.
Right now, were embarking on the biggest infrastructure development project in multiple generations. We need to think seriously about the choices were making regarding emissions, water, and local economies. Weve done this kind of big thinking before.When America needed cheap power in the 1930s, we built the TennesseeValleyAuthority and strung wires to virtually every farmhouse through the Rural ElectrificationAct.When commerce demanded speed, we carved the ErieCanal and later laced the continent with the Interstate Highway System.When the ColdWar caled for a moonshot, we answered with Apolloturning slide-rule sketches into a lunar landing in less than a decade and achieving scores of technological innovations along the way.Each project looked audacious at the outset. Each rewrote what was possible.
AI infrastructure now demands a leap of similar scale.If we pair data center capacity with on-site microgrids, rain-harvesting roofs, carbon-fed greenhouses, hydrogen production, workforce academies, and other innovations, we can meet the demands of AI without undermining communities or nature.
President Trumps new AI Action Plan includes some sensible and important steps, including expediting permitting for some data centers and semiconductor fabs as well as new initiatives to boost needed occupations like electricians and HVAC technicians. Yet any comprehensive plan to address the AI challenge needs much more serious attention to questions like energy and water sustainability as well as community resilience. The AI infrastructure race can be a positive opportunity for society, but we need to get creative
We need help. We really, really need your help.
Steve Jobs walked to the podium, threw his jacket on the floor, and implored a group of designers to help shape the coming revolution. Addressing the 1983 International Design Conference in Aspen, he simply explained his vision for the personal computer era he saw coming. He then turned to the challenge: We have a shot at putting a great object there, or if we dont, were going to put one more piece of junk object there this stuff can either be great or it can be lousy. And we need help. We really, really need your help.
One more piece of junk?
What Jobs recognized was that major technological inflections are not just about accelerating what went before, but moments of profound redesign, and that takes more than just technical leaps. How we shape technical revolutions determines who participates, who benefits, what is gained and what is lost.
Artificial intelligence, the latest technical revolution, arrives amidst a wholesale rejection of broken systems: only 36% of people believe the next generation will be better off, two thirds think society is on the wrong track, and populism is on the rise.
So how this revolution is shaped is of profound importance. Will it lead to a further concentration of wealth, power and dissatisfaction, or an abundanceof science, education, energy, optimism, and opportunity?
Design is how we apply intention to deliberately shape life, systems, and the future.
The scary news is: we have to redesign everything.
The exciting news is: we get to redesign everything.
How can we redesign?
Technical revolutions create windows of time when new social norms are created, where institutions and infrastructure is rethought. This window of time will influence daily life in myriad ways, from how people find dates, to whether kids write essays, to which jobs require applications, to how people move through cities and get health diagnoses.
Each of these are design decisions, not natural outcomes. Who gets to make these decisions? Every company, organization and community that is considering ifand howto adopt AI. Which almost certainly includes you. Congratulations, youre now part of designing a revolution.
Whether we do this design well, or poorly, is up to us. In our work at ENSO, a future design company that helps organizations design the future they aspire to, we have seen that getting big transformations right requires clarity, bravery, and the creativity to bring people along.
Find clarity: Asking big questions
In ordinary times, ordinary questions can suffice. Questions like, “how can we add to our market share?,” “how can we operate more efficiently?,” or “can we refine that process?” These kinds of “small minded questions” are premised on the assumption that next year will look very much like last year, so incremental improvement is a fine goal.
But these questions can hold back the potential for radical progress. As the Harvard professor Clayton Christensen once said, too often, we overlook an obvious fact: finding the right answer is impossible unless we have asked the right question.
In extraordinary times, extraordinary questions are more productive. In ENSOs future design process, we like to start with big questions like: “what is ultimate success?,” “what are people yearning for?,” and more recently, “how could AI reinvent this category and company?” Its often remarkable how differently leaders think about the same business: seeing current performance in a different light, disagreeing on whats hindering progress, or holding divergent visions of the future. Getting to clarity is critical to avoiding organizational malaise.
Clayton Christensen described the importance of getting clear on “the job to be done” for customers: are they looking for a coffee or an experience? Do they want a diagnosis, or a compassionate conversation? Do we need to sell features, or alleviate fear? Finding clarity on what success looks like (for all stakeholders, not just customers) is the first step to any redesign. Success today may not be what we thought it was yesterday.
Many business leaders and advisors have developed a strong muscle memory in getting to answers fast, based on best practices from the industrybut by definition, this is perpetuating old ideas. Eras of reinvention require more questions and more listening, to inform brave new paths.
Foster bravery: exploring rather than forecasting
To say there is little certainty about how the AI revolution will unfold is an understatement. Some of the best attempts at expressing what may occur, like Anthropic CEO Dario Amodeis Machines of Loving Grace, paint the broad outlines of whats possible.
But even Amodei says, everything Im saying could very easily be wrong, and he proposes more concerted efforts of exploration: it is critical to have a genuinely inspiring vision of the future, and not just a plan to fight fires there has to be something were fighting for, some positive-sum outcome Fear is one kind of motivator, but its not enough: we need hope as well.
Like it or not, we are so early in the AI era that the only reasonable option is to summon the bravery to explore multiple futures rather than assume one.
But businesses love forecasts. They give everyone a sense of confidence and control in the future. They feel diligent. They also assume the future is very much like the past, just a bit better. They make no account for transformed user behavior, old marketing channels being upended, or most damaging of all, the opportunity cost of not considering the adjacent possible: the options available to a company at any time.
While uninspired companies seek comfort in forecasts, inspired companies are relentlessly exploring beyond the established formula, particularly now AI has led to an explosion of adjacent possibles.
As the economist Tim Harford has said on forecasts, the problem is not that theyre insufficiently precise, but that they allow us to short-circuit any further thought on the matter. Thinking seriously abut the future can be a worthwhile exercise, not because the future is knowable, but because the process is likely to make us wiser.
At ENSO, we find that creating future scenarios is remarkably productive: freed from the pressure of creating an accurate forecast, we can explore beyond the expected. One scenario may be a more logical extension of the current reality, while others may be much more optimistic, or serve people in different ways, or assume the world changes significantly.
Each scenario paints a picture of the future: what the company is saying and doing, how others receive it and respond. The scenarios can then be debated, dissected, remixed and improved upon. This process of future exploration has a lightness, joy, and curiosity about it that is so often missing from annual planning processes, which assume a singular path and become battles over budget and control.
Connect emotionally: bringing people along
Traditional business culture loves rational thought, but humans are emotional creatures making emotional decisions. Employees feel uncertain and are disengaging, while customers are frustrated and losing trust. Google found that psychological safety is the leading determinant of their highest performing teams, but the typical C-suite proving grounds of economics, engineering and finance do not naturally equip leaders to connect emotionally.
Starbucks recently realized it had “over rotated” on technology replacing the humanity of service, which left both baristas and customers unhappy. At this moment, the excitement around AI could lead many leaders to optimize for productivity enhancing technology adoption, rather than adopting technology in service of an inspiring vision.
How can you connect emotionally? Marketers know how. Artists know how. Designers know how. Too often, those voices have been heard long after critical decisions have been made: finance-driven forecasts and engineering-led products that leave only small decisions for those emotionally equipped to bring people along. Instead, those voices need to be (re)introduced to company strategy, product management and the boardroom.
The intersection of technology, design, and understanding people and the world
Every leader, even those steeped in logic-based disciplines can find their way to more emotionally-atuned ways of leading, but only if they are freed from executing business as usual. As Rick Rubin says, everyone is a creator, and the best work is the work you are excited about. If youre not excited yet, go back to asking bigger questions, listening and exploring; then, you can bring people into the excitement.
Recently, Mark Zuckerberg raised eyebrows with $100 million signing bonuses for AI engineers. But even these look small compared to the $6.5Bn OpenAI paid to enlist Jony Ives help. Why would Sam Altman pay so much for a designer? He said at the announcement, AI is an incredible technology, but great tools require work at the intersection of technology, design, and understanding people and the world.
Thats why, at the dawn of a previous revolution, Steve Jobs implored designers to help. At this moment, when we need to redesign everything, and we can redesign everything, its important that intersection is deeply baked into business principles and practice.
Having been on both sides of the tableas employee and managerI can confidently say that no one looks forward to annual performance reviews.
As an employee, you might find yourself bracing for critiques and rehearsing defenses. Maybe youre asked to rate your own performance and feel unsure whether to play it humble or confident. And thats before you even start combing through an entire years worth of highs and lows.
Employers are likewise tasked with the time-consuming exercise of digging through months of work for each employee.
But the real issue isnt just that annual reviews are stressfulit’s that theyre often ineffective. They can leave employees feeling frustrated and disengaged. Meanwhile, organizations continue to waste time on systems that do little to meaningfully improve performance or support career growth. Some even rank employees, pitting them against each other in a race that completely undermines the spirit of collaboration. I know that kind of atmosphere would not work for my company.
Todays employees want something different: timely, ongoing feedback that helps them improve in the moment. Its not just a more psychologically gentler approachit also delivers results. In fact, the percentage of U.S. companies using annual reviews dropped from 82% in 2016 to just 49% in 2023, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. Its no doubt due to the benefits of real-time feedback. Heres a closer look at some of those advantages.
Real-time feedback accelerates improvement
Imagine youre a line cook in a restaurant. Youve been preparing a dish from the spring/summer menu the same way for months. Then, in September, your sous chef informs you that youve been leaving out a key ingredient all along. The feedback comes too late to matteryoure already moving on to the fall menu.
Delayed feedback, in short, is unhelpful.
Annual reviews are too infrequent for the cycle of work today in most enterprises, says James N. Baron, a professor at Yale School of Management. Goals negotiated at the beginning of the year have often become obsolete and irrelevant by the end-of-year review. Thats why more and more organizations are shifting away from annual reviews.
Timely feedback allows employees to adjust quickly. Baron advocates for real-time coaching, in which managers work directly alongside their team members. When leaders stay close to the work, their feedback is immediate and actionable. But when theyre removed from day-to-day operationswhen theyre too far from the trenchesthey cant possibly understand where employees need to improve.
At AstraZeneca, managers adopted a more hands-on coaching approach. Four years later, the company saw a 12% increase in core coaching capabilities and a 70% boost in managers confidence in leading meaningful coaching conversations. Ongoing feedback makes the coaching process more effective and manageable for managers as well.
Frequent feedback boosts motivation and morale
As my companys workforce increasingly includes millennial and Gen Z employees, Ive seen a steady rise in the desire for continual feedback. While younger workers are sometimes unfairly labeled as overly sensitive, in my experience, they welcome constructive criticism, especially when it helps them grow and move closer to their career goals. Companies that want to attract and retain top talent are taking note.
Regular, informal check-ins offer another advantage: They turn feedback into a dialogue rather than a one-sided annual monologue. This helps employers better understand their employees career goals and collaborate on aligning those goals with the companys broader objectives. These conversations shift from sources of dread to wellsprings of motivation.
Simply put, ongoing feedback helps keep people on track, ideally in a direction that serves both their personal development and the companys success.
More feedback, less fear: Shifting the tone of evaluation
In the annual review process, theres often a performative element in which leaders feel compelled to balance praise with critique, regardless of whats warranted by the actual employees performance. Whether its delivered as a compliment sandwich or a straight-up list of pros and cons, the experience can leave employees feeling dissatisfied and deflated. The mere word feedback from a manager can trigger an employees threat response, flooding the brain with adrenaline and making it harder to process and act on whats being said.
In contrast, when feedback is given regularly, it tends to be received more positively. Employees view it as less threatening and more helpful. Over time, frequent reinforcement and recognition lead to greater engagement and performance.
As CEO of my company for nearly two decades, I can attest: It feels good to give positive feedback. Over time, it creates a virtuous cycle: You start looking for moments to commend employee performance just as much as you look for ways to help them improve.
Ive spent over two decades on stages around the world as a charity auctioneer. Even in the earliest years of my career, my job exposed me to titans of industry and people at the highest levels of business. But even as I became more experienced in my career, I always had the same thought: What am I doing here? Everyone here knows so much more than I do.
Any comments or thoughts I planned to share remained exactly thatthoughtsbecause when I opened my mouth, I worried everyone would remember I wasnt supposed to be at the table in the first place. What started as a feeling that stopped me from speaking followed me in my career. That feeling stopped me from putting my hand up for a promotion, a raise, or for anything at all. It made me feel like I wasnt supposed to be sitting in the boardroomor anywhere near the building, for that matter.
Talk to any woman who has been in the working world or in a leadership position in the past two decades, and she can tell you all about imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is a feeling that stops many of us, particularly women, in our tracks. It keeps many of us from getting into the room where we would have the chance to fail.
As you ascend the corporate ladder, no matter how deserving you are of a new title, a raise, or a new position, you may never truly believe you deserve any of it. When you look around a room of your peers, theres a little voice inside telling you that youre lucky to be in that room. Sound familiar?
Its time to surmount the syndrome. Start with this simple three-step process so you can focus on the thing that matters most: you.
1. STOP THE SPIRAL
Tell me if this sounds familiar. Youre having a conversation with someone in your lifea friend, someone senior in your office, or someone whose opinion you care deeply about. They mention they are so glad that they get to see you now that your children are getting older and you can be in the office more. The comment stops you cold. Now youre spiraling, your mind filling in a narrative. Ive been out of the game for years. Everyone here thinks I dont work hard enough, that Im not here enough, that I dont do a good job. I need to show them I do care. Ill start working on the weekends, do extra work . . . On and on you go with a spiral of self-doubt and insecurity about everything that you have ever felt about your job performance.
What did this person actually say? Its great to see you in the office more now that your children are getting older. Period.
Your answer? Thanks!
End scene.
2. CONTROL THE NARRATIVE
Believe in yourself enough to believe that other people are thinking the best of you, not the worst. To really slam that imposter syndrome, rewrite your own story.
Lets go back and rewrite that scene, shall we?
What did that person say? Its great to see you in the office more now that your children are getting older.
Heres what I want you to hear: You are such a valuable member of this team, its really great to have your positive energy in this office. You must be an incredible multitasker to be raising kids at home and crushing it at work, too. What a role model for the people around you. We are lucky to have you.
End scene. Cue applause.
3. ACCEPT THERE ARE NO GOLD STARS IN LIFE
Never forget there are no gold stars given out when you are an adult. No one gives you a gold star for showing up to work, just like no one gives you a gold star for making your bed when you get up in the morning. You are responsible for everything that happens in your life and your response to it. Once you stop looking for affirmation from those around you and seek it from yourself, you can realize you have had the power all along.
I still wake up at 7:15 a.m. Not because I have a meeting. Or a commute. Or a list of deliverables thats longer than a CVS receipt. Im up early because something about lying in bed while my corporate counterparts clock in makes me feel like Im behind, even if theres no race Im actively running.
The day kicks off with the usual: matcha, oatmeal, a spin on the Peloton, and a shower. But then? Stillness. No Slack pings. No check-ins. No one asking for a quick sync to circle back so we can get our ducks in a row. Just me, refreshing LinkedIn, wondering if today is the day a recruiter cannonballs into my DMs like Ron Burgundy.
I launched this column five years ago as a mid-level marketing manager in Seattlecorporates middle child, navigating microaggressions, vague feedback, and vibes that often felt . . . off. I wrote about working through a pandemic, watching my well-meaning white colleagues bumble through a so-called racial reckoning, and climbing org chart rungs while staying woke to the wonkiness of upper management.
Back then, I wrote as The Only Black Guy in the Office. Now? Im still him, but theres no office at allunless you count the one in my spare bedroom.
For the first time in a long time, Im unemployed. There, I said it.
I used to pray for times like this, imagining being unshackled from the chains of recurring standups, performance reviews, and a 27-tab document named Final_FINAL_V3_(1). Id see myself rewatching The Boondocks episodes on a random Tuesday afternoon, hitting up local museums during off-peak hours, day drinking with a pinky pointed toward the clouds.
But since those first couple of weeks post-layoff, the fun in funemployment has hopped on a paper plane and gone MIA. Im over the midday mimosas and matinees, especially now that Im fresh out of severance dollars to spend and Severance episodes to binge. My savings and sense of purpose are each trending downward, dawg, without a namaste in sight.
Theres an odd grief that hits the moment your work account passwords go inactive. Its the coldest closure, like an ex changing the locks while youre still packing your things. Except here, your belongings are stored in a shared Google Drive and a Slack archive youll never access again. I once thought I couldnt feel any more like an outsider. I was wrong. But that wasnt the only wake-up call.
Things done changed for this era of job hunters. Im learning the futility of cold applying, the scams targeting desperate job seekers, the absurdity of stuffing resumes with keywords to appease the bots. Even when I make it past the algorithm bouncers and land in front of an actual human, I wonder if the HBCU degree I worked so hard for is a reveal that invites bias before Ive said a word.
The hardest part of this all? Its not my obsessive clocking of banking apps and job boards, nor the dystopian friend-or-foe role of artificial intelligence in the application process. Its the identity shift with which Ive only recently come to terms.
When youve spent your entire career outworking self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and perfectionism, being unemployed feels like failure, even when its not. Doesnt matter if its due to a layoff, a budget cut, or a strategic realignment.
For years, my job was more than a source of income and fodder for my therapist. It was where I could be a rockstar in one conference room and a firefighter in the next. A place I could lift up others who looked like me and, when necessary, check those who didnt.
If Im keeping it a bean, it was validation.
Now, with no decks to compile or KPIs to hit, Ive had to sit in that stillness. Ive had to create the structure in my days that I once dreaded. Ive had to convince myself that the youre too talented to be in the market for long! sentiments shared by friends and peers are sincere.
This column has always been a pressure release valvea space to process what it means to be Black and corporate and exhausted. I didnt realize how much Id need that outlet again. Maybe even more now than before.
So Im brushing off the cobwebs and writing again. To make sense of this moment. To connect with folks who are navigating the same in-between. And to remind myself, and maybe you too, that being without a job doesnt mean being without value.
The matchas iced, but the tea is still hot. Sip slow.
This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here.
Most bookmark tools feel like cluttered digital filing cabinetsfull of folders, tags, and organizational overhead. mymind is a minimalist alternative.
Its a clean, simple online hub for saving anything you find online. Create a gorgeous private scrapbook of images, links, articles or anything else you want to save, without the hassle of labeling.
Its an opinionated tool thats not for everyonecaveats below include no sharing or importing. And Ive noted a bunch of strong alternatives. But mymind remains a superb example of a design-focused service thats a pleasure to use.
Since I last wrote about it, mymind has improved the way it shows visuals, Read on for an update of my previous post to learn what its most useful for and how to use it.
6 ways to use mymind
I like using mymind to save remarkable visuals, thought-provoking charts, amazing videos, beautiful poems, and memorable articles. I also use it to collect AI-related links to scan through.
Create an inspiration moodboard. Save stunning photographs, brilliant art, your favorite interior designs, cool clothing, yummy food, pictures of homes youd love to live in someday, or whatever else catches your eye. Then the next time youre staring at a blank page, open your moodboard for a spark.
Collect project ideas. Save links, quotes, or screenshots to inform a project. Highlight articles to save specific passages.
Curate quotes & graphics for presentations. Use the one-click save button whenever you stumble on notable material to add to a slide deck or handout.
Save articles and videos for later. The distraction-free mymind interface makes it a nice place to read long articles or watch YouTube videos.
Clip recipes. I was surprised by how helpfully mymind strips out the cruft in online recipes. It shows just the ingredients and instructions, though you can easily return to the original recipe page.
Organize shower thoughts. You can write text notes or to-do lists. Jot a few words or an essay outline.
mymind is clean and simple
No ads.
No data tracking.
No vanity metrics or likes.
No social sharing or collaboration.
Read myminds manifesto & promise for their philosophy.
No complex menus or manuals to read.
How to start using mymind
Go to mymind.com and create a free account with your Google or Apple ID.
Download a browser extension and/or the iOS, Android or Mac app.
Save a few interesting sites by pressing the browser button. See an image you want to save? Right-click it. Or highlight text in an article and right-click that text to save it as a quote. You can add a note if you want to. I often save a short phrase as a reminder of what caught my attention.
Return to mymind online or on your mobile device anytime you want to see what youve saved. Browse your collection. Try a search term (like book, pizza, video, or quote) to surface whatever youre looking for.
Collections: You can optionally create custom spacesbasically smart searchesif you like organizing your finds into sub-categories.
Serendipity mode lets you focus on one saved item at a time, enabling minimalistic deep thinking.
Pricing: Its free to save up to 100 items or cards. To collect more, pay $8/month ($79/year) for unlimited cards and some advanced features, or $13/month ($129/year) for the Mastermind plan with more advanced AI, reading mode, and article backups.
Videos from mymind are a useful easy way to learn more. And myminds newsletter is well-curated and gorgeously-designed.
AI-enhanced: mymind uses AI to classify everything you save. That makes it easy to find anything, even after you accumulate a large library.
Caveats
No sharing. mymind is designed for privacy, not sharing. I end up saving my most valuable finds in multiple places to give my future self options. mymind is great for visual exploration, but I need other services, like Raindrop, to share my collections. If you want to share your library, consider an alternative below.
Limited flexibility. myminds design, while gorgeous, isnt flexible. Its not meant for you to rearrange, though you can pin cards. If you want to manually resize items or drag things around on a canvas, consider Milanote or a whiteboard like Miro, Mural, Lucid or Figjam.
No import. You cant easily bring in items youve saved on other servicesheres why mymind discourages thisnor can you email things in or develop automations as you can with other clipping tools.
No Firefox bookmark button. If thats your browser, this might not be for you.
Limited free plan. To save more than 100 items, you have to pick a paid plan.
Alternatives
Sublime is a cool new service Im trying out for collecting online inspiration.
Unlike mymind, you can use Sublime to hare finds, see others related discoveries, and use its canvas to move from curation to creation.
Compare it w/ other tools like Notion, Apple Notes, Readwise & Raindrop.
Pricing is free for up to 50 cards, $75/year unlimited. $100/year for premium+ subscription to The Sublime on Substack.
Raindrop is my favorite bookmark-saving service. It replaced delicio.us and Google bookmarks for me. Why Raindrop is so useful.
Best for helping you save and organize links and share them publicly. Works on all platforms & integrates free with 2,600 other services.
Less ideal for calmly exploring your collection of visuals or quotes.
Pricing: Free for almost all features. $28/annually for full-text search, backups, AI tag suggestions & other extras. I pay to help preserve the robust free tier.
Readwise is excellent if youre mainly saving articles and videos to read and watch later. How and why I use Readwise.
Best for reading and highlighting saved articles and newsletters online or offline in great Web and mobile apps.
Less ideal for saving images or collecting links because its designed for reading and video viewing.
Pricing: Free for 30 days then $5.59 or $10/month for full access.
Eagle is useful as a tool for organizing all your screenshots and any files on your computer. Why I like Eagle so much.
Milanote is one of the few apps thats as elegantly designed as mymind. It lets you organize ideas and saved items on visual boards.
Best for creating your own visual collections with a variety of images, links, documents and annotations.
Less ideal for simply saving or storing images, quotes and material you encounter online. It works best for creating project-specific boards.
Pricing: Free for up to 100 notes, then $10/month billed annually for unliimited notes. A team version is $49/month.
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Let’s be honest: Your phone is a jerk. A loud, demanding, little pocket-size jerk that never stops buzzing, dinging, and begging for your attention. It’s the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you see at night. Enough!
Now, Im not talking about tossing your phone into a volcano. Im talking about swapping it out for something simpler.
And you don’t have to go full Luddite. Here are some unique options that scratch the itch of modern connectivity without all the noise.
Light Phone III
[Photo: the Light Phone]
The Light Phone is a name that’s become a philosophical statement, and the Light Phone III is the next evolution in simplicity. Make calls, set alarms, get directions, use the calendar, take notes, and . . . well, thats about it.
The E Ink screen from previous Light Phones is gone, replaced with a matte AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) display. It’s still black and white and utterly boring, but its more responsive. And its got a stripped-down, point-and-shoot camera along with other modern comforts like 5G connectivity, USB-C charging, NFC (near-field communication), and a fingerprint sensor.
The phone is available to preorder for $699 and is scheduled to ship in September. If you cant wait that long, check out its $299 predecessor or the similar Mudita Kompakt.
Unihertz Jelly Max
[Photo: Unihertz]
The Unihertz Jelly Max unapologetically answers a question no one asked: What if a phone had a 5-inch screen and were crammed into a rugged, chunky, see-through body?
This $340 phone runs a modern-ish version of Android, which means you can download all the apps you want. But the screen is a little too small for comfortable browsing. The phone itself is a brick. The form factor discourages a lot of casual, mindless use.
Its great for someone who needs the power of Android but wants to be reminded with every physical interaction that a phone is a tool, not a lifestyle.
The Minimal Phone
[Photo: the Minimal Co.]
The Minimal Phone knows you love typing, but it also understands that your iPhone is an endless black hole of distraction. The solution? A full QWERTY keyboard and a proper E Ink screen, just like a Kindle.
Available for preorder, this $400 to $500 phone isn’t for scrolling through Instagram stories or cruising TikTok all day. It runs a custom version of Android that has an app store with only the essentials.
The physical keyboard and the black-and-white screen are brilliant psychological deterrents. The only thing you’ll be tempted to do is write an email or a very long text message. It’s a phone designed for anything but mindless consumption.
Wisephone II
[Photo: Wisephone]
Now for a twist. The $400 Wisephone II looks like a smartphone with a big, bright screen and a familiar rectangular shape. Oh, and its got a Samsung logo on the back, just like . . . wait a minute: This is a Samsung phone.
Its actually more than that. It runs on a deeply modified version of Android: no social media, no explicit content, and no web browser.
Its purpose is to handle calls, texts, photos, and apps that arent built to monetize your attention. Basically, a modern device without the digital baggage that comes with it.
Aside from the $400 price tag for the phone, youll need a Wisephone service plan (from $25 to $70 per month), or you can use your own plan and pay just $15 per month for the customized operating system, a curated list of apps, and software support.
For centuries, work has been more than a paycheckit’s been a space where people collaborate, forge meaningful bonds, and find belonging. Yet, in recent years, a major shift has left many feeling isolated despite being surrounded by colleagues, as the deep camaraderie once common in workplaces is fading.
Gallups research underscores this concerning trend: today, only 20% of U.S. employees report having a best friend at work. More troubling, just one in five actively nurtures these relationships, despite clear evidence that workplace friendships elevate commitment, performance, and personal well-being. This erosion of connection is not merely a social lossits a business challenge. Employees without strong friendships often feel less fulfilled, collaborate less effectively, and are far more likely to leave.
The impact of lost workplace friendships is often underestimatedespecially in discussions about employee turnover. While its commonly believed that people mostly quit jobs in response to poor managers, Oxford professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve has found that workers quit not because of leadership alone, but because they lack a sense of belonging with their teams. This reframes the issue: workplace friendships arent just about socializingtheyre critical for retention and sustainable business success.
The Great Resignation, where millions quit their jobs, directly highlights the impact of weakened workplace ties. Physical separation during the COVID-19 pandemic left employees feeling detached from their teammates, eroding the sense of community that once grounded them. While not the sole driver, the decline in deep workplace friendships significantly contributed to employees’ decisions to leave, underscoring friendship’s role in fostering loyalty, job satisfaction, and team stability.
Why Workplace Friendships Are Waning
Friendships dont just happenthey develop through shared experiences, casual conversations, and repeated interactions over time. But todays workplace dynamics make forming these bonds increasingly difficult.
The technology we rely upon to make communication speedier and efficient carries the downside of making interactions more transactional. Instead of stopping by a coworkers desk for a meaningful chat, we send impersonal texts, emails and Slack messages. Remote and hybrid work schedules compound the problem by removing everyday experiences that once sparked relationships: coffee breaks, lunches, and catching up with people before and after important meetings. We’re so accustomed to working independently, we even take Zoom meetings alone in our officesfully aware the people were meeting with sit right outside our door.
Beyond technology, workplaces increasingly emphasize individual performance over team achievementanother disincentive for employees to cultivate meaningful relationships. Its no wonder many of us feel less concerned about having superficial connection with the people we work with.
Profound Consequences
Gallups research consistently highlights the importance of friendship in the workplace, showing that employees with close bonds are 43% more committed and 27% more satisfied with their jobs. Work friendships also provide an essential support systemsomeone to celebrate wins with, joke with, vent to after tough experiences, and collaborate with in a way that makes work more enjoyable. Without these relationships, workplaces risk becoming isolating, uninspiring, and even less innovative.
Having true friendships at work not only improves mental health, it also enhances well-beinga critical driver of employee performance. Psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, who oversees the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the longest-running well-being study in American history, states, The clearest message we get from this 75-year study is this: good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.
Additionally, University of California, Riverside positive psychology researcher, Sonja Lyubomirsky, has found that even small points of connection throughout the day can increase happiness more than people realize. Having conversations with people makes us happy, Lyubomirsky says, reinforcing how simple social interactions with colleagues can improve mood, commitment, and overall workplace satisfaction. Further backing this idea, renowned psychologist, Ed Dieners research on happiness discovered that the most fulfilled individuals arent just successful in their careersthey are deeply social.
One more critical piece of confirmation, Deloittes 2020 research, shows a sense of belongingfeeling valued and included by ones boss and colleaguesis the top driver of employee well-being. Its because belonging fosters psychological safety, resilience and self-esteem, each of which are anchors to human flourishing.
How Leaders Can Rebuild Workplace Connection
To reverse this decline, leaders must recognize that workplace friendships are not inevitablethey require active nurturing. Creating a more connected workplace surely demands intentional efforts, but the benefits of building a truly cohesive team far outweigh the time and energy investment.
Leaders should prioritize building social spaces within work environments, whether thats through dedicated team-building activities or informal check-ins that encourage employees to engage with each other beyond their day-to-day tasks. For remote and hybrid teams, fostering connection means going beyond creating opportunities for virtual coffee chats, and adding team Slack channels centered around interests. Bringing people together for regularly scheduled in-person connection days remains essential.
Encouraging collaborative projects can also unite employees in a way that feels natural rather than forced. When colleagues work toward a shared goal, friendships develop organically. Rotating people into different collaborative teams will also ensure closer relationships are built more widely.
Finally, leaders must acknowledge that workplace friendships arent distractions or nice-to-havestheyre assets. Creating a culture where connection is valued doesnt just improve employee moraleit strengthens retention, creativity, and performance. By fostering friendships, leaders dont just build better teams; they create desirable workplaces.
The lifeblood of thriving teams
Workplace friendships that weave resilience and joy into the fabric of our daily work are the lifeblood of thriving teams and organizations. Leaders who champion these bonds will naturally create environments where well-being flourishes, and their teams full potential can be unlocked.
Perhaps, fostering stronger relationships at work might also produce a ripple effect that extends empathy and unity ino society overall. As Nelson Mandela envisioned, A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.
Inc.com columnist Alison Green answers questions about workplace and management issueseverything from how to deal with a micromanaging boss to how to talk to someone on your team about body odor.
A reader asks:
I recently hired a new administrative employee. His job is to answer phones, greet guests, and complete various tasks I assign to him. His customer service skills are strong, but his attention to detail is very weak. I have given him a lot of feedback and training, but he continues to make basic mistakes and misses almost every deadline I give him.
But he is constantly telling me how great a job he’s doing. He routinely tells me things like, “You are going to be so happy when I show you what I’ve done for you!” or “You are going to love meI am making your life so much easier!” and then hands me a report that I have to spend a half-hour correcting. Yesterday, I told him to follow up with me when he completes tasks because I would rather he proactively inform me than wait for me to ask. His response: “As you know, I always complete tasks immediately [this is untrue] but I didn’t know you needed me to remind you of that. No problem at all!”
This behavior is really grating on me. His work product hasn’t improved and I’m starting to feel like he’s trying to manipulate me into not giving him corrections. I’m starting to struggle giving him feedback because I feel like he ignores me and I’m letting that affect my interactions with him.
Have I already arrived at the “this needs to improve or else” conversation? He started just two months ago. I want to give him time to learn and grow, but my patience is zapped.
Green responds:
Im sorry, I laughed out loud at “As you know, I always complete tasks immediately [this is untrue].
You do need to have the “this needs to improve or else conversation. Youve given him very basic feedback over and over, hes not improving, and he misses almost every deadline you give him.
His overhyping of his own work makes this more concerning. If you could see that he was taking your feedback seriously, he understood that his work isn’t where it needs to be, and he was working hard to incorporate your feedback, Id say sure, give him some time to work on mastering the job. But when hes ignoring your feedback and telling you his work is superb when youve clearly told him its not, thats a serious problem, and not the sort that time usually helps with.
However! Theres potentially some room for hope if you havent been completely clear with him. When youve given him feedback and talked about mistakes, have you been clear that the work isnt at the level you need and that the pattern of mistakes is serious? And when he misses deadlines, have you told him clearly that it cant keep happening? (For example: This was due yesterdaywhat happened? Followed by, Its really important that you turn in work by the agreed-upon deadline or tell me ahead of time if youre worried about your ability to do that.) If you havent done those things, its possible that this could turn this around.
A lot of managers in your situation think, But I shouldnt need to do that! He should know that missing a deadline is a big deal, and that he needs to take feedback seriously. And indeed, he should. But many employees miss the cues that managers think are obviousand when youre frustrated with someone, the first step is to make sure that youve been really clear about the expectations you need them to meet. (In fact, whenever you’re feeling frustrated with an employee, that’s a flag to check how clear you’ve been.)
If youve done those things and this is still happening, then yes, its time for a serious conversation where you explain you cant keep him in the job if you dont see significant improvement on these fronts quickly.
Interestingly, I think you can do all of this without directly addressing the Im amazing comments. By addressing the crux of the problemhis work is not what you need it to behell probably get the message that his self-hype isnt in line with the reality. If he doesnt, that’s not a great sign about how well he’s processing your message.
That said, if you want to address it, you can! You could say, I was surprised to hear you say you always complete tasks immediately when Ive shared my concern about a number of missed deadlines recently. Or you can take the hype as statements of his intentions rather than what hes actually done. For example, with his “I am making your life so much easier! comment, you could refer back to that later with something like, I know you want to make my life easier and I appreciate thatthats what I want from your role as well. When you give me a report with errors that I have to spend half an hour correcting, thats not happening. I need you to double-check your work before it comes to me so that youre spotting and correcting your own errors and I dont need to fix anything when it comes my way.
But I think if you keep the focus on the gap between the work hes producing and the work you needand just consider the self-hype a strange and even amusing eccentricityyoull figure out pretty quickly if he can succeed in the job or not, and thats what really matters.
Want to submit a question of your own? Send it to alison@askamanager.org.
By Alison Green
This article originally appeared on Fast Companys sister site, Inc.
Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy.
