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Teslas new Supercharger station, which opened on July 21, is nothing like your average stop for gas. The station doubles as a Tesla-branded retro-futuristic dinerand it looks like an ’80s sci-fi movie set crashed in the middle of downtown Los Angeles. The Tesla Diner, which boasts 80 v4 Supercharger stalls alongside a full menu of greasy finger foods, feels like a jarringly fanciful detour for the brand amidst a year thats been anything but upbeat. As Elon Musks prolonged feud with President Donald Trump rages on, Tesla has suffered a constant rollercoaster of stock price slumps, protests, and poor delivery numbers (overall, the number of cars Tesla delivered in April, May, and June this year was down 13% from the year before). Investors are currently waiting with bated breath for Teslas second-quarter earnings report, which is due today. For Tesla, the new diner has actually been at least seven years in the making (Elon Musk first teased the concept in 2018). And, while it may seem like it came out of the blue, it shows that the branded diner is officially having a moment. Over the past few years, companies across a diverse range of brand categories have turned to the pop-up diner format as a kind of set piece to offer customers an immersive brand experience. Here are a few. [Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images] The branded diner phenomenon: part event, part signifier As companies clamor for visibility in an increasingly crowded advertising environment, the lifestyle brand has become a buzzword that companies aspire toand the branded diner can be understood as a physical embodiment of that trend. Lifestyle branding expands a consumer’s brand association beyond a specific core product to a way of living, based on a brand’s values. Brands might achieve this through additional elements like merch (see Erewhons $335 monochromatic sweatsuit), events and activations (see Sweetgreens Sweetlife music festival), and celebrity-backed launches (see DJ Mustard’s recent collab with Heinz), and even in-house coffee shops. Now, several companies have found that the diner pop-up is the perfect venue to act as a brand signifier, because it puts the brand’s values and aesthetics on a public stage. These kinds of activations, which don’t necessarily push a particular product, also build brand affinity, or positive brand association, with consumers. And that’s something Tesla is in dire need of. Lil Nas X at the Chanel Lucky Chance Diner in 2023 [Photo: Sean Zanni/WireImage/Getty Images] How Chanel, Jellycat, and Skims put diners on the menu In August 2023, Chanel debuted a branded diner, bringing the fashion houses distinct flavor of old money luxury to a ’50s-esque pop-up in New York City decked out in pastel greens and pinks. That same fall, a distinctly different brandJellycat, the purveyor of overpriced-yet-unavoidable stuffed animalsalso brought a branded diner to NYC, centered around the whimsical, innocent world of its fake food plushies. The experience has since taken off to such an extent that Jellycat has opened new locations in London, Paris, and Shanghai, as well as launching an updated breakfast menu at the NYC flagship. [Photo: Ryan Gregory/Motion Bazaar/Kellenova] Other brands have similarly turned their diners into an exclusive experience, including Mattels Barbie, which served Barbie-inspired food and drinks at two Malibu Barbie Cafe pop-ups in NYC and Chicago; Cheez-It, which served up childhood nostalgia alongside Cheez-It milkshakes at its ’70s-inspired joint; and Skims, which took over West Hollywoods Mels Drive-In with a specially curated menu. The branded diner formula seems to follow a few simple rules: Creating a space that feels like another dimension, dropping hints at obscure brand lore, and giving visitors access to products they can’t find anywhere else. Each step is in service of driving press and publicity, which, in turn, helps to boost brand reputation and sales. [Photo: I RYU/VCG/Getty Images] The Tesla Diner serves up cyborg fare and futuristic vibes Teslas diner follows that playbook, turning the EV makers recognizably futuristic branding into an experience that customers can literally see, touch, and eat. Outside, the buildings curved silver facade is accented with a round entryway and elliptical windows, and inside, its decked out with booth seating fit for a spacecraft. Visitors can grab a burger in a box shaped like a Cybertruck, watch movie clips at a giant drive-in, and munch on popcorn served by an Optimus robot. One subtle interior design detail you might miss is a low-contrast wall decal that describes the Tesla mission as “accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy.” The mission-as-mural is notable, considering Musk’s recent spat with Trump on the termination of EV tax credits as part of the administration’s budget reconciliation bill, which passed in July. The bill repealed tax credits for things like clean energy, solar panels, and heat pumps, and terminated the popular EV credit, which will now end after September 30 of this year. [Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images] A Tesla brand activation first The diner is the first brand activation of its kind for Tesla, which has historically relied on nontraditional advertising like word-of-mouth endorsements and Twitter promotion from Musk himself. Given that Musk has arguably lost a fair chunk of his credibility with buyers and investors this year, it’s probably a smart move for the brand to turn its attention toward more conventional channels for the time being. The otherworldly Tesla Diner experience certainly isnt the future of EV charging stations, given that the amount of investment and construction time required would make rapid roll out impossible. However, it might be a way to drum up some more positive brand sentiment during a decidedly gloomy year. The Tesla Diner isn’t going to unscrew the brand (as Fast Company so succinctly put it) eitherbut we have to admit, this might be the best thing its done all year.
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E-Commerce
We still use industrial-age language to describe work: running like clockwork, tightening bolts, and burning the midnight oil. Those phrases made sense when productivity meant turning raw material into widgets. But in an era of climate disruption, AI acceleration, and record-high burnout, a purely mechanical model cant keep up. It drives us to measure hours instead of impact and speed instead of sustainability. Today, with artificial intelligence reshaping knowledge work and climate urgency redefining corporate responsibility, its time for a new vision of productivityone centered on human and planetary flourishing, not just output. The next evolution of work demands a shift from efficiency to emergence, from silos to systems, and from time-tracking to meaning-making. From Machines to Living Systems The metaphors we use drive the systems we design. Treat an organization like a machine and youll optimize for speed, control, and predictable outputs. Treat it like a living systemdynamic, interdependent, and regenerativeand a different design logic emerges. Heres what changes when we swap gears for genes: Sense-and-respond edges. Like cell membranes, customer-facing teams become sensors that provide real-time insights back to the core, allowing the entire organization to adapt quickly. Organizational metabolism. Energy (attention, data, and trust) is metabolized into creativity, innovation, and renewal, not just raw output. Cultural homeostasis. Healthy feedback loops foster psychological safety and inclusion, ensuring the system remains vibrant even as external conditions change. Seeing companies this way frees leaders from predicting the future; instead, they cultivate conditions in which emergent intelligence can thrive. Measuring Vitality, Not Just Time The hours worked show little correlation with the value created. What matters is employee vitality, the degree to which people feel rested, connected, and empowered to take risks and experiment. Global four-day-week pilots demonstrate the benefits: burnout dropped by 71%, stress decreased by 39%, carbon emissions are noticeably lower, and retention is markedly higher. Microsoft Japans Work-Life Choice Challenge, a four-day workweek pilot, proves this point. By closing offices every Friday (while maintaining pay), sales per employee increased by roughly 40%, energy use decreased by 23%, and printing costs dropped by 60%. The gains werent the result of heroic hustle; they were the fruit of redesigning the system itself. Letting AI Amplify Humanity AI can be the scaffolding for a more human-centric enterprise. Routine analysis that once devoured strategic attention now finishes in minutes. In my advisory work, I have seen leadership teams channel the freed-up bandwidth into scenario building, story crafting, and high-trust stakeholder dialogues. McKinsey estimates that generative AI could lift labor productivity growth by up to 3.4 percentage points per year through 2040. Those gains appear only when roles are deliberately reinvented, not merely automated. This isnt AI versus humans; its AI with humans. From Linear Growth to Regenerative GROWTH If the industrial era taught us to measure work in widgets and hours, the new era demands a more integrated lens, one that blends systems thinking, emotional intelligence, and regenerative design. To translate organism thinking into everyday practice, we developed the GROWTH frameworka six-step shift from extractive output to regenerative impact: G Generate New Metaphors: Swap factory for forest, and assembly line for ecosystem. Fresh language surfaces hidden assumptions and fresh design options. R Reimagine Human Roles: Let AI handle the rote tasks so people can focus on curiosity, synthesis, and relationship-building. O Optimize for Human Vitality: Prioritize rest, autonomy, and connection; vital people compound long-term value. W Work in Ecosystems: Replace silos with cross-functional guilds that share data, talent, and learning loops. Complexity is tamed through connection. T Track Whole Metrics: Pair profit with carbon avoided, bias reduced, and ideas shipped. What gets measured gets improved. H Harvest Regeneration: Design projects that return energy to the systememployee upskilling, circular supply chains, and community partnerships. Questions to Spark the Shift Changing how we think about productivity begins with changing our questions. Use the prompts below in leadership sessions, strategy retreats, or team huddles to surface hidden assumptions and align around a more human-centered, system-aware approach to work. Which metaphors dominate our language today, and what behaviors do they reinforce? Where could AI relieve cognitive or emotional load so humans can do higher-order work? What value are we creating that isnt yet on a scorecardculture, climate, social trust? If we trimmed hours by 10%, where would vitality and innovation likely rise? What small regenerative habitrepair, reuse, reflective pausecould we start this quarter? We stand at a crossroads. We can cling to mechanical models that view people as cogs and growth as linear output, or we can adopt a living-systems mindset where vitality, adaptability, and shared purpose define productivity. Redesigned productivity isnt about working less; its about working more wisely. The future wont be built by those who clock the longest hours. It will be built by those who design the richest conditions for creativity, connection, and contribution. The machine age is ending; the living-system era has begun. Lets grow accordingly.
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E-Commerce
When Microsoft announced that it would start evaluating employees on their AI usage, it sent a clear message: AI fluency is now part of the job. Business Insider recently reported that Microsoft was asking managers to track employee engagement with internal AI tools like Copilot and consider that usage in performance reviews. This signals that AI skills are becoming as measurable as teamwork or communication. AI is no longer optional in white-collar jobs. It now ranks alongside email, video calls, and spreadsheets as a workplace essential. However, unlike those tools, AI continues to occupy uncharted territory. Theres no standard for how to use it, no shared definition of what good looks like, and no clear line between acceptable and risky behavior. The technology is also evolving faster than most companies can keep up with. Many employers are encouraging or requiring the use of AI without offering the training or oversight to match. That mismatch is creating more than confusion. Its leading to misuse, uneven evaluations, and pressure on employees to guess their way through a system that doesnt even exist yet. Microsofts decision carries weight. When one of the worlds most powerful tech companies sets a precedent, others are likely to follow. But if companies adopt similar policies without fixing the missing guardrails, it can lead to misalignment and dysfunction. The consequences of throwing employees into the AI deep end Pushing AI adoption is smart, but leaving employees to figure it out alone isnt. Companies are asking workers to operate fast-changing, complex tools with little support. The results are messy. Many Gen Z professionals are already improvising in the absence of clear guidance. In a recent Resume Genius survey, 39% of Gen Z workers said theyve automated tasks without their managers approval. Another 28% admitted to submitting AI-generated work without disclosure. Nearly a third used AI in ways that might violate company policy, and 23% reported that using AI at work negatively affected their mental health. That pattern isnt just limited to Gen Z. A 2025 KPMG study of 48,000 workers across 47 countries found that 57% are hiding their AI use from managers. Most havent received formal training. Two-thirds dont verify AI outputs for accuracy, and more than half have already made AI-related mistakes on the job. Together, these findings point to workplaces where AI use is rising fast. But employees are making up the rules as they go, often under pressure and without a clear sense of whats safe, ethical, or expected. This kind of uncertainty isnt sustainable, especially as job expectations involve the use of AI. Requiring AI without structure is like handing out calculators in math class without ever teaching equations. Sure, the tools are powerful, but if you want good outcomes out of those tools, you need to teach people how to use them properly. Productivity is improving, but at what cost? AI can boost performance. That much is clear. A 2025 Harvard Business Review study found that generative AI improves both productivity and creativity. But it also uncovered a troubling side effect: employees felt less motivated and more disengaged when they used AI to complete tasks they once took pride in doing themselves. And burnout is rising. According to a July 2025 Upwork survey, employees who report the highest productivity gains from AI are also the most burned out. 88% of top AI users say theyre experiencing burnout, and theyre twice as likely to consider quitting compared to less productive peers. Many also feel disconnected from their companys AI strategy, with 62% reporting that they dont understand how their use of AI aligns with broader goals. It seems that the more AI increases productivity, the more it drains the people who use it. What happens when the rules are missing Right now, AI use at work is both essential and undefined. This creates three major risks for companies: Compliance breakdowns: Without clear policies, employees may expose sensitive data, rely on flawed outputs, or use AI in ways that open the door to legal risks. Subjective reviews: When using AI effectively becomes part of evaluations, but no standards exist, employees may be graded on personal bias instead of actual performance. Erosion of trust: Workers are left wondering whats okay and what isnt. Managers dont always know either. This results in second-guessing on all sides, which isnt ideal for anyone. What businesses need to do when it comes to AI The companies that thrive in this new era wont be the ones that push AI the fastest. Theyll be the ones that do three things well: Set clear policies: Define what responsible AI use looks like in your workplace. Spell out what your companies encourage, what you restrict, and where to ask for help. Offer practical, task-based training: Skip the generic webinars. Teach employees how to apply AI to their actual work, whether thats drafting policy language, summarizing customer feedback, or automating reports. Build real-time feedback loops: Hold regular check-ins to ask: Whats working? Whats unclear? What needs to evolve? AI is moving fast. Policies need to move with it. If AI is now part of the job, it needs its own set of guidelines. The companies that succeed wont be the ones who adopt it fastest, but the ones who build the right foundation and teach people how to use it well. Microsoft started the conversation. Now the rest of us need to define what responsible AI adoption looks like and put it into practice.
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E-Commerce
Since the start of his second presidential term, Donald Trump has hampered the development of new clean energy projects and at the same time pushed to revive the coal industry. Its a move energy experts have said doesnt make sense for the climate or the countrys economy. A new report by the the International Renewable Energy Agency (IREA) adds even more evidence to that argument: renewables continue to prove themselves as the most cost-competitive source of new electricity generation, the report reads; 91% of the renewable projects commissioned worldwide in 2024 delivered power at a cheaper cost than new fossil fuels. Electricity generated from solar power is now 41% cheaper than the cheapest fossil fuel alternative, and onshore wind is 53% cheaper. In 2024, renewables helped avoid $467 billion in fossil fuel costs. The IREA report coincides with a report from the United Nations that highlights the economic imperative and opportunity for transitioning to clean energy. Renewables are cheaper even as governments continue to subsidize fossil fuels: In 2023, governments spent $620 billion subsidizing fossil fuel consumption, compared to $70 billion for clean energy investments. (That $70 billion includes grants and rebates for EVs, heat pumps, and other efficiency improvements, which were a cornerstone of the Inflation Reduction Act.) Countries that cling to fossil fuels are not protecting their economiesthey are sabotaging them, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a speech Tuesday, pointing to both reports. Driving up costs. Undermining competitiveness. Locking in stranded assets. And missing the greatest economic opportunity of the 21st century. How the Trump administration pushes for more fossil fuels Just hours into his second term, Trump made the United States one of those countries, signing an executive order declaring an energy emergency, citing a need to boost fossil fuel production. (Energy experts, however, have said there is no such crisis, and that ramping up fossil fuels while curtailing renewables like wind will actually hurt America’s energy landscape.) In February, another executive order created a National Energy Dominance Council led by fossil fuel allies. In March, he issued an executive order to increase mining on public lands. And in April, Trump signed four executive orders to revive coal specificallyan industry that has long been in decline, with coal plants closing across the U.S. because they are no longer profitable. Those orders opened up new mining leases, loosened coal plant emission standards, and included the option for the Department of Energy to reopen shuttered coal plants, or force coal plants that were going to close to keep operating. Trump has also sped up the permitting process for fossil fuels, taking it from years to just days. Just recently, in July, Trump granted two years of regulatory relief to coal plants, as well as chemical manufacturers and other big polluters, allowing them to comply with previous Environmental Protection Agency standards from before the Biden administration. Coal plants can also delay efforts to clean up coal ash, which contains toxic metals like lead and mercury. Trump had already exempted dozens of coal plants from air pollution rules as well. Trump has repeatedly said his support of coal and other fossil fuels is a way to strengthen the reliability and security of the countrys energy grid. But experts have said those moves will actually increase utility costs for Americans, and that fossil fuels are actually less reliable and more vulnerable to market disruptions. Oil and gas prices are set globally and so can be influenced by geopolitical turmoil, like when Russia invaded Ukraine and oil and gas prices soared. In contrast, renewables are here to stay because they are the foundation of energy security and sovereignty, Guterres said. Lets be clear: The greatest threat to energy security today is in fossil fuels.
Category:
E-Commerce
Just like the dodo and passenger pigeon before it, the affordable new car is about to go extinct as a species. The last new Mitsubishi Mirage model is expected to be sold by the end of this summerand after that, there will be no new cars available for sale in the U.S. for less than $20,000. The Mirage is a fuel-efficient compact hatchback, and until it sells out, it is the cheapest new car on the market. In June it sold for an average transaction price of $18,484. [Photo: Mitsubishi] The Mirage was able to stay so cheap by offering the bare minimum. It’s tiny. And while it has now-standard features like a touchscreen and rearview camera system, it doesn’t have much else. In Car and Drivers review of the final 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage G4, the publication gave the car a 3/10 rating, noting that it was cheap to buy but cheaply made, with a puny engine and drab driving demeanor. “Cheap? Yes. Cheerful? Not so much,” it said. This is a car that gets you from point A to point B. If you want to get there quickly, that’s extra. You get what you pay for. [Photo: Mitsubishi] Mitsubishi said last year that it was ending production of the Mirage, and now there are only some 1,700 left, according to data from the car-services firm Cox Automotive. Based on the current sales pace, the firm predicts the last Mirage will be sold by summer’s end. Buyers looking for the cheapest new car will then have to turn to the 2025 Nissan Versa S ($20,130) or 2025 Hyundai Venue SE ($21,695), per Cars.com. Inflation since the pandemic has hit the automotive industry especially hard, with the average transaction price for a new vehicle rising from about $40,000 in 2020 to nearly $49,000 in 2025, per Kelley Blue Book data. Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have led to increased production costs, and while major automakers have yet to announce consumer-side price increases in response to new import duties, Doug Ostermann, CFO of Stellantis, said during a call on July 21 that he believes we’re coming to the end of that period.” While the Mirage is no-frills, it offered buyers an ultracheap option for when cost was the most important decision-making factor. Without it, the average price of new cars will only continue to climb.
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E-Commerce
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