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The Tesla Cybertruck is the new Ford Edsel, taking the crown from one of the biggest flops in American car history. Last year, the Cybertruck spiraled into market irrelevance while the rest of the EV market found its footing, as the pickup experienced the single biggest sales collapse of any electric vehicle in the United States. Elon Musks flailing company managed to move only an estimated 20,237 Cybertrucks in 2025. And thats counting the units that Musk reportedly bought for himself through SpaceX and xAI to avoid further ridicule. He had his private companies buy hundreds if not thousands of Cybertrucks, wrote Fred Lambert at EV blog Electrek. Thats an eye-popping 48.1% crash from the 39,000 units sold in 2024. Elon, seriously, stop this embarrassment and kill this polygonal joke already. I laughed at first but now its painful to watch. To understand the magnitude of this failure, the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightningan EV pickup so unsuccessful that Ford officially ended its production in December 2025 to pivot to a new hybrid modelstill managed to humiliate Tesla from the grave. Ford sold 27,307 Lightnings in 2025, making it the best-selling EV pickup truck in America. Both companies tried to buy their way out of trouble with heavy discounts and 0% financing offers. But while aggressive incentives helped Ford clear inventory and post growth, the same tactics failed to save the apocalypse-proof” pickup from becoming a sales armageddon. Think about that for a minute: A discontinued EV truck outsold the Tesla truck by nearly 7,000 units and got canceled. Come the truck on. I already called the Cybertruck a flop, but the final sales tally is even worse than I imagined. Its officially the biggest flop in decades, according to Forbes. This is especially humiliating when Musk overpromised sales of 250,000 Cybertrucks annually by 2025. Tesla reached barely 8% of that target. Cybertrucks at a Tesla dealership in October 2025 [Photo: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images] Plenty of reasons for failure The reason for the Cybertruck’s collapse isn’t a mystery. Its not the EV slump. It’s the inevitable result of shipping a beta product to customers as a finished vehicle, a design failure since its inception. The truck isn’t just ugly, its fundamentally broken. In 2025 alone, Tesla issued recalls covering a combined 115,912 Cybertrucksmore than double the number of recalls in 2024. That averages out to 318 recalls per day. We are not talking about inconsequential software updates. These were dangerous, amateur-hour defects. The largest recall campaign involved 46,096 trucks that risked shedding their stainless-steel exterior trim while driving, turning the vehicle into a shrapnel grenade on the highway. Another 6,000 trucks were recalled because their optional light bars were attached with the wrong primer and could simply fall off. This follows a chronicle of disasters documented since Musk shattered the unshatterable pickups glass. Weve seen the “stuck pedal” trap that locked accelerators at full throttle, critical system failures where owners drove a mere mile off the lot before the truck died with a “red screen of death,” losing steering and braking redundancy, and misaligned doors and uneven surfaces that Musk himself admitted in leaked emails stuck out like a sore thumb. That’s just a selection of this disaster on wheels. As Adrian Clarkea professional car designer who now writes design critiques for the automobile publication The Autopiantold me when it was about to come out the factory line: The Cybertruck is a low-polygon joke that only exists in the fever dreams of Tesla fans that stands high on the smell of Elon Musks flatulences. Back then, Clarke also called out the terrible design choices that were going to lead to the bevy of manufacturing and quality problems, all part of the design and brand crisis that Tesla has been experiencing since 2023. Bu there’s a third component that completes the Cybertruck’s failure trifecta: Musk’s former bromance with Donald Trump and his DOGE antics. Turns out not all press is good press, as these moves killed the Tesla brand perhaps more than the model stagnation, deadly car accidents, and mechanical failures. Musks political radicalization led many of Teslas existing customers to regret their purchases and potential clients to avoid them, both in the U.S. and abroad. As dealerships got torched and cars vandalized, the Cybertruck arguably became “America’s most hated car. The 2025 sales figures just confirm what we have known for more than two years now. The Cybertruck is not the disruptor Musk sold to the world and Tesla shareholders. It is a finger-chopping brick that depreciates faster than used bridal dresses. An ugly failure that is doing nothing but draining resources and further damaging the brand’s reputation (if it still has one). Its time to bury what’s already dead, Elon. The experiment is over. Sink this polygonal mess deep underground, along with all your failed promises, and call it a day.
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E-Commerce
A few years ago, I discovered a tomato sauce recipe that was surprisingly simple: just canned tomatoes, butter, salt, and an onion. It inspired me to experiment, adding this and that each time to see how the flavor changed. Today, Id call myself an amateur sauce expert. I know exactly how long it needs to simmer, what shade of red signals its ready, and how to improvise with whatevers in the fridge. As my kitchen exploits remind me, experimentation is part of learning. It wouldnt be the same if Id just asked ChatGPT how to make sauce each time. Id be outsourcing my culinary creativity and losing the teachable moments that come from trial and error. As New Yorker writer Joshua Rothman observed, [I]ts becoming clear that artificial intelligence can relieve us of the burden of trying and trying again. A.I. systems make it trivially easy to take an existing thing and ask for a new iteration. AI can boost creative thinkingor eliminate it entirely. As the CEO of a company built on automation, Ive found that the key is to treat AI as a creative collaborator, not a replacement. Here are a few rules of thumb for striking the right balance. 1. Use AI for idea generationnot final decisions When generative AI became widely available, a lot of hype swirled around its implications. Professionals, from knowledge workers to authors and beyond, feared that AI would take their jobs. AI seemed destined to keep improving, outpacing the skills and intelligence of its human counterparts. More recently, the technologys limits have become more apparent. While AI tools remain powerful workplace tools, their progress is unlikely to be endlessly exponential. As Cal Newport notes, critics argue that the technology is important but not poised to radically transform our lives; it may not get dramatically better than it is today. AI wont write the next great novel or compose symphonies to rival Bach. But it is an excellent brainstorming partner. Wharton professor Christian Terwiesch, who tested ChatGPTs idea generation against college students, explained: Its cheap. Its fast. Its good. Whats not to be liked? Worst case is you reject all of the ideas and run with your own. But our research speaks strongly to the fact that your idea pool will get better. Let AI tools like ChatGPT help you generate more, better ideas. Start with your own thoughts, and use AI to generate alternatives. Then, apply your own human judgment to refine and select the best path forward. Treat prompts like a conversation, not a command One of the strengths of generative AI tools like ChatGPT is their conversational nature. Think of your first prompt as an icebreakerits just there to get the dialogue started. While I recommend being as specific as possible, that is, giving the tool enough context to generate strong, accurate replies, you can always refine as you go. To offer a visual, imagine your dialogue with AI as a funnel: wide at the top and narrowing as you move toward the bottom. You might start by asking ChatGPT to generate ideas for a marketing campaign. Once it produces a list, ask it to refine those ideas for a specific target audiencesay, tech entrepreneurs in their 20s to 40s, or suburban parents. Keep iterating until you land on the output that works best for you. Create space for experimentation Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it certainly wont kill your company. In fact, a healthy sense of curiosity among employees will strengthen it. Research-backed benefits include boosted innovation, reduced group conflict, fewer decision-making errors, and improved communication. While leaders often claim to value curiosity, they tend to stifle it, preferring that employees stay within the lines. Instead, leaders should give employees the freedom to explore. Build enough slack into their schedules so they can test and tinker with AI tools without the pressure to prove immediate ROI. Lead by example: Share your own experimentswhether its trying a new AI feature or recounting an automation gone awry. Getting it wrong can be valuable, too. Ask for employee feedback to uncover what theyre curious about: new systems or tools theyd like to try, or better ways the company could operate. It might feel inefficient, like a misuse of employee time and effort, but in the AI era, staying competitive depends on curiosity and experimentation. Like a chef giving their team full access to the kitchen, leaders must create workplaces where both creativity and experimentation can thrive.
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E-Commerce
As we move into 2026, it’s time to examine the subtle behaviors that undermine our professional impact. As someone who works with mid- to senior-level leaders, I see and hear the ways in which communication behaviors and patterns get in their way. Small changes can create influential outcomes! Here are three critical habits to eliminate if you want to project true confidence and gravitas. Breaking these three habits isn’t about becoming someone you’re notit’s about removing the barriers between your capabilities and how others perceive them. True executive presence combines confident delivery with substantive content, and that starts with eliminating the small behaviors that undermine your authority. 1. Using Passive and Tentative Language The Habit: Softening your statements with phrases like “I think maybe we could consider . . .” or “The report was completed by the team” instead of owning your ideas and actions. Why It Matters: Tentative language signals uncertainty, even when you’re confident in your position. Passive voice distances you from your accomplishments and makes your contributions invisible. Break It: Replace hedging language with direct statements. Say “I recommend this strategy” instead of “I think this could work.” Use active voice: “I led the initiative” rather than “The initiative was led.” This shift isn’t about arroganceit’s about clarity and ownership. 2. Relying on Verbal Fillers and Rushed Responses The Habit: Punctuating your speech with “uh,” “um,” “like,” and “you know,” or immediately jumping to answer questions without pausing to think. Why It Matters: Verbal fillers make you appear unprepared or nervous, undermining your credibility. Rushing to respond can make you seem reactive rather than thoughtful, and it robs you of the power that silence provides. Break It: Practice embracing pauses. When asked a question, take a breath before respondingthis demonstrates that you’re considering the question seriously. During presentations, pause after making an important point. That brief silence creates emphasis and gives your audience time to absorb what you’ve said. The discomfort you feel in silence is temporary; the authority you project is lasting. 3. Neglecting Nonverbal Communication The Habit: Being unaware of how you enter spaces, sit, stand, gesture, or control your facial expressionsessentially letting your body language happen unconsciously. Why It Matters: Your body speaks before you do. How you walk into a room, whether you slouch in your chair, fidget during difficult conversations, or fail to make appropriate eye contact all send powerful messages about your confidence and composure. You can have brilliant ideas, but if your nonverbal cues signal discomfort or uncertainty, your message loses impact. Break It: Become intentional about your physical presence. Notice how you enter meetingswalk with purpose, not hurried but not hesitant. Pay attention to your posture when sitting or standing; it should convey engagement and authority. Use gestures deliberately to reinforce your message rather than as nervous habits. Master your facial expressions so they remain appropriate and controlled even under pressure. Practice using space confidently, whether at a conference table or presenting to a group. The Path Forward Executive presence develops continuously throughout your career. Each email you send, every videoconference you lead, and all the presentations you deliver are opportunities to practice these principles. Focus on crafting messages that are organized, clear, concise, audience-centered, and compelling. Master your vocal deliverytone, volume, pitch, articulation, and pacing all add meaning to your words. Remember: confidence can be quiet. It’s not about being the loudest voice in the room, but about projecting self-assurance, composure, and poise. Gravitas comes from conveying dignity and substance, not from dominating every conversation. As you break these three habits in 2026, you’ll find that your voice carries more weight, your ideas gain traction more easily, and your leadership presence strengthens naturally. The goal isn’t perfectionit’s progress toward communicating with the clarity and conviction that marks an effective leader.
Category:
E-Commerce
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