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In 2008, we published the first listing on a bare-bones website called RunMyErrand.com: a single task, posted by someone who needed help, to be completed by an individual who had opted into making their time and abilities available. At the time, it was an untested idea, launched in the midst of the worst financial downturn in a generation, and there was no established language for what we were building. The term gig economy did not yet exist, and there was no widely accepted model for how a person in need might hire a stranger through a digital marketplace to complete a unit of work. This was before Uber, Instacart, and Postmates, and before on-demand labor became a familiar part of daily life. Smartphones were still early in their evolution, and engineers like me were only beginning to understand how mobile computing, location data, and social connection might combine to enable an entirely new economic behavior. We believed we were building a simple errand marketplace, but quickly realized this heralded a broader transition toward making these transactions of time and labor widely accessible. What we did not yet realize was that we were participating in a broader societal shift that would fundamentally change how people thought about work, income, and employment. Looking back, it is now clear that this period marked the beginning of a structural transformation in the labor market. Platforms like TaskRabbit helped make flexible, on-demand work visible, available, and scalable, while also enabling new ways for individuals to participate in the economy outside of traditional full-time employment. Over time, these models contributed to the rise of portfolio careers and multiple income streams, blurring the boundary between salaried work and independent labor in ways that have since become normalized. A New Inflection Point for Work We are now standing at another inflection point, but the nature of this shift is different. While the gig economy reshaped how work is distributed and compensated, AI is reshaping what kind of work is valued in the first place. For decades, jobs have been defined by discrete, specialized skills. Writing, coding, financial analysis, forecasting, and operational planning formed the foundation of most knowledge work, and expertise in these domains served as a proxy for value. Credentials, degrees, and job descriptions reinforced the idea that professional worth was tied to the ability to execute specific tasks accurately and efficiently. AI disrupts this model at a fundamental level. Many of the activities that once signaled expertise are rapidly becoming baseline capabilities, available to anyone with access to the same tools. Writing, coding, and analysis can now be generated, refined, and scaled with unprecedented speed, flattening the value of execution itself. Historically, technological change has displaced physical or repetitive labor, often eliminating some jobs while creating others. What distinguishes this moment is that AI does not merely automate tasks at the edges of knowledge work; it challenges the central premise that skills alone are a measurable advantage and worthwhile barometer for potential success. From Skills to Creativity As execution becomes commoditized, the next era of work will reward what these systems cannot replicate. Creativity, interpretation, and cross-disciplinary imagination are becoming increasingly valuable because they shape how judgement is made, not just how efficiently tasks are completed. What matters now is not simply the ability to produce outputs, but the ability to frame problems, apply taste and novel ideas, and connect the dots across domains. Taste and interpretation take on new economic significance, along with making sense of complexity and possible decisions amid overwhelming choice. As an investor, I have observed that many of the strongest founders operating today do not fit neatly into traditional categories of specialization. They tend to be hybrids who combine technical fluency with creative or human-centered disciplines, allowing them to reframe problems in ways that are difficult to replicate. These individuals are able to step outside established assumptions and articulate solutions that feel both novel and coherent. My own background reflects this hybrid approach. I studied math and computer science, but I also minored in dance, and I attended a small liberal arts college that emphasized interdisciplinary thinking and communication across domains. At the time, this path did not resemble the conventional trajectory of an engineer, but it proved formative in shaping how I approached building a company during a period of severe constraint and uncertainty. Constraint as a Creative Advantage TaskRabbit was built between 2008 and 2010, when venture capital was scarce and consumer trust was fragile. Operating under these conditions forced clarity about priorities and sharpened our focus on what truly mattered. While the technological landscape has changed dramatically since then, the underlying lesson remains relevant. Constraint can be a powerful catalyst for creativity, particularly in an environment where new tools make it tempting to pursue too many directions at once. Today, AI enables teams to experiment rapidly and produce a wide range of outputs with minimal friction. That abundance can be useful, but it can also dilute focus. Many organizations struggle not because they lack ideas or capabilities, but because they attempt to do too much at once. In contrast, the leaders most likely to succeed in this era will be those who can identify the few connections that matter and build with intention rather than breadth. Five Principles for the AI Era If I were starting over today, I would focus less on mastering skills and tools, and more on cultivating the capabilities for applied creativity: Study outside your lane. Perspective is built by crossing disciplines, not by staying within them. Insight often emerges from unexpected combinations rather than deeper specialization alone. Develop taste. AI can generate infinite viable options. The ability to discern what is meaningful, coherent, or worth pursuing is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable. Learn to ask better questions. The framing of a problem now matters more than the speed at which an answer can be produced. Clear questions shape better outcomes. Build with what you have. Constraint forces focus and intention. Limited resources can sharpen creativity rather than hinder it. Seek friction, not agreement. AI is excellent at reinforcing existing perspectives. Innovation more often emerges from challenge, disagreement, and productive tension. The Shape of Work Ahead Over time, these shifts will reshape how organizations hire and evaluate talent. Credentials will matter less than originalty, and linear career paths will give way to bodies of work that demonstrate creative judgment and independent thinking. Side projects, essays, experiments, and unconventional experiences previously left off of résumés will increasingly signal potential for creative thinking. In moments of profound technological change, there is rarely a clear playbook. There is, however, a pattern. The individuals and organizations that thrive are not those who optimize for efficiency alone, but those who are willing to break precedent, integrate diverse perspectives, and imagine new frameworks for value creation. In a world where everyone has access to artificial intelligence, creativity is no longer peripheral to work. It is becoming the primary currency through which work is defined and rewarded.
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E-Commerce
To anchor the long rows of server racks that power the artificial intelligence boom, every data center needs thousands of holes drilled into its concrete floor. It’s a precise part of the construction process that has required workers to bend over with handheld drills for hours at a time grinding meticulously placed holes into thick pads of concrete. Now, there’s a robot doing it up to 10 times as fast. Tool brand DeWalt has just revealed a downward-drilling robot that can autonomously roam the floors of under construction data centers to drill the thousands of holes that are necessary for installing server hardware and other building elements. Developed in conjunction with August Robotics and tested on data centers being built by an unnamed “hyperscaler” tech company, the autonomous robotic drill has been used to pop more than 90,000 holes into the floors of data centers, all without human involvement. [Photo: DeWalt] A task that can take human workers up to two months in a large data center can now be handled by a fleet of three or four robots in a matter of days. “That is so critical from a construction perspective, because they can’t move to the next stage of construction until this is done,” says Bill Beck, president of tools and outdoor for Stanley Black and Decker, the parent company of the DeWalt brand. The pace is striking. For a smaller hole less than 1 inch wide and 2 inches deep, the robot can locate and drill one hole every 80 seconds. For a larger hole, 1 inch wide and 8 inches deep, it can finish a hole every 180 seconds. During its pilot phase, the robotic drill managed an accuracy rate of 99.97%. And because the robot is capable of operating 24 hours a day, project timelines can be drastically slashed. [Video: DeWalt] Making this process faster is increasingly important as data centers balloon in size. From single buildings to sprawling campuses, data centers are taking up vast amounts of space and becoming increasingly complex to build. “They’re huge slabs of concrete,” says Beck. With upwards of 10,000 holes needed to be drilled in each one, the job can be daunting. “And they’ve got to be perfect,” Beck says. “You can’t have the hole be a quarter-of-an-inch off.” That would make it seem like a hard job to want to do, but that’s assuming there are even enough people to take on the role. One analysis suggests there is currently a shortage of more than 500,000 skilled laborers in the construction industry. And workforce shortages are the leading cause of construction delays, according to a recent survey from the Associated General Contractors of America. The robotic drill offers an alternative. It also offers significant cost savings. Beck says it could cost about $65 per hole for this drilling work to be done by human crews. Using a fleet of the autonomous drilling robots developed by DeWalt and August Robotics, that cost comes down to about $20 per hole. DPR Construction, the largest data center contractor in the U.S., is prioritizing this drilling robot for testing and validation in 2026, according to Tyler Williams, the company’s field and robotic innovation leader. He says the technology has “real potential to reduce ergonomic strain on craft teams, boost productivity, and generally make the onsite experience better for people.” “Ultimately, everything were doing here is about supporting our customers, many of whom are focused on speed to market,” Williams says. “These kinds of methods are changing how projects get built and helping customers see returns on their capital investments sooner.” DeWalt and August Robotics have been piloting this technology for the past few months and believe the robotic drill is ready for wider adoption. It will be commercially available by mid 2026. As the scale of data center construction increases, especially among hyperscaler tech companies like Meta, Google, and OpenAI, there’s likely to be pent-up demand. “They’ve got money, and they want to go as fast as they can,” Beck says. “They know it’s a race in terms of getting these data centers up and making sure they’ve got the capacity to be able to compete from an AI perspective. So their big push obviously is how fast can you go?” For at least this one part of the job, the answer is much, much faster.
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E-Commerce
When you think of dangerous jobs, an office job that requires you to sit for hours probably doesnt come to mind. And while many jobs are objectively riskier, a sedentary job can pose a serious risk to your health. The average office worker spends 70% of their workday sitting down, according to data by workplace supplies firm Banner. Yet, research shows that sitting for prolonged periods without any physical activity significantly increases the risk of ill effects such as high blood pressure, numerous musculoskeletal issues, and potentially heart disease. All in all, a desk job increases your risk of mortality by 16%, according to a study published by JAMA. Our main objective at Zing Coach is to help millions take up exercise and lead healthier lives. And as a fitness coaching company, we wanted to avoid falling into the classic corporate trap of working long hours and leading a sedentary lifestyle. We didnt want to sacrifice our employees health in the pursuit of our goals. Were seeing more and more workplaces spotlight mental health, which is important. However, physical health is just as important. Not only does it have a huge impact on productivity and performance, but its also a huge component of mental well-being. How we took the right steps towards success Like most companies, we felt the pressure to optimize productivity through processes and technology. Yet, as productivity gradually plateaued, it was evident to me that the real issue was a lack of energy. I knew that a huge part of this came from sedentary work. As a cofounder, I decided to implement a culture of wellness and vitality. This included practical steps like providing a small but welcoming in-house training space, so that employees can do short, flexible workout sessions during gaps in the workday. When employees feel their minds wandering or their backs aching, they can stand up, head to the training area, complete a workout, or even just walk and stretch a little. Science supports this approach. Physical activity increases blood flow throughout your body, including to the brain, and particularly to the prefrontal cortex. This is the part in charge of planning, decision-making, problem-solving, working memory, and impulse control. We suspected (and found) that this practice ended up boosting overall energy, which in turn sharpened focus, improved output, and reduced distractions. It was also a great way to build in more opportunities for interactions. Being a fitness company, these social workout sessions often led to innovative ideas. Small moves, big returns: what I learned by introducing workout breaks It doesnt take long to see results People are often put off improving their physical health by a perceived lack of progress. Sure, it takes time to see your hard work paying off substantially, if youre solely focusing on the physical and visual aspects. Encouraging employees to get up and move isnt just a way to counteract the harms of prolonged sitting; it actively and instantly improves mental function and overall energy. Research shows exercise boosts brain function immediately, with effects lasting hours. Even 10 minutes of moderate activity has been found to increase cognitive performance by 14%, according to research published by Neuropsychologia. We havent crunched the numbers, but the difference in focus during meetings and the higher energy levels throughout the day are obvious. And weve seen this across multiple teams. Better health leads to better teamwork Introducing workout breaks didnt just boost individual performance. It improved the team collectively. Exercise releases endorphins, the bodys natural mood elevators, which help us manage stress and deal with discomfort. Its the same chemical behind the runners highthat euphoric feeling you get after a good workout. It also improves sleep quality. It helps the person get better nighttime rest, reducing the likelihood of low-energy afternoons that are otherwise the norm. As it turns out, feeling good both mentally and physically makes it easier for colleagues to get along and work together. We also found that teams that are energetic and enthusiastic automatically become less irritable and conflictual, which fuels far stronger cross-team collaboration. Time at the desk and productivity arent the same One important lesson is how little time at a desk actually correlates with output. Sure, youll see more empty chairs throughout the day, but that doesnt mean productivity will drop. Far from it. Workers arent machines, and after 60 to 90 minutes, many lose focus and effectiveness. Short breaks in general can help refocus and recharge, and teams said that they experienced restorative effects after a physical break. They noticed improvement in all aspects of work performance and personal engagement with the next task after the active break. When it comes to working out, theres a saying that quality often beats quantity. Turns out this is also true in a corporate job. Health is the best productivity tool Ultimately, good health equals good performance. Sure, software and systems can go so far, but if you dont take the steps to prioritize your employees health and well-being, youll never be able to get them to perfom to their true potential.
Category:
E-Commerce
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