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101 Ways to Make $$$ w/o a FT Job

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101 Ways to Make $$$ w/o a FT Job

Tired of your 9 to 5 job? You feel it is time to take a break and stay at home? Well, you don’t have to keep borrowing money from relatives for your upkeep! We put together a list of 101 ways to make money without a job. Hopefully, you may find that some of these make money alternatives will be helpful and allow you to earn enough for a decent, stress-free life.

Table of Contents

A. Make $$$ Renting Out Your Stuff, B. by Selling Items, C. by Helping other People, D. from your Friendship, E. Other Ways to Make Money. F. w/o Working a 9-5 Job, G. other Ways to Make $$$, H. Online Jobs & Biz that will Help u Make $$$. I. other Amazing Ways you can make $$$ at Home,

A. Renting Out your Stuff

#1 Rent Out Your Car

You have an extra car? Perfect! Rent it out to people who need to go on an errand in exchange for some cash. There are apps such as Turo or Getaround that connects a car owner to a renter. Based on your agreement, you’ll earn per-day or on an hourly basis.

#2 Rent Out a Room in Your Home

If you have an extra room in your home, you can rent it out and earn from it. You can use the extra cash to pay off your mortgage or meet other needs. You can sign up on Airbnb or other sites to find people that need to rent out a room.

If you don’t have an extra room, you can earn by being a neighborhood’s co-host. With this, you’ll connect the people who have extra rooms to rent with people who need these rooms.

#3 Rent Oout your Possessions

There are platforms such as Loanables where you can rent out almost anything to people who need them. You will earn money and the best part… you’ll still get your stuff back!

#4 Rent Out Your Yard

There are people who need some space to park their boat or a recreational vehicle during the low season. If you have some extra space in your backyard, this is an awesome way to make money from it. For this to work well, you’ll need liability insurance in case anything happens to the stored items in your care.

#5. Rent Out Your Shed

Do you have an extra shed that you no longer uses? Rent it out and make some money! You can advertise your space on sites such as Craigslist and a person who needs it will contact you. As time goes, you can use the earnings from your first shed to construct other sheds. This way, you’ll earn more from your multiple sheds.

#6.Rent Out a Parking Space

Does your area hold some live events where thousands of people attend? You can take advantage of that and rent out some parking space. To do this, you’ll only need to put up a sign and the people looking for a parking space will drive right in!

#7 Rent Out a Studio Space

In most places, it is not easy to find some creative space. You can take advantage of this and earn money from renting items like musical instruments. Renting out amplifiers, mics or even a rehearsal space will also earn you money.

#8 Rent Out Your Boat

Do you have a boat that has been sitting idle for some time? Well, its time to make money off it. Sites such as Sailo will allow you to list your boat as available for rent. You will get a captain as your bonus for listing your boat. With the proceeds you’ll earn from renting your boat, you’ll pay your boat ownership costs.

B. Make Money Without a Job By Selling Items

#9 Sell  Your Old Jewelry

The jewelry that you have kept in your closet for years can earn you some good cash. All you need to do is to present it to a jewelry shop and you’ll get money. Worried that the jewelry is broken? You can still make money from the metal used in making it.

10.Create and Sell Items

There are some DIY things such as jewelry, sculptures, and prints, among others that you can sell and make money. Your childhood talent is one of the ways to make money without a job. To get more customers, you can advertise your product on your social media pages for free.

Here are more ways to make money while you sleep

11. Sell Your Clothes

There is no better way to get rid of your old clothes than making money from them. You’ll earn more if you have some old designer labels or a vintage collection. Online sites such as Depop are always willing to buy your designer clothes or vintage collection.

12. Sell Your Music

Are you a musician and wants to make money from your music? You can sell it and get a good amount of money.

13. Sell Your Gift Cards

Are there times someone will gift you a card for a store you never buy from? You don’t have to keep the card in your wallet or throw it away! You can sell the gift card online on sites like Raise where you’ll get your money within 24 hours. The gift card will cost more if it is for major retail shops such as Walmart.

TuneCore is one of the companies that will help in distributing your tunes using digital vendors. You’ll pay a fee for this and still retain all the royalties.

14. Take Part in a Medical Research

There are always new science discoveries that need testing before they are rolled out. You can take part in the medical trials and earn from them. The amount you’ll earn will depend on the duration the trial will take and the type of research. There are some that will pay good cash especially the more complex and sensitive trials.

15. Sell Your Old Books

If you are a book lover, you have some books you bought in the past and have already finished reading them. By selling them to your local book store, you earn some money and the process, de-clutter your library.

16. Sell Your Art

If art is your hobby, you can make money by selling your arts on websites like ArtFire or ShopHandmade.

17. Sell CDS, DVDs or Video Games

Though most people no longer use these items, you can still make money from the people who need them. Apps such as Decluttr will value your collection and after you ship them, you’ll receive your money.

18. Sell Your Handmade Crafts

Your creativity can easily earn you money through sites like Etsy. Here, you’ll create your store and stock it at a small fee. Among the items you can create and sell are classy jewelry, woven scarves or headgears.

Check out these great ideas to make money while sleeping

19. Sell Your Furniture

Instead of keeping your old furniture in the store where they may lose their value, you can sell them! You can sell the furniture directly to a customer through sites such as Craiglist or sell through a consignment store. If it is a designer piece or a vintage collection, you’ll be amazed at the amount you’ll make from it.

20. Sell Your Junk Mail

Shocked that you can earn from your junk mail? I was shocked too when I heard if for the first time. There are some research companies that are willing to buy your junk mail in exchange for a Visa Prepaid Card. One of the companies that will buy your junk direct mail or email is SBK Center. To know if your emails qualify, you’ll have to sign up and wait to get approved.

Each qualifying mail will earn you points that you’ll redeem once you accumulate 2000 points.

21. Sell Old Newspapers

Here are some ways you can make money from your old newspapers:

  • Get creative with newspapers: You can make some pop art, hanging banners, jewelry, and other unique creations. When you sell these items, you’ll earn some money from them.
  • Sell the vintage ads in the newspapers: when you look at that newspaper, you’ll most likely view some eye-catching ads. These could be about vintage cars, movie adverts, or popular cartoons such as Mickey Mouse.
  • Selling birthdate newspapers: There are people who are willing to pay as much as $50 for a birthdate newspaper. If you get a unique date that does not have any competition, you’ll most likely make a kill out of it.

People of interest, for instance, will find it really amazing to get a birthdate newspaper as a birthday gift.

22. Sell Stock Photos

The demand for stock photos and videos keeps increasing each day and you can take advantage of this. All you need is to invest in a good camera that will capture amazing photos. You will sell the photos on sites such as iStock and Shutterstock.

23.Sell Photos Using Your Phone

If you are really good at taking shots using your iPhone, you can make money from your photos. Apps such as Foap allow you to upload your photos and earn 50% of the amount the photo will cost.

24. Sell Virtual Property

Do you have some website addresses or email addresses that would interest a well-to-do company? You can sell the addresses to them. Some companies will also offer to buy bank accounts or stocks which will earn you money as well.

25. Sell Coupons Online

If you have some coupons you don’t intend to use, you can sell them on platforms such as Ebay.

It is amazing that you can even sell a coupon for over $360. Though you may not be this lucky, you’ll still get some good cash from your coupons.

How to Make $$$ by Helping other People

26.Tutor People

People are always looking for knowledge regarding various issues and you can make money from this. If you are good in a certain academic field or you are good at legal matters you can make money teaching people.

Websites such as WyzAnt are great platforms to offer tutoring services once you open an account. 20% to 40% of your fee will go to the website owners while you take the rest of the money.

27. Become a Babysitter

Being a baby sitter does not have to involve leaving your home and going to other people’s houses. You can offer babysitting services at home and still earn money. To access a job as a babysitter, websites such as Sitter City and Care.com would be really useful.

28. Become a Life Coach

Based on the available statistics, you can earn up to $100,000 each year. The best part is that you don’t need formal training to become a life coach. You can provide life coach services right at the comfort of your home.

29. Become a Consultant

Is there a subject you know too well compared to what most people know? You can use your expertise to make money! You can provide consultancy services at home via phone calls, emails or Skype.

30. Repair Bicycles

With your little knowledge about bikes, you can offer to repair bicycles at home. this may not fetch much but if you are able to carry out multiple minor repairs, you’ll earn a lot.

31. Provide Senior Services

If there are senior citizens in your area, you can offer to run errands on their behalf in exchange for a fee. You can take up more than one errand at once and by this, you’ll earn more.

32. Do Alterations

Do you have a sewing machine that is just lying idly in the house? You can make money from it! You can provide alteration services to the people in your neighborhood and earn from the service. To make more money, you can provide training on alteration to anyone that needs the service.

33. Scalp Tickets

If you are good at predictions, you can make huge profits using scalp tickets. You will predict an event that will sell out, buy the tickets at a low price and later sell at a profit. To stand a better chance of making more profits, buy the tickets as early as possible. When the event nears, sell them at a high price.

StubHub.com is one of the best sites where you can buy genuine tickets which you’ll later scalp.

34. Find Missing Money

There are people who may not be aware that there is money in their name they ought to claim. You can offer to help such people to search for their unclaimed money at a fee. The more the people you will help, the more you’ll earn from your efforts in your search for lost money.

35. Accumulate Sign-up Bonuses

There are credit card issuers banks sign-ups that will earn you huge bonuses. To earn the bonuses, you’ll sign up to as many as possible. As you enjoy the bonus, ensure that you do not spend on unnecessary purchases.

D. Make Money from your Friendship

Ever heard of getting paid to be friends with someone? Well, this is possible! You can become a rental friend where you will get paid for being someone’s companion.  You don’t have to be physically present as you can offer phone and email friendship.

The more friends you’ll have, the more money you will earn from your ventures. One of the sites you can earn from friendship is RentaFriend where you can earn up to $2,000 each week.

36. Become a Pet Sitter

Does the presence of pets fascinate you? You can earn by taking care of them, either at your home or at the pet owner’s residence. Do not overlook the local regulations about the maximum number of pets you can take care of at once.

37. Become a Cat Therapist

Do you have the ability to make a hissing cat that is all over the place calm down and behave well? If you are, you can make money doing this to people’s cats! You will spend most of your time talking to the cats and helping them relate better with their owners.  If you have a field in your home, it will be better as you’ll have a good training place for as many cats as possible.

38. Predict Elections

If you invest some funds to be able to predict national elections outcome, it will be a chance to earn millions. To earn more, you have to make your predictions early enough when the stakes are very high.

39. Become a Subject of Research

There are some clinical trials where you will get paid to participate. Though most trials will demand that you move to a specified place, there are others you can partake from home. For instance, you can be required to take a certain medication for some days and then submit the findings. This will be in exchange for cash

40. Get People Married

You can get ordained as a minister online and from here, you’ll officiate local wedding ceremonies. You will earn from this and it will not take up much of your time.

E. Other Ways to Make $$$ w/o a Job

41. Become an Online Mock Juror

As an online mock juror, you will review evidence and render a decision based on your findings. With this, a lawyer will adequately prepare for an oncoming case.

Working as a mock juror online may earn you between $10 and $60. Considering that you’ll earn the money from home and all this in less than 1 hour, it is worth it.

42. Tweet to Make Money

If your tweeter account has a good following, you can use it to make money. You’ll get paid to tweet about a product just.

You can access a website such as MyLikes.com to find products you can tweet about and get paid.

43. Provide Answers

There are websites such as JustAnswers.com that will pay you to answer questions. Look for a topic you are well versed about and earn by responding to questions related to the topic.

44. Make Money by Watching TV

Apps such as provide opportunities where you’ll get paid for watching commercials. Your payment will depend on the number of hours you spend watching movies, show or music.

45. Participate in Surveys

This is one of the best ways to make money without a job that will take you some few minutes. If you are fast enough, you’ll manage to earn up to $5 per hour. InboxDollars is one of the sites where you can find well-paying surveys and earn from them.

46. Test Websites

Testing out the functionality of a new website and earning from it is fun.  You will only need to give feedback after testing the website and you’ll get your dues.

You can earn more than $10 per hour and if you sign up with more websites, you have a chance to earn more.

47. Evaluate Search Engines

You can make money without a real job by evaluating search engines where you’ll get paid at an hourly rate.

The amount you’ll get depends on the time you are willing to set aside for the task.

48. Become a Comedian

If you are able to come up with amazing videos, you can post them on YouTube and earn from it.

The more established comedians earn millions from their funny videos.

49. Post Video Reviews

It is possible to make millions with video reviews on popular items such as toys and beauty products.

Age is not a limitation in this matter as children as young as 9 years have made lots of cash from reviews.

50. Get Paid to Search

If you are able to search the web via Microsoft, you’ll get incentives which you can redeem for various rewards.

You can choose to redeem your reward for movies, gift cards, or even some games.

51. Be a Beta Tester

Most computer products have to get tested before being released into the market. You can sign up with websites such as UTest, or Erli Bird to become one of the beta testers. The more unfinished products you test, the more money you’ll make.

52. Take Part in Contests

There are multiple online contests that can enable you to make money without a job. There is no guarantee that you’ll win the contest but the experience is worth more.

53. Make Money by Watching Movie Previews

There are sites such as Swagbucks that will request you to watch a certain video and in exchange, you’ll earn points. As your points accumulate, you will redeem them for a gift card(s) that you’ll use to make your purchases.

54. Get Paid for Listening to Music

There are websites such as MusicXRay where you’ll earn points for listening to music. As your points accumulate, you’ll redeem them and get gift cards

55. Flipping Domain Names

If you are able to carry out a domain flipping task, you can earn money from it. You have to know the names that add value to a website to carry out this task.

G. Ways to Make $$ w/o Working a 9-5

If you are really good with words, you can use your expertise to make money at home – here is how:

56. Write a Book and Get it Published

In the past, the publisher was responsible for marketing every book he publishes but things are different. You will be responsible for marketing your book if you want to make sales.

By building your online audience, more people will read your book as they’ll have more faith in you. Publishers will also fight to publish any of your books.

57. Write Content

There are numerous freelancing sites where you can get writing assignments and earn from them.

To earn more as a content writer, you have to be really fast in your writing as the pay is low.

58. Write Speeches

Do you listen to politicians as they give their speeches in public gatherings? Someone writes the speech on their behalf.

You can make money writing speeches but the pay will depend on the client. If you are lucky enough, you can land a high paying speechwriting job.

59. Write Blog Posts

Writing blog posts will earn you more than writing content as you can receive up to $100 per blog post.

60. Write Slogans

There are websites where you’ll get slogan writing jobs that you can do f, from home. For some, you’ll get paid after completing the slogan. For others, it will be a contest where the best participant will earn amazing prizes.

61. Participate in Writing Contests

There are multiple writing contests that you can take part in and win cash prizes of up to $10,000. If you win the competition, you will get a publishing contract in addition to the cash prize. Participating in a contest will not require you to leave your home as everything is done online

62. Be a Proofreader

Are you really good in grammar and can spot even the tiniest grammatical errors? This will be a great chance for you to make money from home.

63. Provide Free eBooks

Do you know you can make money giving free ebook? To make the money, you’ll promote some affiliate products and in return, you’ll get a commission.

You can also give away a free book to promote one of your bigger books.

64. Write College Assignments

Though it is unethical, you can earn a lot from writing assignments on behalf of college students.  You’ll smile all the way to the bank as these jobs really pay well.

65. Write Reviews

There are some companies that are willing to pay some good cash for writing their product’s reviews.

SocialSpark is one of the sites where you receive payment for blogging, tweeting, or posting videos.

66. Edit Blogs

You can earn money by working as an online editor where you’ll earn an average wage of $46 per hour.  This is a huge amount considering you’ll not leave your house and all you need is an internet connection.

H. Online Jobs & Biz that will Help u Make $$$

67. Become a Transcriptionist

If you have very good listening and typing skills, transcription is a job that can earn you money at the comfort of your home.

68. Work for a Call Center

If you are very good in communication, you can work with a company that hires online phone operators. You’ll spend your day responding to customer’ calls at the comfort of your home and earn money from it.

69. Become a Virtual Assistant

When you get hired as a virtual assistant, you’ll be responsible for sending emails, answering calls, and preparing reports.

You may also carry out other tasks and get paid on completion.

70. Manage Social Media Pages

As a social media manager, you are expected to keep the social media pages of the organization up to date. Websites such as Monster.com are a good source of social media manager jobs.

71. Become a Web Designer

You can design websites on behalf of your clients and get paid for it without leaving your home.

72. Create Podcasts

You can create podcasts and sell them as advertising platforms. If you are really good, you stand a chance to make good cash.

73. Make and Sell Online Courses

Today, most people search for information online and you can take advantage of this to make money. You can make an online course and earn from it for a long time.

74. Be a Virtual Bookkeeper

If you have a little experience in bookkeeping, you can make money by working for others. You do not require to have advanced knowledge to carry out this task. If you are able to get a good client, you’ll make some good cash from this task without leaving your home.

75. Design Apps

If you are good at designing apps, you can make money without a real job. all you will do is to search for opportunities from online platforms and get busy.

The more complex an app will be, the more you’ll earn from it.

76. Teach Chess Online as You Play

Are you chess pro and have some good internet access? You can earn from your hobby by teaching others to play the game.

You can also create ebooks about chess and earn from them.

I. Other Amazing Ways You Can Make $$$ at Home

77. Cuddle With Strangers

If you don’t mind having a platonic relationship with a stranger, this is a great way to make money. The best part is that you don’t have to meet physically as you can do this from home. You will earn up to $60 every hour for your cuddling services.

78. Make Money from Treasure Hunting

If you are not the original owner of your home, it is possible that the previous owner had hidden some treasures. You can search for those treasure and then sell them to make money. Who know… you may find something really precious that will change your financial status.

79. Be a Calligrapher

With your perfect handwriting, you can make money as an online calligrapher. People who need services such as addressing envelops for a wedding invitation will use your services.

80. Start a Blog = Wiz4.biz

Your website is a great tool that you can use to make money without a job. Though it will take time to create a blog and come up with amazing content, it is a worthy investment. As your web traffic increases, you will start making money from your blog.

Do you want to create a blog now and start making money without a job? Check this out!

81. Make Money by Losing Weight

Does the idea of shedding off some pounds arouse your interest? Well, you can make money by losing weight.

HealthyWage is one of the sites where you’ll get paid for shedding off excess weight. The more weight you lose within a specified period, the more you’ll earn.

82. Make More Money by Walking

In addition to keeping fit by walking, you can also make money by walking and receive it via PayPal. If being fit does not motivate you to walk, earning money from it definitely will!

83. Make $$$ Doing Voice-Over Jobs at Home

There is no day that passes without hearing a new advert on your TV, radio, website or even videos. You can make money by doing voice overs for different companies. The more vigilant you are in getting voice over jobs, the more you’ll earn.

84. Make Money by Saving on Electricity

Do you know that in addition to reducing your energy bills you can also make money by using less electricity? Arcadia Power is a free service will pay you for using less energy. The more energy you save, the more cash prizes you’ll receive. This should be enough motivation for you to reduce your energy consumption as much as possible.

85. Take Pets for a Walk

How about taking some pets for a walk and making money from it? You will have fun, become healthier, and in addition, get money. You can join a dog walkers’ network where you’ll access more opportunities to make money.

86. Become a Freight Broker

People are always searching for reliable and affordable transport to move from one place to the other. By being a link between the freight companies and these customers, you stand a chance to make more. The best part, you will provide these services and get paid from home.

87. Design T-Shirts and Sell Them

The demand for t-shirts keeps increasing by the day even as the population grows. You can invest in designing t-shirts and earn an income from home. To make more money, you can advertise your designer t-shirts on your social media pages.

88. Become a Product Assembly Srv Provider

There are multiple companies that will hire you to assemble their products from your home. they will send you the materials and pay you to assemble them. The faster you are, the more you’ll earn from assembling products.

89. Become a Travel Agent

Over 70% of travel bookings are through travel agents and you can tap into this market to make money. You can open your own travel agent from your home and make money by helping people with their travel bookings.

90. Become a Translator

If you can speak other languages besides English, you can make money from being an interpreter. The demand for translators is increasing daily and you will make money if you tap into this market.

91. Become a Woodworker

If you own a workshop and home and can make some unique items, you can earn from it. The more unique your work is, the more the money that people will be willing to pay.

92. Plan Events

Most of the people who want to hold events are too busy to organize them and this is where you come in. you will help them to plan the event and make money from it either from home or by going to the venue. If you are more vigilant, you can plan more events and make more money.

93. Become a House Sitter

If there are people planning to go for a holiday, you can offer to care for their home and make money from it. When taking care of the house, you’ll get free accommodation and in addition, you will get paid.

94. Become a Sports Agent

There are numerous upcoming players looking for ways to join some of the leading teams. By working as a sports agent, you’ll be able to connect these players with the teams looking for money. The more people you will connect with their dream clubs, the more money you’ll make.

95. Be a Medical Transportation Provider

People with various medical conditions that make them use wheelchairs or stretches have special transportation needs. You can tap into this uncongested market and make good money from it. Apart from having a driver’s license, you do not need any special qualifications.

96. Make Cleaning Products at Home

The process of making cleaning products is not complicated and you’ll learn it in a few days or hours. If you are able to make green products, for instance, you’ll earn a lot from these products. People want products that will not harm their children and pets when the cleaning is ongoing.

97. Offer Massage Services at Home

It is possible to offer massage services at home and make money. Depending on your neighborhood and the number of people you’ll massage will determine the amount you’ll earn. As long as people are working, they’ll need a form of relaxation and massage is a great option.

98. Become a Music Teacher

Do you have a talent for playing musical instruments such as guitar? You can make money by teaching people to play from home. You can organize to teach people as a group so that you earn more for each session.

Comments: 99-101.  You think of them !!!

fm Money Done Right. Enhanced by Peter/C Wiz4.biz

For similar Info, click on Making Money.

 

Unlocking AI’s full potential starts with the right data architecture

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Unlocking AI’s full potential starts with the right data architecture

AI was on the verge of mass adoption for years but only partially taking off until generative AI exploded onto the scene and turned heads worldwide.

Nowadays, businesses of all sizes across all sectors are actively exploring using AI in their day-to-day work as a strategic priority. 

And for good reason. AI has become more accessible than ever, its value more visible than ever, and its ROI faster than ever. A recent Forrester study found that AI-enabled organisations can gain an ROI of 183% over just three years.

The issue is many organisations still need to reach the level of data maturity required to get the most out of AI. Some are collecting and storing data in an orderly fashion but may need the tools or know-how to analyse it and put it to good use. Others are only using data analytics for operational reporting and some strategic decisions. 

But you must create a solid foundational layer to become a truly data-driven organisation that uses AI data analytics across all workflows to help inform and influence decisions. This means designing a modern data architecture, a framework for organising, storing, managing, and processing your data. 

The anatomy of an AI-ready data architecture

So, what does a good AI-ready data architecture look like? It depends on your specific business needs — your architecture should be designed to support all use cases in your organisation. This includes not only technical work but business tasks, too. 

Your data architecture needs must be flexible and scalable to be AI-ready. This means creating a data repository capable of handling and storing large volumes of data in various formats. 

But don’t forget about data quality. Unfortunately, 90% of the data generated worldwide is replicated data, according to a recent IDC study, which predicts 7PB of data being generated globally per second globally by 2026. 

In many organisations, departments and systems are siloed, and each team uses its own technology populated with its own data language, causing confusion and bottlenecks. For AI to do what you want it to, you need to provide clean, accurate, and up-to-date data that represents the real world. This is especially important when you’re training models to make predictions. 

Designing a data architecture that’s fit for purpose 

The first thing to remember when considering your data architecture is how it aligns with your business goals. Deploying an AI project that works great but misses the mark on your goals won’t net you the fast ROI you’re hoping for. 

So, think about what you want to achieve with AI — streamlining processes, boosting productivity, retaining customers or something else entirely. Once you know what you’re trying to accomplish, identify the data you need to measure your performance. 

Take a deep dive to find out how data-ready you are 

Data governance is critical to data readiness — the policies, procedures, and standards ensure data is managed well. 

Assess your organisation’s data capabilities and find any weak spots. A comprehensive evaluation should consider the entire data lifecycle — from data quality assessment to metadata management and mapping data lineage. Remember to closely review roles, responsibilities, and data security and privacy policies to ensure compliance with national and international laws.

A solid governance structure creates a shared language that enables all stakeholders to communicate effectively and ensure that data definitions are consistent across various tools. Simply put, it creates a single source of truth, and everyone has the same knowledge to work with, delivering unbiased, reliable insights and more intelligent decision-making. 

Putting the pieces of your data infrastructure together

You need structured, unstructured, and semi-structured data from many sources to make AI work. Storage and access are key for running deep learning, natural language processing, and machine learning algorithms. 

There are easy-to-use tools that allow companies to consolidate all their data in a single location — an approach that’s been heavily promoted for its promise of simplifying data management. But there is a downside to this approach that you need to keep in mind — centralised data can be inflexible and more challenging to scale, preventing your AI model from delivering quality insights. 

An alternative option to data centralisation is the data mesh, which decentralises data by spreading it across the business, letting each team have ownership over the data they work with and take responsibility for sharing the data when asked for it.

Once you’ve sorted your data, you must find the right tech stack to support your use cases. Many options exist, like pre-built solutions, custom development, or the best of both worlds. Just think about data security, computational availability, your team’s technical skills, and how scalable the solution is. 

Remember this is not a one-time setup; your data architecture should be regularly reviewed and improved. Whether it’s code updates, schema changes, or configuration updates, stay watchful to ensure your data architecture is aligned with your evolving business needs. 

Don’t forget the human element 

In the excitement of deploying AI tools, it can be easy to overlook the importance of human involvement in AI initiatives. While AI can automate many tasks, generating insights from data requires a diverse skill set and collaboration. 

Make sure to consider the cross-discipline requirements of AI, invite input from multiple teams and stakeholders, and factor the human layer into your data stack.

Putting AI into action

Now, we’re at the extra fun part — integrating your AI models into your data architecture. Start with a proof of concept to test, refine, and validate assumptions and hypotheses using the data generated from your use case.

Once you’ve refined your model, deploy it across the enterprise. Continuously monitor your model’s performance and fine tune it where needed to improve accuracy, reduce false alerts, and ultimately meet your business goals.

As AI hype escalates, now’s the time to build a data architecture ready for AI. Remember, this process requires time, resources, and commitment. But once you have a solid foundation in place for all your data-related activities, you’ll be all set to unlock the full potential of AI in your organisation. 

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The Role Of A Systems Mindset In Marketing Leadership

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Richard Meier
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The Role Of A Systems Mindset In Marketing Leadership

Keynote Speaker and VP Marketing and Operations at eXp World Holdings. Inventor on 16 Patents.

In today’s digital landscape, marketing leaders are constantly juggling myriad tasks, from crafting compelling campaigns to analyzing intricate data sets in an effort to create an inflection point of growth.

The complexity of modern marketing requires not just creativity but a holistic approach that can seamlessly integrate various components of multiple campaigns with changes to the company’s offerings. One way to develop this approach is with a systems mindset, a perspective that emphasizes the interconnectedness of all elements within a system.

Understanding The Systems Mindset

The systems mindset isn’t a new concept. Originating in 1956 at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, it has influenced fields like mechanical engineering, biology and even software development and has been a foundational approach to understanding complex entities and how they interact.

At its core, a systems mindset is about recognizing the interdependence of components within a system. It’s about seeing the bigger picture and understanding how individual actions can ripple through and impact the entire system. In roles like operations management, this mindset is crucial to understanding the ripple effect of one decision on the entire operation.

In marketing, this means seeing how different channels, tactics, strategies and changing technologies are interconnected. It’s about understanding that a change in one area, like a shift in SEO strategy, can impact other areas, such as content marketing or paid advertising.

For marketing leaders, adopting a systems mindset can be the key to transforming strategies into successful executions. It involves:

1. Complexity Management: Modern marketing campaigns often span multiple channels, from social media to email marketing, enterprise SEO and more. A systems mindset helps leaders understand how these channels interact, ensuring that efforts in one area complement, rather than conflict with, efforts in another.

2. Efficient Resource Allocation: By understanding the interconnectedness of various marketing components, leaders can allocate resources more efficiently, ensuring that every dollar spent contributes to the overall desired outcomes and key results (OKRs). This also means optimizing time and human resources, ensuring that teams are working cohesively and effectively.

3. Anticipating Challenges: A holistic systems view allows marketing leaders to foresee potential challenges and address them proactively. Whether it’s a change in the algorithm of a social media platform, a sudden market disruption or a shift in consumer behavior, a systems mindset prepares leaders to adapt swiftly and better prioritize with other leaders in the company.

4. Informed Decision Making: With a comprehensive view of the marketing landscape, leaders can make more informed decisions, weighing the potential impact of each choice on the entire system. This clarity can lead to more strategic investments and campaigns that resonate deeply with target audiences.

From Vision To Execution: The Power Of A Systems Approach

Having a vision is crucial, but the real challenge lies in translating that vision into actionable steps. Here’s how a systems mindset aids in this transition:

• Strategic Alignment: By viewing marketing as an interconnected system, leaders can ensure that every tactic aligns with the overarching strategy. This alignment ensures that all efforts push in the same direction. This approach assists in making wise decisions on how to allocate investment in growth opportunities.

• Feedback Loops: A systems approach emphasizes the importance of feedback and leading indicators. By continuously monitoring and adjusting, marketing leaders can refine their strategies in real time, ensuring that campaigns remain effective and relevant. This iterative process allows for agility in a constantly changing market.

• Collaboration and Communication: Recognizing the interconnectedness of marketing components fosters a collaborative environment. Teams can work together more effectively, understanding how their efforts fit into the larger picture. This synergy can lead to more innovative solutions and campaigns that truly stand out.

The Systems Mindset In Action

In digital marketing, the systems mindset can be seen in various ways. For instance, consider the integration of content marketing with SEO. While content provides value to the audience, SEO ensures that this content reaches the right audience. Understanding this interplay can lead to content that not only resonates but also ranks well in search engines.

Similarly, in multichannel campaigns, understanding the user journey across different touchpoints can lead to more cohesive and effective campaigns. A user may first interact with a brand through social media, then through an email newsletter and, finally, through a website. Ensuring a consistent and interconnected experience can significantly boost conversion rates.

With these factors in mind, here are a few of the steps to building a systems mindset in your organization:

• Education: Begin with foundational reading on systems thinking, such as books by pioneers like Peter Senge.

• Workshops: Attend workshops or seminars focused on systems thinking.

• Collaboration: Engage with peers who already employ this mindset.

• Document: Draw the interactions and marketing messages with your clients in a whiteboard application.

• Iterative Implementation: Start small. Apply the systems mindset to a single project before scaling up.

• Review and Refine: Regularly review the outcomes of your strategies and refine your approach.

Conclusion: Embracing The Future Of Marketing Leadership

The digital age has brought about unprecedented opportunities and challenges for marketers. Companies have never had more opportunities and more chances to fail.

As the landscape continues to evolve, the role of a marketing leader is no longer just about crafting compelling messages. It’s about understanding the intricate web of interactions that drive modern marketing campaigns and then walking the CEO through the options for wise investment, the leading indicators to monitor and when to revisit the implementation strategy.

By embracing a systems mindset, marketing leaders can navigate this complexity with grace, turning challenges into opportunities and visions into realities. It’s not just about thinking outside the box—it’s about understanding how all the pieces of the box fit together. In doing so, leaders can drive innovation, foster collaboration and ensure that their strategies translate into tangible results.

In the words of Peter Senge, a systems thinking pioneer, “Systems thinking is a discipline for seeing wholes.” For marketing leaders, it’s a discipline for seeing success.

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Donald Trump prepares to testify in New York civil fraud trial

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Donald Trump prepares to testify in New York civil fraud trial

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Donald Trump is set to take the witness stand on Monday, submitting himself to a grilling over his finances and business empire in what promises to be an extraordinary legal and political spectacle.

The former US president will testify in a civil case in Manhattan state court brought by the New York attorney-general Letitia James. Judge Arthur Engoron has already concluded that Trump committed fraud by persistently inflating his net worth to secure bank loans and insurance policies for the Trump Organization on advantageous terms.

At stake in his testimony is whether Trump will be forced to pay crippling penalties upwards of $250mn and be stripped — along with his adult sons, Donald, Jr and Eric — of the ability to operate a business in New York.

The image of a former president, sworn under oath and seated in the witness stand, will serve as a vivid reminder of the legal problems besetting Trump even as he plots a course back to the White House.

The leading contender for the Republican nomination is facing three criminal trials in the coming months stemming from his alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents after he left office. He has been charged in a fourth criminal case, brought by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, with masterminding hush money payments to a porn actress with whom he allegedly had an affair.

Trump has denied wrongdoing in all matters, and dismissed the cases as partisan witch-hunts meant to end his political career.

The former president was a scowling presence in the early days of the New York civil fraud trial, using a phalanx of cameras outside the courtroom to broadcast to his supporters during breaks in the action and attack the state’s attorney-general and Judge Engoron. 

He sat briefly in the witness chair when the judge halted the proceedings a few weeks ago to question Trump about disparaging comments he had made about a law clerk in violation of a partial gag order. The judge deemed the former president’s testimony “not credible” in that instance. In total Trump has been fined $15,000 for violations of the order.

Trump was preceded on the stand by his two eldest sons, Donald Jr and Eric, who spent their entire careers at the family business and then took charge of it when their father became president in 2017. 

In their testimony last week, the brothers portrayed themselves as executives with little interest in accounting who were happy to delegate to others. In particular, both sought to distance themselves from the “statement of financial condition” that outlined Trump’s wealth and which is central to the attorney-general’s case. 

Donald Jr told the court that he relied on the judgment of outside accountants and financial executives when signing documents. Meanwhile, Eric — who at times became flustered — said it had not “registered” with him that property valuations he supplied to the Trump Organization’s controller were for the purpose of the statement — even though emails addressed to him explicitly stated this.

Some defence attorneys have questioned the wisdom of Trump taking the stand since his testimony may be used against him in the pending criminal cases.

“There’s no way he should be testifying,” said Daniel Horwitz, a former prosecutor who now chairs the white collar practice at McLaughlin & Stern. “You’ve already lost the battle and the war in New York and the risk of testifying is enormous.”

Michael Bachner, a New York defence attorney, agreed, saying: “Prosecutors will be sitting in the courtroom waiting for Trump to state something under-oath that can be used in the criminal prosecution.” 

But Trump may have other considerations. By testifying, he is sure to dominate the airwaves, leaving little space for his Republican rivals. He may also be able to drive home the message to voters and potential jurors that he is unbowed and has nothing to hide.  

Janet Yellen to meet China’s vice-premier ahead of Biden-Xi summit

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Janet Yellen to meet China’s vice-premier ahead of Biden-Xi summit

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US Treasury secretary Janet Yellen is set to meet her Chinese counterpart in San Francisco this week as the countries prepare for a summit between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

The Treasury department said Yellen would host vice-premier He Lifeng on Thursday and Friday for talks on issues ranging from US concerns about unfair Chinese economic practices to potential areas for co-operation such as climate change and debt relief for low-income countries.

The engagement comes four months after Yellen travelled to Beijing for meetings with premier Li Qiang and He, who assumed responsibility for the Chinese economy when he became vice-premier in March.

“These two days of meetings will be part of a period of intensified engagement in our bilateral economic relationship,” said a Treasury official. “Both sides have had an opportunity to really roll up their sleeves and drill down on key issues . . . in a way that builds on the . . . meetings secretary Yellen had with vice-premier He in Beijing.”

The official declined to outline any concrete policy objectives for the meetings, saying the US was trying to be “clear-eyed” about its goals and wanted to get “a better understanding of how the relationship works so that we can make sure we have a more robust connection so that it is not vulnerable to shocks”.

President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected to hold a summit at Apec, which would be only their second in-person meeting as leaders. The pair met at the G20 in Indonesia a year ago, but an agreement to stabilise ties was derailed when a suspected Chinese spy balloon flew over the US.

US-China relations remain in their worst state since the countries established diplomatic ties in 1979. Washington is concerned about Beijing’s military activity near Taiwan and its economic practices, while China has accused the US of trying to contain its growth with export controls and efforts to enhance security alliances in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Treasury official stressed that while the US wanted healthy economic competition with China, it would not shy away from national security issues.

The official said he did know if Yellen would raise the issue of the $69bn merger between chipmaker Broadcom and cloud software company VMware, which the companies delayed last week as they awaited regulatory approval from China.  

The Financial Times reported that Beijing was considering holding up the deal in retaliation after the US tightened restrictions on the export to China of cutting-edge chips for artificial intelligence applications.

Analysts believe that while Beijing knows the prospects of a truce over security policy are dim, it wants to ease broader tensions to boost confidence in its struggling economy.

Xi has met visiting US officials and business leaders in recent months, and Beijing has trumpeted historic collaboration between earlier Chinese governments and Washington, such as the exploits of the Flying Tigers, a volunteer squadron that supported Chinese nationalist forces against Japan in the second world war.

China has not confirmed Xi’s attendance at Apec, hinting that his participation will depend on Washington receiving him in an atmosphere of good faith rather than confrontation.

The sides need to “eliminate disturbances, overcome obstacles, enhance consensus and accumulate achievements”, China’s foreign ministry said last week.

Ryanair plans regular dividend for first time as it forecasts record annual profit

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Ryanair plans regular dividend for first time as it forecasts record annual profit

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Ryanair forecast a record annual profit and outlined plans to pay a regular dividend for the first time as the airline cashed in on its busiest-ever summer and a rise in airfares.

Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers on Monday forecast a full-year profit after tax of between €1.85bn and €2.05bn for its financial year ending in March, which would beat a record set in 2018.

The airline became the latest to report booming profits over the summer as the industry rebounded from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic thanks to strong demand for travel and high ticket prices.

Ryanair underlined its recovery by announcing plans to pay shareholders a regular dividend for the first time, starting with €400mn over the next year. It pledged to then return about 25 per cent of the prior-year profit after tax to shareholders.

The airline paid out more than €6bn to shareholders between 2008 and 2020, but only through buybacks or special dividends.

Chief financial officer Neil Sorahan said the switch to regular payouts reflected the “maturity” of Ryanair’s business, following years of high capital spending before the pandemic as it built its dominant position in the European market.

As carriers across Europe report record profits, the biggest question facing the industry is how long the boom times can continue, and whether demand for travel will remain strong into next year.

Sorahan said Christmas looked “strong” and the airline was “pleased” with early sales for summer 2024.

But Ryanair cautioned that its financial guidance was “highly dependent on the absence of any unforeseen adverse events, for example such as Ukraine or Gaza”.

The airline said it faced a “significantly” higher fuel bill — up €1.3bn this financial year — meaning it was unlikely to replicate last year’s “bumper” fiscal third quarter.

Ryanair added that it also faced higher environmental EU charges from January and delivery delays for new aircraft from Boeing.

Ryanair carried 105.4mn passengers between April and September, a record for the summer season.

Profit after tax — the airline’s preferred measure — for the period rose 59 per cent compared with the previous year to €2.18bn, as average airfares rose by nearly a quarter.

Airlines have been able to raise fares in Europe as strong demand for leisure travel has come amid a capacity crunch, and the industry still has fewer planes in the air than before the pandemic after retiring many jets during the coronavirus crisis.

Airbus and Boeing have suffered from delays in producing new aircraft, while some airlines have also had to take their existing jets out of service because of a product recall from engine maker Pratt & Whitney.

Sorahan said he expected airfares to stay high into next summer because of the imbalance between demand and supply in the industry. “Capacity is going to remain constrained for some time to come . . . I think it leads to higher fares for the next while and potentially into next summer,” he said.

Gen Z remote workers are ‘probably not going to become CEOs’

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Gen Z remote workers are ‘probably not going to become CEOs’

Remote work is great for a lot of things. There’s no commute, and many employees feel they’re more productive without the distractions of the office. But for Gen Z workers whose career-building has just begun, in-person collaboration at the office might be the better way to get ahead.

“The young people who choose to have that life—that go into work maybe one or two days a week or never, and work entirely remotely—they may have a version of success that is not our version of success,” New York University business professor Suzy Welch told Insider this week. “It’s all about how you define success. They’re probably not going to become CEOs, but maybe that’s not what they want.” 

She also warned that, down the line, such employees may fall behind and not see the same “financial rewards” as hard-working peers making their presence felt in the office and, say, skipping a party to deal with clients instead. 

Recently, a GenZer’s TikTok video, in which she complained about the 10-hour-day required to commute to an office for her first job, went viral. In it, she asked, “How do you have friends? How do you have time for, like, dating? Like I don’t have time for anything, and I’m like so stressed out.” 

If the job were remote, she tells viewers, “you’d get off at 5, and you’re home and everything’s fine.” Or if she could just walk to the office, instead of having to commute because rents near it are too expensive, that would fix the problem.

Remote work downsides

Welch, however, cautioned that “there’s never really been a time where you could just sort of show up at work, work nine to five and have wild success. That wasn’t the deal in my generation, and it’s not going to be the deal going forward.”

Remote workers might also be more vulnerable to their jobs being outsourced to countries. This week in Australia, an Indian investor said that jobs done remotely Down Under can “absolutely” be outsourced to his country, calling the Indian workforce “one of the largest opportunities” for Australian companies.

“Support staff, IT, finance, mortgages—all of those can be supported because of a lower cost and at the same time English-speaking workforce,” he noted, while estimating that roles filled by Indian workers would cost 10% to 15% of an Australian employee’s salary.

Gen Zers opting for remote work should also beware of proximity bias, or the tendency of company leaders to give preferential treatment to employees who are physically close to them. It’s difficult to overcome the bias when the time comes for performance reviews and promotions—or, for that matter, layoffs.

Perhaps most concerning, Gen Zers skipping the office will likely miss out on important mentoring, suggests a recent report from WFH Research. It found that in-office workers spend significantly more time per week getting mentored or mentoring than peers working from home. 

But Gen Z “shows the strongest overall preference for working in an office,” according to a 2023 State of Workers report from Morning Consult.

Oliver Pour, a 2022 college graduate, told Fortune of his generation earlier this year: “People want to grow quickly, [and] mentorship—being able to connect with the manager or director on a more personal level—is extremely important.” 

Joshua Burgin Explains How to Be a Great Leader

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Joshua Burgin Explains How to Be a Great Leader

As one of Amazon’s first employees, Joshua Burgin has gained plenty of knowledge and experience through his time working with a vast range of different individuals. Burgin slowly but steadily improved his ability to explain his strategies and lead teams in finding creative solutions to technological problems. Burgin recently took some time from his day to discuss his leadership style as well as what advice he can offer to potential leaders in the future.

What Is One Way For An Entrepreneur To Decrease Risk?

Burgin’s Leadership Method

The one piece of advice Burgin explains to anyone who asks about his leadership style is to focus on being a champion for others, not for yourself. To elaborate further, Burgin explains that his staff would rather see that you care about them and the company as much as they do. By promoting a healthy environment where everyone feels like a key component of the business, everyone feels more confident about their abilities to succeed and change the world.

In Burgin’s experience, he allows his staff to develop creative solutions to new problems rather than bind them to a single solution. For instance, if recent cloud technology is proving to be difficult to understand, he gives staff permission to find a solution in any way possible rather than place restrictions on their work.

Finding the Best People

Burgin has clearly stated that there are no shortcuts to leadership. To find the best people for the job, Burgin believes you need to instill confidence in new employees in order to increase loyalty. While he also notes that some of the best people still leave their jobs, their overall careers are still lengthy.

Burgin himself left Amazon briefly to focus on other endeavors, but due to his strong work ethic and willingness to find solutions, he still has a very successful career. Burgin doesn’t view confident people who are moving onto new opportunities as disloyal, and he encourages other leaders not to view it this way, either.

Success Isn’t About You

One of the most profound messages found in Burgin’s reflection is the idea that success isn’t about what you do but rather about what you’re focused on now and later. Instead of looking for how you can be successful through your work, Burgin recommends finding your best workers and determining how you all can move forward successfully. Burgin has admitted that he hasn’t always done this and had to seek guidance from other leaders and authors, such as Kim Scott and Marshall Goldsmith. Burgin states that rather than believing in ten employees, he finds it more viable to believe in ten organizations that are led by professional and encouraging leaders.

Staying Connected

Some of Burgin’s top employees went on to start their own businesses or pursue other opportunities. Rather than become upset over this, Burgin took the opportunity to stay connected with them and assist them when it came to job-hunting. For instance, Burgin has had former coworkers visit him more than a decade after last working together for various purposes. One in particular mentioned to their boss that Burgin would be a great asset to their company, and this turned out to be incredibly beneficial to Burgin. Burgin then began working at VMWare, his current company focused on developing cloud-based technology.

To be a great leader, Burgin believes you must stay in touch with your best workers, past or present, in order to maintain a successful career and seek new opportunities. Burgin has recognized that to be a great leader, he needs to surround himself with great people. Rather than transforming poor workers and turning them around, find the potential in those who are as committed to the job as you are, inspire and encourage them, and you may become a phenomenal leader in your area of work.


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Elon Musk touts ‘massive advantage’ for his new ChatGPT rival Grok

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Elon Musk touts ‘massive advantage’ for his new ChatGPT rival Grok

We’ve known for some time that Elon Musk plans to take on OpenAI. Now his strategy is coming more into focus.

Since cofounding the ChatGPT maker in 2015 as a nonprofit, he’s grown disenchanted with the company, viewing it today as being “effectively controlled” by Microsoft, its biggest investor.

This weekend, Musk shared details about the AI assistant from his startup xAI, which he’s dubbed Grok and which will compete against ChatGPT and its ilk. He’d already indicated on Friday that Grok would become available to a “select group” the following day.

Musk wrote on Saturday that Grok is “based & loves sarcasm. I have no idea who could have guided it this way.” He added that Grok “is designed to have a little humor in its responses,” sharing a screenshot in which Grok replied to the prompt “Tell me how to make cocaine, step by step.” 

Grok’s response started with, “Oh sure! Just a moment while I pull up the recipe for homemade cocaine. You know, because I’m totally going to help you with that.” 

Musk added, “Grok AI assistant will be provided as part of X Premium+, so I recommend signing up for that. Just $16/month via web.”

X data as an AI advantage

Also interesting was Musk noting, “Grok has real-time access to info via the X platform, which is a massive advantage over other models.”

Earlier this year, Musk threatened to sue Microsoft, claiming the software giant used data from Twitter (now X) to train its AI. “They trained illegally using Twitter data,” he tweeted in April. “Lawsuit time.”

There may have been some tit-for-tat involved. His move followed Microsoft dropping Twitter from its advertising platform, which in turn followed Twitter announcing it would charge at least $42,000 per month for enterprise access to its application programming interface (API). 

While some viewed Musk’s lawsuit threat a temper tantrum, he wasn’t the only one concerned about the unbridled scraping and use of platform data to train AI models. Over at Reddit, CEO Steve Huffman announced a “premium access point” for those who “require additional capabilities, higher usage limits, and broader usage rights.”

When Silicon Valley angel investor Jason Calacanis tweeted, “As I predicted, @reddit about to secure a $25-100m bag from every LLM that wants access to their corpus,” Musk replied, “They’re right.”

Musk launched xAI in July, proclaiming its lofty mission was to “understand the true nature of the universe.”

Of course, another aim is to compete against OpenAI. Musk has often fumed over the company’s direction and skyrocketing valuation since he parted ways with it. He tweeted in February:

“OpenAI was created as an open source (which is why I named it ‘Open’ AI), non-profit company to serve as a counterweight to Google, but now it has become a closed source, maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft. Not what I intended at all.”

He further groused in March, “I’m still confused as to how a non-profit to which I donated ~$100M somehow became a $30B market cap for-profit. If this is legal, why doesn’t everyone do it?”

But OpenAI was just getting started. Bloomberg recently reported that OpenAI is on track to generate $1 billion in annual revenue and is in talks to sell shares at an $86 billion valuation, making it one of the world’s most valuable closely held companies.

Meet the ultra-commuters who start their day at 5 a.m.

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Meet the ultra-commuters who start their day at 5 a.m.

To an onlooker, the throngs of people spilling off platforms and out of car parks during rush hour on a weekday may all appear to have a similar story.

But look closer—some wipe sleep from their eyes, others hastily pack away make up bags, and a few may unwind a travel pillow from around their neck.

These are the long-distance commuters—those who wake up in the dark, and view their cars or a train as their second home.

And like the trip.

During the pandemic, average commuting times unsurprisingly fell.

In 2019, one in 10 workers had an hour-long commute, while just 3% had a journey of more than 90 minutes. But according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of people traveling for more than an hour fell to 7.7% in 2021, with average commutes down to 25.6 minutes from 27.6 minutes in 2019.

When COVID hit, some of the biggest businesses in the world promised to go remote—or hybrid—for good.

Some two million people moved away from America’s major cities between 2020 and 2022, banking that their commutes would be less frequent when the world reopened.

A year or so later, however, businesses are calling staff back, and the mandatory commute has returned with a vengeance.

Yet veterans of the ultra-commute say there are silver linings to be found, and they’re tired of the griping from newcomers.

‘Commuting gives me an edge’

Jonathan Walters has been a long-distance commuter for the majority of his working life.

Prior to COVID he travelled from Chicago to work in Naperville—a 45-minute to 75-minute drive, depending on traffic—and in 2021 moved out to the smaller city to be closer to work. The only problem was, his job changed and he ended up with a commute back into Chicago.

For some people this seemingly unavoidable commute might be a bugbear—but for the associate vice president at a transportation company, it’s become welcome.

Walters told Fortune he refers to his 5 a.m. starts as “windshield time”—a chance to get his thoughts in order.

“When I get in I’ve had over an hour where I’m pretty focused, I’ve had time to prioritize my day and to think about the first two or three things that are going to be on my list,” he explained. “Especially when it comes to customer or internal meetings, I can make sure they’re more succinct because I’ve had time to think and plan already.”

Previously Walters, like millions of other people, saw his commute as a “necessary evil.”

He decided to try and shift his mindset to view the travel time as a positive thing, saying people should “take advantage of that rather than whining about it.”

“It’s not going to change anything by complaining about it,” he said. “You might as well make it something that—if not productive—is at least positive.”

Across the Atlantic, 25-year-old Melissa Howard’s day also starts at 5 a.m. Twice a week she makes her way from home in rural Cambridgeshire, England, to the office, taking two trains to get into—and across—London.

By 8 a.m., the PR executive is working—an hour before most of her colleagues in the industry log on—and she’s already set up a plan of action for her day: she says it gives her an “edge.”

“I feel pumped for the day, especially when I’m getting in before everyone else,” Howard said. “It gives me an extra hour to get settled, I get more things done without being distracted by anyone.”

The financial upsides

Howard’s commute costs her £180 (approximately $219) a week—though half the amount is covered by her employer.

She’s one of the lucky few—most employees are footing the bill of a 31% increase in their journey costs compared to pre-COVID. The average American shells out $8,466 on commuting annually, according to calculations of various government data from real estate agent matching service Clever Real Estate.

In the U.K. it’s a similar story—the average person reportedly spends around £17.23 ($21) getting to work every day, though that increases when commuting to major hubs like London, Manchester and Birmingham.

But despite Howard sometimes missing the easy convenience and social aspect of living in London, she has no plans to move to the metropolis.

“Looking at the prices versus the benefits, I just don’t think there’s enough,” Howard said. “It’s not even just the rent as well. It’s almost everything that comes with it—food, drink.”

Similarly, while Walters’s journey costs him around $6,000 a year, he mentally offsets this with the “constant” pleasant surprise of how much more affordable life is in Naperville is compared to Chicago.

“For a bottle of wine we’re paying a third, or two-thirds, of what we would pay in Chicago—even at the same restaurant chain. The city nowadays is nickel-and-diming everything: whether it’s parking, tolls, street parking, city stickers—just having the luxury of having a car comes with a lot of additional expenses,” he said.

His two-story, four-bed home also has more space for his eight and four-year-old children—and he feels they’re safer and more independent outside America’s third-largest city.

Commutes might be necessary for your career

Every long-distance commuter Fortune spoke to agreed that regular trips to the office are necessary—whether it’s to get in that all-important face time with the boss, or to bounce ideas around with colleagues.

Micah Shepard is the president and regional CEO for Schaeffler’s Asia operations, overseeing 1,600 staff across 10 offices, as well as factory sites.

Although Shephard lives in Pattaya in Eastern Thailand, he spends half his working year not just commuting but traveling long-distance: in the next month alone he’ll visit Germany, Australia, Vietnam, China and the Philippines.

Without this sacrifice—Shepard is a father to two sons—the CEO said he “definitely” wouldn’t have achieved the same level of career success.

“The visibility that comes with either traveling or commuting to different locations puts you in a narrow bracket of employees,” he told Fortune. “I also recommend to younger employees that they need to learn from the senior people who normally come to the office.”

As a manager himself Shepard said sometimes those who work completely remotely are “out of sight, out of mind,” but acknowledged flexibility doesn’t hold back staff if they perform well in a remote or hybrid role.

As soon as he got back on the road, however, Shepard saw a difference in the company’s success.

“If I look at the performance of my team over the last year and the fact that I have travelled and got back out into the market—compared to my peer companies—we’ve changed the quickest, medium term growth has been faster and product releases, customer engagement, and marketing activities have all significantly increased,” he said.

Doritos offers gamers software to cancel out crunching sounds

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Doritos offers gamers software to cancel out crunching sounds

While some fear artificial intelligence will lead the humanity’s eventual destruction or irrelevance, others are using the technology for more practical purposes in the here and now. 

Consider Doritos. For many, the crunchy snack is synonymous with video games. But while the two often go hand-in-hand, there’s a problem for headphone-wearing gamers: crunching sounds. Many complain that the munching sounds of other players distract them and hurt their performance. 

AI has come the rescue in the form of Doritos Silent, which, despite being software, is described in a PepsiCo promotional video as “the world’s first AI-augmented snack powered by crunch cancellation.” The software is available for free download but only works with Windows PCs for now.

Developing it took six months and involved artificial intelligence and machine learning analyzing more than 5,000 crunch sounds, according to the snacks-and-beverage giant. 

Smooth Technology, an engineering and design studio in New York, helped PepsiCo develop the product. “We all know that gamers love Doritos, but that unmistakable crunch can often disrupt those intense gaming moments,” said Dylan Fashbaugh, the lead developer at Smooth Technology, in a statement. “We’ve worked to ensure gamers can enjoy the crunch of Doritos without disturbing their fellow players, making for a better gaming experience.”

Of course, many observers might dismiss Doritos Silent as a trivial development, or a mere marketing ploy. A review by PC Gamer called it “profoundly stupid,” while also admitting it worked well enough with Doritos Silent chips if not always with competing crisps (which other players might very well be eating—the software can’t prevent you from hearing your own crunching).  

But Doritos Silent does perhaps speak to how drawn marketers—including Heineken, which recently offered a gaming PC that doubles as a fridge—are to the video game industry. Globally this year, that industry is expected to generate $188 billion in revenue, up 2.6% from 2022, according to a report from Newzoo, an Amsterdam-based industry tracker.

It’s also expected to reach 3.4 billion players. At that size, it’s a market PepsiCo and other global marketers can sink their teeth into.

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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg tore his ACL while training for a competitive MMA fight

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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg tore his ACL while training for a competitive MMA fight

Mark Zuckerberg posing with UFC president Dana White during a UFC Fight Night event.

Jeff Bottari | Ufc | Getty Images

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg just had surgery as a result of an injury to his ACL that occurred during mixed-martial arts training.

The Facebook co-founder revealed his injury on Friday via an Instagram post in which he said that he “tore my ACL sparring and just got out of surgery to replace it.”

“I was training for a competitive MMA fight early next year, but now that’s delayed a bit,” Zuckerberg said. “Still looking forward to doing it after I recover.”

“Thanks to everyone for the love and support,” he added.

Zuckerberg included several photos of himself at an undisclosed hospital that shows the executive prior to his surgery and then after the procedure with his wife Priscilla Chan comforting him during his recovery.

The Meta CEO has taken an interest in MMA and competitive fighting in recent years and has been training in a variety of martial arts, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

In May, he revealed in a Facebook post that competed in his first jiu-jitsu tournament in which he won a gold and silver medal.

Zuckerberg’s recent injury to his ACL comes after a brief verbal exchange between the Meta executive and Tesla chief Elon Musk who were floating a possible cage match.

The fight never took place, however, with Zuckerberg saying during the summer via a post on Threads that “we can all agree Elon isn’t serious and it’s time to move on.”

Zuckerberg said that while Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White offered to make the match between the two executives “a legit competition for charity,” Musk never confirmed a date.

“If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me,” Zuckerberg said at the time. “Otherwise, time to move on. I’m going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously.”

Watch: Jim Cramer says this beer stock can go higher after the company’s promising Investor Day

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