Skip to Main Content

The non-obvious blog

banner image

Dedicated To Helping Readers
Be More Interesting
Since 2004.

webby_awards_logo
1200px-AdAge_logo.svg
harward-business-review-logo
wall-street-journal-logo
post thumbnail for These Professors Just Proved the Power of Having a Visual Metaphor for Your Strategy

18 2026 February

These Professors Just Proved the Power of Having a Visual Metaphor for Your Strategy

Strategy comes to life when you can make it visual. That’s probably not news for most of you, but an article from HBR this week dug a...

Read Now
post thumbnail for The Non-Obvious Book of the Week: The Genius Myth by Helen Lewis

17 2026 February

The Non-Obvious Book of the Week: The Genius Myth by Helen Lewis

There is a difference between celebrating someone as a genius and giving them credit for their genius moments. That’s the premise of this book from...

Read Now
post thumbnail for Saving Science in the Age of the Modern Believability Crisis

16 2026 February

Saving Science in the Age of the Modern Believability Crisis

Among scientists and believers of science alike, there’s a frustration with all the voices out there who question science. From conspiracy theorists to pseudoscientists, anyone...

Read Now
post thumbnail for The Best and Worst of Super Bowl Advertising

12 2026 February

The Best and Worst of Super Bowl Advertising

Earlier this week I published my usual annual recap of the best and worst ads from the Super Bowl. In the days after I wrote that piece,...

Read Now
post thumbnail for Friction and the Power of Tokyo’s Popular New Cassette Cafe

11 2026 February

Friction and the Power of Tokyo’s Popular New Cassette Cafe

After ordering your coffee at a Shibuya district cafe in the middle of Tokyo, you can browse a collection of cassette tapes to pick the...

Read Now
post thumbnail for The Non-Obvious Book of the Week: Enshittification by Cory Doctorow

10 2026 February

The Non-Obvious Book of the Week: Enshittification by Cory Doctorow

Every tech platform that we use frequently today has gone through the same progression. They start off user focused and great. We love them because...

Read Now
post thumbnail for How the Joy Factor and “Kidults” Are Saving the Toy Industry

09 2026 February

How the Joy Factor and “Kidults” Are Saving the Toy Industry

The toy industry had a “bounce back year”  according to Circana industry reports, with global sales climbing 7%. This follows three straight years of decline and...

Read Now
post thumbnail for Amazon Was Always Going to Shut Down All Their Go & Fresh Stores

06 2026 February

Amazon Was Always Going to Shut Down All Their Go & Fresh Stores

Amazon announced last Tuesday that they are closing the majority of their physical grocery and retail stores and will be laying off 16,000 people. In past...

Read Now
post thumbnail for How To Get Excited About the 2026 Winter Olympics

05 2026 February

How To Get Excited About the 2026 Winter Olympics

Anyone who knows me already knows that I’m a big fan of the Olympics. There’s nothing else in our modern world that aims higher to...

Read Now
post thumbnail for Ending Dual Citizenship Would Be a Disaster

04 2026 February

Ending Dual Citizenship Would Be a Disaster

There is legislation under consideration by the U.S. administration right now to end the opportunity for dual citizenship in America. Citizens who hold multiple passports would...

Read Now
post thumbnail for The Non-Obvious Book of the Week:  All the Cool Girls Get Fired by Laura Brown and Kristina O’Neill

03 2026 February

The Non-Obvious Book of the Week:  All the Cool Girls Get Fired by Laura Brown and Kristina O’Neill

The ultimate girlfriends’ guide to “letting go of being let go,” the tone of this book is perfect for this moment in time when there...

Read Now
post thumbnail for Why We Should Stop Celebrating When Big Dreams Fail

02 2026 February

Why We Should Stop Celebrating When Big Dreams Fail

The grand vision of Neom — the Saudi megacity that was going to change the future of how and where humans live– is officially a failure. The...

Read Now
post thumbnail for The AI Land “Gold Rush” Is Here, But There’s a Missing Story

29 2026 January

The AI Land “Gold Rush” Is Here, But There’s a Missing Story

At multiple points this week, I came across different stories and conversations about the same thing: the so-called “gold rush” of land grabbing and real estate...

Read Now
+
+