13 2025 January
The Hottest Innovations and Tech from CES 2025 — Insights from the Ground
I’m very tempted to put together a “best innovations” list from the world’s largest tech trade show. I did one last year and I know...
Read Now19 2024 December
The Brilliant Entrepreneurial Lessons of a Plant Hacker Inventing New Flowers
To raise money to put himself through school and earn a biotechnology degree, Sebastian Cocioba would gather orchids that his local Home Depot had thrown...
Read Now04 2023 January
CES 2023: The 25 Non-Obvious Inventions, Technologies and Ideas To Watch
Reporting from the trade show floor at CES 2023, here are some of my picks for the most non-obvious inventions to watch and why they are so interesting.
Read Now30 2022 December
The Most Popular Non-Obvious Stories of 2022 (Based On Reader Feedback)
Based on this combination of quantitative and qualitative data, here is a partial list of some of the most popular stories of the year, based on what my readers shared.
Read Now10 2022 October
California DMV Approves Usage of Pointless Digital License Plates
The problem is, this license plate doesn’t do any of the things that drivers would actually want from a digital plate. Like changing my plate number to ...
Read Now30 2022 June
Magazines Create Empathy That Can Change the World. Here’s How To Save Them.
Unlike a lot of online content, the stories and images in magazines are usually professionally produced by real talented editors and creators. The long take they regularly offer is unique and their ability to select and publish stories that are timely without feeling outdated is a constant inspiration for me to try and do the same.
Read Now07 2020 August
Why More People Should Skip the Hustle and Take the Paycheck
Hollywood and just about any other creative industry is filled with success stories of people to took big risks to find that “performance of a...
Read Now12 2020 June
The Truth About Fake News, Virus-Killing Cars and How Twitter Might Save Social Media | Non-Obvious Insights #221
To understand the world, most of us rely on news media. The problem is, it’s hard to know what to trust. It’s an issue that...
Read Now30 2020 March
10 Futuristic Ideas Becoming Reality Faster Because Of COVID-19
For the past ten years I’ve been a collector of innovative ideas. When I write about them and interview the people behind them, I know...
Read Now06 2020 March
5 Reasons Virtual Meetings Suck (And 5 Ways To Fix Them)
With the concerns about a global health pandemic, the necessity of shifting more events and meetings to be virtual is on everyone’s mind. There’s only...
Read Now26 2019 December
5 Non-Obvious Megatrends Changing Our World In 2020
For the past ten years I have gone through an annual ritual of publishing a book about trends that describe our shifting culture and business...
Read Now28 2019 February
Digital Undertakers, On-Demand Grandkids And Other Jobs Of The Future
One of the most consistent signs of our shifting future is how quickly new jobs and industries are emerging. Even as some fear technology making...
Read Now14 2019 February
Jose Cuervo’s Tequila Train, Kim Kardashian’s Selfie Strategy and Barbie Focusing On Inclusion | Non-Obvious Insights 02.14.19
Why Jose Cuervo Wins With Its All-You-Can-Drink Tequila Train The temptation to create a “Strategic Spectacle” is popular for brands desperately chasing experiential marketing. Usually it leads to...
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