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This time Ned, Adam and Laura talk targets - and why the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS3) needs outputs, not simply outcomes. They are joined by the CEO of the Walk, Wheel, Cycle Trust (formerly Sustrans), Xavier Brice, who knows all about strategies, and delivering active transport networks.The government recently ended a consultation on CWIS3 but, frustratingly, the proposals lacked any investment or much strategy. There were no SMART targets, or any outputs, i.e. routes; simply the unachievable outcome that by 2035 walking, wheeling and cycling will be "a safe, easy and accessible option for everyone". Road Investment Strategies, by contrast, focus heavily on routes and infrastructure, so why do we treat walking, wheeling and cycling differently?Xavier Brice has been CEO of the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust since 2016. In 2007 Brice led the development of a new walking and cycling strategy for London, with Transport for London.This month Adam, Laura and Xavier Brice coordinated an open letter to the Secretary of State supporting a better CWIS3. That letter was signed by more than 50 organisations across health, active travel and beyond. It asked that central government maps a true national network of routes by 2030, and sets targets to deliver that network to a proper, accessible standard by 2050.You can read the letter here: https://bsky.app/profile/adamtranter.bsky.social/post/3m7fv3vhyks2rThe letter was covered in the Guardian by Peter Walker: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/12/drivers-cyclists-transport-policy-conservatives-culture-wars-road-safety Shortly after that, Walker interviewed transport minister, Lilian Greenwood, about the importance of 'creating a system that works for everyone': https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/dec/12/drivers-cyclists-transport-policy-conservatives-culture-wars-road-safetyLaura's Freedom of Information requests to English local authorities found just 2 per cent had used legal powers to purchase land - something that's done routinely for roads https://substack.com/home/post/p-178788505And her article on CWIS3: https://lauralaker.substack.com/p/a-cycling-and-walking-strategy-walksThe Walk, Wheel Cycle Trust has been improving the National Cycle Network (NCN). In 2023/24 1.7km of an off-road muddy track connecting the residential area of Newton, in West Doncaster, to Danum retail park, was widened (on NCN62), with seven barriers removed or redesigned, along with improved wayfinding and signage. Estimated annual usage rose by 196% according to the Walk, Wheel Cycle Trust, from 150,000 trips in 2022 to 450,000 in 2024. Pedestrian and cycling trips increased by 191% and 192% respectively, while other users increased by 270%. Another path improvement project in Redcar and Cleveland saw ten barriers removed on NCN1 and NCN68. Wheelchair user trips increased four-fold, from 200 to 800, with 100% of disabled users saying they now use the route as the most convenient option.For ad-free listening, behind-the-scenes and bonus content and to help support the podcast - head to (https://www.patreon.com/StreetsAheadPodcast). We'll even send you some stickers! We're also on Bluesky and welcome your feedback on our episode: https://bsky.app/profile/podstreetsahead.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An estimated 10,000 farmers are expected to descend on Brussels today for one of the largest Europe-wide farmer protests this century. IFA President Francie Gorman has been travelling to Brussels with his son since the start of the week and gives us an update from outside Brussels.

The number of people leaving Japan for overseas travel during the year-end and New Year holidays is projected to reach 1 million, up 31.5pctfrom a year earlier, according to a survey by JTB Corp.

Estimated reading time: 11 Minuten Im B2B-Vertrieb verkaufst du nicht "Features". Du verkaufst Klarheit, und du verkaufst Entscheidungssicherheit. Genau darum geht es hier: Bedarfsermittlung im B2B – nicht irgendwann, sondern planbar, sauber und wiederholbar. Statt nur zu hören, was der Kunde sagt, willst du verstehen, was wirklich dahintersteckt, damit du nicht am Symptom hängen bleibst. Gleichzeitig brauchst du den Blick fürs Buying Center, weil sonst der echte Entscheider unsichtbar bleibt. Und damit sind wir beim Kern: Entscheider identifizieren ist nicht „nice to have", sondern Pflicht, wenn du nicht in Endlosschleifen verkaufen willst. In meinem Gespräch mit Stephan Heinrich haben wir das auseinandergebaut und wieder zusammengesetzt. Du bekommst daraus einen Praxis-Guide, den du direkt in Discovery Calls, Qualifizierung und Angebot übernehmen kannst, sodass du weniger "Wir melden uns" hörst und mehr echte Entscheidungen auslöst. Und ja: Wir zeigen dir, wie du den Entscheider identifizieren-Job systematisch erledigst – weil gute Bedarfsermittlung genau dort gewinnt. Kundenergründung 3.0: Was sich im B2B für die Bedarfsermittlung geändert hat Viele Verkäufer machen heute denselben Fehler wie vor 15 Jahren – nur mit besserer Kamera: Sie springen zu früh in die Lösung, und oft sogar in Minute 3. Sobald PowerPoint läuft, verlierst du aber leicht die Gesprächsführung, weil der Kunde dann bewertet, während du lieferst. Genau deshalb musst du zuerst Problem und Prozess klären, und du musst frühzeitig den Entscheider identifizieren, bevor du in die Demo rutschst. Kundenergründung 3.0 akzeptiert drei harte Realitäten, und genau deshalb funktioniert sie so gut: Mehr Stakeholder: Du verkaufst selten an eine Person, sondern ans Buying Center. Mehr Risiko: Der Kunde entscheidet nicht nur für, sondern auch gegen den Status quo, und das fühlt sich intern riskant an. Mehr "No Decision": Viele Deals sterben nicht am Wettbewerb, sondern an Aufschieberitis, Unsicherheit oder fehlender Priorität. Die PowerPoint-Falle: Warum "früh präsentieren" deine Bedarfsermittlung zerstört Sobald du präsentierst, passiert Folgendes: Der Kunde lehnt sich zurück, du arbeitest, und er bewertet. Am Ende kommt dann oft der Satz: "Schicken Sie mal ein Angebot." Das klingt wie ein Kaufsignal, ist aber häufig nur ein höfliches "Ich will jetzt aus dem Call raus." Die Alternative ist simpel, aber nicht leicht: Du bleibst im Dialog, und du gräbst tiefer, damit am Ende wirklich Klarheit entsteht. Außerdem erkennst du dadurch viel früher, ob der Deal echt ist oder nur "mal schauen". Und du kannst nebenbei direkt den Entscheider identifizieren, statt später hinterherzulaufen. Bedarfsermittlung heißt heute: Entscheidung ermöglichen Der moderne Verkäufer ist nicht nur Problemlöser, sondern auch Entscheidungs-Architekt. Du hilfst dem Kunden, intern zu erklären, warum eine Veränderung nötig ist, und warum sie jetzt passieren muss. Gleichzeitig sorgst du dafür, dass die richtigen Menschen beteiligt sind, weil du sonst zwar diskutierst, aber nie abschließt – daher: Entscheider identifizieren. Warum wir etwas ändern müssen Warum wir es jetzt ändern müssen Warum wir es mit dieser Lösung ändern können Und wer dazu "Ja" sagen muss Das ist Kundenergründung 3.0. Und das ist Bedarfsermittlung, die wirklich Umsatz macht. Das wahre Problem finden: Vom Symptom zur Diagnose (Basis jeder Bedarfsermittlung) Ich nutze dafür gern ein Bild: Arzt vs. Apotheke. Der Kunde kommt rein und sagt: "Ich hab Kopfschmerzen." Wenn du jetzt direkt "Aspirin" verkaufst, bist du Apotheke, aber nicht Berater. Fragst du dagegen "Seit wann? Wo genau? Was war vorher, und was haben Sie schon probiert?", dann wirst du zum Arzt – und erst eine saubere Diagnose macht deine Bedarfsermittlung wertvoll. Für eine stabile Bedarfsermittlung brauchst du drei Ebenen, und jede Ebene baut auf der vorherigen auf: Ebene 1: Das Symptom (was der Kunde sagt) "Unsere Leads sind schlecht." "Unser Forecast wackelt." "Wir brauchen ein neues Tool." Ebene 2: Die Ursache (warum es passiert) Fehlt eine saubere Qualifizierung, oder fehlt ein gemeinsames Verständnis? Ist der Entscheidungsprozess unklar, und deshalb bleibt alles hängen? Gibt es keinen Champion, obwohl das Thema wichtig wäre? Ebene 3: Der Impact (was es kostet) Jetzt wird's spannend: Sobald du den Impact sauber machst, verändert sich das Gespräch, weil aus "nice to have" ein "müssen wir lösen" wird. Damit wird deine Bedarfsermittlung automatisch schärfer, und du hast außerdem einen klaren Aufhänger, um den Entscheider identifizieren-Part sauber anzustoßen. Fragen, die dich sofort tiefer bringen "Was passiert, wenn Sie das nicht lösen?" "Woran merken Sie das konkret – in Zahlen, Zeit oder Risiko?" "Was haben Sie bisher probiert, und warum hat's nicht gereicht?" "Wer merkt den Schaden am stärksten?" (Denn dort sitzt oft der Sponsor – und manchmal auch der echte Entscheider.) Merksatz: Bedarfsermittlung entsteht nicht durch "mehr reden", sondern durch Zusammenhänge, die der Kunde intern weitergeben kann. Schmerz in Euro: So wird Bedarfsermittlung messbar und wirksam Viele Verkäufer sind nett, und das ist grundsätzlich gut. Ohne Dringlichkeit gewinnt jedoch immer der Status quo, weshalb du in Richtung Entscheidung einen harten Schritt brauchst: Quantifizierung. Du machst keinen Druck, sondern du schaffst Klarheit, und dadurch wird auch deutlich, wer intern wirklich entscheiden muss – also: Entscheider identifizieren. Die Kosten der Nicht-Entscheidung Hilf dem Kunden nicht nur beim "Warum kaufen?", sondern auch beim "Warum NICHT warten?". Das gelingt, wenn du den Schaden greifbar machst und gleichzeitig die Logik sauber hältst: "Was kostet Sie das Problem pro Monat?" "Wie viele Stunden gehen dabei verloren, und wo genau?" "Welches Risiko tragen Sie, wenn das so bleibt?" Das Ziel ist nicht, den Kunden zu grillen, sondern ihm eine Rechnung zu geben, die er intern verwenden kann. Gute Bedarfsermittlung fühlt sich für den Kunden an wie: "Endlich versteht mich jemand." Critical Event: Warum jetzt? Wenn du Deals beschleunigen willst, brauchst du ein Ereignis, ein Datum oder einen Auslöser. Ohne dieses "Warum jetzt?" wird alles vertagt, obwohl das Problem real ist. Und wenn vertagt wird, verschwimmt fast immer auch, wer zuständig ist – deshalb: Entscheider identifizieren und Verantwortlichkeiten festzurren. "Was muss bis wann stehen – und warum genau dann?" "Was passiert, wenn Sie das Datum reißen?" "Welche internen Meilensteine hängen daran, und wer verantwortet sie?" Klärst du das nicht, bekommst du "Wir melden uns", und dann meldet sich: niemand. Preis ohne Drama: Obergrenze & Preis-Fragmentierung Viele Verkäufer trauen sich nicht über Geld zu reden, und dadurch entstehen falsche Erwartungen. Zwei saubere Wege, die Entscheidung zu erleichtern, sind: Obergrenze: Du nennst eine klare Decke (mit Pause), sodass der Kunde sofort einordnet. Beispiel: "Wenn Sie befürchtet haben, dass Sie 35.000 Euro investieren müssen: da liegen wir auf jeden Fall drunter." Fragmentierung: Du brichst den Preis auf eine verdauliche Einheit runter (pro Verkäufer/Monat oder pro Standort/Woche), damit es entscheidbar wird. Das ist keine Manipulation, sondern es reduziert Unsicherheit, und Unsicherheit ist der natürliche Feind jeder guten Bedarfsermittlung. Den echten Entscheider finden: Buying Center, Economic Buyer & Bedarfsermittlung Jetzt wird's politisch, aber im besten Sinne: Unternehmensrealität. In komplexen Deals gibt es selten "den Entscheider", sondern mehrere Rollen, und du musst sie trennen, damit deine Bedarfsermittlung nicht zur Blackbox wird. Kurz gesagt: Entscheider identifizieren ist dein Sicherheitsgurt im komplexen Vertrieb. Der Mythos "Mein Chef macht, was ich sage" Ich höre ständig: "Ich bin nah dran am Chef." Das ist gut, aber Nähe ist kein Unterschriftrecht. Wenn du nur mit Beeinflussern sprichst, bekommst du schöne Gespräche, jedoch keine Entscheidung. So fragst du den Entscheidungsprozess ab (ohne peinlich zu wirken) Diese Formulierung funktioniert fast immer, weil sie den Kunden schützt und dich gleichzeitig führt: "Damit ich Ihnen nichts Falsches baue: Wie wird so eine Entscheidung bei Ihnen typischerweise getroffen?" Danach gehst du strukturiert weiter, und zwar mit einer Decision Map, die intern tragfähig ist. Ziel: Nicht raten, sondern sauber Entscheider identifizieren: Decision Criteria: "Woran machen Sie die Auswahl fest, und was ist 'must have'?" Decision Process: "Welche Schritte kommen nach diesem Gespräch, und wann?" People: "Wer muss am Ende zustimmen – fachlich, finanziell und operativ?" Risiko: "Wer trägt den Ärger, falls es schiefgeht?" Der Entscheider-Test: Der Konditionalabschluss Jetzt kommt ein Hebel, der vielen Bauchschmerzen macht, aber brutal effektiv ist: der Konditionalabschluss. Das ist eine geschlossene Frage, weil du Klarheit willst und nicht Hoffnungen sammelst. "Wenn ich Ihnen das so zuschicke: sind wir dann auf dem Weg zur Entscheidung?" Warum ist das so stark? Weil du echte Informationen bekommst. Entweder es gibt ein Ja (mit Bedingungen), oder es gibt ein Nein (mit Gründen), und beides bringt dich weiter. Und vor allem zeigt es dir, ob du wirklich den Entscheider identifizieren-Schritt schon erledigt hast. Das Angebot als Entscheidungsdokument: "Heiratsantrag" statt PDF-Friedhof Ein Angebot ist kein Preisblatt, und es ist auch kein Roman. Es ist ein Entscheidungsdokument, das intern weitergeleitet werden kann, ohne dass du daneben sitzt. Damit das klappt, musst du vorher Problem, Impact und Rollen geklärt haben – inklusive "Entscheider identifizieren". Was in ein gutes B2B-Angebot gehört (und was nicht) Ich mag Angebote, die klar, kurz und intern verwertbar sind. Drei Bausteine reichen, wenn sie sauber sind: Ausgangslage: Was ist heute? (Symptom + Ursache, wie ihr es verstanden habt) Zielbild: Was soll danach besser sein? (Kennzahlen, Outcome, Nutzen) Hindernisse: Warum ging's bisher nicht? (Risiken, interne Blocker, fehlende Ressourcen) Erst dann kommen Lösung, Vorgehen, Investment und nächste Schritte. So wird aus Interesse eher eine Entscheidung, statt ein "Wir prüfen mal". Und ja: Eine saubere Bedarfsermittlung macht genau diesen Unterschied. Die stärkste Angebotsfrage überhaupt Wenn du nur eine Frage vor dem Angebot stellst, dann diese, weil sie alles fokussiert: "Was muss im Angebot stehen, damit Sie entscheiden können?" Damit baust du nicht dein Lieblingsangebot, sondern das Angebot, das intern durchkommt. KI-Boost: So machst du Bedarfsermittlung schneller und sauberer Fast alle Calls sind online, und das ist eine Chance, wenn du sie sauber nutzt. Mit Einwilligung kannst du Transkripte verwenden, sodass du besser zuhörst und trotzdem alles sauber dokumentierst. Gerade bei Stakeholdern hilft das, weil du Aussagen besser zuordnen kannst und schneller Entscheider identifizieren kannst. Transkript aktiv einschalten (und dadurch besser zuhören) "Ich würde gern das Transkript einschalten, damit ich Ihnen noch besser zuhören kann. Ist das für Sie okay?" Wichtig: Hol dir immer eine klare Zustimmung und beachte eure Regeln, weil Vertrauen die Basis ist. Wenn der Kunde nein sagt, ist das okay, und dann schreibst du klassisch mit. Vom Gespräch direkt ins Angebot (ohne Copy-Paste-Hölle) Mit einem sauberen Protokoll baust du in Minuten: Zusammenfassung in 7 Zeilen (Problem, Ursache, Impact, Ziel, Timeline) Decision Map (wer, wann, wie, womit) Risiken & Einwände (und wie du sie im Angebot vorweg nimmst) Das spart Zeit, und es reduziert Missverständnisse, sodass deine Bedarfsermittlung nicht nur schneller wird, sondern auch stabiler. Sales-Training als "Flugsimulator": schneller besser werden Ich liebe das Bild: Im Flugsimulator darfst du Fehler machen, während du im echten Flugzeug besser keine machst. Genau so ist Vertrieb, weshalb du Discovery und Decision Map trainieren solltest, bevor du Einwände übst. Und im Training kannst du gezielt üben, wie du den Entscheider identifizieren-Teil sauber, ruhig und ohne Druck formulierst. Quick Takeaways: Die wichtigsten Punkte zur Bedarfsermittlung Bedarfsermittlung gewinnt, wenn Problem, Impact und Entscheidungsweg glasklar sind. Geh vom Symptom zur Ursache, und mach danach den Impact in Euro, Zeit oder Risiko sichtbar. Kläre ein Critical Event, sonst gewinnt der Status quo, obwohl alle nicken. Baue eine Decision Map: Kriterien, Prozess, Rollen und Risiko-Träger. Entscheider identifizieren ist kein "später", sondern Teil der Bedarfsermittlung. Nutze den Konditionalabschluss, damit du Klarheit bekommst und nicht rätst. Mach dein Angebot zum Entscheidungsdokument, damit es intern funktioniert. Anleitung: Bedarfsermittlung im B2B in 9 Schritten (Discovery-Checkliste) So führst du Gespräche, die Problem, Impact und Entscheider sauber klären, damit eine Entscheidung möglich wird – und zwar ohne Präsentations-Falle und ohne endlose Follow-ups. Das ist Bedarfsermittlung, die im Alltag funktioniert. Eröffnung mit Erwartungsmanagement Sag kurz, wie ihr vorgeht: erst Kontext und Ziele, dann Entscheidungsweg und nächste Schritte – Demo später (wenn nötig). Symptom verstehen Lass den Kunden erzählen, und frag nach Beispielen, bevor du Lösungen ansprichst. Ursache finden Frag nach dem "Warum", und klär gleichzeitig, was bisher versucht wurde. Impact quantifizieren Euro, Zeit oder Risiko, damit Dringlichkeit entsteht und Entscheidungen logisch werden. Decision Map aufbauen Kriterien, Prozess und Rollen klären, damit du nicht rätst, sondern den Entscheider identifizieren kannst. Critical Event klären Bis wann muss was stehen, und was passiert, wenn nicht? Echten Entscheider identifizieren Frag nach Budget- und Freigaberechten, und klär, wer final "Ja" sagt. Ziel: Entscheider identifizieren statt hoffen. Entscheider-Test setzen Nutze eine klare Frage, damit du weißt, ob ihr wirklich vorankommt. Nächste Schritte verbindlich machen Termine, Verantwortliche und Deliverables festlegen, damit es nicht im Sande verläuft. FAQ: Häufige Fragen zur Bedarfsermittlung im B2B Was bedeutet Bedarfsermittlung im B2B? Bedarfsermittlung bedeutet, dass du Symptom, Ursache und Impact klärst und zusätzlich Entscheidungsweg und Rollen im Buying Center sichtbar machst, damit der Kunde intern entscheiden kann. Warum ist "Entscheider identifizieren" so wichtig? Weil viele Deals nicht am Produkt scheitern, sondern daran, dass niemand final verantwortlich ist. Wenn du den Entscheider identifizieren kannst, werden nächste Schritte klarer, und Entscheidungen fallen schneller. Wie frage ich den Entscheidungsprozess ab, ohne unangenehm zu wirken? Nutze eine Schutz-Formulierung wie: "Damit ich Ihnen nichts Falsches baue: Wie wird so eine Entscheidung bei Ihnen typischerweise getroffen?" Das wirkt professionell, weil es Klarheit schafft. Welche Fragen machen die Bedarfsermittlung besser? Fragen zu Impact und Dringlichkeit ("Was kostet das pro Monat?", "Warum jetzt?") und Fragen zur Decision Map ("Wer muss zustimmen?", "Woran wird entschieden?"). Wie nutze ich KI, ohne dass es komisch wirkt? Hol dir eine klare Zustimmung für Transkript/Mitschrift, erkläre den Nutzen ("damit ich besser zuhören kann"), und halte dich an eure Datenschutzregeln. Dann wird es normal und hilfreich.

Corporate Earnings and a Broadening Market One of the most compelling themes as we transition from 2025 into 2026 is the continued strength of corporate earnings. Estimated 12-month S&P 500 operating margins have climbed to historically impressive levels, reinforcing the idea that Corporate America remains on solid financial footing. As has been noted, a recession accompanied by positive earnings growth would be unprecedented, and that matters. Strong earnings not only support near-term market stability but also create a longer runway for continued performance. Beyond earnings strength alone, another encouraging development is the broadening of market participation. Over the last several years, market returns have been dominated by a small group of large-cap technology stocks. That concentration has been a frequent concern for investors. Encouragingly, earnings growth among the remaining 493 companies in the S&P 500 is now expected to converge with that of the so-called “Magnificent Seven.” This shift suggests that market leadership may become more balanced in 2026. If that trend continues, it could represent one of the most important investment narratives of the coming year and a meaningful opportunity as portfolios are positioned for the future. The Federal Reserve and the Flow-Through to the Economy While earnings and market breadth tell one part of the story, monetary policy remains a critical variable. The Federal Reserve recently concluded its final meeting of the year with a 25-basis-point rate cut, placing the federal funds rate in a range of 3.5% to 3.75%. More significant than the cut itself was the language used by the Fed, signaling that rates are now within a plausible estimate of neutral. In practical terms, this suggests a likely pause in rate cuts in the near term. From our perspective, that pause is a positive development. It allows time for previously implemented cuts to work their way through the economy. Short-term rates affect savers, but long-term rates, where businesses and individuals borrow, are what truly drive economic activity. One area we are watching particularly closely is the spread between the 10-year Treasury and the 30-year mortgage rate. While the U.S. government may borrow near 4%, many individuals are still borrowing at rates above 6%, creating a wider-than-average spread. Historically, that spread averages closer to 1.77%. Even without dramatic declines in Treasury yields, a return to historical norms could significantly lower mortgage rates and materially improve affordability for borrowers. A stable Fed, combined with time for rate cuts to flow through to long-term borrowing costs, could provide meaningful relief to households and businesses alike. Importantly, if the economy remains strong, with healthy earnings and resilient markets, the Fed does not need to act aggressively. In that context, a pause becomes a signal of confidence rather than concern. Greg Powell, CIMA® President and CEO Wealth Consultant Email Greg Powell here Bobby Norman, CFP®, AIF®, CEPA® Managing Director Wealth Consultant Email Bobby Norman here Trey Booth, CFA®, AIF® Chief Investment Officer Wealth Consultant Email Trey Booth here Ty Miller, AIF® Vice President Wealth Consultant Email Ty Miller here Fi Plan Partners is an independent investment firm in Birmingham, AL, with a team of professionals serving clients across the nation through financial planning, wealth management and business consulting. The team at Fi Plan Partners creates strategies in the best interest of their clients using fee based investing. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly. Economic forecasts set forth in this presentation may not develop as predicted. No strategy can ensure success or protect against a loss. Stock investing involves risk including potential loss of principal. Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC and a registered investment advisor.The post We've Never Seen… first appeared on Fi Plan Partners.

TLDR: It was Claude :-)When I set out to compare ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and ChatPRD for writing Product Requirement Documents, I figured they'd all be roughly equivalent. Maybe some subtle variations in tone or structure, but nothing earth-shattering. They're all built on similar transformer architectures, trained on massive datasets, and marketed as capable of handling complex business writing.What I discovered over 45 minutes of hands-on testing revealed not just which tools are better for PRD creation, but why they're better, and more importantly, how you should actually be using AI to accelerate your product work without sacrificing quality or strategic thinking.If you're an early or mid-career PM in Silicon Valley, this matters to you. Because here's the uncomfortable truth: your peers are already using AI to write PRDs, analyze features, and generate documentation. The question isn't whether to use these tools. The question is whether you're using the right ones most effectively.So let me walk you through exactly what I did, what I learned, and what you should do differently.The Setup: A Real-World Test CaseHere's how I structured the experiment. As I said at the beginning of my recording, “We are back in the Fireside PM podcast and I did that review of the ChatGPT browser and people seemed to like it and then I asked, uh, in a poll, I think it was a LinkedIn poll maybe, what should my next PM product review be? And, people asked for ChatPRD.”So I had my marching orders from the audience. But I wanted to make this more comprehensive than just testing ChatPRD in isolation. I opened up five tabs: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and ChatPRD.For the test case, I chose something realistic and relevant: an AI-powered tutor for high school students. Think KhanAmigo or similar edtech platforms. This gave me a concrete product scenario that's complex enough to stress-test these tools but straightforward enough that I could iterate quickly.But here's the critical part that too many PMs get wrong when they start using AI for product work: I didn't just throw a single sentence at these tools and expect magic.The “Back of the Napkin” Approach: Why You Still Need to Think“I presume everybody agrees that you should have some formulated thinking before you dump it into the chatbot for your PRD,” I noted early in my experiment. “I suppose in the future maybe you could just do, like, a one-sentence prompt and come out with the perfect PRD because it would just know everything about you and your company in the context, but for now we're gonna do this more, a little old-school AI approach where we're gonna do some original human thinking.”This is crucial. I see so many PMs, especially those newer to the field, treat AI like a magic oracle. They type in “Write me a PRD for a social feature” and then wonder why the output is generic, unfocused, and useless.Your job as a PM isn't to become obsolete. It's to become more effective. And that means doing the strategic thinking work that AI cannot do for you.So I started in Google Docs with what I call a “back of the napkin” PRD structure. Here's what I included:Why: The strategic rationale. In this case: “Want to complement our existing edtech business with a personalized AI tutor, uh, want to maintain position industry, and grow through innovation. on mission for learners.”Target User: Who are we building for? “High school students interested in improving their grades and fundamentals. Fundamental knowledge topics. Specifically science and math. Students who are not in the top ten percent, nor in the bottom ten percent.”This is key—I got specific. Not just “students,” but students in the middle 80%. Not just “any subject,” but science and math. This specificity is what separates useful AI output from garbage.Problem to Solve: What's broken? “Students want better grades. Students are impatient. Students currently use AI just for finding the answers and less to, uh, understand concepts and practice using them.”Key Elements: The feature set and approach.Success Metrics: How we'd measure success.Now, was this a perfectly polished PRD outline? Hell no. As you can see from my transcript, I was literally thinking out loud, making typos, restructuring on the fly. But that's exactly the point. I put in maybe 10-15 minutes of human strategic thinking. That's all it took to create a foundation that would dramatically improve what came out of the AI tools.Round One: Generating the Full PRDWith my back-of-the-napkin outline ready, I copied it into each tool with a simple prompt asking them to expand it into a more complete PRD.ChatGPT: The Reliable GeneralistChatGPT gave me something that was... fine. Competent. Professional. But also deeply uninspiring.The document it produced checked all the boxes. It had the sections you'd expect. The writing was clear. But when I read it, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was reading something that could have been written for literally any product in any company. It felt like “an average of everything out there,” as I noted in my evaluation.Here's what ChatGPT did well: It understood the basic structure of a PRD. It generated appropriate sections. The grammar and formatting were clean. If you needed to hand something in by EOD and had literally no time for refinement, ChatGPT would save you from complete embarrassment.But here's what it lacked: Depth. Nuance. Strategic thinking that felt connected to real product decisions. When it described the target user, it used phrases that could apply to any edtech product. When it outlined success metrics, they were the obvious ones (engagement, retention, test scores) without any interesting thinking about leading indicators or proxy metrics.The problem with generic output isn't that it's wrong, it's that it's invisible. When you're trying to get buy-in from leadership or alignment from engineering, you need your PRD to feel specific, considered, and connected to your company's actual strategy. ChatGPT's output felt like it was written by someone who'd read a lot of PRDs but never actually shipped a product.One specific example: When I asked for success metrics, ChatGPT gave me “Student engagement rate, Time spent on platform, Test score improvement.” These aren't wrong, but they're lazy. They don't show any thinking about what specifically matters for an AI tutor versus any other educational product. Compare that to Claude's output, which got more specific about things like “concept mastery rate” and “question-to-understanding ratio.”Actionable Insight: Use ChatGPT when you need fast, serviceable documentation that doesn't need to be exceptional. Think: internal updates, status reports, routine communications. Don't rely on it for strategic documents where differentiation matters. If you do use ChatGPT for important documents, treat its output as a starting point that needs significant human refinement to add strategic depth and company-specific context.Gemini: Better Than ExpectedGoogle's Gemini actually impressed me more than I anticipated. The structure was solid, and it had a nice balance of detail without being overwhelming.What Gemini got right: The writing had a nice flow to it. The document felt organized and logical. It did a better job than ChatGPT at providing specific examples and thinking through edge cases. For instance, when describing the target user, it went beyond demographics to consider behavioral characteristics and motivations.Gemini also showed some interesting strategic thinking. It considered competitive positioning more thoughtfully than ChatGPT and proposed some differentiation angles that weren't in my original outline. Good AI tools should add insight, not just regurgitate your input with better formatting.But here's where it fell short: the visual elements. When I asked for mockups, Gemini produced images that looked more like stock photos than actual product designs. They weren't terrible, but they weren't compelling either. They had that AI-generated sheen that makes it obvious they came from an image model rather than a designer's brain.For a PRD that you're going to use internally with a team that already understands the context, Gemini's output would work well. The text quality is strong enough, and if you're in the Google ecosystem (Docs, Sheets, Meet, etc.), the integration is seamless. You can paste Gemini's output directly into Google Docs and continue iterating there.But if you need to create something compelling enough to win over skeptics or secure budget, Gemini falls just short. It's good, but not great. It's the solid B+ student: reliably competent but rarely exceptional.Actionable Insight: Gemini is a strong choice if you're working in the Google ecosystem and need good integration with Docs, Sheets, and other Google Workspace tools. The quality is sufficient for most internal documentation needs. It's particularly good if you're working with cross-functional partners who are already in Google Workspace. You can share and collaborate on AI-generated drafts without friction. But don't expect visual mockups that will wow anyone, and plan to add your own strategic polish for high-stakes documents.Grok: Not Ready for Prime TimeLet's just say my expectations were low, and Grok still managed to underdeliver. The PRD felt thin, generic, and lacked the depth you need for real product work.“I don't have high expectations for grok, unfortunately,” I said before testing it. Spoiler alert: my low expectations were validated.Actionable Insight: Skip Grok for product documentation work right now. Maybe it'll improve, but as of my testing, it's simply not competitive with the other options. It felt like 1-2 years behind the others.ChatPRD: The Specialized ToolNow this was interesting. ChatPRD is purpose-built for PRDs, using foundational models underneath but with specific tuning and structure for product documentation.The result? The structure was logical, the depth was appropriate, and it included elements that showed understanding of what actually matters in a PRD. As I reflected: “Cause this one feels like, A human wrote this PRD.”The interface guides you through the process more deliberately than just dumping text into a general chat interface. It asks clarifying questions. It structures the output more thoughtfully.Actionable Insight: If you're a technical lead without a dedicated PM, or you're a PM who wants a more structured approach to using AI for PRDs, ChatPRD is worth the specialized focus. It's particularly good when you need something that feels authentic enough to share with stakeholders without heavy editing.Claude: The Clear WinnerBut the standout performer, and I'm ranking these, was Claude.“I think we know that for now, I'm gonna say Claude did the best job,” I concluded after all the testing. Claude produced the most comprehensive, thoughtful, and strategically sound PRD. But what really set it apart were the concept mocks.When I asked each tool to generate visual mockups of the product, Claude produced HTML prototypes that, while not fully functional, looked genuinely compelling. They had thoughtful UI design, clear information architecture, and felt like something that could actually guide development.“They were, like, closer to, like, what a Lovable would produce or something like that,” I noted, referring to the quality of low-fidelity prototypes that good designers create.The text quality was also superior: more nuanced, better structured, and with more strategic depth. It felt like Claude understood not just what a PRD should contain, but why it should contain those elements.Actionable Insight: For any PRD that matters, meaning anything you'll share with leadership, use to get buy-in, or guide actual product development, you might as well start with Claude. The quality difference is significant enough that it's worth using Claude even if you primarily use another tool for other tasks.Final Rankings: The Definitive HierarchyAfter testing all five tools on multiple dimensions: initial PRD generation, visual mockups, and even crafting a pitch paragraph for a skeptical VP of Engineering, here's my final ranking:* Claude - Best overall quality, most compelling mockups, strongest strategic thinking* ChatPRD - Best for structured PRD creation, feels most “human”* Gemini - Solid all-around performance, good Google integration* ChatGPT - Reliable but generic, lacks differentiation* Grok - Not competitive for this use case“I'd probably say Claude, then chat PRD, then Gemini, then chat GPT, and then Grock,” I concluded.The Deeper Lesson: Garbage In, Garbage Out (Still Applies)But here's what matters more than which tool wins: the realization that hit me partway through this experiment.“I think it really does come down to, like, you know, the quality of the prompt,” I observed. “So if our prompt were a little more detailed, all that were more thought-through, then I'm sure the output would have been better. But as you can see we didn't really put in brain trust prompting here. Just a little bit of, kind of hand-wavy prompting, but a little better than just one or two sentences.”And we still got pretty good results.This is the meta-insight that should change how you approach AI tools in your product work: The quality of your input determines the quality of your output, but the baseline quality of the tool determines the ceiling of what's possible.No amount of great prompting will make Grok produce Claude-level output. But even mediocre prompting with Claude will beat great prompting with lesser tools.So the dual strategy is:* Use the best tool available (currently Claude for PRDs)* Invest in improving your prompting skills ideally with as much original and insightful human, company aware, and context aware thinking as possible.Real-World Workflows: How to Actually Use This in Your Day-to-Day PM WorkTheory is great. Here's how to incorporate these insights into your actual product management workflows.The Weekly Sprint Planning WorkflowEvery PM I know spends hours each week preparing for sprint planning. You need to refine user stories, clarify acceptance criteria, anticipate engineering questions, and align with design and data science. AI can compress this work significantly.Here's an example workflow:Monday morning (30 minutes):* Review upcoming priorities and open your rough notes/outline in Google Docs* Open Claude and paste your outline with this prompt:“I'm preparing for sprint planning. Based on these priorities [paste notes], generate detailed user stories with acceptance criteria. Format each as: User story, Business context, Technical considerations, Acceptance criteria, Dependencies, Open questions.”Monday afternoon (20 minutes):* Review Claude's output critically* Identify gaps, unclear requirements, or missing context* Follow up with targeted prompts:“The user story about authentication is too vague. Break it down into separate stories for: social login, email/password, session management, and password reset. For each, specify security requirements and edge cases.”Tuesday morning (15 minutes):* Generate mockups for any UI-heavy stories:“Create an HTML mockup for the login flow showing: landing page, social login options, email/password form, error states, and success redirect.”* Even if the HTML doesn't work perfectly, it gives your designers a starting pointBefore sprint planning (10 minutes):* Ask Claude to anticipate engineering questions:“Review these user stories as if you're a senior engineer. What questions would you ask? What concerns would you raise about technical feasibility, dependencies, or edge cases?”* This preparation makes you look thoughtful and helps the meeting run smoothlyTotal time investment: ~75 minutes. Typical time saved: 3-4 hours compared to doing this manually.The Stakeholder Alignment WorkflowGetting alignment from multiple stakeholders (product leadership, engineering, design, data science, legal, marketing) is one of the hardest parts of PM work. AI can help you think through different stakeholder perspectives and craft compelling communications for each.Here's how:Step 1: Map your stakeholders (10 minutes)Create a quick table in a doc:Stakeholder | Primary Concern | Decision Criteria | Likely Objections VP Product | Strategic fit, ROI | Company OKRs, market opportunity | Resource allocation vs other priorities VP Eng | Technical risk, capacity | Engineering capacity, tech debt | Complexity, unclear requirements Design Lead | User experience | User research, design principles | Timeline doesn't allow proper design process Legal | Compliance, risk | Regulatory requirements | Data privacy, user consent flowsStep 2: Generate stakeholder-specific communications (20 minutes)For each key stakeholder, ask Claude:“I need to pitch this product idea to [Stakeholder]. Based on this PRD, create a 1-page brief addressing their primary concern of [concern from your table]. Open with the specific value for them, address their likely objection of [objection], and close with a clear ask. Tone should be [professional/technical/strategic] based on their role.”Then you'll have customized one-pagers for your pre-meetings with each stakeholder, dramatically increasing your alignment rate.Step 3: Synthesize feedback (15 minutes)After gathering stakeholder input, ask Claude to help you synthesize:“I got the following feedback from stakeholders: [paste feedback]. Identify: (1) Common themes, (2) Conflicting requirements, (3) Legitimate concerns vs organizational politics, (4) Recommended compromises that might satisfy multiple parties.”This pattern-matching across stakeholder feedback is something AI does really well and saves you hours of mental processing.The Quarterly Planning WorkflowQuarterly or annual planning is where product strategy gets real. You need to synthesize market trends, customer feedback, technical capabilities, and business objectives into a coherent roadmap. AI can accelerate this dramatically.Six weeks before planning:* Start collecting input (customer interviews, market research, competitive analysis, engineering feedback)* Don't wait until the last minuteFour weeks before planning:Dump everything into Claude with this structure:“I'm creating our Q2 roadmap. Context:* Business objectives: [paste from leadership]* Customer feedback themes: [paste synthesis]* Technical capabilities/constraints: [paste from engineering]* Competitive landscape: [paste analysis]* Current product gaps: [paste from your analysis]Generate 5 strategic themes that could anchor our Q2 roadmap. For each theme:* Strategic rationale (how it connects to business objectives)* Key initiatives (2-3 major features/projects)* Success metrics* Resource requirements (rough estimate)* Risks and mitigations* Customer segments addressed”This gives you a strategic framework to react to rather than starting from a blank page.Three weeks before planning:Iterate on the most promising themes:“Deep dive on Theme 3. Generate:* Detailed initiative breakdown* Dependencies on platform/infrastructure* Phasing options (MVP vs full build)* Go-to-market considerations* Data requirements* Open questions requiring research”Two weeks before planning:Pressure-test your thinking:“Play devil's advocate on this roadmap. What are the strongest arguments against each initiative? What am I likely missing? What failure modes should I plan for?”This adversarial prompting forces you to strengthen weak points before your leadership reviews it.One week before planning:Generate your presentation:“Create an executive presentation for this roadmap. Structure: (1) Market context and strategic imperative, (2) Q2 themes and initiatives, (3) Expected outcomes and metrics, (4) Resource requirements, (5) Key risks and mitigations, (6) Success criteria for decision. Make it compelling but data-driven. Tone: confident but not overselling.”Then add your company-specific context, visual brand, and personal voice.The Customer Research WorkflowAI can't replace talking to customers, but it can help you prepare better questions, analyze feedback more systematically, and identify patterns faster.Before customer interviews:“I'm interviewing customers about [topic]. Generate:* 10 open-ended questions that avoid leading the witness* 5 follow-up questions for each main question* Common cognitive biases I should watch for* A framework for categorizing responses”This prep work helps you conduct better interviews.After interviews:“I conducted 15 customer interviews. Here are the key quotes: [paste anonymized quotes]. Identify:* Recurring themes and patterns* Surprising insights that contradict our assumptions* Segments with different needs* Implied needs customers didn't articulate directly* Recommended next steps for validation”AI is excellent at pattern-matching across qualitative data at scale.The Crisis Management WorkflowSomething broke. The site is down. Data was lost. A feature shipped with a critical bug. You need to move fast.Immediate response (5 minutes):“Critical incident. Details: [brief description]. Generate:* Incident classification (Sev 1-4)* Immediate stakeholders to notify* Draft customer communication (honest, apologetic, specific about what happened and what we're doing)* Draft internal communication for leadership* Key questions to ask engineering during investigation”Having these drafted in 5 minutes lets you focus on coordination and decision-making rather than wordsmithing.Post-incident (30 minutes):“Write a post-mortem based on this incident timeline: [paste timeline]. Include:* What happened (technical details)* Root cause analysis* Impact quantification (users affected, revenue impact, time to resolution)* What went well in our response* What could have been better* Specific action items with owners and deadlines* Process changes to prevent recurrence Tone: Blameless, focused on learning and improvement.”This gives you a strong first draft to refine with your team.Common Pitfalls: What Not to Do with AI in Product ManagementNow let's talk about the mistakes I see PMs making with AI tools. Pitfall #1: Treating AI Output as FinalThe biggest mistake is copy-pasting AI output directly into your PRD, roadmap presentation, or stakeholder email without critical review.The result? Documents that are grammatically perfect but strategically shallow. Presentations that sound impressive but don't hold up under questioning. Emails that are professionally worded but miss the subtext of organizational politics.The fix: Always ask yourself:* Does this reflect my actual strategic thinking, or generic best practices?* Would my CEO/engineering lead/biggest customer find this compelling and specific?* Are there company-specific details, customer insights, or technical constraints that only I know?* Does this sound like me, or like a robot?Add those elements. That's where your value as a PM comes through.Pitfall #2: Using AI as a Crutch Instead of a ToolSome PMs use AI because they don't want to think deeply about the product. They're looking for AI to do the hard work of strategy, prioritization, and trade-off analysis.This never works. AI can help you think more systematically, but it can't replace thinking.If you find yourself using AI to avoid wrestling with hard questions (”Should we build X or Y?” “What's our actual competitive advantage?” “Why would customers switch from the incumbent?”), you're using it wrong.The fix: Use AI to explore options, not to make decisions. Generate three alternatives, pressure-test each one, then use your judgment to decide. The AI can help you think through implications, but you're still the one choosing.Pitfall #3: Not IteratingGetting mediocre AI output and just accepting it is a waste of the technology's potential.The PMs who get exceptional results from AI are the ones who iterate. They generate an initial response, identify what's weak or missing, and ask follow-up questions. They might go through 5-10 iterations on a key section of a PRD.Each iteration is quick (30 seconds to type a follow-up prompt, 30 seconds to read the response), but the cumulative effect is dramatically better output.The fix: Budget time for iteration. Don't try to generate a complete, polished PRD in one prompt. Instead, generate a rough draft, then spend 30 minutes iterating on specific sections that matter most.Pitfall #4: Ignoring the Political and Human ContextAI tools have no understanding of organizational politics, interpersonal relationships, or the specific humans you're working with.They don't know that your VP of Engineering is burned out and skeptical of any new initiatives. They don't know that your CEO has a personal obsession with a specific competitor. They don't know that your lead designer is sensitive about not being included early enough in the process.If you use AI-generated communications without layering in this human context, you'll create perfectly worded documents that land badly because they miss the subtext.The fix: After generating AI content, explicitly ask yourself: “What human context am I missing? What relationships do I need to consider? What political dynamics are in play?” Then modify the AI output accordingly.Pitfall #5: Over-Relying on a Single ToolDifferent AI tools have different strengths. Claude is great for strategic depth, ChatPRD is great for structure, Gemini integrates well with Google Workspace.If you only ever use one tool, you're missing opportunities to leverage different strengths for different tasks.The fix: Keep 2-3 tools in your toolkit. Use Claude for important PRDs and strategic documents. Use Gemini for quick internal documentation that needs to integrate with Google Docs. Use ChatPRD when you want more guided structure. Match the tool to the task.Pitfall #6: Not Fact-Checking AI OutputAI tools hallucinate. They make up statistics, misrepresent competitors, and confidently state things that aren't true. If you include those hallucinations in a PRD that goes to leadership, you look incompetent.The fix: Fact-check everything, especially:* Statistics and market data* Competitive feature claims* Technical capabilities and limitations* Regulatory and compliance requirementsIf the AI cites a number or makes a factual claim, verify it independently before including it in your document.The Meta-Skill: Prompt Engineering for PMsLet's zoom out and talk about the underlying skill that makes all of this work: prompt engineering.This is a real skill. The difference between a mediocre prompt and a great prompt can be 10x difference in output quality. And unlike coding or design, where there's a steep learning curve, prompt engineering is something you can get good at quickly.Principle 1: Provide Context Before InstructionsBad prompt:“Write a PRD for an AI tutor”Good prompt:“I'm a PM at an edtech company with 2M users, primarily high school students. We're exploring an AI tutor feature to complement our existing video content library and practice problems. Our main competitors are Khan Academy and Course Hero. Our differentiation is personalized learning paths based on student performance data.Write a PRD for an AI tutor feature targeting students in the middle 80% academically who struggle with science and math.”The second prompt gives Claude the context it needs to generate something specific and strategic rather than generic.Principle 2: Specify Format and ConstraintsBad prompt:“Generate success metrics”Good prompt:“Generate 5-7 success metrics for this feature. Include a mix of:* Leading indicators (early signals of success)* Lagging indicators (definitive success measures)* User behavior metrics* Business impact metricsFor each metric, specify: name, definition, target value, measurement method, and why it matters.”The structure you provide shapes the structure you get back.Principle 3: Ask for Multiple OptionsBad prompt:“What should our Q2 priorities be?”Good prompt:“Generate 3 different strategic approaches for Q2:* Option A: Focus on user acquisition* Option B: Focus on engagement and retention* Option C: Focus on monetizationFor each option, detail: key initiatives, expected outcomes, resource requirements, risks, and recommendation for or against.”Asking for multiple options forces the AI (and forces you) to think through trade-offs systematically.Principle 4: Specify Audience and ToneBad prompt:“Summarize this PRD”Good prompt:“Create a 1-paragraph summary of this PRD for our skeptical VP of Engineering. Tone: Technical, concise, addresses engineering concerns upfront. Focus on: technical architecture, resource requirements, risks, and expected engineering effort. Avoid marketing language.”The audience and tone specification ensures the output will actually work for your intended use.Principle 5: Use Iterative RefinementDon't try to get perfect output in one prompt. Instead:First prompt: Generate rough draft Second prompt: “This is too generic. Add specific examples from [our company context].” Third prompt: “The technical section is weak. Expand with architecture details and dependencies.” Fourth prompt: “Good. Now make it 30% more concise while keeping the key details.”Each iteration improves the output incrementally.Let me break down the prompting approach that worked in this experiment, because this is immediately actionable for your work tomorrow.Strategy 1: The Structured Outline ApproachDon't go from zero to full PRD in one prompt. Instead:* Start with strategic thinking - Spend 10-15 minutes outlining why you're building this, who it's for, and what problem it solves* Get specific - Don't say “users,” say “high school students in the middle 80% of academic performance”* Include constraints - Budget, timeline, technical limitations, competitive landscape* Dump your outline into the AI - Now ask it to expand into a full PRD* Iterate section by section - Don't try to perfect everything at onceThis is exactly what I did in my experiment, and even with my somewhat sloppy outline, the results were dramatically better than they would have been with a single-sentence prompt.Strategy 2: The Comparative Analysis PatternOne technique I used that worked particularly well: asking each tool to do the same specific task and comparing results.For example, I asked all five tools: “Please compose a one paragraph exact summary I can share over DM with a highly influential VP of engineering who is generally a skeptic but super smart.”This forced each tool to synthesize the entire PRD into a compelling pitch while accounting for a specific, challenging audience. The variation in quality was revealing—and it gave me multiple options to choose from or blend together.Actionable tip: When you need something critical (a pitch, an executive summary, a key decision framework), generate it with 2-3 different AI tools and take the best elements from each. This “ensemble approach” often produces better results than any single tool.Strategy 3: The Iterative Refinement LoopDon't treat the AI output as final. Use it as a first draft that you then refine through conversation with the AI.After getting the initial PRD, I could have asked follow-up questions like:* “What's missing from this PRD?”* “How would you strengthen the success metrics section?”* “Generate 3 alternative approaches to the core feature set”Each iteration improves the output and, more importantly, forces me to think more deeply about the product.What This Means for Your CareerIf you're an early or mid-career PM reading this, you might be thinking: “Great, so AI can write PRDs now. Am I becoming obsolete?”Absolutely not. But your role is evolving, and understanding that evolution is critical.The PMs who will thrive in the AI era are those who:* Excel at strategic thinking - AI can generate options, but you need to know which options align with company strategy, customer needs, and technical feasibility* Master the art of prompting - This is a genuine skill that separates mediocre AI users from exceptional ones* Know when to use AI and when not to - Some aspects of product work benefit enormously from AI. Others (user interviews, stakeholder negotiation, cross-functional relationship building) require human judgment and empathy* Can evaluate AI output critically - You need to spot the hallucinations, the generic fluff, and the strategic misalignments that AI inevitably producesThink of AI tools as incredibly capable interns. They can produce impressive work quickly, but they need direction, oversight, and strategic guidance. Your job is to provide that guidance while leveraging their speed and breadth.The Real-World Application: What to Do Monday MorningLet's get tactical. Here's exactly how to apply these insights to your actual product work:For Your Next PRD:* Block 30 minutes for strategic thinking - Write your back-of-the-napkin outline in Google Docs or your tool of choice* Open Claude (or ChatPRD if you want more structure)* Copy your outline with this prompt:“I'm a product manager at [company] working on [product area]. I need to create a comprehensive PRD based on this outline. Please expand this into a complete PRD with the following sections: [list your preferred sections]. Make it detailed enough for engineering to start breaking down into user stories, but concise enough for leadership to read in 15 minutes. [Paste your outline]”* Review the output critically - Look for generic statements, missing details, or strategic misalignments* Iterate on specific sections:“The success metrics section is too vague. Please provide 3-5 specific, measurable KPIs with target values and explanation of why these metrics matter.”* Generate supporting materials:“Create a visual mockup of the core user flow showing the key interaction points.”* Synthesize the best elements - Don't just copy-paste the AI output. Use it as raw material that you shape into your final documentFor Stakeholder Communication:When you need to pitch something to leadership or engineering:* Generate 3 versions of your pitch using different tools (Claude, ChatPRD, and one other)* Compare them for:* Clarity and conciseness* Strategic framing* Compelling value proposition* Addressing likely objections* Blend the best elements into your final version* Add your personal voice - This is crucial. AI output often lacks personality and specific company context. Add that yourself.For Feature Prioritization:AI tools can help you think through trade-offs more systematically:“I'm deciding between three features for our next release: [Feature A], [Feature B], and [Feature C]. For each feature, analyze: (1) Estimated engineering effort, (2) Expected user impact, (3) Strategic alignment with making our platform the go-to solution for [your market], (4) Risk factors. Then recommend a prioritization with rationale.”This doesn't replace your judgment, but it forces you to think through each dimension systematically and often surfaces considerations you hadn't thought of.The Uncomfortable Truth About AI and Product ManagementLet me be direct about something that makes many PMs uncomfortable: AI will make some PM skills less valuable while making others more valuable.Less valuable:* Writing boilerplate documentation* Creating standard frameworks and templates* Generating routine status updates* Synthesizing information from existing sourcesMore valuable:* Strategic product vision and roadmapping* Deep customer empathy and insight generation* Cross-functional leadership and influence* Critical evaluation of options and trade-offs* Creative problem-solving for novel situationsIf your PM role primarily involves the first category of tasks, you should be concerned. But if you're focused on the second category while leveraging AI for the first, you're going to be exponentially more effective than your peers who resist these tools.The PMs I see succeeding aren't those who can write the best PRD manually. They're those who can write the best PRD with AI assistance in one-tenth the time, then use the saved time to talk to more customers, think more deeply about strategy, and build stronger cross-functional relationships.Advanced Techniques: Beyond Basic PRD GenerationOnce you've mastered the basics, here are some advanced applications I've found valuable:Competitive Analysis at Scale“Research our top 5 competitors in [market]. For each one, analyze: their core value proposition, key features, pricing strategy, target customer, and likely product roadmap based on recent releases and job postings. Create a comparison matrix showing where we have advantages and gaps.”Then use web search tools in Claude or Perplexity to fact-check and expand the analysis.Scenario Planning“We're considering three strategic directions for our product: [Direction A], [Direction B], [Direction C]. For each direction, map out: likely customer adoption curve, required technical investments, competitive positioning in 12 months, and potential pivots if the hypothesis proves wrong. Then identify the highest-risk assumptions we should test first for each direction.”This kind of structured scenario thinking is exactly what AI excels at—generating multiple well-reasoned perspectives quickly.User Story GenerationAfter your PRD is solid:“Based on this PRD, generate a complete set of user stories following the format ‘As a [user type], I want to [action] so that [benefit].' Include acceptance criteria for each story. Organize them into epics by functional area.”This can save your engineering team hours of grooming meetings.The Tools Will Keep Evolving. Your Process Shouldn'tHere's something important to remember: by the time you read this, the specific rankings might have shifted. Maybe ChatGPT-5 has leapfrogged Claude. Maybe a new specialized tool has emerged.But the core principles won't change:* Do strategic thinking before touching AI* Use the best tool available for your specific task* Iterate and refine rather than accepting first outputs* Blend AI capabilities with human judgment* Focus your time on the uniquely human aspects of product managementThe specific tools matter less than your process for using them effectively.A Final Experiment: The Skeptical VP TestI want to share one more insight from my testing that I think is particularly relevant for early and mid-career PMs.Toward the end of my experiment, I gave each tool this prompt: “Please compose a one paragraph exact summary I can share over DM with a highly influential VP of engineering who is generally a skeptic but super smart.”This is such a realistic scenario. How many times have you needed to pitch an idea to a skeptical technical leader via Slack or email? Someone who's brilliant, who's seen a thousand product ideas fail, and who can spot b******t from a mile away?The quality variation in the responses was fascinating. ChatGPT gave me something that felt generic and safe. Gemini was better but still a bit too enthusiastic. Grok was... well, Grok.But Claude and ChatPRD both produced messages that felt authentic, technically credible, and appropriately confident without being overselling. They acknowledged the engineering challenges while framing the opportunity compellingly.The lesson: When the stakes are high and the audience is sophisticated, the quality of your AI tool matters even more. That skeptical VP can tell the difference between a carefully crafted message and AI-generated fluff. So can your CEO. So can your biggest customers.Use the best tools available, but more importantly, always add your own strategic thinking and authentic voice on top.Questions to Consider: A Framework for Your Own ExperimentsAs I wrapped up my Loom, I posed some questions to the audience that I'll pose to you:“Let me know in the comments, if you do your PRDs using AI differently, do you start with back of the envelope? Do you say, oh no, I just start with one sentence, and then I let the chatbot refine it with me? Or do you go way more detailed and then use the chatbot to kind of pressure test it?”These aren't rhetorical questions. Your answer reveals your approach to AI-augmented product work, and different approaches work for different people and contexts.For early-career PMs: I'd recommend starting with more detailed outlines. The discipline of thinking through your product strategy before touching AI will make you a stronger PM. You can always compress that process later as you get more experienced.For mid-career PMs: Experiment with different approaches for different types of documents. Maybe you do detailed outlines for major feature PRDs but use more iterative AI-assisted refinement for smaller features or updates. Find what optimizes your personal productivity while maintaining quality.For senior PMs and product leaders: Consider how AI changes what you should expect from your PM team. Should you be reviewing more AI-generated first drafts and spending more time on strategic guidance? Should you be training your team on effective AI usage? These are leadership questions worth grappling with.The Path Forward: Continuous ExperimentationMy experiment with these five AI tools took 45 minutes. But I'm not done experimenting.The field of AI-assisted product management is evolving rapidly. New tools launch monthly. Existing tools get smarter weekly. Prompting techniques that work today might be obsolete in three months.Your job, if you want to stay at the forefront of product management, is to continuously experiment. Try new tools. Share what works with your peers. Build a personal knowledge base of effective prompts and workflows. And be generous with what you learn. The PM community gets stronger when we share insights rather than hoarding them.That's why I created this Loom and why I'm writing this post. Not because I have all the answers, but because I'm figuring it out in real-time and want to share the journey.A Personal Note on Coaching and ConsultingIf this kind of practical advice resonates with you, I'm happy to work with you directly.Through my pm coaching practice, I offer 1:1 executive, career, and product coaching for PMs and product leaders. We can dig into your specific challenges: whether that's leveling up your AI workflows, navigating a career transition, or developing your strategic product thinking.I also work with companies (usually startups or incubation teams) on product strategy, helping teams figure out PMF for new explorations and improving their product management function.The format is flexible. Some clients want ongoing coaching, others prefer project-based consulting, and some just want a strategic sounding board for a specific decision. Whatever works for you.Reach out through tomleungcoaching.com if you're interested in working together.OK. Enough pontificating. Let's ship greatness. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firesidepm.substack.com

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes Fixed the transition for "Deep Into The Night" and smoothed out other transitions for flow. Party Favorz Holiday Edition 2025: Sleigh the Night Party Favorz returns with our annual Holiday Edition 2025 Circuit Anthems, a high-energy release built on Tribal House beats and peak-hour momentum that sleighs the night from start to finish. This year's Holiday Edition is designed to keep the party moving long after the lights go out, delivering a powerful blend of modern circuit anthems and driving tribal rhythms. As always, this release reflects what Party Favorz does best: staying ahead of the curve while honoring the tracks and artists that move dance floors worldwide. A Stacked Roster of Circuit and Tribal Heavyweights Holiday Edition 2025 features an impressive lineup of DJs and producers who continue to shape the modern circuit and tribal sound. You'll hear standout contributions from Danny Verde, Dario Xavier, Leanh, José Spinnin Cortes, Edson Pride, Dirty Disco, Heriqmoraes, Eick Ibiza, Guy Scheiman, Nick Harvey, and many more. Each artist brings their own signature energy, but together they form a cohesive journey that balances relentless rhythm with emotional lift. This is the kind of set built for packed dance floors, late-night sessions, and hands-in-the-air moments that don't fade once the night peaks. Holiday Edition 2024: Tribal Beats To Sleigh Your Holidays [Updated] The Party Favorz Annual Fundraiser and Other News I Need Your Help Putting on the Brakes! Holiday Edition 2009 Volume 1 Classic Songs, Reimagined for Today's Dance Floor One of the defining strengths of Holiday Edition 2025 is how it bridges generations of dance music. Several iconic songs are reworked into modern club weapons while preserving the heart that made them classics in the first place. Robyn's “With Every Heartbeat” gets a fresh and emotional update courtesy of Manuel De Diego, GSP, and Nalaya, giving the track new life within a circuit framework. The Temper Trap's “Sweet Disposition” is beautifully retold by Leanh, Nikki Valentine, and Pedro Arms, transforming an indie staple into a soaring club moment. Nick Harvey teams up with Audrey Callahan on the powerful anthem “No More Heartache,” delivering one of the set's most emotionally charged highlights. Meanwhile, ADÉLA's breakthrough track “SexOnTheBeat” brings a sharp, contemporary edge that fits seamlessly alongside the more familiar reworks. You'll also hear major crowd favorites like “Man I Need” by Olivia Dean, the enduring classic “Happiness” by Alexis Jordan, “Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera, and Taylor Swift's latest “The Fate of Ophelia,” all woven into the mix with purpose and precision. A Smart Whitney Tribute That Hits Hard One of the most talked-about moments in the set is the clever reimagining of Whitney Houston's “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Reworked as a duet featuring the talented Calum Scott and remixed by Dirty Disco, this version strikes the perfect balance between nostalgia and modern circuit intensity. It's respectful. It's uplifting. And it's guaranteed to send hands into the air when it hits its stride. The Final Remix Drop Before Year-End Rankings Holiday Edition 2025 marks our final release of new remixes before shifting focus to our annual roundup of the Top Dance Songs of the Year. That series will begin rolling out in the final weeks of December, with the goal of wrapping everything up before New Year's Eve. If timing pushes beyond that window, the remaining installments will follow shortly after January 1st. Either way, the countdown is on. Behind the Scenes: Rising Costs and Continued Commitment It's been a challenging year behind the scenes, but the commitment to delivering quality never wavered. Producing Holiday Edition 2025 alone cost over $80, up significantly from the usual $50 average for previous circuit sets. Jingle Electric came in at $50 as well, largely due to artists and producers holding back tracks from DJ services for extended periods. Despite rising costs, Party Favorz continues to prioritize timely releases. Instead of waiting for tracks to become mainstream hits, we focus on delivering music as it's released, spotlighting songs we believe will dominate dance floors in the months ahead. Looking Ahead to 2026 and Beyond As we move into 2026, Party Favorz will continue its run of the latest dance club hits, paired with thoughtfully reworked classics. Long-standing series like BackSpin remain a key part of the lineup, and we're also planning to expand the long-overdue Legacy series, highlighting DJs who helped shape the dance music scene and whose influence still resonates today. The mission remains the same: respect the past, spotlight the present, and keep pushing forward. Supporting Party Favorz If you're enjoying these releases and haven't yet contributed, please consider supporting Party Favorz with a one-time donation or, even better, a small recurring donation of $5 per month. Those modest monthly contributions make a real difference in offsetting ongoing production costs and help ensure the podcast can continue delivering high-quality sets year-round. That's all for now. I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. We'll be back shortly with our Top Dance Songs of the Year countdown. Until the next time...ENJOY! Album: Holiday Edition 2025Genre: Circuit, Tribal, HouseYear: 2025Total Time: 02:42:29 Dicheeko & Dinardo (US) - Nightlife (Original Mix) Katseye - Gabriela (Danny Verde Remix) Nacho Chapado & The Voice - Tribal Deep House (Original Mix) Daddies Home! - Like You (Club Mix) Manuel De Diego, GSP & Nalaya - With Every Heartbeat (Extended Mix) Ariana Grande - Santa Tell Me (Dario Xavier 2K25 Club Remix) Leanh, Nikki Valentine & Pedro Arms - Sweet Disposition (Tribal Remix Extended Mix) Bruno Pacheco - Riding High (Original Mix) Jose Cortes (MX) feat. Lurimba - Tierra Y Mar (Jose Spinnin Cortes Tribal Remix) The Perry Twins feat. Niki Haris - Bad Bad Boy (Edson Pride Circuit Remix) Maycon Reis & Studio 40 - Help Me Find Love (Extended Mix) Nick Harvey feat. Audrey Callahan - No More Heartache (Joe Carrano Anthem Mix) Nick Harvey feat. Nimiwari - Been A Long Time (Joe Carrano Main Mix) Callum Scott & Whitney Houston - I Want To Dance With Somebody (Dirty Disco Mainroom Remix) Felipe Accioly - Do You Wanna Taste Me Raw (Henriqmoraes Tribal Mix) Velarde, Luque & Vitti feat. Giovanna - Serious Emotions (Nacho Chapado & Ivan Gomez Remix) ADÉLA - SexOnTheBeat (HenriqMoraes Mix) Carmit x Hector Fonseca - Voodoo (Erick Ibiza Remix) Olivia Dean - Man I Need (Dario Xavier Club Remix) Maxxie LaWow - Shero (Dirty Disco Rainbow Remix) MASCFISH feat. Dyaman Noir - Bitch Like This (Andy Alder & Russ Rich Extened Remix) Dirty Disco - Music Lifts Me Up (Dirty Disco Private Remix) Niki Haris, Donna De Lory & Tracy Young, - WATR (Jose Spinnin Cortes Remix) Lori Michaels - Show Off (Henriq Moraes Big Room Club Mix) Alexis Jordan - Happiness (Ivan Barres Remix) Christina Aguilera - Genie In A Bottle (Pimentew vs. Akadah Mashup) James Hype - Don't Wake Me Up (Brian Solis Remix) Guy Scheiman - Your Love (Extended Mix) Guy Scheiman - Sanctum (Extended Mix) Taylor Swift - The Fate Of Ophelia (Henriqmoraes Mix) Guy Scheiman - Keep Moving (Original Mix) Nick Harvey - Deep Into The Night (Robbie Rivera Remix) Traig, Macau & Leo Frappier - Come With Me (Macau Extended Mix) Manuel Coby - Broken Heart (Extended Mix)

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes Fixed the transition for "Deep Into The Night" and smoothed out other transitions for flow. Party Favorz Holiday Edition 2025: Sleigh the Night Party Favorz returns with our annual Holiday Edition 2025 Circuit Anthems, a high-energy release built on Tribal House beats and peak-hour momentum that sleighs the night from start to finish. This year's Holiday Edition is designed to keep the party moving long after the lights go out, delivering a powerful blend of modern circuit anthems and driving tribal rhythms. As always, this release reflects what Party Favorz does best: staying ahead of the curve while honoring the tracks and artists that move dance floors worldwide. A Stacked Roster of Circuit and Tribal Heavyweights Holiday Edition 2025 features an impressive lineup of DJs and producers who continue to shape the modern circuit and tribal sound. You'll hear standout contributions from Danny Verde, Dario Xavier, Leanh, José Spinnin Cortes, Edson Pride, Dirty Disco, Heriqmoraes, Eick Ibiza, Guy Scheiman, Nick Harvey, and many more. Each artist brings their own signature energy, but together they form a cohesive journey that balances relentless rhythm with emotional lift. This is the kind of set built for packed dance floors, late-night sessions, and hands-in-the-air moments that don't fade once the night peaks. Holiday Edition 2024: Tribal Beats To Sleigh Your Holidays [Updated] The Party Favorz Annual Fundraiser and Other News I Need Your Help Putting on the Brakes! Holiday Edition 2009 Volume 1 Classic Songs, Reimagined for Today's Dance Floor One of the defining strengths of Holiday Edition 2025 is how it bridges generations of dance music. Several iconic songs are reworked into modern club weapons while preserving the heart that made them classics in the first place. Robyn's “With Every Heartbeat” gets a fresh and emotional update courtesy of Manuel De Diego, GSP, and Nalaya, giving the track new life within a circuit framework. The Temper Trap's “Sweet Disposition” is beautifully retold by Leanh, Nikki Valentine, and Pedro Arms, transforming an indie staple into a soaring club moment. Nick Harvey teams up with Audrey Callahan on the powerful anthem “No More Heartache,” delivering one of the set's most emotionally charged highlights. Meanwhile, ADÉLA's breakthrough track “SexOnTheBeat” brings a sharp, contemporary edge that fits seamlessly alongside the more familiar reworks. You'll also hear major crowd favorites like “Man I Need” by Olivia Dean, the enduring classic “Happiness” by Alexis Jordan, “Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera, and Taylor Swift's latest “The Fate of Ophelia,” all woven into the mix with purpose and precision. A Smart Whitney Tribute That Hits Hard One of the most talked-about moments in the set is the clever reimagining of Whitney Houston's “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Reworked as a duet featuring the talented Calum Scott and remixed by Dirty Disco, this version strikes the perfect balance between nostalgia and modern circuit intensity. It's respectful. It's uplifting. And it's guaranteed to send hands into the air when it hits its stride. The Final Remix Drop Before Year-End Rankings Holiday Edition 2025 marks our final release of new remixes before shifting focus to our annual roundup of the Top Dance Songs of the Year. That series will begin rolling out in the final weeks of December, with the goal of wrapping everything up before New Year's Eve. If timing pushes beyond that window, the remaining installments will follow shortly after January 1st. Either way, the countdown is on. Behind the Scenes: Rising Costs and Continued Commitment It's been a challenging year behind the scenes, but the commitment to delivering quality never wavered. Producing Holiday Edition 2025 alone cost over $80, up significantly from the usual $50 average for previous circuit sets. Jingle Electric came in at $50 as well, largely due to artists and producers holding back tracks from DJ services for extended periods. Despite rising costs, Party Favorz continues to prioritize timely releases. Instead of waiting for tracks to become mainstream hits, we focus on delivering music as it's released, spotlighting songs we believe will dominate dance floors in the months ahead. Looking Ahead to 2026 and Beyond As we move into 2026, Party Favorz will continue its run of the latest dance club hits, paired with thoughtfully reworked classics. Long-standing series like BackSpin remain a key part of the lineup, and we're also planning to expand the long-overdue Legacy series, highlighting DJs who helped shape the dance music scene and whose influence still resonates today. The mission remains the same: respect the past, spotlight the present, and keep pushing forward. Supporting Party Favorz If you're enjoying these releases and haven't yet contributed, please consider supporting Party Favorz with a one-time donation or, even better, a small recurring donation of $5 per month. Those modest monthly contributions make a real difference in offsetting ongoing production costs and help ensure the podcast can continue delivering high-quality sets year-round. That's all for now. I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. We'll be back shortly with our Top Dance Songs of the Year countdown. Until the next time...ENJOY! Album: Holiday Edition 2025Genre: Circuit, Tribal, HouseYear: 2025Total Time: 02:42:29 Dicheeko & Dinardo (US) - Nightlife (Original Mix) Katseye - Gabriela (Danny Verde Remix) Nacho Chapado & The Voice - Tribal Deep House (Original Mix) Daddies Home! - Like You (Club Mix) Manuel De Diego, GSP & Nalaya - With Every Heartbeat (Extended Mix) Ariana Grande - Santa Tell Me (Dario Xavier 2K25 Club Remix) Leanh, Nikki Valentine & Pedro Arms - Sweet Disposition (Tribal Remix Extended Mix) Bruno Pacheco - Riding High (Original Mix) Jose Cortes (MX) feat. Lurimba - Tierra Y Mar (Jose Spinnin Cortes Tribal Remix) The Perry Twins feat. Niki Haris - Bad Bad Boy (Edson Pride Circuit Remix) Maycon Reis & Studio 40 - Help Me Find Love (Extended Mix) Nick Harvey feat. Audrey Callahan - No More Heartache (Joe Carrano Anthem Mix) Nick Harvey feat. Nimiwari - Been A Long Time (Joe Carrano Main Mix) Callum Scott & Whitney Houston - I Want To Dance With Somebody (Dirty Disco Mainroom Remix) Felipe Accioly - Do You Wanna Taste Me Raw (Henriqmoraes Tribal Mix) Velarde, Luque & Vitti feat. Giovanna - Serious Emotions (Nacho Chapado & Ivan Gomez Remix) ADÉLA - SexOnTheBeat (HenriqMoraes Mix) Carmit x Hector Fonseca - Voodoo (Erick Ibiza Remix) Olivia Dean - Man I Need (Dario Xavier Club Remix) Maxxie LaWow - Shero (Dirty Disco Rainbow Remix) MASCFISH feat. Dyaman Noir - Bitch Like This (Andy Alder & Russ Rich Extened Remix) Dirty Disco - Music Lifts Me Up (Dirty Disco Private Remix) Niki Haris, Donna De Lory & Tracy Young, - WATR (Jose Spinnin Cortes Remix) Lori Michaels - Show Off (Henriq Moraes Big Room Club Mix) Alexis Jordan - Happiness (Ivan Barres Remix) Christina Aguilera - Genie In A Bottle (Pimentew vs. Akadah Mashup) James Hype - Don't Wake Me Up (Brian Solis Remix) Guy Scheiman - Your Love (Extended Mix) Guy Scheiman - Sanctum (Extended Mix) Taylor Swift - The Fate Of Ophelia (Henriqmoraes Mix) Guy Scheiman - Keep Moving (Original Mix) Nick Harvey - Deep Into The Night (Robbie Rivera Remix) Traig, Macau & Leo Frappier - Come With Me (Macau Extended Mix) Manuel Coby - Broken Heart (Extended Mix)

Costs to fix our water infrastructure are increasing as we get a better picture of its current state. Every council has now submitted their plan under the Government's Local Water Done Well programme. As Newstalk ZB first revealed last week, the final bill is expected to be almost $48 billion - about $9 billion more than first thought. Water New Zealand Chief Executive Gillian Blythe told Andrew Dickens with all the plans submitted, we've now got a better picture of water infrastructure than we ever have before. She says it's like when you look at your own house and realise you've got to spend some money fixing a roof or painting a window. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lebanon's Demographic Decline and Political Stagnation: Colleague Hussain Abdul-Hussain reports that Pope Leo's visit highlighted Lebanon's diminishing Christian population, now estimated at perhaps one-quarter, with the government remaining weak and reluctant to disarm Hezbollah, fearing foreign deals that sacrifice national interests; while civil war is unlikely, the country remains dominated by an Iranian-backed militia. 1950 BEIRUT

This episode has been tightened up with a volume fix on “Have You Ever Loved” by Hannah Laing & Hannah Boleyn, a smoother transition into “Bring Me To Life” by Tiësto & FORS, the removal of “Bullshit” for better flow, and a bass adjustment on “Good Luck” by James Hype feat. Pia Mia to clean up the drop. Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Since 1999, there have been more than 430 school shootings across the nation. Oregon alone has had eight incidents since 2008, according to CNN. With school shootings being a concern for parents, teachers and students, a new industry around school safety has emerged. Estimated to be worth $4 billion, school shooting preparedness and security is projected to continue to grow. From panic buttons and bullet-resistant backpacks to drill simulations and AI gun detection software, the amount of products and services being sold to schools and districts varies wildly. A new HBO documentary, “Thoughts and Prayers,” takes a look at this industry and follows students, teachers and community members during a mass-casualty event drill in Medford, Oregon. Directors Zackary Canepari and Jessica Dimmock join us to share more about the school security industry.

Thanks to our Partners, Shop Boss and AppFueledA bland building that blended in… turned bold brand that brought in business. That's the real story behind this episode featuring Kelly McCart from McCart's Auto Center. If you've ever wondered whether the look and feel of your shop actually matters, you'll want to hear how a full-on rebrand, from paint to logo to online presence, transformed Kelly's shop from invisible to impossible to miss.We talk about why aesthetics are marketing, how design can literally drive in new clients, and what it means when someone walks in just to say, “Wow, this looks amazing.” Kelly breaks down the “why” and “how” behind his shop's renovation, how he pulled it off with DIY design (yes, scissors and Elmer's glue were involved), and why rethinking your image might be the smartest move you make this year.He'll also share how this shift doubled his staff, improved the quality of clients, and continues to make his business stand out, both to customers and future employees.This episode isn't just about fresh paint. It's about positioning. It's about pride. And it's about the kind of shop that people recognize, remember, and respect.Listen now and get inspired to rethink how your shop shows up.Show Notes with TimestampsIntroduction and Sponsor Acknowledgment (00:00:00) Brian introduces the podcast, guest Kelly McCart, and thanks sponsors.Background: The Nondescript Shop (00:01:09) Discussion of McCarty's Auto Center blending in and being overlooked by passersby.Realization and Decision to Renovate (00:02:23) Kelly describes the moment she decided a change was needed and the process leading up to it.Design Process and Early Attempts (00:03:02) Kelly explains her design journey, including failed ideas and the involvement of her graphic artist nephew.Logo Creation and Selection (00:06:11) The story behind the new logo, its design process, and how it was chosen.Impact of the Makeover on Visibility (00:07:51) How the new look made the shop stand out and attracted attention from the community.Business Impact and Clientele Changes (00:08:16) The effect of the renovation on customer buzz, quality of clients, and local recognition.Interior Renovation and Staff Growth (00:09:31) Details about the interior revamp and the subsequent doubling of staff.Name Change and Brand Consolidation (00:12:21) Merging two business names, legal steps, and unifying the brand and online presence.Timing: Remodel and the Onset of COVID-19 (00:14:31) The remodel's completion just before the pandemic and initial concerns about the timing.Business Resilience During COVID-19 (00:15:27) How the shop thrived during the pandemic despite initial fears.Comprehensive Rebrand: Lessons and Surprises (00:17:35) Kelly reflects on the thoroughness of the rebrand and whether anything unexpected arose.Results and Return on Investment (00:18:35) Immediate positive results from the rebrand and personal satisfaction.Staff Response and Branded Merchandise (00:19:10) Staff enthusiasm for the new brand, uniforms, and promotional items.Recruitment and Professional Image (00:19:54) How the makeover improved recruitment and elevated the shop's professionalism.Advice and Reflections on the Process (00:20:29) Kelly's advice for others considering a similar project and what she might have done differently.Cost Recovery Timeline (00:21:22) Estimated time to recoup renovation costs: 6 to 8 months.Industry Image and...

Today is Monday, Dec. 1. Here are the latest headlines from the Fargo, North Dakota area. InForum Minute is produced by Forum Communications and brought to you by reporters from The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead and WDAY TV. For more news from throughout the day, visit InForum.com.

Hey everyone, I wanted to let you all know that I'll be giving online classes starting this January, and that I'm still accepting new people for the very first class. I recommend doing so asap as I've already had to open up a second class due to that amazing response I've received so far. All details below.The class is entitled “Beware of Small States: An overview of Lebanon from 1975 to 2025.” We will go beyond sensationalist headlines and shallow coverage, and beyond simplistic, top-down explanations for the country. Instead of a linear timeline of events, which you can get from Wikipedia anyway, you will get a messy one. After all, politics is not linear. Political actors evoke events from the recent or not-so-recent past as part of their politics in the present. In addition to the structured syllabus, I will use personal stories as someone who grew up in Lebanon in a very conservative, at times even Far Right, Christian environment, to explain how my own personal journey away from right-wing and towards left-wing, quasi-anarchist, politics has helped me understand Lebanon better, and hopefully help you too.RegisterJust send me an email at ⁠ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com⁠ or a Signal message @ ayoub.02. I will send you the syllabus as well as all the required details including how to pay for the class if you're interested in taking it.When? Weekly from Saturday Jan 17th, 4pm UK time. 5 sessions. Week 1 (Jan 17): The stories we tell ourselves about this painfully ordinary country.Week 2 (Jan 24): Five academic-y concepts that are easier to understand than they seem.Week 3 (Jan 31): We Are the Children of the Children of War.Week 4 (Feb 7): From Life in the Midst of History to The CollapseWeek 5 (Feb 14): Lebanon yesterday, today, tomorrowFees: $300Discounts: For Hauntologies (my newsletter) subscribers (past or present)50% off for paid subscribers100% off for Founding MembersAnyone joining the class will get:Access to all 5 sessionsLifetime access to the Google DriveLifetime access to the Hauntologies newsletter without paying extra (subscribers pay $50 a year on average)Discounts on future classesAn invitation to join a Signal groupMore classes to comeIn addition to repeating this class, here are the titles and brief descriptions of the other classes currently being prepared. You can already register your interest by email or Signal to those as well - and I'll just send you an email or text when they're ready.The Ghosts of Israel's Future, looking at what the horrors unleashed by Israel during the ongoing genocide reveal about that country's politics, and the people, Jews, Israelis and Palestinians alike, who predicted it. Estimated fee is $300 for 5 sessions. Against Multipolar Imperialism, looking at why we cannot accept multipolarity as a valid alternative to a US-dominated world, especially as that involves accepting authoritarian states and effectively sacrificing whole populations as collateral. We will look at China, Taiwan, Ukraine, Russia, so-called Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, Hong Kong, Syria, Israel-Palestine, Iran, El Salvador, Argentina, Tigray and Ethiopia, Bosnia and of course Lebanon. Estimated fee is $300 for 5 sessions. Cancelling the Apocalypse: From James Baldwin to Solarpunk and beyond. Estimated fee is $300 for 5 sessions. Postwar Hauntings: Modern Lebanon Through Its Cinema. This will be a much more in-depth exploration of Lebanon post-1990 through its cinema, which was the topic of my PhD dissertation. We will watch movies, discuss them, and explore Lebanon through them. Estimated fee is $600 for 6 sessions.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes Fall Throwback Dance Party Volume III: The Moment It All Clicked Party Favorz is closing out the season with the third volume of our Fall Throwback Dance Party, and this one hits in a way the earlier entries didn't quite manage. Volume III blends familiar classics from the '70s and '80s with '90s House favorites and early-Millennium gems, but with a twist. These aren't straight-up recreations. Instead, you get bold mashups, creative overlays, and unexpected pairings that turn well-known tracks into something entirely different. Block & Crown and their extended circle continue to work their magic by stitching together instrumentals you know with vocals you may not expect. They frequently pull in Rap or Hip-Hop verses that weren't part of the original songs, yet somehow elevate the energy. The result feels like two different worlds colliding on the dance floor—and it works far better than logic says it should. Their grasp of what drives a crowd is why these sets land so well. It really is a case of “it takes two to make a thing go right,” and these producers prove that point with every release. A Tough Start to the Fall Throwback Dance Party Series Top Dance Club Songs of the Year 2024 Volume III | The Year's Biggest Bangers! Fall Throwback Dance Party kicks off with Volume I, packed with 70s–90s magic X-Mas Dance 2K18 | The Essential Christmas Dance Mix 90s House Music Classics Volume 7: Keep On Movin' Summer Throwback Dance Party 2025: Volume 1 To be blunt, I wasn't feeling the first two volumes. Part of that was on me. I've been in and out of the hospital twice since late October dealing with sepsis, and even though the doctors helped me through it, the medications had me foggy. My focus was shot, my energy was low, and listening to music—something I normally love—felt like a chore. I nearly shelved the entire Fall Throwback Dance Party run because the earlier mixes just weren't clicking. On the drive home from the hospital, I revisited Volume II and felt a wave of annoyance settle in. Everything felt repetitive. The songs blurred together. Even though these producers often use templates in their workflow—which isn't unusual for remix culture—it still didn't land for me. With nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and every type of specialist stopping by throughout the week, I didn't have the mental space to sit down and give the music the attention it deserved. Everything was overwhelming, and Party Favorz took a back seat whether I wanted it to or not. Thanksgiving Break: The Turning Point Thanksgiving morning, I woke up around 2 AM with a rare pocket of quiet. I opened my folder for Volume III and realized the playlist was still unfinished. There weren't enough tracks to shape it into a full mix. Because Block & Crown and the related Funky House crew release tons of material every week, I decided to check my DJ service to see what I had missed since my first pass in October. This is where everything changed.A wave of strong releases had dropped—finally showcasing the punch, bounce, and grit that I expect from these producers. I downloaded everything that caught my ear and threw it straight into the playlist. Once I began mixing, the frustration I carried from the earlier volumes melted away. The grooves locked in. The energy felt right. For the first time in months, I felt like myself again behind the decks. Tightening the Mix The next night (again at 2 AM—apparently that's my hour), I sat down to tighten the transitions. Many of these Funky House tracks have long outros that drag on. Beatport may categorize them as Funky House, but the arrangement leans heavily toward late '90s and early-Millennium structure—long build-ups, long breakdowns, and long fade-outs. That style worked for club DJs back then, but modern listeners want momentum. So I trimmed the fat.I cut down repetitive endings and kept the energy moving. Track-to-track flow is everything in a Fall Throwback Dance Party set, and these edits keep things from losing steam. Why These Sets Aren't Easy People often assume these sets are simple because they rely on recognizable songs. The opposite is true. Most tracks in this space avoid traditional breakdowns. That means I can't always use my standard approach to mixing. I pull out techniques I rarely rely on, adjust on the fly, and shape transitions that suit the odd structures these remixes use. After producing so many Throwback sessions over the years, though, I've gotten fast at finding the sweet spot. What once took hours now comes together far more efficiently. That confidence helped Volume III come to life without the struggle that dragged down the earlier volumes. Looking Ahead: Holiday Edition and Year-End Plans Time is tight this year, so the Holiday Edition may or may not happen. Those mixes cost the most to produce, but recent donations have helped enough that it's at least possible. If I go forward with it, the Top Dance Songs of the Year rollout will likely start in late December and wrap in early January 2026. I've done that before, and it's the only realistic way to balance everything happening behind the scenes. Either way, Volume III of the Fall Throwback Dance Party marks a return to form, and I hope that comes through when you listen. Until the next time...ENJOY! Album: Fall Throwback Dance Party 2025 Volume IIIGenre: 70's Disco, 80s Dance, 90s House, 00's DanceYear: 2025Total Time: 02:23:44 Block & Crown - Shake Ya Ass (Original Mix) Nari - S&M (Original Mix) GhostMasters - Feelings On (Original Mix) SCHEINY & TheGoddessMusic - Ain't Nobody (Extended Mix) Block & Crown - Set Me Free (Think) (Funky Tribal Mix) Eugenio Fico & Garas - Disco Balls (Original Mix) Eugenio Fico - Sway (Afro Funk Mix) PAKY FRANCAVILLA - 24k Magic (Original Mix) Steve Tosi - Waiting For Tonight (Original Mix) Block & Crown - Jumpin (Original Mix) Block & Crown - Bring It On Down (Nu Disco Mix) Block & Crown - Fifth Delight (Original Mix) Block & Crown & Erland Galjaard - Work That Synth (Clubmix) C-Dryk - Set Me Free (Extended Mix) Nari & Steve Tosi - Dancing Queen (Funky Mix) Crazibiza & Babes On The Run - Fly High (Original Mix) Jackers Revenge & Ghostbusterz - Funky Stars On 45 (Original Mix) Joaquin Phunk & John Soulution - Jack Ur Soul (Original Mix) Babes On The Run - Spin My Love (Maximusz Remix) Kevin Andrews & Flaunt-It - Bucket Sounds (Original Mix) Nari, Nabuk & Lissat - Cada Vez (Funky Tribal Mix) House Of Players - I'll Be Around (Original Mix) Block & Crown - Lay Love On You (Original Mix) Jackers Revenge - Go For That Billy (Original Mix) Maxim & Matte x Cheesecake Boys - Feels Fine (Original Mix) Frisk & Vix - Conga (Vocal Mix) Richard Grey - Thinking Of You (Funky Tribal Mix) Brothas & Sistas - Can U Feel It (Original Mix) Jackers Revenge - Run With Chic (Original Mix) Block & Crown - Crash (Original Mix) Jackers Revenge - House Jukebox (Original Mix) Cheesecake Boys, Crazibiza & Belle - Good Life (Original Mix) MaRcO CoRoNa (ITA) - I Don't Want To Be A Hero (Original Mix) Block & Crown - This Feels So Good (Clubmix) Maxim & Matte - Dirty Disco (Original Mix) Jonk & Spook - Harlem (Extended Mix)

Most business owners are overpaying their estimated taxes by $15,000–$20,000 a year — and their CPAs are telling them it's “the safe thing to do.” In this episode, Tiffany Phillips exposes how fear-based accounting advice quietly drains your cash flow and gives the IRS an interest-free loan. You'll learn the truth about estimated taxes, how safe harbor rules really work, and the simple calculation that keeps you penalty-free without overpaying. Tiffany walks through real client examples that saved tens of thousands in unnecessary payments — plus the exact system you can use to keep more money in your business year-round. If you're tired of blindly trusting your CPA and ready to start paying smarter, this one's a must-listen.   Next Steps:

Stephen Serda is back to discuss the Chiefs and Cowboys' estimated injury reports as they squeeze in a practice on Tuesday. With a quick turnaround to Thursday's Thanksgiving contest, the Chiefs appear ready for the return of Isiah Pacheco. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MCALLEN, Texas - Ralph Garcia, interim chief operating officer for McAllen Economic Development Corporation, has given a brief update on the various projects the group is working on. “Right now, the EDC is working with about 25 active projects. This represents a total of about three million square feet of space. Estimated jobs are about 8,000 and the economic impact of that is roughly about $5 billion dollars,” Garcia said a quarterly stakeholders meeting.“Primarily, our companies are coming from France, Sweden, Mexico, the US and Japan. Those are the activities that we're seeing right now.”Garcia said McAllen EDC has secured two new leads during the current quarter, along with 23 existing prospects."We also continue to work on state leads. Most of what we're seeing coming through, the focus is on manufacturing and, of course, distribution and logistics. Those are projects that we continue to work with.”Garcia said the MEDC team working on active projects includes Susie Flores in McAllen and Rafael Angel Ortiz Salazar in Reynosa. “And, of course, we continue to do BRE (business retention and expansion) visits with a lot of our existing business, both in McAllen and Reynosa. We find that most of the leads that we're generating right now are through a BRE visit, where we're learning of current projects that companies are looking at.”Garcia said quite a few of those expansion projects involve South America.“We're trying to leverage those projects, to look at Texas as an alternative option. One of the advantages that we have is our low cost, so that helps us. But, we're always trying to get in front of those projects, versus them leaving the area completely.”Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

DATA DRIVEN SPORTS CARD INVESTING. Welcome NoOffseason.com Family! We are so happy to have you with us to help you make money flipping sports cards. Updates to Estimated PSA Turnaround TimesTopps Chrome Basketball Pre-ReleaseDon't Rip Wax, But Can You Flip Wax?Probstein ScandalPSA Offer vs. PSA AuctioneBay Unveils All New Price GuideBuying Pocket for Wemby?Centering School Launches at NoOffseason.com

This week, a truce in the last great battle of the linear era, as Disney and Google's YouTube resolve their carriage dispute. Nielsen Ratings Show Notes YouTube TV, Disney reach deal to restore access to ESPN networks after two-week standoff - The Athletic CFO Says Disney Has No M&A Plans, Pokes Rivals For Splitting Assets — “What You Do When You Don't Have A Great Business” Paramount, Comcast, Netflix Prepare Bids for Warner as Deadline Approaches - WSJ Warner Bros. Is For Sale, Who's Buying? YouTube TV Blackout Is Costing Disney an Estimated $4.3 Million per Day in Lost Revenue David Ellison Goes Public: Paramount Releases First Earnings Report Since Skydance Takeover Wall Street Gives David Ellison's First Paramount Earnings a Thumbs Up, With Some Big Questions ‘Superman' Supercharges Warner Bros. Earnings, But Linear TV Struggles Push Company to Loss WBD amends CEO Zaslav's contract, StubHub withholds Q4 guidance TV Giant Reels From Revenue Slump After Jimmy Kimmel Boycott Nexstar CEO Perry Sook Confident In Tegna Deal's On-Time Close; Stock Slides After Soft Q3 Report NBC Revives NBC Sports Network, Launching First on YouTube TV, Offering Peacock's Sports Line-Up David Ellison's Hollywood Takeover: First Paramount. Is Warner Bros Next? David Ellison's Paramount Skydance makes its bullish pitch to Hollywood What We've Been Doing King of the Hill The Woman in Cabin 10 Fantastic Four: First Steps PC Game Pass The Outer Worlds 2

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what's going on in the world of TV, then dive into the third episode of Vince Gilligan's Pluribus.How do we feel about the imminent return of Alien: Earth, not to mention Shogun? Can Poker Face survive with a new Charlie Cale? And why are we so excited about a new show based off Jimmy Olsen? Listen to hear us discuss all these questions and more.Homework for next week:Pluribus Episode 4 (Apple TV)Shownotes:07:54 - TV NewsYouTube TV Blackout Is Costing Disney an Estimated $4.3 Million per Day in Lost RevenueBob Iger defends deal‘Alien: Earth' Renewed for Season 2Shogun Season 2 Sets Filming/Directors/WritersRian Johnson Wants 2-Season Deal With Peter Dinklage As Lie Detector Sleuth Charlie CaleJimmy Olsen ‘DC Crime' Series in the Works at HBO Max From ‘American Vandal' Duo, First Season Focused on Gorilla Grodd48:08 - PluribusEpisode 3 - GrenadeLinks:Listen to Patrick's videogame podcast, Remap RadioSubscribe to Patrick's newsletter, CrossplaySubscribe to this podcast on YouTubeSubscribe to David's free newsletter, Decoding EverythingFollow David on InstagramFollow David on Tiktok Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gareth A Davies and Spencer Oliver preview and break down gameplans ahead of Benn v Eubank 2 on Saturday night! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6. Continued Defeats, Financial Ruin, and Schleicher's Strategy. Timothy Ryback discusses how the Nazi party continued its decline, suffering losses in Thuringia and facing severe financial ruin, estimated to be 90 million Reichsmarks in debt. A desperate push for a majority in the small state of Lippe in January failed, though Hitler publicly declared it a triumph. Simultaneously, Chancellor Schleicher, the political mastermind, actively negotiated with Gregor Strasser. Schleicher aimed to break apart the NSDAP by detaching Strasser's socialist faction from Hitler's hardliners (Goebbels and Göring), thereby creating a stable, centrist coalition. Strasser was acting to save the National Socialist Movement through compromise, not to betray Hitler. 1933

Elon Musk's eye-popping trillion-dollar pay package, Apple's big F1 gamble, and Meta's scam-friendly ad policies set the stage for a candid debate on Big Tech's priorities and who really pays the price for innovation (and neglect). Musk gets approval for bumper Tesla payout but, unlike his robot, there are strings attached - Behold the one trillion dollar man SpaceX to Buy Another $2.6 Billion of Echostar Spectrum Chinese Astronauts Stuck in Space After Suspected Damage to Return Craft YouTube's Goes Bonkers, Removes Windows 11 Bypass Tutorials, Claims 'Risk of Physical Harm' Scammy Ads Generated an Estimated 10% of Meta's Revenue in 2024 Texas Sues Roblox For Allegedly Failing To Protect Children On Its Platform YouTube TV responds to Disney memo with no deal in sight YouTube TV exec calls Disney 'unnecessarily aggressive' Sports streaming is a fragmented hot mess Denmark's Government Aims To Ban Access To Social Media For Children Under 15 The Department Of Defense Wants Less Proof Its Software Works China suspends export restrictions for a year on five critical minerals to the US, including gallium and germanium, used to make certain types of semiconductors Immigration agents have new technology to identify and track people Internet Archive's legal fights are over, but its founder mourns what was lost FBI subpoenas the web registrar behind Archive.is Trump AI Czar Says 'No Federal Bailout For AI' After OpenAI CFO's Comments Fedora man unmasked: Meet the teen behind the Louvre mystery photo Take-Two delays 'GTA VI' for second time to November next year Apple TV's new Pluribus show might be its best sci-fi series yet After more than 200 years, the 'Farmers' Almanac' is shutting down for good Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Iain Thomson, Ashley Esqueda, and Janko Roettgers Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: expressvpn.com/twit shopify.com/twit ziprecruiter.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT bitwarden.com/twit

Elon Musk's eye-popping trillion-dollar pay package, Apple's big F1 gamble, and Meta's scam-friendly ad policies set the stage for a candid debate on Big Tech's priorities and who really pays the price for innovation (and neglect). Musk gets approval for bumper Tesla payout but, unlike his robot, there are strings attached - Behold the one trillion dollar man SpaceX to Buy Another $2.6 Billion of Echostar Spectrum Chinese Astronauts Stuck in Space After Suspected Damage to Return Craft YouTube's Goes Bonkers, Removes Windows 11 Bypass Tutorials, Claims 'Risk of Physical Harm' Scammy Ads Generated an Estimated 10% of Meta's Revenue in 2024 Texas Sues Roblox For Allegedly Failing To Protect Children On Its Platform YouTube TV responds to Disney memo with no deal in sight YouTube TV exec calls Disney 'unnecessarily aggressive' Sports streaming is a fragmented hot mess Denmark's Government Aims To Ban Access To Social Media For Children Under 15 The Department Of Defense Wants Less Proof Its Software Works China suspends export restrictions for a year on five critical minerals to the US, including gallium and germanium, used to make certain types of semiconductors Immigration agents have new technology to identify and track people Internet Archive's legal fights are over, but its founder mourns what was lost FBI subpoenas the web registrar behind Archive.is Trump AI Czar Says 'No Federal Bailout For AI' After OpenAI CFO's Comments Fedora man unmasked: Meet the teen behind the Louvre mystery photo Take-Two delays 'GTA VI' for second time to November next year Apple TV's new Pluribus show might be its best sci-fi series yet After more than 200 years, the 'Farmers' Almanac' is shutting down for good Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Iain Thomson, Ashley Esqueda, and Janko Roettgers Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: expressvpn.com/twit shopify.com/twit ziprecruiter.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT bitwarden.com/twit

Elon Musk's eye-popping trillion-dollar pay package, Apple's big F1 gamble, and Meta's scam-friendly ad policies set the stage for a candid debate on Big Tech's priorities and who really pays the price for innovation (and neglect). Musk gets approval for bumper Tesla payout but, unlike his robot, there are strings attached - Behold the one trillion dollar man SpaceX to Buy Another $2.6 Billion of Echostar Spectrum Chinese Astronauts Stuck in Space After Suspected Damage to Return Craft YouTube's Goes Bonkers, Removes Windows 11 Bypass Tutorials, Claims 'Risk of Physical Harm' Scammy Ads Generated an Estimated 10% of Meta's Revenue in 2024 Texas Sues Roblox For Allegedly Failing To Protect Children On Its Platform YouTube TV responds to Disney memo with no deal in sight YouTube TV exec calls Disney 'unnecessarily aggressive' Sports streaming is a fragmented hot mess Denmark's Government Aims To Ban Access To Social Media For Children Under 15 The Department Of Defense Wants Less Proof Its Software Works China suspends export restrictions for a year on five critical minerals to the US, including gallium and germanium, used to make certain types of semiconductors Immigration agents have new technology to identify and track people Internet Archive's legal fights are over, but its founder mourns what was lost FBI subpoenas the web registrar behind Archive.is Trump AI Czar Says 'No Federal Bailout For AI' After OpenAI CFO's Comments Fedora man unmasked: Meet the teen behind the Louvre mystery photo Take-Two delays 'GTA VI' for second time to November next year Apple TV's new Pluribus show might be its best sci-fi series yet After more than 200 years, the 'Farmers' Almanac' is shutting down for good Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Iain Thomson, Ashley Esqueda, and Janko Roettgers Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: expressvpn.com/twit shopify.com/twit ziprecruiter.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT bitwarden.com/twit

Elon Musk's eye-popping trillion-dollar pay package, Apple's big F1 gamble, and Meta's scam-friendly ad policies set the stage for a candid debate on Big Tech's priorities and who really pays the price for innovation (and neglect). Musk gets approval for bumper Tesla payout but, unlike his robot, there are strings attached - Behold the one trillion dollar man SpaceX to Buy Another $2.6 Billion of Echostar Spectrum Chinese Astronauts Stuck in Space After Suspected Damage to Return Craft YouTube's Goes Bonkers, Removes Windows 11 Bypass Tutorials, Claims 'Risk of Physical Harm' Scammy Ads Generated an Estimated 10% of Meta's Revenue in 2024 Texas Sues Roblox For Allegedly Failing To Protect Children On Its Platform YouTube TV responds to Disney memo with no deal in sight YouTube TV exec calls Disney 'unnecessarily aggressive' Sports streaming is a fragmented hot mess Denmark's Government Aims To Ban Access To Social Media For Children Under 15 The Department Of Defense Wants Less Proof Its Software Works China suspends export restrictions for a year on five critical minerals to the US, including gallium and germanium, used to make certain types of semiconductors Immigration agents have new technology to identify and track people Internet Archive's legal fights are over, but its founder mourns what was lost FBI subpoenas the web registrar behind Archive.is Trump AI Czar Says 'No Federal Bailout For AI' After OpenAI CFO's Comments Fedora man unmasked: Meet the teen behind the Louvre mystery photo Take-Two delays 'GTA VI' for second time to November next year Apple TV's new Pluribus show might be its best sci-fi series yet After more than 200 years, the 'Farmers' Almanac' is shutting down for good Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Iain Thomson, Ashley Esqueda, and Janko Roettgers Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: expressvpn.com/twit shopify.com/twit ziprecruiter.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT bitwarden.com/twit

POST-DEER HUNTING OPENER IN NORTH DAKOTA There were three units this year with zero licenses in the general lottery: 2E, 2G1, and 2L around Devils Lake area 42,300 licenses for the 2025 deer gun season in North Dakota. That's 7,800 less from last year and one of the lowest in awhile. (EHD Deer Disease) 70,000 people applied for a deer gun lottery in ND, and more than 12,000 gratis tags,, who have first dibs at rifle licenses. How Weather Affects Deer Movement?  Best Binoculars in the $100 - $500 Range for Big Game, Waterfowl, and Simply in General Size Matters (that's what she said) Best Coolers for Deer Meat or ANY Meat in General….for Under $100 IGLOO 120 The Igloo® Polar 120 Cooler is made with what they call Ultratherm® Insulation in the body and lid.  This is vital to keeping big game cold for long periods of time. This oversized Igloo cooler is 120 quart in size which is big enough for any deer quartered. SUMO MARLIN CAUGHT OUT OF SAN DIEGO Captain Dan at Fish Further Charters brought in a marlin of a lifetime.  I'm still waiting on all the digits but this thing is massive…Check out Fish Further Fishing Charter in San Diego for a chance at one of these badboys… 2nd HALF Qwack is Wack - Snow Goose Migration  Buddy in Weyburn SK - Out walking the dog and the snows are so high it's almost impossible to see without binoculars.  Decent amount of snow on the ground… Heard my first migrants flying over Bismarck.  Lows hit the teens this weekend…Saturday not sure if it got above freezing….Warmup ahead, though… Weather warming where they may not need or want corn Headlines MONSTER BIGHORN SHEEP HARVESTED IN NORTH DAKOTA Friday, Oct. 31, the opening day of North Dakota's bighorn sheep season, and Schmitz, of Grand Forks, had been lucky enough to draw one of the eight tags available in 2025 for the once-in-a-lifetime hunt. Schmitz shot the unofficial new record Oct. 31, a massive ram with horns that green-scored 197 6/8 inches, a measurement that won't be official until after the mandatory 60-day drying period. https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/northland-outdoors/you-arguably-just-shot-the-greatest-hunting-trophy-in-north-dakotas-history   A-Hole allegedly killed 2 of his own dogs while hunting, hid the bodies and even destroyed the GPS collar A father allegedly shot and killed two pet dogs while he was on a hunting trip with his son, after which the pair hid the bodies and destroyed a GPS collar to prevent their discovery. John Lowe, 58, and his son Hayden Lowe, 22, were hunting on private property on October 21 with permission from the landowner, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by the South Bend Tribune. Worst thing?  He shot them with a bow.  There's a special place in hell for people like this… https://local12.com/news/nation-world/gps-collar-hunter-killed-dogs-dog-animals-animal-pet-pets-tree-post-barking-barked-bow-arrow-lowe-woods-forest-trail-private-land-landowner-owner-kill-cruelty-bark-aggressive-friendly-whimper-yelp Expensive fishing reels stolen from Oklahoma City Sporting Goods store More than 50 expensive fishing reels were stolen from Lucky Lure Tackle in Oklahoma City.  Estimated loss valued at over $15,000. The fishing reels stolen range in price from around $249 to $500 each. https://www.koco.com/article/high-end-fishing-reels-stolen-oklahoma-city-store/69296255    How Thick is the Ice on Lake Audubon?  Cold but Not Cold LONG ENOUGH How Thick Should the Ice Be to DRIVE on the Ice? Puklich Chevrolet in Bismarck or Valley City, ND - Talk to Jason Renner if you're in need of a vehicle ( 701-220-0995 Jason's cell ) Men and Mental Health in 2025 Stigmas Being Okay Admitting That You're NOT Okay Anxiety Overload - so many meds, not many results….exercise helps, and having a good support system Best Deer Hunting Road Snacks? Oreos are a must Liver sausage Head cheese Tiger meat Sticks/jerky How Do You Approach a Steak?  Seasonings to Marinades Clamato - Have you EVER seen anything so regional-specific???

Elon Musk's eye-popping trillion-dollar pay package, Apple's big F1 gamble, and Meta's scam-friendly ad policies set the stage for a candid debate on Big Tech's priorities and who really pays the price for innovation (and neglect). Musk gets approval for bumper Tesla payout but, unlike his robot, there are strings attached - Behold the one trillion dollar man SpaceX to Buy Another $2.6 Billion of Echostar Spectrum Chinese Astronauts Stuck in Space After Suspected Damage to Return Craft YouTube's Goes Bonkers, Removes Windows 11 Bypass Tutorials, Claims 'Risk of Physical Harm' Scammy Ads Generated an Estimated 10% of Meta's Revenue in 2024 Texas Sues Roblox For Allegedly Failing To Protect Children On Its Platform YouTube TV responds to Disney memo with no deal in sight YouTube TV exec calls Disney 'unnecessarily aggressive' Sports streaming is a fragmented hot mess Denmark's Government Aims To Ban Access To Social Media For Children Under 15 The Department Of Defense Wants Less Proof Its Software Works China suspends export restrictions for a year on five critical minerals to the US, including gallium and germanium, used to make certain types of semiconductors Immigration agents have new technology to identify and track people Internet Archive's legal fights are over, but its founder mourns what was lost FBI subpoenas the web registrar behind Archive.is Trump AI Czar Says 'No Federal Bailout For AI' After OpenAI CFO's Comments Fedora man unmasked: Meet the teen behind the Louvre mystery photo Take-Two delays 'GTA VI' for second time to November next year Apple TV's new Pluribus show might be its best sci-fi series yet After more than 200 years, the 'Farmers' Almanac' is shutting down for good Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Iain Thomson, Ashley Esqueda, and Janko Roettgers Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: expressvpn.com/twit shopify.com/twit ziprecruiter.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT bitwarden.com/twit

This is a replay of an episode I did 10 years ago for the 40th anniversary of the sinking. Tonight I talk about the wreck of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald Timeline: NOVEMBER 9 8:30 AM The Edmund Fitzgerald is loaded with taconite pellets at Burlington Northern Railroad, Dock 1. Superior, Wisconsin The ship is scheduled to transport the cargo to Zug Island on the Detroit River. 2:20 PM The Fitzgerald departs Lake Superior en route of Detroit with 26,116 tons of taconite pellets. 2:39 PM The National Weather Service issues gale warnings for the area which the Fitzgerald is sailing in. Captain Cooper on the Anderson radios a freighter (the Edmund Fitzgerald) that he spots. 4:15 PM The Fitzgerald spots the Arthur M. Anderson some 15 miles behind it. NOVEMBER 10 1:00 AM Weather report from the Fitzgerald. The report from the Fitzgerald shows her to be 20 miles south of Isle Royale. Winds are at 52 knots, with waves ten feet in height. 7:00 AM Weather report from the Fitzgerald. Winds are at 35 knots, waves of ten feet. This is the last weather report that the Edmund Fitzgerald will ever make. 3:15 PM Captain Jesse Cooper, (J.C.) of the S.S. Arthur M. Anderson watches the Fitzgerald round Caribou Island and comments that the Fitzgerald is much closer to Six Fathom Shoal than he would want to be. 3:20 PM Anderson reports winds coming from the Northwest at 43 knots. 3:30 PM Radio transmission between the Fitzgerald and the Anderson Captain McSorley (C.M.) to Captain Cooper (C.C.): C.M.: “Anderson, this is the Fitzgerald. I have sustained some topside damage. I have a fence rail laid down, two vents lost or damaged, and a list. I'm checking down. Will you stay by me til I get to Whitefish?” C.C.: “Charlie on that Fitzgerald. Do you have your pumps going?” C.M.: “Yes, both of them 4:10 PM The Fitzgerald radios the Arthur M. Anderson requesting radar assistance for the remainder of the voyage. Fitzgerald: “Anderson, this is the Fitzgerald. I have lost both radars. Can you provide me with radar plots till we reach Whitefish Bay?” Anderson: “Charlie on that, Fitzgerald. We'll keep you advised of position.” About 4:39 PM The Fitzgerald cannot pick up the Whitefish Point radio beacon. The Fitzgerald radios the Coast Guard station at Grand Marais on Channel 16, the emergency channel. Between 4:30 and 5:00 PM The Edmund Fitzgerald calls for any vessel in the Whitefish Point area regarding information about the beacon and light at Whitefish Point. They receive an answer by the saltwater vessel Avafors that the beacon and the light are not operating. Estimated between 5:30 and 6:00 PM Radio transmission between the Avafors and the Fitzgerald. Avafors: “Fitzgerald, this is the Avafors. I have the Whitefish light now but still am receiving no beacon. Over.” Fitzgerald: “I'm very glad to hear it.” Avafors: “The wind is really howling down here. What are the conditions where you are?” Fitzgerald: (Undiscernable shouts heard by the Avafors.) “DON'T LET NOBODY ON DECK!” Avafors: “What's that, Fitzgerald? Unclear. Over.” Fitzgerald: “I have a bad list, lost both radars. And am taking heavy seas over the deck. One of the worst seas I've ever been in.” Avafors: “If I'm correct, you have two radars.” Fitzgerald: “They're both gone.” Sometime around 7:00 PM The Anderson is struck by two huge waves that put water on the ship, 35 feet above the water line. The waves hit with enough force to push the starboard lifeboat down, damaging the bottom. 7:10 PM Radio transmission between the Anderson and the Fitzgerald. The Fitzgerald is still being followed by the Arthur M. Anderson. They are about 10 miles behind the Fitzgerald. Anderson: “Fitzgerald, this is the Anderson. Have you checked down?” Fitzgerald: “Yes we have.” Anderson: “Fitzgerald, we are about 10 miles behind you, and gaining about 1 1/2 miles per hour. Fitzgerald, there is a target 19 miles ahead of us.

Elon Musk's eye-popping trillion-dollar pay package, Apple's big F1 gamble, and Meta's scam-friendly ad policies set the stage for a candid debate on Big Tech's priorities and who really pays the price for innovation (and neglect). Musk gets approval for bumper Tesla payout but, unlike his robot, there are strings attached - Behold the one trillion dollar man SpaceX to Buy Another $2.6 Billion of Echostar Spectrum Chinese Astronauts Stuck in Space After Suspected Damage to Return Craft YouTube's Goes Bonkers, Removes Windows 11 Bypass Tutorials, Claims 'Risk of Physical Harm' Scammy Ads Generated an Estimated 10% of Meta's Revenue in 2024 Texas Sues Roblox For Allegedly Failing To Protect Children On Its Platform YouTube TV responds to Disney memo with no deal in sight YouTube TV exec calls Disney 'unnecessarily aggressive' Sports streaming is a fragmented hot mess Denmark's Government Aims To Ban Access To Social Media For Children Under 15 The Department Of Defense Wants Less Proof Its Software Works China suspends export restrictions for a year on five critical minerals to the US, including gallium and germanium, used to make certain types of semiconductors Immigration agents have new technology to identify and track people Internet Archive's legal fights are over, but its founder mourns what was lost FBI subpoenas the web registrar behind Archive.is Trump AI Czar Says 'No Federal Bailout For AI' After OpenAI CFO's Comments Fedora man unmasked: Meet the teen behind the Louvre mystery photo Take-Two delays 'GTA VI' for second time to November next year Apple TV's new Pluribus show might be its best sci-fi series yet After more than 200 years, the 'Farmers' Almanac' is shutting down for good Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Iain Thomson, Ashley Esqueda, and Janko Roettgers Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: expressvpn.com/twit shopify.com/twit ziprecruiter.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT bitwarden.com/twit

This is a replay of an episode I did 10 years ago for the 40th anniversary of the sinking. Tonight I talk about the wreck of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald Timeline: NOVEMBER 9 8:30 AM The Edmund Fitzgerald is loaded with taconite pellets at Burlington Northern Railroad, Dock 1. Superior, Wisconsin The ship is scheduled to transport the cargo to Zug Island on the Detroit River. 2:20 PM The Fitzgerald departs Lake Superior en route of Detroit with 26,116 tons of taconite pellets. 2:39 PM The National Weather Service issues gale warnings for the area which the Fitzgerald is sailing in. Captain Cooper on the Anderson radios a freighter (the Edmund Fitzgerald) that he spots. 4:15 PM The Fitzgerald spots the Arthur M. Anderson some 15 miles behind it. NOVEMBER 10 1:00 AM Weather report from the Fitzgerald. The report from the Fitzgerald shows her to be 20 miles south of Isle Royale. Winds are at 52 knots, with waves ten feet in height. 7:00 AM Weather report from the Fitzgerald. Winds are at 35 knots, waves of ten feet. This is the last weather report that the Edmund Fitzgerald will ever make. 3:15 PM Captain Jesse Cooper, (J.C.) of the S.S. Arthur M. Anderson watches the Fitzgerald round Caribou Island and comments that the Fitzgerald is much closer to Six Fathom Shoal than he would want to be. 3:20 PM Anderson reports winds coming from the Northwest at 43 knots. 3:30 PM Radio transmission between the Fitzgerald and the Anderson Captain McSorley (C.M.) to Captain Cooper (C.C.): C.M.: “Anderson, this is the Fitzgerald. I have sustained some topside damage. I have a fence rail laid down, two vents lost or damaged, and a list. I'm checking down. Will you stay by me til I get to Whitefish?” C.C.: “Charlie on that Fitzgerald. Do you have your pumps going?” C.M.: “Yes, both of them 4:10 PM The Fitzgerald radios the Arthur M. Anderson requesting radar assistance for the remainder of the voyage. Fitzgerald: “Anderson, this is the Fitzgerald. I have lost both radars. Can you provide me with radar plots till we reach Whitefish Bay?” Anderson: “Charlie on that, Fitzgerald. We'll keep you advised of position.” About 4:39 PM The Fitzgerald cannot pick up the Whitefish Point radio beacon. The Fitzgerald radios the Coast Guard station at Grand Marais on Channel 16, the emergency channel. Between 4:30 and 5:00 PM The Edmund Fitzgerald calls for any vessel in the Whitefish Point area regarding information about the beacon and light at Whitefish Point. They receive an answer by the saltwater vessel Avafors that the beacon and the light are not operating. Estimated between 5:30 and 6:00 PM Radio transmission between the Avafors and the Fitzgerald. Avafors: “Fitzgerald, this is the Avafors. I have the Whitefish light now but still am receiving no beacon. Over.” Fitzgerald: “I'm very glad to hear it.” Avafors: “The wind is really howling down here. What are the conditions where you are?” Fitzgerald: (Undiscernable shouts heard by the Avafors.) “DON'T LET NOBODY ON DECK!” Avafors: “What's that, Fitzgerald? Unclear. Over.” Fitzgerald: “I have a bad list, lost both radars. And am taking heavy seas over the deck. One of the worst seas I've ever been in.” Avafors: “If I'm correct, you have two radars.” Fitzgerald: “They're both gone.” Sometime around 7:00 PM The Anderson is struck by two huge waves that put water on the ship, 35 feet above the water line. The waves hit with enough force to push the starboard lifeboat down, damaging the bottom. 7:10 PM Radio transmission between the Anderson and the Fitzgerald. The Fitzgerald is still being followed by the Arthur M. Anderson. They are about 10 miles behind the Fitzgerald. Anderson: “Fitzgerald, this is the Anderson. Have you checked down?” Fitzgerald: “Yes we have.” Anderson: “Fitzgerald, we are about 10 miles behind you, and gaining about 1 1/2 miles per hour. Fitzgerald, there is a target 19 miles ahead of us.

A couple of months ago we covered Prosopagnosia – the inability to recognise faces. Following on from that, today we're covering Aphantasia – the inability to see mental images. Most of the time most of us, if asked to remember something or “picture” something in our minds, we create a mental image of the thing or person. For example, if asked to remember what you had for breakfast this morning, many of us will mentally see the weetbix and toast – not always in perfect detail, but there will be a picture of the thing. But for a small number of people, this is just a theoretical idea. They have aphantasia. Estimated to affect about 1% of people – not a disorder in itself but considered one end of a spectrum related to how well or poorly we can visualise things in our mind. Some people become aphantasic after a head injury or damage to the brain. Others have never had it and assume that terms like “mental pictures” were just meant to illustrate the idea of thinking about something, rather than referring to an actual thing that other people do. There's been a growth in the use of the term aphantasia since the mid 2000s after the publication of an article in a neuroscience journal describing the condition, which led others to go “I've got that too!” At the other end of the spectrum is hyperphantasia – mental images are so clear and vivid that it's hard to distinguish them from reality. People are aware that their visions are imaginary though – if you don't realise this it's an hallucination. Some things that are associated with aphantasia: over-represented in people who work in maths and IT roles; much poorer autobiographical memory; also much poorer recognition of other people's faces and probably some overlap with prosopagnosia; occurs more in people with autism. For hyperphantasia – much better autobiographical memory and over-represented in artists. Interestingly, people with aphantasia typically report that they do dream and see images in dreams. There are some indications that there are differences in brain wiring for people at either end of the mental imagery spectrum but no conclusive proof yet! Some suggestion that most children have very strong mental imagery but that they lose this ability as they grow, and the brain goes through a “pruning” process whereby it loses connections that aren't so useful or needed. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Food stamp recipients will receive up to 65 percent of their normal benefits in November, according to court filings by Trump administration officials on Nov. 5. That's an increase on the 50 percent outlined in previous filings and in a U.S. Department of Agriculture memorandum sent to states on Tuesday.As President Donald Trump toured Asia in late October, an Epoch Times reporter traveling with the White House entourage met with repeated roadblocks in accessing key press events, which fit an ongoing pattern of interference by communist authorities in Beijing. Along with its sister media outlet NTD, The Epoch Times was ultimately denied access to two key press events in which world leaders gathered in late October—the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summits. Both summits revealed the regional power of China's communist regime, which signed trade pacts and pressed for stronger trade ties with nations already heavily tethered to China economically.

Right breeze, wrong place. In this edition of Odd News PAC, we're serving up a bizarre, breezy international dispute that will blow you away. Plus, a classic throwback clip that features a product name that will leave your tongue tied. Wither the wind: European puff peace Our main Odd News story this time around will take you to Europe. That's where two neighboring countries are seemingly involved in a game of high-stakes atmospheric shenanigans. Find out how location, location, location is leading to arguments about "air rights". Who's right? Who's wrong? When you hear the details, you'll find out why there are big fans on both sides of this debate. Abby Falmacher has baskets that bounce We're also dipping into the comedy vault to celebrate the Platinum Anniversary of comedy4cast (PAC). This time, we revisit a classic bit from 2018. Abby Falmacher, owner of The Little Wicker Basket Company ("Little Wicker Baskets. They're everywhere!") , as she faces down the looming threat of a trade war. Her response? You know Abby. She pivots with a bouncy new product. You'll have to hear the commercial to believe what she's come up with. You'll find it all in this episode of comedy4cast's Odd News PAC! If you are ready for a quick laugh to brighten your day, hit that play button and check out "European Puff Peace"! >> You can also support comedy4cast by becoming a patron on Patreon>> Or you can get Clinton a Dunkin' card or a cup of coffee via Ko-Fi>> Follow comedy4cast on BlueSky, Instagram, Facebook, MeWe, and Mastodon >> Give us a call via the Super Secret Phone Line (213) 290-4451>> Also check out Clinton's other podcast, The Topic is Trek>> Certain sounds effects heard on comedy4cast are courtesy of freeSFX and FreeSound.org Click here for a transcript of this episode. Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Howie and Harlan are joined by Nate Wood, a Yale School of Medicine internist and trained chef, to discuss his work combining lifestyle guidance with hands-on training in making healthy, tasty food. Harlan shares new guidance on what counts as a healthy blood pressure; Howie provides an update on rising health insurance costs. Links: Blood Pressure Harlan Kumholz, "Severe Hypertension: The Next Never Event" JACC: 2025 High Blood Pressure Guidelines Resources "Trial of Intensive Blood-Pressure Control in Older Patients with Hypertension" Obesity Drugs "Semaglutide and Tirzepatide for Obesity: Effectiveness and Value" "Institute for Clinical and Economic Review Publishes Evidence Report on Treatments for Obesity" Harlan Krumholz and Jason Abaluck, "Changes in Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Health Care Expenditures Among Patients Prescribed Semaglutide" Culinary Medicine "Culinary Medicine: The Secret Ingredient to Good Health" American College of Lifestyle Medicine "How each lifestyle medicine pillar supports good nutrition" Dr. John La Puma "What to know about 'hyperpalatable' foods" Food is Medicine Coalition: Our Model American Academy of Family Physicians: Shared Medical Appointments/Group Visits Cleveland Clinic: GLP-1 Agonists Yale New Haven Hospital: Irving and Alice Brown Teaching Kitchen "Bringing Culinary Medicine to Yale's New Teaching Kitchen" Dr. Nate Wood Nate Wood on Instagram Health Insurance Costs Kaiser Family Foundation: 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey "Health Benefits In 2025: Family Premiums Rise 6 Percent, Large Employers Increase Coverage Of GLP-1s For Weight Loss" "Annual Family Premiums for Employer Coverage Rise 6% in 2025, Nearing $27,000, with Workers Paying $6,850 Toward Premiums Out of Their Paychecks" "8 Things to Watch for the 2026 ACA Open Enrollment Period" "ACA Insurers Are Raising Premiums by an Estimated 26%, but Most Enrollees Could See Sharper Increases in What They Pay" Learn more about the MBA for Executives program at Yale SOM. Email Howie and Harlan comments or questions.

Tonight on The Last Word: Donald Trump lashes out after “No Kings” protests draw a historic turnout. Also, the government shutdown reaches day 20, becoming the third longest in U.S. history. Plus, James Comey files a motion to dismiss the charges against him. And the House Oversight Committee releases the transcript of the Alex Acosta interview. Ezra Levin, Mayor Brandon Johnson, Rep. Eric Swalwell, Joyce Vance, and Lisa Rubin join Jonathan Capehart. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The jewellery stolen from the Louvre in Paris on Sunday is valued at €88 million, according to the Paris prosecutor citing the museum's curator. Authorities are warning the robbers not to disassemble the pieces to sell the precious stones. Elsewhere, Japan's first female prime minister Sanae Takaichi faces economic challenges as she hopes to spur growth with Abenomics-style economic policies, at a time of rising inflation and a weaker yen. 

"The Five" on Fox News Channel airs weekdays at 5 p.m. ET. Five of your favorite Fox News personalities discuss current issues in a roundtable discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Soybeans closed 10-13 cents higher on Monday while live cattle settled $1.60-$1.80 higher and feeders closed mostly within $1 of unchanged on either side. Sam Hudson of Cornblet Mrketing breaks down Monday's trade. Topics: - Boost in beans to start the week - Similar feeling as last week - Trade talks influencing acre debate for '26 - Estimated harvest progress - Carry, cash and basis stories

Ferenc Toth discusses the potential AI bubble, citing Jerome Powell's belated acknowledgment of asset purchases and the overvaluation of tech stocks, with 55% of fund managers believing tech stocks are overvalued. He highlights the lack of energy to power the AI needs. It is estimated the U.S. will need 70 new nuclear reactors to meet the needs of data centers by 2028. Ferenc also notes the disparity between high and low-income consumer confidence, with the top 1/3 of earners feeling 25% more confident. He advises reducing market risk through annuities and index products, emphasizing the importance of long-term investment strategies and risk management.

This week's show features stories from Japan, Radio Deutsche-Welle, France 24, and Radio Havana Cuba. http://youthspeaksout.net/swr251017.mp3 (29:00) From JAPAN- 97% of new vehicle sales in Norway are electric, with the goal of 100% to be reached soon. In the US tax credits for those purchasing EVs have been stopped, leaving GM and other manufacturers cutting back on production. From GERMANY- A large percentage of international news this week was focused on the ceasefire in Gaza. I thought this piece from Germany covered most of the discussion points. Distribution of food and supplies is restricted to less than half of what was expected. Gazans are returning to almost complete ruins, with water and electrical sources destroyed. Estimated costs to rebuild are $70 billion and will take a decade. An interview with Andrew Gilmour former UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights. He says the scale of the destruction to Gaza is the worst anyone has seen- it was bombed more severely than the combination of Berlin, London, Hamburg, and several other cities combined during WWII. He thinks Israel will impede removing 60 million tons of rubble and may destroy any new construction as they have done in the West Bank. He doubts that there will be any accountability for the war crimes that have taken place in Palestine. From FRANCE- The US military assassinated alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean for the fifth time this week while Trump said he was authorizing the CIA and considering airstrikes in Venezuela. A discussion on whether these are first steps in regime change. From CUBA- The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Machado was quite controversial, since she supports US intervention in her country. Hamas has rejected any role for Tony Blair in governing Gaza, based on his history on Iraq and Afghanistan. Available in 3 forms- (new) HIGHEST QUALITY (160kb)(33MB), broadcast quality (13MB), and quickdownload or streaming form (6MB) (28:59) Links at outfarpress.com/shortwave.shtml PODCAST!!!- https://feed.podbean.com/outFarpress/feed.xml (160kb Highest Quality) Website Page- < http://www.outfarpress.com/shortwave.shtml ¡FurthuR! Dan Roberts "No part of the human community can live entirely on its own planet, with its own laws of motion and cut off from the rest of humanity." --Hugo Chavez Dan Roberts Shortwave Report- www.outfarpress.com YouthSpeaksOut!- www.youthspeaksout.net

Melanie Lauridsen, the AICPA's vice president–Tax Policy & Advocacy, joined the JofA podcast on Tuesday to provide context on the government shutdown and its effect on IRS services, along with discussion on other tax advocacy topics. The interview was conducted the day before the IRS announced that most of its operations were closed and that a plan to furlough employees had begun “for everyone except already-identified excepted and exempt employees.” In the Q&A, Lauridsen also provided background on shutdowns and their effect on filing season. She also explained why the IRS announcement in September that it was phasing out paper checks for tax refunds has generated so much buzz among practitioners. What you'll learn from this episode: A history lesson on government shutdowns, which previously went by a different name. Why the IRS definition of “filing season” is different than reality for many tax practitioners. Why the IRS announcement about ending tax refunds by paper check has been a popular topic among practitioners. An example of the guidance “trickling in” on new tax provisions. Estimated cost savings for certain businesses as a result of the preservation of the state and local tax deduction for pass-through entities. The filing-season concerns that “get ramped up” because of the government shutdown.

DSC's Campfires with Larry WeishuhnColor-Phase Bears, Big Black Bruisers & a Day at Stealth Vision (with Dr. Mike Arnold)Episode Summary Pull up a chair—Larry welcomes friend and wildlife biologist Dr. Mike Arnold back to the fire to swap spring bear stories from British Columbia and Alberta, break down color-phase genetics, and nerd out on long-range Stealth Vision optics at company HQ in Crockett, Texas. From barge rides over 600-foot glacial lakes and logging-road stalks to a rain-soaked recovery on a 400-pound boar, this one's packed with fieldcraft, gear talk, and camp-style laughs. 00:00 – Welcome & Sponsors Larry sets the table and welcomes Dr. Mike back to the mic. 01:28 – Mike's British Columbia Spot-and-Stalk • Camp access by barge across a deep, glacial lake; days spent glassing logging roads • Goal: a color-phase bear (“cinnamon/chocolate”)—and finding one! • Tracking with wind in the face, slipping off the road into a small burn, and re-locating the bear at ~60 yards • Shot with a .338 Federal (MG Arms ultralight) on quad sticks; double-lung hit, short dash, quick finish • Daily bear sightings (including a grizzly boar and sow), plus moose, mule deer—and elk moving back into the area 13:00 – Larry's Alberta Hunt (Bait, Ground Level, Big Boar) • A cagey black bear that “checks the blind” finally slips up—Larry hunts from the ground instead • Raining hard, light is terrible; Stealth Vision SVT 3-18×44 with lit reticle makes the difference • Mossberg .308 on loan from Brad Fenson, Hornady Precision Hunter ammo; quartering shot, short 35-step recovery • Estimated ~400-lb spring boar with a “weightlifter's neck” 18:30 – Why So Many Color-Phase Bears? • Dr. Mike's genetics take: small historical populations can “fix” color variants in a region • Western/interior populations show more blondes, cinnamons, and chocolates; coastal/eastern tend to be black • Forestry practices and green-up patterns boost bear numbers; grizzlies abundant but not generally huntable there (outside First Nation harvest) 22:30 – Range Day at Stealth Vision HQ (Crockett, TX) • Inside look at Stealth Vision's “top-tier or nothing” approach with Dr. John McCall and Joe Cunningham • The integrated cant indicator (“green bubble”)—no more flipping to a separate level at long range • Pushing to 1,000+ yards; how smart engineering for the human eye improves clarity, speed, and precision • Anecdotes on extreme consistency—tiny groups at 500 yards and beyond 33:05 – Looking Ahead • Saskatchewan plans (good color-phase odds), plus a visit to Choctaw Hunting Lodge on the horizon • Camp closes with thanks and an open invite to gather again next week Rifles & Calibers: • MG Arms Ultralight – .338 Federal (Dr. Mike) • Mossberg – .308 Win (Larry, loaner from Brad Fenson) Optics: • Stealth Vision SVT 3-18×44 (illuminated reticle, integrated cant indicator) Ammunition: • Hornady Precision Hunter (ELD-X) Hunt Styles: • Spot-and-stalk (BC); Baited (Alberta) Wildlife Notes: • Frequent black bear sightings, grizzly pair, moose; elk recolonizing pockets of BC • Color-phase frequency in parts of BC ~25–30% (per outfitter estimates) “It's easy to shoot too high on bears—know the anatomy. Even then, aim discipline matters.” – Larry & Dr. Mike If you enjoyed this campfire, follow/subscribe so you don't miss our next episode—Larry's lining up more voices from this same camp week. Share the show with a hunting buddy, and let us know your favorite bear-hunting lessons or color-phase encounters. DSC • Hornady • Taurus • Stealth Vision • Mossberg • Vineyard Max • Red 55 Winery • Choctaw Hunting Lodge Plus: The Crown Bar (La In This EpisodeGear & Details MentionedPull QuoteCall to ActionThanks to Our Partners Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tourists are flocking to scenic spots across China and kicking off an expected travel surge on the first day of the National Day holiday. The Ministry of Transport predicts over 2.3 billion trips during the whole holiday period.

Surviving Disasters Past – The 2003 Northeast Blackout

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Sukhinder Singh Cassidy is the CEO of Xero. Xero is a cloud-based accounting software designed for small businesses. They did $2.1 billion in revenue last year. Over the past 25 years, Sukhinder has had leadership roles at Google, Amazon, and StubHub. Notes: Key Learnings Strategic CEO Job Search Criteria – Sukhinder had four non-negotiables: macro tailwinds/good market, customer she could be passionate about, strong business model, and a role where she could "learn for miles" for 5-8 years. Only two companies met her criteria in 18 months of searching. "Sell, Interview, Sell" Hiring Process – First meeting is 50% selling the opportunity to attract top talent. Only after candidates lean in do you shift to intensive interviewing with leadership team exposure. The Virtuous Cycle Framework – Customer at the top, supported by "high purpose, high performance, high people" culture. "It's an 'and,' not an 'or'" - you don't get to choose just one element. Back-Channeling is Critical – Reference checking happens throughout the entire interview process, not just at the end. "The most important thing is not just front channel... it's all the back channel." Values Alignment Over Pure Qualifications – "Go where my values fit and my strengths are valued." Cultural fit becomes the deciding factor in close hiring calls, not competence. The Layoff Leadership Test – Six weeks after joining, Sukhinder laid off 900 people based on McKinsey benchmarking. Showed consistency between the outside-in analysis presented to the board and transparent communication to employees. Portfolio of Bets Strategy – Balance growth, profitability, and customer happiness through diversified initiatives ranging from "safe moves" to "flyers," with clear probability assessments. Consistency as Culture Foundation – "Culture means consistency of message and what's important." Authenticity through change, not resistance to change. The 10-Slide CEO Interview Deck Framework: Vision statement (destination in 2-3 years) Outside-in market analysis Competitive landscape SWOT analysis of current position Five key strategic moves Implementation approach ("the how") Estimated outcomes with probability ranges Practical Application: Job Search Strategy – Define 4-5 non-negotiable criteria upfront. Be willing to wait for roles that truly meet your standards rather than taking "the job before the job." Interview Preparation – Always build a comprehensive thesis deck even if not requested. Use it to clarify your own thinking and demonstrate strategic capability. Hiring Excellence – Spend equal time selling the opportunity and evaluating candidates. Use diverse interview panels and back-channel extensively throughout the process. Cultural Leadership – Be consistent in messaging across all stakeholders (board, investors, employees). Authenticity enables trust during periods of change. Strategic Planning – Frame initiatives as a portfolio of bets with clear probability assessments. Balance growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction rather than optimizing for one. Leadership Hiring Process: The CEO interviews top 2-3 levels even without hiring authority Diverse interviewer panels with "bar raisers" Business problem-solving presentations in the final rounds Multiple leadership team interactions before the final decision Life Lessons: Patience in Career Progression – Sometimes the right opportunity requires waiting. Sukhinder was frustrated during 18 months of searching but found the perfect fit. Preparation Separates Candidates – The depth of strategic thinking demonstrated in final presentations often determines CEO selections. Culture Survives Through Consistency – Not avoiding change, but maintaining consistent values and communication approach through inevitable changes. Leadership Requires Tough Decisions – Laying off 900 people six weeks into the role, but doing it transparently and based on clear data/analysis. Value Creation Through Alignment – Finding roles where your strengths are valued and values align creates exponentially better outcomes than pure skill matching. Systems Thinking Builds Trust – Sharing appropriate "behind the scenes" context helps teams understand difficult decisions and builds long-term credibility. Early Career Focus – "Do great work for great people." Find talented leaders to apprentice under and work exceptionally hard to maximize learning. Authenticity Enables Performance – Being genuine about challenges and changes builds stronger relationships than trying to maintain artificial stability. Strategic Communication – Frame personal asks in terms of organizational benefits. Make it about solving their problems, not your desires. The Xero Transformation: Financial Performance: $2.1B revenue, 21% YoY growth while maintaining profitability Cultural Approach: "High purpose, high performance, high people" - no choosing between them Strategic Moves: Pricing/packaging optimization, sales motion transformation, customer experience reimagining (new dashboard with 3000+ customer inputs) Leadership Philosophy: Provide a "systems view" to employees, share investor-level insights appropriately, and maintain authenticity during difficult decisions

Check out our Patreon for a daily Lawrence Select™ Meme: https://www.patreon.com/insidegamesYTJoin the Inside Games notification Discord server for alerts when we publish new videos: http://discord.gg/ArvphbMPFJHosted by:Lawrence: http://twitch.tv/sirlarr | Bruce: http://twitch.tv/brucegreene Edited by: Shooklyn: https://linktr.ee/ShooklynSources --https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-us-government-is-looking-at-the-connection-between-videogames-and-gun-violence-because-what-else-could-it-possibly-be/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pVqKosmnoohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estimated_number_of_civilian_guns_per_capita_by_countryhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yxQ_EPt4Nohttps://www.salon.com/1999/04/23/gamers/https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.171474https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/rfk-jr-children-health-diagnose-no-medical-degree-b2815849.htmlMusic —Switch It Up - Silent Partner https://youtu.be/r_HRbXhOir8Funk Down - MK2 https://youtu.be/SPN_Ssgqlzc