Informed i’s Weekly Business Insights

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Interest rates at their highest in decades, wars in Europe and the Middle East, elections in countries as important as America and India. No matter. The world economy delivered another strong performance in 2024; according to the IMF, global GDP will grow by 3.2%. Inflation has eased and employment growth remains solid. Stockmarkets have risen by more than 20% for a second consecutive year.

Yet, as ever, the rosy global picture conceals wide variation between countries. To assess these differences, The Economist has compiled data on five economic and financial indicators—GDP, stockmarket performance, core inflation, unemployment and government deficits—for 37 mostly rich countries. Then each economy was ranked based on its performance to create a combined score. Who are the winners?

The Mediterranean’s rally rolls on for the third consecutive year, with Spain at the top of this year’s list. Greece and Italy, once emblematic of the euro zone’s woes, continue their recoveries. Ireland, which has attracted tech firms, and Denmark, home to Novo Nordisk of Ozempic fame, round out the top five. Meanwhile, northern European heavyweights disappoint, with poor performances from Britain and Germany. The Baltic duo of Latvia and Estonia find themselves back at the bottom, a position they also occupied in 2022.

As 2025 comes into view, the global economy faces new challenges. Nearly half the world’s population lives in countries that held elections this year, many of which ushered in leaders who might be described as “unpredictable”. Trade is under threat, government debt is swelling and stockmarkets have little room for error. For now, at least, Spain, Greece and Italy—long belittled by their northern neighbours—can celebrate their economic resurgence. They deserve a fiesta. 

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The internet loves a good neologism, especially if it can capture a purported vibe shift or explain a new trend. In 2013, the columnist Adrian Wooldridge coined a word that eventually did both. Writing for the Economist, he warned of the coming “techlash,” a revolt against Silicon Valley’s rich and powerful fueled by the public’s growing realization that these “sovereigns of cyberspace” weren’t the benevolent bright-future bringers they claimed to be. 

While Wooldridge didn’t say precisely when this techlash would arrive, it’s clear today that a dramatic shift in public opinion toward Big Tech and its leaders did in fact ­happen—and is arguably still happening. Say what you will about the legions of Elon Musk acolytes on X, but if an industry and its executives can bring together the likes of Elizabeth Warren and Lindsey Graham in shared condemnation, it’s definitely not winning many popularity contests.   

To be clear, there have always been critics of Silicon Valley’s very real excesses and abuses. But for the better part of the last two decades, many of those voices of dissent were either written off as hopeless Luddites and haters of progress or drowned out by a louder and far more numerous group of techno-optimists. Today, those same critics (along with many new ones) have entered the fray once more, rearmed with popular Substacks, media columns, and—increasingly—book deals.

Two of the more recent additions to the flourishing techlash genre—Rob Lalka’s The Venture Alchemists: How Big Tech Turned Profits into Power and Marietje Schaake’s The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley—serve as excellent reminders of why it started in the first place. Together, the books chronicle the rise of an industry that is increasingly using its unprecedented wealth and power to undermine democracy, and they outline what we can do to start taking some of that power back.

Regulating Big Tech will be a crucial part of leveling the playing field and ensuring that the basic duties of a democracy can be fulfilled. But as both Lalka and Schaake suggest, another battle may prove even more difficult and contentious. This one involves undoing the flawed logic and cynical, self-serving philosophies that have led us to the point where we are now. 

What if we admitted that constant bacchanals of disruption are in fact not all that good for our planet or our brains? What if, instead of “creative destruction,” we started fetishizing stability, and in lieu of putting “dents in the universe,” we refocused our efforts on fixing what’s already broken? What if—and hear me out—we admitted that technology might not be the solution to every problem we face as a society, and that while innovation and technological change can undoubtedly yield societal benefits, they don’t have to be the only measures of economic success and quality of life? 

When ideas like these start to sound less like radical concepts and more like common sense, we’ll know the techlash has finally achieved something truly revolutionary.

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Companies often overestimate the impact of short-term changes in technology and underestimate the effect of long-term changes. This well-known dynamic is particularly relevant for generative AI (gen AI) in enterprise technology. Today’s many bold predictions about its impact on enterprise technology often focus on shorter-term horizons (with immediate focus on efficiency and productivity in two to three use cases) rather than on more forward-looking shifts and implications.

The authors’ recent discussions with tech leaders across industries suggest that four emerging shifts are on the horizon as a result of gen AI, each with implications for how tech leaders will run their organizations. These shifts are:

1. From tools that support teams to AI ‘artisan’ and ‘factory’ teams.  Teams may evolve with two new human–AI patterns of interaction: the “factory (i.e., for predictable, routine processes deploying autonomous gen AI–enabled agents that can collaborate and navigate the work end to end)” and the “artisan (for processes that require human judgment and ingenuity gen AI tools are implemented at scale to serve as assistants, aiding and enhancing the work of experienced software engineers and enterprise technology strategists and executives)”.  One of the challenges leaders may face is effectively blending these approaches to create a fluid, synchronized workflow as tasks move from human to AI and back to human.
2. From application architectures dominating the landscape to predominantly AI agent and data architectures.  IT architectures are also expected to be significantly different, evolving from a traditional application-focused approach to new multiagent architectures where tech leaders oversee hundreds or thousands of distinct gen AI agents that can communicate with one another and the outside world to achieve a common goal.  Tech leaders are expected to deploy these agents within their environments in three primary ways:  A) Super platforms – represent the next generation of third-party business applications—such as collaboration tools, customer relationship management (CRM), or enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions—with built-in gen AI agents. B)  AI wrappers -these are essentially intermediary platforms that enable enterprise services to communicate and collaborate with third-party services via APIs without exposing their proprietary data. And C) Custom AI agents – internally developed by fine-tuning a pretrained LLM or using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) with a company’s proprietary data.
3. From a ‘pyramid’ or ‘diamond’ organizational structure to a flatter one, with new workforce development considerations
4. From application- to infrastructure-based cost structures, with increased focus on compute spend

Full adoption of this new enterprise technology operating model is likely a decade away, and success will require more than tooling. It hinges on understanding where to implement factory and artisan patterns, designing an effective agent architecture, and preparing for the many implications on talent, cost, operations, and risk. Starting with a few enterprise technology domains can help leaders build their organizational muscle for operating in these new ways and extrapolate learnings to gain efficiencies as they scale. Given the scale of change, the journey will be challenging, yet the long-term impact will likely be greater than currently perceived.

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Marketing strategies rooted in fleeting digital trends can become obsolete faster than companies can adapt their long-term brand narratives. Rapid evolutions in consumer attention spans, technological platforms and social media algorithms mean that today’s cutting-edge marketing approaches could be considered passé within months, potentially wasting significant creative and financial resources.

Smart marketers prioritize building authentic, adaptable brand identities that transcend momentary trends. Here, members of Forbes Agency Council share some current trends that marketers should think twice about before investing in. As their insights below illustrate, although such approaches might grab attention in the short term, brands that prioritize core values, genuine customer relationships and flexible communication strategies over the latest trends can pivot more quickly while maintaining consistent messaging.

1. Performance Marketing As A Solo Tactic.  We’ve seen marketing tactics be touted as taking over at first; yet TV never displaced radio, and direct mail didn’t supplant all else. Performance marketing as a solo, focused activity has shown many limitations: brand deterioration, lack of transparency and a poor alignment with a client’s creative needs. It’s destined to remain viable only as part of a balanced approach, along with many other marketing tactics.
2. Overreliance On Artificial Intelligence.  If only artificial intelligence had a heart. While generative AI boosts efficiency, it lacks the ability to create sentient connections, a crucial element in driving consumer affinity and loyalty. Research shows emotionally connected customers are 52% more valuable, driving higher long-term growth and brand advocacy. Brands must balance AI’s speed with genuine emotional engagement to create lasting impact and empathetic connections.
3. Third-Party Data Tracking.  Highly targeted advertising based on tracking people online is under threat from both legislation and the need for the largest online companies to protect their brands. Marketers need to accept that the availability of third-party tracking data is going to decrease dramatically and find other ways to target an audience—for example, by advertising around relevant content.
4. Branded NFTs.  One recent marketing trend unlikely to stand the test of time is branded nonfungible tokens. While blockchain and digital collectibles still have potential, people quickly lost interest in paying for digital images with limited utility and without long-term value. Also, when royalties on sales were removed, the revenue for brands disappeared, which led to marketing budget cuts for NFT promotions.
5. Canned AI Voiceovers.  The overuse of canned AI voices is already being played out. Brands will need to get more strategic to capture attention. The current use of voiceover AI to sustain another six months in any effective way is not expected. If you sound like everyone else, you are instantly forgettable.
6. Excessive Gamification.  The trend of excessive gamification in marketing won’t last. While things like awarding loyalty points for doing simple tasks or social media challenges can spark interest, they often feel gimmicky. As brands aim for authenticity, the focus will likely shift toward meaningful interactions that build trust and loyalty rather than just playing games for rewards.
7. The Creator Economy And Influencers.  A lot of today’s content creators are not making money, and a bubble is forming where everyone is trying to reach a stage where it’s profitable. This is leading to a lot of shallow and formulaic content, and the creator’s role is more that of a reformatter. Creativity is being lost and influence is fading as people crave realness.
8. Prioritizing Real-Time Measurability Over Effectiveness.  The trend of prioritizing real-time measurability over strategy effectiveness is fading. Marketers have been driven to the middle. Brand distinction and loyalty have deteriorated. The digital revolution elevated tactics focused on tracking, not holistic efficacy. We’re now seeing a shift back to creativity and unique strategies that build customer lifetime value, rather than short-term wins just to justify budgets to a CFO.

The other trends in Marketing that may soon be on their way out are:

Dependence On Short-Form Videos

Vanity Metrics

AI-generated “user-generated content

Using Micro-Influencers For Product Promotion

Making Unsubstantiated Claims With Empty Buzzwords

Chasing Virality By Jumping On Trends

Relying Primarily On Earned Media For PR

Default Opt-In For Data Collection And Sharing

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Just a few months ago, many people thought the battles over the value of the hybrid work model — and, on the flip side, return-to-office (RTO) mandates — were finally dying down. Two-thirds of U.S. companies had settled into a flexible work policy, according to Flex Index data on 13,000 companies. Office attendance, measured by building occupancy data, had stabilized at around 50% of pre-pandemic norms for almost two years. Then Amazon CEO Andy Jassy pushed the topic of RTO mandates back into prominence, pressing the company’s workers to get back to their offices five days a week.

Next, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and coleader of a proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the upcoming Trump administration, joined in: He has raised the potential of requiring the entire U.S. federal workforce to work in-office full-time.

It’s doubtful that the issue of what’s “right” when it comes to workplace flexibility will get settled anytime soon. While the latest research shows that RTO mandates often backfire, the hybrid work debates will continue. As we look forward to 2025, leaders can also expect continued evolution and refinement of hybrid work models. Here are the 5 hybrid work trends that you should be watching.

1. Organizations that embrace flexible work will steal talent from organizations that impose harsh return-to-office mandates.
2. Forward-looking organizations will shift toward measuring performance based on results, not attendance.
3. We’ll see the hybrid work conversation shift from days in the office to core hours and focus time
4. Leaders will move away from one-size-fits-all hybrid work policies
5. Flexible organizations will become artificial intelligence innovators

What’s common to each of these trends is the shift away from an overly simplistic focus on where people work to focusing on how teams work. Many leaders are seeing an advantage in redesigning their approach to focus on outcomes, particularly when it comes to driving engagement in talented teams. Those leaders aren’t stuck in workplace nostalgia (as some CEOs are, according to University of Pittsburgh research). Nor are they trying to do a soft layoff to please Wall Street.  In the long run, those leaders who move work forward by building organizations rooted in trust and focused on performance will outperform those wrestling with their own employees.

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Today’s business leaders are under intense pressure to become experts in AI, and even technically-minded CIOs may feel as if they need to know more than they already do. But given the rapid pace of change in AI, defining AI expertise within a business can be tricky.  

“I don’t think we’ve yet defined what ‘expert’ really means, because there’s no certification yet for just ‘expert’ in AI today — the minute you do that, there’s another piece of technology that’s going to be developed,” Salesforce’s chief commercial and customer officer LaShonda Anderson-Williams said at Fortune’s Brainstorm AI conference last week.

Juan Orlandini, Chief Technology Officer of Insight, advised business leaders not to get distracted by the “shiny object” and to focus instead on the same key principles that a business would follow for any enterprise app project.  “You start with a use case that you’re trying to solve for,” Orlandini said, and figure out if the expense of the project can be justified through a return on investment or a cost savings. After that, focus on the classic elements of any software deployment: how to scale it, how to secure it, and so on.  “We kind of forgot about that in this hype around AI. This is just another enterprise app. That’s it,” he said.

The warning of becoming too focused on AI technology itself was echoed by Edward Jones’ Chief Strategy Officer Hasan Malik, who said business leaders should think of their AI knowledge in three buckets: What you need to know, what’s nice to know, and what’s too much to know.  Malik cited understanding the cost of deploying AI as the main “need to know” issue for a business leader, while being a user of AI and gaining a firsthand understanding of the technology is a “nice to know.” But if you become too enamored with the technology of AI, you risk losing sight of the business case, Malik cautioned.

Still, if a leader or a team feels anxiety about their level of AI knowledge, it’s not unusual said Louise Barrere, senior managing director of Accenture’s Center for Advanced AI. “There is so much out in the market around what is actually real and is available today to be used, versus still being talked about, and in experimenting or testing,” she said.

One good way to boost your AI expertise is simply to start using the technology, said Salesforce’s Anderson-Williams.   It’s about “building space and a place for your organization to actually experience, test and quite frankly fail,” she said. “So they can understand what it’s going to feel like on the other end and what type of experience they’re trying to design…not just your engineering team, but your marketers, everyone in the organization.”

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Its the story of an entrepreneur who is looking to build the largest interior design community in North America, where belonging isn’t just about beautiful spaces, but about creating connections that make people feel truly seen and understood.  Her journey is still underway, but she already know that real community in today’s digital-first, increasingly AI-driven world doesn’t start with networking or amassing followers. It begins with being authentic about who you are. From there, you form the genuine connections that transform your business and your life.  Three suggestions on how to build an online community.

1. Embrace vulnerability by sharing stories.  The best leaders “create the space for true vulnerability,” as a Harvard Business Review article puts it, because this enables “psychologically safe work environments in which people feel welcome to be themselves.” According to the author she starts each interaction, whether online or in person, with a personal story that exposes her vulnerable side. It usually proves super relatable, setting the tone for the rest of her time with the people or clients.  When you share your most vulnerable self with those around you, others feel permission to do the same.
2. Show up authentically online and in person.  The foundation of any strong community is trust, and trust is bred when we show up as our authentic selves. According to a study by a global research and advisory firm Forrester, as many as 71 percent of consumers report being able to relate to authentic brands and therefore wanting to back them. In today’s world, people can immediately sniff out inauthenticity—especially the new generation on social media.  The way we build community in a post-COVID era has fundamentally changed, and this evolution is only upping the demand for authenticity. Digital platforms let us communicate in real-time with people anywhere in the world, but authentic connection happens human to human. This is why it is important to host online community events with industry leaders, interactive roundtables, and breakout rooms alongside crucial in-person meetups.  This balance becomes even more important as AI generates more content noise. True, authentic connection driven by human beings is more important than ever. Your community needs to feel the human touch in every interaction, from live chat messages to in-person gatherings.  If you’re only focused on driving sales or increasing your bottom line, you’re missing the true potential of community building. Lead with authenticity, and the business results will follow naturally.
3. Add value beyond transactions.  The No. 1 priority in community building is value. You can onboard as many people as you want, but if they don’t find exceptional value when they land, they won’t stay. The key is solving a deeper problem your community faces.  Building a value-driven community requires consistent attention to several key areas. Start by identifying and solving a specific problem your community faces—this gives people a reason to stay beyond the initial connection. Create compelling content that sparks real interaction and conversation among members. Make sure you’re facilitating meaningful connections through both online and offline events, giving people multiple ways to engage and connect. Most importantly, ensure that every touchpoint with your community provides exceptional value, creating an environment where members naturally become your ambassadors.

When we design a space offering people something valuable, authentic, and vulnerably human, it becomes so much more than a business network. It becomes another place to call home

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For The Founder CEO podcast, the author had the chance to sit down with Colin Treseler, co-founder and CEO of Supernormal—a groundbreaking AI-powered tool designed to make meetings more productive and less stressful. Colin’s story is one of grit, curiosity, and an unwavering commitment to solving problems that matter to him — not wasting time! With a background shaped by fierce competition in sports, Colin’s journey offers an inspiring blueprint for those daring to take the entrepreneurial leap.

Colin’s story begins at the top of Heartbreak Hill in Boston, where he grew up as the youngest of four in a spirited, athletic family. His father, an Olympic running coach, often hosted world-class Kenyan athletes at their home, giving Colin an early education in excellence, discipline, and the beauty of different cultures. Dinners at his house were competitive—not just over sports but also over ideas and knowledge, setting the stage for his lifelong love of learning.

After attending Dartmouth and competing as a rower, a back injury forced him to pivot into sailing, where he discovered the power of communication and teamwork. Colin’s professional journey started unconventionally—landing a job through Craigslist at a tiny startup in Boston. That first taste of entrepreneurship lit a fire, leading to roles at high-growth companies like Klarna and Facebook, where he sharpened his expertise in technology and product design.

But Colin’s restless curiosity always pointed him toward bigger challenges. In 2019, after years of watching inefficiencies plague organizations, he and co-founder Fabian Perez set out to build a tool that would reimagine how teams communicate, collaborate, and save time.

Supernormal launched with one bold promise: you should never have to take meeting notes again. It started as a simple idea but quickly resonated with a growing audience, especially as remote work became the norm. Today, Supernormal serves more than 365,000 organizations in 150 countries, providing a seamless way to capture, summarize, and organize meetings automatically.

Colin’s journey from competitive Boston dinners to leading an innovative AI startup is a testament to the power of persistence and adaptability. But it’s also deeply human. As a father, a runner, and a lifelong learner, Colin has built his company around a simple but profound idea: time is our most valuable resource, and we should use it wisely.

Colin’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: “Take care of yourself. It’s easy to sacrifice sleep, health, and relationships when u’re building something. But you’ll do your best work when you’re balanced and present.”