BLOG

Ken Kocienda, a veteran Apple software engineer and designer, played a crucial role in developing the Safari web browser, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. In his 2018 book, Creative Selection: Inside Apple’s Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Job s, he offers an unparalleled insider’s perspective on Apple’s creative processes during this amazing era of breakthrough products. The phrase “creative selection” is Kocienda’s spin on “natural selection,” emphasising how Ap

Rarely does a day go by in recent times without the words "Elon Musk" popping up on our newsfeeds. And, for better or worse, his influence on our lives is unmistakable: Teslas are commonplace, Twitter is now known as "X" and half of all active satellites in orbit right now are from the SpaceX stable. But amongst the controversy surrounding him, there remains a fascinating tale about someone who was prepared to challenge conventional wisdom and refuse to take "no" for an answ

Why do we measure things? That might seem like a silly question until you consider just how much we do it. From population data and GDP to steps and screentime, we measure almost every aspect of our lives. And the reason we do this is always the same – to make things better. But what if our obsession with measuring things is actually making things worse? Watch my short explainer to find out more: The metric minefield A metric is basically a system for measuring something and

When you think about the word "failure," what comes to mind? Embarrassment? Shame? Catastrophe? It’s unlikely the term conjures up any positive connotations.   And yet, Matthew Syed’s 2015 book Black Box Thinking asks us to consider failure as a starting point for making things better.   Black box thinking is a mindset named after the black box recorder fitted to every aircraft. Just as the black box in an aeroplane is there to be salvaged after a crash – to review flight da

When’s the last time you checked social media? Or were distracted by an incoming email alert? Or answered the siren call for your third frothy coffee of the day mid-task? It’s a wonder we ever get anything done!   But that’s life as we know it – teeming with distractions. You’re lucky if you get 20 minutes to think straight on that *very important project that must be completed today.*   Thankfully, author and professor of computer science Cal Newport has a solution: "deep wo

Can you believe iluli turned five (!!) in March? I was so oblivious to the rapid passage of time that the landmark date completely passed me by – until late April, that is, when a Webby Award or two came a-knocking.   Yes, you read that right! Having been a nominee and honouree on multiple occasions, 2024 was the year we finally won, securing both the Jury and the People’s Voice awards for best video in the Health & Wellness category. The video that did the business? Magic

Philosophers Andy Clark and David Chalmers once argued that anything we use to help us think or remember becomes more than just a tool – it’s part of our " extended mind " . Ancient civilizations extended their minds with clay tablets. Our parents’ and grandparents’ generations relied on notebooks and filofaxes. Today, we have supercharged access to information through the incredible processing power of our digital devices. The possibilities for our extended minds should be a

If you’ve only heard of Adam Grant from his excellent WorkLife podcast and thought his talents end there, think again… Not only is Grant a successful organisational psychologist and TED talk extraordinaire, he’s also a New York Times bestselling author boasting a back catalogue that’s been translated into 35 languages. His books include Option B (with Sheryl Sandberg), Give and Take , Originals , and Think Again . Or to give its full title Think Again: The Power of Knowing

Netflix sent out its last red envelope in September 2023, marking an end to 25 years of mailing DVDs. Like me, you’re probably surprised to hear this side of the business still existed. Nowadays, Netflix is synonymous with modern-day entertainment as one of the world’s leading streaming platforms. You only reach such heady heights with a culture designed for success. And in the book, No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention , Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and

When things go wrong, humans love to find someone to blame. It often seems to make sense, because it feels both fair and effective — people who screw up get punished and everyone learns not to make the same mistake again. But what if we’ve been getting this all wrong? Pointing the finger of blame might feel satisfying, but it can stop us from learning. And when you consider that we all make mistakes, that’s a lot of valuable learning we could be missing out on. Fortunately, t

If you think Marmite divides opinion, wait until you spend some time in the company of capitalism. Is it the greatest concept in the history of human civilisation? Or is it the root of all that is unfair in the world, helping the rich get richer at everyone else’s expense? It’s probably a topic best avoided at dinner parties. But, how well do we actually understand how economies work? In his book, Talking to My Daughter About the Economy: A Brief History of Capitalism , Yani

Remember the time they changed the recipe of your favourite chocolate bar for no good reason? After sticking with its familiar squares of purple-wrapped chocolate for more than 100 years, the folks at Cadbury felt the full force of public fury back in 2012 when they rounded off the corners of Dairy Milk – with many decrying “cultural vandalism” over what was perceived to be the chocolate’s new, sweeter taste. The kicker? The recipe hadn’t changed! Watching from the sidelines,

The climate. You probably know a thing or two about where it's heading (somewhere bad), but you're not entirely sure how to improve it. After all, you're just one person. Do actions like recycling and using smart energy meters make that much difference? Is there a right and a wrong way to improve the environment? These questions and more are the focus of How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need, written by the one and only Bill Gat

Ever waited in line all night to get your hands on the latest iPhone or PlayStation? Or are you more of a casual consumer, buying technology products when needs must? Whatever category you fall into, tech brands know you well, and they’ve spent decades figuring out how to reel you in. In Crossing the Chasm, author and consultant Geoffrey Moore explores how tech companies transition from early adopters to the mainstream market. These key audiences have different wants and nee

Have you ever signed up for a free trial offer, only to find yourself still paying for it several months later? If it makes you feel any better, you’re not alone – welcome to the world of "nudge". “Few books can be said to have changed the world,” said the legendary psychologist Daniel Kahneman, “but Nudge did.” Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein’s book Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness had a huge impact following its release in 2008. Within a

How objective are you? Most of us like to think that we always make rational and fact-based decisions, but studies show that we are often swayed by unconscious biases. Thankfully we can rely on science to give us an objective and unbiased take on the world, with its robust, impartial research and cold, hard data. Or can we? It turns out the truth is a bit more complicated… In a recent iluli video, I explored how science and technology have reinforced inequalities in our socie

Gym memberships, vegan diets, keeping a diary, reading challenges, Dry January… At this time of year, many of us will be in the early, optimistic days of putting into practice our New Year’s resolutions. Hopefully some might last the course, and this year you really will become that healthier, happier, more productive version of yourself that you committed to on January 1st. If experience is anything to go by, though, it’s likely that at least some of these good intentions wi

As company mantras go, Amazon’s "always day one" is a thinker. Does it infer progress is slow? That you’ll perpetually feel out of your depth? Perhaps a Groundhog Day of sorts, drowning in a sea of acronyms like ACS, ASIN and HOTW… On the contrary, those three words are considered to be inspirational. It’s the reason you’ll find "still day one" and the like on the LinkedIn posts of Amazonians celebrating their five, 10 and 15-year work anniversaries. It’s not a meaningless mo

If you were listing the innovators who had the biggest influence on the world in the past 50 years, the name Steve Jobs would likely come close to the top. You might be tapping out this list on the Notes app of your iPhone, or dictating it to Siri through your Apple Watch. Even if you don’t have a house full of products with a shiny fruit-based logo, Jobs’ impact transforming how we use computers and consume music, news and film in the 21st century is undeniable. 11 years on

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s been a lot of talk of folk leaving their jobs in record numbers. Professor Anthony Klotz from Texas A&M University dubbed this "The Great Resignation." It sounds dramatic – but did it actually happen? My explainer video below explores this question in greater depth... I’m fascinated by what the future of work might look like (something we also considered in the iluli explainer on Universal Basic Income ). The pandemic has accelera