A Wall Street Journal report this week gave an extensive look into how Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a senior Trump adviser, handles his companies and his more than a dozen children.
The answer, it seems, is by relying heavily on his longtime right-hand man, Jared Birchall. Birchalls role, as he reportedly said in a phone call, is to protect Elon. Here’s what to know about Musks fixer.
Birchalls Early Career
Birchall graduated from Brigham Young University in 1999 and spent a year as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs. In 2000, he moved into private wealth management at Merrill Lynch but was fired after a decade for sending correspondence to a client without management approval, according to a regulatory report cited by Bloomberg. He joined Morgan Stanley in 2010, where he managed Musks money as part of a small team. In 2016, Musk recruited Birchall to run his family office, Excession.
A Quiet Contrast to Musk
Birchall and Musk present starkly different public personas. Birchall, according to Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, is a practicing Mormon who prefers to stay out of the spotlight. Musk, by contrast, thrives on attentionhaving hosted Saturday Night Live and frequently sharing his views on X, the social media platform he owns.
The Fixer’s Role
Birchalls responsibilities are wide-ranging. According to Bloomberg, he helped arrange the loans from Wall Street that enabled Musk to purchase what was then known as Twitter. He also handled disbursements from Musks super PAC, which supported Donald Trumps presidential campaign. More recently, The Wall Street Journal reported, Birchall has acted as a go-between for Musk and several of the mothers of his children. That has allegedly included acquiring a property in Austin for them to live in and offering secrecy agreements in exchange for large sums of money.
Loyalty and Wealth
Birchall has remained at Musks side throughout the billionaires meteoric rise. While his exact income is unknown, Bloomberg cited a report estimating that the typical head of a large family office earns between $1 million and $3 million annuallythough his salary may be much higher. In 2020, Birchall reportedly purchased a $2.25 million home in Austin, complete with a pool and tennis court.
He also serves as the head of Musks neurotechnology firm, Neuralink. However, Bloomberg noted that Birchall holds no actual executive authority there. His name was added to company documents as a legal formality, and he does not participate in day-to-day operations.
Imagine two interns. The first follows instructions to the lettercompiling research, scheduling social media posts, and managing your calendar.
The second completes the same tasks but takes it a step furtherfinding additional research sources, streamlining the social media workflow, and proactively suggesting optimal meeting times based on past interactions and behaviors.
These two interns, with their overlapping but distinct capabilities, capture the essence of automation versus AI. Both liberate users from tedious manual work, but only one, with its built-in autonomy, is changing the nature of how we interact with technology.
At Jotform, weve incorporated automation and AI into our daily processeswe also offer both types of solutions to users. Heres how each serves a unique purposeand how you can leverage them to work smarter.
Automation versus AI
Im a strong proponent of automation. Its the foundation of my career and my company. I even wrote a book about itto show how automation can free people from the dull, repetitive parts of their jobs.
But automation itself is nothing new. Over a century ago, Henry Ford revolutionized manufacturing with the moving assembly line, cutting production time for the Model T from 12 hours to just 90 minutes. That was mechanical automationa system designed to streamline repetitive tasks.
The 21st century brought a similar revolution to knowledge work. If you break down your daily workflows, youll likely find parts that can be automated using the right tools or technology.
Take a reporter covering breaking news: instead of manually checking for updates every half hour, she sets up Google Alerts to track developments in real-time.
Or consider a recruiter: rather than sifting through thousands of applications, they use a tool like Harver to automatically screen candidates based on preset criteria, bringing the most promising applicants to the fore.
When I published my book in 2023, we were only beginning to grasp AIs potential. Fast-forward to today, and tools like ChatGPT have evolved dramaticallyexcelling in speed, accuracy, memory, and multimodal capabilities. Automation executes tasks. AI mimics human thinking and reasoning.
AI doesnt just follow instructions; it reasons, adapts, and makes decisions. And now, AI agents are taking things a step furtheroperating autonomously, dynamically reasoning through complex situations, and acting without human intervention.
I like the analogy Google used in a recent white paper: agents are like chefsgathering ingredients, planning a dish, and making adjustments as they cook. I would add that automation is like a line cookhighly efficient, but following instructions rather than innovating.
In todays workplace, automation and AI complement each other. The real power comes in knowing when to use which.
Leveraging their strengths
Painting with broad strokes, automation tools are ideal for repetitive tasks that require clear, rule-based actions. For instance, you can set an automation tool to redirect any email containing X to a specific folder or flag any X security issue in a system for review by a human employee. Automation shines when it comes to tasks meant to be executed consistently and without variation.
AI tools, on the other hand, can add a human-like reasoning element to a task or workflow. Its ideal for situations that require dynamic responses.
For example, imagine an AI agent that doesnt just transcribe your meetings, but also provides a personalized recap, compiles action items, and even drafts follow-up emailsall tailored to your role in the organization or meeting. While executing tasks, the agent applies judgment and adapts as it goes.
The beauty of agents, the latest advance in AI, is the power to design them based on your unique needs and circumstances.
For instance, I wanted an AI agent to help wrangle my email inbox, so I built one according to my personal goals: parsing out spam, flagging time-sensitive messages, and redirecting items to read later. That way, I can check email twice or three times a day, knowing Ill be alerted about any urgent messages. I redirect my focus to more impactful work that requires deep focus.
So, is AI always the best option? Not necessarily.
Consider it like using a laser cutter for a task that a pair of scissors could handle perfectly well. Sometimes, the added investment in AI tools isnt justified when simpler automation will do the trick.
It starts with mapping out your workflows and deciding which type of task youd like to delegatewhether it requires mere execution or a higher level of judgment and reasoning.
Final thoughts
Automation and AI are two sides of the same coinoffloading work that doesnt require your direct involvement and recapturing more time for meaningful tasks involving creativity and strategic thinking.
By removing boring, tedious work from your plate, they also serve in the battle against burnout, which has become all too common in a world obsessed with busyness.
The key is knowing when to use each. If automation improves your efficiency, AI tools can boost your reasoning and decision-making. Combined, AI and automation dont just save time; they change how we approach work.
Netflix fared better than analysts anticipated during the first three months of the year, signaling the world’s largest video streaming service is still thriving as President Donald Trump’s policies cast a pall on the economy.The numbers released Thursday indicated Netflix is still building on the momentum that enabled it to add 41 million worldwide subscribers last yearthe biggest annual gain in the company’s 27-year history.But it’s unclear precisely how many more subscribers Netflix picked up during the January-March period because this report marks the first time that that the Los Gatos, California, company hasn’t provided a quarterly update on its total subscribers.Netflix announced last year it would no longer report subscriber numbers beginning with this quarter as the company seeks to shift investors’ focus to its profits after topping 300 million global subscribers in December. As part of that emphasis, Netflix is working to sell more advertising to supplement subscription dollars.Netflix’s sharper focus on its finances paid off in this year’s first quarter with earnings of $2.9 billion, or $6.61 per share, a 24% increase from from the same time last year. Revenue climbed 13% from the same time last year to $10.54 billion. Both numbers exceeded forecasts compiled by FactSet Research. Without providing details, Netflix cited ongoing subscriber growth as the main reason for its strong start this year.The robust growth came against a background of economic chaos and Trump’s fluctuating trade war. The tech industry has been hit particularly hard by the sweeping tariffs that Trump unveiled April 2 because so many bellwether companies rely on international supply chains that have been provided some relief by temporary freezes and exemptions from the fees.But Netflix’s global streaming service hasn’t been touched by Trump’s tariffs yet, making the company a notable exception that has enabled its stock price to increase 9% so far this year, while the market values of most other major tech companies have plummeted.“Netflix remains a standout in an otherwise volatile tech landscape,” said Andrew Rocco, a who tracks the stock market for Zacks Investment Research.The company’s shares rose nearly 3% in extended trading after its report came out.The trade war could still hurt Netflix if it triggers a recession or fuels inflationary pressures as many economists fear. In those scenarios, more consumers may curtail their discretionary spending on entertainment.The economic volatility could also result in a slowdown in advertising to the detriment of Netflix’s efforts to sell more commercials for a low-priced version of its streaming service that accounted for most of its last year’s subscriber growth.“We’re paying close attention clearly to the consumer sentiment and where the broader economy is moving,” Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said during a Thursday conference call. “But based on what we are seeing by actually operating the business right now, there’s nothing really significant to note.”Peters also said Netflix’s low-cost option, currently priced at $8 per month in the U.S., should help insulate its video streaming service if households start tightening their belts.In a sign of its confidence, Netflix reaffirmed its previous prediction for annual revenue of roughly $44 billion, up 13% from 2024.“Historically in tougher economies, home entertainment value is really important to consumer households,” Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos noted during the conference call.
Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer
Donald Trump has stepped up his attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the same time that the Supreme Court is considering a case that could make it easier for the president to fire him.The developments are occurring against a backdrop of wider turmoil in the economy and financial markets, brought on by Trump’s sweeping taxes on imports. Most economists worry that an assault on the Fed’s longstanding independence from politics would further disrupt markets and add to the uncertainty enveloping the economy.In comments at the White House Thursday, Trump suggested he has the power to remove Powell and criticized him for not aggressively cutting interest rates.“If I want him out, he’ll be out of there real fast, believe me,” Trump said. “I’m not happy with him.”All the scrutiny threatens the Fed’s venerated independence, which has long been supported by most economists and Wall Street investors. Here are some questions and answers about the Fed.
Why does the Fed’s independence matter?
The Fed wields extensive power over the U.S. economy. By cutting the short-term interest rate it controlswhich it typically does when the economy faltersthe Fed can make borrowing cheaper and encourage more spending, accelerating growth and hiring. When it raises the ratewhich it does to cool the economy and combat inflationit can weaken the economy and cause job losses.Economists have long preferred independent central banks because they can more easily take unpopular steps to fight inflation, such as raise interest rates, which makes borrowing to buy a home, car, or appliance more expensive.The importance of an independent Fed was cemented for most economists after the extended inflation spike of the 1970s and early 1980s. Former Fed Chair Arthur Burns has been widely blamed for allowing the painful inflation of that era to accelerate by succumbing to pressure from President Richard Nixon to keep rates low heading into the 1972 election. Nixon feared higher rates would cost him the election, which he won in a landslide.Paul Volcker was eventually appointed chair of the Fed in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter, and he pushed the Fed’s short-term rate to the stunningly high level of nearly 20%. (It is currently 4.3%). The eye-popping rates triggered a sharp recession, pushed unemployment to nearly 11%, and spurred widespread protests.Yet Volcker didn’t flinch. By the mid-1980s, inflation had fallen back into the low single digits. Volcker’s willingness to inflict pain on the economy to throttle inflation is seen by most economists as a key example of the value of an independent Fed.
What do Wall Street investors think?
An effort to fire Powell would almost certainly cause stock prices to fall and bond yields to spike higher, pushing up interest rates on government debt and raising borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and credit card debt.Most investors prefer an independent Fed, partly because it typically manages inflation better without being influenced by politics but also because its decisions are more predictable. Fed officials often publicly discuss how they would alter interest rate policies if economic conditions changed.If the Fed was more swayed by politics, it would be harder for financial markets to anticipateor understandits decisions.
So does that mean the Fed is completely unaccountable?
Well, no. Fed chairs like Powell are appointed by the president to serve four-year terms, and have to be confirmed by the Senate. The president also appoints the six other members of the Fed’s governing board, who can serve staggered terms of up to 14 years, though most governors leave before the end of their terms.Those appointments can allow a president over time to significantly alter the Fed’s policies. Former president Joe Biden appointed five of the current seven members: Powell, Lisa Cook, Philip Jefferson, Adriana Kugler, and Michael Barr. As a result, Trump will have fewer opportunities to make appointments. He will be able to replace Kugler, who filled an unexpired term ending January 31, 2026.Congress, meanwhile, can set the Fed’s goals through legislation. In 1977, for example, Congress gave the Fed a “dual mandate” to keep prices stable and seek maximum employment. The Fed defines stable prices as inflation at 2%.The 1977 law also requires the Fed chair to testify before the House and Senate twice every year about the economy and interest rate policy.
But can the president fire Powell?
Powell says the law establishing the Fed does not allow a president to fire a chair except for cause. There is some complication in that Powell was separately appointed as a member of the Fed’s board of governors, and then elevated to the position of chairby Trump, in 2017.Most legal scholars agree that Trump can’t fire Powell from the Fed’s board of governors, but there is less agreement over whether a president can remove him as chair. In January, Michael Barr, who was vice chair for supervision, stepped down from that post but remained on the board to avoid a potential legal clash over whether Trump could fire him.Should Trump try to fire Powell anyway, the ensuing fight would almost certainly end up at the Supreme Court.
What could the Supreme Court do?
We may get an early sign of how the Supreme Court would decide it this summer. There is already a case before the court on the issue of whether the president can fire top officials at independent agencies.The case stems from Trump’s firings of two officials, one from the National Labor Relations Board and the other from an agency that protects workers from political interference. The Supreme Court last week let the firings stand while it considers the case. It could rule this summer that the president, as the head of the executive branch, could fire officials at any federal agency even if Congress had intended it to be independent.The case would overturn a 90-year old precedent known as Humphrey’s Executor, in which the court ruled that the president couldn’t fire such officials.Powell said Wednesday he is watching the case closely, adding that it might not apply to the Fed. Lawyers for the Trump administration, seeking to narrow the focus of the case, have argued that it doesn’t involve the Fed.Both the Trump administration and the Supreme Court justices have carved out exemptions for the Fed before. In February, the White House issued an executive order that placed several financial regulatory agencies, including the Fed and the Securities and Exchange Commission, more directly under the president’s control. Yet the order specifically exempted the Fed’s ability to set interest rates from that order.And in a case in 2023, Justice Samuel Alito said in a footnote that the Fed is a “unique institution with a unique historical background” that made it different than other independent bodies. If the court does give presidents more poer over the heads of independent agencies, it could potentially exempt the Fed.
Christopher Rugaber, AP Economics Writer
The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the agency created to serve as a watchdog for American consumers against predatory business practices, said on Thursday it planned to dismiss as much as 90% of its remaining workforce, resuming mass firings less than a week after a federal court ruling granted the Trump administration leeway in setting staff levels.
Multiple agency sources said staff members had begun receiving formal notices on Thursday afternoon. A CFPB spokesperson confirmed the agency was moving to fire roughly 1,500 people across core divisions, including enforcement and supervision, leaving only 200 staff. Fox Business had earlier reported those numbers.
The workforce action comes in the middle of legal action brought by an employee union and consumer advocates working to prevent what they said was the agency’s illegal destruction.
In an emergency motion filed Thursday evening, lawyers for an employee union and consumer advocates told a federal judge the CFPB was flouting court orders requiring a “particularized assessment” prior to any such workforce reductions and that the agency retain enough staff to perform functions required by law.
“It is unfathomable that cutting the Bureau’s staff by 90 percent in just 24 hours, with no notice to people to prepare for that elimination, would not ‘interfere with the performance’ of its statutory duties,” they said in the motion.
According to one official notice seen by Reuters, the agency said the recipient’s dismissal would take effect in 60 days but that access to internal email systems and IT systems would be cut off on Friday evening.
President Donald Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk called earlier this year for the CFPB’s elimination, accusing it of politicized enforcement, and with a court hearing showing the administration’s initial goal was to shut the agency down entirely.
However, administration officials subsequently said the CFPB would continue to exist in some form, noting that Trump has nominated a new director.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Created after the 2008 financial crisis, the CFPB is the sole federal agency with power to enforce consumer financial laws at nonbank institutions such as mortgage originators and payment services. The agency, long criticized by conservatives, has been facing an onslaught of firings and changes under President Donald Trump.
An appeals court last week partially reversed a decision handed down by a district court that ordered the administration to halt efforts to fire workers, scrap contracts and close offices.
Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who championed the creation of the CFPB, earlier this year said no one other than Congress could dismantle the agency and criticized Republican attempts to weaken the agency that has paid $21 billion in financial restitution to thousands of Americans.
In a statement, Warren called the mass firings “yet another assault on consumers and our democracy by this lawless Administration.”
(Additional reporting and writing by Pete Schroeder)
Douglas Gillison and Tim Reid, Reuters
Friday, April 18, 2025, is Good Friday. But when it comes to what places are open and closed on Good Friday, things can be a bit tricky. Thats because Good Friday is not a federal holiday but a religious one. It’s the Friday before Easter, which is always celebrated on a Sunday.
Yet Good Friday is also a state holiday in select states. This means that public institutions may be closed in one state but open in another on Good Friday.
Heres what you need to know about whats open and closed on Good Friday 2025.
Is Good Friday a federal holiday?
No. Good Friday is not one of the officially recognized federal holidays. Of the 12 federal holidays in 2025, the last one was Washingtons Birthday on February 17, and the next one will be Memorial Day on May 26.
Is Good Friday a state holiday?
Yesin some states, anyway. According to the Federal Times, Good Friday is a recognized state holiday in 12 states:
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Hawaii
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
New Jersey
North Carolina
North Dakota
Texas
Tennessee
In most of these states, public offices will likely be closed on Good Friday.
Are banks open on Good Friday?
Yes, most major banks should be operating as normal on Good Friday. This includes banks like Chase, Citibank, PNC, and more. Online banking services will be available via the banks website and smartphone apps, in addition to physical bank branches being open.
Are ATMs open on Good Friday?
Yes. ATMs will be open on Good Friday. However, as it is the start of a holiday weekend for many people, ATMs may get picked over sooner than usual.
Is the post office open on Good Friday?
Yes, as the United States Postal Service (USPS) is a federal organization, it will be open and operating as normal on Good Friday. This includes both at USPS branches and at home mail delivery.
Is mail delivered on Good Friday?
Yes. The USPS will deliver mail as normal on Good Friday.
Are FedEx and UPS operating on Good Friday?
According to FedExs holiday schedule, some FedEx delivery services will have a modified schedule on Good Friday, including its FedEx and FedEx Freight services. FedEx Office, FedEx Custom Critical, and FedEx Logistics will be open as normal.
UPS says it will be operating pickup or delivery services on Good Friday. It also notes that UPS Store locations will be open.
Is the stock market open on Good Friday?
No. Major U.S. stock markets will be closed on Good Friday. This includes the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq.
Are schools open on Good Friday?
Many schools should be closed on Good Friday, but its best to check with your school. Despite not being a federal holiday, many public schools choose to be closed on Good Friday. Most private, religious schools will also be closed.
Are restaurants open on Good Friday?
Most restaurants should be open on Good Friday. This includes well-known chains like McDonalds, Subway, Burger King, Arby’s, and Chipotle, which should be open. However, note that some franchise locations could be closed, as Chick-fil-A points out.
Likewise, many sit-down restaurants should remain open, but you should call ahead first to make sure.
Are retail stores open on Good Friday?
A majority of big-box retail stores will be open on Good Friday. This includes major chains like Target, Costco, Best Buy, and Walmart.
Are pharmacies open on Good Friday?
You can expect most pharmacies to be open on Good Friday, including those found in Walgreens. However, pharmacies may have adjusted hours on Good Friday. Its best to check with your preferred pharmacy to confirm their hours on Good Friday.
Are grocery stores open on Good Friday?
Many regional grocery store chains should be open on Good Friday. However, they may have reduced hours. Its best to check with your grocery store directly to see what their operating hours are on Good Friday.
Hello! Next Thursday, April 24, Ill be moderating two fireside chatswith Runway cofounder Alejandro Matamala Ortiz and F-35 pilot Justin Hasard Leeat Artist and the Machines AI & Creativity Summit in Brooklyn. The event promises to be an invigorating exploration of the intersection of technology and art from multiple perspectives, and I hope to see some of you there.
Sam Altman wants to build a social network. Given the OpenAI CEOs unbridled ambitionand the potential to turn 400 million ChatGPT users into some semblance of a communityit would be weird if he didnt. And the timing makes sense: On Tuesday, The Verges Kylie Robison and Alex Heath reported that OpenAI is looking to capitalize on the new ChatGPT image-generating features that have already been going viral on other networks since arriving late last month. Whether the company plans to fold social aspects into ChatGPT itself or create a new app remains to be seen.
The news of Altmans interest in bootstrapping an OpenAI social network around ChatGPT came less than three weeks after Elon Musk announced that his AI company, xAI, had acquired his social network, Twitter X for $45 billion. Its still unclear whether this move amounts to more than the worlds richest man shuffling assets around the way you or I might rearrange our shelf of Funko figures; after all, xAIs Grok chatbot already occupied prime real estate inside the X app. But xAI, whose wellspring of AI technology and talent is, by all accounts, formidable, now owns a decent-size (if reputationally challenged) online community. That gives it access to hundreds of millions of potential customers, plus a vast, endlessly replenished stream of content it can use to train its algorithms. The potential to do interesting things is there, if Musk can divert his attention from dismantling civic institutions for a moment or two.
Even if its obvious why OpenAI and xAI might want to meld their respective generative AI engines with social platforms, it wont be easy. Consider whats going on at Meta, which has more social-network users than any other company and owns a top-tier LLM, Llama. So far, AIs impact on Facebook has been to junk up feeds with spam posts about imaginary people and pointless interjections from the Meta AI bot. If theres a way for the technology to make itself welcome in a communal setting, it probably doesnt look anything like this.
For all the ways generative AI is astoundingit recently coded my dream app for mesocial networking may be one of the tougher assignments for it to crack productively. The technology excels at churning out lowest-common-denominator content, but online gathering places need less of that, not more. Nor does its uncanny glibness mean its ready to join conversations the way humans do. Using machine vision, for example, the Meta AI bot can suss out the gist of a posted image, but that has little to do with whether it can say anything interesting about it. In my encounters, the conversation starters its generated have been stultifyingly synthetic.
Still, when I heard about OpenAIs social aspirations, my instinct was to be intrigued rather than repelled. For one thing, many of us have spent the last few years obsessing over the companys tools and sharing our creations: I started tweeting DALL-E 2 oddities in August 2022, months before there was a ChatGPT. The company should be able to facilitate that discussion by building some community infrastructure of its own, such as ways to post items for public consumption and comment. Ive been disappointed by its failure to do much with the store for custom GPT applets it launched in January 2024, which could have been a springboard for features that let ChatGPT users talk to each other. The vitality of its newest image-generation technology is an even better such opportunity.
More socially aware AI products might also help counteract the AIs tendency to suck users down rabbit holes of solitude. Recent research conducted by OpenAI itself suggests that heavy ChatGPT users tend to be lonely, though its unclear whether thats because the chatbot fosters loneliness or simply a sign that lonely people are drawn to it. Either way, I find my own jags with AI chatbots to be both addictive and isolating in a way that doesnt feel entirely healthyat least when I discover Im still at it an hour or two after I meant to go to bed. Anything that nudged AI devotees back toward engaging with society couldnt hurt.
Part of my measured willingness to believe OpenAI could construct a worthwhile social networkmaybe, in theory, if were luckystems from the fact that the company has shown it can create software thats pleasant to use. Any community it built would be a fresh start, which is not true of xAI/X and Meta, both of which are cobbling together AI experiences atop social platforms that are well into middle age, and showing it. That guarantees nothing: Google+ was also quite pleasant but couldnt overcome Facebooks deeply entrenched place in peoples lives, particularly at that time. But an OpenAI social network wouldnt have to displace Facebook to have value. In fact, the less Facebook-like it was, the better the argument for it existing at all.
If OpenAIs project turns out to be a soon-abandoned lark rather than a top priority, somebody else might give AI a measure of social grace. For instance, Microsoft consumer AI chief Mustafa Suleyman recently told me that the company is working on priming its Copilot companion to participate in conversations with multiple humans at once, with a sensitivity to their varying interests and attitudes. Or maybe a company that doesnt even exist yet will do the jobwhich would make sense, since every social network that has ever mattered has been the brainchild of a tiny startup.
The one scenario that seems implausible is that tomorrows social experiences wont have a far heavier element of generative AI than anything that exists today. We already know what can go wrong when they get smooshed together. Fingers crossed well get to see what can go right.
You’ve been reading Plugged In, Fas Company‘s weekly tech newsletter from me, global technology editor Harry McCracken. If a friend or colleague forwarded this edition to youor if you’re reading it on FastCompany.comyou can check out previous issues and sign up to get it yourself every Friday morning. I love hearing from you: Ping me at hmccracken@fastcompany.com with your feedback and ideas for future newsletters. I’m also on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads, and you can follow Plugged In on Flipboard.
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Curiosity isnt just a good personality trait or an indulgenceits a leadership superpower. In a business environment where innovation dictates success, curiosity serves as the catalyst for breakthroughs and industry reinvention. Yet, despite its transformative potential, it remains one of the most undervalued tools in leadership today.
According to a Harvard Business Review study, curiosity fosters openness and collaboration while reducing decision-making errors. Yet only 24% of organizations actively encourage it, leaving a wealth of untapped potential on the table. The best leaders dont just seek answers; they reframe problems. Instead of asking, How do we fix this? they ask, What if we reimagine this entirely? Leaders who embrace this mindset uncover opportunities for reinvention that others overlook because they only focus on immediate challenges.
Curiosity begins with observation
In the world of art and design, curiosity begins with observation. Georgia OKeeffe once remarked, Nobody sees a flower, reallyit is so small we havent time, and to see takes time. Her words offer a lesson for leaders: True insight comes from taking the time to observe and understand what others overlook. The design thinking process mirrors this ethos, emphasizing empathy, iteration, and a willingness to embrace failure. Leaders who adopt these principles uncover unmet needs and rethink stagnant paradigms.
For instance, I once worked with a biotech executive who revitalized their R&D team with a single question: What are we missing in the data that could change the trajectory of our discovery? This curiosity-fueled inquiry led to a cross-disciplinary exploration, resulting in a groundbreaking treatment that shifted the companys competitive position.
Curiosity in action
One of my clients is a CTO in the high-tech sector whose team was stuck in a cycle of diminishing returns during a critical product launch. Instead of defaulting to conventional troubleshooting, they asked a provocative question: What would this look like if we started from scratch? Initially, the team hesitated, but once framed as a thought experiment, the question sparked a creative dialogue that dismantled assumptions. The result? A novel approach that solved the immediate challenge and laid a foundation for long-term innovation.
Another client is a CEO at a multinational organization who embarked on a listening tour to understand their global workforce. They asked a simple yet profound question: What inspires you to do your best work? This inquiry revealed a blend of universal motivators and culturally specific insights, enabling the CEO to craft a new, inclusive company mission. The initiative boosted engagement, fostered a sense of belonging, and unified the workforce across continents.
A framework for leaders to cultivate curiosity
To harness curiosity as a leadership tool, leaders must commit to intentional practices that foster curiosity-driven innovation:
Ask Bigger Questions. Shift from tactical fixes to expansive, open-ended questions. Replace How can we cut costs? with How can we create more value with fewer resources? These questions inspire fresh perspectives and out-of-the-box thinking.
Practice Empathetic Observation. Adopt an artists lenstaking the time to truly see your team, customers, and market dynamics. Listen deeply and observe without preconceived notions. Empathy is the foundation for uncovering unmet needs and fostering trust.
Prototype Curiosity. Treat curiosity like a skill to be honed. Run curiosity workshops where no idea is too wild. Encourage iterative brainstorming and test small ideas before scaling them, creating a low-risk environment for experimentation.
Embrace Failure as Discovery. Curiosity-driven leadership requires psychological safety. When teams see failure as a learning opportunity rather than a liability, they are more willing to take risks and innovate. Leaders must model this openness.
Stay Open to Being Wrong. Curiosity isnt about confirming what you already knowits about exploring the unknown. The best leaders I have worked with are those willing to challenge their own assumptions and learn from unexpected perspectives.
Curiosity doesnt just spark innovationit strengthens connections. By demonstrating a genuine interest in your team, their challenges, and their aspirations, you build a culture of trust and collaboration. Leaders who lead with curiosity create workplaces where people feel valued, heard, and inspired to contribute their best.
Curiosity allows leaders to navigate complexity with agility and vision in a fast-paced environment. It enables them to ask the questions others avoid, see patterns others miss, and find solutions others never imagine. In doing so, they transform their organizations and the lives of those they lead. One thing is clear: The leaders who thrive will be those who lead with curiosity. The future belongs to those who dare to be curious.
In Melinda French Gates’s new book, The Next Day, she illuminates the importance of knowing the story that you are writing for yourself. After turning 60, leaving The Gates Foundation, and beginning a new chapter in her philanthropy, I was curious about the story that she is authoring. What are French Gatess new dreams?
My new dreams are to lift women up generationally, she says. So, the world is different when my granddaughters enter the workforce. There are barriers that we need to break down, things about womens health that we should be exploring, and opportunities that are more limited for women. I would love for many of those things to be easier for my granddaughters than they were for me or even my daughters.
A central premise of her book is that: During transitions, the real work starts the next day. Its one that French Gates has fully embodied since departing The Gates Foundation in 2024, which she cofounded and cochaired for over two decades.
When she announced her departure in May, she committed an additional $1 billion to advance womens power and influence (totaling her commitment to $2 billion through her organization Pivotal). In October, they launched a $250 million global open call to fund organizations improving womens health. Two months later, came a $150 million commitment to remove barriers for women in the workplace. French Gates is just getting started.
The Next Day is an intimate portrayal of the transitions that she has faced personally and professionally and a road map to navigate your own. Here, she discusses knowing which dreams to let go of, pausing in the liminal space, and releasing perfectionism.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
In your Stanford commencement speech, you said: Resist the idea that anything youve done here has already locked you into any one pathor any one kind of life or career . . . And be willing to let what you learn shift your thinking about what youre on this earth to do. What have you learned about the evolution of ones purpose?
I’ve learned so much. I came out of college thinking I am going to be in tech. I was in tech for nine years. I loved my career. I had no idea that I would go into global health, global development, learning about the U.S. education system, and issues for women.
What I’ve learned through that process is that you need to keep an ear open and listen to others along the way. What do they have to teach you? What are they bringing to you? Is there a theme to it?
At the same time, you need to listen to your inner voice: What is it calling you to do, even if what it’s calling you to do is hard? I remember when I helped lead a family planning summit in London on behalf of women. I had dinner with a group of women afterwards, most of whom I didn’t know, and they said: There’s so much more to do. It wasn’t at all what I wanted to hear at the time. But, I still listened to what they were telling me. Then, to my own inner voice about: Well, how could I do it? How quickly or slowly should I go?
During transitions, you encourage pausing in the liminal space to see what it has to reveal to you. How do you treat the unfamiliar as a teacher, instead of an enemy?
Being willing to sit there when it’s uncertain or you’re anxious, those are the times that you’re growing. You have to remind yourself: Im going to learn something here. Our instinct is to rush to the next thing. I’ve seen so many people make that mistake when they’re leaving a career to start something new. They’ll rush to the next thing and pick the wrong thing. Then, they’ll have to change course two years later; Versus stay with it and figure out what you want to do, even when it’s uncomfortable.
You write: Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself and the people around you is to have the wisdom to know which dreams to let go of, in order to make room for something new. What helps you navigate the difficulty of letting go?
Naming it out loud: This is hard for me. I think I should let this go. Sometimes, the first thing I do when something bubbles up and Im like, Hmm, I’m not sure, is write it down. Then, I can’t run away from it. Ill maybe run away from it for a week or two. Then, youll come back and remember. Once I’ve written it down, that seed is there. Then, I let it grow and see where it goes.
Do you go back and read what you wrote?
Definitely and, in the book, I talk about my Monday walking group. We’ve been walking together for so long now. They’ll say: Remember when you said this? We plant pieces of ourselves in those we trust. It’s up to them and us (for people who plant those things in us) to remind ourselves of those things.
Returning to the idea of letting go, has there been a time, like leaving The Gates Foundation, when your identity was tied up in what you were leaving? How did you reconcile who you were without it?
I’ve wrestled with it many times, leaving the Foundation for sure. But, the biggest time was: I absolutely knew that I was going to leave my career at Microsoft to raise my children; That was my decision. I knew I would go back to work, but it wasnt until I actually left my job [that I felt it]. I had to leave three weeks early and was on bed rest unexpectedly. Then, I have this baby and I’m totally in love with her. But, all of a sudden it was like: Whoa, who am I without work? I’m a mother, which I always wanted to be and I love this. But, I’m not working. Am I a productive member of society? I used to view work as productive and being home as not productive, which is silly now when I think about it. But, in those times, at least for me, they would become almost a crisis. It was something that I needed to spend time with, work through, and recognize: This is a big shift. You’ll get through it.
In writing about perfectionism, you express that you always wanted to do things the right way, which was almost always the hard way. How did you rewire that belief and how do you operate differently as a result?
It took me a long time to realize: There is no perfect. But, what I do know is: If you’re true to yourself, it doesn’t have to be perfect. I had a speech on a big stage in Geneva. I tripped when I was walking out to the podium. I didn’t fall down all the way. But, I tripped pretty substantially, to the point where I heard people gasp. You look around and realize: There’s a hall of 1,500 people here. But, Im human. I think my wods will still be received. The more I could be vulnerable with and love myself, and the more I could then be vulnerable with other people, it allowed for more space for them and for meand the perfectionism drops.
The last line of that chapter is to allow yourself to feel the ease of letting go. What is one step youd encourage taking to do so?
When I’m trying to let go of something, I’ll remember the mistakes I’ve made and try to laugh about them. If I can laugh about some of the mistakes I’ve made over time, then I can let go of the thing that I am trying to hold onto so dearly.
I also remember that if you let go of something, it makes space for something else. Sometimes, it’s moving people out of your life. You’re not serving them well or they’re not serving you well. SayingWell, maybe I don’t see them quite as muchmakes space for a new friend or to have time for yourself.
You write about a shift in perspective where you no longer prepared for or entered meetings wondering whether you belonged there. How can you overcome imposter syndrome when youre the youngest person in the room?
Reminding yourself: You deserve to be there. You don’t always know how you got there. But, don’t question that. You deserve to be there and you must have something to contribute; Maybe you have a different perspective because youre younger, your lived experience, or where you grew up. Remind yourself that there are other people at the table who are also feeling that. You feel it inside and think that no one else does. It turns out that most of them, who are honest, feel that way themselves.
What was it like when you stopped feeling that way?
Its a relief. It creates more space in your mind to focus on other things or in your life to let go and go: This is who I am. I’ve also learned that I can ask people for help. If you don’t expect yourself to be perfect, you can ask people for what you need or be willing to ask what looks like a dumb question; Sometimes, the question that you’re afraid to ask ends up opening a whole new conversation. I’ve had that happen to me so many times. Its like: Wow, that worked. So, Ill try to remember: The previous time you did that, it was an opening.
Transitions are an opportunity to evolve yourself. How are you thinking about that as you enter this next chapter?
I hope that I’m evolving all the time. I try to think about: At the end of 10 years, what will I be most proud of and glad that I did? If I can take that 10-year horizon, then it’s easier for me to parse how I spend my time.
One of the things I’m often saying to myself now is: You are in a new phase of your career. Make sure you’re bringing in new people and hearing from new voices. It’s not always easy to meet new people or listen to people who have a different point of view. But, I remember when my mom got to this phase of life, she said to me (and she’s still this way): I want to learn from young people’s perspectives. Otherwise, if I only have friends who are my age, then I don’t know what’s coming up in society. So, I’ve been challenging myself in that regard, too: How do I make sure that I am in a setting with younger people? What questions come up? I try to ask a question and let them generate the conversation or topics.
During destabilizing times, your voice is a source of stability. What helps you cultivate your sense of inner resource and embody that steadiness?
My spiritual group and my quiet time in the morning. Those things help ground me, so that when I am ready to go out and do the work that I try to do in the world or use my voice, I’m hopefully in a centered place. But, you have to be very purposeful about it, because the world can tug on you. Then, you don’t show up at the spiritual group meeting or spend time in quiet in the morning. I encourage people to figure out what’s stilling for them, put away their phone, and get that quiet time.
Branded is a weekly column devoted to the intersection of marketing, business, design, and culture.
Elon Musks biggest headache is no secret: Its Elon Musk. Long a controversial figure, Musk lately seems to have made polarization his central project, from his close alignment with Donald Trump and government wrecking-ball efforts to his wild posts on X and personal life. Hes increasingly unpopular. And it’s all done undeniable damage to his flagship consumer-facing enterprise, Tesla. With sales suffering and its cars and dealerships becoming protest targets, its now an open question as to whether the pioneering EV makers once-enviable brand can be restored.
The extent of the damage will be quantified when Tesla reports its first-quarter results next week, but the outlines are clear enough. Sales of Teslas flagship vehicles have flagged in Europe and China, and the brand is facing stiffer competition from U.S. rivals; it has already disclosed a 13% plunge in global vehicle deliveries for the quarter. In EV-friendly California, Tesla registrations are down 15%even as EVs overall rose 7.3%. Tesla trade-ins have soared to a reported 250%, with car-shopper interest in buying a new Tesla at its lowest point in years. The much-hyped Cybertruck has missed sales targets, been subject to a string of recalls, and become a magnet for anti-Musk vandalism. (You know its bad when your brand gets attacked at Mardi Gras.) Tesla showrooms have become sites of nationwide Tesla Takedown protests that yoke the brand to Musks political activities. Its share price has plunged from a high of nearly $490 in December to less than $250 this week.
Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives recently summarized the upshot as a brand crisis: The more Musk is attached to the Trump administration and DOGE, the brand damage goes from containable to permanent, Ives recently told the Los Angeles Times. Tesla has become a political symbol around the world and thats not a good thing. In a March Yahoo News/YouGov poll, 67% of respondents ruled out owning or leasing a Tesla, with 37% specifically citing Musk as a reason.
Its difficult to find a pure parallel to a past mass-market brand crisis that boils down to widespread contempt for a CEO. But given how singularly the Musk personal brand is intertwined with Teslas, the most obvious solution would be to get some daylight between the two. Allen Adamson, cofounder of marketing consultancy Metaforce, recently told NPR that it would probably be the best thing for the brand if Musk cashed out of Tesla and walked away. That’s the only easy fix, which is [Musk saying], ‘I’m selling it; I’m going to focus on other things I’m interested in.’ And the new ownership team is going to keep their eye on the ball.
Thats highly unlikely. David J. Reibstein, a marketing professor at the Wharton School, suggested a similarly extreme strategy to Business Insider: Tesla could change its name and logo and essentially rebuild the brand to appeal to its original customer base, heavily made up of progressives concerned about climate change. As precedent, he pointed to ValuJet Airlines. After one of its planes crashed in Florida in 1996, killing 110 people, it acquired AirTran Airways and dropped the ValuJet name and brand.
This also sounds implausible. But its worth noting that Musk-founded SpaceX has been notching accomplishments and avoiding pop culture punching-bag status. It is widely seen as the Musk property with the strongest non-Musk manager: president and chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell, who oversees daily operations. It does seem plausible that if Musk could find a similar figure for Tesla it would at least begin to put some distance between his caustic political views and Teslas original innovative and progressive brand. This might also begin to address investor concerns, which include not only the tarnished Tesla brand, but the sense that Musk simply isnt paying enough attention to it: If the self-proclaimed nano-manager has other priorities, it would be reassuring to have someone more focused in the drivers seat.
Or, of course, Musk could simply knock off the political theatrics (he will supposedly leave DOGE in the next month or so) and put in the work to rebuild a connection between Teslas brand and the sizable chunk of his potential customer base that hes alienated. This would take time, and theres no guarantee it would work. Among other things, it would require really recognizing that the brand is at risk (which he might)and being transparent about efforts to set it back on course. Thats an almost universal step in the playbook for bouncing back from a brand crisis, as varied as Volkswagens 2015 dieselgate scandal, which involved manipulating emissions-test results, to H&M releasing a racially offensive ad in 2018. Admit the problem(s), demonstrate how youre solving them, focus on core values, and recognize that the process will take time.
Of course those arent pure analogues, as the Musk/Tesla brand challenges are so distinct. Moreover, Musk has historically been skeptical of traditional brand communication, from advertising to press relations, relying on buzz and word of mouth from a zealous customer base. And that strategy has mostly served him well. (Even in their depleted state, Tesla shares are still priced for extreme growth, trading at more than 100 times forward earnings; a chunk of investor fans are no doubt bullish on the companys robotics and self-driving technology, which are less dependent on consumer brand reputation.)
In ther words, any strategy that involves acknowledging the crisis, and Musks culpability for it, still seems like a long shot for now. To date, Musk has done only what the current political zeitgeist seems to default to lately when faced with undeniable problems: Deny them.
