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The blue Twitter bird sign that once was once mounted on the exterior of the San Francisco headquarters of the social media company now known as X sold Thursday at auction for $34,325, failing to reach an estimated bidding price of $40,000. Nicknamed “Larry,” after Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, the 560 lb. logo was one of two displayed on the building before the company rebranded. Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a “special government employee” overseeing aggressive cuts to the federal government for President Donald Trump, bought Twitter in 2022 and renamed it to X the following year complete with a new, worse logo. The rebrand and new ownership has proven abysmal for the company’s worth. As of last December, the value of X had fallen 72% from what Musk paid for Twitter, according to a valuation from Fidelity, an investment services company. The lost brand equity that’s come from removing the blue bird logo and old name have also proven costly. It’s AP style to refer to the social network on first reference as “X, formerly known as Twitter.” As “X” is both new and less distinctive than “Twitter,” readers may be less familiar with its new single-letter name. The same can be said of the old versus new logos. RR Auction, the auction house that sold the sign, likened the old Twitter logo to the logos of some of America’s most iconic brands. “Although Twitter and its light blue bird have since retired, the symbol remains an icon of tech and social media history, an instantly recognizable emblem in the same league as Nike or Apple Computer,” the auction house says in its listing. It’s a symbol that represented the company “from 2012 to 2023, an 11-year span representing Twitters most popular and influential period.” After buying the social network that would become X, Musk turned the app into a pro-Trump site that amplified his own posts, ended unpaid verification, and became a more accommodating platform for right-leaning news influencers and a less accommodating one for news sites. In a bit of mutual admiration this month, Trump has promoted Musk’s cars on the White House grounds while Musk’s political action committee has run more than $200 million in pro-Trump ads on X. X as it is now is associated with Musk, Trump, DOGE, and MAGA while Twitter is now nostalgia, associated with a previous era when it was publicly owned and public opinion of social media was more positive. The giant sign that just sold is now a piece of history (not to mention one that the new owner is now responsible for paying shipping costs on, per its listing). But it’s also a reminder of a time before social networks felt as politicized and as heavily influenced by their partisan owners as they do today.
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E-Commerce
Quantum computing stocks got pummeled yesterday, with the four most prominent public quantum computing companiesIonQ, Rigetti Computing, Quantum Computing Inc., and D-Wave Quantum Inc.falling anywhere from over 9% to over 18%. The reason? A lot of it may have to do with AI chip giant Nvidia. Again. Stocks crash yesterday on Nvidia quantum news Yesterday was a bit of a bloodbath on the stock market for the four most prominent publicly traded quantum computing companies. Heres a breakdown of how they performed, according to data from Yahoo Finance: IonQ, Inc. (NYSE: IONQ): down 9.27% to $21.14 per share Rigetti Computing, Inc. (Nasdaq RGTI): down 9.24% to $8.99 per share Quantum Computing Inc. (Nasdaq: QUBT): down 11.71% to $7.39 per share D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS): down 18.02% to $8.69 per share All four of these quantum computing stocks tumbled on the day that AI chip giant Nvidia kicked off its two-day Quantum Day event. In a blog post from January 14 announcing Quantum Day, Nvidia said the event brings together leading experts for a comprehensive and balanced perspective on what businesses should expect from quantum computing in the coming decades mapping the path toward useful quantum applications. But thats not all that Nvidia did. Besides bringing quantum experts together, the AI behemoth also announced that it will be launching a new quantum computing research center in Boston. Called the NVIDIA Accelerated Quantum Research Center (NVAQC), the new research lab will help solve quantum computings most challenging problems, ranging from qubit noise to transforming experimental quantum processors into practical devices, the company said in a press release. The NVAQCs location in Boston means it will be near both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Quantum computing will augment AI supercomputers to tackle some of the worlds most important problems, from drug discovery to materials development, Nvidias CEO, Jensen Huang, said. Working with the wider quantum research community to advance CUDA-quantum hybrid computing, the NVIDIA Accelerated Quantum Research Center is where breakthroughs will be made to create large-scale, useful, accelerated quantum supercomputers. It’s not the first time stocks reacted to Nvidia’s CEO Nvidias announcement of the NVIDIA Accelerated Quantum Research Center apparently sent shivers down the spines of many quantum computing investors, with shares of QBTS, RGTI, IONQ, and QUBT all crashing. Before Nvidias announcement yesterday, IonQ, Rigetti, D-Wave, and Quantum Computing Inc. were the leaders in the nascent field of quantum computing. And while they still are right now (Nvidias quantum research lab hasnt been built yet), the fear is that Nvidia could use its deep pockets to quickly buy its way into a leadership spot in the field. With its $2.9 trillion market cap, the company can easily afford to throw billions of research dollars into quantum computing. As noted by the Motley Fool, the location of the NVIDIA Accelerated Quantum Research Center in Boston will also allow Nvidia to more easily tap into top quantum talent from Harvard and MITtalent that may have otherwise gone to IonQ, Rigetti, D-Wave, and Quantum Computing Inc. Nvidias announcement is a massive about-face from the company in regard to how it views quantum computing. Its also the second time that Nvidia has caused quantum stocks to crash this year. Back in January, shares in prominent quantum computing companies fell after Huang said that practical use of quantum computing was decades away. Those comments were something quantum computing company CEOs like D-Waves Alan Baratz took issue with. Its an egregious error on Mr. Huangs part, Bartaz told Fast Company at the time. Were not decades away from commercial quantum computers. They exist. There are companies that are using our quantum computer today. According to Investor’s Business Daily, Huang reportedly got the idea for Nvidias Quantum Day event after the blowback to his comments, inviting quantum computing executives to the event to explain why he was incorrect about quantum computing. Quantum Computing Inc. Q4 results may also play a role But it wasn’t just the Nvidia news that may have contributed to yesterday’s quantum sell-off. Also yesterday, Quantum Computing Inc. (QCi) (Nasdaq: QUBT) announced its Q4 2024 results. Those results were not good news for the company. The company announced it had $62,000 in total revenue for the quarterdown from $75,000 in the quarter a year before. It also had a net loss of $51.2 million versus a net loss of $6.8 million in the same quarter a year earlier. Announcing its Q4 results, Quantum Computing Inc.’s CEO, William McGann, said “QCi made meaningful progress in the fourth quarter strengthening our financial position to support the continued advancement of our quantum solutions and foundry services. With a significantly bolstered balance sheet, we are well-positioned to scale operations and accelerate commercialization efforts.” He also noted that the company is still on track to launch its foundry that will produce quantum photonic chips “in early 2025.” Still, that news was not enough to mitigate investor disappointment over its Q4 results. As The QuantumInsider noted, Quantum Computing Inc. The stock fell over 11% yesterday and is down over 10% in pre-market trading today. Quantum stocks sometimes rise and fall in unison, so when one company posts bad results, it can tend to drag the stock prices of other quantum computing companies lower, too. How quantum computing stocks are trading today After the announcements above, including Huang announcing Nvidias intention to launch the NVIDIA Accelerated Quantum Research Center, quantum computing stocks tankedand they arent doing much better today. As of the time of this writing, the four most prominent quantum computing stock prices are all down in premarket trading: IONQ: down 1.09% RGTI: down 3.00% QUBT: down 10.4% QBTS: down 4.83% Since the start of 2025 three of those four quantum computing stocks have been hit hard. As of yesterday’s close IONQ had lost more than 49% of its value, RGTI has lost 41%, and QUBT has lost 55%. Only QBTS has seen a modest gain of 3.45% for the year to date, though that gain has been wiped out in premarket trading this morning as of the time of this writing. However, despite these quantum computing stocks being in the red for 2025, over the past 12 months, all have shown impressive returns, with IONQ up over 120%, RGTI over 425%, QUBT over 495%, and QBTS over 323% as of yesterdays close. As for Nvidia, investors seem not to care much about its quantum announcement. Yesterday, NVDA stock closed up just 0.86%, and today, the stock is currently down a paltry 0.76% in premarket trading. Since 2025 began, NVDA stock has been down almost 12%, while it has been up over 31% over the past 12 months, as of yesterdays close.
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What if everything you believe about leadership is holding you back? A 2024 study by Gartner found that 69% of HR leaders dont think their leaders are fully equipped to lead. And according to Gallup, only 21% of employees strongly agree that their leaders actually inspire them to do their best. Thats a big gap between what leaders intend and what employees experience. The problem? A lot of leaders are following outdated advice. In the pursuit of excellence, they unknowingly buy into myths that hold them back, limit their teams, and stifle real innovation. Whether its the belief that speed always wins or that innovation is all about technology, these myths quietly shape decisions in ways that do more harm than good. Why do they stick around? Because they sound right. Theyre reinforced by business schools, success stories, and corporate culture. But when leaders operate on these assumptions, they risk making bad calls, missing opportunities, and ultimately weakening their impact. Great leadership isnt about sticking to the status quoits about questioning the norm, challenging assumptions, and seeing opportunities where others dont. The best leaders dont think differently just to be contrarian; they do it because real progress requires breaking free from conventional wisdom. Lets break down some of the most common leadership mythsand explore what actually works. Myth: Speed is the Ultimate Competitive Advantage Early in my career, I found myself caught in a speed trap. In a high-growth environment, I was constantly pressured to make quick decisions, launch initiatives fast, and drive results without hesitation. While this approach generated short-term wins, it also led to avoidable mistakes: hiring the wrong people, launching underdeveloped products, and missing deeper opportunities for sustainable growth. The real breakthrough came when I learned to balance urgency with thoughtfulness: taking the time to pause, gather diverse perspectives, and make decisions based on impact rather than just momentum. The belief that faster is always better dominates modern business thinking. Companies race to market, rush decisions, and glorify rapid execution. While speed has its place, it can also be a liability. Moving too fast often means overlooking critical insights, missing long-term opportunities, and making short-sighted decisions that sacrifice lasting value for immediate gains. Before defaulting to speed, ask yourself: Are we moving in the right direction? Are we building something that will stand the test of time? True competitive advantage doesnt come from speed but from strategic timing and intentional execution. Create space for reflection and thoughtful decision-making. Myth: Innovation is All About Technology From my own experience working with leaders across industries, I have seen that the most impactful innovations often stem from cultural and operational shifts rather than technological advancements. Its about how you think, not just what you build. To expand your definition of innovation, ask: How can we challenge conventional ways of doing business? What assumptions about our industry can we rethink? Encourage teams to innovate in ways that extend beyond digital tools through human-centered ideas, new business models, and cultural transformation. In an era dominated by AI, automation, and digital disruption, many leaders equate innovation with technological breakthroughs. While technology is a powerful enabler, it is not the only path to innovation. Some of the most groundbreaking shifts in business come from rethinking processes, reinventing customer experiences, and challenging outdated business models. Howard Schultz didnt innovate by inventing a new coffee machine: He redefined the coffee experience by bringing the concept of Italian espresso culture to American consumers through Starbucks. Similarly, Southwest Airlines didnt rely on cutting-edge technology to disrupt the airline industry: They revolutionized the business model by focusing on affordability, efficiency, and simplicity. Myth: The Best Leaders Have All the Answers Many leaders feel pressure to be the smartest person in the room, believing that credibility comes from having all the answers. But the most effective leaders are those who ask the best questions. Leadership isnt about possessing infinite knowledge; its about creating an environment where curiosity thrives, where diverse perspectives are valued, and where new ideas can emerge. In one of my leadership roles, I learned this the hard way. Early on, I felt compelled to prove my expertise at every turn. However, I quickly realized that by focusing on answers rather than questions, I was limiting the creative potential of my team. The shift came when I embraced a more inquiry-driven approach, inviting team members to challenge assumptions, propose alternative solutions, and collaborate in ways that unlocked new thinking. Instead of defaulting to solutions, start with questions. What are we missing? Who else should be part of this conversation? What assumptions are we making? Foster a culture of inquiry where team members feel empowered to challenge the status quo. The best leaders dont have all the answers; they create environments where the right questions lead to breakthrough solutions. The best leaders dont follow conventional wisdom unthinkingly. They challenge assumptions, rethink outdated beliefs, and carve new paths forward. They understand that real leadership is not about speed alone but about direction. Its not about technology alone but about vision. Its not about projecting invincibility but about embracing curiosity and growth. If youre a leader, the real question isnt: What myths have I accepted as truth? Its: What myths am I willing to challenge?
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E-Commerce
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