Author | Lightnews

Use Design Thinking to Navigate Ambiguity

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Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 13h

Experimenting with company culture can feel like a risk when things are changing around us, but “the [path] less traveled by…made all the difference”—using the full range of our #humanity unlocks potential. AI just matches existing patterns

hbr.org/2021/05/why-...

www.economist.com/finance-and-...

Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 13h

A #business owner afraid of losing “the first mover advantage” can tap into years-old expertise to unlock competitive advantage that #humanity overlooked in the rush to easy profit. That’s been true for a while—lots of opportunity waiting

#strategy

hbr.org/2025/10/use-...

hbr.org/2018/09/plan...

It’s safe to assume that accelerated change is here to stay. At the core of today’s frequent disruptions is ambiguity: situations where the available information is incomplete, contradictory, or const...

‘Deep learning’ — the hot topic in AI

Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 13h

This article is from 2018, but the advice in it still applies to agentic #AI workflows today. It just goes to show that in #tech, some #firstprinciples are never worth abandoning —and deep reading is a skill that can apply across decades

#atomichabits #atomicdesign

www.ft.com/content/0a87...

Experts in the field are in demand and future managers would do well to grasp the concept

www.ft.com

Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 19h

Balance in all things is an important concept in other areas of life too, not just #business. Perhaps the most important component of resilience in a #VUCA era

#leadership #culture

Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · Mar 28

Striving for excellence makes sense, but persistently demanding extraordinary results—exceptionalism—can be a prescription for burnout. The British have first principles, but Americans go “back to basics,” as if they should have ever been left behind

#culture #politics

hbr.org/2018/06/in-p...

In Praise of Extreme Moderation

You can’t throw a paper airplane in some offices without hitting a person who is training for a marathon, planning a 10-day silent meditation retreat, or intending on scaling Kilimanjaro. Workaholism ...

Study: Being in a bad mood can boost performance

Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 19h

There is value in optimistic thinking as an important component of #resilience, but taken to an absurd extreme (which corporations tend to do these days), it can obscure reality

Pollyanna and Panglossian are what we used to call #toxicpositivity —and grumpy people are better at solving problems!

Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 9d

The other harmful effect of #toxicpositivity? “Good vibes only” shuts out valid problem-solving capability—you have to be able to identify a problem to be able to solve it

“Good #design is problem-solving” (not just complaining)

bigthink.com/personal-gro...

www.fastcompany.com/3013484/why-...

Being grumpy can actually make you a better problem solver, as it boosts executive function. This doesn't give you free range to be a grouch.

bigthink.com

Reposted by Omar Yacoubi

Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · May 13

It’s good life advice too: creating a blame-free #culture at the workplace and in corporate environments lets employees feel safer to try different approaches and innovate, letting #resilience become baked-in to our way of working instead of a skill to cultivate

www.fastcompany.com/3025411/the-...

Unexpected Lessons In The Art Of Failing Gracefully

An Olympic snowboarder, a Hollywood stuntman, and a corporate psychologist offer their best tips on failing gracefully.

The hidden data problem killing enterprise AI projects

Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 20h

#tech #leadership often comes from finance because they went into it for the money. But they can learn from other complex fields where success hinges on listening to expertise & relying on careful planning—not having a complex!

“If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail”

hbr.org/2018/09/plan...

Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 20h

Balance in all things. But clean-sheet #innovation is actually rare, something I’ve seen in academic papers and pop culture. Best summarized in the YouTube video, “Everything is a Remix”

Also: “Great artists steal,” “standing on the shoulders of giants”

#culture

youtu.be/X9RYuvPCQUA

Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 20h

“The more things change, the more they stay the same,” and some things never change. Of course we should always be open to new ideas, but permanent tabula rasa isn’t a thing either

omyk.co db/s @omyk.co · 1d

“The sum of the whole is greater than its parts,” but you need the right parts! AI is not yet AGI, and humans have to train AI with properly tagged data (ML) for it to scale properly

#firstprinciples #strategy #atomicdesign

www.fastcompany.com/91423778/the...

Why most AI investments fail—and how smart companies are getting ahead

Designing a Successful Agentic AI System

Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 21h

Out today from @hbr.org: to succeed at agentic #AI, you need a #design, a plan. Workflows, defined paths. And testing! In the rush to adopt buzzwords, #business forgot that #firstprinciples still apply

(AI is not yet AGI)

hbr.org/2025/10/desi...

Agentic AI systems can execute workflows, make decisions, and coordinate across departments. To realize its promise, companies must design workflows around outcomes and appoint mission owners who defi...

Meta to cut 600 jobs from its artificial intelligence division

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Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 1d

… and no high-skilled field is safe

bsky.app/profile/euro...

Euronews @euronews.com · 1d

Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta is cutting 600 jobs in its AI division, according to US media.

Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta is cutting 600 jobs in its AI division, according to US media.

l.euronews.com

Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 1d

#latecapitalism in action—profits up, jobs down. I can’t see this system succeeding in the long run. I hope I’m wrong

Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 1d

Oh, this will end well #energy #policy

www.ft.com/content/47db...

www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-econ...

Donald Trump’s cuts to renewables risk US energy crisis, warn executives

Country will struggle to meet growing demand from power-hungry AI with fossil fuels alone

www.ft.com

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Reposted by Omar Yacoubi

Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 1d

The Trump administration is pushing regulators to drastically accelerate the process of allowing the booming data-center sector to connect to power grids.

Trump Administration Moves to Speed Data-Center Power Hookups

The Trump administration is pushing regulators to dramatically accelerate the process of allowing the booming data-center sector to connect to power grids.

bloom.bg

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Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 1d

From 2018, but some things never change :)

#firstprinciples

Reposted by Omar Yacoubi

KQED News @kqednews.kqed.org · 1d

Muir Woods Reopens Amid Government Shutdown — Temporarily

Private operators fund 10 days of free entry as parking reservations and tours resume.

dlvr.it

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Reposted by Omar Yacoubi

CalMatters @calmatters.org · 1d

Several California lawmakers are demanding answers from the Trump administration after shrapnel rained down on Interstate 5 over the weekend during a live fire event that was part of the Marines 250th anniversary celebration.
bit.ly/3WTTWfe

📝 @deborahsbrennan.bsky.social
📸 Gregory Bull, AP

Vice President JD Vance, right, watches a demonstration by Marines during activities to mark the upcoming Marine Corps' 250th anniversary on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Camp Pendleton on Oct 18, 2025. Photo by Gregory Bull, AP Photo

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Reposted by Omar Yacoubi

The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 1d

“Money can buy happiness,” Arthur C. Brooks argues—but it depends on how you spend it. Brooks shares the virtues of responsible wealth:

What True Wealth Looks Like

Money can make you happier, but only if you don’t care about it.

bit.ly

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Reposted by Omar Yacoubi

omyk.co db/s @omyk.co · 1d

The hidden data problem killing enterprise AI projects

Why most AI investments fail—and how smart companies are getting ahead

Can OpenAI's Atlas get people to care about browsers again?

Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 1d

I thought they already did that :)

Reposted by Omar Yacoubi

Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 1d

Why the hot new new web navigator might fall short. f-st.co/U4dCyse

Why the hot new new web navigator might fall short.

f-st.co

What makes a quantum computer good?

Reposted by Omar Yacoubi

New Scientist @newscientist.com · 1d

Claims that one quantum computer is better than another rest on terms like quantum advantage or quantum supremacy, fault-tolerance or qubits with better coherence – what does it all mean? Karmela Padavic-Callaghan sifts through the noise

www.newscientist.com

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Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 1d

Sounds like some #tech projects I’ve been on 😂 … boring, boring expertise. Who needs that?

Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 1d

Kindness differs from niceness because it has authenticity, which brings #clarity. Without it, people and companies can’t move forward or evolve

In 2025 going into 2026, #culture is #strategy

hbr.org/2025/07/why-...

hbr.org/tip/2025/08/...

Why Kindness Isn’t a Nice to Have

Organizations that neglect kindness face significant consequences, including employee turnover, absenteeism, eroded trust, poor communication, and customer dissatisfaction. Conversely, workplaces that...

You've heard of narcissism. But what about organizational narcissism?

Omar Yacoubi @omaryak.net · 1d

Without kindness on the job, #toxicpositivity can set in, leading to a form of narcissism at the organizational level: no dissenting opinion can enter for fear of it being taken the wrong way (what psychological safety is really about)

www.fastcompany.com/91419942/you...

hbr.org/2025/05/what...

Companies, like individuals, can focus too much on their own image.