Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Raw Signal Group

Sera Markoff @profsera.bsky.social · 3d

I really enjoyed this post by @rawsignal.ca against the pressure (in industry, but also very true for academia 🧪🔭) to overwork at the cost of having time to think, breathe and yes, be creative (it is related).

mailchi.mp/rawsignal/yo...

You're probably not that hardcore

mailchi.mp

1 1 22

Raw Signal Group @rawsignal.ca · 8d

Pictured: @shappy.bsky.social trying to get out of the way of the photo.

Also pictured: @johnathan.bsky.social well, uh, doing the exact opposite.

Also also pictured: new window art at the bank (our HQ is a restored bank if you’re new here hi 👋)

A poster that says “where are the people pleasers” behind a window, with Melissa in the background

A poster that says “where are the people pleasers” behind a window with Johnathan making a face in the background

1 2

Raw Signal Group @rawsignal.ca · 9d

You can drop a lot of frogs in that pot and very few will feel their feet get warm.

www.rawsignal.ca/newsletter-a...

You're probably not that hardcore - Raw Signal Group

You can drop a lot of frogs in that pot and very few will feel their feet get warm.

www.rawsignal.ca

4 5

Raw Signal Group @rawsignal.ca · 23d

Folks who study meaning at work have three buckets. We love a good three-bucket framework. Let's go.

www.rawsignal.ca/newsletter-a...

You are not a machine that receives tasks - Raw Signal Group

Folks who study meaning at work have three buckets. We love a good three-bucket framework. Let's go.

www.rawsignal.ca

1 2 3

Raw Signal Group @rawsignal.ca · Sep 3

The first and easiest gut check in terms of whether your workplace surveillance is helpful or harmful is this.

www.rawsignal.ca/newsletter-a...

If you're not reading this email, you're fired - Raw Signal Group

The first and easiest gut check in terms of whether your workplace surveillance is helpful or harmful is this.

www.rawsignal.ca

1

Raw Signal Group @rawsignal.ca · Aug 20

The shift in this model is that we're no longer talking about a cofounder or a bestie or work spouse.

www.rawsignal.ca/newsletter-a...

I hope they're paying you enough for this - Raw Signal Group

The shift in this model is that we're no longer talking about a cofounder or a bestie or work spouse.

www.rawsignal.ca

3 2

Reposted by Raw Signal Group

Liz Fong-Jones (方禮真) @lizthegrey.com · Aug 6

Speaking of which, I encourage you all to read @rawsignal.ca's newsletter today: www.rawsignal.ca/newsletter-a...

"[Eric Schmidt thinks] automating away the humans is righteous b/c it will reduce dependence on entitled employees, and produce appropriate level of fear/obedience in ones who remain."

None of this is real and it doesn't matter - Raw Signal Group

The difference between the theater of work and actual work.

www.rawsignal.ca

4 9 29

Raw Signal Group @rawsignal.ca · Aug 6

🫶🫶🫶

3

Reposted by Raw Signal Group

Kate Hovdestad @hopefulbullshit.bsky.social · Aug 6

Maybe I’m just hormonal but @rawsignal.ca - you weren’t supposed to make me cry today.

2 1 4

Reposted by Raw Signal Group

Liz Fong-Jones (方禮真) @lizthegrey.com · Aug 6

every time something comes along that dismantles a symbolic barrier / economic class skill check, that barrier will be replaced with a new/different barrier.

5 28

Reposted by Raw Signal Group

Liz Fong-Jones (方禮真) @lizthegrey.com · Aug 6

one aside based on @rawsignal.ca:

I once heard it touted that AI would level the field for marginalised people, by ensuring people who'd never created a pitch deck/cover letter could make one now.

if VCs are no longer reading pitch decks because they're all AI, then they're going on "gut" = bias

Liz Fong-Jones (方禮真) @lizthegrey.com · Aug 6

Speaking of which, I encourage you all to read @rawsignal.ca's newsletter today: www.rawsignal.ca/newsletter-a...

"[Eric Schmidt thinks] automating away the humans is righteous b/c it will reduce dependence on entitled employees, and produce appropriate level of fear/obedience in ones who remain."

None of this is real and it doesn't matter - Raw Signal Group

The difference between the theater of work and actual work.

www.rawsignal.ca

3 14 47

Raw Signal Group @rawsignal.ca · Aug 6

The difference between the theater of work and actual work.

www.rawsignal.ca/newsletter-a...

None of this is real and it doesn't matter - Raw Signal Group

The difference between the theater of work and actual work.

www.rawsignal.ca

3 6

Reposted by Raw Signal Group

Melissa Nightingale @shappy.bsky.social · Jul 23

"Sorta like Napster, just post-DMCA."

IYKYK

www.rawsignal.ca/newsletter-a...

How did they not know? - Raw Signal Group

We're still in the early days, this is still mostly anecdotes, but the anecdotes are multiplying fast. And they're haunting.

www.rawsignal.ca

2 5

Reposted by Raw Signal Group

M3GAN @meganreally.bsky.social · Jul 23

reading this week's @rawsignal.ca email on the bus, almost missed my stop

Today, over in CEO-club, all the cool kids are forcing their employees to use AI. They write bombastic internal emails, and then post those publicly for their CEO friends to admire and riff on. They tie AI usage to performance evaluation and compensation. They tie it to promotions and headcount requests. These CEOs, many of whom have woefully incomplete policies on hate speech and harassment, are clear-as-day that failing to use this or that LLM is an immediately fireable offence.

It's fair to ask why one should have to compel people to use a tool if it's so obviously incredible, but the CEOs are prepared for that question. Of course the tools are incredible, and many of their team members are already using them. But the pace of adoption needs to be faster. CEO social circles are often full of AI investors who assure them that even more powerful AI is just around the corner. And if their teams need some tough love in order to get with the program and see the vision, so be it.

2 3 7

Reposted by Raw Signal Group

Rob Taber @robtaber.bsky.social · Jul 23

"It's fair to ask why one should have to compel people to use a tool if it's so obviously incredible." @rawsignal.ca on the AI boomlet and the hazards to their own workers many tech CEOs are ignoring.

How did they not know?

mailchi.mp

1 3 10

Reposted by Raw Signal Group

Kevin Hovdestad @hovdestad.ca · Jul 23

Mandatory reading today from @rawsignal.ca: mailchi.mp/rawsignal/ho...

It is offensive how good @johnathan.bsky.social and @shappy.bsky.social are at nailing the workplace issues around AI.

How did they not know?

mailchi.mp

2 5 8

Raw Signal Group @rawsignal.ca · Jul 23

We're still in the early days, this is still mostly anecdotes, but the anecdotes are multiplying fast. And they're haunting.

www.rawsignal.ca/newsletter-a...

How did they not know? - Raw Signal Group

We're still in the early days, this is still mostly anecdotes, but the anecdotes are multiplying fast. And they're haunting.

www.rawsignal.ca

4 7

Raw Signal Group @rawsignal.ca · Jul 9

The people who tout this model of ambition have a whole cinematic universe of heroes and villains and moral dramas and cautionary tales.

The narrowest definition of ambition - Raw Signal Group

The people who tout this model of ambition have a whole cinematic universe of heroes and villains and moral dramas and cautionary tales.

www.rawsignal.ca

1 3

Raw Signal Group @rawsignal.ca · Jun 26

Have you been to a program and called it "the most transformative experience of my career so far?"

That's what an actual leader said about an actual program. About Betterboss, in fact.

If your career needs some transformation...

Applications are open for the October cohort: betterboss.ca

Betterboss - Raw Signal Group

Betterboss is an in-person intensive for senior leaders (Directors, VPs, C-suite, founders) to work on the specific challenges of their roles.

betterboss.ca

1 2

Raw Signal Group @rawsignal.ca · Jun 25

What would you do if you had a week to just clear out backlog?

www.rawsignal.ca/newsletter-a...

Busy is not a personality - Raw Signal Group

What would you do if you had a week to just clear out backlog?

www.rawsignal.ca

2

Raw Signal Group @rawsignal.ca · Jun 19

If you've been feeling stuck.

And don't know what you'd do next.

If you've been feeling disconnected from your work.

And chanting "it's just a job, who cares" in your head isn't making it easier.

The next Pulse is for you.

One hour. Friday, July 18. $99 to attend. All proceeds donated to Eva's.

Pulse: Ambition - Raw Signal Group

Pulse is a morning business rave. We come together for an hour to go deep on a single topic.

www.rawsignal.ca

1 1

Reposted by Raw Signal Group

M3GAN @meganreally.bsky.social · May 28

This week's newsletter from @rawsignal.ca is really pushing the painful buttons. "Bring your slop to work day", AI in the workplace (for management, in particular). Push-back against LLM use and "punishment for caring"...wooooof. Yeah

We've been talking with more people lately who are really struggling to find meaning at work. Who feel like they can go through the motions but aren't really sure what it's leading to or why they should care. They do care, but they feel like they're being punished for caring, and that their work would be easier if they didn't. They see friends and colleagues who have already embraced not caring, but they themselves are still raging against the dying of the light.

It's hard not to see these things as related. Because we already have a word for this. For what happens when deep, reflective, critical thinking and engagement is diminished. When everything turns into a shrug. And nothing really rises to the level of mattering very much. In other contexts, we call that thing depression.

And you can tell us it's sampling bias if you like, but we have had very few leaders come to us and tell us how much better their team is working, how much more vital and excellent they feel, after involving a GPT.

1 1 5

Raw Signal Group @rawsignal.ca · May 28

It's definitely giving some low-key asbestos vibes.

www.rawsignal.ca/newsletter-a...

Bring your slop to work day - Raw Signal Group

It's definitely giving some low-key asbestos vibes.

www.rawsignal.ca

Reposted by Raw Signal Group

Melissa Nightingale @shappy.bsky.social · May 28

Do you really hate the work that much?
www.rawsignal.ca/newsletter-a...

Bring your slop to work day - Raw Signal Group

It's definitely giving some low-key asbestos vibes.

www.rawsignal.ca

1 3