The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more.What do David Beckham, Shaquille ONeal, and Serena Williams have in commonaside from their standout sports careers? Theyve all built thriving businesses.Sure, having capital and global name recognition helps. But reducing their business success to just fame only tells half the story. The other half is that top athletes spend years honing discipline, resilience, and the ability to think strategically under pressure. Those same qualities happen to make great entrepreneurs.Sports have been a big part of my life for over a decade, and my favorite workout is the one I havent tried before. The more I move, the more I see how it shapes the way I work and think in business.What entrepreneurs can learn from elite athletesHere are six things you, as an entrepreneur or business leader, can take from top athletes.1. Break down goals like a training planNo Olympic athlete trains at full intensity and on the same goal every single day. Instead, they follow a long-term training cyclepreparation, pre-competition, performance, and recovery.Applying this structured approach to business helps ramp up to peak performance gradually and sustainably. Try this:Break down big goals into smaller, doable milestones.Track what works and what doesnt: The strategy that got your startup off the ground wont be enough when its time to scale.Show up every day with small actions.2. Design a pre-game routine for peak performanceEvery athlete follows a routine to get in the right headspace and physical shape before game day. I like to treat each workday like a game day. A morning routine gives me a sense of control and sets the tone for a productive day ahead. Rather than rolling out of bed and headfirst into work mode, I make time for things that fill my energy tank. That might be:A glass of water and a nutrient-rich breakfastA quick mindfulness practice, like mantra chanting or Pranayama breathworkWriting down 13 priorities for the day to stay intentional1-hour workoutA walk outdoors with an audiobook3. Dont be afraid to fallAthletes fall. A lot. And then they get back up.When I tried skiing for the first time, I quickly realized that falling is part of learning. The more I feared making mistakes, the worse my performance became.Navigating life as an entrepreneur is not like riding down a well-groomed, Aspen-style slope. Its more like skiing at your local city parkice and grass patches, hidden stones, and annoyed pedestrians getting in the way. Falls are inevitable. Instead of hesitating to take risks or avoiding failure, focus on learning to recover quickly.4. Develop a growth-oriented mindsetThis quote often pops up in motivational posts attributed to everyone from the Italian football player and manager Gianluca Vialli to Nelson Mandela: You win or you learnyou never lose. Cheesy, but true.Top athletes treat losses as data. Every game teaches them something new about their strengths and weaknesses. Entrepreneurs can benefit from the same mentality.See setbacks as learning experiencesanalyze what went wrong, make adjustments, and move forward.Compete with yourself first, your rivals second. The point of analyzing your performance is to make sure youre better than you were in the last game.5. Stand on the shoulders of your support networkEntrepreneurs often try to do everything solo, inspired by self-made success stories from books and podcasts. But very few things in life are a one-person endeavor. Even in individual Olympic events, there is a team behind every gold medalcoaches, nutritionists, mentors, and teammates.I started BetterMe in 2017 with a handful of people, and most of them are still with me today in C-level positions. From the very beginning, I focused on surrounding myself with people who guided and challenged me, held me accountable, and pushed me to grow.The strongest players in the boardroom and on the field are the ones who know how to buildand lean ona great team.6. The biggest lesson: prioritize recoveryLeBron James never confirmed the rumor that he spends $1.5 million a year on recovery. But the fact that such numbers even circulate shows that rest goes hand in hand with peak performance.Yet, in business, we glorify constant hustle. We wear our bloodshot eyes from late nights at the screen like a badge of honor and exhaustion as a testament to success.Our bodies are excellent communicators and usually find a way to let us know when its time to slow down. Instead of dismissing sore muscles or sluggish thoughts as a sign of weakness, listen and integrate sustainable rest into your routine.Schedule recovery like work, blocking time in your calendar for exercise, meditation, or simply relaxing with a book.Fill the time between high-priority tasks with active breaks like short walks, quick workouts, or any movement to reset your brain.Protect your sleep. I stick to a 10 p.m. bedtime and aim for 78 hours of sleep because I know a well-rested mind is a high-performing one.The final thought: Move your body to fuel your mindIf you shoot for big goals, thinking like a pro athlete can help open the right doors. But theres more to take from their playbook: a love for sports. And unlike athletes, who dedicate their lives to one discipline, we have the luxury of exploring.In Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, David Epstein talks about how some of the most groundbreaking leaders pulled ideas from different fields, experimented, and innovated because of their broad experiences. Broad exposure makes you more creative, agile, and able to make connections others miss.So grab a tennis racket or skiing poles. Step onto a Reformer or sign up for a 5K.Be adventurous. Try new things. The more you explore, the more skills, insights, and connections youll gain.Victoria Repa is the founder and CEO of BetterMe.

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more.Heres a question for business leaders: When was the last time you or someone on your team had a frustrating experience as a customer? Perhaps you were shuffled between departments, asked to repeat information multiple times, left feeling like no one grasped your specific needs, or that the information changed depending on who you talked to.Now flip the scenario. How many of your customers might be experiencing that same frustration with your company right now?Most well-intended, talented teams can have blind spots with their own customer service. Its like sleeping in the guest room at your house to truly understand what your visitors experience. Even the most gracious hosts might not realize just how lumpy that mattress is, or how loud the dining room chairs are overhead.The truth is that delivering a seamless customer experience is one of the most significant challenges for B2B companies. Despite our obsession with customer satisfaction metrics, most organizations still prioritize internal structures over customer needs. I see it constantlythe customer lifecycle journey fractured across marketing, sales, customer success, and renewals, with each department guarding its own territory and creating an inconsistent customer experience.The hidden cost of fragmentationThis fragmentation is more than a customer annoyance. Its also a business liability. When departments operate in isolation, several things happennone of them good:Decision making becomes slower and more reactiveCustomers waste countless hours repeating themselves to different teamsValuable context gets lost in departmental handoffsInconsistent messaging and experiences create confusion and erode trustOpportunities to anticipate customer needs vanish into the gaps between teamsWhen departments operate in silos, the silos have a real and substantial impact on customer trust and loyalty. By flipping the traditional marketing structure on its head, youll gain a new and valuable perspective. You and your team will have the advantage of seeing things from the outside-in, and reap the benefit of turning customers into partners and champions. Lets discuss how to do it.Build bridges, not silosThe shift toward a unified customer lifecycle cant be done at a surface, optics-only level. A cross-department meeting or two to share ideas isnt going to cut it here. True unification means ripping off the Band-Aid and totally rethinking how we structure, measure, and reward our organizations.It sounds intimidating, but its possible. Ive lived this shift. Ive spearheaded this shift. And it is so, so worth it.Here are three key practices that make the biggest difference:1. Establish cross-functional ownershipBreaking down silos starts with shared accountability. Consider experimenting with creating cross-functional teams responsible for specific segments of the customer base. These teams might include representatives from marketing, sales, customer success, and technical support who each own a specific part of the customer experience.This approach ensures no customer falls through the cracks during handoffs between departments. It also creates natural collaboration points where team members develop a deeper understanding of the entire customer journey and can identify common pain points more quickly.2. Align metrics that matterDisconnected metrics breed disconnected experiences. Marketing teams traditionally focus on lead volume and pipeline contribution, while customer success teams track retention rates and satisfaction scores. These separate scorecards create invisible walls.The shift requires developing shared, customer-centric metrics that every department contributes to. Net retention rates, customer satisfaction scores, and customer lifetime value provide more holistic views of success than departmental vanity metrics.This enhances accuracy and reduces overlap and rework, while eliminating dangerous knowledge gaps.3. Leverage integrated technologyMetrics are critical, but you also have to inform those metrics with the right data. This might sound like the same thing as number two, but metrics are about asking the right questions, and data is about getting the right answers. A unified customer experience requires unified data. Without a single source of truth about customer interactions, teams operate with incomplete information and fail to make data-driven decisions.This doesnt have to be done manually, and probably shouldnt be. Integrated technology with a high-powered platform is critical to making this unification streamlined and accurate.If you continue using individual, specialized tools, they must share data seamlessly. When marketing automation, CRM, support ticketing, and product usage analytics feed into a comprehensive customer database, everyone gains visibility into the complete customer picture.Make the change realI know the kinds of results that can happen when an organization commits to unifying the customer experience:Reduced time-to-resolution for customer issuesIncreased customer retention rates and enhance customer trustHigher expansion revenue from existing accountsMore accurate prediction of renewal outcomesImproved employee satisfaction across customer-facing teamsBy breaking down silos and ensuring smooth handoffs between departments, unification can eliminate friction points that often lead to customer frustration and attrition. Who doesnt want to see positive results in key performance indicators like these?Lead the changeThis wont happen on its own. As executives, we must champion this approach from the top. The process starts with:Modeling collaborative behaviors across your leadership teamCreating clear customer journey maps that span departmental boundariesRedesigning incentive structures to reward collaborationInvesting in technologies that enable seamless information sharingMeasuring success through the customers eyes, not internal metricsThe first step is often the hardestacknowledging that our existing structures may be optimized for our convenience rather than our customers success.The competitive advantageReady to figure this out? Ready to spot opportunities earlier, solve problems faster, and build deeper customer relationships that competitors struggle to displace?One of the biggest reasons for making this shift is creating an environment where employees can focus on delivering value rather than navigating internal complexity. Teams become energized when they see the direct impact of their work on customer success. And happy employees = happy customers. The trust and loyalty you cultivate with your teams has a direct impact on the trust and loyalty your organization benefits from with your customers. When customers trust their vendors, they become more aligned, viewing you as a partner, not an adversary.I believe the business landscape is quickly moving toward prioritizing unified customer experiences. Clinging to fragmented approaches will put organizations at a disadvantage as customer expectations continue to rise.Why not start now?Melissa Puls is chief marketing officer and SVP of customer success at Ivanti.

Dutch architecture studio MVRDV has introduced its vision for Market Cube, a versatile marketplace made up of stacked volumes in Zhubei, Taiwan. This innovative design by MVRDV reimagines the traditional market square, featuring a tiered structure intended to offer flexibility and adapt to future shifts in market-building typology. With its stack of open, flexible floors that can adapt to changing demands, the building acts as an urban condenser and is envisaged as the next step in the evolution of the market, the studio said. This future-focused vision is reflected in its name: the market square becomes the Market Cube.Designer: MVRDVThe Market Cube will span eight floors and cover 18,962 square meters, featuring two levels dedicated to market space and food courts, as well as exhibition areas, a daycare and childrens center, and a rooftop performance venue. Multi-level underground parking will also be included. The buildings design allows each level to be independently opened to the exterior or closed off, enabling some areas to remain accessible at night.Visualizations of the proposal show expansive external terraces that function as walkways on each level, accessed via two sets of escalators encased in translucent panels. On the first floor, a pedestrian bridge will connect over the adjacent road, providing direct access from the nearby park to the food court. The market spaces on the ground and lower levels will extend into the surrounding streets, integrating the building with its urban environment.Inside Market Cube, a diverse array of vendors will be accommodated, ranging from traditional market stalls offering local goods and produce to modern kiosks equipped with built-in seating areas for a more relaxed shopping or dining experience. The interiors are thoughtfully designed with spacious, flexible layouts that can be easily adapted to suit any alternative use imaginable, ensuring that the space can evolve with changing needs and trends. High ceilings further enhance the sense of openness, allowing for creative installations or temporary exhibits that can transform the space as needed.To facilitate easy navigation throughout the Market Cube, each level will be illuminated with a distinct color scheme, which will add visual interest and also serve as a guide to the buildings various functions. This color-coding system is designed to intuitively communicate the purpose of each area to visitors, enhancing their overall experience. Strategically placed LED screens will provide information and updates, while neon lights contribute a modern, vibrant aesthetic. Together, these elements create an engaging and dynamic environment that reflects the innovative spirit of the Market Cube.The post MVRDV Unveils An Adaptable & Stacked Marketplace With A Modern Twist In Taiwan first appeared on Yanko Design.

Experimental music and athletic footwear dont often find common ground in product design. The Pan Records x Nike Air Max 180 collaboration, however, presents an interesting exception. Released in 2025, this all-black, Swoosh-less design offers a thoughtful interpretation of the classic silhouette. Having covered consumer technology and design for a long while now, I find this partnership noteworthy for its understated approach and cultural connections.Designer: Pan Records x NikeNike partnering with a Berlin-based experimental music label? That wasnt on anyones 2025 bingo card. But the sportswear giants decision to collaborate with Pan Records makes perfect sense when you examine the cultural lineage of the Air Max 180. Since the 1990s, this silhouette has maintained a significant presence in electronic music scenes worldwide. DJs, producers, and club-goers embraced its distinctive aesthetic and cushioning technology during marathon sets and all-night dance sessions. The models connection to music culture runs deep deeper than most casual observers realize.Pan Records, founded in 2008 by Bill Kouligas, has spent 17 years cultivating a reputation for boundary-pushing experimental sound and visual art. The label exists in that rarefied if you know, you know space, launching careers of innovative artists like Yves Tumour and Eartheater while expanding beyond music into events and art installations. This collaboration follows Nikes earlier 2025 partnership with Londons Apron Records on the same silhouette. A pattern emerges. Nike seems intent on revitalizing the Air Max 180 through collaborations with influential yet niche music labels that share its forward-thinking ethos. What makes this partnership particularly fascinating is the creative freedom Nike granted. Removing the iconic Swoosh from a Nike sneaker is practically unheard of. Yet here, that bold choice allows the textural elements and minimalist aesthetic to take center stage.The Pan Records x Nike Air Max 180 represents minimalism at its most impactful. Its all-black colorway might seem simple at first glance, but closer inspection reveals a sophisticated interplay of textures, materials, and symbolic elements. Most striking is whats missing the iconic Swoosh logo has vanished from the shoes sides. This absence creates a stealthy, stripped-down profile that forces you to appreciate the silhouettes inherent design language. Small Swoosh logos remain near the toe and on one side, but theyre subtle afterthoughts rather than focal points.The upper features a textured fabric that replaces the Air Max 180s traditional layered composition. This material choice gives the sneaker a hypnotic quality that shifts as light plays across its surface. A matte, crinkled synthetic overlay with a translucent sheen wraps the mudguard, creating a split-toned appearance despite the monochromatic palette. Nike and Pan Records employed a fused TPU film throughout the construction, creating what some have described as a shrink-wrapped aesthetic. This technique enhances durability while contributing to the futuristic vibe. The midsole, lining, and visible Air unit are completely blacked out, reinforcing the shoes stealthy appeal.Turn the shoe over, and youll discover perhaps its most captivating detail. The semi-translucent outsole reveals an image of Pan the Greek mythological deity associated with music and wild nature playing the flute. This same artwork appears on the inner tissue of the packaging, creating a cohesive thematic thread throughout the product experience. The heel features an irregularly 3D-printed clip designed to evoke ancient exhumed stone tools. Its an unexpected reference that adds both textural interest and conceptual depth.What makes this collaboration special beyond its physical form is its cultural positioning. The black-coated finish intentionally mimics the patina created by wearing sneakers night after night in clubs a direct nod to the Air Max 180s heritage in electronic music scenes and Pan Records roots in experimental club culture. This worn-in aesthetic serves as a visual metaphor for experience and authenticity. Rather than pristine, box-fresh sneakers, these shoes celebrate the lived-in quality that comes from genuine cultural participation. The name NIX appears prominently in the collaborations branding a reference to Kouligass creative research studio. Translating to nothing in German, it stands as a conceptual opposite to PAN, which means everything in Greek. This duality of everything/nothing informs the design philosophy and creates additional layers of meaning for those willing to dig deeper.By allowing Pan Records to create a Swoosh-less design, Nike demonstrates remarkable confidence in both its brand identity and the strength of the Air Max 180 silhouette. Few major sportswear companies would permit such radical reinterpretation of their most recognizable brand element. The minimalist approach also provides a refreshing counterpoint to contemporary sneaker trends that often rely on bold colors and obvious branding. In an era of maximalist design, this collaboration finds power in restraint.Set to release on April 12, 2025, the Pan Records x Nike Air Max 180 Black/Anthracite (style code FZ3310-001) will retail for $150 USD. Availability will include Nikes SNKRS platform, select Nike Sportswear retailers, and Nike.com. Given the niche appeal of Pan Records and the unique design approach, this collaboration will likely attract diverse audiences: sneaker enthusiasts, experimental music fans, and collectors who appreciate minimalist design aesthetics. Whether this will be a limited release remains unclear, though some industry observers suggest it might follow previous music label collaborations with region-restricted availability. If youre particularly drawn to this design, planning ahead might be wise.The Pan Records x Nike Air Max 180 demonstrates how reduction can create distinction in product design. By stripping away the expected and focusing on texture, material, and subtle storytelling, this collaboration achieves something rare in contemporary sneaker culture a genuinely fresh perspective on a classic silhouette. What makes this partnership particularly noteworthy is how it honors both brands identities while creating something entirely new. The experimental spirit of Pan Records merges seamlessly with Nikes design heritage, resulting in a product that feels authentic to both worlds.Nikes willingness to partner with niche cultural entities and grant them significant creative freedom suggests a sophisticated understanding of how modern brand building works. Rather than chasing mainstream collaborations exclusively, this approach builds credibility among tastemakers and cultural pioneers. For sneaker enthusiasts tired of predictable collaborations, the Pan Records x Nike Air Max 180 offers a glimpse of whats possible when brands take genuine creative risks. Its a reminder that sometimes the most impactful design statement is what you choose to remove rather than what you add. This unexpected partnership between a sportswear giant and an experimental music label has produced something genuinely distinctive in todays saturated sneaker market. And isnt that exactly what great collaborations should do?The post Pan Records x Nike Air Max 180: When Underground Music Meets Minimalist Design first appeared on Yanko Design.

The use of beautiful lino cut illustrations gives the brand a textured feel.

Leading scientists at the National Institutes of Health, the USs leading medical research agency, were swept up Tuesday in the Trump administration's latest firing blitz.

A major European cloud provider organization has committed additional funding to drive a push towards what it calls sovereign, Trump-proof cloud services.Many cloud customers, including European public administrations, are concerned that foreign governments have too much power to demand data, impose tariffs and restrict services on the cloud infrastructures they use, said the statement from CISPE (Cloud Infrastructure Service Providers in Europe). Customers need options to select Trump-Proof cloud services that rely on 100% European cloud infrastructure and services and are immune from disruption, access, and potential removal by foreign actors.Ben Maynard, CISPEs director of communications, said the goal of the groups financial commitment of 1 million (about $1.1 million) for open-source software development is to accelerate the Fulcrum Project, an open-source digital exchange enabling European service providers to federate distributed cloud services to match the scale, reach, and capabilities of hyperscale cloud providers. It is not necessarily to encourage all European enterprises to abandon their US hyperscaler relationships, but is more geared, he said, to SMBs and smaller enterprises who want more local options.

The Aurzen ZIP is a pocketable tri-fold projector that makes it easier than ever to bring big-screen entertainment on the go.Aurzen ZIP Projector reviewThere's a lot of tech that has benefited from miniaturization and foldability over the years. I grew up familiar with the convenience of a Nintendo DS, and today people can enjoy the advantages of foldable phones.The Aurzen ZIP successfully applies this design solution to a projector that can fit in your hand, pocket, or bag. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Periods of heavy rainfall caused by multiple atmospheric rivers in California between December 31, 2022, and March 25, 2023, resulted in floods that affected parts of Southern California, the California Central Coast, Northern California and Nevada. The flooding resulted in over US$4 billion in property damage and at least 22 fatalities. A portion of California State Route 84 in Woodside was closed due to landslide damage as a result of the floods, as shown in this aerial photograph taken on April 2, 2023. Photograph credit: King of HeartsRecently featured: Ghillie suitArtScience MuseumChestnut-naped antpittaArchiveMore featured pictures

April 2: World Autism Awareness Day; feast day of Saint Francis of Paola (Catholicism); Malvinas Day in Argentina (1982) Southern bread riots1863 About 5,000 people in Richmond, Virginia, mostly poor women, rioted in protest of the high price of bread (depicted).1968 2001: A Space Odyssey, the epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, premiered at the Uptown Theater in Washington, D.C.1979 Spores of anthrax were accidentally released from a military research facility near the city of Sverdlovsk, causing at least 68 deaths.1982 Argentine special forces invaded the Falkland Islands, sparking the Falklands War against the United Kingdom.1992 Bosnian War: At least 48 civilians were massacred in the town of Bijeljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Prince George of Denmark (b.1653)Wilhelmine Reichard (b.1788)Sir James Montgomery, 1st Baronet (d.1803)Elizabeth Catlett (d.2012)More anniversaries: April 1April 2April 3ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout