Hey Reader - If you haven't heard, the lock in for grind mode is on. Long days are no surprise in Silicon Valley, but the kicker is that tech bros and gals are curbing after-hours habits so they can have peak productivity. Fort co-founder Miranda Nover summed it up as, "We're doing this six days a week in-office, we're working until 9 PM, we're not drinking, we're not partying, we don't do any of that." I suppose the "work hard/play harder" approach isn't what it used to be! You may not be...

Hey Reader - Curator Mary Savage had a simple idea: Showcase blue ribbon winners from American state fairs at the famous Smithsonian Institution. "State Fairs: Growing American Craft," which runs through September 7, 2026, features a diverse range of art, including woodworking, canning, and quilting. My personal favorite? The life-size butter cow. No kidding. You might look at some of the entries and think, Why in the world would someone devote time to that?! But here's what's interesting:...

Hey Reader - Missy Park had an a-ha moment in 1989: a mail-order business specializing in athletic attire specifically designed for women. Her goal was to help women feel confident on the playing field, and that meant rethinking clothing designs. She named her new venture "Title Nine" after the 1972 law enabling gender equality for women athletes. Soliciting funding would have been a natural first step. But Park decided to manage the business solely on the merit of its sales. Surviving...