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There’s increasing discussion around what the future of work might look like. For me, it feels like we’re on the cusp of working differently. Whether it’s AI reshaping how teams operate, founders rediscovering the power of real relationships or professionals trading career ladders for sturdier networks, there’s a shift underway. This week’s edition explores what it means to grow – in business and beyond – when the old maps no longer apply.

Enjoy!

JPMorgan’s AI playbook is already paying off

When US tariff news shook markets in April, JPMorgan turned to AI – and it delivered. Its internal tool, “Coach AI,” helped wealth advisers respond to high-net-worth clients with tailored insights in seconds, pulling in real-time data, past client behaviour and suggested next steps. Coach AI has led to a 20% year-on-year jump in wealth management sales and also cut adviser research time by 95%, freeing teams to focus on relationships instead of digging through files. Now used by over 200,000 employees across the bank – from fraud detection to trading ops – the system has already saved nearly $1.5bn. For JPMorgan, AI isn’t hype. It’s already shaping the response to market volatility. Techstrong has the story.​

Meanwhile, in the wilder corners of finance…

While JPMorgan is using AI to bring order to financial chaos, April reminded us that not everyone’s got a handle on risk. The crypto world lost over $357mn last month across 18 hacks, scams and phishing attacks. One incident alone drained more than 3,500 BTC – worth $330mn – from a single wallet. Platforms like KiloEx and Loopscale were also hit. A few clawed back partial losses by negotiating directly with hackers (yes, really). It’s a reminder that as finance gets smarter, it also needs to get a lot tougher – because the bad actors are scaling too. Find out more here.

If it reads like a bot, it belongs in the bin

There’s a new workplace faux pas: sending obviously AI-written messages and expecting a real human to care. Fast Company's Mark Wilson takes aim at the rising tide of cold intros, “quick check-ins” and favour requests that smell suspiciously like ChatGPT on full autopilot. The problem isn’t the tool – it’s the laziness. When you outsource sincerity, people notice. Especially when you’re asking for their time. In a world where everyone’s inbox is full of bland, samey content, the key to standout communication is humanity. Get the story here.

The power of giving up on career stability

Rosie Spinks writes beautifully about a creeping realisation shared by many of us: the career path we were promised is no longer there. The steady job, the rising salary, the sense of permanence – all more fragile than we admitted. But instead of spiralling, she reframes. Real security, she argues, doesn’t come from clinging to a corporate identity. It comes from community, adaptability and building relationships that don’t all disappear when a company does. In her words: “Maybe it’s okay to not look impressive.” It’s a quiet, radical kind of empowerment — one that doesn’t need LinkedIn validation to count. Read the Substack here.

AI prompt of the week: analysing sales calls

Buried in your sales call transcripts is the truth about why people don’t buy. This week’s AI prompt helps you pull out the recurring customer themes — what people say, what they hesitate over and the questions they ask before they ghost you or sign.

You're an expert in customer insights and sales analysis. Your task is to review sales call transcripts and identify the major recurring themes expressed by customers. For each theme, summarise:

1. The key phrases or language customers use to express thoughts and feelings
2. The common questions, objections or concerns they raise

Instructions:

• Review the sales call transcripts provided.
• Identify any themes that appear across multiple calls – these might include product concerns, pricing questions, onboarding worries or competitive comparisons.
• For each theme, note the exact language or phrasing used by customers. Focus on capturing the sentiment and nuance.
• Then, summarise the most common questions or hesitations customers express related to that theme.
• List each theme clearly, followed by its key phrases and common concerns in bullet point format.
• If any themes lack specific language or recurring concerns, state that clearly.

Output format:

Theme 1: [Name of theme]

• Key customer phrases: “...” / “...”
• Common questions/concerns: “...” / “...”

Theme 2: [Next theme]

• Key customer phrases:
• Common questions/concerns:

(…and so on.)

Toxic productivity: the hustle trap hiding in plain sight

You might feel like you’re nailing it – inbox cleared, tasks ticked off, emails sent at midnight – but if you’re skipping rest, hobbies and lunch away from your laptop, you might be in a toxic productivity loop. As Jennifer Moss puts it in this CNBC report, it’s the compulsion to perform and deliver even when it's harming your health. Unlike burnout, toxic productivity keeps you functioning – but not sustainably. The fix is to reframe rest as a driver of performance, not the enemy of it. From creative breaks to screen-free silence, even small shifts can help you get more done by doing less. It’s not slacking — it’s strategy.

The AI solicitor will see you now – for the price of a coffee

Getting ghosted on invoices? There’s a new AI-powered law firm that’ll fire off a solicitor’s letter for just £2. Garfield.Law, recently approved by the SRA, is built to help small businesses chase debts under £10k – no fancy retainers required. Think of it as legal firepower without the legal faff. The firm uses AI to generate letters, draft documents and lower the cost of debt recovery to something founders can stomach. Because sometimes, all you need is a well-worded nudge… on lawyer-headed paper. The Law Gazette has the story.

Venture capital: the last job on earth

In a recent a16z podcast, superstar tech investor Marc Andreessen predicted that AI will replace nearly every job – except, of course, his. According to the billionaire VC, venture capital is just too “intangible” and full of “psychological nuance” for AI to touch. This would be easier to swallow if he weren’t sitting on a $20bn AI megafund and actively investing in the very automation he claims will wipe out everyone else’s roles. Critics weren’t shy, calling it out for what it is: techno-feudalism with better branding. When the dust settles, Andreessen imagines a world where the only jobs left are judging pitch decks — and judging everyone else. Find out more from Futurism.​

Are you the manager people want to follow?

It’s easy to believe we’re doing a decent job leading a team – until we see what good actually looks like. Leadership isn’t about job titles; it’s about the daily signals you send – open communication, fairness, long-term thinking and – crucially – valuing people’s time and ideas. Which side of this list are you on?

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Drop me a line

That’s all for this week. As the world keeps changing, the best thing we can do is stay alert, stay adaptable and build things that matter – with people who do too. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to reach out with any interesting nuggets you’ve come across. See you next Sunday for more left-field insights.

Cheers!
Adam

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