innovation Archives

A worker in protective gear operates machinery in an industrial facility, with a partial overlay of solar panels and geometric patterns above—hinting at the innovative spirit found in stellar societies.

The Tony Seba and James Arbib interview: Why the future belongs to “stellar societies”

The cofounders of think tank RethinkX are convinced that humanity is undergoing civilizational phase change.

Collage with clocks, footprints in sand, a hand drawing a world map, binary code, and the text "The Nightcrawler" at the top—an evocative piece rethinking civilization and our journey through time.

Rethinking civilization: A new architecture for humanity

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Black-and-white portrait of Andrew Mayne centered on a collage background featuring sharks on the left and a hand holding a magician’s hat and wand on the right.

Business

The Andrew Mayne interview: How to succeed as a polymath

The outrageously accomplished magician-inventor-author chats to Big Think about fear, multitasking, and successful work-life reinvention.

A collage with "The Nightcrawler" text, historic photos of Indigenous people, a blue-toned statue reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci's art, and blue ocean waves overlapping the images.

Business

How to “outlast”: What Leonardo da Vinci can teach us

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

A split image features a sketched portrait of a bearded man above, with rippling water merging into Leonardo Da Vinci-style sketches below.

The Long Game

What Leonardo’s obsession with water teaches us about longevity

What made Leonardo da Vinci last wasn’t magic — it was process — and his study of fluids can help us win the long game.

The word "change" appears three times; the top two are crossed out in purple, while the bottom one—creativity highlighted—is circled in purple, all on a black background.

Business

Why “high tolerance of ambiguity” should anchor your creative toolkit

Creative thinkers are unafraid of the ambiguous spaces where innovation often resides — and this trait is vital when navigating change.

A geometric collage with partial photos of two people, a delivery robot labeled "prime" inspired by Amazon robotics, and vintage map textures, overlaid by the text "THE NIGHTCRAWLER.

Business

A deep dive into Amazon robotics and AI

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Black and white portrait of David Aaker, an older man in a suit and glasses, centered between artistic backgrounds of a handshake, grid, and abstract curved lines.

Business

The David Aaker interview: “Trust is vital and fragile”

The marketing guru outlines the current state of brand-building — and highlights four outstanding opportunities for the immediate future.

Collage with a steam locomotive, a globe with a syringe, and train tracks sparks curiosity, overlaid by the text "The Nightcrawler" on a dark grid background.

Business

Curiosity as a survival skill to navigate change

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

A graphic featuring the text "The Nightcrawler," a black-and-white photo of a lighthouse amid waves that outlast the storm, and a green-tinted portrait of a man.

Business

Why I’m writing OUTLAST: a book about resilience (and hope)

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Business

Romance at White Castle: How to do business the “evergreen” way

From “crave” packs to Valentine bookings, the world’s first fast-food hamburger chain values innovation from every level of the organization.

A collage features a masked life-saver in surgical attire, a palm tree scene, and bold text reading "The Night Crawler" against a geometric background.

Business

The one concept that saved my life

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Illustration of a thumbs up and thumbs down, resembling a like button and dislike button, on a black background, both partially covered with red scribble marks.

Business

The future of the “like” button: Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Will platforms continue to offer the like button as an all-purpose tool — or will each of the button’s various functions exist in new forms?

A collage with “The Nightcrawler” text, a grayscale photo of a tractor in a field, and a blue-tinted portrait of a man in a suit, layered on blue backgrounds with chart graphics that hint at long-term investing trends.

Business

The inner game of long-term investing

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Book cover titled "More Everything Forever" by Adam Becker. Subtitle reads "AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley's Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity," weaving a narrative that echoes the epic adventures reminiscent of Star Trek's explorations.

Business

Leadership conundrum: What do Star Wars and Star Trek really mean?

As we shape our future we should ask: Which interpretations of classic sci-fi fables hold sway with today’s powerful tech leaders?

The book cover of "Unstoppable Entrepreneurs" by Lori Rosenkopf features a cracked wall, unveiling insights on entrepreneurship, bootstrapping, and innovation.

Business

“Bootstrapping”: How entrepreneurs can control their own destiny

Warren Buffett famously noted that Berkshire Hathaway would “never depend on the kindness of strangers to stay in business.” Startups take note.

A collage with graphs, a flower, a container ship, and a hand giving a thumbs-up—hinting at lucky investors—overlaid with the title “THE NIGHTCRAWLER” in bold letters at the top.

Business

Barry Ritholtz on luck, humility, and how (not) to invest

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Barry Ritholtz, a man in a suit and tie, stands confidently before a blue zigzag line on a light backdrop.

The Long Game

The Barry Ritholtz interview: “Smart is good. Smart and lucky is better”

Barry Ritholtz — market commentator, founder of Ritholtz Wealth Management, and podcast host — shares what really trips investors up.

Collage of a snarling wolf, a stock market graph, and abstract shapes, overlaid with the bold text "The Night Crawler" hints at de-extinction possibilities.

Business

The paradox of survival: Learning to live from the extinct

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

In a futuristic setting, a medical professional in scrubs interacts with a holographic heart and data display, showcasing their understanding of AI to enhance patient care.

Business

Why all companies should think beyond Large Language Models

By looking outside the current wave of hype, we can create a framework for weighing up the practical impact of AI on any business.

A smiling person in a black and white photo is set against a vibrant, Spotify-themed background with abstract patterns and shapes.

Business

The Gustav Söderström interview: Spotify and the psychology of taste

Spotify’s Co-President, CPO and CTO chats with Big Think about the science of discovery, Swedish innovation, C-suite podcasting, and more.

Collage featuring a man with glasses, reminiscent of Seth Godin, on a black and yellow background. Overlaid with images of architecture and industrial elements, this piece is titled "The Night Crawler.

Business

“Culture lasts: Business is just a tactic”

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Abstract design featuring the words "The Nightcrawler," red palm trees, a stylized map, and a large apple symbol—all compelling you to rethink modern aesthetics.

Business

Rebuilding is easy: Rethinking is hard

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

A man in a suit sits on a stage chair with a headset, set against a vibrant green background, ready to discuss the latest advancements at OpenAI.

Business

How OpenAI lost Musk and took aim at “something magical”

OpenAI has become a household name in artificial intelligence — but back in 2018 things looked very rocky. Here’s what happened.

Collage featuring a hand filing papers, an airplane, and numerical data on a grid background. Text reads "The Night Crawler: A Journey for Investigative Investors.

Business

An investigative approach to stock investing

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Smiling man in a dark vest and light shirt, exuding leadership, sits indoors in front of window blinds with a curved floor lamp, embodying harmony.

Business

The Julian Metcalfe interview: Charisma, grit, and “that feeling of harmony”

The founder of gourmet fast food juggernauts Pret and Itsu unpacks the meaning of success and what really inspires him.

A stylized image showcases poker chips and a green Swiss army knife, intricately overlaid with circuit patterns, hinting subtly at AI risk. The word "Nightcrawler" graces the top, adding an enigmatic touch.

Business

The risk of outsourcing judgment to AI

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Abstract collage with red dice and handwritten text overlay, featuring a hand writing with a pen. Against a background of grid and bookshelf patterns, it captures an existential crisis. The title "The Night Crawler" hovers above, probing life's uncertainties.

Business

The “existential crisis” of knowledge work

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Business

How “Pasteur’s quadrant” enlightens the invention-innovation challenge

Groundbreaking invention does not always translate to commercial benefits. The challenges that faced Microsoft Research help explain why.

Hexagonal map showing Europe, parts of Asia, and North Africa in varying shades of green and gray, with clusters of red and purple indicating specific regions.

Strange Maps

GPS jamming, a weapon in hot and hybrid wars, will soon be obsolete

“Gyroscope-on-a-chip” technology could soon enable us to navigate over long distances without GPS.