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Olivia loves her position in product marketing. One day, Olivias firm announced it would be acquired by a Japanese company. Shortly afterwards top management was let go, including her boss. Olivias new interim manager encouraged her to take a company-sponsored course about Japanese culture. Now Olivia’s mind was racing: Is my job safe? If yes will I keep my current position? Who will I report to? Will my job continue here or move to Japan or will someone else do my job in Japan? How will I pay my rent? When Olivia tried to get clarity she was told, Youll get answers. Just continue what youre doing. She felt forced to live in uncertainty about the role shed poured her heart and mind into. Uncertainty creates opportunities Our default is to think of uncertainty as a problem we must solve. But Scientific American tells us that inspiration, creativity [and] discovery all come from a place of uncertainty. When we admit I dont know, we open ourselves to explore possibilities. In her book, Uncertain: The wisdom and wonder of being unsure, Maggie Jackson asserts that, uncertainty plays an essential role inpropelling people in challenging times toward good judgement, flexibility . . . and heights of creativity. This is good to know because we all deal with uncertainty at different points in our lives. Here are five ways we can handle uncertainty. 1. Accept the situation Accept uncertainty rather than fight or try to wish it away. Dont yearn for the past. It’s natural to seek certainty, yet the wisest approach is to face uncertainty head on. Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up. Rather, it’s about accepting the current situation and managing it. 2. Focus on what you can control Focus your energy on what you can control rather than fretting over what you cant. Your actions, reactions, and mindset remain firmly within your control even when circumstances feel chaotic. By intentionally responding to challenges youll create an island of stability inside you. 3. Stick to your daily routines Maintaining your daily routine becomes an invaluable anchor against change, challenges, and uncertainty. Go outside to a local park, continue or start to exercise, and think of your current challenges within a broader context. These three actions together will give you structure when everything else seems to be shifting around you. Youll thank yourself for these pockets of control and normalcy within your life. 4. Build flexibility Cultivate flexibility as you plan for the future. One way is to have more than one plan. Be prepared for the unexpected as it could lead to a good outcome. While working in Silicon Valley I had two strategies for handling uncertainty: I didnt get attached to the company; and I looked for opportunities as a hedge against unpredictable product life cycles and volatile tech cycles. Being downsized always felt a heartbeat away. I joined companies that were starting a successful ramp up, and kept a flexible mindset while riding tech waves that could crest or collapse at any moment. Although I gave my role everything, I was vigilant for signs it was time to jump off and seek alternatives. 5. Stop worrying about failure Theres no way around it for your bone health, my orthopedic doctor tells me. You need to work with a strength coach. I procrastinated on strength training for months, consumed by fear of failure. I injured my knee in competitive college swimming. What if the knee were to flare up? After confiding in my good friend Fiona about the doctors orders she suggested we try it together. The hardest part for Fiona was her fear that shed see no results. William, a veteran marine and in-demand strength training coach, agreed to work with us. He convinced us to push past our fear, and step outside the comfort zone of our familiar patterns and routines. We got stronger, better conditioned, and built confidence in our physical ability and mindset to take on new challenges. The added benefit: we lost unwanted pounds and inches. This deepened our self awareness. We questioned our assumptions about ourselves and opened up to asking what if . . . questions instead of worrying about failure. Embracing uncertainty builds confidence To embrace uncertainty is to cultivate the mindset that you can handle whatever unfolds. After the acquisition, instead of focusing on her fear of being let go, Olivia focused on what to do to stay employed with the company. This improved her resilience and adaptability, traits that positioned her for success. She learned about Japanese business practices and honed ways to showcase her skills to the new leadership team. She also took on new responsibilities, creating more job security for herself. For Olivia, uncertainty became an opportunity to grow. Whether you handle uncertainty one step at a time or power through it, accept that uncertainty is an integral part of life. With that, any uncertainty could be the one that leads to a surprisingly positive outcome.
Category:
E-Commerce
I began my career in neurosciencenot in business, not in engineering, not in HR. When I became head of product at GitLab, I hadnt managed a product team before. I didnt have the traditional credentials. But someone took a chance on me based on what I could contribute, not where I had worked. That moment changed the trajectory of my career. It also changed how I hire. At Remote, we focus on capability over pedigree. What someone can do matters far more than what their resume suggests. That mindset has always been useful. But with the rise of AI, its becoming essential. The shift were experiencing goes beyond productivity and automationits about how we define job readiness, recognize potential, and avoid replicating the exclusions of the past. AI is already changing how people work. But if we want it to improve how we hire, we must apply it deliberately. This shift is happening as attitudes toward traditional credentials are also changing. Amid rising tuition costs and mounting student debt, just 22% of Americans say a four-year degree is worth the cost if it requires loans, according to Pew Research Center. If companies keep leaning on degree requirements as a proxy for readiness, they risk missing a growing pool of skilled, AI-fluent talent who are proving themselves outside conventional pipelines. AI is changing who can contributeand how I view AI as essential. Its deeply embedded in my companys culture and how we function, and its ability to multiply talent has completely shifted how we, and many companies we support, function. Less talked about, however, is that it has also changed what it means to contribute. People with less formal training can do more, faster, if theyre equipped with the right tools and a clear mandate. Someone without a formal degree can use AI to complete tasks once reserved for experts such as analyzing data, drafting technical documentation, even writing code. A single parent in a rural town can contribute meaningfully to remote teams while spending each day with their children. The same tools that replace certain functions can also empower a much wider set of people to participate in the knowledge economy. That doesnt mean experience is irrelevant. It means the gap between being qualified on paper and being able to deliver in practice is narrowing, but our hiring systems havent kept pace. This shift demands a change in how we evaluate talent. If contribution no longer depends on pedigree, hiring systems built around degrees, brand names, and linear resumes start to fall short. Companies need to shift from resume screens to problem-solving prompts, or from interview panels to real-world trial projects. While the support for skills-based hiring has grown in recent years, a 2024 report from Harvard Business School and the Burning Glass Institute found that fewer than one out of every 700 hires in the past year were made based primarily on skills rather than traditional credentials. The appetite for change is clear, but until hiring systems catch up, companies will keep filtering out exactly the kind of talent they say they want. The resume is losing signal The temptation is to believe that AI itself will solve that problemthat it will automatically surface hidden talent. But thats a dangerous assumption. Left unchecked, AI hiring systems can replicate and even intensify existing biases. Algorithms trained on historical data may favor candidates who resemble previous hires based on education, geography, or background. In some cases, automated filters penalize career gaps or overlook nontraditional applicants entirely. If were not careful, we risk embedding these filters deeper into the systems we use to scale. Access to AI tools and fluency with them is not evenly distributed. Candidates from underrepresented backgrounds, non-native speakers, or people living in under-resourced regions may not have equal exposure or confidence with these tools. Equity isnt just moral; its operational To spot the best talent, we need hiring practices that reflect modern skills: adaptability, communication, and the ability to learn quickly. My company uses asynchronous workflows that mirror how our teams operate. We emphasize clarity of thought, responsiveness, and problem-solving in context. Our internal documentation and onboarding approach are designed to help people ramp quickly, regardless of background or time zone. Those practices make it easier to evaluate candidates based on how they work, not just how they present. Remote work has already proven that talent doesnt need to be colocated to contribute. Its also exposed where structural inequities persist. Access to reliable infrastructure, tool fluency, and global employment systems still varies widely. Equity doesnt happen by default. It must be designed. AI is redefining readiness AI may accelerate tasks and reduce the cost of execution. But it doesnt eliminate the need for talent. It raises the bar for how talent is integrated and who gets a fair shot. The best candidates may not come through traditional pipelines, live in a major city, or have a college degree. But they are ready to contribute. What companies need now are hiring systems that prioritize contribution over credentialism. That includes making AI training a standard part of onboardingnot a perk for the technically inclinedand ensuring that workflows reflect how teams operate. If your work is async, global, or fast-changing, the hiring process should test for those dynamics. Heres where I recommend employers start: Test for how people will work, not how well they interview. Use trial projects, async exercises, or written problem-solving prompts that mirror real workflows. And yes, let them use AI. Make AI training part of onboarding for everyone and treat AI literacy as a standard skill to level the playing field. Audit your tools and data for bias. Regularly review which signals your systems reward and whether theyre excluding qualified, nontraditional candidates. The best candidates may not look like your past hires, but you might be surprised where you find talent ready to deliver. Job van der Voort is CEO and cofounder of Remote.
Category:
E-Commerce
When was the last time a brand didnt just catch your eye, but moved youmade you feel something real? Today, AI can produce logos, taglines, and campaigns at lightning speed. Algorithms can replicate styles, test headlines, even mimic tone. But as branding becomes more automated, a deeper question emerges: Can machines truly connect with human experience? Or does meaningful branding still depend on uniquely human emotions like empathy, intuition, and lived understanding? After 15 years of building brands across continents and causes, Ive learned that the most powerful branding isnt about perfection. Its about presence. When we show upreally listen, engage, and understandbranding becomes a bridge to transformation. Empathy isnt programmable Consider Sonia, a single mother in Delhi, India, who handcrafts beautiful bags. Her skill was undeniable, but her work was invisible to the market. She didnt need a new product to attract customersshe needed a platform. We helped craft Saffron, a brand that honored her artistry and gave her a place in the conversation. What followed wasnt just commercial growth; it was a personal awakening. Branding turned her story into strength. AI cant do that. It doesnt ask how someone feels, or why their work matters. It optimizesbut it doesnt understand. Intuition creates belonging In Hanoi, Vietnam, a small café run by recent graduates struggled to stay open. They had quality coffee and a noble missionproviding jobs for youthbut no clear identity. We repositioned the space as Friends Coffee Roasters, a name that invited connection and warmth. The transformation was immediate. Customers showed up, reviews surged, and the café became a local favorite on TripAdvisor. A new name didnt just save a businessit saved a dream. Branding didnt just describe what they sold; it reflected who they were becoming. Culture is not universal Technology can scan trends, but it cant live inside a culture. That mattersbecause branding without context can flatten identity instead of elevating it. In the Villa Rica region of Peru, the Yanesha tribe cultivates organic coffee to fund community development. Yet selling unbranded bulk beans kept them trapped in poverty. Working with the tribe, we codeveloped Tierra Fuerte, a brand rooted in resilience and sovereignty. With it came more than just packagingit brought pricing power, dignity, and visibility. A similar challenge arose in Mongolia, where limited access to fresh produce was impacting health. Partnering with local stakeholders, we created Smart Berry to introduce strawberries grown in high-tech smart farm. The brand became more than a productit sparked a national conversation about wellness, youth aspiration, and modern agriculture. In both cases, cultural insightnot codewas the true catalyst. Final thoughts These experiences remind us: While AI is a tool, human intelligence is the soul of branding. The ability to read between the lines, to feel the emotional undercurrent, to design not just for markets but for meaningthose are still human strengths. When branding is approached with care, it can uplift. It can build local economies, support social missions, and shift narratives. It doesnt just sellit serves. And in a time when design tools are increasingly automated, what sets a brand apart isnt how quickly its builtbut how deeply it connects. Sooyoung Cho is CEO of the bread and butter brand consulting LLC.
Category:
E-Commerce
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