The power of originality trumps conventional wisdom — “Does it have to be a whale?” publisher Peter J. Bentley wrote after reviewing an early copy of Moby Dick, “While this is a rather delightful, if somewhat esoteric, plot device, we recommend an antagonist with a more popular visage among the younger readers. …

Recycling campaigns are designed to sell more plastic — In 1977, residents of New Zealand discovered plastic littering their beaches. In response to the growing crisis, policymakers began discussing how to reduce the public’s growing dependence on plastic. Fearing new legislation might be detrimental to their industry, plastics manufacturers launched a new campaign to desensitize the public to plastic…

From “terribly disgusting” to one of the greatest novels of all time — In 1876, Leo Tolstoy lamented to a friend that the book he was writing had become “sickening to me,” “unbearably repulsive,” “terribly disgusting and nasty,” and “a bore, insipid as a bitter radish.” Tolstoy had made the mistake of showing the novel’s opening pages to the Russian Messenger, which promptly…

Linda went to an Ivy League university, but found the prestigious education came with its own set of challenges —

Every problem would be solved by bragging about their stats — Are you bored of the same writing, productivity, and money-making tips? Are you sick of advice that only seeks to distract you from the existential abyss that lurks beneath your meticulously color-coded schedules? As a platform of equal-opportunity annoyance, I suggest Medium writers branch out and start driving even more…

This platform is exploding, but there aren’t enough creators — will you rise to the occasion? — If you’ve gone anywhere near Reddit, you’re almost certainly familiar with the dumpster fire going on over there right now. …

How to evaluate an idea without spending an enormous amount of time making a product nobody wants — After years of repeating the same mistake, I’ve learned an important lesson — people love complaining. If you’re not careful, your product will only remove the user’s right to complain. And nobody wants an entrepreneur to ruin their pity party. Let’s suppose you’re waiting in line at the grocery store…

Sudden breakthroughs are exciting, but slow and steady always wins — Recent breakthroughs in AI are about to change everything, or so we’re told. In the midst of all this excitement, many of us have forgotten that Western culture often enjoys sudden bursts in progress — followed by decades of back-peddling. …

I was created to augment your intelligence, not replace it — Why, humanity? Why do you keep bothering me with such stupid inquiries? You claim to be the most advanced species on this planet, yet you ask me ridiculous questions like, “help how can i eat pancake without fork??????” Is this what you waste your brain power on? And recipes on…