Hey there, After months of plotting, caffeinating, and pestering industry friends about what they actually want to read, The Subthread is finally live and here is its first newsletter. Welcome, this is your new home for sharp ideas, human storytelling, and optimism with bite (never the bland LinkedIn kind). Building this in eight weeks with three people? Like running a marathon in flip-flops. I’ve become a designer, podcaster, marketer, developer, and finance whiz – all before lunch. How did w
Alex Zeevalkink
The white coat no longer owns experimentation. Today, it’s far messier than that, writes brand strategist and cultural critic James Kirkham. Today, the proving ground for new technology is not a sterile lab but a virtual pit at a gig, a queue for a fashion drop, or the resale market for a digital trainer. Before Fortnite hosted a concert the idea of millions logging in to a video game to watch a pop concert or music event was laughable. Before Gucci sold untouchable shoes, the idea of paying fo
James Kirkham
Meet Charlotte Cripps: the design director who doesn’t just think outside the box – she’s busy redesigning it, branding it, and probably teaching it how to use AI. From transforming legacy publications into glossy coffee-table stunners to leading bold design teams, and most recently, shaping the branding for The Subthread – Charlotte’s career reads like a masterclass in visual storytelling. She’s not just fluent in editorial and brand development, she’s also conversational in AI, wielding new t
Hannah Bowler
Welcome to The Productivity Playbook – our running series on tools built to make us faster, sharper, and a little less drained at work. This week: Granola, a very neat AI-powered note-taker that handles the messy parts of meetings so you can actually focus on the people in front of you. Before I dive in: as always in this series, this is an independent review, not a sponsored post. Why It Matters Meetings aren’t going anywhere. But the way we survive them? That’s up for grabs. Too often we s
Rich Hewes