What mushrooms, ghosts, NASA, and a 19th century economist can show us about hidden labour

Ideas borrowed from mycology, aerospace, economics, and agriculture to explore the issue of hidden labour

This week's best things #87

Swedish sun-worshipping, museum visitor research, AI uncertainty, attention economics, the gap between digital and physical worlds, UX patterns, hidden labour interviews, an island without time, and my 2026 reading list to date.

This week's best things #86

Friction vs convenience, AI scepticism, “workslop” and unclear AI mandates, Gall’s Law and complexity, organisational change and conversation, invisible digital infrastructure work, accessibility design, cultural projects, train punctuality data, and the value of weirdness.

What learning Swedish showed me about digital confidence

Learning Swedish taught me that confidence comes from everyday use, not attempting to achieve perfection. Digital work is similar, people don't need deep technical knowledge to contribute, but they do need plain language, and the space and permission to ask questions,and ask for clarification.

Dealing with the decision-making logjam

Even strong ideas stall when decision-making systems can’t keep up with limited leadership attention. This piece looks at why everything escalates, how attention becomes a bottleneck, and what leaders can change to reduce friction without burning out teams or themselves.

Making the Case - what leaders notice (and need) when everything’s competing for their time

Leaders are not ignoring good ideas, they are juggling trade-offs, tight capacity, and timing pressures that are rarely visible. Understanding that reality helps you work out when and how to raise things, and why ideas succeed or stall inside cultural organisations.

My 2026 research project - mapping the hidden labour of digital work

Digital professionals are constantly absorbing tasks that don’t appear on paper anywhere - dealing with fragile systems, bridging role and skills gaps, or translating digital for colleagues - I want to understand the scale and impact of this hidden effort.

This year's best things (2025)

A round-up of 2025, and a small look forward to 2026.

How to read a failing digital project

A short guide to spotting early warning signs in digital projects and checking alignment before issues escalate. Six signals, four framing questions, and a simple health checklist to help teams slow down, test assumptions, and understand where organisational conditions need attention.

This week's best things #85

Opaque web filtering, accessibility, algorithmic power, the world's quietest room, crisis leadership, Google's year in search, and the dangers of organisational firefighting.