Samit Malkani

It's up to all of us, Marketers and AdPeople alike, to figure out how to make it better.

Read my post at #WhatIsAnInsight open.substack.com/pub/whatisan...

And it isn't just one problem it faces -- it's a trifecta, a perfect storm, a flywheel that can't be stopped by solving one issue alone.

So many of us who are passionate about the industry that gave us our livelihoods, and so much more, feel the same way.

I've been sitting on this post for two months now, watching the upheaval that the #advertising industry has been going through.

One thing I'm very clear about:

The advertising agency isn't dead.

But it needs a reboot.

Elon Musk Returns to His Tech Empire, Facing Questions of Inattention

Musk is trying to signal that he's back at his businesses. But at Tesla, he was so checked out that a board member had to prep him for meetings, and he didn't ask to be briefed on tariffs until a few days before the earnings call. with @rmac.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2025/06/02/b...

And so I thought I'd reflect back on that first year as a corporate naif. And delve into the 10 things I wish someone had taken me aside and told me straight up. www.whatisaninsight.com/p/10-things-...

Looking back, what drove me nearly to the edge was the fundamental, often unspoken differences between my familiar agency world, and the (then alien) galaxy that is Google.

Eleven years ago today, I began my journey as a #Google employee.

And almost quit three times in that incredibly hard first year.

Nice!

Who else is picturing Sunny Deol screaming in a crowded courtroom, "Tariff pe tariff! Tariff pe tariff!"

Scientists Revive the Dire Wolf, or Something Close Dire wolves, made famous by “Game of Thrones,” went extinct some 13,000 years ago. Now, researchers have bred gray-wolf pups that carry genes of their ancient cousins.

When do pre-bookings for Jurassic Park open? www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/s...

Rewatching The Lord of the Rings and still in awe of how Peter Jackson managed to deliver such soul-stirring, hair-raising, tear-inducing moments so often. "Forth Eorlingas!" #lotr

Sounds about right.

On a scale of 9 to 10, how entitled would it be to whine about the configuration of the business class seat you just flew on? #askingforafriend

The really silly part is that I don't even cook...

Clicked into this thread because I read it as "Make idli better" and I immediately wanted to get us a better recipe for when we cook it at home.

I'm now reading it in that voice.

Oh, the snark!

How has the world given away so much power to one person?

Insiders reveal reality of WPP’s return-to-office plans as deadline nears Floorplans seen by The Drum suggest some staff will have to work on couches, in “pantries,” and from the office canteen. They say communication has been lacking, and frustration is growing.

SMH @ Mark Read. www.thedrum.com/news/2025/03...

#RTO #WPP

See now, this is a good use of AI

How Blueprint Founder Bryan Johnson Sought Control Via Confidentiality Agreements That control is starting to fray as Mr. Johnson, a longevity guru known for performing experiments on his body, faces a backlash over the agreements.

Who's surprised that the "Man Who Want To Live Forever" and sells questionable supplements towards that goal is...shady? www.nytimes.com/2025/03/21/t...

NGL, just changing the layout of our study makes me want to wfh more often than usual.

Also the incessant gloomy depressing rain, but definitely the study also.

PUB and Grey Singapore Unveil Annual Water Conservation Campaign | Branding in Asia PUB and Grey Singapore launch Our Water Makes Every Moment Count, the 2025 water conservation campaign highlighting water’s vital role in daily life and sustainability.

The lack of representation in Grey Singapore's latest campaign for PUB is disappointing. www.brandinginasia.com/pub-and-grey...

Opinion | We Were Badly Misled About Covid The same dangerous mistakes. The same lack of candor.

Terrifying. Careless people don't just work in tech, clearly. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/16/o...

"Careless People". A book where the author brought out a long skewer, sharpened it, and then neatly punched it through the hearts of Kaplan, Sandberg and the Zuck. An unputdownable read. And not surprising in the least.

Sunidhi Chauhan 🫡

At this rate, we're soon going to reclassify Earth and the other planets as moons of Saturn too!!!

I like days like this. When I can come home for my last meeting, and take it comfortably in bed, contributing but with my camera off.

Bluesky CEO: imagine a 'world without Caesars' Jay Graber dunks on Mark Zuckerberg without mentioning his name.

the feminine urge to

The Underrated Weapon That Is Experiential Marketing How social-first marketers are missing a trick.

I put down some thoughts on all of this in my latest newsletter on #whatisaninsight. If you're working through any of these questions, you might find the post a useful read; and I'd love to hear your perspective.

www.whatisaninsight.com/p/the-underr...