adult recess — lord have mercy

Yup — the infantilization of grownups continues as “adult recess” is having a moment.

Cities around the country — including Greensboro, Akron, and Seattle — are hosting events where grownups can relive their childhood with kickball, tetherball, hula hoops, Twister, and more.

If recess isn’t an option where you live, check out our Wellness Trends Report for ways to alleviate the stress of being an adult.

AI startups saw record quarterly funding in Q2’19 with $7.4B. This included several $100M+ mega-rounds.

The space has also seen some very valuable exits. Seven AI cos have exited at $1B+ since 2013. We map them all out here.

What would be on your Looming Job Cuts reading list?

The average person is projected to generate 1.5 GB of data per day by next year. Cloud computing might not be able to keep up.

That’s where edge computing comes in. We break down how the technology works and how it’s being used across multiple industries. Check it out here.

Flower power

We’re excited to announce that Jim McCann, the founder and executive chairman of 1-800-Flowers, will be joining us at The Collective (Dec. 10-11, NYC).

A slew of VC-backed startups have tried to take a swing at the company over time, and none have won. We’ll be talking to Jim about how the company has stayed a step ahead for so long.

Oh, there are also some great speakers on deck.

Wanted: time ninja

In the early 2000s, startups started trying to differentiate themselves and attract new hires by revamping their job titles.

Today, “dream alchemist” is an actual title you can put on your LinkedIn profile. And that’s not even the most outlandish one.

From meme librarian to happiness engineer to time ninja, we rounded up the 25 most absurd job titles in tech.

Apple’s new credit card, Apple Card, is now available in the US. We take a look at Apple’s key financial products and what the card says about its shifting strategy.

Clients can read about it here.

Nikkei Asian Review. Jada Nagumo reports that funding to Asia-based fintech startups dropped in Q2’19 and cites CB Insights’ Global Fintech Report.

CNBC. Annie Palmer (@anniepalmer) writes about the details of WeWork’s IPO filing and references CB Insights research.

American Banker. Sean Allocca (@sjallocca) discusses Capital One’s expansion into robo advice and refers to CB Insights research.

I love you.

Anand
@asanwal

P.S. Tomorrow we’ll be digging into global healthcare trends from Q2. Sign up for the briefing here if you haven’t already.

P.P.S. We’re hiring a director of sales enablement. If this sounds like you, drop us a line.

See you at the swing set. Cities throughout the US are hosting adult recess programs with great success.

Wall Street Journal

RIP. The world’s oldest webcam is shutting down after 25 years of operation.

The Verge

Return to the earth. With limited space for burial and a massive carbon footprint from cremation, people are looking for more eco-friendly ways to handle bodies after death.

Fast Company

Passing on the left. When it comes to electric vehicle adoption, Norway is ahead of the game.

Fortune

Fries with that? Many corporations — including McDonald’s — are jumping on the podcast train. And people are actually listening.

New York Times