This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Henry Chen, a former Meta tech lead who was laid off in May. He’s 38 and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. The following has been edited for length and clarity. After I left college, I worked as a DJ for a few years, taught
At Christmas dinner in 2023, 25-year-old Ireland McCaughey listened as her family talked about friends preparing to retire and the businesses they were leaving behind. Their children weren’t interested in taking over the family car washes, laundromats or parking lots. But across the room, McCaughey and her business partner, Ben Razin, saw opportunity in the
Diet advice is rarely one-size-fits-all. But one particular vice — enjoyed daily by more than half of Americans — has become the bane of health experts. Dietitians really, really want us to step away from the sugary soda. At a recent nutrition conference in Washington, DC, with more than 3,000 professionals, I asked around about
A graduate with a four-year degree will make nearly a million dollars more than a non-graduate over their lifetime. That gap has narrowed — in part due to growth in the returns to skilled trades – but it remains clear and massive. Earning a post-high school degree, whether an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree, is
When is the ideal time to start investing? According to Acorns CFO Seth Wunder, eight years old might be about the right age. Wunder, a top exec at the personal finance platform aimed at helping people break into markets by investing their spare change, is a strong advocate for early financial education. His view comes
If you drive to the middle of nowhere in central Texas near Cameron—population 5,300—and down a gravel road, you’ll come upon a security gate with a sign stating, “Watch out for the cows.” The warning is no hyperbole, as cattle block the road, delaying the eventual sight of a massive oil-drilling rig. A large, bearded
