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Finish Line

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1 big thing: The power of sad music

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1 big thing: The future of media  

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Axios CEO Jim VandeHei is here with his weekly column on life and leadership. Tell him what you really think: jim@axios.com.

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1 big thing: Staying safe from the sun

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1 big thing: Fake sugar's real risks

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National

We all wrestle demons. Mine is a fight-or-fight impulse. No, that's not a typo — the flight thing isn't in my toolbox, Jim VandeHei writes.

In conflict, I want to argue, prove myself right or righteous — and win, decisively.

You can imagine how this demon, untamed, stirs all kinds of potential trouble with my wife or with people in business.

Why it matters: The thin, fragile line between success and failure in marriage/relationships and work is knowing and then taming your personal demons.

🖼️ The big picture: I'm doubtful we ever truly conquer them fully. We hide 'em. We cage 'em. But the moment we think we beat 'em, they return.

I was reminded of this after the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner two weekends ago.

The backstory: Michael Schaffer, a Politico columnist, called saying he wanted an interview about my weekly Finish Line column. My initial response: Hell no.

I said there was no way Politico would ever allow him to write positively or fairly about Axios ... or me ... or Finish Line. (For those unfamiliar with Washington media drama, I co-founded and ran Politico, but left after a dispute over business values with the previous owner.)

Schaffer promised he was on the level, and insisted he admired the culture inside Axios — a big focus of this column. So, I bit. Our hourlong interview was thoughtful and very friendly. I kinda liked the guy. Sucker!

His Politico column was snarky, cynical and inaccurate. It pissed me off.

Just after it published, I found myself at a late-night party at the Swiss ambassador's residence, tequila and soda in hand. Matt Kaminski, the editor-in-chief of Politico, stood nearby.

Fight-or-fight kicked in. I put down my drink, put my hand on his shoulder, and told him the column was a "piece of shit" and that he should be ashamed for greenlighting it.

We had a spirited chat. I'm pretty sure I ended it by saying: "You are dead to me." Hat tip: Casamigos Blanco.

The result: I blew hours of my life stewing about something meaningless — then interrupted a fun night griping about it.

Was Kaminski really going to admit he or his boss ordered up a petty little cheap shot? Fat chance.

It did spark the idea to write this. And it gave me time to reflect on how any of us tame impulses:

Spot them. You can't control what you don't see. I knew early on the same impulse that got me kicked out of high school science class (I was certain the teacher was a fraud) or disorderly conduct in college (I was certain the drinking age was too low) would get me in trouble if unchecked.  You can't fix something until you admit it's broken.

Understand the root. We need to reckon with what fuels our worst impulses. In this case, it's probably a mix of ego, pride (I throw all of myself into things I care about, so any attack can feel like a shot at my core being) and self-righteousness.

Quit rationalizing. It's easy to convince yourself you're simply being principled and fighting for what's right. But when that same impulse is behind most of your bad decisions, try a different lens. If a habit or tendency leads to a bad result more than once, it's gut-check time.

Listen to others. My wife, Autumn, and co-founders, Roy and Mike, are quite proficient at telling me to chill out and focus on what actually matters. We all need hard-truth tellers to hold us accountable.

Realize your recidivism. I am a calmer, more controlled guy at age 52. I'm more disciplined and harder to stir up. But I'm still me — and my blink emotional response is to defend and debate. I kinda like confrontation. Just knowing that helps keep it in check. Sometimes.

Laugh at yourself. We all need to take ourselves less seriously. We can chuckle at our glitches — as long as we're aware of them and working on them. Sometimes, you can even write columns about them.

This article originally appeared in Axios Finish Line, our nightly newsletter on life, leadership and wellness. Sign up here.

Axios Finish Line: Taming our worst impulses

We all wrestle demons. Mine is a fight-or-fight impulse.

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Leadership

Economy & Business

Artificial intelligence will soon transform media on a scale and pace that rivals the internet two decades ago.

Why it matters: The media companies that survive — and thrive — will be those that adapt quickly to fast-changing consumer needs.

We have spent months talking to the people building the new AI technologies, and reflecting on how they can help — or harm — your ability to get high-quality content you can trust.

A lot of you ask about trust in media. So think of this column as prep for substantial changes coming to your news diet.

Eight transformations seem likely and are animating our thinking at Axios:

1. Expertise. The days of gaming social media algorithms are coming to an abrupt — and needed — end. Commoditized or general interest content will fade in value. Any company betting only on high traffic seems doomed. The demand for subject matter expertise will rise fast.

Prepare for a world of fewer big, generic brands — but more and better niche companies aimed at your passions.

2. Trust. AI will rain a hellfire of fake and doctored content on the world, starting now. That'll push readers to seek safer and trusted sources of news — directly instead of through the side door of social media.

Advertisers will shift to safer, well-lit spaces, creating a healthy incentive for some publishers to get rid of the litter you see on their sites today. That shift is already happening.

3. Direct relationships. Consumers will soon get awesome, fully written search results with ChatGPT-like technologies. You'll get smart answers — not links. This will slow or even cut off a highly valuable pipeline of web traffic for companies like Axios and force publishers to tighten our direct relationship with you, the customer/consumer.

4. Inbox platforms. Newsletters will rise in importance, as Microsoft and Google make emailing magically easy by helping you write, answer and sort emails. The inbox will be a more indispensable content destination and repository.

Some argue website homepages will rise in importance, too. But that strikes me as silly. That's not how consumers want content. They're accustomed to important stuff getting pushed to them.

5. Healthy content. There's simply too much doom and gloom on TV and many news sites. Consumers want and deserve a better mix of content, including healthy and helpful content.

That's what inspired Finish Line. This shift will be reflected in our evolving coverage of an AI-infused world.

6. Efficiency. Consumers want most news and practical information delivered as efficiently as possible. This will be even more true as new technology tricks and toys fight for your attention.

Efficiency will spread to video news, too. Network and cable news will fade or die, given the aging audience and dwindling ratings. The need to see news won't die. But younger audiences will want it shorter, and on-demand.

7. More depth. As most content gets shorter, consumers will have a little more time for podcasts and deep-dive content like magazine-style articles.  But the demand for those to be truly excellent and consumer-first will rise, too. The middle — boring stories journalists write for themselves or to fill holes on a website — will die.

8. Information inequality. There has never been a better time for discerning readers to get high-quality content delivered exponentially more efficiently. This trend will accelerate. At the same time, there has never been an easier time to create and spread distracting, disgusting or deceitful information at scale, for peanuts. This trend will also accelerate.

This will give a massive edge to those who can smartly navigate and exploit the next explosion of media change.

The bottom line: Don't wait for companies, the government or social networks to decide what's high-quality content. Take ownership of what you consume by exploiting the good stuff — and shutting off the crap.

Axios Finish Line: The future of media

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence will soon transform media on a scale and pace that rivals the internet two decades ago.<ul><li>Why it matters: The media companies that survive — and thrive — will be those that adapt quickly to fast-changing consumer needs.</li></ul>We have spent months talking to the people building the new AI technologies, and reflecting on how they can help — or harm — your ability to get high-quality content you can trust.

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Technology

My 80-year-old dad, John VandeHei, pulled me aside during a recent pilgrimage to my homeland — Oshkosh, Wisconsin — with an idea for the perfect Finish Line column. He was right.

Reflecting on the stuff that sticks eight decades into life, he handed me a note from his granddaughter (my oldest niece), Ally, and said: "It's the little things." They are the Big Things.

Ally's note wasn't about an exotic trip or some fancy gift or gesture. It was about burnt-out bulbs on an old string of Christmas lights.

🎄 The backstory: Turns out, for 14 years, Ally and my dad would tend to the lights on the trees outside their house. It's one of the small traditions no one else would notice. But this year, for the first time, one string was dead.

Ally's words in a holiday note to my dad:

💭 "The one strand of lights that burned out sat in my hands as I was about to throw them away. I took a step back and reflected on the joy that this single strand of $5 lights gave to us in the past 13 years. I immediately rummaged through your tool cabinets to find scissors of some sort. I cut apart a handful of the bulbs before throwing it away."

"I wanted to make sure you had a bulb. I have one myself. It's our little thing, Papa. It is a reminder of the celebration of us. These bulbs have watched our lives fly by."

My dad's broken bulb dangles on the lamp next to his favorite chair. Her note sits folded on the table beside him.

Why it matters: Well, when your dad drops some wisdom and tells you to write it down, ya do it.

His observation really hit home for me as I reflect on my son James, my mini-me, heading off to college. The good stuff is the small stuff: the long talks, Katahdin hikes, inside jokes, COVID workouts, Packer Sundays, little rituals. That's the stuff you miss as the clock ticks.

Finish Line readers, especially those my age and older, are very generous in sending feedback and ideas. The concept of the little things being the big things is the most common theme, be it at work or in relationships.

Here are a few ways to think about the little things:

Create little things. It's so easy to get lost in big gifts or grand adventures. In a world moving so fast, brimming with so many distractions, take time for small acts or small rituals. I see how much my macho son longs for those soft moments despite his grunts.

Write it down. Memories fade. Keep notes of those little moments that pop. We all need a diary, whether it's pecked on your phone or written old-school on actual paper. Watch for patterns. Soak up the wisdom packed inside. And then...

Express it. Of all the cool things I did at The Washington Post in the mid-2000s, including covering the presidency, one thing stuck most: a few very short, handwritten notes from publisher Don Graham applauding a story I had written. I tucked each one into a drawer and savored them. I'm sure thousands of others did, too. Never underestimate the power of a few thankful words.

Savor it. It's easy to doom-scroll yourself through social media into depression or hopelessness. Reminding yourself of the thousands of small acts of kindness and meaning in the real world is the perfect antidote.

They're the real stuff. They're the little big things.

Axios Finish Line: The little big things

"These bulbs have watched our lives fly by."

Illustration of a coffee mug with the Axios logo with steam forming a thought bubble

My 80-year-old dad, John VandeHei, pulled me aside during a recent pilgrimage to my homeland — Oshkosh, Wisconsin — with an idea for the perfect Finish Line column. He was right.<ul><li>Reflecting on the stuff that sticks eight decades into life, he handed me a note from his granddaughter (my oldest niece), Ally, and said: &quot;It&#x27;s the little things.&quot; They are the Big Things.</li></ul>

One of the most overlooked, yet lethal forms of organizational rot is toxic ambiguity. Basically, killing people with fog.

Why it matters: Think of all the time wasted, relationships ruined, budgets missed and moods fouled by leaders or managers offering hazy direction.

Ambiguity is a silent killer — like a slow natural-gas leak. You don't realize until it's too late that you have a massive, spreading issue.

Gallup developed a workplace survey system for companies to track engagement and performance. We use it at Axios to spot pockets of emerging staff issues.

We often score lower than I'd like on the first question — whether "I know what is expected of me at work." This drives me nuts: How can any person at any level not know what their damn job is?

Turns out, this is common. Many people feel foggy, even if leaders feel they're being crystal clear.

The toxicity comes when the ambiguity is so thick others can exploit the cloudiness, or suffer from it. Here are some common manifestations to watch for:

Fuzzy strategy. In an ideal world, any person under you should be able to jump out of bed at a moment's notice and recite the three most important things you're doing as a company or organization. If they can't, how can they guide others or prioritize? The only remedy for this is constant, clear repetition of what matters most.

Fuzzy thinking. If you're a leader and you can't articulate those three things with precision and certainty, you're screwed. It means you didn't sharpen your own thinking before trying to sharpen the thinking of others. This is why I constantly write down what matters most so I can stress-test my own clarity.

Fuzzy communications. You might have strong, concrete thoughts — but not explain them clearly. That's akin to having the perfect, delicious recipe, but not following it — and then wondering why people don't love your dish. Your ideas might be brilliant. But if you don't find strong, memorable words to express them, they will be lost.

Fuzzy accountability. This one often trips me up. People don't know they own something unless explicitly told and empowered. And others don't know whom to listen to unless you make it clear who's the decider. Little gets done right without clear accountability, dictated and announced in advance.

Fuzzy feedback. Few things cripple individuals, teams and companies more than foggy feedback. Many managers are afraid to be direct, and hide what they mean by over-talking or over-complimenting. This leaves people confused about their standing and what they need to do better.

💡 What you can do: If you're unsure what's expected of you, that's on you!

Ask your boss: "What's the No. 1 thing I'll be judged on?" or "What is Job 1 for me — the biggest specific thing I need to do for the team?"

If you get a foggy response, push for clarity. It's tough to crush a performance review if you don't know what'll be reviewed.

The big picture: Clarity and candor are tough but essential — especially in anxious or uncertain times.

Axios Finish Line — The silent killer: toxic ambiguity

Think of all the time wasted, budgets missed and moods fouled by leaders offering hazy direction.

One of the most overlooked, yet lethal forms of organizational rot is toxic ambiguity. Basically, killing people with fog.Why it matters: Think of all the time wasted, relationships ruined, budgets missed and moods fouled by leaders or managers offering hazy direction.<ul><li>Ambiguity is a silent killer — like a slow natural-gas leak. You don&#x27;t realize until it&#x27;s too late that you have a massive, spreading issue.</li></ul>

With one kid in college, two soon heading there, and a staff full of ambitious, idealistic 20-somethings, I think a lot about what it'll take to thrive professionally in coming years.

Why it matters: Work and the world will operate much differently than today, as machines with humanlike capabilities turbocharge the already high velocity of change in our professions, companies and industries.

Countless tasks done by humans — from writing to diagnosing illness — will be enhanced or completely done by machines. (No, I'm not at all convinced the transformative effect of generative AI has been overhyped.)

Think of this column as a 2025 plan for rising professionals eager to thrive in this wild, man-meets-machine unknown. It's coming. So prepare and adapt:

Creativity: Machines will do a lot of chores — research, sifting, analysis, idea generation, writing, editing, sorting, chart creation. The big winners: creative thinkers who understand and exploit these capabilities in original and hyperproductive ways.

Ethics: I tell my kids to take ethics and philosophy classes — they'll be dealing with some weird crap in the years ahead. One example: interacting with machines that can mimic human interaction and relationships. (Watch the 2013 film, "Her," with Joaquin Phoenix for a taste.) If you're out of school, spend some time reading and thinking about the implications of harmful uses of machines with awesome power.

Human connectivity: This might strike you as a peculiar "skill." But with more people than ever working in isolation (outside the office, alone at home), the experience, empathy and emotional joy that flow from learning to work with and shape others will grow greatly in importance. It's impossible to learn to manage or lead if you stare at a screen and rarely see others in person. One thing machines will never be is us.

Agility: Everything will move and change faster than today as machines grow closer to true artificial general intelligence (the ability to think creatively like us). Consider how computers or the internet changed jobs and industries. Get comfortable with fast change. Stay open to quick shifts. Broaden your ability to roll with it.

Resilience: I believe you can practice grit. Set small challenges in your hobbies, habits, exercise and diet to train yourself to absorb — and bounce back from — setbacks or abrupt change. Start training now. It's hard to imagine a future short on wild twists and turns, especially at work.

Bionic brain: It'll get easier to find, sort and synthesize healthy and helpful content — if you're discerning about the source. Own your information-consumption diet. Know the source. Filter out garbage or fake crap. Your goal: Get smarter, faster across more topics. This will sharpen all five skills above — and lead to vastly more success.

🎁 My gift to you: Axios content is free and designed to help anyone you know navigate this brave new world, smartly and safely. Follow the light...

Axios Finish Line: 6 new skills for 2025

Work and the world will operate much differently in the future.

Automation

With one kid in college, two soon heading there, and a staff full of ambitious, idealistic 20-somethings, I think a lot about what it&#x27;ll take to thrive professionally in coming years.<ul><li>Why it matters: Work and the world will operate much differently than today, as machines with humanlike capabilities turbocharge the already high velocity of change in our professions, companies and industries.</li></ul>

Jim VandeHei

Stories

Axios Finish Line: The little big things

Axios Finish Line: The future of media

Axios Finish Line: 6 new skills for 2025

Axios Finish Line: Taming our worst impulses

Axios Finish Line — The silent killer: toxic ambiguity

Newsletter editions

☀️ Axios Finish Line: Busting tanning myths

🍐 Axios Finish Line: Cute is powerful

🔮 Axios Finish Line: Future of media

🎶 Axios Finish Line: The power of sad music

🍬 Axios Finish Line: Fake sugar's real risks