🏦Citigroup🏦

Citigroup is the latest big-name company to (not so) quietly hit the brakes on diversity initiatives, announcing that it will no longer require diverse candidate slates for hiring and is dropping its aspirational representation goals—unless, of course, the law forces them to keep them. 

But don’t worry, Citigroup assures us that “our commitment to diversity remains unchanged.” so we should be ok with that, right? (Reuters)

We suppose they see safety in numbers joining the likes of 

• Goldman Sachs: who No longer requiring diverse boards for IPO clients.
• Bank of America: who have scrapped some diversity hiring goals.
• Wells Fargo: who now no longer requiring a diverse slate of candidates for senior roles.

🏢Ageism🏢

We saw this HBR article that reminded us that In the rush to adopt artificial intelligence (AI), many organizations are sidelining seasoned professionals, assuming that younger employees are better suited for tech innovation.

The assumption that just because that younger employees, have grown up in the digital age, they are inherently more adept at leveraging AI technologies. However, this overlooks the fact that AI proficiency isn't solely about familiarity with technology; it requires critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and domain expertise—areas where experienced workers excel

So boom have a think about that or read this to tell you more

🍎Skype shuts down🍎

Well, folks, it’s official—Skype is shutting down. Now we'll forgive you for thinking that had already happened because, much like another blue iconed app (cough) facebook, you probably don't know many people that use it😅

But indeed Skype ran when others were crawling, the app that introduced us to the joys of frozen video calls and painfully awkward connection delays is finally on its way out but, let’s give Skype some credit💁🏾‍♂️

Back in the day, Skype was the video call app—long before Zoom fatigue was a thing. It connected long-distance lovers, remote workers, and that one relative who always held the web cams (Remember them) way too close to their face.

Unlike its chaotic sibling MSN Messenger—which was all about passive-aggressive statuses, nudging your crush, and melodramatic song lyrics—Skype actually had a real-world use: making free calls and video chats possible before we even knew we needed them.🤳🏾

And while it might have lost the popularity contest to newer platforms, its biggest legacy according to (TechCrunch) might just be bringing end-to-end encryption to the mainstream💻

Yep back in 2018, Skype rolled out end-to-end encryption, proving that security wasn’t just for paranoid hackers and secret agents. At a time when Big Tech was (and still is) figuring out where it stands on privacy, Skype showed that everyday users actually deserved encrypted, private conversations and paved the way for today’s encrypted WhatsApp, Signal, or even certain Teams features without.

As one of European tech's darlings following acquisition by Microsoft in 2011 for $8.5 billion, its co-founder, Niklas Zennström, who transformed his experience with Skype into a successful venture capital firm and Colorintech partner Atomico who have invested hundreds of millions back into the European tech ecosystem🙌🏾

So while most of us moved on, let’s pour one out for the app that gave us our first taste of digital privacy—and more than a few moments of shouting "HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?!" into the void.

So what? 

The closure of Skype marks the end of an era in digital communication, but its legacy endures through the ventures it inspired. Zennström's journey from co-founding Skype to establishing Atomico exemplifies the continuous cycle of innovation and investment that propels the tech industry forward.

👀Bitcoin strategic reserve👀

In a move that sent shockwaves through the crypto markets, President Donald Trump announced the creation of a U.S. strategic cryptocurrency reserve, including heavyweights like Bitcoin and Ethereum, as well as XRP, Solana, and Cardano. This revelation propelled Bitcoin's price by over 20%, reaching highs above $94,000 reversing a post inauguration slump the crypto markets had been seeing. This is no doubt another pay day to his "crypto bros" and possibly Trump himself who is likely to even beat Pelosi's economic returns with his own cryptocurrency which he launched on the eve of his return to the white house. I suppose even he wasn't so brasen to add trump coin to that mix if anyone is looking for a glimmer of hope😅

📈 Market Reactions: A Rollercoaster Ride

The initial euphoria saw Bitcoin and its counterparts soaring. However, as the dust settled, prices began to retract, with Bitcoin stabilizing around $86,000, reflecting the market's cautious optimism amongst criticism that the volatility of cryptocurrencies makes them a poor choice as a reserve asset.

🌍 Nigeria's Legal Offensive: Binance in the Crosshairs

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Nigeria has filed a lawsuit against Binance, seeking a staggering $81.5 billion for alleged economic damages and unpaid taxes. The Nigerian government accuses the crypto exchange of operating illegally and contributing to the nation's currency challenges as the Naira has depreciated over 40% to the dollar in 2024.

Why, well with depreciation like that, is it really a surprise Nigerians would flock to store their asset wealth in something else with crypto often offering a quick and easy way to do so💸.

💡 So What?

The juxtaposition of the U.S. embracing cryptocurrencies into its financial strategy while Nigeria clamps down on crypto operations highlights the global dichotomy in digital asset governance. For investors and tech enthusiasts, these developments underscore the volatile yet transformative nature of the crypto landscape.

🎧Claude and Pokemon🎧

In the bustling world of artificial intelligence, where names like ChatGPT and Bard dominate conversations, Anthropic's Claude might not be the first name that comes to mind. However, with the release of its latest model called Claude 3.7 Sonnet, Anthropic is reminding folks it's still out there🤔

In a move that's both a showcase and a stress test, Anthropic has set Claude 3.7 Sonnet to play Pokémon Red live on Twitch. This isn't just about nostalgia; it's a demonstration of Claude's ability to handle complex, sequential decision-making tasks. Viewers can watch as Claude navigates the pixelated world, battles trainers, and ponders over which move to use next—all in real-time. Now we'll be real with you, there were a few funny moments👀

Like the time when it couldn't walk through a rock wall no matter how hard it tried. It moved around the map like it was in a race to finishing a marathon behind a Slowpoke, or made the cardinal sin of Misidentifying Professor Oak (how dare it😅) for another NPC😅

So yes whilst a 12 year old would have probably moved faster there is a way to go for the LLM's however it still won 3 gym trainer badges showing a vast improvement from 3.5 which lost at the first attempt🙌🏾

💡 So What?

Claude playing Pokémon is fun and all, but let’s be real—does it matter? (Maybe in combating childhood and adult loneliness as a gaming buddy)

More broadly In the AI arms race, OpenAI’s ChatGPT is the default, Google’s Gemini is trying to stay relevant, and Anthropic’s Claude? Well… it’s kind of just there.

But here’s where it gets interesting: Claude’s “extended thinking” mode. This is an AI that pauses before answering—meaning it’s not just rushing to sound confident like some other models we could name (cough ChatGPT cough). If that approach actually works, we might be looking at the next wave of AI development: systems that reflect, refine, and don’t just spit out the first thing that sounds right.

For founders, product leaders, and tech disruptors, the real question is: Would you rather have AI that’s fast, or AI that’s thoughtful? Because depending on how this plays out, that trade-off could define the next five years of AI-powered decision-making.

📷Not all virality is good📷

In a recent episode of "Tech Bros Gone Wild," Y Combinator-backed startup Optifye.ai thought it was a stellar idea to release a promotional video showcasing their AI tool designed to monitor factory workers' performance. 

Spoiler alert: It wasn't. The video featured the young founders role-playing as supervisors, chastising a factory worker for not meeting efficiency standards—a scene that played out like a bad SNL skit, but without the laughs😲

Social media users were quick to slam the video, drawing parallels to dystopian surveillance and exploitative labor practices. Comments ranged from "peak capitalism" to "inhumane," with many questioning how such a tone-deaf concept made it past the brainstorming phase. Something out of 1984 right?👀

Realizing the PR nightmare, Y Combinator swiftly deleted the controversial video. Optifye.ai also scrubbed its online presence, revising its product description from an "AI performance monitoring system for factory workers" to a more sanitized "AI line optimization system for manual assembly." Because nothing says "we messed up" like a quick rebranding🤔

💡 So What?

This is the way AI is going,  A savvy marketer would push the AI line optimization system for manual assembly narrative rather than the more amateur video but we can see a market for this sort of tool around the world for right but probably wrong

📈 The tools behind the tech📉

📦Product📦

• Open Ai' latest model

📏Design📏 

• Responsive typography

👩🏿‍💻Code👩🏿‍💻

• A deep dive into LLMs

🏢The business behind the tech🏢

• Mid level engineers may no longer be in demand 

🙌🏾Depop🙌🏾

Take a look below and - 

click source or flag that you heard it about from Colorintech to help make sure you application gets a thorough look😉

• Machine Learning

• Technical CRM Operations

• Backend Engineering

• Data Science

• iOS Engineering

• Platform Engineering

• Engineering Managers

• Finance Business Partner

See more info here 

🙌🏾ARM jobs🙌🏾

Check out the latest roles at arm as there is something for everyone from Software to Social Media and Hardware to ... well Accounts

Senior Revenue Analyst
Senior Financial Accountant
Social Media Specialist
Staff Firmware Engineer
Hardware Application Engineer

😃What we are consuming😃

🏢 Sergey Brin says work harder

⌚️ How to tell the time in corporate

💸 What does normal look like around the world