Francesca Donner

1 month ago | thepersistent.com | Francesca Donner

Culture — 11 min read We’ve all heard them: the messages—sometimes subtle, sometimes overt—that you don’t quite measure up. Perhaps you’re not smart enough. Or your ideas aren’t all that. Or your skills are slightly lacking. You’re good, let’s be clear about that. In fact, you might be very good. You’re just not good enough. Lilly Ledbetter certainly heard it in her nearly-two decades at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.

Jan 24, 2025 | thepersistent.com | Haley Swenson |Francesca Donner |Ruchika Malhotra

💛The Persistent is available as a newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. This week, the CNN journalist Christina Macfarlane asked the World Cup rugby star Ilona Maher how she overcomes her imposter syndrome. If you don’t know Maher, you should. She’s not only a brilliant athlete who helped Team USA win its first Rugby medal in 100 years at last year’s Summer Olympics, she’s also an outspoken feminist who constantly challenges gender and body norms on social media.

Jan 23, 2025 | thepersistent.com | Haley Swenson |Francesca Donner

As millions of eyes were turned toward Monday’s inauguration of Donald Trump, another well-heeled event was getting underway a few thousand miles away. This week marks the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum—a gathering of billionaires, hosted in the Swiss Alps—known affectionately as “Davos,” the town where it all takes place.

Jan 23, 2025 | thepersistent.com | Haley Swenson |Francesca Donner

AI — 10 min read 💛The Persistent is available as a newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. When my now wife and I moved in together in 2019, I was pretty smug about my lesbian lifestyle. We were two women with good incomes, who knew how to handle our business, keep a tidy house, and communicate about everything from our deepest feelings to the tedium of household life. Five years later, I am not as smug. We have a house and a busy 1-year-old to care for.

Jan 22, 2025 | thepersistent.com | Francesca Donner |Holly Baxter |Haley Swenson

šŸ’›The Persistent is available as a newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. My wife and I share the load of parenting and housework, but having a toddler and engaging in paid work has pushed us beyond our capacity. I started forgetting tasks on my to-do list and dropping the ball on appointments and other important life business. After talking with dozens of fellow parents and a few thoughtful AI experts, I realized that AI could be as useful in the home as it could be at work.