“Good athletes are common; good coaches, not so much.”
– Apparently something they say in ball sports. I wouldn’t know.
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1. Moving On From Kaizen
Toyota mastered continuous improvement, but Tesla ditched the rulebook, rewrote the process, and now leads in value. From gigacasting to unboxed assembly, they’re proving that disruption, not iteration, drives the future. Want to compete? Stop tweaking. Think like Skunk Works in ‘43: small, scrappy, and radically different. Because “we’ve always done it this way” can hold you back when your competitors leapfrog.
2. Foxconn Flirts With Louisville
Foxconn’s eyeing Louisville for a $174 million manufacturing hub, bringing 180 well-paid jobs and a dash of global clout. Kentucky’s offering a package with up to $4 million in incentives and has given them the nod to start sniffing around (read: due diligence). With Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft on Foxconn’s client list, this move could be a big win. This play feels leaner, smarter, and likely to deliver.
3. Hold My Deere
John Deere just pledged a casual $20 billion over the next decade to keep things green and growing stateside. With over 30,000 employees and 60 U.S. sites, Deere’s doubling down on its home turf, even after layoffs and a tough agricultural market. Forget the Mexico chatter; they’re not heading south. This move screams, “We’re still in it,” with some serious wallet flex for the long haul.
4. Headless but Not Brainless
Renault and exosuit-maker Wandercraft just built a headless humanoid robot named Calvin in 40 days. Voice-operated and factory-ready, Calvin’s here to bear the back-breaking, wrist-twisting jobs no human wants (or should do). With dexterous hands and swappable tools, it’s Renault’s new productivity buddy. Looks like the heavy lifting’s been handed off to circuits and servos. Now it’s all firmware updates and fine-tuning grip strength.
5. Stars, Stripes, and Imported Silicon
When it comes to PCs, especially gaming PCs, it turns out you can buy American – just not all the way. Companies like System76, Digital Storm, and Origin PC proudly build desktop rigs here in the United States, powder coating and CNC-machining their way to domestic bragging rights. But until we start growing GPUs in cornfields, the guts still come from overseas. Full-American PCs? Not yet. But hey, it's a start – and at least the chassis bleeds red, white, and blue anodized aluminum.
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