The Track
A Section Blog

Is Deep Research worth $200 a month?

Can't stop checking your favorite app? Here's why.
Have you ever been bored and caught yourself checking Instagram just seconds after you closed it?
I’m sure you didn’t reopen it because you had an overwhelming urge to see more pics of your college roommate's lunch. You did it without thinking, like it was second nature.
If that sounds familiar, then I hate to break it to you: You have a habit.
And what’s more, that habit was built intentionally – by the people who designed your app.

The three skills that actually matter to business growth
Do you ever look at a company like Google or Netflix and think, “I know we could be that successful – if only we had their people on our team”?
The bad news: It’s impossibly expensive to recruit talent from the top tech companies.
The good news: You can develop this type of talent in-house, if you zero in on the skills that actually matter to drive business growth.
To help you, our research team looked at 100 of today’s top-performing organizations and identified the business skills that matter.
These are the skills that should be your top priority in talent development. So let’s get started.

Self-assessment: Does your team trust you?
I’m sure you’ve had a manager you didn’t trust.
Maybe that manager said she valued your time – but then canceled your 1:1 at the last minute because she just had to run out and get a smoothie.
Maybe he called you out in front of the team for a mistake he made. (Truly an unforgivable offense).
Whatever it was, you know that once trust is lost, it’s hard to get back...
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Why most corporate learning offerings suck (and how to fix it)
What percentage of employees actually use the skills they learn in L&D programs at their jobs?
Twelve percent.
If these numbers sound rough, that’s because they are...

When to use a specialized AI tool vs. an LLM
If you’re hitting the limits of your LLM because you need more data or niche training, you’re likely doing a lot of high-end knowledge work – and that’s where specialized AI tools come into play.

We tested two Deep Research tools. One was unusable.
Two LLMs have released Deep Research features without much of a splash. So if you’ve been wondering about them (and don’t want to pay the $200/month price tag), read on for our Chief of Staff’s take on ChatGPT vs. Gemini.

Why shadow AI is probably happening in your company
We surveyed over 5,000 knowledge workers in the second half of 2024 on AI knowledge, skill, and usage. One of the most troubling takeaways: AI use is happening, whether your company sanctions it or not, and the implications are huge.

Why most organizations aren’t ready to deploy AI
In September, we re-ran our AI Proficiency Survey to over 5,000 knowledge workers across the US, UK, and Canada. Our biggest takeaway: The knowledge workforce is vastly unprepared for an AI-augmented future.