Goals – 🔴 Red Button Data

Aug 5 2024

Air Travel is a miserable experience these days

I have done a fair bit of travel in the past six months both in and out of North America, across Asia and in and out of Europe. The carriers have included Alaska Airlines, AirAsia, British Airways, Finnair, Ryanair, Scoot, Singapore Airlines and United Airlines. I have also booked flights for others on British Airways with an Aer Lingus codeshare and Icelandair.

I have to say that with pretty much all of them, the experience of online booking and then checking in has been pretty awful and the costs of the tickets pretty steep. In terms of value for money, I am frustrated. In terms of how the value has declined further since COVID during which many airlines received governmental survival incentives and gouged the few remaining passengers, I am even more disappointed.

My earliest recollection of air travel was in the mid 1970s, a Vickers Viscount, the plane’s top cruising speed was about 500kph at an altitude of 25,000ft. I know these things because in-flight, as a youth, I was allowed into the cockpit to see the plane on a night run while it was in flight. Seating was a 3 + 2, with a single aisle running down the plane. The plane had gigantic oval porthole windows.

Airline tickets were a waxy carbonized booklet, often typed up with the details and the boarding pass was according to souvenir evidence, hand written. You were required to confirm your flight the day before departure by calling the airline and at check-in, luggage was weighed on a beam scale. With the country and era in which I was traveling, passengers had to explicitly identify their luggage on the tarmac before it was loaded into the hold for safety reasons. Family members stood on an open balcony at in the airport building and waved to you as you walked across the tarmac and climbed the stairs.

My next freshest memory is my first long haul flight to London in 1980; mostly unremarkable, aside from the fact that we left late at night and seemingly arrived in the morning despite flying for what seemed like a whole day. This journey was on a significantly more substantial aircraft, a Boeing 707 which flew into London Gatwick. The flight was not particularly memorable aside from the fact that I distinctly remember the plane had a smoking section!

Air travel was a luxury for many at least up until the late 1980’s. For us, tickets were bought by my parents on a layaway and planned as far as up to a year in advance. But these days, flying somewhere even only for a couple of hours is pretty much available to a broad swathe of people and is certainly not a luxurious experience. If you think commercial air travel is glamorous, you should think again.

The Golden Age of Air Travel

Post WWII Airlines competed to provide exceptional service, and passengers were treated to a level of comfort and luxury that seemingly has become a distant memory to all except those flying for obscene amounts of money.

Flying was an experience savoured, marked by exotic meals served on fine china, attentive cabin crew, and spacious seating. Passengers often dressed-up, adding to the atmosphere of sophistication and excitement.

Flying was an exotic experience accompanied by arrival at some far flung destination. The travellers would board these flying machines with a sense of anticipation, ready to enjoy the amenities that came as a part of their ticket. Long haul flights provided a collective cinema experience, passengers, especially the younger ones, were given keepsakes, games, puzzles, crayons etc and music or audio programming was piped to every seat. The experience was designed to make passengers feel some kind of privilege, a far cry from today’s reality.

The Shift in Airline Economics

As the airline industry evolved, so did its economic landscape. The deregulation of the airline industry in the late 1970s in the United States marked a significant turning point. It led to increased competition among airlines, which ultimately drove ticket prices down. While this made air travel more accessible to the general public, it also set the stage for a shift in how airlines operated. US Jimmy Carter Airline Deregulation Act, signed in 1978 witnessed the cost of air travel going down accompanied by a decline in the quality of service. Other regions would soon follow suit.

To remain competitive, airlines began to adopt cost-cutting measures that would fundamentally change the passenger experience. The focus shifted from providing an exceptional journey to maximizing profits. As a result, many of the amenities that once defined air travel were eliminated or reduced. The once-coveted in-flight meals were replaced by military rations-like snack boxes. And complimentary beverages have all but evaporated.

The Decline of Comfort and Service

Today, the experience of flying is characterized by discomfort and a complete lack of personal service.

Airlines have crammed more seats into aircraft, this has led to reduced seat pitch, reduced legroom and narrower aisles as described in the WSJ article The Incredible Shrinking Plane Seat .

An average economy class seat now offers less space than it did decades ago, seat width is down as much as four inches over the last 30 years. Seat pitch has shrunk from about 35 inches to 31 and in some cases as little as 28 inches – on some airlines, seats have NO Pitch at all — allowing airlines to add more seats they can then sell.

Many passengers now find themselves wedged between strangers for hours on end. The once spacious cabins have become cramped, and any sense of personal space has effectively been dissolved.

In-flight service has also suffered. Cabin crew are often stretched thin, serving hundreds of passengers with limited resources. The personal touch that once defined air travel has been replaced by a more transactional approach. Passengers are now often treated as numbers rather than individuals, leading to a sense of impersonal service.

The Rise of Low-Cost Carriers

The emergence of low-cost carriers has further exacerbated the decline of air travel glamour. Airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet, WhizzAir, Scoot, AirAsia and JET have revolutionized the industry by offering significantly lower fares. However, this has come at a cost. Passengers are now faced with a plethora of additional fees for services that were once included in the ticket price.

Additional fees are now charged for checked bags, carry-on bags, seat selection, paper boarding passes, and in-flight refreshments like water, tea and coffee, all add up quickly, turning what initially appears to be a bargain into something much more expensive.

The low-cost model has led to a homogenization of the flying experience. Passengers are herded like cattle, boarding and disembarking in an industrial flow that prioritizes efficiency over comfort.

The thrill of flying has been replaced by a long list of anxiety creating circumstances including, worries about overweight luggage, getting a middle seat allocation, being unable to find overhead stowage, having to arrive hours ahead of departure, inadequate lounge seating, being unsure about whether the plane will leave on time, not being able to pay for anything with cash, ungodly departure and landing times, inconveniently located airports, crowded terminals and long and arduous security lines.

The Impact on Passenger Experience

The cumulative effect of these changes has been a significant shift in how passengers perceive air travel. While flying is now more accessible, the magic and excitement of the journey is now simply not there. Travellers approach air travel with a sense of dread rather than anticipation. The stress of getting to the airport, navigating security, and enduring cramped seating has overshadowed the joy of reaching a new destination.

There is a general lack of amenities and the service is highly impersonal. Surveys indicate that a significant percentage of travellers feel that the in-flight experience has deteriorated over the years. The once-coveted experience of enjoying a meal at 30,000 feet has been replaced by the reality of overpriced snacks and limited F&B options.

The rise of technology has not necessarily improved the passenger experience. While online check-in and mobile boarding passes have streamlined some processes, they have also contributed to a more transactional relationship between airlines and passengers. The human touch that once characterized air travel has been replaced by automated systems and self-service kiosks, not all of which are available or functioning, queues everywhere and the proverbial cattle station handling experience that passengers are subjected to, at every stage.

Cancel your ticket or have it cancelled for you, and you have no guarantees of a full refund or restitution or compensation. Instead the industry has spawned a whole world of travel insurance, and reinsurance with middle men and brokers selling you tickets, selling you travel protection and everything in between.

Nostalgia for the Past

For me at least, the nostalgia for the golden age of air travel is palpable. I reminisce about the days when flying was truly an event, marked by some special novelty and excitement. The memory of being served a nice meal, spacious seating, and some level of personalized attention from flight attendants even in coach/economy class. It evokes in me, a sense of longing for a bygone era that I can only experience again if I am prepared to pay a massive premium.

The nostalgia is not just about comfort in flying; it’s a desire for the experience of non utilitarian travel itself. The thrill of embarking on an adventure, the anticipation of exploring new geography, cultures, and the joy of connecting with fellow passengers. It has all been overshadowed by an altogether more stressful modern air travel experience.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Air Travel

The airline industry may evolve further, balancing cost-cutting measures with passenger expectations may make low fares and air travel more accessible but there’s a growing demand for improved service and comfort. The airlines that can find a way to enhance the passenger experience while maintaining competitive pricing may stand out in an increasingly crowded market.

Improved in-flight entertainment systems won’t cut it, in fact some airlines are cutting back on these too. Enhanced seating designs might help, but not if the designs continue to shrink personal space and add discomfort.

Improved customer service training could help restore some of the lost glamour of flying but a renewed focus on customer satisfaction and personalized service is what is really needed in order for airlines to regain the trust and loyalty of veteran travellers.

In life, generally old keys cannot open new doors

To progress and achieve new goals, we must let go of old mindsets, habits, and behaviours that no longer serve us.

Holding onto our past experiences and some historical knowledge can hinder our growth and keep us stuck in familiar but unfulfilling behavioural and mindset patterns. As one evolves and matures and takes on new challenges, one should adapt one’s approach accordingly.

As the saying suggests, trying to use the same “keys” from the past to unlock the doors of the future can be very frustrating and even futile.

To open new doors of opportunity, work, and endeavour, one must be willing to sometimes embrace radical change and embrace new ways of thinking and acting. This may require completely unlearning some of our old and potentially limiting beliefs about ourselves, those around us, and their and our potential. We should not let yesterday’s experiences and mindset dictate today’s possibilities.

Discarding the “dead weight” of a bunch of old keys that jangle our lives, creates cognitive and emotional space for the new keys we need to succeed. This discard could mean breaking old habits, ending toxic relationships and associations, or adopting a fresh perspective.

This all takes work, but the potential rewards in terms of personal growth and new opportunities often make it very worthwhile. The key is to focus on the new vision you have for your life, and take small daily actions to make it a reality.

Swapping out unproductive habits for ones that serve your goals with growth integral to your mindset, accompanied by a consistent effort can often open doors to a better future.

To embark upon this change is not easy, but it may well be necessary for your growth and to release you from being stuck in a rut or dissatisfied with your current circumstances. If these characteristics encumber your daily life, then it’s a sign that it’s time to let go of the old and embrace the new.

It’s important to take an honest look at one’s life and identify the areas that need improvement. Dead-end job, unfulfilling relationship, bad habits? Once we pinpoint the issues, we can start to develop a plan for change.

Letting Go

One of the biggest obstacles to change is our attachment to the past. Humans by their very nature are mostly nostalgic and sentimental.

Nostalgia is such a common human experience, with most people reflecting on the past as often as once a week, according to some studies. This involves sentimentally longing or having an affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. This is often triggered by something reminding an individual of a positive experience from the past, such as songs, smells, photographs, or loneliness. Often it is characterized by bittersweet or even painful memories of the past.

The most nostalgic of us do tend to have certain personality traits, such as daydreaming frequently, being sentimental, overthinking, romanticizing the past, and not liking change. Nostalgia peaks during transitional age ranges like the teens through 20s and over 50. This nostalgia can have both positive and negative effects, positively boosting one’s mood, increasing self-esteem, providing a sense of social support, and helping one cope with difficult life transitions. Excessive nostalgia and dwelling too much on the past may have corrosive negative consequences.

We may cling to old habits, relationships, or beliefs because they feel comfortable and familiar. However, this attachment can prevent us from moving forward and reaching our full potential. It’s important to acknowledge that the past is gone and that we can’t change it but what we can change is our perspective on it.

Instead of viewing the past as a burden, we can see it as a learning experience that has shaped us into who we are today. Letting go of the past, we create space for new opportunities and experiences. We free ourselves from the weight of old baggage and can focus on the present moment and the future.

Growth and Rewards

To open new doors in life, we need to adopt a growth mindset.

This means embracing challenges, learning from mistakes, and continuously striving for improvement.A growth mindset allows us to see obstacles as opportunities for growth rather than roadblocks. When we face a challenge, we can approach it with curiosity and a willingness to learn rather than fear and resistance.Developing a growth mindset also requires us to be receptive to feedback and criticism despite it being hard to hear and accept. That feedback can provide valuable insights into areas where we can improve and inform our growth, we can accelerate our progress and open new doors more quickly with new keys.

Change is tied to action, so it’s not enough to simply think about the changes we want to make; we need to take concrete steps to make them happen – one way is with setting clear goals for ourselves. Understanding where we want to go and what we want to achieve. Understanding what we think success looks like. By setting specific, measurable goals, we can create our own personal roadmap for growth to help us stay focused on the path ahead.

Another important action is to develop a support system; seeking out supportive friends, family, or mentors who can make a difference in terms of providing emotional support and perhaps other kinds of support too. These people can provide encouragement, advice, and accountability as we work towards our goals.

Finally, it’s important to celebrate one’s progress and successes along the way; since change is a journey, it’s important to acknowledge the small wins that keep us motivated and inspired and celebrate our achievements, from which we can build momentum and stay focused on the bigger picture.

Get Smart

Becoming progressively smarter, or continuously improving one’s intelligence and personal success, is a goal that anyone can pursue. However, naturally smart people can easily sabotage their work or social progress through certain behaviors or thoughtless acts.

If you embrace lifelong learning by reading books, taking courses, attending seminars, and staying updated with the latest information in your field you will know that this is an effective way to become progressively smarter.

Naturally smart individuals may occasionally become complacent, assuming they already know enough, which can hinder further growth. If you regularly challenge yourself with complex problems and puzzles you will find this encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Natural intelligence and over-reliance on talent can lead to relying solely on one’s innate abilities, neglecting the importance of practice and effort. Over time others will overtake you. Practices like mindfulness and meditation can improve focus, reduce stress, and enhance cognitive abilities over time.

Smart individuals may become so engrossed in their pursuits that they overlook their mental well-being, potentially leading to burnout. This can have a negative impact not only on their mental health but also on their physical health. Those who choose to focus on building a diverse social network of people with different perspectives find themselves in discussions with others on many topics which can broaden horizons and introduce new ideas and divergent thinking.

Overconfidence in one’s intelligence may lead to dismissing others’ ideas and missing out on valuable insights. Seek out feedback on your work and actively incorporate constructive criticism. This helps you identify areas for personal improvement and growth. Being naturally smart can make you sensitive to criticism, leading to you avoiding feedback or becoming defensive.

Efficient management of your time wherein you allocate enough hours for learning, work, and relaxation leads to a well-balanced schedule which can enhance personal productivity and creativity. Perfectionism is the enemy of good and some smart people might become perfectionists, spending too much time on one task, which can hinder their overall progress.

Prioritize physical health through regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep. Physical well-being positively impacts cognitive function. Getting something like 10,000 paces in daily is a simple ritual that can help. Neglecting Self-Care because you are focused on intellectual pursuits can have a bad effect on your general health so keep this always in mind as you balance out your days.

Establish clear, achievable goals and track your progress. This provides motivation and direction for personal growth. However, keep in mind that setting unrealistic expectations and overly ambitious goals can lead to frustration when they’re not immediately achieved.

Embrace change and be willing to adapt to new technologies and methods. The ability to learn and adapt quickly is a key trait of smart individuals. Conversely, resistance to change and being attached to existing knowledge and methods can impede progress when better alternatives emerge.

Develop your emotional intelligence by understanding and managing your emotions and the emotions of others. This skill is crucial for success in various aspects of life. Recognize that a lack of empathy especially amongst highly intelligent individuals can harm relationships and limit success in teamwork and leadership roles.

Becoming progressively smarter requires a commitment to learning, adaptability, and self-improvement. Even naturally smart individuals can hinder their own progress by falling into the traps of arrogance, and perfectionism, and neglecting their well-being. It’s essential to strike a balance between leveraging natural intelligence and putting in the effort to continually grow and develop.

The future for ERP in 2023

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software solutions have been a crucial tool for businesses of all sizes for several decades now.

ERP software like SAP, Oracle Business Suite, NetSuite and Microsoft Dynamics have helped organizations manage their resources more effectively, streamline operations, and make data-driven decisions.

As businesses have become more data-driven, the demand for easy-to-use tools to analyze and visualize data will increase. Consumer grade user experiences have become table stakes for ERP vendors trying to retain market share or garner attention from new audiences.

Tech advances, particularly cloud tech, and the accompanying business landscape do make the future of ERP software solutions uncertain.

Legacy on-premise ERP systems are also typically more expensive upfront, require specialized IT staff to maintain, and may have limited scalability. Upgrades and updates may also be more time-consuming and expensive than with cloud ERP.

The current trend in ERP software is towards more cloud-based solution adoption.

Cloud-based ERP software offers several benefits over traditional on-premises solutions, including reduced costs, improved scalability, and increased accessibility. With cloud-based solutions, companies no longer need to invest in expensive hardware, software, and IT personnel.

Cloud-based ERP solutions are also often highly scalable, allowing businesses to easily add or remove users and features as needed. Finally, cloud-based ERP solutions are accessible from anywhere with an internet connection, making them ideal for remote work and global operations.

Integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities is also increasingly becoming a part of the selection criteria and blockchain is considered to have some potential.

Both of these technologies can help businesses automate routine tasks, analyze vast amounts of data, and provide valuable insights. AI and ML help businesses identify patterns and trends that would often be difficult or impossible to discern manually. This, all in its turn, helps businesses make more informed decisions and optimize their operations for maximum efficiency.

The heritage ERP vendors are likely to continue to invest heavily in improving the user experience of principally their newer software most of which is cloud focused, to make it easier for business users to access and understand data.

One of the biggest challenges facing ERP vendors in this wave of forced techstack renewal is the need to balance flexibility with standardization. Customization of solutions that meet their unique needs has long been discouraged, it creates compatibility issues when integrating with other systems and makes the platform difficult to upgrade. ERP vendors are having to look long and hard at how they build to work out just how customizing can be adequately supported without becoming a nightmare of the future

Another challenge is the increasing demand for real-time data. Modern business practices are heavily data-driven, they have a need for real-time data to support agility and responsiveness. ERP solutions have often been bound up in batch based processes and now they have to find a way to provide real-time data without sacrificing data accuracy or system performance.

Cloud ERP and legacy on-premise ERP systems have their own advantages and disadvantages. It’s not a matter of one being “as good as” the other, but rather which solution is more suitable for a specific business.

Cloud ERP systems are becoming increasingly popular because they offer several benefits, such as lower upfront costs, scalability, accessibility, and automatic updates. With cloud ERP, businesses don’t need to worry about hardware maintenance or software updates, as the cloud provider takes care of everything.

Nucleus Research provides a ERP Value Matrix as a tool developed by them to evaluate ERP vendors and solutions based on two primary factors: usability and functionality.

The matrix places ERP vendors in one of four categories: Leaders, Experts, Facilitators, or Core Providers, based on how they perform on these two factors. The matrix also takes into account other factors such as total cost of ownership (TCO), customer support, and innovation, to provide a comprehensive evaluation of each vendor.

The matrix provides businesses with an objective assessment of ERP vendors, helping them to identify which vendors and solutions are the best fit for their needs. By evaluating vendors based on their usability and functionality, businesses can better understand how each solution will impact their operations, and choose the solution that provides the best value for their organization.

The research offers two angles also, a SMB ERP Technology Value Matrix and the Enterprise ERP Technology Value Matrix for business targeting organizations with over $500M in annual revenue. The last assessment was mid 2022 and another is likely June 2023.

Some of the more popular heritage ERP solutions are also offered as ERP solutions but its worth considering the main players in the cloud space right now.

Acumatica – Acumatica’s cloud ERP solution is designed to provide a flexible and customizable platform for small to mid-sized businesses, delivering real-time insights and improving business efficiency.

Epicor ERP – Epicor’s cloud ERP solution combines industry-specific functionality with a modern cloud delivery model to help manufacturers grow their business and streamline their operations.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 – Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based ERP system that offers a range of modules for financial management, supply chain management, and project management. It also integrates with other Microsoft products such as Office 365 and Power BI for advanced analytics.

NetSuite – NetSuite’s cloud ERP solution provides businesses with a single, integrated platform for financial management, supply chain management, and CRM, helping to improve business efficiency and accelerate growth.

Oracle Cloud ERP – Oracle Cloud ERP is a cloud-based ERP system that provides a range of financial management, procurement, project management, and supply chain management tools. It also offers analytics capabilities and integrates with other Oracle cloud products such as Oracle HCM and Oracle CX.

Plex Systems – Plex Systems’ cloud ERP solution is designed specifically for manufacturing organizations, providing real-time insights into production processes and supply chain operations.

Rootstock Cloud ERP – Rootstock’s cloud ERP solution is built on the Salesforce platform and provides a range of manufacturing, supply chain, and financial management tools for businesses of all sizes.

Sage Intacct – Sage Intacct’s cloud ERP solution is designed for small to mid-sized businesses, providing a range of financial management and accounting tools that are customizable and scalable.

SAP S/4HANA Cloud – SAP S/4HANA Cloud is a cloud-based ERP system that provides a range of modules for financial management, procurement, sales, and distribution. It also provides advanced analytics capabilities and is built on the SAP HANA in-memory database platform.

Workday Financials – Workday Financials is a cloud-based ERP system that provides a range of financial management tools, including accounting, procurement, and financial reporting. It’s designed for medium to large enterprises and offers real-time insights into financial performance.

Security concerns, potential downtime, and limited customization options are likely to remain ongoing concerns. Those businesses that require highly specialized or industry-specific functionality may find that a cloud ERP system simply doesn’t meet their specific needs and many on existing on-premise platforms will struggle to make the migration to the cloud.

More of the same, ten years on

In 2012, a wave of layoffs swept across various industries and companies worldwide, leaving thousands of employees without jobs. These layoffs were a result of economic downturns, mergers, acquisitions, and restructurings. This in turn led to a recession. The recession led to reduced consumer spending and lower corporate profits and layoffs. These had a significant impact on the lives of many, their families, and their communities.

It’s 2023 and we are seeing the news filled with much of the same tone and sentiment and news but the brands are many that have never had layoffs before. 395 tech companies with 108986 employees laid off at the time of writing, according to layoffs.fyi. In 2022, there were 1,535 layoffs at tech companies w/ 241,176 people impacted according to a similar tracker site trueup.io

In 2022 Morgan Stanley start with announcing a workforce reduction by 2%, Buzzfeed (12%), and PepsiCo plans for “hundreds” of jobs cut, Redfin (13%), Lyft (13%), Stripe (14%), Snap (20%), Opendoor (18%), Meta (13%), and Twitter (50%).

Sandra J. Sucher and Marilyn Morgan Westner wrote in What Companies Still get Wrong about Layoffs and also in A better, Fairer Approach to Layoffs in HBR about how short-term cost savings achieved through layoffs are often overshadowed by bad publicity, loss of knowledge, weakened engagement, higher voluntary leavers, and reduced innovation — all hurtful to long term profits.

Layoffs are a harsh reality of the business world, and while they are often necessary to maintain the financial viability of a company, they can be incredibly damaging to those who lose their jobs. The impact of layoffs goes beyond the loss of income; it can result in a loss of self-worth, a sense of isolation, and a feeling of betrayal. Many employees who have been laid off find it challenging to find new jobs in their fields, and the loss of benefits, such as healthcare and retirement plans, can have long-lasting effects.

The 2012 layoffs were particularly devastating because they occurred during a time of economic uncertainty namely the global economic downturn that had begun in 2008.

Many people were already struggling to make ends meet, and losing their jobs only compounded their difficulties. The layoffs affected a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, finance, and technology companies such as the Bank of America, retailer JCPenney, and tech behemoth Yahoo.

Many companies also faced increased competition from emerging markets, which put additional pressure on bottom lines.

The trend of mergers and acquisitions around that time, focused on increase efficiency and reduce costs, which often meant eliminating redundant duplicative positions and streamlining operations.

Of course, some companies laid off employees as part of a broader restructuring plan, a necessary position for any company focused on future growth or to address specific challenges, such as declining sales or a shift in consumer demand.

Layoffs are a difficult but necessary reality in business, but companies have a responsibility to treat their employees with respect and dignity during the process; often this is not the case. HR departments and managers are often quite poorly equipped to deal with layoffs.

Part of the approach of any layoff is to provide clear communication about the rationale for layoffs, offering outplacement services to help employees find new jobs, and providing fair severance packages accompanied by empathy and respect. Companies that handle layoffs poorly risk reputation damage and loss of trust among the “survivor” employees and of course the impact on customers. Unfortunately more than ten years later we’re seeing some of the same mistakes being made in the way layoffs are being handled.

The memory of 2012 is perhaps still clear and present in the minds of many that were impacted and some are seeing this again today. with the current round of layoffs. They’re all a painful reminder of the fragility of the job market and the importance of preparing for economic uncertainty.

One cannot help feeling that the root cause of a lot of these layoffs is tied to poor planning and organizational management, but there may be a more opportunistic seedy underbelly to some of the layoffs.

It’s likely that we’ll see a number of cascading effects, particularly among employees who have been hit twice by economic downturn layoffs and of course among those for whom this is the first time they have ever been laid off.

The fast track to the Z-List

We’re probably all comfortable with the concept of an A-list celebrity, but what about the Z-Lister?

The concept of a Z-lister refers to a person who is considered to be at the very bottom of the celebrity hierarchy. These individuals are often seen as being irrelevant, unknown, or unimportant in the entertainment industry. They are typically not well-known outside of their niche area of expertise, and often struggle to maintain any kind of mainstream attention or recognition.

The term “Z-lister” is used to describe individuals who are typically ranked at the lowest level of celebrity status. This can include reality TV stars, social media influencers, or other minor celebrities who have limited influence or following. While some may have a small dedicated fanbase, they often lack the recognition and status of more established celebrities.

The concept of the Z-lister has become increasingly prevalent in the age of social media and reality TV, where it is easier than ever to become a public figure. With the rise of platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, anyone can potentially gain a large following and some degree of notoriety. However, this also means that there is a much larger pool of aspiring celebrities, and it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd.

The term Z-lister can be seen as somewhat derogatory, as it implies that the individual in question is of little significance or importance. It can also be seen as a reflection of our celebrity-obsessed culture, where status and fame are highly prized, and those who fail to achieve these goals are often seen as losers or failures.

However, it is worth noting that not all Z-listers are unsuccessful or irrelevant.

Some may be highly successful within their niche area of expertise, and may have a dedicated fanbase or following. Others may be using their minor celebrity status as a stepping stone to greater success, or may simply enjoy the attention and recognition that comes with being a public figure.

Ultimately, the concept of the Z-lister is a reflection of the changing nature of fame and celebrity in the modern world.

While it is now easier than ever to gain a degree of public recognition, it is also harder than ever to stand out from the crowd and achieve lasting success.

The rise of social media and reality TV has created a vast and diverse landscape of celebrities, from A-listers to Z-listers and everything in between, and it is up to each individual to determine what level of fame and recognition they are comfortable with.

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