The 5 Most Interesting Ideas of 2026 So Far

Joe and Shane break down the five ideas they can't stop thinking about in 2026: friction-maxxing, the Unicontext, the Experience Economy, the Inauthenticity Tax, and why SaaS is in trouble.

Chapters: 
(00:00) Stealing Derek Thompson's format

(04:03) Friction-maxxing

(07:59) Facebook's "frictionless sharing"

(16:35) The Unicontext

(21:07) The chicken enchilada problem

(31:16) The Experience Economy

(38:09) The Inauthenticity Tax

(47:59) SaaS is f*cked

What is The Art of the Zag?

Best-selling authors and long-time buddies Shane Snow and Joe Lazer explore how to win by zagging when everyone else is zigging—in business and in life. Learn breakthrough strategies for building trust, telling better stories, and winning the AI Age from the world's most innovative founders, authors, and icons. Have an idea for a guest? Email [e-mail].

storytellingedge.substack.com