Rishad Tobaccowala takes a picture wherever he goes

And 10 other things i learned in our conversation about rethinking work

Rishad Tobaccowala

is one of those names that everybody in the ad business says with a breathless air of reverence.

He’s undoubtedly one of the Publicis greats. Visionary, passionate, spirited, humble - a deep thinker, a time traveler - and with the brains, the data and the goods to back it up.

I wooed him over to Food52 to see what the fuss is about and to have what turned into a fairly epic conversation about the reality of consumer lamdscape and the imminently near future of work.

You can get his book Rethinking Work and get more of Ridhadisms for yourself on Substack -Or you can check out our conversation here:

Sidenote: What I liked best about Rishad was that he stays with his daughter in her guest bedroom every time he’s in NYC and he takes a picture every place he goes so that he has a visual memory of his journey and a reminder of being present in a time and a place.

10 Things We Learned From Rishad:

1. Women Will Hold 40% of U.S. Wealth by 2030
   By the end of the decade, 40% of American wealth will be held by women — a seismic shift in economic power. Let’s go ladies.
   

2. We’re Entering a World With Less “Jobs” but More “Work”
   Rishad predicts that full-time jobs will decline, but project-based and freelance work will grow — leading to more companies with fewer traditional employees.
   

3. Five Forces Are Reshaping Work (and Covid Isn't the Biggest One)
   The real drivers of change, according to Rishad, are:

• Demographic shifts

• Aging populations

• Generational value differences (Gen Z vs. Boomers)

• Rise of digital marketplaces

• Technology (AI is just one part)

4. Gen Z Doesn’t Believe in Capitalism — and They Want to Work for Themselves
   Only 22% of Gen Z believe in capitalism, and over 75% want to be self-employed. That mindset is reshaping the labor force.
   

5. Most Leaders Are Asking the Wrong Questions About Returning to the Office
   Instead of debating whether to return, Rishad says leaders should be asking how to make in-person interaction more valuable and meaningful.
   

6. Think Like an Immigrant to Survive the Future
   His advice: be an outsider, take short-term pain for long-term gain, and embrace a mindset of reinvention and hunger.
   

7. Learning Is Non-Negotiable: He Spends an Hour a Day Doing It
   Rishad treats learning as a daily discipline, exploring Substacks, AI tools, and conversations with others to stay sharp and relevant.
   

8. AI Will Replace Knowledge, Not Wisdom
   He believes AI will devalue surface-level knowledge and experience — and that the human edge will lie in intuition, imagination, and insight.
   

9. The Most Relevant Skills Are the 6 Cs

• Creativity

• Curiosity

• Cognition

• Collaboration

• Convincing (persuasion)

• Communication

10. Companies Don’t Change — People Do
    His challenge to leaders: stop thinking about “company transformation” in the abstract. Focus on helping the individuals inside grow, adapt, and thrive.