We all know the moment.

You order a coffee. The screen turns around. Suddenly you're staring at 20%, 25%, or 30%—and wondering whether choosing "No Tip" makes you a terrible person.

But tipping wasn't always like this.

In this episode of Popularly Unpopular, I'm joined by my friends Erica and Robert, and this conversation is personal: all three of us worked as waiters in New York City when we were in college. We depended on tips. We understand what it's like to work hard for them, and how much they can matter to someone trying to make ends meet.

But today, we're on the other side of the transaction.

Tipping has expanded far beyond restaurants. We're now asked to tip at coffee shops, takeout counters, food trucks, delivery services, and businesses where a tip historically wasn't expected. And with digital payment screens suggesting increasingly higher percentages, tipping can sometimes feel less like a reward for exceptional service and more like an obligation.

Why do we need our drinks ice-cold, our homes perfectly chilled, and our refrigerators, plural, running 24/7?

In this episode of Popularly Unpopular, I’m joined by energy forecaster Johan Tolosa to talk about our modern obsession with keeping things cold. From air conditioning and thermostats to ice in everything we drink, we’ve become remarkably good at controlling temperature — but what does all that cooling actually cost?

We talk about energy demand, peak electricity use, refrigeration, the differences between the U.S. and other parts of the world, and whether we’ve quietly decided that comfort means being cold.

Because maybe the unpopular opinion isn’t that we use too much air conditioning…

Maybe it’s that we’ve forgotten what “comfortable” actually feels like.

Rest Isn’t Earned. It’s Needed.

When did being busy become something to be proud of?

In this first episode back from my break, I’m exploring our obsession with hustle, productivity, and constantly doing more—and why we need to rethink the idea that we have to earn rest.

I’ll talk about burnout, what research tells us about the importance of recovery, and why sometimes we need to step away even from the things we love.

Because rest isn't quitting.

Rest isn't earned. It's needed.

After a short, thoughtful break, Popularly Unpopular is back! This season, we’re questioning the things we’ve accepted as “normal,” challenging everyday assumptions, and exploring the opinions hiding in plain sight. Because sometimes the best conversations start with one simple question: “Wait… why do we actually do this?”

We live in a world where the loudest voice often gets the most attention. The person with the strongest opinion is seen as the expert. The one who speaks with absolute certainty is the one we trust.

But should we?

In this solo episode of Popularly Unpopular, I explore why we've started equating confidence with competence—and why that might be leading us to trust the wrong people.

From the workplace to social media, politics to everyday conversations, this episode examines why charisma is often mistaken for credibility, why true experts are usually more comfortable saying "I don't know," and how our brains are wired to reward certainty over substance.

Because sounding convincing isn't the same as being correct.

Gen Z has been called the most AI-savvy generation—and also one of the most skeptical. They use AI more than anyone, yet many worry it will replace jobs, reshape careers, and redefine what it means to be valuable in the workplace.

But is the fear really about artificial intelligence?

Or is AI exposing something much deeper?

In this episode of Popularly Unpopular, we explore whether Gen Z is facing a challenge unlike any generation before it. We discuss how AI is changing entry-level careers, why creativity and authenticity suddenly feel more complicated, and whether we've prepared young people for a workforce that no longer seem to exists.

This isn't a conversation about whether AI is "good" or "bad." It's a conversation about identity, opportunity, and what it means to build a career in a world where machines can do more than ever before.

Join us as we ask:

• Is AI actually taking jobs, or just changing them?

• What skills will matter most in the future?

• Has AI changed the value of higher education?

• What remains uniquely human in an AI-powered world?

Whether you're excited about AI, skeptical of it, or somewhere in between, this episode will challenge the way you think about the future of work.

We've made incredible progress talking about mental health—but have we become too comfortable giving advice about it?

In this episode of Popularly Unpopular, Ana sits down with Vivi to explore what it's really like living with a serious mental health disorder. From misdiagnoses to navigating pregnancy while adjusting life-saving medications, Vivi shares the parts of her journey that are rarely discussed openly.

Together, they unpack today's unpopular opinion:

Not everyone should give mental health advice.

This conversation isn't about discouraging people from talking about mental health. It's about replacing certainty with curiosity, judgment with empathy, and advice with listening.

Whether you've lived with mental illness yourself or want to better understand someone who has, this episode offers an honest reminder that sometimes the most meaningful thing we can say is, "I'm here."

🎙️ Listen now, and join the conversation.

We all like to believe we judge ideas on their own merit—but do we really?

This episode of Popularly Unpopular, explores one of today's biggest challenges: our tendency to judge ideas based on who says them rather than what is actually being said.

Through examples from politics, business, and popular culture, we discuss why we give some people a free pass while holding others to impossible standards, how social media has fueled an all-or-nothing mentality, and whether it's still possible to have nuanced conversations in an increasingly polarized world.

This isn't an episode about choosing sides. It's an invitation to examine our own biases, question our assumptions, and consider whether we've become more loyal to people than to principles.