The Ambition Recession

Exploring ambition - from Aotearoa and Australia to the globe - touching on culture, politics, economics and philosophy along the way.

The Ambition Vacuum: Inevitability and cultural malaise

Ambition depends on shared stories about the future. The old stories have collapsed, leaving a vacuum of inevitability and futility, especially around AI, the climate, and democracy.

By Alicia McKay

/ 9 Oct 2025

The Ambition Vacuum: Inevitability and cultural malaise

The Busker Principle: Cultural kneecapping with economic consequences

We underpay the work with the highest social value. In the new world, this toxic trait will be our undoing.

By Alicia McKay

/ 24 Sep 2025

The Busker Principle: Cultural kneecapping with economic consequences

The P-Tax: How we punish women's ambition

MEN, THIS IS FOR YOU TOO.

By Alicia McKay

/ 10 Sep 2025

The P-Tax: How we punish women's ambition

Poppy Loppers: Why Kiwis snark at success

Welcome to the first piece in a six-part series on The Ambition Recession. We’ll move from New Zealand to the wider world, exploring culture, politics, economics, history, and philosophy

By Alicia McKay

/ 27 Aug 2025

Poppy Loppers: Why Kiwis snark at success

Coming soon: The Ambition Recession

A new essay series is on the way.

By Alicia McKay

/ 27 Jul 2025