1. Slack has launched Buttons to ensure you never leave, advancing the platform from a discrete messaging app to a productive work hub. Now you can pay back a colleague, resolve a tech alert, update a project management task all from within Slack, thanks to some new APIs.
2. Is podcasting today following the same, inevitable trajectory as blogging back in 2004? Ben Thompson dives into the podcasting monetization challenge.
3. Scott Belsky explains why you should focus on the first mile of product experience: elements like the welcome/tour, the onboarding, the explanatory copy, and the defaults. Over time, product teams tend to optimize for existing users, when they should be continuously improving the 15 seconds of the user experience for new users.
4. The latest Pew report on social media in the workplace finds that 34% of Americans use social media to take a mental break while at work, while only 20% use it for information to help solve work-related problems. Surprising to me: a full 25% of Americans don’t use the internet at work in any capacity.
5. Should your brand be on Snapchat? Trackmaven’s useful Snapchat marketing guide [registration required] offers a step-by-step how-to for marketers.

Weekend fun: If your definition of “fun” extends to “mildly terrifying,” don’t miss Boston Dynamics’ latest video featuring Spot, a new mini robot that can toss a soda can in the trash even if it struggles with hardwood flooring. On a lighter note, take a cool, geeky break with some liquid nitrogen tossed on a lock, a rose, a watermelon, and even bare skin.

Every Friday, find five, highly subjective pointers to compelling technologies, emerging trends, and interesting ideas that affect how we live and work digitally. Try out the Friday 5 archive, or sign up for a weekly email.