The Best One Yet
Episodes
“Work-leisurewear, by Lululemon” — Smile Direct Club’s cavity. Sleeper’s fantasy sports fix. Lululemon’s nirvana COVID moment
15 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Data from Lululemon shows it’s uniquely found balance in the coronaconomy for extremely specific reasons. Smile Direct Club should be the Peloton of...
“Work From Work (still a thing)” — $43M for Pizza-nomics. Google’s 12-mile-high wifi. Commercial Real Estate’s WFW problem.
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Google’s secret Loon project just graduated to deliver wifi via balloon globally (and we’re thinking it’s a potential rare double-profit-puppy)....
“Twitter goes Work-From-Home…Forever” — Uber Eats acquirin’ Grubhub. Vroom’s ecommerce car IPO. Twitter’s WFH megatrend.
13 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
New work update from Twitter: You don’t have to come back. Ever. Grubhub stock jumped over 30% on word Uber Eats wants to buy it, calling a Delivery...
“Bitcoin’s ‘Halvening’ just halvened” — Tesla vs. California. Amazon’s movie theater interest. Bitcoin’s Halvening.
12 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After a year of just chilling, Bitcoin is back and demanding your attention with a once-every-four-years event: “The Halvening.” Elon threatened t...
“How to lose a $2.9B guy in 90 days” — Uber acts like McConaughey. Tinder’s corona-conomy DTR. The worst jobs report ever.
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Uber stock rose 18% last week despite an earnings report soaked in blood. Match’s earnings reveal how Tinder has fallen behind, but it’s trying to...
“Peloton, you’re probably too late” — Costco’s worst-in-a-decade. Nintendo’s game drought. Peloton pops another 16%.
08 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Peloton is now worth twice as much as Planet Fitness, so we’re looking at the leading indicators that revealed how that could happen. Costco suffere...
“Disney+ > Canada” — Beyond Meat democratizes itself. Pinterest is pre-commerce. Disney’s just too big.
07 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Disney’s so big that its latest earnings report is a microcosm of the entire corona-conomy. Beyond Meat’s goods are so expensive, it just made a p...
“A stock surge recipe” — Uber drops Lime’s valuation 79%. NBC vs. Streaming’s Achilles heel. Wayfair’s stay-at-home wins.
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Uber splurges $170M into Lime — Uber got the better end of the deal as Lime is desperate. Every streaming company is its own species in the Streamin...
“J. Crew returns itself” — Quibi’s real life drama. Berkshire Hathaway’s 1st public mistake. J. Crew’s bankruptcy style.
05 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder day featured Warren Buffett pounding a 6-pack of coca-cola, and then admitting 1 huge stock mistake. J. Crew...
“COVID-19 ≠ an Act of God” — Amazon trades profits for PR. Victoria’s Secret’s asterisk. Clorox’s surprising surprise.
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Amazon shares dropped 8% after CEO Jeff Bezos told the world he’s just not into profits right now. Victoria’s Secret was supposed to be acquired b...
“Elon goes full Kanye” – Tesla’s surprise profit/outburst. Microsoft’s Zoom killer. Figma’s $2B app blueprints.
01 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tesla’s profit surprise got overshadowed by Elon’s anti-everything rant, so we’re comparing him to Zuck. Microsoft’s sales surprised investors...
“Everyday is the weekend for Spotify” — Boeing’s $7B cash burn. Streaming Trolls (our sequel). Spotify’s earnings insights.
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We listened in on Spotify’s earnings — shares jumped 12% even though you’re not commuting and now love audio meditation. Boeing’s earnings upd...
“The anti-Amazon rebel alliance” — Shopify’s new shopping app. High Times, the weed chain. Trolls change movie math.
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Shopify does everything behind the scenes so brands can have their own ecommerce sites, but they just launched an app to take on Amazon. High Times is...
“Hey Instacart, change your whole biz model” — Nestle’s pet passion. VW goes back to work. Instacart’s 1st profit decision.
28 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
All your grocery delivery powered Instacart’s 450% growth, so we’ve come up with a plan for their first profit. Volkswagen decided to reopen the w...
“Opposite Day at Domino’s” — PPP + $320B + shaming. DraftKings goes public. Domino’s is better in Corona-conomy.
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you were impressed by Chipotle’s surge in online sales, you’ll be blown away by Domino’s. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) just snagged ...
“A tale of 2 Remdesivir trials” — Raytheon’s nuclear-tipped missiles. Unilever is an economic mirror. Gilead’s 2nd COVID trial.
24 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ben & Jerry’s owner Unilever announced earnings that reflect the product hoarding and usage habits of the entire world (we know you’re not showeri...
“Chipotle is an internet-first burrito factory” — Netflix’s hoarding strategy. AT&T’s triple-whammy. Chipotle’s eLeadership.
23 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Netflix’s corona-conomy subscriber surge wasn’t a surprise — what shocked us was how much (and whether it can last). AT&T’s earnings report co...
“Plant-based sleepover at Starbucks China” — Beyond Meat and Oatly head to China. Local News’ 2 options to survive. DuPont’s diversification pivot.
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Beyond Meat and Oatly oat milk wanted to hang out in China, so they’re hitching a ride and hanging out at Starbucks’ house there. Local news is fe...
“Pasta vs. Oil” – Uber’s unicorn contract. Oil’s historic 200% plummet. Mobile gaming 2.0.
21 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We noticed Uber snagged a nearly $1B government contract that no one is talking about. The price of a barrel of crude oil was $140 when we were in col...
“Zuck cancels his Libra moon-landing” — AMC theaters’ expiration date. Gilead’s corona-cure bet. Facebook’s cryptocurrency 180.
20 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The most refreshingly ambitious project of the next decade should’ve been Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency, but now it just looks like a weird vers...
“Amazon cancels Mother’s Day” — Blue Jeans “One & Only” product. BlackRock tiny fee = huge profits. Amazon’s killing its best sales tricks.
17 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
While you were mid-Zooming, rival Blue Jeans was just acquired by Verizon — but we hope it can stay focused on being a “one and only” business. ...
“Congrats, you now own part of an airline” — Apple’s $399 iPhone shocker. Aaptiv is “the Spotify of Sweat.” Our $25B airline bailout.
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Apple decided to announce a new iPhone, but the surprise is in the pricing strategy. The airlines finally got their $25B government bailout, and that ...
“Roku — The People’s Champ of streaming” — JPMorgan is Paul Revere. Thrasio’s 43 Amazon-trepreneurs. Roku is 44% of America.
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Big bank earnings season just kicked off, and JP Morgan is yelling a bankruptcy warning throughout the land. The Streaming Wars are enjoying primetime...
“Dunkin’s not a land-lord — it’s a Brand-lord” — Google/Apple’s superhero team-up. States acting like companies. Dunkin’s franchise bet.
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the world of fast food, Dunkin’ is 100% focused on a franchise business model — a strength and a weakness in specific economic moments. Rivals ...
👊 “Quibi vs Disney vs Everyone’s Expectations” — Wing’s “X” drone. Exxon’s oil price awkwardness. Quibi’s 1st numbers.
13 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We just got fresh download numbers from Quibi and Disney+ — and it reveals how they’re completely different species of streaming. Oil prices surge...
💁♀️ “Airbnb can’t sit at Slack’s lunch table” — Away’s humane layoffs. The alphabet-shaped economic recovery. Airbnb/Slack’s debt drama.
09 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Away Luggage is sadly laying off staff because you’re not traveling right now (and don’t need their suitcases), but the extent of benefits and way...
🍝 “Olive Garden’s single Gnocchi problem” — Lear’s open-the-factory blueprint. Uber’s gig work jobs board. Olive Garden’s survival plan.
08 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Uber’s latest “Work Hub” moves are making it the ultimate default job board for the gig economy. The Olive Garden revealed shockingly big sales ...
🐉 “Jamie Dimon = The last Targaryen” — Buffett’s “smart money” stock sale. Constellation’s booze blueprint. JPMorgan’s last dragon.
07 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Warren Buffett noticed something in airport data from the TSA that made him rethink his airline investments, so we’re looking at the smart money’s...
🕹️ “Video games are social media now” — WeWork’s $3B is cancelled. Google’s Big Data rebrand. Sony’s PS4 seesaw situation.
06 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
WeWork was supposed to get a $3B lifeline from its biggest investor this month, but that just got cancelled because its core business model is a publi...
♨️ “The greatest fraud in coffee history” — Luckin plummets 76%. YouTube will rip off TikTok. Altria’s Juul collusion.
03 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
China’s Luckin Coffee lost $5B in value in 5 minutes on word the company made up its numbers last year. YouTube pulls a Facebook-on-Snapchat and cop...
🤦 “Carnival’s Panama Problem” — HBO’s Hulu coup. McCormick spice’s seesaw situation. And Carnival’s bailout problem.
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Attend our 1st ever LIVE “Snacks Break” virtual event @ 3pm EST on Friday 4/3 by registering at rbnhd.co/snacks-break — We’ll be whipping up o...
🤯 “Amazon’s biggest stress test” — Via’s $200M carpool fundraise. A Zoom privacy problem. Amazon hits crunch moment.
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We haven’t had an Amazon story during the entire corona-conomy — now it’s facing its crunch moment. Zoom became the most popular free app in the...
🧟♂️ “HQ Trivia’s Frankenstein/Queer Eye moment” — Eggs are the new TP. Johnson & Johnson’s Da Vinci Code COVID-19 announcement. HQ Trivia’s revival.
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Fresh after shutting down in February, HQ Trivia has been resurrected during this crucial moment for stay-at-home apps — and the announcement came v...
🧘♂️ “Lululemon’s pandemic-proof mantra” — Nike is a close-talker. Fast beats Amazon/Apple/PayPal. Lululemon’s Power of 3.
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been one year since Lululemon set an intention known as its “Power of Three” — and sticking to its 5-year plan has become pure corporate ...
👉 “3.3M Americans laid off in 1 week” — Lime'de-horned. Target’s neglected profit puppies. The economic pain begins.
27 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Fresh after the latest two-trillion-dollar stimulus package, we got news of the red wedding week for American workers — 3.3M filed for unemployment ...
🤸🏿♀️ “ClassPass’ work-from-home burpees” — $2T stimulus bill math.Twitter’s ad-pocalypse. Return of the eWorkouts.
26 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Stocks popped (again) because the economic rescue bill finally passed the Senate, so we put the $2T spending total into a spreadsheet for you. Twitter...
🍍 “Marijuana’s lockdown liftoff” — Pot stocks pop. The “Project Apollo” war effort/ Cat Person’s spinoff launch.
25 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Businesses like Ford and 3M are entering phase they haven’t hit in decades: War Effort mode. The Harry’s Razors innovation arm whipped up its 2nd ...
🍻 “Corona's $900M wounded soldier” — A canceled Mexico brewery. NYT’s pod acquisition. The economy’s “Two Paths.”
24 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Constellation Brands brews Corona lagers in Mexico, but its $1.4B investment in a new facility there now isn’t happening, so the stock dropped 12%. ...
🏚️ “What’s the refund policy on Airbnb’s IPO promise?” — Movie theaters get cut out. Airbnb’s host/guest hate. 5 “Corona-conomy” trends are accelerating.
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We predict that the Corona-conomy is accelerating trends, including contactless payments, subscriptions, and cord-cutting. Universal Studios is going ...
😘 “Netflix just got asked to chill” — Netflix’s ad-free moment. Ford’s anti-treat-yo-self strategy. Uber surges 38%.
20 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Even though ride-hailing has plummeted in the corona-conomy, Uber’s CEO announced the company has $10B of cash, food delivery, and some side hustle ...
⌨️ “Apple failed at something” — Walmart’s record. Starbucks treats itself. Apple’s subtle product unveil.
19 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
While it looks like nearly every stock has fallen, Walmart shares just hit a record high — we repeat: Record high stock price during this crisis. Ap...
🧻 “Toilet Paper hates your hoarding” — Who wants to buy Lyft? $1 Trillion stimulus bill. TP’s front-loaded demand drama.
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lyft is worth 1 Lyft, but 1 Lyft is now worth less than $6B, so we’re wondering who may buy it (the whole company). Toilet paper sales have surged f...
🦠 “Google would like your health data now, please” — Lulu, Nike, and Under Armour’s leadership. The Fed’s last bazooka. Google’s COVID-19 moment.
17 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
To rescue financial markets from pandemic ruin, The Fed took drastic measures Sunday — but it’s already used up its major tools. To help people fi...
#️⃣ “Slack — the not WFH stock” — Ro goes full pharma. Market bulls & bears. Slack’s surprisingly weak WFH business.
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Despite your work-from-home lifestyle right now, office IM’ing service Slack announced a quarter that didn’t live up to expectations, because work...
☁️ “Midnight Blue Thursday (worst day since ‘87)” — The stimulus keg. LabCorp’s Baby Yoda moment. Direct-to-Consumer drama.
13 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The worst day for markets since 1987’s Black Monday. We’re looking at why the stimulus keg from the government didn’t save stocks. Virus-testing...
🏋️♀️ “Apple’s secret personal trainer killer” — Pepsi acquires Rockstar. Government bailout chatter. Apple’s anti-Peloton app.
12 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Another wild market drop has us officially in a “bear market”, and there’s chatter about a bailouts, so we’re looking at the last bailout and ...
🧵 “The Stitch hit peak Fix” — Dick’s bigger gun ban. Grove is a $1B tree-positive company. Stitch Fix plummets 25%.
11 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dick’s Sporting Goods used a tech-ish tactic to realize that its gun ban helped profits and its CEO’s values. Stitch Fix shares dropped 25% becaus...
☎️ “Flick the ol’ Circuit Breaker” — Why the market (literally) stopped for 15 minutes. NBC’s Snapchat breakup. Oil’s worst day since ‘91.
10 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
First we learned that Russia and Saudi Arabia are in a fight about oil markets — it’s caused the biggest drop in stock prices since 1991. Investor...
🤑 “$1.75B (and Quibi hasn’t even launched yet)” — Spindrift’s $70M seltzer water. Burlington Coat Factory’s anti-ecommerce. Quibi’s starting lineup.
09 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Burlington Coat Factory is going against the trend in retail: it’s ending its ecommerce to focus on physical stores. Mobile video streaming pre-icon...
🚢 “3 cruise disasters. 3 months.” — Carnival’s stock drama. Aerie underwear surge. GM’s big car battery.
06 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Carnival Cruises’ has a hat trick of profit-crushing drama — but we found the perfect analogy for the travel industry’s current coronavirus stru...
🥫 “Frankly this is a trend that many did not think was possible” — Campbell Soup’s shocking rebound. United Health pops 11%. H&M’s supply biz.
05 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Campbell Soup shares jumped 9% because even the CEO was shocked that soup is making a comeback. United Health didn’t announce earnings or a new prod...
🦇 “The Fed’s Batman move backfired” — Waymo snags $2.25B. Honeywell’s supercomputer. The Fed’s 0.5% interest rate cut.
04 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Alphabet’s self-driving car division, Waymo, grabbed $2.25B in outside funding for the first time as it adds 5 new godparents. Honeywell doesn’t j...
🤬 “Twitter’s getting Tyrion Lannister treatment” — Panera’s coffee subscription. Bird e-scooter “Pay”. Jack Dorsey’s hedge fund pressure.
03 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Twitter shares jumped 8% on word an activist investor is trying to push CEO Jack Dorsey out of his role at Twitter (because Jack is also the CEO of Sq...
🌯“Chipotle 4B TikTok views” — Stocks’ 13% drop. Thyssenkrupp’s elevator sale. Chipotle’s viral strategy.
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Context is king, so we’re looking at the market’s decline last week — the worst since the financial crisis. Chipotle is powered by menu items la...
🍻“Here come the Bud Light Seltzer commercials” — Beyond Meat’s first struggles. Square’s Cash app stock. Bud drops 9%.
28 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Beer-glomerate AB InBev dropped 9% as coronavirus stops China from socializing, but we’re focused on how Bud Light is losing market share in the US....
🏃“Outdoor Voices vs. Lululemon” — OV’s CEO steps down. TJ Maxx beats Retail-pocalypse. Pony.ai hits $3B.
27 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
TJ Maxx shares popped 7% because its “affordable splurge” strategy is working. Pony.ai is China’s self-driving car startup that just hit a $3B v...
“🎢Baby Yoda’s baby daddy just retired” — Disney’s CEO quits. Shake Shack is behind. Amazon’s 2nd software profit puppy.
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Out of nowhere, Disney’s legendary CEO Bob Iger is stepping down — and the new guy isn’t necessarily the right guy. Shake Shack’s shares plumm...
“Your score dropped, Nicolas 😓. New credit score, Nicolas 😃” Intuit buys Credit Karma. Tubi (almost) acquired. Dow drops 1,032 points.
25 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Dow plummets 1,032 points because coronavirus expanded beyond China (to South Korea and Italy). Fox wants to splurge $500M on streaming service Tu...
“We have to talk about ‘cult stocks’” — Plug Power’s stock jump. Lyft’s ad-cquisition. Equinox’s coworking/bikes.
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Equinox snagged a fresh round of funding to push the luxe gym chain into coworking and at-home spinning bikes. Plug Power shares have popped because i...
“We didn’t sell salads to sell salads” — Domino’s pizza domination. Victoria’s Secret ghosts. Morgan Stanley’s E*Trade trade.
21 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Domino’s shares popped 26% because it’s got a uniquely DIY approach to delivery apps. Victoria’s Secret split from its L Brands parent, but turn...
“Garmin finds you when iPhone can’t” — Alphabet kills an “Other Bet.” Toast hits $4.9B. Garmin’s GPS pop.
20 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve got a new era over at Google on word that its parent, Alphabet, has put its wind energy bet to sleep. Our “Unicorn of the Day” is Toast, w...
“We found an Innovation Vampire” — Walmart’s Jet black shutdown. Molson Coors spiked seltzer. Uber/Lyft’s “rideshare” lie.
19 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Walmart’s earnings report wasn’t anything special, but we think it’s latest moves to buy up startups, suck out their innovation, and then spit o...
“It’s like Ben & Jerry’s going dairy-free” — Delta’s carbon neutrality. Headspace’s $93M fundraise. Canopy Growth’s rebound.
18 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The 3 major marijuana producers have had a tough year, but Canopy Growth’s latest earnings powered pot stocks up thanks to price per kilo. Delta ann...
“Cloud computing is the new oil” — Kraft-Heinz 70% stock drop. Tesla’s “buy low, sell high”. Microsoft vs. Amazon.
14 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Fresh after Tesla shares hit their all-time high, the company has a surprise: It’s selling 2.6M fresh shares to raise $2B in fresh cash. Kraft Heinz...
“Facebook fact-checkers vs. 4.75B posts per day” — DoorDash’s not First-Mover Advantage. SoundCloud’s desperate $75M. Facebook’s hires Reuters.
13 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Facebook has added a new addition to its army of information regulators for the election year, but we’re looking at their odds (spoiler: not great o...
“Starbucks wants to pick you up at the airport” — Sprint/T-Mobile gets approved. Samsung’s flip phone. Starbucks’ airport deal.
12 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sprint surged nearly 80% on word its T-Mobile merger is good to go (because Sprint was basically a dead wireless man walking). Samsung whipped up a fo...
“Burger King is jealous of Popeye’s fried chicken-palooza” — Brandless shuts down. Coronavirus’ lenders. Popeye’s power earnings.
11 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Restaurant Brands International happens to own both Burger King and Popeye’s, but it was Popeye’s chicken-powered quarter that’s getting all the...
“Warner Music is Venture Capital for musicians” — Uber’s profit shocker. Ericsson/Nokia 5G awkwardness. Warner Music’s IPO.
10 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Warner Music filed to IPO because streaming saved the music industry. Uber shares surged 10% before the weekend on word it’s actually planning to be...
“Dunkin’ stealthily went fancy” — WWE’s XFL problem. Twitter’s record surge. Dunkin’s premium coffee strategy.
07 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dunkin’ announced earnings, but we’re focused on the subtle hints that it’s transforming into a fancy coffee chain. World Wrestling Entertainmen...
“By that math, Instagram is worth $150B” — Chipotle’s Taco Bell-ification. Instagram owns Facebook. Spotify’s acquires the Ringer
06 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Turns out Spotify just made (another) acquisition in the podcast space because it’s trying to build a “gated garden.” Instagram’s numbers leak...
“Why Tesla is like a young avocado tree” — Visa’s swipe tax. BP’s empire. Tesla’s Elon-sanity.
05 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Snackers want to know why Tesla stock has surged a freakish 60% in the last week, and the answer lies in avocado trees and orange groves. Visa is alre...
“YouTube sells more ads than ABC/NBC/FOX… combined” — Harry’s razors acquisition gets sued. Coronavirus-benefiting companies. Alphabet’s YouTube surprise.
04 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Alphabet’s stock fell 5% after its earnings report, but the real highlight was YouTube — the company disclosed financial info for the first time. ...
“One Medical is the Equinox of doctors” — Nike’s olympics shoes. Pinterest’s makeup feature. One Medical pops 47% IPO pop.
03 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Shares of One Medical jumped 47% because it’s trying to make you love doctor’s appointments. Nike’s freakishly performance-enhancing shoe just g...
“Juul’s Darth Vader moment” — Amazon surges 10%. The Bouqs raises $30M for wedding flowers. Altria devalues Juul e-cigarettes (again).
31 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Juul was supposed to save the world from smoking, but it made a critical decision that its new owner, Altria, is now paying for. The Bouqs direct-to-c...
“Barstool’s t-shirts follow a simple formula” — Barstool Sports becomes a half-icorn. SAP’s FOMO Marketing. Apple’s iRecord quarter.
30 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Apple’s 4 divisions are as big as 4 other super companies. Barstool Sports hits a $450M valuation after an investment from a casino company. And SAP...
“Who’s gonna buy James Bond?” — Casper’s un-unicorning. MGM’s bidders. Bird’s newest acquisition.
29 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Scooter pioneer Bird just acquired a German rival, but it’s a sign the future scooter wars are going to look a lot like today’s delivery wars. Cas...
“WE are a real estate company (not a tech company)” — The Wing loses its big investor. Detroit becomes GM’s electric car HQ. Coronavirus messes with stocks.
28 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Women’s coworking icon The Wing enjoyed a major investment from fellow coworking pioneer WeWork… which just sold off that stake. GM’s latest mov...
“Eaze is cannabis’ bubblish-moment” — Intel stock reaches 2000 levels. The man who coined “disruption.” Eaze pot delivery has problems.
27 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The “Seamless of Weed” is Eaze, but it’s having problems growing. Intel’s stock hit its highest point since the first internet boom, so we’r...
“Tinder supports safe sexting” — Google’s camouflaged ads. The Athletic hits $500M. Tinder’s new security launch.
24 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tinder is adding new security features for your first date — it’s consistent with a trend that’s defining tech in 2020. Google made a minor twea...
“Cell-Based Meats disrupting Plant-Based Meats” — Memphis Meats raises $161M. Delta shares $1.6B of profits. GM launches a true robocar.
23 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Delta unveiled the biggest corporate bonus plan ever, so we’re looking at its Return On Investment strategy (Happy flight attendants = Happy fliers)...
“Amazon is turning your palmprint into a credit card” — Amazon’s new payment method. Uber’s “name your own price.” PetMed Express’ aging dogs.
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Amazon is pursuing a new feature to sell to retail stores to take on Apple Pay — We’re talking “pay by hand” (and we’re calling it “Amazon...
“‘Mealkitting’ never became a verb” — HelloFresh vs Blue Apron. Signet Jewelers’ 40% surge — Microsoft pulls a Sierra Club
21 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve got a new #1 in the US meal kit market — HelloFresh is beating Blue Apron (even though mealkitting may be in trouble). Zales/Kay/Jared’s o...
“Peacock is the 761st streaming service” — Gap won’t spinoff Old Navy. NBC reveals Peacock. China weaponizes the wallet
17 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Shares of the Gap pop 5% on word it’s doing the opposite of what it planned to do — it’s no longer spinning off Old Navy, its best-performing br...
“Baby Yoda is Build-a-Bear’s Rudy moment” — Build-A-Bear jumps 14%. Califia Farms’ fund raise. Phase 1 trade deal
16 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We finally got to see what was actually in the Phase 1 trade deal that was just signed. We noticed Build-A-Bear shares popped 14% because it’s worki...
“Half of America has a Chase account” — JP Morgan’s record profit. Visa acquires Plaid. BlackRock fights climate
15 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s big bank earnings season, so we went financial on this one. JPMorgan Chase apparently covers half of America, which led to its record profit (m...
“Casper is the Peloton of Slumber, not the Nike of Sleep” — Casper’s IPO. 23andMe’s transition. Primo Water’s acquisition.
14 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We slept on the Casper IPO documents released over the weekend, then realized they spent $80M just dealing with mattress returns last year. 23andMe hi...
“Sweetgreen is the most innovative company in food” — Hershey. Quibi. Sweetgreen
13 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Quibi raises (another) $400M to create a new “era” (their words) beyond video streaming. Sweetgreen gets a profile in the NYT, and we think it may...
“Verizon's ‘pros before cos’ problem” — Wine tariffs, Softbank layoffs, and Verizon
10 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Verizon whips up a new pricing model for its cable TV, but it’s basically creating subscripturation in our lives. Softbank startups like Zume Pizza ...
“These delivery apps are like mafia families” - Grubhub, Spotify, and Tough Mudder
09 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’re testing out a new title format, Snackers. Grubhub shares jumped 13% on news it’s trying to sell itself. Spotify’s launching a dynamic new ...
Tesla, the #1 most valuable US car company (ever) — Goldman transparentizes — Impossible creates plant-based pork (and drops McD’s)
08 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Impossible Foods is adding plant-based sausage — but rival Beyond Meat’s stock jumped 10%. Goldman Sachs’ stock has barely budged in the last 3 ...
SmileDirectClub goes to Walmart — Taco Bell’s owner devours hamburger chain — The taser creator could split in 2
07 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
SmileDirectClub abandoned its direct-to-consumer ways to launch in Walmart stores, but it’s missing one big thing: Its core product. Taser-inventor ...
Snapchat buys the “Cameos” company — One Medical’s IPO moves — Apple’s 2020 HomeKit mantra
06 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Aaaand we’re back. While you were unwrapping gifts, Snapchat treated itself to an augmented reality startup that makes the hilarious filters for Sna...
Last pod of 2019: Our 3 bold wishes for 2020
20 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In our last pod of 2019 (we’re taking a 2-week break until Monday, January 6th), we’re going digestibly bold: Our 3 bold predictions for 2020. Wil...
Ikea’s tech pivot — FedEx’s ‘horrific’ profits — Flavors & Fragrances plant-based merger
19 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ikea’s always been focused on furniture, now it aims to democratize smart furniture (but it needs help). FedEx plummeted 10% because it’s losing i...
Oprah’s 9-city Weight Watchers tour — Boeing’s worst year ever — Alexa’s profit pivot
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Weight Watchers tried to turn itself around the last couple years by adding Oprah to the board, but now she’s headlining a 9-city WW wellness tour. ...
H&M’s “Moneyball” strategy — Intel’s $2B AI acquisition — Sprout Social’s social-ish IPO
17 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
H&M has spent 2 years trying to burn fewer clothes (literally), and an 11% sales rebound shows it’s finally working. Intel splurged $2B on a chip co...
The Spirit Airline-ification of cars — Pandora’s talking ads — and the Phase I trade deal
16 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
V-commerce — aka “voice commerce” has new momentum after online radio Pandora tests ads that let you talk back. Car prices are starting to mimic...
Lyft launches car rental — Disney didn’t tell Hasbro about Baby Yoda — Delta is really a credit card
13 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If you noticed that Avis shares plunged, that’s because Lyft just whipped up a car rental service. The hero of Disney+ has been Baby Yoda, but toy-m...
Lulu tries to become Nike — How Saudi Aramco makes $90B in profits/year — Away’s drama arrives
12 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Oil legend Saudi Aramco is the most valuable company in the world and it just IPO’d, but how does it make money? Luggage brandicorn Away went throug...
Vail Resorts’ adds 17 slopes — Yumi’s epic investors — NAFTA is reborn as USMCA
11 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Just in time for your first turns, Vail Resorts’ earnings gave insights on where you should ski — and highlighted the growing showdown on ski pass...