Stocks had their worst day since 2022 because of T.R.I.C… “Trump’s Recession Idea Concept” Touchland is the 1st hand sanitizer to go viral… Because it turned Purell into a fashion accesory. Skype is shutting down in May… but we think it’s the most innovative tech biz ever #RIP Plus, how Costco’s Kirkland brand disrupted the entire private label industry. $MSFT $TSLA $HOOD Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin stor...
Mar 11, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1399
The #3 retailer in the world? It’s TJMaxx… because TJ is tariff-proof. The South By Southwest tech-tainment is this week… because the conference biz is booming. Ryan Reynolds’ investment in one crappy soccer club… just got a 4,900% return. Plus, one Jurassic Park startup just invented a new species… The Woolly Mouse. $TJX $HESAY $LVMUY Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of Subscribe to The Best Idea...
Mar 10, 2025•22 min•Ep. 1398
Since we all lose an hour of sleep during Daylight Savings tonight, we whipped up a podcast to help you fall asleep: We’re reading Warren Buffett’s Annual Shareholder Letter for Berkshire Hathaway. The world’s most legendary investor, Warren outlines how he makes every financial decision. But it’s still a *shareholder letter*, so you’ll drift off somewhere between the 5th and 9th time Warren mentions “investment thesis.” So grab your pajamas and get under the spreadsheets, it’s time to enjoy the...
Mar 08, 2025•22 min•Ep. 1397
Mattel is launching their own version of LEGO bricks… What will win, brand or price? Utah will make you show an ID to download Instagram… It’s a Social Media Bouncer (aka “The McLovin Rule”). The economics of stuffed crust pizza are wild… so why’d Domino’s take 30 years to make one? Plus, we’re dropping a Snooze Pod… We read 1 shareholder letter to help you fall asleep for Daylight Savings. $PZZA $DOM $MAT $META Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new wee...
Mar 07, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1396
Four Loko is the #1 malt liquor in America… thanks to the Japanese philosophy of Misogi. European stocks are shockingly beating American stocks this year… because Europe’s building a military. Warren Buffett just revealed his favorite CEO ever… It’s an RV guy who didn’t have a computer. Plus, Monopoly just launched a fintech version of the game (no more cash money) $BRK.B $LMT $SPY Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold o...
Mar 06, 2025•21 min•Ep. 1395
ESPN just launched a Gen Z SportsCenter on Disney+… “SC+” is a playbook for youth content. The US is now in a trade war with Canada and Mexico… the Chevy Silverado explains it all. The world’s biggest fast food chain just IPO’d… China’s Mixue is bigger than McD’s. Plus, the untold origin story of Taco Bell’s Doritos Locos Taco. $DIS $GM $MIXUE Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… The Doritos Locos Taco ...
Mar 05, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1394
Dude Wipes hit $200M in sales… because they saw an opportunity in 1 stat about toilet paper. Trump is launching America’s 1st crypto fund… but markets hated the details (lost #Bromentum) Sponsored Breakups are the new trend in marketing… because passion points = loyalty points. Plus, we got the details on the latest IBO… Jack’s Initial Baby Offering. $BTC $ETH $PG Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of Ses...
Mar 04, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1393
Subscribe to The Best Idea Yet here: https://wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/ Once upon a time, American kids had a problem—OK, two. They were watching way, WAY too much TV and they were falling way, way behind in school. But then a trailblazing producer and her psychologist friend asked a bold question: What if we used the first problem to solve the second? The result: Sesame Street, home of Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Bert & Ernie, and a social-media superstar named Elmo. Since Sesame St...
Mar 03, 2025•44 min•Ep. 1392
Our 3rd Bonus Pod during our Paternity Week is on 3 of our best pop-biz stories about the housing market from the last year. #1. Costco launched its 1st Costco apartment building… The solution to your rent may be Kirkland Condos. #2. A surprise cause of our housing crisis? Elevators… A US elevator costs 5x a Spanish one. #3. The fastest-growing city in America is a Boomer Boomtown… but that’s good for Millennials. Share this ep with your house-hunting buddy (or that one friend who can’t stop tal...
Feb 28, 2025•19 min•Ep. 1391
Our 2nd Bonus Pod during our Paternity Week is on 3 of our best pop-biz stories on growth hacks from the last year: #1. SharkNinja’s stock has climbed 140% this year… Here’s how it’s taken over your kitchen. #2. Gin in a motor oil can? Tampons in an ice cream pint?... The new packaging trend is chaos. #3. The fastest-growing candy right is Nerds Clusters… It shows there’s a business case in gut instinct. Share this episode with your buddy who’s building something (or your buddy who should be). W...
Feb 27, 2025•20 min•Ep. 1390
Our 1st Bonus Pod during our Paternity Week is on 3 of our best business stories on parenting from the last year: #1. Did you know no US president is an only child?... So we jump into the Only Child Economy. #2. Apple’s newest product is Apple Watch for kids… because of a 10-year trust campaign. #3. How should new parents prep financially for having a kid?... We’ve got one answer. Yetis, share this bonus ep with your buddy with kids… or send it to the kid. We’ll be back with our usual daily show...
Feb 26, 2025•20 min•Ep. 1389
We’re dropping 5 bonus podcasts over the next few days because… Jack’s got a brand new beautiful healthy baby. Jack just hit the hospital with his wife to have their 3rd baby — So here’s our podcast plan: 5 Bonus Episodes on our Best topics: Fitness Growth Hacks Housing Market Leadership Parenting Plus, we just dropped our deep-dive episode on… “Sesame Street” 🌆 The untold origin story of the most influential kids show ever. Go to Wondery.fm/TheBestIdeaYetLinks to listen. We’ll be back on the m...
Feb 25, 2025•4 min•Ep. 1388
Energy drink Alani Nu sold to Celsius for $1.8B… so we explain how to pick an acquisition price. Alibaba is the Amazon of China & its stock has doubled… because AI is its new religion. We just found the ROI on the IRS… For every $1 we put into the IRS, we get $12 back. Plus, Birkenstock just argued to a judge that its sandals should legally be art… $CELH $BABA $BIRK Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story ...
Feb 24, 2025•22 min•Ep. 1387
James Bond’s creative control was just acquired by Amazon… so we need to talk about “Infinite Scarcity.” Microsoft just defied physics… it’s a quantum creation that’s not a solid, liquid, or gas. OpenTable has overtaken Resy for America’s coolest restaurants… all thanks to 1 move. Plus, Google searches for “Is it safe to fly” are up 20x… so we ran the numbers. $AXP $GOOG $MSFT $AMZN Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold ...
Feb 21, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1386
Tonight’s NHL game is USA vs Canada… it’s a geopolitical battle, so tix hit Super Bowl prices. The fastest-growing retail concept is “Med Spas”... Botox, lip-filler, & butt-plumpers are surging. Meta is building the largest undersea cable in history… because the future of AI is underwater. Plus, scientists have identified the happiest and most productive time of day… 7am. $META Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold o...
Feb 20, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1385
Nike just partnered with Skims… but has Kim stretched Skims too far? Protector just launched an Uber for Bodyguards… and 1 video hack made it go viral. The Fire Truck industry has been taken over by Private Equity… but its stock tripled while fires fell? The best Black History Month story yet?... Lonnie Johnson’s Super Soaker. $NKE $UBER $SPY Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… The Patagonia Fleece 🐑 ...
Feb 19, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1384
Venmo & Cash App are getting crushed by Zelle… The boringest app disrupted the disruptors. The NBA has a problem: Too many 3-pointers… but there’s an economic reason for them. Jamie Dimon just went on an expletive-laced rant about Work From Home… and we got the tapes. Plus, the untold origin story of… The Patagonia Fleece. $XYZ $JPM $BAC Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show about the Patagonia Fleece 🐑. Subscribe to The Best I...
Feb 18, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1383
Subscribe to The Best Idea Yet here: https://wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/ Pop quiz: What’s the longest-running video game in history? It’s not Pac-Man or Donkey Kong or even Pong… it’s The Oregon Trail. A true pioneer (and we don’t just mean the ones in the covered wagons), the Oregon Trail has sold more than 65 million copies (that’s more than the Beatles’ White Album) and it spawned an “edu-tainment” industry now worth over $6B. But this wholesome game was created by three Minnesota st...
Feb 17, 2025•46 min•Ep. 1382
Poppi & Olipop’s rival sodas are the biggest drama in biz… because of $25K vending machines. Texas gets its 2nd new stock exchange in a year… The New York Stock Exchange is goin’ South-By-Southwest. Netflix is looking into launching podcasts… because there’s nothing hotter than a habit. Plus, Ikea just got into dating… it’s “Mattress Matchmaking.” $NFLX $SPOT $NYSE Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story o...
Feb 14, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1381
The 1 alcohol surging right now? Local Light Beer… driven by Millennial dads #Dadlennials. BuzzFeed’s launching a new social media app… because it’s fighting “S.N.A.R.F.” Elf Beauty says there are “So Many Dicks”... and it’s a lesson on customer engagement. Plus, Donut Bouquets? Sushi Bouquets? Lego Bouquets? The big new Valentine’s trend is “Faux-quets.” $ELF $BZFD $BUD Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story...
Feb 13, 2025•21 min•Ep. 1380
If you customize a Ferrari, they won’t let you buy another… even if you’re Justin Beiber. Coca-Cola’s biggest acquisition ever is Fairlife… because milk is having a moment. DOGE is targeting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau… so we’re look at trim-cuts vs buzz-cuts. Plus, we wrote a heartbroken love poem ahead of Valentine’s Day… to Peloton. $RACE $KO $PTON Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… Be...
Feb 12, 2025•22 min•Ep. 1379
Trump is canceling the US penny… because our cheapest coin is our most expensive. The biggest diss track in the SB wasn’t Kendrick Lamar… it was from advertisers. SpaceX and T-Mobile just shockingly teamed up… to kill the cell phone dead-zone. Plus, the untold origin story of Ben & Jerry’s… and their most disruptive flavor: Phish Food. $SBUX $TMUS $T Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… Ben &a...
Feb 11, 2025•22 min•Ep. 1378
TED Talks needs a new CEO… but TED is actually the deepest media biz we’ve ever seen. Elon’s mission to disrupt the government hit a new level, that requires a new term… “Musking.” Costco is now paying workers 2x the average… it’s the cost that pays for itself. Plus, a record 22M Americans called in sick today (got a case of the Super Bowl Mondays). $COST $WMT $SPY Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… M...
Feb 10, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1377
Dirty secret of the Super Bowl halftime show… The show costs $50M, but the performer gets paid $0. Wilson makes all of the NFL’s football’s… and their factory in Ohio is freaky. The Curse of the Super Bowl Commercial is real… and it’s coming for AI. Plus, one basketball coach trademarked the term “Three-peat”... and could make millions if the Chiefs win. $AAPL $AS $SPOT Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story ...
Feb 07, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1376
The #1 Super Bowl ad? Snickers in 2010… because Snickers acted like a Freudian therapist. Waffle House is charging a 50-cent-per-egg fee… but we tell ya who to blame for Egg-flation is. New tariffs just hit Shein and Temu… hand it can all be explained with Barbie dolls. Plus, the newest job in America is “TikTok Coach”... because there is an “i” in “viral.” $CALM $MAT $SPY Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: “The Best Idea Yet” —...
Feb 06, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1375
“No Buy 2025” is like “Dry January”… But instead of no alcohol, it’s no shopping. Spotify hit all-time high after its 1st full-year profit… because it found musical monopoly. Chick-fil-A’s drive-thru is #1 thanks to military-like precision... Drones, game-tape, & champagne. Plus, the Philadelphia Eagles linemen are the largest in history… and the most profitable. $SPOT $AAPL Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold orig...
Feb 05, 2025•22 min•Ep. 1374
The first 24 hours of Trade War II were wild… We’re breaking down the surprise tariff deals with Mexico and Canada. Robinhood is the top stock since Election Day... and now you can bet on the Super Bowl. How did Levi identify the baggy daddy jeans trend before anyone?... A secret deal with Google. $LEVI $GOOG $SPY $HOOD Monopoly 🎩 Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… Monopoly. A capitalist game invented by a communist. Subscribe to The Best I...
Feb 04, 2025•20 min•Ep. 1373
Trump’s 2nd trade war begins tonight with tariff’s for Canada, China, & Mexico… but Trump tariffs differ in 1 huge way. Yahoo just turned 30… but @yahoo.com emails are having a midlife revival. Hans Zimmer is worth $200M with movie music composing… we found his creativity hack. Plus, the next fashion trend? Yak hair… because yak is the new cashmere. $DIS $HD $YHOO Want more business storytelling from us? Check out our new deep-dive show… “The Best Idea Yet”: The untold origin stories of the ...
Feb 03, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1372
Description: “White Lotus Season 3” is about to debut… and it’ll boost Thailand’s economy by 20%. The biggest IPO of 2025 is a bacon biz… so we devoured the first pureplay pork stock. We now know how DeepSeek caught up to ChatGPT… the ol’ “copy/paste.” Plus, the Utah Hockey Club is choosing a new name… but the fans at the rink decide tonight. $WBD $SFD $MSFT Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… Re...
Jan 31, 2025•22 min•Ep. 1371
Does the perfect 850 credit score exist?... It does, one man just got it, and we’ll tell ya how. Tesla has become a $45K MAGA hat… so we’ll explain the biggest pivot in branding. Chili’s restaurant stock surged 300% in the last year… thanks to its Great White Shark strategy. Plus, it’s the Lunar New Year… so we found wild data on stocks during the Year of the Snake (spoiler: It’s bad). $TSLA $EAT $AMEX LA Tech Community Cares Fund: https://www.pledge.to/the-la-tech-community-cares-fund?tpcc=NL_M...
Jan 30, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1370
