Ben & Jerry are trying to buy back their company… and it reminds us of The Super Bowl of AI just went down… Nvidia now plays with Disney, Taco Bell, and Barbie. AppleTV+ is the only Apple product *losing* money... because it’s missing a Growth Mindset. Plus, there are a dozen real-life companies in America named… Lumon. #Severance $UL $NVDA $AAPL Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of MTV 📺 “How Video...
Mar 21, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1407
Diet Coke always targeted women… but now it’s the drink of Hustle Bros & the White House. The top tennis players sued the grand slam tournaments… but pro sports is a monopoly. BYD just announced the Holy Grail of Electric Cars… Zero to fully-charged in 5-minutes. Plus, the Oregon Ducks basketball team just set a record… a 26,700-mile road trip. $BYD $KO Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… MTV 📺 Su...
Mar 20, 2025•22 min•Ep. 1406
Duke is the #1 pick to win March Madness… but that’s a lesson in dumb investing. Google is buying Wiz for $33B… And every Wiz employee is getting $588,000. Corporate Nicknames are actually a curse… Chevy, Mickey D’s, & Bloomies are bad for biz. Plus, time-poor millennials are paying time-rich gig workers $27/hr to wait in line. $GOOG $JWN $MCD $GM Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… MTV 📺 “How Vid...
Mar 19, 2025•22 min•Ep. 1405
Poppi soda just sold for $2B to Pepsi thanks to 1 rebrand strategy… inspired by Cinderella. Apple quietly announced its “Super Siri” AI is delayed a year… and Warren Buffett sold. Law school applications surged by 21% this year… because thinking is AI-proof (we think). Plus, the untold origin story of… MTV. $AAPL $AMZN $PEP Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… MTV 📺 “How Video Killed the Radio Star” Su...
Mar 18, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1404
5 Hour Energy owns 90% of the market… which is why this energy shot got sued. The company behind Pokemon Go got bought by Saudi Arabia… because tech is more valuable than content. The hottest trend in entrepreneurship? Mature, boring industries… we explain why boring is booming. Plus, on St. Paddy’s Day, Wall Street tends to get lucky. Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… Costco’s Kirkland 🌭. Subscribe...
Mar 17, 2025•21 min•Ep. 1403
Since it’s Spring Break (or you may just need a break from the insane news cycle), we whipped up 3 of our best pop-biz stories on the fitness industry from the last year: #1. Barry’s Bootcamp tries to sell itself for $700M… Because nothing drives cash flow like a cult. #2. Vuori is eating Lululemon’s leggings… And it’s now worth twice as much as Under Armour. #3. Nike’s stock had its worst day in over 20 years… but Nike’s pain is Adidas’ gain. Share this episode with your spotter, your trainer, ...
Mar 14, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1402
266-year-old Guinness just hit all-time-high sales… because of one viral drink-tivity. A secret North Korean hacker team just stole $1.5B of crypto… it’s the biggest heist of all time. Hollywood is pivoting to serve red meat TV to red states… we call it “RonSwonsification.” Plus, a big thing you can do for this show (and it just takes 5 seconds)… Follow the show Turn on auto-downloads HOW TO TURN ON AUTO DOWNLOADS: Apple Podcasts: Go to our show page → Tap Follow (top right) → Tap the down arrow...
Mar 13, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1401
The US stock market began dropping after losing to Canada in hockey… b/c the trade war is a hockey fight. MrBeast’s business is worth $5B… but he makes more money on chocolate than content. Southwest just killed its famous “Bags fly free”... and it reminds us of a lesson from The Godfather. Plus, Trader Joe’s has the greatest art collection in America (and we can prove it)... $LUV $AMZN $SPY Want more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: Th...
Mar 12, 2025•23 min•Ep. 1400
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 Yet: ...
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 & Je...
Feb 11, 2025•22 min•Ep. 1378
