Field Notes: SXSW, Unplugging & Adobe Summit✏️

It’s been a week. After last week’s update about how I’m trying to slow down for a bit, I had a contradictory turn of events: I ran around on turbo mode. I spent the earlier part of the week at SXSW (every time I head to Austin, I’m impressed) and I’m heading to Vegas on Sunday for another work trip. So In order to maintain my sanity, I’m trying to spend the next few days unplugging as much as possible. I’ll be back on next week’s newsletter with more of an update (there are many), so I’ll have more time to deep dive next Friday. x Sammi

Business, Economy & Culture🛍️📈💸

📺️ 🧒 How Underage Creators Threatened Lucy Guo’s OnlyFans Rival Lucy Guo was a cofounder of Scale AI, and per Forbes, and her stake in the company was valued at around $500 million. In 2018, she left Scale to found Passes. Passes was controversial in that they decided to let underage teenagers post revealing content as long as they had parental consent. A few days before getting hit with a lawsuit for hosting underage material, Passes changed this strategy and decided to ban underage users. Lucy Guo is denying wrongdoing, so we will see how this plays out. (forbes)

🥤🤑 PepsiCo Near $1.5 Billion-Plus Deal for Soda Brand This deal isn’t finalized yet, but it comes at a time when the obsession of gut-friendly seems at an all time high, so what better time to sell? This news comes about one month after competitor Olipop announced their Series C at a $1.85 billion valuation. (fortune)

💊 🙃 Generation Xanax: The Dark Side of America’s Wonder Drug Over 75 million benzodiazephine (i.e.-Xanax) subscriptions were dispensed last year. Some patients are finding themselves ridden with a plethora of long lasting side effects (nerve issues, severe panic attacks, etc). The challenging part is that there is a shortage of research into long-term use of the drugs—many of which are now generic—or what causes some people to experience devastating consequences from withdrawal. (wsj)

🚗 Tesla for Sale: Buyer’s Remorse Sinks In for Elon Musk’s E.V.-Owning Critics Tesla owners are having second thoughts, citing quality concerns, fluctuating prices, and Elon Musk’s polarizing actions as dealbreakers. The stock dropped by over 10% last week and sales are plummeting in Europe. 🚗💸 (nyt)

🦆 Why Lululemon Will Avoid Trump’s Tariffs and Canada Goose Might Not Lululemon’s smart supply chain strategies help it sidestep Trump-era tariffs, but Canada Goose may face higher costs since all its production is based in Canada. As trade policies shift, luxury brands are scrambling to protect their bottom lines. 🧘🏽‍♂️🦆(wsj) 

👟 Is The Giant Sneaker Trend Over? The chunky sneaker trend is fading as sleeker, more minimalist and functional styles take over. From Balenciaga to Nike, brands are ditching the oversized look in favor of a more refined silhouette. Looks like the GLP-1 effect is trickling into the shoe market. 👟⬇️ (nyt)

🛒How America Got Hooked on H Mart H Mart has transformed from a niche Korean grocery chain to a cultural phenomenon, redefining how Americans shop for Asian ingredients. Its secret? A mix of nostalgia, authenticity, and a growing appetite for global flavors. 🍜🛒 (bloomberg)

⏳Tired of Waiting in Line? You Can Hire Someone for That Hate standing in endless lines? A growing industry of professional line waiters is cashing in on people’s impatience. Companies like LineDudes & TaskRabbit are cashing on this opportunity, from securing concert tickets to snagging exclusive product drops. Time is money, and some are paying the price! ⏳💼  (wsj)

☕ How Chobani Has Scaled its Brand 1 Year After Acquiring La Colombe One year after acquiring La Colombe, Chobani has successfully expanded its reach beyond yogurt, blending premium coffee with its brand identity. The move signals a bigger push into the beverage market for the dairy giant. 🥛☕ (modern retail)

🎯How A Swedish Fitness Toy Went Viral Thanks To Tom Brady, RFK Jr. And An Army Of Celebrities A quirky Swedish fitness gadget, Boxbollen- has taken off, thanks to high-profile endorsements from Tom Brady and RFK Jr. Social media buzz and influencer marketing have turned it into a global sensation. 🏋🏽‍♂️🔥(forbes)

💄What Happened to Pat McGrath Labs? Once the gold standard of beauty, Pat McGrath Labs is struggling. Once valued at over $1 billion, the line is worth a fraction of that today. Multiple rounds of layoffs, and signs of behind-the-scenes turmoil raise questions about what went wrong and how the business can get back on track. 🚀(bof) 

🍔 McDonald’s Revamps Ranks to Speed Burger Breakthroughs McDonald’s is restructuring its leadership and streamlining operations to accelerate innovation in its burger lineup. Last year, global McDonald’s same store sales were flat after several years of growth. 🍔⚡ (wsj)

Concept of the Week: Spotlight Effect 🧠

The spotlight effect is a psychological phenomenon where people tend to overestimate how much others notice or focus on them. It stems from the natural tendency to be highly aware of ourselves, leading us to believe that others are paying more attention to our appearance, behavior, or mistakes than they actually are.

Venture Capital, Innovation & Entrepreneurship💰🌍💼

🥒 Pickle Raises $12 Million ​​Pickle wants to be the Airbnb of fashion. Pickle is a peer-to-peer clothing rental marketplace (a la Rent the Runway). Currently, they’re focused on the LA, NY and Miami markets, but it’s available by mail nationwide. (fortune)

⚡️ Ryan Breslow is Back as Bolt CEO This was one my favorite unhinged founder stories of 2024, and the saga lives on because Ryan is officially back as CEO. For anyone who missed this drama, I recapped most (not all) of it in this video. The latest headlines say that he admitted to making a “ton of mistakes” and he was able to buy out the investor who was suing him. (forbes)

🤖China’s Manus Challenges US Tech Firms in Race to Build AI Agents China’s Manus is stepping into the AI arena, taking on established US tech firms. With bold ambitions and innovative developments, this move signals a fierce race to create next-generation AI agents. 🤖🇨🇳 (bloomberg)

Resources/Links 🌶️🧥

Leah's Leadership Guide - Part 3: Communicate, Often  Effective leadership starts with clear and frequent communication. Leah’s guide breaks down how strong messaging builds trust, alignment, and impact.🗣️📢

How to Maximize Your Parental Leave Policy It’s helpful to know that there are people out there who specialize in this since this topic can be nuanced and differs by state.

A Guide to Building Your Personal Board of Directors I’ve spoken a lot about this, but this guide is in depth and such a great reminder of what to look for and who to recruit for your board.

Wealth Expert: The New Rich Do These Things Daily | Sahil Bloom - BigDeal 💸📈 Want to think like the new rich? Sahil Bloom shares daily habits that separate financial winners from the rest. (podcast on spotify) 

The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift 🎤🧠 Taylor Swift isn’t just a pop star—she’s a business mastermind. HBR dissects her marketing, adaptability, and unmatched fan loyalty strategies. (hbr)

Light Packers Are Obsessed With This $14 Bar Soap Bag Minimalist travelers swear by this $14 soap bag, keeping things compact and mess-free. A must-have for the carry-on-only crowd! 🧼✈️ (wirecutter)

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