The Best One Yet - 🐻 “Eat Pray Chew” — Grüns’ $500M gummybear. Google’s DVD moment. England’s Ron Weasley trade deal.

Episode Date: May 9, 2025

TBOY Live Show Tickets to Chicago on sale NOW  https://www.axs.com/events/949346/the-best-one-yet-podcast-ticketsStocks jumped after an “historic” US/UK trade deal… yet it reminds us of Ron Weasley.Google’s stock is dropping because Apple may cut it from iPhones… It’s Google’s DVD Moment.Grüns has hit a $500M valuation for gummy bear supplements… It’s “Idea Arbitrage.”Plus, the untold origin story of Juicy Couture… the ultimate Mother’s Day entrepreneurship tale.$GOOG $AAPL $SPYWant more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… Juicy Couture’s Tracksuits 🍑The Best Idea Yet: Wondery.fm/TheBestIdeaYetLinksAbout Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today’s top stories your business. Formerly known as Robinhood Snacks, TBOY Lite is hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell.GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts NEWSLETTER:https://tboypod.com/newsletter SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ Our 2nd show… The Best Idea Yet: Wondery.fm/TheBestIdeaYetLinksEpisodes drop weekly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is Nick. This is Jack. It's Friday, the real Friday. May night. And today's show, out of all the shows, is the best one yet. It's a deep one. The top three pop business news stories you need to know today. The Chicago live show tickets are out now yet. He's grabbing all you can. The new pope is born in Chicago. True. Coincidence? We think not. Is he the guest on the show, the surprise guest? We're not doing spoilers. If you haven't bought tickets to Chicago yet, we got the link in the episode description. But Jack, three stories for today's, T-boy. What have we got on the pot? For our first story, the president of the United States and the Prime Minister of Britain, announced a trade deal in the White House yesterday. One country down, 100 to go. The trade war de-escalated stocks escalated, and we got it all for you. For our second story, Google stock dropped because Apple may replace it on the iPhone with a chat bond.

That's right, yet he is Google is facing its DVD moment. We'll explain. For our third and third and... final story. Grooons is disrupting the daily health supplement space by making them snackable. Grooons's green gummy bears are a case study in idea arbitrage. But yet is before we hit that wonderful mix of stories. What a mix of stories. Love the mix before the weekend, Jack. Mother's Day is the busiest day for phone calls of the entire year. Just on Verizon, 394 million calls were made on Mother's Day last year. That's actually 6% higher than on father's.

Day for all those keeping track. Your mother, she gave you life, and she'll tell you about it, too. Now, here's what you should talk about with your mom when you call her on Sunday. Juicy Couture. Because get this. Juicy began as an idea with two friends who bumped into each other at a small Los Angeles fashion shop. And one of them was pregnant, desperate for more fashionable maternity wear. So those two women partnered up. They used $200 in seed capital to buy a whole bunch of used denim. And then they started a business adventure that ultimately became juicy. These two women, Gell and Nash, Taylor and Pamela Sgeist Levy, founded Juicy Couture. And ultimately, they sold that brand walking away with $200 million a payout. Juicy was the first brand with the

confidence to stick its name on your rear. The pants with a zodiac on the butt. Who else is doing that? And it's a brand that blew up when Jennifer Lopez wore them in a music video. But until the Juicy Founders, the maternity industry was broken. And that juicy story is actually the subject of our latest episode of the best idea yet. The untold origin stories

of the products you're obsessed with. Full disclosure, Nick and I are wearing juicy couture track suits right now. You look fantastic, by the way, Jack. Nick's got juicy written

on his butt. I've got Pisces and my midriff is showing. Jack basically looks like some kind of a feline cat podcasting over there. My zipper has a J, a very juicy J

has the emblem. Jack, can you give me a wiggle or two over there? This is a family-friendly podnik. So sure. Check out our YouTube or Instagram for proof of what I just said. Because, besties, we just dropped this juicy episode in honor of Mother's Dead. We did it for you, Mom.

We did it for you. But we got three fantastic stories for today's show. Jack, let's hit our T-Bow. Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the Northeast met in the dorm. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the best one yet, but the best is an norm. Jack Nip. 50% that's a fat tip.

T-Boy City. on your at list. If you know, you know, because we're ready to go. We can't wait no more, so just start the show. First, a quick word from our sponsor. Our first story, the U.S. and the UK announced a new trade deal with pomp, ceremony, and the word historic. The part of this trade deal we agree with the most is that it's great for both countries. Jack, this is a Ron Weasley trade deal. Ron Weasley? Weasley? We'll get to that in a Okay. Hold on to your Hufflepuffs over there, Jack. He's a Gryffindor.

I'm going to act like you didn't say that. It's a fact, Jack. Yesterday, on VE Day, the U.S. and the UK celebrated the 80-year anniversary of winning World War II. And they did it with a trade announcement. Trade announcement is basically a list, and we got the details straight from the White House press release for you. The United Kingdom is going to start buying $5 billion of American beef and American agriculture.

Yeah, Jack, what about cars? What about British cars? The deal they announced yesterday lowers the 25% tariff on UK-made cars to 10% for the first 100,000 cars. So good news for the Land Rover and Jaguar fans out there, those American buyers can now get them at a lower price. But the rest of the deal was pretty much TBD. Yeah, some general agreements were made, but the specific language, it does still matter.

For example, the statement from the UK said that British Steel will now ship to the U.S. tariff-free, but the U.S. statement about the same trade deal did not mention anything about that. Yeah, in other words, to add it all up, nothing is signed yet. What was announced yesterday is like a non-binding term sheet. Right, very right. Details are still to be ironed out. Yeah, it's like a save the date versus the official invite. Great analogy for all the fiancés out there.

Also, Trump clarified that the new 10% tariff on everything else from the United Kingdom, that still remains in place. Now, the key context to understand about the U.S. and UK trade deal, this was the easy one. The U.S. and the U.K. we're already historic allies. This is our buddies hanging with our buddies. We describe it as the special relationship. Yeah, like we both speak English.

We both love sandwiches, and we both have a deep mutual appreciation for the actor Michael Kane. Plus, the U.S. already has a trade surplus with the UK. We buy more from them than they buy from us. The biggest thing that Britain is exported to us, frankly, is probably the Beatles, Jack.

I thought you were going to say something from the colonial era. But, yeah, let's go with the Beatles. Let's roll with the Beatles. Adele just unsubscribe from the show. So President Trump described this deal as historic three times, and British Prime Minister Kier Starmor described it as historic two times. But honestly, it really doesn't move the needle that much.

Yeah, Jack, why don't you whip up an example for us over there? The British said yesterday that a British airline would soon announce a purchase of Boeing airplanes in the amount of $10 billion. Okay, but here's why that isn't exactly historic. That's a fairly common occurrence. British Airways already owns 100 Boeing's, and they make big bowings. purchases basically every five years. Still, Jack and I should point out, this is a win to celebrate because it's a de-escalation of the trade war. It's a movement toward trade peace and away from trade

hostility. And you know what? It also gives a path for other countries to follow, although it will be a little bit harder with some non-ali countries out there. Like China. And that's why we think it is a Ron Weasley trade deal. It's not perfect. It's not historic like Harry Potter. But hey, he's still a good guy. It's still a good thing, right, Matt? That's a stretch, dude. I don't know. Ron gonna like that analogy. Hermione's gonna speak up on Ron's behalf, actually. So stocks rose yesterday. The S&P 500's up 14% from its post-liberation day lows. And Jack, what's the takeaway for everyone else out there? This deal is a reminder that trade is a positive sum game. Yeties, President Trump said this about the preliminary trade deal with the UK. This is a great deal for both countries.

On that, we completely agree. Yeah, we do. And that's actually the truth with trade in general. Nick, after all, trade is voluntary. Yeah, good point. It only happens if both sides want to do it. Which means, Jack, the inverse is also true. Like, if trade is good for both countries, then not trading is bad for both countries. Now, there are caveats. And the caveats are important.

Like, a government needs to make sure people who lose jobs don't get abandoned. And they also got to make sure that trade is fair. But two countries trading with each other, that leaves both countries better off. In this case, the UK gets airplanes that they can't make, and we get scotch that we can't. Mick. Yes, we do, Jack. Yes, we do. The president usually defines trade as having winners and losers. But not yesterday, because increased trade between the U.S. and the U.K. is a positive sum game. For our second story, Alphabet stock is falling because of what an Apple executive just testified under oath. Google search is facing its DVD moment. It's DVD moment. But Jack, let's go back

a time machine for a second to, um, it feels like 12 years ago, but actually, let's just go back three years ago. December 2022, two and a half years ago, actually. Just days after chat GPT launched, there were all a bunch of headlines about Google. Here's one of them. New York Times. A new chatbot is a code red for Google's search business. Here's one from Bloomberg. The chatbots are coming for Google. And Jack, why two and a half years ago was everyone freaking out already in the headlines? Because AI chatbots are much better at answering your question than Google searches. That's right. The fear for Google is that people would switch their habits, and there's nothing a tech company wants more than your habits. Their fear was that people would stop Googling and start chatting instead.

So Google went code red to defend its profit puppy Google search. They eventually put AI summaries at the top of search results. Now besties, pause the pod for a sec, because until now, that strategy from Google has mostly worked. After all, last quarter, Google had an all-time record high profit. But two and a half years after Google's code red moment, a bomb just dropped this week in court and a mess with Google stock. Here's the news. Eddie Q, who is a high up at Apple, said this while testifying in Google's antitrust case. This is a real page six tech stuff we're about to drop on you. Here we go, here we go, here we go. Apple is actively looking at changing default search on the iPhone. Wow, that is like finding out Brad Pitt's.

cheated right there, Jack. Now, for context, right now, Google pays Apple $20 billion every year to be the default search on the iPhone within the Safari browser. But Apple might change that and make its default iPhone search a chatbot instead? That's huge news. Huge news. And why would Apple do that? Because chatbots are a better experience. I mean, to be honest, full disclosure, yet he's Nick and Jack here. We've stopped Googling and we start our searches on chatbots. When we remember, true. I mean, a lot of times we just, instinctually go to Google. But when we remember, we go to chat GPT or whatever chat bot we're using, and you get to your information quicker. Because there are fewer ads, there's less internet

slop, and you don't have to deal with as many links. You got to wait through just to get your answer. You can also do follow-up questions. Right. It remembers the first thing you asked, and it will add that to the second thing that you asked. When we're jumping in T-boy style to the latest Pepsi news about soda, and then we have a follow-up question about Coca-Cola's news, you can do all of it in one chat sequence. They understand both questions, so they'll add an even better answer. So add all up, Yetis, and if Apple let ChatchipT become the default search on the iPhone, then Google's code red just became code dead.

Sounds like the opener to a Spielberg movie, Jack. So what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Alphabet? Google is facing its DVD moment. Yeties, one of our favorite business stories is how Netflix pivoted to streaming. remember, for 10 years, Netflix was a very successful DVD by mail business. Just DVDs. And then the streaming tech came along. Okay, so what did Netflix do? Well, they put their entire DVD business into a separate physical building from the streaming business. They literally isolated them.

The streaming team was one day going to kill the DVD business. Netflix knew that. So they didn't want the streaming team to be emotionally susceptible to the DVD people if they were working right next door to them. So Netflix killed its own DVD before another company could, and now Netflix is worth $500 billion. Never looked better. Google faces the same situation now. Should they kill their own online search,

or wait until someone else kills it? Besties for three years, Google's pretty much done nothing, hoping that the chatbot hype dies. But it's not dying. It's time for Google to direct its users to Gemini, Google's chatbot, gets killed. Many call this the innovator's dilemma, but we call it the DVD moment.

Now a quick word from our sponsor. For our third and final story before the weekend, Grooons just hit a $500 million valuation for gummy bear supplements. There are many daily health supplements. Grunes' growth hack. This is the only one that's shareable. The only one that's shareable. Sharing is caring. But Jack, there really is nothing we millennials can't redesign in our own image, is there, man? We've redesigned mattresses, razors, Warby Parker glasses. I mean, what about vitamins, man? Like, remember those Flintstone gummies when we were growing up?

Well, Flintstone gummies just got a millennial makeover. Get this, Yeties. Oregon startup Grooons created a daily health supplement in the form of the gummy bear. They replaced Fred and Barney with Ashwaganda and collagen. Yeah, it's basically Coachella in a chewable. But I should point out, besties, that my German major co-host over here, notice the name Grooons happens to mean green in German. Spoiler, this is basically athletic greens. Yeah, but in gummy form.

Yes, they're targeting active, health conscious 20 and 30-year-olds with antioxidant, prebiotic, post-biotic, adaptogenic candy. It's got like 60 active ingredients, right? And here's the news. They just hit a $500 million valuation. Now, Jack and I should point out, Grooons did not share their revenues or... financials, but we were able to calculate them with a little bit of math. They did brag that they ship 4 million gummies per day, and since gummies come in packs of eight, and packs are $2 each. Well, Jack, that would be $365 million a year in revenue,

and the company is still growing. So how did Grunes grow so big, so fast? Well, their growth hack is the gummy shape. Basically what the gummy shape allows. It is the first ever shareable supplement. Think about the supplements out there. You've got your pills, your powders, and your bars. I mean, Jack, you're not going to share a pill with somebody. And powders, that's like a messy at-home activity you do in private, basically. Grunz, on the other hand, comes in an eight-pack of gummies. So you could hand one out after brunch to everyone at the table. With a gummy supplement, you could pull it out of your pocket in the middle of the day and hand them out to all your buddies at work, unlike that giant tub of creatine, you got stashed away under your desk.

You've got it hiding. I see that one, Jack. You can't hide that thing from me. So Grunz's growth hack is shareability. are going to ask you, what are those green gummies you're snacking on, and you're going to give them one to try? Boom, Grooons benefits because the person just got a free sample after brunch. Can't do that with a protein shake. But how defensible is that advantage, Nick? Yeah, it's a good point, Jack. Like, what if AG1 decides to launch gummies as well? Or NO Explode launches Crea bites. It could be an issue for Grooons. However, their innovation also lies in our takeaway. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddy is over at Grooons. It's idea arbitrage. Take a concept from one industry and apply it to another.

So the idea is, how did Grooons get their core concept of supplement candies? We think they got the idea from the beverage industry. That's right, because the number one theme of drinks for the last five years is functional beverage. Basically, beverages with a health ingredient. Ice tea with electrolytes. Coffee with adaptogens. Milk with CBD magnesium. Yeah, or how about just functional sodas right now? Olipop. Poppy. They both added prebiotics, and now they're both worth over two billion bucks. One of them just got bought by Pepsi. Grunz applied the same strategy to snackable treats. We call it functional candy. Basically, one concept worked in the beverage industry, so it was applied to a different

industry. That is idea arbitrage. Yes, it is. Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us for the real Friday? The U.S. and the UK announced a trade deal yesterday. It's a small de-escalation in the trade war. What you're saying, Jack, is it's Iran. Weasley trade deal right there. Okay, you're still pushing that narrative. I'm going to make it happen. I'm going to make it happen. It's a reminder that trade is a positive sun game. For our second story, Google's code red chatbot threat just got real because Apple might replace Google with a chatbot. Google search is facing its DVD moment. And our third and final story is Grunz. It's all over your social media. They're functional gummy bears and they're now worth $500 million. Because sharing is caring.

Actually, this is a case of idea arbitrage. They took what's working in one industry, and they brought it to another. But Yeties, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today. First, white smoke rose in Rome, and the Catholic world has a very first American pope. Robert Francis Prevost. Prevost, I'm not sure his last name, pronunciation. Or pronouncing pronunciation, apparently, Jack.

Either way, this new pope was born in Chicago, and he actually went to high school in Michigan. But then the Cardinals elected in Pope, and he will adopt the new name, Pope Leo the 14th. Peace be with you all is the first thing he said. And the second thing he said was go-cubs. Yeah, he's not a White Sox guy. No, just kidding about that last part. And second, another big reveal.

Utah's NHL hockey team will now officially be called the Mammoth. We're relieved, to be honest. At first, we were pushing the Yetis. We thought that would be cool. Yeah, but then Utah Yeties would bring up a lot of trademark issues for Jack and I. So the Utah Hockey Club is now. the Utah mammoth. White smoke came out of the Zamboni and a new name was born. And finally, Bill Gates is giving away $200 billion over the next 20 years. All the money will basically be given

away by 2045. This will wind down the Gates Foundation, which has already given away $100 billion. Bill Gates is basically accelerating his giving because the world could really use it. Now time for the best fact yet. This one sent in by Jennifer and Alice, who happened to be Jackson, and my moms. And Alex and Molly, who happened to be our wives, who are also moms. Nice work, including Alex and Molly. Otherwise, we would have had a fact check Monday morning. Good point, good point. They would send that in, Jack. Get this, Yetis. Mother's Day is actually not just the number one day for phone calls. It's the number one day for restaurant dining out in the United States. It beats every other holiday, including Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve.

So besties, enjoy those poached eggs with your mom this weekend. Yetties, you look fantastic out there, Jack. want to say you are shimmering in that juicy Couture track suit because shimmering is really the only adjective I can think of. Shimmying and shimmering because you're kind of shiny right now. I just did my best Shakira shake over here. Yeah, yeah. I'm seeing light reflect off of your body in a way. I've never seen before. Let's just say I'm glad our YouTube video version of this pod does not have my lower body. Yeties, enjoy that episode on the origin story of Juicy Couture. It's on the best idea yet, our weekly show. You're going to love it this weekend. It's available to listen for free right now. We've got a link in the episode Your mom's going to love it too.

And Jack, celebrate the wins. Though tickets are on sale for Chicago, buy them now, Yetis, and Jack and I will see you Monday. And before we go, a happy birthday to legendary Yeti, Sarah Rudolph over in Port Towns in Washington, celebrating big. And happy birthday to Lindsay Lieber in New York City. And Michael Nelson has got a birthday in Des Moines, Iowa, baby.

Congratulations to Steph Laddows in Detroit, Michigan, who's graduating from law school. This pod was, according to her, instrumental to her getting that degree. And Juliett Ruben Ramirez is getting her MBA over at Rice. Congratulations on the NBA win. Congrats to Vino and Rebecca from Toronto who just got engaged. Congrats guys. Let's see some ring picks. And Kurt Peters and his lovely fiancee just got engaged as well over in Incaney, Iowa. We'd also love to see some picks. Fantastic celebration, guys. Congratulations to Evan Sheck, who's graduating from Indiana Business School. Not too,

And Eric Finney over in Chicago doing logistics got 25,000 steps in a single day this year. And finally, if you got any questions for Nick and me, every Friday, we answer your questions on Instagram. It could be about the trade war. It could be about a profit puppy. It could even be about Jack's 42-step skincare routine. So hit us up at T-BoyPod on Instagram. Call your mother and Nick and I. Let's see you all Monday.

This is Jack. I own stock of Netflix. Nick and I both on stock of Apple. And we both own ETFs of the S&P. 500.