The Best One Yet - 🔥 “LA’s Fire Hero” — Watch Duty’s #1 fire app. Rolls-Royce’s Picasso car. $1T of Gift Returns.

Starting point is 00:00:00 This is Nick. This is Jack. It's Friday the real Friday. January 10th, and today's pod is the best one yet. This is a T-boy. The top three pop business news stories you need to know today. You know, Jack, we didn't talk about this, but it's planuary. We've got to start planning, man, for the whole year.

Starting point is 00:00:18 I know. You look a little stressed about it right now. Well, what I didn't mention on the pod the other day is that I'm pretty exhausted from my vacation. I know, but we'll plan it all out. We've got to plan out the vacations, the meetings. I already planned a colonoscopy. I'll tell you that. Did you really?

Starting point is 00:00:32 Oh yeah, long story for another pod. Jack, three stories for today's pod. What do we got on the T-Boy? For our first story, it's the Los Angeles Wildfires. They're on pace to set record amounts of fire damage. But one fire app has become the number one app in the whole app store because it's saving lives. For our second story, we're looking at Rolls Royce's newest product. A $1 million completely custom car built from scratch.

Starting point is 00:00:58 Rolls-Royce, they're borrowing a business. the strategy from Pablo Picasso. And our third and final store. Yetis, holidays are over, but returns aren't. Get this, 17% of Christmas gifts are getting returned. So we found a solution to returns, the Achilles heel of e-commerce. But yeties, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories. I mean, no one else is doing that mix of stories.

Starting point is 00:01:20 Love today's mix, Jack. January. It's got a lot of highlights, including maybe your planuary. It does. Yeah, January. You got New Year, Snow Days, Plannuary, my birthday's, coming up. There we go. But the biggest event in January is definitely dating Sunday. Dating Sunday, not an official holiday yet. Because it should be. The data shows that this coming Sunday is the biggest

Starting point is 00:01:44 day of the year for dating apps. So yet he's pop on some perfume, crush a little cologne, maybe toss that axe in the trash. Here's the deal. Sundays are generally the busiest day of the week for dating apps. On Sundays, you sit on a couch and you scroll through who looks cute. But Sundays in January are the Busiest of busy. Get this. According to Tinder, Sundays in January get 18% more engagement than any other Sunday. Because you're trying to get busy. And so you're swiping, surge is 70% higher. Sundays in January, it's the start of a data paloosa. You're swiping on Sunday, so maybe you'd be whining on Wednesday. But Jack, the best part of swiping Sundays in January? Swipers are kinder. Yeah. The average DM gets a response 19.4 minutes faster on Sundays in January. There's also less

Starting point is 00:02:30 ghosting this time of the year. And the reason for this January Sunday phenomenon in dating, what is it, Jack? It's a combination of New Year's resolutions and Valentine's Day coming up. But we think it's because you look fantastic over there. Trust us. You have never looked better. So, Basties, go Tinder, your grinder. Go bumble your hinge. Or post up at a coffee shop in real life. Mormon-only dating app? Sure. If that's your thing? Do it. Because the greatest economic force in Q1 of this year and every year, the second Sunday in January. I think this date's going to go really well, Jack. If I'm lucky, we'll hit our three stories.

Starting point is 00:03:09 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 Nick, that's it. I don't even think they need to practice. 50% that's a fat tip. Tea Boy City on your at list.

Starting point is 00:03:27 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. For our first story, the Los Angeles wildfires have caused one app to become the number one app in the entire app store. Watch duty has become the most downloaded app in America because of neighbors. Now, Jack, like I was telling you, we were in the palisades of Los Angeles just last year. Lovely neighborhood, incredible place. I just checked.

Starting point is 00:04:10 And the restaurant we ate at, the one. where we saw Reese Witherspoon, it's gone. It's just gone. Entire blocks of neighborhoods are just destroyed by the Los Angeles wildfires, which are on pace to be the costliest in American history. Yaddies, we're talking $57 billion of damages. That would beat the 2018 campfire in Northern California by a bunch. The biggest issue is the winds. 90 mile per hour winds on Wednesday. One UCLA climate scientist called it an atmospheric blow dryer. Because like a blow dryer, These winds dried everything up, but they also spread flames at the same time. So five are confirmed dead.

Starting point is 00:04:48 One million have lost power. So many have lost their homes. And then an added element, another twist to the whole situation? The fires are burning right around the Hollywood Hills, where celebrities live. Okay, the average home in the Palisades is $2 million. Billy Crystal and Paris Hilton have both lost their homes to fires. Hollywood Productions, they've come to a halt. Disney headquarters in Los Angeles, that is closed right now.

Starting point is 00:05:10 people are evacuating over to Universal Studios. And it's hit the stock market, too. The electric utility company in Southern California, as well as insurance companies, are all going to take huge losses. Now, yet is amid the tragedy of these Los Angeles fires, there is one innovation that is stepping up as a critical resource. In fact, it's gone viral.

Starting point is 00:05:31 It has. We're talking about watch duty. An app that hit number one in the app store, and if you have buddies living in Los Angeles, you've probably seen screenshots of them declare that they're safe with a watch duty screenshot. Open up your iPhone right now. You know, it's beating TikTok, it's beating Instagram, it's beating chat GPT.

Starting point is 00:05:48 The number one app in America right now is watch duty. Watch duty is a nonprofit that only has 15 employees, and it's a fire tracking app. Yeah, basically you check watch duty for real-time info and where the fire is, and it gets specific. Going into this week, it had 8 million users. But then overnight, on Tuesday night, 600,000 Angelinos downloaded this app. Basically, as the fire grows, so does Watchduty. And why is that, Jack? Because this app will determine your level of fire risk at a house-to-house level. It processes information in a unique way and then tells you very simply stay, get ready, or go.

Starting point is 00:06:26 Literally, go. Watchduty uses a volunteer force of active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, and first responders. The way we're thinking about Watchduty is that it's almost like a news team in an app. They have boots on the ground gathering information like reporters. First, they track the 911 fire calls, and then they listen to radio scanners, and then they actually look at wildlife cameras and satellites around the country. They send all the information back to headquarters, which acts like the editorial team, telling you your risk level based on where you are right now.

Starting point is 00:06:56 So it's structured like a news team. And they only use verified information. They also don't predict where the fire is going to go, because trust and integrity is key to what they're doing. Now, the founder of Watchduty says that this app is going to be free to use forever. it's a nonprofit. They do make some money, but he says it'll always be free. They have a paid version that brings them $3 million of revenue. And next, they're going to expand to other natural disasters, starting with floods later this year. Like we said, watch duty has gone viral. So Jack,

Starting point is 00:07:24 what's the takeaway for all our buddies in any emergency? Neighbors are the new 911. Neighbors are the new 911. Yeties, Jack and I have noticed a new industry emerging. Emergency response apps, basically first aid apps. Apps that like a digital first aid kit, you only use during an emergency. No, like watch duty, it gets open zero times most of the year. And then suddenly, you're opening it every single half hour. Sharkivity is another one. They'll warn you if there's great white sharks in the water. So you're only going to use it when you're on the beach at Cape Cod. Or Jack, how about next door? They warn you if there's a burglary nearby. Or Pulse Point, they warn you if someone nearby needs help in an emergency, like a car crash. Although watch duty uses verified

Starting point is 00:08:09 The others, they crowdsource valuable data from your neighbors. So these days, you probably don't know your neighbor's name, besties. Yet, during an emergency, your neighbors and their data are your most valuable asset. Neighbors, they're the new 911. Yes, they are. For our second story, Rolls-Royce, their sales are surging thanks to a brand-new idea, commissioning a one-of-a-kind Rolls Royce from scratch. Rolls-Royce is borrowing a business.

Starting point is 00:08:41 model from Pablo Picasso. Oh, Rolls-Royce. The perfect third car for your fourth home on your fifth yacht. Fun fact, Rolls-Royce doesn't call itself a car company. No, they don't. They call themselves a luxury house. Rolls-Royce. It's the Christian Dior of driving. Well, Rolls just announced a record year. 5,700 cars sold. Oh, sorry, yeah, ultra-luxury motor cars sold. Jack, could you sprinkle on a little context to that number over there, please? And do

Starting point is 00:09:10 it with some white gloves on. Ford sold 2 million cars last year, which means Ford sold 350 Ford's for every single Rolls Royce. But the average price of that Rolls-Royce happened to hit a record high of over $500,000. That's right. The average rolls goes for a higher price than the average American home. What's the price of that chassis? If you have to ask, you can't afford it. Now, Rolls-Royce is owned by Germany's BMW. But one sec, Jack. Let's call on the Butler here.

Starting point is 00:09:41 Hey, Butler, what is driving Rolls-Royce's business these days? Last time we covered Rolls Royce was two years ago. Rolls was surging because of customization, personalized features and designs to make your car feel like really your car. And Jack and I found some wild examples of this personalization. You could order a porcelain cigar tray for your rolls for $20,000 extra. You could order a cashmere interior for your rolls for $30,000. Get this, you could install a constellation of interior light,

Starting point is 00:10:11 on the roof of the car so that it looked like stars in the shape of Orion for $52,000 extra dollars. Sit down, stand up, and get that insured, Jack. But this year, Rolls-Royce is building cars truly from scratch. And that's unprecedented. We're not talking adding some features. We're talking designing all the features. Fully one-of-a-kind cars, or as Rolls puts it, entirely original cars. This would be the Jack car. It'd be a Rolls-Royce. Nick. The name of the car is your name. From the chassis to the color to the shape of the seat heater button. It's a blank canvas. Do with this car what you want. Now, to pull this off, Rolls has invested millions of dollars into opening five private offices where you come to design everything of your

Starting point is 00:10:58 own personal roles. They have one in New York, one in Seoul, one in Dubai, one in Shanghai, and one at the UK factory in Goodwood. Okay, so Jack, next time we're in New York, we should stroll in jumping T-Boast. Check it out. I'm not so fast. Because you can only build a custom rolls, invite only. Invite only. That's right, Yetis. To design your own Rolls Royce from scratch, you must get a gold leaf letter in the physical snail mail. They probably just check the Bloomberg's billionaires list and send out invitation. Let's get that zip code, Charlie. But if you do build your own rules, you then get access to an app called Whispers. Again, this is a true story, which gets you access to chat with Rolls Royce executives who also built one-of-a-kind roleses. And at that point,

Starting point is 00:11:41 you're basically in the Illuminati. You're asking like, what constellation did you install in the ceiling of your car? Well, you don't have to ask because you've got a rocket chip to live in the constellations, Jack. It's basically like MTV Pimp My Ride, but instead of exhibit, it's Jay Gatsby. Someone read novels as a kid. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Rolls-Royce? Rolls-Royce isn't selling cars. They're commissioning art.

Starting point is 00:12:07 Now, yeties, Jack and I have told you before about the strategy of category design. To stand out in an industry, you need to put yourself in a new category, in a new industry. Don't compete to try to be better. Compete to try to be different. Like Rolls-Royce, they embrace that strategy. Instead of cars, they've positioned themselves as selling art. And now they're positioning themselves as selling commissioned art. It's just like asking Pablo Picasso to make something specific for you. They can now charge an extra premium because you wanted that. Rolls-Royce is barring a strategy, commissioned artwork, that goes all the way back to the Renaissance period. These one-of-a-kind Rolls Royces, they aren't cars. They're a different category.

Starting point is 00:12:47 They're commissioned art. Because selling art is way more profitable, even than selling an ultra-luxury motor car. Now a quick word from our sponsor. For our third and final story, a record 17% of stuff that we buy online gets returned. Nearly a trillion bucks worth of returns are happening every year. Here's what retailers are doing to stop you from returning things. Oh, Yetis, the holidays, they are over. Happy return season to all those who celebrate, Jack. Time to exchange that ambitious medium for the large that you really need.

Starting point is 00:13:27 Honey, there's a receipt in there if you don't like it, said every low-confidence husband on Christmas ever. The best is when you say there's receipt before she's even opened the package. Or you just give the receipt. Yeties, in 2023, 15% of things. bought online were returned according to the National Retail Federation. In 2024, that increased to 17%. $890 billion of stuff Americans bought online got returned. Because apparently that cute top you bought, Jack, wasn't as cute as you expected. It's a return renaissance, but not in a good way. Here's the problem,

Starting point is 00:13:59 Yetis. Returns are incredibly costly. The return shipping, the return packaging, the return reshelfing, it all costs a lot of money. Processing a return actually costs retailers on average. of 30% of an item's original price. And we end up paying it. Because Macy's or Lou Lemon, whoever, they end up passing on those costs to customers through higher prices. Now, here's what Jack and I found fascinating about this story. According to the data, we are all at fault for this.

Starting point is 00:14:28 Because of either bracketing or wardrobeing. Two wild words. Jack, last year, I believe we introduced our lovely T-boy audience to the term bracketing. I was asked to be a groomsman at a wedding. and there was a specific jacket I had to buy. So I bought a 38 and a 40, not knowing which size was right, and I eventually sent back the 40. Because it's an expensive jacket. You want to make sure you get it right. So I ordered both, even though I know sending one back is going to cost suit supply some money.

Starting point is 00:14:55 That's bracketing. And nearly two-thirds of us have done bracketing before. This year, we online shoppers are doing something even more devious. We're wardrobing. Oh, wardroving. This is a nasty one. What is this one, Jack? Wardrobing would be if I return the size 40 and then wore the 38 for the wedding and then return the 38 too after the wedding was over. You know who you are, you done this.

Starting point is 00:15:19 Don't take that tag off because you're returning that tomorrow morning. Get this, Basties. A shocking 69% of shoppers have admitted to wardrobe in 2024, which is up from 50% back in 2023. Wardrobing. When your entire wardrobe, you don't end up even paying for it. Half of you have returned to cute top that you already wore on the first. first date. No, Nick, 69% of us, according to that survey we read. I don't even want to know what that stain is, man. Returns. They're the Achilles heel of e-commerce. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our

Starting point is 00:15:51 buddies who are returning things? Just as important as logistics is reverse logistics. Yeties, in this era of inflation, in this economy, it is tougher to pass on return costs to consumers with more higher prices. That's why in 2023, Amazon ended the free return. And now most retailers make you pay some kind of a shipping

Starting point is 00:16:13 or restocking fee. Okay, but here's what Jack and I are thinking. We think that the smartest way to eliminate returns is information. Companies know your buying history because they always make you input your email address.

Starting point is 00:16:25 They should show you the sizes that you bought in the past to help you pick the right size. And instead of just a size guide, you could show multiple sizes on multiple models, different weights, different heights to show how it could look in different versions of people.

Starting point is 00:16:39 You could pay Julie, a 5-foot-9 model to wear the small, and then also pay Jessica, also a 5-foot-9 model, but her shape's a little different, so she wears a medium. So, Bessie's, if you invest more upfront in information about sizing, that lowers the return rate, and that is a big cost-saver. Because just as important as logistics is reverse logistics. Jack, kiddo, whip up the takeaways for us for the first. first week of 2025. As wildfires continue to burn through Los Angeles, watch duty has hit number one in the entire app store. Watch duty, it's one of the digital first aid kit apps. Neighbors are the new

Starting point is 00:17:19 911. For our second story, Rolls Royce. They've gone from cars with personalized details to top to bottom custom cars. Rolls, they're the Vincent Van Gogh vehicles because their strategy isn't to sell cars, it's selling commissioned art. And our third and final start, 17% of things bought online last year got returned, which is hugely costly to retailers. Our solution, just as important as logistics, is reverse logistics. But Yeties, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today. First, today, the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments from Trump on delaying the TikTok ban.

Starting point is 00:17:58 Reminder, Congress passed a bill that China must sell TikTok by January 19th, or else the app gets banned. Okay, but here's the thing. That's the day before Trump's inauguration, so he's asking for this ban to be delayed to give him time as president to make a deal with China to sell the app. If you want more on that story, check out TikTok. For now. And second, some wild data that we got on Elon and what he's been up to. It's actually hard to tell what Elon's full-time job is these days, right, man?

Starting point is 00:18:26 I mean, he's the CEO of so many companies, but it turns out his full-time job is trolling. Get this, including replies. Elon Musk has posted on X, 1,100. 180 times in just the last seven days. 220 of those posts were about Elon's latest pet issue, politics in the United Kingdom. That's 168 posts every day. Basically, he's become addicted to the tech company he owns. And finally, the Beatles drummer, Ringo Star, isn't retired, apparently. He just launched a new album of music and it's country music. Country music. Britain's Ringo produced, wrote, and sang in a new

Starting point is 00:19:03 album, all produced in Nashville, all with a little bit of twang. Last year, we said that country music was a growth industry. It was growing 24% on the streaming platforms. Well, now even the Beatles are on board. Now, time for the best fact yet. This one sent in by Federico Lee from lovely Los Angeles. Federico, we hope you and your friends and family are safe and doing okay right now. Today is known as Quidders Day. And why is that, Nick? Well, Jack, the data shows that the second Friday in January is the day when you're most likely to give up on your resolution. Today is the day you grabbed a drink, apparently. Yeah, and you took a cigarette, apparently.

Starting point is 00:19:39 And you push the snooze button on your alarm. Yeah, you're not going to the gym today. We see you, best, dude. We see you. But Jack and I, we are here to tell you that you can stick with it. You got this. Try to squeeze one more week out of that resolution. If you can get past two weeks, it's all downhill from there.

Starting point is 00:19:55 Maybe you can get the three. But we got your back. You got this. You got this. You look fantastic. Jack. Celebrate the wins going into the weekend, man. What are you putting in your fully bespoke rolls Royce, by the way?

Starting point is 00:20:08 What are you putting on that thing? Probably like a video game. I saw Richie Rich as a kid. He had a video game in the backseat of his limo. I've always wanted one ever since. I thought you're going to put one of those phantom machines, the soda machines that you wanted. Fanta? I'm not a Fanta guy.

Starting point is 00:20:22 Yeah, you do. Don't you want a Wanta machine in the back of your rolls, man? I thought you did. No, no, no. Just give me the PlayStation Ramp. Keeping it simple. Besties, if you haven't yet, remember to subscribe to our weekly newsletter right now, because you'll get it on Saturday. And Jack, what's the topic in this one? Our predictions for 2025. Our big business wishes in written form so you conform to your buddies. We got a link in this

Starting point is 00:20:44 episode description, subscribe now to the newsletter, and you can see our three big predictions that we had so much fun putting together for you. Have a great weekend, and Nick and I will see you on a Monday. Can't wait. And before we go, a happy birthday, Dehetti Bavya, Tadikanda, Celebrate in overseas. Happy 34th birthday to Charlie Jackson over in London, who apparently saw that Nick was viewing his profile on LinkedIn. So, Nick, you already know about Charlie. Always got to be networking. And Marissa McIntyre, a legendary librarian down in Tucson, is celebrating a top birthday.

Starting point is 00:21:21 Happy birthday to Brian Belderie in Riverton, Utah, who's going on a mission trip. And Jitinder Jonda is turning 29 years old with the best birthday yet over in Sacramento. And a huge shout out to Gerald, a fantastic Yetty who Nick just bumped in. into over at the ferry building. Great guy. He said hi to you, Jack. He said hi. He says hi. He says hi. And Shelby's Sue Cups got a new job over in Minneapolis. Congrats on going fintech, Shelby. And again, if you're swiping right this Sunday, you got this. You'll look fantastic. This is Jack. I own stock of Disney and Nick on stock of Lulu Lemon. I mean, Leonard Adventure worked on the last supper for like 40 years. He used to show up like at random points, like 20 years later. And apparently they'd be

Starting point is 00:22:03 like, oh, geez. Leo's here. I need just be like, I need to be like, I need to be. I need to to do one thing and then he'd do that and then he'd leave. Oh, he'd come back to the person's house who he sold it to? Yeah, this is like the monastery where he did the last supper. He would just come back like every couple years and like change one thing. We're having dinner, man. Dude, we're in middle of dinner. Leo's here.

The Best One Yet - 🔥 “LA’s Fire Hero” — Watch Duty’s #1 fire app. Rolls-Royce’s Picasso car. $1T of Gift Returns.

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