The Best One Yet - 🔪“Scream Stream” - Netflix unhinged game. Levain Cookie’s à la Mode. Housing’s Warp Speed. +Golf Sand Surge

Starting point is 00:00:01 This is Nick. This is Jack. It's Thursday, the new Friday, June 25th. And today's part is the best one yet. It is a T-Boy. The top three pop business news stories you need to know today. Ladies, we are live in New York City together. We actually just interviewed the wildest human in fashion.

Starting point is 00:00:17 We just interviewed a guy who was the CEO of Anne Taylor at the age of 35. Then he led the Gap. Then the Old Navy. Then J. Crew. Then Made Well. And he helped Apple design the first Apple. store. Yeah, the Apple store. That was it. If you know who we're talking about, drop it in the comments. In the meantime, Jack, we got three fantastic stories for today's pod of what we got

Starting point is 00:00:39 in the business. For our first story, Netflix's newest blockbuster is in the show. It's a video game starring Zoe Crabs. Okay, but Jack, Zoe's phone in the video game, it's your phone. Hard to explain. Yeah, it's weird. Really cool concept. For our second story, Levine Cookies is selling more cookies than any summer in Cookie History. And it's all because of the Alamoid strategy. And our third and final story. The most bipartisan beloved thing Congress has done in decades? It's a housing bill that disrupts your landlord. But Trump refuses to sign it.

Starting point is 00:01:10 We'll explain why your rent will still fall. But yet he's before we hit that wonderful mix of stories. Love the mix. The most famous movie quote about golf. It's from Shooter McGavin. This guy spends more time in the sand than David Hasselhoff. Well, golf course developers will have what the Hoff's having. A trend alert, golf industry.

Starting point is 00:01:29 It's adding more sand to more courses, according to Bloomberg. Because bunkers are great for the balance sheet. That sand, it is a Greg Norman certified profit puppy. To sprinkle on some sandy content. Please, Jack. The biggest water user in this country after agriculture is the golf industry. Because you need a great lake of Agua just to water augusta. Plus, those greens are very high maintenance.

Starting point is 00:01:50 I mean, the mowing, the fertilizer, the rodent and pest control sucking up the suds. You know the gopher from Caddyshack? How could I forget them? Huge pain for Petal Beach's profits. So, to adopt the changing climate and rising costs, golf course developers are simply replacing what should be grass with more sand. And Jack, this is a Nathan for you leveled genius of business idea, is it not? Because it both lowers costs and will lead to higher revenue.

Starting point is 00:02:15 It's like a hole in one for investors in like five different ways. Because with sand, golfers do the raking. So the course doesn't have to. And the sand reflects the sun more than grass. So the course sells more sunscreen. And sand is so impossible to hit out of it. This will be huge for the golf school. Bad for handicaps.

Starting point is 00:02:31 Great for the financials. Plus, there's proof of concept that golfers won't mind more sand. Jack, the most primo golf courses in the world, all covered sand. Have you seen St. Andrews? Oh, yeah. It's one bunker. It's one giant bunker. $700 to spend six hours slapping away in the sand, Jack.

Starting point is 00:02:46 Do you have to go more three? Yep. He's just going to invite Chubs to sunbathe off the third fairway. I don't even need a lawnmower. Jack, let's hit our three stories. Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the northeast met in the dawn. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the best one yet, but the best is a norm.

Starting point is 00:03:02 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. If you know, you know, because we're ready to go. We can't wait no more, so just start the show. Start the show. First, a quick word from our sponsor.

Starting point is 00:03:31 For our first story, Netflix pulled off the wildest move in video game. history. Get this. A game whose main character calls you on your phone. Netflix is launching the gateway drug of gaming. Yeah, Zoe Kravitz is involved. But first, Yeti's Grand Theft Auto No. 6, pre-orders began at midnight last night. Jack, to all those who celebrate, congratulations. 80 bucks for the most anticipated game in video game history, and it arrives November 19th at your door. Now, Bestie's full disclosure,

Starting point is 00:04:02 Jack sounded like a video game pro right there as he rattled that off. But you're not an avid gamer, are you, but I wasn't Italy. Yeah, you were in Italy. We know because you're still wearing the linen shirt for the third day in a row. I'm a Malfi Jack. Are you going to wash that thing? You have three of them. Story for another five. But Nick, in the hotel in Italy, I logged into Netflix one night to watch

Starting point is 00:04:20 Turning Point with Alex. Yeah, yeah. And I was greeted on the homepage of Netflix with a video game. A FIFA video game. Okay, so what did you do? What takes from that? Well, I scanned the QR code, which turned my phone into the video game's controller. All right. And then I could run around and pass and kick the ball like Leonel Messi on Netflix using my phone and the TV screen.

Starting point is 00:04:41 Now, Bessies, we double check. Jack didn't drink too much Limoncello that night. This is a real thing. It actually must have been testing in foreign markets for Netflix, right? Because yesterday, Netflix made a huge American announcement. June 30th, Netflix's Blockbuster brand new original video game debuts and it's unhinged. It's called unhinged. But it's also unhinged. Now, Netflix has actually had video games since 2021. Right, but this unhinged video game. It breaks physical dimensions and yeah, we'll explain. And yet it's not for gamers. Right. It's designed to appeal to non-video gamers like the Nintendo Wii. You still.

Starting point is 00:05:17 Now, to sprinkle on some content. Please, Jack. If you play this game, it begins with an empty apartment because there's a hurricane and the powers out. It's a very scary situation. So you're stuck in a dark, dingy apartment. The main character's name is Ava. It's voiced by Zoe Kravitz and she's desperately trying to get on the phone to get help from somebody. She needs help because there's a murderer in the building and a zombie in the bathroom. Oh, but here's the kicker. Ava's phone in the video game

Starting point is 00:05:43 is your phone, the one that you scan the QR code with. We repeat, you turn on your real iPhone's flashlight and point it to move around the fake flashlight which is inside the video game. It's almost like avatar. Like, you're controlling the character in the game and you're doing it with your phone by moving physically around the room.

Starting point is 00:06:01 Oh, and when the super from the video game like calls a character within the game, you see a phone call coming on your real phone? That 888 number calling you? Yeah. It's the character from inside Netflix's video game on the TV. Jack, it's like Nintendo Wii, but if Hannibal Lecter were the game designer in real life.

Starting point is 00:06:19 This is hard to explain, but it looks really cool to experience. What Netflix has done here, Bessie says, they've broken the fourth wall. The game is interacting with you. But here's the big question Nick and I had. Why is Netflix investing Silicon Valley level tech with Hollywood-level production.

Starting point is 00:06:35 Exactly. Into a video game initiative that hasn't really worked for five years. And what do we think the answer is, Jack? They're competing with TikTok and YouTube. Those are Netflix's real competitors, and you spend so much time on those platforms. But Netflix is also competing with concerts and live events

Starting point is 00:06:49 for your experiential time spent every day. So instead of an algorithm, Netflix has developed a new level of an interactive game where your phone is the best supporting actor. Because the fake video game characters from the game give a real phone call to your real phone. I'm sorry, pause the paw, Jack. I'm getting a call, and I think it may be Zoe Kravitz.

Starting point is 00:07:09 No, it's actually the murderer zombie. All right, cue the scary music. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Netflix? This is Netflix's Gateway Game. Yeties, like we said, this game is designed for non-video gamers. Netflix executives, they even sent it in the press release. There's no extra gaming console needed. It's very simple to play.

Starting point is 00:07:30 And the entire game lasts less than 45 minutes. That's less than an episode of Widows Bay. Plus, it's horror. The most popular category that's crushing it on TV and in the movie theaters right now. Plus, plus, Jack, it'll be on the biggest billboard in tech, the Netflix homepage starting on June 30th. 200 million monthly active users are about to be told to try out this game. The first Netflix video game you've probably ever tried.

Starting point is 00:07:52 What we're saying, Basties, is what Super Mario did to introduce Nintendo. What Candy Crush did for mobile gaming? what Fortnite did for the PlayStation. This is Netflix's Gateway Drug. One hit that hopes to hook you. For our second story, Levine Cookies, it's having its hottest summer ever thanks to one cold growth hack. It's a growth hack that works for any business.

Starting point is 00:08:18 It's A la mode. It's the Alamoad strategy. Now, Yetis, we know what you're thinking. Sure, Crumble cookies, a $2 billion cookie chain empire. But Levane walked. so Crumble could run. Levin, you could call it either one if your French are going with the latter.

Starting point is 00:08:34 But... Or if you're in New Yorker, apparently. But it is the world's densest cookie, and we got the receipts to back it up. Levane was founded in 1995 by two triathletes on the Upper West Side of New York who needed to calorie load. Jack, we're talking about a half-pound single cookie here.

Starting point is 00:08:49 Yeah. Eight ounces? Yeah, yeah. You got to lift with your legs. A double quarter pounder? Not with your back. The walnut chip has enough protein to grow a third bice.

Starting point is 00:08:57 Our buddy Griff worked there on 7. 74th Street to the original. Yeah. He said that he used so much butter in the cookies, he herniated a disc one day. Didn't want to know that, Nick. But that butter, it's a profit puppy. They're making over 100 million bucks

Starting point is 00:09:09 of sales over at LeVane, and they were acquired by private equity just a couple years ago. They're now trying to scale to become like the blue bottle, but for cookie doll. Okay, but Jack, pause the pot and grab a napkin because there is one big problem here. Seasonality. Yeah, seasonality.

Starting point is 00:09:22 It kind of sucks. People prefer warm cookies in cold weather. Just ask Santa Claus. June, it's the slowest month for LeVane. I mean, Jack, melting chocolate chips not welcome when your shirt is soaked in sweat already. No, they're not. I mean, you're not sticking your face in a pipe and hot oatmeal raisin when the humidity hits 180%.

Starting point is 00:09:37 Again, no, you're not. Nothing fun in July about, oh, my tongue just got scalded by a snicker doodle. But the coldest month for cookie sales happens to be the hottest month for ice cream sales. You see what we did there? Levann's new bet, as a result, is A la mode. They're adding a scoop of ice cream to boost cookie sales. And get this bet. Just one month after launching, ice cream has now been added to one out of seven Levine cookies.

Starting point is 00:10:04 And this strategy is a double-dip financial trick. Why is that, check? It brings in customers who otherwise wouldn't come in at all, and that new visiting customer ends up buying two things. They buy a cookie, and they buy a scoop. But al-a-mode, it's also increased the tummy share for this cookie chain. It's added new occasions for ordering cookies. Because the post-dinner cookie order, that's up 10% for people coming in after 6 p.m. Because they're ordering Alamode.

Starting point is 00:10:30 But wait, there's more. What else is there, Jack? Levine isn't making their own ice cream. Instead, they're collabing with beloved local ice cream shops. Like Cafe Pana in New York City, Milk John and Philly, Yala, Greek, and D.C. And Wanderlust ice cream over in Lally. Levine gets the publicity of the collab, and they added ice cream to the menu without any upfront cost. Yeah, they don't need an ice cream machine or ice cream know-how.

Starting point is 00:10:53 They're just partnering for the ice cream. And finally, this is a hack for consumers. Savvy consumers. Right, because it's made Levine a place to get popular ice cream without the long lines of popular ice cream. Try this out this weekend. Get your date a scoop of Cafe Panna-Gilado at Levine instead of waiting an hour in the actual line at Cafe Pann. I mean, Jack, cut in the line, your date is going to be super extra impressed. This is the first growth hack that might get you a first case.

Starting point is 00:11:18 You heard it here first. But Jack, what's the takeaway for all our buddies over at Levine cookies? What is your a la-mode strategy? Yet he's adding an option to add a popular ice cream was a grand slam marketing move for Levan. It wasn't additive to revenues. It was multiplicative. Totally. It increased the number of customer visits and the revenue per customer visit.

Starting point is 00:11:41 Investors, you can't just add anything to your product list. It has to fit the Alamoid mold to become a revenue multiplier. Levine added croissants and breakfast pastries before, but that didn't multiply sales like ice cream did. Now, Jack, Krispy Cream, they added coffee. that was their al-a-moat. It turned them into a breakfast and a dessert spot. At Domino's, adding salad to the menu was their ol'am. All right.

Starting point is 00:12:04 They became a dinner spot even if you had a dieter in your group. And it's not just food that this strategy could work. Good point, Josh. Ski resorts are adding water parks as their al-a-moot, which brings in families and adds another revenue stream regardless of the snow. They don't call it al-a-moat. They call it all-a-wave pool. So, besties, whatever your business, don't just add a new product.

Starting point is 00:12:25 Find your Allah mode. Find your mode. And then Allah it. That was it. That was it. All right. We're going to take a quick break. We'll see you the minute.

Starting point is 00:12:37 Now a quick word from our sponsor. For our third and final story, the biggest housing bill in 30 years just past Congress. Most bipartisan thing we have done since, I don't know, the Olympics. Way more bipartisan than the Olympics. But it did just get blocked by President Trump. Here's why what we call Operation.

Starting point is 00:12:58 warp speed for housing will become law no matter what. All right, pasties, you want to do a little bit of Zexing right now? Should we take out our phones and do it? Send your boyfriend to Zillow listing of a one-bedroom. That's not a million dollars. And that's because in 25 states, there are cities where starter homes cost at least $1 million. That's according to Zillow.

Starting point is 00:13:17 We're talking houses with barely room for a bathroom. There are 242 cities in the United States where the smallest house on the market goes for a million plus on average. No view or HOA included, by the right. saying this for years, we desperately need to build baby bill. For all those years, we have chilled baby chilled. For nearly 20 years now, since the great financial crisis in 2009, we've not built enough homes to keep up with the growing population. The old S&D, simple supply and demand on that one, Jack. The result of this lack of construction is we're short six million

Starting point is 00:13:50 homes, apartments, condos, and houses in this country. And Jack, with that shortage of six million In homes? Landlords have all the leverage they want to jack up rent, and a bunch of buddies you went to high school with turned their parents into their roommates. And now the average American is spending 36% of their income on shelter. Full disclosure, part of the group. And as we learned in our interview with the Fed President from Chicago, 30% is the maximum you're supposed to spend of your income on shelter. I'm Schifzen over here, Jack. And since the average is 36%, the average person is in financial stress just because of housing.

Starting point is 00:14:25 But besties, we come bearing good news. Because Congress, as everyone who gets engaged says, just did a thing. Congress passed the 21st century Road to Housing Act with overwhelming popularity. Jack, can you sprinkle on some context to overwhelming popularity? 92% of the Senate and House voted to pass this law. Besties, that is more bipartisan than all of America's sudden love for football. It's more bipartisan than the chance that the next person you see in New York is wearing a Knicks hat. Housing Bill's the most popular thing in D.C. since they added a new federal holiday.

Starting point is 00:14:57 That's actually true. Only the federal holiday, Juneteenth being passed, had more votes than this bill. So we know you're wondering, Basties, what is actually in this thing? Well, it's the first time since 1990 Congress has tried to deal with housing affordability. So there's some pent-up provisions. Yeah, there's about 50 specific provisions in this epic housing bill. And they're all designed to make it cheaper and faster for construction of a house to happen. It also incentivizes towns with money to approve housing and deal with the whole NIMBY.

Starting point is 00:15:23 Now, this isn't going to lower housing prices immediately. No, it's not, Jack, but it is critical to solve in that long-term housing. That's why we call it Operation Warp Speed, but for housing. It's 50 little engines to make more home construction happen. The flashest provision of this bill? The flashest of the 50? It's the cap of the number of houses Wall Street investors are allowed to buy at 350. Because, Jack, who is the biggest landlord in America?

Starting point is 00:15:47 It's actually Blackstone, a publicly traded PE firm based in New York City, which owns 300,000 units. If you want your incinerate or fix, Blackstone's running the spreadsheets on that first. Although, unfortunately, Blackstone is getting grandfathered in. That 350 home cap, that's for future owners,

Starting point is 00:16:04 not past ones. And that last provision, the flashy one, that's really interesting. Because the limit on Wall Street landlords and the number of units they can own, that was proposed by Donald Trump himself last year.

Starting point is 00:16:16 It was populist red meat. He tossed it out a year ago. But here's the shocking update. President Trump now refused. to sign that housing bill that has his core idea in it. Yesterday, in a shocking announcement, he said the bill was of minor importance and wants Congress instead to focus on his voter ID law first.

Starting point is 00:16:33 But besties, this is the fascinating plot twist. It is still the most bipartisan popular economic bill since maybe World War II, so here's what we think will happen next. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies stressed about housing? Door number one, door number two, and door number three, they all end up with this bill becoming law. Now, ladies, in our opinion, housing is simply the most important variable in our economy.

Starting point is 00:16:56 It occupies the most space in our wallets and in our minds. Lack of affordable housing is stunting the American dream for millions of people. Even if you're making millions. Unaffordable housing is the biggest cause of economic anxiety. And everything these days, from politics to Love Island is polarized, except this housing bill with 90% support. That's why we think this bill will become law no matter what President Trump does. And here's why.

Starting point is 00:17:18 President Trump could do three things next, but they all result in this. Coming the law of the land. First, he could not sign the bill. But then, after 10 days without a signature, the Constitution says the bill automatically becomes law. Or President Trump could veto the bill. But then, given the huge bipartisan support, Congress can override that veto overwhelmingly. Or third, Trump could change his mind and sign it tomorrow. Now, there is one more thing. It's a little technicality, right, yeah? Congress could not send the bill technically to the president at all, but we think that'd be political suicide given how popular the bill is. So that won't happen. But Bessie's out.

Starting point is 00:17:52 Add it all up, and President Trump faces three things he could do next with this epic housing bill drama. And all of them end up with this housing bill becoming law. Jack, could you whip up the take-wise for us for the new Friday? Netflix's newest blockbuster isn't a show. It's an interactive video game launching June 30th. It's a gateway game. Zoe Kravitz will call you on your phone to remind you to play. For our second story, Levane Cookies is increasing the number of visits by customers and revenue per visit by adding ice cream. It's their a la mode. Find your mode, and then I'll lay it.

Starting point is 00:18:25 And our third and final story. Congress passed the first federal housing bill in 30 years to make prices finally come down. Now, President Trump has three choices, but they all end with this bill becoming law. But besties, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today. First, Mike Ron, the latest $1 trillion company is move in markets, and they did it Wednesday night. They announced earnings that crushed expectations. Revenues quadrupled because they sell memory chips.

Starting point is 00:18:52 Because data centers, they eat memory chips. And that's made Micron the new Nvidia. And that earnings beat is probably going to boost the whole market today, breaking a three-day losing streak. And second, Slate Auto, the Jeff Bezos-backed electric car truck company announced the price of their new electric pickup truck, $24,950. We interviewed the CEO at our Chicago Live Show last year. They stripped this car down to the bare essentials to offer the lowest possible price. You want to open the windows? You got to crank it.

Starting point is 00:19:21 There ain't no auto window opener. stripped out the speakers. It's B.Y.O. Bluetooth boombox to save you money. Deliveries begin in the fourth quarter, but we finally got the price. And finally, Wendy's is meming. Wendy's stock arose as much as 40% on Tuesday because of a Reddit post. The now deleted Reddit post implored fans to save Wendy's before it's too late. But then when Redditors saw the post, they went to Robin Hood and they bought Wendy's stock. Wendy's, the numbers don't look good. No, no. But the nostalgia The Squared burgers aren't selling. The stock is, though. Now time for the best fact yet.

Starting point is 00:19:53 This one sent in from Cristiano all the way from Funchal, Portugal. This World Cup has the most goals scored since 1958. What a pace. Three goals on average per match. That's up 23% from the last World Cup, which I think I guess was two goals per match. And there's three reasons why this World Cup is seeing so many goals scored. First, the newly designed soccer ball in this World Cup,

Starting point is 00:20:16 it's actually faster than any other soccer ball. So it's harder to block by the goal. Second, the high. Duration breaks mean more stoppage time for goals and better rested players to score those goals. And with the expanded field of 48 teams this year, there's bigger talent gaps. So, like, Team Argentina is just crushing Team Antarctica. Yeah, Antarctica wouldn't have made the World Cup in the past, but they made it this year. The Penguins, they can't stand a chance.

Starting point is 00:20:37 Have you seen Messi? Have you seen Missy? I was going to say the fourth reason is messy. Yeties, you look fantastic. Jack, you are glowing in that linen shirt. Three days in a row, you can't beat it. You know what we'd love. We'd love a video editor.

Starting point is 00:20:50 to help us put this linen shirt on social media. Yeah, that's what we're looking for. We actually have a roster video editing challenge right now. So if you want to join Team T-Boy, check out this challenge, edit a video. If it's fantastic, you'll join the team. We've got a link in the episode description. You can compete to join Team T-boy.

Starting point is 00:21:06 We got the link right there. If you love the show and love video editing and want to make us bloom on social. And can work with Jack's Fashion War brobreddy. Check out the link in the episode description. If you know, you know. And before we go, a happy birthday to legendary Yeti, Theo Williams from England, who's celebrating the birthday by visit in America for the World Cup.

Starting point is 00:21:28 And happy birthday to Matthew Darby in New Zealand. And Jenna wins, eating chicken noodle soup in Monterey for her birthday. Happy birthday to William You, celebrating in Paris with as many chicken nuggets as he is years old. And Zach Schlaack, happy 16th birthday in El Dorado Hills, California. Congratulations to Vianna Singh, graduating from Scholars Academy Middle School up in Queens. And Danny Cupford, happy two-year anniversary of the wonderful wedding over in Brooklyn. Happy 21 year wedding anniversary to Derek and Holly Owens in Bismarck, North Dakota. And Luke McCall, have a fantastic birthday down the street in San Francisco. And to anybody else celebrate something today, make it a T-Boy.

Starting point is 00:22:03 Celebrate the wins. This is Jack. I own stock in Netflix and Reddit, and Nick and I both on stock of Robin Hood.

The Best One Yet - 🔪“Scream Stream” - Netflix unhinged game. Levain Cookie’s à la Mode. Housing’s Warp Speed. +Golf Sand Surge

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