The Best One Yet - 🏏 “Sticky Wickets” — Cricket’s Team USA tech workers. Venmo’s Apple nightmare. Netflix’s 5-word lawsuit.

Episode Date: June 12, 2024

Team USA plays #1 India today in the Cricket World Cup… and it’s thanks to our tech workers.Netflix faces a $170M lawsuit for the series “Baby Reindeer”... and it all comes down to 5 words.PayPal’s stock fell after Apple unveiled a Venmo-Killer... but is it really a Venmo-Booster?Plus, Roger Federer’s Dartmouth commencement speech made us weep. Even the biggest winners…$PYPL $SQ $NFLX $AAPL $SBUXWatch us on YouTubeGet the Saturday Newsletter: tboypod.com/newsletter  Submit Facts & Shoutouts Social: Follow us: on Instagram, TikTok, And connect with us on Nick’s LinkedIn & Jack’s LinkedInAbout Us: From the creators of Robinhood Snacks Daily, The Best One Yet (TBOY) is the daily pop-biz news show making today’s top stories your business. 20 minutes on the 3 business, economics, and finance stories you need, with fresh takes you can pretend you came up with — Pairs perfectly with your morning oatmeal ritual. Hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is Nick. This is Jack. It's Wednesday, Wednesday, June 12th. And today's pod, it is the best one yet. Nick and I are whipping up the top three pop business news stories you need to know today. And Jack and I have found the solution for the Federal Reserve to save the American economy. What's that, Nick? Sprinkle some olive oil on it. I still can't believe you called the olive oil big oil. My buddies at the OG lounge are not happy about that. Olive oil, it's like mother nature is Advil, Jack. Just sprinkle some olive oil on it. I still can't believe you called the olive oil. My buddies at the OG lounge are not happy about that. Olive oil. It's like mother nature is Advil, Jack. Just sprinkle it on the U.S. economy will fix inflation in no time. Yeties, that is not financial advice, but it may be financial advice. In the meantime, Jack, three stories for today's show. What do we got? For our first story, Team USA is having a record run in the Cricket World Cup, and today we play number one India. But this story about cricket is really about foreigners building something for America. For our second story, Netflix was sued for $170 million over its new TV series,

Baby Raneer. And this $170 million lawsuit, it all comes down to five specific words. And our third and final story is one thing that we didn't tell you about Apple yesterday. Apple launched a Venmo killer. But here's the funny thing. Venmo's biggest nightmare may actually become Venmo's biggest dream. But Yeties, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories. What a mix of stories?

Love the mix that is a wild mix. I love the mix that I check. Roger Federer is. going viral. Roger is going viral, but it's not for a serve, a smash, or a grand slam over the giant hand reach of Andy Rodic. The Swiss tennis legend, Roger Federer, is going viral for a speech he made. A speech that he gave at Dartmouth College. Yeties, there's a lot of graduation speeches and a lot of great speakers out there. Oh, each one inspiring you to take risks and follow your dreams. And live every day like it's your last. Yaddy, yada, yada. But this Roger, Roger Federer speech is actually the most shared graduation video on TikTok. Yeah, he got more comments on his speech at Dartmouth

than he got for all 20 of his Grand Slam tennis victories. Roger Federer was whipping up words of wisdom like a pickleball poet. So Nick and I are serving him up right here faster than Serena Williams. In fact, Roger delivered one line about two data points that is wild. This one line

hit us hard. Yes, it did. And here it is. Yet he's Roger Federer said that he won 80% of the matches he played. 80% of the time he won. 80% of the time he won. That's an incredible track record. But Roger only won 54% of the points in those matches. He won 80% of his matches, but only won 54% of the points within those matches. Inside each match, he barely won more than half the points.

And yet, he turned out one of the best players in tennis history. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddy who's the greatest tennis player of all time? Your last error is behind you. Mistakes are inevitable on the road to victory. Well said, our Fed. Well played, Mr. Rogers. You're a move, John McEnroe. You're a move.

Maconroe, get on the podium. Jack, let's in our three stories. 15 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 a 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. If you know, you know, because we're ready to go. We can't wait no more, so just start the show. For our first story, last week, the United States beat number six Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup. But today, we play number one India. But America's cricket team is actually a gift to us, and we'll tell you why. Jack, why don't we kick off this story with a hero stat?

What do we got, man? Last fall, nearly 400 million people globally watched on TV as India played Pakistan in a cricket match. Jack, could you toss on a uniform and sprinkle on a little context for us, please? 400 million viewers, that's nearly three times as many people who viewed the Super Bowl. Three times as many people. Yeah, he's three times as many people are watching blobs, bunsen's, and belters over American football fumbles. Because cricket is actually the number two most popular game in the world behind only soccer. Sit down, stand up, and sit back down on a sticky wicket again.

I'm loving these terms. Keep them coming next. That's all I got, Jack. That's all I got. And right now, Yetis, the United States is co-hosting the T20 Cricket World Cup. Yes, it is. Every two years, 20 nations compete in this epic cricket standoff. And last week, the United States pulled off a shocker. Team USA beat Team Pakistan in the miracle on turf.

This was a stunning upset. Because in Pakistan, cricket is not only the number one sport, it's part of their national identity. On the other hand, in the United States, cricket is an insect. Yeah, it's an insect. It's an insect. But that leads to the big news today. Today, Wednesday, June 12th, in a temporary cricket stadium on Long Island, Team USA plays world number one, India.

And if we beat India today, then Jack and I will buy cricket bats and play a match together on this podcast. I was hoping you drop a few more cricket terms on me right there. I'm just going to repeat sticky wickets because I like saying sticky wickets. But yet he's the star of the year. U.S. victory against Pakistan last week? Who is it, Jack? It was a software engineer who works at Oracle.

We repeat the top player on the U.S. cricket team is an engineer at the Oracle Technology Company. Let's bring it back to some history first. I like that, Jack. Let's do it. What do we got, man? Only 200,000 Americans play cricket in America today, according to USA cricket. But President Abraham Lincoln happened to have been a huge fan of cricket.

In fact, prior to the invention of baseball, America's summer sport was cricket. Yeah, it was the sticky wickets. Yet he's cricket. It is most popular in England and former British colonies, including India, Pakistan, and the United States. Yeah. But today, because of baseball and all the other sports distracting us, we only have 200,000 cricket players here. And one of those players is Sorab Netra Vilker, who was born in India. By day, Sorab Netra Wilker is crushing code at Oracle out in what, Redwood City? Is that where Oracle's based? Let's go with Redwood City, California. But by night and on the weekends,

this left armor is fast bowling for Team USA. In fact, during the game's intermission of the USA versus Pakistan cricket match, this young man was caught with a laptop doing Zoom calls for his day job at Oracle. Yeah, he's working from World Cup, apparently. Don't believe us? Jack and I just added him on LinkedIn.

That's how legit this is. Do you think he admitted to his boss that he was at the World Cup? I hope he was boasting to his boss about it. Well, Jack, I did just endorse him for sticky wickets and spreadsheets. So let's hope he did. Yeties, this man was born in India, and he moved to the United States to get a master's degree in computer science from Cornell, and then he moved out to California to work at

Oracle. And now he's making a huge impact on our country and at Oracle and on the Oval. And Oracle stock is up 2% so far this week. Just want to throw that out there. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over playing cricket? Like so many parts of America, foreign-born Americans are building American cricket. Yet is, this victory against Pakistan, it's been called our biggest sports upset since the 1980 miracle on ice. And it couldn't have come at a better time for the sport in America.

And here's why. Because last year, six teams established America's first pro cricket league, major league cricket. This league raised $120 million in venture funding to build new stadiums across the country and develop some youth sports leagues. And funny thing, Jack, who happens to own one of these brand new professional cricket teams? Microsoft CEO Sachinadella, who was also born in India. In fact, seven of the starting 11 players for Team USA cricket were born in other countries, including the side hustler tech star at Oracle, Sorab Nitra Vilker. So, besties, it is a gift to America that they are planning the buds of a new sport to blossom up here.

Like so many parts of our economy and our tech, foreign-born Americans, are building. American cricket. For our second story, Venmo is about to face a Venmo killer from Apple. 14 seconds at Apple's event on Monday destroyed $14 billion of the competition's market cap. Oh, the keynote of Apple's worldwide developers' conference, Yeti's, it was nearly two hours long.

We covered the biggest part yesterday on the show. Apple Intelligence with AI-upgraded series. The funny thing, there was actually one sneaky part that Apple announced that didn't get much attention, did it, Jack? Just 14 seconds of that two-hour keynote? That's what we're talking about. And those 14 seconds crushed the stocks of a bunch of finance companies. Jack, let's roll the clip. What do we got, Tray? Push and play. We're introducing Tap to Cash, a quick and private way to exchange Apple Cash without sharing phone numbers or email addresses. With Tap to Cash, you can pay someone back for dinner just by

holding your phones together. Boom, Yeti's Apple's tap to cash lets you put iPhones tip to tip and send 20 bucks to your buddy Timmy with a little bit of buzz. It's like magic. You stick your iPhone next to somebody else's iPhone, tip to tip like two fish kissing each other or something. Jack, I'm not going to lie. Try this out today. I felt a little naughty doing it. It is a little weird. But those 14 seconds we played a minute ago, that knocked $14 billion of value off the stocks of Apple's finance competition. Because Besties Square and PayPal stocks, they felt. 4% on those 14 seconds. Visa, MasterCard,

MX, they were all down 1% yesterday because Apple's jumping into their territory. On the other hand, Apple, its stock is up 7% because they kind of launched everything yesterday, including this. Because what Apple launched wasn't a digital wallet, it was a digital weapon. This, Yeties, this was actually a Venmo killer.

Nick and I have said many times on the show that the enemy of tech is friction. Well, funny thing, but Apple just eliminated 100% of the friction in a peer-to-peer payment. Soon, at a farmer's market, you won't have to swipe your credit card through a square dongle. So this new feature from Apple, it's a square crusher. The next time you're out of Facebook marketplace made-up, you don't need to exchange PayPal account information.

This is a PayPal crusher. Most of all, Apple's tip-to-tip, tap-to-cash feature, it's a Venmo killer. And the reason, Jack and I think that is because it passes the brunch test. If you are out on Saturday and get some mimosas and chocolate chip pancakes, sounds lovely, Jack. You're not going to scan QR codes on your buddy's phone to Venmo on 23 bucks anymore. Jack, what did you say? Was it at J.K. Kramer or at J.K.K. Kramer for Venmo?

It was actually J.K. Baseball 5. I came up with a username in middle school. You're not going to go through that friction anymore, and the test case is your Sunday brunch. You're just going to put your iPhone near the other iPhone, and your cash balance is going to rise by $23. Now, Bessies, we all know we're excited. experiencing an increase in payments with our phones to eliminate payment friction.

And Apple's hardware gives it home field advantage in mobile payments. Which is why Apple is now taking advantage of that advantage with this new tap-to-cash feature. But Nick, as big as this Venmo killer is, we actually think Apple shouldn't have done it. Yeah, funny thing, Jack and I think Apple's best idea may have been its worst idea. And we'll tell you in the takeaway. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies? He's not at Venmo, but over at Apple. Apple is flirting with Icarus.

It's flying too close to the regulatory sun. Yet is Icarus, the Greek tragedy of a human who flew too close to the sun on wax wings, and those wings are melted. I'mcourous. It's a story of arrogance, hubris, and being overly confident. Well, Jack and I think that that is exactly what Apple's doing wrong right here. They're flying way too close to the sun over at Apple. Because Apple was sued in March by the Department of Justice for monopolizing the smartphone market.

And a specific complaint in that antitrust lawsuit that Apple throttles competitive alternatives from rival technologies. Well, Apple's new tap-to-pay feature, it feels like it's going to be a new exhibit in that lawsuit. Yeah, the lawsuit's now going to say, uh, Apple abuses iPhone advantages to unfairly win in other industries like finance. So this new Venmo-Killing app that Apple launched, it actually strengthened regulators' arguments to break up Apple. It puts Apple at even more risk, specifically Icarus. risk. Apple would have been better off letting PayPal or Square build this, not Apple itself. Because Apple is just flying too close to the regulatory sun. One antitrust lawsuit could melt its wings. For our third and final story, Netflix's baby reindeer is surging and it may win an Emmy

award. But Netflix just got sued for $170 million, all because of the first five words in the series. This is a true story. It is a true story. Honestly, Jack, actually, it's been a year since Succession ended, and I've been searching for a new show. What do you got, man? Dude, you know I'm going to Paris this summer. Emily and Paris Season 4 comes out while we're there. Yeah, I heard it's called Jack in Paris.

That's what she's calling it. Emily's watching you, Jack. Yeah, it is in the meantime. The fastest growing Netflix show actually had one of the lowest Netflix marketing budgets. That show is Baby Raneer, a dark British comedy about an aspiring comedian and his stalker. Yeah, you laugh. you cry and then you shut the door really quickly.

Donnie Dunn is the comedian, who also works as a bartender sometimes at a pub in London. And in the early scenes, he gives tea to a customer for free, but she then ends up turning into his stalker. A stage five clinger. Yeah, she sends 41,000 emails, 106 letters, and 350 hours of voicemails to this aspiring comedian, Donnie. Can you imagine if someone left you an hour of voicemails? Much less 350 hours? It's kind of like what our podcast is, Jack. Here's the interesting thing.

Donnie gets scared, but he doesn't totally reject his new stalker. And that's the tension point of the story. Right. Nick and I are only at the end of episode one, but we already see this universal question here. Yeah, like, does the stalker actually say more about him than her? Yeah, why didn't he report her early on? Did he like the attention he was getting from the stalker?

Is that what this is actually all about? And don't we all have a feeling of needing attention? I didn't realize you wanted a stalker? I'll save it for therapy. But Yeties, that is how this small British story became the number one on Netflix worldwide. Those reflective feelings. Nick, this show was in the top 10

of the Netflix global top 10, eight weeks in a row. Jack, this show got 81 million views and it just keeps on growing. But here's the news. This show and Netflix was sued for $170 million in damages by the real life Martha Scott. The stalker from the show, and the craziest part.

Part of all is that it all comes down to five simple words. The lawsuit hinges on these five words. This is a true story. Those five words were also in the trailer and the poster and the billboard for this movie. So what's the problem with those five words? Well, it means that the stalker from the show is actually a real-life person somewhere. Yeah, fake name in the show, but armchair detectives quickly started searching for who the real person was in real life. Right when the show launched.

The masses tracked her down on day one, actually. Yeah, they looked at tweets from the show and then tweets in real life and were able to Scooby-Doo style figure out who the real stalker in the show was. Yeah, they're calling her Real Martha. And now that Real Martha is known online, she's been harassed for, like, the crazy person she's portrayed as in this show. So she's claiming $170 million in damages from Netflix, and she blames those five words.

Because Netflix says this is a true story, but the real Martha says it's not a true story at all. Funny thing is that Netflix didn't say based on a true story or inspired by a true story. No, apparently the lawyers were in present for the production of this film, Jack. They said this is a true story. I can't believe that got past legal. So, yadies, we know what you're thinking. Is Netflix changing the wording?

Are they updating the ads? Are they going to re-upload the show to fix that issue? You know, the lawyers are telling them to? Yeah. But they're not. No. They're doubling down on their original position. In fact, just yesterday Netflix said that they will defend their creator's story

and they just submitted Baby Raneer for an Emmy. This is a true story about this. This is a true story. But Jack, let's put this lawsuit aside for a second. Because Baby Rangier, which is the stalker's nickname for him, by the way, reveals something bigger. Spoiler alert. Why does she call him Baby Rangier?

We'll save that for another pod. Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Netflix? Baby Raneer highlights the universality of storytelling. Yet he's two weeks ago. The New York Times did an interview with Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos. Jack and I enjoyed listening to it, and it focused interestingly on Netflix's international strategy. Because this year, Netflix will spend $8 billion of their $15 billion content budget on international title. We repeat, Netflix is spending two lifts, half of their content budget on non-U.S. movies and movies and shows and schmovies. How is Netflix's use of localized content going to drive global subscriber growth? by finding universal themes. Yes, like Squid Games.

It was a South Korean series, but it tapped into a U.S. feeling of economic angst. And Baby Raneer, it's a British series, but it taps into human questions of self-worth that we all feel. That Nick's going to talk to his therapist about it. Yeah, and he's tapping into those universal themes. That is why four Netflix shows are thriving across Netflix. And that's the strategy for why Netflix is spending half its content budget abroad.

Because universal themes make it a great story, regardless of the language. Das is das besta bis hair. Jack, can you whip up the takeaways for us for Saviche Wednesday? Team USA cricket has its biggest test ever today. They play number one India. Like much of American tech, foreign-born Americans are building USA cricket. For our second story, it's Apple. They launched Tap to Pay on Monday, which is a big threat to both Venmo and Scrolet.

It's a Venmo killer, but we think Apple is facing Icarus risk. Apple is flying too close to the regulatory sun. And our third and final story was Netflix. They're being sued by the real Martha for her portrayal in baby reindeer. Netflix has spent $8 billion on international content because Netflix finds universal themes. But Yeties, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today. First, Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden's son, was found guilty on Tuesday by a jury of his peers.

The crime, illegally purchasing and possessing a firearm in October of 2018 while using a narcotic. This makes Hunter the first child of a president to be convicted of a crime. And his father, President Biden, says he will not pardon his son. And second, Southwest Airlines is facing its biggest threat ever, but it's not a threat from another airline or whether. It's a threat from an investor. Activist investor, Elliott Management, has bought $2 billion of Southwest stock, and now they're demanding changes. All right, here's a weird thing. Southwest profits are down 40% since the pandemic, despite record air travel in America. You're already off to Cabo. That's why Elliott Management is demanding a new CEO and a new board. And finally, Martha's Vineyard is losing its only cannabis distillery.

This summer, there will be no legal pot on the vineyard. Interestingly, it is legal to buy and sell marijuana in Massachusetts, but it's not legal to transport that marijuana across the ocean to the vineyard. I had to go full Magellan on you over there. There is an ocean, technically, that is separating Martha's vineyard, the island from the rest of the state of Massachusetts. Yeah, I guess the ferry staff on the mass ferry service. Actually, it's called the Island Queen, right? It is, it is. Yeah, the Island Queen.

I guess the ferry service is patting you down for contraband. Apparently a lot of vineyard folk are going to be heading over to Dan Tucket for a good time this summer, Jack. If you see somebody smoking pot out there, it was illegal, even though it's legal. Because the water rule. Because the water roll. Now, time for the best fact yet. This one sent in from our Greek buddies. The North American Olive Oil Association, Real Thing, found that highest per capita olive oil

consuming countries. You ready for them? You know what you're thinking. It seems obvious that the Mediterranean countries would have the top olive oil consumption. We hear you on that. And you're right. The answer is Greece. But the surprise is how much olive oil the Greeks actually consume.

Oh, my Scatatatopia or whatever. Holy Helos. Get this, Yetis. The Greeks consume six gallons of olive oil per person per year. That sounds like a lot, but an American only consumes a quarter a gallon per year. So the Greeks consume 24 times more olive oil than a typical American. Jack, it sounds like the Greeks are flying a little too close to the sun when it comes to olive oil. It sounds like the Greece had taken a lot of shots of oil like you do. No, no, like the wings are going to catch on fire because of all the oil.

Oil doesn't combust. Extra virgin olive oil does have a low burning point. Meet the Greeks. The real big oil. Yet is, you look fantastic today. And remember, when you're in line with someone, tell them, hey, if you're going to have lunch, H-Y-H-T-B-O-I. Have you had the best one yet?

And if you make a mistake today, don't worry about it. Just remember what Roger Federer said. You can lose 44% of the points and still be the best tennis player ever. You'll still win 80% of the time. In the meantime, Jack and I, we've got to prep tomorrow's show, and we'll see you later. And before we go, a happy fourth birthday to Yeti Reagan. Who is thriving right now in Akanamo-Walak, Wisconsin? Yeah, she actually wants us to pronounce her hometown.

I'm going to give it a try. Akanamahuak, Wisconsin. All right, so we're 0 for 2. And a happy third birthday to Levi Gerard in Framingham, Massachusetts, has a fantastic dinosaur roar living just outside Boston. My son Wilder has a good dinosaur roar, too. It's a good one. It's a fantastic one. And Pornagathy in Caymus Washington is celebrating a birthday with his two fantastic boys.

And Gabby and Jacob in New Orleans just got engaged. Gabby and Jacob, let's see some ring picks. Congratulations, guys. And congratulations to Brian Chang in New York City, who just graduated from elementary school. Yeah, baby. And congratulations to Donovan Baltic and Lakeland, Florida. The Family Garden Biz just fulfilled its 500,000th online plan order on its 20th anniversary. three party. Two incredible milestones. And congratulations

to Sage Thompson in Boston who just got accepted to the pharmacy school at Chapel Hill. Far away from Boston. And to anyone else who celebrating something today, make it a T-boy. Celebrate the wins. This is Jack. Nick and I both own stock of Apple and Block, which

owns square. The math's confusing, but the point is positive. Yeah, you get what we're saying. You can re-listen to the beginning of the show if you don't.