Even though REM sleep gets all the hype, it’s during slow-wave sleep (SWS) that our brains “strengthen and integrate [memories] into preexisting memory networks.” I’m currently lacking in SWS, and the consequence is writer’s block — no pattern recognition, only themeless, disparate thoughts. Hence, radio silence.
Alas, today I can only share the intake, information that is likely interconnected in ways I simply can’t see right now. Hopefully, you can.
Matt Scanlan is the founder of NAADAM, a cashmere brand that found itself the subject of a competitor’s same-but-cheaper campaigns. I liked Scanlan’s response: “I don’t know if it’s illegal, but I know that it is strange.” Strange indeed, and lazy.
This Acquired episode goes deep into LVMH's history. The corporate gamesmanship is remarkable, but more remarkable is the return on extreme investments in brand equity. Case in point: a $500 million rebuild of the Tiffany & Co. flagship may have already enabled LVMH to turn a profit on its $16 billion acquisition.
Marc Lore, the founder of Diapers.com, Jet, and now Wonder, is the opposite: he finds small pockets of revenue in indistinct categories. In this Times profile, though, another belief of his caught my attention: that smaller swings are actually higher risk than bigger swings. This made me think of the sigmoid function, below, and the dead zone between $0 and $40,000 in marketing spend on the x-axis.
Deglobalization is a topic du jour as countries and regions restrict cross-border trade. The EU is doing so in pursuit of aggressive climate goals, which Amazon argues will saddle small businesses with regulatory fees. Unpopular opinion: that may be a necessary tradeoff until the embedded requirements come down in cost.
Keep Cool tracks the insane innovation happening in climate tech. Recent examples: $14.7 million for mini Earth observation satellites, $11.4 million for custom proteins, and $6.5 million for modular, carbon-neutral cement plants.
As predicted, TikTok Shop is not guaranteed success. In March, Glossy shared data suggesting that Gen Z users hate it and wish they could turn it off.
In this episode of Invest Like the Best, Jeremy Giffon describes holding companies as “[indexes] against your own abilities,” which is remarkably accurate and yet not a sentiment I’ve heard before.
Hopefully, my brain will be up and running soon. Until then, get some sleep for me.