Nick
@studionick.bsky.social
Startups, CPG, licensing, supply chain, GTM, urban planning, moonshots ~ Enjoys talking on the phone
There is a special place in hell for people that touch MacBook keys with greasy fingers.
November 18, 2025 at 9:09 AM
There is a special place in hell for people that touch MacBook keys with greasy fingers.
My takeaway after a week of reading the napkins:
The"official story"is the most expensive fiction a company can buy
The spreadsheet tells you what happened
The ground truth tells you what's about to happen
Stop reading memos.Start reading napkins
#BusinessStrategy #Investing #Leadership #GroundTruth
The"official story"is the most expensive fiction a company can buy
The spreadsheet tells you what happened
The ground truth tells you what's about to happen
Stop reading memos.Start reading napkins
#BusinessStrategy #Investing #Leadership #GroundTruth
November 16, 2025 at 9:20 PM
My takeaway after a week of reading the napkins:
The"official story"is the most expensive fiction a company can buy
The spreadsheet tells you what happened
The ground truth tells you what's about to happen
Stop reading memos.Start reading napkins
#BusinessStrategy #Investing #Leadership #GroundTruth
The"official story"is the most expensive fiction a company can buy
The spreadsheet tells you what happened
The ground truth tells you what's about to happen
Stop reading memos.Start reading napkins
#BusinessStrategy #Investing #Leadership #GroundTruth
Perplexity is putting its AI chatbot into Snapchat.
ThePlay:"We must capture Gen Z! Massive reach!"
Who is this for?
Does anyone use a social app to chat with a search engine?This is a press release, not a product-market fit.A solution in search of a problem.
#AI #Snapchat #Product #Tech #Strategy
ThePlay:"We must capture Gen Z! Massive reach!"
Who is this for?
Does anyone use a social app to chat with a search engine?This is a press release, not a product-market fit.A solution in search of a problem.
#AI #Snapchat #Product #Tech #Strategy
November 15, 2025 at 10:30 PM
The AmEx marketing sells"premium perks."
The ground truth is a"No AmEx"sign in a Paris cafe.
Merchants can now legally refuse high-fee cards
The most valuable network isn't the one with the best "synergies." It's the one that actually works at the register.
#Fintech #AmEx #Visa #Payments #CX #Travel
The ground truth is a"No AmEx"sign in a Paris cafe.
Merchants can now legally refuse high-fee cards
The most valuable network isn't the one with the best "synergies." It's the one that actually works at the register.
#Fintech #AmEx #Visa #Payments #CX #Travel
November 14, 2025 at 9:26 PM
The press release calls the new US Bank split-card a“flexible payment solution.”
It’s a BuyNow,PayLater scheme for your electric bill, launched just in time to prop up Q4.
The official story is"consumer choice." The ground truth is "consumer desperation."
#Fintech #Economy #Consumer #BNPL #Banking
It’s a BuyNow,PayLater scheme for your electric bill, launched just in time to prop up Q4.
The official story is"consumer choice." The ground truth is "consumer desperation."
#Fintech #Economy #Consumer #BNPL #Banking
November 13, 2025 at 9:30 PM
ESPN's$2B betting failure wasn't a"strategic pivot."It was a catastrophic failure of imagination
Disney is SYNERGY. So why was ESPN Bet just a generic,reskinned app? Why no Star Wars pod-racing bets?They had the world's best IP and refused to use it.
#Disney #ESPN #BrandStrategy #Innovation #Synergy
Disney is SYNERGY. So why was ESPN Bet just a generic,reskinned app? Why no Star Wars pod-racing bets?They had the world's best IP and refused to use it.
#Disney #ESPN #BrandStrategy #Innovation #Synergy
November 12, 2025 at 9:30 PM
ESPN's$2B betting failure wasn't a"strategic pivot."It was a catastrophic failure of imagination
Disney is SYNERGY. So why was ESPN Bet just a generic,reskinned app? Why no Star Wars pod-racing bets?They had the world's best IP and refused to use it.
#Disney #ESPN #BrandStrategy #Innovation #Synergy
Disney is SYNERGY. So why was ESPN Bet just a generic,reskinned app? Why no Star Wars pod-racing bets?They had the world's best IP and refused to use it.
#Disney #ESPN #BrandStrategy #Innovation #Synergy
Want to predict Disney's next earnings report? Go feel the napkins in the Magic Kingdom. They're thinner.
This isn't a supply chain issue
The layoffs, the reduced hours, and the cheap-o napkin aren't three problems. They're one spreadsheet-driven decision.
#Disney #CX #Brand #Investing #MagicKingdom
This isn't a supply chain issue
The layoffs, the reduced hours, and the cheap-o napkin aren't three problems. They're one spreadsheet-driven decision.
#Disney #CX #Brand #Investing #MagicKingdom
November 11, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Want to predict Disney's next earnings report? Go feel the napkins in the Magic Kingdom. They're thinner.
This isn't a supply chain issue
The layoffs, the reduced hours, and the cheap-o napkin aren't three problems. They're one spreadsheet-driven decision.
#Disney #CX #Brand #Investing #MagicKingdom
This isn't a supply chain issue
The layoffs, the reduced hours, and the cheap-o napkin aren't three problems. They're one spreadsheet-driven decision.
#Disney #CX #Brand #Investing #MagicKingdom
Stop reading analyst reports. They're lagging indicators.
Start reading the napkins. They're confessions.
The analyst sees "margin improvement."
The customer feels the napkin get cheaper.
The report is the curated story. The napkin is the ground truth.
#Business #Investing #Strategy #GroundTruth
Start reading the napkins. They're confessions.
The analyst sees "margin improvement."
The customer feels the napkin get cheaper.
The report is the curated story. The napkin is the ground truth.
#Business #Investing #Strategy #GroundTruth
November 10, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Stop reading analyst reports. They're lagging indicators.
Start reading the napkins. They're confessions.
The analyst sees "margin improvement."
The customer feels the napkin get cheaper.
The report is the curated story. The napkin is the ground truth.
#Business #Investing #Strategy #GroundTruth
Start reading the napkins. They're confessions.
The analyst sees "margin improvement."
The customer feels the napkin get cheaper.
The report is the curated story. The napkin is the ground truth.
#Business #Investing #Strategy #GroundTruth
November 10, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Reposted by Nick
Tiny, petty annoyances of the modern age: Every time this line I'm on hold with gives the, "Thank you for waiting, please hold for the next available..." spiel, the hold music resets to the beginning and so this song never actually gets across the bridge.
November 9, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Tiny, petty annoyances of the modern age: Every time this line I'm on hold with gives the, "Thank you for waiting, please hold for the next available..." spiel, the hold music resets to the beginning and so this song never actually gets across the bridge.
AI is coming for middle management.
Pushing a flood of highly-qualified people down into the entry-level job market.
The "great squeeze" is here. This is no longer a fringe idea. This is the central, practical case for a Universal Basic Income.
#AI #FutureOfWork #Economy #UBI #BasicIncome
Pushing a flood of highly-qualified people down into the entry-level job market.
The "great squeeze" is here. This is no longer a fringe idea. This is the central, practical case for a Universal Basic Income.
#AI #FutureOfWork #Economy #UBI #BasicIncome
November 9, 2025 at 12:25 PM
AI is coming for middle management.
Pushing a flood of highly-qualified people down into the entry-level job market.
The "great squeeze" is here. This is no longer a fringe idea. This is the central, practical case for a Universal Basic Income.
#AI #FutureOfWork #Economy #UBI #BasicIncome
Pushing a flood of highly-qualified people down into the entry-level job market.
The "great squeeze" is here. This is no longer a fringe idea. This is the central, practical case for a Universal Basic Income.
#AI #FutureOfWork #Economy #UBI #BasicIncome
The internet became our"third space."No wonder we're miserable and isolated.
We traded the coffee shop for a digital feed, and it hollowed us out.
The great rejection is coming.The next wave of business will be local,in-person,and sell real community
#ThirdPlace #Community #FutureOfBusiness #Culture
We traded the coffee shop for a digital feed, and it hollowed us out.
The great rejection is coming.The next wave of business will be local,in-person,and sell real community
#ThirdPlace #Community #FutureOfBusiness #Culture
November 8, 2025 at 4:30 PM
The internet became our"third space."No wonder we're miserable and isolated.
We traded the coffee shop for a digital feed, and it hollowed us out.
The great rejection is coming.The next wave of business will be local,in-person,and sell real community
#ThirdPlace #Community #FutureOfBusiness #Culture
We traded the coffee shop for a digital feed, and it hollowed us out.
The great rejection is coming.The next wave of business will be local,in-person,and sell real community
#ThirdPlace #Community #FutureOfBusiness #Culture
Looking for a Diner in #Dublin
24 hour preferred, of the Bobs Big Boy variety while not needed, appreciated.
#bobsbigboy
#diner
#ireland
24 hour preferred, of the Bobs Big Boy variety while not needed, appreciated.
#bobsbigboy
#diner
#ireland
November 7, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Looking for a Diner in #Dublin
24 hour preferred, of the Bobs Big Boy variety while not needed, appreciated.
#bobsbigboy
#diner
#ireland
24 hour preferred, of the Bobs Big Boy variety while not needed, appreciated.
#bobsbigboy
#diner
#ireland
Shopping is not freedom. It's a second, unpaid job. A labyrinth of 7,000 reviews just to buy a pen
The next great luxury is not more choice. It's the freedom of not having to choose
An AI agent you trust to just"handle it"is the great reckoning for brands
#AI #FutureOfCommerce #CX #Marketing #Luxury
The next great luxury is not more choice. It's the freedom of not having to choose
An AI agent you trust to just"handle it"is the great reckoning for brands
#AI #FutureOfCommerce #CX #Marketing #Luxury
November 7, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Shopping is not freedom. It's a second, unpaid job. A labyrinth of 7,000 reviews just to buy a pen
The next great luxury is not more choice. It's the freedom of not having to choose
An AI agent you trust to just"handle it"is the great reckoning for brands
#AI #FutureOfCommerce #CX #Marketing #Luxury
The next great luxury is not more choice. It's the freedom of not having to choose
An AI agent you trust to just"handle it"is the great reckoning for brands
#AI #FutureOfCommerce #CX #Marketing #Luxury
The theme park model is inverting.
Disney is building"mixtapes":a physical feed of random IPs to scroll through
Universal is building"books":cohesive, immersive worlds
One is an IP-pop The other is a long-term bet on immersion A dangerous game
#Disney #Universal #EpicUniverse #Placemaking #Immersion
Disney is building"mixtapes":a physical feed of random IPs to scroll through
Universal is building"books":cohesive, immersive worlds
One is an IP-pop The other is a long-term bet on immersion A dangerous game
#Disney #Universal #EpicUniverse #Placemaking #Immersion
November 6, 2025 at 3:31 PM
The theme park model is inverting.
Disney is building"mixtapes":a physical feed of random IPs to scroll through
Universal is building"books":cohesive, immersive worlds
One is an IP-pop The other is a long-term bet on immersion A dangerous game
#Disney #Universal #EpicUniverse #Placemaking #Immersion
Disney is building"mixtapes":a physical feed of random IPs to scroll through
Universal is building"books":cohesive, immersive worlds
One is an IP-pop The other is a long-term bet on immersion A dangerous game
#Disney #Universal #EpicUniverse #Placemaking #Immersion
We are getting a sequel to the social network, can we reboot Silicon Valley?
Silicon Reconning?
#siliconvalley
#socialnetwork
Silicon Reconning?
#siliconvalley
#socialnetwork
November 6, 2025 at 9:31 AM
We are getting a sequel to the social network, can we reboot Silicon Valley?
Silicon Reconning?
#siliconvalley
#socialnetwork
Silicon Reconning?
#siliconvalley
#socialnetwork
The corporate creed of "good enough" is a rot.
The internal question isn’t "Is it great?"but"Is it better than it needs to be?" Excellence is a threat. It sets a new standard. A mediocre product, propped up by 50 years of nostalgia, is just a safer bet.
#Disney #CX #BrandStrategy #Zootopia #Business
The internal question isn’t "Is it great?"but"Is it better than it needs to be?" Excellence is a threat. It sets a new standard. A mediocre product, propped up by 50 years of nostalgia, is just a safer bet.
#Disney #CX #BrandStrategy #Zootopia #Business
November 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
The corporate creed of "good enough" is a rot.
The internal question isn’t "Is it great?"but"Is it better than it needs to be?" Excellence is a threat. It sets a new standard. A mediocre product, propped up by 50 years of nostalgia, is just a safer bet.
#Disney #CX #BrandStrategy #Zootopia #Business
The internal question isn’t "Is it great?"but"Is it better than it needs to be?" Excellence is a threat. It sets a new standard. A mediocre product, propped up by 50 years of nostalgia, is just a safer bet.
#Disney #CX #BrandStrategy #Zootopia #Business
The counter-signal has begun.
As AI floods the market with deepfakes and "personalized" slop, smart brands like Aerie and Heineken are marketing themselves as "AI-Free."
"Human-Made" is the new luxury. Trust is the only asset that doesn't scale.
#AI #BrandStrategy #Marketing #Trust #CX
As AI floods the market with deepfakes and "personalized" slop, smart brands like Aerie and Heineken are marketing themselves as "AI-Free."
"Human-Made" is the new luxury. Trust is the only asset that doesn't scale.
#AI #BrandStrategy #Marketing #Trust #CX
November 4, 2025 at 2:30 PM
The counter-signal has begun.
As AI floods the market with deepfakes and "personalized" slop, smart brands like Aerie and Heineken are marketing themselves as "AI-Free."
"Human-Made" is the new luxury. Trust is the only asset that doesn't scale.
#AI #BrandStrategy #Marketing #Trust #CX
As AI floods the market with deepfakes and "personalized" slop, smart brands like Aerie and Heineken are marketing themselves as "AI-Free."
"Human-Made" is the new luxury. Trust is the only asset that doesn't scale.
#AI #BrandStrategy #Marketing #Trust #CX
The Great Detachment is here.
Since GPT 2.5, job postings are down 1/3, & the S&P 500 is up 75%.
Layoffs aren't a sign of failure. They're a strategy. Companies are freeing up cash for AI, betting their future growth is no longer tied to headcount.
#AI #Economy #FutureOfWork #Investing #Layoffs
Since GPT 2.5, job postings are down 1/3, & the S&P 500 is up 75%.
Layoffs aren't a sign of failure. They're a strategy. Companies are freeing up cash for AI, betting their future growth is no longer tied to headcount.
#AI #Economy #FutureOfWork #Investing #Layoffs
November 3, 2025 at 2:01 PM
The Great Detachment is here.
Since GPT 2.5, job postings are down 1/3, & the S&P 500 is up 75%.
Layoffs aren't a sign of failure. They're a strategy. Companies are freeing up cash for AI, betting their future growth is no longer tied to headcount.
#AI #Economy #FutureOfWork #Investing #Layoffs
Since GPT 2.5, job postings are down 1/3, & the S&P 500 is up 75%.
Layoffs aren't a sign of failure. They're a strategy. Companies are freeing up cash for AI, betting their future growth is no longer tied to headcount.
#AI #Economy #FutureOfWork #Investing #Layoffs
We stand at a wonderful turning point. The old way of "taking" is giving way to a new challenge: "How do we create in a way that lasts?"
This isn't a limit; it's the start of our greatest adventure. A future where our prosperity and our planet grow together.
This isn't a limit; it's the start of our greatest adventure. A future where our prosperity and our planet grow together.
November 2, 2025 at 12:43 PM
We stand at a wonderful turning point. The old way of "taking" is giving way to a new challenge: "How do we create in a way that lasts?"
This isn't a limit; it's the start of our greatest adventure. A future where our prosperity and our planet grow together.
This isn't a limit; it's the start of our greatest adventure. A future where our prosperity and our planet grow together.
The Freedom of “Good Enough”
Shopping is not about choice.
open.substack.com
November 2, 2025 at 11:14 AM
So, the lights flickered! a new challenge, a new frontier.
We built a magnificent tower.
Now, our ingenuity is called upon to build something even better: not a single tower, but a resilient network, connected, distributed, and strong.
Singularity brings us too close to the sun
#AWS
We built a magnificent tower.
Now, our ingenuity is called upon to build something even better: not a single tower, but a resilient network, connected, distributed, and strong.
Singularity brings us too close to the sun
#AWS
November 1, 2025 at 10:42 AM
So, the lights flickered! a new challenge, a new frontier.
We built a magnificent tower.
Now, our ingenuity is called upon to build something even better: not a single tower, but a resilient network, connected, distributed, and strong.
Singularity brings us too close to the sun
#AWS
We built a magnificent tower.
Now, our ingenuity is called upon to build something even better: not a single tower, but a resilient network, connected, distributed, and strong.
Singularity brings us too close to the sun
#AWS
We are masters at building worlds.
So why do we build a magnificent, immersive world, only to chase people through it?
The public doesn't just want to be scared; they want to wonder. The future of immersion is in trusting the audience. Let them explore the magic you've built.
#HHN
#UniversalStudios
So why do we build a magnificent, immersive world, only to chase people through it?
The public doesn't just want to be scared; they want to wonder. The future of immersion is in trusting the audience. Let them explore the magic you've built.
#HHN
#UniversalStudios
October 31, 2025 at 12:39 PM
We are masters at building worlds.
So why do we build a magnificent, immersive world, only to chase people through it?
The public doesn't just want to be scared; they want to wonder. The future of immersion is in trusting the audience. Let them explore the magic you've built.
#HHN
#UniversalStudios
So why do we build a magnificent, immersive world, only to chase people through it?
The public doesn't just want to be scared; they want to wonder. The future of immersion is in trusting the audience. Let them explore the magic you've built.
#HHN
#UniversalStudios
We have unlocked a fountain of creation.
New tools give us more of everything, instantly.
But abundance is not the same as wisdom.
The great new frontier is curation.
The future belongs to the storytellers and the guides who can find the true magic in all that noise.
New tools give us more of everything, instantly.
But abundance is not the same as wisdom.
The great new frontier is curation.
The future belongs to the storytellers and the guides who can find the true magic in all that noise.
October 30, 2025 at 2:38 PM
We have unlocked a fountain of creation.
New tools give us more of everything, instantly.
But abundance is not the same as wisdom.
The great new frontier is curation.
The future belongs to the storytellers and the guides who can find the true magic in all that noise.
New tools give us more of everything, instantly.
But abundance is not the same as wisdom.
The great new frontier is curation.
The future belongs to the storytellers and the guides who can find the true magic in all that noise.