🌴 “Nothing beats a…” — Jet2’s meme-of-the-summer. Uber’s Airbn-beating. The NFL’s ESPN hookup. Kevin = Cash.

Summary

Podcast Summary: "The Best One Yet" Hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell Release Date: August 7, 2025

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Introduction

In the August 7, 2025 episode of "The Best One Yet", hosts Jack Crivici-Kramer and Nick Martell dive into three compelling business stories shaping the pop-biz landscape. From viral marketing tactics to major industry shake-ups and contrasting fortunes of tech giants, this episode offers insightful analysis and engaging commentary. Below is a comprehensive summary of the key points, discussions, and conclusions drawn during the episode.

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1. Jet2’s Viral Meme Success

Timestamp: [05:54] – [10:24]

Overview: Jet2, a British low-cost airline, became the unexpected star of the summer through a viral meme featuring their jingle, "Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday." This seemingly mocking meme led to an unexpected surge in sales for the airline.

Key Points:

• Viral Phenomenon: The jingle was used in over 2 million TikTok videos, amassing billions of views. Unlike traditional advertisements, many TikTok creators showcased vacation mishaps using the upbeat jingle, creating a humorous contrast.

• Impact on Business: Contrary to potential negative perceptions, Jet2's revenues increased by 15% from the previous year. The hosts attribute this success to the "earworm phenomenon," where catchy audio logos enhance brand recall more effectively than visual elements.

• Strategic Response: Instead of dismissing the meme, Jet2 embraced it by launching a sweepstakes offering a £1,000 holiday voucher for the best Jet2 meme video. This move not only capitalized on the meme's popularity but also reinforced brand engagement through self-deprecating humor.

Notable Quotes:

• Jack: “[...] video of them on a zipline. But the zipline breaks, they get dragged and it's hilarious.” ([07:02])

• Nick: “You can thank science. Audio memory, it turns out, is stronger than visual memory.” ([08:22])

Takeaway: Embracing and engaging with viral content, even if it initially appears critical, can yield significant positive results. Self-roasting and authenticity resonate well with modern audiences, enhancing brand loyalty and visibility.

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2. NFL’s Strategic Investment in Disney’s ESPN

Timestamp: [10:24] – [14:38]

Overview: A groundbreaking move in the sports broadcasting arena occurred as the National Football League (NFL) acquired 10% of Disney’s ESPN, marking one of the most significant partnerships since the classic sports integration of bat and ball.

Key Points:

• Deal Details: The investment includes ESPN gaining access to NFL Network and the Red Zone, effectively merging ESPN's football programming with NFL's extensive coverage. This integration aims to consolidate football content, providing a unified streaming experience through ESPN's new platform launching on August 21st.

• Disney’s Financial Struggles: Despite the high-profile partnership, Disney faces a midlife media crisis. While traditional cable networks remain profitable, Disney’s streaming endeavors, including Hulu and ESPN+, have been incurring substantial losses. Conversely, Disney’s physical assets like theme parks and merchandise remain robust, contributing 60% of their profits.

• Strategic Implications: The partnership with the NFL is seen as Disney’s effort to invigorate ESPN's streaming service and bolster subscriber numbers. However, the reliance on physical assets highlights the challenges Disney faces in its digital transformation.

Notable Quotes:

• Nick: “The NFL is hooking up with Disney, baby.” ([12:22])

• Jack: “The most magical place on earth for Disney is the place with no tech.” ([13:34])

Takeaway: Strategic investments and partnerships are crucial for legacy media companies navigating the digital age. However, Disney’s experience underscores the difficulty of balancing traditional profitable sectors with the high costs and uncertain returns of streaming services.

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3. Uber’s Stellar Quarter vs. Airbnb’s Struggles

Timestamp: [16:37] – [20:31]

Overview: While Uber celebrates its best quarter ever, showcasing impressive revenue growth and a robust stock performance, Airbnb faces challenges with its stock declining since its 2020 IPO. The hosts analyze the factors contributing to these divergent outcomes.

Key Points:

• Uber’s Success:

  • Revenue Growth: Uber reported an 18% increase in revenues last quarter and is conducting a $20 billion stock buyback, signaling strong confidence in its financial health.
  • Business Expansion: Uber's diversification into food delivery alongside ride-hailing has effectively doubled its business, providing multiple revenue streams and enhancing resilience against market fluctuations.

• Airbnb’s Struggles:

  • Limited Diversification: Unlike Uber, Airbnb has remained focused solely on short-term rentals. Despite a solid 13% revenue growth, it trails Uber’s 50% higher growth rate.
  • Stock Performance: Airbnb’s stock has been declining since its IPO, attributed to its lack of diversification and limited expansion beyond travel-related services.

• Hypothetical Scenario: The hosts present a playful "pretend earnings report" imagining if Airbnb had diversified into sharing a wide array of household items and services. This alternate reality highlights the potential missed opportunities in broadening Airbnb's platform beyond travel.

Notable Quotes:

• Nick: “Uber's smarter decision was leveraging their Ride Hail platform to do food delivery as well.” ([20:05])

• Jack: “If you’ve got a platform like Ludacris taught us, shake it like a moneymaker.” ([20:01])

Takeaway: Diversification and leveraging core platforms to expand into adjacent markets can significantly enhance a company's growth and financial stability. Uber’s proactive strategy contrasts with Airbnb’s more conservative approach, illustrating the benefits of adaptability in the competitive tech landscape.

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Additional Highlights

Timestamp: [21:52] – [24:10]

Beyond the main stories, the hosts briefly touch upon:

• Trade War Developments:

  • India's 50% Tariff: In response to India’s purchase of Russian oil, President Trump imposed a 50% tariff. However, iPhones remain exempt, supported by Apple’s $100 billion increase in its US manufacturing fund.

• IKEA's "Inception Retail":

  • Mini Stores within Best Buy: IKEA is launching small-scale stores inside Best Buy locations in Florida and Texas, aimed at providing convenient access to IKEA products without the need to visit a full-size store.

• Mazda’s Resilience Post-Hiroshima:

  • Historic Recovery: Reflecting on Mazda’s survival and rapid production resumption after the Hiroshima atomic bomb in 1945, highlighting the company's enduring presence and contribution to the local economy.

Notable Quotes:

• Nick: “Mazda is still based in Hiroshima today.” ([23:58])

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Conclusion

The August 7, 2025 episode of "The Best One Yet" offers a deep dive into how strategic marketing, pivotal investments, and business diversification shape industry success. Jet2’s embrace of viral trends underscores the power of authentic engagement, while the NFL’s stake in ESPN highlights the evolving dynamics of sports broadcasting. Meanwhile, Uber and Airbnb’s contrasting performances illuminate the critical role of diversification in sustaining growth. Additionally, the episode provides insightful snapshots of ongoing trade wars and innovative retail strategies, wrapped up with a nod to Mazda’s historical resilience.

Listeners are encouraged to reflect on these narratives and consider the broader implications for businesses navigating the fast-paced pop-biz environment.

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Notable Quote Compilation:

• Nick (05:54): “But it's caused a sales surge for one random British airline.”
• Jack (07:02): “[An Australian couple uses] the zipline breaks, they get dragged and it's hilarious.”
• Nick (08:22): “You can thank science. Audio memory, it turns out, is stronger than visual memory.”
• Nick (10:24): “Disney is doing the best [in transitioning to digital]... but as proven by their flat stock price.”
• Jack (13:34): “The most magical place on earth for Disney is the place with no tech.”
• Jack (20:01): “If you’ve got a platform like Ludacris taught us, shake it like a moneymaker.”
• Nick (23:53): “And so just a few months later, Mazda started production right back up again while everyone else was still rebuilding.”

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Final Thoughts: This episode exemplifies "The Best One Yet"'s commitment to delivering insightful and entertaining business analysis. By dissecting current events with a blend of humor and expertise, Jack and Nick provide listeners with valuable perspectives on the ever-evolving business landscape.

Transcript

[Nick]

This is Nick, this is Jack. It's Thursday, the new Friday, August 7th, and today's pod is the best one yet. This is a T boy.

[Jack]

The top three pop business news stories you need to know today.

[Nick]

Big news Yetis. Jack and I are interviewing the creator, the co founder and the CEO of David Bar.

[Jack]

Remember the viral protein bar company that's so committed to protein they launched a fish bar.

[Nick]

Yeah. Coffee fish. If you've got a question for Peter from David Barr, hit us up and we will ask it in the interview.

[Jack]

That interview drops later this month, but in the meantime.

[Nick]

Yeah, Jack, we got a fantastic mix of stories. Our best yet. What do we got on today's T boy?

[Jack]

For our first story, nothing beats a jet to holiday. That sentence is the meme of the.

[Nick]

Summer and it's causing a sales surge for one random British airline.

[Jack]

For our second story, the NFL is buying 10% of ESPN from Disney.

[Nick]

Wow.

[Jack]

It's the biggest hookup in sports since bat met ball.

[Nick]

But it highlights an awkward, awkward truth about Disney's business. A physically hard truth.

[Jack]

And our third and final story. Uber stock has had its best quarter ever. So why is Airbnb experiencing the opposite?

[Nick]

Well, Jack and I will tell you why. Uber is riding, but Airbnb is hiding.

[Jack]

We actually created a pretend earnings report.

[Nick]

To show you how we did our first fake earnings report for this one. It's pretty cool.

[Jack]

But Yetis, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories, I mean, fantastic mix.

[Nick]

Of stories today, Jack.

[Jack]

Nick, what's the coolest name on Wall street right now?

[Nick]

Jack? It's Kevin. Kevin is the coolest name on Wall.

[Jack]

Street these days because President Trump's leading candidates for the future Fed chairman are both Kevin's.

[Nick]

Kevin Hassett and Kevin Warsh, the Kevins of the economy.

[Jack]

As the President said, Kevin and Kevin. I like both Kevins.

[Nick]

This is the biggest moment for Kevin since Kevin. Kevin, Kevin, Kevin. But few know that the name Kevin is actually a wild European statistical treat.

[Jack]

It's a German concept. They didn't teach me in my German major, but it's called Kevinism.

[Nick]

Jack, why don't you sprinkle on some context for us? Ya.

[Jack]

The peak years for babies being named Kevin in America was 1963 to 1972.

[Nick]

For a decade, Kevin was a top 20 boy name in America, baby.

[Jack]

And then in the 1990s, those Kevins grew into movie stars.

[Nick]

Kevin McAllister, Kevin Costner, Kevin James, the Kevin, and Baywatch Kevin Bacon. Yeah, classic Kevin.

[Jack]

So a funny twist happened in Europe because in 1989 the Berlin Wall fell. There was pro west, pro democratic feelings across Germany.

[Nick]

So many of these new parents wanted alternatives to the traditional German names.

[Jack]

And after watching American movies full of.

[Nick]

Kevins, Home Alone, Dances With Wolves, Baywatch.

[Jack]

They named their kids Kevin.

[Nick]

Kevin. It sounded exotic, different, cool, maybe even.

[Jack]

Sexy, which is ironic because Kevin is the least exotic male name I can think of right now.

[Nick]

Kevin. We're not Kevin in accounting. We're not talking about you. Don't worry.

[Jack]

So that explains the 1990s surge in German babies named Kevin.

[Nick]

And that real trend is called Kevinism.

[Jack]

Or as they say in German, Kevinismus.

[Nick]

So, besties, if you got a buddy named Kevin, give him a call.

[Jack]

And if your buddy is the future Fed chairman, ask for an interest rate cut.

[Nick]

Because Kevin has never been hotter. And we got the numbers to prove it. Jack, what's in our three stories? 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 the norm. Jack. Nick.

[Jack]

That's it.

[Nick]

I don't even think they need to practice. 50%. That's a fat tip. T Boy City on your @ Liz, if you know, you know. Cause we read to go. We can't wait no more. So just start the show, Start the show. Start the show. First, a quick word from our sponsor.

[Jack]

Airbnb.

[Nick]

Yetis, there is nothing more powerful in life or in business than the double dip.

[Jack]

Dip that chip twice and don't end.

[Nick]

It with the ultimate money Double dip hosting on Airbnb. Jack's talked so much about being a host, his friends are asking him about it. I'm getting asked about it all the time.

[Jack]

One buddy is about to get married. He has no kids yet. He wants to travel the country dink style with his new wife. How is he going to pay for it? He's going to list his house on Airbnb.

[Nick]

So, Basties, if you're going on vacation this summer, join the millions who host on Airbnb.

[Jack]

Host your whole space. Host your extra space. Host any space.

[Nick]

The income from putting your home on Airbnb could pay for your whole vacay.

[Jack]

I've been doing it for three different.

[Nick]

Properties now, and it's easy to set booking availability. And then when the booking comes in, Jack, you always say it just shows up in your Google calendar.

[Jack]

And if you're not sure what to price your place at, check Airbnb and look at similar listings. It's very easy.

[Nick]

You can double dip that chip your.

[Jack]

Home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host and now.

[Nick]

A word from our sponsor, Netsuite.

[Jack]

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[Nick]

You need total visibility from global shipments to tariff impacts to real time cash flow. And that's NetSuite by Oracle, your AI powered business management suite. Trusted by over 42,000 businesses, NetSuite brings.

[Jack]

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[Nick]

If your revenues are at least in the seven figures. Download the free ebook Navigating Global Trade. Three insights for [e-mail] tboy for our first story Nothing Beats a Jet Two holiday Yetis that subversive viral meme is the noise of the summer.

[Jack]

So we'll tell you about the business of Jet2 and whether going viral actually helped it.

[Nick]

Yeties Funny thing, Jack and I noticed there's no real song of the summer this year, right?

[Jack]

We didn't deserve one.

[Nick]

Yeah, Beyonce, Taylor Swift. No new albums. But there is a sound of the summer.

[Jack]

And here it is.

[Nick]

Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday. And right now you can save £50 per person. That's £200 off for a family of four.

[Jack]

If your algos are like ours, then you've heard that sound.

[Nick]

If you haven't heard that sound on social media, then you're welcome. We're about to catch you up to speed.

[Jack]

That five word Ear Candy Nothing beats a jet to holiday is the ear candy of a phrase. It's the most viral meme of the year.

[Nick]

It's actually been featured in 2 million TikTok videos getting billions of views.

[Jack]

It's hijacked your head. And here's the context. That is a jingle from a British airline commercial.

[Nick]

But interestingly, the videos on TikTok using that jingle show vacations that have gone comically wrong. Like Jack. What's the first video online to show this meme?

[Jack]

An Australian couple uses that jingle as the music and then shows a video of them on a zipline. But the zipline breaks, they get dragged and it's hilarious.

[Nick]

Easy. That's the irony, the tension. That's what leads to the humor. There's upbeat music about a holiday as.

[Jack]

You'Re falling down the airplane stairs mid disembarkation.

[Nick]

But besties Jack and I got curious so we jumped in T boy style.

[Jack]

What is Jet2? And did this mocking meme of the summer hurt its business or help let's.

[Nick]

Dive in further here. Jet2 is actually a low cost British airline.

[Jack]

It's the third biggest flyer in the UK after British Airways and EasyJet.

[Nick]

And it's got a similar business model to JetBlue or Spirit Airlines. Right, Jack?

[Jack]

They target warm weather vacation destinations.

[Nick]

Aha. But there is one key difference here. Jet2 specializes in vacation bundles. Basically flight plus hotel plus rental car.

[Jack]

So what is a Jet2 holiday? That's when you book your entire vacation through Jet2 at one low price.

[Nick]

You're flying from Liverpool to Mallorca, you throw in the hotel through Jet2, boom. 20% discount.

[Jack]

So has being the accidental soundtrack of the summer helped its business or hurt it?

[Nick]

You'd think not because this meme is mocking the Airline Jet 2.

[Jack]

And yet it's helped the business.

[Nick]

The latest earnings show records record revenue for Jet2, up 15% from last year.

[Jack]

And you can thank science. Audio memory, it turns out, is stronger than visual memory.

[Nick]

Yeah, it is actually easier to share sounds cause you can like say and sing them than is to share visuals because it's kind of harder to describe them. Right.

[Jack]

That's why if someone plays a Linkin park song right now, you'll know all the lyrics even though you haven't heard it in 20 years.

[Nick]

If you're giving us ratings right now, please continue to give us five star ratings. By the way, this is actually the earworm phenomenon, Yetis. It's why sonic logos like jingles are so important in business.

[Jack]

It's why your local hardware store has a radio jingle that's been playing on the radio for 20 years.

[Nick]

And you know it by heart. Cars for kids. Cars for kids. But after getting ripped on all summer with vacation gone wrong memes, guess what Jet2 actually did.

[Jack]

They embraced the ripping on Jet2. They did a sweepstakes. They gave away a 1,000 British pound holiday voucher for the best Jet2 meme video.

[Nick]

We thought that was wild, so we whipped up this takeaway. Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over on a Jet to holiday?

[Jack]

There's huge value in the self roast.

[Nick]

Yetis. Traditional marketing is to promote your best, highlight your assets, your value, your positives to the consumer.

[Jack]

But a better way to stand out these days is to embrace your worst.

[Nick]

What about highlight your problems, your issues, what customers hate about you. Basically roast yourself oatly.

[Jack]

The oatmeal company did this and it got great attention on the side of the oat milk box. They called it the boring side because that's where the nutritional facts Are HBO.

[Nick]

Did this too, right, Jack? Like they switched to Max and then back to hbo and then they ripped on themselves for name indecisiveness.

[Jack]

And it was really, really funny actually.

[Nick]

And JET embraces a meme that mocks their business by liking and sharing it.

[Jack]

And encouraging it with the sweepstakes besties.

[Nick]

When every brand presents a polished and perfect image, we appreciate comfort with flaws.

[Jack]

In fact, self deprecating authenticity can outweigh the flaws themselves.

[Nick]

In this economy, the best modern marketers are willing to roast themselves. Nothing beats a jetsu holiday. And right now you can save 50 pounds per person. That's 200 pounds off for a family of four. For our second story, Disney, which is in a midlife media crisis right now, is getting a shocking investment from the NFL.

[Jack]

But the quietest part of Disney is by far its most reliable.

[Nick]

We'll explain, but yetis, yesterday Disney announced such a ridiculous number of updates at their earnings call that my tummy was fluttering like Tinkerbell.

[Jack]

What?

[Nick]

How is that not clear, Jack? How do you not understand that you own shares at Disney? You should get that. Why don't we whip up the highlights for the besties right now?

[Jack]

All right, first, Disney announced a combined Disney and Hulu app. Since it now owns all of Hulu.

[Nick]

The Bear and the Bambi will now be on the same streaming app, Hakuna Matata.

[Jack]

Disney also announced a five year deal with the WWE.

[Nick]

Basically, the best live events like WrestleMania are now gonna be on Disney's ESPN.

[Jack]

If you wanna watch Royal Rumble, you don't have to do pay per view. You just need espn.

[Nick]

And Jack, I think because ESPN is now blessing WWE as a sport. Wow. Wrestling is no longer a theatrical performance. It's real true.

[Jack]

They're not thespians anymore. They're officially athletes.

[Nick]

But Jack, I gotta ask. Why is Disney putting wrestling on their espn?

[Jack]

They're doing it to juice signups. For the last thing, they announced an ESPN streamer.

[Nick]

So Yetis, this new streamer will be all of ESPN all in one streamer for 30 bucks a month, launching on August 21st. That's big.

[Jack]

It's the first time ESPN put all their content on streaming.

[Nick]

But Jack, one sec. I gotta pause the pod or I guess I'm gonna call a timeout right here. Because we didn't tell them the biggest news of all, did we?

[Jack]

The National Football league is acquiring 10% of Disney's ESPN.

[Nick]

We repeat, the NFL is hooking up with Disney, baby.

[Jack]

The widely reported deal was made official on Wednesday. It's a football Wedding with jock straps as the dress code.

[Nick]

Now, in exchange, ESPN is getting two very valuable football features, NFL Network and the Red Zone.

[Jack]

So instead of competing on football stuff like their fantasy football apps, ESPN and NFL will merge their football efforts.

[Nick]

That's the play. And they will merge the NFL Network with ESPN's football programming.

[Jack]

And all of it will go onto the new ESPN direct to consumer app. Except, annoyingly, Red Zone, which you need to pay for separately.

[Nick]

All right, so Jack, since you were a backup quarterback in college, I gotta ask you if you can go full John Madden on us and tell us if you're trying to watch football this fall to see the most number of games for the lowest price, how do you now have to do it?

[Jack]

If you don't have cable, which I haven't since 2011, all you need is the ESPN app, plus an antenna, which gives you CBS and Fox for free.

[Nick]

But besties, even if you're not watching football, we got a takeaway for you, Jack. What's the takeaway for our buddies over at Disney?

[Jack]

The most magical place on earth for Disney is the place with no tech.

[Nick]

Yeah, it's opposite day for Disney. You see, Yetis, what the flurry of announcements makes clear is what's not working over at Disney.

[Jack]

Their cable TV networks are still profitable, but they've been shrinking for a decade.

[Nick]

And Disney streaming apps, they appear successful to us viewers, but they are flailing when it comes to the finances.

[Jack]

Hulu, Disney, espn, they've accumulated huge losses for Disney and they're only digging out of that loss hole very slowly.

[Nick]

But here's what we find fascinating. The only part of Disney with meaningful, consistent profits. It's Disney World, Disneyland and Disney cruises.

[Jack]

And merchandise like a Mickey Mouse lunchbox. Basically, the physical part of the business that has no tech makes up 60% of the profits.

[Nick]

Sit down, stand up and sparkle again, Yetis. Of all the legacy media companies transitioning to digital, Disney is doing the best.

[Jack]

But as proven by their flat stock price. I've owned the stock for a few years. I can tell you about it. Their transition to digital is still a work in progress.

[Nick]

The result? Disney's business is opposite day. The techier it is, the less profitable. Now, a quick word from our sponsor.

[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

I threw some into a pancake mix because, like, why the heck not, Jack?

[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

That's vitalproteins.com, promo code T Boy for 20% off.

[Nick]

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or Prevent any disease. AT&T business Yetis Starting your own business. It ain't easy. When we first got our daily newsletter off the ground that led to this podcast a decade ago, we definitely did not get everything right.

[Jack]

Remember, we initially bummed wifi off of hotel lobbies.

[Nick]

Classic move.

[Jack]

And then the concierge kicked us out. So coffee shop free Wi fi became our godsend.

[Nick]

Another latte shout out to all the.

[Jack]

Small business cafe owners. Your WI fi is the real hero.

[Nick]

Oh, what's the code to the bathroom again? Honestly, if we could do it all over, we would probably invest in our less bootleggy Internet.

[Jack]

If you need to connect your small business, you need AT&T business. They make connecting easy. Actually, they make so many things easy.

[Nick]

Which is the main thing you want in a provider. Less time stressing, more time for you to work on your business.

[Jack]

And yetis, there's never enough time.

[Nick]

So start a business, live your dream, and wake up to the power of ATT business. Business.att.com for our third and final story, Uber just announced their best quarter ever. Uber stock has now dou.

[Jack]

But you know who's below their ipo? Airbnb. We diagnosed why Uber's business is riding and Airbnb's is hiding.

[Nick]

Yetis, Uber is so confident in their future right now that Uber is buying Uber stock. They really are.

[Jack]

Yesterday, they authorized a $20 billion stock buyback program Uber.

[Nick]

They're eating their own cooking, baby.

[Jack]

Because Uber announced that revenues rose 18% last quarter. Yeah, not bad for a 16 year old company.

[Nick]

Also, Uber's now doing a billion trips a month. Not too shabby either.

[Jack]

Now, when Nick says trips, he means either an Uber ride or an Uber eats order.

[Nick]

Ah. And therein lies the key to Uber's success.

[Jack]

Ten years ago, Uber was willing to launch a second core business. Food delivery. That's why Uber beat Lyft.

[Nick]

But interestingly, it's also how Uber is beating Airbnb.

[Jack]

Yetis, think about it. Airbnb and Uber have so many similarities, except the performance of their stock.

[Nick]

Yeah, I mean, Jack, both are headquartered in San Francisco, both offer great parental leave policies, and both have cafeterias deserving of a Michelin star. More everything, please.

[Jack]

Sounds like a guy who knows people who work at both of those companies.

[Nick]

Hold the mail, Nick.

[Jack]

They even have the same basic business model. True, they're asset light sharing platforms. Uber is a taxi company that doesn't own taxis, and Airbnb is a hotel company that doesn't own hotels.

[Nick]

But, Jack, what would we say the key differences between these two?

[Jack]

The key difference is that Uber effectively doubled their business by entering food delivery.

[Nick]

In 2015, while Airbnb stayed in just.

[Jack]

One lane travel in 2021. Nick and I published an episode on this podcast wishing that Airbnb would expand to let us do short term rentals of anything.

[Nick]

We wish that Airbnb would become Air B and everything. That was our prediction.

[Jack]

And wish everything bnb.

[Nick]

So, besties Jack and I wanted to do something fun here. We want to illustrate what could have happened if Airbnb had followed our wish.

[Jack]

So here's a pretend earnings report from an alternate universe where Airbnb expanded their business to everything in 2021.

[Nick]

All right, here we go. Here we go. Airbnb's revenue from sharing lawnmowers, snowblowers, landscaping equipment is up 98% last quarter.

[Jack]

Airbnb just announced yesterday that swimming pool revenue doubled from last year and revenue from sports equipment sharing tripled from last year.

[Nick]

But the surprise outperformer continues to be miscellaneous, which includes karaoke machines, fondue sets, and knife sharpeners, all shared on the Airbnb Life platform.

[Jack]

Consumers have realized that every house in the neighborhood doesn't need a lawnmower. Just one house in the neighborhood does. And that owner lists the lawnmower on Airbnb.

[Nick]

Travel is now just one half of Airbnb's business, because Airbnb is officially everything. Bnb.

[Jack]

Okay, back to reality. None of that happened.

[Nick]

Yeah, that was all pretend. We wish it had happened, but it's all pretend.

[Jack]

And we think that's why Airbnb stock is actually down since their 2020 IPO.

[Nick]

Which leads to our takeaway. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Uber and Airbnb?

[Jack]

To quote Ludacris, shake that platform like a moneymaker.

[Nick]

Yetis, Uber's smartest decision was leveraging their Ride Hail platform to do food delivery as well.

[Jack]

Facebook leveraged their social network to do Marketplace as well. And Google leveraged their Internet search to do video search as well with YouTube.

[Nick]

Airbnb has the best short term rental platform out there and yet it hasn't leverage that beyond travel.

[Jack]

It seems Airbnb wants to be the travel company instead of the rental company.

[Nick]

But here's the problem, Jack, and I think that's limited the business. And the proof is the comparison to Uber.

[Jack]

Last quarter, Airbnb's revenue growth was 13%. Uber's was 50% higher.

[Nick]

Airbnb's last quarter profit was $640 million, but Uber's was double that.

[Jack]

Look, those numbers from Airbnb are very solid. It's a great business. But Uber has just hit a different stratosphere.

[Nick]

The lesson learned by Uber beating Lyft and Airbnb is if you got a hot platform, honey, oh, you gotta use it. By the way, Eddies, we know a bunch of you work at Uber and Airbnb would love to know what you think of the story. Drop us a comment, hit us up with a dm. Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us? For the new Friday, Jet2's holiday commercial.

[Jack]

Is the audio meme of the summer videos of vacations gone wrong.

[Nick]

Jet2's embrace of the meme shows that there can be value in the self roast.

[Jack]

For our second story, The NFL acquired 10% of ESPN, which is also getting WWE and a new streamer later this month.

[Nick]

But here's the problem. The best part of Disney's business is the least techy parts.

[Jack]

And our third and final story. Uber and Airbnb both announced earnings yesterday. One is riding, the other is hiding.

[Nick]

The lesson. If you've got a platform like Ludacris taught us, shake it like a moneymaker.

[Jack]

But yetis, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today.

[Nick]

First, we got some trade war whiplash. Two big ones yesterday. First, India is getting a 50% tariff.

[Jack]

President Trump says that's a penalty for India buying Russian oil.

[Nick]

Now, India makes a lot of iPhones these days, but iPhones are actually getting an exemption from this tariff.

[Jack]

And to keep the iPhones exempt from tariffs, Tim Cook announced yesterday at the White House an an increase to Apple's US manufacturing fund of $100 billion.

[Nick]

And second, IKEA stores. You're about to start seeing more of.

[Jack]

Them because Ikea is launching what we call inception retail. Mini Ikea stores inside of Best Buy stores.

[Nick]

Yeah, starting in Florida and Texas, these mini Ikeas will take up 50ft by 50ft of space inside of Best Buy.

[Jack]

It'S a small Ikea, so how can you get lost in it?

[Nick]

Like also own no meatballs, Jack. Also, if it's that small, how can you get into an argument with your partner? You know, the couples need some time to get the argument to build. You know, you need a bigger store. True.

[Jack]

You need the tension. Yeah.

[Nick]

And finally, remember Dishoom, the Indian restaurant in London we covered on this pod because of their famous dice roll game.

[Jack]

It's a growth hack. If you roll a six at the end of your meal, your meal is free.

[Nick]

Yeah. Well, that Indian restaurant business just raised private equity money from luxury giant LVMH. Really?

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Nick]

The Round puts them at a $400 million valuation for this Indian restaurant.

[Jack]

And we saved the best part for the last. Deshum is coming to America.

[Nick]

It's landing in New York. Now, time for the best fact yet. This one whipped up by Jack and me because Yesterday was the 80 year anniversary of Hiroshima.

[Jack]

On August 6, 1945, the atomic bomb landed on Hiroshima.

[Nick]

And so we wanted to share with you a wild business that actually was born out of that moment and thrived through today.

[Jack]

Mazda, the Japanese car company, is based in Hiroshima.

[Nick]

And when the atomic bomb hit the city in 1945, Mazda's factory was just three miles from the blast.

[Jack]

But it actually survived because there was a mountain between the blast point and the factory.

[Nick]

And so just a few months later, Mazda started production right back up again while everyone else was still rebuilding and that helped them rebuild the entire city's economy.

[Jack]

And Mazda is still based in Hiroshima today.

[Nick]

So besties, if you have got the best fact yet or if you want to get a shout out on the show, we got a link in the episode description. We'd love to make it happen. Yetis, Besties. Kevin's Jack, you look fantastic today and we hope you are enjoying whatever type of holiday it is, preferably a jet one holiday. Nothing beats a jet two holiday. And right now you can save £50 per person. That's £200 off for a family of four. Never gets old. Never gets old. So drop down and give us five stars, Yetis, that helps us grow the show.

[Jack]

And Nick and I will see you tomorrow.

[Nick]

Can't wait. And before we go, a happy 70th birthday to legendary Yeti grandma Liz celebrating the big one in Tucson, Arizona.

[Jack]

And happy birthday to Alex and Sierra in San Diego, California.

[Nick]

And Alicia Leone and Brandon Ang from Melrose, Mass, just outside Boston, have a four year anniversary. They both sent a shout out in for each other which was just so cute.

[Jack]

And a shout out to Anna Maria Hinson in Irmo, South Carolina, who's starting a new year of teaching. The sixth year teaching those kids.

[Nick]

And Shali Nguyen from San Francisco right down the street is closing on her new condo. Shirt looks fantastic. Congrats.

[Jack]

And a big shout out to Tomas Baggio on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. He quit his day job and is getting a master's degree in nursing, something we badly need more of.

[Nick]

Tomas, absolute legendary snacker turned yeti.

[Jack]

And Felicia. That guy once held a plank for an entire episode of the show.

[Nick]

True story. And Felicia weber from Galena, Kansas, has got 14 years of marriage to celebrate. Congratulations, guys.

[Jack]

And to anyone else celebrating something today, make it a T, boy.

[Nick]

Celebrate the wins.

[Jack]

This is Jack. I own stock in Disney and Lyft. Nick and I both own stock in Airbnb and Apple. If you like the best one yet, you can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery and the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

[Nick]

Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. And before you go, tell us a.

[Jack]

Little bit about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey.

[Nick]

We want to get to know you.

[C]

In the summer of 1925, a small Tennessee town became the battleground for the fight between science and faith in America's public schools. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, host of Wondery's podcast, American Historytellers. We take you to the events, times and people that shaped America and Americans, our values, our struggles, and our dreams. In our latest series, when a young science teacher agrees to participate in a test case orchestrated by the ACLU to challenge Tennessee's ban on teaching evolution, he lands in the center of a raucous the infamous Scopes monkey trial. Legendary attorneys Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan face off in a sweltering Tennessee courtroom as the world watches fundamentalist Christianity clash with modern science, setting the stage for battles over education and religious freedom for decades to come. Follow American Historytellers on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad free and be the first to binge the newest season only on Wondery. Join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial today.