Podcast Summary: The Best One Yet

Episode: "Lyft-off" — Our Lyft stock pick. Japan’s $3.2M lucky tuna. Lego’s smart brick. +Starbucks gift cards
Date: January 7, 2026
Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell

Episode Overview

In this high-energy installment of The Best One Yet, Nick and Jack deliver their signature take on the day’s three biggest business stories, setting the tone for 2026’s business landscape. This episode digs into:

• An eye-popping $3.2 million auction for a single tuna in Japan, and how it reflects the power of "confidence economics."
• Lego’s tech-forward but tradition-friendly debut of the smart brick.
• Their first stock pick for 2026 and the bullish case for Lyft (plus a side of robo-taxi optimism).

Playful banter, memorable quotables, and actionable insights abound, making this episode a fast and smart listen for anyone wanting to keep their pop-biz edge.

Notable Banter: The Gift Card Assignment

(00:12 – 02:39)

• Main points:

  • Starbucks gift cards reign: In 2025, "1 out of 5 Americans received a Starbucks gift card for the holidays" (01:36).
  • Record $60 million in Starbucks cards purchased on Christmas Eve alone (01:50).
  • Quirky stat: That single day is more than DoorDash, Spotify, or The Gap make on any day (01:55).
  • Americans have billions in unused gift cards: Target ($1.2B), Starbucks ($1.8B), Amazon ($5.4B) (02:12–02:17).
  • Call to action: "Use them. Don’t lose them." (02:35)

• Tone: Upbeat, playful, and motivational. A recurring theme: making Wednesday “Gift Card Swiping Day.”

Story 1: The $3.2 Million Japanese Tuna – "Seafood Stimulus"

(04:28 – 09:38)

Key Segments & Timestamps

• Set-up & Tradition:

  • The annual first auction at Toyosu Fish Market in Japan is a “New Year's tradition” and the first bluefin tuna is a “good luck charm.” (05:30–05:36)
  • The prized "Oma bluefin tuna" is called the "black diamond" (05:36–05:44).

• The Sale:

  • A single 535-pound bluefin sold for a record $3.2 million, equivalent to $5,981 per pound—"the most expensive meat ever purchased" (05:57–06:10).
  • Buyer: Kiyoshi Kimura, a.k.a. "The Tuna King," founder of Sushi Zanmai, who distributed the tuna to 34 restaurant locations (06:12–06:40).

• The Economic Rationale:

  • The Tuna King’s comment: “I hope this will cheer everyone up. People in Japan can enjoy a bite and feel revitalized.” (08:05)
  • The purchase coincided with a new government economic stimulus policy from the Bank of Japan (07:29–07:38).

• Hosts’ Take:

  • “Retail therapy, but for sushi” (08:11), sparking economic optimism through a headline-grabbing purchase.
  • “Confidence is contagious and economies thrive on confidence.” (08:31)
  • “Fear is [the] biggest threat to an economy. ...[and] confidence [is the booster].” (09:05–09:09)
  • “You can’t start a fire without a Spark. ...That $3.2 million black diamond tuna fish... could be the spark Japan’s economy needs.” (09:28–09:30)

Story 2: Lego’s “Smart Brick” — Analog Magic Meets NFC Tech

(09:38 – 13:56)

Key Segments & Timestamps

• Backdrop:

  • Toy Story 5’s antagonist is an iPad; Lego is squaring up against the screen (09:57–10:32).
  • Lego’s sales are up, but they know tech disruption is real; “before they get disrupted, they’re disrupting themselves” (10:43–10:53).

• Product Reveal:

  • Lego introduces the Smart Brick—a traditional 4x2 brick with sensors, a battery, and a microcomputer (11:21–11:38).
  • New sets (starting with Star Wars, then Pokemon) will include these bricks for interactive features: lights, sound effects, and character interactions (11:38–12:37).
  • All Smart Bricks are backward-compatible—part of Lego’s “System in Play” philosophy (13:06–13:30).

• Hosts’ Insights:

  • “LEGO’s real success is in their system.” (09:50)
  • The worry: "Some critics...are calling these smart bricks the destruction of imagination for kids." (13:37)
  • But: “If this fails, the failure will be small because of LEGO’s System in Play.” (12:50)
  • “Every LEGO and every LEGO set must be compatible with every other LEGO and every other LEGO set.” (13:06)
  • “These smart bricks are compatible with every previous LEGO ever made.” (13:30)

Story 3: Lyft – The Backbone of Robo-Taxis?

(15:12 – 20:46)

Key Segments & Timestamps

• Robo-Taxi Race:

  • In 2026, at least 5 companies will have robo-taxis you can hail: Waymo, Tesla, Amazon Zoox, Uber, and Nvidia/Mercedes (15:31–16:19).

• Why Lyft?:

  • “Lyft is willing to do the unsexy work that the self-driving car companies don’t want to do. ...The charging and the cleaning of the cars.” (15:18, 16:40)
  • FlexDrive acquisition in 2020: 24 car garages in 15 states that handle the charging, cleaning, repairing required for robo-taxi uptime (17:28–17:46).
  • “If robo-taxis are like mini hotels...Lyft would be the housekeeping.” (16:48–17:02)
  • Wall Street still sees Lyft as a "one-product company," while Uber has diversified (17:09–17:14).

• Takeover Speculation:

  • If Amazon wants to scale Zoox quickly, they could buy Lyft and leverage its infrastructure (19:05–19:23).
  • Lyft’s CEO, David Risher, is “a former Amazonian who...would probably love to get acquired by his old employer.” (19:29–19:35)

• Caveats:

  • “Waymo and Amazon could simply build their own garages...which would cut Lyft out of the equation.” (19:40–19:46)
  • But the hosts’ verdict: “In 2026, Lyft will either sink or soar...We think it’ll soar.” (18:47, 20:40)

Additional News Nuggets

(20:50 – 21:55)

• Venezuela & Greenland update: President Trump is reportedly interested in buying (not invading) Greenland again. The only big winner? Nike sweatsuits, worn by Venezuela's Maduro when arrested and now sold out (20:50–21:16).
• EV adoption: 96% of new cars sold in Norway last year were electric, though only about 2/3rds on the road are still gas (21:16–21:28).
• Smart rings > smartwatches: In 2025, smart ring sales (Oura, etc.) surpassed smartwatch sales, with Apple Watch sales declining (21:35–21:55).

Best Fact Yet / Listener Contribution

(22:13 – 22:52)

• Listener Courte Jaffe shares: The “One Sec” app forces a five-second pause before opening distracting apps, per Jack’s wish for social media friction. Jack tried it: “Only opened Instagram three times today for a cumulative like, six minutes.” (22:52)
• Nick’s trick: Only opens Instagram during a plank! (22:55)

Closing Notes & Tone

• Recurring phrases: "If you know, you know." / "Gift card Swiping Wednesday."
• Community: Birthday shoutouts to listeners and encouragement to "celebrate the wins."
• Disclosures: Jack owns Lyft stock, Nick owns Nike, both own Apple, Spotify, and S&P 500 ETFs.
• Sign-off: “Celebrate the wins.” (23:48)

Memorable Quotes

• “Confidence is contagious and economies thrive on confidence.” – Jack (08:31)
• “You can't start a fire without a spark. ...That $3.2 million black diamond tuna fish. That could be the spark that Japan's economy needs.” – Nick (09:28–09:30)
• “If Robo taxis are like mini hotels… Lyft would be the housekeeping, basically, to the Hilton hotel’s Robotaxis.” – Nick (16:57)
• “If this fails, the failure will be small because of LEGO’s System in Play.” – Jack (12:50)
• “Use them. Don’t lose them.” – Nick & Jack (02:35)

Handy Timestamps for Major Segments

• Starbucks & Gift Cards: 00:12–02:39
• Story 1: Japanese Tuna Auction: 04:28–09:38
• Story 2: Lego Smart Brick: 09:38–13:56
• Story 3: Lyft Stock Pick: 15:12–20:46
• Quick News Roundup: 20:50–21:55
• Listener Fact / Social Media App Advice: 22:13–22:52

Summary Takeaway:
This episode distills pop business news through clever storytelling, data-driven optimism, and actionable insights with a heavy dose of community and humor. Whether you’re rethinking unused gift cards, marveling at the economics behind a tuna splurge, or considering a Lyft stock buy, Nick and Jack keep it fresh, relatable, and always engaging.