📖 “70% Rule of Excellence” — Reading’s business ROI. Vital Farms’ egg-troversy. Instagram’s Big Tobacco suit. +Pokémon’s AI test

Summary

The Best One Yet — “70% Rule of Excellence”: Reading’s Business ROI, Vital Farms’ Egg-troversy, Instagram’s Big Tobacco Suit, + Pokémon’s AI Test

Date: January 28, 2026
Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell

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Episode Overview

In this brisk and playful episode, Nick and Jack break down three big pop-business stories:

1. The TikTok-driven controversy swirling around Vital Farms’ eggs and corporate policing in the social media age.
2. The precedent-setting lawsuit against major social media platforms—Instagram’s so-called “Big Tobacco moment.”
3. The surprising power of reading in sparking innovation and the “70% Rule of Excellence” for career success.

The episode is rich with banter, memorable analogies (like “digital nicotine”), and tangible takeaways for listeners—whether you’re a business enthusiast, entrepreneur, or just in it for the fun facts.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Vital Farms’ “Egg-troversy” and the Rise of Social Media Corporate Policing

Segment: [05:03–09:49]

• Background:
  Vital Farms, a major pasture-raised egg brand and public company, gets “cracked like an omelet” on TikTok when allegations arise over the authenticity of its eggs’ high-quality claims and yolk color practices.
• The Allegations:
  • A viral TikTok accused Vital Farms of:
    • Using cheap, subsidized chicken feed (corn & soy).
    • Feeding chickens turmeric to artificially enhance yolk color for marketing purposes.
    • Being overly “corporate” and greenwashing its brand.
  • Based on a Michigan State University study reporting unusually high fatty acid levels in Vital Farms eggs.
• Business Model Context:
  • “It makes it sound like the chickens laying the eggs live in some kind of millennial utopia.” (Jack, [05:53])
  • Pasture-raised, co-op model; 600 farms, marketed as ethically superior (“happy hens,” “conscious capitalism,” “108 square feet per hen”).
• Corporate Response:
  • Initial social media rebuttal (“BS influencer”), followed by a measured FAQ/blog post.
  • Nevertheless, stock drops 46% from its all-time high as sales slip post-scandal.
• Three “Police Forces” Facing Companies:
  • FTC (Federal Trade Commission): Must prove marketing fraud in court.
  • Wall Street Short Sellers: Can crash stocks with public allegations, often without proof.
  • Online Influencers: Now able to shape corporate perception and fortunes—no need for evidence.
• Notable Quote:
  “There are three kinds of corporate police... but only one of them has to prove it in court.” (Nick, [08:41]; Jack, [09:41])

Takeaway:
Egg companies—and corporations in general—now answer to regulators, Wall Street, and a new breed of online influencer. Only regulators are required to prove wrongdoing legally, but public opinion forms fast in the social era (often with little to no evidence).

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2. Instagram’s “Big Tobacco” Lawsuit: Dark Patterns & Digital Nicotine

Segment: [09:49–14:14]

• Background:
  A landmark court case argues that major social platforms (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, etc.) intentionally designed addictive algorithms, likening it to Big Tobacco’s targeting of youth.
• Core Allegations:
  • Apps use features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and push notifications—described as “dark pattern design”—to addict users, especially minors.
  • Lawsuit centers on a young woman (KGM) who became compulsively addicted, leading to severe mental health challenges.
  • “This is Instagram’s black lung moment.” (Jack, [09:56])
• The Big Tobacco Parallel:
  • Addiction is driven not by substance, but by the “dopamine hit” from algorithmic design (“digital nicotine”).
  • “Our explanation, we see it as the algorithm is a digital nicotine. You get addicted to cigarettes, you get addicted to swipes.” (Nick, [11:26])
• Damning Internal Leaks:
  • Leaked documents: Instagram staff called the app “a drug” and themselves “drug pushers.”
  • Snap and TikTok have already settled to avoid further revelations.
• Platform Defenses:
  • Mental health is a complex, multi-factorial issue.
  • Correlation ≠ causation; platforms highlight their “protection tools” (time use shaming, parental controls).
• Notable Quote:
  “Intentional design plus awareness of harm plus a profit motive equals legal liability.” (Jack, [13:39])

Takeaway:
This legal battle could reshape the regulatory future of social media, just as the tobacco lawsuits did decades ago. The key isn’t just that kids use too much social media—but that the platforms were knowingly engineered for addiction, facing big public health scrutiny.

---

3. The 70% Rule of Excellence: Reading as a Business Superpower

Segment: [15:40–20:35]

• Premise:
  Reading isn’t just a personal enrichment tool—it’s a secret weapon for business success. Most breakthrough ideas, the hosts argue, begin with reading “just one line” that sparks action.
• Vivid Examples:
  • Warren Buffett: Read Barron’s for 50 years; one actionable insight netted $400–500M. “It’s like compound interest for your brain.” (Nick, [16:43])
  • Trader Joe’s: Joe Coulombe read about the rise of college degrees, inspiring a store for educated, underpaid shoppers.
  • Amazon: Jeff Bezos started Amazon after reading about the internet’s explosive growth rate.
  • Spanx: Sarah Blakely chose the name after reading that ‘K’ sounds were appealing.
  • Nike & Bill Gates: Both found key inspiration in a single memorable magazine line.
• The “70–70–70 Rule”:
  • Being in the 70th percentile in three different skill areas (via reading/learning) puts you at the 99th percentile for a unique talent stack.
  • “It’s better to be 70th percentile at many things than 99th percentile at one thing.” (Nick, [19:05])
  • “Jack of all trades, master of none—but often better than a master of one.” (Jack, [19:43])
• Actionable Takeaway:
  • Reading across domains quickly racks up unique combinations of skills/insights, compounding value and dodging the diminishing returns of ultra-specialization.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On “Millennial Utopia” Chickens:
  “You scan the QR code, Jack, you can see the chickens doing arts and crafts.” (Nick, [06:11])
• On Social Algorithm Addiction:
  “To quote Tupac Shakur, I didn’t…” “Choose the Feed Life.” “The Feed Life chose me.” (Nick and Jack, [10:56–10:59])
• On Skill Stacking:
  “The overlap of three 70th percentiles makes you a 99-percenter, but in a fraction of the time.” (Nick, [19:37])
• On Why Eggs Get More Attention Than Complex Studies:
  “The reality for corporations, they face three police in the marketplace, but only one of them has to prove it in court.” (Jack, [09:41])

---

Fun Mini-Stories & Business News Nibbles

Segment: [20:39–22:16]

• India just inked the world’s biggest trade deal with the EU—2B people combined.
• Zootopia 2 shattered box office records in China due to cultural resonance.
• Heinz launched a “kegs up”—the world’s first ketchup keg, right before the Super Bowl.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------------|---------------| | Podcast Cold Open & Banter | 00:01–03:42 | | Pokémon as AI Benchmark | 01:33–02:56 | | Story 1 – Vital Farms & The Egg-troversy | 05:03–09:49 | | Story 2 – Instagram’s Big Tobacco Moment | 09:49–14:14 | | Story 3 – Reading & the 70% Rule | 15:40–20:35 | | Quick Business Nuggets & Fun Facts | 20:39–22:16 | | Personal/Listener Shoutouts & Wrap-Up | 23:09–24:35 |

---

Tone & Style

Nick and Jack maintain a light, witty, and highly conversational style, blending pop culture references, “dad joke” puns, and catchy analogies (“drowning in vests,” “digital nicotine,” “uncaged egg club”). The pace is quick, energetic, and oriented toward smart, busy listeners with a love of useful, retellable business stories.

---

Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode of The Best One Yet dives into modern business stories with fresh, fun analysis:

• It unpacks how social influencers now wield power akin to regulators and Wall Street, as seen in the “egg-troversy” around Vital Farms.
• It draws a provocative line between Instagram’s addictive design and historic tobacco lawsuits—framing our digital habits as the next big public health issue.
• And it closes by showing that reading—a simple, accessible habit—can help anyone stack skills into breakthrough success, using the “70% Rule of Excellence.”

Whether you’re a business junkie or just want smart, snackable insights, this episode is a lively and memorable listen.

Transcript

[Nick]

This is Nick, this is Jack. It's Wednesday ceviche Wednesday, January 28, 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]

Yetis, for those of you watching on YouTube, do not worry. It looks like Jack is being swallowed by a Moncler Patagonia puffer vest. But he's alive and he's surviving. You okay over there, Jack?

[Jack]

Here's the predicament. I had an economic conference yesterday and I wanted to like, show that I used to work in finance, but I also wanted to signal that, like, I'm going skiing after this. How did it turn out?

[Nick]

I think going with three vests at the same time was a bold move.

[Jack]

And I like bold moves, Jack.

[Nick]

Three stars for today's team. Boy, what do we got on the pod?

[Jack]

For our first story, it's Vital Farms, the Cage Free egg brand is one of the largest egg producers in America.

[Nick]

But this stock is down 5% on a potential scandal or scramble. Let's go with scandal because its egg yolks are too orange.

[Jack]

For our second story, the biggest social media court case in history.

[Nick]

Yes, it did.

[Jack]

YouTube and Meta are getting sued big time.

[Nick]

This is Instagram's big tobacco moment.

[Jack]

And our third and final story. The most innovative business ideas in history came from reading one single sentence.

[Nick]

Besties, we need to tell you about how being 70th percentile at three things can make you 99th percentile at one thing.

[Jack]

I'm very intrigued.

[Nick]

Do the math. We'll give you a pause one second. But yetis, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories, I mean, what a mix of stories. No one else is doing that mix, Jack.

[Jack]

All right. This week we discovered the widest new way that the tech industry is measuring their artificial intelligence.

[Nick]

Because the ultimate test of AI potential is actually playing Pokemon.

[Jack]

Get this. Nintendo's classic Pokemon game is the surprise standardized benchmark test of large language models.

[Nick]

That's right. Silicon Valley literally tests how smart their chatbots are by their ability to catch em all.

[Jack]

How fast can Chatgpt get that Charizard?

[Nick]

How fast can Claude grab a chatter pie?

[Jack]

How fast can Sam Altman steal my squirtle?

[Nick]

Hey, Sam, just give it back, bruh. We didn't do this trade.

[Jack]

Now here's the context. Nintendo launched Pokemon in 1996 as a game of complex mazes and puzzles.

[Nick]

Well, Jack, it turns out the biggest challenge for an artificial intelligence is complex mazes and puzzles.

[Jack]

It's the perfect test. In fact. OpenAI employees have a live stream of their latest model of ChatGPT trying to win Pokemon.

[Nick]

How about Google, where their CEO bragged last year that Gemini hit a whole new level in Pokemon.

[Jack]

So far, no AI has ever won Poke.

[Nick]

True story. No one's beat him.

[Jack]

So it's funny. Like in the 1950s, the Turing Test measured computers ability to imitate with the Imitation game.

[Nick]

And then Jack. We measured if a computer could play chess, win jeopardy, or pass the bar exam.

[Jack]

But now we're measuring computers with a different game.

[Nick]

Pokemon and besties. It turns out the only technology more powerful than AI is a bulbasaur.

[Jack]

I gotta take off one of my vests before the first start.

[Nick]

He's drowning. Somebody help out my co host. That's ni3 story.

[Unidentified Host]

15 years before this song, two boys from the northeast met in the dorm. They had an idea that caused a cultural storm. It's the best one yet, but the best is the norm. Jack.

[Nick]

Nick.

[Unidentified Host]

That's it. I don't even think they need to practice. 50%. That's a fat tip. T boy city on your at list. If you know, you know. Cause we r to go we can't wait no more so just start the.

[Boost Mobile Rep]

Show.

[Unidentified Host]

Start the show, start the show.

[Nick]

First, a quick word from our sponsor.

[Raj]

Hey, it's Raj and Noah. And we're back with a new season of Am I Doing It Wrong? The show that explores the all too human anxieties we have about trying to get our lives right.

[Noah]

Because we're still doing a lot of stuff wrong.

[Raj]

But who isn't? That's why each week we're talking about the topics that we could all use a little helping hit with. Whether it's making new friends as an adult, managing our emotions, or even dreaming.

[Noah]

We'Ll be talking to experts in their fields who are definitely doing things right. So the rest of us can be a bit wiser and a lot better equipped to handle whatever life throws at us.

[Raj]

Subscribe now and listen to new episodes of Am I Doing It Wrong? Dropping every Thursday starting January 1st, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Noah]

And for the first time ever, we're going to have full video episodes on YouTube. Because as long as there are things to get wrong, we're going to be right here to help you do them better.

[Raj]

Love y'.

[Jack]

All.

[Boost Mobile Rep]

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[Nick]

Wait, we're going on tour?

[Boost Mobile Rep]

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[Jack]

Let's get in the tour bus and hit the road.

[Boost Mobile Rep]

No, not a tour bus. It's a regular car we use to deliver and set up customers phones at home or work.

[Nick]

Are you a groupie on this tour?

[Boost Mobile Rep]

We deliver and set up phones. It's not a tour.

[Jack]

Oh, you're definitely a groupie.

[Boost Mobile Rep]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

For our first story, Vital Farms, the publicly traded co op of farmer's market eggs is getting cracked like an omelet on TikTok right now.

[Jack]

And if true, the allegations sound bad.

[Nick]

They do.

[Jack]

But are they true?

[Nick]

Hmm. We got curious yetis. We got a frittata fiasco here. The only company trying to increase the price of eggs right now, not decrease them. It's Vital Farms.

[Jack]

Here's the business. Farmers market eggs, but scaled nationwide under one brand.

[Nick]

We're talking 600 farms providing the supply of eggs to vital farms.

[Jack]

And Vital Farms provides the one brand to unify them all in grocery stores across the country.

[Nick]

Besties this business model. It's actually pretty common in agriculture, isn't it Jack?

[Jack]

Welch's grapes, Ocean Spray cranberries, Sunkist. They're all basically co ops of farms that sit under one brand.

[Nick]

But Jack, how would you describe the Vital Farms egg brand, if you will?

[Jack]

It makes it sound like the chickens laying the eggs live in some kind of millennial utopia.

[Nick]

I'm going to read a line from an earnings report.

[Jack]

No, not on the earnings report. On the egg carton it says happy hens, conscious capitalism and 108 square feet per hen.

[Nick]

I mean, can you sprinkle on some context, please?

[Jack]

That's more square footage than a New York City apartment.

[Nick]

You scan the QR code, Jack, you can see the chickens doing arts and crafts.

[Jack]

I believe you want to get on the wait list of that chicken kindergarten.

[Nick]

You're not going to believe this hen is a sculptor. Besties call it the uncaged egg club because this pasture raised egg company is doing 3% market share of the egg industry in this country and it's actually publicly traded.

[Jack]

Vital Farms IPO'd in 2020 and the stock was trading at double the IPO price.

[Nick]

It was a pure play protein stock.

[Jack]

Until a recent controversy fried the stock.

[Nick]

Get this, the scramble started on social media, did it not, Jack?

[Jack]

A TikTok journalist tossed some huge allegations at Vital Farms.

[Nick]

Basically this tiktoker who says he's all about helping people find local Food says Vital Farms. Eh, they got a little bit too corporate.

[Jack]

In a seven part TikTok takedown, this guy cites a study done last year by Michigan State University that found a new unusually high fatty acid levels in Vital Farms eggs.

[Nick]

And that Tiktoker says that's because Vital Farms feeds their chickens cheap, quote unquote corn and soy subsidized by the US government.

[Jack]

He also says that Vital Farms feeds their chickens turmeric, the spice to make the yolk and the eggs orange instead of yellow.

[Nick]

Which is actually if true, a very strategic marketing move is it not Jack?

[Jack]

The orange yolk if you've ever seen one. It somehow signals wholesomeness and like wow, this must be a high quality egg.

[Nick]

I mean full disclosure, I'm willing to pay more for an orange yolk Jack, any day of the week. The orange premium.

[Jack]

So that's why they're doing it. But the other reason they're doing it is that you can follow the money to the chicken coop. Vital Farm's biggest institutional investors are profit hungry since that IPO.

[Nick]

BlackRock, Vanguard, Amazon, Vital Farms institutional shareholders eat margin for breakfast.

[Jack]

Although from studying companies for years we can tell you that BlackRock and Vanguard are the biggest shareholders at pretty much every publicly traded now besties.

[Nick]

At first Vital Farms responded with their primal instincts.

[Jack]

They left a comment on this Tiktoker's video calling him a BS influencer.

[Nick]

But then Vital Pharms took 10 deep breaths and wrote a blog post and FAQ combating the influencers claims instead.

[Jack]

But still the allegations of greenwashing have had a dent on sales.

[Nick]

Now Vital Pharms Stock is down 46% from its all time high because the bad press could poach their Q1 sales. It's 50 shades of orange. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Vital Farms?

[Jack]

Eggs companies face three kinds of police. But only one of them has to prove it in court.

[Nick]

Yetis the ftc. They're the sheriff of our marketplace. If companies lie in their marketing, their job is to catch them.

[Jack]

But it's not just the Federal Trade Commission. There's also Wall Street Short selling Hedge funds often get ahead of the government in identifying corporate wrongdoing.

[Nick]

Those short sellers put out press releases saying the company is lying and that's why we're selling the stock. So it drops.

[Jack]

But now we're seeing a third third type of corporate police force online influencers.

[Nick]

You see Wall street often sells a stock based on a short seller's allegation. Even if that allegation is totally unproven.

[Jack]

And consumers do the same. When we see a takedown of a company on social media all the time, conspiracy is the most alluring content on your feed. You want to believe it's true even if there's no evidence.

[Nick]

Only the FTC has to prove allegations in court, but Wall Streeters and online content creators, they don't.

[Jack]

Still, we're going to point this out. Many experts, including the authors of this smoking gun study about the eggs, still say that Vital Pharm's eggs are the highest quality in the grocery store, but.

[Nick]

That that's not an interesting headline. So it obviously got way less attention.

[Jack]

The reality for corporations, they face three police in the marketplace, but only one of them has to prove it in court.

[Nick]

For our second story, Instagram and YouTube are defending themselves in the biggest court case in social media history.

[Jack]

But we've seen this story before with tobacco. This is Instagram's black lung moment.

[Nick]

Yetis big tech. They're kicking off earning seasons this week. Big day on Wall street for these guys.

[Jack]

But everyone's eyes are already on a courthouse in Los Angeles because a woman known by the initials KGM, a 19 year old, sued TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

[Nick]

And Jack KGM's claims on all those companies.

[Jack]

While she was a minor, the social media apps compulsively addicted her to her feeds, leading to anxiety, depression, and suicidal thought.

[Nick]

And besties. With 3,000 similar lawsuits in the pipeline, this one sets a huge precedent.

[Jack]

Mark Zuckerberg is likely to testify in defense of Meta because the verdict could change social media forever.

[Nick]

And here is the key of the allegation. Besties. These apps were designed to addict the Infinite Scroll.

[Jack]

The auto playing of videos, the push notifications. These are described by experts as dark pattern design.

[Nick]

Or to quote Tupac Shakur, I didn't.

[Jack]

Choose the Feed Life.

[Nick]

The Feed Life chose me.

[Jack]

The lawsuit says the company should be held responsible for the harmful impacts of addiction, especially against kids, if they're found to have made those addictive on purpose, but yet easy.

[Nick]

Here's what Jack and I find fascinating about this story. History doesn't repeat itself. It rhymes. And Instagram rhymes with cigarettes.

[Jack]

This court case is like Big tobacco from the 1990s, but substitute Joe Camel for the Infinite Scroll.

[Nick]

Our explanation, we see it as the algorithm is a digital nicotine. You got addicted to cigarettes, you get addicted to swipes.

[Jack]

Chemically speaking, the impact of a little Instagram bitch does look like smoking.

[Nick]

That's right, it does, Jack. Because both nicotine and an algorithm push your brain to release dopamine. Basically you get a digital hit and.

[Jack]

The feel good sensation of dopamine that's the driver of the feeling of addiction. It forces you to grab another cigarette, more cocaine, more gambling, all the addictive things.

[Nick]

And it reinforces what doctors call a quote unquote drug seeking behavior to get another hit, another hit and another hit.

[Jack]

And we're expecting to see some really embarrassing internal doctors documentation from Meta as this case proceeds.

[Nick]

Jack, call a plumber cuz we already got some leaks. What did we already hear about?

[Jack]

Employees referred to their app as a drug and to employees of Instagram as drug pushers.

[Nick]

Jack and I went to business school, not law school, but we can tell you that does not sound good.

[Jack]

And that may be why Snap and TikTok settled right at the 11th hour outside of court. Cuz they don't want their embarrassing details to get out in the public.

[Nick]

But Jack, I gotta ask, what are Instagram and YouTube saying in defense of themselves in this big Tobacco Y case?

[Jack]

Exactly what you'd expect, sir. To say that mental health is complex and correlation of using Instagram and being depressed is not causation.

[Nick]

And they pointed out they build protection tools. They'll shame you if you're still liking pics after two hours on the app.

[Jack]

But as anyone knows, unless you have the impulse control of the toddler who passed the marshmallow test, it is really hard to stop using Instagram unless you throw your phone into the nearest lake.

[Nick]

I'm sorry, Jack, did you say something? I was distracted. Is it time for the takeaway?

[Jack]

Yeah, it is.

[Nick]

Okay.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Nick]

Yetis. All right, time for the takeaway. Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies in the biggest court cases in social media history?

[Jack]

Instagram is having its black lung moment.

[Nick]

Yetis, in the mid-1990s, 35% of high schoolers smoked cigarettes. Today it's under 10%.

[Jack]

Because the big court cases of the 90s against big tobacco framed cigarettes as a public health issue affecting our minors.

[Nick]

So the key to this case isn't that kids use too much social media, it's that the engineers design them to addict just like the cigarette companies did.

[Jack]

Intentional design plus awareness of harm plus a profit motive equals legal liability.

[Nick]

That's the equation for tobacco regulations led to age gating and wild warnings like pictures of black lungs on cigarette gardens.

[Jack]

This case could have a similar impact to warn people about the harms of social media or even make illegal addictive design elements like the endless scroll.

[Nick]

Because the breakthrough for both of these phenomena is reframing the issue as a public health crisis.

[Jack]

Apparently, Zuckerberg's the Marlboro man, because this could be Instagram's black lung moment.

[Nick]

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[Raj]

Hey, it's Raj and Noah. And we're back with a new season of Am I Doing It Wrong? The show that explores the all too human anxieties we have about trying to get our lives right.

[Noah]

Because we're still doing a lot of stuff wrong.

[Raj]

Who isn't? That's why each week we're talking about the topics that we could all use a little helping hit with. Whether it's making new friends as an adult, managing our emotions, or even dreaming.

[Noah]

We'll be talking to experts in their fields who are definitely doing things right, so the rest of us can be a bit wiser and a lot better equipped to handle whatever life throws at us.

[Raj]

Subscribe now and listen to new episodes of Am I Doing It Wrong? Dropping every Thursday starting January 1st, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Noah]

And for the first time ever, we're going to have full video episodes on YouTube. Because as long as there are things to get wrong, we're going to be right here to help you. You too.

[Fin AI Rep]

I'm better.

[Boost Mobile Rep]

Love y'.

[Jack]

All.

[Nick]

For our third and final story, reading is the secret superpower of business success. And we found five great businesses that were born from one thing read by one person.

[Jack]

And being 70th percentile in three things will make you incredibly successful in one thing.

[Nick]

It's the 70, 70, 70% rule. We'll get to it. But first, besties, one out of four of you have not read a single book in the last year. We've got the details, we got the stats.

[Jack]

We're not narcing on you to your English teacher right now.

[Nick]

No, we're not judging.

[Jack]

But wait till you hear the end of the story, because we've told you before the wild stat about Warren Buffett. He claims to read 500 pages a.

[Nick]

Day, not just novels and biographies. By the way, Warren Buffett's 500 pages a day include newspapers, reports, work stuff, all that good stuff before this man.

[Jack]

Punches out, well, the world's best investor ready Moby Dickworth of text every day.

[Nick]

So the reason besties Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Stock is up 6 million percent in 60 years. And yes, that's a real number.

[Jack]

It's that reading is like compound interest for your brain.

[Nick]

But besties, the real ROI on binge reading, it's not about everything you read. It's about one thing you read.

[Jack]

Because Warren Buffett actually read Barron's magazine for 50 years. It's magazine about investing. But he only found one investing opportunity that he acted on.

[Nick]

But here's the key. That one idea led to an investment that made a 400 to 500 million dollars profit.

[Jack]

So as Warren said, I have made a 400 to 500 million dollars Profit from reading Barron's for 50 years and following just one idea.

[Nick]

It's a single line win. Basically, a single needle in a haystack of reading was a breakthrough for Warren Buffett worth half a billion bucks.

[Jack]

And it turns out many of the greatest innovations in business started because a founder read one line that he or she couldn't stop thinking about.

[Nick]

And Jack and I read about this concept in the newsletter by Trung Fan, which we happen to be fans of. So, like for example, Jack, tell us about Trader Joe's.

[Jack]

Joe Colomb read a statistic in Scientific American magazine about the rise in college degrees. So he created a grocery store for the quote, unquote, over educated, underpaid Jeff.

[Nick]

Bezos read in a magazine that the Internet was growing at 2,300% per year. So he quit his job and started something called Amazon.

[Jack]

Why did Sarah Blakely name her shapewear business Spanx? Well, she read in a book that consumers liked the sound of K, like Coca Cola, Kodak, or Spanx.

[Nick]

Phil Knight was lying around reading a newspaper about Japanese trading companies being flush with cash in the 1960s. So he reached out to one of them and funded his struggling startup, Nike.

[Jack]

And what led to Bill Gates passion for the personal computer? Well, he read a line in Popular Mechanics that stopped him in his tracks.

[Nick]

And those are his words. And you know what? Besties Jack and I have the same approach to storytelling. That's how we build every story of this podcast. Right, Jack?

[Jack]

We'll read a whole earnings report or an entire article and turn one line that we couldn't stop thinking about into the entire story.

[Nick]

So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over in business?

[Jack]

Reading is how you unlock the 70, 70, 70% rule of success.

[Nick]

Look, daddies, reading won't make you the greatest expert in one topic, but it will make you knowledgeable.

[Jack]

Reading a book on, say, the hotel industry, it's not going to put you in the 99th percentile of hotels, but it will put you in the 70th percentile.

[Nick]

And Trung's insight from this? It's that it's better to be 70th percentile at many things than 99th percentile at one thing.

[Jack]

To know more than 70% of people about one thing doesn't take that much time. You could do it just by reading one book. Good point. But knowing more than 99% of people, that's going to require years of study.

[Nick]

And if you, if you stack up the skills in which you're at 70th percentile, then together, that is powerful.

[Jack]

For instance, the best comic book illustrator of all time, he was 70th percentile at humor, 70th percentile at writing, 70th percentile at drawing.

[Nick]

And the overlap of three 70th percentiles makes you a 99 percenter, but in a fraction of the time.

[Jack]

It's like the saying Jack of all trades, master of none, but often better than a master of one.

[Nick]

That's the full quote. Besties. Reading it gets us to 70% expertise fast and 70% in three skills. That is a talent stack. Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us for saviche Wednesday?

[Jack]

Vital Pharm stock is getting yoked on allegations made by a TikToker.

[Nick]

There are three kinds of corporate police yetis, but only one of them has to prove it in court.

[Jack]

For our second story, Meta and YouTube are in what could be a landmark court case that will likely take months to finish.

[Nick]

It's about digital nicotine. The jury. It could hand Instagram its first black lung moment.

[Jack]

And our third and final start is that the best business minds read a.

[Nick]

Lot the ROI on binge reading.

[Jack]

Because one big idea can come from just one thing that you read.

[Nick]

And 70% in three different skills is one heck of a talent stack.

[Jack]

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

[Nick]

First, India announced the mother of all trade deals with the European Union.

[Jack]

It's the number two and number four largest economies in the world. That includes 2 billion people.

[Nick]

Basically one out of four of us. By our math, that is the biggest trade deal in human history.

[Jack]

And it's a sign of increased cooperation abroad, while the US hasn't secured trade deals with either of those two.

[Nick]

And second, speaking of abroad, Jack, one American movie made more money in China than all others combined last year. And who was it?

[Jack]

Zootopia 2.

[Nick]

Yep. Disney's Zootopia sequel hit 1.7 billion bucks at the global box office. Highest animated movie take home ever, thanks to China.

[Jack]

Now, China has, like, stopped watching American movies, but Zootopia 2's the exception. And there's a cultural reason that explains it.

[Nick]

This is interesting. You see, the Chinese empathize with the main character in Zootopia, the bunny who goes from living in the country to making it in the big city.

[Jack]

That's the dream of, like a billion Chinese people.

[Nick]

And the antagonist in Zootopia is a snake. And last year happened to be the Year of the Snake.

[Jack]

So Disney don't Bank on Zootopia 3 Being a success unless there's a rat as the antagonist.

[Nick]

And finally, yesterday we did a story on Graza, the $150 million olive oil brand that put olive oil in a shampoo bottle.

[Jack]

Well, Heinz ketchup just said, hold my beer. They launched the first ever keg of ketchup.

[Nick]

That's right. Heinz created a keg of ketchup, AKA the kegs up. It's a Super bowl marketing move one and a half weeks before the bowl.

[Jack]

It's also part of a broader trend in food and beverages to win the wars on the shelves. It's all about the package.

[Nick]

Time for the best fact yet. This one whipped up by Jack and I because we got a cool update for you.

[Jack]

Well, the Winter Olympics begin in just 10 days, and Team USA just announced the final roster.

[Nick]

So we dove in t boy style and we got some takeaways. Jack, youngest Team USA athlete. Who is it?

[Jack]

Abby Winterberger. Free skiing, 15 years old.

[Nick]

Oldest athlete. Who we got?

[Jack]

Rich Rahonen. The curler is 54 and still on Team USA.

[Nick]

Team USA also features four sets of.

[Jack]

Siblings on the squad, including the Kachuks of Team USA ice hockey.

[Nick]

But Jack, the state with the most per cap of representation. Who is it?

[Jack]

Vermont. Only three, but that's pretty good for a population of only seven.

[Nick]

It's like half the state. And Jack knows all three of them. Oh, but the school with the most representation on Team USA overall, who is University of Minnesota. Opening ceremonies next Friday, February 6th. If you know, you know by the.

[Jack]

Way for seven Americans, this is their fifth Olympics, including 41 year old Lindsey.

[Nick]

Vonn Yetis, you look fantastic for ceviche Wednesday. Jack, I lost you under the vest.

[Fin AI Rep]

You okay?

[Jack]

Dude, I'm drowning. I'm drowning in my vests.

[Nick]

All right, besties, go enjoy whipping. Open a few chapters of great Expectations tonight and you'll probably come home with a profit tomorrow.

[Jack]

I think that's the day.

[Nick]

And then share that story with someone who you love today.

[Jack]

Hyh Tvoi Nick and I will see you tomorrow.

[Nick]

And before we go, happy birthday to legendary Eddie Sam Jensen celebrating all the way over in Utah.

[Jack]

Happy 21st birthday to Ivan Jimenez in the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

[Nick]

I think he's got one of those Heinz ketchup kegs. Jack and Gabby pena has turned 18 years old down in Orlando. Orlando, happy birthday.

[Jack]

Happy birthday to Valerie in Rockford, Michigan.

[Nick]

And Trend Wisco is turning big. 50 years old in Greenbush, Minnesota.

[Jack]

Happy birthday to Jake Jordan celebrating in his garage in Atlanta.

[Nick]

And David Sulpy. Happy birthday even though still nobody knows where you're from.

[Jack]

And to anyone else celebrating something today.

[Nick]

Making a T boy celebrate the wins.

[Jack]

This is Jack. I own stock of Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and Disney. And Nick owns stock of Lululemon.

[Raj]

Hey, it's Raj and Noah. And we're back with a new season of Am I Doing It Wrong? The show that explores the all too human anxieties we have about trying to get our lives right.

[Noah]

Because we're still doing a lot of stuff wrong.

[Raj]

But who isn't? That's why each week we're talking about the topics that we could all use a little helping hit with. Whether it's making new friends as an adult, managing our emotions, or even dreaming.

[Noah]

We'Ll be talking to experts in their fields who are definitely doing things right. So the rest of us can be a bit wiser and a lot better equipped to handle whatever life life throws at us.

[Raj]

Subscribe now and listen to new episodes of Am I Doing It Wrong? Dropping every Thursday starting January 1st, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Noah]

And for the first time ever, we're going to have full video episodes on YouTube. Because as long as there are things to get wrong, we're going to be right here to help you do them better.

[Raj]

Love you.