🧋 “Anti-Slop Coffee Shop” — Claude’s AI café. Vulcan’s patriotic mine. Buldak’s $8B noodles. +Downpayment Work Perk.

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Anti-Slop Coffee Shop" — Claude’s AI café. Vulcan’s patriotic mine. Buldak’s $8B noodles. + Downpayment Work Perk.

The Best One Yet | October 15, 2025 | Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell

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Episode Overview

In this upbeat and fast-paced episode, Nick and Jack break down three of the most intriguing stories in the current business landscape:

1. The rise of Buldak, the South Korean ramen noodles brand captivating Gen Alpha and reaching a staggering $8B valuation.
2. China's sweeping ban on rare earth metal exports to the US, and the emergence of Vulcan’s "patriotic" mining operation.
3. How Claude, an AI chatbot, entered New York’s coffee scene with a wildly popular pop-up café, signaling the next big move in the chatbot wars: branding.

The hosts keep their signature banter and casual style, weaving in pop culture references and memorable quotes, making complex topics accessible and engaging.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Workplace Perk Trend: The Downpayment Work Perk

[01:27–03:12]

• Some Bay Area companies are offering downpayment assistance or low-interest loans as a work perk to help employees live closer to the office.
  • "It's called the 20% down work perk, baby." – Nick [01:59]
• This benefit is mainly seen in hospitals, universities, and local governments.
• Purpose: Shorter commutes mean more employees physically at work, benefitting both workers and employers.
  • "A condominium would be nicer." – Nick [03:03]
• The duo jokes Zuck (Mark Zuckerberg) will inevitably copy this idea, as he does with other trends.

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2. Story 1: Buldak’s $8 Billion Ramen Noodles Boom

[05:53–10:31]

• Buldak, a spicy ramen brand by Samyang Foods, has become the hottest brand among Gen Alpha (kids under 15), outstripping nostalgia brands.
  • "Buldak is the Kraft’s mac and cheese for the youngest generation of Americans." – Jack [06:43]
• Viral moments: Kids brought to tears of joy over Buldak as a birthday gift; 60M TikTok views.
• Financials: Samyang’s revenue doubled in 3 years to $1.5B; stock has doubled in a year to $8B.
  • "We repeat, this noodle company is worth more than a Lyft." – Nick [08:03]
• Product’s edge: Ultra-spiciness is the differentiator; some flavors are so hot they’ve been banned in certain countries (e.g., Denmark).
  • "The capsaicin in the chili peppers of this flavor is near poison levels." – Jack [09:03]
• Broader context: Korean Wave is powering cultural exports (K-pop, movies, cosmetics, now noodles).
• Takeaway: Brands stand out by embracing extremes.
  • "There is opportunity in the extremes." – Nick [10:31]
  • Reference to Red Bull’s ban-then-boom and how Buldak follows a similar playbook.

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3. Story 2: China’s Rare Earth Export Ban and Vulcan’s Response

[10:31–15:51]

• On November 6, China will restrict exports of 17 key rare earth metals to the US.
  • "China just banned the export of rare earth metals to the US, which is why we should prepare for operation warp speed 2.0." – Jack [10:48]
• Importance: Rare earths are essential in electronics, cars, defense; China controls ~60% of global supply.
• Fallout: Stock markets fell; Trump responded with tariff threats and canceled meetings.
• Profile: John Maslin, ex-Navy, now CEO of Vulcan Elements, saw firsthand US military’s dependence on Chinese rare earths.
  • "F-35 fighter jets need 900 pounds of rare earth metals." – Nick [13:15]
  • "Rare earth metals are like your spine." – Jack [13:27]
• Vulcan’s solution: Recycling rare earths from old electronics; working toward scaling up domestic US mining operations.
• Takeaway: US needs an “Operation Warp Speed 2.0” to accelerate rare earth mining and reduce dependence on China.
  • "Rare earth metals should be operation warp speed 2.0." – Jack [14:47]

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4. Story 3: Claude’s Anti-Slop Coffee Shop—AI Enters IRL Branding

[18:15–22:16]

• Anthropic (backed by Amazon & Google) launches a pop-up "Anti-Slop Coffee Shop" in NYC’s West Village, sponsored by its Claude AI chatbot.
  • "Claude is basically the Pepsi to ChatGPT’s Coke." – Jack [19:51]
• The café shuns screens, encourages creative thinking, and gives out merch emblazoned with "thinking."
  • "The verb thinking. The ability that we’re worried AI will steal from humanity." – Nick [20:19]
• Massive buzz: 10M social media impressions; “thinking” becomes a status symbol among limited edition hats.
• Underlying battle: AI models risk becoming undifferentiated commodities — branding is key to creating user loyalty.
  • "Does one know Sam Altman’s greatest fear? It’s that you toggle between ChatGPT and Claude like they’re Uber and Lyft." – Nick [21:39]
• Claude’s positioning: Not as competition for thinking, but as a partner; aiming to feel humanistic and collaborative, versus ChatGPT's utilitarian vibe.
  • "Claude is framing itself as a thinking partner, not a bot to outsource your thinking to." – Jack [22:05]
• Takeaway: The next AI war will be over brand, not just technology.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It's a seven digit city." – Jack [02:13] (on unaffordable SF housing)
• "Top ramen and cup of noodle never gave us emotions for carbohydrates like Buldak Noodles is doing." – Nick [07:15]
• "Part of the Bulldog boom in America is just our Korean love right now." – Nick [09:19]
• "Rare earth metals are these Infinity Stones of the real world, the VIPs of the periodic table." – Jack [14:10]
• "Claude is marketing AI with the opposite of AI: Coffee Shop. Old school creativity." – Jack [19:57]
• "The biggest challenge in the chatbot wars is creating a brand." – Jack [21:19]
• "Besties, the next time your company does an all hands...ask: 'Excuse me, when are we getting the down payment work perk, please?'" – Nick [02:59]
• "Now thinking is the hat." – Nick [20:29]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Workplace Downpayment Perk: [01:27–03:12]
• Buldak Story (Rise & Spiciness Strategy): [05:53–10:31]
• China’s Rare Earth Ban & Vulcan Elements: [10:31–15:51]
• Claude’s Anti-Slop Coffee Shop & AI Branding: [18:15–22:16]

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Wrap-Up: Key Takeaways

[22:24–23:09]

• Buldak’s edge is in extremes; their ultra-spicy noodles captured Gen Alpha.
• Rare earth metals are crucial for US tech security, spurring a need for domestic mining.
• The chatbot war is shifting to branding, as exemplified by Claude’s creative pop-up and “thinking” campaign.

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Bonus: Other Noteworthy News

[23:13–24:27]

• Bank Earnings: JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and BlackRock all hit record numbers.
• Podcasts on Netflix: Spotify’s “The Ringer” bringing video podcasts to Netflix, expanding the platform’s media footprint.
• Panning for Gold: Booming as a weekend activity; sales of “dirt boxes” are up 50%.

Best Fact Yet: Pittsburgh has more bridges than Venice (446 vs. 435) due to its three-river geography. [24:34]

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Tone & Language

Jack and Nick’s rapid-fire, friendly banter keeps the pace light and conversational, with humor and a knack for pop business analogies (“Red Bull and Buldak,” “Claude as Pepsi to ChatGPT's Coke,” etc.), making the business headlines approachable for all listeners.

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Summary prepared for: Those looking to catch up quickly on the latest pop-business headlines, understand why they're important, and have a few great takes to share — all in under 20 minutes, oatmeal optional.

Transcript

[Nick]

This is Nick. This is Jack. It's Wednesday. CEVICHE Wednesday, October 15th. 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]

I'm sorry, Jack. I'm checking the cows. And we are halfway to Halloween, baby. Besties, this is your warning pod.

[Jack]

It's October 15th. You need a semblance of a concept, of an idea of your Halloween costume.

[Nick]

Yeah, no pressure, besties.

[Jack]

But I'm feeling the pressure. Dude, I'm clueless right now.

[Nick]

But, Jack, we have that thing. We're working on that thing.

[Jack]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Couples costume.

[Nick]

All right. But in the meantime, Yeti's Jack and I have three fantastic stories for today's T. Boy, Jack, what's on the show?

[Jack]

For our first story, Gen Alpha, the generation younger than Gen Z, is obsessed with one company, Buldak Ramen Noodles.

[Nick]

Buldaks is now an $8 billion noodle business because it's so spicy, it got banned.

[Jack]

For our second story, on November 6, China is cutting off rare earth metal exports to the United States.

[Nick]

So Jack and I are looking at the company raised 65 million bucks for a patriotic metal mine.

[Jack]

That company is Vulcan.

[Nick]

The Vulcan.

[Jack]

And our third and final story. Why did an AI Chatbot open up a coffee shop in New York City? And why does that coffee shop have a line going around the block?

[Nick]

Claude's Anti Slop Coffee Shop has a real purpose, and here's what it is. Throw shade at ChatGPT.

[Jack]

But, Yetis, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories, Sam Altman.

[Nick]

Latte for Sam Altman.

[Jack]

For years now, Yetis, Nick and I have been keeping track of the ultimate corporate competition.

[Nick]

Oh, we got it up on the whiteboard. Whose office offers the best work perks?

[Jack]

Well, the newest work perk is by far the biggest, at least financially speaking.

[Nick]

Because that work perk, which is a tongue twister, by the way, is down payments.

[Jack]

That's right. Some Bay Area companies are offering down payment assistance as an employee benefit.

[Nick]

Yeah, called the 20% down work perk, baby.

[Jack]

Here's the story. Businesses want employees to live closer to the office to shorten their commutes.

[Nick]

Okay? But the problem with that, Jack, there's.

[Jack]

Nothing in San Francisco, and I mean nothing, under a million dollars.

[Nick]

It's a seven digit city. It's a seven digit city.

[Jack]

And with high interest rates, they're double as expensive.

[Nick]

So cash rich companies are offering cash stipends or low interest loans for nearby housing.

[Jack]

And you know what? If you do Live closer to your work. You'll probably go to work more often.

[Nick]

So, Jack, it's kind of a work perk to benefit the employee and the employer.

[Jack]

You're joining the company? Here's a 0% loan for that apartment downtown.

[Nick]

Oh, you're coming on board with Frank for finance. Here's 50k for that cond.

[Jack]

Now, so far, it's mostly hospitals, universities and local governments that are offering these down payment assistant perks.

[Nick]

Honestly, we are shocked Zuck has not sucked this idea yet.

[Jack]

Zuck, this is an idea we actually want you to. Totally.

[Nick]

This ain't Snapchat.

[Jack]

It's housing. So, yetis, the next time your company does an all hands meeting and you have the chance for Q and A, here's what you ask.

[Nick]

Excuse me. When are we getting the down payment? Work perk, please.

[Jack]

Yeah, I know everyone's really excited about the free Kombucha tap. A condominium would be nicer.

[Nick]

Just don't have to room with my boss. Jack, let's hit our three stories.

[Narrator]

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, that's it. I don't even think they need to practice. 50%, that's a fat tip. T Boy city on your atlas. If you know, you know. Cause we read to go. We can't wait no more so just start the show. Start the show.

[Nick]

First, a quick word from our sponsor.

[Jack]

This show is sponsored by BetterHelp.

[Nick]

You know, Jack, something I thought about in therapy last week. If I were a therapist, I would need my own therapist.

[Jack]

Think of the questions, the venting, the complaints, the tears that we all bring into that leather couch.

[Nick]

I mean, therapist me would need a break from me. You know, relieving other people's trauma every day for work, that could be pretty traumatic.

[Jack]

It's secondhand trauma now. They do get paid to hear it. But still, I appreciate how welcoming my therapist is to hear all my issues.

[Nick]

Good point. Good point, Jack. Good point.

[Jack]

I appreciate how welcoming my therapist is to my dirty laundry.

[Nick]

So, besties, since October 10th is World Mental Health Day, we'd like to thank.

[Jack]

Those therapists, our therapists, better help. Therapists have helped over 5 million people like us on every issue you could imagine.

[Nick]

And we've learned that simply saying out loud what we could have never articulated before, that could Change your life.

[Jack]

BetterHelp has 12 plus years of helping people say what they've only thought. But Never said so just fill out.

[Nick]

A questionnaire and BetterHelp finds you the right fit from 30,000 therapists.

[Jack]

This world Mental Health Day, we're celebrating the therapists who've helped millions of people take a step forward. If you're ready to find the right therapist for you, better help can help you start that journey.

[Nick]

Our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com t boy, that's betterhelp.

[Jack]

H lp.com tboy Airbnb, Yetis, full disclosure.

[Nick]

We'Re already thinking about holiday vacation. You gotta book these things early these days.

[Jack]

Are you kidding? I booked my holiday vacation like six months ago. I do it like the Germans right after my Christmas vac.

[Nick]

I book next year's Christmas vacation for 2028. Okay. But also, full disclosure. Yetis, I'm jealous here because I'm paying for my whole trip. But Jack, you have money from your Airbnb helping pay for yours.

[Jack]

It's my side. Hustle, profit, puppy, besties.

[Nick]

You can host your entire place or just your extra space.

[Jack]

Really satisfying feeling. By the way, when my guest messages me that their first night went wonderfully, it just puts me at ease. And it's like, wow, I am making money right now and somebody's having a great time.

[Nick]

So you're gonna give a day away for free? No, I wouldn't say that. Getty's your home might be worth.

[Jack]

Find out how [e-mail] host.

[Nick]

For our first story, the hottest brand among American kids right now. It's Bulldox Ramen Noodles.

[Jack]

This South Korean company is now worth $8 billion because they're so spicy, they're illegal.

[Nick]

But first, we gotta begin with an apology, Jack, because, sorry, Gen Z demographers are already turning their attention to a younger gener.

[Jack]

I remember being so bummed when millennials became second fiddle to Gen Z. Now Gen Z, second fiddle to Gen Alpha.

[Nick]

Because, Yetis, everyone under the age of 15 years old is officially Gen Alpha.

[Jack]

And their favorite brand, it's not Labubu dolls, Roblox or Abercrombie. Their favorite brand is a food you've probably never heard of.

[Nick]

South Korea's Bulldog Noodles.

[Jack]

Buldak is the Kraft's Mac and cheese. For the youngest generation of Americans, Buldak.

[Nick]

Noodles is the sole food the preteens out there.

[Jack]

There's a TikTok video of a girl getting gifted Bulldog noodles for her seventh birthday. When she pulls it out of the bag, she is so overwhelmed with joy that she starts crying.

[Nick]

This gift of a noodle got 60 million views on TikTok.

[Jack]

Now, Nick and I used to eat ramen noodles when we were kids too. You'd boil the waddle, cook the noodles, mix in the powder, patch of flavor and eat it.

[Nick]

But I'm sorry, Jack. Top ramen and cup of noodle never gave us emotions for carbohydrates. Qu Bulldog Noodles is doing.

[Jack]

We are in the middle of the Bulldog noodle boom and it's driven by your niece probably.

[Nick]

So besties Jack and I jumped in t boy style. And the numbers are gonna make you sit down, stand up, and ask for a napkin again.

[Jack]

We always get excited when the popular product du jour is part of a publicly traded company like this one.

[Nick]

Oh, yeah, yeah. This is a pure play slurp stock if I've ever seen one.

[Jack]

Jack, Yeti's Bulldog is owned by a publicly traded South Korean company called Samyang Foods.

[Nick]

And let's talk number. Samyang's revenue has doubled in the last three years to one and a half billion bucks.

[Jack]

The stock has doubled in just the last year. It's now worth US$8 billion.

[Nick]

We repeat, this noodle company is worth.

[Jack]

More than a lift to sprinkle on some context. Nick and I actually did a full episode on the invention of ramen noodles for the best idea yet.

[Nick]

Yes, we did. Instant ramen, invented in Japan after World War II.

[Jack]

Well, Samyang adopted noodles in Korea after the Korean war caused a food shortage there.

[Nick]

In both cases, as we said before, necessity was mother of invention.

[Jack]

But it took 50 years for it to have its viral breakout moment in 2015 is when Bulldog sold their first flavor abroad. That was the most spicy yet.

[Nick]

It was so spicy, in fact, that Bulldog's flavor became a challenge.

[Jack]

It was a YouTube sensation. Try to eat three bites without your head exploding.

[Nick]

Yeah, good luck on that. Now, scientifically speaking, this was the spiciest noodle brand in the market, and it still is today.

[Jack]

I'm looking it up right now. Buldak in Korean means fire chicken, so it makes sense.

[Nick]

In fact, they got a flavor so spicy it got banned in Denmark. That's right.

[Jack]

The capsaicin in the chili peppers of this flavor is near poison levels. Okay.

[Nick]

Apparently in Copenhagen, Noma, the three star Michelin restaurant, was smuggling this stuff in just to eat in the back.

[Jack]

Now, part of the Bulldog boom in America is just our Korean love right now.

[Nick]

Yeah, there's a Korean economic wave right now. K pop, Korean cosmetics, Korean films. We've been covering it on the Pod.

[Jack]

K pop Demon Hunters. Still the top movie On Netflix months after we covered it the first time.

[Nick]

Our prediction, the number one Halloween costume, K Pop Demon hunters.

[Jack]

But the other key to the Bulldog boom, It's the spice.

[Nick]

The very particular spice strategy. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Bulldog?

[Jack]

How to stand out. There's always opportunity in the extremes.

[Nick]

Now, Yetis, remember Jack and I did a story on the best idea yet about Red Bull and how it was such an energizing product, it actually got banned.

[Jack]

It's a similar strategy with Bulldog. It is their differentiator is their borderline illegal spiciness.

[Nick]

Or as they put it, spicy or nothing like spiciness that makes you feel alive. That's their tagline.

[Jack]

Yetis, consumers want to know what a brand stands for. Bulldog is a brand that stands for spice to the extreme.

[Nick]

Okay? In California, Bulldog noodles have to come with a warning label. They're so hot.

[Jack]

Part of the reason we like that is the challenge to see if you can handle three bites of that spiciness.

[Nick]

Part of it, if you don't consume the food, is just knowing that the Bulldog brand is willing to go there.

[Jack]

It's how a brand can stand out relative to others. Exist at the furthest end of the spectrum.

[Nick]

We've seen it before. Besties. We're calling it out now. There is opportunity in the extremes. For our second story, on Friday, China announced a trade policy so extreme, our treasury secretary called it Leninist.

[Jack]

Not John Lenin, Vladimir Lenin, the other Lenin. Yetis, China just banned the export of rare earth metals to the US which is why we should prepare for operation warp speed 2.0.

[Nick]

Now, Jack, you've got the best memory of anybody I know. Take us back to April, when we covered China's monopoly on rare earth metals.

[Jack]

What did we say?

[Nick]

We had, like, a great analogy.

[Jack]

Yeah, it is. In April, we covered China's monopoly on rare earth metals, and they were using it like an acupuncture needle in the trade war.

[Nick]

Ah, the acupuncture needle analogy. If you apply just the right amount of pressure, a needle can sting more than a punch or a tackle.

[Jack]

And with 60% of the world's rare earth metals, China has been poking the US with the most painful economic needle. Yeah.

[Nick]

And it hurts. Which leads to the news. Starting November 6, China will restrict the export of their 17 critical rare earth metals to the United States.

[Jack]

And rare earth metals are critical to every technology in the. Basically every electronic.

[Nick]

Jack, what this is, is. This is an export ban. That's what it is.

[Jack]

That's right. Starting November 6th, no US company can buy Chinese rare earth metals without an explicit approval from the Chinese government in Beijing.

[Nick]

And this move, it caused some drama. It caused Trump to freak out, blast China, in his longest post ever, threaten 100% tariffs on the entire country and cancel his next meeting with President Xi on Friday.

[Jack]

Stocks tanked because of all of that. Okay.

[Nick]

And then stocks fell again yesterday after Trump's treasury secretary dissed China's rare earth.

[Jack]

Metal export ban by calling it Leninist. Yeah, Lenin. The co founder of communism.

[Nick]

Yeah, that's on his LinkedIn. Now, Yeti. Jack and I were fascinated about this story because we were curious, how bad would life be with no rare earth metals from China coming to America?

[Jack]

Well, there's one veteran of the US Navy who knows how bad that would.

[Nick]

Be, and his name is John Mathlin. Six years in the Navy before he spent two years over at Harvard Business School.

[Jack]

John Maslin is now the CEO and co founder of Vulcan Elements.

[Nick]

And while he was in the Navy, he was the officer of supply chain. And what did he notice in all of our supplies?

[Jack]

He noticed that our military hardware, like battleships, submarines, fighter jets, they all depend hugely on China's rare earth metals.

[Nick]

In fact, as we said, Jack, you have an incredible memory. What was that stat he shared about.

[Jack]

The fighter jets, the F35 fighter jets? It needs 900 pounds of rare earth metals.

[Nick]

The Navy vessels that we use in the ocean, they need tons of rare earth metals.

[Jack]

And Maslin used a great analogy to explain how important rare earth metals are to all of these electronics. A semiconductor is like your brain. A battery is like your heart. Rare earth metals are like your spine.

[Nick]

And you know what, besties, we need all three of them made in America because it's too important to depend on foreign countries for them.

[Jack]

IPhones use rare earth metals. Electric cars do too. Gas cars do as well.

[Nick]

Okay, Jack, Air conditioners, computers, fridges, light bulbs. Oh, yeah, the PlayStation you're using here.

[Jack]

In the podcast studio right now. The lights, my headphones, my computer, my camera, the podcast recorder, and the microphone, all with Chinese rare earth metals.

[Nick]

I feel like I should just do that right now.

[Jack]

No, I think that thing's using it, too.

[Nick]

This is the other in Mike Cha Ching button. Yeti's rare earth metals are these Infinity Stones of the real world, the VIPs of the periodic table.

[Jack]

But Maslin is most motivated by military applications.

[Nick]

So he just raised 65 million bucks to scale up his rare earth metal processing facility down in North Carolina.

[Jack]

And right now, it's more like a waste Management business. Since we don't have rare earth metals plentifully available in the States, he's recycling them from old obsolete electronics. But with China escalating their anti US trade war rhetoric, we need more than just recycled rare earth metals.

[Nick]

So Jack, what's the takeaway from for all our buddies staring at the rare.

[Jack]

Earth metal drama, Rare earth metals should be operation warp speed 2.0.

[Nick]

Now, Yetis in Covid, we created a vaccine four times faster than we'd ever done before.

[Jack]

We need to do the same thing right now, but for rare earth metals and magnets.

[Nick]

Because rare earth metals exist under American soil. But opening up a new mine to get them takes 30 years due to all the regulation.

[Jack]

That's why America has changed. Just one rare earth mine, it's in California.

[Nick]

Now, this is the result of some poor long term planning by both Republican and Democratic administrations over the last 30.

[Jack]

Years and a lack of realization that maybe we can't depend on China for all of our super vital stuff.

[Nick]

Well, maybe Jack Trump reaches a deal with China, we become simpatico and they start exporting rare earth metals again.

[Jack]

If we do in the short term, we should create a strategic reserve for this stuff, just like we have with oil.

[Nick]

But even that is not enough. Which is why we think we need an operation warp speed 2.0 to mine rare earth metals right here in the States. Now a quick word from our sponsor.

[Jack]

ZipRecruiter.

[Nick]

Yetis, are you a witch? Or a ghost? Or maybe are you an elf?

[Jack]

This year we're doing Toy Story and I'm actually gonna be the claw. Those little green aliens.

[Nick]

Well, Q4 is the holiday quarter. And with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is the ultimate season for hiring seasonal roles.

[Jack]

So if you've got a belly, a white beard and a big old laugh, Macy's will hire you starting November 2020 fifth to be Santa Claus.

[Nick]

And whether you're hiring for one of these roles or any other role, the best way to find the perfect match for your role is on ZipRecruiter.

[Jack]

And right now you can try it out for [e-mail] tboy they got this matching technology.

[Nick]

That's just One reason why ZipRecruiter is the number one rated hiring site based on G2.

[Jack]

The other reason is that the unemployment rate for reindeer 0% right now.

[Nick]

Besties, let ZipRecruiter find the right people for your roles, seasonal or otherwise.

[Jack]

Four out of five employers who post on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day.

[Nick]

And right now you can try it.

[Jack]

For [e-mail] t boy, again that ziprecruiter.com.

[Nick]

T b o y ziprecruiter the smartest way to hire Framer Jack I remember it like it was yesterday because our buddy Timmy spilled all over me.

[Jack]

2011, in our east Village apartment, we created a website for our startup using a template we did. Our website looked like every other startup's website until Timmy Spaghetti spilled on it.

[Nick]

What we wish we'd had was Framer, the template bustin designer that anyone can use.

[Jack]

Get this Framer is the design first no code website builder that lets anyone ship a production ready site in minutes.

[Nick]

It's free to start bold animations. Jack, can I say it's the sexiest website builder that we've ever seen?

[Jack]

I think you can. I think Framer would be cool with that. Framer is so sleek. When we go on the website, you'll see it asks if AI should build it for you.

[Nick]

One prompt, one page with a single click, you basically vibe design your brand's digital storefront.

[Jack]

By the way, I don't know if we're allowed to share this either, but Zillow, DoorDash and SpaceX.

[Nick]

Uh huh.

[Jack]

They all used Framer to make their websites. We found that ourselves in our own research. Yeah.

[Nick]

So, ready to build a site that looks hand coded without hiring a developer? Launch your site for [e-mail] and use code T Boy to get your first month of pro on the house.

[Jack]

And pro, that's all the bells and whistles.

[Nick]

That's framer.com promo code T boy, framer.com.

[Jack]

Promo code T Boy rules and restrictions may apply.

[Nick]

For our third and final story. Claude, the AI chatbot owned by Anthropic, just opened a cafe to sell coffee and croissants.

[Jack]

Claude's anti slop coffee shop, as we call it, shows that the next battle in AI is over brands.

[Nick]

Oh, now Yetis, if you live in New York City, you know this to be true. Jack, what is the most common experience for which you are going to live your life?

[Jack]

Three quarters of your leisure time is spent waiting in line.

[Nick]

Yeah, the other day I was in Tribeca with my sister waiting on line to get on a line for a line. Dude.

[Jack]

Now the latest line actually made headlines because Airmail Newsstand is a cafe in New York City's West Village with a line of thousands of people waiting to get in.

[Nick]

Jack, could you sprinkle on some context to this wild Story, please.

[Jack]

Airmail is a trendy newsletter founded by the former editor in chief of Vanity Fair.

[Nick]

It's like a digital intellectual version of Vanity Fair.

[Jack]

And they opened up a coffee shop and last week they were giving away free double digit lattes and croissants at this coffee shop. Shop. Giving vibes of a French bistro.

[Nick]

Not possible. They wanted you off your screens when you ventured in there, right? That was the scene.

[Jack]

They wanted you to sit down and read and write creatively.

[Nick]

Besties. This five day pop up cafe, it had the longest line in the whole city.

[Jack]

But here's the plot twist. The whole thing was sponsored by Claude, the AI Chatbot.

[Nick]

We repeat, Claude owned by Anthropic, invested in by Amazon and Google.

[Jack]

Anthropic is worth $183 billion and Claude is their crown.

[Nick]

This is the second biggest independent AI startup after OpenAI.

[Jack]

Claude is basically the Pepsi to ChatGPT's Coke.

[Nick]

It's the Scotty Pippin to OpenAI's Jordan.

[Jack]

And ironically, Claude, AI is marketing AI with the opposite of AI Coffee Shop. Old school creativity.

[Nick]

Now we jumped in T boy style. The pastries look delicious. I like that baklava. But the highlight was the merchandise at this pop.

[Jack]

They had T shirts, hats and tote bags with the words thinking stitched in simple plain letters.

[Nick]

We repeat the verb thinking. The ability that we're worried AI will steal from humanity.

[Jack]

Remember, doing things was the hat like eight years ago. Now thinking is the hat.

[Nick]

And the word thinking covered the entire West Village last week from this pop up. If you were lucky enough to get.

[Jack]

One of the few left, the new status symbol is these limited edition thinking hats.

[Nick]

And if you saw them, it kind of looked like swag from a Frederick Nietzsche fan club.

[Jack]

Right, but it's really merch from an AI startup.

[Nick]

But it all comes down to the numbers. And what kind of numbers did they see, Jack?

[Jack]

Claude's anti slop coffee shop got 10 million social media impressions. The word thinking went viral.

[Nick]

But besties, this is what Jack and I gotta know. When did Chatbot suddenly become a fashion.

[Jack]

Statement and start serving pretty good macchiatos?

[Nick]

I got a half caf cortado for Sam Altman. Half caf cortado with the matcha sprinkles. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over Claude's anti slop coffee shop?

[Jack]

The biggest challenge in the chatbot wars is creating a brand.

[Nick]

Now, yet the biggest risk facing all these AI companies investing billions of dollars is that there won't be an roi. It's A bubble.

[Jack]

The second biggest risk is that AI becomes a commodity, all offering the same service. There's no customer loyalty, and people just choose the cheapest chatbot.

[Nick]

Does one know Sam Altman's greatest fear? It's that you toggle between ChatGPT and Claude like they're Uber and Lyft.

[Jack]

I do exactly that.

[Nick]

Well. What Claud Coffee Shop is really about is differentiating. It's about creating a brand where there's a commodity.

[Jack]

ChatGPT is in the news right now for launching Sora and filling our feeds with AI slop videos.

[Nick]

But Claude is now positioning itself as the opposite. Curated, intellectual, artistic, even.

[Jack]

Claude is framing itself as a thinking partner, not a bot to outsource your thinking to.

[Nick]

Because while ChatGPT increasingly feels like a threat, Claude wants to be seen as a collaborator.

[Jack]

We're seeing the start of the next phase of the chatbot world. Who can build a brand?

[Nick]

Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us for saviche Wednesday?

[Jack]

Bulldog is the South Korean ramen company that is most beloved among Gen Alpha Americans.

[Nick]

And how did they stand out so spicy? They got banned because there's opportunity in the extremes.

[Jack]

For our second story. China's export restrictions on rare earth metals begin November 6th, and that could disrupt. Disrupt all electronic products.

[Nick]

Which is why we need operation warp speed 2.0 this time for rare earth metals.

[Jack]

And our third and final story is Claude. They opened an AI anti slop coffee shop in New York City's West Village promoting thinking.

[Nick]

Because the next phase of the AI battles is going to be commodities versus brands.

[Jack]

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

[Nick]

First, we got the big bank earnings reports. They just came in, and honestly, honestly, they were really, really big.

[Jack]

JP Morgan soared on a record $9 billion in quarterly trading revenue.

[Nick]

Jack Goldman soared on a record $2.7 billion in deal fees from M&As and IPOs.

[Jack]

And BlackRock soared after announcing a record $13.4 trillion of money under management.

[Nick]

And second, Netflix and Spotify just announced that podcasts are coming to Netflix.

[Jack]

Podcasts from the Radio, which is founded by Bill Simmons and owned by Spotify, will have their video episodes up on Netflix.

[Nick]

You see, YouTube was already encroaching on Netflix's turf. Video on TVs.

[Jack]

So Netflix is now encroaching on YouTube's turf with podcasts.

[Nick]

And finally, the cool new thing to do on weekends, Panning for gold.

[Jack]

Can you describe what panning is for me, Nick?

[Nick]

People will buy Dirt and then look for gold in it by sifting it through like.

[Jack]

Like a strainer. Yeah.

[Nick]

In fact, sales of $5 dirt bo are up 50% in the last years as people are searching for gold on their free time.

[Jack]

So you could mine for gold or you could sell shovels to the gold sifters.

[Nick]

Literally. Now time for the best fact yet. This one sent in by Zach Williams from lovely Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

[Jack]

The city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania actually has more bridges than Venice, Italy.

[Nick]

They don't say not possible in Italy. They say nonche possible. Pittsburgh has 446 different BR Venus, Italy, just 435 bridges.

[Jack]

How could that be possible? Well, we looked into it. Pittsburgh is known as the Three River City. Like Three River Stadium is where the Pittsburgh Steelers used to play football.

[Nick]

Not only are there three rivers meeting together, but there are a bunch of tributaries and streams, all of which require bridges.

[Jack]

So they got bridges for people, for cars, and for trains to cross over them. It doesn't hurt that this is the Steel City Bridges. Need some deal.

[Nick]

Yetis, you look fantastic today. Jack, you're glowing right now too, man. Looking great. Thank you, dude. Remember, besties, the best thing you can do. Well, one of the best things you can do is to tap to follow us. And that way you get t boy the podcast every single day without even having to think about it.

[Jack]

And make sure to push, subscribe or follow on whatever podcast app you're listening on.

[Nick]

The show is always free, but subscription, that means you're going to get us every day. In the meantime.

[Jack]

One sec, Check. Jack. One sec.

[Nick]

Half calf cortado for Sam. Yeah, we still have this. No one's picked it up.

[Jack]

I'm gonna just take this thing and go.

[Nick]

Are you Sam? I'm gonna need to see some id, please. Yeti's Jack and I, we'll see you tomorrow. And before we go, a happy birthday to legendary Yeti Joseph Bader III, turning 21 years old and celebrating in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

[Jack]

Happy birthday to Jonathan D. Armis, who's turning 27 but feels 30, in Boston, Massachusetts, just outside Boston.

[Nick]

And an extended tax filing deadline day is today. So congratulations to all those who celebrate.

[Jack]

And a big shout out to Eddie Boy on Spotify, who's 13 and has been listening to this podcast since episode number one.

[Nick]

And Jack, a happy birthday to Anto Antonella Grazia in Basilicata, Italy, the wife of Epifanio, who's related to my family and my dad met them on his last trip to Italy. And now we're connected via email. It's pretty cool.

[Jack]

I heard of it was an amazing experience your dad tracking these people down.

[Nick]

Separated by 100 years. Pretty crazy.

[Jack]

Remember they couldn't speak English so they just embraced by hugging each other.

[Nick]

Yeah, it was pretty cool. I wasn't there but it sounded awesome.

[Jack]

This is Jack. I own stock and Netflix and Nick and I both own stock and Spotify. 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 before you go, tell.

[Jack]

Us a little bit about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey we.

[Nick]

Want to get to know you.

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