🧸 “Bear Squeeze” — Build-A-Bear’s 2,500% surge. H-1B’s $100K visa fee. Beli’s Yelp-etition. +SNL’s talent accelerator.

Summary

The Best One Yet

Episode: 🧸 “Bear Squeeze” — Build-A-Bear’s 2,500% surge. H-1B’s $100K visa fee. Beli’s Yelp-etition. +SNL’s talent accelerator.

Date: September 23, 2025

Hosts: Nick Martell & Jack Crivici-Kramer

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Overview

In this engaging and fast-paced episode, Nick and Jack break down the top three pop-business news stories that will have you chatting at the next brunch or using at your next meeting. They explore Build-A-Bear’s wild stock surge, the chaos unleashed by a new $100,000 H1B visa fee, and Gen Z’s migration from Yelp to the viral food app Belly. The hosts blend business analysis, storytelling, and relatable humor, keeping listeners informed and entertained.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Build-A-Bear’s Extraordinary Stock Surge

• [05:53] Build-A-Bear’s stock is up 2,500% in five years, from $1/share in 2020 to $70/share in 2025. The company’s now nearly worth $1 billion.
  • Notable comparison: It’s beating tech darlings like Nvidia, Palantir, Tesla, and Microsoft.
• Build-A-Bear, contrary to expectations, didn’t get into meme stock territory or rely on “artificial intelligence.”
  • “Artificial intelligence: zero times. Only company we're aware of that doesn't.” (Jack, [06:45])
• Pandemic comeback: In 2020, Build-A-Bear was “almost bankrupt.” Since then, revenues have hit records every year.
• Nostalgia power: A survey reports 92% of American adults still own their childhood teddy bear (though the hosts note the “bear bias” — survey was done on Build-A-Bear followers).
• Rise of the ‘Kidult’: Adult customers (often in their 20s and 30s) are fueling growth, making custom bears for birthdays and events.
  • “Young professionals are going out to Build a Bear stores and coming home with something that isn't a hangover.” (Nick, [08:45])
• Retail innovation: The real genius? Build-A-Bear isn’t just in malls — they’re on cruise ships, in theme parks, hotel lobbies, and even airports.
  • “Anywhere you get a boost of serotonin and make a memory, Build-A-Bear wants a location there.” (Jack, [09:57])
• Takeaway: The best location for retail isn’t a street corner — it’s “in the cerebellum, where your brain makes memories.” (Jack, [10:08])

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2. $100,000 H1B Visa Fee Chaos

• [10:16] President Trump signed an executive order imposing a $100,000 fee on new H1B visa applications, effective in 30 hours.
• This sowed panic among hundreds of thousands of workers and their families, especially in tech. Companies warned workers not to leave the country, while some outside the US scrambled to get back before the deadline.
• Clarification: Hours before the fee kicked in, the White House clarified it only impacted new applicants, not current or renewing H1Bs.
• Historical context:
  • H1B visas go back to WWII (once for farm workers, then nurses, now STEM workers).
  • 70% of H1Bs are from India, 12% from China; tech companies are the major sponsors.
  • Median H1B salary in the US is $118,000/year.
  • Even notable leaders like Sundar Pichai, Elon Musk, and Melania Trump once held H1B visas.
• Economic impact:
  • “This is a tariff on people. It's designed to get companies to hire American.” (Jack, [14:28])
  • Policy adds a dramatic tax/burden on hiring foreign high-skill labor, potentially incentivizing firms to hire Americans — or, if skills are missing domestically, simply raises costs.
  • Memorable moment: “Add it all up, Yetis, and this $100,000 H1B visa was rolled out with chaos that caused unnecessary trauma for 700,000 families.” (Nick, [15:21])

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3. Belly: Gen Z’s Viral New Food Review App

• [18:05] Yelp is out, Belly is in for the under-35 crowd.
• Belly snapshot:
  • Founded just 4 years ago (2021), Belly has racked up 75 million restaurant reviews to Yelp’s 84 million.
  • Strikingly youthful: 84% of Belly’s users are under 35, compared with 24% for Yelp.
  • Mandatory virality: You can’t access full Belly features until you invite four friends.
  • Posts are social (think Instagram-style review feeds with photos) and personalized; relevance comes from friends, not strangers.
  • Ratings are 1–10, not 5 stars.
• The Algorithmic Gourmet:
  • Belly leverages algorithms to recommend places you’ll like based on your and your friends’ posts, mirroring TikTok’s “For You” page.
• Core insight: The five-star rating system is dying — plagued by bots, rating inflation, and unreliable, subjective scores.
  • “Every Uber driver is between four and a half and five. It's a game of decibels.” (Nick, [21:43])
• Takeaway:
  • “Goodbye stars, hello stories. The five star review system is dead.” (Jack, [21:13])
  • “You don't want a score to evaluate something. You want a story.” (Nick, [22:05])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Build-A-Bear’s strategy:
  “They have found new store concepts to fit into every place that you're having fun.” (Jack, [09:34])
• On nostalgia and stress:
  “Inflation, uncertainty around politics, worries about AI — those are all correlated with buying little bears.” (Nick, [07:47])
• On the H1B fee policy:
  “This is being labeled as an immigration story, but it is also a trade story because fundamentally, this is a new tax on corporations that buy abroad, just like all of Trump's tariffs are. But instead of buying goods, this is about buying labor.” (Jack, [14:38])
• On the fall of the star rating:
  “My four star is your two star. So what's the point, Besties?” (Jack, [22:02])
• On SNL’s secret to greatness:
  “Like a Snickers, this show is both consistent but offers variety every episode.” (Nick, [02:09])

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Important Timestamps

• [05:53] Start of Build-A-Bear discussion (stock surge, retail “cerebellum” strategy)
• [10:16] H1B visa fee chaos: news, historical context, economic lens
• [18:05] Belly vs. Yelp: viral growth, algorithmic recommendations, Gen Z taste
• [21:13] Takeaway: “Goodbye, stars. Hello, stories. The five star review system is dead.”

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Episode Flow Highlights

• Opening Banter / “Mission Impossible” Champagne Surprise: [00:12] – [01:07]
• SNL as a “Talent Accelerator” & Snickers Analogy: [02:01] – [03:16]
• Main Stories Begin: [05:53]
• Quick-fire News Updates (Disney/Kimmel, Nvidia, Hamburger Helper’s revival): [23:07] – [24:10]
• Best Fact Yet (em dash trivia): [24:25] – [25:07]
• Personal Shoutouts and Wrap-Up: [25:07] – [26:28]

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Tone & Style

The episode blends playful banter, clever analogies, and sharp business analysis in a conversational, fast-consumption style. Nick and Jack bring energy, wit, and a down-to-earth tone that makes business news feel fresh and accessible. Their use of metaphors (“cerebellum stores,” “Kidult,” “Algorithmic Gourmet”), pop culture callbacks, and personal anecdotes make the topics feel relevant and memorable.

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Summary Table

| Segment | Topic | Key Takeaway | Notable Quote / Moment | Timestamp | |---------------------|-----------------|----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Build-A-Bear | Stock Surge | Selling where memories are made | “Best store? In the cerebellum.” | 10:08 | | H1B Visa Fee | Policy Change | $100K visa = tariff on people/labor | “This is a tariff on people...” | 14:28 | | Belly vs. Yelp | Food Apps | Stars fade, stories rise | “Goodbye stars, hello stories.” | 21:13 |

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If You Missed It

You’ll walk away understanding:

• Why Build-A-Bear is outperforming tech giants and how nostalgia + retail innovation drive its success.
• What the $100,000 H1B visa fee means for companies, immigrants, and the US economy — and how it upended a weekend in Silicon Valley.
• How and why Gen Z is ditching five-star reviews for algorithm-driven, social food discovery on Belly.

And, as always with TBOY, you’ll have a few one-liners and analogies ready for the group chat or Monday meeting.

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Transcript

[A]

This is Nick. This is Jack.

[B]

It's Tuesday, t Boy. Tuesday, September 23rd. And today's pod. It's the best one yet. This is a T boy.

[A]

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

[B]

I'm sorry, I gotta do a little storytelling here. First date Molly and I have had since the baby. We post up at the bar at Spruce, ready to order the hamburger, and boom, you know what I get? Sit in front of me, Jack.

[A]

Yes, I do.

[B]

A bottle of champagne from Jack and Alex. How did you even know we were gonna be at the bar? Well, like Sherlock Holmes, I figured out.

[A]

What restaurant you were going to. I figured out the time I called the restaurant. I said, I don't think they're getting a reservation. I think they're just walking in and going to the bar. But they're gonna be there at seven o'.

[B]

Clock.

[A]

Nick is a very punctual guy.

[B]

Yes. And when they show up, can you.

[A]

Please give them this bottle of champagne? They're celebrating their first dinner since having a baby.

[B]

Jack, that is mission impossible. CIA level. Can I tell you two takeaways from that experience? What? First, champagne pairs with everything.

[A]

Nice. Agreed.

[B]

Second, tell everybody where you're going to dinner. You never know what you're gon Three stories for today's T Boy. Jack, what do we got on the pod?

[A]

For our first story, the best stock of the last five years. You're never gonna guess. It's gone from a $1 bear to $1 billion. It's build a bear.

[B]

It's Build a Bear. Yeti's Build a bear has surged 2,500% in five years because 92% of us still own our childhood teddy bear.

[A]

For our second story, President Trump jacked up the fee of an H1B visa to $100,000.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

Causing week besties.

[B]

This is an immigration story, but it's also a trade story and absolutely a tech story.

[A]

And our third and final story is the one app. Absolutely eating Yelp right now.

[B]

What is it?

[A]

Because Gen Z's favorite restaurant app is Belly.

[B]

Belly has gone viral because everyone hates the five star review system.

[A]

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

[B]

No one else is doing the mix today.

[A]

Jack, yesterday we asked you some T Boy trivia.

[B]

Yes, we did. What TV show was inspired by a Snickers bar?

[A]

Because, like a Snickers, this show is both consistent but offers variety every episode.

[B]

And the answer, Jack, what show was inspired by a Snickers?

[A]

Snl. Saturday Night Live. It's consistent.

[B]

You know what to expect in every episode.

[A]

But it's varied with a new musical guest and new host each week.

[B]

Like the nougat, the caramel and the peanuts of a TV show.

[A]

With snl, you know you're getting a cold open, dozens of skits, a couple of fake commercials, and a weekend update.

[B]

But you don't know who's singing, who's hosting, or if we're gonna get more cowbell.

[A]

Secret strategy made SNL one of the most successful shows in television history.

[B]

Saturday Night live has won 113 Emmy awards.

[A]

That's more than any other show, to quote Jim Carrey.

[B]

Schwing. But the way snl, the show actually began, well, that deserves an Emmy too.

[A]

Did you know it wasn't initially called Saturday Night Live?

[B]

Yeah, true story. Another TV station already had taken the name Saturday Night Live. That's a fact.

[A]

So you gotties, check out our weekly show. The best idea yet for the untold origin story on snl.

[B]

It's gonna make you laugh, it's gonna make you cry, and then it's gonna make you laugh a little bit more.

[A]

Did somebody say more cowbell?

[B]

I hope they did, Jack. Let's make it happen.

[A]

We dropped a link in the episode description to the best idea yet. In the meantime, here's our three stories.

[B]

Cue the cowbell. What's in em, Jack?

[C]

Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the northeast met in a dorm. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the best one yet. But the best is a norm. Jack. That's it. I don't even think they need to practice. 50%. That's a fat tip. T boy city on your at Liz. If you know, you know. Cause we read to go. We can't wait no more.

[B]

So just start the show.

[C]

Start the show.

[B]

First a quick word from our sponsor. Now a quick break.

[A]

Switching topics to one of our favorite sponsors, Vital proteins.

[B]

Yeah, it is. We told you about vital proteins. They help support our hair, skin, nail, bone and joint health with those collagen peptides.

[A]

But after doing their ads for a few months, we told Vital Proteins, hey, we like to shake things up, okay?

[B]

But then they took us too literally. And guess what product Vital Proteins just launched.

[A]

A ready to drink collagen protein shake with a smooth chocolate taste.

[B]

They shook it up too much. We're talking 30 grams of protein. Enough to grow a third bicep, I think. Nick.

[A]

I've been using using vital proteins for my coffee. Now I use it for my bicep curls Too.

[B]

It's all the benefits of vital proteins collagen. But in an 11 ounce shake, you can grab. Go and shake.

[A]

So go to www.vitalproteins.com to learn more and where to buy. Get 20% off your next order by entering promo code T boy at checkout. Airbnb Yetis.

[B]

Our show actually started as a side hustle over 10 years ago. It began in secret outside of our bank jobs.

[A]

We were worried we'd get food fired, so we didn't tell our bosses, and we even left our names off the website.

[B]

Now, that was our side hustle, a media startup. But there are other side hustles that.

[A]

Are a lot less risky than that and that have 0% chance of getting you fired. Like being a host on Airbnb.

[B]

In this economy, it's a fun and rewarding way to make money off the thing you're already paying for your house or your apartment.

[A]

I've hosted two previous apartments and my current chalet on Airbnb.

[B]

And when no one's using it, why not welcome a family, a couple that just got engaged?

[A]

You already have an Airbnb. You just didn't realize it yet.

[B]

Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host for our first story. The stock of one company you've heard of is up 2,500% in the last five years. And that company, who is it, Jack?

[A]

Build A Bear.

[B]

Yeah, the teddy bear company.

[A]

They just broke ground on a location in Orlando because they're not a bear company. They're actually a brain company.

[B]

Jack, let's pause the pod and check our portfolios here. Nvidia, Palantir, Tesla, Microsoft. We don't own any of those, unfortunately. And in the last five years, there is one teddy bear stock that has beaten all of them. And unfortunately, we don't own it either.

[A]

In 2020, Build a Bear stock was $1 a share. The company was almost bankrupt.

[B]

What about today, man?

[A]

70 bucks a share. The company's worth nearly $1 billion.

[B]

Build a bear stock is beating Nvidia this year to the point it's making tech investors cry.

[A]

Yeah. Hold your hard drives. This company is based in St. Louis, Missouri. They make stuffed toys.

[B]

Okay, Jack and I jumped in T boy style to the Build A Bear earnings report. They said artificial intelligence zero times.

[A]

Only company we're aware of that doesn't.

[B]

Mention AI now, we should point out Build A Bear, this publicly traded toy company. It's not a meme stock either, is it? Man?

[A]

No. The fundamentals of this business are just as huggable as the bears are now.

[B]

Part of the reason this Stock has surged 2,500% in five years is it's grown from a very small base.

[A]

Yeah, people thought it was going bankrupt during the pandemic, but in the four years since, record revenues each time.

[B]

And Build A Bear ain't some Beanie Baby bubble either, is it, Jack?

[A]

No, the growth, the business. They both look solid.

[B]

Furby is fricking jealous of those financials now.

[A]

Build A Bear's business should be hibernating right now.

[B]

Yeah, this is what Jack and I found fascinating. Build A Bear bears are made in China. These tariffs are going to jack up the cost of those fun toys.

[A]

Plus, it's facing unprecedented competition from Labubu dolls.

[B]

Those mischievous little dolls are eating away.

[A]

At the market share. But yetis nostalgia never dies. And in stressful times, nostalgia actually thrives.

[B]

Inflation, uncertainty around politics, worries about AI, those are all correlated with buying little bears.

[A]

Get this. According to a recent survey conducted by build a bear, 92% of American adults still own their childhood teddy bear.

[B]

9 out of 10 you are listening to this podcast while hugging a little teddy right now.

[A]

Although we need to disclose the immense bear bias of that data, participants in the survey were people who follow Build A Bear on Instagram.

[B]

Still Jack. Still Kidalt Kid. Adults are a big source of business.

[A]

For the Build A Bear and they're basically turning kid into a verb.

[B]

For example, CNBC did an interview over at a Build A Bear store where a 26 year old was celebrating her new birthday party with the Build A Bear store.

[A]

It's a nice new activity for young people. You design your custom teddy bear, you dress it up, you hand stuff it with the cotton, and then you do a heart ceremony and you get a birth certificate at the end of it all.

[B]

I mean, Jack, forget happy hour. Young professionals are going out to Build a Bear stores and coming home with something that isn't a hangover.

[A]

If Build A Bear does have to raise prices 30% because of China tariffs, that 26 year old gen Z named Jenny, she's gonna splurge on it.

[B]

It's basically like an emotional support dog. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Build A Bear?

[A]

The best location for a store is in the cerebellum where your brain makes memories.

[B]

Yetis Build A Bear's success right now, it isn't just because they cater to Kidults Build a Bear. They deserve more credit in our opinion.

[A]

Over the last few years, they've invested to diversify their retail footprint. More than any other company.

[B]

Build A bear now has 525 stores. Jack, could you sprinkle on some context, please?

[A]

More than Chuck E. Cheese, Shake Shack or Disney Store, but the key isn't how many. It's where the stores are.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

They have found new store concepts to fit into every place that you're having fun.

[B]

You see, five years ago, Build A Bear was just in malls, but now Build A Bear has stores on cruise ships, theme parks, inside hotel lobbies.

[A]

They squeezed many stores and kiosks into.

[B]

Airports, their biggest location ever. It just broke ground last month in Orlando, Florida, adjacent to the theme parks.

[A]

Anywhere you get a boost of serotonin and make a memory, Build A Bear wants a location there because they're gonna.

[B]

Offer a location, relevant, stuffy, that you'll squeeze until you're 75 years old.

[A]

Call them cerebellum stores where your brain records happy events. That's the best place for retail.

[B]

For our second story, the president's new $100,000 fee for H1B visas caused chaos for and foreign workers over the weekend.

[A]

So what are the new rules? Well, the H1B visa is now basically a tariff on people.

[B]

We'll explain, but first, Yetis, we'll start with the news, which dominated brunches across San Francisco over the weekend. It begins on Friday afternoon. Jack, what exactly happened?

[A]

That's when Donald Trump signed an executive order increasing the fee for H1B visas by $100,000. And get this, it was effective in 30 hours.

[B]

Besties. We're talking 730,000 people working in America thanks to the H1B. So as you can imagine, this caused huge stress for them and their families over the weekend.

[A]

It appeared that companies sponsoring these people with a visa would have to pay a fee of $100,000, and they would have to pay that fee by midnight Saturday night.

[B]

Okay. Things got so dramatic that over the weekend, tech companies ordered all H1B workers not to leave the country. There was worries they would not even be let back in.

[A]

And workers who happened to be already outside of the country, they were ordered by their companies to race back to the United States before this took effect on Sunday.

[B]

But then there was a plot twist on Saturday when, hours before the deadline, the White House clarified that this did not apply to existing H1B visa holders.

[A]

Only new H1B applicants, not current or renewing visa holders, would be impacted by this giant new fee.

[B]

So those who left their Indian wedding in Panic on Saturday to get back to San Jose. Didn't actually have to.

[A]

That's the news. Here's the context. What the heck is an H1B visa?

[B]

It's a totally fair question. We got the details, Jack. Let's sprinkle it on.

[A]

Let's jump into history class. It's an employment based visa, like a guest pass to the United States, but only for college educated foreign workers.

[B]

You see, the H1B actually goes back to the 1940s, when Congress set up legal status for foreign workers to fill very critical labor gaps in our economy.

[A]

During World War II, the critical labor gap was agriculture. So Mexican farm workers were invited into the United states with an H1B visa.

[B]

In the 1980s, the work gap was nurses. So we got a lot of nurses from the Philippines. Actually, if you had a babysitter in New York growing up who was Filipino like I did, it was probably thanks to an H1B.

[A]

But then in 1990, Congress added a new requirement. To get an H1B visa, you had to have a college degree.

[B]

And thus the H1B visa became the nerd visa.

[A]

Ever since, it's become a key recruiting tool for the tech industry, which has been saying for years that America has a shortage of STEM workers.

[B]

Science, tech, engineering, and math. 65% of H1BS work computer jobs, according to government data.

[A]

Where do H1BS come from? 70% come from India, 12% come from China.

[B]

And who's sponsoring all these H1BS? Well. Well, it's mainly the tech companies these.

[A]

Days, and they pay them well. The 2023 median wage for H1B workers in the US was $118,000, which is in the 90th percentile.

[B]

In fact, our five most valuable companies, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple and Meta, employ 30,000 H1B visa holders.

[A]

So if you're chatting it up at the office kombucha tap right now with a couple of Orlando office workers, chances are, or one of them might be an H1B. But it's not just Silicon Valley. Hospitals in rural America hire H1BS too.

[B]

Places where American doctors just don't typically want to live.

[A]

Also, some super famous CEO types, Elon.

[B]

Musk, Google CEO Sundar Pichai. They're both H1B visa guys.

[A]

So is Melania Trump, the president's current wife. They all had H1BS.

[B]

Now, yetis these temp work visas, the H1BS can become green cards. So this is an immigration story at its core.

[A]

And when humans are involved, emotions run high.

[B]

But our takeaway, it looks at this challenge from an economic perspective. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies looking at the new $100,000 H1B visa?

[A]

This is a tariff on people. It's designed to get companies to hire American.

[B]

Now, Yetis, this is being labeled as an immigration story, but it is also.

[A]

A trade story because fundamentally, this is a new tax on corporations that buy abroad, just like all of Trump's tariffs are. But instead of buying goods, this is about buying labor.

[B]

The big question will this $100,000 visa fee make tech companies hire Americans instead of foreigners?

[A]

The answer maybe if an Indian immigrant costs $100,000 more. Now, this policy could result in the job going to an American Gen Z er who just learned to vibe code.

[B]

But if the tech CEOs are right and we don't have these tech skills here in America, then they will end up paying that $100,000 fee, which would.

[A]

Effectively be a tax.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Just like the rest of the tariffs are effectively a tax that US companies pay.

[B]

So add it all up, Yetis and this $100,000 H1B visa was rolled out with chaos that caused unnecessary trauma for 700,000 families. And we know that because we know.

[A]

People affected and those people affected had an extremely stressful weekend because of this.

[B]

But fundamentally, yetis an economic lens through which to View this new $100,000 visa is as a tariff on high skilled workers imported from abroad. Now, a quick word from our sponsor.

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For our third and final story. If you are under the age of 35, then you're not on Yelp. You're on Belly. B E L I Belly's restaurant review.

[A]

App is going viral and it shows that the five star rating system is dead.

[B]

Yetis Yelp. It became a verb in the 2010s.

[A]

Being a foodie was socially acceptable. Restaurant influencers didn't exist yet. Avocado was on everything. Nick. If I had kids in this era, I would have named my kid Kale.

[B]

Because it was peak Millennial Cringe.

[A]

But there's a new food review app that's taking on Yelp today. It's called Belly.

[B]

It was founded just four years ago in 2021 by a couple of Harvard Business School students. And Jack, could we dive in T boy style to the numbers here?

[A]

According to the New York Times, Belly has had 75 million restaurant reviews over that same Period. Yelp has had 84 million reviews.

[B]

So Belly is catching up to Yelp faster than you can fry a pickle.

[A]

Where you really see the difference in these two companies, here is the age. 84% of Belly's users are under 35. For Yelp, just 24% of users are under 35.

[B]

So relatively speaking, Yelp has kind of become more of a boomer app for your restaurant reviews.

[A]

So, Nick, how is this 4 year old app challenging the 21 year old innovator of the food review?

[B]

Well, besties, as we studied the business model, we discovered algorithmic gourmet.

[A]

Here's the context. Belly fundamentally does the same thing that Yelp does. You get to review a restaurant with pictures, reviews, and a rating. But for belly, it's 1 through 10.

[B]

But the growth hack for Belly is that if you want to use Belly, then you gotta share Belly.

[A]

Nick and I downloaded the apps, so we're one of the 14% over 35 now.

[B]

But to get all the features of the Belly app, you have to send it to four people before you start.

[A]

If you want to see the rating on that new Bartolo restaurant in the West Village, you gotta text the Belly app to a buddy first. And the reason is that they're building Belly to be an inherently social app.

[B]

Belly's not about the 500 randos who reviewed that restaurant down the street. It's about how three of your friends reviewed the restaurant.

[A]

And the way people review on this app is social too. You basically make a post with pictures of everything that you ate. It's basically like an Instagram post, but all about the restaurant. There is another fundamental difference between Belly and Yelp.

[B]

Yeah, this one's key.

[A]

Belly has an algorithm. So.

[B]

So as you post and your friends post on the app, Belly starts recommending food in restaurants that it knows you're gonna like.

[A]

So a 10 out of 10 rating on belly has a different purpose than a 5 star rating on Yelp. It trains the algorithm to find your next favorite bim bim bap spot in the East Village.

[B]

Just like the TikTok algorithm improves as.

[A]

You like stuff, it's the for you page for your face.

[B]

Yes. Now, besties, we should point out Belly hasn't had the burden of monetizing their.

[A]

Become way less fun when it's full of ads next to your dumpling review post. But until then, investors are slurping up Belly like it's a bowl of ramen.

[B]

So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Belly?

[A]

Goodbye, stars. Hello, stories. The five star review system is dead.

[B]

Rip Yeti is the five star review system. It began about 25 years ago with ebay, Amazon, and the whole early Internet.

[A]

But an entire generation has lost faith with the five star reviews. We all know that the numbers can be gamed.

[B]

You see, bots and review forms can post inauthentic reviews and tank or improve.

[A]

A rating based on how much they're being paid.

[B]

Plus, Jack, you got rating inflation out there these days.

[A]

Every Uber driver is between four and a half and five. It's a game of decibels.

[B]

Also, Jack, rating bombings can happen, and that can be really unfair to a business.

[A]

If your brand gets tied up in something political, you'll get a flood of ratings from people who've never even used the product.

[B]

And finally, fundamentally, everyone's perspective is different.

[A]

My four star is your two star. So what's the point, Besties?

[B]

Belly shows us you don't want a score to evaluate something. You want a story.

[A]

And that's why the five star review system is dead.

[B]

Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us for T Boy Tuesday, Build.

[A]

A Bear stock has risen from $1 to $70 in five years. It's up 2,500% and 500 locations.

[B]

Yeti's the best location, though, for a store. It's in the cerebellum where your brain makes memories.

[A]

For our second story, companies sponsoring H1B visas now must pay $100,000 per new employee. Here's the economic way to think of this immigration policy.

[B]

Yetis, this new plan is a tariff on people designed to get companies to hire Americans.

[A]

And our third and final story is Belly, the viral restaurant review app for people under 35. It's taken on Yelp with algorithmic gourmet.

[B]

Goodbye, stars, hello stories. The five star review system is dead.

[A]

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

[B]

First, Disney says that Jimmy Kimmel Live will return to ABC on Tuesday.

[A]

Kimmel will address the whole situation during his show's opening monologue tonight.

[B]

Now remember, besties, Disney earned praise from Trump last week for suspending the show, but then anger from others for bending to him on free speech. So Disney stock is down 2 1/2% in the last five days. And second, Nvidia's stock jumped 4% yesterday on Word they're spending more money right now.

[A]

The chip maker is investing $100 billion into OpenAI. OpenAI happens to be Nvidia's biggest customer.

[B]

And remember, besties this comes weeks after Nvidia bought stock in intel as well.

[A]

Nvidia, once financed by venture capital, now becoming venture capital.

[B]

And finally, the hot new food in America is a classic one. Get ready for this Hamburger Helper.

[A]

The 1970s ground beef booster is making a comeback.

[B]

Because of inflation, Americans are trying to stretch their dollars at the grocery store. So you're going down the value ladder to some hamburger helper. Now time for the best fact yet. This one sent in by Arya Bhafar from lovely Orlando, Florida.

[A]

Last week we covered how people are actually using chatbots like ChatGPT.

[B]

One problem is that AI writes with a lot of em dashes. You've probably seen this in your emails. It's basically a telltale sign that someone's used chatgpt if their writing has a.

[A]

Dash, which is frustrating for Aria, who loves EM dashes. But now people think it must not be their writing. They must have used chatbot for this.

[B]

But do you know why the EM dash is called the EM dash?

[A]

It's because the dash's length is traditionally the same length as the capital letter.

[B]

M. And in case you're curious and have heard of the en dash, well, the en dash, which is a smaller dash, is the same width as the letter N. There you go.

[A]

I had no idea. Makes perfect sense.

[B]

Yetis, you look fantastic today. Now, I know Jack and I said that the five star review is dead.

[A]

But not dead by us.

[B]

So remember to drop down and give us a five star rating and review. We love reading them and they're actually huge in the podcast industry.

[A]

Still, Nick and I, we'll see you tomorrow.

[B]

Five stars. Can't wait. And before we go, a happy 14th birthday to legendary yeti Tyler Mayo in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The trombone playing cross country running bestie out there.

[A]

Happy birthday to Jace Aguirre in Mexico City, Mexico.

[B]

And Xavier and Lisa Brosser from Medford, Oregon, have their third baby named Rocket. Congratulations, guys.

[A]

Happy two year anniversary to Frank and Sandra Rodriguez in Victorville, California. They're celebrating at Disneyland.

[B]

And Lucy and Peter McCall just got a beautiful new home in Seacliffe, San Francisco. It looks fantastic. Congratulations, Lucy and Peter. And a big shout out to our.

[A]

Very own Rachel Hower. How are you doing well, just got a personal record.

[B]

That's right, she was racing in a legendary race up north and she finished with her best one yet. And a happy new year to everyone celebrating. Rosh Hashanah, Shanah Tova, to all those.

[A]

Who celebrate and to anyone else celebrating something today. Make it a team, boy.

[B]

Celebrate the wins.

[A]

This is Jack. I own stock of Disney and Amazon, Nick owns stock in Shake Shack and we both own stock at Apple and Robinhood. If you like the best one yet, you can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery in the Wondery app.

[B]

Or on Apple Podcast Prime. Members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. And before you go, tell us a.

[A]

Little bit about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey we want to get to know you.

[D]

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