The Best One Yet — December 9, 2025

Episode Theme:
A lively, insight-packed breakdown of the day’s top three business stories: Paramount’s shocking hostile takeover bid for Warner Brothers, Sephora’s playbook for blockbuster sales, and 16 Handles’ froyo-fueled comeback—plus a side of Bieber’s iPhone grievances.

Episode Overview

Hosts Nick Martell and Jack Crivici-Kramer bring their signature T Boy energy (and banter!) to the stories reshaping pop business culture. Today, they serve up:

• Drama in the streaming wars as Paramount outbids Netflix for Warner Bros.
• Sephora’s all-time-high sales, driven by a relentless retail “game of inches” mentality.
• The froyo revival, starring 16 Handles’ reinvention.
• A viral Justin Bieber iPhone “diss” causing ripples at Apple.

1. Bieber’s iPhone Diss: Apple’s PR Meltdown

Segment Start: [01:09]

Key Points

• Amidst Apple’s soaring stock, top execs (chief lawyer, chief designer) are leaving and Apple’s AI is “MIA.”
• Justin Bieber publicly roasted Apple on social for the “dictation button” placement in iMessage, stirring strong reactions and humor.
• Bieber joked/threatened:

  “If I hit this dictation button after sending a text and it beeps and stops my music one more time, I'm gonna find everyone at Apple and put them in a rear naked chokehold.” — Bieber ([02:07])

• Hosts riff with Bieber-inspired song references:

  “We have never seen Bieber more bitter, baby.” — Jack ([02:25])
  “Hey, Steve Jobs, where are you now that I need you?” — Jack ([02:28])

Impact:
Bieber’s unscripted rant was partly blamed for a 1% Apple stock dip.

2. Paramount’s Hostile Takeover of Warner Brothers

Segment Start: [05:02]

Discussion Breakdown

• Backdrop:

  • Friday: Netflix announces plans to buy Warner Brothers for $27.75/share.
  • Monday: Paramount counters with a $30/share “hostile” bid, bypassing Warner Bros’ board and pitching directly to shareholders.

• Hostile Explained:

  “Paramount’s offer bypasses Warner Brothers board of directors... and that is the definition of a hostile takeover.” — Nick ([06:11])

• Deal Drama:
  Paramount, backed by Larry Ellison and Trump-associated sovereign wealth funds (Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Qatar), and even Jared Kushner’s private equity, is betting on regulatory approval, arguing political connections grease the wheels.

• Business Chess:

  • Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav previously spurned lower Paramount offers, driving the price up from $8/share (April) to $30/share now.

• The Real Winner:

  “Whoever wins, David Zaslav wins. The failed CEO who is now winning Yetis.” — Jack ([08:14])
  “30 bucks a share for something that six months ago cost 8 bucks a share?” — Nick ([09:12])
  “Warner Brothers Discovery was much more valuable as a pawn in the streaming wars than as a standalone media company.” — Jack ([09:22])

Memorable Moment:

• “Add it all up and it feels like we are in the middle of the Warner Brothers Bachelorette. Episode two is already meatier and spicier than episode one.” — Nick ([06:41])

Takeaway:

• The streaming war’s winner (Netflix or Paramount) will make Warner Bros’ CEO Zaslav a billionaire either way.

3. Sephora’s Surging Success: The “Game of Inches”

Segment Start: [09:39]

Key Insights

• Performance: All-time high sales ($18.5Bn, more than Dick’s Sporting Goods), enormous profitability, more store traffic than the Eiffel Tower.
• Competitive Landscape: Despite pressure from Ulta, Amazon, and TikTok-shop sellers, Sephora’s 3400 stores are thriving.
• Secrets to Success:
  • Exclusives: “Half the brands at Sephora, you can only buy at Sephora—like they sign makeup brands like teams sign athletes.” ([11:28])
  • Economic Resilience: Lipstick index—consumers “splurge on lipstick” whether the economy’s up or down.
  • Relentless Retail Approach:

    “Every square inch must be productive. Every inch is like a little jewel.” — Sephora CMO, quoted by Nick ([12:50]) “Like football, retail is a relentless game of inches. And Sephora has become a hall of famer.” — Jack ([13:17])

Memorable Moments:

• “You walk in for a $12 lip balm, you walk out with a new 12 step beauty identity.” — Nick ([10:04])
• Hosts connect lipstick to linebackers for a playful “football” analogy.

Takeaway:

Every square inch in Sephora stores is monetized—location, display, and impulse—all maximized for retail victory.

4. Frozen Yogurt’s Comeback: 16 Handles Leads the Way

Segment Start: [15:38]

Key Discussion Points

• History & Nostalgia:
  Each generation has its frozen treat: Boomers (Mr. Softee), Gen X (Tasti D-Lite), Millennials (Pinkberry & 16 Handles).
• Industry Crash:
  • Froyo market down 28% since 2017; stores down 35%.
  • Pandemic “killed” self-serve model out of hygiene panic.
• Comeback Kid:
  • Noah Cuny Lichtman, at 23, takes a $500,000 SBA loan to buy/revive 16 Handles, betting the real problem was oversupply and not demand.
  • Lichtman’s innovations:
    • High-protein flavors for fitness trends.
    • Nightlife vibes after 8pm—“zero proof nightlife.”
    • Franchising to students and young entrepreneurs.
  • “Noah sold the 16 Handles franchise to an MBA student at Columbia to open a location on the Upper West Side that's doing very well.” — Nick ([18:57])

Takeaway:

• The real risk to Froyo wasn’t demand, but becoming “a victim of its own success”—too many stores, not enough differentiation.
• The smart lesson: Don’t repeat oversupply; curate growth.

Quotes:

“It wasn’t a demand deficit, it was a supply surplus.” — Jack ([20:22])

5. Quick Hits: What Else You Need to Know

[21:28]

• SpaceX IPO could reach $1 trillion valuation—the biggest ever.
• China’s Trade Surplus surpasses $1 trillion, the greatest in history.
• Sweetgreen’s $10 bowl: First “value meal” as sales lag.

6. Best Fact Yet

[22:50]

• The color red stimulates hunger—which is why most fast food and food apps use red in their branding.

  “It’s red! Like...McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, Wendy’s, In-N-Out, Panda Express, Chipotle, Pizza Hut. Jack, Red Lobster. It’s called Red Lobster, man.” — Nick ([23:14])

T Boy Takeaways Recap

[20:40]

• Paramount’s hostile bid: Warner Bros.' CEO Zaslav gets rich—Netflix or not.
• Sephora: Success through relentless, inch-by-inch store optimization.
• 16 Handles: Froyo failed by oversaturating, not from lack of demand—the comeback is smarter supply.

Notable Quotes

• “Warner Brothers Discovery was much more valuable as a pawn in the streaming wars than as a standalone media company.” — Jack ([09:22])
• “Every square inch must be productive. Every inch is like a little jewel.” — Sephora CMO via Nick ([12:50])
• “It wasn’t a demand deficit, it was a supply surplus.” — Jack ([20:22])

The Best One Yet delivers sharp pop-business news, colorful analogies, and quotable banter—streamlining everything you need for your next water-cooler conversation.