The Best One Yet

🏓 “Fruition-izing” — Marty Supreme’s growth hack. JP Morgan’s Apple Card. Free Zyn at work. +5am wakeups

Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell
Date: January 14, 2026

Episode Overview

In this energetic edition of The Best One Yet, Jack and Nick break down three headline-grabbing stories spanning tech, finance, culture, and health trends. The stories dissect JP Morgan’s takeover of the Apple Card (and why the Apple Card might be cursed by Steve Jobs’ ghost), Timothée Chalamet’s viral growth hack for his hit film Marty Supreme, and the wild new workplace perk sweeping Silicon Valley: free nicotine pouches at the office. Along the way, listeners get actionable insights, business inspiration, and the duo’s signature witty banter.

Main Topics & Key Insights

1. JP Morgan’s Apple Card Takeover & The Curse of “Think Different”

[04:37 – 09:32]

• JP Morgan’s Huge Earnings, but One Ugly Loss

  • JP Morgan Chase kicked off earnings season with a $57 billion profit for 2025.
  • However, the acquisition of the Apple Card from Goldman Sachs resulted in a $2.2 billion loss, their one “weak spot.”
  • Quote: “This is the second year in a row that America’s biggest investment bank made more than $1 billion of profits every week.” — Jack [05:07]

• The Apple Card’s ‘Think Different’ Problem

  • Apple’s “think different” demand led to a customer service nightmare: all statements sent on the 1st of the month. This flooded Goldman's support lines and forced them to build an expensive new support team.
  • Quote: “Credit cards as a business model, they hate being different.” — Jack [06:05]
  • JP Morgan, with its massive infrastructure, believes it can handle what Goldman couldn’t.

• Why Did Goldman Bail?

  • Goldman, with little consumer banking experience, struggled to meet Apple’s customer service expectations.
  • JP Morgan, with 5,000 branches and loads of credit card products, is “the rebound dude” and up for the challenge.

• Jamie Dimon on Politics vs. Economics

  • The bigger story: political interference in central banks (referencing Turkey’s disastrous inflation spike) often ends in disaster.
  • Quote: “When a central bank loses credibility, confidence plummets and inflation rises.” — Nick [09:03]
  • Jamie Dimon’s main counsel: Let the Fed do its job—don’t let “poli sci take over econ.”

2. Marty Supreme & Timothée Chalamet’s Viral Marketing Hack

[09:32 – 14:11]

• From Ping Pong to Oscars: The Marty Supreme Phenomenon

  • Marty Supreme, starring Timothée Chalamet, is a $70 million A24 film about ping pong, the mafia, and a wild romance.
  • Quote: “A 1950s New York kid caught up in crime, the mafia, and an underground ping pong tournament. Also, he hooks up with Gwyneth Paltrow.” — Nick [10:24]

• How a ‘Fake’ Zoom Call Became a Marketing Sensation

  • Chalamet and A24 published an 18-minute fake “leaked” Zoom meeting to parody typical marketing brainstorms—complete with awkward office banter and absurd ideas.
  • “Fruitionizing” — Timothée’s made-up buzzword — became the comic centerpiece.
  • Quote: “When I wake up every morning I think, culmination, integration, like all of us. And fruition. Fruitionizing, which is not a word, obviously, but fruitionizing the release of this movie.” — Timothée Chalamet (performed by Jack/Timmy), [12:00]

• Breaking the Fourth Wall, Winning the Internet

  • 10 million views later, the fake Zoom call proved to be a viral masterstroke, blending authenticity with satire and drawing wide attention to the film.
  • Quote: “They made fun of promoting movies and got 10 million views…That and a ton of buzz is a financial trick shot.” — Jack [13:18]

• Business Takeaway

  • Breaking the fourth wall—giving audiences a wink behind the scenes—works in marketing as well as theater.
  • Quote: “Brands can break the fourth wall with consumers too.” — Jack [13:59]
  • The act of “transparency (even if staged) is still refreshing.”

3. Free Zyn at Work: The Productivity Arms Race

[15:11 – 18:57]

• The Newest Office Perk: Nicotine Pouches

  • Free nicotine pouches (brands like Zyn, Lucy, Sesh) are popping up in major tech and finance offices—including Palantir, which installed vending machines stocked with free Zyn next to the coffee station.
  • Quote: “Your body isn’t a temple, your body is a productivity machine.” — Nick [15:48]

• The Rationale (and Business Angle)

  • Nicotine is pitched as a productivity hack — more alertness, more focus.
  • Philip Morris (which bought Zyn) has seen a 40% stock spike as a result.
  • Quote: “Tobacco legend Philip Morris is living its best life now.” — Jack [16:44]

• The Big Red Flag: Addictive Potential

  • The difference between coffee and nicotine is addiction—nicotine is “addiction in chemical form.”
  • Sesh’s founder admitted to getting hooked by their own product.
  • Quote: “Addiction: great business model for the business, not necessarily for the end user.” — Nick [17:42]

• Reflecting Corporate Culture

  • Work perks mirror societal values: from 2015’s kombucha and Kind bars to today’s “Ultmanian productivity” kick.
  • Quote: “If you want to understand culture, open up the corporate fridge.” — Jack [17:56]
  • In the cutthroat AI economy, companies now optimize perks for raw productivity—even if it means enabling questionable “hacks.”

Other Notable Moments and Quick Bites

Sleep Chronotypes & 5AM Wakeups

[01:13 – 02:22]

• Larks (morning people, 20%), Owls (night people, 20%), Bears (the rest, 60%).
• Jack and Nick: “5am and you just might not gel—and that’s okay.”
• Quote: “Mo Melatonin, Mo Money. If you know, you know.” — Nick [02:22]

Quick Hits & Offbeat News

[19:42 – 21:16]

• Tom Brady might quarterback Team USA in Olympic flag football (2028).
• Elon Musk predicts AI abundance could make saving for retirement obsolete.
  • “This is not financial advice. It’s just fascinating...” —Jack [20:39]
• Tamagotchi turns 30, sales hit 100 million.

Best Fact Yet

[21:14 – 22:08]

• Nuclear submarines (powered by nuclear energy) can stay submerged for 90 days—not limited by power, but by food.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “Credit cards as a business model, they hate being different.” — Jack [06:05]
• “When a central bank loses credibility, confidence plummets and inflation rises.” — Nick [09:03]
• “A 1950s New York kid caught up in crime, the mafia, and an underground ping pong tournament. Also, he hooks up with Gwyneth Paltrow.” — Nick [10:24]
• “Fruitionizing, which is not a word, obviously, but fruitionizing the release of this movie.” — Timothée Chalamet (via Jack) [12:00]
• “They made fun of promoting movies and got 10 million views… That and a ton of buzz is a financial trick shot.” — Jack [13:18]
• “Addiction: great business model for the business, not necessarily for the end user.” — Nick [17:42]
• “If you want to understand culture, open up the corporate fridge.” — Jack [17:56]
• “Mo Melatonin, Mo Money. If you know, you know.” — Nick [02:22]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------|-------------| | JP Morgan’s Apple Card Takeover | 04:37–09:32 | | Marty Supreme’s Marketing “Hack” | 09:32–14:11 | | Free Zyn at Work: Productivity Craze | 15:11–18:57 | | Sleep Chronotypes & 5AM Wakeups | 01:13–02:22 | | Quick News Hits (Tom Brady, Musk, Tamagotchi) | 19:42–21:16 | | Best Fact Yet (Nuclear Submarine Trivia) | 21:14–22:08 |

Tone & Style Highlights

Jack and Nick's playful and upbeat banter shines, with plenty of pop culture allusions (“If there’s one thing Tom Brady loves more than rings, it’s deflated balls.”), quirky terminology (“fruitionizing,” “Ultmanian productivity”), and mock-serious business takeaways.

Takeaway Summary

• Apple Card’s “think different” curse tripped up Goldman; JP Morgan thinks it can fix what Apple broke—if politicians keep their hands off central banks.
• Marty Supreme's fake Zoom stunt is a modern masterclass in “breaking the fourth wall”—brands should take note.
• Free nicotine at work signals a cultural shift from wellness perks to productivity-at-any-cost—just check your office fridge.