🤙 “High School Millionaire” — Cal AI’s crazy acquisition. Iran’s drone game. McDonald’s cringe-burger. +New Song car-crash

Summary

The Best One Yet – Episode Summary

Podcast: The Best One Yet
Episode: "High School Millionaire" — Cal AI’s crazy acquisition. Iran’s drone game. McDonald’s cringe-burger. +New Song car-crash
Date: March 4, 2026
Hosts: Nick & Jack Studios (Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell)

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Overview

This episode of The Best One Yet dives into three major business stories:

1. Iran’s use of inexpensive drones in warfare and their impact on U.S. defense spending
2. McDonald’s launch of a gigantic new burger — and why it feels like history repeating itself
3. The creation and acquisition of a wildly successful calorie-counting app built by high schoolers

The hosts deliver their signature mix of sharp analysis, pop-culture details, and witty banter, making business news engaging, snack-sized, and fun.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. Iran's Drones: Weapons of Mass ‘Extension’

[05:16 – 09:05]

• Market reactions to the Iran war:

  • Stocks fell on news that the conflict could drag on:
    • "Stocks opened down by 2% on Tuesday morning in part because President Trump said he will do whatever it takes to win in Iran, adding that wars can be fought forever." – Nick (06:03)

• Iran’s Drone Strategy:

  • Iran is deploying $20,000 Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drones, which require $4 million U.S. Patriot missiles to shoot down:
    • “Iran's $20,000 drones that require $4 million of missiles for us to shoot down. It's weaponized financial asymmetry.” – Jack (06:18)
  • The mass production and use of inexpensive drones creates a huge economic burden for the U.S.:
    • “Neutralizing Iran's tiny weapon costs us 200 times more than it costs them.” – Nick (07:29)
  • The drones are compared to “flies and mosquitoes” — a persistent, small-cost threat that is costly to neutralize (07:12–07:18).

• Historical Parallel & Market Impact:

  • The “Trump Put”: Historically, Trump reversed controversial policies if markets fell too far:
    • “Once stocks have fallen far enough and Trump can't tolerate it anymore, he reverses that policy.” – Jack (08:30)
  • Suggests that the end of the Iran war may be driven by Wall Street pressure, not military strategy:
    • “What's most likely to end the Iran war? It might be stock markets.” – Jack (08:20)

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2. McDonald’s Mega-Burger: Cringe or Case Study?

[09:05 – 14:06]

• The Big Arch Burger Launch:

  • McDonald’s unveils its largest burger ever (the Big Arch):
    • "CEO tries to bite into McDonald’s new burger, which has 1,020 calories. It’s so big." – Jack (09:46)

• Awkward CEO Promotion:

  • Viral video of CEO Chris Kamzinski’s awkward attempt to eat the burger, calling it a 'product,' and looking unenthusiastic:
    • “He didn’t know how to hold it. He didn’t know there were onions in it. And then he took the tiniest little bite…this CEO taste test video has gone viral because it looks like a hostage sit.” – Nick (10:19–10:24)
    • “Don’t call your food product and don’t call the people who eat it users.” – Jack (10:53)

• History Repeats: The ‘Arch Deluxe’ Catastrophe:

  • The new burger echoes McDonald’s failed Arch Deluxe in 1996:
    • "This Big Arch burger is eerily similar to a MCT astrophe from 30 years ago taught in business schools." – Nick (12:48)
    • The Arch Deluxe failed due to being too expensive, too many calories, and insulting to customers:
      • “Calling it sophisticated just insulted regular McDonald’s customers.” – Jack (13:24)

• Nutritional Context & Trends:

  • The Big Arch: $12 for the burger ($17 with fries and soda), twice the calories and fat of a Big Mac (12:05–12:18).
  • “This Big Arch burger is the biggest burger in McDonald’s history based on all that data. But it reminds us of the biggest failure in McDonald’s history.” – Jack (12:24–12:29)

• Investor Skepticism:

  • Stock fell after the announcement; hosts see this as a potential repeat of a historic flop.

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3. Calai: High Schoolers Build and Exit a $30M AI App

[16:14 – 20:35]

• Calai’s Origin Story:

  • Built by high schoolers (notably Zach Yadigari), the app uses AI to analyze food photos and estimate calories:

    • “You take a photo of what you’re eating, and the AI estimates how many calories are in there.” – Jack (17:07)

  • The team’s distinguishing move: Reducing friction by letting users skip typing in food data — a ‘laziness unlock’:

    • “If you can let people be lazier, you are solving a market problem and it could lead to millions for you.” – Nick (17:39)

• Rapid Growth and Acquisition:

  • 15 million downloads, $30 million in revenue in just over a year; successful viral marketing and $30/year subscription (17:56–18:04).
  • Acquired by MyFitnessPal after rival noticed its rapid ascent in the app store (18:09–18:26).

• Remarkably Young Founders:

  • Team was so young their LinkedIn titles read "18 years old" or they had only “$9 allowance money.”

    • “This is a one and a half year old business doing $30 million a year built by teenagers.” – Jack (19:00)

  • Team meetings were scheduled around homework and school activities:

    • “Sunday was the only time they weren’t in class or like band practice.” – Nick (19:14)

• Key Trend: ‘Tiny is Mighty’ in Tech:

  • The new flex in tech and venture capital is a small, efficient team, not bloated headcounts:
    • “In Silicon Valley, the big new flex is small.” – Jack (20:35)
    • “Tiny is now mighty.” – Nick (20:26)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the cost of war:
  “We’ve been so worried about weapons of mass destruction…these $20,000 drones can blow a $4 million hole in the U.S. war budget like that.” – Nick (07:58)

• On McDonald's awkwardness:
  “This CEO taste test video has gone viral because it looks like a hostage sit – marketing team was holding his family hostage with a ransom demand that he eats this thing on air.” – Nick (10:24–10:38)

• On startup team size:
  “For years, the biggest flex in Silicon Valley was how big you were…But lately we are noticing the opposite…because that signals they’re cutting edge use of AI.” – Nick & Jack exchange (19:45–20:08)

• On distracted driving and music releases:
  “If Spotify streams surged 40% on a particular day, it’s likely because there’s a big album that dropped…guess what else happens on those same days? Traffic injuries rise by 15%.” – Jack (01:44–01:56)
  “Beyonce launches a new banger, you lose a bumper.” – Nick (01:58)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro Banter & Album/Traffic Accident Correlation: 00:11 – 02:36
• Story 1 – Iran’s Drone Warfare: 05:16 – 09:05
• Story 2 – McDonald’s Big Arch Burger: 09:05 – 14:06
• Story 3 – Calai AI High School Acquisition: 16:14 – 20:35
• Takeaways Recap: 20:40 – 21:21
• Lightning Round (Tech tidbits, app stories, fun facts): 21:21 – 23:45
• Listener Fact – National Aviary in Pittsburgh: 22:57 – 23:45

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Flow, Language & Tone

• The hosts’ tone is playful, quick-witted, and analytic.
• Business insights are delivered with jokes, puns, and cultural references, making the lessons memorable and engaging for listeners.

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Recap of Takeaways

[20:40 – 21:21]

• Iran: The most likely end to the war might be a stock market downturn pressuring a policy reversal (“Trump put”).
• McDonald's: The Big Arch burger may be a case of corporate amnesia, repeating the failed Arch Deluxe playbook.
• Calai: The hottest flex in tech is being lean — high schoolers with a tiny team can build and sell an AI startup for millions.

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For Listeners Who Missed It

Whether you want the scoop on defense economics, a business school lesson on product launches gone awry, or inspiration from teenage tech entrepreneurs, this episode dishes up the freshest, fun-sized takes on the business stories you need.

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End of Summary

Transcript

[A]

This is Nick.

[B]

This is Jack.

[A]

It's Wednesday. CEVICHE Wednesday, March 4th. Centenny's pod is the best one yet. This is a T boy. The top three pop business news stories

[B]

you need to know today.

[A]

I'm sorry, Jack, can you remind me again, what's the only day of the year that is also a command?

[B]

That would be March 4th, Nick.

[A]

Oh, it's today. It's today. Yetis. You gotta listen to the rest of the episode. You're gonna absolutely love it.

[B]

And if you don't, it's time for you to March 4th.

[A]

Jamie Dimon will spank you. So, Jack, three fantastic stories for today's pod. What do we got on the T boy?

[B]

For our first? Stocks fell on Tuesday on hints that the war in Iran will last longer than you think.

[A]

One reason. Iran's got $20,000 drones that cost us $4 million to shoot down.

[B]

For our second story, McDonald's just launched their biggest burger ever.

[A]

Ever.

[B]

It is so big, their CEO is afraid to bite it.

[A]

True story. McDonald's biggest burger ever might repeat its biggest failure ever.

[B]

And our third and final story. If you take a photo of your lunch right now, the Calai app will tell you how many calories are in it.

[A]

Cal.

[B]

AI.

[A]

This app is doing 30 million a year in revenue and just got acquired.

[B]

The wildest part. This AI app was developed by high

[A]

schoolers, high school seniors, but Yetis before

[B]

we hit that wonderful mix of stories.

[A]

Like a final project they did before prom. Jack. Love the stories, love the mix. What do we got?

[B]

Yetis On Friday, Harry Styles drops his new album.

[A]

Okay. First album since 2022. He's a big Yeti. Highly anticipated from Mr. Harold.

[B]

But Nick, on that day, this Friday, you might want to avoid the Rhodes.

[A]

Yeah, because besties, when a big artist drops a big album, you are likely to get into an accident.

[B]

It's true. Harvard Medical School first saw. Sorry. Heard the correlation in the street versus streaming data.

[A]

Follow us on the numbers. If Spotify streams surged 40% on a particular day, it's likely because there's a big album that dropped.

[B]

And guess what else happens on those same days? Traffic injuries rise by 15%.

[A]

Boo boos in your Subarus.

[B]

Yetis Beyonce launches a new banger, you lose a bumper.

[A]

I'm sorry, could you just repeat all the what we just said, Jack?

[B]

On big album drop days by the big superstar musicians, you stream more, but some car skids more.

[A]

We're talking 40% more streaming equals 15% more accidents.

[B]

If Kendrick drops a diss track this weekend there's going to be a six car pileup.

[A]

Jack, the next time BTS drops some fresh K pop, we're going to take the subway.

[B]

But Nick, this is basically a story about distracted driving. So if you do need to listen to bts, don't reach down on your phone. Tell Siri to play it for you.

[A]

Yeah. If you must listen to Harry Styles on a Friday, buckle up this time

[B]

and wear a helmet. It's a sign of the times.

[A]

It's not drinking and driving. Streaming and then crying. Jack, let's hit our three stories. 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 at Liz. If you know, you know. Cause we read to go we can't wait no more so just start the show, start the show, Start the show. First, a quick word from our sponsor. So, Yetis, Jack's instituted a new business model for his Airbnb hosting. And Jack, what is it? Here it is.

[B]

Host equals guest.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

I funnel all my revenue from being a host on Airbnb into one bank account and use that same bank account to book travel for myself.

[A]

Basically, it's Jack's host guest bank account for when he hosts and when he's a guest somewhere else.

[B]

When I lived in the City Neck, every time my apartment was available on Airbnb, it would get booked like that.

[A]

I mean, think about how often are you away from home? You got the bridesmaid, you got the shower, you got the bachelorette, you got the wedding.

[B]

That's three weekends away. Just for one wedding right there. Plus, you gotta visit your mother, naturally.

[A]

Well, that's a lot of potential hosting that you could be doing on Airbnb. Let someone else stay at your place while you're away.

[B]

Take that host money and spend it when you're a guest somewhere else. Have a business model like me if

[A]

you want to travel more. Hosting more is a great way to make it happen.

[B]

Financially, your home might be worth more than you think.

[A]

Find out how much at airbnb.com/host menace. AI yetis. So when are we using AI? When we're jumping in T boy style to some research.

[B]

Why crunch numbers in that earnings report when a bot will do it for you?

[A]

Don't worry. Jack's love language is fact checking, so everything gets A double check, fact check before it makes the pod. You know it.

[B]

No. AI Slopper app?

[A]

No. So Jack and I are pumped to tell you about Manus AI, the hot new AI agent that does more than just answer your questions.

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It does test tasks for you that you don't want to do to get your work done faster and better.

[A]

Manus is the most powerful AI agent for people who don't code.

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We just asked Manus where the CEOs of the 100 most profitable companies went to college. Boom. It created it for us.

[A]

Or you could ask Manus to launch an e commerce shop for you.

[B]

Boom.

[A]

Your Anna Wintour.

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Manus connects the most advanced LLMs with a set of tools to deliver real world tasks.

[A]

Oh, by the way, Manus means hands in Latin because like hands, Manus is pretty darn useful to humans.

[B]

And you can get your hands on Manus AI for free.

[A]

Visit Manus Im tboy to get started with Manus and some T boy special credits.

[B]

That's Manus im tby

[A]

for our first story, Investors just got signals yesterday that the war in Iran could last a long time. And you know what? They didn't like it.

[B]

Because Iran's low cost drones are weapons of mass extension.

[A]

Weapons of mass extension now, Yetis, on Monday, honestly, Jack and I were checking the markets and we're kind of surprised

[B]

by what we saw. Right, Jack? Stocks ended the day slightly higher on Monday, the first day of trading after the war in Iran began.

[A]

Yeah, some might have called this buying the war dip bwd.

[B]

But on Tuesday, reality settled in that this is not going to be a weekend long war. So stocks opened down by 2% on

[A]

Tuesday morning in part because President Trump said he will do whatever it takes to win in Iran, adding that wars can be fought forever. That's a direct quote.

[B]

Plus you got mixed messages on the goal of this war from different parts of the administration.

[A]

So investors are thinking we may have to settle in for this.

[B]

But another reason that this war might last longer than expected is what Nick and I are calling Iran's weapons of mass extension.

[A]

Weapons of mass extension Besties. We're talking about Iran's $20,000 drones that require $4 million of missiles for us to shoot down.

[B]

It's weaponized financial asymmetry.

[A]

Yes, it is. And these are not the drones we were talking about at the Winter Olympics.

[B]

Yetis, you've probably seen videos of Iran's retaliation. You've actually heard these drones in those videos.

[A]

Exactly. What you've heard is the loud buzzing, triangle shaped kamikaze drones flying through the air, even over Dubai.

[B]

It's called the Shahed 136 and they are one way drones designed to crash into things for maximum damage.

[A]

The price of these puppies, well, they're going to cost you just $20,000 to make.

[B]

And Iran's been making them in mass production.

[A]

Basically they're Iran's model T, but for

[B]

munitions, they're not particularly fast or nimble drones, so they're easily shot down. We have a 90% interception rate of

[A]

these drones, but Jack, and I think of it, these drones are less hawks and eagles, but they're more like flies and mosquitoes.

[B]

You can kill them because they're not that quick, but when they bite you, they hurt.

[A]

Oh my God, yes, they do.

[B]

But Nick, our flyswatter, in this analogy, it's the Patriot missile that we use to shoot them down.

[A]

And Jack, what does that cost us?

[B]

$4 million each.

[A]

That's right, besties. Neutralizing Iran's tiny weapon costs us 200 times more than it costs them.

[B]

Now, we should clarify, there are more effective anti drone defense systems out there, but none in this region of the Middle EAS.

[A]

So Tehran has launched 1,200 of these drones in just three days and we've shot 1,200 Patriot missiles just to intercept them.

[B]

Our bill is much bigger than their bill.

[A]

And whoever runs out first, that's the side that's going to be the most vulnerable.

[B]

Yetis, we've been so worried about weapons of mass destruction when it comes to Iran. Understandably.

[A]

Okay, But Jack, these $20,000 drones, they can blow a $4 million hole in the US war budget like that.

[B]

That is financial asymmetry. And this kind of warfare is a big reason that Ukraine has lasted as long as it has against much bigger

[A]

Russia, bringing us full circle. That's why we call them weapons of mass extension. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies wondering about the end of an Iran war?

[B]

What's most likely to end the Iran war? It might be stock markets.

[A]

Now, yetis, we have seen this before. Stock markets dip after a brand new Trump policy.

[B]

And once stocks have fallen far enough and Trump can't tolerate it anymore, he reverses that policy.

[A]

Think of the stories we've covered together. The phase one China deal in his first term, reversing the Liberation Day tariffs, the framework for a future deal on Greenland.

[B]

In each of those cases, it was Trump reversing his policy because stocks had fallen too much.

[A]

As Wall street puts it, it's the Trump put and Wall street now trades on it.

[B]

It's a cousin of the taco trade that Trump always chickens out.

[A]

Well, if things go badly in this war, oil could keep spiking and stocks could keep on falling.

[B]

So the Trump put it, could be the President simply pulling out of Iran and touting his killing of the Ayatollah as a victory.

[A]

The only question that remains, besties though, is reversing a war as easy as reversing a tariff. For our second story, McDonald's newest burger is so big, their CEO is embarrassed to eat it.

[B]

He just doesn't know how to eat it.

[A]

I know. Honestly, I feel bad for the guy. I love the guy.

[B]

They didn't teach him in business school, but we've actually seen the McDonald's big archburger before. From a business school case study on catastrophe.

[A]

Oh, yetis, Millennials, we say the word awkward.

[B]

Gen Z used the word cringe.

[A]

But you can use both of those words for the latest video from the official McDonald's Instagram account.

[B]

Because in it, Chris Kamzinski, the svelte little V neck sweater lovin CEO, tries to bite into McDonald's new burger, which has 10, 20 calories. It's so big.

[A]

He strikes me as more of a soup guy. Jack, you know I love the sweater, but it's giving cha. It's definitely giving kale.

[B]

First of all, when he introduced the Big Arch burger, he called it a product, not a burger.

[A]

That's your first problem right there. I gotta stop you.

[B]

Then he promised that he's really gonna eat this thing for lunch. For real. It's like no one's saying you're not.

[A]

Don't protest too much. We hope you eat it for lunch, buddy. You need more meat on those bones.

[B]

But it got worse. He didn't know how to hold it. He didn't know there were onions in it. And then he took the tiniest little bite.

[A]

As his taste test besties, this CEO taste test video has gone viral because it looks like a hostage sit marketing

[B]

team was holding his family hostage with a ransom demand that he eats this thing on air.

[A]

Now, besties, this is probably not the reason why McDonald's stock fell by 2% yesterday.

[B]

Although it does appear that McDonald's kale loving CEO has a psychological fear for the company's own food.

[A]

I'm sorry, Jack, I think you mean the word product. That's product.

[B]

Don't call your food product and don't call the people who eat it users.

[A]

Stick that on an apron, Jack. But yetis, let's not rough up Ronald McDonald too hard over. Although that was a lot of fun Nick time too. Chris, we would love to have you on the show. We're fans. Because McDonald's business, it's actually all up. And it is all to the right, baby.

[B]

Remember three years ago, the $20 Big Mac? McDonald's was getting a lot of hate during hot inflation summer.

[A]

Exactly, Jack. But then McDonald's did a value menu pivot. They spent the next three years apologizing, cutting prices and getting some high visibility promotions out there.

[B]

And it worked. McDonald's stock rose in 20, 23, 24, 25. It was at an all time high until last week.

[A]

You see, as burrito bowl prices were popping. McDonald's nugs, they were a dropping, baby.

[B]

So for McDonald's management, they were probably thinking, mission accomplished. Yeah, we didn't just survive inflation, we thrived. Our stocks at an all time high.

[A]

Cerigrian's loss, Mickey D's gains. And that is why Ronald now has the McConfidence to go back on the offense and dip into the protein maxing trend.

[B]

Hence the Archburger. It's huge, Nick. The burger alone is $12 here in Vermont. And 17 if you had soda and fries.

[A]

Jack, can you sprinkle on some more Nutrit context please.

[B]

10, 20 calories is the burger alone. 65 grams of fat and 53 grams of protein.

[A]

I'm gonna need more context, please.

[B]

That's twice as much fat and protein as the Big Mac, which was, I thought their biggest thing.

[A]

Jack, that is more fat and protein than in a pony.

[B]

So the Big Arch burger. It's David Barr for people who don't actually work out.

[A]

Now besties, this Big Arch burger is the biggest burger in McDonald's history based on all that data.

[B]

But it reminds us of the biggest failure in McDonald's history.

[A]

By the way, Chris, cough twice if you need our.

[B]

Oh, he coughed in that video.

[A]

Yeah, he was crying. Coconut water tears, Jack. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at McDonald's?

[B]

The big arch is already a case study in catastrophe.

[A]

Yeti's wild story here. This Big Arch burger is eerily similar to a MCT astrophe from 30 years ago taught in business schools. Today we're talking about the Arch deluxe burger.

[B]

In 1996, McDonald's introduced the Arch Deluxe. It was marketed as having grown up taste and it was the product of years of culinary research.

[A]

It was 40 years ago. They did a $150 million ad campaign that featured kids getting grossed out because the burger was too sophisticated for children.

[B]

I guess they were targeting adults. But it became the first McFlop. Nobody bought the burger. In fact, it alienated people.

[A]

That's right. That original Super Burger was just too expensive, too many calories. And calling it sophisticated just insulted regular McDonald's customers.

[B]

It's also a bad idea to show crying kids when you're targeting families to come into your store.

[A]

Doesn't work.

[B]

And yet, here we are 30 years later, and McDonald's is introducing a similar burger with a similar name.

[A]

The 1996 Arch Deluxe and the 2026 Big Arch both dwarf the Big Mac in price and calories.

[B]

Sure, business is all about timing. Maybe 1996 was just the wrong time and 2026 is the right time.

[A]

All right, Jake, it's a fair point. But investors seem skeptical. The stock, McD's. It's down since that Big Arch announcement.

[B]

Because we've seen the Big Arch burger before. This is a case study in catastrophe.

[A]

No, no, no, Jack. This product is a case study in catastrophe. Now, a quick word from our sponsor.

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Why was Jack a spreadsheet jockey? Cause when he was paying off his student debt, Monarch didn't exist yet.

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Well, one year ago, I proudly killed that spreadsheet I'd been building for 12 years.

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RIP spreadsheet.

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Use code tboyonarch.com for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first [e-mail] with code T. Boy. For our third and final story, this one's wild. The latest AI business to be acquired. It's called Calai, the calorie counting app, making 30 million bucks a year in revenue.

[B]

Here's how a group of high school students, high schoolers, built an AI app that just got acquired by private equipment.

[A]

Now, Yetis, we'd like to introduce you to a guy named Zach Yadigari. Last year, this 17 year old senior applied to 15 top colleges. But you know what? He hardly got into any of them.

[B]

I mean, you only have to get into one.

[A]

That's a fair point.

[B]

But still, this Long Islander from Rosslyn had a 4.0 GPA. We don't know his SATs.

[A]

We don't.

[B]

But we know his extracurriculars were impressive.

[A]

Yes, we do. Because the summer before senior year, Zach launched a startup, Calai, as in calorie AI, a food tracking app.

[B]

You take a photo of what you're eating and the AI estimates how many calories are in there.

[A]

A database of 20 million things that you eat.

[B]

An avocado, 235 calories.

[A]

Turkey sandwich from Lenny's. That's 763 calories.

[B]

That big slice of Gruyere the size of your fist.

[A]

Oh, baby.

[B]

More calories than the big arch burger, Nick.

[A]

Yeah, it's like 1108 calories. You see, Bestie's calorie tracking apps have existed before, but they all required you to type every item that you're eating.

[B]

It's a pain. Friction is the enemy. So Zach used AI to digest the image and spit out the number so

[A]

you don't have to Type it. Which reminds us of rule number 303 from T boy Business school. If you can let people be lazier, you are solving a market problem and

[B]

it could lead to millions for you.

[A]

Now, the co founders of this app got into the University of Miami and they've continued scaling the business from there through a whole bunch of Facebook ads.

[B]

Boom. 15 million downloads later, they have $30 million in revenue. Last year, as people are paying the 30 buck a year subscription.

[A]

We repeat, 30 million bucks in revenue. Sit down, stand up and class dismissed over there.

[B]

But here's the news. Calai just got acquired by its bigger rival, MyFitnessPal.

[A]

MyFitnessPal, which owns My Run MatMyRide, used to be owned by Under Armour. Now they're owned by private equity.

[B]

And they saw that Calai was climbing up the app store rankings to hit number five in the health category. It was neck and neck with my fitness pal.

[A]

So they bought their competition. But Jack, I'm sorry, pause the pod. Can we talk about the bigger news here?

[B]

Did you say High School Musical?

[A]

No, but I like where you're going, Jack. Sorry.

[B]

High school millionaires.

[A]

High school millionaires. Because besties. Cowai is one of the youngest exits we have ever seen.

[B]

One of the founders is so young, his LinkedIn title simply says 18 years old.

[A]

Okay. The other founder is so young he posted on LinkedIn that his 18 year old bank account had just $9 in it. Just allowance money before this deal and

[B]

now they're probably worth millions.

[A]

This is a one and a half year old business doing 30 million bucks a year bill built by teenagers.

[B]

While detailed, the Cal AI team does their weekly stand up meetings on Sunday night.

[A]

Not because they're hardcore though, it's because of homework.

[B]

Sunday was the only time they weren't in class or like band practice.

[A]

Yeah, or lax practice most likely with those Roslyn guys. Here's the key Yetis. These guys understood the attention economy. Savvy marketing helped them get downloaded more than the competition which was offering the same service.

[B]

It's unclear now if they'll remain enrolled at the University of Miami now that they've sold their credit company.

[A]

I'm just assuming one of them asked Giselle to prom after this deal. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Calais?

[B]

The newest flex in VC is small, yet he's.

[A]

Funny thing, Jack and I noticed for years the biggest flex in Silicon Valley was how big you were, the size of your team.

[B]

Founders bragged about their huge hiring numbers because that signaled a healthy business and healthy fundraising.

[A]

But lately we are noticing the opposite. We're noticing founders brag about how small

[B]

they are because that signals they're cutting edge use of AI, which is more impressive in this market besties.

[A]

These four co founders didn't vibe codecal AI alone but impressively just three other employees were employed by them plus a few contractors.

[B]

And they did it all before social studies class after homeroom and mid like hallway makeout. While they're like get to class it's five past three.

[A]

Sticking in the yearbook. Yeti's high schoolers just created an app that now earns five million bucks per employee. And this big exit reveals that tiny is now mighty.

[B]

In Silicon Valley, the big new flex is small.

[A]

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

[B]

Iran's $20,000 drones cost us $4 million each to shoot down. They're weapons of mass extension.

[A]

So what could end the Iran war? The stock market. That would be another Trump put another

[B]

taco trade for our second story, McDonald's is protein maxing. It launched the biggest burger ever. It's twice the size of the Big Mac in bul, both calories and price.

[A]

But it's also a copy paste of McDonald's 1996 marketing MCT astrophe.

[B]

And our third and final story is Calai. It's the latest AI company to get acquired and it was founded by high

[A]

schoolers because the big flex in venture right now isn't big headcounts, it's small.

[B]

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

[A]

First, wild new product. A smart glasses siren. That's right, a warning app about smart glasses. It's like a radar. It is.

[B]

The new app is going viral because it alerts you if someone nearby is wearing smart glasses.

[A]

It's called Nearby glasses. The story was just covered by TechCrunch

[B]

because if somebody's wearing meta Ray bans, they could be recording you with video and you don't even know it.

[A]

But this app sends you a notification if they are.

[B]

And second, yesterday we did a story on the big beef between Anthropic and the US Department of Defense.

[A]

And Jack and I told you how OpenAI swooped in after the Pentagon blacklisted Anthropic.

[B]

Well, get that. New Data says that ChatGPT uninstalls jumped by 295% after they signed that deal with the Pentagon.

[A]

Wow, that is a 4x pop in unsubscribes of ChatGPT.

[B]

Yesterday we asked you for your comments. Can ethics be a competitive advantage? Can morals be a moat? Well, the early download data suggests yes,

[A]

people are picking their AI principles. And finally, we got an update for the yetis on vacay right now. The Vatican, they're closing parts of the Sistine Chapel for cleaning your sweat.

[B]

Apparently, our perspiration floats upward, right, Nick? Isn't that the story here?

[A]

Yeah, I'm not a geologist, Jack, but Michelangelo's fresco masterpiece will be saved. However, salty air does drift up when you're walking through the Sistine Chapel.

[B]

It's a good thing our armpits are facing downward, not upward.

[A]

Oh, no. That saved a lot of art, Jack. That has saved a lot of art from our shovitzen. Now time for the best fact yet. This one sent in by legendary yeti Dylan Steinfeld from lovely Atlanta, Georgia.

[B]

Push and play.

[A]

Here we go. Jack.

[B]

Question, Jack, I went to Pittsburgh recently and while you might know it as the Steel City or the City of Bridges, the locals told me I had to visit the National Aviary or the Bird Zoo. I went and I was blown away. A few things you should know. It has over 500 animals. It's the largest indoor aviary in the U.S. in 1993, it was awarded national status by Congress and it remains the only official national aviary in the U.S. next time you're in Pittsburgh, make sure to pay this.

[A]

Is there any higher compliment than a yeti visiting another city and then sending us an audio best fact yet about something they learned while they're traveling?

[B]

Great law passed by Congress to make this our official national aviary. Also, Pittsburgh, if we do a live tour next year, when we do a live tour next year, should we go to Pittsburgh?

[A]

Absolutely. Should be on the agenda, Jack.

[B]

We'll make a stop at this aviary.

[A]

Drop a comment if you know the venue. Yetis, you are looking fantastic today, Jack. You are glowing. But we have one request. If you are loving, loving our product, if you are loving this podcast product, we would love a five star rating and review. We love reading all of them and they help us grow the show. They help us grow in the rankings.

[B]

We're talking to you users.

[A]

Yes, we are users. If users enjoy the product, then a five star rating helps grow that product.

[B]

I'm actually gonna listen to this episode.

[A]

I really am. Right now, celebrate the wins of Jack and I. We'll see you tomorrow. And before we go, a special shout out to yeti Joe Gurowski, who. This isn't a birthday this is a

[B]

kidney versary because 15 years ago he donated his kidney to his dad in Chicago.

[A]

Joe, great guy. And a happy 40th birthday to Yeti Danas Binnai over in New York City. Also celebrating the launch of their new business, Lemon Health AI startup for longevity.

[B]

Happy 30th birthday to Derek Liu in San Francisco.

[A]

And Pruza Patel. Happy 30th birthday, 1st birthday down in Canton, Ohio.

[B]

Happy birthday to Advita Karthikedan in Kirkland, WA.

[A]

And Jesenia Vasquez. Happy 33rd birthday over in Queens.

[B]

Happy birthday to Coco Flageolet, the Frenchman living in the Presidio of San Francisco.

[A]

Not possible. And Ramya, the yeti I just ran into on my way to the studio in San Francisco. Great to meet you. Thanks so much for being a bestie.

[B]

Happy 31 year wedding anniversary to Joe and Brenda Mullera in Lugoff, South Carolina.

[A]

Not too shabby. And Miranda is the co worker of Lily Gabazov, who correctly guessed our T Boy. Trivia about Netflix on yesterday's pod, the

[B]

Blind side not Finding Nemo.

[A]

And a special shout out to all the Paralympians competing in the games in Milan. The Paralympics just began.

[B]

And to anyone else celebrating something today,

[A]

make it a T Boy Celebrate products.

[B]

This is Jack. Nick and I both own stock of Spotify.

[A]

This is Nick.

[B]

This is Jack.

[A]

It is Wednesday Ceviche. Wednesday, November, March 4th. February. Honestly, I was like, I was on the diving board. I was already. Our head was already over. I had was already over. All right, Jack. One sec. Here we go.

[B]

Three, two, Howdy, howdy ho, and welcome to Fantasy Fan.

[A]

Fellas, I'm Hayden, producer of the Fantasy Fangirls podcast and your resident lover of all all things Sanderson.

[B]

And I'm Stephen, your bookish Internet goofball, but you can call me the Smash Daddy.

[A]

And we are currently deep diving Brandon Sanderson's fantasy epic Mistborn. But here's the catch. Steven here has not read Mistborn before.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Hey.

[B]

Hey. So each week, you'll get my unfiltered raw reactions to every single chapter.

[A]

And along the way, we'll do character deep dives, magic explainers, and Steven will even try to guess what's next. Spoiler alert. He'll be wrong.

[B]

News flash, I'm never wrong. Episodes come out every Wednesday, and you can find Fantasy fanfellas wherever you get your podcasts.