👯 “Ladies Brunch” — Galentine’s $2.4B day. AI’s viral warning. Polymarket’s free grocery. +Sweethearts’ econ candy.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Best One Yet

Episode: 👯 “Ladies Brunch” — Galentine’s $2.4B day. AI’s viral warning. Polymarket’s free grocery. +Sweethearts’ econ candy.
Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell
Date: February 13, 2026
Duration: ~24 minutes

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Overview

Nick and Jack serve up three pop-biz stories with their trademark breeziness and banter:

1. An existentially viral AI essay and its scary economic Catch-22—will your job survive AI?
2. Galentine’s Day’s evolution from sitcom punchline to $2.4 billion retail force
3. Why prediction market apps (Polymarket, Kalshi) are suddenly giving away free groceries in NYC

Along the way, the duo explores how Sweethearts stays relevant and how “fake” holidays become real business.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. AI’s Existential Viral Essay & Economic Catch-22

[05:05–10:36]

• The week in Silicon Valley: tech insiders more nervous than ever about AI—top researchers quitting, public spats (Anthropic v. OpenAI), and even beer worker layoffs blamed on AI.
• Focus: The viral 4,000-word essay “Something Big Is Coming. AI is like Covid” by Matt Schumer, making the rounds with 70 million views in a day.
  • Main Analogy: The essay claims February 2026 is the “last feeling of normalcy” before a seismic shift, calling AI’s coming impact as fast and dramatic as Covid’s first 30 days in 2020.
  • Schumer: “I am no longer needed for the actual technical work of my job.” [08:00]
  • White-collar workers from lawyers to creators are the next wave to feel AI surge.
  • Essay cited similar fears voiced by Anthropic’s CEO: “half of entry-level white collar jobs could be eliminated because of AI in just the next few years.” [08:18]
  • Even if you think AI can’t do your job: “Since just last week with new model updates, AI models now have judgment and taste,” and even helped write this very essay. [08:44], [09:34]
• Hosts’ critique:
  • Schumer may exaggerate.
  • The essay ignores AI’s positive potential (“AI goes off and books your vacation for you”).
  • Irony: AI co-wrote the essay about humans being obsolete.
• Jack’s takeaway:
  • “It’s the catch 22 of 2026: Either the job market will fall or the stock market will.” [09:42]
  • If AI creates profits by replacing workers, stock soars—but employment tanks.
  • If AI is overhyped, workers stay safe but stocks tumble.
• Nick: “Yeah, it’s like a seesaw situation. Now, we could be wrong. We hope we’re wrong, but the logic, it does feel sound.” [10:14]
• Hosts’ preference: “If we have to choose, we’re rooting for the human workers, not the hyperscalers and their stock.” [10:36]

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2. Galentine’s Day: A Joke Becomes a $2.4B Powerhouse

[10:44–14:41]

• The rise of Galentine’s Day (Feb 13), invented by Leslie Knope on Parks & Recreation in 2010.
• Now a very real market:
  • This year’s total Valentine’s Day spending: $29B; Galentine’s Day drives $2.4B (gifts for friends, not lovers).
  • Canva: 207% year-over-year surge in “Galentine’s Day” searches. [11:47]
  • Major retailers (Target, Walmart) now have dedicated Galentine’s sections; Wirecutter publishes best gift guides.
  • “2.4 billion bucks is equal to the amount we spend on actual flowers on actual Valentine’s Day.” [12:48]
• Men’s equivalent? Palentine’s Day or “ValenDudes Day” (hosts admit it doesn’t compare in catchiness or scale).
• Business insight:
  • “If there’s demand, supply will come.” — Adam Smith, paraphrased by Jack. [12:16]
  • The formula for making a fake holiday real:
    1. Identify a habit people already do (friend brunches near Valentine's)
    2. Don’t replace an existing holiday—just get close (Feb 13)
    3. Add capitalism—brands must profit to promote it
  • “The best business ideas start as jokes. And this one started on NBC.” [13:31]
• Advice for marketers:
  • “So besties, what is the next fake holiday that you can build from this three part formula?” [14:27]

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3. Polymarket’s Free Grocery Store Stunt: “Bread and Circus” for the Casino Economy

[17:05–20:27]

• Background: Prediction market apps like Polymarket and Kalshi let people bet on the future, driving a “casino economy.”
  • Kalshi did $1B in Super Bowl wagers—more than Vegas. [17:41]
• The hook: Polymarket runs a pop-up free grocery store in NYC's West Village for five days—also offering free flowers for Valentine’s and a donation drive.
  • “A love letter to the city”—but in a wealthy zip code, so likely a marketing, not charity, move.
  • “The real goal here...get you to post on social media, aka earned media.” [18:37]
  • Notably, Kalshi did an almost identical promotion just last week.
• Historical analogy:
  • “The most blunt PR tool in human history is bread and circus.” [19:24]
  • “Offer the people free food and free spectacles like a circus in the Colosseum to entertain them...Because a hungry and bored population is a dangerous one.” [19:43]
• Modern twist:
  • Polymarket wants positive buzz, not association with sports betting (or its regulations).
  • “Offer them a blunt short term utility—free food—in order to improve their public opinion.” [20:14]
  • “Give the people bread and circuses.” [20:27]

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4. Mini Segments & Notable Moments

The Business of Sweethearts (Candy)

[01:16–02:44]

• Sweethearts is the top-selling Valentine’s candy (80% share).
• They remain relevant by updating candy messages yearly based on customer surveys—this year’s “in this economy” vibes lead to phrases like “Share login,” “Split rent,” “Buy in bulk.”
• “In this economy, even candy gets it.” — Nick, [02:41]

Sweethearts “Thrifty” Message Ideas

[02:25]

• Hosts joke about new cost-conscious messages: “Temu,” “Eat now, pay later,” “Check my luggage for that $100 in free airline.”
• “Password Besties. In this economy, even candy gets it.” — Nick, [02:41]

Other News Flashes

[21:17–22:30]

• D.C. shutdown: Government shutdown looms (over Homeland Security funding)—third of Trump’s second term.
• Pope’s Wall Street debut: Vatican partners with Morningstar to create the first-ever Catholic stock index.
• Olympic medals: This year’s Olympic medals are hitting record value ($2,300 in gold)—but they’re also falling apart.

Listener Highlight — Best Fact Yet

[22:31–23:16]

• Shout out to Yeti Carly Bacchus: dentist by day, solid core coach on the side; her boyfriend works in M&A and side hustles as a scuba diver (cleaning penguin tanks at the zoo!).
  • “This one couple of two people has four jobs going on and one of them is making the zoo clean.” — Jack, [23:07]

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “I am no longer needed for the actual technical work of my job.” — Quoting Matt Schumer, [08:00]
• “It’s the catch 22 of 2026: Either the job market will fall or the stock market will.” — Jack, [09:42]
• “The best business ideas start as jokes. And this one started on NBC.” — Nick, [13:31]
• “If there’s demand, supply will come, Jack. I think Adam Smith called that the invisible hand of... exactly right.” — Jack & Nick, [12:14]
• “The most blunt PR tool in human history is bread and circus.” — Jack, [19:24]
• “Offer them a blunt short term utility—free food—in order to improve their public opinion.” — Nick, [20:14]
• “Give the people bread and circuses.” — Jack, [20:27]
• “In this economy, even candy gets it.” — Nick, [02:41]

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Timestamps for Main Segments

• [05:05] Viral AI essay & existential AI anxiety in tech
• [09:42] Catch-22 of AI: jobs vs. stock market
• [10:44] Galentine’s Day economics & the formula for fake holidays
• [12:48] Galentine’s as big as flowers for Valentine’s
• [13:53] Three-step formula for “real” fake holidays
• [17:05] Polymarket’s free grocery store: bread & circus for NYC
• [21:17] Rapid-fire news: shutdowns, Vatican stock index, Olympic medals
• [22:31] Best side hustle yet: dentist + penguin-tank-scuba-diver couple

---

Style & Noteworthy Moments

• Signature banter, puns, rapid-fire delivery true to Nick and Jack’s playful tone
• “Besties” and “Yetis” — engaged jargon for their core listeners
• Calls-to-action interwoven (“what’s your best thrift candy message?”; “what’s the next fake holiday?”)
• Social commentary on capitalism’s ability to monetize literally anything

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For New Listeners

This episode serves three stories with insight and good humor—demonstrating how viral tech anxiety, pop culture phenomenon, and attention-grabbing PR stunts shape the business world. If you want to sound smart about why AI, Galentine’s Day, and prediction market apps are making headlines, this is your single-morning must-listen.

Transcript

[A]

This is Nick, this is Jack.

[B]

It's Friday, The Real Friday, February 13th. And today's pod is the best one yet. This is a t boy, the top.

[A]

Three pop business news stories you need to know today.

[B]

Well, happy Skeekend to all those who celebrate. It's a three day ski weekend, isn't it, Jack?

[A]

No, it's a joint birthday party. On Monday, we're holding a party for our first and 16th presidents, apparently so.

[B]

To thank you to all the presidents who were born in this month. We muchly appreciate it. But Jack and I have three fantastic stories before your three day weekend. Jack, what's on today's team?

[A]

For our first story, there's a viral AI essay that is scaring everybody about their jobs.

[B]

So we read all 5,000 words of it so you don't have to. And we found the existential catch 22 for our economy.

[A]

For our second story, what if we told you that two prediction apps opened grocery stores where all the food was free?

[B]

Well, that's true. Right now, Poly Market is operating a free grocery store in New York City. So Jack and I dug in.

[A]

And our third and final story. Happy Galentine's day to all those who celebrate. This fake holiday is now a $2.4 billion annual spending event.

[B]

Because besties, the best business ideas start as jokes. And this one started on NBC.

[A]

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

[B]

Fantastic mix of stories. Love the mix.

[A]

On the podcast, Reese's owns Halloween peeps has Easter.

[B]

Yes, they do. But the top selling candy for Valentine's Day. What is it, Jack?

[A]

Sweethearts. The heart shaped sugar candy with the cute messages and the pretty pastel colors.

[B]

You know, the kind of sugar candy that gives your cavities cavities.

[A]

80% of candy eaten this weekend be sweethearts. According to the Smithsonian, 8 billion of.

[B]

Them are sold in the six weeks leading up to Valentine's Day each and every year. But Jack and I have one fundamental question.

[A]

How does this 124-year-old confectionary stay relevant?

[B]

And what is the answer, Jack?

[A]

They actually update the message on the candy every year. Get this.

[B]

The words printed on those Sweethearts candies are changed every year based on a customer survey.

[A]

I didn't know this. Did you know this?

[B]

No. We don't have a T boy style to it.

[A]

Now, some of the messages stay forever, like the classics be mine.

[B]

But new ones are added each and every year and. And they are based on the vibes.

[A]

And the vibe of this year is in this economy.

[B]

So if you open up a box of Sweethearts this weekend. You'll see candies that say Share login.

[A]

Another one says split rent.

[B]

Another one says buy in bulk.

[A]

Now those are thrifty messages that make sense in 2026.

[B]

Yes, they are.

[A]

But we have some other ideas for affordability treats.

[B]

I mean, Jack, what if we got a Sweetheart's Candy that said Temu?

[A]

How about a Dupe Diva?

[B]

How about an Eat now, pay later?

[A]

Or how about a yes, I will check my luggage for that $100 in free airline? Mom. What? Netflix.

[B]

Password Besties. In this economy, even candy gets it.

[A]

Drop a comment if you've got a better affordability themed sweetheart message. In the meantime, book the dentist and.

[B]

Jack and I will hit up resemblance.

[C]

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 rich we can't wait no more so just start the show.

[B]

Start.

[C]

The show, start the show.

[B]

First, a quick word from our sponsor, Yeties. Jack had a lifelong dream of owning a ski house. But then he married a skier who's better at skiing than him, which put.

[A]

The pressure on to really own a ski house.

[B]

Okay, but still, ski house is very expensive. So what helped make Jack's dream doable? Airbnb.

[A]

I bought the chalet in 2024 and I use it very often with my own family. But when we're not using it, I host it on Airbnb. Especially those three day weekends when ski houses are in most demand.

[B]

The additional income Jack earns from hosting his home on Airbnb, it helps make owning the secondary property possible.

[A]

President's Day weekend coming up. Nick.

[B]

A lot of people want to go skiing, Jack.

[A]

I've done a ton of skiing this season already. I want to go to Florida with my family. The extra income I earned from hosting on Airbnb helps offset those travel costs.

[B]

Four adults, four children from just outside Boston. Boom. They just booked a stay on Jack Chalet.

[A]

Primary home or secondary home? If you've got space, you've got opportunity. Hosting on Airbnb helped make my dream possible.

[B]

Besties, your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host.

[D]

Not every sale happens at the register before AT&T business Wireless checking out customers on our mobile pos system took too long. Basically a staring contest where everyone loses. It's crazy what people will say during an awkward silence. Now transactions are done before the silence takes hold. That means I can focus on the task at hand and make an extra sailor too. Sometimes I do miss the bonding time. Sometimes.

[A]

AT&T business Wireless Connecting changes everything.

[B]

For our first story, everyone is talking about this existential essay. The title Something Big is coming. AI is like Covid.

[A]

We'll explain the viral essay and the scary catch 22. It means for our economy in 2026.

[B]

So yeah, it is funny thing. Tuesday night I went to dinner with a few guys. One of them worked at Anthropic, one of them worked at OpenAI and hope.

[A]

You let them pay the tab Nick.

[B]

Opposite sides of the table. You gotta keep them apart from but you know what? It's been a weird week in the AI world. That was the topic of the whole dinner.

[A]

Not just because Anthropic declared war against OpenAI with their two Super bowl commercials.

[B]

Total diss track on Sam Altman, but also because a top Researcher just quit OpenAI citing the business as having an existential risk.

[A]

He wrote not bad about it in the New York Times. And another researcher left Anthropic for similar reasons and actually wrote a poem about leaving.

[B]

Both are worried that ethics are being trumped by profits. With one comparing all of it to the whole Facebook move fast and breaking things.

[A]

Also this week Heineken laid off 6,000 workers citing AI as a reason they could do it.

[B]

Sorry Jack. AI replacing beer workers?

[A]

What is going on?

[B]

And that's not even the wildest part, is it?

[A]

Jack Anthropic just hired a real life philosopher.

[B]

A philosopher? A chief philosopher officer basically.

[A]

But this Socratically trained person, her job is now to train artificial intelligence on morality.

[B]

Add it all up, besties and AI anxiety hit an all time high this week.

[A]

And the big surprise is where it all coming from. From within Silicon Valley.

[B]

Therapists in San Francisco booked out, but besties. The biggest cry for attention out of all of this. The most freaky and the most viral. What is it Jack?

[A]

An essay titled Something Big is happening and it's written by an AI entrepreneur named Matt Schumer.

[B]

Matt Schumer. He crafted a 4,000 word alarm that has gotten 70 million views in just its first day of being published.

[A]

This essay put up numbers like a TikTok dance video. We link to it in the show notes.

[B]

By the way, the subject a warning. Your job is already being affected by AI.

[A]

And he used an analogy he said artificial intelligence is like Covid.

[B]

So Jack, let's dive in T boy style to that. Let's go back to the year 2020, the month February.

[A]

Starting in February of 2020, in the next 30 days, the entire world changed forever.

[B]

The stock market fell 30%. You left your office and in some cases you never came back.

[A]

You masked up for the next 12 months and you started elbow tapping people instead of high fiving them.

[B]

Well, the clim essay is that February 2026 is the same exact situation.

[A]

It's the last feeling of normalcy before a momentous world changing shift.

[B]

Because the latest AI models, they trained.

[A]

Themselves, the latest AI products they developed themselves.

[B]

And Matt positions himself in the essay as victim number one. As he put it, I am no longer needed for the actual technical work of my job.

[A]

And Matt says it's not just tech workers who should be worried. AI is coming for all white collar jobs starting this year.

[B]

He says basically the whole kale collar workforce, like us lawyers, finance creators, doctors. He was referring to all of it.

[A]

And he's not the first person to say this. Last year, anthropic CEO said that half of entry level white collar jobs could be eliminated because of AI in just the next few years.

[B]

Well, then Matt addressed his critics, those who say they're not worried about this situation.

[A]

Maybe you tried ChatGPT last year and you're like, there's no way this thing can replace my job.

[B]

That sucked. It hallucinated a who thing about my grandmother that never happened.

[A]

Well, since just last week with new model updates, AI models now have judgment.

[B]

And taste his words.

[A]

And AI now builds AI So his.

[B]

Advice, stop using AI Just ask questions like, what's that thing on my thigh? That is not enough.

[A]

He says you should start changing the way you work, change the way you parent, even, and start saving money in case you lose your job. Scary stuff, scary stuff.

[B]

But besties Jack and I jumped in T boy style. And we should add a. A light pill to this dark pill situation, shouldn't we, Jack?

[A]

Well, let's undermine his credibility a little bit because Matt has been accused of exaggerating the abilities of the AI products that he developed at his old company.

[B]

And in the essay, he never really talks about the potential positive opportunities of AI like the AI goes off and books your whole vacation for you while you're enjoying a nice dinner.

[A]

Plus, we noticed that the writing felt a little strange.

[B]

Yeah, Jack and I are a couple writers, so we're very focused on how people write.

[A]

Turns out he used AI to help him write the essay. So.

[B]

So, Jack, what's the takeaway for everyone, including podcast hosts who could be replaced by AI?

[A]

It's the catch 22 of 2026. Either the job market will fall or the stock market will.

[B]

Now yetis the S&P 500. It's close to all time highs on one bet. A bet that AI will generate enormous profits.

[A]

But the only way that bet is true is if companies see huge value in AI.

[B]

Could we get a translation on that, Jack?

[A]

They're willing to pay big for AI because it helps them replace human workers.

[B]

Now basties, if that bet is wrong and AI is overhyped, workers may be.

[A]

Safe, which is good, but the stock market would crash, which is bad.

[B]

Yeah, it's like a seesaw situation. Now, we could be wrong. We hope we're wrong, but the logic, it does feel sound.

[A]

It could be a false choice. But if we are in a catch 22 moment for 2026, either the job market will fall or the stock market will.

[B]

Now, to state the obvious, if that is the real choice, we hope the AI Eh, we hope it's a bit overhyped. We'll keep the jobs. We'll take a bit of a stock market correction.

[A]

If we have to choose, we're rooting for the human workers, not the hyperscalers and their stock.

[B]

For our second story, it's Galentine's Day. The joke from a Parks and Rec episode became a $2.4 billion retail category.

[A]

For making a fake holiday real. And Galentine's Day nails it.

[B]

Oh, Yetis, it is the best day of the year, according to Leslie Knope.

[A]

February 13th. Happy Galentine's Day to all those who celebrate.

[B]

Amy Poehler's character created the fake holiday in park and rec, the hit 2010's NBC comedy.

[A]

It's dedicated to celebrating love you already have with your lady friends.

[B]

So we see you, Jess, Julie and Jalinda. Enjoy the dinner. As for three and yes, just get the charcuterie board. We know everybody wants it, but the.

[A]

Reason we're doing this story is that 16 years after this fictional holiday was created on a fictional show, it's become a very real thing.

[B]

Okay, so much so that we noticed the National Retail Federation just put out a whole report on it. The thing's a fish.

[A]

The report highlights a record $29 billion will be spent this Valentine's Day, which is a.

[B]

But also $2.4 billion spent on Galentine's Day. Basically buying gifts for your friends instead of your lovers.

[A]

Canva, the go to place to DIY your Valentine's Day card. They found a 207% jump in searches for Galentine's Day versus last year. That's a tripling, Nick.

[B]

Because ladies across the country are kicking it breakfast style this Galentine's Day. And yes, let's get a cheese too. We'll need another round of cheese.

[A]

Nick, you just outed yourself as not a real Parks and Rec fan. They eat waffles.

[B]

That's not what Ron told me, Jack. But besties. If there's one thing Jack and I know about capitalism, it's. Well, what is it, Jack?

[A]

Well, if there's demand, supply will come, Jack.

[B]

I think Adam Smith called that the invisible hand of. Exactly right.

[A]

That's why Target has a dedicated section for Galentine's Day gifts now.

[B]

And Walmart is now selling I love you a whole brunch, inflatable balloons, and.

[A]

Wirecutter's newest article, the 24 Best Galentine's Day gifts.

[B]

So, besties, if you sell anything giftable, create a Galentine's Day bundle before your competition does.

[A]

But let's sprinkle on some context on that. $2.4 billion spent on Galentine's Day. That's 1/10 of Valentine spending, 1/5 of Halloween spending. It's a huge number.

[B]

I mean, Jack, 2.4 billion bucks is equal to the amount we spend on actual flowers on actual Valentine's Day.

[A]

So, Violet, your single friend, is getting as much love as Violet the flower today.

[B]

We also should point out in the spirit of equality, that for men there is the equivalent and it is known as Palantine's Day. I thought we were going with Valen Dudes Day. Can we do that?

[A]

That doesn't roll off the tongue nearly as well, Nick.

[B]

Fine, we'll settle on February. But either way, we don't have the numbers on the men's version because, you know, guys just aren't good at sharing their emotions and those kind of statistics.

[A]

Still, a staggering amount of money is spent on a fake holiday that didn't exist 20 years ago.

[B]

Which leads to a truism. Jack and I really believe in the best business ideas start as jokes.

[A]

And this one started on NBC.

[B]

So, Jack, what's the takeaway for all our buddies celebrating at Galentine's?

[A]

There's a formula to faking it now.

[B]

Yetis here at T. Boy, Jack and I don't think that this is just dumb luck. We think you can reverse engineer anything. And so we did that with Galentine's Day.

[A]

There's a three Part formula to inventing a fake holiday and making it real. And Galentine's day proves it.

[B]

Okay, the first part of the formula, you need to find a habit that people are already doing.

[A]

In this case, girls were going out around Valentine's Day to celebrate friendship.

[B]

The second part of the formula, don't replace an existing holiday.

[A]

You don't want to compete, just make it close. In this case, the day before Valentine's Day.

[B]

And then final part of the formula, sprinkle on some capitalism.

[A]

Because you need the brands to promote this thing if you want it to be big. And they won't promote it unless it's a profit, puppy.

[B]

So besties, don't just celebrate Galentine's day tonight. If you're a marketer, brainstorm a new one.

[A]

Cyber Monday Free cone day. Singles day in China. They all did this.

[B]

They all did it. So besties, what is the next fake holiday that you can build from this three part fake formula? Jack and I'll hit the commercials. We'll look for your answer in the comments. Now a quick word from our sponsor.

[A]

NetSuite.

[B]

All right, Jack, you know how in every superhero movie they find the one future saving all powerful object?

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

Oh, guess what? You don't need a cape. Whether your company's earning millions or billions, you just use NetSuite.

[A]

If our business needed an ERP, if we did, we'd absolutely use the AI Cloud ERP from NetSuite.

[B]

So yeah, if your revenues are at least in the seven figures, get your free business guide demystifying [e-mail] tboy and.

[A]

If your revenues aren't in the seven figures, we're glad you're listening to this episode because soon they will be.

[B]

The guide's free to [e-mail] tboy that's netsuite.com tboi monarch Our New Year's resolution Planuary. We plan and book all our travel for the whole year in January.

[A]

And the reason we could put all that spending in one month is our favorite budgeting app, Monarch.

[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

I see you in that transaction tab. Jack, what's going on in that transaction tab?

[A]

All of my spending is in that transactions tab, including the way too much I spent on the hotel room with the water view.

[B]

Honey, what's going on with my mini bar?

[A]

Set yourself up for financial success this year with Monarch, the all tool that makes proactive money management simple all year long.

[B]

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 before the weekend, Polymarket, the predictions platform, just opened a free grocery store in New York City.

[A]

Why is a predictions app giving away free food all weekend? Ancient Rome, that's why.

[B]

Bread and circuses. Yetis the prediction markets. What started as a way to bet on the 2024 presidential election, it's become a way to bet on, you know, anything prediction markets.

[A]

They're a way to predict the future, they're a way to gamble, and they're a way to insider trade without getting.

[B]

In trouble all at the same time without any regulation. Not too shabby.

[A]

Prediction markets are driving the casino economy. Americans are trying to get rich and have fun while doing it.

[B]

And during the super bowl, it exploded even more. Predictions apps were beating traditional betting.

[A]

This Kalshee did $1 billion in Super bowl wagers, which is way more than Las Vegas did.

[B]

But yetis, here's what Jack and I find fascinating because it's something we never expected.

[A]

One of the prediction apps opened a free grocery store yesterday in New York.

[B]

City, the Polymarket free grocery market. And why are they doing this exactly? Jack?

[A]

Well, the company based in New York calls it a love letter to the city.

[B]

It's also a little bit of a side dig against the new mayor, Zoram Amanbani, who campaigned on city run grocery stores.

[A]

It's only open for five days. For three of them, they're Offering free food until they run out of food on Saturday.

[B]

Tomorrow they're doing free flowers and Valentine's Day cards until you wait until the last minute.

[A]

And on Monday, they're taking donations of food to feed the hungry.

[B]

But strategically, interestingly, revealingly, they chose the West Village to be the location of this free grocery store. And what do we know about the West Village, Jack?

[A]

Well, a lot of rich New Yorkers live there. Which is proof that this is a promotional stunt. It's not an effort to feed hungry New Yorkers.

[B]

So the real goal here with the free grocery store, get you to post on social media, AKA earned media.

[A]

They did it for the picture of the pineapple you posted.

[B]

And maybe we'll make your first association with Polymarket be those guys that gave away the free food.

[A]

But the most bizarre part of this story is that the same thing happened last week.

[B]

That's right, Polymarket's arch rival, Kalshi did the exact same thing with the free grocery store.

[A]

We had to double, triple and quadruple. Check this. Another free grocery store from a totally different predictions market.

[B]

So besties, we gotta ask, why are two dual and free grocery store stunts going on in the same two week period?

[A]

It makes us think there must be collusion. And it also makes us think of the Colosseum.

[B]

So Jack, what's the takeaway for all our buddies over at the predictions apps?

[A]

The most blunt PR tool in human history is bread and circus.

[B]

Oh, Yetis rewatched the movie Gladiator again and you're gonna notice a scene with the Roman authorities throwing loaves of bread into the crowd. We remember it.

[A]

That's a historically accurate reference to the practice of Roman emperors to prevent uprisings.

[B]

Here's the strategy. Basically, offer the people free food and free spectacles like a circus in the Colosseum to entertain them.

[A]

Because a hungry and bored population is a dangerous one. To Emperor Commodus.

[B]

Now, funny thing, Jack and I have noticed local politicians still do this like free food at a political rally for the guy running for mayor. You've seen it.

[A]

I never heard of this guy, but I got free chili with melted cheese on top of his tent. So I'll vote for him.

[B]

All it takes is chili to win that thing. Well, well, that is what Polymarket is going for here. Earn the quickest, most positive association from people with their brand.

[A]

Offer them a blunt short term utility free food in order to improve their public opinion.

[B]

After all, Polymarket does not want to be associated with or regulated like a sports betting product.

[A]

And they're lobbying hard to not be so.

[B]

Bastis, the most blunt PR tool in human history goes all the way back to the ancient Romans. Give the people bread and circuses. Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us? For the real Friday, something big is coming.

[A]

It's the latest existential warning that AI will upend our world.

[B]

Whether he's right or not, we've got a catch 22. Either the jobs market will fall or the stock market will.

[A]

For our second story, Galentine's day is now a $2.4 billion retail spending event with marketers getting in on it.

[B]

But we found the formula to faking it. The formula to make a fake holiday real.

[A]

And our third and final story is polymarket, which opens up a poly market, an actual grocery store, for five days with everything free.

[B]

Because like the Roman emperors, they're offering people the bread and the circus.

[A]

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

[B]

First, a whole lot going on down in D.C. government shutdown begins tonight before Valentine's Day over a fight over Department of Homeland Security funding.

[A]

It's the third shutdown in President Trump's second term in office.

[B]

Also, Congress just voted to overturn Trump's tariffs against Canada.

[A]

And yesterday, President Trump erased the government's power to fight climate change in what he's touting as the biggest act of deregulation ever.

[B]

And second, the Pope is going to Wall Street. The Vatican is partnering with Morningstar to launch the first ever Catholic stock index.

[A]

It helps investors find companies that are morally aligned with jc the first Vatican.

[B]

Stock index ticker symbol P O, P.

[A]

E. Well, we don't know for sure, but I think it's going to be wwjd.

[B]

And finally, this year's Olympic medals are the most valuable ever, but they're also, they're falling apart.

[A]

Here's the good. With gold and silver prices near all time highs, a gold medal is worth a record $2,300. Just in the gold in there.

[B]

Okay, but before you celebrate, Jack, according to the Wall Street Journal, multiple medals have already been returned in their first week for breaking.

[A]

There's issues with the medals. The Italians, they're known for their design, not their engineering.

[B]

The medals this year, little less Ferrari, little more Fiat.

[A]

Well said.

[B]

Now time for the best fact yet. This one is our choice for the best side hustle among yetis, which we asked for in yesterday's pod.

[A]

So many of you told us your epic side hustles, and we are impressed.

[B]

We can Do a whole episode on your side hustles. Thank you.

[A]

But we're especially impressed by Carly Bacchus who is a dentist that side hustles as a solid core coach.

[B]

And get this, her boyfriend works in M and A and his side hustle is as a scuba diver.

[A]

Not just a scuba diver. He scuba dives in the penguin tank at the zoo to clean the tank.

[B]

That's right. This one couple of two people has four jobs going on and one of them is making the zoo clean.

[A]

One of them is penguin poo cleaner at the local zoo.

[B]

Carly and your boyfriend, thank you for side hustling the way you hustle Yeti's. You looked fantastic all week, Jack. You are glowing going into the three day weekend, my friend.

[A]

You too, man.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

We got less than two weeks to the live show. We, we got a bunch of wins to celebrate and some really cool stuff that's going on for this thing.

[A]

I will be skiing Saturday and Sunday and the conditions in Vermont are immaculate.

[B]

If you're in Colorado, enjoy the apres. So celebrate the wins this weekend.

[A]

Nick and I will see you Tuesday.

[B]

And before we go, a happy birthday to legendary yeti Stephanie Goh from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She's got a birthday and a new job and listening like 12 hours away right now.

[A]

Happy birthday to Anshul Krishna in Boston, just outside Boston.

[B]

And Rhea Merchi Merchandani is celebrating the best birthday yet on that commute in San Francisco.

[A]

Happy birthday to Skyler Fry, a bartender and ballerina in Pocatello, Idaho.

[B]

And Karen P. Enjoy the big queen's birthday.

[A]

Happy birthday to Christine Solano in Studio City who survived a surgical error.

[B]

And Zack Becker in Cedarsburg, Wisconsin has got the best birthday yet and a side hustle called Fairy Tale Audio. It'll make you cry.

[A]

A big shout out to Ryan Ford for recording his new album in Chicago.

[B]

And Ellie and Justin Futrell have got the 10 year anniversary down in Denver, baby.

[A]

Happy anniversary to David and Julie over in Oakland.

[B]

And Manny and Connie enjoy the 26th year together down in Orlando.

[A]

Congratulations and a shout out to Channing Starat for spreading wins at his new job at Heifer International. This is Jack. Nick and I both own ETFs of the S&P 500.

[E]

With VRBoCare. Help is always ready before, during and after your stay. We've planned for the plot twists so support is always available because a great trip starts with peace of mind.