🚁 “Unmanned everything” — Olympics drone’s highlight. Stocks’ Grim Reaper. Save the Allbirds. +Ski Job Bonus

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Best One Yet – “Unmanned everything” — Olympics drone’s highlight. Stocks’ Grim Reaper. Save the Allbirds. +Ski Job Bonus

Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell
Date: February 17, 2026
Episode Theme:
A brisk, energetic roundup of three big business stories: the explosive role of drones at the 2026 Winter Olympics, how AI is reshaping (and tanking) parts of the stock market, and the downfall (plus hopeful turnaround ideas) for Allbirds. The episode blends insightful business takes with playful banter and pop culture references.

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Episode Overview

Jack and Nick cover:

1. The “drone takeover” at the Winter Olympics and drones’ new role in our invisible infrastructure.
2. The surprising international rout of U.S. stocks, as AI slashes through tech and rotates global capital (the “Carmen San Diego trade”).
3. Allbirds’ catastrophic decline and a lively “embrace the ugly” turnaround pitch.

The hosts keep their trademark wit and bring personal vibes, ending with bite-sized economic updates, a quirky best fact, and shoutouts.

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Main Stories & Key Insights

1. Olympics Drone Takeover & The Era of Unmanned Everything

Timestamps: 05:17–09:59

Highlights & Discussion Points

• Drones take the gold medal for videography: Dutch Drone Gods, a Dutch startup, delivers cinematic coverage at the Olympics with tiny, ultra-fast drones (~4 inches wide, 9 ounces, 80mph).
• First-person view drones piloted by ex-athletes: Ex-skiers and boarders provide game-like, precise camera work (06:10), “They know how to turn and make the drone turn that way.”
• Drones as invisible infrastructure: Beyond sports, drones underpin sectors from delivery (Zipline, $7B valuation) to agriculture, buildings, and even drug cartels.
• Surprising market domination: Chinese giant DJI controls ~70% of the global drone market (08:17).
• Hardware vs. software rivalry: U.S. firms focus on AI-powered software more than hardware, prompting debate on the safety of “self-flying” drones.

Takeaway

• Drones are disruptive because “they don’t need seatbelts” (09:05):
  • Fighter jets like the F-35 cost $100M+ largely due to pilot safety; take out the human, and the costs (and constraints) drop.
  • “The reason drones are so disruptive? They don’t need seatbelts.” (09:59, Nick)

Memorable Moment

• Reference to the 2010 World Cup vuvuzela being replaced by the drone buzz at the Olympics (05:34–05:48).

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2. AI: The Grim Reaper of U.S. Stocks & The Carmen San Diego Trade

Timestamps: 09:59–15:11

Highlights & Discussion Points

• AI is slashing U.S. tech stocks:
  • “Software stocks are down 24% this year. But then finance stocks got hit.” (10:48, Jack)
  • Even travel (Expedia), media (Disney, Netflix, Spotify), and real estate hurt by AI-driven disruption fears.
• Sector migration (‘Rotation’):
  • Investors shift from “bytes to barrels”—selling tech, buying energy, materials, groceries (12:10). “Energy’s up 21% this year” (12:13).
  • McDonald’s, as the poster child: “AI, you can’t replace a Big Mac, can you, bab?” (12:32, Nick)
• U.S. market lagging world markets (‘Carmen San Diego trade’):
  • S&P500 up 19% since 2025, but global benchmarks up much more. South Korea up 150%, Eurozone up 47%, global market ETF up 42% (14:09–14:23).
  • “The United States, historically the number one stock market performer, is getting crushed by the rest of the world” (14:36).

Takeaway

• The world is beating the U.S. stock market for the first time in a long while:
  • Investors are “selling America” in favor of other countries’ stocks. This profound shift is dubbed the “Carmen Sandiego trade.” (13:38, Jack)

Notable Quotes

• “Claude Code has slayed like seven industries in the last seven days.” (11:43, Nick)
• “It could potentially be a buying opportunity. But maybe we should be looking beyond U.S. borders instead.” (13:22, Nick)

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3. Allbirds’ Collapse & “Embrace the Ugly” Turnaround Strategy

Timestamps: 17:18–22:30

Highlights & Discussion Points

• Crash from unicorn to underdog:
  • Allbirds IPO’d at $4B; now, stock is down 99%, all stores closed (18:03–18:55).
• Why the decline?: Classic “fad” trap; the three F’s—food, fitness, fashion—most vulnerable to taste shifts and viral bubbles (19:34, Jack).
• Current attempted comeback strategy:
  • New Varsity Collection goes retro—“It’s giving Skechers” (19:52, Nick)—but hosts see this as chasing trends, not fixing the brand.
• Identity crisis: Unclear if Allbirds is targeting “45-year-old dads” or “25-year-old runners” (20:18).
• Hosts' proposal—“Embrace the ugly”:
  • “All the shoe brands making comebacks—New Balance, Birkenstocks, Crocs—are ugly. No offense.” (20:57, Nick)
  • Instead of chasing trends, Allbirds should double down on their core unique style, let nostalgia and fashion cycles work their magic.
  • “Call it the ugly duckling effect.” (21:39, Nick)

Notable Quotes

• “The only fashion choice worn by President Obama, Peter Thiel, and your ex-boyfriend.” (18:25, Nick)
• “Allbirds shouldn’t try to be like someone else. They should double down on themselves, embrace the ugly.” (21:39, Nick)

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Other Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

Office Skiing Is The New Golf

[01:04–02:27]

• Corporate ski trips are the new offsite bonding (01:42).
• “Golf has long been the place where deals get done and promotions get made. But skiing is the new golf.” (02:22, Jack)

Best Fact Yet: Olympic Hockey Trivia

[24:08–24:37]

• “For the first time in a decade, NHL hockey players are allowed to play in this Olympics... Only one men’s team has no NHLers on it. What is that country's team?” (24:17, Nick)
• Trivia for listeners to answer.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Drones at the Olympics: 05:17–09:59
• AI and markets, Carmen San Diego trade: 09:59–15:11
• Allbirds collapse & “ugly duckling” effect: 17:18–22:30
• Office skiing/golf banter: 01:04–02:27
• Best Fact / Listener Trivia: 24:08–24:37

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Tone & Style

• Conversational, witty, and referential (“If you know, you know;” “Claude Code has slayed like seven industries in the last seven days”).
• Uses playful analogies (drones = “invisible infrastructure,” “Carmen San Diego trade,” “ugly duckling effect”).
• Lighthearted with personal asides, yet consistently insightful on business impacts.

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Structured Takeaways

1. Drones’ disruption lies in not needing pilots; this slashes costs and supercharges versatility. 2. U.S. tech stocks are outpaced globally; international markets are beating Wall Street as AI disrupts traditional winners. 3. Allbirds lost by chasing trends. Their comeback should echo Crocs and New Balance—“embrace the ugly.”

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To Dive Deeper

• Olympics Drone Footage & Dutch Drone Gods: [07:05–07:15]
• Drones & infrastructure roles: 07:21–08:10
• AI market disruption: 10:35–12:19
• Global stock outperformance: 14:09–14:36
• Allbirds nostalgia/fail & comeback pitch: 18:07–20:37

---

For anyone who missed it, this episode is a prime example of Jack and Nick’s ability to blend business news, punchy commentary, and cultural flavor—all in a tight 20 minutes.

Transcript

[A]

This is Nick. This is Jack.

[B]

Welcome back. It is Tuesday. T boy. Tuesday, February 17th. Entity's pod is the best one yet. This is a T boy.

[A]

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

[B]

All right, Warren Buffett, we know you're listening. How many times you see Wuthering Heights this weekend, man? What?

[A]

Pretty sure you didn't go to that rom com, man. Are you kidding me or is it not a rom com? I'm actually not even sure.

[B]

Heathcliff is absolutely a Berkshire shareholder. Jack, three fantastic stories for today's pod. And what do we got on the team? Boy.

[A]

For our first story, one wanted star of these Winter Olympics is the constant buzzing of the drones.

[B]

But China just won the gold medal for drones.

[A]

For our second story, the stock market fell last week and The NASDAQ is off 6% from its all time high.

[B]

But besties, did you realize our stock market is getting laughed internationally? This is the Carmen San Diego trade.

[A]

And our third and final story. Allbirds sadly announced they're closing all of their Allbirds stores.

[B]

But Jack and I came up with an idea for their turnaround plan. And it is ugly. Literally.

[A]

But yetis, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories, it's ugly on purpose.

[B]

Don't worry, we'll explain. Jack, Love the mix of stories, man.

[A]

Nick, I still have snow crusted on my beard. I know I was skiing that much this weekend.

[B]

And that's a good vibe. Besties, welcome back from the ski kend. The three day skiing weekend. Because you either skied down the mountain.

[A]

Or you watched Olympians ski down the mountain.

[B]

Yeah. You know who you are and you know what you did.

[A]

Great news. If you're a skier, it turns out the best thing you can do to get promoted right now is to ski skiing.

[B]

Wild article from the Wall Street Journal. The secret edge of the office Rockstar skier.

[A]

Now to sprinkle on some context. More companies than ever are doing corporate ski trips right now.

[B]

You see, with more hybrid work, CFOs are proven off sites at ski resorts to foster the bonding.

[A]

Apres is a write off.

[B]

Another round of hot chocolates. Make it three.

[A]

Which leads to the surprise workplace advantage. Being a good skier.

[B]

Yeah. The coolest dude at the office is the one who knows the back balls of Breck.

[A]

And the most righteous bab is the one who rips on her blizzards. Besties.

[B]

They are both now candidates for what Jack and I call the double black bonus.

[A]

Because there's no better way to impress your boss than take them to get first tracks.

[B]

Or busting out some backpack brewskis on the gondola. I know you did that, Jack.

[A]

That's a total me move. Because the reality of getting ahead at work, it's not just your performance, it's also a popularity contest.

[B]

Now, golf has long been the place where deals get done and promotions get made.

[A]

But skiing is the new golf.

[B]

So basties, earn your turns. Literally. Oh, let's hit this one. Three fantastic songs.

[A]

Okay, that's not how skiers Doc. Nick.

[B]

I know.

[C]

I went surfing 15 years before this song. Two boys from the Northeast met in the dorm they had an idea that caused a cultural storm. It's the best one yet. But the best is the norm. Jack.

[A]

Nick.

[C]

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.

[B]

Show.

[C]

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 Manus AI Yetis. So when are we using AI? When we're jumping in T boy style to some research.

[A]

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

[B]

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?

[A]

No. AI Slopper app?

[B]

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.

[A]

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

[B]

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

[A]

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

[B]

Or you could ask Manus to launch an e commerce shop for you. Boom. You're Anna Wintour.

[A]

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

[B]

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

[A]

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

[B]

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

[A]

That's Manus Im Tby.

[B]

For our first story. If there was a gold medal for videography, it would go to Dutch Drone Gods, a Dutch startup capturing the insane drone footage at these Olympics.

[A]

We're looking at the whole drone industry, though, because it spans from military to the Manhattan Bridge.

[B]

It's the invisible infrastructure. But besties. Who remembers back in 2010, World Cup South Africa. Jack, what did it sound like exactly?

[A]

I can't hear. That's what it sounds like. A vuvu.

[B]

Can you turn that down? Can you turn that down, please?

[A]

Well, this year's vuvuzela was the sound of the drones that were omnipresent and still are at Olympics 2026, because besties.

[B]

From the luge to the downhill drones were recording video of every single thing.

[A]

In Italy, they're first person view drones, which are remote controlled by a human who's wearing a headset. It's a lot like a video gamer.

[B]

Now, Jack, I gotta ask, who's controlling these drones? Cause I'm pretty sure it's not Mike Tirico and Tara Lipinski.

[A]

It's former athletes who know the sport well. That's how they can steer and follow the skiers with such crazy precision. They know how to turn and they make the drone turn that way.

[B]

Yeah, they take Shaun White and they put him into drone training for a few months. Like bobsled tracks. Those are tight and narrow, but these drones fly alongside the sled like an aggressive bumblebee.

[A]

It's amazing aerodynamics and physics, but, oh.

[B]

Do they hum, Jack?

[A]

Yeah, they're loud and they're kind of Annoying the buzz you hear on NBC. Blame the drones.

[B]

Side note, you guys gotta give the remote control to Snoop Dogg. We feel like that would be a lot more fun. But besties, Some of the drones used in these Milan Cortina games are actually made by a company with a wild.

[A]

Name, Dutch Drone Gods.

[B]

Real name, real company. A private company at that.

[A]

And the drones that they make are tiny. The ones using the olympics weigh just 9 ounces. They're only 4 inches wide, and yet they go 80 miles per hour.

[B]

We dove in T boy style. Dutch Drone Gods is not a publicly traded stock, but they do make other drones that can fly F1 race cars going 217 miles per hour.

[A]

But the real story here is recognizing that drones aren't just mainstream at this point. Drones are a key part of our economy.

[B]

Yeah, the way Jack and I think of it, drones are now part of our invisible infrastructure.

[A]

Drones are handling delivery, they're handling farming, they're helping drug cartels. True story.

[B]

All these businesses all in on drones. And we even saw this last week, right, Jack, in the headlines.

[A]

Last week the airport in Texas closed and nobody knew why. Officials thought they saw surveillance drones being used by Mexican drug cartels.

[B]

Yeah. Although it turns out, by the way, it was just a party balloon. So everyone's fine and safe.

[A]

Major false alarm.

[B]

But other industries being revolutionized by drones, building inspections, that's a huge current opportunity for them.

[A]

Drones can easily go where humans can't, like the 8th floor or the 87th floor.

[B]

What about inspecting a bridge, Jack, once you're done with that building, that used.

[A]

To be a dangerous mission done by a human wearing a safety harness, but.

[B]

Now it's done in a snap by a nimble drone recording video of what it sees in real time.

[A]

The drone mark market overall is huge and growing. One Chinese company dominates with 70% market share.

[B]

DJI. That's right. They're selling 7 out of 10 drones in the world right now.

[A]

They market TEMU priced drones at Tesla Quality Engineering and nobody else on the planet can match it.

[B]

Although, Jack, we should point out here in the United States, Zipline, a drone startup, just hit a $7 billion valuation last month for basically burrito drone delivery in Texas.

[A]

Right now you can get a Chipotle via drone.

[B]

Yeah, the guac comes via drone. And yeah, that guac is extra extra.

[A]

But most American companies aren't trying to compete with DJI on the hardware. They're focused on the software and using AI to make these drones self flying, which is kind of scary. Instead of remote Controlled.

[B]

And Anduril, a military defense company. They're looking to remove humans from fighter jets and submarines. And they're doing it because of our takeaway. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for all our buddies looking up at all those drones?

[A]

The reason drones are so disruptive is that they don't need seat belts.

[B]

Follow us on this one. Yetis. The F35 fighter jet costs 100 million bucks. It is the most expensive one person vehicle after the Batmobile that has ever been made in history.

[A]

But the reason it costs $100 million.

[B]

What is a jacket?

[A]

It's not that it can fly almost twice the speed of sound, which it can.

[B]

No, no, no, no, no. It's because it can fly at twice the speed of sound while also keeping the pilot safe.

[A]

If you remove the human, which is what a drone is, then so much of the cost of that aircraft can come down. Because so much of the cost of developing an F35 is focused on safety for the pilot.

[B]

Like, if a crash is acceptable, as they are with drones, then the cost can come way down to the point where you can scale that thing.

[A]

But an F35 crash is not acceptable. So we add a million safety features and it's worth $100 million.

[B]

Besties, add it all up. And the reason drones are so disruptive? They don't need seatbelts. For our second story, AI has become the grim reaper of the stock market, slaying one industry after another.

[A]

American stocks are now down for the year, but the rest of the world is up by a lot.

[B]

But yetis, let's kick it off with some trivia. Jack, when did the NASDAQ last hit an all time high?

[A]

When was that? Man, I just looked it up. It's not since October. Feels like ages ago.

[B]

Yeah, we're down like 6% since Halloween, basically. And this gets to be some scary stuff, by the way.

[A]

Now, the reason the tech industry is 6% down in the last three and a half months, ironically, it's tech.

[B]

Yeah, it's tech eating tech. The latest AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic are so good, they have caused a SaaS apocalypse.

[A]

Software stocks are down 24% this year. But then finance stocks got hit.

[B]

That's right, because AI can now file your taxes, manage your money. You gave that puppy the keys to your portfolio.

[A]

So TurboTax owner is down 38% this year, and Charles Schwab fell 11% last week.

[B]

Okay, but Jack, it's not just finance either. Even commercial real estate is down on worries AI driven layoffs will cut demand for office buildings.

[A]

Expedia fell 6% on Friday because people are booking trips with AI travel agents instead of Expedia.

[B]

Disney, Netflix, Spotify, all those media brands, they dropped 5 to 8% on Friday on a JP Morgan report that. Jack, why don't you just read the quote from this thing?

[A]

This is a market that is dominated by AI, both positive and negative, with seemingly every sector taking a turn at being declared obsolete.

[B]

Like, remember that meme where the grim reaper goes like door to door and it's like knocking here and knocking there? That's the stock market. It's the grim reaper meme right now.

[A]

Claude Code has slayed like seven industries in the last seven days.

[B]

If a company's product requires an Internet connection, then that stock is probably down this year.

[A]

The result, well, CNBC is calling it a rotation.

[B]

Yeah, rotation, which sounds like an overly technical term. We're working on something better and we have an answer in our takeaway.

[A]

But the rot that's happening is big money on Wall street is selling tech stocks and buying the least techy stocks instead.

[B]

Basically, investors are going from bytes to.

[A]

Barrels, or from computer chips to wood.

[B]

Chips, or like actual potato chips, like energy. It's up 21% so far this year. Material and consumer staple stocks, they're up.

[A]

15% this year because fossil fuels, construction and groceries relatively safe from clod code.

[B]

Sorry, Jack, pause the pod. McDonald's stock is up 10% this year because. AI, you can't replace a Big Mac, can you, bab?

[A]

That should be their new slogan.

[B]

Yeah. Hey, Justin Timberlake, let's get on that, buddy.

[A]

So what we're seeing is a vibe shift. Investors are flocking to whatever appears AI proof, slop proof.

[B]

The unsloppable stocks, basically whatever is not plugged into the Internet right now.

[A]

That's what's up this year. And everything else is down.

[B]

And look, besties. It's been painful. I mean, Jack's in my robnut accounts have like third degree muscle tears.

[A]

Right now we're invested in stocks that are heavily techy and just about all of them are down so far this year.

[B]

Although you have one winner in particular, Jack. You should share that with the Yetis.

[A]

Berkshire Hathaway. It's a nice hedge to the tech dominated stock market. It's the only thing I own that's up this year.

[B]

Yeah. Can I just say that my Shake Shack shares are living their best Life right now. ChatGPT can't make a milkshake. That's what we always say.

[A]

Now, we've been through downturns like this before. Nick and I aren't going to panic sell. And we don't think you should either.

[B]

No. In fact, it could potentially be a buying opportunity. But maybe we should be looking beyond U.S. borders instead. Jack, what do you think?

[A]

Let's grab our financial passports and head over to our takeaway.

[B]

Let's stamp it, baby. Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies? Who are everyone looking at? The stock market.

[A]

It's the Carmen Sandiego trade. The world is beating our stock market by a lot.

[B]

Now, yetis. You know Jack, and I hate the Dow. The Dow is dumb. But the s and P500 is our preferred scoreboard for measuring the stock market.

[A]

And that index of the 500 biggest stocks in America is up 19% since the start of last year, 2025. We're talking 13 and a half months. 19% gain. That's historically really good for that period of time.

[B]

Okay, yeah, but Jack, we shouldn't be comparing to history. We should be comparing our stock market to the rest of the world.

[A]

Okay, well, the best stock market in the world since 2015 is South Korea, which is up 150% in 13 months.

[B]

Or, Jack, how about the Eurozone? Up 47% in the last 13 and a half months.

[A]

How about the whole world? Nick Vanguard created an ETF that tracks the weighted average stock markets of the entire world. And that's up 42% in 13 months. Twice as good as the United States in the same period.

[B]

Besties. This shows that the United States, historically the number one stock market performer, is getting crushed by the rest of the world, coinciding with the moment President Trump took office.

[A]

And the reason is related to President Trump. It's mainly the sell America trade.

[B]

Global investors are selling U.S. stock and buying from other markets instead.

[A]

So add it all up. Here in the States, Americans are selling tech stocks and buying non tech stocks.

[B]

But zooming out. The US Stock market hugely lags the rest of the world. And that is the Carmen Sandiego trade. Now, a quick word from our sponsor.

[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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So, Yetis, if your revenues are at least in the seven figures, get your free business guide demystifying [e-mail] t boy.

[A]

And 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 for our third and final story, Allbirds has seen its stock plummet 99% and is now closing all of its physical stores.

[A]

It's a sad story, but we have an idea to save the birds, save the allbirds. Here it is. Embrace the ugly.

[B]

You know, Yetis, Jack and I were thinking, one day a film will be made about the year 2016. And what are we gonna see in the background of that movie, Jackie?

[A]

Millennial Corps, iPhone, dongles, AirPods. Sorry, headphone wires.

[B]

Oh yeah, juice cleanses and a whole bunch of other identifying props. But the main starring character in that movie is gonna be wearing Allbirds, the.

[A]

Iconic eco friendly fashion of post college millennials.

[B]

Now, yetis, back in that year, 2016, Jack and I wrote an email newsletter with this subject line.

[A]

Allbirds is a basic and woke unicorn. Doesn't that bring you back to 2016?

[B]

I mean, Jack, basic because every tech person was wearing them. They paired perfectly with that Patagonia Fl.

[A]

Woke because they were made of wool and they had save the planet branding.

[B]

It's the only fashion choice worn by President Obama, Peter Thiel, and your ex boyfriend.

[A]

There's a big chunk of the audience that's actually true that last part.

[B]

I'm in San Francisco right now. I can tell you you are legally required to wear Allbirds if you want to raise venture capital money. You're not allowed in Andreessen's office without him.

[A]

Speaking of venture capital, in 2021, they IPO'd $4 billion valuation. Impressive.

[B]

But since then, the stock's down 99% to just $3 a share.

[A]

Its $25 million valuation, that's less than.

[B]

A Goldman bonus because allbirds has seen 12 straight quarters of sales shrinkage and annual sales are now half of their peak from back in 2022.

[A]

Which leads to the sad news. They've closed all their physical stores, including.

[B]

Their iconic New York City store with the human sized hamster wheel for trying on shoes. And yes, we still own a few bears of Allbirds. And we were on that hamster wheel.

[A]

You went in the hamster wheel? I never had the chance.

[B]

How do you. I took my dad downtown to go to the hamster wheel.

[A]

Jack, how many people like fall fell and injured themselves? It'd be pretty embarrassing.

[B]

I think I signed an NDA, so I can't tell you, Jack, but besties Jack and I have rung this alarm bell before. We've warned you about the three Fs of fads. Food, fitness and fashion.

[A]

Those are the three industries most at risk to cycles, taste changes, and just viral bubbles, basically.

[B]

Quick to get the ick. Well, Allbirds just told Fast Company that they've got a comeback strategy to reach a mass audience with a trendier style.

[A]

To do it, they're launching a 1970s style retro shoe. They call it their Varsity collection.

[B]

It's retro, it's smooth. It's nothing like traditional Allbirds sneakers. It's giving Skechers.

[A]

If you visit the Allbirds website right now, you'll see a total makeover.

[B]

Yeah, I mean it's not just like a brand Botox, Jack. This is a full on product plastic surgery they're doing.

[A]

But according to people familiar with the matter working at the Nest, which is what we call Allbirds hq.

[B]

Yeah, we love the Nest.

[A]

There's issues that go beyond the sneakers. There's identity issues at Allbirds right now.

[B]

Because with both co founders gone, Allbirds can't decide whether to focus on young people or more middle aged people.

[A]

In this conference room, they're focused on 45 year old dads. In that conference room, they're focused on 25 year old runners.

[B]

So, Jack, what are our two thoughts on the situation?

[A]

First, pick one target customer, you can't do both. And second, don't try to be trendy.

[B]

No, try to do our takeaway. Because Allbirds, we want to see you soar again. Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies with the wings over at Allbirds?

[A]

Embrace your ugly besties.

[B]

Funny thing Jack and I have noticed about the shoe industry, the resurgent brands, they're all ugly.

[A]

No offense.

[B]

No offense.

[A]

New Balance, Birkenstocks. I mean, I'm a Birkenstocks and Crocs guy, so the only one I'm offending is myself here.

[B]

But Jack, all those shoes were one once deemed ugly, but now their revenues are at all time highs.

[A]

For Birkenstocks, New Balance and Crocs, there was a stretch where they looked down and out, totally off trend. You wondered if they were going to go out of business.

[B]

But instead of pivoting to look like everyone else, these brands doubled down on their ugly designs.

[A]

And as us consumers loving nostalgia and pesky in our tastes, we eventually came around to them again.

[B]

Even Anna Wintour came around. New Balance caught the dad shoe trend. Birkenstock caught the comfort trend. And Crocs found a customer in millennial parents.

[A]

And each of those brands used collabs to gain attention without changing what their core product was.

[B]

All birds shouldn't try to be like someone else. They should double down on themselves, embrace the ugly. Call it the ugly duckling effect. Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us to kick off the four.

[A]

Day work week, the Winter Olympics are showcasing how technical, speedy and precise drones have become.

[B]

They're part of our invisible infrastructure and the reason they're so disruptive. Drones don't need seat belts.

[A]

For our second story, the NASDAQ is down 6% so far this year, as Wall street is rotating out of tech stock and into stocks that AI can't touch globally.

[B]

Jack and I call this the Carmen San Diego trade. The rest of the world has twice the gains of America's stock market since last year.

[A]

And finally, Allbird stock is down 99%. They just closed their stores. Now they're pivoting their style.

[B]

But instead we think they should pursue the ugly duckling effect. Embrace your ugly but besties.

[A]

This pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today.

[B]

First, the celebrity of economic reports. The inflation report for January. Prices rose 2.4% higher than last year, but that's the lowest increase since May of 2025.

[A]

Interestingly, tariffs are raising prices. The Fed just reported that 99% of tariffs are being passed on to US consumers.

[B]

But tariffs are also slow in the economy, which is deflationary.

[A]

So inflationary price increases. Deflationary economic slowdown equals 2.4% inflation.

[B]

It's like a quasi cancel out situation. And second, Waymo is now paying doordash delivery guys to close the doors.

[A]

You see, when you leave a Waymo, you're supposed to close the door and if you don't, the vehicle can't go.

[B]

Actually, we once tested this. It just kind of barks and honks at you for a extended period of time and then you feel guilty and you come back and close the door.

[A]

So Google is hailing doordash riders, sorry, doordash drivers. To just come on over and close the door, please.

[B]

That's right. On Reddit, one doordash driver said he got $11.25 just to slam shut the door on a Waymo Robo taxi.

[A]

And finally, IBM just announced some good news. They are tripling the number of entry level workers that they hire.

[B]

They're hiring people. Huge news in the post college crowd. This is the opposite of the AI trend, Jack. They're hiring humans.

[A]

At IBM, they admitted that a lot of jobs from three years ago can now be done by AI.

[B]

But IBM wants young workers to do totally new jobs and help work their way up through IBM. Hopeful as a headline. Now time for the best fact yet. Which because we're kicking off the week, means T boy trivia for T boy Tuesday. Jack, what do we got today?

[A]

For the first time in a decade, NHL hockey players are allowed to play in this Olympics. And they are so it's like the.

[B]

Highest level of hockey in the world going on right now. You can watch it. It's amazing.

[A]

But of the 12 national teams competing in the Olympics. Only one of them has zero NHL players.

[B]

That's right. Only one men's team has no NHL ers on it. What is that country's team?

[A]

Geez, that's a tough question.

[B]

Okay, here's a hint, Jack. This hockey team, they like to drop the gloves because they like to use their hands.

[A]

Okay?

[B]

That's the hint. Drop your answer in the comments and Jack and I will whip it up in tomorrow's tea. Boy, Yetis, you look fantastic today. Jack, you're glowing from shredding the nar phone. Nice powder this weekend, my friend.

[A]

That's not Oscars talk, Nick. That's not Oscars talk.

[B]

Besties. Jack and I will see you tomorrow. Enjoy the app Fray. Drop it on the expense account.

[A]

Nick and I will see you tomorrow.

[B]

Yeah. And before we go, a happy 50th birthday to John Kopeczak, who is celebrating Ohio and is always rounding up.

[A]

Happy first birthday to Nico Mendoza from Worcester, who dances to the intro song.

[B]

Every day just outside Boston. And Alexander Rabarbar. Enjoy the best birthday yet up in Toronto.

[A]

Happy birthday to Alex Crowe, an OG snacker over in Eureka.

[B]

And Marielle, we see you in Vancouver. Enjoy being a disc jockey with the best birthday yet. Remix that birthday song.

[A]

Happy birthday to Airbnb host Darcy Aina in Sno Cal, Washington.

[B]

And Duke Dyckman has got a 10th birthday in Boonville, Illinois. But watch out, this guy does the ground balls. MVP at the lacrosse field.

[A]

Congratulations to Sarah Zaccaro, who has a new job in Los Gatos, California.

[B]

And Amy Arandi. Congrats on being a new mom over in Pittsburgh. And enjoy the big girls golf trip this weekend. You guys got this and you earned it.

[A]

A big shout out to angel and Emma. We know you guys at Axton are crushing it with Ozempics for dogs and cats. Help them live longer.

[B]

Thank you, puppy. And a happy belated Malentine's day to chase Reynolds and his buddies. If you know, I thought it was Febrowary. I thought it was Valen Dudes day. We gotta do a poll on this. All right, let's throw it on Spotify.

[A]

This is Jack. I own stock at Berkshire Hathaway, Disney, Netflix and Crocs. Nick owns stock and Shake Shack. And we both own stock in Spotify and Chipotle.

[C]

Activecampaign is the marketing automation platform built for big swings and big dreams. Generate ideas in seconds, import your brand and create full campaigns with simple prompts. Get started for [e-mail].