🛡️ “War-folios” — Iran market reaction. Dutch Bros’ energy. Anthropic’s moral marketing. + Fitbit for farting

Summary

The Best One Yet: Episode Summary

Podcast: The Best One Yet
Hosts: Nick & Jack Studios (Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell)
Date: March 3, 2026
Episode: 🛡️ "War-folios" — Iran market reaction. Dutch Bros’ energy. Anthropic’s moral marketing. + Fitbit for farting

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into three key business stories shaping the week:

1. The far-reaching impact of the expanding war in Iran on markets (including oil, stocks, and even fashion).
2. The rise of Dutch Bros as America’s #3 coffee chain – with a twist: it's actually an energy drink empire.
3. The ethical showdown in AI, as Anthropic faces Pentagon blacklisting due to its refusal to loosen moral safeguards, while OpenAI steps in.

Packed with trademark puns, witty banter, and digestible analysis, Nick and Jack dissect what these stories mean for your investments, your coffee order, and the future of artificial intelligence.

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Key Segments & Insights

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1. Fitbit for Farting: When Wearables Meet GI Science

Timestamp: 01:15 – 02:37

• Story: Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a "Fitbit for flatulence" — a clip-on device for underwear that tracks the frequency of, well, toots.
• Purpose: The device aims to connect gastrointestinal symptoms with lifestyle and food choices, potentially helping address digestive health issues.
• Interest: Over 4,000 volunteers have already applied to be testers. The record? One person clocked 175 in a single day.
• Notable Quote:
  • Nick: “We have put a man on the moon, we have split the atom, we have taken seeds out of a watermelon, and yet we still don’t know the skinny on the stink.” (02:18)
• Tone: Playful, irreverent, science-meets-business.

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2. War in Iran: What's a “War-folio” and Why Should Investors Care?

Timestamp: 05:01 – 10:39

• Backdrop: The war in Iran has spread to 11 nations, sending shockwaves not just through geopolitics, but stock, oil, and even fashion markets.
• Immediate Reactions:
  • Stock markets dipped, oil skyrocketed (20% YTD plus +7% in a day).
  • Jamie Dimon (JPMorgan Chase) warns of increased risk of terror and cyber attacks.
• Why Oil Matters:
  • Iran’s oil production halts; retaliation drones hit other oil countries.
  • Strait of Hormuz (where 1/3 of sea-borne oil flows) blocked.
  • Analysts predict $100/barrel oil if the conflict drags on.
• Winners & Losers:
  • Oil exporters (e.g., Saudi Arabia, UAE) benefit—Exxon shares pop.
  • Oil importers (Japan, India, EU), airlines, and cruise lines suffer as operating costs balloon (Delta -3%, Carnival -7%).
• Ripple Effects:
  • Delays in global shipping (including fast fashion giant Shein) and possible inflation spikes.
  • Fed may be pressured to keep rates higher, impacting mortgage rates.
• Investor Wisdom:
  • “Don’t pay attention to finance and fundamentals. Pay attention to generals and geopolitics.” — Jack (05:26)
  • Even geopolitics experts like Ian Bremmer didn’t see this coming — “Iran wasn’t even mentioned” in Top Global Risks 2026. (09:54)
• Memorable Moment: Nick recounts bumping into Ian Bremmer on Nantucket — “Very nice guy. Also a very nerdy guy.” (09:41)
• Takeaway:
  • “Will it be a long, expensive Middle East war, or a swift victory? Finance and fundamentals won’t tell us ... generals and geopolitics do.” (10:34 - Jack & Nick)
• Tone: Analytical yet approachable, with pop culture analogies.

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3. Dutch Bros: America’s New Energy Drink Powerhouse (in Coffee Chain Disguise)

Timestamp: 10:53 – 15:15

• Explosive Growth:
  • Dutch Bros now sits as the #3 US coffee chain by revenue, exceeding $9 billion market value—outpacing even Lyft.
• Not Coffee?
  • Only 10% of sales come from hot coffee; 90% are cold and mostly energy drinks.
  • Jack: “Dutch Bros is just cosplaying as a coffee chain.” (10:53)
• Contrast with Starbucks:
  • Starbucks is the “third place” to hang out; Dutch Bros has no tables—just drive-thru or pickup.
  • Most Starbucks business is early morning; Dutch Bros is an afternoon “sweet treat” destination.
• Signature Product Moves:
  • Dutch Bros has its own proprietary energy drink, “Rebbl,” customizable with frozen options, colors, even boba.
• Business Model Genius:
  • Energy drinks = higher margin and growing market (while coffee bean prices soar).
  • Per location, Dutch Bros beats Starbucks in revenue 2:1.
• Brand Analysis:
  • “It just dresses up like a coffee company. Because you’d never admit going to an energy drink chain every day.” (15:01 - Jack)
  • “Sometimes, Yetis, a brand masters their true core business. They wear a corporate costume. We call that a cosplay company.” (15:07 - Nick)
• Other “Cosplay Companies”:
  • NYT = gaming/cooking, not news.
  • Amazon = cloud/ad, not e-commerce.
• Memorable Moment: The “large gummy bear lemonade” packs as much sugar as 10 Krispy Kreme glazed donuts (14:13).
• Takeaway:
  • Dutch Bros is a cosplay company — dressed as coffee, thriving as an energy drink destination, and riding cultural trends.

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4. Anthropic vs. OpenAI: When Brand Ethics Become a Business Moat

Timestamp: 17:00 – 22:12

• Crisis & Opportunity:
  • The US government, for the first time, brands a US company (Anthropic) as a “supply chain risk,” blacklisting it from federal contracts for refusing to loosen safety rules for military use.
  • OpenAI swoops in hours later to sign its own DoD deal.
• Anthropic’s Stand:
  • Refused to allow mass domestic AI surveillance OR fully autonomous weapons use for their models.
  • OpenAI claims current federal law already bans domestic mass surveillance, so sees no problem.
• Philosophical Stakes:
  • Anthropic CEO: “He’s doing the patriotic thing by putting his foot down. He thinks morality is part of being American.” (21:21)
  • Apple vs. Meta analogy: Anthropic is to AI ethics what Apple is to privacy; OpenAI is playing the “anything goes” Zuck route.
• Broader Implications:
  • Marketing and branding become entwined with principle — “Are ethics a competitive advantage? Can morals become a moat? Can principles lead to profits?” (20:47)
  • Anthropic’s “Claude Cafe” sought to brand their AI as artistic and human-empowering—and now, morally sound.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “While Anthropic is willing to be punished for its principles, OpenAI is more anything goes.” (21:31 - Nick)
  • “Classic Zuck.” (22:03 - Nick)
• Takeaway:
  • The biggest AI companies are defining their identities not just by what they make, but by what they won’t do. It’s the "Apple privacy" moment for AI.

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5. Quick Hits & Fun Facts

Timestamp: 23:11 – 24:50

• Sweetgreen launches salad wraps (salad “with a blanket”).
• Apple launches iPhone 17e – a cheaper variant plus multiple marginal updates.
• Gen Z least interested in remote work — only 23% want fully remote.
• Netflix DVD trivia: Most popular DVD rental in history was “The Blind Side” (not, as guessed, “Finding Nemo!”).

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6. Timestamps & Notable Quotes Recap

• Fitbit for Farting:
  • “We have put a man on the moon, ... still don’t know the skinny on the stink.” (Nick, 02:18)
• War in Iran:
  • “Don’t pay attention to finance and fundamentals. Pay attention to generals and geopolitics.” (Jack, 05:26)
  • “Iran wasn’t even mentioned” on 2026's risk lists (09:54)
• Dutch Bros:
  • “Dutch Bros is just cosplaying as a coffee chain.” (Jack, 10:53)
  • “Brand masters their true core business ... wear a corporate costume. We call that a cosplay company.” (Nick, 15:12)
• Anthropic/Pentagon/OpenAI:
  • “Are ethics a competitive advantage? Can morals become a moat? Can principles lead to profits?” (20:47 - Jack)
  • “Classic Zuck.” (22:03 - Nick)

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Episode Takeaways

(Condenses key messages, as summarized by the hosts)

1. War-folios: Don’t just watch the market—watch the geopolitics. In times of uncertainty and conflict, generals matter more than spreadsheets.
2. Dutch Bros: Is a master of business cosplay, surging by selling what consumers really crave (energy and sugar), disguised as a coffee chain.
3. Anthropic vs. OpenAI: Ethical branding could become a real moat (or “profit puppy”) in AI. Is it better to be watched for your principles—or for your profits?

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Endnote

Fast-paced, pop-biz storytelling filled with analogies, humor, and pithy takeaways. This episode spotlights how hidden truths and principled stands shape industries—from gas to gaslighting.

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(For full context, listen to the episode. Ads, intros/outros, birthdays, and guest plugs have been omitted from this summary.)

Transcript

[A]

This is Nick.

[B]

This is Jack.

[A]

It's Tuesday, t boy. Tuesday, March 3rd. And today's bot is the best one yet. This is a T boy.

[B]

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

[A]

So, yetis, Jack just flew in from Florida, and he's trying to convince me that sunburns can, in fact, grow up to be tans.

[B]

That's what happened. Look at this complexion. Right now I'm bronzing.

[A]

I think, like 12 dermatologists unsubscribe from the show right now. Jack.

[B]

Yeah, I really should have reapplied that spf.

[A]

I really should have. Jack, how was the championship pickleball game with the in laws over there?

[B]

Toasty.

[A]

Jack also just told me shuffleboard's the new peloton. But we've got three fantastic stories for today's T boy. Jack, what do we got on the pod?

[B]

For our first story, the war in Iran has expanded to 11 Middle Eastern countries, as well as the stock, oil, and even fashion markets.

[A]

So Jack and I are looking at your war folio. Your stock portfolio during a Middle east war.

[B]

For our second story, Dutch Bros. Is now the number three coffee chain in

[A]

America, but just 10% of their drinks are actually hot coffee. We'll tell you what they really are.

[B]

And our third and final story is the biggest beef in business right now. It's between anthropic OpenAI and the Pentagon.

[A]

So here is the Shakespearean business question. Can ethics be a competitive advantage?

[B]

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

[A]

I mean, what a mix. Love the mixjack, Nick.

[B]

When it comes to technology, the next frontier is actually your rear.

[A]

That's right, besties. Because the most cutting edge new wearable out there is a Fitbit for flatulence.

[B]

Yeah. What the Apple watch did for our hearts, this new device does for our farts.

[A]

More specifically, it's for your gastrointestinal health.

[B]

You got kids in the backseat. They're gonna love this story. Get this. Scientists at the University of Maryland have prototyped a scenting device that you clip to the seat of your underwear.

[A]

Basically, you're placing this thing on the ground zero of your GI tract.

[B]

And the goal is to measure something we humans have never measured before.

[A]

The average number of toots from one human being.

[B]

And figure out why some of us pass gas more than than others.

[A]

So they're asking participants to track their food along the way as well and

[B]

see if it correlates with their farts.

[A]

Because 40% of American adults. Yes, we're looking at you you got tummy issues, we hear you.

[B]

Guilty. And the key to digestive nirvana could be this Fitbit of farts.

[A]

So, Jack, can we please talk about the demand over there?

[B]

I can smell it from here. 4,000 people have already applied to test version one of this farty Fitbit because,

[A]

besties, we have put a man on the moon, we have split the atom, we have taken seeds out of a

[B]

watermelon, and yet we still don't know the skinny on the stink.

[A]

So finally, science and venture capitalists are getting the answers for us.

[B]

By the way, the current record, 175 times in one day. But who's counting?

[A]

You know who you are.

[B]

Actually, this company's.

[A]

This company's coming. Yeah. That is the whole business model, Jack. Let's hear that. Three stories. Fifteen 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. Nigga Nick, that's it. I don't even think they need to practice.

[C]

50%.

[A]

That's a fat tip. T boy city on your at list. If you know, you know. Cause we read to go. We can't wait no more. So just start the show. Start the show. First, a quick word from our sponsor,

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So when are we using AI when we're jumping in T Boy style to some research.

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

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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.

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That's manis im tboy.

[A]

So yet he's. Jack's instituted a new business model for his Airbnb hosting. And Jack, what is it? Here it is.

[B]

Host equals guest. Yes. 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 it. 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.

[A]

If you want to travel more, hosting more is a great way to make it happen. Financially, your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host for our first story. The war in Iran is already affecting markets in predictable and surprising ways. So we want to talk about your

[B]

war folio and want to know what to do. Well, don't pay attention to finance and fundamentals. Pay attention to generals and geopolitics.

[A]

Yetis on Monday, 48 hours after the first strikes, global financial markets got their first reactions to the US Israeli attack on Iran.

[B]

And stocks started out the day lower. Yes, they did, because military spending is not an ideal way to grow economy.

[A]

But more importantly, something we've warned you about before, it's the U word uncertainty.

[B]

We already had a ton of uncertain question marks in this economy. Inflation, tariffs, AI the midterm elections, I

[A]

mean, and nothing gives investors the ick like uncertainty. So add that to the cocktail war in the Middle east, including two of the biggest militaries in the region and the world's superpower.

[B]

So the most obvious sector impacted by this war is. Is the oil market.

[A]

Oil was already up 20% so far this year as the US built up a military presence. It jumped another 7% on Monday because

[B]

Iran is ranked somewhere between number six and number nine in the world in

[A]

terms of oil production, and that just came to a complete halt.

[B]

Plus, Iran's retaliation has attacked seven major oil producing countries with Drone missiles already, Jack.

[A]

You see, one Saudi refinery was already hit by an Iranian drone just yesterday.

[B]

And also just yesterday, the Strait of Hormuz was shut down by Iran. That's where one third of the world's oil by sea actually flows.

[A]

Add it all up and several Wall street analysts are seeing oil rise to 100 bucks a barrel if this drags on for the first time since the pandemic.

[B]

And oil seeps into every nook and cranny of our economy every little bit.

[A]

So, Basties, let's pause the pod for a sec. That's the macro situation here, right, Jack?

[B]

Stocks are down, oil prices is up. But what about the micro situation?

[A]

Yeah, let's go from like a satellite view to a street view, like from the coach's box to the quarterback's huddle. What do we see, Jack, Looking at

[B]

the war folio stocks of oil exporting

[A]

nations like Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates.

[B]

Stocks of those countries could actually rise because they sell oil, which is now

[A]

more expensive because higher oil prices are good for oil producers. So ExxonMobil, yeah, their stock popped 4% to open the day on Monday.

[B]

But oil importing nations that don't have their own version of Texas or the Permian Basin in their backyard.

[A]

Yeah, we're talking like Japan, India, the European Union.

[B]

They would be hurt the most if oil prices remain high.

[A]

Oh, and Jack, can we please talk about the airline and cruise line stocks as a result of that?

[B]

Well, one third of their operating costs are jet fuel or oil. Those are oil binging businesses.

[A]

So Delta stock fell 3% to start the week and Carnival dropped 7% on Word. Their business model just got stuck in the middle seat.

[B]

Basically, the air they breathe is now 25% more expensive than the beginning of the year.

[A]

And speaking of airlines, Jack, one of Iran's early targets. Who was it?

[B]

Interestingly, the Dubai airport.

[A]

I had a friend whose flight was just canceled. They are stuck indefinitely because Dubai's airport was closed.

[B]

The people in charge of Iran must be thinking if they can disrupt international air travel, that gives them some sort of leverage against the United States and Israel right now.

[A]

So Iran is targeting transportation. And since a lot of the world's trade goes through that Strait of Hormuz just outside of Iran, your Timu hall could.

[B]

A top story in fashion right now is the Warner on Sheehan already proactively sent emails to customers telling them to expect delays.

[A]

And by the way, like Jack said, oil seeps into every part of the economy. So higher oil prices can cause higher overall inflation.

[B]

Yeah, we've seen this before. As the price of oil rises, literally the price of everything rises, even Chipotle.

[A]

They got to get their avocados from Mexico. That's not getting your local burrito without a truck.

[B]

And higher inflation, that might put pressure on the Fed to keep interest rates higher longer. So, yeah, this could end up affecting your home, too.

[A]

I mean, Jack, you were just talking about refinancing your home this summer. The war in Iran, not good for mortgage rates.

[B]

And just to put a bow on top of all of this, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, told this yesterday that he expects a higher risk of terror and cyber attacks as a result of the war in Iran.

[A]

Quite a boast. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for all our buddies looking at the war in Iran and their war folios?

[B]

Now's the time to listen to generals and geopolitics, not finance or fundamentals.

[A]

Now, yetis Jack and I follow Ian Bremmer of the Eurasia Group. And funny story, I actually ran into him on Nantucket last summer. Jack. And so I started chatting with him and just told him we love following him. And very nice guy. Also a very nerdy guy. Well, he specializes in geopolitical risks to the markets.

[B]

And this is wild in his list of top Global Risks for 2026 comes out every January. Everyone looks at that list. Iran wasn't even mentioned.

[A]

He didn't even mention it. It goes to show that nobody knows what's going to happen. But the biggest driver of how this war affects your business and wallets, it's what actually happens in Iran.

[B]

Now, there's some nuance here. Active generals are under political pressure to paint a rosy picture of the situation.

[A]

Former generals give a different perspective, although they may have some negativity bias.

[B]

But the most critical question to everything is will this be a long, drawn out, expensive Middle east war like Iraq and Afghanistan in the 2000s, or will

[A]

be a swift victory like Operation Desert storm in the 1990s?

[B]

Finance and fundamentals won't tell us anything

[A]

about that question, but generals and geopolitics do. For our second story, Dutch Bros. Is now the third largest coffee chain in America, but it's not actually a coffee chain.

[B]

Dutch Bros. Is just cosplaying as a coffee chain.

[A]

Yes, they are.

[B]

Hot coffee is just 10% of their

[A]

business, but besties first. Last month we went to the Starbucks investor day, got to meet the CEO and, you know, was the first thing Jack told me about the guy.

[B]

I forget what did I tell him?

[A]

He said this dude is locked in, Nick.

[B]

He had a great blazer that was the same color as Starbucks green.

[A]

I love that he did that firm handshake. That dude is locked in because bestie Starbucks owns 48% of the US coffee market by sales.

[B]

But their last five years have been their decaffeinated era. And Starbucks isn't just feeling the heat from Dahleen at Duncan, are they, Nick?

[A]

No, no, no, no, no. Starbucks is feeling the heat. The Dutch Bros. Dutch Bros.

[B]

Founded by third generation dairy farmers in Oregon who happen to have some extra riz over on the side.

[A]

Yeah, they're now up to 1100 locations in the $9 billion stock market value. That's more than a lift.

[B]

Dutch Bros. Is now the number three coffee chain in America by revenue with drinks that sound like WWE Pro wrestlers.

[A]

I'm sorry, who ordered the Annihilator or the Double Torture? Jack, can I interest you in the tucker the kicker?

[B]

$2 million of revenue per location per year. That's twice as good as Starbucks.

[A]

Maybe it's because they call their baristas Broistas, but either way this yetis. This is what Jack and I find fascinating about the Dutch Bros.

[B]

Despite being in the same industry as Starbucks and trying to beat Starbucks in their own game, Dutch Bros. Has made the opposite corporate strategic decisions.

[A]

Yeah, we got some wild examples here. First, Starbucks is the third place. It's the place to hang to nap to write that great next American novel.

[B]

Dwell is actually a KPI that Starbucks management purs.

[A]

True story. We've told you about it. And yet every Dutch Bros. Location has a drive thru. In fact, some are drive thru only or have a pickup window.

[B]

There's not a table at the whole company.

[A]

Another example. Well, the majority of Starbucks sales happen in the morning. It's become part of your work habit.

[B]

But the majority of Dutch Bro sales happen in the afternoon.

[A]

It's a sweet treat. But the biggest difference between these two chains is something Dutch Bros. Just revealed to the Wall Street Journal.

[B]

Dutch Bros. Confessed they're not actually a coffee chain. True story. They're an energy drink chain.

[A]

Get this. 90% Dutch Bros. Drinks are served cold. Cup of joe. That's less than 10% of their sales.

[B]

They're all about the energy drinks. Caffeine, but from not the bean.

[A]

You want more numbers here.

[B]

Here we go.

[A]

Custom energy drinks. What does that look like at Dutch Bros. Jack?

[B]

One out of every four orders.

[A]

True.

[B]

They developed their own proprietary energy drink brand called Rebbl. Yeah, and you can get it frozen. You can get it Every color of the rainbow. You can get it with boba tea on top.

[A]

Boba balls. You can get it punched in your face if you want. It's just like how Starbucks owns Frappuccino. I Dutch Bros. Owns its own energy drink brand.

[B]

And the reason is simple. The market for energy drinks is growing faster than the market for coffee is.

[A]

So basically, put your money where the mojo is.

[B]

And that's not a bad reason to own Dutch Bro stock. Right?

[A]

But also, given the record high coffee bean prices out there, a sugar energy drink. Oh, that is a profit puppy.

[B]

Another reason to own Dutch Bro stock,

[A]

although a reason not to, is it's the only coffee chain with a defibrillator on hand with every Broista. And now we know why.

[B]

True. If a customer walks out with a large gummy bear lemonade with 111 grams

[A]

of sugar in there, that's a real number.

[B]

You might want to proactively call the ambulance for that customer.

[A]

It's the same amount of sugar as 10 Krispy Kreme glazed donuts.

[B]

Does a jar of raw sugar count as an energy drink?

[A]

Jack? That's not a drink. That's a Halloween trick or treat bag. So what's the takeaway for our energy drink buddies over at Dutch Bros?

[B]

Dutch Bros. It's actually a cosplay company.

[A]

Now, Yetis, you know cosplay. Jack does it on weekends. It's when people dress up as their favorite characters like superheroes.

[B]

Well, a cosplay company company dresses up as an industry that's not actually their core business.

[A]

For example, the New York Times. They're not really a news company. They're a gaming and cooking company. Because the majority of their profits do not come from news subscriptions.

[B]

Amazon. It's not actually an e commerce company.

[A]

Nope.

[B]

Majority of their profits come from cloud computing and advertising.

[A]

And Dutch Bros. Just isn't a coffee chain. It's an energy drink drive through.

[B]

It just dresses up like a coffee company. Because you'd never admit going to an energy drink chain every day.

[A]

Sometimes Yetis a brand master their true core business. They wear a corporate costume.

[B]

And we call that a cosplay company.

[A]

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[A]

For our third and final story, Anthropic OpenAI and the Pentagon are in a high stakes game of the summer I turned pretty basically and these are brand

[B]

defining moments for the leaders of AI. We are seeing who they really are right now.

[A]

Spoiler Anthropic is like Apple. OpenAI is like Zuck but yetis On

[B]

Friday the US government declared war on Anthropic.

[A]

I feel like we need a record scratch here. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth designated the Claude owner Anthropic as a, get this supply chain risk.

[B]

A supply chain risk is a designation we've only ever given to foreign companies. Not a US company like Anthropic.

[A]

So it looks that like Harvard University, Anthropic is being punished for refusing to bend on a core principle.

[B]

And this could really hurt.

[A]

Oh yeah, because Hegseth demands any company doing business with the US government not do business with Anthropic.

[B]

That's a supply chain risk. That's what happens.

[A]

But Jack, this could also really help Anthropic, right?

[B]

Claude is number One in the App Store right now. It seems like they're getting a ban bump situation.

[A]

So either way, with all this beefing, Anthropic said it would sue to challenge the government's supply chain risk designation and basically wear that scarlet letter until it's

[B]

over or get the scarlet letter removed is what they're suing for.

[A]

But Jack, funny thing, who's loving this beefing right now?

[B]

OpenAI is, Nick. SAM Altman swooped in to sign his own deal with the DoD literally hours after Anthropic got blacklisted by them.

[A]

And what's Sam Altman thinking, Jack? And if you could put this in Mean Girls context, I would appreciate it.

[B]

He's thinking it's better to be in the Plastics and hating life than to be out of the plastics.

[A]

Well put. Side note, by the way, besties, despite the breakup, the Department of Defense actually used Anthropic in their attacks on Iran. You see, there's a six month wind down to this whole relationship.

[B]

But the big question, you must be wondering in this story, what was OpenAI willing to do with the government that Anthropic wasn't willing to do with the government?

[A]

Basically, what was the safe word? And donde esta the red lines, Nick?

[B]

There were two red lines that Anthropic insisted, insisted being the T's and C's in their deal with the US Department of Defense.

[A]

Ah, the old terms and conditions. What were those two red lines, Jack?

[B]

Anthropics AI could not be used for mass domestic surveillance of Americans and it could not be used for fully autonomous weapons.

[A]

Now on the other hand, OpenAI says that federal law already forbids the military from domestic mass surveillance. So they think they're all good there already.

[B]

But anthropic and legal experts disagree and Anthropic refuse to capitulate.

[A]

And the reason? Well, why don't you picture every James Bond movie you've ever seen?

[B]

You know the really nerdy scientist, Q?

[A]

Love Q.

[B]

He's always got spectacles and he's always explaining to James Bond the key bad guys rap sheet and his whole backstory. And Q knows all the details about this guy.

[A]

He even knows like where the bad guy's mother in law went to college. He gets all the details.

[B]

That kind of profile building. It's legal for the government to conduct deep, personal, even invasive feeling research like that on someone.

[A]

But here's the key. Because it had to be done manually by a human. It has historically been.

[B]

But with AI, that kind of profile building could be scalable to all of a government citizens.

[A]

So Anthropic's interpreting that situation and saying, you know what, I'm going to sit this one out.

[B]

They refuse to have their AI be used for a mass domestic surveillance situation

[A]

because similar to what China has already done, theoretically the government could very quickly know everything about us. A surveillance state that could lead to abuse.

[B]

But a very well paid lawyer at OpenAI gave Sam Altman cover and said this kind of of AI surveillance won't happen based on existing law. Go ahead, sign the deal with the dod, you're good to go.

[A]

So Jack, what's the takeaway for all our buddies looking at how the AI industry is going to shake out?

[B]

Are ethics a competitive advantage? Can morals become a moat? Can principles lead to profits reach?

[A]

Jack Yetis, last year we told you about Anthropic's Claude Cafe, an AI coffee shop in the West Village with a line out the door.

[B]

It was a marketing move.

[A]

It was.

[B]

They wanted you to associate Anthropic's brand with artistry. They wanted to say their AI doesn't replace human creativity, it supports it, but

[A]

basties with this Pentagon beef. Anthropic is trying to add kind of another nuance to its brand. It's trying to add morality.

[B]

The CEO of Anthropic said on 60 Minutes on Sunday that he's doing the patriotic thing by putting his foot down. He thinks morality is part of being American.

[A]

That is literally what he said. But while Anthropic is willing to be punished for its principles, OpenAI is more anything goes.

[B]

Anthropic is acting like Apple in this situation.

[A]

Exactly, Jack.

[B]

The way Apple treats privacy, building their brand on one cardinal value.

[A]

Like when Apple refused to give the FBI access to someone's imessages and they said it was because of privacy.

[B]

Well, what Anthropic's doing now is because of safety and morals.

[A]

Well, on the other hand though, OpenAI, they're kind of looking more like meta, right, Jack? It's more of a Zucky move they're doing.

[B]

Willing to bend their principles if it leads to profits.

[A]

Classic Zuck. So besties, add it all up and this leads to the big question we're asking you and you should drop in the comments.

[B]

Are ethics a competitive advantage?

[A]

Can morals become a moat?

[B]

And can principles transform to profits?

[A]

Jack, fresh off the flight, can you whip up the takeaways for us for

[B]

T boy Tuesday, our first story was the war in Iran. It caused stocks to fall initially on Monday, although The S&P 500 actually ended slightly up at the End of the day.

[A]

So what comes next for the war folio? Well, finance and fundamentals won't tell us, but generals and geopolitics will.

[B]

For our second story, Dutch Bros. Is actually worth four times more per location than Starbucks is because the Dutch Bros.

[A]

Are a cosplay company. They dress up like a coffee chain, but they're actually an energy drink chain.

[B]

And our third and final story is anthropic. They got blacklisted by the department of War, and OpenAI immediately swooped in to replace them.

[A]

Oh, they saw the beef and they gro a fork. One of them is going the principled route, the Apple route, while the other one's going the profitable route route, the Zuck route.

[B]

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

[A]

First, pause the pod. Sweetgreen, no longer a salad business. They just ordered a stack of tortillas and they're selling salad wraps.

[B]

Yeah, sweetgreen is launching wraps now. Yeah, which is basically just a salad with a blanket around it. And it becomes a on the go company with the addition of this tortilla.

[A]

Never felt more comforted. Bloomberg actually just did a deep dive in how sweetgreen's first French fry was kind of a sauce soggy failure, unfortunately.

[B]

But hall of fame yeti Amanda Whittem asks this strategic question. Will sweet green wraps bring in new customers, or will they cannibalize salad sales from old ones?

[A]

The answer is in the arugula. And second, Apple just announced a new iPhone out of nowhere. The 17e. It's like iPhone 17, but 200 bucks cheaper.

[B]

Now, Apple's not stopping there. They're releasing at least five new, very marginal product updates later this week.

[A]

And finally, Gen Z apparently misses the offer. Get this. Out of all the generations, the one most opposed to fully remote work is Gen Z. Jenny, it's from a Gallup poll.

[B]

Just 23% of 20 somethings want to work fully remote.

[A]

Now, time for the best fact yet. This one. An answer to yesterday's T boy insider trivia. Jack, you ready for this? Oh, yeah. Okay, so yesterday we did a whole story on Netflix, and our question was, Netflix started as a DVD company. They mailed their final DVD just three years ago. But what was their most popular DVD of all time?

[B]

And my guess was Finding Nemo. Because I'm pretty. Finding Nemo is the best selling DVD of all time.

[A]

Okay, the most popular Netflix DVD of all time is The Blind Side, the 2009 football movie with Sandra Bullock.

[B]

Wait, 2009. Streaming was already around.

[A]

I know, I know. And yet, Sandra Bullock may be the biggest profit puppy in Netflix's history. Yetis, you are looking fantastic out there. Jack, you were glowing the whole show. You know what? By the way, we gotta share tomorrow. Let's share.

[B]

We.

[A]

We may have the best guest yet for our DC show. This is incredible. She's amazing.

[B]

Our Washington DC show is a week from tomorrow, March 11th, at the Arlington Drafthouse. Great venue. We'll announce the guest interview tomorrow.

[A]

It's so good. We have tickets still available.

[B]

Buy yours now because we're gonna sell out after we announce the guest.

[A]

You gotta grab now. In the meantime, HOH TBOI and Jack and I will see you manana.

[B]

Before we go.

[A]

A happy birthday to the best one yet. The A girl, Alex Cravici Kramer. Jack, you want to take it from here?

[B]

It's her golden birthday. An absolutely gorgeous and loving mother of three and a phenomenal wife of my own.

[A]

And Brandon Torres, father to Camille and Puppy. Walter is the Ironman trainer with the best birthday in Woodbridge, Virginia.

[B]

Happy birthday to Michael Chang, the first birthday in Seattle as a father.

[A]

And Abhinav Patal is biking for his birthday down in Sunnyvale, California.

[B]

Happy birthday to Charity, who's turning 33 on three. 3. This Brooklynite moved to Paris to study luxury brands.

[A]

And to Nikhil and the entire intention design team, thank you for sending us the best standing desks yet. Jack and I used them at our live show in Austin. We love them. Great work, guys.

[B]

Oh, and a big shout out to Edward Locke of Los angeles, who created Pawsthepod.com which tracks our episodes and our takeaways. It's wonderful work.

[A]

We are gonna share more on this, but in the meantime, I wanna know

[B]

if it was vibe coded or not.

[A]

In the meantime, Edward, we wanted to give you the shout out, but we can't wait to talk with you. That was incredible what you did.

[B]

Also, speaking of our live show, Marni Kane and Grace Kim. Big shout out because we shared the product of her work at our live show, which is our brand pyramid.

[A]

Yeah. If you're curious about our brand strategy, then Escargot Studio is the one who did it. And it's the best brand strategy yet, guides everything we do.

[B]

This is Jack. I own stock of Netflix. Nick and I both own stock of Apple and Chipotle. And we both own ETFs of the S&P 500.

[C]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible financial geniuses, monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save Hundreds of Visit progressive.com to see if you could save Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations.