The WAN Show Podcast Summary

Episode: "Our Cable Launch Went TOO GOOD!" (Jan 30, 2026)

Date: January 31, 2026
Hosts: Linus Sebastian, Luke Lafreniere, Daniel Besser (Producer)
Podcast: Linus Tech Tips – The WAN Show

Episode Overview

This episode of The WAN Show dives deep into the surprising, overwhelming demand for LTT’s new True Spec cable launch, with candid reflections on inventory, pricing strategy, and behind-the-scenes operations. Linus and Luke also unpack tech news from persistent security issues and industry lawsuits, to broader conversations about creator economies and ethical business practices. The dynamic duo infuse the show with their characteristic technology nerdery, pop culture riffs, and candid banter on the business of being a tech creator.

Headline Topic: LTT True Spec Cables Launch – Better Than Expected!

Launch Experience & Inventory Management

• [00:37] Linus: Shares the struggle of often having either too much or too little inventory, highlighting that True Spec cables sold out in some lengths within 20 minutes.
  • “Truspec cables are here and we sold out of some lengths in like 20 minutes. Opposite problem. Good problem to have. Just freaking out a little bit…” ([01:22])
• [04:00] Linus and Luke walk through the years-long R&D and perfectionist efforts behind the cable line, emphasizing high materials cost and fair pricing.
  • “They’re very expensive because the cable stock is really expensive… I don’t think they’re unreasonably priced at all for what they are.” ([05:36])
• [09:01] The team tried "in-between" cable lengths (‘tweener SKUs’) to fill gaps, but learn that customer demand stuck to conventional lengths.
  • “Everything in the middle… just the really short ones are still there, the really long ones are still there, and everything… is just gone.” ([09:55])

Restock and Business Decisions

• [10:39] The LTT store planned ahead with additional raw cable stock, aiming for a faster-than-expected restock in March.
• [11:57] Linus addresses “false scarcity” accusations, clarifies they want to sell as much as possible (not a hypebeast drop).
  • “Do you really think that I didn’t want to sell more cables today?... These are... they’re cables. I want to sell as many cables as humanly possible.” ([12:03])

Deep-Dive & Technical Validation

• [12:54] Discussion on potentially creating a super technical ‘NER’ version video for true cable nerds.
  • Coverage of high-frequency signal validation and advanced equipment needs for 40Gbps cable testing ([13:09]).
• [15:46] Live reactions to internal scans of cables using a Lumafield CT scanner; much nerding out over the intricacies of cable design.
  • “Drives me crazy how much we take stuff like this for granted. We look at a cable and we’re just like, cable, whatever. But... it’s beautiful, isn’t it?” ([16:04])

Thunderbolt Compatibility

• Not officially Thunderbolt-certified, but the cables function in several Thunderbolt scenarios.
  • “I plugged into a Thunderbolt port... and our cable worked.” ([18:28])
  • “We’re not promising that it will with a Thunderbolt device... but as long as you’re within USB4 specs, it should work most of the time.” ([19:00])

Warranty and Quality Assurance

• [14:39] LTT launches the “TrustMe Bro warranty,” signaling their high confidence in product quality.

Key Tech & Industry News

Creator Economy: 1% Fallacy & Platform Realities

• [24:00] onwards Reddit thread highlights the reality of “top x percent” stats for creator earnings—be it OnlyFans, Spotify, Steam, YouTube, or Twitch—where even top 1% barely sustain a living.
  • "Someone with about 20 viewers... would be in the top 1% on the platform. To hit 0.25%, you would have just 120 viewers.” ([26:42])
  • “...the gap between those is like… top 1% to top 0.1%... the range you start getting is insane in those little percentages.” ([27:28])
• Notable Quote:
  • Linus: “The only takeaway wasn’t just butt jokes.” ([32:23])

Microsoft & Windows Frustrations

• [35:56] Extended riff on Microsoft sign-in woes, launcher weirdness, and family account frustrations.
  • “How is it that I sign, they force me to sign into Windows and then I still have to sign in again to the store, again to Edge, and again into Minecraft.” ([36:04])

Best Buy: “Compare At” Pricing Scheme

• [37:29] onwards Linus rants about Best Buy’s manipulative “compare-at” prices, suggesting an LTT video exposing such dark patterns.
  • “What is a comparable value?...such prices may have been identified by Best Buy or provided... If they've ever seen it, they can kind of go, yes, that one, please.” ([38:39])
• Further discussion about the prevalence of “starting at,” “compare at,” and “up to” as manipulative sales tactics. ([40:29])

Lightning Round: Noteworthy Topics & Quotes

Canada Computers Card Skimmer Incident

• [97:27] Discussion about a major card skimmer hack on the Canada Computers site, complexities of small shops maintaining good security, and ecosystem impacts.
  • “Do we want to funnel everyone to big players?... And in a lot of cases they're not long for this world because things like this can potentially crush them out of business...” ([100:37])

Apple Updates Very Old iPhones

• [02:08] & [93:01]
  • “The iPhone 5s from 2013 just got a security update. I just want to take a moment to highlight that because that is so cool.” ([02:08])
  • “This is something that, that has to be noted. Like I'll be the first to call out Apple when they do something that's anti consumer or monopolistic. But this is cool.” ([94:26])

Congratulations to “Stop Killing Games” Movement

• [02:55], [94:56], [95:05]
  • “Final count for Stop Killing Games petition verifies 1.3 million... well above the minimum to be formally considered by EU politicians.” ([02:55], [94:56])
  • “If one region forces it... it will bleed over into other regions, which is what I'm hoping for..." ([96:04])

Rant Section: Subscriptions & Modern Commerce

• Critical takes on new hardware subscription models (LG, HP), the “you’ll own nothing and be happy” trend, and evaluating when a subscription is actually good value for a tech user. ([55:36]-[62:42])
  • “But that's how they get you, right? That's the lock in that they want. They want the laziness lock in.” ([62:36])

Privacy & Encryption Key Disclosure

• Microsoft confirms they provide BitLocker keys to US government requests, raising privacy advocacy concerns.
  • “It might not be [unusual], but it should be.” ([53:16])

LTT Product Launches & Announcements

New Products

• [79:24] onwards: Unveiling of multiple LTT Store launches:
  • Tech Pants & Premium Polo (“white-collar cargo pants” with subtle, well-engineered features) ([79:24]-[84:53])
  • Floatplane-exclusive Precision Screwdriver (Pro variant, new colorway, magnetic storage) ([85:31]-[87:33])

Labs Channel & New Content

• Voltage drop and inside-the-cable articles, including Lumafield CT scans ([20:22], [138:01])
• Product page improvements and new article features for LTT Labs ([21:22])

Elsewhere in Tech/Pop Culture

• Windows Phone nostalgia: “Next Phone” aims to dual-boot Android, Windows, and Linux, but UWP limitations hurt usability. ([32:31])
• LG’s UK hardware subscription program: Broken down as almost always more expensive than simply buying—the console example is nearly £50 more over the rental period. ([55:01])
• Valve faces £656 million lawsuit for unfair pricing on Steam in the UK ([113:02])
• TikTok censorship and legal wrangling ([126:31]-[128:28])
• Disney/Star Wars rant. Outrage at the prospect of an MCU x Star Wars crossover as a marker of “end times” for Disney. ([131:05])

Memorable Quotes

• On pricing manipulation:
  “Starting at, compare at and up to. Need to go. They've got to just be incredibly annoying. Yeah, because what does it even mean?” ([40:29]) — Linus

• On creator earnings myths:
  "You can be one of the top... bands on Spotify... we're talking like, like 40 bucks a month." ([25:49]) — Linus

• On tech nerd beauty:
  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? ...There’s a lot of engineering that goes into just a quote unquote, simple cable termination.” ([16:04], [16:33]) — Linus

• On Apple’s long-term iOS support:
  “I shouldn’t have to be impressed by this, but I so am.” ([97:06]) — Linus

• On Microsoft account woes:
  “How is it that they force me to sign into Windows and then I still have to sign in again to the store, again to Edge, and again into Minecraft.” ([36:04]) — Linus

• On platform market consolidation:
  "Are we effectively just funneling everyone to big players... and is that a good thing?" ([100:37]) — Luke

Timestamps for Key Sections

| Segment Topic | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|------------| | LTT Cable Launch & Pricing | 00:37–15:24| | Tech sold out; how they estimated demand | 09:01–11:12| | Accusations of false-scarcity addressed | 11:57–12:53| | Technical cable speccing, validation, scans | 12:54–21:22| | “Tweener SKUs” / Product lessons | 09:01–10:39| | Cable compatibility (Thunderbolt, DisplayPort)| 17:48–21:52| | Creator economy: Top 1% doesn’t mean rich | 24:00–32:23| | Best Buy “compare-at” pricing rant | 37:38–46:22| | Hardware subscriptions skepticism | 55:01–62:24| | Microsoft account login & family frustrations | 35:56–36:46| | Canada Computers breach | 97:27–102:02| | “Stop Killing Games” success in EU | 94:56–96:42| | Apple iPhone 5s update praise | 02:08–02:19, 93:01–94:27| | Product launches & warehouse fun | 79:20–88:02| | Valve lawsuit |113:02–114:10| | TikTok legal/abuse reports |126:31–128:28| | After Dark (fun banter, community Q&A) |141:02–169:41|

Language, Tone, and In-Jokes

• The show keeps a mixture of earnest technical depth and relentless self-deprecating humor (“TrustMe Bro warranty,” “meanwhile on Twitch, 20 viewers is 1%”), grounded with a touch of business realism.
• Frequent “meta” moments about livestream operations, inside jokes about, e.g., Canada Computers’ IT, and nerdy reflections on the business of content creation.
• Dialogue is candid, unfiltered, with Luke often as the voice of reason and Linus as the excitable, passionate founder.

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

• The overwhelming demand for LTT’s True Spec cables exposed a positive “small business problem,” and the team is transparent about behind-the-scenes forecasting, technical challenges, and misconceptions around “artificial scarcity.”
• The broader tech and creator world remains fraught: from manipulative e-commerce tactics and rising subscription models, to income myths of top digital earners, ongoing privacy erosions, and platform consolidation.
• Linus and Luke shine when going deep on the craftsmanship behind mundane tech (cables, screwdrivers), but aren’t afraid to veer into business and social commentary.
• The tone is irreverent and fast-paced, with lively in-jokes and a clear affection for the tech community—even as they call out both its flaws and the industry’s worst practices.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “Truspec cables are here and we sold out of some lengths in like 20 minutes… Good problem to have. Just freaking out a little bit…” (01:22) – Linus Sebastian

• “Everything in the middle… is just gone.” (09:55) – Luke Lafreniere

• “Do you really think that I didn’t want to sell more cables today?... These are... they’re cables. I want to sell as many cables as humanly possible.” (12:03) – Linus Sebastian

• “We look at a cable and we’re just like, cable, whatever. But... it’s beautiful, isn’t it?” (16:04) – Linus Sebastian

• “The only takeaway wasn’t just butt jokes.” (32:23) – Linus Sebastian

For those who missed the episode: This is classic WAN Show—honest, nerdy, inside baseball on tech business and product, with a heavy dash of industry skepticism and an open line to their own community, making for a highly informative tech talk packed with humor, humility, and perspective.