Israeli archeologists discovered four extremely rare ancient Roman swords in a small cave near the Dead Sea. The swords, likely hidden by rebel fighters 1.9k years ago, were impressively preserved thanks to the dry desert climate.
In today’s email:
Class memefare: Viral and out of touch.
Video: The myth of latte-ing away your future.
Date-me docs: A modern personal ad for those sick of apps.
Around the web: Cool street photos, a very old chicken, recycling candles, and more.
👇 Listen: CEOs say the darndest things.
The big idea
Avocado guy goes viral again and other weird takes from the extremely wealthy
Another gross CEO moment shows off the increasing gulf between classes.
2023-09-14T00:00:00Z
Juliet Bennett Ryla
Australian real estate CEO Tim Gurner recently suggested that, because people have become “arrogant” and unwilling to work, the nation’s unemployment rate should pop 40%-50% — advocating for ~270k people losing their jobs.
“We need to see pain in the economy. We need to remind people that they work for the employer, not the other way around,” Gurner told the Australian Financial Review Property Summit this week.
That… went over poorly.
Australian Medical Association President Steve Robson called Gurner’s statement “breathtakingly irresponsible,” noting unemployment’s numerous associated health risks, and Financial Review eventually shut down replies.
Who is this guy, other than a Batman villain?
Tim Gurner (estimated net worth: $584m) went viral in 2017 when he said millennials could afford homes if they’d stop eating avocado toast — an instant classic meme that fully ignored the impact of a global recession and skyrocketing housing costs.
People were quick to point out that Gurner’s grandfather helped fund his first business, a gym, and his boss fronted $180k for Gurner’s first investment property.
Elsewhere in the news…
Boeing CEO David Calhoun apparently commutes to work via private jet, taking it ~400x between his two east coast homes and the company’s Virginia HQ since 2020.
“Housing providers” in Berkeley, California, are holding an autumn mixer to celebrate the end of the state’s eviction moratorium. (The group thinks “landlord” is “pejorative.”)
While funny…
… the virality of stories like these points to the widening gap between the haves and have-nots, and how out of touch these groups have become with one another.
And it’s not even the first time this year that CEOs have been called out for wildly callous comments or behavior. See also: the boss who praised an employee for selling his dog to return to office, or the CEO who told employees to leave “pity city.”
Would his plan even work? Well, it’s actually happier workers who are the most productive.
TRENDING
Job opportunity: Gannett Co. is hiring a dedicated “Taylor Swift reporter” for USA Today and The Tennessean to report on her cultural impact. The role requires five years of journalism experience, international travel (presumably to Swift shows), and pays ~$45k-$105.8k/year.
SNIPPETS
In Washington… Tech execs — including Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Sundar Pichai, and Elon Musk — met with lawmakers and labor leaders at the AI Insight Forum. The closed-door gathering is the first in a series of AI-focused meetings.
Core inflation — i.e., US consumer prices minus food and energy — rose 0.3% MoM in August. That’s higher than expected, but the Fed likely won’t hike interest rates next week. Gas prices, BTW, rose 10.6%.
Pumpkin wars: First, Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte returned for its 20th birthday. Then, Wendy’s announced a pumpkin-spiced Frosty. Now, Dunkin’ is saying “hold my pumpkin beer” with the introduction of a drink that includes actual pumpkin-flavored donuts.
Birkenstock, the German footwear brand, filed for an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. The shoemaker could be valued at $8B+, with a recent sales boost coming from its Barbie product placement.
Ring launched a Pet Tag to keep your furry friend safe. The tag has a QR code that links to a pet profile and a “contact me” feature, allowing for two-way communication without sharing private info like a phone number or address.
Living a lie: An FDA panel ruled that phenylephrine, an ingredient in many OTC cold medicines, doesn’t treat nasal congestion at recommended dosages — meaning the ~242m packages of medicine containing phenylephrine sold in 2022, totaling $1.8B in sales, were bunk.
No small problem: Lost in this week’s iPhone 15 hoopla was Apple knocking the iPhone 13 mini out of its lineup, a big loss for fans of small phones. But sales have shown the masses prefer bigger screens and batteries to easier one-handed use.
FROM THE BLOG
Ninety-two million American workers work remotely. Yet business owners still struggle with managing them. But don’t worry — we’ve gathered 11 tips on how to effectively manage your remote workforce.
VIDEO
Buying a house: Is it really just one less daily latte away?
Consider the 21st century’s most ubiquitous piece of financial advice: “Can’t afford a house? Just stop buying lattes.”
Every millennial has heard some variation of this myth. It’s peppered all over Twitter, dispensed on personal finance blogs, and uttered by pundits on national television. Sometimes, “latte” is exchanged for a different millennial trope, like our “avocado toast” pal in the story above.
The idea that fewer lattes could solve millennials’ financial woes has been around for 20+ years and can be traced to one man: financial adviser and author David Bach.
“Are you latte-ing away your future?” Bach asked in a 1999 book. “Everyone makes enough money to become rich. What keeps us living paycheck to paycheck is that we spend more than we make on stuff we don’t need.”
Since then, we’ve witnessed a dot-com crash, the Great Recession, a global pandemic, a housing shortage, 40-year-high inflation, and a student debt crisis.
Yet the latte is still a flashpoint for arguments about personal finance — a stand-in for any small luxury that could be given up to boost wealth, and a recurring subject in Bach’s 12 bestselling books.
What makes this idea so enduring? The Hustle’s very own, Zack and Mark, share how Bach got the idea off the ground, and changed how people approach their savings along the way.
Today’s singles are turning to date-me docs to find love online.
2023-09-14T00:00:00Z
Sara Friedman
If the thought of responding to even one more Hinge prompt makes you want to swipe left on it all, a “date-me doc” might be just what you need.
Per The New York Times, a growing group of singles — many of whom are tech workers living in major US cities — are turning to shareable documents to find love.
Created on platforms like Google Docs and Notion, the docs are one part personal ad and one part resume, bringing more vintage dating practices into 2023:
Many hopeful daters share their view-only date-me docs on social media, dedicated databases, or directly with potential prospects.
The docs include basic information — age, gender, sexual orientation, hobbies — as well as elements that show more personality, like music, photos, or longer-form writing.
Unlike traditional online dating options, date-me docs are fully customizable, making them more appealing for users who have struck out on apps with rigid templates.
Dating burnout is real
And it’s making people get more creative. Aside from dating docs, hopeless romantics are increasingly giving old-school options like matchmakers and speed dating a try.
An April report from Morgan Stanley notes that dating apps have seen declining user growth in the past few quarters, another signal of potential romantic fatigue.
Desperate times…
… call for desperate measures — and point to things getting weird.
All that swiping and typing has to go somewhere, and one survey found that 91% of LinkedIn’s female users have received romantic advances on the professional platform. Yuck.
AROUND THE WEB
⚾ On this day: In 1994, MLB canceled the World Series for the first time since 1904 due to a strike.
🐔 That’s interesting: At 21, Peanut is the world’s oldest living chicken.
📸 That’s cool: The winners of LensCulture’s street photography awards.
Look at that! You’re on your way to the top of the food chain.
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Get {{5-contact.referral_count}} more referrals and you’ve got yourself a Hustle candle. Let us help you set the mood and bring some positive vibes to your workspace.
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Look at that! You’re on your way to the top of the food chain.
You seem like the kind of person who knows how to work a network. And now you’ve landed an opportunity to snag the desk plant you never knew you needed.
Get {{15-contact.referral_count}} more referrals and you’ve got yourself a Hustle branded clover grow kit. If you want something to grow, you must water. Practice your nurturing abilities with this custom Hustle clover grow kit and grow your referrals at the same time.
You’re just {{15-contact.referral_count}} referrals away. Desk plant nirvana awaits.
Look at that! You’re on your way to the top of the food chain.
You seem like the kind of person who knows how to work a network. And now you’ve landed an opportunity to snag the desk organizer of all desk organizers.
Get {{25 – contact.referral_count}} more referrals and you’ve got yourself a Hustle-branded organizer, to hold your gadgets and give your desk space a breath of fresh air.
You’re just {{25 – contact.referral_count}} referrals away. The desk organizer awaits.
Look at that! You’re on your way to the top of the food chain.
You seem like the kind of person who knows how to work a network. And now you’ve landed an opportunity to organize all those stray cords floating around your desk.
Get {{50 – contact.referral_count}} more referrals and The Hustle tech organizer is yours. It’s clean, compact, and all you need to make sure your technology life support is closeby.
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Look at that! You’re on your way to the top of the food chain.
You seem like the kind of person who knows how to work a network. And now you’ve landed an opportunity to snag the prestigious Hustle backpack.
Get {{100 – contact.referral_count}} more referrals and it’s yours. Carry your laptop, gym clothes, Coca Cola’s secret recipe, or whatever you feel like. Walk around with the crew on your back!
You’re just {{100 – contact.referral_count}} referrals away. A new bag awaits.
Look at that! You’re on your way to the top of the food chain.
You seem like the kind of person who knows how to work a network. And now you’ve landed an opportunity to snag some new tech.
Get {{250 – contact.referral_count}} more referrals and you’ve got yourself a Zoom Glow-up kit. This kit will include a Blue Yeti mic, Logitech camera, and a Lume Cube light. This is the perfect set-up to make every video recording and Zoom meeting feel like an Oscar-quality production. Keep climbing.
You’re just {{250 – contact.referral_count}} referrals away. The Zoom upgrade awaits.
Well, well. Look who climbed the ladder. We’re so proud.
You seem like the kind of person who knows how to work a network. And now you’ve got an opportunity to bag The Hustle’s grand prize.
Just {{500 – contact.referral_count}} more referrals and you’ll get yourself a ticket to Inbound 2023, the most bodacious business conference in the industry. You could rub shoulders with moguls, or catch a keynote next to your favorite YouTuber. Get your hustle on for a shot at maximizing your network.
You’re just {{500 – contact.referral_count}} referrals away. The final boss awaits.
Today’s email was brought to you by Juliet Bennett Rylah and Sara Friedman.
Editing by: Ben “Too little, too latte” Berkley.Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.
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