🧃  Vending is trending

👋  Good morning. If it feels like everyone you know is on vacation, that’s probably because they are (sorry, bud). Global commercial aviation had its busiest day on record July 23 with 153.4k commercial flights, according to tracking site Flightradar24. While economic headwinds and geopolitical turmoil have dampened ticket sales, the allure of posting a picture of yourself on a really big boat trumps all. 

NEWS FLASH 

🚶 This startup walks the walk: Grasshopper Health is developing the Axis Patch, a lightweight wearable that monitors a person's gait and uses AI to detect subtle changes linked to 18+ diseases. The device is designed to stream continuous data to patients and physicians, helping doctors spot conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's earlier and track how well treatments are working.

💻  Helping the help desk: Startup Harmony just raised a hefty $34m seed round to build an AI co-worker that handles everything from onboarding new hires to resetting passwords and granting software access. The AI works with 100+ workplace apps and tailors responses based on an employee’s role and permissions. We’d happily fork over $34m to never get stuck in the ticket queue again. 

💊  Prepare to be peppered with new pharma ads: Otsuka Pharmaceutical received FDA approval for its new ADHD drug Simtriyo, clearing the way for the first-of-its-kind drug to address a huge market in the US. But how much of a commercial powerhouse it’ll be will become clear later this summer when the DEA is done with its review. Competitors like Adderall and Vyvanse are controlled substances, so if Otsuka snags the less-restricted classification it’s aiming for, Simtriyo would likely be a cash cow.  

MORE NEWS TO KNOW

• Not cutting their losses: Apple TV, estimated to be losing ~$1B per year, will apparently continue doing that. Incoming CEO John Ternus said he intends to “keep building” on the product’s creative momentum.
  

• … that’s not how it works at BuzzFeed: The once-mighty media company, now under new ownership, offset its seven-figure losses with sweeping layoffs across its portfolio. It sadly cut more than one-third of its staff.
  

• Field note: The Green Bay Packers made headlines with something they won’t do: The team clarified it will not sell naming rights to its iconic Lambeau Field. It’s one of only two NFL teams (Chicago) without a multimillion-dollar stadium deal. 
  

• The robotaxis are coming: Baidu's self-driving taxis are now being tested in London through a partnership with Lyft, joining Waymo and Uber in the race to bring robotaxis to the UK.
   

TIME-SAVING TOOLS

ChatGPT vs. Claude vs. Gemini vs. Perplexity

In a task-focused battle royale between the top four chatbots, which one wins?

Ninety percent of the time, Grace Leung turns to Claude. But each AI tool has its own place in saving you time. See full chatbot breakdowns, plus highlight use cases and prompts, as explained by the AI YouTube teacher.

Read for free

THE BIG IDEA

The vending machine renaissance is here

Finding a snack-filled vending machine when you have the munchies may feel like a religious experience, but that's nothing compared to the world's first vending machine — a first-century contraption that dispensed holy water.

Since then, entrepreneurial souls have crammed machines full of everything from stamps and Tutti-Frutti gum, to cigarettes and books, and, heck, even Ferraris.

Now, vending machines are having a bit of a renaissance. Entrepreneurs and artists are turning the machines into creative micro shops with unusual offerings to generate additional revenue with minimal overhead and time commitment.

Considering the global vending machine market reached $22.3B in 2025 and is expected to grow to $31.9B by 2034, now seems like a good time to stock up.

You're selling what now?

Forget snacks and soda, these days vending machines dispense everything from yarn to bear spray to pizza and wine.

For those looking to generate semi-passive income, vending machines offer significant curb appeal:

• New machines cost $3k-$8k+, but used machines can be found online for as little as $300 (though consider spending $1k-$2k to avoid clunkers).
  
• Monthly revenue can range from $75 to $650 per machine.
  
• About 67% of the industry is dominated by small, independent operators.
  
• Newer tech like cashless payments and remote inventory monitoring simplify restocking.

Getting creative with micro shops

To help entrepreneurial artists get in on the vending game, Chicago's Good Things Vending offers resources to create micro shops.

• Traditional machines are redesigned to sell local art, vintage toys, mystery packages, and more.
  
• Items range from free to $25, curated to fit the machine's location.
  
• There are 40-50 artists featured at any given time, and 500+ have participated.
  
• Offers one-on-one calls with aspiring vendors and an upcoming e-book guide to vending.

The Venderia, which supplies custom creative vending machines to businesses in Portland, Oregon, also offers a course that covers everything from buying machines and securing locations, to customizing and managing inventory.

Other creative operators include Mystry Mart, Art-o-mat, Inciardi Prints, Moonlight Vending, and dozens of others.

So, while you might not find holy water these days, vending machines are blessing artists and entrepreneurs with much-needed income.

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HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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NEWSWORTHY NUMBER

Increase in US Google search volume for the term “career change” over the past five years, as of June, according to a study by digital marketing agency Searchbloom via Inc. As for which professions Americans are looking to pivot to: real estate agent topped the list, with ~18k monthly searches, followed by notary at 17k. Meanwhile, sharing third place were firefighter and therapist, which seem like the most intuitive options — what with the world on fire, we’ll surely be needing more of both. 

HOW YOU HUSTLE 

You guys are always up to cool things. Here’s our spotlight on a reader building something big.

Founder: Vem Chatoyan

Building: StripIt — dissolvable supplement strips that melt on your tongue in seconds, replacing pills, powders, and gummies.

Edge: While most supplement companies compete on ingredients, StripIt is betting the biggest innovation is changing how people take supplements in the first place.

Advice: "Don't just improve what's already there. Question why it exists that way in the first place."

Working on something? Tell us here.

AROUND THE WEB

📅  On this day: In 1958, the US Congress passed legislation to establish the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to coordinate America’s space activities.

🔠  That’s cool: Spell your name in images.

➤  Game: Tap, turn, survive.

🖼️  That’s fun: Drop down a rabbit hole of random Wikipedia images.

🐱 Aww: Ready to ride.

SHOWER THOUGHT

A decade or two ago we were just worried about kids no longer being able to read or write in cursive. Now we're worried about them being able to read or write at all. SOURCE

Today's email was brought to you by Singdhi Sokpo and Danny Jensen.

Editing by: Sara "Anyone have some quarters?" Friedman.

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