The Best One Yet
🥐 “Baguette Bangers” — Le Pain Quiotidien’s disco. China’s disappearing data. DoorDash’s vibe-cession.
Wed, 07 May 2025
TBOY Live Show Tickets to Chicago on sale NOW: https://www.axs.com/events/949346/the-best-one-yet-podcast-ticketsSome Le Pain Quiotidien’s bakeries are turning into night clubs… The hottest pivot in biz history.How is China handling the Trade War?... It’s making its data disappear.DoorDash, Uber, Instacart stocks are surging this year… It’s proof of a vibe-cession.Plus, “Nerd-Sniping” is the new hiring trend in tech… Solve math on the street? Get a job.$DASH $UBER $CARTWant more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of 🍑 Juicy Couture Tracksuit: How Cozy-Core Went ViralSubscribe to The Best Idea Yet: Wondery.fm/TheBestIdeaYetLinks to listen.“The Best Idea Yet”: The untold origin stories of the products you’re obsessed with — From the McDonald’s Happy Meal to Birkenstock’s sandal to Nintendo’s Susper Mario Brothers to Sriracha. New 45-minute episodes drop weekly.—-----------------------------------------------------Subscribe to our new (2nd) show… The Best Idea Yet: Wondery.fm/TheBestIdeaYetLinksEpisodes drop weekly. It’s The Best Idea Yet.GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts FOR MORE NICK & JACK: Newsletter: https://tboypod.com/newsletter Connect with Nick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-martell/ Connect with Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-crivici-kramer/ SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ Subscribe to our new (2nd) show… The Best Idea Yet: Wondery.fm/TheBestIdeaYetLinksEpisodes drop weekly. It’s The Best Idea Yet.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapter 1: What are the top business stories today?
This is Nick. This is Jack. It's Wednesday, ceviche Wednesday, May 7th. And today's pod is the best one yet, and this is a T-boy. The top three pop business news stories you need to know today. T-boy live tickets on sale today. Today, baby. July 23rd at the Vic Theater in Chicago. Buy your tickets now using the link in the episode description. Yetis, go buy your tickets.
This live show is the biggest event in Chicago since Oprah got drafted by the Bulls. Remember that? Yeah, I do remember that. It's our fourth live show and each one has been an absolute blast. Oh, a thousand seats. Yetis, grab the tickets now. They're out. Link in the episode description. But Jack, we got three fantastic stories for today's podcast. What do we got, man?
Chapter 2: Is there a recession happening in the delivery app sector?
For our first story, Instacart just launched a new app and DoorDash just acquired two companies. Besties, are we in a recession? If you want to know the answer, open up your delivery apps. For our second story, there's a strange thing going on in China right now. All their economic data is disappearing. Jack, the GDP, where did it go? China's PR strategy in this trade war? Good news only.
Chapter 3: Why is China’s economic data disappearing?
Good vibes only. And our third and final story, Le Pancotidien. How did I pronounce that, man? I perfectly stuck the landing. That bakery chain is hosting nightclub dance raves? Yetis, we'll tell you why LPQ is pulling off a discotheque strategy in the bakery. But Yetis, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories... Oh, what a mix of stories. Wait, pause the pod. Buy your Chicago tickets, Yetis.
We'll wait. Okay, Jack, we're good to go. If you're walking around San Francisco, you might notice something strange. Because besties on lampposts throughout the city are a bunch of math questions. More specifically, math puzzles that are really hard to crack. Somebody is posting advanced math equations all around the town. And it's actually part of a new trend called nerd sniping.
Chapter 4: What is 'nerd sniping' and how is it changing hiring?
That's right, nerd sniping. The wildest hiring strategy that Jack and I have ever seen. And yeah, it is straight out of Good Will Hunting. Nerd sniping. Jack, could you please enlighten us onto what the heck this thing really is? One tech company was hiring for engineers, but the market for engineers in San Francisco is crazy tight right now.
So she posted these math problems, knowing that math nerds in the city would not be able to resist them. That's the nerd sniping. Basically, if you solve this equation, you get an interview. So, like, if you look up on a street post, you'll see E equals MC... Square! Boom! You're hired. One sec, Jack. The square root of the parabolic limit is equal to... Does not exist.
The limit does not exist.
Get this guy a job. We got to get this guy on the team. Seriously, this was the idea. Solve the puzzle and you'll get a meeting directly with our CEO. And it was working. Basically the plot of Good Will Hunting. So if you ask someone, how'd you get your role at OpenAI? They may answer, I solved the trigonometry problem set on Lombard Street.
That's how competitive the AI hiring market is right now. So besties, the next time you see advanced calculus at an intersection and you just can't look away. You're being sniped. Yeah. Nerd sniped. Channel your inner genius janitor. Do your best, Matt Damon Math. Hire this man, Jack.
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Chapter 5: How are DoorDash and Instacart performing amid economic uncertainty?
Let's hit our three stories. 15 years before this song, two boys from the Northeast met in the dorm. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the best one yet, but the best is the norm. Jack Nick, that's it. I don't even think they need to practice. 50%, that's a fat tip. T-Boy City on your at list. If you know, you know, cause we ready to go. We can't wait no more, so just start the show.
I would define reclaiming as to take back what was yours. Something you possess is lost or stolen, and ultimately you triumph in finding it again. Listen to Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky wherever you get your podcasts.
For our first story, DoorDash and Instacart just asked, um, what recession? By announcing record results and making huge delivery announcements. Economic chatter has been all gloom for the past six months. Yes, it has. But the delivery apps say otherwise. Yetis, if you've got friends in investment banking, reach out to them right now. It's been a tough few months.
I have a couple friends in investment banking, and you're right, I should text them. You should check in on them. Jack, could you sprinkle on some context as to why? April 2025, the month we just finished, was the slowest month for M&A deals in 20 years. That's right, Yetis. More deals were happening during the pandemic and the 08 financial crisis than right now.
We labeled this phenomenon last week on our podcast, The great capitalist freeze. Because it's basically like a corporate update ice age out there. Corporate America has been paralyzed by relentless volatility of the trade war and of tariffs. But, Jack, you know what they say, April showers bring May mergers. Good point. The first week of May is off to a much better start.
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Chapter 6: What does the 'good news only' policy mean for China's economy?
Yeah, in fact, Jack and I noticed a theme here, and yet he's listened to see if you can tell what that theme, what that flavor is. First, Instacart, the delivery app, just launched a new app called Fizz. Fizz! It's basically a pure play party planning app. It's like Instacart meets Splitwise meets Venmo. Yeah. It's perfect for like a party with a bunch of different people all chipping in together.
Basically, you're going to split the check on your backyard barbecue fiesta using this new party app. The whole group can buy snacks and drinks for a party together and share the costs in one group shopping cart. But Jack paused the pod for a sec. Because the same day as Instacart launched that new app, DoorDash, also a delivery app, had their biggest quarter of deliveries ever. That's right.
DoorDash announced last week record high burrito demand. Jack is a big Pad Thai fan. Jack, didn't you have like record Pad Thai orders in the last three months? Probably, yeah. We had a kid, so it made sense that we were ordering delivery. But that's not all. DoorDash also announced two acquisitions. They're expanding to Europe by buying Deliveroo for $4 billion.
And they acquired Seven Rooms, which is a hotel and restaurant reservation platform. for another billion dollars. Wait, Jack, get this. A update live from the pod right now. What? Uber, the other delivery app, just acquired part of a Turkish delivery company over in Turkey. Wow. So after no corporate news except tariffs for all month.
Chapter 7: How does China’s trade war impact its manufacturing sector?
Yeah, three completely non-trade war corporate stories from three delivery apps. Jack, what is going on? Maybe these non-trade war stories actually do tell us something about the trade war. Maybe delivery ramen is recession resistant like you're getting at. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies who are everyone curious about the economy? It's a vibe session all over again.
So yetis, let's look at the numbers here. Our economy shrank in Q1. The U.S. dollar is down 10%. Stocks are still down 10% from their highs. And you just canceled your hair Botox nail appointment for the third time. All of those things sound very recession-y. But there's other data out there that shows economic resilience. Here's what we're thinking.
What's the first thing you would stop doing if money was tight? What do you think, Jack? You'd stop doing DoorDash and Instacart, and you'd go get your own groceries. Stop paying all those fees. And yet, we just learned this week that the top delivery companies announced record revenue last quarter and big deals today. Oh, another sign of economic resilience?
Chapter 8: What are the implications of China's disappearing data?
We added 177,000 jobs last month in America, and the unemployment rate's only 4.2%. So add it all up, and it reminds Jack and I a bit of the Biden-era vibe session. The vibes are very negative right now, even though the underlying economic data is pretty positive. Now, Yeti's only time will tell. If tariffs stay, we're probably headed for a recession.
If the trade war ends tomorrow, which it could, there'd probably be no recession. But in the meantime, the delivery app data is a signal that the economy is doing okay. For our second story, there's been a ton of attention on how the trade war affects the U.S., but how is it affecting China? China just made all their economic data disappear, actually. Disappear.
And we call it the good news only policy. Yeti's Trade War Almanac Day 35. How tariffs are messing with the economy. Jack and I have been keeping track for you from the tariff trenches. Today, we're focused on how tariffs are affecting China, actually. But to illustrate how hard it is to do that, we will just read this very simple, straightforward headline from the Wall Street Journal.
China's official statistics are disappearing. That's right, Yetis. China is not publishing data if it tells a negative story about China. In President Xi's authoritarian government, it is good news only when it comes to data. That's right. China is not publishing data if that data tells a negative story. In President Xi's authoritarian government, it is good news only when it comes to data.
So as China limps through the trade war, the data is disappearing like a Snapchat story. Nick, I'm going to sprinkle on some context. I would love for you to sprinkle on some context, Jack. China represents one-sixth of the world's population, but they manufacture a third of the world's products. That's right. One out of three of everything you touch is made in China.
And with 145% tariffs, China's biggest customer, the United States, has pretty much gone cold turkey on made in China. So here's the situation. China is screwed. scrambling to find new customers to buy stuff Americans used to buy like two months ago. But the reality is there's no way they can do that. Their factories must be idle right now.
At least millions of workers must be out of work in China just based on what is happening. China already had deflation, a problem since COVID, which is actually worse than inflation, we should point out. But now China is filled with extra products Americans are just not buying because of high prices.
They probably have piles and warehouses full of strollers, staplers, and sandals that used to go to America, but just aren't anymore. But yetis, let's zoom back to America for a second. Our economy shrank in the first quarter. We publish real reliable data, whether it is good or bad.
So you must be thinking, after everything that we just said, China's economy probably shrank as well over the last quarter. Nope. Nope. Or at least not according to official Chinese data. Yeah. Which shows that their economy actually grew 5.4% in the first quarter. Honestly, Jack and I just don't totally believe that. We don't believe that number.
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