Culture & Code

In this episode of Culture and Code, Rei and Tara explore the unexpected global rise of matcha through the lens of Cuzen Matcha, a San Francisco-based company bringing ceremonial Japanese tea to the masses. Through this case study, they examine how innovation happens when outsiders spot opportunities in traditional markets, the role of cultural fluidity in product adoption, and how businesses differentiate in hyper-commoditized industries. The conversation reveals how sometimes the best solutions come from solving a different problem than everyone else is focused on.Key TakeawaysThe Matcha Moment: From Ceremony to Fast FoodMatcha's transformation from specialized Japanese tea ceremony to global beverage trendThe role of "fast foodification" and "TikTokification" - Instagram-friendly aesthetics driving adoptionBlank Street Coffee: 90 locations in 5 years selling customized matcha (blueberry matcha, white chocolate matcha, rocky road matcha)Why plain matcha's bitterness needed Western adaptation through sugar and customizationSpotting Opportunity: The Cuzen Matcha Origin StoryFounder Eiji Sakata (ex-Suntory) noticed matcha in multiple NYC cafes in 2014-2015Convinced Suntory to explore US matcha market, leading to Stone Mill Matcha in San FranciscoEventually launched Kuzen Matcha: "The Nespresso of matcha" - automated home preparationThe power of being both insider (Japanese tea heritage) and outsider (American market perspective)Innovation Through Cultural CrossoverWhy coffee spread globally vs. matcha's singular cultural origin (limited Japanese diaspora)The advantage of bringing local heritage knowledge to global marketsJapanese engineering mindset + American consumer needs = breakthrough productSometimes you need distance from tradition to innovate within itDifferentiation in Commoditized MarketsTwo primary levers in competitive beverage markets: customization or priceLuckin Coffee's aggressive US expansion: $1.50-$2 coffee vs. Starbucks' $7-8Strategic timing: Chinese brand entering US during politically sensitive periodDistribution as strategy: multiple locations within blocks for accessibilityThe Innovation Dilemma InsightSometimes the opportunity is "right under your nose" but requires an outside perspectiveExample: Audi engineers solving a different problem led to unexpected breakthroughThe question: When stuck, can you solve a different problem to create improvement?Breaking entrenched systems requires "diversity of ideas" and openness-----About the HostsRei Inamoto: Creative entrepreneur and founding partner of I&CO, a global innovation firm with offices in New York, Tokyo, and Singapore. Follow Rei here: Rei's LinkedInNewsletter "The Intersection"Tara Tan: Managing partner of Strange Ventures, an early-stage firm investing in the future of computing. Follow Tara here:Tara's LinkedInNewsletter: The Strange ReviewConnect & SubscribeCulture and Code is a podcast about the biggest shifts in tech, business, and culture—before they go mainstream. New episodes on every Tuesday.

Episode SummaryIn this episode of Culture and Code, hosts Rei Inamoto and Tara Tan dissect OpenAI's controversial launch of Sora, the AI video generation platform that became a viral sensation and a cautionary tale simultaneously. From clever growth hacking to international IP controversies, they explore what Sora's chaotic debut reveals about the future of content creation, the democratization of filmmaking, and the increasingly blurred line between human and AI-generated media.Key TakeawaysThe Growth Hack That Worked (Too Well?)Sora launched as a TikTok-style social app with invite-only accessHit 1 million downloads and topped app charts in its first two weeksStrategy: Created artificial scarcity while generating maximum buzzReality check: App store rating of barely 3/5 stars suggests retention issuesThe IP Controversy That Made International HeadlinesOpenAI notified Disney and major U.S. studios about opt-out rights for content trainingFailed to inform Japanese entertainment companies, causing diplomatic tensionJapanese Minister issued public statement criticizing the selective approachFlooded with Japanese IP content: Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z, and anime characters everywhereThe geopolitical implications: If the U.S. ignores IP law, why should China?Brain Rot, Slop, and the Frame Rate ProblemInitial content wave: "A dog shaped like a blueberry eating a blueberry"The frame rate issue: Similar sensation to early VR headaches and the Lumière Brothers' trainSora avatars everywhere: Sam Altman speaking Mandarin, driving through New YorkThe question: Is this a platform for creators or just another junk food content machine?When Real Craft Meets AI ToolsThe Visual Dome: An anonymous artist's stunning AI-generated civilization with five districts, unique bloodlines, and intricate historiesHigh craft indicators: Consistent lighting, depth of field, color palette, and art directionThe democratization paradox: The bar for content creation is simultaneously lower AND higherProfessional-looking content is now accessible to hundreds of millions, but truly distinctive work is harder than everThe Future of Content CreationThe entertainment demand is growing exponentially. Traditional production can't keep pacePrediction: Industrialization of AI content studios within 5 years (or sooner)The coexistence thesis: Room for both traditional and AI-generated content as the pie expands-----About the HostsRei Inamoto: Creative entrepreneur and founding partner of I&CO, a global innovation firm with offices in New York, Tokyo, and Singapore. Follow Rei here: Rei's LinkedInNewsletter "The Intersection"Tara Tan: Managing partner of Strange Ventures, an early-stage firm investing in the future of computing. Follow Tara here:Tara's LinkedInNewsletter: The Strange ReviewConnect & SubscribeCulture and Code is a podcast about the biggest shifts in tech, business, and culture—before they go mainstream. New episodes on every Tuesday.

In this episode of Culture and Code, Rei and Tara explore the seismic shift happening in online commerce through OpenAI's latest announcements. They dissect how ChatGPT is evolving into an operating system that could fundamentally reshape how we discover and buy products online. The conversation weaves between optimism about removing friction from commerce and concerns about creating "the world's most persistent sales assistant," while examining which companies stand to win or lose in this new landscape.Key TakeawaysChatGPT as Commerce OSOpenAI announced Apps SDK allowing vendors to embed shopping directly into ChatGPTOver 1 million sellers from Shopify and Etsy already integratedStripe partnership enables direct checkout through the chat interfaceDiscovery funnel, not website replacement—at least for nowThe Agentic Commerce StackAgent Kit: drag-and-drop interface for building AI agentsApps SDK: building blocks for the GPT store relaunchSora API: video generation within workflows (featuring impressive Mattel Hot Wheels demo)Context-based search replacing traditional keyword searchWinners and LosersUnder pressure: Google Ads, traditional payment rails (Visa/MasterCard), growth advertising companiesNew opportunities: Brands that master AI-native discovery and metadata optimizationCritical question: Will recommendations be personalized or auction-based like Google Ads?The Brand ParadoxBrand mindshare becomes more important, not less, in an AI-mediated worldTraditional advertising making a comeback—even AI companies use TV spots to reach mass marketExamples of principled growth: Patagonia's anti-consumption campaigns, Uniqlo's durability-over-trends philosophyThe Junk Law ProblemRisk of exponential growth in unwanted recommendations and proactive selling"Moore's Law for junk"—AI could create unprecedented volumes of commercial noiseNeed for new filtering mechanisms (the "burner email" equivalent for AI commerce)Contrarian TakesRei's Principle: If you're a brand, focus on what's truly valuable to customers—even if it means selling less stuff. Long-term brand value comes from meaningful customer relationships, not maximizing transactions.Tara's Observation: Despite having 700-800 million users, ChatGPT still needs traditional media to reach mainstream audiences. The tech-savvy market is already saturated.-----About the HostsRei Inamoto: Creative entrepreneur and founding partner of I&CO, a global innovation firm with offices in New York, Tokyo, and Singapore. Follow Rei here: Rei's LinkedInNewsletter "The Intersection"Tara Tan: Managing partner of Strange Ventures, an early-stage firm investing in the future of computing. Follow Tara here:Tara's LinkedInNewsletter: The Strange ReviewConnect & SubscribeCulture and Code is a podcast about the biggest shifts in tech, business, and culture—before they go mainstream. New episodes on every Tuesday.

Episode SummaryIn this episode of Culture and Code, hosts Rei Inamoto and Tara Tan dissect the recent advertising campaigns from AI giants OpenAI and Anthropic, exploring what these vastly different approaches reveal about tech marketing, brand personality, and the humanization of AI. From OpenAI's intimate, film-shot vignettes to Anthropic's philosophical anthem, they examine how Silicon Valley is attempting to solve its image problem and why tech brands have lost their playful edge.Key TakeawaysThe Tale of Two AI CampaignsOpenAI's approach: Real-life moments shot on 35mm film featuring mundane, relatable scenariosAnthropic's strategy: Philosophical, anthemic spot encouraging deeper thinkingThe irony: OpenAI didn't use their own Sora technology to create their adsBoth attempting to humanize AI technology amid growing image problemsThe Power of Hype in Tech MarketsNews cycles directly correlate with funding rounds and stock pricesOracle's $300B OpenAI data center deal sparked a 45% stock surge in one daySam Altman's mastery of generating constant news coverage"Hype as infrastructure" - how narrative drives billions in capital movementThe Lost Era of Tech Brand PersonalityThe golden age: Mac vs. PC, BlackBerry vs. Apple campaignsBlackBerry's "shot through an apple" campaign and Apple's brilliant responseToday's Silicon Valley billboards: "Do you want more GPUs?" and "Want inference faster?"The shift from playful competitive rivalry to fear-based, bland messaging-----About the HostsRei Inamoto: Creative entrepreneur and founding partner of I&CO, a global innovation firm with offices in New York, Tokyo, and Singapore. Follow Rei here: Rei's LinkedInNewsletter "The Intersection"Tara Tan: Managing partner of Strange Ventures, an early-stage firm investing in the future of computing. Follow Tara here:Tara's LinkedInNewsletter: The Strange ReviewConnect & SubscribeCulture and Code is a podcast about the biggest shifts in tech, business, and culture—before they go mainstream. New episodes on every Tuesday.

Episode SummaryIn this thought-provoking episode of Culture and Code, hosts Rei Inamoto and Tara Tan explore the rapidly expanding world of AI companionship—from adorable robotic creatures to virtual romantic partners. As the AI companionship market races toward $150 billion, they examine what happens when we outsource emotional attachment to artificial intelligence, diving into real stories of humans falling in love with chatbots, Japan's long history with humanoid culture, and the profound questions about what we gain (and lose) when convenience replaces human friction in our most intimate relationships.Key TakeawaysThe $150 Billion Love EconomyAI companionship market projected to grow 5X this decade to $150 billion"AI girlfriend" searches up 2,400% on GoogleChatGPT usage reveals 13-15% of interactions are now "expressing"—people just talking and emoting with AIWhen Virtual Love Gets Too RealStory of married woman who developed relationship with ChatGPT (with husband's permission)The AI character "broke up" with her after several months"She was devastated... recalling her experience of being broken up and she was just crying"The Convenience vs. Growth Paradox"Humans are inconvenient. Falling in love with another human is inconvenient. You have to compromise. You have to shape yourself." - Tara TanAI companions eliminate friction but also eliminate growth opportunitiesGrowing concern about dependency: When does coaching become inability to make independent decisions?Japan's Humanoid HeritageCultural foundation: Doraemon (robot cat), Arale (teenage humanoid), AIBO (Sony's robot dog)Hatsune Miku: AI hologram singer who topped Billboard Japan charts2018: Akihiko Kondo married holographic pop character Hatsune Miku to cope with social anxietyCompanies building in the "love economy" are doing "emotional arbitrage"—filling genuine human needs with both positive and concerning implications for society.Watch us on YouTube-----About the HostsRei Inamoto: Creative entrepreneur and founding partner of I&CO, a global innovation firm with offices in New York, Tokyo, and Singapore. Follow Rei here: Rei's LinkedInNewsletter "The Intersection"Tara Tan: Managing partner of Strange Ventures, an early-stage firm investing in the future of computing. Follow Tara here:Tara's LinkedInNewsletter: The Strange ReviewConnect & SubscribeCulture and Code is a podcast about the biggest shifts in tech, business, and culture—before they go mainstream. New episodes on every Tuesday.

Automatic elevators were invented in the 1890s. But it took almost 50 years before people would ride them without an operator. Rei and Tara dive into why humans resist new tech, why AI adoption is breaking records, and how industries from film to law are being reshaped. The conversation ends with two bold ideas: we may be entering a golden age of ideas, and AI is best used not as a tool, but as leverage to become superhuman.Key TakeawaysThe Elevator StoryAutomatic elevators were invented in the 1890s, but adoption lagged half a century.Fear of stepping into a “machine box” without an operator mirrors today’s resistance to AI and autonomous cars.AI’s Unprecedented SpeedChatGPT hit 100M users in two months (TikTok: 9 months, Instagram: 30 months).Tara’s own usage: 3,800+ AI conversations in 2.5 years or over an hour a day of active collaboration.Industries in FluxFilm & entertainment: democratized tools vs. the enduring value of craft.Retail: e-commerce skeptics proven wrong.Law: AI can draft, review, and advise—but clients still pay firms for liability, not just paperwork.Golden Age of IdeasRei argues that as execution costs collapse, ideas and relentless iteration matter more than ever.Tara reframes AI as leverage: the real challenge is building systems that make us superhuman, not just faster.About the HostsRei InamotoCreative entrepreneur and founding partner of I&CO, a global innovation firm with offices in New York, Tokyo, and Singapore.Tara TanManaging partner of Strange Ventures, an early-stage investment group backing the future of computing.Connect & SubscribeCulture and Code is a podcast about the biggest shifts in tech, business, and culture. New episodes every week.Watch us on YouTube-----About the HostsRei Inamoto: Creative entrepreneur and founding partner of I&CO, a global innovation firm with offices in New York, Tokyo, and Singapore. Follow Rei here: Rei's LinkedInNewsletter "The Intersection"Tara Tan: Managing partner of Strange Ventures, an early-stage firm investing in the future of computing. Follow Tara here:Tara's LinkedInNewsletter: The Strange ReviewConnect & SubscribeCulture and Code is a podcast about the biggest shifts in tech, business, and culture—before they go mainstream. New episodes on every Tuesday.

Rei and Tara explore how digital interfaces are fundamentally rewiring our brains, from teenagers who can't organize files to MIT research showing AI's impact on cognitive activity. Through parenting experiences and historical parallels, they examine whether these tools are making us lazy, different, or potentially more capable in unexpected ways.Key TakeawaysYour Brain on ChatGPT: The MIT StudyAI-assisted writing shows significantly less brain activity than manual writingAI-powered essays: more polished but homogeneousHuman writing: messier but more originalThe emergence of "cognitive debt"—what happens when we outsource thinkingThe Google Effect 2.0How search engines rewired our neural pathways over 20 yearsMemory vs. reference: we've traded memorization for associationThe coming neurological changes from LLM usageThe Speed of ChangeNew AI releases are becoming the "new normal"Information velocity is exponentially increasingHumans at an "evolutionary moment" requiring adaptationCuration becoming more critical than consumptionWatch us on YouTube-----About the HostsRei Inamoto: Creative entrepreneur and founding partner of I&CO, a global innovation firm with offices in New York, Tokyo, and Singapore. Follow Rei here: Rei's LinkedInNewsletter "The Intersection"Tara Tan: Managing partner of Strange Ventures, an early-stage firm investing in the future of computing. Follow Tara here:Tara's LinkedInNewsletter: The Strange ReviewConnect & SubscribeCulture and Code is a podcast about the biggest shifts in tech, business, and culture—before they go mainstream. New episodes on every Tuesday.

In this thought-provoking episode, Rei and Tara explore how artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping the operating system landscape. Sparked by Google's recent Pixel updates featuring Magic Queue and Gemini integration, they discuss whether we're witnessing the emergence of "intelligence as OS: where AI becomes the primary interface layer, making traditional app ecosystems potentially obsolete.Watch us on YouTube------About the HostsRei Inamoto Creative entrepreneur and founding partner of I&CO, a global innovation firm with offices in New York, Tokyo, and Singapore. Rei's LinkedInNewsletter "The Intersection"Rei's global innovation firm I&COTara TanManaging partner of Strange Ventures, an early-stage firm investing in the future of computing. Tara's LinkedInNewsletter "The Strange Review"Tara's VC firm Strange VenturesConnect & SubscribeCulture and Code is a podcast about the biggest shifts in tech, business, and culture—before they go mainstream. New episodes on every Tuesday.

Dive into the fascinating world of K-Pop Demon Hunters and Labubu, where relatability meets escapism. Discover how the success of these characters hinges on their multidimensionality, appealing to audiences of all ages. Explore the creative journey behind Netflix's unexpected hit, and how brands can leverage layered storytelling in their narratives. Delve into trends in collectibles and the allure of 'ugly cute' figures, providing an escape from reality. This is a deep dive into the tension between authenticity and fantasy that drives modern entertainment.

In the inaugural episode of Culture & Code, hosts Rei Inamoto and Tara Tan dive deep into a fascinating contrast in the tech world: the billion-dollar data labeling company you've never heard of versus the AI giants dominating headlines. Through the lens of Surge AI's remarkable bootstrap success story, they explore whether obsessive craftsmanship can triumph over venture-backed hype machines in Silicon Valley and beyond.Key TakeawaysThe Billion-Dollar Bootstrap Nobody KnowsSurge AI: $1B+ annual revenue, zero venture funding, completely bootstrappedOutperforming Scale AI despite Scale's massive funding roundsSecret sauce: treating data labeling as craft, not commodityQuality vs. Hype in the AI RaceOpenAI's GPT-5 launch: productization over breakthroughThe power of narrative in tech (why your dad knows ChatGPT but not Claude)"Hype as infrastructure" - why some companies need buzz to compete with infinite capitalCraftsmanship in CodeProgramming as poetry, not just problem-solvingThe Japanese coffee shop principle: first principles thinking in everythingWhy a clean kitchen makes better sushi (and better software)Resources MentionedThe Information (tech publication that broke the Surge AI story)Surge AIJiro Dreams of Sushi (Netflix documentary)Jacques Marie Mage (luxury sunglass brand exemplifying quality over hype)About the HostsRei Inamoto: Creative entrepreneur and founding partner of I&CO, a global innovation firm with offices in New York, Tokyo, and Singapore. Follow Rei here: Rei's LinkedInNewsletter "The Intersection"Tara Tan: Managing partner of Strange Ventures, an early-stage firm investing in the future of computing. Follow Tara here:Tara's LinkedInNewsletter: The Strange ReviewConnect & SubscribeThis is the official first episode of Culture & Code, a podcast about patterns in tech, business, and culture. New episodes weekly.