Tasteland

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Webby Award-winning content creator, social strategist, and meme enthusiast, Ariel Rubin. Ariel is the the head of content at Air and one of Francis' greatest enemies.__Follow AriLinkedInWebsiteTwitter/X__Links & ReferencesThe Cycle Bookick.fyi on Instagram__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Ariel Rubin01:40 Recent icks07:33 LinkedIn hates Bonnie Blue11:45 Wife guys, one hell of a fraternity14:24 SaaS is the most honest industry20:19 Selling out is compulsory now28:14 Daisy's ultimate black pill31:53 You can't get rich in Canada37:21 Never think again42:58 Cigs are back44:54 Ari's SaaS persona47:38 Startup founder bravado__Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

This week on Tasteland, Daisy and Francis are joined by design strategist, writer, journalist, and educator, Nika Simovich Fisher.__Nika Simovich FisherWebsiteLinkedInInstagram__Links & ReferencesMore about Nika's Hard Pack pieceNika's piece on Digitizing and Preserving Cyrillic Typefaces in SerbiaNika's website, WildflowersNika's piece on The evolution of the trash icon__Timestamps00:00 Intro01:41 Berlin fragrance experience05:49 The design of modern political campaigns15:06 The relationship between midcentury design and skiing22:12 Digitizing and preserving Cyrillic typefaces in Serbia27:34 The parallels between gardens and websites33:15 Digital memorializations42:40 Drawing conclusions from digital footprints46:01 Data is litter50:15 The impact and legacy of Kate Spade's death53:55 Invisible nightlife__Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

This week we have part two of Daisy and Francis' conversation with Maya Bakhai, founder of Spice Capital, a venture capital firm focused on taking big bets in areas primed for rapid change in the coming decades.Listen to part one:SpotifyApple Podcasts__Maya BakhaiNewsletterLinkedInInstagramX/TwitterSpice CapitalWebsiteInstagramTikTokX/Twitter__Timestamps00:00 Introducing part two03:11 The role of small businesses in today's economy07:56 Asset class creep11:43 The rise of women in wealth management15:53 Micro changes vs. shock changes in the economy21:43 The crypto divide: Manhattan vs. Brooklyn27:21 The crypto infrastructure grift__Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

This week on Tasteland, Daisy and Francis are joined by writer, producer and publisher Cole Nowicki. Cole runs the newsletter Simple Magic, a newsletter about skateboarding, the internet, and other means of escape.__ColeSimple MagicCole's booksInstagramBlueskyLinkedIn__Links & ReferencesDirt x Simple Magic Introducing... NosegrabCole's piece Boom and echoCole's piece Falling or failingCole's piece Is social media dead?Hardbody Skateboarding NEVER ENUFF IIIGail.com__00:00 Introducing Cole04:08 Unstated notes of piss06:24 Early skater media influences12:30 Skate culture and third spaces15:48 The current state of the skate industry21:26 Younger generations' relationship to skate culture28:00 Right, Down + Circle33:48 Is social media dead?40:33 The dangers of happinessmaxxing46:46 Bringing the swagger back to Vancouver52:47 Betting on the future of skateboarding__Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

This week Francis is joined by financial content creator, educator, and author, Kyla Scanlon. Kyla writes about everything from crypto to macroeconomics to similarities between grief and love, bringing the human aspect of economics to the forefront.__KylaIn This Economy?TikTokInstagramYouTubeTwitterNewsletterPodcast__ReferencesKyla's essay The Most Valuable Commodity in the World is FrictionKyla's essay Economic Lessons from the Screwtape LettersTasteland Ep. 14 ft. David Rudnick__Timestamps00:00:00 Animal Cracker friction00:06:32 Understanding friction as a commodity00:11:25 The simulation economy00:18:07 Is the American dream a frictionless world?00:25:25 The purpose of life is friction management00:30:50 Corporate responsibility and alternatives to frictionlessness00:34:56 Economic literacy for all00:43:58 Making an impact through content creation00:51:35 Crafting a unique style00:55:55 Vibe report: Reagan National Economic Forum __Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Maya Bakhai, founder of Spice Capital, dives deep into the world of venture capital and innovative investing. She shares insights on the importance of cultural arbitrage in identifying unique investment opportunities. The conversation highlights her unexpected success with brands like Crocs and the evolving dynamics of creator-led businesses. Bakhai also discusses the shift in how success is defined in tech culture and the challenges of relevance in media branding. Her passion for personal growth alongside entrepreneurship adds a compelling layer to the dialogue.

This week on Tasteland, Daisy and Francis are joined by comedy, culture, and perfume writer, Carly Silverman. Carly is also a TV and video producer, and host of the new podcast Smell That Movie.__CarlySmell That MovieTwitter/XInstagramLinks & ReferencesDirt / Greta Rainbow: Where will the next literary movement come from?Cosmo / Carly Silverman: The PerfumeTok influencers have got it all wrongSubstack / Kyla Scanlon: The most valuable commodity is friction__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Carly Silverman00:56 The sign of a good party03:35 Literary movement = scene + genre07:09 We're back to selling out11:41 Smell that movie17:32 The Talented Mr. Zierer22:07 Aesthetic perfumes go against the idea of humanity27:19 Smell and friction34:18 The great fragrance and culture writers35:41 What does the internet smell like?41:25 What book do you want to smell like?45:44 Nostalgic summer camp smells53:37 From letterboxd to podcast__Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Matt Rodbard, a seasoned writer, editor and author in the food and culture space. Matt is the Editor in Chief of the award winning food publication TASTE and co-host of podcast This is TASTE.__MattWebsiteInstagramLinkedInTasteWebsiteNewsletterPodcastYouTubeInstagramTwitter/X__Links & ReferencesNieman Lab piece on Clone__Timestamps00:00:00 Introducing Matt Rodbard00:01:39 Food content at The Webbys00:06:39 The shift to creator-first journalism00:14:32 Rising critical food content online00:18:37 Visual identity in a sea of sameness00:27:41 The relationship between written and audio content00:32:10 The financial landscape of the food industry00:35:58 Diners habits are changing00:40:20 Pop-ups are the newsletters of restaurants00:45:40 The old thing is someone's new thing00:55:43 Like it or not, you're a founder01:01:58 The best German food outside of Germany__Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

Francis is out of town this week and Daisy is joined by Tove Danovich, a journalist and writer who has featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Ringer, and Dirt. She is the author of the 'Under the Henfluence: Inside the World of Backyard Chickens and the People Who Love Them', an immersive blend of chicken-keeping memoir and animal welfare reporting.--ToveWebsiteSubstackInstagramBluesky--Links & ReferencesDirt x Boys Club: clone.fyiTove's book list: Nine amazing books about animalsTove's climate change piece: On hope and hopelessnessDaisy's essay: Attention is what makes us human__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Tove01:50 Curiosity is the topic of life06:49 Our relationship with urban wildlife12:33 Impactful responses from Tove's readers17:56 Chicken's in culture through the ages22:04 The political power of the egg27:00 The deeply feminist story of chickens and egg-money31:32 Beekeeping and pollination myths36:00 Nine amazing books about animals41:17 The challenges of writing about climate and nature__Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Sarah Leonard, editor in chief of Lux Magazine, a feminist magazine of politics and culture founded in 2021. Sarah is also a contributing editor to Dissent and The Nation, and her writing has been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Republic, and elsewhere.__Lux MagazineWebsiteTwitter/XInstagramReferencesInterview with Sarah: Creative Independent__Timestamps00:00 American tourists irritate American tourist09:10 The joys and difficulties of print media12:33 Designing a website that feels like a magazine15:02 Customizable databased for your personal life17:18 Fundraising for a politically opinionated media business19:27 The versatility of an editor23:19 Who is the Lux reader?32:13 Helping young writers43:21 Highlights from Lux50:15 Don't fall into the clout trap56:56 How the internet works__ Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.