Tasteland

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.

Deana Burke and Natasha Hoskins, co-founders of Boys Club and hosts of the Dumb B!tch Hour podcast, dive into the wild world of internet culture. They explore the intricacies of the creator economy and share vivid anecdotes about internet addiction, highlighting its impact on millennials. The duo discusses the notion of a 'cozy internet' and personal experiences with memory loss linked to tech use. Their humorous take on AI companionship also questions its reliability compared to real human connections, adding depth to their conversation.

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by versatile writer and editor, Paula Mejía. Paula specializes in arts and culture journalism and is currently a leading contributor at Dirt.__PaulaInstagramTwitter/XWebsite__Other referencesFrancis' brand sillage piecePaula's Barnes and Noble piece__Timestamps00:00 Introducing Paula Mejía00:28 Festival experiences03:40 Coachella emergency dental07:15 The best and worst of Coachella12:16 Flower crowns out, assless chaps in14:36 Spa day festival hack18:15 Hot Topic and the evolution of subculture25:58 Embrace the spoilers30:48 The power in mischief in brand collabs36:26 The revival of the bookstore43:46 Facebook marketplace is the place45:30 The role of festivals in social connections50:06 County fair community nostalgia53:09 The corporatization of modern life__Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

This week Daisy and Francis talk to travel and hospitality writer, Colin Nagy. Colin is also the co-creator of the newsletter 'Why is this interesting?'Colin: https://x.com/CJNWhy is this interesting?: https://www.interesting.us00:00:00 Long live the girl moss00:04:08 The podcast mic and illusion of authority00:06:20 Credibility laundering: How to industry plant yourself00:11:01 Blockchain taste formalization00:13:51 Abstract theories applied to the blockchain00:16:43 Who gets to decide how we remember?00:27:10 Language, Culture, and Their Role in Shaping LLMs00:33:01 Media literacy and factchecking LLMs00:42:32 New money's impact on hospitality and experiences00:48:00 Memorable and personal hospitality experiences00:52:55 The social contract is broken: Degrading manners in society__Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.

This week Daisy and Francis are joined by Phillip Jackson and Brian Lange from the Future Commerce podcast. What is the future of art in an AI world? Do we need more friction in our lives? Should AI feel shame?Listen to Future Commerce: https://www.futurecommerce.com/episodes00:00 Introduction to Phil and Brian01:46 Blank launch party05:52 OpenAI’s Studio Ghibli marketing ploy11:45 All that we’re left with is aura19:27 The value of the art is the creator25:00 Losing control of the environment art is observed29:29 Our shitty robot future36:14 An Industrial Revolution for the minds39:23 Online shopping can diminish creativity51:50 The future of mobility is textiles55:28 Cultural change requires calamity01:01:47 Has frictionless gone too far?__ Our intro song, Night Life, is written by Nakisso Peralta and performed by Chillers.