#25 Whenever, Wherever
Hiiiiiiiiii. Did you notice last week’s issue came out a day late? Perhaps you didn’t—at the end of the day, none of this shit matters. On the other hand, you may have clocked it—I saw a drop in my open rate. Retaliation or simple happenstance? Let’s dive in. Except… I’m kind of making a point and a counterpoint. You’ll get to choose today.
xoxo Esther 💋
PS: Do share Oblique Forecasting with your nearest and dearest. I’m about to hit a milestone. We’ll talk about it next week :)
Esther’s Buy/Sell List:
💰💸 What I’m both investing in and divesting from
⏳My own timeline. A wise man once said:
“Life is not a waste of time. And time is not a waste of life. So let's stop wasting time, get wasted, and have the time of our lives.”
He truly knows the value of time. And what a way with words he has! That’s Pitbull by the way.
The Case for Strict Timelines
Sticking to strict timelines is like setting up guardrails for your creative highway. You get a built-in structure that keeps you moving forward instead of endlessly tinkering (we've all been there). See: Stephen King, who writes in the same spot every day. This creates a sense of muscle memory and signals his brain that it’s time to get to work. Your audience starts to count on you showing up—they know exactly when to expect your newsletter, podcast, or product drop. This reliability becomes part of your brand DNA. Think about how Taylor Swift's album cycles have become cultural events or how Apple has trained us all to expect new iPhones every September1. The business side makes sense too—regular scheduling means steadier income, easier planning with collaborators, and the ability to sync up with industry calendars when it matters. Plus, there's something psychologically satisfying about hitting those deadlines consistently—it builds creative momentum that carries you through the inevitable rough patches.
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The Freedom of Creative Independence
Throwing out the calendar and working on your own timeline is the creative equivalent of quitting your office job to travel the world. There's a certain magic that happens when you let work develop at its natural pace. Rihanna's 9-year album break didn't kill her career—it built anticipation to fever-pitch levels while she casually built a beauty empire (In 2023, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna was the celebrity beauty brand that generated the highest revenue, amounting to about £477 M). In her own words:
“There's no genre now. That's why I waited.”
Azzedine Alaïa skipped Fashion Week whenever he felt like it and became more legendary for it. The funny thing is, irregular releases can actually make people pay more attention—scarcity creates value, and the "when will they finally drop something new?" question keeps you in cultural conversations even when you're silent. Just look at how Supreme introduced drops instead of regular collections, only for other brands to follow suit: Palace Skateboards (an all-time fav of mine when it comes to brand voice), Glossier, and more recently Skims (see below for more on NikeSkims). This approach gives you room to breathe between projects, preventing that burned-out, assembly-line feeling that strict schedules can create. From a power perspective, it's a flip of the script—instead of you serving some arbitrary calendar, your audience must follow your rhythm. It's not for beginners though—you need enough cultural capital to weather those quiet periods. But for those who can pull it off, there's nothing quite like releasing work exactly when it feels right rather than when the schedule says it's due.
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In conclusion: inconclusive for once.
Esther’s Dealsheet:
📈 Bullish news
Sushi Park is opening its first international location in the basement of Saint Laurent’s newly renovated Paris store [Saint Laurent]. ICYMI: it was originally an Omakase restaurant located on the second floor of a strip mall on Sunset Boulevard, LA, and it’s become THE place to be papped at.
TikTok Grabs Market Share From Shein Despite Looming Risks [Bloomberg]. In January, TikTok Shop rapidly outpaced Shein and Temu in the U.S. despite the possible ban, with sales surging 153%, compared to 26% for Shein and 28% for Temu.
How Crown Affair Became The Queen Of It-Girl Hair Care [BOF]. Founder Dianna Cohen is passing the CEO reins over to Elaine Choi after closing a $9 M Series B round in November last year.
NikeSkims [Puck]. NikeSkims marks the first time Nike has partnered with an existing outside company to introduce a new brand. More here.
Hermès earned over $15 B in revenue last year, so they’re giving employees €4,500 bonuses. [Business Insider]
Warren Buffett is snapping up shares in the media company which recently signed Alex Cooper’s Unwell network [Forbes]. Berkshire Hathaway doubled down on investments in SiriusXM.
📉 Bearish news
Huda Beauty is selling its fragrance brand, Kayali, back to its co-founder and General Atlantic for an undisclosed price. [Reuters]
LVMH reported that its fourth-quarter sales in Asia, excluding Japan, dropped 11% year-over-year, while competitor Kering saw a 24% decline in its China-centered sales. [WSJ]
Londoners Are Paying $12 For The Chance To Switch Off Their Phones And ‘Connect With The Real World’ [Fortune]. The Offline Club, based in London, offers a two-hour “digital detox” night where young adults can pay £9.50 to leave their phones in a deposit box and make in-person connections. Since the club launched at the end of October, more than 2,000 people have taken part. As ridiculous as it may sound, it’s probably a good indicator of how starved our generation is for IRL connections. Meanwhile: Bumble’s stock slid 18% yesterday after reporting lower-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings. Shares have dropped 40% in the past year. [WSJ]
Young People Are Being ‘Priced Out Of Nightlife’ [Dazed]. It’s something I have been wondering about lately: when even I find prices ridiculous, how do people barely entering active life afford nights out?
Airbnb co-founder and Tesla board member Joe Gebbia is set to join Elon’s DOGE team in the coming months. [NYT]
Reddit CEO Says Paywalls Are Coming Soon [gizmodo] + Spotify Weighs $6 Premium for Added Features, Access to Tickets [Bloomberg]
Before you leave:
If you can’t get enough of me, here’s my Instagram. Here’s my LinkedIn. Choose wisely.
Accepting future sponsorship applications: email me.
Although this could go away?
Excellent as usual