#33 Curating, not creating
Just like good taste needs a little tackiness to prove chic instead of boring, and intoxicating perfumes need a touch of rot for vibrancy, smart thinking requires some simmering in the background. Since I don’t want to serve half-baked thoughts, I’m:
If you’re new here: between business trend forecasting for Magma, including a live roundtable last week, contributions to other newsletters, social media—and actual design decisions—for my Sicilian renovation project, and Oblique Forecasting, my brain is operating like an overheated content factory with no off switch. I’d much rather not add to the inexorable content influx if I have nothing valuable to add. There’s still plenty for you to read this week! xoxo Esther 💋
💰 What I’m investing in
📚 Good reads. If I can’t offer an original thought for you this week, I can still provide a reading list. It’s not strictly business-related and thus doesn’t belong in my dealsheet.
Last week’s issue of Oblique Forecasting. Self-indulgent? Perhaps. But a little bird (performance tracking) tells me you may have missed it. Read here:
Buy Everything, Own Nothing! With a contribution by yours truly, a related post on Post-Culture by Sibling Studio:
Neapolitanism and the quick fall of an Idealized Place. A criminally underrated long piece on the dark side of the dolce vita stereotypes. I had already been thinking about this topic as I create content on the house I’m renovating in Sicily. This well-researched post adds a ton of context that applies to Sicily, not just Napoli1. I’m intentionally playing with some of the clichés, but I want to avoid the Emily in Paris-ation trap.
It’s Lauren Santo Domingo’s world. You can live in it too. [WaPo] The first paragraph includes the sentence “As she once told Into the Gloss, ‘I can’t even remember the last time I washed my own hair.’” Anyone who’s known me for a while knows that 1. that 2011 ITG profile and that quote were formative to my approach to beauty; 2. I spent part of my clothing allowance2 on a weekly wash and blow at Aveda in Dubai.
Everyone Is an Intellectual Now:
📈 Bullish news
On Polymarket, the blockchain-based prediction market, the "Who will be the next Pope?" market has seen nearly $9M in total volume. Personally rooting for the woke Filipino Cardinal ;)
The ‘Finfluencers’ Trying to Make It Big During the Market Turmoil [WSJ]. Over 40% of Americans get financial advice from social media, with young users especially susceptible. Despite lacking formal credentials, money creators now earn 25-50% more per brand deal than other kinds of influencers.
Instagram launches Edits app for video, rivaling TikTok [CNBC]
Pivot to Video: The Big Business Behind the Rise of Podcasts You Can Watch [The Wrap]. Fans of video podcasts are more than twice as likely to watch a full ad than if they were listening to an audio-only episode.
Gen Alpha's Tastes Are Already Being Informed By Online Content [Morning Consult]. 48% of Gen Alpha kids spend up to 4 hours/day on social media, and by age 9, that figure climbs to 63%. Their content preferences mirror Gen Z’s, with “storytime,” product reviews, and hauls ranking among the most popular formats.
📉 Bearish news
The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a rare travel advisory to journalists looking to travel to or from the U.S., citing risks related to new Trump administration policies. [CPJ]
Revolve faces $50M lawsuit alleging influencers hid paid brand partnerships [LA Times]. The lawsuit alleges that the brand’s social media marketing tactics deceived at least 1M consumers.
The Gen Z Lifestyle Subsidy [The Atlantic]. “AI companies’ giveaways are helping further woo these young users, who are unlikely to shell out hundreds of dollars a year to test out the most advanced AI products.” Sound familiar?
Famed AI researcher launches controversial startup to replace all human workers everywhere [TechCrunch]. I’d say this is great news if that means we can focus on art and leisure, but I doubt that’s the intent.
Why do AI company logos look like buttholes? [VelvetShark] Not news but an important q nonetheless.
If you’re looking for me, here’s my Instagram and my Sicilian house’s Insta. Here’s my LinkedIn. Choose wisely, or don’t.
I’m halfway through Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia.
I know how unrelatable this sentence makes me sound.
That end-of-newsletter curveball 😂✴️