PARTNERSHIPS | COMMUNITY | PODCAST | FRIENDS |
| |
| |
PRESENTED BY BUTCHERBOX |
|
|
|
|
Happy Thursday, Future Party. For the surprisingly low price of $1.5 million, the house that OpenAI called its first office is up for sale in San Francisco. With all the money OpenAI has raised, you might expect the company would’ve wanted to buy it back and preserve it as a museum. Instead, any engineer with some money to spare can scoop it up and turn it into what we believe could be one of the most successful themed Airbnbs in the city. Still skeptical? Silicon Valley is selling out of sweaters with tech founders’ faces on them. There’s more on that below. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
| |
Is Pilot Season Back? |
 |
It’s been a minute // Illustration by Kate Walker |
|
TV networks, cable brands, and streamers are returning to the once tried-and-true strategy for developing shows: pilots. |
The Big Picture: Prior to the streaming revolution, networks would often order over 100 pilots to work out the kinks before either committing to a season or getting out early. It was a smart, economical way to ensure shows were put through the wringer before being given a hefty investment. With Peak TV over and the market contracting, bringing back pilots could give more shows a fighting chance to air. |
Behind The Scenes: According to Variety, the new (old) motto in TV seems to be “try it before you buy it”… well, the whole season, that is. |
HBO Max recently ordered two pilots — Jeremy Carver’s cop drama American Blue and Greg Berlanti and Bash Doran’s family drama How To Survive Without Me. Hulu also ordered a pilot from Berlanti and Doran — a drama called Foster Dade. Additionally, it’s developing a pilot for Ryan Coogler’s update of The X-Files. NBC is taking the biggest swing with the strategy, ordering eight pilots, including a reboot of The Rockford Files from Mike Daniels.
|
Final Decision: TV studio chiefs say the desire to return to pilots stems from wanting to make shows that have more episodes and can turn around seasons quicker than the typical premium streaming show — think the multi-year waits for series like Severance and Stranger Things. Sarah Aubrey, who heads up programming for HBO Max, says there’s an eagerness to make more shows like The Pitt, which is the most broadcast-type of show HBO has had in recent memory (and still wins Emmys). |
So far, the pilot orders are paying off. Hulu ordered two pilots (Nick Paley’s Phony and Elgin James’ reboot of Prison Break) to full seasons last year, FX did the same with Peter Gould’s Disinherited and a spinoff of Snowfall, and Netflix even joined the trend (a sequel series to A Different World). |
Next Season: It wouldn’t be surprising if a streamer starts letting users vote on which pilots should go to series in an attempt to build a fan base for projects the company may not be fully sold on yet. |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
| |
Together with ButcherBox |
|
|
ButcherBox Brings The Nutrients |
|
|
Your body craves the nutrients that keep you optimized and energized… but most people settle for processed junk that leaves them feeling sapped. |
That’s why ButcherBox makes it easy to get the protein your body deserves. |
Its high-quality proteins are sourced only from animals and fish that haven’t been raised with antibiotics or added hormones. |
That means every cut delivers nutrients your body is designed to process. |
With plenty of options to choose from, it’s easy to fit ButcherBox products into any meal — whether you’re whipping up a three-course spread for loved ones or grabbing a quick bite before heading out the door. |
Take your plate to the next level with ButcherBox’s premium proteins today. |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
| |
Tech Titans Want Your Wardrobe |
 |
Image courtesy of Nvidia // Illustration by Kate Walker |
|
The hottest style in Silicon Valley right now might be putting your boss’s face on your clothes. |
The Big Stitch: Silicon Valley has always been a cult of personality, but now full devotion to tech leaders is exploding across offices beyond the Bay Area. Going to work with tech titans splayed across your chest isn’t just a way to win brownie points; it could also signal that you’re a true believer in the company’s mission. |
Between The Threads: Big Tech is reprogramming its employees’ closets, per The WSJ. |
Nvidia sold green sweaters emblazoned with an AI avatar of CEO Jensen Huang, dubbed “Toy Huang," with a price tag of $178. Palantir sold out of $75 T-shirts featuring a watercolor portrait of a yoked Alex Karp above his motto, “Dominate” (an extremely not-chill shirt, if you ask anyone). Anduril sells flower-print Hawaii shirts, which founder Palmer Luckey is known for wearing, for $80. Those also sold out.
|
Bonus: Mark Zuckerberg strolled onstage at Meta Connect 2024 in an oversized black T-shirt reading “Aut Zuck Aut Nihil” (a play on the Latin phrase “Aut Caesar aut nihil,” meaning “Either Caesar or nothing”) created by LA designer Mike Amiri. Meta never sold it, but it would probably be a hit if it did. |
Last Looks: Tech-focused executive coach Alisa Cohn told The WSJ that splashing a founder’s face on merch “is a sign that the companies want people to associate the startups with the personas of their CEOs.” That idea has plenty of pros and cons (just look at how Elon Musk’s antics have hurt X and Tesla), but it makes a lot of sense in the influencer age — brand loyalty is a reflection of fandom. |
Every company needs a mascot. |
The Future: How long until Silicon Valley debuts tech-leader trading cards? Fanatics would be all over it. |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
| |
Together with Belay |
|
|
You Can’t Automate Good Judgment |
AI promises speed and efficiency, but it’s leaving many leaders feeling more overwhelmed than ever. |
The real problem isn’t technology. |
It’s the pressure to do more with less — without losing what makes leadership effective. |
BELAY created the free resource 5 Traits AI Can’t Replace & Why They Matter More Than Ever to help leaders pinpoint where AI can help and where human judgment is still essential. |
At BELAY, leaders accomplish more by working with top-tier, US-based Executive Assistants who bring the discernment, foresight, and relational intelligence AI can’t replicate. |
That way, the focus stays on vision — not systems. |
Download 5 Traits AI Can’t Replace. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
| |
What’s your experience with Spirit Airlines? |
|
|
80.6% of you voted No in yesterday’s poll: Do you follow any newsinfluencers? |
“Let’s leave news coverage to professional journalists, please.” |
“There’s already enough ‘influence’ in newscasts without adding outright influencers to the mix.” |
“Subconsciously, I’m sure I’m influenced in a million different ways, but I don’t follow any influencers.” |
“Yes, I follow Aaron Parnas and AmandasMildTakes on IG.” |
Let’s keep the conversation going. Join Poll Of The Day, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
| |
Let us know how we are doing... |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
PARTNERSHIPS | COMMUNITY | PODCAST | FRIENDS |
Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Polled and Copy-edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar. |
|
