the newsletter, every issue.
Eight hundred and eighty-five editions of yap, sat in one place. One long read every friday morning. Always free.
Eight hundred and eighty-five issues.
The "longevity boom” and why ageing well is the new cultural flex
Analyzes shift from anti-aging to longevity as new cultural status symbol. Ageing well becomes aspirational through wellness tech and discipline.
The digital detox economy is coming (and it has nothing to do with nostalgia)
Examines the growing digital detox movement as response to smartphone addiction and overstimulation. Not nostalgia-driven but necessity for mental health.
Algorithm anxiety and the (not so) shadowy forces beneath
Explores creator anxiety around shadow banning and algorithmic suppression. Reveals how uncertainty breeds digital superstition among content creators.
Why couple content's everywhere (and what it says about culture right now)
Couple content is trending as culture shifts from hyper-independence back to craving connection. These creators offer emotional comfort in chaotic times.
The black Friday cheat sheet (for shoppers, marketers, and everyone already exhausted)
Black Friday has evolved from one chaotic day to a confusing month-long marketing marathon. Here's survival tips for both overwhelmed consumers and marketers.
A case study in cool: Pharrell Williams and leveraging taste as personal brand
Pharrell Williams built his brand on taste and cultural curation, creating mystique through restraint and pioneering collaborations between streetwear and luxury.
When everything's "iconic" and "life-changing," nothing actually is
Creators overuse hyperbolic praise like 'iconic' and 'life-changing' to manufacture authority and gain attention, but this emotional inflation undermines authentic content.
The collapse of the brand-as-person era
The era of brands posting as personalities on social media is ending as audiences become hyper-literate to corporate tactics and AI automation flattens authentic culture.
Why brands are suddenly obsessed with running
Running has become a major brand opportunity as companies shift from spectator marketing to participation marketing, creating community-driven experiences.
We don’t own our culture anymore
Digital culture has become ephemeral and rented rather than owned, creating archival obsessions and forcing marketers to rethink permanence strategies.
Kim Kardashian and the business of being seen
Kim Kardashian built SKIMS into a billion-dollar shapewear brand by transforming public scrutiny into market research and redefining the industry around confidence.
I asked ChatGPT to predict what will happen in marketing in 2026. Here’s what I got.
ChatGPT predicts 10 marketing trends for 2026, including AI as baseline infrastructure, platform automation, and the continued dominance of short-form video.