Welcome back everyone.

We’re really ramping up the growth initiatives (tweeting) these days now that we’re building a solid community and crystalizing our north star.

X can be a toxic hellhole and incredible networking/marketing tool all at the same time. If you’re over there - say hello.

Let’s continue…

It’s been another incredible week to be alive. There really is so much inspiring stuff happening all the time and I’m taking it upon myself to highlight and celebrate it.

Wimbledon Strawberries

There’s a lot to love about Wimbledon. The history, the tradition, the pageantry, the fits…it’s all great. I was going to highlight the fact that it’s one of the last remaining sporting venues to prohibit advertising (like Michigan’s Big House), which absolutely sets the tone - but instead we need to talk about the strawberries. They are hand-picked every morning - with any uneaten berries turned to jam. Fresh batches are picked and prepared each day. I don’t care if Tom Brady doesn’t eat strawberries, they are a classy fruit and this attention to detail is what makes life beautiful.

Raptors are…human?

There’s an account called NBA Paint that makes fun, nostalgic, lo-fi NBA art using Microsoft Paint. Straight outta the 90’s. A few days ago he posted a video re-making the Raptors logo into a 5 year old’s drawing of a dinosaur. As you can see in the photo, it went viral and the team made it their official PFP. This might seem like a innocuous, fun little gesture, but to me this signals something deeper. It humanizes the brand, shows a willingness to not take themselves too seriously, and adds character - which deepens connection with their fanbase and NBA Twitter at large.

When ai is done well…

Kalshi (the prediction market) just dropped this ad. Traditionally, this would have taken six weeks and six figures to make. They made this in a week and for probably less than 10% of the cost. I talk about ai slop and sameness, but this is not that. This is leveraging world class tech to bring your creative vision to life. These tools are superpowers for people with taste, and mediums like advertising are a great canvas. We can appreciate the time, money, and dedication put into making the F1 movie while also admiring when ai is done right.

2 key elements here:

1. Democratization lowers the barrier to entry for smaller brands and even individuals. We’re entering a creative renaissance.

2. The speed element is crucial. We’re moving from expensive and extensive creative bets/gambles to lightning fast iteration.

To Catch a Keynote

Steve Jobs revolutionized the keynote. The black turtle neck, jeans, and sneakers. Iconic. So much so that everyone started copying him. Literally, other startup founders would wear the same fit when announcing their product launches. So unoriginal and sad, really. Which is why it is so damn refreshing to see what Robinhood did. They went to Cannes, rented the same villa used in “To Catch A Thief” (great movie btw) and went full Riviera Hitchcock to present the future of finance. While other founders copy-paste the Steve Jobs aesthetic, Robinhood chose cinema over Silicon Valley sameness. This is what happens when humans make creative decisions instead of following optimization playbooks. It’s so refreshing to see big hitters differentiate themselves in presentation, taste, and aesthetics. Sidebar: I like the stock (NFA).

RP WEEKLY tip: Going to the french riviera? Stay here.

Putting the band back together

Hollywood remakes? Give it up already. Band reunion tours? Please and thank you. Stuck culture is a very real thing these days, but nostalgia cuts through the noise because it carries authentic emotional weight that can’t be artificially manufactured. I’m not even a big Oasis guy, but the scenes from their first reunion tour stops have been electric. The brothers putting aside decades of ego for something bigger than themselves? That's the kind of human drama we need. These moments matter because they're unrepeatable and unscalable—exactly what we need more of. Anybody going?

This Week’s Tunes

Speaking of music, here’s another fresh batch of songs for you to enjoy.

Yes there is an Oasis song and no it’s not Wonderwall.

RP WEEKLY!!!