SatPost by Trung Phan

SatPost by Trung Phan covers the intersections of technology, business, creativity, and culture with a focus on insights from tech giants, entrepreneurial strategies, reading's impact, and creativity's role in innovation. It explores themes of decision-making, value capture, addiction management, and industry-specific strategies for success.

Technology and Business Insights Entrepreneurship and Innovation Creativity and Design Digital Advertising Productivity and Focus Strategies Corporate Culture and Practices Reading and Continuous Learning Historical Impacts on Modern Industry Mental Health in the Digital Age Branding and Marketing Strategies AI and Digital Transformation

The hottest Substack posts of SatPost by Trung Phan

And their main takeaways
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

From Beatlemania to Taylor-mania

74 implied HN points • 08 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Music Entertainment Social media Pop culture Celebrity
  1. Taylor Swift's 'Eras' tour is set to be the first ever to gross over $1B, with massive demand and $200+ ticket prices.
  2. The hype around Taylor Swift's tour draws comparisons to the rise of Beatlemania in 1963, with similarities in audience psychology and social context.
  3. Swift's tour success highlights the significant role of luck and timing in creative endeavors, emphasizing the importance of effort and strategy while acknowledging external factors.

Beating the Auction Duopoly

31 implied HN points • 13 Jan 24
💼 Business Auctions Market Trends
  1. Heritage Auctions is challenging the age-old auction duopoly of Sotheby's and Christie's with a focus on niche markets like rare coins.
  2. Auction houses like Sotheby's and Christie's make money by taking commissions from both buyers and sellers and face challenges like collusion and price-fixing allegations.
  3. Heritage Auctions' success lies in focusing on growing auction categories, being internet-native, and prioritizing transparency compared to the established duopoly.

Blumhouse: The Hollywood Horror Hit Machine

84 implied HN points • 13 May 23
🎭️ Culture Film Entertainment Business Memes Writing
  1. Constraints can lead to creativity in business models, as seen in Blumhouse Productions.
  2. Blumhouse's low-budget, high-return approach focuses on making multiple horror films with unique storytelling.
  3. Financial constraints in film production, like fewer speaking parts and limited locations, can result in creative and successful outcomes.

SpaceX's 5-Step Design Process

79 implied HN points • 22 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Space Exploration Innovation Engineering Memes AI
  1. SpaceX is working on a 5-step design process for their Starship rocket, focusing on rapid failure and iteration.
  2. SpaceX has achieved significant cost reductions in space travel through reusable rockets and plans to further reduce launch costs with their new Starship rocket.
  3. SpaceX's approach to rapid iteration and innovation differs from NASA's more conservative approach, allowing for quicker progress in space exploration.

Mailbag Request

21 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
💼 Business Media Sports Economics Education Technology
  1. A new sports app by ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery is aiming to attract a younger audience through streaming without cannibalizing traditional cable bundles.
  2. A consulting firm charging exorbitant fees for Ivy League admission consulting highlights the extreme lengths wealthy parents go to secure college acceptance for their children.
  3. Vail Resorts' success with the Epic Pass showcases how offering a membership with access to ski mountains can generate significant revenue, similar to gyms with unused memberships.

A miracle drug to end obesity?

69 implied HN points • 11 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Obesity
  1. A new drug developed for one purpose, treating diabetes, is proving to be very effective for treating obesity.
  2. The drug class GLP-1 agonists, with active ingredient semaglutide, shows promise for weight loss with potential market growth.
  3. Despite the promising results, there are drawbacks to consider, such as side effects, cost, and the need for continuous treatment.

I want Apple's Vision Pro

47 implied HN points • 16 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Hardware Software User Experience Virtual reality Productivity
  1. Apple's Vision Pro headset is priced at $3,500 and focuses on creating the ideal workspace experience.
  2. Vision Pro offers a unique spatial computing experience, differentiating it from VR and AR technologies.
  3. The headset's potential lies in transforming work productivity, offering advanced hardware, and enhancing creativity through virtual spaces.

The most profitable films ever

53 implied HN points • 31 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Film AI Social media Technology Memes
  1. The most profitable Hollywood films are not always the big-budget blockbusters; sometimes low-budget horror films make the highest return on investment.
  2. AI-generated images, like the viral Pope Coat, can be incredibly realistic, leading to potential misinformation and the need for increased online skepticism.
  3. Apple's Mixed Reality headset aims for a niche market, with parallels drawn to the slow but eventually successful trajectory of the Apple Watch.

5 Good Evergreen Podcasts

31 implied HN points • 25 Aug 23
🎙 Podcasts Food Vietnam War
  1. There are 5 evergreen podcasts recommended, covering topics like food history, famous explorers, record labels, Vietnam War films, and interesting sounds.
  2. Gastropod podcast delves into food history, while The Explorers Podcast focuses on famous explorers' stories.
  3. Trapital podcast offers insightful business breakdowns of record labels, providing an in-depth analysis of the hip-hop industry.

Year in review: 2021

127 implied HN points • 31 Dec 21
  1. Best interview with Stanley Druckenmiller, discussing tech stocks, crypto, and more
  2. Twitter growth strategy: focus on smart threads and dumb memes
  3. Context collapse on social media can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts

Tech and path dependence, explained

63 implied HN points • 03 Dec 22
  1. Path dependence in technology is when past decisions limit future options.
  2. Examples like tweet lengths and rail gauges show how past choices impact current technology.
  3. Understanding the history behind current products helps to question if it still makes sense.

The $36B Nutella empire

84 implied HN points • 17 Apr 22
  1. The Ferrero Group built a $36B confectionary empire on products like Nutella and Ferrero Rocher.
  2. Giovanni Ferrero took over the business and invested $6B in acquiring chocolate and snack brands to expand globally.
  3. Ferrero faces challenges like managing hazelnut supply, addressing concerns over sugar content, and balancing acquisitions with traditional innovation.

Does Michelin Guide still matter?

26 implied HN points • 07 Apr 23
🍲 Food & Drink Restaurants Social media
  1. There is a generational split on the importance of the Michelin Guide.
  2. TikTok's rise could challenge the traditional influence of Michelin Guide in restaurant recommendations.
  3. To stay relevant, Michelin might need to adapt its content and tell its stories across new platforms.

How Facebook fixed its newsfeed

31 implied HN points • 26 Nov 22
  1. Facebook successfully cleaned up its newsfeed by removing low-quality and manipulative content.
  2. Illustration of Taleb's Turkey Problem highlights the issue of making false generalizations based on past observations.
  3. Amazon's Alexa may face discontinuation due to heavy financial losses, raising questions about the customer value of voice assistants.

Bezos and Leo

53 implied HN points • 13 Nov 21
  1. A new meme format emerged from Jeff Bezos and Leonardo DiCaprio's encounter at an event
  2. Twitter users quickly embraced the meme, creating funny posts about the situation
  3. Jeff Bezos' increased social media activity is a coordinated effort to change his public image from tech executive to a more engaging figure

How much is the Mona Lisa worth?

31 implied HN points • 19 Aug 22
  1. The Mona Lisa is considered priceless, but a hypothetical estimate suggests it could be worth $5B to $10B in the open market.
  2. Various valuation models suggest the Mona Lisa's worth could range from $554M to $1.4B based on comparisons with other da Vinci works, $1B to $9.2B based on what an uber-rich person might pay, and $6B to $17B using a cash flow model.
  3. There's a mix of serious discussion and humorous speculation on the value of the Mona Lisa, including suggestions of potential buyers like Jeff Bezos and memes about Mark Zuckerberg's VR world.

CNN+ vs. Quibi

37 implied HN points • 23 Apr 22
  1. CNN+ shut down after only 32 days, which is ludicrous
  2. Quibi had a more impressive content library than CNN+
  3. CNN+ spent more money per day and had worse numbers than Quibi

ConstitutionDAO: A meme history

37 implied HN points • 20 Nov 21
  1. ConstitutionDAO raised over $47 million to buy a copy of the US Constitution at an auction, showcasing the power of decentralized autonomous organizations.
  2. Nicholas Cage and memes played a significant role in the hype surrounding ConstitutionDAO, adding a humorous element to the initiative.
  3. ConstitutionDAO's auction ultimately lost to Ken Griffin, sparking humor and controversy on social media.

Jack Dorsey exits Twitter

31 implied HN points • 04 Dec 21
  1. Jack Dorsey stepped down as Twitter CEO and named Parag Agrawal as his successor.
  2. Jack Dorsey shifted his focus to Square, which was renamed to Block, to pursue his blockchain and crypto ambitions.
  3. The memes and tweets surrounding Jack Dorsey's departure were humorous and centered around his eccentricities, like his daily routine and unique interests.

Come for the memes, stay for the Thinkboi stuff

31 implied HN points • 16 Nov 21
  1. SatPost shares funny memes and Twitter threads on trending topics
  2. The Thinkboi stuff includes insights on companies & innovative business tactics
  3. Trung Phan's Twitter threads cover a variety of interesting topics like psychology tricks in retail

How Marvel lost Spider-Man

21 implied HN points • 05 Jun 22
  1. Morbius movie was a flop due to poor reviews and memes
  2. Sony declined owning Marvel characters for $25m in 1998, only got Spider-Man for $10m
  3. Marvel and Sony collaborated to bring Spider-Man into the MCU after leaked Sony emails

I'm making a TV show

21 implied HN points • 14 May 22
  1. The TV show 'Early Risers' is about expat life in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
  2. The show has been in development for 10 years and just filmed the first two episodes.
  3. The story is a modern take on Vietnam, told by people who lived it, aiming to present a different perspective from the usual war movies.

Did Coca-Cola invent Santa Claus?

26 implied HN points • 24 Dec 21
  1. Coca-Cola popularized the modern image of Santa Claus in the 1930s.
  2. Coca-Cola is highly brand-conscious and invested heavily in marketing since its inception.
  3. Coca-Cola commissioned artist Haddon Sundblom to create the iconic Santa Claus image we know today.

Musings on Time’s Person of the Year

21 implied HN points • 18 Dec 21
  1. Time's Person of the Year is not always an honor, but based on impact
  2. Controversial selections have included figures like Hitler, Stalin, and Khomeini
  3. US Presidents have a higher chance of being selected, but the title doesn't guarantee lasting recognition

Italy built an $8B dam to save Venice

15 implied HN points • 27 May 22
  1. Italy built a $8B dam named MOSE to protect Venice from flooding.
  2. MOSE is a dam system with 78 mobile metal barriers to block high tides from entering Venice.
  3. Venice has a unique foundation of wooden stilts and platforms that have proven resilient against flooding for centuries.

Racing tech in everyday use

15 implied HN points • 03 Apr 22
  1. Racing technology from F1 has made its way into everyday use, like rearview mirrors and paddle shifts.
  2. F1 knowledge has improved other industries, such as hospitals and manufacturing, through innovations like pit stop practices and data management.
  3. F1 drivers are incredibly fit athletes, requiring strong necks, endurance, and lightning-fast reflexes to handle high speeds for hours.

Was David Bowie from the future?

15 implied HN points • 23 Mar 22
  1. David Bowie had foresight about the internet, social media, and music streaming before they became prominent.
  2. Bowie created an innovative social platform called BowieNet and anticipated the financialization of music catalogs.
  3. There are humorous connections between Bowie's music and future events, like Kanye West and his fashion sense.

Elon: A Year In Memes

15 implied HN points • 13 Dec 21
  1. The post highlights the 20 most-faved memes from Elon Musk's Twitter account in 2021.
  2. The memes include humorous captions and illustrations.
  3. The post invites readers to subscribe for more content related to humor and life lessons.

Apple's $19 cloth: By the memes

15 implied HN points • 28 Nov 21
  1. Apple's $19 polishing cloth generated a lot of memes on social media.
  2. Despite the humor, the cloth was actually a success, selling out with a long waiting list.
  3. The comparison between Apple's cloth and Tesla's 'Cyber Whistle' memes on Twitter created more humor around the products.

Thanksgiving memes

15 implied HN points • 27 Nov 21
  1. Turkeys being fed daily and then surprised before Thanksgiving is a lesson on the problem of induction.
  2. The tale of 'Taleb's Turkey' is often used in finance to warn about past performance not guaranteeing future results.
  3. A funny Thanksgiving prank with microwaving a turkey ties into the 'Problem of Induction' concept.