Why say many word when few word do trick?
Give me my million.
Munch.
I’m Jeremy, your Cereal Intern. Not yet subscribed? Come and join the movement 🙏
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🥄 Today's Spoonful
Trump gets put on timeout 🤭
After last week’s events at the US Capitol, several major platforms like Twitter and Facebook cracked down on Trump’s social accounts (Facebook’s suspension lasts at the very least until inauguration day). A week later, other platforms like Reddit, Shopify, Snapchat, and even Twitch have given #45 the silent treatment.
Unsurprisingly, these bans have spawned some pretty heavy debate, with some calling the suspensions ‘censorship’, and others citing Trump’s repeat violations as justification.
All we know is that he won’t be sending any snap selfies or DMs to Melania any time soon. 57000 tweets later, Twitter (and literally all of tech) is officially Trump-free. Here’s one of his spiciest takes, in case you need a little wake-me-up this Monday morning:
Roku gives Quibi a helping hand 🤝
Remember last week when I gave Quibi a hard time? (sorry not sorry, Jeff)
Last Friday, Variety reported that streaming giant Roku acquired the rights to more than 75 of the platform’s shows (the acquisition price wasn’t officially announced, although some reports place it around $100M). On top of that, the content will stream for free on the Roku Channel!
That’s right — yet another platform streaming free Kevin Hart content. Catch me watching Die Hart next weekend.
General Motors gets a New Year’s makeover 🥴
The electric vehicle market has really grown into its own this past decade. Just check out this hockey stick:
Source: EV Volumes
Clearly, there was a substantial dip in YoY growth from the latest available data, but the number of electric vehicles globally still topped 2M units in 2019 (bringing total stock to 7.2 million units).
General Motors, looking to jump on this electric train (heh), announced a complete logo rebrand this Friday. The automaker, which has been known primarily as a builder of rugged gas-powered pickups over its 112-year history, made it clear that it hopes to rebrand itself as a clean vehicle company for the future.
Who wouldn’t after Tesla’s valuation rocketed past $800B to start the year? For some context, GM’s value stands at only around $61B, despite the company being approximately a century older. Tesla’s jump means it leapfrogged Facebook for the 5th most valuable company in the world. (bye bye Zuck 😘)
Cameo: what pandemic?
While electric cars took a slight dip in 2020, Cameo enjoyed a massive year. And I mean huuuge.
The company’s GMV (gross merchandise value) grew over 4 times its 2019 numbers, with 1.3M total bookings in 2020 alone. A lot of that is no doubt thanks to a 250% growth in the company’s global consumer base.
Little tip: Go grab a Cameo from the man, the myth, the legend Brian Baumgartner himself. The actor, known worldwide as Kevin Malone from The Office, made more than $1M on the platform in 2020!
🥣 Cereal of the Day
I mean, how do you not click on that link? Lovely reader, meet MainStreet.
MainStreet helps founders turn tax credits into real cash flow.
It’s easy to look at MainStreet and feel a little apprehension. In all honesty, I thought the company was a scam when I first heard the $50k promise on Twitter.
But MainStreet is legit and invaluable. Startups need money. MainStreet makes that happen in a space that’s relatively untouched.
Founded by Doug Ludlow, former ads guru at Google, MainStreet has always focused on helping startups capitalize on incentives programs across the nation. At first, startups were able to apply for economic incentives on MainStreet’s platform and pay the company a 20% cut only after the credits are disbursed. It’s entirely free upfront.
No wonder the company has already crossed $1M ARR.
While that model seems to have persisted for the most part, it now looks like MainStreet may have shifted its focus to helping startups capitalize on tax credits owed by the IRS. That said, there are hundreds of local government incentives launched every year and MainStreet’s goal is to connect startups in need with these untapped opportunities.
If you’re an entrepreneur, you’ve gotta love an ex-Googler flipping the bird at the big bad tax man.
Check out MainStreet here!
Coolness meter: You literally don’t even have to do paperwork. You mean… no DocuSign notis!?
🍳 A Healthy Serving of...
Oh, the job search.
The 9th ring of Hell. The job search can be cruelly demoralizing, especially when you get atuo-rejections 2 minutes after your online applications.
Unfortunately, if you’re reading this, I’m not here to tell you that there’s a way to make the process any less soul-crushing. But there is a way to boost your chances of success.
Lesson #17: get the job by showing you can do the job.
Too often, we fall into the trap of mass-applying to job boards. While there’s no doubt some merit to leveraging platforms like Indeed and WayUp, it’s also important to realize that JDs on those sites are often expired, outdated, or overfed.
Here’s what to do instead: Create value from the get-go! Are you applying for a social media position? Create 1 or 2 quick Instagram post templates for the company you’re applying to. Are you looking to join a VC? Write down an investment memo for a company of your choice.
Not only does creating value give recruiters/the company incentive to accelerate your application, but it also gives them a reason to respond to you with something other than: “While we enjoyed reading your application…”
Try it today and let me know how it goes :)
Two weeks into 2021, how am I doing? Always love receiving emails from y’all :)
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Munch.
The Cereal Intern.018