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Now, without further ado, let’s get to the good stuff.

Here’s the plan:

• Tech News Takes — super-short analysis and commentary

• Tool of the Week — tools you’ll find useful

• Strategy Tips — strategy nuggets (for business and life)

AI is designing homes!?

Plus: Netflix loves YouTubers; Responses to tariff pressure

⚡ Tech News Takes ⚡

Generative AI for Your Home

• What’s up: Arcade, a generative AI platform for designing custom jewelry, is expanding into home goods. They’ll start with rugs, priced at $400+ (depending on sizing and materials), with plans to add ceramics, pillows, and leather goods. The company also launched a new feature, "Match My Room," which lets users upload a photo of their space to get better color and style recommendations. CEO Mariam Naficy is a 3rd time founder (her last one was Minted), and she’s already raised $42 million for Arcade since launching in late 2024.

• So what: This is a great idea. Using GenAI for designs is already well within the wheelhouse of today’s AI models, and any “hallucinations” are effectively just creative suggestions that a user can ignore. Plus, I love the expansion into home goods, because they’ll sell to a similar set of customers but in a bigger, faster-growing product category. According to Grand View Research, the global jewelry market is ~$353B growing at 4.7%, and the home decor market is ~960B growing at 9.4%.

Netflix Loves YouTubers

• What’s up: Thanks to the success of MrBeast’s "Beast Games" on Amazon Prime Video — which reportedly generated $100M+ in profit — streamers are chasing YouTube stars to develop new shows. Netflix is already working on other projects with creators like Ms. Rachel (baby learning), Mark Rober (science), and Sidemen (UK YouTube stars). As for their competitors, Peacock and Disney are apparently courting comedy and family-friendly creators.

• So what: Several threads to pull on here. First, this should be a wake-up call for YouTube (and other creator platforms). As we’ve covered in the context of Twitch, these platforms could be doing so much more to incentivize creators. If MrBeast felt like he was already maximizing his revenue/reach on YouTube, he’d be far less likely to seek out other deals. Second… classic Netflix! They are several steps ahead, per usual. It’s fitting that they’re already naming names of the other creators they’re working with, while Disney and Peacock are just naming categories.

India and UK Bend to Tariff Pressure

Nvidia pushes to ditch chip export rules

🛠️ Tool of the Week 🛠️

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🧭 Strategy Tips 🧭

Arcade Tries Something New

Today's strategy tip is all about growth!

Specifically, we’ll dive deeper into Arcade’s move from AI-generated jewelry into home goods, using the Ansoff Matrix to make sense of it.

But before we go any further, let’s meet the framework.

The Ansoff Matrix, Explained

This framework helps businesses map-out growth strategies. It does that by categorizing every growth initiative as either for new or existing customer markets, and for new or existing products.

• Market Penetration – Sell more of existing products to existing customers

• Product Development – Create and sell new products to existing customers

• Market Development – Sell existing products to new customers

• Diversification – Sell new products to new customers

For my visual learners, ze visual!

Ok, it’s been approximately 10 seconds since you thought about genAI, so let’s bring Arcade back into the story here!