This is Nick. This is Jack. And happy birthday! Because 9 of the 10 most common bdays in America fall this week: Mid-September. Double-booked on Bat Mitzvahs? Got six Sweet Sixteens? Don’t blame September, blame December. IYKYK.

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1) Apple’s Dongle-pocalypse

Apple unveiled its latest iPhone and Apple Watch yesterday, and the biggest takeaway? The death of the dongle.

First—what’s new for the iPhone 15? A better camera and marginal improvements across everything else.

• Camera: It’s the most profesh iPhone thanks to a new Hollywood-ready camera. Is that spinach in your favorite TikToker’s teeth?

• Durability: The iPhone 15 Pro has a new titanium body…but we still caution against going case-free (rogue move).

• The feature to test: The all-day battery life. We’ll believe it when we see it.

The one change you’ll actually notice on this iPhone? The hole. For the last 15 years, Apple has changed charging cords and ports like they’re underwear. It’s the reason everyone over 25 has a Dongle Drawer labeled “cords.” But now…the European Union is requiring Apple to use the world standard USB-C. So Apple is discontinuing its Lightning cord once and for all.

The Takeaway →

Technology transitions are messy. But the end result is clean as can be. Just like headphone jacks and gas pumps, charging ports will become standardized. And the cost of standardization is the messiness of transition. After some bumps, your Lightning cord will be just like your iPhone 11 Pro Max—a relic of the past that’s given way to a new standard. One cord to rule them all.

2) The Elon Musk Book Just Dropped—Here’s the 1 Trait Shared by ‘Geniuses’

Author/journalist Walter Isaacson only writes about generational geniuses—so we were all ears (eyes?) when his biography of Elon Musk dropped yesterday.

This isn’t just any old biz bio. Isaacson is the ex-CEO of CNN and spent the last two years tailing Musk (which do you think was harder?). All of his books focus on the circumstances that create visionaries like Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin, and Albert Einstein (we highly rec Einstein and Da Vinci). And now Musk has joined those ranks.

We haven’t read the 688-pager, but we do have the SparkNotes 🤓. One major theme: contradictions.

• Musk’s “Demon Mode”: He was bullied as a child, but he does the bullying today.

• Musk’s 1 true passion: The future of the planet, but only if he gets credit for it.

• Musk’s business philosophy: It’s called “The Algorithm,” and one key component? Question everything…including the legal department.

• The juicy parts: Previously unknown personal stories, like how Musk didn’t tell his girlfriend (with whom he was having a child via surrogate at the time) that he impregnated his employee (with twins). This book brings the known # of kids Elon’s fathered to 11.

The Takeaway →

The most important ingredient for genius is curiosity. Isaacson said that in a speech he gave when we were in business school. We never forgot it. Einstein, Da Vinci, Franklin, Jobs, and now Musk all have one trait in common: curiosity. It’s the key ingredient to creativity—because in order to change the world, you must first question it.

3) Got a Promotion? The Data Show You’re About to Quit

First comes the corner office, then comes…an updated LinkedIn profile. According to a new study from payroll processor ADP, a whopping 29% of workers leave their companies within a month of getting their first promotion. Without the title update, only 18% of workers head for the exit.

• Translation: That first promotion leads to a nearly two-thirds increase in the risk that your perfect new Junior Marketing Associate jumps ship.

We call it the Promotion Paradox: Promotions make employees more marketable and the new titles look crisp on LinkedIn. The recruiters will start sliding into the DMs faster than you can say “unlimited PTO and an above-market base salary.”

💼 Surprise Side Note: Only 4.5% of workers are promoted within two years of being hired, per ADP.

The Takeaway →

Bonuses mean a job well done. Promotions mean new work is to come. Got an employee with growing responsibilities? Give them a promotion so their title matches their to-do list. Want to keep good talent? Go for a bonus—it doesn’t affect hireability, but a new jet ski sure would incentivize Brenda in IR to stick around another year.

🔎 The Speaker of the House initiated an impeachment inquiry into alleged crimes against President Joe Biden and his son.

🤠 ESPN and Disney are airing an alternate telecast during the Oct. 1 NFL matchup between the Jaguars and Falcons…and it’s going to be Toy Story-themed.

♨️ Luckin Coffee has officially overtaken Starbucks as the largest coffee chain in China with 10,000 stores.

🤓 San Francisco’s “Baby Savings Account” gave kindergartners college savings accounts back in 2011. And now? Those kids are heading to college—with a 28x return in hand.

♀️ Lyft launched a feature that allows female riders to choose female drivers—and it could get more female drivers behind the wheel on Lyft.

⚔️ Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest weapons manufacturer, is getting into fashion: rocket-propelled streetwear (true story).

👿 Record-high rent 🤝 record-high fees. They’re called land-lords for a reason, and now they’re dropping fee fees on us.

On the pod today: Beyoncé asked all her fans to wear silver to her concerts—and that one color just boosted one business: Etsy. 🐝 Listen on Apple, Spotify, Youtube.

And one more thing…So what were you doing nine months ago? 😉

—Nick & Jack