This is Nick. This is Jack. And it’s January. Or should we say, Planuary? We like to use January to plan out travel and goals for the year. Our next 366 days = booked. Even March? Especially, March. Our schedule is madness. Literally.

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1) Tesla Just Got Beaten

For the 1st time ever, Tesla is no longer the #1 electric car producer. BYD is officially the new “World Champion.” 

That was then: Last quarter (ended 12/31) Tesla sold a whopping 495k electric cars, bringing the 2023 total to 1.8M. That’s up nearly 20x from just 6 years ago (pretty impressive). The numbers show that Tesla is the Kleenex of EVs — it’s synonymous with the category.

• But this is now: BYD, China’s version of Tesla (but selling cars for ⅓ the price) sold 526k electric cars in the 4th quarter, boosting its self-proclaimed “Official sponsor of Mother Nature” status.

• BYD is the most popular car brand in China, but since 90% of its sales are in China, you won’t see one on the PCH…yet. Because BYD’s electric car exports tripled in the 2nd half of last year.  ⚡

The Chinese simply buy more EVs than we do: In China, 1 of 3 new cars sold is electric, while in the US, 1 out of 12 new cars sold is an EV. #math

The Takeaway →

Frugal just passed sexy. Tesla is focused on coolness & quality. Elon even named the car models to spell out S-3-X-Y. BYD's approach is less sexy and more fundamental.

• Get this: BYD was a battery company first. That’s why the now car co conveniently controls its own Lithium mines — critical for making EVs. This vertically integrated business model is how they sell EVs for as low as $11k. That’s why Berkshire Hathaway invested in it…and why frugal just passed sexy. Sorry Dempsey.

2) New Year, New Gen Alpha

The oldest members of Gen Alpha are turning 14 this year, making them the new target demographic for companies.

We miss it: when Millennials were the desired demo. Everything was sprinkled in pale pink and stamped organic. As time passed, marketing teams pivoted to Gen Z, wondering “how do we sell teens a handbag in the metaverse?” In 2024, it’s time to think post-Gen Z...

Enter: Gen Alpha. Defined as those born after 2010, they’re the children of Millennials. They’re expected to be the largest generation ever: 2B Gen Alphas vs 1.8B Millennials. And they’re nicknamed, “The iPad Gen” because…

• 📱 They were born after the iPad was invented

• 📱📱 4 out of 5 of them are on social media already (and the tablet is their tech of choice)

• 📱📱📱 And iPads are often their $500 on-demand digital babysitter

While, Millennials grew up with networks (Facebook), and Gen Z grew up with algos (TikTok), there’s something else in store for Gen Alpha…

The Takeaway →

The A in Gen Alpha should stand for AI. From the beginning, AI is a main character in Gen Alpha’s lives — they’ve already been interacting with Siri and asking Alexa to put on Paw Patrol. For the youngest generation, the line could be blurred between human and AI. It’s a new-level of digital nativeness: AI Native. 

On the pod today…

💪🦵 The winner of college football bowl season wasn’t a team, it was a snack: Pop-Tarts. To hear more about Kellogg’s use of arms and legs to create snack mascots, listen to today’s pod. 

Here’s what else you need to know today —

🙏 2 planes collided yesterday on a runway in Japan. More than 300 ppl safely escaped but 5 people were killed. The accident reinforces the importance of air safety control.

🐭 Disney’s Steamboat Mickey Mouse is no longer copyright protected. Which means anyone can commercially use the 95-year-old Mickey image for anything. Anything. 

🎬 US Box Office revenue for 2023 passed $9B. That’s up 22% from 2022 but still 20% shy of pre-pandemic levels.  

🚢 Maersk, the Danish shipping co, has halted Red Sea and Suez Canal shipping indefinitely in response to growing attacks from Houthi rebels. Oil and natural gas prices jumped following the news. This is one of the world’s most important (and bottle-necked) trade routes. 

🏋️ Megan Thee Stallion and Planet Fitness just launched the mother of all ad campaigns for the New Year. Body crazy, curvy, wavy…are all #in. 

✂️ Subscription-canceling is #in for 2024. More Americans are cutting ties with Hulu, Netflix and other streaming services.

Question →

What’s the best thing that happened over the holiday break?

Answer →

Jack: Brooks (my 9-month-old son) created an amazing and bright moment for my Great Uncle (who recently lost his wife of 50+ yrs) by sitting on his lap, touching his beard, and simply looking at him for a good 2 minutes. My Uncle Ray’s smile was 11/10.

Nick: Living Home Alone 2 IRL: NYC, robes, Christmas Eve pizza (minus the scary pigeon lady).

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And one more thing. What are you Planuary-ing for the year?

—Nick & Jack