[Post 199] Crocs: How the Polarizing Footwear Brand Became a Fashion Statement | The Economics Of | WSJ

Summary

WSJ breaks down Crocs’s business strategy and explains how -- nearly two decades after the colorful clog first became a global fad -- the company found its footing as the world’s most loved and hated shoe. Illustration: Adele Morgan

[Post 198] Beyond Meat: How the Plant-Based Pioneer Became a Stock Market Loser | What Went Wrong

Summary

Once a stock market darling, Beyond Meat’s sales have started to decline in the last year. The company had pursued growth, but struggled to execute its vision, leading to a series of production missteps and mounting expenses. WSJ explains what went wrong.

[Post 197] Living In An Airplane In The Woods For $370 A Month | Unlocked

Summary

Bruce Campbell, 73, lives in a Boeing 727 200-passenger jetliner that is 1,066 square feet and weighs around 70,000 pounds. He bought the plane for $100,000 in 1999 and spends $370/month on property taxes and electricity.

Unlocked is a new home tour series focused on how much people across the U.S. spend on their housing, what they get for the money and what they had to sacrifice to make it happen.

[Post 196] How Drinks Helped Dunkin' Become a $9 Billion Empire | The Economics Of | WSJ

Summary

Dunkin’ started out as a small doughnut-and-coffee shop in Massachusetts in 1948 and has grown to over 12,000 stores in 40 countries. WSJ’s Heather Haddon explains why the company chose to focus on drinks – not doughnuts.

[Post 195] How I Earn $6,500/Month In Passive Income | Fired Up

Summary

Amberly Grant, 34, vowed to be a millionaire after reading her first finance book at age 15. Then, in college, she discovered the FIRE movement, which stands for financial independence, retire early, and began working toward her dream of retiring early. Living in Denver, she was hired as a full-time project manager, started investing in real estate and launched a financial education side hustle. Today, Grant has accumulated a net worth of $835,000, and recently welcomed her first child.

[Post 194] China’s Bai Lan Vs Pro-996 Youth - Why Should I Work Hard?

Summary

In China, the ‘bailan’ movement - similar to quiet quitting - is about giving up on trying to get anywhere, and the motto of ‘let it rot’. It runs counter to the 996 work culture that’s a reference to the practise of working from 9am to 9pm, six days a week.

Zhang Yingqiu, 32, is an insurance agent who, though she stops short of working 996, agrees with its ethos of hard work being fulfilling. Wang Shuai, 26, is an escape room actor who does just enough at work to get by and believes in “lying flat”.

[Post 193] How Chip Giant AMD Finally Caught Intel | CNBC

Summary

Chip giant Advanced Micro Devices made history this year when it surpassed Intel by market cap for the first time ever. Intel has long held the lead in the market for computer processors, but AMD’s been on the rise since it acquired adaptive chip company Xilinx in February for $49 billion. Now, AMD chips are in two Tesla models, NASA’s Mars Perseverance land rover, 5G cell towers and the world’s fastest supercomputer. CNBC sat down with CEO Lisa Su to hear about AMD’s remarkable comeback, huge bets on new types of chips in the face of a PC slump, new restrictions on exports to China, and shifting industry trends.