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Happy Monday, Future Party. While plenty of young people — 77% of Gen Zers and 61% of millennials — have been getting their financial advice from influencers on TikTok over the past few years, it turns out that may not be the best idea (shocker). A survey by Intuit Credit Karma found that 39% of Gen Zers and 33% of millennials say taking the advice negatively impacted their lives; 37% and 25% ended up in trouble with the IRS, respectively; and about a quarter of each group has been scammed. It’s a good reminder that just because someone goes viral doesn’t necessarily mean they know what they’re saying.

Employees at newish startups are being offered modern, specialized, and personalized perks designed to communicate the culture companies hope to foster… and why they should choose to work there over blue-chip firms.

Why It Hits: The battle for who had the most generous perks became something of an absurd competition in the last decade. But post-pandemic, those same companies have tightened their belts, rolled back those perks, and now demand more work for fewer benefits. In this environment, startups realize they can’t compete with the prestige of the Fortune 500, but they can stand out in other ways.

Behind the Benefits: There’s more than one way to woo great talent.

The Future: These companies report having higher work engagement and a low turnover rate — the exact things any company wants. As many top employees have demanded full compliance with one way of working (such as coming back to the office or tendering their resignation), offering employees flexibility to work in the way that best suits their personal lives may be the key to winning over those who have the option to sign with anyone.

What’s the secret to staying ahead of the curve in the world of AI? Information. Luckily, you can join 1,000,000+ early adopters reading The Rundown AI — the free newsletter that makes you smarter on AI with just a 5-minute read per day.

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A bio-hacking startup called the Los Angeles Project is working on genetically modifying animals to be sold as made-to-order pets.

The Unique Take: Co-founder Dr. Josiah Zayner is an infamous figure in the bio-hacking world, executing some very risky experiments with CRISPR technology to push the boundaries of gene editing. While the Los Angeles Project is seemingly another stunt, it could find a willing clientele among those who love exotic pets (more people than you might think).

Behind the Pens: The Los Angeles Project wants to make pets like glow-in-the-dark rabbits, hypoallergenic cats, and even fabled creatures like unicorns and dragons.

Here’s how the startup is trying to make that happen:

Final Order: Zayner told Wired that he thinks, “as a human species, it’s kind of our moral prerogative to level up animals,” while co-founder Cathy Tie (a former Thiel Fellow) said that the startup hopes to make animals “more complex and interesting and beautiful and unique.” That sounds a bit like Dr. John Hammond in Jurassic Park. Still, Andy Weissman of Union Square Ventures, who personally invested in the startup, said that people will think it’s crazy because “you’re trying to convince people to come into a reality that doesn’t yet exist.”

That may be valid… but let’s make a public promise to stay away from velociraptors, okay?

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86% of you voted Yes in Friday’s poll: Are you a James Bond fan?

“In 1965, a buddy in Nam was sent a care package from his mom with several Fleming Bond books in it. He shared them with me. The first film Dr. No was playing at the base theater in 1967. I’ve been hooked on the books and movies ever since.”

“James Bond has from the first movie been an icon of cool, coupled with the cloak-and-dagger worlds of MI6, the CIA, and Mossad.”

“Love ‘em. Seen all during my lifetime. Gone back and watched most of the ones before my time.”

“The only good Bond movies were back when they were B-grade schlock with ridiculous premises, such as The Living Daylights and Moonraker. Pulling off a wetsuit to reveal a full three-piece tux. Flying hats with bladed brims. Strongman opponents whose superhero powers were, apparently, having braces. Modern Bond movies are boringly serious.”

“Boring, sexist, and dated. Bond is a yawn.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join our Poll Of The Day newsletter, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

🤖 OpenAI discovered that Beijing had co-opted its tech to build a propaganda tool.

🧐 The Federal Trade Commission has opened a public inquiry into whether tech platforms “censor” speech.

₿ The SEC is set to allow crypto startup Figure Markets to offer an interest-bearing stablecoin.

🤨 X is allegedly leveraging Elon Musk’s political clout to squeeze better-term deals from advertisers.

📱 YouTube is testing a cheaper version of its ad-free YouTube Premium tier.

🤳 Substack is pushing in the chips on publishing and monetization tools for videos on its platform.

😎 A$AP Rocky has been named Ray-Bans Studios’ first creative director.

👕 A European startup called Reju may have figured out a way to recycle polyester.

📉 End of an era, we guess: Forever 21 and Hooters are both planning to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.