Cutting Up Hitchcock

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Happy Tuesday, Future Party. One of our favorite little hobbies is keeping track of brands that take the formula, ingredients, or recipe of their products very, very seriously. Whether it’s Coca-Cola with its flagship soda, WD-40 with its lubricant spray, or Raising Cane’s with its secret sauce, each has security protocols better than most museums and allows only a tiny number of top employees to be fully in the know. We’re still hoping someone gets to the bottom of the Krabby Patty secret formula. Arguably, nothing is of greater value.

Demand for shared workspaces is heating up again… but this time, it’s from major corporations expanding their satellite footprints to bring their remote workforce back into the office.

Why It Hits: No one wants to return to the office, especially to the typical, bare-bones satellite locations. In contrast, co-working spaces offer pleasing aesthetics, included perks, and diverse spaces for whatever work needs to be done. By renting them out, companies can both immediately secure the square footage they need to bring workers back en masse and entice them to actually want to come in.

Between The Desks: WeWork walked so these shared-office startups could run, according to The WSJ.

Last Meeting: Between new hybrid-working models and economic uncertainty, many companies are trying to stay flexible with their office footprints… making co-working spaces an attractive option. That has led blue-chip brands like Pfizer, Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Anthropic, and Lyft to embrace them. If they can’t get employees to move back to their official offices, they’re figuring they may as well set up offices closer to them.

Next Visit: Prepare for some companies to seek out unique co-working spaces to not only woo current employees but also pique the interest of potential new ones in the area.

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UK microdrama platform Tattle TV is making legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock’s first major film, The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog, available in vertical mini-episodes.

The Big Picture: Microdrama consumption is starting to skyrocket in the US after years of success in Southeast Asia. Last quarter, downloads of short-form, vertical video apps grew 186% year over year, according to a report by Sensor Tower. It was only a matter of time before premium films and shows found their way onto these apps in a bid to win over new audiences.

Between The Episodes: Classic cinema is coming for Gen Z viewing habits.

Last Chapter: It’s unclear what the demand is among microdrama app users to watch a nearly 100-year-old, black-and-white, silent movie in the same endless-scroll style as a TikTok video. Still, Tattle TV heads Philip McGoldrick and Marina Elderton are bullish, saying it gives people “an interesting introduction to what a vertical is.”

Maybe randomly coming across a three-minute clip of the movie is enough to draw some viewers in. It’s the algorithm in action. But those who don’t feel like paying for individual chapters on Tattle may simply opt to watch it for free on YouTube. It’s legal, after all.

Coming Soon: It’s only a matter of time before studios and streamers start licensing modern projects to microdrama platforms to experiment with a new revenue stream. Trailers are already shown vertically on Instagram and TikTok, after all.

While you were debating if AI would take your job, other people started using it to print money. Seriously.

That's not hyperbole. People are literally using ChatGPT to write Etsy descriptions that convert 3x better. Claude to build entire SaaS products without coding. Midjourney to create designs clients pay thousands for.

The Hustle found 200+ ways regular humans are turning AI into income. Subscribe to The Hustle for the full guide and unlock daily business intel that's actually interesting.

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40.9% of you voted Yes, they know me by name. in yesterday’s poll: Are you a regular at a local neighborhood spot?

“It’s probably because I worked there for three years, but the local hardware store knows me by name. I love stopping in there and talking to the retired guys every once in a while — they have the best stories.”

“The staff signed cute holiday cards for their regulars. I was so happy when I received mine. I grab coffee from them about four times a week.”

“I’m a creature of habit, so I frequent the same haunts often. But as a family man and avid home cook, I’m much more of a regular at my local co-op and farmers market than any of the neighborhood bars.”

“My husband and I love our local spot. We end up there with friends multiple times a week, and the staff members all know us. We should probably branch out more, but there’s something so comforting about being ‘where everybody knows your name.’ :)”

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.

💰 California is still the startup king, with firms in the state accounting for 62% of all VC money last year.

🧊 Google has acquired startup Common Sense Machines, which uses AI to turn 2D images into 3D objects.

🤖 Anthropic is launching several interactive workplace apps directly in a chat with Claude.

🏈 Bad Bunny is collabing with the NFL on a capsule collection featuring his “Sapo Cancho” character in the run-up to the Super Bowl.

🖼️ JOOPITER, Pharrell’s auction house, is putting 25 rare Andy Warhol paintings up for sale. Watch your back, Sotheby’s!

🤑 Gold prices have hit $5,000 an ounce for the first time… meaning people are pretty nervous about the economy.

📱 Fox Entertainment has struck a deal with creator Dhar Mann’s digital studio for a slate of 40 scripted microdramas.

👀 Instagram is working on a paid tier that may show users people who aren’t following them back. That won’t create any drama, right?

🤳 Now that TikTok’s US operations are under new management, alternative apps are getting some fresh attention.