Influencer Mode

PRESENTED BY MODE MOBILE

Happy Friday, Future Party. We’ve officially crossed a new milestone in society’s autonomous revolution — driverless cars can now be ticketed in California. Starting July 1st, police officers can issue “notice of AV noncompliance” tickets to AV companies when one of their vehicles breaks the law on the road. It’d be 10x funnier if a cop could actually pull an AV over and toss a ticket through the driver-side window.

The Kelce brothers’ New Heights podcast is the first show to put Amazon’s fresh podcasting ambitions to the test — building “mini worlds” around celebrity hosts.

The Big Picture: After acquiring Wondery for $300 million, Amazon torched the influential podcast network just a few years later, stunning the industry. In its place, a new department focused on video podcasts — “Creator Services” — has risen from the ashes. Its mission is to turn any media star into an ecosystem for both entertainment and e-commerce.

Behind The Portals: New Heights — which Wondery signed to a three-year, $100 million deal in 2024 — has expanded in new directions.

Mic Check: Essentially, Creator Services-built landing pages are monetization goldmines, treating hosts like A-list stars who can move anything they’re associated with — whether it’s an honest-to-God rec or a more transactional sponsorship. Considering Amazon’s roster includes LeBron James, Keke Palmer, and Dax Shepard, that’s a safe bet.

Next Episode: Expect Amazon to expand the idea behind Creator Services across its other entertainment divisions, including stars of Prime Video shows and top gamers on Twitch.

Apple just quietly added Starlink satellite support to iPhones through iOS 18.3.

One of the biggest potential winners? Mode Mobile.

Mode’s EarnPhone already reaches 490M+ users who have earned over $1B — and that’s before global satellite coverage. With SpaceX eliminating “dead zones,” Mode’s earning technology can now reach billions more in unbanked and rural populations worldwide.

Their global expansion is perfectly timed, and investors still have a chance to participate in their pre-IPO offering at $0.50 per share.

With 32,481% revenue growth and a newly reserved Nasdaq ticker, Mode is one step closer to a potential IPO.

Tap into a $1T opportunity — invest now at $0.50 per share and receive up to a 20% bonus.

^{_{*Please read the offering circular and related risks at invest.modemobile.com. This is a paid advertisement for Mode Mobile’s Regulation A+ Offering. Mode Mobile recently received its ticker reservation with Nasdaq ($MODE), indicating an intent to IPO in the next 24 months. An intent to IPO is no guarantee that an actual IPO will occur. The Deloitte rankings are based on submitted applications and public company database research, with winners selected based on their fiscal-year revenue growth percentage over a three-year period.}}

Young startup founders are increasingly feeling pressure to double as viral ambassadors for their companies.

Why It Hits: Building a company is already hard, so becoming a bona fide influencer adds another layer of difficulty — and pulls founders away from their core job of actually getting a startup off the ground. Still, many founders in their 20s say “building in public” has become the new expectation for growing a customer base and attracting investment.

Behind The Lens: Founders aren’t just learning how to market their product on social media — they’re learning how to market themselves, according to Insider.

Final Edit: Going viral has become so ingrained in startup culture that VC firm Andreessen Horowitz even launched A16z New Media to help founders craft a social presence. A16z partner Lester Chen says going viral online “might not close the deal, but it gets a foot in the door.”

Then it’s up to founders to earn their place by demonstrating their product’s utility and their company’s path to monetization — in other words, not letting fleeting virality define the business.

Next Post: It’s only a matter of time until someone creates a Shark Tank for the social-media generation — with all the pitches delivered via short-form video.

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44.4% of you voted No, and I don’t plan to use AI for that in yesterday’s poll: Have you ever used an AI tool to research a product before buying it (online or in-store)?

“To me, this would be like trusting Google to return the best options instead of those that paid to be at the front of the queue. I’m just not sure I’d trust it for that.”

“I think brands will start paying to have their products rank higher in recommendation lists, just like Google searches.”

“I’d rather read reviews and search the website myself — AI isn’t fully accurate… and while I hate in-store try-ons, that’s really the only way to know if something fits as it should.”

“If you’re shopping online or browsing the web, you’re most likely using an AI tool — whether you realize it or not.”

“The more information you have, the better.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join Poll Of The Day, 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.

🍿 Michael opened to $217 million at the worldwide box office — the biggest debut ever for a biopic.

🏌️ LIV Golf is set to lose funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund next season.

🖼️ George Lucas’ Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in LA has unveiled its first exhibitions ahead of its September opening.

🏨 Uber will now let you book hotels directly on the platform through a new deal with Expedia.

🛑 The US Senate has passed a unanimous resolution banning members from trading on prediction markets.

👨‍🏭 Palantir is stepping into literal blue-collar fashion.

🎓 TikTok is rolling out “Campus Hub,” a feature with dedicated group chats and feeds for colleges. Sounds a bit like the OG Facebook…

📱 Patreon is jumping into the short-form video fray with a new feature called “Quips.”

👀 Meta has threatened to go dark in New Mexico if the state forces it to adopt sweeping child-safety measures — including restrictions on end-to-end encryption for minors, stricter age verification, and detecting up to 99% of new child sex-abuse content on its platforms.