Jeremy Zimmer’s Hotline Therapy

PRESENTED BY GALACTIC FED

Happy Tuesday, Future Party. Welcome back from the long weekend. Just remember: you’re already starting a day closer to Friday. And if the return to work already has you thinking about your career, former UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer would like you to give him a call. More on that below.

Tesla officially put its autonomous Cybercab on Texas roads… and the controversies are already starting.

The Big Picture: In recent years, Tesla has been through a bit of an identity crisis, neglecting its flagship passenger car business, doubling down on the polarizing Cybertruck, and promising a robot army. But Cybercab seems to represent the company’s vision for the future — one where Tesla’s tech advancements are meant to drive people, not be driven.

Behind The Wheel: Actually, there’s no steering wheel… or pedals… or mirrors.

Final Turn: For now, only about 45 Cybercabs have actually hit the road, bringing Tesla’s statewide robotaxi fleet (mostly Model Ys with Full Self-Driving software) to a total of 420 vehicles. Customers can book a Cybercab via Tesla’s Robotaxi ride-hailing app. The company hopes to boost the number of available vehicles by allowing people to enroll their private cars for use, with plans to soon make Cybercab fleets available for commercial use.

Future Route: Tesla’s Cybercab franchisee model may spark a wave of successful fleet owners known for customizing their vehicles… within legal limits.

People are asking ChatGPT and Claude the same questions they used to type into a search bar, and most brands aren’t showing up yet.

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UTA co-founder and former CEO Jeremy Zimmer has launched a call-in show on Twitch to offer advice to unemployed people.

The Big Picture: Zimmer, who is 68, is joining a roster of Hollywood heavyweights experimenting with the creator economy to control their narrative, provide unfiltered insights, or make some extra income. Moving from CEO of one of Hollywood’s top-three biggest agencies to hosting a Twitch show demonstrates that even white-collar careers can be fodder for becoming an influencer.

Behind The Scenes: Zimmer wants to chat with you about what it’s like to be out of work.

Final Broadcast: Zimmer, who was pushed out of the Hollywood super agency last year, could have seemingly done anything for his next act — taking a producing gig, snagging board seats, starting a boutique consultancy, or finding another CEO position. Or he could’ve just quietly retired and enjoyed life as an entertainment consigliere.

But Zimmer, who championed digital creators and emerging platforms during his leadership tenure, decided that centering his career setback in a social media show wouldn’t just interest him, but an entire industry grappling with mass unemployment. It’s an idea bold enough to become something special.

Coming Soon: Considering all the layoffs in Hollywood right now, Zimmer’s show could become a niche hit… and make the former CEO more accessible to the average entertainment worker than at any other point in his career.

The DTC beauty category is crowded. To break through, Jennifer Aniston’s brand LolaVie, worked with Roku Ads Manager to easily set up, test, and optimize CTV ad creatives. The campaign helped drive a big lift in sales and customer growth, helping LolaVie break through in the crowded beauty category.

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43.4% of you voted Yes, I’ve had a mentor in the past in Friday’s poll: Have you ever had a mentor?

“Officially, no. But unofficially, yes. I followed in her footsteps and then eventually flew off on my own.”

“I have one, but not in the traditional sense. I’m working on a master’s in theology, and I have a ‘mentor pastor’ for oversight and to experience through him how difficult the vocation is.”

“We had a mentor program at work, but they weren’t super helpful or kept in touch with me afterward.”

“A career mentor was a great foil for confidential discussions about how to deal with ‘difficult’ colleagues.”

“I am a mentor for others now.”

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.

🎙️ The Ringer is in hot water as Bill Simmons keeps tapping AI to generate fake reviews from venerated film critic Roger Ebert.

🏎️ F1 is throwing a live event in Milan in February, featuring live music and entertainment.

🏈 LSU may start recruiting former NFL players to play college football.

🤖 OpenAI says it has potentially achieved AGI with its newest model… just as another swarm of its agents hacked the open internet without the company’s knowledge.

💰 Smart ring startup Oura filed to go public… and it turns out the company is very, very profitable.

📹 As GoPro expands into the defense sector, the company wants you to know that it’s still committed “to your collective stoke.”

💵 Roblox reported that it paid $1.5 billion to creators last year.

🎮 Twitch and Rockstar Games are launching a week dedicated to GTA roleplay gamers later this month.

🧑‍⚖️ A judge has ruled that Twitter.now can’t use the Twitter name… but it can use “tweet.”