Transcript 0:00 Hey, we're Nick and Jack, hosts of The Best One Yet. Behind every episode, there's research, emails, spreadsheets, and our shared Google Doc, the Headline Hammer. 0:07 With Google Workspace with Gemini, Google's AI is built right into the premium versions of tools we already use, like Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. No new tools or extra logins, just personalized AI for the way we work. 0:18 That means less time on the work around the work, and more time finding the stories worth talking about. Get AI tools for work. Upgrade to Google Workspace with Gemini at goo.gle/workspacewithgemini. 0:30 That's goo.gle/workspacewithgemini. Wheelhouse DNA. [upbeat music] Hi, everyone. 0:42 My name is Bolade Kolade, and welcome to The Future Forecast, a podcast where we explore the intersection between business, technology, and entertainment. 0:51 If you don't know me, I'm the co-founder and president of The Future Party, which is a community-based media company for creative professionals. 0:57 We have a daily newsletter where we talk about culture and technology, and we host a ton of different events across the country. 1:03 And I'm the co-founder and CEO of Crosstick Studios here in Los Angeles, a Gen Z media company built by Gen Z for Gen Z. 1:10 At The Future Party, we are so proud of the business and the community we've built, so we had the idea to create this show to dissect and explain some of the most interesting stories. Today, we're looking ahead. 1:20 We're gonna talk about a new college aimed at teaching content creators, Paramount's looming acquisition, and how Gen Z wants to work for themselves. But first, let's catch up. 1:29 Should we just acknowledge that I'm in New York, and we got Chris just, like, living that hotel life? Living the hotel life. That is actually really great to point out. 1:38 Um, I'm a- I'm actually super stoked because, um, we kicked off the pod with us in the studio, and now this week you're in New York, and then I'm gonna be in Florida next week, and we're just gonna do it. 1:53 Like, doesn't matter where we are, we'll connect, and, uh, how's New York? Uh, it's great. It's not as cold as I thought it was gonna be. Yeah. So we're, we're fighting the good fight. Everyone's happy. 2:06 New Yorkers are definitely loud and provoce, as you would imagine, as ever. I do like that you said that, like, we will not let anything get in our way. 2:16 For anyone wondering, I, I, I like to, like, kinden both Boye and I to being, like, the US Postal Service. [laughs] You know, through rain, sleet, snow, we'll be there, week to week. It's guaranteed. 2:29 We won't let you down. [laughs] So let's dive in. A lot of fun news, a lot of things happening in the world to talk about. First and foremost, the social media Ivy League. What do we mean by that? 2:43 So Whalar, a local, by local I mean LA not New York, social media-focused talent management company, is launching a physical school called The Lighthouse. 2:54 Uh, it's gonna focus on teaching digital content creation to its students. 2:58 Basically, they have two locations that they're going to be opening up, one in Venice, California, and the other in Brooklyn, New York, uh, with another campus opening in London in 2025. 3:13 We actually know the founder behind this, so I think it's gonna be an interesting conversation. 3:19 But Neil, uh, he's the co-founder of Whalar, he says that he hopes The Lighthouse will present a more formal approach to becoming a content creator, and just like college, The Lighthouse will offer a four-year program for its students costing around 5,800 per year. 3:38 What do you think? I'm really hopeful for this. I, I think that it's a phenomenal idea. I definitely back it and support. I'm somewhat on the fence on is, are they really going to build a curriculum? 3:51 What does that look like? People signing up for four years, especially as a creator? Yeah. 3:57 I don't know how realistic it is to see someone tune in month to month to month as they're building their following and not leave the experience if they get big enough. That's, that's interesting. 4:11 If it's four years, how do you hold them down if they blow up in year one? And maybe you can't, right? 4:17 You, you can go to college, and then you can drop out of college, right, and become Bill Gates or Zuckerberg overnight. 4:24 So maybe it's a non-issue, potentially, more of an issue for the institution than it is for the, the creator themselves. 4:31 But I feel like if they're getting value from it, they will still stick around at the end of the day. 4:38 Um, but I, I would assume, I'm hopeful that people get huge, whether it's in year one or year four, because that proves that the program- Is working... yeah, is, is working. 4:49 What's interesting too is I know there are colleges that are starting to create curriculums for creators, and I actually wonder if something like this goes toe-to-toe with them. 5:02 And we've talked about, you know, things like creator camps and, and, and whatnot before, but why would I go to Yale's creator program, I'm just theoretically putting that out there, when I could go to The Lighthouse's creator curriculum in the heart of LA, 5:20 network with these people, have the facilities ready to go, and, and start to take meetings and meet with the very people who are going to grow my own business? 5:30 So I actually think it's quite interesting as maybe an alternative to going to actual school in a day and age where several years ago people used to want to be, what, astronauts, right? Or doctors. Yeah. 5:48 And now kids genuinely want to become content creators. So I actually find it interesting, and I, I, I toured the space, you toured the space. 5:58 One other thing that I find interesting too, and I actually reached out to Neil about this because When I first went, my thought process was, "Oh, they're building the next NeueHouse or Soho House." Yeah. 6:09 You know, in fact, they've actually brought on former executives at NeueHouse, at Soho House, and, um, at YouTube as well. So they've got a stacked team, and the space is beautiful. 6:26 It's, like, super close to the Venice sign in Venice, and I thought it was gonna be a social club. And so it is actually quite interesting. 6:34 I'm sure there will be social club-esque elements, that the idea is really trying to create the next generation of creators or empowering creators that might need the support. And then you're kinda creating real value. 6:48 It's not like a social, like, I'm just wanna be seen or be seen. You know, you're actually creating value that people want to pay for. That, that's what I think in practice it'll actually ultimately be. Yeah. 6:59 I think the, the idea of having a full curriculum and being a university is a phenomenal idea, but it might just be more the anchor of this s- the sales pitch. Uh, uh, and it really ultimately just becomes a community. 7:14 I think that's the best version of it. I'd be curious to know how, like, how many creators fit in this addressable market that might want to utilize something like this. And I do think Neil and his team are smart. 7:29 For example, they have Colin and Samir as part of their creator council. 7:33 So if he can get popular creators to endorse and be supportive and have access, I think those sort of up-and-coming junior creators will, will want that mentorship. 7:45 You know, and they will want to join, because by affiliation, they can actually also get into those circles. And who knows? 7:52 Maybe people like King Bach will become, like, professors in this sort of school, or Josh Richards even. I think that'd be actually hilarious. Yeah. That, that, I definitely agree with you. 8:04 That's definitely something that is ripe for the taking if someone seizes the moment and really wants to do it. I'm still waiting on a MrBeast YouTube camp, if I'm being honest. Like, that to me is... 8:16 Who wouldn't go to that university? I'm, I would maybe sign up for that, TBH. [static sound] Okay, so Paramount- Your alma mater. My alma mater. 8:27 Paramount may be selling their majority stake to Skydance Media, which- Whoa. Yes, super interesting. 8:36 So after fighting tooth and nail to keep control of Paramount in 2016, Shari Redstone, she may be ready to actually sell that stake to Skydance. 8:46 Paramount has been in an interesting position over the last couple of years. Uh, they recently sold publisher Simon & Schuster and the MMA league Bellator. They're trying to keep up with giants like Netflix and Max. 9:03 Uh, their stock has been down, and now the rumor mill is saying that they might be looking for a sale. So why Skydance? One, Skydance, uh, through David Ellison, has had a long relationship with Paramount. 9:18 They've bankrolled a lot of productions, like Mission Impossible, so on and so forth. 9:24 And David Ellison is rumored to be partnering with RedBird Capital in order to purchase not just Paramount Global, but actually National Amusements, which is Shari's holding company that owns 80% voting control in Paramount. 9:45 And it's a very unique deal. It's worth the conversation, and that is the buzzy news. This is huge. What, Fox going to Disney, Paramount selling to... 9:56 I don't wanna call Skydance a mini major, but Skydance is a mini major, right? That's- Yeah. Paramount is the major in this situation. Here comes Skydance. 10:04 Not trying to downplay all of the great accomplishments that they've done, but that's Skydance really throwing its proverbial member on the table and saying, "Hey, I'm coming to play." Yeah. Wow. 10:17 Yeah, I think it's- Do you- Go ahead. Not to say that you ever saw it coming, but do you think that, like, Paramount was always set up for this type of situation? 10:28 I think that it's interesting because people had speculated ever since Shari took over that her goal would probably be a sale. I think that's what makes this deal extremely unique. 10:43 Because David and RedBird, they're only buying 10% of the value of Paramount for 80% of the control, which is kind of unique when you, when you think about it. So you think that that's a fuck you? It's gotta be... 11:01 I mean, that's... How do you not take that as the biggest "Fuck you, I'm out. Figure it out"? Yeah. I think, I think the question though is, why? You know? 11:09 Because it's not necessarily, like, she's getting out, but is it, is it a big win for her, right? Uh, to me, this is almost like a loss. 11:18 Like, I, I kinda just feel like maybe she's tired because the stock didn't perform the way that she wanted it, and she's not having someone buying the 10 billion-plus value of Paramount. 11:33 They're only buying, you know, her portion of the control. I don't know. Maybe there's some greater, um, shifts happening that we are unaware of. The Redstones are filthy rich. 11:45 That's why I'm thinking, like, maybe she's just over it. I do think that it's really interesting that this news has leaked. 11:52 Right now, David and RedBird are the only buyers, but I could see that more will come out of the woodwork now that they truly know that Paramount is up for sale. 12:03 And so maybe, maybe the c- the cost of these assets will go up. You know, that's possible. But also I think, too, like, it could be strategic. 12:11 Like, when you think of the, the shifts happening right now in the streaming world, Paramount is really in last place, and it sucks 'cause I actually love a lot of Paramount shows. 12:24 Like, I watch Survivor and, uh, Amazing Race is low-key a guilty pleasure of mine. It's definitely the end of a time in media, for sure. 12:34 W- I, I personally believe that we're going through, we're about to go through a major consolidation. I don't know exactly how much that looks like. 12:43 I think we've started it a little bit with Disney buying Fox, but with so many streaming platforms out there, 12:50 I have to believe that we're at the beginning of subscription platforms either just spending a significant amount of money to try to, like, continue to survive or a couple being bought out or, or merging with a couple others. 13:05 [gentle music] Hey, we're Nick and Jack, hosts of The Best One Yet. Behind every episode, there's research, emails, spreadsheets, and our shared Google Doc, the Headline Hammer. 13:15 With Google Workspace with Gemini, Google's AI is built right into the premium versions of tools we already use, like Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. No new tools or extra logins, just personalized AI for the way we work. 13:26 That means less time on the work around the work, and more time finding the stories worth talking about. Get AI tools for work. Upgrade to Google Workspace with Gemini at goo.gle/workspacewithgemini. 13:38 That's goo.gle/workspacewithgemini. [gentle music] [static] This next topic might have, uh, some implications with the prior two that we talked about, but Gen Z wants to work for themselves. 13:54 And so according to a recent survey from Meta, one out of three Gen Z-ers age 16 through 26 say that the best way to build wealth is to be self-employed. 14:05 Obviously, since the people surveyed are young enough to not have entered the workforce yet, this data can be looked at as more of an opinion than a fact, but it is really interesting that a third of Gen Z feel like the only way to make money is to be their own boss. 14:21 I definitely am one, uh, to believe that, and I definitely echo that that's a fact. 14:26 Just to talk about my personal experience, I remember representing and working with so many talent that were working on or creating content for Musical.ly and then TikTok. 14:36 It felt like I had witnessed so many talent basically turn multimillionaires overnight. So, I mean, I'm biased. I, I work with Josh Richards, who is Gen Z and runs his own business. I think I really believe that. 14:50 I think that that's true. Who also wants to work for other people? Well, I think it, it depends, and I think it's probably a byproduct of the time as well, right? 15:01 Because they're essentially rejecting a lot of previous generations' attitudes about traditional career models. 15:08 I think since World War II, it's just been work your way up the corporate ladder, and I, I think we're, we're also giving Gen Z maybe a little too much credit. 15:19 I feel like millennials were very much and are very much driven and entrepreneurial. 15:26 I think maybe they're just looking at the timeline of their lives and they're asking themselves, like, "Is it worth entering the workforce or can I be an entrepreneur?" 15:37 But, but then I ask what is an entrepreneur for them? Is it just being a creator or is it actually, like, building businesses? Is it both? I don't have that answer. Also, I, I, I love the commentary. 15:48 Millennials, millennials are smart, too. We fought a good fight. Spoken like a true millennial, I think- Yeah... many would say. Represent. I think many would. [laughs] We're not, we're not, uh, vengeful at all. 16:01 Given that we've talked about the building of a new university, we're talking about the end of, of a legacy or the potential end of a legacy with a dynasty like, like Paramount. 16:13 I saw an interesting anecdote specifically around the undergraduate enrollment over time from the span of, like, 2018 to 2022. 16:23 It was a, it was a study that I believe was done by, uh, the National Student, uh, Clearinghouse- Okay... Research Center, and it basically had said in 2018, the enrollment was 16.6 million. 16:37 By 2020, it was at fif- 15.9, and to see that it's now gone to 2022 at 15 million, I think that's a 16:48 scary notion or that's, that's a scary idea to think that people more and more are not enrolling in university because it's just something to think about how much value is the university system to date really providing for kids as they get out of u- uh, get out of college. 17:05 'Cause you're not being placed in the workforce. Jobs are harder and harder to get now more than ever. So really, what does university provide other than almost a safe backdrop for learning to become an adult? 17:19 I think you're right that ultimately I f- I feel, and maybe we'll look back on this in the next decade and we'll ask about the US collegiate system and what took place and transpired in the sense of it almost feels like an obstructed system where you cannot move ahead without a degree, but the degree doesn't necessarily guarantee that you'll even get those opportunities, but then you're saddled with a lifetime of debt, and it's almost this, like, weird slave system, where to enter the j- the workforce, you have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and then spend the rest of your life working off those hundreds of thousands of dollars and maybe retire And maybe not. 18:16 I think probably Gen Z is learning from the millennial generation, and probably seeing, like, why should I go to school when I could be doing something totally different than what I went to school for? 18:32 I have a question for you before we move on. If you were to just have graduated, would you, would you do it differently? Like, would you... 18:40 Do you appreciate the sort of corporate path that you took, or do you feel like you'd be in Gen Z's shoes and you would be like, "No, I'm gonna, like, carve my own path and do my own thing"? 18:51 I can a- I'll answer this in two parts, and I love this question. I love this question so much. 18:56 If I graduated high school, if I could do it all over again, knowing what I know now, I would leverage my youth to immediately submerge myself into the workforce and work for someone for as dirt cheap as possible at the highest level to learn from them. 19:12 That's what I'd do, end stop. If I went to university, I would be focused on leveraging the network of the university or the individuals around me to test and plot my own business. 19:28 I was very fortunate to go to UCLA, and it was so s- it's so sad walking the s- walking the halls of the university now and going, "Wow, the library had so many resources to it." 19:41 Or just being enamored and actually interested and curious about the knowledge that you can garner from some of these places. Yeah. Now, 19:50 knowing how important it is, whereas when you're at that point in time and at that age, you think you're gonna live forever. You just don't think of it the same way. I, at least I didn't. Yeah. 20:03 No, I think, I think that, that, those are some good answers. What would you do? I think I would do it, what I've done similar but better. 20:10 So against the backdrop of this idea of, like, wanting to work for yourself, sure, but there's so much you can learn from other people. You know, I, I would say w- use time to your advantage. 20:23 Whether you go to college or not, spend a handful of years working for someone else who's done it. Uh, working in a corporation, learn the skills, learn how to properly send an email and CC somebody. Like, lear- [laughs] 20:41 Like, it, it's- [laughs] It's, it's laughable, but it's so true. Like, I feel like people don't really understand till you're, like, in the rigamarole of being in the position. 20:53 And so I'm pro, like, you know, work your way up a couple of years before taking the leap, 'cause working for yourself is, is hard. 21:03 But I think- I only, I only laugh, I only laugh because it reminds me of a time when I worked at CAA, and you mentioned CC, and I just remember not knowing every single CC group. 21:16 And I just remember e- doing an email for client avails and typed in all CC. [laughs] Oh, man. And then it was just an email that blasted out, essentially, to the entire company. [laughs] That's hilarious. Oh, yeah. 21:33 You gotta make those mistakes, but just what a funny moment in time when you're, you know. Yeah, yeah, so that's why you still work for someone, so you don't do that. Or you do it in a safe space. How about that? 21:45 It's about that time. You know what time it is. It's Hot Take time. [air horn] Hot Take time. It's that time where we discuss our hot takes. 21:57 Chris and I will pick a prediction, whether it's near or far, and we'll keep tally of who was right or wrong. Uh, so for today, Chris, I'm gonna kick it to you. What is your hot take? 22:12 So in honor of us coming to the new year, and the idea that new products are gonna be coming out with CES right around the corner, 22:24 I thought that I would kick off our predictions with a hot, fast, and loose-from-the-hip take. Ooh. Okay. 22:34 Apple, as we all know, or if you don't know, has announced that they are coming out with their new headsets, their new AR headsets, Q1. They s- I think believe February is when that's going to roll out. 22:50 And this is really hard for me to say, 'cause who wants to be wrong? But I think that this is gonna be a flop. I think that people, given that it's Apple, will buy headsets. 23:01 If anyone was going to make the headsets cool, it would be Apple, but I just don't see it happening in this iteration. And so I'm going to say nay to the headset for 2024. 23:17 We will see mid-sales, and a lot of hype, and a lot of conversation around marketing, but no real application or the Oregon taking this year. 23:31 That is a bold, hot prediction, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens, 'cause I think, I think this- You look forward to seeing me being right? I, I, I hope that you're wrong. [laughs] More so- I do too. 23:47 I do too... more so in an altruistic, like, like, we've been talking about VR for literally, like, a decade. There've been companies to rise and fall, and if anyone were to get it right, it would be Apple. 24:02 And- I completely agree... you know? But I, I, I could see both sides. Well, let me, let me throw you my hot take. I feel like mine has nothing to do with tech, but, uh, recently, the, uh- Okay... 24:15 Golden Globes just announced their nominations, and I think the biggest thing to note is- I feel like the Golden Globes is single-handedly keeping Barbenheimer alive because Oppenheimer got eight nominations and Barbie got nine nominations. 24:32 And so I'm expecting to see the memes over the next couple of weeks through the awards season. That is not my hot take, though. My hot take is that Barbie will sweep the awards. For me, it's- Can we- hold on. 24:47 Yeah Can we clarify sweep? 'Cause how, how many does one need to win in order for it to be a sweep? Because I, I don't need to debate with you, "Oh, Barbie won two awards. It was a sweep. Boye's prediction's right." 25:00 Like, no. You don't, you don't get to just say it and then, like, if, if Margot wins. [laughs] Like, like, come on. Yeah. Like, like, stop it. 25:07 I think, I think that's a good point, but I was gonna go by winning more awards than they were nominated for, or, like, a greater percentage, right? So if, if Barbie was nominated for nine, which is the most- Yeah... 25:20 I would argue to say that sweeping would be five. I would consider that sweeping. Yeah, agreed. All right. Thank you, Chris. Uh, hope you enjoy New York. I'll keep chilling here in LA. 25:35 Okay, y'all, so subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, rate and review, and find us on socials. You can check them out in the show notes. Uh, we'll catch you next week. 25:44 The Future Forecast is produced by Wheelhouse DNA for Acast. Our executive producers are me, Boye Kolade, along with Fanny Baudry, Cassie Berman, and Leah Sutherland. Our audio producer is Chiara Noni. 25:57 Our audio engineer is Matthew Blocka. Our editor is Nick Kursumi. The podcast is hosted by yours truly, Boye Kolade, and Chris Sawtelle. Thanks for listening, and see you next time. 26:08 [outro music] Hey, we're Nick and Jack, hosts of The Best One Yet. Behind every episode, there's research, emails, spreadsheets, and our shared Google Doc, the Headline Hammer. 26:21 With Google Workspace with Gemini, Google's AI is built right into the premium versions of tools we already use, like Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. No new tools or extra logins, just personalized AI for the way we work. 26:32 That means less time on the work around the work, and more time finding the stories worth talking about. Get AI tools for work. Upgrade to Google Workspace with Gemini at goo.gle/workspacewithgemini. 26:43 That's goo.gle/workspacewithgemini. This show is brought to you by The Future Party and Crossix Studios, produced by Chris Sawtelle, Boye Kolade, and Paul York. 26:55 Special shout-out to our production team, Araceli Rubalcava, Max Goolen, Shannon Klein, and Eli Tafur.
