Who We Are
An impact studio
We work with organizations, brands & creatives to experiment with strategy and produce the media for having an impact.
Our Work
Latest Projects
Our thesis: the purpose of our independent spirit is to tackle the stories we’re uniquely able to tell. For us, that’s been at the intersection of economics, history and philosophy.
As we continue to grow and develop, we expand what makes us unique, and therefore, what stories we’re able to share.
EconNerds: The Crisis Industrial Complex
Client: Econ Nerds
Climate change, police violence, immigrant crime, maternal mortality—are these actual crises or just exaggerated narratives? In this episode of Econ Nerds, we put the data to the test and audit the numbers behind the headlines. There’s a surprising pattern: the reality is far less catastrophic than the rhetoric.
EconNerds: Can You Put a Price on Life? Yes.
Client: Econ Nerds
How do we address risk in public policy? What is the value of a statistical life (VSL)—and why does the government put a price on life? In this episode of Econ Nerds, we tackle one of the most important issues in public policy: comparing risks and making tradeoffs when lives are on the line. Why are people so bad at judging risk? And how did economists build tools that help policymakers make better decisions?
The Hustle: Why Kroger’s $2.6B Automation Bet Failed
Client: HubSpot - The Hustle
Why did Pepsi Max become a zero‑sugar phenomenon across Europe, but flop in the U.S.?
In this video, we break down how a single ingredient, a decade‑long FDA delay, and a series of branding missteps turned Pepsi’s most promising product into America’s most confusing soda. From Pepsi Max to Pepsi One to Diet Pepsi Max to today’s Pepsi Zero Sugar, you’ll see how policy, leadership mandates, and muddled positioning created a “multiverse” of colas where the same idea dominated in Norway and Sweden… and barely registered in the U.S.
EconNerds: The Wild Medieval Confession Trick that Actually Worked
Client: Econ Nerds
Trial by ordeal wasn’t medieval madness—it was a surprisingly clever solution to information asymmetry. We laugh when Monty Python mocks scientifically illiterate peasants (and overconfident nobles) in The Holy Grail’s brilliant witch trial scene. But what if medieval justice wasn’t pure superstition?
EconNerds: China is Lying About Its Economy
Client: Econ Nerds
Is China overstating its GDP? China’s official GDP numbers don’t quite add up—and economists are playing detective. In this Econ Nerds episode, we dig into research that challenges China’s reported economic data. Why do Chinese households appear to consume far less than their income suggests? Are the numbers wrong—or are we missing something?
The Hustle: Why Europe’s Favorite Soda Flopped in America
Client: HubSpot - The Hustle
Why did Pepsi Max become a zero‑sugar phenomenon across Europe, but flop in the U.S.?
In this video, we break down how a single ingredient, a decade‑long FDA delay, and a series of branding missteps turned Pepsi’s most promising product into America’s most confusing soda. From Pepsi Max to Pepsi One to Diet Pepsi Max to today’s Pepsi Zero Sugar, you’ll see how policy, leadership mandates, and muddled positioning created a “multiverse” of colas where the same idea dominated in Norway and Sweden… and barely registered in the U.S.
EconNerds: Three Myths about Inequality and the Data that Destroys Them
Client: Econ Nerds
Everyone “knows” inequality is getting worse. Everyone “knows” it’s one of the biggest problems of our time. And almost everyone is wrong—at least about why. In this Econ Nerds episode, we walk through three inequality myths that refuse to die, even as the data keeps contradicting them.
The Hustle: Can This Startup Bring Back American Manufacturing?
Client: HubSpot - The Hustle
For most of the 20th century, America’s manufacturing dominance fueled its global dominance, but after the 1970s offshoring wave, that advantage shifted overseas and innovation inevitably followed. Now, as the US aims to rebuild its industrial base, The Hustle is hitting the production floor at SendCutSend to find out: Can a startup like this actually bring production — and innovation — back to the US?
The Hustle: The Real Reason Starbucks is Closing Stores
Client: HubSpot - The Hustle
What looks like a pullback is a $1B reset: menu trimmed, workflows rebuilt, and cafés “uplifted” to revive the third place. Inside Brian Niccol’s plan, Starbucks is shrinking to grow, trading pure speed for spaces where people linger, connect, and — yes — spend. If drive‑thrus and mobile orders turned cafés into pickup points, this strategy aims to make them human again.
Rainbow Rider
Rainbow Rider follows Shelle Lichti, an outspoken lesbian truck driver hauling freight across the country in her eponymous and iconic rainbow big-rig. With her chihuahua sidekick in tow, Shelle encounters the joys of the open road, grumpy dispatchers, and lots of middle fingers sent in her direction.
EconNerds: Why is the Housing Market Frozen?
Client: Econ Nerds
Why does the U.S. housing market feel broken? Interest rates are high, transaction volume is low, and everyone is worried about affordability.
The vibes aren’t wrong: home sales have collapsed while prices stay stubbornly high. How can a market be terrible for both buyers and sellers at the same time? In this episode of Econ Nerds, we walk through the real economic forces behind the “locked-in” housing market—using Matt’s own (possibly demon-possessed) house as a case study.
The Hustle: Why America is Running out of CO₂
Client: HubSpot - The Hustle
Host Caya explores the critical role of CO₂ in the food service industry and how changes across the economy and regulatory landscape is putting this scarce commodity in a pinch.
EconNerds: The Real Culprit Behind the Great Depression
Client: Econ Nerds
What really caused the worst economic catastrophe of the 20th century? One country’s monetary policy deserves a large share of the blame. In this episode of Econ Nerds, we break down how the return to the gold standard after World War I helped set the stage for the Great Depression—and how one nation’s monetary policy decisions pushed the entire world into deflation, economic collapse, and social turmoil.
The Hustle: Why Piracy is Making a Comeback
Client: HubSpot - The Hustle
Fragmentation, price hikes, password crackdowns, ad tiers, and shrinking libraries pushed visits to piracy sites from 130B in 2020 to 216B in 2024 — a 66% surge. In this episode, host Claudia Ayuso tracks how Netflix went from the legal alternative to the trigger point, why modern illegal sites now rival legit platforms on UX, and how a $75B annual leak is the industry’s self‑inflicted pain.
EconNerds: The 70 Year Old Economic Theory That Predicted Europe’s Populist Wave
Client: Econ Nerds
Populist parties are reshaping European politics, and some elites chalk that up to voters being misinformed or bigoted. But a simple model based on Econ 101—the median voter theorem—might explain far more.
In this episode, we revisit Hotelling’s Law (why ice cream vendors cluster in the middle of the beach) and see how it applies to political competition. Economist Laurenz Guenther’s research shows Europe’s politicians are out of step with the public, especially on immigration—and that gap is reshaping democracy.
The Hustle: The Real Reason Hemp Hasn’t Replaced Cotton
Client: HubSpot - The Hustle
In 1938, Popular Mechanics called hemp "the new billion-dollar crop," but almost 100 years later, it doesn't seem to have caught on. Host Caya explores the answer.
Shoot, Shovel & Shut Up
The Clifford family hopes to start a new life by selling their dilapidated, impoverished farm. But when the discovery of an endangered bird on the property threatens to collapse the sale, the son Andy must decide whether to make the bird’s presence known or to shoot, shovel, and shut up.
EconNerds: The Bombshell Theory that Explains Love Island
Client: Econ Nerds
In this episode of Econ Nerds, economist Jadrian Wooten dives into the drama of coupling up, recoupling, and bombshells to reveal how it all connects to a famous puzzle in economics: the stable marriage problem.
The Hustle: How Nescafé Became a Global Coffee Brand
CLIENT: The Hustle, HubSpot
Host Noelle Medina explores the origins of Nescafé, its ascent throughout the 20th century, its strategies for conquering the world, and its outlook for Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
EconNerds: Top 5 Product Placements
Client: Econ Nerds
In this episode of Econ Nerds, we’re ranking the greatest product placements of all time and estimating just how much money they were actually worth. We also discuss:
How product placement shifts the demand curve
Why some placements fail while others make history
What brands and marketers can (and can’t) learn from the best examples