Hi all,
We’re back with another edition of GOOD SIGNS — a monthly round-up of 5 letters, looking at what’s bubbling up.
These aren’t trends (yet!). These are signals, patterns, counter-trends. Stuff that’s emerging, continuing, sticking out, or simply what we’re finding interesting in the last month.
This week, we have an exciting development: our first sponsor!
This month’s episodes are sponsored by The Keva Dine Agency.
Keva actually placed Kirsten in a job years ago, so she can vouch firsthand. She’s the recruiter CEOs and CMOs call when culture fit matters as much as the resume. If you’re hiring, or you’re thinking about your next move, Keva’s who you call before you post the job.
Enjoy! And let us know what you think in the comments.
04:24 — LESS IS BECOMING MORE // For years, especially recently, more has been the default. More speed, more growth, more choice, more output. But as things speed up at scale, many are seeing a strategic advantage in a slower, or periodically slow, approach.
Places it’s showing up:
Sézane is looking to slow down and grow up. Proving that speed is a choice.
The sprint is not new to tech, but rest is. Founders are building in rest as work gets faster.
Ditto, a dating app, skips swiping and sends 1 curated single match every Wednesday at 7pm.
Pendulum Swing → Google shows what happens when more means more layers. Jeff Dean had a ChatGPT-like bot years ago, but bureaucracy stifled it. Lean frontier labs are shipping while bigger organizations ask, refine, second-guess, and ultimately struggle in a consensus swamp.
23:36 — TRACKING TO TREATING // We spent the last decade giving people more information. Data was coming out of our eyeballs, driving every decision. But as our ability to collect infinite amounts of data has increased, an alternative take on tech is also emerging: actually just being of service.
Places it’s showing up:
Bobbie launched The Feeding Concierge for new moms’ feeding questions: a 24/7 bespoke AI agent, expert-led virtual circles, and 1:1 consultations.
In the first wave of trackers, the goal was just to get data. Now, MyFitnessPal has introduced an AI nutrition coach to actually help you use what you’ve tracked for long-term benefit.
Dumbo Health, a sleep-focused platform, is offering physician interpretation and hardware. Not just scores.
Pendulum Swing → Sometimes the product should just do the job. So many brands pitch flashy AI creative tools, but the time-saving, tedious-work-reducing AI tools are what teams love most.
32:22 — MADE IN CHINA, WANTED IN CHINA // China’s homegrown brands aren’t simply cheaper alternatives to Western options. They’re winning on performance, cultural fluency, and just coolness. And netizens are deliberately making them a first choice.
Places it’s showing up:
At the Nike ACG Chongli 168 Ultra Trail, 58% of the shoes worn were Kailas Fugas.
In China, Adidas rebranded its TERREX outdoor line as Shanchuanli, which is softer, less rugged, and more attuned to the market.
Pane, a Shanghai-based sneaker brand, did a nice-looking collab with Head.
Pendulum Swing → Maybe it is less about local and more about global appetite. BYD, the Chinese car brand, is gaining speed in the EU and the US. Perception is changing globally.
40:51 — EASY DENSITY // Wellness has spent years asking consumers to optimize and add another thing to the routine. That said, shortcuts aren’t new. But what they are for is. GLP-1s have increased our need for nutrient density. And players are emerging to meet the moment easily.
Places it’s showing up:
PlantChi is a nutritional seasoning, a food topper to get the density up in whatever you’re making.
GLP-1 users struggle to get protein from smaller meals. Clare launched an all-in-one nutritional supplement to tackle it.
In LA, protein water is the rage. Plainspeak is a new entrant. Nutra is another.
Pendulum Swing → Sneakies is sneaking a “full serving” of fruits and vegetables per bag. But that full serving is 5 spinach leaves and half an apple. What counts as dense hasn’t been properly codified.
47:48 — INSTITUTIONS ARE COOL AGAIN // After years of chasing internet-native, emerging, cool challenger brands as a default collaborator set, we are swinging the other way. Suddenly the establishment is interesting again.
Places it’s showing up:
Aritzia and The Juilliard School launched a back-to-school collection. And Bode with Yale School of Music.
Dancer and choreographer Kyle Abraham performed his latest piece in the NYT’s offices.
Greenrow revamped the NY Botanical Garden’s historic Stone Cottage.
Pendulum Swing → Generally, we know that trust in institutions is at an all-time low. The arts (I consider the Botanical Gardens art) seem to be the one area where that’s not true. But if we’re just looking at the letters for a swing, we can see that “old guard” brands, like AARP, are still not getting how to be relevant to their audience.
Letters referenced:
That’s all, folx.
-Chris
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