Cody Min (CM) is an NYC-based creative and investor. We know him from his brand and identity work in the DTC space. Here, he shares what is catching his attention lately. Have a great week. -Colin (CJN)
Tell us about yourself. I run Astronaut Monastery, a creative studio servicing clients at the forefront of art, culture, design, commerce, and technology. I also serve as a venture partner with Riverside Ventures, an early-stage VC. I live down in Tribeca with my beautiful and hilarious wife Lydia and am super involved in my local church, Church of the City.
Describe your media diet. It’s an extreme diet, perhaps by choice and perhaps by laziness. Maybe a good thing? I don't know. I don’t really love to get pre-digested views on topics (which is why I’m also not on Twitter). However, the one newsletter I will ALWAYS endorse is The Weekend Reader by Maxwell Anderson. Maxwell takes a topic he’s interested in (weekly), does a deep dive on various views, perspectives, etc, and allows his audience to make decisions for themselves. Trump, Ukraine, Education, etc. It’s fascinating, smart, and takes a subway ride to read. I do also read through Lean Luxe and I pretend to read the Monocle Minute, Term Sheet, and some others, but to be honest, I’m mostly just unsubscribing. What’s the last great book you read? The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. Read this over the end of the year, and even if you aren’t religious, it’s a phenomenal read on why we should slow down, how our culture became so damn busy, and how to live with less. Really changed my perspective and while I’m not perfect at it, it’s really pushed me to try to slow down, be more intentional in conversation, etc.
What are you reading now? Death on the Nile, Agatha Christie. Trying to alternate fiction and non-fiction.
What’s your reading strategy when you pick up a print copy of your favorite publication? I think reading print is a luxury, so if I’m reading print it’s probably because I’m on vacation or on the weekend. I like to skim through to see all the pictures (a habit from my childhood), and then go cover-to-cover. Also having something to drink or a cigar (or both) is always a necessary part of the strategy. Who should everyone be reading that they’re not? Maxwell Anderson, as mentioned above. Also love Keith Mcnally's insane takes on IG and Nassim Taleb, who is sort of the Keith Mcnally of economics (?).
What is the best non-famous app you love on your phone? Not sure if I’m in the minority, but I think the Curb app is awesome. When Uber / Lyft is totally price surged, I will usually book a cab with the Curb app.
Plane or train? Train. Always.
What is one place everyone should visit?
Tulsa, Oklahoma. We’re working with some groups in Tulsa that are building a really impressive innovation and technology ecosystem in Tulsa. While a lot of cities claim to be the next Silicon Valley or Austin, I really believe Tulsa can and will do it. Also some of the best restaurants and cocktails I’ve had (and this is coming from a very stuck-up New Yorker).
Tell us the story of a rabbit hole you fell deep into. Upon further reflection, I think my media diet is mostly centered on a lot of Wikipedia deep dives. I’m going to sound like I'm from the 1960s, but I’m always amazed that you can learn about literally ANYTHING on the internet. Someone will always provide a perspective and about 3 other people to provide contrasting opinions. I love it. My deep dives are usually centered around a random thought like “why is it called a ‘butcher stripe’” (the answer: there were very specific types of stripes that denoted the type of butcher — pinstripes delineated an apprentice from a master butcher, hence the phrase “earn your stripes”). (CM)
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An ongoing partnership where we highlight interesting McKinsey research, writing, and data.
How the fashion industry can get into a metaverse mindset. Shoppers, particularly those in Gen Z, are spending more time online and exploring the possibilities of the metaverse. Here’s what you need to know about this emerging frontier.
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Thanks for reading,
Noah (NRB) & Colin (CJN) & Cody (CM)
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