👕 Try on this new fashion trend for size

Happy Trends Tuesday!

Today we’ve got:

• 1 trend alert

• 1 piece of operator wisdom

• 1 startup sector you should know about

• 4 tabs we have open

Let's get to it.

🚨 TREND ALERT

We covered 100+ product trends last year and didn’t talk about the apparel industry once (unless you count compression socks, which… no). 

So this one’s for our readers in the clothing space.

Search interest for “acubi fashion” is up across both Google and Pinterest. It’s a new style that sits at the crossroad of minimalism and Y2K (shoutout to our ‘90s kids).

Here are some opportunities to profit from this new fashion fad:

• Thrifted bundles. A lot of interest in this space revolves around thrifting. Which points to an interesting opportunity for personal stylists and clothing boutiques. We’re seeing Etsy & Depop sellers drive traffic using TikTok & Pinterest, and then selling custom acubi bundles.
  
  
• DIY FTW. Acubi fans often discuss DIY-crafting looks, particularly distressed knit tops. Enterprising crafters can ride this wave by selling:
  • Clothing patterns on platforms like Creative Fabrica
  • Courses showing people how to bring their personal styles to life
  • DIY kits for those that want a more “acubi-in-a-box” offering

🎯 HOW TO SCORE YOUR LEADS

🧠 OPERATOR WISDOM

Trendster Patrick Stark co-founded and sold sports nutrition brand Endurance Tap.

At the time of the sale, Endurance Tap had strong D2C channels, product in 1k+ retailers, and was a favorite of several Olympic athletes (including Evan Dunfee).

No biggie. Just another day in the life of a Trendster.

Pat shared eight key lessons from his journey:

1. It’s hard to accomplish goals if you don’t have any. They can change over time, but at any moment, you and your team need to know exactly what you’re working toward. Make them clear and fundamental.
   
   
2. Avoid shiny object syndrome. It’s tempting to jump on great new opportunities. But stay focused on your core strategy. It’s critical.
   
   
3. Do it right the first time. The fast way usually ends up being the hard way. Trying to take a shortcut can create many hours of low-impact work and inferior outcomes.
   
   
4. Always test your assumptions. When you’re so close to your business, the easiest person to fool is yourself. Every business assumption is a hypothesis to be tested, iterated, and tested again.
   
   
5. Don’t mistake urgency for impact. As a founder or leader, you want to spend your time and mental energy on high-impact tasks as much as possible, and delegate the rest. Master telling the difference.
   
   
6. Competence is the best credential. Be wary of self-proclaimed experts. “Performance-based compensation is also a great way to weed out folks who aren’t as competent… as they claim to be,” Pat says.
   
   
7. Have a basic understanding of accounting. Take a course, find online resources, or ask your accountant friends for lessons. Pro tip: Payment terms are often much more negotiable than you think.
   
   
8. Part-time work = part-time results. It’s not always the best idea to leave your full-time job to jump into your side hustle. But be realistic about expectations if you don’t.

🔥 STARTUP SECTOR YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

How much would you pay for a longer life?

Entrepreneurs and investors in the longevity space are betting the answer is “a lot.”

But putting a price on a longer life might test our ethics and strain our society. Is it worth it?

Read more on The Hustle blog.

OPEN TABS

🐝 Buzzword boom: Why can’t we stop coining new terms about the workplace? And do they impact our behavior? Maybe.

🎥 YouTube: Watch this video to see the wacky ways sonic brands are made. 

👀 Undercover ads: Think your favorite show is ad-free? Think again: This database tracks every film, TV show, and music video product placement.

📊 Boss behavior: The data is in and self-employed people are, in fact, happier.

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