Startup Stash - It's In The Wind, A Chinese Fall 🌬️

Young adults are vaping too much. What started as a casual habit to look “hip” or “cool” has quickly turn into a challenging addiction. Addiction therapy or healthy alternatives are expensive. So what do we do then? Should we just let the young people succumb to lung cancer and terrible health? 

Recognizing this rising problem, two college graduates, Caroline Vasquez Huber and Hilary Dubin, took matters into their own hands and launched Jones—a company designed to help people break free from vaping.

What Is the Startup About

Founded in 2022, Jones offers a comprehensive solution to quit vaping. 

• It combines nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) with behavioral support — addressing both the physical cravings and the psychological challenges of quitting.
• At the core of the Jones program are nicotine lozenges (offered in 4 mg and 2 mg doses) which help curb the body’s nicotine dependency. 
• The app provides daily check-ins and a 30-day SMS program for consistent support. 
• “Quitters” can also share progress with friends or join a wider community for encouragement.

Why is this Needed?

Vasquez Huber and Dubin, having struggled themselves with vaping addiction, saw a gap in the market. Existing quit-smoking methods often neglect the emotional and social aspects of withdrawal. Jones fills this void by focusing not only on the physical need for nicotine but also on the psychological challenges of quitting.

The target demographic? Young adults in their late 20s, eager to quit before they turn 30, and college students ready to break free from vaping before entering the workforce.

In early 2018, China’s rapid work culture and investment potential was garnering global attention. Silicon Valley wanted to follow its lead.

That situation has now flipped. A series of crises—including the pandemic, a real estate collapse, U.S.-China tensions, and a harsh government crackdown on tech—severely damaged China’s tech landscape. Despite claims of regulatory clean-up, many believe the damage is irreversible.

Entrepreneurs feel their money is no longer their own, while VCs and private equity execs who once fueled the boom have disappeared from the scene, disillusioned with the environment.

Quitting may sound like the ultimate mic drop moment, but for some, it’s more anxiety-inducing than thrilling. In fact, some workers face harassment or even refusal when they try to resign. Solution? In Japan, people are actually pay someone to quit their jobs for them.

Resignation agencies are a whole industry that helps people break free from their jobs, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. 

• Exit has helped over 10,000 clients say goodbye to their employers, with a sweet 50% discount for repeat customers. 
• Then there’s Mo Muri (which translates to “I can’t do this anymore”), that will not only quit on your behalf but also negotiate with your boss. 
• Several other companies like Albatross and Yametara Eenen (“Why don’t you quit?”) are jumping in to help employees ditch the 9-to-5 grind.

It doesn’t just end here. People are outsourcing other daily tasks as well. Some workers are using “shadow stand-ins” to secretly do parts—or all—of their job. AI tools are sneaking into the workplace, with 78% of AI users bringing their own tools to the office (aka BYOAI). Gen Z is even having parents tag along to interviews, with some moms and dads applying for jobs on their kids’ behalf! Lastly, there’s sending your AI avatar to sit in on your next Zoom meeting.

🤞 Something Good in Crypto - WeWork founder Adam Neumann is returning money to investors after his carbon credits blockchain failed. 

😢 Lost to a Billionaire - A Brazilian businessman unknowingly sold a house to Jeff Bezos at an allegedly undeserved discount. Needless to say he’s suing the realtor. 

📉 Bad Stock - Walgreens is the worst performing stock in the S&P 500 this year — courtesy of rising online pharmacies and giants like Amazon. 

🎧 Music + Medical - Apple with start selling AirPods that can also be used as an OTC hearing aid designed for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. 

🔊 Ads in Your Car - Ford recently submitted a patent application for targeted in-car advertising. Ughh.

🇮🇪 Largest Tax Nation - Last year the Irish government collected some €23.8 billion in corporate tax, 416% more than it collected in 2014.