Pick a Nation, Feed a Robot, Stay Negative 🌐

What if you could choose your citizenship like you pick a gym membership. That’s the vision tech entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan is pushing—a world where governments are replaced by tech startups. Ridiculous as this may sound, he's got backers with deep pockets.

He claims that if startups could replace all different institutions - like schools, postmail, banks, etc, they could replace countries too. He calls his idea the “network state”: startup nations. He wants to replace governments with companies.

Here’s how it works: communities form online, united by shared interests or values. Eventually, these groups acquire land and establish their own physical countries, complete with independent laws. You wouldn’t be tied to traditional borders anymore; instead, you’d choose your nationality like selecting a broadband plan.

The idea is built on “charter cities,” special economic zones like free ports, which are already under development in places like Nigeria and Zambia. 

It’s not just theory either—other eccentric billionaires are working on similar projects. 

• Elon Musk is reportedly buying land in Texas to build his own town, Snailbrook. 
• Marc Lore has grand plans for Telosa, a sustainable city in the desert that could house 5 million people by 2050. 
• The “Praxis community”, which currently exists mainly on the internet is in works of setting up land in the Mediterranean, backing by creator Dryden Brown and his supporters. It even has a website where you can apply for citizenship.

But is it possible? There’s historical precedent to prove it is. The U.S. company United Fruit basically ran Guatemala in the 1930s, controlling land, railways, and even the postal service.

No, but really, is it possible? Startup founders believe that just as the printing press helped dismantle feudalism in Europe 500 years ago, new tech like crypto and AI could lead to the downfall of today’s democratic nation-states. 

Tipping used to be reserved for a job well done—mostly by humans. But lately, it feels like you’re asked to tip for just about everything. During the pandemic, tipping became a way to support front-line workers, and that’s fair. But fast forward to today, and we’ve got “tip creep” creeping into places that make no sense. Like tipping a robot. Yes, a robot.

Imagine ordering a coffee from a robot barista, and then being prompted to leave a tip. It’s happening in places like Pleasanton, California, and Brooklyn, New York. Why are we tipping machines? It’s not like they’re working extra hours or need rent money.

Digital kiosks are making it worse, with their bright buttons pressuring you to tip 15%, 20%, or even 25%—sometimes for just handing you a sandwich. And if you want to opt out? Get ready for multiple taps to say “no thanks.”

No wonder people are fed up. Surveys show that 35% of Americans think tipping has gone off the rails, and nearly 40% believe companies should just pay their workers better.

Gallup’s latest annual update on Americans’ views of major U.S. industries shows a notable decline in public perception of two key food-related sectors: grocery stores and restaurants. Compared to last year, both industries are rated significantly worse. The publishing industry has also seen a meaningful dip in approval over the past year.

On the flip side, people are feeling much more positive about the sports industry. However, despite this uptick, overall positive ratings across all 25 industries included in the survey remain at the lower end of Gallup’s historical measurements. 

Overall, the data paints a picture of a public that is more critical of business sectors than in years past, with only a few exceptions standing out positively.

🍕 A Job For a Pizza - Pizza Hut is rolling out the option to let a pizza box double as a resume.

🔆 Utilities w/ Value - Utility stocks - up more than 27% - are the best performing sector of the S&P 500 this year.

🫨 Bleeds and Bursts - A Delta Air Lines flight blew out passengers' eardrums. Issues in cabin pressurisation led to the 140 passengers onboard requiring immediate paramedic help.

🎞️ The Forgotten Films - Film nerds have put together a site with more than 3,000 “forgotten” flicks so you can stream weird movies you can't find anymore.

🉑 Accepting Crypto - Donald Trump - who once called digital currencies a scam - has now launched a crypto company. 

🐾 Dogs vs. Babies - Sales of dog strollers in South Korea are now surpassing sales of baby strollers.