What You Need to Know Today: February 2
Good afternoon, Early Risers!
Here’s what you need to know
TECH
What’s up WhatsApp? “When Facebook Inc.’s Mark Zuckerberg agreed to pay a staggering $19 billion for WhatsApp Inc. in February 2014, his justification was simple: The messaging service was expected to reach 1 billion users and become essential for a sizable slice of the world population,” says Bloomberg. Yesterday, WhatsApp hit 1 billion users — more than doubling since it was acquired by FB — now the question remains how can FB Inc. monetize the platform? Bloomberg spoke with David Fischer, FB’s VP of Business & Marketing to find out what the plan is.
Meet the next generation of food carts. An average food cart produces as much nitrous oxide as 186 cars, according to an Energy Vision study. Enter: Move Systems — the first environmentally friendly food cart.
Most valuable 10 seconds. Last year, Facebook and Twitter studied how users process mobile content. What they found was surprisingly similar. Forty-seven percent of the value in a video ad is delivered within the first three seconds. And 74% of the value is delivered in the first 10 seconds. What does this mean? If you’re familiar with ETR founder Mark Ford aka Michael Masterson (pen name), you know Masterson wrote the book on this subject, called Great Leads: The Six Easiest Ways to Start Any Sales Letter. Masterson says, “Marketing research shows that 80% of an ad’s or sales letter’s success comes from the headline and lead. Every marketer worth the name can tell you how important the headline is. But far too many of those same marketers ignore the critical importance of the lead.” Find out what makes a great lead here.
+ How to test your email subject lines without emailing. Read #1.
CAREER
No majors, no lectures, no classrooms. No, this is not Zappos university — although its name is still TBD. A dean from MIT is starting a radical new university that “blurs the lines” between undergraduates and graduates, offering students “project-based learning,” says Quartz. Here’s what you need to know.
5 ways to become a social entrepreneur. First, social in this context is NOT referring to social media. I’m talking about social good. Millennials are one of the most entrepreneurial generations that want to do good. So it’s natural for twenty-something employees to want to start their own businesses on the side. This guide will teach you a low-risk way to becoming a social entrepreneur.
+ The truth about imposter syndrome. If you feel like a fraud, you might be on your way to greatness.
LIFESTYLE
Why the NBA’s defending champions are fighting over PB&J sandwiches. Teams that eat PB&J together, stay together.
Note: If you can’t access this WSJ article, it’s because the WSJ finally closed the loophole readers have been using for months now to access paywall content.
Amsterdam has a “night mayor” — cool! “The idea might sound ambitious, but then forward-thinking about Amsterdam after dark is actually Mirik Milan’s job: he’s the Dutch capital’s ‘night mayor.’ This innovative office, unique to Amsterdam when created in 2014, has helped to clear up a blind spot that many cities face. Read more.”
#NOWYOUKNOW
One of Britain’s Most Successful Living Painters Is Not Who You’d Think
I’m a Renaissance man, modern-day artiste that has earned £2 million (equivalent to roughly $2.8 million) from my artistic output, since 1997. I don’t sell any originals — only prints — and typically finish a picture in one go. Who am I?
Do you like this newsletter? Please send it to a friend! If you don’t like this newsletter, please send it to an enemy. If you have questions or feedback, hit “reply” to talk to me.
Did someone send you this? Get your own copy of The Daily Brief sent straight to your inbox every weekday. Click here.
Check out what you missed in the last Daily Brief here.