🥒 Tesla Triple Threat

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Hey Pickle Gang, it’s Rob.

Here's what's in today's issue:

• Tesla Unveil Triple Threat: RoboVan, CyberCab, and the Tesla Bot

• Goodbye, Uber of Weed: How the ‘Uber of Weed’ went up in smoke and what it means for cannabis businesses

• €22.8M Boost for Paebbl: Transforming Captured CO2 into Building Materials

• And more…

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This Weeks Favourites

• This is insane: SpaceX booster rocket successfully returned to the same tower it launched from. History has been created. (link)

• Article: UK neobank Monzo hits $5.9B valuation with secondary market sale (link)

• Video: MFM - How Silicon Valley’s Most Prolific Investor Picks Unicorns | Elad Gil Interview (link)

• Podcast: Diary of a CEO - Boris Johnson (ex UK Prime Minister) "They Were Looking at Engineering the Virus & The Government Bribed Me!" (link)

Today’s Sugar Daddy

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News

Tesla Unveil Triple Threat: RoboVan, CyberCab, and the Tesla Bot

Tesla has pulled off a triple reveal, shaking up the tech world with three major announcements: the RoboVan, the CyberCab, and the Tesla Bot. On October 10, Elon Musk showcased the next generation of Tesla’s autonomous and AI-driven ambitions, at his event “We, Robot”.

The crazy part…the two vehicles in the reveal (RoboVan & CyberCab) don’t have a steering wheel or pedals, so it’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) all the way.

First up, the RoboVan—a fully autonomous electric van designed for efficient ride-sharing and logistics. With its spacious interior and advanced Full Self-Driving (FSD) tech, it’s poised to become a versatile option for urban mobility and delivery services alike.

Next, the CyberCab—a sleeker, futuristic take on city transportation. Musk teased that the CyberCab’s impressive range and low energy consumption could make it a top choice for urban commuters looking for style and sustainability. Both vehicles represent Tesla’s effort to dominate the autonomous ride-hailing market, with pricing and availability details expected soon.

Lastly, the Tesla Bot, named “Optimus,” made an appearance. This humanoid robot aims to handle repetitive tasks both at home and in workplaces, integrating Tesla’s AI technology. Tesla’s ambition is to merge AI with robotics, offering a glimpse into how automation might shape the future. Whether it becomes a staple in households or an assistant in commercial settings, Tesla’s expanding vision for automation is clear.

Read more here. You can also watch the Live Stream of the event here

Story

Goodbye, Uber of Weed

How the ‘Uber of Weed’ went up in smoke and what it means for cannabis businesses.

Eaze, previously valued at $700 million, is shutting down operations, marking another major blow to California’s cannabis industry. CEO Cory Azzalino confirmed on LinkedIn that the company will fully close by December 31, resulting in layoffs for nearly 500 employees. The fall of Eaze follows other high-profile collapses like MedMen and Herbl, highlighting the ongoing challenges within California's legal cannabis market, which has been plagued by high taxes and competition from untaxed illegal sellers.

Billionaire James Henry Clark, co-founder of Netscape, took control of Eaze earlier this year after legal battles and a foreclosure. Clark’s firm, FoundersJT, bought Eaze for $54 million at an auction in August but has now decided to shut it down while assessing future options. The company might reopen under a new corporate structure in 2025, potentially rehiring some workers. However, union representatives are calling for legislative action to address the systemic issues impacting the state's legal cannabis businesses.

Funding

€22.8M Boost for Paebbl: Transforming Captured CO2 into Building Materials

News: Paebbl, a Nordic-Dutch climate-tech startup, has bagged €22.8 million in Series A funding to accelerate its mission of transforming captured CO2 into carbon-storing building materials. Led by Capnamic and backed by major names like Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund and Holcim, the funding will help Paebbl scale its operations, commissioning a demonstration plant by 2025. This facility aims to sequester up to one ton of CO2 daily, positioning Paebbl at the forefront of sustainable construction solutions.

With a tech-driven mineralisation process, Paebbl has already showcased its ability to move quickly from concept to pilot stage, producing 250kg of CO2-storing material daily and casting its first carbon-based concrete structures earlier this year. Co-founders Andreas Saari and Marta Sjögren highlighted their focus on rapid scaling and establishing international hubs, emphasizing their ambition to make the built environment a cornerstone in the global carbon reduction effort.

Read more

Growth

The Email List Goldmine: How Lead Magnets Can Fill Your Funnel

Right, so one thing I didn't know when I first started was that email needs to be a massive part of your strategy, for most digital businesses.

Service business? Email helps you nurture leads. E-commerce business? Email brings back your customers. SaaS Business? Well, you get the gist.

One way to capture emails is with a lead magnet: you give them something in return for their email. If you're an e-commerce store, a lead magnet could be offering them a discount. For a SaaS business, it might be a report on the trends in their industry.

Here’s an example I did with my LinkedIn page. Oh, and for those of you who actually joined my newsletter by that method…well, at least you know it works!

Now, how effective the strategy is depends on several things, but I’ll give you the main two:

1. How aligned the gift/offer is with the audience.

2. How valuable the gift/offer is.

So you see, in this case, I expect you guys to be awesome business owners, and so I used a lead magnet that’s to do with business valuations.

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Meme of the Day

Hope you enjoyed today’s issue!

I won’t lie, it takes me a while to write, so I’d love it if you could give it a share! (just forward it to a friend if you’re lazy like me!)

Cheers,

Rob 🥒

Robert Benson-May, ACA

Get me a beer?