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🥒 Meme Power in Politics

🥒 Meme Power in Politics

Musk’s Meme-Led Role in Trump’s Administration

Robert Benson-May
November 18, 2024

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Hey Pickle Gang, it’s Rob.

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

DOGE Appointed! Musk’s Meme-Led Role in Trump’s Administration
Julien Nahum: How Solving a Problem Led to $400K/Year (Note Forms)
Starfish Space Secures $29M for Satellite Servicing Missions
And more…

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This Weeks Favourites

Article: Meta slapped with a €798M fine in Europe over anticompetitive Marketplace practices (link)
Article: Bluesky crosses the 15 million user mark (link)
Article: Meta will face antitrust trial over Instagram, WhatsApp acquisitions (link)
Video: Pat Walls - How To Validate a $1M Business Idea (Beginners Guide) (link)
Fun Stuff: Adam Savage’s Tested - Animatronic "Thing" From Netflix's Wednesday! (link)
Book of the Day: Alex Hormozi - $100M Leads: How to Get Strangers To Want To Buy Your Stuff (link)

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News

DOGE Appointed! Musk’s Meme-Led Role in Trump’s Administration

Credit

Elon Musk has taken his meme game to new heights — into politics. President-elect Donald Trump recently announced Musk’s appointment to co-lead the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency, or “DOGE.” It’s a nod to the beloved Doge meme and the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, which Musk has championed for years. What started as a joke on X has turned into a quasi-advisory role, signaling Musk’s knack for turning internet humor into something resembling real influence.

Predictably, Dogecoin’s value spiked nearly 20% after the announcement, proving that Musk’s meme antics still carry market-moving weight. For Trump, embracing Musk’s DOGE role shows a willingness to blend internet culture with political theater. Whether this move is a serious step or just another layer of trolling remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: in the world of Musk and memes, nothing is ever just for laughs.

Story

Julien Nahum: How Solving a Problem Led to $400K/Year (Note Forms)

Credit

What can you accomplish in six days? For Julien Nahum, the answer is a $400,000-a-year SaaS business. Note Forms, his Notion-integrated form builder, began as a quick experiment and evolved into a tool with over 100,000 users. Julien’s strategy of embedding within Notion’s ecosystem allowed him to avoid building an audience from scratch, focusing instead on solving real user problems.

His advice: leverage existing platforms, ship MVPs quickly, and let feedback refine your product. Julien’s story is proof that small, focused efforts can lead to big rewards, even for solo entrepreneurs.

Read the full story here.

Funding

Starfish Space Secures $29M for Satellite Servicing Missions

Credit

Satellite servicing just got a huge upgrade. Starfish Space, a startup from Washington, raised $29 million to fund its Otter spacecraft—designed to extend satellite lifespans and clear out defunct satellites. The mission? To make satellite servicing so affordable, it’s a no-brainer for operators.

With contracts from NASA, Intelsat, and the U.S. Space Force, Starfish is paving the way for a future where satellites last longer and space stays clutter-free.

Why it matters: Longer-lasting satellites mean fewer replacements, lower costs, and a more sustainable space ecosystem. A win for operators—and the planet.

Growth

The Power of Refillables: From One-Off Sales to Repeat Business

Why Refillable & Top-ups Products are more profitable than one-off purchases

Do you want a product where customers just keep coming back? How about a business with a steady, predictable stream of revenue?

You'd like like that, wouldn't you? Of course you would!

Well, that's the power of "top-ups" or "refills."

Unlike one-off products, refillable items make sure that once you've acquired a customer, they keep coming back.

Sounds simple, but trust me, I’ve made the mistake of selling one-off products. So, I guess you could say I’ve had my fingers burnt on this one…

Now, there’s also a good number of other reasons why refillables are more profitable, some of which aren’t really obvious at all. Let’s discuss - read here.