The Profile: The founder of Barstool Sports telling all & the mom using AI agents to run her house
This edition of The Profile features Dave Portnoy, Jesse Genet, Savannah Guthrie, and others.
Good morning, friends!
The United States of America turned 250 this weekend. And yet, according to this CBS poll, just half of Americans say they’re even somewhat confident the American Dream is still attainable. Most believe that only a select few people have a real chance to get ahead anymore.
I looked up the actual definition of “The American Dream,” and it says: “The American Dream is an ideal that the United States offers the possibility of upward mobility, freedom, and equality for all individuals who work diligently and possess the will to succeed.”
This country has allowed my family upward mobility that would be inconceivable anywhere else on this planet. And I’m not talking about generations — I’m talking about the difference in life of one generation.
When my dad was in 6th grade in Bulgaria, he wrote ‘USA’ on his backpack. The teacher saw it, reported it to the principal, and they called his parents. He got in major trouble because he lived in a former communist country that doled out punishments for those who dared deviate from the government’s ‘allowed’ speech. (Not to mention that my dad’s family members who had spoken out against communism were killed, imprisoned, and sent to labor camps.)
His daughter (me) would go on to become a journalist working for some of the most prestigious news organizations in the world: CNN, USA TODAY, and FORTUNE magazine. One day, she would own her own media business & work for herself. Inconceivable.
This country is far from perfect, but it’s a nation of self-improvers. When something is wrong, people take to the streets, protest, and make sure their voices get heard.
I think about this a lot. The people I profile come from wildly different backgrounds, but they all believed their future could be bigger than their circumstances. As simple as that sounds, it’s a big freaking deal because it’s one of the few places on Earth where people are still free to build, create, question, fail, and voice their opinion without fear.
I’ll never forget what Evan Mwararire, the pastor who stood up to a dictator in Zimbabwe, told me: “Freedom means you can talk to your friend, criticize the government, and then forget about it and go home. Where I’m from, if you criticize the government, you’re not going to make it home.”
The ability to speak freely — and then forget what you said because you’re not worried that your words will cost you your life — is one of the greatest freedoms we take for granted.
Happy Fourth of July, friends. I hope you had a wonderful weekend with the people you love.
— Polina
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PROFILES.
— The founder of Barstool Sports telling all [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— The mom using AI agents to run her house
— The founder who built a $5.5 billion athleisure startup
— The Today star reeling from a tragedy
— The hottest ghost kitchen in NYC
THE PEOPLE.
The founder of Barstool Sports telling all (complimentary link): Dave Portnoy built Barstool Sports by ignoring conventional management advice. Instead of rigid strategy, he hires interesting people, gives them freedom to create, and embraces controversy rather than running from it. The result is a media empire built on constant experimentation, strong personalities, and an instinct for capturing attention. (WSJ; complimentary link)
The mom using AI agents to run her house: Jesse Genet wakes up to groceries she never ordered and books she never bought. That’s because an army of AI agents is running her household — shopping, teaching her children, handling paperwork, and building software on command. While most people debate whether AI will take their jobs, Genet is already treating it like a personal staff. (New York Magazine; alternate link)
The founder who built a $5.5 billion athleisure startup: Joe Kudla thought he’d become an accountant. Instead, a brief and miserable modeling career unlocked his creative side and ultimately inspired him to build Vuori into a $5.5 billion activewear company. The profile shows how Kudla combined artistic obsession, financial discipline, and a relentless focus on product to create one of the biggest challengers to Nike and Lululemon. (Bloomberg; complimentary link)
The Today star reeling from a tragedy: Savannah Guthrie has spent her career reporting other people’s tragedies. Then, overnight, she became the story. When her 84-year-old mother vanished without a trace, Guthrie found herself balancing unimaginable personal grief with the impossible task of returning to the Today show as conspiracy theories swirled, cameras followed her every move, and millions of viewers watched her navigate a mystery that remains unsolved. (New York Magazine; alternate link)
THE COMPANIES.
The hottest ghost kitchen in NYC: Most ghost kitchens have struggled to live up to the hype. Goop Kitchen has done the opposite. Gwyneth Paltrow’s healthy takeout brand just pulled off its most successful launch ever with its first New York location, proving that celebrity may spark interest, but operational excellence and attention to quality are what turn a delivery-only restaurant into a breakout business. (Inc)
