The $100m singing fish...

 In the mid- 2000s, Big Mouth Billy Bass was inescapable, and it all started at a small novelty goods manufacturer based in Coppell, Texas. [The Hustle]( Wed, Nov 15 Brought to you by [Microsoft]( The US oil industry just had its biggest boom of the century Yesterday, the [International Energy Agency]( released a 763-page whopper report detailing the meteoric rise of the United States’ oil and gas industry. Once an “[energy-dependant importer]( the US is now among the world’s most prolific oil and gas producers -- and within the next few decades, it is expected to churn out more energy resources than any country in history. The big flip The report projects that by [2025]( oil production in America will match that of Saudi Arabia, and by 2030, it will be exporting 30m barrels of oil and daily -- 50% more than the single year yield of any other country in history. Oil [hasn’t been doing so hot]( in recent years: from its peak at $100 per barrel a decade ago, it plummeted to $30, and currently sits at $60. But that fluctuation has made the US shale industry more alert and prepared for future price hikes. This projected spike in US oil production is also expected to reduce the country’s dependence on oil imports, giving more business to American companies. But wait, oil execs: there’s more! As welcome as these projections are for the US oil and gas industry, they should be taken with a grain of salt, as renewable energy sources like solar continue to get more affordable. Additionally, while US production is expected to ramp up, IEA projects that global demand will decrease by 100k barrels per day in 2018 -- ironically, due, in part, to warmer temperatures. And on Tuesday, crude oil stocks [fell 2%]( causing the monocled, twirly-mustachioed tycoons to recede back into their jewel-encrusted lairs. Oil be back  Buffalo Wild Wings gets a hotttttt offer Last month, private equity firm Roark Capital reportedly offered Buffalo Wild Wings an [unsolicited, all-cash bid]( that would value the company at $2.3B. The hot wings chain, which boasts 1,237 locations in the US, has floundered in the past few years but has shown some glimmerings of promise -- and it’s just the type of company Roark loves. AKA, mediocre food joints Roark has a long history of buying out struggling restaurant chains, including Cinnabon (2004; $12m), Arby’s (2011; $131m), Carl’s Jr. (2013, $1.7B), and, most recently, Jimmy John’s (2016, $2.3B). Earlier this year, they barely missed out on adding [Popeye’s]( to their stable. And when Roark punks down, they don’t screw around: they are credited with reviving Arby’s -- a chain that was “[left for dead]( -- into a [thriving business]( (even though everyone still hates their food). Can they do it again? Buffalo Wild Wings has faced some [troubling times]( recently, including the soon-to-be departure of their CEO, and a dip in sales resulting from high chicken wing prices. Prior to this week, the chain’s shares had been on the decline for two years. But news of Roark’s offer has caused a spike of 28% -- and suddenly, investors are hungry for saucy chicken again. [12 dipping sauces… 12!](  Netflix knows where you’re binging -- and it’s not just on your couch The streaming video company has released some [hard numbers]( showing that people have moved on from only watching Netflix in the privacy of their own homes. After studying user habits and how they have changed, Netflix found [67%]( of Americans now watch Netflix in public. And that includes… public toilets The data, sourced from over 37k responses to a global survey conducted last summer, found that the most popular places to Netflix in public are on planes, buses, or while commuting. That being said, [37%]( of participants said they’ve binged at work, and according to the survey, 12% of US users confessed to watching Netflix in a public restroom which is… efficient? And that’s not all: [45%]( of people who took the survey said they’d noticed someone snooping on their screens, 22% of public bingers said they had cried while watching, and 18% said they felt embarrassed watching Netflix in public. Soon, everyone’s gonna be watching Stranger Things at the office Mobile streaming continues to grow more popular as connectivity improves, but Netflix has found that a whopping 60% of people have increased their public Netflixing within the last year. We’re fine with this becoming a part of the social norm, but for safety’s sake, we hope that “Netflix and Walking” doesn’t become a thing. Or maybe it already has… [With great ‘flixing comes great responsibility](  Home Depot sales are way up, thanks to hurricanes The good ol’ Depot claims that their same-store sales boosted an extra [$282m]( due to hurricane recovery efforts, earning them a total of $25.03B in the third quarter. They reportedly sold “millions” in plywood, generators, and various other tools -- and according to a Home Depot earnings [press release]( the gargantuan construction efforts across the Gulf and Puerto Rico are going to continue fueling sales through the end of the year. One company’s fruit is multiple regions’ poison Home Depot’s CFO, Carol Tomé told investors that the home improvement haven had $10m in hurricane-related sales in August compared to $150m in September, during the brunt of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. In the press release, the company said they expected sales to bump up 6.3% from 2016, but they actually jumped to [8%]( destroying Wall Street’s estimate of a [5.8%]( bump. Whooo that stock HD’s stock is up more than [23%]( this year -- and a staggering 166% since 2012. Despite this spike, investors still fear the U.S. housing recovery may slow down in 2018, though Tomé reassured them that they don’t see that happening for the next few years. [Depot’s gonna Depot](  niches make riches This post is part of Niches Make Riches, a 4-part series in which we talk to people who earn a living in strange, unconventional ways. This week, we learned how Joe Pellettieri invented one of the most successful novelty gifts in history: Big Mouth Billy Bass. How a robotic singing fish made $100m in one year In the mid-2000s, Big Mouth Billy Bass was inescapable. The animatronic latex fish could be found wriggling on the shelves of every major retailer and toy store. It graced the walls of George Bush’s [oval office]( and Queen Elizabeth’s [Balmoral castle]( -- and even made a guest appearance on an episode of [The Sopranos](. And in the process, it sold hundreds of thousands of units. In a world of few hits and constant misses, how did a singing robotic fish mounted on a plaque end up being one of the most iconic gag gifts in history? It all started with a guy named Joe Pellettieri, the one-time VP of product development at Gemmy Industries, a small novelty goods manufacturer based in Coppell, Texas. His job: to come up with unimaginably weird novelty items. From the beginning, Big Mouth Billy Bass was an uphill battle. Pellettieri’s colleagues hated the idea. The fish’s mechanical innards posed numerous challenges. And he had to consult taxidermists, roboticists, and a slew of other experts to bring it to life. “I would put my drawing of the fish up on the wall and stare at it constantly,” he says. “It just wasn’t working.” Then, he had the breakthrough of a lifetime. [Read the rest of his story →](  This edition of The Hustle was brought to you by “We refer to it as the Bible” To Andy and his co-founder Josh, creators of [Detroit Wallpaper]( custom wallpaper is life. So when they refer to “The Bible” -- a document their employees rely on daily -- we figured it was something crazy, like a tomb of pattern swatches or a massive color wheel. But nope. It’s an Excel doc. Shoulda guessed… And, along with the other products in [Microsoft 365 Business]( it’s the key to their business’s smooth operation. “How did we ever survive without this?” These are artists talking about how much they love [business software](. And not even sarcastically. But Microsoft [365 Business]( lets Andy and Josh spend more time perfecting [their awesome designs]( -- not on business logistics. Before they had it, these guys were literally running across the shop floor delivering post-it notes to each other. We know craftsmen are traditional, but that’s maybe a little too analog. Now the folks at Detroit Wallpaper can share their “Bible” across all departments -- from sales, through design and production -- to [creatively collaborate]( across their 50-75  designs on the daily. Less stress, more art. If you hate dealing with business software, try[Microsoft 365 Business]( -- a product so good, it makes artists love spreadsheets.  0 [SHARE THE HUSTLE]( REFERRALS Lindsey Quinn MANAGING EDITOR Zack Crockett WRITER Wes Schlagenhauf WRITER Sam "Don't worry, be happy" Parr EDITORIAL EAVESDROPPER Kent C. Detrees DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PLANNING [SUBSCRIBE]( [JOBS]( [ADVERTISE]( [EVENTS]( You opted in by signing up, attending an event, or through divine intervention. [771 CLEMENTINA STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103, UNITED STATES]( • [415.506.7210](tel:+1-415-506-7210) Never wanna hear from us again? Break our hearts and [unsubscribe](