🏗️ How Autodesk builds the world

PLUS: 9-year-old YouTuber makes $30m. July 14, 2021 [The Hustle] [The Hustle]( Alaskans may not know much about personal income taxes, but they sure do know how to play the market. The state owned 43k shares of GameStop stock last December (worth $802k at the time). Since then, the position has jumped in value to $8.2m. In Q2, Alaska’s stock portfolio popped 7% to $9.9B. We see you, Alaska! The big idea [3D printer and computer]( Autodesk is the most important software company you’ve never heard of Software may be eating the world, but it’s also responsible for building it. The leading firm in that space is Autodesk, which has seen its market cap jump from ~$14B to $65B over the past 5 years. Engineers use Autodesk’s software to build slightly important infrastructure such as water treatment facilities, railways, airports, commercial buildings, and highways. Autodesk has become a market leader thanks to 2 big bets - A focus on higher education: Getting leading universities hooked on their certification [program]( has ensured that up-and-coming engineers use their products as early in their career as possible (also, it’s become a ubiquitous LinkedIn profile padding CV booster). - A pivot to subscriptions: Making the transition from perpetual licenses to SaaS was a risky move that paid off -- offering customers more flexibility and [boosting cash flows](. The benefits of these moves have compounded, thanks to natural virality Most construction projects require multiple partners that benefit from having a unified solution across all parties. That means if one contractor is using Autodesk, all of the partners follow suit. This dynamic has helped Autodesk grow organically and increase lock-in across their customer base. Autodesk faces a long list of competitors As Netscape founder [Jim Barksdale]( famously put it, “The only way to make money is bundling and unbundling.” While competitors go head-to-head against individual product lines, Autodesk is poised to offer a one-of-a-kind bundle going forward. As a leading creator in 3D animation and construction, Autodesk has the AR/VR chops to become a critical building block of the metaverse. Given the scrutiny that comes with more headlines, Autodesk is probably perfectly happy flying under the radar. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=Autodesk+is+the+most+important+software+company+you%E2%80%99ve+never+heard+of%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F07142021-%3Futm_campaign%3DAutodesk%26utm_content%3D07142021-%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( SNIPPETS NEW! Introducing our new and improved [Snippets](. You can now get extra snippets on your favorite topics. Follow the button below to get started. (It takes less than 30 seconds!) Space race: Amazon acquired a [team]( of satellite experts from Facebook. It’s part of the ecommerce giant’s plan to provide satellite-beamed internet (in competition with SpaceX). Bank bonanza: Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan posted gangbuster earnings as dealmaking has been hot in 2021, including $135B raised in IPOs (vs. an annual average of $53B over the past 5 years). Speaking of IPOs...a single 146k square foot Bay Area Amazon warehouse has filed to go [public](. The plan is to invest in other Amazon-related warehouses and trade under the ticker…$AMZL. French regulators slapped Google with a [$600m]( fine over the search giant’s dealings with the country’s publishers. GIVEAWAY: Get a shot at winning free Hustle swag by personalizing your snippets. Click the button👇 to choose your favorite topics, and you’ll be registered to win. (More details below). [Personalize Your Snippets]( Shop With Bots [chat bubble]( Is c-commerce the key to ecommerce? Here’s a stat that seems obvious but is still impressive: 2.8B+ people [use]( messaging apps to chat. And now a lot of those people also use them to shop. It’s called “[conversational commerce](” (AKA c-commerce) and, [according]( to The Economist, it’s hot in online shopping. Conversational what now? In c-commerce, businesses use AI bots on platforms like China’s WeChat, Apple Business Chat, and Facebook Messenger to connect with customers. The bots help them browse and find products, book services, make purchases, and track delivery info. It’s fast, convenient, and works even if your internet is spotty. Example: In 2017, Lego launched [Ralph](, a friendly bot that helped shoppers find the perfect gift for building-block enthusiasts. Other big brands including Ikea, Sephora, Walmart, and Coca-Cola are all aboard this train, too -- and it’s no wonder. AI-powered chat… … could power [$142B]( in retail spend by 2024, per Insider Intelligence (that’s up from $2.8B in 2019). And supplying chat functionality is a growing business, too: [Yalo]( has raised [$100m+]( to help businesses onboard to messenger platforms like WhatsApp (where customers exchange an eye-popping 175m messages per day with business accounts). What’s the best use of all this fancy AI? Chatbots that send you [pizza](. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=Is+c-commerce+the+key+to+ecommerce%3F%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F07142021-Conversational-commerce%3Futm_campaign%3DAutodesk%26utm_content%3D07142021-Conversational-commerce%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( Wow [Sketchers shoes]( Just how big can Ryan’s World get? Ryan Kaji (and his parents) are absolutely crushing it. They’ve already built a media empire around Kaji’s “Ryan’s World” YouTube channel. Now they’re dipping their feet into consumer footwear with a new Skechers partnership. Here’s the deal For [the project](, Kaji teamed up with Skechers designers and Pocket.watch (whose catchy slogan is: “Forging billion-dollar franchises with kids’ favorite stars!”). Skechers says it’s the first global footwear deal for a YouTube kid. As for the shoes, the lineup includes: - A light-up, slip-on sneaker called Ryan’s Challenge ($59) - A toggle closed-toe shoe called Gamer Ryan ($62) - A canvas mid-top called Red Titan ($57) Just how big is Ryan’s World? Kaji boasts some of the best numbers out there, let alone for a 9-year-old. His resume includes: - 30m+ YouTube [subscribers]( and 47.8B+ YouTube views - $29.5m in 2020 YouTube [income](, split between toy unboxing videos and his cut of branded retail sales (totaling $200m+ over ~5k items) - $200m+ annually from branded retail sales of ~5k items Not bad for a kid. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=Just+how+big+can+Ryan%E2%80%99s+World+get%3F%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F07142021-Ryan-Kaji%3Futm_campaign%3DAutodesk%26utm_content%3D07142021-Ryan-Kaji%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( Podcast Meet the billion-dollar man, Dharmesh Cat’s out of the bag. And this one’s pretty rad. [Dharmesh Shah]( (HubSpot co-founder and CTO) delivers the inside scoop on the $25B SaaS platform that acquired us back in February. Listen to HubSpot’s biggest stakeholder shoot the shit with Sam and Shaan on [episode #197]( of My First Million. Featured: why a SaaS company like HubSpot bought The Hustle The crew also digs into blockchain for LinkedIn, the origins of HubSpot, and the future of software. Follow MFM on your favorite streaming service today. [More like My First Billion →]( TRENDS 2 Facebook Ads to Validate Your Business Idea… Just yesterday, we dropped [a brand new Trends deep dive](outlining the Facebook ad strategies that one of our members, Brian, has used to kickstart some incredible businesses (and even sell a house). These are tactics you can start using today. When you read through the article, you’ll learn: - The 2 very simple types of Facebook ads you can use to validate ideas - How one Trends member sold a $700k house using only $328 in Facebook ads - A tried-and-true framework for scaling ads while remaining profitable - And much more. If you’re not already a member of Trends, [sign up today for a $1 trial]( to get access to the full report. [See the full report →]( Design of the day [VW van] Trippy! (Source: Autodesk) Autodesk is using AI (of course) to soup up its design software. Using a process called “generative design,” a designer can set certain parameters for a product (e.g., minimize material usage) -- and Autodesk will work some magic. Volkswagen partnered with the software firm to create a showcase vehicle. Check out the lightweight wheel design [here](: It’s definitely interesting, but we think we’ll pass on the “alien chic” look: Giveaway We’re giving away Hustle swag every day this week! How to enter: Simply personalize your [Snippets](. Click the button to choose topics you’d like see in your daily newsletter.👇 [Personalize Your Snippets →]( (It takes less than 30 seconds to get a shot at winning!) We’ll be giving away 100 hoodies, t-shirts, caps and stickers to 25 lucky winners this week. P.S. Already personalized your Snippets? You’ll be entered to win too. P.P.S. Want more Hustle swag? Go [here]( and share your referral link. Ends 7/16/21. Void where provided. Only U.S. or residences are eligible to win. No purchase necessary. How did you like today’s email? Today's email was brought to you by [Trung Phan](, [Jacob Cohen](, [Juliet Bennett Rylah](, [Rob Litterst](. Editing by: Brad “Autodesking” Wolverton. [PODCAST]( [JOBS]( [CONTACT US](mailto:news@thehustle.co) [Facebook]( [Youtube]( [Instagram]( [Trends]( 2131 THEO DR. STE F, AUSTIN, TX 78723, UNITED STATES • 415.506.7210 Never want to hear from us again? Break our hearts and [unsubscribe](list=thehustle). [The Hustle](