Toddlers and dandelions

Both fast-growing, both super annoying. [The Hustle]( Thur, Mar 16 Lies are like weeds They’re hard to kill and, more often than not, it’s hard to tell the difference between friend and foe. Looking at you, dandelions. Yesterday, a federal court in California [released sensitive documents]( involving everyone’s favorite multinational agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation, Monsanto. More specifically, the new documents suggest the company ghostwrote studies regarding the safety of their flagship weed killer, Roundup, then published using the names of academics to make them seem legit. And the motivation couldn’t be more clear Over the last 20 years, Monsanto’s invested heavily in Roundup, going as far as genetically re-engineering corn, soybeans, and cotton to make them [easier to spray](. So it’s no surprise they have a vested interest in “proving” glyphosate doesn’t cause cancer. What is surprising, however, is the cooperation of a director at the Environmental Protection Energy who, according to the documents, promised to fight a push for new research on the weedkiller by the Department of Health and Human Services. In other words, Monsanto published their own studies claiming Roundup is safe, while actively preventing other agencies from conducting their own that might call it into question. Not a good look for Monsanto Especially since they’re already walking a fine line with public trust following its laundry list of scandals from fraudulent accounting to GMOs, and this just calls all their other research into question. Not to mention all the other legitimate papers published by Dr. Monty S. Anto and Ron D. Eyup -- the 2 foremost experts in glyphosate (not really, those are fake). So what happens now? The [lawsuit in question]( argues that Monsanto “colluded with officials at the EPA to downplay glyphosate’s health risks” and, as a result, led to the plaintiff’s development of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. If the claims prove true, that means a government agency knowingly endangered the lives of millions, if not billions of people for the benefit of a multi-billion dollar corporation. Word is Dan Brown’s already working on a screenplay. [Illuminati, Monsanto, same thing]( Buffett’s going back on his word Over the past year, Warren Buffett’s made some serious investments in airlines, despite [calling the business a “death trap”]( just 4 years ago. And sure, investors are known to flip flop on their investment strategies, but here’s the thing -- Buffett’s not big on change. The guy’s known to stick to the same diet of chocolate chip ice cream, potato sticks, and Coke ([Cherry Coke if he’s feeling wild](. He also invests almost exclusively in old, tried-and-true companies like See’s Candies, which has kept the [same black-and-white branding]( on its shops as it started with nearly 100 years ago. Nevertheless, towards the end of last year, Buffett bought nearly $10B worth of shares in the big 4 US airlines: American Airlines, United, Delta, and re-upped his existing investment in Southwest. So if Buffett hasn’t changed, what has? The airlines themselves… At least that’s what he’s betting. It’s a relatively new industry (in Buffett years), and although airlines have had [a tough 1st century]( (Re: a [$15B government bailout]( in 2001), Buffett thinks some of them have worked out the kinks. He believes airlines have learned to operate more efficiently, by cutting back on buying more planes and launching more routes than necessary. And the market seems to agree -- the Dow Jones US Airline Index rose nearly 350% since 2013, and last year the big 4 all [reported record profits](. So like we said, a lot can change in 4 years… And Southwest is a perfect example Their stock has climbed steadily since 2012, up to $54.29 per share from $8.23. Over the same period, they’ve [increased their gross margins by 20%]( as well. So ultimately, for airlines with Buffett’s stamp of approval, it’s probably a good sign. [Buffett, you're our rock]( Unfortunate stereotype of the day: Genius Classic Silicon Valley. Three Ivy League college buds with a great idea raise $57m in funding at a (rumored) $400m valuation, tell Mark Z to [s their d]( get millions of users, [fire]( their co-founder, host a party with [B-list rappers]( struggle to make money, [lay off]( employees, write blog post about the change. Like we said, classic SV Yesterday, [Genius]( (formerly Rap Genius) announced that, after years of figuring things out, it is pivoting to become a video-focused media company rather than merely the lyric annotation tool it started as 8 years ago. It’s also laying off 17 staff members (25% of the staff, mostly engineers). And, while every startup needs restructuring once in awhile, according to Genius CEO Tom Lehman, the company is now switching its focus to engage its core audience and, presumably, sell video ads (based on the new sales job postings on their site). This is a real bummer Genius has a cult following (a few Hustle employees included) and 62 million web visitors a month. However, this is a textbook example of how raising tens of millions in VC dollars for an amazing product, but not so amazing business model can often end in disaster. The verdict is still out for Genius. Their traffic is tiny compared to powerhouse media sites like Business Insider (100m monthly uniques) and Buzzfeed (200m uniques). But their videos? Pretty freakin’ [good](. Very Vicey. [So edgy]( Hootsuite has a “Czar of Bad Systems” In his recent Fast Company article, Hootsuite CEO Ryan Holmes recounts the story of his employee Noel, a man on a mission to mail someone a shirt. See, earlier this year, Noel wanted to send a custom T-shirt as a gift -- nothing flashy, just a good ol’ cotton crew neck ([probably a Hanes Beefy if we had to guess](. But, by the time Noel had gone through all the approvals, this lone tee had cost the organization about $200 in lost time. Was it worth it Noel? Was it? No(el), it wasn’t He’d played by the rules and gotten his shirt, but now Noel was pissed, and he wasn’t about to go down without a fight. He ended up tracking down people in both the finance and marketing departments and convincing them to toss out the old rule, in favor of a more relaxed shirt policy, and all was well with the world again. But the whole thing got Holmes’ wondering: “How much time and money [are] being tied up in other bad and broken processes?” And so he created Hootsuite’s unofficial “[Czar of Bad Systems]( role. Because good processes are good… But bad processes are worse. Since taking the throne, Czar Noel has been given license to work with multiple departments and cut the proverbial “red tape” that is often cursed but rarely challenged. Frustrated employees can reach out to him on the Facebook group, “Bad Systems @ Hootsuite,” where he can follow up with them in person and figure out how to break the status quo... Just like Shopify did a year earlier The ecommerce platform appointed Adrian Cho their “[Director of Getting Sh*t Done]( in 2015, following their IPO. He’s now managing a team in charge of speeding decisions and scaling programs efficiently. So in other words, Hootsuite’s not the first to appoint a process Czar, and, for companies that actually care about their operating margins (shocking, we know), they won’t be the last. [Not a part of your system]( things you should... FUND: Jotto Kickstarter $199 If there were a Stupid Sh*t No One Needs hackathon (oh wait, there is), this machine that draws art on white boards would win. Actually, it’s pretty amazing. [DRAWING A BLANK HERE... →]( READ: Six Thinking Hats $6.49 In a rut? This book helps you unscramble your brain, with its positive approach to making better decisions. [DO THE NOODLE DANCE →]( LISTEN TO: Spotify Word Free with Premium Guys, Spotify has a spoken word section and no one ever talks about it. Except us. This gem of a genre includes short stories, famous speeches, behind the scenes with artists, and much, much more. Yawelcome. 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Breathe in… Breathe out… Seriously, try it. We’ll wait. Feel better? Us too. Taking a minute to breathe is the simplest way to de-stress – so why is it so hard to remember to do it? Probably because we’re preoccupied with all the things throughout our day that we don’t even realize are stressful, like looking for our headphones, responding to emails, or trying to print pretty much anything. [Spire]( helps you stop and breathe On top of tracking your steps and calories, this doctor-recommended device [tracks your breathing patterns]( to help you stay calm throughout the day. Just clip it onto your belt or bra, and [Spire]( vibrates when it detects erratic breathing patterns. The goal: start calming down before you even know you’re stressed. And sure, you could schlep out to an Apple Store to buy one, but frankly, thinking about finding parking, navigating a crowded store, and making awkward small talk with an Apple Genius has us on edge already. Better to order from the comfort of your computer – especially since readers get [$20 off with the code 20HUSTLE](. We know, it’s pretty exciting. Deep breaths, people… [SUBSCRIBE]( [JOBS]( [ADVERTISE]( [EVENTS]( Lindsey Quinn WRITER John Havel WRITER Sam “More of a Coke Zero man” Parr A DEEP BREATH You opted in by [signing up]( entering a [giveaway]( or through [divine intervention](. [1381 9TH AVENUE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122, UNITED STATES]( • [415.506.7210](tel:+1-415-506-7210) Never wanna hear from us again? Break our hearts and [unsubscribe](.