Step 1. Get 2.4 billion members

Step 2. Profit [The Hustle]( Wed, Jul 26 Have an insider tip or a story lead? Shoot us a note at tips@thehustle.co. Or, if you want to pull a Bruce Wayne and protect your identity, you can use this anonymous form: . “Hey u up?” FB’s sliding ads into your DMs Zuckerberg has suggested that Facebook would start monetizing Messenger when the app hit 1B users. Well guess what folks, they’re now at 1.2B -- and it’s time to start raking it in. Yesterday Facebook started [testing ads]( on its mobile messaging app, via card-style ads on the home screen below recent conversations. They’re also hiring for [key positions]( to lead “monetization efforts” on their other chat platform, WhatsApp. While most of us think of “The Social Network” as, well, a social network, in reality, Facebook’s even more dominant in messaging -- they’re just not making any money off it (yet). But they do own a shizton of the market Since FB bought WhatsApp for $19B back in 2014, it's become the #1 messaging app across 107 countries, with 1.2B users. Combined with Messenger, that gives Facebook messaging a [total reach of 2.4B]( people waiting to be sold. To put it in perspective, their next-largest competitor, WeChat, (which dominates Asia) has only 938m users. Except what WeChat lacks in headcount they’ve made up for in dollars: They were already doing [$1.8B in annual revenue]( back in 2015 thanks to advertising and transaction fees from user-to-user payments, so FB’s hoping to ride the same gravy train. They’re playing a dangerous game Facebook [promises]( that ads won’t pop up in conversations, but getting pelted with ads in a private messaging app is still a pretty invasive strategy. If not done right, it could have a potentially huge backlash. Like for instance, Google’s foray into sponsored content on its Home device, which was immediately rolled back after it sparked outrage among users. But, as our news feeds reach peak [ad saturation]( messaging is just too tempting of a green pasture... just waiting to be exploited. [I mean “monetized”]( If the Choo fits, pay $1.2B for it Michael Kors went big on its [first-ever acquisition]( yesterday, dropping $1.2B on luxury shoemaker, Jimmy Choo. As the handbag market stagnates, Kors is hoping Choo -- whose stilettos go for up to $4k a pair -- will provide a much-needed boost to their revenue, and reputation. Because in their business, less is more Purses have been a huge driver of the luxury-goods industry, but oversaturation has hurt Kors’ luxury status -- similar to what happened to their rival, Coach, [back in 2011](. See, the idea of “luxury” is synonymous with “exclusivity” -- AKA, not everyone can have it. But in the US, both Kors and Coach have pushed their products [too hard]( killing their coolness factor by relying on department stores that sell their products at deeply discounted rates. Choo, however, has managed to maintain his high-end image His company reported a 15% rise in sales last year to [$475m]( (paywall) -- not to mention a 43% rise in operating profits. And, they have a “long runway” for expansion -- currently, Choo operates just 150 stores globally (compared with Kors’ [827 full-price stores]( as of 2016). Let’s just hope they don’t overdo it. [It’s not a purse, it’s a satchel]( Transparent salaries? Nor-way, man! America has a serious case of salary envy. We’ve all been tortured by thoughts of what our peers might be making, and these fears have only worsened with the growing income inequality gap. Today, the top 1% earn 3x as much as they did in the ‘80s, while middle- and lower-income earners have [stagnated](. One proposed solution: take a page from Norway’s playbook and make salary and tax data transparent. What’s the deal with Norway? For at least 40 years, Norway has [published the salaries]( of its citizens for all to see. The data (income, assets, and annual taxes paid) used to be stored at public libraries in giant books -- but since 2001, it’s been online. All one has to do to get access to data on co-workers, friends, and even political figures is log into a government-run [website]( using a national ID number. Until recently, the system allowed for anonymous searches -- and some 16.5m were conducted every year (more than 3x Norway’s population). But now that you can see who’s looked you up, so many of the peeping Toms have dispersed, dropping searches to 2m. What’s to be gained from this? Admittedly, there are a few issues with Norway’s transparency. The system doesn’t account for many illiquid assets (making it hard to determine true net worth), and it’s a [bonanza for marketers]( to take advantage of the data. But the pros are undeniable: it has drawn attention to pay inequality (a category in which Norway now ranks 3rd in the world), cut down on tax evasion, made the labor market [more efficient]( and has most likely minimized passive-aggressive workplace antics. [Mind if I ask how much you make?]( Virginia is for f*ckers LivePerson, which provides customer chat support for businesses like Citibank and Adobe, [analyzed]( over 35m real chats to determine the “polite” or “curse” levels of conversations across various demographics, including gender and state. And Virginia’s topping the charts: Virginia, New Mexico, and Alaska were [the top 3 crudest]( states, while Hawaii, Minnesota, and Louisiana, were the friendliest. Interestingly, LivePerson also found that kind words like “thanks” and “appreciate” were equally high in many of the sweariest states -- so maybe they’re not rude, they’re just “spirited.” Qualifiers for cursing included 50 words: all the ones you’d assume, plus some we’re pretty sure are isolated to the Midwest (“dagnabbit” anyone?) And we don't take kindly to robots Unsurprisingly, humans feel more comfortable dropping F-bombs on “SmartBot 731” than say, Jenn, a real person we can empathize with. And our other favorite time to curse? Apparently, on the phone with charities… [Have a sec to save the kids?]( from our toolbox Better Snap Tool [$2.99]( I was told about this [screen managing tool]( I studied abroad almost 6 years ago, and by my estimates, it’s saved me ~500 headaches ever since. What is this thing? Better Snap Tool maps your application windows to your screen exactly how you want them, with keyboard shortcuts you choose. Say for instance you’re reading on one application and need to copy and paste multiple pieces onto another -- you just hit your chosen hot key, and snap the window to exactly ½ the right or the left of the screen. Using dual monitors and want to quickly fullscreen? Hot key for that. Back on your laptop and need to compare Excel sheets across columns? Snap back to halves, or even thirds with just a button. To people who’ve never tried it, it might seem like only a few seconds, but to those who know the deal, there’s no going back. If you’re still manually resizing and dragging windows more than once a day, I strongly urge you to [try Better Snap Tool](. It’s the price of a coffee, and way more effective at helping you get your shit done. -- Kamran, Head of Juxtaposition Disclaimer: This is a fully unpaid endorsement. We just wanted to do a feature highlighting the tools we, as a company, use and love on a daily basis. No joke, it’s not even an affiliate link. Check it. This edition of The Hustle was brought to you by Meet your co-founder and build your network Your co-founder is your friend, your brainstorming buddy, and an integral part of the founding story at your TED talk in 5 years. There’s only one problem: you haven’t met them yet. Which means you’re still stuck with an awesome idea, wishing you had someone to help kickstart your dream business. That’s why [you need Shapr]( [Shapr]( is a free app that’s changing how CEOs and professionals network. Founded by five entrepreneurs that know firsthand the struggle of trying to meet investors, quality hires, and mentors, the app is meant to make networking easy and efficient. And because we’re all about our community, we’re giving you all a boost to get started. When you [download the free Shapr app]( add #TheHustle in your profile, and everyday you’ll be connected with 2-3 of our readers on the network. We talk to a bunch of you on email and facebook every day, and y’all are pretty cool. You should definitely meet each other.. and other nearby hustlers who will boost your career. Aaaand, our CEO’s on it. So hustle up and [download Shapr.]( 0 REFERRALS [ BECOME AN AMBASSADOR WHEN PEOPLE SIGN UP USING YOUR LINK Lindsey Quinn WRITER Kamran Rosen WRITER Zack Crockett WRITER John "Still moonin'" Havel BACKSEAT EDITOR Litre Vino GOLF AND WINE CORRESPONDENT [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](