The CQ: The Gig Economy for Nurses and "Neurodiversity Advocates" on TikTok
What the Team is Reading and Talking About on Slack
The CQ is Forerunner’s weekly newsletter rounding up the most pressing consumer news and analysis, plus some bonus musing from our investment team. Subscribe now to get the latest edition in your inbox every Saturday.
By Forerunner
Our Top 10 Must-Reads of the Week:
The New York Times looks at the “aestheticization of mental health” on TikTok and how it’s supporting more liberal self-diagnoses of issues like A.D.H.D. and autism for young people. Influencers are becoming “neurodiversity advocates,” showing how personality quirks can be taken as symptoms of a condition. One driver behind this willing acceptance of a mental health diagnosis? A deeper desire for identity. “In many online circles — particularly those frequented by young, white, middle-class women — certain diagnoses are treated like zodiac signs or Myers-Briggs types.”
According to a new Pew study, more women are making the same or more than their husbands, although the majority of housework and childcare still falls on wives’ shoulders. In egalitarian marriages, women spend about 2 hours more a week on caregiving and 2.5 hours more on chores. The only exception? When women are the sole breadwinners, husbands do more of the caregiving (...but wives still do more housework).
Is the Metaverse over already? Retailers like Walmart and Disney have discontinued their metaverse strategy as a result of lack of consumer interest. A recent report found over 80% of respondents have never made a metaverse purchase, and 45% said they don’t ever plan to. “It was just such a big, broad, abstract landscape that it seemed there was kind of a lack of direction.”
Due to a shortage of nurses, now even hospitals have embraced the gig economy. Gig apps either allow workers to bid for shifts or let hospitals shorten the amount of hours or lower rates for popular shifts and raise them for times that are harder to fill. “Gig apps give nurses even more control than other common temporary-employment options that lock in workers for multi-week contracts, at least. It opens shifts to a broader labor pool, but also a more fluid one.”
The 35 ways real people are using AI right now, according to The New York Times: Plan gardens, plan vacations, appeal an insurance denial, write a wedding speech, learn Chinese, create new proteins, and more.
Welcome to my crib. It’s rented. And it’s a moneymaker. The New York Times takes a look at how now, you don’t even have to be a homeowner to become a home design influencer and score brand deals with the likes of Ikea. Rental specific design influencers are on the rise as a more life stage appropriate rendition of traditional home design aspirations for younger demographics — and people raking in money off of it.
Voice memos are becoming Gen Z’s go-to communication. Making audio recordings through iMessage and WhatsApp allows them to convey tone and emotions, which is tricky with texts, but without any of the anxiety of a live phone call. Over 40% of 18- to 29-year-olds surveyed said they use the feature at least weekly.
Records and flip phones have each had their resurgence, but now VHS tapes are getting their big nostalgia moment. “It might be from their childhood or the childhood they never had, or it might merely express a longing to be anywhere but 2023.” (A semi-related tidbit from the article: eBay is testing a program to house people’s sports card collections for them—you can’t visit them but they’ll send you a photo.)
The tax break associated with getting an electric car has been a major draw for many — but there’s now only about 10 car brands eligible for the full EV tax credit, and they’re all American. In an effort to increase U.S.-based production, new rules put in place by the Inflation Reduction Act require a percentage of battery minerals and components be sourced from North America or a U.S. trade partner. Even if the model meets the battery criteria, the car must be under a certain price point and buyers need to meet the income cap as well.
As people are trying to reign in their budgets, they’re rethinking all their subscriptions. Because it’s often necessary to jump through a bunch of annoying hoops to cancel them, a new proposal from the FTC could make it easier to end subscriptions — with just one click. Feeling consumer sentiment, some companies, like Bark and HelloFresh, are changing their strategies to focus more on non-subscription products.
Portfolio Highlights
Faire CEO Max Rhode pens a piece on the future of independent retail for Fast Company.
Ritual releases its inaugural Impact Report, showing transparency and progress across its commitments to sustainable business operations and traceability.
Arrived Homes co-founder and CEO Ryan Frazier speaks with Yahoo! Finance about making it easier to invest in real estate.
Tally Health Cofounder David Sinclair is included in a Fortune article about alcohol’s impact on health and longevity.
Men’s Health includes Tom Hale, CEO of Oura, in its lineup of health and fitness innovators changing the game this year.
In a ModernRetail story on DTC brands looking to expand to wholesale, Faire is mentioned as a way to digitize the process.
Elle covers the launch of Glossier’s new G Suite lipstick, a product that was in development for 3 years.
NBCNews selects The Farmer’s Dog as the best subscription wet dog food.
Interior designer Jeremy D. Clark name-checks The Expert in House Beautiful as his favorite online store.
Forerunner Highlights:
Kirsten and Eurie are announced as keynote speakers at Business of Fashion’s Global Beauty Summit in the end of May.
Work at a Portfolio Company
Ecommerce Strategy Manager | KiwiCo: KiwiCo is an innovative e-commerce company that sparks kids’ creativity and curiosity through offline and online materials and inspiration, offerings kids a delightful, engaging way to explore, create, and learn. The role will have a great eye for product — one part strategist fueled by data-driven insights, and one part marketer geared for growth, working closely with Marketing, Digital Product, Analytics, and Product Design.
Senior Design Systems Designer | Homebound: Homebound is making it possible for anyone, anywhere, to build the home of their dreams using technology, backed by a team of construction, real estate, design, and technology experts. lead the improvement and maintenance of our design system. This role will have a deep understanding of design systems and a proven track record of auditing and improving existing design systems, creating mobile-optimized versions of existing components, and facilitating team discussions to create buy-in.
SVP of People Operations | Hims & Hers: Hims & Hers is a multi-specialty telehealth platform building a virtual front door to the healthcare system, connecting people to licensed healthcare professionals for conditions related to sexual health, hair care, mental health, skincare, primary care, and more. This role will serve as a member of the senior leadership team, leading all aspects of well-developed and intentional processes to support the hiring, onboarding, and employee growth.
There are ~542 other openings on our jobs site. Check ‘em out.