“So quirky”

That’s what Amazon is saying about their Echo shortage, but we’re not buying it. [The Hustle] Thur, Dec 22 Bezos & Co. are playing some serious mind games For the past week and a half, Amazon’s flagship virtual assistant slash smart speaker, the Echo, has been [sold out on their website], and only available in their 3 brick-and-mortar stores, 30 pop-up mall shops, and through their on-demand delivery service, Amazon Prime. The company’s calling this a supply-chain “quirk” and most media outlets are chalking it up to an honest “whoopsie.” But, not us -- not The Hustle. We’ve cracked this case wide open to see what this whole thing is really about: demand engineering. First, a little backstory Experts predicted this holiday season to be the breakthrough year of virtual reality. Yes, we’d all be gathered around the Christmas tree taking Snapchats of grandpa riding a roller coaster (or something like that). But, following a May 2015 industry report, investment bank Piper Jaffray reportedly [cut its 2016 estimates] for VR sales by a whopping 65%. VR tech is still too expensive, drones are so 2014, and people still don’t need an Apple Watch. So, what’s the big techy gift of the season? You guessed it, the Amazon Echo. But, if for one second you’re buying that the “everything store” made a massive mistake selling out of their number one item two weeks before Christmas -- take it from us -- you’ve been suckered, pal. Do you know how much data and experience these people have working with supply chains? This ain’t your run-of-the-mill case of numbers gone wrong… This is all one big orchestrated marketing campaign Straight from an [Amazon spokeswoman]: “Due to demand, we encourage customers to purchase an Echo if they see it available.” Oh if we just happen to “see it available”? Where might that be? Not at Best Buy or any other national retailer, no, but only their brand spankin’ new Amazon stores and delivery service. How convenient. Nah, see, we’re thinkin’ their 129 warehouses are chock full of Alexa tubes and this whole scarcity card is a move to get us talking about how popular these things are and how we can’t wait to get our hands on one. Mark our words... [Congrats, you’re back on the force] How to have “the talk” with your employees Ahh, the holidays, a time of hot cocoa, cozy fires, gift giving… and end of the year performance reviews. Like a corporate version of “the birds and the bees,” it’s a conversation neither managers, or employees like having, and frankly, they can get a little awkward. But Russ Laraway, former Googler and Co-founder of Candor, Inc., thinks it’s time to [change the conversation entirely]. He says that to retain top talent, managers shouldn’t focus on performance, they should talk about careers. Because performance reviews are just imposters… Companies often treat them interchangeably with career planning, but in reality, they’re polar opposites. Reviews are mainly backwards-looking, focusing on smaller, tactical checklists, while career discussions tackle a larger, forward-facing vision. So why is thinking bigger so important? Playing the long game not only helps guide employees’ day-to-day actions, it ensures they feel fulfilled, even when there’s no budget for a raise this quarter. Here’s how to approach it: “Hiya son, how about you and I just hang out today?” Just kidding, please don’t do that. Laraway offers three steps to helping a person uncover their career path: - Understand the pivots points: Take an hour to discover where your employees came from. Noting patterns that emerge across transition points in the person’s life, from switching majors to moving, will help you better understand their values and motivators. - Ask about their dreams: Aka, what would the pinnacle of their career look like? You can start broad, then hone in on specifics like whether they want to be a senior-level “maker” (individual contributor), or a senior-level manager (overseeing a team). - Create an action plan: Once you know where a person comes from and where they want to go, you can help create a plan to get there. As a manager, you can support along the way by expanding their network and providing resources to hone their skills. As a wise man named [Shia once said], “don’t let your dreams be dreams.” Take the time to understand a person’s aspirations and help them make it happen -- then they’ll repay you tenfold as an employee. [Just do it] Our pies need a Christmas miracle Get to the grocery store stat, because a storm’s whipping up and it looks like our pies won’t be having a white Christmas. We’ll give you a minute to put the pieces together… It’s about whipped cream, people. Or the lack thereof, thanks to a [shortage of nitrous oxide], a key component in aerosol whipped creams, that’s causing companies like Reddi-wip to halt production. This story isn’t all fluff, though, it’s an important lesson in what can go wrong when food companies rely on a single source in their supply chain. But first, how did this happen? Laughing gas + a tragic accident It all started in August when a major nitrous oxide plant in Florida operated by Air Liquide suffered an explosion that left one man dead and the plant incapacitated. The company then pledged its remaining nitrous supply to medical clients for operations that require “laughing gas” (nitrous oxide) for pain relief, leaving dairy companies up a creek. And sure modern medicine is great… But the pies, people!! This is what happens in “[highly consolidated]” (re: monopolized) food supply chains. Turns out, only two companies, including Air Liquide, produce the nitrous for the entire U.S. and Canada. And, the problem of consolidation is pervasive across the food industry -- it happened to Eggo in 2009 after a flood in one of its waffle warehouses and Sriracha [narrowly escaped extinction] when city complaints nearly shuttered its CA factory. Lobbyists are moving for antitrust enforcement and initiatives to encourage small producers, similar to how the craft beer industry has flourished despite huge mergers. Until then, our collective pies are gonna have to settle for a la mode. [Twist my arm...] Yes, another hack… But this time not nearly as bad as the [infamous Russian methbots]. Instead, a hacking team known as OurMine hijacked both Netflix’s and Marvel’s Twitter accounts and… wait for it. Tweeted. It wasn’t malicious per se, just a politely-worded sub-140-character FYI saying that they were simply testing their security and to contact them at contactourmineteam@gmail.com. That’s it? Why? OurMine, a self-described white-hat security group, has [a stated mission] to test the password strength of social media accounts that have a lot of followers and influence. This time, at least for Netflix, they exploited a specific staff member’s account to access the company profile. In the past, they’ve [taken control] of Zuck’s Pinterest account and the Quora account of Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Obviously not the most crucial of web properties, but still an important reminder that as app integrations and permissions get more and more complex, coupled with massive data breaches (cough… Yahoo, LinkedIn), these types of “attacks” are a real threat. But, c’mon OurMine… that’s kind of a dick move Totally respect the selfless angle of helping vulnerable companies with their online security, but is this really the best way to drum up business? This type of bullying reminds us of the mob roughing up a store owner and then saying, “Look, we can protect you from this type of thing.” Kind of ruins the whole “good deed” PR push. [Next time, send an email] things you should... READ: StrengthsFinder 2.0, $13+ Only one book has ever made the Amazon top 10 every year for the past decade, and it’s not Twilight, or even Harry Potter… It’s StrengthsFinder 2.0, a self-assessment book that helps you uncover your hidden talents. [GET STRONGER →] FOLLOW: The Denny’s Diner blog, priceless The people who moderate the Denny’s blog are on some serious hash right now. But hey, at least they know their target audience: high teens at 2 am. [EGGSCAPE →] HIRE: Professional Santa, $25-300/hour How can you make sure your Christmas party “sleighs” this year? Get yourself a certified, “real-bearded” santa. Yes, they’re on LinkedIn. [ENDORSE FOR JOLLYNESS →] WEAR: Hi-vis vest, $9.99 [These guys] over at Vice figured out that you can do almost anything with a hi-vis vest and a little confidence, including getting into the movies, the zoo, and even a Coldplay concert, for free. What are you waiting for? [START LIVING →] TRY: Design Pickle, 40% off discount Quality graphic design goes a long way, but chances are you suck at it. So hire somebody who doesn’t, and get 40% off with code “HUSTLE1216.” [STOP USING COMIC SANS →] [SUBSCRIBE] [JOBS] [ADVERTISE] [AMBASSADORS] [EVENTS] [Lindsey "Reddi or not" Quinn] WRITER John Havel WHEN YOUR NOSE UNPLUGS ITSELF Sam Parr EDITOR Colette Evan STAFF MEDIATOR 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] Never wanna hear from us again? Break our hearts and [unsubscribe].