Plus: RIP Big Tech perks, a cult film remake, our weekend recs, and more. [View Online]( [The Hustle] A man stranded without service in snowy Oregon attached his phone to a drone, flying it skyward until it was able to send his SOS text message. Rescuers found not only him, but another man whoâd also been stranded. In todayâs email: - The saddest shortage: Where are the Girl Scout cookies?
- Visual: Big Tech reins in the perks.
- Our best stuff from the week.
- Around the Web: A karaoke app, the dogs of Chernobyl, small-business influencers, and more. ð§ On the go? [Listen to todayâs podcast]( to hear Mark and Juliet talk about Girl Scout cookie drama, Microsoftâs progress with Bing, and an Alabama mayorâs TikTok strategy. The big idea
[Girl Scouts]( Where are the Girl Scout cookies? A Girl Scout cookie shortage has resellers hawking boxes for up to $35 each.
2023-03-10T00:00:00Z
Juliet Bennett Ryla Since 2020, shortages have spread across industries, but this one hits right in the sweet tooth. The Girl Scouts of the USA are in a cookie shortage. Girl Scout troops sell [~200m cookies]( per year, bringing in ~$800m to fund activities. Theyâre so popular, other cookie companies cut advertising and lower sales expectations during the January-to-April selling season. But this year⦠⦠cookies are in short supply, especially for online shoppers. When the Girl Scouts began selling cookies in [1917](, members baked them. But as sales scaled, troops turned to commercial bakers. Today, ABC Bakers in Virginia makes ~25% of the cookies, and Ferrero-owned Little Brownie Bakers (LBB) in Kentucky makes ~75%, [per]( CNBC. Since January, LBB has experienced delays due to supply chain issues, labor shortages, and weather-related power outages. Ferrero maintains itâs still on track to meet initial orders, but many Girl Scouts have been unable to meet their sales goals. And then thereâs eBay The saddest kind of reseller has got to be a Girl Scout cookie reseller, but here we are. The hottest flavor is Raspberry Rally, a new limited-edition âsisterâ to Thin Mints. Typically, they go for $4-$7 per box, but the often sold-out cookies are now listed on eBay for up to 5x as much, [per]( The New York Times. Assuming this isnât the work of a particularly entrepreneurial middle schooler, the troops arenât benefiting financially from the increased demand. For that reason⦠⦠and because they canât guarantee quality otherwise, the Girl Scouts have asked buyers to purchase only through local troops. Speaking of, you can find yours [here](. [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=Where+are+the+Girl+Scout+cookies%3F%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F03102023-Girl-Scout-cookies%3Futm_campaign%3DFriday%2BEmail%26utm_content%3D03102023-Girl-Scout-cookies%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]( TRENDING [eyeball wearing a hat] Tommy Wiseauâs The Room (2003) has become a cult classic for its odd script, overacting, and unintentionally funny lines. Now, âBetter Call Saulâ star Bob Odenkirk is starring in [a remake]( for charity. SNIPPETS Bing binge: Microsoftâs head of Bing [said]( the platform crossed the 100m daily user mark. âWe are fully aware we remain a small, low, single digit share player. That said, it feels good to be at the dance!â Please leave: GM is [offering]( voluntary buyouts to a majority of its 58k corporate employees in a $2B cost-cutting effort. Beethovenâs big day: Apple said its dedicated [classical music app](, with 5m+ tracks, will launch on March 28. Venture capâs nap: In February, global VC funding [fell to $18B](, the first sub-$20B month since February 2020. Meanwhile⦠in March, Utah-based personalized demo startup Consensus [raised $110m](, OpenAI rival Anthropic [raised $300m](, and UK-based Envisics [raised $50m]( for its in-car hologram tech. Shares of Silicon Valley Bank [plummeted]( 60% yesterday after the tech-focused bank announced losses of $2B+. The four biggest US banks lost $52B in market value following the news. Discord [launched]( three new AI experiences: Clyde, a conversational chatbot; AutoMod AI, which alerts moderators to possible rule violations; and Conversation Summaries for the TL;DR. Civic duty: In Oneonta, Alabama, Mayor Richard Phillips has [gone viral]( for his TikTok videos pranking city colleagues. Occasionally, tourists come to the 7k-person town just to get a selfie with him. Update: Police in Japan [arrested]( three people for alleged âsushi terrorism,â a gross trend we previously covered [here](. No more laundry
[perks at big tech offices](
Olivia Heller Big Tech reins in the perks Abundant office perks are no longer a given.
2023-03-10T00:00:00Z
Jacob Cohen Over the course of a few weeks in January, then-Google employee Nicole Tsai posted cute clips highlighting many of the perks available at the companyâs LA office. One post [showcases]( a slide, hand-rolled sushi for lunch, and a happy hour Tiki bar. A top comment reads, âDaycare for adults.â The next day, Tsai posted [another TikTok]( titled âA day in my life getting laid off at Google.â Unfortunately, and unexpectedly for her, Tsai was one of the 12k employees Google cut in January. âThe pingpong tables have turnedâ¦â ⦠The Wall Street Journalâs Anne Marie Chaker [said]( on the broader subject. The tech industry has long been known for lavish office perks introduced to attract and retain top talent. - A 2022 survey from MetLife found 31% of tech workers consider pet insurance a must-have benefit, compared to 18% of all employees. But abundance and job security in tech is no longer a given. In 2022, 1k+ tech companies laid off 161k+ employees, according to [Layoffs.fyi](. Already in 2023, 471 companies have laid off 127k+. While cutting office perks risks disappointing some staff, it can also be an easy cost-saver in tumultuous economic times. Facebook â which cut 11k+ workers in November and [could]( slash thousands more â recently cut free laundry services. Twilio has cut sabbatical, wellness, and book budgets. And, in January, Google let go of [31]( in-house massage therapists. [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=Big+Tech+reins+in+the+perks%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F03102023-Big-Tech-perks%3Futm_campaign%3DFriday%2BEmail%26utm_content%3D03102023-Big-Tech-perks%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]( Listen Now
Key lessons from three âShark Tankâ products Ever felt like âShark Tankâ should dive a little deeper? Youâre in luck. [Another Bite]( is the new podcast for entrepreneurs and everyday folks who love to dish on great products. And not-so-great products. You understand. Join hosts Ariel, Jorie, and Jon in enjoying memorable pitches and extracting valuable strategies from the hit TV show. Next up in the tank: - What the sharks saw in Scrub Daddy
- How Cougar Energy missed in the drinks market
- The Groovebook smartphone photo-printing service Tune into the groovy-daddy-cougar chat. [*Chomp* â]( Recs
[Weekend Reads] Welcome to Weekend Reads 2023-03-10T00:00:00Z In case you missed âem, hereâs this weekâs best⦠- Tweet: [That feeling]( when someone suggests a âquickâ meeting on a Friday afternoon.
- Blog: Twelve [key performance indicators]( product managers should use this year.
- Chart: Itâs not you, itâs money. Hereâs how US [dating spending]( changed between 2013 and 2023.
- Story: Markâs deep dive into why some travelers fly across the world [without leaving the airport](.
- Video: Our YouTube teamâs latest about the [impact of private jets]( on the environment, and the internet sleuth calling them out. AROUND THE WEB ð
On this day: In 1926, the Book-of-the-Month Club [published]( its first selection â Sylvia Townsend Warnerâs Lolly Willowes, or The Loving Huntsman. The novel follows a woman who refuses to marry and instead takes up witchcraft. ð¤ Thatâs cool: [Smule]( is an app that lets you sing karaoke by yourself or with others around the world. ð Thatâs interesting: Scientists are [studying]( the dogs that have lived around Chernobylâs abandoned nuclear plant for generations and are genetically different from other dogs in nearby cities. âï¸ From our blog: Small businesses can still access influencer marketing. [Hereâs how](. ð Aww: The [flashlight fish](âs bioluminescent spots kinda make it look like a superhero. Shower Thoughts - Turning the music down helps you see better in parking lots. [SOURCE
SOURCE](
- When you sleep with your arms on top of your bedding, you are a human paperclip. [SOURCE
SOURCE](
- Michelangelo must have been absolutely jacked from chiseling. [SOURCE
SOURCE](
- A kiss is technically a headbutt, just not a violent one. [SOURCE
SOURCE](
- Itâd be impossible to tell if a sloth was clapping sincerely. [SOURCE
SOURCE]( Â
[via Reddit]( TELL FRIENDS â GET PRIZES Help your friends aboard our growing pirate ship. Share The Hustle Daily to start winning loot. [all prizes](
[Share The Hustle ð¤ â]( Or copy this custom referral link: [ Your referral count: 0 How did you like todayâs email? [Love It]( [Meh]( [Hate It]( Today's email was brought to you by [Jacob Cohen](, [Juliet Bennett Rylah](, and [Rob Litterst](.
Editing by: Mark âThin Mintâ Dent. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](.
[PODCAST]( [JOBS]( [CONTACT US](mailto:news@thehustle.co)
[Facebook]( [Youtube]( [Instagram]( [Twitter](
2 CANAL PARK, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02141, UNITED STATES Â +1 888 482 7768
Never want to hear from us again? Break our hearts and [unsubscribe](list=thehustle).
[The Hustle](