What’s your “20% project"?

Mine was writing this 10-page email to piss people off on Twitter. [The Hustle]( Mon, Aug 7 Manifes-doh: Google’s “anti-diversity” problem Last Friday, amidst Google’s highly-public attempts to fix its gender imbalance, a [10-page document]( titled “Google's Ideological Echo Chamber" made the rounds on its internal email system. The note, penned by a male software engineer at the company, argued that the underrepresentation of women in tech is a result of “inherent psychological differences” between men and women -- not bias and discrimination. Oh, do tell… In his letter, the author begins with a defensible point (no problem can be solved without open, honest discourse), but then quickly degenerates into some dubious points, including: - Women are less likely to be programmers due to biological differences (they are “more interested in people than things”) - Google should cancel programs aimed at helping underprivileged groups - Making conservatives more comfortable in the workplace is more important than improving racial and gender diversity The author claims to have received many notes from fellow employees thanking him for pointing out the issues -- but on Twitter, responses from Googlers were [overwhelmingly critical](. Not to mention an official response on behalf of the company from Google’s recently hired VP for Diversity, Integrity and Governance, Danielle Brown, panning the opinion. It’s a symptom of an underlying problem In 2015, the Department of Labor conducted a [diversity audit]( on Google and found “systemic compensation disparities against women” (6-7 standard deviations) across the entire workforce. When Google failed to heed a request for additional data earlier this year, the DoL sued. Last month, Google was [ordered to hand over]( a smaller trove of data -- a fact they boasted about on their company blog. So, as controversial as the manifesto is, the real issue at hand is the fact that Google has, thus far, largely resisted a fully transparent discussion of its gender imbalances. And if nothing else, at least this has forced them to acknowledge it. Silver lining? The shipping industry feuds over an aging USPS’ dwindling estate Competition from more competent shippers like FedEx and UPS has had the USPS on the ropes for a while now. In 2016 alone, the service posted [$5.6B in losses](. So, in a play to win back business, they’ve partnered with private companies that sell discounted postage online -- kinda like the hugely successful Stamps.com. But critics in the shipping space (re: Stamps.com competitors) say this “mutually beneficial” relationship actually takes advantage of the Postal Service. And the whole thing reads like a feud over an aging family member’s estate. The Anna Nicole Smith of stamps Stamps.com, which allows users to purchase and print their own postage/shipping labels from home on the cheap, has seen its [stock increase 800%]( in the past 3 years, thanks to impressive quarterly earnings and 80% gross margins. How are they doing it? Through “negotiated service agreements” with the USPS that allow some companies to sell postage for less than others for the same service. The USPS doesn’t have to disclose its dealings with private companies, but [insiders told WaPo]( that Stamps.com uses several subsidiaries (like ShipStation) in “novel ways” to “[take] advantage of a poorly managed Postal Service discount program” and gain a competitive advantage. “Sounds like more of a ‘you’ problem…” At the end of the day, it’s not Stamps.com’s responsibility to police the way the USPS does business. On its part, the USPS defends its discounts, saying that every contract is independent and only approved if the arrangement will be profitable. Long story short, if novel problem solving is a crime, then consider them Miles Davis. [Who would ship 30 bag lunches?]( Justice porn: Martin Shkreli convicted of fraud On Friday, former hedge-fund manager, renowned troll, and all-around bad guy Martin Shkreli was found [guilty of fraud]( in two of his failed hedge funds. Prosecutors accused Shkreli of lying to investors as he blew their money on terrible stock picks, then recovered his millions in losses through a [Ponzi scheme]( that siphoned money from his other drug company, Retrophin, to repay his debts. The charges are unrelated to the scandal that put him on the map: buying the rights to the drug Daraprim (an HIV/AIDS medication that’s been on the market for years), and raising its price from $13.50 to $750 per tablet. But his antics made the defense’s job particularly difficult Since entering the public eye, Shkreli has managed to incense the population at large by: - Stalking a Teen Vogue columnist on Twitter - Buying a [one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album]( for $2m - Incessant livestreams of himself playing online chess, talking about his crush on Lindsay Lohan, or simply petting his cat, “Trashy” In fact, so many people saw Shkreli as “the face of corporate greed,” that the judge [dismissed over 250 potential jurors]( due to bias against him. Now, he has more than an “image problem” -- he faces up to 20 years in prison. Just one caveat… Shkreli’s scheme actually worked: the investors involved in the case made out like bandits, in some cases [tripling their investments]( on Retrophin’s stock when the company went public. The lack of financial harm could mean that Shkreli gets off with a minor sentence and no jail time. Oh, and Daraprim is still $750. [Douche canews]( Livin’ in stoner’s paradise Marijuana tech company American Green Inc. has purchased the entire 120-acre town of Nipton, CA for an estimated $5 million. They plan to [turn the desert locale into]( “the country’s first energy-independent, cannabis-friendly hospitality destination” -- which is interesting news for its 20 year-round residents. From gold rush to green rush Situated about 1.5 miles from the Nevada border, on the outskirts of the Mojave Desert, Nipton was founded in 1905 after gold was discovered in the area. In the 1980s, the (by then) ghost town was purchased by a Los Angeles geologist who spent 30 years fitting it with solar panels and eco-friendly cabins. His widow put the town up for sale last year -- and in stepped the ganjapreneurs. High hopes Over the next 18 months, American Green Inc. plans to [invest $2.5m]( in making the town the United States’ premiere weed destination. Its first order of business will be to infuse the town’s [water supply]( with cannabidiol (CBT), the non-psychoactive part of cannabis. They’ll also be introducing a potpourri of dispensaries, mineral baths, and hotels. Be prepared to find a nug on your pillow in lieu of a mint. [Should’ve bought Weed, CA]( monday morning review Some things are more fun with others Back in 2015, Sam and I were trying to sell Hustle Con tickets so we decided to make a video. Nothing fancy, just something that encouraged ticket holders to invite their friends and make the event more fun. Problem was neither of us knew squat about making a decent video. So we did what we could -- borrowed a camera, asked Joey the Cat if we could use his arcade warehouse, and came up with a loose narrative set to dubstep. [Judge it for yourself](. The end result wasn’t pretty… But the underlying idea was solid. In the same way Sam can’t play ping pong by himself, events like Hustle Con are way more fun if it’s not just you and your lonesome to share the experience. And that applies to this here email as well. People wanted an easier way to share stories from The Hustle, so that’s something we’re testing over the next couple weeks. Maybe you noticed the bigger share buttons up under the top story. Go take a look, you can’t miss ‘em. Because after all, discussing topical puns and insightful news is more fun with friends. Just make sure someone remembers the slap bracelets and bad lighting. - John, Someone who sometimes explains things This edition of The Hustle was brought to you by How do the rich get richer? With help. And plenty of it. Things like personal advisors, high-end investment strategies and account-backed loans work together to grow their investment portfolios and help them live the lives they want. Lucky for you, [Wealthfront]( believes in the same thing, the high fees. They’ve evened the playing field by building a platform that gives you that same kind of high-end access even if you don’t have a lot of money (yet). They use the [power of software]( with time-tested investment strategies to deliver sophisticated services and personalized advice built around your life goals, all for a low annual fee. Want to grow your money with a brand that is reimagining the financial industry with you in mind? Check out [Wealthfront]( and let your money work harder for you. 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