Author: Daniel Keem
-
The invention of edible underwear and why it actually sold
Edible underwear sounds like a punchline, but it became a multi-million-dollar product line. Here’s the actual history and why the novelty was the whole point.
-
The weird economics of bottled water brands
Bottled water is one of the most successful branding feats in modern retail. Here’s how an essentially identical product gets sold at wildly different prices.
-
Buying a house is the worst investment most middle-class Americans make
Homeownership is sold as wealth-building, but the math after maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost rarely supports the story. Here’s what actually happens.
-
DIY skateparks: how skaters build their own spots from concrete and grit
From Burnside to FDR, skaters have built their own parks under bridges and in forgotten lots. Here’s how the global DIY skatepark movement actually works.
-
Pay yourself first assumes you have anything left to pay
The ‘pay yourself first’ rule is great advice for people who already have margin. For everyone else, it skips the actual problem. Here’s what works instead.
-
Younger isn’t always better in the workplace
Tech and startup culture treats youth as an asset, but the data on experience, judgment, and team performance tells a more complicated story. Here’s what’s actually true.
-
Blood tests don’t always justify supplement use
A ‘low-normal’ lab value isn’t a prescription. Here’s why blood tests get used to sell supplements that often don’t help and sometimes hurt.
-
Student loan forgiveness was overdue and conservatives are wrong about who benefits
Student loan forgiveness gets framed as a giveaway to elites. The actual data tells a different story about who carries the worst debt and why relief made sense.
-
The hidden cost of chasing wellness trends
Wellness culture sells optimization as care, but the financial, time, and psychological costs add up fast. Here’s what the trends rarely advertise.
-
Saving for retirement can ruin your present life
Aggressive retirement saving sounds responsible, but oversaving for a future you might not reach is its own form of waste. Here’s how to balance both.