đ âBoot The Swooshâ â On steals Nikeâs guy. NYTâs original AI sin. Tall Burger phenomenon. +Coders Smoking Camels
September 21, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readNike Loses MbappĂ©, NYTâs Smoking Gun, and the Tall Burger Paradox
On Friday, Swiss sneaker brand On announced it had signed Kylian MbappĂ©âthe best soccer player in the world, the top goal scorer in World Cup history, and a Nike athlete since age nineâto wear its first-ever soccer cleat. The stock fell 5%. That counterintuitive market reaction tells a story about what happens when fast-growing brands stop hustling and start chasing Hollywood.
When Hustle Becomes Hollywood
On doesnât even sell soccer cleats yet. Theyâre building their first pair specifically for MbappĂ©, debuting next year, using their proprietary Light Spray technologyâa 3D-printed, aerosol-sprayed upper so thin and light itâs been described as âa second set of skin.â The technology was the draw for MbappĂ©, along with two other French-speaking connections: legendary footballer Thierry Henry, Onâs director of football, and Roger Federer, an investor in the brand. MbappĂ© reportedly took equity in On instead of cash for the 10-year deal, echoing Federerâs own arrangement.
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What you'll learn
- 1 đ âBoot The Swooshâ â On steals Nikeâs guy. NYTâs original AI sin. Tall Burger phenomenon. +Coders Smoking Camels
- 2 (00:03) **Show Open & San Francisco Live Show Announcement** - Nick and Jack welcome listeners to Monday September 21st edition, hype the upcoming SF live show at the Palace of Fine Arts
- 3 (01:31) **Trend Watch: Tech Workers Bonding Over Cigarette Breaks** - Young SF tech workers are chain-smoking as an antidote to burnout and loneliness
- 4 (05:53) **Story 1: On Running Signs Kylian Mbappé** - Swiss sneaker brand steals Nike's top footballer in a Michael Jordan-esque deal, but stock drops 5%
- 5 (08:26) **The French Connection: Why Mbappé Chose On** - Two other Frenchmen sealed the deal: Thierry Henry and Roger Federer
- 6 (09:22) **Wall Street's Cold Reaction: From Hustle to Hollywood** - On shares fell 5% on the news and are down 43% since June
- 7 (10:59) **Story 2: AI's Original Sin â The New York Times Lawsuit Smoking Gun** - Unsealed emails show OpenAI and Microsoft execs admitting they stole journalism at unprecedented scale
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
On Running ended Kylian Mbappeâs endorsement deal with Nike⊠but the stock fell.
OpenAI emails show their âOriginal AI Sinâ... But they might get win anyway, because China.
Burgers are getting taller and smaller at the same time⊠and the trend explains this economy.
Silicon Valley 20-somethings are smoking cigarettes?Â
$ON $NKE $NYT
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