I spent last night at Oramen, an unassuming (but perfect) Flatiron izakaya that I have been eating at once a week. I wouldn’t leave the table until I finished planning the vacation that I’m tacking on to Cannes Lions. Which brings me to my next question: Will you be at Cannes Lions in June? Email me if you’d like to do something together there.

Today’s newsletter includes: An interview with TBPN’s president Dylan Abruscato, Ezra Klein is hiring an assistant, Prada condoms and Rhode’s pimple patches, and a Palm Heights movie appearance.

Have a story you want me to look into this week? Reply to this email or text the anonymous Feed Me Tip Line: ‪(646) 494-3916‬

This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want. Past guests have included Vanity Fair’s Mark Guiducci, former head of the Federal Trade Commission Lina Khan, and restaurateur Keith McNally.

Today, Dylan Abruscato, President of , answers your questions about how he ended up here — at an OpenAI acquired tech show — at this point in his career. There was one question I felt went unanswered in the interview, so last night I reached out to him and asked about this assertion that TBPN isn’t going to change post-acquisition: How can that possibly be true? He responded: “A huge part of our agreement was a ‘Commitment to Editorial Independence’ clause, which was written in to make sure we keep operating the show as is. So contractually, we still have full creative control over all editorial decisions.”

“I think it’s cool that from such a young age you knew you wanted to work in MEDIA. The Page program can be quite demanding (I’m sure more when you were involved than today). I’m curious what influenced you to get on that path, whether it was growing up near NYC or something that you realized while at school at Wisconsin. Did you watch a lot of TV growing up? Do you still watch a lot of TV?” - Emily

I grew up religiously watching SNL and was completely obsessed with becoming a live TV producer. So when I was in college, I interned at NBC. Growing up near NYC definitely helped (I took the LIRR to my internship every day while living at home that summer). The only internship I could land was in NBC News ad sales, but at least I was in 30 Rock every day.

My boss that summer was a former Page, and that was the first time I had heard about the rotational program and its grueling interview process. She mentioned that beyond giving NBC tours, there were actual SNL Page assignments you could apply to and interview for (a real-life Kenneth), and that was it for me.

So I went back to Wisconsin that fall and put all my free time into my Page Program application and presentation. It is basically an American Idol audition or Shark Tank–style process where you pitch your creativity to a panel of NBC execs. I did an NBC-themed rendition of Oh, the Places You’ll Go (credit to my college girlfriend, now wife, for the idea), got the job, started right after graduation, got the SNL Page assignment, and the rest is history.

I’ve since dedicated my entire career to the future of live TV. And yes, I still watch a ton of TV.

“If you had creative control at SNL today what would you change?” - Tyler

I’d make it easier to get tickets! To this day, the thing I get asked the most is, “Can you help me get SNL tickets?” It’s nearly impossible. There’s a lottery, plus a few occasional standby tickets, but most people who camp out on 5th and 6th Avenue for days still don’t get in. Lorne always says that the best seat to watch SNL from is the couch in your home, but I personally disagree. Nothing beats being in that studio when the show is live.

“You were nominated for an Emmy in 2019, any plans to return on the big screen now that you’ve sold TBPN?” - Tatayana

The nomination in 2019 was actually for my work at HQ Trivia. So despite starting my career in TV, the only time I’ve been nominated has been for a daily live show startup. The good news is TBPN isn’t changing post-acquisition, and we qualify for that same Emerging Media category, so we’ll be on the ballot this year.

“If you could have any piece of art in the world hanging in your house. what would you choose, and why?” - EA

The painting that currently lives in my head rent-free is a still life by Anna Weyant of a bowl of persimmons with a birthday candle inside it. I’m not even sure what it’s titled, but I first came across a paper study for the painting during a Nino Mier group show a few years back and just fell in love with the humor and insane detail. That, or anything by Henri Rousseau.

“Jordi and John said they would never do business without you. What makes you so valuable and what’s your advice on how to do business in the age of new media?” - Mark

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is the co-founder of Sourmilk, a Greek yogurt brand focused on gut health. Couchman started Sourmilk with her friend Elan Halpern. The two met at Stanford, went on to work in tech and finance, and quit their jobs last year to go all in on dairy. Kiki has become the public face of Sourmilk on social media, and in this conversation we discuss everything from “building in public” to packaging design.

Topics discussed include:

Building in public as leverage: “When you’re small, you need to find as many ways as possible to create leverage for yourself as a brand because otherwise everyone else will exploit you essentially because you’re trying to knock and get in the door.”

On bootstrapping and not taking outside capital early: “We wanted to avoid that for as long as possible. No paid media, no Meta ads, nothing. Some people are like, I see your ads all the time. I’m like, girl, that’s organic.”

On choosing yogurt over tech: “Everyone else we know is in AI and in a very different area, but it’s not rocket science. It’s very hard. You have to be super gritty, but ultimately you just need to make a product, have an efficient supply chain and sell it for more than you make it.”

I am looking into the weather-related spritz bump that New York bars are experiencing for all of you, and should have some hard numbers to report on later this week. In the meantime, keep your eyes open while taking your lunch breaks in the city — outdoor seating quickly reveals who has a real job, and who doesn’t.

Today’s Guest Lecture is with Mark Guiducci. I first met Mark last June, at a diner on the Upper East Side. I was struck by his warmth and wit, and overall generosity towards me. He made me feel welcome at both the diner, Viand, and his corner of Condé world.

Today’s letter includes: Mark Guiducci on his plans for Vanity Fair, one way to get an internship at Feed Me, the whisper networks facilitating international Chanel purchases, and one of my favorite New York diners is closing.

Have a story you want me to look into this week? Reply to this email or text the anonymous Feed Me Tip Line: ‪(646) 494-3916‬

This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want. Past guests include Eliana Gil Rodriguez, Eric Wareheim, and .

Today, Mark Guiducci, the global editorial director of Vanity Fair, answers your questions about landing a job at VF, what Graydon Carter taught him about throwing a party, and how to pronounce his last name.

With the new hires and the editorial direction, I think you’re doing a brilliant job. What does it take to join VF? - L’Amica

“We are always looking for new writers and it really only takes one or two hit stories to spark something. A scoop is a scoop, wherever it publishes. Hit me up, L’Amica!”

What did the title change from Editor in Chief to Global Editorial Director mean to you? Do you feel any frustration around having that title over the classic EIC title? - Natalia

“It means that Vanity Fair is a global magazine, with successful editions and brilliant editors in Italy, France, and Spain. And I’d like to see VF have a larger presence in London soon.

As for the title, I’m the editor of Vanity Fair. I can’t say it really gets me down.”

How do you inherit the VF Oscars Party and keep it relevant, cool, and fresh for today? It seems that was always an important part of the VF lore, and a party that centered it in the conversation. Graydon seemed like one of the best party hosts of all time - how are you thinking about this party now that you’re in charge? - Brooks

“Graydon is one of the best party hosts, and I learned a lot from him. I wrote in my most recent editor’s letter about being an assistant at the Oscar Party when I worked for him at VF fifteen years ago. A lot of credit also goes to Sara Marks, our longtime, highly esteemed director of special events who worked for the Rolling Stones for a decade and is a genius about details. She can be ruthless, but she addresses everyone as “Sweets” in a British accent, which usually softens the blow.

This Sunday, we will have a smaller guest list than in recent years and are cultivating a sense of privacy so that people can let their hair down. So while our red carpet is bigger than ever, the only reporting and photography coming from inside the party will be Vanity Fair’s. We are inviting a mix of legends (including Graydon) and young people who feel very right now, coming from not only Hollywood, but also tech, politics, fashion, and journalism, with a dash of Europeans. The idea is that these are all people who don’t usually meet each other, but will want to. In that way, the party should feel like the magazine itself.”

What does Mark see as the boldest editorial choice he’s made thus far? Can he walk us through that decision, start to finish? - Izzy

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Today’s letter includes: on why nobody could’ve charged for a link aggregation email in 2016, East Village guys are taking sartorial risks in order to dress like JFK Jr., POOG Podcast at London Fashion Week, Boy Smells bottled up the bathhouse boom.

Guest Lecture:

This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want. Past guests have included Lina Khan, Andrew Ross Sorkin, and Audrey Hobert.

Today, , writer of , answers your questions about how she decides what goes in her newsletter, planning events with the Substack team, and how her feelings about newsletters have changed over the last ten years.

“Will Welch talked about this amazingly and plenty from an editor’s POV but since you have also interviewed plenty of musicians/famous personalities that define cultural moments, it would be cool to learn about this from a writer’s POV.

In a world of social media where famous artists, musicians, or any personalities that already have a large audience – one they can speak to directly (moreso, even monetize it for themselves) how does a writer and publication demonstrate the value of their coverage? How do you make a subject feel that your perception/profile of them holds value and will discover or broadcast something they couldn’t on their own?” - Yanit

When I first started writing at Vanity Fair, my editor Matt Lynch almost always gave me the same note: context, context, context. He was constantly reminding me that perhaps the most important part of any profile (or really, any story) was to be able to succinctly describe why this person or topic was worth the reader’s attention — and why now.

It’s now one of the most common notes I also give when working with writers myself, because any feature must answer the most implicit question of all, which is “Why should you, the reader, care about this one topic in the broad scheme of things?” Because of course we’re swimming in a deluge of self-promotional messages that everyone is already broadcasting. But no one is ever that good at answering that question themselves. Clavicular can go live until he’s blue in the face, but he’s never going to personally give you a nuanced, sociological read on why live-streamed masculinity is having a moment. Subjects need to be perceived by a third party (ideally a writer with a snappy voice, journalistic integrity, and world-class bullshit detection) for us as a public to make sense of them.

Clout/hype/success is never some entirely self-driven phenomenon. It relies on a delicate web of collab posts and institutional co-signs and of course, advertiser dollars — the latter of which depend a lot a lot on the imprimatur of traditional press.

“Delia, how do you decide on what to include in a letter/what are your routine media sources?? Has that changed significantly in 10 years? Also how do you think your roles in legacy media relates to how you run Deez and vice versa?” - Teddy

I used to just sit on Twitter all day and let that be the primary funnel; now my media diet is more so reading favorite sites, newsletters, and group chats to pick up signal on what’s interesting or worthy. The clearest sign that something is worth linking to in Deez Links is when I find myself automatically texting it to friends and wanting to burn up the whole morning talking about it; that’s when I know I have Thoughts and Feelings (and that likely, others will too).

In terms of the influence of working in legacy media…I do feel more pressure to highlight things that are more conventionally in the “news cycle” or that I know other people/newsletters are talking about as a way of “keeping up” or staying relevant. But I am sure you can tell when it’s forced like that. The newsletter always always always works better when I default to the sniff test of like, do I actually want to gossip about this thing to my friends in the chat?

But also, after working in legacy media, I do have a deep fear of image copyright issues. It’s funny to me to watch a lot of newsletters happily grabbing screenshots, etc. from Getty Images or whatever; to me that is very brave! After getting drilled on the ins and outs of image rights at BuzzFeed, amongst other jobs, I’m too scared for all that. So Deez Links is largely unillustrated.

“Hi Delia, Deez Links has always had a super fun/distinct voice, which especially now feels rebellious. How do you decide which topics are worth your perspective, versus just worth the link? How has that changed over the past ten years, or how has your approach to curation changed?” - Ray

A lot of the links I go long on start out as just a regular link + description, but then I’ll find myself writing like three or four or 15 paragraphs on it, and realize oh, okay, I have a lot more to say other than just “this is worth reading!” I probably had more intention when I started out — real “I’m going to write the definitive essay on XYZ” ambitions — but I honestly felt like I didn’t really have the juice once I actually got going on those. You have to let the obsessiveness sneak up on you.

I also used to make myself read/link to things that felt “necessary” in terms of like, here’s the syllabus today. But that kind of felt like trying to win the Empathy/Informed Olympics. So I think I’m trying to avoid more of the obvious (yet still necessary) stuff and surface the gems you probably aren’t seeing yet.

“What do you think people misunderstand about how influence actually accumulates?” - Tatayana

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Today’s newsletter includes: Mexico City’s most famous grilled fish is coming to America, launching a Substack newsletter can get you a New York Magazine interview, and Isabella Rossellini’s farm is making wool.

Have a story idea for me? Reply to this email or text the anonymous Feed Me Tip Line: ‪(646) 494-3916‬

Guest Lecture: Julia Collier

This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want. Past guests have included Keith McNally, Andrew Ross Sorkin, and Audrey Hobert.

Today, J.Crew’s CMO Julia Collier discusses what she looks for when hiring, the most recent Rollneck Sweater campaign (“We thought about the casting for this campaign as if we were building characters in a John Hughes film”) and that brand trip to Puglia last summer.

“I want to know what the hiring process feels like right now vs. when you got started in your career. Are there any patterns (good or bad) you’re seeing in young people that you’re interviewing?” - Emily

When I was getting started in my career, roles were much more linear: you were hired to do one thing. Now the requirement in creative and communications fields is to flex across many things and pivot constantly to the ever-changing landscape. This is a reflection of how brands need to behave to be successful, but also how younger people naturally think. Social media has changed everything — how we consume news, our access to celebrities, and, of course, the domination of influencer and creator culture — and all at lightning speed.

The qualities I always look for in anyone I’m hiring are excitement, flexibility and a positive attitude. These things may sound obvious, but they go such a long way in being part of a fast-paced culture where working as a team is so important. When interviewing, the people who tend to stand out the most are also curious and active listeners — they ask questions based on the conversation you have had in the interview, which always shows they are engaged and connected.

“What are some lessons you’ve learned from previous bosses that make you a better team leader?” - Tamzin

The best leaders I have worked for were all clear, generous, and most importantly, decisive. They gave context, not just direction, which enabled their teams to feel part of the process instead of executors. Their decisions were always made with conviction — successes were collectively celebrated and failures were learning opportunities. Even in the most high pressure situations, the best leaders I’ve had always made sure you knew that you were in it together — good and bad!

But the main thing I have always carried with me is that first and foremost we are all human beings. This is our job, and if we are lucky enough to work for a brand doing creative and impactful work, then what a gift! But at the end of the day we go home to our family, friends, and pets; that time needs to be preserved and honored. I have always been someone who leads with trust, I don’t need to see you at your desk working until the evening — go home, have time away from the office, live your life, because that is where experience comes from. Having a healthy balance creates the right mental space to think creatively and more freely.

“What tangible materials are you looking for as you seek young talent in the creative brand space? How much is a portfolio of assets and design mockups/use cases weighed compared to just a resume and job experience? Or is it less tangible work examples and more about thought process, ideas and approach now?” - Yanit

Portfolios matter a lot, but not in the traditional sense of perfect mockups. I care less about polish and more about your thinking, how you approach and solve problems. I love to see ideas that didn’t make the cut or were part of a passion project.

Creatives in the brand space have to have a multi-disciplinary approach that balances brand-right decisions with new platforms, mediums, creative partners — they have to think as much about human behavior (where and how the creative output is seen) as they do about how it looks. How does it come to life? What is it intended to do? Image-making has evolved from being about a static shot to being about cultural resonance.

Increasingly, the most compelling work is multidisciplinary. Mood boards, typographic explorations, decks, writing, visual references, and cultural points of view all matter.

“J.Crew does an incredible job at building full experiences — thinking of the Nantucket, Aspen and Hamptons pop-ups. How long do those take to plan, from identifying the locations, to the exclusive merch?” - Sarah

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Today’s letter includes: answers your questions, has no plans to become Barstool, the stamp store where New York businesses like Colleen Allen and Michael’s are shopping, a holiday party for New York’s top “New York’s top builders and investors,” and Substack wants you to try out livestreaming.

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BUT FIRST! on Netflix’s deal to buy Warner Bros. and HBO

“I’ll write a longer piece about this but it’s stunning to finally see this happen, 15 years after Jeff Bewkes’ notorious ‘Albanian army’ dig. Netflix has been dying to get its hands on premium IP for years. You can already find a bunch of HBO shows licensed on Netflix, but if the deal goes through, they’ll acquire one of the best IP libraries in the business: Lord of the Rings films, Harry Potter (with an upcoming TV show), and the DC superhero franchise. The big question is if the deal goes through. You can expect Paramount and the Ellisons to flex their political muscles to block the deal. On the other hand, the $5 billion reverse breakup fee Netflix is committed to pay, on the high end at 7-8% of deal value, suggests they’re pretty confident it’ll go through. While it’ll be nice to not have to pay for both, you can guarantee the price will go up for a combined Netflix/HBO service. It’s also hard to imagine the deal being good for creatives. Theatrical windows will shorten, consumers will be trained even more to think of movies as streaming products instead of theatrical experiences. The top directors and stars who can afford it will take their business to a studio that will give them the releases that they think their movies will want. Everyone else will take what they can get.” -

📱 Have a story you think we should look into? Text the anonymous Feed Me Tip Line: ‪(646) 494-3916‬

This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want. Past guests have included Olivia Nuzzi, Andrew Ross Sorkin, and Kareem Rahma.

Today, (who served as the youngest Federal Trade Commission chair ever from 2021 to 2025, and was recently appointed co-chair of Zohran Mamdani’s transition team) answers your questions about Adam Friedland’s furniture, her favorite law, and why private equity roll-ups “deserve an enormous amount of scrutiny.”

“Mayor-elect Mamdani and Lina Khan are both known for the ways they engage so personally; Mamdani is everywhere all over the city, and Khan famously conducted extensive listening tours. Beyond shaping the substance of policy, why is this kind of human-centered approach so important to grounding their successes? Why are these so-called soft skills so critical at this moment?” – Amy

“It’s no secret that wealthy and powerful interests often have disproportionate access to government leaders, be it in DC or New York. This can distort how government leaders think about policy. It can also create major blindspots, skewing how top officials understand what challenges and problems working-class people face in their day-to-day lives.

Mayor-elect Mamdani displayed a real interest in understanding what life is like for a broad array of New Yorkers—be it halal truck vendors or families trying to find affordable childcare. Being curious and wanting to learn from the people you serve is important for diagnosing problems and understanding economic realities. Similarly at the FTC we prioritized opening up the agency’s doors—holding regular listening sessions and open commission meetings where any American could come speak directly to the FTC commissioners to explain which economic problems they believed we should be addressing or to give feedback on our ongoing work.

Through this public engagement we heard from everyone ranging from family farmers facing unfair repair restrictions to independent pharmacists being squeezed by major healthcare conglomerates to parents whose kids had taken their own lives after facing abuse on social media to people who were having to skip life-saving medicines because of the exorbitant cost. Regularly hearing from people who don’t usually get a seat at the table in policy discussions gave us a deeper understanding of how Americans are faring in today’s economy and let us develop a more well-informed view of how the FTC should be prioritizing its work.”

“What is the most underappreciated cost of market concentration that regulators and economists still fail to account for?” – Teddy

“One of the most striking effects of concentrated corporate power is fear. I first noticed this when I was a business reporter interviewing chicken farmers in rural Alabama. As mergers have resulted in fewer and fewer firms dominating agriculture markets, chicken farmers often can only do business with a single regional poultry processor. Practically this means that a farmer’s entire economic livelihood can depend on staying in the good graces of a dominant middleman. This type of concentrated power is ripe for abuse, and farmers can face a real threat of retaliation if they push back against unfair contractual terms or even report abusive practices to the government.

Fear of the arbitrary exercise of coercive power is strikingly common across the economy. Small businesses can live in fear of being delisted or demoted by Amazon or Google. Millions of workers captive to a noncompete clause can find themselves locked in bad jobs, fearful of the consequences if they try to leave. Ride-share drivers often fear arbitrary deactivation of their app. Concentrated economic power can be used to coerce people—and one reason we have the antimonopoly laws is to safeguard against coercion and ensure people can experience real freedom.”

“During your time leading the FTC, what is the one concrete thing you changed or got done that you think will be most enduring?” – Renée

“One of the clearest examples is the work we did to reduce the cost of asthma inhalers. Roughly 40 million Americans rely on inhalers to breathe, yet some of the most widely used products were costing patients $500 or more every month—even though the exact same inhalers cost less than $20 in some other countries. When we started digging into why, we found that several major pharmaceutical companies seemed to be abusing the Orange Book, the FDA’s list of drug patents. When a manufacturer lists a patent in the Orange Book, it delays the approval of a generic competitor for 30 months. We found that some companies were exploiting the system, filing junk patent listings for dose counters, inhaler caps, nozzles, or other device components (rather than drug ingredients themselves) in order to box out competitors and keep prices high.

We challenged these junk listings—and, in response, several major pharma companies announced they would cap out-of-pocket costs to $35. We’ve heard directly from people all around the country about what a game changer this has been, saving them hundreds of dollars at the pharmacy.”

“For local groups in metro areas across the country, what would you recommend as a playbook to repeat your successes tangibly helping consumers?” – Emily

“As the federal government drops the ball on protecting Americans from predatory and exploitative business practices, it’s falling on state and municipal governments to step up. We see more states passing laws to curtail or outright ban abusive business practices and to sharpen enforcers’ tools to take on corporate abuse. For example, New York recently codified a state-wide ban on algorithmic rent-fixing.

As a general matter, fully canvassing existing legal authorities can be a useful way of finding laws already on the books that should be vigorously enforced. Most states already have “mini-FTC Acts,” giving them parallel authority. Our FTC work laid out a template that local governments can follow—including on how to take on subscription traps, junk fees, dark patterns, noncompetes, and other exploitative tactics.”

“What’s your favorite law?” – Bianca

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Today’s letter includes: Alison Roman on life post-Substack, another new chic downtown children’s book store, is growing her newsroom, and what Teen Vogue’s collapse says about Condé Nast.

📱 Have a story you think we should look into? Text the anonymous Feed Me Tip Line: ‪(646) 494-3916‬

Guest Lecture:

This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want. Past guests have included , Kareem Rahma, and Audrey Gelman.

Today, answered all of your questions about the strategy behind launching a CPG brand, life post-Substack, and “selling out.”

“I love the strategy of launching a CPG brand alongside the book. Are there a lot of recipes that….use tomato sauce?” - Emily

Believe it or not, the tomato sauce and book launch were NOT supposed to happen at the same time. I’d call this kismet timing sort of a blessing and a curse — a blessing because when it, rains it pours, and it’s great to have so much to talk about when people want to talk to you. A curse because it can be tough to focus on one thing and I don’t want either to be diluted or wanting for attention.

BUT yes, there is not only the recipe for A Very Good Tomato Sauce in the book (because the whole point isn’t that you can’t make it yourself….it’s that maybe…you simply don’t want to!). There’s also a few recipes (ones you might be familiar with) that use it: Baked (but not stuffed) Shells and A Little Eggplant Parm are both excellent candidates for using a jarred sauce.

“What ingredients do people add too much of? What ingredients do people skimp on?” - Lindsay

I think people generally overstuff sandwiches, which is why they end up on my least-liked food list. I thought Instagram had grown out of this, but I still see it everywhere: photos and videos of the cross sections of sandwiches and bagels that are just completely stuffed and filled beyond a reasonable capacity. A human cannot realistically fit these sandwiches or bagels into their mouths. Even if they could it would be a mess and, I PROMISE YOU, not that enjoyable. The ratios are off, not designed for optimal enjoyment. This is stunt food and it’s disrespectful to people who actually like food.

People really under-use olive oil. You all should be using more!

“I’d love to know your process of naming and ‘marketing’ recipes? Do you have a sense of when something will take off? Brothy Beans and The Stew are truly foundational recipes in my kitchen, and I’ve always wondered how much of their magic comes from how you’ve positioned them.” - Amada

I love this question — I think naming recipes is absolutely important. I think I realized this was important back when I worked at restaurants. Things would sell or not sell based on how you’d describe them on a menu, and the same can go for if someone wants to cook something or not based on how it sounds. I do think I’m good at it — it’s effectively just writing, and the recipe names are an extension of my writing style/voice.

When I name something, it’s genuine — I don’t “market” the recipes and don’t overthink it with the goal of “I’d better give it a great name to convince people to make it.” I think if the recipe is great, it will have a great name, and I won’t have to work that hard to come up with something to make it sound good. That said, I think if the Caramelized Shallot Pasta had the word anchovy in it, I do wonder if it would have been as popular (though I named it that since caramelized shallots, not anchovy, were the dominant technique and flavor there, so I was being the most descriptive and straightforward I could be).

“How do you navigate writer’s block and get through your cookbook copy deadlines with so much going on across your brands and business? How do you navigate all these competing demands? Thank you!” - Rachael

Honestly, most of the time, I don’t. It’s very, very difficult for me to simultaneously keep up the expected cadence of online content and pay attention to all the other things I (try and) do, including writing books which have massively delayed gratification.

Whether it’s because I’m stubborn and hate delegation, am perhaps a bad business person or just simply old school and believe in integrity, I still cook every recipe, write every newsletter, every Instagram caption, etc. This all takes a lot of time. I am the tortoise. Because I insist on this, deadlines definitely suffer, but…I think the work is better (and thankfully, they’re almost always my own deadlines). I do a lot of things, but the goal for me in expansion is so I can spend more time writing and cooking. Hopefully one day everything else I’ve created is doing so well that I get to spend hours of uninterrupted alone time on my laptop, writing.

“It feels like there has been a lot of talk recently about “selling out” and what that means for different creative professions. What is your philosophy on selling out / how do you decide when you’re acting in conflict with your brand (selling out) vs. doing something that supports it (building / evolving)?” - Claire

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Did anyone see me on last week? I discussed why I’d buy Carl Icahn’s apartment in Midtown (so I could always take friends to Il Tinello and order Carl Icahn pasta and remind them I live in his old apartment).

We also discussed this now-viral media map that some people disagreed with, to which I say, take a joke. It was a pleasure to teach the four dozen TBPN interns about what Status, Puck, and Semafor are. Anyway, you can watch it here.

Today’s letter includes: We found out why the SUGARFISH takeout looks different, on whether should bury his money in a shoebox, the podcast on Patreon making over $180k/month, and why hasn’t Trojan done an ad with Hallie Batchelder yet?

Guest Lecture: Andrew Ross Sorkin

This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want. Past guests have included Keith McNally, Kareem Rahma, and Audrey Gelman.

Today, answered all of your questions about how he wrote 1929 while balancing his day job, where he’d start his career as a young person in finance, and if there’s a common thread in what billionaires order for breakfast.

“What do you think about the state of the media as someone who works daily to educate readers on complicated issues today? As we see more podcasts, streamers and even TikTokers emerge with points of view, and typically not facts, how do we find truth again?” - Andrea

As someone who cares deeply about facts, what’s fascinating about this moment is that the public is often okay consuming something they know isn’t entirely accurate or is being spun a certain way. They do it knowingly. Everyone has become their own reporter, searching for their own version of truth. That makes fact-based journalism more important than ever — and also more complicated.

“How do you think about keeping DealBook relevant in an era where people are pivoting toward Substacks or podcasts? You’ve interviewed so many leaders, how do you differentiate between the ones who are truly visionaries and those who are just power hungry?” - Yasmine

I started DealBook in 2001 — long before newsletters were even a thing. At the time, we were virtually alone and became a model for others. This was before Politico’s Playbook (2007) or Axios (2016). Substack, which is a terrific technology platform, didn’t arrive until 2017.

I like to think we’ve stayed ahead by understanding our audience at a visceral, human level — what they’re thinking about, what motivates them, what intrigues them. Our focus has always been on reaching the most influential people at the intersection of business and policy — and everyone who wants to understand them better. I still marvel at the names on the subscriber list - many of the people who’ve been on stage at the DealBook Summit read it every morning.

As for visionaries vs power-hungry: They are never black and white. Usually, they are both.

“How would you describe your approach to interviewing? What were some mistakes you made early on in your journalism career?” - Kate

One word: Listen. If you’re prepared and then actually listen to the answers, magic can happen. I learned that lesson at 15. I landed an interview with David Stern, the late NBA commissioner. I had a list of questions written on a yellow legal pad — and I never deviated from it. I don’t think I even heard his answers. When I went home and transcribed the tape (yes, an actual tape recorder), I realized how many follow-ups I’d missed. That moment changed everything for me.

“How did you manage to write such a thick book while carrying out your daily duties for CNBC and The New York Times? How did you design your research process for a period that happened so long ago? And when did you become convinced there was more to tell about the crash of 1929?” - Capital Structure

It wasn’t easy — which probably explains why it took me eight years. It was truly a labor of love. About a decade ago, I became convinced there was an opportunity to write an inside-the-room narrative of 1929 after reading so many great books that tackled the topic through the lens of economists or focused only on certain slices of the story.

I’ve always loved narrative nonfiction like Barbarians at the Gate, Den of Thieves, and Erik Larson’s work. I wasn’t sure if I could find enough rich material to make that kind of story possible — but then I uncovered remarkable transcripts, diaries, and letters. That’s when I knew it could be done.

“Is there a common thread of what billionaires order for breakfast?” - Emily

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Today’s letter includes: More Maru coffee news for New Yorkers, how to publicly announce that you’re looking for a new job, a debate over whether a $60k writer salary at n+1 is a “fucking joke,” and I’m curious who you all think should apply for the open reporter job at Styles.

This week on Feed Me’s Job Board: Social Media Coordinator at Martha Stewart’s Elm Biosciences, Public Relations Account Director of Beauty & Lifestyle at Derris, and more.

For our next Guest Lecture, we’re interviewing Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times financial reporter, host of CNBC’s Squawk Box, and author of 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in History—And How It Shattered a Nation (out tomorrow)

Guest Lecture: Kristina O’Neill and Laura Brown

Guest Lecture is a Feed Me series that captures the spirit of that (sometimes unhinged) guest lecturer who would come into your class on a Friday, drop more knowledge than you’ve heard all year, and then leave forever. Past guests include rhode’s co-founder Lauren Ratner, , and Audrey Hobert.

Today, Kristina O’Neill (former editor-in-chief of WSJ. Magazine) and Laura Brown (former editor-in-chief of InStyle) talk about the lived experiences that inspired their new book, All the Cool Girls Get Fired.

“I wonder if they were surprised by any of their friends’ responses to the news. (I mean, I didn’t take it well, ha!)” –

“We were both reassured by our friends’ reactions, actually. Friends are allowed to be angrier on your behalf: to say all the things in the moment that your worst self feels. It’s like a breakup: eff that guy, we never liked him, come meet us at a bar. That’s why they’re your friends!”

“How did you each deal with having so much more free time to yourselves post-firing? When I’ve been between jobs, it’s always felt challenging to enjoy the luxury of an empty schedule without the guilt of not being technically productive creeping in.” – Gabrielle

LB: “I was getting married two months after getting canned, which was a nice distraction, but also like, shit, where is the money coming after that? We traveled a lot, because we had the time, but I would pick up little gigs here and there to keep the pilot light on. I knew the time “off” was finite, but I tried to enjoy it given that I’d worked nonstop for 28 years.”

KO: “Oh, how I loved that in-between time! I really leaned into it. I left WSJ. in June and had my first summer off since 1994, when I graduated from high school. I was present for kid and family stuff in a way I’d never been before. That said, I still got up most mornings, checked emails, did a few calls—just to give the days a bit of scaffolding. (And some days, I opened the rosé at 4 p.m.)

Keeping your oar in the water helps in that gap time: having lunch with someone in your business, keeping up with your industry, and listening to yourself. You have to get your sea legs back before you plunge back into the job market.”

“How do you think differently about the different categories of having your job end on others’ terms (fired vs downsized vs laid off etc.) and do you think there’s one that is a most compelling bounce-back opportunity?” – ATE

“It’s all blending together these days: there are so many bigger forces affecting us that we can’t control (AI, the current administration). It’s like billionaires playing checkers. What we can say is just be straightforward and honest about what happened to you: sadly, you don’t have the exclusive on losing your job, and you’re not alone. The bounce-back, more than anything, is mental. Don’t give the circumstances of your layoff power over you.”

“Any advice for fresh grads looking to start their career? It’s brutal out here.” –Julia.

NOTE: Another reader commented about the Feed Me Job Board in response to this, if you’re interested in looking at it.

“It really is, and we feel for you. It’s so hard to navigate, these days you’re also up against older professionals who’ve been laid off, and it feels like everything’s an algorithm. But sometimes the “old fashioned” ideas are the best: show up, follow up, network, intern. Send hand-written thank you notes. Engage in LinkedIn or social media. Show that the role you want is in your DNA. People hire… people in the end, not someone with the most appropriate keywords on a resume.”

“Which legacy magazines do you think are adapting well to contemporary issues facing the media industry today? What do you think other legacy media institutions are getting wrong?”

“To really thrive in this market, magazines need to be constantly reflecting the culture and have a real sense of occasion. In the fashion space, we think W does that really well, with their themed issues and the whole event program that goes with that. It’s a lot of work to be the coolest party in town, but they do a great job. As for getting it wrong, when you can tell that a magazine is giving it all up to advertisers for survival: that’s so bleak. While you have this platform, shoot your shot! Use everything you got. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

“How do you rebuild yourself after being fired from your absolute dream job? Do you take it as a sign it’s not meant to be or carve your own path?” – Liz

“We spoke to a lot of experts for All the Cool Girls Get Fired, and a brilliant thing one of them told us is that the job—dream job or otherwise—borrows you, like a library book. They don’t own you, and it’s dangerous to place all your value in that job. We had what could be seen from the outside as “dream jobs” but there was a lot of difficulty too. It’s a matter of constantly editing what that dream is, grounding it in your experience, and honestly, in what makes you feel good. Was that dream job a dream… really? Perhaps not.”

”What are the rules around talking about your former employer online?” – Emily Sundberg

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I’m finishing today’s letter from the backseat of an Uber on the way to the airport. Last night, my friend Jeannie gave me some apples that she picked upstate over the weekend and my friend Krithika gave me a copy of I Am the Brother of XX by Fleur Jaeggy (I enjoyed Sweet Days of Discipline, which she also wrote) so I don’t see how anything could go wrong on this flight.

Today’s letter includes: An interview with rhode’s co-founder and president Lauren Ratner, restaurant gossip from EEEEEATSCON, podcasts are increasingly expanding into retail, and the Bravo Housewife selling her show outfits in Substack chats.

Guest Lecture: Lauren Ratner, President and Chief Brand Officer of rhode

Guest Lecture is a Feed Me series that captures the spirit of that (sometimes unhinged) guest lecturer who would come into your class on a Friday, drop more knowledge than you’ve heard all year, and then leave forever. Past guests include Keith McNally, Audrey Gelman, and Jake Sherman.

Today, Lauren Ratner answers your questions about rhode’s Sephora strategy, her approach to hiring, and what role trends play in building the internet’s favorite beauty business.

“Do you try to keep up with what’s happening trend-wise with Beauty in general (and if so how do you do that), or do you focus on your own brand and goals, not thinking about what anyone else is doing?” – Angelica

I spend most of my time ideating around rhode, what’s next for us, and our own brand goals and perspective.

While I definitely keep up with what’s happening in beauty and fashion and the consumer industry more widely, I would say I actually spend more time keeping up with what consumers and creators are posting online and where those trends are going! I learn a lot from this in terms of what people want to see and how that can help inform our content strategy.

“How did you approach navigating such a crowded celebrity-based beauty space? Where do you see it going in the next couple of years — is it oversaturated, in your opinion, or is there room for more of what the customers don’t know they need yet?” – Olga

When we created rhode, Hailey wanted to create a brand that was bigger than herself, where someone could pick up a rhode product and be obsessed with it without necessarily knowing it was associated with her. In order to do that, it was really important that we were laser-focused on product innovation and that we stayed true to our curated product philosophy. We focused on products to support skin barrier health, bringing in skincare experts like Dhaval Bhanusali and Ron Robinson to help create efficacious products with hero ingredient franchises like peptides.

Consumers definitely have a lot of options these days but I do think there is always room for more brands that have great products and a unique selling proposition!

“Dream guest! Hi Lauren! Rhode has become such a blueprint for brand building. How has world-building (like the Mallorca summer club) contributed to Rhode’s success and set a new standard for other brands? And when it comes to hiring, what qualities have stood out in candidates — even those without traditional CPG backgrounds?” – Sarah

First, thank you! I think world-building has been such a key part of rhode because it allows us to create experiences that go beyond just products. This has become increasingly important as we translate our online expression to offline and build out the world of rhode IRL in our photobooths, pop-up experiences and now at retail with Sephora.

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I love Friday letters like this one. It’s stacked with plenty of information to bring to your weekend conversations, including: founder Andrea Hernández on why founders should “share at their own risk”, ’s Smashion Week contribution, ’s canine-related NYFW gossip, and concerning New York theater news from the Feed Me Tip Line.

📱 Have a story you think I should look into? Text the anonymous Feed Me Hotline: ‪(646) 494-3916‬

Guest Lecture: Andrea Hernández

Guest Lecture is a Feed Me series that captures the spirit of that (sometimes unhinged) guest lecturer who would come into your class on a Friday, drop more knowledge than you’ve heard all year, and then leaves forever.

Today, answers your questions about the line between CPG innovation and CPG gimmick, MAHA, and plans for building her media empire.

“A lot of the founders of CPG brands have also become the faces of the brand from a marketing perspective (Becca from Fishwife, Melanie from Ghia, those girls from Sour Milk). Do you think it’s necessary, or just a strategy that works well?” - Emily

I know this is supposed to be like behind-the-scenes, getting people to see who is behind the brand, give it more familiarity and the brand story substance but I think it’s funny because I’ve seen memes about how snacks have all this founder lore on the packaging that no one asked for. I think the “a day in the life of a founder” is a great template that works if there’s an interesting angle: Melanie’s travel/fashion tips, Becca’s nature content, trips to Europe to source seafood, etc reinforce her as Fishwife, both Good Girls (Leah + Yasaman) and Sour Milk are this new wave of GenZ founders who left cushy job to build in this cutthroat space etc.

I’ve also seen it backfire, there was a founder of a protein soda brand that shared her background and how the product came to be and people were turned off seeing that they didn’t have any experience tied to the actual product so it made them skeptical to buy it.

TLDR: Share at your own risk but I also believe that we could all know less about each other.

“For the love of god, when will we hit peak protein?” - Tamzin?

The thing about this protein craze is that it’s just a rebrand of other protein crazes.

2020s: Protein maxxing
2010s: Keto/Paleo
2000s: Atkins/South Beach Diet

“What was a trend in the CPG space you didn’t understand or like at first and now love?” - Tamzin?

Magnesium, I can believe the stats around how most of us are deficient, now that I’m on magnesium L-threonate, my sleep is much better, and my anxiety feels manageable.

“With the bloodbath that happened with consumer startups in 2022–2023, do you think the world of consumer product investors will get better or continue to stay worse?” - Sumeet

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Today’s letter includes: A Feed Me event at 5pm in East Hampton next Sunday, David protein is now selling fish, young people are talking more to their dogs than other people, and The Row’s flip flops were probably a bad purchase.

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Guest Lecture: Michael M. Grynbaum

This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want. Past guests have included Keith McNally, Kareem Rahma, and Audrey Gelman.

Today, Michael M. Grynbaum answered reader questions about those Bezos-Condé rumors, what media he actually finds exciting today, and how he wrote his book Empire of the Elite which comes out TOMORROW.

If you’re in the Hamptons next Sunday at 5pm, (are we all aware that got married at Grey Gardens?), Michael and I are hosting a small book party to discuss Empire of the Elite, and perhaps even get some answers to off-the-record questions. If you’re interested in coming, email emily@readfeedme.com

“Will Bezos buy Vogue?” - Elena

No – at least, not now. This rumor has gone viral but my reporting shows that the Newhouses aren’t rushing to sell Condé’s core assets. Si Newhouse’s brother, Donald, is in his mid-nineties and retired in New Jersey; I don’t expect any major moves until after he dies, and I hear he’s in good health. Donald, though, is the last of Si’s generation, and their descendants may have other ideas. I could see “minor” Condé titles getting picked off, but not Vogue. (The New Yorker is the absolute last thing the family would let go – they’re extremely proud to be its caretakers.) Also, the idea that Lauren Sánchez’s wedding dress photos were a quid pro quo is silly; it was a scoop that got tons of attention, and of course Vogue is going to cover the biggest society wedding of the year. Keep in mind that Anna’s father was editor of the London Evening Standard; she has a newswoman’s instincts, and ignoring Sánchez for “taste” reasons is not how a popular magazine works.

Michael had a fascinating article about the Newhouse family in NYT and how they paid top editors’ mortgages. So my question is, was this only possible because it was Newhouse family’s private money? Does he have any idea of the total amount of money that went towards employee mortgages in NYC over the years? Does getting your mortgage paid by your employer break any ethics of Journalism? Does he know of any other private family owners of American corporations that take on such extravagant costs like this? - Mitch

The “Si paid my mortgage” phenomenon is one of the most enduring parts of the Condé myth. First, go read the O.G. reporting on this from 2006 in the late, great New York Observer. The headline is perfect – “It’s Condo Nast!” – and my favorite bit is where Condé’s chief spokeswoman at the time declines to comment about her own UWS co-op, for which Condé secured the loan. Si even forgave the mortgage for his favorites after they left the company, which meant their exit package included a Manhattan apartment. I interviewed one editor of a B-tier early ’90s magazine in her drop-dead Sutton House co-op with East River views; Condé let her keep it and she never left.

When you think about it, powerful CEOs get the equivalent of this perk all the time. The WSJ reported that Skydance will cover expenses for Shari Redstone’s “Central Park-area apartment in New York City for the next few years” as a condition of buying Paramount. What’s cool and enviable about Condé is that creatives got these perks: magazine editors and even star writers like The New Yorker’s Adam Gopnik. I do think the fact that Condé/Advance is private made it possible; Wall Street wouldn’t have loved these line items on a quarterly report. I don’t have a sum total – surely tens of millions of dollars were spent in aggregate – but I’d caution that the phenomenon tapered off after the mid-2000s, when NYC real estate prices really skyrocketed.

I read Tina Brown's super juicy book about Vanity Fair, where the required night life of an editor seems insane; she went to dinners, galas and premieres seemingly 7 days a week. Is this still the case in 2025? - Susette

I do think editors need to be out a lot to be effective. It’s ultimately a job that is about surveying the cultural smorgasbord and bringing back the choicest cuts to readers. Before cellphones, zoom, and social media, there was a more critical need for editors to show up in person; it’s part of the reason that Condé expense accounts were so generous, because it was tough to preside over the culture without a front-row seat. I’d guess that today’s top editors are busy several nights a week, maybe not all seven. As a NYT reporter, I find that in-person meals and events are way more productive, and yield better leads and ideas, than text or DM. I’d actually ask our host Emily this same question – how often is she out and about in the city in order to keep Feed Me relevant and cutting-edge?

What do you think is the most exciting thing in media right now? Social media? Substack? Love Island? - Tamzin

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After a perfect New York lunch meeting at Viand yesterday afternoon, I walked thirty blocks up Madison Avenue to see what this CULTURED Magazine story about the Upper East side was all about. Here’s what I’ll tell you: the shopping is excellent. The ice cream offerings are plentiful. The hairstyles are cartoonish in a wonderful way. And Cartier should do a street style shoot out there because women who weren’t wearing Tanks were standing out. But the outfits…. what’s going on? It looked like a Kundalini conference. Everyone (including me) was wearing white. I don’t mind this, I’d just like to know if there was a secret contract everyone signed. I wanted a little more… sparkle and pizzazz. But maybe people are still breaking in their summer clothes and playing it safe for June.

Today’s newsletter is about: The inspiration behind Audrey Gelman’s Hudson Valley hotel (she links her personal Pinterest!), media is becoming an industry as entertaining as sports, influencer snark admins might need to start getting eye scans, and two cool farms.

Guest Lecture: Audrey Gelman

This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want. Past guests have included Keith McNally, Kareem Rahma, and Melanie Masarin.

Today, Audrey Gelman answers your questions about the menagerie of inspiration sources for her new Hudson Valley hotel, The Six Bells. She also answers questions about life after The Wing, her role in Lena Dunham’s Girls, and her goth chapter of life.

The bedding, decor and furniture at The Six Bells Countryside Inn is shoppable, and Audrey has kindly offered a 15% discount if you use FEEDME at checkout, through midnight tonight.

How do you think about your middle school Goth chapter in your aesthetic evolution, in this case a pastoral Inn vibe? - Anonymous

“I will say a lot of my “theme experiential” enthusiasm came from goth coded/spooky places like The Haunted Mansion at Disney, or Magic Castle in LA, or Jekyll and Hyde in New York. I think that part of me still loves the slightly moody creepy undercurrent you can feel in the staircase and hallways of the Inn and I think my teenage self would approve.”

What was on the mood board for the interiors of the hotel? It's maximalist, but not really cottage-core... Looks a bit like the gallery at the Carlyle, and John Fairchild's chalet... SPILL!- Rachel

“Here’s the original moodboard…have at it!”

Since we are in the midst of a Girls renaissance, what does Audrey remember about guest starring on the show and how does she feel about its enduring influence? - Akosua

“Looking back, it almost feels radical that Girls existed at all. It was one of the first shows that showed the messiness of women’s friendships and interior lives. It was sometimes unflattering, but that was the point: we finally got to see female characters who could be selfish, hilarious, cringey, complicated. It was very meta and cool to get to be on it, and I’m glad Gen Z is finally giving Girls the credit it deserves!!”

Audrey you’ve said that film The Secret Garden has inspired you in your career and that you’ve sourced your antique silverware from a dealer in Hudson who also works on Wes Anderson sets. Do you see any set design for film or tv in your future? - Tatyana

“Movies and cinema were a huge reference for us in the design process. I always talked about working with a production designer or set designer, but Greco Deco and particularly Michael Rayhill on his team was such a cinephile that he pulled it all off himself. We always referenced part Grimm fairy tale, part Fanny and Alexander, the PBS Mystery! Anthology, the 90’s Little Women, the Folk Horror genre like Midsommar, The Dark Secret of Harvest Home, Picnic at Hanging Rock, and Midsomer Murders (my favorite).”

The backlash to the backlash of The Wing is fascinating to me. There are now Subreddits (including former employees) talking about how swift the world was to demonize Audrey and The Wing in that moment. At the time, I was frustrated with how many women were quick to step down from their positions (Jen, Christine, Ty) and try to "redeem" themselves while the men (Adam, Travis) who were in similar positions just steered the course and waited it out. I guess this isn't really a question but more of wanting to hear your current perspective on it, if you and the other women talked about it, and can we all agree that you can give a big F-you to that period? The Wing may have had its challenges, but it was never allowed to survive its bumps. - Michelle

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I spent the weekend in Connecticut, exploring Grace Farms in New Canaan (very easy train trip) and drinking rosé on my friend’s boat. I went for one run, identified three birds, and did not read enough.

Today’s letter includes: the front-runners in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary answer your questions about the AI in classrooms and pizza, David bars raised $75mm from Greenoaks, I want to know your favorite beauty writers, Punchbowl news is doubling down on video, and why one influencer chose to post in real-time during the course of her wedding weekend.

📱 Have a good story for Feed Me? My hotline is open for (anonymous) texts: ‪(646) 494-3916‬ 📱

GUEST LECTURE: New York’s future mayor.

This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want. Past guests have included Keith McNally, Rachel Karten, and Reggie James.

These responses have been condensed for brevity.

Why do you love New York?

ZOHRAN MAMDANI: “Because it has so many cities in one!”

ANDREW CUOMO: “I was born here. My father was born here. My grandparents came to New York from Italy, chasing the promise of opportunity, and they found it here, in New York City.

New York City has always been special to me, but not just because of my family or my roots. It’s special because of what it represents. We are a city of immigrants, of cultures and languages and dreams from every corner of the globe. That diversity doesn’t just enrich us, it defines us. They say, “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” And I believe that. Because New Yorkers are a rare kind of tough—New York Tough. We’re resilient, we’re relentless, and we rise to every challenge with grit. That’s what I love most about New York City—the people. The people are the energy, the heartbeat, the brilliance of this city. They are the economic engine and the creative force. They are the reason this place is like nowhere else in the world.”

BRAD LANDER: “First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum. Fuschka carts. CUNY graduations, at which most of the graduates are first-generation college students. Celebrate Brooklyn summer concerts in Prospect Park. The subway. Shakespeare in the Park. Coney Island with the kids on the last day of school. Walking over High Bridge. The polar bear plunge on New Year’s Day. The violinists who play in the Endale Arch. The fact that the brilliant new asset managers and entrepreneurs we invest the pension funds with are so likely to live here (or to want to). That you can get any kind of food delivered – and that we’re the first city in the country to guarantee that the deliverista who brings it earns a living wage.”

SCOTT STRINGER: “Because it’s the only place where a kid from Washington Heights could grow up to run for mayor. It’s the city that raised me and now it’s raising my kids. What makes New York magic isn’t the skyline or the celebrity sightings (go Knicks), it’s the people. I'm talking about the strivers, the folks who move here chasing better opportunities, the artists pouring their souls into their work, the night shift workers keeping this city humming. You couldn't pay me to live anywhere else, but that's precisely why I'm running – because this city is pushing too many good people out.”

As Manhattan feels more and more like a playground for the rich, where working class New Yorkers serve the upper class, what are your plans to keep New Yorkers affordable for the working class?

LANDER: “Unlike most politicians who give this issue lip service, I know what it takes to make housing affordable because I’ve actually done it. I’ve built and preserved affordable housing as a nonprofit developer and City Councilmember. The Gowanus rezoning will create 3,000 affordable units and invest in open space and infrastructure. As Comptroller, I saved 35,000 rent-stabilized homes after Signature Bank failed. As Mayor, I’ll build 500,000 homes in 10 years—including 50,000 on city-owned land—and expand affordable childcare and co-ops to restore the path to ownership.

I’ve already passed laws guaranteeing a living wage for Uber drivers and deliveristas, stable schedules for fast-food workers, and strong protections for freelancers against getting stiffed. As Mayor, I’ll focus on improving job quality for the working-class New Yorkers who make this city run.”

MAMDANI: “As Mayor, I will freeze the rent for more than two million rent stabilized tenants, build hundreds of thousands of new permanently affordable homes, make the nation’s slowest buses fast and free, and deliver universal no cost childcare for every New York family. And unlike any other candidate in this race, I am quite clear about how we’re going to pay for it: raising taxes on the most profitable corporations and wealthiest individuals. It doesn’t take much. If we just match the top corporate tax rate of New Jersey and add a flat 2% tax on incomes over $1 million dollar, we can raise enough to pay for this entire agenda and protect our city against Trump’s vindictive cuts. We’re the richest city in the richest country. There’s no excuse for 1 in 4 New Yorkers living in poverty.”

STRINGER: “This isn't a new fight for me; I’ve been in this fight since my days as a Mitchell-Lama tenant organizer. While others talk about affordability, I’ve got the receipts. As Comptroller, I exposed City Hall giving land to luxury developers. As Mayor, I’ll launch Mitchell-Lama 2.0, convert city-owned vacant lots into affordable housing, protect NYCHA, and fully fund childcare. As a parent myself, I know firsthand that childcare costs have gotten out of hand and that the options for our kids get more limited every year. Everyone’s got good plans, but what makes me different? I’ve done this work, and I’ll keep doing it.”

Best slice in the city?

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Today’s letter includes: Keith McNally on the New York restaurants he’s envious of, a new members’ club in Chinatown, the internet’s most beloved entertainers are speaking up about Gaza, layoffs at Condé Nast, and a new Hamptons restaurant using very bad AI artwork.

Guest Lecture: Keith McNally

This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want. Past guests have included Joe Weisenthal, Nikki Ogunnaike, Olivia Nuzzi, and Chris Black.

I have so much respect and admiration for people who dedicate their life to building spaces for other people. School teachers, magazine editors, and in today’s case, restaurateurs. Keith McNally has become somewhat of a celebrity in New York. When I announced that he’d be doing a Guest Lecture last week, there were readers who seemed like they’d been carrying a small list of questions around with them in case they ever got a chance to see him at one of his restaurants.

On one of the last pages of his memoir, I Regret Almost Everything, McNally writes:

“I’m still suspicious of those who place self-expression above self-awareness and of people who have a romantic view of art. I still hate those who don’t believe the more vile the crime, the more crucial due process becomes. And I still have no time for people who bask in being right, or anyone religious who won’t admit that if they were born to different parents, chances are they’d have a totally different religion. I still hate those who use knowledge as a weapon, but most of all I hate those who don’t have the fucking guts to change their minds. Especially about the things they’re most certain of.”

Editing this letter last night got me a little worked up. I was writing the letter on my couch, and simultaneously flipping through I Regret Almost Everything, and all I wanted to do was put a sweater on and walk out my front door, into the dark city at 10:37pm and talk to someone about all of this. All of this. Maybe one of you get what I mean.

Feed Me’s Guest Lectures are always surprising, but I’m really glad that McNally took the time to answer so many of your questions this week. And I’m glad you took the time to ask them. What a fun corner of the internet we’ve built.

Below, Keith answers over 20 reader questions about the West Village discourse, the worst person he knows, the era of New York he “bitterly regrets” missing out on, and what’s surprised him about D.C. since opening restaurants there.

“Will Guidara’s approach to hospitality - too much, or genius, somewhere in between?” - Samantha

I'm embarrassed to say I don't know who Will Guidara is. Is he a chef?

“Keith — how would you define sex appeal in hospitality? In a dining room, in a crowd, in a menu?” - Jac

Only deeply unsexual people are able to define sex appeal in hospitality. The truly sexual people do it instead of defining it.

“Is there anywhere in New York, beyond the world of dining and drinking, that captures the spirit of hospitality for you?” - Alec

Since my stroke, incidental gestures of kindness have a disproportionate effect on me: a taxi driver's thoughtfulness, a busboy's sensitivity, a doorman's courtesy. These small, unprompted acts of decency are reminders of New York's real hospitality, not the fucking false kind you find in restaurants.

“What do you think about the West Village discourse?” - Valentina

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This weekend, The New York Times published a story about money dysphoria (people who have a distorted view of their own financial well-being). This morning, The Cut announced that it’s "Debt Week". We’re talking about the dumbest economic crisis ever in the Feed Me chat.

Today’s newsletter includes: why 2025 brides don’t want to wear a dress you’ve already seen all over Instagram, Vogue’s new package about the future of appearances says that plastic surgery is just fashion for your face, How Long Gone pivots to video, and Bloomberg is powered by Zyn.

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Guest Lecture: Jake Sherman

This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want. Past guests have included Bloomberg’s Joe Weisenthal, Link in Bio’s , and Marie Claire’s Nikki Ogunnaike.

Jake Sherman is the co-founder of Punchbowl News (where subscriptions go up to $1,200/year), and this week he answered all of your questions about what he would’ve done if he was in the Houthi PC small group chat, the best Phish shows he’s seen, and his detailed media diet.

“Do you have any fun gadgets on your desk?” - Eddie

I don’t really have a traditional desk. Punchbowl News has an office, but I don’t have space there because I work in the Capitol five days a week. I keep some weird things, though. I have old tickets to joint sessions of Congress and some placards from hearings I’ve attended. I also have a collection of water bottles I don’t ever use. It seems like there’s always a new water bottle fad. I seem to fall for all of them. But they sit on my desk empty as I drink seltzer.

“What advice do you have for local news publishers to attract highly engaged readers/people willing to pay for subscriptions?” - David

Like anyone in journalism, I’m concerned about the state of local news. And I don’t profess to have the answers. I’m inspired by what a lot of folks have done, including the Texas Tribune and San Francisco Standard. My friends Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen at Axios have created a cool local news model, as well. That said, I think there’s a huge opportunity for local news. Communities are so hungry for information about what’s going on around them, yet local print media is dying. I really think community is at the core of a lot of this. If your audience is bought into what you are doing and who you are, that’s a huge plus. If I were starting a local news outlet today, I would have a two-way conversation with my audience. For example, at Punchbowl News, we do what we call the Brown Bag Lunch for our paying audience. We have hundreds of people log onto a Zoom once a month to hear a bunch of reporters talk about the news. They can ask us questions, pick our brains, etc. We get ideas from these events sometimes, as well. Social events are also huge in building loyalty. News outlets have to think of themselves as community builders that deliver news. We can’t sit in an ivory tower and report on just what we think is interesting. The reader is the customer and we have to also provide them what they want to read.

“How long would you have stayed in the signal group chat?” - Leah

It’s so easy to riff from the cheap seats. But a while?

“Thoughts on Phish at the sphere? I’m heading there for Dead and Co this month.” - Rachel

I’ve only been to the Sphere twice -- both times for Dead and Co. I think it’s an amazing venue that you should go to if there’s an artist there that you like. But I’d take an MSG show over a Sphere show in a heartbeat. Or a summer show at a shed like Merriweather or Alpine Valley.

“Tell us more about “new” media and individuals becoming media themselves like you & Anna. Will this trend continue ? What does it mean for legacy media? Will they embrace and let talent build their own voice ? How will they adapt?” - Sofia

I can’t speak to what the big outlets will do or should do because I am no longer at a big outlet. I will say, however, that it’s difficult to become a stand alone entity in a large newsroom.

We elevate our talent and want them to become huge. We have nine or so reporters, all of whom kick ass on their beats. We let them do their thing and try to stay out of their way. We are looking for new ways to give them bigger and better platforms and I think you’ll see some of that happen very soon with us. We also have a relatively flat decision-making process. So if someone has an idea, we try to let them execute on that pretty quickly. That doesn’t happen at large news companies.

“It feels like there were a lot more people leaking to the press during the first Trump administration and fewer during this current administration. Is that actually the case? Is it making it harder to do your job?” - Elizabeth

I don’t cover the White House on a daily basis. I deal with them a lot as it relates to legislating. I’m not really in the daily who-hates-who-in-the-White-House grind.

“Why is Feed Me a must read for you?” - Saba

I’ve told Emily this a million times but her secret is twofold and it’s a useful lesson for people who are trying to break through in media. She has a tremendous intimacy with her audience. Large news organizations cannot fake or make this. People feel like they know her and she’s a guide to this world. And she has a niche. I also like to read things that let me take a walk around someone else’s world and that’s what Feed Me is.

“I'd like to know about Jake's daily routine. Guy seems like he doesn't sleep. But he has to to perform. What time does he wake up, get to the office, etc? Does Jake work on both Saturdays and Sundays? If so, the whole days? Shit like that.” - Alec

I get this question more than any other question. I never answer. But what the hell:

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This meme has been sent to me in three different group texts since the market opened this morning. I’m finishing reading Tracy Alloway and Joe Weisenthal’s thoughts on “one of the craziest days ever” over on Bloomberg. Joe said, “It’s funny, a lot of people were (obviously) shocked yesterday, but they shouldn’t have been. Trump has been talking very seriously about this for awhile now.”

Today’s letter includes: ’s thoughts on brand social teams investing in Substack, an exclusive quote from Aspen Vodka about their Yankee Stadium espresso martinis, what Outdoor Voices founder Ty Haney has been working on, Puck’s new creative director, and the $10B patch market that Starface paved the way for.

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Guest Lecture:

This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want. Past guests have included Bloomberg’s Joe Weisenthal, the founders of Perelel, and my friend who got into Harvard Business School last year.

This week, ’s Rachel Karten answers your questions about her relationship with social media, building an effective marketing strategy, and the brand accounts she has her eye on.

When I was running the Instagram account at The Cut in 2016, Rachel was running Bon Appetit’s account, and I remember looking to her as one of the few people I was both envious of and deeply admired. Eventually, we became friends and I’m very grateful for that.

“Link In Bio fans over here at Leaf! One selfish question: we've played with various product-launch tease strategies on social from longer, months-long lead-ups to build momentum (but harder to carry interest), short spurts within a week (harder to build a story), and surprise drops (harder to own attention for it). Do you have any hot takes on using social to tease and launch a major product release?” - Adam

Like most things with social media, there’s no perfect answer. Merit teased their perfume for 16 days and it was a success. Rhode teased their Barrier Butter for two days and it was a success. I think it’s less about how much time is right, and more about what kinds of unique posts or stories are part of that lead up. I loved how Away let their audience "subscribe" to Close Friends for early access to a new product as a way of teasing. After the 24-hour period on Stories, the brand had a 100% click-through rate to the early access page. Meanwhile, Taco Bell unveiled a new product at a live event and the TikTok of it has 84mm views. I’d say prioritize finding creative ways to tease versus focusing on lead time.

“How do you take your martini?” - RMA

Since the weather is getting warmer, I’ll share my summer martini. Two parts gin (Beefeater), one part dry vermouth (Dolin), and a few spoonfuls of good olive juice (gordal olives are my favorite). Shake it up. Pour it over ice (gasp). Olives and a twist.

“How do you keep yourself anchored when the field you work in is on 24/7 and changes on a dime? (More of a spiritual question if you’ve been intentional about this nature of the business)” - Anu

I know the media trained answer to this is that I go on runs or knit but unfortunately I have a very unhealthy relationship with social media. I’m not working on it but I should be. Something I do every day is cook—it helps take my mind out of scrolling and keeps my hands from swiping.

“What are the top three things you’d prioritize when building social strategy for a brand that no one knows? I work with a lot of startups, and they’re all doing cool things and all have different approaches to social; none that seem to work well. I don’t work in social but I’m adjacent… and very curious.” - Ananya

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Today’s letter includes: Joe Weisenthal on the finance community movin…

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