Iterate Weekly - Issue 146
This week we're looking at the killer app for AR, millennials need side hustles, Kellogg's hip vegan cereal, and Saltburn!
Welcome to issue 146 of Iterate Weekly.
Hope you’re all doing well. This is just a friendly reminder that you can always reply directly to these messages or leave a comment on the Substack post. Feedback is highly encouraged and I’m happy to answer any and all questions that come up.
Thank you as always for reading!
🤖 Tech
PianoVision is currently the killer app for augmented reality
Every new device or gaming platform is looking for that one “killer app” that really gets people hooked into their ecosystem. Nintendo always had Super Mario Games. Sega had Sonic the Hedgehog, the list goes on and on.
So what would Meta say is the killer app to make people buy a Quest headset?
No, it’s not Beat Saber. I love working out in VR with Supernatural, but that’s not it either. I think it’s Pianovision and more people should be using it.
OK, if you have no interest in playing piano, it’s not going to be the app for you. But after using it pretty consistently for the past few months, it’s the app that I’m finding most impressive and useful when wearing my Meta Quest 3.
If you’re not familiar, you’ll get a sense of how it works from the really effective commercial below that Meta has been running.
It basically let’s you play a virtual piano wherever you go, or you can connect it to your MIDI-equipped keyboard or digital piano (this is how I’ve been using it) to play a real physical instrument in the augmented reality world. It’s just a lot of fun and helps lessen the learning curve for aspiring pianists. And yes there are purists (like my wife!) who think it’s cheating and everyone should learn to play piano the traditional way, but I think the technology should be embraced if it gets more people tinkling the ivories.
In a world where clever app development still seems to be stagnant, I can’t recommend Pianovision enough if you have a VR headset and any interest in learning to play piano.
🎓 Education/Productivity
Millennials see side hustles as essential
Pretty soon we’re going to need a different name for the “side hustle” as so many millennials are finding them necessary these days.
I won’t get into the semantics here but these extra jobs may not always be a hustle or something only done on the side. A report from H&R Block looked at the info from over 20 million tax filers to see that more and more young Americans are relying on more than one source of income to pay the bills.
While I’ve always been a big proponent of not just giving all of your time and energy to one company or even industry, there are a variety of reasons why this makes sense. The cost of daily life has obviously gotten more expensive over the years. It can be unrealistic to always expect one job to fully meet your financial goals.
But I’d argue that it’s also unrealistic to expect one job to totally fulfill you creatively as well. Hell, that’s one of the big reasons why I created this publication, to give me that additional creative outlet outside of my other daily work. And it’s been fantastic for me.
The bottom line here is that we’re getting to the point where multiple jobs or creative pursuits are the norm rather than the exception. And it’s another reminder that we should catch ourselves when asking people what they do. How about asking what projects they’re working on or what ways they’re being creative instead?
♻️ Health & Environment
I’m rooting for Arma’s super-portable scooter
I’ve backed a lot of Kickstarter projects in my day. Most of them ended up being pretty solid with only one or two total failures. But that’s the nature of backing unproven products right?
So maybe keep that in mind as you take a look at this project from a company called Arma. They are looking for funding to bring a hyper-portable folding electric scooter to life.
No, I haven’t backed it yet myself but I’m pretty darn tempted. I currently have an Unagi scooter that folds up and is one of if not the lightest scooter on the market at 28 pounds. I specifically got it for those times when I’m taking public transportation but also want to cover a decent amount of ground when I get where I’m going. It’s relatively portable but the Arma puts it to shame.
You can see in the animation above how it works. It folds to the size of a small briefcase or slightly bulky lunchbox. But the thing has a handle and only weighs ten pounds. It can fit in a backpack or easily be carried by the handle.
The folding mechanism looks incredible and there is clearly a niche out there for a product like this. Of course, the handling and feel of the scooting experience may have to suffer for this increase in portability. You can still order it now for 40% off which would put it under $1,000 USD. I hope it actually makes it to market as promised, but you never know with crowdsourced campaigns like this.
🛍 Grab Bag
Kellogg’s tries to make hip vegan cereal for Gen Z
I’m always fascinated when a new cereal comes out that’s meant to be healthy or appeal to a very specific demographic. Let’s face it, it’s just clever marketing no matter how you slice it.
Well, Kellogg’s is looking to connect with a hip, new, vegan audience that may want to purchase its new cereal with the catchy name of…”Eat Your Mouth Off”?
I guess I kinda see what they’re doing with the name. Just calling it “Mouth Off” is edgy and crass, but they have to add the “eat your” to have it make sense or something.
Anyway, most cereal is in fact already vegan (aside from touches of honey or powdered milk, etc.) so the plant-based part may be overkill. But Kellogg’s knows what those vegan Gen Zers want! And I did learn that they sometimes use a non-vegan source of vitamin D3 as an addition to these cereals, so they’ll be omitting that from the Mouth Off line. So that’s worth commending. Vegan or not, this cereal also packs 22 grams of protein with no added sugars. Not too shabby at all.
The package design isn’t my cup of tea, but I’m clearly too old for this cereal so what do I know? I do like that it comes in both fruity and chocolate flavors though. I’m obviously having some fun with this one but it’s true that many of the old school cereals are in need of a refresh. We’ll see if this particular effort proves popular, but kudos to Kellogg’s for attempting something new.
💬 Quote of the Week
"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
🎥 Content Recommendation
Saltburn
We’re back into the rush of awards season after a small respite over the holidays. I’ve been making my way through most of the much ballyhooed films this year and recently enjoyed “Saltburn”.
I have to say that it may be favorite movie of the past few months. It is mostly an uncomfortable viewing experience about a young man’s strange post-college break. The less you know about the film is probably better but the acting is great and the final twist comes together really well.
See Saltburn for yourself, I don’t think you’ll regret it.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
Hey! Could you use some help establishing healthy habits? Do you have a big project or new business that you want to get off the ground but could use some advice? Maybe you could benefit from hiring me as your coach. If you’re interested, read more about my coaching services here, or go ahead and book some time on my calendar to discuss further.
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