The HOBT: Cybertruck Fading | Latvia Booming | Data Breach

Hey 👋🏼 Did you know that Cybertruck’s buzz is fading fast? Tesla sold just 4,306 units in Q2, down over 50% from last year, marking the model’s weakest full-quarter performance yet. Once hailed by Elon Musk as faster than a Porsche and tougher than an F-150, the futuristic truck hasn’t found lasting traction. Meanwhile, Tesla's overall Q2 sales dipped 12.6%, following a rough start to 2025. Even EVs in general saw a 6.3% slide. The hype? Still loud. But the numbers? Telling a very different story.

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WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING?

🌱📊 Latvia’s social enterprise scene is quietly thriving. With 265 active ventures and over €16 million in grants issued through Altum since 2018, more founders are building businesses around solving real social challenges. The majority focus on improving life for marginalized groups, and employment numbers are climbing, especially for people with disabilities, ex-prisoners, and other underserved communities. Encouragingly, 65% of these businesses turned a profit in 2023, pointing to a model where impact and sustainability are starting to align.

🐍🤖 In Florida’s ongoing battle against invasive Burmese pythons, researchers have unleashed 40 remote-controlled, solar-powered robot bunnies designed to mimic marsh rabbits, right down to their heat and motion. Led by UF’s Robert McCleery, the team hopes these decoys, equipped with motion sensors and cameras, will lure the elusive snakes out of hiding without the care demands of live animals. If the pythons don’t bite, there’s a scented Plan B ready to go.

🔓📸 Just as dating app Tea hit viral status, a major breach exposed 72,000 user images, including 13,000 selfies and photo IDs used for verification. While no emails or phone numbers were leaked, the hack impacted users who signed up before February 2024. The company says it has patched the vulnerability and brought in cybersecurity experts, but leaked data is already surfacing on forums like 4chan. The timing? Uncanny, Tea is still sitting at the top of Apple’s App Store.

MORE NEWS

👟⚖️ Kizik’s parent company, HandsFree Labs, is taking Skechers to court, alleging it copied patented step-in sneaker tech behind its booming Slip-ins line. Skechers’ hands-free shoes now make up a third of its offerings and helped push 2024 retail sales near $9 billion. But Kizik, founded by inventor Mike Pratt and backed by Nike, says its decade-long R&D, like titanium-reinforced heels and lattice-backed design, is being unfairly replicated. With over 200 patents and $100M in annual sales, Kizik’s not just lacing up for a legal battle; it’s drawing a hard line on innovation.

🚀🤖 Anthropic is gearing up to raise $3 to $5 billion, potentially pushing its valuation past $150 billion, more than double what it was just months ago. Backed heavily by Amazon and Alphabet, both pouring billions in cash and cloud credits, Anthropic’s AI model Claude is rapidly growing, with enterprise revenue jumping from $1 billion to $4 billion this year. As competition heats up with OpenAI’s GPT-5 on the horizon, these tech giants stand to benefit big by powering the AI infrastructure behind such models, boosting their cloud services. Meanwhile, interest from Middle Eastern sovereign funds is stirring debate inside Anthropic, showing the complex global stakes in AI funding.

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MARKETING IN ACTION

In today’s crowded market, cutting through the noise requires clarity, not volume. When your message is simple, focused, and resonates deeply with your audience’s needs, it creates genuine engagement. Clear communication builds trust faster and drives meaningful action, turning prospects into loyal customers. Quality over quantity in messaging is the key to lasting business success.

LET’S TALK MONEY

Growing sales are important, but without disciplined cost management, profits can vanish quickly. Keeping a close eye on expenses while scaling ensures your business stays financially healthy and ready for long-term success. Balancing both sides of the equation is what makes growth truly sustainable.

INSIDE THE CONVERSATION

It’s not enough to simply share information; the real impact comes when your audience fully grasps your message and takes the intended action. This means adapting how you communicate based on who you’re talking to, checking for understanding, and following up to ensure alignment. When communication leads to clear actions, it drives progress and helps achieve business goals effectively.

THE WISDOM LINE

“When you find an idea that you just can’t stop thinking about, that’s probably a good one to pursue.”

- Josh James, co-founder of Omniture and founder and CEO of Domo, Inc.

Thank you so much for reading this far. Have a good day! Bye 👋