The Cheese #85 🧀 - BattlGames Week, Nike Gets Bumped From the S&P 100, and Red Bull Origin Story

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BattlGames is happening this week, and I honestly cannot believe how well the team has executed. There are a million moving parts: filming, contestants, sponsors, challenges, logistics. Every single one of them is getting handled. I could not be prouder of everyone involved.

Whatnot is sitting at about $182,000 for the month and pacing around $330,000. That is not a bad month by any stretch, but it is a down one compared to what we have done the last couple of months. The reason is simple: we are running a low number of shows because so many people are at BattlGames. A couple of special shows are coming up at BattlGames, so we will see how they pan out.

Amazon is the exact opposite of Whatnot right now. It might be the only channel that has not taken any kind of hit this month. We are on pace for one of the best Amazon months of the year. No drama, no tricks; it just keeps going.

DTC has been a grind for about five weeks on new customer acquisition. Nothing catastrophic, nothing horrible, but we have been sitting roughly 6 to 7 percent below where we need to be on active members. Yesterday we brought a campaign forward that was not originally planned for another couple of weeks. The goal is to buck the curve and get back to where we need to be.

BattlGames wraps this weekend, and Sunday morning I drive home, shower, repack, and then Cameron and I head straight to the airport. We are going from BattlGames directly to Commerce Roundtable in San Diego, September 21 and 22 at the Port Pavilion. If you are going, use code JOHNR for $150 off at commerceroundtable.com.

Even with my inbox agent doing its thing, my inbox has been completely out of control this week. There are a ton of messages that actually need a real response from me. The important thing to understand about automation is that you can remove a huge percentage of the noise, but it does not magically create more hours for the stuff that still requires you. Hoping to knock a giant chunk out one evening after BattlGames wraps.

Let's get into the rest!

Nike S&P 100 Removal: How Firing Its Own Retailers Erased $230 Billion

Nike just got removed from the S&P 100 after years of watching $230 billion in market cap evaporate. The strategy that got them there was cutting its own retail partners to go direct, and it backfired in a massive way.

Claude Cowork Stopped Working After a Windows Update

This is John's firsthand account of what happened when Windows update KB5124008 rolled out and broke 15 Claude Cowork sessions overnight. If you are running AI agents on Windows, this one is worth reading before it happens to you.

How Dietrich Mateschitz Turned a Thai Drink Into Red Bull

He discovered a local energy drink on a trip to Thailand, paid to license it, reformulated it for Western markets, and turned it into one of the most recognizable brands on earth. The Red Bull origin story is genuinely wild.

Topps Chrome MLS Sesame Street Cards: The Sesame FC Insert Checklist and Odds

Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Big Bird are showing up in 2026 Topps Chrome MLS packs. The base Sesame Street insert lands about once every 6,333 hobby packs, which works out to roughly one every 317 hobby boxes. Completely unhinged and kind of perfect.

How Eric Yuan Built Zoom Into a Global Communications Company

Eric Yuan was rejected for a U.S. visa eight times before he was finally approved on the ninth try. He then built Zoom at age 41, starting from scratch in a market full of established players. The story of how he actually pulled it off is worth your time.

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That’s a Wrap on This Week’s Cheesy Scoop! 🧀

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Until next time, stay melty, stay merry, and keep it extra cheesy!

With warm queso vibes,
Team Online Queso