🧱 “MEGOs” — Mattel’s LEGO dupe. Utah’s online bouncer. Pizza’s stuffed crust strategy.
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This is Nick. This is Jack. It's Friday, the real Friday, March 7th. And today's pod is the best one yet. This is a T-boy. Three stories at the intersection of business and pop culture. But yeah, remember those tariffs we mentioned to you about Canada and Mexico? What happened, Jack? Well, Trump paused some more of them yesterday. He delayed them until April 2nd. Despite the move intended to appease markets, stocks sank another two full percentage points.

More tariff whiplash, more market negativity all week long. My neck, Jack. My left neck. It's starting to hurt me. But Jack, three stories for today's team boy. What do we got on the pot? For our first story, Mattel is brazenly knocking off Legos. Yes, they are. Mattel's Legos look exactly like Legos Legos. Mattel just dropped a Lego dupe. We call it

And we know who's going to win. For our second story, Utah is the first state in the nation to require age verification with an ID before you can download an app. Utah is the first ever social media bouncer. And our third and final story, after 30 years, Domino's finally made their first stuffed crust pizza. And the way that Pizza Hut responded to that pizza is priceless.

Literally. But yetis, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories. I mean, no one else is doing that mix. Love the mix of stories, Jack. This weekend is the twice annual Daylight Savings Time. We are springing forward, so you are losing an hour of sleep. The good news is that sunset's going to happen an hour later. The bad news...

is you're not going to have an hour of sleep on Saturday night. Yeah, we're losing an hour. It's gone. And you're going to need a deep slumber Saturday night to compensate for that. But besties Jack and I, we got your back. We have a plan to help your circadian slumber this Saturday night. We have a dream to help you dream this weekend. We do. And it's the exact opposite of a typical T-boy episode. It's not going to wake you up like our daily show. It's going to make you...

It's a T-Boy bonus episode this Saturday, specifically designed to help you fall asleep. This is a financial lullaby, if you will. It's our second ever snooze pod. And it will be the sleepiest one yet. We're talking melatonin for your mind. We're talking Ambien for your ears. We're turning Wall Street into wall sleep. So Yetis, tune in this Saturday where we will read the entire shareholder letter of one surprise company. Word by word.

Line. Line. Number by number. Your bed sheets are going to sound like spreadsheets. But in the meantime, don't drift off quite yet. No, stick with us right now. We still got a show for you, Yetis. Because we got three fantastic stories. Let's hit it, Nick. Jack, let's wake them up. 15 years before this song, two boys from the Northeast met in a dorm. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the best one yet, but the best is the norm. Jack, Nick, that's it.

I don't even think they need to practice 50% that's a fat tip T-Boy City on your at list If you know you know cause we ready to go We can't wait no more so just start the show Start the show First a quick word from our sponsor

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Airbnb. Yeah, it is. There is a secret to getting five stars as an Airbnb host. Put some homemade cookie dough in the freezer. Yeah. It works every time. Because besties, Jack's got a fun little side hustle with his ski spot. Dream come true to own a ski chalet, but with two toddlers and a third on the way, I'm definitely not using that every weekend. Yeah.

weekend. Yeah, so Jack Airbnbs it. But this isn't my first Airbnb. I previously listed two separate apartments and would host people while I was on vacation. It's also not just Jack. Millions of people host on Airbnb. You can host your entire space, host your extra space. Airbnb it. It's the ultimate double dab. You're traveling, but your home is making money for you. You're on vacay, but your house is getting a payday. Airbnb has got a calendar feature that is so smooth, it makes it really easy to choose which weekends to host. And if it's a holiday weekend with more demand...

the price will rise dynamically. Plus, there's no better feeling than feeding strangers your secret cookie dough. Are there eggs? What do you put in that thing? I should put labels that like, you know, what's in there. Story for another pod. Yetis, your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host. For our first story, Mattel is brazenly knocking off Legos with a brand new plastic brick. It's a Lego dupe. This is Toy Wars.

Will the winner be the best brand or the lowest price? But yet he is to sprinkle on a little context, the Lego. It was patented back in 1958 by the Danish Christensen family. Great-grandpapa Christensen invented the Lego. Grandpapa. Now, we covered that entire Lego story on our weekly show, The Best Idea Yet. Fantastic episode, right, Jack? We got a link in the episode description if you want to listen to that whole thing. But

One key detail of that history is that Lego was an early pioneer of plastic. So they patented their Lego brick design. And the world honors patents because we want to reward the inventor of a creation. But funny side note here, Lego's patent expired 20 years later, back in 1978. And despite all the work of Lego's lawyers...

Their brick is now in the public domain. That's why there are so many stupid Lego knockoffs. There's a brand called Best Lock. There's a brand called Dimple. There's another on Amazon simply called Plastic Building Bricks Compatible with All Brands. Like we said, despite that stupid competition, Lego has thrived as a brand. It's the biggest toy company in the world.

even though their one core product is no longer patent protected. Okay, Jack, pause the pod and don't step on that brick because Lego is about to face its most formidable competition ever. We're talking about Mattel. Yeah, Mattel. The number two toy company in the world,

and the $7 billion toy glomerate. Mattel, the company behind Barbie and Hot Wheels, they just announced a brand new, our words here, Lego dupe. Their words are the Mattel Brick Shop, which is an entirely new brand that launches its first

product in May, but Mattel already teased a picture of this thing. What are we seeing in the picture? It's a Lego. Yeah, it's a Lego. It's a clone. They showed a two by four Lego brick and a two by two Lego brick. But instead of the word Lego on it, like most Legos, the word Mattel is there. Basically, Mattel is throwing bricks at Lego on this thing. Mattel calls this new product bricks.

We call them Megos. Yeah, we call them Megos or Fegos. They're fake Legos, but we're going to roll with Megos on this one. This is the most blatant stage five zucking we've seen of any physical product. I mean, Jack, this is the biggest zucking in the toy industry since Fomagachi. Remember Fomagachi? No, I don't. You didn't have a sister. You didn't have a sister. But here's the surprise.

Nick and I, we actually approve of this copy. Yeah, this is the rare time we've approved of a copycat. Because Nick and I are parents now, Legos are shockingly expensive, considering the plastic bricks that they are. So from a business perspective, we think it is healthy for Lego to face some serious competition, especially 67 years after their invention down in Copenhagen. After all, those Danes have been making expensive Legos and profiting off them for literally three generations. Like we said...

great grandpapa. Yeah. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Lego? The ultimate test of a brand is facing a dupe. Yetis, what is a brand? Well, a brand is a feeling that you will pay extra for. And right now, Lego has a great brand. They

They charge over four times more per brick than those knockoffs we just mentioned on Amazon. And people still buy them. And Jack, why do we pay four times more for a Lego branded brick? Because of nostalgia. Our parents used to play with them and that's kind of cool. And because of built up trust. And also maybe because it's not some cheap unknown material like Best Lock dimples. My kid's putting Legos in his mouth.

I trust Lego plastic more than that random Amazon plastic. But we got to point out, Mattel, consumers trust and know Mattel's brand just as much as they know and trust Lego. Mattel said that their Megos are designed to disrupt the status quo, and they signaled that they will be priced at something lower than Legos. And in this economy, you're going to be tempted to buy Mattel's lower-priced Legos. Megos. Mattel's Legos is the truest test yet of the Lego brand.

For our second story, Utah just became the first state in the country to require users show ID before downloading apps. This is a digital bouncer. It's a win for parents, a loss for the tech lobby, and there's a bunch of details we're excited to tell you.

But yeah, it is. Okay, wait, Jack, it's like you had a kid 10 days ago. I keep forgetting it was less than two weeks ago. You had a new baby. Dude, I have three under four. Oh, wow. But here's the big question, Jack. Have you gotten Oakley a Gmail address yet? Did you get him a Gmail yet? I got Wilder and Brooks Gmail accounts, but I haven't gotten Oakley one yet.

Okay, that's the first pro tip everyone shares with you. But Jack, what is the other parenting advice that we found really useful related to business? We protect our kids way too much in the real world these days, but not nearly enough online. Like, let's stop worrying about recess, start worrying about Roblox. Let the kid go out and play in the woods.

But let's be careful when they're on, like, the World Wide Web. Well, the state of Utah seems to agree because they just passed the App Store Accountability Act. It requires users verify their ID before being able to download apps like Instagram. Now, besties, if you are 18 years or older, you're good. You're going to see this once, but just once. It's a one-time age verification to prove you're an adult, and then you can download whatever you want. On the other hand, if you're a minor...

Then for every app you try to download, you're going to need your parents' consent. That's why Jack and I call this the McLovin rule. How old are you? Old enough to party. I'm going to need to see that ID. And then you can download Instagram. Now, yetis, what Jack and I found fascinating about this story is that Meta, X, Snapchat, all the social media companies...

they're actually celebrating this news. Because this news in Utah means they don't have to do anything. Yeah. You know, there's actually huge pressure on Zuckerberg to protect minors who use his social media apps. There's a lot of creeps DMing minors on Instagram. It's a huge problem. And the other problem is that kids...

Why? Teens love to say that they're older than they really are so that they get the adult version of the app. So this new law in Utah shifts the burden of age verification from those apps to the app stores. And it makes sense, actually. Yeah, it does. It makes sense that Apple would verify a driver's license once.

rather than every app on the App Store having to do it themselves. Yeah, it's like basically they're giving you a digital wristband that says you're 18 plus, you can now get into the party and you can order whatever you like. Apple gives you the digital wristband and then you can use the whole web however you please. Still, the one lobby representing all of the tech industry vehemently opposes this. They say that requiring everybody to provide an ID

is a privacy invasion. But we think the potential benefits of protecting kids from online predators, it outweighs the cost. With age gating like this, Roblox, Instagram, dating apps, and porn sites, it's easy to control who gets in and who can't get in, at least in the state of Utah. And Apple and Google, the platforms, they are the ones perfectly equipped to figure this out while minimizing friction for consumers. They're probably going to make you scan your ID once,

And then the App Store knows your age for the rest of your life. Honestly, to everyone skiing down the slopes of Park City right now, well done, Utah. Nicely done. We think this is a great precedent for the rest of the 50 states. But we also think there's an interesting next step. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies who are everyone using the internet? The bouncer is about to jump universes from the physical world to the digital.

Yetis, in the physical world, alcohol, cigarettes, R-rated movies, they all require your physical ID. But in our opinion, the digital world has far more dangerous threats these days. Get this, 19 American states have actually passed laws requiring age verification to watch pornography websites. Rather than comply...

Adult websites went black in those 19 states because they don't want to handle the responsibility of checking IDs. And that's why internet browsers like Chrome and Firefox could become the next digital bouncers. Because the most effective way to age-gate

is through the platforms that provide the broad access rather than the apps and the websites. Exactly. So, besties, this new law, it isn't just going to be in Utah. We think it's going everywhere. And it's not just going to be on your phone. We think it's going to be on every online device. Just like there's a bouncer at the bar, digital bouncers will be at the door of the adult-only web checking IDs. If anyone can pull off McLovin, it's Vogel. Now, a quick word from our sponsor.

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For our third and final story to send you into the weekend. After 30 years of stubborn resistance, Domino's finally launched stuffed crust pizza. But how Pizza Hut responded is a lesson for all businesses. Yetis, two years ago, we told you about the pizza pullback, the pepperoni pause. You're ordering so much pizza during the pandemic, you had something we called pizza fatigue. But in this economy,

Pizza is back. It is. Because pizza is the ultimate family value meal. Financially speaking, we did the math. And the most efficient way to feed a family of four is two pies for 28 bucks. Hold the pineapple. You simply cannot feed a mass amount of people more efficiently.

than with humongous pizzas. Just ask Carol from accounting. But the 20-year king of pizza in America, Domino's, they're actually down the last four years. Domino's ain't dominating anymore. They're still number one by revenue in America, but they've lost market share and their sales have been slowing down. So here's the news. Domino's is launching stuffed crust pizza for the first time in their history. That's right. They're taking a pound of mozzarella and sprinkling

Spreading it around that circle. Spoken like a true German over there, Jack. If you are lactose intolerant besties, do not touch that crust. But here's the surprise. Stuffed crust pizza is actually a phenomenon in the pizza industry. Yeah. It is a super sticky pizza.

And you know what Jack and I always tell you, besties? Nothing feels better in business than sticky. Stuffed crust pizza was actually invented 30 years ago by the carbohydrate engineers over at Pizza Hut. Pro tip, you order the dish of marinara on the side to dip the stuffed crust into. Actually, the only time I've ever choked, by the way, Pizza Hut stuffed crust pizza.

The cheese was so stretchy. It was stretching down my throat. And then like I was in some kind of a comedy show, I was like pulling it out of my mouth, but it was just stretching and stretching. Like we said, nothing stickier than stuffed crust, Jack. But besties, Jack and I jumped in T-boy style. It turns out Pizza Hut did 300 million bucks in sales during their first stuffed crust year 30 years ago. So Pizza Hut naturally tried to patent their stuffed crust pizza.

But no dice. They couldn't patent it, which is why Papa John's and Little Caesars followed suit with their own stuffed crust. But Domino's always refused to stuff their crust. And why is that, Jack? The CEO called it a gimmick. He thought it was tacky. He thought stuffed crust pizza was a cheap party trick. Also, understandably, Domino's was worried about stuffed crust logistics. True. Because you stuff that crust by hand.

And pizza, it's in the shape of a circle. There's like no efficient way to do that. I didn't know where you were going with that geometrically, Jack, but I like it. So three years ago, yetis, Domino's did some research for some stuffed crust data. And they determined that stuffed crust sticks on customers like yeast. According to Domino's research,

Stuffed crust pizza buyers order more pizza. They order more often and they spend more on every single pizza order. They're the best customers there are. They actually found that 13 million Americans will only order stuffed crust pizza.

So for 30 years, Domino's has been pushing away 13 million of the best pizza customers in the country. Because Domino's arrogantly thought their pizza was too high-end to stuff that crust. It's so obvious after looking at the data that Domino's has been missing out.

So they finally swallowed their pride and have reversed their position on stuffing the crust. Yeah, the last three years, Domino's pulled off the Manhattan Project, the Parmesan. They trained 7,000 stores over the last 12 weeks and just launched off crust. Despite the choking hazard. I'm going to try it. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over in the pizza industry? Brand beefs are now mutually beneficial.

So yeah, it is Jack and I were curious. How did Pizza Hut respond now that Domino's finally copied their stuffed crust? Well, they called him out. Pizza Hut just launched a 30% off their stuffed crust pizza.

because Domino's was 30 years late to the game. But interestingly, that actually fits with a theme we've been seeing in every industry. Brands are calling out their rivals in public for the first time. Last month, it was Poppy versus Olipop. That was the big brand beef for that big vending machine drama. Last year, Chili saw a surge in traffic after calling out McDonald's expensive Big Macs. And the wild part? Oftentimes,

Both brands in a beef enjoy a sales surge based on the publicity. Brands are basically pulling a Kendrick and they're dropping disc deals on each other. But there's no Drake in this analogy. Both sides have been winning out when it comes to sales. Honestly, it almost makes you wonder if it's staged because a good brand beef benefits both.

Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us for the real Friday? Mattel is launching a lower-priced Lego dupe that hits shelves this May. We call them Megos. It's a stage five zucking, and the biggest test for a brand is a dupe. For our second story, Utah is the first state that requires age verifications in the App Store.

It's a digital bouncer, and it means the bouncer is jumping from the physical world to the digital. And our third and final story is Domino's. They finally launched stuffed crust pizza after 30 years, and now Pizza Hut is trolling them for it. But today, both sides benefit from a brand beef.

But yetis, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today. First, South by Southwest begins tonight in Austin, and there is some serious drama over Tesla. Because Rivian is sponsoring the entire festival. Rivian being Tesla's top electric car rival. Oh, and Waymo, Tesla's top autonomy rival, just launched electric robo taxis in Austin with Uber. So the two most innovative autonomous and electric car brands are partying on Tesla's turf this week.

on the front doorstep. We'll see if Elon launches anything to try to compete with them. And second, illegal border crossings hit a 25-year low in February, Trump's first full month in office. In February, the U.S. border control caught 8,300 migrants who were crossing illegally into the United States. That's the lowest monthly total since we've been keeping track 25 years ago.

That's actually down almost 95% compared to the last two Februaries. The president's loudly publicized crackdown on immigration has had the deterrence effect that he was hoping for. And finally, Taco Bell sales surged 8% because tacos are the second best value meal in America after pizza. Perfect timing, because we just did an entire episode on the Doritos Locos Tacos.

The DLT, it's the best-selling taco in history, and it was invented in this crazy Taco Bell lab that we talk about in the entire episode. You got to hear about this thing. It's the first branded product to go viral on Twitter. Yeah, it was the first collab too, really. So, besties, check out The Best Idea Yet. That's our weekly show. Listen this weekend. You're going to love it. It is all about the wild DLT. The link is in the episode description.

Now time for the best fact yet. This one sent in by Mikey Welch up in Glens Falls, New York, upstate. Push and play. The home security system was co-invented by Marie Van Britten Brown in 1966 as a way to improve safety and security in the home. Her invention included a closed circuit television, a two-way communication system, and a remote door locking, which laid down the foundation for a modern home surveillance system.

So basically, home security systems, security systems invented by a black woman in the 60s. Marie Van Britten Brown. What an inventor. Yeti's Mikey actually sent that one in for Black History Month, but tomorrow is International Women's Day, and it kind of works perfectly with both. Yes, it does.

Yetis, you looked fantastic this week. And Jack, can I please celebrate the wins for you over there? Okay. Pause your pod. Pause your pod. I'll pause it. Okay, Yetis, Jack is celebrating his birthday, his wife's birthday, his second son's birthday, the birth of a new son.

He actually got spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, which he's been wanting for 364 days. Remember, I got to go to confession on Sunday because I ate it during Ash Wednesday. And I still have my gift for you arriving in 24 hours, Jack. Really? Yes. Do I have to sign? It's not pizza. It's not stuffed crust, but you may have to sign for this thing.

Besties, share the pod this weekend. Tap to follow us so you get us every day. Enjoy the best idea yet as well. And Jack and I will see you Monday. Okay, that was the most perfect run through of Jack celebratory things and pod CTAs I've ever heard. Practice in front of a mirror for 12 hours. Nick and I will see you Monday. Can't wait. And before we go, a happy birthday to the second pod son, Brooksy.

C, Kravici Kramer over in VT, baby. Now, Brooks is basically a meatball, which is funny because I had spaghetti meatballs on my birthday. Congratulations, Brooks. And Axel and Axel turning seven and eight years old, two buddies in San Mateo, California, listening on the way to school. Happy birthday.

Happy birthday to Graham Goose Lewis in North Vancouver, British Columbia. This is a smooth skating defenseman, Nick. You guys better face off. Watch out for those hip checks. And Robert Prager is turning 61 years old down in Richmond, Virginia. Happy 25th birthday to Zellen Heath in Mountain View, California. And Marianne Trey is turning 39 down in lovely San Diego, California. And happy birthday to Ken Whalen in Manhattan,

Beach, California, who's headed to South by Southwest this weekend. Call us from a robo-taxi, Ken. Let's hear some good facts from South by. And a big shout out to Curb Ball in Edina, Minnesota, who's actually Edina. Jackie pointed out to us that I mispronounced Edina. It's Edina, not Edina. So now we both mispronounced it. Now we've both done so. Thank you, Curb. And a special shout out to Mike and Kayvon over at the Half Day Beverage Company.

for their fantastic brand refresh. Congrats on the huge wins of getting into Erewhon and getting into Whole Foods. Two incredible distribution milestones. I've seen half day in so many places, the can already looked incredible. I can't wait to see what they whipped up. And to anyone else who's celebrating something today, make it a T-boy. Celebrate the win. This is Jack. Nick and I both own stock of Apple and I own stock of Roblox. Jesus, me God. What, you seal? That's a great line.

If you like the best one yet, you can listen ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. And before you go, tell us a little bit about yourself by filling out a short survey at wondery.com slash survey. We want to get to know you. With the Amex Gold Card, turn your errands into rewards with four times membership rewards points at U.S. supermarkets. Then grab a little pick-me-up from Dunkin' courtesy of Amex.

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