AI transcript
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0:01:19 Welcome to the PropG pod’s office hours.
0:01:21 This is the part of the show where we answer your questions
0:01:23 about business big tech entrepreneurship
0:01:25 and whatever else is on your mind.
0:01:26 Hey, PropG.
0:01:27 Hey, Scott and team.
0:01:27 Hey, Scott.
0:01:28 Hi, PropG.
0:01:29 Hey, PropG.
0:01:30 Hey, PropG.
0:01:31 Hi, Professor G.
0:01:33 In last week’s office hours, we answered your questions
0:01:36 about Airbnb’s role in the housing affordability crisis,
0:01:39 microplastics and raising American kids in the UK.
0:01:44 We need some sort of federal legislation or funding
0:01:46 that encourages just more housing permits
0:01:50 and more construction because it has become so difficult
0:01:51 to build housing in the US
0:01:54 that there’s just a supply demand imbalance.
0:01:55 So let me get this.
0:01:57 I’ve got plastic in my testicles.
0:02:00 I mean, this question wins for the question
0:02:02 I know the least about.
0:02:06 My thinking is the rationalization for moving to the UK
0:02:09 was that what could we give our kids?
0:02:10 It would be amazing.
0:02:14 And the idea of letting them live in a foreign country
0:02:16 for several years and experience a different culture.
0:02:19 You know, I wish my parents could have done that for me.
0:02:21 Today, we’ll answer your questions
0:02:22 about Sheen’s design practices,
0:02:24 qualities to look for when hiring
0:02:27 and how to pivot when you’re a mid-career professional.
0:02:29 So with that, first question.
0:02:32 – Hey, Prof. G, I am a big fan of yours
0:02:34 writing in from the Mahavi Desert.
0:02:36 I know you recently defended Sheen
0:02:37 because of how its low prices
0:02:40 enable young people to buy apparel.
0:02:42 And I’ve definitely ordered from Sheen before.
0:02:44 I know my sister has many times
0:02:47 and my 21-year-old nanny definitely has.
0:02:50 Leaping aside the many environmental concerns
0:02:51 of fast fashion, are you at all concerned
0:02:54 about the company’s design practices?
0:02:55 – There’s a lot of independent creators
0:02:57 that are starting to call out Sheen
0:02:58 for copycatting its designs,
0:03:02 like Cassie Ho at Blogilates and Popflex Active.
0:03:03 Its pages are full of trendy pieces
0:03:05 that are ripped off from other companies.
0:03:08 And I’ve been a business journalist for over 10 years.
0:03:10 And I know that getting justice over IP
0:03:11 is notoriously difficult.
0:03:13 I think I’ve covered one case
0:03:15 where a fast fashion company was found liable
0:03:17 for stealing a trademark textile pattern.
0:03:20 And obviously knockoffs are nothing new.
0:03:22 But I’m kind of curious what you think
0:03:23 about a $32 billion company
0:03:26 stealing creative ideas and IP from other companies.
0:03:29 Is this simply capitalism at work?
0:03:30 Do we need an IP reckoning?
0:03:33 Does original creation hold no value in today’s world?
0:03:36 And that’s a bummer, if true.
0:03:38 Also, when are you coming back to Palm Springs?
0:03:41 Let me know and I will show you all the hotspots.
0:03:43 – Oh my gosh, I’m coming now.
0:03:45 Palm Springs, I was just there for stagecoach.
0:03:48 I have no interest in country music,
0:03:50 but I heard that it’s now the cool Coachella.
0:03:53 And daddy likes to go where the young hot people go.
0:03:55 So I went to stagecoach for the first time.
0:03:58 I stayed at Larry Ellison’s summer home,
0:04:03 which he has essentially turned into a total hotspot.
0:04:04 What is the name of that fucking place?
0:04:05 Beautiful hotel.
0:04:08 Anyways, had a great time.
0:04:09 I love Palm Springs.
0:04:14 If I lived in LA, I would consider getting a home there.
0:04:16 But thanks to the great offer.
0:04:20 And by the way, it sounds like you have a baby in the background
0:04:21 and you have such a lovely voice.
0:04:24 Anyways, I just like, I don’t even know you.
0:04:25 And I like you.
0:04:29 All right, so IP and IP Theft or Barling.
0:04:32 So absolutely, what Sheehan is doing
0:04:34 is finding other impressive designers
0:04:36 that have gotten traction in the retail market
0:04:38 and copying them, copycatting them,
0:04:40 whatever you want to call it.
0:04:43 So now do pottery barn, restoration hardware,
0:04:47 old Navy and essentially every other fashion company.
0:04:52 And I remember being in board meetings, especially retailers,
0:04:57 and they were very careful to say that it was inspired by.
0:05:01 And almost every major selling product
0:05:05 at a high-end or not even a high-end,
0:05:09 a mid-brand or mid-tier apparel fashion furniture company,
0:05:12 you’re gonna find that the design was inspired
0:05:16 by an artisan who at a much higher price point
0:05:18 is doing something really incredibly creative.
0:05:22 This has been an enormous source of frustration and debate
0:05:26 across the artisan community for the last 30 or 40 years.
0:05:28 And the reality is correctly or incorrectly,
0:05:32 it is very hard to impose that sort of IP protection
0:05:32 around something.
0:05:34 And to a certain extent, to a certain extent,
0:05:37 I mean, walk down, I live in Soho.
0:05:39 And if you walk down Canal,
0:05:42 there’s just no controlling the knockoffs.
0:05:46 I can go 50 feet and get a Chanel bag, a Rolex watch,
0:05:49 and an Hermes bag that actually doesn’t look,
0:05:53 that’s actually pretty decent quality,
0:05:55 at least from kind of a foot away, if you will.
0:05:59 And to a certain extent, a certain amount of IP theft,
0:06:02 whether it’s people borrowing passwords from Netflix
0:06:05 or a certain amount of people ripping off
0:06:07 and producing Chanel bags, they’re not dumb.
0:06:09 They kind of know what’s going on.
0:06:10 And a certain amount of leakage, if you will,
0:06:12 is actually good marketing for them.
0:06:17 Now, having said that, should IP protection be increased?
0:06:20 I think you could argue that the final frontier of that,
0:06:22 or the next frontier is AI.
0:06:26 And that is, a lot of people have found that,
0:06:28 more lawyers have found that AI or chat GPT
0:06:32 was producing articles that had lifted line for line word
0:06:35 for word articles from other major publications
0:06:37 without compensating them for that.
0:06:38 So am I worried about it?
0:06:41 I don’t think this is a new problem.
0:06:42 I’m not saying it’s wrong or right,
0:06:47 but it’s been going on across all sorts of apparel
0:06:49 and fashion and furniture companies.
0:06:51 And I realize it might be very frustrating
0:06:54 for some artisans, but if you look at the brands
0:06:57 that would be most likely to be ripped off
0:06:59 and have their designs stolen
0:07:02 and have fast fashion at their runway shows,
0:07:05 and then within 60 minutes, the photographs
0:07:07 are sent to a design lab.
0:07:09 They come up with some sort of rendering of it.
0:07:11 And then it’s in the factory and it’s on the shelves
0:07:12 within six weeks.
0:07:14 And I think that’s what Zara is able to do.
0:07:17 This is kind of the ecosystem and how it works.
0:07:20 Now at some point are the designs absolutely
0:07:24 so incredibly close that you probably have some sort of case.
0:07:26 Yes, but it’s very hard to enforce.
0:07:30 Birkenstock pulled all of their products off of Amazon
0:07:33 ’cause they said that the IP theft was just so extraordinary
0:07:34 and they didn’t like the way they were treating the brand
0:07:39 in terms of pricing and kind of using sort of mob policy
0:07:40 techniques to enforce it.
0:07:42 They couldn’t discount their products anywhere else
0:07:44 unless at the lowest prices on Amazon.
0:07:47 In some long-winded way of saying the ecosystem
0:07:50 builds in a certain amount of IP theft.
0:07:52 And I don’t think Sheehan is doing anything
0:07:55 that everyone from Pottery Barn and Old Navy and Zara
0:07:58 haven’t been doing for decades now.
0:08:03 Having said that, I think AI brings on a new set of dangers
0:08:05 that we’re probably going to have to be more thoughtful around.
0:08:08 So is there additional IP protection needed?
0:08:10 I don’t know is the honest answer.
0:08:12 I appreciate the question.
0:08:13 Question number two.
0:08:16 – Hey Scott, this is Bryant from Salt Lake City.
0:08:19 I’m an avid follower and enjoy listening during my commute
0:08:21 while walking the dog doing whatever I’m doing
0:08:22 around the house.
0:08:23 My question for you is about leadership.
0:08:25 I work in law enforcement and my department recently
0:08:28 underwent a round of promotional testing for Sargent.
0:08:30 My question for you is one,
0:08:33 what qualities do you look for in people that wish to promote?
0:08:35 And two, how would you test for those qualities
0:08:37 if any such test even exists?
0:08:39 Thanks for all that you do.
0:08:42 Keep the insightful content, include jokes flowing.
0:08:43 – Oh, hey, Bryant from Salt Lake City.
0:08:46 And thanks for your service and what you do.
0:08:49 I have no idea how you would distill leadership qualities
0:08:51 into a test unless it’s sort of a road thing
0:08:53 where you have to have a certain baseline level of knowledge.
0:08:55 But I would argue that’s not,
0:08:58 a test is not going to be a great means
0:09:00 figuring out who to promote.
0:09:01 I think it might be a baseline.
0:09:03 You have to have a certain level of knowledge
0:09:04 around key issues.
0:09:06 But I don’t think you use that as quote unquote
0:09:09 the fulcrum of the decider for who to promote.
0:09:12 In terms of wanting to get promoted,
0:09:14 I think there’s just a few basics if you see yourself
0:09:16 as someone you want to be tapped as a leader
0:09:18 and get promoted faster than your peers.
0:09:21 One is you got to demonstrate excellence.
0:09:23 And that is you just have to be very good at what you do
0:09:25 and reflect a real interest and passion
0:09:27 for law enforcement.
0:09:30 Two, and it sounds real basic, show up.
0:09:35 And that is 10 minutes earlier than anybody else
0:09:37 sleep 10 minutes later.
0:09:42 Be seen and get a reputation as the person that speaks well,
0:09:45 that talks well of people behind their back.
0:09:49 Listen, try and really promote other people’s interests.
0:09:50 The key to being successful I think
0:09:53 is to develop allies along the way.
0:09:55 And that is people will find out.
0:09:58 I assume that everyone, I think it’s just a good assumption
0:10:01 that a safe assumption that everyone will hear eventually
0:10:03 everything you say about them.
0:10:05 So it’s one thing to provide feedback,
0:10:09 constructive feedback to people in a professional situation.
0:10:11 But for the most part, you want to talk up your colleagues,
0:10:13 you want to be there for them,
0:10:16 and you finally want to act like an owner.
0:10:17 And it’s easy in a private setting
0:10:18 or a private company to act like an owner.
0:10:22 I can just tell when people are clearly acting
0:10:24 like shareholders, the reason why in a private company
0:10:27 you give or I’ve given shares to everybody in the company
0:10:29 is you want them thinking about what’s best
0:10:30 for the business 24 by seven,
0:10:33 because it directly motivates them
0:10:35 ’cause they see their compensation and wellbeing
0:10:37 and ability to take care of their family
0:10:39 directly tied to the wellbeing of the company.
0:10:41 They start acting like owners.
0:10:43 So how do you act like an owner?
0:10:45 You represent the police force,
0:10:49 you represent your specific civic domain,
0:10:51 and you make a real effort to know
0:10:54 that you’re a spokesperson for not only our society,
0:10:59 but that local municipality, that department.
0:11:01 And you go out of the way to just try
0:11:03 and enhance the brand if you will,
0:11:07 or the value of that department and that force.
0:11:09 You speak well of people behind their back,
0:11:11 you go out of your way to try and help others.
0:11:13 You demonstrate excellence.
0:11:17 You’re the guy that understands the exact code of the law,
0:11:20 understands how to handle difficult situation,
0:11:23 studies up on this stuff, takes it very seriously,
0:11:25 shows a passion for law enforcement.
0:11:26 I think a lot of it comes down
0:11:28 to being in the right place in the right time
0:11:31 and also it sounds like you’re an ambitious young man.
0:11:34 Recognize that one of the virtues of getting ahead
0:11:35 is patience.
0:11:37 A lot of the most successful people in history,
0:11:39 I would argue probably all of them at some point,
0:11:40 they get passed over.
0:11:43 They don’t get promoted as quickly as they’d like.
0:11:44 And the only thing I can guarantee you
0:11:46 in any organization is injustice.
0:11:48 And that occasionally is someone
0:11:50 will get promoted over you sooner and faster.
0:11:53 But typically the arc of promotions
0:11:55 bends towards justice.
0:11:56 And over the medium and the long term,
0:11:59 good people get their do if you will.
0:12:02 But anyways, I just wanna wrap up by saying,
0:12:04 appreciate your service.
0:12:06 And the fact you’re even asking these questions
0:12:09 and thinking about it means you’re probably tracking.
0:12:12 So anyways, Bryant from Salt Lake City, well done.
0:12:15 We have one quick break before our final question,
0:12:16 stay with us.
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0:14:17 or burgers on the grill
0:14:20 or jumping off a dock into a lake.
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0:14:30 Thorn can help you craft a personalized,
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0:14:35 They sent me some supplements to try
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0:14:38 I’m taking five grams.
0:14:38 I don’t know what the measurement.
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0:15:17 – Welcome back, question number three.
0:15:19 – Hi, Scott, this is Kelly in New York.
0:15:21 I know most of your advice is for young people
0:15:24 starting out in their careers,
0:15:26 but I have a question that’s a little bit different.
0:15:28 I am a mid-career entertainment professional,
0:15:31 meaning I’m an out-of-work TV producer,
0:15:34 and frankly, my career is basically over.
0:15:37 I worked for 20 years and built up an amazing reputation.
0:15:40 I have tons of contacts and experience in my field.
0:15:41 But guess what?
0:15:45 Between the strikes, the Hollywood and news contraction,
0:15:47 and business moving overseas and TikTok,
0:15:49 all my contacts are out of work,
0:15:51 and my so-called skills are not necessarily
0:15:54 translating to the real world.
0:15:56 I’m sure there are many other listeners
0:15:58 who have the same predicament,
0:16:01 who are listening to your podcast and in the same boat.
0:16:04 I’d love to know what your advice is for us,
0:16:05 not starting out professionals
0:16:08 who have already sunk costs into the business.
0:16:09 Thanks.
0:16:11 – Hi, Kelly from New York.
0:16:14 I think so many people are in your position.
0:16:17 You have an industry that went through,
0:16:19 first off, the industry has too great an inflow
0:16:22 of human capital, and that is,
0:16:23 so many people want to be in that industry,
0:16:27 that the industry is able to pay people less
0:16:29 than people of that talent in other industries,
0:16:31 ’cause there’s someone who will be an associate producer
0:16:33 for almost no money.
0:16:36 In addition, with every 17-year-old in the nation
0:16:38 spending less and less time on social media,
0:16:40 spending less and less time watching television,
0:16:42 cable TV and going to the movies,
0:16:43 and spending it all on TikTok,
0:16:46 where there’s 850 million creators
0:16:48 who don’t need health insurance or don’t ask for it,
0:16:51 and are willing to make $10,000 or $12,000 a year
0:16:53 to create what is probably pretty decent content
0:16:55 in addition to their main hustle,
0:16:57 there’s just huge pressure.
0:17:00 So anyways, I’m not telling you anything
0:17:01 you don’t know or haven’t experienced.
0:17:02 What to do?
0:17:07 If you have been successful and it sounds like you have been,
0:17:08 I would try and write down the series
0:17:11 or the attributes that have made you successful.
0:17:12 So if you’re incredibly organized
0:17:15 and know how to bring together a disparate group of people
0:17:19 to create an environment and production
0:17:23 and focus on details and logistics
0:17:25 and create a mood and a vibe,
0:17:27 okay, Salesforce is probably gonna spend
0:17:28 a couple hundred million dollars this year
0:17:31 on events, on production.
0:17:34 Anything live requires production talent.
0:17:37 If you think about it, entertainment is essentially
0:17:40 trying to build a story that captivates people’s attention
0:17:43 in this medium of film or television.
0:17:45 And there’s a lot of different,
0:17:48 I think industries where they’re trying to capture
0:17:51 people’s attention across a different medium,
0:17:53 whether it’s a corporate gathering,
0:17:56 whether it’s an environment inside of a store,
0:17:59 you know, kind of store design or what have you.
0:18:01 So start workshopping,
0:18:05 don’t let perfect be the enemy of good every day,
0:18:07 three or four emails to strangers, contacts,
0:18:09 colleagues from your alma mater
0:18:12 who are working in investor relations, comms,
0:18:14 video production, content strategy,
0:18:17 product management, program management,
0:18:19 reach out, can we grab a coffee
0:18:21 and sort of get on it and just get back
0:18:23 into the ecosystem if you will.
0:18:26 Also Kelly, look into whether or not there are,
0:18:28 I don’t wanna call them support groups
0:18:29 ’cause that sounds sort of weak,
0:18:31 but groups of people to get together
0:18:34 to talk about what they’re gonna do next,
0:18:36 people in a similar situation,
0:18:38 there was an organization that’s probably still around
0:18:40 in New York called Second Act.
0:18:42 And it was for former finance professionals
0:18:44 getting together to talk about their Second Act.
0:18:48 And these were ballers, my close friend
0:18:50 and someone who was on my board
0:18:52 who was one of the heads, I believe,
0:18:55 or co-heads of Private Equity at Citigroup
0:18:56 was part of this group.
0:18:58 And it was all these former CEOs and total ballers
0:19:01 in the corporate world trying to figure out what to do next
0:19:04 to it either been laid off or quit their job.
0:19:06 And it’s really helpful to get in a room of people
0:19:08 and just talk about stuff and be mutual supportive
0:19:10 of each other and bounce ideas off of one another.
0:19:12 So see if there’s, I’d be shocked
0:19:15 if there aren’t several groups like that
0:19:17 that have popped up in both New York and Los Angeles
0:19:19 because of they just did extraordinary disruption
0:19:21 taking place in the industry.
0:19:24 But again, it’s just so helpful to hear from other people.
0:19:28 One, you recognize that it’s happening everywhere
0:19:30 and two, again, it’s hard to read the label
0:19:31 from inside of the bottle.
0:19:32 It’s just nice having a group of people
0:19:33 to brainstorm with.
0:19:36 That’s all for this episode.
0:19:37 If you’d like to submit a question,
0:19:38 please email a voice recording
0:19:40 to officehours@propertymedia.com.
0:19:43 Again, that’s officehours@propertymedia.com.
0:19:56 This episode was produced by Caroline Shager
0:19:58 and Jennifer Sanchez as our associate producer
0:20:01 and Drew Burroughs as our technical director.
0:20:02 Thank you for listening to the Prop G Pod
0:20:03 from the Vox Media Podcast Network.
0:20:05 We will catch you on Saturday
0:20:08 for No Mercy, No Malice as read by George Hahn.
0:20:10 And please follow our Prop G Markets Pod
0:20:12 wherever you get your pods for new episodes
0:20:13 every Monday and Thursday.
0:00:04 Keeping your data safe is important,
0:00:06 however, if you’re a small business owner,
0:00:08 then protecting the information of yourself,
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0:01:19 Welcome to the PropG pod’s office hours.
0:01:21 This is the part of the show where we answer your questions
0:01:23 about business big tech entrepreneurship
0:01:25 and whatever else is on your mind.
0:01:26 Hey, PropG.
0:01:27 Hey, Scott and team.
0:01:27 Hey, Scott.
0:01:28 Hi, PropG.
0:01:29 Hey, PropG.
0:01:30 Hey, PropG.
0:01:31 Hi, Professor G.
0:01:33 In last week’s office hours, we answered your questions
0:01:36 about Airbnb’s role in the housing affordability crisis,
0:01:39 microplastics and raising American kids in the UK.
0:01:44 We need some sort of federal legislation or funding
0:01:46 that encourages just more housing permits
0:01:50 and more construction because it has become so difficult
0:01:51 to build housing in the US
0:01:54 that there’s just a supply demand imbalance.
0:01:55 So let me get this.
0:01:57 I’ve got plastic in my testicles.
0:02:00 I mean, this question wins for the question
0:02:02 I know the least about.
0:02:06 My thinking is the rationalization for moving to the UK
0:02:09 was that what could we give our kids?
0:02:10 It would be amazing.
0:02:14 And the idea of letting them live in a foreign country
0:02:16 for several years and experience a different culture.
0:02:19 You know, I wish my parents could have done that for me.
0:02:21 Today, we’ll answer your questions
0:02:22 about Sheen’s design practices,
0:02:24 qualities to look for when hiring
0:02:27 and how to pivot when you’re a mid-career professional.
0:02:29 So with that, first question.
0:02:32 – Hey, Prof. G, I am a big fan of yours
0:02:34 writing in from the Mahavi Desert.
0:02:36 I know you recently defended Sheen
0:02:37 because of how its low prices
0:02:40 enable young people to buy apparel.
0:02:42 And I’ve definitely ordered from Sheen before.
0:02:44 I know my sister has many times
0:02:47 and my 21-year-old nanny definitely has.
0:02:50 Leaping aside the many environmental concerns
0:02:51 of fast fashion, are you at all concerned
0:02:54 about the company’s design practices?
0:02:55 – There’s a lot of independent creators
0:02:57 that are starting to call out Sheen
0:02:58 for copycatting its designs,
0:03:02 like Cassie Ho at Blogilates and Popflex Active.
0:03:03 Its pages are full of trendy pieces
0:03:05 that are ripped off from other companies.
0:03:08 And I’ve been a business journalist for over 10 years.
0:03:10 And I know that getting justice over IP
0:03:11 is notoriously difficult.
0:03:13 I think I’ve covered one case
0:03:15 where a fast fashion company was found liable
0:03:17 for stealing a trademark textile pattern.
0:03:20 And obviously knockoffs are nothing new.
0:03:22 But I’m kind of curious what you think
0:03:23 about a $32 billion company
0:03:26 stealing creative ideas and IP from other companies.
0:03:29 Is this simply capitalism at work?
0:03:30 Do we need an IP reckoning?
0:03:33 Does original creation hold no value in today’s world?
0:03:36 And that’s a bummer, if true.
0:03:38 Also, when are you coming back to Palm Springs?
0:03:41 Let me know and I will show you all the hotspots.
0:03:43 – Oh my gosh, I’m coming now.
0:03:45 Palm Springs, I was just there for stagecoach.
0:03:48 I have no interest in country music,
0:03:50 but I heard that it’s now the cool Coachella.
0:03:53 And daddy likes to go where the young hot people go.
0:03:55 So I went to stagecoach for the first time.
0:03:58 I stayed at Larry Ellison’s summer home,
0:04:03 which he has essentially turned into a total hotspot.
0:04:04 What is the name of that fucking place?
0:04:05 Beautiful hotel.
0:04:08 Anyways, had a great time.
0:04:09 I love Palm Springs.
0:04:14 If I lived in LA, I would consider getting a home there.
0:04:16 But thanks to the great offer.
0:04:20 And by the way, it sounds like you have a baby in the background
0:04:21 and you have such a lovely voice.
0:04:24 Anyways, I just like, I don’t even know you.
0:04:25 And I like you.
0:04:29 All right, so IP and IP Theft or Barling.
0:04:32 So absolutely, what Sheehan is doing
0:04:34 is finding other impressive designers
0:04:36 that have gotten traction in the retail market
0:04:38 and copying them, copycatting them,
0:04:40 whatever you want to call it.
0:04:43 So now do pottery barn, restoration hardware,
0:04:47 old Navy and essentially every other fashion company.
0:04:52 And I remember being in board meetings, especially retailers,
0:04:57 and they were very careful to say that it was inspired by.
0:05:01 And almost every major selling product
0:05:05 at a high-end or not even a high-end,
0:05:09 a mid-brand or mid-tier apparel fashion furniture company,
0:05:12 you’re gonna find that the design was inspired
0:05:16 by an artisan who at a much higher price point
0:05:18 is doing something really incredibly creative.
0:05:22 This has been an enormous source of frustration and debate
0:05:26 across the artisan community for the last 30 or 40 years.
0:05:28 And the reality is correctly or incorrectly,
0:05:32 it is very hard to impose that sort of IP protection
0:05:32 around something.
0:05:34 And to a certain extent, to a certain extent,
0:05:37 I mean, walk down, I live in Soho.
0:05:39 And if you walk down Canal,
0:05:42 there’s just no controlling the knockoffs.
0:05:46 I can go 50 feet and get a Chanel bag, a Rolex watch,
0:05:49 and an Hermes bag that actually doesn’t look,
0:05:53 that’s actually pretty decent quality,
0:05:55 at least from kind of a foot away, if you will.
0:05:59 And to a certain extent, a certain amount of IP theft,
0:06:02 whether it’s people borrowing passwords from Netflix
0:06:05 or a certain amount of people ripping off
0:06:07 and producing Chanel bags, they’re not dumb.
0:06:09 They kind of know what’s going on.
0:06:10 And a certain amount of leakage, if you will,
0:06:12 is actually good marketing for them.
0:06:17 Now, having said that, should IP protection be increased?
0:06:20 I think you could argue that the final frontier of that,
0:06:22 or the next frontier is AI.
0:06:26 And that is, a lot of people have found that,
0:06:28 more lawyers have found that AI or chat GPT
0:06:32 was producing articles that had lifted line for line word
0:06:35 for word articles from other major publications
0:06:37 without compensating them for that.
0:06:38 So am I worried about it?
0:06:41 I don’t think this is a new problem.
0:06:42 I’m not saying it’s wrong or right,
0:06:47 but it’s been going on across all sorts of apparel
0:06:49 and fashion and furniture companies.
0:06:51 And I realize it might be very frustrating
0:06:54 for some artisans, but if you look at the brands
0:06:57 that would be most likely to be ripped off
0:06:59 and have their designs stolen
0:07:02 and have fast fashion at their runway shows,
0:07:05 and then within 60 minutes, the photographs
0:07:07 are sent to a design lab.
0:07:09 They come up with some sort of rendering of it.
0:07:11 And then it’s in the factory and it’s on the shelves
0:07:12 within six weeks.
0:07:14 And I think that’s what Zara is able to do.
0:07:17 This is kind of the ecosystem and how it works.
0:07:20 Now at some point are the designs absolutely
0:07:24 so incredibly close that you probably have some sort of case.
0:07:26 Yes, but it’s very hard to enforce.
0:07:30 Birkenstock pulled all of their products off of Amazon
0:07:33 ’cause they said that the IP theft was just so extraordinary
0:07:34 and they didn’t like the way they were treating the brand
0:07:39 in terms of pricing and kind of using sort of mob policy
0:07:40 techniques to enforce it.
0:07:42 They couldn’t discount their products anywhere else
0:07:44 unless at the lowest prices on Amazon.
0:07:47 In some long-winded way of saying the ecosystem
0:07:50 builds in a certain amount of IP theft.
0:07:52 And I don’t think Sheehan is doing anything
0:07:55 that everyone from Pottery Barn and Old Navy and Zara
0:07:58 haven’t been doing for decades now.
0:08:03 Having said that, I think AI brings on a new set of dangers
0:08:05 that we’re probably going to have to be more thoughtful around.
0:08:08 So is there additional IP protection needed?
0:08:10 I don’t know is the honest answer.
0:08:12 I appreciate the question.
0:08:13 Question number two.
0:08:16 – Hey Scott, this is Bryant from Salt Lake City.
0:08:19 I’m an avid follower and enjoy listening during my commute
0:08:21 while walking the dog doing whatever I’m doing
0:08:22 around the house.
0:08:23 My question for you is about leadership.
0:08:25 I work in law enforcement and my department recently
0:08:28 underwent a round of promotional testing for Sargent.
0:08:30 My question for you is one,
0:08:33 what qualities do you look for in people that wish to promote?
0:08:35 And two, how would you test for those qualities
0:08:37 if any such test even exists?
0:08:39 Thanks for all that you do.
0:08:42 Keep the insightful content, include jokes flowing.
0:08:43 – Oh, hey, Bryant from Salt Lake City.
0:08:46 And thanks for your service and what you do.
0:08:49 I have no idea how you would distill leadership qualities
0:08:51 into a test unless it’s sort of a road thing
0:08:53 where you have to have a certain baseline level of knowledge.
0:08:55 But I would argue that’s not,
0:08:58 a test is not going to be a great means
0:09:00 figuring out who to promote.
0:09:01 I think it might be a baseline.
0:09:03 You have to have a certain level of knowledge
0:09:04 around key issues.
0:09:06 But I don’t think you use that as quote unquote
0:09:09 the fulcrum of the decider for who to promote.
0:09:12 In terms of wanting to get promoted,
0:09:14 I think there’s just a few basics if you see yourself
0:09:16 as someone you want to be tapped as a leader
0:09:18 and get promoted faster than your peers.
0:09:21 One is you got to demonstrate excellence.
0:09:23 And that is you just have to be very good at what you do
0:09:25 and reflect a real interest and passion
0:09:27 for law enforcement.
0:09:30 Two, and it sounds real basic, show up.
0:09:35 And that is 10 minutes earlier than anybody else
0:09:37 sleep 10 minutes later.
0:09:42 Be seen and get a reputation as the person that speaks well,
0:09:45 that talks well of people behind their back.
0:09:49 Listen, try and really promote other people’s interests.
0:09:50 The key to being successful I think
0:09:53 is to develop allies along the way.
0:09:55 And that is people will find out.
0:09:58 I assume that everyone, I think it’s just a good assumption
0:10:01 that a safe assumption that everyone will hear eventually
0:10:03 everything you say about them.
0:10:05 So it’s one thing to provide feedback,
0:10:09 constructive feedback to people in a professional situation.
0:10:11 But for the most part, you want to talk up your colleagues,
0:10:13 you want to be there for them,
0:10:16 and you finally want to act like an owner.
0:10:17 And it’s easy in a private setting
0:10:18 or a private company to act like an owner.
0:10:22 I can just tell when people are clearly acting
0:10:24 like shareholders, the reason why in a private company
0:10:27 you give or I’ve given shares to everybody in the company
0:10:29 is you want them thinking about what’s best
0:10:30 for the business 24 by seven,
0:10:33 because it directly motivates them
0:10:35 ’cause they see their compensation and wellbeing
0:10:37 and ability to take care of their family
0:10:39 directly tied to the wellbeing of the company.
0:10:41 They start acting like owners.
0:10:43 So how do you act like an owner?
0:10:45 You represent the police force,
0:10:49 you represent your specific civic domain,
0:10:51 and you make a real effort to know
0:10:54 that you’re a spokesperson for not only our society,
0:10:59 but that local municipality, that department.
0:11:01 And you go out of the way to just try
0:11:03 and enhance the brand if you will,
0:11:07 or the value of that department and that force.
0:11:09 You speak well of people behind their back,
0:11:11 you go out of your way to try and help others.
0:11:13 You demonstrate excellence.
0:11:17 You’re the guy that understands the exact code of the law,
0:11:20 understands how to handle difficult situation,
0:11:23 studies up on this stuff, takes it very seriously,
0:11:25 shows a passion for law enforcement.
0:11:26 I think a lot of it comes down
0:11:28 to being in the right place in the right time
0:11:31 and also it sounds like you’re an ambitious young man.
0:11:34 Recognize that one of the virtues of getting ahead
0:11:35 is patience.
0:11:37 A lot of the most successful people in history,
0:11:39 I would argue probably all of them at some point,
0:11:40 they get passed over.
0:11:43 They don’t get promoted as quickly as they’d like.
0:11:44 And the only thing I can guarantee you
0:11:46 in any organization is injustice.
0:11:48 And that occasionally is someone
0:11:50 will get promoted over you sooner and faster.
0:11:53 But typically the arc of promotions
0:11:55 bends towards justice.
0:11:56 And over the medium and the long term,
0:11:59 good people get their do if you will.
0:12:02 But anyways, I just wanna wrap up by saying,
0:12:04 appreciate your service.
0:12:06 And the fact you’re even asking these questions
0:12:09 and thinking about it means you’re probably tracking.
0:12:12 So anyways, Bryant from Salt Lake City, well done.
0:12:15 We have one quick break before our final question,
0:12:16 stay with us.
0:12:22 Support for Prop G comes from Masterclass.
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0:14:17 or burgers on the grill
0:14:20 or jumping off a dock into a lake.
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0:14:30 Thorn can help you craft a personalized,
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0:14:35 They sent me some supplements to try
0:14:36 and I am doing it every day.
0:14:38 I’m taking five grams.
0:14:38 I don’t know what the measurement.
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0:15:17 – Welcome back, question number three.
0:15:19 – Hi, Scott, this is Kelly in New York.
0:15:21 I know most of your advice is for young people
0:15:24 starting out in their careers,
0:15:26 but I have a question that’s a little bit different.
0:15:28 I am a mid-career entertainment professional,
0:15:31 meaning I’m an out-of-work TV producer,
0:15:34 and frankly, my career is basically over.
0:15:37 I worked for 20 years and built up an amazing reputation.
0:15:40 I have tons of contacts and experience in my field.
0:15:41 But guess what?
0:15:45 Between the strikes, the Hollywood and news contraction,
0:15:47 and business moving overseas and TikTok,
0:15:49 all my contacts are out of work,
0:15:51 and my so-called skills are not necessarily
0:15:54 translating to the real world.
0:15:56 I’m sure there are many other listeners
0:15:58 who have the same predicament,
0:16:01 who are listening to your podcast and in the same boat.
0:16:04 I’d love to know what your advice is for us,
0:16:05 not starting out professionals
0:16:08 who have already sunk costs into the business.
0:16:09 Thanks.
0:16:11 – Hi, Kelly from New York.
0:16:14 I think so many people are in your position.
0:16:17 You have an industry that went through,
0:16:19 first off, the industry has too great an inflow
0:16:22 of human capital, and that is,
0:16:23 so many people want to be in that industry,
0:16:27 that the industry is able to pay people less
0:16:29 than people of that talent in other industries,
0:16:31 ’cause there’s someone who will be an associate producer
0:16:33 for almost no money.
0:16:36 In addition, with every 17-year-old in the nation
0:16:38 spending less and less time on social media,
0:16:40 spending less and less time watching television,
0:16:42 cable TV and going to the movies,
0:16:43 and spending it all on TikTok,
0:16:46 where there’s 850 million creators
0:16:48 who don’t need health insurance or don’t ask for it,
0:16:51 and are willing to make $10,000 or $12,000 a year
0:16:53 to create what is probably pretty decent content
0:16:55 in addition to their main hustle,
0:16:57 there’s just huge pressure.
0:17:00 So anyways, I’m not telling you anything
0:17:01 you don’t know or haven’t experienced.
0:17:02 What to do?
0:17:07 If you have been successful and it sounds like you have been,
0:17:08 I would try and write down the series
0:17:11 or the attributes that have made you successful.
0:17:12 So if you’re incredibly organized
0:17:15 and know how to bring together a disparate group of people
0:17:19 to create an environment and production
0:17:23 and focus on details and logistics
0:17:25 and create a mood and a vibe,
0:17:27 okay, Salesforce is probably gonna spend
0:17:28 a couple hundred million dollars this year
0:17:31 on events, on production.
0:17:34 Anything live requires production talent.
0:17:37 If you think about it, entertainment is essentially
0:17:40 trying to build a story that captivates people’s attention
0:17:43 in this medium of film or television.
0:17:45 And there’s a lot of different,
0:17:48 I think industries where they’re trying to capture
0:17:51 people’s attention across a different medium,
0:17:53 whether it’s a corporate gathering,
0:17:56 whether it’s an environment inside of a store,
0:17:59 you know, kind of store design or what have you.
0:18:01 So start workshopping,
0:18:05 don’t let perfect be the enemy of good every day,
0:18:07 three or four emails to strangers, contacts,
0:18:09 colleagues from your alma mater
0:18:12 who are working in investor relations, comms,
0:18:14 video production, content strategy,
0:18:17 product management, program management,
0:18:19 reach out, can we grab a coffee
0:18:21 and sort of get on it and just get back
0:18:23 into the ecosystem if you will.
0:18:26 Also Kelly, look into whether or not there are,
0:18:28 I don’t wanna call them support groups
0:18:29 ’cause that sounds sort of weak,
0:18:31 but groups of people to get together
0:18:34 to talk about what they’re gonna do next,
0:18:36 people in a similar situation,
0:18:38 there was an organization that’s probably still around
0:18:40 in New York called Second Act.
0:18:42 And it was for former finance professionals
0:18:44 getting together to talk about their Second Act.
0:18:48 And these were ballers, my close friend
0:18:50 and someone who was on my board
0:18:52 who was one of the heads, I believe,
0:18:55 or co-heads of Private Equity at Citigroup
0:18:56 was part of this group.
0:18:58 And it was all these former CEOs and total ballers
0:19:01 in the corporate world trying to figure out what to do next
0:19:04 to it either been laid off or quit their job.
0:19:06 And it’s really helpful to get in a room of people
0:19:08 and just talk about stuff and be mutual supportive
0:19:10 of each other and bounce ideas off of one another.
0:19:12 So see if there’s, I’d be shocked
0:19:15 if there aren’t several groups like that
0:19:17 that have popped up in both New York and Los Angeles
0:19:19 because of they just did extraordinary disruption
0:19:21 taking place in the industry.
0:19:24 But again, it’s just so helpful to hear from other people.
0:19:28 One, you recognize that it’s happening everywhere
0:19:30 and two, again, it’s hard to read the label
0:19:31 from inside of the bottle.
0:19:32 It’s just nice having a group of people
0:19:33 to brainstorm with.
0:19:36 That’s all for this episode.
0:19:37 If you’d like to submit a question,
0:19:38 please email a voice recording
0:19:40 to officehours@propertymedia.com.
0:19:43 Again, that’s officehours@propertymedia.com.
0:19:56 This episode was produced by Caroline Shager
0:19:58 and Jennifer Sanchez as our associate producer
0:20:01 and Drew Burroughs as our technical director.
0:20:02 Thank you for listening to the Prop G Pod
0:20:03 from the Vox Media Podcast Network.
0:20:05 We will catch you on Saturday
0:20:08 for No Mercy, No Malice as read by George Hahn.
0:20:10 And please follow our Prop G Markets Pod
0:20:12 wherever you get your pods for new episodes
0:20:13 every Monday and Thursday.
Scott speaks about Shein’s design practices, specifically its alleged IP theft. He then discusses the qualities he looks for in hiring/promoting, and wraps up with advice to a listener looking to make a mid-career pivot.
Music: https://www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic
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