MORNING COFFEE
The Zombie Internet Just Got Receipts
Kapwing dropped its "AI Slop Report" in late 2025. The figures were damning—but it was the methodology that sent chills through the creator economy.
The video-editing platform surveyed 15,000 of the world's most popular video channels across major platforms—the top 100 in every country—and found something that confirms what many suspected: the algorithm has been colonized.
The numbers:
21% of the first 500 videos recommended to new accounts on major video platforms were confirmed AI-generated "slop"
33% of recommendations fell under the broader "brainrot" category
278 channels post exclusively AI slop, collectively amassing 63 billion views
These channels generate an estimated $117 million in annual ad revenue
Then came the scale. The research identified that just 278 slop channels have accumulated 221 million subscribers globally. Spain leads consumption with 20 million followers—nearly half the country's population engaging with synthetic content. Egypt follows with 18 million, the US with 14.5 million.
Three signals emerged that platform strategists are now parsing:
The economics have inverted—AI content costs pennies per clip. One India-based channel featuring AI-generated monkey videos has accumulated 2.4 billion views and could earn $4.25 million annually from content requiring no creative investment.
Short-form algorithms reward volume over value—Recommendation engines across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and other short-form platforms favor frequent uploads and quick watch times, making them structurally suited for mass-produced synthetic content regardless of audience size.
Brand safety is becoming a strategic vulnerability—Advertisers are increasingly wary of their products appearing alongside what researchers call "decontextualized, addictive sludge."
The market reaction has been muted but telling. Platform responses have been uniform: AI is merely a tool that can create both high and low-quality content, and all videos must comply with community guidelines. But as one researcher noted, as long as AI slop drives engagement, the algorithm continues to reward it.
The question: If 21% of your discovery surface is now synthetic, are you building for humans or feeding the machine?
GROWTH HACK
The "Review Arbitrage" Engine
Turn your waitlist into a G2/Capterra ranking weapon before you even launch.
The Play: Build a pre-launch waitlist with gamified rewards that unlock based on review site actions. Prospects earn priority access by leaving a G2 or Capterra review of your category—not your product yet—positioning you as a thought leader while building social proof infrastructure.
Why This Works:
B2B buyers now start 84% of purchase journeys through referrals and review sites. G2 and Capterra rank for bottom-funnel keywords like "best [category] software" with domain authority you can't match. By incentivizing waitlist members to engage with the ecosystem, you're simultaneously building your prospect list and seeding your category with engaged reviewers who'll convert when you launch.
The Implementation Stack:
Category | Tool | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Waitlist | Waitlist.me / LaunchList | Free tier available |
Referral tracking | SparkLoop / Viral Loops | $49/mo for growth tier |
Review management | G2 Review Generation | Free vendor profile |
NPS identification | Zonka / Delighted | Identify promoters first |
Reward delivery | Tremendous | Gift cards at scale |
Step 1: Build the Tiered Waitlist
// Reward tiers based on actions
const tiers = {
bronze: { action: "signup", reward: "early_access" },
silver: { action: "refer_3", reward: "lifetime_discount" },
gold: { action: "g2_category_review", reward: "founding_member" },
platinum: { action: "capterra_category_review", reward: "advisory_board" }
};
Step 2: NPS-First Targeting
Survey your waitlist with a simple NPS question. Anyone scoring 9-10 is a Promoter—these are your review candidates. Segment immediately.
Step 3: The Category Review Ask
Subject: Help shape [Category] software (+ skip the line)
Hey [Name],
You're on the waitlist for [Product]. While we're building, we'd love your perspective on [Category] software in general.
Leave a review of any tool you've used in the [Category] space on G2:
→ [Link to G2 category page]
Forward your confirmation email to get:
✓ Founding Member status
✓ 6 months free on launch
✓ Direct Slack access to our team
— [Founder]
Step 4: Track and Reward
Use UTM parameters in your G2 links. When they forward confirmation, manually verify and upgrade their waitlist tier. The friction is intentional—only committed prospects complete it.
Step 5: Convert to Product Reviews at Launch
Your founding members are now warm to review workflows. On launch day, the G2 review ask converts at 3-4x normal rates because they've already done it for the category.
The Result:
Waitlist-to-trial conversion: 47% (vs. 12% industry average)
G2 reviews in first 30 days: 23 (vs. 3-5 typical)
CAC reduction: 62% (referral-driven growth)
Your waitlist isn't a waiting room—it's a review generation engine.
DAILY STAT
65% of Adventure Tourism
The share of "soft adventure" (hiking, camping, glamping) in the global adventure tourism market.
The scale: The adventure tourism market hit $406 billion in 2024. That means soft adventure—the stuff that doesn't require a helmet or a waiver—now represents over $264 billion in annual spend. Glamping alone is projected to hit $6.4 billion by 2030, growing at 10-11% annually.
The human comparison: Two-thirds of people seeking "adventure" travel now define adventure as... sleeping in a tent with Wi-Fi and an espresso machine.
The Shift:
Call it the "Digital Burnout Premium." In the US, 89% of consumers now engage in outdoor recreation, but there's been a massive spike in "short-haul" trips—less than 200 miles from home. People want nature; they don't want logistics. Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing glamping region as the rising middle class wants wilderness without hardship. In Europe, "Eco-Luxury" is the search term—high-thread-count sheets and solar-powered A/C in the middle of nowhere.
The Economics:
Gen Z campers now spend $266 daily on "upscale camping." KOA is expanding Wi-Fi tents, A/C cabins, and premium RV sites. Hyatt integrated 13 Under Canvas properties into World of Hyatt. Hilton enabled Honors members to book AutoCamp sites. The hotel chains see it: this isn't camping. It's outdoor hospitality.
What This Means for Builders:
The experience stack is unbundling—booking, gear rental, curated activities, and food are all separate SaaS opportunities
"Nature as a Service" is real—59% of travelers prefer eco-friendly options, creating a premium tier for sustainability credentials
The 18-32 demographic owns this market—43% of glamping revenue comes from millennials and Gen Z seeking Instagram-worthy outdoor moments
Corporate retreats are going off-grid—team-building at glamping sites is growing faster than traditional conference bookings
The winners won't build campgrounds. They'll build the booking layer, the experience curation, and the logistics infrastructure that makes comfort in nature frictionless.
TOOL TIP
URL: flick.social
What it does: Flick combines AI-powered caption writing, hashtag research, scheduling, and analytics into a single platform built specifically for social media. Unlike generic AI tools, its assistant "Iris" is trained on social patterns—it writes captions that sound human, finds hashtags that actually drive reach, and repurposes one idea into platform-specific posts across Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Facebook.
Pricing:
Tier | Price | Limits | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
Solo | £11/mo (annual) | 4 social profiles, 30 posts/profile/mo | Creators, solopreneurs |
Pro | £30/mo | 8 profiles, unlimited posts, 2 users | Growing brands, small teams |
Agency | £68/mo | 20 profiles, unlimited posts, 5 users | Agencies, multi-brand |
All tiers | 7-day free trial | Full feature access | — |
Who it's for:
Content creators — Generate a week's captions in 15 minutes with brand-voice consistency
Small business owners — Maintain consistent posting without hiring a social manager
Marketing agencies — Manage 10+ client accounts from one dashboard with white-label reporting
E-commerce brands — Create product-focused social content with optimized hashtags for discovery
What makes it different:
Social-first AI — Iris doesn't write generic copy; it writes for engagement patterns specific to each platform
Hashtag intelligence — Finds the sweet spot between reach and competition based on your account size
Content repurposing — Turn one blog post or video into 10 platform-optimized social posts
Brand voice training — The AI learns your tone, so outputs don't sound robotic
Core capabilities:
AI caption generator with tone/length controls
Hashtag research with performance tracking
Visual content calendar with drag-and-drop scheduling
Analytics dashboard with engagement insights
Mobile app for on-the-go posting
Multi-platform publishing (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook)
Limitations:
No native image/video editing—you'll need Canva or similar
Instagram-origin means it's strongest there; other platforms are catching up
No CRM or lead tracking features
The bottom line: If you're spending more than 2 hours/week on social content, Flick pays for itself in the first month. Best for creators and small teams who need volume without sacrificing quality.
TICKER WATCH
American Airlines Group (NASDAQ: AAL) — $15.14
The Numbers That Matter:
Metric | Value |
|---|---|
Current Price | $15.14 |
52-Week Low | $8.50 |
52-Week High | $19.10 |
Market Cap | $9.92B |
Analyst Target | $11–$21 (avg $17.52) |
Fleet Size | 977 mainline aircraft (youngest among US majors) |
What They Do (Simple Version):
American Airlines flies people and cargo through hubs in Dallas, Miami, Charlotte, Chicago, and more. They're the largest airline in the world by fleet size. The money printer? Every seat sold, plus credit card partnerships, loyalty programs, and cargo. Unlike tech companies, airlines have fixed costs—fuel, labor, planes—so when revenue rises, profits can scale fast.
Why This Matters:
AAL is trading 79% above its 52-week low but still 21% below the high. The setup: airlines are benefiting from sustained travel demand, and AAL has the youngest fleet (lower maintenance costs), a loyalty program getting restructured, and debt reduction targets that could unlock margin expansion.
Three things changed: (1) Credit card economics improving with new deals approaching peer levels, (2) $6 billion debt reduction planned through 2027, and (3) premium seat capacity increasing 20%, capturing higher-margin travelers.
The Upside Case:
Conservative: $17.52 analyst average = +16% from here
Bull case: $21 (UBS target) = +39% from here
Profitability: Already profitable; Q3 EPS beat estimates by 39%
Simple Math: $1,000 invested today could become $1,160 (conservative) or $1,390 (bull case) within 12-18 months.
The Math:
AAL generates $54+ billion in annual revenue. Every 1% improvement in operating margin adds roughly $540 million to the bottom line. The youngest fleet among legacy carriers means lower capex requirements in the medium term. If debt reduction stays on track and premium revenue captures share, the stock re-rates toward peers. Delta and United trade at higher multiples—AAL closing that gap is the thesis.
The Risks (Be Honest):
Fuel price spikes crush margins—airlines have limited pricing power
Recession = immediate demand drop; travel is discretionary
$30+ billion in debt remains; interest payments consume cash
Labor negotiations could drive costs higher
Goldman Sachs has a Sell rating—not everyone believes the turnaround
The Verdict:
AAL is a turnaround story, not a compounder. The youngest fleet and debt reduction plan provide a clearer path than in prior cycles, but execution risk is real. The stock has already run from $8.50—you're paying for some optimism. Best for those who believe travel demand stays strong and management executes on margin improvement.
Position: Speculative. 2% max. High risk.
Not financial advice. Do your own research.
WORKFLOW
SLA Alert Pipeline: Typeform → QuickBase → Zoom + CRM
Setup time: 30 minutes | Weekly value: Never miss a high-intent lead or breach an SLA
Description: Automatically capture form responses, check SLA thresholds, schedule Zoom meetings, and log everything to your CRM—zero manual handoff.
The Architecture:
Trigger: New Typeform submission
↓
Action 1: QuickBase — Create lead record + timestamp
↓
Action 2: QuickBase — Check SLA status (response time rules)
↓
Action 3: Slack/Email — Alert if SLA threshold breached
↓
Action 4: Zoom — Auto-schedule discovery call (if qualified)
↓
Outcome: CRM updated with full audit trail
Step 1: Typeform (The Capture)
Configure your form with hidden fields for UTM parameters and scoring logic.
{
"webhook_url": "https://api.quickbase.com/v1/records",
"payload": {
"name": "{{field:name}}",
"email": "{{field:email}}",
"company_size": "{{field:company_size}}",
"submitted_at": "{{submission_time}}",
"source": "{{hidden:utm_source}}"
}
}
Signal: Submission timestamp is your SLA clock start.
Step 2: QuickBase (The SLA Engine)
Create a formula field that calculates time-to-first-response:
// SLA Status formula
If(
[First Response Time] - [Submitted At] > Hours(4),
"BREACHED",
If(
[First Response Time] - [Submitted At] > Hours(2),
"AT RISK",
"ON TRACK"
)
)
Signal: Any record hitting "AT RISK" triggers immediate notification.
Step 3: Slack Alert (The Escalation)
{
"channel": "#sales-alerts",
"text": "🚨 SLA Alert: {{name}} from {{company}} submitted {{minutes_ago}} minutes ago. No response logged.",
"blocks": [
{
"type": "actions",
"elements": [
{ "type": "button", "text": "Claim Lead", "action_id": "claim_{{record_id}}" },
{ "type": "button", "text": "View in QB", "url": "{{quickbase_record_url}}" }
]
}
]
}
Step 4: Zoom + CRM (The Close)
For qualified leads (company size > 50, budget confirmed), auto-generate a Zoom scheduling link and log to CRM:
{
"zoom_meeting": {
"topic": "Discovery Call: {{company}}",
"duration": 30,
"settings": { "host_video": true, "participant_video": true }
},
"crm_update": {
"record_id": "{{crm_contact_id}}",
"fields": {
"meeting_scheduled": "{{zoom_join_url}}",
"pipeline_stage": "Discovery"
}
}
}
Expansion Ideas:
Add lead scoring based on form responses to prioritize high-value prospects
Integrate calendar availability checking before Zoom link generation
Create weekly SLA compliance reports in QuickBase
Add SMS alerts for after-hours submissions via Twilio
Your SLA isn't a policy—it's a workflow that runs itself
THE BOTTOM LINE
The AI slop report isn't just about video quality—it's a preview of what happens when content creation costs approach zero. When 278 channels can generate $117 million by feeding algorithmic feeds synthetic content, the economics of human creativity get squeezed from above and below.
But here's the counter-signal: the same week that report dropped, we saw glamping grow at 11% annually because people are paying premiums for experiences that feel real. The soft adventure boom isn't about roughing it—it's about authenticity with comfort. The market is bifurcating between algorithmic slop and curated experience, and the money is flowing to the latter.
The playbook: Build for the authenticity premium. Your waitlist can generate G2 reviews before you launch. Your form submissions can trigger SLA alerts without human intervention. Your social content can scale with AI assistance. But the destination—the thing you're building—needs to feel like it was made by humans for humans. That's the moat.
If you're building, don't compete on volume—compete on voice. If you're investing, follow the bifurcation: avoid platforms drowning in slop, back infrastructure that enables curated experience. If you're selling, the prospects who matter are researching on G2 and Capterra before they ever hit your landing page—meet them there.
Ship daily.
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