First a yacht, or first a private jet?

Many years ago, I met Igor Schwarzmann in Copenhagen. We were both staying at a CABINN hotel while attending the reboot conference, and, one late night we both ended up in the lounge and struck up a conversation. We’ve been friends ever since.

Igor’s one of the most interesting people I know: a deep thinker, a trend-spotter, a deep-diver. His friend and sometimes-collaborator Johannes Kleske has similar qualities, and recently their collaboration has taken the form of a podcast, Follow the Rabbit:

We’re Igor and Johannes, two endlessly curious minds who’ve built our careers on exploring the ever-shifting landscape of culture. Join us as we work with the garage door up, sharing not just our findings, but our entire journey of discovery. Whether you’re a curious mind, a fellow researcher, or a potential client, Follow the Rabbit offers a unique glimpse into how we map, frame, and engage with culture.

Inasmuch as I’m also “endlessly curious,” and share an interest canvas with significant overlap to theirs, I’m a frequent listener.

Take this week’s Indie Magazines: From productive nostalgia to cultural anchors, where they dive into the world of print publishing, especially in the Monocle and Monocle-adjacent spaces. In part:

There is a small anecdote that I need to tell you about Monocle and their events, because when we were both, last year in London, and because Johannes is a Monocle patron, we attended a Monocle event about… What was it? Yachts and private jets?

It was private jets, mostly private jets.

And the event started with the question, do you get first a yacht or first a private jet? Which I felt like this talks to my soul. And the reason why I’m mentioning this is that you can see also there is a certain style that Monocle cultivated over a long period of time.

And they are doing it so well. And I think very few organizations are able to be so consistent across time, it makes them so recognizable and so relatable. 

What I love about that isn’t that Igor and Johannes are of the jet-or-yacht class, but that they are curious about those that are. And about the house journals of those that are. (I am not immune to this Monocle-affinity: I’ve been reading since issue one).

Similarly worthy of a listen, Monthly Rewind: Luxury Markets, ADHD Soundscapes, and Conversations as Culture. What’s not to like about a wide-ranging conversation about Ozempic, trendy LA grocery stores, and an app that adjusts a soundscape to your location, activity, and mood.

(It was Johannes who originally turned me on to Readwise, an app I’ve spent hundreds of hours inside since, so I trust his futurecasting).

Listening to the podcast, I’m reminded why I love Berlin, and how long it’s been since I was there.