Features

My first encounter with ChatGPT came back in the spring of 2023, when Emily and I were planning our trip to the Azores (which, I highly recommend!). Faced with complicated logistics, hopping between islands, booking rental cars, juggling mu

Rolling back the years

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s hydro-foiling, UFC-fighting, and occasionally CEO-ing maestro, recently took a jab at Apple CEO Tim Cook, claiming, “Apple hasn’t innovated since the iPhone 20 years ago.” Bold words from a guy whose social media emp

As my Twelve Days of Commerce series concludes, I’ve chosen to highlight a business particularly relevant during December’s festive season in London - or any setting with hefty Christmas celebrations. Cheers to my number one.

Two years and six months. That’s how long we’ve had the privilege of working with Andris Lagsdin, founder of Baking Steel, and a true [pizza]creator in every sense of the word. Andris was among our first few clients at Igloo Media, partneri

As I edge closer to the end of my Christmas roster, today’s spotlight shines on one of the most dramatic retail revivals of the decade: Abercrombie & Fitch. With a 150-year legacy that once dressed White House elites, the brand seemed desti

Me: “Should we pencil in a team call for Friday?”

Welcome to my number five on the roster, one which needs no introduction: OnlyFans. In my opinion, OnlyFans may be the best business, from a pure economics perspective, to have emerged from the U.K. in the last decade.

In the spirit of Christmas, few things compare to stepping into a 500-year-old pub. Melted candles drip onto stained wooden stalls, Sinatra’s voice echoes softly in the background, and fairy lights edge the corners of the bar-top. In the co

If you’ve followed Dollar Commerce for even a day, you’ll know I’m not quick to celebrate venture-backed brands, especially those burning through capital like it’s a rite of passage. Venture money, for all its perks, has had a nasty habit o

Picture the Swiss mountains, snow falling from the rooftops of glorious wooden chalets, and the smell of hot chocolate in the air. Switzerland, the landlocked, Narnia-like nation nestled in the belly of Europe, is stereotypically known for

In 2022, shortly after launching Igloo Media, a team reached out to us through a mutual recommendation, called Hugz. This was a true “starting from scratch” project with a long direct-to-consumer roadmap planned ahead. The wonderful ethos o

It was the end of November, when I started to think about how I was going to lug a Christmas tree from one end of Battersea Park, to my apartment.Emily, my other half and master of persuasion explains - “There’s nothing more ‘manly’ than wa

I’ve talked a lot in my previous articles about a few important elements: the power and psychology of great design, the art of building brand equity, and the value in founder-driven businesses. While simple to write about, the execution is

As my first calendar year comes to a close with the wonderful Substack community, I thought a little bit about what would be the idyllic end to year for all the wonderful writers and followers of my little (for now) DC Universe. So, I thoug

A mighty Dutch Pancake

While watching Chef on my Tuesday evening redeye (which I highly recommend, by the way), I found myself drooling over Jon Favreau’s Cuban sandwiches and was reminded of a idea I’d tested a couple of years ago. While it wasn’t a “failure” in