Vibin’ in this economy

Takeaways:

• Beg, borrow, buy (but don’t steal)…this book by Kyla Scanlon, In This Economy? How Money and Markets Really Work, is worth getting your hands on.

• Learn the fundamentals as much as you can, but don’t stress about knowing everything. In this economy, no one does, and if you did, you’d probably be missing the point. Things move fast. The markets are driven by Pepe the Frog coins, Trump Truth Social posts, and quantum computing breakthroughs. It’s wild out there.

• Don’t box yourself in. Be whoever you want. Learn whatever you can. It’s all connected, and it will come back around, maybe in a project, in a conversation, when you least expect it. So go do awesome things.

So, am I an economist then?

Not even close. I never studied economics. But after COVID and the rapid rise of AI, I started digging deeper.

As a designer with almost zero economics background, I wanted to learn (and let’s be real), I judged the book by its cover. That’s how I found In This Economy? by Kyla Scanlon. Yes, I still read physical books. This one grabbed me because it felt...fresh. Not something written in your grandad’s era, but a product of now. It just clicked.

What are these times like?

Volatile. Self-serving. Urgent. Social-media influenced. Fast-moving. Meme-fueled with bite-sized value. Like the aftertaste of Entertainment Tonight in your brain.

As soon as I hit the chapter on the Vibe Economy and meme stocks, I knew I was in the right place. But this isn’t just a trendy, surface-level economics guide from a young voice. It’s packed with historical context, solid fundamentals, and relevant insights that actually reflect what’s happening today.

What I’ve done with the info and what you could do, too:

I’m not writing a formal review, there are probably a million of those out there. I’m just scratching the surface of economics, but here are a few things I’ve done with what I’ve learned so far. Maybe they’ll spark something for you, too:

1. Took notes as if I were back in school. I still love studying.

2. Started tuning into Bloomberg (Kyla’s old stomping ground) a few times a day to get familiar with terms like P/E Ratio, CapEx, and my personal favorite: The Short Squeeze.

3. Created a ChatGPT project named Speculative Trading Strategy Guide. I’ve been feeding it questions, mixing in historical and current data, and pushing it to think creatively about investing.

4. Researched companies across multiple industries. I tracked earnings calls, anticipated major news drops via webinars or conferences, and just tried to tap into that general business mojo. I listed the stocks below for funsies.

5. Downloaded the Robinhood app. What an experience! It’s super intuitive and approachable... maybe a little too approachable?

6. Rolled all of this learning into my design work. Understanding the economy, market shifts, and business dynamics has enabled me to become a stronger designer, thinker, and strategist.

The list of stocks

1. Auto (electric and gas)

   1. TSLA Tesla

   2. RIVN Rivian

2. Collaborations

   1. GOOGL / WRBY Google and Warby Parker (AI Glasses)

3. Energy/Grids/Data Center

   1. APLD Applied Digital

   2. VRT Vertiv

4. Food and Agriculture

   1. LAND Gladstone Land

   2. LOCL Local Bounti

5. Life Sciences

   1. BCAX Bicara Therapeutics

   2. TWST Twist Bioscience

6. Meme stocks

   1. NMAX Newsmax

7. Semiconductor Manufacturers

   1. RMBS Rambus

   2. NVDA NVIDIA

8. Quantum Computing

   1. RGTI Rigetti Computing

   2. QBTS D-Wave Quantum

   3. IONQ IonQ