Can a puppet teach us more than AI?
Tiny Chef goes viral, Bumble stumbles, and the truth about 4-day weeks
Hey there,
Tiny Chef was everywhere last week.
My nephews have been obsessed with him for a long time. But suddenly, the entire internet seemed to be, too.
Nickelodeon canceled his show, so the creators posted this video: Tiny Chef cleaning around, getting a call, then hanging up and crying when he learns his show is over.
It’s manipulative, sure. But also… kind of genius.
Because overnight, they turned a quiet cancellation into a viral wave of support. People who’d never even heard of Tiny Chef were suddenly donating money to keep him going.
It’s a perfect reminder that no AI, no algorithm, no automated content can replace real human storytelling. A little felt puppet made millions of people feel something.
And that’s what great work should do.
Anyway, if you want to help Tiny Chef, here’s the link.
Let’s get into it.
🌐 News Shortlist
1. Bumble’s not hot anymore (and that’s the problem)
Recap: Bumble announced it’s laying off 30% of its global workforce — around 240 people — even as it raised its revenue forecast. The company’s market value has cratered from $15 billion post-IPO to barely $500 million today. Dating apps everywhere are struggling to keep users loyal as trends shift fast and competition grows relentless.
I almost took a job as Global Head of Growth at Tinder before going to Rappi. So I’ve been close enough to see how this industry works.
Bumble was born as the anti-Tinder. Whitney Wolfe Herd left Match Group and built a brand all about women making the first move, a brilliant story that took them public and made them a $15 billion company.
But dating apps are like fashion trends. One minute it’s Tinder. Next it’s Bumble. Then it’s Hinge. People always migrate to whatever feels new, where they think the “better” people are.
Bumble’s mistake? Trying to keep fixing Bumble. Instead of launching the next thing.
This is what Match Group figured out. They didn’t put all their chips on one brand. They own Tinder, OkCupid, Hinge, Plenty of Fish… and probably five others you’ve never heard of. They spin out new brands or acquire them when a hit of theirs starts to fade.
Because the tech behind dating apps is simple, a good dev could probably build one in a weekend. What’s hard is staying cool.
Bumble’s brand was hot. But the industry moves fast. And now they’re in survival mode, cutting jobs and trying to refresh the same app that’s no longer trendy.
It’s a lesson for any business built on consumer trends:
Sometimes you don’t fix the old thing. You build the new thing.
Advice:
If you’re in a market where trends change fast, don’t get stuck defending your first success. Be ready to spin out the next one.
Even if it means starting from scratch.
That’s how you stay hot.
2. The four-day workweek: miracle or mirage?
Recap: New York is considering a pilot program to test a four-day workweek in both private and public sectors. Inspired by global trials—like the UK experiment where 92% of companies stuck with the shorter week—it promises better well-being, stable revenue, and lower turnover. But experts warn it’s not one-size-fits-all, especially for sectors needing constant coverage.
I’ll be honest: I think a lot of this is HR wishful thinking.
Don’t get me wrong. Four-day weeks sound great on paper. But the reality is, it only works for certain types of businesses.
Restaurants can’t shut on Fridays. B2B companies can’t tell clients, “Sorry, we’re offline till Monday.” Unless the whole world agrees to a new rhythm, the math just doesn’t work for everyone.
And even when it “works,” there’s the human factor. People adapt. Today, it’s Friday when people take it easy. You cut to four days, and Thursday becomes the new Friday. Give it a few years, and suddenly four days feel long, too. The bar keeps moving.
What I care about more than any policy is this:
Are your people actually trying?
I’ve worked in places where folks barely cared about working five days. Cutting it to four wouldn’t magically change that. Culture and effort matter more than the number of days on the calendar.
Advice:
A four-day week might help retention and morale.
But it won’t fix a team that’s not motivated in the first place.
Before you chase trendy perks, make sure your people actually give a damn.
That’s what makes the difference.
3. AI Recruiters are losing the human race
Recap: My recent LinkedIn post about AI recruiters hit nearly a million views. The comments were flooded with one message: people hate being interviewed by bots. From glitchy video calls to robotic voice systems, candidates describe these experiences as awkward, cold, and sometimes downright traumatic.
I can’t stop thinking about the stories people shared.
One person said talking to an AI recruiter left them feeling “close to disgust.” Another dropped off mid-call the moment they realized it wasn’t a human on the other side. One said they’d rather stay unemployed than explain themselves to a machine.
These weren’t just complaints. They were pleas.
People want to be seen. To be heard. To connect.
Hiring is one of the most human decisions in business. It shapes lives, teams, and futures. You can’t replicate that with an algorithm reading your facial expressions or scoring your answers on keyword hits.
And yet, the industry keeps pushing bots into interviews, hoping to save time and money.
Here’s the irony: all the data in the world can’t replace the gut feeling you get when a candidate lights up talking about their work. Or the way someone’s tone changes when you ask about a challenge they overcame.
AI can help us shortlist, search, and spot patterns. But it shouldn’t replace conversations.
Advice:
If you’re hiring, remember this: no one wants to pour their heart out to a chatbot.
Use AI to speed up the grunt work. But leave the human moments to humans.
That’s where trust, connection, and real hiring decisions happen.
🔎 Remote Jobs Shortlist
These are the hot new openings of this week.
Even if you’re not on the hunt, it’s worth seeing what roles great companies are opening and what that says about where things are headed. Check out the full list here.
1. Marketing Director
This brand is leveling up its marketing game. Now they’re hiring a hands-on leader who can build the function from scratch.
You’ll be the first marketing hire, architecting strategy and rolling up your sleeves to execute across every channel. Think SEO, paid ads, social, email, content, website optimization, and more. Once the foundation is solid, you’ll grow and lead your own team.
Ideal fit: 8+ years in marketing, with at least 3 in leadership roles at retail, e-commerce, or consumer goods companies. You know how to run the whole stack, analyze results, and drive revenue.
This is a role for a builder, someone ready to turn a blank slate into a marketing machine.
💵 $3,500 - $4,500 USD
📍LatAm Remote
2. Social Media Manager
This team is building the next generation of toys, content, and kids’ entertainment, and they need someone who can make it all shine online.
They’re looking for a creative Social Media Manager to run the show across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and beyond. You’ll own strategy, storytelling, and short-form video creation for bold original IPs and big licensed brands.
This isn’t just posting and praying. You’ll craft social-first content, run paid campaigns, spot trends before they break, and work side-by-side with marketing, creative, and licensing teams to build campaigns that actually connect with kids and families.
Ideal for: Someone who knows how to script, shoot, and edit killer short-form videos, lives and breathes pop culture, and can back up their creative instincts with data. Bonus points if you’ve worked with kids’ brands, toys, or entertainment IPs.
💵 $2,500 - $3,000 USD
📍Mexico City
3. Junior Fullstack Engineer
One of the fastest-growing AI startups we’ve seen is on a mission to help women turn hormonal health into a source of power instead of a struggle.
They’re looking for a Junior Fullstack Engineer who’s hungry to learn fast, ship real features, and grow under strong mentorship. You’ll be building new functionality alongside senior devs and designers, working across the full stack in Ruby on Rails, JavaScript, Tailwind, Hotwire, and ideally bringing some Swift UI chops for mobile.
This is B2C work with real users and meaningful problems to solve.
Perfect for someone early in their career who’s curious, collaborative, and excited about product. Bonus if you’re the kind of dev who loves reverse-engineering apps just to see how they tick.
💵$2,000 - $2,500 USD
📍LatAm Remote
That’s it for this week.
Thanks for being here.
If any of this resonated or sparked an idea, hit reply and tell me about it.
And if you’d share this with someone else, I’d appreciate it.
One human to another.
Until next time,
Joseph Burns
CEO & Founder, Lupa