Holiday Greetings from the Americano
Dear Readers,
Happy holidays! We hope you’re spending this time surrounded by joy and festivity, with your loved ones.
2025 has been a turbulent year. President Trump took office, and many of his policies have thrown the world into chaos, including America’s continued pressure on Venezuela. We also witnessed the escalation of war in the Middle East involving Israel and Iran before it subsided, as well as the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and tensions that persist in Asia, including in Nepal.
For many of us, what hit closest to home was the tough labor market for those entering the workforce, the constant fear of AI replacing our jobs, concerns about an AI bubble erasing equity market gains, inflation, and the rising cost of food—with record prices for eggs and orange juice. All of this is to say: the world has been turbulent.
Despite all of this, you still took time out of your day to read the Americano, and for that we are tremendously grateful. We thoroughly enjoyed reading feedback from so many of you (you know who you are). Your responses have been nothing but thoughtful, humorous, and at times, have provided the much-needed criticism that challenges our viewpoint and pushed us to explore new dimensions of the same issue or to discover topics we didn’t know existed altogether. Please continue to share your feedback and thoughts, and share any pieces you find relevant with your friends and colleagues.
To share a bit more about the Americano’s year-end wrap: We’ve had the chance to have conversations with many standout individuals in their respective fields, including Dr. Lindell, a computer vision scientist, and Mike Bird, the Finance and Economics editor at the Economist, as well as countless creators like Lilian Zhang and business owners like Sarah Abell and Alex Cronin.
The Americano’s most popular piece was “Do Women Hate Men Now,” which deeply reflected the state of division between young men and women and how impossible it feels to date anyone. The second most popular piece was “Breaking Down the $50 Jellycat: What You’re Actually Paying For,” as we can all deeply relate to the desire to collect more plushies.
As for 2026, the Americano will continue as usual but with a few changes. First, instead of sticking with the 5-times-a-week publication cycle, we’ll be trimming it to 3 pieces a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This change in our publication cycle will allow our team to focus on quality research and provide the depth and engagement you’re looking for.
Second, we’re looking forward to hearing from readers who’d like to share their experiences with the economy and address their concerns. This could include questions like “Should I switch jobs every two years?” or “Should I buy Bitcoin or gold?” We want to hear more from you.
Third, we’re also looking for guest submissions if you want to voice your concerns about particular economic issues or share insights from working in a particular industry. Many of our readers are prolific writers eager to have their voices heard, and we would love to read about it, so please send it in.
Looking ahead to 2026, we have many amazing stories planned. The first major piece we want to cover relates to housing and all of your questions regarding affordability, and the role of homeownership in shaping political and social viewpoints on issues like marriage. If you’re interested in or know someone who would like to participate or contribute to this story, please reply to this email.
In addition, we’re also planning to feature more guest interviews (if you have someone you think we should talk to, drop their name) and host events, including a book talk with Mike Bird about his recent release, The Land Trap, which extensively discusses the financialization of land.
Lastly, a special thank you for choosing to be a paid subscriber. Beyond the monetary contribution in supporting our work, your subscription is really a vote of confidence in our mission and the stories we want to tell.
Happy Holidays,
The Americano Team