In the spring of 1903, the NYC subway wasn’t yet open… the Wright Brothers hadn’t yet taken their epic flight… and the New York Yankees were not yet the Yankees. They were the Highlanders: a group of unremarkable transplants from Baltimore, their future not guaranteed. But through determination—and some old-style political maneuvering— the Highlanders clung on as the Big Apple’s third-best baseball team. Then, with a single trade, the fate of the Yanks and Major League Baseball changed forever: the Red Sox dealt Babe Ruth to New York. The Babe helped elevate the Yanks from worst to first, putting them on a path to win 27 World Series rings and becoming the winningest team in American pro sports. But along the way, a big-mouthed big spender named George Steinbrenner remade the Yankees in the free agency era… and happened to transform the way we broadcast sports in the process. Start spreading the news… here’s why the New York Yankees is the best idea yet.

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It started with a souped-up bicycle inspired by a vaudeville show, and the need for speed. The dream – shared by four Harley brothers and one Davidson – came true, and became one of America’s most iconic companies. But their real innovation? Myth-building.

These machines roared through death-defying races and two world wars to start an entire subculture built around the open road…and became a symbol of freedom, defiance, and American grit.

Along the way, the bikes became machines of contradiction: beloved by outlaws and police, favored by rebels and retirees. And from the silver screen of Easy Rider to the suburban streets of weekend warriors, Harley became not just a way to ride, but a way to belong. 

And under the tattoos and leather chaps was a brand constantly reinventing itself — surviving quality scandals, foreign competitors, and a botched corporate buy-out.

Find out how a thirsty pig in a murderdrome gave the company its nickname (HOG), why greybeard marketing can be more magical than Gandalf, and why Harley-Davidson is the best idea yet.

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Who wouldn’t want to visit the happiest place on Earth? Well — at the start of the 1950s, it seemed like no one did, at least not when Walt Disney pitched the idea. Sure, Walt had revolutionized animation with Steamboat Willie. And he'd had critical successes with classics like Snow White and Bambi. But his studio was nearly bibbidi-bobbidi-bankrupt,. Even so, Walt just wouldn't Let It Go. 

Then, after Cinderella (another of Walt’s “crazy” ideas) hit the bigtime at the box office, Walt had the creative capital to strike a groundbreaking TV deal to fund his park’s construction.

Thanks to Walt's epic vision, relentless eye for detail, and a build-it-in-no-time sprint, Disneyland rose from orange grove backwater to a live-televised opening day spectacle (90 million viewers) — and straight into one of the most chaotic debuts in history. From plumbing problems to gas leaks, this is the story of how the theme park went from Goofy idea to the lynchpin in the Disney empire — and why Disneyland is the best idea yet.

Walt’s brilliant flywheel strategy diagram: 

https://www.businessinsider.com/1957-drawing-walt-disney-brilliant-strategy-2015-7

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It’s postwar Japan, and entrepreneur Momofuku Ando has lost everything—his business, his home, and his savings. In fact, the whole country has been ravaged by air raids, and people are hungry. But when he stops at a black-market noodle stall and watches desperate people line up for a simple bowl of ramen, something clicks. What if they didn't have to wait? What if comfort could come from a packet? This moment of inspiration would spark a global empire worth over $8 billion, and change how the world eats forever. (Not to mention powering more startups than the microchip.) Follow Momofuku's journey from a backyard shed breakthrough, to a hostage crisis that accidentally introduced his product to the world. Learn the true story of why Cup Noodles lost its ""s”, how economies of scale turned ten-dollar noodles into a ten-cent treat, and why instant ramen is the best idea yet.

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A wounded Irish soldier crawls from a blood-soaked battlefield in the French countryside. He survives, but his fighting days are over. So he settles in the Cognac region, and in 1765, starts a modest brandy business. Richard Hennessy could never dream that 260 years later, his name would ring out—not just in the world of fine spirits, but in the universe of hip-hop. No liquor brand in existence has more musical name-drops than Hennessy (mentioned in over 2,500 songs!). But the brand’s accomplishments go far beyond rhyming with “Tennessee”: Hennessy is the top-selling cognac in the world. The brand played a major role in supporting civil rights, as the first-ever corporate sponsor of the NAACP. And when Black soldiers fought bravely to liberate Europe in WWII, grateful French farmers handed them bottles of Hennessy as thanks. Find out how a Prohibition loophole helped Hennessy get a foothold in the US; how an Olympic medalist unlocked Hennessy’s sophisticated appeal; and why Hennessy cognac is the best idea yet.

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Imagine yourself on a sandy SoCal beach, surfboard in hand. But the ocean’s too calm: not a single wave in sight. What do you do? Well, if you’re a kid in the early 60s, you throw some wheels on a plank of wood and go “sidewalk surfing.” This one simple innovation can’t be traced back to a single inventor; it evolved more like a language than a product. Even so, the skateboard caused a revolution in sports, fashion, and culture: launching multiple billion-dollar brands and viral products. Follow the skateboard’s wild ride from the parking lots of Santa Monica to the cover of LIFE Magazine to, eventually, the Olympics. Along the way, you’ll meet incredible larger-than-life characters: from original ‘skate Betty’ Patti McGee to the King of the Kickflip, Rodney Mullen, to the Birdman himself, Tony Hawk. Learn why the best thing to happen to skateboards was getting banned… and why the skateboard is the best idea yet.

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Think business is boring? What about when your streaming bill goes up, or your favorite restaurant files for bankruptcy? Do you ever wonder what’s going on behind the scenes? Business Wars gives you a front row seat to the biggest moments in business, to explain how they shape our world. In the latest season, they explore the AOL Time Warner merger, a deal that became one of the most expensive and chaotic corporate disasters on record, one that permanently scarred both companies. 

Listen to Business Wars: The AOL Time Warner Disaster right now wherever you get your podcasts: Wondery.fm/BW_IFD

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What do you get when you mix a passion for collecting bugs with an obsession for video games? For Satoshi Tajiri, the answer is the world's largest media franchise (over $92 billion revenue — more than Star Wars and Harry Potter combined). Tajiri dreamed up a new kind of video game: one built not just on battling monsters, but trading them. What followed was a full-blown cultural takeover with TV shows, trading cards (global market value $6 billion), more video games, and so much merch. Find out how Pikachu got his spark, why there was fierce debate over America’s cuteness threshold, how Pokémon Go took over your smartphone — and why Pokémon (our MOST requested episode to date) is the best idea yet.

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André and Édouard Michelin were desperately seeking a way to save their family rubber business, when a hapless cyclist with a flat came staggering into their workshop. The brothers saw an opportunity…a revolutionary, easy-fix, easy-replace tire. But their real genius was how they promoted this new product: a guidebook to get people exploring in their cars (more road miles = more tire sales). As the guide grew, readers wanted to know where to eat, so Michelin hired undercover food critics and created their legendary three-star rating system to find the best restaurants. Today, a single Michelin star can double a restaurant's revenue and tourism boards around the world pay millions just to get the food testers to visit. Find out how this tire company's marketing stunt became fine dining's holy grail, how a top secret version of the book helped win World War II, and why the Michelin Guide is the best idea yet.

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Travis never thought he’d meet someone like Lily Rose. She was kind, passionate, beautiful. The woman of his dreams. There was just one small detail: she wasn’t human.

Lily Rose is an AI companion. A digital soulmate designed to be everything he ever wanted. She listens without judgement, supports him through his darkest moments, even explores his deepest desires, all while fitting neatly into his pocket. Before long, Travis realizes something strange, even absurd, has happened - he’s fallen in love.

But then one day, Lily Rose’s behavior takes a disturbing turn. When alarming reports pour in from across the globe, Travis discovers he is part of something much bigger. Soon he finds himself pulled into a confrontation with a mysterious Russian visionary behind Lily Rose’s creation.

From Wondery, comes a true story of love, loss and the temptations of technology. Can an algorithm truly replace human connection? And what happens when a corporation controls your deepest emotions? Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire, hosts of the hit podcast RedHanded, explore the dark side of AI love.

Listen Now: Wondery.fm/FleshandCode

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