In today’s vernacular, “-maxxing” is a suffix for boosting a specific trait or feature. In the case of tokenmaxxing, that means spending as much as possible on AI compute to prove you’re “AI-ready” and able to burn through the most AI “tokens”. How quickly you blast through tokens has become a status symbol of sorts in Silicon Valley, but as transformative as tokenmaxxing looks for productivity, it comes at the irreplaceable cost of your attention.

-Devin Pike, Guest Editor 💜

Well, it’s your lucky day, because it’s once again time to get some free money for something bad a giant corporation did. Apparently, if you’ve used an android phone in the last 7 years, you may just be eligible. EW damn it, well there goes my shot at riches.

So, Google has reached a preliminary $135 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit called Taylor v. Google LLC, per CNET. The suit alleged that Google used Android users’ paid cellular data to transfer info to themselves without user permission. Now, because you may have had your data misused, you can sign up for payments on the official settlement website, right here. You’re so welcome x

Now, they do call me Mother Teresa reborn (no one has ever said that), so I’m here to help those in need. Are you… bald? Are you going bald? Let me direct you to this Subreddit. Which is full of wonderful support and encouragement in the face of potential insecurity.

NOW don’t get it twisted, I don’t think being bald is bad at all. I love you bald cuties (@nathanjames). But I know that it can be tough for men. Yes, there have been plenty of advances in hair restoration, and treatments have been proven to help some people avoid getting on a plane to Turkey. But it doesn’t work for everyone and it’s not always accessible either. Genetics, hormones and the economy will always have the last say, unfortunately.

What makes the r/bald subreddit so wholesome is its mission statement: “embrace bald and strive to make the world a more bald-friendly place.” And you know what? The world needs more of that.

And less of #ToddlerSkincare. Which is basically the opposite, and feeds off insecurities that have only just began to sprout in these precious and vulnerable minds.

What you’re about to see here is a series of videos of kids showing their skincare routines, some as old as TWO. Like damn, you just got skin. Wtf do you need to fix?

A Guardian investigation found 400 TikTok videos out of the 7,600 skincare-related posts analysed featured routines or advice presented by children believed to be under 13. At least 90 of these posts featured under-fives, including babies and toddlers.

The adults complicit in filming and posting these seriously need to be ashamed of themselves.

Ugh. That’s enough internet for me today.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

In Silicon Valley, a new cult has emerged: "Tokenmaxxing". Now follow along, because when I first read this my brain did a somersault and then a fart.

The premise, put simply, is this: use as much AI compute as humanly possible to prove you are "AI-ready". At companies like Meta and OpenAI, internal dashboards track which employees are burning the most tokens, turning massive cloud bills into badges of honour. Sick.

Context, for those of us not living in a terminal window: a "token" is essentially the atom of the AI world. It’s how models like ChatGPT "crunch" language. One token is roughly four characters, or about 0.75 of a word. When you ask an AI to write an email, it’s not thinking in sentences - it’s spending "tokens" to predict the next piece of a word (crazy, right?)

Historically, tokens were a technical cost to be managed. But in the hands of the Silicon Valley elite, they’ve been rebranded as a status symbol, or a way to quantify exactly how much "intelligence" you’re vibrating through your keyboard.

So now, of course, some startup founders are bragging that they spend more on OpenAI API calls than on human salaries. It’s being framed as a productivity revolution. But if you look closer, it’s actually a declaration of war… on your attention.

In the 2000s, performative productivity was about staying late so the boss saw your car in the lot. In the 2010s, it was the green "active" dot on Slack. In 2026, the new contender seems it may be the "token count".

Tokenmaxxing is essentially digital floor-sweeping. Engineers are deploying fleets of AI agents to write code, summarise meetings, and generate documentation at a scale that is physically impossible for a human to process. We’re officially in an era of "loud automating", where the goal isn't necessarily to solve the problem, but to prove you’ve harnessed enough magic sand to generate a billion words by lunch. It’s enough to make your head spin.

Here's the math that self-proclaimed Tokenmaxxers are ignoring: the cost of generating a token is trending toward zero. The cost of paying attention to that token is at an all-time high.

When we flood our internal systems with billions of AI-generated words, we aren't getting smarter. We’re creating "context rot”, building a world where there is infinitely more to read, but significantly less worth saying. We are dumping industrial-grade filler into our shared cognitive environment and calling it "efficiency".

It’s the information-age equivalent of carbon emissions - we're polluting our own focus.

The irony of this whole thing is that it mistakes volume for signal. If it takes an AI agent 10,000 tokens to explain a feature that a senior developer could have mapped out on a napkin in thirty seconds, who is actually more "AI-ready"?

The most valuable person in the room isn't the one with the highest API bill. It’s the one who can achieve the most with the fewest tokens. That’s the freaking tea right there.

It’s the person who preserves the attention of their teammates rather than drowning it in "AI-powered" summaries of summaries.

As readers of this newsletter know, attention is the only remaining scarcity. In an era of infinite, cheap tokens, the ultimate luxury is a clear thought.

If we want to survive the great token flood, we have to stop measuring success by how much compute we consume and start measuring it by how much clarity we create. We don't need more tokens. We need more signal.

The next time someone brags about their AI usage stats, ask yourself: Are they solving a problem, or are they just making the world noisier?

True AI mastery isn’t about brute-forcing your way to the top of a leaderboard. It’s about having the elegance to know when to hit "Enter", and when to keep the silence.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

Today's viral trend comes from the time Justin Bieber confronted paparazzi as he was leaving Soho House Malibu. In the clip he argues with the swarm following him, telling them:

"No, you don't get to ask me questions! Because I'm not your friend, we're not buddies!"

Creators are jumping onto this trend by pairing the clip's audio with scenarios where they felt caught off guard or put on the spot, highlighting it in a playful pushback way. It's all about channeling those moments when you're slightly fed up and setting boundaries, but in a relatable, funny way. Like when you're already in a bad mood and your teacher picks despite raising your hand, or when people start asking questions at the end of your presentation.  

Using the audio, turn the camera on yourself whilst mouthing the words and insert onscreen text sharing your "fed up" moment. 

A few ideas to get you started: 

-Fiona Badiana, Intern

😂Yap’s funniest home videos: Cat squared up
❤How wholesome: Good sportsmanship 
😊Soooo satisfying: These puppies are more relaxed than me
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: Easy sausage tray bake  

Hey Jono!

If your goal is viewership and growth, Reels are the most effective content format for that right now. Stories are great for building community with people who are already familiar with your brand. Static posts or carousels are a good way to go into topics more in depth. They're especially effective for educational content. But Reels are best for reach, sharing and engagement as video content allows you to grab attention and tell a story in a short timeframe. So if you're going to prioritise what content you create, I would put Reels first, then stories, and static posts last.

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

We get it. Creating content that does numbers is harder than it looks. But doing those big numbers is the fastest way to grow your brand. So if you’re tired of throwing sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks, you’re in luck. Because making our clients go viral is kinda what we do every single day.