EP03 | How to Kill a Company and Keep the Brand Alive

Joanne Fabrics went bankrupt. Forever 21 collapsed again. Walgreens just sold for billions. But the brands? Still alive and kicking. At [01:15], Jason and Kevin break down why profitable companies fail and how private equity pulls it off [03:50]. By [05:45], they explain how today’s retail brands survive without stores—or employees. At [12:00], they dive into why bankruptcy courts keep approving fantasy projections. Then it gets weird: at [20:00], they explore a Mars colony run by a corporate board, and [22:45] ask if corporations are replacing governments. Things wrap with White Lotus guilt spirals [27:30], Miami pickleball feuds [35:00], and a reminder that retail might be fiction—but the consequences are real.