Info Diet gives a glimpse into the handpicked feeds and media routines of the people building what comes next. In each edition, one builder spends two days logging every piece of content they take in to keep ahead of the curve. This time: Michelle Kennedy, founder and CEO of Peanut, an online community connecting women across every stage of womanhood. Michelle is based in London, where she started Peanut five years ago.
SUNDAY, May 29
6 a.m.: My morning alarm is my french bulldog, Matilda, who always wakes me at about this hour. Mornings in my house are normally frantic because I’m getting my two young children ready for school, but since it’s Sunday we get a brief lie-in before the kids’ football practice later in the morning. I head downstairs to let Matilda out and listen to an episode of The Daily about the baby formula shortage while I stop by the neighborhood deli for croissants. It’s been a moving subject on Peanut recently; I’ve been paying close attention to the in-app Pods sessions (our live audio chats) where women have been supporting one another in finding formula during the shortage. To me, that is what Peanut stands for — women backing women when they most need it.
7 a.m.: The children come down for breakfast and talk about the day ahead. While they eat, I take the chance to go online and catch up on what’s happening around the world. It’s a holiday weekend in the U.S., so many of my usual newsletters are off for the weekend. Instead, I go to Twitter and see people posting about #MenstrualHygieneDay, which was Saturday, May 28th. That sends me to a UN infographic, where I read the newest statistics and stigma around the subject. It makes me think about what Peanut could do in the future to help reduce menstrual stigma worldwide even more. The tweets also bring to mind a viral TikTok I watched in which men try a period cramp simulator. I show it to my husband.
3 p.m.: My daughter is at a birthday party and my son is doing homework, so I use this stretch of the afternoon for some self-care. I sit outside and listen to an episode of The Tim Ferriss Show with Morgan Fallon, who directed (and shot and produced) Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. The conversation focuses on Fallon’s path, especially his work with Bourdain. In all of Anthony Bourdain’s projects, you feel completely inside the culture of wherever he is filming. It makes me want to watch the series again. (Maybe for my evening wind-down tonight …) My thoughts shift to the meetings I have lined up for tomorrow, and I quickly check my calendar. We have a call about supporting creators on Peanut, so I turn to some of my favorite creators to see how they use other platforms. Right now, I’m especially enjoying artist @jooleeloren for her relatable drawings and @mandanadayani, cofounder of I Am a Voter, for guiding important conversations about issues that matter to women.
9:30 p.m.: Bedtime for the little ones. I’ve been using Calm on my phone for their bedtime stories and they love it. I choose their favorite sleep story, “Expedition to Antarctica.” It helps calm them and settle them down for the night. (Sometimes it even puts me to sleep too.)
And now for my perfect Sunday night: I’m in bed with a cup of tea, watching Anatomy of a Scandal on Netflix. After two episodes, I turn it off. I’m set for the week ahead and asleep by 11:30.
MONDAY, May 30
6 a.m.: Matilda is the alarm again. I look at my phone and see that it’s Memorial Day in the U.S., which means newsletters are moving slowly once more. Most days, I read two daily Fortune newsletters, The Broadsheet (about powerful women) and Term Sheet (about deals, exits, and other venture news). More recently, I’ve also been enjoying Kaya Yurieff’s Creator Economy newsletter from The Information. We recently introduced “Peanut Pro,” a way to link our community with creators and experts such as therapists, doulas, and sleep consultants. It’s our first step into a creator economy model, and it’s been exciting to watch it take shape. This morning, I lean on U.K.-based newsletters and read Best of Times, The Times’ daily newsletter for top stories. Then I do a fast scan of the WSJ homepage to catch the newest headlines there too.
9 a.m.: The kids are in school and I’m at the Peanut offices in London, catching up on emails. The team is discussing an AdAge article called “How Advertisers Can Change Outdated Motherhood Narratives.” Different kinds of motherhood are a major theme at Peanut. The takeaway from our Slack conversation: brands and consumers alike are tired of a one-size-fits-all idea of what motherhood looks like today and, honestly, most of the ads we see are offensive.
2 p.m.: I’ve been tracking the funding landscape news over the last few weeks. I read the latest reporting on the topic from CNBC. Even with so many pieces telling startups to brace for the worst, I still feel hopeful about what’s ahead. I was sent a useful deck from Sequoia on how companies can prepare for the period ahead. I’m in a lot of meetings today, so I don’t have much time to go over the deck with my team, but I make sure to share it on Slack so everyone can review it when they have a chance. Together, it matters that we understand what’s happening in venture capital and how we can position ourselves for stability.
6 p.m.: Time to go home. On my commute, I listen to an episode of the podcast Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman. It’s about Ukraine’s Victoria Yampolsky, an entrepreneur and startup mentor, and the benefit concert she put together with no background in entertainment or events. It covers her approach to fundraising and getting talent on board, and how she negotiated a streaming deal. I’m motivated by her determination and grit.
9 p.m.: With the children fed and asleep, I have a few minutes to check my email. U.S. newsletters arrive later in the day here, and I see WSJ’s Economy Week Ahead land in my inbox. It’s about hiring trends in the U.S., which is relevant to me as we consider growing the team. We’re a very global company, so staying connected to local changes in economies matters. I finish the quick read and begin to wind down myself.
10 p.m.: It was a full Monday. In London we have a three-day workweek coming up ahead of the Jubilee weekend, which means there’s less time to accomplish much. Another night, another sleep story on Calm. But this one is for me.
***
Get Michelle’s Info Diet
Read
- “End the Stigma. Period.” [UN Women] “Start-up Investors Are Warning of Dark Days Ahead as Boom Times Are ‘Unambiguously Over,”‘ by Jessica Bursztynsky [CNBC] “How Advertisers Can Change Outdated Motherhood Narratives,” by Stephanie Taylor [AdAge]
Listen
- “What Really Caused the Baby Formula Shortage” [The Daily/NYT] Interview with Morgan Fallon [The Tim Ferriss Show] “Expedition to Antarctica” [Calm] “A Global Benefit Concert for Ukraine, w/World Unite for Ukraine’s Victoria Yampolsky” [Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman]
Watch
- Period Cramp Simulator by @benztraphouse [TikTok]
Subscribe
- The Broadsheet [Fortune] Term Sheet [Fortune] The Creator Economy Newsletter, by Kaya Yurieff [The Information] Best of Times [The Times] Economy Week Ahead [WSJ]
Follow
- Instagram: @jooleeloren and @mandanadayani