Google's $670B Search Bar Is Officially Dead

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]First, Google deleted their search bar because ad growth has doubled without it. Then, how was Empic Viagra and every drug name is a hidden riddle in plain sight. And rent prices just hit reverse.

[00:00:11]One text to your landlord and yours might too. This is Nick. This is Jack.

[00:00:16]Welcome back. It is Tuesday, May 26th, and today's pod is the best one yet.

[00:00:21]This is a tea boy. The top three pop business news stories you need to know today. Get ready, baby. Our live show in LA is next week. And yeah, we know it's sold out. But later this week, actually tomorrow. Tomorrow, we are announcing our next live shows for the second half of the year. On Wednesday, the three cities we're coming to next live.

[00:00:39]>> Here's a hint. It's just outside. Wait a second. We'll wait till tomorrow.

[00:00:44]>> The T- Boy IPO tour, the in-person offering. But Jack, let's hit our three stories for our first story. Buried among the SpaceX Open AAI and Meta News last week was Google's biggest product event of the year. Nick, it was Google's biggest product event ever.

[00:01:03]>> Fair point.

[00:01:04]>> Because they announced that they're killing the Google search bar.

[00:01:09]>> Ah, yetis. Cocktail bars, piano bars, scarf bars, oxygen bars, protein bars, barbells, bar class. And Nick, when a lawyer wants to become a lawyer for real, what does he have to do? approach the bar? No, no, no. They approach the stand. They have to pass the bar. Trick question. But besties, in 1997, Google launched the first ever search bar. And today, every Google product has a search bar right at the top of the screen. The search bar, it's Google's thumbrint.

[00:01:39]It's on YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, Android. And oh, has that search bar been lucrative. Search bars have generated $670 billion of profits for Google since their 2004 IPO. By Jackson my math, it is the internet's biggest profit puppy. That's why Google has been reluctant to mess with the search bar.

[00:01:58]True, but AI is forcing them to do so.

[00:02:02]One year ago, Google launched AI mode, an option to stop searching and begin asking their chatbot instead. But last week, they announced they're going three steps further with what they call the biggest change to search in 25 years.

[00:02:15]Here's the deal. Google.com is now a chatbot. Today, if you're using Google search, you just type in keywords if you want a gap sweater. And you can keep doing that if you want, or you can type instead, Oscar Isaac looks jacked in the beef on Netflix. I want to look like he does in the picture that I just attached. What sweater should I get? For 29 years, besties, that Google search white rectangle accepted only a few words at a time. It was limited. But now, just like with a chatbot, you can drop in full paragraphs, images, files, attach videos, drop Chrome tabs in there to give it context. You can do the whole thing. All we're saying is Google search just got an AI glam up. A total body makeover, baby. Might as well call it Google GPT or Glaude.

[00:02:59]My besties Jack and I got curious.

[00:03:02]Here's what we find fascinating, Jack.

[00:03:04]What about the innovator's dilemma? The innovator's dilemma. When you have a successful product that could get disrupted, but you don't want to disrupt it because it's a successful product.

[00:03:14]Basically, you got to cut off your leg in order to finish the marathon kind of a thing. Google's worry was that AI would eat Google's search advertising revenue. And why were they worried about that, Jack? Because Google gets paid when you search for GAP sweater and then Abberrombie and Fitch paid for an ad that comes up above Google sweaters. But Google does not get paid when you ask their AI for general fashion advice like what Oscar Isaac wears on the TV show Beef. That was the innovators dilemma concern that kept Google a little timid when it came to AI roll out the last couple years. But pause the pod cuz when you look at the numbers, Google doesn't even think there's a dilemma anymore.

[00:03:50]And we don't think there is either. The reality that Google's realized is that Google monetizes attention, not just search specifically. And the data and receipts show it that AI chat bots are eating up more user attention than Google search ever even fathomemed.

[00:04:04]Google announced last week that 1 billion people are now using AI mode monthly and the number of queries they're pushing enter on grew by 7x in the last year. Boom besties. That's the proof that people left Google search to use AI Google last year instead. And yet, despite people leaving search to use the chatbot instead, Google nearly doubled their advertising revenue growth to 22% last year. Add it all up and Google search bar has known more about you in the last 29 years than any other person does. But now that the search bar is also an AI chatbot built in one, it's going to know even more about you. It's going to know more about you than you know about you.

[00:04:43]>> I don't know about that.

[00:04:44]>> You see, the chatbot already knew you didn't know about that, Jack. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Google?

[00:04:51]>> The early adopters found AI, but Google is delivering AI to everyone's doorstep.

[00:04:57]Yeties, for 3 years, getting AI required a deliberate, proactive choice to go out and look for it. The curious downloaded chat, the corporate tried Claude, and the rowdy used Grock, the early adopters. But these updates from Google made it that you don't have to choose at all. There is no trial friction. If AI is in the search bar, it's going to come to the masses now. Because get this, Google has 13 products with over 1 billion monthly active users. Sit down, stand up, and search again. They announced last week they have five products with 3 billion monthly active users. And now Google intelligent search box will be in all of them, not asking anyone to change their behavior, just do the same thing, but now with AI. This roll out by Google could be the moment that AI is no longer just a product. It becomes the internet that everyone uses by default. besties, the early adopters, they had to go out and find AI like hunter gatherers. But Google is now delivering it to 3 billion people's screens with one update.

[00:05:54]For our second story, Ompic Xanax, Viagra, there's a rhyme and a reason to how pharmaceuticals get their crazy names. Naming drugs is wildly more interesting than you realize. And there's a takeaway in this story for you. But Jack, let's go back to our favorite literature. Shakespeare once famously asked, "What's in a name for drugs? There's a lot."

[00:06:16]>> Yeah, it's actually a loaded question.

[00:06:18]Flowmax, Otesla, Monaro. That's right.

[00:06:21]Over the weekend, Jack and I enjoyed an episode of 99% Invisible. And here was the topic. Every drug that sounds like its name is completely random is actually delivering a very intentional subliminal message. This fascinated us cuz it's a new development in our namestorming curiosity. Namestorming.

[00:06:38]when you brainstorm for names. But this is the most complex and lucrative naming process of any industry.

[00:06:44]Pharmaceuticals.

[00:06:45]>> For pharmaceuticals, it's poetic. And there's one company, the brand institute, that helps name more than 75% of new drugs.

[00:06:52]>> So, here's the secret recipe to creating a drug like thitast. And yes, Nick and I did make up Thitastrol. It's our filling.

[00:06:59]>> We basically use this formula. So Jack, the strategy here is you must state the purpose of the drug in one sentence and then turn that sentence into one simple, memorable, subliminal word. For instance, let's look at some popular sleep drugs like Lunesta. Well, Luna is Italian for moon and siesta is Spanish for sleep. So Lunesta is moon sleep.

[00:07:18]Jack, how about another sleeping drug, ambient? AM is Latin for morning and bien is French for good. So that drug really means good morning. Okay, let's do letise. Now, let was originally designed to be a glycom eye disease medicine. But they realized that a side effect was that it made your lashes longer. So, they pivoted to cosmetics, which became the real profit puppy, and they renamed the business as Latise Lashes and Matise, a famous painter. Let your eyelashes are becoming a work of art. All right, Nick, let's turn to the 200 lb gorilla that used to be 300 lb, the weight loss drug. You see, for GLP1s, they didn't choose names that evoke cutting weight, losing pounds, or thinness. Instead, they chose names that evoke accomplishment, achievement, and athleticism. So, Jack, where does the name Ompic actually come from? I never thought of this until now, but doesn't ompic sound kind of like Olympic? It just swapped the L for a Z? That's exactly what Novo Nordisk did. Or Jack, what about the weight loss drug Mjaro?

[00:08:18]Well, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, that's the tallest mountain in Africa, right Nick? Yes, it is, Jack. Be quite an accomplishment if you did it right Nick.

[00:08:25]>> Yes it would Jack. So they shortened Mount Kilimanjaro to Mangaro. And Jack what about we goi? We've mentioned them before on the pod too and it was epic competitor. Wait did you just say we go and then add a V at the end. We go to victory which is exactly what the drug manufacturers thought. So all of this I don't know science. Can I call it science? Let's roll with science and branding. It makes what Weight Watchers called themselves look lazy. Weight Watchers. It's too on the nose. But we're saving the best example for last.

[00:08:53]Viagra. Ah, Viagra. Originally, a drug for prostate issues that made it hard to pee. So, they wanted to create a drug to increase the flow. So, they chose a name to evoke the ultimate water flow in the world. Nick, what's an adjective that would indicate good flow? Maybe. How about vigorous? Okay. What's an image to show good flow? Maybe a waterfall like Niagara Falls. Vigorous. Yes. Niagara.

[00:09:18]I'm following you. Viagra. Viagra. Boom.

[00:09:22]Besties. If that sounds fun to you, then you got to apply for that job at that one company, The Brand Institute.

[00:09:27]Viagra. It's a hilarious accidental drug, but its name was very intentional.

[00:09:32]And then pause the pod and ask your doctor about our takeaway. And if this podcast lasts longer than 20 minutes, call your doctor. So, Jack, what's the takeaway? And all the side effects for our buddies in pharmaceutical namestorming. Constraints create creativity.

[00:09:46]Eddies, creating a new drug name, it requires checking a whole lot of boxes.

[00:09:50]The drug's name must comply with regulations, which are pretty strict. It must be pronouncable. It must be memorable, and it only can use the 26 letters in our alphabet. So, what fascinated us is how the drug makers think about these constraints. Like, they notice that all the vowel letters, A, E, I, O, U, they all kind of look the same shape. That's a limitation. And they want their drug to stand out visually. So, a lot of times they use the letter Y as their preferred vowel because it breaks the plane compared to the other vowels. So, that's how the drug looks. But the drug makers also like to weave in letters like X and Z so they audibly stand out when you hear them in a TV ad, which we subliminally did when we made up the fake drugast.

[00:10:30]Thastasol. Add it all up, besties. And the strategy behind naming OMIC, it reveals so much for every industry, especially how the more constraints that you have, the more creative you will become. This podcast has not been approved by the FDA. Do not consume this podcast if operating heavy construction equipment that requires extra hot construction equipment.

[00:10:47]>> Now, a quick word from our sponsor.

[00:10:53]For our third and final story, we may have a deflation celebration opportunity for half of America. Rents are shockingly down, and we'll tell you why.

[00:11:03]And your rent could go down, too. But only if you ask right now. Oh, Jack, what's that funny thing we always talk about Americans? Like, no one else seems to do this. We're obsessed with zexing and we browse real estate listings even if we're not looking for a new place to live. I mean, over the weekend, Molly sent me three ZX messages of places to buy in Santa Barbara, even though we have no intention of moving to Santa Barbara.

[00:11:25]>> If you're a renter, you might notice though that similar apartments to yours on Zillow are offering lower rents right now. But you don't have to move to reduce your rent. You could simply renegotiate with your landlord. Business Insider profiled a dude in Washington DC last week who texted his landlord, "What do you think a fair price for my rent is?" And then he also texted some links to some nearby units renting out for hundreds of dollars less. The landlord was like, "I think your current rent is fair." But then the renter said, "How about a few hundred off? Look at these links." And boom, Jack, he got it. Went from 3,650 bucks a month to 3,375 bucks a month. That's a savings of over $3,000 a year. The landlord must have taken his threat that he might go to one of those places credibly.

[00:12:09]>> So, what's going on? It's an inflation situation. Prices popping on everything.

[00:12:13]But Jack, could this work for you?

[00:12:15]Because the national median apartment rent is down 1.7% compared to last year and down 5% from the peak rent insanity of 2022. Surprise, besties. Hot rents are getting cooled down right now like you left the AC on. But this story about lowering rents, it's not just about prices. It's also about rising perks because landlords are offering one month free free parking, no cost Wi-Fi, toss in gym memberships in there these days.

[00:12:42]Landlords don't want to publicly cut their price. That's something they just hate to do. They would rather offer you perks and continue having the appearance of high prices. And according to apartments.com, 41% of multif family renters are getting concessions just like that.

[00:12:59]>> What we're saying yetis is wake up if you're a renter. Yeah, >> Santa Claus has come to your lease agreement. Lower rents and more concessions are being offered right now.

[00:13:09]But why? Why do renters have leverage compared to landlords for like the first time ever? It's kind of a whiplash effect like we told you in our whiskey story a couple weeks ago. During the pandemic, the housing market was on fire. High prices caused a COVID construction boom as developers wanted to get in on this hot market. Back in 2022, construction began on nearly 1 million apartments nationwide. But it takes 2 to 3 years to finish construction. So in 2024, 600,000 of those units hit the market. And in 2025, 500,000 of those units hit the market.

[00:13:41]Those are the highest numbers of new apartments hitting the real estate market in America in decades. And that supply is messing with the prices. It's messing with them in a good way. If you're a renter, it's dropping the prices. But as we said last year, it's a case of two countries that we live in when it comes to housing. Because do you live in a construction state or do you live in an obstruction state? The vast majority of new units is being built in the west and southeast of the United States.

[00:14:05]>> That's right. Rents in the northeast and midwest, they're still rising a bit because of hurdles to home building. So in the southwest and west, that new supply is opening its doors with a welcome mat and bringing rents overall down. Especially in Austin, Nashville, and Phoenix, you're seeing the prices drop like the price is right. If there's a bunch of new glass towers in your city, those are new units. And there's a good chance you can ask for lower rent right now. I mean, even if you live in the seapport of Boston, have you seen that place, Jack? Or San Francisco.

[00:14:33]We've got a trick we think you can try.

[00:14:35]And right now, it has a better chance than ever of actually working. It's like a glass building with a soul cycle inside of a sweet green inside of a glass box that's only filled with BEu alums.

[00:14:45]>> Gale colored workers.

[00:14:46]>> Exactly. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies who want lower rent?

[00:14:50]Asking one question can save you thousands of dollars. Yeti's quick reminder here, but uh no obligation from that landlord to actually lower your rent. Landlords are the opposite of UNICEF. They don't want to keep you happy. They want to maximize their collection of rent money. But the last thing they want to do is for you to leave if not much demand is there to actually replace you because losing 1 month or 2 or 3 months of vacancy before they can find a new tenant, that is the most costly thing that a landlord really doesn't want to do. So, the first step to you saving money or making money in any negotiation is simply asking. Do your research. Figure out what the prices are in units that are comparable around you. Look if new buildings have openings and then approach your landlord. Like Jack, you had success asking that car salesman one more question when you were trading in that old car, right? The old Audi.

[00:15:37]>> I got a $4,000 higher offer on my tradein by asking one question. And you kind of did the same thing with your uh wireless bill the other day, too.

[00:15:44]>> Oh, yeah. I called Verizon and I asked them for a new iPhone, otherwise I'd switch to AT&T. They gave me two new iPhones. Jack, there's not a single hotel I check into where my first question isn't, is there a room upgrade available? Nick and I are strong with the force of renegotiations and negotiations, but it doesn't happen unless you ask. Yeah, but we don't use a lightsaber. We just ask one more question. The real estate data in this country is screaming that you should ask that question right now. So, send the text, do the DM, a nice mature email to your landlord. Keep it copacetic, be respectful, but don't undercut yourself.

[00:16:18]You've got some leverage right now. Now is the time to lower your rent, but only if you ask.

[00:16:25]Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us for T Boy Tuesday? Ompic and Munjaro subliminally deliver a message of athletic achievement, and most farmer drugs do too. That's right. Drug namestorming. It shows that constraints create creativity. For our second story, Google is disrupting their search bar, turning it into an AI chatbot for half the world. Early adopters had to go out and find AI, but Google's delivering it to the world's doorstep. And our third and final story, there's a deflation situation in rent prices, especially in the Southeast and West. Prices are going down. And your rent could come down, too, but your landlord won't offer unless you ask. But besties, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today. First, happy IPO Palooa party or a ring confidentially filed to go public. The wearable ring tech company will soon have a public stock.

[00:17:15]Second, Zuckerberg is Zucking again.

[00:17:17]This time he's targeting Reddit. So, Meta launched a new app last week. It's called the forum. It's a onetoone copy and paste knockoff of Reddit. Classic.

[00:17:25]Reddit sock fell on the risk that people might not be loyal to Reddit. Meta is going to start prompting Facebook users to use this instead and could eat some of Reddit's user base. And finally, David Bar. It's doubling down on insane protein again. Besties, remember last year the protein bar got publicity for launching codfish? Well, this year they're launching tinned codfish. It's an almost ridiculous gesture of the brand's commitment to protein.

[00:17:50]>> No, because tinned cooked fish is almost pure protein, but it works on the go like the protein bar does. I see where they're going with this. Now, time for the best fact yet. This one, a voicemail sent in by legendary yeti Morgan Schroeder from lovely Martha's Vineyard.

[00:18:04]Push and play just outside Boston.

[00:18:07]>> Hi, besties and yetis. This is Morgan, the fairy cheese mother, popping in to remind you that May is American cheese month. Small family farms are the backbone of American agriculture, and now more than ever, artisan cheese plays an important role in sustaining those farms. This American cheese month, you can show your support for these stewards of our agricultural land. I invite you to visit your nearest cheese shop and ask the cheese monger which Americanmade cheese is their current favorite. An easy and delicious way to support the economy.

[00:18:38]>> Speaking of negotiations, Jack, nothing better than going to the cheese monger, can I just try one more? I'm just gonna try that Montego over there.

[00:18:44]>> There's only two type of mongers in this country. Fear mongers and cheese mongers. H we're semi soft cheese guys, by the way. Full disclosure. Give us a good compe. And this pod's ready to roll, baby. Yetis, you look fantastic for T boy Tuesday. Jack, you are glowing in there in that quarter zip. I see what you're putting out there. I like what you're putting out there. Quarter zip is kind of like the basic bro look. I'm not too proud of it to be honest.

[00:19:06]>> It's ironic. I think you're doing something wrong. Let's just say that.

[00:19:10]Yet, stay tuned tomorrow though because we got big news on the second half of our IPO tour. The in-person offering.

[00:19:16]We're doing three shows just outside somewhere somewhere somewhere. Stay tuned. Tell your buddies and Jack and I.

[00:19:22]We'll see you man.

[00:19:26]This is Jack. I own stock of Reddit.