Project Nande is a $5/month membership club that gives its members access to curated neighborhood guides spotlighting cool shit going on in Chicago. The guides are curated by an editorial team comprised of Chicagoans who got tired of SEO-driven listicles that felt phony compared to their daily experiences. Subscribers get access to hundreds of past guides, a new guide every week, first crack at physical guides (the one above was done as a partnership w/Intelligentsia Coffee) and a concierge-via-text service for those who like to procrastinate on making Friday night plans. An example of the concierge service in action:

Founder Andrew Tran stopped by the podcast to talk about how Project Nande came to life, what he feels is missing from nightlife coverage and who exactly is responding to those concierge texts. Really insightful stuff in this episode, even if you don’t live in Chicago.

YOUR HOMEWORK FOR THE WEEK:

• RSVP FOR OFFICE HOURS LIVE! Thursday, November 14th at the Hoxton Hotel Chicago’s new “Working From…” space in the West Loop. Free to attend but I need you to RSVP so we can get a headcount. My guests will be former Chicago Bear-turned Angel Investor Corey Mays and one of the funniest people on Twitter Larry Legend (of SmokedOutCouch fame). It’s going to be absolutely insane and I hope you can come!

Click here to RSVP!

• If you like behind-the-scenes business dealings, content, or want to figure out how we got to the current state of tentpole movies and sequels, sequels, sequels, this is a must-read: “In January of 1991, a very critical 28-page internal memo — written by the then-head of Disney's film studios, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and distributed to his fellow executives in an effort to refocus their approach — was leaked to the press, and instantly became talk of the industry. The recent release of the big-budget Dick Tracy movie had been a disappointment and, as a result, Katzenberg was desperate to recapture the magic of old and rid his studio of their extremely costly "blockbuster mentality." This fascinating, highly quotable memo was his mission statement. It’s subsequent circulation in Hollywood caused a huge stir.”

• You’ve read “What’s Left Of Conde Nast” already, right? If not, get on it ASAP.

• 

  Sooooooo I was walking outside yesterday and came across this random porterhouse steak just laying on the sidewalk. If you can figure out why it was there or have conspiracy theories, please e-mail me!!!

  TUNES:

  The Source’s All-Time 5 Mic List

  

  Eight years ago, I made a Spotify playlist of every album that got 5 mics in the iconic hip-hop magazine The Source. Over the last month, I’ve gotten a surge of people subscribing to it. I don’t know what forum found it or whatever, but I’m happy they did!

  PRO TIP: If you don’t know anything about rap music, you can honestly listen to this playlist and you’ll be better off than 95% of the population once you’re done. 

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Office Hours is written by Ernest Wilkins. Follow me everywhere @ErnestWilkins or email me here.