About
Every business has its popcorn.
Popcorn Economics finds where the companies you deal with every day really make their money, and ends every story with one money lesson for your own life.
Why "popcorn"?
A movie theater looks like it's in the ticket business. But a big share of every ticket goes back to the studio that made the film. The theater makes its money at the concession stand, on popcorn that costs very little to make and sells for a lot.
Every business has a story like that: the thing you think it sells, and the thing that actually pays the bills. Each story here goes looking for the popcorn.
Who makes it
I'm Ash Anderson. I'm a maker who works in technology, and I've always been obsessed with the world of business. I love quirky facts and knowing the inner workings of the companies we interact with every day, so I started Popcorn Economics to share those stories.
How the stories are made
- Primary sources only. Numbers come from annual reports, SEC filings, company releases and official data, not memory or someone else's blog post.
- Every number is cited. Each story lists its sources, and every figure links to the one it came from.
- Checked before it's published. The research is checked against the filings, and where the first pass and the check disagree, the checked figure wins.
- One visual per story. The same visual shows up here (interactive), in the videos and in the email.
Where to find it
Short videos on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok as @PopcornEcon, every story on this site, and a free weekly email.
Get the stories in your inbox.
One story, one visual, one money lesson. Free.
Almost there!
Check your inbox and confirm your email to grab your seat.
Education and entertainment about how businesses work, not investment advice.