happy friday! (and yes, it's actually friday this time. growth.)

this week i've been obsessed with boring things that secretly run the world. like how your bank doesn't actually have your money. or how the best performing ugc is literally the same script 47 times with different opening lines.

unsexy? yes. profitable? also yes.

today we're diving into:

let's talk about the stuff that actually matters ↓

fun fact from my 2 years underwriting banks: your bank only keeps about 10% of deposits on hand.

the rest gets loaned out for mortgages, car loans… whatever pays the bank interest. it's called fractional reserve banking and it's not only completely legal, it’s the standard.

this works great until everyone wants their money at once (that’s called a bank run).

that's how silicon valley bank died in 48 hours (march 8-10, 2023). too many withdrawals, too many tweets sounding the alarm, not enough cash, panic spiral… rip.

here's what you actually need to know:
→ keep deposits under $250k per bank (fdic insurance limit)
→ spread large amounts across 2-3 banks if you're blessed like that
→ choose boring banks over trendy fintech ones
→ check your bank's health on fdic.gov (tier 1 capital ratio above 10% = good…but svb’s was 15%. so it’s not everything!)
→ stop keeping more than 6 months expenses in checking (it's earning nothing)

the entire system runs on trust. when trust breaks, banks break.

but if you understand the game, you can play it better.

most people will never lose a dollar to bank failure thanks to fdic insurance.

but knowing your money isn't actually sitting in a vault somewhere is a type of financial literacy that changes how you think about everything.

tldr; stay boring with your banking. boring works for a reason.

i’ve worked for tens of dozens of brands this year and i keep noticing something: the highest converting content is always the laziest. not lazy like low-effort — lazy like "why reinvent when you can repeat?"

here's how modular content works:
→ one core script (the body stays identical)
→ test 5-10 different hooks
→ test 3-5 different ctas (calls to action)
→ film everything in one batch
→ let the data decide what gets ad spend behind it

example from a recent campaign i was watching:
→ hook 1: "stop buying skincare at sephora"
→ hook 2: "i'm a dermatologist and—"
→ hook 3: "this $12 serum beats my $200 one"
→ body: the exact same 20-second product demo
→ cta rotation: shop now vs. link in bio vs. "comment GLOW"

in this example, hook 3 version got 4x the conversions. same exact content, just a different first 3 seconds.

brands love this because they can iterate without reshooting. creators love it because we can batch film 20 versions in an hour.

and of course, the algorithm loves it because it gets fresh content that's proven to work.

boring? absolutely. effective? absolutely.

speaking of boring things that work...

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now back to your regularly scheduled reality checks...

trend: the black screen "zoom in to see who needs therapy" videos. using the iphone's glass reflection for callouts is unhinged behavior and i'm obsessed. saw one that said "zoom in to see who still hasn't moved their savings to high-yield" and felt personally attacked.

tool: notion ai for hook variations. feed it one good hook and ask for 10 versions. 70% will be trash, 20% will be usable, 10% will outperform your idea. it's literally just modular content creation but automated. a v boring use case for sexy tech but that's the whole theme today 🤠

quote: greg isenberg tweeted this whole thread about how we're in an AI gold rush and honestly i see it 🏆

my favorite part: "boomtown barons = indie hackers who automate boring ops and cash-flow." the first gold rush ran on shovels, this one runs on code. we're all just digital prospectors with notion templates instead of pickaxes and i’m here for it 🪓

totally random: desperately want to read kamala's "107 days" but books are $35 now?? when did that happen?? guess i'm finally getting a library card like a responsible adult.

we do referral rewards because community growth > paid ads:
→ 3 referrals = notion template bundle (the ones that actually work)
→ 7 referrals = savvie stickers (for your emotional support water bottle)
→ 13 referrals = the savvie lavender hoodie

your unique referral link is right here! forward it to the group chat.

thanks for reading 💌

not everything needs to be innovative. sometimes the best strategy is the one everyone already knows but nobody wants to do because it's not instagram-worthy.

your timeline this week:

your bank is boring. index funds are boring. compound interest is boring… and yet they're all making money while the world chases the next shiny thing.

unsexy is strategic.

until next friday (manifesting punctuality),

callie 🤍

p.s. seriously go check your bank's tier 1 capital ratio. takes 2 minutes. fdic.gov → bank find → financial report. anything above 10% is solid.

p.p.s. reply with the most boring thing that's actually working in your life. mine's eating the frozen butter chicken dinner from trader joes 3x a week.

forward to someone who needs permission to be boring and profitable.
follow @withsavvie + @teague.media for more “this shouldn’t work, but it does” content.
reply with your bank’s tier 1 capital ratio. kidding… (but did you check it?)