🧊 A really cool business idea

Q: Gas Index tracks gas prices at 170k+ stations using AI agent Bobby that calls stations directly, wit

Gas Index tracks gas prices at 170k+ stations using AI agent Bobby that calls stations directly, with one in 700 calls involving profanity from cashiers.

Q: University of Ottawa study found negative emojis hurt workplace competence perceptions while positiv

University of Ottawa study found negative emojis hurt workplace competence perceptions while positive emojis only help with positive messages, not negative ones.

Q: Masters Tournament drove record private jet traffic with NetJets seeing 35%-40% increase and compani

Masters Tournament drove record private jet traffic with NetJets seeing 35%-40% increase and companies hosting luxury events to woo wealthy customers.

The Hustle·Monday, April 13, 2026·6 min read

Technology Business Culture

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AI Summary

The Hustle covers workplace emoji psychology research, a gas price tracking startup called Gas Index, and Masters Tournament private jet traffic. The newsletter also includes brief updates on Dippin' Dots grocery expansion, OpenAI's new Pro tier, and Meta's Instagram comment editing feature.

Key Facts

✓Gas Index tracks gas prices at 170k+ stations using AI agent Bobby that calls stations directly, with one in 700 calls involving profanity from cashiers.

✓University of Ottawa study found negative emojis hurt workplace competence perceptions while positive emojis only help with positive messages, not negative ones.

✓Masters Tournament drove record private jet traffic with NetJets seeing 35%-40% increase and companies hosting luxury events to woo wealthy customers.

Contrarian Angle

AI-Powered Gas Price Tracking via Phone Calls

Gas Index uses AI agent Bobby to call 170k+ gas stations directly for price updates instead of relying solely on digital APIs

Using old-school phone calls instead of modern digital APIs for data collection

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