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Decoder with Nilay Patel

English, Technology, 1 season, 765 episodes, 2 days, 17 hours, 42 minutes
About
Decoder is a show from The Verge about big ideas — and other problems. Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to a diverse cast of innovators and policymakers at the frontiers of business and technology to reveal how they’re navigating an ever-changing landscape, what keeps them up at night, and what it all means for our shared future.
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The Supreme Court ruling that could kill net neutrality

The Supreme Court has just taken on the entire idea of the US administrative state — and the Court is winning. Earlier this month, a conservative majority overturned a longstanding legal principle called Chevron deference. The implications are enormous for every possible kind of regulation — and net neutrality looks poised to be the first victim. Verge editor Sarah Jeong joins me to explain why. Links:  Supreme Court overrules Chevron, kneecapping federal regulators | The Verge What SCOTUS just did to broadband, the right to repair, the environment, and more | The Verge FCC votes to restore net neutrality | The Verge Reinstatement of net neutrality rules temporarily halted by appeals court | The Verge Clarence Thomas' 38 Vacations: The Other Billionaires Who Have Treated the Supreme Court Justice to Luxury Travel | ProPublica The Supreme Court's coming war with Joe Biden | Vox Transcript:  Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/25/202438 minutes, 9 seconds
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Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe says too many carmakers are copying Tesla

Today, I’m talking with Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe. RJ was on the show last September when we chatted at the Code Conference, but the past 10 months have seen a whirlwind of change throughout the car industry and at Rivian in particular. This year alone, the company unveiled five new models in its lineup and also just announced a $5 billion joint venture with Volkswagen. We got into all that and more.  If you’re a Decoder listener, you’ve heard me talk to a lot of car CEOs on the show, but it’s rare to talk to a car company founder, and RJ was game to talk about basically anything — even extremely minor feature requests I pulled from the forums. It’s a fun one. Links: Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe isn't scared of the Cybertruck | Decoder VW will invest up to $5 billion in Rivian as part of new EV joint venture | The Verge Rivian blazed a trail with its adventure EVs — can it stay on top? | The Verge Rivian R2 revealed: a $45,000 electric off-roader for the masses | The Verge Rivian surprises with R3 and R3X electric SUVs | The Verge Rivian puts its Georgia factory plans on pause | The Verge Rivian’s R1 vehicles are getting a gut overhaul | The Verge Rivian R1S review: king of the mountain | The Verge Rivian’s long, narrow road to profit | WSJ Tesla’s Share of U.S. Electric Car Market Falls Below 50% | NYT Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23965790 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/22/20241 hour, 3 minutes, 48 seconds
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What happened to the metaverse?

This week I’m talking to Matthew Ball, who was last on the show in 2022 to talk about his book “The Metaverse: How it Will Revolutionize Everything.” It’s 2024 and it’s safe to say that has not happened yet. But Matt’s still on the case — in fact he just released an almost complete update of the book, now with the much more sober title, “Building the Spatial Internet.” Matt and I talked a lot about where the previous metaverse hype cycle landed us, and what there is to learn from these boom and bust waves. We talked about the Apple Vision Pro quite a bit; if you read or watched my review when it came out, you’ll know I think the Vision Pro is almost an end point for one set of technologies. I wanted to know if Matt felt the same and what needs to happen to make all of this more mainstream and accessible. Links:  Fully revised and updated edition to the “The Metaverse” | W.W. Norton Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it’s not | The Verge Apple’s Vision Pro: five months later | Vergecast Is the metaverse going to suck? A conversation with Matthew Ball | Decoder Interviewing Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth on the Metaverse, VR/AR, AI | Matthew Ball Interviewing Epic CEO Tim Sweeney and author Neal Stephenson | Matthew Ball An Interview with Matthew Ball about Vision Pro and the state of gaming | Stratechery Tim Sweeney explains how the metaverse might actually work | The Verge Fortnite is winning the metaverse | The Verge Is the Metaverse Just Marketing? | NYT Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/18/202444 minutes, 17 seconds
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Biden’s top tech advisor on why AI safety is a “today problem”

Today, I’m talking with Arati Prabhakar, the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. That’s a cabinet-level position, where she works as the chief science and tech advisor to President Biden. Arati and her team of about 140 people at the OSTP are responsible for advising the president on not only big developments in science but also about major innovations in tech, much of which come from the private sector.  Her job involves guiding regulatory efforts, government investment, and setting priorities around big-picture projects like Biden’s cancer moonshot and combating climate change. More recently, Arati has been spending a lot of time talking about the future of AI and semiconductors, so I had the opportunity to dig into both of those topics with her as the generative AI boom continues and the results of the CHIPS Act become more visible.  One note before we start: I sat down with Arati last month, just a couple of days before the first presidential debate and its aftermath, which swallowed the entire news cycle. So you’re going to hear us talk a lot about President Biden’s agenda and the White House’s policy record on AI, among other topics. But you’re not going to hear anything about the president, his age, or the presidential campaign. Links:  Biden’s top science adviser resigns after acknowledging demeaning behavior | NYT Teen girls confront an epidemic of deepfake nudes in schools | NYT Senate committee passes three bills to safeguard elections from AI | The Verge The RIAA versus AI, explained | The Verge Lawyers say OpenAI could be in real trouble with Scarlett Johansson | The Verge Barack Obama on AI, free speech, and the future of the internet | Decoder Meet the Woman Who Showed President Biden ChatGPT | WIRED Biden releases AI executive order | The Verge Biden’s science adviser explains the new hard line on China | WashPo Where the CHIPS Act money has gone | The Verge Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23961278 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/15/20241 hour, 54 seconds
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Why The Atlantic signed a deal with OpenAI

Today I’m talking to Nicholas Thompson, the CEO of The Atlantic. I was really excited to talk to Nick. Like so many media CEOs, including Vox Media’s, he just signed a deal allowing OpenAI to use The Atlantic’s vast archives as training data, but he also has a rich background in tech. Before he was the CEO of The Atlantic, Nick was the editor-in-chief of Wired, where he set his sights on AI reporting well before anyone else. I was also really interested in asking Nick about the general sense that the AI companies are getting vastly more than they’re giving with these sorts of deals — yes, they’re paying some money, but I’ve heard from so many of you that the money might now be the point — that there’s something else going on here – that maybe allowing creativity to get commodified this way will come with a price tag so big money can never pay it back. If there is anyone who could get into it with me on that question, it’s Nick. Links:  Vox Media and The Atlantic sign content deals with OpenAI | The Verge Journalists “deeply troubled” by OpenAI’s content deals with Vox, The Atlantic | Ars Technica What the RIAA lawsuits mean for AI and copyright | The Verge Perplexity plagiarized our story about how Perplexity Is a bullshit machine | Wired How to stop Perplexity and save the web from bad AI | Platformer The text file that runs the internet | The Verge OpenAI, WSJ owner News Corp strike content deal valued at over $250 Million | WSJ The media bosses fighting back against AI — and the ones cutting deals — WashPo The New York Times spent $1 million so far in its OpenAI lawsuit | The Verge AI companies have all kinds of arguments against paying for copyrighted content | The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/11/202451 minutes, 28 seconds
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Canva CEO Melanie Perkins is happy to provide designers alternatives to Adobe

Canva got its start more than a decade ago as a different form of disruptive tech for creatives. It’s a web-based platform that makes design tools cheaper and accessible for individuals, schools, and businesses from tiny to enterprise. Melanie has big goals to grow the company — and try to do good in the process. Links:  Canva tackled digital design — and now the office suite is next | The Verge Canva Inks Deals With Warner Music Group, Merlin | Variety Canva founders join Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge to give away most of their fortune | Sydney Morning Herald Canva partnership tackling extreme poverty in Malawi one year on | GiveDirectly Canva’s Two-Step Plan: Celebrating 10 years of impact | Canva Adobe’s new terms of service aren’t the problem — it’s the trust | The Verge ‘The general perception is: Adobe is an evil company that will do whatever it takes to F its users.’ | The Verge Why Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen thinks AI is the future | The Verge Canva corporate 'Hamilton' cringe rap presentation goes viral | YouTube Transcript:  https://www.theverge.com/e/23955121 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/8/20241 hour, 6 minutes, 29 seconds
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How Big Green Egg CEO Dan Gertsacov is getting zoomers into the cult of kamado cooking

It’s almost the Fourth of July, and that means it’s time for our annual grilling episode. This year, I’m talking with Big Green Egg CEO Dan Gertsacov, who has big plans for using very modern fan-based marketing techniques to expand the market for the company’s old-fashioned, fire-burning, aspirational product.  Links:  Big Green Egg Appoints a New CEO | CookOut News Big Green Egg 50th Anniversary 1974-2024 | Big Green Egg Yep, Big Green Egg Just Made a Beer Keg | Gear Patrol AI could kill creative jobs that ‘shouldn’t have been there in the first place,’ OpenAI CTO says | Fortune Campfires, explained | Vox An ‘Epidemic’ of Loneliness Threatens Health of Americans | Scientific American  RIP: Here are 70 things millennials have killed | Mashable “Genius of the AND” | Jim Collins Keurig's attempt to 'DRM' its coffee cups totally backfired | The Verge A Look at the Danny Meyer Documentary The Restaurateur | Eater Transcript:  https://www.theverge.com/e/23952121 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/1/20241 hour, 16 minutes
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The rise of shadow lobbying and its influence on decades of US policy

Today, we’re talking about politics and lobbying in America. It’s hard to imagine a time when the influence of big corporations and billionaires didn’t touch every part of American politics, but the kind of lobbying we have now didn’t really exist before the 1970s. Now, our political debates about everything from energy, finance, and healthcare are deeply intertwined with corporations and their money — and new big players in tech now spend tons of political money of their own. To understand the structure of today’s political lobbying and how we go here, I brought Pulitzer Prize winner Brody Mullins on the show. Brody has a new book he co-wrote with his brother Luke Mullins called The Wolves of K Street: The Secret History of How Big Money Took Over Big Government, which came out last month. It’s a definitive history of modern lobbying in America, told through the lens of some of the industry’s most unsavory characters and the influence they’ve exerted on DC politics across decades.  Links: If Donald Trump Wins, Paul Manafort Will Be Waiting in the Wings | NYT Meta had its biggest lobbying quarter ever | The Verge Apple quietly bankrolled a lobbying group for app developers | The Verge The Many Reinventions of a Legendary Washington Influence Peddler | Politico  The Wolves of K Street review: how lobbying swallowed Washington | The Guardian Big Tech Has a New Favorite Lobbyist: You | WSJ SOPA bill shelved after global protests from Google, Wikipedia and others | WashPo The Russia Inquiry Ended a Democratic Lobbyist’s Career. He Wants It Back. | NYT The Swamp Builders | WashPo The Rise and Fall of a K Street Renegade | WSJ Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/27/202445 minutes, 53 seconds
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Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters on the streamer's shifting culture and where ads, AI, and games fit in

Today, I’m talking with Greg Peters, the co-CEO of Netflix. I caught up with Greg while he was at the Cannes Lions festival in France, which is basically the world’s biggest gathering of advertisers and marketers. It’s an increasingly important place for Greg to be, as Netflix’s new ad tier has nearly doubled in six months to more than 40 million subscribers and feels increasingly pivotal to the future of the company.  On top of that, Netflix is updating its famous culture memo, and I wanted to chat with Greg about the changes he’s making to that document, and how he’s thinking about maintaining that culture as Netflix grows into things like advertising and gaming. Links:  Netflix Culture Memo | Netflix Netflix Culture Memo (2009) | Netflix Streaming is cable now | The Verge Netflix’s ad tier hits 40 million users | The Verge Netflix is different now — and there’s no going back | The Verge  Netflix just fired the organizer of the trans employee walkout | The Verge Netflix doesn’t want to hear it anymore | The Verge It’s hard to believe Samsung’s new, matte The Frame is actually a TV | The Verge Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23946561 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/24/20241 hour, 6 minutes, 45 seconds
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Inside the players and politics of the AI industry

We’ve got a special episode of the show today – I was traveling last week, so Verge deputy editor Alex Heath and our new senior AI reporter Kylie Robison are filling in for me, with a very different kind of episode about AI. We talk a lot about AI in a broad sense on Decoder — it comes up in basically every single interview I do these days. But we don’t spend a ton of time on the day-to-day happenings of the AI industry itself. So we thought it would be a good idea to take a beat and have Alex and Kylie actually break down the modern AI boom as it exists today: The companies you need to know, the most important news of the last few months, and what it’s actually like to be fully immersed in this industry every single day. Links:  Google defends AI search results after they told us to put glue on pizza | The Verge Apple is putting ChatGPT in Siri for free later this year | The Verge AI will make money sooner than you’d think, says Cohere CEO Aidan Gomez | Decoder Humane is looking for a buyer after the AI Pin’s underwhelming debut | The Verge 2024 is a year of reckoning for AI | The Verge OpenAI researcher who resigned over safety concerns joins Anthropic | The Verge Hugging Face is sharing $10M worth of compute to beat big AI companies | The Verge The AI drama is heating up | Command Line Google and OpenAI are racing to rewire the internet | Command Line Elon Musk’s xAI raises $6 billion to fund its race against ChatGPT | The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/20/202445 minutes, 40 seconds
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Why Tubi CEO Anjali Sud thinks free TV can win again

Tubi is a free and very rapidly growing streaming TV platform — according to Nielsen, it had an average of a million viewers watching every minute in May 2024, beating out Disney Plus, Max, Peacock, and basically everything else, save Netflix and YouTube. All those streaming service price hikes are driving people to free options, and Tubi is right there to catch them. CEO Anjali Sud joins Decoder to explain why she thinks Tubi's model "could be" profitable, and how Tubi competes not only against the premium streamers, but also against the big competitors for viewers' time: TikTok and Youtube. Links:  As streaming becomes more expensive, Tubi cashes in on the value of free | Los Angeles Times Tubi’s new redesign wants to push you down the rabbit hole | The Verge Tubi Rabbit AI: ChatGPT can give you better movie recommendations | The Verge The future of streaming is free ad-supported TV and movies | The Verge It’s true: people like leaving their TVs on in the background | The Verge Stubios is the new name of Tubi’s fan-fueled studio program | The Verge Comcast has a Netflix, Peacock, and Apple TV Plus bundle coming | The Verge A Disney, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle is on the way | The Verge Transcript:  https://www.theverge.com/e/23942621 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/17/20241 hour, 7 minutes, 21 seconds
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Remix: How private equity took over everything

Private equity is a simple concept — a PE firm uses some combination of money and debt to buy a company, then makes a profit — but the reality of what happens to the companies that get acquired is anything but. It's everywhere, and it's not going away. In this summer remix, we're talking with Brendan Ballou, author of Plunder: Private Equity’s Plan to Pillage America, about how we got here and what happens next.  Links:  Private equity bought out your doctor and bankrupted Toys“R”Us — here’s why that matters | The Verge Private equity and mismanagement: Here's what really killed Red Lobster | Fast Company Sony and Apollo send letter expressing interest in $26 billion Paramount buyout | NBC News Plunder: Private Equity’s Plan to Pillage America | Brendan Ballou Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco | Bryan Borrough & John Helyar Barnes & Noble is going back to its indie roots to compete with Amazon | The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/13/202439 minutes, 7 seconds
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AI will make money sooner than you think, says Cohere CEO Aidan Gomez

Cohere is one of the buzziest AI startups around right now. It's not making consumer products; it's focused on the enterprise market and making AI products for big companies. And there's a huge tension there: up until recently, computers have been deterministic. If you give computers a certain input, you usually know exactly what output you’re going to get. There’s a logic to it. But if we all start talking to computers with human language and getting human language back, well, human language is messy. And that makes the entire process of knowing what to put in and what exactly we’re going to get out of our computers different than it ever has been before. Links:  Attention is all you need On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots Introducing the AI Mirror Test, which very smart people keep failing | The Verge AI isn’t close to becoming sentient | The Conversation These are Microsoft’s Bing AI secret rules and why it says it’s named Sydney | The Verge ‘Godfather of AI’ quits Google with regrets and fears about his life’s work | The Verge Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott on Bing’s quest to beat Google | The Verge Top AI researchers and CEOs warn against ‘risk of extinction’ | The Verge Google Zero is here — now what? | The Verge Cara grew from 40k to 650k in a week because artists are fed up with Meta’s AI policies | TechCrunch How AI copyright lawsuits could make the whole industry go extinct | The Verge Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23937899 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/10/20241 hour, 10 minutes, 21 seconds
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Why the video game industry is such a mess

The art of video game design is flourishing, but it feels like a really grim time to be in the business of making and distributing games. Huge global publishers and tiny indie studios alike are facing huge financial pressures, and it doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon. So where did this enormous pressure come from, if consumer interest is high and sales are great? Verge video game reporter Ash Parrish joins Decoder to explain. Links:  Global games market expected to grow to $189bn in 2024 | GamesIndustry.biz Why the video game industry is seeing so many layoffs | Polygon The tech industry’s layoffs and hiring freezes: all of the news | The Verge Fortnite made more than $9 billion in revenue in its first two years | The Verge Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2 Swings Past 10 Million Sold | IGN The future of Netflix games could look like reality TV | The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Our producers are Kate Cox and Nick Statt. Our editor is Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/6/202437 minutes, 51 seconds
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Zoom CEO Eric Yuan wants AI clones in meetings

Today, I’m talking with Zoom CEO Eric Yuan — and let me tell you, this conversation is nothing like what I expected. It turns out Eric wants Zoom to be much, much more than just a videoconferencing platform. Zoom wants to take on Microsoft and Google and now has a big investment in AI – and Eric’s visions for what that AI will do are pretty wild. See, Eric really wants you to stop having to attend Zoom meetings yourself. You’ll hear him describe how he thinks one of the big benefits of AI at work will be letting us all create something he calls a “digital twin," essentially a deepfake of yourself that can go attend meetings on your behalf and even make decisions for you. I’ll just warn you: I tried to ask a bunch of the usual Decoder questions during this conversation, but once we got to digital twins going to Zoom meetings for people, well, I had a lot of followup questions.  Links:  Zoom gets its first major overhaul in 10 years, powered by generative AI | ZDNet An interview with Zoom CEO Eric Yuan | Stratechery / Ben Thompson Zoom is cutting about 150 jobs, or close to 2% of its workforce | CNBC Zoom meetings are about to get weirder thanks to the Vision Pro | The Verge Zoom Docs launches in 2024 with built-in AI collaboration features | The Verge Zoom rewrites its policies to make clear that your videos aren’t used to train AI tools | The Verge Zoom says its new AI tools aren’t stealing ownership of your content | The Verge Zoom adds “post-quantum” end-to-end encryption | Zoom Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23932774 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/3/20241 hour, 1 minute, 22 seconds
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Google Zero is here. Now what?

For nearly 20 years now, the web has been Google’s platform; we’ve all just lived on it. I think of Decoder as a show for people trying to build things, and a lot of people have built their things on that platform. For a lot of small businesses and content creators, that’s suddenly not stable anymore. The number one question I have for anyone building things on someone else’s platform is: What are you going to do when that platform changes the rules? Links:  How Google is killing independent sites like ours | HouseFresh HouseFresh has virtually disappeared from Google Search results. Now what? | HouseFresh Google Is Killing Retro Dodo & Other Independent Sites | Retro Dodo Google CEO Sundar Pichai on AI-powered search and the future of the web | The Verge Will A.I. Break the Internet? Or Save It? | The New York Times Google confirms the leaked Search documents are real |The Verge An Anonymous Source Shared Thousands of Leaked Google Search API Documents with Me; Everyone in SEO Should See Them | SparkToro Mountain Weekly News Telly Visions E-ride Hero That Fit Friend Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/30/202427 minutes, 57 seconds
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How the FBI built its own smartphone company to hack the criminal underworld

Today, I’m talking with Joseph Cox, one of the best cybersecurity reporters around and a co-founder of the new media site 404 Media. Joseph has a new book coming out in June called Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever, and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s basically a caper, but with the FBI running a phone network. For real.  Joseph walks us through the fascinating world of underground criminal phone networks, and how secure messaging, a tech product beloved by drug traffickers, evolved from the days of BlackBerry Messenger to Signal. Along the way, the FBI got involved with its very own startup, ANOM, as part of one of the most effective trojan horse operations in the history of cybersecurity. Joseph’s book is a great read, but it also touches on a lot of things we talk about a lot here on Decoder. So this conversation was a fun one.  Links:  Dark Wire by Joseph Cox | Hachette Book Group How Vice became ‘a fucking clown show’ | The Verge Cyber Official Speaks Out, Reveals Mobile Network Attacks in US | 404 Media Revealed: The Country that Secretly Wiretapped the World for the FBI | 404 Media How Secure Phones for Criminals Are Sold on Instagram | Motherboard A Peek Inside the Phone Company Secretly Used in an FBI Honeypot | Motherboard The FBI secretly launched an encrypted messaging system for criminals | The Verge Canadian police have had master key to BlackBerry's encryption since 2010 | The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/23/202442 minutes, 3 seconds
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Google's Sundar Pichai on AI-powered search and the future of the web

Today, I’m talking to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who joined the show the day after the big Google I/O developer conference. Google’s focus during the conference was on how it’s building AI into virtually all of its products. If you’re a Decoder listener, you’ve heard me talk about this idea a lot over the past year: I call it “Google Zero,” and I’ve been asking a lot of web and media CEOs what would happen to their businesses if their Google traffic were to go to zero. In a world where AI powers search with overviews and summaries, that’s a real possibility. What then happens to the web?  I’ve talked to Sundar quite a bit over the past few years, and this was the most fired up I’ve ever seen him. I think you can really tell that there is a deep tension between the vision Google has for the future — where AI magically makes us smarter, more productive, more artistic — and the very real fears and anxieties creators and website owners are feeling right now about how search has changed and how AI might swallow the internet forever, and that he’s wrestling with that tension. Links:  Google and OpenAI are racing to rewire the internet — Command Line Google I/O 2024: everything announced — The Verge Google is redesigning its search engine, and it’s AI all the way down — The Verge Project Astra is the future of AI at Google — The Verge Did SEO experts ruin the internet or did Google? — The Verge YouTube is going to start cracking down on AI clones of musicians — The Verge AI is killing the old web, and the new web struggles to be born — The Verge How Google is killing independent sites like ours — HouseFresh Inside the First 'SEO Heist' of the AI Era — Business Insider Google’s Sundar Pichai talks Search, AI, and dancing with Microsoft — Decoder Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23922415 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/20/202444 minutes, 40 seconds
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TikTok's big bet to fight the ban bill

Last week, TikTok filed a lawsuit against the US government claiming the divest-or-ban law is unconstitutional — a case it needs to win in order to keep operating under Bytedance’s ownership. There’s a lot of back and forth between the facts and the law here: Some of the legal claims are complex and sit in tension with a long history of prior attempts to regulate speech and the internet, while the simple facts of what TikTok has already promised to do around the world contradict some its arguments. Verge editors Sarah Jeong and Alex Heath join me to explain what it all means. Links:  TikTok and Bytedance v Merrick Garland (PDF) TikTok sues the US government over ban | The Verge Senate passes TikTok ban bill, sending it to President Biden’s desk | The Verge The legal challenges that lie ahead for TikTok — in both the US and China | The Verge Why the TikTok ban won’t solve the US’s online privacy problems. | Decoder  Biden signs TikTok ‘ban’ bill into law, starting the clock for ByteDance to divest it | The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/16/202446 minutes, 35 seconds
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Why Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen is confident we'll all adapt to AI

Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen has been at the top of my list of people I’ve wanted to talk to for the show since we first launched — he’s led Adobe for nearly 17 years now, but he doesn’t do too many wide-ranging interviews. I’ve always thought Adobe was an underappreciated company — its tools sit at the center of nearly every major creative workflow you can think of — and with generative AI poised to change the very nature of creative software, it seemed particularly important to talk with Shantanu now. Adobe sits right at the center of the whole web of tensions, especially as the company has evolved its business and business model over time. And now, AI really changes what it means to make and distribute creative work. Not many people are seeing revenue returns on it just yet and there are the fundamental philosophical challenges of adding AI to photo and video tools. What does it mean when a company like Adobe, which makes the tools so many people use to make their art, sees the creative process as a step in a marketing chain, instead of a goal in and of itself? Links:  How Adobe is managing the AI copyright dilemma, with general counsel Dana Rao  Adobe Launches Creative Cloud (2012) What was Photoshop like in 1994?  Photoshop’s Generative Fill tool turns vacation photos into nightmares - The Verge New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, and others sue OpenAI and Microsoft - The Verge The FAIR Act: A New Right to Protect Artists in the Age of AI | Adobe Blog Adobe’s Firefly generative AI tools are now generally available - The Verge This Wacom AI debacle has certainly taken a turn. - The Verge Transcript:  https://www.theverge.com/e/23917997 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/13/20241 hour, 45 seconds
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Why the tech industry can’t crack the smart home

Today, we’re going to talk about the smart home — one of the oldest, most important, and most challenging dreams in the history of the tech industry. The idea of your house responding to you and your family, and generally being as automated and as smart as your phone or your laptop, has inspired generations of technologists. But after decades of promises, it’s all still pretty messy. Because the big problem with the smart home has been blindingly obvious for a very long time: interoperability.  Yet there are some promising developments out there that might make it a little better. To help sort it all out, I invited Verge smart home reviewer Jen Tuohy, who is one of the most influential reporters on the smart home beat today. Jen and I break down how Matter, the open source standard, is trying to fix these issues, but there is still a lot of work to do.  Links:  Matter is now racing ahead, but the platforms are holding it back — The Verge 2023 in the smart home: Matter’s broken promises — The Verge Smart home hubs: what they are and why you need one — The Verge My smart kitchen: the good, the bad, and the future — The Verge How bad business broke the smart home — The Verge The smart home is finally getting out of your phone and into your home — The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/9/202440 minutes, 45 seconds
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Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath on life after Volvo and weathering the EV slowdown

Today, I’m talking with Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath, whom I first interviewed on the show back in 2021. Those were heady days — especially for upstart EV companies like Polestar, which all seemed poised to capture what felt like infinite demand for electric cars. Now, in 2024, the market looks a lot different, and so does Polestar, which is no longer majority-owned by Volvo. Instead, Volvo is now a more independent sister company, and both Volvo and Polestar fall under Chinese parent company Geely.  You know I love a structure shuffle, so Thomas and I really got into it: what does it mean for Volvo to have stepped back, and how much can Polestar take from Geely’s various platforms while still remaining distinct from the other brands in the portfolio? We also talked about the upcoming Polestar 3 SUV and Polestar 4 crossover, and I asked Thomas what he thinks of the Cybertruck. Links:  Can Polestar design a new kind of car company? — Decoder The Polestar 3 isn’t out yet, and it’s already getting a big price cut — The Verge The Polestar 4 gets an official price ahead of its debut — The Verge Polestar makes the rear window obsolete with its new crossover coupe — The Verge Volvo and Polestar drift a little farther apart — The Verge Polestar gets a nearly $1 billion lifeline — The Verge Car-tech breakup fever is heating up — The Verge Polestar is working on its own smartphone to sync with its EVs — The Verge Polestar’s electric future looks high-performing, and promising — The Verge Electric car maker Polestar to cut around 450 jobs globally — Reuters Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23912151 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/6/20241 hour, 4 minutes, 10 seconds
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Understanding the chaos at Tesla

Today, Verge transportation editor Andy Hawkins and I are going to try and figure out Tesla. I said try — I did not say succeed. But we’re going to try. That’s because Tesla has been on a real rollercoaster these past two weeks, in terms of its stock price, its basic financials, and well, its vibes. If you’ve been following the company, you know that that gap between what the business is and how its valued has been getting bigger and bigger for years now – and lately, with Elon Musk saying he’s going all-in on autonomy and announcing a robotaxi event in August, it seems like we’re getting closer to a make or break moment, especially as competition in the broader EV market heats up.  Links: Tesla reaches deals in China on self-driving cars — NYT Elon Musk goes ‘absolutely hard core’ in another round of Tesla layoffs — The Verge Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving linked to dozens of deaths — The Verge Elon Musk says Tesla will reveal its robotaxi on August 8th — The Verge A cheaper Tesla is back on the menu — The Verge Tesla’s profits sink as the company struggles with cooling demand — The Verge Tesla lays off ‘more than 10 percent’ of its workforce, loses top executives — The Verge Tesla recalls all 3,878 Cybertrucks over faulty accelerator pedal — The Verge Elon Musk says it’s “time to reorganize” Tesla — The Verge Elon Musk lost Democrats on Tesla when he needed them most — WSJ Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/2/202439 minutes, 51 seconds
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Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius explains why EVs are still the future — but Apple's next-gen CarPlay isn't

A lot has changed since the last time Ola was on Decoder. Back then, he said Mercedes would have an all-EV lineup by 2030 — a promise a whole lot of car companies, including Mercedes, have now had to soften or walk back. But he doesn't see that as a setback at all, and he and Mercedes are both still committed to phasing out gas in the long run. We also spent some time talking about what's happening both on the outside of cars — Mercedes' classic look and its EV look aren't necessarily quite in the same place — and on the inside of them, as infotainment becomes a huge point of competition and design. Links:  How Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius is refocusing for an electric future - The Verge Mercedes-Benz opens its first 400kW EV charging station in the US - The Verge Mercedes-Benz is the first German automaker to adopt Tesla’s EV charging connector - The Verge Is the metaverse going to suck? A conversation with Matthew Ball - The Verge The Mercedes G-Wagen, the ultimate off-road status symbol, goes electric - The Verge Mercedes workers file federal charges with NLRB to stop union busting - The Alabama Political Reporter The MBUX Hyperscreen - Mercedes-Benz USA Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23904592 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/29/20241 hour, 8 minutes, 24 seconds
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Why the TikTok ban won't solve the US's online privacy problems

Today, we’re talking about the brand-new TikTok ban — and how years of Congressional inaction on a federal privacy law helped lead us to this moment of apparent national panic about algorithmic social media. This is a thorny discussion, and to help break it all down, I invited Verge senior policy reporter Lauren Feiner on the show. Lauren has been closely covering efforts to ban TikTok for years now, and she’s also watched Congress fail to pass meaningful privacy regulation for even longer. We’ll go over how we got here, what this means for both TikTok and efforts to pass new privacy legislation, and what might happen next.  Links:  Biden signs TikTok ‘ban’ bill into law — The Verge TikTok ban: all the news on attempts to ban the video platform — The Verge Anyone want to buy TikTok? — Vergecast Congress takes on TikTok, privacy, and AI — Vergecast Tiktok vows to fight 'unconstitutional' US ban — BBC ‘Thunder Run’: Behind lawmakers’ secretive push to pass the TikTok bill — NYT On TikTok, resignation and frustration after potential ban of app — NYT Lawmakers unveil new bipartisan digital privacy bill after years of impasse — The Verge A real privacy law? House lawmakers are optimistic this time — The Verge Congress is trying to stop discriminatory algorithms again — The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/25/202447 minutes, 30 seconds
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Discord CEO Jason Citron makes the case for a smaller, more private internet

Today, I’m talking to Jason Citron, the co-founder and CEO of Discord, the gaming-focused voice and chat app. You might think Discord is just something Slack for gamers, but over time, it has become much more important than that. For a growing mix of mostly young, very online users steeped in gaming culture, fandom, and other niche communities, Discord is fast becoming the hub to their entire online lives. A lot of what we think of as internet culture is happening on Discord. In many ways Discord represents a significant shift away from what we now consider traditional social platforms. As you’ll hear Jason describe it, Discord is a place where you talk and hangout with your friends over shared common interests, whether that’s video games, the AI bot Midjourney, or maybe your favorite anime series. It is a very different kind of interface for the internet, but that comes with serious challenges, especially around child safety and moderation.  Links:  Discord opens up to games and apps embedded in its chat app — The Verge Discord is nuking Nintendo Switch emulator devs and their entire servers — The Verge Inside Discord’s reform movement for banned users — The Verge Discord ends deal talks with Microsoft — WSJ Discord cuts 17% of workers in latest tech layoffs — NYT Discord to start showing ads for gamers to boost revenue — WSJ Discord says it intentionally does not encrypt user messages — CNN How Discord became a social hub for young people — NYT ‘Problematic pockets’: How Discord became a home for extremists — WashPo Discord CEO Jason Citron on AI, Midjourney — Bloomberg Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23898955 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/22/202458 minutes, 33 seconds
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Disney just fought off a shareholder revolt — but the clock’s still ticking

Today, we're talking about Disney, the massive activist investor revolt it just fought off, and what happens next in the world of streaming. Because what happens to Disney really tells us a lot about what's happening in the entire world of entertainment. Earlier this month, Disney survived an attempted board takeover from businessman Nelson Peltz. While investors ultimately sided with Disney and CEO Bob Iger, the boardroom showdown made something very clear: Disney needs to figure out streaming and get its creative direction back on track.  To help me figure all this out, I brought on my friend Julia Alexander, who is VP of Strategy at Parrot Analytics, a Puck News contributor, and most importantly, a former Verge reporter. She's a leading expert on all things Disney, and I always learn something important about the state of the entertainment business when I talk to her.  Links:  The Story of Disney+ — Puck News ​​Disney’s CEO drama explained, with Julia Alexander — Decoder Is streaming just becoming cable again? Julia Alexander thinks so — Decoder Disney Fends Off Activist Investor for Second Time in 2 Years — NYT For Disney, streaming losses and TV’s decline are a one-two punch — NYT Disney’s ABC, ESPN weakness adds pressure to make streaming profitable — WSJ Disney reportedly wants to bring always-on channels to Disney Plus — The Verge The Disney Plus-Hulu merger is way more than a streaming bundle — The Verge Disney’s laying off 7,000 as streaming boom comes to an end — The Verge The last few years really scared Disney — Screen Rant Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/18/202442 minutes, 57 seconds
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Dropbox CEO Drew Houston wants you to embrace AI and remote work

At the absolute most basic, Dropbox is cloud storage for your stuff — but that puts it at the nexus of a huge number of today’s biggest challenges in tech. As the company that helps you organize your stuff in the cloud itself goes all remote, how do we even deal with the concept of “your stuff?” Today I’m talking with Dropbox CEO Drew Houston about those big picture ideas — and why he thinks generative AI really will be transformative for everyone eventually, even if it isn’t yet now. Links:  Dropbox AI and Dash make it easier to find your files from all over the web | The Verge Kids who grew up with search engines could change STEM forever | The Verge No, Dropbox's cafeteria didn't get a Michelin star | VentureBeat It's official: San Francisco's office vacancy rate just set a record | San Francisco Examiner Jeff Bezos: This is the 'smartest thing we ever did' at Amazon | CNBC Dropbox is laying off 500 people and pivoting to AI | The Verge Congress bans staff use of Microsoft's AI Copilot | Axios Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23892647 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/15/20241 hour, 4 minutes, 56 seconds
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The rise and fall of Vice Media

Today we’re talking about Vice, the media company: Where it came from, what it did, and, ultimately, why it collapsed into a much smaller, sadder version of itself.  This is a lousy time for digital media, and it’s hard to make a profit from putting words on the internet right now. So when Verge senior reporter Liz Lopatto went to go report on what happened, she and I both assumed Vice had been done in by the brutal economics of digital advertising on the web. But the Vice story is more than that — in the word of one executive that talked to Liz, it was a “fucking clown show.”  Links: How Vice became 'a fucking clown show' — The Verge Vice is abandoning Vice.com and laying off hundreds — The Verge Vice, decayed digital colossus, files for bankruptcy — NYT Vice Is Basically Dead — New York Magazine Shane Smith and the Final Collapse of Vice News — The Hollywood Reporter At Vice, cutting-edge media and allegations of old-school sexual harassment — NYT HBO cancels ‘Vice News Tonight,’ severing relationship with Vice Media — CNN Shane Smith has a secret multimillion-dollar Vice deal — New York Magazine Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/11/202443 minutes, 3 seconds
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Why Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince is the internet’s unlikely defender

Cloudflare is an infrastructure provider basically protecting more than 20% of the entire web from bad actors. When everything is going well, you don't even have to know it exists. It's one of the only defenses — sometimes the only defense — standing between websites and the people who want to take them down. Protecting free speech on the internet around the world, across war zones and hundreds of different kinds of government, is no easy feat. That puts the company, and CEO Matthew Prince, right at the heart of some of Decoder's biggest challenges and themes.  Links:  A Cloudflare outage broke large swathes of the internet | The Verge Why security company Cloudflare is protecting U.S. election sites for free | Fast Company The Daily Stormer just lost the most important company defending it | The Verge (2017) Cloudflare to revoke 8chan’s service, opening the fringe website up for DDoS attacks | The Verge (2019) Cloudflare blocks Kiwi Farms due to an ‘immediate threat to human life’ | The Verge Why Cloudflare Let an Extremist Stronghold Burn | Wired Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince interview on Ukraine cybersecurity | Semafor 3 ways the ‘splinternet’ is damaging society | MIT Sloan Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23885440 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/8/20241 hour, 19 minutes, 20 seconds
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Why Nintendo sued a Switch emulator out of existence

Hello, and welcome to Decoder. This is David Pierce, editor-at-large at The Verge and co-host of The Vergecast, subbing in for Nilay, who’s out on vacation. Regular Decoder programming returns next week. In the meantime, we have an exciting episode for you today all about video game emulation, which, as it turns out, is a whole lot more complicated than it seems.  Gaming emulation made headlines recently because one of the most widely used programs for emulating the Nintendo Switch, a platform called Yuzu, was effectively sued out of existence. There’s a whole lot going on here, from the history of game emulation to the copyright precedents of emulators to how the threat of game piracy still looms large in the industry. To break down this topic, I brought Verge Senior Editor and resident emulation expert Sean Hollister on the show. Let’s get into it.  Links: Nintendo sues Switch emulator Yuzu — The Verge Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu will fold and pay $2.4M to settle its lawsuit — The Verge Steve Jobs announcing a PlayStation emulator for the Mac — YouTube Fans freak out as Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom leaks two weeks early — Kotaku Tears of the Kingdom Was Pirated 1 Million Times, Nintendo Claims — Kotaku The solid legal theory behind Nintendo’s new emulator takedown effort — Ars Technica How Nintendo’s destruction of Yuzu is rocking the emulator world — The Verge How strong is Nintendo’s legal case against Switch-emulator Yuzu? — Ars Technica Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/4/202443 minutes
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Mailchimp CEO Rania Succar on culture, acquisitions, and how big 'small business' really is

Today, I’m talking to Inuit Mailchimp CEO Rania Succar, who took over as CEO in 2022 after a pretty rough patch in the company’s history. In 2021, Intuit acquired the company, and the very next year, co-founder Ben Chestnut stepped down after telling employees that he thought introducing themselves with pronouns in meetings did more harm than good. After that, Rania took over. This is a pretty huge culture change, especially as Mailchimp became more integrated with Intuit. It was also a big challenge for a new leader who came in from the outside. You’ll hear us talk about that transition a lot. Rania and I also got into the weeds of making decisions, which is very Decoder. And, of course, we had to talk about generative AI, which is a big part of the Mailchimp road map. This was a really fun conversation with some honestly scary ideas in it — and it’s all about email. Links: Mailchimp employees have complained about inequality for years — The Verge Mailchimp Employees Are Fuming Over $12 Billion Deal — Business Insider Did this email cost Mailchimp's billionaire CEO his job? — Platformer Mailchimp is shutting down TinyLetter — The Verge TinyLetter, in memoriam — The Verge Did Mailchimp censor J.D. Vance? — Mother Jones Hackers breached Mailchimp to phish cryptocurrency wallets — The Verge Boring, mundane businesses have an exhilarating, viral life on TikTok — The Verge Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23879556 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/1/20241 hour, 6 minutes, 13 seconds
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Can you patent a pizza?

Hey everyone it’s Nilay – I’m on vacation this week, so the Decoder team is taking a short break. We’ll be back next week with both the interview and the new explainer episodes. To tide you over until Monday, we have a bonus episode from our friends at Vox Media and Eater’s Gastropod about an incredible patent battle in the world of pizza.  I’m serious: One of the biggest fights in the pizza industry took place in US court in the ‘90s — an intellectual property dispute about stuffed crust pizza between Pizza Hut and patent holder Anthony “The Big Cheese” Mongiello.  So much of what we talk about on Decoder comes down to IP lawsuits like copyright or patent disputes, and how judges decide those cases and where the law ends up can steer the course of history. And that’s true whether we’re talking about a line of code, the distribution method of an MP3, or, yes, even stuffed crust pizza.  Links:  Can You Patent a Pizza? — Gastropod Ivana and Donald Trump Pizza Hut Commercial — YouTube The Next Big Thing in Pizza? Try 'Stuffed Crust' — NYT Who Created the Stuffed Crust Pizza? It's Complicated. — Eater Method of making a pizza — Google Patents Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/28/202452 minutes, 45 seconds
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Federation is the future of social media, says Bluesky CEO Jay Graber

Today, I’m talking to Jay Graber, the CEO of Bluesky Social, which is a decentralized competitor to Meta’s Threads, Mastodon, and X. Bluesky actually started inside of what was then known as Twitter — it was a project from then-CEO Jack Dorsey, who spent his days wandering the earth and saying things like Twitter should be a protocol and not a company. Bluesky was supposed to be that protocol, but Jack spun it out of Twitter in 2021, just before Elon Musk bought the company and renamed it X. Bluesky is now an independent company with a few dozen employees, and it finds itself in the middle of one of the most chaotic moments in the history of social media. There are a lot of companies and ideas competing for space on the post-Twitter internet, and Jay makes a convincing argument that decentralization — the idea that you should be able to take your username and following to different servers as you wish — is the future. Links:  Twitter is funding research into a decentralized version of its platform — The Verge Bluesky built a decentralized protocol for Twitter — and is working on an app that uses it — The Verge The fediverse, explained — The Verge Bluesky showed everyone’s ass — The Verge Can ActivityPub save the internet? — The Verge The ‘queer.af’ Mastodon instance disappeared because of the Taliban — The Verge Usage Of Elon Musk’s X Dropped 30% In The Last Year, Study Suggests — Forbes Bluesky snags former Twitter/X Trust & Safety exec cut by Musk — TechCrunch Bluesky and Mastodon users are having a fight that could shape the next generation of social media — TechCrunch Protocols, Not Platforms: A Technological Approach to Free Speech — Mike Masnick Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23872913 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/25/20241 hour, 10 minutes, 48 seconds
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How Europe’s Digital Markets Act is reshaping Big Tech

Both the EU and US have spent the past decade looking at Big Tech and saying, "someone should do something!" In the US, lawmakers are still basically shouting that. But in the EU, regulators did something. The Digital Markets Act was proposed in 2020, signed into law in 2022, and went into effect this month. It's already having an effect on some of the biggest companies in tech, including Apple, Google, and Microsoft. In theory it's a landmark law that will change the way these companies compete, and how their products operate, for years to come. How did we get here, what does the law actually say, and will it work half as well in practice as it does on paper? Verge reporter Jon Porter comes on Decoder to help me break it down.  Links:  The EU's new competition rules are going live — here's how tech giants are responding | The Verge Apple hit with a nearly $2 billion fine following Spotify complaint | The Verge Experts fear the Digital Markets Act won’t address tech monopolies | The Verge Dirty tricks or small wins: developers are skeptical of Apple's App Store rules | The Verge Google Search, WhatsApp, and TikTok on list of 22 services targeted by EU’s tough new DMA | The Verge The EU’s Digital Services Act is now in effect: here’s what that means | The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/21/202432 minutes, 30 seconds
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Figma CEO Dylan Field is optimistic about the future and AI

We’ve got a fun one today — I talked to Figma CEO Dylan Field in front of a live audience at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. And we got into it – we talked about everything from design, to software distribution, to the future of the web, and, of course, AI.  Figma is an fascinating company – the Figma design tool is used by designers at basically every company you can think of. And importantly, it runs on the web. It became such a big deal that Adobe tried to buy it out in 2022 for $20 billion dollars, a deal that only just recently fell through because of regulatory concerns.  So Dylan and I talked a lot about where Figma is now as an independent company, how Figma is structured, where it’s going, and how Dylan’s decisionmaking has changed since the last time he was on the show in 2022. Links: Why Figma is selling to Adobe for $20 billion, with CEO Dylan Field — Decoder Adobe abandons $20 billion acquisition of Figma — The Verge Adobe’s Dana Rao on AI, copyright, and the failed Figma deal — Decoder Figma’s CEO on life after the company’s failed sale to Adobe — Command Line Amazon restricts self-publishing due to AI concerns — The Guardian Wix’s new AI chatbot builds websites in seconds based on prompts — The Verge Apple is finally allowing full versions of Chrome and Firefox on the iPhone — The Verge What Is Solarpunk? A Guide to the Environmental Art Movement. — Built In Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23866201 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/18/202453 minutes, 49 seconds
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Why Google Search feels like it’s gotten worse

If you’ve been listening to Decoder or the Vergecast for a while, you know that I am obsessed with Google Search, the web, and how both of those things might change in the age of AI. But to really understand how something might change, you have to step back and understand what it is right now.  So today I’m talking with Verge platforms reporter Mia Sato about Google Search, the industries it’s created, and more importantly, how relentless search engine optimization, or SEO, has utterly changed the web in its image. Mia and I really dug into this to explain why search results are so terrible now, what Google is trying to do about it, and why this is such an important issue for the future of the internet. Links:  How Google is killing independent sites like ours — HouseFresh How Google perfected the web — The Verge The people who ruined the internet — The Verge A storefront for robots — The Verge The end of the Googleverse — The Verge The unsettling scourge of obituary spam — The Verge What happens when Google Search doesn’t have the answers? — The Verge The AI takeover of Google Search starts now — The Verge AI is killing the old web, and the new web struggles to be born — The Verge Google is starting to squash more spam and AI in search results — The Verge Ethics Statement — The Verge Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. Our supervising producer is Liam James.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/14/202439 minutes, 30 seconds
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How to save culture from the algorithms, with Filterworld author Kyle Chayka

Today, I’m talking to Kyle Chayka, a staff writer for The New Yorker, a regular contributor to The Verge, and author of the new book Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture. Kyle has been writing for years now about how the culture of big social media platforms bleeds into real life, first affecting how things look, and now shaping how and what culture is created and the mechanisms by which that culture spreads all around the world.  If you’ve been listening to Decoder, this is all going to sound very familiar. The core thesis of Kyle’s book — that algorithmic recommendations make everything feel the same — hits at an idea that we’ve talked about countless times on the show: that how content is distributed shapes what content is made. So I was really excited to sit down with Kyle and dig into Filterworld and his thoughts on how this happened and what we might be able to do about it. Links:  Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture — Kyle Chayka Welcome to AirSpace — The Verge The Stanley water bottle craze, explained — Vox TikTok and the vibes revival — The New Yorker Why the internet isn’t fun anymore — The New Yorker The age of algorithmic anxiety — The New Yorker Lo-fi beats to quarantine to are booming on YouTube — The Verge Taylor Swift has encouraged her fans' numerology habit yet again — AV Club How fandom built the internet as we know it, with Kaitlyn Tiffany — Decoder Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23858379 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/11/20241 hour, 7 minutes, 39 seconds
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Why people are falling in love with AI chatbots

Our Thursday episodes are all about big topics in the news, and this week we’re wrapping up our short series on one of the biggest topics of all: generative AI. In our last couple episodes, we talked a lot about some of the biggest, most complicated legal and policy questions surrounding the modern AI industry, including copyright lawsuits and deepfake legislation. But we wanted to end on a more personal note: How is this technology making people feel, and in particular how is it affecting how people communicate and connect? Verge reporter Miya David has covered AI chatbots — specifically AI romance bots — quite a bit, so we invited her onto the show to talk about how generative AI is finding its way into dating. We not only discussed how this technology is affecting dating apps and human relationships, but also how the boom in AI chatbot sophistication is laying the groundwork for a generation of people who might form meaningful relationships with so-called AI companions. Links:  Speak, Memory — The Verge A conversation with Bing’s chatbot left me deeply unsettled — NYT Google suspends engineer who claims its AI is sentient — The Verge The law of AI girlfriends — The Verge Replika’s new AI therapy app tries to bring you to a zen island — The Verge Replika’s new AI app is like Tinder but with sexy chatbots — Gizmodo Don’t date robots; their privacy policies are terrible — The Verge AI is shaking up online dating with chatbots that are ‘flirty but not too flirty’ — CNBC Loneliness and suicide mitigation for students using GPT3-enabled chatbots — Nature Virtual valentine: People are turning to AI in search of emotional connections — CBS Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23856679 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/7/202440 minutes, 27 seconds
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Guest host Hank Green makes Nilay Patel explain why websites have a future

On this special episode of Decoder, science educator and YouTuber Hank Green is guest hosting. And the guest? It’s Nilay Patel, who sat down with Hank to discuss building The Verge, the state of media, and the future of the web. Also: whether the fediverse is worth investing in, and how social platforms’ control of distribution has shaped the internet. In the words of Hank: “Nilay has got some weird ideas about the internet. For example, that he’s going to revolutionize the media through blog posts. He keeps saying it, but what the hell does he mean? While I was busy building my business on other people’s platforms, Nilay has built something very rare in the year 2024: a website that publishes content and isn’t behind a paywall yet still makes money. How does he do it? How does he make decisions? How is The Verge structured? The tables have turned.” Links:  Why Hank Green can’t quit YouTube for TikTok — Decoder Platformer’s Casey Newton on surviving the great media collapse and what comes next — Decoder Just buy this Brother laser printer everyone has, it’s fine — The Verge Sports Illustrated Published Articles by Fake, AI-Generated Writers — Futurism The fediverse, explained — The Verge Can ActivityPub save the internet? — The Verge Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23851875 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/4/20241 hour, 3 minutes, 23 seconds
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AI deepfakes are cheap, easy, and coming for the 2024 election

Our new Thursday episodes of Decoder are all about deep dives into big topics in the news, and this week we’re continuing our mini-series on one of the biggest topics of all: generative AI. Last week, we took a look at the wave of copyright lawsuits that might eventually grind this whole industry to a halt. Those are basically a coin flip — and the outcomes are off in the distance, as those cases wind their way through the legal system.  A bigger problem right now is that AI systems are really good at making just believable enough fake images and audio — and with tools like OpenAI’s new Sora, maybe video soon, too. And of course, it’s once again a presidential election year here in the US. So today, Verge policy editor Adi Robertson joins the show to discuss how AI might supercharge disinformation and lies in an election that’s already as contentious as any in our lifetimes — and what might be done about it. Links:  How the Mueller report indicts social networks Twitter permanently bans Trump Meta allows Trump back on Facebook and Instagram No Fakes Act wants to protect actors and singers from unauthorized AI replicas White House calls for legislation to stop Taylor Swift AI fakes Watermarks aren’t the silver bullet for AI misinformation AI Drake just set an impossible legal trap for Google Barack Obama on AI, free speech, and the future of the internet Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/29/202441 minutes, 16 seconds
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Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini on how anime took over the world

Today, I’m talking with Rahul Purini, the president of Crunchyroll, a streaming service focused entirely on anime — and really, the biggest anime service still going. Rahul has a long history with anime: he spent more than seven years at Funimation, a company that started in the 90s to distribute Dragon Ball Z to US audiences, before getting the top job at Crunchyroll. Anime might seem like niche content, but it’s not nearly as niche as you might think – our colleagues over at Polygon just ran a huge survey of anime viewers and found that 42% of Gen Z and 25% of millennials watch anime regularly. And Crunchyroll is growing with that audience — like most entertainment providers, the service absolutely exploded during the pandemic, going from 5 million paying subscribers in 2021 to more than 13 million as of last month.  But interestingly Rahul says Crunchyroll’s growth isn’t being driven by more and more people watching anime, but more and more anime fans — especially those watching pirated content — choosing to pay for it. Links:  Anime is huge, and we finally have numbers to prove it — Polygon Funimation is shutting down — and taking your digital library with it — The Verge Sony completes acquisition of Crunchyroll from AT&T — The Verge Funimation’s anime library is moving over to Crunchyroll — The Verge Crunchyroll now has more than 13 Million subscribers — Cord Cutters News Crunchyroll's CEO Colin Decker leaves company; Rahul Purini becomes new president — Anime News Network PlayStation keeps reminding us why digital ownership sucks — The Verge Sony’s Crunchyroll launches free 24-hour streaming channel — Variety Crunchyroll is adding mobile games to its subscription — The Verge How Is Funimation producing so many simuldubs? — Anime News Network Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23845221 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/26/20241 hour, 10 minutes, 11 seconds
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Is the Apple Vision Pro All That?

The Decoder team is off this week. We’ll be back next week with both the interview and the new explainer episodes; we’re really excited about what’s on the schedule here.  In the meantime, I thought you all might enjoy a conversation I had with Kara Swisher, the Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman about the Apple Vision Pro. All of us have been covering Apple for a very long time, and we had a lot of fun swapping impressions, talking strategy, and sharing what we liked, and didn’t like, about Apple’s $3,500 headset.  Links:  Apple Vision Pro review: magic, until it’s not — The Verge The shine comes off the Vision Pro — The Verge Everything we know about Apple’s Vision Pro — The Verge Why some of Apple’s biggest fans are returning their Vision Pros — Bloomberg Apple’s Vision Pro Is an iPad killer, but not anytime soon — Bloomberg I worked, cooked and even skied with the new Apple Vision Pro — WSJ Vision Pro review: 24 hours in Apple’s mixed-reality headset — WSJ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/22/20241 hour, 4 minutes, 49 seconds
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How AI copyright lawsuits could make the whole industry go extinct

Our new Thursday episodes are all about deep dives into big topics in the news, and for the next few weeks we’re going to stay focused on one of the biggest topics of all: generative AI. There’s a lot going on in the world of generative AI, but maybe the biggest is the increasing number of copyright lawsuits being filed against AI companies like OpenAI and StabilityAI. So for this episode, we’re going to talk about those cases, and the main defense the AI companies are relying on: an idea called fair use. To help explain this mess, I talked with Sarah Jeong. Sarah is a former lawyer and a features editor here at The Verge, and she is also one of my very favorite people to talk to about copyright. I promise you we didn’t get totally off the rails nerding out about it, but we went a little off the rails. The first thing we had to figure out was: How big a deal are these AI copyright suits? Links:  The New York Times sues OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement --- The Verge The scary truth about AI copyright is nobody knows what will happen next — The Verge How copyright lawsuits could kill OpenAI — Vox How Adobe is managing the AI copyright dilemma, with general counsel Dana Rao --- The Verge Generative AI Has a visual plagiarism problem - IEEE Spectrum George Carlin estate sues creators of AI-generated comedy special — THR AI-Generated Taylor Swift porn went viral on Twitter. Here's how it got there — 404 Media AI copyright lawsuit hinges on the legal concept of ‘fair use’ — The Washington Post Intellectual property experts discuss fair use in the age of AI — Harvard Law School OpenAI says it’s “impossible” to create useful AI models without copyrighted material — Ars Technica Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/15/202440 minutes, 2 seconds
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DOJ’s Jonathan Kanter says the antitrust fight against Big Tech is just beginning

Today, I’m talking with Jonathan Kanter, the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division at the Department of Justice. Alongside FTC chair Lina Khan, Jonathan is one of the most prominent figures in the big shift happening in competition and antitrust in the United States. This is a fun episode: we taped this conversation live on stage at the Digital Content Next conference in Charleston, South Carolina a few days ago, so you’ll hear the audience, which was a group of fancy media company executives.  You’ll also hear me joke about Google a few times; fancy media execs are very interested in the cases the DOJ has brought against Google for monopolizing search and advertising tech — and Jonathan was very good at not commenting about pending litigation. But he did have a lot to say about the state of tech regulation, he and Khan’s track record so far, and why he thinks the concepts they’re pushing forward are more accessible than they’ve ever been. Links:  The top Biden lawyer with his sights on Apple and Google — Politico Judge blocks a merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster — NYT FTC’s Khan and DOJ’s Kanter beat back deals at fastest clip in decades — Bloomberg Google will face another antitrust trial September 9th, this time over ad tech — The Verge In the Google antitrust trial, defaults are everything and nobody likes Bing — The Verge Google Search, Chrome, and Android are all changing thanks to EU antitrust law — The Verge Aggregation Theory — Stratechery Adobe explains why it abandoned the Figma deal — The Verge How the EU’s DMA is changing Big Tech — The Verge Epic Games CEO calls out Apple’s DMA rules as ‘malicious compliance’ — TechCrunch Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23831914 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/12/202434 minutes, 29 seconds
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Why EV adoption in the US has hit a roadblock

We’re very excited for today’s episode, because from now on we’ll be delivering you two Decoders every week. On Monday’s we’ll have our classic interviews with CEOs and other high-profile guests. But our new shorter Thursday episode – like today’s – will explain big topics in the news with Verge reporters, experts, and other friends of the show.  The big idea we’re going to jump into today does in fact have a lot of problems: electric vehicle adoption in the US. We invited Verge Transportation Editor Andy Hawkins, who’s been covering the EV transition for years, to walk us through what’s happening.  Late last year, Andy wrote a fantastic article called, “The EV Transition trips over its own cord.” It was all about the kind of paradox of the EV market right now: The momentum for electric cars in America feels like it’s started to hit serious snags, even though more people than ever before are going fully electric. The stakes are high, and there’s a lot going on. Let’s get into it.  Links:  The EV transition trips over its own cord — The Verge We’re down to just a handful of EVs that qualify for the full US tax credit — The Verge Electric cars were having issues. Then things got political — WSJ Tesla is becoming a partisan brand, says survey — Eletrek 16 Republican governors urge Biden EPA to roll back proposed electric vehicle standards — USA Today Slow rollout of national charging system could hinder EV adoption — NYT Want to stare into the Republican soul in 2023? — Slate Biden vetoes Republican measure to block electric vehicle charging stations — NYT The Biden administration is pumping more money into EV charging infrastructure — The Verge GM should just bring back the Chevy Volt — The Verge Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/8/202442 minutes, 10 seconds
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Platformer’s Casey Newton on surviving the great media collapse and what comes next

Today, I’m talking with Casey Newton, the founder and editor of the Platformer newsletter and co-host of the Hard Fork podcast. Casey is also a former editor here at The Verge and was my co-host at the Code Conference last year. Most importantly, Casey and I are also very close friends, so this episode is a little looser than usual.  I wanted to talk to Casey for a few reasons. One, the media industry overall is falling apart, with huge layoffs at almost every media organization you can think of happening weekly, but small newsletters seem to be a bright spot. So I wanted to talk about how Platformer started, how Casey got it to where it is, and how much farther he thinks it can go. And then, I wanted to talk about Substack. It’s the newsletter platform Paltformer used to call its home, but content moderation problems — including its decision to allow Nazis to monetize on the platform — have pushed away a number of its customers, including Platformer.  This episode goes deep, but it’s fun — Casey is just one of my favorite people, and he is not shy about saying what he thinks. Links:  Can Substack CEO Chris Best build a new model for journalism? — The Verge Substack launches its Twitter-like Notes — The Verge Substack Has a Nazi Problem — The Atlantic Substack says it will remove Nazi publications from the platform --- Platformer Substack keeps the Nazis, loses Platformer — The Verge  Why Platformer is leaving Substack — Platformer The Messenger to close after less than a year — The New York Times Do countries with better-funded public media also have healthier democracies? — Nieman Lab AI is killing the old web, and the new web struggles to be born — The Verge The Biden deepfake robocall Is only the beginning — WIRED Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23823565 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/5/20241 hour, 8 minutes, 47 seconds
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Why Sen. Brian Schatz thinks child safety bills can trump the First Amendment

Today, I’m talking with Senator Brian Schatz, of Hawaii. We joke that Decoder is ultimately a show about org charts, but there’s a lot of truth to it. We talked about the separate offices he has to balance against each other, and the concessions he has to make to work within the Senate structure. We also talked a lot about two of the biggest issues in tech regulation today. One is Europe, which is doing a lot of regulation while the US does almost none. How does a senator think about the U.S. all but abdicating that space? The other is one of the few places the US is trying to take action right now: children’s online safety. Schatz is involved with two pieces of child safety legislation, the Kids Online Safety Act and the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, that could fundamentally reshape online life for teens and children across the country. But the big stumbling block for passing any laws about content moderation is, of course, the First Amendment. Links:  Strict Scrutiny — LII / Legal Information Institute The Uniquely American Future of US Authoritarianism — WIRED How the EU’s DMA is changing Big Tech: all of the news and updates — The Verge AI Labeling Act of 2023 (S. 2691) — GovTrack.us Mark Zuckerberg testimony: senators seem really confused about Facebook — Vox Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis — Senate Judiciary Committee AI tools will make it easy to create fake porn of just about anybody — The Verge They thought loved ones were calling for help. It was an AI scam — The Washington Post. Protecting Kids on Social Media Act (S, 1291) — GovTrack.us Kids Online Safety Act (S. 1409) — GovTrack.us Kids Online Safety Shouldn’t Require Massive Online Censorship and Surveillance — EFF TikTok ban: all the news on attempts to ban the video platform — The Verge Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23818699 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/30/20241 hour, 9 minutes, 30 seconds
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Rep. Ro Khanna on what it will take for Congress to regulate AI, privacy, and social media

Today, I’m talking with Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California. He’s been in Congress for eight years now, representing California’s 17th District, which is arguably the highest-tech district in the entire country. You’ll hear him say a couple of times that there’s $10 trillion of tech market value in his district, and that’s not an exaggeration: Apple, Intel, and Nvidia are all headquartered in his district, along with important new AI firms like Anthropic and OpenAI.  I wanted to know how Khanna thinks about representing those companies but also the regular people in his district; the last time I spoke to him, in 2018, he reminded me that he’s got plenty of teachers and firefighters to represent as well. But the politics of tech have changed a lot in these past few years — and things are only going to get both more complicated and more tense as Trump and Biden head into what will obviously be a contentious and bitter presidential election. Links:  Democrats must not repeat the mistakes of globalization California bill to ban driverless autonomous trucks goes to Newsom's desk In labor snub, California governor vetoes bill that would have limited self-driving trucks A lawyer used ChatGPT and now has to answer for its ‘bogus’ citations Barack Obama on AI, free speech, and the future of the internet Music streaming platforms must pay artists more, says EU Sideloading and other changes are coming to iOS in the EU soon Clock running out on antitrust bill targeting big tech Silicon Valley’s Rep. Ro Khanna talks Congress’ plans to regulate Big Tech Trump pushing Microsoft to buy TikTok was ‘strangest thing I’ve ever worked on,’ says Satya Nadella Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23810838 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/23/202454 minutes, 1 second
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How Adobe is managing the AI copyright dilemma, with general counsel Dana Rao

Today, I'm talking to Dana Rao, who is General Counsel and Chief Trust Officer at Adobe. Now, if you're a longtime Decoder listener, you know that I have always been fascinated with Adobe, which I think the tech press largely undercovers. If you're interested in how creativity happens, you're kind of necessarily interested in what Adobe's up to. And it is fascinating to consider how Dana's job as Adobe's top lawyer is really at the center of the company's future.  The copyright issues with generative AI are so unknown and unfolding so fast that they will necessarily shape what kind of products Adobe can even make in the future, and what people can make with those products. The company also just tried and failed to buy the popular upstart design company Figma, a potentially $20 billion deal that was shut down over antitrust concerns in the European Union. So Dana and I had a lot to talk about. Links:  Adobe abandons $20 billion acquisition of Figma Adobe explains why it abandoned the Figma deal Why Figma is selling to Adobe for $20 billion, with CEO Dylan Field Figma’s CEO laments demise of $20 billion deal with Adobe Adobe proposes anti-impersonation law Adobe’s Dana Rao doesn’t want you to get duped by A The New York Times is suing OpenAI and Microsoft Adobe’s Photoshop on the web launch includes its popular desktop AI tools Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23791239 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/9/20241 hour, 25 minutes, 38 seconds
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How Donald Trump and Elon Musk killed Twitter, with Marty Baron and Zoe Schiffer

2023 will go down as the year that Elon Musk killed Twitter. First he did it in a big way, by buying the company, firing most of the employees, and destabilizing the platform; then he did it in a small, but important, symbolic way, by renaming the company X and trying to make a full break with what came before. So now that the story of the company named Twitter is officially over, it felt important to stop and ask: What was Twitter, anyway, and why were so many powerful people obsessed with it for so long? In this special episode, I sat down with Marty Baron, former executive editor of The Washington Post, and Zoe Schiffer, managing editor of Platform and author of Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk’s Twitter. We discussed how two of Twitter’s most dedicated power users – Donald Trump and Elon Musk — were addicted to the platform, defined it, changed it, broke it, and then put it to rest. Links:  The year Twitter died: a special series from The Verge Extremely softcore Inside Elon Musk's “extremely hardcore” Twitter How Twitter broke the news Trump vs. Twitter: The president takes on social media moderation Martin Baron recounts leading The Washington Post during the Trump era Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/21/202339 minutes, 31 seconds
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Why Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen took his company back

Ryan Petersen is the founder and CEO of Flexport, which makes software to optimize shipping everything from huge containers to ecommerce deliveries. It’s a fascinating company; we had Ryan on to explain it last year. Right around the first time we spoke, Ryan handed off the CEO role to 20-year Amazon veteran Dave Clark. Then, barely a year later, Dave got fired, and Ryan returned after CEO. I always joke that Decoder is a show about org charts… so why did Ryan make and then unmake the biggest org chart decision there is?  Links:  Can software simplify the supply chain? Ryan Petersen thinks so - The Verge Amazon consumer chief Dave Clark to join Flexport as its new CEO Flexport CEO Dave Clark resigns from logistics startup after one year in the role Flexport founder publicly slams his handpicked successor for hiring spree, rescinds offers Ousted Flexport CEO Dave Clark strikes back The real story behind a tech founder's 'tweetstorm that saves Christmas' Panama Canal has gotten so dry and backed up after brutal drought that shippers are paying up to $4m to jump the queue When Shipping Containers Sink in the Drink | The New Yorker Transcript:  https://www.theverge.com/e/23770977 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/19/20231 hour, 6 minutes
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USDS head Mina Hsiang wants Big Tech’s best minds to help fix the government

The US Digital Service has a fascinating structure: it comprises nearly 250 people, all of whom serve two-year stints developing apps, improving websites, and streamlining government services. You could call USDS the product and design consultancy for the rest of the government. The Obama administration launched the USDS in 2014, after the disastrous rollout of healthcare.gov and the tech sprint that saved it. USDS administrator Mina Hsiang explains to Decoder how it all works, and what she hopes it can do next. Links:  Here’s Why Healthcare.gov Broke Down (2013) Obamacare's 'tech surge' adds manpower to an already-bloated project (2013) Decoder: Barack Obama on AI, free speech, and the future of the internet Jeff Bezos Confirmed the "Question Mark Method" A comprehensive list of 2023 tech layoffs Tech to Gov U.S. Digital Corps Presidential Innovation Fellows AI.gov United States Digital Service Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23761681 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/12/20231 hour, 4 minutes, 48 seconds
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IBM's Jerry Chow explains next phase of quantum computing

IBM made some announcements this week about its plans for the next ten years of quantum computing: there are new chips, new computers, and new APIs. Quantum computers could in theory entirely revolutionize the way we think of computers… if, that is, someone can build one that’s actually useful. Jerry Chow, director of quantum systems at IBM, explains to Decoder just how close the field is to actual utility.   Links:  What is a Qubit? | Microsoft Azure IBM Quantum Summit 2023 The Wired Guide to Quantum Computing IBM Makes Quantum Computing Available on IBM Cloud to Accelerate Innovation (2016) Multiple Patterning - Semiconductor Engineering IBM Quantum Roadmap (2023) That viral LK-99 ‘superconductor’ isn’t a superconductor after all - The Verge NIST to Standardize Encryption Algorithms That Can Resist Attack by Quantum Computers Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23752312 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/5/202355 minutes, 55 seconds
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Wix CEO Avishai Abrahami isn’t worried AI will kill the web

Today I’m talking with Avishai Abrahami, the CEO of Wix. You might know Wix as a website builder. It’s a competitor to WordPress and Squarespace. Tons of sites across the web run on Wix. But the web is changing rapidly, and Wix’s business today is less about web publishing, and more about providing software to help business owners run their entire companies. It’s fascinating, and Avishai has built a fascinating structure inside of Wix to make all that happen.   Wix is also an Israeli company. Avishai joined from the company’s headquarters in Tel Aviv. And I’ll just tell you right up front that we talked about Israel’s war with Hamas and its impact on the company. And that this conversation was not always comfortable. But the main theme of our conversation was, of course, the future of the web, especially a web that seems destined to be overrun by cheap AI-generated SEO spam. Links:  Doom runs on Excel Wix will let you build an entire website using only AI prompts Wix.com Launches Wix ADI and Delivers the Future of website creation YouTube is going to start cracking down on AI clones of musicians The people who ruined the internet The restaurant nearest Google OpenAI can’t tell if something was written by AI after all AI is killing the old web, and the new web struggles to be born Squarespace CEO Anthony Casalena on why anyone makes a website in 2023 What will changing Section 230 mean for the internet? Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23742026 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/28/20231 hour, 11 minutes, 36 seconds
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Chaos at OpenAI: What happened to Sam Altman, and what's next

What actually happened at OpenAI in the last three days? Decoder host and Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks with Verge editors Alex Heath and David Pierce to break it down and try to work out what's next. Further reading: Sam Altman fired as CEO of OpenAI OpenAI’s new CEO is Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO Emmett Shear named new CEO of OpenAI by board Microsoft hires former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Hundreds of OpenAI employees threaten to resign and join Microsoft Sam Altman is still trying to return as OpenAI CEO We’re doing a survey on how people use The Verge (and what they’d want from a Verge subscription). If you’re interested in helping us out, you can fill out the survey right here: http://theverge.com/survey Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Liam James, Kate Cox, and Nick Statt. It was edited by Andru Marino.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/20/20231 hour, 9 minutes, 17 seconds
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Volvo CEO Jim Rowan thinks dropping CarPlay is a mistake

Today, I’m talking to Jim Rowan, the CEO of Volvo Cars. Now, Jim’s only been at Volvo for a short time. He took over in 2022 after a decades-long career in the consumer electronics industry. Before Volvo, his two longest stints were at BlackBerry, whose QNX software is used in tons of cars, and then at Dyson, which once tried and failed to make an electric car. Jim and I talked a lot about how that unique experience has influenced how he thinks about the transformational changes happening in the world of cars. For Volvo, the stakes are high. The company has pledged to be all-electric by the end of the decade, and Jim is also making some very different bets on software and revenue than the rest of the car industry. Jim’s view is that automakers are undergoing three major shifts all at once: electrification, autonomy, and direct-to-consumer sales. With Volvo, Jim is trying to steer the ship through these changes and come out an EV-only carmaker on the other end. Links: Volvo plans to sell only electric cars by 2030 Volvo’s EX90 is a powerful computer that also happens to be an impeccably designed EV Can Polestar design a new kind of car company? The EV transition trips over its own cord Volvo’s upcoming EVs join the Tesla Supercharger bandwagon Future Volvo cars to run on Volvo operating system Audi and Volvo will use Android as the operating system in upcoming cars Volvo’s first EV will run native Android The rest of the auto industry still loves CarPlay and Android Auto The future of cars is a subscription nightmare Everybody hates GM’s decision to kill Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for its EVs Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23722862 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/14/20231 hour, 7 minutes, 11 seconds
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Barack Obama on AI, free speech, and the future of the internet

We’ve got a good one today. I’m talking to former President Barack Obama about AI, social networks, and how to think about democracy as both of those things collide.  I sat down with Obama last week at his offices in Washington, DC, just hours after President Joe Biden signed a sweeping executive order about AI. You’ll hear Obama say he’s been talking to the Biden administration and leaders across the tech industry about AI and how best to regulate it. My idea here was to talk to Obama the constitutional law professor more than Obama the politician. So this one got wonky fast.  You’ll also hear him say that he joined our show because he wanted to reach you, the Decoder audience, and get you all thinking about these problems. One of Obama’s worries is that the government needs insight and expertise to properly regulate AI, and you’ll hear him make a pitch for why people with that expertise should take a tour of duty in the government to make sure we get these things right. Links:  Biden releases AI executive order directing agencies to develop safety guidelines Clarence Thomas really wants Congress to regulate Twitter moderation Google CEO Sundar Pichai compares impact of AI to electricity and fire Sam Altman sells superintelligent sunshine as protestors call for AGI pause The Skokie case: How I came to represent the free speech rights of Nazis Disinformation is a threat to our democracy World leaders are gathering at the U.K.'s AI Summit. Doom is on the agenda. George R.R. Martin and other authors sue OpenAI for copyright infringement A conversation with Bing’s chatbot left me deeply unsettled Introducing the AI Mirror Test, which very smart people keep failing Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23712912 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/7/202347 minutes, 48 seconds
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AI is on a collision course with the music industry. Reservoir's Golnar Khosrowshahi thinks there’s a way through it

Today I'm talking with Golnar Khosrowshahi, the founder and CEO of Reservoir Media, a newer record label that I think looks a lot like the future of the music industry. As Golnar explains, Reservoir thinks of individual songs as assets, and after acquiring them, the company sets about monetizing those assets in various ways. This is a copyright-based business in an age where copyright is under a lot of pressure — from TikTok, generative AI, and all of the now-familiar threats to the music business. If you're a Decoder listener, you know that I love thinking about the music industry. Whatever technology does to music, it does to everything else five years later. So paying attention to music is the best way I know to get ahead of the curve. I also just love music. Golnar is herself a musician. She obviously cares about music a lot, and she's clearly given a lot of thought to what happens next. So this was a great conversation.  Links: Drake’s AI clone is here — and Drake might not be able to stop him Hipgnosis made mega deals for song catalogs. Its future Is unclear. Reservoir acquires iconic Tommy Boy Music for $100 million Ed Sheeran wins copyright case over Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ Spotify is reportedly making major changes to its royalty model Hipgnosis shareholders vote against continuation of UK-listed music investment trust AI can actually help protect creativity and copyrights Google and YouTube are trying to have it both ways with AI and copyright No Fakes Act wants to protect actors and singers from unauthorized AI replicas ‘Glocalisation’ of music streaming within and across Europe Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23702539 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/31/202356 minutes, 39 seconds
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Harvard professor Lawrence Lessig on why AI and social media are causing a free speech crisis for the internet

Today, I’m talking to internet policy legend Lawrence Lessig. He's been teaching law for more than 30 years, and is a defining expert on free speech and the internet — and something of a hero of mine, whose works I've been reading since college. You’ll hear us agree that the internet at this moment in time is absolutely flooded with disinformation, misinformation, and other really toxic stuff that’s harmful to us as individuals and, frankly, to our future as a functioning democracy. But you’ll also hear us disagree a fair amount about what to do about it. The First Amendment, AI, copyright law — there's a lot to unpack here. Links:  https://asml.cyber.harvard.edu/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/10/17/1081194/how-to-fix-the-internet-online-discourse/ https://www.protocol.com/facebook-papers https://www.tiktok.com/@aocinthehouse/video/7214318917135830318?lang=en https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/sensitive-claims-bias-facebook-relaxed-misinformation-rules-conservative-pages-n1236182 https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/repetition-lie-truth-propaganda/ https://www.theverge.com/23883027/alvarez-stolen-valor-first-amendment-kosseff-liar-crowded-theater https://fortune.com/2023/05/30/sam-altman-ai-risk-of-extinction-pandemics-nuclear-warfare/ https://www.americanbar.org/groups/intellectual_property_law/publications/landslide/2019-20/september-october/into-fandomverse/ Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23693274 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/24/202354 minutes, 49 seconds
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Clearview AI and the end of privacy, with author Kashmir Hill

Today, I’m talking to Kashmir Hill, a New York Times reporter whose new book, Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup’s Quest to End Privacy as We Know It, chronicles the story of Clearview AI, a company that’s built some of the most sophisticated facial recognition and search technology that’s ever existed. As Kashmir reports, you simply plug a photo of someone into Clearview’s app, and it will find every photo of that person that’s ever been posted on the internet. It’s breathtaking and scary. Kashmir was the journalist who broke the first story about Clearview’s existence, starting with a bombshell investigation report that blew the doors open on the company’s clandestine operations. Over the past few years, she’s been relentlessly reporting on Clearview’s growth, the privacy implications of facial recognition technology, and all of the cautionary tales that inevitably popped up, from wrongful arrests to billionaires using the technology for personal vendettas. The book is fantastic. If you’re a Decoder listener, you’re going to love it, and I highly recommend it.  Links:  The secretive company that may end privacy as we know it What we learned about Clearview AI and its secret ‘co-founder’ Clearview AI does well in another round of facial recognition accuracy tests Facebook and LinkedIn are latest to demand Clearview stop scraping images for facial recognition tech hiQ and LinkedIn reach proposed settlement in landmark scraping case My chilling run-in with a secretive facial-recognition app Clearview’s facial recognition app Is identifying child victims of abuse ‘Thousands of dollars for something I didn’t do’ Facebook officially addressed the conspiracy theory about listening to your phone calls How we store and search 30 billion faces Clearview AI agrees to permanent ban on selling facial recognition to private companies Clearview fined again in France for failing to comply with privacy orders Judge approves $650 million Facebook privacy settlement over facial recognition feature Privacy law prevents Illinoisans from using Google app’s selfie art feature Madison Square Garden uses facial recognition to ban its owner’s enemies Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23683175 Credits:  Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/17/20231 hour, 1 minute, 49 seconds
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CEO David Baszucki's mission to make Roblox a billion-player platform

Today we’re bringing you the last of our live-on-stage interviews from the 2023 Code Conference. Verge deputy editor Alex Heath sat down to chat with Roblox CEO David Baszucki.  Roblox definitely started out as a kid thing, but the company has big plans to change all that, and Alex got to find out a bit about how that’s going. Roblox is determined to be a platform, even more than a product — something users can develop games and experiences on. And of course, David and Alex spoke about AI. David sees a lot of opportunity for generative AI to help content creators on the Roblox platform in the not-so-distant future.  Links:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfYz8weQm4M https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/21/roblox-cuts-30-on-talent-acquisition-team-as-hiring-slows/ https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/8/23864858/roblox-ceo-prediction-adults-dating-experiences-rdc-2023 https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/27/23889307/meta-ray-ban-smart-glasses-wearables-connect https://www.theverge.com/23775268/roblox-ceo-david-baszucki-gaming-metaverse-robux-virtual-reality https://mashable.com/article/karlie-kloss-roblox-klossette https://www.theverge.com/23734209/parsons-roblox-design-class-metaverse-fashion Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23677085 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Amanda Rose Smith. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/12/202331 minutes, 9 seconds
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Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe on ramping up R1T production and competing with the Cybertruck

We’ve got another interview from the Code Conference today. My friend and co-host, CNBC’s Julia Boorstin, and I had a chance to talk with Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe. Rivian is a newer company — RJ started it in 2009, and it took more than 10 years to start shipping cars to consumers. But its first vehicle, the R1T pickup, made a big splash when it arrived in 2021, and the company has more back orders for both the R1T and its second vehicle, the R1S SUV, than it can handle. For now. We asked RJ about that production ramp and whether Rivian can meet demand, and whether it’s just early adopters buying EVs or if they’ve finally gone mainstream. The conversation also touched on Rivian’s deal with Amazon and the auto industry’s push toward subscription features. And, of course, I had to ask Scaringe about the Cybertruck. How could I resist?! Links:  BMW starts selling heated seat subscriptions for $18 a month BMW drops plan to charge a monthly fee for heated seats U.A.W. expands strikes at automakers: Here’s what to know. Rivian boosts EV production target as supply problems ease Ford F-150 Lightning gets $10K price cut as ramping supply meets demand First look at Cybertruck’s comically large windshield wiper in action Amazon says it has ‘over a thousand’ Rivian electric vans making deliveries in the US Rivian to adopt Tesla's charging standard in EVs and chargers Rivian electric pickup caught fire while charging at Electrify America station Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23672708 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/10/202340 minutes, 12 seconds
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Getty Images CEO Craig Peters has a plan to defend photography from AI

Last week, when I was co-hosting the Code Conference, I got to talk with Getty Images CEO Craig Peters. The generative AI boom is a direct threat to Getty in many ways. For example, the company is suing Stability AI for training the Stable Diffusion model on Getty content — sometimes clearly including AI-generated copies of the Getty watermark — without permission. Getty's answer? Its own proprietary, in-house AI tool, trained — with permission — on its own content, using a model where the original creators can get paid. Getty's put some pretty strict guardrails around it for now, but, as even Craig told us, there's still a lot of work to do. Links:  https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/21/23364696/getty-images-ai-ban-generated-artwork-illustration-copyright https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/6/23587393/ai-art-copyright-lawsuit-getty-images-stable-diffusion https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/25/23884679/getty-ai-generative-image-platform-launch https://www.theverge.com/23900198/microsoft-kevin-scott-ai-art-bing-google-nvidia-decoder-interview https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/06/section-230-the-internet-law-politicians-love-to-hate-explained/ https://www.npr.org/2023/05/18/1176881182/supreme-court-sides-against-andy-warhol-foundation-in-copyright-infringement-cas https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/26/23808184/big-ai-really-wants-to-convince-us-that-theyre-cautious https://journal.everypixel.com/ai-image-statistics https://www.npr.org/2023/05/22/1177590231/fake-viral-images-of-an-explosion-at-the-pentagon-were-probably-created-by-ai Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23667741 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Amanda Rose Smith. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/5/202333 minutes, 23 seconds
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Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott on how AI and art will coexist in the future

I co-hosted the Code Conference last week, and today’s episode is one of my favorite conversations from the show: Microsoft CTO and EVP of AI Kevin Scott. If you caught Kevin on Decoder a few months ago, you know that he and I love talking about technology together. I really appreciate that he thinks about the relationship between technology and culture as much as we do at The Verge, and it was great to add the energy from the live Code audience to that dynamic. Kevin and I talked about how things are going with Bing and Microsoft’s AI efforts, as well the company’s relationship with Nvidia and whether it's planning to develop its own AI chips. I also asked Kevin some pretty philosophical questions about AI: Why would you write a song or a book when AI is out there making custom content for other people? Well, it’s because Kevin thinks the AI is still “terrible” at it for now, as Kevin found out firsthand. But he also thinks that creating is just what people do, and AI will help more people become more creative. Links:  Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott thinks Sydney might make a comeback Hands-on with the new Bing: Microsoft’s step beyond ChatGPT Microsoft Bing hits 100 million active users in bid to grab share from Google How Microsoft is trying to lessen Its addiction to OpenAI as AI costs soar AMD CEO Lisa Su on the AI revolution and competing with Nvidia Microsoft's tiny Phi-1 language model shows how important data quality is for AI training Microsoft says listing the Ottawa Food Bank as a tourist destination wasn’t the result of ‘unsupervised AI’ Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23664239 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/3/202343 minutes, 26 seconds
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'The Android of agriculture': Monarch Tractor CEO Praveen Penmetsa on the future of farming

We spent a lot of time here on Decoder talking about electric vehicles and the future of cars and we’re usually talking about passenger vehicles or maybe cargo vans. But there’s another huge industry that can also reap the benefits of electrified transportation: agriculture.  I co-hosted the Code Conference this week where I had the opportunity to hangout onstage with Monarch Tractor CEO Praveen Penmetsa. Honestly, this was one of my favorite conversations of the entire event.  We are utterly reliant on farming as a species, and farming is utterly reliant on tractors. If we don’t have tractors, we don’t have food. But electrifying farms is hard, and Praveen explained how he and Monarch are trying to tackle that challenge. The ambition is to compete in an open way with closed platforms like John Deere, and Praveen said his goal for the Monarch platform is to be the Android of agriculture.  Links:  Electric robot tractors powered by Nvidia AI chips are here John Deere turned tractors into computers — what’s next? John Deere commits to letting farmers repair their own tractors (kind of) Monarch Tractors to be manufactured by Foxconn Foxconn begins rolling first Monarch electric tractors off assembly lines in Lordstown A sneak peek into Monarch Tractor's vision-based AI technology CNH Industrial, Monarch Tractor agree electrification technologies deal Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23659941 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/30/202327 minutes, 26 seconds
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AMD CEO Lisa Su on the AI revolution

Today, we’re bringing you something a little different. The Code Conference was this week, and we had a great time talking live onstage with all of our guests. We’ll be sharing a lot of these conversations here in the coming days, and the first one we’re sharing is my chat with Dr. Lisa Su, the CEO of AMD.  Lisa and I spoke for half an hour, and we covered an incredible number of topics, especially about AI and the chip supply chain. The balance of supply and demand is overall in a pretty good place right now, Lisa told us, with the notable exception of these high-end GPUs powering all of the large AI models that everyone’s running. The hottest GPU in the game is Nvidia’s H100 chip. But AMD is working to compete with a new chip Lisa told us about called the MI300 that should be as fast as the H100. You’ll also hear Lisa talk about what companies are doing to increase manufacturing capacity.  Finally, Lisa answered questions from the amazing Code audience and talked a lot about how much AMD is using AI inside the company right now. It’s more than you think, although Lisa did say AI is not going to be designing chips all by itself anytime soon.  Okay, Dr. Lisa Su, CEO of AMD. Here we go.  Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23658688 Links:  AI startup Lamini bets future on AMD's Instinct GPUs Biden signs $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act Pat Gelsinger came back to turn Intel around — here’s how it’s going Huawei’s chip breakthrough poses new threat to Apple in China — and questions for Washington AMD expands AI product lineup with GPU-only Instinct MI300X Microsoft is reportedly helping AMD expand into AI chips US curbs AI chip exports from Nvidia and AMD to some Middle East countries Apple on the iPhone 15 Pro: 'It's Going to be the Best Game Console' Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/29/202335 minutes
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X CEO Linda Yaccarino defends Elon Musk, and herself, at Code 2023

Today, we have a special episode for you. The Code Conference wrapped up this week, and the finale included a rare interview from my Code co-host and CNBC correspondent Julia Boorstin with X CEO Linda Yaccarino. To say the sit-down with Elon Musk’s No. 2 was confrontational would be an understatement.  Yaccarino appeared both unprepared to answer tough questions and very combative, especially when asked about comments from former trust and safety head Yoel Roth, who’s become an outspoken critic of the direction of the company since Elon took over. Roth spoke onstage at Code with Kara Swisher just an hour before, where he warned Yaccarino of the risks of the job and spoke about the extreme harassment he’s faced since leaving the company.  Yaccarino also gave us some updated stats on X user metrics and claimed the company would turn a profit in 2024. And of course, there were some very terse exchanges concerning whether Elon really plans to start charging a subscription fee to use the platform, if he seriously plans to sue the Anti-Defamation League, and the company’s recent cuts to its election integrity team. It’s a jaw-dropping interview, and you really have to listen to the whole thing. Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/29/202341 minutes, 50 seconds
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Mark Zuckerberg on Threads, the future of AI, and Quest 3

What motivates Mark Zuckerberg these days? It's a question Decoder guest host Alex Heath posed at the end of his interview last week, after he and Zuckerberg had spent an hour talking about Threads, Zuckerberg's vision for how generative AI will reshape Meta's apps, the Quest 3, and other news from the company's Connect conference, which kicked off today.  After spending the past five years as a wartime CEO, Zuckerberg is getting back to basics, and he clearly feels good about it. "I think we've done a lot of good things," he said. "But for the next wave of my life and for the company — but also outside of the company with what I'm doing at CZI [Chan Zuckerberg Initiative] and some of my personal projects — I define my life at this point more in terms of getting to work on awesome things with great people who I like working with." For Zuckerberg, "awesome things" means figuring out how to combine his company's AR, VR, and AI ambitions into new products.    This rare interview with the Meta CEO also includes details on his ongoing feud with Elon Musk and the quest to beat X/Twitter using Threads, his perspective on open source, and his vision for decentralized social media. Okay, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Here we go. Links: Mark Zuckerberg is ready to fight Elon Musk in a cage match The three reasons Twitter didn’t sell to Facebook Threads app usage plummets despite initial promise as refuge from Twitter Threads isn’t for news and politics, says Instagram’s boss You can now verify your Threads profile on Mastodon In show of force, Silicon Valley titans pledge ‘getting this right’ With AI Meta is putting AI chatbots everywhere A conversation with Bing’s chatbot left me deeply unsettled Custom AI chatbots are quietly becoming the next big thing in fandom Meta’s Smart Glasses can take calls, play music, and livestream from your face Meta’s $499.99 Quest 3 headset is all about mixed reality and video games The Meta Quest 3 is sharper, more powerful, and still trying to make mixed reality happen Here’s what Mark Zuckerberg thinks about Apple’s Vision Pro Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/27/20231 hour, 11 minutes, 20 seconds
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After 10 years covering startups, former TechCrunch EIC Matthew Panzarino tells us what's next

TechCrunch is one of the most important trade publications in the world of tech and startups, and its annual Disrupt conference is where dozens of major companies have launched… and some have failed. Matt has been the editor-in-chief of TechCrunch for essentially a decade now, and he and I have been both friends and competitors the entire time. We’ve competed for scoops, traded criticisms, and asked each other for advice in running our publications and managing our teams. So when Matt announced last month that he’s stepping down from his role at TechCrunch it felt important to have him come on for what you might call an exit interview — a look back at the past decade running a media outlet at the center of the tech ecosystem, with all of the chaos that’s entailed. Links:  Why We Sold TechCrunch To AOL, And Where We Go From Here | TechCrunch (2010) TechCrunch founder leaves AOL in a cloud of acrimony | CNN Money (2011) SB Nation Sacks AOL in Raid of Former Engadget Team for Competing New Tech Site, As AOL Zeroes in on New EiC | All Things D (2011) Why Every Company Needs A 'No Bozos' Policy | Forbes (2012) Artificial Intelligence Nonprofit OpenAI Launches With Backing From Elon Musk And Sam Altman | TechCrunch Just buy this Brother laser printer everyone has, it’s fine | The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Nick Statt and Kate Cox. It was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/19/202351 minutes, 41 seconds
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More than Sally Ride: Loren Grush explains how NASA’s first women astronauts changed space

The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts, from longtime space reporter and Verge alum Loren Grush, is out today. It’s been 40 years since Sally Ride became the first American woman in space — but she was far from the last. In the early 1980s six women — Sally Ride, Judy Resnick, Kathy Sullivan, Anna Fisher, Rhea Seddon, and Shannon Lucid — would get a chance to fly a mission on one of the space shuttles… including, unfortunately, the ill-fated 1986 Challenger launch. The story of the six may be history, but it’s far from ancient, and there’s a lot going on here that ties directly to today. And of course, what’s an astronaut story without some high-flying hijinks in it? Listen to the end for Loren’s favorite. Links: Nichelle Nichols - NASA Recruitment Film (1977) Top Black Woman Is Ousted By NASA | The New York Times (1973) The Space Truck | The Washington Post (1981) NASA Artemis Five former SpaceX employees speak out about harassment at the company | The Verge Why did Blue Origin leave so many female space reporters out of its big reveal? | The Verge ‘We better watch out’: NASA boss sounds alarm on Chinese moon ambitions | Politico Elon Musk’s Shadow Rule | The New Yorker US Takes First Step Toward Regulating Commercial Human Spaceflight | Bloomberg Apply to attend the Code Conference Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/12/202357 minutes, 47 seconds
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Biometrics? Bring it on: Why Okta’s Jameeka Green Aaron wants passwords to go away

Okta is a big company, a Wall Street SaaS darling. For most of us, it's the thing we have to log into 50 times a week just to get any work done. But from Okta's point of view, Jameeka Green Aaron told us, it's an identity company. I spoke with Jameeka about what "identity" really means — in the digital space, in your real life, and at work — in 2023, and how an identity-based approach might be more or less secure than other approaches. I’m also gearing up to host Code in September (apply to attend here), and I’m thinking a lot about AI — very much a challenge for the future of security, even in a biometric-based era. Links: Apple IDs now support passkeys — if you’re on the iOS 17 or macOS Sonoma betas How to use a passkey to sign in to your Google account Windows 11 tests letting you sign in to websites with a fingerprint or face Apple, Google, and Microsoft will soon implement passwordless sign-in on all major platforms Microsoft called out for ‘blatantly negligent’ cybersecurity practices Okta Faces Long Road Back At Okta, CTO and CISO collaborate by design Apply to attend the Code Conference Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/29/20231 hour, 13 minutes, 12 seconds
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Fandom runs some of the biggest communities on the web. Can CEO Perkins Miller keep them happy?

Perkins Miller is the CEO of Fandom, which both hosts thousands of wikis for everything from Disney to Grand Theft Auto and also runs several publications. Millions of people contribute millions of pieces of content to the platform, and Fandom surrounds all that content with ads and uses all that data to generate insights about how fans think about their favorite games, TV shows, and movies. While you might enjoy the content, a lot of people have complaints — especially about the sheer number of ads. We talked about what it means to host user-generated content in 2023; content moderation; and the general state of media, especially games media, which is pretty rocky right now. I’m also gearing up to host the Code Conference in September (apply to attend here), and I’ve been thinking a lot about AI, search, and the web — all very much big challenges on the horizon for Fandom. Links: Layoffs Hit GameSpot, Giant Bomb Just Months After Fandom Buys Them - Kotaku How Fandom's first-party data, FanDNA, is expanding to improve recommendations for advertisers and audiences - Digiday The AI feedback loop: Researchers warn of 'model collapse' as AI trains on AI-generated content - VentureBeat How Reddit crushed the biggest protest in its history - The Verge ‘Not for Machines to Harvest’: Data Revolts Break Out Against A.I. - The New York Times Someone keeps accusing fanfiction authors of writing their fic with AI, and nobody knows why - The Verge Massive Zelda Wiki Reclaims Independence Six Months Before Tears of the Kingdom - Kotaku Official Minecraft wiki editors so furious at Fandom's 'degraded' functionality and popups they're overwhelmingly voting to leave the site - PC Gamer Trials and Tribble-ations (episode) - Memory Alpha Apply to attend the Code Conference Transcript: Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters, and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/22/20231 hour, 10 minutes, 13 seconds
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Land of the Giants: Tesla vs. The Competition

We have a little surprise in the feed today: An episode of "Land of the Giants," which is all about Tesla this season. Former Verge transportation reporter Tamara Warren and former Jalopnik EIC Patrick George, who are both deeply sourced in the world of cars, host, and every episode has reporting and insight about Tesla that really hasn’t been shared before. It was ahead of the EV competition in basically every way for a long time. But the question Tamara and Patrick want to answer is: Is Tesla still winning by default? And where is the competition pulling ahead now that every carmaker is doing EVs? I joined them in this episode to discuss how modern cars, especially EVs, are being totally rethought as rolling computers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/15/202338 minutes, 3 seconds
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There's no AI without the cloud, says AWS CEO Adam Selipsky

AWS is quite a story. It started as an experiment almost 20 years ago with Amazon trying to sell its excess server capacity. And people really doubted it. Why was the online bookstore trying to sell cloud services? But now, AWS is the largest cloud services provider in the world, and it’s the most profitable segment of Amazon, generating more than $22 billion in sales last quarter alone. By some estimates, AWS powers roughly one-third of the entire global internet. And on the rare occasion an AWS cluster goes down, an unfathomable number of platforms, websites, and services feel it, and so do hundreds of millions of users. Adam Selipsky was there almost from the start: he joined in 2005 and became CEO of AWS in 2019 when former AWS CEO Andy Jassy took over for Jeff Bezos as CEO of Amazon. Even with big competitors such as Microsoft and Google gaining ground, he estimates that only 10 percent of his potential customers overall have made the jump to the cloud.  That leaves lots of room to grow, and I wanted to know where he thinks that growth can come from — and importantly, what will keep AWS competitive as the word “cloud” starts to mean everything and nothing. AWS is going big on AI, but it has some challenges. Adam and I got into all of it and into the weeds of what it means to be an AI provider at scale. It’s uncharted territory. Links: Big Three Dominate the Global Cloud Market Amazon’s server outage broke fast food apps like McDonald’s and Taco Bell Amazon names former exec Adam Selipsky as the new head of AWS AWS is ready to power AI agents that can handle busywork instead of just chatting Nvidia reveals H100 GPU for AI and teases ‘world’s fastest AI supercomputer’ Amazon plans to rework Alexa in the age of ChatGPT Sarah Silverman is suing OpenAI and Meta for copyright infringement Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/23824200/ai-cloud-amazon-aws-adam-selipsky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/8/20231 hour, 9 minutes, 7 seconds
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Rewind: Can Mastodon seize the moment from Twitter?

ActivityPub is back in the news, thanks to Meta’s Threads launch and Elon’s continued immolation of Twitter — now X. That makes this the perfect time to dig into the Decoder archives to hear what Mastodon CEO Eugen Rochko thinks about the future of social media. Mastodon got a head start as the most well-known of the rising decentralized social networks, but that’s changing fast. Bluesky, on a competing protocol, is picking up steam and Threads promises to decentralize in the future, using the same ActivityPub protocol as Mastodon. That’s a big deal, with big potential. Verge Editor-at-Large David Pierce has been covering all this very closely. Before we jump into the interview with Rochko, I spoke with David to help update everyone on what ActivityPub even is, and what it could mean for the future of social media. Links: More than two million users have flocked to Mastodon since Elon Musk took over Twitter - The Verge  A beginner’s guide to Mastodon, the hot new open-source Twitter clone - The Verge Elon Musk - The Verge Benevolent dictator for life - Wikipedia Mastodon Social Eugen Rochko (@[email protected])    Erase browser history: can AI reset the browser battle? - The Verge    Twitter alternatives for the Musk-averse - The Verge We tried to run a social media site and it was awful | Financial Times Denial-of-service attack - Wikipedia   Can ActivityPub save the internet? - The Verge  Five reasons Threads could still go the distance - The Verge What's next for Threads - The Verge Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23422689  Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/25/20231 hour, 21 minutes, 15 seconds
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Why would anyone make a website in 2023? Squarespace CEO Anthony Casalena has some ideas

Today I’m talking to Anthony Casalena, the founder and CEO of Squarespace, the ubiquitous web hosting and design company. If you’re a podcast listener, you’ve heard a Squarespace ad.  I was excited to talk to Anthony because it really feels like we’re going through a reset moment on the internet, and I wanted to hear how he’s thinking about the web and what websites are even for in 2023. If you’re a Vergecast listener, you know I’ve been saying it feels a lot like 2011 out there. The big platforms like Facebook and TikTok are very focused on entertainment content. Twitter is going through… let’s call them changes. People are trying out new platforms like Instagram Threads and rethinking their relationships with old standbys like Reddit. And the introduction of AI means that search engines like Google, which was really the last great source of traffic for web pages, just doesn’t seem that reliable anymore as it begins to answer more questions directly. It’s uncertain, and exciting: a lot of things we took for granted just a couple years ago are up for grabs, and I think that might be a good thing. I love talking to people who’ve been building on the web for this long, and Anthony was no exception – we had fun with this one. Also I think this is the most we have ever talked about pressure washers on Decoder.  Links: Google sunsets Domains business and shovels it off to Squarespace - The Verge How Did Squarespace Know Podcasts Would Get This Big? - The New York Times Watch Squarespace CEO on Leveraging AI Into Website Building - Bloomberg Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23559195 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Jackie McDermott and Raghu Manavalan, and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters, and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/18/20231 hour, 3 minutes, 44 seconds
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Inside Google’s big AI shuffle — and how it plans to stay competitive, with Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis

Today, I’m talking to Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind, the newly created division of Google responsible for AI efforts across the company. Google DeepMind is the result of an internal merger: Google acquired Demis’ DeepMind startup in 2014 and ran it as a separate company inside its parent company, Alphabet, while Google itself had an AI team called Google Brain.  Google has been showing off AI demos for years now, but with the explosion of ChatGPT and a renewed threat from Microsoft in search, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai made the decision to bring DeepMind into Google itself earlier this year to create… Google DeepMind. What’s interesting is that Google Brain and DeepMind were not necessarily compatible or even focused on the same things: DeepMind was famous for applying AI to things like games and protein-folding simulations. The AI that beat world champions at Go, the ancient board game? That was DeepMind’s AlphaGo. Meanwhile, Google Brain was more focused on what’s come to be the familiar generative AI toolset: large language models for chatbots, and editing features in Google Photos. This was a culture clash and a big structure decision with the goal of being more competitive and faster to market with AI products. And the competition isn’t just OpenAI and Microsoft — you might have seen a memo from a Google engineer floating around the web recently claiming that Google has no competitive moat in AI because open-source models running on commodity hardware are rapidly evolving and catching up to the tools run by the giants. Demis confirmed that the memo was real but said it was part of Google’s debate culture, and he disagreed with it because he has other ideas about where Google’s competitive edge might come into play. We also talked about AI risk and artificial general intelligence. Demis is not shy that his goal is building an AGI, and we talked through what risks and regulations should be in place and on what timeline. Demis recently signed onto a 22-word statement about AI risk with OpenAI’s Sam Altman and others that simply reads, “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.” That’s pretty chill, but is that the real risk right now? Or is it just a distraction from other more tangible problems like AI replacing labor in various creative industries? We also talked about the new kinds of labor AI is creating — armies of low-paid taskers classifying data in countries like Kenya and India in order to train AI systems. I wanted to know if Demis thought these jobs were here to stay or just a temporary side effect of the AI boom. This one really hits all the Decoder high points: there’s the big idea of AI, a lot of problems that come with it, an infinite array of complicated decisions to be made, and of course, a gigantic org chart decision in the middle of it all. Demis and I got pretty in the weeds, and I still don’t think we covered it all, so we’ll have to have him back soon. Links: Inside the AI Factory Inside Google’s AI culture clash - The Verge A leaked Google memo raises the alarm about open-source A.I. | Fortune The End of Search As You Know It Google’s Sundar Pichai talks Search, AI, and dancing with Microsoft - The Verge DeepMind reportedly lost a yearslong bid to win more independence from Google - The Verge Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23542786 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Jackie McDermott and Raghu Manavalan, and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters, and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/10/20231 hour, 2 minutes, 14 seconds
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Why CEO David Baszucki is ready for Roblox to grow up

Roblox has 66 million daily users, and people spent 14 billion collective hours on Roblox in just Q1 of 2023. But its CEO David Baszucki still wants to see the company grow.  One idea? Aging up the kinds of experiences that are allowed on its platform. Roblox recently introduced 17+ experiences. It wants to add new AI world-building capabilities. It’s even partnering with advertisers to roll out more immersive ad experiences. It’s been years since the number of adults gaming outnumbered kids – it seems like that’s driving a lot of growth for everyone, including Roblox. But these virtual world games seem like they all want to expand to be much more than just for kids, and much more than just for games. If you think about it, Roblox is already like a metaverse. Schools are using it for classes, companies are starting to advertise there, and people are just hanging out as avatars.  It’s already big, but the hope is to get much, much bigger. Alex Heath, deputy editor at The Verge, got the chance to chat with David up at Roblox headquarters in San Mateo, California. Their conversation covered a lot: why now’s the time for Roblox to grow up, the classic Decoder questions about structure and decision-making, and sadly, why infinite Robux isn’t a thing. Apologies to all the eight year olds out there. Okay, Roblox CEO David Baszucki. Here we go. Links: Roblox will allow exclusive experiences for people 17 and over Roblox, explained - The Verge Fortnite and Roblox are dueling for the future of user-built games - The Verge Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Raghu Manavalan and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/27/202354 minutes, 14 seconds
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Gary Vaynerchuk is ‘petrified’ of Slack

If you’ve spent more than two minutes somewhere on social media, you have probably come across Gary Vaynerchuk. For years I have wondered, is this just a character? Or is there a real Gary Vaynerchuk somewhere behind “GaryVee,” the social media entrepreneur and internet brand? Gary got his start working at his family’s liquor store, which he turned into an online wine shop. That’s where he started in social media, hosting a long-running YouTube show called “Wine Library TV.” He parlayed that into the gigantic GaryVee brand, which at its core, is about entrepreneurship. Gary co-founded the restaurant reservation platform Resy, which he sold to American Express in 2019, and Empathy Wines which he sold in 2020.  The Vaynerchuk empire remains vast, and it’s structured in complicated ways. There’s holding company VaynerX, which contains the ad agency VaynerMedia. There’s another company called Gallery Media which owns lifestyle websites. Gary even co-founded a sports agency – VaynerSports, with pro athletes like the NFL’s Kirk Cousins and Sauce Gardner on the roster, MLB shortstop Bo Bichette, and a variety of combat athletes. On top of all that, there’s a serious upheaval going on in digital media. The era of the social web is coming to a major moment of change, with new platforms like TikTok in the mix and old standbys like Twitter and Reddit going through complicated and controversial resets. New platforms bring new personalities and influencers, who are native to those platforms and maybe better at capturing the audience there. It’s one thing when you’re the first GaryVee. But staying GaryVee, in a time of change, and pitching brands and companies that his approach to social media will stay relevant, is an ongoing challenge. We got to chat with Gary at his Hudson Yards office in Manhattan and I will tell you, he did not hold back with his answers. Links: A trip to the GaryVee convention, where everyone is part of crypto’s 1 percent - The Verge How Gary Vaynerchuk Became an NFT Guru Gary Vaynerchuk expects NFTs to expand beyond digital collectibles long term | TechCrunch Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23530741 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Jackie McDermott and Raghu Manavalan. It was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/21/202350 minutes, 4 seconds
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Private equity bought out your doctor and bankrupted Toys”R”Us. Here’s why that matters.

The idea behind private equity or PE is simple: a private equity company gathers up a bunch of cash, raises some investor cash and takes on a lot of debt to buy various companies, often taking them off the public stock market. Then, they usually install new management and embark on aggressive cost cutting and turnaround programs – mostly because they have to pay down all that debt pretty fast. Then, the company can be sold or taken public again for a hefty profit. But don’t worry—if it doesn’t work out, the PE firms are extracting fees at every step of the process so they get paid no matter what happens. In another world, these PE deals are just boring financing strategies or maybe the backbone of the occasional juicy corporate takeover story. In Decoder world, PE is everywhere. Since the modern PE industry kicked off in the 1980’s, it’s grown virtually unchecked, and as author Brendan Ballou explains, that’s had seriously negative consequences for all kinds of markets and consumers. Private equity affects everything from the modern nursing home industry, to the Solarwinds hack, one of the biggest hacks in U.S. history. Brendan Ballou is the author of Plunder: Private Equity’s Plan to Pillage America. Brendan is also a federal prosecutor and he served as Special Counsel for Private Equity in the antitrust division at the Department of Justice, so he’s uniquely suited to writing a book like this. Although he will be the first to tell you, the book does not reflect the views of the DOJ. This is a wonky episode, but it’s essential. Links: Plunder by Brendan Ballou  How Private Equity Buried Payless - The New York Times  Barnes & Noble is going back to its indie roots to compete with Amazon - Decoder, The Verge How arson led to a culture reboot at Traeger, with CEO Jeremy Andrus - Decoder, The Verge Opinion | Private Equity Is Gutting America — and Getting Away With It - The New York Times Ticketmaster, Taylor Swift, and antitrust – explained - The Verge What is chokepoint capitalism, with authors Cory Doctorow and Rebecca Giblin  Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Jackie McDermott and Raghu Manavalan, and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters, and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/13/20231 hour, 49 seconds
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SiriusXM’s 360 strategy with CEO Jennifer Witz

Jennifer Witz is the CEO of SiriusXM. You probably know the company as the satellite radio brand in virtually every new car, but it also owns Pandora, a huge podcast network that includes Team Coco and 99% Invisible, a content operation with huge stars like Howard Stern, and has broadcast deals with every major sports league. SiriusXM is effectively the dominant market leader for built-in premium audio in cars, in a time when competition is increasing. As the infotainment system in cars gets ever more complex and computer-like, the Sirius experience has to keep up. On top of that, the state of car software is a mess. GM announced it won’t support Apple CarPlay in new EVs. Other companies are using various versions of Android. Tesla has its own platform. And Sirius has to support all of it with applications that compete with Big Tech companies, all while continuing to integrate the satellite hardware into the cars themselves — on top of launching satellites on SpaceX rockets. Links: After layoffs, SiriusXM looks to star-studded podcasts What Is SiriusXM with 360L? A Breakdown of the New Audio Platform  SiriusXM CEO Calls Audio Ad Sales Market “Tough” Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23514318 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Jackie McDermott and Raghu Manavalan, and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters, and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/6/20231 hour, 5 minutes, 45 seconds
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Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott on AI copilots, disagreeing with OpenAI, and Sydney making a comeback

Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott, who as of this week also has the new title executive vice president of AI, oversees Microsoft's AI efforts, including the big partnership with OpenAI and ChatGPT. Kevin and I spoke ahead of his keynote talk at Microsoft Build, the company’s annual developer conference, where he showed off the company’s new AI assistant tools, which Microsoft calls Copilots. Microsoft is big into Copilots. GitHub Copilot is already helping millions of developers write code, and now, the company is adding Copilots to everything from Office to the Windows Terminal. Basically, if there’s a text box, Microsoft thinks AI can help you fill it out, and Microsoft has a long history of assistance like this. You might remember Clippy from the ’90s. Well, AI Super Clippy is here. Microsoft is building these Copilots in collaboration with OpenAI, and Kevin manages that partnership. I wanted to ask Kevin why Microsoft decided to partner with a startup instead of building the AI tech internally, where the two companies disagree, how they resolve any differences, and what Microsoft is choosing to build for itself instead of relying on OpenAI. Kevin controls the entire GPU budget at Microsoft. I wanted to know how he decides to spend it.  We also talked about what happened when Bing tried to get New York Times columnist Kevin Roose to leave his wife. Like I said, this episode has a little bit of everything. Okay. Kevin Scott, CTO and executive vice president of AI at Microsoft. Here we go. Links: Microsoft Build - The Verge  Kevin Scott on Vergecast in 2020  GitHub Copilot gets a new ChatGPT-like assistant to help developers write and fix code - The Verge  Hackers made Iran's nuclear computers blast AC/DC - The Verge  Microsoft resurrects Clippy again after brutally killing him off in Microsoft Teams - The Verge Google’s Sundar Pichai talks Search, AI, and dancing with Microsoft - The Verge Congress hates Big Tech — but it still seems optimistic about AI - The Verge Hollywood writers to strike over low wages caused by streaming boom. - The Verge  The 70 percent solution — CNN Sal Khan: How AI could save (not destroy) education | TED Talk Why a Conversation With Bing’s Chatbot Left Me Deeply Unsettled - The New York Times Responsible AI principles from Microsoft Microsoft has been secretly testing its Bing chatbot ‘Sydney’ for years - The Verge         Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23497429 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/23/20231 hour, 7 minutes, 10 seconds
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Recode Media: Inside the AI Gold Rush

Today – we’ve got a treat for you. We’re going to run a special episode from our friends over at Recode. Peter Kafka and his team just wrapped up a special 3-part series on AI.  AI has captured the imagination of Silicon Valley. In fact, in the last few months, I’ve talked to both Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella about AI after they announced new AI-powered search products. And in the middle of the frenzy, it's hard to tell what's really going on. What exactly is AI, how does tech plan to re-design the world with it, and why are a bunch of smart people very, very worried? In this episode, they’re diving into the gold rush around AI. Figuring out what’s just hype, meeting the VCs that are hungry to invest, and finding out if there will be room for startups, or if the giants will just own it all. If you’re a Decoder listener, this is right up your alley. Thanks to Peter Kafka and Recode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/16/202350 minutes, 25 seconds
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Exclusive: Google’s Sundar Pichai talks Search, AI, and dancing with Microsoft

Hello and welcome to Decoder. I’m Nilay Patel, editor in chief of The Verge, and Decoder is my show about big ideas, and other problems. We have a special episode today – I’m talking to Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google and Alphabet. We hung out the day after Google IO, the company’s big developer conference, where Sundar introduced new generative AI features in virtually all of the company’s products. It’s an important moment for Google, which invented a lot of the core technology behind the current AI moment – the company is quick to point out the T in chatGPT stands for Transformer, the large language model tech first which was invented at Google. But openAI and others have been first to market with generative AI products — and openAI in particular has partnered with Microsoft on a new version of Bing that feels like the first real competitor to Google search in a long time.  So I wanted to know what Sundar thinks of this moment – and in particular, what he thinks of the future of search, which is the heart of Google’s business. Web search right now can be pretty hit or miss, right? There’s a lot of weird content farms out there, and AI-based search might be able to just answer questions in a more natural way. But that means remaking the web, and really, remaking Google. Sundar is already going down that path – he just reorganized Google and Alphabet’s AI teams, moving a company called DeepMind inside Google and merging it with the Google Brain AI group to form a new unit called Google DeepMind. I can’t resist an org chart question, so we talked about why he made that call – and how he made it. We also talked about Sundar’s vision for Google – where he wants it to go, and what’s driving his ambition to take the company into the future. This is a jam-packed episode – we talked about a lot, and I didn’t even get to Google’s AI metadata plans, or what’s going on with RCS and Android. Maybe next time.  Links: The nine biggest announcements from Google I/O 2023  What happens when Google Search doesn't have the answers?  Microsoft thinks AI can beat Google at search — CEO Satya Nadella explains why  Let’s chat about RCS - The Verge  Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23484772  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/12/202342 minutes, 21 seconds
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I can't make products just for 41 year old tech founders," AirBnB CEO Brian Chesky on taking it back to the basics

Brian Chesky, the co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, was previously on the show in 2021. Back then, Airbnb was betting big on long-term stays for remote work amid the pandemic, and Chesky had just restructured the company to a more functional organization, getting rid of the divisions it had before. Now, the pandemic is ending, Airbnb has itself adopted a hybrid policy, Chesky’s back in the office several days a week, and they’re two years into that new structure. So that’s pure Decoder bait. I wanted to ask Chesky how that restructure is going. Has it really made the company more agile and cohesive like he hoped? Has the bet on working from anywhere paid off? Links: Brian Chesky's tweet announcing the summer 2023 launch Microsoft thinks AI can beat Google at search — CEO Satya Nadella explains why  Samsung caught faking zoom photos of the Moon Why the future of work is the future of travel, with Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/9/20231 hour, 4 minutes, 24 seconds
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The social media age for news is over. Former BuzzFeed News editor Ben Smith on what’s next

Ben Smith is the former and founding editor-in-chief of Buzzfeed News, the founder and editor-in-chief of Semafor, and the author of a new book called Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go Viral, which is about the rise and fall of the social platform age in media, through the lens of Gawker Media and Buzzfeed and, in particular, their founders, Nick Denton and Jonah Peretti. I say the fall of the social platform age pretty literally: just before we spoke, Buzzfeed actually shut down Buzzfeed News, saying it just wasn’t making enough money, Facebook and the rest are all in on vertical video, and the chaos at Twitter means a lot of baseline media industry assumptions are now up for grabs. Ben and I talked about a lot – where do journalists build their brands now? Where does traffic even come from anymore? What’s next? Of course, we talked about Semafor as well. Ben and his co-founder, Justin Smith, raised $25 million and launched a news website, newsletters, and events covering the US and sub-Saharan Africa, with plans to expand into other regions. I wanted to know what lessons from Buzzfeed Ben brought into Semafor and, honestly, how he’s thinking about building an audience instead of just trying to get traffic.  This is a good one. The book’s great, too. Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23470662 Links: Traffic by Ben Smith What Colors Are This Dress?  TikTok - The Verge Is Substack Notes a ‘Twitter clone’? We asked CEO Chris Best - The Verge MyPillow CEO’s free speech social network will ban posts that take the Lord’s name in vain - The Verge Former Facebook Workers: We Routinely Suppressed Conservative News Cambridge Analytica: understanding Facebook’s data privacy scandal - The Verge 28 Signs You Were Raised By Persian Parents In America Here's The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read To Her Attacker More Than 180 Women Have Reported Sexual Assaults At Massage Envy Macedonia’s Pro-Trump Fake News Industry Had American Links, And Is Under Investigation For Possible Russia Ties Watching Silicon Valley Bank melt down from the front row, with Brex CEO Henrique Dubugras - Decoder, The Verge  Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott with help from Hadley Robinson and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/2/20231 hour, 11 minutes, 14 seconds
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Bitcoin is still the future of payments, says Lightspark CEO David Marcus

We’ve got a special episode with Alex Heath, deputy editor at The Verge and a familiar host for Decoder listeners, and David Marcus, the CEO of Lightspark. That’s a company that just launched a service to make fast transactions using Bitcoin on something called the Lightning Network. David was previously at PayPal, and then he led Meta’s big payments effort that went nowhere, but he’s got a lot to say about where crypto and payments are right now. Links: Launching the Lightspark Platform Facebook tells Congress how it thinks Libra should be regulated - The Verge The leader of Facebook’s stalled cryptocurrency project is leaving the company - The Verge Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23460507  Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/25/202350 minutes, 45 seconds
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Brightdrop isn’t just selling electric vans — it's redesigning delivery

Travis Katz is the CEO of BrightDrop, a subsidiary of GM that makes electrified delivery vans with an eye toward rebooting all of how delivery works. BrightDrop has pretty big partnerships already, with names like FedEx, Verizon, and Walmart committed to its Zevo 600 van, and it’s got big ideas for making the steps from the van to your door more efficient as well with something called e-carts. Katz says there’s a huge demand for delivery especially as online shopping keeps getting bigger, but the transportation network is at capacity, and you can’t just keep throwing more trucks and drivers on the road, or making city streets wider. His plan is to redesign the entire system to make it more efficient. So I wanted to know how he’s attacking that problem and making it manageable, all while getting buy-in from customers that won’t really accept delays or increased costs. BrightDrop is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, so I also wanted to know how that works, what he gets from being part of the big company, and which parts slow him down. Lots of classic Decoder stuff in this one. Links: GM’s electric delivery van just set a world record — with me riding shotgun - The Verge  Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23451134  Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott with help from Hadley Robinson and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/18/20231 hour, 11 minutes, 10 seconds
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Is Substack Notes a ‘Twitter clone’? We asked CEO Chris Best.

It is fair to say that Substack has had a dramatic week and a half or so, and I talked to their CEO Chris Best about it. The company announced a new feature called Substack Notes, which looks quite a bit like Twitter — Substack authors can post short bits of text to share links and kick off discussions, and people can reply to them, like the posts, the whole thing. Like I said, Twitter. Twitter, under the direction of Elon Musk, did not like the prospect of this competition, and for several days last week, Twitter was taking aggressive actions against Substack. At one point you couldn’t even like tweets with Substack links in them. At another point, clicking on a Substack link resulted in a warning message about the platform being unsafe. And finally, Twitter redirected all searches for the word Substack to “newsletter.” Musk claimed Substack was somehow downloading the Twitter database to bootstrap Substack Notes, which, well, I’m still not sure what that means, but I at least asked Chris what he thought that meant and whether he was doing it.  It’s tempting to think of Substack like a rival platform to Twitter, but until the arrival of Substack Notes, it was much more like enterprise software. With Substack Notes, the company is in direct competition with social networks like Twitter. It’s shipping a consumer product that’s designed to be used by Substack readers. It is no longer just a software vendor; it’s a consumer product company. And that carries with it another set of content moderation concerns, that, after talking to Chris, I’m just not sure Substack is ready for. Like, I really don’t know. You’ll just have to listen to his answers — or really, non-answers — for yourself. This is a wild one. I’m still processing it. Let me know what you think. Okay, Chris Best, CEO of Substack. Here we go. Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23445916 Links: Can Substack CEO Chris Best build a new model for journalism? - The Verge Now live for all: Substack Notes Substack Content Guidelines Welcome to the new Verge (re Quick Posts) Can Mastodon seize the moment from Twitter? - The Verge Twitter’s newsletter tool is shutting down in less than a month - The Verge Elon Musk on Twitter: "@BretWeinstein 1. Substack links were never blocked..." Casey Newton - Substack Notes Platformer on Substack    Can we regulate social media without breaking the First Amendment? - The Verge How to buy a social network, with Tumblr CEO Matt Mullenweg - The Verge Newsletter platform Substack raises $65 mln in Andreessen Horowitz-led funding round | Reuters Substack Drops Fund-Raising Efforts as Market Sours - The New York Times Substack Wefunder Substack Notes, Twitter Blocks Substack, Substack Versus Writers How much money do we think Substack lost last year? - The Verge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/13/20231 hour, 8 minutes, 1 second
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Watching Silicon Valley Bank melt down from the front row with Brex CEO Henrique Dubugras

Brex CEO Henrique Dubugras found himself playing an important role during the Silicon Valley Bank collapse. Brex is what you might call a neobank — not a traditional bank but rather a financial services provider that helps companies manage how they spend money, corporate cards, travel expenses and the rest. In the middle of the SVB collapse, Brex was more than just a spending management company. It was also a safe place to park money. Brex saw billions of deposits in a very short period of time, giving Dubugras a bird's-eye view of what was happening — and what was happening was not great for the banking system, especially in Silicon Valley. (Our own Liz Lopatto has been covering this in depth.) I wanted to hear Dubugras' perspective on SVB both as a fintech CEO and a founder himself, whether he thought the crisis was rational or just a panic caused by group texts and easy-to-use mobile banking interfaces, what he thinks will happen to the startup ecosystem next, and how much of an opportunity all this was for Brex. Dubugras is a young CEO. He just turned 27. He really surprised me with his depth here, and he will probably surprise some of you as well. Okay, Henrique Dubugras, CEO of Brex. Here we go. Links: The tech industry moved fast and broke its most prestigious bank  Liz Lopatto - The Verge  A fintech CEO is trying to raise more than $1 billion to fund bridge loans for startups impacted by the Silicon Valley Bank collapse Robinhood Users Say The Trading App Won’t Cash In Their Profitable Bets Against Silicon Valley Bank  What Is A Neobank? – Forbes Advisor   Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23433504  Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/4/20231 hour, 4 minutes, 51 seconds
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The surprisingly complex business of toys, with Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks

Chris Cocks is the CEO of Hasbro, a company that just turned 100 this year. Hasbro is a huge company, making everything from Transformers to Lincoln Logs to My Little Pony and Monopoly. It also makes Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, which are massive and growing businesses. Chris was the head of that division, called Wizards of the Coast, before he became the CEO of Hasbro overall last year. Since then, he’s started the process of restructuring the company, which is pure Decoder bait.  He’s also dealt with some crises: He’s fended off an activist investor that wanted him to spin Wizards of the Coast out into a new company. The Magic community was upset that too many card sets were being released, including rare collector cards that could suddenly be bought by anybody who had enough money. Then, an attempt to change the open gaming license for Dungeons & Dragons led to a fan backlash, and Hasbro walked the entire plan back. We talked about these challenges, how he handled them, and what it means for toys and games to have such passionate fandoms. It really changes how Hasbro operates. He’s also selling off part of eOne, the company’s TV and film production company — we get into why and how he decided to do that. Chris is a lifelong gamer — you’ll hear him talk about that history several times. And he’s also keenly aware that toys and games have become an adults’ market as much as a kids’ one, and that changes the company’s business strategy. This is really a remarkable conversation: toys are a big, complex business. Links: Chris Cocks Is Hasbro’s Gamer in Chief Chris Cocks Statement at Hasbro Investor Day Hasbro strongly refutes claims it is ‘destroying’ Magic: The Gathering Dungeons & Dragons finally addresses its new Open Gaming License Hasbro CEO on D&D fiasco: ‘We misfired’ on the OGL but have ‘since course corrected’ Magic: The Gathering Becomes a Billion-Dollar Brand for Toymaker Hasbro Hasbro Puts Newly Acquired TV Brand Entertainment One (eOne) Back Up For Sale Transcript: Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Hadley Robinson and it was edited by Amanda Rose Smith. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters. And our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/31/20231 hour, 10 minutes, 34 seconds
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Can Mastodon seize the moment from Twitter?

Today I’m talking to Mastodon CEO Eugen Rochko. Mastodon is the open-source, decentralized competitor to Twitter, and it’s where a lot of Twitter users have gone in this, our post-Elon era. The idea is that you don’t join a single platform that one company controls, you join a server, and that server can show you content from users across the entire network. If you decide you don’t like the people who run your server, or you think they’re moderating content too strictly, you can leave, and take your followers and social graph with you. Think about it like email and you’ll get it – if you don’t like Gmail, you can switch to something else, but you don’t have to quit email entirely as a concept. Now if you are like me, you hear the words open-source and decentralized, and then the word CEO, and you think – wait, why does the decentralized open standard have a CEO? The whole point is that no single person or company is in charge, right? Well, welcome to the wild world of open-source governance. It’s a riot, my friends – you’re going to hear Eugen and I say the phrase benevolent dictator for life in dead seriousness, because that’s how a lot of these projects are run. Of course, we also talk about money, and structure – Mastodon doesn’t make a lot of money, and Eugen is figuring out how to build a structure that scale past just a handful of people — but keep that in mind, actually. This tiny mostly volunteer labor of love might very well be the future of social networking, and, if you believe the hype about ActivityPub, might have some part in the future of the web. That’s pretty exciting, even if things are seem a little messy in the moment. Links: More than two million users have flocked to Mastodon since Elon Musk took over Twitter  A beginner’s guide to Mastodon, the hot new open-source Twitter clone Elon Musk Benevolent dictator for life Mastodon Social Eugen Rochko (@[email protected]) XKCD    Erase browser history: can AI reset the browser battle? Twitter alternatives for the Musk-averse We tried to run a social media site and it was awful Denial-of-service attack Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23422689  Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/28/20231 hour, 18 minutes, 37 seconds
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How to play the long game, with New York Times CEO Meredith Kopit Levien

Meredith Kopit Levien is the CEO of The New York Times, which is perhaps the most famous journalism organization in the world, and certainly one of America’s most complicated companies. The Times is 172 years old, and has only recently become a force on the internet. It’s hard to remember, but back in 2014 and ‘15, people thought the Times was doomed — that it would be replaced by BuzzFeed and Vice and Vox. Instead, the company has undergone a radical and sometimes painful public transformation, and emerged as something closer to Netflix or Spotify – a subscription business with a huge investment in product and engineering.  Meredith has led a lot of that change, and in particular, she’s led the charge in turning a Times subscription into much more than paying for news – NYT Cooking and Games are hit apps, and of course she bought Wordle last year in a bit of a coup. We talked about that structure, how Meredith intends to appeal to a broader audience with all those products when the country is basically divided in half politically and one half doesn’t care for the Times at all, and about platforms and growth. And like all media organizations, the Times has a complex relationship with Google, so we talked about that, too. Links: Our Strategy | The New York Times Company NYT CEO outlines plans to reach 15 million subscribers by 2027 Why the New York Times is buying the Athletic Wordle has been bought by The New York Times, will ‘initially’ remain free for everyone to play  The Economics at the Heart of the Times Union Standoff  'Unstoppable innovator': The meteoric rise of Meredith Kopit Levien, the next New York Times CEO Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23416720 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Hadley Robinson and it was edited by Amanda Rose Smith The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/23/20231 hour, 1 minute, 55 seconds
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Taylor Swift vs. Ronald Reagan: The Ticketmaster story

This special episode dives deep on Taylor Swift, Ticketmaster, and how a handful of policy changes in the 1980s led to one firm so thoroughly dominating the live events business in the United States that Congress held a hearing in 2023, because Taylor Swift fans were so upset about antitrust law. That sentence is wild. We’re going to unpack all of this with the help of some experts. Here we go. Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23409098 Credits: Thanks so much to everyone who talked to us and shared their valuable insights for this episode including Dean Budnik, Florian Ederer, Russ Tannen, and Sandeep Vaheesan. And special thanks to Makena Kelly and Jake Kastrenakes.  This episode was written and reported by Jackie McDermott and Owen Grove. It was produced by Jackie McDermott, Owen Grove, and Creighton DeSimone with help from Jasmine Lewis. It was edited by Callie Wright.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/21/202333 minutes, 26 seconds
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‘The Goliath is Amazon’: after 100 years, Barnes & Noble wants to go back to its indie roots

In this installment of our Centennial Series on companies that are over 100 years old, we are talking to Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt. The last few decades have thrown some hurdles in Barnes & Noble’s way, however. Far from being the monster that inspired the plot of the movie You’ve Got Mail, it’s had to face down a new Goliath called Amazon and the general decline of big-box retail stores. After years of closures and declining revenues, Barnes & Noble was bought out by activist investors in 2019, who installed Daunt as CEO, and he’s managed to turn things around by doing two main things.  First, he has decentralized operations of the stores, letting each store act like a local bookshop and giving his booksellers more control over what titles they sell and display. He immediately ended a system that allowed publishers to pay for special placement in bookstores, which he said corrupted the entire system in service of short-term profits. Second, he’s using Barnes & Noble’s scale to build a purchasing and distribution pipeline that serves as the rest of the book industry’s competitor to Amazon.  We get into all of it — the culture wars, J.K. Rowling, book ban bills in states across the country, and how Barnes & Noble went from being the bully on the block to competing with Amazon. Links Hedge Fund Buys Barnes & Noble Can Britain’s Top Bookseller Save Barnes & Noble? - The New York Times How Barnes & Noble transformed its brand from corporate bully to lovable neighborhood bookstore Barnes & Noble to expand, marking a new chapter for private equity #BookTok: Is TikTok changing the publishing industry?  How book lovers on TikTok are changing the publishing industry Barnes & Noble History Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23406145 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Hadley Robinson and it was edited by Jackson Bierfeldt.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/16/20231 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds
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Why Spotify wants to look like TikTok, with co-president Gustav Söderström

Gustav Söderström has worked at Spotify for a long time; his first big project was leading the launch of its mobile app back in 2009. That makes him the perfect company leader to talk to about Spotify’s recent redesign, which introduces a visual, TikTok-like feed for discovering new content on the app’s homepage. As his boss CEO Daniel Ek put it last week, it’s “the biggest change Spotify has undergone since we introduced mobile.” With the title of co-president and chief product and technology officer, Söderström is responsible for not only how Spotify looks and feels but also all the AI work happening behind the scenes to power its increasingly important recommendations. According to Söderström, it turns out that improving those recommendations is actually at the heart of the big redesign. “I think companies that don’t have an efficient user interface for a machine learning world are not going to be able to leverage machine learning,” he told Alex Heath on the newest episode of Decoder. Links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napster Spotify is laying off 6 percent of its global workforce, CEO announces Spotify’s new design turns your music and podcasts into a TikTok feed Alex Heath's Tweet Functional versus Unit Organizations Two-Pizza Teams Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23402123 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/14/20231 hour, 49 seconds
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Can Xerox reinvent itself for another 100 years?

Intro: Steve Bandrowczak, the CEO of Xerox, an iconic company that got started all the way back in 1906 as a manufacturer of photo paper and is, of course, best known for pioneering the copy machine. Here in 2023, Xerox has moved well beyond paper. It now works with companies large and small to provide IT services: it optimizes workflows, manages data, automates parts of businesses, and yes, still fixes the printers. Steve insists there’s still a lot in the world to print, and selling and servicing printers continues to be where Xerox begins its relationships with most customers. And fixing printers is getting high tech: Steve is excited about his new AR app that walks you through getting the copy machine working again so you don’t have to wait for a technician to come fix it.  We also talked about the future of Xerox’s legendary Palo Alto Research Center, or PARC, whether Xerox wants more consolidation, and we even spitball some ideas about how to get Gen Z excited about printers.  Links: John Visentin, Xerox C.E.O., Dies at 59 Xerox Ousts CEO In Deal With Icahn Carl Icahn Makes Case for Xerox-HP Union Xerox abandons $35 billion hostile bid for HP Apple Lisa: the ‘OK’ Computer About PARC, a Xerox Company Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23394156 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Hadley Robinson and it was edited by Jackson Bierfeldt.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/9/20231 hour, 3 minutes, 33 seconds
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How Reddit is getting simpler — and dealing with TikTok, with chief product officer Pali Bhat

Pali Bhat joined Reddit from Google about a year ago — he’s actually Reddit’s first-ever chief product officer, which is pretty surprising considering that Reddit is a series of product experiences: the reading experience, the writing experience, and importantly, the moderation experience. One thing we always say on Decoder is that the real product of any social network is content moderation, and Reddit is maybe the best example of that: every subreddit is shaped by volunteer moderators who use the tools Reddit builds for them. So Pali has a big job bringing all these products together and making them better, all while trying to grow Reddit as a platform. This was a really deep conversation, and it touched on a lot of big Decoder themes. I think you’re going to like it. Okay, Pali Bhat, the chief product officer of Reddit. Here we go. Links: New features aimed at making Reddit easier to use: an update on our product priorities focussed on simplification Reddit’s new features include a TikTok-style video feed Reddit is bringing back r/Place, its April Fools’ Day art experiment How to buy a social network, with Tumblr CEO Matt Mullenweg Microsoft thinks AI can beat Google at search — CEO Satya Nadella explains why AI-generated fiction is flooding literary magazines — but not fooling anyone Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23390325 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/7/20231 hour, 1 minute, 41 seconds
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Podcasting? Radio? It’s all one big opportunity for iHeartMedia digital CEO Conal Byrne

We taped this episode live at Hot Pod Summit. That’s our conference for the podcast industry. We have a whole newsletter for podcasters. It’s called Hot Pod, written by our very own Ariel Shapiro. Hot Pod Summit is where we bring that community of creators, trendsetters and decision-makers together to explore the latest developments in podcasting, audiobooks, and more. It was a packed house and a great time. We ended the day by recording our first-ever live Decoder with Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia’s digital audio group. Conal oversees podcasting at a giant radio company, and his group accounts for a quarter of iHeart’s revenue, which was $1 billion last quarter alone. His team makes some of the biggest podcasts around, with huge talent like Will Ferrell, Shonda Rhimes, and Charlamagne tha God, who you’ll hear Conal talk about quite a lot. Conal and iHeart Digital earned that success by doing some unconventional things. Whereas other big podcasting players like Spotify and Apple have tried to boost revenue through subscriptions or platform exclusivity, Conal shunned those approaches and said he’s going for big audience reach, made possible in part by his ability to run ads and even shows on iHeart’s huge network of traditional radio stations. But that maverick approach has included some controversial steps as well. Last year, Verge alumni and Bloomberg reporter Ashley Carman reported that iHeart worked with a firm called Jun Group to essentially buy podcast downloads through video games. To many in the industry, that seemed pretty disingenuous. So of course I asked Conal about that and lots more. He was a great guest, super game to answer the questions, especially in front of a live audience. Links: iHeartMedia Buys Stuff Media for $55 Million - WSJ  Podcasters Are Buying Millions of Listeners Through Mobile-Game Ads  Cost Per Thousand (CPM) Definition and Its Role in Marketing Spotify reportedly paid $200 million for Joe Rogan’s podcast - The Verge Chris Dixon thinks web3 is the future of the internet — is it? - Decoder, The Verge Decoder with Nilay Patel (@decoderpod) Official | TikTok   Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23381445 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/28/20231 hour, 8 minutes, 59 seconds
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Erase browser history: can AI reset the browser battle?

Hello and welcome to Decoder. I’m Nilay Patel, editor in chief of The Verge, and Decoder is my show about big ideas, and other problems.  Today, I'm talking to Mitchell Baker, the chairwoman and CEO of Mozilla, the organization behind the Firefox browser, the Thunderbird email client, the Pocket newsreader, and a bunch of other interesting internet tools. Now as you all know, Decoder is secretly a podcast about org charts – maybe not so secretly, and Mozilla’s structure is really interesting. Mozilla itself is a nonprofit foundation, but it contains within it something called the Mozilla Corporation, which actually makes Firefox and the rest. Mitchell is the chairwoman of the foundation, and the CEO of the corporation. And the Mozilla Corporation, which they charmingly call MoCo, can make a profit - or it can least be taxed, which is an important distinction you’ll hear Mitchell talk about. I bring this up because Mozilla has been around since 1994 in a variety of structures and business models – it started as a company called Netscape, and Mitchell was one of the first employees in the legal department. Netscape’s product was Netscape Navigator, the first commercial web browser, which of course changed the consumer internet and scared Microsoft so much it did a bunch of anticompetitive things that led to the famous antitrust case. In the meantime, Netscape got sold to AOL, and along the way Mitchell led the somewhat renegade Mozilla Project inside the company which eventually lead to Mozilla the non-profit foundation that eventually launched Firefox. It’s a lot! But now Mitchell is trying to live up to Mozilla’s nonprofit ideals of protecting the open internet while still trying to compete and cooperate with tech giants like Apple and Google. And these are complicated relationships: Google still accounts for a huge percentage of Mozilla’s revenue – it pays hundreds of millions of dollars to be the default search engine in Firefox. And Apple restricts what browser engines can run on the iPhone – Firefox Focus on the iPhone is still running Apple’s webkit engine, something that regulators, particularly in Europe want to change.   On top of all that, some big foundational pieces of the web are changing: Microsoft is aggressively rolling out its chatGPT-powered Bing search engine in an effort to displace Google and get people to switch to the Edge browser, and Twitter’s implosion means that Mitchell sees Mastodon as one of Mozilla’s next big opportunities.  So how does Mozilla get through this period of change while staying true to itself? And will anyone actually switch browsers again? Turns out – it might be easier to get people to switch on phones, than on desktops. That’s Mozilla’s belief, anyway. Links: Netscape - Wikipedia The State of Mozilla: 2021 — 2022 Annual Report The future of computers is only $4 away, with Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton Firefox drops Google as default search engine, signs five-year deal with Yahoo Microsoft thinks AI can beat Google at search — CEO Satya Nadella explains why Microsoft announces new Bing and Edge browser powered by upgraded ChatGPT AI A beginner’s guide to Mastodon, the hot new open-source Twitter clone Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23362385 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/14/20231 hour, 9 minutes, 41 seconds
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Microsoft thinks AI can beat Google at search — CEO Satya Nadella explains why

I’m coming to you from Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, where just a few hours ago, Microsoft announced that the next version of the Bing search engine would be powered by OpenAI, the company that makes ChatGPT. There’s also a new version of the Edge web browser with OpenAI chat tech in a window that can help you browse and understand web pages.  The in-depth presentation showed how OpenAI running in Bing and Edge could radically increase your productivity. They demo’d it making a travel itinerary, posting to LinkedIn, and rewriting code to work in a different programming language. After the presentation, I was able to get some time with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Nadella has been very bullish on AI. He’s previously talked about AI as the next major computing platform. I wanted to talk about this next step in AI, the partnership with OpenAI, and why he thought now was the best time to go after Google search. This is a short interview, but it’s a good one. Okay, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. Here we go. Watch this interview as a video Microsoft announces new Bing and Edge browser powered by upgraded ChatGPT AI All the news from Microsoft’s February AI event Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23354035 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today's episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, Jackie McDermott, Vjeran Pavic and Becca Farsace and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/8/202324 minutes, 12 seconds
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How HBO’s creatives survived corporate chaos

HBO started as an experiment. It was a way to get people to switch from getting TV over broadcast antennas to cable by offering events you’d otherwise need tickets to see: boxing, plays, movies. That’s where the name Home Box Office comes from. But it grew from there in surprising ways: HBO was a major innovator in satellite distribution, in working with cable operators around the country, and of course in programming. The company’s taste and style has influenced and shaped culture for a generation now. And importantly, HBO did it without any real data: the cable companies owned all the subscribers, so HBO made decisions through instinct and experience. The amazing thing about HBO is that it has stayed true to itself through an absolutely tumultuous set of ownership changes and strategy shifts. If you’re a Decoder listener you know about the chaos of AT&T and HBO Max and the sale to Discovery to create Warner Brothers Discovery, but it’s so much twistier than that. I talked through all of those twists with Felix Gillette and John Koblin, authors of the terrific book It’s Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO. Felix and John also peeled back the curtain on your favorite HBO shows from Sex and the City to Game of Thrones. Before we get into the episode, I have to do our usual set of disclosures: I’m a Netflix executive producer. We made a Netflix show called The Future Of. You should watch it. I’m hopelessly biased in favor of the show we made. Also, Vox Media has a minority investment from Comcast. They don’t like me very much. And I worked at AOL Time Warner. I quit to start The Verge.  Ok that’s that. Let’s get into the interview—it’s a good one. Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23352141 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/7/20231 hour, 8 minutes, 23 seconds
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Inside the global battle over chip manufacturing

A few weeks ago, President Biden was in the Netherlands, where he asked the Dutch government to restrict export from a company called ASML to China. ASML is the only company in the world that makes a specific machine needed to make the most advanced chips. Apple couldn’t make iPhone chips without this one machine from the Netherlands’ biggest company. ASML doesn’t just shape the Dutch economy—it shapes the entire world economy. How did that happen? Chris Miller, Tufts professor and author of Chip War: The Fight For The World’s Most Critical Technology walked me through a lot of this, along with some deep dives into geopolitics and the absolutely fascinating chip manufacturing process. This one has everything: foreign policy, high powered lasers, hotshot executives, monopolies, the fundamental limits of physics, and, of course, Texas. Here we go. Links: US issues sweeping restrictions on chip sales to China Japan and the Netherlands join US with tough chip controls on China Pat Gelsinger came back to turn Intel around — here’s how it’s going Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23342471 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/31/202353 minutes, 6 seconds
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Taylor Swift and the music industry's next $20

I have this theory that music is usually about five years ahead of the rest of media in terms of its relationship to tech—whether that’s new formats based on new tech, like vinyl to CDs; new business models like streaming; or simply being disrupted by new kinds of artists who use new forms of promotion like TikTok in unexpected ways. I’ve always thought that if you can wrap your head around what’s happening to the music industry, you can pretty much see the future of TV or movies or the news or whatever it is, because the music industry just moves that fast. I was talking about this with my friend Charlie Harding, the co-host of Switched on Pop, and he said that he thinks the upcoming Taylor Swift Eras Tour is itself the end of an era in music — that the age of cheap streaming services is coming to an inevitable conclusion, and that something has to change in order for industry to sustain itself in the future.  So, in this episode, Charlie and I walk through a brief history of the music business—which, despite its ever-changing business models, is permanently trying to find something to sell you for $20 whether that’s the music itself, all-access streaming, merch, and even NFTs—using Taylor Swift as a case study. We map her big moves against the business of music over time to try to see if this really is the end of an era. And maybe more importantly, to try and figure out if the music industry can sustain and support artists who are not Taylor Swift, because streaming, all by itself, definitely cannot. Links: Switched on Pop Charlie’s first appearance on Decoder: Good 4 who? How music copyright has gone too far - The Verge  Why Amazon VP Steve Boom just made the entire music catalog free with Prime - The Verge  Spotify launching in the US at 8AM tomorrow, open to all pre-registered users - The Verge Metallica sued Napster 15 years ago today - The Verge Taylor Swift calls Apple Music free trial 'shocking, disappointing' in open letter - The Verge Taylor Swift versus Ticketmaster: the latest on the tour that may break up a giant - The Verge The DOJ has reportedly opened an antitrust investigation into Ticketmaster's owner      How fandom built the internet as we know it, with Kaitlyn Tiffany - The Verge Steve Aoki on the blockchain, the metaverse, and the business of music - The Verge Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23322720 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Hadley Robinson, Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters. Our Sr. Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/17/20231 hour, 23 minutes, 33 seconds
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Breaking free from big tech and big content with authors Cory Doctorow and Rebecca Giblin

Last year I spoke with Cory Doctorow and Rebecca Giblin about their new book, Chokepoint Capitalism. It’s a book about artists and technology and platforms, and how different kinds of distribution and creations tools create chokepoints for different companies to capture value that might otherwise go to artists and creators.. In other words, it’s a lot of Decoder stuff. As we were prepping this episode, the Decoder team realized it previews a lot of things we’re going to talk about in 2023: antitrust law. Ticketmaster. Spotify and the future of the music industry. Amazon and the book industry. And, of course, being a creator trying to make a living on all these platforms. This episode is longer than normal, but it was a really great conversation and I'm glad we are sharing it with you. Links: What is Mixer, Ninja’s new exclusive streaming home? Ninja returns to Twitch This was Sony Music's contract with Spotify Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23311918 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/10/20231 hour, 30 minutes, 20 seconds
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‘We might be wrong, but we’re not confused’: how Tomer Cohen, chief product officer at LinkedIn, figures out what works best

Tomer Cohen is the chief product officer at LinkedIn, and actually, I talked to Tomer twice. Here’s a little secret about Decoder: we do the interviews, and then often, the guest and I just keep chatting for a while. So after my first interview with Tomer, we were hanging out, talking about the perpetual battles between engineers, product managers, and designers. And he said something that completely jumped out at me: “We might be wrong, but we’re not fucking confused.”  This isn’t a totally new line — it’s been floating around for a while, you can Google it — but you know I love an f-bomb, and honestly, it’s one of the most simple and clarifying things a manager can say, especially when managing across large teams. So I asked Tomer to come back and really dig in on that idea. On top of that, we’ve been talking a lot about running social networks lately, and LinkedIn is a fascinating social network because it doesn’t have the same engagement-based success metrics as other social platforms like Twitter and Instagram. Tomer doesn’t care about time spent on LinkedIn; the platform is designed to be successful when people get new jobs. That means his ideas for features and user experiences are just really different. Links: Employment Situation Summary (Jobs Report) December Workforce Report 2022 (LinkedIn) Vision to values flowchart ChatGPT proves AI is finally mainstream — and things are only going to get weirder LinkedIn buys California-based SaaS learning platform How big companies kill ideas — and how to fight back, with Tony Fadell RAPID decision making Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23281360  Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/20/20221 hour, 18 minutes, 24 seconds
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How to buy a social network, with Tumblr CEO Matt Mullenweg

We have to talk about Twitter, right? Elon Musk bought it. He’s making all these changes, and he’s realizing that content moderation decisions are quite complicated, especially when the stakes are high. But talking about Twitter in a vacuum seems wrong. There are lots of other social networks and community-based products, and they all have basically the same problems: some technical (you have to run the service), some political (you have to comply with various laws and platform regulations around the world), and some social (you have to get millions of users to post for free while making sure what they post is good stuff and not bad stuff). So, we’re doing something a little different this week. First, I’m talking to Matt Mullenweg, who is the CEO of Automattic, which owns WordPress, the blog hosting platform, and Tumblr, the social network, which he purchased from Verizon in 2019. Then, Verge deputy editor Alex Heath and I are going to break down a bunch of what Matt told me and apply it to Twitter to see what we can learn. Okay, Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Tumblr, followed by Alex Heath. Here we go. Links: How WordPress and Tumblr are keeping the internet weird GPL - General Public License Verizon is selling Tumblr to WordPress’ owner Kanye West suspended from Twitter after posting a swastika ‘Martin Scorsese’s lost film’ Goncharov (1973), explained Yahoo acquires Tumblr in $1.1 billion cash deal, promises 'not to screw it up' Verizon is selling Tumblr to WordPress’ owner Turnaround Definition Welcome to Tumblr. Now Go Away. Work With Us / Twitter – Automattic Tumblr will sell you two useless blue check marks for $8 Elon Musk is laying off even more Twitter workers Welcome to hell, Elon Why “Go Nuts, Show Nuts” Doesn't Work in 2022 How America turned against the First Amendment  About – SHOSHANA ZUBOFF A Framework for Moderation First Amendment - Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition | Constitution Center America’s Favorite Flimsy Pretext for Limiting Free Speech  Brandenburg v. Ohio Elon Musk says Tim Cook told him Apple ‘never considered’ removing Twitter - The Verge The Twitter Files - Matt Taibbi Elon Musk’s promised Twitter exposé on the Hunter Biden story is a flop that doxxed multiple people Twitter Blue is back, letting you buy a blue checkmark again Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23270126 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/13/20221 hour, 42 minutes, 40 seconds
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Disney’s CEO drama explained, with Julia Alexander

Today, we need to talk about Bob. Two Bobs, actually: Bob Iger, the former and now current CEO of Disney, and Bob Chapek, the man Iger handpicked as his replacement, who flamed out and was fired by the board, and then, on November 20th, was replaced by Bob Iger. Bobs, man. The heart of this whole thing is total Decoder bait. It’s a story about how to structure a company like Disney. Then you add in the complexity of the shift to streaming, the future of TV and movies generally, and the gigantic reputation of a character like Bob Iger, who many people think could plausibly run for president. There’s just a lot going on here. Whenever I need to talk Disney, media, and Bobs, I call one person: Julia Alexander, director of strategy at Parrot Analytics and a former reporter at The Verge. Julia pays a lot of attention to the streaming giants, she’s sourced inside all the companies battling for our attention, and she has a lot to say about the Bobs. Links: Bob Iger steps back in as Disney CEO, replacing Bob Chapek  Reed Hastings on Twitter Disney+ launch lineup: Every movie and TV show available to stream on day one - The Verge Bob Iger steps down as Disney CEO, replaced by Bob Chapek - The Verge Disney streaming chief Kevin Mayer resigns to become TikTok CEO - The Verge Disney Plus surpasses 100 million subscribers - The Verge Meta announces huge job cuts affecting 11,000 employees - The Verge Netflix's $6.99 per month ad tier is now live Stranger Things - The Verge Disney’s major reorganization is good news for anyone who loves Disney Plus - The Verge Functional Structure: Advantages and Disadvantages | Indeed.com Pros and Cons of Implementing a Divisional Structure | Indeed.com Disney Proposal to Restructure, on McKinsey’s Advice, Triggered Uproar From Creative Executives - WSJ Disney Shows the Limits of Streaming - WSJ Disney Erases Almost All Its Pandemic Gains After Earnings Miss ‘Strange World’: Beautiful to look at, but not much below the surface - The Washington Post Watch The Future Of | Netflix Official Site Kevin Mayer quits as TikTok CEO due to ongoing political turmoil - The Verge Kevin Mayer Says His Firm Is In Deal Mode After Buying Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar announces exit as Discovery deal nears close - The Verge  Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23259187 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/6/20221 hour, 2 minutes, 15 seconds
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How Bose compete with AirPods — and why it’s in more cars than ever, with CEO Lila Snyder

Bose is one of the most recognizable audio brands in the world: it was famous for the Wave radio in the 80s, it invented noise cancellation, you can see its logo on NFL sidelines every Sunday, and of course there are the popular consumer products like the QuietComfort headphones that reviewers like Chris Welch here at The Verge rate as some of the best in the game. Bose is in tons of cars as well: audio systems in GM, Honda, Hyundai, Porsche, and more are developed and tuned by Bose. Bose was founded in 1964 by Dr. Amar Bose, who donated a majority of the shares of the company to MIT, where he was a professor. That means to this day, Bose is a private company with no pressure to go public. However, Bose still has to compete against big tech in talent, products, and compatibility. So today I’m talking to Bose CEO Lila Snyder about Bose’s dependence on platform vendors like Apple and Google, how she thinks about standards like Bluetooth, and where she thinks she can compete and win against AirPods and other products that get preferential treatment on phones. Links: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II review: noise cancellation domination How Amar Bose used research to build better speakers List of Bose shelf stereos Hearing Aids | FDA Digital signal processor Functional organization Bose names its first female CEO as wait continues for new products Amar Bose ’51 makes stock donation to MIT Meta announces huge job cuts affecting 11,000 employees Amazon mass layoffs will reportedly ax 10,000 people this week Elon Musk demands Twitter employees commit to ‘extremely hardcore’ culture or leave The iPhone 7 has no headphone jack Bluetooth Special Interest Group Qualcomm Partners with Meta and Bose Bose gets into hearing aid business with new FDA-cleared SoundControl hearing aids Over-the-counter hearing aids could blur the line with headphones New Bose-Lexie Hearing Aid to Enter the Over-the-Counter Market Lexie Partners with Bose to Offer Lexie B1 Powered by Bose Hearing Aids Bose Frames Tempo review: the specs to beat Bose discontinues its niche Sport Open Earbuds BMW starts selling heated seat subscriptions for $18 a month Seven CEOs and one secretary of transportation on the future of cars Why Amazon VP Steve Boom just made the entire music catalog free with Prime                  Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23246668  Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.  The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/29/20221 hour, 18 minutes, 52 seconds
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On with Kara Swisher: Can Chris Licht Turn CNN Around?

Chris Licht faces an uphill battle at CNN. He got the CEO gig in the midst of a prickly merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery and right after the shocking exit of beloved long-time boss, Jeff Zucker. In his first six months, he’s shut down CNN+, ousted Brian Stelter, and shuffled anchors around, including Don Lemon and Jake Tapper. This week, the network chief held an internal town hall meeting where he faced a staff of thousands and discussed upcoming layoffs. Shortly afterwards, he sat down with Kara — who grilled him, of course. She asks Licht whether he has any real actual power or if he’s simply executing orders from Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav — who is in search of cuts, as the company stares down the barrel at $50 billion in debt — and billionaire board member, John Malone, who has said he’d like to see more “centrist” programming from CNN. They discuss Licht’s vision for the newsroom, his plan to build trust with journalists who fear losing jobs, and how CNN will cover Donald Trump during the 2024 election. Before the interview, Kara and Nayeema discuss the challenges facing journalism in an era of disinformation. Stay tuned for Kara’s closing rant on “citizen journalism” and Elon’s latest broadside against the press. You can find Kara and Nayeema on Twitter @karaswisher and @nayeema. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/22/20221 hour, 6 minutes, 22 seconds
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Phil Spencer really wants you to know that native Call of Duty will stay on PlayStation

Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, is in charge of Xbox and all the game studios that Microsoft has acquired over the years. Phil came to talk to us hours before the European Commission announced an in-depth investigation into Microsoft’s proposed 68.7 billion dollar acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which makes the enormous Call of Duty series, as well as Candy Crush on phones.  So I had the chance to ask Phil: Will he make the concessions that regulators want in order to close this deal? And is the deal really just about Call of Duty, or something else? Is Microsoft committed to keep Call of Duty available on Playstation? Phil’s a candid guy. He’s been on Decoder before. I always enjoy talking to him, and this was a fun one. Links: Microsoft’s Phil Spencer on the new Xbox launch - The Verge Microsoft to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion - The Verge Why Microsoft bought Bethesda for $7.5 billion Microsoft announces big, multistudio push to create more Xbox exclusives Bethesda’s Starfield and Redfall have been delayed to 2023 Tech antitrust pioneer Lina Khan will officially lead the FTC Sony says Microsoft’s Call of Duty offer was ‘inadequate on many levels’ Microsoft: Xbox game streaming console is ‘years away' This is Microsoft’s Xbox game streaming device Google is shutting down Stadia in January 2023 - The Verge Razer’s Edge is one sharp-looking cloud gaming Android handheld Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld review: terminally online Steam Deck review: it’s not ready Steam Deck, one month later Tech Leaders Discuss the Metaverse’s Future | WSJ Tech Live 2022 Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on the business of Windows Microsoft partners with Meta to bring Teams, Office, Windows, and Xbox to VR EU opens ‘in-depth investigation’ into Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23223230 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/15/20221 hour, 5 minutes, 19 seconds
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Why Figma is selling to Adobe for $20 billion, with CEO Dylan Field

Dylan Field is the co-founder and CEO of Figma, which makes a very popular design tool that allows designers and their collaborators to all work together right in a web browser. You know how multiple people can edit together in Google Docs? Figma is that for design work. We just redesigned The Verge; we used Figma extensively throughout that process. So for years, people have been waiting on the inevitable Figma vs. Adobe standoff since Figma was such a clear upstart competitor to Photoshop and Illustrator and the rest. Well, buckle up because in September, Adobe announced that it was buying Figma for $20 billion. Figma is going to remain independent inside Adobe, but you know, it’s a little weird. So I wanted to talk to Dylan about the deal, why he’s doing it, how he made the decision to sell, and what things he can do as part of Adobe that he couldn’t do as an independent company. Dylan’s also a pretty expansive thinker, so after we talked about his company getting the “fuck you” money from Adobe, we talked about making VR Figma for the metaverse and AGI, which is artificial general intelligence, or the kind of AI that can fully think for itself. This episode takes a turn. I think you’re going to like it. Okay, Dylan Field, CEO of Figma. Here we go. Links: Welcome to the new Verge Adobe to acquire Figma in a deal worth $20 billion A New Collaboration with Adobe Designers worry Adobe won't let Figma flourish WebGL - Wikipedia How big companies kill ideas — and how to fight back, with Tony Fadell - Decoder Dylan Field on Twitter: "Our goal is to be Figma not Adobe" College Dropout Turns Thiel Fellowship Into a $2 Billion Figma Fortune Generative adversarial network (GAN) - Wikipedia       GPT-3 - Wikipedia Is VR the next frontier in fitness? - Decoder Artificial general intelligence - Wikipedia   Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23209862 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Jackson Bierfeldt. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/8/20221 hour, 9 minutes, 15 seconds
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The mystery of Biden’s deadlocked FCC

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently short a commissioner, and the Biden Administration and Senate Democrats just can't seem to get that seat filled despite having nominated an amazingly qualified person. Her name is Gigi Sohn. The inability to get Gigi confirmed at the FCC has left the commission deadlocked with two Democrats and two Republicans. That means the commission in charge of regulating all telecom in the United States, including how you get your internet service, is unable to get much done. The Biden administration can't accomplish some of its biggest policy priorities like rural broadband and restoring net neutrality. President Biden first nominated Gigi Sohn to the FCC over a year ago, but the full Senate vote to confirm her just hasn't happened. We’ve been digging into the story for a few months now, trying to figure out what's going on here, and we found a simple but really frustrating answer… Links: Gigi Sohn Author Profile - The Verge  Comcast trying to “torpedo” Biden FCC pick Gigi Sohn, advocacy group says The Slime Machine Targeting Dozens of Biden Nominees Attempted acquisition of Tribune Media by Sinclair Broadcast Group The Vergecast: Net neutrality was repealed a year ago. Gigi Sohn explains what’s happened since  Confirmation Hearing for FCC and Commerce Department Nominees Biden signs $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act  Biden Signs Bill to Help Veterans Exposed to Toxic Burn Pits With the Inflation Reduction Act, the US brings climate goals within reach  Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation  Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation  A Media Censor for the FCC?  Hyperpartisan Gigi Sohn Doesn’t Belong at the FCC Gigi Sohn and the Police Gigi Sohn Facebook Tweet Tech antitrust pioneer Lina Khan will officially lead the FTC Confirmation Hearing For FCC Nominee FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel on staying connected during a pandemic Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23201559 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was written and reported by Jackie McDermott. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. Additional mixing by Andrew Marino. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters and our Executive Director is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/3/202241 minutes, 14 seconds
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Why Amazon VP Steve Boom just made the entire music catalog free with Prime

I love covering the music industry, but over the past 10 years I’ve found that it’s one of the most challenging things to make accessible to a wide audience. See, my theory is that the music industry is like five years ahead of everything else when it comes to being disrupted by tech: whatever happens to the music industry because of technology eventually happens to everything else. Today I'm talking to Steve Boom, the VP of Amazon Music. Amazon just announced that they are upgrading the music service that Prime members get as part of their subscription. Starting today, one of the benefits for Amazon Prime members is that you now get access to the entire Amazon Music catalog, about 100 million songs, to play in shuffle mode. That service used to only contain 2 million songs. And they are removing ads from a large selection of podcasts including the entire Wondery catalog. I wanted to ask Steve: what’s it like to negotiate with the record labels for a service like this? What can streaming services do to make artists more money? And where do podcasts fit into the overall strategy? Amazon and Spotify both spend a lot of money buying podcast studios. Is it paying off? Links: Amazon buys Wondery, setting itself up to compete against Spotify for podcast domination Apple’s Anti-Competitive Behavior Hurts Everyone—Including Audiobook Listeners, Publishers, and Authors Why Rdio died Why it makes sense for Amazon to buy Twitch Amazon Launches Audio App Amp Combining Music and Live Conversation  The days of cheap music streaming may be numbered Why did Jack Dorsey’s Square buy Tidal, Jay-Z’s failed music service? Amazon Music rolls out a lossless streaming tier that Spotify and Apple can’t match How Amazon runs Alexa, with Dave Limp Apple’s new podcast charts show Amazon at the top Spotify gets serious about podcasts with two acquisitions  Vox Media acquires Cafe Studios, Preet Bharara’s podcast-first company Vox Media Acquires Criminal Productions, Leading Narrative Podcast Studio Time to Play Fair - Spotify Apple’s New App Store Rules a Big Boon for Netflix, Hulu & Co. MusiCares Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23197384 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/1/20221 hour, 9 minutes, 22 seconds
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Never pay the ransom — a cybersecurity CEO explains why

Steve Cagle is the CEO of Clearwater Compliance, which is a cybersecurity firm focused on the healthcare industry. Basically, they lock down hospital computer systems, which contain a huge amount of personal data, and are so mission critical that ransomware attackers know that hospitals are more likely to just pay up. If the cryptocurrency explosion has accomplished anything, it’s making ransomware attacks easier and more lucrative for bad guys. Steve told me there’s so much personal information in a hospital system that a single patient’s record can sell for a huge premium over somthing like a credit card number. And we talked about amount of regulation needed to secure that data and that some insurance providers require hospitals to have a minimum level of security, or they won't be covered. It's a fascinating one. Links: Cyber Security Week 2022 Penetration test Cyberattack delays patient care at major US hospital chain Average Healthcare Data Breach Costs Surpass $10M, IBM Finds Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23175031 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. It was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott. Research by Liz Lian and it was edited by Jackson Bierfeldt. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/27/20221 hour, 6 minutes, 11 seconds
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The people who make your apps go to Stack Overflow for answers – here's how it works

Today I'm talking to Prashanth Chandrasekar the CEO of Stack Overflow – a highly specialized kind of social network, with a really unique business model. If you don't know Stack Overflow is a major part of the modern software development landscape: it’s where developers come together, ask questions, and get answers about how to build software, including actual code they can use in their own projects. It’s basically a huge question and answer forum. More than 100 million people visit Stack Overflow every single month. The company also sells Stack Overflow as an internal forum tool that big companies can use for their own teams: Microsoft, Google, Logitech—you name it, they’re using Stack Overflow to coordinate conversations between their engineers. The platform has a long reputation of elitism; Prashanth himself is a developer and he told me his own first experience on Stack Overflow was a negative one. In fact, he took over as CEO about three years ago, after a pretty serious moderation controversy that saw several longtime Stack Overflow moderators quit. I wanted to talk to Prashanth about how it works, how the company makes money, and how to grow such a specialized user base while still being welcoming to new people. Links: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Stack Overflow Sold to Tech Giant Prosus for $1.8 Billion Stack Overflow helps millions of developers do their jobs every single day. Its new CEO says the next stage of its growth is selling to businesses. Big Tech's hiring freeze unlocks rich talent pool for U.S. startups Stack Overflow raises $85M in Series E funding to further accelerate SaaS business Chris Dixon thinks web3 is the future of the internet — is it? Stack Overflow Has a New Code of Conduct: You Must 'Be Nice' Code of Conduct - Stack Overflow Eight great sites that offer online classes The other side of Stack Overflow content moderation Everything you need to know about Section 230 Transcript:  https://www.theverge.com/e/23185361 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/25/20221 hour, 8 minutes, 15 seconds
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Why Signal won’t compromise on encryption, with president Meredith Whittaker

Meredith Whittaker is the president of Signal, the popular messaging app that offers encrypted communication. You might recognize Meredith’s name from 2018 when she was an AI researcher at Google and one of the organizers of the Google walkout. Now she’s at Signal, which is a little different than the usual tech company: it’s operated by a nonprofit foundation and prides itself on collecting as little data as possible. But messaging apps are a complicated business. Governments around the world really dislike encrypted messaging and often push companies to put in backdoors for surveillance and law enforcement because criminals use encrypted messaging for all sorts of deeply evil things. But there’s no half step to breaking encryption, so companies like Signal often find themselves in the difficult position of refusing to help governments. You might recall that Apple has often refused to help the government break into iPhones, for example. I wanted to know how that tradeoff plays out at Signal’s much smaller and more idealistic scale. This is a good one, with lots of Decoder themes in the mix. We have to start doing checklists or something. Okay, Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal. Here we go. Links: The battle inside Signal Yes, even Signal is doing stories now Here’s why Apple’s new child safety features are so controversial Signal is ‘starting to phase out SMS support’ from its Android app A very brief history of every Google messaging app RCS: What it is and why you might want it Let’s chat about RCS WhatsApp is now entirely end-to-end encrypted Moxie Marlinspike has stepped down as CEO of Signal Meredith Whittaker Tweet Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23173757 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Jackson Bierfeldt. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/18/20221 hour, 14 minutes, 31 seconds
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Mark Zuckerberg on the Quest Pro, future of the metaverse, and more

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg joined The Verge’s deputy editor Alex Heath for an in-depth conversation about the company’s new high-end, mixed reality headset, the $1,499 Quest Pro, and why he isn’t backing down from building the metaverse. Zuckerberg and Heath also talked about the future of social media, why he enjoys “being doubted,” and the growing concerns about TikTok’s Chinese ownership. Links: The Meta Quest Pro is a cutting-edge headset looking for an audience Xbox Cloud Gaming is coming to the Meta Quest ​​Apple’s mixed reality headset will reportedly come with an M2 chip We finally got our hands and eyes on the PlayStation VR2 Apple’s app tracking policy reportedly cost social media platforms nearly $10 billion  Mark Zuckerberg took on China in a speech defending free expression Why BeReal is breaking out Elon Musk is buying Twitter, probably? Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23161228 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, Vjeran Pavic, and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/11/20221 hour, 2 minutes, 50 seconds
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Pat Gelsinger came back to turn Intel around – here’s how it’s going

Today I'm talking to Pat Gelsinger, the CEO of Intel. I’ve been excited to have this conversation for a very long time – ever since Pat took over as CEO a little over a year and a half ago. After all. Intel is a very important company with a huge series of challenges in front of it. It’s still the largest chip manufacturer by revenue, and makes more chips than any other company in the United States. In fact there are basically only three major chip manufacturers: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, which is in Taiwan, Samsung, based in South Korea. And Intel, here in the United States. The Intel Pat took over was struggling, and was losing ground to in a variety of markets. But in the past year and a half, Pat’s restructured the company, turned over almost all of its leadership positions, opened a new line of business that would compete with TSMC and make chips for other companies including Intel’s competitors, and generally tried to reset Intel’s famous engineering culture around engineering. Glossary: IFS - Intel Foundry Service. Raptor Lake - codename for intel's Gen 13 processors that were just the day before we had our conversation. Sapphire Rapids - the codename for Intel's 4th generation Xeon server processors. 20A and 18A - 20A is a rebranding of what was intel's 5nm process scheduled to debut in 2024 and 18A is a rebranding of Intels 5nm+ node due out in 2025. Packaging - integrated circuit packaging is the last step of semiconductor fabrication. It's where a block of semiconductor material is put into a case. The case, is known as a "package" and that is what allows you put a circuit on a board. Wafers - When a processor is made they make processors you make hundreds of them at once on a giant wafer.  EUV - is Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography. It's the most advanced way to make chips.  ASML - Is the company that makes the machines that lets you make chips. They are the only company that makes EUV machines. RibbonFET - A new transistor technology that Intel developed. ISV - Independent Software Vendors. PDK - Process Design Kit is a set of files that have data and algorithms that explain the manufacturing parameters for a given silicon process. EDA tools - stands for Electronic Design Automation tools. Basically software tools that are used to design and validate the semiconductor manufacturing process. Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore - the founders of Intel. Andy Grove - employee #3 who went on to become one of their most successful CEOs. Links: Moore's Law Intel is replacing its CEO in February Intel has to be better than ‘lifestyle company’ Apple at making CPUs, says new CEO Apple is switching Macs to its own processors starting later this year Apple MacBook Air with M1 review: new chip, no problem  What we know about Intel’s $20 billion bet on Ohio Intel is building a new €17 billion semiconductor manufacturing hub in Germany Intel delays ceremony for Ohio factory over lack of government funding Intel needs 7,000 workers to build its $20 billion chip plant in Ohio Biden signs $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act President Joe Biden speaks after groundbreaking for Intel’s $20 billion semiconductor plant Intel’s top Arc A770 GPU is priced at $329, available October 12th Intel’s 13th Gen processors arrive October 20th with $589 flagship Core i9-13900K Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23149693 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/4/20221 hour, 10 minutes, 33 seconds
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How Arm conquered the chip market without making a single chip, with CEO Rene Haas

One of the more interesting quirks of the modern tech world is that there’s a really important company at the center of it all that doesn’t make anything. But its work is in your phone, in your TV, your car and maybe even your laptop. I’m talking about ARM, a chip design company that’s been through quite a lot these past few years, and I'm talking to Arm CEO Rene Haas. Arm designs the instruction sets for modern chips: Qualcomm’s chips are Arm chips. Apple’s chips are Arm chips. Samsung’s chips are Arm chips. It’s the heart of modern computing. Arm licenses the instruction set to those companies, who then go off and actually make chips with all sorts of customizations. Basically every smartphone runs an Arm processor, Apple’s Macs now run arm processors, and everything from cars to coffee machines are showing up with more and more arm processors in them. We want to know what you think about Decoder. Take our listener survey! Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23137412 Links: The Vergecast: The HDMI Holiday Spec-tacular on Apple Podcasts  Biden signs $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act Intel needs 7,000 workers to build its $20 billion chip plant in Ohio - The Verge What comes after the smartphone, with Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon - The Verge Why the global chip shortage is making it so hard to buy a PS5 Nvidia’s huge Arm deal has just been scrapped What is a SoC? What is an ECU? Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters. And our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/27/20221 hour, 4 minutes, 44 seconds
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Can software simplify the supply chain? Ryan Petersen thinks so

Ryan Petersen, is the CEO of Flexport, ac ompany that builds software that integrates all the different shipping vendor systems you might run into as you try to get a product from a factory in China to a consumer in Idaho: rail, sea, truck. We’ve talked about the supply chain and inventory management on Decoder with a lot of our guests — the chip shortage seems to affect every company, and sorting out how to get products made and delivered on time is a pretty universal problem. But we haven’t really talked about how products get from one place to another around the world. So I wanted to talk to Ryan, figure out what Flexport’s role in all this is, what his bigger supply chain solutions would be, and why he’s leaving his job as CEO to be executive chairman and handing the reins to Dave Clark, who used to work at Amazon. Links: Dave Clark to Join Flexport As Our New CEO Flexport Wants to Be Uber of the Oceans At Google, Eric Schmidt Wrote the Book on Adult Supervision The real story behind a tech founder’s ‘tweetstorm that saves Christmas’ Ryan's twitter thread Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23126062 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters. And our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/20/20221 hour, 4 minutes, 52 seconds
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Everyone knows what YouTube is. Few know how it really works.

Today, I’m talking to Mark Bergen, a reporter at Bloomberg and the author of a new book about YouTube called. Like, Comment, Subscribe: Inside YouTube’s Chaotic Rise to World Domination. YouTube has always been fascinating to me because it’s such a black box: everyone feels like they know how the platform works, but very few people have a real understanding of the internal politics and tradeoffs that actually drive YouTube’s decision. Mark’s book is one of the best of its kind I’ve read: not only does he take you inside the company, but he connects the decisions made inside YouTube to the creators who use the platform and the effects it has on them. This was a fun one – keep in mind that for as little as we might know about YouTube, we might know even less about TikTok, which is driving all sorts of platforms, even YouTube, into competing with it. Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23113078  Links: YouTube Partner Program Hank Green on Decoder iJustine Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters. And our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/13/20221 hour, 6 minutes, 20 seconds
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Rewind: How big companies kill ideas — and how to fight back, with Tony Fadell

This episode was originally published on May 3rd, 2022. Tony Fadell was instrumental in the development of the iPod and iPhone at Apple and then co-founded Nest Labs, which kicked off the consumer smart home market with its smart thermostat in 2011. Tony sold Nest to Google for $3.2 billion in 2014 and eventually left Google. He now runs an investment company called Future Shape.  Links: Inside the Nest: iPod creator Tony Fadell wants to reinvent the thermostat General Magic - Trailer Inside Facebook’s metaverse for work Silicon Graphics Google is reorganizing and Sundar Pichai will become new CEO Fire drill: can Tony Fadell and Nest build a better smoke detector? Google purchases Nest for $3.2 billion Twitter accepts buyout, giving Elon Musk total control of the company Nest is rejoining Google to better compete with Amazon and Apple Apple Music Event 2005 - Motorola Rokr E1 / iTunes Phone Activision Blizzard hit with another sexual harassment lawsuit Nest buying video-monitoring startup Dropcam for $555 million What matters about Matter, the new smart home standard ZIGBEE ON MARS! Directory: Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Andy Grove, former CEO of Intel Pat Gelsinger, current CEO of Intel Sundar Pichai, current CEO of Alphabet Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring Company Jeff Williams, COO of Apple Matt Rogers, Nest co-founder Jeff Robbin, VP of consumer applications at Apple Steve Hoteling, former CEO gesture recognition company Finger Works Jon Rubinstein, senior VP of the iPod division at Apple Steve Sakomen, hardware engineer and executive at Apple  Avie Tavanian, chief software technology officer at Apple Scott Forstall, senior VP of iOS software, Apple Jony Ive, chief design officer, Apple Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22817673 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/6/20221 hour, 18 minutes, 29 seconds
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How the head of Facebook plans to compete with TikTok and win back Gen Z

We’ve got a special episode of Decoder today – an interview between Verge deputy editor Alex Heath and Meta’s Tom Alison, the head of Facebook. Alex is the co-host of the newest season of Vox Media’s podcast Land of the Giants. This season is about Facebook and Meta. The season finale comes out tomorrow. Alex has been reporting for Land of the Giants for many months, and along the way he interviewed Tom. Facebook has a lot of challenges, but it seems like the biggest problem is TikTok: Facebook's problem is that it spent years – you spent years – building out a social graph that, it turns out, is less interesting than just being shown content that the company thinks you might like. Alison has been at Facebook for more than a decade and previously ran engineering for the News Feed, so he knows more than almost anyone about the history of feeds and where they are going. Links: Land of the Giants Facebook is changing its algorithm to take on TikTok, leaked memo reveals Facebook is revamping its home feed to feel more like TikTok Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23092319 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters. And our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/30/20221 hour, 5 minutes, 6 seconds
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Advertising is everywhere. Wieden+Kennedy CEO Neal Arthur explains how it works

One thing that strikes me, in all these episodes of Decoder, is how little any of us really pay attention to the advertising industry, and how deeply connected it is to almost other every modern business. After all you can start a company and invent a great product, but you still need to market it: you need to tell people about it, and eventually convince them to buy it. And so you take out an add on a platform and, well, the platform companies we all depend on mostly run on ads. Google’s entire consumer business is ads. Meta’s entire business is ads. And when we talk to creators, they’re even more tied to ads: their distribution platforms like TikTok and YouTube are all ad-supported, and a huge portion of their revenue is ads.  This week I’m talking to Neal Arthur, the CEO of Weiden and Kennedy, one of the few independent major ad agencies in the world, and maybe the coolest one? It’s got a rep. Weiden is the agency that came up with Just Do It for Nike and Bud Light Legends for Bud Light. They’ve done campaigns for Coke, Miller, Microsoft, ESPN – you name it. Coming off our conversation last week with Katie Welch about building a brand from the ground up using influencer marketing and potentially never hiring an ad agency, I wanted to get a view from the other side: how does a big ad agency work? Where does their money come from? So many of the big agencies are merging into what are called holding companies – why is Wieden still independent? Links: Bud Light puts creative account up for review after years with Wieden+Kennedy Mover Over Millennials -- Here Comes Gen Z How Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty Goes Viral, With CMO Katie Welch Mad Men (TV Series 2007-2015) Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23081723 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott. It was edited by Callie Wright. And researched by Liz Lian. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters. And our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/23/20221 hour, 3 minutes, 22 seconds
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How Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty goes viral, with CMO Katie Welch

Katie Welch is the Chief Marketing Officer of Rare Beauty — the beauty products company founded by superstar musician and actress Selena Gomez. Rare Beauty sells its products online and in Sephora retail stores, and importantly, Katie does almost no traditional marketing: Rare Beauty is a true internet brand, that depends on social media strategy, influencer marketing, and community to drive sales. Specifically, the enormous community around Selena Gomez, who, again, is an international superstar with a fandom of her own. This kind of marketing is essentially new. Famous people making their own products and companies and using their online reach to launch and grow those businesses is a combination of art and commerce that is 10 – 15 years old at most, Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty is only five years old, but it’s redefined the industry and helped make her a billionaire. Some of the first big successes came from the Kardashian-Jenners including Kylie Cosmetics, founded in 2015, as well as Kim Kardashian’s Skims, founded in 2019. I’ve been really curious about how these businesses work, how they reach their audiences and customers, how CMOs like Katie measure success, whether being the marketing executive for an super online celebrity-driven business feels different than being a traditional marketing person, and whether the ever-present risk of weird things happening online make her plan differently. Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23071490 Links: Why BeReal is breaking out Why Hank Green can’t quit YouTube for TikTok Apple’s app tracking transparency feature isn’t an instant privacy button Apple’s app tracking policy reportedly cost social media platforms nearly $10 billion Updating The Verge’s background policy Marketing Funnels Katie's TikTok Instagram walks back TikTok-style changes — Adam Mosseri explains why Makeup company Glossier to sell its products at Sephora as new CEO pushes to expand reach Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters. And our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/16/20221 hour, 3 minutes, 5 seconds
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The risky new way of building mobile broadband networks

In 2019, the Trump administration brokered a deal allowing TMobile to buy Sprint as long as it helped Dish Network stand up a new 5G network to keep the number of national wireless carriers at 4 and preserve competition in the mobile market. Now, in 2022, Dish’s network is slowly getting off the ground. And it’s built on a new kind of wireless technology called Open Radio Access Network, or O-RAN. Dish’s network is only the third O-RAN network in the entire world, and if O-RAN works, it will radically change how the entire wireless industry operates. I have wanted to know more about O-RAN for a long time. So today, I’m talking to Tareq Amin, CEO of Rakuten Mobile. Rakuten Mobile is a new wireless carrier in Japan, it just launched in 2020 – it’s also the world’s first Open RAN network, and Tareq basically pushed this whole concept into existence. I really wanted to know if ORAN is going to work, and how Tareq managed to make it happen in such a traditional industry. So we got into it – like, really into it. Links: Rakuten Rakuten Edge Cloud "Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM" Rakuten Group to Acquire Mobile Industry Innovator Altiostar Gadgets 360 Massive MIMO Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23061797 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters. And our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/9/20221 hour, 22 minutes, 4 seconds
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Why Hank Green can’t quit YouTube for TikTok

Today I’m talking to Hank Green. Hank doesn’t need much introduction. In fact, he invited himself on Decoder to talk about YouTube's partner program, which shares ad revenue between YouTube and the people making videos. The split is 55/45 in favor of creators. But other platforms don't have this. There is no revenue share on Instagram. There is no revenue share on Twitter. There’s no revenue on Twitter at all, really. And importantly there is no revenue share on TikTok: instead there’s something called a creator fund, which shares fixed pool of money, about a billion dollars, among all the creators on the platform. That means as more and more creators join TikTok, everyone gets paid. You might understand this concept as: basic division. This episode is long, and it’s weedsy. Honestly, it’s pretty deep in our feelings about participating in the internet culture economy, and the relationship between huge platform companies and the communities that build on them. But it’s a good one, and it’s not really something any of us talk about enough. Links: Vlogbrothers Decoder interview with YouTube Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan Viacom Has Officially Acquired VidCon, A Global Online Video Convention Series Patreon Acquires Subbable, Aligning the YouTube Stars The Verge EMAILS t-shirt Crash Course SciShow Eons The medium is the message The Kardashians hate the new Instagram Hank Green: So… TikTok Sucks Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast, “TikTok vs YouTube with Hank Green” Decoder: The videos that don’t work on YouTube and the future of the creator business with Nebula CEO Dave Wiskus  Awesome Socks Club Awesome Coffee Club Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23051537 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters. And our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/2/20221 hour, 15 minutes, 28 seconds
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Rent the Runway CEO Jennifer Hyman thinks clothing rental is inflation-proof

Today we’re talking to Jennifer Hyman, co-founder and CEO of Rent the Runway. Rent the Runway is a a pretty simple idea: it’s a clothing rental and subscription business for women which launched in 2008. The basic idea is pretty simple: you can rent clothes one by one, and Subscribers pay a certain monthly amount for a certain number of pieces that they can swap out anywhere from 1 to 4 times a month depending on the tier of their membership. Rent the Runway also lets customers buy secondhand clothing either after they rent it or just outright.  But Rent the Runway has had a pretty intense path from its founding in 2008 to going public in 2021: the onset of the pandemic in 2020 cratered the business as 60 percent of customers canceled or paused their subscriptions, and Jennifer was forced to make drastic cuts to survive. But she says that now things are swinging back, as more and more people are spending their dollars going out, traveling, and generally shifting their spending from things to experiences. There’s a post Covid wedding boom going on: Rent the Runway is right there for people. Jenn and I talked about that swing in the business, but we spent most of this conversation talking about running a company that basically does really high-risk logistics: sourcing clothes, sending them to people, getting them back, cleaning them, and sending them out again. Spotify and Netflix run subscription businesses where the products never wear out or get dirty; Jenn has to deal with red win stains at scale. In fact, Rent the Runway runs one of the country’s biggest dry cleaning operations, which I find to be completely fascinating: what does dry cleaning innovation actually look like, and how does it hit the bottom line? My favorite episodes of Decoder are the ones where simple ideas – renting clothes – turn out to be incredible complicated to execute. This is one of those. Links: Apple defends upcoming privacy changes as ‘standing up for our users’ Rent the Runway, a secondhand fashion site, makes its trading debut. Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23041884 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters. And our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/26/20221 hour, 9 minutes, 21 seconds
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Is the metaverse going to suck? A conversation with Matthew Ball

All right, let’s talk about the metaverse.  You probably can’t stop hearing about it. It’s in startup pitches, in earnings reports, some companies are creating metaverse divisions, and Mark Zuckerberg changed Facebook’s name to Meta to signal that he’s shifting the entire company to focus on the metaverse. The problem, very simply, is that no one knows what the metaverse is, what it’s supposed to do, or why anyone should care about it. Luckily, we have some help. Today, I’m talking to Matthew Ball, who is the author of the new book called The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything. Matthew was the global head of strategy at Amazon Studios. In 2018, he left Amazon to become an analyst and started writing about the metaverse on his blog. He’s been writing about this since way before the hype exploded, and his book aims to be the best resource for understanding the metaverse, which he sees as the next phase of the internet. It’s not just something that you access through a VR headset, though that’s part of it. It’s how you’ll interact with everything. That sort of change is where new companies have opportunities to unseat the old guard. This episode gets very in the weeds, but it really helped me understand the decisions some companies have made around building digital worlds and the technical challenges and business challenges that are slowing it down — or might even stop it. And, of course, I asked whether any of this is a good idea in the first place because, well, I’m not so sure. But there’s a lot here, so listen, and then you tell me. Links: Matthew Ball on Twitter  Mark Zuckerberg on why Facebook is rebranding to Meta  Microsoft, Meta, and others are founding a metaverse open standards group Android emoji will actually look human this year Apple’s app tracking policy reportedly cost social media platforms nearly $10 billion Microsoft and Activision Blizzard: the latest news on the acquisition Microsoft HoloLens boss Alex Kipman is out after misconduct allegations European Parliament Think Tank memorandum—Metaverse: Opportunities, risks and policy implications Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23033211 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/19/20221 hour, 20 minutes, 41 seconds
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Land of the Giants: Facebook gets a facelift

This week, we're sharing the first episode of Land of the Giants: The Facebook/ Meta Disruption. Long before Mark Zuckerberg renamed Facebook Meta and made an unprecedented pivot into the metaverse, he invented a feature that turned Facebook into a social network behemoth. The News Feed, which put your friends’ status updates onto your homepage, changed the way we interact online. It was a strong statement of Zuckerberg’s values: that connecting, and sharing, at scale would be de-facto good for the world. It was also his first public controversy. Follow Land of the Giants to get new episodes every Wednesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/14/202228 minutes, 54 seconds
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How arson led to a culture reboot at Traeger, with CEO Jeremy Andrus

Happy Fourth of July to our listeners in the States. Decoder is only a year old, but we’ve decided a Decoder tradition is that every summer, we’re going to do an episode about the outdoor grill industry, which is gigantic and growing. Last year, I talked to Roger Dahle, the CEO of Blackstone Products, a griddle company that blew up on TikTok and actually went public a few months after we talked. This year, I’m talking to Jeremy Andrus, the CEO of Traeger, which makes beloved wood pellet smokers with all sorts of features — the high-end models even have cloud connectivity so you can control them from your phone. Traeger also recently went public; the company says it will book between $800–850 million in revenue this year. The Traeger story is fascinating: the company was around for 27 years and not growing very much when Jeremy bought it with the help of a private equity firm and became the CEO. He had no background in cooking; he had previously been CEO of Skullcandy, the headphone brand. His early run as CEO of Traeger was a bit of a nightmare, culminating in an arson of a truck at one of Traeger’s warehouses. Jeremy responded by cleaning house, replacing most of the team, and moving the company from Oregon to Utah. Since then, Traeger has grown its revenue by 10 times and hopes to close in on a billion dollars in revenue soon. But, it has all the challenges that come along with shipping big, heavy hardware products through the supply chain crisis, looming recession, and changing consumer behavior as one version of the pandemic seems to be ending and people are spending their money on travel instead of home goods. Jeremy was game to talk about all of that; we really got into it. Links: ​​How Traeger's CEO Cleaned Up a Toxic Culture Jeremy Andrus Found Success With Skullcandy. Now He Hopes To Do It Again With Traeger Grills. Traeger buys wireless thermometer company Meater  Jeremy Andrus Found Success With Skullcandy. Now He Hopes To Do It Again With Traeger Grills.  Traeger's stock opens 22% above IPO price, to value the grill market at $2.6 billion Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22953717 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/4/20221 hour, 17 minutes, 21 seconds
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TSA’s chief innovation officer on surveillance, security lines, and surrendering to PreCheck

I’m old enough to remember what it was like to fly before 9/11 — there were no TSA lines, there was no PreCheck, and there certainly wasn’t any requirement to take off your shoes. In fact, there wasn’t any TSA at all. But 9/11 radically changed the way we move through an airport. The formation of the new Department of Homeland Security and the new Transportation Security Administration led to much more rigorous and invasive security measures for travelers trying to catch their flight. This year is the 20th anniversary of the Department of Homeland Security and the TSA, and I think it’s safe to say that nobody enjoys waiting in the airport security line. And in the post-9/11 world, things like PreCheck are the great innovation of the department. At least according to Dan McCoy, who is the TSA’s chief innovation officer, who told me that PreCheck is “a hallmark government innovation program.” But what do programs like PreCheck and the larger surveillance apparatus that theoretically keep us safe mean for the choices we make? What do we give up to get into the shorter security line, and how comfortable should we be about that? This week, The Verge launches Homeland, our special series about the enormous influence of the Department of Homeland Security and how it has dramatically changed our country’s relationship with technology, surveillance, and immigration. So we have a special episode of Decoder with Dan McCoy to see where the TSA fits into that picture. Links: Read more stories from the Homeland series Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22945989 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/29/20221 hour, 12 minutes, 36 seconds
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How Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius is refocusing for an electric future

Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius became CEO in 2019 but has been working for Mercedes since 1993 in almost every part of the company. During that period, Mercedes spent time getting a lot bigger; the company famously merged with Chrysler for a time, forming a giant called DaimlerChrysler. But, over the past few years, it’s actually been getting much smaller and more focused. The Chrysler deal was undone and, just recently, Ola spun off the truck division into its own public company called Daimler Truck, leaving Mercedes-Benz to stand alone as a premium car brand. Car companies are either consolidating into giant conglomerates like Stellantis or shrinking and focusing like Mercedes. A lot of that is driven by the huge shift to electric vehicles and then, on top of that, to cars essentially becoming rolling computers. You’ll hear Ola refer to cars as “digital products” a lot — and to Mercedes itself as a tech company. (Actually, he says it’s a luxury and tech company.) Mercedes now has two new EVs, the EQS and the EQE, both of which have massive infotainment screens running Mercedes’ proprietary MBUX system, which even has its own voice assistant called Hey Mercedes. I had to ask Ola about Apple’s recent announcement that the next version of CarPlay would be able to take over every display in the car, including the instrument cluster. Apple showed a Mercedes logo on a slide during that presentation — so, is Ola ready to hand over his UI to Cupertino?  Let’s find out. Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz. Here we go. Links: Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX concept car traveled over 1,000 km on a single charge Mercedes-Benz unveils sporty, ultra-long-range vision EQXX electric concept car The six-figure Mercedes-Benz EQS gets a 350-mile range rating Daimler AG to rebrand as Mercedes-Benz on Feb. 1 Big automakers are breaking themselves apart to compete with Silicon Valley Mercedes-Benz reveals an electric G-Wagen concept for the future Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22936880 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/21/20221 hour, 7 minutes, 31 seconds
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How fandom built the internet as we know it, with Kaitlyn Tiffany

The Verge is all about how technology make us feel. Our screens and our systems aren’t inert, or neutral – they create emotions, sometimes the strongest emotions anyone actually feels in their day to day lives. I’ve been thinking about that a lot ever since I read a new book called Everything I Need I Get From You: How Fangirls Created the Internet by Kaitlyn Tiffany, who was a culture reporter at The Verge several years ago. The thesis of her book is that online fandom, specifically the hardcore fans of the British boy band One Direction, created much of the online culture we live in today on social platforms. And her bigger thesis is that fandom overall is a cultural and political force that can’t be ignored; it shapes elections, it drives cultural conversation, it can bring joy to people who feel lonely, and it can result in dramatic harassment campaigns when fans turn on someone. Links: Kaitlyn Tiffany Verge Archive One Direction Playlist Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22930314 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/14/20221 hour, 7 minutes, 11 seconds
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What unions could mean for Apple with Zoe Schiffer

Today is Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC. It’s one of the biggest events of the year for Apple, one of the most important companies in the world. In fact, Apple is the most valuable company in the world, and it posted $18 billion in net profits in its first quarter — the most quarterly profit of any public company in history. So, as we go into another huge Apple event, I wanted to have Verge labor reporter Zoe Schiffer on to talk about something else that’s happening inside Apple: a brewing push by its retail employees to unionize, store by store, because they’re unhappy with their pay and working conditions. Zoe is really well-sourced; she has an inside look at this fight. So, she helps us explain how this all works and what it might mean. Links: Fired #AppleToo organizer files labor charge against the company Apple’s frontline employees are struggling to survive Apple hires anti-union lawyers in escalating union fight This is what Apple retail employees in Atlanta are fighting for First US Apple Store union election set for June 2nd in Atlanta Apple accused of union busting in new labor board filing Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22917648 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/6/20221 hour, 7 minutes, 22 seconds
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How Ukraine’s wide use of cryptocurrency is playing out during the war

Michael is president of the Blockchain Association of Ukraine and founder of the Kuna Exchange, which lets people buy cryptocurrency and swap between them. Earlier this year, the Ukrainian government set up wallets on Kuna and other exchanges to accept donations to the war effort in crypto; in April, Bloomberg reported it had received over $60 million in crypto donations. What’s more, earlier this year Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also signed a virtual assets bill into law, which will recognize cryptocurrency as an asset in Ukraine when the war is over. As president of the Blockchain Association, Michael lobbied for this law, which you’ll hear him talk about — especially in the context of how little faith he has in the banking system. He says several times that, even before the war, it couldn’t be trusted and that people were already using a combination of crypto and dollars for large transactions instead of Ukraine’s actual currency, which is called the hryvnia. Links: Ukraine Readies NFT Sales as Crypto Donations Top $60 Million Ukraine's Zelenskyy Signs Virtual Assets Bill Into Law, Legalizing Crypto Crypto Goes to War in Ukraine Blockchain Association of Ukraine Russian tycoon Tinkov sells stake in TCS Group to billionaire Potanin The Bitcoin Boom Cypriot financial crisis The 2020 Global Crypto Adoption Index: Cryptocurrency is a Global Phenomenon Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22902506 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott. It was researched by Liz Lian and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/24/20221 hour, 9 minutes, 50 seconds
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The videos that don’t work on YouTube and the future of the creator business, with Nebula CEO Dave Wiskus

One of our recurring jokes at The Verge is that every YouTuber eventually makes a video where they talk about how mad they are at YouTube. Whether it’s demonetization or copyright strikes or just the algorithm changing, YouTubers have to contend with a big platform that has a lot of power over their business, and they often don’t have the leverage to push back.  On this episode of Decoder, I’m talking to Dave Wiskus, the CEO of two really interesting companies: one is called Standard, which is a management company for YouTubers, and the other is Nebula, an alternative paid streaming platform where creators can post videos, take a direct cut of the revenue, and generally fund work that might get lost on YouTube.  What really stood out to me here is that Dave is in the business of making things: this conversation was really grounded in the reality of the creator business as it exists today and how that real business can support real people. You’ll hear it when we talk about Web3 and NFTs a little bit — Dave just thinks that stuff is bullshit, and he says so because it’s not a business that exists now. That’s an important dynamic to think about — and one for more platforms to take seriously. Links: Dave's subscriber tweet Nebula Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22840704 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/17/20221 hour, 15 minutes, 33 seconds
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Vergecast: Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Google I/O 2022

Google I/O was this week and Nilay Patel and David Pierce had a chance to sit down with Google CEO Sundar Pichai to talk about the event and the products that were announced. This interview was recorded for The Vergecast, another podcast from The Verge. You can listen to The Vergecast wherever you get your podcasts – or just click here. We hope you enjoyed the interview. Decoder will be back again on Tuesday with an all new episode. See you then. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/13/202232 minutes, 32 seconds
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UiPath CEO Daniel Dines thinks automation can fight the great resignation

Today Nilay Patel talking to Daniel Dines, the founder and CEO of UiPath, one of the biggest automation companies in the world. But not the automation you might think; UiPath sells software automation, or what consultants call “robotic process automation” so they can sound fancy and charge higher fees. UiPath and other software automation companies have a different approach to solving issues with your legacy software: just hire another computer to use software for you. Seriously: UiPath uses computer vision to literally look at what’s on a screen, and then uses a virtual mouse and keyboard to click around and do things in apps like Excel and Salesforce. The automations can be mundane, like generating lists of people to contact from public records, or intensely complicated: UiPath can actually monitor how different software is used throughout a company and suggest automations. Huge companies like Uber, Facebook, Spotify, and Google all use UIPath. Links: The robots are coming for your office UiPath AI Computer Vision Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22828061 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/10/20221 hour, 10 minutes, 7 seconds
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How big companies kill ideas — and how to fight back, with Tony Fadell

Tony Fadell was instrumental in the development of the iPod and iPhone at Apple and then co-founded Nest Labs, which kicked off the consumer smart home market with its smart thermostat in 2011. Tony sold Nest to Google for $3.2 billion in 2014 and eventually left Google. He now runs an investment company called Future Shape.  Links: Inside the Nest: iPod creator Tony Fadell wants to reinvent the thermostat General Magic - Trailer Inside Facebook’s metaverse for work Silicon Graphics Google is reorganizing and Sundar Pichai will become new CEO Fire drill: can Tony Fadell and Nest build a better smoke detector? Google purchases Nest for $3.2 billion Twitter accepts buyout, giving Elon Musk total control of the company Nest is rejoining Google to better compete with Amazon and Apple Apple Music Event 2005 - Motorola Rokr E1 / iTunes Phone Activision Blizzard hit with another sexual harassment lawsuit Nest buying video-monitoring startup Dropcam for $555 million What matters about Matter, the new smart home standard ZIGBEE ON MARS! Directory: Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Andy Grove, former CEO of Intel Pat Gelsinger, current CEO of Intel Sundar Pichai, current CEO of Alphabet Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring Company Jeff Williams, COO of Apple Matt Rogers, Nest co-founder Jeff Robbin, VP of consumer applications at Apple Steve Hoteling, former CEO gesture recognition company Finger Works Jon Rubinstein, senior VP of the iPod division at Apple Steve Sakomen, hardware engineer and executive at Apple  Avie Tavanian, chief software technology officer at Apple Scott Forstall, senior VP of iOS software, Apple Jony Ive, chief design officer, Apple Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22817673 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/3/20221 hour, 17 minutes, 29 seconds
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The executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation on government surveillance, Elon Musk, and free speech

Cindy Cohn is the executive Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, or EFF. If you’re an internet user of a certain age like me, you know the EFF as the premiere civil liberties group for the internet. The EFF has fought pitched battles against things like government surveillance, digital rights management for music and movies, and government speech regulations that would violate the First Amendment. These fights were important, and shaped the internet as we know it today. Links Electronic Frontier Foundation How to fix the Internet: Podcast by the EFF How the EU is fighting tech giants with Margrethe Vestager Apple pushes back on iPhone order, says FBI is seeking ‘dangerous power' Here’s why Apple’s new child safety features are so controversial Viacom vs YouTube Texas passes law that bans kicking people off social media based on ‘viewpoint’ Santa Clara Principles Carterfone Decoder interview with YouTube chief product officer Neal Mohan Computer Fraud and Abuse Act Facebook v. Power Ventures Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22805290 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/26/202252 minutes, 57 seconds
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A former Foxconn executive tries to explain what went wrong in Wisconsin

Alan Yeung is a professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the former head of the Foxconn project in Wisconsin. If you don’t quite remember, the Foxconn project in Wisconsin was announced in 2017 as a massive deal to build the first “Generation 10.5” LCD factory in North America. It was also one of the first big moments in the Trump presidency, complete with President Trump holding a golden shovel at a lavish groundbreaking ceremony where he said the factory would be “the eighth wonder of the world.” But it turned out that while Foxconn was putting on a great show, no LCD factory was actually getting built, even though Foxconn kept saying it was happening. Links We're nominated for a Webby! Vote for Decoder! The award winning story from Josh Dzieza - The 8th wonder of the world Wisconsin's $4.1 billion Foxconn factory boondoggle Foxconn’s $100M deal with the University of Wisconsin has students worried What a new governor means for Wisconsin’s controversial Foxconn factory Foxconn and the village: the $10B factory deal that turned one small Wisconsin town upside down No one seems to know what Foxconn is doing in Wisconsin After a ‘personal conversation’ with Trump, Foxconn says it will build a factory in Wisconsin after all Foxconn is confusing the hell out of Wisconsin Foxconn promised a ‘correction’ about empty buildings in Wisconsin two weeks ago, and it hasn’t said a word since With Foxconn chief’s Trump meeting, the Wisconsin project gets even more political One month ago, Foxconn said its innovation centers weren’t empty — they still are Foxconn’s delays might finally give Wisconsin the upper hand One year after Trump’s Foxconn groundbreaking, there is almost nothing to show for it Even fixing Wisconsin’s Foxconn deal won’t fix it, says state-requested report Foxconn’s first announced product for its Wisconsin factory is an airport coffee robot Foxconn releases and immediately cancels plans for a giant dome in Wisconsin Foxconn's giant glass dome in Wisconsin is back, baby Exclusive: documents show Foxconn refuses to renegotiate Wisconsin deal Foxconn’s buildings in Wisconsin are still empty, one year later Exclusive: Wisconsin denies Foxconn tax subsidies after contract negotiations fail The 8th wonder of the world Exclusive: Wisconsin report confirms Foxconn's “LCD factory” isn't real Foxconn tells Wisconsin it never promised to build an LCD factory Intel selects Ohio for ‘largest silicon manufacturing location on the planet’ Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22794506 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/19/20221 hour, 9 minutes, 54 seconds
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Chris Dixon thinks web3 is the future of the internet. Is it?

Chris Dixon leads crypto investing at the storied Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z. He’s responsible for leading funding rounds for Coinbase, which went public about a year ago, the NFT marketplace OpenSea, and Yuga Labs, which is behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club among others. He is also a prolific user of Twitter, where he posts lengthy threads about crypto and web3. He is at once one of the biggest investors in the space, and its biggest booster. Links Decoder is nominated for a Webby. Vote! 1000 True Fans My first impressions of web3 A comprehensive breakdown of the Epic v. Apple ruling SEC v Howey Co. Transcript https://www.theverge.com/e/22784768 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/12/20221 hour, 21 minutes, 50 seconds
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Is streaming just becoming cable again? Julia Alexander thinks so

Julia Alexander was the perfect guest to come on our show and talk about the state of the streaming industry – we’re a couple years into the huge shift to streaming entertainment in Hollywood, and it’s clear the streamers are here to stay. Apple just won the Oscar for Best Picture for a film it bought out of Sundance called Coda. Amazon now owns MGM. Netflix is investing in games and hinting at advertising for the first time. One idea that comes up on Decoder again and again is that how we distribute media has a huge influence on the media itself – and we talked about what kinds of movies and shows are getting made now that the streamers are here to stay. Links: Downstream Podcast ‘Extremely awkward’: Bob Chapek and Bob Iger had a falling out, they rarely talk — and the rift looms over Disney’s future Pixar staff speaks out against Disney moving its films to streaming only: ‘It’s hard to grasp’ HBO Max and Discovery Plus will merge into one app Apple and Major League Baseball to offer “Friday Night Baseball” Yankees will have 21 games only available on Amazon Prime Prime Video unveils logo for 'Thursday Night Football' CNN Plus launches with Reddit-like interactive Q&As Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22774600 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/5/20221 hour, 23 minutes, 1 second
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Steve Aoki on why he’s a ‘crypto believer’

For this episode, I’m talking to Steve Aoki. He is a superstar DJ, producer, record label owner, and prolific entrepreneur. Steve has been part of the music industry since 1996, so he’s been through a lot of these big tech transitions, and now he’s heavily invested in another, with Web3, the Aokiverse. It involves selling tokens and NFTs and, over time, is meant to be part of the metaverse. Because, of course. Links Aokiverse Dim Mak Travel Advice from Steve Aoki, Who Throws Cake at 2,500 People a Year Transcript https://www.theverge.com/e/22763374 Credits Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott. Additional research was done by Liz Lian and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/29/20221 hour, 4 minutes, 10 seconds
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How Robinhood is building the future of investing, with chief product officer Aparna Chennapragada

Aparna Chennapragada is the chief product officer at Robinhood, the popular stock and crypto trading app. And we have some news to discuss: Robinhood is launching a new cash card today that allows people to spend money directly out of their Robinhood account and set up various plans to automatically invest by rounding up purchase amounts to the nearest dollar and putting the difference in various investments. Links: How r/wallstreetbets gamed the stock of GameStop The chicken and the pig Google is reportedly removing Google Now Launcher from the Play Store Robinhood Snacks Robinhood buys Say Technologies for $140M to improve shareholder-company relations Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22753372 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/22/20221 hour, 8 minutes, 28 seconds
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How the EU is fighting tech giants with Margrethe Vestager

Margrethe Vestager is one of the driving forces behind tech regulation worldwide. Appointed as the European Commission’s Commissioner of Competition in 2014 and an executive vice president in 2019, she’s pursued antitrust cases against Apple, Google, Meta (formerly Facebook), and Amazon among others. Now, with the EU on the verge of implementing a new antitrust law called the Digital Markets Act, Vestager is planning her next moves. Links: EU's Vestager says analysing metaverse ahead of possible regulatory action The Digital Markets Act: ensuring fair and open digital markets Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22745302 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/17/202235 minutes, 1 second
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How WordPress and Tumblr are keeping the internet weird, with Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg

Matt Mullenweg is the CEO of Automattic, the company that owns WordPress.com, which he co-founded, and Tumblr, the irrepressible social network it acquired from the wreckage of AOL, Yahoo, and Verizon. Matt’s point of view is that the world is better off when the web is open and fun, and Automattic builds and acquires products that help that goal along. Links: Exclusive: Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg on what’s next for Tumblr Verizon is selling Tumblr to WordPress’ owner Automattic, owner of Tumblr and WordPress.com, buys podcast app Pocket Casts Gutenberg Tumblr Shop Why Apple’s new privacy feature is such a big deal Taylor Swift's Tumblr Tumblr will ban all adult content on December 17th How Tumblr Became Popular for Being Obsolete Basecamp CTO David Heinemeier Hansson and Rep. David Cicilline on Apple's monopolistic app store fees Inside Sonos' decision to sue Google - and how it won After the porn ban, Tumblr users have ditched the platform as promised The Trauma Floor: The secret lives of Facebook moderators in America Vox Media adds The Coral Project Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22741898 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott. Research was done by Liz Lian. It was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/15/20221 hour, 18 minutes, 29 seconds
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The future of computers is only $4 away, with Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton

Today I’m talking to Eben Upton, the CEO of Raspberry Pi, a fascinating company that makes beloved tiny hackable computers that are extremely inexpensive. They’re also some of the only readily available computers that are designed to be tinkered with. They’re not heavily locked down, and using one requires learning how a computer actually works. And that’s the entire point: Eben told me the idea of the Raspberry Pi was to create a product that enticed kids into studying computer science at the University of Cambridge. They’ve more than achieved that goal. Seven million Raspberry Pi units were sold last year, and there’s talk of the company going public.  Links: Raspberry Pi The business of finding a better job, with Career Karma CEO Ruben Harris How Artificial Intelligence is Helping Japanese Cucumber Farmers Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22730196 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/8/20221 hour, 10 minutes, 37 seconds
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Inside Sonos' decision to sue Google with CEO Patrick Spence and CLO Eddie Lazarus

This week I sat down with Patrick Spence, the CEO of Sonos, and Eddie Lazarus, his Chief Legal Officer. I wanted both Patrick and Eddie on the show to talk about when a company like Sonos makes the decision to head to the courts and increasingly, Congress. Sonos has long accused other tech giants of stealing its tech, but in 2019 it actually sued Google for patent infringement. Sonos recently won that lawsuit at the US International Trade Commission, which ruled that Google infringed all five patents Sonos brought to court. I wanted to understand how Patrick and Eddie decided to take the risk of a lawsuit here – Sonos claims Google actually infringes over 150 patents, so how did they pick.. Five.. to sue over?  Links: Sonos sues Google for allegedly stealing smart speaker tech Sonos CEO will testify to lawmakers after suing Google Google countersues Sonos for patent infringement Sonos sues Google for infringing five more wireless audio patents A judge has ruled that Google infringed on Sonos’ patents Sonos says Google is blocking it from offering more than one voice assistant at once Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22719377 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/1/20221 hour, 5 minutes, 21 seconds
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Can the law keep up with crypto? With professor Tonya Evans

I’m going to let you in on a Decoder secret: at the end of last year, I tasked our producers with finding better ways for us to cover crypto and Web 3.0 on Decoder. I don’t think it’s any secret that I’m fairly skeptical of crypto, but I want to come by that skepticism honestly—and on the flip side, I want to make sure to see its opportunities and benefits clearly. We’ve already done episodes on Bitcoin and DAOs, decentralized autonomous organizations, and we’re going to do more episodes as the year goes on. Today I’m talking to Tonya Evans, a law professor at Penn State Dickinson Law. She teaches IP law, copyright, and blockchain. She also hosts the Tech Intersect podcast, where she covers how law and technology intersect. She has spent a lot of time thinking about crypto assets and how they interact with the law. Tonya’s point of view is that we shouldn’t just abandon many of the legal frameworks we have today—she just wants them to adapt to this new internet. Links: The counterfeit NFT problem is only getting worse Instagram says sites need photographers’ permission to embed posts BlockFi settlement with the SEC A cringe rapper slash Forbes contributor allegedly found with billions in stolen Bitcoin Constitution DAO Decoder episode Alfonso Ribeiro Sues Fortnite Over Use of His Signature Fresh Prince Dance, The Carlton The ‘Carlton dance’ couldn’t be copyrighted for a Fortnite lawsuit Adi Robertson's reporting about Spice DAO Tonya Evans' website, ProfTonyaEvans.com Tonya Evans on Twitter Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22708620 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/22/20221 hour, 8 minutes, 24 seconds
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What an NFL coaching scandal can teach tech about diversity

Bärí Williams is a legal and operations advisor to tech companies who focuses on AI and diversity. Her credentials are rock solid: Bärí was lead counsel at Facebook working on various projects, including internet connectivity efforts and diversifying the company’s supply chain. After that, Bärí went to work at StubHub, an AI startup studio called All Turtles, and a data and identity analytics company called Bandwagon Fan Club. But now, she’s independent — a business of one, consulting on operations with a focus on diversity and AI. I was curious why she decided to leave being a tech executive behind and make that shift to diversity work. We talked about that, but our conversation actually started with sports news — NFL news. Links: Diversity wins: how inclusion matters Black in tech The 4 most explosive allegations from Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL California just made it a lot harder for companies to cover up harassment and abuse Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22697189 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/15/202249 minutes, 57 seconds
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News with a Capital B: CEO Lauren Williams on why we need news for and by Black people

Lauren Williams is the co-founder and CEO of Capital B, a new nonprofit media company dedicated to news for Black audiences. Capital B launched on January 31st, with both a national news site and a local newsroom dedicated to Atlanta – and they plan to expand to more cities over time. Links: Capital B Recode Media Podcast Tired Of The Social Media Rat Race, Journalists Move To Writing Substack Newsletters Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22686070 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, and Jackie McDermott with and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/8/202257 minutes, 8 seconds
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The business of finding a better job, with Career Karma CEO Ruben Harris

It’s an interesting time to talk to someone in the business of helping people get new jobs — we’re still fully in the middle of the pandemic-driven Great Resignation, and a record 4.5 million people quit their jobs in November 2021, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. But that’s exactly what Career Karma and CEO Ruben Harris are doing. Links: Career Karma A record 4.5 million workers quit their jobs in November Breaking Into Startups AT&T’s $1 billion gambit: Retraining nearly half its workforce for jobs of the future Making uncommon knowledge common The Great Resignation is accelerating How an Excel TickToker manifested her way to making six figures a day Launch House Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22674665 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, Jackie McDermott, and Liam James. It was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/1/20221 hour, 2 minutes, 50 seconds
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7 CEOs and one secretary of Transportation on the future of cars

Regular listeners of Decoder know car CEOs love coming on the show. There is a lot of change in the car industry, a lot of big ideas about how to manage that change, and a lot of big problems to solve: the transition to electric vehicles, the fact that cars are basically turning into rolling smartphones, how to make self-driving work safely, and more. And, of course, we always end up talking about Tesla — because how can you not? Links: Listen to the full interviews here Luminar CEO Austin Russell Ford CEO Jim Farley Argo AI CEO Brian Saleski Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath Waymo CEO Tekedra Mawakana Jeep CEO Christian Meunier Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess Transcript of this episode Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, and Jackie McDermott with and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/25/20221 hour, 9 minutes, 39 seconds
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Can CEO Herbert Diess reinvent Volkswagen with EVs and software?

Links Dieselgate coverage on The Verge VW vows to build massive electric car charging network across US Electrify America announces doubling of charging network with 1,800 stations and 10,000 chargers Transcript https://www.theverge.com/e/22652357 Credits Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, and Jackie McDermott with and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/18/20221 hour, 16 minutes, 5 seconds
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Almost every smartphone has a Qualcomm chip inside. Where does CEO Cristiano Amon go from here?

Cristiano Amon is the president and CEO of Qualcomm, and he’s always been a relentless cheerleader for what mobile computing can do for people — especially if that mobile computing is powered by Qualcomm’s chips. Links: Apple supplier TSMC confirms it’s building an Arizona chip plant Intel will make Qualcomm chips in new foundry deal The Verge 5G landing page Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip is here to power the Android flagships of 2022 Qualcomm’s next-gen CPU for PCs will take on Apple’s M-series chips in 2023 Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22640552 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, and Jackie McDermott with and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/11/202259 minutes, 18 seconds
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Pete Buttigieg is racing to keep up with self-driving cars

In this special, Thursday episode of Decoder, Andrew Hawkins spoke with secretary of transportation Pete Butigieg ahead of his speech at CES 2022. 2021 was an eventful year for Buttigieg, the youngest and arguably the most notable person to take on the role of transportation secretary in many years. Congress passed President Joe Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan, which will provide billions of new funding for the creation of a national network of electric vehicle charging stations. The secretary and Andrew talked about that, about self driving vehicles, and of course, Tesla. Links: Secretary Pete Buttigieg on the future of transportation The Verge CES hub Biden signs $1 trillion infrastructure package into law The investigation into Tesla Autopilot’s emergency vehicle problem is getting bigger Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22633231 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andru Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/6/202229 minutes, 46 seconds
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How Logitech bet big on work from home

Logitech is one of those ubiquitous companies — it’s been around since 1981, selling all kinds of important things that connect to computers of all shapes and sizes: mice, keyboards, cases, cameras, you name it. Nilay Patel spoke with Logitech CEO Bracken Darrell about how the company met increased demand during the pandemic, whether that changed his plans to shift to a services company, and how the supply chain issues around the world affect his business. They also talked about how he manages Logitech’s relationships with other tech giants like Apple and Amazon. And we had to talk about the decision to kill the Harmony remote line. Links: Nilay's interview with Bracken Darrell from 2019 Everything you need to know about the global chip shortage Why charging phones is such a complex business with Anker CEO Steven Yang Logitech officially discontinues its Harmony remotes How an excel TikToker manifested her way to making six figures a day Logitech is buying Streamlabs for $89 million Logitech announces cheaper Magic Keyboard alternative for new iPad Pro Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22610722 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/21/20211 hour, 42 seconds
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Can we regulate social media without breaking the First Amendment?

So today I’m talking to Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, about one of the hardest problems at the intersection of tech and policy right now: the question of how to regulate social media platforms. Everyone seems to think we should do it – Democrats, Republicans – even Facebook is running ads saying it welcomes regulation. It’s weird. But while everyone might agree on the idea, no one agrees on the execution, and the biggest hurdle is the First Amendment.. Links: Florida governor signs law to block ‘deplatforming’ of Florida politicians Judge blocks Florida’s social media law Texas passes law that bans kicking people off social media based on ‘viewpoint’ Federal court blocks Texas law banning ‘viewpoint discrimination’ on social media Social media companies want to co-opt the First Amendment. Courts shouldn’t let them. Miami Herald Publishing Company vs. Tornillo Pacific Gas & Electric Company v. Public Utilities Commission of California Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian Bisexual Group Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22602514 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andru Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/16/202146 minutes, 28 seconds
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The metaverse is already here — and it’s full of Pokemon, says Niantic CEO John Hanke

John Hanke is the CEO of Niantic, a company that makes the wildly popular Pokemon Go mobile game in partnership with Nintendo and the Pokémon company. Pokemon Go, and its predecessor Ingress, are now the largest and most successful augmented reality games in the industry, which means John has long been at the forefront of what we’ve all started calling the metaverse—digital worlds that interact with the real world. Lots of companies are chasing metaverse hype but John’s been at it for a while, and I wanted to talk about the reality instead of the hype. We also coin the phrase “marketplace of realities.” It’s a ride. Links: What’s left of Magic Leap? Microsoft is supplying 120,000 HoloLens-based headsets to the US Army Snap’s first AR Spectacles are an ambitious, impractical start Facebook just revealed its new name: Meta There will never be another Pokémon Go Pokémon Go is still incredibly relevant Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is shutting down next year Springboard: the secret history of the first real smartphone is out now The best thing to do in VR is work out NFT's, explained Pokémon Go creator Niantic is working on AR glasses with Qualcomm Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22596531 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, and Jackie McDermott with research by Liz Lian and it was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andru Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/14/20211 hour, 8 minutes, 8 seconds
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From a meme to $47 million: ConstitutionDAO, crypto, and the future of crowdfunding

Jonah Erlich is one of the core members of a group called ConstitutionDAO, a group that raised $47 Million to try to buy one of the original copies of the United States Constitution at an auction held by the high-end auction house Sotheby’s. Links: ConstitutionDAO Endaoment Crypto collective raises $27 million to bid for rare copy of US Constitution ConstitutionDAO loses $43 million auction of rare US Constitution copy ConstitutionDAO will shut down after losing bid for Constitution Almost buying a copy of the Constitution is easy, but giving the money back is hard Code is Law Ice Bucket Challenge dramatically accelerated the fight against ALS Iwata Asks: Just Being President Was A Waste! Succession Could ConstitutionDAO's PEOPLE token be the next meme coin? Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22584604 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott. We are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/7/20211 hour, 6 minutes, 43 seconds
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How an Excel TikToker manifested her way to making six figures a day

Kat Norton is a Microsoft Excel influencer. She has over a million followers on TikTok and Instagram, where she goes by the name Miss Excel, and she’s leveraged that into a software training business that is now generating up to six figures of revenue a day. That’s six figures a day. And she’s only been doing this since June 2020. Nilay Patel talks to her about how she built the business, how she uses energetics to go viral, and why her relationship with social media is so different than other creators and influencers, Links: Excelerator Course A Microsoft Excel influencer quit her day job and is making 6 figures from her unconventional way of teaching spreadsheet hacks, tips, and tricks Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22571899 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, and Andrew Marino. And we are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/30/202152 minutes, 11 seconds
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Why the future of work is the future of travel, with Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky prides himself on thinking very differently than other CEOs, and his answers to the Decoder questions about how he structures and manages his company were almost always the opposite of what I’m used to hearing on the show. Airbnb is pretty much a single team, focused on a single product, and it all rolls up to Brian. That’s very different from most other big companies, which have lots of divisions and overlapping lines of authority. And Airbnb’s relationship to cities is changing as tourism changes. Airbnb used to be the poster child for a tech company that showed up without permission and fought with regulators, but as the company has grown and the pandemic has changed things, it’s entered what is hopefully a more mature phase — it just came to a deal with New York City after ten years of argument. I asked Brian about that and about what it’s like to run a public company now — the transition from scrappy startup to public company engaged with regulators is a big one. Of course, I also had to ask about cryptocurrency and the metaverse — does Brian think we’re all going to be visiting virtual NFT museums on vacations in the future? You have to listen and find out. Okay, Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, here we go. Links: Can Brian Chesky Save Airbnb? Jony Ive is bringing his design talents to... Airbnb Zillow reportedly needs to sell 7,000 houses after it bought too many City of New York and Airbnb Reach Settlement Agreement Airbnb hosts discriminate against black guests based on names, study suggests Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22547463 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, and Andrew Marino, our research was done by Liz Lian. And we are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/16/20211 hour, 13 minutes, 55 seconds
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Why charging phones is such a complex business, with Anker CEO Steven Yang

Nilay Patel talks to Steven Yang, the CEO and founder of Anker Innovations. The conversation covers the full stack of Decoder topics: taking bets on new tech like gallium nitride, building a direct-to-consumer business on Amazon, and the complexity of managing the Amazon relationship, regulatory issues, platform fees — you name it. And all from a company that started making phone chargers. Anker is endlessly fascinating. Links: Anker CEO Steven Yang is all in on USB-C Amazon-Native Brand Anker Goes Public EU proposes mandatory USB-C on all devices, including iPhones Gallium nitride is the silicon of the future Video: Is gallium nitride the silicon of the future? Anker MagGo devices snap on for wireless iPhone charging in your car and home Amazon confirms it removed RavPower, a popular phone battery and charger brand Another Amazon-first gadget brand has suspiciously vanished: Choetech Doug DeMuro on Decoder Nebula Capsule II mini projector review: TV in a can Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22533880 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, Alexander Charles Adams, and Andrew Marino. We are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/9/20211 hour, 4 minutes, 31 seconds
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The secrets of the first real smartphone, with Dieter Bohn

Welcome to a special Thursday edition of Decoder. You may have read on the site that Verge executive editor Dieter Bohn has been working on a documentary called Springboard: the secret history of the first real smartphone. It's about a company called Handspring and I think the Decoder audience will be really into this story so today we're interviewing Dieter. We talked about his documentary and he brought an exclusive clip that didn't make it into the film. That documentary is streaming now on The Verge's new streaming apps that you can get on your TV or set top box. We have them for Android, for Amazon Fire TV, for Roku and Apple TV. We've been working on these for a long time. It's a little more complicated than you might think to make these apps, make them good, distribute them on everyone's app stores, some real Decoder pain points in there. Links Springboard trailer and how to get the streaming apps Transcript https://www.theverge.com/e/22526129 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/4/202121 minutes, 15 seconds
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Meta’s Andrew Bosworth on moving Facebook to the metaverse

Facebook announced a major corporate rebrand by changing its company name to Meta. The new name is meant to solidify the social media giant’s longterm bet on building the metaverse. On this episode of Decoder, vice president of Reality Labs Andrew Bosworth talked with The Verge’s Alex Heath about Facebook’s rebrand to Meta, how content moderation will work in the metaverse, and the hardware journey from virtual to mixed reality, and eventually, AR glasses. Links: Mark Zuckerberg on why Facebook is rebranding to Meta Facebook is spending at least $10 billion this year on its metaverse division Eight things we learned from the Facebook Papers Facebook is planning to rebrand the company with a new name Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22517027 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Andrew Marino and we are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/1/202144 minutes, 35 seconds
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Adobe's Scott Belsky on how NFTs will change creativity

Adobe is one of those companies that I don’t think we pay enough attention to — it’s been around since 1982, and the entire creative economy runs through its software. You don’t just edit a photo, you Photoshop it. We spend a lot of time on Decoder talking about the creator economy, but creators themselves spend all their time working in Adobe’s tools. On this episode, I’m talking to Scott Belsky, chief product officer at Adobe, about the new features coming to their products, many of which focus on collaboration, and about creativity broadly — who gets to be a creative, where they might work, and how they get paid. Transcript Links: NFTs Explained Adobe brings a simplified Photoshop to the web Adobe is adding a collaborative mood board to Creative Cloud Soon you can use Photoshop to prepare your art as an NFT The Dog Ramps Tweet The Furry Lisa, CryptoArt, & The New Economy Of Digital Creativity A $120,000 Banana Is Peeled From an Art Exhibition and Eaten Adobe and Twitter are designing a system for permanently attaching artists’ names to pictures "I still own you" clip Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, Alexander Charles Adams, and Andrew Marino and we are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/26/20211 hour, 5 minutes, 32 seconds
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How Jeep is going electric, with CEO Christian Meunier

This week we are talking to Jeep CEO Christian Meunier – and there’s a lot to talk about. Jeep just announced its second hybrid electric vehicle in the US, the Grand Cherokee 4xe. It also announced a plan for its first electric car in 2023, and to have EVs across the line by 2025, which is very soon. And it’s now part of a huge global car company called Stellantis. So I wanted to know: why start with hybrids, instead of jumping straight to EVs? What does it mean to be the CEO of a brand like Jeep inside of of a huge international company like Stellantis? How does the Jeep team make decisions about features and technology, and how much do they have to defer to a larger parent company? And what does it mean for Jeep, one of the most iconic American car brands, to be part of a huge global company now? Christian and I talked about all of that, as well as how the chip shortage is affecting Jeep, what cars will look like in 2040, and Jeep’s use of the name “Cherokee” in 2021. Yeah, this interview goes places. Links: The first plug-in hybrid Jeep Grand Cherokee is here Tested: 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe Complicates a Simple Machine 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4xe: A Hybrid That Comes Up Short The electric Mustang Mach-E takes Ford in a whole new direction Jeep Badge of Honor App Jeep EV Day video Episode Transcript Credits: Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, Alexander Charles Adams, and Andrew Marino. And we are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/19/20211 hour, 14 minutes, 8 seconds
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How Amazon runs Alexa, with Dave Limp

My guest today is Dave Limp, the senior vice president of devices and services at Amazon – or, more simply, the guy in charge of Alexa. Dave’s group at Amazon also includes the Kindle e-reader, the Ring and Blink security camera systems, the Eero wifi router, and a host of other products that connect to Amazon services.  We wanted to know what the business behind Alexa looks like — Amazon sells Echo products at basically break even, it runs the Alexa for all of them for free, and it employs thousands of engineers who work on it. How does that make money? How might it make money in the future? How should we think about Alexa competing with other smart assistants, and for what kinds of business? The answers were not what you’d expect. Links: Why the global chip shortage is making it so hard to buy a PS5 Amazon's new Ring Alarm Pro combines a security system with an Eero Router Say Hello to Astro, Alexa on wheels Amazon is now accepting your applications for its home surveillance drone Amazon Glow is a video chat gadget with built-in games to keep kids engaged Amazon’s new Echo Show 15 is meant to hang on your wall Amazon’s new Kindle Paperwhite adds a bigger screen, longer battery life, and USB-C Amazon starts making its own TVs with new Fire TV Omni and 4-Series Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max review: the one to buy How to connect Alexa to Spotify, Apple Music, and more Amazon's race to create the disappearing computer Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22483986 Credits: This episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, Alexander Charles Adams, and Andru Marino. And we are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/12/20211 hour, 17 minutes, 25 seconds
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Land of the Giants: This Changes Everything

In Land of the Giants: The Apple Revolution, Recode’s Peter Kafka explores the company that changed what a computer is — and then changed what a phone is. From its beginnings as a niche personal computer company, Apple became the preeminent maker of consumer tech products, a cultural trendsetter, and the most valuable company in the world. And along the way, it changed the way we live. Listen to Land of the Giants on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/7/202133 minutes, 41 seconds
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Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana on how to get self-driving taxis to the mall

Waymo is working on self-driving taxis. Which is a huge deal. Ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft have remade cities, allowed people to give up their cars, and generally connected the buttons you push on your phone to real things happening in the world more directly than almost any other app. Nilay Patel talked to Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, about expanding Waymo’s service to other cities, the hurdles in place, and how she thinks the company will make money over time. We also talked about the regulatory issues the industry faces as it tries to roll out self-driving more broadly, and whether things like Tesla’s “full self driving” are confusing the issue or helping it.  This was a really fun conversation made even better because we recorded it live, on stage at Code Conference. Links: Meet the self-driving brains working with Tesla and Ford https://www.theverge.com/22627847/argo-ai-bryan-salesky-decoder-interview-lyft-self-driving   Ford CEO Jim Farley on building the electric F-150 -- and reinventing Ford  https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/20/22444294/ford-f150-lightning-pickup-truck-jim-farley-interview   Waymo CEO John Krafcik steps down, replaced by two co-CEOs https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/2/22364317/waymo-ceo-john-krafcik-stepping-down-self-driving-cars-google-alphabet   Riding in Waymo One, the Google spin-off’s first self-driving taxi service https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/5/18126103/waymo-one-self-driving-taxi-service-ride-safety-alphabet-cost-app   Waymo starts offering autonomous rides in San Francisco https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/24/22639226/waymo-san-francisco-rides-self-driving-service   Tesla opens ‘Full Self-Driving’ beta software to more customers https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/26/22693610/tesla-opens-full-self-driving-beta-software-more-customers   Waymo’s self-driving cars are now available on Lyft’s app in Phoenix https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/7/18536003/waymo-lyft-self-driving-ride-hail-app-phoenix   Google is spinning off its self-driving car program into a new company called Waymo https://www.theverge.com/2016/12/13/13936782/google-self-driving-car-waymo-spin-off-company   Car companies will have to report automated vehicle crashes under new rules https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/29/22555666/nhtsa-autonomous-vehicle-crash-report-data Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22472717 Credits: Host - Nilay Patel Lead Producer - Creighton DeSimone Associate Producer - Alexander Charles Adams Sr Audio Director - Andrew Marino Editor - Callie Wright Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/5/202136 minutes, 46 seconds
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John Carreyrou’s final chapter on the Theranos scandal

Nilay Patel talks to John Carreyrou about his reporting on Theranos from his Wall Street Journal articles that broke the scandal in 2015 to his podcast covering the trial of Elizabeth Holmes today. Links: Bad Blood: The Final Chapter https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bad-blood-the-final-chapter/id1575738174 Theranos’ greatest invention was Elizabeth Holmes https://www.theverge.com/22656190/theranos-elizabeth-holmes-wire-fraud-trial-founder-myth Elizabeth Holmes is on trial for fraud over her time at Theranos https://www.theverge.com/22684354/elizabeth-holmes-trial-wire-fraud-theranos Apple Podcasts launches in-app subscriptions https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/20/22381980/apple-podcasts-app-subscriptions-new-design Hot startup Theranos has struggled with its blood-test technology https://www.wsj.com/articles/theranos-has-struggled-with-blood-tests-1444881901 *Tesla’s Autopilot was engaged when Model 3 crashed into truck, report states https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/16/18627766/tesla-autopilot-fatal-crash-delray-florida-ntsb-model-3   Uber halts self-driving tests after pedestrian killed in Arizona https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/19/17139518/uber-self-driving-car-fatal-crash-tempe-arizona   Elizabeth Holmes “was in charge” of Theranos, says Gen. Mattis https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/22/22689083/elizabeth-holmes-trial-james-mattis-testimony-theranos-fraud   Theranos reaches settlement with investor Partner Fund Management https://techcrunch.com/2017/05/01/theranos-reaches-settlement-with-investor-partner-fund-management/   Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22461304 Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, Alexander Charles Adams, and Andrew Marino. And we are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/28/20211 hour, 2 minutes, 10 seconds
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How F*ck You Pay Me is empowering creators

We talk a lot about the creator economy here on Decoder and one thing we’ve learned from all those conversations is that the creator economy is a market just like any other, with supply and demand, but that it’s also a market that is absolutely starved of information. So today I’m talking to Lindsey Lee Lugrin, the co-founder and CEO of a new platform called Fuck You Pay Me, which is an all-time great company name. FYPM is an app for creators to review and compare brand deals: what brands are paying, what it’s like to work with them, and whether people would work with them again. It’s kind of like Glassdoor or Yelp for influencers. Links The quirks and features of YouTube car reviews with Doug DeMuro https://www.theverge.com/22637871/doug-demuro-car-reviews-youtube-decoder-interview Advertising is complicated, but Melissa Grady is very good at it https://www.theverge.com/22174582/decoder-podcast-interview-cadillac-cmo-melissa-grady-advertising YouTube chief product officer Neal Mohan on the algorithm, monetization, and the future for creators https://www.theverge.com/22606296/youtube-shorts-fund-neal-mohan-decoder-interview The App With the Unprintable Name That Wants to Give Power to Creators https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/02/technology/fypm-creators-app-pay.html Introduction to smart contracts  https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/smart-contracts/ The golden age of YouTube is over  https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/5/18287318/youtube-logan-paul-pewdiepie-demonetization-adpocalypse-premium-influencers-creators Transcript https://www.theverge.com/e/22448278 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/21/20211 hour, 5 minutes, 47 seconds
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It's brutal out here: Olivia Rodrigo and how the music business makes songwriters fight over credits

This week on Decoder we are doing something a little different. We're talking with Charlie Harding, co-host of the podcast Switched on Pop a podcast about pop music, about the state of the music industry particularly as it relates to copyright. The conversation is framed around Olivia Rodrigo's debut album Sour and why she keeps handing out songwriting credits months after the album was released. This is kind of a hybrid between an episode of Decoder and an episode of Switched on Pop. We play a lot of music throughout the episode and in case you want to go back and listen to full songs we've made playlists for both Spotify and Apple Music. Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3nuMTt7 Apple Music - https://apple.co/3986hUw Links Olivia Rodrigo Studied All the Right Moves  https://www.vulture.com/2021/05/olivia-rodrigo-sour-album-review Why Taylor Swift is rerecording all her old songs https://www.vox.com/culture/22278732/taylor-swift-re-recording-fearless-love-story-master-rights-scooter-braun Olivia Rodrigo Gives Taylor Swift Songwriting Credit on Second ‘Sour’ Song, ‘Deja Vu’ https://variety.com/2021/music/news/olivia-rodrigo-taylor-swift-songwriting-credit-deja-vu-1235015769/ Olivia Rodrigo Adds Paramore to Songwriting Credits on ‘Good 4 U’ https://variety.com/2021/music/news/olivia-rodrigo-paramore-good-4-u-misery-business-1235048791/ ‘Blurred Lines’ Copyright Suit Against Robin Thicke, Pharrell Ends in $5M Judgment https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/robin-thicke-pharrell-williams-blurred-lines-copyright-suit-final-5-million-dollar-judgment-768508/   Katy Perry Wins Appeal in ‘Dark Horse’ Infringement Case https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/katy-perry-dark-horse-copyright-win-appeal-969009/   Led Zeppelin Wins Long ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Copyright Case https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/05/arts/music/stairway-to-heaven-led-zeppelin-lawsuit.html   Isley Feels Vindicated In Bolton Case https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/78775/isley-feels-vindicated-in-bolton-case Transcript - https://www.theverge.com/e/22436745 The Verge is turning 10 and we're throwing a party in New York City! Purchase tickets here - https://bit.ly/2YRI8iR This episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, Alexander Charles Adams, and Andrew Marino. We were edited by Callie Wright. And our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/15/20211 hour, 5 minutes, 49 seconds
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How Slack changed Apple’s employee culture, with Zoë Schiffer

Apple has had a lot going on lately: we did a whole episode about the controversial child protection photo scanning features, which have now been delayed. A law in South Korea might force the company to change how App Store payments work; the company settled a Japanese case about the App Store recently, as well as a class-action lawsuit in this country. The verdict in the Epic trial will arrive and there are renewed questions about Apple’s relationship with the Chinese government. And, of course, it’s September — the month when new iPhones usually come out. But in the background, Verge senior reporter Zoë Schiffer has spent the past few months publishing story after story about unhappy Apple employees, who are starting to talk to the press more and more about what working at Apple is like, and how they’d like it to change. Nilay Patel talks to Zoë about the work she's been doing and what the future holds. Links: Here’s why Apple’s new child safety features are so controversial https://bit.ly/3n9E07W Apple delays controversial child protection features after privacy outcry https://bit.ly/38QdWX2 Apple and Google must allow developers to use other payment systems, new Korean law declares https://bit.ly/3BQeXeb Apple concedes to let apps like Netflix, Spotify, and Kindle link to the web to sign up https://bit.ly/3kT88Sg Epic Games v. Apple: the fight for the future of the App Store https://bit.ly/3ySf873 Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield on competing with Microsoft, the future of work, and managing all those notifications https://bit.ly/2VqBZck Apple employees circulate petition demanding investigation into “misogynistic” new hire https://bit.ly/3h4Sqm4 “Misogynistic” Apple hire is out hours after employees call for investigation https://bit.ly/3naaL5c Apple asks staff to return to office three days a week starting in early September https://bit.ly/3yNcUWn Apple employees push back against returning to the office in internal letter https://bit.ly/3BJYSXy Apple delays mandatory return to office until January 2022, citing COVID-19 surge https://bit.ly/3l433H5 Apple places female engineering program manager on administrative leave after tweeting about sexism in the office https://bit.ly/3jNwuO0 Google fires prominent AI ethicist Timnit Gebru https://bit.ly/3toFXhZ Apple Shareholders Show Their Support for Tim Cook https://nyti.ms/3tkAn01 Apple says all US employees now receive equal pay for equal work https://bit.ly/3zSbpYj Apple keeps shutting down employee-run surveys on pay equity -- and labor lawyers say it’s illegal https://bit.ly/3BNa85E Apple says it has pay equity, but an informal employee survey suggests otherwise https://bit.ly/3zSJYh0 Apple just banned a pay equity Slack channel but lets fun dogs channel lie https://bit.ly/3hbiyvB Apple employees are organizing, now under the banner #AppleToo https://bit.ly/3hazJNP Here’s what we know about the Google union so far https://bit.ly/2WWNfNK Google employees push back after mishandled sexual harassment revelations https://bit.ly/3DUVv23 Apple cares about privacy, unless you work at Apple https://www.theverge.com/22648265/apple-employee-privacy-icloud-id Black women say Pinterest created a den of discromination -- despite its image as the nicest company in tech https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/07/03/pinterest-race-bias-black-employees/ Apple ordered to pay California store workers for time spent waiting for bag searches https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/3/21419729/apple-california-pay-workers-class-action-bag-searches Read the transcript here: https://www.theverge.com/e/22423538 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/7/20211 hour, 6 minutes, 40 seconds
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Everything you need to know about the global chip shortage

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the demand for microchips has far exceeded supply, causing problems in every industry that relies on computers. And if you’re a Decoder listener, you know that that is every industry. Right now, major automakers have unfinished cars sitting in parking lots waiting for chips to be installed. Game consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X are impossible to find. And even things like microwaves and refrigerators are impacted, because they contain simple controller chips.  So we realized it was time to figure out what caused the chip shortage, why that happened, and how we are going to get out of it.  My guest today is Dr. Willy Shih. He’s the professor of management practices at Harvard Business School. He’s an expert on chips and semiconductors — he spent years working at companies like IBM and Silicon Graphics. And he’s also an expert in supply chains — how things go from raw materials to finished products in stores. Willy’s the guy that grocery stores and paper companies called in March 2020 when there was a run on toilet paper. If anyone’s going to explain this thing, it’s going to be Willy. Links: What toilet paper can teach us about supply chains https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihd7XJMzdG4 The latest in the global semiconductor shortage https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/2/22363232/global-semiconductor-chip-shortage-pandemic-consoles-cpus-graphics-cards-cars Ford to build some F-150 trucks without certain parts due to global chip shortage https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/18/ford-to-build-some-f-150-trucks-without-certain-parts-due-to-global-chip-shortage/ Situation regarding semiconductor plant fire and product supply https://www.akm.com/us/en/about-us/news/information/20210122-information/ Samsung forced to halt chip production in Austin due to power outages https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/17/22287054/samsung-chip-production-halted-austin-winter-storm-uri-power-blackouts   About that White House meeting to discuss the semiconductor supply chain https://www.forbes.com/sites/willyshih/2021/04/12/about-that-white-house-meeting-to-discuss-the-semiconductor-supply-chain/?sh=63b7f65b1641   Ford CEO Jim Farley on building the electric F-150 -- and reinventing Ford https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/20/22444294/ford-f150-lightning-pickup-truck-jim-farley-interview   Senate approves billions for US semiconductor manufacturing https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/8/22457293/semiconductor-chip-shortage-funding-frontier-china-competition-act   Intel invests $20 billion into new factories, will produce chips for other companies https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/23/22347250/intel-new-factories-arizona-20-billion-chips-outsourcing-foundry-services-manufacturing   Apple supplier TSMC confirms it’s building an Arizona chip plant https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/14/21259094/apple-tsmc-factory-chips-arizona-a-series   Biden-⁠Harris Administration announces Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force to address short-term supply chain discontinuities https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/06/08/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-supply-chain-disruptions-task-force-to-address-short-term-supply-chain-discontinuities/   Water shortages loom over future semiconductor fabs in Arizona https://www.theverge.com/22628925/water-semiconductor-shortage-arizona-drought Transcript https://www.theverge.com/e/22412413 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/31/20211 hour, 6 minutes, 19 seconds
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The quirks and features of YouTube car reviews with Doug DeMuro

Nilay Patel talks with Doug DeMuro, who reviews cars on YouTube for almost 10 years. Nilay and Doug talk about the economics of YouTube, how Doug feels about the platform, and about the new company he co-founded called Cars and Bids. Read the transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22401912 Decoder is produced by Creighton DeSimone, Alexander Charles Adams and Andrew Marino. We are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/24/20211 hour, 18 minutes, 18 seconds
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Meet the self-driving brains working with Ford and Volkswagen

Today I'm talking to Bryan Salesky, the cofounder and CEO of Argo AI, a startup that's trying to build the tech stack for self-driving cars. Argo just launched a small fleet of robotaxis in Miami and Austin in partnership with Lyft. I wanted to talk to Bryan about his partnership with Lyft, but I also wanted to know if the pandemic accelerated any of his investment or development the way we have seen in other industries. After all, the proposition of having a taxi all to yourself is pretty enticing in the COVID era, and lots of people moving away from offices to work from home might love having a car that gets them to and from a central office a couple days a week. Of course, I also had to ask about 5G. Is 5G enabling any of Argo's current self-driving technology? Does he see 5G as a benefit in the future? His answer might surprise you… unless you're a regular listener of this show. Then it won't surprise you one bit. Read the transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22391888 Decoder is produced by Creighton DeSimone, Alexander Charles Adams and Andrew Marino. And we are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/17/20211 hour, 6 minutes, 56 seconds
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Here’s why Apple’s new child safety features are so controversial

Nilay Patel is joined by Riana Pfefferkorn and Jennifer King to talk about Apple's new child safety features. Riana and Jen are both researchers at Stanford and between the two of them have expertise in encryption policies and consumer privacy issues. Guest Bio: Riana Pfefferkorn: http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/about/people/riana-pfefferkorn Jennifer King: http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/about/people/jen-king Links: Apple reveals new efforts to fight child abuse imagery: https://www.theverge.com/e/22375762 WhatsApp lead and other tech experts fire back at Apple’s Child Safety plan: https://www.theverge.com/e/22377406 Apple pushes back against child abuse scanning concerns in new FAQ: https://www.theverge.com/e/22380422 Apple's Plan to "Think Different" About Encryption Opens a Backdoor to Your Private Life: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/apples-plan-think-different-about-encryption-opens-backdoor-your-private-life Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22381595 Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone, Alexander Charles Adams, and Andrew Marino. And we are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/10/20211 hour, 1 minute, 58 seconds
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YouTube's Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan on the algorithm, monetization, and future for creators

On today’s episode I’m talking with Neal Mohan, the chief product officer at YouTube. And there’s a lot to talk about – YouTube is announcing a $100 million fund to begin paying creators who use YouTube Shorts, which is its competitor to TikTok. YouTube remains the default video hosting platform for the entire internet, in a way can feel almost invisible, like it’s a utility, like water, or electricity. And on top of all that, there are YouTubers – that particular kind of influencer at the center of the creator economy – the people who have turned YouTube not only into a career, but multimillion dollar businesses that extend into everything from merch drops to cheeseburger restaurants. When people talk about creators and the creator economy, they’re often just talking about YouTube. YouTube as a whole continues to grow in massive ways – in Google’s last earnings report, YouTube reported 7b in advertising revenue alone, which means it’s a business that is now as big or bigger than Netflix. YouTube is big – just like this conversation. Links: YouTube creators can now get $10,000 per month for making Shorts - https://www.theverge.com/e/22370332 Google sets all-time records as search and YouTube profits soar - https://www.theverge.com/e/22360633 "Me at the Zoo" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw Instagram launches reels, it's attempt to keep you off TikTok - https://www.theverge.com/e/21118158 YouTube launches Capture, a video recording and enhancing app for iOS - https://www.theverge.com/e/3541449 Instagram says its algorithm won’t promote Reels that have a TikTok watermark - https://www.theverge.com/e/22038373 Patreon CEO Jack Conte on why creators can’t depend on platforms - https://www.theverge.com/e/22307696 YouTube may push users to more radical views over time, a new paper argues - https://www.theverge.com/e/20600060 Examining the consumption of radical content on YouTube - https://www.pnas.org/content/118/32/e2101967118 Read the transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22370337 Decoder is produced by Creighton DeSimone, Alexander Charles Adams and Andrew Marino. And we are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/3/20211 hour, 17 minutes, 55 seconds
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Chuck Todd on why Meet the Press can’t survive on just one platform

This week Nilay Patel talks to Chuck Todd, the political director at NBC News and moderator of Meet The Press, the longest running television show in the country. Seriously: Meet the Press started in 1946, and Chuck is only the 12th moderator the show’s ever had. As streaming upends television, he’s expanding Meet The Press from a single weekly show where Chuck interviews politicians to an entire roster of formats. There’s Meet the Press, Meet The Press Daily on MSNBC, Meet the Press Reports on the Peacock streaming service, and, of course, a Meet the Press podcast. They discussed how streaming and direct distribution has changed TV news, and what the purpose of a show like Meet the Press really is in an environment where politicians can reach audiences directly whenever they want. Read the transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22358331 Decoder is produced by Creighton DeSimone, Liam James, Alexander Charles Adams, and Andrew Marino, and is edited by Callie Wright. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/27/202151 minutes, 32 seconds
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How Blackstone became the darling of grill TikTok with CEO Roger Dahle

Nilay Patel encountered the name Blackstone on TikTok last year, just as the pandemic lockdowns were starting. He saw people posting videos smashing burgers and making pancakes outside on a griddle frequently with the caption “I finally got a Blackstone.” 20 minutes ago he hadn’t even heard about this thing, and now he was late to a trend? So he bought one. And hasn’t used his regular grill in over a year. Nilay sat down with the CEO of Blackstone products and inventor of the Blackstone griddle Roger Dahle. They talked about Blackstone’s ability to generate recurring revenue, and how the griddle itself is a platform for a variety of additional products and services, some of which might be made by competitors. And Blackstone has big competitors in Weber, and Cuisinart — so we talked about competition, and branding, and going up against the biggest players in a space, and the creator economy. You know: Decoder stuff. Take a listen. And you can read the transcript here: https://www.theverge.com/e/22347828 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/20/20211 hour, 8 minutes, 40 seconds
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Can Polestar design a new kind of car company?

We are back after our week off, and we’ve got a good one today. On this episode I’m talking to Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar, a new car company with close family ties to Volvo. We talked a lot about what kind of company Polestar is — it’s pretty small, and has the ability to rethink a lot of things about how a car company is organized, while having the ability to fall back on a larger company if needed. We also talked a lot about what makes a car company a car company, at a time when everything about cars seems up for grabs. Transcript here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/13/202157 minutes, 53 seconds
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Land of the Giants: Delivery Wars

While Decoder is on vacation this week, we're sharing an episode of Land of the Giants, a podcast from our friends at Recode and Eater. Land of the Giants is a podcast that explores how the biggest tech companies rose to power, and what they're doing with that power. In this 4-part mini-season, they’re covering the world of restaurant delivery apps and exploring how big tech is transforming the business of food, and the true cost of our convenience.  You can listen to the full season of Land of Giants wherever you find your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/6/202134 minutes, 5 seconds
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Juul and the business of addiction, with Lauren Etter

Juul became a sensation — and a sensationally dramatic story. Lauren Etter, author of The Devil's Playbook: Big Tobacco, JUUL, and the Addiction of a New Generation, joins us to explain how a tech startup founded in a Stanford design studio to disrupt the smoking industry upended years of tobacco regulation in the United States, got a new generation of teenagers addicted to nicotine after years of declining teen smoking rates, and eventually found itself valued at 38 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/29/20211 hour, 17 minutes, 54 seconds
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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on the business of Windows

Nilay Patel talks with Satya Nadella, the CEO and chairman of Microsoft. On Thursday, Microsoft announced Windows 11, which comes with an all-new design, a bunch of new features, and the ability to run Android apps. Nilay asks Nadella about how he thinks about Windows as a platform, what Microsoft’s responsibilities are, and how he thinks the various antitrust bills in Congress will affect Microsoft’s plans for the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/25/202137 minutes, 45 seconds
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Patreon CEO Jack Conte on why creators can’t depend on platforms

Nilay Patel talks with Jack Conte, co-founder and CEO of Patreon, the platform that allows people to pay their favorite creators directly with monthly subscriptions. Nilay and Jack talk about how Patreon’s model as “membership” works, what Patreon’s relationship is to Apple and the app store, and where the overall creator economy is going on the internet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/22/20211 hour, 5 minutes, 24 seconds
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John Deere CTO Jahmy Hindman on farming, data, and fixing the tractors of the future

Nilay Patel talks with Jahmy Hindman, chief technology office at John Deere, the world’s biggest manufacturer of farming machinery.  Nilay and Jahmy discuss what it means for our farming equipment to be run by computers, and how to fix the problems that arise because of it — like accessing reliable broadband, how the equipment should be upgraded, and who gets to fix it when it breaks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/15/20211 hour, 4 minutes, 10 seconds
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The next generation of startups is remote, with Y Combinator's Michael Siebel

Nilay Patel talks with managing director of Y Combinator Michael Siebel. YC is one of the most well-known and successful startup incubators in Silicon Valley. Michael is also a co-founder of Justin.tv, known now as Twitch, and he recently joined the board at Reddit after cofounder Alexis Ohanian stepped down and asked the company to replace him with someone who is Black. That means Michael is uniquely suited to talk about a lot of things that I’m really interested in exploring on Decoder: starting and growing tech businesses, finding opportunities for new ideas, the growing creator economy, and making sure the next generation of business leaders doesn’t look exactly the same as the last one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/8/20211 hour, 4 minutes, 41 seconds
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Why Spotify’s chief legal officer called Apple a “ruthless bully”

Nilay Patel talks with head of global affairs and chief legal officer of Spotify Horacio Gutierrez to help understand why Spotify and so many other app developers are so frustrated with Apple. Horacio recently testified in front of Congress about Apple’s business practices, and just wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal calling Apple a “ruthless bully.” Horacio explains what he sees as the biggest problems with Apple’s behavior, what he would actually do to fix it, and how all of that connects to having more interesting, innovative, and better products in our lives. Nilay also asks Horacio if he sees a connection between how he perceives Apple and how musicians perceive Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/1/20211 hour, 5 minutes, 54 seconds
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How to build everything, with Flex CEO Revathi Advaithi

Nilay Patel talks with Revathi Advaithi, CEO of Flex. Flex is the third largest electronics manufacturing company in the world, making everything from hair dryers to the Mac Pro to autonomous driving systems for electric cars. It can also do everything from simply assembling products, to actually designing and engineering them from scratch.  Revathi and Nilay focus on the global chip shortage, the rise of automation, the future of the manufacturing workforce worldwide, and whether Flex can avoid global politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/25/20211 hour, 2 minutes, 9 seconds
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Ford CEO Jim Farley on building the electric F-150 — and reinventing Ford

This week we have Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company, to discuss their second big push into consumer EVs with the F-150 Lightning. We wanted to see how Jim sees our relationship to cars changing as they turn into what are fundamentally rolling computers. His answers surprised us — he hinted at one day being able to upgrade the computing systems of a car the same way you might upgrade or replace the engine, or the shocks. As we go through this conversation, we notice how much Jim talks like a tech executive. As more and more things turn into computers, the more problems across the business landscape look like the problems of the computer industry. It's a fascinating shift. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/20/202147 minutes, 18 seconds
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Facebook’s Oversight Board has upheld the Trump ban. What’s next?

Nilay Patel talks with Kate Klonick, a law professor at St. John’s University Law School and one of the foremost chroniclers of Facebook’s moderation efforts.  Kate has been researching and studying Facebook’s Oversight Board from its inception: she embedded with the board as it was forming to write a definitive piece for The New Yorker called “Inside the Making of Facebook’s Supreme Court.” Nilay and Kate discuss the Oversight Board’s recent decision to uphold Facebook’s ban on Donald Trump and what the decision means for the future of policy and moderation on Facebook and other social media platforms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/11/202157 minutes, 23 seconds
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How Shopify’s network of small businesses can take on Amazon

Nilay Patel talks with Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify. Shopify makes software that allows businesses of all sizes to set up online stores, and from there it can handle everything from shipping orders to financing loans for expansion. The company went public in 2015, and as online commerce has exploded during the pandemic, it’s been on a tear ever since. Harley talks about competing with the tech giants, Shopify's content moderation policies, and the future of online retail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/4/20211 hour, 1 minute, 58 seconds
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Senator Amy Klobuchar takes on Apple with antitrust law

Senator Amy Klobuchar sits down with host Nilay Patel to discuss her new book Antitrust: Taking on Monopoly Power from the Gilded Age to the Digital Age and the flurry of antitrust hearings over the past year. Senator Klobuchar serves as chair of the Senate subcommittee on competition policy, antitrust, and consumer rights — and in that role, Senator Klobuchar held a hearing last week focused on the power and control Apple and Google — but especially Apple — wield with their app stores. Where does she think antitrust reform is actually headed and what are the limits? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/27/202149 minutes, 21 seconds
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How Anjali Sud stopped worrying about YouTube and reinvented Vimeo

Since becoming CEO a few years ago, Anjali Sud has changed the nature of Vimeo’s business from indie entertainment streaming platform to a SaaS company offering tools for content creators. And it's paying off. Nilay Patel and Anjali discuss Vimeo’s rapid growth, going public, and what’s next for the company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/20/20211 hour, 3 minutes, 50 seconds
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Is VR the next frontier in fitness?

Nilay Patel talks with Chris Milk, founder and CEO of Within, which makes the VR fitness app Supernatural. Chris has been making VR experiences for a long time, but Supernatural feels like his biggest hit yet — an app that makes people go out and buy a VR headset just to use. Chris and Nilay discuss how the company Within takes on music licensing, competition with Peloton, and the platform of virtual reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/13/20211 hour, 38 seconds
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Is there a future for Bitcoin? An investor and a skeptic make their case

Nilay Patel interviews two experts on different sides of the bitcoin argument: a bitcoin investor and bitcoin skeptic. The investor is Nic Carter. He’s a general partner at Castle Island Ventures, which funds startups that are building on top of the bitcoin infrastructure to make payments more accessible — basically, making sure bitcoin can function like a currency. The skeptic is Steve Hanke. He is a professor of Applied Economics at Johns Hopkins University, senior fellow and director of the Troubled Currencies Project at the Cato Institute, a former member of President Ronald Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisers, and was the president of Toronto Trust Argentina in Buenos Aires when it was the world’s best performing mutual fund in 1995. He has also advised other countries on how to deal with hyperinflation and how to stabilize currencies. Nilay asks them both questions about bitcoin’s place in the market and pushes them on the shakier parts of their arguments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/6/20211 hour, 20 minutes, 56 seconds
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Facebook's VP of Global Affairs doesn’t think the platform is polarizing

In a bonus episode of Decoder, Platformer editor and Verge contributing editor Casey Newton talks with Facebook's VP of Global Affairs Nick Clegg about his lengthy Medium post addressing some of the criticisms that Facebook has endured, as well as unveiling some changes the company is making to give users more control over their experience. Host of Decoder Nilay Patel taks with Casey before the interview to discuss why this shift in Facebook's approach to the user experience is important, and what key issues listeners should pay attention to. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/31/202149 minutes, 25 seconds
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Poshmark’s Tracy Sun on stitching e-commerce with social media

Nilay Patel talks with Tracy Sun, the co-founder and SVP of new markets at Poshmark, a fashion resale company that just went public earlier this year while riding the huge wave of e-commerce growth during the pandemic. Tracy has to manage regular e-commerce issues, like shipping logistics and customer service, as well as influencer economy problems, like burnout and the incessant need to grow follower counts — not to mention the universe of problems that comes with selling fashion, like dealing with fashion labels and brands. But if Poshmark can get it all right, Tracy thinks community is the future of retail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/30/20211 hour, 3 minutes, 43 seconds
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The robots are coming for your office, with NYT’s Kevin Roose

Nilay Patel sits down with New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose to discuss the impact of automation on our future — specifically, robotic process automation, or RPA. Kevin's new book, Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation, is out and features a lengthy discussion of RPA, who's using it, who it will affect, and how to think about it as you design your career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/23/20211 hour, 4 minutes, 22 seconds
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Australia vs Facebook — and how regulation is splintering the internet, with Atlassian CEO Scott Farquhar

Nilay Patel talks with Atlassian CEO Scott Farquhar about Australia's Media Bargaining Code, which requires social platforms and search engines to pay news publishers for linking to their work. They also discuss how to run a global company in an increasingly fractured world and why understanding public policy is now key to running a tech company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/16/20211 hour, 8 minutes
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How Twitter is building its future, with Kayvon Beykpour

Nilay talks with Twitter’s Head of Consumer Product, Keyvon Beykpour about what it took to reset the team towards growth, how he decides what to prioritize, and what the timelines for success look like on different projects. They also talk about moderation, of course. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/9/20211 hour, 15 minutes, 41 seconds
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Underunderstood: Why is This Sheriff Arresting Fire TV Sellers?

An 88-year-old is being charged with a felony after selling ‘jailbroke firesticks’ at a Florida flea market. Why? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/4/202148 minutes, 38 seconds
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Meet Austin Russell, the 25-year-old billionaire building the future of self-driving cars

Austin Russell, Luminar’s founder and CEO on why he thinks LIDAR is the future of self-driving technology, where he thinks the autonomous vehicle industry is headed, and proving Elon Musk wrong. Let us know what you think: http://theverge.com/survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/2/20211 hour, 21 seconds
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Evil Geniuses' CEO Nicole LaPointe Jameson on how to run an esports company

Nilay Patel talks with CEO of Evil Geniuses about how an esports team makes money, where the industry is headed, and where she sees growth. We want to hear what you think of Decoder! Please fill out this short survey: theverge.com/survey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/23/20211 hour, 9 minutes, 9 seconds
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CNBC’s Jon Fortt on GameStop, Robinhood, and wallstreetbets

CNBC anchor Jon Fortt unpacks how the GameStop stock story was covered by the media and if technology has the ability to democratize the markets through apps like Robinhood. Fortt also discusses his course ‘The Black Experience in America,’ which looks at race in the US https://www.forttmedia.com/ We want to know what you think of the podcast! Please take our audience survey at theverge.com/survey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/16/20211 hour, 9 minutes, 33 seconds
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Black Software author on technology’s role in racial justice

In this episode of Decoder, Nilay sits down with Charlton McIlwain, a professor of media, culture, and communications at NYU and the author of Black Software, to talk about Black Lives Matter, Twitter, Online Communities, and Policing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/9/20211 hour, 8 minutes, 57 seconds
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Venture Capitalism isn’t just for Venture Capitalists, with Arlan Hamilton

Nilay Patel talks with venture capitalist Arlan Hamilton. Arlan founded VC fund Backstage Capital in 2015 and focuses on investing in “underestimated founders,” many of whom are people of color, women and LGBTQ. They discuss the importance of representation in tech and business, how the VC world works, and why Arlan is hopeful about the future at Backstage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/1/202155 minutes, 42 seconds
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The SolarWinds hack: cyber attacks and national security with Reuters reporter Joseph Menn

The Verge's Nilay Patel is joined by Joseph Menn, a cybersecurity reporter at Reuters and author of the new book Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World. Nilay and Joseph talk about a very big problem in US cybersecurity today: the SolarWinds hack. In December, it was reported that a group of hackers, likely from the Russian government, had gotten into SolarWinds, a dominant player in network management software, and then used that access to breach everything from Microsoft to the US government. The story is part of a back-and-forth game of hacking the United States and its rivals that have been escalating for years. Pay attention to how quickly this conversation with Joseph becomes about really big issues like how deeply our military and security agencies should be integrated with private company security. There aren’t a lot of easy answers here, but it’s clear that change is coming with the Biden administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/26/202158 minutes, 18 seconds
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Marques Brownlee on how to scale MKBHD while being the face of the YouTube brand

Nilay Patel talks with Marques Brownlee (MKBHD on YouTube) about building a business as a YouTuber, how content creators make money, and how to scale when you are the brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/22/20211 hour, 3 minutes, 39 seconds
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Instagram’s Adam Mosseri on the future of Reels, moderation, and the responsibility of social media platforms

The Verge's Nilay Patel talks with head of Instagram Adam Mosseri about how to run a creative platform like Instagram at scale while keeping users — and democracy — safe, how much responsibility the platforms have for what their algorithms promote, and, of course, Instagram's products like Reels, Stories, and IGTV. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/19/20211 hour, 7 minutes, 7 seconds
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Trump, Twitter, and the First Amendment, with platform moderation expert Daphne Keller

In the aftermath of the pro-Trump attack on the Capitol, many online platforms, including both Twitter and Facebook, banned President Trump. In this week’s episode, Nilay Patel talks with regulation expert and law professor Daphne Keller, about a big problem: how to moderate what happens on the internet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/12/20211 hour, 1 minute, 49 seconds
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The business of meatless meat with Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown

Today’s episode is with Beyond Meat founder and CEO Ethan Brown. Nilay and Ethan discuss how the company is doing since its IPO in 2019 and how they are fairing during the pandemic. The food supply chain has seen significant impact during COVID and there has been an increased demand for plant-based proteins during the pandemic, with meat shortages and more people cooking at home. They also talk about how Beyond Meat is structured, how they are different from other competitors in the market, and what’s next from the company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/22/202048 minutes, 44 seconds
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How the @!#$ does advertising work, with Cadillac CMO Melissa Grady

Advertising is a huge part of the economy and something we all experience everyday through various mediums. In this episode, Nilay Patel talks with Cadillac CMO Melissa Grady about how advertising has been reinvented by technology — from data-driven insights to new social media platforms to the role of influencers in marketing. They also unpack how modern advertising works and where it's headed in the future.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/15/20201 hour, 2 minutes, 57 seconds
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Can Substack CEO Chris Best build a new model for journalism?

Nilay Patel talks to Chris Best, cofounder and CEO of Substack, the subscription newsletter startup that’s taken the media industry by storm over the past few months. The conversation explores how Substack's business model could potentially impact the media industry, but also dives into the basic questions about running a media company -- how Substack makes money, how it’s going to scale while offering additional services to writers, like legal protection, and, of course, content moderation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/8/20201 hour, 55 seconds
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Alamo Drafthouse CEO Shelli Taylor on going back to the movies

On this episode of Decoder, Nilay talks with Shelli Taylor, the CEO of Alamo Drafthouse. Shelli stepped into her new role as CEO during the pandemic. In this conversation, Nilay and Shelli discuss the steps she had to take to get her company back on solid ground — including justifying high fixed costs of expensive lightbulbs — and how the government has failed to manage the pandemic effectively for business owners. They also talk about what it will take to safely reopen theaters and what the future looks like, especially in the streaming age. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/1/202046 minutes, 59 seconds
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Microsoft's Phil Spencer on launching the new Xbox and the future of games

On this week’s episode of Decoder Nilay Patel talks to Phil Spencer, the guy in charge of Xbox at Microsoft. They discuss not only the next-generation Xbox and PS5 just arriving in stores now, but how gaming itself has become part of mainstream culture, a trend that has definitely accelerated during the pandemic. We’ve also reached an inflection point for game streaming: Google, Amazon, and Microsoft all have services that allow consumers to play games on any device by streaming them over the internet, kind of like Netflix for games. Is that the future? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/24/20201 hour, 13 minutes, 48 seconds
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Remote learning is here to stay — can we make it better?

On this week’s episode of Decoder, Nilay Patel talks with Sal Khan, the co-founder and CEO of Khan Academy, a nonprofit online learning platform for students in kindergarten through high school. Khan Academy is an organization that exists because of technology. What started with Sal tutoring his niece in math over video using off the shelf cameras and software, has grown into an organization with nearly 20 million users per month, available in 46 languages and used in more than 190 countries. And online learning has gotten even more vital with the pandemic. In this conversation, Nilay and Sal discuss the future of learning, what online education is good at and where it struggles, how Khan Academy is growing, and how Sal’s thinking about handling trickier subjects like history and social studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/17/20201 hour, 23 seconds
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Mark Cuban on the presidency and the future of American business

On the first episode of Decoder, Nilay Patel interviews Mark Cuban. Mark is the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, he’s a tech investor, and is on the hit show, Shark Tank. The conversation, recorded as last week’s election results rolled in, covers how interwoven business, technology, and policy are, whether its 5G, or the NBA bubble, or AI, or his investments into healthcare -- if you want to understand the landscape of the future, you have to understand tech, you have to understand business, and you have to understand policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/10/202058 minutes, 30 seconds
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Welcome to Decoder

It may seem like a strange time to launch a podcast about business when the pandemic has frozen so many things in place, but the future is still coming — people are building technology and making policy for it right now. And it’s important to talk to them. This is Decoder with Nilay Patel. New episodes coming November 10th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/27/20203 minutes, 31 seconds
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Recode Decode series finale: Vox CEO Jim Bankoff and fan-favorite guests

After five years, Kara Swisher signs off as the host of Recode Decode. She and her producer Eric Johnson discuss five of the best moments in the show's 539-episode history; then, she talks with Vox Media CEO Jim Bankoff about the future of Vox as the COVID-19 crisis continues and the media grapples with what it can do to unwind systemic racism; and finally, she answers questions submitted by 10 of her past guests, including Ronan Farrow, Carole Cadwalladr, Anthony Scaramucci, and Stephanie Ruhle. Thank you to all of our guests, listeners, and the dozens of people behind the scenes who have made this show possible. Starting on Monday July 6, we'll bring you hand-picked "Best of Recode Decode" episodes for the rest of the summer. After that, stay subscribed for something new on this feed from Vox Media. Featuring: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), Recode Decode senior producer Jim Bankoff (@Bankoff), Vox Media CEO More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Season 1 of Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon — and now, on Season 2, Peter Kafka and Rani Molla are examining "the Netflix effect." About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/1/20201 hour, 56 minutes, 3 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sridhar Ramaswamy

Former Google executive Sridhar Ramaswamy talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new startup, Neeva, which promises to offer paying subscribers a search engine with no ads and without selling its users' data. Ramaswamy, who worked at Google from 2003 to 2018, talks about how it evolved into an advertising powerhouse, why people should care about the "incredibly personal" details revealed by their search history, and why he believes Neeva can reach a larger-audience than just wealthy privacy-conscious consumers. He also explains how Neeva limits the data it collects, the "big problem" with antitrust dogma in the US, and whether Silicon Valley is changing for the better. Featuring: Sridhar Ramaswamy (@RamaswmySridhar), co-founder, Neeva Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Season 1 of Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon — and now, on Season 2, Peter Kafka and Rani Molla are examining "the Netflix effect." About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/29/20201 hour, 6 minutes, 50 seconds
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Recode Decode: Rose Marcario

Former Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the company's history of activism, the Facebook ad boycott that Patagonia helped start, and what she hopes it will accomplish. Marcario explains how Patagonia chooses which battles to fight, what she thinks of other business leaders who take public stands — such as Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos — and why we need more "good actors" in the corporate world. Plus: Is "compassionate capitalism" a real thing? This interview was recorded as part of the Lesbians Who Tech virtual Pride Summit. Featuring: Rose Marcario, former CEO, Patagonia Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Season 1 of Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon — and now, on Season 2, Peter Kafka and Rani Molla are examining "the Netflix effect." About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/26/202040 minutes, 21 seconds
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Recode Decode: Aminatou Sow

Call Your Girlfriend co-host Aminatou Sow talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about upcoming book with Ann Friedman, Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close. Sow discusses "how [she] got bamboozled into getting business-married” to Friedman, why they went to therapy together, and why talking about your friendships with your friends is so important. She also talks about why she refuses to hang out with friends on Zoom, the assumptions we all make about other people's friendships, and what you should do when you and a friend have opposing political views. Featuring: Aminatou Sow (@aminatou), co-author, Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/24/202054 minutes, 30 seconds
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Recode Decode: Samantha Power

Harvard professor Samantha Power, the former US ambassador the United Nations, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her 2019 memoir The Education of an Idealist, what idealism looks like now in America, and the Trump administration's deadly mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic — and what she would do differently were she in charge. Power also discusses how the Obama administration responded to the ebola epidemic in 2014, the growing power of tech leaders like Bill Gates, and what Mark Zuckerberg can learn about disinformation from Taiwan. Plus: What the Obama administration got wrong about Big Tech and election security, and the other key international issues the US should focus on now. Featuring: Samantha Power (@samanthajpower), former US ambassador to the United Nations Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/22/20201 hour, 8 minutes, 7 seconds
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Recode Decode: Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden

The Hive authors Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about how they came to write a young adult book about a social media dystopia, based on a cinematic idea from actor Jennifer Beals and producer Tom Jacobson. The 2019 book is set "five minutes in the future," where social media participation is mandated by the government for everyone over 13, which introduces some familiar social issues: The pressure to be perfect when everything is public, and the risk of mob justice when you step out of line. Lyga and Baden also explain what works in YA literature now, their mixed feelings about the power of social media and "cancel culture," and how they would attempt to fix platforms like Twitter and Instagram. Featuring: Barry Lyga (@barrylyga) and Morgan Baden (@MorganBaden), co-authors, The Hive Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/19/202050 minutes, 59 seconds
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Recode Decode: Symone Sanders

Symone Sanders, a senior advisor to Joe Biden and former national press secretary for Bernie Sanders, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the 2020 campaign and her new memoir, No, You Shut Up: Speaking Truth to Power and Reclaiming America. Sanders reflects on her own political journey and explains why she's eager to support Biden this year — and why people who try to cast doubt on her career choices are "infuriating." Plus: What the Biden campaign wants from Facebook, and what advice does she have for protesters? Featuring: Symone Sanders (@SymoneDSanders), senior advisor, Joe Biden Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/17/202051 minutes, 55 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jason Fried

Basecamp CEO Jason Fried talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the company's new email product, Hey, which he describes as "the most ambitious and stupidest thing we’ve ever done." Fried also discusses how coronavirus proved that offices are not as important as other companies used to say, why Zoom calls "suck," and why Basecamp is charging $99/year for a personal Hey account, Plus: Why Uber is a "shitty business," why Fried doesn't want any public CEO's job, and the state of tech regulation. Featuring: Jason Fried (@jasonfried), CEO, Basecamp Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/15/202059 minutes, 59 seconds
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Recode Decode: Katie Couric

Katie Couric, the former host of the Today Show and anchor of the CBS Evening News, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about why the current moment of political protest feels unlike anything that came before; the fine line between objectivity and advocacy in journalism; and her upcoming memoir, Unexpected. Couric also discusses the battle over Confederate history and art in the south, America's divided news diet, and what she thought of the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show. Plus: Her famous interview with Sarah Palin in 2008, and what she would ask Donald Trump if he sat with her for a 1:1 interview. Featuring: Katie Couric (@katiecouric), host, Next Question with Katie Couric Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/12/20201 hour, 3 minutes
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Recode Decode: Jill Lepore

American historian and New Yorker staff writer Jill Lepore talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new podcast, The Last Archive, which investigates "who killed truth?" in the style of a true-crime show. Lepore discusses why the protests against systemic police violence represent America "at our very best," but explains why the two main competing theories of American history are both wrong — and how it should be taught and studied instead. She also talks about the history of technologies, from photography to social media, that have been the subject of a political "fantasy" and previews her upcoming book about Simulmatics, "the Cambridge Analytica of the Cold War." Plus: What would Lepore do if she were a historian in the future trying to understand 2020? Featuring: Jill Lepore, professor of American history at Harvard University and host, The Last Archive Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/10/202059 minutes, 5 seconds
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Recode Decode: Bart Gellman

Journalist and author Bart Gellman talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his newest book, Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State. Gellman discusses how he got connected with Snowden ahead of his whistleblowing disclosures in 2013; how he reacted to the staggering size of the US government's digital surveillance apparatus; and the different waves of impact of the Snowden leaks on the government and tech industry. He also talks about why people should still be concerned about the amount of data the tech industry has amassed, and why debating whether Snowden is a traitor is a "silly" distraction. Featuring: Bart Gellman (@bartongellman), author, Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/8/20201 hour, 4 minutes, 30 seconds
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Recode Decode: Andy Puddicombe, Robin Arzon, and Marianne Williamson

Recode's Kara Swisher talks with three guests about how to take care of your mind, body, and spirit while in quarantine. Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe discusses the challenges of getting people to meditate, how to make your sleep more restful, and how to feel connected to loved ones you can't see right now; Peloton's head instructor Robin Arzon talks about the impact of COVID-19 on the company's business, why you should focus on what you can control when exercising, and the future of working out at home; and finally, former Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson talks about the "great reckoning" facing America and why healing ourselves and healing the country are part of the same mission. Featuring: Andy Puddicombe (@andypuddicombe), co-founder, Headspace Robin Arzon (@RobinNYC), head instructor and VP of fitness programming, Peloton Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson), spiritual thought leader and bestselling author Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/5/20201 hour, 11 minutes, 12 seconds
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Recode Decode: Frances Frei

Harvard Business School professor Frances Frei talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the new book she wrote with her wife Anne Morriss, Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You. Frei — who has previously worked with Uber, WeWork, and Riot Games to address culture crises — discusses what good leadership today looks like, the unfair treatment of women and people of color in business, and why it's a mistake to chase "balance" or "equal treatment." She also reflects on her work with Uber and WeWork, calling the former a "terrific success," and explains the key difference between Uber's former CEO Travis Kalanick and WeWork's former chief Adam Neumann. Plus: Why Amazon's market dominance is threatened by its poor treatment of workers. Featuring: Frances Frei, co-author, Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/3/202051 minutes, 45 seconds
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Recode Decode: Daniel Schreiber

Lemonade CEO and co-founder Daniel Schreiber talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about what happens to an insurance in a crisis like COVID-19, how some of the money from Lemonade customers' premiums will be allocated to coronavirus relief, and whether the insurance industry can be fully automated. Schreiber also talks about Lemonade's decision to be a public benefit corporation, why that doesn't make them "do-gooders," and why he strives to be more like Ulysses from the Odyssey and not like Mark Zuckerberg from Facebook. Featuring: Daniel Schreiber, CEO, Lemonade Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/1/202052 minutes, 3 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jon Mooallem

New York Times Magazine writer-at-large Jon Mooallem talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his newest book, This Is Chance!: The Shaking of an All-American City, A Voice That Held It Together. It tells the story of a 9.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Anchorage, Alaska in 1964 and how a part-time radio reporter named Genie Chance held her community together. Mooallem recounts how he got his hands on the recordings of Chance's broadcasts and reported out the full story of the disaster, which had been largely forgotten outside Alaska; he also compares Anchorage's recovery from the earthquake to what people around the world are doing now in response to COVID-19. Plus: How has storytelling changed over the course of Mooallem's career? Featuring: Jon Mooallem (@jmooallem), author, This Is Chance! Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/29/202051 minutes, 16 seconds
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Recode Decode: Phil Howard and Emily Bell

Phil Howard, the Oxford Internet Institute director and author of Lie Machines, and Emily Bell, the director of Columbia University's Tow Center for Digital Journalism, talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about the state of disinformation and propaganda in the coronavirus pandemic and how what we're hearing this year compares to the state-organized propaganda that infected elections in 2016. They explain some of the most pervasive conspiracy theories and campaigns — including the untruthful documentary-style movie "Plandemic," how Bill Gates replaced George Soros as the leading right-wing boogeyman, and President Trump's amorphous "Obamagate" insinuations. Bell and Howard also talk about why these lies are spreading so effectively, the celebrities and influencers that are helping them along, and how the big tech platforms are faring in the face of this challenge. Plus: How Facebook built "misinformation factories" in its apps. Featuring: Emily Bell (@emilybell), director, Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism Phil Howard (@pnhoward), director, Oxford Internet Institute and author, Lie Machines. Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/27/20201 hour, 2 minutes, 39 seconds
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Recode Decode: Dara Khosrowshahi

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about Uber's evolving response to the COVID-19 pandemic, how it's preparing for the world to re-open, and the one segment of the company that is thriving right now — its food delivery business, UberEats. Khosrowshahi also discusses the company's recent 6700-person layoffs, the blowback UberEats has received for the fees it imposes on restaurant owners, and the “rumors” that it will acquire food delivery rival GrubHub, and why that wouldn't be a monopoly. Plus: How are Uber's relations with local and federal governments, and what would Khosrowshahi do if he were still the CEO of a travel company like Expedia? Featuring: Dara Khosrowshahi (@dkhos), CEO, Uber Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/25/20201 hour, 8 minutes, 45 seconds
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Recode Decode: Brian Chesky

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky returns to Recode Decode to talk with Kara Swisher about how the company is "going back to [its] roots" after the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its IPO; the future of travel and hospitality in a world with way fewer people taking airplanes; and how Airbnb tried to "lead by example" in its severance payments and benefits to laid-off employees. Chesky also talks about the delay of projects such as a previously-announced flight booking program, why fewer people will work from only one city when their lives get back to normal, and why raising $2 billion in debt was the right move for the company when everything was on fire. Plus: He tries to convince Kara that "Pittsburgh is the new Paris." Featuring: Brian Chesky (@bchesky), CEO, Airbnb Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/22/20201 hour, 10 minutes, 31 seconds
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Recode Decode: Gene Sperling

Former Clinton and Obama economic advisor Gene Sperling talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his latest book, Economic Dignity, and how the COVID-19 pandemic is changing attitudes toward essential labor and compensation. He predicts that unemployment could top 10 percent for several years to come, and evaluates the federal government's response to the crisis so far, explaining what he would tell President Trump if he were still in the White House today. Sperling also talks about the need for laws to protect gig workers, why the Obama administration didn't stop Big Tech from growing in size and power when it had the chance, and the need for antitrust action against companies like Facebook. Featuring: Gene Sperling (@genebsperling), author, Economic Dignity Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/20/202056 minutes, 58 seconds
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Recode Decode: Casey Newton and Louie Swisher

Recode's Kara Swisher talks with the Verge's Casey Newton and her older son, Louie Swisher, about how the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine has affected their tech habits. They also discuss Louie's remote final months of high school, the future of video conferencing, and the growing power of tech giants such as Facebook and Amazon. Newton also talks about his reporting on Facebook moderators who developed PTSD on the job, which led to a recent $52 million settlement. Plus: What is everyone watching and playing to pass the time, and are movie theaters dead? Featuring: Casey Newton (@CaseyNewton), tech reporter at The Verge and writer of The Interface Louie Swisher Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/18/20201 hour, 2 minutes, 59 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jon Meacham

Historian and bestselling author Jon Meacham talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new podcast Hope Through History, which shows how Americans endured crises such as the Great Depression and the 1918 flu pandemic and came out the other side as a stronger nation. Meacham says there's no guarantee that the coronavirus pandemic will be resolved in the same way as the moments he has studied, but that it's a mistake to imagine that the past was a simpler "fairy tale" time without comparable struggles. He also talks about the politicization of our current crisis, how it has accelerated other problems in our society, and what a Joe Biden victory in November would mean for the future of the country. Plus: What is Meacham writing next, and what past presidency most resembles our own? (It's not Andrew Jackson's.) Featuring: Jon Meacham (@jmeacham), host, Hope Through History Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/15/202050 minutes, 3 seconds
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Recode Decode: Maye Musk

Model and dietitian Maye Musk (the mother of Tesla/SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, entrepreneur Kimbal Musk, and filmmaker Tosca Musk) talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her recent memoir, A Woman Makes a Plan: Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty, and Success. Musk also discusses ageism in modeling, her aversion to the "weird diets" that have caught on in Silicon Valley, and how she was a "pillar" to her three entrepreneurial kids. Plus: Does she want to go to Mars with Elon? (Note: This interview was recorded in late March.) >> Start your free trial of New York Magazine today - go to nymag.com/decode Featuring: Maye Musk (@mayemusk), author, A Woman Makes a Plan: Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty, and Success Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/13/202050 minutes, 3 seconds
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Recode Decode: Joe Walsh

Former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about why he tried to primary Donald Trump earlier this year, how the Republican Party became a "cult," and his recent book, F*ck Silence: Calling Trump Out for the Cultish, Moronic, Authoritarian Con Man He Is. Walsh, who also hosts a podcast called F*ck Silence, says the coronavirus crisis is finally starting to convince people who don't pay attention to politics that they should vote against President Trump in November, and that the centrality of Trump to the election means Joe Biden's campaign is fairly irrelevant. He also predicts that a conservative third party led by anti-Trump former Republicans is inevitable, and says Biden's nominee for Vice President must be someone who's already well-known to voters. >> Start your free trial of New York Magazine today - go to nymag.com/decode Featuring: Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom), author, F*ck Silence: Calling Trump Out for the Cultish, Moronic, Authoritarian Con Man He Is Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/11/202054 minutes, 1 second
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Recode Decode: Scott Galloway

NYU Professor and Pivot co-host Scott Galloway returns to Recode Decode to talk about his new show on Vice TV, No Mercy, No Malice with Professor Scott Galloway. He and Recode's Kara Swisher also talk about how they started working together, why he decided to branch out into podcasting and then TV, and the "most disruptable" industries that young people should be going into right now — healthcare and higher education. Galloway explains what he would do if he were the provost of a major university like NYU, including a "Marshall Plan" for increasing student enrollment and the abolition of tenure for professors because "everybody else has to work for a living." Plus: How coronavirus will change cities, retail, restaurants, and more, and which big tech companies should be broken up. >> Start your free trial of New York Magazine today - go to nymag.com/decode Featuring: Scott Galloway (@profgalloway), Pivot co-host and host of No Mercy, No Malice with Professor Scott Galloway Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/8/20201 hour, 12 minutes, 29 seconds
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Recode Decode: Alexis Coe

Political historian Alexis Coe talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her latest book, You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington, which seeks to break the staid formula by which all other books about America's first president have been written. Coe says she is the only female historian to write a book about Washington, and discovered that other biographies written by white men have popularized sexist untruths about his single mother, while obscuring some crucial details about Washington himself and distorting his track record as a slaver. She also talks about her previous book, Alice + Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis, why we still need libraries, and how history as a profession is changing at a time when we may know "too much" about our leaders. Featuring: Alexis Coe (@alexiscoe), author, You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/6/20201 hour, 6 minutes, 2 seconds
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Recode Decode: Alex Kantrowitz

BuzzFeed News reporter Alex Kantrowitz talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, Always Day One: How The Tech Titans Plan To Stay On Top Forever. He discusses how coronavirus may change consumers’ relationship with tech giants, the opportunity for a new major labor movement, and how the companies he profiled in the book — including Amazon, Apple, and Facebook — keep from getting out-innovated. Kantrowitz says education, and not automation, is the larger problem for the long-term future of work, and argues that TikTok is one of the only places young people are learning to be creative; he also explains why Apple is stuck in a similar rut now to the one Microsoft was in under Steve Ballmer. Plus: Can you steal from Amazon's cashier-less grocery story? Featuring: Alex Kantrowitz (@Kantrowitz), author, Always Day One: How The Tech Titans Plan To Stay On Top Forever Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/4/202058 minutes, 58 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ryan Murphy

TV producer Ryan Murphy — who created or produced shows like Glee, 911, and American Horror Story — talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new Netflix miniseries, Hollywood, which blends real history with fictional characters to imagine a more inclusive "what-if" version of the postwar film business. Murphy explains how shows like Glee and Modern Family encouraged LGBT acceptance, why he doesn't use Twitter anymore, and his mega-deal with Netflix, which was reported to be worth up to $300 million. Plus: The differences between working for Netflix vs. Fox, how covid-19 has changed entertainment, and Murphy and Swisher's roadtrip to New York City in the 80s. Featuring: Ryan Murphy (@mrrpmurphy on Instagram), co-creator and executive producer, Hollywood Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/1/20201 hour, 7 minutes, 22 seconds
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Recode Decode: Dave Asprey

Bulletproof founder and former CEO Dave Asprey talks about the invention and current state of “biohacking," how his blog for “bulletproof executives” grew into a global lifestyle, and the most important ways to track and improve one’s life. Asprey explains how intermittent fasting works — but may not be right for everyone seven days a week — and says that quality of sleep is more important than quantity: Getting 8 hours of sleep every night is “garbage science,” he claims. He also discusses cryotherapy, meditation, the cutting edge of aging and brain research, and his goal of living to be 180 years old. Featuring: Dave Asprey (@bulletproofexec), founder and former CEO, Bulletproof Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/29/20201 hour, 11 minutes, 16 seconds
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Recode Decode: Nikole Hannah-Jones

New York Times Magazine reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the coronavirus pandemic is magnifying inequality in the US, and our historical failure to treat essential workers — from meat-packing plants to checkout counters to delivery drivers — with the respect and protection they deserve. Hannah-Jones, who created the Times' ongoing series about the legacy of slavery, The 1619 Project, also talks about the technology gap and current inequalities in pre-college education, and says the crisis is also an opportunity to reset the deeply unjust gig economy. Plus: Why are black and Latinx Americans dying of coronavirus at much higher rates than their white and Asian peers? Featuring: Nikole Hannah-Jones (@nhannahjones), reporter, New York Times Magazine Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/27/202055 minutes, 40 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sarah Kendzior

Bestselling author and Gaslit Nation co-host Sarah Kendzior talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, Hiding in Plain Sight: The Invention of Donald Trump and the Erosion of America; what pundits get wrong about propaganda and election interference; and the “insane way” journalists treat Donald Trump’s Twitter bully pulpit. In the new book and her previous one, The View From Flyover Country, Kendzior argues that Trump's rise to the presidency was no accident — rather, it was the result of decades of socioeconomic trends, including income inequality, "disaster capitalism," and the growth of the internet. She also talks about why Trump's base isn't as big as you think it is, and whether there's reason for hope and optimism right now. Featuring: Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior), author, Hiding in Plain Sight: The Invention of Donald Trump and the Erosion of America Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/24/20201 hour, 3 minutes, 52 seconds
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Recode Decode: Tim Ferriss

Bestselling author, investor, and podcaster Tim Ferriss talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his advice for people coping with the coronavirus quarantine, which includes giving yourself slack for being unproductive, afraid, and fatigued; the crucial difference between fast decisions and rushed ones; and why the pandemic crisis is a "natural culling of the herd" for businesses in a "bloated capitalist system" that have no resilience. Ferriss also discusses what he's starting to invest in after taking a five-year break, why he's holding onto his early stake in Uber, and why he's been funding research into psychedelic drugs at Imperial College London and Johns Hopkins Medicine. Plus: How being a pessimist and keeping expectations low can lead to greater happiness. Previously: Listen to Tim's earlier appearance on Recode Decode, from January 2017. Featuring: Tim Ferriss (@tferriss), host, The Tim Ferriss Show Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/22/20201 hour, 13 minutes, 5 seconds
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Recode Decode: Mark Cuban

Investor, Dallas Mavericks owner, and Shark Tank co-host Mark Cuban talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about what capitalism and entrepreneurship looks like in a post-coronavirus world; whether he's planning to run for political office, and what his platform would be if he did; and what it will take for professional sports to come back. Cuban, who was recently announced as a member of President Trump's panel to re-open the economy, says the government hasn't done enough yet for small businesses and explains why "America 2.0" will require putting more money in the hands of workers — in good times and bad — and much more investment in technology. Plus: What companies would he create now if he were a young entrepreneur? Featuring: Mark Cuban (@mcuban), investor and entrepreneur Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/20/20201 hour, 6 minutes, 48 seconds
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Recode Decode: Mayor London Breed

San Francisco Mayor London Breed talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about why she was one of the first local leaders in the US to act on the spread of covid-19, how she thinks about the slow and dishonest response from President Trump, and what long-term recovery will look like for SF and beyond. Breed also discusses why sheltering the city's homeless population in vacant hotels is harder and more complicated than it seems, what the tech sector can do to be part of the solution, and when she expects the crisis to be "over." Plus: Does she want to run for higher office? Featuring: London Breed (@londonbreed), mayor, San Francisco Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/17/20201 hour, 6 minutes, 42 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jeffrey Katzenberg

Quibi founder Jeffrey Katzenberg talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the first week of the short-form video app — which was intended for on-the-go consumers, but still racked up 1.7 million downloads, even though most of the world is currently staying at home. Katzenberg makes the case for short video episodes as a logical next step for entertainment, and explains how the economics of producing shows such as Dishmantled and Chrissy's Court compares to Netflix, traditional TV and YouTube. He also explains why he's not worried about skepticism from TV purists, why he desperately wanted former eBay and HP CEO Meg Whitman to lead Quibi, and how the platform is attracting top talent from across Hollywood and the broader entertainment business to make shows. Plus: Why is Quibi trading lawsuits with an Israeli firm called Eko, and is Katzenberg bullish on Hollywood right now? Featuring: Jeffrey Katzenberg, founder, Quibi Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/15/20201 hour, 6 minutes, 7 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sarah Frier

Bloomberg technology reporter Sarah Frier talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram. Frier discusses how co-founders Mike Systrom and Danny Krieger met, why they sold Instagram to Facebook and not Twitter, and why Systrom and Krieger left in 2018. She also talks about how they and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg clashed over growth and power, how Instagram changes us psychologically, and the looming "reckoning" it faces as TikTok becomes more popular. Plus: How do current and former Instagram employees feel about the company's shift towards becoming a commerce platform? Featuring: Sarah Frier (@sarahfrier), author, No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/13/202056 minutes, 5 seconds
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Recode Decode: Adam Grant

Organizational psychologist Adam Grant, the author of "Originals" and host of the podcast "WorkLife," talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the benefits of working from home, and how work will change during the COVID-19 quarantine — and after. Grant also discusses burnout, loneliness, collaboration, procrastination, and why employees don’t need to be micromanaged. Plus: Has online communication made us worse at trusting each other? Featuring: Adam Grant (@AdamMGrant), host of WorkLife and professor at University of Pennsylvania Wharton School Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/10/202059 minutes, 55 seconds
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Recode Decode: Niall Ferguson

Historian Niall Ferguson, the author of bestselling books such as The Ascent of Money and The Square and the Tower, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new PBS series, Networld, which explores the history and science of networks. He discusses why it's important to understand networks, and how they can become the sources of revolutions; the economic implications of misinformation about coronavirus, which has been exacerbated by lax tech regulation; and why it's dangerous to invite Silicon Valley to track private individuals even more closely. "We actually are a form of China already," Ferguson says. "It’s just that the data are in the hands of Mark Zuckerberg and his counterparts at Google." Plus: How the US is doing the worst combination of things in response to coronavirus: "Half-assed social distancing" while still shutting down the economy. Featuring: Niall Ferguson (@nfergus), host, Networld, and author, The Square and the Tower Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/8/202058 minutes, 49 seconds
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Recode Decode: Kevin Systrom

Instagram co-founder and former CEO Kevin Systrom talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the data analysis he has conducted and publicized about the global spread of coronavirus, and what it tells us the future looks like. He says he applied the same data-minded approach to the virus that he did while at Instagram because "data is data," and says the rapid word of mouth spread of "viral" technology can help us understand what happens when communities and governments don't act to prevent an outbreak. Systrom also talks about people's natural inclination to doubt data, and says the numbers suggest that new cases of covid-19 will peak in mid-May. Plus: Why he hopes his data model is wrong, and what he's been doing since he and fellow Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger left Facebook in 2018. Featuring: Kevin Systrom (@kevin), Instagram co-founder and former CEO Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/6/202054 minutes, 30 seconds
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Recode Decode: David Plouffe

Former Obama advisor David Plouffe — who since leaving the White House has worked with Uber, the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, and Acronym — talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, A Citizen's Guide to Beating Donald Trump. He talks about how the coronavirus pandemic affects the 2020 election and popular perception of Trump and Joe Biden; the disastrous Iowa caucus how Democrats can get better at technology; and what regular people can do now if they want Trump to lose in November, including engaging relatives in political arguments on Facebook. Plouffe also discusses who Biden should pick as his VP nominee, how he thinks about Facebook in the aftermath of the 2016 election, and why we need every state to embrace vote-by-mail this year, and online voting in future years. Plus: What he likes and doesn't like about the Silicon Valley mentality. Featuring: David Plouffe (@davidplouffe), author, A Citizen's Guide to Beating Donald Trump Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/3/20201 hour, 3 minutes, 13 seconds
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Recode Decode: Stewart Butterfield

Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how coronavirus changed everything for Slack and its customers, the sudden transition to "work from home" across the country, and how the company is handling a surge in usage at the same time that other plans and resources are being constrained. Butterfield also discusses Slack's recent redesign, how communication inside organizations has evolved over the years, and the state of innovation in Silicon Valley and the US as a whole. Plus: What would he do if he weren't running Slack? Featuring: Stewart Butterfield (@stewart), CEO, Slack Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/1/20201 hour, 50 seconds
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Recode Decode: Gary Vaynerchuk

VaynerMedia CEO Gary Vaynerchuk talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the impact of covid-19 on entrepreneurship, why he stopped investing in tech companies two years ago, and how the pandemic could have a silver lining — separating the winners from the losers. Vaynerchuk also talks about why tech and Fortune 500 businesses will have an easier time weathering the crisis than restaurants and other small businesses; his own rise to fame as a "web 2.0" entrepreneur and how he's changing his own M.O. in response to coronavirus; and what people get wrong when they assume he's just a "loud Jersey boy" dealing advice on Instagram. Plus: Why TikTok and LinkedIn are the most important platforms for organic promotion right now, and why Facebook and Fox News aren't as dangerous as their critics claim. Featuring: Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee), CEO, VaynerMedia Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/30/20201 hour, 12 minutes, 14 seconds
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Recode Decode: Deepak Chopra

Dr. Deepak Chopra talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how to cope with the global threat posed by coronavirus, the parallel "pandemic of panic," and how to not be overwhelmed by fear and anxiety. Comparing it to past pandemics and wars, he says the covid-19 outbreak is an invitation to stop denying our shared humanity and finally recognize our power to use our creativity to save ourselves. Chopra also discusses his AI project Digital Deepak, what a selfie can tell you about your stress level, and how he's been received in Silicon Valley. Plus: The insane narcissism of biohackers who are trying to "cure" death, and the potential of mind-altering substances like CBD. Featuring: Deepak Chopra (@deepakchopra), author, Metahuman Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/27/20201 hour, 2 minutes, 6 seconds
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Recode Decode: Chamath Palihapitiya

Social Capital CEO Chamath Palihapitiya talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how long it will take to recover from the coronavirus crisis, its impact on startups, and how the US government should and will react — including by tracking individuals via their technology and repatriating cash from tech companies like Apple. Palihapitiya says businesses should make sure they have at least 36 months worth of cash on hand to weather this recession and its slow recovery period and predicts the US will need to devote an entire year's GDP to combat covid-19. He criticizes the corporate "shenanigans" that will make economic recovery harder says he's done investing for at least nine months, because anyone trying to do deals now will be "decapitated." Plus: What we can all learn right now from the histories of the Great Depression and the 2008 financial crisis, and which industries will come out of this crisis stronger than before? Previously: Palihapitiya last appeared on Recode Decode in March 2019: "People in Silicon Valley are deeply unhappy" Featuring: Chamath Palihapitiya (@chamath), CEO of Social Capital Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/25/20201 hour, 7 minutes, 21 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ben Hubbard

Ben Hubbard, the Beirut bureau chief for the New York Times, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed Bin Salman. Hubbard explains how he started writing about Saudi Arabia and its crown prince, MBS's unexpected rise to power, and the recent international incidents that have made him more notorious in the west: The murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and the hacking of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos's phone. He also discusses the Saudi government's relationship with the Trump administration, how bin Salman has resisted political liberalization, and how he has used armies of bots on Twitter to distract critics online. Plus: Is there any meaningful dissent within Saudi Arabia that could unseat MBS? Featuring: Ben Hubbard (@nytben), author, MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed Bin Salman Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/23/20201 hour, 2 minutes, 14 seconds
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Recode Decode: Andrew Yang

Former 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the growing popularity of government programs to send money directly to people affected by the coronavirus pandemic. His own organization t hat advocates for universal basic income, Humanity Forward, plans to start cutting checks to regular Americans soon, starting with the working poor in New York City's Bronx borough and workers who depend on tips to make ends meet. Yang also says he plans to run for office again in the future, discusses what role he'd like to a fill in a hypothetical Joe Biden administration, and predicts that President Trump's proposed stimulus plan — which would send $500 billion to Americans over two months — could turn into a longer-term policy that resembles UBI. Plus: How coronavirus revealed the "brutal truth" about capitalism and labor in the modern economy. Previously: Listen to Kara's last interview with Yang, from July 2019. Featuring: Andrew Yang, (@andrewyang), founder of Humanity Forward Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/20/20201 hour, 4 minutes, 24 seconds
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Recode Decode: "After Truth"

Recode's Kara Swisher talks with three of the brains behind the new HBO documentary After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News: Director Andrew Rossi, who previously directed Page One: Inside the New York Times; executive producer Brian Stelter, who hosts Reliable Sources on CNN; and co-producer Adam McGill. They discuss how disinformation about everything from coronavirus to #BlackLivesMatter spreads online, the victims of the Pizzagate and Seth Rich conspiracy theories, and why Russian election attackers supported both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. The trio also talks about the corruption of the term "fake news," the effect of Alex Jones being kicked off major online platforms, and what rights people like Hillary Clinton have when they're the subject of an online disinformation campaign. After Truth debuts on March 19 at 9:00 p.m. on HBO, and on-demand on March 20. Featuring: Andrew Rossi (@a_rossi), director, After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News Brian Stelter (@brianstelter), executive producer, After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News Adam McGill (@NotTheATVRider), co-producer, After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/18/202057 minutes, 6 seconds
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Recode Decode: Maggie Haberman

Maggie Haberman, the White House correspondent for the New York Times, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the rest of the country has bypassed Trump's failure to lead on the coronavirus outbreak; his exposure to COVID-19 at Mar-a-Lago and refusal to self-quarantine; and the toxic cocktail of practices in his administration: Infighting, tiptoeing, and sucking up. She also discusses CDC director Anthony Fauci's "unimpeachable" credibility vs. President Trump's trust problem, how Vice President Pence is doing at the helm of the coronavirus task force, and how this period could have a bigger impact on Trump's re-election chances than previous crises. Plus: Who is actually running things at the White House right now, and can Trump operate his campaign without mass rallies? Featuring: Maggie Haberman (@maggienyt), White House correspondent, New York Times Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/16/20201 hour, 5 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ron Klain

Epidemic co-host Ron Klain, who led the White House's ebola response under President Obama, talks to Recode's Kara Swisher about how the COVID-19 outbreak will strain America's healthcare system; how President Trump downplayed the crisis, rattling public confidence and delaying the country's response; and the way people who work in the gig economy — including Uber drivers and food delivery workers — will be especially hurt by the situation. He also discusses the logic behind travel bans and limits of their efficacy, why it's impossible for the US to completely cut itself off from China, and what Trump didn't say in his Oval Office address, but should have. Klain, an adviser and former chief of staff to Joe Biden, also talks about the ex-vice president's surprisingly successful presidential campaign and how it's reckoning with Biden's history of verbal flubs. Featuring: Ron Klain (@RonaldKlain), former White House "ebola czar" and co-host, Epidemic Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/13/20201 hour, 7 minutes, 36 seconds
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Recode Decode: Dr. Lloyd Minor

Dr. Lloyd Minor, the dean of Stanford University's School of Medicine, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the novel coronavirus outbreak and his new book, "Discovering Precision Health: Predict, Prevent, and Cure to Advance Health and Well-Being." Minor explains how Stanford has prepared for an event like COVID-19, how the virus spreads, and why we should be concerned, but not panicked. He also discusses the need to take the individualized level of care most sick people in the US receive and apply it to everyone in the healthcare system, including healthy people; why everyone in America should have some form of health insurance; and how technology is changing the study of practice and medicine. Plus: What a smart mirror could tell you about your health, and the privacy implications of collecting individualized medical data about the world. Featuring: Lloyd Minor, dean, Stanford University School of Medicine (@StanfordMed) Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/11/202049 minutes, 56 seconds
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Recode Decode: Mark Lemley

Stanford Law School professor Mark Lemley talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about Silicon Valley's obsession with startups getting an "exit" — usually an acquisition by one of the tech giants — and why that trend is suffocating innovation. Lemley explains the decline of IPOs and antitrust scrutiny in America, why today’s tech monopolies are especially hard to break, and how he thinks we should fix this broken system. He also discusses emerging legal issues in tech, including space, robotics and autonomous cars. Plus: What happens to companies that spurn acquisitions and remain independent, and is it possible for an acquired company to stay innovative inside a megacorp like Google or Facebook? Featuring: Mark Lemley (@marklemley), professor at Stanford Law School and director of its Program in Law, Science, and Technology Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/9/202047 minutes, 59 seconds
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Recode Decode: Aicha Evans and Jesse Levinson

Zoox CEO Aicha Evans and CTO Jesse Levinson talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about their development of a fully autonomous robo-taxi, which will be designed for multiple passengers to share and is planned to hit public roads before the end of 2021. They discuss how Evans was persuaded to come to the self-driving company from Intel after the departure of Levinson's co-founder and the company's original CEO, Tim Kentley-Klay; how Zoox’s car compares to Tesla's "autopilot" feature; and why they intentionally designed it to avoid "the Uber Pool problem." Plus: Is the nearly $1 billion Zoox has raised enough to compete in the rapidly changing auto industry? Featuring: Aicha Evans (@aicha2evans), CEO, Zoox Jesse Levinson, CTO and co-founder, Zoox Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/6/20201 hour, 5 minutes, 19 seconds
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Recode Decode: Dan Pfeiffer

Pod Save America co-host and former Obama advisor Dan Pfeiffer talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, Un-Trumping America: A Plan to Make America a Democracy Again, why Bernie Sanders owes a lot to Michael Bloomberg, and why Trump is the new normal for the right wing. In the new book, Pfeiffer explains how Democrats can defeat President Trump at the ballot box in November, but says doing that isn't enough because of what the broader Republican Party has become. Plus: Why the Obama administration didn't act on Big Tech. Featuring: Dan Pfeiffer, co-host of Pod Save America and author, Un-Trumping America: A Plan to Make America a Democracy Again Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/4/202051 minutes, 9 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jason Calacanis

Inside CEO and This Week in Startups host Jason Calacanis talks with Kara Swisher about the future of Uber after its troubled IPO, why one of the tech giants should buy Tesla, and Jeff Bezos' Achilles heel: His lack of generosity. Calacanis, who was an early investor in Uber, also talks about his objections to the current state of tech journalism and punditry, the end of SoftBank’s “free money party," and why Tim Cook doesn’t have the chutzpah to take Apple into the future. Plus: Why the US should ban TikTok, even if the Chinese-owned mobile app spins off an American-run unit. Featuring: Jason Calacanis (@Jason), CEO and co-founder, Inside Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/2/20201 hour, 8 minutes, 16 seconds
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Recode Decode: Conor Dougherty

New York Times reporter Conor Dougherty talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his new book, Golden Gates: Fighting For Housing in America. He talks about why San Francisco’s housing crisis is the “worst version of something every city has,” the resentment created by tech companies’ buses for their workers, and how the city was painted “gentrification grey.” Dougherty also explains why knowledge workers and service workers have to be next to each other in cities; why making brand-new neighborhoods in old industrial areas doesn’t work; and the defeat of SB50, which would have allowed more housing near public transit in the SF Bay Area. Plus: Why construction needs to become less artisanal, and why President Trump is partly right to allege that California has regulated itself into peril. Featuring: Conor Dougherty (@ConorDougherty), author, Golden Gates: Fighting For Housing in America Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/28/20201 hour, 3 minutes, 48 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jorge Ramos

Univision anchor Jorge Ramos talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about how much of the Latino vote President Trump might get in 2020, why Bernie Sanders’ comments about Fidel Castro might cost him dearly in a general election, and why it’s important that journalists practice contrapoder — being on the other side of power. Ramos has publicly clashed with Trump, who published his phone number on Instagram after Ramos sent him a letter during the campaign; he calls for others in the media to stand up to Trump, and says that there are some scenarios where being neutral to all parties is an abrogation of duty. Plus: How should tech giants be regulated, and would that regulation hurt good political discourse? This interview was recorded in front of a live audience at the Knight Media Forum in Miami, Florida. Click here to read a full transcript of the conversation. Featuring: Jorge Ramos (@jorgeramosnews), journalist and anchor, Univision Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/26/20201 hour, 1 minute, 50 seconds
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Recode Decode: Steven Levy

Technology journalist and Wired editor-at-large Steven Levy talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his latest book, Facebook: The Inside Story, for which he obtained years of direct access to CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg. Levy discusses how he got that access, how Zuckerberg has changed (or hasn't) over time, and whether he, Sandberg, and the company at large understand the damage that Facebook has caused. Plus: Why Zuckerberg destroyed his old diaries, how he was influenced by Bill Gates, and what will happen to the company next now that it is under more scrutiny than ever. Featuring: Steven Levy (@StevenLevy), author, Facebook: The Inside Story Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/24/20201 hour, 10 minutes, 21 seconds
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Recode Decode: Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler

Authors Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about their latest book together, The Future Is Faster Than You Think: How Converging Technologies Are Disrupting Business, Industries, and Our Lives. They explain why the future is getting harder to predict and how "exponential technologies" — including robotics, AI, biotechnology, AR/VR, and quantum computing — will change everything from education to old age. Diamandis and Kotler also talk about the importance of having a hopeful vision of the future, in spite of the negative facets of technology, such as addiction and loss of privacy. Plus: Why autonomous cars will "reboot the sex industry." Featuring: Peter Diamandis (@PeterDiamandis), XPRIZE founder and co-author, The Future Is Faster Than You Think Steven Kotler (@steven_kotler), Flow Research Collective executive director and co-author, The Future Is Faster Than You Think Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/21/20201 hour, 5 minutes, 50 seconds
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Recode Decode: Caleb Scharf

Caleb Scharf, the director of Astrobiology at Columbia University, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the under=discussed dangers humans would face in space and the rise of private space exploration, as championed by billionaires such as Elon Musk and Richard Branson. Scharf wrote a piece for Scientific American earlier this year, "Death on Mars." about the hazards of the Martian environment for humans, and explains what we know — and don't know — about how human explorers might be able to survive. Plus: Is space tourism actually a good idea? Featuring: Caleb Scharf (@caleb_scharf), director of astrobiology, Columbia University Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/19/202056 minutes, 35 seconds
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Recode Decode: Corey Johnson

Corey Johnson, the Speaker of the New York City Council and an candidate in the 2021 mayoral race, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his planned expansion of bike, bus, and pedestrian lanes across the city, which will come at the expense of street parking; how NYC has evolved over time, sometimes in spite of popular opinion; and the regulatory mistakes the city has made in dealing with Uber and Lyft. He also talks about how he came out of the closet with the help of a pioneering LGBT website, the potential impact of autonomous cars, and how New York can attract tech investment without giving away Amazon HQ2-style subsidies. Plus: What is it really like to be a politician in the social media era? Featuring: Corey Johnson (@coreyinnyc), speaker, New York City Council Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/17/20201 hour, 7 minutes
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Recode Decode: David Kaye

David Kaye, the special rapporteur for freedom of opinion and expression at the United Nations, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the hacking of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' phone by the Saudi Arabian government; why it’s easier than ever for governments to suppress information spread by journalists and dissidents; and the inherent danger of internet companies and governments collecting massive amounts of data about us. He also talks about how the UN responded to the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 and why "repression of the mind” can lead to massive human rights abuses like the Holocaust. Click here to read a full transcript of this interview. Featuring: David Kaye (@davidakaye), UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion & expression and author of Speech Police: The Global Struggle to Govern the Internet Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: On Reset, Arielle Duhaime-Ross explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. On Recode Media, Peter Kafka interviews business titans, journalists, comedians and podcasters about the collision of tech and media. On Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway talk about the big tech news stories of the week, who's winning, who's failing, and what comes next. And on Land of the Giants, Jason Del Rey chronicled the rise of Amazon. Season 2 will focus on Netflix and is coming soon! About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/14/20201 hour, 1 minute
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Recode Decode: Larry Ingrassia

Journalist Larry Ingrassia talks with Recode’s Jason Del Rey about his new book, Billion Dollar Brand Club: How Dollar Shave Club, Warby Parker, and Other Disruptors Are Remaking What We Buy. Ingrassia, a longtime editor for the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Los Angeles Times, returned to his journalistic roots to report and write the book, which was triggered by the news that the upstart direct-to-consumer razor company Dollar Shave Club had been bought by Unilever for $1 billion. He explains how the relatively inexperienced outsiders who founded the companies he profiles exploited a “customer experience” gap that established retailers weren’t addressing; the inverse correlation between competition and venture capital among e-commerce startups; and how going directly to your customer may change what they expect of your culture and service. Plus: Why, in the end, these companies can’t ignore Amazon forever. Featuring: Larry Ingrassia (@IngrassiaLA), author, Billion Dollar Brand Club Host: Jason Del Rey (@delrey), senior commerce editor, Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/12/202055 minutes, 11 seconds
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Recode Decode: Carol Leonnig and Phil Rucker

Washington Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Phil Rucker talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about their new book, A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America. In it, they draw from more than 200 interviews with Trump administration insiders to paint a picture of Washington in 2020, Trump's frequent lies, and how he retaliates against the people who dare to cross him. They discuss how they convinced sources to talk to them, why Trump is actually a genius from a certain point of view, and how his tweeting may have changed the presidency. Plus: What is it like working at the Washington Post now, in the aftermath of the controversial suspension of one of their colleagues, Felicia Sonmez? Featuring: Carole Leonnig (@CarolLeonnig), reporter, Washington Post Phil Rucker (@PhilipRucker), White House Bureau Chief, Washington Post Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/10/20201 hour, 8 minutes, 40 seconds
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Recode Decode: Mark Surman

Mozilla Foundation executive director Mark Surman talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about why the internet needs a "public option," how Mozilla's browser Firefox is positioning itself for the future, and the future of tech regulation. Surman also discusses how punk rock and small-town censorship shaped his worldview, and why being the number one browser isn't actually Firefox's main goal. Featuring: Mark Surman (@msurman), executive director, Mozilla Foundation Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/7/202054 minutes, 3 seconds
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Recode Decode: Anna Wiener

Anna Wiener, a contributing writer for the New Yorker and the author of the new book Uncanny Valley: A Memoir, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about why she left an old industry — book publishing — to work in tech, the "intoxicating" start to her new career, and how her views on tech culture changed over time. Wiener also discusses the problems that people in the industry won’t talk about; why she doesn't agree with reviews that paint her book as a polemic; and how Silicon Valley incorrectly came to see it as the victim. Plus: The insane baby-themed party Kara and Gavin Newsom attended, which was not a sex party. Click here to read a full transcript of this interview. Featuring: Anna Wiener (@annawiener), author, Uncanny Valley: A Memoir Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/5/20201 hour, 4 minutes, 51 seconds
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Recode Decode: Dave Eggers

Writer and McSweeney's founder Dave Eggers talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his latest novel, The Captain and the Glory, why he chose to write a satirical novel about the Trump era, and what he's learned from interviewing Trump supporters that most people on the left wouldn't expect. Eggers also discusses his writing nonprofit, 826 Valencia; why he has a flip phone rather than a smartphone; and what he thinks of his novel about a technology company, The Circle, in hindsight. Plus: Why Trump, not Obama, is the first social media president. Featuring: Dave Eggers, author, The Captain and the Glory Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/3/202058 minutes, 39 seconds
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Recode Decode: Franklin Leonard

The Black List founder Franklin Leonard talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how he accidentally created one of the most important lists in Hollywood and how he turned it into a real business for connecting screenwriters with producers. Leonard also talks about the statistics that show the benefits of reading scripts from diverse writers and the mostly-white 2020 Oscar nominations, about which he wrote a satirical op-ed for the Washington Post. Plus: Why he doesn't expect AI to replace human readers. Click here to read a full transcript of this interview. Featuring: Franklin Leonard (@FranklinLeonard), founder, The Black List (@theblcklst) Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/31/202051 minutes, 44 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ezra Klein

Vox.com co-founder Ezra Klein talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, Why We're Polarized, the rise of systemic "zero sum" party politics, and how Klein himself has been polarizing in the Trump era. Klein and Swisher also discuss the racial, religious, and urban/rural splits between Democrats and Republicans, the (good and bad) impact of social media on the public discourse, and the one thing regular people can do to combat polarization in their own lives. Plus: Why "Congress should stop being such a bunch of wimps." Featuring: Ezra Klein (@EzraKlein), host of The Ezra Klein Show and author, Why We're Polarized Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/29/20201 hour, 11 minutes, 33 seconds
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Recode Decode: Annalee Newitz

Sci-fi novelist and science journalist Annalee Newitz talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about their new book, The Future of Another Timeline. Newitz, who was previously a founding editor of io9 and the editor in chief of Gizmodo, talks about their winding route to becoming a writer, by way of monster movies; how their first book Autonomous addresses AI, software patents, and the pharma industry; and how they worked out the mechanics and limitations of time travel and "editing" history for their latest book. Plus: How does technology affect our memory of history, and what will happen to all our digital communications once we're gone? Featuring: Annalee Newitz (@Annaleen), author, The Future of Another Timeline Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/27/202052 minutes, 37 seconds
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Recode Decode: Numa Perrier and Tiffany Tenille

Numa Perrier and Tiffany Tenille, the director and star of the new Netflix film Jezebel, talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about Perrier's real-life experience as an online sex worker in the 1990s and turning that into a movie. They also discuss how the rise of digital filmmaking has opened doors for directors of color like Perrier, how Tenille educated herself about life on the early internet, and how state and local regulators wrestled with the rise of digital peep shows. Plus: How the internet changed the relationship between sex workers and their clients, and what creators and Hollywood should do to encourage more diversity. Featuring: Numa Perrier (@missnuma), writer/director/costar, Jezebel Tiffany Tenille (@Tiffany_Tenille), star, Jezebel Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/24/20201 hour, 12 seconds
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Recode Decode: The L Word

The L Word creator Ilene Chaiken and actors Jennifer Beals, Kate Moennig, and Leisha Hailey talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about their decision to reunite for a new series called The L Word: Generation Q, 10 years after the original show ended. They discuss how the first "L Word" got started, why the first new season is only 8 episodes long, and their hopes for a series of live events for fans of the show, called L Con. Plus: How do they all feel about the rise of tech money in Hollywood over the past decade? Featuring: Ilene Chaiken (@ilenechaiken), creator, The L Word Jennifer Beals (@jenniferbeals), actor, The L Word: Generation Q (Bette Porter) Kate Moennig (@katemoennig), actor, The L Word: Generation Q (Shane McCutcheon) Leisha Hailey (@Leisha_Hailey), actor, The L Word: Generation Q (Alice Pieszecki) Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/22/20201 hour, 8 minutes, 3 seconds
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Recode Decode: Kirsten Green

Forerunner Ventures founder and managing partner Kirsten Green talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the thinking behind her investments in companies like Dollar Shave Club and Glossier; the messy culture struggle at luggage startup Away; and where innovation comes from in today's tech industry. Plus: What are the advantages of being a female venture capitalist, and does the VC industry have to change? Featuring: Kirsten Green (@kirstenagreen), founding partner, Forerunner Ventures Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/20/20201 hour, 10 minutes, 30 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ben Silbermann

Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about deliberately engineering happiness into the site, expanding into commerce, and competing with larger social and commerce tech companies. This interview was recorded in front of a live audience at the National Retail Federation's annual conference, the Big Show, in New York City. Featuring: Ben Silbermann (@8en), CEO, Pinterest Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/17/202033 minutes, 49 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jeanette Winterson

Writer Jeanette Winterson talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about her latest book, Frankissstein: A Love Story. Winterson discusses the intertwined histories of LGBT+ people, science fiction literature and technology; how she decided to write a modern twist on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein with a technological bent; and how Shelley foresaw the intersection of bodies and machines. Plus: Is tech becoming the real monster in modern life? And who is the Victor Frankenstein of this era? Featuring: Jeanette Winterson (@Wintersonworld), author, Frankissstein: A Love Story Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/15/20201 hour, 4 minutes, 39 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jason DeParle

New York Times reporter Jason DeParle talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his most recent book, A Good Provider Is One Who Leaves: One Family and Migration in the 21st Century. The book draws from several decades of reporting, which began when DeParle embedded himself in a shantytown with a poor family in the Philippines for eight months in the 1990s. DeParle also talks about how poverty in the US has evolved throughout his journalism career, the impact of immigration on economic inequality and vice versa, and the way political priorities shift around different generations of migrants. Plus: How will telling immigrants they're not welcome in America affect the economy and the tech industry? Featuring: Jason DeParle (@JasonDeParle), author, A Good Provider Is One Who Leaves Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/13/202053 minutes, 2 seconds
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Recode Decode: Megan Rapinoe

Megan Rapinoe, the co-captain of the US Women's National Soccer Team, returns to Recode Decode to talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about pay equity, how things have changed since the team's boozy post-World Cup tour, and why she's not running for political office. Plus: How much longer will she be playing soccer? This live episode was recorded at the Massachusetts Conference For Women on December 12. Featuring: Megan Rapinoe, (@mPinoe), co-captain of the US Women's National Soccer Team and co-founder, The Rapinoe Brand Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/10/202025 minutes, 1 second
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Recode Decode: David Epstein

Journalist and bestselling author David Epstein talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his most recent book, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. In it, he argues that the world’s most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters and scientists are more likely to be dabblers, rather than people who set out to do what they do best from a young age — and, in fact, the people who have highly specialized training from an early age tend to have lower lifetime earnings overall. He explains how the wrong mentality took hold, how its effects ripple into the professional world, and the challenges facing teachers and parents trying to set young people on the right track early. Plus: How to shift into the right mindset to become a successful generalist, and why you don't have to do that while you're in your 20s. Featuring: David Epstein (@DavidEpstein), author, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/8/202056 minutes, 30 seconds
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Recode Decode: The Swisher family

Kara Swisher convenes her brother, her sons, her mother and her fiancée to talk about their tech habits and how they get their news in a contentious election year. Topics include why her teenage sons Alex and Louie refuse to use TikTok; how technologies like AI are affecting her brother Jeff's work as an anesthesiologist; how having a baby finally forced fiancée Amanda Katz to use Amazon; and why her mother Lucretia Carney isn't giving up on Fox News. Plus: A brief cameo by the newest addition to the family, Amanda and Kara's baby Clara Swisher-Katz. Featuring: Lucretia Carney (@lucretianyc), Kara and Jeff's mother Amanda Katz (@katzish), senior editor, CNN Investigates Jeff Swisher (@JeffreySwisher), chairman of anesthesiology, California Pacific Medical Center Louie Swisher and Alex Swisher, Kara's sons Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/6/20201 hour, 5 minutes, 35 seconds
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Recode Decode: Bruce Schneier

Security researcher Bruce Schneier talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his recent book, Click Here to Kill Everybody. He also explains why the internet of things is a “dumpster fire," what regulations need to be implemented to keep people safe, and why the European Union and a few US states may determine the future of tech regulation. Featuring: Bruce Schneier (@schneierblog), author, Click Here to Kill Everybody: Security and Survival in a Hyper-connected World Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/3/20201 hour, 8 minutes, 3 seconds
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Recode Decode: (Bonus) How To Save the 2020 Election

If you like Recode Decode, we think you'll also like Function with Anil Dash. Here's a recent episode about stopping fake news ahead of the 2020 US elections. Are social networks downplaying their complicity in the problem that is “fake news?” Anil talks to Fadi Quran of the people powered social advocacy group, Avaaz, about how tech is used to target groups of people and spread disinformation that affects our elections, relationships, and social justice movements. Together they discuss insidious nature of disinformation and misinformation, meet its victims, and go over solutions.  Listen closely for the steps that platforms can take right now to stem the tide of fake news and fake accounts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/1/202049 minutes, 38 seconds
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Best of Recode Decode: 2019

Recode's Kara Swisher, her executive producer Erica Anderson, and her producer Eric Johnson discuss their favorite Recode Decode interviews from 2019 and look back at some of the year's big trends. Use the links below to go to the full versions of the interviews excerpted in this episode in Apple Podcasts; or, if you prefer a different podcast app, use the names/dates to find them in the Recode Decode feed: Shoshana Zuboff (February 20) Carole Cadwalladr (July 8) Tristan Harris (May 6) Ken Burns (October 18) Kathy Griffin (March 13) Barry Diller (February 18) Anand Giridharadas (May 22) Bill de Blasio (September 16) Featuring: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large Erica Anderson (@ericaamerica), Recode Decode executive producer Eric Johnson (@heyheyesj), Recode Decode producer More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/30/20191 hour, 5 minutes, 47 seconds
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Recode Decode: Liz Plank

Journalist Liz Plank talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her recent book, For the Love of Men: A New Vision for Mindful Masculinity. Featuring: Liz Plank (@feministabulous), author, For the Love of Men: A New Vision for Mindful Masculinity Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/20/20191 hour, 34 seconds
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Recode Decode: Dylan Collins

SuperAwesome CEO Dylan Collins talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how he got interested in children's digital privacy at a time when Silicon Valley didn't care, how his company works with tech firms to help them comply with privacy laws, and SuperAwesome's in-development video platform for kids, Rukkaz. Collins also talks about his previous gaming companies, which were acquired by Activision and Gamestop; how COPPA and GDPR-K work; and why TikTok and YouTube were fined by the FTC. Read a full transcript of this interview here. Featuring: Dylan Collins (@MrDylanCollins), CEO, SuperAwesome (@GoSuperAwesome) Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/18/201952 minutes, 12 seconds
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Recode Decode: Tom Steyer

2020 presidential candidate Tom Steyer talks with Recode's Teddy Schleiefer about income inequality and the need for a wealth tax in America, what separates him from fellow ultra-wealthy candidate Michael Bloomberg, and why we should expect the government to solve problems — not plutocrats who have pledged to give their money away. Steyer also discusses the importance of grassroots organizing on the left, how antitrust laws should be applied to tech giants like Amazon and Facebook, and why he's emphasizing climate change as the "number one priority" in 2020. Plus: How people have rationalized the intentional "cruelty" of the Republican Party. Read a full transcript of this interview here. Featuring: Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer), 2020 presidential candidate, investor, and environmental activist Hosts: Teddy Schleifer (@teddyschleifer), finance editor, Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/16/201946 minutes, 27 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ben Mezrich

Writer Ben Mezrich talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his latest book Bitcoin Billionaires and his previous books, including The Accidental Billionaires, which was adapted into the movie The Social Network. Mezrich, who specializes in "true stories about young people doing crazy things," discusses the controversies around how he depicted Mark Zuckerberg in The Accidental Billionaires, how Zuck has changed over time, and how the story went from a “nobody will care” book proposal to a classic movie. He also talks about the respectability the Winklevoss twins brought to cryptocurrency and why Facebook is the exact wrong company to launch a cryptocurrency, even though they’re looking in the right direction. Plus: Will there be a sequel to The Social Network? Featuring: Ben Mezrich (@benmezrich), author, Bitcoin Billionaires Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/13/20191 hour, 1 minute, 35 seconds
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Recode Decode: Margaret O'Mara

Historian Margaret O'Mara talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her latest book, The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America. She explains how the government catalyzed the digital revolution starting in the 1960s, the reasons tech power coalesced in suburban California, and why tech history must be considered a part of political history — even though the industry has tried in recent decades to distance itself from government. O'Mara also talks about the origins of sexism in the tech industry and how women were not given the same opportunities to break in as men, and the threats to Silicon Valley's current culture, including government regulation, overly strict immigration laws, and the rise of China. Read a full transcript of this interview here. Featuring: Margaret O'Mara (@MargaretOMara), author, The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/11/20191 hour, 2 minutes, 38 seconds
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Recode Decode: Neal Katyal

Neal Katyal, a partner at the law firm Hogan Lovells, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book Impeach: The Case against Donald Trump. Katyal explains why he believes the “evidence will be too strong” against President Trump, ending his first term prematurely, and argues that if he were Trump's lawyer his advice would be to resign. He also talks about the inability of the DC establishment to comprehend Trump’s propensity for lying, and why social media will become less important during a presidential impeachment trial. Plus: How arguing cases in front of the Supreme Court became an ordinary part of Katyal's job, and how he advises tech companies in an era of looming tech regulation. Read a full transcript of this interview here. Featuring: Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal), author, Impeach: The Case against Donald Trump Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/9/20191 hour, 2 minutes, 52 seconds
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Recode Decode: Nadav Goshen

MakerBot CEO Nadav Goshen talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the company's Method X industrial printer, which Goshen says will foster innovation by making it easier to manufacture real products. He also talks about the setbacks to the initial hype that 3-D printers would be as accessible and commonplace as toothbrushes; how teachers use MakerBot's smaller 3-D printer Replicator in the classroom; and the importance of professionals adopting an emerging technology before it goes mainstream. Plus: What is the environmental impact of making manufacturing effortless at home, and how will global manufacturing change in the coming decades? Featuring: Nadav Goshen, CEO, MakerBot Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/6/201951 minutes, 58 seconds
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Recode Decode: Andrea Matwyshyn

Andrea Matwyshyn, the associate dean of innovation at Penn State Law, talks with Kara Swisher's executive producer, Erica Anderson, about the integration of technology with biology, a trend Matwyshyn terms the "internet of bodies." She explains what that means in real world terms, why someone might want to implant a computer chip in their bodies, and the potential risks and security concerns, including hackers who could manipulate thoughts. Matwyshyn also talks about the ethical and policy implications of this type of tech, and what she, a leading expert on the subject, is most worried about. Featuring: Andrea Matwyshyn (@amatwyshyn), associate dean of innovation at Penn State Law Hosts: Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer, Recode Decode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/4/201957 minutes, 34 seconds
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Recode Decode: Deborah Rutter

Deborah Rutter, the president of Washington, DC's John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the Center's new free immersive learning spaces, REACH, which offer visitors the chance to participate in and look behind the scenes of many kinds of performances. Rutter also discusses how technology has impacted the public's relationship with art and education, why issues like cell phone addiction aren't a big threat to the Kennedy Center's shows, and how tech itself could become part of the artistic experience. Plus: Can art bridge the red-blue dividie, and what will the Kennedy Center look like in 50 years? Featuring: Deborah Rutter (@KenCenPrez), president, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (@kencen) Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/2/201952 minutes, 3 seconds
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Recode Decode: Rick Smith

Axon CEO Rick Smith talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his company's best known product (the Taser), how it's thinking about the ethical implications of new products aimed at police, and the controversies around facial recognition in body cameras. Plus: Is the weapon of the future a pistol that doesn't kill you? Featuring: Rick Smith (@AxonRick), CEO of Axon (@Axon_us) and author of The End of Killing: How Our Newest Technologies Can Solve Humanity's Oldest Problem Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. Listen to Kara's interview with NYU Policing Project director Barry Friedman, who served on Axon's ethics board. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/27/201955 minutes, 7 seconds
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Recode Decode: Barry Friedman

Barry Friedman, the director of The Policing Project at New York University's School of Law, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about making police more accountable, the ethics of emerging technologies like AI and facial recognition, and the missing regulations that affect local communities in the US. Friedman also talks about his work with the company that created the Taser, Axon International — whose CEO Rick Smith will appear on Wednesday's episode of Recode Decode — and why there's not as much data about police work as one might assume. Read a full transcript of this interview here. Featuring: Barry Friedman (@barryfriedman1), director of The Policing Project (@policingproject) and author of Unwarranted: Policing Without Permission. Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/25/20191 hour, 2 minutes
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Recode Decode: Innovation in the midwest

Recode's Kara Swisher and her executive producer Erica Anderson talk with a panel of entrepreneurs in Valparaiso, Indiana: Sarah Hallberg, the Medical Director of Virta Health; Eric Christopher, the co-founder and CEO of Zylo; and Robin Fleming, the CEO of Anvl. They discuss the positives and negatives of being tech entrepreneurs in an area not typically associated with the digital revolution, including hiring and retention, the impact of local success stories that went global such as ExactTarget, and the challenges of attracting venture capital funding. Plus: What changes would have the most positive impact on Indiana's entrepreneurial scene? Read a full transcript of this interview here. Featuring: Sarah Hallberg (@drsarahhallberg), Medical Director of Virta Health Eric Christopher, co-founder and CEO of Zylo (@getzylo) Robin Fleming, CEO of Anvl (@ANVLapp) Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/22/20191 hour, 2 minutes, 52 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jana Messerschmidt

Venture capitalist Jana Messerschmidt, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how she became a partner at Lightspeed and the co-founder of an all-female group of angel investors called #ANGELS. Messerschmidt previously worked at DivX, Netflix, and Twitter, and also discusses the early days of video streaming online and how Netflix timed the market perfectly. Plus: Why #ANGELS doesn't invest only in women, what made that collective different from traditional venture capital, and the urgent need to ensure that women have their fair share of equity in tech startups. Read a full transcript of this interview here. Featuring: Jana Messerschmidt (@janamal), partner, Lightspeed Venture Partners (@Lightspeedvp) and co-founder, #ANGELS (@hashtagangels) Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/20/20191 hour, 1 minute, 22 seconds
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Recode Decode: Susan Rice

Susan Rice, the former US ambassador to the United Nations and National Security Advisor under President Obama, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the "ass backwards" way President Trump has approached foreign policy and her new book, Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For. Rice explains the problem with isolationism and selfishness as policies, and says the current administration rolled back many of her achievements "out of spite," without a plan to replace them. She also discusses how Russia and other adversaries have wielded social media to sow division, why she will not abide the normalization of Trump's presidential tweets, and why the tech industry is "five minutes from midnight" with the US Congress. Read a full transcript of this interview here. Featuring: Susan Rice (@AmbassadorRice), former US ambassador to the United Nations and National Security Advisor; author of Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/18/20191 hour, 14 minutes, 34 seconds
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Recode Decode: SEC Commissioner Robert Jackson

Robert Jackson, one of the five commissioners on the Securities and Exchange Commission, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the SEC works and the problem with perpetual dual-class stock at companies like WeWork, Facebook, and Google. Jackson also explains why he opposes two proposed rule changes that would make it harder for activists to challenge a CEO's power, why the NYSE and Nasdaq are not willing to be part of the solution, and how new legislation could fix the dual class dilemma. Plus: Why Jackson is not happy that the SEC settled with Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Read a full transcript of this interview here. Featuring: Robert Jackson, commissioner, US Securities and Exchange Commission Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/15/201956 minutes, 40 seconds
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Recode Decode: Alexis Ohanian

Reddit co-founder and Initialized Capital managing partner Alexis Ohanian talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how he became a "dadvocate" for paid paternity leave. Ohanian explains how the medical complications faced by his wife, tennis star Serena Williams, woke him up to the problem, and how time off for fathers can help mothers, as well as female coworkers. He also discusses the problem with how working men glorify their self-destructive schedules online, which he calls "hustle porn"; why he's investing in family tech companies like Mom Project at Initialized, and how the startup scene has changed since his days as a founder; and the decline of San Francisco as a desirable place for entrepreneurs to start their next companies. Plus: What Ohanian thinks of Twitter's decision to stop accepting political advertising, and how afraid we should be of deepfakes. Read a full transcript of this interview here. Featuring: Alexis Ohanian (@alexisohanian), Reddit co-founder and Initialized Capital managing partner Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/13/20191 hour, 5 minutes, 4 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ted Baxter

Writer and health advocate Ted Baxter talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his book, Relentless: How a Massive Stroke Changed My Life for the Better. Baxter, a former managing director at the hedge fund Citadel, had the stroke when he was only 41, and recounts how doctors initially misdiagnosed his symptoms; he also discusses the recovery process, which accelerated after he accepted that he couldn't return to his investing job, and shares advice for people who have recently experienced a stroke or other life-changing event themselves. Read a full transcript of this interview here. Featuring: Ted Baxter (@TedWBaxter), health advocate and author of Relentless: How a Massive Stroke Changed My Life for the Better Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/11/201947 minutes, 50 seconds
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Recode Decode: Brian Chesky

Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the recent mass shooting at an Airbnb in Orinda, Calif., how the company is changing its policies to keep guests safer, and what Chesky wishes he had done differently when Airbnb was smaller. They also discuss Airbnb's first brush with notoriety in 2011 and how Chesky "bungled" his response at the time, the importance of meeting with people who hate you, and why Silicon Valley execs should confront the human cost of their products. Plus: The time Chesky had to sleep with a parrot, and the Airbnb with a friendly ghost named Stanley. Read a full transcript of this interview here. Featuring: Brian Chesky (@bchesky), CEO and co-founder of Airbnb Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/8/20191 hour, 11 minutes, 18 seconds
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Recode Decode: Stephanie Ruhle

MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new podcast Modern Ruhles, the Trump voters who get overlooked by the media, and why Wall Streeters afraid of Elizabeth Warren should "look in the goddamn mirror." Ruhle also discusses her unusual path to working in the media, by way of Credit Suisse; the importance of the question "Are you better off in 2020 than you were in 2016?"; and the soul-searching at NBC News in the aftermath of Ronan Farrow's book Catch and Kill. Plus: What people get wrong about Facebook's responsibility to the world, and why it should be regulated as a publisher. Featuring: Stephanie Ruhle (@SRuhle), MSNBC anchor and host of Modern Ruhles Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/6/201956 minutes, 26 seconds
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Recode Decode: The Google walkout organizers, one year later

In this special episode of Recode Decode, Kara Swisher checks in with some of the organizers of the Google walkout, who came on her show in November 2018 after leading a 20,000-worker protest. Later in the show, Kara's executive producer Erica Anderson (herself one of the organizers who has since left Google) talks with some of the people who were inspired by the 2018 walkouts to continue fighting for the workers of Google and other tech companies. Featuring: Stephanie Parker (@sparker2), policy specialist at Google and co-organizer of 2018 Google walkout Meredith Whittaker (@mer__edith), co-director of AI Now Institute and co-organizer of 2018 Google walkout Claire Stapleton, co-organizer of 2018 Google walkout Nicole Moore, part-time Lyft driver and organizing committee member of Rideshare Drivers United Ben Gwin, contractor at HCL working on Google Shopping, union leader Shirin Ghaffary (@shiringhaffary), Recode reporter Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer of Recode Decode and co-organizer of 2018 Google walkout More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. If you haven't already, make sure to listen to Kara's original podcast with the walkout organizers from November 2018. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/4/201959 minutes, 39 seconds
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Recode Decode: Edward Snowden

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about why he leaked highly classified information in 2013, why that doesn't make him a "traitor," and his new book, Permanent Record. Snowden also talks about how his youthful love of the US government and the early internet turned into skepticism; how his life has changed since going to Moscow; and why he believes Facebook is as untrustworthy as the NSA. Plus: Why people who say they have "nothing to hide" are missing the point about invasions of privacy. Featuring: Edward Snowden (@Snowden), author of Permanent Record and president of Freedom of the Press Foundation (@FreedomofPress) Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/1/20191 hour, 47 minutes, 27 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ben Horowitz

Andreessen Horowitz co-founder Ben Horowitz talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the state of venture capital, diversity in tech, and his new book, What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture. Horowitz also discusses the impact of SoftBank's $100 billion Vision Fund on Silicon Valley, why he wouldn't invest in a social or mobile startup today, and what former CEO Travis Kalanick got right — and very wrong — with Uber’s culture. Plus: Why "break" was the exact right word for Facebook to use in its "move fast and break things" era. Featuring: Ben Horowitz (@bhorowitz), co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz (@a16z) and author of What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture. Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/30/20191 hour, 3 minutes, 55 seconds
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Recode Decode: Bill Kristol

Conservative analyst Bill Kristol talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the impeachment effort against President Trump, how politics has entered a "crisis of truth" in the era of Fox News and social media, and the steps that should be taken pre-emptively to ensure that the 2020 elections are free and fair. Kristol also predicts that Trump could be "impeached by Thanksgiving," and explains why he doesn't think "Trumpism" goes away even if its namesake does, outlining one scenario for future elections that would be even worse for American political stability than today's circumstances. Plus: Why we should be talking more about China's technological prowess and why Kristol would "prefer if the Republican Party could be saved, but I'm not sure it can be." Featuring: Bill Kristol (@billkristol), director of Defending Democracy Together and host of Conversations with Bill Kristol Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/28/20191 hour, 7 minutes, 9 seconds
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Recode Decode: Gary Cohn

Gary Cohn, the former Director of the National Economic Council and former chief economic adviser to President Trump, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about what he's done since leaving the Trump administration, including a "significant" investment and advisory position he's taken up in a mobile security company called Hoyos Integrity. Cohn explains how Hoyos is developing a more secure phone for people who deal in confidential information, such as government workers; how it's trying to advance digital wallets as an alternative to credit cards in the US; and the political backlash to Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency. Cohn, who's also the former president and chief operating officer of Goldman Sachs, also talks about the powerful tech companies that went public during his tenure there, how private investors are over-valuing companies like WeWork before they are profitable, and why he doesn't think a recession is coming. Plus: How he feels about the way his former boss Trump uses Twitter. Featuring: Gary Cohn, investor and adviser to Hoyos Integrity (@HOYOSINTEGRITY) Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/25/20191 hour, 14 minutes, 13 seconds
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Recode Decode: Politics and tech onstage

Recode's Kara Swisher talks to the creators of two new plays that intersect with tech issues: Heidi Schreck, the former star and playwright of What the Constitution Means to Me, and the writer and director of Right to Be Forgotten — Sharyn Rothstein and Seema Sueko. Schreck took the name of her play from a series of debate competitions she competed in as a teenager, but has developed a more complicated appreciation for the Constitution as an adult, and discusses how its flaws connect to her own life story. Later in the show, Rothstein and Sueko talk about the thorny political question of how permanent our communications online should be, and whether people have a "right to be forgiven" for past misdeeds. Featuring: Heidi Schreck (@heidibschreck), writer and former actor, What the Constitution Means to Me Sharyn Rothstein, writer, Right to Be Forgotten Seema Sueko (@Seemasue), director, Right to Be Forgotten Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/23/20191 hour, 19 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ronan Farrow

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ronan Farrow talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his new book, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators, which details the extreme lengths men like Harvey Weinstein have gone to escape accountability for sexual abuse. He discusses why other journalists before him couldn’t nail the Weinstein story, and how the powerful Hollywood producer tapped into a network of shady allies in his attempt to suppress it — including some of Farrow's former bosses at NBC News. He also talks about how the public and the press mistreated women like Rose McGowan, his recent story about the MIT-Jeffrey Epstein cover-up, and why the book is ultimately optimistic about the future. Plus: Will Catch and Kill be a movie? Featuring: Ronan Farrow, author, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. Listen to Kara's last interview with Farrow (about his previous book, War on Peace), former MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito (recorded before Farrow's New Yorker story that led to Ito's resignation), and She Said authors Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/21/20191 hour, 2 minutes, 17 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ken Burns

Filmmaker Ken Burns talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his latest documentary series "Country Music," in which he explores the history of the genre, its place in the larger American musical landscape, and the powerful universality of "three chords and the truth." Burns says that unlike rock and jazz, country music is largely a story about powerful women, and also unpacks the ways in which it reflects the intermingling ethnic diversity of the US. He also discusses his online video destination Unum, which lets people curate "mixtapes" of history by drawing connections among Burns' 38 years of docuumentaries, and why he's glad he wasn't one of the first people to make the leap to digital filmmaking. Plus: Burns previews the next seven films he's working on, including the American Revolution, the Great Society, and the Buffalo. Featuring: Ken Burns, director and producer, Country Music, and founder of Unum Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/18/20191 hour, 7 minutes, 15 seconds
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Recode Decode: The inside story of the Cambridge Analytica scandal

Cambridge Analytica’s former business development director Brittany Kaiser talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about her new book TARGETED: The Cambridge Analytica Whistleblower's Inside Story of How Big Data, Trump, and Facebook Broke Democracy and How It Can Happen Again. Kaiser talks about how she first observed the dangers of social media while working on Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, why she mistakenly believed Cambridge Analytica was using technology as a force for good, and what happened when she decided to turn on the company and testify about its abuses in the UK Parliament. She also deconstructs Facebook's excuses for the scandal and its slow response, and predicts that 2020 could be "exponentially worse" than 2016 for election interference. Featuring: Brittany Kaiser, author of TARGETED: The Cambridge Analytica Whistleblower's Inside Story of How Big Data, Trump, and Facebook Broke Democracy and How It Can Happen Again. Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Listen to Kara's interview with the creators of The Great Hack, a Netflix documentary about Cambridge Analytica, including former COO Julian Wheatland. Read Vox's Alissa Wilkinson's review of The Great Hack. Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/16/20191 hour, 4 minutes, 53 seconds
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Recode Decode: Rosetta Stone President Matt Hulett

Matt Hulett, the president of education company Rosetta Stone, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about the company’s pivot away from language-learning CDs and into a more advanced and “approachable” mobile app. He also talks about his “promiscuous” background in the tech industry; Rosetta Stone’s literacy catch-up program for children, Lexia Learning; and the bigger picture of how language education is changing around the world. Plus: What’s the best way to make learning stick, and will Elon Musk’s Neuralink or some other moonshot technical development make learning languages unnecessary? Featuring: Matt Hulett, president of Rosetta Stone (@matt_hulett / @RosettaStone) Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/14/201945 minutes, 9 seconds
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Recode Decode: OpenDoor CEO Eric Wu / Evite CEO Victor Cho

Recode's Kara Swisher interviews two CEOs in this double-feature episode of Recode Decode: First, she speaks with OpenDoor CEO Eric Wu about how technology is encroaching on the real estate industry, why housing is ripe for disruption, and how OpenDoor is bracing for the next recession. Later in the show, Swisher talks to Evite CEO Victor Cho about how the 21-year-old company is exploring new revenue models, avoiding the "MySpace slide," and what Cho learned from Eastman Kodak's failed turnaround. Featuring: Eric Wu (@ericwu01), CEO of OpenDoor Victor Cho, CEO of Evite Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/11/201958 minutes
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Recode Decode: "Antisocial" author Andrew Marantz

Andrew Marantz, a staff writer at the New Yorker, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno‑Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation. He discusses the danger of designing social media platforms around emotional engagement, how people like Mike Cernovich and Milo Yiannopoulos exploited people's belief in a broad political "consensus," and technology's role in advancing hate and extremism online. Marantz also explains what he calls the culture of "big swinging brains" in Silicon Valley, and why banning people from Twitter — including President Trump — isn't a comprehensive solution. Featuring: Andrew Marantz (@andrewmarantz), staff writer at the New Yorker and author of Antisocial. Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/9/20191 hour, 7 minutes, 34 seconds
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Recode Decode: Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina

Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of HP who ran for the Republican nomination for president in 2016, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about campaigning against Donald Trump, her friendship with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, and the over-concentration of power among a handful of CEOs in the tech industry. Fiorina also talks about her experience as one of the few female tech CEOs of the 1990s, the “lasting damage” President Trump has done to the Republican Party, and why she's impressed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's handling of the impeachment inquiry. Plus: What did Steve Jobs get right that Mark Zuckerberg has not? Featuring: Carly Fiorina (@CarlyFiorina), author of Find Your Way and host of the leadership podcast By Example Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom ... But enough about us We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here: www.voxmedia.com/podsurvey.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/7/20191 hour, 8 minutes, 43 seconds
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Recode Decode: FEC Chair Ellen Weintraub

Federal Election Commission Chair Ellen Weintraub talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the FEC works, how it tries to defend elections from foreign influence, and why the Commission is currently immobilized by a lack of "quorum" — in other words, it doesn't have enough members to launch or conclude any investigations. Weintraub talks about pending legislation to make advertising and campaign contributions more transparent, and explains how the FEC's current paralysis may undermine the cybersecurity of the 2020 presidential campaign. Plus: How she pushed back on President Trump's evidence-free claims about voter fraud in New Hampshire. Featuring: Ellen Weintraub (@EllenLWeintraub), chair of the Federal Election Commission Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom ... But enough about us We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/4/20191 hour, 6 minutes, 51 seconds
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Recode Decode: Obama's cybersecurity chief Michael Daniel

Barack Obama's former cybersecurity coordinator Michael Daniel, now the CEO of the nonprofit Cyber Threat Alliance, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about the state of US cybersecurity heading into the 2020 elections. Daniel says the proposed solutions to election hacking may just cause new problems: "If you can track your vote," he says, "I can track your vote." Featuring: Michael Daniel (@CyAlliancePrez), president and CEO, Cyber Threat Alliance Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom ... But enough about us We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/2/20191 hour, 8 minutes, 37 seconds
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Recode Decode: FTC Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter

Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, one of the FTC's two Democratic commissioners, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the state of antitrust problems in the tech industry, the history of pushback against the FTC for alleged over-enforcement, and whether it is under-enforcing the law today. Slaughter also talks about her objections to the $5 billion fine against Facebook that the FTC negotiated this year, the limitations on its speed and fining power, and its investigation of YouTube for COPPA violations, which led to a $170 million fine. Plus: The actions the FTC has taken against Uber and TikTok, why it was so permissive of tech M&A during the Obama administration, and why Slaughter doesn't think the US needs a new internet regulatory agency. Featuring: Rebecca Kelly Slaughter (@RKSlaughterFTC), FTC Commissioner (@FTC) Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom ... But enough about us We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/30/20191 hour, 9 minutes, 20 seconds
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Recode Decode: Senator Mark Warner

Mark Warner, the senior US Senator from Virginia, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about several interconnected policy issues affecting the 2020 elections, including the security of voter registries, the expectation of social media manipulation by Russia and other hostile foreign powers, and the newly announced impeachment inquiry into President Trump's phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. Sen. Warner also talks about the potential of regulators breaking up tech giants and how the US government's relationship with those companies has improved since 2016, yet still calls for more oversight of their unprecedented power. Plus: Why he's "cautiously optimistic" about Republicans in the Senate embracing election reform and new privacy laws, his proposal for incentivizing companies to invest in their workers, and how Warner thinks Congress might be able to fix Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act without repealing it wholesale. Editor's note: This interview was recorded the morning of Wednesday, September 25, before the release of the White House memo with a "transcript" of Trump's call with Zelensky. Featuring: Mark Warner (@MarkWarner), US Senator from Virginia Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. If you haven't already, check out Kara's past interviews with Rep. Adam Schiff and Whistleblower Aid CEO John Napier Tye. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom ... But enough about us We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/27/20191 hour, 9 minutes, 19 seconds
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Recode Decode: Whistleblower Aid CEO John Tye

John Napier Tye, the founder and CEO of Whistleblower Aid, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how his non-profit law firm helps people seeking to legally expose corruption in the government and at private companies. It recently worked with a whistleblower at MIT, connecting them with New Yorker reporter Ronan Farrow to discuss the university's cover-up of funding that had come from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; Tye also discusses the US official who reported President Trump's phone call with the president of Ukraine, the Edward Snowden leaks in 2013, and how whistleblowers can protect themselves from criticism and retribution. Plus: Will we always need whistleblowers? Featuring: John Napier Tye, founder and CEO of Whistleblower Aid (@wbaidlaw) Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom ... But enough about us We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/25/201955 minutes, 6 seconds
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Recode Decode: Hermitage Capital CEO Bill Browder

Recode's Kara Swisher talks with Hermitage Capital CEO Bill Browder, a hedge fund manager turned human rights activist and his son, Josh Browder, whose company DoNotPay helps consumers fight everything from parking tickets to the Equifax leaks. They talk about the different ways they have pursued justice for relatively powerless people, their entrepreneurial journeys, and how both the Putin regime and mega-corporations have taken advantage of the internet. Featuring: Bill Browder (@BillBrowder), Hermitage Capital CEO Josh Browder (@JBrowder1), DoNotPay CEO Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom ... But enough about us We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/23/201948 minutes, 13 seconds
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Recode Decode: "She Said" authors Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey

New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about their new book, She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement. They talk about how Kantor and Twohey reported stories about sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein; how Weinstein's network of lawyers and advisers kept his misconduct under wraps; and how the story help launch an ongoing reckoning around power imbalances between men and women worldwide. They also explain why they interviewed Christine Blasey Ford, the college professor who testified in Congress that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in 1982. Featuring: Jodi Kantor (@jodikantor), New York Times investigative reporter and co-author, She Said Megan Twohey (@mega2e), New York Times investigative reporter and co-author, She Said Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom ... But enough about us We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/20/20191 hour, 10 minutes, 53 seconds
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Recode Decode: Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman

Steve Schwarzman, the CEO of the private equity firm The Blackstone Group, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence. Schwarzman — a longtime advisor to President Trump — also discusses his scholarship program that teaches future leaders how to do business in China, how he would like to see policymakers address populist anger, and the big economic trends he and Blackstone are currently pursuing. Plus: Can we fix the H-1B visa program without simultaneously addressing other forms of immigration? Featuring: Steve Schwarzman, CEO of The Blackstone Group and author of What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence. Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/18/20191 hour, 10 minutes, 1 second
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Recode Decode: NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio

Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York City, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about why he's still running for the Democratic nomination in 2020, the threat of job automation and his proposed "robot tax," and how de Blasio thinks about the future of transit in New York and beyond. He also talks about how the plan for New York to become one of Amazon's "HQ2" locations fell apart, and why he supports both a national privacy bill and tougher antitrust action against Facebook and Google. Featuring: Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio), mayor of New York City and 2020 presidential candidate Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/16/20191 hour, 19 minutes, 18 seconds
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Recode Decode: 2020 presidential candidate Marianne Williamson

Author and spiritual teacher Marianne Williamson talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her campaign to be the Democratic nominee for president in 2020. Williamson explains why she's still in the race even though she didn't qualify for the third debate and talks about what she has learned from running as an non-establishment candidate, negativity and anger on social media, and how she thinks about the tech industry — and vice versa. She and Swisher also discuss her entrepreneurial journey, her divisive comments about religion, vaccines, and medication, and what Williamson would do if she were CEO of Twitter. Featuring: Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson), 2020 presidential candidate Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/13/20191 hour, 11 minutes, 42 seconds
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Recode Decode: The Wing CEO Audrey Gelman

Audrey Gelman, the co-founder and CEO of women's coworking space The Wing, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the company's new hiring network for its members, and how it can combat bias in hiring. They also discuss why Gelman and her co-founder Lauren Kassan started The Wing, the services it provides for its members, and the challenges of raising money for a business aimed at women. Featuring: Audrey Gelman (@audreygelman), CEO of The Wing (@the_wing) Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/11/201949 minutes, 14 seconds
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Recode Decode: Microsoft President Brad Smith

Microsoft President Brad Smith talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his new book, co-authored with Carol Ann Browne, Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age. They discuss what Microsoft learned from United States v. Microsoft Corp. in 2001 and how that antitrust investigation compares to today’s techlash; the culture of disruption and “move fast and break things” in Silicon Valley; and why every tech company, even those not responsible for problems, should be part of the solutions. Smith also talks about the impact of Edward Snowden’s NSA leak and the Cambridge Analytica scandal, how the government can expand the opportunities enjoyed by the tech world with more of America, and tech regulation around the world — including why Smith believes the US will have a national privacy bill by 2024. Plus: Is it inevitable that big tech companies will be broken up? Featuring: Brad Smith (@bradsmi), president of Microsoft and co-author of Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age. Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/9/20191 hour, 10 minutes, 40 seconds
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Recode Decode: Why workers need to be part of the conversation about UBI and artificial intelligence

Former New York Times labor reporter Steve Greenhouse talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his most recent book, Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor. Greenhouse explains why worker power and compensation are at their lowest levels since World War II and how a series of cultural changes — including globalization, the internet, and the gig economy — have affected and endangered the working class. He and Swisher also discuss DoorDash's long-running practice of stealing tips, Facebook's inshoring of offensive content moderation to poorly managed contractors, and the problems with universal basic income proposals made by people like presidential candidate Andrew Yang. Featuring: Steve Greenhouse, former labor reporter, New York Times (@greenhousenyt) Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/6/201957 minutes, 47 seconds
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Recode Decode: "The Enlightened Capitalists" author James O'Toole.

James O'Toole, a professor emeritus at the University of Southern California, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his book, The Enlightened Capitalists: Cautionary Tales of Business Pioneers Who Tried to Do Well by Doing Good. O'Toole discusses the first such "enlightened capitalist," British industrialist Robert Owen; why, like Owen, do-gooder CEOs can't or won't make change today; and the history of the belief that corporations only exist to serve the shareholder. He also talks about how Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey's battle with values-adverse shareholders forced him to sell the company Amazon, and why a growing number of small companies are writing their ethical values into legally binding paperwork. Featuring: James O'Toole, professor emeritus at USC Host: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/4/201948 minutes, 34 seconds
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Recode Decode: Psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt

Jennifer Eberhardt, professor of psychology at Stanford University, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her most recent book, Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do. She talks about where bias comes from, why the erosion of old social norms has brought our prejudices to the surface, and how technology can encourage bias. Eberhardt shares examples of academic studies and real-world statistics that have revealed racial bias among police officers, and explains how one tech platform — the local social media site Nextdoor — reduced racial profiling among its users by more than 75 percent. Featuring: Jennifer Eberhardt, professor of psychology at Stanford University and author of Biased. Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/2/201956 minutes, 39 seconds
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Recode Decode: Lime president Joe Kraus

Lime President Joe Kraus talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how he came to Lime after a long career in both startups and venture capital, the company's pivot from bikes to scooters and the "unbundling of the car." Kraus also talks about the impact of scooters on cities and public transit, how Lime is trying to stand out in the crowded global scooter market, and the large valuations for scooter companies. Plus: Why Uber and Lyft's rocky IPOs haven't scared Lime away from going public someday. Featuring: Joe Kraus, President of Lime (@LimeBike) Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/30/20191 hour, 9 minutes, 45 seconds
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Recode Decode: Gro Intelligence CEO Sara Menker

Gro Intelligence founder and CEO Sara Menker talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the growing field of agriculture technology and how farmers around the world are using data. She also talks about the impact of geopolitical events like the US-China trade war and the challenges of raising capital for an ag-tech startup. Featuring: Sara Menker, founder and CEO of Gro Intelligence (@SaraMenker) Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/28/201959 minutes, 38 seconds
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Recode Decode: Huawei's chief security officer in the US, Andy Purdy

Andy Purdy, the chief security officer for Huawei Technologies USA, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher. They discuss the trade and security disputes between the US and Chinese governments, the increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity threats facing America, and how China's government intersects with its tech industry. Purdy also talks about Huawei's 5G ambitions, saying that some of its competitors also have deep ties to China but have not been similarly scrutinized by the US government. Featuring: Andy Purdy (@andy_purdy) Hosts: Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large More to explore: Subscribe for free to Pivot, Kara’s podcast with NYU Professor Scott Galloway that offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Follow Us: Newsletter: Recode Daily Twitter: @Recode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/26/201947 minutes, 37 seconds
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Recode Decode: CDA 230

Recode's Kara Swisher convenes a panel of experts to talk about section 230 of the Communications Decency Act: cybersecurity law professor Jeff Kosseff, author of "The Twenty Six Words That Created The Internet"; lawyer Carrie Goldberg, author of "Nobody’s Victim: Fighting Psychos, Stalkers, Pervs, and Trolls"; and the CEO and founder of Techdirt, Mike Masnick. Follow us Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), host Jeff Kosseff (@jkosseff), guest Carrie Goldberg (@cagoldberglaw), guest Mike Masnick (@mmasnick), guest Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), producer More to explore If you haven't already, subscribe to Recode Decode Subscribe to Recode's other podcasts: Recode Media, Pivot, and Land of the Giants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/23/20191 hour, 7 minutes, 35 seconds
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Recode Decode: "Cult of the Dead Cow" author Joe Menn

Writer Joe Menn talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his most recent book, "Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World." In this episode: How Menn started writing about cybercrime; the rise and fall of Napster; his first book about hacking, “Fatal System Error”; the origins of Cult of the Dead Cow; “they’re basically good guys”; its invite-only membership and how it works; how it forced Microsoft to take security seriously; how future presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke got involved; what other CDC alumni are doing today; the state of cybercrime in 2019; the complexity of protecting yourself online; the government’s attempts to undermine encryption; the 2020 election; and what the US should do to protect its citizens. Follow us Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), host Joe Menn (@josephmenn), guest Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), producer More to explore If you haven't already, subscribe to Recode Decode Subscribe to Recode's other podcasts: Recode Media, Pivot, and Land of the Giants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/21/201955 minutes, 23 seconds
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Recode Decode: Index Ventures' Mike Volpi and Danny Rimer

Mike Volpi and Danny Rimer, the co-founders of the San Francisco office of Index Ventures, talk with Recode's Kara Swisher. In this episode: Volpi and Rimer's backgrounds and the early days of the internet; applying a global perspective to venture capital; being a smaller firm when capital is abundant; why the rise of other regions does not mean Silicon Valley is "over"; open-source culture in Europe; Latin America, Israel, and China; scooters, autonomous driving, and the future of urban mobility; disrupting the beauty and fashion industries; disrupting venture capital itself; over-empowered founders and the WeWork CEO's $700 million cash-out; diversity in tech; techlash and antitrust regulation; and the most overhyped and most underhyped categories in tech. Follow us Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), host Mike Volpi (@mavolpi), guest Danny Rimer (@dannyrimer), guest Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), producer More to explore If you haven't already, subscribe to Recode Decode Subscribe to Recode's other podcasts: Recode Media, Pivot, and Land of the Giants Watch Kara's 2008 interview with Volpi about his video startup, Joost Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/19/201955 minutes, 8 seconds
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Recode Decode: Rep. Ro Khanna

US Congressman Ro Khanna, who represents California's 17th district, joins Recode's Kara Swisher live onstage at Manny's in San Francisco to talk about the state of tech policy and the next elections. In this episode: Khanna's internet bill of rights; will we ever have a national privacy bill?; the problem with "break them up"; the FTC’s Facebook fine; President Trump's racist attacks on the “squad” and Democrats’ reactions; the current mood in Washington; is Silicon Valley "over?”; Trump’s continued popularity; working on the Bernie Sanders campaign; Khanna’s second choice, Elizabeth Warren; Medicare for All; Russian attacks on elections; ensuring the health of tech; the problems with facial recognition; and government regulation of speech online. Follow us Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), host Ro Khanna (@RepRoKhanna), guest Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), producer More to explore If you haven't already, subscribe to Recode Decode Subscribe to Recode's other podcasts: Recode Media, Pivot, and Land of the Giants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/16/20191 hour, 2 minutes, 7 seconds
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Recode Decode: Andreessen Horowitz's Scott Kupor

Scott Kupor, the managing partner of Andreessen Horowitz, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher and Teddy Schleifer about his new book, Secrets of Sand Hill Road: Venture Capital and How to Get It. In this episode: How Kupor became a venture capitalist; his role at Andreessen Horowitz; what makes AH different from other venture firms; how other firms have copied it; why Kupor wrote his book; the “secrets” of how VCs think; stories that founders tell employees and investors; working with limited partners; why firms have to give founders so much control; the friction of removing CEOs; diversity in VC; what’s next for venture capital; how Andreessen Horowitz is looking at opportunity zones; and is Silicon Valley “over?” Follow us Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), host Teddy Schleifer (@teddyschleifer), co-host Scott Kupor (@skupor), guest Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), producer More to explore If you haven't already, subscribe to Recode Decode Subscribe to Recode's other podcasts: Recode Media, Pivot, and Land of the Giants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/14/20191 hour, 7 minutes, 14 seconds
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Recode Decode: Why Silicon Valley loves "biohacking" and intermittent fasting

Inspired by the trendiness of intermittent fasting in the tech community, Kara Swisher's executive producer, Erica Anderson, talks with three eating habit experts — a biohacker, an academic, and an eating disorder specialist. In this episode: HVMN CEO Geoff Woo on the culture of body optimization, the mainstreaming of biohacking, and how humans are "approaching God"; aging and nutrition expert Dr. Valter Longo on the origins of biohacking, the science behind intermittent fasting, and the problem with Silicon Valley's interpretations of the practice; and the executive director of the National Easting Disorder Association, Claire Mysko, on the line between eccentric diets and disorders, the wellness industry, and what to do if someone you know needs help. Follow us Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), host Geoff Woo (@geoffreywoo), guest Claire Mysko (@clairemysko), guest Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), producer More to explore If you haven't already, subscribe to Recode Decode Subscribe to Recode's other podcasts: Recode Media, Pivot, and Land of the Giants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/12/201956 minutes, 14 seconds
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Recode Decode: Stanford University's Larry Diamond

Larry Diamond, a professor at Stanford University and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, Ill Winds: Saving Democracy from Russian Rage, Chinese Ambition, and American Complacency. In this episode: Diamond’s background studying the development and failure of democracies; authoritarian regimes and the internet; why the book is called “Ill Winds”; the right-wing populist backlash across Europe; the deeper frustrations underneath anti-immigration sentiment; why Hillary Clinton lost the electoral college; how Russia, the "fallen superpower," is intervening in elections around the world; Mitch McConnell's obstinacy; "pretty close to treason"; the "risk of sliding into a new Cold War"; why China is the bigger threat in the long term; its tight control of Chinese citizens and companies; how will its rise affect US policy?; how China's people will react when the prosperity stops; declining American investment in R&D; "sleepwalking into the future"; how two-party politics have paralyzed the US; Diamond's proposed solution, ranked-choice voting; the danger of online voting; and the fight against gerrymandering, voter suppression, and polarization. Came here from The Bill Simmons Podcast? We rounded up a few favorite episodes we think fans of The Ringer will enjoy. Take a look! Follow us Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), host Larry Diamond (@LarryDiamond), guest Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), producer More to explore If you haven't already, subscribe to Recode Decode Subscribe to Recode's other podcasts: Recode Media, Pivot, and Land of the Giants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/7/201957 minutes, 16 seconds
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Recode Decode: Rep. Lauren Underwood

Lauren Underwood, the US Congresswoman who represents Illinois' 14th district, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in this live interview recorded on July 29, 2019 at Manny's in San Francisco. In this episode: Underwood’s background in healthcare and the Obama administration; why she decided to run for Congress at age 30; gerrymandering in Illinois; how Underwood won the Democratic primary; why she beat the incumbent Tea Party Republican, Randy Hultgren; "Pat, Barb, Sue and Marge"; being a congresswoman in a swing district; the Russia investigation and why Underwood has not called for Trump’s impeachment; how will Underwood keep her seat?; “toxic” 2020 presidential candidates; why Democrats need to stop chasing hashtag-friendly labels for their policies; the many interpretations of "Medicare For All”; how to work within a divided Democratic Party; meeting a Twitter troll in real life; can the Democrats keep the House and win the White House?; what should 2020 candidates be talking about?; and racial politics in 2018 and 2020. Came here from Lovett or Leave It? We rounded up a few favorite episodes we think Crooked Media fans will enjoy. Take a look! Follow us Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), host Lauren Underwood (@LaurenUnderwood), guest Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), producer More to explore If you haven't already, subscribe to Recode Decode Subscribe to Recode's other podcasts: Recode Media, Pivot, and Land of the Giants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/5/20191 hour, 5 minutes, 40 seconds
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Recode Decode: Pearson CEO John Fallon

Pearson CEO John Fallon talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about why the company is pivoting from print to digital textbooks. In this episode: Fallon’s background; the publishing industry’s slow-motion embrace of the internet; “the $300 textbook is dead”; how Pearson will make money from a cheaper digital textbook; competing with well-funded education startups; how Pearson’s Aida will grade calculus problems and, one day, essays; why teachers won’t be made obsolete; how the school of the future will be informed by the skills needed in the job market; why do students still need to physically go somewhere to learn?; how Pearson thinks about its competition; working with tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft; and the state of democracy in Boris Johnson's UK. Follow us Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), host John Fallon (@johnfallon), guest Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), producer More to explore If you haven't already, subscribe to Recode Decode Subscribe to Recode's other podcasts: Recode Media, Pivot, and Land of the Giants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/2/201954 minutes, 2 seconds
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Recode Decode: “The Great Hack” director Karim Amer

In this live interview, Recode's Kara Swisher talks with former Cambridge Analytica COO Julian Wheatland, early Facebook investor Roger McNamee, and the director and writer of the new Netflix documentary The Great Hack — Karim Amer and Pedro Kos. Then, later in the show, Recode’s Jason Del Rey explores the origins of Amazon Prime, why it’s so effective at keeping us locked into their ecosystem, and how it became the source of the company’s power. In this episode: How Wheatland looks back on the Cambridge Analytica scandal and what went wrong; how Amer and Kos approached the subject to turn it into a documentary; Facebook’s evasion of responsibility; what the filmmakers want to happen as a result of their work; why Wheatland decided to be in the documentary; the “fix it” mentality vs. assigning blame; the fragility of western democracy; Brittany Kaiser, the key character of The Great Hack; how Facebook and Google are like chemical companies in the 1950s; and what's next for the people involved in the film. More information about Land of the Giants: Land of the Giants is a new podcast from Recode and the Vox Media Podcast Network about the five major technology companies (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google – or “FAANG”) that have reshaped our world. Each season focuses on one of the giants and explores the ways that it’s changed our lives – for better and for worse. The first season is about The Rise of Amazon and is hosted by Recode’s Jason Del Rey. Enjoy this special preview of the first episode, Why You’ll Never Quit Amazon Prime, and subscribe to Land of the Giants for free in your favorite podcast app to hear the rest of the episode and to get new episodes automatically. Vote for us: Recode Decode has been nominated for best technology podcast in this year’s People’s Choice Podcast Awards! Cast your vote for Recode Decode at https://www.podcastawards.com/app/signup before July 31st. One vote per category. Follow us Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), host Karim Amer (@Karim_Amer33), guest Julian Wheatland (@JulianWheatland), guest Roger McNamee (@Moonalice), guest Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), producer More to explore If you haven't already, subscribe to Recode Decode Subscribe to Recode's other podcasts: Recode Media, Pivot, and Land of the Giants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/31/20191 hour, 12 minutes, 11 seconds
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Recode Decode: Megan Rapinoe

On the 400th episode of Recode Decode, Megan Rapinoe, the co-captain of the US Women's National Soccer Team, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher. This live conversation was recorded at the Mobile Marketing Association CEO & CMO Summit in Sonoma, CA. In this episode: Where Rapinoe's confidence comes from; her famous “victory” pose; the marginalization of women’s soccer; her favorite moments from the 2019 Women’s World Cup; how she focuses on the game; did Trump actually help her?; the fight for equal pay; what Rapinoe is going to do next; her clothing company, Re-inc and gender expression in fashion; will she run for political office?; her brother’s incarceration; what inspires her?; her advice for kids; resilience in the face of bullies and online critics; how to support women’s soccer; and her leadership style. Vote for us: Recode Decode has been nominated for best technology podcast in this year’s People’s Choice Podcast Awards! Cast your vote for Recode Decode at https://www.podcastawards.com/app/signup before July 31st. One vote per category. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/29/20191 hour, 4 minutes, 20 seconds
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Recode Decode: Reddit CEO Steve Huffman

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in this live interview recorded at Manny's in San Francisco. Huffman co-founded the company in 2005, left it in 2009, and returned in 2015 after the resignation of Reddit's previous CEO, Ellen Pao. In this episode: How Huffman thinks about Reddit today; how the site almost died; how it started and its early experience with backlash; tech leaders that don’t want to make content moderation decisions; why /r/The_Donald was quarantined and how it could clean itself up; the moving line for unacceptable comments online; conservative allegations of “shadowbanning” and tech bias; the gender breakdown of Reddit users; harassment of volunteer moderators; AI that learns from Reddit; the monopolization of tech by negative forces; and the future of /r/The_Donald. Vote for us Recode Decode has been nominated for best technology podcast in this year’s People’s Choice Podcast Awards! Cast your vote for Recode Decode at https://www.podcastawards.com/app/signup before July 31st. One vote per category. Follow us Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), host Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), producer More to explore If you haven't already, subscribe to Recode Decode Subscribe to Recode's other podcasts: Recode Media, Pivot, and Land of the Giants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/26/20191 hour, 41 seconds
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Recode Decode: Stitch Fix CEO Katrina Lake

Stitch Fix founder and CEO Katrina Lake talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the future of fashion, how the company has changed in the past nine years, and the rarity of female tech CEOs. In this episode: Lake’s background and taking Stitch Fix public; the difficulties of raising venture capital for a fashion startup; the "myth" of staying private forever; is Stitch Fix a “tech company?”; its expansion into new verticals, including men’s fashion; the broader online fashion landscape; how Stitch Fix has changed since its founding; figuring out people’s style preferences and riding fashion trends; sharing data with fashion brands; the future of retail; why Stitch Fix doesn’t have a physical store; how it reaches new customers; mistakes made and lessons learned; becoming a symbol for women in business; and what people underestimate about Lake. Vote for us Recode Decode has been nominated for best technology podcast in this year’s People’s Choice Podcast Awards! Cast your vote for Recode Decode at https://www.podcastawards.com/app/signup before July 31st. One vote per category. Follow us Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), host Katrina Lake (@kmlake), guest Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), producer More to explore If you haven't already, subscribe to Recode Decode Subscribe to Recode's other podcasts: Recode Media, Pivot, and Land of the Giants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/24/20191 hour, 6 minutes, 5 seconds
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Recode Decode: Rep. Adam Schiff

Congressman Adam Schiff, who represents California’s 28th district and chairs the House Intelligence Committee, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the 2020 election, the Russia investigation, and more. In this episode: Schiff’s letters putting Facebook, Google and Twitter “on notice” for deepfakes in the 2020 campaign; the lack of tech regulation to date; Edward Snowden and the encryption fight; how things have changed since the Democrats gained a majority in the House of Representatives; partisan differences in the Russia investigation; Robert Mueller’s upcoming testimony; Trump, the new “Teflon president”; how Trump and Schiff use Twitter; “how do we get back to normal?”; Nancy Pelosi vs. the “squad”; replacing Mitch McConnell and defeating Trump; the greatest intelligence threats to the US; and what worries Schiff the most. Vote for us Recode Decode has been nominated for best technology podcast in this year’s People’s Choice Podcast Awards! Cast your vote for Recode Decode at https://www.podcastawards.com/app/signup before July 31st. One vote per category. Follow us Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), host Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff), guest Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), producer More to explore If you haven't already, subscribe to Recode Decode Subscribe to Recode's other podcasts: Recode Media, Pivot, and Land of the Giants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/22/201957 minutes, 10 seconds
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Recode Decode: Andrew Yang

Entrepreneur and Venture for America founder Andrew Yang talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his campaign to be the Democratic nominee in the 2020 presidential race. In this episode: Being "the tech candidate" during the techlash; the the #YangGang; his version of universal basic income, the Freedom Dividend; the challenges of UBI and how to convince people that it's a good idea; job automation and the “robot apocalypse”; why the unemployment rate isn't as low as you think; what will future jobs look like?; Yang's vision of "human-centered capitalism"; Donald Trump's tweets; standing out in the current Democratic field; climate change and the privatized space industry; breaking up tech companies and other forms of regulation; and why does Yang want to be president? Vote for us Recode Decode has been nominated for best technology podcast in this year’s People’s Choice Podcast Awards! Cast your vote for Recode Decode at https://www.podcastawards.com/app/signup before July 31st. One vote per category. Follow us Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), host Andrew Yang (@andrewyang), guest Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), producer Manny's (@welcometomannys), the San Francisco venue of this live interview More to explore If you haven't already, subscribe to Recode Decode Subscribe to Recode's other podcasts: Recode Media, Pivot, and Land of the Giants Listen to Vox's Ezra Klein interviewing Yang on The Ezra Klein Show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/19/20191 hour, 8 minutes, 42 seconds
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Recode Decode: Senator Michael Bennet

Michael Bennet, the senior U.S. Senator from Colorado, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the intersection of social media and politics, and running for president in 2020. In this episode: Denver schools and the racial education gap; Bennet’s assessment of his past 10 years in the Senate; why people voted for Trump; the changes in Washington; why Frederick Douglass (and you) are founders of America; why Bennet believes he can win; politicians who over-index on Twitter and the "downward spiral" of social media; "the Russians, for Christ's sake"; should tech companies be broken up?; Facebook’s regulation of speech; keeping America innovative; fixing education; the 90 percent of Americans not benefiting from economic growth; universal health care; why a Democrat can win in 2020; and Kamala Harris in the first Democratic debates. Vote for us Recode Decode has been nominated for best technology podcast in this year’s People’s Choice Podcast Awards! Cast your vote for Recode Decode at https://www.podcastawards.com/app/signup before July 31st. One vote per category. Follow us Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), host Michael Bennet (@MichaelBennet), guest Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer Eric Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ), producer More to explore If you haven't already, subscribe to Recode Decode Subscribe to Recode's other podcasts: Recode Media, Pivot, and Land of the Giants Listen to Vox's Ezra Klein interviewing Bennet on The Ezra Klein Show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/17/201951 minutes, 47 seconds
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Recode Decode: Mayor Pete Buttigieg

Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his campaign for president of the United States. In this episode: Systemic racism and Buttigieg's "Douglass Plan"; mobilizing black women voters; how to appeal to Trump supporters who wanted to "burn the house down"; reforming the Supreme Court; the “mystical fascination” with the Rust Belt; climate change and rural America; why Buttigieg hasn’t attacked tech as much as some of his opponents; should Americans have a right to be forgotten online?; recognizing gig workers as employees with the right to unionize; will more regulation make it harder to compete with China?; Buttigieg's wealthy tech donors; being gay in the military; will voters care that he is gay?; his husband and LGBT visibility in politics; AOC’s “squad” vs. Nancy Pelosi; and Buttigieg's favorite president, Abraham Lincoln. Recode Decode has been nominated for best technology podcast in this year’s People’s Choice Podcast Awards! Cast your vote for Recode Decode at https://www.podcastawards.com/app/signup before July 31st. One vote per category. Interested in hearing more from Mayor Pete Buttigieg? Check out his conversation with Vox’s editor-at-large Ezra Klein on The Ezra Klein Show. https://www.vox.com/2019/4/1/18290849/pete-buttigieg-2020-ezra-klein-show Message Input Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/15/201950 minutes, 2 seconds
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Recode Decode: Harley-Davidson CEO Matthew Levatich (Live at Code 2019)

Harley-Davidson president and CEO Matthew Levatich talks with Recode's Kara Swisher live onstage at the 2019 Code Conference. In this episode: The impact of tariffs on Harley-Davidson’s global business; Trump's tweets attacking the company; managing a well-known brand during a trade war; is it possible to manufacture everything in the US?; the expertise required to make things domestically; Harley Davidson’s new electric bikes; the merits of a silent bike; the scooter market; omni-channel sales; competitors; and how thinking about climate change affected Harley-Davidson’s planning. Recode Decode has been nominated for best technology podcast in this year’s People’s Choice Podcast Awards! Cast your vote for Recode Decode at https://www.podcastawards.com/app/signup before July 31st. One vote per category. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/12/201940 minutes, 41 seconds
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Recode Decode: Writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her popular profiles of celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and her new novel, "Fleishman Is in Trouble." In this episode: Why Brodesser-Akner started writing profiles; how she got to the New York Times; working with editors and fact-checkers; Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop; Paltrow’s “radical” personality; her story about the transformation of Weight Watchers and contemporary fatness; how Brodesser-Akner chooses the topics of her stories; why they thrive online; “Fleishman Is In Trouble” and the rise of dating apps; how she figured out the story she wanted to tell in “Fleishman”; "What's the most horrifying thing I could do right now?"; what does Brodesser-Akner like writing better: Fiction or nonfiction?; and her advice for other writers. Recode Decode has been nominated for best technology podcast in this year’s People’s Choice Podcast Awards! Cast your vote for Recode Decode at https://www.podcastawards.com/app/signup before July 31st. One vote per category. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/10/20191 hour, 5 minutes, 42 seconds
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Recode Decode: Journalist Carole Cadwalladr

Carole Cadwalladr, a reporter for the Guardian and Observer, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her investigations into the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the links between tech and political disinformation campaigns. In this episode: Cadwalladr's background; tech's impact on democracy; the "cancer" of the far-right internet; Google's lack of accountability; Cambridge Analytica and its co-founder Robert Mercer; talking to whistleblower Christopher Wylie; the links among Brexit, Donald Trump, and Russia; the danger of challenging an ideological billionaire like Mercer; how Facebook shot itself in the foot; at Facebook, "who knew what, when?"; Cadwalladr's viral TED Talk about social media and disinformation; "techno-fascism" and you; why the US press must push Facebook harder; what Cadwalladr would do if she were in charge; and is she still optimistic about tech? Recode Decode has been nominated for best technology podcast in this year’s People’s Choice Podcast Awards! Cast your vote for Recode Decode at https://www.podcastawards.com/app/signup before July 31st. One vote per category. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/8/20191 hour, 17 minutes, 44 seconds
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Recode Decode: Long-Term Stock Exchange founder Eric Ries (Live at Code 2019)

Eric Ries, the founder of the Long-Term Stock Exchange and author of The Lean Startup, talks with Vox.com's Ezra Klein at the 2019 Code Conference. In this episode: The LTSE’s recent SEC approval; what’s the point of a stock exchange and why do we need a new one?; the problem with short-term public markets; how would going public on the LTSE be different for CEOs?; how things would change for employees?; the culture of short-term vs. long-term leadership ownership; the values of “Lean Startups”; what public companies and markets could learn from those values; how to attach companies to more stakeholders; The Enlightened Capitalists and the history of business reform; would the LTSE penalize short-term investors?; and Wall Street’s impatience with R&D. Recode Decode has been nominated for best technology podcast in this year’s People’s Choice Podcast Awards! Cast your vote for Recode Decode at https://www.podcastawards.com/app/signup before July 31st. One vote per category. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/5/201939 minutes, 25 seconds
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Recode Decode: "Russian Doll" star Natasha Lyonne and Netflix content VP Cindy Holland (Live at Code 2019)

Actor and producer Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll, Orange Is the New Black) and Netflix's vice president of original content Cindy Holland talk with Recode's Kara Swisher at the 2019 Code Conference. In this episode: How Lyonne got connected with Netflix; Holland’s background at Kozmo.com; Orange is the New Black; the Netflix way of doing things; developing Russian Doll; Netflix’s cancelation of One Day at a Time; how it evaluates creators like Lyonne; the production process of Russian Doll; how Netflix has changed over time; is Russian doll a "hit?”; the dissolving barriers between types of content and different screens; releasing Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma in theaters and on Netflix simultaneously; Netflix’s competition; and season two of Russian Doll. Recode Decode has been nominated for best technology podcast in this year’s People’s Choice Podcast Awards! Cast your vote for Recode Decode at https://www.podcastawards.com/app/signup before July 31st. One vote per category. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/3/201946 minutes, 2 seconds
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Recode Decode: Rockfeller Foundation president Raj Shah and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon (Live at Code 2019)

In these interviews from the 2019 Code Conference, Rockfeller Foundation president Raj Shah and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon talk with Recode's Teddy Schleifer. In the Shah interview: Rising inequality and the limits of private philanthropy; the growing scrutiny of wealthy endowments like Rockefeller; are "opportunity zones” just a tax giveaway?; what do Silicon Valley’s ultra-rich owe to people in need?; and the low percentage of billionaires who have committed to the Bill Gates and Warren Buffett's Giving Pledge. And then, in the Solomon interview: What tech can learn from finance’s own era of backlash; how Goldman Sachs changed post-financial crisis; the state of tech IPOs after Uber and Lyft; Goldman’s and Solomon's investments in Uber; the state of M&A; partnering with Apple on its upcoming credit card; the appeal of the Goldman Sachs brand to millennials; Eric Ries and the Long-Term Stock Exchange; China’s rising economic power and Trump’s tariffs; and diversity at Goldman Sachs.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/1/20191 hour, 5 minutes, 49 seconds
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Recode Decode: Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian (Live at Code 2019)

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and Jason Del Rey at the 2019 Code Conference. In this episode: How the Boeing 737 Max crashes affect the aviation industry; innovations in airplanes in that Delta would like to see; using facial recognition to replace paper tickets; RFID bag tracking and changing the layout of airports and gates; Delta’s investments in alternative fuels and its impact on climate change; Georgia's new abortion law and corporate activism; Delta's controversial anti-union flyers; changing the math for frequent flyers and competing with JetBlue Mint; how the 1980s deregulation of the airline industry compares to tech; and how to create a better culture for employees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/28/201945 minutes, 18 seconds
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Recode Decode: MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito

Joichi "Joi" Ito, the director of the MIT Media Lab, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about engineers who over-simplify the world's problems, the Media Lab's role in "surveillance capitalism," and why the values of the tech world will shift from within. In this episode: Ito's background and what the Media Lab does; techno-utopianism and the early days of the internet; how Ito got to MIT; computers implanted in the human body; Shoshana Zuboff and "surveillance capitalism"; the gap between technology and the law; why we're not living in a simulation; what’s missing from the AI discourse; the problem with how tech solves problems; the dangers of bad policy; and the subordination of liberal arts at schools like MIT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/26/201955 minutes, 59 seconds
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Recode Decode: Instagram's Adam Mosseri, Facebook's Andrew Bosworth, and former tech insiders on the outside (Live at Code 2019)

In these live interviews from the 2019 Code Conference, Casey Newton first talks to Instagram boss Adam Mosseri and Facebook's head of AR and VR, Andrew "Boz" Bosworth; then; later in the show, he interviews three former tech insiders: former Googler Jessica Powell, ex-Facebooker Antonio García-Martínez, and Twitter/Google veteran Nicole Wong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/24/20191 hour, 3 minutes, 6 seconds
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Recode Decode: Fair Fight Action founder Stacey Abrams and CEO Lauren Groh-Wargo (Live at Code 2019)

Georgia politician Stacey Abrams and her former campaign manager Lauren Groh-Wargo, now the co-founders of Fair Fight Action, talk with Recode's Kara Swisher and Vox.com's Ezra Klein at the 2019 Code Conference. In this episode: Abrams’ campaign for governor and what Fair Fight does; how Abrams defines the importance of voting rights; is America a democracy? “Yes, but…”; why Abrams doesn’t use the term “stolen election”; the Republican Party’s voter suppression habits; the problem with companies boycotting Georgia over anti-abortion laws; why “Georgia is the future” of America; the future of elections and how politicians should approach them; will Abrams run for anything in 2020?; identity politics and diversity in the Democratic Party; how has tech impacted politics?; why regulation is not a punishment; and the fallacy of Democrats abandoning the “center”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/21/201959 minutes, 3 seconds
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Recode Decode: RAICES immigration activists Jonathan Ryan and Erika Andiola (Live at Code 2019)

Jonathan Ryan and Erika Andiola, the CEO and chief advocacy officer at RAICES, talk with Vox.com's Ezra Klein at the 2019 Code Conference. In this episode: The current situation at the US-Mexico border; the increasing power of the executive branch of the US government as you approach the border; how tech companies like Palantir, Amazon, Microsoft, and Dell are working with ICE; the history of corporations enabling unconstitutional behavior; alternatives for the government; what would be a non-tyrannical way of handling immigration?; the “political football” of immigration reform; and the role of sanctuary cities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/19/201939 minutes, 1 second
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Recode Decode: Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy (Live at Code 2019)

Andy Jassy, the CEO of Amazon's cloud computing service AWS, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher at the 2019 Code Conference. In this episode: How Jassy came to work at Amazon 22 years ago; how Jeff Bezos has changed in that time; how AWS differentiates itself from the competition; could it be disrupted by a small business?; facial recognition, sensor creep, and trust; alleged misuse of Amazon’s facial recognition tech by law enforcement; its work with the government, and employee objections to that; should tech companies work with ICE and border patrol?; potential antitrust regulation and whether AWS should be spun off; Donald Trump’s Amazon-bashing obsession; the HQ2 contest; the challenges of running AWS, including diversity; does Jassy want to be CEO of Amazon?; and how does AWS's culture compare to Amazon’s?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/17/201951 minutes, 58 seconds
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Recode Decode: Twitter's Vijaya Gadde and Kayvon Beykpour (Live at Code 2019)

Vijaya Gadde, who leads the legal and trust and safety teams at Twitter, and Periscope co-founder Kayvon Beykpour, who's now the company's head of product, talk with Recode's Kara Swisher and Peter Kafka at the 2019 Code Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. In this episode: Twitter’s meeting with President Trump; CEO Jack Dorsey's level of contact with the policy team; cleaning the Twitter “cesspool”; could it operate without letting everyone speak?; its new policies around elections and anti-vaxxers; how its responses to abuse compare to Facebook’s and Google’s; does de-platforming people like Alex Jones reduce their influence?; does Twitter radicalize people?; how Twitter is trying to get rid of white supremacists; and false equivalency in content moderation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/14/201951 minutes, 36 seconds
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Recode Decode: The Intercept's Mehdi Hasan

Mehdi Hasan, a columnist at the Intercept and host of its weekly podcast Deconstructed, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher. In this episode: How Hasan got into journalism; the timidity of the American press; cold comforts in the “horrible, horrible moment” of the Trump presidency; the Intercept and Hasan’s podcast, Deconstructed; his viral interview with Blackwater founder Erik Prince; Swisher’s interview with Sam Harris; liberals who only see racism on the right; the controversial speeches in Hasan's history; the impact of Twitter on politics — and Donald Trump on Twitter; the 2020 presidential race and impeachment; and Trump's legacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/12/20191 hour, 3 minutes, 48 seconds
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Recode Decode: CNN's Jim Sciutto

CNN's chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, The Shadow War: Inside Russia’s and China's Secret Operations to Defeat America. In this episode: Sciutto’s background and the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Protests; being a foreign correspondent; working for the Chinese ambassador and returning to journalism; being a journalist at CNN in the Trump era; Americans’ post-Cold War delusions about Russia; why failures to recognize Russia and China as threats have been bipartisan; how both countries have made themselves adversaries of the US; what Russia has done beyond election hacking, including "kamikaze satellites"; China’s theft of state secrets; should we be making phones in China?; why AI is now a battlefield; what do Russia and China actually want, and what does defeat look like?; America's deeply partisan politics; the policy steps to end the shadow war; and the impact of Trump's trade war with China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/10/20191 hour, 2 minutes, 9 seconds
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Recode Decode: Michele Madansky

Media market research consultant Michele Madansky talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about The Elephant in the Valley, her study into the prevalence of harassment in tech that was first conducted in 2016 and recently updated with new statistics. In this episode: Madansky's background; the first edition of Elephant in the Valley and its aftermath; how does harassment in tech compare to other industries?; is harassment still the elephant in the room?; what's worse since 2016, what's the same, and what's better?; why Madansky is optimistic; Gen Z and growing acceptance of women as breadwinners; how to change the numbers; is Madansky worried about #MeToo fatigue?; and her advice for the tech companies she advises. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/5/201949 minutes, 12 seconds
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Recode Decode: Girls Who Code CEO Reshma Saujani

Girls Who Code CEO Reshma Saujani talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the challenges facing women in the tech industry and what everyone can do to make progress happen faster. In this episode: The 60 Minutes problem; what Girls Who Code does; how it compares to other diversity-in-coding groups; how much progress have we made so far?; the link between perfectionism and "fitting in"; the lousy excuses for homogeneous hiring; how Google and Microsoft could become the new Goldman Sachs; sexual harassment and the impact of #MeToo; bringing new investors into the ecosystem; what parents should tell their daughters; and where are the role models? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/3/201946 minutes, 19 seconds
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Recode Decode: Susan Hockfield

Former MIT president Susan Hockfield talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, The Age of Living Machines: How Biology Will Build the Next Technology Revolution. In this episode: How Hockfield got to MIT; how the school creates innovation; how Route 128 lost the digital revolution to the west coast; Boston's new "regional advantage," sustainable energy; the convergence of biology and engineering; why Hockfield wrote "The Age of Living Machines"; "living machines" that can help us prevent diseases and detect cancer; the challenge of clean water; how some viruses can become rechargeable batteries; how to direct investment and political attention toward these technologies; urging technology forward during times of relative peace; what China and other countries learned from the United States’ post-WWII tech boom; and why the decline of trust in scientific expertise "terrifies" her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/31/201958 minutes, 33 seconds
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Recode Decode: Investors Mark Cuban and Steve Case and talent agent Scooter Braun (Live)

In these live interviews recorded at the 2019 SALT Conference in Las Vegas, Recode's Kara Swisher talks to investors Mark Cuban and Steve Case about the future of entrepreneurship and talent agent Scooter Braun about how tech is changing the entertainment business. In the Cuban/Case interview: The "third wave" of the internet and Case's "rise of the rest" theory; the state of entrepreneurship outside Silicon Valley; are startups really in decline?; how to properly train the next generation of startup founders; why Cuban believes everyone working at a startup should receive equity; how to make tech more diverse; and how does techlash change investing? And then, in the Braun interview: The impact of social media on Braun's work and the life of a touring musician; getting arrested on behalf of Justin Bieber; why sometimes, your gut should trump the data; playing power politics with Apple and Spotify; how Braun almost bought 10 percent of Facebook; and his investments in Uber, Lyft, and other tech companies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/29/20191 hour, 8 minutes, 48 seconds
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Recode Decode: DuckDuckGo CEO Gabe Weinberg

DuckDuckGo CEO Gabe Weinberg talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher in this live conversation recorded at Made By We in New York City. In this episode: What DuckDuckGo does; why Weinberg started the company; contextual advertising; Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act; are people actually mad about privacy violations?; Weinberg’s proposal for national privacy legislation; competing against Google and the “filter bubble”; data interoperability and what good policies would look like; what can consumers do to protect themselves?; security and facial recognition; the small number of people making decisions for the whole world; should Americans have the right to be forgotten?; and can there be a DuckDuckGo for YouTube? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/27/201958 minutes, 32 seconds
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Recode Decode: Facebook’s former security boss Alex Stamos and Twitter co-founder Ev Williams (Live)

Alex Stamos, the former Chief Security Officer at Facebook, and Ev Williams, the co-founder of Twitter and CEO of Medium, talk with Recode's Kara Swisher in these live interviews from the 2019 Collision conference in Toronto, Canada. In the Stamos interview: Is Facebook misunderstood?; Stamos’ proposed solutions; legitimate candidates vs. the Russians; how to protect ourselves from all election attackers; the weaponization of Facebook’s products; America’s reluctance to regulate; breaking up Facebook and Google; why big companies need to stop rewarding employees with stock; Stamos’ recommendations for Mark Zuckerberg; and is Facebook actually committed to change? And in the Williams interview: Why he left the board of Twitter; where social media is right now; why his venture firm Obvious Ventures doesn’t invest in social; its investment in Beyond Meat; Williams’ theories of venture investing; the lack of diversity in what companies get venture funding; how techlash has changed Silicon Valley; the many iterations of Medium; would Williams buy established media companies?; and is he worried about the media? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/24/201949 minutes, 51 seconds
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Recode Decode: Anand Giridharadas

Winners Take All author Anand Giridharadas talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher in this live conversation recorded at Made By We in New York City.  In this episode: Why Giridharadas wrote the book; the Sackler family; why “giving back is a wingman of taking ruthlessly”; Mark Zuckerberg’s false image and outsized influence; Andrew Carnegie and the history of billionaire philanthropy; what should the ultra-rich do instead?; what should the government do?; the backlash to Jeff Bezos; Marc Benioff and San Francisco; the 2020 Democrats and "the primary about everything”; Bill McGlashan and the college admissions scandal; the “rise of the rest”; what about Constitutional amendments?; and why Giridharadas is grateful for Donald Trump.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/22/201957 minutes, 15 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about bringing legitimate financial institutions into the formerly-sketchy world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies. In this episode: Garlinghouse's background at Excite@Home, Dialpad, and Yahoo; the "peanut butter manifesto" memo he wrote at Yahoo; moving on to Silver Lake Partners, AOL, and then becoming CEO of Hightail; being recruited to Ripple; the appeal of blockchain and cryptocurrency; working with the banks, not against them; the coming revolution in cross-border transactions; why bitcoin speculators were actually "forward progress"; will there be one cryptocurrency to rule them all?; the "unbanked" people of the world; potential problems facing cryptocurrency; convincing regulators and established banks; why should a big bank like Citi work with Ripple?; who will disrupt the incumbents?; the actual uses of crypto for consumers; and Facebook and tech's responsibility. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/20/20191 hour, 36 seconds
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Recode Decode: “Good to Great” author Jim Collins

Jim Collins, the author of business books such as Built to Last and Good to Great, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his latest work, Turning the Flywheel. In this episode: Collins’ background in business education; his mentor and Stanford colleague Jerry Porras; his past books, including Built to Last and How the Mighty Fall; why he left Stanford and moved to Boulder, Colorado; teaching Jeff Bezos and Amazon how to save the company; how to be a “level-five” leader; what Bill Hewlett and David Packard understood about corporate responsibility; who today is a level-five leader?; the difference between your practices and the core of your beliefs; does tech even have a core?; why the innovators don’t always win; how important is luck?; how is the 2019 bubble different from 1999?; and how Jack Bogle and Steve Jobs stayed young until they died.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/17/20191 hour, 5 minutes, 16 seconds
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Recode Decode: Preet Bharara

Preet Bharara, the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and host of the podcast Stay Tuned With Preet, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher. In this episode: Bharara’s background; digital crime and the “ticking time bomb” of hacking threats; why Bharara was fired by President Trump; what he did post-firing; his Twitter fatigue; the public’s newfound interest in the law; his new book, "Doing Justice"; the "first principles" of law that the entire country could benefit from; the Mueller report; how the Southern District of New York thinks about its work; Nancy Pelosi's declaration of a “constitutional crisis”; did social media undermine the Mueller report?; the problem with tech and whether companies will be held criminally liable; how tech will change the practice of law; and should we be optimistic about the future? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/15/20191 hour, 7 minutes, 56 seconds
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Recode Decode: Former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter

In this live conversation recorded at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, Recode's Kara Swisher talks with Ash Carter, the former Secretary of Defense under President Obama who now runs the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. In this episode: Government regulation vs. self-regulation in tech; CDA Section 230; privacy laws and the potential for new regulations around the world; antitrust action that doesn't require a breakup; does regulation ruin innovation?; Mark Zuckerberg's plea for regulation; the problems with automated algorithms; AI ethics in lethal warfare and beyond; can we keep AI in check with norms?; tech workers who don't want their companies partnering with the Defense Department; China's AI and surveillance habits; what Carter worries about in tech; Edward Snowden; encryption and the US intelligence agencies; is Congress savvy enough to regulate?; are the tech giants ready for attempt meddling in the 2020 elections?; what tech has done to journalism; and what will actually get Big Tech to change? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/13/20191 hour, 19 minutes, 24 seconds
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Recode Decode: Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes

Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his recent New York Times op-ed, "It's Time to Break Up Facebook." In this episode: Why Hughes wrote the column; how he met Mark Zuckerberg; how the 2016 election changed his view of Facebook; Hughes' role in the early days of Facebook; the company's "missionary zeal"; Zuckerberg’s “unchecked power” and reactions to the column; "He cannot fix this"; how the FTC screwed up; Facebook Live; Zuckerberg’s interest in Roman emperors; why has Facebook continually failed to fix itself?; the backlash to Hughes' column; how a government-ordered breakup would work; Instagram and WhatsApp; Should Zuckerberg step down?; the FTC’s $3-5 billion fine; the case for a new digital regulatory agency; Tristan Harris' "human downgrading" theory; and will Zuckerberg listen? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/10/201957 minutes, 43 seconds
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Recode Decode: Esther Wojcicki

Author and journalism educator Esther Wojcicki, Silicon Valley’s “mother of dragons,” talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, How to Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons for Radical Results. In this episode: Why Wojcicki became a journalism educator and why she threw out her curriculum in the mid-1980s; how she became “the Woj” to her students; embracing the internet and news literacy; the state of journalism in 2019; the power of giving kids independence; how Esther raised her own daughters: YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki and epidemiologist Janet Wojcicki; persisting in the face of gender discrimination; why she wasn’t surprised by the college admissions cheating scandal; why relationships, not wealth, lead to happiness; being surrounded by the extreme wealth of Silicon Valley; is the internet corrosive to kids?; how to fix the internet; and how to train and prepare children for the digital age. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/10/201953 minutes, 45 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sam Harris

Writer and podcaster Sam Harris talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his views on Islam, social media, and President Trump. In this episode: Harris’ background; why he wrote his first book; the controversy around his books about religion and why Harris didn’t initially call himself an “atheist"; Islamophobia and Harris’ enemies; Christopher Hitchens and the performance of public debate; identity politics; feminism and hijabs; white supremacists online; the terror attacks in Sri Lanka and New Zealand; the Trump effect; Should Jack Dorsey delete Twitter?; Harris and Swisher’s Twitter history; free speech online; what should tech companies do and what should be done to them?; the “moral panic” side of #MeToo; and keeping focused on the right problems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/8/20191 hour, 42 minutes, 27 seconds
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Recode Decode: Tristan Harris

Tristan Harris, the co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the latest problem he and his peers are trying to solve: "Human downgrading." In this episode: Harris’ background as a design ethicist Google; how his previous movement, Time Well Spent, was co-opted by the tech industry; how are Apple and Google's "digital well-being" features doing?; the utopian promise of tech; why Harris shifted to focus on “downgrading”; what the Center for Humane Technology does; has Harris gotten through to tech's leaders?; why Facebook and YouTube are worse than Shell and Exxon; digital platforms as cities; what we need to do now; techlash; the (sort of) good news; are CEOs just hoping this goes away on its own?; and why removing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is "critical." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/6/20191 hour, 6 minutes, 59 seconds
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Recode Decode: Scott Galloway

NYU professor and Pivot co-host Scott Galloway talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, The Algebra of Happiness. In this episode: Galloway’s past books; why the new book is about happiness; don’t listen to people who say “follow your passion”; the number one piece of advice that older people give to younger people; the happiness you get from stuff vs. experience; social media addiction; how algorithms encourage outrage; the small things you can do to have meaningful relationships; how Galloway really defines “happiness”; why people who care for others live longer; the algebra of unhappiness; the importance of picking the right partner and taking risks; crying and mourning; will drugs be able to make us happy all the time?; and Kara’s plans for a viking funeral. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/3/20191 hour, 4 minutes, 28 seconds
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Recode Decode: Mayor London Breed

San Francisco Mayor London Breed talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in this live interview recorded at Manny's in the Mission District. In this episode: How does Breed feel about being mayor?; her biggest priority, the homelessness epidemic; how San Francisco has changed since her childhood; mental health reform; the public image of SF; civic irresponsibility and the "poop patrol"; affordable housing, NIMBYs and the Embarcadero homeless shelter; building housing near transit centers; how to remove delays on new construction; Breed’s relationship with the tech community; why she's still uneasy about the voter-approved big business tax, Proposition C; what she wants from Big Tech; the impact of Airbnb, Uber and scooters; could San Francisco go car-less?; how millennials in tech can make a difference; gun control; and does Breed want to run for governor or president? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/1/20191 hour, 20 minutes, 30 seconds
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Recode Decode: Trash in space, diversity in STEM and artificial meat at TED 2019

Kara Swisher's executive producer, Erica Anderson, talks with four TED Fellows at the 2019 TED Conference in Vancouver. In this collection of mini-interviews, you'll hear from biologist Danielle Lee, space environmentalist Moriba Jah, astrophysicist Erika Hamden and Good Food Institute founder Bruce Friedrich. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/29/20191 hour, 6 minutes, 46 seconds
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Recode Decode: Journalist Julia Angwin

Julia Angwin, the former editor-in-chief of The Markup, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in this live podcast recorded in Washington, DC. In this episode: How Angwin got into journalism; why weren’t people always angry about tech privacy?; ProPublica’s investigations into tech companies; the "ungovernable" tech giants; leaving ProPublica to co-found The Markup; Angwin’s co-founders, Jeff Larson and Sue Gardner; what the hell happened?; what part of it was Angwin’s fault?; the difference between being skeptical and negative; Larson’s Medium post and Craig Newmark’s reaction; is it easier to raise money for advocacy news?; media literacy for young people; "scientific journalism"; and what Angwin will do next. This special episode of Recode Decode with Kara Swisher was taped in front of a live audience at The LINE DC to celebrate Vox’s fifth anniversary. If you enjoyed it, we think you’ll also enjoy this live taping of The Weeds, and this special episode of The Ezra Klein Show featuring Vox’s co-founders Ezra Klein, Matt Yglesias, and Vox Media’s Publisher Melissa Bell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/26/201947 minutes, 38 seconds
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Recode Decode: Why thinking about your death five times a day is good for you

WeCroak co-founder Hansa Bergwall talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his mobile app, which reminds users of death five times a day.  In this episode: Why thinking about death is good for you; how WeCroak got started; the “Emily Dickinson test”; why it’s called WeCroak; why Bergwall and his co-founder avoided ads and social media hooks; you’re going to die, but "do whatever you want” with that information; Steve Jobs’ speech about death; how the misguided ways we think about death affect our whole lives; Silicon Valley’s deluded attempts to cheat death; why almost every form of meditation can be “abused”; Kara’s favorite death quotes; and why WeCroak doesn’t talk about the afterlife. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/24/201946 minutes, 19 seconds
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Recode Decode: Why tech is "flunking" the diversity test

Venture capitalist and prominent activist Freada Kapor Klein, the founder of Kapor Capital, talks with Recode's Teddy Schleifer about diversity in tech and impact investing. In this episode: In this episode: Kapor Klein’s background; her first forays into activism; why the term “sexual coercion” is more meaningful in the workplace than “sexual harassment”; holding managers accountable when they don’t live a company’s values; why did Kapor Klein and her husband Mitch Kapor become impact investors?; how to have values as a VC; being an Uber investor during the company’s discrimination scandal; how is Dara Khosrowshahi doing?; why the venture capital industry is “flunking” the diversity test; startups that widen inequality; the problem with how All Raise measures diversity; Kapor Klein’s publicly quiet supporters; what does impact investing really mean?; Bill McGlashan and the college admissions scandal; making college admissions more equitable; why Kapor Klein is optimistic about the world; and the 2020 presidential campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/22/20191 hour, 2 minutes, 31 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ford CTO Ken Washington

Ford CTO Ken Washington talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about AI and autonomous vehicles in this live interview recorded at the Studio Theatre in Washington, DC. In this episode: The current state of autonomous vehicles; where Ford is testing its self-driving cars and why it picked those cities; 3-D printing and other AI-enabled engineering tools; mapping the whole world, again; Ford’s history in self-driving and the DARPA challenge; the difference between a human car collision and an AI one; when will we see the first fully self-driving cars?; is Ford still a "car company?"; the medium- and long-term vision of AI-enabled vehicles; how AI could fix wrinkly seats (and make driving safer); the creepy side of AI; data privacy and ethics; how Ford works with the big tech companies getting into the car business; the weirdest, scariest, and coolest things Washington has seen from AI; the cool side of deepfakes; hovercrafts, VTOL vehicles and scooters; the impact of self-driving cars on jobs; and equity of access to self-driving cars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/17/20191 hour, 10 minutes, 7 seconds
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Recode Decode: PBS CEO Paula Kerger

Paula Kerger, the president and CEO of PBS, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the state of public media as President Trump is trying to cut its federal funding. In this episode: How Kerger got to PBS 13 years ago; why running it is more like running a co-op than a normal company; the decline of local media; how public media is funded; bringing PBS into the digital age; why it’s backed off of Netflix in favor of competitors like Amazon; YouTube isn’t just a stepping-stone to TV; the commercial cable channels that gave up on PBS-style content; how important is broadcast for PBS’ future?; how it builds for mobile streaming; investigative journalism in VR; has content changed in the digital era?; kids’ shows like Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood; Trump’s proposal to close the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; why that would hurt rural communities the most; why PBS is not “liberal”; and where will PBS be in 20 years? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/15/201955 minutes, 20 seconds
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Recode Decode: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about breaking up Big Tech, immigration, hate speech, and more. In this episode: Foreign influence on the 2016 election; protecting future elections; Silicon Valley's days of self-regulation are "probably" numbered; state and federal privacy legislation; net neutrality; hate speech online and how "haters" make themselves victims; should Washington break up Big Tech?; Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act "could be a question mark and in jeopardy"; Democrats' relationship with tech; illegal immigration and startup founders; education and job automation; how Donald Trump and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez use Twitter; Trump's tweets "have cheapened the presidency"; the media's complicity; should there be no political ads on the internet?; and how Pelosi's coat became a meme. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/12/201951 minutes, 38 seconds
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Recode Decode: "The Uninhabitable Earth" author David Wallace-Wells

Journalist David Wallace-Wells talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming. In this episode: How Wallace-Wells got to writing about climate change; common misconceptions about it; “we’ve made no progress at all” on clean energy use; his first story about global warming; the ripple effects and “all-encompassing threat” of warming around the world; today’s storms are literally unprecedented; why Silicon Valley has invested little into solutions; apocalypse bunkers and escaping to space; theoretical solutions on Earth that we could undertake right now; Bill Gates and Elon Musk; “we need a million solutions,” not one; the immediate political implications; how the US and China are contributing to the problem; “we’re not in this situation because of the Republican Party”; the problem with the Paris accords; and why technology won’t magically save us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/10/201956 minutes, 51 seconds
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Recode Decode: Meredith Whittaker and Kate Crawford

AI Now Institute founders Meredith Whittaker and Kate Crawford talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about artificial intelligence in this live interview recorded at the Studio Theatre in Washington, DC. In this episode: What is the AI Now Institute?; how "dirty data" can lead to faulty AI conclusions; how machine learning works; the “whack-a-mole” problem of biased search results; the politics of AI; diversity in computer science; what systems should not be run by humans?; Amazon's résumé-scanning AI failure; how the industry is trying to regulate itself and “ethics theater”; which federal agency should monitor AI in the US?; China’s creepy “social credit score”; the ways facial recognition and other invasions of privacy are creeping into the US, too; the Google walkout and protecting whistleblowers inside tech companies; and why Elon Musk is wrong about AI’s dangers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/8/20191 hour, 4 minutes, 56 seconds
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Recode Decode: Valerie Jarrett

Valerie Jarrett, who was a senior adviser to President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward. In this episode: What Jarrett did in the Obama White House; her early childhood in Iran; why she became a lawyer, but gave up practicing law to get into politics; why Jarrett never ran for office herself, and what she looks for in the candidates she helps; the aftermath of the 2016 election; why today's Republicans are "delighted" when people don't vote; could the Obama administration have done anything differently?; Roseanne Barr's tweets and the big question: Can we "disagree without being disagreeable?"; why Jarrett joined the board of Lyft; why everyone has to vote, and the big topics for Democrats in 2020; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; and what Jarrett has learned about finding her voice that she wants to pass on to others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/3/20191 hour, 4 minutes, 35 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ashton Applewhite

Writer and activist Ashton Applewhite talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism." In this episode: What society gets wrong about aging; a realistic picture of mental and physical decline; why Applewhite wrote her "manifesto"; why we need to start with ourselves to fight ageism; how Silicon Valley fetishizes youth; How do you change attitudes in tech?; tech’s investments in delaying aging and extending healthspan; and the medical benefits of having a realistic attitude towards aging. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/1/201945 minutes, 59 seconds
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Recode Decode: Today, Explained host Sean Rameswaram

Today, Explained host Sean Rameswaram talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the state of daily news podcasts and the future of the medium. In this episode: How Rameswaram got into public radio and then podcasting; why Serial took off and how it changed the podcast landscape; the daily news explainer podcasts The Daily, Up First, and Today Explained; how Today, Explained got started and how Rameswaram thinks about his job as host; how the show chooses what to cover; the future of podcasting; Gimlet's $300 million sale to Spotify; and is there a podcast bubble? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/27/201954 minutes, 44 seconds
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Recode Decode: Backstage Capital founder Arlan Hamilton and Deeds Not Words founder Wendy Davis (live at SXSW)

Backstage Capital founder Arlan Hamilton and Deeds Not Words founder Wendy Davis talk with Recode's Kara Swisher in this live interview from South by Southwest 2019. In this episode: Youthful political energy in the US and Texas; the history of women and people of color not being seen in politics and tech; Hamilton's Twitter tiff with Paul Graham; how Davis' group Deeds Not Words gets women in the room; her 13-hour filibuster and the way it echoed into 2018; are things getting better and what's next?; the national political mood and Davis's next act; making apologies and accommodations for the people who discriminate; how people pressured Hamilton to prove herself immediately; who has the responsibility to increase diversity?; why do people keep talking to Kara Swisher?; Fox News and brainwashing; and the next generation of Americans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/25/20191 hour, 9 minutes, 41 seconds
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Recode Decode: dtx CEO Tim Armstrong and Poshmark CEO Manish Chandra (live at An Evening With Code Commerce)

In this episode, you'll hear two interviews from the latest edition of An Evening With Code Commerce in Las Vegas: First, the dtx company CEO Tim Armstrong talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and Jason Del Rey about his investment company's plans to bring online retailers into the physical world with Coachella-like festival events; then, Poshmark CEO Manish Chandra talks with Del Rey about how the clothing reseller became the second-most-popular iPhone shopping app in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/23/20191 hour, 30 minutes, 47 seconds
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Recode Decode: Richard Walker

Historian and urbanist Richard Walker, a professor emeritus at UC Berkeley, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his latest book, Pictures of a Gone City: Tech and the Dark Side of Prosperity in the San Francisco Bay Area. In this episode: How California has historically been affected by economic growth; the Bay Area’s first tech boom, the 1849 gold rush; why has California had so many booms?; the social impacts of this change; waking up to the downside of tech prosperity; “money is literally burning holes in their pockets”; the "bottleneck effect” that created the housing crisis and shoved out the working class; why “just build more” isn’t a realistic solution; what does “gone city” mean?; taxes, job growth and the coming recession; how the ubiquity of tech will spur innovation — but not necessarily in San Francisco; and why taxing the rich and big corporations creates equality. Today's show is brought to you by Microsoft Azure. Check out: Azure.com/trial to sign up for a trial today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/20/201957 minutes, 6 seconds
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Recode Decode: Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition (Live at SXSW 2019)

European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in front of a live audience at South by Southwest 2019. In this episode: America's newfound appetite for tech regulation; why Vestager doesn't agree with Elizabeth Warren's "break them up" pitch; how Vestager assesses her tenure; why Big Tech is like pesticides; does GDPR favor larger companies?; the big problem with smart home devices; Mark Zuckerberg's pledge to pivot Facebook toward privacy; what Vestager will do after her current term ends; ethics in AI; why has there not been a tech giant out of Europe; what the next commissioner for competition should focus on; countering the forces of populism and nationalism; and the shifting priorities of antitrust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/18/20191 hour, 4 minutes, 31 seconds
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Recode Decode: Senator Amy Klobuchar

Amy Klobuchar, the senior U.S. Senator from Minnesota who is running for the Democratic Party's nomination in the 2020 presidential race, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in front of a live audience at South by Southwest. In this episode: The infamous comb incident; why Klobuchar thinks she can win; big pharma and big tech; why Klobuchar is aiming for the center while her fellow Democrats are pulling left; what she learned from studying Hillary Clinton's 2016 loss; the crowded Democratic field; the need for urgent action on climate change; Elizabeth Warren's proposal to break up the tech companies and Klobuchar's own agenda for tech; should Facebook and Google be broken up?; the prospects of a federal data privacy bill; does Klobuchar trust tech companies?; do they like her?; Paul Manafort's initial prison sentence; the Mueller Report; President's Trump's coziness with Vladimir Putin and his attacks on the press; impeachment; Rep. Ilhan Omar's comments on Israel; and what politicians Klobuchar looks up to. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/16/20191 hour, 8 minutes, 45 seconds
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Recode Decode: Kathy Griffin

Comedian Kathy Griffin talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the notorious photo shoot that got her investigated by the Secret Service — and her new self-financed stand-up special, A Hell of a Story. In this episode: The notorious severed-head photo shoot; what happened after the initial wave of backlash; Griffin's run-ins with Donald Trump before he ran for president; why she believes the current battle with Trump is "historic"; Elon Musk; "I've been in Hollywood trouble, but never two federal agencies"; why she had to distribute her new stand-up special herself; does she regret taking the photo?; Anderson Cooper's reaction; Griffin's issues with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and why "he should resign"; how to regulate the social media companies; Griffin's thoughts on the 2020 candidates; speech should be regulated by social media first, not governments; "It took like a good week to talk my own mother out of the fact that I'm not in ISIS"; living next door to the Kardashians, and her other, crazier neighbor; what happens to Griffin's career now?; and advice for women entering the workforce. Today's show is brought to you by Microsoft Azure. Check out Azure.com/trial to sign up for a trial today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/13/20191 hour, 4 minutes, 53 seconds
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Recode Decode: YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in this live interview recorded at Lesbians Who Tech in San Francisco. In this episode: Why YouTube turned off comments for tens of millions of videos recently; its latest attempts to keep kids safe; the criteria it weighs when making a policy change; toxicity in YouTube's comments; what would it do if it lost section 230 immunity?; "the only way to solve this, at the end of the day, is going to be with a combination of human and machines"; diversity in YouTube's leadership; the Google walkout; should Google put a non-executive employee on its board?; contractors in tech; and do the leaders in Silicon Valley "get it?" Thanks to Microsoft Azure for sponsoring this episode. Get started with a free account and 12 months of popular free services at Azure.com/trial today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/11/201934 minutes, 57 seconds
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Recode Decode: Hudson's Bay Company CEO Helena Foulkes

Hudson's Bay Company CEO Helena Foulkes talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in this live interview recorded at An Evening With Code Commerce in Las Vegas. In this episode: Yep, Foulkes was considered for the Uber CEO job; her background at CVS; how she came to Hudson's Bay; why she sold its European department stores, Gilt Groupe, and Home Outfitters; the importance of making retail shopping an experience; how Foulkes is rethinking Saks Off Fifth; "you can never out-Amazon Amazon"; how do physical retail stores use data?; and what will the store of the future look like? Subscribe to Casey Newton's newsletter, The Interface, at theverge.com/interface. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/9/201942 minutes, 9 seconds
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Recode Decode: Laurene Powell Jobs

Laurene Powell Jobs, the founder of the Emerson Collective, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about journalism, VR, and activism. In this episode: Why Powell Jobs is investing in media; President Trump's attacks on journalists; are billionaires buying outlets the only way forward?; Alejandro G. Iñárritu's VR border crossing film, Carne Y Arena; art and activism; how to fix the immigration impasse; how social media changes art; Powell Jobs' first education nonprofit, College Track; and when will Silicon Valley wake up? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/6/201934 minutes, 4 seconds
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Recode Decode: Chamath Palihapitiya

Social Capital CEO Chamath Palihapitiya talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher and Teddy Schleifer about an “identity crisis” that pitted his wealth and fame against personal happiness and relationships. In this episode: Social Capital’s attempts to disrupt venture capital; Palihapitiya’s “identity crisis” and search for happiness; nonwhite people aren’t allowed to appear crazy; “to all the people that worked for me ... you’re fucking welcome”; why Silicon Valley has never been unhappier; the lack of heroes and values in modern society; the uneasy balance between a business' mission and its profits; disarming the concept of mental health; why Palihapitiya isn’t a fan of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; why the startup world is a “ponzi scheme”; what entrepreneurs need to ask prospective investors to avoid getting fleeced; the looming debt crisis; the five areas he would invest in now; and the current state of Social Capital. Thanks to Microsoft Azure for sponsoring this episode. Get started with a free account and 12 months of popular free services at Azure.com/trial today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/4/20191 hour, 9 minutes, 24 seconds
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Recode Decode: News Media Alliance CEO David Chavern

David Chavern, the president and CEO of the nonprofit News Media Alliance, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about advocating on behalf of journalists in Washington, D.C. In this episode: How Chavern got to the News Media Alliance; the unique challenges of representing the media business; the ripple effects of the declining print business; the impact of Google and Facebook; revenue sharing, algorithm changes and conspiracy theories online; the differences among how the platforms understand the media; how tech has sucked up all the ad revenue; “charity isn’t going to solve this problem”; why does Facebook get Section 230 protections?; potential antitrust action; Trump’s dangerous “fake news” rhetoric; is education and news literacy enough?; tech billionaires buying media companies; and why it’s harder to innovate on the business model for journalism than it is in other forms of media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/2/201951 minutes, 57 seconds
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Recode Decode: Lora Haddock

Lora DiCarlo CEO Lora Haddock talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the process of designing an innovative new sex toy for women — and the fight to get mainstream acceptance for her invention. In this episode: Why Haddock started Lora DiCarlo; how she designed its first product, Osé; how startups design and create new physical products; with advanced robotics, "what we're trying to elicit is a blended orgasm"; why Haddock is avoiding vibration; funding Osé's development; receiving a CES innovation award from the Consumer Technology Association; getting rejected by CES and losing the award; the ensuing back and forth with the CTA; what Lora DiCarlo did instead of being at the main show; "they couldn't have done us a bigger favor"; female CEOs in technology; why Haddock chose to leak the dispute; and what the CTA could do to make amends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/27/201944 minutes, 24 seconds
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Recode Decode: Rhizome artistic director Michael Connor

Michael Connor, the artistic director of the digital art community Rhizome, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the group's museum exhibit, "The Art Happens Here," and the future of art made on the internet. In this episode: How Rhizome was founded and how the museum exhibit came together; the unique challenges of preserving internet art; the earliest works of art in Rhizome's Internet Art Anthology; what does "net art" mean?; what tools do net artists use?; the impact and legacy of the Net Art Anthology; how net art reflects meme culture, emerging technologies and questions about identity; where is art going as new technologies emerge?; and the blurring line between art and non-art. Thanks to Microsoft Azure for sponsoring this episode. Get started with a free account and 12 months of popular free services at Azure.com/trial today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/25/201950 minutes, 48 seconds
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Recode Decode: Shoshana Zuboff

Harvard Business School professor emerita Shoshana Zuboff talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. In this episode: Zuboff's background and why she wrote the book; how the economy got digitized; maximizing shareholder value "scraped the life out of so many of our institutions and our businesses"; how surveillance capitalism was invented; why Zuboff uses the term "surveillance capitalism"; how tech companies are like magicians (and not in a good way); and what the hell do we do about this? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/20/201953 minutes, 27 seconds
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Recode Decode: IAC chairman Barry Diller

Barry Diller, the chairman of IAC and the Expedia Group, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the state of the tech and media industries, problematic people in power and why Diller is building a new public park in New York. In this episode: What does he do as chairman of those companies?; the future of dating apps; how Diller evaluates the travel industry and Airbnb; how did Diller anticipate how the internet would change media?; why Netflix is beating Amazon and will beat all other competitors; "Hollywood is now irrelevant"; techlash and criticizing Mark Zuckerberg; how Facebook and Google should be regulated; Amazon's power and Jeff Bezos' battle with the National Enquirer; how he has run the Washington Post; Rupert Murdoch and Marc Benioff; Diller is writing a book; President Trump is "thoroughly rotten" and "an accident of history"; Mike Bloomberg, Howard Schultz and billionaire backlash; saving the High Line in New York City; public spaces and civic responsibility; "we're building an island off the Hudson River." Click here to vote for Kara Swisher in the Shorty Awards! You can vote once per day between now and Thursday, February 21. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/18/20191 hour, 4 minutes, 42 seconds
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Recode Decode: Center for Democracy and Technology CEO Nuala O'Connor

Nuala O'Connor, the CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the group she leads is lobbying the government and private companies on issues like consumer privacy and free speech. In this episode: O'Connor's background in big companies and the Department of Homeland Security; what the Center for Democracy and Technology does; the "Summer of Snowden"; why antitrust isn't a cure-all; speech and responsibility are the biggest issues facing the internet right now; why O'Connor says tech is engaged in a "holy war"; why she's optimistic about Capitol Hill; the reality of what the internet is vs. what we thought it would be; the big themes for tech reform in 2019; a lot of what we call "fake news" is actually government propaganda; can net neutrality be revived?; and online bullying and tech addiction, Click here to vote for Kara Swisher in the Shorty Awards! You can vote once per day between now and Thursday, February 21. Thanks to Microsoft Azure for sponsoring this episode. Get started with a free account and 12 months of popular free services at Azure.com/trial today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/13/201953 minutes, 24 seconds
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Recode Decode: "Zucked" author Roger McNamee

Elevation Partners founding partner Roger McNamee talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his new book, Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe. In this episode: Transitioning from tech optimist to critic; the 1990 crash and rebound; starting Silver Lake Partners; McNamee’s health crisis and struggles with office politics; “then Bono calls up”; meeting and mentoring the 22-year-old CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg; recruiting Sheryl Sandberg to be COO; the Beacon disaster and clashing with Sandberg; the suspicious early warning signs in 2016; speaking out against Facebook and the cost of becoming an activist; why McNamee wrote Zucked; trying to get around Google’s privacy invasions; the fundamental problems with Google and Facebook’s business model; tech companies that never think about consequences; how the limits on what data can be collected keep changing; and how can regular people help fix these problems? Click here to vote for Kara Swisher in the Shorty Awards! You can vote once per day between now and Thursday, February 21. Thanks to Microsoft Azure for sponsoring this episode. Get started with a free account and 12 months of popular free services at Azure.com/trial today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/11/20191 hour, 14 minutes, 52 seconds
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Recode Decode: “The Mastermind” author Evan Ratliff

Journalist and Pop-Up Magazine co-founder Evan Ratliff talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, The Mastermind: Drugs, Empire, Murder, Betrayal. In this episode: How Pop-Up got started; what happened when Ratliff tried to become anonymous for a month; starting the digital-first magazine The Atavist; how Paul Calder Le Roux went from programmer to prescription drug kingpin; the intersection of the international drug trade and tech; how Le Roux got into harder drugs, Somalian militias and selling missile technology to Iran; how he got caught; how Le Roux "embodied the entrepreneurial spirit" of a startup founder; "there's no viable drug operation that's not gonna be utilizing technology"; where is the (legal and illegal) drug trade going?; drug submarines; can modern drug cartels be stopped?; and why "there is clearly a market for an internet-driven cartel." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/6/201953 minutes, 2 seconds
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Recode Decode: Spencer Stuart executive recruiter James Citrin

James Citrin, the head of Spencer Stuart CEO Practice, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about placing top executives at companies like Yahoo, PayPal, eBay, Twitter, Cisco, Pandora and Hulu. In this episode: Citrin's background as an analyst, consultant and CD-ROM true believer; how he was recruited to Spencer Stuart and how he recruits executives for his clients; do tech companies need a technical CEO?; the evolving power dynamics of talent in Silicon Valley; the triple threat of capability, credibility and attractability; the rise of internal recruiting and succession planning; why leadership actually matters; what happens inside a company when there's a crisis threatening top leadership?; what about when the CEO is toxic?; what is Facebook's board doing right now?; the importance of not "selling" executive candidates to companies; and lessons for CEOs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/4/201958 minutes, 12 seconds
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Recode Decode: Early AOL exec Jean Case

Case Foundation CEO Jean Case, who was an early marketing and communications executive at AOL, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose." In this episode: Why Case never finished college; working at The Source and GE, and why she left GE for Quantum Computer Services, which became AOL; finding unlikely allies and pivoting the business; The Case Foundation and impact investing; Case's other role, chairing the National Geographic Society; why she wrote Be Fearless; taking risks, failing the right way and breaking out of your bubble; are women making progress against discrimination?; the power of urgency; startups are at a 30-year low; does Case still feel entrepreneurial?; what does she think of AOL now?; "be fearless" does not actually mean having no fear; and expanding opportunity for entrepreneurial people everywhere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/30/20191 hour, 1 minute, 1 second
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Recode Decode: "The Job" author Ellen Shell

Boston University professor Ellen Shell talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, The Job: Work and Its Future in a Time of Radical Change. In this episode: Shell's background in science and culture journalism; her earlier books, "The Hungry Gene" and "Cheap"; how writing about 1800s department store sales in "Cheap" led to writing "The Job"; what jobs will be automated and how we should prepare; how this transition compares to the Industrial Revolution; the ripple effects of one job being automated; the recent government shutdown; what does it even mean to be employed in the gig economy?; the "skills gap" myth and the opportunities of growing up rich; what should young people in the workforce do now?; will robots ever take all the jobs? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/28/201953 minutes, 48 seconds
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Recode Decode: Attorney Laura Wasser

Divorce attorney Laura Wasser talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about starting It's Over Easy, an online platform to help people who are getting divorced in New York and California. In this episode: Why Wasser launched It's Over Easy; the other services it provides besides legal help; why Wasser isn't afraid of losing her $850/hour clients; how she hopes to expand to more states this year; why some locations may require "doing an Uber"; why the legal world has been slow to embrace the internet; can lawyers and judges be completely replaced?; and advice for anyone getting divorced. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/26/201950 minutes, 52 seconds
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Recode Decode: Basecamp CEO Jason Fried

Basecamp CEO Jason Fried talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his most recent book, It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work, which he co-wrote with his business partner David Heinemeier Hansson. In this episode: How Basecamp got started; why chat apps like Slack and Basecamp's own Campfire are bad for productivity; the things that make work crazy, including access to coworkers' calendars, ASAP-response culture and codependent departments; why Basecamp does not set any goals internally other than "be profitable"; how Silicon Valley's "world domination mindset" stresses workers out; which tech exec would win in a fight?; the fakeness of fancy office perks; the problems with serial entrepreneurship, best practices and intentional sleep deprivation; "hacking anything is stupid"; why venture capital destroys more businesses than it helps; and how tech companies are trying to avoid becoming Philip Morris. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/23/20191 hour, 2 minutes, 6 seconds
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Recode Decode: Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford and Rep. Steve King

Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about running a modern dairy and food company, which is co-owned by thousands of farmers.  In this episode: What Land O’Lakes does other than butter; Ford's thoughts on being an openly gay female leader; the changing role of a modern CEO; why farmers are the “ultimate entrepreneurs”; agriculture technology, aka agritech; automation and big data in farming; the future of food; why Land O’Lakes withdrew its support for Congressman Steve King; and the political demands on modern CEOs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/21/201957 minutes, 56 seconds
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Recode Decode: EFF boss Cindy Cohn and McSweeney's editor Claire Boyle

Cindy Cohn, the executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Claire Boyle, the managing editor of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about a special nonfiction issue the two organizations teamed up to produce, "The End of Trust." In this episode: Why the EFF and McSweeney's decided to work together; have consumers given up on having privacy?; why "Facebook doesn't really have users or customers, they have hostages"; the current copyright battles in Europe; why the ability of AI to play chess says little about the usefulness of AI in general; surveillance that doesn't seem malevolent and the privilege of "I have nothing to hide"; China's "bonkers" social scoring system; the history of the internet and how things got screwed up; how to unscrew it; will Congress make a move on tech when the shutdown ends?; the importance of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/19/20191 hour, 2 minutes, 48 seconds
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Recode Decode: Glossier CEO Emily Weiss

In this live interview from the 92nd Street Y in New York City, Glossier founder and CEO Emily Weiss talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about running a "beauty company that's also a tech company." In this episode: How Glossier got started; the passionate fans of Glossier and Weiss; its Instagram strategy; its plans to make a social "utility" platform; why it's choosing to not grow as fast as possible; the pressures of being a leader and building a great team; could Amazon outmaneuver Glossier?; advice for entrepreneurs raising their seed rounds; and why you shouldn't make everyone at your company a VP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/16/20191 hour, 12 minutes, 36 seconds
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Recode Decode: CNN.com editor in chief Meredith Artley

CNN.com editor in chief Meredith Artley talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about overseeing some of the most popular news sites on the internet and how things may change in 2019. In this episode: Artley's background at the New York Times and International Herald Tribune; the "complete chaos" of working at the Los Angeles Times; what actually works in digital news?; How CNN has changed its approach to covering President Trump's tweets; its relationships with social media companies; what it's like working under Trump's "enemy of the people" attacks; the speed of news; and how to earn the public's trust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/14/201957 minutes, 7 seconds
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Recode Decode: 99designs CEO Patrick Llewellyn

99designs CEO Patrick Llewellyn talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about leading a design startup based in Australia. In this episode: How 99designs helps designers and their clients work together online; how it makes finding work easier for freelance designers; why design will never be completely done by computers; founding a startup in Australia; why 99designs sees itself as a "platform" and not just a marketplace; and where the company goes next. Plus, can places outsides Silicon Valley build entrepreneurial societies? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/12/201944 minutes, 2 seconds
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Recode Decode: DoorDash CEO Tony Xu and COO Christopher Payne

Tony Xu, the CEO and co-founder of DoorDash, and Christopher Payne, the COO, talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the delivery company's busy 2018 and why it's starting to think about delivering more than food. In this episode: (01:41) Where DoorDash is now and the delivery business; (05:25) Is Amazon a competitor?; (08:07) Xu and Payne's backgrounds; (11:32) Why DoorDash succeeded where Webvan failed; (15:10) Working with big restaurants and why they don't do it themselves; (21:03) How DoorDash makes money; (25:53) The gig economy and the future of work; (30:48) Where the business could go beyond food delivery; (34:09) Why Xu started DoorDash; (36:08) The current startup environment and the image of tech; (39:31) What does it take to be an entrepreneur now?; (43:05) Raising money from SoftBank's Vision Fund; (44:55) The future of DoorDash and the future of retail stores; (50:51) Trends in shopping and the delivery business Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/9/201956 minutes, 54 seconds
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Recode Decode: Serial Box CEO Molly Barton

Molly Barton, the CEO and co-founder of serialized reading app Serial Box, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about trying to make a Netflix-style digital platform for books. In this episode: (01:19) Barton's background and the early days of e-books; (06:45) Looking for digital innovation in publishing; (12:38) Combining e-books with audiobooks; (15:48) Why Barton started Serial Box; (20:13) How it works; (26:42) The business side and fundraising; (29:52) How the traditional publishing industry has reacted and what sort of books perform best; (33:52) Copyright and contract writers; (37:07) How well does a successful Serial Box book do?; (40:01) Where does reading go from here? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/7/201944 minutes, 29 seconds
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Recode Decode: Keith Rabois

Khosla Ventures partner Keith Rabois talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the current startup and venture capital landscape, the Trump administration and more. In this episode: (01:18) Rabois's background; (04:28) Becoming a venture capitalist and how Khosla Ventures invests; (09:37) The startup and venture capital landscape; (15:06) Why startup fundraising was unusually hectic in December; (19:15) Investing in healthcare, aerospace and autonomous driving; (26:56) Artificial intelligence; (29:02) Ethical issues in advertising and at Facebook; (36:40) Political advertising and Russian media manipulation; (40:40) The prospect of regulation; (46:32) Saudi Arabia and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi; (50:04) Contrarianism and book recommendations; (53:45) Being conservative and Rabois' friend Peter Thiel; (58:07) What happens to the Trump administration next?; (1:02:16) Who could run against Trump and win?; (1:04:47) Rabois's real estate company Opendoor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/5/20191 hour, 11 minutes, 40 seconds
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Recode Decode: Why Weight Watchers is now WW

WW International CEO Mindy Grossman talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how her company, formerly known as Weight Watchers, has transitioned into modern "wellness" culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/2/201946 minutes, 19 seconds
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Recode Decode: The ups and downs of Reddit's history

Inc. magazine senior writer Christine Lagorio-Chafkin talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "We Are the Nerds: The Birth and Tumultuous Life of Reddit, the Internet's Culture Laboratory." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/31/201846 minutes, 24 seconds
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Recode Decode: How Imgur avoids the ugliness of social media

Imgur CEO Alan Schaaf talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about starting the image-sharing site and moderating its content. In this episode: (00:59) Schaaf's background; (03:18) Launching Imgur; (07:56) Imgur's early business plan; (15:34) Where online images are going (and how to pronounce "gif"); (21:37) Famous memes and how entertainment is changing; (30:19) The ugliness of social media; (38:09) Why other social platforms don't moderate their content like Imgur does Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/26/201850 minutes, 53 seconds
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Recode Decode: What's next for Amazon's Alexa?

Bret Kinsella, the editor of the voice technology blog Voicebot.ai, talks with Recode’s Rani Molla about the future of virtual assistants like Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant. In this episode: (01:02) Kinsella’s background; (05:07) The history of voice tech; (11:19) How many people have smart speakers and what do they do with them?; (14:51) Music and podcasts on smart speakers; (16:51) Smart homes and voice; (20:51) Voice shopping; (24:40) Why brands are all in on voice; (28:04) Positioning products for voice searches; (31:33) Pay to play in search results; (34:11) Amazon’s microwave; (38:30) Other recently announced voice hardware; (43:18) Is this a privacy nightmare waiting to happen?; (45:48) Where will voice tech be in five years? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/24/201851 minutes, 49 seconds
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Recode Decode: Four magic words for entrepreneurs: ‘Do your fucking job.’

Scott Belsky, a venture partner at Benchmark and the chief product officer at Adobe, talks with Recode's Teddy Schleifer about his book, "The Messy Middle: Finding Your Way Through the Hardest and Most Crucial Part of Any Bold Venture." In this episode: (02:32) Why Belsky came to California and started Behance; (07:14) Bootstrapping, taking investment and selling the company; (10:44) Leaving Adobe to join Benchmark; (14:53) Returning to Adobe; (18:36) Belsky's new book; (21:20) The difference between starting a company and keeping it going; (26:05) Belsky's favorite lessons from the book; (30:37) How he became an early investor in Uber; (33:54) Pinterest and other investments; (38:56) What would Belsky change about the startup world? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/19/201845 minutes, 57 seconds
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Recode Decode: Why salad chain Sweetgreen thinks like a tech company

Jonathan Neman, the co-founder of fast food salad chain Sweetgreen, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the company's techie side and the future of restaurants. In this episode: (01:26) How Sweetgreen got started; (04:14) Starting up in Washington, D.C.; (07:28) Why Sweetgreen sees itself as a "food platform"; (10:58) The challenges of food; (18:01) Sweetgreen's competitors and how it sources ingredients; (23:05) Online ordering; (27:21) Delivery and why other restaurants are giving up too much control; (30:12) Customer service vs. logistics; (34:05) "We wanted to make vegetables sexy"; (37:25) Tech companies getting into food; (40:17) Going international and to new cities in the U.S.; (41:29) Challenges and mistakes; (46:08) How Sweetgreen is using the blockchain; (49:07) The future of food and of Sweetgreen Notes from our sponsors:LEGO: In today's show you heard advertising content from The LEGO Store. With LEGO, every gift has a story. Start your story today at https://LEGO.build/Recode-Ship Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/17/201855 minutes, 28 seconds
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Recode Decode: How Peter Jackson’s team made WWI footage look new

Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson talks about his new film, a World War I documentary with sound and color called "They Shall Not Grow Old." In this episode: (00:37) Why he made the documentary; (06:21) The technology of WWI filmmaking; (08:33) Jackson's studios in New Zealand; (11:30) Does Jackson consider himself to be a technical person?; (14:39) The colorization of the old footage and addition of audio; (19:22) How the colors of the film were picked; (26:30) Machines, blood and feet; (32:09) The sound design; (37:28) What Jackson wants to achieve with "They Shall Not Grow Old"; (40:01) Where storytelling and filmmaking technology is going Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/15/201849 minutes, 12 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ezra Klein and Kara Swisher on the future of journalism

Vox.com founder and editor-at-large Ezra Klein talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the press, social media and President Trump in this live interview recorded in San Francisco. In this episode: (03:22) Why Ezra moved to DC; (07:22) Klein’s background and the “incestuous” Twitter culture of political journalists; (11:38) Media culture in the Trump era; (13:15) How DC has changed and “docile” journalists; (21:55) Ezra’s thesis about tech, media and Trump; (27:06) Media manipulation and the speed of journalism; (36:47) Ezra and Kara’s podcasts and how they report stories; (43:20) Social media and the decline of scoops; (49:22) Hot takes and the overabundance of political opinions; (58:57) The process of the news vs. the product and the future of local news; (1:05:06) Young journalists “training up” from the statehouse; (1:08:43) Bias in media, false equivalency and letting Trump control the story; (1:12:22) How journalists decide newsworthiness; (1:16:33) The pressure to cover trashy stories; (1:19:21) What is the purpose of political journalists now?; (1:22:39) Why Kara doesn’t care what people think of her; (1:24:12) Donald Trump’s tweets and the future of politics; (1:29:54) Ezra’s favorite journalism business model Notes from our sponsors:LEGO: In today's show you heard advertising content from The LEGO Store. With LEGO, every gift has a story. Start your story today at https://LEGO.build/Recode-Pop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/12/20181 hour, 34 minutes, 49 seconds
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Recode Decode: Why it's OK to be analog in a digital world

Framebridge CEO Susan Tynan talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about starting and running the online framing startup. In this episode: (00:56) Tynan's background at the White House and LivingSocial; (03:53) What happened to LivingSocial; (06:53) Why Tynan started Framebridge; (10:19) The fundraising process; (15:27) Running Framebridge; (21:49) The challenges of being a leader; (25:58) Being a startup now in the era of Big Tech; (27:28) Amazon; (31:18) The move towards analog; (34:10) The weirdest things Framebridge has framed; (36:32) Digital frames and Instagram; (39:10) Finding talent outside Silicon Valley; (42:08) How Framebridge uses robots; (43:40) Meet your new neighbors, Amazon; (46:08) Mistakes and triumphs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/10/201850 minutes, 43 seconds
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Recode Decode: Should Mark Zuckerberg fire himself?

Sam Altman, the president of YCombinator and co-chairman of OpenAI, joins Recode's Kara Swisher for this live interview at Manny's in San Francisco, moderated by Manny Yekutiel. In this episode: (01:45) What did techies think was going to happen?; (06:35) Would the techlash have been the same if Hillary Clinton had won?; (10:31) Did tech develop too quickly?; (18:06) What would change if tech's leaders were more diverse?; (19:47) Why Swisher and Altman considered running for office; (25:38) What does fixing Facebook actually look like? (33:30) Where does the techlash go next?; (37:55) What can we do other than sit and wait?; (42:56) How to respond to accusations of sexual misconduct; (49:17) Race, cities and making tech companies more diverse; (55:38) Who owns your data?; (59:17) What happens when AI gets smarter than humans?; (1:04:12) Outrage and tech addiction; (1:12:39) Should investors expect less revenue from responsible tech companies?; (1:16:56) The crypto “scam” and privacy; (1:19:48) Final takeaways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/8/20181 hour, 29 minutes, 23 seconds
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Recode Decode: NBC's Chuck Todd, Andrea Mitchell and Hallie Jackson (Live)

In this live interview recorded in Washington, D.C., Recode's Kara Swisher talks with three NBC and MSNBC journalists — Chuck Todd, Andrea Mitchell and Hallie Jackson — about social media, politics in the Trump era and how the media is changing. In this episode: (04:57) The impact of social media; (09:19) What mistakes did TV media make in 2016?; (15:19) How covering politics has changed in the Trump era; (27:48) What NBC News and MSNBC are doing differently now; (34:13) Covering the 2020 presidential election; (46:10) The responsibility of (social) media companies; (56:06) Who's running in 2020?; (1:05:38) What's good about tech?; (1:09:56) The battle between the White House and Jim Acosta; (1:12:21) Getting back to a set of shared facts; (1:15:40) Would "accelerating" Trump's rhetoric undermine him?; (1:19:15) Is social media good for democracy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/5/20181 hour, 27 minutes, 31 seconds
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Recode Decode: Facebook and Google are “the enemies of independent thought”

The Atlantic national correspondent Franklin Foer talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his book, "World Without Mind: The Existential Threat of Big Tech," which recently came out in paperback. In this episode: (01:37) Foer's background at Slate and the New Republic; (06:12) Chris Hughes and Guy Vidra; (13:59) Resigning from the New Republic; (19:26) How Foer started thinking about tech monopolies; (23:06) Why is the book called "World Without Mind?"; (28:23) Why did it take so long for people to turn on tech?; (35:03) Solutions; (41:33) What happens next?; (50:00) Will Trump do anything to break up tech? Subscribe to Recode Media with Peter Kafka Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Overcast | Pocket Casts Subscribe to Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Overcast | Pocket Casts  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/3/201856 minutes, 59 seconds
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Recode Decode: Casey Newton and Louie Swisher

Recode's Kara Swisher talks with her older son, Louie Swisher, and the Silicon Valley editor of the Verge, Casey Newton. Thank you to all of our listeners for 300 episodes. Here's to 300 more! In this episode: (01:27) The mess at Facebook and blaming Sheryl Sandberg; (06:01) Why Louie is cutting back on Snapchat and why Instagram is a “museum”; (08:38) The return of the group chat and the future of Instagram; (16:42) New social networks and Vine 2.0; (21:52) TikTok, teens and Facebook’s Lasso; (25:04) The integrity of memes and Reddit; (28:29) Gab, Donald Trump and becoming desensitized to nastiness; (35:17) Twitter, Snap Maps and privacy; (42:18) What tech hardware do Louie and Casey rely on?; (47:52) “Spider-Man,” “Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey” and “Red Dead Redemption 2”; (51:21) The PS4 Pro and "Wii Sports Resort" (53:15) Kara reads quotes about death; (56:26) Predictions for 2019 in tech Subscribe to Recode Media with Peter Kafka Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Overcast | Pocket Casts Subscribe to Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Overcast | Pocket Casts Read The Interface by Casey Newton theverge.com/interface Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/1/20181 hour, 2 minutes, 47 seconds
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Recode Decode: Silicon Valley loves to break the rules. Is that a good thing?

University of Maryland professor and cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our Minds." In this episode: (01:14) How Gelfand became a cultural psychologist; (03:12) Why some countries have more rules than others; (08:35) Are techies rule breakers?; (13:28) What changes as successful companies get bigger?; (18:38) Why didn't anyone think about the psychological impact of the internet?; (23:18) Is there really a "Goldilocks" solution to rule culture?; (28:39) Are we entering an era of rule making?; (32:03) Can people find common ground on the internet?; (34:46) What should tech leaders be thinking about?; (39:53) What they should do now Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/28/201847 minutes, 3 seconds
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Recode Decode: How disinformation poisoned a ‘Facebook nation’

Rappler co-founder Maria Ressa talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about doing investigative journalism in the Philippines, where social media has emboldened an autocratic president. In this episode: (01:20) Ressa's background and the People Power Movement; (05:49) How she became a TV journalist on CNN and ABS-CBN; (10:35) Leaving ABS-CBN for the internet; (15:18) Starting Rappler; (25:54) "The Philippines is the cautionary tale for the United States"; (30:55) Bots and Facebook's non-response; (42:36) The lawsuits against Rappler; (48:37) What Ressa wants Facebook to do; (50:42) Why she's going back to the Philippines Notes from our sponsors:LEGO: In today's show you heard advertising content from The LEGO Store. With LEGO, every gift has a story. Start your story today at https://LEGO.build/Recode-Ship Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/26/20181 hour, 2 minutes, 53 seconds
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Recode Decode: Undocumented immigrants are people, not political props

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his book, "Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen," and how the shift the cultural conversation about immigration. In this episode: (01:34) Vargas' background and why he became a journalist; (06:54) How he became an undocumented immigrant; (16:38) Class differences and telling the truth; (22:19) Did Vargas have any other options?; (27:09) Legality, politics and power; (32:42) Coming out as undocumented; (38:16) Storytelling and humanizing immigrants; (42:53) How social media factors in; (45:58) How Vargas defines "citizen"; (50:01) What he will do next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/24/20181 hour, 3 minutes, 18 seconds
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Recode Decode: After 20,000 workers walked out, Google said it got the message. The workers disagree.

Six of the organizers of the Nov. 1 Google walkouts — Erica Anderson, Claire Stapleton, Meredith Whittaker, Stephanie Parker, Cecelia O'Neil-Hart and Amr Gaber — talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the worldwide protests came together and why Google's response has been inadequate. In this episode: (02:20) How the protests started; (07:13) The divide between tech rhetoric and tech reality; (10:24) How the organizers formulated their demands; (14:05) The rights of contractors at Google; (22:04) Why Googlers were ready to walk out; (29:31) Google's response and the organizers' reactions; (42:13) The post-walkout town hall meeting; (46:50) The privileges of being a tech worker; (50:25) What needs to happen next; (1:02:41) Are the walkout organizers hopeful? Fan of the show? It helps to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/21/20181 hour, 9 minutes, 52 seconds
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Recode Decode: Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff talks with Recode's Kara Swisher on the latest episode of her MSNBC TV show, "Revolution." Fan of the show? It helps to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/19/201831 minutes, 45 seconds
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Recode Decode: Should the First Amendment apply to Facebook?

Jameel Jaffer, the executive director of Columbia University's Knight First Amendment Institute, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about free speech and censorship on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Fan of the show? It helps to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Notes from our sponsors:LEGO: In today's show, you heard advertising content from The LEGO Store. With LEGO, every gift has a story. Start your story today at LEGO.build/Recode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/19/201852 minutes, 18 seconds
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Recode Decode: Milk Bar CEO Christina Tosi

If you like Recode Decode, we think you'll also like Start to Sale. Here's the show's first episode: Christina Tosi is a superstar pastry chef, and she's also built one of the most iconic American pastry brands of this generation, Milk Bar. She talked to Erin and Natasha about her Series A round, learning how to be a great manager and staying true to her vision while achieving growth. Listen and subscribe to Start to Sale by Eater on Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts or RadioPublic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/17/201853 minutes, 56 seconds
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Recode Decode: Why nonprofits should think more like tech companies

Stanford lecturer Kathleen Kelly Janus talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her book, "Social Startup Success: How the Best Nonprofits Launch, Scale Up and Make a Difference." In this episode: (01:17) Janus's background and what social entrepreneurship is; (05:26) What works and what doesn't; (08:36) For-profits and nonprofits; (13:11) What nonprofits have to do to get ahead; (18:40) New forms of fundraising and leadership; (22:35) The power of storytelling; (29:13) Where philanthropy is going; (35:07) Examples of innovative philanthropy; (39:16) Explosions of fundraising online Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/14/201843 minutes, 40 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sally Yates

Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in front of a live audience at the AllRaise Summit in San Francisco. (Note: This interview was recorded before the midterms, on Nov. 1). In this episode: (03:15) What Yates has been doing since she was fired; (05:04) Why she came to the Justice Department in the first place; (09:04) Serving as Deputy Attorney General; (10:33) "The Mike Flynn stuff"; (15:52) The travel ban and being fired; (20:00) Why she stood up to the travel ban; (22:23) How she assesses the Justice Department from the outside; (27:59) Where will the Mueller investigation end?; (31:28) Why Yates isn't running for office; (34:27) #MeToo and women in power; (38:14) What inspires Yates; (41:54) Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation; (44:24) What regular people can do to support the rule of law; (46:38) How to beat Donald Trump in 2020; (49:25) Legal issues in tech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/12/201857 minutes, 8 seconds
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Recode Decode: RevUp CEO Steve Spinner

Former Democratic fundraiser Steve Spinner talks with Recode's Teddy Schleifer about his online fundraising startup, RevUp. In this episode: (01:17) Spinner's background; (04:04) How he got into campaign finance; (08:29) How fundraising worked in the past and how it works now; (18:30) Why Spinner launched RevUp; (21:16) What is RevUp?; (30:20) Its new $7.5 million in funding; (36:38) Spinner's remaining ties to the Democratic party; (39:55) How fundraising has changed over time; (46:32) In the Trump era, does fundraising even matter? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/10/201854 minutes, 4 seconds
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Recode Decode: The ‘bad ideas’ that broke American capitalism

Washington Post economics columnist Steven Pearlstein talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "Can American Capitalism Survive?: Why Greed Is Not Good, Opportunity Is Not Equal, and Fairness Won’t Make Us Poor." In this episode: (01:57) Why Pearlstein wrote the book; (7:02) "We're not doing as well as we think we are."; (8:46) Is tech different from the rest of the economy?; (12:26) CEO salaries; (17:11) The "natural monopolies" of tech and how to break up Amazon; (23:07) Income inequality and the myth of "equal opportunity"; (28:27) Universal Basic Income and the middle class; (34:10) Why unions broke and how to reintroduce them; (38:38) Government is not the solution; (42:19) Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, the corporate debt bubble and bitcoin; (46:37) The 2008 bank bailout, the estate tax, and California's tax system; (50:30) Immigration, socialism and the cost of college; (57:46) The environmental impact of economic growth, the rising deficit and Saudi money; (1:03:54) The power of shaming people on social media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/7/20181 hour, 14 minutes
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Recode Decode: Why the New York Times won’t sell itself to a billionaire

A.G. Sulzberger, the publisher of the New York Times, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in front of a live audience at a Columbia University event in New York City. In this episode: (03:05) 10 months in, how is Sulzberger doing?; (06:10) Meeting with Donald Trump and anti-media rhetoric; (12:08) Letting reporters' "voice" into the news; (19:24) Facebook and Google, the new "information monopolies"; (25:06) Can the NYT ever grow to their level?; (30:24) "The New York Times is not for sale." (35:16) The infamous 2016 "needle" and the future of the paper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/5/201842 minutes, 35 seconds
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Recode Decode: Elon Musk

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about Tesla's turbulent 2018, when SpaceX will send its first rocket to Mars, why he fights with journalists on Twitter and much more. In this episode: (01:49) Using Twitter without a filter; (04:50) Picking fights with the press; (07:59) The “excruciating” year of 2018; (10:54) Why does Musk push himself so hard?; (13:49) The toll on him and Tesla’s employees; (16:52) Self-inflicted wounds and sleep deprivation; (21:44) Tesla’s first profitable quarter in two years; (23:35) Self-driving cars; (25:38) Government regulation; (29:13) Tesla’s competitors; (33:30) Why Tesla is not going private after all; (36:31) The Tesla Semi, pickup truck and other new products; (45:10) SpaceX and dying on Mars; (49:48) Donald Trump’s Space Force and colonizing beyond Earth; (51:49) Going to Mars; (55:06) Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin and Amazon; (57:03) The Boring Company, dad jokes and drilling technology; (1:05:55) Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi investors and techlash; (1:11:05) How is Musk feeling about the future?; (1:15:38) If he got one redo on something from 2018, what would he redo?; (1:16:43) Why Tesla won't make a scooter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/2/20181 hour, 20 minutes
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Recode Decode: 'Good and Mad' author Rebecca Traister

New York Magazine writer Rebecca Traister talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger." In this episode: (01:37) Traister's background; (07:34) Her goal when she became a feminist journalist; (11:54) The state of women's anger post-2016; (17:26) Why is anger having a moment now?; (20:20) "I had no idea how common this was!"; (26:36) Rosa Parks, Abigail Adams and other angry women; (31:18) Anger, power and violence in the 2010s; (36:19) One year after #MeToo, will people keep going?; (42:14) Women who are angry in defense of the patriarchy; (46:36) "I don't see any of this ending in our lifetimes."; (49:45) What has to change right now?; (54:38) "I have to be hopeful" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/31/20181 hour, 3 minutes, 40 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'The Fixer' author Bradley Tusk

Tusk Ventures CEO Bradley Tusk returns to Recode Decode to talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "The Fixer: My Adventures Saving Startups from Death by Politics." In this episode: (01:40) How Tusk Ventures works; (06:01) Writing "The Fixer"; (08:12) Have tech people gotten smarter about politics?; (13:40) The most important takeaway from the book; (19:49) Local politics and Bird; (25:05) Lemonde and FanDuel; (29:42) Eaze and recreational marijuana legalization; (32:57) Integrating tech into cities; (39:43) Predictions for the midterms and California's independence; (42:27) Techlash against Facebook and Google; (48:01) Amazon and antitrust; (49:53) Mobile voting on blockchain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/29/201857 minutes, 34 seconds
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Recode Decode: Hillary Clinton

Former U.S. Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in front of a live audience at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. In this episode: (3:56) The pipe bombs mailed to prominent Democrats; (10:42) The 2018 midterms and not fearing the future; (13:26) What will happen if the Democrats lose again?; (17:28) Russian meddling and “what happened” in 2016; (23:56) The culpability of social media companies; (28:13) What Facebook and the Obama administration knew during the election; (32:49) If the Democrats win, should they impeach Trump?; (35:11) Will Clinton run again in 2020?; (38:36) Elizabeth Warren, Michael Bloomberg, Kamala Harris and Oprah; (43:15) Why people tell women to stop talking; (48:43) Monica Lewinsky and abuses of power; (52:20) The #MeToo movement and Christine Blasey-Ford; (56:55) The murder of Jamal Khashoggi and Donald Trump’s admiration of dictators; (1:02:28) What women want men to know; (1:05:50) Democrats, “political correctness” and civility; (1:09:57) Artificial intelligence and data privacy; (1:13:35) Where do women go from here? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/27/20181 hour, 18 minutes, 49 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'Positive Populism' author Steve Hilton

Former Crowdpac CEO Steve Hilton talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his latest book, "Positive Populism," and his Fox News show, "The Next Revolution." In this episode: (01:57) Hilton's background and why he left Crowdpac; (09:45) Starting "The Next Revolution"; (15:04) Defining positive populism; (21:34) The history of populism; (25:50) Why Trump's populism is barely in the book; (28:38) Policies for workers; (35:46) Policies for families; (41:20) Policies for communities; (46:00) Tech regulation, monopolies and tech addiction; (54:29) What will happen to Trump populism in the future? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/24/20181 hour, 2 minutes, 12 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'Will & Grace' co-star Sean Hayes

Actor and producer Sean Hayes talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in this live interview recorded at the Boomtown Brewery in Los Angeles. In this episode: (02:38) Hayes' background in music and dinner theater; (10:22) Moving to Los Angeles and doing commercials; (13:04) Acting on "Will & Grace"; (17:24) Ending the show and becoming a producer; (25:15) How the internet has changed producing; (33:05) The return of "Will & Grace"; (40:47) What will happen to the characters on "Will & Grace?"; (42:43) How the show has become more political; (44:02) Using social media for work and fun; (49:00) Being married, "Halloween" and documentaries; (54:16) Investing in technology and the impact of internet companies; (56:56) Barriers faced by gay people and the midterms; (1:02:32) Changing revenue models; (1:05:00) How Hayes decides what to produce and being "just Jack"; (1:07:32) Where he'll be in 10 years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/22/20181 hour, 12 minutes, 7 seconds
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Recode Decode: 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki

23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in this live interview recorded at the Rock Health Summit in San Francisco. In this episode: (01:30) Elizabeth Warren's heritage and disputed science; (08:10) 23andMe's business and the FDA under Trump; (12:09) The impact of Theranos' implosion; (14:24) The challenges of the consumer market and health analysis; (18:40) Privacy, consent and safety; (24:57) Techlash and being "lumped in"; (29:59) Anti-aging technology; (32:23) Partnering with GSK, solving cold cases and ethics; (37:40) Insurance companies and what Wojcicki wished she knew at the start; (39:20) Diversity and going public Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/20/201846 minutes, 34 seconds
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Recode Decode: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti

Eric Garcetti, the twice-elected mayor of Los Angeles, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about politics in the city and California — and why he's thinking about running for President in 2020. In this episode: (01:35) Garcetti's background; (05:09) Why he ran for mayor; (07:10) The challenges faced by cities like Los Angeles; (09:21) Homelessness, housing and transportation; (13:47) Jobs, education and cities as the “laboratories of democracy”; (16:05) What Garcetti has done wrong; (19:02) California's privacy bill and its cultural identity; (24:19) Is California competing with China for the future of tech?; (26:23) The Boring Company, Uber Elevate and manufacturing jobs; (29:36) Techlash and "interpreters" between tech and government; (34:23) "Thinking hard" about running for president; (37:49) Why Garcetti would run; (40:12) "No sane person would run for president"; (42:50) How do you defeat Trump?; (45:40) The crisis in the Democratic Party and midterms predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/17/201851 minutes, 59 seconds
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Recode Decode: AnchorFree CEO David Gorodyansky

AnchorFree CEO David Gorodyansky talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the company's VPN app Hotspot Shield has led it to enter several other internet security concerns. In this episode: (01:52) What AnchorFree does and how it got started; (06:19) How the security industry has changed over time; (08:24) AnchorFree’s $300 million funding round and how it makes money; (16:09) What people shouldn’t be worried about online and what they should; (26:55) The problem with the internet of things; (31:08) The bigger picture of privacy and legislation (40:19) Where things are going next and what people should do Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/15/201847 minutes, 31 seconds
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Recode Decode: 2U CEO Chip Paucek

2U CEO Chip Paucek talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the future of online college education. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/13/201848 minutes, 47 seconds
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Pivot: Google's data breach, Facebook Portal and Taylor Swift

If you like Recode Decode, we think you'll also like our newest podcast, Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway. Here's the latest episode. If you like it, please search for and subscribe to Pivot on your podcasting app of choice. Kara and Scott discuss why the Google Plus hack matters, the new Facebook Portal and its plastic lenscap, and Kara's affection for Taylor Swift (even before Swift's Instagram post exhorting her fans to register to vote). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/12/201835 minutes, 27 seconds
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Recode Decode: Former Cisco CEO John Chambers

John Chambers, the former chairman and CEO of Cisco, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the future of startups and his book, "Connecting the Dots: Leadership Lessons in a Startup World." In this episode: (01:43) Chambers's 26 years at Cisco and 180 acquisitions; (05:28) Cisco's new leadership and his transition out; (07:57) "We think we’re the leader of innovation in America, we no longer are"; (17:58) The Republican party and uniting the country; (20:40) What the government can do to help startups; (26:18) Damage caused by tech; (28:48) China and India; (33:34) Why Chambers wrote the book; (39:25) Key leadership lessons: Vision, strategy and culture; (44:16) Creating jobs and common problems; (51:01) Entrepreneurship around the U.S. and internationally; (52:57) Immigration and diversity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/10/20181 hour, 1 minute, 53 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'Sorry to Bother You' director Boots Riley

Boots Riley, the writer and director of the satirical dark comedy film "Sorry to Bother You," talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and Shirin Ghaffary. In this episode: (01:55) Riley's background as a musician with The Coup; (06:35) When he started thinking about making movies; (09:35) Where did the idea for WorryFree come from?; (18:23) Hustling to get the movie made; (27:17) Getting theatrical distribution; (32:10) "Tourism" into black culture; (38:02) Why capitalists in tech like the movie; (43:02) The politicization of tech workers; (48:47) The positive and negative reactions to "Sorry to Bother You"; (56:15) Is social media different than traditional media for controversial opinions?; (1:01:56) Consuming vs. creating; (1:04:07) Riley's next project and TV vs. movies; (1:07:04) How culture is reacting to the political moment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/8/20181 hour, 14 minutes, 21 seconds
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Recode Decode: Rep. Ro Khanna

Congressman Ro Khanna returns to Recode Decode to talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about his proposal for an "internet bill of rights," which Kara discussed in her latest column for the New York Times.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/6/201855 minutes, 31 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'Winners Take All' author Anand Giridharadas

Author and journalist Anand Giridharadas talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his latest book, "Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World." In this episode: (02:07) Giridharadas' background; (03:38) His two previous books, "India Calling" and "The True American"; (11:56) How much of America lost the American dream; (19:58) The rhetoric of changing the world and "folk memory"; (27:29) How elites help, "only on their terms"; (31:28) There's not a tech solution to everything; (39:11) The difference between an engine and a crime scene; (45:38) Jeff Bezos's philanthropy and better ways of giving; (53:06) "Allow me to make the most enthusiastic endorsement of Donald Trump that I can make." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/3/201856 minutes, 46 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'Full Frontal' host Samantha Bee

Samantha Bee, the host of "Full Frontal" on TBS, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about doing TV comedy in 2018 and her new political trivia app, This is Not a Game: The Game. In this episode: (02:03) "The Daily Show" and "The Detour"; (03:25) "Full Frontal" and her perspective; (07:55) Is it comedy or commentary?; (09:45) The process of making "Full Frontal"; (12:45) This is Not a Game; (17:09) "Congratulations on the crash"; (21:24) The "feckless" controversy; (25:08) @realDonaldTrump and social media restraint; (27:08) "We actually are a part of the national conversation"; (30:02) What is off-limits in comedy?; (33:01) Christine Blasey Ford; (37:23) Where is entertainment going?; (40:48) The future of comedy and of "Full Frontal"; (44:35) Brett Kavanaugh and women running for office Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/1/201849 minutes, 42 seconds
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Recode Decode: Square CFO Sarah Friar and Instacart CEO Apoorva Mehta

In these highlights from our September 2018 Code Commerce event, Recode's Jason Del Rey talks with two great guests: (00:57) First, he speaks to Square CFO Sarah Friar; (35:02) then, Jason interviews Instacart CEO Apoorva Mehta. You can catch up on Code Commerce and watch all the interviews from the event for free on Recode's YouTube page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/29/20181 hour, 12 minutes, 24 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jawbone Health CEO Hosain Rahman

Jawbone co-founder Hosain Rahman talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the company's next act: A medical subscripton service called Jawbone Health that hopes to catch health problems early. In this episode: (01:46) Rahman's background in speech recognition; (04:53) The first Bluetooth Jawbone and the Jambox wireless speakers; (07:49) Releasing, refunding and relaunching the Up wearables; (11:33) "This is one of the big mistakes that we made as an organization"; (14:42) Trade secret theft and "trying to hold it together"; (20:43) Jawbone's fundraising and all-star board; (22:14) Where did the money go?; (28:04) Why didn't Jawbone sell itself?; (31:16) Management mistakes; (35:55) Positive and negative cycles in tech press; (38:05) Rahman's two biggest mistakes; (43:08) The end of Jawbone and launch of Jawbone Health; (51:52) The restructuring process; (53:01) Partnering with Salesforce, Color and others; (56:48) What does Rahman worry about and why does he get another chance?; (01:01:02) Can Silicon Valley be more mature? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/26/20181 hour, 2 minutes, 24 seconds
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Recode Decode: Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom in 2017

Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger are resigning from the company, six years after Facebook bought it for $1 billion. Recode reports that they had grown "increasingly frustrated and agitated with [Facebook CEO Mark] Zuckerberg and Facebook’s increased influence over the app." Here's a bonus episode of Recode Decode — Kara Swisher's interview with then-CEO Systrom from June 2017 — in which he talks at length about why he and Krieger did not leave soon after the acquisition. The episode's original summary is below... *** Instagram CEO and co-founder Kevin Systrom talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about why he's still working at Facebook five years after it bought his company for $1 billion. Systrom shares what he has learned from the executives there and why he insisted from day one that his new colleagues not call Instagram a "photo-sharing app" — which surprised Mark Zuckerberg. He also addresses allegations that Instagram has "copied" features from Snapchat, saying no tech product is completely original and that it's better for consumers if companies in the same space are constantly trying to one-up each other. Later in the show, Systrom explains why he feels personally responsible to make the internet a safer place, and what he's doing toward that goal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/25/20181 hour, 10 minutes
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Recode Decode: World Bank Group president Jim Yong Kim

Jim Yong Kim, the president of the World Bank Group, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how big data can prevent famines around the world and how to engage tech leaders in solving huge problems. In this episode: (01:46) Kim's background at WHO, at Dartmouth and as an enemy of the World Bank; (09:01) Job automation and the future of work; (13:19) Why African leaders can't copy their way to prosperity; (19:41) Working with LinkedIn and Airbnb, and the value of tourism; (24:57) Marc Benioff, Sal Khan and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid; (27:58) Zipline's blood delivery breakthrough; (29:45) Which countries are investing in human capital?; (37:32) The Famine Action Mechanism; (43:08) Can generosity undo the techlash?; and (46:27) Kim's wishlist for tech companies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/24/201855 minutes
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Recode Decode: The NYT's Maggie Haberman, HuffPost's Lydia Polgreen and actor Jane Lynch

In this bonus episode of Recode Decode, you get two interviews for the price of one, both conducted by Recode's Kara Swisher at the Lesbians Who Tech Summit in New York City. First, New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman and HuffPost editor in chief Lydia Polgreen talk about "Trump, technology and the future of news." In the second half of the show (28:02), actor Jane Lynch ("Glee," "Party Down") talks about the future of entertainment and technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/22/201859 minutes, 34 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'Swiped' director Nancy Jo Sales

Journalist and author Nancy Jo Sales talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new HBO documentary, "Swiped: Hooking Up in the Digital Age." In this episode:03:41 - How Sales started writing about teenage culture08:20 - The psychological impact of the internet10:38 - "What's Tinder?"12:31 - Cheerleading tech and platforms' responsibility19:25 - Why Sales made "Swiped"25:07 - The gamification of dating29:13 - Harassment and sexual assault37:13 - Can dating apps offer more than casual sex?40:11 - Technology addiction and the paradigm of convenience45:54 - VR sex and sex robots52:26 - Is there a positive side? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/19/201859 minutes, 5 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'AI Superpowers' author Kai-Fu Lee

Kai-Fu Lee, the CEO of Sinovation Ventures and former president of Google China, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order." In this episode:00:55 - Lee's background & Google China03:32 - Why he left Google05:41 - Why American companies struggled to compete in China09:46 - It's not all because of the government12:23 - Investing in artificial intelligence18:42 - What "AI Superpowers" means21:15 - Data and privacy in China vs. the West25:17 - Where AI is going next30:17 - How Lee thinks about American tech companies33:09 - The impact of AI on jobs40:10 - The political implications of those job changes43:30 - The responsibilities of tech creators and investors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/17/201850 minutes, 40 seconds
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Recode Decode: Nicole Wong, former deputy CTO of the United States

Former deputy CTO of the United States Nicole Wong talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about the future of tech policy and why content moderation is more complicated than many people think. In this episode:01:29 - How Wong became a First Amendment lawyer04:12 - Why she took a job at Google07:05 - "You can’t be the lawyer that says no all the time.”08:30 - Why she left Google09:34 - The White House phone call12:19 - Making the government more technologically literate14:42 - Post-government life17:48 - Congress, Sheryl Sandberg and Jack Dorsey21:26 - “You don’t create solutions in a hearing”26:33 - Is it time for a "slow food movement for the Internet?”31:01 - Algorithmic “bias” and the danger of blunt instruments34:46 - The social media “cleaners” in the Philippines41:22 - Techlash44:11 - China’s quicker road to tech dominance46:17- With no American CTO, who’s in charge?48:30 - Google and China 52:59 - Diversity in tech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/12/201858 minutes, 38 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'Big Game' author Mark Leibovich

Mark Leibovich, the chief national correspondent for The New York Times Magazine, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "Big Game: The NFL in Dangerous Times." In this episode:02:07 - Leibovich’s short stint as a tech reporter04:06 - “This Town” and burning bridges in Washington06:00 - How he got into writing about the NFL 07:58 - The goal of reporting and writing “Big Game”10:12 - The fault lines emerging in America’s football addiction11:58 - Football will survive in spite of the owners18:47 - Why these are “dangerous times” for the NFL19:52 - Donald Trump’s football dreams21:55 - “The kneeling thing”24:17 - The impact of Colin Kaepernick’s protests on the NFL27:22 - The other dangers to the league29:01 - Smarter helmets and cord-cutting37:18 - Robots playing football and other tech40:35 - Where does football go next?43:18 - Returning to politics and the “Trump swamp”45:51 - Working at the “failing New York Times” next to Maggie Haberman48:11 - Should we change the way we cover politics and sports?52:05 - Who does Leibovich love and hate in the NFL? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/10/201852 minutes, 41 seconds
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Recode Decode: Slack chief product officer April Underwood

April Underwood, the chief product officer at workplace collaboration platform Slack, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her career, diversity in Silicon Valley and the future of work. In this episode:02:06 - How Underwood got from Texas to tech05:36 - Moving to Oregon to work for Intel, and back to Texas07:09 - What does a product manager actually do?09:32 - Organizing content at Google11:01 - Why she left Google for Twitter15:50 - Why Slack is better than email20:02 - AOL at Work and the danger of outages24:15 - Slack’s growing valuation and staying independent27:55 - How Slack works and how it integrates with other services32:34 - Security and innovation35:43 - The biggest obstacles Slack faces40:45 - The features users are asking for the most45:45 - #Angels and “the gap table"49:55 - How does Slack fare on diversity?51:22 - Is Silicon Valley getting better at diversity and inclusion?53:13 - “Where we are now is the dark timeline"56:52 - What would Underwood do if she were running Twitter?58:43 - The future of work Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/5/20181 hour, 4 minutes, 9 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sleeping Giants founder Matt Rivitz

Matt Rivitz, the formerly anonymous founder of the popular Twitter account Sleeping Giants, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how he accidentally started an international campaign against advertising-supported bigotry online. In this episode:01:54 - “My white-hot hated for Steve Bannon”05:01 - The advertising angle and making @slpng_giants11:39 - Teaming up with Nandini Jammi14:58 - The "moment I think when we knew that we were on to something much bigger”18:43 - “It was never about politics”21:05 - Moving on to Bill O’Reilly and Fox24:52 - Why Sleeping Giants doesn’t boycott and doesn’t make demands27:49 - Laura Ingraham and Robert Mercer31:13 - Facebook, Google and the “free speech argument”39:47 - Where does Sleeping Giants go next?42:34 - "We’re all determined not to take any money for this.”45:47 - How Rivitz got unmasked49:50 - Going beyond Twitter and being the “conscience of social media" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/3/201853 minutes, 29 seconds
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Recode Decode: U.S. Justice Department antitrust lawyer Makan Delrahim

Makan Delrahim, the United States Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the government's attempt to stop the merger of AT&T and Time Warner and how he evaluates tech giants like Google and Facebook. In this episode:01:52 - Delrahim’s background in biotech and law06:28 - The importance of tech transfer09:17 - How he got into tech and antitrust law11:48 - The power of early tech titans14:35 - United States v. Microsoft Corp.19:08 - How Delrahim evaluates Silicon Valley’s power today23:43 - Robert Jackson and the history of antitrust25:57 - The AT&T-Time Warner case36:00 - What happens next with the government’s appeal37:39 - The optics of President Trump’s CNN hatred42:29 - Big telcos and net neutrality46:54 - Could Google have bought YouTube today?49:37 - Future tech M&A53:06 - International regulators and “antitrust laws as a weapon”57:30 - What could tech do that would get them in trouble? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/1/20181 hour, 1 minute, 57 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'Temp' author Louis Hyman

Louis Hyman, an economic historian and professor at Cornell University, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and Rani Molla about his new book, "Temp: How American Work, American Business, and the American Dream Became Temporary." In this episode:02:00 - Why Hyman wrote “Temp” and the history of work05:11 - The first temporary jobs07:44 - Silicon Valley has treated workers “miserably” for decades16:48 - What is the "gig economy” now?21:52 - Why Uber is both a “godsend" and a trickster26:47 - Job automation and human creativity31:20 - What are the jobs of the future?34:48 - Digital migrants37:07 - Robot caretakers39:05 - Universal Basic Income44:09 - How to make jobs of the future sustainable47:13 - How can tech help? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/29/201852 minutes, 59 seconds
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Recode Decode: Maker Faire founder Dale Dougherty and Make Magazine editor Mike Senese

Two of the godfathers of the maker movement — Maker Faire founder Dale Dougherty and Make Magazine editor in chief Mike Senese — talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the movement has gone mainstream over the past decade. In this episode:01:39 - How the maker movement started11:06 - Why make things when you don’t have to?12:42 - Why Make Magazine is a magazine17:57 - What’s trending among makers20:17 - 3-D printers and digital fabrication23:09 - AI and education 28:35 - Drones, more 3-D printers and robotics35:10 - America, China and cultures of innovation40:58 - Resisting Amazon42:47 - The reality show “Making It” and celebrity makers47:06 - Diversity in the maker movement49:19 - Favorite projects of the year Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/27/201854 minutes, 8 seconds
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Recode Decode: Haystack founder Semil Shah

Haystack founder and Lightspeed Ventures venture partner Semil Shah talks with Recode's Teddy Schleifer about breaking into the VC world and how the industry is changing. In this episode:03:45 - How Shah got involved with tech07:57 - How hard should it be to get a VC job?16:10 - Misconceptions about venture capital21:33 - What exactly is a “venture partner?”26:08 - How important is luck to being a good VC?31:32 - Being a lone wolf and breaking in36:07 - Doing deals outside Silicon Valley46:31 - SoftBank49:41 - Venture capital in 2038 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/25/201855 minutes, 42 seconds
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Recode Decode: Senator Ron Wyden

Ron Wyden, the senior U.S. Senator from Oregon, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about regulating the internet and protecting America's elections from both hackers and disinformation peddlers. In this episode:01:12 - The early days of the internet05:42 - Cambridge Analytica and election security10:34 - Social media during elections14:45 - Alex Jones and policing the internet19:34 - Regulating tech companies23:16 - Cybersecurity and tech leaders testifying27:50 - What happens if the Democrats win the House? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/22/201837 minutes, 4 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'High Growth Handbook' author Elad Gil

Startup advisor and Color Genomics co-founder Elad Gil talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "High Growth Handbook: Scaling Startups from 10 to 10,000 People." In this episode:00:03:30 - Why Gil stepped down as CEO of Color00:06:00 - Why he wrote "High Growth Handbook"00:09:52 - Is there too much reinvention in tech businesses?00:11:25 - Startup myths and Rachleff's Law00:17:20 - Contrarians are usually wrong!00:23:00 - How to build a board and evolve it as your company grows00:29:14 - The "old-timer" problem00:32:14 - The Sheryl Sandberg effect and when CEOs should step aside00:37:10 - Is innovation dying in Silicon Valley?00:41:05 - Are startups threatened more by the Big 5 or their own founders?00:43:59 - The dangers of Silicon Valley losing its optimism00:52:05 - San Francisco's bad governance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/20/201857 minutes, 2 seconds
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Recode Decode: Andrew Moore, dean of Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science

Andrew Moore, the dean of the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the future of tech education as fields like artificial intelligence and machine learning take center stage. Moore says he's "concerned" that anti-immigrant fervor will deter the next generation of great computer scientists from coming to America, although CMU has not yet seen an impact on its application numbers. He also talks about the often-forgotten importance of electrical and computer engineers, who will develop the sensors that make machine learning advance; how educational programs have been complicit in the lack of diversity in tech; and why he's personally pessimistic that self-driving cars, one of Carnegie Mellon's areas of expertise, will be ready by the early 2020s, as some have predicted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/18/201848 minutes, 34 seconds
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Recode Decode: Glassdoor CEO Robert Hohman

Robert Hohman, the co-founder and CEO of company-reviewing site Glassdoor, talks about how the company has evolved since its early days, when Hohman wanted to merge employer transparency with the gaming sensibilities of World of Warcraft. He explains why letting employees and ex-employees rate a company's CEO was so successful, and why Glassdoor nixed a planned feature to let them rate their direct managers. Hohman also talks about the rules the company put in place to moderate publicly-shared reviews, including what happens when an employee alleges that a manager has sexually harassed them. Plus: Why there's a strong correlation between employees who have a bad work/life balance and CEOs with high approval ratings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/15/201851 minutes, 48 seconds
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Recode Decode: Dr. Jen Gunter, OB/GYN

Jen Gunter, an OB/GYN and pain medicine physician, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how celebrity wellness brands have been overtaken by "medical conspiracy theories" and dangerous recommendations — for example, that bras cause breast cancer. After Gunter disputed that claim, made by a writer for Gwyneth Paltrow's company, Goop, it accused her of "being in the pocket of big lingerie." She also talks about the larger problems with finding reliable health information online and how regular people without medical degrees can be smarter skeptics of what their doctors say. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/13/201854 minutes, 42 seconds
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Recode Decode: Uber Eats boss Jason Droege

If you enjoy Recode Decode, we think you'd also like the Eater Upsell. Here's a recent episode of the show: Jason Droege, the man in charge of Uber Eats, talks with Eater's Dan Geneen about how the service started, how it interfaces with restaurants, and what he sees as the future of the brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/8/201847 minutes, 27 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sidecar co-founder Sunil Paul

Sidecar co-founder Sunil Paul talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his popular guest column for Recode, “The scooter wars will be a bloodbath, and Uber will win.” He elaborates on why that is and shares his thoughts about the broader transportation industry, including self-driving cars, bike-sharing and vertical lift and take-off vehicles like Larry Page’s Kitty Hawk “flying car.” Now primarily an investor, Paul also talks about why Sidecar couldn’t compete with Uber and Lyft — even though it created ride-hailing features that are now popular parts of their products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/6/201857 minutes, 36 seconds
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Recode Decode: Grab co-founder Hooi Ling Tan

Hooi Ling Tan, the co-founder of southeast Asian ride-hailing company Grab, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher at the 2018 Rise conference in Hong Kong. Tan says Grab is opening up a platform for more services beyond ride-hailing because it wants to address not just transportation needs, but every worry its customers may have, including groceries and payments. She also talks about how the company is working with 27 percent-shareholder Uber and its newest board member, Toyota, which in June invested $1 billion into Grab. Plus: Tan explains why the company doesn't have to worry about diversity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/1/201828 minutes, 7 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'General Magic' directors Sarah Kerruish and Matt Maude

Sarah Kerruish and Matt Maude talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about their new documentary, "General Magic," which tells the story of a pioneering tech startup that tried and failed to invent a smartphone in the 1990s. Swisher appears in the documentary, which posits that although few people know the name General Magic today, the company’s failure paved the way for the Silicon Valley we know today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/30/201847 minutes, 1 second
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Recode Decode: 'The Billionaire Raj' author James Crabtree

Journalist James Crabtree talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "The Billionaire Raj: A Journey Through India's New Gilded Age." Crabtree says India's development of a super-rich billionaire class has heightened the country's already-intense problem with inequality. He also talks about why its "fantastic entrepreneurial culture" has not been able to foster a Silicon Valley-esque tech hub and how he weighs the positive impact of technologies like the mobile phone against negatives such as the recent spate of lynchings that some have linked to Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/28/201846 minutes, 26 seconds
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Recode Decode: WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg

Matt Mullenweg, the co-founder of WordPress, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the blogging platform has evolved in the 13 years since it launched, powering a huge number of websites that included AllThingsD and an earlier version of Recode.net. Mullenweg also talks about WordPress' recent acquisition of a mobile journalism startup, the Atavist; how he manages 750 employees without an official corporate office; and why "every tech company should have an editorial team." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/25/201857 minutes, 29 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'Valley of Genius' author Adam Fisher

Writer Adam Fisher talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new oral history, 'Valley of Genius: The Uncensored History of Silicon Valley.' Fisher interviewed some of tech's biggest names for the book, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, but he discovered that "the most interesting, unfiltered, real stories" often came from people who were never in the spotlight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/23/201859 minutes, 27 seconds
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Recode Decode: Alibaba exec Joe Tsai (Live at Code 2018)

Joe Tsai, the executive vice chairman of Chinese commerce giant Alibaba, talks with Recode’s Jason Del Rey at the 2018 Code Conference. He says that Alibaba has not tried to do a big acquisition deal in the U.S., but is definitely looking to create strategic partnerships. Specifically, Tsai wants to encourage American companies to tap into the Chinese market, where there are hundreds of millions of internet consumers as potential customers. He also disputes some criticism lobbed by fellow Code Conference speaker Sen. Mark Warner, who had alleged that Chinese tech firms were too cozy with the country's communist government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/21/201831 minutes, 40 seconds
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Recode Decode: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about a litany of issues, including the Cambridge Analytica scandal and why Infowars and other conspiracy theorists, like Holocaust deniers, don't get kicked off Facebook. He says he believes over-regulating tech companies is dangerous because it could advantage Chinese firms that don’t share Americans’ commitment to freedom of expression. Zuckerberg also talks about how he thinks VR and AR will change the future of work, explains why his 2017 tour of the U.S. was not a political campaign and says that if anyone should be fired for Facebook's recent privacy stumbles, "It should be me." However, he declines to fire himself, instead committing to an audit of all the other companies like Cambridge Analytica that had access to the most user data. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/18/20181 hour, 22 minutes
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Recode Decode: How social media bots could tank your stock price

Zignal Labs CEO Josh Ginsberg talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about the “massive amounts of bot activity” that his media intelligence company has started detecting on social media. In everything from political elections to the debates over Roseanne Barr and Samantha Bee’s controversial statements, bots are insinuating themselves into the discourse, and provoking humans into being more outraged. Sometimes the goal is just to sow discord, Ginsberg says, but other times there are clear financial incentives to targeting certain companies. He talks about what businesses and regular people can do to better gird themselves against these bot attacks and predicts how a technology called “deepfakes” could make the problem worse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/16/201848 minutes, 36 seconds
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Recode Decode: Tinder parent company Match Group prepares for battle with Facebook

Mandy Ginsberg, the CEO of Match Group, talks with Recode's Kurt Wagner about how her company became dominant in online dating — it owns sites and apps like Match.com, Tinder and OKCupid — and how it's dealing with competitors like Bumble and Facebook. Ginsberg says she still admires and respects Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe, even as the two companies have traded lawsuits and barbed words in the press. And while she knows it would be foolish to write off Facebook as a competitor, she argues that younger consumers, at least, don't want Mark Zuckerberg & co. meddling in their dating lives. Ginsberg also addresses one of the most common questions she gets: Do dating app companies have an incentive to keep customers longer by keeping them single? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/14/201854 minutes, 17 seconds
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Recode Decode: Why do some in the tech community support universal basic income?

Journalist Annie Lowrey talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "Give People Money: How a Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World." Lowrey says there's ample evidence from countries like India, Brazil and Mexico that giving a small amount of cash directly to poor people can make their lives better without discouraging them from getting a job. She explains that some early experiments in the U.S., including one being run by startup incubator Y Combinator, are motivated by a fear that artificial intelligence and other new technologies will make the world better — at the expense of everyone's happiness and job stability. Lowrey explains why a national universal basic income is unlikely to happen anytime soon in America, and why rich people are usually wrong when they claim they get no assistance from the government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/11/201851 minutes, 42 seconds
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Recode Decode: Craigslist founder Craig Newmark

Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his foundation's recent donation of $20 million to the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. Newmark says the school is advancing good journalism by providing opportunities to people who might not otherwise get them. He also talks about his other philanthropic work, helping veterans and women in tech as well as working with voting rights organizations, calling the 2018 midterms "critical for American democracy." Plus: Why Newmark is optimistic about the future of media in the age of Facebook and Twitter, how Craigslist evolved from an email list into the powerhouse it is today and why he's not interested in selling it or going public. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/9/201851 minutes, 43 seconds
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Recode Decode: Box CEO Aaron Levie

Aaron Levie, the CEO of enterprise security and file-sharing service Box, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how businesses are simultaneously turning to multiple vendors — including Box and its competitors — to solve workplace IT problems that used to all happen in-house. He also talks about shifting public attitudes toward the tech industry; why it's harder to regulate Silicon Valley than it might seem at first blush; and why the next big opportunities in tech won't look like Facebook or Uber, but rather will grow more slowly into fields like healthcare, education and manufacturing. Plus: What is the tech industry's responsibility to help the people whose jobs may be displaced by its inventions? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/7/20181 hour, 4 minutes, 30 seconds
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Recode Decode: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky (Live at Code 2018)

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher and Dan Frommer at the 2018 Code Conference. Chesky talks about Airbnb’s expansion into “the experience economy," encouraging local hosts to help visitors find fun activities in their area. He also discusses how the company thinks about expanding internationally and how it’s dealing with regulatory challenges in cities like San Francisco and New York. Plus: How much responsibility should Airbnb take for what its customers do in their properties? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/4/201840 minutes, 25 seconds
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Recode Decode: Matt Cutts

Matt Cutts, the acting administrator of the U.S. Digital Service, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about how his team is trying to modernize government agencies and make services like Medicare and veterans’ benefits more user-friendly. Cutts spent nearly 17 years working at Google before he joined the USDS under President Obama, but says that the organization’s mission has not changed under President Trump, and its work has remained nonpartisan. He explains how even simple technological tweaks — like a progress bar or web forms — can make a huge difference for the beneficiaries of the USDS’s work, and shares his pitch for an ambitious goal that would make everyone’s life easier: “Get rid of the paper.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/2/201848 minutes, 21 seconds
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Recode Decode: Psychologist Adam Grant

Psychologist Adam Grant, the author of “Originals” and “Give and Take” and co-author with Sheryl Sandberg of “Option B,” talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about how to work smarter and more successfully with your colleagues. Grant says companies that think they have unique corporate cultures are generally wrong: Everyone wants safety, fairness, respect and control. He also explains how hiring for “culture fit” can hurt companies in the long run, why he hates the phrase “don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions” and why the best _and_ worst performers on a team are people he’d call “givers.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/30/201849 minutes, 1 second
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Recode Decode: How Nat Geo uses Instagram to stay relevant

National Geographic executives Courteney Monroe, Rachel Webber and Susan Goldberg talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the 130-year-old media company is staying relevant in the digital age. Monroe oversees its global network of TV channels, Webber leads the digital team and Goldberg edits the magazine, but they say all their teams work together on big stories from Day One, figuring out how to make them "work" across all different media. The most important digital channel for Nat Geo is Instagram, where its nearly 89 million followers make it the largest non-celebrity account; Webber talks about why it's been so successful there and how it's working to make sure that female photographers get represented more fairly in its posts. The trio also talk about the bigger challenges of media competition in 2018 and how unusual it is that eight of their company's top 11 executives are female. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/27/201855 minutes, 28 seconds
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Recode Decode: How Silicon Valley is responding to the immigration crisis

Charlotte and Dave Willner, creators of the hugely successful Facebook fundraising campaign called “Reunite an immigrant parent with their child,” talk with Recode’s Kara Swisher about how they raised more than $20 million in one week for RAICES, a legal services nonprofit in Texas. Although the Willners originally set out to raise only $1,500, they say RAICES can and will use all the money it can get as it grapples with the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy that separated immigrant children from their parents. Later in the show, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky (who is Dave Willner’s boss) joins Swisher in studio to talk about the factors that tech executives must weigh if they want to be involved in political issues. Chesky first took a stand after the Muslim travel ban in early 2017, but speaking out about the immigration crisis was easier because, “I’m already on the wrong side of the White House.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/25/201856 minutes, 23 seconds
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Recode Decode: Microsoft President Brad Smith (Live at Code 2018)

Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher at the 2018 Code Conference. Smith reflects on what Microsoft learned from losing the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit in 2001, which broke the company up. He explains what tech companies that are in the crosshairs today should be thinking about their responsibility to the public. He also talks about how Microsoft has become politically active in the Trump era, particularly around immigration. He predicts a “tough summer” ahead if no compromise can be reached on the Obama-era immigration policy DACA. Plus: How Microsoft thinks about artificial intelligence, the Facebook hearings and diversity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/23/201838 minutes, 54 seconds
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Recode Decode: Tom Peters, management expert and author of ‘The Excellence Dividend’

Author and management expert Tom Peters talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his new book, “The Excellence Dividend: Meeting the Tech Tide with Work That Wows and Jobs That Last.” Peters says artificial intelligence may have profound effects on the workforce, but workers who commit themselves to daily reeducation will “flourish” amid the turbulence. He also argues that Silicon Valley has become a “moral cesspool,” as leaders like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg dodge tough questions and shirk responsibility when their platforms are misused. Plus: Why companies with mixed-gender boards “wildly outperform” their competitors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/20/201853 minutes, 26 seconds
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Recode Decode: Michael Barbaro, host of the New York Times podcast The Daily (Live)

Michael Barbaro, who hosts the hit podcast The Daily for the New York Times, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in front of a live audience at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Barbaro explains why he fell in love with newspapers at a young age, how he got into journalism and how he transitioned from being a political reporter to a self-described audio "geek." He discusses what happens behind the scenes every day at the show and why, in the edited interviews, he sometimes can be heard taking long ... pauses. Plus: How The Daily staff decides what goes on the air, why Barbaro doesn't read the ads on his show and why he's not interested in talking about Donald Trump's tweets on the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/18/20181 hour, 9 minutes, 49 seconds
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Recode Decode: Stitch Fix CEO Katrina Lake (Live at Code 2018)

Katrina Lake, the CEO of apparel delivery company Stitch Fix, talks with Recode’s Jason Del Rey at the 2018 Code Conference. Lake explains why Stitch Fix went public in 2017 even though it was healthy and profitable and what she has learned from the experience, as well as how much the company differentiates itself from commerce behemoth Amazon. Plus: Why Stitch Fix is introducing an annual “styling pass” rather than charging a $20 fee with every box of clothes it sends to its customers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/16/201831 minutes, 42 seconds
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Recode Decode: Linda McMahon, U.S. Small Business Administrator (Live at Code 2018)

Linda McMahon, the former pro wrestling executive who now leads the Trump administration’s Small Business Administration, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher at the 2018 Code Conference. McMahon explains how the nonpartisan SBA is reckoning with today’s charged and divisive politics, arguing that policy successes will heal those wounds. She also talks about how her administration is working to help small businesses thrive in an era of tech disruption and what responsibility the tech companies have to invest around the country. Plus: What the largely liberal Silicon Valley doesn’t understand about President Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/13/201841 minutes, 45 seconds
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Recode Decode: U.S. Senator Mark Warner (Live at Code 2018)

Mark Warner, the senior United States Senator from Virginia, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher and Peter Kafka at the 2018 Code Conference. Warner talks about the competing Senate and House reports on Russia’s use of tech platforms to meddle in the 2016 U.S. election. He also talks about the broader challenge of cybersecurity for policymakers, what has to be done to secure the 2018 midterms and what would prompt his fellow Democrats in Congress to impeach President Trump. Plus: Does cybersecurity need to be publicly funded like the military? And should American tech companies be regulated more? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/11/201843 minutes, 17 seconds
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Recode Decode: How tech can fix its diversity problem: The Code 2018 panel

Recode’s Kara Swisher talks with three tech leaders about actual solutions for advancing diversity in the industry. Cowboy Ventures partner Aileen Lee, theBoardlist founder Sukhinder Singh Cassidy and former U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith talk about the factors that have historically held back women, people of color and other under-represented groups in tech, and what comes next after the reckoning of the #MeToo movement. The group debates how men can best help their female peers succeed and how companies can avoid falling into the trap of thinking that the solution is just to keep men and women apart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/9/201843 minutes, 18 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jessica Weisberg traces the history of advice in ‘Asking for a Friend’

Writer and audio producer Jessica Weisberg talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about her new book, “Asking for a Friend: Three Centuries of Advice on Life, Love, Money, and Other Burning Questions from a Nation Obsessed.” Starting in 1690s London, Weisberg examines how advice became a cultural force in America, and how professional advice-givers presaged the internet by creating the first platform for people to ask difficult questions anonymously. She discusses Ben Franklin’s “Poor Richard’s Almanack,” which made earnest advice more palatable through comedy; the bitter rivalry between twin sisters who both became advice columnists, using the pen names “Ann Landers” and “Dear Abby”; and how the once-strict views of parenting guru Benjamin Spock and other columnists mellowed over their long careers. Weisberg says Google and other internet forums are the new advice-givers for millions of people, and questions whether any one writer today could be as widely read and trusted as these predecessors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/6/201850 minutes, 13 seconds
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Recode Decode: Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi (Live at Code 2018)

Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of ride-hailing company Uber, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher at the 2018 Code Conference. Khosrowshahi says he didn’t expect to be offered the CEO job and turned it down, but is happy he accepted it in the end. He explains how he’s trying to rethink what Uber should be and how he works with founder and ex-CEO Travis Kalanick, who is still on the board of directors. Khosrowshahi also unpacks Uber’s plan to be the “Amazon of transportation” and what it’s doing with its self-driving car initiative in the aftermath of a fatal accident in Arizona. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/4/201839 minutes, 19 seconds
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Recode Decode: Snap CEO Evan Spiegel (Live at Code 2018)

Evan Spiegel, the co-founder and CEO of Snapchat maker Snap, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher at the 2018 Code Conference. Spiegel talks about why Snapchat underwent a controversial redesign, why it partially reversed that decision and what he learned from the backlash. He also discusses how he’s evolving as a CEO since Snap’s IPO in 2017, having learned that leading a public company “requires a bit more grit.” He also addresses the departure of a female engineer who accused the company of having a toxic male-driven culture, calling her objections a “wake-up call.” Plus: How Spiegel thinks about “traditional social media,” i.e. Facebook, lifting features from the Snapchat app, and why it will be “harder” to copy those features in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/2/201844 minutes, 32 seconds
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Recode Decode: How to save American jobs in the age of disruption

Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about "The Work Ahead," a new report, sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations, on the 21st century American workforce. Pritzker co-chaired the committee that developed the report along with fellow business leader John Engler. "The Work Ahead" recommends a nationwide re-evaluation of education, training and how to think about working alongside machines. Pritzker also talks about why President Trump can't run the country like a business and why her hometown of Chicago should be the site of Amazon's second headquarters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/30/20181 hour, 3 minutes, 37 seconds
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Recode Decode: General Michael Hayden on Donald Trump’s ‘assault on intelligence’

Retired U.S. Air Force General Michael Hayden talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his new book, “The Assault on Intelligence: American National Security in the Age of Lies.” Hayden, who directed the NSA under President Clinton and the CIA under President George W. Bush, says the “golden age of electronic surveillance” is ending, as both regular Americans and foreign enemies are getting smarter about digital encryption. But as the intelligence community changes its tactics, the Trump administration has embraced the “post-truth” societal trend that is emerging around the world. Hayden explains how he would attempt to give Trump the best advice, what he would recommend for America’s still-active spies, and why the president’s behavior is so befuddling. Plus: How to prevent leaks, and what Facebook can do to be part of the solution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/28/20181 hour, 2 minutes, 50 seconds
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Recode Decode: Congressman Ro Khanna

U.S. Representative Ro Khanna, D-Calif., talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his proposal for an "internet bill of rights" to protect consumers' privacy, security and ability to move or delete their data. Khanna represents California's 17th district, which includes the headquarters of tech giants Apple and Google, and he says he's lobbying leaders like Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai to publicly endorse these new regulations. He argues that Silicon Valley needs to get out in front of privacy and related issues while it still has high approval ratings, embracing changes that won’t cost it much or threaten its businesses, rather than waiting for the tide of popular opinion to turn. Khanna also talks about Congress' failure to ask the right questions of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg when he testified about the Cambridge Analytica scandal and why the E.U.'s new tech regulation GDPR is overkill and shouldn't be replicated in the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/26/201855 minutes, 15 seconds
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Recode Decode: How to succeed in tech: Be lucky and ruthless

Author Corey Pein talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his new book, “Live Work Work Work Die: A Journey Into the Savage Heart of Silicon Valley.” Pein moved to San Francisco to report the book, assuming the role of an entrepreneur looking to get rich quick; he learned the hard way that success doesn’t come easy, even for white men with Ivy League degrees. He criticizes the way consumers have become unpaid workers for the big tech platforms and explains why the government needs to step in and limit companies that have become more powerful than many countries. Pein also talks about highly-paid engineers in San Francisco who are deeply unhappy, and why U.S. lawmakers are only now starting to look at Silicon Valley through a critical lens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/23/201852 minutes, 4 seconds
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Recode Decode: John Carreyrou

Wall Street Journal investigative reporter John Carreyrou talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup." Carreyrou explains how Stanford dropout Elizabeth Holmes' company raised nearly $1 billion for blood-testing products that sounded too good to be true — and they were. Holmes idolized former Apple CEO Steve Jobs and sought to make Theranos out to be the next great Silicon Valley success story, but most of her larger investors were not experienced in either technology or medicine, and people who did raise red flags were pushed aside. Carreyrou says "Bad Blood," which will be adapted into a movie starring Jennifer Lawrence as Holmes, is a "cautionary tale" about entrepreneurship, ambition and hubris, and predicts that the company's top executives will be indicted for the cover-up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/21/20181 hour, 6 minutes, 24 seconds
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Recode Media: Robin Williams biographer Dave Itzkoff

If you like Recode Decode, we think you'd also like Recode Media with Peter Kafka. Here's the latest episode of the show: New York Times reporter Dave Itzkoff talks with Recode's Peter Kafka about his new book, "Robin: The Definitive Biography of Robin Williams." Itzkoff traces the history of the manic comedian and actor, whose stardom spanned more than four decades in roles in TV shows, such as "Mork and Mindy," and movies, like "Good Will Hunting." After Williams' death by suicide in 2014, Itzkoff says fans and the media were led astray by incorrect or incomplete explanations for what happened, and that Williams' reasons for taking his own life were more complicated than many assumed. Itzkoff also talks about whether another movie star like Williams could emerge in today's Hollywood, his interactions with the comedian as a journalist and how much time he spends crafting jokes for his popular Twitter account @ditzkoff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/19/201850 minutes, 1 second
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Recode Decode: Michael Pollan

Journalist and author Michael Pollan talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his new book, “How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence.” Pollan, perhaps best known for his books about food, like “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” says the new book traces his learning process as he tried to understand why almost every human society has experimented with mind-altering substances. Silicon Valley is certainly no exception: Pollan says that tech pioneer Ampex was ground zero of the tech scene’s experimentation with LSD, starting in the 1950s; engineers discovered that dropping acid helped them design the first computer chips, and shared this finding with Doug Engelbart, who would go to invent the mouse, the graphical user interface and key components of the internet. Pollan also talks about the broader medical, political and social implications of using psychedelics, and how they might one day become legal and more socially acceptable in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/16/20181 hour, 3 minutes, 23 seconds
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Recode Decode: John Doerr

John Doerr, the chairman of the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and Teddy Schleifer about his new book, "Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs." Doerr credits two mentors, Andy Grove and Bill Campbell, with turning him on to that leadership strategy, which is short for Objectives and Key Results — or, in other words, communicating what you want to accomplish and how. Setting clear objectives and making them transparent to your entire company can help tech leaders succeed, but CEOs who don't commit or who build a cult of personality around themselves can put their businesses in jeopardy. Doerr also talks about the state of diversity in Silicon Valley, what he learned from the Ellen Pao trial and whether tech companies are taking privacy more seriously in the aftermath of the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/14/201859 minutes, 55 seconds
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Recode Decode: How 'Microtrends' affect everything, from marriage to Trump

Former political strategist and pollster Mark Penn talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "Microtrends Squared: The New Small Forces Driving the Big Disruptions Today." He describes it as a less optimistic sequel to his 2007 book "Microtrends," but it extends the idea that small changes in politics and the economy are having huge ripple effects around the world. Penn also talks about his past work, advising Microsoft during its antitrust law case and Hillary Clinton during her 2008 presidential run. And he offers some predictions for the 2018 midterm elections, explaining what Democrats could do now in order to reclaim the White House in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/12/20181 hour, 5 minutes, 47 seconds
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Recode Decode: Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario

Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about why her company is suing President Donald Trump, and why she is publicly insulting Silicon Valley executives, calling them “weenies” and “pathetic.” Marcario suggests that it’s unpatriotic for execs like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to remain silent on Russian meddling on its platform for so long after the 2016 U.S. election. She also calls out Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey for inaction on bots, and Google co-founder Larry Page for not putting his immense wealth toward fixing the web. Later in the podcast, Marcario explains why capitalism “needs to change and evolve”: Companies that obsess over quarterly results for Wall Street will “destroy the planet.” Plus: Should women try to change tech firms from within, or start their own companies? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/9/201848 minutes, 45 seconds
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Recode Decode: Nell Scovell, author, 'Just the Funny Parts'

Writer and comedian Nell Scovell talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "Just the Funny Parts," in front of a live audience in San Francisco. Scovell, who has written on TV shows like "The Simpsons," "Murphy Brown" and "Coach," also co-wrote the hit book "Lean In" with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and tried to adapt it into a movie. She says producers tried to rework the story to fit what they considered to be successful films about women, like "Pretty Woman" and "Bridesmaids." Scovell also offers her theory for why the MeToo movement arose when it did — after Donald Trump was elected president, women had nothing left to lose — and talks about the experience of writing jokes for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Mark Zuckerberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/7/20181 hour, 7 minutes, 26 seconds
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Recode Decode: José Andrés on feeding Puerto Rico and the 'power of food' (Live)

Celebrity chef José Andrés talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in front of a live audience at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas. Andrés explains how his food NGO, World Central Kitchen, deployed its chefs to disaster-struck areas like Houston and Puerto Rico after last year's hurricanes, opening dozens of kitchens and serving millions of meals. He criticizes President Trump and the members of Congress who neglected Puerto Rico, but praises one of World Central Kitchen's unlikely allies in distributing food after Hurricane Maria: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a.k.a. ICE. Andrés also talks about the failings of elected officials from both sides of the aisle to achieve immigration reform, the hypocrisy of people who believe food should only be "local and organic" and why he expects to one day be replaced by a robot chef. Plus: Why he loves artificial proteins like Impossible Foods' plant-based "beef" but hates the idea of "tofurky." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/5/20181 hour, 8 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ronan Farrow

Investigative journalist Ronan Farrow talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his new book, “War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence.” The book explores how the Trump administration is “laying waste to the State Department,” but argues that it’s not the first administration to do so — cutting diplomats is politically safer than cutting military spending, and Trump is just doing it at an “unprecedented new extreme.” Farrow also talks about his reporting on Harvey Weinstein, and the culture of silence around powerful perpetrators of sexual abuse, for which he shared in a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. Intent on keeping the spotlight on survivors rather than predators, Farrow nevertheless hints that there is more to tell about why he published his stories at The New Yorker, rather than his former employer NBC, where he started the Weinstein reporting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/2/20181 hour, 13 minutes, 34 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sally Kohn

CNN political commentator Sally Kohn talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity." Kohn's publicity tour for the book has been tangled up in allegations that she misquoted and misrepresented two of her sources, Ijeoma Oluo and Aminatou Sow, and she discusses how she's working to make things right. She also talks about how she became a TV commentator, why she chooses to engage with Fox News hosts like Sean Hannity and how her past life working as a left-wing activist overlaps with changing minds on broadcast media. Plus: Why Kohn, a gay woman, supports MSNBC anchor Joy Reid, who has been accused of writing homophobic blog posts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/30/20181 hour, 19 minutes, 44 seconds
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Recode Decode: New York Times tech columnist Farhad Manjoo explains the 'Frightful Five'

Farhad Manjoo, a technology columnist for the New York Times, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in front of a live audience at the University of California, Berkeley's journalism school. Manjoo explains why he refers to five of the world's largest tech companies as the "Frightful Five": Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Alphabet (which owns Google and YouTube). He diagnoses long-running issues at several of those companies, but argues that solving the problems they've created or at least enabled would necessitate giving them even more power. Plus: Why Twitter's toxicity problem may be beyond saving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/28/20181 hour, 6 minutes, 50 seconds
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Recode Decode: John Hennessy and Dave Patterson, winners, 2017 Turing Award

Alphabet chairman John Hennessy and Google distinguished engineer Dave Patterson talk with Recode’s Kara Swisher about winning the 2017 Turing Award, a prestigious achievement in computer science. In the 1980s, Hennessy and Patterson developed a revolutionary new type of computer processor called RISC, which allowed computers to run faster and more efficiently — a breakthrough that became especially important in the era of mobile devices and the internet of things. They talk about the intense pushback they received from the computing industry at the time and why we're now in a "new golden age of computer architecture," filled with difficult problems that businesses have thus far been unable to crack. The upshot: Another RISC-like revolution needs to happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/25/201853 minutes, 53 seconds
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Recode Decode: Joanna Coles, author, 'Love Rules'

Joanna Coles, the chief content officer at Hearst, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "Love Rules: How to Find a Real Relationship in a Digital World." Coles says dating apps can be a great tool for meeting new people, but they can encourage the wrong attitudes among their users: Seeing potential mates as interchangeable, wasting weeks to texting in the buildup to one conversation and fantasizing about whether a stranger is "the one." She also talks about the negative impact of online porn on women's satisfaction in heterosexual relationships and how to manage an ongoing relationship despite digital distractions. Plus: Why Coles joined the board of Snap, what she thinks of the future of magazines and what happens after #MeToo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/23/20181 hour, 7 minutes, 22 seconds
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Recode Decode: Mark Suster, managing partner, Upfront Ventures

Upfront Ventures Managing Partner Mark Suster talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about leading the oldest and largest venture capital firm in Los Angeles. He explains why he rejects the term “Silicon Beach,” preferring “LA Tech,” and what people miss when they think of Southern California as a less-techie place than Silicon Valley. Suster says the increasingly common overfunding of tech companies and overpaying of tech workers in the San Francisco area are discouraging innovation. He also discusses how the geography of entrepreneurship in SoCal is changing, why Upfront-backed smart doorbell maker Ring sold to Amazon, and what people get wrong about one of LA's sexiest tech companies, Snap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/18/20181 hour, 9 minutes, 32 seconds
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Recode Decode: BlackBerry CEO John Chen

BlackBerry CEO John Chen talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about how the once-pioneering mobile phone company has happily pivoted into a new business model, focusing on enterprise security and embedded technology for connected cars. Chen says “somebody should make” a new version of the BlackBerry Bold 9900, explaining that there’s still a sizable audience of professionals and government workers who want their phones to be ultra secure. He also discusses why he took the CEO job in 2013, why he just committed to another five years and how governments should direct their regulation of self-driving cars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/16/201853 minutes, 9 seconds
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Recode Decode: Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman: Silicon Valley has 'lost its purpose'

Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the phenomenon of techlash and why people are just now "waking up" to Silicon Valley's dark side. Stoppelman's company has feuded for years with its much larger rival Google, which Yelp says has unfairly weighted local search results to its own product. He says the Google of 2004 would laugh at how the company does business today, and praises the new regulations being brought against tech giants by the EU. However, Stoppelman suggests he's not optimistic about U.S. lawmakers taking similar action, even though scrutiny of the big companies seems to have united Democrats and Republicans for once. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/11/201854 minutes, 52 seconds
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Recode Decode: Hillary Clinton advisor and "Dear Madam President" author Jennifer Palmieri

Jennifer Palmieri, the communications director for Hillary Clinton's 2016 Presidential campaign, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "Dear Madam President: An Open Letter to the Women Who Will Run the World." Palmieri reflects on the obstacles — fair and unfair — that Clinton faced while running against now-President Trump and says part of the problem was that she held herself back, discounting the value of telling her own story to the American people. She also shares some advice for the woman who will one day be President of the United States and talks about how much has changed in the media and technology strategies of political campaigns in just two years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/9/20181 hour, 10 minutes, 49 seconds
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Recode Decode: Apple CEO Tim Cook

Recode's Kara Swisher and MSNBC's Chris Hayes talk with Apple CEO Tim Cook on the second episode of "Revolution." The interview was held in front of a live audience the day after Apple's education-focused event in Chicago, but Cook also talks about privacy, Facebook, Amazon, DACA and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/7/20181 hour, 16 minutes, 55 seconds
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Recode Decode: Google CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki (Live)

Recode's Kara Swisher and MSNBC's Ari Melber interview Google CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki in this episode of 'Revolution,' which first aired on MSNBC in January. Make sure to tune in this Friday for a new episode of 'Revolution,' in which Swisher and Chris Hayes interview Apple CEO Tim Cook about education, privacy, DACA and more; that episode airs on MSNBC on Friday, April 6 at 5:00 p.m. PT, 8:00 p.m. ET. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/4/201850 minutes, 32 seconds
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Recode Decode: Former White House advisor Valerie Jarrett

Valerie Jarrett, a former senior advisor to President Obama, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher at South by Southwest 2018. Jarrett is now on the boards of two tech companies, but when she first got to the White House, she didn't know what Twitter was — an important reminder of how quickly tech is changing everything. Jarrett says Obama made the best decisions he could while in office based on what he knew about Russia's election meddling, and explains what the Democrats need to do to regain their footing in 2018 and 2020. She also discusses her recently announced book deal, which is based on a question her daughter had asked her: What advice would she give to a 30-year-old version of herself today? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/2/20181 hour, 9 minutes, 25 seconds
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Recode Decode: Maria Shriver and Christina Schwarzenegger discuss 'Take Your Pills'

Maria Shriver, the former first lady of California, and her daughter Christina Schwarzenegger talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about "Take Your Pills," a new Netflix documentary they executive produced. Schwarzenegger says her experience at Georgetown University made her realize that no one had yet made a documentary about the prevalence of adderall among college students, as well as Wall Street traders and Silicon Valley engineers. The trio is also joined by NBC Television Medical Editor Corey Hébert, who talks about his contributions to the documentary and whether 23andMe can be a reliable indicator of ADHD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/31/201849 minutes, 53 seconds
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Recode Decode: Flying cars are the future of military transportation

Christopher Kirchhoff, a former partner at DIUx, the Pentagon’s Silicon Valley office, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about how the Defense Department is trying to be smarter about technology. Kirchhoff says the U.S. military can benefit greatly from innovations in drones, robotics, satellites and more, and DIUx was developed to let the Pentagon proactively find that technology and quickly buy it at scale quickly before it becomes obsolete. He talks in detail about how electric flying cars are being developed to replace military helicopters, and why it’s vitally important that people working in Silicon Valley help the government modernize all departments, including commerce and education. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/28/201854 minutes, 13 seconds
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Recode Decode: What men and women need to know about working together

Journalist and writer Joanne Lipman talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "That's What She Said: What Men Need to Know (and Women Need to Tell Them) About Working Together." Lipman, previously the editor in chief of USA Today and deputy managing editor at the Wall Street Journal, spent three years researching discrimination, sexism and the failures of HR-led "diversity training" in the workplace. She argues that the push for greater equality must be owned by a company's top executives, rather than outsourced, and she shares several actions that people can take now to help their female colleagues succeed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/26/20181 hour, 5 minutes, 34 seconds
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Recode Decode: Therapist Esther Perel

Sex and relationship therapist Esther Perel, the host of the podcast "Where Should We Begin?", talks with Recode's Kara Swisher at South by Southwest 2018 in Austin, Texas. Perel's new book "The State of Affairs" sets out to change the popular conversation about sexual infidelity, but she says many partners are cheating on each other with their phones. She says dating apps, such as Tinder, wind up discouraging their users from pursuing committed relationships, and also explains the psychology of the sexual harassers and abusers who have been exposed by the #MeToo movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/21/201856 minutes, 2 seconds
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Recode Decode: Anthony 'The Mooch' Scaramucci

Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his infamous 11-day stint in the Trump administration, his recently announced book deal and why he thinks the president will win re-election in 2020. 'The Mooch' unloads on Reince Priebus, Steve Bannon and the culture of backstabbing in Washington and predicts that President Trump won't be hurt by Robert Mueller's investigation. Plus: Scaramucci says Trump has many supporters in Silicon Valley, but that "leftist fascism" has scared them into silence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/19/20181 hour, 29 minutes, 42 seconds
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Recode Decode: CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on sex, #MeToo and North Korea (Live from SXSW)

CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new series, "Sex and Love Around the World." Speaking in front of a live audience at South By Southwest 2018, Amanpour says the show convinced her that women won't be "totally satisfied," in all aspects of their lives, until men have shed obsolete attitudes about gender roles, power and sexuality. She also talks about the global implications of the #MeToo movement, the dangers of "false news" and why the unwillingness of YouTube and other platforms to call themselves media companies is "bullshit." Plus: Why she's concerned about the Trump administration's planned negotiations with North Korea's Kim Jong-un. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/17/201859 minutes, 29 seconds
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Recode Decode: Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes

Chris Hughes, the co-founder of Facebook and former owner of The New Republic, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his new book, “Fair Shot: Rethinking Inequality and How We Earn.” In it, Hughes argues that working people should receive a guaranteed income, paid for by the top one percent of earners in the U.S. He cites an “immense amount of evidence” that cash improves health, education and more, and talks about how his Economic Security Project is working to advance a modernization of the Earned Income Tax Credit, which he calls “guaranteed income.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/14/20181 hour, 2 minutes, 39 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sen. Chuck Schumer

Chuck Schumer, the senior U.S. Senator from New York, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher and Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen about a range of tech-related issues, including immigration, net neutrality and Russian election meddling. He hopes to enlist tech companies like Netflix in the fight to bring net neutrality back after it was overturned by the FCC last year. Schumer also talks about his “sympathetic” attitude to the tech giants, saying the world would be a worse place overall if Amazon were not in it, even though “there’s lots of problems” with its impact on retail. Plus: Why the senior Democrat is optimistic about the midterm elections later this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/12/201844 minutes, 37 seconds
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Recode Decode: Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg on techlash and #MeToo (Live)

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher at the 2018 Lesbians Who Tech Summit in San Francisco, Calif. Sandberg talks about how Facebook is responding to reports of Russian election-meddling on its platform, why people are lashing out at tech companies this year, and how much responsibility Facebook has to help those people. She also discusses the good and the bad of the #MeToo movement, including the “unintended consequences,” such as men who are afraid to take meetings with their female colleagues, which endangers women’s ability to advance in the workplace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/7/201834 minutes, 10 seconds
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Recode Decode: Is 'Uber meets Harvard' the future of learning?

GLG President and CEO Alexander Saint-Amand talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about running a learning platform for investors and business professionals. Saint-Amand describes the company as "Uber meets Harvard" because it facilitates on-demand and one-on-one conversations between customers and experts from a wide range of subjects, including faculty of universities like Stanford, Harvard and Duke. He explains why other attempts to revolutionize learning online have fizzled out and how GLG is able to offer "millions of courses" without breaking the bank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/5/201849 minutes, 25 seconds
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Recode Decode: Why Katie Couric left Yahoo

Journalist Katie Couric and Recode’s Kara Swisher talk about their careers in journalism, as well as social media, job automation, tech addiction and the mass shooting in Parkland, Fla. Couric, who previously hosted the “Today Show” and “CBS Evening News,” opens up about why her tenure at Yahoo was short-lived, and her concerns about the ability of tech companies to advance high-quality journalism She also reflects on political polarization in America, the #MeToo movement that ousted her former “Today” colleague Matt Lauer, and her new show for NatGeo, “America Inside Out.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/28/20181 hour, 17 minutes, 51 seconds
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Recode Decode: Can an alt-weekly newspaper survive in 2018?

Entrepreneur and investor Mark Ein talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his recent purchase of the Washington City Paper, an alternative weekly newspaper in Washington, D.C. Ein says he’s been inspired by the revitalization of The Washington Post under Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, but a local paper like his has to think differently in some aspects. He also talks about his investment firm, VentureHouse, and why D.C. and other cities outside of Silicon Valley have struggled to create a breakout tech hit in the post-AOL era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/26/201851 minutes, 39 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jennifer Fonstad, co-founder, Aspect Ventures

Aspect Ventures co-founder Jennifer Fonstad talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about how venture capital works in 2018, when Silicon Valley entrepreneurs have access to more money from more sources than ever before. But that that money is not spread out evenly, Fonstad says: There’s a lot of very early “seed” dough, and a lot available to help succeeding companies grow bigger, but not enough to help them cross the “chasm” in which so many startups fail. She also talks about her 17 years as an investor at Draper Fisher Jurvetson, why Aspect is betting on the “picks and shovels” of the blockchain instead of currency, and why she’s excited about data-driven advances in health care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/21/201854 minutes, 36 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sarah Tavel, partner, Benchmark

Benchmark partner Sarah Tavel talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and Teddy Schleifer about her career in tech companies and venture capital. Her resume includes stints at Pinterest, Bessemer Venture Partners and Greylock Partners, but last year she became the first woman partner hired at Benchmark, where one of her focuses is cryptocurrencies. She explains why the field is interesting even though it has been flooded with scammy ICOs since late 2017. Tavel also talks about what she and other female VCs are doing to help women succeed in tech and how she views the influx of money into the ecosystem from SoftBank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/19/20181 hour, 11 minutes, 32 seconds
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Recode Decode: HuffPost editor in chief Lydia Polgreen (Live at Code Media 2018)

Lydia Polgreen, the editor in chief of HuffPost — the website formerly known as The Huffington Post — talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and Peter Kafka at the 2018 Code Media conference in Huntington Beach, Calif. Polgreen explains what she has been changing since taking over the top editor role in December 2016, how she's trying to reach a broader audience that includes Donald Trump supporters and why HuffPost is investing less in Facebook than it used to. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/17/201841 minutes, 18 seconds
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Recode Decode: YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki (Live at Code Media 2018)

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki talks with Recode's Kara Swisher at the 2018 Code Media conference in Huntington Beach, Calif. She explains why YouTube opted not to ban one of its stars, Logan Paul, despite a recent string of controviersies including a video he filmed of a dead body in Japan. She also talks about how the site has dealt with revelations of Russian political meddling, why it still doesn't see itself as a media company and what she thinks of rivals like Facebook that are pushing more and more into video: "They should get back to baby pictures." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/14/201843 minutes, 32 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jeremy Bailenson, author, 'Experience on Demand'

Jeremy Bailenson, the director of Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "Experience on Demand: What Virtual Reality Is, How It Works, and What It Can Do." Bailenson came to Stanford to study how people can communicate with each other in a virtual world, but now his focus is on how VR can motivate us to eat less, help the homeless or have empathy with a person of another race, gender or age. He discusses why the technology has not yet taken off among consumers and why tech and media companies are wrong to think we should be spending hours at a time in a VR headset. Plus: Why telling a story in virtual reality is so much harder than telling one on a 2-D screen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/12/201849 minutes, 22 seconds
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Recode Decode: What Abraham Lincoln and Rachel Carson can teach us about leadership

Harvard Business School historian Nancy Koehn talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about her new book, “Forged In Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times.” In it, Koehn chronicles the lives of five leaders who had to overcome a crisis: President Abraham Lincoln, abolitionist Frederick Douglass, explorer Ernest Shackleton, clergyman Dietrich Bonhoeffer and author Rachel Carson. People in Silicon Valley, Washington and beyond can learn a lot from history, she says — for example, how Lincoln used his writing and speeches to unite people around a broader purpose, and why not acting was often the right decision when tempers were flaring. Plus: How “real leaders” can unlock the potential of the people around them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/7/20181 hour, 1 minute, 58 seconds
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Recode Decode: How to fix Silicon Valley's 'Brotopia'

Bloomberg Technology executive producer Emily Chang talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about her new book, “Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys’ Club of Silicon Valley.” Chang says the idea for the book originated when venture capitalist Michael Moritz suggested that bringing more women to Sequoia Capital might mean “lowering our standards.” However, in between then and now, Donald Trump was elected president and the #MeToo movement arose, which “changed dramatically” how many women would speak on the record. Plus: Chang discusses the impact of Ellen Pao and Susan Fowler, and her much-discussed Vanity Fair story about sex parties and “cuddle puddles” in Silicon Valley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/5/20181 hour, 6 minutes
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Recode Decode: Dipayan Ghosh and Ben Scott, co-authors, ‘Digital Deceit’

New America fellow Dipayan Ghosh and senior advisor Ben Scott talk with Recode’s Kara Swisher about their new policy paper, “Digital Deceit: The Technologies Behind Precision Propaganda on the Internet.” Both alumni of the Obama administration, Ghosh and Scott say we need to fundamentally reevaluate how digital platforms collect data on their users, and how advertisers can use that information. Although they acknowledge that figuring out how Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. election is important, they argue that there are much deeper questions that need to be answered, and possibly problems that need to be regulated. They also discuss what responsibility they and others who worked for the Obama White House have for the rise of tech companies to their current level of power over the past decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/31/20181 hour, 1 minute, 31 seconds
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Recode Decode: Chuck Todd, moderator, 'Meet the Press'

NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how he's evolving what it means to be the host of the longest-running series in TV history, "Meet the Press." Todd discusses how a childhood interest in politics led him to Washington, D.C., and how a lucky break at the pioneering digital service Hotline led him to NBC. He also talks about how technology accelerated trends of political polarization that began during Watergate and why social media has "peaked" in politics. Plus: Why the "best and the brightest" don't come to Washington anymore, and should anyone in Silicon Valley run for office? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/29/20181 hour, 9 minutes, 19 seconds
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Recode Decode: Alexandra Petri, columnist, the Washington Post

Alexandra Petri, who writes the Compost blog for The Washington Post, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher and Chorus CEO Dick Costolo about making fun of politics. Petri says some politicans have a sense of humor about her columns, but others don’t like it or don’t get the joke — the Trump White House once distributed one of her satirical pieces to journalists, mistaking it for earnest praise. She explains how she became a humor columnist, how she comes up with ideas and where she finds the funny in the Trump family and the Trump White House. Plus: Petri’s pitch for a romantic comedy about a Supreme Court justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/24/201852 minutes, 38 seconds
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Recode Decode: Andrew Keen, author, 'How to Fix the Future'

"How to Fix the Future" author Andrew Keen talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, which examines reasonable solutions to the social and political disruptions created by the digital revolution. Keen says tech is neither the solution nor the scapegoat for all problems, urging Silicon Valley to look to history for answers. In the book, he examines four categories of things that need fixing: Economic inequality; the "imminent crisis" of jobs; the rise of surveillance capitalism, in which consumers pay for free products by trading away their personal data; and a cultural crisis of incivility, divisiveness and "fake news." Plus: Why Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is best positioned to set an example for the rest of the industry and why Keen believes Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is "re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/22/20181 hour, 3 minutes, 56 seconds
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Recode Decode: Gregg Spiridellis, CEO, JibJab

JibJab CEO Gregg Spiridellis talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher and Chorus CEO Dick Costolo about how the company has adapted to the ever-changing internet over the past two decades. JibJab was on the verge of shutting down when it released “This Land,” an animated viral video sensation that parodied the 2004 U.S. Presidential race between George W. Bush and John Kerry. JibJab later moved into personalized greeting cards and apps for messaging platforms, which Spiridellis says is a low-risk way to make comedy scale. He says it’s harder than ever to justify the production costs of “mass funny” digital videos, because creators are now competing against the entire history of comedy, available for free on YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/17/20181 hour, 2 minutes, 43 seconds
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Recode Decode: David Friend, author, ‘The Naughty Nineties’

David Friend, Vanity Fair’s editor of creative development, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his new book, “The Naughty Nineties: The Triumph of the American Libido.” Much of today’s social and political unrest can be traced back to the sea change in who Americans voted for and how they consumed entertainment in the 1990s — and it’s no accident that the world wide web was born in that decade. He explains why today’s #MeToo movement owes a debt to Anita Hill, who unsuccessfully tried to stop Clarence Thomas’s nomination the Supreme Court in 1991, and how everyone from Bill Clinton to Lance Armstrong ushered in an “age of lies” that paved the way for Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/15/20181 hour, 1 minute, 3 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sarah Cooper, author, "100 Tricks To Appear Smart in Meetings”

Comedian Sarah Cooper talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher and Chorus CEO Dick Costolo about why she left a career in the tech industry to become a stand-up comic. Cooper has made tech a central part of her comedy and has written a book based in part on her time at Yahoo and Google called “100 Tricks To Appear Smart in Meetings.” The group debates whether people who work in tech are funny (on purpose) and whether depictions of them in popular culture, on shows like HBO’s “Silicon Valley” or CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory,” are really hitting their mark. Plus: Cooper previews her next book, “How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings,” which will include tips such as “be authentic by hiding yourself." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/10/20181 hour, 8 minutes, 43 seconds
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Recode Decode: Patty McCord author of "Powerful"

Patty McCord, the former chief talent officer at Netflix and author of that company's famous "culture deck," talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility." McCord recalls how CEO Reed Hastings convinced her to work at Netflix and how they developed the principles of the company's culture over many years — which Hastings unilaterally published online, generating millions of downloads. She also talks about the common mistakes companies make when hiring and firing, why coddling employees with Google-style perks is overrated and how businesses can make lasting change in the aftermath of the #MeToo movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/8/20181 hour, 7 minutes, 56 seconds
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Recode Decode: Dick Costolo, CEO, Chorus

Chorus CEO Dick Costolo, the former CEO of Twitter, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about why he loves comedy and why his peers in the tech community are so infrequently "in on the joke." Before he was a tech entrepreneur, Costolo wanted to be a comedian, taking improv classes at Second City in Chicago in the hopes of one day making it to "Saturday Night Live." Today, he explains, more people than ever have the ability to succeed in comedy because they can make and distribute their comedy online, rather than needing to go to Second City or be a touring stand-up comic. Costolo also talks about what happened when he left Twitter and how he became an advisor to the writers of HBO's "Silicon Valley" during that show's third season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/3/20181 hour, 4 minutes, 39 seconds
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Recode Decode: Kara Swisher visits the Longform Podcast (Live)

The host of the Longform Podcast, Evan Ratliff, interviews Recode’s Kara Swisher in front of a live audience in San Francisco about how she got started in journalism and how she does her job today. Downloading a book for the first time convinced Swisher of the power of the internet, which led her to cover AOL and countless other early digital pioneers. Plus: How she convinces sources to keep talking to her even after she has grilled them onstage at Code or written critically about them online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/1/201856 minutes, 58 seconds
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Recode Decode: Zach Stafford and Trish Bendix, editors, Into

Recode's Kara Swisher and The Verge's Casey Newton talk with Zach Stafford and Trish Bendix, the editor in chief and managing editor of Into — a queer lifestyle magazine published by the dating app Grindr. They talk about why LGBT people have historically been early adopters of tech, why Grindr was more readily adopted by men than women and how the company is trying to change that as it branches out into media. Stafford says Into has been able to tap into Grindr's killer feature, knowing the location of its users, to push out regionally-specific stories to the people who will be most affected by them. Bendix, who recently joined Into after ten years at After Ellen, says she is working to make sure the magazine is more inclusive to women, nonbinary people and trans people; Into needs to reach them as well, she says, to tell stories about everything "through a queer lens." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/27/20171 hour, 4 minutes, 48 seconds
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Recode Decode: Uber's Tony West and Eric Holder on exposing wrongdoing (Live)

Recode's Kara Swisher talks with former attorney general Eric Holder, who led an investigation into Uber's management earlier this year, and the company's new Chief Legal Officer, Tony West. They discuss how Uber is evolving in the wake of the Holder Report and what it can do to empower lawyers, as well as employees and riders. Holder explains why non-disclosure agreements are common, arguing that there are broader cultural problems limiting women's ability to share stories of sexual assault. West also talks what happened when the company disclosed a major data breach on his first day on the job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/25/201733 minutes, 24 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sports columnist Christine Brennan previews her 18th consecutive Olympics

Christine Brennan, the sports columnist for USA Today, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about the February 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, which will be Brenann’s 18th consecutive Olympics. She previews what events she's most interested in seeing — and what will be happening on the sidelines. She talks about the fallout from Russia's sophisticated doping system, why that's different from Americans like Lance Armstrong who have used performance-enhancing drugs and other scandals like the serial sexual abuses of U.S. gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. Plus: How Brennan's father stoked her childhood love of sports and why Title IX is so important for young female athletes everywhere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/23/20171 hour, 7 minutes, 14 seconds
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Recode Decode: Megan Quinn, general partner, Spark Capital

Spark Capital General Partner Megan Quinn talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and The Verge's Casey Newton about the evolving balance between venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. Quinn, an investor in the cryptocurrency trading platform Coinbase, explains why she believes digital currencies like bitcoin are here to stay and what needs to happen before we start treating them like real money. She recounts how she got promoted to become Square's director of product two weeks after joining the company in a different role and how Kleiner Perkins investor Mary Meeker inspired her to become a venture capitalist. Plus: Why HR is "one of the most critical and difficult roles to hire at any company." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/20/20171 hour, 25 minutes, 3 seconds
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Recode Decode: Noam Cohen, author, 'The Know-It-Alls'

Author and former New York Times columnist Noam Cohen talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "The Know-It-Alls: The Rise of Silicon Valley as a Political Powerhouse and Social Wrecking Ball." In the book, Cohen argues that a libertarian philosophy that is hostile to outsiders and resistant to regulation is negatively affecting our society and communities. He diagnoses the problems with Google, Facebook and Twitter, noting that the latter has a business incentive to do nothing about hate speech and bots. However, Cohen says he's hopeful that Congress and regular people are "waking up" to the dangers of letting Silicon Valley run the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/18/201749 minutes, 58 seconds
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Recode Decode: Andrew Mason, CEO, Descript

Andrew Mason, the founder and former CEO of Groupon, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher and The Verge’s Casey Newton about his latest startup, Descript. The company bills itself as a “word processor for audio,” making podcasts and other spoken word recordings easy to edit for non-technical content creators. Mason also talks about the “surreal” rise and fall of his career at Groupon, why he regrets publicly announcing that he was fired as CEO and why he once brought a horse to Groupon’s office as a gift for Michael Bloomberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/13/20171 hour, 5 minutes, 25 seconds
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Recode Decode: Kara Swisher visits Pod Save America (Live)

Recode's Kara Swisher talks with Crooked Media's Jon Lovett, Jon Favreau, Tommy Vietor and Dan Pfeiffer, appearing as a guest on a live taping of their podcast, Pod Save America, in Oakland, California. The group talks about the regulatory challenges facing tech companies today, the future of jobs and how Facebook has defended itself in the wake of mounting evidence that Russian agents used its platform to manipulate voters during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Plus: When are left-leaning techies going to get politically organized? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/11/201719 minutes, 31 seconds
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Recode Decode: Daniel Gross, partner, Y Combinator

Y Combinator Partner Daniel Gross talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and The Verge's Casey Newton about why he returned to the startup incubator that gave him his start in Silicon Valley. Gross co-founded the personal search engine Cue, which Apple bought in 2013 for a reported $35 million and integrated into iOS. Hailing from Jerusalem, Israel originally, he says YC is vitally important for bringing new outsider voices into the highly-networked tech industry and explains why it's important to remind those founders that success is a gradual, humbling process. Gross also talks about the promise of continued investment in artificial intelligence, why it's not a bad thing that "AI" has become a buzzword and what worries him about the algorithms on platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/6/20171 hour, 7 minutes, 53 seconds
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Recode Decode: Leslie Berlin, historian, Stanford University

Leslie Berlin, the historian who oversees Stanford University's Silicon Valley Archives, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "Troublemakers: How a Generation of Silicon Valley Upstarts Invented the Future." The book traces the rise of seven men and women who were pioneers of the tech industry in the 1970s and early 1980s, including ASK Group founder Sandy Kurtzig, Pong designer Al Alcorn and Apple's "adult supervision," Mike Markkula. Berlin says learning about their importance to the history of the tech industry is "like watching the Big Bang." She also talks about the challenges of preserving tech's history when some crucial documents may be stored in obsolete file formats; why the tech boom happened in Silicon Valley, and not some other part of the country; and why the risk of America's immigration laws becoming more restrictive is a great danger to the industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/4/201759 minutes, 45 seconds
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Recode Decode: Margrethe Vestager

Margrethe Vestager, Europe's commissioner for competition, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in front of a live audience at Web Summit 2017 in Lisbon, Portugal. Vestager explains how the E.U. is trying to make tech companies more transparent and accountable for their dealings and why a "free" market needs government intervention to function. She says the algorithms that control what content gets surfaced on social media may "have to go to law school" before we can trust them again, and that Facebook or Snapchat's priorities cannot be allowed to supersede democracy's. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/29/201718 minutes, 17 seconds
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Recode Decode: How Reid Hoffman would fix social media (Live)

Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn and a general partner at Greylock Partners, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in front of a live audience at the Anti-Defamation League conference "Never Is Now" in San Francisco. Hoffman says the people who work at social media giants like Facebook and Twitter want to do the right thing when it comes to abuse or political attacks on their platforms, but they often move too slowly. He proposes that these companies should regularly report how they're trying to encourage "compassion, interaction [and] mutual understanding." Plus: How Reddit CEO Steve Huffman convinced him anonymity could be good and why VR might help create empathy in a corporate context. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/27/201742 minutes, 40 seconds
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Recode Decode: Greta Van Susteren is not giving up on social media

Former cable news anchor Greta Van Susteren talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and SKDK's Hilary Rosen about her new book, "Everything You Need to Know about Social Media (Without Having to Call a Kid)." Van Susteren spent long stints hosting shows at CNN and Fox News and says she still doesn't know why her last TV employer, MSNBC, fired her after six months. In addition to the new book, she’s now an internet entrepreneur: Her first product is Sorry, an app for apologies. Van Susteren talks about all of that change, as well as what Silicon Valley companies should do about Russia's election meddling; why Donald Trump retweeted her recently and why that's not as big a deal as people think; and why, despite all the trolling and other nastiness, "social media is here to stay." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/22/201759 minutes, 4 seconds
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Recode Decode: magazine mogul Tina Brown

Tina Brown — the former editor of Vanity Fair, the New Yorker, the Daily Beast and more — talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "The Vanity Fair Diaries: 1983 - 1992." In the book, she looks back on the tell-all diary she kept at the time, dishing on the 1980s New York social scene, managing a print magazine in the medium's heyday and dealing with media bigwigs like Conde Nast's S.I. Newhouse, Jr. Brown says she saw Vanity Fair as a big circus, while the New Yorker was a "sleeping beauty" that had to be awoken, although she may be proudest of her lesser-known (and short-lived) work on Talk magazine. She also talks about working with Talk's financier, Harvey Weinstein; how she founded the digital-first Daily Beast and why she left; and why Facebook and Google should fund the future of local journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/20/20171 hour, 13 minutes, 43 seconds
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Recode Decode: Stacey Abrams, candidate for governor, Georgia

Stacey Abrams, a candidate running for governor of Georgia and former minority leader of its general assembly, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and SKDK's Hilary Rosen about the early stages of the campaign. Abrams explains why everyone needs to be talking a lot more about the automation of jobs, why she's wary of blank-check tax incentives written for tech companies and why Democrats learned the wrong lessons about the internet from Barack Obama's campaign in 2008. She also discusses how she is using technology and how she contends with some voters' reductive tendency to only think of her as "the black candidate." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/15/20171 hour, 4 minutes, 18 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO, Anti-Defamation League

Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about how the century-old nonprofit is evolving to fight antisemitism and other forms of extremism in the digital age. Greenblatt explains how online platforms have helped white supremacists inject their beliefs into the mainstream conversation and why companies like Twitter, Facebook and Google have so far failed to stop them. He says the ADL is now working directly with engineers at those organizations to confront the problem, and praises the potential of emerging tech like artificial intelligence and virtual reality for making social media — and society — saner. Greenblatt also discusses the right way for journalists to report on extremists like Richard Spencer and how Silicon Valley could make a big difference by having a “bias for good.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/13/20171 hour, 3 minutes, 49 seconds
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Recode Decode: Katy Tur, author, ‘Unbelievable.’

MSNBC anchor Katy Tur talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and SKDK's Hilary Rosen about her new book, "Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History." While she was at NBC News, Tur was the first reporter assigned to cover the Trump campaign full-time, and one year since his unlikely electoral victory, she says many in the media who considered him a joke before haven't learned the right lessons from 2016. Tur explains how her parents' pioneering TV journalism gave her the resolve to weather threats during the campaign, and says journalists covering President Trump need to stop being indignant about little things, and focus instead on the big stories that matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/8/20171 hour, 3 minutes, 19 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ray Dalio, author, 'Principles: Life and Work'

Ray Dalio, the founder of the world's largest hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "Principles: Life and Work." In it, he lays out how he makes smarter decisions based on clearly articulated criteria and how that process has worked on a massive scale at Bridgewater, which Dalio describes as an "idea meritocracy." At the controversial hedge fund, every conversation is recorded for anyone to consult, and every decision is compared against the employees' transparent histories of successes and defeats. Dalio also talks about why independent thinking is the most important principle, how tech companies can apply Bridgewater's formula and why the biggest issue facing America may be the fragmentation between the top 40 percent of the economy and bottom 60 percent: Perfect breeding grounds for a populist president like Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/6/20171 hour, 6 minutes, 41 seconds
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Recode Decode: Luther Lowe, Yelp; Beth Wilkinson, Wilkinson Walsh Eskovitz

Recode's Kara Swisher and SKDK's Hilary Rosen talk about tech, regulation and politics with two special guests: Luther Lowe, the vice president of public policy at Yelp, and Beth Wilkinson, the co-founder of trial law firm Wilkinson Walsh Eskovitz. The group explains how lawyers from Twitter, Facebook and Google found themselves testifying in front of Congress this week and why the politics of the hearings around the 2016 election are so messy and different from what has come before. Lowe and Wilkinson also talk about the other political issues facing Silicon Valley, including antitrust regulation, consumer data privacy and the future of jobs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/1/20171 hour, 9 minutes, 28 seconds
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Recode Decode: David Rosenblatt, CEO, 1stdibs

1stdibs CEO David Rosenblatt explains how his company, a marketplace for rare luxury products, made the transition from an advertising to e-commerce. Unlike other executives in the commerce space, Rosenblatt isn't worried about Amazon competing with him directly because 1stdibs' sellers aren't comfortable selling their expensive goods alongside lower-priced brands. Rosenblatt also talks about the growing importance of VR and AR for his industry and how his former company — the online advertising pioneer DoubleClick — survived the dot-com crash and got acquired by Google. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/30/201755 minutes, 58 seconds
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Recode Decode: Can Silicon Valley get its mojo back? (Live)

Kara Swisher joins venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar, theBoardlist founder Sukhinder Singh Cassidy and Uptake CEO Brad Keywell in this live discussion about tech culture from the 2017 Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit, moderated by Nick Bilton. The group has a popcorn-worthy debate over what can be done about management troubles, rampant sexism in Silicon Valley and the weaponization of social media. Singh Cassidy says investors have leverage that they're not using to make tech firms behave better, while Pishevar and Keywell talk about the significant change that can come from within companies and via professional mentors. Plus: Swisher explains why the future may hinge on the people in the middle of the economy who have neither won nor lost in the internet revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/25/201738 minutes, 55 seconds
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Recode Decode: Walter Isaacson, author, 'Leonardo da Vinci'

Author Walter Isaacson talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new biography of Renaissance artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci, which he describes has a "culmination" of themes he explored in past books about Ada Lovelace, Ben Franklin and Steve Jobs. Isaacson explains how da Vinci's pursuit of the intersection of art and science made him who he was, and how his life's story can inform our thinking today about innovation and technology. He also dissects the biology of da Vinci's most famous work, the Mona Lisa, and explains why the portrait took 16 years to paint. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/23/20171 hour, 11 minutes, 11 seconds
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Recode Decode: Tim O'Reilly, author, 'WTF?'

O’Reilly Media founder Tim O’Reilly talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his new book, “WTF? What’s the Future and Why It’s Up to Us.” O'Reilly argues that society could be headed for either the good type of “WTF” — one of amazement — or the bad type, one of dismay. Avoiding the latter, O’Reilly says, will mean dramatically rethinking politics, finance and employment; today's prevailing philosophy of profit-above-all-else could be setting the world up for a period of “war and revolution and great instability.” He also talks about why, even though tech companies are easy to demonize in Washington, the bigger villain may be Wall Street. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/18/201748 minutes, 5 seconds
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Recode Decode: Susan Wojcicki, CEO, YouTube

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how YouTube has grown since she assumed that role in 2014, and how it's making original content differently than other video platforms like Netflix. Previously Google's advertising boss, she met Larry Page and Sergey Brin when the two founders rented her garage and turned it into office space. Plus, Wojcicki talks at length about the firing of James Damore, whose viral internal memo exposed a major rift in Silicon Valley over the perceptions of female engineers' capabilities — and an ongoing debate about free speech in the workplace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/16/20171 hour, 4 minutes, 3 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ilene Chaiken, showrunner, ‘Empire’

Ilene Chaiken, the creator of “The L Word” and showrunner for “Empire,” talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher at the 2017 edition of Werk It, WNYC’s women-in-podcasting festival. Chaiken explains how she got “The L Word” made at Showtime, even though the network initially laughed at the idea of a show about lesbians in Hollywood, and how became executive producer of the hit Hulu series “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which she had tried to adapt for years. Now in an exclusive deal at 20th Century Fox, Chaiken says the massive reach of broadcast TV is still an important cultural force, and predicts that the digital platforms like Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and Apple will take turns being big award winners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/11/20171 hour, 7 minutes, 32 seconds
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Recode Decode: Why Shonda Rhimes left ABC for Netflix (Live)

ShondaLand CEO Shonda Rhimes, the TV producer behind hits like "Grey's Anatomy," "Scandal" and "How to Get Away With Murder," talks with Recode's Kara Swisher at the 2017 Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit. Rhimes says she took a four-year exclusive deal with Netflix because it offers her more creative freedom and new challenges, although her six existing shows will continue at ABC. She also talks about how she chooses who she hires, her amazement at people in Hollywood who don't understand diversity and why she has backed off of social media. Plus: Why ShondaLand.com has started offering magazine-like articles, including interviews with people like Michelle Obama and Billie Jean King. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/9/201743 minutes, 4 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jared Leto

"Blade Runner 2049" actor Jared Leto talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about portraying Niander Wallace, a trillionaire tech mogul. By the start of the new movie, Wallace has saved humanity from starvation and rebooted the development of humanlike robots, known as Replicants. Leto, who is also a musician and tech investor, says he chooses to be optimistic about the future in spite of the movie's dystopian tone and explains how he approached playing an antagonist to Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. (Spoiler warning: This episode discusses the themes and story of "Blade Runner 2049," including the fate of some of the major characters.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/7/201731 minutes, 20 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ellen Pao, author, “Reset”

Investor Ellen Pao talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about her new book, “Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change,” which chronicles Pao’s 2015 court battle against her former employer, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. She reflects on why the gender discrimination lawsuit ultimately failed, and why Pao believes it nevertheless laid the groundwork for future whistleblowers like ex-Uber employee Susan Fowler. She also talks about her ensuing work as interim CEO of Reddit, what she thinks of the controversial memo written by former Google engineer James Damore, and why we shouldn’t take tech companies’ proclamations of “free speech” idealism at face value. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/2/20171 hour, 7 minutes, 57 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sally Quinn, author, "Finding Magic"

Sally Quinn, the author of "Finding Magic: A Spiritual Memoir," talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book and her career in journalism. Quinn got her start covering the Washington, D.C., party circuit for the Washington Post under its then-Editor Ben Bradlee, whom she later married. Quinn became an atheist early in her chilhood, but her views of religion evolved over time, leading her to become the Post's religion columnist and one of its first bloggers. She says the inspiration for her book came from how — in Bradlee's final years, when he developed dementia — she realized that taking care of him gave her life meaning. Plus: The real story behind the now-infamous "hexes" Quinn used to cast on people and why Donald Trump's real religion is the "prosperity gospel." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/27/20171 hour, 5 minutes, 33 seconds
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Recode Decode: Maggie Haberman, New York Times, and David Fahrenthold, Washington Post

New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman and Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold talk with Recode's Kara Swisher at the 2017 Texas Tribune Festival in Austin. Both known for their coverage of Donald Trump's campaign and White House, they talk about how they accidentally became Trump reporters and what others in the media get wrong about the president. They also explain how they, as journalists, use Twitter — which Haberman calls "the anger video game" — and what they would be reporting on if they were not on the Trump beat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/25/20171 hour, 7 minutes, 21 seconds
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Recode Decode: Maha Ibrahim, general partner, Canaan

Maha Ibrahim, a general partner at Canaan Partners, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her more than 17 years in venture capital, joining Canaan right before the first dot-com bubble burst. Ibrahim says a lot of her fellow investors have only ever known tech as an "up and to the right" industry and she's concerned by the intense rate at which many companies are burning capital, even after they go public. She also talks about the recent backlash against men in tech who have sexually harassed women, calling Reid Hoffman's decency pledge "the lowest of low bars." The bigger challenge for women going forward, Ibrahim explains, will be helping other women succeed even though there is no obvious female equivalent in tech of Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/18/20171 hour, 3 minutes, 16 seconds
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Recode Decode: Scott Galloway, author, “The Four”

New York University professor Scott Galloway returns to the podcast to talk with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his first book, “The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google,” which comes out on Oct. 3. Galloway predicts that Amazon will launch a weekly auto-delivery service called Prime Squared to encourage its highest-value customers to buy more, and forecasts that the company’s next logical acquisition after Whole Foods would be the luxury department-store chain Nordstrom. He also talks about why companies want to be seen as politically progressive today, why Airbnb will be worth more than Uber and why, if you boil Apple’s brand down to one word, it's “sex.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/11/20171 hour, 9 minutes, 9 seconds
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Recode Decode: Chris Urmson, CEO, Aurora

Chris Urmson, the CEO of Aurora and former CTO of self-driving cars at Google, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about when autonomous vehicles will replace human-driven ones. Urmson, who started working on the technology at Carnegie Mellon University in the mid-2000s, predicts we'll see fleets of self-driving cars on some roads within five years, but that they won't completely take over for at least 30 years. He talks about the remaining challenges to making these vehicles completely safe — including the danger of their operators becoming complacent about the technology — and how their arrival will impact everything from government to public transportation to fast-food jobs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/4/20171 hour, 5 minutes, 8 seconds
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Recode Decode: Chamath Palihapitiya, CEO, Social Capital

Social Capital CEO Chamath Palihapitiya talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the future of capitalism and investing, which he says will look less and less like traditional venture capital, as firms like his embed themselves at a deep operational level in their companies. Palihapitiya also discusses why investors delude themselves into believing their own bravado, what he thinks of James Damore's Google memo and why Silicon Valley needs to deal with more than just the "low-hanging fruit" of sexual harassment. He evaluates the biggest tech companies of today — including Twitter, Amazon and Facebook — and predicts that the new CEO of Uber will have one of the most important jobs in the country.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/28/20171 hour, 16 minutes, 18 seconds
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Recode Decode: The future of tech jobs in coal country

Recode’s Kara Swisher heads to Louisville, Ky., to talk about the future of work with a panel of local-minded techies: Interapt CEO Ankur Gopal, Code Louisville founder Rider Rodriguez, TechHire Eastern Kentucky student Crystal Adkins and Tech Jobs Tour CEO Leanne Pittsford. They talk about what inspired them to become entrepreneurial, and why existing tech companies and investors should be looking to historically less-techie places like Kentucky for workers and founders. Gopal emphasizes that people in the area are not looking for a handout, just looking for work, and Adkins explains why hiring for a coding job shouldn’t require a bachelor’s degree. Later in the show, the panel discusses what needs to happen to help entrepreneurial people across the country find their next move. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/21/20171 hour, 6 minutes, 43 seconds
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Recode Decode: Taggart Matthiesen, director of product, Lyft

Lyft Director of Product Taggart Matthiesen talks with Recode’s Johana Bhuiyan about the ride-hailing company’s push into self-driving cars. Matthiesen predicts that Lyft will slowly evolve into a hybrid transportation service, with users summoning rides as they do today and getting paired with either a human driver or an autonomous vehicle — whatever is faster. Lyft’s cars may never be 100 percent autonomous, he notes, and today’s drivers may become a sort of concierge, providing new experiences to riders while the car does the navigation. Matthiesen also talks about how the #DeleteUber campaign earlier this year helped Lyft and why the company can’t get complacent about its product. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/14/201759 minutes, 43 seconds
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Recode Decode: Chris Kuenne and John Danner, authors, 'Built for Growth'

Chris Kuenne and John Danner talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about their new book, "Built for Growth: How Builder Personality Shapes Your Business, Your Team, and Your Ability to Win." Kuenne and Danner argue that, contrary to the conventional wisdom about business founders, winning entrepreneurs can come from many personality types, and those personalities shape the sort of company they build. They also talk about why Silicon Valley worships singular figures like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk above others and how to create more entrepreneurs among the "millions" of capable men and women across America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/7/201755 minutes, 30 seconds
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Recode Decode: Erica Baker, director of engineering, Kickstarter; Sarah Kunst, CEO, ProDay

Diversity advocate and Kickstarter director Erica Baker and ProDay CEO Sarah Kunst talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about the conditions that led so many venture capitalists to abuse their power over female tech founders. Kunst, who was sexually harassed by 500 Startups founder Dave McClure, says the time has come to "turn the lights on full blast" and expose bad actors rather than tiptoeing around the problem. Baker, who gained a reputation as a "troublemaker" from her efforts to make Google salaries more transparent, theorizes that harassment and exclusion have run rampant because of the cult of specialness around coding ability, and calls out tech companies that are not holding themselves accountable. Kunst also explains what's wrong with Reid Hoffman's decency pledge and why former Uber engineer Susan Fowler was the "perfect victim." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/31/20171 hour, 15 minutes
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Recode Decode: Frances Frei, SVP of leadership and strategy, Uber

Live onstage: Uber SVP Frances Frei talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about the future of the beleaguered ride-hailing company. Frei came to Uber from Harvard Business School, where she studied leadership and diversity, and says the company's problems are neither unusual nor unfixable. Uber's employees want to do the right thing, she explains, but have been historically let down by management and not given an outlet to call out bad behavior. Frei also talks about why she rejects Uber board member Arianna Huffington's concept of "zero tolerance," why ex-CEO Travis Kalanick can be redeemed and how to fix the broader epidemic of sexual harassment in Silicon Valley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/26/20171 hour, 30 minutes, 20 seconds
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Recode Decode: Cory Booker, U.S. Senator

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker talks with Recode’s Tony Romm about the current state of politics under President Trump and how he thinks the U.S. government should respond to the tech sector. Booker says he’s eager to see Trump gone, but that Democrats can’t solely define themselves as the “resistance” and shouldn’t sink to his level of online vitriol. He argues that Congress should take a skeptical look at the consolidation of companies like Amazon and Whole Foods, and not accept at face value that tech’s role should be “to create a handful of billionaires”; instead, Booker says, protecting consumers and broadening America’s access to science and technology should be the top priorities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/24/20171 hour, 8 minutes, 41 seconds
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Recode Decode: Tolga Kurtoglu, CEO, PARC

PARC CEO Tolga Kurtoglu talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about leading the iconic Silicon Valley research and development firm, formerly known as Xerox PARC, which works with companies and government agencies to imagine the future of work. Kurtoglu says PARC is thinking a lot about how humans and artificial intelligence agents will work together and how to build a “trustable” AI that can explain how it reaches its conclusions. He also talks about why Silicon Valley has held on to its leadership in tech innovation and what responsibilities the tech sector has as its creations disrupt established industries and eliminate jobs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/17/201749 minutes, 50 seconds
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Recode Decode: Lisa Dickey, author, 'Bears in the Streets'

"Bears in the Streets" author Lisa Dickey talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, which chronicles three trips to Russia at three very different times in its history — 1995, 2005 and 2015. Dickey's first journey across the continent was a pioneering work of digital photography and early web publishing, while her later trips illuminated how tech, politics and everything else was changing. She says Americans get a lot wrong about the Russian people and Russians get a lot wrong about Americans, but the two countries have more in common than they realize. Dickey shares some of the strangest stories from her visits to the country, including an unexpectedly contentious trip to see the Matt Damon movie "The Martian" and arguments over whether 9/11 was an inside job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/10/201757 minutes, 41 seconds
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Recode Decode: Reid Hoffman, partner, Greylock

LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, now a venture capitalist at Greylock Partners, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about why Silicon Valley has remained the epicenter of tech for decades and what’s next for entrepreneurs, investors and consumers. Hoffman explains why LinkedIn sold itself to Microsoft, why Airbnb hasn’t gone public yet and why he believes everyone in politics and business should adopt the “Spider-Man” motto: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Later in the show, he discusses his increasing involvement in liberal politics and his enduring friendship with conservative Trump supporter Peter Thiel, whom Hoffman met as a college undergraduate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/3/20171 hour, 11 minutes, 18 seconds
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Recode Decode: Adam Lashinsky, author, 'Wild Ride'

Fortune Executive Editor Adam Lashinsky talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book "Wild Ride: Inside Uber's Quest for World Domination." In this live interview, recorded after Travis Kalanick had announced a leave of absence from Uber but before he resigned as CEO, Lashinsky talks about trying to find Kalanick's "Rosebud" and why he didn't discover the now-infamous dark side of Uber's culture that was exposed by Susan Fowler and other former employees. He says despite the brand being "severely tarnished," Uber can reshape its corporate culture and bounce back because "[not] every person is rotten." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/26/20171 hour, 13 minutes, 8 seconds
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Recode Decode: Cecile Richards, president, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (Code Conference 2017)

In this special bonus episode from the 2017 Code Conference, Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the nonprofit has dealt with controversy and political opposition under President Trump. Republicans in Washington are attempting to limit the organization, which Richards says would undermine access to local health services and cause the rates of STIs and abortions to go up. Planned Parenthood will continue to exist even if the GOP's health care bill passes, she says, but it's still fighting to remain a public benefit, with funds for most of its services being reimbursed by the government. Richards also talks about how her team uses social media and texting and why she wants to use drones to air-drop birth control. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/25/201733 minutes, 58 seconds
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Recode Decode: Mark Hurd, co-CEO, Oracle

In this live interview, Oracle co-CEO Mark Hurd talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how Oracle transitioned its business to the cloud, which is the fastest-growing segment of all enterprise spending. Hurd says a large, process-laden company like Oracle can't risk getting complacent and out-innovated by smaller startups, and had to weather some unhappy investors on Wall Street for many quarters because building out cloud services takes time and money. He also talks about immigration policy, job automation and why Steve Jobs once told him he would hate to have Hurd's job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/19/201757 minutes, 26 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jill Soloway, creator, 'Transparent' (Code Conference 2017)

In this special bonus episode from the 2017 Code Conference, Jill Soloway, the creator of the Amazon TV series "Transparent," talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about their new show, "I Love Dick," which stars Kevin Bacon and Kathryn Hahn. They say Amazon is more hands-off than traditional TV networks and has helped diversify the female characters we see on TV. Soloway's company, Topple Productions, is aimed at disrupting the "white male gaze" and giving power to creators who otherwise might not have it, and they recall how, after losing twice at the Golden Globes, Jeff Bezos encouraged them to keep effecting social change through storytelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/17/201731 minutes, 14 seconds
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Recode Decode: Scott Galloway, founder, L2

L2 founder and New York University professor Scott Galloway talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the biggest companies in tech are disrupting retail, jobs, advertising and more. Galloway says the U.S. is incredibly "over-stored" and predicts that Amazon is well positioned to quadruple what its Prime customers spend. He also explains why most brands should worry about their future stability, and what a handful — including Apple and Disney — have done right to defend themselves. Later in the show, Galloway grades how Google, Facebook, Netflix and more are doing and makes the case for executive changes at Uber and Snapchat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/12/201758 minutes, 23 seconds
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Recode Decode: Hillary Clinton, former U.S. Secretary of State (Code Conference 2017)

In this special bonus episode from the 2017 Code Conference, former U.S. Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and The Verge's Walt Mossberg about the mistakes she made during the campaign and what she thinks in hindsight about criticism of her private email server and paid speeches to Goldman Sachs. Clinton says "anti-American forces" are continually trying to undermine America's security and unity and that she believes saboteurs from Russia were directly aided by Americans, likely including Donald Trump. She criticizes Facebook's spreading of "fake news" and the eagerness of the media to amplify Trump's message, but also the failures of the Democratic National Committee's "poor" data campaign in 2016 as contributing factors to her defeat. Looking forward, Clinton says she's "hopeful" that Democrats will regain control of the House of Representatives in 2018 and "hold [our] own" in the Senate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/10/20171 hour, 17 minutes, 28 seconds
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Recode Decode: Kevin Systrom, CEO, Instagram

Instagram CEO and co-founder Kevin Systrom talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about why he's still working at Facebook five years after it bought his company for $1 billion. Systrom shares what he has learned from the executives there and why he insisted from day one that his new colleagues not call Instagram a "photo-sharing app" — which surprised Mark Zuckerberg. He also addresses allegations that Instagram has "copied" features from Snapchat, saying no tech product is completely original and that it's better for consumers if companies in the same space are constantly trying to one-up each other. Later in the show, Systrom explains why he feels personally responsible to make the internet a safer place, and what he's doing toward that goal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/5/20171 hour, 9 minutes, 36 seconds
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Recode Decode: Boris Sofman, CEO, Anki

Anki CEO Boris Sofman talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about the future of robotics and why his company is starting with robots that entertain people: The artificially intelligent toy cars Anki Drive, released in 2013, and the emotive pet-like Cozmo, which came out in 2016. Sofman says designing for cuteness makes it easier for humans to accept when the robot makes an error, and is a low-risk way to make all robots better at skills like computer vision. He also talks about the current state of self-driving cars and why the biggest danger robots currently pose to humanity is being misused by human operators. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/29/201759 minutes, 55 seconds
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Recode Decode: David Marcus, VP of Messaging, Facebook

Facebook's messaging products boss, David Marcus, talks with Recode's Kurt Wagner about how the company is trying turn its Messenger app into a hub for interactions between companies and consumers. Marcus explains what Facebook learned from last year's rollout of "bots" on the platform and why the latest tools are poised to be more useful. He also explains why Facebook is not planning to take a cut of purchases made within Messenger and how it's balancing plans to inject ads into the app with users' privacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/22/201755 minutes, 7 seconds
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Recode Decode: Patrick Collison, CEO, Stripe

Stripe CEO Patrick Collison talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the company he and his brother started in 2010 evolved from a service for other small startups into a global payments platform for companies of all sizes. He discusses why Stripe recently hired a new security head, DARPA alum Peiter Zatko, and why our data is safer in the hands of companies like Google and Facebook than it is with hospitals or telecom giants. Collison also argues that U.S. immigration policy, and restrictive housing policies in the San Francisco Bay Area, are imperiling Silicon Valley's ability to continually innovate in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/15/20171 hour, 6 minutes, 21 seconds
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Recode Decode: Behind the scenes of 'The Handmaid's Tale'

"The Handmaid's Tale" creator and showrunner Bruce Miller talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new adaptation of the dystopian Margaret Atwood novel, which recently debuted on Hulu. Miller discusses the aptness of the show's political themes, and why he's excited to tell stories beyond the ones explicitly laid out in Atwood's text. He also chats about the impact that tech companies like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu have had on Hollywood, and weighs the benefits of TV's golden age against the risk that viewers might start to get impatient as they binge through high-quality content faster than it can be made. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/10/201759 minutes, 16 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sheryl Sandberg

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "Option B," which she wrote after the sudden death of her husband, entrepreneur Dave Goldberg. This latest book is more raw than her first, "Lean In," combining Sandberg's personal journal entries with research about all kinds of adversity, as explained by her co-author, psychologist Adam Grant. Sandberg explains what most people get wrong about grief and how to talk to those who are in mourning. She also calls for a reexamination of corporate and public policies around parental leave, health care and bereavement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/8/20171 hour, 3 minutes, 5 seconds
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Recode Decode: FCC Chairman Ajit Pai

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai talks with Recode's Tony Romm about his first three months on the job and what critics of his plan to roll back Obama-era net neutrality rules get wrong. Pai says the FCC should be an apolitical agency that focuses on how to create the most "digital opportunity" for everyone and that preemptively regulating how ISPs compete with one another isn't appropriate. He also discusses his relationships with both Congress and Donald Trump, who he says has not meddled at all in the agency's decisions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/4/201734 minutes, 16 seconds
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Recode Decode: How 'Dear Evan Hansen' brought social media to Broadway

Stacey Mindich and Steven Levenson, the producer and book writer of "Dear Evan Hansen," talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the hit Broadway musical depicts the current state of social media and isolation. The show centers on a socially anxious teenager who tells a big lie about a dead classmate, and Levenson says it asks a question that's just as potent in the real world: Through the internet, can something fake turn into something real? Mindich talks about how the story of "Dear Evan Hansen" evolved to speak to multiple generations and how its creators have reached an ardent base of fans online, some of whose faces are now a literal part of the show. They also discuss the post-"Hamilton" era on Broadway, where technologically-minded events like "The Encounter" are rubbing shoulders with old-school live theater. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/1/20171 hour, 7 minutes, 11 seconds
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Recode Decode: Mike Judge, Thomas Middleditch, Kumail Nanijani and more

The creators and most of the cast of HBO's 'Silicon Valley' talk with Recode's Kara Swisher in this live interview, recorded in San Francisco after the premiere of the first two episodes of Season Four. Executive Producer Mike Judge talks about the challenge of staying relevant and topical when the show is written and filmed so far ahead of when it airs; star Thomas Middleditch, who plays Pied Piper founder Richard Hendricks, says the past year has made him apprehensive about privacy, data collection and social media algorithms; and costar Amanda Crew, who plays venture capitalist Monica Hall, talks about investing in real tech companies with female founders. Also: Kumail Nanjiani, who plays Dinesh Chugtai, begs for free Apple products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/26/201749 minutes, 48 seconds
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Recode Decode: Matt Ross, actor/director

Actor Matt Ross talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about playing Hooli CEO Gavin Belson on HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” which just started its fourth season. Ross, who previously played Alby Grant on “Big Love,” says he tries to make the antagonists he plays sympathetic and sincere, even in a goofy comedy like “Silicon Valley.” He also talks about his first film, “Captain Fantastic,” which was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, and the balance between tech companies and Hollywood, as Amazon and Netflix bid for top film and TV talent. That competition has been great for outsiders getting their stories told, but Ross wonders: What happens if the new money goes away? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/24/20171 hour, 5 minutes, 43 seconds
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Recode Decode: Steve Hilton, CEO, Crowdpac

Crowdpac CEO Steve Hilton talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about how his website is making it easier for anyone to explore running for office and to collect donations for political causes and campaigns. Hilton, a former advisor to British Prime Minister David Cameron, says the need to raise money “underpins a huge proportion of what’s wrong with politics,” and wants more diverse voices in the fray. A supporter of both Brexit and candidate Trump, he says the U.S. president needs to stop listening to Republicans in Congress and focus on “positive populism” — meaning solutions to the anxiety over jobs and the economic growth that helped Trump beat Hillary Clinton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/19/20171 hour, 5 minutes, 59 seconds
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Recode Decode: Rep. Ro Khanna

Congressman Ro Khanna talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and Tony Romm about why the people who have benefitted most from technology have a civic duty to give back to their country. Rep. Khanna's district, CA-17, covers several major Silicon Valley companies, including Apple, Intel, Yahoo and eBay, and he calls on the people creating "wealth and success" to help others succeed, including their own workers. Khanna argues that net neutrality is a major issue in need of more attention, and calls FCC chairman Ajit Pai "one of the worst picks possible in government" and a mouthpiece for the telecom industry. He also discusses immigration reform, the transition to "21st century jobs" and why President Trump's tweets are so effective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/17/20171 hour, 11 minutes, 23 seconds
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Recode Decode: Laura Weidman Powers, CEO, Code2040

Code2040 CEO and co-founder Laura Weidman Powers talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the mistakes employees and managers make when they talk about diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Companies need to make fundamental changes to how they hire and operate to be welcoming destinations for underrepresented minorities, Weidman says. She discusses the inherent flaws in most "unconscious bias" training and what Code2040 has done differently when it partners with tech companies, finding jobs for hundreds of black and latino students over the past five years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/12/201747 minutes, 47 seconds
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Recode Decode: Bijan Sabet, general partner, Spark Capital

Spark Capital General Partner Bijan Sabet talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about being a venture capitalist based on the East Coast, and how he became an early investor in companies like Twitter, Tumblr and Cruise. Sabet also discusses why he has become more politically vocal under President Trump, and urges tech CEOs to follow the lead of their employees in speaking out; the answer on all sides, he says, is to let more voices be heard. Sabet also talks about the failure of the personal-drone company he backed, Lily; and the blunt truth about venture capital — even good VCs are wrong most of the time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/10/201755 minutes, 14 seconds
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Recode Decode: Nextdoor CEO Nirav Tolia talks about adversity and Uber CEO Travis Kalanick

Nextdoor CEO Nirav Tolia talks with Recode's Kurt Wagner about how he and his team built a social network for neighborhoods, with a focus on trust and privacy that forced the company to grow slower than most tech startups. Tolia was previously the CEO of Epinions, which after a merger became Shopping.com and sold to eBay. After a sports startup called Fanbase fizzled, Tolia was challenged by Benchmark's Bill Gurley to try again, and today Nextdoor is worth more than $1 billion. Having faced adversity and a public image problem of his own, he also shares some leadership advice for Uber CEO Travis Kalanick: Deal with your issues quickly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/5/20171 hour, 1 minute, 48 seconds
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Recode Decode: Kim Malone Scott, author, ‘Radical Candor’

"Radical Candor" author and CEO coach Kim Malone Scott talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how to be a better manager and leader. Based on her personal experiences at Apple, Google and several tech startups, Scott argues that most management failings come from bosses who are too nice rather than too mean, especially when they're talking to someone who looks different than them. She also discusses the current management crisis at Uber, which she attributes to a culture of "unchecked unilateral authority" that would be more at home in a "baboon troupe or totalitarian regime." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/3/20171 hour, 17 minutes, 31 seconds
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Recode Decode: Daniel Lurie, CEO, Tipping Point Community

Tipping Point Community CEO Daniel Lurie talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his organization's efforts to fight homelessness in San Francisco. He says it's all too easy to "not see" the incredible poverty and inequality in the Bay Area if you commute into Silicon Valley every day, which means people in tech must be educated about the problem if they're going to be part of the solution. Lurie calls on techies of means, the beneficiaries of "this incredible moment in time," to get involved in philanthropy. He argues that civic involvement won't last if it's mandated from the outside, and that companies must see it as a cultural priority, with the energy to help coming from the top of the org chart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/27/201754 minutes, 34 seconds
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Recode Decode: How HBO's 'Veep' is reacting to Trump (Live at SXSW)

"Veep" actors Tim Simons and Matt Walsh and showrunner David Mandel talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about the upcoming sixth season of the HBO political satire. Speaking in front of a live audience at South by Southwest, they recount how they found out on set that Donald Trump had won the presidency, and why it's not their job to respond to the new administration directly. Instead, they say, "Veep" will continue mocking the hypocrisy at all levels of politics and on both sides of the aisle, showing what happens to Julia Louis-Dreyfus's character, Selina Meyer, after she loses the presidency and is a private citizen once again. The trio also talks about the addictiveness of Twitter, whether "Veep" would work in virtual reality, and why everyone in D.C. is oblivious when they get parodied. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/20/20171 hour, 10 minutes, 50 seconds
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Recode Decode: Crooked Media founders: We're podcasting the Trump resistance (Live at SXSW)

Crooked Media Founders Jon Favreau, Tommy Vietor and Jon Lovett talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about their hit podcast, "Pod Save America," in a live interview at South by Southwest 2017. Having previously worked as speechwriters and spokespersons for the Obama administration, the trio discusses what Democrats missed during the 2016 election and how the new "opposition party" to Donald Trump can best focus its resistance. They explain how they run their "progressive media company," which cares more about impact than income, and why they're not excited by the prospect of a presidential run from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/15/20171 hour, 6 minutes, 45 seconds
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Recode Decode: Quincy Smith, partner, Code Advisors

Code Advisors Partner Quincy Smith talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the current state of mergers and acquisitions in tech and media. Smith, who previously worked at Netscape and CBS Interactive, says media companies consolidate in tough times, and a massive game of "sharks and minnows" has begun with AT&T's pending $85 billion deal to buy Time Warner. However, in a similar business climate, tech companies focus on their own products, and Smith argues that the rise of artificial intelligence is delaying or obviating the prospect of big new deals among internet and social media companies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/13/201754 minutes, 54 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ron Johnson, CEO, Enjoy

Enjoy CEO Ron Johnson talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his long career in commerce, including 15 years at Target, and his 12 years at Apple, where he created the Apple Store. Johnson's current company Enjoy hand-delivers premium tech products and helps users with set-up to improve customer satisfaction. He argues that big retailers like Walmart need to innovate on the in-store experience and copy Amazon's approach to customer happiness and loyalty. Johnson also talks about working with longtime Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who initially hated the idea of the Genius Bar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/6/20171 hour, 7 minutes, 38 seconds
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Recode Decode: Brewster Kahle, chairman, The Internet Archive

Entrepreneur and archivist Brewster Kahle talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the 20th anniversary of the Internet Archive and why it's more important than ever to preserve our digital past. Kahle talks about the companies he founded and sold to AOL and Amazon — WAIS and Alexa, respectively — and how the nonprofit Archive has dealt with everything from copyright issues to social networking websites that are walling themselves off from the rest of the web. He also predicts where artificial intelligence goes from here, saying today's corporations and militaries are a sort of "proto-AI." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/1/201753 minutes, 52 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sue Decker, Raftr founder, and Michael Dearing, investor

Former Yahoo president Sue Decker and investor Michael Dearing talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about Raftr, Decker's recently launched social platform for sane, civil discussions about topics ranging from sports to "Game of Thrones" to President Trump. Decker says the success of sites like Slack and Nextdoor has demonstrated that Facebook and Twitter are not the end-all be-all of social media and says Raftr will give people the opportunity to find new like-minded friends. Later in the show, the two talk about the journalistic responsibilities of tech companies in a world of "fake news." Dearing, the founder of venture capital firm Harrison Metal, says big platforms like Facebook can do the most good by shining a "flashlight" on hoaxers, rather than trying to write rules that disallow it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/27/201744 minutes, 49 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jeremy Liew, partner, Lightspeed Venture Partners

Lightspeed Venture Partners' Jeremy Liew talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about being a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley at a time when the Valley no longer represents most tech consumers. Liew argues that startup founders are popping up all over because they're now making products for Middle America and the third world, not just Palo Alto and Brooklyn. He also discusses working at AOL after the notorious Time Warner merger, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel's crucial insights that enabled Snapchat's success, and why he's not too concerned about "four years of bad presidency." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/22/201754 minutes, 50 seconds
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Recode Decode: Brad Stone, author, 'The Upstarts’

Bloomberg Tech journalist Brad Stone talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his latest book, "The Upstarts: How Uber, Airbnb, and the Killer Companies of the New Silicon Valley Are Changing the World." Stone argues that the stories of Uber and Airbnb are intertwined tales of competition, disruption and regulatory drama, and that both companies have driven CEOs who have found tremendous success despite several early missteps. Stone calls self-driving cars an "existential crisis" for Uber, and also talks about the future of Amazon, which he wrote about in his previous book, "The Everything Store." Stone says Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos might have a business problem under President Trump, as Bezos is also the owner of The Washington Post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/20/20171 hour, 14 minutes, 48 seconds
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Recode Decode: Rolf Schrömgens, co-founder, Trivago

Trivago co-founder and Managing Director Rolf Schrömgens talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about starting a search engine for hotels and why he thinks much larger rivals like Google are at a disadvantage. Schrömgens says he expects the distinctions among hotels, Airbnb listings and other forms of temporary housing to collapse over time, and wants Trivago to be able to recommend the one ideal place for a user to stay, regardless of category. He also discusses why Germany has not developed a Silicon Valley-like tech scene and why anti-immigrant fervor in the U.S., U.K. and parts of Europe is only hurting those countries and leaving them open to startup-style disruption. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/15/201746 minutes, 51 seconds
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Recode Decode: Mike McCue, CEO, Flipboard

Flipboard CEO Mike McCue talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the recent relaunch of his company's news app, which will mixes human curation with algorithms to serve up magazine-like collections of stories. McCue reflects on why one of his first employers, Netscape, failed to look past competition with Microsoft, and why he counsels startup CEOs to focus on more than just their "exit." He also makes the case for online news consumers to value human editors and real identities, as fake news and anonymous harassment have come to define Facebook and Twitter, respectively. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/13/20171 hour, 5 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'Fun Home' author Alison Bechdel

"Fun Home" author and "Dykes to Watch Out For" creator Alison Bechdel talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in front of a live audience in San Francisco shortly after a performance of the Tony Award-winning musical based on "Fun Home." Bechdel says the rise of social media after her hit book led to widespread acclaim, but also overexposure. The namesake of the "Bechdel Test," which evaluates movies based on the number and interactions of their female characters, Bechdel explains how Donald Trump motivated her to resurrect "Dykes to Watch Out For" and why she was comforted by the Women's March on Washington. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/8/201732 minutes, 40 seconds
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Recode Decode: John Markoff, ex-reporter, The New York Times

Technology journalist and former New York Times reporter John Markoff talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his nearly three-decade long career covering tech for the Times before retiring at the end of 2016. He reflects on why Steve Jobs was both a great and terrible person to interview and how science fiction books such as "Neuromancer," "Snow Crash" and "True Names" gave him a leg up on other reporters. Markoff says the most important issues facing the tech world today include the dangers of anonymity online; how scientific advances will make it easy to edit genes; and why roboticists need to focus on creating elder care robots. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/6/201758 minutes, 10 seconds
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Recode Decode: Tristan Harris, founder, Time Well Spent

Time Well Spent founder Tristan Harris talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the persuasive techniques and tricks used by companies like Twitter, Google and Facebook to make people engage with them every day. Harris's movement wants tech companies to think more often about the ethics of their design decisions, and to value their users' attention. These design choices, Harris says, are often driven by the fundamental "background problem" of advertising, and he makes the case for an "organic food movement" for tech, where users could pay to be manipulated less. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/30/20171 hour, 7 minutes, 42 seconds
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Recode Decode: Tim Ferriss, author, "Tools of Titans"

"The 4-Hour Workweek" and "Tools of Titans" author Tim Ferriss talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his newest book, which compiles the life advice of the "titans" from tech, business and entertainment Ferriss has interviewed on his podcast, "The Tim Ferriss Show." He explains how forays into education, neuroscience, tech entrepreneurship and dietary supplements led him to become a self-help author, and what everyday people can learn from winners like investor Chris Sacca, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick and actor BJ Novak. Ferriss also talks about why "voluntary suffering" is underrated and how ditching social media may make you happier. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/23/20171 hour, 8 minutes, 24 seconds
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Recode Decode: Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx talks to Recode's Johana Bhuiyan about his last week in office and what he would do if given more time. In addition to self-driving car and drone regulations, Foxx said he would like to see more rail projects across the country, and discusses the feasibility of Elon Musk's Hyperloop concept, a privately funded high-speed rail alternative. Foxx also discusses President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to replace him, former Deputy Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, and why Congress needs to look closely at Trump's $1 trillion infrastructure spending plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/16/20171 hour, 6 minutes, 52 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jennifer Hyman, CEO, Rent the Runway

Rent the Runway CEO and co-founder Jennifer Hyman talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and Jason Del Rey about her 50-year vision for changing consumer fashion habits. Now more than seven years old, Rent the Runway has six million female customers who rent designer clothes a la carte or three at a time via a $139 monthly subscription. Hyman also discusses the challenges she has faced as a female tech CEO, the most formidable of which emerged while building the company's culture. She says men and women alike are not taught to think of women's voices as inspirational, which makes everything from funding to laying people off more difficult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/9/201753 minutes, 41 seconds
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Recode Decode: Othman Laraki, CEO, Color

Color Genomics co-founder and CEO Othman Laraki talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about why we're on the verge of a healthcare revolution. Laraki, whose company tests buyers' genes for certain hereditary cancers, says the future of medicine will be defined by our ability to read data from our bodies. While most of that data used to be recorded on paper and stored at hospitals, now it's largely being generated and stored on our smartphones; he predicts that to achieve truly personalized medicine, we will need artificially intelligenct software that can comb this data, changing the role of doctors in the process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/2/201742 minutes, 12 seconds
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Recode Decode: Orkut Büyükkökten, Founder, Hello

Social networking pioneer Orkut Büyükkökten talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the eponymous social site, Orkut, which he built inside Google, and his new company, Hello. Büyükkökten says current social networks don't make it easy to meet new friends, and believes that Hello will introduce like-minded people to each other while encouraging them to be friendly and authentic. He also discusses why Orkut (the website) failed to catch on in the U.S. and why Hello is focusing initially on international markets such as Brazil and India. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/27/201638 minutes, 48 seconds
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Recode Decode: Tom Friedman

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and New York Times columnist Tom Friedman talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist's Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations." As technology and globalization get ever faster, Friedman says, humans should double down on the values, skills and behaviors that computers can't perform. Reacting to the rise of president-elect Trump, Friedman says "we’ve gone too far" in shaping policies to benefit people who have made poor life decisions, and calls for everyone to become more entrepreneurial. Friedman also discusses why he doesn't use Facebook or Twitter, and why the reactions of companies like Google and Facebook to fake news are "bullshit." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/19/201655 minutes, 33 seconds
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Recode Decode: Reddit CEO Steve Huffman

Reddit CEO and co-founder Steve Huffman talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about why he covertly edited the posts of some Donald Trump supporters, and why he regrets it now. Huffman acknowledges his editing, which he conceived as a prank but many users saw as censorship, sowed distrust among the Reddit community that the company will have to win back. He also talks about the how Reddit is trying to combat harassment more generally, the role social media played in the election and why he believes Donald Trump would have still beaten Hillary Clinton without any "bigotry [or] nastiness." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/12/201652 minutes, 9 seconds
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Recode Decode: Vic Gundotra, CEO, AliveCor

AliveCor CEO Vic Gundotra talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his long career in tech, including his start as a college dropout at Microsoft and his seven years leading Google's mobile and social efforts. His current company helps consumers monitor their heart health via a portable EKG device that talks to their smartphones, and Gundotra says the potential of wearables and deep learning for healthcare is just starting to be unlocked. However, he calls the collapse of Theranos "an unmitigated disaster" for health tech, as it affects the opinions of both investors and consumers. Gundotra also discusses the Silicon Valley bubble and why he believes techies need to extend an olive branch to President-elect Trump and his supporters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/5/20161 hour, 2 minutes, 30 seconds
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Recode Decode: Hilary Rosen and Juleanna Glover, political consultants

Democratic political strategist Hilary Rosen and Republican corporate consultant Juleanna Glover talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about how Donald Trump's election to the presidency will affect the tech and media industries over the next four to eight years. They discuss which elements of the tech-forward Obama presidency are likely to be unwound and the role Democrats can play despite GOP control of all three branches of government. The trio also discusses emerging political issues like self-driving vehicles and encryption, and why, for Trump, the New York Times is still more important than Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/28/201651 minutes, 8 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sunil Rajaraman

The Bold Italic CEO Sunil Rajaraman talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about "This Is Your Life in Silicon Valley," a series of satirical articles that went viral earlier this year. Rajaraman set out to shine a light on some harsh truths most techies won't discuss openly, and the surprise success of his pieces has him thinking about adapting them into a book. He also discusses starting and then being ousted as CEO of content marketing firm Scripted.com and how The Bold Italic is trying to preserve local journalism in San Francisco. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/21/201635 minutes, 34 seconds
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Recode Decode: Kayak co-founder Paul English

Tracy Kidder and Paul English, the author and subject of "A Truck Full of Money: One Man's Quest to Recover From Great Success," talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about English's dual life as a tech entrepreneur and philanthropist. English co-founded Kayak and, after selling it to Priceline, started another travel company called Lola. For Kidder, "Truck" is a return to tech several decades after his seminal book "The Soul of a New Machine." They discuss the challenges faced by entrepreneurs, the future of technologies like artificial intelligence and whether some forms of mental illness can be good for a tech CEO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/14/201649 minutes, 26 seconds
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Recode Decode: U.S. Chief Data Scientist DJ Patil

DJ Patil, America's first Chief Data Scientist, talks about his nearly two years in the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, working on initiatives around health care and policing. Patil grew up in Silicon Valley, and has worked at Skype, LinkedIn and eBay; he says that techies in the private sector should consider a "tour of duty" in the government to be one of their civic duties. He says opening up the vast amounts of data collected by government agencies can make everyone better-off — as long as personal data like health records can be properly secured. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/7/20161 hour, 2 minutes, 8 seconds
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Recode Decode: How does tech fix its diversity problem?

On this special bonus episode of Recode Decode, we look back at our past guests' most insightful comments about diversity in tech and media. Interviewees including Chamath Palihapitiya, Samantha Bee and Dick Costolo explain why discrimination based on sex, age and ethnicity are so common, and what might be done to fix the problem. You can find the full interviews excerpted in this show at Recode.net/Podcasts or in the podcast feeds for Recode Decode and Recode Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/2/201644 minutes, 23 seconds
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Recode Decode: Dennis Crowley and Jeff Glueck, co-founder and CEO, Foursquare

Foursquare co-founder Dennis Crowley and CEO Jeff Glueck talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the location intelligence company is generating sellable data for partners like Apple, Uber and Twitter based on its users' check-ins. Glueck, who took over as CEO for Crowley in January 2015, compares the company's new business model to "Robin Hood" because it simultaneously helps small businesses and charges the big ones. The two also discuss where they'd like to see location tech go, including the idea of a talking virtual assistant — similar to Scarlett Johansson's character Samantha from the movie "Her" — that speaks to you like a friend and recommends new places to go. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/31/201649 minutes, 37 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ted Leonsis, Founder, Revolution Growth

Revolution Growth founder and partner Ted Leonsis talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about being a longtime executive at AOL and how the company changed dramatically when it merged with Time Warner in 2000. Leonsis says AOL correctly anticipated the social nature of the internet, but left several windows open for Google to beat it at its own game. After the merger, it had to turn its energies toward defending Time Warner's legacy businesses and missed still more opportunities. He also discusses his majority ownership of several sports teams, including the NBA's Washington Wizards and the NHL's Washington Capitals, and why he thinks Vice's cable channel Viceland is "the biggest con ever." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/26/20161 hour, 1 minute, 42 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'Mr. Robot' creator Sam Esmail

"Mr. Robot" creator Sam Esmail talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his hit TV show, whose star Rami Malek recently won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a drama. Esmail says he grew up loving both movies and technology, and was disappointed by Hollywood's seeming inability to portray hackers in TV shows and movies authentically. The secret to the success of 'Mr. Robot,' he says, is that he's more interested in the complex humanity of both the characters and the people who make technology, rather than the tech itself. He also discusses how platforms like Netflix and Amazon have shaped his line of work and explains why he's interested in working in several mediums, such as video games and virtual reality, simultaneously. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/24/201649 minutes, 32 seconds
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Recode Decode: Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about cooperation between government and the tech industry and the new challenges of the digital economy. Secretary Pritzker says artificial intelligence will upend many jobs, but the solution is to focus on retraining workers for new industries like cybersecurity, where American companies have hundreds of thousands of open positions. She also explains the recent battle over the Commerce Department's oversight of the internet and why handing over that oversight to the international nonprofit ICANN was the best way to protect the open web. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/19/201637 minutes, 51 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ashton Kutcher

Actor, producer and investor Ashton Kutcher talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his life as both a TV star and a tech obsessive. Kutcher, who starred in shows like "Two and a Half Men" and "That '70s Show," has invested over the past five years in companies like Uber, Airbnb and Square. But he passed on Snapchat — twice — because he hated the app's design and feared what would happen when it got hacked. He's currently starring in the Netflix sitcom "The Ranch," and says denying the rise of digital media platforms in Hollywood is like denying climate change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/17/201659 minutes, 31 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'Iron Man' director Jon Favreau

Jon Favreau, the actor and director known for films such as "Swingers," "Iron Man" and "The Jungle Book," talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new efforts in virtual reality, starting with the interactive short film "Gnomes & Goblins." Favreau says that VR is a powerful artists' tool, but advances in digital filmmaking won't replace actors, or the need for fundamental storytelling skills. He hopes to use virtual reality to create powerful connections between the viewer and virtual characters, and explains how other tech trends like Netflix have changed Hollywood forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/12/201649 minutes, 42 seconds
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Recode Decode: 'The Late Late Show' host James Corden

James Corden, host of "The Late Late Show" on CBS and viral video star, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about redesigning a talk show for the YouTube generation, built around segments like "Carpool Karaoke." Corden has a complicated relationship with technology, and worries that the internet's appearance of freedom of choice is making us all more narrow-minded. He also chats about encounters with drones and social media bullies and why he thinks the technology industry is misleading the public by using the term "the cloud." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/10/20161 hour, 1 minute, 50 seconds
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Recode Decode: Aileen Lee, managing partner, Cowboy Ventures

Cowboy Ventures founder and managing partner Aileen Lee, previously a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about being one of the few female venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. After leaving Kleiner Perkins in 2012, Lee set out to amass data about the small percentage of startups that become breakout success stories, and she coined the term "unicorn" to describe the small fraction that would be valued at more than $1 billion. She says entrepreneurs today have to be tougher now that investors' fervor has cooled off, and says those investors will have to change, too, by becoming more diverse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/3/201651 minutes, 5 seconds
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Recode Decode: Bradley Tusk, CEO, Tusk Holdings

Tusk Holdings CEO Bradley Tusk talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his unique political consulting firm Tusk Ventures, which trades equity in companies like Uber, FanDuel and DraftKings for regulatory guidance. Tusk previously worked for former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, and explains in detail how Uber undermined the city's current mayor, Bill de Blasio, with a series of blistering attacks last year. He also talks about the tech challenges facing America's next president, including autonomous driving, drone regulation and how sharing-economy workers are classified. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/26/201655 minutes, 12 seconds
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Recode Decode: Margrethe Vestager, Commissioner for Competition, European Commission

In this special bonus episode, Margrethe Vestager, Europe's Commissioner for Competition, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the high-profile cases she has brought against Apple and Google for alleged unfair tax breaks and antitrust violations, respectively. Vestager says "there is a limit to everything," including the assistance successful companies should get from the government, and their access to consumers' data. She rejects President Obama's past allegation of European regulators singling out American companies, and explains why Silicon Valley should be put under the microscope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/20/201642 minutes, 6 seconds
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Recode Decode: John Hanke, CEO, Niantic

Niantic CEO John Hanke talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and Ina Fried about the company's hit mobile game Pokémon Go and what happens now that the initial hype around it has "stabilized." Future updates to the game will include new types of Pokémon, trading with other players and possibly battling with your friends. Hanke also reflects on his first company Keyhole, which was bought by Google and became Google Earth, and why augmented reality is a more important technology than virtual reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/19/201655 minutes, 43 seconds
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Recode Decode: Benchmark partner Bill Gurley

Benchmark general partner Bill Gurley talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about life as a venture capitalist and why he's still worried about a bubble, a topic he has written about extensively. Great entrepreneurs could raise money at any time, Gurley argues, but when funding is easy to come by, it invites in entitled and less talented startup founders, as well as unwanted government regulation. He also discusses sitting on the board of Uber, challenges faced by its CEO, Travis Kalanick, and why the ridesharing company is unlikely to go public "any time in the near future." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/12/201658 minutes, 11 seconds
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Recode Decode: Stacy Brown-Philpot, CEO, TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit CEO Stacy Brown-Philpot chats with Recode's Kara Swisher about how her company and others are changing the definition of work. During her previous stint as TaskRabbit's COO, Brown-Philpot oversaw a major shift in how the company defines itself and made its service far more reliable, at the cost of a yearlong restructuring and employee layoffs. She discusses what's next for the sharing economy and why consolidation may be ahead. Brown-Philpot also talks about being one of the few black female CEOs in tech, and what can be done at all levels of a company to improve the diversity conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/6/201656 minutes, 6 seconds
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Recode Decode: Quip CEO Bret Taylor

Quip CEO and Twitter board member Bret Taylor talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and Kurt Wagner about the reality of trying and sometimes failing as an entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. A former Facebook CTO, he reflects on how Mark Zuckerberg's company culture balanced good execution with a willingness to fail. Taylor also discusses Quip's $750 million acquisition by Salesforce, how Twitter is responding to abuse and why so many Silicon Valley companies have trouble with diversity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/29/201656 minutes, 20 seconds
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Recode Decode: Tristan Walker, CEO, Walker & Company

Walker & Company Brands founder and CEO Tristan Walker talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how technology can disrupt the health and beauty industry. Walker & Company's shaving brand, Bevel, is aimed at people of color who are underserved by the big cosmetics companies, and Walker says he plans to focus even more on personalized products those competitors can't deliver. An alumnus of Twitter, Foursquare and Andreessen Horowitz, he also discusses his problems with tech companies' "culture fit," and why those who say they can't find talented black and Latino tech workers are spouting "complete bullshit." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/22/201652 minutes, 6 seconds
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Recode Decode: Mike Cannon-Brookes, co-CEO, Atlassian

Atlassian co-CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about co-founding an enterprise software company in Sydney, Australia, in 2002. Cannon-Brookes reflects on Atlassian's successful American IPO and the differences between his team and tech companies that start in other parts of the world. Rather than trying to beat Silicon Valley at its own game, he says, the right approach for Australia is to nurture its own tech talent while building bridges across the ocean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/15/201638 minutes, 16 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sallie Krawcheck, CEO, Ellevest

Sallie Krawcheck, formerly the CFO of Citi Group and the CEO of Merrill Lynch, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about launching Ellevest, a new online investment platform for women. Krawcheck says the male-dominated world of finance overlooks the needs of female customers, and that women invest differently. She also discusses the 20-20 hindsight of the 2008 financial crisis, the danger of another downturn and why being an entrepreneur is "harder than running Merrill Lynch." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/8/201641 minutes, 48 seconds
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Recode Decode: Eric Jackson, activist investor, Yahoo

Eric Jackson, a longtime activist investor in Yahoo and the managing director of SpringOwl Asset Management, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the momentous deal that will sell Yahoo's core business to Verizon for nearly $5 billion. Jackson reflects on how he came to be a champion, and then a critic, of Yahoo's final CEO, Marissa Mayer, and whether saving the pioneering internet company was doomed from the start. He also suggests that the end of an independent Yahoo carries some lessons for other tech companies moving forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/1/201638 minutes, 41 seconds
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Recode Decode: "Chaos Monkeys" author Antonio García-Martinez

Antonio García-Martinez, author of the new tell-all book, "Chaos Monkeys: Obscene Fortune and Random Failure in Silicon Valley," talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about starting a company, getting acquired by Twitter, and defecting to Facebook one year before its IPO. García-Martinez knew from the start that he wanted to write a book, and the end result doesn't mince words with its subjects. He says one of the big takeaways from "Chaos Monkeys" is that Silicon Valley constantly lies to itself, and that that mass delusion has helped it succeed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/25/201641 minutes, 47 seconds
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Recode Decode: Peloton CTO Yony Feng

Peloton CTO Yony Feng talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the indoor cycling company is trying to shake up in-home exercise programs with its custom fitness bike, which sells for $2,000. Peloton broadcasts 12 live spinning classes to those bikes every day and challenges its bike owners to compete for a spot on its global leaderboards. Feng discusses how the bike compares to other techie fitness gear and why Peloton may be interested in virtual reality — just not right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/18/201634 minutes, 2 seconds
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Recode Decode: "Hamilton" producer Jeffrey Seller

"Hamilton" lead producer Jeffrey Seller talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the hit Broadway musical goes forward now that three of its stars — Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr. and Phillipa Soo — have taken their final bows. Seller says he avoids or doesn't understand much of Silicon Valley's tech obsessions, and praises the power of live theater as an antidote to gadget addiction. He explains how "Hamilton" and Ticketmaster have tried to thwart ticket-buying bots behind the scenes, and reflects on some of his other Broadway productions, including "Rent" and "In the Heights." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/11/201650 minutes, 21 seconds
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Recode Decode: Gary Zenkel, President, NBC Olympics

NBC Olympics President Gary Zenkel talks with Recode's Ina Fried about how the network is building on the digital reach of the Summer Games via livestreaming, virtual reality, Snapchat and more. Zenkel says NBC and Samsung expect to produce two to three hours of virtual reality content per day throughout the Games. He also addresses concerns about the Zika virus and politics in Rio de Janeiro, but says he's not worried about their effect on the Olympics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/4/201646 minutes, 52 seconds
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Recode Decode: Donna Dubinsky and Jeff Hawkins, co-founders, Numenta

Donna Dubinsky and Jeff Hawkins — the co-founders of Palm, Handspring and Numenta — talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about their efforts to decode the human brain. They say everything that makes us human, from language to art to engineering, derives from the same learning algorithm, and Numenta hopes to ultimately teach that algorithm to a machine. Dubinsky and Hawkins explain why we shouldn't be afraid that machines will take over the world and why they believe artificial intelligence will drive advancements in technology for the rest of the century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/27/201643 minutes, 32 seconds
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Recode Decode: Daphne Koller, president, Coursera

Coursera president and co-founder Daphne Koller talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how she helped build the popular online learning platform after a successful early experiment at Stanford University. Koller says the future of higher education is a mixture of online and offline learning, with people continually going back to school in some form throughout their lives, rather than stopping in their 20s. She discusses whether universities themselves are at risk of going extinct and whether technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality could replace a college professor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/20/201639 minutes, 33 seconds
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Recode Decode: Chelsea Handler

Chelsea Handler, the host of Netflix's new talk show "Chelsea," chats with Recode's Kara Swisher about going digital after seven years on the cable channel E! She runs "Chelsea" like a normal TV show, just not a late-night one, because her viewers might watch at any time, in any order. Handler says re-entering the public eye meant adjusting to changes in social media (hello, Snapchat!) and discusses what she thinks of transgender bathroom rights, Donald Trump and Tesla's Elon Musk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/13/201642 minutes, 57 seconds
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Recode Decode: Kim Kardashian

Reality TV star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about why she doesn't use Facebook, but loves Snapchat. Kardashian credits her family's career success to social media and has successfully tapped digital partners at Whalerock to develop a paid-subscription app and the emoji app Kimojis, which has rocketed to the top of the charts on both iPhone and Android. Coming soon: Kimojis merch. She also chats about her penchant for naked selfies, being a parent and her husband Kanye West's yearning for a self-driving car. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
6/6/201633 minutes, 35 seconds
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Recode Decode: LeBron James's business manager, Maverick Carter

Maverick Carter, the business manager for basketball superstar LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, talks to Recode's Kurt Wagner about how the internet has radically changed athletes' place in the media world. Athletes are no longer reliant on newspapers and TV networks to tell their stories, which means that they -- and the people they trust -- can hone and craft the narrative more than ever before. Carter also talks about what he learned working at Nike, the controversial live TV special "The Decision" and James's acting roles in "Trainwreck" and, maybe, "Space Jam 2." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/30/201641 minutes, 40 seconds
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Recode Decode: JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon

JPMorgan Chase president, chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how big banks are both competing against and collaborating with Silicon Valley. He explains why tech company IPOs have sharply declined in 2016 but says he's certain they will return. Dimon also reflects on the anger directed at banks throughout the 2016 election and what the next president needs to do to make things right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/23/201640 minutes, 26 seconds
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Recode Decode: Rep. Nancy Pelosi

U.S. Rep. and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi sits down with Recode's Kara Swisher to talk about the 2016 election, immigration reform and how Congress is trying to work with and learn from the tech industry. Pelosi says she's certain that Hillary Clinton will defeat Donald Trump in the presidential race and explains why she sides with Apple in its ongoing encryption battle against the FBI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/16/201647 minutes, 18 seconds
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Recode Decode: Walt Mossberg

On this special episode of "Recode Decode," we celebrate the relaunch of Recode.net with an extended interview between Recode co-founders Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg. In 1991, Mossberg was laughed out of the Secretary of State's office for announcing that he would start writing about technology. Three media companies and 25 years later, he reflects on the changing landscape of tech journalism. Plus: Kara and Walt preview the upcoming Code Conference and look back on a decade of conference highlights and lowlights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/9/201648 minutes
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Recode Decode: Deeds Not Words' Wendy Davis

Former Texas State Senator Wendy Davis -- most famous for her filibuster to stop legislation that would severely restrict abortions in that state -- talks with Kara Swisher about her new digital initiative Deeds Not Words, which hopes to mobilize young women into political action. She discusses her history of confronting misogyny and discrimination, both in real life and online, and why progress in women's rights has been so slow. Davis thinks women must forcefully call out attempts to silence them and learn to put a human face on grim statistics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5/2/201643 minutes, 33 seconds
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Recode Decode: Keith Rabois says winter is coming for wasteful startups

Khosla Ventures investment partner Keith Rabois talks with Kara Swisher about building PayPal before the dot-com crash and the entrepreneurial lessons he applied from that company to later jobs at LinkedIn, Slide, Google and Square. Now, as a venture capitalist, he sees himself as a consulting psychologist for many companies in his portfolio. He also discusses why investors who once feared missing the next Uber are now rejecting startups with high burn rates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/25/201651 minutes, 26 seconds
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Recode Decode: Steve Case’s “Third Wave”

Investor and former America Online CEO Steve Case, the author of a new book called "The Third Wave," talks with Kara Swisher about how companies like AOL made on-ramps to the Internet and where we'll find the next big ideas. He dissects why the notorious AOL Time Warner merger failed and explores what the big market leaders need to do to stay on top. America can create millions of new jobs, he argues, by expanding the startup mentality nationwide, including to non-tech sectors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/18/201650 minutes, 13 seconds
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Recode Decode: Dave Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal, co-CEOs, Warby Parker

Warby Parker co-founders and co-CEOs Dave Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal talk with Re/code's Senior Commerce Editor Jason Del Rey about how they challenged the incumbents of the eyewear business, which is dominated by one company, Luxottica. They explain why they expanded beyond their online sales business into old-fashioned retail stores and why, even in the digital age, a strong brand name is vitally important for fashion. Plus: Where did the name "Warby Parker" come from? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/11/201639 minutes, 44 seconds
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Recode Decode: Anne Wojcicki, CEO, 23andMe

Kara Swisher talks with 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki about why the personal genomics company's mission is unchanged after a battle with the FDA. Wojcicki argues that understanding one's own genetic traits is part of a broader trend of consumers taking control of their health. She also discusses being a famous female tech executive, what she thinks of 23andMe's embattled peer Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos and why she doesn't read her own press (especially when it is about her relationship with New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4/4/201655 minutes, 55 seconds
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Recode Decode: Renaud Laplanche, CEO, Lending Club

Lending Club CEO Renaud Laplanche talks with Kara Swisher about the benefits of online financial services in a world that no longer needs old-fashioned bank branches. He also explains why Lending Club's stock has been slipping for two years and is currently at half its IPO share price. Plus: Why the venture capitalist honeymoon with private financial tech companies might be ending and why Laplanche is bracing for a general market downturn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/28/201638 minutes, 32 seconds
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Recode Decode: Chamath Palihapitiya, Investor, Social Capital

Social Capital founder Chamath Palihapitiya talks with Kara Swisher about working on Winamp, AOL Instant Messenger and Facebook before becoming an outspoken investor. In today's Silicon Valley, he says, old investment firms are dying and the next hundred-billion-dollar companies will be more diverse and open-minded. He also evaluates Twitter, Yahoo and the racial animosity of Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/21/20161 hour, 9 minutes, 26 seconds
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Recode Decode: Orion Hindawi, CEO, Tanium

Tanium CEO Orion Hindawi talks with Re/code's Arik Hesseldahl about why it's easier than ever for hackers to strike at companies and governments, and why those who cling to obsolete security solutions are putting everyone at risk. Hindawi says we're hearing about more security breaches, but that doesn't necessarily mean more are happening. Plus: Why the coconut-water-drinking corporate culture in Silicon Valley is wasteful, irresponsible and headed for a fall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/14/201647 minutes, 58 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ash Carter, United States Secretary of Defense

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter talks with Kara Swisher about his efforts to unite the Pentagon and Silicon Valley behind common goals, including a new "innovation advisory board" chaired by Eric Schmidt. He also explains why he is a strong supporter of encryption, why he almost never uses a cell phone and why he does not want to cede control of the Internet to countries like China and Russia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3/7/201637 minutes, 26 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sam Shank, CEO, HotelTonight

HotelTonight CEO Sam Shank talks with Kara Swisher about taking only 10 weeks to launch an online travel app. He explains how the startup worked to avoid being perceived as "another Groupon" and why he believes big hotel chains such as Hilton and Marriott are in danger. Plus: Despite turmoil in the markets, will HotelTonight go public? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/29/201634 minutes, 7 seconds
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Recode Decode: Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor, California

California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom talks with Kara Swisher about why the government's approach to technology needs to be completely reimagined. A former mayor of San Francisco, Newsom argues that tech companies need to take an active role in fixing socioeconomic problems caused by their success. He also talks about self-driving cars, virtual reality sports and working with Napster co-founder Sean Parker to legalize marijuana. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/22/201650 minutes, 56 seconds
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Recode Decode: Hadi Partovi, CEO, Code.org

Code.org CEO Hadi Partovi talks with Kara Swisher about how he discovered his love for programming, and how Steve Jobs' death spurred him to create a non-profit that would spread that love to others. He argues that, just as students learn chemistry but don't all become chemists, education should reform to make young people digitally literate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/15/201634 minutes, 48 seconds
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Recode Decode: Andrew Jarecki, "The Jinx" Director

Andrew Jarecki joins Peter Kafka to talk about the success of true-crime documentary series such as "Making a Murderer," "Serial" and the show he directed, "The Jinx." He also discusses his history in tech as the founder of MovieFone and a new application called KnowMe, which makes it easier to share visual stories about your life from your phone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/11/201633 minutes, 27 seconds
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Recode Decode: Mike Cagney, CEO, SoFi

SoFi CEO Mike Cagney sits down with Kara Swisher to discuss why financial technology startups are suddenly hot and how SoFi hopes to eventually replace your bank, even though it has no permanent physical locations. He also talks about why SoFi is planning to launch a dating app (no, really) and why it ran an ad during Super Bowl 50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/8/201648 minutes, 57 seconds
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Recode Decode: Chet Kanojia, Starry CEO

Starry CEO Chet Kanojia, formerly the founder and CEO of Aereo, is back with another startup aimed at taking on the man. He sits down with Peter Kafka to talk about Starry, which aims to attack broadband monopolies and duopolies by delivering high-speed consumer Internet over the air. He also discusses fellow disruptor Google Fiber and what the Supreme Court didn't understand about Aereo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/4/201635 minutes, 53 seconds
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Recode Decode: Eric Weiner, Author of "The Geography of Genius"

Eric Weiner, author of New York Times bestseller "The Geography of Bliss" and the new book "The Geography of Genius," talks with Kara Swisher about how where we live can make us smarter and more innovative. He traces genius from Athens to Calcutta to Silicon Valley, and warns that arrogance has ended every golden age in history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2/1/201654 minutes, 55 seconds
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Recode Decode: Nick Denton, Gawker Media Founder, and Jason Epstein, Investor

Gawker Media founder Nick Denton and new board member Jason Epstein, who just bought a minority share of the company, sit down with Peter Kafka to discuss the online media company's rapidly changing outlook. For example, Denton says he's no longer trying to fight against the growing force of Facebook. Plus: How will Gawker deal with the lawsuit from professional wrestler Hulk Hogan heading to trial? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/28/201629 minutes, 59 seconds
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Recode Decode: John Zimmer, Lyft President

Lyft President John Zimmer sits down with Kara Swisher to talk about the company's transition from ridesharing to autonomous cars, the focus of a recently announced partnership with GM. He also discusses whether Lyft is being aggressive enough in its competition with Uber and the regulatory challenges both companies face in Europe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/25/201635 minutes, 34 seconds
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Recode Decode: Shani Hilton, BuzzFeed Executive Editor of News

BuzzFeed’s Executive Editor of News Shani Hilton talks with Peter Kafka about how she rose to a leadership role within one of the world's most talked-about new media companies. She discusses how the site's strategies have changed as she manages a staff of more than 100 people. Plus: Why millennials don't need special news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/21/201629 minutes, 30 seconds
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Recode Decode: Max Levchin, Affirm CEO

Affirm CEO and PayPal co-founder Max Levchin talks with Kara Swisher about being a serial entrepreneur and discovering more about himself in the process. He also discusses why startup founders and investors are increasingly flocking to finance, the problems with banking that tech can solve and what Marissa Mayer is doing right at Yahoo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/17/201642 minutes, 15 seconds
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Recode Decode: Chris Altchek, Mic CEO

Mic CEO Chris Altchek talks with Peter Kafka about building a news site for millennials and why such a thing should exist in the first place. He explores the differences among newsreading generations and explains what Mic has learned from four years of scaling from a few hundred viewers to tens of millions. Plus: Why there's no silver bullet for social media success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/14/201628 minutes, 1 second
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Recode Decode: Trae Vassallo and Michele Madansky, Co-Authors, "The Elephant in the Valley"

Former Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner Trae Vassallo and former Yahoo exec Michele Madansky sit down with Kara Swisher to talk about "The Elephant in the Valley," their new report on gender bias and harassment in tech. The report examines the different facets of sexism through both data and anecdotes from hundreds of women. Later on: Lauren Goode and Kara Swisher are launching a new podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/11/201643 minutes, 5 seconds
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Recode Decode: Albert Wenger, Union Square Ventures Partner

Union Square Ventures partner Albert Wenger talks with Peter Kafka about being an investor at a time of bubble anxiety and political debate about the trade-off between privacy and security. He argues that tech companies and the government should work together, and also discusses the growing class of mission-driven "benefit corporations." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/7/201635 minutes, 49 seconds
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Recode Decode: Happy Re/New Year 2016; CES Preview

It's an all-star lineup of reporters from Re/code and The Verge in this special episode, featuring Kara Swisher, Lauren Goode, Casey Newton and Noah Kulwin. The team discusses the top tech stories of 2015, including online harassment, Google's restructuring and the wearable revolution that wasn't. Then, they preview CES 2016 and reflect on whether the annual trade show is still relevant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1/4/201650 minutes, 43 seconds
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Recode Decode: Rufus Griscom, Heleo CEO

Heleo CEO Rufus Griscom talks with Peter Kafka about trying to build a "BuzzFeed for brains" that can distribute Big Ideas to the broader Internet. He also discusses the founding of his two previous startups, Nerve.com (which sold to IAC) and Babble (which sold to Disney), and why big media companies may be losing interest in star writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/31/201520 minutes, 48 seconds
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Recode Decode: Niccolo de Masi, Glu CEO

Glu Mobile CEO Niccolo de Masi talks with Kara Swisher about Glu's hit games like Kim Kardashian: Hollywood and Katy Perry Pop, and what makes them different from earlier video games based on licensed intellectual property. He also handicaps the future of the gaming business, and discusses what will separate the winners from the losers. Later on: Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode review the top gadgets of 2015. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/28/201550 minutes, 32 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ev Williams, Medium CEO

Medium CEO Ev Williams talks with Peter Kafka about founding his third company that makes it easier to "write on the Interwebs," and what makes Medium different from Blogger and Twitter. He also discusses why publishing on anything other than a platform doesn't make sense any more, and offers some insight into why Twitter's board seemingly changed its mind about Jack Dorsey's eligibility to be CEO again.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/24/201532 minutes, 34 seconds
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Recode Decode: Jeremy Stoppelman, Yelp CEO

Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman talks with Kara Swisher about spending a decade at the helm of the local-recommendations site, and the new challenges posed by private companies that can out-raise the public Yelp. He also explains why he thinks quasi-competitor Google has ?lost its mind.? Later on: Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode don virtual reality headsets that are powered by smartphones and talk about the inevitable dystopian future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/21/201553 minutes, 49 seconds
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Recode Decode: Katie Nolan, Fox Sports TV Host

Katie Nolan talks with Peter Kafka about how she went from Tumblr to YouTube to television, specifically Fox Sports 1, where she hosts "Garbage Time with Katie Nolan." They also discuss online harassment and why Nolan thinks the only logical response to trolls is fighting back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/17/201523 minutes, 27 seconds
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Recode Decode: Marc Lore, Jet.com CEO

Jet.com CEO Marc Lore talks with Re/code's Senior Commerce Editor Jason Del Rey about trying to build a new e-commerce giant when rival Amazon has a 20-year lead. Also: Why is Jet.com raising so much money? Later on: Kara Swisher, Lauren Goode and special guest Ina Fried discuss "The Hunchback of Cupertino," Apple's new iPhone battery case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/14/201545 minutes, 40 seconds
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Recode Decode: Brian Rolapp, NFL Media Czar

The NFL's media czar Brian Rolapp talks with Peter Kafka about why Internet companies might (or might not) get the rights to a soon-to-be-auctioned set of games. They also discuss what makes live sports different from other forms of TV and the impact of fantasy sports on the game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/10/201533 minutes, 52 seconds
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Recode Decode: Dick Costolo, Former Twitter CEO

Former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo sits down with Kara Swisher to talk about what he's doing next, what he thinks of Twitter's future under Jack Dorsey and why men often fail to "do diversity." Later, Lauren Goode wheels in to Kara's desk to answer readers' questions about "hoverboards." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/7/201555 minutes
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Recode Decode: Ricky Van Veen, CollegeHumor Co-Founder

In this first episode of Peter Kafka's new weekly "Re/code Decode" interviews, CollegeHumor co-founder Ricky Van Veen sits down with Peter to talk about monetizing content on the Internet and why it's so hard. Plus: Why is a lot of that content moving to "old" platforms like TV, and who's more powerful, Rupert Murdoch or Mark Zuckerberg? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12/3/201532 minutes, 50 seconds
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Recode Decode: Brian Chesky, Airbnb CEO

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky talks with Kara Swisher about being in Paris during the city's recent terror attacks, and what the hospitality company is doing after a major political win in San Francisco. Later, Lauren Goode gets a new job as Kara's personal shopper, with some help from The Verge's holiday gift guide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/30/201553 minutes, 21 seconds
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Recode Decode: B.J. Novak and Dev Flaherty, The List App Co-Founders

The List App co-founders B.J. Novak and Dev Flaherty talk about their new mobile-social app for making lists and how tech is changing the entertainment world. Later, Lauren Goode joins Kara to talk about Apple's new iPad Pro and whether it's worth the upgrade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/25/201550 minutes, 55 seconds
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Recode Decode: Brent Bushnell and Eric Gradman, Two Bit Circus Co-Founders

Two Bit Circus CEO Brent Bushnell and CTO Eric Gradman talk with Kara Swisher about their high-tech circus, STEAM Carnival; fixing education; and why playing games will break down kids' aversion to the sciences. Later, Lauren Goode finds out if the new BlackBerry Priv is good enough to challenge Kara's iPhone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/18/201544 minutes, 11 seconds
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Recode Decode: Aaron Levie, Box CEO

Box CEO Aaron Levie talks with Kara Swisher about the next wave of enterprise companies and why having $80,000 is better than having $10 million. Later on: How could switching between iOS and Android be easier? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/11/201552 minutes, 11 seconds
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Recode Decode: Sequoia Capital Chairman Sir Michael Moritz

Venture capitalist and co-author of "Leading" Michael Moritz talks with Kara Swisher about the history and future of investing and leadership. Later on: Do food delivery services have a place outside of San Francisco? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
11/4/201556 minutes, 11 seconds
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Recode Decode: Huffington Post Editor in Chief Arianna Huffington

Huffington Post editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington talks with Kara Swisher about why journalism is going mobile, but she won?t take her phone to bed. Later on: is 4K TV the future, or just hype? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/28/201537 minutes, 46 seconds
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Recode Decode: Betaworks CEO and co-founder John Borthwick

John Borthwick, CEO of the "startup studio" Betaworks, tells Peter Kafka why mobile apps still rule, why he's still bullish on Twitter user growth and more. Later, Lauren Goode and Kara Swisher talk TV streaming, and Kurt Wagner unpacks the daily fantasy controversy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/21/201553 minutes, 9 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg

Ericsson is maybe the largest communications technology company on the planet. This week, CEO Hans Vestberg tells Kara Swisher about the view from the top, and why he's excited about connectivity in the developing world and in cars. Later on, The Verge's Lauren Goode talks about our Code/Mobile conference and wearables, and Mark Bergen discusses Google search. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/14/201550 minutes, 13 seconds
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Recode Decode: White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett

Valerie Jarrett is one of President Obama's most trusted confidants, and by extension one of the most powerful people in Washington. She talks with Kara Swisher about the tech industry, gun control, Congress and more. Later, Walt Mossberg talks about TV and the Internet, and Kurt Wagner discusses the executive turnover at Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10/7/201556 minutes, 59 seconds
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Recode Decode: Lenny newsletter co-founders Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner

In a special hour-long interview with Kara Swisher, Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner talk about their new newsletter publication, Lenny. The duo behind HBO's "Girls" offer their thoughts on feminism, online harassment and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/28/201551 minutes, 26 seconds
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Recode Decode: Microsoft EVP Peggy Johnson

Kara Swisher discusses the shiny, new startup-friendly Microsoft with its partnerships chief, Peggy Johnson. Plus, Lauren Goode on Internet publishing and Mark Bergen on advanced car tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/23/201557 minutes, 52 seconds
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Recode Decode: Buzzfeed founder Jonah Peretti

BuzzFeed is one of the most important and successful new media companies, tying together deeply reported impact journalism with content optimized for the digital age. Peter Kafka talks with founder and CEO Jonah Peretti, and later on, The Verge's Lauren Goode discusses the Apple event and Jason Del Rey dishes about mobile payments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/16/20151 hour, 1 minute, 11 seconds
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Recode Decode: LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner

Like rivals Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn is no longer just a social network, it's a content platform, a recruiting tool, a resume builder and much, much more. In the Red Chair this week, CEO Jeff Weiner explains how the company has grown and evolved. Plus, Walt Mossberg talks about apps for work and Ina Fried dives into the business of wearables. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/8/201556 minutes, 8 seconds
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Recode Decode: Marc Andreessen, investor and entrepreneur

Since founding Netscape more than 20 years ago, Marc Andreessen has been one of Silicon Valley's most influential figures. The entrepreneur-turned-venture capitalist talks with Kara Swisher about bubbles, politics, parenting and more, in an extended interview on this week's show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
9/1/201559 minutes, 35 seconds
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Recode Decode: Ex-Googler Erica Baker

Google salary spreadsheet creator Erica Baker talks diversity in tech with Kara Swisher, Lauren Goode debriefs drones and Ina Fried discusses car tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/26/201556 minutes, 13 seconds
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Recode Decode: Twitter legal boss Vijaya Gadde

Twitter general counsel Vijaya Gadde talks about social media and the law, Walt Mossberg and Kara go back and forth on Apple's fall lineup and Kara gives the ABCs of aging in Silicon Valley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/19/201544 minutes, 4 seconds
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Recode Decode: Investor Chris Sacca

Investor Chris Sacca shares his thoughts on who might get the Twitter CEO job, Walt Mossberg dives into the weird world of wireless carriers and Jason Del Rey explains the rise of "buy" buttons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/11/201551 minutes, 44 seconds
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Recode Decode: "Million Dollar Listing" star Roh Habibi

Kara talks with Roh Habibi, star of reality show "Million Dollar Listing San Francisco," and guest Amina Sow speaks about her experience as a black woman in tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8/5/201547 minutes, 57 seconds
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Recode Decode: Andreessen Horowitz GP Chris Dixon

Kara Swisher talks with Andreessen Horowitz general partner and entrepreneur and investor Chris Dixon about the landscape of venture capital and virtual reality. Walt Mossberg shares his perspective on Windows 10 and fields questions from his followers on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/28/201551 minutes, 2 seconds
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Recode Decode: Y Combinator's Sam Altman

Kara Swisher talks with Y Combinator president and Reddit board member Sam Altman about the social news site and the challenges of entrepreneurship. Lauren Goode fields questions on the "Internet of Things." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/22/201549 minutes, 53 seconds
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Recode Decode: Elon Musk biographer Ashlee Vance

Kara Swisher talks with journalist Ashlee Vance about his new book on Elon Musk. They discuss Musk's "Tony Stark" image, the future of Tesla and whether Musk is mellowing out. Also on the show: photo apps and Reddit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/15/201547 minutes, 36 seconds
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Recode Decode: Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield, Apple Music

Kara Swisher interviews Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield, Lauren Goode talks about Apple Music and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
7/8/201552 minutes, 55 seconds