Scott answers a question on why Elon Musk is able to get away with skirting the law, and shares his thoughts on why Musk’s Twitter takeover attempt may be a seminal moment for the SEC. He also answers a question about what might lie ahead for the companies that aggregate third-party sellers on Amazon’s platform, and weighs the pros and cons of subscription versus ad models.
Archives: Podcasts
Startups vs. Big Corporations, Regulating Monopolies, and Tech Folly — with Noam Bardin
Noam Bardin, the former CEO of Waze and the VP of Product at Google, joins Scott to discuss all things tech — including what followed when Noam sold Waze to Google, how to think about regulating monopolies, and what founders need to consider when starting a business. Follow Noam on Twitter, @noam.
Scott opens with his thoughts on Elon Musk’s decision to not join Twitter’s board.
Algebra of Happiness: choose value, not volatility.
Office Hours: Spotify Subscriptions, Stock Buybacks, and Inflation
Scott answers a question on how Spotify will maintain its value proposition and grow its market share in an increasingly competitive streaming market. He then shares his thoughts on what stock buybacks mean for stakeholders and gives us a run-down on our current state of inflation.
Elon Musk and Twitter + Curating Online Communities — with Nadav Shoval
Nadav Shoval, the co-founder and CEO of OpenWeb, joins Scott to discuss how the company uses AI to help publishers build healthy online communities, specifically in their comments sections. Nadav also shares his thoughts on the differences between being a startup in Tel Aviv vs. NYC, company culture, and the importance of a cofounder. Follow Nadav on Twitter, @NadavShoval.
Scott opens with his thoughts on Elon Musk joining Twitter’s board of directors — the upside and the downsides.
Algebra of Happiness: taking risks.
Office Hours: The Tesla Phone, Apple’s Enterprise Play, and Degrees vs. Bootcamps
Scott answers a question on whether Elon Musk could capture a competitive share of the smartphone market with a Tesla phone. He then shares his thoughts on why Apple is moving into the B2B space, and offers advice to someone deciding between pursuing a traditional college degree or a bootcamp certification.
CNN+, Investing Platforms, and the Return to Fundamentals — with Leif Abraham
Leif Abraham, the co-CEO of Public.com, joins Scott to discuss the state of play regarding the fintech investment space and Public’s overall business strategy.
Scott opens with his thoughts on how the state of the IPO market is a forward-looking indicator of what’s about to happen to the streaming industry. He also shares his thoughts on CNN’s new subscription product, CNN+.
Algebra of Happiness: knowing when to de-escalate.
Office Hours: The Strength of Sanctions, the Short-form Video Revolution, and Yielding to Economic Security
Scott answers a question on whether Upwork and other gig economy companies did the right thing by suspending services in Russia. Scott also shares his thoughts on how short videos might make their way into the enterprise after TikTok accelerated the trend toward bite-sized content. The Dawg then offers advice to a couple considering taking a career sabbatical to travel.
The Ukraine Crisis Explained — with Niall Ferguson
Niall Ferguson, a historian and the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, joins Scott to discuss the implications of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. We hear what the West needs to do, why Putin is doing this, and what American news outlets get wrong about the war.
Scott opens with his thoughts on money washing.
Related Reading: Wash
Algebra of Happiness: it’s a matter of perspective.
Office Hours: NVIDIA’s Strengths, Meta’s Virtual Real Estate Opportunities, Proprietary Streaming Content, and Rebranding Government Jobs
Scott shares his thoughts on whether NVIDIA’s stock is a strong long-term investment. He then shares how streaming services might innovate around proprietary content, and answers a question about whether Meta might acquire Decentraland or the Sandbox. Scott also considers how government work could be rebranded to attract young talent.
The Illusion of ESG Investing — with Tariq Fancy
Tariq Fancy, the founder and CEO of The Rumie Initiative and the former chief investment officer for sustainable investing at BlackRock, joins Scott to discuss how ESG investing acts as “a dangerous placebo that harms the public interest.” We also hear Tariq’s take on the current state of the markets. Follow Tariq on Twitter, @sosofancy.
Scott opens with his thoughts about lobbying revenue reaching an all-time high, ad-supported streaming tiers, and Peloton’s move to the rundle.
Algebra of Happiness: knowing when to dial back.