TBPN

John Coogan & Jordi Hays

TBPN is a live tech talk show hosted by John Coogan and Jordi Hays, streaming weekdays from 11–2 PT on X and YouTube, with full episodes posted to Spotify immediately after airing. Described by The New York Times as “Silicon Valley’s newest obsession,” TBPN has interviewed Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Mark Cuban, and Satya Nadella. Diet TBPN delivers the best moments from each episode in under 30 minutes.

  1. 1 day ago

    HackingFace, White House $5B AI Science Bet, Travis Kalanick Joins | Veeral Patel, Lin Qiao, Jason Fried, Travis Kalanick, Max Hodak

    (01:52) - HackingFace (17:48) - 𝕏 Timeline Reactions (29:02) - White House Puts $5B into AI Science (33:48) - 𝕏 Timeline Reactions (44:55) - Veeral Patel, Director of Software Engineering at Ramp, discusses the launch of Ramp Router, a tool developed internally over three years to optimize AI model selection and token cost management. He explains how Ramp Router allows enterprises to dynamically route tasks to the most efficient AI models, balancing factors like latency, cost, and performance. Patel emphasizes that this product aligns with Ramp's mission to help companies save time and money, extending their expertise from expense management to AI token spend optimization. (55:35) - Lin Qiao, co-founder and CEO of Fireworks AI, announced the company's recent $1.5 billion fundraising round, emphasizing their focus on building a specialized intelligence platform that enables enterprises to transform private data into customized AI models optimized for speed and cost. She highlighted the industry's shift from general to specialized AI solutions, stressing the importance of companies maintaining control over their proprietary data to develop durable businesses. Qiao also discussed the challenges of scaling AI applications efficiently, noting that without careful management, even successful products risk scaling into bankruptcy due to high operational costs. (01:05:36) - Jason Fried is the co-founder and CEO of 37signals, a Chicago-based software company known for creating project management and communication tools like Basecamp and HEY. In the conversation, Fried discusses his passion for classic cars, sharing experiences with his 1979 Porsche 928 and reflecting on past decisions regarding vehicle trades. He also touches on the challenges of purchasing vintage cars through auctions, emphasizing the importance of thorough inspections to avoid unforeseen issues. (01:31:41) - Travis Kalanick is the co-founder and former CEO of Uber, which he helped grow into a global ride-hailing giant. He now leads Atoms, an industrial robotics and “physical AI” company spanning food automation, mining, and transportation, built from the parent company behind CloudKitchens. (02:17:29) - Max Hodak, founder and CEO of Science Corporation, discusses the recent European marketing approval for their retinal prosthesis designed to restore vision in patients with age-related macular degeneration. He outlines the upcoming steps for commercialization in Europe, including country-specific registrations and surgeon training, and mentions the expedited approval pathway in the U.S. through the FDA's humanitarian device exemption. Hodak also highlights ongoing research and development efforts to enhance the implant's capabilities, aiming for higher resolution, expanded field of view, and color perception. TBPN is made possible by: Ramp - https://ramp.com Public - https://public.com Cisco - https://www.cisco.com Console - https://www.console.com CrowdStrike - https://www.crowdstrike.com Figma - https://www.figma.com MongoDB - https://www.mongodb.com NYSE - https://www.nyse.com Railway - https://railway.com Shopify - https://www.shopify.com Codex - http://openAI.com/codex Follow TBPN:  https://TBPN.com https://x.com/tbpn https://open.spotify.com/show/2L6WMqY3GUPCGBD0dX6p00?si=674252d53acf4231 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tbpn/id1772360235 https://www.youtube.com/@TBPNLive

  2. 2 days ago

    China's AI Push Sounds Alarms, Airplane Seat Debate, Chris Best Joins | Ferdinand Dabitz, Kaiwei Tang, Steven Schwartz, Katie Roof, Zavain Dar, Chad Edwards

    (01:58) - China's AI Push Sounds Alarms (36:37) - Should You Recline Your Airplane Seat? (42:47) - 𝕏 Timeline Reactions (51:39) - Ferdinand Dabitz, the 25-year-old CEO of Augustus Bank, discusses the company's recent $180 million Series B funding round, which elevated its valuation to $1 billion. He highlights Augustus's mission to "dollarize the world" by modernizing correspondent banking through AI and stablecoin technologies, aiming to provide efficient dollar access globally. Dabitz also emphasizes the strategic importance of dollarization in enhancing U.S. soft power and combating inflation. (58:53) - Kaiwei Tang, co-founder and CEO of Light Phone, discusses the company's mission to create minimalist mobile devices that help users disconnect from the attention-driven economy of traditional smartphones. He emphasizes the importance of technology serving as a tool without exploiting user attention, highlighting features like calling, texting, and music playback without ads or data tracking. Tang also notes a growing trend among younger generations seeking simpler devices, indicating a shift towards more intentional technology use. (01:12:30) - Chris Best, founder and CEO of Substack, discusses the proliferation of AI-generated content, or "slop," on the internet and its impact on reader trust. He emphasizes the importance of transparency in content creation, advocating for clear disclosure when AI tools are used to maintain authenticity and value. Best also highlights Substack's commitment to fostering genuine human connections and perspectives, believing that as AI-generated content becomes more prevalent, the value of trusted human-authored content will increase. (01:32:38) - Steven Schwartz is the co-founder and CEO of Whop, a platform that enables creators, developers, and online businesses to sell digital products, software, communities, and memberships. He focuses on building infrastructure for the internet economy, helping entrepreneurs monetize digital businesses through a unified marketplace and payments platform. (01:54:08) - Katie Roof, editor at Business Insider, discusses her recent appointment and the publication's strategic shift towards more exclusive content under Editor-in-Chief Jamie Heller. She highlights the increasing competition in journalism, emphasizing the importance of original reporting and human skills in an AI-influenced media landscape. Roof also notes the growing public interest in AI and venture capital, underscoring the need for accurate and insightful coverage in these areas. (02:02:48) - 𝕏 Timeline Reactions (02:10:31) - Zavain Dar, co-founder of Dimension, discusses the firm's recent $800 million fundraise, bringing their total assets under management to $1.65 billion. He highlights Dimension's focus on investing at the intersection of technology and life sciences, supporting companies that integrate computing with biology. Dar also addresses the evolving landscape of biotech, emphasizing the role of AI in drug discovery and the redefinition of disease treatment, while cautioning against the unregulated use of peptides and hormone mimetics. (02:23:18) - Chad Edwards, co-founder and CEO of CuspAI, a Cambridge-based AI startup, discusses the company's mission to revolutionize materials discovery through generative AI, enabling the rapid development of new materials for applications like semiconductors and climate technologies. He highlights their recent $450 million Series B funding, valuing CuspAI at $2.6 billion, with investors including Jeff Bezos' Bezos Expeditions, Kleiner Perkins, and NEA. Edwards also explains their innovative business model, securing royalties in customer contracts to share in the commercial success of the materials developed using their platform. TBPN is made possible by: Ramp - https://ramp.com Public - https://public.com Cisco - https://www.cisco.com Console - https://www.console.com CrowdStrike - https://www.crowdstrike.com Figma - https://www.figma.com MongoDB - https://www.mongodb.com NYSE - https://www.nyse.com Railway - https://railway.com Shopify - https://www.shopify.com Codex - http://openAI.com/codex Follow TBPN:  https://TBPN.com https://x.com/tbpn https://open.spotify.com/show/2L6WMqY3GUPCGBD0dX6p00?si=674252d53acf4231 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tbpn/id1772360235 https://www.youtube.com/@TBPNLive

  3. 3 days ago

    The AI Cold War, Odyssey Rips, Tyler Cowen Joins | Danny Yeung, Connor Love, Kahlil Lalji, Tarek Mansour, Tony Zhao

    (01:35) - The AI Cold War (33:40) - Odyssey Rips (44:19) - 𝕏 Timeline Reactions (55:54) - Tyler Cowen is an American economist, author, and professor at George Mason University, known for his work in cultural economics and as co-author of the blog Marginal Revolution. He discusses the inevitability of open-source AI, emphasizing that attempts to ban it are futile due to its global proliferation, particularly from China. He also highlights the challenges Europe faces in competing with Chinese industries, suggesting that imposing tariffs may not be an effective solution. (01:31:26) - Danny Yeung, CEO and co-founder of Prenetics, discusses the rapid growth of IM8, a health supplement brand co-founded with David Beckham, achieving $100 million in annual recurring revenue within 11 months and projecting over $200 million in its second year. He attributes this success to a global launch strategy, shipping to 31 countries from day one, and highlights a $1 billion growth commitment from General Catalyst, emphasizing the importance of strong retention cohort data for predictable future revenue. (01:37:48) - Connor Love, a former U.S. Army Captain with a deployment to Northern Iraq in 2019, has transitioned into venture capital, focusing on frontier technologies such as defense, space, manufacturing, and autonomous systems. In the conversation, he discusses his new role at Andreessen Horowitz, emphasizing the firm's commitment to supporting entrepreneurs in the American dynamism sector, and highlights the significant growth potential in defense and space markets, underscoring the need for substantial manufacturing capabilities to meet future demands. (01:51:57) - Kahlil Lalji, CEO and co-founder of Natural, discusses the company's $30 million Series A funding led by Forerunner and its mission to build payments infrastructure for agents. He explains that Natural enables agents to store balances, make payments, and perform transfers, with plans to expand capabilities like collecting card information over the phone. Lalji emphasizes the potential for agents to handle a majority of global payment volume in the next decade, positioning Natural to become a comprehensive financial platform encompassing banking, payment processing, and networking services. (02:00:06) - Tarek Mansour, co-founder and CEO of Kalshi, discusses the platform's significant engagement during the World Cup, noting it generated more brand impressions than major companies like Coca-Cola and Adidas, and even surpassed ChatGPT and Instagram in search volume. He attributes this success to a dynamic, adaptable strategy executed by a lean team, emphasizing rapid response to unfolding events. Additionally, Mansour introduces Kalshi's launch of GPU futures, aiming to establish a forward curve for compute resources, enabling stakeholders to hedge risks and make informed investment decisions in the evolving compute market. (02:20:12) - Tony Zhao, co-founder and CEO of Sunday Robotics, discusses the company's latest advancements in household robotics, highlighting a 99.1% success rate in folding laundry across 785 autonomous attempts. He introduces the concept of "Large Laundry Models" (LLM), emphasizing the robot's ability to generalize tasks and learn new folding methods from a single demonstration. Zhao also addresses the importance of defining performance metrics in robotics, distinguishing between success rates in controlled environments versus real-world applications. (02:31:56) - 𝕏 Timeline Reactions TBPN is made possible by: Ramp - https://ramp.com Public - https://public.com Cisco - https://www.cisco.com Console - https://www.console.com CrowdStrike - https://www.crowdstrike.com Figma - https://www.figma.com MongoDB - https://www.mongodb.com NYSE - https://www.nyse.com Railway - https://railway.com Shopify - https://www.shopify.com Codex - http://openAI.com/codex Follow TBPN:  https://TBPN.com https://x.com/tbpn https://open.spotify.com/show/2L6WMqY3GUPCGBD0dX6p00?si=674252d53acf4231 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tbpn/id1772360235 https://www.youtube.com/@TBPNLive

About

TBPN is a live tech talk show hosted by John Coogan and Jordi Hays, streaming weekdays from 11–2 PT on X and YouTube, with full episodes posted to Spotify immediately after airing. Described by The New York Times as “Silicon Valley’s newest obsession,” TBPN has interviewed Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Mark Cuban, and Satya Nadella. Diet TBPN delivers the best moments from each episode in under 30 minutes.

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