Great Chat

Mackenzie Bohannon, Angela Du, Ashley Mayer, Helen Min, & Sally Shin
  • 4.5 (16)
  • TECH NEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A podcast mostly about tech.

  1. 1D AGO

    OpenAI's new media M&A and old media exposé

    In the wake of its historic $122B fundraise, OpenAI just wrapped one of the crazier weeks in news, but we couldn't miss the chance to zero in on its surprise acquisition of new media darling TBPN. We asked Alexia Bonatsos, early stage investor and former editor of TechCrunch (a new media darling from a prior era), to join the chat. Plus: Is Medvi a shining new example of company building, or a business milkshake duck? And what's the deal with VC firms removing controversial startup logos from their websites (cough, Delve)? Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for year two of Great Chat. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. This podcast is edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠LightningPod: https://lightningpod.fm/

    38 min

  2. APR 2

    Go touch some grass (but don’t tweet about it)

    So we all survived Q1—barely. When the world gets crazy, how do you stay sane? Spoiler alert: we don’t have any answers, but we have lots of hot takes. Plus: Mac opens a factory and schools us on submarine life, we wonder if anyone has reached Goldilocks status of being just the right amount online (not us), and it turns out AI may not have the polarizing effects of social media—we love a narrative violation. Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for year two of Great Chat. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. This podcast is edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠LightningPod

    41 min

  3. MAR 26

    Bubble talk

    We’re hearing the B word a lot more lately, and while it’s clear there’s a valuation bubble, we’re not betting on a correction just yet. Plus: OpenAI trades its “you can just do things” era for focus (RIP Sora and assorted side quests), Emil Michael shows us what it means to hold a grudge, and we Delve into the latest alleged bad behavior in startupland. Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for year two of Great Chat. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. This podcast is edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠LightningPod: https://lightningpod.fm/

    35 min

  4. MAR 18

    Are startup HR teams okay?

    With all this talk of looming layoffs and AI automation, we have to wonder: what’s the People/HR world like these days? Emily Herron, a longtime startup People leader and current HR Evangelist at Rippling, joined the chat to share her refreshingly candid and pragmatic POV. Plus: Travis Kalanick is back, baby, with the perfect narrative-moment fit. Meanwhile, Marc Andreessen breaks the internet with his latest hot take: the Great Men of history weren’t introspective. Please keep counterexamples to yourself. Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for year two of Great Chat. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. This podcast is edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠LightningPod: https://lightningpod.fm/

    39 min

  5. MAR 12

    What comes after the Girl Boss?

    Inspired by International Women’s Day, we reflect on the different narratives for women in tech over the past few decades. From Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In to the rise (and fall) of the Girl Boss to…whatever this moment is? We break down what’s actually helpful to women, and what’s just performative. Plus: Microsoft enters the chat with Copilot Cowork (say that ten times fast), Anthropic strikes back with a lawsuit against the Department of War, and Cluely’s latest stunt feels so 2025. Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for year two of Great Chat. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. This podcast is edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠LightningPod: https://lightningpod.fm/

    35 min

  6. MAR 4

    Will empathy make a comeback?

    AI makes a lot of things easier, but reading the room is not one of them. On this week's Great Chat, we discuss how this moment feels different from 2020 and 2008, and debate whether we will see a return to empathy from our tech leaders. How do you lead when no one knows what will happen next? It seems everyone could benefit from taking a deep breath right now. Plus, why Katy Perry is trending again, narrative violations by Cursor, and some awful analogies that remind us that the current moment doesn't fit neatly into past frameworks. Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for year two of Great Chat. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. This podcast is edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠LightningPod: https://lightningpod.fm/

    40 min

  7. FEB 25

    The best career decisions come from the gut

    This week, we revisit one of our favorite topics: how to decide between operating roles and the portfolio life when it comes to your career. Ceci Stallmith joins us to talk about jumping back into operating as head of marketing at Lovable, and we get radically candid about all the things: stepping off the career ladder, balancing work and parenting, and the power of going with your gut. We also fangirl over Alysa Liu, lament Dario’s recent keynote, and wonder whether employing humans will someday be a luxury flex. Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for year two of Great Chat. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. This podcast is edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠LightningPod: https://lightningpod.fm/

    45 min

  8. FEB 19

    Venture is in its growthmaxxing era

    This week, we try to explain looksmaxxing…and almost certainly kill that linguistic trend in the process. Meanwhile in venture, each new AI fundraise is valuation-mogging the last, and we unpack what extreme capital concentration might mean for the startup ecosystem more broadly. Plus: dancing robots (Helen is not a fan) and what Wuthering Heights and Jack Altman joining Benchmark have in common. Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for year two of Great Chat. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. This podcast is edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠LightningPod: https://lightningpod.fm/

    39 min
See All (46)

4.5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

A podcast mostly about tech.

Information

  • Creator
    Mackenzie Bohannon, Angela Du, Ashley Mayer, Helen Min, & Sally Shin
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    46
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 4aea61b0-bc2d-11f0-936c-d79c992ea0f6
  • Show Website
    Great Chat

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