11 episodes

Big Tech is at the height of its power, so why are so many people losing faith in Silicon Valley? We've lived through the 'techlash' -- it's time for tech to lash back. Join venture capital legend Noa Lukas as he profiles the monopolies of tomorrow and helps them nail down that billion-dollar valuation, addict a global user base, or move past their recent human rights-related "messaging difficulties.” Innovation is a zero sum game, and whether you're a hacker, a founder or a legacy player being left behind, Noa has the track record and the expertise you need to play Smartr. Featuring the voices of Tim Heidecker, Kate Berlant, Mitra Jouhari, Joel Kim Booster, and more.

Smartr Team Coco

    • Comedy
    • 4.7 • 15 Ratings

Big Tech is at the height of its power, so why are so many people losing faith in Silicon Valley? We've lived through the 'techlash' -- it's time for tech to lash back. Join venture capital legend Noa Lukas as he profiles the monopolies of tomorrow and helps them nail down that billion-dollar valuation, addict a global user base, or move past their recent human rights-related "messaging difficulties.” Innovation is a zero sum game, and whether you're a hacker, a founder or a legacy player being left behind, Noa has the track record and the expertise you need to play Smartr. Featuring the voices of Tim Heidecker, Kate Berlant, Mitra Jouhari, Joel Kim Booster, and more.

    DOLO w/ Joel Kim Booster

    DOLO w/ Joel Kim Booster

    Shopping is history with Dolo, the cute little robot that buys everything for you. Dolo roams your house, digs through your drawers and scans all your possessions, so it can buy everything you need automatically while you're working one of your three gig-economy jobs. With its cute hats, love of Christmas, and cool tricks like blowing fireballs, Dolo wants nothing more than to become a part of your family. Can Noa help CEO Roland Rouche (Joel Kim Booster) find more disciples to spread the Good Word of Dolo?

    • 29 min
    DEMO DAY w/ Claudia O’Doherty & Mark Proksch

    DEMO DAY w/ Claudia O’Doherty & Mark Proksch

    Ad-supported hammers, drone-harvested fish, DNA manipulation - anything's possible on Demo Day! It's VC Christmas as Noa checks in on the most promising companies he's been funding through his incubator. With some amazing ideas and a very special guest host (Eugene Cordero), this figures to be one of the biggest Demo Days on record, even before Noa takes the stage himself for an exclusive debut of Heaven! Is "Woz" (Mark Proksch) up to the challenge? Or will Bronte (Claudia O’Doherty) upstage them all?

    • 30 min
    HOTTEST TIPS w/ Carson Mell

    HOTTEST TIPS w/ Carson Mell

    It's no exaggeration to say that the internet would be nothing without Joe's Hottest Tips. In the 90s, millions of Americans bought PCs and they needed someone to give them Tips on how to log on, turn off their computer at night (not just the monitor!), and keep their mouseball clean. Noa’s idol Joe Williams (Carson Mell) was the foremost Tips-giver of the era, but he fell off the radar as his Tips empire was pummeled by new media consolidation. Together they set sail on Joe's yacht to relive the glory days of the first Silicon Valley boom. Can Noa rekindle Joe's spark of innovation? Or will Joe help Noa see the light with some much-needed Tips for healthier living?

    • 27 min
    ROMIO w/ Kate Berlant

    ROMIO w/ Kate Berlant

    Selling sex is illegal, but consenting to sexual activity by swapping cryptocurrency on the blockchain is innovation. That's the genius idea of Romio's founder Maya Rauss (Kate Berlant) whose brand of Silicon Valley-friendly techno-feminism has led to a career of fighting the exploitation of women's bodies online by profiting off that exploitation for herself. But Romio's contractors are struggling with crypto prices cratering mid-sex act, and the company's growth has been slowed by clashes with her ruthless competitors in the for-profit dating sphere. With Noa's own love life on the rocks, will he be able to help Romio convince its users to migrate all human relationships onto the blockchain?

    • 25 min
    DRIVE MIND w/ Matt Oberg

    DRIVE MIND w/ Matt Oberg

    The self-driving car that can behave morally at 75 MPH. Should your car swerve into traffic to avoid a stroller, or hit and run and hope for the best? Self-driving cars face these kinds of questions every mile, and Drive Mind's advanced artificial intelligence can answer them. Founder Louis Taylor (Matt Oberg) has built a robust moral driving architecture that can weigh the value of a possum crossing the road versus a stalled van full of professional gamers, and Noa decides to take it for a test drive to see if it's road ready. Can Noa help Drive Mind pull onto the onramp of success, or will a bump in the road prove fatal to Drive Mind's ambitions?

    • 29 min
    YOURFRIDGE w/ Debra DiGiovanni

    YOURFRIDGE w/ Debra DiGiovanni

    The fridge so smart it can watch you eat, save you money, and convert to Judaism. YourFridge's freshness-sensing nose isn't just smelling your lettuce and discarding your moldy fruit. It's constantly buying, selling, and trading your food with other internet-connected smart fridges to get you the best deals on staples like manchego and apple cider vinegar, even if it has to record all your conversations and undercut your local supermarket to do it. But with YourFridge coming under fire from the anti-Semitic fringe, can Noa help CEO Catherine Goldberg (Debra DiGiovanni) embrace her roots and rediscover her patriotism?

    • 24 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
15 Ratings

15 Ratings

Enciter ,

So So Funny / Terrifying / True

As we hurdle toward ending humanity; seemingly oblivious to science being the most dogmatic of faiths (yes, it IS) and all the associated risks of AI, CRISPR, high-energy physics, etc… Smart makes the most compelling case that we’re clever, stubborn monkeys that have NO IDEA what we’re doing but are going to do it anyway. Absurdity and Gravitas is the new Order and Chaos.

The only podcast I’ve listened to more than once. The DOLO episode is up to five to seven listens. If only everyone was as smart as Smartr.

ljs999 ,

Great writing!

Funny, smart, clever - so well written!

Jamie Whatever ,

Funny, well-written, and scathing.

Smartr is a hilarious, cutting critique of tech culture and consumer culture.

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