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Jessica Lessin

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More or Less2026 Tech Predictions: AI Layoffs, a $500B IPO, and the Death of SaaS as We Know ItThe pod signs off for the year with its final episode—a sharp, chaotic recap of last year’s predictions and a fresh round of hot takes for 2026. Sam and Dave, unsurprisingly, wing it: Sam calls a single $500B+ IPO (SpaceX), Google up, NVIDIA down, and Meta hitting new highs on AI-powered ads. Jess warns that AI-driven efficiency will fuel layoffs (especially in journalism) and that CapEx hype is outrunning reality. Dave predicts a boom in third places and games-first IP, while Britt bets on an Apple comeback, AI wearables as daily “life summarizers,” a breakout AI-native social app, and a ce...
2025-12-1956 minMore or Less
More or LessParamount vs Netflix: Who Really Wins Warner Bros And What's Next?This week’s a big one: the squad kicks it off with Starlink on planes, Zoox vs. Waymo, and YouTube’s skinny bundle before taking the big swing — data centers in space as the emerging SpaceX-IPO narrative. Sam and Dave break down the real entrepreneurship skill: tell the huge story, earn the trust multiple, and consistently deliver “20 cents on the dollar” to keep the flywheel of cash spinning (re: Elon Musk and Sam Altman but thread lightly, you don't want to end up like Elizabeth Holmes or Sam Bankman-Fried). Jess celebrates a win with The Information after getting CNBC to correct...
2025-12-121h 03More or Less
More or LessCode Red, Bitcoin Costs, AWS Resurgence, and Waymo Safety (Not About AI... ish)Bitcoin’s down, so the Lessins turned down the heat and pulled out their winter gear. The More or Less squad jumps from SF’s drone-powered crime-fighting memes (Daniel Lurie’s “no drugs” moment) to how creator-content strategy now drives real deal flow. Jess says 2026 will split the AI tide (we unfortunately did have to touch on AI), with Meta’s missing enterprise story dragging its CapEx dreams, while AWS is suddenly courting founders again. From Apple’s design chief Alan Dye jumping to Meta to questioning whether OpenAI’s “code red” was a decoy, the squad never misses when it comes to the...
2025-12-051h 00More or Less
More or LessOpenAI vs Google vs Meta: Business Model WarPre-Thanksgiving chatter from the Lessins’ Surf Shack: Jess, Brit, Dave, and Sam pinball from holiday-card automation to trillion-dollar AI geopolitics. Brit trades Minted for Canva+GPT, Jess admits to maintaining a 600-row address spreadsheet, Sam unveils Slow’s Etiquette Book, and Dave still can’t believe we can’t pay in USDC. Don’t worry this year's Thanksgiving edition will live up to its hype, the crew gets into the real stuff too: Google’s TPU push vs. Nvidia’s moat, Meta reportedly buying billions in TPUs, whether Google can shave 10% off Nvidia’s revenue, and more.Chapters:06:45 The San Francisco co...
2025-11-281h 08More or Less
More or LessGoogle Just Won AI, TikTok’s “Self-Control Badges”, ChatGPT Enters Group ChatsJessica kicks things off with Brit’s five-hour Brit-chella extravaganza—red latex, Light Balance blackout choreo, Ke$ha surprise, and more. The crew checks in on Jessica’s IG detox, TikTok's new "self control badges", ChatGPT launching group chats, Google Gemini taking the lead, and why “just be Google” might be the winning AI brand strategy as AI melts into UX. Sam calls 2026 OpenAI’s make-or-break year and trashes their consumer subscription thesis; Jessica argues ad/commerce is the only viable lane. Markets stay frothy (Nvidia), hyperscaler debt risk rises, the White House preempts 50-state AI chaos, and Coinbase x Kalshi tur...
2025-11-211h 00More or Less
More or LessApple’s iPhone Sock, Waymo's Bay Area Expansion, and AI WearablesThe squad is complete again! We get into AI wearables: rings, necklaces, even earrings, after Dave hints his stealth ring startup is almost ready. Waymo quietly rolls out SF–San Jose service (still no freeways), while private-jet owners email senators about the shutdown. The squad goes over Andy Rubin’s humanoid robotics launch, Sam’s backwards Panopticon sign, Apple’s Issey Miyake iPhone “sock/pocket,” and that Slow’s etiquette school is now getting international interest. We wrap with Janitor AI’s romance boom, Sam building an AI kids-podcast pipeline with ElevenLabs, Brit wanting McConaughey to voice romance, Jess taking an Instag...
2025-11-1459 minMore or Less
More or LessApple Chooses Gemini, Sequoia's Leadership Shake-up, and Meme CoinsIt’s Etiquette Finishing School Day at Slow Ventures, Sam dials in from the Four Seasons in a Brioni suit to recap Slow’s first-ever Etiquette School—covering caviar bumps, sommelier tips, and the “low heart rate” approach to leadership. The crew argue that etiquette now matters in tech because trust is scarce and “PMF-only” is an outdated YC-era story. Jess also unpacks details from Apple’s Gemini deal, Sequoia’s leadership shuffle, Anthropic’s latest numbers, and crypto’s meme-driven chaos. Watch till the end for free No Kings and Queens of Corbet protest tees from Sam.Chapters...
2025-11-0756 minMore or Less
More or LessStuart Landesberg's Plan to Save the American West from WildfiresWith Jess running The Information's massive WTF conference and Sam off-grid on a mountain, Brit and Dave hold down the fort with Stuart Landesberg, CEO of Seneca, a Slow- and Offline-backed startup building autonomous firefighting drones. Between deep tech inside jokes, Stuart coins pro-America tech and breaks down how Seneca’s five-drone strike teams deploy 500 lbs of foam across 30 square miles in under ten minutes—even at night. Wildfires now drain over a trillion dollars a year from the U.S. economy, and Seneca’s model of detect early, respond fast, outperforms retrofitting homes or relying on pilots. With demand...
2025-10-3142 minMore or Less
More or LessTPUs Are Winning? Gemini + Anthropic vs NVIDIA, and OpenAI’s Atlas ExplainedThe gang is back with a spicy opener: Brit calls out Dave for dismissing her “AI-assisted” doc as work slop, while Sam argues lowbrow culture now imitates machines and highbrow culture resists them. We break down OpenAI’s early, hallucination-prone Atlas browser and debate whether it’s a real agent platform, just memory capture, or total $$$ burn. Sora hype is cooling as TPUs rise—with Jessica noting how The Information's TPU scoop even nudged NVIDIA to move faster. OpenAI’s compute could approach ~$45B/year at ~3 GW, forcing new financing models and tough research vs GTM trade-offs—Sam calls it Pascal’s Wa...
2025-10-2454 minMore or Less
More or LessMeta’s Teen Rules, OpenAI’s Content Shift, and Roblox the New Social Media?Jessica and Dave dive into the messy intersection of AI, culture, and the next wave of consumer tech. From the rise of “AI slop” to whether founders should build apps just for themselves, they debate what survives the model wars and what gets eaten alive. Along the way: 2025 Silicon Valley weirdness, $1B AI comp with no products, GLP-1 memes, kids treating Fortnite like the new social network, and California’s crackdown on youth tech. It’s part therapy session, part future forecast—the only technology podcast that you should listen to before you head into the weekend....
2025-10-171h 02More or Less
More or LessOracle's GPU Margins, OpenAI’s Consumer Playbook, and the Ads vs Commerce EndgameThis week on More or Less: Jess drops The Information’s scoop on Oracle’s shaky GPU rental margins and how it spooked markets, while Sam insists AI workloads will soar, even if profits don’t. Dave crunches the numbers: an “Apollo program every 10 months,” data centers now powering half of U.S. GDP, and capital getting sucked from factories into GPUs. On the culture beat: Google’s Zeitgeist goes no-swag chic, Taylor gets her own Google Easter egg, and Instagram ads become the prototype for AI’s ad future, Restoration Hardware jet memes, Waymo etiquette, Bari Weiss’ $150M Free Press–meets...
2025-10-1058 minMore or Less
More or Less#119 OpenAI Sora vs. TikTok: Can “AI Entertainment” Fund the Compute Bill?Never a dull moment with the More or Less squad: Jessica questions whether Sora is just a novelty or the start of an AI-native social economy, arguing OpenAI needs its own device to escape current platform limits. Brit calls it “Vine meets MySpace,” highlighting its cameo mechanic as a creator tool that could outpace Meta’s AI video. Dave says Sora only needs to be entertaining and pitches OpenAI’s real graph play: embedding ChatGPT in group chats. Sam compares Sora to Truth Social, not Instagram, arguing power and narrative—not unit economics—drive the AI capex boom. The squad also t...
2025-10-0349 minMore or Less
More or Less#118 Elon vs Altman: The $10B Capital War Reshaping TechNo Morins this week—just Jess and Sam, trading Gossip Girl “dear listener” asides for a tour of tech’s new power map. From Meta’s in-store glasses push to Apple’s “Find My” doubling as Gen Z’s stealth social network, the real story is how distribution and lock-in shape the future. Sam frames “mercantilism 2.0,” where global trade routes of capital now run through Silicon Valley, Tel Aviv, and Riyadh, with figures like Elon Musk and Sam Altman acting as brokers of $10B+ flows.In true Sam fashion, the conversation highlights why LLMs aren’t true moats, pointing instead to the infrastru...
2025-09-2646 minMore or Less
More or Less#117 TikTok’s New Owner and Hiring a US CEO?The More or Less team go deep on the rumored TikTok deal: licensing the algorithm vs. owning influence, who actually controls the For You page, and why data localization misses the point. We debate A16Z’s evolving role, Sequoia’s must-have-access imperative, and what a “TikTok US CEO” would really do.Chapters:00:48 - Intro + Ty Haney’s crypto-invisible loyalty rails 02:38 - “Do the weather” for Silicon Valley05:04 - Alcatraz as brand strategy (and why)11:22 - TikTok deal setup: ownership shuffle vs. real control20:05 - What does a...
2025-09-1955 minMore or Less
More or Less#116 iPhone Air or Pro? Apple Ignores AI and Wins?Apple ships hardware while everyone else ships AI press releases. The MOL quad debates whether Apple’s “ignore the hype” strategy wins, why YC is full of “made-to-chart” AI startups, what unique conviction really means for investors, and how meme warfare is becoming the new GTM.Chapters: 01:02 – “Ozempic iPhone” and why “thin” might be back10:06 – Market reaction: “Not enough AI,” money flows to Oracle16:49 – YC protest: is relevance measured by outrage?25:47 – Creator-led startups as an investing edge26:49 – Khosla: bargain hunting is a poor AI bet37:20 – Why money feel...
2025-09-1253 minMore or Less
More or Less#115 Anthropic at $170B: Should Unicorns Be Forced to IPO?Another busy week in tech and your favorite quad are back! We go over: Google’s antitrust “win,” AI M&A mania, Anthropic’s stay-private debate, why lawyers out-earn bankers now, and the barbell reality of internet businesses. We also unpack creator vs algorithm dynamics, the rise of Ozempic, and Sam’s wild “AI petty-lawsuit bot” idea.Chapters:02:07 – OpenAI’s $300k copywriting hire → AI not there yet09:03 – AI M&A deals are small relative to hype10:55 – Lawyers now out-earning bankers12:40 – Google’s antitrust “loss” turned into a win17:31 – Government says “AI...
2025-09-0557 minMore or Less
More or Less#114 Seed Rounds at $2B? The Dangers of AI Hype in VC With Tony ConradIn this episode of More or Less, Brit Morin and Dave Morin sit down with legendary VC Tony Conrad (True Ventures) for a candid conversation on the state of venture capital, the real impact of AI, the death of social media, and why non-attribution and EQ matter more than ever.Chapters:01:30 – The Power (and Rarity) of Non-Attribution in Venture 04:00 – Building Culture After the Dot-Com Crash 06:00 – Why We Don’t Do This for the Money 08:30 – EQ vs IQ: The Human Side of Venture Capital 11:00 – The Wildfire Story: When VCs Show Up as Humans...
2025-08-291h 10More or Less
More or Less#113 GPT-5 Disappoints: The End of the AI Gold Rush?This week on More or Less, the crew dives into the shifting narratives around AI (Finally everyone is getting on Sam's wavelength), the reality of LLM business models, and why infrastructure may not be the gold rush everyone thinks. We debate the hype cycles, the authenticity crisis in startup pitches, and the pitfalls of meme coins in the creator economy. Plus, is Burning Man over, and what can Taylor Swift teach us about brand-building in the internet age? As always, join Jessica Lessin, Dave Morin, Brit Morin, and Sam Lessin for an unfiltered, insider take on what’s really ha...
2025-08-221h 05More or Less
More or Less#112 Swift Should Buy Chrome, Not PerplexityThis week, the team dives into more meme capitalism, the AI hype cycle, and why San Francisco is still the epicenter of tech ambition (and some very odd real estate choices). We debate the real value behind Perplexity, the future of Chrome, and the myths founders tell themselves about trials and second chances. Plus: Taylor Swift, conspiracy AIs, and the ultimate contrarian takes for VCs and founders. Your usual well rounded and brutally honest weekly episode of More or Less.Chapters:00:00 – Taylor Swift Should Buy Chrome?!02:30 – SF Comeback: The AI Pied Piper Effect
2025-08-1547 minMore or Less
More or Less#111 Figma, OpenAI, Canva: the Rise of Meme Stock IPOs in Silicon ValleyThis week on More or Less: Jessica Lessin, Dave Morin, Brit Morin, and Sam Lessin dive deep into the surprisingly busy summer of venture capital, the impact of AI on startups, and the changing rules for founders and investors. From Figma’s IPO and the rise of meme-driven investing to the challenge of diligence in an AI-saturated world, we tackle the uncomfortable truths and new dynamics shaping Silicon Valley today. Chapters:01:46 – Dude Perfect vs. The Circus: The Internet Killed Local Art05:46 – The Creator Quality Bar Keeps Rising07:46 – Figma IPO: Did...
2025-08-0853 minMore or Less
More or Less#110 Meta's Billion-Dollar Hires: Bubble or Genius?What happens when VCs are called the least sophisticated financiers, AI researchers get billion-dollar paydays, and outrage becomes the new marketing? This week on More or Less, the full crew breaks down the state of the AI talent wars, the power of meme-driven marketing, and whether hope (not financial literacy) still drives Silicon Valley. Chapters:01:15 Jersey Shore, Laundry, and Marital Advice05:08 Sydney Sweeney Outrage: Meme Marketing & Stock Surges18:32 VCs Are the Least Sophisticated Financiers22:20 AI Billionaires: Comp Bubbles & Power Laws27:09 Will Billion-Dollar AI Talent Stay?
2025-08-0152 minMore or Less
More or Less#109 OpenAI vs Google: The Real Business Model War BeginsThis week on More or Less, Sam Lessin, Brit Morin, and Dave Morin dive into the startup world and how today's founders need to bring fun back into the ecosystem, why most public policy around AI is just noise, whether Apple’s best move is to simply not care about AI hype, and the business model reckoning for OpenAI. Stay till the very end for a sneaky savage moment from Brit!Chapters:02:00 – The Real Reason Early VC Worked: Fun03:50 – Authentic Fun vs. Fake Fun in Startups05:40 – AI Hacks, JSON, an...
2025-07-2556 minMore or Less
More or Less#108 Meta vs. OpenAI: Who Wins the Next Attention War?In this episode of More or Less, we dive into the shifting landscape of AI, attention, and business models. From the rise of ChatGPT as both productivity tool and entertainment, to the coming collision between commerce and AI-driven recommendations, the Morins and Lessins debate what’s hype, what’s real, and where the next big opportunities are for startups and VCs. Plus: the truth about local news, why coding is fun again, and a pop culture corner you won’t want to miss. Chapters:01:30 – Wedding Stories & The Early Jackson Hole Days03:00 – Interviewing Mark Zuckerberg...
2025-07-1859 minMore or Less
More or Less#107 Anatoly Yakovenko: Crypto Isn’t for Everyone (And That’s a Good Thing)We’re joined by a very special guest, Solana founder Anatoly Yakovenko for a wide-ranging conversation on crypto, tech, and what’s next. He breaks down the “punks, hoodies, suits” cycle, why AI is just a product while crypto is a movement, and how stablecoins are quietly driving global USD adoption. He shares his $1T stablecoin prediction, explains the Solana phone’s goal to challenge app store monopolies, and argues that crypto’s future lies not in mass adoption, but in serving a small group of high-value users.Chapters:00:00 Intro & Anatoly’s Backstory
2025-07-1156 minMore or Less
More or Less#106: AI Researchers Earning More Than Cristiano RonaldoThis week, the gloves come off. We're diving into Meta's raid on OpenAI, asking if Mark Zuckerberg is the new Yankees of AI and who will be the 'Moneyball' underdog. Plus, a hot take on why usage-based pricing for AI is a flawed model, the challenge of creating 'God-tier' content that works everywhere, and why AI researchers are now earning more than soccer superstars. It's a packed episode you don't want to miss!Chapters:00:00 - Intro01:18 - X vs. Threads: A Tale of Two Internets04:38 - The “God Content” Challenge: Can You...
2025-07-0455 minMore or Less
More or Less#105: Tesla, Bumble, And Bezos' Wedding - Everything Is A MessJoin the More or Less crew for a Summer Edition from the cabins! We dive into how AI is reshaping hiring, the future of resumes, the rise of agentic coding assistants, and why service businesses suck (unless you're Brit doing a fun side-hustle ). As always, we tackle the latest in tech news from The Information, from OpenAI's copyright battles to the next phase of Bumble and the realities of Tesla's Robotaxis. We’re also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessSpotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspodConnect with...
2025-06-2750 minMore or Less
More or Less#104: AI Clones, Commoditized Ads, and the Cult of TrustThis week on More or Less, we dive into the escalating AI talent wars, Meta’s bold moves, and what the latest hires really mean for the future of AI innovation. The More or Less team break down why product execution is overtaking research wizardry, what's happening between OpenAI and Microsoft, and how AI is reshaping inbound for all markets.We’re also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessSpotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspodConnect with us here:1) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Je...
2025-06-2053 minMore or Less
More or Less#103: Are Silicon Valley’s Mega-Deals Just Talent Grabs?This week on More or Less: Is Austin out-innovating San Francisco in self-driving tech? Why Apple’s WWDC liquid glass announcement a bigger deal than you think. The real story behind Meta’s $14B Scale AI move, and the new economics of AI talent. Plus, what’s next for startup investing in an era where talent trumps business models. We’re also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessSpotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspodConnect with us here:1) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicales...
2025-06-131h 09More or Less
More or Less#102: Snap Spectacles, Build-A-Bear, and the Myth of the Everything AppThis week on More or Less, we debate whether tech culture is unwatchable, why “Substacker” might be the last job standing, and if Build-A-Bear is secretly the next great AI company (move over, Nvidia). Plus: the real risks of self-driving Teslas on field trips, the myth of the “everything app,” and why the future just might be all about vibes. Come for the hot takes, stay for the man cave updates.Takeways: - The film 'Mountain Head' received mixed reviews, with some finding it unwatchable.- Substack's CEO predicts that 'substacker' will be one of the six main jobs in the f...
2025-06-0654 minMore or Less
More or Less#101: The Business of OnlyFans, Future of Identity, and Navigating Privacy in the AI AgeThis week on More or Less: Investors too squeamish for OnlyFans, AI makes the creator economy weirder (and richer), and why your next ETF might be Mormon. Plus, the real reason nobody watches your full podcast, and a healthy dose of tech industry self-roasting. TakeawaysOnlyFans presents a unique investment opportunity despite its controversial nature.Market dynamics in the sex work industry are shifting due to platforms like OnlyFans.Investment perspectives on controversial industries are evolving with societal changes.Digital identity verification is becoming increasingly important in the tech landscape.AI is transforming...
2025-05-3056 minMore or Less
More or Less#100: OpenAI Teams Up with Jony Ive, Vibe Coding, Gemini, and MoreThis week, Sam and Dave are joined by a very special guest: Synthetic Fidji. Yes, an AI version of Fidji Simo, created after the real one politely declined (hey, the show must go on, okay?).They get into:the bull and bear case for vibe codingGemini vs. GPT (is Sam having second thoughts?)why GitHub might be quietly, ruthlessly winning the AI dev racethe identity crisis no one’s cracked with LLMsPlus: OpenAI just spent $6 billion on hardware to team up with Jony Ive, the MEO phone is su...
2025-05-231h 00More or Less
More or Less#99: The Airbnb Strategy Nobody’s Talking AboutWhat happens when Sam gets fed up with shady secondary brokers mid-recording? He starts vibe coding a platform to replace them—live on the pod!On this week’s More or Less, the gang dives deep into the messy mechanics of the secondary markets and how early cashouts might be a bigger red flag than anyone wants to admit.Plus:Airbnb’s déjà vu product strategyThe quiet crisis in venture liquidity (and who’s actually good at selling)OpenAI’s new “CEO of Application...
2025-05-1649 minMore or Less
More or Less#98: OpenAI Acquires Windsurf for $3B, Google's Stock DipsThe countdown to Episode 100 is on, but this week, it's more news and less Sam.Jessica, Brit, and Dave dig into a jam-packed week across tech, AI, VC, and culture—starting with Dave topping a surprise list of top angel investors (yes, above Peter Thiel), raising questions about who really shows up on cap tables and why no women made the cut.The crew unpack:Windsurf’s $3B acquisition by OpenAIApple’s potential move to replace Google with its own AI search in SafariA historic week of M&A with...
2025-05-0956 minMore or Less
More or Less#97: How OpenAI Is Beating Google and Meta at Their Own GameJess, Sam, Brit, and Dave are back on More or Less with plenty to unpack—from Meta and Google’s AI sprawl to Snap’s fading relevance and the monetization questions hanging over tech.Here’s what they get into:– Why OpenAI is crushing the consumer AI game– Sam’s new startup: The Ruck Rock fitness empire– Meta’s AI app confusion (and Ray-Ban power moves)– Snap’s ad crash—and a left-field fix involving Sam Altman– AI and mental health: the risks no one’s talking about...
2025-05-0249 minMore or Less
More or Less#96: Google & Meta on Trial, Tesla, AI & MediaJess, Sam, Brit, and Dave returned from spring break to catch up on chaotic headlines from the last week — from Tesla’s bad quarter to Google’s courtroom drama.On the docket:– the antitrust cases shaking up Google, Meta, and the entire ad economy – is OpenAI quietly building the next Facebook? – Sam’s theory on “zombiecorns” – is OnlyFans the new Uber?We’re also on ↓X: https://x.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessSpotify: https://podcast...
2025-04-2559 minMore or Less
More or Less#95: OpenAI’s Social Network & Figma’s Potential IPOWith Jess and Sam taking the week off Brit and Dave are joined by two leading voices in venture and tech: Ben Lerer (Managing Partner, Lerer Hippeau) and Morgan Beller (General Partner, NFX; Co-creator of Libra). Together, they dive into the shifting tides of tech, venture, and AI:– OpenAI’s next move: A social network?– Venture’s broken math– The ‘AI’ label inflation, and– Figma’s IPO and what it signals for techPlus, Ben and Morgan weigh space travel risks—...
2025-04-1848 minMore or Less
More or Less#94: Will Elon Quit DC? Trump’s Chaos & AI’s China Threat (with Joanna Coles)This week on More or Less, Jessica hosts with Joanna Coles, Chief Content Officer at The Daily Beast, while Sam, Dave, and Brit are off for “spring break”!They explore:• Elon’s DC stint• Trump’s cabinet leaks: Leaks fuel Rubio-Elon tension• China’s AI edge: Cheap tech shakes Valley’s leadPlus, Joanna ponders plastic surgery risks in space—will implants hold up?Featuring: Joanna Coles: https://x.com/JoannaColesThe Daily Beast: https://www.thedaily...
2025-04-1154 minMore or Less
More or Less#93: Can Tesla Survive?This week on More or Less: Tesla reports a steep drop in deliveries, investor confidence wavers, and BYD continues to close in. The crew also dives into:Elon’s "Fake News": More Drama, Less DOGEOpenAI’s record-breaking $40B raiseTikTok’s algo standoff, andThe UFC’s deal with MetaPlus: Brit’s True Crime fascination with the Deel v. Rippling spy story!We’re also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessSpotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspod
2025-04-0452 minMore or Less
More or Less#92: The Signal Scandal & DOGE Drama! (with Ben Smith and Nicholas Carlson)The debate is heating up—DC and Silicon Valley are deeply split over DOGE. This week on More or Less, Jessica and Brit hold down the fort (while the husbands ski Alaska’s powder) with media heavyweights Ben Smith of Semafor and Nick Carlson of Dynamo. This week’s big swings:• The Signal Group Chat Scandal• DOGE divides: Silicon Valley cheers efficiency, DC smells ideology• China’s BYD overtakes Tesla: Is Elon losing supporters?Plus, whispers of fake AI revenue, Ch...
2025-03-2855 minMore or Less
More or Less#91: Google’s $32B Deal and a Silicon Valley Spy Scandal!Silicon Valley’s heating up—and we’ve got the inside scoop.This week on More or Less, Jessica, Dave, Sam, and Brit unpack a whirlwind of drama: Google’s $32B Wiz grab, rippling’s spy scandal with Deel, and Gwyneth Paltrow’s bold intimacy coordinator diss. Dave’s back from YC Demo Day, where AI-driven startups are still fetching 25 to 40 million despite shaky traction.Here’s what’s cooking:• Google’s Wiz deal—will Trump’s FTC let it fly?• Rippling vs. Deel: a spy caught in a Slack honeyp...
2025-03-211h 00More or Less
More or Less#90: Silicon Valley Unscripted: Billionaires, AI, and Interplanetary ExplorationOn this week's episode of More or Less, Jessica, Dave, Sam, and Brit tackle a chaotic week hashing out Waymo’s Peninsula push, Sam’s million-dollar Mars wager with Brit, and YC’s agentic AI craze—fresh from ski season vibes and office debates.Also on the deck this episode:• Waymo’s expansion has Jessica ditching Lyft (almost)• Sam vs. Brit: a million bucks on Mars colonization odds• TikTok’s sale—Oracle’s in, but ByteDance might still call the shots• Anthropic’s CEO says AI will write all code soon—e...
2025-03-1456 minMore or Less
More or Less#89: America’s Crypto Reserve, Nvidia’s $600M Hit & Digg’s ComebackMarkets move fast—sometimes too fast.This week, Jessica, Dave, Sam, and Brit dissect Trump’s crypto reserve play, Nvidia’s AI stumbles, and how nostalgia is sneaking back into everything. Recorded amidst ski trips, surf plans, and a billboard that’s trolling AI hype, the crew unpacks it all.Also on deck:• Core Weave’s $1.7B AI cloud grab signals robotics is the new VC darling• Reports of Discord going public?Plus, Jessica’s surf weekend drama, Sam’s “Tr...
2025-03-0753 minMore or Less
More or Less#88: Meta’s $200B AI Bet, Instagram Reels & The Future of ContentWhat happens when the biggest VCs, LPs, and founders cram into one basketball stadium? Deals get made, gossip flies, and Dave and Brit Morin find themselves in a very questionable hotel situation. Reporting live from LA, they break down everything happening at Upfront Summit—or at least, everything they overheard by the coffee station.On deck this episode:• is Bezos finally embracing his role as a media mogul?• Meta’s $200B spend vs. Grok’s lightning-fast scale• what really went...
2025-02-281h 00More or Less
More or Less#87: SKIMS To Revive Nike? AI Drama & The Satoshi MysteryElon Musk trolled Jessica on X—at least, that’s how it seems.Was it just a marketing stunt for Grok 3, with The Information as the sacrificial lamb?Plus, Humane’s AI pin flopped, but HP swooped in for a $160M “rescue.”What does this mean for the AI hardware race? Sam has some strong opinions (spoiler: he’s not a fan of AI printers).And the internet’s latest rabbit hole: Could Jack Dorsey actually be Satoshi?
2025-02-211h 02More or Less
More or Less#86: Elon’s $97B Curveball For OpenAIElon Musk just threw OpenAI into chaos with a $97 billion bid for its nonprofit arm. But does he actually want it—or is it just for the memes?Meanwhile, Slow Ventures has secured $60M to bet on the future of creators, and Brit and Jessica predict the rise of serial influencers.Oh, and Google Maps is broken. Seriously. All that and more in Episode #86 of More or Less.We’re also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspod I...
2025-02-141h 02More or Less
More or Less#85: The $250M Meme Coin ExperimentSam and Dave had been toying with the idea of making $$ from meme mania, but after last week’s pod, they may have taken it a little too seriously.They launched Jelly-My-Jelly ($JELLYJELLY), a meme coin that shot up to $250M—thanks, in part, to Venmo co-founder Iqram Magdon-Ismail.What happened next? Tune in to Episode #85 to find out.We’re also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessSpotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show...
2025-02-071h 10More or Less
More or Less#84: China's DeepSeek Shakes the Tech WorldDeepSeek—a name no one had even heard of until last week—has since given Big Tech a run for its money. Soon after the news, they torched $1 trillion from Nvidia and other giants' market caps. And while AI researchers call it “distillation,” aren’t LLMs recursive by design? Everyone’s distilling someone else’s work. The real question: Did DeepSeek actually crack efficient training? Or just drop the right meme at the right time? We’re also on ↓ X: https://t...
2025-01-311h 03More or Less
More or Less#83: Trump Inauguration, Stargate, and the Meme EconomyStargate—a $500 billion AI venture straight from Trump 2.0's White House—has all the drama of a sci-fi blockbuster. But instead of aliens (like in the movie from 30 years ago), we’ve got Elon Musk, Satya Nadella, and Sam Altman trading shots. “SoftBank doesn’t have the money,” Elon posted on X, while Microsoft’s Nadella shot back, “I’m good for my $80 billion.” Meanwhile, Altman’s keeping things spicy with OpenAI already breaking ground. Also on the docket: • $TRUMP token, • the inauguration at...
2025-01-2451 minMore or Less
More or Less#82: TikTok, Trade Wars & Tech 2.0On this week’s episode of More or Less, Meta kills DEI and fact-checking (right after their $27B moderation exit), Zuck's talking "masculine energy" on Rogan, and TikTok's facing a ban while DJI mysteriously drops US flight restrictions. It's not even February. We also share opinions on: • why tech's gender gap persists (18% of CS grads are women) • whether Elon's X could inherit TikTok's distribution • what NYC's congestion tax reveals about tech's bubble Just another week in Silicon Valley's great realignment. We’re also on ↓ X: https://twitter.com/moreorle...
2025-01-1754 minMore or Less
More or Less#81: Meta's Community Notes: More Speech and Fewer Mistakes?Meta is ditching fact-checkers, Nvidia hitting $3T, and everyone is building robots for some reason. Episode # 81 of More or Less kicks off 2025 by asking: • How much of Zuck's community notes pivot is political theater? • Can NVIDIA actually pull off this "mega omniverse" industrial AI play? • Will companies thrive as the great tech exodus accelerates? Plus: Sam explains why centralized moderation was always destined to fail (backed by that wild 30% spike in misinfo post-fact-checking), Dave remains unimpressed by CES's 170,000-person gadget circus, and Brit introduces us to Gen...
2025-01-1049 minInvested by Aleph
Invested by AlephThe Information Founder Jessica Lessin on Building the World’s Top Tech Media Outlet, Why Citizen Journalism Won’t Replace Traditional Media, and the Future of Journalism | Jessica Lessin on InvestedOn this episode of Invested, Michael hosts Jessica Lessin. Jessica is the founder and CEO of The Information, the publication known for original, in-depth reporting about technology and business. In eight years, Lessin has grown The Information into one of the largest subscription journalism communities in the world, attracting an influential audience of business leaders globally. Lessin has covered Silicon Valley and the technology industry for almost two decades and was previously a reporter and editor at the Wall Street Journal. She lives in the Bay Area, with her husband and three boys. When not trying to keep up...
2025-01-061h 06More or Less
More or Less#80: The More or Less Holiday Special Pt. 2 (Crypto and Antitrust)Time for Part 2 of our More or Less highlights special! We've curated some clips to check off our tech bingo card for 2024. This past year gave us Trump swapping press rooms for podcasts, the DOJ taking swings at Big Tech, BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF hitting record highs ($50B AUM) and—because why not—a government department named after DOGE, a not so subtle nod to Trump's pro-crypto stance. What's in store for 2025? We’re also on ↓ X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspod Instagra...
2025-01-041h 11More or Less
More or Less#79: The More or Less Holiday Special Pt. 1 (AI Highlights)Welcome to Part 1 of the More or Less highlights special! We’re taking a look back at an action-packed year in AI, from groundbreaking developments to game-changing predictions about the future. Don’t miss this collection of standout moments and stay tuned for Part 2! We’re also on ↓ X: ⁠https://twitter.com/moreorlesspod⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/moreorless⁠ Spotify: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspod⁠ Connect with us here: 1) Brit Morin: ⁠https://x.com/brit⁠ 2) Dave Morin: ⁠https://x.com/davemorin⁠ 3...
2024-12-271h 40More or Less
More or Less#78: 2024 Tech Company of the Year + 2025 PredictionsIn this episode, the Morins & Lessins dive into the highs and lows of 2024 to uncover who came out on top. Google made a strong showing, but are they well-positioned for the long haul? Waymo keeps moving the needle with self-driving cars and big moves in AI, making it a strong contender for years to come. Apple? They’ve been a bit slow to innovate this year, but don’t count them out just yet. Meta really hit their stride in 2024, proving the naysayers wrong. AI? Check. Hardware? Check. Will they...
2024-12-201h 09More or Less
More or Less#77: Sora Reveal, Google's AI Agents and Digital Trade Under TrumpHow will OpenAI's latest video technology affect the creator ecosystem? Could this new tech pave the way for a new type of entertainment? Also in this episode ↓ - Does Google have a lead in the AI race? - Should digital trade play a larger role in policy discussions? - The End of the Eras Tour and Sam's Pink Pilates Princess Strut Pop Season We’re also on ↓ X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/moreorless Spotif...
2024-12-1356 minMore or Less
More or Less#76: In a World with 99.99% Accurate AI… (feat. Aaron Levie)What’s it like being the CEO of Box and a full-time internet meme lord? Well… ask Aaron Levie. In this episode, he joins Jess, Dave, and Sam to answer: • what it’s like being a “toxic Bitcoin maxi” as the price soars past $100k • more or less M&A for MAANG • how far we are from AGI We’re also on ↓ X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/moreorless Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.c...
2024-12-061h 09More or Less
More or Less#75: The Rise of the Tech BroThe artist vs. tech bros—classic tension or chaos ahead? In EP 75, Brit, Dave, and Jess are joined by Matt Vascellaro as they dive into: • Sora's leak and the fiery backlash from Hollywood • The uneasy marriage of AI and art, and why the "right" UI still feels like chasing rainbows • And, of course, the rise (and roast) of the Bay Area tech bro We’re also on ↓ X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspod  Instagram: https://instagram.com/moreorless  Spotify: https...
2024-11-291h 02More or Less
More or Less#74: Winding Down From a $400M Fundraise, or How to Move Forward After Forward (with Adrian Aoun)Meet Adrian Aoun—an OG listener and one of Alphabet’s best-kept secrets. He recently wound down Forward, his company that set out to reinvent the doctor’s office with AI. He joins Brit, Dave, and Jess in this episode to explore the exit, Adrian’s hardware + software play with CarePods, and what it means to create a generational company for healthcare. Also on the agenda: • is primary care venture-scalable? • are Elon & Trump BFFs?? • Optimus for the military??? We’re also on ↓ X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/moreorless Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify...
2024-11-221h 04More or Less
More or Less#73: Elon to Lead DOGE, Bitcoin Surges & the Trump AllianceWith Musk’s bio now updated to read, “The people voted for major government reform,” it’s clear he’s not just dabbling in policy. In this episode, the Morins and Lessins break down what it means for democracy when a “super VC” like Musk mingles tech interests with government influence. Also on the docket: - will Bitcoin surge to $100K? - monetization for LLMs, and - the new wave of Silicon Valley internships in government We’re also on ↓
2024-11-151h 01More or Less
More or Less#72: Trump's Influencer Strategy Pays Off and the Future of App Building (with Guillermo Rauch!)Are incumbent media networks losing ground? Kamala stuck to broadcast media, while Trump bypassed traditional filters and reached audiences as an influencer, taking his message to Rogan and Fridman. Among concerns over echo chambers and AI-controlled narratives, there’s a flip side—more people now have a platform, giving everyone a voice. Guillermo Rauch of Vercel says “everyone needs to be empowered to create.” The more people who can build their own platforms and apps, the more we decentralize the conversation. Tune in as we break down the election aftermath and the future of content in a post-AI world. We’re al...
2024-11-081h 09More or Less
More or Less#71: Big Tech Earnings and the AI RevolutionIn this episode, the crew dives into why no self-respecting Silicon Valley developer is ditching AI tools anytime soon. Sam and Jess go back and forth on Snap’s subscription model and whether it can stand up to Meta’s dominance. Plus, Bezos seems wary of a potential Trump comeback. We’re also on ↓ X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/moreorless Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspod Connect with us here: 1) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit 2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin 3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin 4) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin
2024-11-011h 04More or Less
More or Less#70: Is Apple’s Vision Out of Focus?Apple’s Vision Pro has had its fair share of challenges. Initially aiming for 3 million units, the forecast adjusted down to 900,000, then 800,000, and ultimately? Just 450,000 sold. For a $3,500 device, that's a tough spot to be in. Going from developer kit to flagship in a hurry? Classic Apple. In this episode, the Morins and Lessins talk about: - Apple vs Meta on AR - AI & mental health, and...
2024-10-251h 05More or Less
More or Less#69: Robots, Rockets, and Elon HypeElon’s robots are real... kind of? On this episode of More or Less, we take a deep dive into the duality of Tesla. Are we witnessing the future or yet another Disney ride? Tune in as Brit, Dave, Sam, and Jess unpack: • Tesla’s We, Robot event • Why the retail army craves Planet Elon • Waymo & the future of robovehicles • Late-stage capitalism We’re also on ↓ X: https://x.com...
2024-10-1855 minMore or Less
More or Less#68: Google's Antitrust Saga Continues…Google’s enjoyed a monopoly-sized head start for a while. But it now looks like the DOJ’s ready to throw a wrench in its works. Is a breakup of the search giant on the cards? In EP 068 of the pod, Brit, Dave, and Jess talk all things: - antitrust and Google, - screen time and parental control, and - why leveraging AI for consumer apps might still be a pipe dream. We’re also on ↓ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoreorLessPodv X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/moreorless Connect with us here: 1) Brit Morin: h...
2024-10-111h 02Minus One
Minus OneJessica Lessin, The Information, and Media in the Age of AISPC founder Ruchi interviewed Jessica Lessin live for the story on how she decided to found a media company in the age of AI, journalism's relationship with tech, and a lot more. Jessica is the founder and CEO of The Information, the publication known for original, in-depth reporting about technology and business. In eight years, Lessin has grown The Information into one of the largest subscription journalism communities in the world, attracting an influential audience of business leaders globally. Lessin has covered Silicon Valley and the technology industry for almost two decades and was previously a reporter and editor...
2024-09-231h 02More or Less
More or Less#64: Meta vs. Apple: the Future of Open vs. Closed TechPlus, is MrBeast the new BuzzFeed? And the latest with Stripe. Sam's MrBeast is Buzzfeed 2.0: https://x.com/lessin/status/1833545048543375856?s=46 00:00 - Introduction and A Mystery 02:54 - An Honest Review of The Mill 04:46 - The Happenings and Headlines 05:16 - Reflections on The Acquired Podcast Live with Mark Zuckerburg 14:41 - A Critique of the Live Podcast Format 16:43 - Reflections on The Apple Launch Event 22:13 - New Markets for Apple to Break Into: CPAPs and Parental Controls 27:59 - An Honest Review of Bevel 29:54 - Revisiting the Parental Controls Conversation 30:19 - The Information's AI Summit 31:44 - University of...
2024-09-131h 01More or Less
More or Less#31: Fintech Struggles, Netflix Rises and 'Big' is WinningFrom Netflix to the NFL, the incumbents are having quite a moment. Plus, crypto's new energy and the gang's fiercely different views on.... peptides. Show Notes 00:00 Introduction and Silicon Valley banter 01:03 Discussion about football and personal influences 03:15 Challenges in the news and startup landscape 06:50 Struggles of fintech companies like Brex 08:11 Success of Netflix and the streaming wars 09:11 Difficulties of platformization in fintech 15:22 Investing in fintech and the challenges of valuation 20:31 Future of Stripe and the fintech industry
2024-01-261h 01More or Less
More or Less#30: The Great App Store Debate, Layoffs, and Playoffs...Oh My!As regulators move in, the gang discusses the future of Apple and Google's app stores and their role over the next decade. Plus, the new layoff normal and Silicon Valley gets classy. SHOW NOTES 00:00 Opening and Introductions 01:11 Working with Partners 03:14 The Information Gala and Dress Code 03:45 NFL Playoffs and Sports Betting 07:02 Layoffs at YouTube and Privacy Changes 11:29 Apple Allowing Third-Party Payment Mechanisms 14:56 Frustrations with the App Store 16:21 Importance and Future of the App Store 21:20 Rabbit R1...
2024-01-1947 minMore or Less
More or Less#29: Is the Year of Startup Austerity Over? What Can Save the News Business?In the first pod of 2024, the gang previews the year in VC to come and OpenAI vs. NYT. Plus, layoffs, boomerang VC and Brit's oh-so-Brit resolution.
2024-01-1250 minMore or Less
More or Less#28: What We Got Right and Wrong in ’23 and Calls for ’24The gang does a retro on their 2023 calls…from AI to Vision Pro (we couldn’t come up with a Z)…and makes predictions for tech, media, and capital in 2024. BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:The Creative Act, A Way of Being by Rick RubinThe Order of Time by Carlo RovelliProject Hail Mary by Andy WeirTomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin SHOW NOTES:00:00 Introduction and Holiday Reflections03:06 The Adobe-Figma Merger05:35 The Pro-Capitalism Argument06:52 Antitrust Laws and Government Intervention09:03 The Valuation and Future...
2023-12-221h 08More or Less
More or Less#27: Make Number Go Up, and The Problem with NonprofitsThe gang discusses the Harvard debacle (and Sam's run for the Board of Overseers), why double-bottom lines are challenging, tech regulation, and more. DISCUSSED: The 19th News SHOW NOTES: [00:00] Opening. [01:10] We have a non-zero hit rate on making things things. [01:50] How did we start the pod? [03:01] The parable of launching a rocket at the moon. [04:23] This week's headlines. [06:28] Venture Capital Strategy: Why go super vertical? [10:56] Guess the Product: Is it a Cold Plunge...
2023-12-1553 minMore or Less
More or Less#26: Google Gemini, Meet Crypto-Cyber-CrystalsThe gang discusses the release of Google Gemini...the crypto resurgence, crystals and the Cybertruck. DISCUSSED: Introducing Gemini: our largest and most capable AI model Millions of new materials discovered with deep learning The Top 100 Articles from The Information’s First 10 Years The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen Top Gear: Tesla Cybertruck DRIVEN! SHOW NOTES: [0:00:00] Opening. [0:02:15] Very Very Happy Birthday to Brit Morin! Questions about automated birthday messages. [0:03:20] Idea: Automated Birthday Greeting AI Th...
2023-12-0854 minMore or Less
More or Less#25: TikTok, Porn and The Immediate Risks of AIThe gang details thoughts on AGI risk and dives into the more immediate risks of AI, like why TikTok should be banned in the US and what to do about AI porn and deepfakes. Plus, startup product ideas abound as Dave, Sam and Brit debate what the future holds (both good and bad) for couples counseling, social media and entertainment. SHOW NOTES: [00:00:00] Open. [00:04:44] The question is not what AI can do, the question is what AI can't do. [00:07:50] Questions of AI governance around TikTok. [00:10:47] Should we be teaching AI in schools? [00:15:25] AI porn and its impact. [00:19:07] What does the future...
2023-12-0351 minMore or Less
More or LessBonus: Erin & Sara Foster of Favorite Daughter on Everything Founders are Afraid to SayDISCUSSED: For this bonus episode of More or Less, last month at The Information's WTF Conference, Jessica interviewed the sisters behind the hot clothing brand Favorite Daughter, the World's First Podcast and Oversubscribed Ventures. They discussed entrepreneurship, building for today's customers and why it is sometimes a good idea to say everything you are thinking. SHOW NOTES: [00:03:06] Embrace being underestimated, say yes. [00:06:05] Embrace opportunities outside your comfort zone. [00:12:38] Authenticity drives successful consumer brands. [00:16:43] Podcasting is a low-lift, enjoyable endeavor. [00:19:29] Life doesn't always go as planned. [00:25:32] Associate with smarter people. [00:33:27] Importance of direct communication. [00:35:35] Expansion into new categories planned. TRY T...
2023-11-2937 minMore or Less
More or Less#24: Sam Altman - Religious Cult Leader or CEO?This week’s episode takes you front and center into the continuous unfolding of the OpenAI saga, including the different versions of the Sam Altman persona. The quad shares extensive debate on what could come next and why, with key insight into AI as a practical business technology vs. the fears around AGI, and the challenges of a for-profit business funding a non-profit mission. Listen in to learn lessons from other platforms, (especially those without strong economic rationality), observations about the key people involved, thoughts on how this will shape Silicon Valley’s future, and more. DISCUSSED: http...
2023-11-221h 06More or Less
More or Less#23: Why (and How) SMBs and Creators Will Win With AI, the New Financing Contracts, and MoreThe gang discusses how you build dense networks of real value around small business in the AI future. Also, bonus discussion on content maxis vs. community maxis...and the symmetry of Jessica's face. Try the More or Less GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-Lt0xdU9Jp-more-or-less
2023-11-171h 02More or Less
More or Less#22: Your GPT Will Make More Money Than Your Substack? Please Tell Us More…The gang discusses OpenAI's developer conference and whether the new ‘GPT Store’ is a serious platform developers and entrepreneurs should care about, or just another slick PR announcement. Also thoughts on the IPO market (why bankers keep saying it isn’t open, but will soon) and way too much discussion of The Morning (After) Show.
2023-11-1054 minMore or Less
More or Less#21: AI Regulation, War and the Future of the American Tech StackThe gang shares predictions around AI for the year ahead. Are we at digital war and don't even know it? Thoughts on defining an "American Tech Stack" and digital citizenship to defend against foreign speech and bots - and how to think about academia in an era where universities and research are no longer disconnected from politics and business. Discussed Greeking Out from National Geographic Kids Photoleap by Lightricks AI Photo Editing App Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence
2023-11-0357 minMore or Less
More or Less#20: The New Founder Mindset: The End of the Product-Focused CEOFollowing news at Snap, the gang debates what the media gets wrong about founders and how founders need to react in this new market. Discussed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHsHKzYOV2E&t=779s Show Notes (00:00) Opening (06:05) Evan Spiegel's Persistence and Motivation (11:25) Founders and Product as Powerful Motivating Force (15:39) Challenges of Starting Over from Scratch (19:36) Balancing Product and Business Strategy (29:54) The End of the Product-Focused CEO?  (37:02) Crypto Market Update and Outlook
2023-10-2745 minMore or Less
More or Less#19: Answering for Misinformation: The New York Times Needs to be Held To AccountThe Morins and the Lessins debate how to solve misinformation across even legacy media sites. Plus, prepping for VCs' big annual reports to shareholders. Discussed Psilocybin Treatment for Major Depression Effective for Up to a Year for Most Patients, Study Shows Slow evolution of a NYTimes headline. "Israeli Strike" -> "Strike" -> "Blast" After Hospital Blast, Headlines Shift With Changing Claims What To Do About Misinformation in the Upcoming Election Cycle? Show Notes [00:00:00] Intro and Check In [00:01:46...
2023-10-2056 minMore or Less
More or Less#18: Why This Week Changed Social Media ForeverThe Morins and Lessins discuss the urgent questions Hamas’ terrorism against Israel raises for tech companies. Plus, how leaders should—and should not—respond to the attacks. Show Notes [0:00] Intro [0:36] Opening Discussion [2:03] It is a very important and troubling time in the world. Sharing some of our thoughts as a group. [2:10] Impossible to not talk about the Israel and Hamas situation. [2:15] We are not a political podcast nor are we political experts. We are tech people. [2:25] This podcast is going...
2023-10-2040 minMore or Less
More or Less#17: How to Save Your Startup, Twitter/X, Threads (and Swift’s Stunt Romance)The couples unpack how to "Survive to 2025" and debate whether Threads had the right launch strategy. Plus, Yaccarino needs media training. Show Notes [00:01:18] Our first ever More or Less event.  [00:04:44] Startups shutting down in Q3.  [00:07:39] Seed investor and founder cramdown risk. [00:10:38] Not so lifestyle businesses.  [00:13:37] Avoid debt at all costs. [00:17:51] Normalizing shut downs. [00:21:32] Will Twitter shut down?  [00:24:50] Should Linda stay as CEO?  [00:27:05] Twitter's debt negotiation strategy.  [00:31:05] Threads’ graph and growth.  [00:35:12] Growth hacks and social apps. 
2023-10-2049 minMore or Less
More or Less#16: Why Your AI Startup is Probably* Already Dead - Special Guest Scott BelskyAdobe Chief Strategy Officer Scott Belsky joins the Morins and the Lessins as the Fifth Wheel for an episode about all things AI. Plus, inside the FTC’s case for breaking up Amazon. *probably dead, but maybe not Show Notes [00:00:14] Developer experience and ease of use. [00:04:24] Scott Belsky and AI. [00:09:55] Empowering SMBs with AI. [00:12:26] Proprietary data and AI. [00:16:09] Building clouds and competition. [00:18:30] AI regulation and fast growth. [00:21:19] The concept of agents. [00:24:09] Agents working on your behalf. [00:27:27] AI agents and their potential. [00:31:36] The limitations of today's LLMs. [00:34:41] The big antitrust kahuna, Amazon. [00:36:51] Amazon's impact on independent sellers. [00:41:30] Amazon's ad...
2023-09-2946 minMore or Less
More or Less#15: Instacart’s Fake IPO and Why Hiring in Tech Is So BrokenAs the news heats up, the couples discuss why recent IPOs tell us little about whether the window is, in fact, open and ponder the future of leadership in Silicon Valley. Show Notes: [00:00:10] Startup location rules. [00:05:30] Silicon Valley regulation debate. [00:08:18] Younger and hungrier talent. [00:11:30] Generational transfer in big tech. [00:14:10] Florida signaling and tax optimization. [00:18:23] Tech events worth attending. [00:23:02] Female CEO of Instacart. [00:25:13] Staying private for too long. [00:29:27] Small tech equity risks. [00:32:23] Hiring challenges for...
2023-09-2248 minMore or Less
More or Less#14: The Apple Episode (Carbon Neutralish)The couples take you up close and personal with this week’s Apple event and discuss the future of the company, hardware and the garbage product they can’t live without. Plus, Brit schools Sam on pop culture, part 10. Show Notes: [00:00:00] New composting trash can? [00:05:23] Apple event changes. [00:08:56] Recycling Cobalt and climate impact. [00:10:46] Apple's first Carbon Neutral Product. [00:15:27] Camera technology advancements. [00:19:44] Apple's trajectory after the launch. [00:22:11] Cambrian moment in computing. [00:26:25] The value of Apple's closed ecosystem. [00:29:41] The...
2023-09-1553 minMore or Less
More or Less#13 : Why There Will Never Be Another 200 Million Subscriber App…but something else will bloom instead. Plus, this is why Europe can't have nice things. And the Cable Cowboy kills cable. Discussed: The Hottest Coach in Sports: Coach PrimeHow Deel Became Payout Provider for Prop Trading Firms, Including Site Frozen by CFTC John Malone’s Charter Squeezes Disney at Vulnerable Moment Cable Cowboy: John Malone and the Rise of the Modern Cable The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success How Taylor Swift Ditched Dealing With Hollywood Studios to Release the...
2023-09-0851 minMore or Less
More or Less#12: A VC Therapy SessionThe Morins and the Lessins break down what is really happening in venture firms right now from liquidating venture stakes to fundraising. Plus, Chinese entrepreneurs’ secret AI confab and Jessica’s notes from Beijing. Discussed: Colin Robinson: The Life of an Energy Vampire - What We Do In The ShadowsChamath Palihapitiya’s Venture Firm Offered to Sell Hundreds of Startup StakesChip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology Show Notes: [00:02:30] Energy vampires. [00:04:33] Otter.ai technology for efficient reporting. [00...
2023-09-0151 minMore or Less
More or Less#11: Why hybrid work doesn’t work, long live the phone callBack in the Bay Area, the Morins and the Lessins debate the status of startup work culture and how to fix it. Plus, Nvidia’s blowout earnings and the best More or Less product idea yet. Articles and data discussed: Salesforce Leads Financing of AI Startup at More Than $4 Billion Valuation Can San Francisco Save Itself From the Doom Loop? Show Notes: [0:00:00] Remote work policies and productivity [0:13:23] Data on decreased mobile phone usage in cities since COVID [0:20:11] The current state of San Francisco an...
2023-08-2552 minMore or Less
More or Less#10: You should kill your startup, What replaces globalizationAs the startup graveyard gets crowded, the Morins and the Lessins talk about when companies should quit and reminisce about failed investments. Plus, a More or Less debate on U.S. China tech policy and evolving views of LLMs. Articles and books discussed:https://www.theinformation.com/articles/storage-startup-clutter-running-out-of-cash-sells-itself-at-steep-discount?rc=hwneunhttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/yieldstreet-nears-a-deal-to-buy-real-estate-tech-startup-cadre?rc=hwneunhttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/venture-capital-firms-struggle-to-raise-funds-in-china?rc=hwneunhttps://www.amazon.com/Quit-Power-Knowing-When-Walk/dp/B09PVR6YK5/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=quit+annie+duke&qid=1692292549&sr=8-1 Show Notes:
2023-08-1852 minMore or Less
More or Less#9: How to save ESPN. Barstool’s Bad (Good?) ExampleThe Morins and the Lessins devise a playbook on the future of sports media. Plus, a More or Less debate on a new study on Wegovy. Articles and research discussed: https://www.novonordisk.com/content/nncorp/global/en/news-and-media/news-and-ir-materials/news-details.html?id=166301 Show Notes: 0:00 - Introduction: The hosts discuss ESPN's declining subscriber numbers and revenue challenges. They debate whether equity ownership for athletes could help and what innovations ESPN could make. 2:18 - ESPN's issues: The hosts discuss ESPN's high content costs, difficulty...
2023-08-1153 minMore or Less
More or Less#8: Where's the Barbie business pop? Why brands beat marketplacesThis week, inspired by Barbie and Taylor Swift, the Morins and the Lessins debate the future of franchises and brands. Plus, the latest in the ecommerce wars and the winners and losers if room-temperature superconductors actually become a thing. Articles and research discussed: https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.12008https://www.theinformation.com/articles/shein-makes-an-aggressive-pitch-to-woo-u-s-amazon-sellershttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/inside-tiktok-ceos-plan-to-play-offense Show Notes: 0:00 Taylor Swift concert and Barbie movie - The hosts discuss the cultural impact of the recent Taylor Swift concert and the Barbie movie.
2023-08-0456 minMore or Less
More or Less#7: Elon's X game and RIP seed investingAre we just playing into Elon's game with Twitter? The Lessins and The Morins debate and take different sides on whether seed investing can survive. Plus, what's Ruth Porat really up to at Google? Discussed: Google’s Darkest Days: After Three Deaths, a Workforce Reckons with a Changed CompanyThe Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future Seed Investing Can't Turn Back On Show Notes: 00:00 - The hosts discuss Elon Musk rebranding Twitter as 'X'. They argue that Elon is do...
2023-07-2850 minMore or Less
More or Less#6: Hollywood and AI; What IS Threads?The Morins and Lessins debate the fizzling hype around AI and the Hollywood strike. Plus, Threads’ next move. Discussed:  https://www.theinformation.com/articles/deal-activity-on-the-rise-as-bankers-say-merger-conversations-are-picking-up https://www.ted.com/talks/tom_graham_the_incredible_creativity_of_deepfakes_and_the_worrying_future_of_ai https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.09009 https://dudeperfect.com/tour Show Notes: 0:00 Threads had a strong launch but questions remain around engaging content and audience building. 5:00 There is debate about the impact of AI on content, wit...
2023-07-2148 minMore or Less
More or Less#5: Twitter Won't Die! Long Live Threads!The Morins and Lessins debate what the Threads launch means for this era of social media. And, body hacking with Brit.  Discussed: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-plans-chatgpt-personal-assistant-for-work-setting-up-microsoft-rivalry?rc=hwneun https://www.theinformation.com/forum/posts/524?rc=hwneun https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/01/science/consciousness-theories.html Show Notes: 00:00 Twitter vs. Threads - Meta's new Twitter competitor called Threads, built on Instagram. Debate if it can "kill" Twitter. 06:08 The Future of Social Graphs - Debate if social graphs still relevant g...
2023-07-0749 minMore or Less
More or Less#4: MMA, M&A and Misfits; Silicon Valley's weird cultural momentThe Morins and the Lessins debate the question of how much of a "misfit" you have to be to win in tech and whether or not the M&A market will coming roaring back. Plus, "More or Less" lightning round on the Musk v. Zuckerberg cage match. Discussed: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/musk-v-zuckerberg-and-silicon-valleys-dangerous-roadhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/silicon-valley-microdosing-ketamine-lsd-magic-mushrooms-d381e214 https://michaelafreemanmd.com/Research.html https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/psilocybin-treatment-for-major-depression-effective-for-up-to-a-year-for-most-patients-study-showshttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/a-long-strange-trip-for-the-uber-for-nurses?rc=hwneun
2023-06-3045 minMore or Less
More or Less#3: Mr. Beast's burger bust and will M&A ever return?Entrepreneurs and investors the Morins and the Lessins discuss what the antitrust armageddon means for venture capitalists and the challenges of creator-led businesses. Plus, Pharrell's debut (tech?) fashion collection and what we learned this week.  Discussed: https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/ftc-sues-amazon-for-manipulative-prime-signup-process https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/google-microsoft-ftc-complaint-antitrust-cloud-licensinghttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-23/doj-preparing-suit-to-block-adobe-s-20-billion-deal-for-figma  https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/pharrell-williams-stages-louis-vuitton-debut-pont-neuf-2023-06-20/ Show Notes: 00:02 - Antitrust actions against big tech companies like Amazon, Google and Meta are making acqu...
2023-06-2349 minMore or Less
More or Less#2: Reddit and the death of the public internet; the end of the VC "epoch"Entrepreneurs and investors The Morins and The Lessins discuss the week in tech, including Reddit's API changes, the perilous state of venture capital and Google's coming antitrust wars. Discussed: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/why-youtube-could-give-google-an-edge-in-aihttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/tcv-raised-50-to-75-less-than-planned-for-new-venture-fundhttps://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jun/13/ai-used-to-create-new-and-final-beatles-song-says-paul-mccartneyhttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/andreessen-horowitz-merges-fintech-and-consumer-teams-after-some-bets-fizzle?rc=hwneun Show Notes: 00:00:01 - Hosts Jessica, Brit, Sam and Dave introduce the podcast and Jessica thanks listeners for recommendations. 00:09:34 - They discuss Reddit charging app de...
2023-06-1647 minMore or Less
More or Less#1: Apple's head scratchy VR rollout; VR vs. AI in the interface wars; crypto's 'nothing burger'?Entrepreneurs and investors The Morins and The Lessins discuss the week in tech including Apple's head scratchy VR rollout, VR vs. AI in the interface wars, and crypto's 'nothing burger'. Discussed: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/whats-clear-and-blurry-about-apples-vision-pro-headset https://thedebrief.org/intelligence-officials-say-u-s-has-retrieved-non-human-craft/ https://www.theinformation.com/articles/the-best-and-worst-case-scenarios-for-coinbase Show Notes: 00:01 Introduction - The podcast discusses technology news and opinions from the perspectives of people who have been in Silicon Valley for decades. 09:18 Apple's Reality Pro - The hosts discuss Apple's ne...
2023-06-1239 minChannels with Peter Kafka
Channels with Peter KafkaHow Jessica Lessin got people to pay for The InformationIn 2013, Jessica Lessin left her job as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal to start The Information, a subscription-based business publication. 7 years later, it’s thriving, and she’s more convinced than ever that her model can work for other publishers. Lessin sits down with Recode’s Peter Kafka to weigh to talk about what she’s learned, what she thinks about the Substack movement, and her concerns about tech leaders’ attempts to end-run journalists.Featuring: Jessica Lessin (@Jessicalessin), Founder & CEO of The InformationHost: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode
2021-01-2841 minVenture Voice – interviews with entrepreneurs
Venture Voice – interviews with entrepreneursJessica Lessin of The Information turned her journalism beat into a businessJessica Lessin is founder, CEO, editor-in-chief and sole owner of The Information, the influential subscription-only tech publication that was launched on a simple idea: write deeply reported articles about the technology industry that people won't find elsewhere. As she shares in this episode, like many who work in the news business, she got the journalism bug early on, working on school papers and enjoying the permission it gives you to “be a little bit nosy.” While at Harvard, she covered the faculty beat for The Harvard Crimson, something she likens to covering Congress. Oh, and there was also “the other thing...
2020-12-0752 min