Johnny Giorgis - Podcast Details

Shows

Tech2Take ep108: Tech2Take - Metaverse & PelotonIn this episode of Tech2Take, we ask if it's time to buy real estate... in the Metaverse, and are Peloton's best days behind them? Recorded Date: Sunday, February 13, 2022 Time Stamps 00:00:25: Is it time to buy some Metaverse homes? 00:07:05: Is it over for Peloton? 00:12:23: Portfolio Check Highlights Metaverse Real Estate & Mortgages are here Why would you invest in something you can't touch? Is this all speculative buying? Johnny is moving to Ohio for the prices Is Peloton hinting at their subscription heavy future with their new CEO? --- Send in a voice...

2022-02-1815 min

Tech2Take ep106: ARK Competition January UpdateWe check in on our portfolios at the 7-month mark of our 1-year challenge. With the recent market turmoils, what new strategies are we adapting to keep our portfolios afloat? Do we continue on the ARK train or abandon ship? Recorded Date: Sunday, January 30, 2022 Time Stamps 00:00:25: Strategy for rebalancing 00:08:49: Stock Picks Highlights We are beating ARK at their own game Is it time to panic yet? Johnny is embracing day trading with excel sheets Have these companies bottomed out? Is it time to start shorting ARK investments? What investment strategy are you...

2022-02-0415 min

Tech2Take ep104: Tech2Take - European Economy & Google vs AppleIn this episode of Tech2Take, we debate whether the European tech scene can compete with the US, and which side are we on in the messaging fight with Apple vs Google. Recorded Date: Sunday, January 16, 2022 Time Stamps 00:00:25: EU > US? 00:07:16: Google vs Apple 00:14:58: Portfolio Check Highlights Johnny should consider sticking around in Europe The European tech market is hot Does Europe's heterogenous market hurt or help it? Is Google just being a cry baby? Is Google secretly asking Apple for advice? Our portfolios continue to drop Block's renaming was a blockhead move ...

2022-01-2118 min

Tech2Take ep97: Portfolio Rebalancing 2021 Q4We check in on our tech investment portfolios after 6 months. We discuss our strategies moving forward and rebalance our portfolios. Recorded Date: Sunday, November 28, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: Tech Investment Portfolio 00:02:45: Our strategies Highlights Michael is going for semi-broke! Johnny continues to sell out of stocks Stock growth is the only thing that matters now Can Alibaba's stock go any lower? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/t2tshow/message

2021-12-0309 min

Tech2Take ep96: Tech Thanksgiving 2021During this special Thanksgiving episode, we share what products and trends we are thankful for. Recorded Date: Sunday, November 21, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: What are we thankful for? 00:01:20: Products 00:05:35: Trends Highlights The Pro laptop is a Pro laptop again Our audio has evolved 2021 has taken half of zoom's stock Food options have exploded thanks to delivery apps --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/t2tshow/message

2021-11-2612 min

Tech2Take ep95: Tech2Take - Discord & PelotonIs it a big deal or not that Discord users shot down crypto wallet integration? What's next for Peloton? Recorded Date: Sunday, November 14, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: Discord Users Shoot Down NFTs - Big Deal or No Big Deal 00:07:15: What’s next for Peloton? 00:14:37: Portfolio Check Highlights Do cryptocurrencies & NFTs have a PR problem? Who is really crypto for? Is it simply a money making scheme? Is it the end of the road for Peloton? Is their hype train over? Peloton got injected with growth hormones Peloton's stock is down 60% this year while Planet Fi...

2021-11-1916 min

Tech2Take ep94: Tech2Take - China & Facial RecognitionIs China still the land of opportunity for foreign tech companies? Will more companies shut off facial recognization software? Recorded Date: Sunday, November 7, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: Is China still the land of opportunity for foreign tech companies? 00:06:45: Will more companies shut off facial recognization software? 00:13:05: Portfolio Check Highlights Can companies afford to quit on China at this time? Can they follow Evernote's example? Facebook no longer needs faces There's too many opportunities and potential applications of facial recognition Are companies waiting for more regulation of facial recognition? American companies cannot sit and watch...

2021-11-1115 min

Tech2Take ep92: Tech2Take - Earnings 2021 Q3We look at 2021 Q1 earnings and give our hot takes for several companies. Recorded Date: Sunday, October 31, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: Intel 00:03:55: Meta 00:09:20: Amazon 00:12:05: Tesla 00:14:03: Portfolio Check Highlights Intel is chasing after Apple, a lost cause - is it all over for Intel? Are Google and Facebook worried about Apple's ad business? Tiktok has already beat Facebook on video Have we reached peak Facebook? Will Meta mountain drive more revenue & profit? This is only the beginning of Amazon's dominance Is Tesla the most overvalued company of all time? Where's the $900 B value of the...

2021-11-0516 min

Tech2Take ep92: Tech2Take - Metaverse & New ProductsIs the Metaverse the future? Who won the week of new product announcements? Recorded Date: Sunday, October 24, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: Is the Metaverse the future? 00:07:25: Who won the week? 00:15:34: Portfolio Check Highlights Are we already in the Metaverse? Zoom will evolve into Meta Zoom Google's Real Tone is a game changer, several decades late Samsung will let you customize your phone, as if that matters The chip makers are winning Google makes the yoked phones Links The Metaverse Articles Samsung Galaxy Unpacked recap — Galaxy Z Flip 3 Bespoke and new Galaxy Watch 4 fe...

2021-10-2917 min

Tech2Take ep91: Tech2Take - GCP & TheranosWill GCP ever catch up? Will Elizabeth Holmes see a single day inside of a prison cell? Recorded Date: Sunday, October 17, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: Will GCP ever catch up? 00:10:20: Theranos Trial 00:19:00: Portfolio Check Highlights Wendy's is getting into the AI game Can GCP catch up to Azure? Elizabeth Holmes was Adam Neuman before Adam Neuman Will Elizabeth Holmes see the inside of a prison cell? Why aren't the CEOs and investors that funded Theranos being taken to task? Johnny missed the BABA train while Michael's $1 investment is paying off! --- Send in a...

2021-10-2220 min

Tech2Take ep90: Tech2Take - Social Media & Top CEOsWho are the top 5 currently tenured CEOs? Is Social Media bad for kids? Recorded Date: Sunday, October 10, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: Rank ‘Em - Top CEOs 00:09:20: Is Social Media Bad for Kids? 00:13:48: Portfolio Check Highlights Reed Hastings inspired Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus Satya Nadella has returned $1T to investors since he became CEO Andy Jassy & Satya Nadella have very similar stories Dora the Explorer can certainly hear us Alibaba's stock is up! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/t2tshow/message

2021-10-1516 min

Tech2Take ep89: Tech2Take - Apple & Government HearingsWe give our takes on the numerous government hearings and evaluate Tim Cook's effectiveness as a CEO. Recorded Date: Sunday, October 3, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: What’s the word? 00:05:52: Is Tim Cook a good CEO? 00:17:04: Portfolio Check Highlights What will Facebook do about Finsta? Congress wants the Google iPhone Apple has optimized itself to a $2T market Has Apple been more innovative under Tim Cook? You are holding it wrong What type of CEO does Apple need next? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/t2tshow/message

2021-10-0818 min

Tech2Take ep88: Tech2Take - Government Oversight of TechWe debate on which government is doing a better job of managing its tech industry - China or the United States? Does China's ever firmer grip or the United States' loose handling win out? Recorded Date: Sunday, September 26, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: Have Chinese Regulators Gone too far? 00:12:12: Which Government is better for tech - USA or China? 00:25:58: Portfolio Check Highlights Is China discouraging its future entrepreneurs? Can an Alibaba like company be founded under today's environment in China? Microsoft is small potatoes in the cloud computing industry Is China like a helicopter parent...

2021-10-0128 min

Tech2Take ep87: Earnings 2021 Q2We look at 2021 Q1 earnings for some of the companies we had invested in - Alibaba, Roku, Bill.com and Peloton. We cover the numbers and discuss takeaways. Recorded Date: Sunday, September 19, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: News of the week 00:04:07: BABA 00:09:06: ROKU 00:13:17: BILL 00:16:40: PTON Highlights Michael needs Touch ID back before he buys a new iPhone Russia is getting Apple & Google to do their dirty work Alibaba continues to be a strong business How overvalued is Roku's stock? Bill.com lost money but it's stock went up 20% Peloton is running in place (except its...

2021-09-2421 min

Tech2Take ep86: Portfolio CheckWe check in on our portfolios 2 months into our 1 year challenge. We share our learnings and what strategies and changes we will be making to our portfolios moving forward. Recorded Date: Sunday, September 12, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: News of the Week 00:06:06: Rebalancing the portfolios Highlights Who are smart glasses for? Epic epicly lost their lawsuit against Apple, both sides declared Victory Disney is trying to keep its talent happy by sticking to theatrical releases moving forward Johnny learns about momentum trading Michael is going in on Chinese stocks Links Facebook debuts its...

2021-09-1721 min

Tech2Take ep85: Investing in Tech - Michael BurryWe look at Mr. Negative himself, Michael Burry, who is known for shorting the US housing market. We discuss his investment philosophy and whether that is a worthy investment strategy for the retail investor. We also walk through some shorting scenarios to get a better understanding of how it works. Recorded Date: Sunday, September 5, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: Michael Burry 00:04:50: Investment Philosophy 00:07:47: Do we want to invest like Michael Burry? 00:22:35: Portfolio Check Highlights Michael wants you to swear to him Michael Burry is famous for shorting the US housing market Burry is an anti-Tesla...

2021-09-1024 min

Tech2Take ep84: Investing in Tech - Charlie MungerWe continue our series by looking at Charlie Munger's story and investment philosophy and whether that is a worthy investment strategy for the retail investor. Recorded Date: Sunday, August 29, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: Charlie Munger 00:06:20: Investment Philosophy 00:18:47: Do we want to invest like Charlie? 00:24:13: Portfolio Check Highlights Charlie Munger is too busy for the socials Seize opportunities when they arrive Munger is a big believer of Alibaba Mike is the Charlie Munger of our podcast Munger is not a believer of Bitcoin or Robinhood Links Daily Journal Corp. Holdings Poor Charlie's Almanack ...

2021-09-0327 min

Tech2Take ep83: Investing in Tech - Chamath PalihapitiyaWe continue our series by looking at Chamath Palihapitiya's involvement with SPACs, its closest equivalent for the retail investor, IPOs and whether that is a worthy investment strategy. Recorded Date: Sunday, August 22, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: News of the Week 00:16:16: Chamath Palihapitiya 00:32:17: Portfolio Check Highlights Michael doesn't trust the TSA Social Media companies inconsistent policies regarding Afghanistan situation Chinese government is getting closer to its companies FTC continues to go after Facebook Chamath is now recently associated with SPACs Charles Schwab needs to allow its customers to raise money for SPACs Johnny's paper money...

2021-08-2735 min

Tech2Take ep82: Investing in Tech - Cathie WoodWe continue our series by looking at Cathie Wood's investment approaches and debating on whether we want to invest like her. Recorded Date: Sunday, August 15, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: News of the Week 00:03:46: Portfolio Check 00:05:15: Cathie Wood 00:10:40: Do we want to invest like Cathie Wood? 00:24:23: Wrap Up Highlights There's potential blood on the digital streets with the new Open App Markets Act bill Michael is against this bill as it is considered anti-trust Why are we talking about Cathie Wood? ARK Invest was investing in cryptocurrencies when Bitcoin was at $200 a coin ARK Invest...

2021-08-2027 min

Tech2Take ep81: Investing in Tech ARK Part 5We wrap up the portfolio building with ARK's last 2 funds - ARKF and ARKG. Let the competition begin! Recorded Date: Sunday, August 8, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: News of the Week 00:03:00: Our Picks 00:18:33: Locking in the Orders Highlights Johnny's luck in the market has run out China is not done going after its tech companies Michael is going all in on Biotech companies Links ARK Invest ARKF ETF ARKG ETF --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/t2tshow/message

2021-08-1321 min

Tech2Take ep80: Investing in Tech ARK Part 4The portfolio building continues as we move to ARKW, ARKX, and ARKQ investment funds. We share our thoughts on each company, putting them in either our Buy, Watch or Pass lists. Recorded Date: Sunday, August 1, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:25: News of the Week 00:07:29: Our Picks 00:34:44: Locking in the orders Highlights The market has taken a tumble, driven mostly by Chinese regulations China is giving its Big Tech companies a public spanking Ads and E-commerce are growing sectors with plenty of opportunity Michael believes in Okta as Johnny believes in Roblox! Space and war go...

2021-08-0637 min

Tech2Take ep79: Investing in Tech ARKK Part 3The portfolio building continues as we go through the rest of ARKK's companies. We share our thoughts on each company, putting them in either our Buy, Watch or Pass lists. Recorded Date: Sunday, July 25, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:20: News of the Week 00:05:07: Our Picks 00:35:00: Locking in the orders Highlights Robinhood is on its IPO roadshow Getaround is alive, kicking and getting fined Michael is declaring an early victory for his current 2% advantage Demand for Gambling and Gaming has increased tremendously --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/t2tshow/message

2021-07-3037 min

Tech2Take ep78: Investing in Tech ARKK Part 2We continue building our portfolios by going through the remainder of ARKK's investment holdings. We share our thoughts on each company, putting them in either our Buy, Watch or Pass lists. Recorded Date: Sunday, July 18, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:40: News of the Week 00:05:57: Our ARKK Portfolio Status 00:10:10: ARKK Companies Highlights RIP Biz Markie Blend's recent IPO Fedex is investing $100M into Delhivery The shorts are coming for ARKK Michael is bullish on CRISPR companies Johnny is bearish on Biotech companies Johnny has $13 on Jack Dorsey's firms - he better deliver! Recently IPO'd companies could...

2021-07-2327 min

Tech2Take ep77: Investing in Tech ARKK Top 10We start building our portfolios by going through ARKK's Top 10 investment holdings. We share our thoughts on each company, putting them in either our Buy, Watch or, Pass lists. Recorded Date: Sunday, July 11, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:21: News of the Week 00:06:53: ARKK Top 10 00:14:28: Our Picks 00:35:41: Locking in the orders Highlights Rich people going to space and rich people going after rich people We won't say no to having Billionaire's problems and Trillion Dollar government's problems Michael believes in platforms, not products! We both believe in Shopify! Which of ARKK's top 10 will go up or...

2021-07-1637 min

Tech2Take ep76: Investing in Tech Kick-OffWe kick off our next series, Investing in Tech! We will cover the companies in ARK's Innovation ETF, ARKK. We will build an investment portfolio of these companies and see how our respective portfolios do over the next year. The Portfolio Bet is born! Recorded Date: Sunday, July 2, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: News of the Week 00:06:44: Investing in tech competition begins 00:09:42: Why we picked ARKK Highlights Didi has finally IPO'd following in Uber's footsteps! Johnny is preparing to hunt some Bison ARKK has gained a lot of media attention due to its success over...

2021-07-0914 min

Tech2Take ep75: Global FinTech OpportunitiesWe wrap up our Global Fintech Tour by looking at the opportunities worldwide. We discuss our big three takeaways from the tour and conclude by debating the region with the most opportunity over the next 5 - 10 years. Recorded Date: Sunday, June 26, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: Takeaways from our FinTech Tour 00:01:17: The impact of COVID-19 on FinTech 00:02:41: Unbanked Populations 00:04:32: Impact of country politics 00:06:13: Region with the most opportunity Highlights Digitalization was tremendously increased and sped up as a result of COVID-19 Investments and valuations of FinTech companies has exploded No bank takes big bank...

2021-07-0213 min

Tech2Take ep74: Southeast Asian FinTech OpportunitiesWe explore FinTech opportunities in South East Asia. The discussion focuses on the range of FinTech maturity within the region, the potential threat that external players could pose before we wrap up with a discussion on the opportunities. In News of the Week, the US government has introduced a new Federal Holiday, Juneteenth to commemorate the emancipation of African American slaves. Recorded Date: Sunday, June 20, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: Juneteenth officially recognized as a Federal Holiday 00:01:20: Southeast Asia 00:05:26: Singapore 00:10:20: Indonesia 00:13:40: External Players 00:16:52: Are there opportunities in this region? Highlights We have a...

2021-06-2519 min

Tech2Take ep73: European FinTech OpportunitiesWe explore FinTech opportunities in the European heartland. The discussion focuses on the lack of Peer to Peer payment systems, and why Europe is behind other regions. Recorded Date: Sunday, June 13, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: Is there a need for a Pan-Europe P2P payment company in Europe 00:05:10: Why isn’t there a big company already? 00:08:30: Are there big FinTech opportunities in Europe? Highlights Where's the European equivalent of the Peer to Peer payment systems seen around the world? Can Joom be successful with JoomPay as Alibaba was successful with AliPay? What innovation can yo...

2021-06-1816 min

Tech2Take ep72: IngenicoWe move up north with our Fintech tour to France, where this week we cover Ingenico. We discuss what they do and how successful they are before jumping into our Rich Tech Poor Tech analysis. Finally, we discuss their future outlook and opportunities for them to consider. In News of the Week, the Nigerian government has banned Twitter in retaliation to Twitter deleting a tweet from their President. Recorded Date: Sunday, June 5, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: News of the Week 00:04:20: Ingenico Overview 00:08:49: Industry Value 00:13:49: User Value 00:15:09: Societal Value 00:16:51: Verdict and Future Outlook Highlights

2021-06-1122 min

Tech2Take ep71: MENA FinTech StartupsMichael and Johnny continue their Fintech tour in the Middle East by exploring a range of FinTech startups, going over what they do and their closest American equivalent. Finally, we wrap up with a discussion on why we see so many overlaps between MENA and US-based FinTech startups. In News of the Week, Ford has joined the electric revolution with their new electric F-150 Lightning; and Amazon's acquisition of MGM is official. Recorded Date: Sunday, May 30, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: News of the Week 00:04:54: MENA startup showcase 00:17:54: Wrap up Highlights Trucks are...

2021-06-0421 min

Tech2Take ep70: PaytabsMichael and Johnny continue their Fintech tour in the Middle East by exploring the Saudi Arabia-based company, Paytabs. We give it a rich tech poor tech assessment, discuss its future outlook and growth strategies. In News of the Week, we get some updates on the ever-evolving streaming wars - Disney Plus subscriber numbers disappoint, and AT&T is spinning off WarnerMedia and merging it with Discover. Recorded Date: Sunday, May 23, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: News of the Week 00:03:10: Paytabs 00:06:28: User and Societal value 00:11:57: Industry Value 00:14:30: Final Verdict and Future Outlook Highlights It...

2021-05-2820 min

Tech2Take ep69: YocoMichael and Johnny continue their African Fintech tour by heading down South to discover South Africa's Yoco. We evaluate its success and give it a rich tech poor tech assessment. We discuss its future outlook and what it should focus on for future growth. Recorded Date: Friday, May 14, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: Yoco Overview 00:07:00: Industry 00:08:45: User Value 00:12:30: Societal Value 00:16:23: Final Verdict 00:19:21: Future Outlook Highlights Antarctica is the biggest FinTech opportunity, being completely unbanked! Yoco is a Square like company helping small businesses run and grow their businesses With more time, will Yoco have more...

2021-05-2122 min

Tech2Take ep68: FawryMichael and Johnny continue their African Fintech tour by heading North to cover Fawry. We evaluate its success and look at the value it has provided for both its users and society as a whole. Finally, we debate what industry it should be classified in and wrap up our Rich Tech Poor Tech analysis. We also discuss its future outlook and whether this is a model that other cash-based societies can adopt. In News of the Week, Elon Musk makes history by being the first guest host of Saturday Night Live with Asperger's. His appearance, which was...

2021-05-1425 min

Tech2Take ep67: Earnings 2021 Q1Michael and Johnny look at 2021 Q1 earnings for Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, Facebook, Tesla, and Netflix. We cover the numbers, discuss the trends, and find takeaways from another earnings season. Recorded Date: Sunday, May 2, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: Earnings 00:06:09: Trends 00:19:29: Takeaways Highlights It's earnings seasons! We counting the mullah! Amazon and Apple are in a class of their own in terms of revenue Netflix is a laggard in this group Uber rich just doesn't mean the same anymore Youtube is about to bring in as much revenue as Netflix! Which decreases Michael's disappointment in...

2021-05-0721 min

Tech2Take ep66: M-PesaMichael and Johnny continue their African Fintech tour by heading East to another OG, M-Pesa. We evaluate its success before diving into our Rich Tech or Poor Tech analysis, where we look at the industry, incremental user value, and incremental societal value. Finally, we discuss M-Pesa's future outlook. In News of the Week, Apple held its 'Spring Loaded' event unleashing new Air tags, updated iPad Pros, iMacs, a royal fitting Purple iPhone, and an Apple TV with a functional remote. Recorded Date: Sunday, April 25, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: News of the Week 00:01:56: M-Pesa 00:05:32: Industry 00:08:48...

2021-04-3021 min

Tech2Take ep65: InterswitchMichael and Johnny start their African Fintech tour by discussing one of the OG's, Interswitch. We evaluate its success before diving into our Rich Tech or Poor Tech analysis, where we look at the industry, incremental user value, and incremental societal value. Finally, we discuss Interswitch's future outlook. In News of the Week, Coinbase has gone public via a direct listing with shares initially popping before dropping by end of the day. Recorded Date: Sunday, April 18, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: News of the Week 00:02:51: Interswitch 00:06:00: Industry 00:08:35: Incremental User Value 00:13:25: Incremental Societal Value 00:14:19: Final Verdict 00:15:37...

2021-04-2320 min

Tech2Take ep64: US FinTech OpportunitiesMichael and Johnny wrap up their US FinTech tour by reflecting on their learnings. They look at the US FinTech landscape, the common strategies that this new generation of FinTech companies have employed, and what opportunities still remain in the US. In News of the Week, the Chinese government has fined Alibaba $2.8B for monopolistic practices - for forcing its Chinese merchants to sell exclusively on one e-commerce platform instead of letting them choose freely among different services. Recorded Date: Sunday, April 10, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: News of the Week 00:03:10: US Fintech Opportunities 00:05:06: Common...

2021-04-1621 min

Tech2Take ep63: COBOLMichael and Johnny look at COBOL, the 62 year old programming language that was brought to the forefront of everyone's mind last year during the early days of the pandemic. We discuss why it is relevant today more than ever, walk through its history and motivation behind its creation before wrapping up with a discussion on its future. Recorded Date: Sunday, April 4, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: Why are we talking about COBOL? 00:03:25: History of COBOL 00:12:36: Is COBOL here to stay? Highlights Why is COBOL so important in 2021 62 years after it was created? COVID-19 pandemic brought...

2021-04-0921 min

Tech2Take ep62: CoinbaseMichael and Johnny look at Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the US on the verge of going public. We first introduce Coinbase and discuss what factors led to its success. We evaluate its industry, incremental value to users and society before wrapping up with our Rich Tech Poor Tech verdict. In News of the Week, Slack has made all of us one team via their new Slack Connect feature which they released before pulling back due to privacy concerns. It allowed anyone to directly message anyone else on Slack. Recorded Date: Sunday, March 28, 2021

2021-04-0224 min

Tech2Take ep61: Credit OverviewMichael and Johnny look at Consumer Credit around the world. We first introduce the concept of credit, the culture of credit, and what it enables in terms of FinTech services. We look at credit around the world, who are the biggest players and card scheme issuers, and finally, we dive into specific country trends. Recorded Date: Sunday, March 21, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: Introduction To Credit 00:03:28: Credit around the world 00:07:25: Specific Country Trends Highlights Is credit an innovation driver? In an alternative reality, Square is a briefcase company called Rectangle Global consumer Credit is not...

2021-03-2624 min

Tech2Take ep60: PlaidMichael and Johnny look at Plaid, the API service powering the hottest Fintech consumer apps today. We look at the "financial access" part of the Financial Service industry, discuss the value Plaid adds to its users and how society as a whole has benefited from it. We wrap up with a verdict and debate Plaid's future. In News of the Week, one of Michael's Whiskey bets comes true - there is a new African Fintech Unicorn, Flutterwave, which raised $170M at a $1 B valuation. Recorded Date: Sunday, March 14, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: News of th...

2021-03-1924 min

Tech2Take ep59: IntuitMichael and Johnny look at Intuit, the 3 decades old (surprising right?) company that has become the default way for 60% of individual tax filers in the US. We look at the “tax industry” as a whole, Intuit’s contributions or lack thereof to improving the overall tax system, and wonder whatever happened to all those innovative features that Mint was supposed to develop. In News of the Week, Square acquires a majority stake in Tidal, the music streaming service co-founded by Jay-Z and his wealthy friends. Recorded Date: Sunday, March 7, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: News of the...

2021-03-1221 min

Tech2Take ep58: Insurance TechMichael and Johnny continue their FinTech series by looking at Insurance Technology companies Lemonade, MetroMile, and Root Insurance. We go over the founders' backgrounds, company histories, products, and keys to success. We dive into how they generate revenue and make a judgment on Rich Tech or Poor Tech. We live stream on Twitch Sundays at 9:30 AM PST! Recorded Date: Sunday, February 28, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: Overview of Insurance Industry 00:04:12: Company Overviews 00:09:10: Products and Differentiation 00:17:20: Future Outlook 00:32:48: Rich Tech Poor Tech Highlights $1.3T in insurance premiums was paid in the US in 2019. The...

2021-03-0542 min

Tech2Take ep57: SoFiMichael and Johnny continue their FinTech series by looking at SoFi. We go over the founders' backgrounds, company history, walk through its products, and its keys to its success. We dive into how they generate revenue, and determine whether it is a Rich Tech or Poor Tech company. We wrap up with a discussion on their future as they are about to IPO in the near future (2021 Q1). In the News of the Week, Robinhood, Reddit, Melvin Capital & Roaring Kitty showed up in Congress to explain the GameStop stock debacle, and SpaceX's latest funding round brought its...

2021-02-2647 min

Tech2Take ep56: RobinhoodMichael and Johnny continue their FinTech series by looking at Robinhood. We go over the founders' backgrounds, company history, walk through its products, and keys to its success. We dive into how they generate revenue and the controversies they have been involved in. Finally, we determine whether it is a Rich Tech or Poor Tech company. In the News of the Week, we discuss the growing opposition to NVidia's acquisition of ARM from the likes of Microsoft, Google, and Qualcomm. We live stream on Twitch Sundays at 9:30 AM PST! Recorded Date: Sunday, February 14, 2021

2021-02-1948 min

Tech2Take ep55: Earnings 2020 Q4Michael and Johnny look at 2020 Q4 earnings for Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Alibaba, Microsoft, Facebook, and Tesla. We cover the numbers, discuss the market's reaction, and decipher if this is sustainable. In the News of the Week, Jeff Bezos is stepping down as CEO to become the Chairman of Amazon, while Andy Jassy is becoming the CEO of Amazon. We live stream on Twitch Sundays at 9 AM PST! Recorded Date: Sunday, February 7, 2021 Time Stamps 00:00:18: News of the Week 00:02:27: Earnings Season 00:03:37: Apple 00:09:27: Amazon 00:20:26: Alphabet 00:27:05: Alibaba 00:31:43: Microsoft 00:36:29: Facebook 00:39:41: Tesla Highlights Johnny's...

2021-02-1347 min

Tech2Take ep54: Square & Cash AppMichael and Johnny look at Square and Cash App. We go over its company history, its founders, walk through its products, and its keys to success. We dive deeper into Cash App, how it differentiated itself from competing products like Venmo, and what it means for the larger FinTech ecosystem. Finally, we determine whether it is a Rich Tech or Poor Tech company. In the News of the Week, Ant Group has proposed becoming a financial holding company, and a Reddit forum has driven GameStop and other stocks' prices through the roof bringing scrutiny to the trading...

2021-02-0543 min

Tech2Take ep53: NubankMichael and Johnny look at the Brazilian neobank, Nubank. We look at its company history, walk through its products, and the keys to its success. We also share our outlook on the future of the company, what's its defensive moat, and how it could potentially differentiate itself from the larger banks. Finally, we determine whether it is a Rich Tech or Poor Tech company. In the News of the Week, we cover the union-busting and delaying that happened at Instacart and Amazon. We live stream on Twitch Sundays at 9 AM PST! Recorded Date...

2021-01-2942 min

Tech2Take ep52: Ant GroupMichael and Johnny look at Alibaba's first subsidiary, the finance giant Ant Group. We look at its company history, walk through its products, and the keys to its success. We also discuss the recent controversy around its pulled IPO amidst the Chinese government's growing concerns about its monopoly power. Finally, we determine whether it is a Rich Tech or Poor Tech company. In the News of the Week, we cover Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk duking it out for the wealthiest person; and we take a look at all the great products showcased during CES 2021. ...

2021-01-2238 min

Tech2Take ep51: AlibabaMichael and Johnny look at Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant. We look at Jack Ma's story of resilience and Alibaba's company history. We also discuss the keys to its success and determine whether it is a Rich Tech or Poor Tech company, finally we wrap with our Ideas of the Week for Alibaba. In the News of the Week, we cover the de-platforming of President Trump following the violent protests at Capitol Hill and Slack giving everyone the first workday off by going down for a few hours. We started live streaming on Twitch Sundays...

2021-01-1545 min

Tech2Take ep50: Whiskey Bet 2021Michael and Johnny begin the new year with the inaugural Whiskey Bet. We each make 5 bold predictions followed up by our early picks for Company and Person of the Year in 2021. We wrap up by discussing potential Stock Fails of 2021 - which stocks will end 2021 in worse shape than they entered it? In the News of the Week, we cover the China vs Alibaba/Jack Ma news which had resulted in Ant Group's IPO being pulled last November, Amazon entering the Podcast space by acquiring Wondery, and finally Adobe sunsetting Flash for good. Recorded Date...

2021-01-0835 min

Tech2Take ep49: Golden Compass Awards 2020Michael and Johnny host the inaugural Golden Compass Awards of 2020. We have awards across categories ranging from stock and innovation to person, product, and breakout company of the year. Our committee has debated long and hard to decide the winners. Recorded Date: Sunday, December 27, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:18: Golden Compass Intros 00:01:55: Stock of the Year 00:04:42: Innovation of the Year 00:08:20: Breakout company of the year 00:11:34: The Next Up Award 00:14:20: Person of the Year 00:17:50: Product of the Year 00:21:46: Non-American Company of the Year 00:26:24: Company of the Year 00:31:40: Spotlight Awards --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm...

2021-01-0135 min

Tech2Take ep48: 2020 Top Tech Stories Part 2Michael and Johnny wrap up the top Tech stories of 2020 from 5 to 1. From the Streaming Wars to the growth in Cloud Computing services, to the rise of remote work and the at-home economy, 2020 has been full of both the highest of highs and lowest of lows. In the News of the Week, Facebook is hitting back on Apple via a newspaper ad regarding Apple's new iOS 14 opt-in privacy settings, Google had an outage across several different services due to issues arising while migrating user authentication system. Recorded Date: Sunday, December 20, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:18...

2020-12-2540 min

Tech2Take ep47: 2020 Top Tech FailsMichael and Johnny look at the most entertaining Tech fails of 2020. From Microsoft calling it quits on the Live Streaming wars to the Twitter hack or Quibi's failures; we cover the bad, hilarious, and funny failures of 2020. In the News of the Week, Oracle and Hewlett Packard along with Elon Musk are moving out of the San Francisco Bay Area, the US government and 46 state attorney generals have launched antitrust lawsuits against Facebook, and Uber has sold off its self-driving car and flying taxis divisions. Recorded Date: Sunday, December 13, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:18: News...

2020-12-1841 min

Tech2Take ep46: 2020 Top Tech Stories Part 1Michael and Johnny look at the top Tech stories of 2020 from 10 to 6. From new Tech IPOs and trillion-dollar companies to the massive number of tech layoffs, 2020 has been full of both the highest of highs and lowest of lows. In the News of the Week, Slack is being acquired by Salesforce, AWS had kicked off its annual conference, Re:Invent which will be a 3-week virtual conference this year; and finally, Google has another unhappy former employee with AI Ethics leader, Timnit Gebru leaving after being told to retract a paper from an upcoming conference. ...

2020-12-1140 min

Tech2Take ep45: PaystackMichael and Johnny look at Paystack, the Nigerian Payments company recently acquired by Stripe for $200 M. We look at its history, it's co-founders' background, discuss its keys to success, the future outlook for the company, and the overall ecosystem, before wrapping up with our Rich Tech Poor Tech analysis. In the News of the Week, Tiktok has received yet another extension to sell their US based business, Tony Hseih, the influential former Zappos CEO has unfortunately passed away, and AWS suffered an outage while trying to increase capacity for one its services. Recorded Date: Sunday...

2020-12-0439 min

Tech2Take ep44: Rocket InternetMichael and Johnny look at Rocket Internet, the Germany based Internet company known for its wide range of technology startup investments such as Jumia, HelloFresh, Zolando, etc. We look at its history, its co-founders' background, its model and share our thoughts on why we feel the way we feel about this company before concluding with our Rich Tech Poor Tech analysis. In the News of the Week, Airbnb has filed its IPO paperwork for December despite the difficult year the travel and hospitality industry has faced; and Apple's ARM based M1 Mac computers are off to a great ...

2020-11-2749 min

Tech2Take ep43: TencentMichael and Johnny look at Tencent, one of China's largest technology companies, and discuss its history, its founders, keys to its fast and vast success, as well as its parallels with Facebook before wrapping it up with whether it is a Rich Tech or Poor Tech company. In the News of the Week, TikTok feels forgotten by the US government, Uber is reconsidering its driverless future, Bots have resulted in Playstation 5/Xbox Series X prices reaching thousands of dollars, and last but not least Pfizer's recently announced 90% effective vaccine has had repercussions for all of the Stay...

2020-11-2044 min

Tech2Take ep42: SoftBank Part 2Michael and Johnny continue their discussion on SoftBank, focusing on their Vision Fund, their impact on the startup world, and more recently their adventures in the US stock market. In the News of the Week, the Chinese government delays Ant Group's IPO in a bid to introduce further regulation; and Proposition 22 passes in California which will allow gig workers the flexibility they desire with additional benefits. Recorded Date: Sunday, November 8, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:18: News of the Week 00:06:22: Follow the money vision fund structure 00:11:28: What happens when you throw money around? 00:13:30: King Maker or...

2020-11-1326 min

Tech2Take ep41: Earnings 2020 Q3Michael and Johnny look at 2020 Q3 earnings for Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. We cover the numbers and debate the market's reaction, and what is next in terms of growth for each of these companies. In the News of the Week, Ant Group is expected to go public raising a record $34 B, and lockdowns are back in Europe. Recorded Date: Sunday, November 1, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:18: News of the Week 00:07:48: Amazon 00:18:56: Apple 00:26:54: Facebook and Alphabet 00:41:33: Wrap up Highlights Lockdowns are back with a vengeance! Michael has embraced work from home until the...

2020-11-0648 min

Tech2Take ep40: SoftBank Part 1Michael and Johnny look at the recently unmasked NASDAQ Whale, Former VC Extraordinaire SoftBank. We cover its visionary founder, Masayoshi Son's story, SoftBank's history and investments. In the News of the Week, Quibi is shutting down, Snap had a great 3rd quarter, and Twilio is acquiring Segment. Recorded Date: Sunday, October 25, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:18: News of the Week 00:08:00: Softbank History 00:18:48: Notable Acquisitions 00:25:04: Financials Highlights Michael correctly predicted Quibi would shut down before the end of the year Snap had a great 3rd quarter - is this the start of their redemption...

2020-10-3035 min

Tech2Take ep39: Recent IPOsMichael and Johnny look at the recent tech IPOs - Asana, Snowflake, SumoLogic, and Palantir. We discuss their histories, business models, and future outlooks in terms of whether they are a worthy investment or not. In the News of the Week, Apple has new iPhones and Stripe continues its international expansion with the acquisition of Nigeria's Paystack. Recorded Date: Sunday, October 18, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:18: News of the Week 00:04:12: Asana 00:10:30: Snowflake 00:20:04: SumoLogic 00:22:20: Palantir Highlights It's time for another iPhone! Stripe acquired the rest of Nigeria's Paystack Asana is striving to make us...

2020-10-2330 min

Tech2Take ep38: ITT - FinaleThat's ITT! The Finale! Michael and Johnny wrap up their International Technology Tour with a Finale episode. We discuss our surprises and learnings before ranking the top tech hubs over the next 10 years and in 30 years. In the News of the Week, Oracle and Google go back to the Supreme Court, Apple vs Fortnite legal battle continues, and IBM is splitting itself into two companies (IBM & New Co. very original!). Recorded Date: Sunday, October 11, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:21: News of the Week 00:06:35: Wrap Up ITT 00:18:25: Ranking areas we are most excited about Highlights

2020-10-1642 min

Tech2Take ep37: ITT - Canada TechMichael and Johnny continue their International Technology Tour in the Great White North, AKA Canada. Covering the big guys first, we discuss Nortel and BlackBerry, before jumping to trends and an overview of the startup scene. We wrap up with Johnny sharing his philosophy on immigration and thoughts on the future of Canada's tech scene. In the News of the Week, Google has their turn in having their new product announcements covered - new Pixel phones, Google Chromecast and Nest Audio are coming soon! Recorded Date: Sunday, October 4, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:32: News of...

2020-10-0941 min

Tech2Take ep36: ITT - LATAM TechMichael and Johnny continue their International Technology Tour in Latin America. Starting off with an overview of their top 10 largest companies and largest industries, we look at notable tech hubs, startups, and trends. Wrapping up, we compare and contrast the Latin America tech scene maturity with that of Africa's, given their similarities. In the News of the Week, we cover the slew of product announcements from Amazon covering their Alexa devices, new Ring surveillance drone and more. Recorded Date: Sunday, September 27, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:19: News of the Week 00:10:19: Latin America Largest Companies 00:22:07: Growing...

2020-10-0242 min

Tech2Take ep35: ITT - Africa Tech Part 2Michael and Johnny continue their International Technology Tour by exploring Africa's startup scene. Starting off with an overview of the continent's tech hubs, we look at notable startups, discussing the first 'African' tech IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, and observe some companies that are solving problems unique to the continent. In the News of the Week, we cover the latest on the TikTok deal (Oracle & Walmart), the US government turning their attention to Tencent, the pre-order fiasco of the new NVidia video cards, and Snowflake's IPO. Recorded Date: Sunday, September 20, 2020 Time...

2020-09-2556 min

Tech2Take ep34: ITT - Africa Tech Part 1Michael and Johnny continue their International Technology Tour by exploring Africa's traditional industries - oil, mining; China's Belt and Road initiative within the continent; and the largest companies by market capitalization. In the News of the Week, we cover Apple's evolving App Store policies, Microsoft's next-gen Xbox consoles, upcoming Apple and Sony Playstation events, and Nvidia potentially buying ARM from SoftBank (as of the episode recording). Recorded Date: Sunday, September 13, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:18: News of the Week 00:09:24: Overview 00:15:51: Telecomms 00:24:18: Oil 00:33:02: Mining 00:39:42: Belt and Road Highlights Apple is evolving its App Store...

2020-09-1847 min

Tech2Take ep33: ITT - Euro Tech Part 2Michael and Johnny continue their International Technology Tour by exploring Europe's startup scene. Starting off with an overview of the continent followed up by looking at the up and coming Swiss Crypto Valley and UK's various tech hubs, finally, we wrap up with some honorable mentions from the rest of the continent. In the News of the Week, we discuss Apple's statement regarding their stance on the new Chinese privacy rules regarding Hong Kong user data and their recent delay for iOS Ad Tracking software changes. Recorded Date: Sunday, September 6, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:18...

2020-09-1147 min

Tech2Take ep32: ITT - Euro Tech Part 1Michael and Johnny continue their International Technology Tour by traveling West to Europe. We look at the largest companies by market cap which span the following industries - Enterprise, Telecommunications, Semiconductors, Payments and Services. In the News of the Week, we discuss Chadwick Boseman's untimely passing and his strength for making over 8 movies while fighting late-stage cancer. We discuss the latest on the ongoing Epic vs Apple legal battle, and Tiktok's continuing will they sell? drama. Recorded Date: Sunday, August 30, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:18: RIP Chadwick Boseman 00:01:45: News Updates 00:06:33: Euro-tech 00:08:57: SAP 00:13:32: Telecoms 00:21:23: Semiconductors 00:24:10: Payments...

2020-09-0441 min

Tech2Take ep31: ITT - APAC Tech Part 2Michael and Johnny continue their International Technology Tour still in the Asia-Pacific region. Specifically, we look at the largest companies in the internet industries - E-Commerce, Messaging, Payments, as well as the large financial institutions that fund them. Recorded Date: Sunday, August 23, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:21: E-commerce 00:13:24: The "WeChat" Companies 00:24:57: SoftBank 00:29:21: APAC Conclusion Highlights While the traditional industries have started leaving the U.S., the internet industry is still dominated by the U.S. with China starting to rival them now JD Worldwide had its start in the analog world much like Netflix before...

2020-08-2848 min

Tech2Take ep30: ITT - APAC Tech Part 1Michael and Johnny start their International Technology Tour by looking at the Asia-Pacific region. Specifically, we look at the largest companies in the traditional industries - Telecommunications and Manufacturing. In the News of the Week, we discuss Epic's fight with Apple and Google over their respective mobile app store policies of charging 30% and enforcing all developers to use their payment systems. Recorded Date: Sunday, August 16, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:20: Epic vs Google and Apple 00:06:42: Start of our world tour 00:07:50: Jio 00:16:00: Huawei 00:23:59: Samsung 00:32:28: Foxconn 00:36:12: TSMC 00:39:45: Sony and Japanese Hardware Makers 00:44:11: Shenzhen 00:45:50: Regional Trends Highlights

2020-08-2155 min

Tech2Take ep29: Earnings 2020 Q2 Part 2Michael and Johnny look at a second week of tech earnings - Zoom, Tesla, Netflix, Shopify, Twitter, Twilio, and Uber. We discuss the state of the tech economy and the new opportunities presenting themselves during this lockdown. In the News of the Week, we cover the escalating saga of Chinese apps being banned and Twitter's second chance at owning short-form video through a long-shot merger with TikTok. Recorded Date: Sunday, August 9, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:18: TikTok Update 00:03:15: Twitter's second chance at short-form video 00:06:48: More Earnings 00:34:01: The state of the tech economy 00:39:22: New opportunities in...

2020-08-1447 min

Tech2Take ep28: Earnings - Gang of Four (+ 1 More)Michael and Johnny look at 2020 Q2 earnings for Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft and ponder how Big Tech stock continues to rise while the rest of the country goes down. In the News of the Week, we follow up on the ongoing Tiktok drama and discuss this week's Big Tech Congressional hearings. Recorded Date: Sunday, August 2, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:21: Uptake on Tiktok ban 00:06:24: Congressional Hearings 00:13:25: The Gang of Four 00:36:29: Future Predictions Highlights Will Microsoft acquire a part of Tiktok? Is this the price of success for a foreign tech company...

2020-08-0740 min

Tech2Take ep27: TikTokMichael and Johnny look at Tiktok, the history of its parent company and its founder, what makes it work, how it compares to its Social Media competitors like Instagram and Facebook, and the potential impact the US and India bans may have on it and its growth. In the News of the Week, we discuss the new GPT-3 NLP model, what it represents, and the related trends; also we debate the potential impacts of the US government's recent policies towards international students on the tech and startup space. Recorded Date: Sunday, July 26, 2020 Ideas...

2020-07-3151 min

Tech2Take ep26: No-Code MovementMichael and Johnny survey the No-Code Movement landscape, covering the history and progress of various services, and finally, look at whether we can use No Code tools to re-create existing popular apps. To wrap up, we give ourselves a No-Code Challenge: to build something in the next month using the only No-Code tools. In the News of the Week, we discuss Twitter's big hack, and as a follow up to the previous week's discussion on the potential Tiktok ban, we look at Instagram's new Reels feature. Recorded Date: Sunday, July 19, 2020 Time Stamps 00:00:21...

2020-07-2457 min

Tech2Take ep25: TwitchMichael and Johnny look at Twitch, a live video streaming service that exploded in popularity with its early focus on Video Games. In the News of the Week, we cover Quibi's recent floundering and challenges, and the Tiktok ban discussions happening within the American government and American corporations. Recorded Date: Sunday, July 12, 2020 Ideas of the Week: Build a lifestyle streaming service specific for lifestyle streaming & figure out the features to make this a superior experience (better mobile experience) Build a streaming service for people who like to go out to restaurants, want...

2020-07-1754 min

Tech2Take ep24: TwilioMichael and Johnny look at Twilio, another SaaS company that has been growing during the COVID-19 pandemic. We explore its history, its CEO's interesting background, the company's keys to success, and what its future potentially looks like. Finally, we evaluate it against our Rich Tech Poor Tech criteria. In the News of the Week, we look at the recent revelations around apps copying iOS clipboard contents when they weren't supposed to and discuss Facebook's Ad Boycott and its potential ramifications. Recorded Date: Sunday, July 5, 2020 Ideas of the Week: Twilio should not sell...

2020-07-1054 min

Tech2Take ep23: Black In Tech Round TableIn this very special & personal episode, we take a break from our usual programming and bring together some of our friends to share their experiences being Black In Tech. We discuss how the recent events have affected us, our experiences being a black person in tech, what we believe responsibilities are and should be, and advice for people of color starting their career in tech today. Recorded Date: Sunday, June 28, 2020 Time Stamps @00:02:45: How has this past month affected you? @00:10:40: African Time Arrival @00:26:40: Being a Black Person in Tech @00:45:40: Our responsibilities in the workspace @01:14:00: Advice...

2020-07-031h 37

Tech2Take ep22: I Read It On RedditMichael and Johnny look at Reddit - its history, what led to its success, its controversies and wrap up with an animated discussion on whether it is a Rich Tech or a Poor Tech company. In the News of the Week, we cover Apple’s App Store policy inconsistencies with their recent treatment of Hey, Basecamp’s newest app, and discuss Big Tech’s increased commitment to diversity. Recorded Date: Sunday, June 21, 2020 Ideas of the Week: Ideas for: Reddit should hire content moderators like Facebook, Google - at least they will get paid! ...

2020-06-2650 min

Tech2Take ep21: StripeMichael and Johnny look at Stripe, a relatively unknown outside of the tech industry, but with massive global impact. We discuss its brilliant sibling founders, what led them to start Stripe, Stripe's product history, and how it became so successful. Its future and potential impact are discussed with a final discussion on whether it is a Rich Tech or Poor Tech company. In Follow-Ups, we cover the hiring of Michael Seibel to Reddit's board of directors and HBO simplifying their HBO apps. Recorded Date: Sunday, June 14, 2020 Ideas of the Week: Ideas for...

2020-06-1958 min

Tech2Take Episode 20: Spotify Part 2 - Vs the WorldMichael and Johnny continue to look at Spotify, its controversies with artists, its impact on the music industry, its future in podcasting, and deliver their final verdict on whether it is Rich Tech or Poor Tech. In the News of the Week, we discuss Alexis Ohanian, the Reddit Cofounder’s recent move to step down from the board asking for his replacement to be a black person, and Trudeau’s prolonged moment of awkward silence. Recorded Date: Sunday, June 7, 2020 Ideas of the Week: Accessory embedded cameras that allow one-button streaming Get into the...

2020-06-1259 min

Tech2Take Episode 19: Spotify - Changing the IndustryMichael and Johnny look at Spotify, what the company does, its history, and what made it so successful including its acquisition history and strategy, its partnership with the music industry, and its continuous user-focused philosophy. In Follow-Ups, we discuss Forbes's latest report showing Kylie Jenner is not quite a billionaire. In the News of the Week, we lament the loss of George Floyd and the reverberating consequences of his death that are being felt in the US and around the world. Recorded Date: Sunday, May 31, 2020 Time Stamps @00:01:21: Kylie is not...

2020-06-0553 min

Tech2Take Episode 18: Shopify LocalMichael and Johnny look at Shopify, what the company does, its history, and how it has become so successful in this age of Amazon. In Follow-Ups, we look at Peloton’s recent announcement of going downmarket with a cheaper bike offering, and SoulCycle’s delayed response to Peloton. Recorded Date: Sunday, May 24, 2020 Ideas of the Week: Idea for the company: Surface small and local Shopify powered businesses so people can support them Michael created a Twitter account to track local San Francisco Shopify powered companies Idea against the company: Amazon already has all...

2020-05-291h 04

Tech2Take Episode 17: Peloton - The Gift That Gives BackMichael and Johnny look at Peloton, what led to its success, and try to figure out how this exercise company has become so successful before and during the time of country-wide lockdowns. In the News of the Week, we look at the US government’s upcoming anti-trust investigation into Google, the latest tech corporate takeovers of Facebook acquiring Giphy and Uber attempting to merge with Grubhub, and finally Twitter’s announcement that employees may work from home forever! Recorded Date: Sunday, May 17, 2020 Ideas of the Week: Johnny: “We should use data” Michael: “Make a fit...

2020-05-221h 08

Tech2Take Episode 16: COVID-19 Tech LosersMichael and Johnny look at tech companies hurt most during this pandemic crisis and discuss the impacts of job losses and the long term health of the industry at large. In the News of the Week, Disney furloughs 100,000 employees, but reopened up it's Shanghai park for the first time after the Covid-19 crisis swept through China. Recorded Date: Sunday, May 10, 2020 Ideas of the Week: Make it super easy to create Airbnb clones, market it everywhere, making it very easy for hosts to one-click upload their details across the board Great idea to...

2020-05-151h 03

Tech2Take Episode 15: COVID-19 Tech WinnersMichael and Johnny look at Tech Earnings of the companies winning during this pandemic crisis and discuss the takeaways and factors behind their current success. In the News of the Week, we look at whether privacy is over with the rise of coronavirus tracing apps, Zoom’s surprise decision of going with Oracle Cloud, and Uber and Lyft’s layoffs. In follow-ups, we discuss Zoom incorrectly reporting their daily active users and the impact of COVID-19 on the meatpacking industry. Recorded Date: Sunday, May 3, 2020 Ideas of the Week: One-click sell my car! - A...

2020-05-081h 13

Tech2Take Episode 14: The Gig Is Up?Michael and Johnny look at the Gig Economy, its rise in prominence since the Great Recession, some of the main players, the laws and controversies of the industry, and the impact of COVID-19 on the industry. Michael is put in charge of AirBnB (reluctantly) and tasked with navigating its survival during a prolonged pandemic crisis. Finally, can the gig economy strike a balance between growth and ensuring workers are not exploited? In the Pre-Show & News of the Week, we look at Zoom’s rivals going after it, Amazon’s white-collar and blue-collar employees starting to collaborate and prot...

2020-05-011h 14

Tech2Take Episode 13: Zoom to the TopMichael and Johnny look at Zoom, its backstory, the factors that led to its success in recent years, its explosion in popularity during this coronavirus pandemic crisis, and the resulting scrutiny on its security and privacy policies. In the News of the Week, we look at the US pushing for re-opening, essential sports in Florida, companies that are continuing to flourish, and Amazon’s incredible $10,000/second 2020 Q1 results. Recorded Date: Sunday, April 19, 2020 Ideas of the Week: Drone aided Doctoring - AR-enabled camera drones Audio Transcription services on top of Zoom/other virtual co...

2020-04-241h 17

Tech2Take Episode 12: Could WeWork Work?Michael and Johnny look at WeWork - what made it special, how it failed so spectacularly. Michael discusses how he would have positioned WeWork and the potential he saw with the idea. In the Pre-Show & News of the Week, we look at Yelp layoffs, Facebook finally innovating again during this crisis, when we expect to go back to ‘normal’ post COVID-19, bandwidth issues with internet services and Michael running for President of the USA. Recorded Date: Sunday, April 12, 2020 Ideas of the Week How can we recapture the lost potential of WeWork with a fr...

2020-04-171h 14

Tech2Take Episode 11: Streaming Wars Part 2Michael and Johnny look at the growing Streaming Wars by comparing the newcomers with the current streaming giant, Netflix. We look at each company’s financials, the number of subscribers, price, content, and trends. In the Pre-Show & News of the Week, we discuss updates on the escalating COVID-19 pandemic crisis, how we are handling the extended working from home, and the growing impact on society and businesses. Recorded Date: Sunday, March 8, 2020 Ideas of the Week: App to social distance navigate people through retail stores -> inspired by reserved trips at Disney Resorts ...

2020-04-141h 24

Tech2Take Episode 10: Streaming Wars Part 1Michael and Johnny look at the growing Streaming Wars and identify all the players in the space. Recorded Date: Sunday, March 29, 2020 Ideas of the Week: Intelligent Channel Guide with Auto Subscription capabilities Time Stamps @00:01:45: COVID-19 & Working from Home Updates @00:09:40: News of the Week @00:24:30: Streaming Wars @00:25:55: Netflix @00:28:07: Disney+ @00:34:34: HBO Max @00:40:40: Hulu @00:46:18: NBC Peacock @00:50:27: Apple TV+ @00:55:10: Amazon Prime Video @01:02:00: Ideas of the Week Links Declining Ad Rates May Signal a Reset for Startup SEM Strategies Groupon Axes CEO and COO SoftBank is letting internet satellite company OneWeb file for bankruptcy SoftBank May...

2020-04-141h 11

Tech2Take Episode 9: Gaming Part 2 (2010 - 2019)Michael and Johnny reflect back on the 2010 - 2019 period of Gaming. We discuss Johnny’s favorite game from the decade along with the growing trends of the decade in the gaming industry. In the Pre-Show, we discuss updates on the escalating COVID-19 pandemic crisis, how we are adjusting to working from home, and the continued impact on society and businesses. Recorded Date: Sunday, March 22, 2020 Ideas of the Week Social Time for Remote Workers? Rise of Health Tech Time Stamps @00:01:23: COVID-19 & Working from Home Updates @00:17:04: Horrible Transition into handling Remote Work @00:23:47: St...

2020-04-141h 22

Tech2Take Episode 8: Gaming Part 1 (2000 - 2009)Michael and Johnny reflect back on the 2000 - 2009 period of Gaming. We discuss Michael’s top 3 games along with the trends of the decade in the gaming industry. In the Pre-Show, we discuss updates on the escalating COVID-19 pandemic crisis, how we are adjusting to working from home, and the continued impact on society and businesses. News of the week Oil war between Saudi and Russia - Will it speed up our desire for electrification? What is its impact on the US oil industry? Yahoo Mobile - Does Yahoo have some type of br...

2020-04-141h 27

Tech2Take Episode 7: COVID-19's ImpactMichael and Johnny discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on their day-to-day lives, as well as its impact on the tech industry as a whole. In News of the Week, we look at activist investors trying to force Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey out; and Panera’s recently announced unlimited subscription plan. Recorded Date: Sunday, March 8, 2020 Time Stamps @00:01:26: News of the Week @00:20:05: COVID-19 and its impact on society & business @00:35:89: Rise of Remote Work during COVID-19 crisis @00:42:33: Will this cause the rise of more automation? @00:51:48: Shopping & Living during COVID-19 crisis @01:03:14: Business who will lo...

2020-04-141h 07

Tech2Take Episode 6: Remote WorkMichael and Johnny look at the state of remote work. We look at the remote first companies, the types of jobs that are remote, the technologies enabling the growing remote movement, how we can start our own remote tech company, as well as the future of remote work. Recorded Date: Sunday, March 1, 2020 Time Stamps @01:15: News of the week @05:31: Remote Work @49:25: Future of Remote Work & role of VR? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/t2tshow/message

2020-04-1455 min

Tech2Take Episode 5: Location Data PrivacyMichael Chen interrogates Johnny about his use of Google Maps - Is it really as useful and invaluable as he thinks it is? Is it worth the privacy cost? Recorded Date: Sunday, February 23, 2020 News of the Week Virgin Galactic stock is up 500% since the beginning of 2020 Time Stamps @00:00:59: News of the Week @00:18:36: What Apps can we live with and what can we not live with? How does Privacy play a role? @00:32:58: What kind of data and how much are we giving Google Maps? @00:39:32: What is the value of the location history to...

2020-04-141h 10

Tech2Take Episode 4: Privacy in TechnologyMichael and Johnny discuss the rising importance of privacy in technology. We cover GDPR, CCPA, the various products and services we trust and don't trust from the giant tech companies, the challenges of ensuring digital privacy, the future of privacy in technology, and technology's role in enabling better privacy. Recorded Date: Sunday, February 16, 2020 Ideas of the Week Transparency and enabling the user to know what's going on with their data, giving them the ability to decide on whether they want to continue to use or opt-out. Summarize privacy policies of different tech...

2020-04-1454 min

Tech2Take Episode 3: Tesla Earnings Q4 2019Michael and Johnny look at Tesla’s Q4 2019 Earnings - we summarize by sector and discuss the growing trends and outlooks for Tesla as a company. Recorded Date: Sunday, February 2, 2020 Time Stamps @01:02: Tesla Stock @03:44: Tesla Earnings Summary & Questions @09:03: Which Tesla sector/industry is most exciting to you? @32:05: Will Tesla survive the oncoming wave of traditional car manufacturers coming in? @43:30: What are some gaps in the car industry? What is missing? @46:43: Will your next car be a Tesla? @52:31: Would you work at Tesla? @54:04: Would you take a Model S or a Model S worth of TS...

2020-04-1458 min

Tech2Take Episode 2: Microsoft Earnings Q4 2019Michael and Johnny look at Microsoft's Q4 2019 earnings, inspecting their earnings by industries and discussing the growing trends and outlooks for Microsoft as a company. Recorded Date: Sunday, January 26, 2020 Time Stamps @01:46: Why Johnny picked Microsoft? @03:22: Sector by Sector breakdown @17:29: What else was interesting? -> Microsoft Teams vs Slack @21:30: Niche Communications Markets Opportunities @25:50: Environmental Initiatives @27:39: Microsoft Surface Growth vs Apple Macbooks @30:41: Microsoft Earnings Summary @33:10: Looking ahead at Tesla Earnings episode Links Microsoft Q2 2020 Earnings Calls Transcript Business Insider: Slack vs Microsoft Teams --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/t2tshow...

2020-04-1134 min

Tech2Take Episode 1: Reflecting on Technology in the 2010sIn this Podcast kickoff episode, Michael and Johnny reflect back on the 2010s in Technology discussing trends, surprises, disappointments and what they expect in the next 10 years. Recorded Date: Saturday, January 18, 2020 Time Stamps @00:24: What happened in tech over this past decade? @03:05: Countries that rose @06:30: Next 10 Years @15:21: Will the US maintain its lead? @16:51: Who else besides China and the U.S. will rise? @18:34: Big Bets --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/t2tshow/message

2020-04-1123 min