Dialectic 33. TBPN (John Coogan & Jordi Hays) - Inside Tech's Water Cooler
54 snips
Nov 17, 2025 
John Coogan and Jordi Hays share insights as the creative minds behind TBPN. They dive into their journey from a tech-focused duo to a media powerhouse. Discussing how they thrive in an era of competition, they emphasize the importance of high-volume production and constant iteration. They borrow innovative ideas from outside tech, like sports and Hollywood, to keep content fresh. The duo also reflects on their partnership dynamics, targeting a niche audience, and the significance of advertising for quality media.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Iteration Beats Occasional Perfection
- Daily iteration compounds quality quickly when you ship constantly and review each episode's parts.
- Jordi says small daily tweaks let the product evolve visibly over time.
Figma Joke Sparked A Fan Backlash
- Early TBPN episodes riffed hard on small updates like a Figma UI tweak and got an outsized angry reaction from one listener.
- John recalls the listener DMing Peter Thiel and accusing them of fabricating protests about Figma features.
Use Low-Status Play To Iterate Freely
- Lean into low-status or playful formats early to reduce friction and enable experimentation.
- John and Jordi deliberately embraced low status (host-read ads, LinkedIn live) to remove gatekeeping and iterate fast.