This Week in Startups

Ghost Engineers, Measuring Productivity, & Memecoin Scams | E2056

Dec 7, 2024

Didi Doss, an investor at Menlo Ventures and former Google software engineer, shares his thoughts on measuring productivity in tech roles. He highlights the challenges posed by 'ghost engineers'—those who earn significant salaries while underperforming. Doss also discusses the shift towards in-person work and the need for management to foster trust without resorting to monitoring tools. Meanwhile, Coffeezilla dives into the ethics of influencer marketing and the potential pitfalls of meme coins, urging caution for investors in the crypto space.

01:12:41

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Episode guests

Didi Doss

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The rise of meme coins like Hawk coin emphasizes the risks associated with influencer-driven investments and the absence of investor protections.

Recent job data displays a mixed economic sentiment, highlighting entrepreneurial opportunities amid macroeconomic uncertainties and inflation concerns.

David Sachs' new role in advising on AI and cryptocurrency for the White House raises questions about regulation and industry stakeholder interests.

Deep dives

Haley Welch and the Meme Coin

Haley Welch, known for her viral Hawk Tour, launched a meme coin that has not performed well as an investment. Reports suggest that financial trouble looms as insiders have sold off their tokens while Welch may face legal issues, potentially being labeled as the mark in a scheme. Analysis of the situation points to the pitfalls of influencer-driven investment opportunities, emphasizing the lack of safeguards for inexperienced retail investors. This highlights a growing concern in the cryptocurrency space regarding the ethics of promoting speculative assets without proper disclosures.

Intro

4min

Entrepreneurship and its Social Impact

13min

The Ethics of Employee Monitoring and Trust

2min

The Ghost Engineer Phenomenon

14min

Navigating Productivity and Meme Coin Risks

16min

Navigating the Crypto Landscape

23min

Blockchain Insights and Investor Credibility

2min

Todays show:

In this episode, we discuss Hailey Welch and the viral Hawk coin, then discuss David Sachs' new White House role and recent job data's economic impact. We address the United Healthcare CEO's murder, debate cancel culture, and a viral tweet on software engineers' habits. Deedy Das offers insights on tech inefficiencies and the shift to in-person work. Coffeezilla joins to explore crypto scams, influencer marketing ethics, and regulation. We wrap up with David Sachs' Czar role in AI and crypto for the US government, market dynamics, and a new addition to the Twist 500.

Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show

(1:53) Economic outlook and recent job data (5:12) Reaction to United Healthcare CEO murder

(9:19) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

(10:48) Cancel culture debate and public statements (16:00) Viral tweet about software engineers' work habits

(19:02) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist

(20:08) DeeDee Doss interview on software engineer productivity (23:17) Management incentives and tech company inefficiencies (25:16) Shift to in-person work in tech startups

(29:37) Ramp - Get $250 when you join Ramp today at https://www.ramp.com/twist (31:20) Remote work psychology and potential abuse (37:35) Strategies to prevent remote work abuse (39:24) Hayley Welch interview on viral meme coin (41:00) Coffeezilla's investigations into scams and frauds (47:42) Cryptocurrency red flags and influencer consequences (52:50) Crypto regulation and influencer marketing ethics (59:03) Influencer credibility and responsibility (1:03:21) Coffeezilla's assignment and Rabbit AI device insights (1:04:01) David Sachs announcement and AI/crypto in government (1:07:25) Regulatory capture and Silicon Valley dynamics (1:09:15) Market perspectives and government influence

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Mentioned on the show:

Check on Menlo Ventures: https://menlovc.com/

Check out Coffeezilla: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFQMnBA3CS502aghlcr0_aw

Follow Coffeezilla:

X: https://x.com/coffeebreak_YT

Follow Deedy:

X: https://x.com/deedydas

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debarghyadas/