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 Days

03:00 – Interviewing Mark Zuckerberg Goes Wrong

09:30 – Building Audiences: Why Longer is Better (and Sponsors Are Lining Up)

14:00 – Is AI for Productivity or Personal Use? The Real Data

16:00 – Big Tech vs. Startups: Who Wins Consumer AI?

20:00 – Can AI Save Local News? The Verticalization Debate

24:00 – The Real Business of Local Data: City Councils and Real Estate

28:30 – AI Business Models: Advertising, Affiliate, or Something New?

31:00 – Is AI Stealing Attention from Instagram? The Frenetic Race

33:00 – Commerce, Discovery, and the Death of Search

37:00 – The Productivity Trap: Why Margins Go to Zero

39:00 – How Are VCs Really Using AI? The Memory Game

40:30 – AI as Entertainment: Coding vs. Netflix

43:00 – The Future of Commerce: Push vs. Pull, Meta vs. OpenAI

46:00 – Google, Gemini, and the Battle for Relevance

47:30 – Late Night Coding: Why Claude Is Addictive

53:00 – Pop Culture Corner: Lena Dunham, AI Bands, and Wimbledon

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/Jessicalessin4) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit

Ask Me Anything w/ Cara Santa Maria & Alie Ward