Down Round

This is a free preview of a premium episode. To subscribe to Down Round Premium and get access, head here. Crypto is back. The industry is excited by the forthcoming Trump presidency and what it means for their little online coins. Bitcoin just hit $100,000. But the mood is a little different this time. There's less pontification on the future of money and finance, less attempts at making art and culture, and a whole lot more brazen bag-pumping and sweaty gambling.  In this ep, we talk about the current crypto surge, and what it means for you and your family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The hosts hilariously navigate the ups and downs of crowdfunding, highlighting the 'silly season' that disrupts productivity. They explore the electrifying rise of Kickstarter, revealing both the dreams and harsh realities of failed projects. Cautionary tales of ambitious tech campaigns draw laughs and gasps, while the struggles of space simulators spark lively debate. In a lighthearted twist, they unveil an innovative podcast player proposal, showcasing the quirky side of funding challenges in the ever-evolving crowdfunding landscape.

The Justice Department is pushing for Google to sell Chrome, igniting a discussion on browser dynamics and digital privacy. The hosts humorously debate nootropics versus energy drinks while exploring Google's monopolistic grip on the market. They delve into the ARK browser's unique features and its rise and fall in popularity. Nostalgic reflections on early internet culture spark a conversation about the future of web browsers, especially with AI's growing influence on user experience.

The the wake of the US election and the increasingly weird vibe on X, there has been yet another exodus of users to the promised land of "any text-based timeline but Twitter". That means people are talking about Bluesky again. In this episode, we revisit the erstwhile decentralised social media platform and check in on its progress, asking the question on everyone's lips: does it have the juice? Also, prices of Down Round Premium are sensibly increasing in line with Australian PPP. But we're offering the current pricing for yearly subs for the next couple of weeks. Subscribe here.      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the first week after the US election, and Down Round is officially making the leap into being an American politics podcast. OK, not really. But there's actually plenty of Down Round relevant themes here. In this ep, we talk briefly about the new state of tech politics now that the conservative side of the industry is on the march. Then, we go into three big tech narratives that got the most attention at the election: podcasts, X and prediction markets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are joined once again, for our sins, by the Australian Financial Review's Rear Window columnist Mark Di Stefano. A freewheeling episode on everything from smartphones to AI girlfriends, where we all perform some ruthless self-critique and ultimately come out happier, more self assured and about 10 IQ points dumber.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a free preview of a premium episode. To subscribe to Down Round Premium and get access, head here. We're putting on our hazmat suits and going back into the world of crypto. Or, at least, one promising part of it. Stripe recently bought Bridge, a startup which built a stablecoin issuance and settlements API. That sounds boring, and perhaps it is. But one day, it could play a serious role in helping pay the person or bot who replaces you. In this ep, we talk about why one of the biggest payments providers in the world is suddenly enamoured by stablecoins.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Halloween this week, and we've got an appropriately spooky episode for you. We're looking back at a random selection of some of our favourite dead and/or zombified companies, platforms and products of the past couple of decades. From instant delivery and Google Reader to Adobe Flash and the Microsoft Zune, prepare to be utterly terrified by these terrifying spirits from tech's past.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Explore the fascinating rise and fall of Blizzard Entertainment and its controversial acquisition by Microsoft. Discover the tension between creativity and commerce in gaming, along with the harsh realities of monetization strategies. Dive into the cultural impact of esports, particularly in South Korea, and how this competitive landscape has shaped the gaming industry. Plus, enjoy a humorous detour into the world of laundry detergent and its strange connection to gaming giants.

We're lauching a bonus episode this week to officially welcome in the silly season (commences mid October). We're joined by James Chin Moody, CEO of Sendle, a virtual courier service who is quite likely responsible for some proportion of the treats you receive via mail. We discuss the Australia Post monopoly, the funding environment and the future of ecommerce.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.