Decoder with Nilay Patel

Helena Foulkes, CEO of Hudson's Bay Company and a former CVS executive, dives into the dynamic world of retail innovation. She discusses her transition from CVS to Hudson's Bay and the strategies behind revitalizing department stores. Foulkes shares her insights on the importance of creating memorable shopping experiences and the necessity of blending digital with physical retail. She addresses the challenges of competing with giants like Amazon and explores how data can reshape the future of retail.

Laurene Powell Jobs, founder of Emerson Collective, passionately discusses her commitment to journalism and social activism. She dives into the challenges media faces today, emphasizing the need for nonprofit journalism in defending democracy. Powell Jobs shares her thoughts on the implications of billionaire investments in media and innovative projects like Alejandro Iñárritu's VR film highlighting immigration issues. She also talks about her nonprofit, College Track, aimed at helping underrepresented students succeed in education.

Social Capital CEO Chamath Palihapitiya talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher and Teddy Schleifer about an “identity crisis” that pitted his wealth and fame against personal happiness and relationships.In this episode: Social Capital’s attempts to disrupt venture capital; Palihapitiya’s “identity crisis” and search for happiness; nonwhite people aren’t allowed to appear crazy; “to all the people that worked for me ... you’re fucking welcome”; why Silicon Valley has never been unhappier; the lack of heroes and values in modern society; the uneasy balance between a business' mission and its profits; disarming the concept of mental health; why Palihapitiya isn’t a fan of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; why the startup world is a “ponzi scheme”; what entrepreneurs need to ask prospective investors to avoid getting fleeced; the looming debt crisis; the five areas he would invest in now; and the current state of Social Capital.Thanks to Microsoft Azure for sponsoring this episode. Get started with a free account and 12 months of popular free services at Azure.com/trial today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Chavern, the president and CEO of the nonprofit News Media Alliance, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about advocating on behalf of journalists in Washington, D.C.In this episode: How Chavern got to the News Media Alliance; the unique challenges of representing the media business; the ripple effects of the declining print business; the impact of Google and Facebook; revenue sharing, algorithm changes and conspiracy theories online; the differences among how the platforms understand the media; how tech has sucked up all the ad revenue; “charity isn’t going to solve this problem”; why does Facebook get Section 230 protections?; potential antitrust action; Trump’s dangerous “fake news” rhetoric; is education and news literacy enough?; tech billionaires buying media companies; and why it’s harder to innovate on the business model for journalism than it is in other forms of media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lora DiCarlo CEO Lora Haddock talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the process of designing an innovative new sex toy for women — and the fight to get mainstream acceptance for her invention.In this episode: Why Haddock started Lora DiCarlo; how she designed its first product, Osé; how startups design and create new physical products; with advanced robotics, "what we're trying to elicit is a blended orgasm"; why Haddock is avoiding vibration; funding Osé's development; receiving a CES innovation award from the Consumer Technology Association; getting rejected by CES and losing the award; the ensuing back and forth with the CTA; what Lora DiCarlo did instead of being at the main show; "they couldn't have done us a bigger favor"; female CEOs in technology; why Haddock chose to leak the dispute; and what the CTA could do to make amends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Connor, the artistic director of the digital art community Rhizome, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the group's museum exhibit, "The Art Happens Here," and the future of art made on the internet.In this episode: How Rhizome was founded and how the museum exhibit came together; the unique challenges of preserving internet art; the earliest works of art in Rhizome's Internet Art Anthology; what does "net art" mean?; what tools do net artists use?; the impact and legacy of the Net Art Anthology; how net art reflects meme culture, emerging technologies and questions about identity; where is art going as new technologies emerge?; and the blurring line between art and non-art.Thanks to Microsoft Azure for sponsoring this episode. Get started with a free account and 12 months of popular free services at Azure.com/trial today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Harvard Business School professor emerita Shoshana Zuboff talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power.In this episode: Zuboff's background and why she wrote the book; how the economy got digitized; maximizing shareholder value "scraped the life out of so many of our institutions and our businesses"; how surveillance capitalism was invented; why Zuboff uses the term "surveillance capitalism"; how tech companies are like magicians (and not in a good way); and what the hell do we do about this? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Barry Diller, the chairman of IAC and the Expedia Group, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the state of the tech and media industries, problematic people in power and why Diller is building a new public park in New York.In this episode: What does he do as chairman of those companies?; the future of dating apps; how Diller evaluates the travel industry and Airbnb; how did Diller anticipate how the internet would change media?; why Netflix is beating Amazon and will beat all other competitors; "Hollywood is now irrelevant"; techlash and criticizing Mark Zuckerberg; how Facebook and Google should be regulated; Amazon's power and Jeff Bezos' battle with the National Enquirer; how he has run the Washington Post; Rupert Murdoch and Marc Benioff; Diller is writing a book; President Trump is "thoroughly rotten" and "an accident of history"; Mike Bloomberg, Howard Schultz and billionaire backlash; saving the High Line in New York City; public spaces and civic responsibility; "we're building an island off the Hudson River."Click here to vote for Kara Swisher in the Shorty Awards! You can vote once per day between now and Thursday, February 21. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nuala O'Connor, the CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the group she leads is lobbying the government and private companies on issues like consumer privacy and free speech.In this episode: O'Connor's background in big companies and the Department of Homeland Security; what the Center for Democracy and Technology does; the "Summer of Snowden"; why antitrust isn't a cure-all; speech and responsibility are the biggest issues facing the internet right now; why O'Connor says tech is engaged in a "holy war"; why she's optimistic about Capitol Hill; the reality of what the internet is vs. what we thought it would be; the big themes for tech reform in 2019; a lot of what we call "fake news" is actually government propaganda; can net neutrality be revived?; and online bullying and tech addiction,Click here to vote for Kara Swisher in the Shorty Awards! You can vote once per day between now and Thursday, February 21.Thanks to Microsoft Azure for sponsoring this episode. Get started with a free account and 12 months of popular free services at Azure.com/trial today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elevation Partners founding partner Roger McNamee talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his new book, Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe.In this episode: Transitioning from tech optimist to critic; the 1990 crash and rebound; starting Silver Lake Partners; McNamee’s health crisis and struggles with office politics; “then Bono calls up”; meeting and mentoring the 22-year-old CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg; recruiting Sheryl Sandberg to be COO; the Beacon disaster and clashing with Sandberg; the suspicious early warning signs in 2016; speaking out against Facebook and the cost of becoming an activist; why McNamee wrote Zucked; trying to get around Google’s privacy invasions; the fundamental problems with Google and Facebook’s business model; tech companies that never think about consequences; how the limits on what data can be collected keep changing; and how can regular people help fix these problems?Click here to vote for Kara Swisher in the Shorty Awards! You can vote once per day between now and Thursday, February 21.Thanks to Microsoft Azure for sponsoring this episode. Get started with a free account and 12 months of popular free services at Azure.com/trial today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices