Join us as we talk to Chris Best, co-founder and CEO at Substack, a leading newsletter subscription platform. Five years ago, email newsletters sound downright archaic. Today, reading email newsletters is society’s coolest hobby. From Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald’s newest take on current events, to Yem’s newsletter that sends 2 hours of music everyday at 3am to kickstart your day, Substack is creating an alternate universe of trusted, high quality content shipped right to your inbox. In this episode, Chris discusses the transition from the attention economy to one where time and attention is a rare commodity. We talk about how Substack is enabling consumers to be more protective of their attention and helping writers do the work they believe in. Investments in growing quality content through Substack Grow and the newly launched mobile app have empowered people to turn their side passion in writing into a value-creating profession. In the final minutes of the episode, we wrap up with anecdotes of people who’ve done a great job at becoming creator entrepreneurs via Substack as well as Chris’ take on transformational trends for the next decade. What is quality content? As Chris describes it, you should have the power to decide. Though we can confidently say that this episode definitely exceeds the *quality* bar.

Join us as we talk to Trond Wuellner, Director of Product Management at YouTube, an investor in more than 25 early stage businesses as an active member of the Hustle Fund Angel Squad, and a board member of the Sustainable Ocean Alliance. In this podcast, we talk about the growing creator economy and Trond’s previous experience at Google and YouTube, from learning about managing people from Sheryl Sandberg to his advice for aspiring product managers. Growth in tooling and media platforms has created an explosion in content from the creator economy by enabling regular people to showcase their passions, whether it’s your friend’s Instagram of their meal at Zahav or Charli d’Amelio’s TikTok dances. While there was once an insurmountable editing barrier to creating professional content, creators can now use AI programs to remove pesky background noises; where it was once tough to monetize a growing channel, there are now programs to help convert virality into physical merchandise, vibrant fan communities, and other opportunities to earn. The next online sensation could easily be that podcast about cooking you’ve thought of starting! Trond is at the forefront of these developments with his work at YouTube. We talk about the megatrends in the creator economy that are enabling an emerging “middle class” of participants, and how the effectiveness of tools has shifted the focus of media back to the storyteller and as a result returned the emphasis to authenticity and transparency. People are creators by nature, eager to tell their own stories, and now the growing ecosystem is allowing this community to think of themselves as businesses. The ability to monetize and adapt content to a captive audience is creating a flywheel effect that powers continued growth in the industry. We also delve into Trond’s experience at Google and the most important lessons he got from Sheryl Sandberg about people management. We talk about the a-ha moments that led to his decision to lead projects on GoogleFi, reflections on his extensive experience in product management and most importantly, how to listen to your users. You won’t want to miss out on this episode! Read more about Trond here: LINK

Join us as we talk to Joseph Cohen, Founder and CEO at Univer.se. Ever wanted a website to launch and grow your business or side-hustle? Or perhaps you wanted a place to showcase your creativity online? Even if you have no idea where to start and are a non-coder, Univer.se has got you covered. Univer.se is a mobile drag and drop website builder that makes creating a personal portfolio to an ecommerce shop as easy as editing a photo on Instagram and as fun as playing with Legos. Part of the no-code movement, Univer.se is meant to increase flexibility and creativity in website building by making it “hands on.” As of Spring 2022, when this episode was recorded, Univer.se had 500k monthly creators and small businesses users and the team had recently raised a Series B round at $30M. In this episode, Joseph talks about the inspiration for Univer.se and how Univer.se fits into the hype behind Web3 and NFTs. We also explore how the team incrementally built up the platform by focusing on user needs and by bringing on independent and creative hires. We then talk about the future of Univer.se as the company looks to expand while staying true to their mission and values. Finally, Joseph talks about his own journey from Wharton undergraduate drop-out to successful founder and entrepreneur.

Join us as we talk to Stacy Brown-Philpot, Founding member of SoftBank’s Opportunity Fund, Board Member of HP Inc., Nordstrom, Noom, StockX, Black Girls Code, the Urban Institute, and former CEO of TaskRabbit. We chat about launching new markets, scaling culture, leading authentically, and investing in founders of the future. How does the small size of apartments in Wembley, England and Ikea Pax wardrobes lead to improvements in TaskRabbit’s app? What does the NYC metro and grid lock traffic in LA mean for expansion in quirky markets? I couldn’t have asked better questions myself, you’ll have to check out the podcast to find out :) Let’s talk about culture. We all know culture is crucial when leading a company, but how do you scale it? How do you avoid the many stories of culture gone wrong? Stacy shares her insights on creating an environment where the flowers can bloom, where there isn’t one single great culture, but a melange of unique cultures in every office. Leading authentically is certainly a buzzy phrase right now, but what does it mean to actually create a space where people can bring their full selves? It’s not simple, but it starts with building an organization that is representative of the folks you’re serving, searching for people that are already living your organization’s values, and creating systems that promote and reward teams. It’s not a “pipeline problem”, there's a lack of capital focused on investing in founders of color. We talk about how SoftBank’s Opportunity Fund is intentional about its focus on diversity, creating opportunities, building community, and mentorship. Enough teasers check out the podcast!

Join us as we talk to Sean Brecker, CFO and Board Member at Headspace Health, one of the first meditation apps and a leader in whole body wellness space! Let’s face it, this pandemic has shot up our cortisol levels to the moon! And there seems to be a never-ending torrent of things to worry about from elections to whether we’ll be able to see our families. So, what do we do about this constant feeling of existential crises? Well, here’s where Headspace and whole body wellness come in! Not only is Headspace a one stop shop for meditation, sleep, fitness, mental health, and more, it was created by a Buddhist monk trained in the Himalayas! Can you say zen master? Sean chats about how Headspace has evolved from meditation to a total health and wellness app. Headspace addresses anxiety, sleep, and mindful movement all with a focus on science and results. We also explore Headspace’s mission to improve health and happiness and how they are approaching that through their content partnerships with companies like Netflix and Sesame Street. Stressed over Squid Game? Put Headspace on and get some peace and clarity. And we all know that if there’s anyone that could use some help with impulse control, it’s the Cookie Monster. Big News: Headspace recently merged with Ginger (not the root) to form a health and wellness powerhouse, Headspace Health. Headspace Health will democratize mental healthcare to provide the full spectrum of affordable and comprehensive support for everyone. Read more about Sean here: LINK

Join us as we talk to Jessica Lachs, VP, Analytics and Data Science at DoorDash, everyone's favorite food delivery app. In this episode, we dive into how data and technology are transforming the food delivery and restaurant industry, the role of data in solving optimization problems that arise from three-sided marketplaces, the steps involved in scaling operations at a startup, data-driven decision making, data analytics, data science, how to switch careers or enter a new industry and more! DoorDash was founded in 2013 by Tony Xu, Andy Fang, Stanley Tang and Evan Moore with a simple mission: to enable every merchant to deliver. The group of Stanford grads emerged triumphant from an industry that continues to become more competitive with a successful IPO last year. So, to what do they owe their success? Was it an industry analysis of the century using Porter’s Five Forces or an exquisite blue ocean strategy? But seriously...what are they teaching over there? Asking for a friend *cough, Wharton, cough*. While there’s no sole answer as to why companies succeed or fail, could the key to DoorDash’s success be data? DoorDash’s three-sided marketplace brings consumers, restaurants and dashers together on one platform to gather enough data to make Zuckerberg reel with excitement and jealousy at the same time. But when you’re knee deep in data, how do you interpret it, action it and use it to help differentiate from the competition? Well, that’s where data experts like Jessica come in! So come join the data revolution and tune in to learn more about what it really means to have a data-driven mindset. Read more about Jessica here: https://whartontechtoks.medium.com/

Join us as we talk to Kartik Hosanagar, John C. Hower Professor of Technology and Digital Business and a Professor of Marketing at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Kartik’s research focuses on the digital economy, in particular the impact of analytics and algorithms on consumers and society, Internet media, Internet marketing and e-commerce. In this episode, we dive into the Artificial Intelligence (AI) landscape by discussing key players, new and exciting areas of development, applications across industries, impact on jobs, algorithms, the balance between transparency and control and the science behind machine learning (ML). Kartik is currently working on starting his own company powered by AI and ML so tune in to hear his expansive knowledge of the space and entrepreneurial journey. AI, ML, NLP, GPT-3...random acronyms, buzzwords or technological advancements that will make Westworld a reality? With data now at the heart of every big tech’s company strategy, it seems everybody is touting their AI and ML capabilities and applications. But from an outsider’s perspective, it’s hard to tell if they’re truly using AI to make a difference, hello AI in diagnosing cancer and preventing blindness, or just have a team of writers and graphic designers creating some captivating content, paging Watson. AI has the power to make humans more efficient and effective by taking over redundant, mundane tasks. From diligence and contract creation in the legal industry to identifying patterns in scans and symptoms of Covid patients for faster diagnoses in the healthcare industry to even GPT-3 enabling machines to write screenplays, poems and songs in the entertainment industry. While nobody can replace Quentin Tarantino, I’d like to see how humans and AI can work together to save more lives or provide higher quality and more targeted content. If you’re at all interested in AI or don’t want to live in the stone ages, tune in for another riveting episode so that you can call yourself a tech professional. Read more about Kartik here: https://whartontechtoks.medium.com/

Join us as we talk to Jay Richman, VP, Head of Global Advertising Business & Platform at Spotify, a digital music service that needs no introduction. In this episode, we dive into the streaming industry, the podcast landscape and trends, advertising technology, streaming targeted ads, creator platforms, the algorithm revolution, recent acquisitions, entrepreneurship and more! Spotify revolutionized the music industry by providing users with easy access to millions of songs and personalized playlists, but recently they’ve made moves in the podcast game through exclusive contracts with top podcasters, acquisitions of podcast advertising and publishing platforms and investments in advertising technology and a creator marketplace. Spotify’s ability to harness the power of its data to create a personalized experience with curated playlists, recommendations and ads through AI and algorithms has made the company successful in both music and podcasts. Wharton Tech Toks is out here trying to be the next Joe Rogan but as a podcaster myself, I appreciated learning about the tools and platforms to help publish, monetize, grow and advertise content (seriously, fellow podcasters out there take notes!). With the spur of the creator economy, sounds like Wharton Tech Toks launched at just the right time! So tune into the podcast to a) support our success (how are we going to be famous without your help?!) and b) learn about all things ad tech and creative platforms! Read more about Jay here: https://whartontechtoks.medium.com/

Join us as we talk to Sukanya Soderland, Chief Strategy Officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, one of the largest private health plans in Massachusetts serving 3 million members. In this episode, we dive into how big data is changing digital health, why patients will own their data, and the technology innovations that will bring about the Apple of EHRs. With the rise of COVID, we’re overcoming byzantine barriers like hyper locality. Your doctor doesn’t need to be down the street, they can be across the country. It’s progress but Tele-health doesn’t equal digital health. For years we thought the problem was a lack of data, but now doctors are drowning in it. Electronic health records were supposed to bring about a revolution or at least free up some office space. Instead, it takes 62 clicks for a doctor to prescribe Tylenol! It’s faster to skip the doctor and go straight to CVS. So what now? Learn how health systems, EHRs, and physicians can leverage data and patient condition views to provide better health outcomes. How do we marry big tech and health care? Is it Amazon health, niche VC-backed startups, or examples like Author by Humana? Find out on the podcast! Read more about Sukanya here: https://whartontechtoks.medium.com/

Join us as we talk to Andrew Straus, VP of Sales Strategy and Planning at Snowflake, a cloud-based data warehousing company. Snowflake made history in September 2020 with the largest software IPO ever selling 28 million shares and raising nearly $3.4 billion. During this episode, we get an incredible understanding of the rise of cloud, the current state of the market, how cloud customers think about their cloud strategy and the future of data analytics powered by cloud. Dude where’s my cloud? Back in the stone ages, data was housed in clunky on-prem data warehouses resulting in high maintenance, rigid infrastructures that siloed data making it difficult to paint holistic financial or analytical pictures. Fast forward to the cloud disrupting the data warehouse industry by compiling and unifying data from disparate systems to one location enabling the ability to securely share governed data. With players dominating the US market such as AWS, Azure and Google Cloud and now a global player, hello Alibaba, Snowflake has carved out a unique position with their data cloud’s ability to operate concurrently on all platforms. As an MBA student, I love a good multi-task and if you don’t know what that last sentence meant...listen to the damn podcast! Read more about Andrew here: https://whartontechtoks.medium.com/