

Better Offline
Cool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts
Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build.
Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.
Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.
Episodes
Mentioned books

17 snips
Jun 7, 2024 • 42min
The Rot-Com Bust
Tech expert Ed Zitron discusses the downfall of tech's growth era and the importance of empowering builders in Silicon Valley. The podcast dives into the struggles of the tech industry post-2019, critiquing the obsession with hype over practicality, and the deceptive practices of industry giants like Microsoft. It calls for a shift towards genuine innovation and sustainability in tech development.

18 snips
Jun 5, 2024 • 30min
The Rot-Com Bubble
Tech's hyper-growth era is ending, leading to the overselling of products like the metaverse, cryptocurrency, and generative AI. The podcast explores the 'rot economy,' declining innovation in tech, AI integration in laptops, internet growth trends, and challenges facing the tech industry. The surge of innovation from 2005-2018, critiques on Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse plans, and reflections on South Dakota are also discussed.

37 snips
May 29, 2024 • 49min
AI Is Breaking Google
Lily Ray, a 15-year veteran of SEO, discusses Google's Search Generative Experience, highlighting its negative impact on search results. The podcast delves into AI-generated misinformation, ethical SEO practices, and the need for Google accountability.

10 snips
May 24, 2024 • 37min
We're Watching Facebook Die
Join social media expert Ed Zitron as he exposes Facebook's decline in active users and the negative impact of Mark Zuckerberg's profit-driven strategies. Learn about Meta's deceptive reporting metrics, lack of innovation, and manipulation tactics, leading to a dystopia of harmful content and AI-generated slop on the platform. Critiques on Zuckerberg's harmful influence and predictions of Facebook's downfall are discussed, highlighting the need for ethical social media practices.

15 snips
May 22, 2024 • 46min
How Mark Zuckerberg Deliberately Made Facebook Worse
Marketing expert Ed Zitron exposes shocking insider stories about Facebook's deliberate strategy to make the platform worse for users. Discusses unethical practices, manipulation of metrics for engagement, and the prioritization of revenue over user experience by Mark Zuckerberg and his team.

25 snips
May 15, 2024 • 44min
OpenAI's Video Generating AI Is Dead On Arrival
Director Walter Woodman discusses using AI to create videos with OpenAI's Sora technology, highlighting challenges in generating realistic content. The conversation explores the implications of AI in filmmaking, critiquing the limitations and potential impact on creativity and collaboration.

10 snips
May 8, 2024 • 55min
Enron Musk Ft. Ed Niedermeyer
Ed Niedermeyer, author of Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors, discusses Tesla's safety issues with Autopilot and Full-Self-Driving software, Elon Musk's internal changes at Tesla, and the implications of NHTSA's forced recall on over two million Tesla vehicles

9 snips
May 1, 2024 • 38min
The Cult of Failing Upwards
Ed Zitron discusses how career manager Adam Mosseri changed Instagram's direction for profit, not innovation. Talk about Sam Altman's questionable leadership in the tech world and the negative impact of influential figures on social networks like Instagram.

14 snips
Apr 25, 2024 • 31min
The Man That Destroyed Google Search
Former head of ads at Google, Prabhakar Raghavan, led a coup to control Google Search, compromising user experience for profits. The podcast explores internal conflicts, destructive actions, and the tech industry's rise and fall due to profit-focused management in the search engine sector.

9 snips
Apr 24, 2024 • 34min
How Managers Are Breaking The Internet
Management consultant Ed Zitron discusses the growth-driven mindset in tech companies like Google and Meta, leading to profit over user experience. Topics include the impact of aggressive advertising, degraded search quality, misleading data in media companies, and the exploitative nature of tech companies profiting from user data.