"World of DaaS"

Glenn Hubbard, an esteemed finance and economics professor at Columbia Business School and former Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, dives into several pressing issues. He discusses the Fed's tricky position on rate cuts, speculation on AI bubbles, and the divergence of consumer sentiment from economic reality. Hubbard argues for better government data and urges more direct communication with CEOs to forecast economic shifts. He also critiques current tariff policies and reinforces the importance of transparency in education ROI.

Omar Tawakol, the founder and CEO of Rembrand, shares his insights on AI-driven virtual product placement. He explains why this approach outperforms traditional ads, highlighting the higher recall rates of virtual billboards. Discussing rapid international growth, he notes virtual placement's 10x expansion compared to the U.S. Omar also reveals common pitfalls for repeat founders and how to run effective meetings. Additionally, he explores the potential of AI in enhancing creative personalization and improving recommendation engines.

In this episode, Auren Hoffman, a prolific founder and investor in data businesses, shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey, including growing LiveRamp to a $300M exit. He discusses the importance of curiosity over optimization when choosing ideas, the balance between 'who you know' and 'what you know' in venture capital, and the growing significance of community in the AI era. Auren also touches on the challenges of hiring exceptional talent and shares his thoughts on moonshot thinking and the books that have influenced him.

Craig Fuller, the visionary founder and CEO of FreightWaves, dives into the fascinating world of freight and supply chain data. He discusses how FreightWaves successfully predicted the 2022 freight recession and why pricing data businesses often command high market valuations despite modest growth. Craig also shares insights on the importance of proprietary data, the challenges of embedding data in workflows, and the unique strategies FreightWaves employs, such as acquiring legacy media to drive community engagement and reduce customer acquisition costs.

Tanay Kothari, Co-founder and CEO of Wispr Flow, dives deep into voice AI technology, discussing the challenges with existing dictation tools and how his company achieved an impressive 85% success rate. He highlights the significance of context in transcription and the growing adoption of voice input in the workplace. Tanay also unveils surprising use cases, like developers dictating code, and shares insights on the pivot from hardware to software. Tune in to explore the future of voice interfaces and their impact on productivity and communication.

This episode features an analyst who provides key insights on Microsoft's ambitious $17.5 billion investment to position India as a global AI hub. They discuss the creation of an 'AI city' focusing on infrastructure, skilling 20 million workers, and governance. Topics include the hardware and data centers needed for next-gen compute, the potential for India as the largest developer community by 2030, and the implications of digital sovereignty. The conversation also touches on how Microsoft's training initiatives may solidify Azure’s market presence.

Vin Vacanti, co-founder and CEO of YipitData, shares insights on why hedge funds outpace corporations in data utilization. He discusses the transformative impact of AI on data processing costs and how YipitData navigates messy consumer data to deliver actionable insights. Vacanti highlights the importance of combining datasets for business intelligence and critiques the limitations of competitor-tracking. He also emphasizes the need for founders to understand data economics and the evolving landscape shaped by AI-driven efficiencies.

Discover how new MIT research reveals large language models are tricked by their own grammar, prioritizing structure over meaning. This leads to confident but misleading outputs, even ignoring safety protocols. Learn about the curious case of 'quickly sit Paris clouded' and how models can produce coherent responses from gibberish. They dive into real-world dangers like misinterpretation of clinical notes and discuss innovative defense strategies. Tune in for insights on long-term solutions and the future of language model safety.

Patrick McGee, a Financial Times correspondent and author of *Apple in China*, dives deep into the intertwined fates of Apple and China. He discusses how Foxconn transformed under Apple's demands, the rise of black markets for iPhones, and how Apple inadvertently boosted Chinese tech giants like Huawei. Patrick also highlights regionalizing supply chains as a strategy over decoupling and shares insights on the complexities of U.S.-China relations. His take on practical advice provides a refreshing perspective on navigating today’s challenges.

Dave Morin, co-founder of Offline Ventures and an early Facebook employee, dives into fascinating topics. He explores why Meta excels at AI-driven ads compared to Netflix and Amazon, and discusses the risks of AI on social skills. Morin sheds light on Offline's unique fund-studio model for incubating startups and calls attention to the mental health crisis, highlighting breakthroughs like ketamine for depression. He also shares insights on parasocial relationships and their impact on loneliness. It's an enlightening dive into tech, investments, and well-being!