"World of DaaS"

Guillermo Rauch, CEO of Vercel, discusses the future of web development, user experience, and developer-first companies. They also delve into open-source business models and AI's impact on data interactions. Rauch shares his unique personal journey and insights on health, the immigrant experience, and conspiracy theories.

Financial columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin discusses non-obvious insights into the 2008 financial crisis, the banking system evolution, and the SVB collapse. He also explores venture capital in the media industry, AI's role in copyright, changes in M&A driven by private equity, and intriguing subjects like independent media and conspiracy theories.

Peter Thiel, entrepreneur and investor, discusses venture capital, scientific stagnation, AI, tech start-ups, and more. He dives deep into the global economic landscape, the impact of competition, and the challenges of expansion. Thiel examines the smokescreen of wokeness, the scarcity of courage, and challenges conventional wisdom. He also explores the naming convention in science and the potential impact of humanities education on scientific progress.

Amjad Masad, CEO of Replit, discusses the rise of AI in coding, the future of tech companies, and the importance of accessibility in programming. They also touch on his experience as a startup founder and the unique considerations for CEOs, including free speech and assessing expert opinion. They explore the shift from consumer to creator culture, winners and losers in the tech industry, and the advantages of being a dual threat CEO. They also discuss the ethical dilemma of telling the truth in science, trusting experts, and reevaluating conventional wisdom on product launching.

Martin Sorrell, founder of WPP, shares his insights on AI in advertising, the economic impact of Brexit, ad revenue at tech companies, cookie deprecation, and brand building in the social media era. He also discusses the future of employment in the advertising industry, the dominance of digital platforms, and his methods for staying informed and maintaining good health. The conversation touches on conspiracy theories, the importance of language skills, and effective people management.

Renowned author and journalist Neil Strauss joins host Auren Hoffman to discuss charisma, relationships, personal transformation, and the influence of AI. They explore the impact of charisma on group dynamics, societal notions of relationships, and the evolving role of emotional intelligence. The conversation also touches on AI's influence on creative work, social media credulity, NFTs, and modern parenting. Neil shares candid thoughts on conspiracy theories and challenges the conventional wisdom of 'just be yourself'.

Bram Cohen, creator of BitTorrent and founder of Chia network, discusses Chia, Crypto, and BitTorrent, the limitations of recommendation algorithms, the dominance of BitTorrent in internet traffic, decentralized compute work, the hype around cryptocurrencies, the possibility of a banking collapse, and Bram's personal beliefs regarding conspiracy theories.

Bryan Johnson, founder of Braintree and OS Fund, talks about optimizing health, longevity, and well-being. He discusses his biological age, training regimen, fasting windows, diet formulation, and the Blueprint project to slow and reverse aging. They explore addiction and self-control, the future of humanity, and the role of data in decision-making.

Former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Sue Gordon, discusses shifting global power dynamics, cyber defense, and the expanding threat landscape. They explore open source intelligence (OSINT), satellite technology, geospatial intelligence, and the dynamics of coalitions. They also discuss INQTEL, the CIA's technology investment arm, and Sue Gordon's extensive experience at the helm of various CIA departments.

Ajit Pai is the former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, where he served from 2017 to 2021. He’s currently a partner at Searchlight Capital.Auren and Ajit delve into the intricacies of technology regulation, including the nuances of regulating AI and crypto. Ajit outlines the essential triggers for preemptive intervention, and the many unintended consequences of Section 230 and Europe’s GDPR privacy regulation. They also discuss the anticompetitive nature of big tech, censorship concerns, and the aftermath of net neutrality debates. Shifting to communication infrastructure, Ajit and Auren break down the amazing explosion of the commercial satellite industry. Ajit shares how the FCC is modernizing the broadcast spectrum for faster WIFI and better mobile connectivity. They finish with a discussion of the overall health of private equity– which firms will fare well coming out of the pandemic bubble, and which could face collapse as interest rates and valuations change. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Ajit on Twitter @AjitPai.