
Liftoff with Keith Newman
Former journalist turned Silicon Valley dealmaker and entrepreneur Keith Newman talks with Founders, Innovators and Influencers who share their stories of success, pain and impact with a bit of humor and nostalgia mixed in.
Hear from Maverick Mark Cuban, SuperAngel Ron Conway, Ann Winblad, Mitch Kapor, Steve Blank and Founders of GameStop, Ancestry, JotForm, Fry's, Intuit, and many more.
Find 80+ Episodes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-look-back-a-free-flowing-interview/id1560219589
Latest episodes

Jun 4, 2025 • 26min
Ken Miller’s Journey from Ivy League Standout to Addict and Homeless to Startup Success
From the streets to the boardroom, Ken Miller’s story is nothing short of extraordinary. In this powerful interview, Ken shares how he transformed from a homeless, three-time felon battling addiction to a multi-business owner, author, and mentor making a difference in countless lives.In this episode:- Ken’s inspiring journey of overcoming addiction and incarceration- Life lessons from the penitentiary to the C-suite- The turning point that changed everything- Why AI is the ultimate equalizer, and how Ken built an AI company- His powerful mentoring model that’s transforming young men’s lives- The book Becoming Ken, and why it’s a must-readIf you’ve ever faced setbacks, questioned your worth, or wondered how to turn pain into purpose, this episode is for you.Follow more of Ken:- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kenmiller84- Website: KenMillerSpeaks.comFollow more of the Liftoff with Keith:- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589- Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith/- Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more inspiring conversations!#Resilience #AI #Entrepreneurship #AddictionRecovery #LifeLessons #Mentorship #KenMiller #LiftoffPodcast

Jun 2, 2025 • 9min
Scaling AI Beyond GPUs: Ted Shelton on how Inflection approaches Enterprise AI
How does a top AI company scale massive clusters and build AI for the enterprise? In this episode of The Liftoff with Keith, we talk to Ted Shelton, COO of Inflection AI, from the AI Infra Summit 2025. Ted shares how their team pivoted from consumers to enterprise after their Microsoft deal, why seamless infrastructure is key, and what it takes to build AI models that run on NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel.Learn why “getting to the no” is the smartest move for founders, how enterprises can embrace sovereign AI, and how Inflection’s approach to model customization unlocks massive business value.👉 Don’t miss this deep dive into the future of AI with Keith Newman.Subscribe for more game-changing insights!Follow more of the Liftoff with Keith:- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589- Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith/- Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: sponsorships@wherewithstudio.com

May 17, 2025 • 46min
Rethinking Work with Rishad Tobaccowala: Super Founders, Smarter Leadership, and the Future of Work
Rishad is the author of Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in the Age of Data and “Rethinking Work” both published by HarperCollins. He was the Global Strategist and Chief Growth Officer of the 100,000+ person marketing and business transformation Publicis Groupe and has been named by BusinessWeek as one of the top business leaders for his pioneering innovation and TIME magazine dubbed him one of five “Marketing Innovators.” Rishad is one of only 300 people selected to the Advertising Hall of Fame in 75 years.Rishad joins the Liftoff podcast and shares with us his thoughts on super founders, smarter leadership, and the future of work.Follow Rishad:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishadtobaccowala- https://rishadtobaccowala.com/Follow the Liftoff with Keith:- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589- Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith/- Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/

Apr 30, 2025 • 39min
The Look Back spins a Music Industry Download with Grammy Award winning music industry veteran Tom Sarig to share the latest trends in the Music business and his latest project.
In the Age of AI-American Idol -Spotify-TikTok and all things music, we decided to check in on that happenings in the music industry and what we should do with our turntable and vinyl collection - so we dialed up Grammy Award winning A&R and Talent Management exec @Tom Sarig, who shares his views and also updates us on his exciting new business > https://www.antifragilemusic.com/Tom Sarig is the President of AntiFragile Music, a curator label and distributor for select, culturally distinguished independent music artists. With over two decades of experience in the music business, Tom has nurtured and helped several acclaimed artists achieve breakthrough success and sell millions of records, either as their manager or in a label/A&R capacity, and in genres ranging from electronic to rock, pop to hip hop.Tom is also the founder of Esther Creative Group, a talent management and entertainment consulting firm that has managed the careers of icons such as Lou Reed, Bryan Ferry, Violent Femmes, CAKE, and Bebel Gilberto. Tom has produced feature films, served as a Grammy-winning senior A&R executive at major labels working closely with artists including Erykah Badu, The Roots, Nine Inch Nails, and Blink-182; and founded SarigSongs, a music publishing company. Tom's mission is to champion and evangelize for great cultural brands, and to collaborate and empower independent music artists in today's music landscape.

Apr 1, 2025 • 20min
The Look Back with Special Guest Tim O’Reilly: From PC to Internet to AI and its impact on just about of everything!
In this episode of The Look Back, we sit down with Tim O’Reilly, CEO and Chairman of O’Reilly Media and a partner at O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures. Tim has been a pioneer in the world of media, content, and technology—from training and learning to books and events. Now, he’s at the forefront of the AI revolution.We discuss:✅ The evolution of technology from PCs to the Internet to AI✅ How AI is transforming creators, coders, and businesses✅ The role of media and education in the AI era✅ What the future holds for tech innovationDon’t miss this wide-ranging conversation with one of the OGs of tech thought leadership.👍 Like & Share if you enjoyed the episode!💬 Comment below with your thoughts on AI’s impact on content and coding.#TimOReilly #ArtificialIntelligence #TechFuture #AIRevolution #TheLookBackPodcast

Mar 11, 2025 • 41min
Peter Walker, Carta’s Head of Insights and Chief (Data) Storyteller joins The Look Back to share insights on the current state of fundraising, VC trends and building the best path toward growth.
Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta, shares his expertise on fundraising and venture capital alongside Bobby Napiltonia, Managing Partner at The GTM Firm. They discuss the evolving landscape of fundraising, emphasizing the importance of data analysis and the rise of AI startups. The duo highlights the shift towards fractional roles in startups for increased flexibility, and how team dynamics now outweigh traditional metrics in funding decisions. They humorously explore how AI can innovate traditional businesses and reflect on the importance of learning from failures in the startup ecosystem.

Mar 11, 2025 • 37min
"The Look Back" Hosted by Keith Newman with Guest Tech Journalist, Author and X-pert Kurt Wagner (Bloomberg): Discussing the transition from Twitter to X, Musk, plus thoughts on AI and Tech journalism
The Look Back with Host Keith Newman welcomed Bloomberg Tech Writer Kurt Wagner to the program, as we convinced him to take a break from all that’s happening around his white hot tech beats (Breaking News on 3 Co’s; Meta, TikTok and X) to discuss his book on Twitter-Elon-X titled “Battle for the Bird” - along with a few sidebar chats on AI and + the current (and future) state of journalism.

Feb 5, 2025 • 6min
The Look Back: Annual Report 2024 (An Update from Host Keith Newman)
The Look Back: Annual Report 2024
An Update from Host Keith Newman on the Podcast and more from Newman Media.
Thank you listeners + friends for your support!
Highlights;
- Audience Growth
- Program Growth
Reminders:
- Subscribe and Share
- Provide Feedback
- Suggest Guests
- Become a Sponsor!
Addendum
1) Podcast networks are aiming to tap into influencer marketing budgets, as they believe podcast hosts often have a similar social media presence to traditional influencers. Big podcast player iHeartMedia reported an 8% rise in second-quarter revenue, partially due to its strategy of promoting podcast hosts as influencers. However, the challenge lies in convincing those who control influencer marketing budgets of this new approach.
2) Check this out too: https://digiday.com/media/media-briefing-why-podcast-execs-are-making-a-play-for-advertisers-influencer-budgets/
Keith Newman
CEO - Newman Media, Inc.
Strategic Partnership Advisor to Growth Co's
www.NewmanMediaStudios.com +
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-look-back-a-free-flowing-interview/id1560219589
"Chalk Talk" Keith and Legendary GTM Guy Bobby Napiltonia > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUvvqr6CBiqMOUbWfe7vWzQ
Mark Cuban, Super Shark: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/keith878/episodes/Mark-Cuban-evj8rr
*New> Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/

Jan 8, 2025 • 35min
Evangelist and Entrepreneur Wizard Guy Kawasaki (Apple, Canva) joins The Look Back
Evangelism and the Future of AI. The Look Back welcomes Guy Kawasaki, who famously entered the tech world as Evangelist on Apple’s original Macintosh team hand picked by Steve Jobs. After an epic run with Apple, Guy ran and mentored several startup companies, wrote many books that supported his perspective at the intersection of Entrepreneurship X Evangelism. Oh, and wait til he shares his ideas on the future of AI. This was one of my favorite discussions.
Happy New Year!
Keith
On YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/@TechStartupNetwork/featured
https://guykawasaki.com/books/think-remarkable/The Macintosh Way (1990) ISBN 0-06-097338-2.
Selling the Dream (1992) ISBN 0-88730-600-4.

Nov 19, 2024 • 51min
The Look Back sits down with Walt Mossberg, Founder of Recode, Code Conference and All Things Digital team @Wall Street Journal
The Dean of the Personal Technology product review was Walt Mossberg and now he joins The Look Back and reviews his early days in journalism to the transition into the most followed column @WallStreetJournal that instantly became a MUST READ for everyone in the PC industry. Walt shares his approach to proper product reviews and also reflects on his work on All Things Digital and ReCode, home of the famous Code Conference he ran with Kara Swisher. Currently Walt is serving on the Board of News Literacy Project https://newslit.org/ - working with educators and journalists to give students the skills they need to discern fact from fiction and to know what to trust! (please review the site as they need donations). Help Journalism Stay Free! (now more than ever)