

Members of Technical Staff
Atlas Media Labs
Welcome to Members of Technical Staff: week-after-week of prestige narration from the hotbed of San Francisco tech culture. Featuring founders, funders, and fanatics, join Jayden (@creatine_cycle) and friends as they chronicle the culture, scandal, and humourlessness of the most important city of the 21st century.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 18, 2025 • 32min
Tech Bros Deserve Love Too This Christmas, with Valentina
As Christmas approaches, a fun discussion unfolds about what to buy tech bros. From skincare and productivity tools to extravagant gadgets like RTX 5090 GPUs, they explore unique gift ideas. Valentina introduces AI-assisted shopping, showcasing personalized recommendations for high-end gear. The hosts also reflect on the social dynamics of San Francisco and the holiday travel habits of tech folks. Overall, it's a lighthearted mix of holiday shopping dilemmas and the quirks of the tech world.

Dec 12, 2025 • 18min
🚨 Emergency Pod 🚨 Cline's Head of AI Was Fired
Woke is back! Was Cline's Head of AI being fired due to VC pressure or a severe miscalculation? I have no idea, but my unemployed ass would never let a good crisis go to waste. In this episode I cover the initial Twitter comment that drew criticism, the reactions, the fallout from the apology, and some classic startup comms slop.Watch on X; listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.SponsorsInference trains and deploys custom language models for some of the fastest growing companies in history. If you're spending more than $50,000/month on OpenAI, Anthropic, or Gemini, they can help you save money, improve quality, and ultimately make your business more efficient.Lighthouse makes U.S. work and green-card visas easy for technical talent and fast-growing teams. From free evaluation to streamlined onboarding, personalized support and full document prep they get your top engineers, researchers and founders through the visa journey in weeks not months. Trusted by startup builders who don’t want immigration to be a blocker.Trufflepig is the AI-native spreadsheet software that allows you to work at the speed of thought and they’re hiring. Join a fast-growing AI startup building something that people will actually use.Morph is the better way to apply AI code edits. Merge LLM changes into your code and files - at 10,500+ tokens per second. 98% accurate + 2x faster than search-and-replace.

Dec 11, 2025 • 36min
Y Combinator Demo Day F25, with Spor
In a thrilling recap of Y Combinator's Demo Day F25, the hosts explore the transformative impact YC has on San Francisco's tech scene. They break down what Demo Day represents for founders and investors alike. Attendees share insights and lively interactions, while social media reactions and controversies surrounding YC spark debate. The discussion touches on skyrocketing valuations and dilution trade-offs, all wrapped up with the duo's light-hearted banter about the event's quirks.

Dec 4, 2025 • 33min
Climber Vs Gym Bro, with Keller Cliffton
Keller Clifton, CEO of Zipline and former pro rock climber, shares insights on scaling drone logistics for medical supplies. He discusses how climbing taught him resilience and the parallels between overcoming challenges in sports and entrepreneurship. Keller reflects on the social dynamics of climbing, its physical demands, and the technique over strength philosophy. Their humorous banter contrasts gym workouts with climbing strength and touches on the evolving culture within the climbing community.

Nov 30, 2025 • 24min
🚨 Emergency Pod 🚨 Going Viral For the Wrong Reasons, with Theo Browne
Theo Browne, a sharp-witted commentator and builder in the tech community, joins to discuss a viral incident where his dunk on Jayden took X.com by storm. They unpack what makes content go viral, exploring the explosive impact of memes and GIFs. Theo shares insights on the disconnect between virality and product conversion, advocating for genuine connections over flashy marketing. The duo reflects on how such moments can elevate careers, turning a roasting into a branding opportunity. Tune in for their humorous and thought-provoking banter!

Nov 28, 2025 • 46min
Intro Culture and Raising Venture Capital, with Paige Finn Doherty
Paige Finn Doherty, founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of 'From Seed to Harvest,' delves into the world of venture capital. She shares her strategies for securing investor introductions through platforms like Twitter, emphasizing the importance of genuine human connections over transactional chats. Paige discusses networking etiquette at events, the nuances between different event vibes, and how persistence in the venture world can lead to success. She also simplifies venture concepts for kids in her book, showcasing her passion for making VC accessible.

Nov 24, 2025 • 21min
🚨 Emergency Pod 🚨 Girlsgiving, with Madison Kanna
In a lively conversation, Madison Kanna, co-organizer of the Seven Girls of SF event, shares her insights on the Thanksgiving gathering she hosted. They delve into the unique experience of having Jayden as the token male guest and the nervous energy that came with it. Madison discusses the vibrant social dynamics of San Francisco, the quirky 'shoes-off' rule, and the hilarious moments around the excessive food spread. The chat captures the essence of feminine energy and camaraderie, leaving listeners entertained and curious about future events.

Nov 20, 2025 • 46min
Dating a Founder in SF, with Adam Tazi
Join Adam Tazi, the founder and CEO of Trufflepig and a vibrant social media personality, as he shares his insights on the quirky world of dating as a founder in San Francisco. He discusses why founders can be tough to date, from time scarcity to intense focus on work. The conversation dives into SF dating demographics, the frugality of splitting bills, and post-exit relationship dynamics. Tazi also offers candid advice for pre-seed founders on prioritizing relationships amid startup challenges, all while exploring creative, low-cost date ideas.

Nov 13, 2025 • 46min
The Rise of the Anonymous Tech Twitter Account, with Spor
In this conversation with Justin, a.k.a. Spor, an influential figure from the anonymous tech Twitter space, he shares insights on how anonymity transformed his life and career. Justin discusses the rise of anonymous accounts as a response to societal pressures, their evolution post-Elon takeover, and cultural phenomena like the Wordcel vs. Shape Rotator debate. He reveals how his decision to join the anonsphere led to significant professional opportunities and valuable friendships, sparking a conversation about the ongoing relevance of anonymity in tech.

Nov 6, 2025 • 33min
Throwing the Perfect San Francisco Party, with Miranda Nover and Valentina Escudero
We threw an absolute rager in San Francisco and it was actually good! This conversation covers how we did it, the ratio, the costumes, the lack of networking, whether people wore their shoes or not and what to think about when trying to throw a great party in SF. I also caught up with Miranda Nover, Founder of Fort and Valentina Escudero from a beloved MAG 7 before the party started to talk all things Girlie Halloween.Watch on X; listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.SponsorsInference trains and deploys custom language models for some of the fastest growing companies in history. If you're spending more than $50,000/month on OpenAI, Anthropic, or Gemini, they can help you save money, improve quality, and ultimately make your business more efficient.Lighthouse makes U.S. work and green-card visas easy for technical talent and fast-growing teams. From free evaluation to streamlined onboarding, personalized support and full document prep they get your top engineers, researchers and founders through the visa journey in weeks not months. Trusted by startup builders who don’t want immigration to be a blocker.Trufflepig is the AI-native spreadsheet software that allows you to work at the speed of thought and they’re hiring. Join a fast-growing AI startup building something that people will actually use.Morph is the better way to apply AI code edits. Merge LLM changes into your code and files - at 10,500+ tokens per second. 98% accurate + 2x faster than search-and-replace.


