What's Your Problem?
iHeartPodcasts and Pushkin Industries
Every week on What's Your Problem?, former Planet Money host Jacob Goldstein talks with entrepreneurs and engineers tackling the biggest challenges at the forefront of technology. How do you make a trip to space as routine as a plane flight? How do you turn solar energy into clean fuel? How do you use AI to stop deadly infections before they spread? We hear a lot these days about how the world is getting worse. What's Your Problem? learns from the thinkers and doers trying to make our future better.
iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.
iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.
Episodes
Mentioned books
12 snips
Oct 22, 2026 • 40min
Solving the Trust Problem in AI Shopping
Kartik Hosanagar, a Wharton professor researching AI, digital platforms, and online marketplaces, explores the rise of AI shopping agents. They discuss why trust will spread category by category, whether groceries could lead the shift, and who should cover failed purchases. Hosanagar also explains why businesses must persuade AI systems, not just human shoppers, and how agentic commerce could reshape entire industries.
11 snips
Oct 15, 2026 • 51min
Can a Robot Build Better, Cheaper Houses?
Jason Ballard, co-founder and CEO of ICON, is pioneering robotic 3D-printed construction. He explores why homebuilding has changed so slowly, how concrete printers unlock bold designs, and what it takes to earn buyers’ trust. The conversation spans scaling robot factories, building homes for vulnerable residents, and ICON’s remarkable plans to construct habitats on the Moon.
7 snips
Oct 8, 2026 • 39min
Did AI Write This?
Max Spero, co-founder and CEO of Pangram, develops tools to detect AI-written text and images. He explores why AI prose sounds repetitive, how schools and publishers are responding, and whether disclosure will define acceptable use. They also discuss false positives, watermarks, humanizer tools, image detection, and why major AI labs may have little incentive to police their own creations.
Oct 6, 2026 • 50min
Blockers | A Preview of Michael Lewis's New Audiobook
Michael Lewis previews Blockers, exploring what happens when dedicated public servants are branded obstacles by a powerful government efficiency drive. The story moves from the attempted takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace to the overlooked craft of preventing disasters, protecting sensitive data, and keeping institutions lawful. It is a tense account of service, resistance, and power colliding with expertise.
Oct 1, 2026 • 39min
Can We Defeat Deepfakes?
Luke Arrigoni, entrepreneur and CEO of Loti, tackles the growing threat of deepfakes, scams, impersonations, and non-consensual imagery. He explains how Loti detects and removes unauthorized likenesses at scale, why celebrities are licensing their faces to AI, and how new laws could help. They also explore AI’s impact on creativity, free expression, and the future value of authentic human performances.
Sep 24, 2026 • 47min
The Printing Press: The Invention Built on Debt and Sin… from Business History
Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press began with borrowed money, risky investors, and a mysterious machine. Its first major market was selling Catholic indulgences, helping fuel a financial boom that sparked Martin Luther’s Reformation. Meanwhile, Gutenberg’s own backer took him to court, while mass printing transformed religion, politics, science, literacy, and public debate.
29 snips
Sep 17, 2026 • 44min
Should We Pause AI?
Zvi Mowshowitz, an AI safety writer and policy commentator, explores how artificial intelligence could evade control. They discuss anthropomorphizing AI, agent swarms and collective behavior, cybersecurity threats, and whether development should pause. The conversation also examines AI competition, data centers as control points, shutdown resistance, and the possibility of a singularity that leaves humans behind.
Sep 15, 2026 • 10min
Bonus: Planning for Your Financial Future
Christine Chase, a vice president and financial consultant at Fidelity Investments, helps people connect investments with real-life goals. She discusses building a complete financial picture, diversifying concentrated portfolios, tax-efficient investing, and navigating promotions with equity compensation. She also explores estate documents, insurance, competing family priorities, and why financial planning should start early.
Sep 10, 2026 • 38min
Can a Robot Kill Fish Humanely?
Saif Khawaja is an engineer and entrepreneur who co-founded Shinkei, building robotics for more humane fish processing. He explores why fish often suffocate after capture, how computer vision and the Japanese ikijime technique can work at industrial scale, and why less stressful processing may improve texture and shelf life. He also discusses seafood traceability, certification, vertical integration, and the challenges of scaling across the industry.
Sep 3, 2026 • 37min
Using Satellites to Prevent Famines
Catherine Nakalembe, a University of Maryland professor and NASA Harvest’s Africa program leader, uses satellites, AI, and field cameras to spot crop failures before famine strikes. She discusses why African farms challenge standard models, how GoPros map remote agriculture, and why vivid photos and concise memos can move officials faster than technical reports.
