For 15 years, entrepreneurs and investors the Morins and the Lessins have debated the future of Silicon Valley and tech as the closest of friends. Now six compa...
For 15 years, entrepreneurs and investors the Morins and the Lessins have debated the future of Silicon Valley and tech as the closest of friends. Now six compa...
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5 of 14
#14: The Apple Episode (Carbon Neutralish)
The couples take you up close and personal with this week’s Apple event and discuss the future of the company, hardware and the garbage product they can’t live without. Plus, Brit schools Sam on pop culture, part 10.
Show Notes:
[00:00:00] New composting trash can?
[00:05:23] Apple event changes.
[00:08:56] Recycling Cobalt and climate impact.
[00:10:46] Apple's first Carbon Neutral Product.
[00:15:27] Camera technology advancements.
[00:19:44] Apple's trajectory after the launch.
[00:22:11] Cambrian moment in computing.
[00:26:25] The value of Apple's closed ecosystem.
[00:29:41] The capital structure of hardware.
[00:31:19] Hardware companies are entreprenuership on expert mode.
[00:35:30] The Mill magical bottomless composting trash can.
[00:37:48] Spatial computing.
[00:41:08] The Insta360 camera.
[00:43:38] World creation through AR.
[00:48:05] Why can't we have a Hardware API?
9/15/2023
53:19
#13 : Why There Will Never Be Another 200 Million Subscriber App
…but something else will bloom instead. Plus, this is why Europe can't have nice things. And the Cable Cowboy kills cable.
Discussed:
The Hottest Coach in Sports: Coach PrimeHow Deel Became Payout Provider for Prop Trading Firms, Including Site Frozen by CFTC
John Malone’s Charter Squeezes Disney at Vulnerable Moment
Cable Cowboy: John Malone and the Rise of the Modern Cable
The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success
How Taylor Swift Ditched Dealing With Hollywood Studios to Release the ‘Eras Tour’ Film With AMC
Show Notes:
[00:01:59] CU Buffs winning football game.
[00:06:30] Prop trading as Ponzi scheme.
[00:08:30] A hidden Forex trading industry.
[00:10:38] Robo spam being cracked down.
[00:14:08] Subscription business models.
[00:18:31] Europe's impact on app monetization.
[00:22:18] The digital market act.
[00:24:12] Implications for big tech gatekeepers.
[00:29:31] The future of niche apps.
[00:30:01] Subscription services reaching scale.
[00:33:11] How do you make money?
[00:36:28] Rethinking success for consumer businesses.
[00:39:52] Cable subscriptions and user experience.
[00:43:23] The fascination with fax machines.
[00:45:22] Old and new combined.
[00:47:57] Taylor Swift's movie theater success.
[00:50:46] More in-person collective experience.
9/8/2023
51:50
#12: A VC Therapy Session
The Morins and the Lessins break down what is really happening in venture firms right now from liquidating venture stakes to fundraising. Plus, Chinese entrepreneurs’ secret AI confab and Jessica’s notes from Beijing.
Discussed:
Colin Robinson: The Life of an Energy Vampire - What We Do In The ShadowsChamath Palihapitiya’s Venture Firm Offered to Sell Hundreds of Startup StakesChip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology
Show Notes:
[00:02:30] Energy vampires.
[00:04:33] Otter.ai technology for efficient reporting.
[00:09:00] Recording everything and privacy.
[00:12:41] Is being a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley like being a tenured professor at a University?
[00:15:44] Venture capital feedback cycles and accountability.
[00:18:40] Choosing Jedi or General.
[00:23:01] Fundamental beliefs and investments.
[00:25:11] Zero Fund concept.
[00:29:07] VC leading indicators.
[00:31:27] LPs buying stakes in GPs.
[00:34:51] Mid-flight venture capital strategy changes.
[00:39:02] The future of AI in China.
[00:43:11] Centralized AI ownership in China.
[00:47:38] US entrepreneurs selling beauty products.
[00:50:09] Feedback and podcast rankings.
9/1/2023
51:39
#11: Why hybrid work doesn’t work, long live the phone call
Back in the Bay Area, the Morins and the Lessins debate the status of startup work culture and how to fix it. Plus, Nvidia’s blowout earnings and the best More or Less product idea yet.
Articles and data discussed:
Salesforce Leads Financing of AI Startup at More Than $4 Billion Valuation
Can San Francisco Save Itself From the Doom Loop?
Show Notes:
[0:00:00] Remote work policies and productivity
[0:13:23] Data on decreased mobile phone usage in cities since COVID
[0:20:11] The current state of San Francisco and the Bay Area
[0:31:36] Hybrid work challenges and the move back to the office
[0:35:00] Productivity tools and scheduling meetings effectively
[0:39:44] Improving communication technologies for remote and hybrid work
[0:46:43] NVIDIA earnings and valuations in tech
[0:50:00] New potential features for the podcast including a "Third Wheel" segment
8/25/2023
52:39
#10: You should kill your startup, What replaces globalization
As the startup graveyard gets crowded, the Morins and the Lessins talk about when companies should quit and reminisce about failed investments. Plus, a More or Less debate on U.S. China tech policy and evolving views of LLMs.
Articles and books discussed:https://www.theinformation.com/articles/storage-startup-clutter-running-out-of-cash-sells-itself-at-steep-discount?rc=hwneunhttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/yieldstreet-nears-a-deal-to-buy-real-estate-tech-startup-cadre?rc=hwneunhttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/venture-capital-firms-struggle-to-raise-funds-in-china?rc=hwneunhttps://www.amazon.com/Quit-Power-Knowing-When-Walk/dp/B09PVR6YK5/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=quit+annie+duke&qid=1692292549&sr=8-1
Show Notes:
[0:00:00] Introduction - The hosts discuss their health status.
[0:00:23] Venture Capital, Startup Trends, and Choosing When to Quit - The group discusses past startup trends like the "Uber for X" era and how changing market conditions are coming home to roost.
[0:09:09] China and the Digital Trade Imbalance - The group discusses recent executive orders restricting US investment in Chinese companies and ask questions around why we only discuss the trade of atoms and not bits in the digital era.
[0:19:23] TikTok Ban Debate - The hosts debate whether the TikTok app should be banned in the US.
[0:35:00] Vision of American Digital Citizenship - Dave and Sam discuss their vision for expanding American digital identity globally.
[0:44:39] Supply Chain Impacts of COVID - Dave notes the pandemic highlighted supply chain vulnerabilities which influenced how everyone thinks about entrepreneurial risk.
[0:47:09] Large Language Model Perspectives - The hosts share their evolving views of AI, LLMs and regulatory risks.
For 15 years, entrepreneurs and investors the Morins and the Lessins have debated the future of Silicon Valley and tech as the closest of friends. Now six companies, two venture funds and more than a decade at Google, Apple and Facebook later, they are opening up the debate. From The Information, Offline Ventures, and Slow Ventures.