#116 iPhone Air or Pro? Apple Ignores AI and Wins?
Apple ships hardware while everyone else ships AI press releases. The MOL quad debates whether Apple’s “ignore the hype” strategy wins, why YC is full of “made-to-chart” AI startups, what unique conviction really means for investors, and how meme warfare is becoming the new GTM.Chapters: 01:02 – “Ozempic iPhone” and why “thin” might be back10:06 – Market reaction: “Not enough AI,” money flows to Oracle16:49 – YC protest: is relevance measured by outrage?25:47 – Creator-led startups as an investing edge26:49 – Khosla: bargain hunting is a poor AI bet37:20 – Why money feels unlimited again (FOMO returns)40:29 – Quiet shakeout: sub-$100M seed funds at risk42:05 – Crypto policy clarity as 2025 macro driver50:11 – Meme warfare: the next GTM playbookWe’re also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessYouTube: https://youtu.be/xzlAjHPZtW4Connect with us here:1) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin4) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit
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#115 Anthropic at $170B: Should Unicorns Be Forced to IPO?
Another busy week in tech and your favorite quad are back! We go over: Google’s antitrust “win,” AI M&A mania, Anthropic’s stay-private debate, why lawyers out-earn bankers now, and the barbell reality of internet businesses. We also unpack creator vs algorithm dynamics, the rise of Ozempic, and Sam’s wild “AI petty-lawsuit bot” idea.Chapters:02:07 – OpenAI’s $300k copywriting hire → AI not there yet09:03 – AI M&A deals are small relative to hype10:55 – Lawyers now out-earning bankers12:40 – Google’s antitrust “loss” turned into a win17:31 – Government says “AI will handle capitalism”22:02 – Debate: force unicorns public at $100B+40:15 – Creators must transcend algorithms, not rely on feeds45:07 – Only ~20M Americans really buy things — own that niche56:07 – AI petty-lawsuit bots as the next “big market”57:22 – AI is just compute wars, zero net valueWe’re also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessYouTube: https://youtu.be/W1HVKJZg7qoConnect with us here:1) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin4) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit
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#114 Seed Rounds at $2B? The Dangers of AI Hype in VC With Tony Conrad
In this episode of More or Less, Brit Morin and Dave Morin sit down with legendary VC Tony Conrad (True Ventures) for a candid conversation on the state of venture capital, the real impact of AI, the death of social media, and why non-attribution and EQ matter more than ever.Chapters:01:30 – The Power (and Rarity) of Non-Attribution in Venture 04:00 – Building Culture After the Dot-Com Crash 06:00 – Why We Don’t Do This for the Money 08:30 – EQ vs IQ: The Human Side of Venture Capital 11:00 – The Wildfire Story: When VCs Show Up as Humans 16:50 – The Best GPs & Firms: Inspiration from Legacy and Newcomers 22:30 – Space Tech Is Real Venture Capital (Not Just AI) 28:10 – Venture Is a Contact Sport: Lessons from Ron Conway 30:40 – AI Hype: Is There Any Money Left for Startups? 40:00 – Manipulation, Social Media, and the Rise of AEO 49:30 – Building Brands in the Age of AI (and Why We Paused Consumer) 55:00 – The Dangers of AI Hype and Overfunding 57:00 – Why Contrarian Investing Can Wait—Focus on AI Now 1:04:00 – Pop Culture Corner: Taylor Swift, Branding, and First Concerts We’re also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessSpotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspodConnect with us here:1) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin4) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit
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#113 GPT-5 Disappoints: The End of the AI Gold Rush?
This week on More or Less, the crew dives into the shifting narratives around AI (Finally everyone is getting on Sam's wavelength), the reality of LLM business models, and why infrastructure may not be the gold rush everyone thinks. We debate the hype cycles, the authenticity crisis in startup pitches, and the pitfalls of meme coins in the creator economy. Plus, is Burning Man over, and what can Taylor Swift teach us about brand-building in the internet age? As always, join Jessica Lessin, Dave Morin, Brit Morin, and Sam Lessin for an unfiltered, insider take on what’s really happening in Silicon Valley.Chapters:0:40 – Intro and Silicon Valley Homecomings6:40 – AI, SaaS, and the Changing Narrative12:10 – The AI Moment: GPT-5 and the Plateau14:40 – AI Slop and the Devaluation of Content19:40 – OpenAI: From Hype to Sober Reality21:40 – The Problem with Narrative-Driven Startups24:40 – Marketing vs. Product: Who Really Wins?26:40 – Lying, Manifesting, and Silicon Valley Ethics30:40 – The Tower of Babel: Founders vs. VCs vs. AI36:40 – Burning Man: Has It Peaked?39:40 – Polyamory, Netflix Tropes, and the End of Media Originality43:40 – Meme Coins, Crowdfunding, and Creator Economy Pitfalls54:40 – Taylor Swift, Internet Fame, and Brand Lessons for StartupsWe’re also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessSpotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspodConnect with us here:1) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin4) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit
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#112 Swift Should Buy Chrome, Not Perplexity
This week, the team dives into more meme capitalism, the AI hype cycle, and why San Francisco is still the epicenter of tech ambition (and some very odd real estate choices). We debate the real value behind Perplexity, the future of Chrome, and the myths founders tell themselves about trials and second chances. Plus: Taylor Swift, conspiracy AIs, and the ultimate contrarian takes for VCs and founders. Your usual well rounded and brutally honest weekly episode of More or Less.Chapters:00:00 – Taylor Swift Should Buy Chrome?!02:30 – SF Comeback: The AI Pied Piper Effect06:30 – Meme Capitalism: Conference of the Future14:00 – AI Bubble Watch: Perplexity’s Valuation17:30 – Founder Redemption: Always Call Your VCs20:00 – The Dirty Secret of SaaS Trials25:00 – Chrome Antitrust Circus29:00 – AI Hardware: Bring Back the Flashlight35:00 – Taylor Swift: Peak Culture or Just Getting Started?43:00 – Conspiracy AI: The Next Meme Machine?We’re also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessSpotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspodConnect with us here:1) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin4) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit
Dave Morin, Jessica Lessin, Brit Morin, and Sam Lessin have debated the future of Silicon Valley and tech as the closest of friends for the last 15 years. 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.
Follow the crew:
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