This week on Techish, Michael and Abadesi tackle UK and US politics—covering Kemi Badenoch, budget hits for small businesses, and tax headaches for high earners. They also chat about Big Tech’s stance on the US elections, the tech industry’s broken promises, and wrap up with a look at catfishing in online dating. 00:20 Kemi Badenoch Is Now the UK Conservative Party Leader 04:55 Is the New UK Budget Anti-Business? 09:37 6-Figure Salaries, Childcare, and the Tax Debate 16:40 US Elections and Big T...
Nov 05, 2024•33 min•Season 7Ep. 15
This week on Techish, Michael and TechCrunch's Dominic-Madori dive into: • 00:00 Doxing Strangers With Meta’s Smart Glasses • 06:50 Apple Dunks on Large Language Models • 11:05 The Podcast Election: How New Media Is Shaping the Trump-Harris Election • 23:35 Starbucks is struggling • 27:55 UK Prime Minister Says No to Reparations Extra Reading & Resources • Two Students Created Face Recognition Glasses. It Wasn’t Hard [New York Times] • Apple study reveals major AI flaw in OpenAI, Google, and...
Oct 29, 2024•33 min
In this episode of the Techish podcast, Michael and Abadesi dive into all the drama around OpenAI's move from a nonprofit to a for-profit company. They discuss the impact on the company’s integrity, the motivations behind the move, ethical concerns about AI, and share their own startup experiences while exploring AI’s broader effects on society. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Cultural Context 01:00 OpenAI's Transition from Nonprofit to For-Profit 03:09 Integrity and Ethical Considerations in AI...
Oct 22, 2024•8 min•Season 7Ep. 14
In this week's Techish, Abadesi and Michael dive into Adam Neumann's latest project, Flow, after WeWork's dramatic failure, HBO's 'Industry' and its wild look at investment banking, and the outdated idea that men are better coders than women. Also expect reflections on friendship dynamics, new AI tools like Notebook LM, Black Tech Fest highlights, and more. Chapters 00:00 Adam Neumann stays failing upwards 05:05 HBO’s Industry and the wild world of investment banking 11:23 Do men code better? 16...
Oct 15, 2024•30 min•Season 7Ep. 13
This week, Techish hosts Abadesi and Michael talk about the challenges of promoting yourself on social media while staying authentic. They dive into gender norms, entrepreneurship, pricing strategies, and balancing personal vs. business branding—all while navigating the pressures of social media. Chapters 00:00 Promoting yourself on social media 09:50 Zero to a million: How to make (and keep) money as an entrepreneur 17:35 Building a personal vs business brand 21:15 Navigating social media, vuln...
Oct 08, 2024•32 min•Season 7Ep. 12
Brand new Techish! This week, hosts Abadesi and Michael break down: Diddy gets arrested (00:10) Red Lobster’s new 35-year-old Black CEO (06:30) The job market is a mess (13:35) Is entrepreneurship too safe now? (20:00) Extra Reading and Resources: 35-Year-Old Black CEO Takes Charge Of Red Lobster’s Revival [POCIT] Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson Discover how technology is reshaping our lives and livelihoods. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Support the show ———————————————————— Join our P...
Oct 01, 2024•29 min•Season 7Ep. 11
In this week's Techish, Abadesi and Michael reflect on the ups and downs of running their own companies: Customer-obsessed > competition obsessed (00:10) Why VC money seems so sexy (08:05) The secret to getting good feedback (11:35) The future of corporate anti-racism (19:05) Extra Reading and Resources: Playschool Accelerator 2024: https://www.hustlecrew.co/playschool Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson Discover how technology is reshaping our lives and livelihoods. Listen on: Apple Podcas...
Sep 24, 2024•25 min•Season 7Ep. 10
In this episode of Techish, Michael and Abadesi dive into the Kamala Harris vs. Donald Trump debate, chatting about bias and how it ties into today’s political climate. They also talk AI, with companies building their own solutions to save money, and how social media affects brand engagement. Plus, they break down the Fearless Fund lawsuit and its impact on diversity in venture capital, and wrap things up with tips on staying positive in the ever-changing tech world. Chapters 00:00 Debate Dynami...
Sep 17, 2024•22 min•Season 7Ep. 9
The conversation covers the topic of dynamic pricing in the ticketing industry, specifically focusing on Ticketmaster and its monopoly-like practices. It explores how Ticketmaster, owned by Live Nation, controls a significant portion of the ticketing market and uses exclusive contracts and pricing strategies to maximize profits. The hosts discuss the negative impact on consumers, the lack of innovation in the industry, and the challenges faced by artists. They also touch on the issue of hate com...
Sep 10, 2024•31 min•Season 7Ep. 8
In this episode of Techish Podcast, Abadesi and Michael discuss Beyoncé's recent brand launches and the challenges she faces in maintaining brand alignment and privacy. They also delve into the arrest of Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, and the debate surrounding privacy and responsibility on encrypted platforms. In this conversation, Michael and Abadesi discuss various topics including dating patterns among athletes, financial literacy in the music industry, the rise of frenemies, and the Play...
Sep 03, 2024•32 min•Season 7Ep. 7
In this episode of Techish, Michael and Abadesi discuss the comments made by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt about Google being a laggard in AI due to being 'too soft'. They also talk about the culture of big tech companies and the perception that employees are not working as hard when they work from home. They touch on the importance of vision and hunger for success in driving innovation. The conversation then shifts to the labor law in the UK that prohibits bosses from contacting employees afte...
Aug 27, 2024•27 min•Season 7Ep. 6
We've got a throwback episode for you all this week. We revisit Michael and Abadesi's dive into: Millennials first generation to not get more conservative as they age (01:30) Acceptable careers for African parents (07:45) Burna Boy sells out London stadium (16:05) Study reveals skinny women earn more (17:45) TikTok pranksters and the attention economy (23:20) ———————————————————— Further reading: Mark Zuckerberg completes extreme fitness challenge in 9kg vest [The Guardian] Millennials are the F...
Aug 20, 2024•28 min•Season 7Ep. 5
Brand new Techish! This week, host Michael joined by TechCrunch reporter Dominic-Madori Davis. VCs for Trump vs VCs for Kamala (00:00:10) X is just Elon’s Truth Social (00:04:40) The DEI President (00:08:00) UK riots, racism, and the right to hate speech? (00:15:02) The stock market dip (00:27:23) Preparing for an AI world (00:29:24) ———————————————————— Extra Reading & Resources VCs For Kamala: 100+ Silicon Valley Investors Back Harris’ Presidential Bid [POCIT] Some Black startup founders f...
Aug 13, 2024•33 min•Season 7Ep. 4
Brand new Techish! This week, hosts Michael and Abadesi break down: The end of corporate honesty (00:00:10) Testing job candidates using AI (00:09:50) Twitter bots, “delve”, and OnlyFans (00:13:15) How to master sales (00:18:45) TV shows aren’t making money any more (00:20:48) ———————————————————— Extra Reading & Resources Forget radical honesty — Big Tech revisits its corporate culture [Financial Times] B2B Sales Masterclass for Female Founders with Abadesi - August 6, 2024 Digital Disrupti...
Aug 06, 2024•24 min•Season 7Ep. 3
Brand new Techish! This week, hosts Michael and Abadesi dive into: • Microsoft lays off a DEI team (00:00:20) • AI bias in performance reviews (00:08:16) • The myth of meritocracy (00:12:31) • The UK has a new government (00:15:00) • Make politics attractive again (00:19:12) ———————————————————— Extra Reading & Resources • Microsoft Faces Backlash After DEI Team Layoffs [POCIT] • We asked ChatGPT to write performance reviews and they are wildly sexist (and racist) [Fast Company] • Black Man ...
Jul 30, 2024•23 min•Season 7Ep. 2
Michael and Abadesi are back and discuss all things tech and current events! The attempted assassination of Donald Trump (00:00:03) Tech luminaries endorsing Trump (00:08:30) The role of big tech in society (00:12:22) The romanticization of tech (00:13:48) Reassessing venture capital (00:14:46) Tech's pivot to Trump (00:16:37) Celebrity endorsements of Trump (00:18:22) Rekindling old romances (00:21:48) Changing standards for celebrities (00:24:46) Discussion about the changing standards for jud...
Jul 23, 2024•30 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Brand new Techish! In this episode, host Michael Berhane is joined by TechCrunch reporter Dominic-Madori Davis to break down: • HBO’s Movie Pass, Movie Crash (0:35) • Will Smith was never cancelled (7:05) • Edward Blum’s anti-DEI lawsuit against Fearless Fund (10:50) ———————————————————— Extra Reading & Resources • Fearless Fund: Appeals Court Rules Against Grants For Black Women [POCIT] • Conservative Activists Behind Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Decision Sues VC Fund For WOC [POCIT] ...
Jun 11, 2024•27 min•Season 6Ep. 19
Brand new Techish! In this mini episode, hosts Michael and Abadesi talk all things money! • How to be a savvy saver • Why investing matters • Financial red flags, and more! ———————————————————— Extra Reading I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi [Amazon] Unshakeable: Your Guide to Financial Freedom by Tony Robbins [Amazon] The Money Ladder: A 3-step guide to make and grow your wealth by Franklin Asante aka @urbanfinancier (UK-centric) [Amazon] Support the show ———————————————————— Join our ...
Jun 04, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 18
Brand new Techish! Hosts Abadesi and Michael dive into: Weaponized incompetence harms DEI (0:15) Reflections on getting older (10:15) Companies outsourcing jobs overseas (18:00) Tips for new B2B founders (26:25) ———————————————————— Extra Reading & Resources Google lays off hundreds of ‘Core’ employees, moves some positions to India and Mexico [CNBC] Who Still Works From Home? [New York Times] Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson Discover how technology is reshaping our lives and livelihood...
May 28, 2024•33 min•Season 6Ep. 17
Brand new Techish! Hosts Abadesi and Michael dive into: • Starbucks and Apple are in their flop era (0:30) • Women on Bumble no longer have to make the first move (12:40) • Bank of America employees to strike following death from overwork (21:10) • The decline of the UK (26:30) ———————————————————— Extra Reading & Resources • Starbucks removes DE&I requirements from executive pay structure [HR Brew] • A 35-year-old junior Bank of America associate suddenly died—and it’s ignited discussio...
May 21, 2024•35 min•Season 6Ep. 16
Brand new Techish! Hosts Abadesi and Michael are back in the studio to break down: The dark side of the Drake vs Kendrick beef (0:30) Google employees fired for protesting Israeli contract (11:00) Stack Overflow partners with OpenAI (22:45) The real reason behind the TikTok ban? (28:20) ———————————————————— Extra Reading & Resources Drake and Kendrick Lamar don’t care about misogyny [Vox] In Rap Feuds, Women Are The Collateral Damage & Drake Vs. Kendrick Is No Exception [Refinery29] Goog...
May 14, 2024•32 min•Season 6Ep. 15
Techish host Michael interviews VC and founder Andy Ayim! About Andy Ayim: Former product leader, entrepreneur, angel investor. Ex Managing Director of Backstage Capital London [founded by Arlan Hamilton] Achievements: Recipient of the Queen's Honours (MBE) for contributions to diversity and inclusion in the UK technology sector. Clients: Notable collaborations with Tesco, Nandos, giffgaff, Diageo, Novartis, Uber, Google, and more. ------ Key Discussions: Managing a VC fund for underrepresented ...
May 07, 2024•30 min•Season 6Ep. 14
Brand new Techish! This week, host Michael continues his conversation with former Radio 1Xtra DJ Reece Parkinson. They break down: Andrew Tate and money mentors (2:50) How a shock type 1 diabetes diagnosis led Reece to tech (16:50) Life as a tech entrepreneur (26:40) Building your first business (35:50) ———————————————————— Extra Reading: Connect with Reece on Instagram ( @reeceparkinson ) or Twitter ( @Reece_Parkinson ) Check out Reece's media company, Think in Decades [YouTube] The Black Swan ...
Apr 30, 2024•44 min•Season 6Ep. 14
Brand new Techish! This week, host Michael sits down with former Radio 1Xtra DJ Reece Parkinson. Quitting a top radio job for tech (1:00) Spending your mortgage deposit on Tesla stock (9:45) Is Elon the modern day da Vinci? (16:58) Should you invest in the S&P 500? (29:12) ———————————————————— Extra Reading: Connect with Reece on Instagram ( @reeceparkinson ) or Twitter ( @Reece_Parkinson ) Check out Reece's YouTube channel, Think in Decades The Cost Of Authoring The Written Word Has Collaps...
Apr 23, 2024•36 min•Season 6Ep. 13
Brand new Techish! This week, Michael sits down with TechCrunch reporter Dominic-Madori Davis to break down: • Pinterest is Megan Thee Stallion’s favorite app (5:20) • Influencer review tanks company’s stock (8:55) • OJ Simpson dies at 76 (13:00) • Fake TikTok podcasts (21:09) • Silicon Valley’s ‘fake it till you make it’ culture (23:00) • Forbes to fraud pipeline (28:45) ———————————————————— Extra Reading: • Megan Thee Stallion’s favorite app is Pinterest, obviously [TechCrunch] • Amazon's Just...
Apr 16, 2024•35 min•Season 6Ep. 12
Brand new Techish! This week, hosts Abadesi and Michael break down: The US government suing Apple (0:18) Florida to ban social media for under 14s (8:42) Will AI create one-person unicorns? (16:33) Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire cuts ties with Candace Owens (23:05) DEI backlash: headlines vs reality (27:48) Extra Reading: Justice Department Sues Apple for Monopolizing Smartphone Markets [US Gov] Cyberbullying: One in six teenagers report harassment online [BBC] Black Women Twice As Likely To Be Cyber-...
Apr 09, 2024•37 min•Season 6Ep. 11
Brand new Techish! This week, hosts Abadesi and Michael dive into • Diddy the Diddler (0:30) • Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis (5:15) • Is DEI the new n-word? (11:50) • Marissa Mayer’s new app embracing risk (20:40) • Reddit goes public (29:35) • Trump’s Truth Social stock soars (32:20) ———————————————————— Extra Reading: • ‘They Don’t Have The Courage To Say The N-Word’—Baltimore Mayor Condemns ‘DEI’ Attacks Following Bridge Collapse [Forbes] Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson Discover how...
Apr 02, 2024•37 min•Season 6Ep. 10
Techish is back! This week, we break down: Shudu’s creator is finally paying Black models (00:15) Christopher Nolan paid just under $100M for Oppenheimer (4:25) Another Diddy lawsuit (9:15) Will DevOn AI replace software engineers? (12:55) How to pitch to a VC (18:25) Ye’s genius Super Bowl ad (26:45) ———————————————————— Extra Reading: 'My AI twin may get me more modelling work' [BBC News] Pre-Seed Round Investing For Black Founders - Application Form ———————————————————— This episode is sponso...
Mar 26, 2024•30 min•Season 6Ep. 9
Techish is back in the building, and this week, we break down: Are tech conferences worth it? (0:30) The TikTok ban (6:00) Trump AI fakes target Black voters (10:00 Kate Middleton conspiracy theories (14:50) Elon Musk is suing OpenAI (20:40) ———————————————————— Extra Reading: Potential U.S. TikTok Ban Leaves Black Creators In Limbo [POCIT] Trump Supporters Target Black Voters With Faked AI-Generated Images [POCIT] Ex-Twitter Executives Sue Elon Musk for $128 Million in Severance Pay [Bloomberg]...
Mar 19, 2024•29 min•Season 6Ep. 8
Throwback episode: This week, we’re revisiting some of our favorite celebrity and business stories! • Kim K’s Skims is now a $4 billion company (0:15) • Keith Lee’s Atlanta reviews and influencer culture (5:05) • Beyoncé divorces Adidas (11:25) • Jay Z and rich people conversations (17:55) Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson Discover how technology is reshaping our lives and livelihoods. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Support the show ———————————————————— Join our Patreon for extra-long epi...
Mar 05, 2024•26 min•Season 6Ep. 7
