Spencer Kimball is the founder and CEO of Cockroach Labs , a $5 billion company that makes the CockroachDB database used by Netflix, Nubank, Shipt, and many other leading tech companies. Spencer was building and contributing to major open source projects before he graduated from college. In this episode of World of DaaS, Spencer and Auren do a deep dive on open source companies: How they make money, what the ecosystem looks like in 2023, and competing with the giants like AWS and Oracle. Auren a...
Nov 07, 2023•44 min•Ep 118•Transcript available on Metacast Michael Seibel is a group partner at Y Combinator and the managing director of YC's startup accelerator. He evaluates 1000s of startups a year and sees hundreds go through YC, which means he has better data on startup success than just about anyone in tech. He’s also the cofounder of Twitch. In this episode, Michael and Auren dive into the startup landscape and the inner workings of Y Combinator. As a partner at YC, Michael sheds light on the top qualities he seeks in applicants, drawing fr...
Oct 31, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ben Horowitz is the cofounder and CEO of Andreessen Horowitz, the most influential venture capital firm of the last 20 years. Ben and Andreessen Horowitz (also known as a16z) have invested in some of the biggest companies out there, including AirBnb, Coinbase, Facebook, Instacart, GitHub and Oculus. Prior to his VC career, Ben founded Opsware/Loudcloud, which was acquired by Hewlett-Packard for $1.6 billion. He’s also the author of the bestselling books 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things&apo...
Oct 24, 2023•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Guillermo Rauch is the founder and CEO of Vercel, a cloud platform that powers some of the biggest names on the internet, like Patreon, Ebay, Netflix and Adobe. Guillermo has an incredible founder story– he began coding at age 10, dropped out of high school and moved from his native Argentina to San Francisco as a teenager. He’s also the creator of several major open source projects and a dual threat CEO who runs his own solo VC firm, Rauch Capital. In this episode of World of DaaS, Guillermo an...
Oct 17, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Andrew Ross Sorkin is a financial columnist for the New York Times, a co-anchor of CNBC’s Squawk Box and the founder and editor of DealBook. He’s also the co-creator of the hit-show Billions and the author of the bestselling book Too Big To Fail , on the 2008 financial crisis. On this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Andrew dive into the intersecting realms of technology, finance, and data. Andrew offers non-obvious insights into the 2008 financial crisis, highlighting the nuances of a pivota...
Oct 12, 2023•46 min•Ep 114•Transcript available on Metacast Peter Thiel is one of the greatest entrepreneurs and investors of his generation. He was the co-founder and CEO of PayPal, the first investor in Facebook, and co-founder of Palantir Technologies . He’s the founder and managing partner of the venture capital firm Founders Fund, and the author of Zero to One , one of the best business books of all time. In this episode, Auren and Peter dive deep on venture capital, scientific stagnation, AI, tech start-ups, and more. Peter shares his compelling th...
Oct 03, 2023•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Amjad Masad is the founder and CEO of Replit , an online coding environment. Amjad and Auren discuss what the rise of AI means for coding, developers, and tech companies. Amjad shares his thoughts on consumer vs creator computer culture, why development hasn’t moved to the cloud faster, and why everyone should be able to call themselves a programmer. They also discuss Amjad’s experience coming from Jordan to start a company in the US. Amjad shares whether he still thinks Silicon Valley is the be...
Sep 26, 2023•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sir Martin Sorrell is the founder of WPP , one of the largest advertising agencies in the world, which he ran for over 30 years. He’s currently the executive chairman of S4 Capital , which is a pure play digital advertising company he founded in 2018. In this episode, Auren and Martin dive into the fascinating intersection of AI in advertising, the economic impact of Brexit, and the ever-evolving landscape of ad revenue at big tech companies. Martin shares his global outlook for advertising, inc...
Sep 19, 2023•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Neil Strauss is a 10x New York Times bestselling author and a renowned journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times , Rolling Stone , and Esquire . Neil and host Auren Hoffman delve into the intriguing world of charisma, self-improvement, and relationships. Neil explains how anyone can learn to be more charismatic, and what charisma has to do with group dynamics. The conversation then shifts to personal transformation and the challenges of breaking recurring patterns. Neil challenges...
Sep 12, 2023•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bram Cohen is the creator of BitTorrent, which revolutionized digital entertainment and has been downloaded over two billion times. Today, Bram is the founder and CTO of Chia network, which manages the Chia cryptocurrency. Chia uses a unique proof of space model, in contrast to proof or work or proof of stake models like Bitcoin and Ethereum. In this episode of World of DaaS, Bram and host Auren Hoffman discuss a wide range of topics related to technology, data science, and cryptocurrencies. Bra...
Sep 05, 2023•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bryan Johnson is the founder of the payments processing company Braintree , which sold to Paypal for $800 million in 2012. He’s also the founder of OS Fund , which invests in advancing genomic and biological technology, and Kernel , which is focused on developing brain-machine interfaces. In 2021, he launched Project Blueprint , which aims to slow and reverse the aging process in the human body. He's spent millions of dollars optimizing and tracking his health, becoming the " most meas...
Aug 29, 2023•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sue Gordon is the former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence. She had a 30+ year career with the CIA, as well as serving as Deputy Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Auren and Sue discuss shifting global power dynamics and the nature of modern intelligence in an ever-evolving world. They delve into the realm of cyber defense and Sue gives an overview of the expanding threat landscape that stretches far beyond government borders. They also discuss open source ...
Aug 22, 2023•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ajit Pai is the former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, where he served from 2017 to 2021. He’s currently a partner at Searchlight Capital . Auren and Ajit delve into the intricacies of technology regulation, including the nuances of regulating AI and crypto. Ajit outlines the essential triggers for preemptive intervention, and the many unintended consequences of Section 230 and Europe’s GDPR privacy regulation. They also discuss the anticompetitive nature of big tech, censorsh...
Aug 15, 2023•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Steven Pinker is a linguist, cognitive scientist, and a professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard. He’s the author of twelve books, including the bestsellers How the Mind Works , Enlightenment Now , and most recently Rationality . Auren and Steven delve into the world of artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and intellectual freedom. Steven brings his perspective from cognitive psychology to explain how AI does (and does not) mirror the human brain. They also explore the complex...
Aug 08, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Erik Torenberg was the first employee at Product Hunt, and the founder and chairman of On Deck . He’s currently a partner at Village Global and the founder of Turpentine podcast network. Erik and Auren discuss the startup founder mindset and what it takes to be successful in tech. Erik shares the career strategies and frameworks that have allowed him to found multiple companies and a venture capital firm. They also discuss unconventional financial arrangements that could allow more people to fou...
Aug 01, 2023•52 min•Ep 104•Transcript available on Metacast Jesse is the founder and CEO of Gateway X , a venture studio focused on DTC brands. Previously, he was the co-founder and CEO of Ampush , a digital marketing firm which he bootstrapped to an eight figure exit. Jesse and Auren break down some of the nuances of digital marketing and discuss the state of marketing on the major tech platforms today. They also discuss Red Ventures , “the most impressive company you’ve never heard of.” Jesse is an expert on DTC companies and shares his insights on the...
Jul 25, 2023•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Immad Akhund is the CEO of Mercury, a bank for startups. He’s also a multi-time founder and a Dual Threat CEO with over 300+ angel investments. Auren and Immad discuss the collapse of SVB and how Mercury handled an influx of over $2 billion in deposits. Immad explains some lesser-known structural aspects of the banking system that affect the product and customer experience. Auren and Immad also talk about crowdfunding a startup, how much focus founders need to succeed, and why Dual Threat CEOs c...
Jul 18, 2023•48 min•Ep 102•Transcript available on Metacast HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud was the head of Saudi Arabia’s General Intelligence Directorate for 24 years. He also served as the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the UK, Ireland, and the United States, and he’s the author of The Afghanistan File. Auren and Prince Turki discuss the complex history of Afghanistan and Middle East geopolitics. Prince Turki shares his thoughts on the mistakes made by the U.S. in Afghanistan, the consequences of negotiating with the Taliban, and how the U.S. could ...
Jul 11, 2023•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dmitri Alperovitch is the co-founder and former CTO of CrowdStrike and the founder of Silverado Policy Accelerator. Dmitri and Auren delve into the complexities of cyber warfare, geopolitics, and their intersections. Dmitri explains the intricacies of the 'vulnerabilities equities process' and the challenges in making software safer. The conversation also explores the realm of cyber weapons and Ukraine's resilience in combating cyber attacks. Shifting to geopolitics, they discuss ...
Jul 05, 2023•58 min•Ep 100•Transcript available on Metacast Nick Thompson is the CEO of The Atlantic. Prior to that, he was editor-in-chief of Wired and a senior editor at The New Yorker . Nick and Auren discuss the evolving relationship between tech and media and the impact of social media platforms like Twitter on these industries. Nick shares insights into the tech industry's self-narratives and its influence on politics. They also delve into the world of AI and its implications for journalism, from generating news stories to creating children&ap...
Jun 27, 2023•59 min•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast Hadi Partovi is the founder and CEO of Code.org . He also founded Tellme Networks and ILike, held leadership roles at Microsoft and Myspace, and angel invested in a number of incredible companies, including Facebook, DropBox, Airbnb, and Uber. Hadi and Auren discuss making computer science as part of the core curriculum in public education. Hadi explains the importance of learning basic computer science and explores how AI will change software development and education. Hadi also shares insights...
Jun 20, 2023•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast David Sinclair is a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and the founder of the Sinclair Lab. He’s the author of the bestselling book Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don’t Have To , as well as a founder of several biotech companies. Auren and David discuss the potential to expand the average human lifespan by decades. David challenges traditional notions of aging and emphasizes the need to embrace new technologies. They also discuss the benefits and drawbacks of common anti-aging prac...
Jun 13, 2023•45 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast Matt Kaminski is the Editor in Chief of Politico and the founding editor of Politico Europe . Auren and Matt discuss the challenges of restoring trust in journalism and navigating politics in the digital age. Matt highlights the complicated nuances of getting a story right, the role of bias in journalism, and the need to protect free speech. He also discusses how Politico approached breaking the story of the leaked decision in the Supreme Court’s Dobbs case. Matt and Auren also explore the evolv...
Jun 06, 2023•52 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast Marissa Mayer was the CEO of Yahoo and the 20th employee at Google, where she held key leadership roles in major Google products including Search, Maps, and Gmail. She’s currently the co-founder and CEO of Sunshine . Marissa and Auren discuss the unexpected turn AI has taken towards creativity and expression, and its impact on coding and software engineering. They also explore how AI can improve software engineering and potentially affect the business models of tech giants like Google. Marissa s...
May 30, 2023•53 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast Tom Tugendhat is the UK’s Minister of State for Security and a British Member of Parliament. He was previously the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Parliament, and before that he served multiple tours in the British Army in Iraq and Afghanistan. Auren and Tom discuss the role of the UK's Minister of State for Security and Tom’s work with cybersecurity, intelligence gathering, and defense. Tom highlights some of the most overlooked factors in security and what government and priv...
May 23, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jack Abraham is the founder of Atomic , a startup studio that has launched several dozen companies including Hims & Hers , Openstore , and Bungalow . Before starting Atomic, Jack co-founded Milo, which he sold to eBay. Auren and Jack discuss how the studio fund model works and what’s allowed Atomic to be successful in a space where many other studios have failed. Jack breaks down the process of finding scalable ideas and deciding which ones to allocate resources to. Auren and Jack also dive ...
May 16, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Will Manidis is the CEO and founder of ScienceIO, which builds data solutions for health care. He was previously a managing partner at Dorm Room Fund, and a Thiel Fellow. Auren and Will discuss American dynamism and the future of knowledge work. Will breaks down his view that technology has not improved our lives as much as it should have. He explains how the nature of platform shifts have accelerated tech earnings over the last decade, but kept actual progress low. Will and Auren also do a deep...
May 09, 2023•37 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast Avlok Kohli is the CEO of AngelList and the founder of FastBite and Fairy. Auren and Avlok discuss the underestimated impact of AI and how it could be creating a tech mega cycle. Avlok explains the importance of unique data as a moat for companies building on top of large language models, and how this technology can disrupt incumbents. They also discuss the rise of Dual Threat CEOs and their outsized success in early stage venture capital. Avlok makes the case for why more current operators shou...
May 02, 2023•57 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast Elad Gil is a prolific angel investor and advisor whose early investments include AirBnb, Coinbase, Pinterest, Stripe, and Square. He’s also the founder of Color Health and author of the bestselling book High Growth Handbook . Elad and Auren discuss the challenges and opportunities for startups in the emerging AI technology landscape, particularly in comparison to incumbent companies. Elad breaks down what he’s learned as an angel investor and provides some non-generic advice for making good ear...
Apr 25, 2023•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Johnathan Bi is the host of a fantastic seven-part lecture series on the work of philosopher René Girard. He’s also a member of the founding team at Opto Investments. Auren and Johnathan discuss some of the fundamental concepts in Girard’s philosophy and how they apply to startups, venture capital, and life more broadly. They break down physical vs metaphysical desire, the power of self-delusion, and Girard's concept of zero-sum and negative-sum human interactions. Johnathan explains what t...
Apr 18, 2023•58 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast 
