The Newcomer Podcast

The bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery is over…for now. Netflix shocked Hollywood by announcing a deal to acquire the storied studio and its crown jewel, HBO Max, beating out a massive $108 billion hostile bid from Paramount. But in this episode, we argue that the $87 billion mega-deal is nothing more than a desperate move by Hollywood to consolidate power. David Zaslav’s WBD was a "fiasco," and the merger of "prestige" content like Succession with Netflix's data-driven content has the industry freaking out. The real threat to Hollywood isn't a rival studio, but Silicon Valley. We explain why Netflix and Paramount are fighting each other while the true watch time beast is YouTube and TikTok.

In this episode, we break down the revelations around David Sacks, the venture capitalist now serving as the Trump administration’s de-facto AI czar, while simultaneously holding deep financial ties across the AI industry he’s helping shape.Following the New York Times’ recent reporting, we examine how Sacks positioned himself at the center of both AI policy and AI investing, and what happens when the person influencing federal AI strategy is also betting on the companies affected by those decisions.Is this a historic conflict of interest? A new model of tech-government entanglement? Or simply the inevitable outcome of Silicon Valley’s growing political power?We dig into: - How Sacks became the administration’s key voice on AI - The scale of his investments in AI companies - What “no conflict, no interest” looks like in practice - Why industry insiders are divided on whether this is savvy or dangerous - What this means for AI regulation, startups, and U.S. competitiveness

Investigative journalist Ellen Huet joins the show to discuss her stunning new book on OneTaste, the wellness startup that rose to Silicon Valley fame before spiraling into allegations of manipulation, coercion, and cult-like control. We unpack how a company selling “female empowerment” turned into one of tech’s most disturbing cautionary tales, and what its downfall reveals about power, charisma, and the blind spots of the startup world.This conversation goes deeper than the headlines and asks a larger question:How does a community built on self-improvement end up crossing the line into harm?If you follow the intersection of tech, power, psychology, and accountability, this is one you won’t want to miss.

Reid Hoffman Breaks Silence on Epstein Emails & AI PowerToday on the Newcomer Podcast, Reid Hoffman joins me for a wide-ranging conversation on AI power, regulation, politics, and the future of the tech economy. We get into everything — AGI timelines, Sam Altman’s real competition, AI policy, and why Reid says we’re not in a bubble. We also cover his political involvement this year, the Epstein email revelations, and his views on crypto’s future in Washington.This is a fast, sharp, insider conversation with one of tech’s most influential voices.

MongoDB.local San Francisco is happening on January 15th. Learn more and register here → http://mdb.link/sf-dot-local At the Cerebral Valley AI Summit, we surveyed more than 300 founders and investors with one question:“Which billion-dollar AI startup would you short?” The answers were… blunt.In this episode, Eric, Max Child and James Wilsterman break down the most surprising picks, what they reveal about the state of AI in 2025, and the shifting mood inside the industry. We also revisit the biggest moments from the summit — from agentic AI to the sustainability of today’s valuations.

Buckle up—today's episode takes you inside the war on AI slop and Anthropic's bold plan to fix artificial intelligence's biggest problems. We kick things off at the Cerebral Valley AI Summit, where Anthropic CPO Mike Krieger shares why AI needs to be truth-seeking and what their team is doing to fight misinformation and "brainrot." From explosive funding announcements to real talk about the future of agentic AI, you're getting all the behind-the-scenes intel. Then, Max Child sits down with Mati Stunashevsky, CEO of ElevenLabs, for a fresh take on how voice AI is taking over everything from customer support and gaming to wild celebrity voice clones. It’s all about authenticity, safety, and vertical-specific innovation—plus, why voice might just be your next favorite interface. As always, we're diving deep into the industry, serving up candid conversations, and making sense of the latest AI trends, so you can stay ahead in the game. MongoDB.local San Francisco is happening on January 15th. Learn more and register here → http://mdb.link/sf-dot-local

Everyone has predictions about AI, but what happens when AI predicts itself? In this episode of The Newcomer Podcast, Eric is joined by Cerebral Valley co-hosts Max Child and James Wilsterman to let AI map out its own 5-year plan. From AGI timelines to AI in healthcare, movies, and beyond.Can AI really forecast its own future, or are we all buying into its self-created hype?

Click here to learn more about MongoDB for Startups - https://www.mongodb.com/lp/solutions/startups/partners?utm_campaign=startup_partner&utm_source=newcomer&utm_medium=referral This is the leadup to our newest installment of the Cerebral Valley AI conference we're hosting on November 12th. In this episode of the podcast, we're joined by the co-hosts of the conference - Max Child and James Wilsterman - as we dive deep into the complete state of the tech startup world. We'll also revisit our annual AI Fantasy Draft and check out how each portfolio performed. 🎙️Topics in this episode:- Where AI investment headed in 2025 and where it's heading in 2026 - The challenges and opportunities emerging from the AI boom - The latest updates from our Annual AI Fantasy Draft League: who’s leading, who’s lagging, and what bets might pay off next

Is the AI boom already peaking? In this episode of The Newcomer Podcast, Eric, Madeline and Tom take a hard look at the hype cycle driving Silicon Valley’s latest gold rush — from Andreessen Horowitz’s record-breaking $25 billion year to Amazon’s push to automate its entire workforce.We explore whether AI’s trillion-dollar promise is real innovation, or if the cracks are already showing. From OpenAI’s overblown math claims to Andrej Karpathy’s “State of the Union” reflections, we break down what’s really happening behind the headlines.🎙️Topics in this episode:- Andreessen Horowitz’s $25B AI windfall: how they pulled it off- Amazon’s automation future: are human jobs at risk?- Why AI hype might be masking stagnation in real progress- Who’s actually profiting from the AI boom (and who’s not)- The coming “AI bubble” — is it about to burst?

AI stocks are booming — but are we nearing a breaking point?This week on Newcomer, we unpack how OpenAI, Anthropic, Nvidia, and AMD are fueling what might be the biggest tech money machine since the dot-com bubble. From trillion-dollar valuations to volatile deals and hype cycles, we explore whether this “AI economy” is sustainable — or if it’s starting to look like a Ponzi scheme.

This week on the Newcomer Podcast, Madeline and Tom are joined by Alex Heath to dig into some of the biggest questions in tech right now. We ask: Is the AI bubble about to burst? OpenAI is propping up huge partners like Microsoft, Oracle, and Broadcom — but what happens if their momentum slows? Meanwhile, Meta just launched Vibes, a quirky new product that seems far removed from the company’s AGI ambitions. Does this mean the AI hype cycle is already shifting?From venture capital’s bets on AI, to Meta’s surprising pivots, to the fragile foundations of the current AI boom, this episode unpacks the stakes for Big Tech, startups, and investors alike.

This week on the Newcomer Podcast, we dive into three stories that reveal how tech, politics, and media are colliding in unexpected ways. First, we look at Andreessen Horowitz’s expanding media ambitions, exploring why A16z wants to shape the narrative around everything from defense tech to TikTok. Then, we turn to Trump’s feud with Jimmy Kimmel, which led to Kimmel’s suspension and re-hiring by Disney — a moment that highlights the uneasy dance between business leaders, politics, and late-night TV. Finally, we take a deep dive into the Klarna IPO, a $15B milestone that was more than 15 years in the making, unpacking the winners, the losers, and the lessons that investors and founders can learn from the journey.Hosted by Eric Newcomer with reporting from Madeline Renbarger, this episode offers sharp insights into how power and money are shaping the future of technology and media. Subscribe for weekly conversations at the intersection of Silicon Valley and society, and don’t miss more deep dives at newcomer.co

Check out Nayeema Raza's podcast Smart Girl Dumb Questions: https://linktr.ee/smartgirldumbquestions We’re at a turning point in public health. From billionaires chasing immortality to the growing influence of AI in medicine, the future of healthcare is being rewritten in real time. In this week’s episode of the Newcomer Podcast, journalist and filmmaker Nayeema Raza joins us to unpack the promises and pitfalls of health tech. We dive into highlights from Deus Ex Medicina, our one-day, invite-only summit where 200 Silicon Valley founders and investors debated the future of AI and longevity. Together, we explore: - Why America’s healthcare system leaves people needlessly suffering - The hype (and hope) around GLP-1s and new treatments - What RFK Jr.’s health movement means for research and policy - How China is outpacing the U.S. in human trials - The looming question: Is HIPAA already dead? This is a conversation about power, innovation, and the very real consequences of technology reshaping our bodies and lives.

On this episode of the Newcomer podcast, host Eric Newcomer is joined by co-host Nayeema Raza for conversations with some of the most influential voices in healthcare and venture capital. Bob Kocher , Partner at Venrock, and Annie Lamont , Founder and Managing Partner of Oak HC/FT, share their perspectives on business models in healthcare, the rise of AI applications, the promise and pitfalls of longevity drugs like GLP-1s, and the future of Medicare Advantage. Later, Vinod Khosla , Founder of Khosla Ventures, brings his trademark candor to a wide-ranging discussion about AI’s role in healthcare, regulatory challenges, global competition, and how startups can reimagine the system from the ground up

Journalist Nayeema Raza —host of Smart Girl Dumb Questions —joins Eric Newcomer to preview Deus Ex Medicina , their AI–health–longevity summit happening Tuesday, Sept 9 (San Francisco) . They discuss the big themes going into the conference: how longevity went mainstream, why precision medicine and novel bio are finally feeling real, and who wins the race to own the patient. Eric and Nayeema get into the policy whiplash in D.C., HIPAA’s fraying edges in a wearables world, and whether or not AI will actually discover something novel, like a new drug or cure for Alzheimer's? Plus, what they’re most excited to ask on stage at Deus Ex Medicina . Timecodes: 00:00 — The story behind the creation of Deus Ex Medicina 08:39 — Longevity goes mainstream (the GLP-1 moment) 12:42 — Precision medicine gets practical (targeted therapies & trials) 17:11 — Bundles, frenemies, and who owns the patient 22:31 — D.C. shake-ups, privacy stakes… and can AI invent a drug?

Former CIA officer and three-term Congressman Will Hurd joins Eric Newcomer , Tom Dotan , and Madeline Renbarger to break down Washington's defense tech boom and tackle the burning question: Is this all just hype? Hurd explains how Ukraine has changed the face of warfare and opened the door for new companies to break into the fold. However, it's one thing to build a prototype, but it's another to actually earn recurring revenue.We discuss how to really sell to the Pentagon, LA's role as a hub for the new defense tech wave, and Hurd's own Chaos Industries and their modular counter-drone systems. 00:00 — Meet Will Hurd from CIA to Congress to Chaos 06:00 — How Hurd would solve partisan redistricting 13:24 — The defense-tech moment 24:20 — Air superiority isn’t dead 36:32— How to sell to DoD

Is the AI bubble popping—or just catching its breath? Eric Newcomer and Tom Dotan spar over Nvidia jitters, Sam Altman’s “bubble” dinner, the MIT “95% fail” headline, app-vs-model margins (Cursor, Claude Code), and Chamath’s SPAC-as-casino shtick. Then Eric sits down with Vercel founder/CEO Guillermo Rauch for a fast, idea-dense jam: assistants → agents → multi-agent teams, why GPT-5’s real story is coding, “vibe coding” and code-last workflows, who gets paid in the era of AI factory-builders, whether to study CS, why taste beats code, and Guillermo’s six-month prediction for a breakout vertical agent. 00:00 Did the AI “bubble” pop? Altman dinner & sell-off vibes 01:16 MIT survey “95%” headline vs reality 09:04 Capitalism, incentives & Chamath’s SPAC “casino” 18:17 Interview starts — Guillermo Rauch (Vercel) 22:07 GPT-5 reality check & the “Einstein-in-a-box” test 37:37 Future of engineering + should you study CS? 48:36 6-month prediction: a breakout vertical agent; underestimating GPT-50

For this episode, we brought on Ed Zitron to make the bear case against large language models and walk us through his “Hater’s Guide To The AI Bubble.” In this fiery debate with Eric Newcomer , Tom Dotan , and Madeline Renbarger , we dig into whether generative AI is the next platform shift or a $500B mirage. From the viral TaskRabbit CAPTCHA myth to SoftBank’s high-stakes bets, we debate the hype, shaky economics, and media spin driving the AI boom.

GPT-5 has landed! Is it the leap forward OpenAI promised or just an incremental upgrade? Eric Newcomer and Tom Dotan discuss this, how AI capex might be propping up the entire economy, and what Apple’s golden gifts to Trump say about Big Tech’s political bets.

This week on the Newcomer Podcast, we're joined by a very special guest: Danny Rimer , seasoned investor and longtime partner at Index Ventures , for a timely conversation around Figma ’s highly anticipated IPO. Danny takes us behind the scenes of Index’s early bet on Figma and its visionary CEO Dylan Field , sharing how the deal came together and what made the design platform stand out in a crowded startup landscape. From there, we zoom out to talk about the current venture capital climate — what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and what the smartest investors are watching right now. We also dig into AI’s evolving role in the startup ecosystem, the tension between hype and real value, and where Danny sees the next big opportunities emerging. Whether you're a founder, investor, or just love a good origin story, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Timecodes: 00:00 Introduction to Danny Rimer 02:29 How Rimer met Figma and the beginnings of design as a category 16:42 Figma's failed Adobe deal and comeback 25:39 How Index approaches AI deals 31:00 AI's iPhone moment and looking beyond the chatbot 39:10 Shifts in the venture capital industry

Tech leaders unveiled the American AI Action Plan on Wednesday and President Trump signed 3 executive orders with big handouts to AI companies. Madeline returns fresh off of a trip to Washington DC and gives Tom and Eric the lowdown on tech's victory lap at the nation's capital. Plus, even the altruists at Anthropic feel the need to raise Middle East money.Timecodes:01:45 - The All-In podcast might as well be state-run media05:16 - The vibes at the All-In Hill and Valley event08:50 - The coming AI abundance12:29 - Woke AI and the ministry of truth15:30 - America's strategic advantage is President Trump22:36 - The AI copyright kerfuffle32:36 - Dario faces the harsh reality of capitalism

Fresh back from London! In this episode, Eric Newcomer reunites with co-hosts James Wilsterman and Max Child of Volley to dive into the best moments from the Cerebral Valley AI Summit. From buzzy startup founders to incumbent innovators, the London event showcased a rapidly evolving AI landscape. But what stood out most? Eric, James, and Max break down their favorite clips and debate the key questions driving the industry right now: Models vs. Applications : Are we back in a “models win” moment? The Uber Dilemma : Why did Uber spin off its self-driving technology instead of competing with Waymo? Dara Khosrowshahi’s reasoning sparks a heated debate about platform dynamics, marketplace power, and whether Uber made the right call. Figma’s IPO Moment : With their S-1 filing just days after the summit, Dylan Field defended Figma’s AI strategy and new product launches. The Science of Discovery : Can AI models trained on “boring rule followers” actually make Nobel Prize-worthy breakthroughs? The End of Reading? : Synthesia’s CEO made the boldest prediction yet — that kids won’t read anymore, and video will replace text entirely. The hosts wrestle with what this means for human intelligence and whether writing really is thinking. The next Cerebral Valley AI Summit returns to San Francisco on November 12th! Timestamps08:21 Uber’s Self-Driving Strategy and Market Positioning16:56 Figma’s IPO Bear and Bull case26:17 Harry Stebbings’ Interview Insights with Granola’s CEO32:11 Exploring AI’s Role in Scientific Discovery38:26 The Impact of AI on Reading and Writing

The Newcomer Podcast returns just in time to have Eric, Tom, and Madeline weigh in on Meta's audacious AI hiring spree. The tech giant has enticed researchers from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic with huge paydays in the hopes it can bring its Llama models up to par with the competition. Next up, Ramp's report that companies have stopped purchasing AI tools made a lot of buzz this week, but it's still too early to call an AI peak. Later on in the episode, Grok's offensive replies aren't enough to slow down xAI's latest model launch. We close out the episode rehashing Sequoia partner Shaun Maguire's latest inflammatory tweets over New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. 00:35 — Meta poaches top researchers to ail its flailing models 11:13 — XAI outperforms despite Grok's offensive replies 18:27 — It's too early to call the AI bubble 28:50 — Shaun Maguire's tweets bring attention to Sequoia

Today on the pod, we're bringing you two of the liveliest panels from the 2025 Cerebral Valley AI Summit, held this week in London. Both panels — “The Autonomous Vehicle Rollout” and “Investing in 2030” — explore one of the major themes from the event: where AI is poised to show up next in our everyday lives, beyond the chatbot. Think voice, devices, and even your car. First up, we'll hear from Uber CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi , and Alex Kendall, Co-founder and CEO of Wayve , who are teaming up to bring self-driving cars to the UK. Then we turn to the investor perspective, with top European VCs — Philippe Botteri of Accel, Tom Hulme of Google Ventures, and Jan Hammer of Index Ventures — on where they see the biggest AI opportunities for founders in the years ahead.

We’re officially one week out from the Cerebral Valley AI Summit! On today’s episode, co-hosts James Wilsterman and Max Child of Volley join host Eric Newcomer to preview what’s ahead — from standout speakers to can’t-miss panels and the big ideas that will shape the conversations next week. To kick things off, Eric poses a timely question: What themes are starting to take shape across the participants and topics at this year’s summit? What’s really driving the energy in AI right now? Here are a few of the themes that emerged from the discussion: Designers are moving closer to engineering, not just prototyping but launching internal tools and shaping product development in deeper ways. The war for context is just beginning — expect fierce competition over who owns the layers that make AI actually useful. Vibe coding: is it a real paradigm shift, or just a fun phase? And how big could it get? Is there a Microsoft Office Suite for the AI era? Distribution vs. product: what do the strategies of Uber and Waymo reveal about the future of AI deployment? Who wins self-driving cars? Text box solution vs. product: should everyone be copying ChatGPT, or is that a mistake? The growing appetite for data is fueling a new surveillance state. And finally, Eric's "Sprinting Toward the End of History" — companies face competition from every direction, but is there an end point? It’s all building toward what promises to be a packed, thought-provoking week in Cerebral Valley. Let’s dive in! Timestamps: 1:40: Eric poses the question 1:55: Evolution of the role of the designer 8:00: Text box vs product 14:15: Unbundling ChatGPT 19:19: Is there a Microsoft Office Suite for the AI era? 22:10: Who owns the context 26:02: Surveillance state 36:57: Distribution vs product 42:00: Sprinting until the end of history