More or Less - Dave Morin, Jessica Lessin, Brit Morin, and Sam Lessin

Latest Episodes:

#72: Trump's Influencer Strategy Pays Off and the Future of App Building (with Guillermo Rauch!) Nov 08, 2024

Show notes

Are incumbent media networks losing ground? Kamala stuck to broadcast media, while Trump bypassed traditional filters and reached audiences as an influencer, taking his message to Rogan and Fridman. Among concerns over echo chambers and AI-controlled narratives, there’s a flip side—more people now have a platform, giving everyone a voice. Guillermo Rauch of Vercel says “everyone needs to be empowered to create.” The more people who can build their own platforms and apps, the more we decentralize the conversation. Tune in as we break down the election aftermath and the future of content in a post-AI world. We’re also on ↓ X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/moreorless Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspod Connect with us here: 1) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit 2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin 3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin 4) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin

#71: Big Tech Earnings and the AI Revolution Nov 01, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, the crew dives into why no self-respecting Silicon Valley developer is ditching AI tools anytime soon. Sam and Jess go back and forth on Snap’s subscription model and whether it can stand up to Meta’s dominance. Plus, Bezos seems wary of a potential Trump comeback. We’re also on ↓ X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/moreorless Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspod Connect with us here: 1) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit 2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin 3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin 4) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin

00:00:00 Trailer

00:01:02 Introduction

00:01:22 Phone problems as features

00:07:00 Tech earnings season overview

00:09:45 Meta's quarterly performance and VR discussion

00:15:30 Google and Microsoft's AI-driven growth

00:19:55 User growth for tech companies

00:23:56 How users are using Snapchat

00:30:46 Get laid, get paid, get entertained

00:36:40 Earnings predictions

00:40:09 Creator economy's influence on election campaigns

00:51:09 Bezos ends Washington Post presidential endorsements

00:57:53 Celebrity collaborations and entertainment updates

01:03:47 Outro

#70: Is Apple’s Vision Out of Focus? Oct 25, 2024

Show notes

Apple’s Vision Pro has had its fair share of challenges.

Initially aiming for 3 million units, the forecast adjusted down to 900,000, then 800,000, and ultimately?

Just 450,000 sold.

For a $3,500 device, that's a tough spot to be in.

Going from developer kit to flagship in a hurry? Classic Apple.

In this episode, the Morins and Lessins talk about:

- Apple vs Meta on AR

- AI & mental health, and

- journalistic integrity in tech reporting

We’re also on ↓

X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspod

Instagram: https://instagram.com/moreorless

Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspod

Connect with us here:

1) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit

2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin

3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin

4) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin

#69: Robots, Rockets, and Elon Hype Oct 18, 2024

Show notes

Elon’s robots are real... kind of?

On this episode of More or Less, we take a deep dive into the duality of Tesla.

Are we witnessing the future or yet another Disney ride?

Tune in as Brit, Dave, Sam, and Jess unpack:

• Tesla’s We, Robot event

• Why the retail army craves Planet Elon

• Waymo & the future of robovehicles

• Late-stage capitalism

We’re also on ↓

X: https://x.com/moreorlesspod

Instagram: https://instagram.com/moreorless

Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspod

Connect with us here:

1) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit

2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin

3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin

4) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin

#68: Google's Antitrust Saga Continues… Oct 11, 2024

Show notes

Google’s enjoyed a monopoly-sized head start for a while. But it now looks like the DOJ’s ready to throw a wrench in its works. Is a breakup of the search giant on the cards? In EP 068 of the pod, Brit, Dave, and Jess talk all things: - antitrust and Google, - screen time and parental control, and - why leveraging AI for consumer apps might still be a pipe dream. We’re also on ↓

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoreorLessPodv X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspod Instagram: https://instagram.com/moreorless Connect with us here: 1) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit 2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin 3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin 4) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin

Chapters: 00:00 Trailer 01:11 Introduction 04:25 Google: A Breakup On The Cards? 08:24 Big Tech & Antitrust 27:43 Screen Time & Devices 31:14 Ditch Your Phone 32:14 Dr. Becky & Parenting 33:06 Health & Longevity 34:00 Spin-Offs: Good For Big Tech? 35:36 AI Predictions 43:52 The Future of Software 50:51 Consumer AI & Business Models 59:12 AI at Wimbledon and Final Thoughts

#67: OpenAI Sets a Record and Will Apple Make Its Next Move? Oct 04, 2024

Show notes

OpenAI Sets a Record and Will Apple Make Its Next Move?

00:00 - Introduction and The @VCBrags Twitter Account
04:48 - The Sam and Dave Contest
07:15 - OpenAI's Record-Breaking Funding Round
13:04 - OpenAI's Product Strategy Shift
18:05 - The Future of A.I. and Consumer Experiences
19:28 - Apple's Potential in the A.I. Space
26:23 - The Impact of A.I. on Software Development
33:55 - Dave's Three A.I. Buckets: Fast, Slow, and Edge Models
35:54 - Insane Evaluations and VC Funds
39:24 - How Japan's Declining Birthrate is a Good Thing
43:10 - Pop Culture Corner
46:47 - Closing Thoughts and Future Tech Trends in Japan

#66: Meta Connect, the Hardware Renaissance (or Not?) and Special Guest Dan Feder Sep 27, 2024

Show notes

Meta Connect, the Hardware Renaissance (or Not?) and Special Guest Dan Feder

#65: Instagram, YouTube and the Kids Sep 20, 2024

Show notes

Plus, China, the supply chain and Sam climbs a mountain.
MrBeast Strategy Doc: https://cybernews.com/news/mrbeast-leaked-pdf-spills-secrets-how-to-be-successful-on-youtube/ 0:00 - Introduction and Debriefing Sam's Mountain Climbing Trip 5:50 - Instagram's New Teen Controls 10:20 - The Role of Tech Companies in Child Safety 12:34 - YouTube's New Hype Feature 13:30 - MrBeast's Leaked Strategy Doc 15:00 - Parental Controls 22:10 - Are YouTube Hypes just Tips? 27:45 - Amazon and The Shift Back to In-Person Work 32:54 - Temu and Regulation Loopholes 40:30 - Sam's Phrase: "Lick the Cookie" 41:50 - Crypto Innovations and Investments

#64: Meta vs. Apple: the Future of Open vs. Closed Tech Sep 13, 2024

Show notes

Plus, is MrBeast the new BuzzFeed? And the latest with Stripe.

Sam's MrBeast is Buzzfeed 2.0: https://x.com/lessin/status/1833545048543375856?s=46
00:00 - Introduction and A Mystery 02:54 - An Honest Review of The Mill 04:46 - The Happenings and Headlines 05:16 - Reflections on The Acquired Podcast Live with Mark Zuckerburg 14:41 - A Critique of the Live Podcast Format 16:43 - Reflections on The Apple Launch Event 22:13 - New Markets for Apple to Break Into: CPAPs and Parental Controls 27:59 - An Honest Review of Bevel 29:54 - Revisiting the Parental Controls Conversation 30:19 - The Information's AI Summit 31:44 - University of Michigan's Venture Summit 33:37 - The Bill Gurley Chronicles 39:06 - Is MrBeast the New BuzzFeed? 48:39 - Strategies and Business Models for the Creator Economy 55:19 - The Intersection of the Payments Business and the Creator Economy 59:08 - PCC: The US Presidential Debate 1:00:10 - Outro

#63: 'Nasty' Founder Mode Sep 06, 2024

Show notes

The right—and wrong—lessons about tech's favorite new topic. Plus, a new type of parental warning.

Show Notes: 00:00 - Introduction and Labor Day Tennis
02:00 - Pickleball
03:00 - Founder Mode
05:00 - Organizational Structures
12:00 - Founder Mode from a VC Perspective
15:00 - Galaxy Brain vs. 100 Nodes
18:00 - Uber vs. AirBNB
22:00 - Optimizers vs. Builders
25:00 - The Parent Analogy
26:00 - Different Types of Founders
30:00 - VC-backed Company Incentives
33:00 - Long-Term Trajectory of Founders
37:00 - Running a Business for Wall Street vs. Founder Mode
39:00 - The Challenges of AirBNB
43:00 - A Nasty Idea
46:00 - Data Centers: A "Dick Measuring Contest"
49:00 - The Surgeon General's Warning on Parenting
52:30 - A Pool House Guest

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