Numbers Geek with Steve Ballmer

Finale: Most Important Numbers in the World May 08, 2019

If GDP and the stock market don't fully capture the economic health of the U.S. and its citizens, what numbers should we be watching? What are the key performance indicators for the country, and the most important numbers for the future of the world? Those are the central questions on this final episode of Numbers Geek, the podcast that GeekWire has produced in partnership with Steve Ballmer and USAFacts, the former Microsoft CEO's non-partisan, not-for-profit civic data initiative. We'll hear a variety of perspectives, starting with the data-driven presidential hopeful Andrew Yang, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, conservative author and CNN commentator Amanda Carpenter, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and many more, including audience submissions. Thanks for listening to Numbers Geek!

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A picture of America in numbers Apr 30, 2019

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's non-partisan, not-for-profit civic data initiative, USAFacts, today is publishing its third annual report on U.S. local, state and federal government — compiling and analyzing the government's own data to update Americans on the state of the country in much the same way as a business reports to its shareholders. In short, it's a picture of America in numbers.

On this episode of our Numbers Geek podcast, a partnership between GeekWire and USAFacts, Steve Ballmer joins us to look at that picture, discussing highlights from the USAFacts 2019 Annual Report. Download the annual report here: https://annualreport.usafacts.org/

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What Happened to the Middle Class? Apr 26, 2019

People from across the political spectrum use a lot of different words to answer the question of what happened to the middle class: Hollowed out, wiped out, disappearing, declining, doesn't exist anymore. But what's really happening to the middle class? What do the numbers say? We answer that question on this episode of Numbers Geek with Steve Ballmer. Learn more at usafacts.org and find more episodes at geekwire.com/numbersgeek.

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Bonus: Steve Ballmer analyzes his team's historic NBA win Apr 17, 2019

With even more yelling and fist-pumping than normal, Steve Ballmer might not have seemed like an analytical guy to casual fans watching his LA Clippers come back from a 31-point deficit to defeat the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of their first-round NBA playoff matchup earlier this week. It was the biggest come-from-behind victory in NBA playoff history. But as listeners to this podcast know, the former Microsoft CEO has a passion for numbers, as well. Earlier today, before recording am episode of the show about the upcoming annual report on the U.S. government from Ballmer's nonprofit civic data initiative USAFacts, we took the opportunity to have him analyze the stats from the Clippers' historic win for this quick bonus episode.

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Numbers of the NBA: Courtside with Steve Ballmer Apr 13, 2019

Sure, you know how many points your favorite NBA player scored in his last game. But how do turnovers, field goal percentage and rebounds improve chances of winning? How did NBA rule changes impact average points per game this season? And how did "wins above replacement value" factor into the year's big trades?

From the boardroom to the baseline, those are a few of the numbers that make a difference in the world of basketball, and we explore all of them and more on this episode of the Numbers Geek podcast. We recorded this episode behind-the-scenes and courtside during a game at Staples Center with L.A. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, former Microsoft CEO and founder of our podcast partner USAFacts.

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Shark Tank's billion-dollar blunder Apr 05, 2019

Back in 2013, Jamie Siminoff was the founder and chief inventor of a struggling video doorbell company, pinning all the startup’s hopes on his appearance on the television show Shark Tank. He walked out empty handed, as all five sharks went out, but five years later, he sold the company, now known as Ring, to Amazon for a reported $1 billion. On this episode of Numbers Geek, we continue our look at the numbers behind Shark Tank with the story of what was almost certainly the biggest miss in the show's history. Our guest is Jamie Siminoff, CEO of Ring.

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Crunching the Numbers of 'Shark Tank': A $30M Rejection Apr 03, 2019

$30 million. That number will forever be associated with our guest on this week's Numbers Geek podcast, Arum Kang, co-founder and co-CEO of Coffee Meets Bagel. She turned down a $30 million acquisition offer from Mark Cuban for the online dating company that she founded with her two sisters. It was, at the time, the larger offer in the show's history.

So what happened after Shark Tank? On this episode of the Numbers Geek, we get the rest of the story from Arum Kang, a Harvard MBA grad and the co-CEO of Coffee Meets Bagel, the online dating company that she founded with her sisters. In a world of swiping right or left, and judging people by appearances, their approach is to focus on quality rather than quantity of connections. We'll talk about that mission, and we'll look at the underlying data in the United States to understand how trends in the country are making this quest even more challenging and important.

This is the first of two Shark Tank-themed episodes of Numbers Geek. Later this week, we'll feature an interview with Jamie Siminoff, the CEO of smart doorbell maker Ring, who walked away from Shark Tank empty handed but later sold the company to Amazon for a reported $1 billion.

For more Numbers Geek episodes, go to geekwire.com/numbersgeek. See interactive graphics, charts and more at usafacts.org.

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Diagnosing U.S. healthcare: Steve's key numbers to know Mar 29, 2019

Healthcare is suddenly back on the U.S. political agenda, and it remains one of the most important and misunderstood issues in the country. On this episode of Numbers Geek, former Microsoft CEO and USAFacts founder Steve Ballmer explains the handful of key numbers he uses to understand and track the state of U.S. healthcare.

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The Case of the Mysterious Income Statement Mar 22, 2019

Can Steve Ballmer figure out the identity of an anonymous company just by looking at the numbers on its income statement? On this episode of Numbers Geek, we challenge the former Microsoft CEO to solve a numerical mystery, with a few surprise twists along the way. In the process, our Resident Numbers Geek gives us a glimpse into how he reads one of the most important types of documents in the business world. Follow along and see if you can crack the case before Steve does.

Numbers Geek is produced by GeekWire in partnership with USAFacts. Numbers Geek graphic design by Killer Infographics. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell. Technical support from Kevin Lisota, and production assistance from Clare McGrane. For more Numbers Geek episodes and videos, plus citations for the numbers we discuss, go to geekwire.com/numbersgeek. You can find interactive, graphics charts and government data at usafacts.org.

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Peter Sagal, 'Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me' host Mar 12, 2019

Peter Sagal is best known as the host of NPR’s weekly quiz show, Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me, which marked its 20th anniversary in October. But he’s also an avid runner, a columnist for Runner’s World magazine and the author of the new memoir, The Incomplete Book of Running. And he fashions himself an amateur Constitutional scholar, especially after hosting the PBS documentary series, Constitution USA. On this special episode of our Numbers Geek podcast, the multifaceted media personality talks with us about the role of numbers in his life and the issues he cares about, from marathon times to the U.S. Constitution. And of course, we couldn't have the "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" host on a podcast without giving him a quiz of our own, which you can hear in the final segment.

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Basketball legend Sue Bird Mar 07, 2019

Imagine you’ve been working in the same job for the same organization for your entire career, through all the ups and downs, and suddenly you find yourself in the midst of your best year ever. That’s what happened to basketball legend Sue Bird in 2018, as she led the Seattle Storm to the WNBA title. On this episode of our Numbers Geek podcast, we talk with Sue Bird about the numbers behind her record season, hear how she uses numbers to understand the game, and challenge her to solve a new "box score mystery" involving one of her most legendary games.

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Trade-off: U.S., China and the real numbers of global trade Feb 28, 2019

How big is the U.S. trade deficit, in reality, and what are the implications of trade negotiations with China and other major countries around the world? This week, we dive into the numbers behind the U.S. trade deficit, the trade war with China, and the implications for the U.S. economy, with our resident Numbers Geek, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the founder of our podcast partner USAFacts. For more episodes, go to geekwire.com/numbersgeek, and for charts, data and more, see usafacts.org.

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National Teacher of the Year, Mandy Manning Feb 20, 2019

Mandy Manning is uniquely qualified to offer her perspective on education, one of the subjects we’ve been exploring this season on Numbers Geek. She also has day-to-day experience with another of our key topics: immigration. Manning is the 2018 National Teacher of the Year, as recognized by the Council of Chief State School Officers, and she teaches immigrant and refugee students at the Newcomer Center at Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash. On this episode of Numbers Geek, she shares the numbers she would use to grade U.S. education.

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The Economics of Immigration Jan 31, 2019

On this episode of Numbers Geek, we put the adjectives and arguments aside and explore the long-term U.S. immigration numbers and trends, including the implications for the population and economy. Featuring Steve Ballmer, the former Microsoft CEO and the founder of USAFacts, GeekWire's partner on the Numbers Geek podcast. See geekwire.com/numbersgeek and usafacts.org for more.

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Wrong Number? How to detect bogus data in the news Jan 18, 2019

On this episode of Numbers Geek, we’ll talk with someone who specializes in recognizing "bogus and misleading" numbers in media coverage and public statements: Brian Kernighan, a Princeton University computer science professor and the author of a new book, “Millions, Billions, Zillions: Defending Yourself in a World of Too Many Numbers.” Then we'll use those techniques to sniff out false and misleading statements from public officials on military spending, with help from our Resident Numbers Geek, Steve Ballmer.

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Basketball Box Score Mystery Jan 04, 2019

Can Steve Ballmer identify a famous basketball game purely by the numbers? Can you? That's our fun and enlightening challenge on this new episode of the Numbers Geek podcast, featuring the former Microsoft CEO and current owner of the L.A. Clippers. With cameos by Stephen A. Smith, Steve Kerr and Sue Bird. We’ve given Steve multiple pages of statistics from a specific legendary NBA game -- a box score showing the scoring by quarter plus a bunch of other numbers about the game and players. But the stats we’ve given him are missing some very important details. We’ve removed all references to the teams and players, and taken away everything except the numbers. Follow along with Steve to see if you can figure it out before he does.

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Underestimated: Arlan Hamilton and the new numbers of equality Dec 19, 2018

Arlan Hamilton looks at the number of startup investments going to companies run by women, people of color and LGBT entrepreneurs, and doesn’t just see disparity, or inequity. She sees financial opportunity. These startup leaders aren’t simply underrepresented. They’re underestimated. And she is betting on that fact by investing tens of millions of dollars in people and companies that others have overlooked.

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Bonus: Numbers on the Border Dec 14, 2018

Something remarkable happened in the White House this week, as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met with President Trump to talk about border security amid their standoff over the federal budget. The president attempt to ground the discussion in numbers. We'll go further on this bonus episode of Numbers Geek, exploring the key numbers and long-term trends behind U.S. border security.

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The Education Equation Dec 11, 2018

Student-teacher ratio, teacher pay, graduation rates and test scores. What do the numbers really say about K-12 public education in the U.S.? We'll find out this week with our Resident Numbers Geek, Steve Ballmer, with some twists along the way, including a surprise guest from Steve's past. We’ll also test Steve’s knowledge of algebra, and offer a chance to win your very own Numbers Geek shirt, if you can solve the problem. See geekwire.com/numbersgeek for show notes, data citations and behind-the-scenes videos, and USAFacts.org for more on the numbers we discuss on the show.

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Facts Vs. Politics Dec 04, 2018

Can facts heal America's political divide? We attempt to find out on the first episode of Numbers Geek with Steve Ballmer, the podcast where we use facts and numbers to make sense of the world. This episode takes Numbers Geek Host Todd Bishop to Politicon, a two-day political conference that showcases America's deep partisanship. He tries to get political figures like Ann Coulter and Michael Avenatti to stop the theatrics and focus on the facts. See geekwire.com/numbersgeek for show notes, data citations and behind-the-scenes videos, and USAFacts.org for more on the numbers we discuss on the show.

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Introducing Numbers Geek Nov 26, 2018

Numbers Geek is a new podcast from GeekWire, in partnership with USAFacts, that uses numbers in a quest to understand the world and unite the country. Join Numbers Geek host Todd Bishop and resident Numbers Geek Steve Ballmer for a preview of the topics and issues we'll explore on our first season, including sneak peeks of this season's celebrity guests. See geekwire.com/numbersgeek for show notes, data citations and behind-the-scenes videos, and USAFacts.org for more on the numbers we discuss on the show.

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