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Crypto took over Davos. Now what? May 29, 2022

Show notes

This week, we dive into tech layoffs: which companies are hiring and firing — and what that means for job-seekers.

Then Ripple general manager Monica Long joins us to explain how some companies are trying to make cryptocurrency more sustainable — and why the crypto crash is so significant.

And finally, we discuss an important question: Where should next year’s Davos attendees dine out?

For more on the topics in this week's episode:

Should startups be scared? May 22, 2022

Show notes

This week, we break down why Elon Musk is tweeting about the S&P 500's ESG rankings — and why he might be right to be mad. Then we discuss how tech companies are failing to prevent mass shootings, and why the new Texas social media law might make it more difficult for platforms to be proactive.

Then Protocol's Biz Carson, author of the weekly VC newsletter Pipeline, joins us to explain the state of venture capital amidst plunging stocks and declining revenues. Should founders start panicking? The answer might surprise you.

And finally, we discuss an important question: Is Polaroid a high-tech camera company?

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Crypto’s big crash and Zuckerberg’s big bet May 15, 2022

Show notes

This week, we're diving into the crypto crash. What led luna to fall off a cliff? Are we seeing the dot-com bust, part two? Protocol fintech editor Owen Thomas explains it all to us. Then entertainment reporter Janko Roettgers joins us to share the inside scoop on his exclusive interview with Mark Zuckerberg. We learn why Meta is betting it all on the metaverse and Brian finally gets to ask the most pressing question on his mind this week: What does Mark smell like?

And finally, Caitlin and Brian take a moment to reminisce about the iPod, which was put out to pasture this week after more than two decades on the market.

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The dangers of data in a post-Roe world May 08, 2022

Show notes

This week, we’re talking the tech implications of the Supreme Court's draft ruling on Roe v. Wade, including how Amazon — a company not always synonymous with workers’ rights — has made a major commitment to ensure its employees living in states where abortion could be banned can still access health care. We’ll also explore the new climate misinformation war on Facebook to keep things extra uplifting. Then, Gizmodo reporter Shoshana Wodinsky joins us to explain how data brokers and ad tech firms buy and sell information that could put users at risk in a post-Roe world.

Finally, Caitlin and Brian take a breather from crushing sadness to consider the following very important question: Is Target tech?

For more on the topics in this week’s episode:

So you want to open-source an algorithm May 01, 2022

Show notes

The Biden Administration set an ambitious climate goal: cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030. That prospect is looking less likely, experts say, and this week we discuss why — and where we go from here.

Then Protocol reporter Kate Kaye joins the podcast to explain what it means to open-source an algorithm, and why Elon Musk might run into challenges if he tries to spill Twitter's secret sauce to the public. Kate also teaches us the meaning of the cursed phrase "algorithmic disgorgement" and how the FTC is using it to police tech companies.

And finally, we answer a critical question: Are sleeping bag shoes tech?

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Is Elon Musk serious? Apr 24, 2022

Show notes

Same Source Code podcast, new sound. This week, Protocol editors and self-proclaimed soft-serve swirl Caitlin McGarry and Brian Kahn are taking over the pod as your new hosts.

This week, we talk about the great streaming shakeup, from Netflix’s subscriber decline to the not-so-surprising CNN+ shutdown. We also dive into tech companies’ favorite climate solution — unfortunately, it doesn’t exist yet. Then Protocol fintech editor Owen Thomas joins us to talk about Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover attempt. Is Musk’s hostile bid for real or is the world’s richest man simply on a $43 billion lark? Caitlin and Brian also debate the question on everyone’s mind: Are soft-serve machines tech?

For more on the topics in this week’s episode:

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Spotify's betting big on being more than a music service Mar 30, 2022

Show notes

Spotify doesn't want to just build a better way to listen to music. (Though, yes, it does want to do that.) The company has made clear over the last couple of years that its ambitions are much bigger: Spotify has invested deeply in podcasting both for creators and consumers, it has delved into the world of audiobook, it acquired a company to build a live-audio product, and in general it wants to be the home of audio online.

If you really want to understand where Spotify is going, though, forget the music and audio industry altogether. Look at what's happening with video online. YouTube is making video searchable, discoverable and wildly lucrative; TikTok is making it social, remixable and viral. Spotify wants to do all of that, but in your headphones instead of on your screen. And that means rethinking the way the entire audio business — and tech stack — works.

Gustav Soderstrom, Spotify's chief R&D officer and chief product officer, leads a team of thousands building the future the company imagines. He joined the Source Code podcast to talk about why audio was skipped over in the evolution of technology, how Spotify is trying to balance supporting an open ecosystem with building its own stuff, and how audio changes when you treat it like software. (One thing he didn't want to talk about? Joe Rogan, and the questions the company faces about content moderation and misinformation. That's for another episode.) He also talked about Spotify's ongoing quest to figure out how to bring all that audio into a single app in a way that makes sense.

For more on the topics in this episode:

For all the links and stories, head to Source Code’s homepage.

Live: What "The Great Resignation" really means Mar 26, 2022

Show notes

Bringing you a recent Protocol Live, "Recruiting and retaining talent in the new world of work."

The “Great Resignation” has shaken up the tech industry in ways unseen. Employees are leaving their jobs without securing employment and 41% of workers reported at least thinking about leaving their company this year. Not to mention, tech workers have more bargaining power than ever.

How do you compete for top tech talent today? And what are the best ways to hold onto your employees in the new labor market? Join Protocol and a panel of talent and workplace specialists as they discuss the most innovative ways to recruit and retain great employees.

For more, and for the full video, check out Protocol's coverage of the event.

The ins and outs of whistleblowing Mar 23, 2022

Show notes

Frances Haugen. Susan Fowler. Edward Snowden. Erika Cheung. As the tech industry continues to face a reckoning, whistleblowers inside of companies are playing a huge role in bringing important information to light.

Sarah Alexander – everybody calls her Poppy — is a partner at the law firm Constantine Cannon, and works with whistleblowers all over the world. From the first meeting to what she calls the “cold-shower talk” about the hardships that come with going public, Alexander’s job is to help whistleblowers bring about the change they seek. It’s not easy for anyone involved, she said. But it might be getting easier.

Alexander joined the Source Code podcast to explain how whistleblowing works, why there have been so many high-profile whistleblowers in the tech industry, how companies and governments alike can better support whistleblowers, and much more.

For more on the topics in this episode:

For all the links and stories, head to Source Code’s homepage.

What tech can — and can't — do to fix climate change Mar 19, 2022

Show notes

Protocol Climate launched this week, so we sat down with editor Brian Kahn to talk about tech’s role in solving climate change, whether it’s possible to save the world and get rich at the same time, how to read a corporate climate plan, and much more.

For more on the topics in this episode:

For all the links and stories, head to Source Code’s homepage.

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