TBPN

Latest Episodes:

FULL INTERVIEW: GameStop’s Ryan Cohen on Why He’s Buying eBay May 05, 2026

Show notes

This is our full conversation with Ryan Cohen, recorded live on TBPN.

We discuss his $125/share bid to acquire eBay through a half cash, half stock deal and why he believes combining it with GameStop could unlock massive value, how he plans to cut billions in costs, operate with an owner mindset, and use GameStop’s physical store footprint to authenticate collectibles and drive growth, and why he sees eBay as a durable but under-optimized platform that can be rebuilt through live commerce, creator partnerships, and a faster, more focused operating model.

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$GME CEO Ryan Cohen, OpenAI vs Elon Musk Continues, U.S. Gets Early Access to AI Models | Harley Finkelstein, Scott Strazik, Brian Elliott, Stephen Balaban & Michel Combes May 05, 2026

Show notes

(01:06) - OpenAI vs Elon Musk Continues
(09:19) - U.S. Gets Early Access to AI Models
(21:22) - Courtroom Simulator
(23:25) - Coinbase Cuts 14% of Staff
(28:37) - Meta's Cheap Stock May Be A Trap
(32:51) - Harley Finkelstein, born November 8, 1983, in Montreal, is a Canadian entrepreneur and the president of Shopify. In the conversation, he highlights Shopify's recent achievements, including consecutive quarters with over $100 billion in Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) and a 34% increase in revenue to $3.2 billion. He also discusses the growing adoption of Shopify by major brands like LVMH and Lands' End, the impact of AI on entrepreneurship, and the expansion of agentic commerce through platforms like ChatGPT and Google.
(45:41) - Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova, has over 20 years of experience in leadership, finance, and operations within General Electric, including roles as CEO of GE's Gas Power business and CFO of GE Aviation's Commercial Engine Operations. He discusses the significant role GE Vernova plays in global electricity generation, with its equipment contributing to about a third of the world's electricity outside China. Strazik emphasizes the company's commitment to meeting the growing global demand for electric power through its diverse portfolio, including gas turbines, nuclear power plants, wind turbines, and grid electrification technologies. He also highlights the importance of investing in automation and workforce development to scale production efficiently and address challenges in building new power plants, particularly in remote locations.
(01:12:59) - Brian Elliott, CEO of Blitzy, discusses the company's recent $200 million funding at a $1.4 billion valuation, highlighting their autonomous software development platform designed for complex enterprise use cases. He explains how Blitzy serves industries like banking and insurance by autonomously improving large codebases over extended periods, utilizing foundational models from OpenAI, Gemini, and Anthropic. Elliott emphasizes their direct go-to-market approach, demonstrating rapid codebase analysis and autonomous operation, setting a new benchmark for autonomy in software development.
(01:20:24) - Stephen Balaban, co-founder and former CEO of Lambda, has transitioned to the role of Chief Technology Officer, passing leadership to Michelle Combs, the former CEO of Sprint and SoftBank International. In their discussion, they emphasize a shared commitment to scaling the company's AI infrastructure by focusing on capital formation and operational expansion, aiming to provide the most efficient computing power for their customers. Balaban will continue to lead product vision and technology direction, while Combs will drive growth and operational excellence.
(01:29:17) - Ryan Cohen, CEO of GameStop and co-founder of Chewy, has made an unsolicited $56 billion bid to acquire eBay, offering $125 per share in a half-cash, half-stock deal. He envisions transforming eBay into a formidable competitor to Amazon by integrating GameStop's physical stores with eBay's online platform, enhancing services like live commerce and authentication of collectibles. Cohen emphasizes his commitment to the venture, proposing performance-based compensation and expressing confidence in his ability to revitalize eBay's operations.
(02:02:20) - Timeline Reactions

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FULL INTERVIEW: Anjney Midha on Fixing AI’s Biggest Bottleneck May 04, 2026

Show notes

This is our full conversation with Anjney Midha, recorded live on TBPN.

We discuss his thesis behind AMP and why he believes compute is the most constrained and valuable resource in the AI economy, how billions of dollars in underutilized compute are creating a massive inefficiency that his firm is aiming to solve by building a coordinated “compute grid,” and why he’s structuring AMP as both an infrastructure and capital platform to back the next generation of AI labs, unlock scientific breakthroughs, and accelerate progress across the entire ecosystem.

Neural Computers, GameStop’s $55B eBay Offer | Diet TBPN May 04, 2026

Show notes

Diet TBPN delivers the best of today’s TBPN episode in 30 minutes. TBPN is a live tech talk show hosted by John Coogan and Jordi Hays, streaming weekdays 11–2 PT on X and YouTube, with each episode posted to podcast platforms right after.

Described by The New York Times as “Silicon Valley’s newest obsession,” the show has recently featured Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Mark Cuban, and Satya Nadella.

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GameStop + eBay, Neural Computers | Nat Eliason, Michael York, Maddie Hall, Anjney Midha, Ben Lamm, Jake Stauch, Garth Sheldon-Coulson, Katie Haun, Nick Abouzeid May 04, 2026

Show notes

(02:42) - Neural Computers
(20:48) - GameStop Offers $55B for eBay
(28:44) - Nat Eliason, an entrepreneur and writer, is the Head of Founder Development at Alpha School, where he is launching a high school program that promises students will earn $1 million by graduation or receive a full tuition refund. In the conversation, he discusses his journey from running an SEO-focused marketing agency to exploring personal knowledge management and AI, leading him to develop this innovative educational model that combines AI-driven academics with real-world entrepreneurial experience.
(58:12) - Michael York, co-founder and CEO of Casa, discusses his journey from joining Uber at 18 to launching Casa, a subscription-based homeownership platform. He explains how Casa acts as a personal property manager, handling maintenance and services for homeowners by leveraging advanced technology to create detailed home profiles. York also highlights the company's recent $20 million Series A funding and plans for expansion beyond San Francisco and Los Angeles.
(01:11:15) - Maddie Hall, CEO and co-founder of Living Carbon, discusses her company's mission to restore degraded U.S. lands by planting genetically enhanced trees that capture more carbon and produce sustainable forest products. She highlights a recent $500 million deal with Octopus Energy Generation to reforest up to 250,000 acres, aiming to remove 50 million tons of CO₂ over 40 years. Hall also emphasizes the importance of active intervention in reforestation projects and the potential for these efforts to offset emissions from data centers and AI operations.
(01:18:43) - Anjney Midha is a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, focusing on AI, infrastructure, and open-source technology, with prior roles including VP of Platform Ecosystem at Discord and co-founder of Ubiquity6. In the conversation, he discusses the strategic rationale behind GameStop's acquisition of eBay, emphasizing the potential to eliminate $2 billion in marketing inefficiencies and leverage GameStop's physical stores for verifying collectibles, thereby creating a competitive edge in the AI-driven e-commerce landscape.
(01:44:23) - Ben Lamm, a serial technology entrepreneur and co-founder of Colossal Biosciences, discusses the company's recent advancements in de-extinction efforts, including the successful creation of woolly mice and dire wolf puppies, demonstrating their ability to revive extinct species through genetic engineering. He highlights the role of AI in accelerating these processes and mentions the company's expansion into projects like the bluebuck, emphasizing their commitment to biodiversity restoration. Lamm also touches on potential partnerships with ecotourism and governments to reintroduce these species into natural habitats, aiming to blend conservation with education and economic opportunities.
(01:54:43) - Jake Stauch, founder and CEO of Serval, an AI platform for employee support, discusses the company's new program, Serval Start, designed to deploy AI in large enterprises and train future founders. He emphasizes the importance of talented individuals who can build relationships, sell products, and develop solutions to effectively implement AI in complex organizational environments. The program aims to provide participants with hands-on experience in deploying AI, accelerating their career paths toward entrepreneurship.
(02:01:35) - Garth Sheldon, representing Pampalasa, discusses the company's recent $140 million fundraising success and the development of autonomous energy-capturing nodes designed for deployment in the Southern Hemisphere's power-dense oceans. These nodes, each generating approximately 500 kilowatts, aim to provide scalable, renewable energy solutions for data centers, with plans to manufacture them near the deployment sites to optimize logistics and costs.
(02:09:38) - Katie Haun, a former federal prosecutor and venture capitalist, is the founder and CEO of Haun Ventures, a firm specializing in digital assets and blockchain technology. In the conversation, she discusses the firm's recent $1 billion fundraise aimed at supporting founders building the "new economy," focusing on three structural shifts: new financial rails and infrastructure, new assets and markets, and the intersection of AI and crypto. Haun emphasizes the importance of stablecoins, the tokenization of financial products, and the potential of prediction markets, while also highlighting the need for platforms to address regulatory challenges such as insider trading and federal preemption.
(02:25:18) - Nick Abouzeid is the co-founder and CEO of Rivet, an AI-enabled tax preparation firm that serves over 500 fast-growing companies. In the conversation, he discusses the challenges of implementing AI models in tax workflows, highlighting their unreliability and the necessity of human oversight to ensure accuracy. He also introduces TaxBench, a benchmark developed to evaluate AI models' performance in tax-related tasks, revealing significant capability gaps in current models.

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AI Profits Surge, $70B Capex Surge Raises Investor Concerns, Automated Skin Exams | Diet TBPN May 01, 2026

Show notes

Described by The New York Times as “Silicon Valley’s newest obsession,” the show has recently featured Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Mark Cuban, and Satya Nadella.

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https://open.spotify.com/show/2L6WMqY3GUPCGBD0dX6p00?si=674252d53acf4231

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/technology-brothers/id1772360235

https://www.youtube.com/@TBPNLive

Inside the OpenAI vs. Elon Musk Courtroom May 01, 2026

Show notes

This is our full conversation with Mike Isaac, recorded live on TBPN.

We discuss what it’s actually like inside the OpenAI vs. Elon Musk courtroom, from early morning lines and limited seating to the unexpected mix of superfans, reporters, and curious spectators, how Elon’s legal strategy blends big-picture “save humanity” messaging with more tactical arguments around control and competition, and why the case often feels less like a traditional trial and more like theater, where personality, narrative, and jury perception may matter just as much as the underlying facts.

Tech Earnings Recap, Beautiful Data Centers | Mike Isaac, Kyle Harrison, David Marcus, Turner Caldwell, Everette Taylor, Puneet Mehta & Justin Wexler, Alexander Embiricos May 01, 2026

Show notes

(01:29) - Tech Earnings Quad Kill Recap
(28:44) - Mike Isaac, a technology reporter at The New York Times and author of "Super Pumped," discussed his experiences covering high-profile tech trials, including the Apple vs. Samsung case and Mark Zuckerberg's testimony in the ZeniMax lawsuit. He shared insights into the challenges of attending these trials, such as early morning courthouse arrivals and the competition for press seating, and highlighted the public's growing interest in tech industry legal battles, noting the presence of Elon Musk fans in the courtroom. Isaac also reflected on the dynamics of jury selection, emphasizing the importance of selecting jurors with varying levels of familiarity with the tech industry to ensure a fair trial.
(01:07:20) - Kyle Harrison, a General Partner at Contrary, discusses his 300-page book, "The Anduril Thesis," which explores the history and strategy of defense technology company Anduril Industries. He highlights the company's unique position in the defense sector, emphasizing its counter-positioning against decades of military-industrial history and its innovative approach to defense production. Harrison also touches on Anduril's recent product developments, including autonomous systems and partnerships, and reflects on the broader landscape of defense technology investment.
(01:19:06) - David Marcus, CEO of Lightspark, discusses the launch of Grid Global Accounts, a platform offering global dollar accounts with real-time money movement across 65 countries, integration with Visa's network for spending at over 175 million merchants, and support for stablecoins and Bitcoin. He highlights the platform's ability to delegate payments to AI agents, enabling users to authorize agents to perform transactions on their behalf while maintaining control. Marcus also notes that recent regulatory advancements and improved wallet technologies have made such innovations feasible.
(01:26:57) - Turner Caldwell, co-founder and CEO of Mariana Minerals, discusses the company's focus on automating mining operations to enhance efficiency and productivity. He explains their approach to integrating autonomous systems across the entire mining and refining process, aiming to double productivity through better orchestration and logistics management. Caldwell also highlights the potential for autonomy to fundamentally change mining operations, enabling more selective mining methods and reducing costs.
(01:36:13) - Everette Taylor, CEO of Kickstarter since September 2022, has revitalized the platform by focusing on the creator economy and forming strategic partnerships. He discusses the launch of the Next Wave Fund, a collaboration between Kickstarter and Google, aimed at supporting early-stage tech startups and small businesses in hardware, software, gaming, and connected technology. This initiative offers selected applicants $10,000 in non-dilutive capital, guidance from Kickstarter's Design & Technology team, and access to Google's training programs to help them launch and scale their products.
(01:45:51) - Puneet Mehta, founder and CEO of Netomi, an AI platform for customer service, discusses how his company leverages agentic applications to proactively enhance customer experiences by addressing issues upstream, rather than reacting to problems after they occur. He highlights Netomi's recent $110 million funding round, emphasizing partnerships with Accenture and Adobe to deploy their technology across Fortune 500 companies. Mehta also shares his background in automated trading and event correlation systems, underscoring his enterprise-focused approach to solving complex customer service challenges.
(01:52:37) - Timeline Reactions
(01:58:54) - Alexander Embiricos, the product lead for Codex at OpenAI, discusses the rapid growth and diverse applications of Codex, highlighting its expansion beyond coding to assist various professionals, including sales, marketing, and finance. He emphasizes the importance of Codex's ability to autonomously perform tasks across different applications, enhancing productivity by allowing users to delegate complex tasks. Embiricos also underscores the significance of user experience in AI interactions, noting that thoughtful design elements, such as natural cursor movements, build trust and improve usability.
(02:20:55) - The TBPN Simulator

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🟣 The Collison Brothers LIVE on TBPN | John Collison, Patrick Collison, Henri Stern, Jeff Weinstein, & Zach Abrams Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

(00:00) - - John & Patrick Collison, the co-founders of Stripe, discuss the significant surge in new business creation, noting a 71% year-over-year increase in Q1, attributing this growth to AI's role in simplifying entrepreneurship. They highlight Stripe's initiatives like agentic commerce, enabling AI agents to perform tasks such as purchasing domains and deploying websites autonomously. Additionally, the Collisons address the challenges posed by increased fraud attempts in the AI economy and outlines Stripe's efforts to enhance fraud prevention through tools like Stripe Radar.
(28:27) - - Henri Stern, a leader at Stripe, discusses the rapid growth of his team following an acquisition, the challenges posed by the competitive talent market, and the evolving landscape of stablecoins and their potential impact on traditional banking. He highlights the emergence of non-dollar stablecoins, the concept of tokenized deposits, and the integration of AI tools in security practices. Stern also explores the intersection of AI and cryptocurrency, noting the rise of agentic wallets and the potential for innovative business models enabled by programmable money.
(42:46) - - Jeff Weinstein is a product lead at Stripe, where he has significantly contributed to the growth of their payment APIs and the development of Stripe Atlas, simplifying company formation for entrepreneurs. In the conversation, he discusses the importance of customer obsession, the role of metrics in driving impact, and techniques for effective product development within large companies. He also highlights initiatives like Stripe's "Study Group" to enhance product craft and shares insights into Stripe Atlas's mission to increase global entrepreneurship.
(01:06:58) - - Zach Abrams, Zach Abrams is a fintech entrepreneur and product leader best known as the co-founder and CEO of Bridge, a company building infrastructure to help businesses move and manage money using stablecoins.

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Tech Earnings Quadkill, Red Button vs Blue Button | Diet TBPN Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

Described by The New York Times as “Silicon Valley’s newest obsession,” the show has recently featured Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Mark Cuban, and Satya Nadella.

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/technology-brothers/id1772360235

https://www.youtube.com/@TBPNLive