Jess, Sam, Brit, and Dave returned from spring break to catch up on chaotic headlines from the last week — from Tesla’s bad quarter to Google’s courtroom drama.On the docket:– the antitrust cases shaking up Google, Meta, and the entire ad economy – is OpenAI quietly building the next Facebook? – Sam’s theory on “zombiecorns” – is OnlyFans the new Uber?We’re also on ↓X: https://x.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessSpotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspodConnect with us here:1) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin4) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit00:00 Trailer01:25 Recruiting PMs and hard-to-fake filters08:34 Google anti-trust legal theater13:58 Market narratives and fruit monopolies22:21 LLMs and media companies25:49 Is the web dying?32:05 People want resonance38:19 Adult content and AI40:59 Meme stock Tesla and messiah Elon47:30 How Musk handles the poliola49:15 "Spam" Lessin's factory-farmed VC unicorn end52:23 National medal of motherhood55:48 Be the mountain, not the storm58:10 Outro and announcement
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59:12
#95: OpenAI’s Social Network & Figma’s Potential IPO
With Jess and Sam taking the week off Brit and Dave are joined by two leading voices in venture and tech: Ben Lerer (Managing Partner, Lerer Hippeau) and Morgan Beller (General Partner, NFX; Co-creator of Libra). Together, they dive into the shifting tides of tech, venture, and AI:– OpenAI’s next move: A social network?– Venture’s broken math– The ‘AI’ label inflation, and– Figma’s IPO and what it signals for techPlus, Ben and Morgan weigh space travel risks—would you commit to a ticket to Mars?Let us know in the comments below!00:00 Trailer01:16 Guest Intro03:39 VC East Coast scene08:39 Offline from tech10:32 OpenAI social media leak? 15:08 Investing in AI22:59 Like AI companies28:49 Figma's Potentital IPO33:08 LPs and founders are pissed41:52 Pop culture corner: Katy Perry went to space45:02 Humans on Mars by 2040? 46:36 OutroFeaturing: Ben Lerer: https://x.com/benjlererMorgan Beller: https://x.com/bellerWe’re also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessSpotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspodConnect with us here:1) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin4) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit
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48:05
#94: Will Elon Quit DC? Trump’s Chaos & AI’s China Threat (with Joanna Coles)
This week on More or Less, Jessica hosts with Joanna Coles, Chief Content Officer at The Daily Beast, while Sam, Dave, and Brit are off for “spring break”!They explore:• Elon’s DC stint• Trump’s cabinet leaks: Leaks fuel Rubio-Elon tension• China’s AI edge: Cheap tech shakes Valley’s leadPlus, Joanna ponders plastic surgery risks in space—will implants hold up?Featuring: Joanna Coles: https://x.com/JoannaColesThe Daily Beast: https://www.thedailybeast.comWe’re also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessSpotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspodConnect with us here:1) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin4) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit01:13 The only one standing felt abandoned03:05 Guest intro04:36 What's it like inside the newsroom frontlines07:03 Betrayal, greed, power, ambition, love...12:17 What character is Elon Musk playing20:25 The Donald, the Valley, and the Trade War28:29 What the insider insiders are talking about31:20 Space, plastic surgeons, celebrities37:06 Another pop culture moment: Meghan Sussex40:52 Royalty and the tabloid46:05 Gloria Steinem, women's rights, reproductive health48:23 Moments that break out51:46 Outro
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54:23
#93: Can Tesla Survive?
This week on More or Less: Tesla reports a steep drop in deliveries, investor confidence wavers, and BYD continues to close in. The crew also dives into:Elon’s "Fake News": More Drama, Less DOGEOpenAI’s record-breaking $40B raiseTikTok’s algo standoff, andThe UFC’s deal with MetaPlus: Brit’s True Crime fascination with the Deel v. Rippling spy story!We’re also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessSpotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspodConnect with us here:1) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin4) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit00:00 Trailer01:03 Sam and Dave's clones02:59 Are we getting closer or further away from Mars?05:58 Tesla Drama13:36 Elon News fatigue18:13 Dave social middle ground and drunk Sam20:20 Everyone’s vibe coding24:13 OpenAI28:03 Costs vs potential monetization46:43 Rippling v. Deel James Bond Spying49:56 UFC × Meta51:41 Outro
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52:51
#92: The Signal Scandal & DOGE Drama! (with Ben Smith and Nicholas Carlson)
The debate is heating up—DC and Silicon Valley are deeply split over DOGE. This week on More or Less, Jessica and Brit hold down the fort (while the husbands ski Alaska’s powder) with media heavyweights Ben Smith of Semafor and Nick Carlson of Dynamo. This week’s big swings:• The Signal Group Chat Scandal• DOGE divides: Silicon Valley cheers efficiency, DC smells ideology• China’s BYD overtakes Tesla: Is Elon losing supporters?Plus, whispers of fake AI revenue, ChatGPT’s image wizardry, and a nod to The Information’s SABEW haul. Featuring: 1) Ben Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-smith-04b1403/2) Nicholas Carlson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasmcarlson/We’re also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessSpotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/moreorlesspodConnect with us here:1) Ben Smith: https://x.com/semaforben2) Nicholas Carlson: https://x.com/nichcarlson3) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin4) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin5) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin6) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit00:00 Trailer01:29 Our guests and our husband clones08:23 The Signal group chat scandal12:01 The Atlantic's marketing19:25 Ethics impact23:27 DOGE divides35:06 Trump, the tech giants and pragmatism39:35 Wiz deal, arms race, 42:44 11X and straight up fraud49:50 ChatGPT's Image Generator51:41 Using AI: what would JD Vance do? 55:40 AI and journalism side by side57:02 Outro
Dave Morin, Jessica Lessin, Brit Morin, and Sam Lessin have debated the future of Silicon Valley and tech as the closest of friends for the last 15 years. Now six companies, two venture funds and more than a decade at Google, Apple and Facebook later, they are opening up the debate. From The Information, Offline Ventures, and Slow Ventures.
Follow the crew:
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