BIG IDEAS BY NEW ECONOMIES

Learn from the greatest technology leaders every week on the NEW ECONOMIES podcast. Subscribe to never miss a future episode.Hey ReadersIf you work in tech, you’ve probably heard the term “new media” — a new wave of the creator economy where creators are becoming the preferred distribution channels for brands and businesses.To better understand new media, the creator economy, and what the future of writing actually looks like, I spoke with Tony Stubblebine, CEO of Medium, to unpack what’s really happening.We also talked about Medium’s own journey. As many of you know, the company has faced its share of challenges: losing $2.5M a month at its peak, paying back $37M in overdue loans, making painful layoffs during COVID, and facing the enormous task of turning the business around.In this episode, we explore* The $2.5M Monthly Leak: How Tony restructured a “toxic” financial situation and turned a struggling unicorn profitable in under two years.* The Death of Free Traffic: Why the era of “free customers” from Google is ending and how to pivot your business model before it’s too late.* The “Barbell Effect” in Content: Why the middle class of creators is disappearing while AI slop and high-end human expertise move to opposite ends of the spectrum. * The Rise of Private Walled Gardens: Why the best writers are moving their content into private groups to protect their IP from AI scrapers.* AI as a Productivity “Power-Up”: Why writing is currently one year behind programming in the AI-adoption curve - and how to use it to 10x your output without losing your soul.* The Expert Economy vs. The Creator Economy: Why “living a life” is the only defensible moat left in a world of instant AI generation.* The New Rules of Distribution: How to build a “timeless” media brand that survives AI summaries and thrives in a world of subscription fatigue.Watch or listen now on… YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and SpotifyIn this episode, we unpack:(0:00) Intro (2:10) What is New Media?(5:20) What is good content today? (8:37) How did we end up here as creators?(12:25) Medium’s founding story (19:25) Medium’s lowest era(27:40) Tony’ toughest moments as CEO(31:25) Should creators be concerned about AI? (41:00) Will LLMs compensate creators? (46:12) Is The Creator Economy dead?(51:50) Medium’s next 12 monthsLinks mentioned in this episode:NEW MEDIA (www.new-media.co)Medium (www.medium.com)Books: 1. How to win friends and influence people 2. The First 90 days Content pieces: 1. Want to Raise Venture Capital More Easily? Clean Up Your Own Shite First 2. Fell in a hole, got outTK App (https://medium.com/tk)Follow Ollie on X (https://x.com/ollieforsyth)Follow Tony on X (https://x.com/tonystubblebine)If you enjoyed this edition, help sustain our work by clicking ❤️ and 🔄 at the top of this post. Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Learn from the greatest technology leaders every week on the NEW ECONOMIES podcast. Subscribe to never miss a future episode.As we know, the CRM landscape is undergoing a huge transformation — with incumbents such as Salesforce being slow to move and innovate, newer players are entering the arena, moving faster with better innovation. To help us understand how legacy software is being forced to evolve, Nicolas Sharp, founder of Attio joins us on the podcast and shares his perspective on what it actually takes to build an “AI-native” business in a market dominated by slow-moving incumbents. In this episode, we explore* Why Attio spent 1,000 days in the lab perfecting its architecture while the rest of the world chased “ship-fast” agility.* Why Attio embedded AI across its products to stay ahead of the curve.* The playbook for deploying agents and AI features at scale when you serve thousands of customers.* Attio raised $52M last year — Nick explains how fundraising has evolved in the post-AI era.* The shrinking “half-life” of product-market fit in a world of rapid model iteration.* How to build a world-class team with high ambition while giving people the autonomy to thrive.* Why Europe is having a breakout moment — producing more unicorns and emerging as a global AI hub.Watch or listen now on… YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and SpotifyChapters in this episode(0:00) Building in stealth for 1,000 days (10:10) Attio was built to be AI-native before it was the default(15:40) How does distribution effectively work when deploying AI agents?(22:40) What is product market fit today? (25:18) How to stay relevant (30:35) The biggest change when fundraising today (32:40) How to stay up to date with AI trends (35:20) How teams operate today looks very different vs before (38:20) Attio's culture (41:50) Why Europe is having its moment (45:40) Attio's ambitious 12 month plan (48:25) Who will build the next Slack? (49:00) Quick fire questionsDiscover previous episodes and stay ahead of the latest trends Explore all past episodes on your favorite podcast apps, including:* Yahoo CEO Jim Lanzone on the company’s turnaround story.* Dan Shipper on why traditional coding workflows are breaking.* Colin Angle on the $1.7B founder failure story.* David Haber (a16z) on the future of venture capital.* Emad Mostaque on AI systems replacing personal productivity.* Anatoly Yakovenko on how Solana survived early collapse.* Anish Acharya on the realities of building in the AI era.and more…Watch and subscribe now!Thanks for listening, see you in the next episode 👋P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free - for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now! Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

AI and crypto are merging faster than anyone predicted. We asked the investor with a front-row seat to explain exactly where it’s going. Subscribe to never miss a future episode. As we know, crypto is evolving daily - right alongside AI. We wanted to get to the bottom of where these two fast-moving sectors are truly intersecting, so we sat down with Ali Yahya, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). With a background as an engineer at Google Brain before his move into venture capital, Ali has a front-row seat to this ‘relentless exponential’ growth and a unique perspective on how these two worlds are merging. In this episode, we explore: Why the definition of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) has shifted from a sci-fi benchmark to a tangible economic goal; how a16z’s massive “platform” team of experts is rewriting the rules of venture capital; and why privacy is becoming the ultimate defensive “moat” for the next generation of crypto startups. We also dive into the ‘agentic economy’ - a future where your AI agent evolves from a simple assistant into a sophisticated tool that can automate workflows and interact with the digital world. We challenge the popular narrative around agents holding their own crypto wallets and discuss why the reality of agentic commerce will likely look quite different. Plus, Ali shares why, if he were starting his career today, he would bet everything on the next great frontier: ‘physical intelligence’ in robotics. Watch or listen now on… YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and SpotifyChapters in this episode(0:00) How far we have come (4:10) What does AGI actually mean? (5:30) Inside Andreessen’s crypto fund (9:00) The impact of platform teams inside venture firms (12:00) Should we still be excited about crypto? (14:30) Why did NFTs not work? (19:00) Is privacy the new moat?(23:45) Where do startups go wrong within privacy?(26:30) Will AI agents ever transact on our behalf? (31:35) How long until AGI is fully adopted? (34:00) Is moving too quickly a distraction? (35:00) How has fundraising changed for founders? (37:20) The types of roles that are changing (41:25) Prediction markets(44:45) Startup ideas!Stay ahead of the latest trends: Watch all previous episodes Watch all previous episodes now on your favorite podcast apps. Episodes include: * Yahoo CEO Jim Lanzone on the company’s turnaround story.* Dan Shipper on why traditional coding workflows are breaking.* Colin Angle on the $1.7B founder failure story.* David Haber (a16z) on the future of venture capital.* Emad Mostaque on AI systems replacing personal productivity.* Anatoly Yakovenko on how Solana survived early collapse.* Anish Acharya on the realities of building in the AI era.and more… Watch and subscribe now!Thanks for listening, see you in the next episode 👋P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free - for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now! Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Subscribe to NEW ECONOMIES to avoid missing future episodes. Hey listeners, Imagine walking into a classroom where there are no traditional teachers - just tablets, robots, and human instructors guiding every lesson.That future isn’t hypothetical. It’s already here.Today’s guest on the podcast is Joleen Liang, co-founder of Squirrel AI, an education startup from China that’s already teaching thousands of students without any form of traditional teachers present. With over 20 billion data points informing its system, the company is pushing the boundaries of personalized learning. They’re building toward a future with teacher robots, preparing for a public listing, and already generating hundreds of millions in revenue.Watch or listen now on… YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and SpotifyTakeaways from this episode* The Autonomous Engine: Joleen explains why Squirrel AI isn’t just a chatbot, but a “virtual super-teacher” capable of handling 100% of knowledge transfer, moving toward a future of fully self-directed, teacher-less instruction.* The “LAM vs. LLM” Edge: Why generic AI models are insufficient for education; Joleen breaks down their proprietary Learning Analysis Model (LAM) that analyzes 20 billion data points to diagnose why a student is stuck rather than just giving them the answer.* The “Double Reduction” Resurrection: A raw look at the 2021 Chinese regulatory shift that sent revenue to zero overnight from hundreds of millions of dollars, and how Squirrel AI pivoted from software-only to a hardware-integrated “Smart Tablet” powerhouse to survive.* The “Data Analyst” Instructor: How the role of the teacher is being permanently re-coded - shifting from a lecturer to a “psychologist and data scientist” who only intervenes when the AI triggers an alarm on a student’s frustration levels.* The “Equity for Debt” Gambit: The incredible story of how 80% of their franchisees, facing a total market collapse, chose to convert their debt into company stock because they believed in the AI’s results more than the immediate cash.* The “Multimodal” Mirror: A deep dive into the use of eye-gazing, facial expression tracking, and “mistake reasoning” to create a learning profile so specific it can predict a student’s mastery better than a human tutor ever could.* The “Modern Discipline” Divide: Joleen discusses the cultural friction of expanding into the US, comparing the disciplined learning habits of Asian markets with the need for high-engagement, hyper-interesting content to keep Western students focused.In this episode, we cover: (0:00) AI is replacing school teachers(1:45) Why is edTech having its moment?(4:20) What do parents actually think about AI?(7:00) Do we REALLY need to spend 20+ years in school today?(9:50) How do students actually use AI inside the classroom?(12:45) Can Squirrel be globally adopted outside of China?(20:00) How China tracked students’ performance(25:45) The terrifying moment in 2021(35:30) How to disagree with your team(39:50) Why IPO vs. private?(41:20) Where to expand next?(42:15) Our next five years(45:00) One lesson you teach other foundersThanks for listening, see you in the next episode 👋P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free - for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now! Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Hey listeners! Do you remember when you set up your first email address? Well it might have been on Yahoo! - remember them? They have been pretty quiet over the years, having gone through a complete turnaround from a public company to a private one, selling off a bunch of assets, but they are now back, and we just interviewed their CEO Jim Lanzone, and SVP Head of Yahoo Research Group Eric Feng for a great podcast episode. In this episode, we cover a range of topics including: Why Yahoo is striking back and the steps it has taken to achieve this. You might not realize this, but Yahoo actually has 700 million users, so it’s still a mighty powerful platform - we discuss what new products they are currently building and how they plan to have multiple touchpoints with the consumer over the coming years. We also learn about the future of search, whether Yahoo would ever launch their own AI models, how they think about launching new products with smaller team sizes in the wake of AI, plus the launch of their latest product - MyScout, the first personalized homepage for AI answers. Watch or listen now on… YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and SpotifyTakeaways from this episode * The “Modern Vintage” Pivot: How Yahoo is rebranding itself as the “New Balance” of tech, a legacy name finding massive new relevance with Gen Z and Millennials who make up 50% of their 700 million user base.* The “Ironman Suit” Philosophy: Jim explains why he isn’t using AI to replace humans, but rather as a power-suit that allows a “thousands-person” company to compete with the output of a “millions-person” organization.* The “Toys” of a Titan: Why Yahoo has an unfair advantage in the AI race by sitting on 30 years of proprietary “toys” - including a massive interest graph and search history that generic LLMs simply cannot replicate.* The Social Contract of AI: A candid look at why Yahoo prioritizes citing sources and sending traffic back to publishers, arguing that a “closed” AI ecosystem is a death sentence for the quality of the internet.* The Private Equity “Blank Slate”: How spinning out of Verizon and returning to a private structure under Apollo allowed Jim to “deconstruct the cake,” shutting down unprofitable divisions to focus on winning the “F1 race” of consumer internet.* Domain Expertise Over Syntax: Eric’s provocative take on why “being a geek” about finance or sports is now more valuable than being a world-class coder, as AI makes technical execution a commodity.Chapters in this episode (0:00) Yahoo’s Founding Story (3:38) How Yahoo’s CEO Turned Around The Internet Darling (9:00) Is Yahoo The Trusted Guide To The Internet? (11:50) Building New Products At Scale(13:40) AI Models & Their Possibilities?(20:30) What Does The Future Of Search Actually Look Like?(22:15) Are We Surprised How Fast AI Has Advanced?(29:10) How Yahoo Thinks About Hiring Headcount With AI (32:20) Upskilling Teams On AI (39:25) Why Develop Multiple User Touchpoints (44:30) Bursting With Opportunities: What Can Be Achieved(50:00) Lightning RoundThanks for listening, see you in the next episode 👋P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free - for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now!! Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Dan Shipper is the co-founder of Every — the only subscription you need to stay at the edge of AI which is trusted by 100,000 builders. Before founding Every, Dan was the founder of Firefly, a co-browsing technology that was used by over 5,000 SMBs, and 7,000 financial advisors. Listen on: YouTube, Apple Podcasts and SpotifyThe latest trend: The $0 to multi-product AI empireIn this episode, we sit down with Dan Shipper, co-founder and CEO of Every, for a deep dive into his journey from a curious writer to leading a powerhouse at the intersection of media and software. In a candid conversation, Dan reflects on the building of Every — from its roots as a Substack-era bundle of newsletters to its current status as a high-velocity incubator for AI-native products.Throughout the episode, we discuss: * The “Vibe Coding” Reality: Why Dan no longer “writes” code in the traditional sense, using AI to build functional apps like Proof in just two weeks between meetings.* Media as R&D: How Every treats failed software as “content.” In a traditional SaaS company, a failed pivot is a total loss; at Every, it’s a viral blog post that builds more distribution.* The “Two-Slice Team”: A riff on Bezos’s “Two-Pizza” rule. Dan explains how AI allows a single person to run an entire product line, keeping Every lean at just 20 people while managing 4+ active software products.* The Sociology of Agents: A look at the “OpenClaw” project and a future where your AI agent doesn’t just work for you — it negotiates with other agents in Slack to get things done.* The “Founders-Only” Room: Dan’s candid take on why he identifies as a “Founder” over a “Creator” to gain the legitimacy needed to access the world’s most powerful rooms (including early backing from LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman).* The 4-Year “Flatline”: A raw look at the period between 2020 and 2024 where growth stalled, and the mental resilience required to “stick it out” until the AI wave provided the ultimate tailwind.Chapters* (0:00) Intro* (1:45) Dan's Hottest Trends * (6:00) How Dan Decides Which Tools To Use * (8:35) How Every Started & The Earliest Seeds * (12:30) Is The Creator Economy Still A Thing? * (14:05) Why Distribution Is The New MOAT * (20:20) How To Launch New Products With Distribution * (24:00) Lessons From Launching New Products* (25:00) Is It OK To Fail? * (27:15) Why Is Media SO Big Right Now? * (31:40) Are You A Founder or Creator? * (33:10) The Greatest Lesson From Reid Hoffman * (34:15) How To Become AI Native * (39:05) What Keeps Dan Up At Night * (42:50) How Dan Takes Time Off* (46:50) AI In The Next 1,000 DaysThanks for listening — see you in the next episode 👋P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free — for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now!! Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Watch on YouTube —>In this episode, we sit down with Kirill Bigai, founder of Preply, for a deep dive into his journey from a scrappy entrepreneur to leading a global education powerhouse. In a candid conversation, Kirill reflects on the meteoric rise of the world’s leading language-learning marketplace and the hard-won lessons from a decade of pivots and a recent move to unicorn status.For some context: You might remember Preply — it quickly became one of the most talked-about EdTech startups in the ecosystem, raising hundreds of millions of dollars and promising to connect every learner in the world with the perfect human tutor. But beyond the headline-grabbing $150 million Series D, the company has navigated intense challenges, from the manual “concierge” grind of the early 2010s to the profound responsibility of protecting its team during the invasion of Ukraine. In this episode, we unpack what it really takes to build a legendary brand in the age of AI.Throughout the episode, we explore:* The “Concierge” MVP: How Kirill launched with a single landing page and manually called users to find them tutors on Skype before a single line of marketplace code was written.* The Discipline Story: Why Kirill views Preply’s $1.2 billion valuation not as a “success story” but as a “discipline story” rooted in lean operations and unit economics.* Human-First, AI-Enabled: A look at the future of education where AI doesn’t replace the teacher but acts as a “co-pilot” to automate homework and predict student progress.* The 12-Year Grind: The reality of the 2012 “year of exploration” in Boston, where the team lived and worked in the same house to survive while pivoting through different business models.* The “Professional Athlete” Mindset: Kirill’s personal health hacks — from sports to 8-hour sleep cycles, designed to sustain a founder through high-stress growth cycles.* Leadership Under Fire: The harrowing experience of building a 24/7 support team to evacuate employees from Kyiv and the moral choice of taking full responsibility for team safety during a war.* Winning the Global Market: How mastering SEO and focusing on “serious learners” allowed Preply to scale to 100,000 tutors across 180 countries.* The Next Chapter — A Legendary Brand: Why reaching unicorn status was never the end goal, and how Kirill is now focused on fundamentally shaping how people learn in the future.If you’re interested in the raw reality of building a global marketplace from scratch , the intersection of human connection and AI-enabled education , or how to lead with profound responsibility during a time of national crisis — this episode is for you!Chapters:* (0:00) Intro * (8:00) Coming from Ukraine To The U.S. To Build * (13:10) Acquiring The First Thousand Users * (15:10) Preply's First Few Years * (18:40) Preply Becomes A Unicorn * (21:00) Why Don't We See More EdTech Companies?* (23:10) Keeping Customers Happy At Scale * (26:00) The Impact Of AI For Language Learning * (35:30) Why You Should Find Time To Rest * (37:50) Greatest Lesson From The Past YearAlso available onApple Podcasts // SpotifyThanks for listening — see you in the next episode 👋P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free — for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now!! Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

In this episode, we sit down with Sachin Dev Duggal, founder of Builder AI and Second Brain, for his first public interview since his departure from Builder. In a candid conversation, Sachin reflects on the meteoric rise of one of AI’s most talked-about companies and the hard-won lessons from a turbulent 2025.For some context: You might remember Builder AI — it quickly became one of the most talked-about AI startups in the ecosystem, raising hundreds of millions of dollars and promising to make software as simple as snapping together Lego blocks. But in 2025, the company faced intense scrutiny, critical media coverage, and leadership changes that reshaped its trajectory. In this episode, we unpack what really happened.Throughout the episode, we explore:* The "Lego" Thesis of Software: Why Sachin believed that 80% of software could be built using reusable "atomic units" long before generative AI became a household name.* Growing Too Fast: The challenges of scaling to 900 employees and the reality of what happens when organizational governance can't keep pace with revenue velocity.* Navigating "The Cloud": Sachin’s direct response to media narratives surrounding "fake AI" and the complexities of revenue recognition in a new category of software.* The Psychology of Trust: How childhood experiences shaped Sachin's leadership style and the difficult realization that "wanting to be liked" can be a founder's greatest liability.* The Captain and the Engine Room: A look at "Founder Mode" and the importance of removing layers between a CEO and their investors to maintain a single version of the truth.* Winning the Inner Game: How the principles of professional tennis — controlling inputs over outcomes — helped Sachin survive a year of public scrutiny and personal betrayal.* The Next Chapter — Second Brain: Why the next wave of AI isn't about reasoning, but about "meaning," and how Sachin is building a cognitive operating system to give people back three hours of their day.If you’re interested in the raw reality of high-stakes entrepreneurship, the future of personal intelligence, or how to engineer a comeback with humility and accountability — this conversation is for you!Chapters: (0:00) Intro(2:40) 2025 Was... (8:15) Trust Is A Very Big Word (10:50) Sachin Shares His Early Days (14:13) The DNA Of Solving A Problem (19:17) Launching Builder AI(25:25) Builder’s First Year (29:55) Builder’s First Few Customers (34:55) Sachin’s Trillion-Dollar Outlook (39:45) The Dreaded Wall Street Journal Article (47:00) 2025: The Rocky Year (59:50) Employees In India (1:02:45) Forecasting & Revenues (1:09:40) Raising $450M (1:13:50) Stepping Down As CEO(1:15:45) Reflecting On The Past 12 MonthsAlso available onApple Podcasts // SpotifyThanks for listening — see you in the next episode 👋P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free — for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now!! Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

iRobot was the miracle that almost wasn’t. For 33 years, Colin Angle steered the company from a living room startup at MIT to a global household name. But in early 2024, the story took a dark turn: a $1.7 billion acquisition by Amazon was blocked by regulators, leading to bankruptcy filings and Colin’s departure.This week, we sit down with the legendary co-founder to unpack one of the most controversial moments in recent tech history. This isn’t just a post-mortem on a deal — it’s a masterclass in resilience, the “behavior control” philosophy of robotics, and a warning shot to the American innovation economy.In this episode, we explore:* The Amazon Blockade — Why Colin calls the FTC’s decision a “miscarriage of justice” and how a year-and-a-half in regulatory limbo effectively froze iRobot’s ability to compete.* Artificial Insects (AI) — The MIT origins of iRobot where “AI” stood for artificial insects, not intelligence, and how cockroach-inspired robots led to the Mars Rover.* The 12-Year “Overnight” Success — How the Roomba was actually a “mishmash” of a mine-hunting algorithm, a Hasbro toy manufacturing process, and an industrial supermarket cleaner.* The “Pepsi” Turning Point — The bizarre story of how a Dave Chappelle commercial saved the company from a warehouse full of unsold robots.* 17 Years of Moats — Why it took nearly two decades for competitors to catch up, and the moment the “robot ecosystem” finally commoditized the industry.* Familiar Machines and Magic — A first look at Colin’s new venture and why he believes the “dark ages” of robotics are over, thanks to generative AI.* The Founder’s Resiliency — Colin’s advice for the next generation: why naivety is a superpower and how to get back up when the world — and the government — disagrees with you.Chapters(0:00): iRobot Going Bankrupt (6:20) The Aha Moment (13:20) 12 Years Getting Roomba Launched (17:58) Growth Going Bananas(24:22) The Mighty Cage Fight With Copycats(29:46) Amazon Comes Knocking With $1.7B (50:38) Lessons Going Through Potential Acquisitions (56:26) Colin's New CompanyAlso available on Apple Podcasts // Spotify Thanks for listening and see you in the next episode 👋P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free — for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now!! Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Venture is changing fast — but not in the way most people think.This week, we’re joined by David Haber, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, where he invests in AI applications and helped build the firm’s presence in New York.David recently wrote a piece that went viral around a single provocative idea:Most investors run funds. Very few build firms.We unpack what that actually means — why “fund vs firm” is more than semantics, how a16z thinks about compounding advantage, and why the next era of venture may be defined by power (distribution, networks, operating leverage) more than capital alone.We also go deep on David’s founder journey — from starting a fintech company, raising $900M, selling to Goldman Sachs, and then switching sides to join a16z. Along the way, he explains what it really takes to scale in financial services — and why AI is turning fintech into one of the most exciting markets again.What emerges is a clear worldview: the best venture firms aren’t just investors — they’re products. And the winners will be the ones that build moats that get stronger with scale.In this episode, we explore:* A16Z — how the firm is structured across multiple strategies (AI apps, infrastructure, growth, bio, American Dynamism), and what that means for founders.* Fund vs Firm — why David believes most VCs optimize for carry, not compounding advantage, and how “firm-building” changes everything.* The platform debate — why a16z invests heavily in its operating platform, and why the “platform replaces GP time” argument misses the point.* Solo GPs and the new VC landscape — why early-stage winners are still widely distributed, and where specialists can still win big.* Inside Goldman after an acquisition — what it’s like to go from a startup team to a 40,000-person machine, and how to take “risk” inside a massive org.* AI’s real wedge in enterprises — why software is moving from “tools” to “doing the work,” and how this changes TAM from IT spend to labor.* Fintech’s AI moment — why financial services is one of the most human-capital intensive industries on earth, and why that makes it ripe for automation.* Where AI is going next — from copilots → managers of agents, deeper system integration, and why more enterprise work will be driven by unstructured data (including voice).If you’re trying to understand where venture is heading — and what founders should expect from “value add” in a world where AI compresses timelines — this one’s for you.Also available onApple Podcasts // SpotifyChapters:(0:00) Intro(2:14) About Andreessen Horowitz (4:31) The Past 1,000 Days For AI (6:02) Where David Is Spending His Time (8:25) Bond Street's Founding Story (11:54) Bond Street's Early Challenges (14:17) Goldman Sachs’ Acquisition of Bond Street (20:14) Tips For Recovering Founders Post-Sale (23:13) Joining A16Z (26:32) The Future of Venture: Fund vs Firm (37:11) The Rise Of Solo GPs (42:52) The Greatest Lesson From Marc & Ben (47:18) Trends: Reimagining Financial Services (52:45) David's Startup Ideas (53:47) The Next 1,000 Days For AIThanks for listening and see you in the next episode 👋P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free — for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now!! Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Max Junestrand, Co-Founder and CEO of Legora. The company only went through Y Combinator last year, has raised $260M to date, and is already one of the fastest-growing companies across legal AI. Legora is betting that the next decade of law won’t be won by “better PDFs,” but by software that fundamentally changes how legal work gets done.Max takes us from Legora’s pre-LLM origins (back when “AI wasn’t cool” and building anything useful was brutally hard) to the post-GPT inflection point that turned legal into one of the most ripe, underrated verticals in all of AI. We talk about why their growth has felt like a new company every quarter, why law firms are unusually primed for a platform shift, and how the real unlock isn’t just smarter models — it’s embedding the product directly into workflows like due diligence at scale and Word-native drafting.What emerges is a clear worldview: if AI can do a task, it will — and the winners will be the teams that ship relentlessly, wire AI into the operating system of legal work, and help lawyers climb the ladder faster rather than just pushing paper.In this episode, we explore:* Choosing the “unsexy” category on purpose — why Max thinks legal AI is the most exciting vertical, and why more founders should be building here.* “Before AI was cool” — Legora’s early work started in 2020, when pre-LLM ML simply couldn’t deliver real value… and how GPT flipped the entire feasibility curve overnight.* Building inside a law firm, not outside it — embedding with top Nordic firm Mannheimer Swartling, going practice area by practice area, and solving real problems before scaling distribution.* How they move so fast — the internal rule: take what a normal company does in a year and compress it into a quarter — and why demand in legal AI makes that pace possible.* The evolution of legal AI UX — from “ChatGPT wrapper” era to tabular review at massive scale (tens of thousands of documents), to Word-native drafting and redlining, to precedent-driven contract generation with hundreds of edits.* Why it’s becoming “unethical” not to use AI — the idea that AI is the newest rung in the review ladder: junior → senior → partner → AI… because it’s another set of eyes you can’t afford to ignore.* The junior lawyer shake-up — how AI pushes people earlier in their career into reviewer-level work, shifting the value toward judgment, client communication, and problem-solving over pure document grinding.* Adoption friction is cultural, not technical — why younger lawyers adopt fastest, but change gets blocked if partners don’t encourage it — and what that does to incentives inside firms.* From services to productized workflows — why AI forces law firms to rethink leverage, scale, and monetization — and how “outcome-based pricing” becomes more natural as the billable hour looks increasingly mismatched.* Fundraising without the theater — Max’s take: the best way to raise is to build a great business, then let investors come to you — including rounds that closed in days, not months (and without a traditional pitch deck).* What the next 1,000 days looks like — why Max is most excited about agents with tool-calling + memory that can run longer workflows… and why reliability compounds (or collapses) across multi-step tasks.* The ethos behind the hustle — not “996” as a badge, but a mission-driven intensity — and the customer stories that make the grind feel worth it (like giving someone their Friday night back).If you want a real window into how legal AI is evolving — and what it looks like when a company tries to build the operating system for an entire profession — this one’s for you.Also available onApple Podcasts // SpotifyChapters:(0:00) Intro(3:30) Doubling ARR Every Quarter (5:35) The Paradigm Starter & Latest Insights Across Legal AI (8:48) What Does AI Mean For Junior Lawyers?(11:44) How Lawyers Adopt Legora (20:06) Going Through YC W25 & Launching Fast (24:33) Max Takes Us Inside The Day-To-Day Legora (30:12) Building Insanely Quickly (33:51) The YC Experience (36:08) Hiring Former YC Founders(38:46) Legora’s Fundraising Journey (41:26) Max’s Day-To-Day (44:10) The Nordic’s Ecosystem (45:20) The Game Plan (46:22) The Next 1,000 Days (48:07) Max’s Other Startup IdeasThanks for listening and see you in the next episode 👋P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free — for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now!! Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Ahmet Bahadir Ozdemir, the self-described “accidental telecom guy” and co-founder of Airalo, the eSIM marketplace that’s quietly rewiring how travelers get online around the world.Bahadir shares the wild, very human journey that led from hustling ship supplies out of his parents’ home in Turkey — pretending to be “60 different people” across ports worldwide — to building SIM4Crew for the 1.7M+ seafarers out there, killing his own profitable business the day Apple announced eSIMs, and then riding out a total revenue collapse during COVID with nothing but a fresh Series A and a “war on waste” mentality.What emerges is not just a startup story, but a philosophy: on luck and timing, on building with kindness in a hyper-capitalist system, and on why individual stories matter more than any KPI.In this episode, we explore:* The accidental telecom founder — how a ship-supply side hustle turned into SIM4Crew, a global SIM card for sailors, after every captain started asking for “potatoes, tomatoes… and SIM cards.”* Seeing the pain in maritime connectivity — why 1.7M seafarers living 9 months at sea were the perfect “edge case” to reveal just how broken roaming really is.* Paying $1,000 for a crash course in roaming — the scrappy way Ahmet taught himself telecom from scratch and launched his first global SIM business using a warehouse network he’d already built.* Killing your own golden goose — the moment Apple announced eSIM iPhones on September 28, 2018, and why Ahmet immediately decided to disrupt SIM4Crew by building the “Amazon of eSIMs” instead.* Breaking into telco as an outsider — from being told his tiny booth looked “cute” at a Netherlands industry event to convincing one visionary operator to give Airalo pay-as-you-go access with no deposit… a relationship that later turned into hundreds of millions in revenue.* Doing the things that don’t scale — wearing Airalo t-shirts everywhere, staged elevator phone calls pitching “this eSIM thing,” and anonymous social media accounts replying to every roaming complaint with, “Sorry to hear this — have you tried Airalo?”* When performance marketing fails — how burning cash on Facebook and Google exposed a deeper problem: nobody knew what an eSIM was — and why influencer-led education finally unlocked explosive word-of-mouth growth.* Dancing on the edge of default alive — the candid story of burning ~$200k/month, getting a tough P&L review from Sequoia, pulling Series A forward to late 2019, and landing $5.4M from Rakuten and other investors literally weeks before COVID froze global travel.* Surviving zero revenue and constant panic attacks — what it felt like when revenue on Stripe dropped to zero, why Ahmet started “visiting the emergency room just to feel safe,” and how a ruthless “war on waste” kept the company alive through two lost years.* A people-first philosophy in a KPI-first world — Ahmet’s critique of “greater good” capitalism, why statistics mean nothing to an individual trying to pay rent or bury a loved one, and how Airalo is built around psychological safety, rare firings, and the mantra: “a bunch of common people putting out uncommon results.”* Travel, empathy, and connection — why he believes every connection starts with a conversation, what talking to taxi drivers teaches you about the world, and how Airalo’s real product is peace of mind when you land in a new country.* The long-term vision for Airalo — turning the company from a visible app into an invisible global layer where every gigabyte — whether bought through an airline, a fintech, or a mom-and-pop travel shop — quietly runs on Airalo’s infrastructure.Plus much more — from panic days in fundraising, to the emotional cost of leadership during crisis, to what it really means to build a humane company in a brutal, winner-take-all market.If you care about timing, resilience, and building for humans — not just for charts and decks — you’ll get a lot from this one. Enjoy the episode!Also available on Apple Podcasts // Spotify Chapters(0:00) Intro(3:40) Building A Global Telecoms Company (11:28) The Timing Was Just Perfect (14:10) Partnering With Network Providers Globally (19:23) Having Great Partners Early (21:47) Finding Those First Super Users (27:00) The Signs Of Building A Unicorn (28:58) The COVID Panic Day (34:30) How We Got Through COVID (39:18) Being A Caring Person (53:29) The Big Impact & Road AheadThanks for listening and see you in the next episode 👋P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free — for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now!! Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Lindsay Kaplan, co-founder of Chief, the women’s executive network that became one of the fastest-growing membership communities in the world — scaling from a cold-email experiment to a venture-backed unicorn in just a few years.Lindsay shares the inside story of building a brand that reshaped executive leadership for women, from hacking together the first 200 members to navigating the existential shock of COVID, to stepping aside when she realized the company needed a fresh operator for its next chapter. Now an investor at Next Wave NYC, she breaks down what she’s learned from the operator’s seat — and why she’s betting big on founders building at the intersection of AI and real-world connection.In this episode, we explore:The origin story of Chief — how Lindsay and her co-founder turned a “shitty networking event” into the insight behind a new category: a confidential, high-intent community for women at the top of their fields.Finding product-market fit from cold emails — why guessing email addresses, offering a clear promise, and creating “lukewarm outreach” led to explosive early traction.Scaling a community across cities — the surprising discipline behind maintaining brand consistency while expanding from New York to markets across the U.S.Surviving COVID in real time — how Chief rebuilt its entire in-person experience into a digital-first platform in days, not weeks — and why the crisis 10x’d demand for meaningful connection.The co-founder relationship — Lindsay’s candid take on disagreement, shared values, and why the best partnerships feel like having someone “clean up your bloody nose” on the field.Knowing when to step aside — the emotional and operational signals that told her she wasn’t the right person to run Chief for the next decade — and how founders can prevent burnout by being honest about their energy and passion.What she’s investing in now — why Lindsay is bullish on AI as a productivity engine and on the rise of IRL experiences as a counterforce to digital fatigue.Plus much more — from cap table strategy, to the future of membership-based businesses, to why the next great consumer brand will blend software, storytelling, and community.This is one of the most insightful founder-to-investor journeys you’ll hear all year. Enjoy the episode!Also available on Apple Podcasts // Spotify Episode Chapters (0:00) Intro (2:00) The Mission To Build Chief (3:18) Finding The First Members (7:00) How To Launch In Multiple Cities (8:52) The Hardest Early Day Challenges (11:40) Adapting Within Days During COVID(12:33) The Art Of A Great Co-Founder Relationship (18:00) Raising $100M & Becoming A Unicorn (19:25) Launching Physical Spaces (20:59) Community Businesses vs AI (23:32) 60,000 Members On The Waitlist (24:30) The Members Experience (25:43) Stepping Down (30:00) Turning From Operator To Founder To VC(35:53) Lindsay’s Big IdeasThanks for listening and see you in the next episode 👋P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free — for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now!! Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Anish Acharya, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, who has spent many years at the frontier of consumer products — from early days at Google to building startups to now backing the founders shaping the next decade of software.We’re living through the fastest product cycle in tech history, and Anish breaks down why right now is the best moment in history to build a consumer company — and why the next 1,000 days could mint multiple 100M-user startups.In this episode, we explore:* The return of consumer tech — why consumer was “boring” for a decade, and why AI has reopened one of the biggest windows of opportunity since the iPhone.* Voice as an industry, not a feature — the surprising reason voice is becoming the primary insertion point for AI in enterprises, and how we’ll soon see agents handling a company’s most important calls.* AI-native social networks — why the next Instagram won’t look like Instagram at all, and what a social network built around software, models, and creativity might unlock.* The rise of consumer-built software — Anish explains why millions of non-technical users will soon build mini-apps, agents, and tools — and why everyday consumers are increasingly willing to spend $200 per month on AI tools. * The fundraising playbook for 2026 — how founders should think about raising, why “raising as much as you can” is usually a trap, and the signals investors actually pay attention to. Plus much more! This is one of the clearest breakdowns of the AI consumer landscape you’ll hear all year. Grab a notebook and enjoy the episode! Also available on Apple Podcasts // Spotify Episode Chapters(0:00) Intro(2:00) What is a16z?(6:40) What Is Happening Across AI (8:42) The Traps Founders Are Falling Into (12:21) The Next 1000 Days For AI (16:25) The State of Consumer Tech Right Now (24:09) The New Distribution Model For Consumer Startups (25:52) The Future of Voice (31:15) The Creator Economy and What Comes Next (37:42) AI Wrappers & AI Models Copying Startups (41:40) Why New Social Platforms Have Been Non-Existent (45:57) Fundraising For Startups In This AI Market (49:49) Anish’s Startup Ideas Thanks for listening and see you in the next episode 👋P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free — for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now!! Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Welcome to BIG IDEAS by NEW ECONOMIES — a show where we learn how the most iconic founders have turned crucible moments into global companies. Throughout these episodes, we also discover the trends our guests are most excited about, and the types of businesses those trends could go on to create.P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free — for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now!!In this week’s episode, we are joined by Emad Mostaque – the founder of Stability AI, the company behind Stable Diffusion, and now the architect of an even more ambitious project: Intelligent Internet. In just a few short years, Emad has gone from running hedge funds to helping ignite the generative AI boom, with hundreds of millions of downloads and billions of images created from models his team helped bring into the world. Now he’s thinking far beyond viral products: sovereign AI for governments, open healthcare models that can outperform doctors on benchmarks and run on a laptop, and agentic systems that could sit beside every citizen, not just inside Big Tech’s closed platforms.In this episode, we explore:* The next 1,000 days of AI — Emad explains why we’re approaching a tipping point where agentic systems begin replacing large parts of the cognitive workforce.* The collapse in the cost of intelligence — how AI is rapidly becoming as cheap and abundant as electricity, and what that means for economies, companies, and individuals.* Cognitive colonialism — why Emad believes the biggest risk isn’t just superintelligence, but a world where a handful of corporations control the AI layer closest to our children.* A universal basic AI — his argument that UBI alone won’t be enough; society will also need open, sovereign AI systems that work for people, not platforms.* What careers look like by 2028 — from disappearing graduate jobs to one-person unicorns, we break down what’s coming for work, education, and opportunity.Plus much more, so grab a notebook and enjoy the episode! Also available on Apple Podcasts // SpotifyEpisode Chapters(0:00) Intro(3:00) Stability AI (8:25) Intelligent Internet (15:45) Who Should Own AI Models? (18:10) What Do AI Models Get Wrong?(23:15) Which Human Roles Will Disappear Next?(25:28) Who Wins The AI Race?(31:50) Buddies: The AI World Leaders (35:10) What Is Coming Next? (39:33) Emad’s Typical Day (42:43) Trends: Robotics & Self Driving Cars (46:45) AI’s Biggest ChallengesThanks for listening and see you in the next episode 👋 Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Welcome to BIG IDEAS by NEW ECONOMIES — a show where we learn how the most iconic founders have turned crucible moments into global companies. Throughout these episodes, we also discover the trends our guests are most excited about, and the types of businesses those trends could go on to create.P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free — for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now!!In this week’s episode, we sit down with Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder and CEO of Solana, for an in-person conversation recorded in San Francisco during Tech Week — with special thanks to Founders Inc for hosting us.Anatoly shares the story behind Solana’s rise as one of the fastest and most scalable blockchains in the world, and what’s next for decentralized networks. We discuss the origins of Solana, how it’s powering new generations of developers and applications, the future of crypto beyond speculation, the experience of working with FTX during its collapse, and Anatoly’s long-term vision for building a truly open, on-chain financial system.Throughout the episode, we discuss:(0:00) Intro (3:45) Solana’s Founding Story (10:31) The Latest On Crypto (12:34) Solana’s First Year (17:44) First Fundraising Cheque (23:20) How To Have A Great Co-Founder (32:03) Finding Product Market Fit (34:11) FTX Holy Sh*t Meltdown(39:52) Solana Dropping 97% (41:30) Meeting Sam FTX (42:17) Better Regulation (45:34) Government & Crypto (46:35) The Future Of Financeand more…Watch the full episode nowalso available on Apple Podcasts // SpotifyIf you enjoyed this episode, help sustain our work by clicking ❤️ and 🔄 at the top of this post. Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Welcome to BIG IDEAS by NEW ECONOMIES — a show where we learn how the most iconic founders have turned crucible moments into global companies. Throughout these episodes, we also discover the trends our guests are most excited about, and the types of businesses those trends could go on to create.P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free — for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now!!In this week’s episode, we sit down with Henry Ward, co-founder and CEO of Carta, for an in-person conversation recorded in San Francisco during Tech Week — with thanks to Founders Inc for hosting us. Carta supports thousands of founders with their cap tables and is now expanding into the private equity space. We cover the current AI hype and how founders can think beyond it, Carta’s transformation over the years, the state of emerging managers, the growing importance of secondaries, lessons from Marc Andreessen, and more.Throughout the episode, we discuss:* (0:00) Intro * (5:46) The AI Hype * (8:21) Where Does AI Go Next? * (10:50) How You Can Land Your First Users * (15:44) The Relentless Ambition * (21:56) Are We In An AI Bubble? * (23:30) The Importance Of Secondaries * (25:24) Lessons From Raising $1 Billion * (27:00) The State Of Emerging Managers * (31:04) Greatest Lessons From Marc Andreessen * (33:00) Creating Board Seats * (37:10) Fundraising Tips For Founders * (37:50) Private Equity Trends * (40:40) Carta’s Future Plans * (42:12) Hardest Part As The CEO * (44:25) Carta Employees Becoming Founders * (45:50) Five Years Aheadand more… Watch the full episode now also available on Apple Podcasts // Spotify If you enjoyed this episode, help sustain our work by clicking ❤️ and 🔄 at the top of this post. Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Welcome to BIG IDEAS by NEW ECONOMIES — a show where we learn how the most iconic founders have turned crucible moments into global companies. Throughout these episodes, we also discover the trends our guests are most excited about, and the types of businesses those trends could go on to create.P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free — for 12 months. Save thousands of dollars now!!In this week’s episode, we chat with Pär-Jörgen Pärson, who has been a Partner at Northzone since 2004 — now one of the largest and most respected venture firms, and one many founders aspire to have on their cap table. At Northzone, PJ’s primary focus areas are disruptive businesses in energy transition, health, consumer, and AI. Throughout our conversation, we explore the current tech cycle and what excites PJ most about AI. We discuss how VCs compete today, what defines a great founder, and how the founder mindset has evolved over the past five years. We also cover U.S. vs. European talent dynamics, why Sweden has become a startup hotspot, and the legendary meeting that led Northzone to invest in Spotify. Throughout the episode, you will learn:* What Cycle Are We In: As AI startups flood the market — and as OpenAI continues to upend entire categories overnight — where do the real opportunities lie? What can founders do to protect themselves and build defensible companies in a space moving this fast?* The Talent Opportunity: With the U.S. imposing steep new visa costs, is Europe now uniquely positioned to attract top global talent? Which cities will emerge as the next major tech hubs — and what should governments be doing to seize this moment?* Investing in Daniel Ek, Founder of Spotify: The legendary meeting that led Northzone to back Spotify — and reflections on leadership: when is the right time for a founder to step aside? Plus, the most valuable lesson PJ has learned from Daniel Ek’s journey.Plus so much more. Grab a notebook and enjoy the episode!Listen & subscribe now across: YouTube // Apple // Spotify Chapters: (0:00) Intro (3:00) What Cycle Are We In? (9:10) How Do VCs Now Compete? (11:28) What Makes A Great VC Fund Today? (13:04) What Makes A Great Founder Today? (19:50) Stale Industries Are Being Reinvented (22:19) Meeting Daniel Ek & Founding Spotify (26:14) Daniel’s Greatest Lesson (28:18) When Is The Right Time To Step Aside As The CEO? (33:20) U.S. Talent: Huge Opportunity For Europe? (39:29) Sweden Is On FireIf you enjoyed this episode, help sustain our work by clicking ❤️ and 🔄 at the top of this post. Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Welcome to BIG IDEAS by NEW ECONOMIES — a show where we learn how the most iconic founders have turned crucible moments into global companies. Throughout these episodes, we also discover the trends our guests are most excited about, and the types of businesses those trends could go on to create.P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free up to 12 months including Sagekit, Floot and April who are featured in today’s episode — save over $3,000 now!This episode is sponsored by:As every founder knows, building companies is tough and finding the right talent is even harder. That’s why we’ve partnered with Oceans.Oceans connects founders with highly vetted, U.S. caliber talent at 70-80% less hiring costs. I’m talking everything from executive assistants to SEO Specialists, Performance Marketers, Accountants, Financial Controllers, you name it!So, if you’re scaling and looking for talent that can make an immediate impact, check out Oceans!In this week’s episode, we discover the hottest YC startups from the latest Summer 25 batch in an office hours format. We find out who they are, what they are building and how you can learn from some of their early mistakes and biggest wins. Why should you watch this episode?Ask any founder or investor, and they have undoubtedly heard of Y Combinator — one of the world’s most renowned startup accelerators, with a mighty track record. Founders who raise from them are 45% more likely to raise a Series A and the accelerator just turned 20 years old earlier this year. Throughout that time, they have achieved some incredible stats, including:* $800B in combined market value has been created.* 6.5% of YC startups become unicorns.* A quarter of all YC-backed unicorns achieve a valuation of over $10 billion.All within just 20 years. So we hope this episode inspires you to go and build as we want to help you build great and huge companies.Meet the hottest startups This episode spotlights six breakout YC startups transforming AI, education, construction, and fintech.What can you expect from each office hours session? We find out:* Who they are and what they are building.* How they found their first customers and how to price.* How each founder is thinking about market opportunity.* The biggest challenges they have faced so far.* The biggest wins they have achieved to date.* Lessons in scaling early and fast. And much more… Whether you’re building, planning to build, or already operating — this episode is for you.Listen & subscribe now across: YouTube // Apple // SpotifyFeatured startups in this episode(1:46) Frizzle Frizzle uses AI to grade handwritten math assignments for teachers, providing personalized feedback for every student. Teachers spend over 10 hours a week or 25% of all their work grading - Frizzle does it in minutes. (14:09) Floot Floot lets non-coders & entrepreneurs build real web apps that actually work. They’re taking a new approach by building everything from the ground up for AI.(28:36) Sagekit Sagekit is your AI automation engineer. Stop wasting time learning yet another tool or hiring expensive agencies. Just describe your process and Sage builds custom automations for you. Connect Gmail, Notion, Airtable, Slack, Linear, and lots more.(51:14) April April is a voice AI executive assistant that manages your email and calendar, hands free. It’s built for busy individuals who need EAs but don’t have them.(1:05:25) Cacao Cacao is building the global dollar app for Brazil - Get paid in USD or stablecoins, spend with a Visa card, and cash out to Pix instantly - made for Brazilians earning from abroad.(1:18:23) FlywheelFlywheel AI converts any existing excavators for contractors to enable remote ops to increase safety and productivity. If you enjoyed this episode, help sustain our work by clicking ❤️ and 🔄 at the top of this post and don’t forget to subscribe to avoid missing future editions! Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Hey Readers 👋Welcome to BIG IDEAS by NEW ECONOMIES — a show where we learn how the most iconic founders have turned crucible moments into global companies. Throughout these episodes, we also discover the trends our guests are most excited about, and the types of businesses those trends could go on to create.P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free — for 12 months. Save over $3,000 now!This week’s guest is Colin Matthews, an AI educator who’s taught over 1,000 students how to prototype apps with AI — see his courses below for an exclusive discount. In this deep-dive episode, we explore the best AI coding tools — from fast prototypes to production-ready apps — and what “vibe coding” really means for the future of building software.Here’s what you’ll learn:* Building Projects in Minutes: Create AI-powered “vibe coding” apps like a Virtual Fitting Room, Figma Design Import & Export tools, and instant Website Converters.* Platform Showdown: How AI coding platforms will compete — and why pricing and distribution are the new battlegrounds.* Vibe Coding Trends: What’s missing from modern tech stacks, and why experimenting with vibe coding could change how you build.For this episode, it’s best to watch on YouTube so you can see the full builds! Grab a notebook and enjoy the episode ✍️Listen & subscribe now across: YouTube // Apple // SpotifyEpisode Chapters* (0:00) Vibe Coding Insights Happening Right Now * (3:35) Pricing: A Race To The Bottom? * (5:55) Project: Building A Virtual Fitting Room * (18:17) Project: Figma Design Import & Export * (27:10) Project: Website Converter* (39:47) Trends & What You Should Be LearningJoin Colin’s CoursesColin regularly hosts courses for product managers and builders, and he’s offering NEW ECONOMIES readers an exclusive 15% discount on his two upcoming sessions: * AI Prototyping for Product Managers - Build your first AI prototype — even if you have no coding skills. Join here. * Vibe Code Your Next Side Project - Go from idea to production and launch your first SaaS in 8 weeks. Join here. If you enjoyed this episode, help sustain our work by clicking ❤️ and 🔄 at the top of this post. Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Hey Readers 👋Welcome to BIG IDEAS by NEW ECONOMIES — a show where we learn how the most iconic founders have turned crucible moments into global companies. Throughout these episodes, we also discover the trends our guests are most excited about, and the types of businesses those trends could go on to create.P.S. When you become an annual paid subscriber, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free — for 12 months.This week’s guest is Tyler Shultz, the former employee turned whistleblower at Theranos founded by Elizabeth Holmes. Throughout this gripping story, we chat about: 1. Becoming the Whistleblower: How a 23-year-old employee took a stand against one of Silicon Valley’s most hyped startups. 2. Inside Theranos: The reality behind the lab walls — failed technology, secrecy, and an intense, tightly controlled culture. 3. Working with Leadership: What it was really like working with Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani. 4. The Turning Point: How a pivotal conversation with Tyler’s grandfather, former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, and an interaction with a Wall Street Journal reporter ultimately brought the truth to light.Grab a notebook and enjoy the episode ✍️Listen & subscribe now across:YouTube // Apple // SpotifyEpisode Chapters(0:00) Intro (10:20) Joining Theranos (17:40) Inside Theranos (25:40) Going Downhill (37:49) Sunny Balwani (42:20) Leaving Theranos (46:00) The WSJ Reporter (50:00) George & Tyler’s Chat (1:06:00) The WSJ Exposes Theranos (1:09:00) Final Moments With George Shultz(1:11:50) Closing The Theranos Chapter (1:15:08) Healthcare TrendsIf you enjoyed this episode, help sustain our work by clicking ❤️ and 🔄 at the top of this post. Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Hey Readers 👋Welcome to BIG IDEAS by NEW ECONOMIES - a show where we learn how the most iconic founders have turned crucible moments into global companies. Throughout these episodes, we also discover the trends our guests are most excited about, and the types of businesses those trends could go on to create.P.S. When you subscribe, you automatically access these best-in-class AI tools for free — for 12 months.This week’s guest is Tyler Denk, co-founder of Beehiiv, a newsletter platform powering thousands of businesses and creators. Tyler also writes Big Desk Energy, a weekly newsletter where he shares insights on tech, practical advice for founders from his own journey, and the occasional spicy take.In this conversation, Tyler shares his journey from Morning Brew, building Beehiiv and taking on the competition. Throughout the episode we cover:* How Tyler went from building Morning Brew’s newsletter to millions of subscribers. * The founding story of Beehiiv and why newsletters are the new gold mine for distribution. * Will we see a wave of newsletters getting acquired for millions? * The next big tech trends across Health and Software. Grab a notebook and enjoy the episode ✍️Listen & subscribe now across: YouTube // Apple // SpotifyEpisode Chapters:* (0:00) Intro * (4:40) Morning Brew’s Secret Sauce * (8:50) Beehiiv’s Founding Story * (12:50) First Few Hundred Customers * (14:40) First Product * (18:47) Creator Platforms Positioning * (22:20) Newsletter Hype Cycle? * (26:50) Building In Public * (31:06) Spicy Takes On Competition * (33:28) Holy Sh*t Moments * (37:50) Building A Great Team * (43:00) M&A For Newsletters Might Come Back * (46:10) The Next Big Tech TrendsIf you haven’t yet subscribed to NEW ECONOMIES, we decode the technology trends reshaping industries and creating new markets. Whether you're a founder building the future, an operator scaling innovation, or an investor spotting opportunities, we deliver the insights that matter before they become obvious. Subscribe to stay ahead of what's next alongside 75,000 others.P.S. Annual subscribers get a free year of 5+ premium products: Mobbin, MarkeTeam, Wondercraft, Agree.com, Firecrawl and others (while supplies last). Subscribe now.If you enjoyed this episode, help sustain our work by clicking ❤️ and 🔄 at the top of this post.See you in the next episode 👋 Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Welcome to BIG IDEAS by NEW ECONOMIES - a show where we learn how the most iconic founders have turned crucible moments into global companies. Throughout these episodes, we also discover the trends our guests are most excited about, and the types of businesses those trends could go on to create.This week’s guest is Lucy Guo, the co-founder behind Scale AI, and more recently founder of Passes which provides infrastructure to thousands of creators.In this conversation, Lucy opens up about the journey, the lessons, and where she sees the next big opportunities emerging.Throughout the episode we discuss:* How Lucy went from high-school entrepreneur to the youngest self-made female billionaire.* The founding story of Scale AI and how to avoid co-founder conflicts.* The creator economy: Where are we today, where the category is going next, how will creator startups monetize and big AI opportunities for creators.* The next big tech trends across the creator economy & driverless cars.Grab a notebook and enjoy the episode ✍️Listen & subscribe now across: YouTube // Apple // SpotifyEpisode Chapters:* (0:00) Intro* (3:10) Lucy's founding story* (8:35) The Thiel Fellowship* (10:00) Scale AI* (13:50) Passes* (15:20) The Creator Economy: Where are we?* (21:20) Building a creator startup* (24:20) Creator Pricing* (27:27) New Forms Of Social Media* (28:47) Raising $50M* (31:20) Staying On Top Of AI* (32:20) AI Concerns* (34:00) AI Opportunities For Creators* (35:27) Being A Savvy Angel Investor* (36:38) TrendsIf you haven’t yet subscribed to NEW ECONOMIES, we decode the technology trends reshaping industries and creating new markets. Whether you're a founder building the future, an operator scaling innovation, or an investor spotting opportunities, we deliver the insights that matter before they become obvious. Subscribe to stay ahead of what's next alongside 75,000 others.P.S. Annual subscribers get a free year of 5+ premium products: Mobbin, MarkeTeam, Wondercraft, Agree.com, Firecrawl and others (while supplies last). Subscribe now.See you in the next episode 👋 Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Welcome to BIG IDEAS by NEW ECONOMIES - a show where we learn how the most iconic founders have turned crucible moments into global companies. Throughout these episodes, we also discover the trends our guests are most excited about, and the types of businesses those trends could go on to create.This week’s guest is Nuseir Yassin, the creator behind Nas Daily - one of the largest and most famous creators globally with tens of millions of followers. Throughout the episode we discuss:* The founding story of Nas Daily and why persistence matters - even if your first few hundred videos get little or no engagement.* Why embracing AI is critical - and the risks of falling behind if you’re not using it yet.* The shift from creator to founder and why now is the greatest time to be a creator. * How to manage time across a large team, multiple businesses, and millions of followers.* Nuseir is now building Nas.io - the AI business platform turning any idea into revenue in 1 minute with AI - check it out here. * The next big trends. Listen & subscribe now across:YouTube // Apple // SpotifyEpisode Chapters: (0:00) Intro (3:20) The Nas Daily Founding Story (7:10) Going from Creator to Founder (13:30) New Ventures (19:20) The Future of Media (23:00) The Creator Economy (28:30) The Daily Grind(31:30) The Creator Opportunity (40:50) TrendsHow you can connect with us * Subscribe to the NEW ECONOMIES newsletter* Subscribe to NEW ECONOMIES on YouTube* Follow Ollie on LinkedIn & X* Follow Nuseir & Nas Daily on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok & X* Try Nas.ioIf you haven’t yet subscribed to NEW ECONOMIES, we decode the technology trends reshaping industries and creating new markets. Whether you're a founder building the future, an operator scaling innovation, or an investor spotting opportunities, we deliver the insights that matter before they become obvious. Subscribe to stay ahead of what's next alongside 75,000 others. Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Welcome to our fourth episode of BIG IDEAS by NEW ECONOMIES - a show where we learn how the most iconic founders have turned crucible moments into global companies. Throughout these episodes, we also discover the trends our guests are most excited about, and the types of businesses those trends could go on to create.This week’s guest is Matt Rouif, co-founder of Photoroom - the largest photo editing tool globally.Listen & subscribe now across:YouTube // Apple // SpotifyThroughout the episode, we discuss:(0:00) Intro(3:03) First Users(5:40) Localizing From Day One(7:25) The First Product(10:00) $2M Raised To $20M Revenue(12:40) The COVID Impact(14:55) Positioning Photoroom(18:15) Market Opportunity(20:00) The Iconic Moments(24:45) AI Replacement or Enablement?(30:00) The Future For Photoroom(32:30) Matt's TrendsIf you haven’t yet subscribed to NEW ECONOMIES, we decode the technology trends reshaping industries and creating new markets. Whether you're a founder building the future, an operator scaling innovation, or an investor spotting opportunities, we deliver the insights that matter before they become obvious. Subscribe to stay ahead of what's next alongside 75,000 others. Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Welcome to our third episode of BIG IDEAS by NEW ECONOMIES - a show where we learn how the most iconic founders have turned crucible moments into global companies. Throughout these episodes, we also discover the trends our guests are most excited about, and the types of businesses those trends could go on to create.This week’s guest is Billy Howell, best known for creating innovative AI apps. This episode takes a slightly different format - and for good reason. Vibe coding is the hottest trend in AI right now, so we’ll show you how you can build simple projects in just a few hours.Grab your notebook and enjoy the episode!P.S. It’s best to listen to this episode on YouTube so you can see the full build!Listen & subscribe now across:YouTube // Apple // SpotifyThroughout this episode, we cover:* (0:00) Intro* (1:54) Vibe Coding: Rising Tide* (5:04) Vibe Coding Ideas* (7:17) Building A Directory* (37:00) Finding Customers* (39:35) Building A Directory To Sell* (45:17) Billy’s TrendsLinks mentioned in this episode:* Subscribe to the NEW ECONOMIES newsletter* Subscribe to NEW ECONOMIES on YouTube* Follow Ollie on LinkedIn & X* Follow Billy on LinkedIn, X & YouTube* Billy’s company - Stupid Simple AppsIf you haven’t yet subscribed to NEW ECONOMIES, we decode the technology trends reshaping industries and creating new markets. Whether you're a founder building the future, an operator scaling innovation, or an investor spotting opportunities, we deliver the insights that matter before they become obvious. Subscribe to stay ahead of what's next alongside 75,000 others. Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Welcome to our second episode of BIG IDEAS by NEW ECONOMIES - a show where we learn how the most iconic founders have turned crucible moments into global companies. Throughout these episodes, we also discover the trends our guests are most excited about, and the types of businesses those trends could go on to create. This week’s guest is Maxime Barbier, co-founder of Timeleft - which you may have heard of. They host dinners for strangers and are doing incredibly well: generating $16M in net ARR and bringing together 120,000 people each month. And they’ve done all of this in just two years!Grab your notebook and enjoy the episode! Listen now:YouTube // Apple // SpotifyIn this episode we cover:(0:00) Intro (1:06) The Founding Story (4:08) Landing those first users (9:25) Why People Use Timeleft(10:55) My Timeleft Experience (12:20) Why People Are Lonely (13:38) Acquiring Users Through Ads (15:44) Early Challenges (17:45) Launching Globally(19:44) What Comes Next? (26:30) Trends Maxime is most excited about include:* In real life tech is the new social frontier.* Friendship is the new dating.* The fall of dating apps.Links mentioned in this episode:* Subscribe to NEW ECONOMIES* Follow Ollie on LinkedIn* Follow Maxime on LinkedIn* Try TimeleftSee you in the next episode! Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe

Welcome to our first episode of BIG IDEAS by NEW ECONOMIES - a show where we learn how the most iconic founders have turned crucible moments into global companies. Our guest on today’s episode is Wade Foster, the co-founder of Zapier which helps companies with software automations and more.Listen now:YouTube // Apple // SpotifyIn this episode we cover the founding story of Zapier and which tech trends Wade is most excited about and the types of businesses that could be created from them.Chapters: (00:00) Intro (02:10) Building Zapier (05:30) Growth strategies (08:45) Building the team (10:43) Bootstrapping vs. VC (14:53) Lessons from YC (17:05) Navigating growth (18:57) Adapting AI (21:19) The future of AI (26:34) AI bubble? (28:33) AI Fluency (36:05) TrendsLinks mentioned in this episode: * Subscribe to NEW ECONOMIES * Follow Ollie on LinkedIn* Follow Wade on LinkedIn * AI Fluency by Wade * Try Zapier See you in the next episode! Get full access to NEW ECONOMIES at www.neweconomies.co/subscribe