Down Round

This week, we're joined by Kyle Harrison, who is General Partner at Contrary, a US venture capital fund. As well as investing, Kyle writes the newsletter Investing 101 2.0, where he shares his various insights into the VC ecosystem – including where, in his view, it's all gone wrong. Kyle joins us to chat about the state of VC after the end of the tech boom, why he doesn't think anyone has learned their lesson, and what he thinks will happen with AI on both the tech and the investment side. Links The Puritans of Venture Capital – Kyle Harrison See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Explore the disastrous AOL and Time Warner merger, a $162 billion deal that shaped the internet. Dive into the evolution of internet gatekeeping and content provision, from traditional models to dynamic distribution strategies of Google and other platforms.

One of the great turnarounds in 21st century was the tobacco industry's shift toward a so-called 'smokeless' future – agreeing that cigs are pretty bad for you, and that a range of hi-tech vapes could be a less bad replacement. Of course, it hasn't actually worked out that well, with public health bodies and governments around the world cracking down on vapes for targeting kids with flashy influencer marketing campaigns and cool flavours. In this ep we talk about the rise of vapes, the changing tobacco industry, and new trends (Zyn, etc)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a free preview of a premium episode. To subscribe to Down Round Premium and get access, head here. This week, we're back on Apple. There are two big reasons: one, they're being sued by the United States on antitrust grounds. And secondly, multiple news reports suggest they are looking for a partner in the generative AI space – which might be Google, or Anthropic, or any number of others. We dig into these two stories, and what they say about the current state of tech – and why AI might be at a low point of the hype cycle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, it was reported that Elon Musk's Neuralink had successfully allowed a patient to play chess with his mind. It represents a small – and maybe a tad overhyped – step towards the company's goal for a full brain computer interface. In this ep, we discuss Neuralink, brain-computer interfaces, and exactly what Musk and others in the space are trying to achieve. Also, the big question: who is the market? Links Elon Musk wants to merge humans with AI. How many brains will be damaged along the way? – Vox Elon's tweet about 'Blindsight' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a free preview of a premium episode. To subscribe to Down Round Premium and get access, head here. Dropbox. There's a name you probably haven't thought about in a while. Once among the hottest startups on Earth, it lost some of its lustre once every major company in the world began offering consumer and enterprise cloud storage. But it's still alive, kicking and profitable – and making a pivot to AI. In this ep, we talk about Dropbox and the other cloud storage businesses of the 2000s and 2010s, and why they're between a rock and a hard place.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This podcast delves into BYD's journey from a battery company to the world's biggest EV maker, surpassing Tesla. It discusses the evolving EV market, competition between American and Chinese manufacturers, unique sounds of electric vehicles, and challenges in battery production and technology. The impact of negative reviews on EV companies and trends in car headlight design are also explored.

This podcast discusses the potential ban of TikTok in the US, including ByteDance's battle with Oracle, political implications, and cultural power. It also explores allegations of manipulation without evidence, TikTok's business strategies, and the clash with Universal Music over royalties.

This is a free preview of a premium episode. To subscribe to Down Round Premium and get access, head here. The fabled Apple car – also known as Project Titan – is no more. After working on it for the last 10 years and blowing $10 billion, the company internally announced that it would scrap the project and reassign many of its staff to generative AI. In this ep, we talk about the Apple car project: why it was originally imagined, what it sought to do, and why it ultimately didn't work out.  Links How Apple Sank About $1 Billion a Year Into a Car It Never Built – Bloomberg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One less discussed angle of the rise of AI and widely available LLMs is the relationship dimension. From ChatGPT's personalisation features to AI chatbots on Meta platforms, through to porn and sexbots, many people are using AI for companionship. It's big business too, with The Information reporting that pornbot providers are one category of AI company which are growing without the need for external investment. To unpack the weird world of AI companionship, some of the rising companies in the space, and what it means for society, we're joined by comedian Tom Cashman. (You can watch his brand new special here.) Links One Class of AI Startups That Can Thrive Without Funding: Porn Chatbots – The Information Snapchat’s new AI chatbot is already raising alarms among teens and parents – CNN ‘Sometimes, It Feels Real’: Character.AI Gives Humans the Chatbots They Desire – The Information Meta’s new AI lets people make chatbots. They’re using it for sex. – Washington Post  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.