Down Round

Hey! Down Round is running a sale on premium membership. Sign up in the next week using this link, and you can get an annual membership for $49 instead of the usual $70. This week we're talking about the much-hyped weight loss drug Ozempic and its producer, Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk. Thanks to the crazy success of Ozempic, Novo Nordisk is now literally the biggest company in Europe by market cap. Now the vultures are circling, and a whole bunch of drugmakers are rushing competitors to market. We talk about the drug, the company, it's weirdly 'techy' marketing and where it fits into the incoming universe of biotech and pharma tech. Links Our episode from last year with Tim Doyle, founder of Australian online pharmacy Eucalyptus. Weight-loss drug maker Novo Nordisk becomes Europe’s most valuable company – FT Ozempic is on the rise. That could be a problem for food companies – CNN See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a preview of a premium episode of Down Round. To subscribe and listen to this episode and our full archives, go here. Twitch, the venerable video game livestreaming platform which has repeatedly attempted to become the livestreaming platform for everyone, recently announced a slew of layoffsf. It also confirmed that the company, owned by Amazon, has never been profitable.  Today, we're talking about Twitch: what it is, the escalating troubles it has faced, and why it and the livestreaming business in general has never quite managed to hit its stride.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple is releasing its Vision Pro mixed reality headset in the US next month. But some of the biggest platforms in the world – from Netflix to Spotify – have announced they aren't supporting it from the get go. That's partially because it's a niche device with an uncertain chance of success... but could it also be a rebuke of Apple's notorious developer policies, which have pissed off many people over the past decade and a half? We discuss. Links Apple’s Testy Developer Relationships Threaten to Hamper Vision Pro – Bloomberg Vision Pro may have an app problem, with developers possibly unwilling to commit to Apple's 'revolutionary' new platform – TechRadar See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The age of the AI device is upon us. At this year's Consumer Electronics Show, the undisputed star was the Rabbit R1, a standalone AI companion device which uses a 'large action model' to understand the things you like doing on your apps and platforms, and does them for you.  Will it work? Who knows. But Raph bought one. We discussed the hype about the Rabbit, as well as some of the other currents in AI devices which have emerged since the last time we talked about them. Links Say Hello to Rabbit R1: A Tiny Orange Box That Trades Phone Apps for AI – CNET See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The podcast discusses the recent lawsuit between the New York Times and OpenAI over copyright infringement. It explores the impact of AI on the future of content and journalism, comparing how AI and humans consume information. OpenAI's response and collaboration with news organizations is also discussed, along with the financial implications of hiring lawyers. The concept of AI gatekeepers and its disruption in the news industry is explored, highlighting the parallel between Google and OpenAI.

Happy New Year! We trust you're all well. Today, we're looking back on the 2023 that was – diving into some of the episodes we recorded and checking in how those things landed at the end of the year. These include: Afterpay/BNPL Crypto and NFTs Tech layoffs Instant groceries Dating apps See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is part 3 of Down Round's Christmas and New Years production, all recorded in one session. To get every part, sign up to Premium here. The Down Round Community is overflowing with geniuses. The next trillion dollar company will no doubt be founded by someone who is currently paying us $7 a month, representing one of the highest ROI investments anyone could make. For today's episode of the Down Round Experience, we're taking your pitches. Our Discord community came with the ideas, and we're evaluating them in the inaugutal Down Round Shark Tank. Joining us is producer and musician Joyride (Rowan Dix) from The Meeting Tree, whose enterpreneurial nous fills out the panel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is part two of our marathon holiday record. This is a preview – the full episode is available for premium subs. Sign up here. The Down Round holiday episodes continue. As the beers continue to flow, we turn our critical attention to another major tech event of December: the hack and leak of Insomniac Games, a first-party developer owned by Sony.  Links Insomniac finally responds to hack that leaked ‘Wolverine’ game and more – The Verge GTA 6 hacker handed indefinite hospital order – BBC See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to our holiday special. We have recorded a marathon 4 hour podcast with much holiday spirit (we got drunk), and will be dropping it in parts throughout the holiday season. We started with a quick reflection on the latest news: Bird Scooters has gone under, and Adobe's planned acquisition of Figma has collapsed.  Plus, due to listener demand, we explain our not particularly complex recording and editing process. Our original Adobe episode. Descript audio/video editorSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We had it all planned out. A huge Xmas bonanza episode featuring guests, fun, laughs and all you could ever want from a Down Round variety show. But then Raph was struck by a mystery illness and we had to delay it by several days. So, until then, enjoy this delightful backup episode where we dig into the world's biggest companies by market cap, and opine on our future. It isn't financial advice. But we would not blame you if you took it that way.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.