

Not Investment Advice
Bilal Zaidi, Jack Butcher, Trung Phan
Jack Butcher, Bilal Zaidi & Trung Phan discuss what they're finding on the edges of the internet + the latest in business, technology and memes.Let us know what you think on Twitter:@bzaidi@trungtphan@jackbutcher@niapodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 13, 2026 • 43min
267: Audemars Piguet x Swatch, SpaceX’s $6B Anthropic Deal & Ted Turner Legacy
They unpack the Audemars Piguet x Swatch collaboration and the meme-fueled reactions around luxury meets mass market. They debate trademark strategy, resale dynamics and whether widespread access dilutes desirability. They examine SpaceX’s big Anthropic compute arrangement and what it means for AI infrastructure and hardware advantage. They close with a look at Ted Turner’s media empire and influence on modern news.

May 6, 2026 • 56min
266: GameStop x eBay (?), Zoom’s Anthropic Stake, Spirit Airlines Shuts Down & Amazon Logistics
Discussion of a curious GameStop and eBay tie-up and why its financing and scale raise eyebrows. A dive into Zoom’s Anthropic stake and how small equity moves can sway stock chatter. Reaction to Spirit Airlines’ shutdown and the economics that doom budget carriers. A look at Amazon opening logistics to merchants and how its long-term asset plays reshape shipping.

9 snips
Apr 29, 2026 • 1h 2min
265: Adobe vs. Figma vs. Canva vs. Claude Design
They compare Adobe, Figma, Canva and Anthropic's Claude Design and why AI is shifting design workflows. Discussion covers product strategies, valuation moves, and how collaboration and autosave transformed UI tools. They debate which design tasks AI can replace and demo Claude generating a landing page. The conversation explores Canva's model bet, designer backlash, and new business opportunities from rapid AI production.

11 snips
Apr 22, 2026 • 42min
264: Breaking Down Apple’s Tim Cook Era (Wins & Losses)
A deep look at Tim Cook’s tenure, weighing Apple’s major hardware wins like AirPods, Watch and M‑series chips against misses such as Vision Pro and slow AI progress. A heated debate over the China manufacturing bet and its long-term risks. Discussion of services growth, succession timing, and what John Ternus’s hardware pedigree signals for Apple’s future.

23 snips
Apr 15, 2026 • 44min
263: Claude Mythos, The Clipping Economy & Anthropic’s $30B vs. OpenAI’s $25B (?)
They dig into Claude Mythos and its marketing playbook. They explore the rise of a clipping economy that turns short clips into revenue. They debate Anthropic’s bold $30B claims versus OpenAI’s numbers and the accounting questions raised. They unpack security finds, enterprise strategy and how frontier models are being gated.

12 snips
Apr 8, 2026 • 39min
262: AsiaMaxxing, Jack at Art Basel Hong Kong, Trung in Tokyo & Japan Twitter
Travel stories from Hong Kong and Tokyo mixed with art fair antics and an interactive WORK, LUCK, PLAY installation. Conversations about AI speeding creative workflows and rethinking agency processes. Cultural dives into Japan Twitter, translation effects, numerology and how social trading and secondary markets move across Asia.

21 snips
Apr 1, 2026 • 47min
261: Bitcoin Quantum Threat, Google TurboQuant vs. Memory & OpenAI Shuts Down Sora
A deep dive into how quantum computing could target Bitcoin's private keys and the broader risks to global encryption. A breakdown of Google’s TurboQuant memory trick and why memory is the real bottleneck for large models. The rise and fall of OpenAI’s Sora is explored, with talk of why AI-generated feeds struggled to keep users and how strategy is shifting toward profitable AI products.

17 snips
Mar 25, 2026 • 35min
260: Nvidia GTC, AI Inference Explained, Jensen new Steve Jobs & Super Micro’s $2.5B Smuggling Scheme
A fast rundown of Nvidia GTC highlights and the company’s shifting product stack. A lively take on Jensen Huang as the new tech visionary. Clear explanations of AI inference, pre-fill versus decode, and why agents are driving token demand. A wild look at Supermicro’s alleged $2.5B smuggling and the geopolitics of chip supply chains.

5 snips
Mar 18, 2026 • 54min
259: “Coding an app is the new starting a podcast”, Jack VV AI Projects & Karpathy AI Proof Jobs
They unpack Naval’s claim that coding apps is the new way to get noticed and why distribution beats technical skill. They explore rapid AI project builds, viral growth via vertical video and influencers, and quick idea validation with AI. They demo personal voice models, auto-marketing from code repos, and debate which jobs are most exposed to AI and why some roles stay human.

13 snips
Mar 11, 2026 • 31min
258: The Sphere’s $4B Business, Explained.
A deep dive into the Sphere’s business model and why its immersive canvas changes live entertainment. They break down revenue streams like films, live performances, sponsorships and F&B. Discussion covers expansion plans, licensing mini Spheres, and how owned IP fuels repeatable ticket sales. There is also a look at technical scale, Vegas impact, and the visionary behind the project.


