

Decoder with Nilay Patel
The Verge
Decoder is a show from The Verge about big ideas — and other problems. Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to a diverse cast of innovators and policymakers at the frontiers of business and technology to reveal how they’re navigating an ever-changing landscape, what keeps them up at night, and what it all means for our shared future.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 1, 2018 • 1h 1min
Recode Decode: Casey Newton and Louie Swisher
Recode's Kara Swisher talks with her older son, Louie Swisher, and the Silicon Valley editor of the Verge, Casey Newton. Thank you to all of our listeners for 300 episodes. Here's to 300 more! In this episode: (01:27) The mess at Facebook and blaming Sheryl Sandberg; (06:01) Why Louie is cutting back on Snapchat and why Instagram is a “museum”; (08:38) The return of the group chat and the future of Instagram; (16:42) New social networks and Vine 2.0; (21:52) TikTok, teens and Facebook’s Lasso; (25:04) The integrity of memes and Reddit; (28:29) Gab, Donald Trump and becoming desensitized to nastiness; (35:17) Twitter, Snap Maps and privacy; (42:18) What tech hardware do Louie and Casey rely on?; (47:52) “Spider-Man,” “Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey” and “Red Dead Redemption 2”; (51:21) The PS4 Pro and "Wii Sports Resort" (53:15) Kara reads quotes about death; (56:26) Predictions for 2019 in tech Subscribe to Recode Media with Peter Kafka Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Overcast | Pocket Casts Subscribe to Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Overcast | Pocket Casts Read The Interface by Casey Newton theverge.com/interface Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 28, 2018 • 45min
Recode Decode: Silicon Valley loves to break the rules. Is that a good thing?
University of Maryland professor and cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our Minds." In this episode: (01:14) How Gelfand became a cultural psychologist; (03:12) Why some countries have more rules than others; (08:35) Are techies rule breakers?; (13:28) What changes as successful companies get bigger?; (18:38) Why didn't anyone think about the psychological impact of the internet?; (23:18) Is there really a "Goldilocks" solution to rule culture?; (28:39) Are we entering an era of rule making?; (32:03) Can people find common ground on the internet?; (34:46) What should tech leaders be thinking about?; (39:53) What they should do now Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 26, 2018 • 1h 1min
Recode Decode: How disinformation poisoned a ‘Facebook nation’
Rappler co-founder Maria Ressa talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about doing investigative journalism in the Philippines, where social media has emboldened an autocratic president. In this episode: (01:20) Ressa's background and the People Power Movement; (05:49) How she became a TV journalist on CNN and ABS-CBN; (10:35) Leaving ABS-CBN for the internet; (15:18) Starting Rappler; (25:54) "The Philippines is the cautionary tale for the United States"; (30:55) Bots and Facebook's non-response; (42:36) The lawsuits against Rappler; (48:37) What Ressa wants Facebook to do; (50:42) Why she's going back to the Philippines Notes from our sponsors:LEGO: In today's show you heard advertising content from The LEGO Store. With LEGO, every gift has a story. Start your story today at https://LEGO.build/Recode-Ship Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 24, 2018 • 1h 1min
Recode Decode: Undocumented immigrants are people, not political props
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his book, "Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen," and how the shift the cultural conversation about immigration. In this episode: (01:34) Vargas' background and why he became a journalist; (06:54) How he became an undocumented immigrant; (16:38) Class differences and telling the truth; (22:19) Did Vargas have any other options?; (27:09) Legality, politics and power; (32:42) Coming out as undocumented; (38:16) Storytelling and humanizing immigrants; (42:53) How social media factors in; (45:58) How Vargas defines "citizen"; (50:01) What he will do next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 21, 2018 • 1h 8min
Recode Decode: After 20,000 workers walked out, Google said it got the message. The workers disagree.
Six of the organizers of the Nov. 1 Google walkouts — Erica Anderson, Claire Stapleton, Meredith Whittaker, Stephanie Parker, Cecelia O'Neil-Hart and Amr Gaber — talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the worldwide protests came together and why Google's response has been inadequate. In this episode: (02:20) How the protests started; (07:13) The divide between tech rhetoric and tech reality; (10:24) How the organizers formulated their demands; (14:05) The rights of contractors at Google; (22:04) Why Googlers were ready to walk out; (29:31) Google's response and the organizers' reactions; (42:13) The post-walkout town hall meeting; (46:50) The privileges of being a tech worker; (50:25) What needs to happen next; (1:02:41) Are the walkout organizers hopeful? Fan of the show? It helps to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 19, 2018 • 31min
Recode Decode: Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff talks with Recode's Kara Swisher on the latest episode of her MSNBC TV show, "Revolution." Fan of the show? It helps to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 19, 2018 • 50min
Recode Decode: Should the First Amendment apply to Facebook?
Jameel Jaffer, the executive director of Columbia University's Knight First Amendment Institute, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about free speech and censorship on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Fan of the show? It helps to leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Notes from our sponsors:LEGO: In today's show, you heard advertising content from The LEGO Store. With LEGO, every gift has a story. Start your story today at LEGO.build/Recode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 17, 2018 • 52min
Recode Decode: Milk Bar CEO Christina Tosi
If you like Recode Decode, we think you'll also like Start to Sale. Here's the show's first episode: Christina Tosi is a superstar pastry chef, and she's also built one of the most iconic American pastry brands of this generation, Milk Bar. She talked to Erin and Natasha about her Series A round, learning how to be a great manager and staying true to her vision while achieving growth. Listen and subscribe to Start to Sale by Eater on Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts or RadioPublic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 14, 2018 • 42min
Recode Decode: Why nonprofits should think more like tech companies
Stanford lecturer Kathleen Kelly Janus talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her book, "Social Startup Success: How the Best Nonprofits Launch, Scale Up and Make a Difference." In this episode: (01:17) Janus's background and what social entrepreneurship is; (05:26) What works and what doesn't; (08:36) For-profits and nonprofits; (13:11) What nonprofits have to do to get ahead; (18:40) New forms of fundraising and leadership; (22:35) The power of storytelling; (29:13) Where philanthropy is going; (35:07) Examples of innovative philanthropy; (39:16) Explosions of fundraising online Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 12, 2018 • 55min
Recode Decode: Sally Yates
Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in front of a live audience at the AllRaise Summit in San Francisco. (Note: This interview was recorded before the midterms, on Nov. 1). In this episode: (03:15) What Yates has been doing since she was fired; (05:04) Why she came to the Justice Department in the first place; (09:04) Serving as Deputy Attorney General; (10:33) "The Mike Flynn stuff"; (15:52) The travel ban and being fired; (20:00) Why she stood up to the travel ban; (22:23) How she assesses the Justice Department from the outside; (27:59) Where will the Mueller investigation end?; (31:28) Why Yates isn't running for office; (34:27) #MeToo and women in power; (38:14) What inspires Yates; (41:54) Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation; (44:24) What regular people can do to support the rule of law; (46:38) How to beat Donald Trump in 2020; (49:25) Legal issues in tech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


