Ridealong has curated the best and most interesting podcasts and clips about Steve Jobs.
Top Podcast Clips About Steve Jobs
“… the iPhone really? Yeah, it was called the rocker Right. It was like an iPod in a Motorola flip phone. Okay. Whoa, they fucked it up so badly that Steve Jobs is like, yeah No, oh, I don't want anything. We're gonna do our own thing Trying to explain these me and smile up like futurists. We're trying to explain to them like, you know, touch screens graphic user interfaces guys Senses yeah have the phone like know when you pick it up like this is not expensive. It's not hard to do and then The first the iPhone wasn't the first one like LG came out with a thing in Korea Okay, six months before that …”“… their best phone every year. So I always had like the quote unquote best Motorola phone. Shit. It was terrible. Like do you like the razor, the flip razor? It was awful. I mean the funny thing is like Motorola even had a partnership with Apple before the iPhone really? Yeah, it was called the rocker Right. It was like an iPod in a Motorola flip phone. Okay. Whoa, they fucked it up so badly that Steve Jobs is like, yeah No, oh, I don't want anything. We're gonna do our own thing Trying to explain these me and smile up like futurists. We're trying to explain to them like, you know, touch screens graphic user interfaces guys Senses yeah have the phone like know when you pick it up like this is not expensive. It's not hard to do and then The first the iPhone wasn't the first one like LG came out with a thing in Korea Okay, six months before that makes sense cuz I didn't droid way before I had not my first phone was a druid Yeah, I think it was actually an LG. Yeah, and I would show LG had this like it was called the Prada Don't ask me why okay clothing company yeah but it was it was it was basically the same as an iphone and then the iphone came out and i remember like i went back to the …”View more
Ridealong summary
This segment hilariously recounts how Motorola's research board dismissed the iPhone's success over a 'crappy microphone.' The absurdity of industry experts overlooking groundbreaking technology for trivial flaws makes for a laugh-out-loud moment, highlighting how out of touch they were with consumer desires.
Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast·Ep 602 - Future Man (feat. Kevin Ashton)·Mar 06, 2026
“What was he like and how did that influence Apple's culture? Jobs is depicted often as this raging tyrant who would just rip you apart if you didn't like your work. He was said to be cruel. I think what all that misses is that there were really three Steve Jobses. So there was a Steve 0.0, as Woz calls it, when he was in high school and he teamed up with Woz. And they were friends. They were best friends. They'd talk about girls and music and technology and culture. Then Jobs, very early 20s, very young, was …”“What was he like and how did that influence Apple's culture? Jobs is depicted often as this raging tyrant who would just rip you apart if you didn't like your work. He was said to be cruel. I think what all that misses is that there were really three Steve Jobses. So there was a Steve 0.0, as Woz calls it, when he was in high school and he teamed up with Woz. And they were friends. They were best friends. They'd talk about girls and music and technology and culture. Then Jobs, very early 20s, very young, was thrust into the position of being a multimillionaire, running this gigantic corporation. and never finished college, never had any training in managing or working with people. And then he got kicked out of Apple in 1985, in part because of his temper and his intolerance. He was gone for years. And then in 1996, Apple bought him, brought him back to …”View more
Ridealong summary
Steve Jobs transformed from a tyrannical young CEO to a balanced leader who revolutionized Apple's culture. After being ousted in 1985, he returned in 1996 with newfound experience and a focus on user experience, shaping Apple's identity. Jobs' meticulous attention to detail became central to Apple's brand, illustrating how leadership can evolve dramatically over time.
Terms of Service with Clare Duffy·50 Years of Apple: How the iPhone Maker Revolutionized Tech·Mar 17, 2026
“When they were doing the iPod and Steve Jobs wanted it really small. And so he kept yelling at his guys, make it smaller, make it smaller. And finally they bring him a prototype and they're like, this is it. It's as packed as it gets. And Jobs takes it and throws it in the fish tank in the office and air bubbles come up. And he's like, see those air bubbles? That means there's more room in there to get rid of. Make it smaller. Never happened. That's not at all true. Not at all true. …”“When they were doing the iPod and Steve Jobs wanted it really small. And so he kept yelling at his guys, make it smaller, make it smaller. And finally they bring him a prototype and they're like, this is it. It's as packed as it gets. And Jobs takes it and throws it in the fish tank in the office and air bubbles come up. And he's like, see those air bubbles? That means there's more room in there to get rid of. Make it smaller. Never happened. That's not at all true. Not at all true. That's a great story. so uh david first of all thank you for taking the time today uh like i said i know that you're a very busy man right now with this beautiful book that came out i know jeff got a hard copy which is awesome we also got the soft copy i'm gonna i'm ordering one also for the for the coffee table and to show off my daughter so she …”View more
Ridealong summary
Steve Jobs famously insisted on making the iPod smaller, even throwing a prototype into a fish tank to prove there was more room to shrink it. However, this dramatic tale isn’t true; it’s a captivating myth that highlights Jobs' relentless pursuit of perfection. David Pogue, a noted tech journalist, shares this anecdote while discussing his deep-rooted history with Apple products.
9to5Mac Overtime·9to5Mac Overtime 065: Untelling parts of the story w/ special guest David Pogue·Mar 27, 2026
“… money right when Apple needed it most. Are there any other famous Apple stories that you could put right? Oh, so many. There is a great story about Steve Jobs when they were working on the iPod. He wanted it small. And so at one point they brought him a near final prototype. And they said, Steve, this is as small as it goes. We've shrunk everything. We've squeezed all the space out of there. And he supposedly threw it into the fish tank. And as it sank, little bubbles drifted up. And he said, see those air bubbles? That means there's air in there. Make it smaller. Great story. Never happened. Never …”“… when you mean when Emilio sold the stock Yeah yeah yeah You could you could argue it either way You could argue that he blew it that it would be worth even more now if he hung on to it But you could also argue that he dug into that stash of emergency money right when Apple needed it most. Are there any other famous Apple stories that you could put right? Oh, so many. There is a great story about Steve Jobs when they were working on the iPod. He wanted it small. And so at one point they brought him a near final prototype. And they said, Steve, this is as small as it goes. We've shrunk everything. We've squeezed all the space out of there. And he supposedly threw it into the fish tank. And as it sank, little bubbles drifted up. And he said, see those air bubbles? That means there's air in there. Make it smaller. Great story. Never happened. Never happened. OK, the story of, you know, Steve Jobs haranguing you in an elevator and a total stranger and say, what do you do here? And you say, well, Steve, I'm on the developer relation. And he says, you're fired. That never happened either. Yeah, there's there's there's a long list and they've been repeated. so many times that they become lore, …”View more
Ridealong summary
Many iconic stories about Apple, including Steve Jobs throwing an iPod prototype into a fish tank, are completely fabricated. These tales have been repeated so often that they've become part of Apple lore, despite having no basis in reality. The author reflects on the challenges of presenting Apple's true history amidst this myth-making.
AppleInsider Podcast·MacBook Neo, iPhone 17e and special guest David Pogue on the AppleInsider Podcast·Mar 13, 2026
“… competing with them. That right And I doing these book talks and one of the points I trying to make in the talk and the book is everybody knows that Steve Jobs could see the future blah blah blah But even in instances when everybody who knew anything about business or marketing knew that he was wrong, like in the classic case is the iPod mini. again it was the best-selling electronics project in history hundreds of millions a year and job said right as it was ascending it was it was ramping up he said okay we're gonna shut it down like what are you doing like rubenstein is like no see no no this is …”“… the most, Sony, is going to come after this with guns a-blazing. because they're going to see what we've got our hands on right now. And no, they didn't. But they convinced themselves they did, and it motivated them just as much as if Sony were competing with them. That right And I doing these book talks and one of the points I trying to make in the talk and the book is everybody knows that Steve Jobs could see the future blah blah blah But even in instances when everybody who knew anything about business or marketing knew that he was wrong, like in the classic case is the iPod mini. again it was the best-selling electronics project in history hundreds of millions a year and job said right as it was ascending it was it was ramping up he said okay we're gonna shut it down like what are you doing like rubenstein is like no see no no this is wrong this is crazy and he's like yeah we're gonna replace it with a new model that holds less music right the nano right it's smaller and cuter, but it doesn't hold as much music. And the entire team's like, that's insane. People want the mini. And Jobs shut down all the factories. He stopped ordering parts for the mini. He transferred all the …”View more
Ridealong summary
Steve Jobs made the controversial decision to discontinue the best-selling iPod Mini, replacing it with the smaller, less-capable iPod Nano. Despite his team's objections, Jobs' intuition about market trends proved correct, leading to the Nano's success. This moment exemplifies Jobs' unique foresight in product development, even when conventional wisdom suggested otherwise.
The Talk Show With John Gruber·443: ‘The Pogue Feature’, With David Pogue·Mar 18, 2026
“… And they were shipping 50 at the time. That's because they had clones back then. Even aside from that, all the performas. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And Jobs' argument was, you know, if we only have four, then we can put our top engineers on every machine. And the part that I learned researching the book was that this was not a popular decision. Jobs was not hailed as the savior coming back to save Apple. I mean, he had never had success. I mean, the Apple II was kind of waz's, but the Apple III failed. The Lisa failed. The Macintosh essentially failed while he was there. Next failed So he never …”“He famously, when he came back to Apple, drew a quadrant of four products, you know, business, consumer, portable, desktop. And they said, we should have four products. That's it. Yeah. And they were shipping 50 at the time. That's because they had clones back then. Even aside from that, all the performas. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And Jobs' argument was, you know, if we only have four, then we can put our top engineers on every machine. And the part that I learned researching the book was that this was not a popular decision. Jobs was not hailed as the savior coming back to save Apple. I mean, he had never had success. I mean, the Apple II was kind of waz's, but the Apple III failed. The Lisa failed. The Macintosh essentially failed while he was there. Next failed So he never really had a hit And now he came back to Apple as the conquering hero and the first thing he does is cancel every engineer projects yeah that not a good way to people were leaving i mean it was a how about was what you've talked to was for the book yeah was he surprised at the success of apple um i don't think so he you know he created that apple one …”View more
Ridealong summary
When Steve Jobs returned to Apple, he shocked everyone by cutting down their product line from 50 to just four. This bold decision was initially unpopular, as Jobs had a history of failures, but it allowed Apple to focus its resources and eventually thrive. His ability to pivot quickly based on market response set a new standard for leadership in tech.
MacBreak Weekly (Audio)·MBW 1018: 50 Years and Still Going Strong - Apple: The First 50 Years·Mar 31, 2026
“… Yeah. My favorite part of this, by the way, uh, there's all these famous photos of the Mac team and they have pirate flags up in the office. And Jobs has this line, which is an absolutely famous Steve Jobs line, which I love, which is, it's better to be a pirate than to join the Navy. And it's like, dude, you ran the Navy. You got your ass kicked out the Navy. Yeah, you got thrown out of the Navy. What are you talking about? The Navy was your idea. And then he's like, no, we're pirates now. And that is the early myth-making magic of Steve Jobs. Well, yes, but also inside of Apple, it was …”“… today. Right. It was like this much smaller team. And so it was this unbelievable chance to refocus and like, Hey, let's do something people could actually afford. And that, you know, might actually reach people and just focus, focus, focus, focus. Yeah. My favorite part of this, by the way, uh, there's all these famous photos of the Mac team and they have pirate flags up in the office. And Jobs has this line, which is an absolutely famous Steve Jobs line, which I love, which is, it's better to be a pirate than to join the Navy. And it's like, dude, you ran the Navy. You got your ass kicked out the Navy. Yeah, you got thrown out of the Navy. What are you talking about? The Navy was your idea. And then he's like, no, we're pirates now. And that is the early myth-making magic of Steve Jobs. Well, yes, but also inside of Apple, it was kind of true. Like, I think, John, your characterization is kind of right that they wanted him off the Lisa project for a bunch of reasons that I think are kind of his fault and kind of not his fault. Personality issues, all kinds of stuff going on. And basically, the way I understand it is he just needed something to do. Yeah. And so the way that …”View more
Ridealong summary
Steve Jobs, initially a disruptive force on the Lisa team, was reassigned to lead the smaller Macintosh project, which was a strategic move to refocus his energies. The Macintosh team, comprised of Hall of Fame engineers and designers, aimed to create an affordable computer, learning from the failures of the Lisa. This pivot ultimately shaped the future of personal computing, despite the initial challenges they faced.
Version History·Macintosh: All in one·Mar 29, 2026
“… also developing this reputation for really being good when things are happening, like during live moments. Right. Yes. you want to be a spectator. Steve Jobs, keynotes, Super Bowls, like those were things early on we saw as like, oh, like people really like using it during these live events and it would fall over Right And you get the canonical the fail whale which became its own thing It failed so much The failure became a mascot of the product which is I think in miniature, like sort of a pretty good like is a pretty good shorthand for Twitter, which is like it is a company and a product that has …”“… computing revolution, which we were not well-timed for. We were too early for that. So it just it simply fell over a bunch of a bunch during 2008. Yeah. And that's that's important because as this thing is having this increased cultural resonance and also developing this reputation for really being good when things are happening, like during live moments. Right. Yes. you want to be a spectator. Steve Jobs, keynotes, Super Bowls, like those were things early on we saw as like, oh, like people really like using it during these live events and it would fall over Right And you get the canonical the fail whale which became its own thing It failed so much The failure became a mascot of the product which is I think in miniature, like sort of a pretty good like is a pretty good shorthand for Twitter, which is like it is a company and a product that has failed so much that its failure is one of its most iconic mascots and images. And yet it still existed. That's my context setting for 2008, 2009.”View more
Ridealong summary
Despite its many failures, Twitter's 'fail whale' became a symbol of its resilience and cultural impact. In 2007, during its breakout at South by Southwest, users discovered the platform's potential for real-time communication, even as the service struggled with reliability. This juxtaposition of failure and cultural significance illustrates how Twitter evolved into a crucial tool for live events, shaping its legacy in the digital landscape.
Galaxy Brain·What Is Twitter’s Legacy, 20 Years Later?·Mar 27, 2026
“… What I'm worried about is Apple no longer has an ounce of self-respect. And so what I've been thinking about actually in this context, weirdly, is Steve Jobs. Not because I think I know what Steve Jobs would do. Not because I have some vision of how Steve Jobs would like punch Donald Trump in the face. Although I believe I've seen that AI slap video as well. But because of a thing Steve Jobs actually said all the time, which is that Apple stands at the center of technology and the liberal arts. I threatened David with a clip. So I think we actually have a clip of him saying this at one of the many, …”“… needs that? Do you know who needs that? I mean, me, to be fair. Okay, so this is all just dumb, right? This is just pure posturing left and right. If Apple had an ounce of self-respect, it would tell the government, in this case, like go away. Yeah. What I'm worried about is Apple no longer has an ounce of self-respect. And so what I've been thinking about actually in this context, weirdly, is Steve Jobs. Not because I think I know what Steve Jobs would do. Not because I have some vision of how Steve Jobs would like punch Donald Trump in the face. Although I believe I've seen that AI slap video as well. But because of a thing Steve Jobs actually said all the time, which is that Apple stands at the center of technology and the liberal arts. I threatened David with a clip. So I think we actually have a clip of him saying this at one of the many, many events that he said. There's the literal sign behind him. Can we run the clip? So I've said this before. I thought it was worth repeating. It's in Apple's DNA that technology alone is not enough. That it's technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our hearts sing. If you're just …”View more
Ridealong summary
The Trump administration is challenging Apple News over claims of bias against conservative outlets, igniting a fierce debate about free speech and editorial control. A recent study suggests Apple News predominantly features left-leaning sources, prompting legal threats from the FTC. However, critics argue Apple has every right to curate its content, and the real issue lies in the broader implications for free speech and media integrity.
The Vergecast·Ring's adorable surveillance hellscape·Feb 13, 2026
“… but who knows, Phoenix out of the ashes or something might be a thing here. We really just don't know. We don't have enough information. It's like Steve Jobs is leaving Apple and we don't know where he's going and we don't know why he's leaving and we don't know what Apple is going to do. Like who's the next Steve Jobs or whatever. So, yeah, huge, huge question marks here. I think we're just going to have to wait for another maybe week or a couple of weeks to actually have a sense of what the hell we're even covering in the story. This just seems so crazy. Yeah, this is the kind of person that Meta …”“… about recruitment now. They've got to worry about how to replace this dude. I mean, he's the lead architect of the whole thing. Do they continue his trajectory or do they find a new internal architecture, right? So it's a massive, massive problem, but who knows, Phoenix out of the ashes or something might be a thing here. We really just don't know. We don't have enough information. It's like Steve Jobs is leaving Apple and we don't know where he's going and we don't know why he's leaving and we don't know what Apple is going to do. Like who's the next Steve Jobs or whatever. So, yeah, huge, huge question marks here. I think we're just going to have to wait for another maybe week or a couple of weeks to actually have a sense of what the hell we're even covering in the story. This just seems so crazy. Yeah, this is the kind of person that Meta would have like a 200 million offer to hire them. Like it's hard to overstate how much of a big deal this is. And let me actually read the precise post on Twitter It says me stepping down by my beloved Gwen And another person also retweeted and said by Gwen me too So that is some passive aggressive language there. And oh boy, it's crazy. On to …”View more
Ridealong summary
The sudden departure of a key AI architect has left Alibaba in a precarious position, reminiscent of Steve Jobs' exit from Apple. With recruitment and strategic direction at stake, the company faces a massive challenge to maintain its trajectory amid uncertainty. As the dust settles, the implications for AI development and competition are profound, making this a pivotal moment in the tech landscape.
Last Week in AI·#236 - GPT 5.4, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite, Supply Chain Risk·Mar 12, 2026
“Do you remember when the iPhone was first introduced? It was an exciting moment. Like, I want to play you a clip here from Steve Jobs' keynote address at the 2007 Macworld, where he first introduced this device. I want you to listen to the enthusiasm of the assembled crowd. Three things. A widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough internet communications device. An iPod. A phone. And an internet communicator. An iPod. A phone. Are you getting it? These are not three separate devices. This is one device. and we are calling it iPhone. …”“Do you remember when the iPhone was first introduced? It was an exciting moment. Like, I want to play you a clip here from Steve Jobs' keynote address at the 2007 Macworld, where he first introduced this device. I want you to listen to the enthusiasm of the assembled crowd. Three things. A widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough internet communications device. An iPod. A phone. And an internet communicator. An iPod. A phone. Are you getting it? These are not three separate devices. This is one device. and we are calling it iPhone. Wow, those were the days. And then when we finally got our hands on those devices for the first time, they were everything we had hoped they would be. They were slick and easy to use, and they were super useful, and they were fun. But then, of course, over the years that followed, our relationship with the phones began to sour. Now, a big part of …”View more
Ridealong summary
Remember the excitement of the first iPhone launch in 2007? Steve Jobs introduced it as a revolutionary device combining an iPod, phone, and internet communicator, thrilling the audience. Today, many feel overwhelmed by their phones, but there's a way to simplify and recapture that initial joy by putting your phone into '2007 mode.'
Deep Questions with Cal Newport·Ep. 396: Can I Learn To Love My Phone Again?·Mar 16, 2026
“… discourse in the Twitter community when a news show comes out and says new Mac break weekly just dropped what we cover here's a little birthday cake Steve Jobs at 71 it's his birthday here's a little pile of books David Pogue's book is coming out here is I don't know what that is what is that a little star oh yeah Christina Warren meet you Kristen Warren our newest panelist she's got serious Mac credentials here's a thought cloud would Steve handle model politics modern politics differently here's a microphone I think that's just to add a little personality kind of casual yes yeah it's casual emoji …”“… don't push too hard and let's replace the long paragraph with emoji bullet points five at most Wow this is gonna GPT in it I like I'm a little emojis give it a little graphics and look what it did so this is an example for a this is gonna go in our discourse in the Twitter community when a news show comes out and says new Mac break weekly just dropped what we cover here's a little birthday cake Steve Jobs at 71 it's his birthday here's a little pile of books David Pogue's book is coming out here is I don't know what that is what is that a little star oh yeah Christina Warren meet you Kristen Warren our newest panelist she's got serious Mac credentials here's a thought cloud would Steve handle model politics modern politics differently here's a microphone I think that's just to add a little personality kind of casual yes yeah it's casual emoji today and I believe it came out as we've been recording this but you can now schedule reoccurring tasks and co-work yeah see I think that's this is isn't that that's that's open claw they're they're moving more and more in that direction and so they're just gonna beat open AI to all this stuff because they don't need the guy there's daily briefings …”View more
Ridealong summary
An AI system accidentally deleted a director's emails and another instance lost $450,000 due to a miscommunication. The incidents highlight the risks of AI compacting instructions and losing critical commands, leading to disastrous outcomes for users. These mistakes serve as a cautionary tale about trusting AI without proper oversight.
“… nuts. They could be saying the packaging to me. I'm sure she's just as earnest as all the others. Yeah. I mean, she's copying a lot of other people. Steve Jobs. But he had the goods. I know. But she must. I don't know. It's tricky. I think taking down. We're all happy that she got caught. Yeah. And yet I still like, oh, that's still a person. Yeah. I don't know why I'm not sympathetic towards her. I need to try. I need to figure out how I can love her. But you make your way to Forbes and then you make your way to Bloomberg. I guess you get pitched. So explain how, when you're a journalist and you're …”“… every step of the way or someone in her shoes. You don't wake up and you're like, can't wait to lie today. I think I observed the performative nature of her to be a little sociopathic, personally. When I watch the videos, I'm like, oh, this person's nuts. They could be saying the packaging to me. I'm sure she's just as earnest as all the others. Yeah. I mean, she's copying a lot of other people. Steve Jobs. But he had the goods. I know. But she must. I don't know. It's tricky. I think taking down. We're all happy that she got caught. Yeah. And yet I still like, oh, that's still a person. Yeah. I don't know why I'm not sympathetic towards her. I need to try. I need to figure out how I can love her. But you make your way to Forbes and then you make your way to Bloomberg. I guess you get pitched. So explain how, when you're a journalist and you're working at Bloomberg, you get pitched story ideas by who? The way it works is every morning a journalist wakes up and their email inbox has dozens of pitches from, there's a whole industry, PR professionals who send out emails being like, our company's doing this cool new technology we're going to launch in a month. They're hoping you can lift the …”View more
Ridealong summary
A tech journalist revealed that the $700 Juicero juice press was unnecessary, as users could simply squeeze the juice packets by hand. The story highlighted the absurdity of Silicon Valley's investment culture, where companies can raise millions despite their products being redundant or overhyped. This exposé not only took down a startup but also reflected the public's growing skepticism towards tech hype.
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard·Ellen Huet (on wellness cults)·Jan 28, 2026
“… nobody would step out of line, none of his lieutenants, not even any of his employees, that they were all aligned behind him. But when you talk to Steve Jobs, he could step out of line all he wanted. He could say whatever the hell he wanted because he was Steve Jobs. And so, yeah, if you interviewed anybody at Apple, they're not going to say anything. You interview Steve Jobs, you have no idea what he's going to say. He could say literally anything. Because he both had and exercised the freedom to be like, who's going to yell at me? I'm Steve Jobs. I can say whatever you want. Tim Cook is not like …”“he was such a dominant force in the company that nobody would step out of line, none of his lieutenants, not even any of his employees, that they were all aligned behind him. But when you talk to Steve Jobs, he could step out of line all he wanted. He could say whatever the hell he wanted because he was Steve Jobs. And so, yeah, if you interviewed anybody at Apple, they're not going to say anything. You interview Steve Jobs, you have no idea what he's going to say. He could say literally anything. Because he both had and exercised the freedom to be like, who's going to yell at me? I'm Steve Jobs. I can say whatever you want. Tim Cook is not like that. Nobody under Tim Cook will step out of line and say something Tim Cook doesn't want them to say. but tim cook will also never say anything that is not in line with the apple philosophy so any interview with tim cook is like is he going to say anything exciting the answer is no he is not going i mean unless he's literally making an announcement …”View more
Ridealong summary
Steve Jobs had the freedom to speak his mind, often leading to groundbreaking ideas, while Tim Cook's conservative approach can stifle innovation at Apple. This contrast is evident in their reactions to new technology; Jobs boldly criticized the ESPN phone, while Cook is known for his carefully curated public persona. The evolution of Apple's culture under Cook reflects a more cautious, brand-aligned strategy that some argue is holding the company back.
The Talk Show With John Gruber·445: ‘Apple at 50’, With John Siracusa·Apr 01, 2026
“… go down several bars when you hold it in your hand i'm just saying man like the original iphone is great it's very important you know there's the steve bomber clip like whatever the iphone 4 came out and the whole industry is like we don't know how to make that that is true and it was it was one of the first phones that everybody who touched it just immediately was like oh my god this is great yeah um all right what did the audience have at number two the m1 chip okay that's the recency bias coming through so this this makes very clear that uh the the overall ranking system had the original …”“… two i love this for you everyone's still chasing the dragon man you everybody wants this high you know what i mean you can't you'll never feel it again ever again there will never be another phone introduced that does what the iphone 4 to the people go down several bars when you hold it in your hand i'm just saying man like the original iphone is great it's very important you know there's the steve bomber clip like whatever the iphone 4 came out and the whole industry is like we don't know how to make that that is true and it was it was one of the first phones that everybody who touched it just immediately was like oh my god this is great yeah um all right what did the audience have at number two the m1 chip okay that's the recency bias coming through so this this makes very clear that uh the the overall ranking system had the original iphone at number one which i would have been absolutely shocked had that not been the case interesting shocked like it's just it is the it is the apple product of of all time right like kind of no matter who you are it is the most important most successful product in consumer electronics history like i i i clearly don't agree that it's number one but …”View more
Ridealong summary
Despite the iPhone's iconic status, Mac OS X is arguably Apple's most crucial product, laying the foundation for all its software. This operating system emerged from Apple's acquisition of NeXT and has influenced everything from iOS to macOS. Understanding this legacy reveals why Apple exists as we know it today.
The Vergecast·Apple's best product ever·Apr 03, 2026
“… I realized I wanted to be a programmer and engineer. And I said, there's two things I want to do. I want to work at Apple and I want to meet Steve Jobs. And dreams come true. Here I am 38 years later at Apple. I came in as a programmer and was working on HyperCard and sort of the precursor to blue links with lines underneath linking. And I've done so many things here at Apple. I've had an amazing team and continue to have the, I'm working with the best people in the world at what they do. Yeah. What was the lore of Steve Jobs like when you first sort of heard about him? Because, you know, my …”“… company? What were some of the first projects you worked on? Sort of take us through some of the early history. Yeah, I was lucky. I was a junior in high school when the Apple II was out, and I wanted to be an architect. and when I discovered a computer, I realized I wanted to be a programmer and engineer. And I said, there's two things I want to do. I want to work at Apple and I want to meet Steve Jobs. And dreams come true. Here I am 38 years later at Apple. I came in as a programmer and was working on HyperCard and sort of the precursor to blue links with lines underneath linking. And I've done so many things here at Apple. I've had an amazing team and continue to have the, I'm working with the best people in the world at what they do. Yeah. What was the lore of Steve Jobs like when you first sort of heard about him? Because, you know, my generation knows like the iPhone keynote. There's videos online. There's interviews. There's whole books. There's multiple books written. But what was your experience learning? What drew you to Steve early on in your career? I just think it's the innovation of creating these products that let people do amazing things.”View more
Ridealong summary
Eddy Cue reveals how he turned his childhood dream of working at Apple into reality. Starting as a programmer during the Apple II era, he reflects on his early projects and the excitement of meeting Steve Jobs. His passion for innovation and technology shaped his 38-year journey at one of the world's most influential companies.
TBPN·FULL INTERVIEW: Apple Exec on How Apple Builds Products That Actually Win·Apr 01, 2026
“… leave. He's firing me up here. Somebody's been listening to Senra. Yes, it's amazing. So Cook, who's run Apple since taking over from co-founder Steve Jobs in 2011, probably doesn't expect to be in the room himself for another 15 years. But I do. I'm betting on him. While he's given no indication of an imminent transition, he's made it clear he wants his heir to come from within the company so he can serve as a mentor. The central candidate is John Ternus, Senior Vice President for Hardware Engineering, who oversees development of the devices that generate roughly 80% of Apple's revenue.”“… Apple moves on, reaches the next level and the next level and the next level. And he said he spends a lot of time thinking about who's in the room in 5, 10, 15 years. I'm obsessed with this. This is Tim Cook at his best. This guy can't leave. He can't leave. He's firing me up here. Somebody's been listening to Senra. Yes, it's amazing. So Cook, who's run Apple since taking over from co-founder Steve Jobs in 2011, probably doesn't expect to be in the room himself for another 15 years. But I do. I'm betting on him. While he's given no indication of an imminent transition, he's made it clear he wants his heir to come from within the company so he can serve as a mentor. The central candidate is John Ternus, Senior Vice President for Hardware Engineering, who oversees development of the devices that generate roughly 80% of Apple's revenue.”View more
Ridealong summary
Tim Cook hints at a potentially long tenure at Apple, suggesting he may remain CEO for another 30 years. As he prepares for succession, John Ternus, the Senior VP of Hardware Engineering, is emerging as the likely heir. This dynamic reflects a pivotal moment in Apple's leadership as it navigates its next chapter amidst a significant transition in its executive team.
TBPN·Peptide Debate Recap, John Ternus Rumors Swirl, OpenAI Nonprofit to Spend $1B | Diet TBPN·Mar 24, 2026
“… That's pretty wild. I thought about creating a podcast that was interviews with the great dead. So it's basically like, could I do a podcast with Steve Jobs now with AI Oh yeah Maybe I could maybe the tools are now good enough where you could actually figure out like what would he say And it actually has enough It would give like sensible answers You could copy his voice using 11 labs. Yeah. You could create a digital avatar using one of the video models. Yeah. And you could do the whole thing. And so, like, that's kind of interesting. Like, what if I did that? That'd be cool. Like, you know, just …”“… create a podcast out of it like automatically you could do that like you know about everything i could do that about sports i could do that about anything that has like this and this big feed of uh like your feed stock to put into the bottle, right? That's pretty wild. I thought about creating a podcast that was interviews with the great dead. So it's basically like, could I do a podcast with Steve Jobs now with AI Oh yeah Maybe I could maybe the tools are now good enough where you could actually figure out like what would he say And it actually has enough It would give like sensible answers You could copy his voice using 11 labs. Yeah. You could create a digital avatar using one of the video models. Yeah. And you could do the whole thing. And so, like, that's kind of interesting. Like, what if I did that? That'd be cool. Like, you know, just me and Genghis Khan for today's episode. Totally. Have you seen Delphi? uh the like they're making like a clone right yeah what is it yeah so you can make it's delphi.ai um you can basically make a digital clone of yourself and they have them with like arnold schwarzenegger and other folks like that like you can you can talk to them basically do …”View more
Ridealong summary
An AI-generated podcast about the Epstein Files has skyrocketed to the top 50 charts, demonstrating the power of automation in content creation. By using AI tools, creators can produce engaging shows from dense source material, raising questions about the future of podcasting and the role of human hosts. Imagine interviewing historical figures like Steve Jobs with AI—this could redefine storytelling in media.
My First Million·I Asked a $450M VC Where to Invest in 2026·Mar 03, 2026
“… great. But their focus is the personalities and the CEOs and the executives and the backstabbing and all that stuff. You know, I don't care about Steve Jobs's illegitimate daughter. You know, I like to say this book is like severance. What happens after you leave the workday? I don't really care about. So it's much more. I think there's a bigger helping of origin stories about the actual products and the technologies. And also, of course, it covers all 50 years. And yeah, and this is crazy. It's an independent book. Right. Apple did not see this book till it was done. And yet I needed something out …”“… that have been written about Apple? Well, a couple of things. First of all, it's it's not I'm a technology guy. I'm a product guy. So I feel like most of the books about Apple that have been written before were written by business reporters who are great. But their focus is the personalities and the CEOs and the executives and the backstabbing and all that stuff. You know, I don't care about Steve Jobs's illegitimate daughter. You know, I like to say this book is like severance. What happens after you leave the workday? I don't really care about. So it's much more. I think there's a bigger helping of origin stories about the actual products and the technologies. And also, of course, it covers all 50 years. And yeah, and this is crazy. It's an independent book. Right. Apple did not see this book till it was done. And yet I needed something out of Apple. I wanted interviews with the current executives, which they don't as a rule offer to journalists and I wanted their archives so it was this it took months of persuading but ultimately they said okay okay you can have the interviews you can have the archives and we're not going to ask to see the book so that was a really lucky stroke for …”View more
Ridealong summary
Securing interviews and archives from Apple is no easy feat, as one author discovered after months of persuasion. Unlike typical business-focused books, this independent work dives deep into the origins of Apple's products, featuring over 360 stunning visuals that bring the story to life. This unique approach sets it apart from other narratives focused solely on corporate personalities.
Cult of Mac·Interview with David Pogue, author of “Apple: The First 50 Years”·Mar 09, 2026
“And it was one of the times when Steve Jobs really railed the team, telling them like, this has hurt the reputation of the company. I believe his exact words were in your book. and as you were just talking about how involved Steve Jobs was I'm wondering how much of that had actually in the end made better products because if we tie that to today especially in the podcast tech world you know there's a lot of complaints about mac os tahoe and how there's a loss of detail things like corner …”“And it was one of the times when Steve Jobs really railed the team, telling them like, this has hurt the reputation of the company. I believe his exact words were in your book. and as you were just talking about how involved Steve Jobs was I'm wondering how much of that had actually in the end made better products because if we tie that to today especially in the podcast tech world you know there's a lot of complaints about mac os tahoe and how there's a loss of detail things like corner radii and things in the design like scroll bars because Steve Jobs was so involved did that in the end make better products and maybe do we need someone like that again in the future to make sure those details get seen. It couldn't hurt. I think it obviously did because everybody up and down the company feared his disapproval. They really did …”View more
Ridealong summary
Steve Jobs' intense focus on detail drastically improved Apple's product quality, as he demanded perfection from his team. With his passing, many wonder if Apple has lost that meticulous attention to detail, especially as design critiques arise. The debate continues on whether future leadership needs a visionary like Jobs to maintain high standards.
Mac Power Users·839: Fifty Years of Apple with David Pogue·Mar 08, 2026
“… when we watched the introduction of Macintosh, it was like watching your first child be born. It was an amazing experience. That's the one where Steve was in a bow tie and the Mac was in a bag. Yeah. And he made it talk. He pulls it out, puts it on the table and says, hello, I am Macintosh. And the crowd went crazy. Yeah. It's good to get out of the bag. Yes. for that time 1984 it was very advanced technology i remember lining up uh at macy's in march of that year with my macy's credit card because it was 2500 bucks it was very expensive and charging that first mac and because i was a …”“… Laser Rider and all that? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. That's what I was. That was the 10th time. Yeah. Oh, my God. That was, you know, this book coming out about Apple by David Pohl, you know, the 50th anniversary. I told him that at the ends of the college, when we watched the introduction of Macintosh, it was like watching your first child be born. It was an amazing experience. That's the one where Steve was in a bow tie and the Mac was in a bag. Yeah. And he made it talk. He pulls it out, puts it on the table and says, hello, I am Macintosh. And the crowd went crazy. Yeah. It's good to get out of the bag. Yes. for that time 1984 it was very advanced technology i remember lining up uh at macy's in march of that year with my macy's credit card because it was 2500 bucks it was very expensive and charging that first mac and because i was a believer i was a believer from the very beginning because i had been pressing my nose against the window of the Lisa which was 10 bucks 10 bucks It made 25 and it made 2 bucks look cheap So we thought, oh, Apple's bringing computing back down to earth, back to the masses. So believe it or not, in my Linotype book, it ends with PostScript and desktop …”View more
Ridealong summary
Guy Kawasaki, Apple's chief evangelist in the 90s, reveals that his decision to turn down Steve Jobs not once, but twice, ended up costing him a staggering $250 million. He shares insights from his time at Apple during its formative years, including the excitement of launching the Macintosh and the lessons learned from his entrepreneurial journey, including negotiating for stock at Canva instead of salary.
Intelligent Machines (Audio)·IM 861: We Have Computer At Home - Coffee and the Rise of the Machines·Mar 11, 2026
“… and the best of Germany, the best of China, the best of Detroit, the best of Silicon Valley. And, and, you know, I think sometimes people take that Steve Jobs line and they really like, you know, deform it where they say like great artists steal. What he's really talking about is like the less, the less magnanimous version of that is, uh, be humble and learn from everything around you and as a leader and be, be well-rounded. Uh, I think like reading is, should be, you know, I, I, there's a Charlie Munger line where he says, I've never met anybody very, very successful who doesn't read all the time. …”“… because I feel like that's my, you know, that information is so limited and everyone's kind of trying to make it up, frankly speaking. This is the alpha. Yeah, yeah, exactly. is I would implore you as a founder to really try to take the best of Japan and the best of Germany, the best of China, the best of Detroit, the best of Silicon Valley. And, and, you know, I think sometimes people take that Steve Jobs line and they really like, you know, deform it where they say like great artists steal. What he's really talking about is like the less, the less magnanimous version of that is, uh, be humble and learn from everything around you and as a leader and be, be well-rounded. Uh, I think like reading is, should be, you know, I, I, there's a Charlie Munger line where he says, I've never met anybody very, very successful who doesn't read all the time. And I like very much fall into that category as well. Um, and so if you like unpack why that is like why does reading a physical book make you a better founder like i just like ask that question in the most direct way is i'm not reading you know if you especially my my ethos of reading is read old books don't read anything new read read old books …”View more
Ridealong summary
Reading old books can significantly enhance your skills as a founder, as it filters out noise and presents timeless ideas. This practice connects to a broader philosophy of being well-rounded and understanding society, which ultimately leads to better products. The speaker emphasizes that successful founders, like Charlie Munger and Marc Andreessen, prioritize consuming diverse content beyond their industry to grow and innovate.
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth·The most successful AI company you’ve never heard of | Qasar Younis·Mar 08, 2026
“… placebo effect, the nocebo effect, The power of prayer, the power of entrepreneurial resilience, where you see opportunities. They used to say that Steve Jobs had this reality distortion field. And it's true that beliefs literally shape what you see. That two people can look at the exact same thing. We've done studies where people look at the exact same image and see completely different things. Why? Because our beliefs shape what we feel, what we see, and what we do. I call these the three powers of belief. Agency, anticipation, and attention. so there's a wall of questions i have because all right …”“… it turns out that this body of research just absolutely blew my mind. Because like you, I'm not into the woo-woo stuff. I'm very skeptical. But there's a whole lot of stuff out there that seems like magic, but it really isn't. I'm talking about the placebo effect, the nocebo effect, The power of prayer, the power of entrepreneurial resilience, where you see opportunities. They used to say that Steve Jobs had this reality distortion field. And it's true that beliefs literally shape what you see. That two people can look at the exact same thing. We've done studies where people look at the exact same image and see completely different things. Why? Because our beliefs shape what we feel, what we see, and what we do. I call these the three powers of belief. Agency, anticipation, and attention. so there's a wall of questions i have because all right bring it so let's do it so i wrote a book and i'm not putting my book it's free it's yours i'm not doing that but there's three lies we believe the lies of what the lies of how and the lie of why you know i don't know how to do it bs you've got access to a phone you know how to do everything you can build a nuclear one please don't but you can do …”View more
Ridealong summary
The most dangerous words in English are 'I am,' as they shape our beliefs and ultimately our actions. By shifting from limiting beliefs to empowering identities, we can unlock motivation and change our lives. Instead of saying, 'I am too old,' embrace a new identity like 'I am a healthy person' to fuel personal growth and resilience.
Proven Podcast·Beyond Belief What's Holding You Back - Nir Eyal·Mar 11, 2026
“… of course, you'll get a couple leaders. Of course, you get a couple entrepreneurs. But what was really incredible to me is you look at people like Steve Jobs or, you know, a lot of folks I've worked with. They do it again and again and again and again. They have a method for being very, very smart with very, very little information. And I wanted to understand what was going on in the brain, the mechanics of it. Because I thought if you could understand the mechanics of it, then you would take it away from the way that people normally talk about these non-computational things. People talk about …”“… I wanted to understand how that happens. And if you talk to, you know, most people in cognitive science today, they'll say, well, it's just luck. They happen to be randomly able to do this. Now, if you just take a large enough population of humans, of course, you'll get a couple leaders. Of course, you get a couple entrepreneurs. But what was really incredible to me is you look at people like Steve Jobs or, you know, a lot of folks I've worked with. They do it again and again and again and again. They have a method for being very, very smart with very, very little information. And I wanted to understand what was going on in the brain, the mechanics of it. Because I thought if you could understand the mechanics of it, then you would take it away from the way that people normally talk about these non-computational things. People talk about non-computational intelligence as consciousness or the ineffable or something like that. But I was like no if you can build it down to mechanisms then you can train it And then you can build more leaders You can build more entrepreneurs And that really what we want our educational systems to do So I had a theory of the brain I had a theory of how it …”View more
Ridealong summary
The U.S. Army Special Operations Command reached out to a neurophysiologist to discuss a unique perspective on intelligence and storytelling. This unexpected connection highlights how understanding narrative can enhance leadership and innovation, challenging traditional educational methods. The journey from skepticism to collaboration reveals the potential for training future leaders through the mechanics of storytelling.
Infinite Loops·Angus Fletcher - The Biggest Mistake We Made About Intelligence (Ep. 304)·Mar 05, 2026
“… major? I first joined the business school or I applied into it, but I switched out and went undecided because I wanted to do more of kind of what Steve Jobs always talked about. How he took like the calligraphy class that really enabled him to build the Macintosh operating system. So I was taking like a VR class, which was really cool. It was like all about the metaverse, a class on a design class to a business class. And the professor there was actually a really awesome guy. Dude, you know how like China like raises like super athletes, like they get like two seven foot people and they like make …”“… schedule. It was like an hour and a half. What's your major? What are you studying? Are you like rocks for jocks type of schedule where you're like, I'm going to art history and just I need to pass? Or are you like, I'm trying to be a computer science major? I first joined the business school or I applied into it, but I switched out and went undecided because I wanted to do more of kind of what Steve Jobs always talked about. How he took like the calligraphy class that really enabled him to build the Macintosh operating system. So I was taking like a VR class, which was really cool. It was like all about the metaverse, a class on a design class to a business class. And the professor there was actually a really awesome guy. Dude, you know how like China like raises like super athletes, like they get like two seven foot people and they like make them breed. And like they like set them up to at the age of 12. The kid has everything they need. This is like you for business, like you already have an exit running a company. You're you're downloading Steve job ideas and like going to going through. I'm impressed with your decision making. Um, like even just that little thing of like, you know …”View more
Ridealong summary
Investing $500,000 in a Mr. Beast video led to unexpected growth for my app. Although the immediate returns were unclear, the long-term benefits included increased credibility and future deals that surpassed initial costs. This decision exemplifies the power of strategic marketing in the digital age.
My First Million·I built a $50M AI app in high school (and just sold it for...)·Mar 05, 2026
“… It's not the only model. There's INTJ as well. You got the Jacks, you got the Sergeys, the Lowrys are INTJs. And, you know, some people, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, more ENTJ, a little bit more extroverted in their approach. One thing I wanted to get both of your takes on is what happened with Anthropix revenue ramp.”“… on our own founders. We've also integrated personality tests, which I think is really interesting. And you can get AI driven personalities, archetypes now off of just public data. So how are they? Right, exactly. Every CEO, Eric wants to be ENTJ. It's not the only model. There's INTJ as well. You got the Jacks, you got the Sergeys, the Lowrys are INTJs. And, you know, some people, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, more ENTJ, a little bit more extroverted in their approach. One thing I wanted to get both of your takes on is what happened with Anthropix revenue ramp.”View more
Ridealong summary
A CEO's history significantly impacts future startup success, with repeat founders showing higher potential. Interestingly, having any exit, even a small one, is more predictive than the size of the exit. This insight comes from analyzing extensive data on founder backgrounds and integrating personality assessments.
This Week in Startups·Is Anthropic Making the Biggest Mistake in AI History | E2258·Mar 05, 2026
“… show how most of these people who win are authentically obsessed with whatever it is they're doing. And you told this story about there was like a Steve Jobs of China and a ridiculous thing he did with Post-it notes on his employees' cars. Can you tell that story? Because I was like, that is a perfect example of obsession. Yeah, you're talking about Le Jun. So Le Jun is the founder of Xiaomi. me. And, uh, you know, as I go into the store, I'm going to share with you something, a, a, uh, famous and very successful Chinese venture capitalist told me on my last trip, he said, um, every single founder …”“… practice. You know what I'm saying? So the total addressable market is. No, I'm just saying they're not connected. That's amazing. Be authentic. Like be authentic. Don't be inauthentic. You know, you have a lot of stories, I think, that kind of show how most of these people who win are authentically obsessed with whatever it is they're doing. And you told this story about there was like a Steve Jobs of China and a ridiculous thing he did with Post-it notes on his employees' cars. Can you tell that story? Because I was like, that is a perfect example of obsession. Yeah, you're talking about Le Jun. So Le Jun is the founder of Xiaomi. me. And, uh, you know, as I go into the store, I'm going to share with you something, a, a, uh, famous and very successful Chinese venture capitalist told me on my last trip, he said, um, every single founder and venture capitalist in China studies the U S relentlessly. They watch the the YouTube interviews They listen to the podcast They study them like crazy He said founders and VCs in America don study Chinese And I said, oh, that's a profound statement, right? Like just even thinking about that, it's pretty profound. So in that spirit, I would …”View more
Ridealong summary
Kobe Bryant, after achieving incredible success, sought out Hakeem Olajuwon to learn footwork, demonstrating that even the best never stop preparing. This commitment to preparation is echoed in Bobby Knight's quote: 'The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win.' It's a powerful reminder that success is built on continuous learning and practice.
BigDeal·#125 The Most Important Career Advice You'll Ever Hear (In The AI Era) | Bill Gurley·Mar 04, 2026
“… am I having difficulty when I want to warm up some soup? So I've been thinking about that a lot. And then at the same time, have you heard of the Steve Jobs microwave? No. Every once in a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything. The Steve Jobs microwave is Steve Jobs famously said we're going to get to this, but famously said that any microwave should only have, I think, like two buttons, which is the plus 30 second button and the start button. And that's it. And I saw that online somewhere and I said, you know what? this actually makes a lot of sense and then i got …”“… and So you walk to it and, you know, you're tired or you're, you know, inebriated. You're tired and inebriated and you don't know what to do with the microwave. And like you should be able. It's a microwave. It's meant to make your life simple. So why am I having difficulty when I want to warm up some soup? So I've been thinking about that a lot. And then at the same time, have you heard of the Steve Jobs microwave? No. Every once in a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything. The Steve Jobs microwave is Steve Jobs famously said we're going to get to this, but famously said that any microwave should only have, I think, like two buttons, which is the plus 30 second button and the start button. And that's it. And I saw that online somewhere and I said, you know what? this actually makes a lot of sense and then i got curious and i started looking it up i don't think this dude said that oh well got a classic mark twain situation exactly yes yes so i've been spending way too long on this like way too long on this and like the best that i can find is a bunch of people posting this on linkedin oh it's a classic linkedin post exactly this has the energy of like that …”View more
Ridealong summary
Imagine a microwave with just one button for all your heating needs. A frustrated user transformed their complex microwave experience by covering all buttons except for 'start' and a 'plus 30 seconds' option, resulting in a life-changing simplicity. This minimalistic approach challenges conventional microwave designs, sparking a conversation about user-friendly appliances.
TechStuff·No Such Thing: Why Do Tesla Door Handles Suck?·Mar 04, 2026
“… history is invention and technology. And I'd start with I'd start with Eli Whitney, you know, because there's an underbelly to it. And I go to Steve Jobs because there's an underbelly to it. You know, I got kids. I am you know, we're all addicted to this. And, you know, I mean, my new statement is and it's such a lot I can statement. I apologize in advance for offending your sensibilities. But I say social media isn't and artificial intelligence is. oh they're not social yeah ever been in a room of people or a subway car or a block where everybody's on their phone that is not social yeah and …”“… the way through that. And we're constantly thinking about and dealing with those changes. And, you know, one of the stuff in my head full of ideas, you know, if I were given a thousand years to live, which I won't, I won't run out of topics in American history is invention and technology. And I'd start with I'd start with Eli Whitney, you know, because there's an underbelly to it. And I go to Steve Jobs because there's an underbelly to it. You know, I got kids. I am you know, we're all addicted to this. And, you know, I mean, my new statement is and it's such a lot I can statement. I apologize in advance for offending your sensibilities. But I say social media isn't and artificial intelligence is. oh they're not social yeah ever been in a room of people or a subway car or a block where everybody's on their phone that is not social yeah and artificial is artificial is artificial yeah no that makes a lot of sense i'm sure you get asked this question all the time but uh what”View more
Ridealong summary
Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin not only revolutionized the cotton industry but also set the stage for the Civil War by revitalizing slavery. This connection between technological advancements and historical events shows how deeply intertwined business and politics are in shaping America. From Whitney to modern tech giants like Steve Jobs, the impact of innovation has both positive and negative consequences.
TBPN·Ellison's Media Empire, Ken Burns Joins, Cursor Mic Drop | Matthew Belloni, Gokul Rajaram, Nik Seetharaman, Raj Rajamani, James Everingham, Dr. Felix Ejeckam·Mar 03, 2026
“… right team Amazing product that works really well But the timing may just not be right and no matter how awesome it is It's not it's not gonna work Steve Jobs put away the iPad because he thought that the iPhone was a better idea and timing wise He actually made exactly the right call You know the iPad became successful because of the iPhone success the reverse order might have not had the same effect But he had to make sure that he focused on one thing and he actually puts the other he said the timings not right”“… a question you get an answer Like I get this this is easy, you know, so going back to your framework just to kind of close loop There's it's really interesting that timing is the first variable you look at this could be an amazing idea. You got the right team Amazing product that works really well But the timing may just not be right and no matter how awesome it is It's not it's not gonna work Steve Jobs put away the iPad because he thought that the iPhone was a better idea and timing wise He actually made exactly the right call You know the iPad became successful because of the iPhone success the reverse order might have not had the same effect But he had to make sure that he focused on one thing and he actually puts the other he said the timings not right”View more
Ridealong summary
Steve Jobs famously delayed the iPad's launch, believing the timing wasn't right, and it paid off when the iPhone's success paved the way for the iPad. Understanding the difference between mega trends and hype cycles is crucial for business leaders. This insight can make or break a product's success, as timing is often more critical than the idea itself.
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth·AI is critical for humanity’s survival: Cisco president on the AI revolution | Jeetu Patel·Feb 26, 2026
“… this he's such a young great amazing entrepreneurs the first time I ever talked to him which was years ago he said to me I want to be the future Steve Jobs you know I want to be the future great entrepreneur of the world I had to pause and say really it's like yeah that's what really I want in my life I want to be a great business leader a great and I think he's doing it and he's so young you know we've already had him on the cover of Time magazine once you know and I see you know him as a huge leader in the whole world not just as some kind of YouTube personality this is a great entrepreneur …”“… a killer ad and we still haven't revealed the final thing we have a great person here John Zismos who did a fantastic job with Jimmy and it was an unbelievable partnership but Jimmy's just he's a force of nature yeah I mean I've never seen anything like this he's such a young great amazing entrepreneurs the first time I ever talked to him which was years ago he said to me I want to be the future Steve Jobs you know I want to be the future great entrepreneur of the world I had to pause and say really it's like yeah that's what really I want in my life I want to be a great business leader a great and I think he's doing it and he's so young you know we've already had him on the cover of Time magazine once you know and I see you know him as a huge leader in the whole world not just as some kind of YouTube personality this is a great entrepreneur business person not just making chocolate bars not just running a bank I see him doing a lot of amazing things and he's got a lot of energy incredible and I have a lot of respect for him and yes number one Super Bowl ad how about that there's a lot of entrepreneurs listening a lot of entrepreneurs that are searching for their next great business idea …”View more
Ridealong summary
The software industry, including Salesforce, is poised for unprecedented growth due to the integration of AI and SaaS solutions, contrary to fears of a decline.
TBPN·Happy Nvidia Day, Salesforce Earnings with Marc Benioff, Anthropic's New Stance on Safety | Doug O'Laughlin, Maxwell Meyer, Ben Lerer, Michael Manapat, Adam Warmoth, Connor Sweeney, Matthew Harpe·Feb 25, 2026
“… Anyway, Christina, welcome. Oh, you can't see me in there, but I do have a seat. Because we're going to talk about that. Yeah, you can. I have the Steve Jobs plushie. I see that. Well, that's a good thing, because today would be Mr. Jobs' 71st birthday. He died. He passed way too young. No kidding? Cancer is so terrible. Yeah, it's so terrible. You know, what's really sad is I just saw the kind of cancer he had, pancreatic cancer. They have what might be a cure in progress right now. And so he literally did pass too soon. Anyway, I think it's appropriate to recognize that this would be his 71st …”“… of like love those. I'll get Burke in on it, because he's very good. He's fixing my old Mac original Mac now. Oh, that's cool. Yeah, he's had to replace all the capacitors. He's now replacing diodes. He says his voltage is low. It's a great story. Anyway, Christina, welcome. Oh, you can't see me in there, but I do have a seat. Because we're going to talk about that. Yeah, you can. I have the Steve Jobs plushie. I see that. Well, that's a good thing, because today would be Mr. Jobs' 71st birthday. He died. He passed way too young. No kidding? Cancer is so terrible. Yeah, it's so terrible. You know, what's really sad is I just saw the kind of cancer he had, pancreatic cancer. They have what might be a cure in progress right now. And so he literally did pass too soon. Anyway, I think it's appropriate to recognize that this would be his 71st birthday. You have the plushie. I had the plushie somewhere. I don't know what happened. When we cleared out the studio, I lost many things. The Steve Jobs archive, which is a great place to go to. I have the book that they released. They have released something they call Letters to a Young Creator, including submissions by Tim Cook, Johnny Ive, and …”View more
Ridealong summary
We were robbed of Steve Jobs's brilliance far too soon, and his absence leaves us wondering how he would have navigated today's challenges. On what would have been his 71st birthday, it's poignant to reflect on the potential impact of his unique vision and decision-making on the world today. His legacy continues to inspire, but we can only imagine the innovations and leadership he could have brought in recent years.
“We're talking about the reality distortion field, a concept that Steve Jobs popularized. Why did you decide to lead off with this this week, John? Yeah, it popped into my head this week after seeing a couple of headlines. I couldn't get it out of my mind, this idea. For those who haven't read the Jobs bio or seen the various biopics of him over the last 20 years, he's known for having a level of, some would say charisma, some would say brilliance, some would say abusive personality, whatever, some combination of all of …”“We're talking about the reality distortion field, a concept that Steve Jobs popularized. Why did you decide to lead off with this this week, John? Yeah, it popped into my head this week after seeing a couple of headlines. I couldn't get it out of my mind, this idea. For those who haven't read the Jobs bio or seen the various biopics of him over the last 20 years, he's known for having a level of, some would say charisma, some would say brilliance, some would say abusive personality, whatever, some combination of all of them, as most mercurial founders often do. He had the ability through all those different things to warp reality to his liking, to get people to do things that anyone else would have dismissed as structurally or physically impossible, these feats of engineering and product design that everyone else would have thought impossible. He just basically …”View more
Ridealong summary
Despite a Supreme Court ruling against his tariff agenda, Trump is set to impose new tariffs, showcasing his unyielding approach to policy. This moment illustrates how individuals can warp reality to fit their narratives, reflecting the broader trend of groupthink in politics. As institutions falter, the power dynamics shift, and the show must go on, regardless of legal obstacles.
TFTC: A Bitcoin Podcast·Ten31 Timestamp: The Die Is Cast·Feb 23, 2026
“… year it starts to flex that power on a lot of different fronts, like you're describing. That all of a sudden, in the way that I think back to, like, Steve Jobs basically going to AT&T with the iPhone and being like, you will either play our game or we will walk away. I have all of the power in this relationship. That's a game YouTube is sort of uniquely positioned to start to play on a lot of different fronts if it wants to, and it'll be interesting to see how hard it tries to push. Yeah, I think before you said sports is cable and cable is sports, I think increasingly YouTube is TV and TV is YouTube …”“… like over the last two years, really, that has caught up. And now everybody who needs to know from, like, the CEO of Disney, to advertisers, to users, understands that YouTube is this, like, unparalleled cultural power, and I wonder if this is the year it starts to flex that power on a lot of different fronts, like you're describing. That all of a sudden, in the way that I think back to, like, Steve Jobs basically going to AT&T with the iPhone and being like, you will either play our game or we will walk away. I have all of the power in this relationship. That's a game YouTube is sort of uniquely positioned to start to play on a lot of different fronts if it wants to, and it'll be interesting to see how hard it tries to push. Yeah, I think before you said sports is cable and cable is sports, I think increasingly YouTube is TV and TV is YouTube for a lot of people. 100%, yeah, I totally agree. The other company sort of sitting there next to this, and this is the one we talked about a lot last year, is ESPN. When you came on last year, one of the things we talked about a bunch was this looming launch of ESPN as a streaming platform. They were going to just launch the channels. You could …”View more
Ridealong summary
YouTube is positioning itself as the dominant force in sports streaming, leaving ESPN struggling to maintain its relevance. Despite launching ESPN Unlimited, the platform is caught between traditional cable revenue and modern streaming demands, leading to confusion for consumers. This shift highlights a potential transformation in how we view sports media, with YouTube redefining the landscape.
The Vergecast·Your next laptop could be a foldable phone·Feb 17, 2026
“… in their thinking. They created a new category, a new way to distribute their music. They disintermediated the ticketing companies. Very innovative. Steve Jobs and Jerry Garcia are like very similar in my mind. Real craftspeople. So I think of them as a great Silicon Valley success story. You said you had a whole book about this. What's the book called, just in case people want to dig in? Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead. Amazing. And I read that you bought Jerry Garcia's guitar for a large sum at some point. Yes, I did. And I consider myself the steward of his guitar. It gets played like Dead …”“… like the ultimate Silicon Valley startup. They started in 1964. You know where they started, Lenny? No. Palo Alto. Their early concerts were at Stanford, were all over Silicon Valley. They're a Silicon Valley company. They were very first principles in their thinking. They created a new category, a new way to distribute their music. They disintermediated the ticketing companies. Very innovative. Steve Jobs and Jerry Garcia are like very similar in my mind. Real craftspeople. So I think of them as a great Silicon Valley success story. You said you had a whole book about this. What's the book called, just in case people want to dig in? Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead. Amazing. And I read that you bought Jerry Garcia's guitar for a large sum at some point. Yes, I did. And I consider myself the steward of his guitar. It gets played like Dead & Co. played it. And there's a million Grateful Dead cover bands that let them play it, but I'm taking care of it for for the Deadheads. What's like one nugget of wisdom or lesson that people can take away from the Grateful Dead for startups? Okay, people talk about spiky teams. The Grateful Dead team was interesting. Garcia himself was a …”View more
Ridealong summary
The Grateful Dead were the ultimate Silicon Valley startup, pioneering innovative ways to distribute their music and create a new genre. Their diverse team, featuring members from various musical backgrounds, exemplifies the power of 'spiky teams' in creating something entirely new. This blend of talents not only shaped their unique sound but offers valuable lessons for today's CEOs on collaboration and innovation.
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth·Sequoia CEO coach: Why it’s never been easier to start a company, and never been harder to scale one | Brian Halligan (co-founder, HubSpot)·Feb 15, 2026
“… the birds singing, I'm not distracted. I'm staring at trees. I'm not looking at a screen. I'm not wondering about my next meeting. I'm having a like Steve Jobs style walking meeting with people. And, you know, I'll get, you know, 5, 10, 20,000 extra steps than I would in a given day. And it's all because of AI. It's because I know AI is recording the entire thing. It's because I know that like, when I go back later, and I'm like, didn't that person say something about X or Y? I don't have to do a keyword search for it. I can just ask the AI, when did they say this? It's going to give me a summary at …”“… put in my earbuds, I will go for a walk. And I tell people in advance, I'm like, I'm going to take you on a walking meeting. And I'm having better interviews than ever because I'm just strolling along. You know, I'm muted, so I'm not listening to the birds singing, I'm not distracted. I'm staring at trees. I'm not looking at a screen. I'm not wondering about my next meeting. I'm having a like Steve Jobs style walking meeting with people. And, you know, I'll get, you know, 5, 10, 20,000 extra steps than I would in a given day. And it's all because of AI. It's because I know AI is recording the entire thing. It's because I know that like, when I go back later, and I'm like, didn't that person say something about X or Y? I don't have to do a keyword search for it. I can just ask the AI, when did they say this? It's going to give me a summary at the end. It has freed me from my desk. And I think that is such a simple example of when we apply it intelligently, I'm liberated from my desk. If I'm a doctor, it's liberating me from tons of data entry. If I'm a lawyer, it's liberating me from having to record every word, you know, in a particular deposition. I think there are going to be more …”View more
Ridealong summary
Using AI can feel addictive, leading to burnout instead of productivity. This segment explores how the quest for constant rewards from AI can overwhelm users, and offers a personal strategy to use AI to do less work effectively. By embracing a 0.5x work approach, you can free yourself from cognitive load and enhance your well-being.
Tech Brew Ride Home·How To AI With WSJ's Chris Mims·Feb 14, 2026
“… we had no clear definition of who we were trying to help and what we did and didn't do. You just cleaned all that up and told us internally what our jobs were, and suddenly we're all moving in the right direction, and the clients are showing up. When you're getting that kind of feedback, it's like, wow, I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I've always kind of felt like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing, but in this moment I've never felt more like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. I love that. I mean, if anybody was listening, they could probably hear your conviction the whole …”“… last 30 years. I was like, what do you mean? He's like, dude, I couldn't tell anybody what we did or who we did it for. We were scrambling around to take every client who walked in the door. We were trying to find a way to help that person because we had no clear definition of who we were trying to help and what we did and didn't do. You just cleaned all that up and told us internally what our jobs were, and suddenly we're all moving in the right direction, and the clients are showing up. When you're getting that kind of feedback, it's like, wow, I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I've always kind of felt like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing, but in this moment I've never felt more like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. I love that. I mean, if anybody was listening, they could probably hear your conviction the whole way through. But you used a word, and I wanted to jump on it because I think it's very important, and it sounds like you're in it right now, but you used a word earlier which is called alignment. How important is alignment for businesses, for individuals, for companies? I would argue it's the most important thing, other than the fact that you …”View more
Ridealong summary
A company transformed its sales and marketing in just 30 days by establishing clear alignment among its teams. The founder realized that misalignment leads to distrust from potential clients, and by focusing on unified messaging and goals, they turned confusion into clarity, resulting in remarkable growth. This story highlights the critical importance of alignment for any business aiming for success.
The Vault Unlocked·Why Sales Avoidance Is Killing Your Business (And No One Wants to Admit It)·Jan 22, 2026
“… of me in the background of a photo, you know, at a demo day and there were 20 of us there, you don't have to pay for that. But that's why when like Steve Jobs did his famous ad about the misfits and everything, each of those people in that commercial use had to be approved. So when he said the artists, the misfits, they show Bob Dylan or the Beatles or Einstein, whoever's under a hundred years old that has an estate to do it. So here's what's gonna happen, I predict with John and Scott Adams. You'll either move to an editorially protected area that doesn't infringe on the actual family's ability …”“… permission or Elvis. Artistic use. You could make an artistic, you could make an entire album of songs as a tribute to Scott Adams and his work. You could do any type of news reporting. And if somebody happened to be like, if you had a picture of me in the background of a photo, you know, at a demo day and there were 20 of us there, you don't have to pay for that. But that's why when like Steve Jobs did his famous ad about the misfits and everything, each of those people in that commercial use had to be approved. So when he said the artists, the misfits, they show Bob Dylan or the Beatles or Einstein, whoever's under a hundred years old that has an estate to do it. So here's what's gonna happen, I predict with John and Scott Adams. You'll either move to an editorially protected area that doesn't infringe on the actual family's ability which would be making it more artistic, making sure it's non-commercial and making sure it doesn't confuse the users and you will then be protected. Or you'll have a heart to heart with the family and say, hey, we're going to make Abigail and Abigail is an inspiration based on Scott's work and she's the female version who brings the Gaia to Scott …”View more
Ridealong summary
The rise of AI challenges existing laws on likeness rights, raising questions about how we handle the image of deceased individuals. Scott Adams discusses the legal complexities and potential for misuse, emphasizing the importance of consent and existing publicity laws. As AI technology evolves, the demand for digital versions of famous figures could reshape our understanding of legacy and rights.
This Week in Startups·Will OpenAI Tank OpenClaw? | E2251·Feb 17, 2026
“… it. If you broke into the system, it was because Fred overlooked some sort of vulnerability, and then Tom was the one who had to catch you. Their jobs became infinitely more difficult and interesting when a strange letter arrived at Tom's Times Square office in November 1988. It stated that a kid up in the Bronx was hacking into the phone grid who was calling himself the technician. The letter wasn't signed. It was an anonymous tip, but Tom suspected it might have been written by a family member of the technician because the tone was caring. It was a plea to stop this kid for his own good. …”“… New York telephone company. And there were two guys who worked there that were in charge of securing the system, Tom Kaiser and Fred Staples. Tom and Fred each had their own specialty. Fred engineered the phone network infrastructure, and Tom oversaw it. If you broke into the system, it was because Fred overlooked some sort of vulnerability, and then Tom was the one who had to catch you. Their jobs became infinitely more difficult and interesting when a strange letter arrived at Tom's Times Square office in November 1988. It stated that a kid up in the Bronx was hacking into the phone grid who was calling himself the technician. The letter wasn't signed. It was an anonymous tip, but Tom suspected it might have been written by a family member of the technician because the tone was caring. It was a plea to stop this kid for his own good. Sure enough, when Tom pulled up the records associated with the technician's address, the proof was right there. Technician had been connecting to switches at AT&T from home with no real attempt to hide it either. So Tom turned to a nifty device that he had, which was called the dialed number recorder, DNR. A DNR is a little box that you might …”View more
Ridealong summary
In the late 1980s, a teenager known as FiberOptic hacked into the New York Telephone Company's network, using insider knowledge to exploit vulnerabilities. His antics caught the attention of company security, leading them to uncover a network of hackers, including his surprising connection to the notorious Legion of Doom. This story reveals how a young prodigy navigated the world of telecommunications and the consequences of his actions.
“… Now think about that. That was literally almost 20 years ago I think was the first year. Claude is saying the seeds of Apple Silicon were planted by Steve Jobs in 2008 with the – Yes, that's what I said. In 2008, Apple bought processor company PA Semi for $278 million, and that's what gave Steve Jobs the idea that he would develop system-on chips for Apple's iPods and iPhones. That was 18 f***ing years ago. Correct. Sorry, I just bleep all this out, but I am losing my mind. the okay so if i agree like maybe apple stumbled into the diamond mind of steve jobs's brilliance in 2008 of buying this company …”“… was – when he started the process of development of these covertly. Or maybe somebody could just ask producer Claude. But I think this was a – I think he made this decision internally like in 28, 29. 2008, he decided we have to make our own chips. Now think about that. That was literally almost 20 years ago I think was the first year. Claude is saying the seeds of Apple Silicon were planted by Steve Jobs in 2008 with the – Yes, that's what I said. In 2008, Apple bought processor company PA Semi for $278 million, and that's what gave Steve Jobs the idea that he would develop system-on chips for Apple's iPods and iPhones. That was 18 f***ing years ago. Correct. Sorry, I just bleep all this out, but I am losing my mind. the okay so if i agree like maybe apple stumbled into the diamond mind of steve jobs's brilliance in 2008 of buying this company and setting them up for this 18 years later he made so many prescient skating to where the puck is going moves and then that got ripped out of the company's dna no risk taking no skating to where the puck is going losing johnny ive there's no product that they've released that I have been inspired by, like at a, you know, it's just all incremental. …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's soul is missing, and it's affecting innovation. The seeds of their chip development were planted by Steve Jobs in 2008, but now the company is seen as more of a Hollywood studio than a tech innovator. With no groundbreaking products and missed opportunities to acquire innovative companies, the future of Apple looks uncertain.
This Week in Startups·AI Rebuilt Every YC W26 Startup. Should Founders Be Scared? | E2271·Apr 03, 2026
“… is one of the big things we've had in the last couple of decades is computers. But I think many people, you know, like the original idea of like Steve Jobs, this like bicycle for the mind. I don't think it's, I guess you think of like what Zoomers, how Zoomers experience computers. It's like the opposite. This is like the Plato's cave for the mind, right? Like it's like the, it's like the opposite of what Steve Jobs was envisioning. And I think the hope like for myself and I know like Alex and the HRF team, for example, we're doing that is, and a lot of us Bitcoiners who are trying to work on it …”“… you didn't have to like open up a web app on your computer to pound on it, to get something to happen. Right. And so when you learn that now you just have a whole new toolkit to attack life with. Right. So I think that's going to be really, no, that is one of the big things we've had in the last couple of decades is computers. But I think many people, you know, like the original idea of like Steve Jobs, this like bicycle for the mind. I don't think it's, I guess you think of like what Zoomers, how Zoomers experience computers. It's like the opposite. This is like the Plato's cave for the mind, right? Like it's like the, it's like the opposite of what Steve Jobs was envisioning. And I think the hope like for myself and I know like Alex and the HRF team, for example, we're doing that is, and a lot of us Bitcoiners who are trying to work on it is like to make it more like a bicycle for the mind, like a motorcycle for the mind. Right. Like something that's a little, little, little more leveraged. Setting the, setting the server up. And then so like what you just described is happening to me in real time. So like I have cron jobs running on bank websites, waiting for them to release a …”View more
Ridealong summary
Many people are becoming programmers without traditional coding skills, leveraging technology to automate tasks and solve real-world problems. This shift is empowering individuals to understand and manipulate their digital environments, leading to increased agency and innovation. As technology evolves, the skills needed for success in the workforce are changing dramatically, emphasizing creativity and critical thinking over rote coding skills.
TFTC: A Bitcoin Podcast·#716: A Century In Five Years with Justin Moon·Feb 14, 2026
“… influenced by Silicon Valley in the 90s and 2000s because that was considered this very ascendant part of the economy through the 2000s, through the Steve Jobs era. We looked at Silicon Valley. These are the coolest companies. They're doing all the coolest stuff. Over there, I think they adopted a model of work that was very inspired by computer processors, right? So because that was what was in the air in the 80s and 90s in Silicon Valley was the computer processor wars, you know, the 386 versus the 486 versus the Pentium. And it was all about speed. And the thing with a computer processor, if you're …”“… to compare it to. Yeah, the amount of things we're doing, the amount we're trying to switch back and forth. I always thought that part of the problem was a lot of our current thought about work culture and hustling and what it means to produce was influenced by Silicon Valley in the 90s and 2000s because that was considered this very ascendant part of the economy through the 2000s, through the Steve Jobs era. We looked at Silicon Valley. These are the coolest companies. They're doing all the coolest stuff. Over there, I think they adopted a model of work that was very inspired by computer processors, right? So because that was what was in the air in the 80s and 90s in Silicon Valley was the computer processor wars, you know, the 386 versus the 486 versus the Pentium. And it was all about speed. And the thing with a computer processor, if you're a computer type, what matters is you never want the pipeline to be empty, right? You want to always make sure you have stuff for that processor to do so it never wastes time. The processor will, every command you give it, it operates the same as any other. It can switch. It doesn't care what they are. It just sits there and operates one command …”View more
Ridealong summary
The segment concludes that the hustle culture perpetuated by Silicon Valley has negatively affected our productivity and mental well-being. It discusses how the ideal workday should involve focused work followed by social interactions, contrasting it with the overwhelming demands of modern multitasking. The speaker argues that the human brain functions differently than computer processors, suggesting that the constant push for productivity is detrimental to our cognitive health.
Modern Wisdom·#1067 - Cal Newport - The collapse of modern attention (and how to get it back)·Mar 05, 2026
“Talking about selling out stadiums. I mean, Steve Jobs' self-presentation, the iconography of himself that he created, the way he spoke, the way he looked. I mean, it's interesting. Yeah. And I think Richard Bandler, you know, in addition to cultivating this tough guy image of himself, I mean, he often referred to himself as a mathematician, as a computer programmer. He took some undergraduate courses in these subjects from what we can figure out, but they weren't his major even. So I think his …”“Talking about selling out stadiums. I mean, Steve Jobs' self-presentation, the iconography of himself that he created, the way he spoke, the way he looked. I mean, it's interesting. Yeah. And I think Richard Bandler, you know, in addition to cultivating this tough guy image of himself, I mean, he often referred to himself as a mathematician, as a computer programmer. He took some undergraduate courses in these subjects from what we can figure out, but they weren't his major even. So I think his fascination with being that kind of rogue genius, too, isn't coincidental. And people sometimes confuse NLP with natural language processing, which is a field of computer science that greatly influenced AI. And it's unrelated, but the NLP creators probably wish it were related. just to close um so you mentioned this idea of you know taking …”View more
Ridealong summary
Today's Silicon Valley is echoing the aspirational language of 1970s Santa Cruz, where self-improvement and community betterment were paramount. Just as Richard Bandler and his NLP peers sought to transcend their limits, modern tech leaders tout their innovations as solutions to work-related woes. Yet, the question remains: will these technologies truly uplift us, or could they lead to unforeseen consequences?
TechStuff·What Do EMDR, Tony Robbins, and NXIVM Have in Common? NLP - The Story·Mar 11, 2026
“… years after the IPO, he was still running the weekly team meetings with Larry and Sergey. Were they just bad leaders? I mean, what? I don't know. Steve Jobs used Bill also, so I don't know that that makes him bad. I'm just highlighting the fact that there's no reason, from a DNA standpoint, that a founder should naturally be able to lead 1,000 people because there's a skill set required to lead 1,000 people, and no one's taught it to you. Can you learn it?”“… lead people like and it's not discussed much but but the zuckerbergs of the world i know for a fact that larry and sergey there's this gentleman named bill campbell who was unfortunately passed. The trillion-dollar coach? Yes. Campbell was there. Ten years after the IPO, he was still running the weekly team meetings with Larry and Sergey. Were they just bad leaders? I mean, what? I don't know. Steve Jobs used Bill also, so I don't know that that makes him bad. I'm just highlighting the fact that there's no reason, from a DNA standpoint, that a founder should naturally be able to lead 1,000 people because there's a skill set required to lead 1,000 people, and no one's taught it to you. Can you learn it?”View more
Ridealong summary
Being a CEO is often the loneliest job in America, requiring leaders to counter the emotions of their teams. Many founders, despite their success, lack the necessary skills to lead large organizations, as there is no formal training for this transition. This highlights the critical yet overlooked challenges of leadership in growing companies.
My First Million·Bill Gurley: 6 Out of 10 People Are Making This Mistake·Mar 09, 2026
“… billion dollars to rent Gemini and then builds an ecosystem right on top of it. It's kind of genius if you think about it. This is like the ghost of Steve Jobs' hand looking over the company. And actually, if you scroll up on this post a little bit, it's kind of me making fun of Apple and how they've kind of accidentally stumbled upon this miracle. And I would believe the optimist case if, in fact, they didn't totally fumble WWDC two years ago. There was a very clear intention to deploy Apple intelligence throughout the suite of hardware and to place themselves into this AI race. It just failed …”“… did with cell phones and the App Store and iOS, and they're doing exactly the same thing on AI. So you could actually look at it as Apple was so smart, not wasting hundreds of billions of dollars of their hard-earned cash and instead pays Google a billion dollars to rent Gemini and then builds an ecosystem right on top of it. It's kind of genius if you think about it. This is like the ghost of Steve Jobs' hand looking over the company. And actually, if you scroll up on this post a little bit, it's kind of me making fun of Apple and how they've kind of accidentally stumbled upon this miracle. And I would believe the optimist case if, in fact, they didn't totally fumble WWDC two years ago. There was a very clear intention to deploy Apple intelligence throughout the suite of hardware and to place themselves into this AI race. It just failed completely and catastrophically. And had that not have happened, I think I could have believed this optimist take, where they really are just being slow and calculated. But I think this was an accident. They just so happened to create the best hardware in the world. And it just so happens that all the AI models need to run on hardware just like this. …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's AI strategy appears accidental, benefiting from hardware demand rather than a deliberate AI model race, akin to NVIDIA's unexpected rise.
Limitless Podcast·Apple's Biggest AI Announcement This Week (Not MacBook Neo)·Mar 05, 2026
“But I mean, whoever that was who was doing that, whether it was Steve Jobs or somebody else, They're no longer at Apple. Today's Apple is correctly, I think, deciding to take advantage of essentially the dividend of computing power outpacing a lot of common tasks and go down market with the Mac. And I think they're going to sell a lot of them. I think it's a good idea. I think even beyond that, like, you know, the framing of it as like, you know, can people get away with just a phone chip for their computer? Like, I …”“But I mean, whoever that was who was doing that, whether it was Steve Jobs or somebody else, They're no longer at Apple. Today's Apple is correctly, I think, deciding to take advantage of essentially the dividend of computing power outpacing a lot of common tasks and go down market with the Mac. And I think they're going to sell a lot of them. I think it's a good idea. I think even beyond that, like, you know, the framing of it as like, you know, can people get away with just a phone chip for their computer? Like, I think the world has changed a lot in recent years. And one of the realities that many people like us maybe fail to see or appreciate fully is that for most people, their phone is their main computer or their primary or their best computer or their most used computer. And might have more pixels than this computer. Right. And so what computing has …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's shift to using phone chips in their computers could revolutionize how we perceive personal computing. As most users rely on their phones as their primary devices, Apple is capitalizing on this trend by creating laptops that function more like powerful smartphones. This change signifies a return to thin clients, where cloud-based computing takes center stage, challenging traditional notions of local processing power.
Accidental Tech Podcast·681: The Price of Your Nightmares·Mar 05, 2026
“… problem if I ever heard one. You get a lot of very smart, spiky personalities. And Mark and I talk about this sometimes. It's like, well, was Steve Jobs so mean to people because that just goes with being so brilliant? or because he could get away with it because he was so brilliant, right? Where did he come out? I've had the same debate. Yeah, so I think it's a little bit more the latter. And so I think that if you're running an organization... Wait, which one was the latter? I forgot. That he could get away with it, right? Like, he didn't have to do that. But he could do that. And, you know, …”“… to define, like, okay, what is it that we're not going to do here? And the thing about engineers is they're amazing at following rules. So if you make clear what the parameters are on it, and I find that in venture capital too. That's a venture capital problem if I ever heard one. You get a lot of very smart, spiky personalities. And Mark and I talk about this sometimes. It's like, well, was Steve Jobs so mean to people because that just goes with being so brilliant? or because he could get away with it because he was so brilliant, right? Where did he come out? I've had the same debate. Yeah, so I think it's a little bit more the latter. And so I think that if you're running an organization... Wait, which one was the latter? I forgot. That he could get away with it, right? Like, he didn't have to do that. But he could do that. And, you know, like, it's his company. He can do what he wants. I think that the problem with founders modeling themselves after jobs. I mean, to some extent, after Elon is, well, if you're not Jobs or Elon, maybe you can't get away with that. And like, maybe people just walk out the damn door in a way that they went with those guys. And it's very hard to have …”View more
Ridealong summary
Brilliant but difficult personalities can wreak havoc on organizational culture, as seen in the tech industry. Leaders must define acceptable behaviors to retain high-performing talent without sacrificing respect and collaboration. If you can't manage the genius without the jerk, your company might suffer the consequences.
The a16z Show·Ben Horowitz On What Makes a Great Founder·Mar 03, 2026
“… interesting transformation. Yeah, it really is. I mean, when you think about when the Air was first introduced 18 years ago or whenever it was, Steve Jobs pulling it out of an envelope, and it was very much this high-end aspirational product. And that failed. And then they immediately pivoted and said OK this is going to be a little bit lower end and priced more affordably and kind of replace the MacBook in a lot of ways Like we had the plastic MacBooks and really the drop in for that I think they still sold an aluminum MacBook maybe for a year or so, but the MacBook Air essentially became that. …”“… and the iPad Air, it can be argued that those devices really are for the every person that doesn't need the absolute power features and who might want something that's a little lighter weight in terms of price and in terms of features. So that's a really interesting transformation. Yeah, it really is. I mean, when you think about when the Air was first introduced 18 years ago or whenever it was, Steve Jobs pulling it out of an envelope, and it was very much this high-end aspirational product. And that failed. And then they immediately pivoted and said OK this is going to be a little bit lower end and priced more affordably and kind of replace the MacBook in a lot of ways Like we had the plastic MacBooks and really the drop in for that I think they still sold an aluminum MacBook maybe for a year or so, but the MacBook Air essentially became that. And to Shelley's point, I think essentially became kind of like the everyman computer, right? That was the one that you got at your office. That was the one you got for college. That was the laptop. they abandoned that for a while and stopped kind of updating it and then kind of, you know, woofed it a little bit at the end of the Intel era, in my …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's new modem technology could revolutionize user privacy by limiting precise location tracking through carrier participation. This feature, introduced in iOS 16.3, allows users to restrict how much location data cellular networks can access, enhancing privacy significantly. However, its effectiveness hinges on carrier support, which remains uncertain in the U.S.
MacBreak Weekly (Audio)·MBW 1014: iPhone 17e: The "Enough" Phone - New iPad Air, M5 Pro, and M5 Max Chips·Mar 03, 2026
“… they market it It's it's it's fascinating. Yeah I should also mention that on February 24th, which is the day where we're according to this, that's Steve Jobs' birthday. He was born in 1955. It's also my mom's birthday, so happy birthday if you're listening. He'd have been 71, right? Yep, he would have been 71. Should we just jump into Comic Corner?”“… figure out how to make a MacBook That's not you know a version that people don't want But that's several hundred dollars cheaper than the one that we sell now I'm very interested to see how they sell it what it looks like how they present it how they market it It's it's it's fascinating. Yeah I should also mention that on February 24th, which is the day where we're according to this, that's Steve Jobs' birthday. He was born in 1955. It's also my mom's birthday, so happy birthday if you're listening. He'd have been 71, right? Yep, he would have been 71. Should we just jump into Comic Corner?”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple is strategically using the 'Special Experience' event to boost Mac OS adoption by introducing a low-cost MacBook, aiming to capture more of the computer market.
Macworld Podcast·Episode 972: What to expect at Apple's March 4 event·Feb 25, 2026
“… You can't, I don't know, note to Alan Dye, two months out the door, you can't cut yourself with the radius of a window on screen. Just because Steve Jobs liked rounded recs doesn't mean you should keep going that way. But it really does feel like they're moving towards, I really hate to say it and to go to this extreme, but like an idiocracy future where even on the Mac, the whole interface is designed for people who can't read. If you assume that people can read, a lot of these decisions make no sense. And one of the things that's going to be interesting is that we are, interestingly, moving …”“… are meant to be read, and most push buttons, if there's space for them, it's better to have just words. And it makes me feel, it's like an infantilizing aspect of it. It fits in with the big safety, like kindergarten scissors corner radius of the windows. You can't, I don't know, note to Alan Dye, two months out the door, you can't cut yourself with the radius of a window on screen. Just because Steve Jobs liked rounded recs doesn't mean you should keep going that way. But it really does feel like they're moving towards, I really hate to say it and to go to this extreme, but like an idiocracy future where even on the Mac, the whole interface is designed for people who can't read. If you assume that people can read, a lot of these decisions make no sense. And one of the things that's going to be interesting is that we are, interestingly, moving back towards a much more textual future with LLMs. Yeah, exactly. There's no interface to an LLM other than words. So the idea that words are old, shut up old man, nobody reads anymore. It's like that's how everybody, the hottest thing in years in tech is entirely text-based, almost. And even when you're doing visual things like generating images or …”View more
Ridealong summary
The shift towards icon-only interfaces is leading us into a future where reading is undervalued, potentially making users reliant on visual cues alone. As designers grapple with the challenge of conveying complex commands through icons, the reality is that most users still need words to navigate effectively. This raises the question: are we sacrificing clarity for simplicity in user interface design?
The Talk Show With John Gruber·441: ‘Serious Opinionators’, With Adam Engst·Feb 25, 2026
“… world, you're sort of by definition anchoring on whatever specifications or whatever can be measured, can be put down. And you had the old sort of Steve Jobs adage about feeds and speeds versus like the feel of something, where the intersection of, what the fuck does that mean? And it's just like, well, what it actually means is there's things that can't be measured and that don't go on an Excel spreadsheet. And everyone you talk to acknowledges this, say, yes, there's things that can't be measured. And the way it actually plays out in practice is only the things that measure sort of matter. I think …”“… actually entails is sort of perfect competition, which is a very sort of brutal game that can just wipe out entire categories. That's basically what happened in newspapers in many respects. So that's number one. Number two, in a world of this sort of world, you're sort of by definition anchoring on whatever specifications or whatever can be measured, can be put down. And you had the old sort of Steve Jobs adage about feeds and speeds versus like the feel of something, where the intersection of, what the fuck does that mean? And it's just like, well, what it actually means is there's things that can't be measured and that don't go on an Excel spreadsheet. And everyone you talk to acknowledges this, say, yes, there's things that can't be measured. And the way it actually plays out in practice is only the things that measure sort of matter. I think this has happened to, there's a huge problem with sports analytics, is a great example of this, where I think basketball is my favorite sport. There's a lot that goes into basketball and winning that is somewhat hard to wrap your hands around. It's not like baseball is very measurable. Baseball is very measurable. I do think there's aspects about …”View more
Ridealong summary
The rise of AI in e-commerce could lead to a brutal form of perfect competition, wiping out entire product categories. As AI becomes the new aggregator, it challenges traditional advertising models and raises concerns about the loss of unique, human qualities in consumer goods. This shift may enhance transparency but risks reducing products to mere data points, devoid of character and soul.
Cheeky Pint·Ben Thompson from Stratechery on AI ads, the end of SaaS, and the future of media·Feb 12, 2026
“… to oversee it and another to bug test it and another to make your unit test. And it can completely level up your coding. You know, I'm reminded of Steve Jobs when he explained how the computer, like the Mac, was going to be the bicycle for the mind with with coding. And with the agentic stuff in general, it's that same level up.”“… Code, of course, was to write code. And you would have multiple agents. You'd have one to write your code. You'd have another to review your code. You might have one to write the back end code, one to write the user interface code and then another to oversee it and another to bug test it and another to make your unit test. And it can completely level up your coding. You know, I'm reminded of Steve Jobs when he explained how the computer, like the Mac, was going to be the bicycle for the mind with with coding. And with the agentic stuff in general, it's that same level up.”View more
Ridealong summary
Agentic coding systems can transform how we write and manage code, using local AI agents to automate tasks. By leveraging tools like Claude Code, developers can streamline their workflow, from writing to testing code, reminiscent of how personal computers enhanced creativity. This evolution in coding technology could redefine productivity in software development.
Mac Geek Gab·Cool Stuff Found While Surfing with Agentic Browsers — Mac Geek Gab 1128·Feb 09, 2026
“… asked about the iPhone like, are people really good? Apple didn't go like, it's inevitable. They were like, try it and you'll see. I will say, Steve Jobs, famously an asshole. Yeah, you're holding it.”“… like, I can imagine sort of being like, take it or leave it. Who gives a shit? It's going to happen. I appreciate the honesty of the answer. But if your job is literally to market it to a journalist. Like Apple, when the iPhone first came out and people asked about the iPhone like, are people really good? Apple didn't go like, it's inevitable. They were like, try it and you'll see. I will say, Steve Jobs, famously an asshole. Yeah, you're holding it.”View more
Ridealong summary
Tech companies are experiencing a midlife crisis as they scramble to adapt to the rapid rise of AI, fearing they might miss the next big thing. This panic stems from past failures, like Microsoft's missteps in mobile, and a growing disconnect from consumer desires. The conversation reveals a deeper issue: companies are uncertain about how to innovate while staying true to user needs.
Better Offline·CES 2026: Part Six (Thursday)·Jan 08, 2026
“… kids who are either just or about to, well, she will in three years, graduate from college. So I'm worried about that because that's the layer of jobs that are being taken out. But I think we are now getting so much smarter about the risks of AI. I mean, ChatGPT's been out for what, two years, 18 months, something like that? And we were all like, yay! And now we're like, oh. So there's a lot of that. At some point, it's going to be our future. I don't believe, much like crypto, I don't believe it's our future yet. That's what I think. Yeah You No I would agree with that I think the backlash …”“… because it's coming, whether it comes tomorrow or in 10 years. Thoughts? What are your thoughts on it? What the hell is that? So look, number one, I do think it's a bubble, and I think the whole debt thing that you brought up is very real. I've got two kids who are either just or about to, well, she will in three years, graduate from college. So I'm worried about that because that's the layer of jobs that are being taken out. But I think we are now getting so much smarter about the risks of AI. I mean, ChatGPT's been out for what, two years, 18 months, something like that? And we were all like, yay! And now we're like, oh. So there's a lot of that. At some point, it's going to be our future. I don't believe, much like crypto, I don't believe it's our future yet. That's what I think. Yeah You No I would agree with that I think the backlash has been growing primarily because the companies I mean the way that the CEOs of the AI companies message like you have the CEO of Anthropic come out and be like this is going to take 50 of jobs And it's like, I don't think you should say that. Right. Yeah. And it's really interesting because it's almost marketed as a religion of sorts, I think, in …”View more
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Jerome Powell's commitment to public service is evident despite the challenges, but concerns about Fed independence and political pressures remain significant.
Jerome Powell is likely to stay on the Federal Reserve board to ensure stability, despite the challenges and investigations he faces.
“… Macworld Expo, but it was just introduced. It was introduced even before that. Yeah, I forgot to look this up, but if I recall, September of the – Steve Jobs kind of teased it as the thing that completes the story. They called it ITV. And there was a big legal battle because there was an ITV out there. I think Logitech had a device or something. It was everybody wanted to make a set-top box device at this point to get into your living room. And so there was an ITV out there because of a trademark dispute with – I think ultimately it was like the British Broadcasting Network ITV. There was that. They …”“… you go. So I'm well rested. Somebody in a comment, YouTube comments said I needed to get some rest. I got some rest, so I was able to do that math. But yeah, 19 years ago, the original Apple TV came out. Now, it was introduced the previous January at Macworld Expo, but it was just introduced. It was introduced even before that. Yeah, I forgot to look this up, but if I recall, September of the – Steve Jobs kind of teased it as the thing that completes the story. They called it ITV. And there was a big legal battle because there was an ITV out there. I think Logitech had a device or something. It was everybody wanted to make a set-top box device at this point to get into your living room. And so there was an ITV out there because of a trademark dispute with – I think ultimately it was like the British Broadcasting Network ITV. There was that. They want to sell it globally, so that was ultimately what made them switch the name before it was released. And it's funny because had it come out as ITV, I don't know how it affects the development, but at least the naming of stuff. Like that was the first like Apple product, like Apple something. Right. If I recall.”View more
Ridealong summary
The original Apple TV launched on March 21, 2007, but its name almost became ITV due to a trademark dispute. This change not only impacted branding but also marked a significant moment in Apple's foray into living room technology. Discover how legal battles shaped the iconic product we know today.
Macworld Podcast·Episode 976: WWDC26 news, Apple TV rumors, and more·Mar 25, 2026
“… And so they've got the, you know, and you get into kind of psychoanalysis quickly, but you get into the kind of broken home, you know, or, you know, Steve Jobs being adopted or whatever. And you kind of have all these stories. And, you know, the metaphor is like when the bone breaks, it either doesn't heal or when it heals, you know, it's stronger. And so you're trying to get people who are kind of responding to kind of childhood pain through kind of overachievement. And I think there's something to that. And in particular, I think what there is to that, that is really important. I haven't talked …”“… an art or like whatever it is, you know, sort of this primal drive to create. Do you find drive through pain the most contributing factors to success? I mean, the full version of the theory is all the great founders are broken in some way, right? And so they've got the, you know, and you get into kind of psychoanalysis quickly, but you get into the kind of broken home, you know, or, you know, Steve Jobs being adopted or whatever. And you kind of have all these stories. And, you know, the metaphor is like when the bone breaks, it either doesn't heal or when it heals, you know, it's stronger. And so you're trying to get people who are kind of responding to kind of childhood pain through kind of overachievement. And I think there's something to that. And in particular, I think what there is to that, that is really important. I haven't talked about it of like, You need some reason to get out of bed in the morning That not just I have a job or it not just I don want to embarrass myself or it not just I want to be responsible You have to have like a primal reason when things are really really bad when the shit really hits the fan and you're just miserable and like you dread checking your …”View more
Ridealong summary
Many successful founders are driven by a primal ambition that goes beyond monetary gain; they often channel past traumas into their relentless pursuit of achievement. Marc Andreessen argues that while some founders like Zuckerberg and Gates may not have obvious trauma, a deep intrinsic motivation is often what keeps them fighting through adversity. This drive to create something meaningful can stem from personal pain, leading to extraordinary success.