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This week, we dive into tech layoffs: which companies are hiring and firing — and what that means for job-seekers.Then Ripple general manager Monica Long joins us to explain how some companies are trying to make cryptocurrency more sustainable —  and why the crypto crash is so significant.And finally, we discuss an important question: Where should next year's Davos attendees dine out?For more on the topics in this week's episode:Netflix's layoffs reveal a larger diversity challenge in techEverything you need to know about tech layoffs and hiring slowdowns'TC or GTFO' may be a sign that Silicon Valley's money obsession has gone too farApple is raising its retail hourly starting salary to $22 and spreading anti-union messagesApple retail workers withdraw bid for unionIs tech's hot job market flaming out?What downturn? A16z raises $4.5 billion for latest crypto fundThe Ripple-SEC legal brawl could be a game-changer for crypto

This week, we break down why Elon Musk is tweeting about the S&P 500's ESG rankings — and why he might be right to be mad. Then we discuss how tech companies are failing to prevent mass shootings, and why the new Texas social media law might make it more difficult for platforms to be proactive.Then Protocol's Biz Carson, author of the weekly VC newsletter Pipeline, joins us to explain the state of venture capital amidst plunging stocks and declining revenues. Should founders start panicking? The answer might surprise you. And finally, we discuss an important question: Is Polaroid a high-tech camera company?For more on the topics in this week's episode:Elon is mad about ESG ratings. He has a point.'We'll be here again': How tech companies try and fail to prevent terrorismTech companies are under investigation for their role in the Buffalo shootingSocial media's legal foundation just crumbled in Texas. Here's what's next.So long, easy moneyThe 'new normal' in startups was never normalSubscribe to our daily Source Code newsletter to stay up to date on everything you need to know about the tech industry.

This week, we're diving into the crypto crash. What led luna to fall off a cliff? Are we seeing the dot-com bust, part two? Protocol fintech editor Owen Thomas explains it all to us. Then entertainment reporter Janko Roettgers joins us to share the inside scoop on his exclusive interview with Mark Zuckerberg. We learn why Meta is betting it all on the metaverse and Brian finally gets to ask the most pressing question on his mind this week: What does Mark smell like? And finally, Caitlin and Brian take a moment to reminisce about the iPod, which was put out to pasture this week after more than two decades on the market. For more on the topics in this week's episode:Exclusive: Mixed reality on Meta's Quest offers a glimpse at the future of visual computingMark Zuckerberg on his big metaverse bet: 'I feel a responsibility to go for it.'The crypto crash, explainedThe tech superbubble might burstCryptocurrencies are tanking. This chart shows how bad it is.

This week, we're talking the tech implications of the Supreme Court's draft ruling on Roe v. Wade, including how Amazon — a company not always synonymous with workers' rights — has made a major commitment to ensure its employees living in states where abortion could be banned can still access health care. We'll also explore the new climate misinformation war on Facebook to keep things extra uplifting. Then, Gizmodo reporter Shoshana Wodinsky joins us to explain how data brokers and ad tech firms buy and sell information that could put users at risk in a post-Roe world. Finally, Caitlin and Brian take a breather from crushing sadness to consider the following very important question: Is Target tech?For more on the topics in this week's episode:Amazon's $4,000 abortion benefit is more important than you think​Climate denial is dead on Facebook. What replaced it is more insidious.Gizmodo: How to Get an Abortion in the Age of SurveillanceTech companies are figuring out how to respond to a post-Roe v. Wade world13 states might ban abortion. At least 30 tech companies call those states home.

The Biden Administration set an ambitious climate goal: cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030. That prospect is looking less likely, experts say, and this week we discuss why — and where we go from here.Then Protocol reporter Kate Kaye joins the podcast to explain what it means to open-source an algorithm, and why Elon Musk might run into challenges if he tries to spill Twitter's secret sauce to the public. Kate also teaches us the meaning of the cursed phrase "algorithmic disgorgement" and how the FTC is using it to police tech companies.And finally, we answer a critical question: Are sleeping bag shoes tech?For more on the topics in this week's episode:Bloomberg: President Biden's Climate Ambitions Are All But DeadBiden is bailing out nukes. He'll need to do that and more.Manchin calls EV tax credit expansion 'ludicrous'The FTC's 'profoundly vague' plan to force companies to destroy algorithms could get very messyThe FTC's new enforcement weapon spells death for algorithmsThe eve of 'algorithmic destruction'?Is it tech? Teva sleeping bag shoesDon't forget to smash the subscribe button for our Source Code newsletter to stay up to date on what's happening in tech.

Same Source Code podcast, new sound. This week, Protocol editors and self-proclaimed soft-serve swirl Caitlin McGarry and Brian Kahn are taking over the pod as your new hosts. This week, we talk about the great streaming shakeup, from Netflix's subscriber decline to the not-so-surprising CNN+ shutdown. We also dive into tech companies' favorite climate solution — unfortunately, it doesn't exist yet. Then Protocol fintech editor Owen Thomas joins us to talk about Elon Musk's Twitter takeover attempt. Is Musk's hostile bid for real or is the world's richest man simply on a $43 billion lark? Caitlin and Brian also debate the question on everyone's mind: Are soft-serve machines tech?For more on the topics in this week's episode:All you need to know about Netflix's advertising plansCNN+ was always doomedHow much carbon dioxide removal do we actually need?Elon Musk's Twitter takeover bid: Almost all of your questions answeredDon't forget to smash the subscribe button for our Source Code newsletter to stay up to date on what's happening in tech.

Spotify doesn't want to just build a better way to listen to music. (Though, yes, it does want to do that.) The company has made clear over the last couple of years that its ambitions are much bigger: Spotify has invested deeply in podcasting both for creators and consumers, it has delved into the world of audiobook, it acquired a company to build a live-audio product, and in general it wants to be the home of audio online.If you really want to understand where Spotify is going, though, forget the music and audio industry altogether. Look at what's happening with video online. YouTube is making video searchable, discoverable and wildly lucrative; TikTok is making it social, remixable and viral. Spotify wants to do all of that, but in your headphones instead of on your screen. And that means rethinking the way the entire audio business — and tech stack — works.Gustav Soderstrom, Spotify's chief R&D officer and chief product officer, leads a team of thousands building the future the company imagines. He joined the Source Code podcast to talk about why audio was skipped over in the evolution of technology, how Spotify is trying to balance supporting an open ecosystem with building its own stuff, and how audio changes when you treat it like software. (One thing he didn't want to talk about? Joe Rogan, and the questions the company faces about content moderation and misinformation. That's for another episode.) He also talked about Spotify's ongoing quest to figure out how to bring all that audio into a single app in a way that makes sense.For more on the topics in this episode:Gustav Soderstrom on TwitterHow Spotify uses SpotifySpotify's audio revolutionSpotify is taking on Clubhouse for audio-chat supremacySpotify has plans to move beyond music and become the Instagram and TikTok of audio — ForbesFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Bringing you a recent Protocol Live, "Recruiting and retaining talent in the new world of work." The “Great Resignation” has shaken up the tech industry in ways unseen. Employees are leaving their jobs without securing employment and 41% of workers reported at least thinking about leaving their company this year. Not to mention, tech workers have more bargaining power than ever.How do you compete for top tech talent today? And what are the best ways to hold onto your employees in the new labor market? Join Protocol and a panel of talent and workplace specialists as they discuss the most innovative ways to recruit and retain great employees.For more, and for the full video, check out Protocol's coverage of the event.

Frances Haugen. Susan Fowler. Edward Snowden. Erika Cheung. As the tech industry continues to face a reckoning, whistleblowers inside of companies are playing a huge role in bringing important information to light. Sarah Alexander – everybody calls her Poppy — is a partner at the law firm Constantine Cannon, and works with whistleblowers all over the world. From the first meeting to what she calls the “cold-shower talk” about the hardships that come with going public, Alexander's job is to help whistleblowers bring about the change they seek. It's not easy for anyone involved, she said. But it might be getting easier.Alexander joined the Source Code podcast to explain how whistleblowing works, why there have been so many high-profile whistleblowers in the tech industry, how companies and governments alike can better support whistleblowers, and much more.For more on the topics in this episode:Poppy Alexander on TwitterConstantine CannonThe Tech Worker HandbookBeing a tech whistleblower is dangerous and expensive. Now there's a guide to the risks.This was the year tech workers found their powerFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Protocol Climate launched this week, so we sat down with editor Brian Kahn to talk about tech's role in solving climate change, whether it's possible to save the world and get rich at the same time, how to read a corporate climate plan, and much more. For more on the topics in this episode:Brian Kahn on TwitterHow to read a tech company climate planHow to write a climate plan that doesn't suckThe hottest investment in 2021? Climate tech.Startups are popping up to offer carbon offsets. It's raising thorny questions.Uber's fight to shift drivers to EVs will be a massive uphill battleCities are at the forefront of the climate revolutionFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Jeff Kosseff's last book turned out to be pretty prescient. He published “The Twenty-Six Words That Created The Internet,” a deep look at the history and future of Section 230, right as those 26 words became central to the regulatory fight over the future of the internet.With his next book, Kosseff, a professor at the Naval Academy, may have done the same thing. The book is titled “The United States of Anonymous,” and it deals with the centuries-old argument about whether people should be allowed to say things without having to identify themselves. In the U.S., courts have given a lot of leeway and protection to anonymous speakers, but the internet has changed the equation, and companies and governments alike are still figuring out what to do.Kosseff joined the Source Code podcast to discuss his new book, how technologies like bulletin boards and Tor and facial recognition are changing the way we think about anonymity, and why he thinks that even though anonymity allows bad people to do bad things, he thinks it's still worth preserving. And even fighting for.For more on the topics in this episode:Jeff KosseffJeff Kosseff on TwitterThe United States of AnonymousThe Twenty-Six Words That Created The InternetHow Facebook's real-name policy changed social media forever“The Phone in My Pocket Was a Weapon Being Used Against Me”For all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Ben Brody joins the show to discuss the state of the Section 230 debate, and why Justice Clarence Thomas wants it to come up in the Supreme Court so badly. Then, Lizzy Lawrence explains why so many startups are eager to disrupt PowerPoint, and why the future of meetings might be more like a late-night show. Finally, Kate Kaye discusses how enterprise companies are working with the military, and why those relationships seem to be worth the downsides.For more on the topics in this episode:Lizzy Lawrence on TwitterWant to engage your remote team? Turn that corporate presentation into 'The Tonight Show.'Ben Brody on TwitterClarence Thomas really wants the Supreme Court to take up Section 230 nowFrom 2020: Clarence Thomas thinks it's time to rein in Section 230Republican tech skeptics are flirting with progressives' choice for antitrust chiefKate Kaye on TwitterWorking with the military is lucrative. For enterprise AI companies, it's also a minefield.For all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Apple's latest launch event turned into something of a Mac showcase. And featured much more chip discussion than your average launch event. Protocol's Caitlin McGarry joins the show to talk about the new Mac Studio, iPad Air, iPhone SE and everything else Apple announced on Tuesday, plus what it all means and why laptops and desktops are suddenly the hottest gadgets on the market. For more on the topics in this episode:Caitlin McGarry on TwitterEverything Apple announced on Tuesday — WiredApple is now a computer company againApple's new M1 Ultra fuses two chips together to make One Big Chip For all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Issie Lapowsky joins the show to discuss how Meta, Twitter, YouTube and other platforms have responded to the war in Ukraine, and why their response is so much stronger than in the past. Then, Janko Roettgers dives into the rise and fall of RT, and why so many platforms banned the channel. Finally, Nick Statt explains how video games ended up so important to this crisis — along with a brief diversion into Amazon's gaming strategy, which finally seems to be working.For more on the topics in this episode:Issie Lapowsky on TwitterRussia's playing chicken with FacebookTwitter and Meta rush to protect user accounts in UkraineMeta rolls out encrypted Instagram DMs in Russia and UkraineJanko Roettgers on TwitterAccused of spreading propaganda, RT gets deplatformedRT America is closing down following worldwide backlashNick Statt on TwitterTwitch takes aim at anti-vaxxers, Russian propaganda and QAnonAmazon's Luna cloud gaming service opens its doorsEA is scrubbing Russian teams from its FIFA and hockey gamesFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Social networks don't feel so … social anymore. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and the rest seem to be leaning ever further into entertainment, and away from helping people find and chat with people like them. But Glass is hoping to be different. The new photo-sharing social network is determined to find a better, less problematic, more social way to network. Tom Watson and Stefan Borsje, the co-founders of Glass, have both worked in tech for years, and have seen the pitfalls that come to social apps. So they've set out to build Glass very differently. They're not taking VC money, they're not prioritizing growth and engagement above all else, and they won't even show you how many times people liked your photo. In the process, they hope they're building a place photographers might actually want to be.Watson and Borsje joined the Source Code podcast to discuss Glass, the state and future of social networking, and what it takes to build something different.For more on the topics in this episode:GlassTom Watson on GlassStefan Borsje on GlassGlass' Tom Watson — Om MalikGet Together: How to build a community with your people, by Bailey RichardsonFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Today we're bringing you another Protocol Live, this one on a subject near and dear to seemingly everyone in tech: how to build the metaverse. And maybe more important, how to build it right. Protocol's Nick Statt and Janko Roettgers chatted with a panel of smart metaverse thinkers about the tools, standards, systems and rules for the metaverse, and why it matters so much to get them right from the beginning.For more on the topics in this episode:The full live event: How to build the metaverse, and build it rightNick Statt on TwitterJanko Roettgers on TwitterMarc Petit on TwitterTiffany Xingyu Wang on TwitterSly Spencer Lee on TwitterFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Online dating hasn't been novel for a few years now. It's now the most common way people meet, and it's only becoming more central to the way modern romance works. But the next shift is already beginning, as the internet begins to move out of the social networking phase and into whatever this crypto, metaverse, Web3 thing is going to become.Dushyant Saraph, Match's chief product and revenue officer, is in charge of figuring out what that shift looks like for dating and relationships. That means, yes, the metaverse! (Whatever that turns out to mean.) It also means finding ways to foster connection over long distances, on screens and through headphones. It means combining the digital and physical worlds in ways that make sense to users from all sorts of backgrounds and age brackets.For the final episode in our monthlong series on how tech is shaping dating, love, sex, marriage and what relationships of all kinds look like in an increasingly digital world, Saraph joined the Source Code podcast to talk about VR dating, video chat, why we don't need legs to have a good time in the metaverse and much more.For more on the topics in this episode:Dushyant Saraph on LinkedInMatchDating juggernaut Match buys Seoul-based Hyperconnect for $1.73B, its biggest acquisition ever — TechCrunchMatch's 2022 Letter to ShareholdersIntroducing Swipe Night: An Original Adventure Built for The Swipe® Feature — TinderFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Issie Lapowsky joins the show to talk about Nick Clegg's new job at Meta, what it means for Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, and what to do about the term “Metamates.” Then Lizzy Lawrence explains what's next at Peloton, both for the company itself and for the 2,800 people it recently laid off. Finally, Nick Statt explains why metaverse real estate is booming, and what it means for the future of digital spaces.For more on the topics in this episode:Issie Lapowsky on TwitterWhat Nick Clegg's promotion means for Meta, Mark and SherylMeta employees are now its 'metamates'Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse will require computing tech no one knows how to buildLizzy Lawrence on TwitterLife after PelotonNick Statt on TwitterThe virtual real estate boom is turning the metaverse into the Wild West. And it has the true believers on edge.For all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

After two years of pandemic-induced cancellations, postponements and overall chaos, the wedding industry is back. The Knot estimates that there will be 2.6 million weddings in the U.S alone in 2022, about half a million more than a typical year. As we've all gotten used to hybrid meetings and Zoom happy hours, has tech changed weddings forever, too?Not really, said Esther Lee, a senior editor and wedding expert at The Knot. But tech is changing the way people plan their weddings in a big way, from vendor searches to wedding gifts to the all-important wedding hashtag.Lee joined the Source Code podcast to talk about Zoom weddings, getting married in the metaverse, how Teslas became the hot getaway car, and much more.For more on the topics in this episode:The KnotEsther Lee on TwitterEsther Lee on The KnotThe Knot 2021 Real Weddings StudyFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

It's Super Bowl weekend! And the Olympics! It's a big time for sports fans, and a big time for TV networks everywhere. There's more money in live sports than ever, but at the same time, the market is clearly starting to shift. That change starts with young fans, who would much rather watch and share highlights than sit through three hours of football and commercials. Buzzer's Bo Han is trying to capitalize on that change, and help leagues and networks alike to adjust to the new reality. He joined the show to discuss how how younger fans interact with the teams and players they love, how gambling and fantasy are changing sports, and why the Super Bowl remains unstoppable even as the rest of the media changes around it.For more on the topics in this episode:Bo Han on TwitterBuzzerHouse of Highlights on InstagramSuper Bowl audience peaks before halftime as viewer pool shrinks, ages – SporticoFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

You may know Maria Avgitidis as “Matchmaker Maria,” TikTok's favorite reviewer of dating profiles. She'll tell you which pictures need to be swapped out, why putting your Instagram handle in your profile is a red flag, and whether you're sharing too much or too little before you get swiped.Avgitidis is also the owner of Agape Match, a high-end matchmaking company in New York City. For more than a decade, she's been working with clients to help them find love in an increasing digital, app-centric world. It's harder than ever to just meet someone in a bar, she said — and not just when a pandemic makes bars impossible.For our second episode in a monthlong series about how tech is changing dating, love, relationships, sex and what it means to be a human in a world filled with other humans, Avgitidis told us about what it takes to make a perfect dating profile, how she helps her clients get off dating apps and into the real world, why swapping Instagram handles is more of a second-date thing, and much more.For more on the topics in this episode:@realmatchmakermaria on TikTokAgape MatchMaria's podcast, Ask a MatchmakerFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

First, a quick update on tech's earnings. Then, Issie Lapowsky joins the show to discuss what Spotify can and should do about Joe Rogan, and why platforms keep having the same content issues. Next, Nick Statt explains why Sony bought Bungie, and what it says about the company's vision for the future of gaming. Finally, Anna Kramer explains what's happening with the union fight at Amazon warehouses, and the regulation that might be coming.For more on the topics in this episode:Issie Lapowsky on TwitterSpotify's big Rogan mistakeBlame cheap music for Joe Rogan being on SpotifySpotify CEO defends Joe Rogan deal in tense company town hall — The VergeNick Statt on TwitterWhat Sony sees in Destiny developer BungieAnna Kramer on TwitterThe next Amazon union vote in Bessemer, Alabama, is set for early FebruaryTwo Amazon warehouses in Staten Island are trying to unionizeAmazon warehouses have notorious injury rates. States are finally doing something about it.For all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Even during a pandemic-fueled period of lockdown and social distancing, dating apps have continued to boom. In part because they're the only game in town; people can't meet in bars or mingle at work functions, so they're turning to apps as a way to find love. In fact, technology sits at the center of dating and relationships like never before. What does that mean a dating app should be?That's what Justin McLeod, the CEO of Hinge, spends his time thinking about. Hinge has been on a growth tear the last couple of years — McLeod said it's the fastest-growing dating app on the market — as it tries to help users be more thoughtful, intentional and effective in finding someone to be with. Hinge's thing has always been that it is “the dating app designed to be deleted,” which feels increasingly unusual in a market crowded with apps trying to steal your every waking second. (A disclaimer: Bennett Richardson, Protocol's president, was in a former life a co-founder of Hinge.) For the first episode in Source Code's monthlong series about how tech is affecting love, dating, sex, relationships and everything else, McLeod joined the show to talk about the role of dating apps, what “dating” even means in an increasingly digital world, and what it means to build an app you hope people don't really use.For more on the topics in this episode:HingeJustin McLeod on LinkedInHinge's Chaotic Voice Prompts Are the Best Thing to Happen to Dating — JezebelHinge's founder gets vulnerable about data, addiction, and ‘Modern Love' — Fast CompanyFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Ben Pimentel explains why crypto prices are falling, the regulation that has the industry nervous, and whether this is a blip on the radar or a true crypto winter. Then, Janko Roettgers helps us make sense of Netflix's tough earnings report, and why the company is pushing hard into gaming. Finally, Kate Kaye updates us on the state of AI text generators, and the latest in GPT-3.For more on the topics in this episode:Ben Pimentel on TwitterCrypto winter is comingRipple CEO Brad Garlinghouse on the SEC's XRP lawsuitRipple makes a contrarian move in the face of the crypto meltdownRobinhood is bleeding. Jamie Dimon is spending.Here's the latest sign that Meta's crypto project Diem is falling apartJanko Roettgers on TwitterGoogle is developing a low-end Chromecast with Google TVNetflix looks to expand gaming with major IP deals, Fortnite-like updatesNetflix's stock rollercoaster, explainedKate Kaye on TwitterOpenAI's new language AI improves on GPT-3, but still lies and stereotypesFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Who will you be in the metaverse? It's both a surprisingly philosophical question and a potentially critical one for businesses everywhere, as they continue to design what virtual worlds look like and how we live inside of them. Akash Nigam has been working on his answers for a while. As CEO of Genies, he's worked with celebrities like Justin Bieber and Rihanna to create digital avatars they can use for album releases, commercial shoots and to generally be places they can't physically go. Now, Genies is working on something much bigger: an open, decentralized avatar system that lets anyone build their own metaverse character, and then build a world around it.Nigam joined the Source Code podcast to talk about how avatars should look and work, and why they're such a powerful and important thing to get right. He also explained why he thinks digital accessorizing is going to take over the fashion industry, why he's out on photo-realistic avatars, and why the long-term vision for Web3 is so much more exciting than the current state of things.For more on the topics discussed in this episode:Akash Nigam on TwitterGeniesGiving you ownership — Genies BlogCould they be any more famous?  — The Ringer

Nick Statt joins the show to discuss Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and what it means for the tech and game industries. Then, Issie Lapowsky talks about a big week in antitrust reform, and whether real progress is being made in the U.S. Finally, Hirsh Chitkara explains why AT&T, Verizon, the FAA and airlines have been fighting for months about 5G coverage.For more on the topics in this episode:Nick Statt on TwitterMicrosoft's big bet on the future of gamingMicrosoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition will reshape the game industryActivision Blizzard's workplace crisis instigated Microsoft saleWhat the Activision Blizzard deal means for game devs and platforms — PolygonIssie Lapowsky on TwitterThe antitrust boom is comingTim Cook, Ted Cruz and the strange politics of tech antitrustHirsh Chitkara on TwitterThe FAA that cried wolf on 5GAirlines ground 5G deployment for the third timeFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Business is booming for 1Password. The company just announced it has raised $620 million, at a valuation of $6.8 billion, from a roster of A-list celebrities and well-known venture capitalists.But what does a password manager need with $620 million? Jeff Shiner, 1Password's CEO, has some plans. He's building the team fast — 1Password has nearly tripled in size in the last two years, up to 500 employees, and plans to double again this year — while also expanding the vision of what a password manager can do. 1Password has long been a consumer-first product, but the biggest opportunity lies in bringing the company's knowhow, its user experience, and its security chops into the business world. 1Password already has more than 100,000 business customers, and it plans to expand fast.More broadly, Shiner said he wants to help companies and users alike rethink how security works. There's really no other choice: Thanks to an increase in remote work, the overwhelming consumerization of business software, and a litany of new security problems around the industry, the days of “just log in to the VPN” are dying and not coming back. In its place, Shiner said he hopes 1Password can help usher in a better, and more secure, system.Shiner joined the Source Code podcast to talk about 1Password's new cash flow, its stance on everything from crypto wallets to Sign In With Google buttons, and how a password manager could take an increasingly central role in our online lives.  For more on the topics in this episode:Jeff Shiner on Twitter1Password1Password's study on burnoutFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Nick Statt joins the show to discuss the rise of Wordle, the subsequent rise of the Wordle clones, and why it's so easy to copy a game. Then Ben Pimentel chats about the fight over Web3, why Jack Dorsey and Marc Andreessen are at odds, and the killer app for the future of the web. Finally, Allison Levitsky explains some of the big new future-of-work trends, including the four-day workweek and dog-walker perks.For more on the topics in this episode:Nick Statt on TwitterThere are scores of Wordle clones on iOS because of course there areThe maker of Grand Theft Auto just bought Zynga in the biggest game deal in historyBen Pimentel on TwitterJack Dorsey wants to help bitcoin developers fight legal battlesThe crypto-communists behind the Web3 revolutionWhen Web3 looks more like Web 2.0OpenSea puts Web3's decentralized nature to the testAllison Levitsky on TwitterTech's big new ideas about workDog walkers and housekeepers: What perks should you pay for when offices reopen?Is mastering your emotions the key to tech leadership?For all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Nothing about the state of education feels “normal” right now. If you're a parent, you're trying to navigate hybrid learning, keeping up with medical advice, dealing with an onslaught of omicron, and trying to make sure your kids keep up through it all. And if you're an adult, you're looking for new ways to keep up in a world where every technology, every system, every tool and every job's basic requirements seem to change all the time.But in the midst of all that upheaval, there's a real possibility of lasting change and improvement in education. “We know, broadly, that learning will become more available, it'll be more online, and there'll be a lot more people learning for a lot more of their lives,” said Coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda. Coursera is focused on adult learning rather than the K-12 set, but is still grappling with many of the same questions about the future of learning, and how to take digital education far beyond just a recording of a lecture hall.Maggioncalda and Coursera Chief Content Officer Betty Vandenbosch joined the Source Code podcast to talk about the chaotic state of online education, what's next for corporate training, how softer skills are becoming part of the work curriculum, how learning might work in the metaverse, and much more.For more on the topics in this episode:Jeff Maggioncalda on LinkedInBetty Vandenbosch on LinkedInCourseraThe Science of Well-BeingBig History — From the Big Bang until TodayInspired Leadership SpecializationFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

For our last episode of 2021, Biz Carson joins the show to talk about the closing arguments in the Elizabeth Holmes trial, along with what we've learned about Theranos and the tech industry in general. Then, Ben Pimentel joins to discuss the CIA's acknowledgement that it's working on crypto projects — and why that got everyone talking about the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of bitcoin. For more on the topics in this episode:Biz Carson on TwitterForget what you know about TheranosElizabeth Holmes' lies were 'callous' and 'criminal,' the prosecution saysHow Theranos changed startup PR foreverWhat investors can learn from the Theranos trialBen Pimentel on TwitterThe CIA has its eyes on cryptoCrypto scammers stole almost $8 billion in 2021, up 81% from 2020Satoshi, is that you? A legal brawl fails to identify bitcoin's creator.Crypto regulation's about to get messy. Gensler has a mop.For all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Stewart Butterfield has a lot of thoughts about how work should work. Which is not exactly surprising, given that he's the CEO of Slack, and now works for Salesforce, two companies that are at the center of the digital workplace for businesses around the world. He's seen what the shift to remote-first work has done to many companies, and how digital transformation has changed business' conception of what “work” even looks like. It all sounds a little philosophical — and maybe it is — but it's also the stuff companies everywhere are grappling with right now.But 2021 was hardly an ordinary year. The way we worked and lived will (hopefully!) not be the way we work and live forever. So what trends should we leave behind, and which should we embrace? And maybe just as important, which are going to stick around no matter how we feel? The future of work doesn't have to look like the present, but it doesn't have to look like the past either.For our last Source Code interview of the year, we asked Butterfield to look back at 2021 and ahead to 2022, to try and figure out what the future of work might look like. Will asynchronous work become the norm? Will companies and employees gain a better work-life balance? Will all our meetings move to the metaverse? How should we set up notifications, build culture, and create inclusive companies when everyone's a rectangle on a laptop screen? Butterfield has thoughts and ideas on all of it, and lessons for everyone heading into another, hopefully much less chaotic year. For more on the topics discussed in this episode:Lizzy Lawrence on TwitterCron calendarStewart Butterfield on TwitterSlack's Digital HQ explainerSlack's Frontiers newsAsync vs. sync work: How to re-evaluate meetingsWhatsApp for work: Slack is turning into a full-on messaging appSlack's Platform plan: To be ‘the central nervous system' of businesses everywhereWhy Slack's CEO says he's not worried about MicrosoftFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Anna Kramer joins the show to talk about DoorDash's new 15-minute delivery service, what it takes to move stuff around that fast, and why the industry is obsessed with speed. Then, Tomio Geron discusses the DAOs trying to buy an NBA team, the constitution, movie rights and more, and explains how far DAOs can really go.For more on the topics in this episode:Anna Kramer on TwitterWhy is 15-minute delivery everywhere in NYC?DoorDash 15-minute delivery starts with employeesTomio Geron on TwitterDo DAOs work?DAOs are running crypto. Can they replace the corporation, too?This DAO wants to buy an NBA team. It's a long shot.For all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

For the first time, it looks like the smart home industry is on the path to being … smart. In large part, that's because most of the companies in the space have decided to work together to support a standard called Matter that governs the way devices talk to each other, and would ensure that devices can interoperate and communicate no matter where they came from.Tobin Richardson is the CEO of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, the organization responsible for creating, certifying and controlling Matter. His organization counts a huge number of consumer-tech companies as members, from Google and Apple and Amazon to Ikea and Comcast. Richardson's job is to wrangle all these players, including some of the world's largest and most powerful companies, toward a single vision for the future of the smart home. It's not always easy.Richardson joined the Source Code podcast to explain the history of the CSA and Matter, why all these companies finally decided to work together, and what it takes to keep a lot of opinionated engineers on task and on mission.For more on the topics discussed in this episode:Tobin Richardson on TwitterThe Connectivity Standards AllianceMatterThe tech industry has finally picked a smart-home standardMatter on GitHubFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Issie Lapowsky joins the show to discuss Jack Dorsey's sudden exit from Twitter, the waning cult of the founder, and what's next for the social network. Then Ben Pimentel joins to chat about why Dorsey wanted to focus on Square, why Square is now called Block, and the company's crypto-first future. Finally, Ben Brody chats about the confirmation hearings for Gigi Sohn and Alan Davidson, and what happens next in the Meta/Giphy antitrust saga.For more on the topics in this episode:Issie Lapowsky on TwitterJack Dorsey has stepped down as Twitter CEOJack Dorsey and breaking up the cult of the founderMeet Parag Agrawal, Twitter's new CEOSalesforce promotes Bret Taylor to co-CEOCTO to CEO: The case for putting the tech expert in chargeBen Pimentel on TwitterJack Dorsey's Twitter resignation is really about bitcoinSquare changes its name to Block after Dorsey leaves TwitterDavid Marcus, Meta's crypto boss, is leavingBen Brody on Twitter5 things to know about NTIA nominee Alan DavidsonBiden FCC nominee Sohn is walking a tightrope with RepublicansFacebook has to sell Giphy under an order from the UKFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Anyone who tells you they know what the future of work looks like is lying to you. For some people, post-pandemic work looks completely different than it once did, while others are already back in the office in roughly the same way as before. But there are big trends, even bigger than the pandemic, around remote work, flexibility, corporate values, and work-life balance, that are disrupting all facets of the workplace.Hayden Brown, the CEO of freelancing platform Upwork, is definitely biased toward a freelance-first, gig-based version of the future of work. But she's also had a front-row seat to a huge amount of change, after becoming CEO of the company only a few weeks before the pandemic hit. Since then, she's had to help employers and workers alike navigate new ways of finding work and new ways of getting things done. And while she admits freelancing isn't for everyone, she's also confident that neither is a full-time job.Brown joined the Source Code podcast to discuss Upwork's recent rebrand and its efforts to describe and understand the future of work. She also talked about how a push for flexibility is changing workplaces everywhere, why the freelance economy is so appealing to so many people, and what companies can do to catch up.For more on the topics discussed in this episode:Hayden Brown on TwitterUpwork's “The Great Work Teardown” studyAn inside look at Upwork's rebrand — UpworkHow freelancing is changing work — The New York TimesFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

The shipping industry is not short on new ideas about how to get things to people faster, cheaper and easier. Want a toothbrush and a burrito at your house in 15 minutes? That's almost certainly doable. And it's an increasingly competitive space.Eric Wimer and Kristian Zak, the founders of Returnmates, are focused on the other end of the buying process: the returns. They're trying to build a system that is just as efficient and convenient (and almost as fast) for sending back the stuff you don't want after all. They're partnering with some big brands in the process, which are betting that by making returns easier, they might actually be able to make customers more comfortable shopping online in the first place.Wimer and Zak joined the Source Code podcast to talk about the returns industry, why businesses are finally coming around to making returns easy, and how to build an efficient system to get people's unwanted clothes, gadgets, rugs and dollhouses back from whence they came.For more on the topics discussed in this episode:Eric Wimer on LinkedInKristian Zak on LinkedInReturnmatesEric Wimer: Why we launched ReturnmatesFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Anna Kramer joins the show to tell the story of ConstitutionDAO, and the crypto fans who tried to buy the U.S. Constitution. Then, Ben Brody explains what's behind Apple's new Self Service Repair Program, and whether this is really a huge win for the right-to-repair movement.For more on the topics discussed in this episode:Anna Kramer on TwitterThis crypto group plans to buy the ConstitutionA crypto group raised more than $40 million, but lost an auctionCitadel CEO Ken Griffin outbid crypto group for ConstitutionBen Brody on TwitterApple will start selling tools to let users repair their own iPhonesFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Tech is currently reckoning with its role in the real world, and what happens when our digital and physical lives collide. Jamie Siminoff, the founder and CEO of Ring, has been thinking about that for a decade. Ring has spent the last few years trying to figure out how to balance privacy and safety, what it takes to make people feel comfortable putting tech in their homes (or with the tech their neighbors may have installed), and what it means to be a good citizen. After some high-profile issues and a lot of scrutiny about its policies, Siminoff and Ring have spent the last couple of years rethinking all of their ideas.Ring recently announced a number of new products, including the Alarm Pro security system that includes internet backup and a smart-home hub, and the Always Home Cam, a drone designed to fly around your house and keep an eye on things. Those products represent some of Ring's most ambitious work yet, as it tries to both define and refine what home security means.Siminoff joined the Source Code podcast to discuss Ring's new products, how his thinking on security and privacy have evolved, why a drone might actually be less intrusive than your average security camera, and what it took for Ring to force all its users to turn on two-factor authentication. Oh, and why it's so hard for a computer to tell the difference between a dog and an intruder.For more on the topics discussed in this episode:Jamie Siminoff on TwitterRing Always Home Cam, an Indoor Flying CameraRing Alarm ProWe Tested Ring's Security. It's Awful — ViceAt Ring's R&D Team, Security Gaps and Rookie Engineers — The InformationRing's Services Have Not Been Compromised – Here's What You Need to Know — RingHow Public Safety Agencies Use Neighbors — RingA Dad Is Suing Amazon's Ring Because He Says A Hacker Terrified His Kids — BuzzFeedFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Anna Kramer joins the show to discuss Elon Musk's confusing sale of Tesla stock, what a fake resume says about the state of recruiting in tech, and how Apple's new MacBook Pros have become the hot new software engineer perk. Then, Janko Roettgers breaks down the metaverse: what it is, when it's coming, what it'll look like, and the problems we should expect. Finally, Ben Brody explains why members of Congress love writing letters, and why it might be a more effective strategy than you think.For more on the topics discussed in this episode:Anna Kramer on TwitterElon Musk's wild Twitter weekend sent Tesla stock into a Monday tailspinMeet Angelina. She got job interviews at top tech companies. She's also not real.The M1 Macs are the new software engineer status symbolJanko Roettgers on TwitterEverything you need to know about the metaverseThe Metaverse: What It Is, Where to Find it, and Who Will Build It — Matthew BallBen Brody on Twitter‘Sincerely, Elizabeth Warren': How lawmakers use letters to get their wayFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Nina Herold does not buy the idea that business travel isn't coming back post-pandemic. Even with more employees working remotely, even with Zoom and async creeping toward the mainstream, plenty of people will still get on planes, trains and highways to get the job done.That doesn't mean business travel won't change, though. Herold, the chief product and operations officer at TripActions, thinks it might change a lot. Rather than travel for sales calls, employees might travel to quarterly team all-hands offsites; rather than a few people traveling constantly, everyone might travel a little. Most of all, Herold said, TripActions has found that a pandemic spent at home has made everyone rethink how, why and when they travel. And that there's a big market to be won in that transition.Investors seem to agree: TripActions, which laid off nearly 300 people at the beginning of the pandemic, has since raised two huge funding rounds and is now valued at $7.25 billion, nearly doubling the company's valuation from two years ago. Boosted by huge growth and that massive pile of cash, TripActions is now set on an equally big goal: building the super app for travel.Herold joined the Source Code podcast to talk about how travel is changing; what a travel super app might look like; why booking travel and filing expenses is still such a painful process; and why the difference between Basic Economy, Main Cabin, Economy Plus, Economy Comfort and Main Cabin Extra is such a tricky one to help users solve.For more on the topics discussed in this episode:Nina Herold on LinkedInWhat it feels like to be laid off on Zoom during this crisisCOVID-19 bruised TripActions' business. It chose to innovateTripActions Secures $275M in Funding as it Creates a New Category of T&EFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Ben Pimentel joins the show to talk about two cryptocurrencies that kind of seemed like scams — shiba inu coin and squid coin — and why one failed while the other became a $37 billion industry. Then, Michelle Ma explains why “flexible” vacation policies are actually making employees take less time off, and what companies are doing to change that. Finally, Shen Lu digs into why Big Tech companies are leaving China, and what it means for the global tech industry.For more on the topics in this episode:Ben Pimentel on TwitterIs that hot meme coin a shiba inu or a squid?Michelle Ma on TwitterHow LinkedIn and others keep remote work fairCompanies with unlimited PTO are forcing their employees to take itAsync vs. sync work: How to re-evaluate meetingsShen Lu on TwitterThe Great China ExitFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

All Facebook, all the time! Issie Lapowsky joins the show to talk about what's in the Facebook Papers, and what it's like trying to report on them and understand how Facebook works. Then, Janko Roettgers discusses the company's big rebranding — Facebook out, Meta in — and Mark Zuckerberg's big-picture plans for the metaverse.For more on the topics in this episode:Issie Lapowsky on TwitterIt's Frances Haugen's world. We're all just living in it.Here are all the Facebook Papers storiesThey left Facebook's integrity team. Now they want the world to know how it works.Facebook's hiring crisis: Engineers are turning down offers, internal docs showRobin Caplan on Twitter: Facebook as a radically hierarchical companyJanko Roettgers on TwitterHow Facebook is merging VR with the real worldMark Zuckerberg just announced the end of FacebookThe Metaverse and How We'll Build It Together — Connect 2021For all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Sebastian Thrun was one of the early pioneers of the self-driving car, and spent years working at Google and elsewhere to make autonomous vehicles a reality. Then he ditched the industry entirely and went for something even bigger: flying cars.Except, wait, don't call them flying cars. Thrun, now the CEO of Kitty Hawk, calls them “electric vertical takeoff and landing aircrafts,” or eVTOLs for short. (It's not quite as catchy.) But whatever the name, Thrun is betting that they'll be transformative. No more dealing with existing infrastructure and outdated systems, no more worrying about the human driver next to you. He imagines a fully autonomous, fully safe, much more environmentally friendly skyway system that doesn't have to worry about terrestrial matters at all. And he's convinced that's all coming much faster than you might think.Thrun joined the Source Code podcast to talk about the state of flying cars — sorry, eVTOLs — along with his vision for the future, what it'll take to get there, why batteries are the bane of everyone's existence, and whether he's nervous to be the first human passenger inside Kitty Hawk's latest vehicle, Heaviside.For more on the topics discussed in this episode:Sebastian Thrun on TwitterKitty HawkMore info on HeavisideKitty Hawk's New Flying Car Promises a (Near) Silent Flight – WiredWhat Is a Flying Car? — The New York Times

First, a brief update on the Facebook Files, as more stories start to come out. Then, Owen Thomas joins the show to discuss PayPal's reported interest in acquiring Pinterest, and why that deal might actually make sense for both sides. Janko Roettgers then discusses the good, bad and complicated of Netflix's last few weeks, before Lizzy Lawrence joins the show to talk about the world of productivity influencers.For more on the topics in this episode:January 6 insurrection and Facebook: Internal docs paint a damning pictureWhat Facebook knew about how it radicalized usersOur Comprehensive Approach to Protecting the US 2020 Elections Through Inauguration DayOwen Thomas on TwitterCould PayPal and Pinterest build a shopping super app?Janko Roettgers on TwitterHow Netflix wants to get the next ‘Squid Game'Lizzy Lawrence on TwitterMeet the productivity app influencersFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

The way Shishir Mehrotra sees it, digital documents haven't really changed in 50 years. Since the days of WordStar, Harvard Graphics and VisiCalc, the basic idea of what makes up a document, presentation and spreadsheet haven't really changed. Until now.Now, thanks to companies like Coda — where Mehrotra is founder and CEO — along with Notion, Quip and others, that's starting to change. These companies are building tools that can do multiple things in a single space, that are designed both for creating and for sharing, and that turn documents from “a piece of paper on a screen” into something much more powerful. And to hear Mehrotra tell it, documents are headed toward a future that looks more like an operating system than a Word file.Mehrotra joined the Source Code podcast to talk about Coda's recent announcements, the two-year project to rebuild its core technology, Coda's future as a platform, and why he thinks documents can be much more than just documents going forward.For more on the topics covered in this episode:Shishir Mehrotra on TwitterCodaCoda's GalleryCoda's next move: Building an app store for getting stuff doneThe Power of Reset: Arianna Huffington's secret to de-stress and unite teamsFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

A recording of a Protocol Live event, “Is there any innovation left in smartphones?” featuring Samsung's Drew Blackard, The Cyrcle Phone's Christina Cyr, and Purism's Nicole Faerber. We talk about sustainability, cameras, batteries, right-to-repair, foldable screens, and much more. To see the video of this event, or register for upcoming Protocol Lives, check out our events page.

Molly Mackinlay loves the music app Audius, a decentralized tool that is trying to rethink the way artists own their music and interact with fans. She's a big believer in NFTs, and is looking forward to a world where everything from houses to cars are sold and tracked through the tokens. And she's definitely excited about the metaverse, as long as it's “crazy and open and enables all sorts of creation, which doesn't come from one single company running the metaverse.”In her day job at Protocol Labs (no relation), Mackinlay spends her time building the infrastructure that will enable all of that. She oversees IPFS, the underlying protocol that could be the future of how data moves between devices, networks and even planets. It's a job that requires wrangling thousands of developers and projects, prioritizing many different ideas about how the future of the internet should work, and trying to convince everyone to jump on board with the decentralization movement.Mackinlay joined the Source Code podcast to discuss her vision for the future of the internet, what it takes to build an internet that never breaks or crashes, and the opportunities web3 holds for companies new and old, big and small.For more on the topics discussed in this episode:Molly Mackinlay on TwitterProtocol LabsHow IPFS worksAudiusFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Issie Lapowsky and Ben Brody join the show to talk about the latest in a string of rough weeks for Facebook, including Frances Haugen's Congressional testimony and Facebook's surprisingly aggressive pushback.For more on the topics discussed in this episode:Ben Brody on TwitterIssie Lapowsky on TwitterEight takeaways from Haugen's testimony on Facebook‘Beyond the pale': Former Facebook staffers react to the company's Haugen spinDeveloper says Facebook banned him over his 'Unfollow Everything' toolZuckerberg says coverage of Facebook painted a 'false picture'Facebook went down: what happened and what happens nextWhat you can learn from Facebook's outageFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

PCs are back. After years of what looked like a slow decline into nothingness, the pandemic — and the remote work, school and life it created — turned laptops and desktops into must-have devices. From MacBooks to Chromebooks, virtually everything in the PC category has seen huge growth during the pandemic even with a chip shortage making it hard for companies to keep up. Even computer monitors have never sold so fast.Panos Panay has seen the spike more closely than most. As chief product officer at Microsoft, Panay oversees both the teams that make Microsoft's Surface hardware and the teams that make Windows. For the last 18 months or so, Panay and his teams have been dogfooding those products like never before: “We design these products on these products,” he said, “which is very interesting.” For months, Panay has been going to his office on Microsoft's Redmond campus only occasionally, to work in the hardware lab or do the occasional team catch-up. But for the most part, like everyone else, he's been on video calls and in group chats all day like everyone else.Suffice to say, that has changed how Panay thinks about Microsoft's products, and how his teams built the latest versions. The plans for what would become Windows 11, which launched to the public on Monday, and for new products like the Surface Pro 8 and the Surface Laptop Studio had begun long before the pandemic started. But they changed, because the world changed. And Panay doesn't think it's going back. The big(ger) screen is here to stay.For more on the topics discussed in this episode:Panos Panay on TwitterThe 2021 Microsoft Windows eventA good Windows 11 reviewFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

Ben Brody and Issie Lapowsky join to talk about the most recent revelations from the Wall Street Journal's Facebook Files investigation, plus what we learned — or didn't learn — from the most recent Congressional hearing with Facebook executives. Then, Nick Statt joins to talk about EA's huge investment in a mobile future for the gaming industry, and how Epic sees the metaverse evolving.For more on the topics discussed in this episode:Issie Lapowsky on TwitterBen Brody on TwitterHow Congress's parade of tech hearings totally lost the plotA Facebook whistleblower will testify before the Senate next weekThe many faces of FacebookNick Statt on TwitterHow EA got into mobile — and figured out the future of gamingEpic Games believes the Internet is broken. This is their blueprint to fix it.Protocol's tech calendarFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.

For years, most productivity tools were the domain of power users and productivity whizzes, people willing to do the work to get more work done. (Or, in many cases, noodle endlessly in their to-do list app without ever actually accomplishing anything.) But over the past 18 months, those tools have become crucial to the work lives of people around the industry and the world. Colleagues can't hash things out at lunch or around a computer, and bosses can't check in on a project by walking down the hall. Everything had to be digital.That transition forced people like Michael Pryor, the head of Trello at Atlassian, to rethink their tools. With new kinds of users coming into the system, Pryor said he and his team fundamentally re-imagined Trello's place in the world — and built a framework for a new kind of productivity in a new era of work.Pryor joined the Source Code podcast to talk about the new Trello, but also why work tools need to be more flexible, why too many collaboration apps fail, and why the future of work might involve VR headsets. Eventually.For more on the topics in this episode:Michael Pryor on TwitterTrello is getting out of to-do lists and into fixing the future of workTrello's productivity blogWorkonaEverything you need to know about Kanban in GmailFor all the links and stories, head to Source Code's homepage.