POPULARITY
Parade @ Ahmanson Theatre – 7.9 out of 10! Above Average! June 17 – June 12, 2025. www.latheatrebites.com
World Premiere: Bethesda Repertory Theatre presents: My Brother's Keeper @ Boston Court Pasadena - 7.5 out of 10! Above Average! June 13 - 15, 2025. www.latheatrebites.com
Hollywood Fringe 2025: A Miracle on Christmas Street @The Broadwater – 7.8 out of 10! Above Average! June 7 - 24, 2025. www.latheatrbites.com
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McCoy Rigby Entertainment presents: LEGALLY BLONDE The Musical @ La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts – 7.8 out of 10! Above Average! APRIL 25 – MAY 18, 2025. www.latheatrebites.com
The Robey Theatre Company in Association with The Los Angeles Theatre Center presents: Last Night at Mikell's @ The Los Angeles Theatre Center - 7.7 out of 10! Above Average! April 12 - May 11, 2025. www.latheatrebites.com
Eight Ball Theatre presents: World Premiere: MEMORY LANE IS A DESERT ROAD - 7.8 out of 10! Above Average! April 4th-13th, 2025. www.latheatrebites.com
USC School of Dramatic Arts presents: Blue Stockings @ McClintock Theatre - 7.7 out of 10! Above Average! March 14 - 30,2025. www.latheatrebites.com
Schlitzie: Alive and Inside @ Rogue Artists Ensemble - 7.9 out of 10! Above Average! March 14 - 30, 2025. www.latheatrebites.com
The Good Person of Setzuan @ California State University, Los Angeles - 7.6 out of 10! Above Average! March 20 - 29,2025. www.latheatrebites.com
These Shining Lives @ Actors Co-op - 7.9 out of 10! Above Average! February 21 - March 30, 2025. www.latheatrebites.com
(0:00) Instant Reaction Bruins' Overtime loss to the Sabers. What is wrong with the Bruins and Barry Bonds vs Griffey Jr. (20:35) Celtics playoff expectations, Brown needs to be at an MVP level. Joe also dives into the revamped Pats defense and lack of offense. (33:55) Joe talks St.Paddy's Day traditions. Joe is in on the "Hall of Above Average".
The podcast is back from vacation! A warm up is on the way as we go above average for our high temperatures. A pretty dry week ahead. Is winter losing its grip? March begins later this week. What is the windiest month of the year in Boston? We are gaining huge chunks of daylight. All that and the weekly weather preview for February 23 - March 2, 2025 on episode #187 of Obsessed With the Weather. Support the show
Secondary Location Productions Presents: Penelope: A Lesson in Drowning @ McCadden Place Theatre - 7.8 out of 10! Above Average! Nov 15 - 17,2024. www.latheatrebites.com
Experience the Unique and Soulful Sounds of Jay Author & Yuven Blac Step into the world of Jay Author (Ranjaya Gurung) and Yuven Blac (Aizen), two extraordinary R&B artists whose music is reshaping the landscape of the genre. Jay Author, the visionary founder of Metanoia Records, has been captivating audiences worldwide with his thought-provoking lyrics and unforgettable melodies. Tracks like "Time Chaina" and "Above Average" showcase his mastery of blending R&B with relatable, emotional storytelling. On the other hand, Yuven Blac brings his own fresh and soulful twist to the R&B scene. Known for his heartfelt tracks such as "Dai Nabhana" and "Harpal," Yuven's music is a blend of deep emotion and raw talent. His journey from a hobbyist to a rising star in the industry is truly inspiring.
Heart of Heart Theatre Company: Constellations @ Eastwood Performing Arts Center - 7.8 out of 10! Above Average! Nov 9 - 24, 2024. www.latheatrebites.com
The New York Times says, "The sassy, raspy voiced Daniella Rabbani will leave you twirling in the streets". You may twirl from her television appearances or films like Appropriate Behavior (Sundance Film Fest/ HBO) or Be Here Now-ish (TriBeCa Film Fest/ Ora TV). Daniella has performed Off Broadway in the Drama Desk nominated THE GOLDEN LAND among others and around the world headlining at venues like Jazz at Lincoln Center. She produced and starred in the sketch Couples Audition which aired on FOX's Laughs in August 2014 and created the web series Skirts & Ladders which landed her a channel partnership with Broadway Video's Above Average. Daniella's directorial debut short film, OMA, explores the inherited trauma of being a third generation Holocaust survivor and hit the festival circuit in 2017. Her digital series COMING!! about a sex therapist and her client with a broken vagina was a Sundance New Voices Lab finalist. Daniella is also known for her Yiddish Singing and great love of Klezmer music. For more information about Daniella and her work see @daniellarabbani on Instragram.
The New York Times says, "The sassy, raspy voiced Daniella Rabbani will leave you twirling in the streets". You may twirl from her television appearances or films like Appropriate Behavior (Sundance Film Fest/ HBO) or Be Here Now-ish (TriBeCa Film Fest/ Ora TV). Daniella has performed Off Broadway in the Drama Desk nominated THE GOLDEN LAND among others and around the world headlining at venues like Jazz at Lincoln Center. She produced and starred in the sketch Couples Audition which aired on FOX's Laughs in August 2014 and created the web series Skirts & Ladders which landed her a channel partnership with Broadway Video's Above Average. Daniella's directorial debut short film, OMA, explores the inherited trauma of being a third generation Holocaust survivor and hit the festival circuit in 2017. Her digital series COMING!! about a sex therapist and her client with a broken vagina was a Sundance New Voices Lab finalist. Daniella is also known for her Yiddish Singing and great love of Klezmer music. For more information about Daniella and her work see @daniellarabbani on Instragram.
Cal Rep presents: Small Mouth Sounds @ Cal State Long Beach - 7.8 out of 10! Above Average! October 30 - November 2, 2024. www.latheatrebites.com
In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Anna Hicks-Jaco introduces "John" (not his real name; u/Muvanji on Reddit), the applicant who we'll be following throughout his law school admissions cycle for 2024-2025 (a series back by popular demand!). We talk more about John, his background, his application materials, and his goals in the episode, but here are some basics about his profile: John got his undergraduate degree outside of the U.S. and so does not have an LSAC-calculated cumulative uGPA (his performance was evaluated as "Above Average" on his CAS report). He took the LSAT once and got a 174 (we talked about his LSAT study process and test day experience in the episode). He earned a law degree in the U.K., where law school is at the undergraduate level, and is a recent graduate. He is currently looking for work and so does not yet have any full-time post-graduate work experience. He worked part-time during undergrad, did an internship with a biglaw firm, and participated in a number of law-related extracurriculars in leadership positions. His goal after earning his J.D. is to go into corporate law, and he has a special interest in antitrust law. He is originally Canadian and has experienced parts of his education there, in England, and in Kenya, which he plans to discuss in his experience/perspective essays (or "E/P essays," the category of law school admissions essay that has largely supplanted the "diversity statement"). He is African-American and has felt some pressure to discuss his race/ethnicity in his application, but he isn't sure whether or how he would like to do so. He has one relatively minor but somewhat complicated Character & Fitness ("C&F") issue that he will need to disclose on some applications. In this first episode of the series, we discuss John's LSAT process, his personal statement, his E/P essays, his resume (and how he thought it was done before listening to our resume deep-dive podcast episode!), his school list, letters of recommendation, Reddit, and more. We'll be checking in with him throughout the cycle for updates! Relevant Links/Resources: Resume Deep Dive Podcast Personal Statement Deep Dive Podcast Experience/Perspective Essay ("E/P Essay") Deep Dive Podcast Podcast series following an applicant through the 2022-2023 law school admissions cycle featuring "Lucy": Part 1 (preparing applications and the LSAT); Part 2 (interviews and initial decisions); Part 3 (final decisions and choosing a law school) Podcast series following an applicant through the 2021-2022 law school admissions cycle featuring "Barb": Part 1 (preparing applications); Part 2 (the waiting, timelines); Part 3 (final decisions, waitlists, scholarship reconsideration, and seat deposits) You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. You can read a full transcript of this episode here.
Gruesome Playground Injuries @ The Davidson/Valentini Theatre – 7.9 out of 10! Above Average! September 19 – 29, 2024. www.latheatrebites.com
Preorder Mike's book 'Above Average' now and get access to The Above Average Online Program for free: https://www.aboveaveragemethod.com/Welcome back to another episode of the Game Plan Podcast!In this episode, we're sitting down with Mike Radoor to uncover what it really takes to get ahead of 99% of people and be Above Average!Mike is an author, motivational speaker and co founder of one of Europe's leading fashion platformsWe'll explore the mindset shifts necessary to achieve success, the importance of setting big goals, and why most people fall short of their potential. Mike also reveals his top strategies for personal development, including the power of visualization, discipline, and self-awareness in creating an above-average life.Hit the like button, comment below with your thoughts, and don't forget to subscribe for more episodes like this!This episode is sponsored by Oracle. Harness the power of AI without overspending with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). Ideal for AI model training, OCI offers 4-8x more bandwidth than competitors at half the cost. Transform your business like Uber and Cohere with OCI. Try it free at https://oracle.com/gameplanConnect with Mike RadoorInstagram: instagram.com/mikeradoorCheck out the best protein pancakes in the world at Fuel Cakes: https://fuelcakes.com/
Dragon Lady @ Geffen Playhouse – 7.5 out of 10! Above Average! SEPTEMBER 9 - OCTOBER 6TH, 2024 www.latheatrebites.com
Brilliant Traces @ Zephyr Theatre - 7.7 out of 10! Above Average! Aug 15 -17, 22-24, 2024. www.latheatrebites.com
World Premiere: If I Needed Someone @ City Garage Theatre - 7.5 out of 10! Above Average! August 2 - September 8, 2024. www.latheatrebites.com
Troilus and Cressida @ Shakespeare on the Bluff - 7.7 out of 10! Above Average! July 20, 2024. www.latheatrebites.com
Waterfront Productions presents: The Pitch @ Odyssey Theatre - 7.6 out of 10! Above Average! Jul 12, 2024 – Aug 4, 2024 www.latheatrebites.com
As the creator and host of the "Startup Project" podcast, Seattle-area tech senior product manager Nataraj Sindam talks with a wide range of investors and entrepreneurs, contributing to his broad perspective on the future of artificial intelligence, investing, startups, and business technology. He's also author of the Above Average email newsletter, and venture partner with Incisive Ventures. Our topics this week include: The opportunity to apply the power of large language models and generative AI to the larger world of business-to-business applications, including services tailored to workflows in specific industry verticals. How AI will drive a massive increase in data centers in the next 5-10 years to meet increased demand for compute and storage, and will require new "intelligence layers" in cloud infrastructure. The opportunities and challenges for startups to compete with large tech companies in developing foundational AI technologies, and where tech investors are focusing when it comes to AI startups. The different incentives in a traditional startup approach (focusing on getting to a minimum viable product) vs. long-term AI moonshots, exemplified by former OpenAI leader Ilya Sutskever's new venture. Apple's efforts to integrate AI into its applications and operating systems, and the tradeoffs between the Apple ecosystem and the more wide-ranging Windows/Android platform approach. In the return of our "My AI" segment, we discuss a useful way to quickly get a summary of YouTube videos using the Copilot sidebar in the Microsoft Edge browser. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Audio editing and production by Curt Milton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hollywood Fringe 2024: Stone Fruit Arts presents: Lines @ The Hudson Theatres - 7.6 out of 10! Above Average! June 21 - 29, 2024. www.latheatrebites.com
Hollywood Fringe 2024: World Premiere: Red String Productions presents: Amen @ The Actors Company – 7.9 out of 10! Above Average! www.latheatrebites.com
Hollywood Fringe 2024: Last Call Theatre presents: Reforged: An SCP Immersive Experience @ Thymele Arts – 7.7 out of 10! Above Average! June 19 - 29, 2024. www.latheatrebites.com
The fellas were graced with the presence of famed producer, host, writer, and casting agent extraordinaire Patrick Cotnoir. Patrick produces The George Lucas Talk Show where his fellow co-host Connor Ratliff aka George Lucas, along with their trusty sidekick Watto performed by Griffin Newman, conduct, you guessed it, a talk show. He's also worked on SNL, Sesame Street, Above Average, CNBC, UCB Theatre, Marvel Entertainment, among many more! He also recently produced a star-studded script read performance of The Phantom Menace for its 25th anniversary which is available on YouTube entitled "The Naboo Movie" on The George Lucas Talk Show (links below). Insta: http://instagram.com/cotnoir Bluesky: http://patrickcotnoir.bsky.social TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@cotnoirpatrick LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/cotnoir/ Website: http://patrickcotnoir.com IMDb: http://imdb.com/name/nm6318137/ YouTube: http://youtube.com/channel/UCH1XwfxXB--rl_Nqxvun8zQ…321623K --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/goodmorningalderaan/message
Hollywood Fringe 2024: The Motherfucker With The Hat @ Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre - 7.6 out of 10! Above Average! June 13 - 26, 2024. www.latheatrebites.com
Jason Saenz! Comedian! Friend! Delight! Guy with a new show he's filming in LA soon called "The Wheel World"! Here's some information about Jason and his upcoming tapings! WHO: Bolivian-American comedian Jason Sáenz WHAT: Two nights taping his 1-hour show The Wheel World in front of a live, ticketed audience WHERE: THE LYRIC HYPERION THEATRE: 2106 Hyperion Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 WHEN: June 8 and 14 @ 7:30 PM HOW: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-wheel-world-with-jason-saenz-tickets-753893865847?aff=oddtdtcreator Bolivian-American comedian Jason Sáenz is taping his hit solo show, The Wheel World at the Lyric Hyperion Theatre in Los Angeles on June 8 and 14. In The Wheel World, comedian Jason Sáenz tells the story of when he fell through a skylight onto a flight of stairs during a third date six years ago. This accident and the subsequent month-long battle against spinal meningitis in the ICU left Sáenz paralyzed. The Wheel World presents all the grim and intimate details of becoming a paraplegic in Hollywood. Sáenz shares his struggles with grief, adapting to changes in wheelchair accessibility, accepting limitations in his new body, his wheelchair-bound TV roles, altering his perception of sex and manhood, accepting his new bathroom routines, accepting love, and finally, pursuing fatherhood. Jason's previous performances of The Wheel World have regularly sold out and he's back with special tapings set for June 8 and 14 at The Lyric Hyperion Theater in Los Angeles. The Wheel World is presented and written by Jason Sáenz and directed by Lauren Adams (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Greener Grass, Modern Family). Sáenz was a well-known figure in the comedy scene at the time of the incident, and like many comedians, he did not have insurance and was left with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical debt but Jason was not alone. Forty of his comedian colleagues came together to fundraise to cover his medical costs through benefit shows in New York, DC, and Los Angeles; an online auction featuring tickets to a RuPaul's Drag Race season finale, Saturday Night Live, and more; and a GoFundMe that raised over $200K. Throughout this whole process he continued to write and produce comedy and date the woman he fell through a skylight with. ABOUT JASON SÁENZ: Los Angeles-based comedian, writer, and paraplegic Jason Sáenz had a 10-year comedy career before he became paralyzed. His web series Ya Killin' Me! has two seasons available on Comedy Central.com. Jason has written for Comedy Central's Night of Too Many Stars, Steve Harvey, and MTV's Ridiculousness as well as other projects on Fox, MTV, IGN, Funny or Die, Above Average, RoofTop Comedy, Time Out NY, HuffPost, Jest, and CollegeHumor. His prank poster project @SaenzSigns went viral numerous times (Hollywood Reporter, MTV, Buzzfeed). Jason is also a founding member of the UCB sketch group, Onassis, winner of the 2011 Friar's Club Sketch Competition and a Finalist at the 2012 Comedy Central Pilot competition. About Lauren Adams: Lauren Adams is an actor, director and writer. You may recognize her from TV shows like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Modern Family, Special, and Deadbeat, or feature films like Greener Grass and The Disruptors. Lauren has a BFA from Elon University and has performed regularly at The UCB Theatres in New York and Los Angeles since 2007. Lauren has directed countless plays, sketch shows, and the short film Animal, starring Cathy Curtin. She lives in LA with her husband Seth and their perfect dog Bear. About this podcast conversation: We had a delightful chat! You can have a delightful listen! And this is just the first HALF of our talk! For the second half, subscribe via Apple Podcasts or click on over here to Patreon!
Comedian Jason Saenz Interview | The Brett Allan Show "The Wheel World" The Wheel World with Jason Sáenz in Los Angeles at The Lyric Hyperion Theater, June 8 & 14, 2024 Jason is a Bolivian writer, comedian, and paraplegic based in Los Angeles. His solo show The Wheel World regularly sells out at the Lyric Hyperion Theater and will be a delight for both you and your elderly parents to see. His prank poster project @SaenzSigns has gone viral numerous times and has been featured in the Hollywood Reporter, Fox News, and Buzzfeed. His new webseries Ya Killin' Me! is now airing its second season on Comedy Central.com. Jason has written for Comedy Central's Night of Too Many Stars, and MTV's Ridiculousness as well as projects on Fox, MTV, MTV.com, IGN.com, Funny or Die, Above Average, Roof Top Comedy, Time Out New York, HuffPo, Jest.com and CollegeHumor. Jason is also a founding member of the UCB sketch group, Onassis, winner of the 2011 Friar's Club Sketch Competition and a Finalist at the 2012 Comedy Central Pilot competition. Oh, and his adaptable pants are size 38x32. Connect with us on our website for more amazing conversations! www.brettallanshow.com Have you got some feedback? Let us know! openmicguest@gmail.com Follow us on social media! Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thebrettallanshow Instagram https://www.instagram.com/brettallanshow/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@TheBrettAllanShow/videos LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-allan-009458168/ Support the show! https://thebrettallanshow.creator-spring.com/listing/the-brett-allan-show-swag Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#1 Son @ Lyric Hyperion Theatre - 7.5 out of 10! Above Average! April 7 - July 6, 2024. www.latheatrebites.com
A tale of 2 weather weather stories this week. How much sunlight do we continue to gain? The ocean's influence on all of our weather. A quiz question about the heating of the earth. All that AND the day-by-day weekly weather preview, NEXT, on Episode #153 of Obsessed With the Weather.Enjoy!
World Premiere Co-Production with IAMA Theatre Company & Boston Court Pasadena presents: The Body's Midnight @ Boston Court Pasadena - 7.5 out of 10! Above Average! April 18 - May 26, 2024. www.latheatrebites.com
Versified! The Human Equation @ Two Roads Theater - 7.8 out of 10! Above Average! April 12 - 27,2024. www.latheatrebites.com
Jerah Milligan is a Washington D.C.-born actor, comedian, director and writer. His short film MAHOGANY DRIVE recently screened at the Slamdance Film Festival. Previously, Jerah co-created and starred in Netflix's ASTRONOMY CLUB, produced by Kenya Baris and Dan Powell. Recently, Jerah directed the sketch segments of Yvonne Orji's latest HBO Special: A WHOLE ME. Other directing credits include Showtime's DESUS & MERO. In front of the camera, Jerah can next be seen in the short JAMAAL, directed by Yvonne Orji for Powderkeg. His acting credits also include Netflix's “Black Mirror,” “Broad City,” “Blue Bloods,” “Chicago P.D.,” “The Detour,” and Apple TV+'s “Helpsters”. He's also been featured in sketches for Above Average, Funny or Die, College Humor and Girl Code. Jerah is a co-host of the podcast, Black Men Can't Jump, in Hollywood.Mentioned in the episode:The Death of the Artist: How Creators Are Struggling to Survive in the Age of Billionaires and Big TechTakeawaysNavigating predominantly white comedy spaces can be challenging for black comedians.The entertainment industry is filled with struggles and personal failures, but it's important to keep pushing forward.Supporting and celebrating others' success is crucial, even when facing personal challenges.Nepotism is a prevalent issue in Hollywood that can hinder opportunities for aspiring artists. The entertainment industry can be challenging, and success often requires perseverance and resilience.Backdoor maneuvering and taking unconventional paths can sometimes be necessary to achieve success.Diversity and representation in the industry are important, and there is a need for more opportunities for underrepresented voices.The relationship between artists and their representatives can be complex, and it is important to find a balance between advocating for oneself and trusting the expertise of the rep.Celebrating wins, no matter how small, is important for maintaining motivation and perspective in a competitive industry. Code-switching is a necessary skill in the entertainment industry, especially when pitching to predominantly white audiences.Speaking up about mistreatment and holding people accountable is essential for creating positive change in the industry.Career challenges and setbacks are common, but they can provide valuable learning experiences.Perfecting the pitch and being thoroughly prepared can greatly increase the chances of success.Trusting in your own voice and embracing your unique quirks can set you apart and lead to success. Episode Credits:Produced and hosted by Charla LauristonTheme song and Segment Jingles composed and produced by Brendan ByrnesCanva Artwork by Daiana Cordo Join hundreds of ambitious writers and creatives learning how to take their career to the next level with The Werking Writer newsletter. WHERE TO FIND THE WERKING WRITER thewerkingwriter.comInstagramLinkedInYoutube
World Premiere: August @ The Cat's Crawl - 7.8 out of 10! Above Average! March 7 - 17,2024. www.latheatrebites.com
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street @ A Noise Within - 7.9 out of 10! Above Average! Feb 11 - Mar 17, 2024. www.latheatrebites.com
World Premiere: Marilyn, Mom, & Me @ International City Theatre - 7.9 out of 10! Above Average! Feb 16 – March 3, 2024. www.latheatrebites.com
I talk with Mark Stufflebeem. Mark is a retired, Naval aviator. Having flown both F-14s and F-18s, he's a TOPGUN graduate and two-time Weapons School instructor. He also spent time, working on the ground, in Afghanistan supporting special forces. Nowadays, he flys for a major airline, competes in triathlons and contends with beach volleyball jokes on a regular basis. To support the channel, and get access to FULL versions of the Friday Podcast: ◘ https://www.patreon.com/Marklewisfitness or
Welcome to 50th edition of the Above Average Newsletter. Your bi-weekly source of Above Average takes on the business of big technology written by Nataraj Sindam. Topic 1: What's with Direct-to-Consumer Companies?What's common among all these companies?All birdsBrilliant earth groupPelotonRent the runwayThey are all public direct to consumer companies whose stock is down ranging from 80 to 95% in last couple of years.If you are direct to consumer company the best time to go public was in 2021 when the pandemic has fueled an ecommerce spending spree. Once this is over, the markets realized a lot of these direct to consumer companies have no path to profitability and have unsustainable business models.So what can we learn from what is happening with direct to consumer companies -When you are willing to spend on high customer acquisition cost (CAC), you can create a short term non profitable direct to consumer company, even when industry dynamics don't support it. If you spend enough amount of money on Facebook and Google ads you can sell any decent product.VC money was used to subsidize CAC, that is clear. But that stopped and these companies are not close to profitability and a lot of them are on the verge of bankruptcy. But if I am an investor in such brands the one thing I would look for is that the product innovation should reflect in my customer acquisition cost being low. If you are not able to get very low customer acquisition cost on your product or brand, then technically you are not creating value with your product. Your customer acquisition cost reflects whether the product/brand is actually desired by the customer & if the industry dynamics support it or not. Topic 2: Where is the AI opportunity?It's easy to see big funding rounds in AI for foundation model companies and think AI is all about Fearsome Foursome funding Geoffrey Hinton's ex-students or ex-open ai employees.But I think the real opportunity in AI for next couple of years is in the long tail of building specific narrow application that solve small problems that were not possible before. There is treasure trove to be exploited by teams of 1-3 developers to build SaaS applications which can generate millions in revenue.LLMs are a super power for full stack application developers. If you want to build something and are looking for such ideas feel free to reach out to me. Topic 3: 100 Days of AI experimentsAI is going to impact us all, so as part of 2024's first 100 days I am going to spend 1-2 hrs a day learning, experimenting, reading & tinkering with the latest AI models, products & content. You can follow along by following me on Twitter or here on my blog . My goal in this 100 days will be focused on what new things we can build using AI and what to expect from AI in future. The series is also published here on hackernoon . If you are listening to this and have not subscribed to the newsletter, please go subscribe. Till next time, stay above average. Nataraj --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
IAMA Theatre Compay presents: ARROWHEAD @ Atwater Village Theatre - 7.9 out of 10! Above Average! Feb 3 - March 4, 2024. www.latheatrebites.com Photo by Jeff Lorch
As We Know Them @ The Larking House – 7.7 out of 10! Above Average! Feb 8 – 10, Feb 15 -17,2024. www.latheatrebites.com Photo credit: Lizzy McCabe
This episode is the audio version of Nataraj's newsletter Above Average. Welcome to 49th edition of the Above Average Newsletter. Your bi-weekly source of Above Average takes on the businss of big technology written by Nataraj Sindam. 1. Why the new AI Button on Your Keyboard is inevitable?Microsoft is adding a new AI button to your PC keyboard. This is the first time Microsoft changed the PC keyboard in last 30 years. If you are a regular user of ChatGPT or its competitors you will notice your own behavior, that you use it repeatedly and it might get lost in the 10s of chrome tabs you have opened.You also realize that its a constant companion on your daily work. Microsoft already realized this and jumped head on into creating Copilots for all its products.The next step in this strategy is to have a dedicated button that will launch bing copilot which uses gpt-4 and is currently free.The move highlights couple of things:Copilots are going to an enduring form factorWe will use copilots so often that it requires its own buttonIts a great use of Microsoft's distribution power to create a new user behaviorIf this new behavior works its acts as counter to Google search. Your first step for any answer would be to tap that button and start asking the question. A better interface potentially to transition from a search dominant world to answer dominant world.2. Who is the biggest AI VC in town?As some one who closely works with a venture fund and interacted with lots of investors and invested in 20+ startups its important to note that the unseriousness of ZIRP era was prevalent in VC industry as much as it was in any other industry.This meant higher valuations that defy the gravity of the business became common. Chasing each others and asking the question “who else is investing” became the most important criteria. Deals closed faster than ever. Crypto as a sector suck more oxygen in the room that it should. Mostly because too much capital was chasing too few deals and in the process new & some old investors lost track of what is important. Its important for a VC to invest in important things in tech.Now with AI era on us, the biggest investors in AI are not the VC firms but its the fearsome foursome - Microsoft, Google, Amazon & Nvidia.The amount of investment commitments from these 4 companies has already exceeded $20B with a conservative estimate.Big tech companies never really invested in crypto like they are investing in AI.So what's the take away here - if you think AI hype cycle is similar to crypto hype cycle, you are wrong. AI is an enduring cycle worthy of hype, unlike crypto which was propped up by VCs with out enough depth.Topic 3 - My Experiments with AI:One of the reason this newsletter is less frequent than usual (from now on it will be twice a month) is because I am working on writing more on AI as part of a series I am calling 100 days of AI. If you are interested in gen AI experiments, ideas & trends follow along here. Here are some posts I have written about AI. - Design Thinking using Semantic Kernel - Get Insights from YouTube Podcast Video using Open AI's GPT 4 - Build Your Own Chat with Data App Till next time, stay above average.Nataraj --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
Under the Rose Productions: Castle in the Sky @ James Oviatt Building - 7.9 out of 10! Above Average! Nov 2 - 30, 2023. www.latheatrebites.com
Join co-hosts Steve and Scotia Maguire (who apparently is ready for any kind of weather) as we welcome October…we're finally taking a break from the rain, We have one Very warm day this week, We talk about the hub of the National Weather Service AND the full weekly weather preview, NEXT… In Episode #128 of Obsessed With The Weather.