Podcasts about Obi

On this episode Obi sits down with player developer and mental performance coach Zephaniah Moore as they discuss the pro vs. amateur mindset, the sacrifices of the grind, overseas basketball life, and more.Who do you want to see on the Wonbyone Podcast? Let us know in the comments.We'll be back next week with an all new episode!

Four stories today — starting with the controversydominating Chinese automotive social media right now.Li Auto posted a chassis comparison video on theirofficial platform comparing the Li L9 Livis to theNIO ES9. The video was designed to make the ES9 lookinferior. NIO's VP of Branding Ma Lin went public onWeibo and challenged the video's authenticity — statingthat what it showed was physically impossible given theES9's suspension specifications. Li Auto deleted thevideo without responding. This is not the first time.The pattern is a company under sales pressure reachingfor competitive tactics that keep backfiring. Li Auto'syear-over-year sales have been falling for most of thepast 12 months. A company that is winning doesn't needto manufacture evidence against a competitor.NIO president Qin Lihong confirmed the All-New ES8 willcomplete its 120,000th delivery in June. At the same timethe ES9 hits its 10,000th delivery — in its very firstfull month of production. Two milestones. Same month.The barbell is working. NIO June total deliveries areexpected to top 40,000 units.My Discord raised the honest bear case questions thisweek. NIO is running on a few demand engines. If thoseslow down without new ones behind them Q3 and Q4 getscomplicated. The R&D restructuring concern — subsidiariesabsorbing innovation spend off the consolidated books —is a real question. Is profitability being achieved byweakening the long-term innovation engine? I don't wantthat trade. NIO's approach is more conservative thanXpeng's physical AI moonshot. Conservative can be right.Conservative can also mean getting outflanked. The juryis still out and these questions deserve honest answers.NIO fell 5.8% on the week because the May jobs reportdoubled consensus at 172,000 added. The 10-year yieldspiked to 4.54%. "Good news is bad news" — strong jobsmeans the Fed doesn't cut. Kevin Warsh walks into a ratehike environment nobody expected. This is a macro storynot a NIO thesis story. Watch oil. Watch the Iran deal.That's your real signal.

NIO is playing a different game — and Motley Fool just called it out. While competitors chase export volume and watch margins collapse, NIO focuses on winning the domestic market with brand, tech, and community.William Li's warning that China's automotive golden era is over actually strengthens NIO's positioning in a mature, saturated market. Plus: Uber burned through its full 2026 AI budget by April, one company hit a $500 million Claude bill, enterprise AI costs are exploding, and founders are finally naming names on VC horror stories (including Sequoia passing on today's $87B Cloudflare). May jobs report (+172k) adds macro pressure for the new Fed chair.Real talk from Obi: NIO's strategy looks increasingly smart, the AI spending narrative is getting stress-tested, and capital allocation biases have real consequences.Dial Tone: A Modern Salesman's Story — my debut novel. Pre-order now on Amazon (E-book ready, hard copy June 12th).

On this episode Obi sits down with 10 year professional basketball player Sean Armand as they discuss dealing with injuries, European basketball, finding your own happiness and more. This episode was recorded in 2024. Who do you want to see on the Wonbyone Podcast? Let us know in the comments. We'll be back next week with an all new episode! 

NIO is executing. The ES9 flagship is already on pace for 10,000 deliveries this month with strong waitlists on higher trims. Fresh today: partnership with GigaDevice on next-gen automotive chips and another smart financing move through Mirattery at ultra-low rates.We also check XPENG — strong demand on the GX SUV but a notable loss in their robotics team. Plus the hot US jobs report, Supabase hitting $10B valuation, Mira Murati speaking out, GM's battery push, and a quick SpaceX/NASA moment.Real talk: NIO's steady progress in the premium segment stands out while competition stays intense and macro throws some short-term pressure. The affluent buyer thesis and tech integration moves are what matter long-term.Dial Tone: A Modern Salesman's Story — my debut novel is now available for pre-order on Amazon. E-book ready now, hard copy June 12th.

Four stories today — starting with the luxury carconversation that connects directly to your NIO thesis.Rolls-Royce unveiled the new Spectre electric car andthe Chinese internet destroyed it immediately — tooconservative, no technology story, just an expensivecar with a plug. A Chinese financial analysis summed itup: domestic luxury brands still have a lot to learnabout what luxury means in 2026. Ferrari got the sametreatment with the Luce last week but the follow-upanalysis argues Ferrari prepared for it and doesn't care— their target is the tech nouveau riche globally,not Chinese internet approval.Here's the nuance everyone is missing. The NIO buyeris neither of these people. Ferrari and Rolls-Roycebuyers have exorbitant disposable income — these aretoys, discretionary purchases alongside yachts andprivate jets. The NIO ES9 buyer at 498,000 yuan is awealthy professional making a serious primary vehicledecision. That market is enormous. Ferrari's isdeliberately tiny. Western luxury brands strugglingto connect with Chinese consumers is a gift to NIO —which has spent 8 years studying exactly what theChinese affluent professional buyer wants.Bloomberg published "How the Iran War Is BoostingClean Energy in Asia and Europe" today — the samethesis this channel has been making since February.The energy price shock from Hormuz is acceleratingEV adoption globally. Chinese companies supply thealternatives. NIO exports are already reflecting it.Broadcom reported earnings and missed — stock plungeddouble digits. CrowdStrike also dropped sharply. TheNasdaq fell 0.76% while the Dow gained over 1% asinvestors rotated out of chip stocks. First realcrack in the AI chip trade. Speed bump not collapse —the underlying AI infrastructure spending is realand continues regardless of any single earnings miss.The House passed a war powers resolution limitingTrump on Iran — he called it meaningless. Israel andLebanon agreed to a ceasefire today — oil and yieldsslipped. The direction is toward resolution. Jobsreport Friday morning sets the tone for June.

Four stories today — all connected to the biggest monthin NIO's history.NIO has burned approximately 100 billion yuan — $14.6billion — over 8 years since William Li founded the companyin 2014. June is the verdict month. NIO delivered 67,061vehicles in April and May combined. To hit Q2 guidance of110,000-115,000 vehicles it needs 42,939 to 47,939 in Junealone. The ES9 is in its first full production month withover 50,000 pre-orders. Onvo L60 deliveries begin June 11.Gen 5 swap stations arrive mid to late June. NIO's shortinterest just hit a 32-month low — the bears are leaving.The setup has never been better.A major Chinese analysis this week asks why Chinese carsare getting bigger. The answer: margin pressure is forcingevery automaker upmarket into flagship territory whereprofits still exist. But the article makes a critical point —most brands launching flagships above 400,000 yuan arebystanders. Only brands with years of authentic premiuminvestment can actually convert those buyers. NIO has spent8 years building that identity. Most competitors have not.Lotus — the iconic British sports car brand owned by Geely —just walked back 8 years of all-electric commitment andis reintroducing hybrid powertrains. Pure EV was correctas a direction. But for a performance brand whose customerstrack their cars, range anxiety and charging limitationsmade the all-electric bet commercially unworkable. TheChinese internet put it perfectly: "Going fully electricwas correct. Retreating from fully electric is rational."NIO's battery swap network was built specifically to solvethe problem that just forced Lotus to retreat.Trump confirmed in a Wednesday interview that Iran hasalready agreed not to pursue nuclear weapons — and thatthe Strait of Hormuz could reopen as soon as this month.That triggers a sequence: oil drops, inflation falls,rate cut expectations return, growth stocks re-rate upward.Watch oil tonight. Watch Treasury yields. June could behistoric for your portfolio in more ways than one.

Quick correction upfront — yesterday's story aboutWilliam Li preparing an 8th IPO came from a Chinesearticle headline I could not fully verify. I'm pullingit back until confirmed. Credibility first always.The ES9 launched May 27th and already has a 17-weekdelivery queue. NIO stock surged 6.79% on June 1st andis trading at $6.18. The demand is real. But a seriousquestion is being asked — the ES8 sold 110,000 unitsin 8 months. Can the ES9 replicate that in a marketwhere product half-lives keep shrinking?The honest bull case: the ES9 at 498,000 yuan targetsa different buyer than the ES8 at 406,800 yuan. If NIOopened a new segment rather than cannibalizing anexisting one, the ES9 has its own ceiling to find.The honest bear case: the 17-week queue reflectsinitial pent-up pre-order demand. The real test isAugust and September when that normalizes. Huawei,Aito, Zeekr, and Yangwang are all competing for thesame buyer above 400,000 yuan.The S&P 500 crossed 7,600 for the first time today.HPE surged 30% on its biggest earnings beat since 2018.Alphabet announced plans to raise $80 billion fromstock sales dedicated to AI infrastructure. The AItrade keeps running regardless of macro headwinds.SpaceX's IPO roadshow is live this week. The companytargets $1.8 trillion. Morningstar values it at $780billion. The gap is Elon Musk's broader vision — xAI,X, Starship — versus just the proven rocket andStarlink business. Watch the order book when it opens.Florida's Attorney General sued OpenAI and is seekingto hold Sam Altman personally liable for alleged harms.First major state-level action targeting an AI CEOindividually. If it gains traction every AI company'srisk calculus changes permanently.

Four stories to close out May — starting with the mostunderrated bull case in the NIO thesis right now.NIO's battery swap network delivered 16% of all EV chargingenergy in China over a five-day period. Not 16% of NIOvehicle energy. 16% of ALL electric vehicle charging energyacross the entire Chinese market. From one company'sinfrastructure. In five days. The market is pricing NIOas a car company. The swap network is becoming an energyinfrastructure business — a recurring revenue platformwith a flywheel that gets stronger with every vehicle sold.Gen 5 swap stations arrive mid to late June, unifiedacross all three NIO brands for the first time. The numberthat is already 16% goes higher.Software stocks closed May as their best month since 2001.The SaaSpocalypse — the fear that AI would destroy SaaS —didn't happen. Dell surged 33%. Snowflake 36.5%.AI is making software more valuable not less — selectingfor the companies that use AI as a feature rather thanrunning from it as a threat.SpaceX trimmed its self-assessed valuation to $1.8 trillionand is still on track for the largest IPO in world history.MiniMax — the Chinese AI company recently compared toDeepSeek — is pursuing a China listing. SoftBank announcedplans to invest up to €75 billion in French AI data centers.The AI infrastructure arms race is now a global story.The US and Iran are "mostly agreed" on a 60-day memorandumof understanding — ceasefire extended, Hormuz reopens,nuclear talks begin. The deal still needs Trump's signature.Oil closed May at $92.56 — down nearly 19% for the month —worst monthly performance since COVID. Watch Monday morning.If the deal gets signed the market opens at a new recordand everything that's been held back by the macro overhangsince February starts to move.

Four stories today — starting with the most importantweek in NIO's 2026 delivery story so far.NIO delivered 37,705 vehicles in May 2026 — up 62.3%year over year and up 28.4% from April's 29,356.Three brands all firing: 20,013 NIO brand, 12,029 Onvo,5,663 Firefly. Year-to-date deliveries hit 150,526 —up 68.7% year over year. Cumulative deliveries reached1,148,118. The ES8 has been the number one sellingvehicle above 400,000 yuan for five consecutive months.The ES9 has over 50,000 pre-orders — with deliveriesonly starting May 28th. June is when the ES9 volumereally arrives.William Li is reportedly preparing to take Mirattery —NIO's battery asset operator — public as his eighth IPO.Mirattery owns the batteries in NIO's 3,846 swap stations.It recently closed a Series C total of nearly 2 billionyuan with state-backed institutional investors. A MiratteryIPO gives the battery swap infrastructure its own publicvaluation — separate from NIO's stock price. NIOshareholders already own a piece of that business.The market hasn't priced it in yet.The May Chinese EV delivery rankings reshuffled.Leapmotor delivered 81,569 units — record high for thesecond consecutive month. Zeekr delivered 34,377 unitsup 81.81% year over year. Huawei HIMA delivered 46,122.Xiaomi exceeded 30,000 for the month. BYD delivered376,990 — ending its 8-month year-over-year declinestreak. The market is forming a barbell — premium brandsand value brands winning, the middle getting squeezed.NIO is firmly on the premium side of that barbell.The Iran 60-day MOU is still waiting for Trump'ssignature. Hormuz remains largely closed. Oil at $92.56.June brings Gen 5 swap stations, Onvo L60 launch, andES9 volume ramping. The setup for Q3 is building now.

Seznam 15-ih kandidatov za ministre 16-e slovenske vlade je uradno vložen v državni zbor. Sedem ministrskih stolčkov bo pripadlo SDS, pet trojčku okoli NSi, trije pa Demokratom. Takoj v začetku tedna se bodo začela zaslišanja kandidatov. V četrtek bo sledilo glasovanje o celotni zasedbi. Po izvolitvi bodo ministri nove vlade zaprisegli pred državnim zborom. Običajno se ministri še isti dan srečajo tudi na prvi seji vlade, ki je namenjena tudi najpomembnejšim kadrovskim vprašanjem. Druge teme: - Ameriški predsednik Trump kljub napovedim ni sprejel odločitve glede sporazuma z Iranom. - Na Poljskem razburjenje zaradi poimenovanja ene od elitnih enot ukrajinske vojske. - Tradicionalna Operna noč je v Maribor privabila več tisoč obiskovalcev.

Dell Technologies just had its best single session in companyhistory — up 33% after beating earnings and raising full-yearguidance. AI server demand is flooding Dell's infrastructuredivision. Snowflake surged 36.5%. Best Buy up 15.8%.And today I want to have the honest conversation this channelhas needed to have.I am a news guy first. I found the NIO story because it wasone of the most compelling business stories of the decade —a Chinese EV company surviving bankruptcy, rebuilding fromnothing, competing against the world's most advanced automakers— and almost nobody in the English-speaking world was tellingit properly. I opened that window. That's still what thischannel is.But I own Dell. And today was a very good day.The NIO vs Dell comparison isn't a competition — it's aportfolio conversation. A concentrated bet on NIO missesthe AI infrastructure wave. A concentrated bet on Dellmisses the Chinese EV expansion story. The mistake thiscommunity sometimes makes is treating NIO as an identityrather than an investment.You're not a NIO person. You're an investor who has NIOin your portfolio. Those are different things.Bloomberg confirmed a tentative US-Iran deal is beingdiscussed. S&P 500 closed at 7,580 — a new all time record.The Dow crossed 51,000 for the first time in history.Oil slipped on the deal optimism. If this holds — everymacro headwind that's been weighing on growth stocks sinceFebruary starts to reverse. Rate cut expectations return.And the stocks held back by the overhang — including NIO —get re-rated upward.NIO launched its fifth Q2 product today — Onvo L60 pre-saleskicked off at the Shenzhen Auto Show. Official launch June 11.I'm a news guy. I document stories. The Chinese EV storyis one of the most important business stories of the decade.But I own Dell too.

Four stories today — all connected to the future ofthe Chinese EV market and your portfolio.BYD unveiled the Xuanji A3 — China's first mass-producedautomotive-grade 4nm smart driving chip. 2,100 TOPS ofcomputing power in a three-chip configuration. Built forL3 and L4 autonomous driving. Already in mass production.But the real story is the 24-year infrastructure behind it.BYD set up its chip division in 2002 — before the iPhone.7,000 chip engineers. 5 wafer fabrication facilities.Over 2,000 chip products across 13 categories. Chipssupplying 46 other automotive brands. BYD is the onlyautomaker on earth with full-process chip manufacturingcapability — from architecture design through wafermanufacturing to testing. Wang Chuanfu said it directly:"The second half of intelligentization is all about chips."Xpeng reported Q1 with revenue down 17.6% year over yearwhile R&D jumped nearly 50% in the opposite direction.That scissors gap swallowed every positive effect fromimproved margins. Xpeng has 42 billion yuan in cash burningat over 5 billion per quarter — chasing Robotaxi, humanoidrobots, a flying car, and the Turing chip licensing business.He Xiaopeng is betting that 2026-2028 are the three mostcritical years for physical AI and that bleeding now meansdominating later. High risk. High ceiling.A suspected mine was reported in the Strait of Hormuzby Omani authorities this morning. A ceasefire frameworksits waiting for final signatures — 60-day extension,Hormuz reopens, nuclear talks begin. Oil is down 20%from 2026 highs — worst monthly performance since COVID.Watch Treasury yields Sunday night. Watch oil Monday morning.Those two numbers tell you what the market believes.Audi started pre-sales for the China-specific E7X — anddropped the four-ring logo entirely, replacing it withjust the letters AUDI. Co-developed with SAIC. Startingat 289,800 yuan. When a brand that competed directly withNIO's target customer strips its most recognizable identityto survive in China — that's the most bullish NIO datapoint of the week.

What if the industry's definition of an “emerging professional” is already outdated?In this episode of Deliberate Words, Dave Stutzman sits down with Sophie Dalton and Obed Eriza to explore what growth, expertise, and career development really look like in the world of specifications. Coming from two very different backgrounds, Sophie and Obi share how curiosity, research, networking, and continuous learning shaped their paths into the profession and continue to influence the way they approach projects today.The conversation dives into everything from learning specifications “backwards,” engaging with contractors and product reps, and navigating the growing role of AI, to a deeper discussion about how the industry defines experience itself. Is a “young specifier” really about age...or about proficiency, exposure, and evolving knowledge?Together, the group challenges traditional labels and explores whether the profession needs a new framework for understanding growth in specifications, mentorship, and technical development. It's a thoughtful and forward-looking discussion about the future of specification practice and the people shaping it.

Welcome back. A lot happened. Let's get into it.NIO ES9 deliveries kicked off yesterday — one day early.NIO hired NBA legend Yao Ming as Chief Experience Officer.The stock surged 9.3% in the US and 10.45% in Hong Kong.The higher-priced Executive Signature Edition and HorizonSpecial Edition trims are selling far above managementexpectations — a margin story that flows directly intoQ2 revenue per unit.NIO Q1 2026: Revenue $3.7 billion — up 123% year over year.Deliveries 83,465 — up 98.3%. Vehicle margin 18.8% — fourthconsecutive quarterly improvement. Net loss narrowed to 332million yuan from 6.75 billion yuan a year ago. Q2 guidance:110,000-115,000 deliveries. Bank of America doubled its stake.Morgan Stanley and Bernstein both upgraded.Xpeng Q1 2026: Revenue $1.89 billion — down 17.6% year overyear. Deliveries 62,682 — down 33.3%. Gross margin 20.6%.Same market. Same quarter. Two completely different storiesabout brand positioning and where each company sits in theChinese EV landscape.Ferrari unveiled the Luce on May 25th — their first fullyelectric production car, designed with Jony Ive, priced at$645,000. Italy's deputy prime minister said it doesn't looklike a Ferrari. The Chinese internet compared it to a NissanLeaf. Ferrari's stock dropped 8% on launch day. China'sluxury EV market — NIO ET9 at 818K yuan, Maextro S800 at1 million yuan — doesn't need Ferrari's validation. It'salready here and already won.PCE inflation hit 3.8% for April — highest in nearly threeyears. And Wall Street is quietly profiting from the samewar it publicly says it wants to end. The financial incentiveskeeping Hormuz closed are enormous. Follow the money.

V Hrastniku se začenja mednarodni festival uprizoritvenih umetnosti Rdeči revirji, ki bo potekal tudi v Zagorju, Trbovljah in Litiji. Kot so zapisali, predstavlja različne umetniške žanre in oblike, s katerimi bi radi oživili dogajanje na zasavskih ulicah. V Galeriji Jakopič v Ljubljani odpirajo razstavo nizozemskega fotografa Roba Hornstre, ki že dve desetletji ustvarja portret našega časa s fotografiranjem ljudi v njihovem vsakdanu, z naslovom Običajni ljudje. Slovensko narodno gledališče v Novi Gorici bo na velikem odru premierno odigralo komično dramo Češnjev vrt, besedilo Čehova, ki ga je hrvaška režiserka Tamara Damjanović v svoji priredbi še dodatno začinila in oživela.

Just when the team thinks they have things sorted out, Obi crashes in and drops an absolute bomb… something terrible is going on… lets hope they can handle whatever it is!!!  Game Master: Chad MatchetteRaúl Parera AKA Astor: Cesar AlacronSir Reginald Tippery AKA Falstaff: Morgan CollinsTerri Bliss AKA Dart: Natasha SukorokoffPat Roleman AKA Paramount: Robin “Coach” Sukorokoff“Legends” Co-Creators: Chad and Jack MatchettePodcast Editors: Matt Williamson, Em Matchette and Chad MatchetteBUY “LEGENDS: THE SUPERHERO ROLE PLAYING GAME” NOW: https://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000192338578Listen to “Legends: The Superhero Soundtrack” on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5mBxdCslTJ1u1aBHetIiem?si=lt4_4_RUSISSP4E1e_7HiwTweet about the show using #thelegendscast for the chance to have an NPC named after you!For our super fans who would like to help us make the show the best it can be, please consider becoming a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/thelegendscastCheck out our heroic merch here: https://thelegendscast.threadless.com/#Come hang out with us on Discord: https://discord.gg/jYpYhN3fTVFor more information head over to our website: https://www.matchplaygames.ca/Theme music by Omar Chakor (https://www.instagram.com/theorce/) through Fiverr (https://www.fiverr.com/ch6k0r)Underscoring by Sayer Roberts (https://www.instagram.com/roberts.the.sayer/) - check him out on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-135673977 and SideBiz Studio!: https://bit.ly/3kdunQJCLICK HERE TO BUY “LEGENDS: THE SUPERHERO ROLE PLAYING GAME”!Support the show

In this episode of the Wonbyone Podcast, Obi sits down with Billy Baron, former EuroLeague sharpshooter, to talk about what it takes to build a long career overseas. Billy shares how getting benched early in Lithuania, transferring schools multiple times, and watching his dad get fired from his coaching job all shaped his elite work ethic.They get into the difference between working hard and working with purpose, why some players stall out while others level up, and how Billy is now helping the next generation of athletes prepare for the valleys, not just the highlights. This episode is all about high-performance routines, mental resilience, and post-retirement identity shifts.

On this episode of the HOZ Comedy Podcast with Joey, it is packed with nonstop laughs, open mic stories, and completely unfiltered conversations. The crew talks about the booming comedy scene, fan merch ideas, awkward fashion debates, and the mysterious increase in comics whenever Obi misses a show. They also recap hilarious moments from Gary's birthday comedy show, Carlos Rico's standout performance, and some unforgettable graduation ceremony stories involving Harry Potter spells and ashy feet.As always, the episode wraps up with updates on upcoming comedy shows, merch, and open mic nights. Remember to listen laugh and share

In this episode of the Wonbyone Podcast, Obi sits down with Christian Honer — beach volleyball pro, entrepreneur, and host of the Champion Secrets and Athlete Disciples podcasts — to talk about what it really looks like to build an identity beyond your sport. Christian shares how he went from homeschooled kid selling websites door to door to representing the U.S. on the international volleyball stage, and how he's now helping athletes turn their knowledge and story into purpose and income.Obi opens up about his own journey too — going overseas with an ego that got him cut in three months, grinding his way to the Olympics with Nigeria and beating USA, signing to play alongside Victor Wembanyama the day before tearing his ACL, and how the one by one mindset became the only way he knew how to survive it all. The conversation goes deep on identity, pressure, faith, and what athletes owe themselves when the sport is over.

Four stories today — all connected to what mattersfor your portfolio right now.Tomorrow the Onvo L80 officially launches. NIO's directanswer to Tesla's Model Y — priced below it, with batteryswap included, and Morgan Stanley projecting Onvo reaches30% of NIO group deliveries in Q2 up from 16% in Q1.William Li confirmed deposit flow was already exceedinginternal forecasts before the official launch.ES9 deliveries start May 27th. The L60 facelift haspre-sales coming late May with an official launch in June.That's four major NIO and Onvo product launches in asingle quarter — the most aggressive product calendarin company history.Today NIO pushed the Aster 1.5.0 OTA update to allexisting Firefly owners — a free motor power boost from105kW to 120kW, no hardware changes required. The updatealso prepares Firefly vehicles for NIO's fifth-generationbattery swap stations — the infrastructure that unifiesall three NIO brands on one network for the first time.NIO operates 3,846 swap stations and has delivered over110 million swaps since 2018. William Li guides to4,500-4,600 stations by year end. Gen 5 changes theunit economics of the entire swap business.Trump and Xi Jinping agreed today that the Strait ofHormuz must remain open. That's a joint US-China position— not just American pressure on Iran. China absorbs1.5 million barrels of Iranian oil daily. When Beijingpublicly aligns with Washington on Hormuz staying open,Iran's negotiating position weakens significantly.China also ordered 200 Boeing jets. Jensen Huang metChinese Premier Li Qiang directly in Beijing.And at midnight tonight Drake drops Iceman — 928 dayssince his last solo album, first since the Kendrick Lamarbeef reshaped his public image. The streaming numbersSaturday morning are a referendum on whether hip-hopstill moves the needle commercially — and whetherDrake's cultural dominance survived the feud.NIO earnings May 21st. Xpeng May 28th.---

Six stories today — all connected to your portfolio.The NIO ES8 topped China's large SUV retail rankingsfor the fifth consecutive month — including combustionvehicles. The most premium mainstream NIO product isthe best-selling large SUV in China. That margin mixis what William Li was signaling when he told his teamrevenue growth would outpace delivery growth in Q1.The Onvo L80 launches tomorrow. Starting at 245,800 yuanwith the battery — 17,700 yuan cheaper than Tesla'sModel Y in China. Under BaaS the entry price drops to159,800 yuan. 2,840 liters of total cargo space —largest of any five-seat SUV in China. 900-voltarchitecture. LiDAR version with NIO's Shenji chipor pure vision with Nvidia Orin X. Early order datais tracking slightly better than the L90 at the samepre-sales stage. Onvo targets 3,300 swap stationsby year end.Trump landed in Beijing today with Tim Cook, Elon Musk,and Jensen Huang — who boarded Air Force One in Alaskaat the last minute after Trump called him personally.Topics: trade, Taiwan, Iran, and Nvidia chip exportcontrols. If any movement emerges on chip exportsfrom this summit it moves the entire semiconductorsector and NIO's autonomy roadmap simultaneously.Tesla FSD just crossed 10 billion cumulative miles.Huawei Qiankun hit 10.47 billion kilometers cumulativewith 910 million kilometers in April alone. A Huaweiexecutive declared they will surpass Tesla by October.Tesla is reportedly pushing its full-strength FSD V14to employee vehicles in China for the first time.The biggest autonomous driving battle in Chinesehistory is underway.Chinese industry executives are now calling L3 amarketing grey zone — the liability problem betweenL2 and L4 creates confusion that hurts consumersand exposes manufacturers. NIO's careful marketinglanguage is a competitive advantage in this environment.Xpeng reports Q1 earnings May 28th — one week after NIO.PPI hit 6% year over year. Markets hit all time highs.Cerebras priced its AI chip IPO at $185/share.---

Four stories today — all connected to your NIO position.NIO reports Q1 2026 earnings on May 21st before US marketsopen. Three things to watch on the call: whether revenuegrowth outpaced delivery growth as management guided,whether gross margin held above 17.5% from Q4 2025,and what William Li says about ES9 and L80 demand momentum.April delivery breakdown: the ES8 delivered 13,020 units —44% of NIO's entire monthly volume. The 5566 lineup(ET5, ET5 Touring, ES6, EC6) is under significant pressurewith meaningful year-over-year declines across every model.In Q1 the ES8 accounted for over 77% of NIO-brand deliveries.That's a company running on one engine. The ES9 and L80are engines two and three — both launching in the next 15 days.Every major automaker now wants chip independence.Volkswagen announced it's developing its own automotiveSystem-on-Chip in China for Level 3 autonomous driving.VW is already using Xpeng's Turing chip in its firstall-electric China SUV — the ID. UNYX 08 — which justentered production with deliveries starting by end of June.Reports from the Chinese internet suggest NIO is planningto sell its Shenji NX9031 chip to other manufacturersafter spinning off the chip business. The Apple siliconplaybook applied to automotive.April CPI dropped today at 3.8% year over year — thehighest since May 2023. Gasoline up 28.4% annually.Beef up 14.8%. Airline fares up 20.7%. Real wages fell.Bank of America now forecasts no Fed rate cuts untilthe second half of 2027. Traders are pricing a 30%chance of an actual rate hike by year end.The macro headwind is real. It's Iran-driven.It resolves when Hormuz resolves. Until then —watch oil, not the Dow.Also — missed yesterday. Writing a book. More soon.

FC Cincinnati extended their unbeaten streak to six matches with a frustrating 2-2 draw in Charlotte after dominating the first half before collapsing right after halftime. We break down another massive performance from Evander, Denkey continuing his scoring run, FCC's growing 45-60 minute defensive issues, and why getting Miles Robinson and Obi back could be huge moving forward. Plus: Pat Noonan's comments, Neymar and Roman rumors, FCC2 beating Columbus Crew 2, and previews for Miami.

If your 8(a) SBA application has stalled with no response, there's a little-known move that can force action and it runs directly through your elected officials' offices. In this episode of the Federal Help Center Podcast, community member Obi breaks down exactly how he used a congressional inquiry to get his 8(a) application escalated all the way to the SBA, and Eric unpacks the privacy release form every small business owner needs to know about. We also get into the explosive SBA audit that suspended over 1,000 8(a) companies — and what it reveals about who's really leveraging this certification versus who's just sitting on a paperweight. [Key Takeaways] The Congressional Inquiry Playbook — Learn the step-by-step process Obi used: phone call, follow-up email, caseworker contact, and the privacy release form that formally authorizes your senator or representative to inquire on your behalf to any federal agency — not just the SBA. 8(a) Change of Ownership vs. Acquisition — Eric breaks down why "buying" an 8(a) is the wrong framing, what a change of ownership actually requires, and how strategic 8(a) ownership transfers can become a powerful pipeline play — including the tribal 8(a) angle most people never consider. The SBA Audit That Changed Everything — The SBA suspended over 1,000 8(a)-certified companies in a single sweep. Find out why it happened, who got caught, and what it tells you about the cost of holding a certification you're not actively using. 8(a) as a Paperweight vs. a Weapon — Hear directly from business owners who said their 8(a) "hasn't done anything" and cost them money every year — and why knowing how to leverage a certification is the difference between a burden and a competitive edge.   EPISODE CHAPTERS: 0:00 — Welcome to the Federal Help Center Podcast intro 0:27 — Obi shares his 8a SBA application update 1:25 — How Obi used his senator's office to escalate his case 2:52 — What happened after the congressional inquiry was filed 3:21 — SBA responds: the caseworker process explained 4:19 — Privacy release form: how to request congressional inquiry 5:44 — Using the form for any federal agency, not just SBA 6:11 — 8a change of ownership vs. acquisition strategy explained 8:31 — SBA audit suspended 1,000 eight-a companies: why it happened 9:31 — 8a certification as a paperweight vs. a competitive tool   Market Intelligence gives you the federal opportunities, agency signals, recompete intel, and pursuit briefs that tell you not just what contracts exist, but which ones to chase and how to win them. Sign up for free Daily Alerts and get opportunities delivered to your inbox before the day starts.

Welcome back again again Void! This week we are completing our discussions on the Kenobi miniseries and are having a great time! It's got Kenobi, Kenobi swimming, Kenobi fighting, and GOD Kenobi? I mean, that's a LOT of boulders to throw at one guy, that one guy being Vader of course. Watch out Luke! It'll happen to you in 15 years or so! These three episodes are all about the relationship between Obi-wan and Vader, and Reva's choices when it comes to her definition of justice. It poses questions about who is "master" and how Leia became the rebel leader we know her to be. Also, did you know that Aunt Beru is a badass? Also, Erin laughs at a dead youngling in stasis. We're concerned. "Erin is dead, I AM WHAT REMAINS"

On this episode of the HOZ Comedy Podcast with Joey, the cast starts off with conversations about new comedy shows, old habits, and movie recommendations before quickly spiraling into absolute chaos. The crew dives into random debates about French fries, whistles, and hilarious RFK impressions that completely derail the conversation.Things get even wilder with relationship stories, including a hilarious “when no means trouble” Latina girlfriend story, followed by bizarre internet headlines involving car theft, influencer drama, and some truly unbelievable situations.To wrap things up, Obi brings some of the craziest news stories imaginable involving chopsticks, brooms, whales, and other random internet madness. Packed with unpredictable conversations, nonstop jokes, and classic HOZ Comedy Podcast energy, this episode goes completely off the rails in the best way possible. Remember to listen laugh and share.

Five stories today — NIO leads everything.ES9 test drives open May 11th — this Sunday.NIO has initiated a 10,000 kilometer (6,200 mile)shortest-time driving challenge alongside the opens.Onvo L80 launches May 15. ES9 deliveries begin May 27on the same day as the official launch — nearlyunheard of in the Chinese EV industry.A leaked image circulating on Chinese social mediasuggests NIO is developing a companion smartphonethat extends across all three of its brands — NIO,Onvo, and Firefly. A NIO phone would integratenatively with the swap network, NIO Pilot, vehiclecontrols, and the Shenji chip ecosystem. This is theecosystem thesis playing out in real time.April EV sales are in. Leapmotor hit 71,387 units —a 73.9% year-over-year increase and a new all-timemonthly record. NIO delivered 29,356 units — up22.8% year-over-year but squeezed out of the 30Kclub by Xiaomi. NIO's cumulative deliveries crossed1.11 million units. The April softness was predicted.May 15th is when the recovery starts.Leapmotor's record comes with a problem. Its newD-series flagship is priced at 250,000-300,000 yuan —moving directly into NIO's territory. The brand thatbuilt its identity on affordability is now trying tosell premium products to buyers who expect premiumbrand experience. NIO spent eleven years building that.Leapmotor is trying to do it with a product launch.Markets hit all-time highs today — S&P 500 at 7,398,Nasdaq at 26,247, six straight winning weeks. Micronsurged 13.7%, Oracle 13.56%, SanDisk 14.27% in onesession. Apple signed a chip-making deal with Intel.And Michael Burry compared the AI trade to the finalmonths of the 1999-2000 dot-com bubble.Watch the semis. Watch the AI infrastructure names.The momentum is real. So is the caution sign.---

Morrilton man, 'career criminal,' behind bars on federal charges; Perry County Chamber seeking nominations for annual awards; Chartons named Farm Family of the Year locally; Governor calls special session for next week to address tax cuts; UACCM holds Mock Crisis event for nursing students; OBI to hold blood drive at Toad Suck Daze, donors have opportunity to win trip; Conway County Library to offer summer reading program for children; Byers named head girls' coach at Wonderview; we visit with Shannon Autrey of the Conway County Extension Service.

Three stories on the last day of April — all connectedto your portfolio.Trump started a war with Iran in February. Oil hit $104.The Strait of Hormuz closed. And Chinese EV exports hit arecord high in March — up 140% year over year according tothe China Passenger Car Association. Solar, batteries, andEVs combined rose 70% in total export value. China's batteryexports alone hit $10 billion in a single month.Diesel is up over 100% in parts of Southeast Asia. Countriesthat depended on Middle Eastern oil don't need governmentincentives to switch to EVs anymore — their fuel bill isthe incentive. Trump started a war that accidentallyaccelerated the global case for Chinese clean energy.NIO's battery asset operator Mirattery issued its secondgreen ABN of 2026 — another 1 billion yuan, bringingcumulative issuance to 4 billion yuan total. The seniortranche carries a coupon rate of just 2.00% — below China's3.00% benchmark lending rate. The issuance was oversubscribed.Rates are trending down. The swap network is now raisinginstitutional capital at premium terms. That's infrastructure,not just a product feature.Big Tech reported last night. Microsoft beat. Amazon beat.Alphabet beat and rose 10%. Meta beat and fell 5% on flatQ2 revenue guidance. Combined AI capital expenditure acrossthe four companies has hit $725 billion for 2026. The marketis no longer rewarding beats — it's demanding proof thatthe spending is generating returns right now. Alphabet showedit. Meta didn't. The scoreboard reflects that.May is NIO's biggest month in company history.ES9 official launch. Onvo L80. Beijing Auto Show public days.---

This week on 5 Things Friday UK edition, we break down the retail stories shaping the high street, physical stores, discovery, customer experience, AI, and the future of retail.The episode starts with a spotlight on Positive Retail, described in the conversation as a more curated, “posh TK Maxx” approach to giving unsold fashion stock a second life without leaning into chaotic discount culture. The discussion then moves to Longchamp's Sloane Square pop-up, a beach-club-style activation built around music, drinks, games, workshops, and summer holiday energy — a strong example of why physical retail has to offer something the internet cannot.The conversation also covers the reported return of Claire's to UK high streets, with plans mentioned in the episode for 50 stores, before moving into takeaways from World Retail Congress in Berlin. Topics include CEO perspectives on AI, customer experience, retail engagement, ASOS collaborations, the role of Reddit in AI training, and whether retailers should be paying closer attention to Reddit and community-driven search behaviour.The episode wraps with store visits and retail models from Europe, including Action's frugal operating model, the question of whether AI removes organisational “fluff,” and examples from OBI, QVC live shopping, NRF Europe, and HOFF's Madrid flagship store.Linkshttps://positive-retail.com/https://www.nrfbigshoweurope.com/en/about/event-overviewhttps://www.instagram.com/reels/DXuOaYxggjU/Chapters00:00 Introduction to 5 Things Friday UK00:27 Meet Simone and Need It For Tonight01:15 Positive Retail and a different future for fashion02:12 Overproduction, discounting, and retail's race to the bottom02:36 The “posh TK Maxx” model of curated discovery03:49 Longchamp's Sloane Square beach-club pop-up04:26 Why physical retail needs emotion and atmosphere05:21 Claire's planned return to UK high streets06:06 World Retail Congress in Berlin06:32 CEOs on AI, customer experience, and retail engagement06:51 ASOS, collaborations, and sell-out retail moments07:13 Reddit, AI training, and retail discovery08:33 Who actually uses Reddit?09:45 Inside Action's frugal European retail model10:33 Centralised operations, SKUs, and efficiency11:00 Is AI just removing organisational fluff?11:24 Action opening one store a day11:52 OBI, garden retail, and store experience12:13 QVC and the move into live shopping12:37 NRF Europe, London, Milan, Amsterdam, and Paris13:24 HOFF's Madrid flagship store13:49 Pulse, London plans, and new social content14:14 Closing remarks

In this episode of the Wonbyone Podcast, Obi sits down with Josh Richardson—NBA veteran, former second-round pick, and hometown friend from Edmond, OK—to talk about the mental and physical grind behind a long pro career. Josh opens up about the early challenges that shaped his mindset, how he earned his role through defense and film study, and how staying adaptable helped him carve out a place in the league.They also dive into life outside of basketball, from learning how to DJ to finding patience and perspective through injuries. Josh shares the importance of building outlets beyond sport, the value of accountability, and how long-term growth comes from constant adjustment and self-awareness.

Six stories from the biggest auto show in history —plus two US macro stories your portfolio needs today.The 2026 Beijing Auto Show opened April 24 as the largestauto show ever staged — 380,000 square meters, 1,451 vehicles,181 world premieres. The secretary-general of the PassengerCar Association called it the only booming top-level autoshow left in the world as Detroit, Frankfurt, and Tokyocontinue to shrink or cancel.Tesla skipped it. Again.NIO brought all three brands — NIO, Onvo, and Firefly —under one roof for the first time. The ES9 made its publicdebut with over 40 industry-first technologies, dual ShenjiNX9031 chips, and SkyRide full active suspension.Official launch late May. Deliveries June 1.The CEOs were the real show. Lei Jun of Xiaomi visitedNIO, Xpeng, Li Auto, and BYD's booths and gave printedT-shirts to Li Bin, Li Xiang, and He Xiaopeng — photoshit every Chinese hot search immediately. Wang Chuanfu —the richest man in China — took the subway to the venueand stood at the BYD booth for six hours straight.Huawei spread across 4,400+ square meters with five brandson one platform — and is creating a brand identity problemnobody has answered yet. Xpeng showcased Level 4 autonomousdriving with the GX model.Back in the US — Big Tech reports this week. Apple,Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon all drop earnings. The Fedmeets Tuesday with a 100% chance of no rate cut as oilstays above $100 and Goldman raised their Q4 Brentforecast to $90 per barrel.---

Five stories today — starting with the one every NIO investor needs to hear right now.A British Virgin Islands holding company called Charge Peak, which owns the patents of bankrupt Israeli startup Better Place, just sent NIO a cease-and-desist letter demanding $250 million — calculated as 2% of NIO's 2025 revenue. They're claiming NIO's battery swap network infringes three European patents.Here's why I'm not worried. This is not a lawsuit — it's a negotiating letter. Better Place went bankrupt in 2013. NIO was founded in 2014 and has been filing its own independent battery swap patents since 2017. NIO responded directly — their technology is "materially different" and developed through years of independent R&D. And the three patents cover European operations only — about 60 of NIO's 4,000 global swap stations.The timing is telling. This letter dropped the day before Beijing Auto Show with NIO stock up 95% in 12 months. That's not coincidence. That's a shakedown. Buy the dip if it comes.On the same day — NIO delivered its 100,000th third-generation ES8 in Beijing. 100,000 units above 300,000 yuan in a market where 56% of dealerships are losing money. William Li didn't pick that timing by accident.Israel and Lebanon extended their ceasefire three weeks after Trump personally joined the White House meeting. Three more weeks of breathing room for markets.Google dropped $750 million to help companies deploy AI faster — the real AI battleground is now implementation, not model building.And a startup called Noscroll launched an AI bot that does your doomscrolling for you. The irony for this channel writes itself.Beijing Auto Show media day is tomorrow. This channel covers everything.---

Today, we check in a year after the first Unsupervised Learning x Latent Space Crossover special to discuss everything that has changed (there is a lot) in the world of AI. This episode was recorded just after AIE Europe, but before the Cursor-xAI deal.Unsupervised Learning is a podcast that interviews the sharpest minds in AI about what's real today, what will be real in the future and what it means for businesses and the world - helping builders, researchers and founders deconstruct and understand the biggest breakthroughs.Thanks to Jacob and the UL production team for hosting and editing this!Jacob Effron* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobeffron/* X: https://x.com/jacobeffronFull Episode on Their YouTubeWe discuss:* swyx's view from the center of the AI engineering zeitgeist: OpenClaw, harness engineering, context engineering, evals, observability, GPUs, multimodality, and why conference tracks now reveal what matters most in AI* Whether AI infrastructure has finally stabilized: why “skills” may be the minimal viable packaging format for agents, why infra companies have had to reinvent themselves every year, and why application companies have had an easier time surviving model volatility* The vertical vs. horizontal AI startup debate: why application companies can act as the outsourced AI team for enterprises, why some horizontal companies still matter, and why sandboxes may be the clearest reinvention of classic cloud infrastructure for the AI era* The “agent lab” playbook: starting with frontier models, specializing for your domain, then training your own models once you have enough data, workload, and user behavior to justify the cost and latency savings* Why domain-specific model training is real, not just marketing: how companies like Cursor and Cognition can get users to choose their in-house models, and why search, domain specialization, and distillation are becoming more important* Open models, custom chips, and alternative inference infrastructure: why swyx has turned more bullish on open source, why non-NVIDIA hardware is suddenly getting real attention, and why every 10x speedup can unlock new product experiences* What it means to sell to agents instead of humans: why agent experience may mostly just be good developer experience by another name, why APIs and docs matter more than ever, and how pretraining-data incumbents are compounding advantages in an agent-first world* Why memory and personalization may become the next big wedge: today's models mostly reward frequency of mentions, but in the future, swyx expects product choice to be shaped much more by personalized memory systems* The state of the AI coding wars: why coding has become one of the largest and fastest-growing categories in AI, how Anthropic, OpenAI, Cursor, and Cognition have all ridden the wave, and why the category may still have more room to run* Capability exploration vs. efficiency: why the industry is still in a token-maxing, experiment-heavy phase where people are rewarded for spending more rather than less* Claude Code vs. Codex and the strange stickiness of coding products: why first magical product experiences may matter more than expected, and why the bigger mystery may be why only a few names have emerged as real winners so far* What the end state of the coding market might look like: two major players, a longer tail of niche products, and possible disruption if Microsoft, Mistral, xAI, or the Chinese labs push harder into coding* Where application companies still have room against the labs: why frontier labs are trying to expand into verticals like finance and healthcare, but still leave space for focused companies that own the workflow and the last mile* Why coding may be a preview of every other AI market: the first category to truly go parabolic, the clearest example of foundation model companies colliding with application companies, and a template for how future vertical AI markets may develop* Why AI valuations now feel unbounded: from billion-dollar ARR products built in a year to trillion-dollar market caps, swyx and Jacob unpack how the AI market has broken traditional startup intuitions about scale and durability* Consumer AI vs. coding AI: why ChatGPT's consumer category may have plateaued on frequency and product design, while coding continues to feel like a daily-use category with real momentum* The next product frontier beyond coding: consumer agents, computer use, and “coding agents breaking containment,” with swyx's thesis that 2025 was the year of coding agents and 2026 may be the year they begin to do everything else* Whether foundation models are really killing startup categories: why swyx is less worried for early founders, more worried for mid-size startups and traditional SaaS, and why building something ambitious may now be the best job interview for a frontier lab* AI vs. SaaS and the internal culture war around adoption: the tension between AI-native employees who want to rip out expensive software and skeptics who think quick AI-built replacements create fragile systems* Why traditional SaaS may be under real pressure: swyx's own experience spending six figures on event and sponsor management software, the temptation to rebuild it cheaply with AI, and the broader question of whether teams will trust custom AI-native replacements* Biosafety, security, and frontier model access: why swyx raised biosafety at a dinner with Anthropic's Mike Krieger, why Krieger argued security is the bigger issue, and what restricted model releases reveal about Anthropic vs. OpenAI* The era of giant models: why 10T+ parameter systems may only be a temporary rationing phase before bigger clusters arrive, why labs may increasingly keep their most powerful models private for distillation, and why scale alone no longer feels like a complete answer* Memory as the slowest scaling factor in AI: why context windows have improved far more slowly than people hoped, why million-token context still has not changed most real workflows, and why memory may be the key bottleneck for the next generation of systems* What swyx changed his mind on in the past year: becoming more bullish on open models, more convinced that the top tier of agent startups behaves very differently from the median AI company, and more optimistic about fine-tuning and specialized model adaptation* “Dark factories” and zero-human-review coding: the next frontier after zero human-written code, where models not only write the code but ship it without human review, forcing companies to rethink testing and verification from first principles* Why RL and post-training may matter more than people assumed: even if the resulting models get thrown out every few months, the data, workflows, and domain-specific improvements persist* Synthetic rubrics, Doctor GRPO, and multi-turn RL: why reinforcement learning is becoming much more domain-specific and multi-step than many people realize, opening the door to much deeper customization* The next frontier after coding: memory, personalization, and world models, including why swyx thinks world models matter not just for robotics or gaming, but for giving AI something closer to lived understanding* Fei-Fei Li, spatial intelligence, and the Good Will Hunting analogy: the idea that today's LLMs may know everything by reading it all, but still lack the lived experience that turns knowledge into a deeper kind of intelligenceTimestamps* 00:00:00 Intro preview: AI coding wars, startup pressure, and market structure* 00:00:28 Welcome to the Latent Space × Unsupervised Learning crossover* 00:01:17 What AI builders are focused on now: OpenClaw, harnesses, and infra* 00:04:33 Why AI infra is harder than apps, and where startups can still win* 00:06:39 Should companies train their own models?* 00:09:28 Open models, custom chips, and the new inference race* 00:11:25 Designing products for agents, not just humans* 00:16:49 The state of the AI coding wars in 2026* 00:19:27 Capability exploration, token-maxing, and why coding is going parabolic* 00:21:41 What the end state of the coding market could look like* 00:23:50 Where app companies still have room against the labs* 00:27:02 Why AI valuations and market swings feel unprecedented* 00:28:56 Consumer AI vs. coding AI, and why sticky products still matter* 00:32:28 What the next breakthrough product experience might be* 00:32:53 2026 thesis: coding agents break containment and eat the world* 00:35:27 Are foundation models wiping out startup categories?* 00:37:33 AI vs. SaaS, vibe coding, and internal team tensions* 00:40:01 Biosafety, security, and the politics of restricted model releases* 00:42:19 Giant models, compute constraints, and the limits of scale* 00:44:30 Memory as the real bottleneck in AI* 00:44:57 Why swyx changed his mind on open models* 00:47:44 Dark factories and the future of zero-human-review coding* 00:49:36 Why post-training and RL may matter more than people think* 00:51:50 Memory, world models, and the next frontier of intelligence* 00:53:54 The Good Will Hunting analogy for LLMs* 00:54:21 OutroTranscript[00:00:00] swyx: Isn't that crazy? That number is just mind boggling.[00:00:03] Jacob Effron: What is the state of the AI coding wars today?[00:00:05] swyx: We're in a phase of sort of like capability exploration. The general thesis that I have been pursuing now is that the same way that 2025 was a year coding agents 2026 is coding agents breaking containments to do everything else.[00:00:16] Jacob Effron: Do you worry about the foundation models just getting into a bunch of these startup categories?[00:00:21] swyx: Mid-size startups. Yes.[00:00:23] Jacob Effron: What do you think the end state of this market is[00:00:25] swyx: for the market structure to, to significantly change? There would be[00:00:28] Jacob Effron: today on unsupervised learning. We had a, a fun episode and what's really become an annual tradition, a crossover episode with our friends at Latent space.Swix and I sat down and we talked about everything happening in the AI ecosystem today. What we thought of the various changes at the model layer, what's happening in the infra world, the coding wars, and a bunch of other things. It's a ton of fun to do this with someone I really respect and another great podcaster in the game.Without further ado, here's our episode. Well switch. This is, uh, super fun to be back with another unsupervised learning, uh, latent space crossover episode.[00:01:02] swyx: Yeah,[00:01:02] Jacob Effron: I feel like a lot of places we could start, but you know, one thing I always find fascinating, uh, about the way you spend your time is you obviously are like at the epicenter of this engineering movement and community, and you run these events and conferences and put on these.Awesome talks and, and I think just have a great pulse on the zeitgeist of what's going on.[00:01:16] swyx: Yeah.[00:01:17] Jacob Effron: Maybe to, to start just what are the biggest topics people are thinking about right now?[00:01:21] swyx: Yeah, so I just came back from London, uh, where we did a IE Europe and we're doing roughly one per quarter now, which Yeah, you've[00:01:27] Jacob Effron: really up[00:01:27] swyx: the, hopefully[00:01:28] Jacob Effron: up the, up the pace.[00:01:29] swyx: It's trying. We're trying to match AI speed, youknow?[00:01:30] Jacob Effron: Yeah, exactly. The tops would be completely different, I imagine. Uh,[00:01:33] swyx: yeah. You know, I definitely curate the tracks, like you can see what I think. When you see the track list and the, the speakers that I invite, obviously Open Claw is like the story of the last four or five months, and then be, be just below that.I would consider harness engineering, context engineering to be two related topics in agents and rag. And then there's a long tail of Evergreen stuff like evals, observability, GPUs, uh, and uh, LM infra and just general, just in general. We also have other updates on like multimodality and, uh, generative media, let's call it.Um, but I definitely, the, the first three that I mentioned are top of mind people. Yeah.[00:02:13] Jacob Effron: I think harness is particular like, so interesting. Um, you know, there was this tweet from Harrison Chase, the, the lane chain, CEO, that, that caught my eye recently where he said, you know, it finally feels like we have stability, uh, around the infrastructure for, uh, you know, around ai.And I think what. He basically was implying his like, look over the past two, three years as a company at the epicenter of AI infrastructure, it was a bit like playing whack-a-mole, right? You were constantly moving around with, however, the building patterns were evolving[00:02:36] swyx: for Harrison for sure. Right? Like he's basically had to reinvent the company every year since he started Lang Chain.Right? It was Lang chain, Ang graph and LP agents and like, uh, I think he's like one of the most nimble, adept sharp people about this. Yeah. Yeah.[00:02:49] Jacob Effron: Saying now, now is finally the time stability[00:02:51] swyx: this. Yeah.[00:02:52] Jacob Effron: Yeah. Um, do you buy that or what have you kind of make of that take?[00:02:56] swyx: I think that. It, it's very expensive to say this Time is different sometimes, but when you're just writing code, like it's actually okay to just like try to make a call and I think it may not even matter if this call is right or not.Like I just don't even care that much because you can be right on a thesis, but if you don't, you don't figure out how to monetize the thesis, then who cares if you said something first that said, um, it does feel like, for example. Uh, we went through a lot of different ways of passion packaging integrations up with, uh, with agents.And it feels like we've landed at skills, which is like the minimal viable format. Yeah. Which is just a markdown file, uh, with some scripts attached to it, and I don't see how it can be more simple than that. And so there is some justification for. The stability around harnesses. I feel like there may be more adaptation with regards to maybe like the real time elements or subagents or memory or any of those like agent disciplines, let's call it in, in agent engineering.Uh, but if, if the thesis is that, okay, you just want agents are LMS with tools in the loop with a file system, what they can do. Retrieval with, with skills and all these like standard tooling that now seems to be relatively consensus then probably. That makes sense. Um, I just think like there's no point trying to stake your reputation on this thesis that we're there because if it changes again, just change with it.It's fine.[00:04:33] Jacob Effron: Yeah. It's always, you know, I've always been struck by how that is. Much more challenging for infrastructure companies and application companies. Like obviously I think, yeah. You know, on the application side you've seen, you know, Brett Taylor from Sierra Max, from Lara. Like, they're like, look, we build, you know, what's ahead of the models and we're willing to throw everything out every three months, you know, as the models get better and better.Exactly. Yeah. But the thing you at least have there is you have. Uh, you have an end customer, right? That's like decently sticky. Um, you know, they will mostly stick, you know, they'll, they'll give you a shot at least of, of building these things. What I've always found more challenging, uh, at, at the kind of like, you know, reinvent yourself every three months of the infrastructure layer, it's like, you know, developers are definitely a, a pickier audience maybe than an accounting firm or, uh, you know, a bank.Yeah. And so it's definitely a, a, a more challenging position to be in to, to have to constantly reinvent yourself.[00:05:17] swyx: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And, and like when they turn, it's like. Very complete. Like, they'll leave to like the, the hot new thing, uh, because there's like no defensibility, I guess. Like e even, even if you are a database, like, uh, people can migrate workloads off databases.Like it's, it's a, it's a known thing. Uh, so I think like basically what we're talking about is the vertical versus horizontal, uh, debate in, in AI startups. And uh, the way I think about it also is just that like when you are. Um, Lara, when you are a bridge, like you are the outsource AI team, right? You, you are, your job is to apply whatever state ofthe art AI methods.[00:05:55] Jacob Effron: Yeah. Like this translation layer between model capabilities and your[00:05:57] swyx: own customers. Yeah. To, to the end customers and like, well, if they didn't have you, they would've to hire in house and they're not gonna hire in house so they have you. And like, I think that's like a reasonable, like very robust to any whatever trends and, and discoveries that people make in, in the engineering layer.I do think like there is, um. It like sort of useful horizontal companies being built, but they're all. Very much like, sort of like the reinventions of classic cloud in the AI era and the, the primary one being sandboxes. Yeah. Um, which like, it's another form of compute guys, like, let's not get too excited about it.But I mean, like the, the workloads are enormous.[00:06:38] Jacob Effron: Right.[00:06:38] swyx: Yeah.[00:06:39] Jacob Effron: It's interesting, and I feel like as, as part of this, you know, the questions that folks are asking around infrastructure, there's a lot around, you know, the extent to which companies should have their own AI teams and what they should be doing in-house.And, you know, uh, I think there's questions around should people be training their own models? Should people be doing, you know, rl, uh, in-house based on the data they have? I feel like, you know, one has to evolve their takes on this every, every three months with paces. But where, where are you at on this today?[00:07:00] swyx: I think, well, I mean actually all models have gone up. Um, and obviously I'm involved in cognition and also cursors doing, doing, uh, a lot of own model training. And I think that that is some part of the, what I've been calling the agent lab playbook, where you start off with the state of the art models from, uh, from the big labs and you, uh, specialize for your domain.But once you have enough workload and enough high quality data from your users, then you can obviously train your own models and like save a lot on cost and latency and all that, all that good stuff. Um, you also get like a marketing bonus of like calling it some fancy name and putting out some research[00:07:38] Jacob Effron: from my seat.I can't tell how much of it is like actual, you know, value that's provided to the end user. And how much of it is that marketing bonus? Right. It seems some combination of the[00:07:45] swyx: I think it's both.[00:07:46] Jacob Effron: Yeah.[00:07:46] swyx: Um, no, no. There, there actually is real value. Um, and you, you know that for a number of reasons. Like one, even when it's not subsidized, people do choose it as like one of the top four or five.This is both composer two and, uh, suite 1.6 I one of the top five models. Like in a, in a fair market? In a free market, yeah. In a, in a, in a model switch. Or people do choose it and like, it's not subsidized. Like, so that's as good as it gets. Uh, but beyond that, like domain specific models, for example. For search with, with both, which both companies have absolutely makes, makes a ton of sense.Everyone says like, yeah, we should always, always do this. And honestly like, I think the infrastructure for that is becoming easier with, um, like thinking machines tinker thing as well as primary like, uh, lab stuff. Yeah, I mean like, this is one of those like reversal of the, the bitter lesson where you first bootstrap on the large models and the general purpose models to get big.And as you get very well-defined workloads that are just high quantity but not high variance, um, then you just distill down to a smaller model and run that on your own. Right. Which like totally makes sense.[00:08:50] Jacob Effron: What I'm less clear on is the kind of DIY RL use case, which I think is really mostly around, you know, improved, uh, quality for, for different things.Obviously there's probably like more efficient ways to, you know, get a smaller model that's that's faster and cheaper. And it'll be interesting to see whether. You know, obviously you had, you know, uh, two, three years ago this whole case of companies that were, you know, pre-training and claiming better outcomes in, in their domains than getting kind of cooked as each model iteration improved.You know, I wonder whether that's a, a similar story plays out in the, uh, in, in the, our all space. Yeah, for the focus on, on on pure outcomes and quality, not the cost side, which clearly your own models for cost at scale makes a ton of sense.[00:09:28] swyx: I think there are this, there are two sides of the same coin.Like you basically always want to hold, uh, quality constant or trade off a little bit of quality for a drastic decreasing cost. And that's true for everyone. Uh, one element I wanted to bring out, which is very much in favor of open models, is custom chips. So this would be cereus, but also talu. And then there's a huge range of stuff in between.This has been a huge story this past year on just like everything non Nvidia is getting bid up, including like freaking MatX is working for, which is very, which is very rewarding for me, but I think one of those things where like, oh, like the suddenly, because the number of alternative. Hard, uh, hardware is increasing and the inference that you can get is insanely high.Like, um, we're talking thousands of tokens per second instead of less than a hundred. So the trade off for qua quality doesn't hold as much anymore because the speed is so high.[00:10:24] Jacob Effron: Have you seen a lot of companies go all in on the alternative chip?[00:10:26] swyx: So cognition has Yeah. On Cerebras, uh, and, and so has OpenAIUm, uh, and so no, I don't think so beyond that, uh, and that, do you think that's like a, that's mostly, that's foreshadowing of, that's, yeah. I used to be kind of a skeptic in terms of like, okay, so what if I get my inference at a hundred to a hundred tokens per second sped up to 200 tokens per second. It's only two X faster.It's not that big a deal. Um, but when you, uh, I think every 10 x does unlock a different usage pattern. Um, and you, we have proof in Talas and, and some of the others. That you can actually, um, drastically imp improve inference speed and what happens from there? I don't even really know, like it's, it's so hard to predict when entire applications just appear at once.Yeah. Uh, and it also isn't that expensive, right? So like, um, this is one of those things where like, I, I think the, the investment cycle is gonna be multi-year. Um, and I. Would caution people to not dismiss it too, too quickly.[00:11:25] Jacob Effron: Yeah. I mean, one other like infra question I was curious to get your thoughts on is obviously it seems increasingly a lot of the cutting edge infra companies are building for agents as the buyers of their product or users of their product, right?[00:11:35] swyx: Ooh,[00:11:36] Jacob Effron: and[00:11:37] swyx: another huge theme. Yeah. Yeah.[00:11:38] Jacob Effron: And I'm trying to figure out like what. What, what do you have to do differently about selling into agents? Um, are they just the ultimate rational developers? Uh, or is there, you know,[00:11:46] swyx: no, absolutely not. Um, I think they are easily prompt, injected and, uh, very tuned towards like, basically com compounding existing winners.[00:11:57] Jacob Effron: Yeah,[00:11:57] swyx: so like if, like, congrats if you won the lottery for getting into the training data right before 2023, because now you're like installed in there for the foreseeable future. But yeah. Uh, you know, one stat that Versal, uh, CTO Malta dropped at my conference was that there are now, uh, 60% of traffic to Elle's, um, like app arch, like admin app architecture for like configuring versal applications, uh, is bought.It's not, it's not human. Uh, so like your primary customer is agents now. Um, and it's mostly co like mostly coding agents, mostly people using CLI on CP or whatever. But yeah, I mean, I think. More. I, I think step one, if it doesn't exist as an API that agents can use, it doesn't exist. Right, right. Which I think is like, uh, it's a good hygiene thing anyway, to, to make everything API available, but not as like an extra, um.Push on like products, people to not only work on the ui, um, you should probably work on the on SCLI stuff. Beyond that, I think honestly there is like, so I, I come from the sensibility of, I think everything that you are trying to do for agents experience now, which is the term that Matt Bowman and Nullify is trying to coin, is the same thing that you should have been doing for developer experience.That you should have had good docs, you should have had a consistent API, uh, that is. Mostly stateless. Um, you should have, I guess, discoverable or progressive disclosure or like search or like whatever. And so now that people have energy in like finding these customers to do that, that's great. Um, do I believe in.Extending beyond that into something like a EO, um, for gaming The chatbots? Not necessarily, but obviously there's gonna be huge advantages when people who figure out the short term wins. Yeah. And short term wins can compound.[00:13:43] Jacob Effron: Do you think these compounding advantages to like the, the pre-training data cutoff companies, like, you know, obviously over some period of time, I imagine that doesn't persist.And so as you think about like. I dunno, three, four years from now what the, you know, selection criteria end up being. Do you think it still mirrors exactly what you were saying before? Like it's exactly what you should have been doing all along to sell a good product to developers?[00:14:01] swyx: It could be, except that I think in three, four years we'll probably have much better memory and personalization.So then general a EO or GEO doesn't really matter as much. So I think whatever memory or personalization system we end up with will probably d determine what you end up choosing much more. Than, than what is currently the case, which is just frequency of mentions, let's call it. Yeah,[00:14:26] Jacob Effron: yeah.[00:14:26] swyx: Uh, so you just spa quantity and I think that's, I mean, that's something I'm looking forward to.I do think, like, like, you know, I, I think that the fundamental exercise to work through for yourself is if you start a new, um, sort of. Uh, disruptor company. Now there's a, there's a big incumbent that everyone knows, like, like superb base. Super base is like, kind of like the Postgres, like database, uh, incumbent.If you wanna start like new superb base, how would you compete with them? And I don't necessarily have the answer, but I, I, I do think like people, like resend like relatively new. I think they would start like 20, 23 and still there was, there was a recent survey where like, people. Checked what Claude recommends by default.If you just don't prompt it with anything, just say, gimme an email provider and says, resent as in like 70, 70% of each cases. Like the fact that you can get in there with like such a relatively short existence, I think is, is encouraging.[00:15:14] Jacob Effron: Yeah.[00:15:14] swyx: I do think like. Um, you do want to do whatever it is to, to like to, to get in that Very short mentions this because, um, it's not gonna be 20 of them, it's gonna be like three.[00:15:26] Jacob Effron: No, definitely. It feels like, uh, you know, probably more, more consolidation than ever. Uh, or, or kind of like, you know, uh, a winner take most market than maybe the, the, the physics of go-to market in the past. Yeah. Might have, uh, enabled.[00:15:38] swyx: The other thing also is like, semantic association is gonna be very important, uh, in the sense that like, you want to do like the combo articles where you're like, use my thing with for sale, with blah, blah.And like that all gets picked up in a, in a corpus. And so that's. Probably one thing that you, you wanna do? Well, I don't know what else. Uh, it's, it's, it's, it's one of those things where like, I think I feel, I feel I'm behind, uh, I don't know how you feel about this, but like,[00:16:04] Jacob Effron: I think AI is just everyone constantly feeling like they're behind some, uh,[00:16:08] swyx: yeah.With,[00:16:09] Jacob Effron: I wanna meet the person that doesn't feel behind,[00:16:11] swyx: but like with, with ax, right? Like, so, so like, my, my stance was that exactly what I said before, like everything that you, that you should do for agents is something that you should have done for humans anyway. Yeah. And so. To the extent that you're just getting it more energy to, to do things for agents, great.But like, uh, it's hard to articulate what new thing apart from just like more spam, um, that you should be doing. Anyway, that would be my take right now. Um, I I, I do think like there, there will be more turns at this. I think the personalization turn that is coming, um, will be big. And I don't know what that looks like because like basically we're kind of, we feel kind of tapped out on the memory side of things.[00:16:49] Jacob Effron: Yeah. I, I guess since we last chatted, you know, you, you took this role over at cognition, um, and you've obviously have a, have a front row seat to the AI coding space today. You know, I feel like coding in many ways. You know, people view it as this, like, I mean, besides being like the, the mother of all markets and this massive opportunity, I think it's kinda a preview of like, what's to come for many other spaces.Both. Yeah. You know, I feel like agents are most advanced in coding. I also feel like the, you know, competition between foundation models and application companies, you know, and, uh, mirrors what we may see in other spaces. And so maybe for our listeners, can you just lay out like what is the state of the AI coding wars today?[00:17:25] swyx: Um, it is massive, right? Like, uh, and I don't think necessarily, last time we talked about this, we appreciated the size of what[00:17:32] Jacob Effron: No, I wish we did.[00:17:33] swyx: I state of AI coding wars today, um, both opening eye philanthropic have made it their p serials to competing coding. Um, and. Tropic is like 2.5 billion in a RR just from Cloud Code.The way they recognize a RR is. Opt for debate, uh, open ai. I don't think the, a public number is known, but let's call it 2 billion as well. And then cursor is like, rumored to be 2 billion, you know? And, and those, those are like the public numbers that are known? Yeah. Um, so like huge markets that have just been created in the past one year.Like, like anthropic, just like Claude Code just recently celebrated their one year anniversary, which is, yeah, pretty nice. Um, so, and then I think, like the other thing that I see is there's, there's some other people who are like, oh, here's like the, the sort of relative penetration of, uh, Claude use cases, right?Like, and it's like coding 50% and then legal, whatever. Health, uh, it's like the, the remaining ones. And there was a very popular tweet that was like, okay, I'll look at the, the empty space and all these other use cases. If you are a new founder today, you should be betting on the other stuff because on, on a sort of catch up Yeah.Theory and my. Consider my, my pushback is the same pushback that, uh, I had on app over Google, which is like, well, well why is this time different? Like, why, if it went from let's say 10 to 50% in the past year, why can't I keep going? Uh, and like getting that wrong is actually a very painful one because you could have just did, did the momentum bet.Instead of the mean reversion bed. So I, I, I think that that is the, the state of things now that people are very, very much into psychosis. Um, they're are getting rewarded for spending more rather than spending less. And I think we're not in that phase of efficiency. We're in a phase of sort of like capability exploration.So I think people who are more crazy, who are more. Uh, creative, um, get rewarded comparatively. Yeah.[00:19:27] Jacob Effron: Well, it's interesting. I mean, it feels like behind these like token maxing, leaderboards and whatnot is this, it's like the first phase of this transition from a workforce perspective is you just gotta show your employer like, Hey, I, I use these tools.[00:19:37] swyx: Here's my nu number of tokens I cost, and that's it. They don't care about the quality. Right. It is, uh, maybe distasteful to someone who cares about the craft and, and all that. Um, but directionally everyone just wants you to go up regardless. And so, um, there it is not very discerning. It's, and it's probably very sloppy, but I think it's net fine because we're still probably underusing ai just in generally.Yeah. Um, and so I think that's like very interesting. Like we had on the podcast, uh, Ryan La Poplar from OBI, who spends a billion tokens a day. Yeah. Um, and that's for those county home, it's like something like 10,000 worth, $10,000 worth a day of API tokens. If they, they did market rates, um, and like most of us can't afford that.Yeah. But like. And, and, and probably a lot of what he does is slop.[00:20:25] Jacob Effron: Right.[00:20:25] swyx: But like, he's going to dis, he's like, if there were a new capability, he would discover it first before you because he was, he was trying and you were not trying. Right. And like, you only do things that work like, well, good for you.But like the, the people who are going to discover the next hot thing are living at the edge.[00:20:42] Jacob Effron: Right and increase in living at the edge of just having the compute budget to like run these experiments. I mean, kind of similar to what living at the edge on the research side has always been. You know, it was constrained in many ways by the amount of compute you had to run these experiments.It feels similarly on the, almost on the builder or like actualizing these tools now.[00:20:56] swyx: Yeah. The other thing that's, I mean, very obvious is philanthropic is kind of like the high price premium player. Um, that where, you know. Restricting limits or restricting model releases even is like the name of the game.Whereas Codex is like, come on in guys, use our SDK, use our login and we don't care. We're gonna reset limits. Whatever you do want to try to exploit the subsidies where you can get it. And definitely Codex is super subsidized right now. Gemini also very subsidized. Um, and. Comparatively, like, I think you should make, Hey, I guess while, while that's going on, it's not that bad to be a capabilities explorer on just the $200 a month plan from Cloud Code or from OpenAI.Um, and, uh, I I, I, my sense is that people aren't even there yet.[00:21:41] Jacob Effron: How do you think this, like, market ultimately plays? I mean, it's obviously such a big market that, you know, any slice of that market is interesting for, for anyone going after it. But I think what, what makes people so interesting in the coding market particularly is it feels like it's kind of this.Foreshadowing of what will happen in other, you know, any other kind of application market that the foundation models eventually turn to and are all their models against and gather data around. And so how do you think, you know, like does there end up being room for lots of different kinds of players or like, what do you think the end state of this market is and is that, do you think that's applicable to other markets?[00:22:10] swyx: I feel like there will be, I mean. Status quo is probably the most likely outcome, which is there are two big players and there's a small range of longer tail people that, um, fit other use cases that the, the two big players don't. That feels right to me. I think that, um, for it to, for the market structure to, to significantly change there would be, there needs to be significant change in like the economics or like the, the brand building or like the, the, the, the value propositions of the, of the companies involved and I.Haven't seen any in the last six months that, that have really changed the stories materially. So I feel like they would just keep going until something, something else happens. Something else happens, meaning like Microsoft wakes up and like goes like. Guys, we have GitHub, we have, uh, you know, we, we, we'll, we'll do something much bigger here than other, other than just copilot.Um, and, uh, that would be a big change. Um, MSL has put out a model now, and I was in a breakfast with, uh, Alex Wang, where they were like, yeah, like, we, we really, really want to go after the coding use case. We haven't done anything yet, but like, don't underestimate them. Right. Um, and, and similarly for the Chinese labs.Um, I think they're trying to go after it. Like ZAI is doing stuff. GLM uh, ZI and GLM is same thing. Um, uh, and, and so it's, so like everyone's trying to get a piece of that pie. I, I feel like the, the status quo has been pretty stable for the past, like almost a year I'll say.[00:23:39] Jacob Effron: Yeah. And is the room for the, not like, you know, for, for the application companies more on like the enterprise side or like where do the, where do the, like what surface area do the model companies leave for application companies?[00:23:50] swyx: Yeah, that's a good one. Um. It's very much evolving. Um, it, I, I, I will say because opening I did not have this, the, this level of attention on coding. Yeah. Uh, a year ago. We just don't have that much history. Right. Um, and it seems like, for example, so the big push at Open I now is the Super app. Um, is that a consumer thing?Is that like a products like. Portfolio rationalization thing, how much is that gonna take away attention from coding at the time when they actually do want to put more coding? I think it's, it's very unclear. So I do think like there's, there's all these, like in both big labs, there's. Uh, sorry. Both of the, and, and drop and, and deep minus and XAI are are separate cases.Um, they are trying to see the other time expansion areas. So cloud code for finance. Yeah. Um, uh, cloud cowork, all those, all those things. Whereas I think cursor and cognition are like comparatively just focused on coding and so I, I do think they leave space and I do think for the other verticals that also means the same thing.Right. That, uh, that they're not gonna be that. Um, intensely focused on, on, on that domain. Except for, I, I think I would mark out finance and healthcare as like the next ones, um, that they're clearly going after. Uh, I, I would say comparatively, healthcare seems more thorny. There, there, there've been some announcements about it, but like, I would respect the, the finance work a lot more just because like the, the path to money is a lot clearer.[00:25:12] Jacob Effron: Yeah, no, I mean, obviously like, I, I think, you know, maybe similar to, to the space that's being left in these other domains, you know, there's obviously. Uh, a lot that's required to actually implement these tools in enterprises, uh, versus, you know, maybe just giving them, uh, giving model access to, to folks outta the box.[00:25:27] swyx: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So the, the agent lab thing is like, we'll do the last mile for you. Whereas I think the model labs tend to just trust the model and, and be minimalist about it. Both of them work.[00:25:38] Jacob Effron: Yeah.[00:25:38] swyx: I, I don't, I don't necessarily think one, uh, beats the other, uh, for every, for every use case. Um, all I, all I do know is that it does seem like.Uh, the large enterprises do want a dedicated partner that isn't just the model labs, which is kind of interesting.[00:25:55] Jacob Effron: We, we've been in this phase of, of pure capability exploration. And so I think nothing has been, you know, better for the large labs, right? I mean, they're always gonna be, uh, uh, the frontier of, of capability exploration.And so I think have a very good relationship with a lot of these enterprises. But ultimately over time, like. The, uh, the incentive structure of these labs is always gonna be maximal, you know, token consumption for, uh, for the end customers they work with. And there's just, I think, so few companies that have actually gotten to massive scale.Maybe coding again is the most interesting. So it's the first space that really is just completely gone, you know? Yeah. You must love it every day. Like absolutely insane. And. I think it[00:26:32] swyx: gets even. Okay. I mean, like, I think we, we say good things about crystal cognition, but the sheer liftoff of like both end UPIC and open ai.‘cause they, they, they have independent valuations. I mean, let's throw an XEI in there because it's now I ping at 1.2 trillion. That number is just mind boggling. Like I, I feel like in normal investing or normal startups, there's kind of like a ceiling market cap or valuation. Totally. That, that like you, you reach and you go like, all right, let's, it's gonna be chiller from now on.And these guys are not slow down. No.[00:27:02] Jacob Effron: Well, I also think the dynamic is fascinating about some of these later stage companies is, is, you know, in the past, I feel like in, in venture world, if you got to a certain level of scale, the question around you was really more a valuation question. And this is like why there was different phase, like, you know, types of venture people did and like the late stage growth people were just incredible at like, you know, a little bit of what's the ultimate market opportunity of this company, but also what's the right way to, to value it.Like we know it's, it's in some bands of an outcome that is like. Sure there's some variance to it, but it's like relatively understood what that bands is and then maybe you get over time surprised to the upside. Whereas any kind of like later, even the labs themselves, any later stage company, the bands of which that company might be worth right now, even in a year or two years are so massive because of how fast the ecosystem changes that it's like.Even for later stage companies, every three months could be an existential level event to the upside to the downside. Yeah. Um, and I think that, like, you are obviously seeing it in the, in the positive with code, which, you know, if you think about a company like philanthropic, you know, that. For a while, it was like unclear if they were going to have access to enough capital, um, to really stay in the, in the race, right?And then coding hit at the exact right time. They had the perfect model for it. They executed brilliantly. Um, and you know, now are, are, you know, uh, you know, one of the most valuable companies in the world.[00:28:13] swyx: Uh, at the same time, I, I don't find, I, I have zero sympathy for opening eye because they're crushing it and they're all rich.You know, this is like a high class champagne problem to have to, uh, to be number two at coding or whatever. Like, who cares? Like, you're, you're doing great.[00:28:27] Jacob Effron: Yeah. It's funny though. I can't even, I mean, you would be closer to this, uh, you know, even that you're in the AI coding space, but it's like a lot of people I talk to think Codex is just as good, if not better than Claude Code.Right. I think one thing that I've been really surprised by, and maybe, maybe Cloud Code is a better product in some ways, I'm curious your thoughts is just in consumer AI with chat GBT. You saw this big first mover advantage, right? Where admittedly today, like, I don't know, Claude Gemini. Great products.Not sure, not abundantly clear chat GBTs any better, but like. People stick with chat, GBT, it's the first thing to introduce them.[00:28:56] swyx: They stay, but they're not growing anymore. I don't know if you've seen[00:28:59] Jacob Effron: Right. But that to me is more of like a, a, a product problem than it is. They're not like, it's not like they've like lost share to someone else.My understanding is the overall problem with consumer AI today is much more of a how do you take this tool and, you know, for, for folks like us, like knowledge workers, it's like this incredible magic tool, but it's not necessarily a daily active use tool for a lot of people around the world today. And what are the like products?It's, it's kind of a category wide problem. Like in coding, for example, like. The entire space has gone parabolic. There may be some relative growth in, uh, in other consumer AI players, but it's not like consumer AI as a category is like going parabolic and they're not capturing most of that thing. I think it's actually the larger problem is much more, hey, the category has kind of hit a bit of a plateau of people haven't figured out how to bring, you know, tons more users on board.Yeah, yeah. Or increase the frequency of those users. And so it seems more of a category wide problem than it is, you know, a massive market share of change. I was gonna draw the comparison to, to the coding space where Claude Co is the first product, obviously, to introduce people to this magical experience.You know, by all accounts, codex is, is pretty damn close to as good, if not better. Um, but like still that first product, you, you would've thought that would not be a super sticky, uh, you know, product surface area. And it actually has, it turns out, I, it feels like the first lab to introduce you and experience really does, uh, keep a lot of, uh, a lot of the focus.[00:30:12] swyx: I, I think. M maybe it's like still, still early days. You know, Chad, BT is like three plus years old and Yeah. Cloud code is only one. Just turned a year. Yeah. So give it time, you know? Yeah. Like, yeah. I mean, definitely sometimes a lot of people have switched from to Codex. Maybe that will keep going. I, it's like really hard to tell.Uh, yeah. I, I, I do, I do think that. Because we are in this like, high volatility, high temperature phase. Um, the loyalty and stickiness to first movers and category creators, I don't think is as high as it might be in some other, uh, areas in our careers that we've looked at.[00:30:47] Jacob Effron: Yeah. Though, I mean, I've been surprised by the cloud code thing.I, I would've thought that, like, in many ways I always worried about the[00:30:52] swyx: enterprise. You think you would've been gone by now?[00:30:53] Jacob Effron: Not gone. But I would've, I I always worried that the, that the consumer business of these companies would be quite sticky. And then the enterprise API business. Uh, was actually like, you know, in some ways like your least loyal buyers, like they would, they would move to,[00:31:05] swyx: right, right.But, but they worked out that it wasn't the enterprise API it was enterprise product.[00:31:09] Jacob Effron: Totally. And maybe that was the, that was the secret that like, but the amount of lock-in or just default behavior that has happened in that space, uh, is, is more than I might've imagined with two products that by all accounts are pretty damn similar.Yeah.[00:31:22] swyx: No fight there. Uh, I will say I do think that Codex is still in like a catch up. Like in terms of personal experience. Um, the only thing I like out of, out of Codex is the, is like Spark and like yeah. Uh, the, I, I feel like the skills integration is a little bit better. I feel like, uh, the, the speed is a bit better.Maybe ‘cause it's in, is written in rust or whatever. Um, very minor things that you like. Almost like telling yourself rather than like objectively assessing between two, two of them. I, I, I do think, like vibes wise, I think that's going on. Um, the, the, you know, I, I feel like the, the missing questions, uh, in, in this whole debate is like, why is this so concentrated in only two names, right?Yeah. Like, um, how, where, like, where is the Gemini? You know, presence, where's the Xai presence? Um, and like they are trying, it's just they haven't made that much progress yet.[00:32:12] Jacob Effron: But what the, what the Claude Co moment does show, and it actually in some ways makes you a little more bullish on the potential for someone else to catch up because it does feel like if you're the first person to introduce some magical net new product experience, that that actually might be stickier than one might have imagined.[00:32:27] swyx: Right, right, right. Okay. Yeah.[00:32:28] Jacob Effron: And so it's, everyone can believe they have shot[00:32:29] swyx: that. What do you think that new product experience might be like? I, I, it's, it's like, and this is a failure of imagination on my part. Like, I always wonder, like, people always say this like, well, the, the thing that will save us is like being first to the next new thing.Like what is it?[00:32:41] Jacob Effron: Yeah.[00:32:42] swyx: It's like,[00:32:45] Jacob Effron: I dunno, something around like, uh, consumer agent, computer use, like hybrid. I think, obviously, I think we're like scratching the surface on the consumer side.[00:32:53] swyx: So my, my current theory is like the. Open claw is like a vision of things to come.[00:32:58] Jacob Effron: Totally.[00:32:58] swyx: Um, and uh, it's good that O open I has like the association with open claw, but by no means do they have the rights to win it.The general thesis that I have been pursuing now is that the year the same way that 2025 was the year of coding agents, 2026 is coding agents breaking containment to do everything else. Um, and so coding agents continue to still win, but because they generate software and software eats the world, so like, it's kind of like the trans.Associated property of like software, eat the world, coding agents, eat software, therefore coding agents eat the world. Um, which is like an interesting,[00:33:30] Jacob Effron: yeah, and breaking containment always an easier phase phrase in the consumer context than the enterprise one. You've seen people run these really cool, uh, experiments in their own personal lives.I think like,[00:33:37] swyx: yes.[00:33:38] Jacob Effron: Figuring out, you know, how you, obviously everyone's focused, you know, on the enterprise side now around how you create these experiences. I feel like the vibes, you know, people love to have these narratives of like, everything is completely shifted. It's like I actually, you know, open AI.Organizationally, uh, you know, volatility aside is, you know, great products, great team, great models like everyone else in the world is incentivized for there to be. Two, three more. Everyone would love more like great model companies. And so I feel like the, the natural forces of the world revolt when any one company, you know, is too much the star of the show, right?There's so many people in the ecosystem that are incentivized for that not to happen. And so I think I'd be shocked if we don't have. Uh, uh, reversion of vibes, not maybe completely the other way, but at least a little bit more equal at some point over the next six, 12 months.[00:34:24] swyx: I, I think there's just a kind of different stages when, when you talk about the world, one wanting more model companies, I talked think about like the neo labs.[00:34:30] Jacob Effron: Yeah.[00:34:31] swyx: And I mean, I don't know, is it fair to say none of them have really broken through in the past year?[00:34:35] Jacob Effron: I think that's totally fair,[00:34:37] swyx: which is rough. Um, and well, how are we gonna, how are we gonna grow that diversity in, in, in choice, like. Um, that's, this is it.[00:34:46] Jacob Effron: Yeah. It'll be really interesting to see what, what, what ends up happening with that.And you've seen, you know, folks like Nvidia, you know, very incentivized to make sure there's, there's a broader platform of, of other model providers.[00:34:57] swyx: I think, uh, I don't know people say this, but I, I, I don't think they try it hard. Nvidia tries harder to build neo clouds[00:35:05] Jacob Effron: Yeah.[00:35:06] swyx: Than neo labs.[00:35:07] Jacob Effron: Well, they try pretty damn hard to build neo Cloud, so[00:35:09] swyx: that's,[00:35:09] Jacob Effron: yeah.[00:35:10] swyx: But like, you know, let's call it like the, the core weaves of the world, much happier place in the, you know, than any neo lab built on top of them.[00:35:18] Jacob Effron: Yeah. That one might argue it's, it's easier to, to enable a neo cloud to be successful than it is. Uh, you can't will a neo lab into existence the same way you, soNvidia[00:35:25] swyx: has more direct control over it.Uh, for sure.[00:35:27] Jacob Effron: What else is kind of catching your eye today on the startup side? I mean, you worry, there's obviously this whole narrative of like, you know, the foundation models, you know, they announced a product and every stock goes down 15%. Like[00:35:36] swyx: Yeah.[00:35:37] Jacob Effron: Do you, do you worry about the foundation models just kind of eating into to a bunch of these startup categories?[00:35:43] swyx: Not really. I, I think actually like. As, uh, there's, there's, okay, there's, there's, there's the, there's the point of view of like being an investor in startups, and there's a point of view of like, do you wanna start something? And I think honestly, like the, the downside for all these is so. Minimal in, in a sense of like, the worst you do is you just get hired into one of these labs anyway.So I, I think the, the market for people who just do things and try things and try to execute in like a competent way, even if like it doesn't work out commercially, even if it just wasn't that great anyway. Like, but like that's your job interview to go into, into one of these things anyway, so, um, I don't feel that.From a, from a very, very small startup perspective, mid-size startups. Yes. Uh, I will say there's been a lot of dead, um, LM Infra, a lot of LM infra consolidation like the, the, uh, lang fuses of the world getting absorbed into, into click house. And I, I think. Like people have maybe worked out the domain specific playbook, uh, and like, I think that's okay.Um, and, and yeah, I'm not that, not that worried about, uh, okay. So, um, I, I would say I'd be more worried about traditional SaaS, like low NPSS. This is the whole AI versus SaaS debate that has, that's been going on. Uh, and, and like literally I'm going through that exact thing in my company where, so I like kind of.Thinking through this on a very visceral, visceral level, right? On one hand you have the people who say you vibe coders don't appreciate the amount of work that goes into A-A-C-R-M and like, yeah, you think you can rip out Salesforce? So did the 30 entrepreneurs before you, right? Like, like, you know, you classically underestimate the things that you don't.Deeply, no. And, and, and target audience is not you. Uh, at the same time, like we have never been able to build software so easily and customize software so easily and like Yeah, you're not gonna use 90% of the things in Salesforce. So like, yeah. What's the typical, so what have you, what[00:37:33] Jacob Effron: have you done internally?[00:37:34] swyx: So we have there the main SaaS that we do for event management and sponsor management. That's, and we paid 200 KA year for that. Not, not huge, but like chunky for, for, for my, my scale. Um, and like, yeah, I could probably spend 2000 and, and build like a custom version of that. Um, the, the, the trick has been dealing with my, the rest of my team and getting them on board.Yeah. ‘cause I'm the most ethical person on my team, but like, I can't make that decision myself. And I think in the same way I've been telling with other CEOs team leaders as well, it's like, well you can be super cloud pilled. You can be super LM psychosis and that you think that's okay, but you like you have to bring your team with you.And I think like there, the sort of widening disparity in LM psychosis in companies is causing real s real riffs because. And on one hand, on one hand, the people who are less AI native are not getting with the picture. They're not, they're actually like behind, they're actually not waking up to the fact that like you, everything you think is necessary is not actually that necessary.And in fact, exactly would be better of you if you just like held your nose and went in and when came out the other side. Yeah, only talking to agents in natural language and like your life would actually be better and you just, you're just like close-minded. There's that perspective. The other perspective is, oh, you vibe coder.You, you did this in a weekend and you got the 80% solution and now the rest of your employees. Have to pick up the rest of your s**t, right, that you, that you thought you were, you were such hot, amazing, uh, uh, at, but like, actually you didn't figure it out. And like, actually LMS are still useless at this and blah, blah, blah.So like, I think there's this huge debate going on in every company right now. Um, and like, um, you know, I have a small microcosm of it, but like, yeah, it, it's making me hesitate to, to pull the trigger. But like I will at some point, it's like maybe I've put it off for one year, but not like five. Yeah, but like, so, so like SaaS is definitely getting squeezed.Um, it does make me wonder, like, I, I do think that there's an opportunity for a more AI native, um, system of record thing that is not just Postgres. Um, or not just MongoDB, although both are very good. Maybe it's like a convex or like people Yeah. Bring up convex a lot. I don't know, like, like, I, I just feel like the sort of quote unquote firebase of, of AI apps isn't really a thing yet.Um, beyond what we have. Uh, which, which is fine. It's, it's, it's just. We could probably start in a more sort of rapid iteration cycle first before scaling up to like a Postgres or MongoDB, which are more sort of old tech. I was at a dinner with, uh, Mike Krieger, the CPO of en philanthropic, and, and he, we were just kind of going around the room going like, what are people most worried about?Yeah. And, uh, for me, uh, I, instead of security, I brought up biosafety. Yeah,[00:40:21] Jacob Effron: classic.[00:40:22] swyx: Um, actually, like I said, it was. Cliche and classic, and the rest of the table were, were like, what do you mean? Someone sitting at home can manufacture a virus that wipes out half of humanity,[00:40:32] Jacob Effron: almost like the OG Jeffrey Hinton.Like, this is why you should be scared.[00:40:35] swyx: I'm like, yeah, like the read the, you know, risk reports. Like this is like the thing. Um, I think, and Mike was just sitting there knowing he was sitting on Mythos and going like, actually it's security. Um, and I think like, um, I think the, there's, there's, part of it is.A very good marketing. Like too good. Yeah, like I would actually advise and topic to tune down the marketing because also it's, it is just a very good model and you don't have to make so many marketing claims around it. At the same time, it is not really a private model. If you give it to 40 companies.Each of whom have like 10,000 employees or whatever. Right. It's not, it's not private, it's, it's like there's bad actors in there.[00:41:18] Jacob Effron: Yeah. Hopefully, hopefully not as, uh, as bad as releasing it widely, but, uh, no, I mean, it's an interesting. You know, it's an interesting case study for how all, I mean, many model releases might, I mean, you know, this might be the first model release that looks like the rest of ‘em from from now on, right?[00:41:31] swyx: It, it, so it's, it's the, there's an overall product strategy, uh, for anthropic of like bundle, uh, you know, restrict access bundle, uh, product with model maybe.Whereas, uh, OpenAI has definitely been a lot more sort of. Philosophically aligned on like, we will just enable access everywhere and we don't know what you, what will come out of it. Right.[00:41:51] Jacob Effron: Right. Though, I mean, this current moment, uh, obviously the cynical take is also just ties to the amount of compute that both companies[00:41:56] swyx: Yeah.Right, right, right. Yeah, I think, I think that's true. I I do think like the, the, this is the, the, the scale, the dawn of like larger than 10 trillion parameter models is very interesting. I don't think it, I think it's a temporary phenomenon because we have much larger compute clusters coming online for everyone over the next like three, five years.It's, and this is like already written in, in the cards.[00:42:18] Jacob Effron: Yeah.[00:42:19] swyx: So to the extent that like, you know, will we have rationing of models, uh, above 10 trillion, uh, in like two years? I don't think so. I think everyone will have no, we'll just[00:42:29] Jacob Effron: have rationing of the next phase.[00:42:30] swyx: Right. Right. But like, that's as it should be almost like, um.My, my classic example, which I, this is just me theorizing, not anything confirmed by Google. When Google announced Gemini, they actually announced three sizes, which was Flash Pro Ultra. They never released Ultra. They only have Pro and Flash. Um, so my theory is they have ultra sitting in a basement and they just could distilling from it for, for flashing pro.Um, which like, yeah, I mean, I, I actually think that's. As it should be for any lab that they, that they do that.[00:43:02] Jacob Effron: Yeah. Just because those are the models that people actually wanna end up using. And it's just like cost prohibit.[00:43:06] swyx: It is more, yeah, it's cost. Yeah. It's, it's not the want, it's just, just, just the cost.Um, I do think, like, uh, it is interesting that, uh, for a while I was, I was considering the theory that models capped out at two, 2 trillion, and I think that's proving to be wrong. And well then if I'm wrong, how wrong? How wrong am I? Do we do 200 trillion? Do we do two quarter trillion, whatever? Um, and I don't think we have the straight answer to that, but like, uh, it's interesting that we are continuing to scale number of pers when everyone kind of assu like can see that we're not going to get like the next thousand or 1 million x from this paradigm.So like the others, like the alias of the world are working on other. Um, model architecture improvements. We need a different scaling law, I guess, because like, we're, I, I feel like people already already feel like we're tapped out on this. Like the, the end, the end state of this is we turn most of the world into data centers and like, I don't know.I don't know if we want that.[00:44:08] Jacob Effron: Yeah, I mean, uh, if the, if, if, if the return of intelligence are there, maybe, uh, maybe not so bad.[00:44:13] swyx: I, I, I think there, there's just a sheer amount of like, like un scalability that like is wrangling people's sensibilities right now. Um, especially in terms of like context lengths.Um, my classic quote is that context length is like the slowest scaling factor in, in lms.[00:44:30] Jacob Effron: Yeah.[00:44:30] swyx: Um, we, like, we took maybe. Three years to go from like 4,000 context length to a million and that's about it. Yeah. Like Gemini has had a million token context length for two years now. Um, and no one's using it.Like, so like yeah, it's memory. Memory is probably gonna be the, the biggest limiting constraint on all these things.[00:44:50] Jacob Effron: Yeah. Certainly seems that way. I guess I'm curious over the last year since you recorded last, like what's one thing you've changed your mind on?[00:44:57] swyx: I feel like I was kind of bearish on open models like last year.Um, in a sense of, like, I, I had just done the podcast with an Al[00:45:07] Jacob Effron: Yeah.[00:45:08] swyx: Of Braintrust where he, and he, I mean, you know, he has a good cross section of all the top AI companies and he says market share of open source is 5% and going down. Um, I think that's changed. I think it's going up. Um, and even if,[00:45:22] Jacob Effron: even though the capability gap does seem to be increasing.Spending on the[00:45:26] swyx: time. It's hard to tell. Yeah, it's, it's really hard to tell. ‘cause like, okay, for, for listeners, capability gap increasing is like on public benchmarks. And let's say you're comparing mythos versus like, I don't know, G-T-O-S-S or like GLM 5.1. And, um, it's, it is really hard to tell. ‘cause even if they were closing, you will also not believe that they were closing that much because it's very easy to gain the benchmarks.Yeah. So you just don't really, really know. Um, all you know is like. Uh, there's somewhat objective open router stats on like what people choose in a free market. And people do choose some of these open models in significant volume, except that a lot of them are heavily discounted. So you need to kind of like price adjust, uh, these things.So even if, even if that were true, which I, I'm not sure, like I, I, I feel like the numbers just up now instead of down. Uh, I think the. Separation between what the top tier agent labs

Four stories that all connect to your portfolio today.Tesla reported Q1 2026 earnings — $22.38 billion in revenue and $0.41 EPS, both beats. But deliveries missed at 358,023 units and Tesla built 50,000 more cars than it sold. Capex guidance jumped $5 billion above prior guidance to $25 billion. The stock gave back its after-hours gains on that news.Meanwhile NIO delivered 83,465 vehicles in the same quarter — up 98.3% year over year. The growth gap between these two companies is the story.China's auto price war just paused heading into Beijing Auto Show. Three years of below-cost pricing, collapsing margins, and industry-wide bleeding — and it stopped this week. That pause is a structural tailwind for NIO which was designed to compete above the price war's reach.Chinese automakers held 80 car launches in March 2026. Sales dropped 15% in the same month. That's the fast consumer goods trap — brands launching constantly while buyers wait for the next cheaper model. NIO operates above 300,000 yuan where that trap doesn't apply the same way.Beijing Auto Show opens Friday. 1,451 vehicles. 181 world premieres. Tesla skipped it again. NIO is at booth E203 with all three brands. ES9 momentum, ES8 milestone, and a potential Gen 5 battery swap announcement. This channel covers it all starting Friday.

Four stories today — all connected to your portfolio.Trump extended the Iran ceasefire hours after saying he wouldn't, calling Iran "seriously fractured." JD Vance called off his Pakistan trip. Iran said it hadn't decided whether to show up. And then — extension, no end date. Oil moves tonight. Nothing is resolved.CATL held its Super Tech Day in Beijing. Five new battery products. The headline: a full charge from 10% to 98% in 6 minutes and 27 seconds — a new global record. The Kirin Condensed Matter Battery delivers 1,500 km of range. And Naxtra — the world's first mass-producible sodium-ion battery — goes into production by end of 2026. CATL supplies NIO. Better batteries strengthen the swap network. And NIO already owns 4,000 stations — the infrastructure CATL is now trying to build from scratch.The 2026 Onvo L90 launched today with NIO's in-house Shenji NX9031 chip for the first time. Nvidia chips out. NIO silicon in. Deliveries start May 9th. The L80 comes next.NIO stock is up 95% over the past 12 months — its best run since 2020. The fundamentals are finally matching the promise. Beijing Auto Show starts April 24th. This week is loud.Courtside Financial. Hosted by Obi.

In this episode of the Wonbyone Podcast, Obi sits down with Anthony Goods—former Stanford standout, 11-year overseas pro, and now a D1 assistant coach at Arkansas State. They talk about the transition from player to coach, the mindset young athletes need to compete at the college level, and how discipline, relationships, and identity shape long-term success.Anthony also shares how media is changing the athlete experience, and why understanding the game within the game matters more than ever.

Five stories that matter for your portfolio today.William Li held an internal NIO meeting and told his employees Q2 will be hard. Most CEOs would never say that out loud. Obi breaks down why that's actually the most bullish signal you could get — because honest CEOs outperform, and because Li already identified the solution.Q1 deliveries hit 83,465 vehicles — up 98.3% year over year. Revenue growth is expected to outpace delivery growth. ES9 early orders from non-NIO buyers are already 1.5 times the ES8 at the same pre-sales period. That's total addressable market expansion in real time.The broader Chinese auto industry is bleeding. The 200,000 yuan segment has become the kill zone. NIO operates above 300,000 yuan where margins still exist and brand matters more than spreadsheets.Sam Altman's World project is expanding to Tinder, Zoom, DocuSign, Shopify, and Okta. Iris scanning to prove you're human in an internet he helped make more confusing.A man hacked the US Supreme Court filing system, bragged about it on Instagram, and walked out with probation.And a disgruntled researcher dumped working Windows exploit code online because of a conflict with Microsoft. Criminals are actively using it. Every one of these stories is a tailwind for cybersecurity spending.Courtside Financial. Hosted by Obi.Nord Security Products:NordVPN: ⁠https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15&aff_id=143053&url_id=902⁠NordPass: ⁠https://go.nordpass.io/aff_c?offer_id=488&aff_id=143053&url_id=9356⁠Discord: https://discord.gg/GSbp4wR

Welcome back, Shadow Lords! In this episode, Julia and Bex are back with our trusty character, theme and plot analysis. And, of course, don't forget the goofs. Talking points include: - Maul is Mr. Darcy?, our old friend: Pacing, how's the dark side changing up its game, three act structure vs the 17.685734 structure, stretching the rubber band of pay off, female characters can be complex now, right?, showing and not telling makes a return, the trials and tribulations of writing a well established character, how do you work with a character archetype when its so specific?, character motivations vs. character perception, who IS Maul's mommy?, information a writer should know about a character vs information that's relevant, Maul is Sisyphus, Whodunnit? No, WHYdunnit, when will they let Obi-wan say f*ck, the role of comedic relief characters, how to amp up the stakes of lightsaber duels (don't have one every episode), passivity vs activity > good vs evil, its about the YEARNING, ladies, is star wars too star wars now?, divorce court in space. Don't forget to leave us a review if you like the show and drop by our socials on Instagram, Bluesky & Tumblr (@thebatchpod) to say hi, chat, and enjoy Bex's beautiful memes."3 Rounds" by Bisou is licensed CC BY NC 4.0.

Most players think development is about getting shots up and going through drills. But what actually separates the players who make it from the ones who don't isn't the volume of reps — it's the compete level behind them. In this conversation, Obi and Rob break down what real player development looks like, why so many talented players still can't translate their work into games, and what coaches are actually watching for on recruiting visits.They also get into the mental side of shooting slumps, what overseas basketball teaches you that college never could, and why the kids who don't want to play 21 are the same kids wondering why they're not getting minutes.This conversation happened LIVE on Instagram.Don't miss Obi's next live, follow here: @obiemeganoMake sure to follow us.WONBYONE MHP IG: https://www.instagram.com/wonbyonepodcast WONBYONE IG: https://www.instagram.com/wonby1ne/OBI EMEGANO IG: https://www.instagram.com/obiemegano/VISIT US :  http://wonby1ne.comPODCAST ON APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wonbyone-podcast/id1603115592PODCAST ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/62QmQX4OTyMcyReHoHo2bi?si=ef0f8b43c7b446f6Podcast Questions 

Welcome Queens! This we talk 404 day fails, rich people wasting money, ghosting gone right? and we continue our friends at work series with our friend Obi. We discuss the traveling abroad and finding work that works for us.

This week, the crew of Afropop's Most Essential [Djaji, Karris & Moji] dive into Omah Lay's new album "Clarity of Mind", Burna Boy's fight with DJ Tunez, Tems conversation with Angie Martinez, and much more!Cover artists: Omah Lay, Burna Boy & DJ TunezFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewavngTIMESTAMPS0:00 - Intro5:03 - New Music: Shy Lover [Mavo]11:58 - Omah Lay Album reaction15:10 - Is Omah Lay similar to The Weeknd?21:36 - Is Omah Lay saying he's the best disrespectful to Burna Boy?37:53 - Dj Tunez & Burna Boy fight at Obi's House43:44 - Offset Shot46:00 - Will Rema be on Drake's Iceman album?46:50 - Drake coming to Lagos48:00 - MOBOs recap and why Wizkid never collects awards51:56 - Tems speaks with Angie Martinez53:49 - Easter events feel the same? [Homecoming, Seyi Vibez in Abuja]56:24 - Grace Ladoja's battle with cancer59:35 - Homecoming now an underground event?1:07:30 - Is Davido a Bad Label Owner: Dremo & Liya Speak1:20:37 - Bad Bunny Sues Empawa explained1:26:54 - Drama at Return of Arinzo Premiere1:38:30 - Does Daddy GO Need a $60 million jet?1:49:09 - Does Roc Nation know what to do with Ayra?1:55:10 - Patience Ozokwor, Why Actors Go BrokeCover art designed by Djaji Prime & Shina LadipoProduction & Distribution: VISIONARY STUDIOS in association with ARROWHOUSE STUDIOS#TheWavNG

Most players transition to professional basketball without ever being told what actually changes — the pace, the tactics, the culture, and what teams overseas are really asking of you. In this conversation, Obi and Rob get into the gap between American and European basketball, and why so many talented players don't survive their first year abroad.They also break down the real differences between European and South American play styles, what youth players need to prioritize now to be ready for the next level, and why the ability to stop somebody will always come before the ability to score.This conversation happened LIVE on Instagram. Don't miss Obi's next live, follow here: @obiemeganoMake sure to follow us.WONBYONE MHP IG: https://www.instagram.com/wonbyonepodcast WONBYONE IG: https://www.instagram.com/wonby1ne/OBI EMEGANO IG: https://www.instagram.com/obiemegano/VISIT US :  http://wonby1ne.comPODCAST ON APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wonbyone-podcast/id1603115592PODCAST ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/62QmQX4OTyMcyReHoHo2bi?si=ef0f8b43c7b446f6Podcast Questions 

Ashwini Anburajan is the CEO of Obi, aka the Kayak for rideshare. She has been a journalist, a founder, a venture investor on either side of going to business school, has worked at startups and unicorns, and through it all remembers watching her immigrant parents as they struggled to build a good life in a new country. In this episode of The Breadwinners, host Rachael Lowell talks with Ashwini about taking career and workplace advice with a grain of salt, how stepping into the CEO seat can completely change your mindset, and why putting your vision on paper is the best way to ship it to reality.  SHOW NOTES Obi Appoints Ashwini Anburajan as CEO to Lead Next Phase of Growth [Obi]The Kayak of Rideshare: Obi's New CEO Bets on Pricing Transparency and AV Growth [Forbes] Social:https://www.instagram.com/aanburajanhttps://www.instagram.com/obiridershttps://www.linkedin.com/in/aanburajanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/aanburajanhttps://x.com/anburajanhttps://x.com/obiriders Croutons:Self-Driving Taxis Are Catching On. Are You Ready? [NYT]The Cost of Autonomy: Tesla, Waymo, and the New Rideshare Battleground [Obi]Why 'Burnout' Feminism Is Replacing the Girlboss, Lean In Era [Bloomberg] Bio: Ashwini Anburajan is a seasoned entrepreneur, startup operator and investor currently serving as CEO of Obi, the world's largest global rideshare aggregator where she has more than doubled growth over the past 18 months Her career is multi-fold having worked across disciplines in politics, media, consumer tech, and data. In her personal life, she is a champion of female entrepreneurs, theater and the underserved. *** "The Breadwinners" Season 7 is a joint production between Reworking Leadership and The Smart Friends Network, generously supported by Ruth Ann Harnisch. "The Breadwinners" was founded by Rachael Lowell and Jennifer Owens in 2019. Host: Rachael LowellExecutive Producers: Rachael Lowell, Rachel SklarAudio Engineer: Ron PassaroOriginal Music: "Perfect" by Hannah BakkeRick Snell: GuitarCesar Moreno: BanjoNyssa Grant: FiddleErik Alvar: BassJustin D. Cook: Keyboard, Percussion, and OrchestrationVocals: Hannah Bakke, Cassidy StonerHannah Bakke: Music and LyricsTo stay up to date with The Breadwinners, please follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebreadwinnerspodcast Find Rachael Lowell at https://reworkingleadership.com & take the SHIFT assessment here: https://leadtheshift.aiIf you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, review & share! Thank you for listening. Still we rise! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Obi Kaufmann is an American naturalist, writer, and illustrator. Among the books he has authored are The California Field Atlas, a guide to the state's ecology and geography, and most recently The State Of Fire - Why California Burns. [Originally published Oct 1st, 2024. Ep 131] On this episode of Nature Revisited, Kaufmann describes the ancient relationship between humans and fire as part of California's natural history, dispelling the widespread misinformation surrounding the nature and effects of large-scale wildfires, and placing them within a greater context as just one phase of the necessary natural cycles of ecosystems. Obi's website - https://coyoteandthunder.com/ The State of Fire book - https://californiafieldatlas.com/shop/ols/products/the-state-of-fire-why-california-burns Listen to Nature Revisited on your favorite podcast apps, on YouTube, or at https://noordenproductions.com Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdz4s9d7 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/5n7yx28t Subscribe on Youtube Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/bddd55v9 Podlink: https://pod.link/1456657951 Support Nature Revisited https://noordenproductions.com/support Nature Revisited is produced by Stefan van Norden and Charles Geoghegan. We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions - contact us at https://noordenproductions.com/contact

In this episode of the podcast, Obi sits down with overseas veteran and coach Mike Fraser for a real conversation about professionalism, development, and what it actually takes to last in basketball.Mike shares how a 13-year pro career across Europe and the Middle East shaped his mindset, from navigating tough environments and not getting paid to learning how to stay disciplined no matter the situation. He breaks down the habits that separate players who last from those who don't — including recovery, preparation, emotional control, and daily consistency.The conversation goes deeper as Obi reflects on his early overseas experience — getting cut in Italy, landing in Poland, and learning how to be a professional through Mike's guidance. They unpack the importance of mentorship, why attitude can end a career faster than talent, and how the smallest habits can completely change your trajectory.They also dive into the current state of youth basketball, the gaps in development, and what young players are missing today — from fundamentals and competition to emotional toughness and accountability. Mike shares his perspective as a coach in Canada, breaking down how the game is evolving and what athletes need to focus on if they want to reach the next level.

Send us Fan MailJobes and Obi discuss their future travel plans. Playoff races are heating up in the PWHL and NHL. Light one up and join the rotation. Don't recommend ashing out this one out early. For award winning cannabis from Black Tie go tohttps://blacktiecbd.net/?ref=highstickingUse promo code highsticking to receive 20% off of your purchaseMust be 21 to purchase.

In this conversation, Obi and Rob break down the real demands of professional basketball — from daily training routines and recovery habits to the discipline required to stay at a high level overseas.They also dive into the state of youth basketball today, discussing how highlight culture has shifted the focus away from fundamentals, basketball IQ, and the habits required to succeed long-term.This conversation happened LIVE on Instagram. Don't miss Obi's next live, follow here: @obiemeganoMake sure to follow us.WONBYONE MHP IG: https://www.instagram.com/wonbyonepodcast WONBYONE IG: https://www.instagram.com/wonby1ne/OBI EMEGANO IG: https://www.instagram.com/obiemegano/VISIT US :  http://wonby1ne.comPODCAST ON APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wonbyone-podcast/id1603115592PODCAST ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/62QmQX4OTyMcyReHoHo2bi?si=ef0f8b43c7b446f6Podcast Questions 

Is the Be Your Own Bank dream a nightmare for most people? While the Bitcoin community has preached self custody as the only path to freedom, many are terrified of losing savings to a single technical error. Obi Nwosu (@obi) argues we have hit a wall with traditional sovereignty. Unless we make Bitcoin as easy as a group chat, we will never see the mass adoption required to topple the legacy financial system.We are entering a dark economic era where holding Bitcoin is a physical risk. Obi breaks down why privacy is the ultimate superpower to protect families from a wrench attack. When wealth is transparent on a public ledger, you become a target. By utilizing e-cash protocols, users regain the anonymity of physical cash while maintaining digital hardness. It is the shift from public target to private sovereign.The true innovation is happening within the circular economies of the Global South. From Bitcoin Beach to Nigeria, people use the lightning network to bypass failing banks. Obi explains these communities lack financial privilege. They need tools that work today, even with intermittent internet, proving utility is highest where the old world is broken.Fedimint miniaturizes exchange security for local communities. This model uses e-cash so guardians cannot see your balance or spending. It bridges the gap between the friction of self custody and the danger of centralized exchanges.Fedi integrates money and identity through open standards like NOSTR. This removes technical barriers, allowing the lightning network to act as global glue. Sovereignty becomes a byproduct of design rather than a chore.—Bitcoin Beach TeamConnect and Learn more about Obi Nwosu:X: https://x.com/obiLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/obinwosuWeb: https://www.fedi.xyz/Web: https://fedimint.org/Support and follow Bitcoin Beach:X: https://www.twitter.com/BitcoinBeach IG: https://www.instagram.com/bitcoinbeach_sv TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livefrombitcoinbeach Web: https://www.bitcoinbeach.com Browse through this quick guide to learn more about the episode:00:00 Intro01:25 What can the West learn from Bitcoin circular economies?09:02 Why is the Global South front-running Western Bitcoin adoption?13:17 Why do major exchanges still lack Proof of Reserves?19:01 How to identify Bitcoin-only exchanges with ethical listing standards?37:24 Is Bitcoin self-custody too difficult for mass adoption?46:34 How to set up community-led Bitcoin custody with Fedimint?48:53 How does Chaumian e-cash provide total Bitcoin anonymity?1:12:38 How to execute peer-to-peer Bitcoin payments without internet?1:25:33 How to prevent wrench attacks using advanced Bitcoin OpSec?Live From Bitcoin Beach