Some Big Technology Podcast Episodes You Might Enjoy

Hi! Thanks to everyone who’s filled out our reader survey and to those who’ve recently subscribed! I’ll write again in a few weeks with more results from the survey. Since many of you mentioned you haven’t yet checked out Big Technology Podcast, I thought I’d write this week with some highlights from the show hoping you’ll give it a shot. And after an August break, the newsletter is now returning to its regular Thursday cadence. Thanks again for reading and subscribing. It’s great having you here!

One of my great joys here at Big Technology is hosting Big Technology Podcast. The show airs weekly on Wednesdays and features tough but fair interviews with tech insiders and outside agitators. Box CEO Aaron Levie, journalist Kara Swisher, and Sen. Mark Warner are among our recent guests. This year, the show’s jumped into the top 1% of podcasts, per Listen Notes, and last month it reached as high as No. 3 on Apple’s Tech News podcast charts.

And so, after regularly shouting out Big Technology Podcast at the bottom of the newsletter, I’m giving it top billing this week. Below, you’ll find five episodes I’m confident you’ll enjoy. My hope is that after listening to one of these (or more) you’ll join us for our weekly shows on Wednesdays. 

You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your app of choice. 

Web3 And The Future Of The Internet — With Aaron Levie 

Box CEO Aaron Levie is a repeat guest on Big Technology Podcast. He’s insightful, funny, and fun to listen to. As the debate over crypto — or Web3 — heated up earlier this year, Levie joined to unpack his belief that building for Web3 wasn’t as simple as its proponents claimed. I try to use Big Technology Podcast as a forum to go deeper into issues that articles (or tweets) struggle to cover with nuance, and this interview is an example of that. 

Also, if you want to hear some shows with crypto proponents, I recommend our May episodes with Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood and the duo of Packy McCormick and Austin Rief.

You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your app of choice.

Do We Need The Metaverse — With Nick Clegg 

When Mark Zuckerberg tasked Nick Clegg, Meta’s president for global affairs, with nearly all the company’s policy decisions, I knew I had to get him on the show. It took a few tries, but Clegg finally agreed and we spoke at length about the Metaverse’s potential, Meta’s lobbying tactics, its app store fees, and plenty of other issues. I always try to host Silicon Valley’s most powerful executives on the show, and this episode is one example.

You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your app of choice.

Meta’s Stock Plunge + Market Volatility  — With Josh Brown

When the market started crashing earlier this year, it was time for an episode explaining the situation, especially since tech companies were taking the worst of it. Josh Brown — a fellow CNBC contributor and someone whose analysis I’ve always listened to— delivered a remarkable breakdown in this episode. Brown spoke about the upcoming peril for ‘growth’ stocks and shared a Wall Street secret: the “whisper number.” Business, markets, and money steer tech company decisions, and the podcast regularly features financial all-stars like Brown who explain where things are heading.

You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your app of choice.

Crypto Scams, Big Tech Tumult, and Tech Optimism — With Kara Swisher 

I compete with journalists, but they’re also fun to speak with and make great podcast guests. Kara Swisher is case in point. In this episode, she spoke with me about a range of news headlines before opening up about her own career (like, how did she manage to work for Vox and The New York Times at once?). Swisher is tough but doesn’t shy away from optimism, and so we covered the tech she believes in at the end of this one. 

You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your app of choice.

This Is Your Brain on iPhone — With Anna Lembke 

Any well-rounded discussion of technology must consider how these inventions are changing our brains. Anna Lembke is a psychologist who studies dopamine at Stanford University and, in this episode, shares a fascinating thesis about what happens to our brain chemistry each time we pick a device. 

You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your app of choice.

There you have it. I hope you give Big Technology Podcast a shot and share it with a friend if you like it. We work really hard at Big Technology HQ to put these together, and I’d be thrilled if you got something out of the show. 

Share

You’re Invited to Shape our Digital Future, Sept. 21-24, NYC and online (sponsored)

Don’t miss Unfinished Live, an immersive festival exploring the collision of technology, art, ideas, and impact. Big Technology Podcast will be there recording live with Frances Haugen. Join more than 2,000 attendees and 150+ speakers from around the world to exchange ideas and shape what’s next for our collective digital future. Use code BIGTECH50 for an exclusive 50% discount on all ticket types.

Learn More and Register

My Pocket Collection: I recently put together a Pocket Collection with links to the research I did for two recent podcasts on whether social media is making us stupid. You can find it here: getpocket.com/bigtechnology

And a podcast production sponsored message: Do you need help with your podcast? You should work with LightningPod’s Eric Johnson, “the most talented podcasting producer and audio entrepreneur at work today” (Jon Kelly, co-founder of Puck). Eric can help you with recording, interviewing, editing, copywriting, monetization, marketing, website design, and more. Learn more at LightningPod.fm.

Thanks again, and remember to hit the heart button because you like seeing numbers go up.

Hope your summer’s going well. See you next Thursday!