Color spun up huge COVID testing sites overnight to slow the pandemic. Now it's got a $4.6B valuation and is working on making genomics, vaccines, antivirals, and more accessible to the masses. Color founder and CEO Othman Laraki joins PressClub to discuss the little things that make a big difference in population health, and how we can be better prepared for the next pandemic. Listen in to learn: -How Color spun up 13K COVID test sites when the government hesitated -Why laughably ambitious...

ClassDojo quietly became the world’s biggest edtech company, now in 95% of US K-8 schools. Now it's building an educational metaverse where teachers and developers can turn lesson plans into games. ClassDojo's co-founders CEO Sam Chaudhary and President Liam Don join PressClub to discuss what schools can learn from gaming, the future of remote learning, and how not to turn kids into robots. Listen in to learn about: -What Minecraft and Roblox get wrong -How play lets kids fail safely -The...

What if your friends shared a bank account to throw parties & fund each other’s ideas? That’s FWB aka Friends With Benefits, the top social DAO where founders and creators convene to build the culture of web3. FWB "Mayor" Alex Zhang (there's no FWB CEO) joins us to discuss the evolution of friendship and crypto communities. Join us to learn about: -The return of the "cozy web" -How to grow a community without asking -Why shared context breeds camaraderie -How DAOs are becoming...

What if you owned your social profile & connections instead of Facebook? That’s Lens Protocol, a decentralized social network & web3 developer platform from cryptocurrency lender Aave's CEO Stani Kulechov. He joins us on PressClub to discuss how social will work in the web3 era and how you can be the user, not the product sold to advertisers. Learn why the lack of social graph portability locks us into exploitative apps. Hear the Lens origin story based on Aave's success lending out...

Gaze into a chrome Orb, get your iris scanned, and get your fair share of a new cryptocurrency. That's the radical vision behind CEO Alex Blania's Worldcoin. On PressClub, the Worldcoin team and top web3 investors debate the potential, risks, and challenges of using biometrics to power universal basic income. We discuss how this new approach to proving unique identity could power a safer, more inclusive financial system. Hear tales from the developers building Worldcoin, the field operators...

This is the story of how college two friends built the #2 social app in the country called Down To Lunch, but pivoted to start Alchemy, the #1 crypto and NFT infrastructure startup in the world. Now valued at $10 billion, Alchemy powers the biggest names in blockchain from OpenSea to Dapper Labs to Polygon. Founders Nikil Viswanathan reveal their lessons from going viral, how they fought a smear campaign against DTL, and why Tim Cook had to help fix their iMessage because too many users were...

Marketing is changing fast as IRL events return, ad targeting rules tighten, memes flourish, and brands get weird to stand out. On this PressClub, ex-Stripe CMO & new SignalFire partner Jim Stoneham plus MainStreet CMO Stacey Politi discuss how to adapt your marketing strategies. Listen to learn about: -Defining your brand's enemy to attract allies -Why low production value signals authenticity -The early warning signs that a customer will churn -Switching from product messaging to...

How can you use networks effects to grow anything? The Cold Start Problem author Andrew Chen from a16z shares stories and strategies from the rise of Tinder, Zoom, Airbnb, and new web3 startups. On PressClub, we discuss viral coefficients, why users "come for the tool, stay for the network", the double-edged sword of exclusivity, and how new computing platforms can reset network effects. Listen in to learn about: -Meerkat’s Law -Minimum Viable Network -Context Collapse -How to build the...

Why have fans when you can co-conspirators? Crypto-powered Decentralized Autonomous Organizations are reimagining co-working by erasing the divide between customers and teammates. How will DAOs be used for investing, building products, launching social clubs, and funding philanthropy? And why has isolation from our communities inspired people to find a sense of belonging with strangers on the Internet? During this PressClub, we ask top DAO leaders and the founders of DAO tool startups what...

If in the 20th century, workplace injuries were physical and necessitated workers comp, then in the 21st century, workplace injuries are mental like burnout, and we need benefits to address them. On PressClub, we ask top remote work experts, creators, and mental health leaders about why burnout is so common and strategies to stop it. Learn the early warning signs, how to redraw the line between work and play, and ways to relax your brain. Discover if you're a sprinter, mid-distancer, or...

Should you do your hardest task first -- what Mark Twain called "eating a frog" -- and block off your entire calendar? Or stay flexible while focusing on what's urgent and excites you? On this episode of PressClub, we ask productivity master Shishir Mehrotra, the CEO of collaboration app Coda and former VP of product for YouTube. He breaks down his strategies for time management, decision-making, and strengthening your willpower muscle. Shishir shares tips he picked up from the founders of...

COVID has triggered a global mental health crisis. What are the latest approaches to democratizing access to therapy + other preventions & treatments? Hear about the state of mental health in America, how we destigmatize care, and tips on what does and doesn't work for coping with stress. Join mental healthtech startup founders and therapists as we discuss how VR, chat bots, psychedelics, life coaching, and sleep science are changing wellness. Plus, you'll learn why telehealth is...

How can your startup get press coverage when there's already more tech news than journalists can report? Hear the best pitch strategies straight from TechCrunch boss Matthew Panzarino and the world's largest PR firm Edelman PR's General Manager Margot Edelman. On PressClub, we discuss startup PR do's and don'ts, pros and cons, choosing who to pitch, how to get your cold email opened, and why PR agencies can backfire. Your host Josh Constine, former TechCrunch editor and most cited tech...

"I don't think that there will actually be significant cultural change until Zuckerberg steps down" Facebook's former Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos tells PressClub. The Wall Street Journal's Facebook Files scoops revealed that the company knew its algorithm incentivized hate, its XCheck system shielded VIPs from content moderation, that human traffickers used it to lure in victims, and that Instagram made 40% of users feel unattractive. On PressClub, we ask Stamos and the lead author...

Is your crypto wallet address your new name and social media profile? Will your personality and status be represented by a public record of the art you buy and projects you support? Where identity goes, communication follows, so will crypto-native messaging replace email and Discord? Join us to discuss crypto materialism, anonymity, and why you're still early to this financial and cultural movement. On this week's PressClub, we interview NFT artist Shl0ms who shattered a toilet with a...

Yahoo Answers just shut down. What's next for Wikipedia, Quora, and journalism? How will the creator economy and education collide? What will be the impact of new "adaptive paywalls" that only charge if they predict you'll pay? Your host Josh Constine asks Quora founder / CEO Adam D'Angelo, formerly the first CTO of Facebook. Listen in to learn about: -Why Yahoo Answers failed (3:00) -How to unlock information trapped in people's brains (6:30) -Knowledge recommendation algorithms...

How do move mentorship to the cloud and reskill workforces made obsolete by new technology? Job training in virtual reality and augmented reality isn’t science fiction anymore. Immersive education has proven to beat 2D learning, with Osso VR’s surgeon training system able to boost doctors’ performance 230% to 306% over traditional guidance. Osso VR CEO Justin Barad tells PressClub about his journey from gaming geek surgeon to raising $43M to build a VR med school. We discuss how AR and VR...

Fintech for creators is the next big startup category. 5-time Canadian national chess champion and Twitch star Alexandra Botez reveals how she was repeatedly rejected by traditional banks who don't understand influencers. That's why Karat just raised $26M from investors including SignalFire to give creators banking tools like a credit card based on their follower count and engagement. "BotezLive" shares her origin story, and talks with Karat founders Eric Wei and Will Kim about why creators...

The disintegration of tribal and generational living plus the high price of child care are necessitating new technologies to help parents. Meet the biggest startups making the best gadgets for babies: Snoo's robo-bassinet that detects cries and rocks kids back to sleep, Nanit's night-vision baby monitor that sends you push notifications, and Yumi's organic baby food delivery that now feeds 3% of children. We ask their CEOs and founders which devices and services parents need to buy and which...

On the 1-year anniversary episode of PressClub, Josh Constine interviews the founders of Clubhouse -- CEO Paul Davison and CTO Rohan Seth. They reveal how Clubhouse started, their personal origin stories, how they built their company amidst huge hype, and their vision for the audio creator economy. You'll learn about how Clubhouse unbundled podcasting by helping with production and creation so anyone could share their voice. Subscribe to PressClub at http://constine.club/ This podcast is...

Will we own self-driving cars or just hail them like Ubers? When can we expect them, and will governments ban old-school cars? Is Tesla Autopilot safe or is it dangerous to require humans to take control at a moment's notice? PressClub host Josh Constine of SignalFire asks these tough and exciting questions to the top founders and leaders in the self-driving industry, including: -Cruise founder Kyle Vogt -Zoox founder Jesse Levinson -Aurora founder Sterling Anderson -Voyage founder Oliver...

How will Facebook's slew of new audio features impact creators, the podcasting industry, advertisers, and new social apps like Clubhouse? And why should creators trust Facebook? PressClub host Josh Constine breaks it all down with the head of the Facebook app, Fidji Simo, one of the tech giant's most powerful executives. Hear about: Facebook's new short-form Soundbites, Live Audio Rooms, Spotify integration, and podcast player. The social network's Audio Creator Fund and plans to...

How will corporatization by tech giants influence the future of podcasting? What will be the impact of Apple selling premium podcasts, Facebook building audio features, and Clubhouse on creators? Can shareable highlights fix podcast discovery? Join PressClub host Josh Constine from SignalFire as he discusses the big issues at the vanguard of voice with these podcast industry leaders: 
 -Conal Byrne - iHeartPodcast Network CEO -Steve Wilson - QCODE CSO/Ex-Apple Podcasts editorial -Ada Yeo -...

Top writers are leaving publishers like the New York Times to become newsletter writers on Substack. How will the rise of the solopreneur author impact the future of journalism? Substack co-founders Chris Best and Hamish McKenzie join PressClub host Josh Constine to break down why individuals have more power than organizations in the modern media landscape. Listen to learn: Can newsrooms survive the brain drain? Will creators earn a better living on their own? How did the move from desktop...