Down Round
Episodes
#69 - Politics: The Peter Thiel Power Hour
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comWe’ve alluded a few times on the pod to the weird developments i...
#68 - Shein: Fashion, but make it faster (ft. Veronica Milsom)
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Shein is one of the world’s most insane companies, and yet flies weirdly under the radar. One of the most popular shopping platforms in the world, i...
#67 - GPT-4: This time it’s personal
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comEvery time we think we’re done with AI episodes, they release so...
#66 - Apple: Do you smell what Cook is cooking?
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Recent reports have indicated Apple is gearing up to announce its mixed-reality headset, which the company wants to be the next iPhone. CEO Tim Cook r...
#65 - Atlassian: Jira lovers unite!
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comDown Round listeners who don’t work in software development or a...
#64 - Silicon Valley Bank: Listen to this while sprinting to your local bank branch
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comSilicon Valley Bank imploded last week, becoming the second-larges...
#63 - AI Doom, Pt. 2: Hot enough for ya?
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is part two of a two part episode, for subscribers only.In the second part of our AI doom episode, for subscribers only, we dive into the nitty g...
#62 - AI Doom, Pt. 1: It's unfortunately time to die
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is part one of a two part episode.With the end of a long AI winter and the rise of large language models and platforms like ChatGPT, we’re expe...
#61 - The news: Breaking! Extra! Exclusive!
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comFor hundreds of years, newspapers had a pretty good business model...
#60 - Dating apps: Raph Super Liked you!
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past decade, we’ve successfully outsourced romance and human reproduction to a series of apps, most of which are owned by Match Group. Pret...
#59 - The Accountability Episode: Correcting the record
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comUnlike other tech podcasts – who we won’t name – Down Round ...
#58 - Gaming: Gamers rise up, you have nothing to lose but your chains
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comGaming, which was considered a nasty little hobby for maladjusted ...
#57 - Microsoft vs. Google: This one is for the Bing heads
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comThe history of tech is littered with rivalries. Apple vs. Microsof...
#56 - Sports betting: 3 blokes share their luckiest multis (ft. Mark Di Stefano)
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comSports betting. It’s an enduring part of Australian culture, whe...
#55 - Reddit: r/downround has been permanently banned
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comReddit. Once infamous as a haven for libertarians, endless argumen...
#54 - Instant grocery: A single Twix bar delivered to your house in two minutes
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Instant grocery (also known as instant commerce, 10-minute grocery, ultrafast delivery and a million other names) was one of the hottest categories gl...
#53 - The creator economy: Please like and subscribe
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comThe creator economy was one of the most hyped sectors at the tail ...
#52 - Food: From Soylent to soy burgers (feat. two soyboys)
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The tech industry has had a long-time obsession with revolutionising food and the way we eat. From Soylent, the nutrient slurry intended for lifehacki...
#51 - AI, revisited: Computer, generate me some swag
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comSince the last time we did an episode about AI, there’s been eno...
#50 - Tech layoffs: This too shall pass
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s Down Round’s 50th episode. We’re celebrating this momentous occasion by discussing a real upper of a topic: the avalanche of layoffs which ...
#49 - Frank: Frauds, scams, flimflams, rackets, swindles and more
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comFans of tech scams will enjoy the first big one of the year. Frank...
#48 - Micromobility: It's time to scoot
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the buzziest sectors over the past half a decade is micromobility: e-scooters, e-bikes and the various rental apps which shell them out. Is it ...
#47 - Collectables: One weird trick to get rich quick
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comUnfortunately much like stocks, crypto, rare sneakers, NFTs, class...
#46 - The unbearable agony of being Zuck ft. Mike Isaac
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s ep we’re joined by Mike Isaac, New York Times tech correspondent and author of Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber. He’s writing a book...
#45 - Payments: Buy now, pay... never?!
05 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comToday’s episode is all about payments and fintechs. From neobank...
#44 - Tesla: Full Self Driving Fail Compilation 2023
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of Tesla’s huge stock price drop, Down Round discusses: is the company all that? Or is it going to be smoked by Volkswagen?Happy New Yea...
#43 - 2023 Predictions: Come, let us peer into the crystal ball
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comWe’re pausing the free ep this week over the Xmas/NY break. We’...
#42 - Down Round Q&A: A Santa stocking stuffed with questions
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comMerry Christmas from the Down Round crew. Your present is another ...
#41 - Podcasts: Two podcasters podcast about podcasts (podcast edition)
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re going meta. Various companies have been trying to turn podcasting (and ‘premium audio’) into a huge business on the level of streami...
#40 - TikTok: More like TikToxic! (Has anyone said that before?)
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comTikTok: is it a fun lip syncing app for Zoomers, or a sinister int...
#39 - The Twitter Files: James read them so you don't have to
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Elon has leaked internal comms from old Twitter onto the internet via trusted Substack journos, insisting that it reveals corruption, collusion and le...
#38 - The Apple tax, Elon and our old friend SBF
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit downround.substack.comDown Round has gone premium, and this is our first episode in the ...
#37 - ChatGPT: Revenge of the chatbots
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
OpenAI’s ChatGPT has taken the internet by storm this week, making it seem like an AI-dominated future could be just around the bend. But is it all ...
#36 - Smartphones: Can’t beat ‘em! Seriously, we’ve tried.
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We talk the persistence of the 14 year old smartphone, and the failure of voice, AI and the metaverse to usurp it. LinksEverybody promised to disrupt ...
#35 - FTX: It just gets worse and worse
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you to everyone who made the FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried episode our most listened ever. As a reward for your loyalty, you get another episode abo...
#34 - The inaugural Down Round Q&A Special
24 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're responding to listener questions put to us via the Down Round Twitter: @downroundpod This is a public episode. If you’d like to disc...
#33 - Disney: That’s showbiz, baby!
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As Bob replaces Bob (who in turn replaced Bob) we look at the recent goings on at The Walt Disney Company, and how it all fits into the streaming land...
#32 - Twitter & Elon Musk: Back at it again
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’re checking back in on Twitter under the Musk regime. It’s all going great! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with othe...
#31 - FTX & Sam Bankman-Fried: SBF, a polycule, amphetamines and the biggest crypto scam in history
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Where do we begin with this mess?The world's second biggest exchange, and crypto's golden boy has collapsed in a matter of days - from $36b to nothing...
#30 - Airbnb: Tenants of the world unite – you have nothing to lose but your bond!
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Airbnb sort of sucks now, and it seems like the company realises it. It has announced guest-friendly changes, but are they enough?Raph and James dive ...
#29 - Apple vs Europe: See you in hell, Lightning cable!
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The EU is forcing Apple change its iPhone cable, and they’re huffy even though they were definitely going to do it anyway. The boys discuss European...
#28 - [ATTN: YOUR DATA HAS LEAKED ON THE DARK WEB] ft. Ariel Bogle
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A recent series of high-profile hacks of Australian companies including Optus and Medibank have people worried about user data and privacy. Given Ra...
#27 - Elon Musk & Twitter: What happens when a cool and funny guy liberates free speech
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Elon's first few days at Twitter HQ have been eventful. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get acce...
#26 - Productivity software: Another day, another dollar
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Productivity software. Our many and valued white collar listeners will know it very well. But will they be able to respect Microsoft Teams after the D...
#25 - Peaceful Rain Sounds to Sleep/Study to - beautiful, ambient, relax, chill
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music are changing the way music is made. We discuss. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss t...
#24 - Meta's Metaverse: A 10 minute long game of beer pong where no one speaks
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We've plugged into blockchain metaverses, but how is Facebook/Meta's multi-billion dollar attempt going?Company Documents Show Meta’s Flagship Metav...
#23 - Kanye West (Ye): Is Yeezus going to finally solve social media's moderation conundrum?
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kanye says he's going to buy Parler, the 'free speech'-focused Twitter clone. But more broadly, what is a platform's responsibility when it comes to r...
#22 - AI: Is it (finally) coming for our jobs? ft. Dan Nolan
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
AI is once again all the rage – with investor money, engineering talent and media interest flooding into the sector once again. What does the future...
#21 - Alt-Tech: This episode is strictly NOT for soy drinkers
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An anti-woke bank, a conservative safe-space for the desperate and dateless, a censorship-proof YouTube and a free speech Twitter.We check in on right...
#20 – Google: Whistling through the graveyard
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Google. You know it as a search engine, an email provider, a cloud hosting service, a mobile operating system, a friend. But did you know that Googl...
#19 - Elon Musk: What's going down in the DMs of the richest people on the planet?
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As part of the ongoing 'Does Elon Have to Buy Twitter?' drama a court has ordered the messages between Elon and many wealthy business leaders and VCs ...
#18 - Love: What happens when you give a "one click checkout" guy LSD?
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The relationship between frictionless payment, recreational drugs and attempting to find a greater purpose. Silicon Valley's weird relationship with d...
#17 - NEOM: This podcast is officially sponsored by the Saudi Public Investment Fund
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Saudi Arabia is building the city of the future which includes a 250 metre wide, 500 meter tall and 170km long vertical city. It's supposed to be read...
#16 - Uber: The unbearable agony of ridesharing
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have the grand promises of Uber come to pass? Or are we living in an endless nightmare from which we might never wake, endlessly begging from a relea...
#15 - Adobe: The most hated company on Earth rides again
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Adobe has announced it will acquire the much-loved design platform Figma. What does it all mean, and why does everyone hate Adobe so much?Down Round i...
#14 – Amazon: The plan for world domination ft. Mark Di Stefano
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You asked for a longer episode, and now we've delivered. We are joined by the Mark Di Stefano of the AFR – and formerly of BuzzFeed and The Informat...
#13 - AI Art: Finally, creatives get knocked down a peg
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is AI generated art going to put every graphic designer, writer and podcaster out of a job and win every small town local fete art competition? DALL-...
#12 - OnlyFans: Finally, the British invented something interesting
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
OnlyFans, the adult content platform that has become a cultural force, made a lot of money last year. So you can understand why Twitter wanted a slice...
#11 - The Rant Zone: The 7 most busted things online
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A scheduling hitch leaves Raph and James unprepared, but little did they know, they'd been preparing for this episode their whole lives...Instead of g...
#10 – The Ethereum Merge: It's time to freak out
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The crypto world is in a tizz about the biggest change to Ethereum since it launched. Will Ethereum moving from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake be a b...
#9 – Twitter, Elon and some guy named Mudge
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A whistleblower complaint by renowned hacker Mudge gives us a peek behind the curtain at the alleged shitshow that is Twitter Inc.Photo of Mudge and B...
#8 — The Metaverse: What's it like in there? We checked.
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A sad mea culpa on Adam Neumann, then we talk the latest Metaverse happenings. Raph immersed himself in Decentraland, James immersed himself in Matthe...
#7 - Andrew Tate: A testosterone-fuelled journey into the algorithm
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How did kickboxing champion, manosphere influencer and general ne'er-do-well Andrew Tate hack the algorithms to appear in everyone's feed and become t...
#6 - Tornado Cash: You can’t sanction an idea, man!
18 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tornado Cash is a decentralised "mixer" that allows users to obscure their crypto transactions. It's been sanctioned by the US government, who say it ...
#5 - Flow: Elevating the world's consciousness, again
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Neumann, the man who set $40 billion on fire during the WeWork IPO debacle, is back – and he's just been given $350 million for another crack.L...
#4 – It's time to BeReal
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
BeReal: The hot new social media craze touts itself as the antithesis of Instagram. But one thing Instagram does is actually make money. Can BeReal re...
#3 – MindGeek: One weird trick to lose all your advertising revenue
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Visa and Mastercard have both stopped offering their payment processing services to MindGeek, the shadowy conglomerate behind some of the internet's m...
#2 – Helium: Finally, a non-criminal use case for crypto... right?
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
James Hennessy and Raph Dixon on the intersection of technology, business and culture.This week, after a quick update on the rollercoaster at Instagra...
#1 – Apple is F'ing Facebook
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Snap and Twitter stocks plummet, Facebook is in a tizz, social media is being redefined – and it's all Apple and TikTok's fault.Join James JR Hennes...