Podcast
Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson
Hosted by Andrew Sharp and Ben Thompson · EN
A podcast about understanding how tech works and the way it is changing the world. Hosted by Andrew Sharp with Ben Thompson.
64episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
(Preview) SaaSmageddon and the Future, Microsoft After a Market Correction, Anthropic’s Super Bowl Lies
Feb 600:27:38Summary readyBen and Andrew react to a bloodbath for public Saas companies with thoughts on the future of software in the AI era, beginning with why companies choose to outsource solutions to Saas companies today, and why those moats may be more durable than skeptics think. Then: Why SaaS skepticism remains fair, including an analogy to the newspapers in the ’90s, the absence of anti-fragility, a variety of headwinds that will impact pricing power, start-ups with superior cost structures, and looming consolidation and layoff questions. At the end: The biggest SaaS company of them all and what Microsoft’s roadmap should look like, a response to data center skepticism, supply and demand for hyperscalers, why Ben hated the Anthropic Super Bowl ads, should AI hallucinations be good case law?, and a Vision Pro announcement. To email the show: email@sharptech.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Microsoft and Software Survival — Stratechery An Interview with Benedict Evans About AI and Software — Stratechery Interview OpenAI Bets on Super Bowl to Break Through the Competition — Bloomberg Sam Altman’s Response to Anthropic — X: @sama Anthropic’s Super Bowl ads — X: @jmsltnv Hallucinated Cases Are Good Law — X: @ProfRobAnderson Get all episodes of Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Summary(Preview) Meta’s Plans to Spend $135 Billion, The ‘AI Bubble’ Bubble?, Why Hyperscalers Should NOT Invest in TSMC
Jan 3000:28:04Summary readyUnpacking the latest round of Meta earnings, including Wall Street’s about-face after last year’s CapEx squeamishness, whether Zuckerberg’s astronomical CapEx plans are more evidence he yearns to be more than an app maker, why Meta owes a thank you to Apple, Apple and Meta in the AI era, and a word about Instagram messages. Then: Are we in an “AI is a Bubble” bubble? Thoughts on mass adoption among software makers, demand that looks insatiable, product managers vs. engineers, and the era of perfect competition among employees. From there: Why hyperscalers should not solve the CapEx problem by co-investing in TSMC, why Ben sympathizes with TSMC, and a note on Samsung. At the end: Andrew shares his experience with Bucks-Lakers in the Vision Pro and reviews Ben’s takes. To email the show: email@sharptech.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Meta Earnings, Turning Dials, Zuckerberg’s Motivation — Stratechery Update Barrels and Ammunition — Conor Dewey TSMC Risk — Stratechery Get all episodes of Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Summary(Preview) A Call to Action for TSMC’s AI Customers, Wall Street’s Netflix Anxiety, Q&A on Tech’s Cignetti, OpenAI, Starbucks
Jan 2300:35:29Summary readyTSMC’s pricing power in the AI era, a brief history of TSMC’s culture and CapEx decisions, and ongoing capacity constraints that should be pushing tech companies to build up competitors. Then: Thoughts on Netflix after Ben’s interview with co-CEO Greg Peters, including Wall Street’s concerns despite enormous success, whether and how the Warner Brothers acquisition could be a counter to YouTube, and the difference between Netflix content and user generated YouTube content. At the end: Questions about the Curt Cignetti of tech, a victory lap on OpenAI, advertising in chatbots, advertising as a force for good, and Andrew’s Starbucks habit. To email the show: email@sharptech.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube An Interview with Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters About Engagement and Warner Bros. — Stratechery Interview TSMC Earnings, The TSMC Brake Revisited, Why AI Needs Foundry Competition — Stratechery Update Ads in ChatGPT, Why OpenAI Needs Ads, The Long Road to Instagram — Stratechery Update Get all episodes of Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Summary(Preview) Apple And Its Lack of Vision, The Transformation of United Airlines, Q&A on Grok, Meta, and Streaming Economics
Jan 1600:22:15Summary readyA call for Apple to finally be confident in its Vision Pro hardware, a brief history of broadcasting sports on TV, and yet another reminder that immersive live experiences should be the killer use case that brings users to the Vision Pro platform. Then: Q&A on the AVP, a question on the Siri and Gemini partnership, and thoughts Ben’s interview with United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby and on how tech spearheaded the company’s revival. At the end: Questions on Meta Compute and the end of Aggregation Theory, Grok and its offensive bikini problems, and follow-ups on Baumol’s Cost Disease, humans wanting humans, streaming economics, and venting about the Green Bay Packers. To email the show: email@sharptech.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Apple: You (Still) Don’t Understand the Vision Pro — Stratechery An Interview with United CEO Scott Kirby About Tech Transformation — Stratechery Interview Meta Compute, The Meta-OpenAI Battle, The Reality Labs Sacrifice — Stratechery Update Grok is undressing anyone, including minors — The Verge Get all episodes of Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Summary(Preview) The Economy in the 22nd Century, Amoral Tech and Silicon Valley Micro-Culture, What Nvidia Is Getting From Groq
Jan 900:21:09Summary readyAndrew and Ben return from the holidays to discuss Ben’s Article AI and the Human Condition, and various responses to the preponderance of pessimistic forecasts for what AI will mean for the future, including thoughts on employment, sex, and the problem with trying to regulate human nature. Then: An email about OpenAI spawns discussion of cultural assumptions, market incentives vs. social incentives, and tech as an amoral force. At the end: Unpacking the logic of Nvidia’s deal with Groq, a regulator’s own-goal, questions on streaming TV vs. music, sperm racing, and advice for a listener debating whether to embrace suburban living. To email the show: email@sharptech.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube AI and the Human Condition — Stratechery Capital in the 22nd Century — Philosopher Count Nvidia Reaches Technology Licensing Deal With Startup Groq — Bloomberg Nvidia and Groq, A Stinkily Brilliant Deal, Why This Deal Makes Sense — Stratechery Update Post by Eric Zhu on X — @ericzhu Get all episodes of Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Summary(Preview) An OpenAI Reminder, Netflix’s Expanding Appetite, Q&A on Remote Work, Taco Bell, and Data Centers in Space
Dec 1900:28:42Summary readyAndrew and Ben begin with reactions to ChatGPT’s new image capabilities, a reminder of OpenAI’s strategic advantages vs. Google, Disney’s deal with Sora, and Gemini 3 Flash. From there: Netflix and its competition for attention, Netflix continues its foray into podcasting, and a question about movie theaters highlights costs that Netflix will have to internalize going forward. Then: Extended thoughts on SpaceX and the possibility of data centers in space, while a listener does some field reporting on AWS usage. At the end: Strategies for a successful remote work life, Tesla and Rivian’s aversion to CarPlay, the new United app and developer trade-offs, oenophile preferences, Taco Bell, Christmas traditions, and an attack on Andrew for hypocrisy. To email the show: email@sharptech.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube ChatGPT Image 1.5; Apple v. Epic, Continued; Holiday Schedule — Stratechery Update Disney and OpenAI, Totems in an AI World, Google Versus the World — Stratechery Update Netflix and the Hollywood End Game — Stratechery An Interview with Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe About Building a Car Company and Autonomy — Stratechery Interview An Interview with Ryan Jones About Flighty and Building Apps in 2025 — Stratechery Interview Get all episodes of Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Summary(Preview) Netflix Opportunities and Anxieties, Merger Hurdles to Come, Hollywood’s Endgame and What Comes Next
Dec 1200:20:08Summary readyAndrew and Ben talk through Netflix’s proposed $72 billion deal to buy Warner Brothers, including the logic for Netflix, the frictionless nature of competition on the internet, and the threat that Netflix sees from YouTube. Then: David Zaslav’s windfall, and an argument about the regulatory questions that may scuttle this deal. At the end: The better business model between YouTube and Netflix, an emailer wonders why everyone is mourning the end of a Hollywood business that can’t succeed in the modern marketplace, groupchats and the college experience, and a word about Flighty. To email the show: email@sharptech.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Netflix and the Hollywood End Game — Stratechery Netflix and the Flattening of Everything — Sharp Text An Emergency Interview with Michael Nathanson About Netflix’s Acquisition of Warner Bros. — Stratechery Interview Economic Power in the Age of Abundance — Stratechery Spotify, Netflix, and Aggregation — Stratechery An Interview with Ryan Jones About Flighty and Building Apps in 2025 — Stratechery Interview Get all episodes of Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Summary(Preview) A Long Weekend for TikTok, Preparing for Trump and an Era of Upheaval, LeBron James as an iPhone
Jan 20, 2025Summary readyTo email the show: email@sharptech.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube TikTok Ban Approaches, Generational Implications, Xiaohongshu — Stratechery Update Get all episodes of Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk, Asianometry and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
SummaryHoliday Mailbag: The Next Intel, Google’s AI Revival, Modern Sportswriting, TSMC Mugs, Tutoring Takes, and Lots More
Dec 19, 202401:40:09Summary readyEnding the year with a slew of great emails from listeners, including questions about the next U.S. flagship to fail, Google's advantages in AI, an iOS 18 autopsy, the classes that Ben and Andrew would teach as professors, AI for chip production, TSMC mugs, recommendations for X usage, and the return of the TikTot segment to discuss tutoring and children. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the whole Sharp Tech family! To email the show: email@sharptech.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Rapidus, The End of Economic Rationality, AI Disruption — Stratechery Update Google Announces Veo 2, The Empire Strikes Back, Free ChatGPT Search — Stratechery Update The 2024 Stratechery Year in Review — Stratechery TSMC Coffee Mug — X: @benthompson TWINSCAN EXE:5000 Lego Set — ASML Store Get all episodes of Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
Summary(Preview) Google’s Willow Chip, Drones as a Platform and Anduril Follow-Up, Building Inside and Outside Silicon Valley
Dec 16, 202400:22:12Summary readyA high level read on Google's quantum computing announcement and Google's R&D efforts generally, a listener's question about drones as a platform, follow-up on last week's conversation about Anduril and the future of the U.S. defense industry, and questions on the near term concerns surrounding an AI Manhattan project, Clayton Christensen’s theory of integration and modularity as applied to Silicon Valley, and housing prices in the Bay Area. To email the show: email@sharptech.fm @SharpTechPodcast Channel — YouTube @Stratechery Channel — YouTube Meet Willow, our state-of-the-art quantum chip — Google The Anduril Lattice SDK, Understanding Lattice, Anduril + Palantir — Stratechery Update An Interview with Gregory Allen About the Updated China Chip Ban — Stratechery Interview The ZTE Ban, Tech’s Trade War Risk, China’s Delayed Approval and Apple’s Pain — Stratechery Update Chips and Geopolitics — Stratechery Chips and China — Stratechery Get all episodes of Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Stratechery Updates and Interviews, Greatest of All Talk and the Dithering Podcast as part of Stratechery Plus for $15/month or $150/year.
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