Podcast Summary: The Best One Yet — “The Hire Hack” (Jan 13, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this episode, hosts Jack Crivici-Kramer and Nick Martell break down three top business stories: Apple's major shift in AI strategy by partnering with Google, the skyrocketing importance of storytelling in hiring, and the political controversy swirling around Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Light-hearted banter and fresh takes make this 20-minute news roundup an engaging listen for business-minded Yetis.

1. Apple Surrenders the AI War: Siri’s Google Girlfriend

Timestamps: 05:09–09:32

Key Points

• Apple’s Big Move: Apple officially drops OpenAI’s ChatGPT as the brains behind Siri, announcing that Google’s Gemini AI will take over later this year.
• Why it’s Huge:
  • Google wins “tech’s golden ticket” by becoming the default AI across iPhones.
  • Alphabet (Google’s parent company) surpasses Apple in market value, hitting a $4 trillion market cap for the first time (07:15).
• Industry Context:
  • The long-anticipated “Apple Intelligence” vision never materialized: “We’re on iPhone 17 and it’s still not yet,” says Jack (05:49).
  • Gemini now powers both Apple and Samsung devices, capturing 70% of U.S. smartphone market (09:12).
• Strategic Takeaways:
  • Antitrust scrutiny has faded, enabling Google to solidify multiple business “moats”: email (Gmail), search, and now AI assistants.
  • OpenAI’s losing streak: “OpenAI used to be so hot, but now it’s like, hey, Siri, turn off ChatGPT. Turn on Gemini instead.” — Jack (07:39).

Notable Quotes

• “Google just became the default diva again.” — Nick (09:19)
• “Google’s got enough moats to make Cinderella jealous.” — Nick (09:26)
• “Yetis, Gmail controls 75% of the US email market. Google search is even more powerful with 90%…” — Jack (08:17)

2. The Hire Hack: Corporate Storytellers’ Job Pop

Timestamps: 09:32–13:23

Key Points

• Job Market Insight: January is peak season for job seekers (“Job Jump January”).
• #1 Skill in Demand: Storytelling—far from an AI-driven technical skill—is corporate America’s hottest ticket.
• Why Storytelling?
  • LinkedIn job postings mentioning "storytelling" doubled last year; over 70,000 openings now require it (11:01).
  • CEOs said “storyteller” 469 times on earnings calls last year, 3x more than a decade ago (11:08).
  • Major companies are re-branding traditional marketing, PR, and communications roles as “storytelling” positions.
  • Vanta, a tech firm, offers up to $274,000 for a head of storytelling (11:40).
• Context: Decline of traditional journalism has forced brands to become their own storytellers on digital platforms and social media (12:23).
• AI Contrast: In a world of “increasingly fake AI slop, real content stands out” (12:50). Human-created stories resonate more now that so much content feels automated.

Notable Quotes

• “Storytellers like ancient Greek philosophers would have crushed the Super Day at Goldman Sachs this year.” — Nick (10:48)
• “If Jane Austen were alive today, she would be the COO of Kellogg’s.” — Nick (11:59)
• “As Plato once said, those who tell the stories rule society.” — Jack (12:13)
• Duolingo’s CEO (paraphrased): “The pendulum of power is swinging right now from engineers to art.” (13:05)

3. Don’t Fight the Fed: Powell v. Trump

Timestamps: 14:45–19:00

Key Points

• Bombshell News: Jerome “Jerry” Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve, announces he’s under criminal investigation by the Trump administration (14:45).
  • Powell says the investigation is a pretext—officially about cost overruns in Fed building renovations, but really due to his refusal to cut interest rates as fast as Trump wanted.
• Backdrop:
  • The Federal Reserve’s independence was created (in 1914) specifically to keep economic decisions above partisan politics.
  • Powell’s term ends in four months, raising questions about the timing of the investigation.
• Risks Highlighted:
  • Politicizing central banks can erode market confidence. All former Federal Reserve chairs and multiple Treasury secretaries (from both parties) defend Powell and Fed independence (18:22).
  • CEO of Bank of America warns: “Markets will punish us if we don’t have an independent Fed like Jerome Powell.” (18:49)
• Possible Futures:
  • Even if Trump appoints a loyalist as the next Fed Chair, that person is only 1 of 12 on the rate-setting committee—unless political pressure spreads to the whole Board, threatening vital independence.

Notable Quotes

• “The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president.” — Jerome Powell, via press release (16:27)
• “Only weak economies with weak democracies have politicized central banks.” — Jack (18:32)
• “We want an independent Fed, not a political one.” — Nick (19:00)

4. Bonus: Peak Pizza & Other Fast Facts

Timestamps: 01:28–03:08 / 19:47–21:50

Highlights

• America has passed “peak pizza”—pizza is declining as a restaurant type, overtaken in delivery convenience by all kinds of restaurants via apps. Several chains, including Pieology and Bertucci’s, filed for bankruptcy last year.
  • “The honeymoon’s over. We are past our pizza pizz.” — Jack (02:02)
  • “This is the great pizza, the pie-pocalypse.” — Nick (02:55)
• Jersey Mike’s and the NBA are both heading to Europe, but hosts are skeptical that Italians will want American-style subs (20:33).
• Best fact yet: Venezuela’s name likely comes from “Veneziola,” after Italian explorer Americo Vespucci thought the region resembled Venice, Italy (21:46).

5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Google’s Moats: “Google, they got enough moats to make Cinderella jealous.” — Nick (09:26)
• On Storytelling Jobs: “If Jane Austen were alive today, she would be the COO of Kellogg’s.” — Nick (11:59)
• On Fed Independence: “Only weak economies with weak democracies have politicized central banks.” — Jack (18:32)

Final Takeaways (19:09)

• Apple is switching to Google Gemini for Siri’s AI, marking a sea change in the tech AI wars.
• Storytelling is the most sought-after skill for job seekers in 2026—brands need authentic voices in an era of AI-generated content.
• The independence of the Federal Reserve is under threat, sparking cross-partisan defense of its autonomy and importance to a stable economy.

If you missed this one, you now have all the critical angles—plus ammo for your morning oatmeal small talk.