Synopsis
Silicon Valleys most revered journalist hosts candid interviews with tech execs, politicians, celebrities and more about their big ideas and how theyre changing our world. Tune in every week for enlightening conversations with people like Tesla CEO Elon Musk, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and many more. Produced by Recode and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Episodes
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Recode Decode: Why nonprofits should think more like tech companies
14/11/2018 Duration: 43minStanford lecturer Kathleen Kelly Janus talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her book, "Social Startup Success: How the Best Nonprofits Launch, Scale Up and Make a Difference." In this episode: (01:17) Janus's background and what social entrepreneurship is; (05:26) What works and what doesn't; (08:36) For-profits and nonprofits; (13:11) What nonprofits have to do to get ahead; (18:40) New forms of fundraising and leadership; (22:35) The power of storytelling; (29:13) Where philanthropy is going; (35:07) Examples of innovative philanthropy; (39:16) Explosions of fundraising online Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Recode Decode: Sally Yates
12/11/2018 Duration: 57minFormer Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in front of a live audience at the AllRaise Summit in San Francisco. (Note: This interview was recorded before the midterms, on Nov. 1). In this episode: (03:15) What Yates has been doing since she was fired; (05:04) Why she came to the Justice Department in the first place; (09:04) Serving as Deputy Attorney General; (10:33) "The Mike Flynn stuff"; (15:52) The travel ban and being fired; (20:00) Why she stood up to the travel ban; (22:23) How she assesses the Justice Department from the outside; (27:59) Where will the Mueller investigation end?; (31:28) Why Yates isn't running for office; (34:27) #MeToo and women in power; (38:14) What inspires Yates; (41:54) Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation; (44:24) What regular people can do to support the rule of law; (46:38) How to beat Donald Trump in 2020; (49:25) Legal issues in tech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Recode Decode: RevUp CEO Steve Spinner
10/11/2018 Duration: 54minFormer Democratic fundraiser Steve Spinner talks with Recode's Teddy Schleifer about his online fundraising startup, RevUp. In this episode: (01:17) Spinner's background; (04:04) How he got into campaign finance; (08:29) How fundraising worked in the past and how it works now; (18:30) Why Spinner launched RevUp; (21:16) What is RevUp?; (30:20) Its new $7.5 million in funding; (36:38) Spinner's remaining ties to the Democratic party; (39:55) How fundraising has changed over time; (46:32) In the Trump era, does fundraising even matter? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Recode Decode: The ‘bad ideas’ that broke American capitalism
07/11/2018 Duration: 01h14minWashington Post economics columnist Steven Pearlstein talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "Can American Capitalism Survive?: Why Greed Is Not Good, Opportunity Is Not Equal, and Fairness Won’t Make Us Poor." In this episode: (01:57) Why Pearlstein wrote the book; (7:02) "We're not doing as well as we think we are."; (8:46) Is tech different from the rest of the economy?; (12:26) CEO salaries; (17:11) The "natural monopolies" of tech and how to break up Amazon; (23:07) Income inequality and the myth of "equal opportunity"; (28:27) Universal Basic Income and the middle class; (34:10) Why unions broke and how to reintroduce them; (38:38) Government is not the solution; (42:19) Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, the corporate debt bubble and bitcoin; (46:37) The 2008 bank bailout, the estate tax, and California's tax system; (50:30) Immigration, socialism and the cost of college; (57:46) The environmental impact of economic growth, the rising deficit and Saudi money; (1:03:54) The power of shaming
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Recode Decode: Why the New York Times won’t sell itself to a billionaire
05/11/2018 Duration: 42minA.G. Sulzberger, the publisher of the New York Times, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in front of a live audience at a Columbia University event in New York City. In this episode: (03:05) 10 months in, how is Sulzberger doing?; (06:10) Meeting with Donald Trump and anti-media rhetoric; (12:08) Letting reporters' "voice" into the news; (19:24) Facebook and Google, the new "information monopolies"; (25:06) Can the NYT ever grow to their level?; (30:24) "The New York Times is not for sale." (35:16) The infamous 2016 "needle" and the future of the paper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Recode Decode: Elon Musk
02/11/2018 Duration: 01h20minTesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about Tesla's turbulent 2018, when SpaceX will send its first rocket to Mars, why he fights with journalists on Twitter and much more. In this episode: (01:49) Using Twitter without a filter; (04:50) Picking fights with the press; (07:59) The “excruciating” year of 2018; (10:54) Why does Musk push himself so hard?; (13:49) The toll on him and Tesla’s employees; (16:52) Self-inflicted wounds and sleep deprivation; (21:44) Tesla’s first profitable quarter in two years; (23:35) Self-driving cars; (25:38) Government regulation; (29:13) Tesla’s competitors; (33:30) Why Tesla is not going private after all; (36:31) The Tesla Semi, pickup truck and other new products; (45:10) SpaceX and dying on Mars; (49:48) Donald Trump’s Space Force and colonizing beyond Earth; (51:49) Going to Mars; (55:06) Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin and Amazon; (57:03) The Boring Company, dad jokes and drilling technology; (1:05:55) Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi investors and techlash; (1:11
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Recode Decode: 'Good and Mad' author Rebecca Traister
31/10/2018 Duration: 01h03minNew York Magazine writer Rebecca Traister talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger." In this episode: (01:37) Traister's background; (07:34) Her goal when she became a feminist journalist; (11:54) The state of women's anger post-2016; (17:26) Why is anger having a moment now?; (20:20) "I had no idea how common this was!"; (26:36) Rosa Parks, Abigail Adams and other angry women; (31:18) Anger, power and violence in the 2010s; (36:19) One year after #MeToo, will people keep going?; (42:14) Women who are angry in defense of the patriarchy; (46:36) "I don't see any of this ending in our lifetimes."; (49:45) What has to change right now?; (54:38) "I have to be hopeful" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Recode Decode: 'The Fixer' author Bradley Tusk
29/10/2018 Duration: 57minTusk Ventures CEO Bradley Tusk returns to Recode Decode to talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "The Fixer: My Adventures Saving Startups from Death by Politics." In this episode: (01:40) How Tusk Ventures works; (06:01) Writing "The Fixer"; (08:12) Have tech people gotten smarter about politics?; (13:40) The most important takeaway from the book; (19:49) Local politics and Bird; (25:05) Lemonde and FanDuel; (29:42) Eaze and recreational marijuana legalization; (32:57) Integrating tech into cities; (39:43) Predictions for the midterms and California's independence; (42:27) Techlash against Facebook and Google; (48:01) Amazon and antitrust; (49:53) Mobile voting on blockchain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Recode Decode: Hillary Clinton
27/10/2018 Duration: 01h18minFormer U.S. Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in front of a live audience at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. In this episode: (3:56) The pipe bombs mailed to prominent Democrats; (10:42) The 2018 midterms and not fearing the future; (13:26) What will happen if the Democrats lose again?; (17:28) Russian meddling and “what happened” in 2016; (23:56) The culpability of social media companies; (28:13) What Facebook and the Obama administration knew during the election; (32:49) If the Democrats win, should they impeach Trump?; (35:11) Will Clinton run again in 2020?; (38:36) Elizabeth Warren, Michael Bloomberg, Kamala Harris and Oprah; (43:15) Why people tell women to stop talking; (48:43) Monica Lewinsky and abuses of power; (52:20) The #MeToo movement and Christine Blasey-Ford; (56:55) The murder of Jamal Khashoggi and Donald Trump’s admiration of dictators; (1:02:28) What women want men to know; (1:05:50) Democrats, “political correctness” an
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Recode Decode: 'Positive Populism' author Steve Hilton
24/10/2018 Duration: 01h02minFormer Crowdpac CEO Steve Hilton talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his latest book, "Positive Populism," and his Fox News show, "The Next Revolution." In this episode: (01:57) Hilton's background and why he left Crowdpac; (09:45) Starting "The Next Revolution"; (15:04) Defining positive populism; (21:34) The history of populism; (25:50) Why Trump's populism is barely in the book; (28:38) Policies for workers; (35:46) Policies for families; (41:20) Policies for communities; (46:00) Tech regulation, monopolies and tech addiction; (54:29) What will happen to Trump populism in the future? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Recode Decode: 'Will & Grace' co-star Sean Hayes
22/10/2018 Duration: 01h12minActor and producer Sean Hayes talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in this live interview recorded at the Boomtown Brewery in Los Angeles. In this episode: (02:38) Hayes' background in music and dinner theater; (10:22) Moving to Los Angeles and doing commercials; (13:04) Acting on "Will & Grace"; (17:24) Ending the show and becoming a producer; (25:15) How the internet has changed producing; (33:05) The return of "Will & Grace"; (40:47) What will happen to the characters on "Will & Grace?"; (42:43) How the show has become more political; (44:02) Using social media for work and fun; (49:00) Being married, "Halloween" and documentaries; (54:16) Investing in technology and the impact of internet companies; (56:56) Barriers faced by gay people and the midterms; (1:02:32) Changing revenue models; (1:05:00) How Hayes decides what to produce and being "just Jack"; (1:07:32) Where he'll be in 10 years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Recode Decode: 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki
20/10/2018 Duration: 46min23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki talks with Recode's Kara Swisher in this live interview recorded at the Rock Health Summit in San Francisco. In this episode: (01:30) Elizabeth Warren's heritage and disputed science; (08:10) 23andMe's business and the FDA under Trump; (12:09) The impact of Theranos' implosion; (14:24) The challenges of the consumer market and health analysis; (18:40) Privacy, consent and safety; (24:57) Techlash and being "lumped in"; (29:59) Anti-aging technology; (32:23) Partnering with GSK, solving cold cases and ethics; (37:40) Insurance companies and what Wojcicki wished she knew at the start; (39:20) Diversity and going public Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Recode Decode: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
17/10/2018 Duration: 51minEric Garcetti, the twice-elected mayor of Los Angeles, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about politics in the city and California — and why he's thinking about running for President in 2020. In this episode: (01:35) Garcetti's background; (05:09) Why he ran for mayor; (07:10) The challenges faced by cities like Los Angeles; (09:21) Homelessness, housing and transportation; (13:47) Jobs, education and cities as the “laboratories of democracy”; (16:05) What Garcetti has done wrong; (19:02) California's privacy bill and its cultural identity; (24:19) Is California competing with China for the future of tech?; (26:23) The Boring Company, Uber Elevate and manufacturing jobs; (29:36) Techlash and "interpreters" between tech and government; (34:23) "Thinking hard" about running for president; (37:49) Why Garcetti would run; (40:12) "No sane person would run for president"; (42:50) How do you defeat Trump?; (45:40) The crisis in the Democratic Party and midterms predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod
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Recode Decode: AnchorFree CEO David Gorodyansky
15/10/2018 Duration: 47minAnchorFree CEO David Gorodyansky talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the company's VPN app Hotspot Shield has led it to enter several other internet security concerns. In this episode: (01:52) What AnchorFree does and how it got started; (06:19) How the security industry has changed over time; (08:24) AnchorFree’s $300 million funding round and how it makes money; (16:09) What people shouldn’t be worried about online and what they should; (26:55) The problem with the internet of things; (31:08) The bigger picture of privacy and legislation (40:19) Where things are going next and what people should do Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Recode Decode: 2U CEO Chip Paucek
13/10/2018 Duration: 48min2U CEO Chip Paucek talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the future of online college education. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Pivot: Google's data breach, Facebook Portal and Taylor Swift
12/10/2018 Duration: 35minIf you like Recode Decode, we think you'll also like our newest podcast, Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway. Here's the latest episode. If you like it, please search for and subscribe to Pivot on your podcasting app of choice. Kara and Scott discuss why the Google Plus hack matters, the new Facebook Portal and its plastic lenscap, and Kara's affection for Taylor Swift (even before Swift's Instagram post exhorting her fans to register to vote). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Recode Decode: Former Cisco CEO John Chambers
10/10/2018 Duration: 01h01minJohn Chambers, the former chairman and CEO of Cisco, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the future of startups and his book, "Connecting the Dots: Leadership Lessons in a Startup World." In this episode: (01:43) Chambers's 26 years at Cisco and 180 acquisitions; (05:28) Cisco's new leadership and his transition out; (07:57) "We think we’re the leader of innovation in America, we no longer are"; (17:58) The Republican party and uniting the country; (20:40) What the government can do to help startups; (26:18) Damage caused by tech; (28:48) China and India; (33:34) Why Chambers wrote the book; (39:25) Key leadership lessons: Vision, strategy and culture; (44:16) Creating jobs and common problems; (51:01) Entrepreneurship around the U.S. and internationally; (52:57) Immigration and diversity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Recode Decode: 'Sorry to Bother You' director Boots Riley
08/10/2018 Duration: 01h14minBoots Riley, the writer and director of the satirical dark comedy film "Sorry to Bother You," talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and Shirin Ghaffary. In this episode: (01:55) Riley's background as a musician with The Coup; (06:35) When he started thinking about making movies; (09:35) Where did the idea for WorryFree come from?; (18:23) Hustling to get the movie made; (27:17) Getting theatrical distribution; (32:10) "Tourism" into black culture; (38:02) Why capitalists in tech like the movie; (43:02) The politicization of tech workers; (48:47) The positive and negative reactions to "Sorry to Bother You"; (56:15) Is social media different than traditional media for controversial opinions?; (1:01:56) Consuming vs. creating; (1:04:07) Riley's next project and TV vs. movies; (1:07:04) How culture is reacting to the political moment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Recode Decode: Rep. Ro Khanna
06/10/2018 Duration: 55minCongressman Ro Khanna returns to Recode Decode to talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about his proposal for an "internet bill of rights," which Kara discussed in her latest column for the New York Times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Recode Decode: 'Winners Take All' author Anand Giridharadas
03/10/2018 Duration: 56minAuthor and journalist Anand Giridharadas talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his latest book, "Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World." In this episode: (02:07) Giridharadas' background; (03:38) His two previous books, "India Calling" and "The True American"; (11:56) How much of America lost the American dream; (19:58) The rhetoric of changing the world and "folk memory"; (27:29) How elites help, "only on their terms"; (31:28) There's not a tech solution to everything; (39:11) The difference between an engine and a crime scene; (45:38) Jeff Bezos's philanthropy and better ways of giving; (53:06) "Allow me to make the most enthusiastic endorsement of Donald Trump that I can make." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices