TBPN
Podcast

TBPN

by John Coogan & Jordi Hays

526 episodes

Technology's daily show (formerly the Technology Brothers Podcast). Streaming live on X and YouTube from 11 - 2 PM PST Monday - Friday. Available on X, Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.
Ask about TBPNAnswers are grounded in this source's posts from the last 30 days.

Recent Posts

526 posts
Trump-Xi Summit, Inflation Fears, Space Data Centers | Max Levchin, Delian Asparouhov, Richard Socher, Brandon Hill, Nate Tepper, Joubin Mirzadegan, Roman Chernin

Monitor NVIDIA (NVDA) closely for any trade breakthroughs following the high-stakes US-China summit, as a "truce" on export restrictions would serve as a major bullish catalyst. Investors should prepare for the SpaceX IPO in Summer 2026 by tracking the Starship V3 orbital test on May 19th and the development of their "StarCloud" orbital data centers. Affirm (AFRM) is a high-conviction growth play as it targets $100 billion in volume and leverages AI to maintain profitability regardless of Federal Reserve interest rate decisions. For high-growth AI infrastructure exposure, Nebius (NBIS) offers a specialized alternative to Big Tech clouds with its 841% year-over-year revenue growth and focus on GPU efficiency. Consider United Therapeutics (UTHR) as a unique healthcare play following its landmark deal with Varda Space to manufacture pharmaceuticals in microgravity.

Altman’s Testimony, AI SPV Drama, Ebay Rejects $GME Bid | Diet TBPN

Investors seeking exposure to OpenAI should prioritize Microsoft (MSFT) as the primary public proxy, as the tech giant remains the essential gatekeeper for the massive computing power required for frontier AI. Avoid purchasing private shares of Anthropic through secondary markets or social media brokers, as the company is actively voiding unauthorized transfers and creating significant legal risks for buyers. BuzzFeed (BZFD) presents a high-conviction contrarian play following Byron Allen’s $120 million investment for a majority stake at a 3X valuation premium. The failed $55 billion bid for eBay (EBAY) by GameStop (GME) signals aggressive but low-credibility capital allocation, suggesting caution for GME shareholders. To capitalize on the next wave of AI, focus on hardware and edge computing firms developing Neural Processing Units (NPUs) capable of supporting real-time, "full duplex" audio translation and wearables.

Condé Nast CEO Explains Why Human Journalism Wins in the AI Era

Investors should prioritize media companies with high-authority "power law" brands like Vogue or The New Yorker that maintain direct subscriber relationships, as these are resilient against Alphabet (GOOGL) search algorithm changes. Avoid "low-moat" digital media firms like BuzzFeed (BZFD) that rely on search and social media arbitrage, as organic traffic from these platforms is expected to trend toward zero. Look for growth in the "human premium" sector, where high-end journalism and human-curated content are becoming luxury hedges against the flood of AI-generated "slop." Spotify (SPOT) and the broader music industry remain attractive as they pivot toward high-margin live events and physical "authenticity" trends like vinyl, which has grown for 18 consecutive years. Focus on a "barbell" strategy: invest in massive, authoritative legacy brands or hyper-niche creators, while avoiding mid-sized companies caught in the "danger zone" of being too broad to survive.

Trial Update, AI SPVs, BuzzFeed Sold | Doomberg, Sahir Jaggi, Sam Blond, Kevin Hartz, Alex Shan, Glen Wise, Roger Lynch

Investors should look toward Bloom Energy (BE) as a primary play on the "off-grid" data center trend, utilizing fuel cells to bypass utility bottlenecks. The Natural Gas sector remains a high-conviction theme, as record-low spot prices in regions like the Permian Basin provide a massive cost advantage for U.S.-based AI training facilities. In the private markets, exercise extreme caution with Anthropic secondary shares, as the company is actively voiding unauthorized stock transfers and legal "workarounds." High-authority media brands like The New Yorker and Vogue are proving resilient against "AI slop," making them safer bets for subscription growth compared to struggling digital-native outlets like BuzzFeed. Monitor the OpenAI legal proceedings closely, as any ruling against Sam Altman could destabilize the company’s for-profit structure and its multi-billion dollar partnership with Microsoft (MSFT).

Swatch & AP Collab, Cerebras Boosts IPO Price, Trump to Visit China | Diet TBPN

Investors should prepare for the Cerebras Systems (CBRS) IPO in mid-May 2026, which is currently 20x oversubscribed with a raised price target of $150–$160 per share. While the target valuation is $26 billion, prediction markets suggest the stock could surge past $50 billion on day one due to high demand for AI inference hardware. A high-probability short-term arbitrage opportunity exists in the upcoming Audemars Piguet x Swatch "Royal Pop" watch; retailing at roughly $400, it is expected to flip for 5x to 12x its value on the secondary market. BYD (BYDDY) is a strong play in the luxury EV transition as it pivots to high-margin premium models like the Denza Z to compete with European brands. Finally, monitor the U.S.-China summit for any easing of GPU export restrictions, as positive news could serve as a major catalyst for the broader semiconductor and AI supply chain sectors.

Swatch AP Collab, Cerebras IPO, Trump Visits China | Ferdinand Dabitz, Spencer Rascoff, Eric Olson, Matt Lohstroh, Jay Azhang, Amir Sadeghian, Alexander Taubman, Quaid Walker

The upcoming Audemars Piguet x Swatch "Royal Pop" collaboration offers a high-conviction flip opportunity, with resale prices projected at 5x to 12x the $400 retail price; target secondary cities like Troy, MI, or Honolulu for better stock availability. Cerebras Systems (CRBRS) is a priority IPO play as it shifts the market focus from training to AI inference, with a projected day-one market cap exceeding $50 billion. For long-term growth, Match Group (MTCH) is a turnaround candidate leveraging AI to cut development times by 50% and dominate high-margin niche dating markets. Investors should look toward "picks and shovels" AI infrastructure like Giga Energy, which capitalizes on the massive shortage of powered data center shells and electrical hardware. Finally, consider the "Permanent Capital" strategy of acquiring low-margin service firms like Amex Global Business Travel to aggressively expand margins through proprietary AI productivity tools.

Apple-Intel Chip Deal, U.S Adds 115K Jobs, DeepSeek Eyes $50B Valuation | Diet TBPN

Intel (INTC) is a high-conviction turnaround play as it secures a 10% U.S. government stake and multi-billion dollar partnerships with Apple and NVIDIA to build domestic chip infrastructure. Investors should monitor the formalization of the Apple "dual-sourcing" deal, which would break the TSMC monopoly and provide a massive long-term revenue floor for Intel. Within the broader tech sector, look for a recovery in software-as-a-service (SaaS) through companies like Datadog and Atlassian, which are showing fresh revenue acceleration. In the consumer sector, prioritize "experience" stocks like Six Flags (FUN) over big-ticket appliance makers like Whirlpool (WHR), as families are currently favoring travel and entertainment over home renovations. Maintain a "barbell" portfolio strategy by balancing high-growth AI Big Ten stocks with physical, non-digital assets to hedge against historic market concentration.

Airbnb CEO on Why AI Will Create a New Era of Consumer Products

Investors should consider Airbnb (ABNB) as it shifts toward a high-margin "Amazon for services" model, fueled by an 18% revenue acceleration and massive internal AI efficiencies. The company is aggressively capturing market share from traditional Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) by positioning itself as a lower-commission platform for boutique and independent hotels. Look for ABNB to outperform peers as it replaces traditional search-based booking with autonomous AI agents and immersive visual interfaces. Beyond travel, the broader investment opportunity lies in Consumer AI startups that prioritize rich user interfaces over simple text chatbots, a sector currently less crowded than enterprise AI. Monitor the decline of traditional Google search dominance in travel discovery as high-intent traffic shifts toward these specialized AI-native platforms.

Intel & Apple, The American Economic Rollercoaster | Brian Chesky, Josh Reeves, Jonathan Neman, Zal Bilimoria

Intel (INTC) is a high-conviction turnaround play as it secures Apple, NVIDIA, and the U.S. Government as foundational customers for its new domestic foundry model. Investors in Apple (AAPL) should view this partnership as a critical de-risking move that stabilizes the iPhone supply chain against geopolitical tensions in Taiwan. Airbnb (ABNB) remains a top pick for AI-driven margin expansion, as the company successfully uses automation to cut service costs while aggressively expanding into the $1 trillion hotel market. Sweetgreen (SG) offers a long-term growth opportunity in the "physical world" sector, using robotic Infinite Kitchens to scale toward a 5,000-store target with reduced labor overhead. For a diversified "barbell" strategy, balance high-growth AI infrastructure like Oracle (ORCL) with "anti-slop" physical experiences such as live sports or theme parks that cannot be replicated by digital algorithms.

Sam vs Elon Trial, Coinbase Cuts 14% in AI Pivot, Digesting Meta Earnings | Diet TBPN

Investors should consider Meta Platforms (META) as a high-conviction "buy the dip" opportunity following its recent 10% pullback, as the company leverages its $125B+ AI CapEx to dominate the digital advertising market. Monitor Coinbase (COIN) closely as it implements a "lean" AI-driven workforce reduction; if productivity holds, the stock is positioned for significant margin expansion during the next crypto bull cycle. NVIDIA (NVDA) remains a core ecosystem play, not just for its chips, but for its strategic investments in sector leaders like ElevenLabs and the emerging hardware market for localized Blackwell chip infrastructure. Be wary of regulatory capture in the AI sector, as Google (GOOGL) and Microsoft (MSFT) move toward a "pre-release" approval model that favors large incumbents over smaller startups. For private market exposure, watch for secondary liquidity in OpenAI as legal battles between Elon Musk and leadership create potential volatility around its $30 billion internal valuation stakes.

FULL INTERVIEW: GameStop’s Ryan Cohen on Why He’s Buying eBay

Investors should monitor eBay (EBAY) closely following a $125 per share acquisition offer from Ryan Cohen, representing a significant premium over recent trading prices. The proposed deal aims to transform EBAY by cutting $2 billion in costs and utilizing GameStop (GME) physical locations as "live authentication" centers for high-value collectibles and luxury goods. This pivot positions GME as a critical infrastructure partner, shifting its thesis from a traditional retailer to a logistics and verification hub for high-end secondary markets. Beyond the acquisition, the strategy focuses on capturing the Live Commerce trend and using AI to simplify the selling process for EBAY's 130 million users. If the board rejects the offer, expect potential volatility as Cohen may shift toward an aggressive activist campaign to force operational changes.

$GME CEO Ryan Cohen, OpenAI vs Elon Musk Continues, U.S. Gets Early Access to AI Models | Harley Finkelstein, Scott Strazik, Brian Elliott, Stephen Balaban & Michel Combes

Investors should monitor eBay (EBAY) for a potential $125 per share acquisition by GameStop (GME), a deal aimed at dominating the collectibles market through physical authentication centers and $2 billion in cost cuts. GE Vernova (GEV) is a high-conviction play on the AI infrastructure "bottleneck," with 20% of its backlog tied to data center power demand and upcoming NRC approval for its small modular nuclear reactors. While Meta (META) faces scrutiny over its $125B+ capital expenditure, its core advertising business remains robust with 33% year-over-year growth driven by AI-enhanced targeting. Coinbase (COIN) is transitioning to a hyper-lean "Pod of One" operational structure to boost margins, though the stock remains highly sensitive to broader crypto market cycles. For exposure to the "Energy-AI" nexus, focus on infrastructure providers like GEV and Lambda, which are scaling to meet the massive power and compute requirements of the next decade.

FULL INTERVIEW: Anjney Midha on Fixing AI’s Biggest Bottleneck

Investors should monitor eBay (EBAY) as a contrarian value play, focusing on potential cost-cutting of its inefficient $2.4 billion marketing budget to immediately boost cash flow. A strategic merger with GameStop (GME) could create a dominant "physical verification" moat for high-value collectibles, utilizing GME’s 1,600 retail locations to eliminate fraud in the used goods market. GameStop (GME) remains a unique asset play, currently valued primarily for its $9 billion cash pile, which management may use as currency for large-scale acquisitions. In the AI sector, prioritize "picks and shovels" infrastructure by investing in companies with secured access to NVIDIA H100/B200 chips, as compute remains the primary bottleneck for development. Look toward the "hard sciences" frontier by backing firms like Periodic Labs that use AI and robotics to accelerate the discovery of new materials and superconductors.

Fatter AI Models, Neural Computers, GameStop’s $55B eBay Offer | Diet TBPN

Investors should prioritize the "Fat Model" thesis by focusing on core AI providers like Google (GOOGL) and Meta (META), as value is shifting away from "thin" app wrappers toward the base model layer. Avoid high-risk exposure to GameStop (GME) following its $55 billion bid for eBay (EBAY), as analysts identify a massive $16 billion funding gap and significant execution risk. While EBAY remains a durable business with 20% margins, the proposed $125 acquisition price is highly speculative and dependent on GME stock stability. Look for opportunities in legacy enterprise software like SAP, which are building "data moats" by walling off proprietary information from unauthorized AI scraping. Conversely, maintain a bearish outlook on AMC Entertainment (AMC) as data reveals 10% of screenings sell zero tickets, highlighting deep operational inefficiencies.

GameStop + eBay, Neural Computers | Nat Eliason, Michael York, Maddie Hall, Anjney Midha, Ben Lamm, Jake Stauch, Garth Sheldon-Coulson, Katie Haun, Nick Abouzeid

Investors should watch eBay (EBAY) closely as it is currently the target of a hostile takeover bid by GameStop (GME) at a proposed $125 per share, representing a significant 46% premium. While analysts express skepticism regarding GME's ability to bridge a $20 billion funding gap, a successful merger would leverage GME's 1,600 stores as physical verification hubs for high-value collectibles to combat AI-driven fraud. In the private sector, Anthropic remains a high-conviction play in the AI "protocol layer," outperforming larger labs in talent efficiency and model capabilities like Claude. For those looking to play the AI infrastructure boom, Living Carbon offers a unique opportunity by selling carbon credits to Microsoft and Google to offset the massive emissions from their data centers. Finally, keep an eye on AMP PBC, which is positioning itself as an independent system operator for the global "compute grid" to meet the near-infinite demand for AI processing power.

AI Profits Surge, $70B Capes Surge Raises Investor Concerns, Automated Skin Exams | Diet TBPN

Investors should prioritize Alphabet (GOOGL) as a "full stack" AI leader, given its massive 63% cloud growth and a resilient search business trading at a reasonable 17x PE ratio. Amazon (AMZN) remains a high-conviction play as AWS revenue re-accelerates and its internal chip business, Trainium, reaches a significant $20 billion run rate. While Meta (META) faces short-term pressure from increased capital expenditures, its core advertising business remains dominant, offering a potential long-term entry point at a 16x PE valuation. For enterprise exposure, Microsoft (MSFT) offers steady growth through Azure, with a massive opportunity to convert its remaining 430 million office users to paid AI Copilot seats. Across the sector, current valuations for these tech giants remain significantly lower than the 2000 Dot-com bubble, suggesting continued room for growth in AI infrastructure and NVIDIA.

Inside the OpenAI vs. Elon Musk Courtroom

Investors should monitor Tesla (TSLA) closely as its valuation increasingly shifts from vehicle deliveries to the success of its Optimus robotics and AI pivot. Be cautious of "key person risk" and potential distractions for Elon Musk as he balances the OpenAI trial, xAI, and Tesla's operations simultaneously. Watch for Meta Platforms (META) to face growing regulatory and social friction regarding its Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which could slow the mass adoption of wearable AI hardware. Monitor the OpenAI legal outcome, as a ruling against their "capped-profit" model could lower the competitive moat for open-source competitors and xAI. Prepare for potential sector-wide volatility as "AI safety" narratives in federal court may trigger stricter government regulations and a correction in how AI labs are governed.

Tech Earnings Recap, Beautiful Data Centers | Mike Isaac, Kyle Harrison, David Marcus, Turner Caldwell, Everette Taylor, Puneet Mehta & Justin Wexler, Alexander Embiricos

Investors should prioritize Alphabet (GOOGL) as a top-tier AI play, as its 63% Cloud growth and $460 billion backlog prove it is capturing significant market share while maintaining its core search dominance. Amazon (AMZN) remains a high-conviction infrastructure leader, with AWS re-accelerating to 28% growth and its internal chip business reaching a $20 billion run rate to boost future margins. For enterprise exposure, Microsoft (MSFT) offers a massive upsell opportunity by converting its 430 million Office users to paid Copilot subscriptions through 2032. Meta (META) represents a high-reward value play at a low 16x P/E ratio, though investors must be comfortable with aggressive capital spending on AI research without a direct cloud revenue stream. Beyond software, Copper serves as a critical secondary AI investment due to the massive physical infrastructure and power grid requirements of new data centers.

🟣 The Collison Brothers LIVE on TBPN | John Collison, Patrick Collison, Henri Stern, Jeff Weinstein, & Zach Abrams

Investors should prioritize companies transitioning to usage-based billing models, as AI agents shift the economy from seat-based SaaS to metered token consumption. Look for exposure to Stripe in secondary markets or through its partners like Google, Microsoft, and Meta, as it positions itself as the primary financial operating system for autonomous AI commerce. Stablecoins like USDC and PYUSD are the highest-conviction "rails" for the future, offering immediate utility for global B2B payouts and real-time streaming micropayments. Focus on infrastructure plays like Cloudflare and Vercel, which are becoming the essential physical-world services that AI agents provision and pay for autonomously. Finally, allocate toward AI-driven security and defensive auditing tools to combat the rising "token pilfering" and fraud currently affecting one in six new AI-related accounts.

Tech Earnings Quadkill, Red Button vs Blue Button | Diet TBPN

Focus on Microsoft (MSFT) as the primary indicator for AI adoption, specifically watching for Azure growth in the high 30% range and continued expansion of its $625 billion in remaining performance obligations.

Accumulate Meta (META) to capitalize on immediate AI-driven ad efficiency, as the company’s ability to instantly A-B test models translates into faster profit growth compared to enterprise software.

Monitor Amazon (AMZN) for an acceleration in AWS growth toward the 30% level, which would justify its massive $200 billion infrastructure spend and validate its "sneakily huge" 23% growth in advertising.

Consider a tactical position in Intel (INTC) as the market pivots toward addressing a global CPU shortage, signaling a sentiment shift that recognizes its essential role in the broader AI supply chain.

Exercise caution with Google (GOOGL) by verifying if AI-generated search overviews are maintaining profit margins or cannibalizing traditional high-margin search ad revenue.