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
AI-Birds, Snap's Next Chapter, Amazon + Globalstar | Kiva Dickinson, Aron D'Souza, Michael Mignano, Wade Foster, Ankur Nagpal, Bailey Pumfleet, Han Wang

Amazon (AMZN) is aggressively challenging Starlink by acquiring Globalstar (GSAT) for $11 billion, securing critical spectrum rights and positioning itself as the primary satellite service provider for Apple devices. Investors should monitor AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) as a potential casualty of this deal, as Amazon’s massive capital entry creates significant competitive pressure for smaller satellite players. Uber (UBER) is transitioning from an asset-light model to a heavy-asset strategy, committing $10 billion to purchase autonomous vehicles from Rivian (RIVN) and Baidu to defend its market share against Waymo. Snap Inc. (SNAP) is a high-conviction play for efficiency-focused investors following a 16% workforce reduction aimed at achieving true net profitability through AI-driven cost-cutting. Avoid the speculative surge in Allbirds (BIRD) as it pivots to New Bird AI, as its $50 million funding goal is widely considered insufficient to compete in the capital-intensive GPU infrastructure market.

Artemis II Makes History, Nutella in Space, The US-China AI Race | Diet TBPN

The successful Artemis II mission signals a major shift toward the "Space Industrial Base," making private contractors like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Axiom Space the primary value captures for lunar infrastructure. Investors should monitor SpaceX IPO developments closely, as upcoming Starship refueling milestones in 2025-2026 will be the critical catalysts for its multi-billion dollar valuation. Apple (AAPL) remains a high-conviction play for hardware durability, as the organic use of iPhones in extreme space environments reinforces its premium market position and professional-grade camera dominance. In the AI sector, focus on companies successfully embedding "Industrial AI" into business processes, as the race between the US and China shifts from raw model power to effective deployment in sectors like mining and logistics. Keep a watch on Ferrero (Nutella) and other consumer brands that benefit from "earned media" in space, as a potential move toward a NASCAR-style sponsorship model could unlock massive advertising revenue for private space missions.

Artemis II Recap, Work vs Leisure, AI Backlash | Krste Asanović, Peter Diamandis, Balachandar Ramamurthy

Investors should prioritize the energy sector, specifically Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and fusion, as power availability has become the primary bottleneck for AI growth. For immediate exposure to the "CPU crunch" in data centers, monitor SiFive (private) as they challenge traditional chipmakers by licensing high-performance RISC-V architecture to hyperscalers. Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Eli Lilly (LLY) remain high-conviction plays in the longevity space, with the market now shifting toward next-generation GLP-1 drugs that preserve muscle mass. In the private markets, Critical Loop offers a unique opportunity to play the industrial power shortage by providing modular, battery-based grid bypass solutions. Finally, keep a close watch on SpaceX (private) for potential IPO milestones as they aim for uncrewed Starship landings and lunar infrastructure development by 2028.

Chad Janis: How I Sold Grüns to Unilever for $1.2B

Investors should consider Unilever (UL) as a long-term play in the health sector following its $1.2 billion acquisition of Grüns, leveraging a proven track record of scaling wellness brands like Liquid IV into billion-dollar assets. The "Gummy V3" trend is a high-conviction theme; look for companies moving beyond basic vitamins into complex, clinical-grade nutritional blends that replace traditional powders. Meta Platforms (META) remains the essential growth engine for consumer brands, making it a core holding for those betting on the continued dominance of digital customer acquisition. For operational efficiency, prioritize companies integrating AI tools like Claude (Anthropic) to automate back-office tasks, as seen by Grüns achieving $50M in revenue with a skeleton crew. The most successful consumer investments will follow an "Omnichannel" strategy, transitioning from Direct-to-Consumer pilots into mass-market retail giants like Target and Walmart.

SpaceX Financials, Does AI Increase Unemployment or Leisure, Chimp Civil War | Diet TBPN

Prepare for a potential SpaceX IPO as early as June, which offers exposure to a dominant, profitable satellite business that is aggressively pivoting into space-based AI infrastructure. Investors seeking alternatives to SpaceX should monitor emerging competitors Rocket Lab (RKLB) and Firefly Aerospace, which are gaining traction in the high-demand orbital launch market. Tesla (TSLA) remains a high-conviction play on industrial AI as the Tesla Semi finally moves into tangible production, signaling a shift from prototype to revenue-generating asset. For luxury exposure, Ferrari (RACE) offers a unique "scarcity moat" similar to Hermès, though investors must watch for overproduction risks that could devalue the brand's exclusivity. To capitalize on the broader AI hardware boom, focus on high-barrier infrastructure plays like ASML, which provides the essential lithography equipment required for next-generation chip manufacturing.

SpaceX Financials, Chimpanzee Civil War, Ferrari's Brand Legend | Josh Reeves, Prof. Alex Young, Jason Kim, Chad Janis, Jordan Bramble, Andy Dunn

Prepare for the SpaceX IPO in June 2026, which offers a high-conviction play on a "Space + AI" conglomerate fueled by profitable Starlink margins and ambitious orbital data centers. Maintain a BUY rating on Ferrari (RACE), but prioritize internal combustion engine (ICE) and "Special" limited edition models over hybrids to capture superior residual value. Monitor Nvidia (NVDA) and its partner CoreWeave as primary proxies for the AI infrastructure "arms race," evidenced by their massive $22.4 billion contract expansion with OpenAI. Consider long-term exposure to the "Lunar Economy" through Firefly Aerospace or its partner Northrop Grumman (NOC) as moon missions transition from government research to commercial data and imaging services. Look for investment opportunities in the Nuclear Energy sector, specifically companies developing "micro-reactors" to power the surging energy demands of AI data centers and defense.

Andy Jassy’s Shareholder Letter, Meek Mill Joins the AI Race| Diet TBPN

Amazon (AMZN) is a high-conviction play as it transitions into the primary utility for the AI era, with plans to double its total power capacity by 2027 to meet massive compute demand. Investors should note the rapid growth of AWS AI revenue and the high demand for proprietary chips like Tranium and Graviton, which improve profit margins by reducing reliance on third-party hardware. Amazon's partnership with Eli Lilly to deliver GLP-1 medications positions the company to dominate the high-margin medical logistics market. As Meta (META) restricts legal advertising on its platform to stifle litigation, expect a shift in ad spend toward Alphabet (GOOGL) and YouTube, making them secondary beneficiaries of legal marketing budgets. In the broader market, focus on Energy and Data Center Infrastructure providers, as power capacity has replaced chip supply as the primary bottleneck for AI expansion.

Binance’s CZ: We’ll Never Know Satoshi, and That’s Good

Investors should prioritize Bitcoin (BTC) as a core long-term holding, valuing its unique lack of "founder risk" compared to other major blockchain projects. Increased regulatory clarity from the Genius Act and upcoming stablecoin legislation are expected to drive a massive return of institutional liquidity and talent to U.S. markets. You should look for immediate opportunities in Prediction Markets, a sector currently reaching critical mass and receiving significant backing from major funds like EZ Labs. Focus on infrastructure projects enabling AI-to-AI payments, as automated agents will increasingly use crypto to bypass traditional banking KYC hurdles. While NFTs and DAOs are in a maturation phase, keep a close watch for "second wind" projects that pivot toward the practical tokenization of real-world assets.

Jassy's Shareholder Letter, The Next AI Capability, 𝕏 Timeline Reactions | Saagar Enjeti, Joe Weisenthal, Kesava Kirupa Dinakaran, Brian Manning, Cobi Blumenfeld-Gantz, Changpeng Zhao, Tal Hoffman

Amazon (AMZN) is a high-conviction play as it shifts toward aggressive capital expenditure to double its power capacity by 2027 and scale its custom Graviton and Trainium silicon. Investors should watch the healthcare segment as Amazon Pharmacy scales same-day delivery for Eli Lilly’s new GLP-1 pill, Foundayo, creating a major new retail growth lever. Bitcoin (BTC) remains a core portfolio stabilizer as more corporations adopt "mini-MicroStrategy" treasury models, providing a resilient price floor despite geopolitical volatility. The next phase of the AI trade is shifting from chips to energy infrastructure and nuclear power, as grid capacity becomes the primary bottleneck for data center expansion. For specialized growth, look toward Xona Space, which is building a private satellite constellation to provide centimeter-level navigation accuracy essential for the future of autonomous robotics and vehicles.

Meta’s AI Comeback Moment, Claude Mythos | Diet TBPN

Meta Platforms (META) is a strong buy-and-hold as it shifts from open-source to a closed-source AI model with MuseSpark, a move designed to slash operational costs and improve profit margins. Investors should maintain exposure to NVIDIA (NVDA), as the successful scaling of models like Anthropic’s Mythos on Blackwell architecture confirms that the multi-year demand for high-end hardware remains unsaturated. The launch of Mythos serves as a major catalyst for the cybersecurity sector; look to CrowdStrike (CRWD) and Palo Alto Networks (PANW) as they gain exclusive early access to these frontier "bug-hunting" tools. For those seeking defensive growth, Lockheed Martin (LMT) represents a strategic play on the increasing intersection of AI, quantum sensors, and national security. The broader "compute war" favors "Big Tech" firms with the massive capital required to train 10-trillion parameter models, effectively creating a high-barrier moat against smaller competitors.

Meta Drops New Model, Mythos, RoboLamp | Luther Lowe, Dan Primack, Lior Susan, Feross Aboukhadijeh, Qasim Mithani, Jaleh Rezaei, Jeremy Philip Galen

Buy Meta Platforms (META) as it shifts to a high-margin "profit phase" with its new closed-source MuseSpark model, which offers frontier-level performance at a fraction of the compute cost. Maintain core exposure to NVIDIA (NVDA) to capture the ongoing infrastructure supercycle, as massive demand for Blackwell architecture from tech giants continues to drive a potential multi-trillion dollar valuation. Increase allocations to cybersecurity leaders CrowdStrike (CRWD) and Palo Alto Networks (PANW), which are becoming essential "board-level" priorities to defend against AI-powered supply chain attacks. Monitor the industrial tech and defense sectors for "reshoring" opportunities, specifically looking for future IPOs from "hard tech" companies like SpaceX or Cerebras. For speculative growth, watch for private market valuations to rise in Anthropic and prediction platforms like Kalshi as they establish themselves as dominant "sources of truth" and critical infrastructure partners.

Meta Tokenmaxxing, Intel Joins Terafab, Frontier AI vs. China | Diet TBPN

Investors should consider Meta Platforms (META) as a long-term vertical integration play, as the company’s aggressive internal AI usage justifies building proprietary models that could save billions in third-party licensing fees. Intel (INTC) is a high-conviction turnaround candidate following its partnership with Tesla and SpaceX, positioning it as the primary domestic foundry alternative to TSMC for high-performance AI chips. While Anthropic remains private, its $30 billion revenue run-rate and new cybersecurity model, Mythos, signal a massive enterprise shift that benefits its infrastructure partners like Google (GOOGL) and Broadcom (AVGO). The emerging "Space-Based Compute" sector, led by Starlink technology, offers a niche opportunity for investors to scout companies specializing in space-hardened hardware and satellite cooling systems. Monitor the "Token Economy" shift, where corporate budgets are expected to pivot from traditional headcount toward a $250,000 annual AI token spend per engineer.

FULL INTERVIEW: Thomas Laffont’s Journey From Hollywood Assistant to Legendary Tech Investor

The safest and most immediate way to play the AI cycle is through the infrastructure layer, specifically high-conviction semiconductor and manufacturing leaders like NVIDIA (NVDA) and TSMC (TSM). Investors should prioritize companies with immense pricing power and ecosystem lock-in, such as Apple (AAPL), which has proven it can defy traditional electronics deflation by consistently increasing its average revenue per user. Monitor the "Founder Mode" trend in companies like Workday (WDAY) and Block (SQ), as firms led by their original founders are often better positioned to execute the radical pivots required by the AI era. For long-term growth, watch for the eventual public offerings of private AI leaders like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cerebras, which are currently defining the next generation of data-heavy architecture. Before committing capital, ensure your investment thesis is simple enough to explain in three sentences and is backed by a financial model that reflects a clear narrative rather than just following bank estimates.

Tokenmaxxing, SF Street Name Auction, Corporate Retreat Gone Wrong | Riley Walz, Aditya Bandi, Zach Shore, Hongwei Liu, Zak Kukoff, Thomas Laffont
  • Meta (META) is aggressively pursuing vertical integration to reduce reliance on external AI labs, making it a strong play for long-term margin expansion as they replace costly third-party tokens with internal models.
  • Intel (INTC) has emerged as the primary domestic hedge against Taiwan-related supply chain risks following a massive partnership with Elon Musk’s TerraFab to design and fabricate high-performance chips.
  • Anthropic is a dominant force in enterprise AI with a $30 billion revenue run rate; their new Mythos model positions them as a top beneficiary of the growing AI-driven cybersecurity market.
  • Investors should monitor the ticker SPCX, as Elon Musk has officially secured it for an eventual SpaceX IPO, signaling the company is moving closer to public markets.
  • To capitalize on AI infrastructure bottlenecks, focus on companies involved in domestic semiconductor packaging and nuclear energy, which serve as critical "release valves" for data center power and supply chain constraints.
The $1B One-Person Company, China’s Pork Crisis, America’s New Weapon | Diet TBPN

Avoid high-risk telehealth providers like Medvi that rely on aggressive marketing and compounded GLP-1 drugs, as regulatory crackdowns and "misbranding" warnings from the FDA threaten their long-term valuation. Conversely, the success of the game Balatro highlights a massive opportunity in solo-developed, AI-assisted gaming IP, which can generate near 100% profit margins and high acquisition interest. Investors should maintain a bearish outlook on the Chinese Pork Industry due to a structural oversupply caused by "swine scraper" high-rises and a consumer shift toward healthier proteins. In the defense sector, focus on companies developing cheap counter-drone technology, as the Pentagon shifts its budget toward low-cost, mass-produced hardware like the LUCAS drone. Finally, while Apple (AAPL) is seeing a surge in App Store submissions due to AI, the real value lies in identifying the first "AI-native" viral app rather than the influx of low-quality, single-use software.

$1B GLP-1 Lessons, New AI Careers, China's 2030 Master Plan | Sam Broner, Jonathan Slotkin, Liz Hoffman, Bret Taylor, Ariyan Kabir, Atif Siddiqi

Investors should exercise extreme caution with MedV and the GLP-1 telehealth sector due to thin 15% margins, aggressive marketing tactics, and looming FDA regulatory scrutiny. In the AI space, monitor OpenAI for a potential IPO as early as Q4 2026, but be aware of their massive projected $121 billion compute spend through 2028. Anthropic’s acquisition of Coefficient Bio signals a high-conviction shift toward AI drug discovery, making biotech a primary value unlock for large language models. Within the defense sector, look for opportunities in "low-cost attritable systems" like the Lucas (FLM 136) drone, as the Pentagon shifts procurement toward cheaper, mass-produced autonomous weapons. Finally, the B2B stablecoin market is a high-growth area for 2025, with infrastructure providers like Better Money and Stripe benefiting from new regulatory clarity for instant corporate payouts.

Open AI Acquires TBPN, Artemis II, The AI-Built $1.8B Company | Diet TBPN

Investors should prioritize companies utilizing AI-driven corporate downsizing to expand margins, specifically monitoring Pinterest (PINS) and Block (SQ) as they cut headcount to improve efficiency. The GLP-1 weight loss sector remains a high-conviction play; look for "lean" telehealth startups that use AI to automate distribution and customer acquisition at scale. While OpenAI remains private, its acquisition of TBPN signals a shift toward direct media ownership, suggesting that public AI leaders will increasingly invest in content infrastructure to drive regulatory and public "buy-in." In the space sector, SpaceX continues to normalize orbital flight, while Omega (part of The Swatch Group) maintains a dominant branding position through its mission-critical hardware. For private market exposure, focus on "one-person billion-dollar" models like Medvi, which are achieving massive revenue-per-employee ratios by replacing traditional departments with AI tools.

OpenAI Acquires TBPN

Investors should monitor Hims & Hers (HIMS) as a public benchmark for the hyper-efficient GLP-1 market, where AI-driven "solopreneur" startups are now achieving billion-dollar scales with minimal overhead. NVIDIA (NVDA) remains a high-conviction play as it expands into space-based infrastructure, partnering with StarCloud to develop radiation-hardened chips for orbital data centers. In the cybersecurity sector, CrowdStrike (CRWD) is a critical holding as the industry pivot shifts focus from device security to identity-based protection against sophisticated supply chain attacks. For those interested in the "agentic economy," Circle’s USDC is emerging as the dominant protocol for autonomous AI-to-AI payments, offering a 24-month growth window for programmable finance. Finally, watch for the 2026 launch of Wonder Create, which aims to disrupt the traditional franchising model by allowing users to launch restaurant brands via AI for just $10 a month.

Artemis II, Jamie Dimon’s “American Dream,” Snap’s Crucible Moment | Diet TBPN

Monitor SpaceX closely for a potential IPO filing, as a public listing would create a trillion-dollar "generational event" and provide a massive catalyst for the broader Space and Defense sector. Follow the "Combs Notepad" by investing in domestic "hard tech" and reindustrialization plays like Shield AI and Perpetual Resources, which are backed by JPMorgan’s (JPM) new $10 billion strategic fund. Consider a speculative position in Snap Inc. (SNAP) as activist pressure from Irenic Capital targets a $26 price objective through aggressive cost-cutting and AI-driven ad improvements. Position for the maturing "Lunar Economy" by identifying secondary plays in satellite communications and space-based data centers that benefit from rapidly declining launch costs. Focus long-term capital on the Security and Resiliency sector, where private investment is shifting toward U.S. semiconductors, aerospace, and energy independence.

FULL INTERVIEW: Apple Exec on How Apple Builds Products That Actually Win

Investors should view Apple (AAPL) as a vertically integrated services powerhouse rather than just a hardware manufacturer, as its high-margin services division continues to drive ecosystem lock-in. A major near-term catalyst is Apple’s aggressive expansion into live sports, specifically Formula 1, which is significantly boosting U.S. viewership and engagement through tech-enhanced features like "multi-view." This partnership provides a strong tailwind for Formula One Group (FWONA / FWONK), making it a primary beneficiary of Apple’s massive media reach and marketing spend. For those looking at emerging tech, the Vision Pro is carving out a high-end niche in "Sim Racing" and immersive gaming, signaling the next phase of hardware-software synergy. Monitor Apple’s ability to outbid traditional media for sports rights, as this remains the critical factor for sustaining the growth of Apple TV+ and its subscription revenue.