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Foundering is an award-winning, serialized podcast from the journalists at Bloomberg Technology. Each season, Foundering brings you inside a different high-stakes drama from the technology industry, where its companies are wielding unprecedented capital and power.
178 Episodes
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The global technology industry is a powerful engine of innovation that drives the economy. It's also a collection of insular communities full of hidden projects, quiet rivalries, and uncomfortable truths. Join Bloomberg Technology's Brad Stone each week as he and the team's reporters uncover what actually happens behind closed doors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Just a few years ago, Fab.com was valued at $1 billion. Today, it's remembered as one of the most epic flame-outs in the history of U.S. technology startups. Bloomberg's Sarah Frier, who in 2013 was the first to report on Fab's internal turmoil, talks to founder Jason Goldberg about how he felt as the company soared and then collapsed. Jason also recounts the lessons he's learned -- so he won't repeat them as he prepares to launch a new business all over again.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Very few things have stopped Uber in its quest for world domination -- except Didi, the Chinese ride-hailing startup that in August announced it will buy Uber's China operations. This week Lulu Chen and Brad Stone tell the story of how Didi rose to prominence, and the battles its founder Cheng Wei waged to defeat dozens of Chinese rivals before taking on Uber. Now that it's conquered the world's largest ride-hailing market, can Didi finally make money?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Donald Trump insists that we don't know who was behind the cyber attack on the Democratic National Committee. Is he right? Bloomberg Technology's Jordan Robertson talks to Mike Buratowski, who oversaw the investigation into malicious code that spied on emails sent by DNC officials and others. After examining the hints left behind, they tackle the big issue: If hackers backed by Russia really were the perpetrators, what more could they do to mess with Americans' votes and U.S. democracy?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When Antonio Garcia Martinez was trying to raise money for his fledgling tech company, he worried that an honest pitch wouldn't get him the funds he needed. So he lied. This week, Brad and Bloomberg Technology's Ellen Huet explore the murky world of early-stage startups -- not just with Antonio but also with one of his startup's investors, as well a business school professor. In the absence of the strict rules governing public companies, are Silicon Valley's entrepreneurs getting away with too much?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A handful of websites have launched in the U.K. over the last few years, allowing not only the rich but also the rest of us to invest in startups. How likely is it that you'll end up striking gold on the next Facebook? This week, Bloomberg Technology's Adam Satariano travels to Scotland to meet one man keeping track -- and at least so far, the results are not promising.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Virtual assistants such as the iPhone's Siri are now everywhere, reading us the news, recommending restaurants and navigating a path to our jobs. But any casual user knows they're far from perfect. This week, Bloomberg Technology's Aki Ito and Alistair Barr visit Professor Terry Winograd, a pioneer in artificial intelligence who amazed the world with a precursor to these assistants half a century ago. Terry tests the assistants from Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon and explains why, despite all the hype, computer scientists are still far away from building machines that can outsmart humans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On the night of the U.S. presidential elections, one of Facebook’s former product designers turned to Facebook to vent. His claim: The social media platform may have helped inaccurate and partisan news stories reach more voters, setting the stage for Donald Trump’s victory. Two weeks later, Facebook’s fake news problem has become one of the most hotly debated issues in America. This week, Bloomberg Technology’s Aki Ito and Sarah Frier speak to not only that former Facebook employee, but also two prominent investors in Silicon Valley as well as an editor of fact-checking site Snopes.com. Together, they grapple with the responsibilities that Facebook shoulders as a source of news for a growing portion of the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
(Bloomberg) -- Now that the holidays are approaching, chances are you'll be doing at least some of your gift shopping on Amazon.com. But before you click "buy" on the first favorably-reviewed item you find, take a minute to learn about how you can avoid getting duped by the site's fake reviews and phony products. This week, Bloomberg Technology's Brad Stone and Spencer Soper report on the extreme tactics some vendors are using to get an edge on the competition, and what Amazon is doing to crack down on those people who are gaming the system. As we do more of our shopping on the internet, the stakes are only getting higher.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Coding boot camps are everywhere these days, promising to arm you with the most highly sought skill in the modern economy: computer programming. While many programs charge thousands of dollars for just a few months of instruction, one school, started in Paris by the French billionaire Xavier Niel, offers a three-year curriculum for free. This week Bloomberg Technology's Sarah McBride and Marie Mawad report on Ecole 42's newly-opened Silicon Valley branch, which is hoping to repeat the Paris school's success in training underprivileged youth. But things haven't quite turned out the way administrators were expecting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Computer animated movies are everywhere these days. But in 1995 when Pixar was preparing to release Toy Story, the public had never seen a fully computer-animated movie before. Toy Story was years in the making and for Pixar everything was on the line. This week, Bloomberg Technology's Brad Stone and Pia Gadkari take us back to those final months, when CEO Steve Jobs, CFO Lawrence Levy and Pixar's other employees were racing to finish its first feature film, while also planning an all-important IPO.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A lot of people in the tech industry have a fascination with defying death. But only a few of them are actually working on ways to achieve it. This week, Bloomberg Technology's Ashlee Vance goes to Russia to meet one of the pioneers of the cryonics movement. We'll take a look at the technology he's developing, and see how close really he is to cracking the code to eternal life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's been a year full of surprising developments, from Brexit to the election of Donald Trump. This week we're bringing you our pessimist's guide to 2017: What might happen in the tech industry if it all goes horribly wrong? These are the most dire scenarios our team of reporters could come up with.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's something that just about every technology company says it wants to address -- diversifying its workforce. So why is the industry so full of men, most of whom are white or Asian? Bloomberg Technology's Ellen Huet and Aki Ito follow Mitchell Lee, co-founder of a startup called Penny, as he tries to hire someone who doesn't look like your typical Silicon Valley programmer. The process raises some surprising challenges and poses plenty of uncomfortable questions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As cyber-spying gets ever more sophisticated, governments worldwide are rushing to get equipped with the most cutting-edge technology. This week, Bloomberg Technology's Jordan Robertson and Aki Ito take you into the heart of a multimillion-dollar deal to help a West African nation spy on its own people. But the deal goes south -- offering a rare glimpse into the shadowy world of the global cyber weapons industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We still don't know what Trump's presidency means for the broader tech industry, but one thing is clear: He loves Twitter. On the one hand, a president speaking directly with the people seems like a good thing. But will there be unintended consequences? This week, Bloomberg Technology's Brad Stone and Josh Brustein dig deep with two former Twitter employees, and also ask why a tool that's cemented its role in our public discourse is still struggling as a business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
More than 1.5 million people drive for Uber in cities all over the world. And yet, as the company finds new ways to make rides cheaper for customers, it's become harder for the app's contractors to make a decent living. This week, Brad visits one of Uber's very first drivers, and, together, they explore the complicated history between the ride-sharing app and its workers. Brad and Bloomberg Technology's startups reporter Eric Newcomer also discuss where that relationship is headed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On his eighth day in office, President Trump signed an executive order banning the U.S. entry of people from seven Muslim-majority countries. The move sparked outrage from several tech companies, which rely heavily on the talent of skilled foreigners. This week, Bloomberg Technology’s Aki Ito and Olivia Zaleski speak to both tech workers directly affected by this ban as well as company executives who fear the order will hurt their businesses. More restrictions could be on the horizon, and Aki and Olivia discuss what those might mean for the industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the past two years, Cuba has started rolling out public access to the internet. Wifi is now available through a network of hotspots-- but access is expensive, and the connection can be patchy and slow. This week, Bloomberg Technology's Pia Gadkari visits Cuba, exploring what life looks like when a country's just starting to get online. Pia and Aki hear from local entrepreneurs how the Internet is helping them grow their businesses, and discuss the potential for U.S. tech companies on the island.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ever since it was a tiny startup, Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, has been based in the quirky, bohemian Los Angeles beach town of Venice. Now, the social media app maker employs almost 2,000 workers and is about to become a publicly traded company. This week, Bloomberg Technology's Sarah Frier and Aki Ito visit Venice to hear from longtime residents and business owners, some of whom worry they're getting priced out of their neighborhood. They also speak to community members who say the company is doing its best to offset the pains that economic success can bring. As Snap prepares for its March IPO, which will turn some of its young employees into overnight millionaires, tensions are reaching a fever pitch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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That girl former employee has had such a spineless and manipulative behaviour. Adam Newman is a douche and full of shit. But her complaints are of someone who never takes responsibility for their choices.
This is the wrost episode, her story is not much trust worthy.
So excited to listen to this podcast. I cannot believe I didn't know it existed!
While I think wework is a cult and it should be exposed, this lady and her action are not honorable. Also shame on the reporter to defend corporate theft.
Didn't mention the transportation and use of weed on an international flight.
The postcast content is great, good work👍🏻. I hate the volumes which is a notch high than the podcast volume, have to keep on reducing volumes. Which i hate doing often during the ride.
As a student currently studying computer science, I like keeping up with news on technology so this is a great series for me.
It’s good to get a view from Iran
What a thoughtful and insightful discussion that shows real effort with diversity and inclusion does in fact pay off.
wtf does this have to do with it?
Great podcast!
Really good episode. Informative. thanks
I enjoy the content decrypted offers and the "soon to come" technology is alway intresting. Enjoy!