People vs Algorithms

But physiotherapists still use accountants, dentists are in great shape and our own vibe coding experiments run into snags. Plus: The return of Travis Kalanick and the Mount Rushmore of tech titans, Google Stitch, who lost BuzzFeed, The Trade Desk’s woes, the Oscars as reflective of the end of the old Hollywood model, why The Economist is catnip for billionaires, and why mass layoffs and rapid rehiring are the new corporate norm.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:57 Welcome* 01:18 Who’s Cooked* 04:28 First Principle Thinkers* 15:02 PvA Claude Projects* 27:11 Finest Act of Self Mythologizing* 31:06 PvA Mount Rushmore Lineup* 37:15 The Economist Deal* 43:17 Buzzfeed End is Near* 48:48 Trade Desk Failures* 54:21 Oscars* 01:03:05 Good Product* 01:22:32 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

YouTube became a $550 billion juggernaut by building the infrastructure: the algorithm, the ad stack, the creator revenue share, the living room app. It spent more on content than almost anyone else without producing it. Meanwhile, legacy media companies that bet everything on premium content are pivoting to events, harvesting their websites for ad yield, and watching their audiences migrate to platforms they don't control. X tells the same story: a product that isn't even particularly good has become the most influential information network in the world because of the raw, unmediated network it sits on top of. On an individual level, those who can build personal systems are establishing leverage. The lesson: Power is durable power doesn't come from what you make, it comes from the system you build around it.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:26 Cool Things* 03:52 Welcome* 11:44 AI Writing and Newsrooms* 15:27 Epstein Grammar Power Flex* 21:11 Wealth Shifts to Older Audiences* 25:19 Iran War and X as Truth Feed* 32:35 Barry Diller Eyes CNN* 38:27 YouTube Becomes Media King* 50:30 Everything Is Cooked* 01:04:00 Takeaways* 01:05:51 Good Product* 01:08:21 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Block’s 40% employee purge says more about Jack Dorsey’s CEO skills than AI. David Zaslav gets only a PE golf clap for making Warner Bros shareholders money. McDonald’s CEO becomes a symbol of out-of-touch financializers. But hope is on the way as Cal AI’s teenage founders bootstrapped their way to riches.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:47 Welcome* 01:45 Human Computer’s Ballgame* 06:46 AI & Game Dev* 08:51 Anthropic Pentagon Clash* 14:04 AI Narrative Wars* 17:37 War News Fragmentation* 28:43 Layoffs & AI Excuses* 32:36 Holding CEO’s Accountable* 44:29 Cal AI Exit* 48:09 SXSW Nostalgia* 53:53 Good Product* 58:12 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Data shows widespread trepidation over the AI, whether it’s datacenter construction or possible job displacement, yet little public discussion has taken place. We discuss how that’s changing as AI becomes a political issue. Meanwhile, another reckoning is happening with a return of cancel culture in a new and improved version; the open web faces its own reckoning as grotesque user experiences lead it into a doom loop; and private capital faces a squeeze that will hurt M&A.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:50 Irish Hospitality* 04:37 Intro* 07:30 AI & The State of the Union* 24:21 Cancel Culture* 35:19 Death of the Open Web* 42:43 Private Capital* 50:38 Money Making Opportunity* 01:00:30 Good Product* 01:06:26 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

They unpack the "orality thesis" and what the shift from written to spoken culture means for how we think, communicate, and vote. On the media side, they map out what's actually working right now: audience-first elite brands, B2B trojan horses like Hearst, expert creator newsletters, and the relentless pull of performance marketing, and AI-generated monkey content on YouTube. Plus: a report from the Swiss Alps.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:39 Welcome* 05:13 Orality Thesis* 08:42 Writing vs Talking* 12:07 Doom-Maxing* 22:58 Leadership Crisis* 33:16 The Best and Worst of Media* 52:06 Synthetic YouTube Content* 56:36 Good Product* 01:03:41 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

The age of AI is off to a shambolic start. Anthropic and OpenAI ran Super Bowl ads that fell flat. The gap is widening between the AI-pilled true believers and the Normals, as AI becomes yet another existential anxiety. Plus: Alex breaks down the design systems deployed by Trump vs Mamdani, and Troy says The Washington Post has a product problem.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:27 Welcome* 07:46 Billionaires Flock to Miami* 11:21 AI Anxiety* 31:08 Design & Government* 35:36 Mamdani Design Language* 37:43 A Very Difficult Job: Running the WaPo* 56:37 Good Product* 59:55 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Meanwhile, brands are facing reputational crises from their ties to the government as Scott Galloway calls for a boycott of companies who sell their products to ICE. Jeff Bezos’ well-earned reputation as a business genius is at risk as his 13-year tenure owning The Washington Post turns into an unmitigated disaster. Meanwhile, Anthropic wants to develop a high-minded reputation by dinging OpenAI for the crime of running advertising. Finally, media might be in its death throes, but there’s always a need for a B2B conference that brings together the buy and sell side of the avocado market.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:20 Welcome* 05:09 Reputational Cost* 22:36 Company Reputation* 30:56 Bezos & WP Disaster* 41:55 Bringing Together The Buy & Sell Side* 48:24 AI & Ads* 56:31 Good Product* 01:01:21 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Today’s mind control comes in the form of black-box algorithmic recommendation systems, autonomous robotics and agentic AI systems. The trust gap has arrived for algorithms, as seen by the backlash against TikTok's new ownership. Maybe we're hard wired to distrust men in masks. Plus: CBS News tries to “podcast-ify” a legacy network, the Atlantic’s successful pivot to subscriptions and talent, the Washington Post’s execution problems and identity crisis, Yahoo’s attempt to reassert itself through AI search, and the growing realization that community is the last media moat.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:35 Welcome* 04:11 Mind Control* 13:39 Clawdbot/Moltbot* 17:54 Elon Reframing Tesla* 23:46 Minnesota Obscenity* 36:06 Algorithms and Social Media* 42:17 Hardcore Media Topics* 59:14 Local News and Nonprofit Models* 01:06:33 Good Product* 01:12:05 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

This week, like old Italian men with their hands clasped behind their backs at construction sites, we are monitoring various situations: Snowmageddon 2026, OpenAI’s inevitable embrace of advertising, Claude Code’s escape from the nerdery, why publishers are embracing prediction markets, the Davos divide between the Mark Carney and Donald Trump styles of communication, and the latest reminder that nothing ever really dies in media, it just mutates.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:46 Welcome* 05:30 OpenAI Getting Into Ads* 26:29 Claude Code’s Escape From The Nerdery* 40:16 Prediction Markets* 50:29 Quick Hits* 01:15:40 Good Product* 01:17:14 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

After two decades of scale chasing, feed optimization, and platform dependence, the industry is rediscovering older mechanics that actually work: events, newsletters, sponsorships, classifieds, and direct audience relationships. Plus: The difficulty of changing legacy media organizations; micro-dramas as modern media format; and field notes from CES, the Affiliate Summit and an Ojai turtle sanctuary.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:34 Welcome* 03:44 CES 2026* 10:40 Semaphore and Media Business Models* 15:18 CBS News and Media Transformation* 29:48 Creating New Products from Great Talent* 32:48 Retro Media* 42:35 Affiliate Summit* 52:54 Good Product* 59:17 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Troy and Brian talk about agentic advertising and why it’s being sold as salvation, the quiet consolidation happening across media and tech, and the shift from institutional power to systems, platforms, and legible individuals. We discuss sovereignty in an automated world, and why “finding leverage” has become the defining challenge for media, marketing, and anyone trying to stay relevant.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:28 Welcome* 07:06 Agentic Advertising and AI* 11:23 Semafor’s $30 Million Raise* 18:54 The Future of Yahoo* 24:12 The Rise of YouTube and Influencers* 31:08 The Future of Digital Publishers* 34:23 Media Personalities and the Creator Economy* 37:47 The Ethics of Content and Prediction Markets* 47:14 The Future of Major Cities and Job Market Predictions* 50:21 The Role of AI and Robotics in Society* 55:14 The Battle for Sovereignty and Media Independence* 01:01:42 Good Product* 01:06:10 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

This week, we wrap up the year with our picks for the biggest narratives, deal guys, hustlers and tech oligarchs.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:17 Welcome* 03:22 Vanity Fair Is Back* 05:56 Is Weiss good at media?* 13:51 Oscars On YouTube* 18:03 PvA 2025 Awards* 18:28 Personality of the Year* 25:31 Media Brand of the Year* 30:10 Innovation of the Year* 37:29 Overlord of the Year* 40:38 Hustler of the Year* 43:47 Deal Guy of the Year* 45:45 Word of the Year* 48:34 Narrative of the Year* 54:25 Good Product This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Underneath the narrative, the main plotline is the end of Hollywood’s already ailing business model built around scarcity and cable economics. That’s why the big winner of this deal, no matter who ends up owning the asset, is David Zaslav, the consummate Deal Guy. Netflix owning Warner Bros would be a fitting end, as streaming upended the reliable bulwark of Hollywood’s business model and firmly put tech in control. Plus: The social stigma of AI-generated content, Kalshi’s uninspiring mission to financialize everything, Marco Rubio’s war on woke fonts, Shopify’s agentic commerce play, a new Scorsese documentary, and sad SaaS-vertising invading the NYC subway.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:36 Welcome* 04:18 Warner Bros Deal* 17:07 Deal Guys* 37:59 Font Wars* 47:09 Australia Banning Social Media For Teens* 54:16 Shopify & AI* 01:00:13 Good Product This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

This week, Sam Altman shutters side quests to chase speed, reliability, and personalization, and we ask whether he’s a deals guy or a wartime leader in a world where Gemini 3 and Anthropic are catching up. From there we get into the Olivia Nuzzi saga, the New York Times vs David Sachs accountability drama, and another round of Silicon Valley vs East Coast media grievance airing. We close on Bending Spoons’ island of misfit apps, DealBook’s new CEO archetypes in a media world running out of leverage, and Good Product featuring Waymos and Japanese toilets as the most dependable robots in everyday life.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:39 Welcome* 07:54 OpenAI Code Red* 22:56 Sachs vs NYT* 30:02 Olivia Nuzzi Saga* 35:07 DealBook Summit* 45:16 Bending Spoons* 50:24 The Distribution Trap* 01:03:33 Good Product This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

We get into why America attracts them, how the term was coopted and branded, why competitive instinct sits at the center of real hustle, and how the changing nature of the economy will put a premium on hustling, for better or worse. Plus: Troy’s ‘eggsellent’ adventure at a Holiday Inn Express.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:41 Welcome* 02:19 Google Ascended* 14:24 AI Slop* 25:34 Hustlers* 44:10 Deal Talk: Warner Bros Discovery* 53:02 Good Product* 01:01:58 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

With institutions losing their distribution edge, main-character energy now determines who captures attention. The Olivia Nuzzi spectacle to Michael Wolff’s improbable Epstein cameo show why legacy media suddenly needs characters again. We also cover the Gemini 3 narrative flip, Google’s structural advantages, John Malone’s tax-efficient empire building, Apple News’ strange success despite its bad UX, and the rise of chessboxing as peak Slavic content.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:46 Welcome* 01:30 Aura and Lore In The Information Space* 16:17 Gemini 3* 26:52 Financializing Aura* 35:15 John Malone: Last of the cable cowboys* 41:05 Good Product* 51:15 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

We argue that true media people are troublemakers with taste. They’re people who understand narrative, tension, and how to make others feel something. Michael Wolff and Olivia Nuzzi are Media People. Scott Galloway and Silicon Valley People are not Media People. The media industry has been downsized in the Information Space, with media personalities rewarded more than Media People. Media People will endure.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:44 Welcome* 06:42 Job Displacement Tsunami* 16:10 The Problem With Men* 27:57 Media People* 56:14 Netflix Immersive Experience* 01:00:49 Justin Bieber A Twitch Streamer* 01:03:13 Good Product* 01:08:27 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Meanwhile, the New York Times has proven to the exception to the rule in publishing, as most publishers are dealing with “toxic” pageview assets. Plus: The Great Compression has arrived for ad agencies.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:29 Welcome* 01:47 New York Mayoral Election* 11:51 AI Bubble Check* 22:53 Job Shifts* 26:13 The Great Compression in Ad Agencies* 35:37 New York Times: Exception to the rule* 44:06 Vox* 52:49 Puck-Air Mail Deal* 55:36 Good Product* 57:14 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Plus: Anonymous Banker breaks down the logic of Warner Brothers Discovery’s sale, why celebrity investors are rarely additive, and the extractive logic of AOL’s $1.5b sale.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:21 Welcome* 01:48 Age Of Wonders vs What Is This S**t* 12:11 The Goon Squad by Daniel Kolitz* 14:53 Interview Assassin* 17:54 Performative Interview Format* 19:43 Making A Good Product* 37:19 Warner Bros. Discovery Deal* 43:50 Travis Kelsey Activist Investor* 50:23 AOL $1.5Bil Deal* 54:23 Good Product* 58:26 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

This week, Alex has a hard stop, AB is lost in Tokyo, and Brian and Troy go deep on sovereignty — who has it, who’s lost it, and whether it’s even possible to get it back for publishers and everyone else downstream of Big Tech.They debate whether Substack-style independence represents true sovereignty or just a different kind of dependency; ad tech’s extractive economics, and why “agentic ad buying” won’t fundamentally change a usurious system; and how OpenAI’s march toward becoming the next Google signals another era of centralization.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:24 Welcome* 06:35 How do publishers reclaim sovereignty?* 22:29 AdTech* 40:00 OpenAI In Browser Wars* 57:57 Good Product* 01:04:02 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com