Eric Ries created the Lean Startup methodology and authored the bestselling book of the same name, which has sold over a million copies. He's also the founder and executive chairman of the Long-Term Stock Exchange, the co-founder of Answer AI (an AI R&D lab), and the author of the upcoming book Incorruptible, releasing May 26th.

In this episode of Summation, Eric and Auren discuss:

• why "bad governance" companies have outperformed "good governance" since 2008
• financial gravity - the invisible force that bends companies away from their mission
• the foundation-controlled blueprint behind Novo Nordisk, IKEA, and Zeiss
• why vibe coding is headed for its Chernobyl moment

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Eric Ries on X at @ericries

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg became Germany's youngest Minister of Defense in history, and previously served as Minister of Economics and Technology. He is the chairman and founder of Spitzberg Partners, an investment and advisory firm, a bestselling author, and co-founder of Open Minds Media, where he produces films and podcasts. He co-hosts one of Germany's most popular podcasts.

In this episode of Summation, KT and Auren discuss:

• Why Germany's defense spending hovered at 1% of GDP for decades and what finally forced a change
• The nuclear exit decision that was driven by a single state election and backfired spectacularly
• How Rheinmetall surpassed Volkswagen in market cap and what it signals about Europe's industrial reorientation
• Why Germany's total stock market cap is less than a single US company like Nvidia

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg on Linkedin. 

World of DaaS is now Summation with Auren Hoffman. While we’re proud of our roots in the data world, our conversations have evolved. Summation better reflects our obsession with finding the non-obvious ideas that shape our world.

What’s changing? Just the name. You’ll still get the same insights from the world’s most influential founders, investors, and thinkers. 

If you’re already a subscriber, you’re all set. If you’re new here, welcome. Hit subscribe and join us! Our first episode as Summation drops this Wednesday.

Thanks for the support, and welcome to the next chapter. 

Auren is CEO of NQB8, GP at Flex Capital, Chairman of Dialog; former CEO of SafeGraph and LiveRamp (NYSE: RAMP).

Michael Walrath is the chairman and CEO of Yext, a publicly traded digital presence platform. Prior to Yext, Michael cofounded Right Media, the first at-scale digital ad exchange, which was acquired by Yahoo in 2007. 

In this episode, Michael and Auren discuss: 

• Software vendor consolidation
• Changing attitudes around growth vs profitability 
• New dynamics of VC funding
• Running board meetings as a CEO

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.  

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Michael Walrath on LinkedIn.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Bjorn Lomborg is the president of the Copenhagen Consensus Center and has authored several bestselling books including "The Skeptical Environmentalist", "False Alarm" and recently “Best Things First.”    

In this episode of World of DaaS, Bjorn and Auren discuss:

• The most efficient policies to save lives
• Evaluating charitable ROI 
• The real costs of climate change mitigation
• Sweden vs Denmark

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.  

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Bjorn Lomborg on X at @BjornLomborg.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Alex Wirth is the cofounder and CEO of Quorum, a public affairs software platform. 

In this episode of World of DaaS, Alex and Auren discuss: 

• How AI is affecting lawmaking 
• The evolution of modern lobbying
• Predicting policy outcomes statistically 
• Building govtech companies

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.  

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Alex Wirth on X at @amaliowirth.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Bryan is a professor of economics at George Mason University. He’s also the author of a number of bestselling books, including The Case Against Education, The Myth of the Rational Voter, and recently Build Baby Build.    

In this episode of World of DaaS, Bryan and Auren discuss: 

• Education signaling and ROI
• The myth of involved parenting
• Immigration & diaspora theory
• Social science data access

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.  

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Bryan Caplan on X at @bryan_caplan.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Oleg Rogynskyy is the founder and CEO of People.ai, an ai-powered revenue intelligence platform. He’s also an advisor to the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

In this episode of World of DaaS, Oleg and Auren discuss: 

• How AI will transform the sales process
• Sales automation and APIs
• Maximizing data value and differentiation
• Geopolitical implications of the Ukraine war

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.  

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Oleg on X at @OlegR.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Alex Tabarrok is a professor of economics at George Mason University and the co-author of Marginal Revolution, one of the most popular and long-running blogs on the internet.    

In this episode of World of DaaS, Alex and Auren discuss: 

• The decline of American dynamism
• Challenges to innovation
• Crime and bail reform
• Preparing for the next pandemic

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.  

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Alex Tabarrok on X at @ATabarrok.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Or Lenchner is the CEO of Bright Data, a leading web data collection company.  

In this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Or discuss:

• Web data freedom and ethics
• Bright Data's legal battle with Meta 
• Data pricing strategies
• The Israeli tech scene 

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.  

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Or Lenchner on X at @orlench.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Adam is the co-founder & CEO of Daffy, a fintech platform for charitable giving. Prior to Daffy, Adam was CEO of Wealthfront, VP of Product & Growth at Dropbox and VP of Product Management at LinkedIn.  

In this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Adam discuss: 

• Trends that will dominate fintech in 2030
• Financial giants & disruptors
• Tax strategies and donor advised funds
• Most common product management mistakes 

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.  

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Adam Nash on X at @adamnash.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Jason Bordoff is an expert on geopolitics, energy security and the clean energy transition. He is the Founding Director of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and he also held senior roles in the Obama administration, including on the National Economic Council, and the National Security Council. 

In this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Jason discuss: 

• The future of solar
• How shale oil transformed US energy
• Critical minerals and energy security
• Realities of the clean energy transition

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.  

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Jason on X at @JasonBordoff.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Chris is the co-founder and CEO of Substack. Prior to Substack, he co founded the messaging service Kik. 

In this episode of World of DaaS, Chris and Auren discuss:

• Attention, quality, and gatekeepers in media
• The state of freedom of speech 
• Building an audience
• AI as a creative tool

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to WorldofDaaS.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @WorldOfDaaS.  

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Chris Best on Substack at @cb and on X at @cjgbest.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Jonathan Siddharth is the founder and CEO of Turing, a $2.2 billion AI company that provides coding and reasoning data to train frontier models for OpenAI, Google, Meta, Anthropic and more. Turing’s mission is to accelerate superintelligence to drive economic growth.

In this episode of World of DaaS, Jonathan and Auren discuss:

• How Turing creates expert data for frontier models
• Why SaaS is dying in the age of AI agents
• Disrupting the $30 trillion market for digital knowledge work
• Building a stage five company culture

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Jonathan Siddharth on X at @jonsidd.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Robert Cialdini is a world renowned psychologist and author. His seminal work, "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion," published in 1984, is a classic in the field. He taught marketing, business and psychology at Stanford and he is the Regents' Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University.

In this episode of World of DaaS, Robert and Auren discuss:

• The science of influence 
• Persuasion in tech and marketing
• Guarding against deception
• Persuasive technology and algorithms

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to WorldofDaaS.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @WorldOfDaaS.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Robert Cialdini on X at @RobertCialdini.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Ben Miller is the co-founder and CEO of Fundrise, an online investment platform that gives retail investors access to private assets like real estate and venture capital. Fundrise has invested over $7B in real estate and has 385,000+ investors on its platform.

In this episode, Auren and Ben discuss:

• Real estate data adoption
• Public/private market convergence
• “Soft” SEC regulations on retail investment
• Data centers, warehouses & single family rental

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to WorldofDaaS.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @WorldOfDaaS.  

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Ben on X at @BenMillerrise. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Harley Finkelstein is the President of Shopify ($SHOP), a leading ecommerce platform valued at over $80 billion. Shopify powers over 2 million ecommerce stores in 175 countries. 

On this episode, Harley and Auren discuss:  

• Entrepreneurial renaissance & record business creation
• Nonobvious brand success stories
• Shopify's ecosystem and partnerships playbook
• Canadian entrepreneurship and ambition

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to WorldofDaaS.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @WorldOfDaaS.  

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Harley on X at @harleyf. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Brent Beshore is the founder and CEO of Permanent Equity, a unique private equity firm that buys cash-generating small and mid-sized businesses— with the intention to hold them indefinitely. 

Permanent Equity owns over a dozen businesses in diverse sectors including aerospace, building and construction, and martech. 

On this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Brent discuss:

• Secrets to good acquisitions
• Running a PE firm with no leverage and no fees
• Incentives and efficiency in business
• Building in Flyover County

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to WorldofDaaS.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @WorldOfDaaS.  

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Brent Beshore on X at @BrentBeshore. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Mark Gerson co-founded Gerson Lehrman Group, the world’s largest expert network. He’s also the co-founder and Chairman of United Hatzalah and the African Mission Healthcare Foundation. 

In this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Mark discuss: 

• Measuring charity impact and ROI 
• Real philanthropy vs “fake charities” 
• Building GLG and expert networks
• Marriage and religion in the US

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to WorldofDaaS.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @WorldOfDaaS.  

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Mark Gerson on X at @markgerson. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Michael Batnick is a managing partner and Director of Research at Ritholtz Wealth Management. He’s also the host of the excellent investing and finance podcast network The Compound. 

In this episode, Auren and Michael discuss: 

• Mega caps, crypto and retail investors 
• Impact of index funds on the stock market
• Fintech vs legacy  financial institutions
• Investing mistakes and life lessons

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit worldofdaas.buzzsprout.com, and follow us @WorldOfDaaS. 

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Michael on X at @michaelbatnick. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Anand Sanwal is the founder of CB Insights, a business analytics platform and global database of intel on technology companies. Anand was CEO of CB Insights for 14 years and recently stepped into the role of executive chairman. 

In this episode, Auren and Anand discuss: 

• Tech and venture capital narratives vs data
• AI integration and workflows
• Future of data businesses
• CEO transitions at 1 to N companies

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit worldofdaas.buzzsprout.com, and follow us @WorldOfDaaS. 

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Anand Sanwal on X at @asanwal. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Scott Lynn is the founder and CEO of Masterworks, the first company to securitize art. Masterworks manages $940 million in art assets and has nearly 900,000 investors on its platform. Scott is also a multitime founder– prior to Masterworks, he founded companies in online gaming, advertising and fintech including AdKnowledge, Virtumundo, V2 Ventures and Payability.

In this episode, Scott and Auren discuss: 

• Data insights on the art market
• Art trends and investing strategies
• NFTs and other collectibles
• Fraud, money laundering and art scams

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Scott Lynn on LinkedIn. 

Follow World of DaaS @WorldOfDaaS 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Dmitri Alperovitch is the co-founder and former CTO of Crowdstrike, and he’s currently the chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator, a national security think tank. He’s also the author of the new book World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the Twenty-First Century.

In this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Dmitri discuss: 

• Taiwan's strategic importance in Asia
• China's potential timeframe for invading Taiwan
• Chip dominance and global semiconductor markets
• Endgames in the Ukraine-Russia Conflict
  
  

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit worldofdaas.buzzsprout.com, and follow us @WorldOfDaaS. 

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Dmitri on X at @DAlperovitch

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Jonathan Ross is the founder and CEO of Groq, a company that develops high performance microchips purpose built for AI and machine learning. Prior to founding Groq, Jonathan invented Google’s AI processor, the TPU. 

In this episode of World of DaaS, Jonathan and Auren discuss: 

• Future of industry in the AI era
• Evolution of AI processing hardware
• Semiconductor supply chains
• Challenges and innovations in chip development
• Prompt writing tips from an AI pro

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit worldofdaas.buzzsprout.com, and follow us @WorldOfDaaS. 

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Jonathan on X at @JonathanRoss321.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Cobi Blumenfeld-Gantz is the co-founder and CEO of Chapter, an AI-powered Medicare navigation platform valued at $1.5 billion that helps seniors navigate coverage and enrollment.

In this episode of World of DaaS, Cobi and Auren discuss:

• Why medicare fraud costs over $100 billion annually
• How 24,000 medicare plans create impossible choices for seniors
• Why government tech keeps failing with Accenture contracts
• Provider network data accuracy and AI solutions

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Cobi Blumenfeld-Gantz on X at @CobiBGantz.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Greg Isenberg is the CEO and Founder of Late Checkout Studio, a holding company for online community businesses. Greg has founded three venture-backed startups and he was also an advisor to TikTok and Reddit. 

In this episode of World of DaaS, Greg and Auren discuss: 

• Changes to startup + VC ecosystem
• Startup studio model vs. private equity
• ChatGPT businesses in 2024
• Building without venture funding

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit worldofdaas.buzzsprout.com, and follow us @WorldOfDaaS. 

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Greg at @gregisenberg

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Saagar is the co-host of the podcast and web series Breaking Points, which has over a million subscribers on Youtube. He was previously a White House correspondent for the Daily Caller. 

On this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Saagar discuss: 

• Media business models and revenue streams
• Bias and anti-establishment media
• Parallels in US history to today
• Aliens, conspiracies and DC parties 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit worldofdaas.buzzsprout.com, and follow us @WorldOfDaaS. 

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Saagar on X at @esaagar. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Ryan Petersen is the founder and CEO of Flexport, a unicorn international freight forwarding business. He’s also a Venture Partner at Founders Fund.

In this episode of World of DaaS, Ryan and Auren discuss: 

• Supply chain breakdowns 
• Geopolitics of commercial shipping
• Scaling freight forwarding businesses 10X
• Deglobalization vs international trade
• Returning to Flexport after stepping down as CEO
• Why good CEOs micromanage

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit worldofdaas.buzzsprout.com, and follow us @WorldOfDaaS. 

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Ryan on X at @typesfast.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Bill Magnuson is the co-founder and CEO of Braze ($BRZE), a publicly traded customer engagement platform valued at over $5 billion.   

In this episode of World of DaaS: 

• Growth of mobile technology
• Power of first-party relationships
• Modern martech mindset vs traditional advertising
• Tech company IPOs
• How SMS spam and fraud works
• Build vs buy martech strategies
• Toxic tech workplace culture and “family” 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit worldofdaas.buzzsprout.com, and follow us @WorldOfDaaS.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Bill Magnuson on X at @billmag

Follow World of DaaS @WorldOfDaaS

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Steve was CEO of AOL during its meteoric rise from 1991 to 2003. He’s also the chairman and CEO of Revolution, which has invested over $1 billion in startups, and the author of several books, including Rise of the Rest and The Third Wave.

In this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Steve discuss the early days of the internet and the challenges of getting people to embrace it. Steve highlights the importance of community in AOL's success and the launch of AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). Steve also shares his vision for the third wave of the internet, where the internet meets the real world and disrupts industries like healthcare. 

Auren and Steve also discuss Steve’s extensive investments with his firm Revolution and his Rise of the Rest Initiative, which seeks to bring venture funding and innovation to non-coastal cities. They close out the conversation with a discussion about the power of optimism in entrepreneurship and the importance of partnerships and policy in driving change. 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit worldofdaas.buzzsprout.com, and follow us @WorldOfDaaS. 

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Steve Case on X at @SteveCase. 

Follow World of DaaS @WorldOfDaaS 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Blake Hall is the co-founder and CEO of ID.me, a secure digital identity network with over 100 million members.      

In this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Blake dive into online security, passwords, AI, and geopolitics. Blake explains the concept of identity wallets and their potential to streamline access to services and benefits. He also breaks down why identity wallets are like VISA and Mastercard, and explains where there’s untapped opportunity for a trillion-dollar company in the identity space.  

In the second half of the conversation, Auren and Blake discuss espionage in the digital age, the influence of Iran in the Middle East, and adapting to changing warfare tactics. They close with insights into Blake’s framework for hiring executives and assessing strategic thinking, and questioning conventional wisdom in entrepreneurship.

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit worldofdaas.buzzsprout.com, and follow us @WorldOfDaaS. 

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Blake Hall on X at @Blake_Hall

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Daniel Diermeier is the Chancellor of Vanderbilt University. He’s a world-renowned scholar of business management and political science. Before joining Vanderbilt, he was Provost of the University of Chicago. 

In this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Daniel engage in a thought-provoking discussion on free speech, academic freedom and the state of higher education at large. They explore the sources behind requests to curtail free speech, the principles guiding free expression at Vanderbilt, and how Daniel has developed programs to teach students about civil discourse. 

Daniel and Auren also discuss the influence of universities on broader culture to the evolving challenges faced by liberal arts colleges. Daniel shares insightful perspectives on the changing landscape of higher education and insights into the impact of rising student loan costs, the balance between teaching and research, and the rise in mental health challenges among students. 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit worldofdaas.buzzsprout.com, and follow us @WorldOfDaaS. 

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Daniel Diermeier on X at @VU_Chancellor.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Daniel Lurie is currently running for mayor of San Francisco. Prior to running for mayor, he was the founder and CEO of Tipping Point Community, a charitable organization that distributed over $30 million to organizations fighting poverty throughout the Bay Area last year.  

In this episode of World of DaaS, Daniel discusses tackling crime, homelessness and cost of living in San Francisco. He breaks down the structural factors in the city’s governance and explains how they’re enabling corruption and inefficiency. In particular, Daniel outlines how he would reform the city’s massive $700 million homelessness efforts to better support drug recovery.

Daniel and Auren also discuss Daniel’s background in philanthropy in New York and San Francisco. Daniel shares his insights on what makes a charity effective and efficient, and how he evaluates charities. They also discuss the impact of ranked choice voting, and how it changes campaigning. 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit worldofdaas.buzzsprout.com, and follow us @WorldOfDaaS. 

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Daniel on X at @DanielLurie

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Sarah Tavel is a general partner at Benchmark Capital. She serves on the board of Chainalysis, Hipcamp, Medely, Rekki, and Cambly. 

On this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Sarah discuss the concept of selling work in the SaaS industry and how it differs from selling traditional productivity software. Sarah explains how selling work could unlock whole new verticals for software penetration and disrupt existing SaaS giants. Auren and Sarah explore the areas where these new, leaner software companies could flourish and discuss the broader impacts of AI in SaaS. 

As one of the earliest hires at Pinterest, Sarah also has deep expertise with consumer social, which is set to be transformed by AI. She and Auren talk chatbots, AI avatars, and the responsibilities founders have as AI begins to replace more human interaction. The conversation wraps up by touching on Harvard as an institution, conspiracy theories about UAPs and TikTok, and questioning conventional wisdom about fundraising and growth. 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit worldofdaas.buzzsprout.com, and follow us @WorldOfDaaS. 

Follow World of DaaS @WorldOfDaaS

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Sarah Tavel on X at @sarahtavel.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Meb Faber is the co-founder and CIO of Cambria Investment Management, which has over $2B in assets under management. He’s also the host of the excellent financial podcast the Meb Faber Show. 

In this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Meb discuss global portfolio allocation, bitcoin ETFs, controversial investing strategies, and little-known financial industry secrets. They discuss the most common mistakes Meb sees in investment portfolios, the importance of global diversification and tax efficiency strategies for founders. 

This is a high-level investing strategy discussion, with Auren and Meb diving deep on the relative safety of different assets, ETFs vs mutual funds, and Meb's learnings from angel investing. They close out the conversation with Meb’s thoughts on the role of optimism in investing in startups, conspiracy theories, and his views on conventional wisdom in investing.

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Meb on X at @MebFaber

Follow World of DaaS @WorldOfDaaS 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Hans Swildens is a partner and Head of Industry Ventures at Goldman Sachs. Industry Ventures is one of the pioneers in the secondary market for venture capital, managing several billion in assets across LP stakes, direct secondaries, and primary fund investments. In October of 2025, Goldman Sachs announced they were acquiring Industry Ventures in a deal worth over $900 million dollars. 

In this episode of World of DaaS, Hans and Auren discuss:

• The evolution of secondaries from distressed deals to 70% of VC exits 
• Why Goldman Sachs paid almost $1 billion to acquire Industry Ventures 
• How Industry Ventures uses data from 700+ fund LP positions as a competitive edge 
• The future of venture fund structures and permanent capital vehicles

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Hans Swildens on X at @hansswildens.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Dr. Neil Buddy Shah is the CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative and the former managing director of GiveWell. 

In this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Buddy dive into all things data, public health, and AI. Buddy discusses innovative solutions for data scarcity in low-income countries, such as using machine learning algorithms to better target social and medical aid. He also explores the potential of low-cost surveys and the role of cell phones in data collection. 

Buddy is a longtime member of the effective altruism movement and the former managing director of GiveWell, a EA-focused organization that evaluates charities based on their cost-effectiveness. He shares some nuanced insights on the EA movement’s strengths and weaknesses, and where he’d like to see it improve. 

Auren and Buddy also discuss the impact of economic growth and governance on public health, the decline in HIV/AIDS lethality, the decline in trust of experts, and the Forbes Under 30 list. 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Buddy on X at @NeilBuddyShah

Follow World of DaaS @WorldOfDaaS 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Dan Siroker is the co-founder and CEO of Rewind AI. He also co-founded Optimizely, and he was the Director of Analytics at Obama’s first presidential campaign.     

On this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Dan discuss how Rewind raised its Series A in public, and how the unconventional move benefited the company. Dan shares insights on creating a compelling pitch and the importance of practicing and honing the pitch through meetings with investors. 

Dan also discusses the challenges and opportunities in building screenless wearable devices, and what future wearables could look like. Auren and Dan explore how wearable AI tech could affect cancel culture, transparency, and surveillance. The conversation closes with Dan’s advice for parent founders and his thoughts on conventional wisdom and advice.

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Dan Siroker on X at @dsiroker. 

Follow World of DaaS @WorldOfDaaS 

Emil Michael was the Chief Business Officer at $UBER during its hyperscale period from 2013 to 2017. He’s currently the CEO of DPCM Capital, and he’s also a strategic advisor to a number of amazing companies, including Codecademy, GroupMe and Taser. 

On this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Emil cover everything from tech IPOs and Uber's stock performance to the future of AI, the relationship between Uber and Benchmark, and more. 

Emil shares insights into the reasons behind the delay in tech IPOs, the profitability of ridesharing companies, and the future for Uber and Lyft as they expand their food delivery businesses and explore new verticals. He also discusses the impact of higher interest rates on startups and the nuances of launching and operating marketplace businesses. 

Emil and Auren also have a candid conversation about Uber’s relationship with Benchmark Capital and how it affected the trajectory of the company– Emil thinks Uber could have been 2 or 3 times as large as it is now. He offers key advice for founders on choosing your VCs and keeping execs and the board in alignment. 

To close out, Emil also shares some counterintuitive management advice and insights from conducting over 3,000 interviews at Uber.  

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Emil on X at @emilmichael. 

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Austen Allred is the founder and CEO of the Bloom Institute of Technology (formerly known as Lambda School), a coding bootcamp that’s helped thousands of students get a job in tech.      

The discussion kicks off with an exploration of Income Share Agreements (ISAs) and how BloomTech has used them as an alternative to student loans. Austen shares insights on the financial incentives and regulatory pressures that have prevented more schools from embracing ISAs, and how the current student loan regime works.   

Auren and Austen dive deep on education and discuss different funding models at public and private universities, the decline of apprenticeship, and the structural factors that have caused the cost of education to skyrocket in the last few decades. Austen sheds light on questionable practices of for-profit colleges and the intriguing dynamics of universities acquiring coding bootcamps.

As the conversation unfolds, Austen shares insights on how being an investor makes him a better CEO and even delves into intriguing conspiracy theories. The episode wraps up with Austen debunking common management advice and offering unconventional perspectives on micromanagement and employee satisfaction. 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Austen Allred at @Austen

Oren Cass is the founder and executive director of the think tank American Compass, and the author of the book The Once and Future Worker: A Vision for the Renewal of Work in America. He was also the Domestic Policy Director for Mitt Romney’s 2012 campaign. 

In this episode, Oren discusses the limitations of common economic statistics, emphasizing their narrow scope in capturing the overall economic landscape. He challenges prevailing notions about the cost of thriving in the middle class, shedding light on inflation measures and geographical variations that impact individual spending.

The conversation extends to the changing dynamics within conservative ideologies, the role of unions in the new right, and the future of GOP/labor relationships. Oren explores the implications of automation on the workforce, shares insights on globalization, and critiques industrial policy. The episode also touches on the decline of apprenticeships in favor of formal education, concluding with Oren’s unconventional advice on success. Tune in for a straightforward exploration of tech, data, and macroeconomics that challenges conventional economic wisdom.

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Oren Cass at @oren_cass on X.

This episode is a rebroadcast of Auren's appearance on Media Empires with Erik Torenberg. Go check out  Media Empires for more from the best YouTube creators, podcasters, newsletter writers, and media entrepreneurs.

In this episode, Erik and Auren discuss all things data business, including data on windfalls and net worth, reputational databases, and the failures and successes of LinkedIn.

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Erik on Twitter at @eriktorenberg

Greg Lukianoff is the President and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). He’s also a bestselling author of several books, including The Coddling of the American Mind and most recently The Canceling of the American Mind.

On this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Greg delve into the current state of cancel culture. Greg reveals surprising stats on which schools are the best and worst for free speech in 2024 and breaks down the escalating levels of shoutdowns and violence observed on campuses in 2020 and 2021.

Beyond campus dynamics, the discussion expands to the broader significance of the situation in academia and what the value of a degree should be in the workforce. Greg advocates for a shift in focus from degrees as a metric of value, and talks about what smart companies are looking towards for alternative hiring criteria. Auren and Greg also explore of the origins of cancel culture in 2014, tying in historical lessons on censorship and highlighting the interplay between free speech and the contemporary culture of safetyism.

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Greg Lukianoff on X at @glukianoff.

Mary Kay Henry is the president of the Service Employees International Union, which represents 2 million people in unions across the US and Canada.

In this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Mary Kay discuss the current surge in the labor movement and what it means for American companies and workers. Mary Kay breaks down some recent developments, including Microsoft's agreement with the Communications Workers of America around unions for game developers.  

The conversation also delves into political dynamics, exploring the evolving relationship between Republicans and labor, with Mary Kay providing nuanced insights into why some newly elected figures in the Republican party seem to be evolving on labor issues. They also discuss the effects of immigration on the country’s labor market over the last 50 years, and where the labor movement stands on immigration today. 

The episode concludes with Mary Kay sharing advice for CEOs, discussing term limits, and even delving into a conspiracy theory she finds intriguing. The conversation offers a unique glimpse into Mary Kay's leadership philosophy, advocating for a culture of agility and a proactive approach to challenges within the labor movement.

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Mary Kay Henry on X at @MaryKayHenry.

Joe Lonsdale is a co-founder of a number of amazing companies, including Palantir, Addepar and OpenGov, and he’s a cofounder of the University of Austin. He’s also the founder and managing partner of the venture firm 8VC, and he’s invested in some incredible companies, including Oculus, Anduril, Wish and Flexport.

In this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Joe engage in a thought-provoking discussion on optimism and pessimism, technological progress, and reforming society at the most basic levels. Joe shares his vision for revolutionizing American healthcare, emphasizing the need to fix a broken system without sacrificing innovation. Auren and Joe also explore the challenges within higher education, unpacking surprising statistics about administrator-to-student ratios and contemplating the evolving nature of meritocracy.

As a cofounder of Palantir, Joe has unique insight into the defense industrial complex, and he and Auren delve into the intersection of defense, geopolitics, and technology. Joe makes predictions about the future of defense innovation, and speculates on the emergence of new unicorns in the sector. The episode concludes with a challenging, contrarian take on entrepreneurship, where Lonsdale redefines the qualities required to be a founder and questions some of the conventional wisdom about starting companies. 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Joe Lonsdale on X at @JTLonsdale. 

Sam Lessin is a GP at Slow Ventures, a former Facebook product manager, and the founder of Drop.io and Fin. He’s also the co-host of an excellent podcast on tech called More or Less. 

On this episode of World of DaaS, Sam gives a comprehensive breakdown of the state of venture capital. Auren and Sam discuss the “unicorn factory” for building public companies, the influence of megafunds like Tiger Global and Softbank, and the fundamental changes that VC went through in 2018-2022. 

Sam also shares his outlook on the best areas for investment in 2024 and beyond, including which founders are set up to thrive and which businesses are likely to struggle. They also go deep on the dynamics of investing in AI– Sam is confident he knows who the winners will be in artificial intelligence. 

To close out, Auren and Sam dive into some of the “weird” investment ideas they’re exploring, like income share agreements and backing creators. They also reflect on the changing global landscape of tech and discuss whether the era of the “open internet” is over. 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Sam Lessin on X at @lessin. 

Glenn Hubbard is Dean Emeritus and Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics at Columbia Business School. He served as Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003 and was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy at the U.S. Treasury. He has served on the boards of BlackRock, ADP, MetLife, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

In this episode of World of DaaS, Glenn and Auren discuss:

• Why consumer sentiment contradicts economic indicators
• The Fed's impossible dilemma on rate cuts
• Smarter tariff policy and growth
• Why most MBA programs are ROI negative

Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Glenn Hubbard on LinkedIn.

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Brian Halligan is the co-founder, longtime CEO and now executive chair of Hubspot, a full service platform for marketing, sales and customer service. Hubspot was founded in 2006 and has a market cap of $23B today. Brian coined the term “inbound marketing” and helped give rise to one of the biggest shifts in marketing of the last 20 years. 

In this episode of World of DaaS, Brian offers a deep dive into the intricacies of boardroom politics, effective leadership transitions, and the ever-evolving landscape of marketing in the AI age. He offers a candid perspective on what makes a bad board, and how to steer clear of individuals who are a “waste of a board seat.”

As the conversation unfolds, Brian forecasts the future of marketing, envisioning a landscape transformed by AI and the democratization of information. He highlights the unique model of renowned venture capital firm Sequoia and draws comparisons between the cultural dynamics of the tech scenes on the West and East coasts. 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Brian Halligan on X at @bhalligan. 

This episode is a rebroadcast of Auren’s appearance on the MapScaping Podcast. 

In this episode, Auren and MapScaping host Daniel O’Donohue go deep on geospatial data. They start by discussing Placekey– an open entity resolution service for places and addresses. Auren gives a breakdown of the complexities involved with address matching, and what that has to do with the dollar, Unix time, and innovation. 

Auren and Daniel also delve into a broader conversation about join keys, data integration and the future of data interoperability. 

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and on X and Daniel O’Donohue on LinkedIn. 

See more from the MapScaping podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts.  

Sam Corcos is the CEO of Levels, an a16z-backed health tech startup. While Levels’ mission is amazing, what really sets the company apart is how Sam runs it: Levels is highly transparent, asynchronous first, and serious about leveraging delegation for maximum productivity. 

In this episode of World of DaaS, Sam gives a master class on the art of virtual assistance and delegation.  Levels uses VAS to allow team members much greater leverage over their work. Sam himself has four EAs that allow him to get an extra 90-120 hours of work done each week.

Auren and Sam also delve into transparency and building in public, a principle Sam champions as a CEO. Sam discusses the leadership skills that allowed him to build enough trust in his organization to try out experimental management techniques like radical transparency and asynchronous-first communication.    

Sam isn’t just an optimizer in his professional life– he’s a hardcore minimalist (he owns just one pair of pants), a digital nomad, and a deeply intentional thinker on matters in his personal life. Sam shares the mathematical formula that led him from single to married in six months, how he thinks about consumerism, and his formula for throwing the perfect salon dinner.  

World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph & Flex Capital. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts.

You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Sam on X at @SamCorcos