Best Sequoia Simone Podcasts (2025)

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194 | The Mark of Athena Ch. 27–28 w/ Sequoia Simone 1:16:40

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6d ago1:16:40

1:16:40

Sequoia Simone AKA the co-creator of our new podcast, Professional Talkers, makes her glorious return to TNO to discuss our heroes meeting THE HERO in Heroes of Olympus Book 3! Topics include: Jeremy Bearemy, podcast logistics, Salt Lake City, Coney Island, Snakes by the Ocean, Mayor of Tangent Town, tromping, The Avril Lavigne Theory, Canadian Tha…

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Insiders React: New ChatGPT Dev Tools Threaten App Store + Sora 2 Launch, Apple Removes ICE Block 47:02

3d ago47:02

47:02

What happens when AI stops being a product and starts being a platform? With OpenAI’s latest Dev Day changing the game, we might find out sooner rather than later. In this episode, Chris and Yaniv explore OpenAI’s Dev Day and the huge announcements made (including the Sora 2 launch), as well as their apparent transformation from product to platform…

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Anne of Avenue A with Audrey and Emily 55:01

5d ago55:01

55:01

By Molly Burdick

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Nailing Your Market Niche w/ Dutch CEO, Joe Spector (Spotlight) 58:59

2d ago58:59

58:59

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Insiders React: ChatGPT Pulse: An Overpriced Daily Digest? + Hollywood’s First AI Actress, Amazon’s $2.5B Settlement 38:07

10d ago38:07

38:07

OpenAI just launched ChatGPT Pulse, a succinct, personalized daily feed. Will this shift the focus of AI from performance to personal context? Or is it just an overhyped, overpriced daily digest? In this episode, Chris and Yaniv get right into this week's tech news: the reality of ChatGPT Pulse, plus the wider implications of Hollywood's first AI a…

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How Being Genuine is a Critical Advantage For Startup Founders w/ Christine Blosdale, Expert Authority Coach (Edu) 50:45

13d ago50:45

50:45

Standing out has gotten even more difficult thanks to the flood of AI content, and many early-stage founders mistakenly believe they need to act like corporate brands to be taken seriously. In this episode, Yaniv chats with Christine Blosdale, an award-winning media coach, podcaster, and branding strategist. Together they discuss how authenticity, …

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193 | The Mark of Athena Ch. 25–26 w/ Dr. Steven Parra 1:03:22

13d ago1:03:22

1:03:22

The doctor is back in and we've got more of the third Heroes of Olympus book to cover! Also, being on brand as Dr. Steven Parra, we go on a doctor tangent this episode! Topics include: dream messages, Goblet of Fire, the Athena Parthenos, relationship overanalyzing, scrubs, Mediterranean landscapes, Barcelona, Duane Reade, softball optimism, Tyson’…

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Insiders React: Tech Talent Pool to Be Decimated by New Fee + OpenAI Jobs Platform, $1B for Dishwashing Robots 53:27

17d ago53:27

53:27

What happens to Silicon Valley when the world’s best founders and engineers can no longer afford to work in the US? Today, Chris and Yaniv break down why the massive new work visa fee is a tech talent crisis waiting to happen. They discuss how Trump’s surprising $100K H-1B fee could reshape startup hiring and the tech sector at large, along with th…

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Season 4 Finale Q+A 1:10:22

19d ago1:10:22

1:10:22

We're joined by Graham today to answer YOUR questions for our season finale! Topics discussed include our Persuasion dream adaptation, the theme of persuasion in other Austen novels, the way Taylor Swift defined our lives, Persuasion's message to modern audiences, chronic illness in Austen, our Persuasion murder mystery, our Mansfield Park predicti…

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Why Every Startup Founder Should Consider B2B SaaS w/ Rob Walling (Edu) 58:29

20d ago58:29

58:29

Is the new age of AI agents about to kill niche B2B SaaS businesses? Many first-time founders worry that tools like ChatGPT or custom AI builders will make off-the-shelf SaaS products obsolete, but it could simply herald a new evolution of SaaS. In this episode, Yaniv is joined by Rob Walling, serial founder, investor, and author of The SaaS Playbo…

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192 | The Mark of Athena Ch. 23–24 w/ Wil Williams 1:20:39

20d ago1:20:39

1:20:39

We've got another TNO guesting debut for you, this time it's Wil Williams of Hug House Productions! Wil and Mike share their thoughts on two chapters from Mark of Athena, as well as some Old People takes. Topics include: washing linens, the Arizona heat, Nest, European rules, crawfish, SHRIMPZILLA, The Wu-Tang Clan, Old Man Takes, Super Smash Bros.…

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Insiders React: YouTube's Steady Domination + Oracle's AI Comeback, Sam Altman v. Tucker Carlson 55:08

24d ago55:08

55:08

Is YouTube quietly becoming the most powerful platform in the world? Announcements made during Made On YouTube 2025 revealed incredibly promising long-term plans, with the media giant seemingly set to dominate video, music, and podcasts with the help of Google’s AI. Too many entrepreneurs still see YouTube as ‘just’ a video host, missing the bigger…

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Be Persistent Without Being Stupid: We Learn from YC Founder Paul Graham 41:13

27d ago41:13

41:13

Are you truly being persistent with your startup, or just being stubborn? In the new age of AI-powered founders and hyper-fast iteration, many entrepreneurs mistake obstinacy for persistence and end up running out of time, money, and morale. Too often we glorify “hustle” and “grit” without understanding when to adapt, pivot, or quit. The misconcept…

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191 | The Mark of Athena Ch. 21–22 w/ Paul Caiola 1:22:17

27d ago1:22:17

1:22:17

We've got a new guest for a new episode of The Newest Olympian! Paul Cailoa from the That Aged Well podcast makes his TNO debut to discuss 2 chapters of Mark of Athena and go down many delight tangents with the Mayor of Tangent Town, Mike Schubert. Topics include: Escapism, Civil War, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, whipped cream, trains, ghost-writing b…

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Insiders React: Apple's Huge AI Blunder + IPO Market Heats Up, White House Tech Dinner 57:09

1M ago57:09

57:09

With Apple’s iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, AirPods Pro 3, and Apple Watch 11 now unveiled, what does this mean for the future of phones and wearable tech? And does the incredible AI of Google Pixel still blow Siri out of the water? In this episode, Chris and Yaniv delve into Apple’s newest product lineup and what it reveals about the company’s long-te…

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Growing a Pre-Seed Startup? This Is The Core Knowledge You Need w/ Ashley Smith 57:54

1M ago57:54

57:54

Pre-seed founders want explosive growth early on, but are you following the wrong playbook too soon? These days strategies, acronyms, and well-intended advice are everywhere, but today's guest argues that the path forward is a simple one: talk to customers, run experiments, and embrace rejection as part of the journey. In this episode, Yaniv Bernst…

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190 | The Mark of Athena Ch. 18–20 w/ Kelly Schubert 1:17:30

1M ago1:17:30

1:17:30

Kelly sits down with Mike in the Auxiliary Schubio to cover these three chapters that they covered live in Salt Lake City at a live show where the audio was unable to be recorded! Topics include: audio recording struggles, local nerds, gray streaks, ATPT, Taylor Swift, blonde jokes, tea time, display desserts, My Cousin Vinny, The Bachelor, Luke ha…

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Insiders React: Google Antitrust: Is The Ruling Fair? + YC’s Latest Request For Startups, Statsig Acquisition 47:43

1M ago47:43

47:43

Google’s long-running antitrust case has reached its remedy stage, and the outcome was far lighter than many expected. No breakup, no ban on default search deals, just a few constraints on bundling apps and some required data sharing, but it may not be quite as simple as it seems on the surface. Meanwhile, OpenAI dropped $1.1 billion to acquire Sta…

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First Principles: Listen to This Before You Apply to YC 38:04

1M ago38:04

38:04

It seems like startup accelerators are everywhere these days. But what are they? What’s the point of them? And most importantly, is it worth having your startup go through one? Based on their own experience with YC and startups, Chris and Yaniv talk you through it all. In this episode, you will: Learn what startup accelerators are and how they work…

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BONUS | Professional Talkers Ep. 1 (Mike & Sequoia's New Podcast) 59:49

1M ago59:49

59:49

Hello! We're off this week for the Labor Day + 5-Monday month combo, but I've still got a fun bonus ep headed your way! In the intro, I'll discuss TNO's upcoming show in Manchester, UK on September 19, 2025 and the charity we're supporting this time before diving into our feed drop for the first ep of me and Sequoia's new podcast, Professional Talk…

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Insiders React: Google Pixel 10 – Does It Finally Beat Apple at Its Own Game? 35:21

1M ago35:21

35:21

Is Apple’s dominance in smartphones starting to crack? Google’s Pixel 10 launch brought AI-first features, polished hardware, and bold marketing, signaling a new era in the iPhone vs. Android rivalry. For years, the iPhone has been synonymous with polish, hardware quality, and ecosystem lock-in. But with Google’s patient, decade-long investment in …

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Austenland 57:01

2M ago57:01

57:01

Today, we're continuing our summer book club with a discussion of Austenland - both the book by Shannon Hale and the 2013 masterpiece starring Kerri Russell directed by Jerusha Hess. Topics discussed include why the modern woman loves Jane Austen, whether we would go to Austenland, which plot we'd be assigned, the ethics of Austenland (or lack ther…

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Startup Tech Stacks: Make Your Product Stand Out & Get Used w/ Joseph Ruscio 1:04:17

2M ago1:04:17

1:04:17

What makes a great tech infrastructure startup? And how do the best ones successfully navigate, and stand out from, the overcrowded market? In this episode, Yaniv is joined by Joseph Ruscio, General Partner at Heavybit and former CTO of Vibrato, to unpack the dos and don'ts of tech infrastructure startups, how open source fuels growth, and why AI i…

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189 | The Mark of Athena Ch. 16–17 w/ Mal from Demigod Debut 1:15:57

2M ago1:15:57

1:15:57

Mal from Demigod Debut makes her TNO debut to cover some Mark of Athena chapters, but more importantly to yell about the New York Yankees and New York Metro Transit Authority. Topics include: ankees vs. Astros, The Savannah Bananas, fish tubes, the Houston Zoo, Zuckerberg, koi & goldfish, Chuck Norris, The Market of Athena, the C in Schubert, step-…

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Insiders React: Meta to Shrink AI Division – Is This the Beginning of the End? 27:47

2M ago27:47

27:47

Is the AI hype cycle about to burst? For months, investors and founders have chased sky-high valuations, billion-dollar hires, and promises of superintelligence, but Meta's drastic plans to cut back its AI division seem to indicate a bleak future for LLMs and AI at large. In this episode, Chris and Yaniv unpack the latest shakeup at Meta, using the…

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YC Founder’s 13 Timeless Startup Principles: 'Ramen Profitable’ and More 44:14

2M ago44:14

44:14

This new era of AI-driven startups has many founders still believing success is about having the perfect product roadmap. The truth, however, is far more counterintuitive. In this episode, Yaniv and Chris dive into timeless lessons from Paul Graham’s legendary essay “Startups in 13 Sentences”. Drawing from Graham’s wisdom and their own experiences,…

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188 | The Mark of Athena Ch. 13B–15 w/ Robert Gaymer 1:17:11

2M ago1:17:11

1:17:11

Robert from The Dam Meme Page is back to cover more Mark of Athena, and he uses his expertise to explain a scene that caused many heated discussions in the PJO fandom! Topics include: Teething, categorized reels, glass floors, CN Tower, Chicago Ferris Bueler stuff, BBC Sherlock, Mission Impossible, fanning, Love & Basketball, prom, Legolas & Gimli,…

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Insiders React: GPT-5 Is ‘Fast Fashion’ For Software + Apple’s $600B Commitment, Altman vs Musk (...Again) 41:37

2M ago41:37

41:37

Is AI threatening traditional subscription software models and accelerating competitive turnover? Sam Altman thinks so. In this episode, Chris and Ray discuss OpenAI’s GPT-5 release, and Altman's prediction that AI will enable a “fast fashion” era of SaaS, where applications can be created, deployed, and discarded in rapid cycles. You'll also hear …

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Miss Austen with Sarah Rose Kearns and Prerna Ramachandra 1:41:05

2M ago1:41:05

1:41:05

We're joined today by Sarah Rose Kearns and Prerna Ramachandra, the creators of the short film Manydown to discuss the PBS miniseries Miss Austen, based on the novel by Gill Hornby. Plus, an exciting announcement! Topics discussed include the similarities between the choices artists had to make in Austen's time and now, the themes of mental illness…

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Capital for Founders: Insights From Yaniv’s New Startup Raise 50:59

2M ago50:59

50:59

Raising money for your startup isn’t just about pitching but navigating egos, timing, and a flood of contradictory feedback. Why do some founders win over early believers who open every door, while others get stuck in endless “soft nos”? And how do you avoid twisting yourself into a pretzel trying to please every investor you meet? In this episode,…

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187 | The Mark of Athena Ch. 11–13A w/ Lada & Vero Bartova (LIVE in Zürich!) 1:44:03

2M ago1:44:03

1:44:03

After juuuust missing the cut to be a part of Tourope in 2023, Zürich finally has its day in the TNO sun, as it was the host of this live show cover more of the Mark of Athena! Schubes is joined by The Menace Sisters, making their debut as guests on The Newest Olympian! Topics include: Swiss food, Horse Girls, Yzma, concussion protocols, team medic…

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Insiders React: Cloudflare Catches Perplexity Red-Handed + Wikipedia Adopts Anti-AI Slop Policy, AWS Losing Ground 44:26

2M ago44:26

44:26

In violation of long-standing internet norms like robots.txt, Cloudflare caught Perplexity AI scraping content from websites that had explicitly opted out. The situation begs the question: what happens when AI startups prioritize growth over digital consent? Listen as Chris and Yaniv discuss the repercussions of Cloudflare's "honeypot" traps. They …

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Grow Your Startup Fast and Effectively w/ Roblox's Former Tech Chief, Keith V. Lucas 56:37

2M ago56:37

56:37

In the startup world, speed is everything. But too many founders confuse busyness with velocity, mistaking frantic activity for real momentum. In this episode, Chris and Yaniv are joined by Keith Lucas, former product and engineering leader at Roblox, to unpack what speed actually means—and how to build it into your startup from day one. They explo…

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186 | The Mark of Athena Ch. 9–10 w/ Genna Buck (LIVE in Montreal!) 1:29:40

2M ago1:29:40

1:29:40

Schubes is joined in Canada, this time Montreal aka Montréal, by TNO's Designated Canadian, Genna Buck, to dissect some Piper chapters of Mark of Athena! Topics include: two languages, spicy all-dressed chips, Barrett’s Privateers, Born in the U.S.A., Katy/Tris, Limitless, hockey, drowning, Mr. D’s wardrobe, Ka-dropped-this, seasickness, sickness f…

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Insiders React: Microsoft Launches GitHub Spark + US Govt Bans "Woke AI", YouTube to Restrict Kids' Accounts 54:45

2M ago54:45

54:45

Is GitHub Spark the future of AI software building? Startups looking to use “vibe coding” often face janky tools and broken promises. Microsoft's latest IDE, however, has serious potential to be the industry breakthrough that addresses the agonizing issues developers face. In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein unpack Microsoft’s latest at…

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In Defense of Persuasion (2022) with Laughing with Lizzie 1:14:59

3M ago1:14:59

1:14:59

We're joined today by Laughing with Lizzie aka Sophie Andrews to discuss, one last time, Persuasion (2022), but this time with a positive spin. Topics discussed include breaking the fourth wall, Anne as the center of the story's focus, Sir Walter and Elizabeth's fairly tale, the cinematography, unseriousness, our favorite supporting characters, tak…

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Listener Q&A – Should You Use AI to Build Your MVP? Plus: Building Your Perfect Team, Breaking Startup Rules & More (Edu) 39:09

3M ago39:09

39:09

AI is changing how we build startups, but how can founders leverage it without their product becoming slop? Too many early-stage entrepreneurs believe that faster prototyping automatically leads to better products. In reality, rushing to “ship something” can destroy product-market fit before it’s even tested. In this Q&A episode, Yaniv Bernstein (e…

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185 | The Mark of Athena Ch. 7–8 w/ Eric Hamilton Schneider (LIVE in Cleveland!) 1:50:01

3M ago1:50:01

1:50:01

The 2025 Midwest Tour comes to its conclusion in Cleveland, the hometown of this episode’s guest, Eric Hamilton Schneider! Come listen to us break down the Narcissus chapters of Mark of Athena! Topics include: the Masons, Thailand, Leo’s priorities, changing visuals, home gyms, Echo, posture, deadlifts, Jungkook, YouTube, internet rest stops, J-Hop…

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Insiders React: Uber's New Response to Waymo + ChatGPT’s New Super Agent & OpenAI’s Chaotic Company Culture 48:31

3M ago48:31

48:31

Is Uber’s gamble on RoboTaxis a brilliant move, or the end of its asset-light magic? And what’s really going on inside OpenAI as it races to dominate AI? Many founders assume hypergrowth companies are perfectly coordinated machines, but the reality is far messier. From billion-dollar GPU costs to chaotic product launches, there’s a lot for entrepre…