E33: AI Therapy, 4chan, and Why Conferences Are Like Cities

This week, writer Byrne Hobart and investor Erik Torenberg discuss the economics of conferences and cities, rise of meme stocks, future of coding in the age of AI and more. beehiiv: Head to https://beehiiv.com and use code "MOZ" for 20% off your first three months.

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This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.

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SPONSORS:

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Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YQZkKHN7EP2yWedAvSxBC?si=18377c69a2804333

Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/autopilot-with-will-summerlin/id1738163836

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:20) Economics of conferences vs Economics of cities

(04:09) Historical and modern city dynamics

(06:02) Controversies and discussions at conferences

(10:00) Rise of meme stocks and retail investors

(17:38) Sponsor: Babbel | Beehiiv

(20:10) High volatility in stocks

(23:10) Cultural influence of 4chan and Reddit

(28:33) Value capture in startups and capital structure

(31:30) Exploring self-funding and investment strategies

(37:14) Concept of cross-investing in people

(45:05) Value of learning to code

(50:15) Future of therapy in an AI-driven world

(57:56) Impact of AI on engineering jobs

(01:00:28) Comparing software and media

(01:03:50) Wrap

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LINKS:

Byrne’s writing: https://thediff.co

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X / TWITTER:

https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg (Erik)

https://twitter.com/ByrneHobart (Byrne)

https://twitter.com/TurpentineMedia (Turpentine)

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