David Pierce

Hello, and welcome to Decoder. I'm David Pierce, the editor-at-large at The Verge. As you may have noticed, we're dropping some extra episodes in the Decoder feed this week. You'll have Nilay back on Friday and for next week, I promise, as we run towards the end of the year. Lots of good stuff still coming.

Hello, and welcome to Decoder. I'm David Pierce, the editor-at-large at The Verge. As you may have noticed, we're dropping some extra episodes in the Decoder feed this week. You'll have Nilay back on Friday and for next week, I promise, as we run towards the end of the year. Lots of good stuff still coming.

But I'm really excited to be here with all of you today because I get to talk about one of my very favorite things, podcasts. There's something strange happening these days in the podcasting world. Actually, there are kind of a lot of strange things happening in the podcast world. It's been a wild year in general.

But I'm really excited to be here with all of you today because I get to talk about one of my very favorite things, podcasts. There's something strange happening these days in the podcasting world. Actually, there are kind of a lot of strange things happening in the podcast world. It's been a wild year in general.

But I'm really excited to be here with all of you today because I get to talk about one of my very favorite things, podcasts. There's something strange happening these days in the podcasting world. Actually, there are kind of a lot of strange things happening in the podcast world. It's been a wild year in general.

One thing I've really noticed is the way that companies that deal in money have started using podcasts in kind of unusual ways. It's something we've seen actually for a few years now with venture capital firms, just to name one example.

One thing I've really noticed is the way that companies that deal in money have started using podcasts in kind of unusual ways. It's something we've seen actually for a few years now with venture capital firms, just to name one example.

One thing I've really noticed is the way that companies that deal in money have started using podcasts in kind of unusual ways. It's something we've seen actually for a few years now with venture capital firms, just to name one example.

Not only do most of the top level VC companies have their own podcasts at this point, but also people who do podcasts about venture capital end up going into it after meeting and talking to all of these folks. Have you ever heard the joke that like anytime two dudes go into a room, they end up accidentally making a podcast? It's kind of true.

Not only do most of the top level VC companies have their own podcasts at this point, but also people who do podcasts about venture capital end up going into it after meeting and talking to all of these folks. Have you ever heard the joke that like anytime two dudes go into a room, they end up accidentally making a podcast? It's kind of true.

Not only do most of the top level VC companies have their own podcasts at this point, but also people who do podcasts about venture capital end up going into it after meeting and talking to all of these folks. Have you ever heard the joke that like anytime two dudes go into a room, they end up accidentally making a podcast? It's kind of true.

And it's becoming a strangely central part of business in more ways than you might think. It's a strange, complicated web that goes both ways. And it's not getting any less weird or any less complicated now that you can add stuff like crypto and politics to the mix. So I just needed somebody to help me talk through all of it.

And it's becoming a strangely central part of business in more ways than you might think. It's a strange, complicated web that goes both ways. And it's not getting any less weird or any less complicated now that you can add stuff like crypto and politics to the mix. So I just needed somebody to help me talk through all of it.

And it's becoming a strangely central part of business in more ways than you might think. It's a strange, complicated web that goes both ways. And it's not getting any less weird or any less complicated now that you can add stuff like crypto and politics to the mix. So I just needed somebody to help me talk through all of it.

So I asked Nick Kwa to come on the show and help me untangle all of this stuff. These days, Nick is the podcast critic for Vulture, which is one of The Verge's corporate siblings here at Vox Media. He also originally started Hot Pod back in 2014. So he's been following this stuff for a long time and really knows what he's talking about.

So I asked Nick Kwa to come on the show and help me untangle all of this stuff. These days, Nick is the podcast critic for Vulture, which is one of The Verge's corporate siblings here at Vox Media. He also originally started Hot Pod back in 2014. So he's been following this stuff for a long time and really knows what he's talking about.

So I asked Nick Kwa to come on the show and help me untangle all of this stuff. These days, Nick is the podcast critic for Vulture, which is one of The Verge's corporate siblings here at Vox Media. He also originally started Hot Pod back in 2014. So he's been following this stuff for a long time and really knows what he's talking about.

I really wanted to know what he's seeing in this space in general, but I also had lots of questions. Why would a major investment firm like Elliott Management make a podcast to make a point in a fight over the future of Southwest Airlines? What is the point of starting your own podcast in 2024 in general? Was this really the podcast election, as everybody has been saying for the last few weeks?

I really wanted to know what he's seeing in this space in general, but I also had lots of questions. Why would a major investment firm like Elliott Management make a podcast to make a point in a fight over the future of Southwest Airlines? What is the point of starting your own podcast in 2024 in general? Was this really the podcast election, as everybody has been saying for the last few weeks?

I really wanted to know what he's seeing in this space in general, but I also had lots of questions. Why would a major investment firm like Elliott Management make a podcast to make a point in a fight over the future of Southwest Airlines? What is the point of starting your own podcast in 2024 in general? Was this really the podcast election, as everybody has been saying for the last few weeks?