Latest Interviews
Showing 1–15 of 16 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute20 min
Advancing a Modern Regulatory Framework: SEC Chairman Paul Atkins Conversation | Global Conference
Paul Atkins, Michael Piwowar, Mike
The SEC is executing a strategic pivot from enforcement-heavy regulation to a framework prioritizing economic materiality, aiming to reverse the decline in public companies and revitalize the IPO market through simplified disclosure rules and reduced litigation barriers. Parallel efforts are establishing clear jurisdictional boundaries with the CFTC for digital assets while modernizing fund structures to enhance tax efficiency and expanding 401(k) access to private credit markets. Guided by Enforcement Director David Woodcock's focus on substantive fraud over procedural technicalities, the agency seeks to restore investor confidence and preserve the United States' competitive standing in global capital formation.
- Stanford Online1h 5m
Stanford CS153 Frontier Systems | The Road Ahead: Resilience Required
Joe Sullivan, Mike, Matthew Prince, Travis, John, Brandon, Shov
Former security executives from the US Department of Justice, eBay, Facebook, and Uber detail a high-stakes career trajectory that includes the 2016 Uber data breach, a 2022 obstruction of justice conviction, and subsequent rehabilitation through community support and global speaking engagements. The discussion analyzes the modern threat landscape, highlighting the evolution of ransomware, the operational risks posed by generative AI, and the urgent need for quantum-resistant cryptography. Concluding with strategic advice for 2026, the presentation emphasizes that cybersecurity leadership must evolve into a core executive function capable of navigating complex regulatory environments and ensuring organizational resilience against both digital and physical threats.
- The Economist9 min
Is a private-credit meltdown the next financial crisis? | The Economist
Private credit, a non-bank lending sector estimated at $1.5 to $3 trillion, surged following post-2008 regulatory shifts and a 2010s boom in private equity buyouts. Despite attracting institutional investors through high illiquidity premiums, recent redemption crises at major firms like Blue Owl Capital and Blackstone have exposed governance weaknesses and asset quality concerns. While experts predict a prolonged economic impact rather than a sudden systemic collapse, the sector faces ongoing scrutiny over the viability of its semi-liquid business model.
- The Economist10 min
How much tax should the rich pay? | The Economist
Contrary to narratives of neoliberal rollback, recent data reveals a "Robin Hood economy" in the developed world where increased government redistribution has stabilized post-tax inequality despite rising pre-tax disparities. While U.S. top earners now contribute a larger share of federal taxes as high-earning professionals rather than evaders, polling indicates a persistent public perception that their tax burden remains insufficient. This economic reality clashes with philosophical debates between Henry, who warns that fairness requires limiting taxation to preserve incentives, and Mike, who advocates targeting negative externalities and consumption rather than income or capital.
- Milken Institute34 min
A Conversation with US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker | Middle East & Africa Summit 2025
Matthew Whitaker, Michael Milken, Matt Winokur, Mike
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Winokur outlines a strategic pivot toward equalizing allied defense spending and accelerating the adoption of autonomous, low-cost warfare systems to counter escalating threats from Russia, China, and North Korea. He emphasizes a shift from high-cost legacy platforms to scalable drone technology and calls for a societal readiness model inspired by Nordic nations to manage volatility in the Arctic and the volatile Sahel region. Looking ahead, Winokur frames President Trump's agenda as a bid for "durable peace" driven by "peace through strength," aiming to end the Ukraine conflict while establishing free trade and dialogue with historic adversaries.
- The Economist8 min
Why this crypto crash is different
Amidst a regulatory landscape reshaped by the Trump administration's appointment of industry insiders and the removal of past constraints, the global crypto market has matured from a niche asset class into a multi-trillion dollar financial component. Despite significant political support and the launch of family-backed ventures like World Liberty Financial, the sector is currently grappling with a unique downturn where new investors face substantial losses even as Bitcoin trades near $90,000. This shift marks a departure from historical boom-bust cycles, signaling a transition where decentralized finance aligns with conservative anti-establishment sentiments while institutional adoption accelerates through ETFs and banking licenses.
- The Economist8 min
Why the world’s population is heading for collapse
Mike, Henry, Corbin Duncan, Karen Richmond Jones
Global fertility rates are converging below replacement levels across two-thirds of the world, driven by a societal trend in lower-income nations rather than a temporary fluctuation. While the UN projects a population peak of 10 billion in the 2080s based on assumed recovery, alternative models indicate that sustained low fertility could bring this peak forward to the mid-21st century, precipitating severe population losses in regions like East Asia. This demographic shift also reflects complex outcomes in the United States, where declining teen births and delayed childbearing among educated women have altered age structures without signaling a universal rejection of parenthood.
- Y Combinator42 min
Vertical AI Agents Could Be 10X Bigger Than SaaS
Gary, Jared Harge, Diana, Mark Mandelbaum, Aaron Cannon, Mike, Brett Taylor, Parker Conrad, Matt McGinnis, Salient, VAPI, Rippling, Speedy Brand, OpenAI, Claude, Melanie Warrick, Nico, A Priori, Capital.ai, PowerHelp, Giga ML, Zepto, Mementic, Rainforest QA, Triplebyte, Outset, Vector Shift, Mark Benioff, Paul Graham, Travis, Jake Heller, Flo Cravello, Tia, Hashi Roginio, Mark Mirchandani, Francesc Campoy Flores
Jared Harge projects that vertical AI agents will trigger a $300 billion+ market surge by displacing human labor in specialized enterprise functions, mirroring the historical success of B2B SaaS where general-purpose incumbents cannot master niche domain complexities. While competitors like Mark Mandelbaum note exceptions such as Rippling's horizontal platform strategy, startups are advised to target high-value, repetitive workflows—from automated recruiting to debt collection—rather than competing in obvious consumer applications where incumbents like Google retain dominance. This shift from basic software wrappers to full-stack agents is expected to expand organizational leadership span and create unicorns ten times larger than previous software predecessors by integrating complex domain knowledge directly into autonomous decision-making tools.
Adam Fishman: Takeaways from Lyft and Patreon; How to Build Viral Loops | 20VC #897
Adam outlines a framework for building high-velocity growth functions by prioritizing speed, customer respect, and the distinction between quantitative data and qualitative feedback based on his leadership at Lyft and Patreon. He details the structural requirements for defining growth loops, hiring "player-coach" leaders, and executing rebranding strategies while warning against premature scaling or misclassifying non-loop activities. Finally, the discussion emphasizes that sustainable expansion relies on managing failure through documented post-mortems and aligning organizational culture with the fundamental psychological drivers of user acquisition and retention.
- All-In Podcast1h 39m
#AIS: Bestie AMA with Valor's Antonio Gracias
Antonio Gracias, Chamath, Calacanis, Friedberg, TheZachEffect, David Sacks, Glenn Greenwald, Bill Lee, Jeff Skoll, Dave Goldberg, Tony Hsieh, Chase Coleman, Brad Gerstner, Vinod Khosla, Michael Schellenberger, Andrew Yang, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, Samantha, Bobbin, Science Boy, Ted, Mike, Chris, Sarah, Joanna, Kate, Aria, Kenneth Brown III, Sonny Lampa, Prem, Phil Deutsch, Jan, Matthew, Elizabeth Holmes
Antonio García Martínez and his investment partners argue that American manufacturing resilience depends on prioritizing Return on Invested Capital over revenue multiples, citing Tesla's operational necessity for onshoring as a counter to the short-term cost-cutting that drove industrial decline. This philosophy, forged through high-stakes poker networks and tested by a 2008 existential bet on Tesla and SpaceX, drives their current advocacy for a neutral energy policy and a macroeconomic outlook anticipating a brief recession followed by a capital market reset to pre-2020 valuation norms. By rejecting commoditized hardware markets and financial engineering in favor of high-barrier innovations, the group predicts a mini-retooling era where biomanufacturing and in-person collaboration define the next cycle of value creation.
- The Economist14 min
From 9/11 to covid-19: can New York recover?
Jon Fasman, Mike, Dan Doktoroff, Wellington Chen, Eric Adams
New York City compares its $14 billion pandemic relief to the $20 billion allocated for post-9/11 reconstruction, highlighting severe fiscal gaps that contributed to the permanent closure of over 3,000 small businesses and a $933 million annual tax revenue loss from high-income departures. The crisis disproportionately affected communities like Chinatown through delayed aid and a surge in anti-Asian hate crimes, while housing policies failed to produce affordable units for new workers, exacerbating pre-existing inequality. Incoming mayoral candidate Eric Adams faces the challenge of funding recovery initiatives without massive federal support, aiming to replicate the ambition of the post-9/11 era while rectifying past exclusions of vulnerable populations.
- Goldman Sachs12 min
The Outlook for ETFs
During the recent pandemic-induced market volatility, Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) attracted significant net inflows driven by their liquidity, tax efficiency, and lower costs, while specific sectors like Healthcare and Technology saw substantial capital migration. The Federal Reserve marked a historic shift on March 23 by launching a corporate bond ETF purchase program that injected liquidity into credit markets and catalyzed over $31 billion in additional investor capital. Looking ahead, the industry is pivoting toward Active Beta structures, ESG-focused products, and thematic innovations to capitalize on evolving investor preferences and systematic strategy demands.
- Goldman Sachs7 min
How the Insurance Industry Is Reacting to COVID-19
Amidst global disruptions, well-capitalized insurers are navigating a dual challenge of declining personal lines claims due to reduced vehicle usage and rising workers' compensation costs, all while adjusting portfolios against Federal Reserve rate cuts that have suppressed investment returns. To offset these financial pressures, the industry is accelerating consolidation, deploying digital technologies to streamline operations, and shifting investment strategies toward illiquid assets while anticipating systemic healthcare reforms that will embed telehealth into standard policies. Consequently, policyholders can expect modest premium increases and sustained access to essential coverage as companies prioritize risk pricing and operational efficiency in a rapidly evolving post-pandemic landscape.
- The Economist7 min
How science is changing the nature of families
Mike, Crystal Travis, Dr Danielle Lane, Dr Michelle Perugini, Dawn Hallett
Dawn and Mike Hallett, a Nova Scotia couple facing decades of infertility, overcame strict Canadian guidelines by securing a successful surrogacy in the unregulated market of Georgia, resulting in the birth of their daughter Audrey when the mother was 65. This personal milestone occurs amidst a rapidly expanding global fertility industry where egg freezing and advanced technologies, such as Dr. Michelle Paragini's AI-embryo selector, are increasingly enabling women to delay childbirth while improving success rates and reducing costs. Despite these medical and technological advancements, ethical debates persist among specialists like Dr. Danielle Lane, who maintain that pregnancy risks for women over 50 outweigh the benefits of such late-life conception.
- Y Combinator56 min
Analyzing Billions of Transactions to Understand Consumer Behavior - Michael Babineau and Kevin Hale
Michael Babineau, Kevin Hale, Craig Cannon, Mike
Co-founded by Mike and Lillian, the company delivers a financial analytics platform that empowers investors and corporations to analyze over 50 billion credit card transactions to solve complex business intelligence problems. With a diverse team of 60 data scientists and engineers, the firm processes unstructured data for entities ranging from startups to major retailers like Stitch Fix and Amazon, transforming raw transactional noise into actionable strategic insights. Supported by strategic funding from Goldman Sachs and Citi, the platform achieved 150 clients through organic growth by offering a customizable toolset rather than static reports, allowing users to generate their own unique information edges.