The higher education system isn’t working. Students pay way too much, professors don’t get paid enough, and many community college students that aspire to go on to get a Bachelor's degree aren't able to. But one startup thinks they have the solution. Today Becca is talking with Tade Oyerinde, the CEO and founder of Campus, a fully accredited online community ... Show More
Mar 26
Why hiring the weirdos works with Isaiah Granet, Bland
If one thing has become clear this season, it’s that there is no formula to building the perfect team. But no one breaks the mold quite like this week’s guest, Isaiah Granet, the co-founder and CEO of Bland. The voice AI startup has been growing at a breakneck speed but the found ... Show More
50m 1s
Mar 19
How to fight with your co-founder with Ian Schmidt, Trimergence
Every founding team is a mix of personalities, communication styles, and strengths. That can be a superpower or cause founders to butt heads. Without a clear framework for navigating conflict, even the strongest teams can fall apart before they really get started. This week on Bu ... Show More
48m 35s
Sep 2025
A.I. School Is in Session: Two Takes on the Future of Education
<p>This week, we check in on the state of artificial intelligence in education. We talk with a co-founder of Alpha Schools, MacKenzie Price, about how her private K-12 schools are using A.I. to generate personalized lesson plans and enabling teachers to spend their time motivatin ... Show More
1h 11m
Aug 2024
AI Friends, deepfake foes, and which Tiger Global partner is leaving now
On today's Friday news roundup, we just had to talk about AI hardware taking on a new shape with Friend’s $99 necklace. The pendant gives you an AI friend to talk to and…that’s about it. Friend’s pitch is that its wearable can help combat loneliness, but other AI hardware product ... Show More
31m 12s
Nov 2024
MI376: Why Do Great Companies Fail? The Innovator’s Dilemma w/ Shawn O’Malley
In today’s episode, Shawn O’Malley (@shawn_OMalley_) discusses why great companies fail, as outlined by Clayton Christensen in his timeless book, The Innovator’s Dilemma, which was first published in 1997. The Economist actually named it one of the six most important business boo ... Show More
45m 4s
Oct 2024
Why climate tech startups get this one thing wrong
This might be our wonkiest topic yet: Techno-economic analysis, or TEA.
Before a startup proves its technology is commercially viable, it models how a technology would work. These TEAs include things like assumptions about inputs, prices, and market landscape. They help investor ... Show More
49m 38s
Apr 2025
Microsoft for Startups: The benefits of the cyber startup ecosystem. [Special Edition]
Welcome to the Microsoft for Startups Spotlight, brought to you by N2K CyberWire and Microsoft. In this episode, we are shining a light on innovation, ambition, and the tech trailblazers building the future right from the startup trenches. This episode is part of our exclusive RS ... Show More
1h 12m
Feb 2025
How Based is Grok 3? + Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev on Markets For Everything + Vibecoding 101
<p>This week, Elon Musk brought a new chatbot into the crowded A.I. universe — Grok 3, the latest model from his company xAI. We break down how it compares with other leading models and what it reveals about Musk’s larger ambitions. Then, Vlad Tenev, the chief executive of the in ... Show More
1h 11m
Dec 2022
Failure is a choose-your-own adventure for startups (re-run)
Following a parade of headlines and news that Fast shut down back in April, Natasha and Alex asked: What are we missing when we talk about startup failure?
The question comes after one of Natasha’s Startups Weekly columns, where she looked into the complexity of startup failure, ... Show More
27m 29s
Sep 2023
Michael D. Smith, "The Abundant University: Remaking Higher Education for a Digital World" (MIT Press, 2023)
For too long, our system of higher education has been defined by scarcity: scarcity in enrollment, scarcity in instruction, and scarcity in credentials. In addition to failing students professionally, this system has exacerbated social injustice and socioeconomic stratification a ... Show More
59m 45s
Jul 2025
Can college survive Trump?
American higher education is under attack. Project 2025 laid out the battle plan pretty clearly: Get rid of the Department of Education, shut off federal funding, take control of the accreditation system, and take down diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. And in the end, ch ... Show More
57m 42s