This week, we tackle a taboo topic: age. Is it harder than ever for young people to break into tech, or does it just feel that way? What does career longevity look like, especially for people who don’t hit escape velocity in their 20s? Also: we grapple with Serena Williams' Ro partnership, fantasize about the Meta and Midjourney licensing discussions, and plot a Great Chat Camp for Burning Man 2026.

Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for season two! Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC.

This week on Great Chat, we discuss some interesting findings from a newly released report from Mercury called "The New Economics of Starting Up." We learn that founders are becoming more creative with financing and team building in an AI-first world. Separately, we revisit SPVs and explore the creative ways investors are securing allocations in hot AI companies. And we have a great chat about burgers, psychedelics, and KPop Demon Hunters.

We’re halfway through August and there’s still no summer slowdown in sight! As fall approaches, we gear up for a peak fundraising season with a favorite group chat topic: The dos and don’ts of raising venture capital. We share our takes on some of the most divisive topics as investors and founders: Do you need a warm intro, should you take money from scouts, when does it make sense to take meetings with associates, do all co-founders need to pitch? Plus: The tech giants embrace hustle culture, GPT-5’s launch sparks public mourning for its predecessors, and the negative gross margins of coding apps bring back memories of ZIRP.

Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for season two! Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC.

This podcast is edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠LightningPod.fm⁠.

This week on Great Chat, we talk about the topic on everyone's minds: Figma’s textbook IPO. We compare it to the IPOs we experienced first-hand as early employees, investors and journalists: Facebook, Box, Dropbox and Uber. Plus: celeb sightings in SF (hello, Andrew Garfield) and products that were ahead of their time (RIP AI Pin).

Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for season two! Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC.

This podcast is edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm.

In the era of “going direct,” do startups still need to care about media coverage? Actually, yes: LLMs are bringing the primacy of press back, but the way companies get covered has fundamentally changed. Also: Figma’s IPO looms, Astronomer claps back with some help from a friend, and we are transported to the days of Hot or Not with the Tea data spill (ugh).

Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for season two! Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC.

This week on Great Chat, we are getting personal. We share our stories of how we got into tech in the first place. The detours and the unexpected opportunities that defined our careers from covering IPOs to early days at Facebook and those long hours at Goldman. Also, is Hollywood starting to cosy up to AI? We talk about Netflix's flirtation with Runway. Plus Diamonds on our minds, and no, not all were about Coldplay and "a sky full of stars".

This week on Great Chat, we talk about the 96 hours of Windsurf frenzy that consumed Silicon Valley, and what the implications are for the (broken) social contract that tech startups have with employees. We also share notes from the Backstreet Boys Into the Millennium concert, what Sally is seeing at NBA Demo Day at Summer League, Bill Ackman’s foray into professional sports, the tea (or lack thereof) from Sun Valley, and the unfortunately named TITV.

Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for season two! Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC.

This podcast is edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm.

This week on Great Chat, we debate the impact and long-term effects of AI startup performance theatre. Should we be concerned? Plus: Twitter isn't real life, SF vs. NYC for dating, and why Big Tech might be your best bet for finding both a paycheck and a partner.

Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for season two! Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC.

This podcast is edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm.

This week on Great Chat, we talk about the race for speed across startups and venture and why execution is everything right now. And yes, we also break down the Bezos wedding (we dared to speculate on the seating chart!) and the Meta vs OpenAI talent scoreboard. Plus, Sally finally learns the meaning of AI slop.

Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for season two! Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC.

This podcast is edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm.

The group chat kicks off season two of Great Chat with AI M&A (say that five times fast), leaks, and Labubus.

Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for season two, and the rapid fire Q&A is now brought to you by Perplexity. How very apt.

Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC.

This podcast is edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm.