Pivot

By New York Magazine

Technology Tech News

What's Pivot about?

With great power comes great scrutiny. Every Friday, Recode’s Kara Swisher and NYU Professor Scott Galloway offer sharp, unfiltered insights into the way technology is shaping business and culture across media, advertising, politics, and more. Produced by Recode and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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LAST EPISODE

Tokyo Games Can't Catch a B...

07.27.2021

A tropical storm threatens the Olympics, Kara enjoys being the Bad Girl of GETTR, and Friend of Pivot Eliot Brown explains how WeWork's Adam Neumann attracted experienced investors, and kept his hair looking good at all times. Learn more about ...

Pivot episodes:

07.27.2021 Tokyo Games Can't Catch a Break, Klobuchar Targets Vaccine Misinformation, and Friend of Pivot Eliot Brown A tropical storm threatens the Olympics, Kara enjoys being the Bad Girl of GETTR, and Friend of Pivot Eliot Brown explains how WeWork's Adam Neumann attracted experienced investors, and kept his hair looking good at all times. Learn more about ...
07.23.2021 Jack Dorsey's Bitcoin hopes, Biden picks a heavy hitter, and the Pegasus spyware scandal Kara and Scott discuss Marjorie Taylor Greene's recent Twitter ban, Jack Dorsey's hopes for a bitcoin "world peace," and the "joyless" Olympics. Kara has high hopes for Jonathan Kanter, Biden's pick for the Justice Department's anti-trust division. Things look a ...
07.20.2021 Biden vs. Facebook, the U.S. accuses China of cyberattacks, and Friend of Pivot Paxton Smith on Texas' new abortion law Kara and Scott talk Robinhood's IPO, Netflix earnings, and Jeff Bezos' rocket ride. They also weigh in on the war of words between Facebook and President Biden, as well as the administration's stance on China and cyberattacks. And, Friend of ...
07.16.2021 Big banks' quarterly earnings and economic recovery, and a prediction on space SPACs Kara and Scott talk what the big banks' quarterly earnings can tell us about economic recovery. They also discuss Senate Democrats' $3.5 trillion budget deal. In listener mail, we get a question about Apple and the niche search market. Scott ...
07.13.2021 Regulators are cracking down on tech, and Friends of Pivot Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang on Facebook's leadership Kara and Scott talk about Biden's broad executive order aimed at stirring competition and limiting corporate dominance. They also discuss the regulations coming out of China that specifically call for data-rich companies to undergo security reviews before listing overseas. Then ...
07.09.2021 Q2 Quarterly Review: The State of the World According to Pivot Pivot launches its Quarterly Review series, with a look back at the past two quarters and predictions of what's ahead. Kara and Scott discuss the biggest wins and fails of the year so far and check their prediction track record. ...
07.02.2021 Facebook FTC antitrust case thrown out and Amazon vs. Lina Khan Kara and Scott talk about a Federal judge throwing out an antitrust case against Facebook by the FTC and more than 40 states. They also discuss Amazon's motion to have newly instated FTC Chair Lina Khan recuse herself from antitrust ...
06.29.2021 Toyota's GOP contributions, BuzzFeed's SPAC and a Friend of Pivot from Microsoft Kara and Scott talk about the revelations that the car company Toyota is the highest contributor to Republicans who voted to invalidate the presidential election. They also discuss BuzzFeed's plan to IPO with a SPAC and what that means for ...
06.25.2021 House Judiciary Committee antitrust bills, Microsoft hits $2 trillion, and a prediction on the future of social media Kara and Scott talk about the six antitrust bills the House is contemplating this week and what it means for big tech and political divisions. They also discuss Microsoft joining Apple as the 2nd $2 trillion company. In listener mail, ...
06.22.2021 American Airlines cancellations, Bitcoin mining bans, and Friend of Pivot Chuck Todd Kara and Scott talk about American Airlines cancelling flights because of staff shortages. They also discuss China banning the mining of Bitcoin in the country. Meanwhile, the SEC is readying new climate change disclosure regulations. Then we are joined by ...
06.18.2021 Amazon's worker problem, Andreessen Horowitz's new website and a prediction about inflation Kara and Scott talk about a blockbuster story exposing worker issues in Amazon warehouses as Mackenzie Scott donates money to counteract the forces of her ex-husband's company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
06.15.2021 Apple vs. the Trump Administration, CEO compensation broke records during COVID, and Friend of Pivot Caleb Scharf on space exploration 8:18 Kara and Scott discuss how Apple unknowingly handed over phone data of two Democratic congressmen to the Trump Administration. Then, they discuss how the pay gap between workers and CEOs grew even wider during the pandemic. In Friend of Pivot, ...
06.11.2021 Billionaires and the tax code, Facebook smartwatch and a listener mail question on children's screen time Kara and Scott talk about the ProPublica report that America's wealthiest people paid basically nothing in taxes and what the country should do about it. They also discuss Facebook's upcoming smartwatch and the wearables industry. Learn more about your ad ...
06.08.2021 G-7 nations' historic tax reform, Bitcoin 2021, and Friend of Pivot Jon Meacham on de-platforming Trump Kara and Scott talk about the historic tax reform deal reached by the G-7 nations that would make the minimum global corporate tax rate 15%. Then they discuss this weeks' Bitcoin 2021 event in Miami and Jack Dorsey's future in ...
06.04.2021 The SEC goes after Elon Musk's tweets, Fauci's emails, and should Roku acquire more content? Kara and Scott talk about the SEC saying that several of Elon Musk's tweets were not vetted before they were posted and violate a previous settlement with regulators. Then they discuss the trove of Dr. Fauci emails released from a ...
06.01.2021 Uber and Lyft price surge, the Biden infrastructure bill and Friend of Pivot Casey Newton Kara and Scott talk about Uber and Lyft rideshare prices surging as the companies struggle to find contract drivers. They also discuss hold-ups from Republican Senators and the Biden infrastructure bill. Then All-Star Friend of Pivot and writer of the ...
05.28.2021 Russia crackdown on social media, Amazon buys MGM, and is 5G worth the hype? Kara and Scott talk about Russia increasing penalties and crackdowns on Google, Twitter, and Facebook. They also discuss Amazon's $8.45billion purchase of MGM Studios. In listener mail they answer a question about whether 5G is actually worth the hype. Learn ...
05.25.2021 Tim Cook takes the stand in Apple vs. Epic trial and a Friend of Pivot on app dating Kara and Scott talk about Apple CEO Tim Cook's testimony in the final days of the Apple vs. Epic antitrust case. Scott gives a mini-lesson on why "big is bad". Then we're joined by Friend of Pivot, author Nancy Jo ...
05.21.2021 Crypto-crash, Streaming wars and tax plans with MSNBC Host Stephanie Ruhle Kara and Scott are joined by MSNBC Host and NBC News Senior Business Correspondent Stephanie Ruhle for a lightning round about the week's news. They talk about the tough week for the crypto-market, more on the AT&T spin-off of Time ...
05.18.2021 AT&T's TimeWarner/Discovery+ super merger and GLAAD's report on social media platforms Kara and Scott talk about AT&T spinning off their streaming service Time Warner and combining it with Discovery+ to compete with streaming content giants. They also discuss Twitter's potential new subscription service "Twitter Blue" (ya heard it here first!) Then ...
05.14.2021 The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and Tesla breaks up with Bitcoin Kara and Scott talk about the fallout from the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and the gas hoarding that followed. They also discuss Tesla's decision to suspend accepting Bitcoin for car purchases until it is more sustainable and environmentally-friendly (Scott is ...
05.11.2021 Elon Musk on Saturday Night Live and the dogecoin tumble Kara and Scott recap Elon Musk's host appearance on Saturday Night Live and how it affected the cryptocurrency market. They also discuss a major cyberattack on a US natural gas pipeline. Then we are joined by author of the new ...
05.07.2021 Facebook Oversight Board and the Trump ban, trouble for Peloton and a listener question about AI Kara and Scott talk about the Facebook Oversight Board's decision to uphold Facebook's ban of Donald Trump's Facebook account... for the next six months. Then they talk about Peloton recalling, their treadmills, and how the company handled the crisis. In ...
05.04.2021 Apple and Epic go to trial and Friend of Pivot Senator Amy Klobuchar Kara and Scott talk about Apple going to trial with Epic over its choice to kick Fortnite out of the app store. They also discuss the upcoming Facebook Oversight Board decision on whether to uphold the ban on Donald Trump. ...
04.30.2021 Trouble at Basecamp, Bezos fights for the moon, and a listener question about dating apps Kara and Scott talk about controversies at Basecamp, as the company rolled out a new ban on internal political talk. They also discuss Jeff Bezos's company Blue Origin petitioning to have NASA revisit the contract it awarded SpaceX to land ...
04.27.2021 CEO wealth surge, Apple/Facebook tensions heat up, and Friend of Pivot DoorDash COO Christopher Payne Kara and Scott talk about how CEOs in the United States wealth has surged during the pandemic as compared to their workers. Meanwhile, tensions heat up between Tim Cook at Apple and Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook, as iPhone users are ...
04.23.2021 Apple's podcast play, Netflix's rough quarter, and a listener mail on crypto's carbon footprint Kara and Scott talk about Apple's big announcements in the podcast space and what that means for other competitors in the podcast market. They also discuss Netflix's falling subscriptions and take a look back at their first quarter last year. ...
04.20.2021 Facebook gets into audio, WeWork's SPAC, and Friend of Pivot Preet Bharara Kara and Scott talk about Facebook's new foray into the audio space and what it means for creators. They also discuss NASA partnering with SpaceX on its next moon landing mission. Scott's favorite disaster story is possibly making a comeback ...
04.16.2021 The crypto-surge, Bernie Madoff's dark legacy, and a question on Russia slowing Twitter Kara and Scott talk about the Coinbase IPO and the surge for Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and other currencies. They also discuss the legacy financial Ponzi-schemer Bernie Madoff, who died in prison this week. We have a pop-in from Friend of Pivot ...
04.13.2021 Amazon union defeat, Alibaba’s antitrust fine, and Walter Isaacson on CRISPR Kara and Scott talk about the failure to form a union at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama; this was the biggest unionization effort in the company's history. They also discuss China's antitrust fine against the e-commerce giant Alibaba, and how ...
04.09.2021 Twitch's new guidelines, YouTube's video violations, and a prediction on LG's handset company Kara and Scott talk about Amazon's live-streaming service Twitch's new guidelines to keep hate speech and other forms of violence off their platform. They also discuss YouTube's new metric for showing how many videos are viewed before they are removed ...
04.06.2021 Global corporate tax, Facebook's data breach and a Friend of Pivot on "cancel culture" Kara and Scott discuss Janet Yellen's call for a global corporate tax and what that would mean for corporations. They also discuss a new report saying that Facebook leaked millions of users' personal information. Then we're joined by Columbia Professor, ...
04.02.2021 Big Tech military contracts, Compass's IPO, and President Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure plan In this episode of Pivot, Kara and Scott talk about Big Tech getting involved in military matters, and how their employees are responding. They also discuss whether Compass really counts as real estate tech, and fawn over President Biden's $2 ...
03.30.2021 Tony Hsieh, Jeff Bezos's Twitter fingers, and Big Tech in Congress (again) This week, Kara and Scott chat about the Wall Street Journal's deep dive on Tony Hsieh, Jeff Bezo's twitter fingers, and the future of unions. Then, Friend of Pivot Zephyr Teachout joins us to talk about Cuomo Corruption and how ...
03.26.2021 Microsoft and Discord, Goldman Sachs' junior bankers and a listener mail question on news consumption Kara and Scott talk about Microsoft's potential acquisition of the video gaming social platform Discord. They also preview the big tech hearings on disinformation. Meanwhile, Scott thinks Goldman Sachs junior employees should "buck up", even though Kara thinks "work-life-balance" priorities ...
03.23.2021 Struggles at Dispo, Trump's own social media network, and the 411 on NFTs Kara and Scott talk about troubles at Dispo – the photosharing app – after allegations of sexual assault came out around the founder's circle. They also discuss the possibility of former President Trump starting his own social media platform. Then, ...
03.19.2021 Facebook makes a Substack competitor, Netflix's carbon footprint and the future of McKinsey Kara and Scott discuss scandals at Substack as Facebook builds a newsletter competitor. They also discuss a new tool that is measuring the carbon footprint of streaming on Netflix and what that means for the industry. In listener mail, we ...
03.16.2021 The future of travel and a Friend of Pivot on telehealth Kara and Scott talk about the biggest weekend for airlines since the pandemic started and what that means for the industry. They are joined by Hims/Hers CEO Andrew Dudum to talk about how telehealth surged in the past year and ...
03.12.2021 Roblox IPO, Facebook doesn't think it has an antitrust problem and a listener question on PlayStation5 Kara and Scott talk about Roblox going public – and making a big splash – and what that means for the gaming industry. Then they discuss Facebook asking Federal judges to overturn the FTC's antitrust charges. In listener mail, a ...
03.09.2021 SPACs tumble, the education tech market and the future of automation Kara and Scott talk about how SPACs have tumbled in recent weeks and what that means for the IPO landscape. They also discuss Coursera going public and the future of education tech post-pandemic. Then, New York Times tech reporter and ...
03.05.2021 Google ad track changes, implosions for the entertainment industry and Square buys Tidal Kara and Scott talk about Google changing its ad model – they won't be selling ads based on how your browse the web anymore. They also discuss Square purchasing Jay-Z's music streaming service company – and we're not quite sure ...
03.02.2021 The new COVID stimulus and Andy Slavitt on vaccine plans Kara and Scott talk about the $.19 trillion stimulus package that passed the House and the fight for a $15/hour minimum wage. They also discuss the digital Golden Globes and Trump's appearance at CPAC. Then they are joined by White ...
02.26.2021 More hearings for big tech, GameStop stock surge (again), and predictions come true Kara and Scott talk about deals reached between Facebook and Australia as Facebook, Google and Twitter prepare to testify in front of Congress. They also discuss the new surge of GameStop stock. In listener mail we get a question from ...
02.23.2021 U.K. says Uber drivers are employees, and the future of cyber attacks Kara and Scott talk about a U.K. Supreme Court ruling that says Uber drivers must be treated as employees and what that means for the future of the company. Then Kara and Scott are joined by New York Times reporter ...
02.19.2021 Australia vs. Facebook and the GameStop hearings Kara and Scott talk about Facebook restricting users and publishers from using the platform in Australia as the country weighs a law that would require big tech to pay for news content. They also discuss the hearing on the GameStop ...
02.16.2021 Lincoln Project implosion, Microsoft says Google should pay newspapers, and Friend of Pivot Adam Grant Kara and Scott talk about Microsoft CEO Brad Smith's stance saying the US should follow Australia in a model that would force tech giants to pay for news content. They also discuss implosions at the Lincoln Project and Disney dropping ...
02.12.2021 Is there a Trump without Twitter? A mini class on "dispersion", and a prediction about CNN Kara and Scott talk about Twitter's fourth-quarter earnings and the decision to ban Trump's account for life. Scott gives a mini-class on the idea of "dispersion". In listener mail we get a question about whether Clubhouse is a threat to ...
02.09.2021 Twitter subscription service, Tesla invests in Bitcoin, and Friend of Pivot Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Kara and Scott talk about Tesla investing $1.5billion in Bitcoin and what that means for the future of cryptocurrencies. They also discuss Twitter mulling a new subscription product. Meanwhile, Apple's talks with Hyundai/KIA to build an autonomous vehicle broke down. ...
02.05.2021 The end of the Bezos era, SpaceX for civilians, and a stock prediction Kara and Scott talk about Jeff Bezos stepping away from his role as CEO of Amazon and moving into the Executive Chair position. They talk about Elon Musks' plans to send a civilian crew to space by the end of ...
02.02.2021 Who is profiting off Reddit stock threads? And the "Marshall Plan for Moms" Kara and Scott talk about more fall out from the Reddit/Robinhood stock blitz. They also discuss escalating tensions between Facebook and Apple. Then in Friend of Pivot, we hear from Girls Who Code CEO Reshma Saujani, who is heading up ...

Older episodes

Pivot

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Pivot episodes:

Tokyo Games Can't Catch a Break, Klobuchar Targets Vaccine Misinformation, and Friend of Pivot Eliot Brown

Jack Dorsey's Bitcoin hopes, Biden picks a heavy hitter, and the Pegasus spyware scandal

Biden vs. Facebook, the U.S. accuses China of cyberattacks, and Friend of Pivot Paxton Smith on Texas' new abortion law

Big banks' quarterly earnings and economic recovery, and a prediction on space SPACs

Regulators are cracking down on tech, and Friends of Pivot Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang on Facebook's leadership

Q2 Quarterly Review: The State of the World According to Pivot

Facebook FTC antitrust case thrown out and Amazon vs. Lina Khan

Toyota's GOP contributions, BuzzFeed's SPAC and a Friend of Pivot from Microsoft

House Judiciary Committee antitrust bills, Microsoft hits $2 trillion, and a prediction on the future of social media

American Airlines cancellations, Bitcoin mining bans, and Friend of Pivot Chuck Todd

Amazon's worker problem, Andreessen Horowitz's new website and a prediction about inflation

Apple vs. the Trump Administration, CEO compensation broke records during COVID, and Friend of Pivot Caleb Scharf on space exploration 8:18

Billionaires and the tax code, Facebook smartwatch and a listener mail question on children's screen time

G-7 nations' historic tax reform, Bitcoin 2021, and Friend of Pivot Jon Meacham on de-platforming Trump

The SEC goes after Elon Musk's tweets, Fauci's emails, and should Roku acquire more content?

Uber and Lyft price surge, the Biden infrastructure bill and Friend of Pivot Casey Newton

Russia crackdown on social media, Amazon buys MGM, and is 5G worth the hype?

Tim Cook takes the stand in Apple vs. Epic trial and a Friend of Pivot on app dating

Crypto-crash, Streaming wars and tax plans with MSNBC Host Stephanie Ruhle

AT&T's TimeWarner/Discovery+ super merger and GLAAD's report on social media platforms

The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and Tesla breaks up with Bitcoin

Elon Musk on Saturday Night Live and the dogecoin tumble

Facebook Oversight Board and the Trump ban, trouble for Peloton and a listener question about AI

Apple and Epic go to trial and Friend of Pivot Senator Amy Klobuchar

Trouble at Basecamp, Bezos fights for the moon, and a listener question about dating apps

CEO wealth surge, Apple/Facebook tensions heat up, and Friend of Pivot DoorDash COO Christopher Payne

Apple's podcast play, Netflix's rough quarter, and a listener mail on crypto's carbon footprint

Facebook gets into audio, WeWork's SPAC, and Friend of Pivot Preet Bharara

The crypto-surge, Bernie Madoff's dark legacy, and a question on Russia slowing Twitter

Amazon union defeat, Alibaba’s antitrust fine, and Walter Isaacson on CRISPR

Twitch's new guidelines, YouTube's video violations, and a prediction on LG's handset company

Global corporate tax, Facebook's data breach and a Friend of Pivot on "cancel culture"

Big Tech military contracts, Compass's IPO, and President Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure plan

Tony Hsieh, Jeff Bezos's Twitter fingers, and Big Tech in Congress (again)

Microsoft and Discord, Goldman Sachs' junior bankers and a listener mail question on news consumption

Struggles at Dispo, Trump's own social media network, and the 411 on NFTs

Facebook makes a Substack competitor, Netflix's carbon footprint and the future of McKinsey

The future of travel and a Friend of Pivot on telehealth

Roblox IPO, Facebook doesn't think it has an antitrust problem and a listener question on PlayStation5

SPACs tumble, the education tech market and the future of automation

Google ad track changes, implosions for the entertainment industry and Square buys Tidal

The new COVID stimulus and Andy Slavitt on vaccine plans

More hearings for big tech, GameStop stock surge (again), and predictions come true

U.K. says Uber drivers are employees, and the future of cyber attacks

Australia vs. Facebook and the GameStop hearings

Lincoln Project implosion, Microsoft says Google should pay newspapers, and Friend of Pivot Adam Grant

Is there a Trump without Twitter? A mini class on "dispersion", and a prediction about CNN

Twitter subscription service, Tesla invests in Bitcoin, and Friend of Pivot Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel

The end of the Bezos era, SpaceX for civilians, and a stock prediction

Who is profiting off Reddit stock threads? And the "Marshall Plan for Moms"

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