Best Word of DaaS with Auren Hoffman Podcasts (2025)

1
Dave Morin, Offline Ventures - how venture studios work 1:01:48

Play Pause

27m ago1:01:48

1:01:48

Dave Morin is co-founder and managing partner of Offline Ventures, a venture fund and studio backed by Apple as anchor investor. He was an early employee at Facebook, then founded the mobile social network Path. In this episode of World of DaaS, Dave and Auren discuss: Why Meta's AI ads work while Netflix, Amazon, and Spotify fail at recommendation…

1
The LM Brief: Why Many AI Projects Fail 17:19

39m ago17:19

17:19

This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief highlights a Forbes piece on enterprise AI infrastructure, where the author examines why data pipelines, not the models themselves, are becoming the real bottleneck. Listen to this short podcast summary, powered by NotebookLM.By Word of DaaS with Auren Hoffman

1
Azeem Azhar of Exponential View - AI, hyperscalers, reshaping US GDP 52:05

7d ago52:05

52:05

Azeem Azhar is the founder of Exponential View, a newsletter and research platform on emerging technology read by over 130,000 executives and policymakers globally, and author of the bestselling book The Exponential Age. In this episode of World of DaaS, Azeem and Auren discuss: Diagnosing an AI bubble Data centers driving 33% of US GDP growth Whet…

1
The LM Brief: Love Beats Hate 12:47

4h ago12:47

12:47

This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief highlights Auren Hoffman’s latest piece, where he explores how emotion—not information—drives behavior across platforms, politics, and AI systems. The piece examines why algorithms amplify strong emotional signals, how “love” consistently outperforms “hate” in outcomes, and what this means for builders designing t…

1
Bolt.new CEO Eric Simons — one of the fastest growing AI companies in the world 40:20

2h ago40:20

40:20

Eric Simons is the CEO and co-founder of StackBlitz, the company behind Bolt.new, which reached $40 million ARR in five months after launching in October 2024. Bolt.new is an AI-powered platform that allows anyone to build, edit, and deploy full-stack web applications directly in the browser. In this episode of World of DaaS, Eric and Auren discuss…

1
The LM Brief: The DaaS Renewal Landscape 18:46

17d ago18:46

18:46

This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief explores our latest roundtable, where data leaders discussed the evolving challenges of retaining and expanding enterprise customers in an increasingly competitive data economy. The conversation explored how companies are mitigating churn, proving ROI, and deepening customer value in the era of AI. Listen to this …

1
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley - Law Enforcement's Data Problem: Why 50% of Murders Go Unsolved 53:37

4d ago53:37

53:37

Garrett Langley is the co-founder and CEO of Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based public safety technology company recently valued at $7.5 billion. Flock manufactures hardware like license plate recognition cameras, drones, and gunshot detection systems, as well as software used by thousands of communities and law enforcement agencies across the U.S. In …

1
The LM Brief: 46ers, 55ers, 81ers, and today 15:34

18d ago15:34

15:34

This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief explores Auren Hoffman’s latest Substack post, 46ers, 55ers, 81ers, and today - a fascinating look at how generational ambition and the rise of AI are shaping the next wave of builders. Auren draws parallels between past innovation eras and the new generation driving today’s tech transformation. Listen to this sho…

1
Venturehouse Group CEO Mark Ein - moneyball for CEOs, real estate data & buying sports teams 51:30

18d ago51:30

51:30

Mark Ein is the founder, chairman and CEO of Venturehouse Group and has been involved in the founding or early stages of six companies worth over $1 billion. He also served as Chairman of the President's Export Council, is Executive Chairman of Kastle Systems, owns the DC Open, and was a key partner in the $6.05 billion acquisition of the Washingto…

1
The LM Brief: The Ethics of Agentic AI - Balancing Autonomy and Trust 14:49

25d ago14:49

14:49

This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief explores The New Stack’s article on the ethical challenges of agentic AI systems that can act autonomously. As organizations hand off more decisions to machines, questions around accountability, transparency, and data governance are becoming central to building and maintaining trust. Listen to this short podcast s…

1
Astroten Founder Richard Shotton - why your A/B tests fail and how behavioral science can fix them 45:17

28d ago45:17

45:17

Richard Shotton is the founder of Astroten and author of several bestselling books on marketing, including The Choice Factory, The Illusion of Choice, and most recently Hacking the Human Mind, co-authored with MichaelAaron Flicker. He specializes in applying behavioral science to marketing and has worked with brands like Google, Meta, BrewDog, and …

1
The LM Brief: The Energy Bottleneck Behind AI’s Growth 14:59

1M ago14:59

14:59

This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief explores Big Data Wire's article on how electricity, not data or compute, is emerging as the ultimate constraint on AI progress. As global data center demand surges, performance per watt efficiency and access to reliable power are becoming the new competitive edge. Some nations and companies are pursuing nuclear-p…

1
Clay COO Varun Anand - why cutting-edge GTM teams are moving away from traditional CRMs 46:35

1M ago46:35

46:35

Varun Anand is the co-founder and Head of Operations at Clay, a GTM platform that helps over 10,000 companies with data enrichment and sales outreach. Clay recently raised a $100M Series C funding at a $3.1B valuation. In this episode of World of DaaS, Varun and Auren discuss: The shift from seat-based to usage-based pricing Why LinkedIn's data rem…

1
The LM Brief: How Leaders Can Close the AI Intelligence Gap 14:59

1M ago14:59

14:59

This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief covers a World Economic Forum insight that scaling AI is an organizational challenge, not a technological one, requiring data maturity, strong governance, and an integrated approach tied to core business outcomes. Culture and workforce transformation are also essential for real ROI. Listen to this short podcast su…

1
Beniamin Mincu CEO, MultiversX - building the trust layer for AI 48:25

1M ago48:25

48:25

By Word of DaaS with Auren Hoffman

1
The LM Brief: How to Actually Look for a Job (Without Wasting Everyone’s Time) 13:53

2M ago13:53

13:53

This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief covers Auren Hoffman’s guide to running a job search like a full-time commitment. Instead of vague networking, he lays out a five-step process that stresses clarity, specificity, and creating value before asking for help. From defining target roles to demonstrating impact with real work, the approach reframes job …

1
OpenGov CEO Zac Bookman - GovTech, data access, and AI transformation 45:39

2M ago45:39

45:39

Zac Bookman is the co-founder and CEO of OpenGov, which provides cloud software and AI solutions to over 2,000 government agencies across the United States. In February 2024, OpenGov was acquired by Cox Enterprises for $1.8 billion. In this episode of World of DaaS, Zac and Auren discuss: Making public data truly accessible Growth vs sustainability…

1
The LM Brief: AI Overviews and the Future of Publishing 14:06

2M ago14:06

14:06

This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief covers the lawsuit filed by Penske Media Corporation, parent of Rolling Stone, against Google over its AI Overviews feature. PMC argues that these AI-generated summaries siphon traffic and revenue from publishers by removing the need for users to click through to original articles. The case raises major questions …

1
OpenAI CSO Jason Kwon - power, policy and the race to scale 48:24

2M ago48:24

48:24

Jason Kwon is the Chief Strategy Officer at OpenAI. In this episode of World of DaaS, Jason and Auren discuss: Compute bottlenecks and power infrastructure challenges User expectations vs AI capabilities Geopolitical competition in AI development Bringing top AI talent to the United States Looking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head…

1
The LM Brief: The Only Right Way to Ask for an Intro (Everything Else Is Wrong) 16:23

2M ago16:23

16:23

This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief covers The Only Right Way to Ask for an Intro (Everything Else Is Wrong) by Auren Hoffman. He explains why clarity of purpose, proper framing, and respect for people’s time are essential when seeking intros for jobs, partnerships, or mentorship. Getting this right makes the difference between a strong connection a…

1
beehiiv CEO Tyler Denk - why email beats social media 38:38

2M ago38:38

38:38

Tyler Denk is the co-founder and CEO of beehiiv, a newsletter platform that has grown to over $20 million in annual revenue in under four years. He was the second employee at Morning Brew, where he built the growth infrastructure that helped scale the company to 3.5 million subscribers before its $75 million acquisition by Business Insider in 2020.…

1
The LM Brief: Navigating GDPR Compliance Outside the EU and UK 16:07

3M ago16:07

16:07

This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief looks at GDPR compliance for non-EU and non-UK companies. Firms handling resident data in these regions are required to appoint local representatives who serve as points of contact for regulators and individuals exercising their data rights. This step is critical for ensuring compliance with both GDPR and UK GDPR.…

1
Gokul Rajaram of Marathon - How AI Will Reinvent Ad Platforms 48:12

3M ago48:12

48:12

Gokul Rajaram is a founding partner at Marathon Management Partners and former product leader who helped build Google AdSense and Facebook's advertising platform. He serves on the boards of Pinterest, Coinbase, and The Trade Desk, and previously led product teams at Square and DoorDash. In this episode of World of DaaS, Gokul and Auren discuss: Bui…

1
The LM Brief: Synthetic Data in AI 10:41

3M ago10:41

10:41

This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief explores the evolving role of synthetic data in AI. Synthetic datasets are increasingly used to safeguard privacy, cut costs, and speed up model training, particularly in testing rare scenarios. But challenges remain, including risks of carrying over biases from real-world data and the need for careful validation …

1
Patrick Lencioni - the six types of working genius 46:03

3M ago46:03

46:03

Patrick Lencioni is one of the founders of The Table Group and is the pioneer of the organizational health movement. He is the author of 13 books, which have sold over 9 million copies and been translated into more than 30 languages. As President of the Table Group, Pat spends his time speaking and writing about leadership, teamwork, and organizati…

1
The LM Brief: AI Meets Copyright Law 10:53

3M ago10:53

10:53

This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief covers Anthropic’s settlement with a group of authors over copyright claims. The case centered on the use of copyrighted works in training AI systems and reflects the mounting legal and IP challenges shaping generative AI. Listen to this short podcast summary, powered by NotebookLM.…

1
CMO Confidential: Auren Hoffman l Why Vendor Management Is A Skill You Need to Master Now 35:27

3M ago35:27

35:27

This episode is a rebroadcast of host Auren Hoffman's appearance on the CMO Confidential Podcast. Auren shares why he believes vendor management is the #1 skill for future executives—and why most companies should rent world-class capabilities rather than hire executives they can’t fully utilize. From “scaffolding” young talent to his provocative vi…

1
The LM Brief: Integration gaps and budget missteps stall enterprise AI 10:56

3M ago10:56

10:56

This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief looks at new research from MIT, which finds that 95% of generative AI pilot programs inside companies are failing to deliver meaningful financial impact. The issue is not model quality but enterprise integration and a steep organizational learning gap. The report shows ROI is strongest in back-office automation ev…

1
Zip CEO Rujul Zaparde - procurement, AI agents and YC insights 28:34

3M ago28:34

28:34

Rujul Zaparde is the co-founder and CEO of Zip, the $2.2 billion AI platform for procurement trusted by OpenAI, Anthropic, Snowflake, and hundreds of leading enterprises. He previously co-founded FlightCar, which raised over $40 million and was acquired by Mercedes-Benz. A former Airbnb product manager and Y Combinator visiting partner, Rujul has b…

1
The LM Brief: Conditional Voting Rights in VC Term Sheets 10:53

3M ago10:53

10:53

This week’s World of DaaS LM Brief looks at a recent piece by Auren Hoffman, co-authored with Sushant Bhardwaj and Lily Petherick from Flex Capital, on a little-known but impactful clause in VC term sheets that can strip founders of their voting rights when they leave their company. We cover how this “employment-tied voting rights” provision, often…

1
Construction Physics' Brian Potter - why America excels at fracking but struggles with construction 46:36

4M ago46:36

46:36

Brian Potter is a structural engineer and author of Construction Physics, a weekly Substack about the economics, technology, and productivity of building and infrastructure. He's also a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Progress. In this episode of World of DaaS, Brian and Auren discuss: Why construction productivity has flatlined for decades The …

1
Airtable CEO Howie Liu - Excel vs Access, Founder Mode, and the Future of SaaS 51:53

4M ago51:53

51:53

Howie Liu is the co-founder and CEO of Airtable, the AI-native app platform which has raised over $1.3 billion in funding and is valued at more than $11 billion. Howie sold his first startup, Etacts, to Salesforce when he was just 21 years old. In this episode of World of DaaS, Howie and Auren discuss: The evolution of the no-code/low-code movement…

1
Dwarkesh Patel - AI Timelines, Productivity & Global Stagnation 57:13

4M ago57:13

57:13

Dwarkesh Patel is the host of the Dwarkesh Podcast, where he interviews leading scientists, founders, and economists about AI, science, and progress. In this episode of World of DaaS, Dwarkesh and Auren discuss: Why experts overestimate AI capabilities The continual learning bottleneck in current models Japan's economic crash and global productivit…

1
Morning Consult CEO Michael Ramlet - AI, consumer sentiment and reinventing survey research 46:21

4M ago46:21

46:21

Michael Ramlet is the co-founder and CEO of Morning Consult, a global decision intelligence company with more than $100 million in annual revenue. Morning Consult conducts 30,000 daily interviews across 40+ countries and serves more than half of the Fortune 500. In this episode of World of DaaS, Michael and Auren discuss: The evolution from telepho…

1
Atlan CEO Prukalpa Sankar - AI agent workflows and hiring AI native talent 36:57

4M ago36:57

36:57

Prukalpa Sankar is the co-founder and CEO of Atlan, a data platform used by organizations like Plaid, NASDAQ and the UN to manage data collaboration at scale. Atlan has raised over $200 million and grown revenue 7x in the last two years. In this episode of World of DaaS, Prukalpa and Auren discuss: AI native company transformations Context as the f…

1
Cardlytics CEO Amit Gupta - transaction data and commerce media 29:44

5M ago29:44

29:44

Amit Gupta is the CEO of Cardlytics (NASDAQ: CDLX), a global commerce media platform that powers rewards programs with card-linked offers and enables brands to strengthen customer loyalty. In this episode of World of DaaS, Amit and Auren discuss: How card-linked offers strengthen customer loyalty Identity resolution and retail media Cardlytics' vie…

1
Fabrice Grinda of FJ Labs - diversified portfolios, secondary sales and dinner parties 52:46

5M ago52:46

52:46

Fabrice Grinda is the co-founder and managing partner of FJ Labs, a venture capital firm that has invested in over 1,200 startups with more than 350 exits, including early investments in Alibaba, Flexport, and Delivery Hero. He previously built and sold three companies as CEO: Aucland (one of Europe's largest auction sites), Zingy (mobile media sta…

1
Rabbi David Wolpe - AI, faith, and the future of human connection 37:54

5M ago37:54

37:54

Rabbi David Wolpe is the emeritus rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, one of the largest synagogues in the United States. He is a bestselling author of eight books on faith and spirituality and has been named one of the most influential rabbis in America. In this episode of World of DaaS, David and Auren discuss: AI rabbis and digital therapy Lab…

1
Superpower Founder Max Marchione - billionaire health protocols and the future of medicine 53:47

6M ago53:47

53:47

Max Marchione is the founder and President of Superpower, a digital healthcare platform that recently raised a $30 million Series A to make preventative and personalized medicine accessible to consumers. In this episode of World of DaaS, Max and Auren discuss: Billionaire-level health protocols and testing Why AI will replace expensive doctors Pept…

1
Crunchbase CEO Jager McConnell - predicting acquisitions, value of data, AI 52:21

6M ago52:21

52:21

Jager McConnell is the CEO of Crunchbase, a leading business intelligence platform for startup and investment data, serving over 80 million users. In this episode of World of DaaS, Jager and Auren discuss: The polarized venture funding landscape Why 'religion' beats 'truth' in data companies Finding defensible moats in the AI era Predicting acquisi…

1
LiveKit CEO Russ d'Sa - voice AI and the future of human-machine interaction 50:10

6M ago50:10

50:10

Russ d'Sa is the founder and CEO of LiveKit, the infrastructure company powering real-time voice for OpenAI's ChatGPT, Character.ai, and numerous AI applications. In this episode of World of DaaS, Russ and Auren discuss: The evolution of voice AI Turn detection and conversational dynamics Real-time infrastructure for AI Copilots vs autopilots for t…

1
US Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll - modernizing military tech & fixing procurement 46:49

6M ago46:49

46:49

Dan Driscoll is the current Secretary of the U.S. Army, overseeing a military branch with approximately one million soldiers, 250,000 civilians, and an annual budget of $185 billion. In this episode of World of DaaS, Dan and Auren discuss: The Army Transformation Initiative Rapid defense innovation with Silicon Valley Modernizing obsolete military …

1
Exiger CEO Brandon Daniels - tariffs, tech, and trade 53:49

7M ago53:49

53:49

Brandon Daniels is the CEO of Exiger, which provides AI-powered supply chain and third-party risk management solutions to Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Exiger has annual revenues of over $150 million and received a majority investment by Carlyle, Insight Partners, and JMI Equity for $1.2 billion in 2023. In this episode of World of…

1
Galvanick CEO Josh Steinman - spies, stuxnet, cyber, and securing critical infrastructure 40:41

7M ago40:41

40:41

Joshua Steinman is the co-founder and CEO of Galvanick, a cybersecurity company building tools to secure industrial infrastructure and AI systems. In this episode of World of DaaS, Joshua and Auren discuss: Foreign spies in tech companies Vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure Lessons from Stuxnet and Ukraine Building resilience against cyber t…

1
AppNexus Founder Brian O'Kelley - adtech, AI, advertising and more AI 48:30

7M ago48:30

48:30

Brian O'Kelley is the co-founder and former CEO of AppNexus, which built core infrastructure for programmatic advertising and was acquired by AT&T for $1.6 billion in 2018. He's now the co-founder and CEO of Scope3, a company working to reduce the carbon footprint in digital advertising. In this episode of World of DaaS, Brian and Auren discuss: Th…

1
Anduril Co-Founder Trae Stephens - Hard Tech & Modern Defense Strategy 50:17

7M ago50:17

50:17

Trae Stephens is a partner at Founders Fund and co-founder and current executive chairman at Anduril, a defense technology company that produces software-defined, hardware-enabled major weapons programs. In this episode of World of DaaS, Trae and Auren discuss: Revolutionizing defense technology manufacturing Billionaire founders in defense tech Su…

1
Fmr Verisk CEO Scott Stephenson - building a $40 billion data company 51:00

8M ago51:00

51:00

Scott Stephenson is the former Chairman, President, and CEO of Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ: VRSK), where he led the company's transformation from a nonprofit insurance data collective into a global data analytics powerhouse with a market cap of over $40 billion. In this episode of World of DaaS, Scott and Auren discuss: Data monetization and defensibi…

1
a16z’s Martin Casado - building with AI 49:50

8M ago49:50

49:50

Martin Casado is a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), where he focuses on AI and infrastructure investments. He previously co-founded Nicira which was acquired by VMware for $1.2 billion in 2012. In this episode of World of DaaS, Martin and Auren discuss: Economics of open source AI Chinese AI innovation with DeepSeek Model collapse and…

1
Mediaocean CEO Bill Wise - building the operating system for advertising 45:47

8M ago45:47

45:47

Bill Wise is the CEO and co-founder of Mediaocean, an adtech platform that processes over $200 billion in global media spend annually. In this episode of World of DaaS, Bill and Auren discuss: The hidden plumbing of global advertising Measurement monopolies in adtech The transition from linear TV to CTV Cultural integration in tech acquisitions Loo…

1
Rob Henderson - Luxury Beliefs: How Elites Exploit the Poor 50:53

8M ago50:53

50:53

Rob Henderson is a developmental psychologist, author of the New York Times bestseller Troubled and columnist for the Free Press and the Boston Globe. In this episode of World of DaaS, Rob and Auren discuss: How elites exploit the poor with luxury beliefs The vital importance of marriage for upward mobility The conspiracy behind useless college deg…

Word Of DaaS With Auren Hoffman Podcasts