Best Alper Podcasts (2026)

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Creative Misfires, False Positives, and Meta's Auction Flaws — Alper Taner, Stealth-Mode App Studio 1:03:27

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14d ago1:03:27

1:03:27

On the podcast, I talk with Alper about the competitive advantage of ignoring (some) best practices, the risk of drawing false conclusions when researching competitor ads, and why poor metrics are just facts until proven problematic. Top Takeaways: 📊 Challenge Best Practices Test what works for your app and market, even if it goes against common ad…

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Episode 10: Season Finale w/ Anthony Fantano (The Needle Drop) 1:21:07

13d ago1:21:07

1:21:07

As 2025 comes to a close, so does the first season of Critical Listening. And with us to send off the year, we have none other than the internet's busiest music nerd himself: Anthony Fantano of The Needle Drop. We discuss how public perception of streaming culture discourse has shifted this past year, his efforts to offer a critical perspective on …

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Ep 20: $TSLA Robotaxi Getting Real, Waymo Raising $15 Billion, plus Rivian and Ford news 1:03:07

19d ago1:03:07

1:03:07

It's the last episode of 2025 and things are getting electric (vehicles, that is)! In Episode 20 of the Buy Hold Rant podcast, hosts Hamid Shojaee and Dustin Alper plug in (pun intended) to the rapidly changing electric vehicle (EV) landscape and return to the comparison between Tesla ($TSLA) and Rivian ($RIVN). They also speculate about the future…

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BONUS Pod: $RIVN Autonomy Day - The good AND the bad! 42:16

26d ago42:16

42:16

Rivian's ($RIVN) Autonomy Day is here and Hamid is at the event in person! In this bonus episode of the Buy Hold Rant podcast, hosts Hamid Shojaee reports on Rivian's announcements, both the impressive and unimpressive. Hamid also covers his demo drive of Rivian's autonomous driving capabilities and his one-on-one conversation with Rivian founder a…

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Ep 19: $NFLX and $WBD merger, $META slashing VR, Earnings from $ADBE & $ORCL 1:02:27

27d ago1:02:27

1:02:27

This week is packed with news! In Episode 19 of the Buy Hold Rant podcast, hosts Hamid Shojaee and Dustin Alper break it all down, from Rivian’s ($RIVN) upcoming Autonomy Day to Netflix’s ($NFLX) bold offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery ($WBD) to Meta’s ($META) evolving AI strategy. Plus, the guys describe their own paths to becoming investors and …

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Pivots, Funding, and Building Apps That Last – Greg Cohn, Burner 1:29:27

28d ago1:29:27

1:29:27

On the podcast, I talk with Greg about knowing when to pivot, why most consumer apps shouldn't raise VC, and why making free trials optional outperformed making them the default. Top Takeaways: 📉 Know When to Pivot Wrangle struggled because it wasn’t solving a real problem. Burner succeeded because it met a clear need. Don’t be afraid to pivot when…

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Episode 9: November 2025 Headlines LIVE at Purchase College 54:55

29d ago54:55

54:55

We are back for our penultimate episode of Season 1 of Critical Listening! Recorded on November 13th at the coveted Stood at Purchase College, we're discussing the latest developments in the Spotify deal to create "artist first" generative AI tools in partnership with major labels and distributors. We also review the platform's continued growth as …

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Ep 18: $RIVN Autonomy Day, $AEO Earnings, Bitcoin ETFs, Taxes and More 1:07:13

1M ago1:07:13

1:07:13

Your favorite investors are back at it again! In Episode 18 of Buy Hold Rant, hosts Hamid Shojaee and Dustin Alper discuss Rivian’s ($RIVN) upcoming Autonomy Day on December 11, with Hamid anticipating attending and participating in a live demo of the company's latest product. Dustin also breaks down Vanguard’s surprising move to allow Bitcoin ETFs…

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Ep 17: $GOOGL TPUs vs $NVDA GPUs, Portfolio Updates and the Michael Burry Short 59:05

1M ago59:05

59:05

It's a shorter week with Thanksgiving coming up, but the week isn't short of news! In this episode of Buy Hold Rant, hosts Hamid Shojaee and Dustin Alper tackle the week’s biggest market stories—from holiday trading shifts to tech hardware battles and bold investor predictions. The guys break down NVIDIA ($NVDA) GPUs vs Google ($GOOG) TPUs, Meta’s …

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Episode 8: Amirtha Kidambi 1:37:35

1M ago1:37:35

1:37:35

For Episode 8 we have composer, educator, curator, and activist Amirtha Kidambi stopping by. We discuss Amirtha's various musical outputs, including her Elder Ones ensemble and her recent duo release with Matt Evans as Neti-Neti. We discuss the inseparability of politics from pedagogy as teaching artists, the importance of solidarity amongst workin…

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How Tinder Captures More Value With Tiered Pricing and Consumables — Ravi Mehta 1:05:34

1M ago1:05:34

1:05:34

On the podcast we talk with Ravi about subscriptions as a force multiplier for consumables, why narratives matter more than metrics in goal-setting, and why you might want to try a longer onboarding, or a shorter one. 📊 Stack the demand curve Tinder didn’t just offer one price—it built a staircase of value. Low-tier subs, premium upgrades, and micr…

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Ep 16: $NVDA Earnings - Plus $AAPL CEO Rumors, $RIVN, $BMBL and More 1:03:31

2M ago1:03:31

1:03:31

The market has been a little unstable this week to say the least, especially when it comes to tech stocks. But what does this mean for future performance? In this episode of Buy Hold Rant, Hamid Shojaee and Dustin Alper commiserate with each other about the recent market volatility and break down their outlook going forward. Plus, Nvidia's ($NVDA) …

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Ep 15: $BMBL Crashes, $RKLB Beats, $RIVN Rips, Plus $GOOGL, $META and more! 50:47

2M ago50:47

50:47

We're celebrating our 15th episode with a big one! This week, hosts Hamid Shojaee and Dustin Alper share portfolio updates and dig into some of the most interesting earnings reports and strategy updates across tech and space, including the latest with Rocket Lab ($RKLB) and AST SpaceMobile ($ASTS). Is the space race heating up? Also, Bumble ($BMBL)…

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Why AI Probably Won’t Kill Your App (But Ignoring It Will) — Eric Crowley, GP Bullhound 1:03:50

2M ago1:03:50

1:03:50

On the podcast, we talk with Eric about the opportunities and challenges of AI for consumer apps, what you can learn from Strava acquiring Runna, and the flawed thinking around ‘subscription fatigue’. Top Takeaways: 💸 Value Overcomes Fatigue Consumers would rather not pay for anything, but when a product delivers real value, they are happy to pay, …

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Ep 14: $RIVN Deep Dive, Plus Earnings from $HOOD, $AMD, $BMBL and more! 1:01:06

2M ago1:01:06

1:01:06

Q3 2025 earnings continue with reports from major companies like Uber ($UBER), Rivian ($RIVN), Robinhood ($HOOD), AMD ($AMD), Bumble ($BMBL), and more. In Episode 14 of Buy Hold Rant, Dustin and Hamid do a portfolio check-in and Hamid reports his portfolio took a bit of a hit. He also does a deep dive into Rivian's earnings, stock performance, and …

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Episode 7: October 2025 Headlines 55:30

2M ago55:30

55:30

We’re back with another headlines ep, where Liz and Max each bring one story from across the music-tech biz press to summarize and contextualize. On this ep we are unpacking the imminent major label deals with gen-AI companies. At the time we recorded, those reportedly landmark deals were thought to be signed within weeks, and since recording we’ve…

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Ep 13: $MSFT $META $GOOGL Earnings, OpenAI Restructure and the AI Bubble 54:38

2M ago54:38

54:38

Q3 Earnings season is in full swing, with some of the biggest tech companies reporting this week. The good news is, several of them are seeing green. In this episode of the Buy Hold Rant podcast, Hamid and Dustin break down tech earnings from Microsoft ($MSFT), Meta ($META), and Google ($GOOGL) and fintech earnings from SoFi ($SOFI) and PayPal ($PY…

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How Condé Nast Experiments, Bundles, and Wins — Michael Ribero, Condé Nast 27:26

2M ago27:26

27:26

On the podcast, I talk with Michael about the blessing and curse of having a brand, why post-purchase is the perfect upsell moment, and why partnerships are hard to pull off but can be well worth the effort. Top Takeaways: 🌱Growth is Built on Value Sustainable growth comes from consistently adding value, not just short-term tactics. Success lies in…

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Ep 12: Tesla Q3 Report, ChatGPT Releases Atlas, Plus Netflix, Rivian and More! 59:39

3M ago59:39

59:39

Tesla’s (TSLA) earnings brought mixed reactions as revenue beat expectations but EPS fell flat, while Netflix (NFLX) shares slipped after reports included a one-time tax hit from Brazil. Meanwhile, the AI race continues, with the new ChatGPT Atlas browser getting attention as a legit Google Chrome (GOOG) challenger. Plus, Hamid gives his review of …

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Episode 6: Why Sound Matters w/ Damon Krukowski 1:30:57

3M ago1:30:57

1:30:57

We're back from a month of touring and we missed you! We are thrilled to have musician and author Damon Krukowski on the show to discuss his upcoming book "Why Sound Matters", available everywhere on October 21st from Yale University Press. We discuss Galaxie 500, Damon & Naomi, the acoustic ecology writings of Bernie Krause, the Boston independent…

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Ep 11: Market Flash Sale! Plus, Earnings Season Begins & Portfolio Updates 47:53

3M ago47:53

47:53

In this episode, the guys break down the recent market flash sale, how it hit their portfolios, and why high conviction keeps them from panicking during downturns. They review earliest earnings reports and anticipate the coming earnings season. They also chat about Rivian ($RIVN), Rocket Lab ($RKLB), Bumble ($BMBL), and Robinhood ($HOOD), plus why …

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Buying vs. Building: Scaling Beyond a Single App — Josh Peleg, BlueThrone 1:07:30

3M ago1:07:30

1:07:30

On the podcast I talk with Josh about red flags that tank app valuations, why subscription-only apps are leaving money on the table, and how bootstrapped founders are cashing out for millions in months, not years. Top Takeaways: 🎯 Build to sell, but build smart Flipping an app in under a year is still possible, but the skill that matters most now i…

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Ep 10: Rocket Lab Surges & Tesla Disappoints + Rivian, Rocket Lab and Shopify Portfolio Updates 56:52

3M ago56:52

56:52

In this episode, the guys discuss Rocket Lab's ($RKLB) major surge and Tesla's ($TSLA) big "nothing burger" announcement of its "new" models, which are just cheaper, refreshed versions of the Model 3 and Model Y. They also discuss their major portfolio moves this week -- what did they do and why? Plus, Hamid talks about his past portfolio successes…

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Ep 9: Guest Shay Boloor talks Rocket Lab, IONQ & AI + Government Shutdown! 1:01:43

3M ago1:01:43

1:01:43

In this episode, guest Shay Boloor, investor and Chief Strategist at Futurum, joins the guys to explain his investment strategy, discuss his wins with Rocket Lab ($RKLB), share his excitement for IONQ, Inc, ($IONQ) and quantum computing, and much more. Hamid, Dustin, and Shay (aka StockSavvyShay) also compare portfolios and dive into what's really …

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What Subscription Apps Can Learn About Monetization From Gaming — Mathias Gredal Nørvig, Subway Surfers 48:31

3M ago48:31

48:31

On the podcast we talk with Mathias about running Subway Surfers' marketing machine on salaries, not ad spend, leaving money on the table to protect player experience, and why more apps should try rewarded ads, season passes, and other tactics from gaming. Top Takeaways: 🎨 Viral flywheels can out-perform massive paid campaigns Relying on salaries i…

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Ep 8: Robinhood, Bumble & Rivian Updates | Meta Glasses Demo Fail + NVIDIA’s $100B OpenAI Bet 1:00:02

3M ago1:00:02

1:00:02

The guys are back! In this episode, Hamid breaks down his latest moves in Robinhood ($HOOD), Bumble ($BMBL), and Rivian ($RIVN), while Dustin shares his own updates on Robinhood. We also dive into the big tech headlines of the week: 📺 Hulu’s new Bumble movie “Swiped" came out this weekend. Will it have any impact on the company’s stock or brand? 🚗⚡…

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Value-Driven Growth: LinkedIn's Billion-Dollar Subscription Strategy — Ora Levit, LinkedIn 47:07

4M ago47:07

47:07

On the podcast we talk with Ora about LinkedIn’s value-driven growth philosophy, how they personalize experiences and plan offerings based on user intent, and the complexity of running over a thousand experiments a year. Top Takeaways: 🌱 Growth follows value The surest path to long-term growth is adding features and benefits that genuinely help peo…

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Ep 7: Elon Buys $1B of Tesla, Rocket Lab Raises $750B Cash, the Latest Portfolio Moves and More! 59:56

4M ago59:56

59:56

In this episode, the guys share their latest portfolio updates and, as always, dive into the latest market movers and investment opportunities. 🚀 Rocket Lab ($RKLB) shares drop 12.5% after the company announces a $750M stock offering, but could this be a smart move long term? 👓 Meta ($META)'s Meta Connect 2025 event is this week and anticipation bu…

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Ep 6: Portfolio Updates, Lululemon + Oracle Earnings, iPhone 17 and Elon’s $1T Payday 1:00:13

4M ago1:00:13

1:00:13

In this episode, we break down the guys' big summer portfolio moves. What have we been selling, trimming, and holding? Also: 🦅 American Eagle ($AEO) pops 40% and Lululemon ($LULU) misses big. What does this say about the volatility in retail and why it’s tough to hold long term? 💛 Hamid still loves Bumble ($BMBL). He talks about the company's growt…

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Episode 5: August 2025 Headlines 1:01:50

4M ago1:01:50

1:01:50

Max & Liz return for another installment of their series diving into some intriguing headlines from across the music, tech and business hellscape. What does it mean for organizations representing independent record labels to be inking deals with gen-AI companies? How are AI-driven tech platforms impacting the realm of music education? Never fear, w…

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Ep 5: Tesla Master Plan IV, Apple iPhone 17, AEO Earnings, and Rocket Lab and Bumble Updates 53:38

4M ago53:38

53:38

We’re back with Episode 5, and this week’s market talk is packed! 🚀 - Why after 8 years and a $50k deposit did Hamid finally cancel his Tesla Roadster 2 order? - Tesla's ($TSLA) latest Master Plan IV falls flat, full of too many vague and unkept promises. - Will we see AI features, battery life breakthroughs, or just another faster phone + better c…

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The Post-Attribution Playbook for Growth — Eric Seufert, Mobile Dev Memo 54:40

4M ago54:40

54:40

On the podcast I talk with Eric about how measurement dysfunction paralyzes growth, why diversifying channels for the sake of diversification actually hurts performance, and the futility of trying to interpret why ads win. Top Takeaways: 📊 Broken measurement kills growth The biggest pitfall isn’t creative or channel choice—it’s disorganized measure…

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Ep 4: Tesla or Rivian for Autonomy bet? NVIDIA Earnings and Abercrombie vs. Gap vs. American Eagle 54:47

4M ago54:47

54:47

Markets moved on big earnings this week! 🚀 NVIDIA ($NVDA) beat on revenue and EPS but still dropped after hours. What does this mean for AI stocks like Tesla ($TSLA), Meta ($META), Microsoft ($MSFT), Google ($GOOGL), and Apple ($AAPL)? Rivian ($RIVN) : Hamid boosted his stake 43%, betting on its AI-driven self-driving tech. Could its $16B valuation…

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Episode 4: QUITTING STREAMING w/ Andy Cush of Hearing Things 1:00:51

4M ago1:00:51

1:00:51

We're back with another esteemed guest! With us today we have writer, musician, and co-founder of the worker owned music publication Hearing Things, Andy Cush. We discuss with Andy his articles on the various artists and labels who have not only decided to leave streaming, but are reimagining their relationship with digital music as a whole off the…

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Ep 3: Red Market Panic? $HD vs $LOW, $INTU & $ZM Earnings, Pixel 10 Event & Portfolio Moves 57:40

5M ago57:40

57:40

The market’s flashing red - is it time to panic? Hamid and Dustin break down this week’s key earnings from Home Depot vs. Lowe’s, Intuit, and Zoom, along with other notable reports. Hamid shares why he sold Supermicro to buy more Bumble, and the hosts weigh in on Google’s new Pixel 10 vs. iPhone. Plus, listener questions and fresh portfolio updates…

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Signal Engineering: Strategic Data Filtering for Better Ad Performance — Thomas Petit, Independent Consultant 1:33:02

5M ago1:33:02

1:33:02

On the podcast I talk with Thomas about using signal engineering to optimize ad spend, how AI is changing creative testing, and why most people should avoid app2web… for now. Top Takeaways: 🧠 The biggest AI opportunity in ads is smarter analysis, not faster production AI is now good enough to produce ad-quality video and variants at scale — but tha…

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EP 2: $ASTS Rockets Past Satellites, $MNDY & $CAVA Earnings, $ETH Rips 🔥 + How Hamid Picks Stocks 57:53

5M ago57:53

57:53

ASTS rockets after earnings while Monday dumps. Hamid and Dustin cover this week's earnings, Etheriums rip, and Hamid's portfolio updates. Hamid also shares his strategy for picking stocks and the two also answer some listener questions, including offering thoughts on companies like Amazon and Duolingo. Earnings Hub: https://earningshub.com/ Hamid'…

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EP 1: Sydney Sweeney's Great Ads, Rivian and SMCI Earnings, and Bumble Buzz 53:32

5M ago53:32

53:32

In the inaugural episode of the Buy Hold Rant podcast, hosts Hamid Shojaee and Dustin Alper discuss the success of American Eagle's Sydney Sweeney ads, breakdown the week's earnings reports and speculate on the future of companies like Rivian, Uber, Bumble, Shopify, and Rocket Lab. The two compare their current portfolio and Dustin shares his 2-yea…

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Optimizing Funnels, Pricing, and Retention at Zumba — Nicole Page & Lucy Levy, Zumba 48:23

5M ago48:23

48:23

On the podcast I talk with Lucy and Nicole about how customer-driven iteration led Zumba from VHS tapes in 2001 to launching an app in 2024, their app2web experiments that boosted LTV by 17%, and how they are able to charge for content when countless Zumba classes are available for free on YouTube. Top Takeaways: 🗣️ Listening has driven 24 years of…

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Episode 3: July 2025 Headlines 59:09

5M ago59:09

59:09

We’re back with the first installment of what we’re calling “Headlines,” diving into a few stories from across the music and tech biz press this month. For July, there were some headlines that just seemed impossible to ignore. You guessed it: Ek’s recent investment into AI weapons company Helsing, and that gen-AI classic rock band with millions of …

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The Past, Present, and Future of Building on Apple — John Gruber, Daring Fireball 2:17:11

6M ago2:17:11

2:17:11

On the podcast I talk with John about the fascinating 40-year history of Apple’s developer relations, how almost going bankrupt in the 1990s shaped today’s control-focused approach, and why we might need an ‘App Store 3.0’ reset. Top Takeaways: 🕹️ The 1980s: Apple’s developer DNA was born Apple’s earliest wins came from nurturing third-party develo…

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Turning a Side Project into a Six-Figure Subscription Business – Eric Duffett, Shot Pattern 45:26

6M ago45:26

45:26

On the podcast we talk with Eric about his journey from a failed first app to success with his second, the advantage of building for problems people are already talking about, and why he turned down a lucrative acquisition offer to keep building. Top Takeaways: 🔍 Demand-first discipline wins Testing for willingness to pay before writing a line of c…

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WWDC 2025: What Subscription Apps Need to Know 1:12:35

7M ago1:12:35

1:12:35

On the podcast, I talk with Charlie about why Liquid Glass represents a big opportunity for new and existing apps, Apple’s new on-device AI models and their practical limitations, and why the improved App Store Analytics complement rather than replace third-party tools like Appfigures and RevenueCat. Top Takeaways: 🫧 A style refresh is a growth hac…

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Episode 2: Intro to UMAW 1:07:15

7M ago1:07:15

1:07:15

How are musicians building collective power in a freelance economy that still worships the grind? In recent years the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers have made headlines for its work around streaming, through both the Justice at Spotify campaign and the Living Wage for Musicians Act, which the group co-authored with Congresswoman Rashida Tlai…

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Building Apps Faster: How AI and React Native are Changing the Game – Charlie Cheever, Expo 1:04:36

7M ago1:04:36

1:04:36

On the podcast we talk with Charlie about why React Native has become the default for VC-funded apps, how AI is accelerating development cycles, and why speed of iteration matters more than programming language. Top Takeaways: ⚡ Instant iteration cycles unlock agility React Native and Expo supercharge development by collapsing long build times into…

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What Reading.com Learned Testing Prices and Funnels — Tim Dikun, Teaching.com 44:09

7M ago44:09

44:09

On the podcast I talk with Tim about the importance of trust in web2app funnels, replacing free trials with money-back guarantees, and how they’ve found success with contractors after struggling with in-house marketing hires. Top Takeaways: 🔁 Replace trials with trust to attract high-intent users A 30-day money-back guarantee can outperform traditi…

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Episode 1: Greg Saunier from Deerhoof 1:07:01

8M ago1:07:01

1:07:01

Welcome to episode one of CRITICAL LISTENING, a new podcast about music and technology hosted by Liz Pelly and Max Alper. How does a band survive 30 years of industry hostility to art? For our first episode, we’re chatting with Greg Saunier, the drummer of Deerhoof, who just released Noble and Godlike in Ruin, their 20th record across 30 years as a…

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Freemium Done Right: Lessons From a Multi-Billion-Dollar App — Chris Hulls, Life360 56:31

8M ago56:31

56:31

On the podcast we talk with Chris about how to do freemium the right way, drafting a customer “Bill of Rights” to guide product decisions, and why blindly following A/B test results can lead to short-term gains but undermine your business long-term. Top Takeaways: 🧮 Data has limits Short-term data can lie. When every experiment looks like a win in …

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Boost Conversion and Retention with Jobs to Be Done — Daphne Tideman, Growth Advisor 1:07:00

8M ago1:07:00

1:07:00

On the podcast, I talk with Daphne about why skipping user interviews is costing you growth, how to bring your product’s ‘aha moment’ forward into your marketing, and why your assumptions about why people use your app might be wrong. Top Takeaways: 🎯 Your app is a means to an end Users don’t care about how many features you have — they care about a…

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Introducing Critical Listening (Episode 0) 30:31

9M ago30:31

30:31

Critical Listening is a new podcast from journalist Liz Pelly and musician/educator Max Alper exploring music, technology, and culture. This is episode zero, a short introduction where Liz and Max discuss how the show came to be and what they plan to cover in future episodes. What has Liz been learning on the road promoting her book Mood Machine? W…