Best Grounded Geeks Podcasts (2025)

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Fintech Recap: Plaid Pays Chase, FBI Circles BaaS, and FICO Tries AI 1:05:22

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22h ago1:05:22

1:05:22

Welcome back to Fintech Takes. I’m Alex Johnson, joined (as always) by my partner-in-recapping, Jason Mikula. First up: the uneasy détente in open banking is over. Jason and I haven’t had a chance to debrief on Plaid’s deal with JPMorgan Chase to pay for API access (so we do). Payments use cases remain the most expensive, Plaid is eating the fees (…

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FT x Nova Credit Fintech Takes x Nova Credit Presents Cash Flow Conversations Episode 4: The Cash Flow Bureau of the Future 45:49

4h ago45:49

45:49

Hello, and thanks for joining us for the fourth and final episode of Cash Flow Conversations, a new miniseries sponsored by Nova Credit. In episode 4, I sit down with Chris Hansen, GM, Cash Atlas Solutions at Nova Credit. Chris has probably thought more than anyone I know about how cash flow data is going to reshape the credit data and analytics ec…

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Fintech Takes x Nova Credit Presents Cash Flow Conversations Episode 3: Saying “Yes” to More Underserved Consumers 41:22

2d ago41:22

41:22

Hello, and welcome back to Cash Flow Conversations, a new miniseries sponsored by Nova Credit. Episode 3 is my conversation with Matt Zalubowski, Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Atlanticus, a subprime lender focused on offering credit cards and personal loans. The challenge in this market is finding more ways to fairly and r…

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Fintech Takes x Pipe presents Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts Episode 2: Customer Centricity 45:52

1d ago45:52

45:52

Welcome back to our new miniseries, Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts, sponsored by our friends at Pipe. Vertical SaaS platforms are experiencing major growth; they’ve become the operating system for every industry (with financial products and services baked right into workflows that SMBs already live in every day). Vertical SaaS…

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619: Kahlief Adams: Ghost of Yotei, Baby Steps, Silent Hill f, Skate, Borderlands 4, Sony State of Play, Saros, Wolverine, ROG Xbox Ally, Tokyo Game Show, Forza Horizon 6, Rhythm Doctor 2:00:06

3d ago2:00:06

2:00:06

Jeff and Christian welcome Kahlief Adams from Spawn on Me back to the show this week to discuss the announced pricing of the new Xbox handhelds, all of Sony's announcements from their patest State of Play, including Insomniac's Wolverine, and Xbox at Tokyo Game Show! The Playlist: Kahlief: Baby Steps, Yotei, Skate, Borderlands 4 Christian: Silent H…

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MGP621 - Blippo+, Borderlands 4, Hollow Knight: Silksong & WWE 2K25 50:06

5d ago50:06

50:06

In this weeks episode: Sheepdog is gaming the system and Pab is surfing the airwaves. All this and much more on episode 621 of MGP! Get FM25 for £38.94 using discount LOLLUJO here: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/FM26lollujo⁠⁠ Sheepdog's book, Nyaegling can be found ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can also click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to play his game P…

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The promise and potential of rural America 31:28

4d ago31:28

31:28

There is no single definition of “rural America.” It comprises agricultural hubs, manufacturing centers, and fast-growing regions—each a regional archetypes with its own distinct challenges and opportunities. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Senior Partner Nora Gardner joins Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly to discuss these archetype…

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Fintech Takes x Nova Credit Presents Cash Flow Conversations Episode 2: Experimenting With (and Scaling Up the Use of) Cash Flow Data 44:14

6d ago44:14

44:14

Hello, and welcome back to Cash Flow Conversations, a new podcast miniseries sponsored by Nova Credit. We’re exploring how cash flow data moves from theory (“this is intriguing”) to practice (“wow, that worked!”) across the consumer lending lifecycle. It’s risky to try something new; especially when said new thing has the potential to increase cred…

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Fintech Takes x Nova Credit Presents Cash Flow Conversations Episode 1: How Do Credit Risk Executives Think About Cash Flow Data? 35:55

6d ago35:55

35:55

Hello, and welcome to Cash Flow Conversations, a new podcast miniseries sponsored by Nova Credit. If you’ve followed my work, you’ll know that I’m obsessed with cash flow data (and underwriting more specifically). That’s because it has enormous potential to positively reshape consumer lending in the U.S. As banks, credit unions, and fintechs move f…

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Episode 150: America, You Have Some Explaining To Do... [Part 1] 1:02:48

4d ago1:02:48

1:02:48

Send us a text What's happening here? Or rather, what's happening in all 50 states of the good ol' US of A? And no, we're not talking the politics, we're talking the paranormal. Did you happen to know that there's a strange, weird, wild, and plain ol' wacky creature in each state? Thanks to Your Friend Frosty dredging up a list from social media ma…

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Xbox Raises Console Prices…Again – Unlocked 708 1:17:16

7d ago1:17:16

1:17:16

Our main topic is one we'd rather not have to discuss, but unfortunately, here we go again with Xbox console price hikes. We talk about our thoughts on the bigger picture of these higher-than-ever prices five years into this console generation. Plus: we've got fun stuff to talk about too, such as Forza Horizon 6's reveal and Japan setting, plus Hid…

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Startup Truths and Reality Checks 53:38

6d ago53:38

53:38

Welcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by David Roos, Partner at Core Innovation Capital — an early-stage fintech investor (founded in 2010) that backs scalable businesses built to drive financial inclusion for low- and middle-income consumers. We dig into how Core really sizes up founders and business models, what’s sh…

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Episode 74: ‘Palestine 36’ Review and the Echoes of the Past 41:33

7d ago41:33

41:33

The more things change, the more they stay the same. This is a reverberating ethos through Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir's latest film, Palestine 36, which chronicles the last days of the British Mandate of Palestine and its lasting ramifications. Produced by Philistine Films, BBC Film, BFI, Doha Film Institute, Watermelon Pictures and more,…

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Fintech Takes x Pipe presents Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts Episode 1: A Crash Course in vSaaS 55:55

8d ago55:55

55:55

Welcome to our new miniseries, Vertical SaaS: Fintech Disruption by a Thousand Cuts, sponsored by our friends at Pipe. This six-part miniseries explores how Vertical SaaS (vSaaS) platforms are becoming the operating systems for every industry. They’re experiencing tremendous growth because they solve the challenges unique to SMB owners. Increasingl…

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618: Chris Plante: Six One Indie Showcase, Lucid, Sheepherds, GodsTV, Lego Voyagers, Eclipsium, Splinter Cell Deathwatch , inverting your controls 1:39:59

8d ago1:39:59

1:39:59

Jeff and Christian welcome Chris Plante from Post Games to the show this week to discuss the massive Six One Indie Showcase, featuring 40 unique games, a new study about inverting the Y-axis on your controls, and Netflix's animated Splinter Cell show. The Playlist: Chris: Eclipsium Christian: Dead as Disco demo, Lucid demo, Sheepherds! demo, GodsTV…

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Interview – Writer Scott Wojcik at Hamilton Comic Con

9d ago

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At Hamilton Comic Con, JStew spoke with Scott about his comics including the just released Probed and loaded. We also discus who has inspired him. Check out his work at https://www.instagram.com/scott.wojcik.14

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MGP620 - Borderlands 4 launch special! 1:16:46

12d ago1:16:46

1:16:46

In this weeks episode: Kev's brain is pickled; Sheepdog is deciphering all the rumours; Anna has spent 24 hours in Kairos and Pab just isn't having any luck. All this and much more on episode 620 of MGP! Get FM25 for £38.94 using discount LOLLUJO here: ⁠https://bit.ly/FM26lollujo⁠ Sheepdog's book, Nyaegling can be found ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Yo…

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GTA 6: How Big Will its Pop Culture Impact Be? – Unlocked 707 1:07:44

14d ago1:07:44

1:07:44

We begin IGN's Xbox show this week by discussing the alleged (but still unconfirmed as of recording) pricing of the Xbox ROG Ally X handheld gaming PC, including what the huge apparent gap in price between the base model and the top-end model means for each one. And then our main topic is around GTA 6: a new Rockstar job listing makes a big but fai…

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Not Fintech Investment Advice: Welcome Tech, Bumper, Scalar Field, & Structify 57:38

13d ago57:38

57:38

Welcome back to Not Fintech Investment Advice, where Simon Taylor and I riff about fintech companies we’re absolutely not giving investment advice on. (Speaking of Simon, he’s got a new day job: he’s joining Tempo, a payments-first blockchain incubated by Stripe and Paradigm. Will this lead to spicier payment takes? We shall see!) We kick things of…

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617: Lucy James: Borderlands 4, Hell is Us, Nintendo Direct, Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave, Mario Galaxy, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Virtual Boy, Metroid Prime 4, Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined, Acclaim Showcase ... 1:52:15

17d ago1:52:15

1:52:15

Jeff and Christian welcome Lucy James from Gamespot back to the show this week to discuss the lengthy Nintendo Direct, including Mario 40th Anniversary reveals, Metroid rpime 4's release date, a new Fire Emblem, and more! Plus, Acclaim is back with nine new games. The Playlist: Lucy: Hell Is Us Christian: GeForce NOW RTX 5080 Jeff: Borderlands 4 Pa…

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MGP619 - Hollow Knight: Silksong, STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar, EVERYBODY'S GOLF HOT SHOTS & FM26 1:03:21

19d ago1:03:21

1:03:21

In this weeks episode: Kev has been trying all the shell creatures; Sheepdog is living up to his name; Anna is in wait mode and Pab is getting irrationally angry. All this and much more on episode 619 of MGP! Get FM25 for £38.94 using discount LOLLUJO here: https://bit.ly/FM26lollujo Sheepdog's book, Nyaegling can be found ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Y…

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Fintech Takes x SOLO Presents Source of Truth Episode 4: Wave a Magic Wand 45:22

18d ago45:22

45:22

We’re at the finish line of Source of Truth, the new podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at SOLO. And much like in a relay race, Eric Woodward (CEO at FinatIQ, who shaped one of the most successful digital payment platforms in the U.S. as the former Group President at Early Warning, the parent of Zelle) is the anchor tha…

1
Episode 149: All Hail The Magic Coin! 1:04:49

18d ago1:04:49

1:04:49

Send us a text In a triumphant return to both our scheduled programming and also to form, Your Friend Frosty and your bartender Mike Whiskey have gone completely insane and off the rails. A decision making coin. Twenty terrifying questions. Too many outcomes to count! Revelations! Betrayals! Surprises! It's all too much to take! Thank goodness we c…

1
Superman review and how we spent the end of the summer

20d ago

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We are back! Once again, adulting and having a day job has delayed our podcast but we have returned to talk about some of the great activities we got to do in the second half of the summer. We finally … Continue reading →

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Is Forza Horizon 6’s Reveal Imminent? – Unlocked 706 1:19:50

21d ago1:19:50

1:19:50

With rumors swirling and Microsoft confirming a Tokyo Game Show livestream, we discuss whether or not we might be about to get a reveal of Forza Horizon 6. Plus: Hollow Knight: Silksong and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle DLC impressions, former Xbox and industry execs weigh in on Xbox Game Pass, and more! 00:00:00 - Intro & Humble Bundle00:03:4…

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Fintech Takes x SOLO Presents Source of Truth Episode 3: Hard Lessons Learned from the Trenches 1:08:00

19d ago1:08:00

1:08:00

Hello, and welcome back to Source of Truth, a new miniseries sponsored by our friends at SOLO. This series is about information asymmetry; the enemy of financial services. Until now, we’ve focused on theory: the broken data infrastructure we’ve inherited. In Episode 3, we move from theory to reality. I ask four veteran founders and operators: What …

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Which tech trends are rising to the top of the business agenda? 35:55

19d ago35:55

35:55

Global competition has intensified, and the demand for energy and computing power is growing exponentially as companies embed AI, robotics, and other technologies into their everyday business processes. McKinsey’s annual outlook on technology trends points to 13 “frontier” trends that can help companies get a handle on these and other challenges. O…

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Bank Nerd Corner: OCC vs. States, NBA Moneyball, and Tokenized Deposits 1:30:36

20d ago1:30:36

1:30:36

Welcome back to Bank Nerd Corner featuring Kiah Haslett (whose inaugural Fintech Takes Banking newsletter is officially live – subscribe here to stay dangerously informed and entertained). First up: big banks are asking the OCC to write one uniform rulebook that overrides conflicting state rules. We unpack OCC vs the state regulators’ group (CSBS),…

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616: Eric Warner: Hollow Knight Silksong, 007 First Light, March of Giants, Noble Legacy, Discounty, Shinobi Art of Vengence, Grounded 2, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants, Everybody ... 2:05:19

24d ago2:05:19

2:05:19

Jeff and Christian welcome Eric Warner from Mature Minded Gamers to discuss board games based on video games, Sony's latest State of Play about 007, the Call of Duty movie that will not be directed by Steven Spielberg, and more! The Playlist: Eric: March of Giants - Amazon Games Montreal, Noble Legacy - Studio 369, Discounty - Crinkle Cut Games, Gr…

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MGP supplemental- Solo Pabby! 16:50

26d ago16:50

16:50

In this weeks supplemental episode: Pabby is here with a bonus episode running through his GOTY list so far for 2025! Sheepdog's book, Nyaegling can be found ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can also click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to play his game Prismyck for free! If you have any messages or questions for the gang then send them over to : Mgukpodc…

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Hollow Knight: Silksong First Impressions – Unlocked 705 1:08:36

28d ago1:08:36

1:08:36

The long-anticipated Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally out the day this episode publishes, and so we brought in Logan Plant from our Nintendo Voice chat to discuss his thoughts so far after he played it at a recent Xbox event and PAX West. Plus: our reactions to the first gameplay deep-dive of IO Interactive's 007: First Light, a discussion around…

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Fintech Recap: Open Banking, BaaS Island, and GENIUS Act Updates 1:11:52

27d ago1:11:52

1:11:52

Welcome back to Fintech Takes. I’m Alex Johnson, joined (as always) by my partner-in-recapping, Jason Mikula. First up, the open banking saga continues with a new 13-paged ANPR (Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) that reopens every fight. From whether “representatives” can access your data, if banks can charge cost-recovery fees, how liability …

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615: Janet Garcia: Shinobi: The Art of Vengeance, Gears of War: Reloaded, PS6 handheld rumors, Silksong causes delays, Skate early access, Slay the Spire, Time Flies, Persona 5 Royal, Fretless, Lumines ... 1:46:38

1M ago1:46:38

1:46:38

Jeff and Christian welcome Janet Garcia from MinnMax back to the show to discuss the indie space in the wake of the Silksong announcement, Skate finally hitting early access, and a new rumor about Playstation going Switch. The Playlist: Janet: Slay the Spire, Time Flies, Persona 5 Royal Christian: Shinobi: The Art of Vengeance, Gears of War: Reload…

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MGP618 - Sword of the Sea, Gears of War: Reloaded, The Rogue Prince of Persia & Sackboy: A Big Adventure 57:31

1M ago57:31

57:31

In this weeks episode: Kev is waiting by the door for the postman; Sheepdog is changing his class; Anna might be in to rogue likes and Pab is kickflipping in the desert . All this and much more on episode 618 of MGP! Sheepdog's book, Nyaegling can be found ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can also click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to play his game Prismyck…

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Fintech Takes x SOLO Presents Source of Truth Episode 2: Context is King 57:23

1M ago57:23

57:23

Hello, and welcome back to Source of Truth, the new podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at SOLO. This series is about information asymmetry (the enemy of financial services; especially lending). In Episode, we tackled truth vs. trust. And in Episode 2, we explore history vs. overconfidence, which goes something like this…

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5 Rad Games We’re Playing Right Now – Unlocked 704 1:04:09

1M ago1:04:09

1:04:09

We're drowning in a sea of awesome games this week! Between the three of us, we've been playing a couple of big new releases (Gears of War Reloaded and Metal Gear Solid Delta) and a few hot upcoming games we want to tell you about (Replaced, The Outer Worlds 2, and LEGO Voyagers). Join us! 00:00 - Intro 02:02 - A Bioshock Update 12:15 - Gears of Wa…

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Fintech Takes x SOLO Presents Source of Truth. Ep 1: Is Truth Enough to Unlock Trust? 52:44

1M ago52:44

52:44

Hello, and welcome to Source of Truth, a new podcast miniseries from Fintech Takes, sponsored by our friends at SOLO. This series is about information asymmetry (which is *the* enemy in financial services — especially in lending). Information asymmetry (the gap between what the customer knows and what the financial service provider knows) explains …

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The changing role of the CMO—and what it means for growth 23:07

1M ago23:07

23:07

Chief marketing officers are vital to strategic decision-making, but increasingly, they’re being left out of the discussions that matter most—to the detriment of both customers and growth. “Kelsey and I are on a singular mission to bring CMOs back,” McKinsey Senior Partner Shelley Stewart III said recently, referring to Senior Partner Kelsey Robins…

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BONUS Paid DLC Special: Nintendo Handheld Draft! 1:05:32

1M ago1:05:32

1:05:32

Daanish Syed joins Lana, Christian, and Jeff for a friendly competition where YOU can decide the winner! The Nintendo Handheld Draft! One game for each system, GameBoy, GameBoy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, and Switch - but taking a franchise game on any one system eliminates that entire franchise for every other player on every other system!…

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Bank Nerd Corner: CFPB’s Flip, Crypto’s Endgame, and The Erebor Backdoor 1:16:19

1M ago1:16:19

1:16:19

Bank Nerd Corner is back with Kiah Haslett returning … not just as co-host, but as an official member of Fintech Takes! That’s right, big news: Bank Nerd Corner will soon be its own podcast feed, with Kiah hosting (and Alex dropping in monthly as a guest). Kiah’s podcast launches this September alongside her new weekly newsletter, Fintech Takes Ban…