Decoder with Nilay Patel

Decoder is a show from The Verge about big ideas — and other problems. Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel talks to a diverse cast of innovators and policymakers at the frontiers of business and technology to reveal how they’re navigating an ever-changing landscape, what keeps them up at night, and what it all means for our shared future.

Business
Technology
276
Recode Decode: Niall Ferguson
Historian Niall Ferguson, the author of bestselling books such as "The Ascent of Money" and "The Square and the Tower," talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new PBS series, "Networld," which explores the history and science of networks.
53 min
277
Recode Decode: Kevin Systrom
Instagram co-founder and former CEO Kevin Systrom talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the data analysis he has conducted and publicized about the global spread of coronavirus, and what it tells us the future looks like.
49 min
278
Recode Decode: David Plouffe
Former Obama advisor David Plouffe — who since leaving the White House has worked with Uber, the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, and Acronym — talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, A Citizen's Guide to Beating Donald Trump.
57 min
279
Recode Decode: Stewart Butterfield
Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how coronavirus changed everything for Slack and its customers, the sudden transition to "work from home" across the country, and how the company is handling a surge in usage at the same time that other plans and resources are being constrained.
55 min
280
Recode Decode: Gary Vaynerchuk
VaynerMedia CEO Gary Vaynerchuk
66 min
281
Recode Decode: Deepak Chopra
Dr. Deepak Chopra talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how to cope with the global threat posed by coronavirus, the parallel "pandemic of panic," and how to not be overwhelmed by fear and anxiety.
56 min
282
Recode Decode: Chamath Palihapitiya
Social Capital CEO Chamath Palihapitiya talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how long it will take to recover from the coronavirus crisis, its impact on startups, and how the US government should and will react — including by repatriating cash from flush tech companies like Apple.
61 min
283
Recode Decode: Ben Hubbard
Ben Hubbard, the Beirut bureau chief for the New York Times, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed Bin Salman."
56 min
284
Recode Decode: Andrew Yang
Former 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the growing popularity of government programs to send money directly to people affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
58 min
285
Recode Decode: "After Truth"
Recode's Kara Swisher talks with three of the brains behind the new HBO documentary After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News: Director Andrew Rossi, who previously directed Page One: Inside the New York Times; executive producer Brian Stelter, who hosts Reliable Sources on CNN; and co-producer Adam McGill.
51 min
286
Recode Decode: Maggie Haberman
Maggie Haberman, the White House correspondent for the New York Times, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how the rest of the country has bypassed Trump's failure to lead on the coronavirus outbreak; his exposure to COVID-19 at Mar-a-Lago and refusal to self-quarantine; and the toxic cocktail of practices in his administration: Infighting, tiptoeing, and sucking up.
54 min
287
Recode Decode: Ron Klain
"Epidemic" co-host Ron Klain, who led the White House's ebola response under President Obama, talks to Recode's Kara Swisher about how the COVID-19 outbreak will strain America's healthcare system; how President Trump downplayed the crisis, rattling public confidence and delaying the country's response; and the way people who work in the gig economy — including Uber drivers and food delivery workers — will be especially hurt by the situation.
62 min
288
Recode Decode: Dr. Lloyd Minor
Dr. Lloyd Minor, the dean of Stanford University's School of Medicine, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the novel coronavirus outbreak and his new book, "Discovering Precision Health: Predict, Prevent, and Cure to Advance Health and Well-Being."
44 min
289
Recode Decode: Mark Lemley
Stanford Law School professor Mark Lemley talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about Silicon Valley's obsession with startups getting an "exit" — usually an acquisition by one of the tech giants — and why that trend is suffocating innovation.
42 min
290
Recode Decode: Aicha Evans and Jesse Levinson
Zoox CEO Aicha Evans and CTO Jesse Levinson talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about their development of a fully autonomous robo-taxi, which will be designed for multiple passengers to share and is planned to hit public roads before the end of 2021.
59 min
291
Recode Decode: Dan Pfeiffer
Pod Save America co-host Dan Pfeiffer talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "Un-Trumping America: A Plan to Make America a Democracy Again."
45 min
292
Recode Decode: Jason Calacanis
Inside CEO and This Week in Startups host Jason Calacanis talks with Kara Swisher about the future of Uber after its troubled IPO, why one of the tech giants should buy Tesla, and Jeff Bezos' achilles heel: His lack of generosity.
62 min
293
Recode Decode: Conor Dougherty
New York Times reporter Conor Dougherty talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his new book, "Golden Gates: Fighting For Housing in America.”
58 min
294
Recode Decode: Jorge Ramos
Univision anchor Jorge Ramos talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about how much of the Latino vote President Trump might get in 2020, why Bernie Sanders’ praise of communist Cuba in the 1980s might cost him dearly in a general election, and why it’s important that journalists practice contrapoder — being on the other side of power.
56 min
295
Recode Decode: Steven Levy
Technology journalist and Wired editor-at-large Steven Levy talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his latest book, "Facebook: The Inside Story."
64 min
296
Recode Decode: Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler
Authors Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about their latest book together, "The Future Is Faster Than You Think: How Converging Technologies Are Disrupting Business, Industries, and Our Lives."
60 min
297
Recode Decode: Caleb Scharf
Caleb Scharf, the director of Astrobiology at Columbia University, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the under=discussed dangers humans would face in space and the rise of private space exploration, as championed by billionaires such as Elon Musk and Richard Branson.
51 min
298
Recode Decode: Corey Johnson
Corey Johnson, the Speaker of the New York City Council and an candidate in the 2021 mayoral race, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about expanding transit and bike lanes, attracting tech investment in the city, and what it's like to be a politician today.
61 min
299
Recode Decode: David Kaye
David Kaye, the special rapporteur for freedom of opinion and expression at the United Nations, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the hacking of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' phone by the Saudi Arabian government; why it’s easier than ever for governments to suppress information spread by journalists and dissidents; and the inherent danger of internet companies and governments collecting massive amounts of data about us.
55 min
300
Recode Decode: Larry Ingrassia
Journalist Larry Ingrassia talks with Recode’s Jason Del Rey about his new book, "Billion Dollar Brand Club: How Dollar Shave Club, Warby Parker, and Other Disruptors Are Remaking What We Buy."
49 min