ACCESS
ACCESS is a show about the tech industry’s inside conversation. Hosted by Alex Heath, the most connected tech reporter out there, and Ellis Hamburger, the founder whisperer for today’s hottest AI startups, ACCESS features revealing conversations with Silicon Valley’s most influential leaders, from the tech titans of today to tomorrow’s most interesting entrepreneurs. It’s a show made by insiders for everyone who wants a glimpse into the future and the people building it. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Episodes
This AI will push back if you're rude to it
Ellis sits down with Quinten Farmer, founder of Tolan, the AI companion doing over $20M in annual revenue by being a genuinely good friend, not a yes machine. They get into why Tolan's little aliens accidentally became beloved by moms 35 to 45, how Tolans stick up for themselves when users are mean to it, and why Quinten dropped "companion" as a word entirely. They also talk about why he went prem
The AI writing app fighting AI slop
Alex and Ellis sit down with Jon Steinback, founder of Marker, the AI writing tool that refuses to write for you. They get into why Google Docs hasn't changed in 20 years, how most AI writing tools are quietly making you a worse thinker, and what Marker does differently: an editor that asks questions instead of generating answers. They also dig into Alex's own AI writing workflow and whether outso
This AI tells you what your friends won't
Ellis sits down with Jason Yuan, founder of Hivemind, an AI that lives in your iMessage and sources answers from the people you actually trust instead of scraping the internet. They get into how Hivemind set Jason up on a New Year's Eve date by secretly polling his friends, why the product has a "constitution" for what makes a good story, how it scooped the Wall Street Journal on the Manus acquisi
The billionaire paying AI researchers to stay out of Big Tech
Alex and Ellis sit down with Andy Konwinski, co-founder of Databricks and Perplexity, to talk about his new effort Laude, which is putting over $100 million behind AI researchers to keep their work in the open. They discuss why top researchers are turning down millions to stay in academia, what happens to open science if the closed labs win, and why Andy thinks the AI industry has a serious commun
A top iPhone app developer reacts to Apple's new Siri
Alex and Ellis sit down with Ryan Jones, founder of Flighty and 13-year top indie developer, to talk about what it actually takes to build a beloved app in the age of AI. They talk about Apple's big WWDC announcements, the new Siri, and why every vibe coder who tries to clone Flighty eventually gives up. They also break a scoop about Flighty's upcoming AI launch, get into whether craft and design
AI is turning sketches into real-world products
Alex and Ellis sit down with Jordan Taylor, founder of Vizcom, to talk about the AI design tool that lets anyone go from a rough sketch to a finished product. They discuss how Jordan built Vizcom out of a viral Reddit post during COVID, why a drawing is still a better creative input than a text prompt, and how hundreds of thousands of designers are already using it to design shoes, cars, and physi
Is Polsia AI slop or the future of startups?
Some say he's making an AI slop factory. Others say he'll be the first one-man $1 billion startup.
Ellis and Alex sit down with Ben Cera, founder of Polsia, a controversial AI startup that claims to build and run entire companies autonomously. They get into whether the product is vaporware or a genuine glimpse at the future of startups, what early users are creating with Polsia, and what a compan
Substack’s CEO on AI slop, free speech, and taking on YouTube
Alex and Ellis sit down with Chris Best, CEO of Substack, for a live interview at the ACCESS launch party at Notion HQ in San Francisco. They get into Substack's growth, the future of media, and the ongoing debate around free speech and moderation. They also press him on the Substack creator exodus narrative, break news about the platform's upcoming AI features, and discuss what happens to indepen
Anthropic’s hunt for the next Claude Code
Alex sits down with Mike Krieger, co-founder of Instagram and head of Anthropic Labs, to talk about what the team is working on after Claude Code and where AI is headed next. They discuss how Anthropic's skunkworks lab operates, why Mike stepped down as CPO to return to building, and what the competition with OpenAI's Codex looks like from the inside. They also get into the white spaces Mike is mo
'AI Coachella' Stanford prof on data center backlash
Alex and Ellis sit down with Anjney Midha, a venture capitalist, Stanford AI lecturer, and founder of AMP, to discuss why zero-sum thinking is holding the AI industry back. They discuss what it would look like if labs actually cooperated, why compute needs to work like electricity, and what his viral Stanford class on AI has revealed about the next generation of founders. They also get into the Ga
What happens when AI runs a store
Alex and Ellis sit down with Andon Labs co-founder Lukas Petersson to talk about what it looks like when AI moves out of the chat window and into the real world. They discuss AI-run stores and vending machines, why people behave differently when interacting with AI, and what happens when machines start managing businesses on their own. They also get into the idea of humans working for AI, whether
Silicon Valley finally has its “Succession”
What happens when Silicon Valley becomes the subject of its own satire?
Alex and Ellis sit down with The Audacity showrunner Jonathan Glatzer to talk about building a TV series that takes on Big Tech, the battle for your private data, and the power dynamics shaping Silicon Valley — and Hollywood too. They also go deep into the role of satire in critiquing power, AI's role in the writing process,
Canva’s CEO on what happens when AI does the design
Alex and Ellis talk about why they are getting less hyped on OpenClaw, the Social Network sequel that might actually be great, and why recent attacks on Sam Altman signal a real reputational crisis for the AI industry. Then they're joined by Melanie Perkins, co-founder and CEO of Canva, fresh off the company's biggest product announcement in over a decade. They discuss Canva's shift from design pl
OpenClaw for normies is here
Alex and Ellis talk about OpenAI’s acquisition of TBPN, the tension between media and corporate ownership, and why so many people in AI seem to be working themselves into the ground. Then they’re joined by Marvin von Hagen, CEO of Poke, an AI assistant that lives in your texts and connects to everything from your email to your calendar. It's basically OpenClaw for normies. They discuss why Marvin
The future of AI might be on your finger
Alex and Ellis talk about why Codex is becoming central to OpenAI's strategy and the competition with Claude. Then they’re joined by Mina Fahmi, CEO and co-founder of Sandbar, who is building a smart ring that acts like an AI interface for your entire life. They discuss Mina’s path from neural interface research at MIT and CTRL-Labs to consumer hardware, why he thinks the next big AI product has t
The real reason CEOs want you using AI meeting notes
Alex and Ellis talk about navigating ethics in media and programming the pod, the rise of film photography, and Alex’s trip to OpenAI. Then they’re joined by Granola co-founder Sam Stephenson to talk about building one of the breakout AI meeting tools. They discuss why meetings are still where decisions actually get made, the London tech scene, opening an office in SF, and how Granola is evolving
When your bank account talks to Claude
Alex and Ellis break down why SXSW no longer feels like a true tech conference and how Nvidia’s GTC has become the new center of gravity for the industry. Then they’re joined by Mercury CEO Immad Akhund to talk about building one of the most important fintech companies for startups. They discuss how Mercury thinks about plugging into AI tools like Claude, Immad's side gig as a VC, the SF poker sce
Meet Starboy, the alien toy that hates being called AI
Alex and Ellis talk about Alex’s visit to Anthropic’s headquarters as Claude downloads surge and the company faces growing scrutiny over its stance on government AI use. They discuss AI culture inside the labs, image generation experiments with Claude, and why some companies are betting that coding—not multimodal—is the fastest path to AGI.
Then they’re joined by Daniel Kuntz, the creator of Star
What happens to Google when AI answers everything?
Alex and Ellis talk about using Claude to organize their digital lives, the rise of agent platforms like Dreamer, and a mysterious AI hardware sighting in San Francisco. Then they’re joined by Liz Reid, VP and Head of Search at Google, to talk about what it’s like running one of the most influential products on the internet during the AI boom. They discuss how AI overviews are changing search, the
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman on surviving the AI slop-pocalypse
Alex and Ellis break down the viral AI essay that tanked stocks and debate whether agents could end white-collar work as we know it. Then they’re joined by Reddit co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman to talk about fighting AI slop, why Reddit has resisted becoming traditional social media, and how the platform is navigating bots, moderation, and creators. They discuss prediction markets, Reddit’s anti
Notion's CEO on if AI is really killing software companies
Ellis tells Alex about his storytelling speech for AI founders at Andreessen Horowitz, and they discuss how OpenAI beat Meta to hire the founder of OpenClaw. Then they’re joined by Notion co-founder and CEO Ivan Zhao to talk about the rise of AI agents. They discuss building custom agents inside Notion, his own AI workflow, why he's focused on hiring young people, and why he thinks every software
OpenAI's Fidji Simo on why ads are coming to ChatGPT
Alex and Ellis recap the AI ads at the Super Bowl and talk about Jony Ive showing Alex the first-ever electric Ferrari Luce he designed. Then, they sit down with Fidji Simo, CEO of Applications at OpenAI, for a wide-ranging conversation about where ChatGPT is headed next. They talk about ads coming to ChatGPT, people having emotional attachment with AI, working with Sam Altman, the state of Sora,
Where AI video is headed next, with Synthesia's Victor Riparbelli
Alex and Ellis analyze AIs talking to each other on Moltbook, the implications of Elon Musk merging SpaceX and xAI, new moves in the OpenAI versus Anthropic coding race, and a favorite AI app getting a controversial redesign.
Then they’re joined by Victor Riparbelli, CEO of Synthesia, to talk about how he turned deepfakes into a business that just raised $200 million. They discuss how AI video is
Where we'll go when the bots take over, with Sublime's Sari Azout
Alex and Ellis talk about the tech industry's new obsession with Clawdbot/Molbot, the scary aspect of AI agents, AI invading group chats, and the new viral essay from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. Then they’re joined by Sublime founder Sari Azout to discuss what she learned from the crypto bubble, taste as a differentiator in the age of AI, founder life in Miami, the limits of “second brain” tools,
Home robots are coming faster than you think, with Sunday's Tony Zhao
Alex and Ellis talk about robotics hype, questionable demos, and what it really takes to build useful machines. First, we hear from Alex live in Davos at the World Economic Forum, where they discuss nightcaps with big wigs, what Thinking Machines was really thinking, and more.
Then they’re joined by Tony Zhao, founder of Sunday Robotics, to talk about Memo, a household robot designed for everyday
Building an autonomous car utopia with Rivian's RJ Scaringe
Alex and Ellis discuss Meta's metaverse layoffs and why Claude Cowork might finally make them switch from ChatGPT. Then they're joined by Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe to talk about large driving models, why most people want boring car colors, the stress of EV range anxiety, building charging infrastructures, and why driving might become as nostalgic as riding a horse.
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The AI glasses race is heating up
Alex and Ellis talk about the strange gadgets, taglines, and smells at CES in Las Vegas. Then they’re joined by Meta’s head of wearables, Alex Himel, to talk about the rise of smart glasses, what the company has learned from the recent release of the Meta Ray-Ban Displays, AI rings, meat slicers, and more.
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ACCESS Wrapped: Our favorite guest moments so far
Ellis and Alex recap their holidays and the nerdy gifts their wives gave them. They go through their ChatGPT year-in-review, discuss the significance of Nvidia's reverse acquisition of Groq for $20 billion on Christmas Eve, and reminisce about CES in Las Vegas. Then, they recap the first four months of ACCESS guests, including the most viral moments from conversations with Mark Zuckerberg, Eugenia
Betting on reality with Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour
This week, Alex and Ellis talk about the rise of storytelling in tech and why X is now openly pleading for its haters to come back. Then they sit down with Tarek Mansour, co-founder and CEO of Kalshi, to discuss insider trading, his rivalry with Polymarket, regulatory chaos, sports betting, and why prediction markets are having a real moment.
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French founders and AI priests with Maxime Germain
This week, Ellis and Alex go behind OpenAI's "Code Red," discuss why Netflix says it wants Warner Bros. because of YouTube, and analyze why algorithms are becoming more customizable. Then, they sit down with guest Maxime Germain, founder and CEO of Beside: an AI receptionist answering millions of calls for everyone from priests to winery owners.
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Is Roblox making the internet better or worse? We asked the CEO
Ellis, Alex, and Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki dive straight into the child-safety discussion, why Roblox is rolling out facial age checks, and whether the entire internet is headed toward age-gating. They unpack the Hard Fork controversy, how Roblox thinks about user safety, and how AI will shape moderation, online communities, and the future of communication.
What we cover
- Facial age checks to ac
How to win as an AI wrapper with Harvey's Winston Weinberg
Ellis and Alex chat about Apple succession rumors, group chats in ChatGPT, and ill-advised pre-show oysters. Then, they sit down with Harvey CEO Winston Weinberg to discuss how AI is changing the future of law, how to succeed as an AI wrapper, and the worst advice VCs give.
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Robinhood’s Vlad Tenev on predicting the future
Ellis and Alex chat about their first live pod recording in San Francisco, grandma-centric design, and how Alex finds new sources. Then, they're joined by Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev to discuss the rise of prediction markets, juggling priorities as a public CEO, and much more.
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Runway CEO Cristobal Valenzuela is simulating the world
Ellis and Alex chat about the Sources launch party, and living in late-stage extractionism. Then, they are then joined by Runway CEO Cristobal Valenzuela to discuss the hardest part about AI, why golf courses are a bigger problem than data centers, and how world models are changing our world forever.
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Eugenia Kuyda on software’s “YouTube moment”
Ellis and Alex chat about turning life into an RPG video game, and are then joined by Replika and Wabi CEO Eugenia Kuyda to discuss her new app — for building your own hyper-personal apps in 5 minutes flat. They also talk about the MS-DOS era for AI, what’s wrong with AI companions today, and her advice for new founders getting started today.
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Android chief Sameer Samat on Google Pixel and the path to AI glasses
Ellis and Alex chat about their weekend escapades and OpenAI's new Atlas browser. They're then joined by Google’s head of Android, Sameer Samat, to unpack why headsets matter on the road to AR glasses and turning Gemini into a Jarvis-like assistant. They dig into the strategy for Google's Pixel’s phones, what Google learned from the Glasshole era, and Samir’s story of cold-emailing Sergey Brin at
Taking on Apple with Nothing CEO Carl Pei
Alex and Ellis recap the first month of the show and chat about the future of AI apps and ChatGPT allowing erotica later this year. They’re then joined by Nothing CEO Carl Pei to discuss building a new kind of smartphone company, competing with Apple, Gen Z, and more.
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Building the Star Trek computer with Huxe's Raiza Martin
Ellis and Alex chat about OpenAI's big conference and the AI slop culture war. They're then joined by Huxe CEO Raiza Martin to talk about why she left Google as one of the inventors of NoteBookLM to build Huxe, a new kind of personalized AI audio app. They dig into why audio may be the killer use case for AI, the future of AI and podcasting, and what it feels like to have your branding copied by C
Avi Schiffmann thinks AI can be your best Friend
Friend CEO Avi Schiffmann joins Alex and Ellis to address the backlash to the AI startup’s massive NYC and LA billboard blitz. They get into why he calls Friend a “living electronic,” the “always listening” AI pendant, privacy, the value of controversy, and what’s next. They also talk about the loneliness debate, sycophantic AI, and how he sees Friend as an “art project.” If you’ve seen the ads —
Figma CEO Dylan Field on the future of design and AI
CEO Dylan Field gives his first interview since Figma's big IPO, joining Ellis and Alex to talk all things design, AI, and what's next for Figma.
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Mark Zuckerberg on the AI bubble and Meta's new display glasses
In the premiere episode of ACCESS, tech insiders Alex Heath and Ellis Hamburger talk all things Mark Zuckerberg, from the newest Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses to the beverage selections in the new Meta AI Lab. Alex then sits down with Zuck himself ahead of the 2025 Meta Connect conference.
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Introducing ACCESS: The tech industry's inside conversation
Welcome to ACCESS, the technology industry's inside conversation. Join tech reporting vet Alex Heath and founder whisperer Ellis Hamburger as they dive into revealing convos with tech's most famous leaders and its emerging visionaries.
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