Decoder with Nilay Patel

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Author: The Verge Language: English Episodes: 100
At the intersection of power, innovation, and consequence, you'll find Decoder with Nilay Patel. Hosted by The Verge's editor-in-chief, this isn't a typical business or technology podcast that simply recites the news. Instead, Nilay engages with founders, CEOs, legislators, and artists in substantive conversations that dissect the mechanics behind major decisions. The dialogue focuses on the real-world implications of big ideas, probing how today's choices in boardrooms and legislatures ripple out into society tomorrow. You'll hear guests articulate their toughest challenges, the trade-offs they've made, and the often-unseen forces shaping industries from social media and artificial intelligence to transportation and entertainment. Each episode is built on a foundation of genuine curiosity, aiming to unpack not just what is happening, but why it matters for the way we all live and work. Listening to this podcast feels like gaining access to a nuanced, behind-the-scenes briefing where strategy and philosophy collide. It's for anyone who suspects that the most important stories aren't the announcements themselves, but the human decisions, the unforeseen problems, and the ethical calculations that happen long before the headlines are written. Through these detailed conversations, Decoder provides a crucial lens on the architects of our modern world and the complex systems they are building, for better or worse.
Episodes
The DoorDash Problem: How AI browsers are a huge threat to Amazon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:55
Okay, let’s talk about AI and what I’ve been calling the “DoorDash problem.” This is about to define the next battle in AI, and it might completely transform not only how you order a sandwich, but also how the entire int…
Ring's Jamie Siminoff thinks AI can reduce crime [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:17
Jamie Simonoff, founder of Ring, won't let me call him the CEO. He says his title is and always has been 'chief inventor.' His mission with Ring is to make the world safer, and he has a pretty expansive view of what that…
The company at the heart of the AI bubble [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:56
So a lot of people think AI is a bubble. So we sent Verge senior reporter Liz Lopatto out to report on the AI bubble — whether it's real, how it might pop, and what all of this means. She’s joining the show today to talk…
Sir Tim Berners-Lee doesn’t think AI will destroy the web [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:25
Today, I’m talking with a very special guest: Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web. Tim is a legend in the history of the internet. He created HTML and HTTP. It doesn’t really get more foundational tha…
How AI is fueling an existential crisis in education [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:37
We keep hearing over and over that generative AI is causing massive problems in education, both in K-12 schools and at the college level. Lots of people are worried about students using ChatGPT to cheat on assignments, a…
Lyft CEO David Risher on paying drivers more and the shift to robotaxis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:02
David Risher was on Lyft's board for years, but only stepped in as CEO in 2023, to help turn the company around. He's done pretty well so far, but there are still a lot of open questions for him to face. It's not just co…
How Silicon Valley enshittified the internet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:41
This is Sarah Jeong, features editor at The Verge. I’m standing in for Nilay for one final Thursday episode here as he settles back into full-time hosting duties. Today, we’ve got a fun one. I’m talking to Cory Doctorow,…
LexisNexis CEO says the AI law era is already here [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:07
LexisNexis is one of the most important companies in the entire legal system. For ages it's been where you went to look up case law and do legal research. There isn’t a lawyer today who hasn’t used it — it’s fundamental…
Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:03
Today’s guests are General Motors CEO Mary Barra and new GM Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson. There’s a lot of big news the company just announced, including a Google Gemini-powered AI assistant that's coming to n…
Zocdoc CEO: "Dr. Google is going to be replaced by Dr. AI" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:06
Hey everyone, it’s Nilay. I’m back from parental leave, and I’m really excited to jump back into Decoder. Today’s episode is a special one: I’m talking to Zocdoc CEO Oliver Kharraz, and we chatted live on stage at the Te…