What's Uptin?

Episodes

• Why Klarna's CMO thinks Amex is just a Transfer of Wealth 16.07.2026 26m

  David Sandstrom, CMO of Klarna, sits down with Uptin at Cannes Lions to explain why he thinks the credit card industry is broken, and why Klarna is coming for it.In this episode:Why Sandstrom says Amex lounge perks are secretly funded by people drowning in credit card debtThe real story behind Klarna's viral Snoop Dogg ("Smooth Dogg") campaign, and the 50/50 boardroom vote that almost killed itHow Klarna handled going viral for the wrong reasons (yes, the $18 DoorDash memes)Why Gen Z trusts influencers over banks, and what that means for the future of financial adviceHow AI is changing marketing, LinkedIn, and social media as we know itWhat it's really like to build a $46 billion company, survive a brutal market correction, and IPO, and the mental toll no one talks aboutSandstrom's blunt take: "Your self-worth and your net worth are not the same thing"Whether you love Klarna, distrust it, or just want to understand how a "boring" fintech company became one of the most talked-about brands in the world, this conversation pulls back the curtain.🎧 New episodes of What's Uptin every week.
• This might be the most unusual CEO in Silicon Valley: Twitch's CEO gets brutally honest 09.07.2026 28m

  Twitch CEO Dan Clancy has no PR team filtering his live streams, argues with his own mom about playing football, and thinks failure is the entire point of success. On this episode of What's Uptin, we sit down with one of the strangest, most disarming CEOs in tech.Dan Clancy went from NASA researcher to running Twitch, and along the way built a leadership style that looks nothing like Silicon Valley's usual playbook. He explains why Twitch creators keep coming back even after leaving for YouTube, why "community" doesn't mean what most platforms think it means, and how a random Kevin Durant story reveals exactly what makes Twitch different.We also get into:- Why he's not worried about YouTube or Instagram going all-in on live streaming- The real difference between a "commodity creator" and a platform star- His honest take on AI streamers (including "AI Jesus")- Why Amazon owns Twitch, and why almost nobody notices- His NASA to Google to Twitch career path, and why he was a theater major in college- The 3 pieces of advice he gives every new grad- Why he forces himself to fail on purpose, literally counting rejections as a weekly goal- What actually keeps the CEO of Twitch up at nightThis is a rare, unfiltered look at how one of the internet's biggest platforms is really run, by someone who insists he's just a regular guy who happens to run it.🎥 Full interview above.👍 If you enjoyed this episode of What's Uptin, leave a like and subscribe for more conversations with the people building the platforms we use every day.💬 Drop a comment: what surprised you most about Dan Clancy?
• How YouTube became a $30 Billion business nobody saw coming, and is now becoming TV's biggest threat 02.07.2026 17m

  Alison Lomax, Managing Director of YouTube, joins What's Uptin? to unpack how a platform once dismissed as "amateur bedroom vlogging" has become one of the most dominant forces in media and why most people are still underestimating it.In this conversation, we cover:Why YouTube viewing on television sets has overtaken every other format in some marketsHow podcasts went from irrelevant to essential on YouTube in under 4 yearsThe real math behind creator monetization — and why one YouTube subscriber is worth far more than a follower on other platformsHow YouTube's multi-format strategy (Shorts, live, podcasts, long-form) is built to defend against competitors, not cannibalize itselfWhat 21 years of platform evolution reveals about where attention, and advertising dollars, are headed nextAlison's take on AI's role in content, productivity, and the future of workWhether you're building a media business, investing in the space, or just trying to understand where audiences are actually spending their time, this is a rare look inside the strategy of one of the most influential platforms in the world.
• The woman who decides what 3 billion people see every day 25.06.2026 23m

  3 billion people open Instagram every month. Someone decides what they see. This week, I sat down with that person. Tessa Lyons, VP of Product at Instagram, on the future of your feed, AI-generated reality, and why the app that knows everything about you is now coming for your TV.We get into how Instagram went from a square photo app to consuming 60% of all time spent on social media and why that happened faster than anyone expected. Tessa takes me inside the moment she personally launched Reels six years ago when everyone was skeptical, how they decide what gets built next, and why Gen Z is forcing the entire platform to rethink what sharing even means. We also get into the AI problem that should concern every single person who scrolls, when photos and videos look completely real but aren't, and what Instagram is actually doing about it. Plus, Instagram is coming for your living room, and Tessa explains exactly what that means.This one got personal. We ended up talking about the strange new world where you run into someone and realize you know everything about their life but you've never actually met. Is that a beautiful thing or a terrifying one? 0:00 Intro: Instagram started as a photo app. So what is it now?1:03 Reels launched 6 years ago. Now video is 60% of all time on social media2:12 Why Gen Z refuses to perform online and what Instagram built because of it4:21 The 30 minute notification we all ignore and what Tessa says about that5:24 Instagram is coming for your TV. Here's exactly what that means12:51 3 billion users. Does that kind of power ever feel like too much?16:42 The AI problem nobody is talking about and Instagram's plan to fix it18:43 A green checkmark for real humans? Tessa's answer will surprise you21:23 When you know someone but you've never met. The new reality of online connection
• After Working With Stephen Bartlett, He Bet Everything on This 21.06.2026 21m

  Oliver Yonchev spent 15 years in entrepreneurship, starting as a musician, and worked closely with Stephen Bartlett before launching Co-Created, an investment office that has incubated 14 businesses. He breaks down what he actually looks for in founders: domain expertise, resilience, and humility over degrees or credentials, and why a business plan is basically irrelevant at day zero.He talks about AI shrinking teams, why the UK lacks enough support for small business builders, and what he took from living in New York, namely the audacity and confidence that British entrepreneurs tend to lack. He's conflicted about Gen Z: yes the challenges are real, but the tools available to young people today are unprecedented.The conversation touches on shiny object syndrome, when to quit, the loneliness epidemic, why real-world community businesses are massively underrated, and why human connection will never be replaced by AI, because nobody wants something "artificial."He closes on his new company Potential, which helps people protect and monetize what they create with AI, and is heading toward a public listing on London's AIM market.
• The AI Jobs Myth, China's Secret Weapon, and Why Your Chatbot Will Get You Sued 12.06.2026 33m

  David Cox runs AI research at IBM and leads the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab. He's testified to Congress twice in 60 days, built AI his entire career, and he thinks we're getting almost everything wrong. In this episode: why 95% of AI projects fail, why China is quietly winning the open source war, why your chatbot could get your company sued, and why the real AI threat isn't Skynet ... t's poorly built software making bad decisions at scale.
• Hummer's Revenge: GM's President on Killing Gas, Killing Apple CarPlay, and Betting Everything on America 05.06.2026 22m

  GM President Mark Reuss doesn't hold back. Uptin asks about Hummer's insane electric comeback, the death of Apple CarPlay, robo-taxis, Gemini AI in your car, China's brutal price wars, Detroit's rebirth, and the one thing that keeps him up at night. If you care about the future of American cars, this is the interview you need to watch.
• "We're running out of people on the internet" -- Meta CMO gets brutally honest about the future 28.05.2026 17m

  Meta has 3 billion users and they're still not satisfied. I sat down with Alex Schultz, CMO of Meta, to find out what their endgame actually looks like — and his answers were more candid than I expected.We get into why Americans still aren't using WhatsApp (and how Meta plans to change that), the real reason you have to demo the AI glasses in person, what Meta actually thinks about your kids on social media, and why he's more excited about AI in 2025 than anything else he's seen in years.Oh — and he admitted they're basically running out of humans on the internet. So now they want you using five of their products instead of one.Chapters:00:00 - "We're running out of people on the internet"01:18 - Why Americans don't use WhatsApp (yet)03:14 - The AI glasses you have to try in person06:04 - Is the VR headset still a priority?07:19 - The creator economy & getting paid09:10 - Facebook at 21 years old11:38 - Screen time, addiction & teen safety13:14 - Meta's new AI-only app: Vibes14:43 - Alex's marketing book & timeless principles16:49 - Detecting AI content: the cat and mouse game16:52 - What excites him most heading into 2025
• The CEO who inherited a $4.3 Billion Storm. Then Built an Empire 21.05.2026 27m

  Richard Teng took over Binance after a $4.3 billion US government settlement, a departing founder, and a wave of public skepticism. Two years later, the platform has gone from 170 million to nearly 300 million users and it's just getting started.In this episode, Teng breaks down how he rebuilt trust from the inside out, why compliance is Binance's secret weapon, what Trump's crypto agenda means for the global financial order, and why the next billion users are closer than you think.This isn't a story about surviving a scandal. It's a masterclass in leading through chaos and coming out bigger on the other side.
• Telling Gary Vee why I unfollowed him: is hustle culture dying? 14.05.2026 25m

  Just days after Uptin sold his agency, Uptin and Gary Vaynerchuk talk honestly about focus vs juggling, personal brand vs client work, and how to know when you’ve made the right move, even when there’s no “right” answer.They get into:• Why shiny object syndrome is actually part of the entrepreneur’s gift• The truth behind “hustle culture” and why Gary stopped using the word• How algorithms really work — and how to take back control of your attention• Why managing yourself is one of the hardest skills after leaving a job• Live streaming, live shopping, and what’s actually next for creators• Confidence, accountability, modern parenting, and why negativity feels louder than kindness• AI, IP, and why every creator may soon be in the character business
• The End of Swiping? How Dating is about to change forever 07.05.2026 28m

  Everyone says dating is broken. But is the problem the people, the paradox of choice, or the app itself?Uptin sits down with Mark Kantor, Head of Product at Tinder, to find out how one of the world's most recognizable dating apps is quietly reinventing itself. From AI that scans your camera roll to figure out who you really are, to a new feature called Chemistry that could replace swiping altogether. Tinder is making some of its biggest bets yet.The conversation gets into the tension at the heart of it all: how do you build a product whose ultimate success is the user deleting it? Mark also shares why Tinder introduced face verification in California, what Gen Z actually wants from dating apps, and whether AI will ever be able to capture that elusive third stage of compatibility.
• Logan Paul: Cancelled, Sued ... but Still Winning? 30.04.2026 22m

  Love him or hate him, Logan Paul refuses to be defined by his past. From internet villain to co-founding Antifund, a venture capital firm with investments in some of the biggest tech companies in the world, this is one of the most unlikely reinvention stories in internet history. In this raw conversation at Web Summit Qatar, Logan opens up about building Prime into a global brand, why attention is worth more than capital, what it really takes to get his investment, and the two words that changed how he approaches everything.Whether you're an entrepreneur, a skeptic, or just curious how someone goes from being cancelled to closing deals with the world's biggest tech companies, this one's for you.
• The man who bet on OpenAI before anyone else has a warning for you 23.04.2026 15m

  Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, sits down with Uptin to share his experience on one of the most consequential bets in tech history. From why Microsoft invested in OpenAI before most people had ever heard of it, to how the two companies now both collaborate and compete, Brad breaks down the strategy behind Microsoft's AI dominance. Uptin pushes him on the 15,000 layoffs, the future of work, and whether an 18-year-old should still bother going to college. Brad also shares what he witnessed firsthand in Abu Dhabi, why the UAE is ahead in the global AI race, and what genuinely keeps him up at night. This is a rare, unfiltered conversation about power, technology, and what the AI era means for all of us.
• We’re entering the most disruptive era in human history: Reid Hoffman tells me everything 16.04.2026 41m

  In this episode, Uptin sits down with Reid Hoffman, the Billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn and one of Silicon Valley’s most influential investors, to decode the reality behind the AI revolution.Key Discussion Points:The AI Bubble: Fact or fiction?The Job Market: Are roles disappearing or simply evolving?Upskilling: Why mastering AI is the most critical skill today.Global Impact: How AI could transform healthcare and aid in curing diseases like cancer.The Future of Work: Why the professional landscape will never look the same.The conversation also explores the rise of LinkedIn creators, the platform's shift toward video, and the philosophy of building a "useful" rather than "addictive" product. From mass layoffs to massive opportunity, this is an essential look at the disruption, uncertainty, and potential of the biggest shift in our lifetime.
• The Mayor Trying to Fix San Francisco 09.04.2026 19m

  San Francisco was written off. The headlines were brutal, the streets were struggling, and everyone said the city was done. So what happened?I sat down with SF Mayor Daniel Lurie right outside the iconic Ferry Building to get the real story. In this episode, we talk about how crime dropped 33% in his first year, why every major AI company is planting roots in San Francisco, what he's doing about homelessness, housing affordability, and skyrocketing rents and why he thinks a 25-year-old should pack their bags and move there right now.
• The Fugitive CEO: Carlos Ghosn on Power, Betrayal, and the Escape that Shocked the World 02.04.2026 49m

  Carlos Ghosn was one of the most powerful CEOs on the planet ... running Nissan, Renault, and Mitsubishi all at once. Then came the arrest, the scandal, and the escape in a box from Japan that shocked us all.Uptin travels to Beirut, Lebanon and pushes Ghosn on the questions everyone wants answered. Why did he run? Was it justice or guilt? And now that he's in Beirut with nowhere to go, what does life actually look like for a man the world is still watching?Follow: What's Uptin? To get inside the minds driving tech, money, and power.