Summation with Auren Hoffman

Auren Hoffman

Non-obvious ideas that move the world. Auren Hoffman hosts leaders across tech, business, markets, and government.

Summation is the permanent home for the relentlessly curious.

Auren is CEO of NQB8, GP at Flex Capital, Chairman of Dialog; former CEO of SafeGraph and LiveRamp (NYSE: RAMP).

Subscribe Listen in podnod RSS feed Show website

278 episodes
Updated July 28

Episodes278

Newest first

Jan 24, 2023 · 49 min
David Sacks: SaaS Metrics, Tech Cycles & Fundraising in a Down Market
David is a co-founder and partner at Craft Ventures, one of the foremost SaaS VCs. He was the former COO at Paypal and he’s invested in over 20 unicorns, including AirBnB, Facebook, Palantir, Uber, and SpaceX. David and Auren discuss the state of SaaS in 2023 and consider how layoffs, seat contraction, and the broader macro environment could affect the ecosystem this year. David shares some advice on how companies should be positioning themselves to weather the downturn. They also talk about bubbles and cycles in tech, how to spot stand-out founders early, and which analysts have the best record on foreign policy. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and David Sacks on Twitter at @DavidSacks
Jan 17, 2023 · 57 min
Bret Stephens: The Return of Great Power Competition
Bret Stephens is a foreign affairs columnist at the New York Times and author of America in Retreat: The New Isolationism and the Coming Global Disorder. Auren and Bret discuss major takeaways from the war in Ukraine, and the US's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bret offers predictions about the future of warfare and weaponry, and explains what the US will have to do to remain the preeminent global power through the next decade. They also discuss cancel culture, decadence, and environmentalism. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Bret Stephens at the New York Times Opinion section. nytimes.com/column/bret-stephens
Jan 10, 2023 · 41 min
Thani Shamsi: What Data Companies Can Learn From SaaS
Thani Shamsi is the co-founder and CEO of Datarade, a Berlin-based data commerce platform. Auren and Thani dive deep into the data market and discuss how it’s developed in comparison to SaaS. Thani shares his insights on how the most successful data companies drive sales and how expects the data space to evolve. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Thani Shamsi on Twitter @ThaniShamsi.
Jan 3, 2023 · 30 min
Amit Bendov: A Data-Driven Sales Masterclass
Amit Bendov is a serial founder who’s scaled three unicorn software companies to massive exits. He’s currently the co-founder and CEO of Gong, an AI sales intelligence platform. Auren and Amit discuss the best practices for B2B sales, based on data Gong has collected from over a billion sales conversations. Amit breaks down how winning strategies have changed in the challenging macro environment. Auren and Amit also discuss the generational difference in startup founders and what’s made Israel the most startup-dense place on Earth. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Amit Bendov on LinkedIn.
Dec 20, 2022 · 38 min
Eric Frank: Why Real Estate is Behind in Data Adoption
Eric Frank is the founder and CEO of LightBox, a GIS real estate data company. He’s also the creator of ADR.com and former president of the Investment & Advisory division at Thomson Reuters. Eric brings his perspective from financial services to analyze data adoption in the commercial real estate space. He outlines some non-obvious effects of COVID on the market and breaks down where real estate tech is headed. Eric and Auren also discuss building a business through acquisitions, and how Eric managed to integrate the different technology companies that make up LightBox today. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Eric Frank on Twitter at @ericfrank.
Dec 13, 2022 · 40 min
Bryan Mistele: What the Future of Transportation Looks Like
Bryan Mistele is the founder and CEO of INRIX, a leading provider of traffic data and analytics. Auren and Bryan discuss how vehicle technology is changing and when we can expect to see mass adoption of driverless cars in the US and around the world. Bryan breaks down which industries he expects will go autonomous first and how self-driving will affect total vehicle sales. Auren and Bryan also discuss the intricacies of operating a global data company and what better safety data could do for transportation. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Bryan on Twitter at @BryanMi.
Dec 6, 2022 · 45 min
Sarah Bond: Accelerating the Gaming Creator Economy
Sarah Bond is Corporate Vice President of Xbox’s Game Creator Experience & Ecosystem at Microsoft. Auren and Sarah discuss the future of gaming across platforms and where Sarah expects to see the most growth in the next few years. They break down the democratization of game development and what the growth of the creator economy could mean for the industry. Sarah also shares insights on how Microsoft transformed its culture to become a hyper successful acquirer and how she helped lead T-Mobile through its historic turnaround. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Sarah on Twitter at @BondSarah_Bond.
Nov 29, 2022 · 22 min
Richard Barlow: Data Sharing to Enable the Self-Driving Revolution
Richard Barlow is the CEO of Wejo, a publicly traded company that collects and analyzes connected vehicle data. Wejo gathers billions of data points a day from cars all over the world. Richard and Auren discuss the state of global connected vehicle data— what data points are out there right now, how many cars on the road are equipped with connected tech, and what new sensors could do in the future. Richard also explains how data sharing could help get autonomous vehicles to the next level and bring self-driving tech to the mass market. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Richard on Twitter @RichardWejo.
Nov 22, 2022 · 38 min
Dimitri Dadiomov: Your TAM is Just the Beginning
Dimitri Dadiomov is the co-founder and CEO of Modern Treasury, a payment operations software company valued at over $2 billion. Auren and Dimitri discuss the future of crypto payments, innovation (or lack thereof) in the massive B2B payments space, and what Dimitri expects to change as more instant payment services come on line in the next few years. They also dive into culture and break down how Dimitri was able to gain traction and scale Modern Treasury to a $2 billion valuation in less than four years. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. ‍ You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Dimitri on Twitter at @dadiomov.
Nov 15, 2022 · 48 min
Richard Hanania: The Real Power Centers of US Foreign Policy
Richard Hanania is a foreign policy expert and author. He’s the president of the Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology and a visiting scholar at the University of Texas’s Salem Center. Richard and Auren discuss which players have the most sway over American foreign policy and how they’ve affected the US’s global strategic positioning. Richard breaks down the failure of expert opinion in the intelligence community to anticipate events like the fall of Afghanistan and the invasion of Ukraine. They also discuss sanctions, NATO expansion and partisanship in Washington. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. ‍ You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Richard on Twitter at @RichardHanania.
Nov 8, 2022 · 40 min
Anthony Scaramucci: The Future of Institutional Investing in Crypto
Anthony Scaramucci is the founder and managing partner of Skybridge Capital, which manages over $800 million in digital assets. He’s also the founder of the SALT Conferences, and he briefly served as the White House Communications Director. Anthony and Auren break down the 2022 crypto crash in depth and discuss the major factors that led to the crash. Anthony shares his perspective on potential crypto regulation, institutional investing in the space, and which blockchain technologies he expects to become dominant. In addition to crypto, Auren and Anthony also discuss working in politics, the art of throwing good events, and Anthony’s finest Long Island wisdom. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. ‍ You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Anthony on Twitter at @Scaramucci.
Nov 1, 2022 · 49 min
Keith Rabois: Velocity, Differentiation & Disruption
Keith Rabois is the CEO of Openstore and a general partner at Founders Fund. He’s had an amazing career as a founder and senior operator at some of the most innovative companies of the last 20 years, including Paypal, Square, Opendoor, and LinkedIn. Auren and Keith take a deep dive into spotting talent— one of Keith’s strengths— and discuss how he’s managed to hire so many incredible people over the years. They break down what makes a successful founder, why sitting on “too many” boards is the right move for VCs, and how Keith has reverse engineered a tech scene in Miami. Keith has a highly unique perspective and brings sharp insight to everything from fundraising to culture to personal health. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Keith at @Rabois.
Oct 25, 2022 · 50 min
Packy McCormick: Web3 & Smart Optimism
Packy McCormick is the founder and writer of Not Boring, a Web3 and startup newsletter. He’s also an investor at Not Boring Capital. Packy and Auren dive into the tech landscape on a generational scale and talk about the loss of tech optimism and what’s limiting technological progress today. They discuss how to evaluate early-stage companies as investments and Packy shares his insight on what he looks for in crypto and Web3 companies. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Packy at @PackyM.
Oct 18, 2022 · 1 hr 2 min
Grover Norquist: A 40-Year View of American Politics
Grover Norquist is the founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform and one of the most influential conservative activists in Washington. Grover and Auren discuss the historical balance of power between the two parties and what partisan realignment has meant for the country. They also talk about the future of the filibuster in the Senate and the structural shifts that have occurred in taxation, investing, and education in the last 30 years. Grover is one of the most long-term thinkers in the political space and he gives a master class on thinking about strategy in decades, rather than election cycles. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Grover on Twitter at @GroverNorquist
Oct 11, 2022 · 46 min
Michael Brown: Getting Defense Spending Up to Speed
Michael Brown recently finished his term as director of the Defense Innovation Unit, a DoD organization focused on accelerating the adoption of commercial technology by the military. Auren and Michael go in depth on defense spending and discuss how to reform the budget process. Michael outlines the challenges of buying commercial technology for the military and offers some advice for startups looking to work with the government. They also discuss how new technologies are being used in the war in Ukraine and what the government can do to hire more innovative people. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Michael on LinkedIn at @michaelabrownceo.
Oct 4, 2022 · 38 min
Rep. Jim Himes: Building a US Digital Currency
Congressman Jim Himes (D-CT 4th) serves as the chair of the National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee. Jim and Auren discuss Jim’s recent white paper on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) that explored the potential for a US CBDC and how it should be structured. They also talk about what regulation could mean for the crypto landscape and discuss why it’s so hard for the military to buy innovative tech. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Jim on Twitter at @jahimes.
Sep 27, 2022 · 49 min
Jason Gardner: Modernizing the Payments System
Jason Gardner is the founder and CEO of Marqeta, an open-API card issuing platform used by companies like Square, Doordash, and Uber. Jason is one of the most knowledgeable people in the complex world of payments. He gives an in depth breakdown of how the global payments system actually works and shares his outlook on disruptors like crypto and mobile wallets. Jason and Auren also talk about the differences between startup and scale CEOs, the process of going public, and what the best executive chairmen have in common. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. ‍ You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Jason on Twitter at @jmgards.
Sep 20, 2022 · 56 min
Tim Urban: Zooming Out on Everything
Tim Urban is the creator of Wait But Why, a blog with over half a million monthly subscribers. He writes about productivity, science, politics and the future. Tim and Auren discuss some of Tim’s biggest ideas around technology, including cryonics, life extension, and artificial superintelligence. They break down Tim’s framework for understanding political polarization and Tim shares his unique perspective on tackling some of life’s biggest challenges, from beating procrastination to marrying the right person. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. ‍ You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Tim on Twitter @waitbutwhy or on his blog Wait But Why.
Sep 13, 2022 · 24 min
RJ Pittman: Turning Buildings into Data
RJ Pittman is the CEO of Matterport, a $1.2 billion market cap spatial data and 3D capture company. RJ and Auren discuss the mechanics of bringing real estate, an “offline” asset class, into the 21st century. RJ talks about the company’s decision to launch a smartphone capture app and adopt a freemium model. He also shares some insight on entering an organization as a non-founder CEO. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. ‍ You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and RJ Pittman on Twitter @rjpittman.
Sep 6, 2022 · 40 min
Mark Penn: Finding the Next Microtrends
Mark Penn is the CEO of Stagwell and a longtime pollster and strategic advisor. He’s a former senior executive at Microsoft and has advised politicians including Bill Clinton and Tony Blair. Mark and Auren discuss Mark’s books Microtrends and Microtrends Squared, in which Mark identified minor demographic trends and predicted their outsized impact on society and the economy. Mark gets into the mechanics of good opinion polling and breaks down the major differences between political and consumer polling, and how internet polling is affecting the industry. They also discuss Stagwell and Mark’s digital-first strategy for disrupting the old-school advertising holding companies. World of DaaS is brought to you by SafeGraph. For more episodes, visit safegraph.com/podcasts. ‍ You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Mark at @Mark_Penn.