Inside Amazon’s $100B Automation Gamble

Click here to learn more about MongoDB for Startups - https://www.mongodb.com/lp/solutions/startups/partners?utm_campaign=startup_partner&utm_source=newcomer&utm_medium=referralThis is the leadup to our newest installment of the Cerebral Valley AI conference we're hosting on November 12th. In this episode of the podcast, we're joined by the co-hosts of the conference - Max Child and James Wilsterman - as we dive deep into the complete state of the tech startup world. We'll also revisit our annual AI Fantasy Draft and check out how each portfolio performed.🎙️Topics in this episode:- Where AI investment headed in 2025 and where it's heading in 2026- The challenges and opportunities emerging from the AI boom- The latest updates from our Annual AI Fantasy Draft League: who’s leading, who’s lagging, and what bets might pay off next

Is the AI boom already peaking? In this episode of The Newcomer Podcast, Eric, Madeline and Tom take a hard look at the hype cycle driving Silicon Valley’s latest gold rush — from Andreessen Horowitz’s record-breaking $25 billion year to Amazon’s push to automate its entire workforce.We explore whether AI’s trillion-dollar promise is real innovation, or if the cracks are already showing. From OpenAI’s overblown math claims to Andrej Karpathy’s “State of the Union” reflections, we break down what’s really happening behind the headlines.🎙️Topics in this episode:- Andreessen Horowitz’s $25B AI windfall: how they pulled it off- Amazon’s automation future: are human jobs at risk?- Why AI hype might be masking stagnation in real progress- Who’s actually profiting from the AI boom (and who’s not)- The coming “AI bubble” — is it about to burst?

AI stocks are booming — but are we nearing a breaking point?This week on Newcomer, we unpack how OpenAI, Anthropic, Nvidia, and AMD are fueling what might be the biggest tech money machine since the dot-com bubble. From trillion-dollar valuations to volatile deals and hype cycles, we explore whether this “AI economy” is sustainable — or if it’s starting to look like a Ponzi scheme.

This week on the Newcomer Podcast, Madeline and Tom are joined by Alex Heath to dig into some of the biggest questions in tech right now.We ask: Is the AI bubble about to burst? OpenAI is propping up huge partners like Microsoft, Oracle, and Broadcom — but what happens if their momentum slows? Meanwhile, Meta just launched Vibes, a quirky new product that seems far removed from the company’s AGI ambitions. Does this mean the AI hype cycle is already shifting?From venture capital’s bets on AI, to Meta’s surprising pivots, to the fragile foundations of the current AI boom, this episode unpacks the stakes for Big Tech, startups, and investors alike.

This week on the Newcomer Podcast, we dive into three stories that reveal how tech, politics, and media are colliding in unexpected ways. First, we look at Andreessen Horowitz’s expanding media ambitions, exploring why A16z wants to shape the narrative around everything from defense tech to TikTok. Then, we turn to Trump’s feud with Jimmy Kimmel, which led to Kimmel’s suspension and re-hiring by Disney — a moment that highlights the uneasy dance between business leaders, politics, and late-night TV. Finally, we take a deep dive into the Klarna IPO, a $15B milestone that was more than 15 years in the making, unpacking the winners, the losers, and the lessons that investors and founders can learn from the journey.Hosted by Eric Newcomer with reporting from Madeline Renbarger, this episode offers sharp insights into how power and money are shaping the future of technology and media. Subscribe for weekly conversations at the intersection of Silicon Valley and society, and don’t miss more deep dives at newcomer.co

Check out Nayeema Raza's podcast Smart Girl Dumb Questions: https://linktr.ee/smartgirldumbquestions We’re at a turning point in public health. From billionaires chasing immortality to the growing influence of AI in medicine, the future of healthcare is being rewritten in real time. In this week’s episode of the Newcomer Podcast, journalist and filmmaker Nayeema Raza joins us to unpack the promises and pitfalls of health tech.We dive into highlights from Deus Ex Medicina, our one-day, invite-only summit where 200 Silicon Valley founders and investors debated the future of AI and longevity. Together, we explore:- Why America’s healthcare system leaves people needlessly suffering- The hype (and hope) around GLP-1s and new treatments- What RFK Jr.’s health movement means for research and policy- How China is outpacing the U.S. in human trials- The looming question: Is HIPAA already dead?This is a conversation about power, innovation, and the very real consequences of technology reshaping our bodies and lives.

On this episode of the Newcomer podcast, host Eric Newcomer is joined by co-host Nayeema Raza for conversations with some of the most influential voices in healthcare and venture capital. Bob Kocher, Partner at Venrock, and Annie Lamont, Founder and Managing Partner of Oak HC/FT, share their perspectives on business models in healthcare, the rise of AI applications, the promise and pitfalls of longevity drugs like GLP-1s, and the future of Medicare Advantage. Later, Vinod Khosla, Founder of Khosla Ventures, brings his trademark candor to a wide-ranging discussion about AI’s role in healthcare, regulatory challenges, global competition, and how startups can reimagine the system from the ground up

Journalist Nayeema Raza—host of Smart Girl Dumb Questions—joins Eric Newcomer to preview Deus Ex Medicina, their AI–health–longevity summit happening Tuesday, Sept 9 (San Francisco). They discuss the big themes going into the conference: how longevity went mainstream, why precision medicine and novel bio are finally feeling real, and who wins the race to own the patient. Eric and Nayeema get into the policy whiplash in D.C., HIPAA’s fraying edges in a wearables world, and whether or not AI will actually discover something novel, like a new drug or cure for Alzheimer's? Plus, what they’re most excited to ask on stage at Deus Ex Medicina.Timecodes:00:00 — The story behind the creation of Deus Ex Medicina08:39 — Longevity goes mainstream (the GLP-1 moment)12:42 — Precision medicine gets practical (targeted therapies & trials)17:11 — Bundles, frenemies, and who owns the patient22:31 — D.C. shake-ups, privacy stakes… and can AI invent a drug?

Former CIA officer and three-term Congressman Will Hurd joins Eric Newcomer, Tom Dotan, and Madeline Renbarger to break down Washington's defense tech boom and tackle the burning question: Is this all just hype? Hurd explains how Ukraine has changed the face of warfare and opened the door for new companies to break into the fold. However, it's one thing to build a prototype, but it's another to actually earn recurring revenue.We discuss how to really sell to the Pentagon, LA's role as a hub for the new defense tech wave, and Hurd's own Chaos Industries and their modular counter-drone systems.00:00 — Meet Will Hurd from CIA to Congress to Chaos06:00 — How Hurd would solve partisan redistricting13:24 — The defense-tech moment24:20 — Air superiority isn’t dead36:32— How to sell to DoD

Is the AI bubble popping—or just catching its breath? Eric Newcomer and Tom Dotan spar over Nvidia jitters, Sam Altman’s “bubble” dinner, the MIT “95% fail” headline, app-vs-model margins (Cursor, Claude Code), and Chamath’s SPAC-as-casino shtick. Then Eric sits down with Vercel founder/CEO Guillermo Rauch for a fast, idea-dense jam: assistants → agents → multi-agent teams, why GPT-5’s real story is coding, “vibe coding” and code-last workflows, who gets paid in the era of AI factory-builders, whether to study CS, why taste beats code, and Guillermo’s six-month prediction for a breakout vertical agent.00:00 Did the AI “bubble” pop? Altman dinner & sell-off vibes01:16 MIT survey “95%” headline vs reality09:04 Capitalism, incentives & Chamath’s SPAC “casino”18:17 Interview starts — Guillermo Rauch (Vercel)22:07 GPT-5 reality check & the “Einstein-in-a-box” test37:37 Future of engineering + should you study CS?48:36 6-month prediction: a breakout vertical agent; underestimating GPT-50