A federal judge has ruled Google a monopoly for locking up distribution with Apple. We discuss the percent and likely impact. Also, memes as the media format of the moment, as they become how big events like the Olympics and presidential election become participatory. Meanwhile, YouTube is becoming modern TV.

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• 01:13 Google Declared a Monopoly
• 02:08 Historical Parallels with Microsoft
• 05:00 Apple's Role and Strategic Decisions
• 06:47 Google's Financial Strategies
• 10:55 The Evolution of Paid Search
• 19:39 The Role of Memes in Modern Media
• 30:09 Authenticity and Political Tactics
• 33:15 Twitter's Advertising Struggles
• 41:11 Media Landscape and Axios Layoffs
• 48:16 AI in Media and SearchGPT Review
• 56:10 YouTube's Dominance and Content Trends

OpenAI is readying a new search engine, Meta is pushing further into search with Llama, Perplexity is cutting deals with publishers. This week, we look to what the future of search looks like. Plus: why Nike ended up in Wall Street’s doghouse, why Tucker Carlson is a podcast star, and why Pulp Fiction still works.

• Nike: An Epic Saga of Value Destruction
• Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter
• Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter
• Alex Schleifer's Universal Entities
• Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter

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• 01:07 Discussing the Future of Search
• 04:05 Challenges and Opportunities in Search
• 09:03 Vertical Search and AI Overviews
• 11:16 Google's Exclusive Deals and Market Shifts
• 19:04 The Future of News and Subscription Models
• 24:05 The Rise of Media Personalities
• 28:18 Media Brands vs. Individual Personalities
• 30:04 Challenges for Legacy Media Brands
• 38:04 Nike's Digital Marketing Dilemma
• 44:48 Good Product

This week, we’re joined by Joe Marchese, operating and build partner at Human Ventures and veteran media exec. We discuss why the obsession with performance marketing has created incentives for many intermediaries to focus on giving the appearance of being responsible for a sale rather than actually contributing to the sale, and how that’s led to short-term approaches that skips the basics of building lasting brands. Plus: What the meting of Kamala Harris says about the direction of news and political campaigns, why Netflix points to a shrinking TV ad market and the perils of operating content and commerce businesses as part of one company.

• Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter
• Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter
• Alex Schleifer's Universal Entities
• Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter

Skip to topic:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 06:09 Netflix vs. Apple TV: The Future of Streaming
• 16:51 The Meme Election
• 24:42 The Role of AI in Media and Advertising
• 35:59 The Evolution of Content Creation Tools
• 38:07 The Cookiepocalypse and Ad Tech Cynicism
• 40:31 Performance Media and Brand Building
• 44:37 Content and Commerce: The Houdinki Case Study
• 51:32 The Future of Digital Media and Monetization
• 58:56 Media Investments and Optimism
• 01:01:00 Good Product