GeekWire

What do Pinterest, Lyft, Uber and Slack have in common? Yes, they're all newly public or about to make their initial public offerings. But they also share a common characteristic on the bottom line -- proceeding with their IPOs with lots of revenue and growth but, so far at least, without the consistent profits to show for it. And they're part of a trend. Eighty-three percent of IPOs in the first three quarters of 2018 were made by companies that hadn't posted profits in the prior 12 months.  So what's the future of these companies? On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we're joined by someone who has spent a lot of time looking at the financials of many of these companies: Ben Gilbert, co-founder of Seattle's Pioneer Square Labs, and co-host of the podcast Acquired, which tells the stories of major companies, acquisitions and IPOs. He and his co-host David Rosenthal have been focusing on these companies on their recent episodes, starting with Lyft and Pinterest. Since we recorded this episode, Slack has also released its S-1 registration statement, revealing a $138.9 million net loss in its most recent fiscal year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 2015, Seattle startup Arivale aspired to pioneer a new sector called scientific wellness, combining genetic testing with personal coaching to improve the health of its members. Its founder, genomics legend Lee Hood, said the company "really stands a chance of being the Google or Microsoft of this whole arena." But four years later, Arivale abruptly closed its doors this week. We explain what happened with special guest, GeekWire chief business officer Daniel Rossi, an Arivale member whose experience in the program was chronicled in our 2017 series. Plus, Microsoft breaks the trillion-dollar mark, Bill Gates serves as a surprising role model for other dads, and there's a new set of guidelines for kids' screen time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle has a new unicorn, Outreach, the sales and marketing automation company that raised a $114 million funding round this week, pushing its valuation to $1.1 billion. The news sends John and Todd on a startup odyssey, exploring the hidden connections among the new wave of public companies and tech behemoths in Silicon Valley and Seattle, including Uber, Lyft, Convoy and others. Plus, Amazon and Microsoft are preparing to challenge Apple's AirPods,. And on the Random Channel, Melinda Gates has a message for the tech industry, and John is determined to be a "Never Throner."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Almost every week at the end of the GeekWire Podcast, we feature our "Random Channel" segment, discussing all the random items of questionable relevance that we were buzzing about behind the scenes during the course of the week. This week, with several of us out of the office, we decided to forgo our regular news conversation and go "full random," you might say. We hope you enjoy getting to know some of the offbeat interests of our team, including Kurt Schlosser, Monica Nickelsburg and Taylor Soper. And don't worry, we'll be back on topic next week with our regular show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The news that Amazon is shifting its Seattle-based worldwide operations team to Bellevue, Wash., raises a ton of questions about its future in the region. GeekWire's Monica Nickelsburg, who broke the story, joins Todd Bishop and John Cook to discuss the implications. Plus, Howard Schultz gets sued for text messages sent to voters by his team, and the GeekWire Awards finalists have been revealed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 Moon Landing on the horizon, Mark Armstrong, son of the late astronaut Neil Armstrong, first person to walk on the moon, talks with GeekWire's Alan Boyle at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Microsoft is putting Amazon into a difficult position by advocating a tax increase on both companies in their home state. Meanwhile, Apple is placing an even bigger bet on privacy as a feature. We explain a surprising startup investment by two Seattle tech veterans. Plus, the return of the Random Channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every year, Amazon and Jeff Bezos hold an elite, invitation-only conference called MARS, for Machine learning, Automation, Robotics and Space, which doubles as an excuse for the Amazon founder to test out the latest in autonomous vehicles, robots and personal aircraft. GeekWire aerospace and science editor Alan Boyle joins us with a rundown. Plus, 15 years after Google started a wave of engineering outposts in the Seattle area, the region's startups are figuring out how to co-exist with Silicon Valley tech giants. And how DNA is inspiring the next generation of data storage technology at Microsoft and the University of Washington.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a year of privacy scandals, consumers are beginning to realize that the volume of data tech companies collect on them exceeds what they could have imagined. Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood has been helping listeners untangle the complex web of the data economy on her show. She visited Seattle last week to discuss those issues with Giri Sreenivas, CEO of private email server startup Helm, Ryan Calo, co-director of the University of Washington Tech Policy Lab, and Monica Nickelsburg, GeekWire’s civic editor, during an event hosted by KUOW.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're preparing for the GeekWire Awards, our annual event recognizing the best in Pacific Northwest tech and innovation, and on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast we provide an update on past Startup of the Year winners and preview this year's contest. Find out more, submit nominations, and buy tickets at geekwire.com/awards. Plus, a brave Amazon employee asks Jeff Bezos if his tumultuous personal life is distracting from his work, and Peter Sagal of Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me offers his input on getting less input in our lives.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GeekWire photographer Kevin Lisota has taken pictures of everything from rocket launches to tech luminaries, but he recently spent a couple weeks far from Seattle, on a photo expedition in far-western Mongolia. On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, he shares photography tips and tricks from expedition leader Andy Williams of Muench Workshops and the reCOMPOSE photo podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren's ambitious plan to regulate Facebook, Google and Amazon as utilities and roll back some of their biggest acquisitions, is a giant stake in the ground for the 2020 presidential campaign -- but is it realistic? And would it really have the desired impact on competition and consumers? We dive into those questions on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast,See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What the heck is going on at Zillow? The online real estate giant announced the return of co-founder Rich Barton as CEO, along with a major change in its business model. John Cook and Todd Bishop sort out the news, speculate on the cause, and speculate wildly on what could be next. Plus, Amazon is backing out of a high-profile Seattle skyscraper in the latest sign of its troubled relationship with its hometown. And we say farewell to those cute little Amazon Dash buttons!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a guest episode of the new podcast Under Construction, from the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, featuring a conversation with my GeekWire co-founder John Cook, talking with the podcast's host, Seattle Metro Chamber CEO Marilyn Strickland. For more episodes, check out seattlechamber.com/underconstruction, or subscribe at soundcloud.com/seattlechamber.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Come on, Amazon, really? The tech giant spent more than a year looking for its "HQ2," planning to establish a second headquarters equal to its Seattle home, before surprising everybody by instead splitting the giant project between New York City and Arlington, Va. Now, after facing initial opposition from some New York city and state leaders, the company this morning said, well, nevermind.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bill Gates sits down with GeekWire to talk about what's on his mind in 2019, including what he would say to President Trump about nationalism vs. globalism, why he's pushing the U.S. to double down on nuclear energy, thoughts on the future of techbooks, and memories of his late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Plus, his take on the viral photo of him standing in line at a popular Seattle burger stand. See GeekWire.com for more coverage of the interview, and read Bill and Melinda Gates' 2019 annual letter at gatesletter.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Publicly challenging the National Enquirer's parent company AMI for attempted blackmail and extortion, as Jeff Bezos did in his remarkable post Thursday afternoon, is bold, risky and even admirable, especially for someone in his position. But for Amazon and its founder, there's more than some embarrassing pictures at stake.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're starting a new tradition on GeekWire, periodically sharing selected episodes of some of our favorite podcasts about startups, leadership, technology, science and more from the Seattle region and beyond. First up: What Fuels You, a new podcast from Shauna Swerland of Fuel Talent, featuring conversations and insights from successful business leaders. Her guest on this episode is Jane Park, the CEO and founder of Seattle-based beauty products company Julep. Park, who founded Julep in 2006, was named CEO of the Year in the 2014 GeekWire Awards. She sold Julep in 2016 to beauty brand Glansaol, which filed for bankruptcy late last year. (Park hasn't been involved in day-to-day operations at Julep since the acquisition.) For more episodes of What Fuels You, go to fueltalent.com/podcast or subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can Howard Schultz make a serious run for U.S. president? Can Zillow's Zestimate be improved? And can a new Bluetooth feature help Todd find his freakin' AirPods Those are just a few of the burning questions on this episode of GeekWire's Week in Geek podcast, as GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop John Cook discuss the news of the week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon rolled out its latest effort to conquer the last mile of delivery, and it's named "Scout." Plus, an app that helped new U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez get elected is spreading to other campaigns, with a catch. And the latest twist in New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichik's on-again off-again relationship with Microsoft Surface tablets on the NFL sidelines. And a mildly profane installment of the Random Channel. With GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, civic editor Monica Nickelsburg, and Geek Life reporter Kurt Schlosser.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As two of the world's most valuable companies, Amazon and Microsoft have created mind-boggling wealth and economic vitality in the Seattle region. But around them, housing prices have skyrocketed and the number of people experiencing homelessness has spiked as the rising tide of the tech industry fails to lift all boats Now the two tech giants are taking on the housing crisis, but their approaches are as different as the companies themselves. Which will be more effective? That's one of the topics we discuss as we recap the week's news on the GeekWire podcast. Also in the news: The Seattle Sounders' new jerseys, and Bill Gates at Dick's Drive-In,See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With his AT&T Cingular Flip 2 in hand, Michael Valeri genuinely believes he’s living a better life for himself without a smartphone, and he’s interested in teaching people how they can do it, too. And the distinction is important — he doesn’t want to tell people why they should give up their iPhones, but rather how to survive if they do. He spoke with GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, who wrote about Valeri here: https://www.geekwire.com/2019/can-live-without-smartphone-flip-phone-fan-done-13-years-will-teach/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're back! John Cook, Monica Nickelsburg and Todd Bishop get the GeekWire Podcast rolling for 2019 with our weekly news discussion, exploring the potential  implications of Jeff Bezos' divorce for Amazon and the Seattle region, explaining why Facebook needs its Uber moment, and debating the finer points of modern grocery shopping. Go to geekwire.com/podcast for links and more info.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York Public Library’s Tony Ageh was recently in Seattle to talk about libraries’ digital transformation. Ageh made the point that tech now permeates pretty much all of a library’s operations. But in many ways, it's a good thing that libraries have been behind other organizations in adopting technology. Highlights from Ageh's conversation with GeekWire contributor Frank Catalano at Seattle Public Library.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey GeekWire Podcast listeners, we hope you enjoy this latest episode of our new podcast, Numbers Geek with Steve Ballmer, featuring the remarkable story of Arlan Hamilton, who went from homeless to running her own venture capital firm, investing in "underestimated" founders. To listen to every episode of the new podcast, go to geekwire.com/numbersgeek. We'll be back soon with a new GeekWire Podcast episode. Thanks for listening!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"You’re worth a trillion dollars. Why do you need our 3 billion dollars?" That's how Amazon was greeted by the New York City Council this week. City leaders in the Big Apple pointed to the tech giant's rocky relationship with its original hometown of Seattle to contend that winning the company's HQ2 isn't much of a prize. Meanwhile, Apple announced plans for a big Austin campus, along with new offices in Seattle and Southern California.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest on this special edition of the podcast, Wash. State Gov. Jay Inslee. He spoke with us on stage during a special reception prior to the GeekWire Gala, about everything from his presidential ambitions to regulating big tech to lessons learned from Amazon's HQ2 search.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A preview of the new GeekWire podcast, Numbers Geek with Steve Ballmer, where we present a data-driven take on the country's most divisive issues. Subscribe now in your favorite podcast app to hear episode one.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Microsoft rivaled Apple to be the most valuale company based in the U.S. But just a few years ago, that success seemed almost impossible. The Microsoft Surface division has been a microcosm of the company's struggles and failures in the past years and on this episode, we speak with journalist and author Brad Sams about that story. Sams' book about the Surface is called "Beneath A Surface" and is out now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the holiday season, and along with festive Amazon packaging and never-ending carols, that means its time to buy holiday gifts! This week, we're sharing our annual Geared Up Tech Holiday Gift Guide. Todd and Andru will share their recommendations for the best gadgets and gizmos to put on your list -- plus a special surprise recommendation for that one person who has EVERYTHING. Visit GeekWire.com/GearedUp to see a full list of our recommendations and links to all the specific products we mention on this episode. Subscribe to Geared Up in your favorite podcast app by searching "Geared Up."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pickles that yodel. Foot-tall punching nuns. A rubber chicken museum. What do these things have in common? They're all brainchildren of Archie McPhee, the Seattle-based makers and retailers of whacky, delightful and (occasionally) practical items for more than 35 years. Join us for an audio tour of Archie McPhee's out-of-this-world retail store as we learn more about the company's history, its creative process and the stories of some of its most popular items. We're joined on this episode by David Wahl, Archie McPhee director of awesome (a.k.a. marketing and creative services).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon is moving into the big apple with half of its HQ2 project slated to bring about 25,000 — or up to 40,000 — new jobs to Long Island City in Queens. But can NYC learn to love HQ2? We check in with GeekWire Civic Innovation Editor Monica Nickelsburg on the scene in Queens to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's official: Amazon's HQ2 search has ended in not one but two new hubs for the technology giant in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, and Long Island City in New York. Join GeekWire Co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop as they dissect the news and the repercussions of the tech giant's extraordinary search.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon's continent-wide search for a second headquarters took a strange turn this week as news leaked that the company is planning to split its second headquarters into two different cities. Critics have decried the move as a "bait and switch" and it puts the status of HQ2, due to be announced any day, up in the air. Also: Tuesday marked a monumental election for the U.S., including several ballot measures that directly involve the tech industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're coming to you live again this week, this time from Renton, Wash, home of Boeing's 737 plant, the ultra-geeky Wizards of the Coast (maker of Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering) and the Seattle Seahawk's practice facility. On this special episode of the Week in Geek, we talk with Wizards of the Coast President Chris Cocks about the company and its beloved games, including its experiments with augmented reality — plus we interview Seahawks Wide Reciever Doug Baldwin about his work with Renton's community center and his plans for life after the NFL. The show is part of GeekWire on the Road, our traveling spotlight of emerging tech hubs in the Pacific Northwest.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2000, rotavirus killed more than half a million children every year. Not many people had even heard of the disease. Then an unlikely alliance of international scientists, policymakers, a first-time entrepreneur and the richest man in the world teamed up to take it on. We tell the story of what happened on this episode of Health Tech, a GeekWire podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this live episode of the Week in Geek, we interview former Breaking News leader and Factal co-founder Corey Bergman about the changing state of news and facts online. How can people escape the Twittersphere? How do you build an engaged community over the internet? We'll get into that and much more. Plus, we are excited to announce another live taping of the Week in Geek on Nov. 1 where we will interview Chris Cocks, the President of Dungeons and Dragons creator Wizards of the Coast. Join us for this event as part of GeekWire on the Road in Renton, Washington. More details: https://www.geekwire.com/events/next-recording-november-1-southport-lake-washington/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Allen was the co-founder and one of the technical geniuses behind Microsoft. But he was also a billionaire with wide and varied interest: The owner of two professional sports teams, the benefactor of several museums and art organizations, and the founder of multiple scientific institutes. On this special episode of the Week in Geek, we look back at Paul Allen's influence on the world and ask: What happens now to his vast legacy?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're sad to report the passing of Paul Allen, who died Monday at the age of 65. The Microsoft co-founder had an outsized impact on technology, science, the arts and even professional football. In remembrance of his life, we are sharing an interview with Allen taped in 2011, where he candidly shares his outlook on Microsoft, the progress of technology, his relationship with Bill Gates and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Glenn Kelman has led Redfin from a small, bold real estate startup to one of the global leaders in real estate technology. He's also an outspoken leader inside the company and beyond, not afraid to criticize his community and his industry when he knows they can do better. On this epsiode, we share the full interview between Kelman and GeekWire Co-founder John Cook, taped live at the 2018 GeekWire Summit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Uber has run into more than a few legal troubles in the last two years. Tony West is the man who has to deal with them. We're sharing Tony's full interview with GeekWire Civic Innovation Editor Monica Nickelsburg on this episode, including his take on Uber's data breach cover-up and how the company can regain the trust of its customers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a surprise move, Amazon announced it is raising its internal minimum wage to $15 an hour and also vowed to lobby for a raise in the national minimum wage. The move launches the company and CEO Jeff Bezos into the broader discussion over working wages, an issue Amazon has been critizised on in the past. Plus, we'll take a look at Likewise, the new reccommendation app hatched out of Bill Gates' office and led by his right hand man.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nine years ago, Stephanie Florence was diagnosed with incurable blood cancer. Today, she's cancer-free thanks to a new treatment called CAR T immunotherapy. This treatment is the golden child of cancer research today — but it wasn't always this way. Find out how CAR T went from an underdog to a cancer killer on this episode of Health Tech.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last year, Google secretly acquired a digital health startup spun out of the University of Washington. After requesting documents related to the acquisition, GeekWire learned there's actually a surprising twist to the story, all to do with smart home device maker Nest. Plus, we discuss Jeff Bezos' plan to give away $2 billion to tackle homelessness and early childhood education and we take a look at the upcoming GeekWire Summit, our biggest event of the year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've just founded a new company, and it's time to start pitching to investors and partners. What do you do? We go inside the story of two entrepreneurs in that position: Cassie Wallender of Invio and Kwame Boler of NEU, both winners in the first round of GeekWire's Elevator Pitch series.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One year ago today, Amazon announced it is searching for a city to host a second headquarters. This search has turned the tech world upside down in some ways -- it's pitted cities against each other and really shown us how much power Amazon weilds. So after all the time, where do we stand? And more importantly, what has this process told us about one of the most influential companies in the U.S.?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle's Cinerama isn't just a movie theater. For more than 50 years, the cinema has been a center of technology and pop culture, associated with geeky classics from 2001: A Space Oddyssey to the latest Marvel movie. Tour the theater and hear about all the hidden tech that makes it possible on this episode of the GeekWire Popcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Silicon Valley investors are pouring more and more money into Seattle startups. So what's the secret behind this new influx of interest in Seattle's tech scene? We sit down with two experts from Silicon Valley Bank to talk through the numbers and trends around the startup world on this episode of the Week in Geek.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coworking! Accelerators! Virtual offices! The nature of work -- and of workplaces -- is changing in the startup world and beyond, and so are the communities built around those workplaces. Join GeekWire Co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop for a conversation with The Riveter Founder and CEO Amy Nelson and ImpactHub Seattle leader Sarah Studer about the future of work and the communities around it. We'll also run down some of the biggest news stories of the week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How was an airline employee with no known flying experience able to successfully steal a plane? Why did he want to do so? And what can be done to stop something like this from happening again? We tackle those questions on this special episode of the Week in Geek Podcast and share snippets of the man's rambling conversation with air traffic control as he does stunts and evades F15 fighter jets scrambled to prevent a potential disaster. We also want to invite podcast listeners to a special meetup and live recording of the Week in Geek! The event is all about building community and takes place the evening of Thursday, August 23, in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. Go to geekwire.com/neighborhub for more details, and use the code "podcast" to get tickets for just $10.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.