Social Currency with Sammi Cohen

Shreya Murthy built one of the rare social apps people want to open—and then immediately close. It’s all going according to plan. Her company, Partiful, has quietly become the go-to way Gen Z and millennials plan parties, birthdays, dinners—and even weddings. But what’s more interesting is how it won: by rejecting everything Big Tech historically has optimized for. In this episode, Shreya sits down with Sammi to break down why she turned down the metaverse narrative, refused to pivot to virtual events during the pandemic, and built a product designed to get people off their phones… not glued to them. They also get into what happened when Apple launched a nearly identical invite app, why Partiful draws a hard line on user privacy, and how tiny features like “boops” and “crushes” are actually the secret to product-market fit. Plus: the real monetization plan, why Gen Z hates “cringe” design, and how one party invite helped spark a viral cultural moment. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Follow Partiful and find your next party Here’s what Sammi covers with Shreya: 00:00 Shreya Murthy’s Social Currency 00:50 The Problem With Social Media 02:22 From Palantir to Consumer Tech 08:22 The Idea That Sparked Partiful 10:04 Turning Parties Into a Product 11:05 Launching During the Pandemic 13:56 Resisting the Metaverse Pivot 15:40 Building for IRL Connection 16:00 Why Gen Z Loves Partiful 18:27 The “Least Cringe” Product Strategy 20:20 Consumer vs Corporate Use Cases 22:05 Why Partiful Protects User Data 24:57 Monetization Without Selling Data 29:27 How Partiful Makes Money Today 31:23 The Philosophy: Get Off Your Phone 32:00 Discovering Events IRL 33:17 Brick and Mortar? 34:38 Features Like Boops and Crushes 38:00 Apple’s Copycat Moment 41:00 Growth Despite Competition 42:00 The Viral Timothée Chalamet Event 47:00 What Winning Looks Like 50:16 Social Currency Corner and Touching Grass Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seth Goldman built one of the most iconic beverage brands of the last two decades… only to watch it get discontinued by Coca-Cola. In this episode, Seth tells Sammi the full story: bootstrapping Honest Tea in the late ’90s when the category didn’t exist, educating consumers one sample at a time, and eventually partnering with Coca-Cola to scale what he believed could become a billion-dollar brand. Then came the gut punch: years after the acquisition, Coca-Cola made the decision to shut Honest Tea down. Instead of walking away, Seth did something few founders would do— he started over. He shares how he launched Just Ice Tea, rebuilt his supply chain using decades-old relationships, and scaled faster the second time around. Sammi and Seth also get into what it really takes to build a sustainable CPG brand, why most beverage startups fail, and the one mistake founders make before they even launch: focusing on branding before validating taste. Plus, Seth shares his long-term perspective from his work with Beyond Meat—and why he still believes the biggest consumer shifts take decades, not years. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Check out Just Ice Tea Here’s what Sammi covers with Seth:00:00 Seth Goldman’s Social Currency 00:50 Building Honest Tea Before The Market Existed 03:03 Creating Demand Through Sampling 05:00 Bootstrapping And Staying Scrappy 06:06 The Coca-Cola Investment Story 09:26 Inside The Coca-Cola Acquisition 10:48 Culture Clash With A Corporate Giant 11:00 The Day Honest Tea Was Discontinued 12:10 Why Seth Decided To Start Again 15:26 Why Beverage Is The Hardest Category 19:29 Launching Just Ice Tea Differently 20:53 The Mission Behind “Just Ice Tea” 23:17 What Makes The Product Different 25:00 From Eat The Change To Just Ice Tea 26:46 Betting Early On Beyond Meat 28:05 The Rise, Fall, And Rebuild Of Alt Meat 35:05 What It Takes To Build A CPG Brand 36:45 The Power Of Relationships And Karma 37:00 Would Seth Sell Again? 39:11 Seth’s Daily System For Clarity 40:03 The Future Of Food 41:18 The #1 Thing Founders Must Validate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone has a podcast. So, where is the whitespace and what does it really take to break through? Sammi sits down with Nayeema Raza, host of Smart Girl Dumb Questions and former The New York Times journalist, for a conversation on the modern media landscape, the podcast boom, and what they tell people who are thinking about starting a podcast. Sammi and Nayeema break down what it really takes to launch a podcast—and share exactly how much they’re making from theirs. Sammi and Nayeema also get into the bigger shift happening across media: why podcasting is becoming the new “TV” and why creators today need to think more like founders than talent. Plus, they unpack the rise of controversial content ecosystems like the “manosphere,” what it teaches about audience-building (even if you hate it), and where the line between journalism and creators is headed. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Follow Nayeema and listen to Smart Girl Dumb Questions Here’s What Sammi Covers with Nayeema: 00:00 Have We “Made It” In Podcasting? 03:45 Social Vs. Podcast Growth 06:52 Why Everyone Has A Podcast 07:09 The Intimacy And Power Of Podcasting 08:00 The Rise Of The Manosphere 12:41 What Controversial Creators Get Right 17:12 “Is It A Scam?” Rapid-Fire 21:20 The Real Work Behind Podcasting 26:09 Is Podcasting Saturated? 28:38 Why Most Podcasts Fail 31:53 Is Podcasting Overhyped? 33:00 How Much Money Podcasts Actually Make 35:00 Building A Studio And Betting On Yourself 36:08 The Hidden ROI Of Podcasting 41:00 Journalism Vs. Creators 47:00 The Scariest Part Of Starting A Podcast 54:00 How To Break Through Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is a little different. Instead of a deep dive, Sammi turns the mic around and answers your questions—from career risks and leaving corporate to building a business, growing an audience, and figuring out what to keep private in a “build in public” world. She shares the unconventional bet that changed her career (starting on TikTok when people thought it was a “teen dancing app”), why she believes the best way to escape the corporate rat race is to test ideas on the side, and the fears that held her back longer than she wishes. Sammi also breaks down how to actually grow on social media (without burning out), what people don’t tell you about running a podcast, and the surprising lesson she learned after interviewing the founder of Juicero—and why every business story has more than one side. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 A Different Kind of Episode 01:29 How to Escape Corporate 04:39 The Fear that Kept Sammi in Corporate Too Long 05:29 How to Grow on Instagram 07:23 What Nobody Tells You About Podcasting 09:23 A Found Story That Changed Sammi’s Perspective 10:49 What to Keep Private When Building In Public 12:00 The Question Sammi Can’t Answer Yet 12:36 Sammi’s Plan B 13:11 Is USC Worth It? 14:07 Dream Podcast Guests Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reid Hoffman has spent decades shaping how we work, from building LinkedIn to investing in some of the most important tech companies of the last generation. Now, he’s focused on what might be the biggest shift yet: artificial intelligence. In this episode, Reid breaks down why most people are thinking about AI wrong. Instead of replacing humans, he argues that AI is a “humanity elevator”—a tool that expands agency, unlocks new opportunities, and fundamentally reshapes how we work, learn, and make decisions. Sammi and Reid also get into the real fears: job displacement, misinformation, and biosecurity risks—and what people can actually do about it. Reid shares practical advice for anyone worried about falling behind, including the three AI skills that matter most right now, how to use AI to pivot your career, and why “just start using it” is the most important step. Plus: Reid’s take on digital twins, why creators won’t be replaced anytime soon and the reason he believes AI is not an existential risk. This episode was recorded on 2/12/2026. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Check out Reid’s book SuperagencyHere’s what Sammi covers with Reid: 00:00 Reid Hoffman’s Social Currency 01:35 Why AI Expands Human Agency 05:08 The Real Risks of AI 08:11 What To Do If AI Threatens Your Job 11:21 Reid’s Daily AI Workflow 18:25 AI in Healthcare and Drug Discovery 21:05 Digital Twins and the Future of Creators 24:56 Reid’s Hottest AI Take 26:00 The Rise of AI Agents and Moltbot 27:00 Skills You Need to Stay Ahead Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

e.l.f. Beauty started as the makeup brand retailers thought was too cheap to trust: one-dollar products, white-label formulas, and no major retail partner willing to take the bet. Today, it’s one of the most culturally agile companies in consumer products, and one of the few beauty brands that consistently moves at internet speed. Today, Sammi unpacks how e.l.f. built that machine: from landing early credibility through magazine editors before influencer marketing even existed, to using TikTok before legacy beauty brands understood what the platform could do. She breaks down how CEO Tarang Amin helped transform the company by improving product quality while keeping prices low, aligning every employee around stock ownership, and building a culture that rewards speed. Then she gets into the campaigns that made e.l.f. impossible to ignore: the three-week Super Bowl ad starring Jennifer Coolidge, the provocative “So Many Dicks” Wall Street takeover, the backlash from a partnership misstep, and why the brand’s newest Melissa McCarthy campaign shows how precisely they read culture before they spend against it. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Here’s what Sammi covers today: 0:00 - Intro: How e.l.f. Became a Cultural Powerhouse 1:00 - The Origin Story: $1 Makeup Nobody Wanted to Carry 2:40 - Tarang Amin's CEO Playbook & Giving Equity to Everyone 4:00 - Marketing Move #1: Early Adoption of TikTok 4:40 - Marketing Move #2: The Jennifer Coolidge Super Bowl Ad 6:20 - Marketing Move #3: "So Many Dicks" Wall Street Takeover 7:20 - Marketing Move #4: The Matt Rife Misstep & What It Revealed 8:40 - Marketing Move #5: Melisa – The Telenovela Super Bowl Campaign 9:20 - The Takeaway: Moving at the Speed of Culture 10:40 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When her father died of a heart attack, Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company. Then, she helped turn kefir from a niche probiotic drink into a mainstream wellness product found in major retailers across the country. Today, Julie tells Sammi how she scaled an unfamiliar category by teaching consumers what kefir even was before they were ready to buy it, why family businesses can become some of the hardest companies to lead, and how a public company changes when legacy, control, and outside pressure collide. She also opens up about the recent takeover fight involving Danone, what she believes was at stake for Lifeway, and why category leadership matters more than ever as GLP-1 trends reshape how food companies position protein, digestion, and health. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Follow Julie’s story here Here’s what Sammi covers with Julie: :00:00 - Cold Open 01:00 - Introduction 02:20 - From Soviet Refugees to American Entrepreneurs 05:00 - The Lightbulb Moment: Discovering Kefir in Germany 08:20 - Building the Brand from the Basement Up 10:40 - Taking Lifeway Public in 1988 14:00 - Kefir vs. Yogurt: Understanding the Category 19:40 - Joining the Family Business 24:00 - Becoming CEO at 27 After Her Father's Death 29:20 - The Early Years of Leadership 32:00 - Marketing on a Zero Budget: Social Media as a Secret Weapon 37:00 - Scaling from Niche to Mainstream 40:40 - Entering the Cultural Zeitgeist (Wordle, Jeopardy) 43:40 - The Danone Takeover Attempt 48:00 - The Future: GLP-1s, Protein, and Food as Medicine 51:40 - Social Currency Corner: Would Lifeway Ever Do a Super Bowl Ad? 53:20 - Listener Question: Advice for Educating Consumers on New Categories 55:40 - ClosingHere's what Sammi covers with Julie: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Months into interviewing founders for this podcast, Sammi noticed something surprising: the most successful women were often practicing the same habits, but almost none of them were the things people usually talk about in founder profiles. Today, Sammi breaks down six patterns she has seen repeatedly across standout founders. The examples come directly from conversations with founders like Amy Liu (Tower 28), Maria Davidson (Kojo), Julia Hartz (Eventbrite), Babba Rivera (Ceremonia), Dianna Cohen (nm) Jenn Hyman (Rent the Runway), and others who built category-defining companies under very different circumstances—but often with strikingly similar instincts. Sammi also shares where she is still actively learning these lessons herself: leaving Amazon, building her own media business, overcommitting early, tying performance too closely to outcomes, and learning in real time what sustainable ambition actually looks like. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Here are the full episodes Sammi mentions today: Amy Liu, CEO of Tower 28 Maria Davidson, Founder of Kojo Julia Hartz, CEO of Eventbrite Babba Rivera, CEO of Ceremonia Dianna Cohen, CEO of Crown Affair Jenn Hyman, CEO of Rent the Runway Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Founder Strategies Nobody Says Out Loud 01:19 Why Great Founders Build Networks Early 03:22 Launching Before You Feel Ready 05:00 Your Calendar Like a Financial Document 06:38 Self-Advocacy and Defending Your Vision 08:20 Hiring For Your Weaknesses 09:20 Separating Identity from Outcomes 11:15 One Habit to Start this Month Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Meyer has spent nearly a decade helping brands navigate Amazon, TikTok Shop, retail media, and now the next major shift in commerce: AI-driven shopping. Today, Sammi is partnering with Laura’s strategic commerce agency Envision Horizons to help brands get— and keep— attention in the changing world of online shopping. Laura explains why consumers are facing what she calls an “invisible tax on attention,” where prices rise because brands have to spend more on advertising just to stay visible in increasingly crowded digital platforms. She breaks down how rising customer acquisition costs are reshaping pricing, product quality, and platform strategy, and why even legacy brands are being forced to rethink where they spend every marketing dollar. Then the conversation turns to what may be the biggest shift ahead: consumers using AI before they buy. Laura shares new survey data showing that half of consumers switch brands after seeing recommendations from ChatGPT, why legacy brands are suddenly more vulnerable than they realize, and how platforms like Amazon, TikTok, and Shopify could each be affected differently as AI becomes the new shopping gatekeeper. She also explains why TikTok Shop remains a winners-and-losers platform, why she’s bearish on live shopping despite industry hype, and why logistics may still determine who wins the next era of commerce. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Download the free report Laura references in this episode — "The New Blind Spot: Why AI Is Sending Your Customers to Competitors" — including the full consumer survey results and AI Readiness Checklist Want to know how your brand shows up when consumers ask ChatGPT? Book a free AI Readiness Audit Follow Laura Meyer on LinkedIn and learn more about Envision HorizonsHere’s what Sammi covers with Laura: 00:00 Laura Meyer’s Social Currency 02:31 Laura’s Background and Launching Envision Horizons 09:07 The Changing Online Landscape 11:28 Retail Media Explained 12:36 How AI is Changing Brand Discovery 16:00 What Happens when AI Ads Arrive 23:50 TikTok Shop vs Amazon Economics 29:44 Why Amazon Still Wins Fulfillment 35:00 New AI Consumer Survey Findings 40:23 Why UX May Matter Less in Agentic Commerce 46:37 What Brands Should Ask Agencies 52:00 Laura’s POV on Live Shopping Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julian Reis has built businesses across hedge funds, beauty clinics, China e-commerce, creator monetization, and now TikTok Shop infrastructure, but the throughline is the same: spotting where consumer behavior is headed before most people do. In this episode, Julian tells Sammi how he went from trading at JPMorgan Chase to founding Skin Laundry, pricing mistakes that almost hurt the business, and the lessons that came from building a beauty concept globally. Then he explains why moving to Shanghai in 2018 changed everything: watching creators sell inside China’s super-app ecosystem convinced him that American retail was years behind and that social commerce would eventually reshape how Americans shop. Julian breaks down how his company SuperOrdinary scaled from zero to 350 employees in China, helped brands like Drunk Elephant and Olaplex grow in Asia, and why TikTok Shop is creating a new kind of retail where creators function more like digital storefronts than influencers. He also shares why affiliate data matters more than follower counts, what kinds of products actually work on TikTok, why he believes creators may eventually IPO themselves, and how micro dramas could become the next major content-to-commerce engine. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Learn More about SuperOrdinary Here’s what Sammi covers with Julian:00:00 Julian Reis’ Social Currency04:07 The Finance Chapter11:18 Why Skin Laundry Almost Failed19:37 Moving to Shanghai23:19 Building Brands in China31:00 Why China’s KOL Economy Changed Everything34:49 TikTok Shop’s Massive U.S. Opportunity39:00 What Brands Need To Win TikTok45:14 Fanfix, Micro Dramas, and Creator Monetization51:43 Could Creators Become Public Companies? 53:03 Social Currency Corner54:31 The Future of AI Twins and Creator IP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before TikTok Shop, before influencers sold products through livestreams, QVC had already perfected the live shopping formula: charismatic hosts, product storytelling, and frictionless buying through a screen. Today, Sammi unpacks how the company that built the category became trapped protecting the wrong business. QVC saw digital change coming, but instead of building for where consumer attention was moving, it spent billions doubling down on legacy retail through acquisitions like Zulily and HSN just as cable television was collapsing. Now, with $6.6 billion in debt, restructuring talks underway, and TikTok becoming one of its last major growth bets, QVC has become a case study in what happens when a company masters a format but loses control of the platform that made it powerful. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 How QVC Became a Cash Flow Machine 03:15 The First Big Wrong Turn 03:33 Why Zulily Failed04:33 The HSN Bet 05:17 Doubling Down on a Shrinking Market 06:37 Rebrands, Layoffs, and Decline 08:06 Why QVC Turned to TikTok 09:18 The Debt Problem 10:19 The Capital Allocation Lesson 11:05 The Big Lesson From the Billion-Dollar Crisis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doug Evans didn’t just build a juicer… he built one of Silicon Valley’s most debated startups. As the founder of Juicero, Doug raised more than $100 million to bring cold-pressed juice into people’s homes, only to watch the company crumble after a viral Bloomberg article questioned whether the machine was even necessary. In this episode, Doug tells Sammi his side of the story. He shares what Juicero was actually trying to solve, the power of a takedown piece, and the surprising role geography played in the company’s fate. He opens up about stepping down as CEO, the shock of watching the company shut down with capital still in the bank, and the fallout that followed. Doug sets the record straight and shares what never made it into the takedown pieces. Then comes the reinvention. Doug shares how he retreated to the Mojave Desert, wrote a national bestselling book on sprouting, and launched a new direct-to-consumer company built around countertop food production. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Follow Doug and The Sprouting Company Here’s what Sammi covers today with Doug: 00:00 Doug Evans’ Social Currency 02:55 The “Genetically Cursed” Mindset Shift 04:23 Building Organic Avenue Before Juice Was Cool 09:37 Why Juicero Had to Exist 14:52 The Bloomberg Squeeze Story 17:53 The Media Pile-On and Fallout 25:34 Lessons on Leadership and Investor Alignment 27:38 Going Reclusive After Juicero 33:51 Mojave Desert Reinvention 37:37 The Science Behind Sprouts 41:15 Writing The Sprout Book 46:23 Pitching Sprouts on Shark Tank 51:45 From Trauma to Confidence 56:39 Making Sprouting Mainstream 01:12:12 Social Currency Corner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices