#117 TikTok’s New Owner and Hiring a US CEO?

The More or Less team go deep on the rumored TikTok deal: licensing the algorithm vs. owning influence, who actually controls the For You page, and why data localization misses the point. We debate A16Z’s evolving role, Sequoia’s must-have-access imperative, and what a “TikTok US CEO” would really do.

Chapters:
00:48 - Intro + Ty Haney’s crypto-invisible loyalty rails
02:38 - “Do the weather” for Silicon Valley
05:04 - Alcatraz as brand strategy (and why)
11:22 - TikTok deal setup: ownership shuffle vs. real control
20:05 - What does a TikTok US CEO actually do? “Shell upon shell”
22:40 - “I want a human to pick my feed” — the curation comeback
24:21 - Slow’s Etiquette School: leveling the playing field
37:31 - Meta’s new glasses: HUD, wristband typing, live captions
44:33 - LLMs as the new youth battleground; customizing AI personalities
48:45 - Mid-cap IPOs, rate cuts, and why “number didn’t go up”
53:14 - The case for exclusive, hyper-local print (and price it high)
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Connect with us here:1) Sam Lessin: x.com/lessin2) Dave Morin: x.com/davemorin3) Jessica Lessin: x.com/Jessicalessin4) Brit Morin: x.com/brit