Frank-ly, the Kardashian method won’t work for SBF • TechCrunch

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.

This week, Natasha was joined by Mary Ann Azevedo and Rebecca Szkutak to talk about the latest and greatest in tech. Before we get into what we got up to, can we just say how great it is to be back? It feels therapeutic to be back on the mic to digest the news in terms of trends and startup happenings; and we hope you feel right about the same.

Without further ado, our show touched on a lot this week:

• Deals of the week include Inflow, which has developed a self-help app designed to help people manage their ADHD, Cartograph Ventures, a new venture fund run by an ex-Juul operator, and the latest lawsuit and layoffs happening over at Carta.
• The plethora of fintech M&A that took place this week, including Fidelity’s acquisition of a startup called Shoobx (we couldn’t pronounce its name either) and Deel’s buyout of Capbase.
• Microsoft’s deal with ChatGPT OpenAI which, we’ll admit, has a structure that stumps even us. Plus, we talk about how Pittsburgh’s expertise in AI may help give its startup scene a boost.
• There’s Sam Altman, and then there’s Sam Bankman-Fried, which brings us to our last theme. We talk about SBF’s new Substack, the Kardashian method of distraction and why the legal world isn’t a fan of levity. As Becca said so aptly, maybe billionaires (or former billionaires) should stop trying to be cute.

We’ll end with a reminder that the TechCrunch podcast network is now a machine that produces content, daily, from the most diverse slate of hosts in the tech pod world. Proud of our fellow co-hosts, and for those of you who may be starting a resolution or habit-stacking to start 2023, consider giving our other shows a try.

Equity drops at 10:00 a.m. PT every Monday and at 7:00 a.m. PT on Wednesdays and Fridays, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. TechCrunch also has a great show on crypto, a show that interviews founders, one that details how our stories come together, and more!