Decoder with Nilay Patel

Adam Conover is a familiar face to anyone who’s spent time on the internet. He got his start at CollegeHumor back in the day, before transitioning into cable TV with Adam Ruins Everything, then onto Netflix, and all the way back to YouTube again, where he posts videos and hosts a podcast.

That is exactly the kind of career path that fascinates me, and it also happens to touch on basically every major Decoder theme there is.

Links:

YouTube is making it harder to earn money on YouTube | The Verge

Adam Conover regrets shilling Sam Altman’s World | The Verge

Elon Musk is an idiot | Adam Conover

How HBO’s creatives survived corporate chaos | Decoder

YouTube’s Neal Mohan on the future for creators | Decoder (2021)

Banning Trump was the right decision, says Instagram’s Mosseri | Decoder (2021)

Ethics in journalism, with Ben Smith | Decoder

Hank Green will gladly take billionaires’ money for education | Decoder

Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder!

Credits:

Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Decoder’s producers are Greg Ott, Kate Cox, and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Xander Adams. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane.

The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re back with another Decoder mailbag special. This time, we focused on feedback to Nilay’s “software brain” video essay, our ongoing coverage of AI and Big Tech backlash, surveillance, interviewing politicians ahead of the midterms, and more.

Remember: we really do read every email, so please keep sending us your feedback, and letting us know what you think of our coverage and how we can improve.

Read the full interview transcript on The Verge.

Links:

How to win — and lose — Decoder | Decoder Mailbag (2026)

Nilay answers your burning Decoder questions | Decoder Mailbag (2025)

Answering your biggest Decoder questions | Decoder Mailbag (2024)

Sundar Pichai on AI, search, and the future of the web | Decoder (2026)

The people do not yearn for automation | Decoder

Bluesky’s new CEO wants a big tent, not a bubble | Decoder

New York Governor Kathy Hochul thinks AI should be ‘less evil’ | Decoder

Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder!

Credits:

Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Decoder is produced by Gregg Ott, Kate Cox, and Nick Statt and edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane.

The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest today is Sonos CEO Tom Conrad. Tom was on the board at Sonos during the disastrous 2024 app redesign that threatened to crash the entire brand, and he took over as interim CEO to right the ship during that period. About a year ago, he took the permanent role.

I have been dying to have Tom on the show to talk about how the board decided to move on from previous CEO Patrick Spence, how he diagnosed the issues inside the company, and what decisions he made to fix them. Plus. Tom was willing to get into the weeds and nerd out with me, and I think this one is pretty fun because of it.

Read the full interview transcript on The Verge.

Links:

After two years of turmoil, Sonos attempts a triumphant return | The Verge

How Sonos’ Tom Conrad Is reshaping the brand after app disaster | Bloomberg

An in-depth interview with Sonos interim CEO Tom Conrad | The Verge (2025)

Sonos’ smart assistant is expanding from music to home control | The Verge

Inside Sonos’ decision to sue Google — and how it won | Decoder (2022)

Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder!

Credits:

Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Decoder is produced by Greg Ott, Kate Cox, and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane.

The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s an election year, with a shocking amount of tech policy at stake, and Gov.Hochul has taken strong positions on almost every major tech issue there is. You'll hear us talk about the settlement Meta reached with dozens of states, including New York, and about widespread age verification.

We also discussed 3D printing ghost guns; surveillance and Flock cameras; the politics of building — or not building — AI data centers; and, of course, Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Read the full interview transcript on The Verge.

Links:

New Yorkers will need to verify their age for algorithmic feeds | The Verge

The cat-and-mouse game over 3D-printed guns has begun | The Verge

Hochul says she’s using AI to analyze ‘every single rule’ in New York | The Verge

NY becomes the first state to enact a data center moratorium | The Verge

Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder!

Credits:

Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Decoder’s producers are Greg Ott, Kate Cox, and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane.

The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, I’m talking with Hayden Field, The Verge’s senior AI reporter, about some pure Decoder bait: the seemingly-endless org chart changes at OpenAI, and how all of them seem to consolidate power under cofounder Greg Brockman, the company’s president.

While Sam Altman is the CEO and still OpenAI’s most public face, Brockman has amassed enormous power and influence within the top ranks of the company as other senior leaders have left in rapid succession. So I wanted Hayden to break down for me what’s going on at OpenAI, and the increasingly important role Greg Brockman will play in its future.

Read the full interview transcript on The Verge.

Links:

It’s Greg Brockman’s OpenAI now | The Verge

OpenAI’s Brockman brushes off concerns about leadership changes | CNBC

Sam Altman on building OpenAI & betting on the impossible | David Senra

OpenAI’s Q2 sales show tepid growth compared to Anthropic | WSJ

Anthropic's revenue run rate reportedly surpasses $65 billion pre-IPO | Axios

OpenAI President On Reinventing Computers | Johanna Stern / YouTube

Greg Brockman takes control of OpenAI’s products in latest shake-up | Wired

OpenAI’s president is a Trump mega-donor | The Verge

Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder!

Credits:

Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Decoder is produced by Greg Ott, Kate Cox, and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane.

The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices