#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)

We’re also on ↓X: https://twitter.com/moreorlesspodInstagram: https://instagram.com/moreorlessYouTube: https://youtu.be/P3Gzl2ZDXWw

Connect with us here:1) Sam Lessin: https://x.com/lessin2) Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin3) Jessica Lessin: https://x.com/Jessicalessin4) Brit Morin: https://x.com/brit