Topic: Mevio

A personal digression covers past habits involving rolling tobacco and cannabis, including the "wake and bake" lifestyle. The conversation shifts to the history of podcast networks and the financial success of Mark Cuban, who sold Broadcast.com to Yahoo for billions. The hosts reflect on being "too early" to various tech trends and the challenges of monetizing digital content compared to early internet pioneers.

Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak open episode 1786 of the No Agenda show from Texas and Silicon Valley. They discuss the origins of their "exit strategy" running gag, tracing it back to their early days at Mevio and Podshow. The concept stems from Silicon Valley lingo regarding IPOs and acquisitions, which they adapted to the realization that podcasts have no traditional exit.

John Dvorak shares an anecdote about a failed product called "DOS in a Can" to illustrate why creators often complain about marketing support. The hosts apply this lesson to the failure of podcast networks like Mevio and Spotify's billion-dollar investment, arguing that the network model is fundamentally incompatible with the medium's strengths.

The hosts discuss the current state of the podcasting industry, noting Spotify's struggles and CEO Daniel Ek's decision to delegate responsibilities after spending a billion dollars on content. They reflect on their own history with Mevio and Podshow, arguing that the "corporate" model of podcasting is failing. Listeners are encouraged to use Podcasting 2.0 apps to support the "value-for-value" model and avoid centralized platforms.

A historical anecdote regarding Kleiner Perkins and the startup Podshow illustrates how venture capitalists often chase "the next big thing," such as the failed video service Joost. Google currently spends $13 billion quarterly on traffic acquisition to maintain its advertising lead. The current AI boom is compared to previous tech cycles where dominant players like Yahoo and MySpace were eventually displaced.

A retrospective on the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas notes the decline of the event's innovation since the Comdex era. The hosts recall when the Adult Video Awards were held concurrently with CES, leading to humorous interactions between tech reporters and adult film stars. A lost comedy bit from the Mevio era involving these interactions is mentioned.

A dinner with executive producer Dana Brunetti and his partner Alexandra leads to a discussion about a frustrating wine list experience at a high-end restaurant. The wine list, containing 10,000 entries, was presented on a tablet without a search function, requiring manual scrolling. The anecdote touches on past experiences with company credit cards and the etiquette of ordering expensive bottles.

In 2005, the IRS filed a $2.4 million tax lien against a media executive, claiming a failure to file taxes while living in the UK since 1999. IRS agents reportedly entered the company's office with weapons drawn looking for the individual. It took six months of legal proceedings to prove the executive had been living overseas and to remove the resulting wage garnishment.

The hosts read several notes from producers who received "job karma," including a worker whose contract was extended with a pay raise. Leanne Webb shares her family's history with the hosts dating back to the Mevio network and requests karma for her children, who are furloughed Disney World employees.

The hosts share anecdotes about women in the broadcasting industry who allegedly purchase expensive outfits, wear them on-air with the tags hidden by tape, and then return them to the store. This practice was reportedly common at media companies like Tech TV and Mevio. The discussion highlights the dishonesty of "wardrobing" and the use of dye tags by retailers to prevent such returns.

The YouTube business model relies on "long tail" revenue from millions of low-stakes videos, such as cat clips and birthday parties, rather than a few major hits. Maintaining "brand safety" for advertisers like BMW requires massive human and AI resources to police content. The current "adpocalypse" is framed as a failure of these systems to guarantee a safe environment for corporate brands.

Adam Curry and John Dvorak reminisce about the origins of the "value-for-value" funding model, which they adopted early in the show's history. They discuss the transition from the Mevio network to a listener-supported model and the various community-driven projects, like the "Gitmo list," that have sustained the show for 11 years.

The hosts discuss the shift in marketing budgets toward social media influencers on Instagram and YouTube. Adam Curry reflects on his experience with Mevio (formerly Podshow) and the early attempts at talent-led endorsements. He warns that while influencer marketing is growing, the platforms will eventually seek to capture more of that revenue, making it harder for independent creators.

An anecdote from the Mevio era describes Adam Curry's strict enforcement of punctuality, where he would personally monitor the entrance and question employees arriving after 8:30 AM. This management style was intended to address a culture where staff arrived at their own discretion without guidance. The story highlights the tension between startup flexibility and the operational requirements of running a business.

Technical failures in the centralized "app culture" have caused many listeners to lose access to the podcast following the final shutdown of the old Mevio RSS feed. Despite a 301 redirect being implemented two years prior, several major podcast applications, including Stitcher, failed to update their databases to the new feed. Stitcher is specifically criticized for inserting unauthorized audio advertisements into the show while failing to maintain a functional delivery system for its users.

Adam Curry addresses listeners still using the defunct Mevio podcast feed, urging them to switch to the official No Agenda RSS feed. Many long-time listeners have reported issues with password prompts or missing episodes due to outdated subscription links. The hosts emphasize that the show has been on a new independent infrastructure for over two years.

The hosts open the program testing a new communication package called Vovi to address latency issues experienced in previous sessions. A brief discussion ensues regarding the origins of the name Mevio, with one host mistakenly associating it with a Dutch shoe store. Technical difficulties persist, leading to multiple reconnection attempts and a comparison of the new software's audio quality against Skype and MIT-based systems.

The hosts describe the atmosphere in Hollywood during the Emmy Awards season, focusing on the elaborate hospitality suites at the W Hotel. They detail the "scam" of high-end goodie bags filled with wristwatches and shoes distributed to B-list and C-list celebrities. Adam Curry recounts being denied access to these perks due to a lack of the required wristbands.

The No Agenda show briefly disappeared from the iTunes podcast directory due to a technical error. Investigation revealed that the hosting platform Mevio had the ability to hide shows within the iTunes interface, which was accidentally triggered during "spring cleaning." The incident is used to advocate for direct RSS feed subscriptions to avoid reliance on third-party gatekeepers.

The hosts discuss the career of CNN's Soledad O'Brien, tracing her path from NBC and MSNBC to her current morning show. Dvorak and Curry claim credit for scouting and training Natalie Morris (formerly Del Conte) for Mevio before she moved to mainstream media. They analyze O'Brien's "multi-culti" appeal and her aggressive interviewing style as a key driver for CNN's morning programming.