Rephonic
Artwork for Austin Next

Austin Next

Jason Scharf
Austin
Venture Capital
Artificial Intelligence
Vertical AI
New York
Firefly Aerospace
Alpha School
AI In Education
Livestrong
Ellis
Bootstrap
Bitcoin
Hack Club
Defense
Robot Entertainment Combat
Technology
To the Black
Silicon Valley
Alpha Right
Poppi

Austin is building the new tech, cultural, and intellectual stack. The region is a living laboratory to answer a single question: How do you build a global innovation superpower? Host Jason Scharf dissects innovation from the individual to the ecosystem. From the soundstage to the data center to the fab, we decode the mechanics of Austin's innovation ecosystem. As Atoms, Bits, and Intelligence con... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes186Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
TechnologyBusinessManagement

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Austin Next

Latest Episodes

I thought I knew the straightforward Firefly Aerospace story. First an Austin space unicorn, then an IPO, and a finally a Moon landing. I watched To the Black and realized I had no idea how brutal the road was. Eric Salwan was one of Firefly’s co-fou... more

YouTube

Serendipity generally looks accidental. These three builders spend a lot of time trying to make it happen. Evan Baehr of Arena Hall, Chris Taylor of Red Fridge Society, and Zac Solomon of ATX Writing Club are building very different physical communit... more

YouTube

I had been thinking Austin needed some kind of frontier-tech week when Andrew Côté announced that he was bringing Deep Tech Week here. I reached out almost immediately, and now I’m helping build it.

That gave us the excuse for this conversation, but... more

YouTube

The battlefield is changing faster than the systems built to supply it. Matt Willis runs Army FUZE, a roughly $750M portfolio built to get new technology into soldiers’ hands faster. The deeper question is what an institution as large as the Army has... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Eric Salwan
Firefly Aerospace co-founder and Director of Commercial Business Development
Firefly Aerospace
Episode: Making the Impossible Feel Possible | Eric Salwan & Scott Edwards
Scott Edwards
Austin documentary filmmaker and Merit Productions founder who spent six years documenting Firefly Aerospace
Merit Productions
Episode: Making the Impossible Feel Possible | Eric Salwan & Scott Edwards
Chris Taylor
Founder of an enterprise software company and founder-focused community builder
Red Fridge Society / Arena Hall (as discussed)
Episode: Can You Engineer Serendipity?
Evan Baehr
Founder and CEO of Arena Hall, hospitality-focused community space
Arena Hall
Episode: Can You Engineer Serendipity?
Andrew Côté
Deep tech entrepreneur involved with Austin Deep Tech Week
Deep Tech ecosystem founder/organizer (Austin Deep Tech Week)
Episode: The Future Is Actually Starting to Happen | Andrew Côté, Deep Tech Week
Matt Willis
Director of the Army Fuse Program (F-U-Z-E) and a defense-adjacent innovator
Army Fuse Program
Episode: The Army Is Adapting to the New Speed of War | Matt Willis, Army FUZE
Max Cunningham
CEO of Sesh (nicotine pouch company)
Sesh
Episode: What This Unlikely Deal Shows About New Austin | Max Cunningham (Sesh) & Jake Medwell (8VC)
Jake Medwell
Partner at 8VC
8VC
Episode: What This Unlikely Deal Shows About New Austin | Max Cunningham (Sesh) & Jake Medwell (8VC)
Brett Hurt
Author of Love Conquers Fear
Author/Entrepreneur
Episode: Love Conquers Fear: The Last Barrier to Abundance Is Our Own Fear | Brett Hurt

Host

Jason Scharf

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 20 ratings
  • Great content!

    Love the show and perfect for learning what’s going on in the innovation powerhouse that is Austin.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ritz202
    United States4 years ago
  • In-depth focus on Austin

    It was great to be a guest on this podcast and to listen to all the other episodes. Austin is a dynamic city that has undergone a lot of growth and changes. Michael and Jason are doing a great job of showcasing the case for Austin and what is next.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ThomSinger
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Reviewers value the coverage of Austin's innovation activity and say it helps them follow what's happening in the region.
A reviewer who appeared as a guest praised the hosts for showcasing Austin's growth and making the case for what comes next.

Top Technology Podcasts

Hard Fork
Hard ForkThe New York Times
Acquired
AcquiredBen Gilbert and David Rosenthal
Darknet Diaries
Darknet DiariesJack Rhysider
The Vergecast
The VergecastThe Verge
Better Offline
Better OfflineCool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Making the Impossible Feel Possible | Eric Salwan & Scott Edwards
Q: How did Austin fit into the story, both in why you chose it and what it was like before the hard-tech scene became established?
Salwan says Texas offered the ability to move quickly, while Austin's growth, jobs and social scene made it easier to recruit engineers and their partners. Firefly helped attract other space companies, creating more job mobility and a stronger hard-tech ecosystem.
Making the Impossible Feel Possible | Eric Salwan & Scott Edwards
Q: If we know how to build rockets, why does it seem so hard to build a new rocket?
Salwan explains that each rocket requires extensive component development and testing, and must balance low weight, strength and power while surviving launch forces. Edwards adds that Firefly was pursuing smaller, less costly rockets for the growing small-satellite market.
The Future Is Actually Starting to Happen | Andrew Côté, Deep Tech Week
Q: How does storytelling help bridge the gap between technical work and business impact in deep tech?
Storytelling helps translate complex engineering milestones into a viable economic narrative, making the science approachable for investors, policymakers, and potential partners; it emphasizes what can be achieved, the timeline, and the real-world benefits, which in turn drives funding and deployment.
The Army Is Adapting to the New Speed of War | Matt Willis, Army FUZE
Q: What is Army Fuse and how does it fit into the Army's overall innovation strategy?
Army Fuse is the Army's answer to innovation and acquisition reform, acting as the capital engine to fund rapid prototyping and field-tested capabilities, with a venture-capital style posture to back multiple small bets and scale the winners.
Autonomy’s Moment Is Now. Austin Is the Autonomy Capital | Jeff Cavins, Outdoorsy Group
Q: How does Outdoorsy envision the RoboTaxi fitting into its existing marketplace and insurance framework?
By using Wheelbase for fleet and insurance management, pricing by minute/day, and enabling offline usage for short-term rentals, Outdoorsy aims to integrate autonomous assets with its RV and car rental model, backed by Lloyd's insurance support.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Austin Next

What is Austin Next about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Conversations with founders, investors, public-sector leaders and other builders examine how Austin's innovation ecosystem is taking shape. Host Jason Scharf connects individual company and institutional stories to broader forces including capital, talent, policy, education, design and infrastructure. The focus ranges from hard tech, AI and defense innovation to community spaces and the city's cultural identity, with guests sharing practical experience alongside their views on what could come next.

The distinctive angle is its close attention to Austin as a place where different parts of the innovation economy meet. Episodes compare the region with established tech centers and explore the conditions needed to build and scale there. It suit... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Austin Next?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Austin Next. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Austin Next and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Austin Next get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Austin Next, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Austin Next?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Austin Next, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Austin Next have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Austin Next has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Austin Next?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Austin Next:

1. All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
2. BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley
3. The a16z Show
4. Dwarkesh Podcast
5. Joe Lonsdale: American Optimist

How many episodes of Austin Next are there?

Austin Next launched 5 years ago and published 186 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Austin Next?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Austin Next?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Austin Next from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Austin Next?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Austin Next. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Austin Next?

Recent guests on Austin Next include:

1. Eric Salwan
2. Scott Edwards
3. Chris Taylor
4. Evan Baehr
5. Andrew Côté
6. Matt Willis
7. Max Cunningham
8. Jake Medwell

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days