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Summation with Auren Hoffman

Auren Hoffman
Artificial Intelligence
Venture Capital
Data-As-a-Service
Networking
Real Estate
Education
United States
Innovation
Productivity
Fintech
Job Search
Career Development
China
Entrepreneurship
Principles Of Persuasion
Generative AI
Startups
Charitable Giving
Openai
Advertising

Non-obvious ideas that move the world. Auren Hoffman hosts leaders across tech, business, markets, and government.

Summation is the permanent home for the relentlessly curious.

Auren is CEO of NQB8, GP at Flex Capital, Chairman of Dialog; former CEO of SafeGraph and LiveRamp (NYSE: RAMP).

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes289Founded5 years ago
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TechnologyBusinessEntrepreneurship

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Latest Episodes

Bobby Samuels is the co-founder and CEO of Protege, a platform that licenses real-world data from industries like healthcare and media to companies building AI. Protege has raised $65 million from Andreessen Horowitz, CRV, and Flex Capital. Before Pr... more

Roy Schwartz co-founded Axios, the news company known for smart brevity, and helped grow it to a $525 million sale to Cox Enterprises. He's now co-founder and CEO of Axios HQ, an AI-powered internal communications platform spun out of Axios. He co-wr... more

David Kirtley is the co-founder and CEO of Helion Energy, the fusion company. Helion has raised more than $1.5 billion at a $15.5 billion valuation, and Sam Altman is its biggest investor and former chairman. Before fusion, David worked on rocket and... more

Alex Rampell is a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, where he leads the firm’s $2.7 billion Apps practice and has driven much of the firm's fintech investing, including Plaid, Mercury, and Opendoor. Before a16z, Alex co-founded multiple companie... more

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Recent Guests

Bobby Samuels
CEO and co-founder of Protege
Protege
Episode: Protege CEO Bobby Samuels on the data nobody has unlocked yet
Roy Schwartz
Co-founder of Axios; CEO of Axios HQ; author of Smart Brevity and Simplify
Axios (cofounder) / Axios HQ
Episode: Axios Co-founder Roy Schwartz: why average is worthless now
Alex Rampell
General partner at Andreessen Horowitz, leads Apps Fund and fintech investing
Andreessen Horowitz
Episode: Alex Rampell on why the best companies have hostages, not customers
Chris Hulls
Co-founder and executive chairman of Life360
Life360
Episode: Life360 founder Chris Hulls on existential amusement and why public markets kill bold bets
Aydin Senkut
Founder and Managing Partner at Felicis Ventures
Felicis Ventures
Episode: Felicis founder Aydin Senkut: why moats are dead and alive
Nir Eyal
Author of Hooked, Indistractable, Beyond Belief
Author and thinker on technology and behavior
Episode: Nir Eyal on belief, motivation, and the end of suffering
Cory Gardner
Former U.S. Senator and Congressman from Colorado; Taiwan and China expert
Former U.S. Senate/House; President & CEO of NCTA (Internet & Television Association)
Episode: Fmr. Senator Cory Gardner: why the AI race is won on boring infrastructure and how China wins by making America hate AI
Harjot Gill
CEO and co-founder of CodeRabbit
CodeRabbit
Episode: CodeRabbit CEO Harjot Gill on software's new bottleneck and zero to $50m ARR in 2 years
Moritz Baier-Lentz
Investor and advisor with a background in gaming and AI research
General Intuition; former Goldman Sachs Global Gaming Practice; OpenAI/McKinsey/TPG advisor
Episode: Moritz Baier-Lentz on why the future of AI runs on video games

Host

Auren Hoffman
Host with deep background in data-driven investing and operator experience; CEO of NQB8, GP at Flex Capital, former CEO of SafeGraph and LiveRamp; leads conversations across tech, markets, and government.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 207 ratings
  • Top Notch

    Top notch podcast and excellent guests. Subscribe and listen even if you are outside this “space”

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jay picc
    United States5 months ago
  • One of the most stimulating podcasts out there!

    Auren is an incredible interviewer! Absolutely hooked!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Tetiana Paratsii
    Canada6 months ago
  • Stellar

    Actually insightful and not just opinionated garbage like a lot of other founder/tech/VC pods.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Playerone792
    United States9 months ago
  • Goldmine of Data and Business Insights

    Auren and his talented guests talk all things data and business, but it’s so much more than that! It’s true that you’ll find actionable advice and tangible tips that are relative to any stage of your career, but you’ll also find the inspiration and insight to grow as a human being. Thanks so much for putting out such a spectacular show Auren - keep up the great work!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Linda__Lee_
    Philippines2 years ago
  • Please stay away from politics

    The topic data and analytics is far more interesting than hearing about someone’s left-wing or right ring views

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    T Crowns
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

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

The host pulls in top-tier guests and keeps insights practical.
Audience-friendly but intellectually rigorous; fosters memorable takes and useful frameworks.
Consistently high-caliber conversations with diverse perspectives on data and AI.
Thoughtful, deep dives with credible guests—above average for tech/VC pods.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#33
United States/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#23
United Kingdom/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#36
Canada/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#230
France/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#7
United Arab Emirates/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#43
Philippines/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Life360 founder Chris Hulls on existential amusement and why public markets kill bold bets
Q: What are your views on corporate speak and the pressures of public company culture, and how should leaders balance truth-telling with communication risk?
Hulls advocates speaking truth and being bold, arguing that corporate speak can erode culture and decision-making; he emphasizes authenticity and provocative leadership, while acknowledging occasional need to manage communications during crises.
Life360 founder Chris Hulls on existential amusement and why public markets kill bold bets
Q: How did the freemium model become a defensible differentiator for Life360, and what were the trade-offs?
Freemium allowed scale that made the product defensible against price-based disruption by carriers and competitors, accepting short-term losses to achieve a large user base and sustainable paid conversion later, which Hulls saw as essential given the competitive threats of the time.
Life360 founder Chris Hulls on existential amusement and why public markets kill bold bets
Q: Walk us through like how Life360's path to NASDAQ happened, and what led to the dual listing strategy?
Hull s explains the opportunistic move to the ASX to clear the preference stack and gain liquidity, followed by a gradual, multi-year plan to migrate to NASDAQ once growth and fundamentals justified it, while navigating COVID disruption and market volatility.
Alex Rampell on why the best companies have hostages, not customers
Q: What conventional wisdom or advice do you think is generally bad advice?
He argues against a pure product-first approach, emphasizing the importance of a strong sales force, a predictable external-facing revenue model, and the need to design incentives that attract top sales talent to come work for you, rather than only building a great product in isolation.
Alex Rampell on why the best companies have hostages, not customers
Q: How are you personally using AI in your day-to-day, either at home or at work? What are you doing? What are you building?
Alex describes leveraging AI to boost productivity and create new capabilities, such as AI agents that can handle tasks like interview vetting, contract work, and consumer-facing assistance, while acknowledging that AI complements rather than replaces human labor and can lower activation energy for adopting new processes.

Audience Metrics

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About Summation

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

This show foregrounds data-driven thinking, AI, and strategic leadership at the intersection of technology, finance, and policy. Episodes typically feature founders, investors, and operators who unpack how data, automation, and new governance models reshape markets, product strategy, and organizational culture. Listeners can expect practical takeaways on building durable tech-enabled businesses, navigating private-to-public market dynamics, and leveraging AI responsibly across industries. A standout strength is the host's knack for connecting high-signal guests—from VC founders to AI researchers and policymakers—into accessible, thought-provoking conversations that illuminate long-term, big-impact ideas rather than short-term trends.

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How many listeners does Summation get?

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How many episodes of Summation are there?

Summation launched 5 years ago and published 289 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 Summation?

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Where can I see ratings and reviews for Summation?

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What guests have appeared on Summation?

Recent guests on Summation include:

1. Bobby Samuels
2. Roy Schwartz
3. Alex Rampell
4. Chris Hulls
5. Aydin Senkut
6. Nir Eyal
7. Cory Gardner
8. Harjot Gill

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.

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