Episodes

  • The Rise of Amazon
    Jul 22 2019
    Examine how the biggest tech companies rose to power, and what they're doing with that power. In season one, The Rise of Amazon, Recode's senior commerce correspondent Jason Del Rey traces how Jeff Bezos transformed Amazon from an online bookseller to one of the largest companies in the world, and what that means for how we shop, work, and live. Tuesdays starting July 23rd. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    3 mins
  • Why You’ll Never Quit Amazon Prime
    Jul 23 2019
    With over 100 million members, Prime is the engine that’s made Amazon a retailing juggernaut and one of the largest companies in the world. Jason Del Rey explores how Prime came to be, why it’s so effective at keeping us locked into the Amazon ecosystem, and how it became the source of the company’s power. Enjoyed this episode? Rate us ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Want to get in touch? Tweet @recode or send an email to landofthegiants@voxmedia.com. Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear next week's episode by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    35 mins
  • Alexa, What's Amazon Doing Inside My Home?
    Jul 30 2019
    Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant can tell you the weather, operate home appliances, and video chat family members. Alexa aims to be the centerpiece of the “smart home” connected to the Internet. It can lull us with the convenience, but what’s the downside to letting Alexa run your entire home? And why is Amazon making a microwave oven powered by Alexa? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    34 mins
  • When Amazon Leaves Your Town
    Aug 6 2019
    In 1999, Amazon opened one of its first warehouses in the small town of Coffeyville, Kansas. Fifteen years later, it closed. We visit Coffeyville to learn what Amazon can bring and what it can take away, and what lessons Coffeyville might have for a community that’s just getting started with an Amazon warehouse: Staten Island, New York. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • Why the Robot Revolution is Our Fault
    Aug 13 2019
    In recent years Amazon has quietly become one of the leaders in automation, reshaping its workforce of nearly 600,000 workers, and the way humans work with robots. We fear robots taking over the world, but do we understand just how we as consumers are making that future happen? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • How Amazon Charmed Wall Street
    Aug 20 2019
    When Amazon became a publicly traded company  in 1997, it was losing money. And it wouldn’t turn a profit for years. So how did it convince Wall Street to do something unprecedented: Turn a blind eye to profit? And how did that help Amazon become one of the world’s most valuable companies today -- and how did it change the way tech companies grow? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    37 mins
  • Is Amazon Too Big? We Ask Its Sellers
    Aug 27 2019
    Small businesses and major brands alike rely on Amazon but are increasingly ambivalent about selling on the platform. The Amazon Marketplace is a battle royale of millions of sellers and declining profit margins. Meanwhile, Amazon is building its own branded line of competing products, called AmazonBasics. That, and other practices, make Amazon their frenemy -- a major competitor as well as their most important partner. From a societal standpoint, is this a good thing? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • 'I love Amazon. Let’s break it up'
    Sep 12 2019
    In the final episode of our season on Amazon, NYU professor and “Pivot” podcast co-host Scott Galloway tells Jason Del Rey that Amazon needs to be broken up - and which parts of the company should be spun off first. They discuss Amazon’s ultimate impact on us as consumers, who are the companies left that can really compete with Amazon, and question the idea that we live in an era of innovation. Recorded live on September 9, 2019 at Code Commerce in New York City.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    29 mins