In a special live-to-tape episode of Better Offline, Ed is joined by The Verge's Alex Cranz and YouTube influencer Michael Fisher to talk about what they're actually enjoying in the tech industry - and why things don't feel quite as magical and exciting as they used to.

https://www.youtube.com/@TheMrMobile

https://www.theverge.com/authors/alex-cranz 

Original Air Date: 6.26.24

---

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In a special live-to-tape episode of Better Offline, Ed is joined by The Verge's Alex Cranz and YouTube influencer Michael Fisher to talk about what they're actually enjoying in the tech industry - and why things don't feel quite as magical and exciting as they used to.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheMrMobile">https://www.youtube.com/@TheMrMobile</a>
<a href="https://www.theverge.com/authors/alex-cranz">https://www.theverge.com/authors/alex-cranz&nbsp;</a>
Original Air Date: 6.26.24
---
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Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build. 

Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.

Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build. 
Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.

Better Offline

Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build.



Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.

Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build.
 
Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.

CZM Rewind: Where Did Tech's Magic Go? feat. Alex Cranz & Michael Fisher

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0741ad7b-2364-420b-8a41-b24f0147d545/transcript

In this week's Better Offline monologue, Ed Zitron runs you through how AI’s move to token-based billing has revealed that absolutely nobody has a way of measuring AI’s ROI - and how these massive costs might finally burst the bubble.

Companion newsletter: 
https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-revenge-of-the-business-idiot/

Axios: AI sticker shock hits corporate America https://www.axios.com/2026/05/28/ai-spending-roi-enterprise-costs 

Uber COO story: https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-coo-andrew-macdonald-ai-token-spending-harder-justify-2026-5

Please subscribe to my premium newsletter - save $10 off a year of my premium newsletter: https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/gzqwkv54e1

YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more.

---

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Email Me: ez@betteroffline.com

In this week's Better Offline monologue, Ed Zitron runs you through how AI&rsquo;s move to token-based billing has revealed that absolutely nobody has a way of measuring AI&rsquo;s ROI - and how these massive costs might finally burst the bubble. Companion newsletter: <a href="https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-revenge-of-the-business-idiot/">https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-revenge-of-the-business-idiot/</a>
Axios: AI sticker shock hits corporate America&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/28/ai-spending-roi-enterprise-costs">https://www.axios.com/2026/05/28/ai-spending-roi-enterprise-costs</a>&nbsp;
Uber COO story:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-coo-andrew-macdonald-ai-token-spending-harder-justify-2026-5">https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-coo-andrew-macdonald-ai-token-spending-harder-justify-2026-5</a>
Please subscribe to my premium newsletter - save $10 off a year of my premium newsletter:&nbsp;<a href="https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/gzqwkv54e1">https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/gzqwkv54e1</a>
YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to <a href="https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline">https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline</a> and use code&nbsp;FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more.
---
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Monologue: Everyone Suddenly Cares About AI ROI

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c379d92c-9f00-4734-9c2e-b458013762c8/transcript

In this week's Better Offline, Ed Zitron runs you through how Uber’s COO said the quiet part out loud - that AI’s outputs and efficacy do not match up with its ruinous costs - and how despite its bluster, the AI industry’s grift is failing.

Free newsletter tie-in: https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-revenge-of-the-business-idiot/ 

Please subscribe to my premium newsletter - save $10 off a year of my premium newsletter: https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/gzqwkv54e1 

YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more.

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Email Me: ez@betteroffline.com

In this week's Better Offline, Ed Zitron runs you through how Uber&rsquo;s COO said the quiet part out loud - that AI&rsquo;s outputs and efficacy do not match up with its ruinous costs - and how despite its bluster, the AI industry&rsquo;s grift is failing. Free newsletter tie-in: <a href="https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-revenge-of-the-business-idiot/">https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-revenge-of-the-business-idiot/</a>&nbsp; Please subscribe to my premium newsletter - save $10 off a year of my premium newsletter: <a href="https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/gzqwkv54e1">https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/gzqwkv54e1</a>&nbsp;
YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to <a href="https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline">https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline</a> and use code&nbsp;FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more.
---
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The AI Industry Is Losing

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7cce78b7-50ac-4fbc-b032-b456015ec980/transcript

In this week's Better Offline monologue, Ed Zitron runs you through Anthropic’s claims it will be non-GAAP EBITDA profitable for Q2 2026 by having SpaceX discount its compute costs, and how said revenues don’t match up with its CFO’s sworn affidavit or previous reporting on its finances.

Companion newsletter: 
https://www.wheresyoured.at/anthropics-profitability-swindle/

https://www.flyingpenguin.com/wheres-ed-anthropic-told-court-5-billion-but-public-19-billion/

Please subscribe to my premium newsletter - save $10 off a year of my premium newsletter: https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/gzqwkv54e1

YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline and use code FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more.

---

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Email Me: ez@betteroffline.com

In this week's Better Offline monologue, Ed Zitron runs you through Anthropic&rsquo;s claims it will be non-GAAP EBITDA profitable for Q2 2026 by having SpaceX discount its compute costs, and how said revenues don&rsquo;t match up with its CFO&rsquo;s sworn affidavit or previous reporting on its finances. Companion newsletter: <a href="https://www.wheresyoured.at/anthropics-profitability-swindle/">https://www.wheresyoured.at/anthropics-profitability-swindle/</a>
<a href="https://www.flyingpenguin.com/wheres-ed-anthropic-told-court-5-billion-but-public-19-billion/">https://www.flyingpenguin.com/wheres-ed-anthropic-told-court-5-billion-but-public-19-billion/</a>
Please subscribe to my premium newsletter - save $10 off a year of my premium newsletter:&nbsp;<a href="https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/gzqwkv54e1">https://edzitronswheresyouredatghostio.outpost.pub/public/promo-subscription/gzqwkv54e1</a>
YOU CAN NOW BUY BETTER OFFLINE MERCH! Go to <a href="https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline">https://cottonbureau.com/people/better-offline</a> and use code&nbsp;FREE99 for free shipping on orders of $99 or more.
---
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Monologue: Anthropic Is Not Profitable Unless You Remove Its Costs

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ed9728c3-e667-4ed7-8b0a-b4510154e7d8/transcript

CZM Rewind: Where Did Tech's Magic Go? feat. Alex Cranz & Michael Fisher

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