We're preparing for the GeekWire Awards, our annual event recognizing the best in Pacific Northwest tech and innovation, and on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast we provide an update on past Startup of the Year winners and preview this year's contest. Find out more, submit nominations, and buy tickets at geekwire.com/awards. Plus, a brave Amazon employee asks Jeff Bezos if his tumultuous personal life is distracting from his work, and Peter Sagal of Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me offers his input on getting less input in our lives.

We're preparing for the GeekWire Awards, our annual event recognizing the best in Pacific Northwest tech and innovation, and on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast we provide an update on past Startup of the Year winners and preview this year's contest. Find out more, submit nominations, and buy tickets at <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/events/geekwire-awards-2019/">geekwire.com/awards</a>. Plus, a brave Amazon employee asks Jeff Bezos if his tumultuous personal life is distracting from his work, and Peter Sagal of Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me offers his input on getting less input in our lives.

GeekWire brings you the week's latest technology news, trends and insights, covering the world of technology from our home base in Seattle. Our regular news podcast features commentary and analysis from our editors and reporters, plus interviews with special guests.

GeekWire reporters John Cook, Todd Bishop and guests talk about the latest tech news and trends.

GeekWire

GeekWire Awards preview; brave Amazon employee quizzes Bezos

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, a week of Seattle-area startup news shows how the AI era is reshaping the regional tech scene. Q1 venture numbers reveal bigger checks going to fewer companies, with Seattle slipping behind the likes of Austin and Miami on deal volume.

And yet the distributed nature of modern startups is complicating what it even means to be a regional tech hub. (Does a mailbox in Pioneer Square really count as a Seattle headquarters?)

Founders and CEOs are navigating the shakeout in different ways. Those with enough cash in the bank are eyeing strategic acquisitions, including opportunities to absorb startups caught up in the AI shakeout.

Meanwhile, many startup leaders are completely rethinking how they hire and expand. More than a third of the GeekWire 200, our ranking of the top Pacific Northwest startups, saw year-over-year employment declines, as agents boost individual productivity and start to reshape the workforce.

Plus: Andy Jassy's shareholder letter signals Amazon is making bets again, in areas including chips and robotics. Driving home the point, the tech giant's ambitious Globalstar acquisition effectively means it's inheriting Apple's satellite roadmap.

And of course we have to talk about Allbirds. The sustainable shoe brand, which once challenged Amazon over knock-off sneakers, pivoted to AI infrastructure and saw its stock soar.

In our final segment, a trivia challenge on the No. 1 companies in GeekWire 200 history.

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, a week of Seattle-area startup news shows how the AI era is reshaping the regional tech scene. <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/bigger-checks-fewer-bets-seattle-startup-deal-count-drops-to-lowest-level-since-2020/">Q1 venture numbers</a> reveal bigger checks going to fewer companies, with Seattle slipping behind the likes of Austin and Miami on deal volume.
And yet the distributed nature of modern startups is complicating what it even means to be a regional tech hub. (Does a mailbox in Pioneer Square really count as a Seattle headquarters?)
Founders and CEOs are navigating the shakeout in different ways. Those with enough cash in the bank are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/seekouts-anoop-gupta-steps-down-as-ceo-hands-reins-of-ai-recruiting-company-to-tech-vet-sean-thompson/">eyeing strategic acquisitions</a>, including opportunities to <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/seattle-startup-ambassador-acquires-ad-platform-humming-eyes-more-deals-amid-ai-shakeout/">absorb startups caught up in the AI shakeout</a>.
Meanwhile, many startup leaders are completely rethinking how they hire and expand. More than a third of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/geekwire-200/">GeekWire 200</a>, our ranking of the top Pacific Northwest startups, saw year-over-year employment declines, as agents boost individual productivity and start to reshape the workforce.
Plus: Andy Jassy's <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/not-on-a-hunch-andy-jassy-defends-amazons-200b-spending-spree/">shareholder letter</a> signals Amazon is making bets again, in areas including chips and robotics. Driving home the point, the tech giant's ambitious <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/amazon-and-apple-vs-starlink-globalstar-satellite-acquisition-comes-with-a-big-iphone-bonus/">Globalstar acquisition</a> effectively means it's inheriting Apple's satellite roadmap.
And of course we have to talk about Allbirds. The sustainable shoe brand, which once <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2019/allbirds-calls-amazon-strikingly-similar-sneaker-urges-tech-giant-steal-approach-sustainability-instead/">challenged Amazon</a> over knock-off sneakers,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/15/allbirds-bird-stock-shoes-ai.html">pivoted to AI infrastructure</a> and saw its stock soar.
In our final segment, a trivia challenge on the No. 1 companies in GeekWire 200 history.

The tough new realities for startups, Amazon's next big strategic bets, and Allbirds' crazy AI pivot

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: we take the show on the road — or rather, on the rails — recording on Sound Transit's 2 Line as we ride the world's first light rail on a floating bridge from Seattle's Northgate neighborhood to Microsoft's campus in Redmond.

Along the way, we talk tech news, chat with fellow passengers, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the engineering from Sound Transit's Henry Bendon.

After arriving in Redmond, we sit down with Microsoft President Brad Smith to talk about the company's two-decade role in making the Crosslake Connection a reality — and hit him with a trivia question he didn't see coming.

We also discuss Anduril's autonomous warship facility on Seattle's ship canal, golf star Bryson DeChambeau's acquisition of Bellevue-based Sportsbox AI ahead of the Masters, and more.

With GeekWire's John Cook, Todd Bishop, and Kurt Schlosser. Edited by Curt Milton.

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: we take the show on the road &mdash; or rather, on the rails &mdash; recording on <a href="https://www.soundtransit.org/ride-with-us/routes-schedules/2-line">Sound Transit's 2 Line</a> as we ride the <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/microsoft-lime-and-others-helping-to-celebrate-opening-of-new-light-rail-line-from-seattle-to-eastside/">world's first light rail on a floating bridge</a> from Seattle's Northgate neighborhood to Microsoft's campus in Redmond.
Along the way, we talk tech news, chat with fellow passengers, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the engineering from Sound Transit's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/henryonboard/">Henry Bendon</a>.
After arriving in Redmond, we sit down with Microsoft President&nbsp;<a href="https://news.microsoft.com/source/exec/brad-smith/">Brad Smith</a> to talk about the company's two-decade role in making the <a href="https://www.soundtransit.org/crosslake">Crosslake Connection</a> a reality &mdash; and hit him with a trivia question he didn't see coming.
We also discuss <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/defense-giant-anduril-is-quietly-building-autonomous-warships-on-seattles-historic-ship-canal/">Anduril's autonomous warship facility on Seattle's ship canal</a>, golf star <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/golf-star-bryson-dechambeau-leads-acquisition-of-seattle-area-startup-sportsbox-ai/">Bryson DeChambeau's acquisition of Bellevue-based Sportsbox AI</a> ahead of the Masters, and more.
With GeekWire's John Cook, Todd Bishop, and Kurt Schlosser. Edited by Curt Milton.

Riding the rails — over a floating bridge: GeekWire Podcast takes the train across the lake to Microsoft

This week: Rec Room, the Seattle-based social gaming platform once valued at $3.5 billion, is shutting down — and Snap is picking up some of the pieces.

Todd talks about what it was like fielding calls from distraught users on the night of the announcement. John offers his thoughts on what the shutdown says about the VR hype cycle, and whether everyone betting on the AI boom should take notes.

Plus: Major League Baseball's new automated ball-strike system is already exposing umpires and creating a whole new kind of showboating — including one player who was so confident the robot would overrule the ump that he just started walking to first base.

Also on the show: Todd road-tests Amazon's new FedEx Office returns partnership (pro tip: don't ask for stamps), OpenAI makes a head-scratching move into media by acquiring tech talk show TBPN, John gets fooled by an April Fools' prank, WSU researchers take on the torpedo bat, and our weekly trivia segment ties Apple's 50th anniversary to a piece of Microsoft lore.

Thanks to this week's sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Microsoft, proud to call Washington state home and committed to strengthening the communities that made its growth possible — investing in infrastructure, workforce development, education, and nonprofit partnerships to help ensure innovation drives broad-based prosperity across the state. Read more.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton. 

This week: <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/snap-acquires-assets-from-rec-room-as-social-gaming-platform-announces-shutdown/">Rec Room</a>, the Seattle-based social gaming platform once valued at $3.5 billion, is shutting down &mdash; and <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/snap-acquires-assets-from-rec-room-as-social-gaming-platform-announces-shutdown/">Snap is picking up some of the pieces</a>.
Todd talks about what it was like fielding calls from distraught users on the night of the announcement. John offers his thoughts on what the shutdown says about the VR hype cycle, and whether everyone betting on the AI boom should take notes.
Plus: Major League Baseball's new <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/abs-challenge-system-mlb-2026">automated ball-strike system</a> is already exposing umpires and creating a whole new kind of showboating &mdash; including one player who was so confident the robot would overrule the ump that he just started walking to first base.
Also on the show: Todd road-tests <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/amazon-and-fedex-together-again-this-time-for-e-commerce-returns/">Amazon's new FedEx Office returns partnership</a> (pro tip: don't ask for stamps), <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/02/openai-acquires-tbpn-the-buzzy-founder-led-business-talk-show/">OpenAI makes a head-scratching move into media</a> by acquiring tech talk show TBPN, John gets fooled by an April Fools' prank, <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/wood-is-wood-wsu-research-finds-yankees-viral-torpedo-bats-perform-the-same-as-traditional-bats/">WSU researchers take on the torpedo bat</a>, and our weekly trivia segment ties&nbsp;<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/on-apples-50th-recalling-the-time-a-microsoft-engineer-drove-steve-jobs-so-crazy-he-invented-the-ipad/">Apple's 50th anniversary</a> to a piece of Microsoft lore.
Thanks to this week's sponsor:&nbsp;This episode is brought to you by Microsoft, proud to call Washington state home and committed to strengthening the communities that made its growth possible &mdash; investing in infrastructure, workforce development, education, and nonprofit partnerships to help ensure innovation drives broad-based prosperity across the state.&nbsp;<a href="link">Read more.</a>
With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.&nbsp;

Rec Room, the Seattle-based social gaming platform once valued at $3.5 billion, is shutting down — and Snap is picking up some of the pieces. Todd broke the news, fielded calls from distraught users, and connects the VR bust to lessons for the AI boom. Plus: MLB's new automated ball-strike system is exposing umpires and creating a whole new kind of showboating, Todd road-tests Amazon's FedEx Office returns partnership, OpenAI makes a head-scratching media acquisition, and the trivia question ties Apple's 50th anniversary to a word Microsoft tried and failed to make happen.

GeekWire Awards preview; brave Amazon employee quizzes Bezos

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