Going Direct Conversations

Going Direct explores the decentralization of the real economy and how new technologies can bring us closer to the products we buy and the people who make them. goingdirect.substack.com

Going Direct Conversations is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 69 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Going Direct Conversations, a business show with 69 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #66

  #66 Tom Chi: The Capitalist Case for Cleaning Up Industry

  Jun 9, 20261 minS1

  <p>I sit down with Tom Chi, founder and general partner of At One Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage, deep tech companies focused on cleaning up industry. Tom is an engineer by training and was a founding member of Google X team, where he helped lead early work on self-driving cars and augmented reality.</p><p>In this episode, we dig into why centralized production is so fragile, why climate solutions only scale when they deliver superior economics, how AI and robotics may decentralize production, and why the future depends on reconnecting wealth creation with real...

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  Episode #65

  #65 Jay Acunzo: Storytelling & Becoming Irreplaceable in the Age of AI

  May 26, 20261h 4mS1

  <p>I sat down with Jay Acunzo, author, speaker, and storytelling consultant, to discuss how to matter more and make people care in a world drowning in mediocre content.</p><p>Jay shares his core philosophy of, “resonance over reach,” storytelling in the age of AI, how to escape the commodity trap, and how to become irreplaceable by developing a real point of view.</p><p>This was one of my favorite episodes to date. There is a ton of invaluable information here.</p><p>Enjoy.</p><p>Recording date: May 7, 2026</p><p></p><p>Chapters</p><p>0:00 Introduction</p><p>03...

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  Episode #64

  #64 Simon Owens: Business Of Content, $100 Billion Middlemen, & Future of Media

  May 19, 202659 minS1

  <p>I sit down with Simon Owens, an independent media industry journalist and specialist on the business of content.</p><p>Simon breaks down the “Ozempic Effect” in AI-Generated content, why the “creator economy” is just the economy, middlemen in online advertising, and the future of monetizing content. If you want to understand how to build a media business today, you will enjoy this episode.</p><p>Enjoy.</p><p>Recording date: May 6th 2026</p><p></p><p>Chapters</p><p>00:00 Introduction</p><p>03:43 The Business Of Content</p><p>08:38 Misunderstanding The Creator Economy</p><p>10:54 Depth Over Scale</p><p>13:54...

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  Episode #63

  #63 Duncan Young: Jobs Are Dead. Long Live The $10 Million Niche.

  May 12, 20261h 13mS1

  <p>I sit down with Duncan Young to discuss an essay he recently published on Substack that went a bit viral: “Jobs are dead, long live the $10 million niche.”</p><p>Duncan explains why AI is coming for repetitive tasks rather than the work itself, why mid-career professionals are facing an existential crisis, and why building your own ladder is now a far better bet than climbing a corporate one.</p><p>Enjoy.</p><p>Recording date: May 4, 2026</p><p></p><p>Chapters</p><p>00:00 Introduction</p><p>03:38 Duncan's Background</p><p>07:42 Writing With AI</p><p>11:18 First Job Compression: Indu...

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  Episode #62

  #62 Brian Morrissey: The Great Decentralization of Media & New Media Energy

  Apr 29, 20261h 2mS1

  <p>I sit down with Brian Morrissey, and independent journalist and the founder of The Rebooting, to discuss a recent piece he wrote called, “New Media Energy” and our transition to a truly decentralized media landscape where the legacy media gatekeeper is no longer relevant.</p><p>Among the topics we discuss are:</p><p>• “New Media Energy” vs the unearned authority of legacy media</p><p>• Why VCs are building their own media networks</p><p>• Axios Local and the “Business in a Box” model for journalists</p><p>• The most overrated and underrated platforms today</p><p>If you want to understa...

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