iPhone

Used as a benchmark to describe the current early-generation stage of AI advancement.

“I think we're at, to... 'Cause I lived through and covered the smartphone explosion, so let's use that. I think we are at the i- the first generation of the iPhone-”

The device launched by Apple that triggered a major shift in the smartphone industry.

“Apple launched the iPhone in January two thousand and seven, and in response, there was a very aggressive selling and marketing and device function.”

The smartphone device that Jim Balsillie hoped would eventually run BlackBerry Messenger as a bundled service.

“Apple had just come out with the first iPhones. Jim was thinking that there was no way little BlackBerry, as fast as it was growing, could compete with Apple or giants like Samsung. But BlackBerry Messenger was a different matter. BlackBerry was dominant in th…”

Sting uses the notes app on his iPhone to capture song ideas and melodies.

“... like your iPhone now?”

Used as an example of a large install-based platform that attracts software developers.

“And if your install base is not large enough, it doesn't attract software developers, because developers wanna program on large install-based computers like iPhone and PC and-”

Referenced as a platform for which developers write assembly code.

“And he's the nicest person that you've seen, like very... He, he arrive, you don't see, uh, he's amazing. And the other one is, is called Martin, Martin Stasio, and he's... They're doing mostly the same on Arm, right? So Neon, right? And iPhones and Androids a…”

Mentioned as a consumer product people were not lining up for during the Black Friday incident.

“It's just after 3:00 AM on Black Friday in 2016, but in the small town of Benson, North Carolina, no one's lining up to snag a deal on the latest iPhone or the biggest TV. It's quiet. Most people are asleep, and the streets are practically empty, which is givi…”

Used as a reference point for Tom's past financial status.

“Tom Fat was, didn't know he had m- had money yet. That was a fun Tom. Like, when he was like, "I could buy, like, four iPhone chargers."”

Used to describe the visionary but premature product development efforts of General Magic.

“And I should say maybe I was remiss in not describing General Magic a little, but basically they were making the iPhone about twenty years too early. They had the perfect vision. They really did. But they couldn't execute 'cause they had too much freedom. [chu…”

Bobby Lee jokes about redownloading his iPhone software in a fake country song.

“So I had to redownload my iPhone software. I put my white hat through the door. [laughs]”

A mobile device used as a temporal reference for the era when Loopt was active.

“I start trying to focus on, like, how good of a company Airbnb is, and I take it to, like, projects. So I'll give you one example of a project I focus on. One is I want to build the best team possible. So twice a year, we do this, like, giant thing we call roa…”

Used as an example of a technological achievement resulting from obsession.

“Songs and novels are filled with stories about people with great obsessions. We have strong opinions about such people. When they succeed, when they produce the Taj Mahal or Hamlet or the iPhone, we hail the obsessions that built the monuments of this world.”

Used as an example of a product that utilizes Molex technology.

“Sim- similar but different than Georgia-Pacific. This was a, a technology company, a c- a connector and, a cabling and connector company, one of the largest in the world, um, that makes products in your iPhone and med tech products, your automobile. And, um, w…”