ZigZag

Introducing ZigZag!

A new podcast about women and tech. And the blockchain. And anxiety. First two episodes drop June 14th! But meanwhile come say hi at Stableg.com and sign up for our newsletter.

Chapter 1: Meet the Stable Geniuses

Manoush and Jen just formed a new kind of media company. But is it possible for them to simultaneously be entrepreneurs, mission-driven journalists, and good mothers without falling off a financial cliff? They quit their public radio jobs to find out. Just as panic starts to set in, they meet a mysterious funder with an intriguing proposal. — About the podcast: Join Manoush and Jen as they document every step of their journey from public radio journalists to media entrepreneurs… on the blockchain. ZigZag is a podcast about changing the course of capitalism, journalism, and women’s lives. For real. New episodes of season 1, every Thursday throughout the Summer 2018. — Who you’ll hear in this episode: Manoush Zomorodi (@manoushz) Jen Poyant (@jpoyant) Support our work: Donate here on Civil and here on Radiotopia! Produced by Stable Genius Productions Follow ZigZagPod on Instagram and Twitter: @ZigZagpod

Chapter 2: Blockchain. Blockwhat?!

Manoush and Jen have a LOT of questions. Should they stake their careers on the blockchain? How can they explain it without sounding like techno-utopians who have bought into a pyramid scheme? And anyway, can the blockchain really upend how society works...AND help fund Manoush and Jen’s media company? Most importantly, can this episode really explain, simply and clearly, what the hell the blockchain is and how it works? Who you’ll hear: Manoush (@manoushZ) Jen (@jpoyant) Cofounder of Ethereum Joe Lubin (@ethereumjoseph) Ronny Chieng (@ronnychieng) Megan Tan (@meganleetan) — Support our work: Here at Civil and Here at Radiotopia too! — Produced by Stable Genius Productions Follow ZigZag on Instagram and Twitter: @ZigZagpod

Chapter 3: Higher Than We Knew

In Chapters 1 and 2, Jen and Manoush decide to gamble their future on new technology that hasn’t been proven and a virtual currency that doesn’t exist yet. In this chapter, they meet up with another pair of female co-founders to confide their fears about joining the experimental journalism platform called Civil. Alyson Martin and Nushin Rashidian cover the burgeoning marijuana industry in the U.S. and are about to publish Cannabis Wire on Civil. They believe it’s their best shot at growing Cannabis Wire into a hardy, sustainable publication (pun intended). But all four women are holding their breath until Civil’s token launch because, as they discover, the stakes are higher than they knew. Who you’ll hear: Manoush (@manoushZ) Jen (@jpoyant) Nushin Rashidian (@NushinRashidian) Alyson Martin (@alysonrmartin) Cannabis Wire (@cannabiswire) Matthew Iles (@matthewiles) — Support our work: Here at Civil and Here at Radiotopia too! — Produced by Stable Genius Productions Follow ZigZag on Instagram and Twitter: @ZigZagpod

Chapter 4: Hedging Your Bets

Manoush and Jen give themselves 36 hours in San Francisco to come up with a financial backup plan, just in case this whole blockchain-token-thing doesn’t work out. Silicon Valley runs on VC money so maybe Stable Genius Productions should too? First, they talk to a well-known venture capitalist on whether aligning their mission with investor expectations is a laughable goal. Then, they visit Roman Mars, host of 99% Invisible and Radiotopia co-founder, at his headquarters in Oakland. He explains how he built his podcasting empire and helps Manoush and Jen decide how to proceed. Who you’ll hear: Manoush (@manoushZ) Jen (@jpoyant) The Cofounders of Gimlet Media (@gimletmedia) Matt Lieber (@mlieber) Alex Blumberg (@abexlumberg) Roman Mars, Cofounder of Radiotopia and host of 99% Invisible (@romanmars) (99piorg) Support our work: Here at Civil and Here at Radiotopia too! — Produced by Stable Genius Productions Follow ZigZag on Instagram and Twitter: @ZigZagpod