Life, Health, Death and Tech
0:47:12
– The episode opens with a short introduction from Donald Trump praising “one of the most successful business leaders… Michael Dell” and his “really exciting announcement.”
– Brett Butt follows with a nostalgic anecdote about growing up before the Internet and World Wide Web, and remembering early video games like Pac-Man, Asteroids, Wizard of War, Scrambled, and Defender. He jokes about wishing for something people now have.
– Mike Dell then introduces himself (“Like Dell’s World… That’s me”) and frames the episode as covering two major topics: technology (how tech works and is used) and personal updates. He notes customer service issues he’d complained about previously have not improved.
– Personal updates:
– He reports attending multiple recent funerals: mentions having been to “three funerals in the last six months, or two,” and that he’s about to go to another in Detroit that weekend.
– He names specific losses: Todd Cochran, founder of Blubrry, who passed “late summer, early fall”; his wife’s best friend Mary in Grand Haven, who died of lung problems and was younger than them; and his uncle Bill Busby, who turned eighty-eight at a recent party, helped start Motorola Semiconductors, was a US Air Force veteran (crew chief on a B-57 or B-58), and then passed away Monday morning. He says he and his nearly 98–99-year-old grandmother will be traveling to Detroit for that funeral.
– Health update: Mike had a torn retina in his right eye, underwent emergency surgery, had to be face-down post-op while a bubble/oil was placed in the eye. At his second post-op checkup the doctor said things are looking good; vision in that eye is blurred by the oil bubble while the other eye is 20/20. He expects the oil to be removed and vision to clear later. He says this grounds him for about six weeks.
– He mentions a lingering low-level cold over the past month.
– Recent events and work:
– He attended Military Creator Con in Arlington, Texas (several hundred participants, veterans/active military/spouses), where he saw Jamie Jay, Christopher Lochhead, Gordon Firemark (podcast lawyer), and others. The event ran long days and was busy but enjoyable.
– At Blubrry he’s been promoted to VP of Operations, overseeing teams and day-to-day work; Barry (another cofounder) is now CEO. He encourages podcasters to contact him for help, states he uses Blubrry hosting and the PowerPress plugin, and plugs Blubrry’s services.
– Technology and AI:
– He discusses AI-generated content broadly: YouTube’s proliferation of AI-narrated slideshow-style or AI-generated videos; his guilty pleasure of “AI Karen stories” on YouTube (which he knows are AI and mostly fiction).
– He references a MacRumors article reporting YouTube will automatically label AI videos even if creators don’t, and applauds the move, predicting many viewers will prefer non-AI content when labeled.
– He raises concerns about AI in podcasting: AI-voiced podcasts and companies generating massive amounts of AI podcast content. He names a company, Inception PointAI, that reportedly generated a lot of AI podcast content and moved from Spreaker to Megaphone/Spotify; he says such AI content can hallucinate and produce factually untrue information, and that some AI podcasts present content as true.
– He describes his own measured use of AI: he uses AI for transcripts and some artwork that he then tweaks, and he tried a cloned AI voice for one episode a few years ago but it didn’t sound right. He notes telltale patterns of AI-written scripts and advises never to ask AI for its opinion.
– He touches on scams: modern scam emails are harder to spot because language models clean up grammar; he warns about requests for immediate payment, iTunes/gift cards, or crypto as signs of scams.
– Advertising and social media observations:
– Criticizes YouTube mid-roll ads that interrupt videos, and the perceived decline in value of TV ads—locally seeing many online gambling ads in Michigan.
– Observes AI activity on Facebook: AI agents entering groups to start conversations (sometimes inane or provocative) and AI-generated video shorts (e.g., airplanes doing impossible things). He dislikes Facebook’s prompts to read more on Threads and says he doesn’t want more social media accounts. He mentions being on LinkedIn, using X a little, and participating on Reddit, and says he plans to use a flip phone when he retires.
YouTube Will Now Automatically Label AI Videos Even When Creators Don’t
– Podcasting industry and advice:
– Clarifies his use of “podcast” to mean generally audio (though he acknowledges podcasts can be video) and emphasizes that podcasting is a distribution method open to anyone.
– Contrasts highly produced, broadcast-style podcasts (teams of producers and sound designers) with indie, authentic podcasts (one person talking into a microphone from a shed). He values indie authenticity and accessibility.
– References a report by Tom Webster of Sounds Profitable noting people seek authentic-sounding podcast audio. He warns the industry is bifurcating between highly produced shows and indie creators.
– Gives practical advice: podcasting is inexpensive and accessible (buy a microphone, record, compress to MP3, upload to hosting or WordPress to create an RSS feed). Suggests inexpensive cover art via Fiverr and mentions Blubrry hosting around fifteen dollars. Warns that podcasting generally won’t replace a day job quickly—monetization takes time and consistency.
– Lists three elements for podcast success: consistency, authenticity, and having content that is interesting/informative/compelling (he stumbles on phrasing but leaves the point authentic). He notes technology barriers are lower now; you don’t have to be a geek.
– Explains distribution parity: small indie shows can sit beside big shows like Joe Rogan in directories; one can succeed without becoming huge. His personal goal is to have a place to speak freely rather than chase large monetization.
– Plans and format changes:
– He says they will restart the Podcast Insider show with a revamped, more conversational format with two or three hosts discussing industry trends (e.g., trend toward video).
– Discusses video: video has always been part of podcasting but is getting more prominent; video production is harder (lighting, appearance, editing). Blubrry is working on a video product to better support creators.
– Mentions his short-form series “Cup of Traverse City” (daily, five minutes) which he took a month off from and tried to restart; he intends for it to be five days a week, five minutes, when resumed.
– Reiterates he podcasts when it’s fun and will take breaks when needed.
– Closing:
– He notes he has been talking for forty-five minutes, asks listeners if they’re still subscribed and what they think about technology trends (is tech “going off the deep end” or is he being a curmudgeon?), invites feedback via email (mike at mike dell dot com), and signs off saying “Catch me later.”
