{"podcast":{"title":"ACCESS","slug":"access-7488327","podcast_index_feed_id":7488327,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/VMP5858892209","website_url":"http://podcasts.voxmedia.com/show/access","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/e573ad06-8eb8-11f0-b643-330b960a1a93/image/007878576a94c2b5b3754f9c4c6700d2.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"Vox Media","episode_count":42,"summary":"ACCESS is a show about the tech industry’s inside conversation. Hosted by Alex Heath, the most connected tech reporter out there, and Ellis Hamburger, the founder whisperer for today’s hottest AI startups, ACCESS features revealing conversations with Silicon Valley’s most influential leaders, from the tech titans of today to tomorrow’s most interesting entrepreneurs. It’s a show made by insiders for everyone who wants a glimpse into the future and the people building it. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-16T22:20:39.076814+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/access-7488327"},"episode":{"title":"This AI will push back if you're rude to it","slug":"this-ai-will-push-back-if-you-re-rude-to-it","published_at":"2026-07-16T12:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/access-7488327/this-ai-will-push-back-if-you-re-rude-to-it","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/access-7488327","url":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/257/traffic.megaphone.fm/VMP1629655190.mp3","audio_url":"https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/257/traffic.megaphone.fm/VMP1629655190.mp3","summary":"Ellis sits down with Quinten Farmer, founder of Tolan, the AI companion doing over $20M in annual revenue by being a genuinely good friend, not a yes machine. They get into why Tolan's little aliens accidentally became beloved by moms 35 to 45, how Tolans stick up for themselves when users are mean to it, and why Quinten dropped \"companion\" as a word entirely. They also talk about why he went premium-only at $25 a month when Character.AI and ChatGPT couldn't afford to go free, how 78% of Tolan users say it improved a real-world relationship, and what it looks like to build the calmest startup culture in tech from an island off the coast of Seattle. Follow ACCESS on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/accesspodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Alex: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sources.news/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/alexeheath/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Ellis: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://meaning.company/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/hamburger⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ACCESS is produced in partnership with the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices","meta_description":"Ellis sits down with Quinten Farmer, founder of Tolan, the AI companion doing over $20M in annual revenue by being a genuinely good friend, not a yes mach…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3315,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/access-7488327/episodes/this-ai-will-push-back-if-you-re-rude-to-it/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/access-7488327/this-ai-will-push-back-if-you-re-rude-to-it.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}