Dry Run

Exploring new ideas in fintech with the authors and leaders shaping them.

[Dry Run @TheDryRunPod]

Introducing Dry Run, a podcast for new ideas in fintech.

There's an extraordinary amount of innovation happening right now. We sit down with builders and thinkers close to the work, making sense of what's changing and where things are headed.

A space to take new ideas for a spin, explore them, and challenge them out loud.

We're excited to share these conversations with you.

With love,
Eshita and Khushi

[Eshita @eshita]

One of the things software does is democratize specialization.

VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet software, didn’t replace accountants. It made budgeting and forecasting accessible to small businesses that previously couldn’t do it efficiently.

Similar things happened with Photoshop, and now with AI and code. But this makes seasoned practitioners more valuable.

Senior programmers may actually be more in demand now, because expertise matters even more once anyone can build software.

[khushi @khushii_w]

The future of prediction markets will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court

It's a fundamental federalism question: can states regulate these markets, or does the Commodities Exchange Act preempt them?

The CFTC has signaled support, but we may be waiting until 2027 for a final ruling.

@TheDryRunPod with @AaronJBrogan

[Eshita @eshita]

One of the most interesting points from our conversation with @DanB:

Major computing breakthroughs succeeded because they mapped to behaviors people were already familiar with.

• Spreadsheets mimicked paper accounting + calculators.
• Toyota made the Prius “creep” forward when you lifted your foot off the brake because that’s what drivers expected automatic cars to do.
• Smartphones made the internet feel tactile through touch.

The breakthrough is designing interfaces that make new capabilities feel intuitive.

[khushi @khushii_w]

"The federally regulated product, you call derivatives. The state regulated product, you call gambling."

@AaronJBrogan on prediction markets.

[Eshita @eshita]

We're excited to officially launch Dry Run!

Finance may be undergoing its biggest shift since the modern financial system was established. Money movement, credit, compliance, and workflows are becoming global, programmable, and AI-native.

Khushi (@khushii_w) and I have had the pleasure of speaking with some of the most brilliant founders, thinkers, and builders on the podcast.

Capturing original thinking, craft, and the stories behind what they’re building has been a joy. We’re excited to keep sharing these conversations with you.

Stay tuned!

[khushi @khushii_w]

This podcast has been an incredibly rewarding labor of love over the course of the last year.

We have experimented, evolved, and learned an immense amount from all of our guests.

In the coming weeks, the Dry Run will be focused on testing new ideas and innovations in fintech, crypto, markets, culture, and so much more.

A big thank you to our guests @0xturbanurban @AaronJBrogan @0xcoconutt @Bonecondor @BackseatVC @patkkim @colludingnode @HelloShreyas @robinhanson @IvyKangg @kozyDOTai @ashlan_ahmed @FreeWillLe @0xdaft @timjrobinson

And eternally grateful to my partner in crime @eshita. Here's to the dry run 🍸 (iykyk)

[Dry Run @TheDryRunPod]

@dreambig_peter 🫡

[Dry Run @TheDryRunPod]

Introducing Dry Run, a podcast for new ideas in fintech.

There's an extraordinary amount of innovation happening right now. We sit down with builders and thinkers close to the work, making sense of what's changing and where things are headed.

A space to take new ideas for a spin, explore them, and challenge them out loud.

We're excited to share these conversations with you.

With love,
Eshita and Khushi

[Dry Run @TheDryRunPod]

@lagunacarta 🫡

[Dry Run @TheDryRunPod]

@stefdelev 🫶

[Dry Run @TheDryRunPod]

@Cdempsey44 🫶

[Dry Run @TheDryRunPod]

@kozyDOTai 🫶

[Dry Run @TheDryRunPod]

Introducing Dry Run, a podcast for new ideas in fintech.

There's an extraordinary amount of innovation happening right now. We sit down with builders and thinkers close to the work, making sense of what's changing and where things are headed.

A space to take new ideas for a spin, explore them, and challenge them out loud.

We're excited to share these conversations with you.

With love,
Eshita and Khushi

[Dry Run @TheDryRunPod]

@meganenright_ 🫶

[Dry Run @TheDryRunPod]

@AnettRolikova Thank you!

[Eshita @eshita]

LESSONS FROM BUILDING THE FIRST KILLER APP

Dan Bricklin (@DanB), co-creator of VisiCalc and builder, joins Khushi (@khushii_w) and I to talk about how people adopt new tools.

We go from how VisiCalc launched on the Apple II when few people knew what a computer was, to why he thinks most AI tools haven't found their interface yet.

02:19 How the first electronic spreadsheet was made
07:23 People buying hardware just to run the software
18:43 Why Excel still can't be replaced
20:10 How people adopt new tools
27:13 VisiCalc made accountants better, not obsolete
36:45 The cornucopia of the commons
44:14 Do we want chauffeurs or tools
46:25 Advice for builders

[Dry Run @TheDryRunPod]

You can find Dry Run on:

🎧 Spotify: https://t.co/SRz8UJSzcr
📺 YouTube: https://t.co/MGnLEDulGS
🍎 LinkedIn: https://t.co/cxf7EW4TwG

[khushi @khushii_w]

"My take is fairness doesn't matter."

Aaron (@AaronJBrogan) breaks down why the insider trading debate for prediction markets is just rhetorical ammunition for politicians looking to capitalize on a trendy, easy-to-win take.

[khushi @khushii_w]

Aaron (@AaronJBrogan) joins Eshita (@eshita) and I to talk about the legal landscape for prediction markets, fairness and insider trading.

We cover:
01:18 - Legal history of prediction markets
08:18 - CFTC vs prediction markets
11:57 - Fairness doesn't matter
22:19 - Modern rhetoric on prediction markets
26:38 - Prediction markets vs gambling
33:23 - Upcoming regulation

Full episode below 🍸

[Eshita @eshita]

Ubiquity in payments comes from coordination.

Before @Zelle, @JPMorgan, @BankofAmerica, and @WellsFargo each already offered realtime P2P payments, but the limitation was interoperability.

A common user experience required coordination across institutions.

A similar thing is now emerging with tokenized deposits and stablecoins. The tech may work within closed systems, but broader adoption will likely depend on shared standards and interop across networks.