Shell Game
A podcast about things that are not what they seem, hosted by journalist Evan Ratliff. Season 2 tells the story of enterprise and entrepreneurship in the AI age. Or: how Evan tried to build a real startup, run by fake people. This season, Evan confronts head-on the assertion from tech entrepreneurs and VCs that we’re on the precipice of AI remaking the workforce. That we should expect not just AI colleagues working alongside us, but also — by Sam Altman’s telling, at least — the dawn of a billion-dollar company with only one human involved. Evan learns what it would take to create...
Episodes (19)
Bonus Episode: Shell Game x No Such Thing
Feb 25, 2026
Bonus Episode: Kyle vs. the World
Feb 11, 2026
Episode 8: Launch
Jan 21, 2026
Episode 7: Welcome Aboard
Jan 14, 2026
Episode 6: Keep 'Em Coming
Dec 17, 2025
Episode 5: Winners Win
Dec 10, 2025
Episode 4: The Startup Chronicles
Dec 3, 2025
Episode 3: This is Law
Nov 26, 2025
Episode 2: Outdoor Debugging
Nov 19, 2025
Episode 1: Minimum Viable Company
Nov 12, 2025
The One-Human Unicorn
Nov 5, 2025
Season 2 Is Coming!
Oct 10, 2025
Episode 6: The Future Isn't Real
Aug 13, 2024
Episode 5: My Digital Twin
Aug 6, 2024
Episode 4: Take a Deep Breath
Jul 30, 2024
Episode 3: Conversations With Myself
Jul 23, 2024
Episode 2: Me and My Scammer
Jul 16, 2024
Episode 1: Quality Assurance
Jul 9, 2024
Introducing Shell Game, a Strange and Immersive AI Experiment
Jul 2, 2024