Archives

Fighting Space Effects

Laura Bollweg and Peter Norsk detail the effects that the microgravity environment has on human health, what we’re doing to counteract some of these effects, and the studies taking place to better understand how the Moon and Mars may have different impacts. This is part four of a six part series on NASA’s Human Research Program. HWHAP Episode 126.

Deep Space Healthcare

Nancy Fleming and Kris Lehnhardt describe the challenges of providing the necessary medical capabilities to astronauts traveling deeper into space. This is part three of a six part series on NASA’s Human Research Program. HWHAP Episode 125.

The Lean Startup and the Long-Term Stock Exchange (with Eric Ries)

Season 5, Episode 10: The Lean Startup and the Long-Term Stock Exchange (with Eric Ries) 

Acquired closes out Season 5 and 2019 with a radical look into both the past and future decades of startup company building, investing and – yes, exiting – in conversation with legendary Lean Startup author Eric Ries. Nine years on from pioneering the now-canonical concepts of product-market fit, minimum viable products, and pivots during the aftermath of the financial crisis, Eric’s new venture at the Long-Term Stock Exchange represents an equally ambitious attempt to rewrite the orthodoxy of how companies and their investors manage liquidity, governance and alignment around longterm value creation. Like Lean Startup a decade before it, can LTSE help address some of the endemic problems in this generation’s startup ecosystem — excessive capital raising, stay-private-longer, dual-class founder hegemony, extreme illiquidity and quarterly earnings myopia? Tune in to find out!

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© Copyright 2015-2026 ACQ, LLC

The Human Element

Aaron Allcorn and Tom Williams discuss NASA’s efforts to understand the optimal spaceflight environment that maximizes human performance. This is part two of a six part series on NASA’s Human Research Program. HWHAP Episode 124.

Humans in Space

Dr. Jenn Fogarty gives an overview of the Human Research Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. This is the first in a series of six episodes that dive deep into the work being done to understand what exactly happens to the human body in space. HWHAP Episode 123.

Convoy (with CEO Dan Lewis)

Coming to you live from the University of Washington, Ben and David are joined by hundreds of awesome Seattle listeners (and a few non-Seattle listeners!) to cover the meteoric rise of trucking industry disruptor and hometown hero Convoy. How did Dan and Convoy go from nervously conducting market research at truck stops on I-5 to one of the largest logistics companies and fastest-growing startups in the world in just four short years, raising over $650m (not a typo) along the way? Tune in to find out!

Special thank you to the Paul Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington and to Pioneer Square Labs for generously sponsoring the show venue.

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NASA and the Texas Economy

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Glenn Hegar talks about managing finances for the Lone Star State and for its citizens. Hegar describes the economic impact of NASA on the state of Texas based on a report drafted by the Comptroller’s office. HWHAP Episode 122.

TikTok

We take Acquired to the Old Town Road to cover the amazing story behind the biggest global sensation of 2019 — and the highest valued private startup in the world — TikTok. How did a mid-30 year old UX architect at enterprise software giant SAP wind up creating Gen Z’s favorite social app that’s now rivaling Instagram in global MAU? Why is a 2017 merger of two Chinese companies being branded a US national security threat and retroactively placed under review by CFIUS? And perhaps most importantly, why is TikTok such an important product & technology innovation that all of us should be learning from? Tune in for all the answers!

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Apollo 17

Dr. Harrison Schmitt, the Apollo 17 lunar module pilot and the only geologist to walk on the Moon, discusses the 50th anniversary of the Apollo program, his Apollo 17 mission, what is scientifically interesting about the Moon, and what we have to look forward to during the Artemis program. HWHAP Episode 121.

Artemis Spacesuits

Chris Hansen, manager of the Extravehicular Activity Office, talks about the next generation of spacesuits that will be used during the Artemis Program. Hansen discusses the features, development, and testing of the two suits, and he previews upcoming milestones before these new suits are worn by the next astronauts on the Moon. HWHAP Episode 120.