The Notorious B2B Show’s Podcast

Oracle lays off 30,000 with a 6 am email (Ep. 55)

Connect with the hosts:
Tim Davidson – linkedin.com/in/tadavidson41
Tas Bober – linkedin.com/in/tasbober
 
Subscribe for more no-BS breakdowns of the internet’s wildest B2B moments.
 
What does corporate loyalty look like in 2026? This week, a single automated notification from Oracle provided a sobering answer for the B2B community. Tim Davidson goes solo (donning a tie for the occasion) to break down our hero story: Oracle’s mass layoff of 30,000 employees. He analyze the fallout of the infamous 6 AM automated email and the viral story of a 34-year veteran let go without a personal call, questioning if the employer-employee contract in tech is officially broken.
 
Beyond the layoffs, he dive into the week's biggest B2B news and LinkedIn trends. He discuss Anthropic’s rumored $60 billion IPO and the massive Claude code leak, ChatGPT’s $100M ad revenue milestone, and Tim’s first-hand experience taking a demo from an AI sales rep. He also circle back to the Delve compliance controversy and debate the latest LinkedIn trend: scraping "intent" from comment-gated posts.
 
Sponsors
 
Special thanks to the brands supporting Notorious B2B.
 
Vector
The B2B ad platform built around real buyer intent.
 
Learn more at https://www.vector.co/
 
If you’ve got a take, drop it in the comments or send this to someone who needs it.

Delve “Fake” SOC 2 Controversy Explained (Ep. 54)

Connect with the hosts:
 
Tim Davidson –   https://www.linkedin.com/in/tadavidson41  
Tas Bober –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tasbober  
 
Subscribe for more no-BS breakdowns of the internet’s wildest B2B moments.
This week on Notorious B2B, we break down the Delve story—the SOC 2 compliance startup that wasn’t actually doing compliance. What looked legit on the surface quickly turned into something bigger: a wake-up call for how trust, shortcuts, and AI are colliding in B2B.
We get into AI tools getting people banned (OpenClaw vs. Facebook), the “Death by Claude” debate and what it means for SaaS, a fully AI podcast blowing up, new moves from Anthropic, LinkedIn cracking down on scraping tools, comment-gating going off the rails, Apollo acquiring Pocus, and what layoffs at Meta and Atlassian actually signal.
 
Sponsors
Special thanks to the brands supporting Notorious B2B.
 
Exit Five
The community for B2B marketers who want real conversations, practical insights, and in-person connections.
Join at https://www.exitfive.com/
 
Vector
The B2B ad platform built around real buyer intent.
Learn more at https://www.vector.co/
 
If you’ve got a take, drop it in the comments or send this to someone who needs it.

Meta Buys Moltbook: A Social Network Run by AI Bots (Ep. 53)

Connect with the hosts:
 
Tim Davidson –   https://www.linkedin.com/in/tadavidson41  
Tas Bober –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tasbober  
 
Subscribe for more no-BS breakdowns of the internet’s wildest B2B moments.
We break down Moltbook, the AI-powered social network full of fake posts that still went viral (and somehow got acquired by Meta), and why they decided on this play. 
Then we hit the week’s chaos: ChatGPT citing Reddit, “vibe-coded” dashboards getting roasted, International Women’s Day posts gone wrong, Grammarly getting sued, and whether LinkedIn service requests actually bring in real leads.
 
Chapters:00:00 Intro + Episode Kickoff 06:27 Moltbook Explained (and why it’s kinda terrifying)13:59 Fake Virality & AI-Generated Social Media20:47 AI Prompt Gating is Getting Out of Hand24:19 “Vibe-Coded” Dashboards Roast32:53 We Compared Our Salaries (Raw Breakdown)48:20 Grammarly Lawsuit Breakdown51:54 LinkedIn Service Requests… Do They Even Work?57:51 Toxic Workplace Stories Thread1:06:32 Close One: Best & Worst Posts of the Week1:07:43 Facebook vs LinkedIn Culture (placed earlier in flow, optional reorder below)1:12:08 AI Notetaker Chaos in Meetings
 
Sponsors
Special thanks to the brands supporting Notorious B2B.
 
Exit Five
The community for B2B marketers who want real conversations, practical insights, and in-person connections.
Join at https://www.exitfive.com/
 
Vector
The B2B ad platform built around real buyer intent.
Learn more at https://www.vector.co/
 
If you’ve got a take, drop it in the comments or send this to someone who needs it.

Why Anthropic Ditched This $200M Contract (Ep. 52)

Connect with the hosts:
Tim Davidson – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tadavidson41
Tas Bober – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tasbober
Subscribe for more no-BS breakdowns of the internet’s wildest B2B moments.
Anthropic reportedly walked away from a $200M government AI contract… and OpenAI stepped in to take the deal.
 
In this episode, Tim and Tas break down why Anthropic might have rejected the contract and what it signals about AI companies working with governments. They also cover the week’s B2B internet chaos: layoffs tied to AI productivity, the rise of low-effort AI thought leadership (AIDR), the “vibe coding” debate, and a marketing event invite that turned into an awkward un-invite.
 
Plus the usual LinkedIn madness from “hot people only” connection requests and posts affecting your credit score to the newest way to start chaos: calling someone’s entire job a Claude skill.
Timestamps:
Sponsors
 
Special thanks to the brands supporting Notorious B2B.
 
Exit Five
The community for B2B marketers who want real conversations, practical insights, and in-person connections.
Join at https://www.exitfive.com/
 
Vector
The B2B ad platform built around real buyer intent.
Learn more at https://www.vector.co/
 
If you’ve got a take, drop it in the comments or send this to someone who needs it.
 
 

OpenAI Hires OpenClaw Creator | Anthropic's Massive Funding Round (Ep. 51)

Connect with the hosts:
 
Tim Davidson – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tadavidson41
Tas Bober – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tasbober
Subscribe for more no-BS breakdowns of the internet’s wildest B2B moments.
 
This week on Notorious B2B we break down the biggest story in AI: OpenClaw’s creator joining OpenAI. The tool exploded across LinkedIn and X, but now the founder has been acqui-hired by OpenAI. Is this the next step for the project… or the beginning of the end?
 
We also cover some of the most unhinged moments in B2B lately including fake AI analytics data, LinkedIn cracking down on AI comments, Anthropic’s massive funding round, and the worst cold outreach tactics we’ve seen in weeks.
 
And bonus…Tas shares a wild story that happens at the Above the Fold conference involving “Sling Boy.”
 
It’s a juicy one. 
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Timestamps:
 
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Sponsors
 
Special thanks to the brands supporting Notorious B2B.
 
Exit Five
The community for B2B marketers who want real conversations, practical insights, and in-person connections.
Join at https://www.exitfive.com/
 
Vector
The B2B ad platform built around real buyer intent.
Learn more at https://www.vector.co/
 
If you’ve got a take, drop it in the comments or send this to someone who needs it.

Episode 50 | This CMO Commits a $10M Federal Crime | Live at Above the Fold

Connect with the hosts:
Tim Davidson – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tadavidson41 Tas Bober – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tasbober/
Subscribe for more no-BS breakdowns of the internet’s wildest B2B moments.
This week, Notorious B2B goes live for the first time ever at Above the Fold in Fort Lauderdale. 
Inside the episode: B2B has officially hit the mainstream. We teardown the best (and worst) B2B Superbowl ads in the Super Bowl this year. 
We sourced stories directly from the audience in a special segment called “CMO Crimes”. Kevin Rapp, founder of Ultra Friends walks us through the wild true story of his CMO embezzeling $10M, and James Levin, Sr. VP of Marketing at Netwrix, breaks down a $500M revenue hack he discovered while working at Amazon.
Plus, we settle our "beef" with the Pasetto co-founders, then run a live LinkedIn Outreach Workshop where we roast the absolute worst tactics currently hitting your inbox, and make a special announcement at the end. 
And they say B2B is boring. Pshhh. 
This episode is jam-packed and our favorite. 
Timestamps:
00:00 We finally did a live show (and it’s technically Ep. 50) 01:04 Sponsor stories (and ones who don’t know they’re sponsoring yet)  04:05 How we got Vector to sponsor us - our wild sponsorship pitch 05:06 Sam Altman’s response to the Anthropic vs OpenAI Super Bowl ads 09:08 The ROI on the Mr. Beast x Salesforce Super Bowl ads 12:25 Ramp x Kevin from The Office Super Bowl commercial14:15: GenSpark’s Super Bowl commercial (who?)  
16:00 Settle the Beef: Tas and Tim vs. Pasetto (Amber Williams & Carolyn Dilks) 29:09 LinkedIn Outreach Workshop: the worst tactics hitting the DMs32:54 Closed/Won: the best posts on the internet last week 33:59 James Levin on the $500M hack at Amazon 41:44 The $10M Root Insurance federal embezzlement story by Kevin Rapp48:10 Special Announcement
If you’ve got a take, drop it in the comments or send this to someone who still thinks B2B is “safe.”

Episode 48 | Inside the Hootsuite ICE Controversy | AI Ads at Super Bowl and Agent Trends

*Connect with the hosts:* *Tim Davidson* – http://linkedin.com/in/tadavidson41 *Tas Bober* – http://linkedin.com/in/tasbober*Subscribe for more no-BS breakdowns of the internet’s wildest B2B moments.* _________________________________________________________________________________
 
This week: Hootsuite’s CEO responds to backlash over its ICE contract (and somehow says nothing), Anthropic takes a direct shot at ChatGPT with a Super Bowl ad, and Snap rescinds a signed job offer on someone’s start date. We also get into LinkedIn connection strategy drama, a mostly-AI vodka ad, Firefox blocking AI features, OpenAI launching “Frontier” for agents, Elon merging SpaceX and xAI, Vogue Japan’s six-finger AI mishap, and what a $50K monthly Anthropic bill actually means.If you work in B2B marketing, SaaS, or AI, this episode hits the real questions: when corporate statements backfire, how competitor ads should be done, what AI tooling actually costs at scale, how LinkedIn’s algorithm affects reach, and why “AI replaced my team” posts deserve scrutiny. It’s practical, occasionally uncomfortable, and very relevant to how you build and market right now.*Timestamps:*00:00 Opening debate: first vs. best in AI03:20 Hootsuite CEO responds to ICE contract backlash12:55 Anthropic’s Super Bowl ad takes aim at ChatGPT19:26 AI-generated Svedka Super Bowl ad debate26:41 LinkedIn connection strategy and algorithm impact36:04 Snap rescinds signed job offer on start date43:15 Firefox introduces AI feature blocking45:39 Elon Musk merges SpaceX and xAI ahead of IPO47:39 OpenAI launches Frontier for enterprise AI agents49:58 Vogue Japan AI image controversy53:12 $50K monthly Anthropic bill and the real cost of AI agents_________________________________________________________________________________If you’ve got a take on any of these, drop it in the comments.
*Sponsors* Special thanks to the brands supporting Notorious B2B.*Exit Five* The community for B2B marketers who want real conversations, practical insights, and in-person connections. Join at https://www.exitfive.com/ *Vector* The B2B ad platform built around real buyer intent. Learn more at https://www.vector.co/

Episode 47 | Clawdbot is NOT What They're Telling You - This Week in B2B

Connect with the hosts:Tim Davidson – http://linkedin.com/in/tadavidson41Tas Bober – http://linkedin.com/in/tasboberSubscribe for more no-BS breakdowns of the internet’s wildest B2B moments.
We cover the reality behind the viral Clawdbot AI assistant, Hootsuite’s ICE contract backlash, Amazon’s latest corporate layoffs, and the rise of lazy LinkedIn comment-gating. For B2B marketers, SaaS teams, and AI practitioners, this episode is about spotting real signal vs. noise — where AI actually helps, where it falls short, and how bad incentives are quietly eroding trust.
Timestamps:
00:00 The reality of Clawdbot and AI autonomous assistants 
13:14 Hootsuite faces backlash over ICE surveillance contracts 
20:53 Amazon announces 16,000 corporate layoffs 
25:31 The rise of scammy LinkedIn comment-gating tactics 
32:36 Auditing a billion-view organic playbook 
41:10 Why mediocre AI video is just a glorified slide deck 
46:33 Mercedes-Benz integrates Microsoft Teams into cars
47:43 Deconstructing a viral Batman marketing skit 
50:41 Best ways to respond to LinkedIn pitch slaps
If this helped you make sense of the week, subscribe, share it, or drop a comment.
Sponsors
Special thanks to the brands supporting Notorious B2B.
Exit Five The community for B2B marketers who want real conversations, practical insights, and in-person connections.Join at https://www.exitfive.com/
Vector The B2B ad platform built around real buyer intent.Learn more at https://www.vector.co/
 

Episode 46 | MrBeast Enters B2B Marketing | Salesforce’s Super Bowl Ad & ChatGPT’s Ad Shift

Connect with the hosts:
Tim Davidson –   / tadavidson41    
Tas Bober –   / tasbober    
Subscribe for more no-BS breakdowns of the internet’s wildest B2B moments.
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OpenAI is testing ads inside ChatGPT. Salesforce may be teaming up with MrBeast for a Super Bowl ad. Attribution is back. Gated content is under fire. And one brutal PTO vs FMLA story reminds us why corporate policies still matter.
 
This episode breaks down what all of this actually means for B2B marketers, SaaS teams, and anyone trying to make smart decisions as AI, ads, and buying behavior keep changing fast.
 
Timestamps:
00:00 OpenAI testing ads in ChatGPT: what changes, who sees them, and why marketers are paying attention
07:40 What ChatGPT ads will actually look like (screenshots, formats, and early implications)
10:45 Is OpenAI degrading the product experience — and will users leave for Gemini or Claude?
17:52 MrBeast x Salesforce Super Bowl ad: what this means for B2B, creators, and speed of execution
25:15 SendSpark acquisition: niche positioning vs competing with category giants
27:10 Attribution is back: why “zero-click buyers” still convert and how mental availability works
33:55 LinkedIn attribution, impression-based influence, and why CEOs don’t buy the math
36:00 Fired on PTO vs FMLA: a brutal lesson in employee protections and corporate risk
40:25 Private jet studios and fake luxury content: why it performs and how marketers are gaming it
44:20 Gated vs ungated content experiment: what actually drove pipeline and revenue
49:15 Devil’s advocate: when gated content still works and when it absolutely doesn’t
 
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If this episode made you rethink AI ads, attribution, content gating, or B2B hype cycles, share it with your team or drop a comment with your take.
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Sponsors
Special thanks to the brands supporting Notorious B2B.
 
Exit Five
The community for B2B marketers who want real conversations, practical insights, and in-person connections.  
Join at https://www.exitfive.com/
Vector
The B2B ad platform built around real buyer intent.  
Learn more at https: //www.vector.co/

Episode 44 | Cvent Acquires ON24’s for $400M Shortly after Goldcast - Is B2B Events Officially Consolidating?

Cvent just acquired ON24. You're probably thinking, "Okay, another B2B acquisition, who cares?" But they bought Goldcast just 2 weeks earlier. 
In this episode, we break down:
Why Cvent is suddenly on a buying spree
OpenAI is speculated to purchase Pinterest 
LinkedIn took down another data provider, Artisan, but this one has a happy ending.
Microsoft’s AI Irony: AI writes 30% of their code, yet Windows 11 keeps breaking.
Is adding Reddit moderator to your resume a flex or nah?
McKinsey’s Creator Play: even the B2B dinosaurs are into influencers 
Reverse Psychology Ads: Why "DON’T BOOK A DEMO" is outperforming traditional CTAs.
And much, much more. 
Join us, it’s episode 44. 
 
Timestamps:
03:08 Cvent's acquisition spree
07:01 OpenAI's rumored acquisition of Pinterest
15:17 LinkedIn takes down Artisan
20:11 Chris Walker's Encoded website
27:35 Microsoft's AI irony
34:03 Reddit moderator on resume
 
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Connect with the hosts:
Tim Davidson – linkedin.com/in/tadavidson41Tas Bober – linkedin.com/in/tasbober
Subscribe for more no-BS breakdowns of the internet’s wildest B2B moments.
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Today's episode is brought to you by Exit Five. Thanks to Dave and the Exit Five team for being OG supporters of Notorious B2B.
Tim and Tas have both been members since the beginning and get a ton of value from being part of this community.
Join the top community of B2B marketers now at ExitFive.com and get access to one of the 30+ in-person events Exit Five is hosting in 2026.
Also, we heard Dave is super jacked, a millionaire, a great father, a speed reader, he’s run 300 marathons, and donates over $1M a year to very important charities.
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Also, special thanks to our friends at Vector - the only ad platform brave enough to say what we’re all thinking: native targeting is a scam.
Vector lets you build audiences by name. Not “job title at tech company.” Actual people who clicked your ad, visited your site, or creeped on your pricing page. (Also, the branding has cute ghosties. What more do you want?)
Check them out at vector.co and stop paying to show ads to your uncle’s dentist’s cousin.
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Finally, huge shoutout to Sahil, CEO of Spiralyze, the company that captures winning A/B tests from 78,000 websites. He kinda knows what works on B2B websites.
This February, he's teaming up with folks like Anthony Pierri, Jess Cook, Rob Kaminski, Alina Vandenberghe, and our very own Tas Bober, to host Above the Fold - a workshop-style event designed to help you build a better website.
No keynotes. No panels. Just hands-on, practical sessions you can actually use. 
Join us in February. Get the details at spiralyze.com/abovethefold