The NASDAQ had its worst week since Liberation Day, dropping nearly 2%. But the real story isn't the meltdown—it's what it reveals about who actually wins and loses in the AI revolution.

In this episode, Mattie Duppler explains why investors are suddenly skeptical of Big Tech's hundreds of billions in AI spending, why software-as-a-service companies are facing an existential crisis, and how AI's democratization of coding is creating victims across the entire economy—not just in tech.

Learn the difference between companies spending on AI (the MAG-7) versus those delivering AI products consumers actually use (OpenAI, Anthropic). Discover why business development corporations are vulnerable, and why the old rule "correlation is not causation" has flipped in this AI trade.

Most importantly: why 2026 might be the year we have to rethink how economic inputs actually affect your life.

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In this episode of The Tradeoff, Mattie debuts a new recurring segment, The Duppler Radar, designed to help listeners understand whether key economic trends are moving toward or away from their wallets.

Originally scheduled to break down the latest JOLTS report, this episode pivots after another government shutdown delays critical labor market data. Instead, Mattie walks through three major economic indicators released over the past two weeks: GDP growth, the U.S. trade deficit, and labor productivity.

The episode unpacks why third-quarter GDP posted a strong 4.4 percent annualized growth rate, how tariff uncertainty and distorted gold pricing contributed to a sharp swing in the trade deficit, and why a surprising surge in productivity does not necessarily translate into higher real wages for workers. Mattie explains how government shutdowns and trade policy are creating unusually “lumpy” data, making it harder to read the true health of the economy.

Finally, the episode looks ahead to 2026, exploring why companies may begin passing tariff-related costs on to consumers, how that could show up in inflation and future GDP prints, and why the delayed JOLTS report will be critical to understanding whether productivity gains are being driven by technology, worker leverage, or layoffs.

This episode is a practical guide to reading today’s most important economic data and understanding how volatility in trade and labor markets may soon affect prices, wages, and household budgets.

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The Federal Reserve just announced it’s holding interest rates steady. No hike. No cut. Just a pause. But is “doing nothing” actually good news?

In this episode of The Tradeoff, Mattie Duppler breaks down what the Fed’s decision not to change rates really tells us about the economy, the labor market, and what households should expect in 2026. Rather than focusing on the headline itself, Mattie walks listeners through why markets respond to Federal Reserve decisions and how to read the central bank’s signals when rates don’t move at all.

You’ll learn how to track changes in the Fed’s official statement, why the removal of language about “downside risks to employment” matters, and what it suggests about job strength, wage growth, and future rate cuts. Mattie also explains why a confident Fed may be better for household budgets than another quarter-point cut and why political pressure on the central bank can send the wrong economic signal.

With another Fed meeting coming in March, leadership turnover ahead this summer, and Supreme Court decisions looming over central bank independence, this episode gives you a practical roadmap for understanding what’s next and how interest rate decisions show up in your daily life.

Economic headlines decoded, in the time it takes to grab your coffee.

Sign up for more insights and updates at www.mattieduppler.com

Follow Mattie on Instagram @MattieDC and Youtube @MattieDC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.