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Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni recently opened up about their new podcast, The Burnouts, on the Call Her Daddy podcast. On April 30, 2025, the duo sat down with podcast host Alex Cooper and discussed their friendship and the entrepreneurial steps they have taken.
Phoebe Gates, Bill Gates’ daughter, is an entrepreneur and advocate for women’s health and empowerment. Sophia Kianni is an Iranian-American entrepreneur and activist. The pair began their friendship when they crossed paths as roommates at Stanford University.
The Burnouts was launched on April 1 under Alex Cooper’s Unwell network. Gates and Kianni discuss what it’s like to be a young professional on a mission — from financial literacy and social impact to networking.
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More about Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni’s podcast The Burnouts
According to People, rather than attempting to be a traditional business podcast, The Burnouts embraces the messiness of entrepreneurship. Phoebe Gates stated,
“The point of this show is not really to be polished. It’s not a buttoned-up business plan.”
Sophia Kianni, the youngest U.N. climate advisor in U.S. history, noted that their podcast promises to be just as much about their personal experiences as interviewing the mentors, industry folks, and even some surprise guests, ensuring that it’s accessible for other young professionals who are “in the thick of it.”
Gates also admitted to feeling “nervous” before filming episodes, stating,
“I get so nervous before we film. I’m like, ‘Should we even be saying this stuff?’”
However, she ultimately stated that this type of authenticity is “what people are looking for.”
In their debut episode, released on April 1, 2025, the co-founders took a deep dive into their origin story, which included their first business idea: a Bluetooth-enabled smart tampon. They also lift the veil on the day-in, day-out grind of startup life, from early mornings to late nights.
Although the podcast revolves around their entrepreneurial journey, The Burnouts isn’t just for aspiring founders. Phoebe describes their ideal listener as “the girl who’s grinding, she’s moving up the ladder, she’s working hard, she’s falling down and getting back up, and she’s listening in her AirPods on the way to work.”
Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni’s new business venture, Phia
As per the New York Post, Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni launched Phia, an app that compiles retail and secondhand purchasing options from the internet. Kianni described the app as “‘Google Flights’ for fashion.” She continued,
“Phia finds you the best price in one click … and allows you to really easily price compare.”
Gates divulged the pair’s inspiration to develop the app, stating,
“This entire industry of fashion tech is fascinating to me. Women are spending a huge amount of money on shopping, and the fact we’re not delivering a personalized experience to them that’s good for their wallets and the world is crazy to me.”
Phoebe Gates also shared that she refused to look to her father, Bill Gates, for financial aid.
“We don’t want this to be something that’s funded by my family. We want this to be a real company. That’s really important for us… While I have a ton of privilege coming from my family, it’s about having a product that stands on its own.”
The Burnouts release a new episode every week.
