Podcast "Upstream" with Erik Torenberg by Erik Torenberg Episodes

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	Title	Pub. Date	Duration
	E141: The Bronze Age Collapse and History's Selective Memory	15 May 2025	01:03:08
Today on Upstream, we’re sharing Erik Torenberg conversation with Samo Burja where they discuss the Bronze Age collapse, technological advancements in ancient civilizations, and the nuanced history of the Roman Empire, along with a detailed analysis of contemporary geopolitical dynamics, particularly focusing on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and its implications for global power structures. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess — RECOMMENDED PODCAST: 🎙️Live Players Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg provide analysis of the news and case studies of Live Players, as well as key institutions and technologies that make up the global power landscape. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-players-with-samo-burja-and-erik-torenberg/id1718925188 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5fbMTkHBnom1JIBWYNVBK1?si=01ed191c74264f55 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivePlayerswithSamoBurja — SPONSORS: ☁️ Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is a single platform for your infrastructure, database, application development, and AI needs. OCI has four to eight times the bandwidth of other clouds and offers one consistent price. Oracle is offering to cut your cloud bill in half. See if your company qualifies at https://oracle.com/turpentine 💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist. — LINKS: Bismarck Analysis: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/ — X / TWITTER: @samoburja @eriktorenberg @turpentinemedia — HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE: The Bronze Age collapse demonstrates that advanced civilizations can experience technological backsliding, countering the idea that knowledge only accumulates. Despite technological advancement in some areas like Greek fire in the Byzantine Empire, the Bronze Age collapse shows entire civilizations and technologies can be lost. The Bronze Age collapse (around 1000 BC) is documented in both written sources (Hittite tablets) and archaeological evidence showing destruction layers across multiple regions. The Hittite Empire, once a major power rivaling Egypt, was completely forgotten until its rediscovery in the 19th century. During this collapse, entire civilizations vanished, metalworking was lost in some places, and Greece lost literacy for about 400 years. Even decentralized systems can be fragile, as demonstrated by how trade route disruptions led to bronze scarcity and eventual societal collapse. From 1991 to 2014, the world lived under US hegemony before Russia began expanding again with the annexation of Crimea. Samo predicts giant nations like the US and China will have strong interests but won't necessarily impose their systems on smaller countries. Europe's decline could be reversed if it adopted a more federal and flexible system similar to the Swiss Confederacy. Eastern European countries like Estonia, Poland, and Hungary present interesting possibilities for governance experiments. Regarding Russia-Ukraine, Samo predicts Russia will ultimately gain territory while Ukraine loses it, with Western support for Ukraine likely to weaken over time. On historical narratives, Samo suggests prehistory was much more violent than often portrayed by anthropologists in recent decades. Samo challenges academic narratives about colonization, arguing Spanish rule was an improvement over Aztec human sacrifice practices. North America likely had multiple rises and falls of civilization that remain undiscovered partly due to political motivations in archaeology.
	E140: Why Industrial Revolutions Stall	10 May 2025	00:45:59
Today on Upstream, we’re sharing Erik Torenberg conversation with Samo Burja on this week’s Live Players. They discuss the potential industrial revolutions in history, particularly in the Roman Empire and Song Dynasty China, their technological advancements, economic factors, and the reasons these revolutions didn't reach full fruition. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess — RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: 🎙️Live Players Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg provide analysis of the news and case studies of Live Players, as well as key institutions and technologies that make up the global power landscape. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-players-with-samo-burja-and-erik-torenberg/id1718925188 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5fbMTkHBnom1JIBWYNVBK1?si=01ed191c74264f55 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivePlayerswithSamoBurja — SPONSORS: ☁️ Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is a single platform for your infrastructure, database, application development, and AI needs. OCI has four to eight times the bandwidth of other clouds and offers one consistent price. Oracle is offering to cut your cloud bill in half. See if your company qualifies at https://oracle.com/turpentine 💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist. — LINKS: Las Medulas in Spain: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/803/ Monte Testaccio in Rome: https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/ancient-history/monte-testaccio/?srsltid=AfmBOoonzF0CVGKjzUFs46kkI9fZ-FVcBTDOMAVs8vtFcxH4iKcNx09f Bismarck Analysis: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/ — X / TWITTER: @samoburja @eriktorenberg @turpentinemedia — HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE: The podcast explores "failed industrial revolutions" not widely recognized in history. Human economic progress isn't constant but cycles between prosperity and decline. The Roman Empire had its own industrial revolution unlike our modern conception. Water power was extensively used by Romans for milling, metalwork, and stone cutting. Romans built complex waterwheel systems and engineering works for power generation. Heron of Alexandria demonstrated steam power principles in experimental devices. Roman metal production was so vast it left pollution signatures in Greenland ice cores. Monte Testaccio in Rome indicates industrial-scale production of millions of amphoras. Romans mass-produced standardized pottery, glassware, statues, and military equipment. A sophisticated Roman consumer economy existed with a significant middle class. This era remains underappreciated partly due to concerns about interrupted progress. Hollywood misrepresents the era, omitting the "steampunk" mechanical sophistication. Cities like Alexandria were major production centers with extensive trade networks. Romans might have adopted steam power had they needed to mine more coal. Song Dynasty China represents another technologically advanced society that fell. Large-scale water shipping appears crucial for all historical industrialization. Industrial revolutions plateau when non-technological growth fails to keep pace. The Hellenistic era, especially Alexandria, is described as modern science's birthplace.
	E131: Abundance Agenda, The New Right, and 2008 Retrospective w/ Noah Smith	03 Apr 2025	01:08:17
Today on Upstream, Erik Torenberg and Noah Smith discuss the Abundance Agenda by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, the impact of the 2008 recession, Obama's presidency, and shifts in political ideology, focusing on the 'New Right' and its cultural and economic implications, while also touching upon the economic recovery strategies post-2008. This episode originally aired on Econ102 (April 1, 2025) — 📰Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 🙏Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse — RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: 🎙️Econ102 with Noah Smith Keeping econ entertaining - Noahpinion author Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg break down business news and politics every week. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1696419056 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6q7Gn5lP8TTtBPuV1NJSGs Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ECON102Podcast — SPONSORS: ☁️ Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is a single platform for your infrastructure, database, application development, and AI needs. OCI has four to eight times the bandwidth of other clouds and offers one consistent price. Oracle is offering to cut your cloud bill in half. See if your company qualifies at https://oracle.com/turpentine 🎯Say goodbye to the headaches of out-of-home advertising. AdQuick combines technology, OOH expertise, and data to enable efficient, seamless ad buying across the globe. Visit https://adquick.com/ to start reaching your customers in the real world. 🕵️‍♂️Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code UPSTREAM at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/upstream 💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist. — LINKS: Noahpinion: https://www.noahpinion.blog/ Abundance (by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson): https://www.amazon.com/Abundance-Progress-Takes-Ezra-Klein/dp/1668023482 The Clash of Civilizations (by Samuel Huntington): https://www.amazon.com/Clash-Civilizations-Remaking-World-Order/dp/1451628978 Revolt of the Public (by Martin Gurri): https://www.amazon.com/Revolt-Public-Crisis-Authority-Millennium/dp/1732265143 Understanding America's New Right: https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/understanding-americas-new-right American Factory: https://www.netflix.com/title/81090071 — X / TWITTER: @Noahpinion @eriktorenberg @turpentinemedia — HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE: The "abundance agenda" is gaining unexpected traction among Democrats who see it as a unifying message rather than class warfare. Noah views the abundance agenda as appealing because it promises prosperity for all Americans regardless of political beliefs. Noah considers Obama underrated, highlighting his stimulus package, Dodd-Frank regulations, Iraq War withdrawal, and Obamacare. Obama's immigration policy focused on deporting criminal elements, reducing the illegal immigrant population by about a million. The 2008 financial crisis was a "liquidity preference shock" where fear caused everyone to hold cash rather than spend. During demand-side crises, the government acts as "spender of last resort" to jumpstart economic activity. Infrastructure spending during the Obama era wasn't efficient, creating problems for future building initiatives. Post-2008 policies increased US debt from 60% to 100% of GDP during Obama's administration. Higher inflation under Biden has actually decreased the debt-to-GDP ratio despite increased spending. The "new right" ideology focuses on "Western civilization" - not racial nationalism but reverence for traditional European/Christian heritage. New right politicians like JD Vance care more about "meme wars" and online status than practical policy solutions. Social media has empowered a small percentage of politically active "shouting class" with outsized influence.
	E41: Steve Hsu on the Future of Everything	12 Jan 2024	01:05:49
In this episode of Upstream, Erik sits down with theoretical physicist and startup founder Steve Hsu. They discuss political polarization in academia, the fertility crisis, AI, and more. -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: History 102 with WhatifAltHist Every week, creator of WhatifAltHist Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg cover a major topic in history in depth -- in under an hour. This season will cover classical Greece, early America, the Vikings, medieval Islam, ancient China, the fall of the Roman Empire, and more. Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36Kqo3BMMUBGTDo1IEYihm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-102-with-whatifalthists-rudyard-lynch-and/id1730633913 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@History102-qg5oj -- SPONSORS: Beehiiv \| Shopify Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. -- LINKS Superfocus: https://superfocus.ai/ Othram: https://othram.com/index.html Manifold: https://www.manifold1.com/ -- X / TWITTER: @hsu_steve (Steve) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @upstream__pod @turpentinemedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (02:21) Political polarization in academia (05:47) The decline of meritocracy in academia (10:00) Why can't academia change? (13:27) Truth-seeking in startups (20:36) Sponsor: Shopify (23:36) The fertility crisis (32:11) AI and labor (41:06) What industries are safe from AI automation? (44:05) AI Safety vs accelerationism (47:51) Understanding the rise of China (58:46) The future of the US/China relationship (01:00:41) How does Steve allocate his time? (01:04:41) Steve's suggestions for underexplored opportunities -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co Producer: Sam Kaufman Editor: Michelle Poreh For guest or sponsorship inquiries please contact Sam@turpentine.co
	E40: Develop Your Personal Investing Strategy with Itay Vinik	05 Jan 2024	01:20:07
On today's Upstream, Erik interviews Itay Vinik to get an overview of the markets and current macro environment, learn frameworks for adjusting an investing strategy based on rising or falling interest rates, and debunk common investment myths. They cover the Federal Reserve's role in a globalized economy, discuss the strategies that stabilize markets, and evaluate different asset classes during economic shifts. Upstream is sponsored by Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period. Itay Vinik is the Co-Founder & Chief Investment Officer at Equi (https://www.equi.com/), an alternative investment platform that brings investment strategies to accredited investors. - RECOMMENDED PODCAST: History 102 with WhatifAltHist Every week, creator of WhatifAltHist Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg cover a major topic in history in depth -- in under an hour. This season will cover classical Greece, early America, the Vikings, medieval Islam, ancient China, the fall of the Roman Empire, and more. Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36Kqo3BMMUBGTDo1IEYihm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-102-with-whatifalthists-rudyard-lynch-and/id1730633913 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@History102-qg5oj – We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. – SPONSORS: BEEHIIV \| SHOPIFY Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. SHOPIFY: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce in the US. And Shopify’s the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy’s, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one e-commerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you’re selling, Shopify’s got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg – X / TWITTER: @vinikitay @eriktorenberg @upstream__pod @turpentinemedia – TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (04:57) Understanding Alternative Investments (12:21) The Impact of Interest Rates on Investments (14:00) Sponsors: Shopify (17:59) Understanding the Role of the Fed (23:52) Investing Strategies for Different Economic Conditions (33:52) Debunking the Inverse Correlation of Stocks and Bonds (35:44) Stock Market vs. Real Economy (42:24) Predicting a Potential Recession (42:34) The Fed's Track Record and the Possibility of a Rate Hike (44:03) The Consequences of Increasing Rates (44:50) Understanding Quantitative Easing and Tightening (47:10) The Role of the Fed in Money Creation (01:10:19) The Impact of Globalization on the Fed's Decisions (01:13:22) Understanding China's Currency Manipulation (01:14:37) The Debate on Passive vs Active Investing (01:20:09) The Power of Real Estate in Wealth Creation This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E39: Balaji Srinivasan and Nathan Labenz on AI's Future, Human-AI Symbiosis, and AI Control	29 Dec 2023	02:10:55
On today's Upstream, we're sharing a recent episode where Balaji Srinivasan joins Nathan Labenz to discuss the future of AI: polytheistic AI and AI gods, human-AI symbiosis, and how AI will be controlled. Upstream is sponsored by Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period. This episode is a feed drop of The Cognitive Revolution, where Nathan Labenz and Erik Torenberg interview builders on the edge of AI and explore its dramatic shift over the next decades. Listen and subscribe everywhere you get your podcasts: https://www.cognitiverevolution.ai/ - RECOMMENDED PODCAST: History 102 with WhatifAltHist Every week, creator of WhatifAltHist Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg cover a major topic in history in depth -- in under an hour. This season will cover classical Greece, early America, the Vikings, medieval Islam, ancient China, the fall of the Roman Empire, and more. Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36Kqo3BMMUBGTDo1IEYihm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-102-with-whatifalthists-rudyard-lynch-and/id1730633913 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@History102-qg5oj – SPONSOR : Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. SHOPIFY: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce in the US. And Shopify’s the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy’s, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one e-commerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you’re selling, Shopify’s got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg – X / TWITTER: @labenz (Nathan) @balajis (Balaji) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @upstream__pod (Upstream) @TurpentineMedia @CogRev_Podcast (Cognitive Revolution) -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (01:41) Exploring the Concept of AI in the Context of Evolution (02:34) Technical Aspects of AI and its Future (05:25) Challenges in AI: Time Varying and Rule Varying Systems (05:54) AI in Practical Utility and Jobs (07:11) AI Progress and Uncertainties in the Near Future (08:17) AI and the Concept of Generative Intelligence (08:25) Adversarial Input (10:36) Sponsor: Shopify (25:11) Offense and Defense (25:48) Sponsor: Shopify (40:49) Impact on Blue America (45:39 AI Regulation and the Concept of Software FDA (48:45) The Future of AI (49:00) The Role of AI in the Tech Industry (50:18) Exploring the Potential of AI Technology (53:57) The Mathematical Constraints of AI (55:23) The Future of AI: Cryptography and Chaos (57:16) The Impact of AI on Human Evolution (57:19) The Practical Difficulties of AI Implementation (01:02:34) The Future of AI: Amplified Intelligence (01:05:11) The Future of AI: Man-Machine Symbiosis (01:09:09) The Future of AI: Polytheistic AI (01:17:53) Amplified Intelligence Revisited (01:29:02) The Future of AI: The Impact on Blue America (01:30:14) AI in Healthcare (01:30:34) The Role of Human Intelligence in AI Development (01:31:24) The Impact of AI on Job Market and Environment (01:32:27) The Role of AI in Robotics and Training (01:33:50) The Actuator Concept in AI (01:35:06) The Impact of AI on Cryptography (01:37:54) Data Analysis (01:41:00) The Role of AI in Bridging Different Modalities (01:45:28) The Future of AI in a Global Context (01:59:56) The Future of AI in a Tribal Perspective (02:04:26) The Future of AI in a Global Perspective
	E38: Holiday Special: Request for Startups	22 Dec 2023	00:49:34
This week, in a departure from Upstream's usual format, Erik sits downs with friends Nick DeWilde, Sean Linehan, and Justin Mares to exchange startup ideas in a new format called "Request for Startups." Please note that this episode contains some vulgar humor and won't be for everyone. -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: History 102 with WhatifAltHist Every week, creator of WhatifAltHist Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg cover a major topic in history in depth -- in under an hour. This season will cover classical Greece, early America, the Vikings, medieval Islam, ancient China, the fall of the Roman Empire, and more. Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36Kqo3BMMUBGTDo1IEYihm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-102-with-whatifalthists-rudyard-lynch-and/id1730633913 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@History102-qg5oj -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Live Players with Samo Burja Join host Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg as they analyze the mindsets of today's most intriguing business leaders, investors, and innovators through the lens of their bold actions and contrarian worldviews. You'll come away with a deeper understanding of the development of technology, business, political power, culture and more. Listen to Live Players: https://link.chtbl.com/liveplayers. -- SPONSOR: Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. -- X / TWITTER: @jwmares (Justin) @seanlinehan (Sean) @nick_dewilde (Nick) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @upstream__pod @turpentinemedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Preview (01:25) Intro (02:03) Fake jobs for rich families (06:59) Ending San Fransisco burglaries (10:50) Better prenups (13:13) Brunch x Benihana (15:44) Sponsor: Shopify (19:40) Fit Club (24:40) Justin's story from being a janitor at LA Fitness (26:49) Generative AI applications (37:26) Holistic fertility treatment (42:31) Combining workspaces with other services (44:58) Retraining software engineers (47:15) Quora for people (49:57) Wrap -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co. Producer: Sam Kaufman Editor: Graham Bessellieu For guest or sponsorship inquiries please contact Sam@turpentine.co
	E37: Noor Siddiqui on embryo screening, the fertility crisis, and parenting	15 Dec 2023	01:07:16
In this episode, Erik sits down with Noor Siddiqui, founder and CEO of Orchid. They discuss Orchid's recent breakthrough in embryo whole genome sequencing, the fertility crisis, parenting, dating, and more. -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: History 102 with WhatifAltHist Every week, creator of WhatifAltHist Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg cover a major topic in history in depth -- in under an hour. This season will cover classical Greece, early America, the Vikings, medieval Islam, ancient China, the fall of the Roman Empire, and more. Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36Kqo3BMMUBGTDo1IEYihm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-102-with-whatifalthists-rudyard-lynch-and/id1730633913 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@History102-qg5oj -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Live Players with Samo Burja Join host Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg as they analyze the mindsets of today's most intriguing business leaders, investors, and innovators through the lens of their bold actions and contrarian worldviews. You'll come away with a deeper understanding of the development of technology, business, political power, culture and more. Listen to Live Players: https://link.chtbl.com/liveplayers. -- SPONSOR: Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. -- LINKS Orchid: https://www.orchidhealth.com/ -- X / TWITTER: @noor_siddiqui_ (Noor) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @upstream__pod @turpentinemedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Preview (01:06) Intro (01:26) What is Orchid? (04:13) Genome sequencing for embryos: What Orchid has accomplished (07:00) The breakthrough that enabled Orchid's genome sequencing (08:32) The impact and significance of the polygenic risk score (11:59) What is IVF (15:19) Sponsors: Shopify (20:04) Concerns and stigmas around reproductive technology (26:10) On the Gattaca future where parents create perfect children (27:54) Moral panic around longevity (30:32) Anything that can improve things can be used in very hostile ways (33:30) What are the norms around having kids going to be 30-40 years from now (36:55) Noor's thoughts on declining fertility rates (42:13) Matchmaking and dating (48:21) Is the decline of men a real thing? (50:20) Increasing fertility rates, moving the culture, and the negative effects of fertility collapse (1:07:37) Trying out Orchid and how the test works (1:09:16) Wrap -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co. Producer: Sam Kaufman Editor: Graham Bessellieu For guest or sponsorship inquiries please contact Sam@turpentine.co
	E36: Beff Jezos on doxxing, e/acc, and why crypto will save AI	08 Dec 2023	01:28:10
Beff Jezos, the anonymous co-founder of the effective accelerationism movement (also known as "e/acc") recently had his identity revealed by Forbes reporters. He gives the inside story to Erik Torenberg, Antonio Garcia Martinez, Dan Romero, his e/acc cofounder Bayeslord, and The Cognitive Revolution podcast host Nathan Labenz. Make informed decision for high impact donations with GiveWell, which is offering Upstream listeners donation matching up to $100. To claim your match, go to https://www.givewell.org ➡️ pick “Podcast” and enter "Upstream with Erik Torenberg" at checkout. -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: LIVE PLAYERS Join host Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg as they analyze the mindsets of today’s most intriguing business leaders, investors, and innovators through the lens of their bold actions and contrarian worldviews. You’ll come away with a deeper understanding of the development of technology, business, political power, culture and more. Listen and subscribe everywhere you get your podcasts: https://link.chtbl.com/liveplayers. -- SPONSORS: SHOPIFY Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. -- X / TWITTER: @BasedBeffJezos (Beff) @bayeslord (Bayeslord) @dwr (Dan) @antoniogm (Antonio) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @upstream__pod @turpentinemedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode Preview (02:23) The inside story (05:28) How did Beff's identity get revealed by these reporters? (12:27) Why should journalists get to decide who gets to be anon? (16:13) Beff's academic background in quantum computing (18:33) Why Beff started the anon account (20:52) Sponsor: Shopify (22:30) What's next for e/acc (27:37) Overcentralization of AI (29:56) Where the alpha is (35:42) Sponsor: Givewell (42:12) Decels and the rebellion (48:37) Why is big tech so bad & 2024 elections (51:00) AI Leaderboards (53:44) Crypto and AI crossover (58:08) Decentralizing the AI supply chain (01:04:24) Hardware & Extropic technology (01:09:24) Utility of e/acc (01:14:52) What is the e/acc gospel (01:22:20) What is the near term for AI? -- Upstream is a production from Turpentine Producer: Sam Kaufman Editor: Michelle Poreh For guest or sponsorship inquiries please contact Sam@turpentine.co
	E35: Samo Burja on Sam Altman, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and George Soros	01 Dec 2023	00:57:32
In this episode, Erik sits down with Samo Burja, political scientist and founder of Bismarck Analysis. They discuss Samo's term "live player" and today's live players, including Sam Altman, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and George Soros. -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. -- RELATED PODCAST Join host Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg as they analyze the mindsets of today's most intriguing business leaders, investors, and innovators through the lens of their bold actions and contrarian worldviews. You'll come away with a deeper understanding of the development of technology, business, political power, culture and more. Listen to Live Players: https://link.chtbl.com/liveplayers. -- SPONSORS: Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. -- X / TWITTER: @SamoBurja (Samo) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @upstream__pod @turpentinemedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode Preview (01:50) What are "live players?" (05:05) Samo’s worldview (10:35) Reflections on the energy transition (15:35) Sponsor: Shopify (18:40) Sam Altman as a live player (22:25) OpenAI’s culture vs Microsoft’s culture (25:45) Sam Altman vs Elon Musk vs Peter Thiel (30:35) Sponsor: Oracle (32:40) Understanding different perspectives on capitalism (33:45) The role of live players in society (38:05) Can we train live players? (43:20) The evolution of live players (48:10) Philanthropists as live players: Bill Gates, the Kochs, etc (55:50) The paradox of open society advocates -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co. Producer: Sam Kaufman Editor: Graham Bessellieu For guest or sponsorship inquiries please contact Sam@turpentine.co
	E34: Byrne Hobart on Sam Altman, Meta vs Google, and Effective Altruism	24 Nov 2023	00:56:49
In this episode, Erik is joined by Byrne Hobart, author of tech and finance newsletter The Diff, to discuss Sam Altman's ousting from OpenAI, Microsoft's role in the story, and the new competitive landscape for AI companies. -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. -- RELATED PODCAST Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff. -- SPONSORS: Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. -- X / TWITTER: @ByrneHobart (Byrne) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @upstream__pod @turpentinemedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode Preview (01:00) Non-obvious thoughts about governance and legal structures (03:45) Could the board have found out something about Sam? (04:40) Tech’s online coordination and choosing sides (06:25) Why haven’t the OpenAI board shared their reasoning? (12:20) Are they going to bring Sam back? (15:10) What should OpenAI’s pivot be? (17:30) Sponsor: Shopify (20:30) Analyzing Microsoft's moves and the sweetheart deal (23:50) Satya's succession plans (27:15) OpenAI's unique governance structure (30:00) Sponsor: Oracle (32:15) Why Byrne is long Microsoft (40:10) What explains Microsoft's turnaround? (42:15) Meta and Google (48:10) Which of these companies Byrne would short: Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft (50:20) Was this a coup from the Effective Altruism movement? -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co. Producer: Sam Kaufman Editor: Graham Bessellieu For guest or sponsorship inquiries please contact Sam@turpentine.co
	E33: The Untold History of Nuclear Energy with Packy McCormick and Julia DeWahl	17 Nov 2023	01:01:57
Today on Upstream we’re dropping a special episode of Age of Miracles which dives into the rise and fall of nuclear power in the 20th century, and what we can learn about pushing nuclear into the 21st century. -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. -- RELATED PODCAST To hear the next episodes of Age of Miracles, a narrative show that explores the complex industries that will play an important role in creating an abundant future for humanity, subscribe at https://link.chtbl.com/ageofmiracles or check out the series on YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@age-of-miracles -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff -- SPONSORS: Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries.From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg -- X / TWITTER: @packym (Packy) @juliadewahl (Julia) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @upstream__pod @turpentinemedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode Preview (00:50) Erik introduces Age of Miracles (03:03) Two narratives of nuclear energy (06:43) Nuclear’s early history and rise (12:26) The start of the fall (15:20) Sponsors: Shopify \| Oracle (23:08) Five key factors that led to nuclear’s decline (23:30) Factor #1: the AEC (29:00) Factor #2: good old-fashioned economics (30:30) Sponsor: Shopify (34:21) Factor #3: regulation (46:25) Factor #4: the environmentalists (54:05) Factor #5: the nuclear disasters (57:53) Recap of the historical lessons (1:02:49) Wrap -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co. Producer: Sam Kaufman Editor: Graham Bessellieu For guest or sponsorship inquiries please contact Sam@turpentine.co
	E32: Balaji on SBF and the Israel-Hamas War	10 Nov 2023	01:01:41
Balaji Srinivasan returns to Upstream for an unfiltered conversation about recent events: SBF's conviction and the conflict in the middle east. -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. -- SPONSORS: Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries.From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff -- X / TWITTER: @balajis (Balaji) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @upstream__pod @turpentinemedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode Preview (01:20) Why should we still care about the SBF story (05:17) An uncensored Twitter exposed the crimes (08:25) Why the system got an F on SBF (11:30) Why the network succeeded over the state (15:10) Sponsors: Shopify \| GiveWell (18:00) Actual crimes vs political crimes (20:00) Did the press coverage force the indictment? (22:00) Why didn’t the state move faster if all the pieces were there? (29:30) Political fallout (30:30) Sponsor: Oracle (40:00) Progressive Muslim alliance (42:40) Pro Middle Eastern tech (47:50) Support for anti-Israel is where support for gay marriage was in 2000s (48:20) TikTok is global public opinion minus India and China (50:35) Should America intervene in the Middle East? (52:30) The six regimes (55:30) War with China (57:00) Retribalization of society This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E130: Elon Musk’s Network Effects and Checking in on Chinese AI w/ Byrne Hobart	29 Mar 2025	00:59:31
This week on Upstream, we're releasing an episode of The Riff (originally aired on March 25, 2025) where Erik Torenberg and Byrne Hobart discuss Don Jr.'s leveraging of the Trump brand, Dustin Moskovitz's departure to address AI risks, economic impacts of various policies, and geopolitical considerations with a focus on AI and China's tech ambitions. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse — RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: 🎙️ Investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-riff-with-byrne-hobart-and-erik-torenberg/id1716646486 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6rANlV54GCARLgMOtpkzKt YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRiffPodcast — SPONSORS: ☁️ Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is a single platform for your infrastructure, database, application development, and AI needs. OCI has four to eight times the bandwidth of other clouds and offers one consistent price. Oracle is offering to cut your cloud bill in half. See if your company qualifies at https://oracle.com/turpentine 🎯 Say goodbye to the headaches of out-of-home advertising. AdQuick combines technology, OOH expertise, and data to enable efficient, seamless ad buying across the globe. Visit https://adquick.com/ to start reaching your customers in the real world. 🕵️‍♂️ Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code UPSTREAM at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/upstream 💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist. — LINKS: Byrne’s writing: https://thediff.co — X / TWITTER: @byrnehobart @eriktorenberg @turpentinemedia — HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE: Political Brand Leveraging & Business: Byrne discussed how Donald Trump Jr. is leveraging the Trump brand, noting this follows a pattern where relatives of politicians often engage in business dealings that trade on political connections. High-Stakes Career Choices: They analyzed Dustin Moskovitz's departure from Asana, suggesting it may be motivated by existential AI concerns. Existential Risk Perspectives: Byrne distinguished between "hot apocalypse" scenarios (like nuclear war) and "cold apocalypse" scenarios where societal function gradually deteriorates. Twitter/X and Elon Musk: They discussed how Musk has managed to technically restore Twitter's valuation through financial engineering and leveraging connections between his companies. Economic Policy and Tariffs: Extensive discussion of Trump's tariff strategy as a negotiation tactic rather than a permanent policy. Recession Concerns: Byrne explained how markets anticipate economic changes before they appear in employment data, creating apparent disconnects between Wall Street and Main Street indicators.
	E31: Sam Lessin on Why We’re Heading into a New Era of Venture	03 Nov 2023	01:07:51
Erik is joined by Sam Lessin, General Partner at the early-stage VC firm Slow Ventures, essayist, and former VP of Product at Facebook. -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. -- SPONSORS: Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. Vanta: https://www.vanta.com/upstream Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and more. With Vanta, you can save up to 400 hours and 85% of costs. Vanta scales with your business, helping you successfully enter new markets, land bigger deals, and earn customer loyalty. Bonus? Upstream listeners get $1000 off Vanta. Just go to https://www.vanta.com/upstream -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00:00) Episode Preview (00:01:00) On Screenshot Essays, writing, and being OK with being wrong (00:03:54) Sam’s thesis on the factory system of venture capital (00:07:18) What does venture look like when the factory line is over? (00:10:10 Sam’s bearishness on YC and a16z (00:-) What are the best firms going to look like in the future? (00:15:08) Sponsor: GiveWell \| Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (00:17:47) The future state of company building and venture (00:19:16 On the fake unicorns in the past decade and what the next 10 years of unicorns might look like (00:23:15) The biggest factors of luck in life and company building (00:24:29) Sam’s thesis on constellation software (00:28:01) Thoughts on the studio model of venture (00:30:20) Team Shares and why that’s Sam’s most bullish investment (00:33:06) Sponsors: Vanta (00:34:31) Why Sam is bullish on crypto (00:39:47) The different models of finance and investing in creators (00:43:11) Sam’s advice for future investors in 2040 (00:46:16) Is the LP landscape going to change significantly? (00:48:10) On consumer social (00:50:20) On VC firms and indexing (00:52:54) Lower variance founders (00:57:16) Kardashians and the future of media / celebrity (00:58:48) Sam on Balaji’s protech and anti-journalist class (00:59:50) What could have made Twitter a $100b company? (1:02:17) How can we represent social capital on the internet? (1:03:48) On the end of capitalism (1:07:24) Slow Ventures today and where they expect to go in the future This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E30: Aaron Ginn on the Moral Idea Maze, the GPU Revolution, and US-China Relations	27 Oct 2023	00:55:56
Erik Torenberg sits down with Aaron Ginn, the CEO and co-founder of Hydra Host and the co-founder of the Lincoln Network (now Foundation for American Innovation). They discuss tech and politics, US-China relations, the GPU revolution, and foreign policy predictions. Upstream is proudly sponsored by Vanta. Get $1000 off Vanta with https://www.vanta.com/upstream Upstream is a part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: www.turpentine.co – We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. – SPONSORS: BEEHIIV \| SHOPIFY \| MERCURY \| VANTA Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. Looking to give your startup a competitive edge? Meet Mercury: https://mercury.com/ Mercury is banking for ambitious companies—a modern partner that can provide you with the tools and resources you need to turn your startup into the best version of itself. It’s software built to help you scale, with safety and stability, when you need to — whether you're a team of two, or a team of 1,000. Join more than 100,000 startups on Mercury, the powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Choice Financial Group and involve bank and trust members FDIC. Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and more. With Vanta, you can save up to 400 hours and 85% of costs. Vanta scales with your business, helping you successfully enter new markets, land bigger deals, and earn customer loyalty. Bonus? Upstream listeners get $1000 off Vanta. Just go to https://www.vanta.com/upstream – Timestamps: (00:00) Episode Preview (01:55) Aaron's background (07:23) Aaron's journey on his moral idea maze (11:30) Innovation and progress in the human experiment (15:09) Sponsors: Mercury \| Vanta (17:15) Can a right wing parallel economy for everything happen? (19:51) NVIDIA versus the public cloud (28:55) Status of GPUs 6 months to a year from now (34:19) Kinetic interaction with China (42:05) GPUs: Foreign policy concerns and predictions (51:20) Comparison of Biden's and Trump's foreign policy – LINKS: Hydra Host: https://hydrahost.com/ Book: The Terrible Truth About Liberals https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Terrible_Truth_About_Liberals – X/ Twitter Aaron @aginnt Erik: @ErikTorenberg Upstream : @upstream__pod -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E29: Sense-Making, a Top 1% Information Diet, and Generation Warfare with Michael Guimarin	20 Oct 2023	01:14:22
Erik Torenberg sits down with Michael Guimarin, a Silicon Valley operator and educator who helps people hone their information diets, to discuss the divide between institutions and networks and how to shift from consensus to resonance. We're proudly sponsored by Vanta. Get $1000 off Vanta with https://www.vanta.com/upstream Upstream is a part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: www.turpentine.co -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. – SPONSORS: BEEHIIV \| SHOPIFY \| MERCURY \| VANTA Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. Looking to give your startup a competitive edge? Meet Mercury: https://mercury.com/ Mercury is banking for ambitious companies—a modern partner that can provide you with the tools and resources you need to turn your startup into the best version of itself. It’s software built to help you scale, with safety and stability, when you need to — whether you're a team of two, or a team of 1,000. Join more than 100,000 startups on Mercury, the powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Choice Financial Group and involve bank and trust members FDIC. Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and more. With Vanta, you can save up to 400 hours and 85% of costs. Vanta scales with your business, helping you successfully enter new markets, land bigger deals, and earn customer loyalty. Bonus? Upstream listeners get $1000 off Vanta. Just go to https://www.vanta.com/upstream – LINKS: Michael's newsletter: https://theinfodiet.com/ (Course is currently sold out) – TWITTER: Michael: @MichaelGuimarin Erik: @ErikTorenberg Upstream : @upstream__pod – TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode Preview (02:10) How decisionmaking outcomes are based on information inputs (04:40) How we understand reality is defined by generational access to technology (05:45) Economics of distributing information (08:50) Michael Guimarin's approach vs Jordan Hall or Daniel Schlac (10:41) Before Google: Consensus (11:00) After Google: Resonance (13:50) Framework: The four estates (16:35) Sponsors: Mercury \| Vanta (18:35) The divide between institutions and networks (21:00) Why humans can't predict step changes (25:00) Painting a future which links authority and responsibility (29:00) Where Michael differs from Balaji on decentralization (33:20) Sponsor: NetSuite (34:25) Shifting from consensus to resonance (36:00) The timeline for resolving these issues is over two generations (40:00) Longevity (45:25) The information diet as a war (48:15) Artificial Intelligence (50:50) Do we concede too easily when we get power over institutions? (01:01:00) A top 1% to the top .001% information diet: emotional mastery (01:05:00) How should you adjust the inputs? (01:07:30) Information trillionaires
	E28: Richard Hanania Returns \| Trump, the Sexual Revolution, and Immigration	06 Oct 2023	01:25:05
Writer and political scientist Richard Hanania is back on Upstream to discuss Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican establishment, the sexual revolution, immigration, and his ideological differences with Curtis Yarvin. We're proudly sponsored by Vanta. Get $1000 off Vanta with https://www.vanta.com/upstream Upstream is a part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: www.turpentine.co – SPONSORS: BEEHIIV \| SHOPIFY \| MERCURY \| VANTA Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. Looking to give your startup a competitive edge? Meet Mercury: https://mercury.com/ Mercury is banking for ambitious companies—a modern partner that can provide you with the tools and resources you need to turn your startup into the best version of itself. It’s software built to help you scale, with safety and stability, when you need to — whether you're a team of two, or a team of 1,000. Join more than 100,000 startups on Mercury, the powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Choice Financial Group and involve bank and trust members FDIC. Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and more. With Vanta, you can save up to 400 hours and 85% of costs. Vanta scales with your business, helping you successfully enter new markets, land bigger deals, and earn customer loyalty. Bonus? Upstream listeners get $1000 off Vanta. Just go to https://www.vanta.com/upstream – RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff – TWITTER: Richard: @RichardHanania Erik: @ErikTorenberg Upstream : @upstream__pod – TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode Preview (02:12) Attempted cancellation (05:00) Gender Differences (07:45) Racial Profiling (15:30) Law and Culture: How should conservatives reorient their approach (20:00) Sponsors: Mercury \| Vanta (26:15) Richard’s views on dismantling the administrative state (31:00) Are the elites governing the US doing a bad job on public health and law enforcement? (34:15) Sponsor: NetSuite (35:15) Where Richard overlaps with classical liberalism (37:00) How Richard thinks of the Republican establishment (42:35) Richard’s perspective on the recent Bari Weiss debate on the impact of the sexual on women. (48:00) How to increase fertility and the quality of the population (53:00) Richard’s evolution on immigration (58:00) Should a country determine its demographics? (01:02:00) How important is inequality? (01:05:30) Debating Curtis Yarvin (01:16:00) What comes after liberalism – and who cares? (01:21:00) Balaji’s Gray tribe
	E27: Robin Hanson on Elites, Experts, and the Truths We Resist	29 Sep 2023	01:24:58
Robin Hanson, economist, author ,and futurist, sits down with Erik Torenberg to discuss Robin’s ideas about status, truth, and the obstacles for innovation. Upstream is proudly sponsored by Vanta. Get $1000 off Vanta with https://www.vanta.com/upstream Upstream is a part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: www.turpentine.co – SPONSORS: BEEHIIV \| SHOPIFY \| MERCURY \| VANTA Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. -- Looking to give your startup a competitive edge? Meet Mercury: https://mercury.com/ Mercury is banking for ambitious companies—a modern partner that can provide you with the tools and resources you need to turn your startup into the best version of itself. It’s software built to help you scale, with safety and stability, when you need to — whether you're a team of two, or a team of 1,000. Join more than 100,000 startups on Mercury, the powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Choice Financial Group and involve bank and trust members FDIC. Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and more. With Vanta, you can save up to 400 hours and 85% of costs. Vanta scales with your business, helping you successfully enter new markets, land bigger deals, and earn customer loyalty. Bonus? Upstream listeners get $1000 off Vanta. Just go to https://www.vanta.com/upstream – RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff – TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode Preview (05:38) How Robin developed his theory of the Sacred (09:07)The Sacred binds people together (17:17) Elites (19:00) Sponsors: Mercury \| Vanta (37:20) Gossip networks (38:00) Sponsor: NetSuite (39:13) Proposal to fix academia (45:37) Falsehoods (01:05:12) Double agents in our minds (01:08:36) What is cringe? (01:12:31) Therapy (01:17:02) How falling fertility will affect innovation (01:23:49) Social change strategies for reviving fertility rates -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co. Producer: Natalie Toren Editor: Graham Bessellieu For inquiries about guests or sponsoring the podcast, please email natalie@turpentine.co
	E26: Ben Horowitz on AI, the Future of Venture Capital, and Wartime VCs	22 Sep 2023	00:45:19
Ben Horowitz, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and one of the most influential venture capitalists of the last decade, sits down with Erik for Turpentine VC. They shed light on how Ben thinks about firm-building and where the future is going. We're proudly sponsored by Vanta. Get $1000 off Vanta with https://www.vanta.com/upstream -- Subscribe to Turpentine VC to hear upcoming episodes with top VC minds: Alfred Lin of Sequoia, Elad Gil, and partners at Benchmark: https://www.podpage.com/turpentinevc/ -- Join our free newsletter to get Erik's top 3 insights from each episode every week: https://turpentinevc.substack.com/ -- SPONSORS: BEEHIIV \| SHOPIFY \| MERCURY \| VANTA Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. -- Looking to give your startup a competitive edge? Meet Mercury: https://mercury.com/ Mercury is banking for ambitious companies—a modern partner that can provide you with the tools and resources you need to turn your startup into the best version of itself. It’s software built to help you scale, with safety and stability, when you need to — whether you're a team of two, or a team of 1,000. Join more than 100,000 startups on Mercury, the powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Choice Financial Group and involve bank and trust members FDIC. -- Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and more. With Vanta, you can save up to 400 hours and 85% of costs. Vanta scales with your business, helping you successfully enter new markets, land bigger deals, and earn customer loyalty. Bonus? Upstream listeners get $1000 off Vanta. Just go to https://www.vanta.com/upstream -- TIMESTAMPS: (01:00) Episode Preview (03:55) Ben on what allows the legendary VC firms to be great for multi-decades (05:05) a16z’s unique product-first, investor-second approach (06:20) YC as a16z’s closest spiritual analog (09:40) Ben on why venture firms should stay private (11:40) How a16z scaled their fund sizes to market opportunities (12:40) Why a16z chose to go bigger than Benchmark or USV on fund size (14:20) “Spreadsheet” VCs vs. people-first VCs (16:00) a16z’s customer-focused strategy (17:28) The firm’s unique approach to governance (17:50) Sponsor: Mercury, Vanta (19:55) Shared economics and centralized control (21:20) Ben’s view on the future of venture (24:00) How Ben thinks about riding trends like AI, crypto, etc. (27:00) a16z’s AI strategy (32:00) Will a16z expand into multi-asset firms like BlackRock? (33:00) How a16z thinks about their LPs differently from other firms (35:28) Sponsor: NetSuite (38:00) Peacetime vs. Wartime VCs -- LINKS: Why Software Is Eating the World: https://a16z.com/why-software-is-eating-the-world/ -- X / TWITTER: @bhorowitz (Ben) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @TurpentineVC
	E25: Jon Askonas on 2nd Order Effects of AI, the Media Ecology of Reality, and Conservatism	15 Sep 2023	01:02:13
Erik Torenberg sits down with Jon Askonas to look at the impact of disruptive technology in important areas like the media, religion, culture, and politics. Jon is an assistant professor of politics at Catholic University, a senior fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation and a writer for publications like The New Atlantis and Compact. We are proudly sponsored by Vanta. Get $1000 off Vanta with https://www.vanta.com/upstream -- Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Mercury \| Vanta Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. -- Looking to give your startup a competitive edge? Meet Mercury: https://mercury.com/ Mercury is banking for ambitious companies—a modern partner that can provide you with the tools and resources you need to turn your startup into the best version of itself. It’s software built to help you scale, with safety and stability, when you need to — whether you're a team of two, or a team of 1,000. Join more than 100,000 startups on Mercury, the powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Choice Financial Group and involve bank and trust members FDIC. -- Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and more. With Vanta, you can save up to 400 hours and 85% of costs. Vanta scales with your business, helping you successfully enter new markets, land bigger deals, and earn customer loyalty. Bonus? Upstream listeners get $1000 off Vanta. Just go to https://www.vanta.com/upstream -- TIMESTAMPS: (01:00) Episode Preview (03:00) Jon’s thesis: The end of consensus reality (04:20) What people have underestimated and overestimated since the 70s (06:00) What comes after the nation state? (07:00) The role of military technology in the next era (09:45) What inputs are most important in determining a country’s dominance (11:00) Countering Bali’s theory of the decline of the US dollar (13:00) What has happened to our consensus reality? (16:49) Sponsors: Mercury, Vanta, and NetSuite (18:50) Social Media is a red herring. The internet itself was the disruptor (21:30) Why solving the problems of social media won’t return the world to sanity (26:20) Fragmentation is a good thing (29:25) 2nd order effects of AI (30:30) E/acc vs EA (32:50) Creating a religion out of AI (40:00) The problem with conservatives and technology (46:25) Conservatives ignoring the culture (52:00) Future of the right? (57:00) How do we make sense of a world where we can’t determine a fact? (59:10) Believing science, experts, and Sam Harris -- X/ TWITTER: Erik’s Twitter: @eriktorenberg Jon’s Twitter: @JonAskonas Podcast Twitter: @Upstream__Pod -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E24: Balaji Srinivasan on Social Tribalism, Cloud Cartography, Internet Values	08 Sep 2023	02:11:57
Balaji Srinivasan joins Erik Torenberg and Moment of Zen co-host Dan Romero to share his new theory of the Tribal Lens, why cognitive territories will gain increasingly more power than land-defined territories, why the US is no longer a beacon in the world, and Balaji strategy to fix San Francisco. We're proudly sponsored by Vanta. Get $1000 off Vanta with https://www.vanta.com/zen -- Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Mercury \| Vanta Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. -- Looking to give your startup a competitive edge? Meet Mercury: https://mercury.com/ Mercury is banking for ambitious companies—a modern partner that can provide you with the tools and resources you need to turn your startup into the best version of itself. It’s software built to help you scale, with safety and stability, when you need to — whether you're a team of two, or a team of 1,000. Join more than 100,000 startups on Mercury, the powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Choice Financial Group and involve bank and trust members FDIC. -- Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and more. With Vanta, you can save up to 400 hours and 85% of costs. Vanta scales with your business, helping you successfully enter new markets, land bigger deals, and earn customer loyalty. Bonus? Upstream listeners get $1000 off Vanta. Just go to https://www.vanta.com/zen -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:30) Episode Preview (09:55) Cloud Cartography: If you don't control the cognitive territory. you don't control the lands (14:44) Sponsors: Mercury, NetSuite (18:30) Why people don't take the internet seriously? (23:00) The US is not a nation state (25:10) A civilization state (26:00) Why Americans should learn about India's history / India and the US are converging (33:25) Why a civil war doesn't seem realistic to people now (40:00) Where else should a talented person move? (41:20) Asia is the new global center, (48:20) Internet first, not America first (01:03:25) Software vs. Hardware (01:05:25) Elon and the Grey Strategy (01:17:15) Israel is looking away from the US for partners (01:20:25) The Tribal lens integrates both domestic and foreign politics (01:21:25) Will blue always win? (01:24:25) Making sense of the China meltdown story (01:36:15How to fix San Francisco (01:51:25) Irrationality is an advantage (02:06:25) Dan and Erik debrief -- X / Twitter @balajis (Balaji) @dwr (Dan) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @MOZ_Podcast
	E23: Emad Mostaque and Sam Lessin Debate Whether AI is a Good Investment for VC	01 Sep 2023	00:59:24
In this episode of Upstream, Emad Mostaque, founder of Stability AI, and Sam Lessin, GP of Slow Ventures and former VP Product at Facebook, discuss how paradigm shifting AI will be for different sectors of the global economy, whether startups or incumbents have the edge, and whether AI is actually a good investment for Venture Capital. Topics covered in this debate span: the attention and information economy, SaaS markets, how AI-created entertainment will impact society and our relationships, porn, and AI disruption of highly-regulated industries. Erik Torenberg and The Cognitive Revolution AI podcast host Nathan Labenz serve as moderators, asking questions towards the end. We're proudly sponsored by Vanta. Get $1000 off Vanta with https://www.vanta.com/zen -- Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Mercury \| Vanta Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. -- Looking to give your startup a competitive edge? Meet Mercury: https://mercury.com/ Mercury is banking for ambitious companies—a modern partner that can provide you with the tools and resources you need to turn your startup into the best version of itself. It’s software built to help you scale, with safety and stability, when you need to — whether you're a team of two, or a team of 1,000. Join more than 100,000 startups on Mercury, the powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Choice Financial Group and involve bank and trust members FDIC. -- Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and more. With Vanta, you can save up to 400 hours and 85% of costs. Vanta scales with your business, helping you successfully enter new markets, land bigger deals, and earn customer loyalty. Bonus? Upstream listeners get $1000 off Vanta. Just go to https://www.vanta.com/zen -- TOPICS DISCUSSED: (01:00) Episode Preview (03:20) AI as an extender rather than a deck shuffler (07:45) Is AI a disruptive or sustaining innovation? (09:13) What is intelligence? (11:47) The attention and information economy (16:43) Storytelling, the stock market, and the economy (18:13) Sponsors: Mercury, Vanta, NetSuite (25:30) Startups vs incumbents (27:40) Disrupting highly-regulated industries (28:47) AI in education: an AI tutor for every child (31:40) AI as StackOverflow 2.0 for engineers (33:45) Regulatory Arbitrage (36:20) The oracle problem (38:00) Apple as the weakest live player in AI (42:15) AI in communities and the future of social media (43:00) Replika on Valentine’s Day and AI-generated porn (50:10) How does the market for inference shape up? Inference vs. cloud (52:30) What are the most likely incumbents to be disrupted? (53:25) Will big tech continue to opensource? (55:30) Birth rate in US in the future given AI (57:00) Can any AI leader sustain high gross margins in the future? (58:00) Stability’s business model
	E22: Vivek Ramaswamy on his Presidential Run, Intellectually Oppressive Culture, Otherism	25 Aug 2023	00:58:14
Erik Torenberg sits down with Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican presidential candidate rapidly rising in the polls. Vivek recorded this interview with us in late march. Given the attention from his performance at the first GOP debate this week, we decided to re-run it. We go deeper on many of the soundbites that have been popping up this summer, including his ideas about the culture war, affirmative action, and climate science. We also cover his ambitious transformation from Silicon Valley founder to political candidate, and discuss his radical policy proposals. We're proudly sponsored by Vanta. Get $1000 off Vanta with https://www.vanta.com/zen -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. -- Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Vanta Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. -- Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and more. With Vanta, you can save up to 400 hours and 85% of costs. Vanta scales with your business, helping you successfully enter new markets, land bigger deals, and earn customer loyalty. Bonus? Upstream listeners get $1000 off Vanta. Just go to https://www.vanta.com/zen -- X/TWITTER: Erik's Twitter: @eriktorenberg Vivek's Twitter: @VivekGRamaswamy Podcast Twitter: @Upstream__Pod Erik's Substack: eriktorenberg.substack.com -- TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Episode Preview (03:03) When Vivek set his sights on running for president (09:02) Vivek’s presidential platform: Affirmative action, Climate, Fed, Drug crisis (15:35) Sponsors: Vanta, NetSuite (16:36) Where Vivek overlaps/differs with Silicon Valley: free speech, DEI, SVB (24:19) How Vivek conceptualizes a meritocracy (30:25) How to remove politics from corporations (41:00) Silicon Valley should empathize more with the rest of the country? (42:24) Cultural otherness (55:06) Defining “woke” (56:22) What’s it like to run a presidential campaign This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E129: Dark Triad, Romantic Partner Selection, and Dating Advice w/ Rob Henderson	27 Mar 2025	01:02:32
Today on Upstream, Erik Torenberg interviews author Rob Henderson about modern romance, discussing evolutionary psychology, the attraction to dark triad men, dating apps, and practical advice for men seeking romantic partners. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse — SPONSORS: ☁️Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is a single platform for your infrastructure, database, application development, and AI needs. OCI has four to eight times the bandwidth of other clouds and offers one consistent price. Oracle is offering to cut your cloud bill in half. See if your company qualifies at https://oracle.com/turpentine 🎯 Say goodbye to the headaches of out-of-home advertising. AdQuick combines technology, OOH expertise, and data to enable efficient, seamless ad buying across the globe. Visit https://adquick.com/ to start reaching your customers in the real world. 🕵️‍♂️ Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code UPSTREAM at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/upstream 💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist. — LINKS: Why (Some) Women are Attracted to Violent Men: https://www.robkhenderson.com/p/why-some-women-are-attracted-to-violent How to Choose a Romantic Partner: https://www.robkhenderson.com/p/how-to-choose-a-romantic-partner Richard Wrangham’s The Goodness Paradox: https://www.amazon.com/Goodness-Paradox-Relationship-Violence-Evolution/dp/1101870907 Frans de Waal’s writings: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/112082.Frans_de_Waal David Gilmore’s Manhood in the Making: https://www.amazon.com/Manhood-Making-Cultural-Concepts-Masculinity/dp/0300050763 Neil Strauss’ The Game (Pickup Artists): https://www.amazon.com/Game-Penetrating-Secret-Society-Artists/dp/0060554738 The Social Dimension of Sex: https://www.amazon.com/Social-Dimension-Sex-Roy-Baumeister/dp/0205324428 — X / TWITTER: @robkhenderson @eriktorenberg @turpentinemedia — HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE: Evolutionary theory suggests some women may be drawn to men with dark triad personality traits (narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism) as a protective mechanism. Men who achieve high status among other men tend to also attract women. Pickup artist culture evolved from self-improvement advice to more pessimistic "black pill" incel communities. Basic improvements for men seeking relationships include grooming, fitness, career advancement, and creating a comfortable living space. Research shows the strongest correlations between couples are in education, intelligence, political beliefs, and religion. The effectiveness of showing vulnerability depends on how you're already perceived socially. There's a significant lack of relationship guidance for young people compared to abundant career advice. Dating preferences show more variety than expected, suggesting more opportunities than pessimistic views indicate.
	E21: Sam Hammond on AI, e/acc, and Institutional Disruption	18 Aug 2023	00:59:21
Samuel Hammond is a Canadian-born, DC-based senior economist for the Foundation for American Innovation, a think tank focused on bridging the cultures of Silicon Valley and DC. His research focuses on innovation and the institutional impact of disruptive technologies. He is an unconventional thinker and writer (Substack: https://www.secondbest.ca/) who participates in nuanced dialogue with different thinkers across economics, tech, policy, and philosophy. In this conversation we discuss Sam’s views on AI, mental models for his worldview, polarization, and how political influence really works. We're proudly sponsored by Vanta. Get $1000 off Vanta with https://www.vanta.com/zen -- Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Vanta Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. -- Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and more. With Vanta, you can save up to 400 hours and 85% of costs. Vanta scales with your business, helping you successfully enter new markets, land bigger deals, and earn customer loyalty. Bonus? Upstream listeners get $1000 off Vanta. Just go to https://www.vanta.com/zen -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff -- LINKS: thefai.org https://www.secondbest.ca/ -- X/ TWITTER: @hamandcheese @joinfai @eriktorenberg (Erik) @upstream__pod -- TIMESTAMPS (01:00) Episode Preview (03:00) How Sam characterizes his worldview (07:25) The great founder theory (11:47) Between AI safety concerns and e/acc beliefs, here does Samuel fall on AI? (15:24) What would Sam say to libertarians? (16:00) Sponsor: NetSuite (18:11) What can we learn from Mormonism about AI risks and regulations ?(21:19) AI is leveling the playing field (25:00) Instead of libertarian, AI is communitarian (27:10) Lessons of Mormonism for adapting to technological revolutions (30:00) Do right or left beliefs qualify as a religion, with their own institutions? (40:57) Humanism, grey goo, and why waste is good (44:40) Mental model for government dysfunction (48:09) The think tank ecosystem and how influence really works in DC? (50:53) Samuel’s interesting disagreements with: Balaji Srinivasan, Robin Hanson, Tyler Cowen, Bryan Caplan (52:27) What’s the best argument for pluralism? (52:48) Ezra Klein and Chris Caldwell actually make the same argument about polarization This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E20: Martin Shkreli on Public Vilification, Lessons from Prison, and Getting Back in the Arena	11 Aug 2023	01:24:30
Biotech founder and investor Martin Shkreli joins Erik Torenberg and his co-host Jesse Genet on In The Arena podcast to dissect his controversies and crises through the lens of leadership. Martin goes deep into the leadership decisions and regulatory environment that led to him serving time in prison, the lessons he took away about tech and founding startups, and how he believes there is a hero’s journey arc up ahead. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/upstream In The Arena is a part of the Turpentine podcast network. If you loved listening, subscribe at the podcast platform of your choice: https://link.chtbl.com/MwjyhPC5 Upstream and In The Arena are part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: www.turpentine.co RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode Preview (01:52) Reliving Martin's most stressful moment (06:09) How the lawsuit impacted Martin's team (09:52) How the government handled Shkreli’s case (11:22) The day Martin was taken by authorities (14:28) Sponsor: NetSuite (19:10) Hedge funds’ relationships with the law compared with venture (25:57) The price hike and pharma industry norms (32:22) Explanation of charges (41:15) The new CEO (44:36) New trope of private equity pharma (48:57) The demise of trust in the media and Pharma Bro (57:11) Regrets and anger (59:45) The epidemic of criminal injustice (01:02:58) Being sued by the FTC under the Sherman Act (monopoly law) (01:06:03) Shkreli and Silicon Valley (01:08:31) Entrepreneurship post-indictment (01:15:40) Martin’s time in prison (01:21:48) Martin reflects on being a repeat founder, and where his passions lie now. X / TWITTER: @wagieeacc (Martin) @jessegenet (Jesse) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @inthearena_pod Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E19: Economist Bryan Caplan on Non-conformity, Sex, Feminism and Homeschooling	04 Aug 2023	01:13:14
Bryan Caplan is a writer and professor of economics at George Mason University, as well as the author of four books, including The myth of the Rational Voter, and The Case Against Education. His upcoming book is on Feminism. In this conversation, we talked about Bryan's views on sex and relationships, innovative approaches to boost birth rates, homeschooling, and his theories on what actually divides the left and the right. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Episode Preview (03:00) Identifying trends that are technically correct but not politically correct (05:20) Why are humans having less kids (13:37) The best ways to not conform (15:28) Sponsor: NetSuite (16:59) Feminism (21:12) Homeschooling (23:25) Dating markets, hook ups, and standard-lowering (32:51) Bryan’s dating advice (41:51) Agency and mental illness (46:58) El Salvador’s approach to crime (56:27) Immigration (01:02:05) Ukraine (01:03:33) What really divides the left and the right? LINKS: Bryan Caplan, The Case Against Education https://www.amazon.com/Case-against-Education-System-Waste/dp/0691174652 Bryan Caplan, Selfish Reasons To Have More Kids https://www.amazon.com/Selfish-Reasons-Have-More-Kids/dp/0465028616/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1691043786&refinements=p_27%3ABryan+Caplan&s=books&sr=1-2&text=Bryan+Caplan Bryan Caplan, Open Borders https://www.amazon.com/Open-Borders-Science-Ethics-Immigration/dp/1250316960/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1691043816&refinements=p_27%3ABryan+Caplan&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Bryan+Caplan Bryan Caplan, The Myth of the Rational Voter https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691138732/the-myth-of-the-rational-voter X: Bryan's Twitter: @Bryan_Caplan Erik's Twitter: @eriktorenberg Upstream : @upstream__pod Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E18: Marc Andreessen on AI, Religion, SF, Longevity, and the NPC Meme	28 Jul 2023	01:24:40
Marc Andreessen of Andreessen Horowitz sits down with Erik Torenberg and his Moment of Zen co-hosts Dan Romero and Antonio Garcia Martinez to discuss AI, religion, San Francisco politics, Eric Voegelin, and life extension. Subscribe to Moment of Zen: https://link.chtbl.com/moz If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/upstream -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff LINKS: Check out Upstream's first interview with Marc, about Marc's Intellectual Education : Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0bYfnuju3PhHFtSGgiMmoz?si=ecLDCrn_TLaYa7Bh8Q50qg Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marc-andreessen-on-his-intellectual-journey-the-past/id1678893467?i=1000605668194 Marc Andreessen, Fighting https://pmarca.substack.com/p/fighting Marc Andreessen, Why AI Will Save The World. https://pmarca.substack.com/p/why-ai-will-save-the-world Eric Voegelin, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Voegelin Book: Regime Change by Patrick J. Deneen https://www.amazon.com/Regime-Change-Toward-Postliberal-Future/dp/0593086902 TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode preview (02:30) The evolution of human entertainment from epic poetry to NPC Tiktoks (07:50) Violence is a choice (12:00) True democracy mandates military service as a virtue (16:05) Sponsor: NetSuite (17:22) Can San Francisco be fixed? (28:03) Marc's empirical argument for AI (31:45) Where Sam Harris gets it wrong (35:35) Eric Voegelin's concept of Immanetizing the Eschaton (41:40) What happens to religion after AI (48:54) What would Nietzsche say? (49:44) LLMs are already the subject of a religious war (53:28) What comes after liberalism (01:03:03) Based on Zuck's recent PR success, are alpha males back? (01:07:23) Men’s tailoring and the stripping of masculinity (01:09:50) Is Twitter’s influence the real world? Alana Newhouse on MOZ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmgtPetHBVw&t=349s (01:13:25 ) Is Left vs Right the central conflict of our time? (01:18:30) Life extension TWITTER: @pmarca (Marc) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @upstream__pod. Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg.
	E17: Noah Smith's Reflections on Biden's First Term, Foreign Policy, and Industrial Policy - Econ 102 with Noah Smith	21 Jul 2023	00:51:11
We're excited to introduce Upstream listeners to Econ 102 from Turpentine. In episode 1, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the highs and lows of Biden's first term, Biden's policies in comparison to previous presidents and other leaders, as well as China - its real estate sector, industrial and manufacturing industries, and its views on tech. If you're looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM Subscribe to Econ 102 at the podcast platform of your choice: https://link.chtbl.com/Econ102 Econ 102 is a part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: www.turpentine.co -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode Preview (01:54) Overview of Biden's first term (03:08) The most important thing Biden's done (12:35) What are the chances of Trump returning? (14:03) In the 1970s once again (14:50) Sponsor: NetSuite (17:26) Noah's ideal foreign policy (17:46) Japan's importance in foreign policy (19:29) Main foreign policy concerns in the next cycle (20:46) The ideal containment strategy (22:05) China (26:23) Getting to 1 billion Americans as a foreign policy measure (27:24) Real estate in China (31:02) Comparing and contrasting Chinese and American industrial policy (38:05) China's stomp on the IT industry to encourage manufacturing (39:15)The difference in Chinese and American views of manufacturing (43:18) Revitalizing American manufacturing (47:16) The services industry (49:09) A shortage of human truckers LINKS MENTIONED: Real Estate is China's Economic Achilles Heel: https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/real-estate-is-chinas-economic-achilles Why is China Smashing its Tech Industry: https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/why-is-china-smashing-its-tech-industry Noah Smith's newsletter: https://www.noahpinion.blog/ Erik Torenberg's newsletter: https://eriktorenberg.substack.com/ TWITTER: @noahpinion (Noah) @eriktorenberg (Erik) Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E16: Agnes Callard on Dark Empathy, Being Straussian vs Being Sincere, and Philosophical Progress	14 Jul 2023	01:18:58
In this episode, Erik sits down with Agnes Callard to discuss her views on disagreement and progress, her inclination to question and operate outside of accepted societal structures, and why empathy is not always positive. Agnes Callard is a philosopher and essayist who specializes in ancient philosophy, ethics, and Socratic communication. If you're looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM Upstream is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn about sponsorships, email Erik@turpentine.co or head to www.turpentine.co RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Episode Preview (02:45) Progress in philosophy (05:13) Tensions between academic and public philosophy (07:56) Does philosophy make the world a better place? (09:11) Consulting philosophers (11:42) Why don't we go to philosophers instead of therapists? (15:28) Sponsor: NetSuite (16:56) Making the case for philosophy (19:22) Sometimes the more you know ain't so (23:46) Benefit of self-delusion (26:05) What do people misunderstand about Socrates? (27:23) Benefits of conceptual literacy (30:02) Irony in today's culture (35:10) Status games (37:30) Being Straussian vs being sincere (44:15) Is Tyler Cowan Straussian? (46:00) Agnes' investment into the biggest cultural war issues of our time (48:28) Why is John Mill's conception of free speech worn out? (50:12) Free speech is the freedom to listen (52:34) How do we justify hierarchy? (56:59) Equality is not a moral principle (58:14) Darwinian morality (01:01:02) Dark empathy (01:07:11) Intellectual masturbation (01:09:28) Love, marriage, and living philosophically (01:15:48) What are the questions Agnes wants to find answers to? (01:17:20) Did we just do philosophy for the past hour? TWITTER: Agnes' Twitter: @AgnesCallard Erik's Twitter: @eriktorenberg Upstream : @upstream__pod Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E15: Richard Hanania on Vivek Ramaswamy, Affirmative Action, and the Winning Agenda for 2024	07 Jul 2023	02:16:08
Erik sits down with writer and political scientist Richard Hanania. This extended discussion encompasses Richard’s intellectual education and views on how the world works, including affirmative action, the dynamic divide between conservatives and liberals, government overreach, geopolitics, and intellectual contemporaries worth reading. If you’re looking for SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR or HIPAA compliance, head to Vanta: https://www.vanta.com/1000 -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. -- Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Vanta Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and more. With Vanta, you can save up to 400 hours and 85% of costs. Vanta scales with your business, helping you successfully enter new markets, land bigger deals, and earn customer loyalty. Bonus? Upstream listeners get $1000 off Vanta. Just go to https://www.vanta.com/zen -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff -- LINKS: Richard’s new book: The Origins of Woke: Civil Rights Law, Corporate America, and the Triumph of Identity Politics Richard Hanania’s Substack: https://www.richardhanania.com/ -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode preview (05:40) Richard on Vivek Ramaswamy (07:20) Diversity and corporate interest (12:10) Wokeness is subsidized by government (18:00) Wokeness as a paper tiger (22:00) Liberal media and Conservative media (31:00) What should the Republican strategy be? (40:00) What is a positive vision rooted in conservative values? (48:00) What are the winning issues for conservatives? (51:00) Crime (01:10:00) Blank Slatism, Charles Murray, and the EA movement (01:14:00) Richard’s geopolitical worldview (01:25:00) Physiognomy of Conservatives and Liberals (01:28:00) Why are we polarized? (01:33:00) Dynamic divide between liberals and conservatives (01:34:00)Richard on Elon (01:40:00) Feminism (02:00:00) Richard on other contemporary intellectuals, including Tyler Cowen, Robin Hanson, Scott Alexander, and more -- TWITTER: Richard: @RichardHanania Erik: @ErikTorenberg -- Upstream : @upstream__pod This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E14: Balaji Srinivasan on the Fiat Crisis, Russia, and China.	30 Jun 2023	01:18:25
In this episode, Erik sits down with Balaji Srinivasan to discuss the Fiat Crisis, geopolitics, conspiracies, and the signs of decline for a hyperpower. Balaji is an angel investor, tech founder, philosopher, and author of The Network State. He was formerly the CTO of Coinbase. This riveting conversation is, in many aspects, a follow-up to his appearance on Moment of Zen (see links below). If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM Upstream is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn about sponsorships, email Erik@turpentine.co or head to www.turpentine.co -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. ICYMI: Moment of Zen w/ Balaji Srinivasan: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6tk6DbkVhBlDp1hh8wzIEM?si=NA-oZU6NT7iNTKhX1ixoCQ TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode Preview (01:40) What is happening with the Fiat Crisis? (08:52) Balaji’s equivalent premises (11:07) God, State, Network (12:45) Irrational adherence to principles (15:12) Sponsors: Secureframe (16:16) Hyperpower wars 1991-2021 (20:05) Economic conclusions (23:12) Blue America is at war with the world (28:30) Cancellation is a weak form of warfare (32:35) Red vs Blue vs Grey America (38:00) Make America states again (39:47) America and India parallels in reverse (43:10) Can America turn around after the next election? (44:25) America and China and Russia \| Microsoft and Facebook and Google (46:55) How people react to Balaji’s China stance (52:00) History between Russia and Japan (57:25) Conspiracies (01:04:35) Balaji’s predictions for 2024 & the Fed (01:11:41) Replacing the Dollar network TWITTER: Balaji’s Twitter: @balajis Erik’s Twitter: @eriktorenberg Upstream : @upstream__pod SPONSOR: Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Secureframe Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. Secureframe https://secureframe.com/ Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention UPSTREAM during your demo to get 20% off your first year. Secureframe has just released Secureframe Trust, a new product that lets you showcase your organization's security posture to build customer trust.
	E13: Kevin Kelly on Multiple Futures, AI, and Becoming Better Humans	23 Jun 2023	00:49:25
This week our guest is Kevin Kelly, the founding executive editor of Wired magazine, technologist, and author. We go into Kevin’s predictions for AI, interspeciation, and how humans need to be having more children. We also talk about practical and unpretentious advice for succeeding, communicating, and being good members of society. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM Upstream is a part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: Turpentine.co -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Preview (01:29) Introduction (03:06) Kevin's advice for living and 'advice as a category' (15:55) Sponsors: Secureframe \| Mercury (17:00) Virtue of Natalism (20:42) Future of sentience (26:13) AI safety (31:26) What technology wants (38:03) New mythologies (41:20) Global governance (45:14) Demoralizing Failure LINKS: Kevin Kelly's book: Excellent Advice for Living https://www.amazon.com/Excellent-Advice-Living-Wisdom-Earlier/dp/0593654528 TWITTER: Kevin's Twitter: @kevin2kelly Erik's Twitter: @eriktorenberg SPONSORS: Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Secureframe \| Mercury Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. -Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. - Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/ Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention UPSTREAM during your demo to get 20% off your first year. Secureframe has just released Secureframe Trust, a new product that lets you showcase your organization's security posture to build customer trust. - Mercury: https://mercury.com/ Now more than ever, startup founders need a safe place to put their cash. Mercury protects your money and also provides the streamlined user experience that great founders expect through partner banks and their sweep networks. Mercury offers up to $5 million in FDIC insurance, which is 20 times the per-bank limit. They also make it easy to invest any cash above the FDIC-insured amount in a money market fund, a hundred thousand startups trust Mercury with their finances. I've been a happy Mercury customer and have found their team incredibly helpful and responsive. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Choice Financial Group and involve bank and trust members FDIC This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co. Thanks to Graham Bessellieu for production.
	[Bonus] Palmer Luckey of Anduril Industries on China, DefenseTech, and U.S. Policy \| The HIll & Valley	16 Jun 2023	01:10:28
Today, we have a special new show to share. The Hill & Valley is a podcast that offers an inside look into how tech and the US government are starting to move closer together and pave the future of American technological leadership and national security. The show is hosted by author and commissioner of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission Jacob Helberg, Varda Space Industries Founder Delian Asparouhov, and Principal at 137 Ventures Christian Garrett. Palmer Luckey is the founder of defense technology company Anduril Industries and Oculus VR. Palmer discusses the future of China-US relations, breakthroughs in DefenseTech, and working with the Department of Defense. -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. Timestamps: (00:00) Episode Preview (03:10) Shifting dynamics between the government and Silicon Valley since Palmer started Anduril Industries (07:30) Biggest factors contributing to new demand for defense technology (13:42) Working with the U.S. Department of Defense (19:00) Sponsors: Secureframe \| Mercury (20:00) Exporting strategic technology to China: patents, AI, sensor fusion (26:00) Lobbying (27:00) Building Anduril Industries on first principles (40:30) Can the US pull off a second Cold War victory with China? (45:00) Immigration reform and supply chain disruption (54:20) Palmer’s picks for the most impactful strategic technology on the horizon SPONSORS: Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Mercury Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. -Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. - Mercury: https://mercury.com/ Now more than ever, startup founders need a safe place to put their cash. Mercury protects your money and also provides the streamlined user experience that great founders expect through partner banks and their sweep networks. Mercury offers up to $5 million in FDIC insurance, which is 20 times the per-bank limit. They also make it easy to invest any cash above the FDIC-insured amount in a money market fund, a hundred thousand startups trust Mercury with their finances. I've been a happy Mercury customer and have found their team incredibly helpful and responsive. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Choice Financial Group and involve bank and trust members FDIC. -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E128: US-Europe Relations, How Japan Can Strengthen The Yen, and Predicting AI’s Growth Effects w/ Noah Smith	23 Mar 2025	00:52:48
Today on Upstream, Erik Torenberg and Noah Smith analyze America's European withdrawal, China's selective globalization strategy, and tempers expectations about AI's economic impact while considering GDP measurement challenges. — 📰Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 🙏Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse — RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: 🎙️Moment of Zen Every week, Erik Torenbergand frequent special guests discuss what's happening in technology, business, politics, and beyond. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15KYOzvDzAQvqX0z0SpHEJ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moment-of-zen/id1661672738 — SPONSORS: ☁️Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is a single platform for your infrastructure, database, application development, and AI needs. OCI has four to eight times the bandwidth of other clouds and offers one consistent price. Oracle is offering to cut your cloud bill in half. See if your company qualifies at https://oracle.com/turpentine 🎯Say goodbye to the headaches of out-of-home advertising. AdQuick combines technology, OOH expertise, and data to enable efficient, seamless ad buying across the globe. Visit https://adquick.com/ to start reaching your customers in the real world. 🕵️‍♂️Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code UPSTREAM at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/upstream 💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist. — RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE: Weeb Economy: https://bookplus.nikkei.com/atcl/catalog/25/03/02/01880/ I have written a book!: https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/i-have-written-a-book Noahpinion: https://www.noahpinion.blog/ — X / TWITTER: @noahpinion @eriktorenberg @turpentinemedia — HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE: U.S.-Europe Relations & Geopolitical Shifts: Examines the U.S. shift away from supporting Europe, debating whether it was exploited or harming its own interests, with Trump’s strength-focused foreign policy potentially pivoting toward Russia, risking economic and intelligence ties with Europe. China's Economic Strategy & Globalization: The Belt and Road Initiative has largely failed, with poorly executed projects and unsustainable debt burdens for recipient countries. India's Industrialization & Economic Future: India needs a major shift in labor dynamics, particularly increasing women's participation in factory work. AI, Economic Growth & the O-Ring Theory: AI’s impact on economic growth is debated—some expect 10% growth, while Noah sees 5% as more realistic. Japan’s Economy & Currency Strength: Japan should push for a new Plaza Accord with the U.S. to strengthen the yen. AI’s Impact on Jobs & Productivity: AI is unlikely to eliminate all jobs but will require major adjustments in industries and legal structures.
	E12: Tim Urban on Liberalism, Heresy, and Equality	09 Jun 2023	01:02:05
Erik Torenberg sits down with Tim Urban, writer of the popular blog Wait But Why, and author of the 2023 book What’s Our Problem? where he offers a framework for thinking about our chaotic political landscape. In this discussion, Erik and Tim discuss liberalism, why heresy is important, and the notion of equality. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM Upstream is part of the Turpentine Network. You can learn more at turpentine.co -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode Preview (02:37) The story of Tim Urban’s new book “What’s Our Problem?” (09:01) Existential threat, technological innovation, and heresy (14:09) Why the left and the right aren’t respecting liberalism (16:51) Sponsor: Secureframe (19:42) Social justice fundamentalism vs liberal social justice (26:13) Social justice fundamentalism as a religion (29:39) Freedom vs Equality (50:42) Equality and specificity (55:08) What would change if Tim wrote the book in the next few years? TWITTER: Tim’s Twitter: @waitbutwhy Erik’s Twitter: @eriktorenberg Upstream : @upstream__pod SPONSORS: Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Secureframe Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months -Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. - Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/ Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention UPSTREAM during your demo to get 20% off your first year. Secureframe has just released Secureframe Trust, a new product that lets you showcase your organization's security posture to build customer trust. -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E11: Katherine Boyle on Building Companies, Families, and Careers	02 Jun 2023	01:22:41
Erik Torenberg sits down with Katherine Boyle, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz where she invests in companies that promote American dynamism. Erik and Katherine discuss the private sector versus the public sector, the American dream in conflict with the rise of therapeutic culture, and how to reinstill a love of public service. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM If you enjoyed this podcast you listen to Katherine's recent Moment of Zen episode next, where she discusses founder mentality, Twitter, SpaceX, and more ( https://link.chtbl.com/moz) -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode preview (03:21) What is American Dynamism? (05:49) How should VC’s view China? (08:03) We aren’t seeing China as an ally anymore (10:19) Private vs public sector (13:23) Why the public sector won’t build the next SpaceX (16:35) Sponsors: Secureframe \| Marketerhire (20:00) Tradeoffs with privatization (26:20) How to reinstill a love for public service (31:02) Where Katherine differs from Balaji (33:39) What can we learn from China (36:13) Building is a political philosophy (35:56) Katherine’s family background (38:47) America is where you can escape your past (40:29) We are a nation of families moreso than individuals (42:40) What Katherine learned from being an au pair (44:48) The rise of therapeutic culture (50:38) What to do about struggling men (59:32) The problems of delaying adulthood (1:07:42) The problems of optionality (1:11:07)How religion informs her work and life TWITTER: Katherine’s Twitter: @KTmBoyle A16z’s Twitter: @a16z Erik’s Twitter: @eriktorenberg Upstream : @upstream__pod LINKS: American Dynamism: https://a16z.com/american-dynamism/ Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Secureframe Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months -Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. - Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/ Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention UPSTREAM during your demo to get 20% off your first year. Secureframe has just released Secureframe Trust, a new product that lets you showcase your organization's security posture to build customer trust. -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E10: Sam Harris on Populism, Polarization, and His Beef with the Left and the Right	28 May 2023	01:33:40
Erik sits down with Sam Harris, an author, neuroscientist, podcaster, and philosopher. Sam is known for having crucial conversations about morality, religion, rationality, and the pursuit of truth. This discussion covers Sam’s concerns about populism, polarization, and inequality. We also discuss why Sam is hated by the left and the right. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. LINKS: Sam's work: https://www.samharris.org/ Sam's podcast Making Sense: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode preview (03:00) Sam’s life’s work (05:00) Sam’s concerns around the marketplace of ideas (12:25) Sam is a mistake theorist (16:45) Sponsors: Secureframe (21:00) Why Sam is hated by both the left and the right (23:30) Fundamental conflict between the left and the right (32:00) Navigating group disparities (42:00) Individual rights vs group rights (48:00) Is wokeness the new religion? (52:00) Sam’s critique of populism (59:00) Sam’s defenses of experts/institutions (1:12:00) The right doesn’t sufficiently appreciate luck (1:17:45) Polarization is better than a one-party state (1:22:00) Global governance TWITTER: Erik’s Twitter: @eriktorenberg Upstream : @upstream__pod Making Sense Podcast: @MakingSenseHQ Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Secureframe Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months -Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. - Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/ Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention UPSTREAM during your demo to get 20% off your first year. Secureframe has just released Secureframe Trust, a new product that lets you showcase your organization's security posture to build customer trust. -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	[Bonus Episode] Moment of Zen w/ Mike Solana, Erik Torenberg and Dan Romero	26 May 2023	01:36:29
We're excited to introduce Upstream listeners to Moment of Zen, a weekly podcast hosted by Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, Antonio Garcia Martinez, and additional guests. This episode features special guest Mike Solana, Editor in Chief of Pirate Wires (https://www.piratewires.com/) in conversation with Erik and Dan. They cover the recent AI congressional hearings, The Culture War's evolution, Twitter under Elon, and much more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO "MOMENT OF ZEN" Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/moz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MomentofZenPodcast MoZ's first episode from Dec '22 featured Marc Andreessen and other guests who have appeared on MoZ include: Balaji Srinivasan, Katherine Boyle, Amjad Masad, Nic Carter, Noah Smith, Michelle Tandler, Byrne Hobart, and more. TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Introduction to this episode of Moment of Zen (00:48) On what Mike Solana would say to Congress about AI (08:00) Contrasting Zuck, Brian Armstrong, and Sam Altman’s approach to regulation (14:20) Sponsor: Secureframe (16:30) AI doomerism is just marketing for big AI (26:00) Elon’s wins and losses so far as Twitter CEO (38:00) Taylor Lorenz Mythology (40:00) Twitter’s regime change // How the tables have turned. Muahahaha. (50:00) Evolution of polarization (58:00) Silver lining of polarization (1:07:00) Distinguishing Elon’s antics from his philosophy (1:18:00) The right is adopting woke tactics (1:24:00) Social media and depression follow up (1:28:00) Is half of Gen Z non-straight? (1:32:00) Ellen Pao (1:34:30) Is Pirate Wires conservative media? (No) TWITTER: @MOZ_Podcast @micsolana (Mike) @piratewires @eriktorenberg (Erik) @dwr (Dan) @antoniogm (Antonio) Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| NetSuite \| Secureframe Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months -Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. -NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/upstream NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than thirty-six thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform -> NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/upstream and defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months. -Secureframe https://secureframe.com/ Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention UPSTREAM during your demo to get 20% off your first year. Secureframe has just released Secureframe Trust, a new product that lets you showcase your organization's security posture to build customer trust. -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E9: Benedict Evans on AI, Web3, VR and the Future of Tech	19 May 2023	01:22:27
Erik sits down with independent analyst Benedict Evans for a wide-ranging discussion of predictions and frameworks spanning the vast realm of technology - where we’ve been, where we’re going, and what really matters. AI scout and podcast host Nathan Labenz (The Cognitive Revolution) joins for the last 20 minutes to deepen the discussion on AI. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode preview (02:47) Benedict’s annual presentations and frameworks for “the next thing” (08:00) Are Netflix and Tesla tech companies? (13:59) Why hasn’t software ‘eaten’ certain industries and fields? (15:47) Sponsors: Secureframe (19:30) Preconditions for predictions (25:30) Overhyped/underappreciated aspects of Web3 and Crypto (29:25) Blockchain, and Benedict’s prediction for decentralization (35:00) Building the next Twitter (44:33) Predictions for metaverse and VR (50:52) Consumer surplus and business models (52:37) AI predictions (56:22) Opportunities in AI (01:02:58) Bundling and unbundling lens on AI (01:07:35) Future of jobs (01:16:00) Predictions for Benedict’s next presentation LINKS: Presentations: https://www.ben-evans.com/ Book recommendation: Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefèvre https://www.amazon.com/Reminiscences-Stock-Operator-Edwin-Lef%25C3%25A8vre/dp/0471059684#:~:text=First%2520published%2520in%25201923%252C%2520Reminiscences%2520of%2520a%2520Stock%2520Operator%2520is,recommended%2520investment%2520book%2520ever%2520written?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=turpentine-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=19fa33d3202c6df062385946b9ec3743&camp=1789&creative=9325 TWITTER: Erik’s Twitter: @eriktorenberg Benedict’s Twitter:@benedictevans Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Secureframe Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months -Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. - Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/ Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention UPSTREAM during your demo to get 20% off your first year. Secureframe has just released Secureframe Trust, a new product that lets you showcase your organization's security posture to build customer trust. -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E8: Samo Burja on America's Future, China, AI, and the New Global Order	12 May 2023	01:00:26
Erik sits down with political scientist Samo Burja ( @SamoBurja ) who founded Bismarck Analysis, a consulting firm that analyzes institutions (ranging from governments to companies). Samo is one of the most interesting and wide-ranging thinkers today. In this episode, they discuss the current state and future state of America, China, Russia, Ukraine, energy, the US dollar, AI, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode preview (03:05) Who’s right: Balaji, Zeihan, or Olson? (07:18) Why China’s prospects aren’t as bad as Zeihan thinks (09:46) What have we learned one year out after Ukraine? (13:12) Future of The U.S. dollar (15:19) Sponsors: Secureframe (17:03) Balaji’s Bet (17:42) Future of America (22:06) Why Brazil hasn’t panned out (26:34) Is AI communist and crypto libertarian (29:37) Evolution of elites (33:40) Comparing Elon and SBF (36:12) Economics of automation and AI (41:28) How intellectual culture has changed (43:39) America exporting Western values (47:42) America and China converging (50:00) Startup cities vs incumbents (52:54) Samo’s consultancy (55:35) Samo’s upcoming research interests TWITTER: Erik’s Twitter: @eriktorenberg Samo's Twitter: @samoburja Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Secureframe Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months -Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. - Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/ Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention UPSTREAM during your demo to get 20% off your first year. Secureframe has just released Secureframe Trust, a new product that lets you showcase your organization's security posture to build customer trust. -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E7: How Andrew Yang Would Cure American Politics	05 May 2023	00:58:13
Andrew Yang is a former founder of Venture for America and former candidate for president of the United States. Yang is now focused on introducing a third party to our two-party political system. He sits down with Erik to talk about why politics is broken and how to fix it, the current political landscape gearing into the 2024 elections, an inside look as to what's actually involved in running for president, and reflections on what he would've done differently. We also talk about universal basic income, fixing California, and fixing media polarization. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/upstream -- We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Preview of the episode (03:46) When Andrew Yang realized the two-party system is broken (08:37) How third parties can cure the system (11:09) What’s the relationship between money and laws changing? (16:10) How the “the last election” plays out (16:58) Sponsors: Secureframe (18:54) Andrew Yang’s prediction for 2024 (20:58) Introducing competition to one party state California (25:26) Institutionalization of the DNC (27:58) Manufacturing the “presidential quality” (29:12) Andrew Yang on Vivek Ramaswamy (33:05) Self-interest in politics (34:52) How to get more talented people to be in politics (37:39) Andrew Yang’s reflections on his candidacy (40:07) What it’s like to run for president (46:10) Trumpism is not over (47:10) Future of disunity? (49:39) Media environment (52:32) UBI and AI SOCIAL LINKS: Erik’s Twitter: @eriktorenberg Andrew’s Twitter: @andrewyang Forward Party Twitter: @fwd_Party Podcast Twitter: @Upstream__Pod Erik’s Substack: eriktorenberg.substack.com Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Secureframe Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months -Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. -Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/ Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention UPSTREAM during your demo to get 20% off your first year. -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E6: Vivek Ramaswamy on Running for President in 2024 and His Message to Silicon Valley	29 Apr 2023	01:01:36
Vivek Ramaswamy is a 2024 Republican presidential candidate who founded biotech company Roivant Sciences, now public. He has written books about what he sees as the excesses of woke capitalism and started an asset management firm called Strive, meant to be a right-wing competitor with BlackRock. With his presidential campaign, Vivek challenges conventional orthodoxy on several core issues, including affirmative action and climate change. Regardless of what you may think about his policies or him, it's worth understanding how he stands to influence our upcoming election and inject his views into the mainstream. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/upstream -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Preview of the episode (04:10) When Vivek changed from founder to presidential candidate (11:47) Vivek’s presidential platform: Affirmative action, Climate, Fed, Drug crisis (16:34) Sponsors: Secureframe (17:58) Where Vivek overlaps/differs with Silicon Valley: DEI, Free speech, SVB (25:51) Meritocracy above all else? (32:32) How to remove politics from corporations (40:26) Silicon Valley should empathize more with the rest of the country? (56:56) Defining “woke” (58:14) What’s it like to run a presidential campaign SOCIAL LINKS: Erik’s Twitter: @eriktorenberg Vivek’s Twitter: @VivekGRamaswamy Podcast Twitter: @Upstream__Pod Erik’s Substack: eriktorenberg.substack.com Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Secureframe Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months -Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. - Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/ Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention UPSTREAM during your demo to get 20% off your first year. -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E5: How Exactly Joe Lonsdale Would Fix The Public Sector	21 Apr 2023	01:02:27
Joe Lonsdale is the founder of Palantir, 8VC, a number of other unicorns he’s incubated, and Cicero Policy Institute. In this episode we focus mostly on his policy, breaking down what are the real problems in healthcare, education, crime/police, homelessness and what are the solutions he recommends to fix them. We talk about how the right is focused on the culture war when fixing accountability will actually be a more effective way to change the culture. We talk about the future for the right, why wealth inequality is the wrong metric to measure, and what it means to believe in America in 2023. This episode was recorded in February 2023. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM -- TIMESTAMPS: (3:10) How Joe Lonsdale maximizes his impact (5:10) The focus of Joe’s public policy org, Cicero (7:58) Why institutional reform is more effective than fighting the culture war (10:11) Misunderstandings about education (12:56) government unions shouldn’t exist (15:02) Misunderstandings about prison reform and crime (18:31) Misunderstandings about homelessness (21:13) Sponsors (26:52) Explaining our healthcare problems (32:53) When to reform vs start new institutions (38:00) What’s the power of a presidency / State reform vs federal reform (40:54) The frontier vs the core (43:40) Draining the swamp (43:50) Wealth inequality (47:20) Equality of opportunity is a myth (49:00) Appreciating billionaires (52:00) Peter Thiel isn’t really focused on politics (54:00) The future of the right (58:42) Why be an American optimist SOCIAL LINKS: Erik’s Twitter: @eriktorenberg Joe’s Twitter: @JTLonsdale Podcast Twitter: @Upstream__Pod Erik’s Substack: eriktorenberg.substack.com Joe’s Substack: blog.joelonsdale.com Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Secureframe Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. - Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/ Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention UPSTREAM during your demo to get 20% off your first year. -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E4: David Sacks on His Intellectual and Political Journey	15 Apr 2023	01:16:56
David Sacks is known as a CEO/investor in multiple unicorns, and most recently a media mogul with All-In. In this episode, we trace David’s intellectual and political history from his days fighting student activism at Stanford to now. We cover the political and cultural changes in the last 30 years of silicon valley, how the real distinction today is between the college-educated and the not, and how even though 2⁄3 of the country didn’t go to college, their views are not represented in our institutions today. This episode was recorded in December 2022 but is just as relevant today. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode Preview (03:18) How did tech become less free speech oriented? (04:30) Why is PayPal so woke? (09:25) Corporations and governments collaborating to censor (10:30) Tracing political history in Silicon Valley (18:45) College educated vs. not is the biggest difference in US (24:50) Sponsors: Secureframe (27:22) David’s experience with student activism in the 1990s (29:00) David’s evolution on foreign policy (32:15) U.S. Russiaphobia (35:45) Why David supports big-tech regulations (49:00) Is classical liberalism a dead end? (54:00) Elon’s character arc and political journey (01:06:33) Employee entitlement was a bull-market phenomenon (01:11:15) Accountability for elites is the solution Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Secureframe \| Mercury Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. - Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/ Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention UPSTREAM during your demo to get 20% off your first year. - Mercury: https://mercury.com/ Now more than ever, startup founders need a safe place to put their cash. Mercury protects your money and also provides the streamlined user experience that great founders expect through partner banks and their sweep networks.Mercury offers up to $5 million in FDIC insurance, which is 20 times the per-bank limit. They also make it easy to invest any cash above the FDIC-insured amount in a money market fund, a hundred thousand startups trust Mercury with their finances. I've been a happy Mercury customer and have found their team incredibly helpful and responsive. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Choice Financial Group and involve bank and trust members FDIC. -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E127: The Tech Right and How The Left Can Fix Itself w/ Jon Askonas	20 Mar 2025	00:45:22
Today on Upstream, we’re airing Erik Torenberg’s conversation with Jon Askonas. They explore the emerging coalition between MAGA supporters and Silicon Valley tech leaders, examines the underlying political realignment, the tensions and fault lines within this coalition, and the potential future conflicts surrounding issues like immigration and transhumanism. This episode originally aired on Moment Zen (February 22, 2025) — 📰Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 🙏Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse — RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: 🎙️Moment of Zen Every week, Erik Torenbergand frequent special guests discuss what's happening in technology, business, politics, and beyond. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15KYOzvDzAQvqX0z0SpHEJ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moment-of-zen/id1661672738 — SPONSORS: ☁️Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is a single platform for your infrastructure, database, application development, and AI needs. OCI has four to eight times the bandwidth of other clouds and offers one consistent price. Oracle is offering to cut your cloud bill in half. See if your company qualifies at https://oracle.com/turpentine 🎯Say goodbye to the headaches of out-of-home advertising. AdQuick combines technology, OOH expertise, and data to enable efficient, seamless ad buying across the globe. Visit https://adquick.com/ to start reaching your customers in the real world. 🕵️‍♂️Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code UPSTREAM at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/upstream 💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist. — LINKS: Ezra Klein on Supply-side Progressivism, Polarization, and What Silicon Valley Misses About Politics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1vBO8SYvto The Future of Crypto with Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQdaQr3EW8g Tech for Trump: https://www.city-journal.org/article/tech-for-trump The New Control Society: https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/the-new-control-society — X / TWITTER: @JonAskonas @eriktorenberg @turpentinemedia — HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE: Silicon Valley has experienced a significant shift away from Democrats, visually demonstrated by tech CEOs like Nadella, Pichai, Bezos, and Zuckerberg attending Trump's inauguration. The tech elite was historically one of the most entrenched parts of the Democratic coalition from the Clinton era through the Obama administration. COVID enabled tech to be publicly anti-left due to perceived governance incompetence, with figures like Mike Solana leading criticism of San Francisco's policies. Brian Armstrong's "no politics at Coinbase" stance marked a controversial turning point, though it wasn't explicitly right-wing. The new right coalition consists of three pillars: the Tech Right (elite talent and donors), MAGA (America First policies), and MAHA (Make America Healthy Again). What unites this coalition is an "existential fight with the Cathedral" - targeting establishment institutions rather than protecting existing systems. Immigration represents a major fault line, with tech generally being pro-immigration while the MAGA base is restrictionist. Transhumanism and biotechnology create tension between tech enthusiasm for innovation versus MAGA/MAHA skepticism about "messing with natural biology." Democrats are struggling with post-election analysis, focusing on messaging rather than substance. Trump's approach differs from previous Republicans by focusing on destroying rather than reforming institutions. Many of Trump's most controversial positions were actually Democratic positions in the 1990s.
	E3: Ezra Klein on Supply-side Progressivism, Polarization, and What Silicon Valley Misses About Politics	07 Apr 2023	01:20:27
Ezra Klein, journalist, political analyst, and podcaster, sits with Erik Torenberg to go deeper into the intellectual movement of supply-side progressivism and what Silicon Valley misses about politics. This conversation was recorded in early February 2023, but is even more relevant today. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Preview of Ezra discussing Elon Musk (02:16) Unpacking supply side liberalism and the abundance agenda (07:55) Contrasting Ezra’s Buildism with Marc Andreessen and Tyler Cowen (12:20) Why we can't build (16:36) Sponsors: Secureframe \| Mercury \| MarketerHire (18:47) Unions (21:06) Ezra on what Silicon Valley misunderstands about politics (24:15) Abundance agenda is bipartisan, but will polarize (27:05) Ezra on immigration and free trade (31:08) Reinterpreting Ezra’s book Why We’re Polarized in 2023 (34:30) Institutional distrust (39:10) Davos elite v. Tech Elite v. Crypto Elite (47:10) What makes Elon right wing? (51:50) Chris Caldwell’s theory of polarization (01:00:15) What the president can actually do (01:07:00) Where he differs from Patrick Collison (01:10:15) Equality of opportunity vs a sufficient floor (01:16:55) Elon and the era of the trickster god (01:20:30) Ezra’s book recommendation Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv \| Shopify \| Secureframe \| Mercury Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg. - Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/ Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention UPSTREAM during your demo to get 20% off your first year. - Mercury: https://mercury.com/ Now more than ever, startup founders need a safe place to put their cash. Mercury protects your money and also provides the streamlined user experience that great founders expect through partner banks and their sweep networks.Mercury offers up to $5 million in FDIC insurance, which is 20 times the per-bank limit. They also make it easy to invest any cash above the FDIC-insured amount in a money market fund, a hundred thousand startups trust Mercury with their finances. I've been a happy Mercury customer and have found their team incredibly helpful and responsive. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by Choice Financial Group and involve bank and trust members FDIC. -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.
	E2: Balaji Srinivasan on His Past and Future predictions, the Future of the Left and Right, and Why Tech Can’t Escape Politics	31 Mar 2023	01:29:21
Balaji Srinivasan, author of The Network State and co-founder of Counsyl, talks to Erik Torenberg about his past and future predictions, the future of the left and right, and why tech will never be able to escape politics. -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Preview of episode (02:30) Why are the scariest words in the English language “Balaji was right” (07:06) When to reform vs start a new institution (09:50) Are ideas weapons? (15:30) You don’t start with a tech company anymore, you start with a tech community (18:58) Internet nationalism (22:06) What "political" means (26:20 ) Activist movements are like “pump and dumps” (29:40) What the sovereign individual misses (41:03) Bitcoin is still the flag of technology (45:38) Democrats will move to the right on immigration (57:20) Tech America vs Woke America (58:00) Why are tech people so woke? (1:03:39) The left will flip on diversity (1:05:00) The left is shifting from wokeism to statism (1:15:17) Bitcoiners will take over the right wing party (1:21:28) Elon
	E1: Marc Andreessen on His Intellectual Journey the Past Ten Years	24 Mar 2023	01:33:00
Marc Andreessen of a16z sits with Erik Torenberg to go deeper into his intellectual and political journey, and his quest to find out how the world works. Upstream with Erik Torenberg is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: turpentine.co. Check out Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (04:25) How much has Marc changed vs the world changed? (07:55) How much do ideas matter? Who drives society — the elite or the masses? (10:56) People respond to interests more than ideas (13:08) Mental models for the left and the right (17:53) The road to hell is paved with good intentions (19:40) Master morality and slave morality (24:20) Unpacking Elon’s quote “Wokeness is the mind-virus” (27:00) Is classical liberalism sustainable and how it leads to wokeness (36:00) James Burnham’s worldview (43:50) How the left captured the institutions (46:20) Elon as the return to entrepreneurial capitalism (49:03) The experiments Elon is running (55:50) The billionaire mindset toward politics (58:30) We live in an oligarchy, not a democracy (01:07:00) Larry Page is the contrarian billionaire (01:08:30) Effective Altruism’s blind spots (01:11:36) Effective altruists think they can play god (01:12:16) SBF’s roll-the-dice philosophy (01:14:23) Aristocratic vs Meritocratic elite (01:22:48) Elites are insulated from the consequences of their policies (01:24:53) Why global governance is a nerd trap (01:28:16) Global governance is anti-diversity (01:31:42) Tech people are politically homeless (01:32:37) Elites can’t be removed, they can only be replaced (01:36:02) Advice for counter-elites (01:49:21) Reasons to be optimistic SOCIAL LINKS: Erik’s Twitter: @eriktorenberg Marc’s Twitter: @pmarca Podcast Twitter: @Upstream__Pod Erik’s Substack: Erik Torenberg Marc’s Substack: Marc Andreessen

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