Yesterday Podcast Joe Lonsdale | From Chess Prodigy to Co-founder of Palantir, 8VC
Sep 23, 2025
Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of Palantir and venture capitalist at 8VC, shares his journey from a talented chess prodigy to a prolific entrepreneur. He discusses how his family background shaped his values and competitiveness. Lonsdale dives into the founding of Palantir, navigating government procurement, and the essence of building talent-dense teams. He also explores the promise of AI in reshaping productivity and reflects on the importance of courage in leadership and philanthropy, particularly through his work with the University of Austin.
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Courage As The Leader's Core
- Courage is central to leadership and tackling broken systems.
- Joe Lonsdale argues every success expands your platform to fix bigger problems.
Family Roots Shaped Values
- Joe traces his mixed Irish-Jewish family roots and their influences on him.
- His grandfather was an inventive, service-minded American and his family emphasized education and patriotism.
Two Cultural Drives
- He blends a competitive, warrior ethic from his father with a Judaic scholarly ethic and equal human dignity.
- That dialectic grounds his drive to help others self-actualize while valuing every life.