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