In this episode, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss tech stagnation, drawing from Peter Thiel and Tyler Cowen's theories on technological progress rates with energy consumption as a metric. They also delve into Y Combinator and Andreessen Horowitz's influence and potential futures amidst differing views on tech slowdown, and they touch on regulatory, cultural, and economic bottlenecks. Head to https://brave.com/brave-ads/ and mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first campaign.

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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: https://eriktorenberg.com/

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SPONSOR: HARMONIC | BRAVE

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LINKS:

Samo’s Bismarck Brief: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:35) What is Tech Stagnation?

(03:20) Exiting the Great Stagnation

(06:23) The Future is Already Here (But Not Evenly Distributed)

(08:19) Sponsor - Brave

(09:20) How Tech Culture Has Stagnated

(17:38) On Industrial Jargon

(22:50) The Importance of Clear Language in Tech

(24:08) Energy Consumption in Tech Progress

(27:23) The Critique of Energy Consumption as a Measure of Progress

(29:04) The Great Stagnation Debate

(31:01) Bottlenecks of Stagnation

(37:10) Y Combinator and the Software Slowdown

(47:26) The Future of Tech: Applying Software to Manufacturing

(48:54) 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.

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