The United States Has Never Really Been United

Sep 17, 2025

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Troy Munson – https://www.linkedin.com/in/troymunson and Daniel Berk – https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielberk return for one of the rawest Two Dads in Tech episodes yet. From the shock of watching traumatic world events unfold online, to the weight of polarization in America, to the very real personal cost of chasing success—this conversation pulls no punches. They dig into trauma, health, equity, time management, and even the eerie possibilities of digitizing human consciousness. Equal parts heavy, honest, and hopeful, it’s a look at fatherhood, tech, and mental health when the world feels upside down.

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Show Notes:
(0:00) Cold open: “I quit” and starting mid-conversation
(0:22) Banter, birthdays, and shoutouts
(1:50) Processing a heavy week in America
(3:10) Polarization, faith, and feeling unsafe
(5:01) Why this week “happened to me” vs. just the world
(6:14) Accidentally watching traumatic videos online
(7:23) Real-life trauma flashbacks and PTSD triggers
(8:43) Collective group-mind reactions and viral responses
(10:03) Polarization: saint or devil narratives
(10:34) V for Vendetta, movements, and amplified voices
(12:28) History lens: superpowers, cycles, and U.S. division
(14:08) Why America has never been fully “united”
(16:07) Are we a healthy country? Defining the terms
(17:27) Humans are becoming less healthy, not more
(19:06) Knowledge is power—and apathy
(21:23) Inequity, access, and why Flint still matters
(23:13) The personal cost of chasing success
(25:12) Fatherhood pressure not to miss moments
(26:12) Mental health sacrifices for startup grind
(28:09) Why yoga, prayer, and “wasting time” are life hacks
(29:31) Time management, Elon’s 5-minute rule, and wasted blocks
(31:22) Why consistency beats bursts of productivity
(32:23) Cryogenics, ethics, and digitizing consciousness
(34:12) Coping vs. reality when recreating loved ones digitally
(35:45) Movie recs: Goosebumps and Transcendence
(36:02) Sponsor Momentous: protein, creatine, collagen peptides
(37:07) Wrapping up: why this episode may have more nuggets than most

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Links:
• Daniel Berk's LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielberk

• Troy Munson's LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/troymunson

• Two Dads in Tech Newsletter – https://twodadsintech.com

• Shop Two Dads in Tech – https://shop.twodadsintech.com

• Listen on Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/30GQP8FPJoKpLGpYBahlFP

• Listen on Apple – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-dads-in-tech/id1785662964

• Check out Dimmo – https://www.dimmo.ai