My guest today is Samo Burja. Samo is the founder of consulting firm, Bismark Analysis, and has dedicated his life’s work to understanding why there has never been an immortal society. His research focuses on institutions, the founders behind them, how they rise and why they always fall in the end. As you’ll hear, Samo has an encyclopedic grasp of history and his work has led him to some fascinating theories about human progress, the nature of exceptional founders, and the future of different societies across the world. Please enjoy my conversation with Samo Burja.Listen to Founders PodcastFounders Episode 311: James CameronFor the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.-----This episode is brought to you by Tegus. Tegus is the modern research platform for leading investors. Tired of running your own expert calls to get up to speed on a company? Tegus lets you ramp faster and find answers to critical questions more efficiently than any alternative method. The gold standard for research, the Tegus platform delivers unmatched access to timely, qualitative insights through the largest and most differentiated expert call transcript database. With over 60,000 transcripts spanning 22,000 public and private companies, investors can accelerate their fundamental research process by discovering highly-differentiated and reliable insights that can’t be found anywhere else in the market. As a listener, drive your next investment thesis forward with Tegus for free at tegus.co/patrick.-----Invest Like the Best is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Invest Like the Best, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Past guests include Tobi Lutke, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, John Collison, Kat Cole, Marc Andreessen, Matthew Ball, Bill Gurley, Anu Hariharan, Ben Thompson, and many more.Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.Follow us on Twitter: @patrick_oshag | @JoinColossusShow Notes (00:02:52) - (First question) - The core thesis behind the Great Founder Theory(00:06:40) - Great ideas inevitably being discovered at some point in history (00:08:45) - The historic implications of a global adoption of the Great Founder Theory(00:10:51) - The different possible directions of future trends(00:17:08) - Distinctions between great founders versus live players  (00:22:15) - Common misconceptions about what qualifies one as a great founder(00:24:38) - Noteworthy great founders in the United States(00:28:34) - Recurring observable traits and common themes of great founders  (00:31:29) - Using caution when projecting a mythic lens onto great founders (00:37:53) - Social technology as the upstream effects of prior material technology(00:43:32) - Whether or not institutions play a role in propagating the work of great founders   (00:49:08) - The role of power and differences between owned and borrowed power  (00:56:51) - Additional ideas that play an outsized role in shaping the world (01:01:09) - A differing worldview to his own that he finds interesting(01:04:53) - Whether or not capital allocators can benefit from the Great Founder Theory (01:07:37) - The kindest thing anyone has ever done for him

Geopolitical analyst Samo Burja discusses preventing civilizational collapse, knowledge loss, the role of institutions in civilizations, bureaucracy challenges, democracies vs monarchies, AI sensemaking, great founder theory, avoiding power intoxication, democratization of technology, and geopolitical predictions.

In this engaging conversation, geopolitical analyst Samo Burja reveals profound insights into the decline of traditional power structures. He discusses the aftermath of Trump's election and draws striking parallels to the religious wars of the 1600s. Burja also addresses the challenges facing the political left, the role of technology in governance, and the misuse of government data. The dialogue spans urban life in Mexico City, modern cultural shifts, and the impact of Hollywood on society's narratives, providing a compelling lens on today's global dynamics.

Nathan Labenz, host of the Cognitive Revolution Podcast, and Samo Burja, a strategist in geopolitics, dive into the intricate relationship between AI and global power dynamics. They explore how advancements in AI are reshaping U.S.-China relations and the critical challenges of AI safety. The duo examines the importance of foundational research versus commercialization, highlights the complex chip supply chain, and advocates for collaboration in AI development to ensure safety and innovation in a rapidly changing landscape.

Samo Burja, founder of Bismarck Analysis and senior research fellow at the Foresight Institute, dives into the intersection of technology and culture. He discusses the unique entrepreneurial atmosphere of Silicon Valley versus the finance-centric culture of New York. Burja looks at the transformative role of education in tech advancements and explores global competition in technology, particularly the dynamics between the U.S. and China. He also reflects on cultural shifts like 'lying flat' in China and their implications on urbanization and family structures.

This remains my favorite episode, despite Samo’s squeaky chair and some audio misses. We discuss ideas that have made a profound impact on my thinking, such as narrative hedging, the Bismarckian compromise, and energy leaps. This may sound like it was recorded last week with the insightful observations on energy and geopolitical conflict, but it was actually recorded nearly a year ago, at the end of April, and releasing in the middle of May.Samo Burja is the founder and president of the consulting company Bismarck Analysis, a Research Fellow at the Long Now Foundation and a Senior Research Fellow in Political Science at the Foresight Institute. He is also the writer of the Bismarck Brief newsletter, linked below.In this podcast, we discuss the life of Otto Von Bismarck, the political economy of institutions, narratives as a hedge against failure, the coming energy transition, differences between Europe and America, regulation as vengeance, live players, Elon Musk, and the global financial system.Bismarck Analysis:https://www.bismarckanalysis.com/#/Bismarck Brief: Samo Burja on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SamoBurjaThe Costs of European “Privacy” Regulation:https://www.nber.org/papers/w30028EU Artificial Intelligence law:https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/05/13/1052223/guide-ai-act-europe/Great founder theory:https://samoburja.com/great-founder-theory/ This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.fromthenew.world/subscribe

Samo Burja, an insightful analyst on innovation, joins Erik Torenberg, a tech commentator, and Peter Thiel, a prominent entrepreneur, to discuss globalization's complex relationship with innovation. They unpack Thiel's concerns about globalization stifling technological progress and explore historical trade networks that shaped nations. The conversation also touches on today's geopolitical shifts, national security, and how these dynamics influence economic competition and democracy in an age of rising populism.

Samo Burja, an expert on advancing uncrystallized knowledge, critiques academia's inefficiencies and proposes new structures. The discussion covers fostering innovation in social scenes, pursuing genuine knowledge, and competing with current academia. Topics include the role of crackpots, super connectors, acquiring knowledge, and societal behaviors.

In a riveting discussion, Samo Burja, a political theorist and expert on populism, sheds light on the intricate relationship between populism and modern governance. He explores how populism has reshaped political strategies, using examples like Trump's tactics. Burja examines the historical evolution of the state and challenges facing the Republican Party in supporting populism. He also dives into the impact of privacy concerns in our data-driven world and the interplay between politics and cryptocurrency, suggesting innovative pathways for reform.

Exploring history, gerontocracy, and energy transition. Decaying knowledge, abundance of historical information, and Hitler-Stalin's views. Live Players vs. Great Founders, China vs. US fragility, and Capitalism's longevity. Transition to green energy, nuclear reactors, and resource limits. Challenges in European economic growth and societal vulnerabilities.