

"Moment of Zen"
Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, Antonio Garcia Martinez
Every week, Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, Antonio Garcia Martinez and frequent special guests discuss what's happening in technology, business, politics, and beyond.
Moment of Zen is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: turpentine.co
Moment of Zen is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: turpentine.co
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 6, 2023 • 1h 24min
Ben Smith of Semafor on tech-media hostility, and the past, present, and future of media
Ben Smith is the co-founder of Semafor and author of the forthcoming book Traffic joins Erik Torenberg and Antonio Garcia Martinez for a discussion about the hostility between tech and media, what digital media startups got wrong, analysis of institutions like The New York Times, and what the future of media holds.Also, check out the debut of Erik's long-form interview podcast Upstream. He most recently interviewed Joe Lonsdale and David Sacks. Subscribe here: https://link.chtbl.com/UpstreamREFERENCES:Ben's new book: Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion-Dollar Race to Go ViralSemafor: https://www.semafor.com/TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(4:00) Ben Smith’s book “Traffic”(9:00) Buzzfeed’s cultural impact(11:00) Regrets around the Steele Dossier(16:00) Sponsors: Secureframe | MarketerHire(17:30) Objectivity vs subjectivity in journalsim(21:00) Left wing vs right wing journalism(26:20) Tech media(30:00) Cambridge Analytica bullshit(34:00) Buzzfeed Uber controversy(37:30) Tech and media fall out(50:30) The root of tech vs media dissonance(1:06:00) Free speech(1:13:00) “The book is a eulogy to a rotting corpse that got what was coming to it”(1:16:30) Ads vs subscription(1:21:00) Future of mediaTWITTER:@MOZ_Podcast@semaforben (Ben)@eriktorenberg (Erik)@antoniogm (Antonio)More shownotes released in our Substack: https://momentofzen.substack.com/Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv | Shopify | Secureframe | MarketerHireHead 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 “MOZ” for 20% off your first three months-Shopify: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial periodShopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce 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 e-commerce 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/momentofzen- Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention MOZ during your demo to get 20% off your first year.- MarketerHire: https://marketerhire.com/mozMarketerHire is one of my favorite resources for growing startups looking to hire marketers. With 1000s of pre-vetted marketers across a dozen roles, whether you need help with growth, marketing, SEO, lifecycle, content, or any other aspect of growth marketing strategy. Over 5,000 companies already use MarketerHire to hire expert marketers on demand, ranging from top venture-backed startups to the most well-known Fortune 500s.Go to marketerhire.com/moz and use code MOZ to get your $1,000 credit for your first hire.Thank you Graham Bessellieu for production.

18 snips
Apr 28, 2023 • 1h 23min
On Founders, Seriousness, and American Dynamism
Katherine joins Erik, Antonio, and Dan to discuss the hidden forces that shape founders, major divides in tech, and whether she should join our show as a cohost. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen 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.TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(5:00) Fatherhood and founders(10:00) What is “Seriousness”(13:39) Sponsors: Secureframe | MarketerHire(16:00) Elon(20:30) Software and hardware(26:30) Are founders psychologically off?(35:00) SpaceX and Starship(43:00) Where would Steve Jobs be today?(48:00) Twitter and Substack(1:07:00) Florida is a COVID phenomenon, not a ZIRP phenomenon(1:17:00) Can we pressure Katherine join Moment of Zen as the fourth cohost?(1:18:00) Sending kids to Catholic schoolTWITTER:@MOZ_Podcast@KTmBoyle@eriktorenberg@dwr@antoniogm*Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv | Shopify | NetSuite | Secureframe | MarketerHire*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 “MOZ” for 20% off your first three months-Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce 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 e-commerce 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/momentofzen-NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than thirty-six thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen and defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months.- Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention MOZ during your demo to get 20% off your first year.- MarketerHire: https://marketerhire.com/mozMarketerHire is one of my favorite resources for growing startups looking to hire marketers. With 1000s of pre-vetted marketers across a dozen roles, whether you need help with growth, marketing, SEO, lifecycle, content, or any other aspect of growth marketing strategy. Over 5,000 companies already use MarketerHire to hire expert marketers on demand, ranging from top venture-backed startups to the most well-known Fortune 500s.Go to marketerhire.com/moz and use code MOZ to get your $1,000 credit for your first hire.Thank you Graham Bessellieu for production.

Apr 22, 2023 • 1h 37min
Michelle Tandler on how to fix San Francisco
San Francisco advocate Michelle Tandler (@michelletandler on Twitter) joins Erik and Dan to discuss how Twitter has impacted her life, the state of SF politics, and how she would address the homeless crisis in San Francisco. This episode is a great companion to Episode 17 with Mike Solana, another passionate advocate for fixing the city of San Francisco. Michelle is a founder and writes a newsletter at notesfromthefront.substack.com. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen REFERENCES: Sam Quinones' book - Dream Land: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemichttps://www.amazon.com/Dreamland-True-Americas-Opiate-Epidemic-ebook/dp/B00U19DTS0Sam Quinones' book - The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Methhttps://www.amazon.com/Least-Us-Tales-America-Fentanyl-ebook/dp/B0932RRNVL/Matt Taibbi’s book - Hate Inc.https://www.amazon.com/Hate-Inc-Todays-Despise-Another/dp/1682194078/TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Episode preview(04:45) Michelle’s friend group(11:00) Twitter shapes the real world(14:00) Trump derangement syndrome(16:00) Sponsors: Secureframe(18:00) Reading the news(22:00) The war on drugs(38:30) How to fix SF(50:00) History of media polarization(59:00) Michelle’s three point plan if she were mayor(01:15:00) Should Michelle run for office?(01:21:00 )Twitter reshaping politicsTWITTER:@MOZ_Podcast@michelletandler (Michelle)@eriktorenberg (Erik)@dwr (Dan)Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv | Shopify | NetSuite | Secureframe | MarketerHireHead 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 “MOZ” for 20% off your first three months-Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce 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 e-commerce 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/momentofzen-NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than thirty-six thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen and defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months.- Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention MOZ during your demo to get 20% off your first year.- MarketerHire: https://marketerhire.com/mozMarketerHire is one of my favorite resources for growing startups looking to hire marketers. With 1000s of pre-vetted marketers across a dozen roles, whether you need help with growth, marketing, SEO, lifecycle, content, or any other aspect of growth marketing strategy. Over 5,000 companies already use MarketerHire to hire expert marketers on demand, ranging from top venture-backed startups to the most well-known Fortune 500s.Go to marketerhire.com/moz and use code MOZ to get your $1,000 credit for your first hire.Thank you Graham Bessellieu for production.

Apr 14, 2023 • 1h 24min
How to pick markets, why NFTs matter, what "disinformation" is actually about
Dan and Erik discuss picking markets, NFT's, disinformation, and Fentanyl.Also, check out the debut of Erik's new long-form interview podcast Upstream. This coming season features interviews with Marc Andreessen, Balaji Srinivasan, Ezra Sacks, David Sacks, Katherine Boyle, Joe Lonsdale, and more upcoming. Subscribe here:Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/3z8TldLSpotify: bit.ly/40letd0We'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:The HR industry is at a crossroads. What will it take to construct the next generation of incredible businesses – and where can people leaders have the most business impact? Hosts Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich have been through it all, the highs and the lows – IPOs, layoffs, executive turnover, board meetings, culture changes, and more. With a lineup of industry vets and experts, Nolan and Kelli break down the nitty-gritty details, trade offs, and dynamics of constructing high performing companies. Through unfiltered conversations that can only happen between seasoned practitioners, Kelli and Nolan dive deep into the kind of leadership-level strategy that often happens behind closed doors. Check out the first episode with the architect of Netflix’s culture deck Patty McCord.https://link.chtbl.com/hrhereticsTIMESTAMPS:(0:00) Preview of episode(1:45) Crypto in a bear market(9:00) How to pick markets(17:45) Sponsors - Secureframe | MarketerHire(18:57) Why do NFTs matter(48:00) Disinformation(1:01:00) Social media fragmentation(1:10:00) Biggest U.S problems(1:13:00) How to fix the Fentanyl programTWITTER:@MOZ_Podcast@eriktorenberg (Erik)@dwr (Dan)More shownotes and reading material released in our Substack: https://momentofzen.substack.com/Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv | Shopify | Secureframe | MarketerHireHead 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 “MOZ” for 20% off your first three months-Shopify: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial periodShopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce 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 e-commerce 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/momentofzen- Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention MOZ during your demo to get 20% off your first year.- MarketerHire: https://marketerhire.com/mozMarketerHire is one of my favorite resources for growing startups looking to hire marketers. With 1000s of pre-vetted marketers across a dozen roles, whether you need help with growth, marketing, SEO, lifecycle, content, or any other aspect of growth marketing strategy. Over 5,000 companies already use MarketerHire to hire expert marketers on demand, ranging from top venture-backed startups to the most well-known Fortune 500s.Go to marketerhire.com/moz and use code MOZ to get your $1,000 credit for your first hire.Thank you Graham Bessellieu for production.

15 snips
Apr 7, 2023 • 1h 37min
Mike Solana on SF politics, tech & media fights, Tik Tok policy, and AI wars
Our guest this week is Mike Solana, founder and editor-in-chief of Pirate Wires (Piratewires.com). We discuss the broken local politics of San Francisco, tech and media fights, how we should handle Tik Tok,and why AI enthusiasts are losing. We record our interviews with Riverside. Go to https://bit.ly/Riverside_MoZ + use code ZEN for 20%. 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:The HR industry is at a crossroads. What will it take to construct the next generation of incredible businesses – and where can people leaders have the most business impact? Hosts Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich have been through it all, the highs and the lows – IPOs, layoffs, executive turnover, board meetings, culture changes, and more. With a lineup of industry vets and experts, Nolan and Kelli break down the nitty-gritty details, trade offs, and dynamics of constructing high performing companies. Through unfiltered conversations that can only happen between seasoned practitioners, Kelli and Nolan dive deep into the kind of leadership-level strategy that often happens behind closed doors. Check out the first episode with the architect of Netflix’s culture deck Patty McCord.https://link.chtbl.com/hrhereticsTIMESTAMPS:(0:00) Antonio’s EA rant(2:12) Local SF politics is changing(18:10) Tech vs. Media(26:30) Sponsors: Secureframe and Riverside(28:00 )Why does SF hate tech?(31:00) How to win over California(38:00) Institutionalist vs. anti-institutionalist(55:50) Taylor Lorenz(1:01:30) Tik Tok(1:03:40) Why Solana isn’t a libertarian anymore(1:07:55) Why is the onus on billionaires instead of government(1:14:20) Dan swears off Peter Zeihan(1:16:00) Anti-tech tech podcasts(1:18:20) AI criticism is coming from within tech(1:19:50) Aella(1:21:30) AI safety debate(1:32:00) What Solana is motivated byTWITTER:@MOZ_Podcast@micsolana (Mike)@eriktorenberg (Erik)@dwr (Dan)@antoniogm (Antonio)More shownotes and reading material released in our Substack: https://momentofzen.substack.com/ SPONSORS: Beehiiv | 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 “MOZ” for 20% off your first three months-Shopify: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial periodShopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce 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 e-commerce 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/momentofzenThank you to Secureframe for sponsoring (Use "Moment of Zen" for 20% discount) and Graham Bessellieu for production.

9 snips
Apr 1, 2023 • 1h 28min
AI open letter debate, "pausers", and what we're all scared of with AI with Anton Troynikov, Flo Crivello, and Nathan Labenz
Anton Troynikov of Chroma, Flo Crivello of Lindy AI, and Nathan Labenz of Waymark and co-host of The Cognitive Revolution podcast join Erik Torenberg for a timely debate on the issues raised in the AI open letter which advocates for a 6-month pause on AI system trainings. Dan and Antonio will be back next week. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zenCheck out the debut of Erik's new longform interview podcast Upstream. This coming season features interviews with Marc Andreessen, Balaji Srinivasan, Ezra Sacks, David Sacks, Katherine Boyle, and more. 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.LINKS:Open letter: https://futureoflife.org/open-letter/pause-giant-ai-experiments/Scott Aronson blog post: https://scottaaronson.blog/TIMESTAMPS:(3:00) Explanation of the AI open letter(3:50) Anton’s skepticism of the open letter(7:00) Flo’s skepticism of the open letter(13:00) Nathan’s support for the open letter(15:39) Sponsors(20:00) Differences between Flo and Anton’s positions(30:00) GPT4 is still dangerous(38:00) Luddites/“Pausers” are on the wrong side of history(42:00 )Why not pause 6 months?(50:00) Anton and Flo debate robotics(56:00) What we’re all scared of with AI(1:21:00) Is there asymmetric risk with pausing or not pausing?TWITTER:@MOZ_Podcast@atroyn (Anton)@labenz (Nathan)@eriktorenberg (Erik)@altimor (Flo)SPONSORS: Beehiiv | Shopify | Netsuite | SecureframeHead 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 “MOZ” for 20% off your first three months-Shopify: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial periodShopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce 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 e-commerce 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/momentofzen-NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zenNetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than thirty-six thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen and defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months.-SecureFrame: www.secureframe.comSecureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention MOMENT OF ZEN during your demo to get 20% off your first year.

10 snips
Mar 25, 2023 • 1h 36min
Nic Carter on Balaji's Bet, Operation Chokepoint 2.0, and the Fed's financial crisis
Writer, VC, and podcaster Nic Carter joins us to talk about Balaji's bet, Operation Chokepoint 2.0, and the Fed's financial crisis.If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen 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:The HR industry is at a crossroads. What will it take to construct the next generation of incredible businesses – and where can people leaders have the most business impact? Hosts Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich have been through it all, the highs and the lows – IPOs, layoffs, executive turnover, board meetings, culture changes, and more. With a lineup of industry vets and experts, Nolan and Kelli break down the nitty-gritty details, trade offs, and dynamics of constructing high performing companies. Through unfiltered conversations that can only happen between seasoned practitioners, Kelli and Nolan dive deep into the kind of leadership-level strategy that often happens behind closed doors. Check out the first episode with the architect of Netflix’s culture deck Patty McCord.https://link.chtbl.com/hrhereticsPodcast Info:(0:00) Intro(3:00) Reflections on Balaji episode (10:00) Coinbase and SVB(14:00) Sponsors(15:00) Operation chokepoint 2.0(16:45) We find out the reason for Antonio’s circumcision(25:00) Crypto banking crisis(36:00) How much of crypto is new?(38:40) Main benefits of crypto (47:20) Finance is politicized (55:00) Defining a CDBC(1:02:00) Nic’s biggest crypto beef(1:07:30) Nic’s take on Balaji’s bet(1:12:30) Why crypto should vote republicans next election(1:19:30) We’re in a financial crisis caused by the fed(1:20:30) Our options for addressing the crisis(1:27:00) If we were kings for a day how we’d solve it(1:28:50) Nic would rather cut rates than raise rates(1:30:00) AI is the U.S.’s main hopeSPONSORS: Beehiiv | Shopify | Netsuite | SecureframeHead 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 “MOZ” for 20% off your first three months-Shopify: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial periodShopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce 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 e-commerce 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/momentofzen-NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than thirty-six thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen and defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months.-Secureframe (www.secureframe.com)Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention MOMENT OF ZEN during your demo to get 20% off your first year.

14 snips
Mar 21, 2023 • 1h 19min
Balaji Srinivasan on his $1M bet, Financial Crisis 2.0, Digital Devaluation of USD, and What Comes Next
Balaji Srinivasan tells us why he is making a $1M BTC prediction and discusses SVB, the financial crisis, the digital devaluation of the USD, and what comes next. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen 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:The HR industry is at a crossroads. What will it take to construct the next generation of incredible businesses – and where can people leaders have the most business impact? Hosts Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich have been through it all, the highs and the lows – IPOs, layoffs, executive turnover, board meetings, culture changes, and more. With a lineup of industry vets and experts, Nolan and Kelli break down the nitty-gritty details, trade offs, and dynamics of constructing high performing companies. Through unfiltered conversations that can only happen between seasoned practitioners, Kelli and Nolan dive deep into the kind of leadership-level strategy that often happens behind closed doors. Check out the first episode with the architect of Netflix’s culture deck Patty McCord.https://link.chtbl.com/hrheretics TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(08:00) What happened with SVB(15:00) Constructive debate(59:00) Where we agree and where we disagree(1:07:00) If the U.S. implodes, there’s no where else to go(1:18:00) Responding to critics SPONSORS: Beehiiv | Shopify | Netsuite | SecureframeHead 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 “MOZ” for 20% off your first three months-Shopify: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial periodShopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce 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 e-commerce 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/momentofzen-NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than thirty-six thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen and defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months.-Secureframe (www.secureframe.com)Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention MOMENT OF ZEN during your demo to get 20% off your first year.

6 snips
Mar 18, 2023 • 1h 29min
How SVB Unraveled and Whether Crypto Can Fix Finance with Byrne Hobart
Byrne Hobart joins Antonio, Dan, and Erik to discuss SVB, finance, and crypto.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:The HR industry is at a crossroads. What will it take to construct the next generation of incredible businesses – and where can people leaders have the most business impact? Hosts Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich have been through it all, the highs and the lows – IPOs, layoffs, executive turnover, board meetings, culture changes, and more. With a lineup of industry vets and experts, Nolan and Kelli break down the nitty-gritty details, trade offs, and dynamics of constructing high performing companies. Through unfiltered conversations that can only happen between seasoned practitioners, Kelli and Nolan dive deep into the kind of leadership-level strategy that often happens behind closed doors. Check out the first episode with the architect of Netflix’s culture deck Patty McCord.https://link.chtbl.com/hrhereticsTIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:45) Sponsors(01:28) Dan’s story with SVB(06:00) Byrne intro (Check out Thediff.co)(07:00) How Byrne identified SVB’s insolvency(15:30) How banking works(22:10) Fractional reserve banking(27:00) Banking on-chain(32:00) Understanding illiquidity(46:00) Housing market(53:00) How much can crypto recreate the financial system?(1:08:00) Crypto is financial system for digital native world(1:15:25) Are we at the end of (financial) history?(1:20:00) Finance is never solvedSPONSORS: Beehiiv | Shopify | SecureframeHead 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 “MOZ” for 20% off your first three months-Shopify: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial periodShopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce 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 e-commerce 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/momentofzen-Secureframe (www.secureframe.com)Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention MOMENT OF ZEN during your demo to get 20% off your first year.

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Mar 11, 2023 • 2h 9min
Effective Accelerationism and the AI Safety Debate with Bayeslord, Beff Jezoz, and Nathan Labenz
Anonymous founders of the Effective Accelerationist (e/acc) movement @Bayeslord and Beff Jezoz (@BasedBeff) join Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, and Nathan Labenz to debate views on AI safety.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:The HR industry is at a crossroads. What will it take to construct the next generation of incredible businesses – and where can people leaders have the most business impact? Hosts Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich have been through it all, the highs and the lows – IPOs, layoffs, executive turnover, board meetings, culture changes, and more. With a lineup of industry vets and experts, Nolan and Kelli break down the nitty-gritty details, trade offs, and dynamics of constructing high performing companies. Through unfiltered conversations that can only happen between seasoned practitioners, Kelli and Nolan dive deep into the kind of leadership-level strategy that often happens behind closed doors. Check out the first episode with the architect of Netflix’s culture deck Patty McCord.https://link.chtbl.com/hrhereticsTIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Episode preview(03:00) Intro to effective accelerationism(08:00) Differences between effective accelerationism and effective altruism(23:00) Effective accelerationism is bottoms-up(42:00) Transhumanism(46:00) "Equanimity amidst the singularity"(48:30) Why AI safety is the wrong frame(56:00) Pushing back against effective accelerationism(01:06:00) The case for AI safety(01:24:00) Upgrading civilizational infrastructure(01:33:00) Effective accelerationism is anti-fragile(01:39:00) Will we botch AI like we botched nuclear?(01:46:00) Hidden costs of emphasizing downsides(2:00:00) Are we in the same position as neanderthals, before humans?(2:09:00) "Doomerism has an unpriced opportunity cost of upside"SPONSORS: Beehiiv | Shopify | SecureframeHead 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 “MOZ” for 20% off your first three months-Shopify: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial periodShopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce 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 e-commerce 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/momentofzen-Secureframe (www.secureframe.com)Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention MOMENT OF ZEN during your demo to get 20% off your first year.