

"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

6 snips
Mar 18, 2024 • 1h 3min
Antonio on Social Media, Journalism, and New Religions with Parker Thompson
Discussion covers influence of social media on society, media literacy and journalism, political changes in views of social media, and rise of unique religious movements in activism. Exploring ethical norms in tech sector, impact of technology on journalism, and navigating fake news in media landscape. Revival of secular religions in digital age and observations on Starbucks inefficiencies and playful airport concept.

17 snips
Mar 9, 2024 • 1h 17min
Will the US Have a Civil War with @WhatifAltHist's Rudyard Lynch
Exploring potential future global events like an American civil war and a revolution in China, analyzing historical patterns for predictions, discussing triggers and dynamics of a US civil war, examining elite power dynamics, exploring consequences of political turbulence in the US and demographic challenges in China, and delving into intellectual development and levels of consciousness.

Mar 4, 2024 • 1h 41min
Dan's Intellectual Journey
Dan discusses scaling Coinbase, crypto ideologies, fast-growing startups, self-learning journey, globalism, history of communism, Nixon's presidency, predicting future tech, reflections on society, morality, and Peter Thiel's perspectives.

6 snips
Feb 26, 2024 • 1h 14min
A Deep Dive on Farcaster: Past, Present, and Future
Erik Torenberg and Dan Romero discuss Farcaster's rapid growth, challenges of decentralization, and future of social media. They touch on user engagement, monetization strategies, and scaling to accommodate a billion users. The podcast explores the impact of Frames, community building, and the potential hurdles of going public in a competitive market.

14 snips
Feb 16, 2024 • 1h 20min
Chris Dixon on the Future of the Internet, Crypto, and Web3
Chris Dixon, a16z General Partner and author of the new book Read Write Own, discusses the evolution of crypto, blockchain's impact on industries, re-centralization, AI's implications on the internet economy, and media perception of tech.

12 snips
Feb 10, 2024 • 1h 17min
How to Build a Startup Now, Finding PMF, and Navigating the Idea Maze
Dan Romero, former Coinbase employee and co-founder of Farcaster, discusses building a startup in 2024, finding product-market fit, and navigating the idea maze. They also dive into Dan's experience at Coinbase, building Farcaster, and evaluating startup ideas. They explore disrupting higher education, improving assessments, and the potential of pseudonymous social networks. Leveraging idle assets for labor and remote work in niche labor marketplaces is also discussed.

Feb 2, 2024 • 1h 27min
The U.S. vs Europe, Bryan Johnson and Human Longevity
Bryan Johnson, entrepreneur in human longevity, discusses the Europe vs United States debate, democracy in the age of social media, and the concept of immortality. They explore the implications of extended power and wealth, the impact of technology on society, and unique housing arrangements in France.

Jan 29, 2024 • 1h 29min
What does E/acc stand for?
Nadia Asparouhova and Bayeslord discuss the meaning and philosophy of effective accelerationism (e/acc), the polarization and nuance in the tech industry, the evolution of the optimistic vision of technology, the association of EA with the Democratic Party, the definition of E/acc and its comparison to philosophy, and moving towards offline action and community collaboration.

5 snips
Jan 21, 2024 • 1h 35min
2023 Recap, 2024 Predictions, Farcaster/Turpentine updates
Discussion of potential impact of a Trump win in 2024, appeal of populism, AI efficiency in startups, and update from Farcaster and Turpentine. Also includes analysis of major changes in vibe on Twitter, shifts in Silicon Valley and DEI policies, impact on industries, cancel culture, activism, anti-Semitism, critical race theory, politics in workplace, potential election impact, strategies for Democrats, and impact of AI on businesses.

67 snips
Jan 14, 2024 • 1h 50min
Curtis Yarvin on Rufo, Harvard, FDR, and The Cathedral
Curtis Yarvin joins Dan and Erik to discuss an upcoming debate with Richard Hanania, FDR's leadership style, radical changes to institutions like Harvard, playing along versus making change, fluctuation of executive power in the US, reflections on leadership, FDR's leadership style and modern comparisons, competing revolutionary empires, and reflections on politics and a potential solution.