Audience of One

Ryan Hashemi, Founder of Hashemi Studios and former Chief Strategy Officer of Jubilee Media, talks about the longevity of YouTube, building the “Disney of Empathy”, micro and macro experimentation, copying vs. being original, sabbaticals, and knowing what you want. They also discuss optimizing YouTube content, content development strategies of successful YouTube creators, and prioritizing health and self-care.

Chris Bakke, serial entrepreneur who sold his company, Laskie, talks about satire & memes, authenticity, acquiring Laskie, capturing value in hiring on X, disrupting staffing companies, criteria for solving problems, and the value of work.

Arjun Khemani, HS drop out and part of Airchat, talks about education, knowledge creation, Airchat, the power of the internet, reimagining learning, living with uncertainty, protecting means of knowledge creation, arbitraging zip code & credentials, big quests: education & longevity, and future plans.

Jack Raines, a writer and Columbia MBA student, discusses alternative life paths, the importance of travel and writing, financial priorities, satire, getting an MBA, and the value of fun. He reflects on regrets, publishing a book, developing writing skills, and the changing creator space.

Michael Mayer, co-founder and CEO of Bottomless, talks about Twitter, media, habits, failure, technology, startups, and more. Topics include taking a break from social media, cultivating disgust, leaving Twitter and finding new habits, the contrarian nature of startups, building new platforms and tools in tech, and the relationship between willpower and habits.

Danny McMahon, a filmmaker and documentarian, discusses the art of storytelling, simplicity vs. experimentation, and using YouTube to reach a wider audience. They emphasize the importance of perseverance, balancing your story with the subject's, and taking people on an emotional journey. They also explore the tradeoffs of excellence, the fear of losing creativity, and the value of knowing your main tool in your toolbox.

Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy, discusses perception vs. technological improvement, creativity, efficiency vs. invention, changes in advertising and social norms, and evolutionary biology in this podcast. Topics include perceptual arbitrage, making space for creativity, growth of bureaucracy, working from home, irrationality, changing social norms, shrinking advertising budgets, evolutionary biology, and more.

Kevin Espiritu, Founder and CEO of Epic Gardening, talks about content creation, passion development, paradoxes, cinematic universes, global food supply chain, and more. They discuss the importance of writing skills, finding your passion, and leveraging the Pareto principle. They also explore the transition from a lifestyle business to a venture-backed company, creating audience-content fit, and the success of Marvel's Cinematic Universe as a blueprint for creators. The podcast delves into competing priorities in content creation, the complexity of the global supply chain, and the significance of honesty in achieving one's goals.

Wolf Tivy is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Palladium Magazine. We talk about governance and building new institutions, religion and higher callings, virtuosity, agency, and more. — (00:16) How do you build a new governing bodies, polities, or political institutions? (18:46) Wolf’s religious underpinnings (31:03) Higher callings & Darwinian virtuosity & experimentation (37:34) Getting more in tune with your calling; there are only so many high agency people (49:08) Don't be programmed by the institutions of programming (51:56) Living at the extremes & thinking with greater stakes & agency (58:15) Ambient learning (01:02:19) Understanding value & re-defining your relationship to money (01:07:20) Do it for the lulz — Wolf’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/wolftivy Palladium Magazine: https://www.palladiummag.com Palladium’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Palladiummag Spencer’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/SP1NS1R Spencer’s Blog: https://spencerkier.substack.com

Chris Turner, founder and CEO of Moonrise, discusses homeschooling, meaningful work, and entrepreneurship. They explore the flaws of the public education system, the benefits of enjoyable spaces over curriculum, finding meaningful context in learning, and the importance of uniqueness in work. They also discuss the challenges and value of an in-person education startup, the importance of beauty and design in education, and the blank canvas of technology.