

The Jacob Shapiro Podcast
Jacob Shapiro
Hosted by Jacob Shapiro, the Jacob Shapiro Podcast is long-form exploration of geopolitics, markets, crypto, agriculture, macro-finance, commodities, ForEx, and much much more! Tune in biweekly for interviews with experts across the globe, and weekly for roundups of global financial and geopolitical events!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 14, 2024 • 27min
Emergency Update: Are we heading into World War Three?
Discussion on Iran's missile and drone attacks, Israel's defense measures, and geopolitical implications. Analysis of challenges in prolonged conflicts, multipolar dynamics, and regional tensions in the Middle East.

Apr 12, 2024 • 59min
#190 - Weekly Update: 47 Crises in 17 Years
Discussion on economic crises, US-China-Japan relations, hot CPI print, market predictions on yen. Taxonomy of crashes, China developments, Japan's proactive stance in industry. Exploring globalization, capital flows, and economic stability. Analysis of US-China collaboration, economic imbalances. Yen investment decision, inflation report analysis, Bank of Japan's policy shift. Navigating Japan's economic landscape, AI disruption and technology trends.

Apr 5, 2024 • 1h 2min
#189 - Weekly Update: Coronal Mass Ejection
Rob and Jacob are back at it. They discuss the earthquake in Taiwan and why they are skeptical of Taiwan’s economic future. From there they turn to a controversial article about how immigration has been driving US GDP growth and why demographics are not destiny. They close with some thoughts about the straitjacket of specialization and the dangers of too much expertise.--Timestamps:(00:00) - Intro(01:10) - Taiwan(19:40) - Coronal Mass Ejections and Black Swans(23:07) – Taiwan(25:10) – Immigration/Demographics(45:30) – India(47:30) – Historians rule--Referenced in the Show:Angus Deaton – https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2024/03/Symposium-Rethinking-Economics-Angus-DeatonImmigration and the US Economy – https://www.briefingbook.info/p/immigration-and-the-us-economy-since?utm_campaign=email-post&r=bkto&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=emailAssuring Taiwan’s Innovation Future – https://carnegieendowment.org/2020/01/29/assuring-taiwan-s-innovation-future-pub-80920--CI Site: cognitive.investmentsJacob Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapSubscribe to the Newsletter: bit.ly/weekly-sitrep--Cognitive Investments is an investment advisory firm, founded in 2019 that provides clients with a nuanced array of financial planning, investment advisory and wealth management services. We aim to grow both our clients’ material wealth (i.e. their existing financial assets) and their human wealth (i.e. their ability to make good strategic decisions for their business, family, and career).--Disclaimer: Cognitive Investments LLC (“Cognitive Investments”) is a registered investment advisor. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Cognitive Investments and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure.The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your attorney or tax advisor

Apr 1, 2024 • 57min
#188 - James Meadway: The First Crisis of the Anthropocene
Jacob welcomes James Meadway, former British treasury official and current economist at The Progressive Economy Forum on for a cross-posted episode of Cognitive Dissidents and Macrodose. They discuss James’s recent essay about why COVID was both an accelerant of underlying trends, but also the first “crisis of the Anthropocene,” a phrase borrowed from Adam Tooze. They explore issues related to debt, climate, and prospects for growth.--Timestamps:(00:00) - Intro (01:39) – Defining terms(11:41) – Weaponizing finance(20:50) – Crypto/Milei(28:00) - WW3 + Ecological disasters(40:57) – Debt(45:15) – Can we grow our way out of the problem?(51:30) – Silver linings playbook--Referenced in the Show:Link to Macrodose: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/macrodose/id1646528688Link to James’s essay: https://socialistregister.com/index.php/srv/article/view/42873--CI Site: cognitive.investmentsJacob Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapSubscribe to the Newsletter: bit.ly/weekly-sitrep--Cognitive Investments is an investment advisory firm, founded in 2019 that provides clients with a nuanced array of financial planning, investment advisory and wealth management services. We aim to grow both our clients’ material wealth (i.e. their existing financial assets) and their human wealth (i.e. their ability to make good strategic decisions for their business, family, and career).--Disclaimer: Cognitive Investments LLC (“Cognitive Investments”) is a registered investment advisor. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Cognitive Investments and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure.The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your attorney or tax advisor

Mar 29, 2024 • 1h
#187 - Sim Tack: Can Ukraine Still Win Against Russia?
Jacob has been growing increasingly more concerned about Ukraine, so he starts his bottom-up analytical review of the war and Ukraine’s prospects by hosting Sim Tack on the podcast. Jacob throws a bucket of questions at Sim to try and figure out what, if anything, has changed at a strategic level in the war. From there they speculate on European support for Ukraine in the future, whether Ukraine can still win, and a reframing of what could actually take Russia out of the war. --Timestamps:(00:00) - Intro(01:12) – Lessons from Avdiivka(13:10) – Signposts for Ukrainian and Russian collapse(24:00)– Can Ukraine still win?(29:30)– Sim’s take on Macron/French support for Ukraine(38:30) – Where does the ammunition come from and (40:43) – Ukraine's F16's(47:54) - Zelensky v Zaluzhny and what it would take to get Russia out of the war--Referenced in the Show:--CI Site: cognitive.investmentsJacob Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapSubscribe to the Newsletter: bit.ly/weekly-sitrep--Cognitive Investments is an investment advisory firm, founded in 2019 that provides clients with a nuanced array of financial planning, investment advisory and wealth management services. We aim to grow both our clients’ material wealth (i.e. their existing financial assets) and their human wealth (i.e. their ability to make good strategic decisions for their business, family, and career).--Disclaimer: Cognitive Investments LLC (“Cognitive Investments”) is a registered investment advisor. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Cognitive Investments and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure.The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your attorney or tax advisor

Mar 25, 2024 • 1h 5min
#186 - Matthew Pines: Cyber, Bitcoin, and Aliens
Expert in cyber conflicts, Matthew Pines, discusses China v. US cyber conflict, global implications of digitalization on currency/trade/war, Bitcoin's role in the future, and closes with an intriguing discussion on aliens.

Mar 22, 2024 • 41min
#185 - Weekly Update: Why We Still Like Japan & Other contrarian takes
Jacob and Rob are pressed for time, but they squeeze in a quick podcast between meetings to discuss the big news out of Japanese markets this week. They give a window into CI’s international allocation strategy and what countries they are feeling good and bad about, before turning to political intrigue in Vietnam and lessons for and from the U.S. semiconductor industry after the allocation of over $8 billion in grants to $INTC.--Timestamps:(00:00) - Intro(01:30) - Japan and the Fed(17:30) – Yikes Canada(22:09) – Vietnam( 31:41) – Intel and the CHIPS Act--Referenced in the Show:Economist Article: https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/03/19/why-japans-economy-remains-a-warning-to-others--CI Site: cognitive.investmentsJacob Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapSubscribe to the Newsletter: bit.ly/weekly-sitrep--Cognitive Investments is an investment advisory firm, founded in 2019 that provides clients with a nuanced array of financial planning, investment advisory and wealth management services. We aim to grow both our clients’ material wealth (i.e. their existing financial assets) and their human wealth (i.e. their ability to make good strategic decisions for their business, family, and career).--Disclaimer: Cognitive Investments LLC (“Cognitive Investments”) is a registered investment advisor. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Cognitive Investments and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure.The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your attorney or tax advisor

Mar 18, 2024 • 58min
#184 - Kevin Evans: The Largest Invisible Thing in the World
Jacob welcomes Kevin Evans to discuss Indonesia – Kevin’s experience in the country over the last three decades, the recent elections and mysterious change in the political mood of the country since 2019, Prabowo and his political ambitions, and the future of the Indonesian economy. They close with some talk about Jakarta and Indonesian food.--Timestamps:(00:00) - Intro(01:25) - Why Indonesia(06:06) – Shadows of authoritarianism(14:00) – Prabowo(29:25) – Future of the Indonesian economy(41:25 – Indonesia-Oz relations(44:33) – Jakarta(54:02) – What to eat--Referenced in the Show:--CI Site: cognitive.investmentsJacob Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapSubscribe to the Newsletter: bit.ly/weekly-sitrep--Cognitive Investments is an investment advisory firm, founded in 2019 that provides clients with a nuanced array of financial planning, investment advisory and wealth management services. We aim to grow both our clients’ material wealth (i.e. their existing financial assets) and their human wealth (i.e. their ability to make good strategic decisions for their business, family, and career).--Disclaimer: Cognitive Investments LLC (“Cognitive Investments”) is a registered investment advisor. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Cognitive Investments and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure.The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your attorney or tax advisor

Mar 15, 2024 • 1h 14min
#183 - Weekly Update: What is a Doji (and Why Should I Care?)
Get ready for a deep dive into technical analysis with discussions on Japanese candlesticks, market euphoria, and inflation. Explore the latest updates on the conflict in Ukraine and economic restructuring in China. The episode also features insights on microgeopolitics and wealth redistribution in China.

Mar 11, 2024 • 45min
#182 - Gary Saul Morson: Russian Exceptionalism
Professor Gary Saul Morson of Northwestern University joins the podcast to discuss his recent article in The New York Review of Books about “Russian exceptionalism.” Gary explains what Eurasianism is, to what extent it motivates the decisions and ideology of the Kremlin, and how to think about the history of Russia’s ideas about the Westin the context of Russia and Ukraine’s futures.--Timestamps:(00:00) - Intro (02:00) – Eurasianism(17:00) – What does Putin think/believe(28:06) – Russia’s views of the East/China(32:32) - Russian exceptionalism--Referenced in the Show:Link to Gary’s piece: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2024/02/22/russian-exceptionalism-foundations-of-eurasianism/--CI Site: cognitive.investmentsJacob Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapSubscribe to the Newsletter: bit.ly/weekly-sitrep--Cognitive Investments is an investment advisory firm, founded in 2019 that provides clients with a nuanced array of financial planning, investment advisory and wealth management services. We aim to grow both our clients’ material wealth (i.e. their existing financial assets) and their human wealth (i.e. their ability to make good strategic decisions for their business, family, and career).--Disclaimer: Cognitive Investments LLC (“Cognitive Investments”) is a registered investment advisor. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Cognitive Investments and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure.The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your attorney or tax advisor


