What is progress, has it slowed down, and what can we do about it? Joining us today to talk about the emerging field of progress studies and how it might help us dig into questions like these, is Jason Crawford, author of the blog, Roots Of Progress. Jason opens by providing us with a definition of progress and why the active study of it might help us rekindle it in our world. We talk about how progress has increasingly dwindled next. In the late 19th and early 20th century, four major progress revolutions were occurring in fields of chemical engineering, oil, electricity, and germ theory, and today we only have one, tech. In thinking about why this has occurred, we examine the stagnation hypothesis which argues that as a culture we have come to prize innovation less, we have chosen the low-hanging fruit of previous innovations to explore rather than find new ones, and regulations have grown to the extent that breakthroughs have been throttled. Jason gives his thoughts on these arguments, and also adds a fourth reason which centers around a change in funding structures for innovation. The next part of our conversation is about how we might bring back a culture of inventiveness, past examples of cities that were hubs of invention, and what the ingredients for great innovation are. Along with this, Jason shares his thoughts on what the next big movement could be before we wrap up with a discussion on the risks inherent in progress and what an effective movement for social change might look like.Key Points From This Episode:•   Introducing Jason and the definition of progress, as well as the new field of progress studies.•   Examples of progress that occurred without progress studies – why do we need this field?•   Arguments for and against the ‘stagnation hypothesis’ as a theory of slowed progress.•   Four revolutions in the late1800s to early 1900s comparable to our tech revolution: chemical engineering, oil, electricity, and germ theory.•   The stagnation hypothesis reframed as a consideration of what happened to the four revolutions.•   Critically unpacking the ‘culture’, ‘low-hanging fruit’, and ‘regulation’ arguments for slowing progress.•   Another reason why progress might have petered out that centers around funding structures.•   The heyday of corporate research versus today’s progress model: Universities and ‘tech transfer’.•   The difficulty of implementing high-level ideas that are possible and the role this might play.•   Separating science from the corporate world and the need to merge both for more progress.•   How we could bring back more of a culture of breakthroughs; new career paths and looking to the late 19th century.•   Examples of do-it-yourself invention culture from today: prosthetics, automatic pancreases.•   Why some cities are hubs of invention and what the ingredients for this creativity are.•   Jason’s thoughts about why the next major revolution might be in biotech.•   Online chat spaces that allow for serendipity; inventiveness might no longer be geographically bound.•   Balancing the existential risk aspect of world-ending technology with the idea of progress.•   Technologies producing unforeseen dangers and how we are handling risk assessment.•   How social movements can collapse and whether an effective model for social change exists.•   Moving past arguments about regulation to an attitude of ‘what can actually be done.’Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Mark LutterCharter Cities Institute on TwitterCharter Cities Institute on FacebookJason CrawfordJason Crawford on TwitterRoots of ProgressPatrick CollisonTyler Cowen‘We Need A New Science of Progress’Francis BaconPeter ThielThe Rise and Fall of American GrowthWtfHappenedIn1971Elon MuskWhere's My Flying Car? A Memoir of Future PastBen Reinhardt on TwitterMichael Nielsen on TwitterThe Great BridgeSimons FoundationAT&TBell LabsScott Alexander‘The Atomic Bomb Considered As Hungarian High School Science Fair Project’Alexander FlemingTony Blair Institute For Global ChangeThe Tanner Greer Blog (Scholar’s Stage)

The Charter Cities Institute has seen rapid growth in recent months, having gone from three employees in February to ten as of this week, so we decided to do something a little different on today’s show. Kurtis Lockhart, Head of Research at the CCI sits down with Founder, Mark Lutter, to provide a high-level overview of the concept of charter cities, why their time has come, how the CCI fits into it all, and what the future holds. The first part of the conversation is all about charter cities, how they differ from conventional ones and special economic zones, and why they are becoming more important. From there, we move onto the history of charter cities, getting into some major recent advocates of the movement and a few examples of successful semi-autonomous cities from the post-war era and what we can learn from them. We turn our attention to some of the common criticisms of charter cities next, considering the political threat they could end up posing, how they propose to be different from the countries they exist in, and how to get people to start moving into them once development commences. Following this, we explore the implementation aspect of charter cities, discussing how the CCI is approaching six things that should be considered before building one: Governance, policies, urban planning, site selection, selecting an anchor tenant, and minimizing the risk of expropriation. The last part of our conversation is all about the CCI as an organization – Mark’s research that led to its founding, the challenges and successes it has seen, and the vision it has for the future. Be sure to catch this episode for an in-depth look at the potential charter cities and the CCI have to change the world for the better.Key Points From This Episode:•   A high-level definition of charter cities and why they are important.•   How charter cities differ from conventional cities and special economic zones.•   Four aspects of charter cities that enable them to spur long-term economic development.•   How the CCI’s version of charter cities would be governed and set up through public/private partnerships.•   Why governments would invite developers to build and collaborate on charter cities.•   The amount of master plan cities being built globally and range of their value propositions.•   The advantages of a charter city over a master-planned one and a regular one.•   Ideal environments to build charter cities in; openness, rapid urbanization, and more.•   Why now is a time where charter cities seem more valuable than ever.•   Reinvigorating liberalism and the cosmopolitanism of trade cities using charter cities.•   How charter cities fit into the effective altruist framework of tractability, neglectedness, and scalability.•   Conceptions of scalability and the work being done to enable charter cities to scale.•   A history of charter cities and how the CCI is building on Paul Romer and Patri Friedman’s work.•   Early examples of cities built using a degree of planning and their modern influence.•   Problems with unplanned and planned cities and the ‘slow feedback loop’ of cities.•   Lessons to be learned from successful, semi-autonomous cities in the post-war era.•   Common criticisms of charter cities and how they are based on misunderstandings.•   How to get people to move to a charter city; reasons why people start and move to cities.•   Why governments might expropriate their charter cities; the political threat they could pose.•   Issues around building charter cities in upper or middle-income countries.•   The role of incentives in charter cities being less prone to their host countries’ problems.•   Six considerations when building a charter city and how the CCI is approaching them.•   The six considerations: Governance, policies, urban planning, site selection, selecting an anchor tenant, and minimizing the risk of expropriation.•   Raising money to build a charter city, who would fund each phase, and the different models that exist.•   What goes into building the financial model for a charter city.•   How the CCI was born as a way of building momentum for the charter city movement.•   Why Mark was attracted to the idea of charter cities initially and the path his research took.•   Challenges Mark faced in the early phases of the CCI and the lessons he has learned.•   Successes the CCI has enjoyed around influencing developer agendas and getting projects off the ground.•   The biggest constraints for the CCI, and constraints on charter cities more broadly.•   Why the CCI strategy is focused on building ecosystems for charter cities rather than individual projects.•   Building CCI in years one, two and three; hiring staff, and what the future holds.•   What Mark is looking for in staff; entrepreneurship, regions of expertise, values, etc.•   The different areas of work the CCI and charter cities will do in future, and ideal candidates to do it.•   Peddling influence and why the CCI was founded in Washington.•   What the CCI does in concrete terms as a think tank/advocacy organization.•   How the CCI measures its impact; measuring outcomes rather than output.•   Exciting projects and what the charter cities space will look like in the next few years.•   The elevator pitch for the CCI and what they want to look like in ten years.•   Where to find Mark and CCI online to learn more about what they do.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Mark LutterMark Lutter on TwitterMark Lutter EmailCharter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on FacebookCharter Cities Institute on TwitterKurtis LockhartPaul RomerWade Shepard on TwitterPatri Friedman on TwitterThe Seasteading InstituteFrancis FukuamaThe End of HistoryMIRIOpenAIGiveWellJ-PalGenghis KhanThe 80,000 Hours Podcast with Rob WiblinPeter ThielWerner StiefelCharter Cities Ep 7 with Patri FriedmanPaul Romer’s 2009 TED TalkAlexander the GreatAugustusCaesarMark AntonyPeter the GreatOscar NiemeyerMITHarvardJane JacobsCharter Cities Ep 3 with Alain BertaudLee Kuan YewMao ZedongDeng XiaopingCity of GoldCharter Cities Ep 2 with Gyude MooreJeffrey MasonHeba ElhanafyAfrican Export-Import BankAfrican Development BankPronomosMichael Van NottenThe Law of the SomalisSpencer MacCullumGeorge Mason UniversityNeWay CapitalProsperaThe UNThe World BankDFCWorld Economic ForumPaul GrahamNkwashiIyinoluwa AboyejiTalentcityEnyimba Economic CitySheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al MaktoumVictoria Harbor GroupEPAIFC

Today we welcome Erick Brimen, the CEO of Próspera, which is arguably the world's first charter city, off the coast of Honduras on an island called Roatán. Erick is on the podcast to unpack the exciting news about Próspera, the philosophy behind its founding, and the vision for its short-term and long-term future. Our conversation covers a lot of in-depth detail on Próspera, with Erick explaining approaches to governance, reform, cultural integration, common law and so much more! Erick gives us a great introduction to the first of several planned locations for the Próspera project, also unpacking what this expansion could possibly look like in decades to come. We get in the choice of Roatán and the specific opportunities offered by the island, with Erick situating his reasoning within his broader interest in charter cities and economic expansion. Erick also talks about his work before Próspera and the lessons he brought forward from time in the asset management space and working with the government of Arizona. The conversation also covers putting together the right team of people, balancing skills, and preparing for an unknowable set of hurdles. From there, we turn to the legal side of starting a city, and Erick gives an insightful look into the various frameworks that have been put in place for management and legislation. The last part of our chat today is spent thinking about the residential experience of Próspera and the infrastructure, planning, and architecture of the city, with Erick capping off our discussion looking forward to 2050 and where Próspera might be. For all this and a whole lot more, be sure to listen in with us today!Key Points From This Episode:•   The philosophy behind the charter city of Próspera and the model they have adopted.•   Bringing together a built environment and working with government towards the goal of prosperity.•   The selection of Roatán as Próspera's first location and what set it apart from similar islands.•   The importance of governance reforms and buy-in; creating security on many levels.•   How context influences daily decisions and the impact of Honduran history on a new city.•   The task of starting from scratch with a city; prioritization of funding, governance, and more.•   Reasons that Roatán stood out from other Honduran locations; beauty, safety, and stability.•   The Hong Kong to Shenzhen example and the inspiration that Próspera is taking from this model.•   Erick's personal interest in charter cities and the mission of reducing wealth disparity.•   The influence of Erick's work experience in asset management, Arizona governance, and beyond. •   Building a strong and balanced team, with the right skillsets for unforeseeable challenges.•   Erick's connection to the image of water; resilience, flexibility, and continued progress.•   Legal considerations for Próspera and the creation of the Roatán Common Law Code.•   Putting together a functioning legal system and using different pieces of law.•   Unpacking the Próspera Arbitration Center and contrasts with typical arbitration services.•   The role of the Próspera Council and service providers in decision-making.•   Understanding the Agreement of Co-existence and what this contract stipulates for residents.•   The process of registering a business in Próspera and the efficiency they are aiming for.•   Local buy-in and integrating the different sectors with new infrastructure.•   Practical and lifestyle-facing decisions for Próspera; architecture and environment.•   The projected economic development plan for Próspera and the disruption of COVID-19.•   Erick's 30-year vision for Próspera; a network of prosperity hubs with quality and standards.•   Why is Próspera is good development now? Making use of current opportunities. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:PrósperaErick Brimen on TwitterSpaceXBabson CollegeHugo ChavezNeWay CapitalSteve JobsEYES InternationalGovernor DuceyOPECTom BellPatrick FriedmanPróspera Arbitration CenterTristan MonterrosoZaha Hadid ArchitectsCharter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on TwitterCharter Cities Institute on FacebookMark Lutter on Twitter

Tocqueville said, “We need to work at making democracy work.” That is the springboard from which this episode begins. Kurtis Lockhart fills in for Mark Lutter as today’s host, and our guest is Professor Nic Cheeseman. Nic is a political scientist at the University of Birmingham, and was formerly the head of the African Studies Center at Oxford University. His research focuses on a range of topics, from democracy and elections, to development and institutional change, all of which we will discuss in this episode. Nic is the author or editor of ten books on African Politics, including Democracy in Africa: Successes, Failures, and the Struggle for Political Reform and How to Rig an Election. Nic shares with us some of the projects he is working on, and we discuss anti-corruption messaging, foreign aid, China in Africa, and redrawing African countries’ borders, as well as invisible election rigging, “sweet spot” strategies, and counterfeit democrats. Tune in today!Key Points From This Episode:•   Nic shares the projects that he is working on, including one on elections and COVID.•   Anti-corruption messaging, corruption fatigue, and the need to change incentive structures.•   The value of redesigning messages rather than reinforcing the scale of the problem.•   Nic’s concerns about the Department for International Development being merged into the foreign office body.•   The only thing Nic thinks will counter the significance of China in Africa is bigger investment.•   Nic’s thoughts on foreign aid serving geopolitical concerns or power competitions.•   What Nic thinks the international development community should prioritize – do less, better.•   How Tocqueville’s writings on democracy have helped shape some of Nic’s thinking.•   Why Nic believes that Jeffrey Herbst’s suggestion to redraw borders in Africa is unfeasible.•   What Nic is interested in about cities, and his views on urbanization, and urban or rural bias.•   What has made Lagos such a successful city and how other African cities can follow suit.•   Why invisible election rigging is one of the biggest challenges to contemporary democracy.•   Sweet spot strategies include gerrymandering, the exclusion of a rival candidate, and so-called subtle violence or intimidation.•   Nic is worried that other governments will learn subtle intimidation and use it to win elections.•   Going from high-level thinking about institutions to actual on-the-ground implementation when one constantly has to worry about “counterfeits.”•   Democracy in Africa’s collaboration with The Continent, a free newspaper in partnership with The Mail & Guardian, South Africa.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Prof. Nic Cheeseman on TwitterProf. Nic Cheeseman on LinkedInProf. Nic CheesemanDemocracy in Africa on TwitterDemocracy in AfricaDemocracy in AfricaHow to Rig an ElectionThe Moral Economy of Elections in AfricaDepartment for International DevelopmentRegional and British International Development PolicyRural DemocracyThe Continent by Mail & GuardianThe Resistance Bureau Podcast

Charter cities can be thought of as the next generation of special economic zones. Today’s guest is Lotta Moberg, a macroeconomic analyst at the Dynamic Allocations Strategies team at William Blair in Chicago. Lotta is considered somewhat of an expert on special economic zones, given that her dissertation explored the entrepreneurial state and the government as an entrepreneurial and commercial actor, as well as special economic zones. This is also the topic of her book, The Political Economy of Special Economic Zones. In this episode, we discuss everything there is to know about special economic zones, including knowledge and incentive problems, economic activity versus political need, concentrating resources versus implementing them in the economy as a whole, and private versus government initiatives. Lotta shares some of the key determinants for successful special economic zones, the importance of regulatory reform, and why China has been so successful in implementing them, as in the case of Shenzhen. We also go into the differences between charter cities and special economic zones and how the two can complement each other. Tune in today to find out more!Key Points From This Episode:•   How Lotta got into the special economic zone space through development economics.•   Thinking about market development, and what drew Lotta to special economic zones.•   Lotta explains the knowledge problem and how it relates to appropriate resource allocation.•   How resources are potentially allocated in a market economy versus a socialist economy.•   The incentive problem as it relates to specific zones and what incentivizes those in charge of those zones to spend unnecessarily on them.•   Generating economic activity versus benefiting political need, which can harm the economy.•   Measuring whether a special economic zone is successful or unsuccessful is difficult.•   Concentrating resources to attract foreign investors versus implementing them in the economy as a whole and allowing investors to pick their location.•   Agglomeration through private initiatives versus government initiatives with specific benefits.•   Special economic zone or charter city level reform versus a national level reform.•   Key determinants for successful special economic zones, including regulatory reforms.•   The difference between charter cities and special economic zones is governance.•   Why Lotta believes that China’s special economic zones, like Shenzhen, were so successful.•   Why it’s difficult to replicate a special economic zone like Shenzhen elsewhere in the world.•   Looking at a charter city like a conglomerate and approaching the knowledge and incentive problem in the case of a charter city.•   How the charter city space has evolved and how to spread the message more effectively.•   How charter cities and special economic zones can complement one another. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Lotta MobergLotta Moberg on TwitterLotta Moberg on LinkedInThe Political Economy of Special Economic Zones

Africa is the fastest urbanizing region on the planet. The continent’s rapid population and economic growth demand large-scale solutions. As Africa’s new private city builder – backed by American, Norwegian, British and New Zealand investors – Rendeavour builds cities in the growth path of some of Sub-Saharan Africa’s fastest growing regions. Today’s guest is Yomi Ademola, the country head for Nigeria for Rendeavor, which is the largest urban real estate development company in Africa. In this episode, we discuss what it means to create livable, sustainable cities, the process of building them, and how they fit into the broader regional development of their locations. Yomi also shares with us what the impact of COVID has been on his business, the importance of blending local capacity with international expertise, as well as how to balance the need for order with the organic emergence of a city in its own right. For more on building the livable, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing cities of the future, tune in today!Key Points From This Episode:•   Yomi introduces himself and gives a bit of background to founding Rendeavour.•   What Rendeavour is, what it means to build cities, and where their current developments are.•   The process of building a city, from site selection and feasibility to livability and sustainability.•   There is such a demand for new, clean, aesthetically pleasing cities in Africa given the rapid rate of urbanization and the resulting congestion.•   How these cities fit into the broader regional development of their locations.•   Other city projects that Yomi draws inspiration from and how PPPs like his can be catalysts for rapid economic development.•   How COVID has affected what’s happening on the ground and the demand for Yomi’s services.•   Raising capital and withstanding downturns depends on financial capacity of shareholders.•   The importance of blending local capacity with international expertise, for successful projects.•   Getting a critical mass of movers to jumpstart activity in these areas: Commerce is what capitalizes growth.•   Balancing the need for order and the organic emergence of a city in terms of urban planning.•   Yomi’s currency risk mitigation strategies for working in countries without stable currencies.•   What autonomy Yomi’s company has over governance, and how it benefits the new city.•   How government regimes differ and what the varying effects on market demand have been.•   What it means to create a city culture and steps Yomi has taken to develop it. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Yomi Ademola on LinkedInRendeavourAlaro CityRenaissance CapitalTatu CityRoma ParkKiswishiCityscape PlanningSkidmore, Owings & Merrill

As the political landscape in Hong Kong shifts, many residents are looking to migrate to Western countries. This creates immigration problems, especially as some Hong Kongers won’t meet the investment requirements needed to move to cities with established Hong Kong expat communities. Today’s guest, Ivan Ko, is the founder and CEO of Victoria Harbour Group, an organization with the bold idea to create international charter cities in Western countries for Hong Kong immigrants to move into. Our conversation begins as Ivan explains the benefit his proposed charter cities will have for their host countries. Built in areas with low local populations to minimize disruption, each city will aim to fit an economic niche. We discuss why this might be an attractive proposition considering the economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ivan discusses the challenges of building charter cities and reveals that, despite immigration being a hot-button political issue, the perception of Hong Kong residents as industrious and highly educated has added political support to the idea of migration. We speak about how the people of Hong Kong have a unique identity that allows them to easily assimilate into Western systems. After sharing the inspiration for his idea, Ivan draws historical comparisons between the Puritans arriving in America on the Mayflower and how many Hong Kongers will migrate to pursue democracy and freedom. Throughout the discussion, Ivan highlights how his charter cities will benefit locals. At the end of the episode, Ivan shares his thoughts on what makes a livable city, Victoria Harbour Group’s role in developing charter cities, and how their model is influenced by Silicon Valley. Reflecting Hong Kong’s meteoric rise, Ivan wants each charter city to be a ‘miracle city.’ Listen to this episode to learn what that might look like.Key Points From This Episode:•   Ivan’s mission — to build a city for Hong Kong migrants in a democratic country.•   Why so many Hong Kong residents want to migrate to other countries.•   Ivan explains the economic benefit that this new city will have for its host country.•   The benefits of migrating to Ivan’s city as opposed to cities with existing expat communities.•   Why Ivan has an urgent timeline to complete the first international charter city.•   What we can expect regarding the scale of each international charter city. •   The critical factors involved in choosing a site to build each city.•   How Hong Kong’s ‘brand name’ has been crucial in generating political support.•   How an international charter city might be a solution to mass migration.•   The dangers of over-planning a city and how this can affect a city’s livability.•   Detailing the sectors in which Hong Kong migrants can help local economies.•   How Hong Kong migrants might specifically benefit the U.S. economy.•   Why Hong Kong values lead to an easy assimilation into Western systems.•   Learn why Ivan thinks that this is the best time to start creating charter cities in the West.•   Ivan shares his experiences and what led to the idea of having a Hong Kong charter city.•   How Ivan responds to scepticism and naysayers who don’t believe in his project.•   Ivan discusses the challenges facing the establishment of charter cities.•   How crucial Ivan’s high-caliber, talented staff are going to actualize his plan.•   Ivan’s model; a hybrid between a tech startup, and a city development business•   Why developing charter cities should not affect Hong Kong or mainland China.•   Elements and systems needed to create a working charter city.•   Hear what one of these international charter cities might look like.•   What factors make for a livable city; walkability, community interaction, and beautification.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Ivan Ko on LinkedInCharter Cities InstituteCharter Cities Institute on TwitterCharter Cities Institute on FacebookPaul Romer on Charter Cities and What We’ve Learned Since ThenPaul RomerThe Long-term Stock ExchangeAndreessen HorowitzDr. Simon Shen — Victoria Harbour Group Co-founderHow Britain could become home to a new Hong KongSamuel Lai — Victoria Harbour Group CFOAECOMKelvin Kwok — Victoria Harbour Group CIO and COOLarry PageMark Lutter on Twitter

Venture capital and charter cities are an unlikely pairing, but it’s one that presents interesting possibilities. Today's guest, Patri Friedman, is the founder of Pronomos Capital, the Seasteading Institute, and a veteran in the charter city and competitive governance space. We kick off the show by learning more about Pronomos Capital, and why Patri decided to start a venture fund dedicated to charter cities. With his Silicon Valley experience, Patri brings a unique approach to charter city thinking. From there, we discuss some of the factors that have led to the charter city movement gaining traction, including shifts in government and investor mindsets. After this, we dive into the Seasteading Institute and what spurred Patri to establish the organization. We then delve into founding a charter city. While there are capital constraints, Patri believes that the shortage of capable founders is one of the biggest obstacles in the space. Founders need to have a unique skill set, where they are visionaries along with some on-the-ground, embedded local knowledge. Next, we look at how charter cities overlap with and diverge from Western governance models and how they can apply lessons as best practice. We round the show off by discussing some of the opportunities that COVID-19 has created in the charter cities space, what’s in store for charter cities in the next five years, and what Patri’s most excited about. Be sure to tune in today!Key Points From This Episode:•  Learn about Pronomos Capital, the first venture fund dedicated to charter cities and its motivation.•  Why Patri believes that the legal system of a charter city is similar to low marginal tech.•  The shortcomings of viewing governance as a product rather than a service.•  Why Patri believes the charter city movement has gained the traction it has recently.•  Changes Patri has seen in the charter cities VC space over the past two and a half years.•  How the shifts in thinking about charter cities have happened for investors and countries.•  Seasteading’s founding story, some of Patri’s influences, and the institute’s mission.•  Why good founders — and not capital — is the major binding constraint Patri sees.•  Some of the characteristics needed for a great charter city founder.•  What charter city would-be founders can take from successful startup founders.•  The importance of a roadmap and more educational materials in the charter city space.•  Insights into the potential industrial organization of charter cities and influencing factors.•  How Pronomos approaches early-stage valuation for charter city companies.•  Learn more about floating cities and why they need high economies of scale to work.•  Charter cities versus western governance: Where it overlaps and where it diverges.•  Patri’s take on overcoming the first-mover challenge.•  Thinking about charter cities in high-income countries and some obstacles that come with it.•  How COVID-19 will shape emerging markets in the short and long-term.•  What’s on the horizon in the charter cities space in the next five years.•  Find out some of the projects that Patri is most excited about. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Patri Friedman on TwitterPronomos CapitalThe Seasteading InstitutePaul RomerAyn RandSeasteading: A Practical Guide to Homesteading the High SeasPeter ThielScott Adams on TwitterGarden Cities of To-MorrowY CombinatorJames BuchananThe Size of Nations

Joining us on the show today is geopolitical strategist, speaker and author, Peter Zeihan! Our conversation spans a wide range of connected topics, centering on the immediate future facing the United States and the global economy, with particular attention given to the question of China. Peter holds a somewhat less common position on China's supposed power, arguing that the country is a paper tiger, waiting to ignite. He does a clear job of explaining this perspective and how so many casual theorists seem to have got it completely wrong. Drawing the argument back to the US, Peter then explains the stability, even in today's chaos, that the country has and by extending his scope to Europe and the Middle East, he shows the huge part that geography plays in the unfolding of political and economic power struggles. We discuss the examples of France and Germany, as well as outlying African countries and Peter underlines the central part that geography and access play in all of their destinies. Bringing the conversation firmly into the present, we then consider the role of technology and particularly the latest tech innovations in possibly disrupting the established order that Peter is describing. According to our guest, even AI and the rest of the digital revolution is not yet enough to overhaul the legacy of the industrial revolution and it will still take many further developments for this to occur. We get into the question of the global economy and the trajectories of the world's strongest currencies; again Peter demonstrates why America's positioning will allow it to be non-reliant on others, a definite strength moving into an uncertain age. For a fascinating chat, and a brilliantly articulated argument you may have not encountered before, join us on Charter Cities today!Key Points From This Episode:•   The coming global disorder and the focus of Peter's latest book Disunited Nations. •   Considering different theories of the current global economy and trade. •   Ideas of China's growing economic and militant power and the holes that exist in these theories.•   China's political immaturity and fallibility and what a spectacular fall might look like.•   The part that geography plays in the unfolding events in China and the rest of the world.•   Europe's outlook; geography and the areas that have historically lent themselves to control.•   The role of technology in disrupting the deterministic power of geography in European development.•   American geography and the coincidental advantage that it offers the country.•   The power of shale gas and how this can affect the US' need for involvement in foreign energy markets.•   A future where the US disengages from relationships with the rest of the world.•   The links between culture and geography and how this influences technological adoption.•   Technology and geography and what this combination means in a modern, AI context.•   The limits of the digital revolution in heralding a new age.•   The interesting example of India; population, poverty, positioning, and continuity. •   Looking at the Saudi Arabian economy and their dysfunctional education and military systems.•   The broader Middle Eastern dynamic and looming conflicts.•   Expectations for Africa and the lasting effects of coronavirus on immigration.•   The two paths for Africa's continued industrialization and how they diverge.•   Currency flows, the ultimate power of the dollar, and the trajectory of other historically strong currencies.•   Human capital and looking to the examples of Israel and South Korea as outliers.•   Long-overdue shifts in the American political system and where this is leading. •   The future of the nation-state and possible neo-imperialism.  Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:ZeihanPeter Zeihan on TwitterThe Accidental SuperpowerThe Absent SuperpowerDisunited NationsTrumpAdam SmithElon MuskEnronMalthusMubarak

The Nigerian economy is complex and multilayered, with many opportunities and hurdles for its people. Joining us on the show today to discuss the economic landscape of Nigeria, the charter city project of Talent City in Calabar, and what it really means to provide opportunities to the Nigerian people, is entrepreneur Iyinoluwa Aboyeji! We have a fascinating discussion around the ways the Nigerian market operates and the types of entrepreneurship and business-mindedness that are found in the country. Iyinoluwa sheds light on what he calls survivalist entrepreneurialism and explains a few different perspectives on Nigerian aspiration inside and outside of the country. One of the most notable points that our guest makes is the stark difference between the American concept of monopolies and Nigerian 'competition trees'. From there, our conversation turns to Iyinoluwa's own professional experiences and work at Andela and Flutterwave. We also get into his education and faith before looking at the political picture in Nigeria and what this means for young business owners. We discuss the Chinese presence in Africa, feelings about this, and of course the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The last part of our conversation is spent unpacking Iyinoluwa's work on the Talent City Project and his hopes for this new charter city! Intended as a specialized tech hub away from over-crowded Lagos, Iyinoluwa hopes to attract young talent to the new space soon, with remote work being a big draw for the model. For this great chat with Iyinoluwa, be sure to join us on the Charter Cities Podcast, today!Key Points From This Episode:•   The entrepreneurial spirit in Nigeria; the influence of the emerging market and a large population.•   Competition trees and the spread of resources and opportunity in Nigerian business.•   Nigerian-American professional trajectories and entrepreneurial side-hustles.•   Iyinoluwa's experience founding Andela and the initial idea behind the company.•   Cultural education and soft-skills at Andela and how they used improv for these purposes.•   Iyinoluwa's thoughts on finding and hiring talent and his work at Flutterwave.•   Pitching Nigerian companies in the US and the right way to communicate this.•   The growth of Nigerian and African companies that can extend into the US and European markets.•   The influence that Iyinoluwa's faith has played in his entrepreneurial pursuits.•   Iyinoluwa's entrepreneurial advice around providing dependability in the face of failing political systems•   Ethnic divisions in Nigeria and how this plays into power structures in the country.•   Age demographics in Nigeria and the aspirations and realizations of the current youth. •   The Chinese influence in Nigeria and the perception of this among locals.•   The pandemic in Nigeria and considering the effects of COVID-19 in emerging markets.•   Lasting implications on dropping oil prices for African economies.•   Considering different models for charter cities in Nigeria and how they would operate.•   Government and leadership in Lagos; managing the challenges of infrastructure and congestion.•   Iyinoluwa's role in the development of Yaba in Lagos and the lesson he carries forward.•   The vision for the design of Talent City; a charter city for harnessing tech talent.•   Initial pushes for new residents and the intended strategy for filling Talent City.•   The remote work model and thinking about the impact of the current health crisis.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Iyinoluwa AboyejiIyinoluwa Aboyeji on TwitterIyinoluwa Aboyeji TEDx TalkDangoteBUALafargeZoomAndelaFlutterwaveUniversity of WaterlooVelocity ProgramBlackberryPeter ThielVidyardAtomic LabsEthereumJeremy Johnson2ULambda SchoolPlatoUberStripeCalendlyJack MaKoch BrothersDonald TrumpBelt and RoadThe GuardianUniversity of LagosCharter Cities InstituteMark LutterCharter Cities Institute on TwitterCharter Cities Institute on Facebook