Podcast Notes Playlist: Business

A16z Podcast Key Takeaways  Future historians will look back on this era and wonder why we needed a license to cut hair but not a license to own and operate a computer – the most powerful device ever created There is a power law for M&A just like there is a power law for startups: the best M&A can completely transform a company, but only about 10% of deals ever work out “The actual way of regulating big companies is with a thousand startup piranhas, not by regulation.” – Balaji A large acquisition signals the big company’s inability to build the product in-house, while also fueling the startup ecosystem by attracting talent and investment to that market vertical and spurring competition.The ultimate form of American capitalism is exploiting the rules in a clever way Balaji’s global pro-tech legislative playbook:Identify the optimal legal framework for each market and verticalDevelop standardized, modular policy templates for all 50 U.S. states and 190 sovereign nationsBuild a government-relations team to establish and scale relationships across jurisdictionsIdentify and engage pro-tech policymakers (with emphasis on small, builder-friendly states) and deploy capital into markets that implement the model legislationThe greatest risk to AI innovation is arbitrary regulation; allowing market dynamics to operate freely will accelerate progress and distribute benefits broadlyThe question we all should be asking is, how do we build competition against the monopoly that is the US government Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgThere’s been a wave of M&A deals lately - Meta and Scale, Windsurf and Google - and a lot of it points to something bigger: how regulation, capital, and innovation are colliding in 2025.In this episode Erik Torenberg brings together Steven Sinofsky, former Microsoft Executive and Balaji Srinivasan, founder of the Network School, and author of the Network State to break it all down. From acquihires to “acquifires,” from FTC crackdowns to the deeper battle between the state and the network, this is a sharp conversation on the future of tech and power. ResourcesFind Balaji on X: https://x.com/balajisFind Steven on X: https://x.com/stevesiLearn more about The Network State: https://thenetworkstate.comLearn more about The Network School: https://ns.com Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Podcast on SpotifyListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shawn Ryan Show Intro  Advice for future innovators: Work on something that you would be proud to fail at“There’s a whole generation or two that did not go into aviation because the door was closed to innovation.” – Blake Scholl  Great people do not want to work for bosses who do not know what they are doing: There is no substitute for actually knowing what you are talking about and doing the work The world does not need more of what it has already got; the world needs more of what you can uniquely bring The incentives of government regulation agencies create an asymmetric bias towards conservatism, a reality that ultimately stifles progress and innovation; this centralizes and monopolizes risk decisions into the hands of government regulators The smaller the team, the easier it is to keep the talent bar high; the number one thing great people want is to work with other great people Using AI to create a talent engine: Have the AI handle the boring and rudimentary tasks so that human talent can work on the most interesting problems; this creates a flywheel of talent retention and magnetismBe unafraid to deploy inexperienced, high-aptitude talent – but phone somebody who has some gray hair The Speed Dividend from supersonic: If the flight is twice as fast, then you need half the number of pilots, half as many airplanes, and can get twice as many flights from the same number of airplanes and crewWork on what you love because you will learn so much about: You will learn 99% new stuff along the way, so why not learn 99.5% new stuff while working on something you really love?Go work on the thing that your five-year-old self would have been dazzled by Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgBlake Scholl is the Founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, a company he started in 2014 to revive commercial supersonic flight with the Overture airliner, designed to fly at Mach 1.7 and carry 64–80 passengers.  A Carnegie Mellon University computer science graduate (BS, 2001), Scholl began his career as a software engineer at Amazon, later owning a $300 million P&L at age 24, and co-founded Kima Labs, acquired by Groupon in 2012.  Inspired by seeing Concorde in a museum, he self-taught aerospace engineering to launch Boom, which achieved the first privately developed supersonic flight with the XB-1 demonstrator in January 2025. With orders from United, American, and Japan Airlines, Scholl aims to make sustainable supersonic travel mainstream using 100% sustainable aviation fuel, targeting passenger flights by 2030. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: https://americanfinancing.net/srs NMLS 182334, nmlsconsumeraccess.org https://tryarmra.com/srs https://betterhelp.com/srs This episode is sponsored. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/srs and get on your way to being your best self. https://meetfabric.com/shawn https://shawnlikesgold.com https://hexclad.com/srs https://hillsdale.edu/srs https://ketone.com/srs Visit https://ketone.com/srs for 30% OFF your subscription order https://ROKA.com – USE CODE SRS https://trueclassic.com/srs https://USCCA.com/srs https://blackbuffalo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A16z Podcast Key Takeaways  Human labor may become less valuable, but the property that humans own – such as the S&P 500 – will experience significant value growth Value will accrue to property owners, via capital incomeA practical definition of AGI: AI that can do 98% of jobs as well as humans and can automate 95% of white collar work People often think of AI replacing human jobs as a perfect substitute, but typically, new technological adoption is complementary to human labor The key capability of learning on the job has not been unlocked; this is a technological unlock that could supersede the brand effect So while OpenAI is leading on brand, it could be usurped by a lab that makes a technical breakthroughUnless more compute comes online to continue the growth, we will have to rely on advancements in AI algorithms to carry the torch With AI, capital and labor are functionally equivalent; we can just build more data centers and robot factories (which can build even more data centers and robot factories), thus creating an explosive dynamic The optimistic vision for humanity’s role in an AI-driven future mirrors how we currently treat retirees: valuing their past contributions and supporting them even as they step back from direct economic productivity The emergence of AGI will resemble the Industrial Revolution more than it will the creation of the atom bomb There was not ‘one machine’ that enabled the Industrial Revolution; there was a broader process of growth and automation due to many complementary innovations A sovereign-wealth fund type structure may describe the future of human work: Humans buy shares in investment firms that manage the investment of AI stuff and then become broad-based shareholders in the development of AI This is what Alaska does with oil Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgIn this episode, Erik Torenberg is joined in the studio by Dwarkesh Patel and Noah Smith to explore one of the biggest questions in tech: what exactly is artificial general intelligence (AGI), and how close are we to achieving it?They break down:Competing definitions of AGI — economic vs. cognitive vs. “godlike”Why reasoning alone isn’t enough — and what capabilities models still lackThe debate over substitution vs. complementarity between AI and human laborWhat an AI-saturated economy might look like — from growth projections to UBI, sovereign wealth funds, and galaxy-colonizing robotsHow AGI could reshape global power, geopolitics, and the future of workAlong the way, they tackle failed predictions, surprising AI limitations, and the philosophical and economic consequences of building machines that think, and perhaps one day, act, like us. Timecodes: 0:00 Intro0:33 Defining AGI and General Intelligence2:38 Human and AI Capabilities Compared7:00 AI Replacing Jobs and Shifting Employment15:00 Economic Growth Trajectories After AGI17:15 Consumer Demand in an AI-Driven Economy31:00 Redistribution, UBI, and the Future of Income31:58 Human Roles and the Evolving Meaning of Work41:21 Technology, Society, and the Human Future45:43 AGI Timelines and Forecasting Horizons54:04 The Challenge of Predicting AI's Path57:37 Nationalization, Geopolitics, and the Global AI Race1:07:10 Brand and Network Effects in AI Dominance1:09:31 Final Thoughts  Resources: Find Dwarkesh on X: https://x.com/dwarkesh_spFind Dwarkesh on YT: https://www.youtube.com/c/DwarkeshPatelSubscribe to Dwarkesh’s Substack: https://www.dwarkesh.com/Find Noah on X: https://x.com/noahpinionSubscribe to Noah’s Substack: https://www.noahpinion.blog/ Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Podcast on SpotifyListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A16z Podcast Key Takeaways  Distribution was so scarce not too long ago: The Unabomber killed all those people so he could get an op-ed in the Washington Post; today, he could have published his manifesto on Substack Founders should go directly and build their distribution channel “The founding creator is as important as the founding engineer. The founding engineer is the implementation, but the founding creator is the distribution. The founding engineer is the ‘how’ and the founding creator is the ‘why’.” – Balaji Srinivasan  For the media, the best thing they can do is put a man out of work (Watergate), and for tech, the best thing it can do is put a man on the moon (SpaceX) Red America imposing tariffs on China is like blue America imposing tariffs on AI – both are protectionist measures“Democracy is creating startup cities. Moving to Starbase was voting with feet. Building up Starbase was voting with a wallet. And incorporating Starbase was voting with a ballot. This is the future of democracy. Not a two-party system with the illusion of choice. Instead, a 1000-city system with the reality of choice.” – Balaji Tech is flanking legacy media with short-form tweets and long-form podcasts – two areas in which the media does not have establishment influenceWe must remove the barriers to exit so that everyone has a choice about which government rules them “With technology, we can have a new birth of media, science, democracy, and equality on the internet, because that’s what the internet is: it’s a peer-to-peer network, we are all equal on the internet. And truth is everybody’s property; it is not Sulzberger’s property – it’s cryptography.” – Balaji    Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgWhat really caused the breakdown between tech and media—and what comes next?Erik Torenberg sits down with Balaji Srinivasan (entrepreneur, investor, and author of The Network State) to explore the long-building conflict between Silicon Valley and legacy journalism. Balaji explains how the collapse of traditional media business models gave rise to political capture, clickbait, and adversarial coverage of the tech industry.They discuss why “going direct” is no longer optional, how tech became the villain in establishment narratives, and what it would take to build a new truth infrastructure - from decentralized content creation to cryptographic verification.This episode covers power, distribution, and the future of media, with a signature mix of historical insight, social analysis, and Balaji’s forward-looking frameworks.Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction 1:26 The Media vs. Tech Conflict2:11 The Collapse of Journalism Revenue2:39 Rise of Wokeness and Political Realignment6:50 State vs. Network: A New Framework9:00 The Power Structure of Media Institutions19:25 The Role of Distribution and the Internet29:20 The Social War: Red vs. Blue America30:05 X Day and the Shift in Social Media Power42:56 Strategies for Technologists: Go Direct48:36 The Importance of Individual Creators1:10:00 Decentralized Truth and the Ledger of Record1:36:00 The Future of Media, Democracy, and Equality1:37:08 Conclusion & Final ThoughtsResourcesFind Balaji on X: https://x.com/balajisStay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Podcast on SpotifyListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Crazy Wisdom Key Takeaways  FarmBot is a robotic farmer for your garden, designed to take care of your garden by performing functions such as planting seeds, watering, weeding, and monitoringSimply being open source is not enough. For a project to be genuinely useful, it must also have extensive, clear documentation and use open, affordable file formatsToday, the vast majority of food that people eat is grown very far away and in ways that is not great for the food or environment We have very little control over the food production system, which is vital to our existence  Let us get back to the smaller scale, more diverse polycrop system of food production; many follow-on benefits will result Building a resilient alternative to industrial food systems (which often rely on single-crop farming) reduces single points of failure along vulnerable supply chains The more that we can distribute the food system and bring it closer to the end-eater, the more robust our overall food system becomes Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgOn this episode of Crazy Wisdom, Stewart Alsop speaks with Rory Aronson, CEO of FarmBot, about how his open-source hardware project is transforming home gardening into a more automated and accessible practice. Rory explains how FarmBot works—essentially as a CNC machine for your garden—covering its evolution from Arduino-based electronics to custom boards, the challenges of integrating hardware and software, and the role of closed-loop feedback systems to prevent errors. They explore solarpunk visions of distributed food systems, discuss the importance of “useful source” documentation in open-source hardware, and imagine a future where growing food is as easy as running a dishwasher. For more on Rory and FarmBot, check out farm.bot and the open-source resources at docs.farm.bot.Check out this GPT we trained on the conversationTimestamps00:00 Rory explains FarmBot as a CNC machine for gardens, using Arduino and Raspberry Pi, automating planting, watering, and weeding.05:00 Discussion on the hardware stack evolution, open-source electronics roots, and moving to custom boards for better integration.10:00 Stewart shares his Raspberry Pi experiments, Rory breaks down the software layers from cloud apps to firmware, emphasizing complexity.15:00 Conversation shifts to closed-loop feedback with rotary encoders, avoiding 3D printer-style “spaghetti” errors in outdoor environments.20:00 Rory explores open-source challenges, highlighting “useful source” documentation and hardware accessibility for modifications.25:00 Solarpunk vision emerges: distributed food systems, automation enabling home-grown fresh food without expert knowledge.30:00 Raised bed setup, energy efficiency, and FarmBot as a home appliance concept for urban and suburban gardens.35:00 Small-scale versus industrial farming, niche commercial uses like seedling automation, and user creativity with custom tools.40:00 AI potential with vision systems, LLMs for garden planning, and enhancing FarmBot intelligence for real-time adaptation.45:00 Sensors, soil monitoring, image analysis for plant health, and empowering users to integrate FarmBot into smart homes.50:00 Rory describes community innovations, auxiliary hardware, and open documentation supporting experimentation.55:00 Final reflections on solarpunk futures, automation as empowerment, and how to access FarmBot’s resources online.Key InsightsRory Aronson shares how FarmBot began as a DIY project built on Arduino and Raspberry Pi, leveraging the open-source 3D printing ecosystem to prototype quickly. Over time, they transitioned to custom circuit boards to meet the specific demands of automating gardening tasks like seed planting, watering, and weeding, highlighting the tradeoffs between speed to market and long-term hardware optimization.The conversation unpacks the complexity of FarmBot’s “stack,” which integrates cloud-based software, a web app, a message broker, a Raspberry Pi running a custom OS, and firmware on both Arduino and auxiliary chips for real-time feedback. This layered approach is crucial for precision in an unpredictable outdoor environment where mechanical errors could damage growing plants.Aronson emphasizes that being open source isn’t enough; to be genuinely useful, projects must provide extensive, accessible documentation and export files in open, affordable formats. Without this, open source risks being a hollow promise for most users, especially in hardware where barriers to modification are higher.They explore the solarpunk potential of FarmBot, imagining a future where growing food at home is as effortless as using a washing machine. By turning gardening into an automated process, FarmBot enables people to produce fresh vegetables without needing expertise, offering resilience against industrial food systems reliant on monoculture and long supply chains.Aronson points out that while FarmBot isn’t designed for industrial agriculture, its modularity allows it to support niche commercial use cases, like automating seedling production in cleanroom environments. This adaptability reflects the broader vision of empowering both individuals and small operations with accessible automation tools.The episode highlights user creativity enabled by FarmBot’s open hardware, including custom tools like side-mounted mirrors for alternative camera angles and pneumatic grippers for harvesting. These community-driven innovations showcase the platform’s flexibility and the value of encouraging experimentation.Finally, Aronson sees great potential for integrating AI, particularly vision systems and multimodal LLMs, to make FarmBot smarter—detecting pests, diagnosing plant health, and even planning gardens tailored to user goals like nutrient needs or event timelines, moving closer to a truly intelligent gardening companion.

Moonshots and Mindsets with Peter Diamandis ✓ Claim Key Takeaways  We will have artificial superintelligence by 2035: “Superintelligence” implies intelligence that is beyond the sum of what humans can do  As important as nuclear fusion and fission may be for the future, they will not arrive soon enough to meet the immediate surge in global power demand driven by AI and data infrastructureLearning machines accelerate to their natural limit, and the current limit of AI systems is electricityGreater energy infrastructure is essential to support the intellectual capacity required for a superintelligent abundanceWe will have specialized savants in every field, within five years; the real question is, once we have all these savants, do they unify? Do they ultimately become superhuman? The emergence of superintelligence comes with huge proliferation issues: Competitive issues, China vs. the US issues, electricity issues; we do not even have the language for the deterrence and proliferation aspects of these powerful models  The “Mutually Assured AI Malfunction” geopolitical competition framework: If one nation races ahead to develop superintelligent AI, rivals may sabotage their progress (through cyberattacks or strikes) to avoid destabilizing power imbalancesWhatever enables faster learning loops is the business moat of the future “The real risk is not Terminator, it’s drift. AI won’t destroy humans violently, but might slowly erode human values, autonomy, and judgment if left unregulated or misunderstood.”  – Eric Schmidt The tools change, but the structure of humanity will not When superintelligence emerges, every person will have the sum of Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci in their pocket; how humans choose to use their polymath is the question “We don’t know what artificial general intelligence will deliver, and we don’t know what artificial super intelligence will deliver, but we know it’s coming.” – Eric Schmidt Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgGet access to metatrends 10+ years before anyone else - https://qr.diamandis.com/metatrends   Eric Schmidt is the former CEO of Google.  Dave Blundin is the founder of Link Ventures – Offers for my audience:  Test what’s going on inside your body at https://qr.diamandis.com/fountainlifepodcast   Reverse the age of my skin using the same cream at https://qr.diamandis.com/oneskinpod     –- Connect with Eric:  X: https://x.com/ericschmidt  His latest book: https://a.co/d/fCxDy8P   Learn about Dave’s fund: https://www.linkventures.com/xpv-fund   Connect with Peter: X Instagram Listen to MOONSHOTS: Apple YouTube – *Recorded on June 5th, 2025 *Views are my own thoughts; not Financial, Medical, or Legal Advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Take Over the World The Ironies of Thomas Jefferson  A writer, not a speaker: Jefferson was a poor public speaker but turned it into a strength by becoming a master writer; his pen, not his voice, made him influential Lifelong self-improver: He rigorously tracked habits, avoided laziness, exercised daily, and studied constantly – living a disciplined, almost scientific life of self-bettermentJefferson was full of paradoxes: a slaveholder who opposed slavery, a small-government advocate who made massive federal decisions like the Louisiana Purchase.Impact beyond his presidency: He chose to be remembered not as president, but as the author of the Declaration, the religious freedom statute, and the founder of the University of VirginiaThis shows what he truly valued: ideas, liberty, and education Jefferson’s Ten Rules for Life:1. Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.2. Never trouble another for what you can do yourself.3. Never spend your money before you have it.4. Never buy what you do not want, because it is cheap; it will be dear to you.5. Pride costs us more than hunger, thirst, and cold.6. We never repent of having eaten too little.7. Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly.8. How much pain have we cost ourselves by the evils which have never happened?9. Take things always by their smooth handle.10. When angry, count ten, before you speak; if very angry, a hundred.“It is a charming thing to be loved by everybody. And the way to obtain it is to never quarrel with anybody.” – Thomas Jefferson Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgHow did Thomas Jefferson overcome failure after failure to become the most significant politician of the early American Republic? On this episode we examine his habits, tactics, approach, and life up until his service in the Washington administration. 00:00 The Misunderstood President: Thomas Jefferson's Early Failures 02:15 Introduction 04:45 Jefferson's Early Life and Education 09:35 Jefferson's Personal Habits and Philosophies 12:30 Jefferson's Political Beginnings and the Fight Against Slavery 15:55 The Road to Independence: Jefferson's Writing and Influence 20:00 Jefferson's Rise in the Continental Congress 27:45 Drafting the Declaration of Independence 30:15 The Eloquence of Jefferson's Writing 37:00 The Final Edits and Adoption of the Declaration 42:00 Jefferson's Post-Declaration Achievements 47:20 Jefferson's Governorship and Personal Tragedy ---- Sponsors: ⁠⁠⁠TakeoverPod.Supercast.com⁠⁠⁠ - All premium content for just $7/month ⁠⁠⁠GainsInBulk.com/ben⁠⁠⁠ - Use code Ben for 20% off instantized creatine and more ⁠⁠⁠Speechify.com/ben⁠⁠⁠ - Use code Ben for 15% off Speechify premium ⁠⁠⁠Founders Podcast

How to Take Over the World Key Takeaways  Leveraging the press was one of Jefferson’s superpowers; he knew that controlling the narrative was keyDespite claiming to hate politics, Jefferson was adept at the behind-the-scenes machinations that party-building requiredTurn opposition into strength: In essence, Thomas Jefferson helped found and shape America’s first opposition party and then turned it into the governing party – a pattern that has defined US politics ever since  “Philosophers think, politicians maneuver. Jefferson’s genius was that he was both, and could do both, often simultaneously.” – Biographer Meacham Want to accelerate your career? Become a great writer – Jefferson’s effective and memorable writing set him apart from his peers and built his legacy While he was a great organizer, thinker, and writer, he struggled with execution: Know your weaknesses and build a team that complements and strengthens those areasThree key takeaways on the life of Thomas Jefferson:(1) There is power in working behind the scenes, (2) Show a genuine interest in others; there is power in quiet conversation and (3) Follow your genuine curiosities Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgJefferson rebounds from his disastrous and governorship and personal loss to create a political legacy that would define a nation. 00:00 Introduction and Recap 02:30 Jefferson's Role as Ambassador to France 08:00 Jefferson's Return and Political Feuds 15:50 The Formation of Political Parties 23:55 Jefferson's Vice Presidency and Media Strategy 27:45 Jefferson's Election and Hamilton's Influence 30:00 The Evolution of the Democratic-Republican Party 32:30 Jefferson's Inauguration and Early Presidency 38:00 The Louisiana Purchase 42:00 Jefferson's Second Term Troubles 47:15 Post-Presidency and Founding the University of Virginia 50:00 Jefferson's Final Days 52:25 Legacy and Lessons from Jefferson's Life

Modern Wisdom Key Takeaways  Focus on yourself first: Putting yourself first may seem paradoxical when building a healthy relationship, but you need to feel fulfilled and content with yourself before you can contribute positively to one The more you cultivate yourself, the more magnetic you will become to others Emotion is the most powerful lever you can use within yourself to achieve your productivity goals; when your emotions are aligned, productivity takes care of itself The best productivity advice: find something that you love and care about, and give yourself to it Avoid the paradox of choice; happiness comes down to being satisfied with what you have chosen Humans are not evolutionarily-optimized to be happy; we evolved to be predictive and adaptable to our environment Happiness is a lever in the brain that is pulled to get us to do things Avoid “meta-emotions”, which are emotions about your emotions. Your feelings themselves are always okay; it’s judging or criticizing them that leads to problems Instead of labeling emotions as good or bad, simply allow yourself to feel themSome people’s ‘anxiety’ is just an addiction to fear: They have a compulsive, validation-seeking addiction to always being worried about something “I feel like most cultural and mental health issues these days can be summed up in just two words: performative victimhood.” – Mark Manson Today is the first time in history that every demographic feels aggrieved and persecutedBe careful with who you let yourself fall in love with: Choosing your life partner will be the most consequential financial decision of your life“If you aren’t naturally tired at night and excited in the morning, then you probably haven’t found something meaningful to work on. You’re not stressed from doing too much; you’re stressed from doing too little of what you care about.” – Mark Manson Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgMark Manson is a writer, entrepreneur, and a New York Times best-selling author. Mark is one of my favorite thinkers. His blog, books, and X account are packed with timeless lessons I come back to again and again. Today, we get to go through some of his best lessons on life, love, and everything that makes us human. Expect to learn how to actually stand up for yourself, what the real process of personal growth looks like, what it takes to actually cultivate confidence, why it’s impossible for someone who destroys your mental health to be the love of your life, why feeling like you have no idea what you’re doing is the price of entry to achieving your dreams, why you should learn to trust people more, and much more... Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get up to $350 off the Pod 5 at https://eightsleep.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular Flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get a 20% discount on Nomatic’s amazing luggage at https://nomatic.com/modernwisdom Timestamps: (00:00) People Would Need Less Therapy If They Tolerated Fewer A**holes (11:29) The More You Cultivate Yourself, The More You Have To Give (18:13) Personal Growth Is Learning To Lie To Ourselves Less (30:05) Confidence & Fear Both Require Something That Hasn't Happened Yet (40:07) It's Better To Be Loved For Who You Are Than Who You Pretend To Be (51:01) It's Hard To Love Someone Who Breaks Your Mental Health (58:46) Having No Idea Of What You're Doing Is The Price Of Receiving Your Dream (1:13:24) Emotion Is The Most Important Productivity System (1:27:33) The Happiest People Don't Question Their Choices (1:39:41) Trust People. Distrusting Everyone Is A Lot Worse (1:46:52) He Who Has The Smallest Ego Wins (2:00:49) People Adopt Values For What They Get Validated For (2:10:56) Find Out More About Mark Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59 #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens ✓ Claim Key Takeaways  Myth #10: Price equals value Reality: Prices reflect ability to pay, not actual need or systemic importanceImplication: Markets inevitably prioritize luxuries and ignore essentialsMyth #9: Humans are RationalReality: We act from emotion, status, and social cues – humans are not robots!Implication: Models built for robots will fail real people Myth #8: Supply Curves Always Slope UpwardReality: Scaling lowers costsImplication: Scale concentrates social and economic power Myth #7: Energy is Just Another InputReality: Energy underpins everything, energy is not substitutable other than by other energy, and we are drawing down energy stocks millions of times faster than they were formed Implication: Our entire economic recipe neglects the most important ingredient, which is energy Myth #6: Money Comes From SavingsReality: Banks create money when they issue loans Implication: We are piling up claims on a shrinking biophysical base Myth #5: Debt Is A Natural Tool Reality: We can create more money (debt) but not more non-renewable inputs Implication: Debt is mostly leverage that increases civilizational risks Myth #4: GDP Is The Correct Measure of ProgressReality: GDP tracks spending, not well-being or ecosystem functionality Implication: Our main cultural goal is focused on costs, not benefits Myth #3: Nature Is A Trivial Subset of the Human EconomyReality: The economy is fully embedded in Earth’s systems Implication: Undervaluing nature erodes our long-term foundation Myth #2: Markets Always Produce the Best OutcomesReality: Markets miss what cannot be priced Implication: Without boundaries, the invisible hand destroys the commonsMyth #1: Economic Laws Are Universal and TimelessReality: Economic theory was shaped by fossil abundanceImplication: Old models misled us in a world of systems and limits Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgEconomics departments around the world teach a narrow boundary story of the way our world works. A narrative of infinite growth driven by consumption and money, which has dominated our culture and unknowingly shaped the way we live. But does this story really reflect our biophysical reality – or the full scope of humanity’s role within it? In this week’s Frankly, Nate identifies 10 myths being taught in business schools today, and the massive implications these misconceptions hold for society. From the way we define value and the boundaries of success to the idolization of self-interest and human ingenuity, these so-called laws of economics were developed in a different world than the one we inhabit now. By exposing the unquestioned myths that are perpetuated in MBA education, Nate aims to sow the seeds of an economic system rooted in the real world – which may one day become a reality. What would it take for the long-held “immutable truths” of economic theory to be questioned, and eventually changed to better reflect our material limits?  How do we redefine "success" in a way that does not posit GDP as the main indicator of human or economic well being? Most importantly, if we shed ourselves of these delusions, how might we reimagine an economic system that centers the well-being of citizens, the health of the planet, and all of the species we share it with? (Recorded June 9, 2025)     Show Notes and More Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Discord channel and connect with other listeners