Joe Lonsdale: American Optimist

Tyler Cowen is a professor, best-selling author, blogger, podcaster, and one of the most influential economists of this generation. In the early days of the pandemic, Cowen launched the Fast Grants program, which funded COVID-related science in less than 48 hours -- a remarkable feat in the medical sector. He discusses his efforts to accelerate innovation, including his work to transform how investors identify and back the next generation of brilliant entrepreneurs. An all-around polymath, Cowen also reveals the technologies and breakthroughs that excite him most for the decades ahead. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com

Pano Kanelos is the President of the University of Austin (UATX), the most ambitious new university venture in America in decades. Recognizing the plight of America's higher education system, Pano stepped down as the President of St. John's College to build a new institution rooted in the pursuit of truth, open inquiry, and educating the next generation of American leaders. In this episode, Joe and Pano discuss the failures of modern academia and why it's time to take on the bold task of building a new world-class university. [Joe is a co-founder of UATX and Chairman of the Board of Trustees.] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com

Ambassador Kelly Craft is a businesswoman, philanthropist, and former diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 2019 to 2021 and U.S. ambassador to Canada from 2017 to 2019. She played an integral role in shaping major foreign policy decisions and achievements, such as the landmark Abraham Accords and the USMCA trade agreement. In this episode, she discusses some of the most pressing U.S. challenges abroad, including speaking up for human rights during the Beijing Olympics, developing a comprehensive strategy for China, responding to Russian military threats against Ukraine, and galvanizing U.S. allies to defend our shared values. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com

Charles Koch, Chairman and CEO of Koch Industries, is one of the great business minds of our time. He grew a small engineering firm from $21 million in revenue to over 10,000 times the revenue. Yet in both his business and philanthropic work, he is first and foremost a philosopher. Koch explains how thinkers such as Abraham Maslow and Joseph Schumpeter shaped his outlook on the conditions for human flourishing, and why it's important to enable every employee to self-actualize. Rejecting centralized top-down systems, Koch developed Market-Based Management -- a philosophy that enables his companies to constantly reinvent themselves through virtuous cycles of mutual benefit that provide value to both employees and customers. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com

Chris Sprowls is the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.  Under his leadership, Florida has set itself apart as one of the most innovative state legislatures in the country, slashing regulations that prop up entrenched interests and injecting true competition into the marketplace.  We discuss his strategy for successfully combatting cronyism in healthcare, pioneering the biggest school choice expansion in the country, and other courageous reforms  -- many of which passed on a bipartisan basis.  Speaker Sprowls's success should embolden other like-minded reformers and leaders across our country. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com

Congressman Ro Khanna is the Democratic Congressman from California’s 17th District, which covers large swaths of Silicon Valley. A self-described "progressive capitalist," Khanna bucks the current political norms and works to advance meaningful bipartisan legislation. In this episode, we debate income inequality, wealth taxes, and other hot-button issues, but also find common ground on reasonable regulations for Big Tech, introducing more innovation into healthcare, and promoting nuclear energy. His forthcoming book is titled “Dignity in a Digital Age” and focuses on closing the digital divide in rural America. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com

Dhani Jones spent 11 seasons in the NFL as a middle linebacker, the linchpin of the defensive unit. Since then, he has become a leader in other arenas: hosting TV shows, launching charities, and investing in startups.  His passion is bringing out the best in others.  In this episode, he pushes back against the notion of lowering standards to minimize disparities.  He explains why adversity, competition, and the pursuit of excellence are some of the best ways to lift up others and improve their lives. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com

Mike Reeser and Michael Bettersworth are the Chancellor and Chief Innovation Officer, respectively, at Texas State Technical College (TSTC). In 2014, TSTC became the FIRST college in the country to fully align its public funding with its students' future earnings. Since then, graduates have seen their earnings increase over 100 percent! Their success is an antidote to the crisis of bad incentives in education today and should inspire other states to pursue similar reforms. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com

Maleka Momand is the co-founder and CEO of Esper, a technology platform that transforms how governments oversee the regulatory process. In recent decades, the size of the administrative state has exploded. Yet, many regulators still operate via Word, Excel, and, in some cases, pen and paper! This has led to a lack of transparency and accountability, not to mention a morass of outdated, disjointed regulations. By applying data analytics and artificial intelligence to augment regulators and regulatory processes, Esper is improving how governments function and interact with the business community. [Joe and his wife Tayler are proud co-founders of Esper.]NOTE: Esper currently has clients in 8 U.S state governments, not 11 as mentioned in the episode. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com

Over the past few decades, the U.S. military’s long-held advantages have waned.  Today, we are reliant on outdated technologies and in jeopardy of falling behind China. Bo Marr, the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Epirus, is bucking the trend.  Marr and his team invented the world’s most powerful phased array, Leonidas, that can disable drones and other electronic systems from great distances.  This modern force field fills a vital technological gap for the U.S. military as it prepares for 21st-century warfare and a new era of asymmetric threats. [Joe co-founded Epirus in 2018 with the Build Program of 8VC, the venture capital firm he founded and manages.] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com