"Moment of Zen"

Marc Andreessen, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) returns to Moment of Zen to discuss Trump's new administration, the political vibe shift for Silicon Valley, why San Francisco may be the cultural center of the universe, and what comes after wokeness.

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SPONSORS: VANTA | SQUAD

Vanta automates security compliance and builds trust, helping companies streamline ISO, SOC 2, and AI framework certifications. Learn more at https://vanta.com/nlw

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RECOMMENDED PODCAST:

Check out Modern Relationships, where Erik Torenberg interviews tech power couples and leading thinkers to explore how ambitious people actually make partnerships work. Founders Fund's Delian Asparouhov and researcher Nadia Asparouhova kick off the series with an unfiltered conversation about their relationship evolution.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1786227593

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hJzs0gDg6lRT6r10mdpVg

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernRelationshipsPod



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X / TWITTER:

@pmarca (Marc)

@eriktorenberg (Erik)

@turpentinemedia

@MOZ_Podcast

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HIGHLIGHTS

• The Unraveling of Preference Falsification
• Opening discussion about “winning”
• Examples of preference falsification unwinding
• Commerce Secretary’s comments on innovation
• Democrats shifting positions
• The Brendan Eich Case Study and Origins of Cancel Culture
• Mozilla controversy as inflection point
• Historical context of 2008 politics
• Impact on tech industry
• Personal reflection on not speaking up
• The Future of “Soft Authoritarianism”
• Discussion of whether wokeness is truly ending
• Role of bureaucracies and institutions
• Legal embedding of policies
• Cultural vanguard vs institutional power
• The Corporate Dismount from DEI
• Legal challenges to DEI policies
• Role of Civil Rights Division
• Corporate strategies for policy changes
• Supreme Court impact
• Culture Wars and Comedy
• Evolution of counterculture to culture
• Role of humor in cultural power
• Late night comedy’s transformation
• Discussion of “laughter vs. claptor”
• Changes in entertainment industry
• The Secret Networks and Information Flow
• Role of WhatsApp groups and Signal
• Modern samizdat comparison
• Evolution of private communication networks
• Impact on preference falsification
• Elon Musk’s role in cultural shift
• Hollywood and Entertainment Transformation
• Dad shows phenomenon
• Top Gun success as cultural indicator
• Bob Iger and Disney’s pivot
• Entertainment industry adaptation
• San Francisco as cultural bellwether
• Technology and Political Engagement
• Silicon Valley’s political evolution
• Software vs. hardware innovation
• Regulatory challenges to tech
• Response to criticism of tech involvement
• “Politics is interested in you”
• The New Administration’s Team
• Quality of appointments
• Comparison to historical administrations
• Getting to Mars
• Marc's thoughts on the appointments

BOOKS MENTIONED:

• "Private Truth, Public Lies" by Timur Kuran: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674707580
• "The Power of the Powerless" by Václav Havel: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Powerless-Vaclav-Havel/dp/178487504X
• "Why are Jews Liberal" by Norman Podhoretz: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Jews-Liberals-Norman-Podhoretz/dp/0307456250
• "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand: https://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Shrugged-Ayn-Rand...

Today, we have a special bonus episode: a discussion between Marc Andreessen, the co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, and Anton Troynikov, founder of AI database company Chroma. We're proudly sponsored by Vanta. Get $1000 off Vanta with https://www.vanta.com/zen.

This conversation originally took place on Twitter Spaces, where Anton and Marc talked about Marc's recent, provocative essay, Why AI Will Save The World. Marc explains why AI will not destroy the world but instead may save it. Towards the end of the discussion, Marc takes questions from a select audience of entrepreneurs and builders in AI. Given how much we've talked about AI and the various doomer debates on Moment of Zen, we felt that this conversation was too good to be missed. We're so thrilled that Marc, Anton, and a16z allowed us to republish it here. Both Marc and Anton have been on Moment of Zen before (see LINKS)

Moment of Zen is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: www.turpentine.co

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Episode Preview

(01:39) Anton asks Marc why he wrote this essay now

(02:30) Recap of AI History over last 80 years

(04:05) Hysteria, paranoia, doomerism

(06:00) Intelligence is the fundamental building block

(09:47) Precautionary principle and nuclear technology debate

(13:52) Recommendation: a16z podcast

(14:43) Sponsor: Secureframe

(16:04) The AI Race

(18:00) China’s national strategic priority

(22:53) Cold War dynamics

(23:20) What should the government do?

(24:00) Analogy Period: 2nd Industrial Revolution

(33:51) AI hype cycle, speculation, investment

(38:38) Problems AI can solve

(50:00) Questions from audience members, including Beff Jezos + Amjad Masad

SPONSOR: Beehiiv | Shopify | Vanta | NetSuite | Secureframe

Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝 to https://Beehiiv.com and use code “MOZ” for 20% off your first three months

Shopify: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial period

Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce in the US. And Shopify’s the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy’s, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one e-commerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you’re selling, Shopify’s got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/momentofzen

Vanta

Are you building a business? If you’re looking for SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR or HIPAA compliance, head to Vanta. Achieving compliance can actually unlock major growth for your company and build customer loyalty. Vanta automates up to 90% of Compliance work, getting you audit-ready in weeks instead of months and saving 85% of associated costs. Moment of Zen listeners get $1000 off at https://www.vanta.com/zen

NetSuite ( http://netsuite.com/zen )

NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than thirty-six thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen and defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months.

Secureframe ( www.secureframe.com )

Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention MOMENT OF ZEN during your demo to get 20% off your first year.

Our friends Aarthi Ramamurthy and Sriram Krishnan join us this week as special guests. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen

We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.

RECOMMENDED PODCAST:

The HR industry is at a crossroads. What will it take to construct the next generation of incredible businesses – and where can people leaders have the most business impact? Hosts Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich have been through it all, the highs and the lows – IPOs, layoffs, executive turnover, board meetings, culture changes, and more. With a lineup of industry vets and experts, Nolan and Kelli break down the nitty-gritty details, trade offs, and dynamics of constructing high performing companies. Through unfiltered conversations that can only happen between seasoned practitioners, Kelli and Nolan dive deep into the kind of leadership-level strategy that often happens behind closed doors. Check out the first episode with the architect of Netflix’s culture deck Patty McCord.

https://link.chtbl.com/hrheretics

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(02:10) Sponsor (Secureframe)

(04:10) Has Aarthi always been more based than Sriram?

(07:40) Attribution

(11:10) Legitimacy

(15:30) Brokenism vs Institutionalism

(20:40) Attention as influence

(27:00) Should Twitter eliminate trending topics?

(29:30) Antonio’s cultural elitism

(33:00) Low vs High culture

(42:50) Who are the elites?

(52:10) WWE & Kayfabe

(01:02:45) Lex Fridman

(01:12:10) Andrew Huberman

(01:20:00) Bryan Johnson

(01:22:00) Lindy

(01:25:00) Against a la carte beliefs

Twitter:

@moz_podcast

@sriramk (Sriram)

@aarthir (Aarthi)

@Dwr (Dan)

@Antoniogm (Antonio)

@Eriktorenberg (Erik)

SPONSORS: Beehiiv | Shopify | NetSuite | Secureframe

Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝 to https://Beehiiv.com and use code “MOZ” for 20% off your first three months

-Shopify: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial period

Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce in the US. And Shopify’s the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy’s, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one e-commerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you’re selling, Shopify’s got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/momentofzen

-NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen

NetSuite provides financial software for all your business needs. More than thirty-six thousand companies have already upgraded to NetSuite, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen and defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months.

-Secureframe (www.secureframe.com)

Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention MOMENT OF ZEN during your demo to get 20% off your first year.

Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja examine the pervasive fascination with American political dynamics and their far-reaching impact worldwide, especially across Western democracies and European nations. They analyze how digital connectivity has accelerated the harmonization of political discourse and cultural values across borders, while exploring the emerging shifts in European political frameworks that increasingly reflect American ideological patterns and media narratives

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📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess

🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse

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SPONSOR: NETSUITE | SHOPIFY | INCOGNI | SQUAD

Over 41,000 businesses trust NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud ERP, to future-proof their operations. Whether you're earning millions or hundreds of millions, NetSuite empowers you to tackle challenges and seize opportunities. Download the free CFO's guide to AI and machine learning at https://netsuite.com/zen.

Shopify is the world's leading e-commerce platform, offering a market-leading checkout system Shoppay and exclusive AI apps. Nobody does selling better than Shopify. Get a $1 per month trial at https://shopify.com/momentofzen.

Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code MOMENT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/moment

Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

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LINKS:

Two buttons meme: https://ih1.redbubble.net/image.2365085899.3351/st,small,507x507-pad,600x600,f8f8f8.jpg

The Clash of Civilizations: https://www.amazon.com/Clash-Civilizations-Remaking-World-Order/dp/1451628978

Bismark Analysis: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/

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X / TWITTER:

@SamoBurja

@eriktorenberg

@turpentinemedia

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HIGHLIGHTS

Global Political Influence

• US politics heavily impact Western countries, while Americans know little about other nations' political leaders
• Western countries form a connected political unit, using only other Western nations as models

Internet's Unifying Effect

• Shared digital platforms have synchronized Western attention and culture more than ever before
• Younger Europeans increasingly consume political news in English online rather than in local languages

Political & Cultural Transfer

• American political concepts (from trans rights to gun advocacy) spread to Europe
• Tension between traditional European media control and Silicon Valley's free speech platforms like X.com

Potential European Transformation

• Free speech on social media could trigger significant right-wing political shifts in Europe
• Upcoming elections may demonstrate the impact of changing information access
• Questions about EU's "democratic deficit" and bureaucratic dominance

Western Alignment

• Liberal and conservative international movements both center on US terms and platforms
• Military strength contributes significantly to America's cultural influence
• Western nations function as a de facto alliance despite having no formal "Western Union"

In this episode, Mike Rainbow (co-founder of Rainbow wallet) joins Erik, Dan, and Antonio as they dive into crypto's future. The conversation was prompted by the thesis that innovative social protocols like Farcaster are co-evolving with crypto wallets as onramps or a portal to web3. If you're looking for an ERP platform, check out NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/zen — NetSuite has extended a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program for a few more weeks.

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SPONSORS: BEEHIIV | NETSUITE| HARMONIC | SQUAD

Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝 to https://Beehiiv.com and use code “MOZ” for 20% off your first three months

📈 NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen - NetSuite has extended a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program for a few more weeks.

🧲 Learn why Craft, Bedrock, NEA, and 100s more trust Harmonic’s data to source deals. Harmonic is the most complete startup database, finding new companies as soon as they incorporate and tracking them through IPO. Head to https://bit.ly/harmonicturpentine and make sure to mention Turpentine VC during your demo.

💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

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Recommended Podcast: Company Breakdowns

Each episode of Company Breakdowns dives into S-1s and series B-and-beyond companies, interviewing founders and investors to break down the companies. First episode is on Rubrik - which just IPO'd. Coming up this season: Databricks, Reddit + more,

Spotify

Apple

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FOLLOW ON X:

@eriktorenberg (Erik)

@mikedemarais (Mike)

@dwr (Dan)

@antoniogm (Antonio)

@moz_podcast (Moment of Zen)

@TurpentineMedia

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LINKS:

Check out Rainbow: https://rainbow.me/en/

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Exploring Crypto's Impact on Financial Intermediaries

(01:36) Introducing Mike Rainbow: A Unique Crypto Personality

(02:09) Massachusetts Memories and Dunkin' Donuts Dominance

(02:46) East Coast Social Dynamics and Crypto Culture

(04:46) The Evolution of Wallets and Social Networks in Crypto

(06:26) Debating the Convergence of Crypto Products

(15:00) Sponsors: Netsuite | Harmonic

(17:18) Building Integrated Crypto Platforms Continued

(22:15) The Future of Messaging and Composability in Crypto

(27:30) Exploring Group Chat Dynamics and App Adoption

(28:13) The Evolution of Transaction Frames in Crypto

(30:37) Sponsor: Squad

(32:02) Innovations and Challenges in Transaction Frames

(36:29) Deep Dive into Frame Technology and Developer Challenges

(41:39) The Future of Frames and Web3 Standards

(46:51) Demographic Shifts and Future Directions for Farcaster

(53:49) Wrap