USA vs Europe, Zeihan & Fukuyama, Reforming institutions vs starting new ones, and why we started "Moment of Zen"
01/14/23 • 88 min
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
SPONSORS: BEEHIIV | SHOPIFY
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
(0:00) intro and sponsor
(1:20) introductions (who the f are we?)
(3:00) Antonio introduction
(5:12) Dan introduction
(6:50) Farcaster
(10:10) Erik introduction
(12:30) the life of the mind vs the life of the founder
(16:00) Being in the arena as a requisite to comment
(18:30) Why is the podcast named “Moment of Zen”?
(20:20) Erik is the Johnny Appleseed of group chats
(23:30) Group chat culture
(26:55) Reforming institutions vs building new ones
(29:30) Antonio’s intellectual evolution
(30:40) Europe is behind, but Antonio prefers it
(31:40) Antonio feels like a teetotaler who runs a bar
(32:50) LARPs
(34:00) Explaining Fukuyama
(37:50) What’s the best functioning institution today?
(39:10) Richard Hanania
(42:30) We don’t have a grand unifying projects anymore
(45:00) Should the China threat be the unifying narrative?
(48:05) Taiwan
(49:56) Explaining Zeihan
(1:00:20) When shit hits the fan, what country do you flee to?
(1:02:40) Why doesn’t Prince Harry get a paternity test?
(1:04:00) Europe vs America
(1:08:20) Dan is bullish on Europeans, bearish on Europe
(1:11:20) “Everything except the startup scene is better in Europe”
(1:15:19) Why is the US public sector so much worse?
(1:21:35) Why are we doing this show?
(1:22:32) “How about we just don’t get canceled?”
(1:23:55) Teasing upcoming guests
(1:24:34) Erik’s favorite ex-convict?
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
SPONSORS: BEEHIIV | SHOPIFY
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
(0:00) intro and sponsor
(1:20) introductions (who the f are we?)
(3:00) Antonio introduction
(5:12) Dan introduction
(6:50) Farcaster
(10:10) Erik introduction
(12:30) the life of the mind vs the life of the founder
(16:00) Being in the arena as a requisite to comment
(18:30) Why is the podcast named “Moment of Zen”?
(20:20) Erik is the Johnny Appleseed of group chats
(23:30) Group chat culture
(26:55) Reforming institutions vs building new ones
(29:30) Antonio’s intellectual evolution
(30:40) Europe is behind, but Antonio prefers it
(31:40) Antonio feels like a teetotaler who runs a bar
(32:50) LARPs
(34:00) Explaining Fukuyama
(37:50) What’s the best functioning institution today?
(39:10) Richard Hanania
(42:30) We don’t have a grand unifying projects anymore
(45:00) Should the China threat be the unifying narrative?
(48:05) Taiwan
(49:56) Explaining Zeihan
(1:00:20) When shit hits the fan, what country do you flee to?
(1:02:40) Why doesn’t Prince Harry get a paternity test?
(1:04:00) Europe vs America
(1:08:20) Dan is bullish on Europeans, bearish on Europe
(1:11:20) “Everything except the startup scene is better in Europe”
(1:15:19) Why is the US public sector so much worse?
(1:21:35) Why are we doing this show?
(1:22:32) “How about we just don’t get canceled?”
(1:23:55) Teasing upcoming guests
(1:24:34) Erik’s favorite ex-convict?
Previous Episode
Amjad Masad on AGI as religion for nerds, history as a series of conspiracies, and religion as a foundation for raising your kids
Amjad Masad, the founder of Replit, joins Dan, Antonio, and Erik to talk about AGI, religion, and conspiracies. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM
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.
TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) - Antonio’s circumcision
(01:20) - The future of Replit
(06:30) - The future of coding
(09:46) - The Steve Jobs Blackpill
(12:00) - Will AGI lead to the death of humans?
(18:13) - AGM thinks AGI dystopia is bullshit, religion for nerds
(21:12) - Why is there a human need for “end of times” theory?
(23:20) - Climate science is unsettled
(25:55) - AGM swears he has no idea who Curtis Yarvin is (Who is Curtis Yarvin? - editor)
(26:25) - Dan wrestles with the guilt of bringing another human into this cold, ugly world
(27:00) - Amjad’s counter-narrative to the AGI dystopia narrative
(29:30) - How can AI become consciousness if we don’t know what consciousness is?
(32:15) - “AGM do you want to share your story with an AI girlfriend?”
(32:58) - Amjad’s Palestinian background and his identity crisis
(37:00) - Redpill moments
(39:17) - The media never lies
(40:35) - Russel Conjugation
(41:50) - Comparing Islam and Judaism
(43:44) - Judaism isn’t about faith, it’s about practice
(51:00) - Transhumanism vs Ludditism
(51:50) - Was The Unabomber a left-wing or right-wing nut?
(55:15) - Ludditism never works, you can’t roll technology back
(57:00) - Antonio’s redpilling
(58:30) - Raising a family with or without religion
(01:04:40) - Dismissing religion is the classic midwit meme
(01:07:20) - History is a series of conspiracies
(01:15:00) - Modern day true conspiracies
(01:21:05) - “Are the frogs gay?”
(01:22:50) - Why does truth matter?
(01:30:40) - Prediction Markets
(01:36:30) - The only places where truth matters: wars, elections, and markets
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.
Next Episode
The Realignment on Silicon Valley & DC, Trump vs DeSantis, and the future of media & politics
Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) and Marshall Kosloff (@makosloff) of The Realignment (@therealignment) join Moment of Zen's Dan Romero (@dwr), Antonio Garcia Martinez (@antoniogm) and Erik Torenberg (@eriktorenberg) for a discussion on tech, politics, and media.
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
(03:00) Political and class realignments
(15:35) Trump vs DeSantis
(25:10) Future of both political parties
(28:55) Would Saagar ever get involved in politics?
(33:00) Differences between Silicon Valley and DC
(36:20) There will never be another Trump
(39:30) Media’s impact on politics
(55:40) Antonio thinks we stopped recording and goes off
(57:00) who the f*** is Chuck Todd?
(58:10) How media is evolving
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.
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