Infinite Loops

Eric Jorgenson is (deep breath) an author, investor, writer, podcast host, online course creator, and the CEO of Scribe Media (breathe out). He joins the show to discuss the death of the marketing department, the changing nature of business-to-creator economics, the most impactful thing he learned from Balaji, the future of the publishing industry, and MUCH more! Important Links:

• Website
• Twitter
• Fund
• Scribe Media
• Money 20/20 Talk
• The Thinker and The Prover
• Jimmy Soni & Liberty RPF — Unleashing the Future of Publishing

Show Notes:

• A Guide to Creator Economics
• The Death of the Marketing Department
• Creator x Business Partnerships
• Why Some People Are So Reluctant to Embrace the New Playbook
• How to Become More Open-Minded
• The Anthology of Balaji & the Curation-Author Effect
• How to Cultivate Good Taste & the Rise of Curation
• What Balaji Taught Eric About Technology
• How Eric Became CEO of Scribe
• Why Does Big Publishing Continue to Hold So Much Influence?
• Helping the World Make Great Books
• The Future of Books
• Eric as Emperor of the World
• MORE!

Books Mentioned:

• The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness; by Eric Jorgenson
• The Anthology of Balaji: A Guide to Technology, Truth, and Building the Future; by Eric Jorgenson
• What Works on Wall Street; by Jim O'Shaughnessy
• Invest Like the Best; by Jim O'Shaughnessy
• The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World; by David Deutsch

Arkady Kulik is a founding partner of rpv, a deep tech venture fund that aims to "drive tangible advancements in the well-being of humankind" by focusing on early, scientifically intensive ventures. He has over 15 years of experience in the IT sector as a C-level executive, a master's degree in physics, and an MBA from INSEAD. Arkady joins the show to discuss how to evaluate a deep tech deal, why more scientists don't become entrepreneurs, the ultimate goal of science, the two types of human motivation, and MUCH more! Important Links:

• rpv's Website
• rpv's Substack
• Arkady's LinkedIn
• Arkady's Twitter

Show Notes:

• Judging Investments by Their Technology Readiness Level
• Bringing Scientific Expertise Into Venture Capital
• Scorecards & Dealbreakers: How rpv Analyzes a Deep Tech Opportunity
• Spotting the Early Red Flags
• How rpv Deploys Scientific Due Diligence
• Providing Feedback & Educating the Industry
• Self-Censorship, Ideology & the Scientific Method
• Why Don't More Scientists Become Entrepreneurs?
• The Ideal Composition of a Deep Tech Founding Team
• Science's Ultimate Goal
• Taking Progress for Granted
• The Two Types of Human Motivation
• How Neurotech Can Benefit Humanity
• Why Arkady is Less Bullish on Quantum Computing
• Incoming Deep Tech Developments
• MORE!

Books Mentioned:

• Survive & Thrive: Entrepreneurship Frameworks That Work; by Paul Kewene-Hite
• The Nature of Technology: What It Is and How It Evolves; by W. Brian Arthur
• One Summer: America 1927; by Bill Bryson

Alex Lieberman is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Morning Brew, the cofounder of Storyarb and the host of 60 Second Startup & Founder's Journal. Alex joins the show to discuss why hiring a Voice Editor contributed to Morning Brew's success, how to spot a writing unicorn, how he learned to follow his intrinsic motivation and MUCH more! Important Links:

• Alex's Twitter
• Founder's Journal
• Morning Brew
• The Great Reshuffle
• Will Storr on Infinite Loops
• The Best Stuff | Conscious Leadership Group

Show Notes:

• The Rise of Morning Brew
• Finding Morning Brew's Voice
• Finding the Writing Unicorn
• Writing Nature vs. Writing Nurture
• Corporate Speak vs. Online Speak
• The Power of Self-Awareness
• Interviews & Talent Spotting
• Ideating, Doing & Premeditating
• Following the Intrinsics
• Finding Your Zone of Genius
• Building Storyarb
• Alex as Emperor of the World
• MORE!

Books Mentioned:

• What Works on Wall Street, Fourth Edition: The Classic Guide to the Best-Performing Investment Strategies of All Time; by Jim O'Shaughnessy
• The Adweek Copywriting Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Powerful Advertising and Marketing Copy from One of America's Top Copywriters; by Joseph Sugarman
• The Tao Te Ching; by Laozi
• The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success; by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman & Kaley Klemp
• The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human, and How To Tell Them Better; by Will Storr
• Burn Rate: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind; by Andy Dunn

Tim Beiko, who runs the core protocol meetings for Ethereum, teams up with writer and consultant Venkatesh Rao to discuss their "Summer of Protocols" research program. This initiative brought together 33 researchers with a wide range of expertise to investigate protocols across several domains. Join us for an in-depth exploration of protocols: understanding what they are, their importance, why they can go wrong, and much more! Important Links:

• Summer of Protocols
• Protocolized Newsletter
• Venkatesh's previous episode
• Venkatesh's Website
• Ribbonfarm
• Venkatesh's Substack
• Venkatesh's Twitter
• Tim's Twitter

Show Notes:

• Why We Should Care About Protocols
• Protocols, Narratives & World-Building
• The Three Preconditions of a Protocol
• "Civilization progresses by increasing the number of actions we can do without thinking about them."
• When Protocols Go Wrong
• More Protocols = Less Agency?
• Workplace Safety & Protocol Complexity
• How to Build Good Protocols; Building Protocol Literacy
• Why Aren't More People Talking About Protocols?
• How to Encourage Protocols-First Thinking
• Protocols Have Long Timelines
• Protocols in Fiction
• Protocol Hunting In Silico
• Determinism, Open Environments & Evolution
• How to Hack Protocols
• Agility Isn't Always the Answer
• Memory: The Most Valuable Asset in a Civilization
• Next Steps & How to Learn More
• MORE!

Books & Essays Mentioned:

• The God Problem: How a Godless Cosmos Creates; by Howard Bloom
• Hope Runners of Gridlock; by Simon de la Rouviere
• High Rise; by J.G Ballard
• The Drowned World; by J.G Ballard
• The Drought; by J.G Ballard
• A Burglar's Guide to the City; by Geoff Manaugh
• The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering; by Frederick Brooks
• In the Beginning Was the Command Line; by Neal Stephenson
• Slow Ideas; by Atul Gawande
• Nakatomi Space; by Geoff Manaugh
• Base Layers And Functional Escape Velocity; by Vitalik Buterin

Will Schoder is a video essayist who explores a diverse range of topics including psychology, meaning, re-enchantment, metamodernism, mortality, and satire. Initially known for his short-form videos, his latest series is a trilogy of fascinating long-form deep dives into the nature, foundations, and secrets of happiness. Will joins the show to share his insights on the evolving significance of curation, the future of the creator economy, how to obtain deep happiness and MUCH more. Important Links:

• Will's YouTube Channel
• Will's Twitter
• Eight Books That Changed My Life
• Rick and Morty – Finding Meaning in Life
• David Foster Wallace – The Problem With Irony
• The Attention Economy – How They Addict Us
• Every Story Is The Same
• The Happiness Trilogy:
• Part 1: What is Happiness?
• Part 2: The Foundations of Happiness
• Part 3: The Secret to Happier
• The moral roots of liberals and conservatives; Jonathan Haidt
• The Thinker and The Prover

Show Notes:

• Short-Form vs Long-Form Videos
• The Righteous Mind
• The Internet as Liberator; the Rise of Curation
• Pushback & Pop Culture
• YouTube & the Rise of the TikTok Style
• Navigating the Attention Economy
• The Future of the Creator Economy
• Will's Hero's Journey
• Finding Deep Happiness
• Compression, Genetics & Environment
• Education vs. Entertainment
• The Free Energy Principle
• Filter Failure
• Will as Emperor of the World
• MORE!

Books Mentioned:

• The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion; by Jonathan Haidt
• One Summer: America 1927; by Bill Bryson
• Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business; by Neil Postman
• The Shallows: How the Internet Is Changing the Way We Think, Read and Remember; by Nicholas Carr
• Happy: Why More or Less Everything is Absolutely Fine; by Derren Brown
• Happiness: A Very Short Introduction; by Daniel M. Haybron
• The Pursuit of Unhappiness: The Elusive Psychology of Well-Being; by Daniel M. Haybron
• All The Light We Cannot See; by Anthony Doerr
• How To Change Your Mind; by Michael Pollan

Ben Westhoff is a best-selling investigative journalist focusing on culture, drugs, and poverty. Ben's book Fentanyl, Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Created the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic was the culmination of a four-year investigation into the worst drug crisis in American history, an investigation that included Ben making an undercover visit to Chinese drug factories. His latest book, Little Brother: Love, Tragedy, and My Search for Truth tells the story of Ben's search for his little brother's killer. Ben is currently working on a documentary, Antagonist, about naltrexone, an opioid treatment medicine that some have called a "wonder drug." Ben joins the show to discuss the failure of the War on Drugs, the role played by Big Pharma, how he speaks to his children about drugs, what most Americans misunderstand about poverty, and MUCH more. Important Links:

• Ben's Website
• Drugs + Hip-Hop Newsletter
• Antagonist Documentary Teaser

Show Notes:

• The Worst Drug Crisis in World History
• How China and Fentanyl Are Connected
• Why Can't the USA Stop This?
• The Failure of the War on Drugs; Better Solutions
• Vivitrol: a Wonder Drug?
• Finding Better Ways to Care For the Vulnerable
• Free Markets & Big Pharma
• How Ben Speaks to His Children About Drugs
• Innovation & Stigmatization
• How Harm Reduction Can Help
• What Has Happened to San Francisco?
• Could Decriminalization Work?
• Ben's Hunt For His Little Brother's Killer
• What Most Americans Misunderstand About Poverty; How Listeners Can Help
• How Ben's Documentary Can Help
• Ben as Emperor Of The World
• MORE!

Books Mentioned:

• Fentanyl, Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Created the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic; by Ben Westhoff
• Little Brother: Love, Tragedy, and My Search for Truth; by Ben Westhoff
• Original Gangstas: Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and the Birth of West Coast Rap; by Ben Westhoff
• Thank You For Smoking; by Christopher Buckley

AI researcher, memelord extraordinaire, and techno-optimist Roon joins the show to discuss coming up with the shape rotator vs. wordcel meme, what an AGI world could become, and why Tenet is Christopher Nolan's best movie. Important Links:

• Roon's Twitter
• Roon's Substack
• AGI Futures

Show Notes:

• Shape Rotators Vs. Wordcels
• Why AGI is Possible
• AI in Science Fiction
• AGI Future #1: Neuralink Third Impact
• AGI Future #2: Simulation Theory
• AGI Future #3: Dumb Matter
• AGI Future #4: Balrog Awakened
• AGI Future #5: Ultra Kessler Syndrome
• AGI Future #6: The Tragedy of Taiwan
• AGI Future #7: For Dust Thou Art
• AGI Future #8: CEV Super Intelligence
• Why Tenet is Christopher Nolan's Best Movie
• Roon as Emperor of the World
• MORE!

Books Mentioned:

• The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition into the Forces of History; by Howard Bloom
• The Genius of the Beast: A Radical Re-Vision of Capitalism; by Howard Bloom
• The God Problem: How a Godless Cosmos Creates; by Howard Bloom
• William Blake vs the World; by John Higgs
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; by Douglas Adams

Katherine Dee is a writer, journalist, and internet culture reporter. A contributor to publications such as UnHerd, Tablet, and Blaze Media, she is also the proprietor of the Default Wisdom Substack, where she writes about a wide range of topics, including internet history and culture, digital communities, millennial nostalgia, and online fandom. Katherine joins the show to discuss why you're never leaving Twitter, how to escape the nostalgia trap, whether it's possible to heal our attention spans, and MUCH more! Important Links:

• Default Wisdom
• Why You're Never Leaving Twitter; by Katherine Dee
• Everything I Know About Elite America I Learned From 'Fresh Prince' and 'West Wing'; by Rob Henderson

Show Notes:

• Origin Story
• Why You're Never Leaving Twitter
• Art & Journalism in the Attention Economy
• Class, Wealth & Status
• How to Heal Our Attention Span
• Escaping the Nostalgia Trap
• Technology, Cultural Lag & Barriers to Entry
• Astroturfing vs. Organic Momentum
• Katherine as Empress of the World
• MORE!

Books Mentioned:

• The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It; by Will Storr
• Class: A Guide Through the American Status System; by Paul Fussell
• The novels of Donna Tartt
• The novels of Easton Ellis

The inimitable Derek Sivers returns for Part Two of our conversation. Important Links:

• Part One
• Website
• Twitter
• Still Too Soon to Tell & Other Songs
• Tech Independence

Show Notes:

• Curiosity Starts With Dissatisfaction
• Defining Things By Their Opposites
• Counterbalancing Our Biases
• How To Reframe Your Problems
• Still Too Soon To Tell
• Alternate Pasts & Alternate Futures
• The Choice You Commit To Is The Best Choice
• Just Do The Thing
• What Next?
• Derek As Emperor Of The World
• MORE!

Books Mentioned:

• Anything You Want; by Derek Sivers
• Hell Yeah Or No; by Derek Sivers
• How To Live; by Derek Sivers
• Your Music And People; by Derek Sivers
• William Blake vs the World; by John Higgs
• The God Problem: How a Godless Cosmos Creates; by Howard Bloom
• The Selfish Gene; by Richard Dawkins
• Awaken The Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Life; by Tony Robbins
• The Enlightenment Trilogy; by Jed McKenna
• What's Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies; by Tim Urban

Over the years, Derek Sivers has been a musician, circus performer, computer programmer, author, public speaker, and entrepreneur. In the 2000s, he sold his business, CD Baby, for $22 million and gave the proceeds to charity. Derek has optimized his life "for creating and learning" and spends as much of his time as he can (often 12 hours a day, 6 days a week) passionately pursuing his interests. Known for his ability to compress complex ideas into succinct insights, he has written four books and is currently working on his fifth. This conversation was so much fun that Derek immediately asked to return for a sequel, which we will be releasing this Thursday (26 October). Stay tuned! Important Links:

• Website
• Twitter
• There's No Speed Limit
• Ideas Are Just A Multiplier Of Execution
• The Thinker and The Prover
• Keep It Simple, Stupid (Infinite Loops Substack)

Show Notes:

• Don't Be AC/DC. Be Miles Davis.
• Does It Have To Be This Way?
• Rebranding Laziness
• Time Is A Multiplier
• From Idea To Execution
• Useful Not True
• When Simple Gets Hard
• How Derek Found Agency By Accepting Blame
• Cultivating Insatiable Curiosity
• More!

Books Mentioned:

• Anything You Want; by Derek Sivers
• Hell Yeah Or No; by Derek Sivers
• How To Live; by Derek Sivers
• Your Music And People; by Derek Sivers
• Tao Te Ching; by Lao Tzu
• The Two Cultures; by C.P. Snow
• Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There; by Lewis Carroll
• The Cosmic Trigger trilogy; by Robert Anton Wilson
• The Time Paradox: The New Psychology of Time That Will Change Your Life; by Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd
• Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics; by Tim Marshall
• Au Contraire!: Figuring Out the French; by Gilles Asselin and Ruth Mastron
• Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour; by Kate Fox