Mindful Notions by Sam H Li

What we read for the episode:

* Jeremy Stern, “Mark,” via Colossus: https://colossus.com/article/mark-zuckerberg-profile

* Sebastian Mallaby, “How Demis Hassabis Went From Idealist to Realist,” via Colossus: https://colossus.com/article/project-mario-demis-hassabis-deepmind-mallaby/

Book club tour:

Last stop is Washington, DC on Nov 6: https://luma.com/p90ynx53! All the books featured are from Stripe Press.

Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

everyone has been talking about ‘You Can See Everything,’ the new Nathan Fielder movie that documents disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.

Hill, Austin Nellessen, and i decided to go to a Boston theater on a Saturday afternoon to see what the fuss was all about. as we came out of the mindbending, genre-clashing, three-hour experience, we decided to bring the discussion to Magan Chin and all of you🙂

after recapping the movie to Magan, the Accessible Intelligence crew dives into what are the parallels between the Theranos startup era and the modern startup era (hubris, inflating numbers, and other morally questionable decisions in the pursuit of creating something great).

we also debate what the roles of non-experts (like Fielder) are when it comes to investigating and telling the story of tech.

then we wrap up with something each of us is looking forward to in the coming week! (last week of October, autumnal vibes, Halloween, etc).

come see us in person on sam’s book club tour!

🗽 10/30/26 NY: https://luma.com/s4gngpug

🏛️ 11/6/26 DC: https://luma.com/p90ynx53

**apologies for the echo on magan’s audio! we will resolve this issue in the future

Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

The Accessible Intelligence crew kicks off Season 3 with a new theme: progress. We unpack two Works in Progress articles: one about how the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) governs engineered microbes, and another about how Alberta keeps rat populations from taking hold.

Some questions we wrestle with:

When does regulation protect us, and when does it block useful innovation? Are business incentives a convincing argument for technological progress? And does Alberta’s success offer a repeatable lesson in prevention and maintenance. Or depend on unusually favorable geography and a common enemy?

Plus: our “unforced errors” segment, featuring a regrettable bike purchase, a coffee casualty, a missed interview, and a rain-soaked tennis outing.⁠⁠

📖Read along

* The 1970s law holding back modern biotechnology — Works in Progress

* Why Alberta doesn’t have rats — Works in Progress

🤝Meet us in person: Sam’s Book Club Tour

Keep the conversation going over coffee and Stripe Press books on progress. Small groups, real conversation, no lecture. You’re welcome whether or not you’ve finished a Stripe Press book!

* San Francisco — @October 9, 2026: RSVP on Luma⁠⁠

* Columbus — @October 16, 2026: RSVP on Luma⁠⁠

* Boston — @October 23, 2026: RSVP on Luma⁠⁠

* New York City — @October 30, 2026: RSVP on Luma⁠⁠

* Washington, DC — @November 6, 2026: RSVP on Luma

Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

One year into Accessible Intelligence, we’re reflecting on how our lives—and our relationships with AI—have shifted since launching the podcast.

The Accessible Intelligence crew is BACK to discuss:

My move to New York, work at Notion, and growing a Stripe Press progress book club

Hill’s first weeks at Harvard Law School and progress on Scaffold, a critical-thinking tool

Austin Nellessen’s transition into academic research and why he now uses AI less in his daily work.

We also explore who actually is shaping the direction of AI, the value of a shared reading community of curious thinkers, and why thinking broadly about progress may be more useful than thinking about AI alone.

Subscribe now

Want to get involved? Come meet me on my first book club tour!

🌉 10/9/26: SF: https://luma.com/t9tt883y

⭕️ 10/16/26 CBUS:3 https://luma.com/ygnuu82w

🦞 10/23/26 BOS: https://luma.com/cwncsiw1

🗽 10/30/26 NY: https://luma.com/s4gngpug

🏛️ 11/6/26 DC: https://luma.com/p90ynx53

Share

Accessible Intelligence is our podcast about AI, progress, and figuring out life from a young, non-expert perspective. To learn more about our work, visit our parent page.

Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Sam’s London piece:

Hill’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hillzn8

Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

If you’ve enjoyed the show—especially the conversations that help us slow down, pay attention, and build a little more presence into everyday life—I’d be so grateful for your vote.

Vote here: https://podlifeawards.com/vote/the-listeners-lobe-tgl20262

How to vote (takes ~30 seconds):

* Open the link above

* Paste this RSS link when prompted: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2727113.rss

* Submit your vote!

Voting closes May 4th.

Thank you for listening, sharing, and being part of this little corner of the internet. More soon.

Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Take a second to vote for the podcast here! https://podlifeawards.com/vote/the-listeners-lobe-tgl20262

Use this podcast link when voting: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/2727113.rss

Live NYC event celebrating the nom: https://luma.com/j1gd9a3w

Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Mindful Notions is nominated for its first award! Vote here. And tell a friend!

Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Dig deeper into what we are trying to LAUNCH here.

Mindful Notions has been nominated for an award, and it’s fully listener-voted! Vote for the podcast here: https://podlifeawards.com/vote/the-listeners-lobe-tgl20262

Voting closes May 4th.

Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe

Check out Magan’s app, FIG, here!

Check out Hill’s Substack, Scaffold, here!

Check out Austin’s publication, COMPUTE/COMPETE, here!

Check out my publication, Cities Decoded, here!

And if interested in applying to the Notion Ambassadors program… ➡️ https://www.notion.so/notion/04f306fbf59a413fae15f42e2a1ab029

Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe