Videos

Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg are joined by Omar Shams, the founder of Mutable AI, for a deep dive into Omar’s great piece, The AI Organization. In this conversation, they explore the potential of AI to transform organizational productivity, the limitations of financial metrics in GDP, and AI's role in…

CEO of Anthropic says that the future of biology might just be powered by algorithms.

Erik Torenberg and Noah Smith are joined by Dario Amodei, CEO and Co-founder of Anthropic. Dario talks about the economics of AI development, the comparative advantage of AI companies like Anthropic, AI safety, and his stance on California's SB 1047 bill. They also discuss the impacts of AI on global…

Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, joins Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, and Antonio Garcia Martinez to talk about the company's evolution and the broader crypto landscape, originally recorded for @MomentofZenPodcast Armstrong discusses Coinbase's focus on product development, their efforts in Washington D.C., and strategies for increasing global crypto adoption. Armstrong also…

In this episode of Upstream, Erik Torenberg sits down with Eoghan McCabe who opens up about his journey entering Silicon Valley, leading Intercom, shifting company culture, and becoming politically engaged. This episode offers a frank look at the complexities of building and scaling a tech company, coming back from personal…

In this episode of Upstream, we’re releasing an interview from 2021 with Marc Andreessen, Sriram Krishnan, and Aarthi Ramamurthy. They discuss the higher education system's inefficiencies, high costs and lack of competition, and explore innovative education models including cohort-based learning and unbundling education components. Marc shares personal anecdotes about his…

In this episode of Upstream, we revisit a 2020 conversation with Erik Torenberg and Katherine Boyle exploring the intersection of religion and media in this tech-driven world. Katherine discusses her Washington Post article on how San Francisco's tech advancements have largely bypassed religious institutions. They explore the factors behind this…

Last week, Erik Torenberg sat down with Balaji Srinivasan to discuss the vibe shift to the right in Silicon Valley, particularly after the attempted assassination of President Trump. This episode originally aired in @MomentofZenPodcast. They discuss the rising tensions between tech counter-elites and political incumbents, and why tech is at…

This week on Upstream, we’re releasing a fascinating discussion with economist, professor, and bestselling author Tyler Cowen about how to find talented people. This was recorded in 2022 around the launch of his book 'Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World' co-authored with Daniel Gross. Tyler…

This week on Upstream, we're releasing a 2019 interview with David Gornoski and Erik Torenberg on the Village Global podcast, offering a deep dive into René Girard's Mimetic Theory, exploring its far-reaching societal impacts and surprising connections to ancient rituals and myths. They unpack the concept of mimetic desire and…

In this week’s episode of Upstream, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss America's future. They cover the 2024 presidential race, the Chevron ruling from the Supreme Court, and the polarization of the education system. Noah and Erik also discuss where wokeness goes from here, and the potential outcomes of integrating…

This week on Upstream, we’re airing an interview with evolutionary biologist Bret Weinstein from 2020, originally from the Village Global podcast. They discuss Weinstein's work on evolutionary trade-offs, the intersection of markets and moral progress, as well as future governance. beehiiv: Head to https://beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20%…

In this episode of Upstream, Erik Torenberg and Richard Hanania delve into the surprising support for Donald Trump within Silicon Valley, contrasting it with earlier elections. They explore reasons behind this shift, such as anti-wokeness sentiments, dissatisfaction with left economic policies, and the Democrats' anti-tech stance. The conversation also covers…

In 2019 Erik Torenberg sat down with Balaji Srinivasan and Glen Weyl to talk about the future of a decentralized world. They cover decentralized governance, politics, voting, and more. This conversation was recorded orginally for Village Global's Venture Stories. beehiiv: Head to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off…

In 2020 Erik Torenberg sat down with Mike Solana, then VP at Founders Fund (now the Editor In Chief of @pirate-wires ) to go deeper into his commitment to controversial ideas and freedom. He discusses the dynamics of America's culture wars, debating freedom vs. equality, the resurgence of Marxism, and…

Todays episode features a conversation between Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discussing the recent angry posts on X from David Austin Walsh, a history postdoc at Yale, and what this controversy says about elite overproduction in the US. They also cover the the rise of right-wing muckrakers, discuss what the…

In this episode of Upstream, we're publishing this session recorded live at The Hill & Valley Forum in May 2024 hosted by Jacob Helberg, and featuring Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures, and Senator Todd Young (R-IN). Khosla and Young dive straight into the most pressing national security concerns regarding the…

This week on Upstream, Erik sits down with Jonathan Haidt to discuss his book, The Anxious Generation. The conversation covers the effects of social media on teen mental health, culture, politics, education, and more. beehiiv: Head to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. --…

This week on Upstream, Erik sits down with Jonathan Haidt to discuss his book, The Anxious Generation. The conversation covers the effects of social media on teen mental health, culture, politics, education, and more. beehiiv: Head to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. --…

This week on Upstream, we're releasing an episode from Erik's podcast with Noah Smith, Econ 102. Noah breaks down the economies of the USA, China, Japan, Russia, India, Korea, and more. Access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com and mention “Turpentine”…

This week on Upstream, Nathan Labenz of The Cognitive Revolution podcast and Brian Chau, a machine learning engineer who recently founded the Alliance for the Future, talk about Brian's efforts in Washington, D.C. to influence AI policy based on informed AI optimism. Access global engineering without the headache and at…

This week on Upstream, we’re releasing an episode from Turpentine’s show Live Players with Samo Burja. Erik and Samo discuss China’s universities and the future of China’s elites. Access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com and mention “Turpentine” to skip the…

This episode was initially recorded before a live audience in 2018. Erik talks with Naval Ravikant and Balaji Srinivasan about the history of money and centralization and why crypto has the potential to fulfill the promise of the internet. Access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of…

This week on Upstream, Erik is joined by Nathan Labenz and Noah Smith for a deep dive on how AI will impact job markets, the social contract, and the role of the government. Access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com and…