Joe Lonsdale: American Optimist

• Ep 113: Why Sam Lessin Believes AI Isn't Disruptive & Venture Capital Is Fundamentally Changing

  After leading the product team at Facebook, Sam Lessin became one of the top seed investors in Silicon Valley, known for cutting the first check into Venmo and seeding Solana (a 2,000X return!) Why does he think crypto is more disruptive than AI? Why does he believe the VC model is fundamentally shifting? And why are we, together, building a new company focused on taking merit to the extreme in corporate America?We discuss this and more with Sam, co-founder and General Partner of Slow Ventures, a leading early stage venture fund. Prior, he was the VP of Product at Facebook during its hyper growth years. Sam is also heavily involved in fixing Harvard, his alma mater, including a recent campaign for the Board of Overseers and building a new alumni network to help return the university to veritas and its founding principles.Sam first met Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard and watched Facebook being built firsthand. But, as he explains, fell prey to conventional status games and spent two years at Bain & Company, before breaking out and going on to play a critical role at Facebook. He then launched Slow Ventures to take big bets on unconventional ideas. Learn why he believes AI is overhyped; where venture capital is headed next; and what we're building at Meritfirst to unlock hidden talent and overhaul how companies source and hire the best and brightest.00:00 Episode intro 01:50 Harvard & the wrong career choices 05:13 Lessons learned at Facebook 10:15 The challenges of an open internet 14:48 Venmo, Solana & Sam's investment thesis 16:55 Sam's contrarian take on AI 19:15 How venture capital is changing 24:56 How to fix Harvard 34:13 Building Meritfirst together This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com

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• Ep 112: Peter Thiel on DOGE, Tariffs, Building Generational Companies & the Future of Civilization

  From co-founding PayPal and Palantir to writing the first check into Facebook and investing early in SpaceX, AirBnB, and numerous other unicorns, Peter Thiel has shaped the American technology world for over 25 years. Dozens of our most talented leaders have been inspired by Peter, and as a major influence on how we understand the world, he’s also helped to shape the future of the West. Peter likes exploring clever ideas and wisdom, and loves to win.What's next for our civilization? How should talented people decide what to focus on? And where are the best opportunities amid our myriad challenges? There's no one better than Peter at understanding broken systems, recognizing civilizational currents, and charting a contrarian course. We begin with his mental framework for building in dysfunctional areas, and why Palantir proved more difficult than we ever thought. Peter reveals his worst investments of the past few decades and why broken sectors are often impervious to change. He explains the talent, philosophy, and timing necessary to build a truly generational company.We also cover DOGE, President Trump's trade policy, and why Peter is more optimistic about the new administration in Washington than at any point since President Reagan. We discuss whether the vibe shift in Silicon Valley is real, and Peter's theory for how Meta (where he served on the board for 17 years) was captured by the woke mind virus. Lastly, he explains the precursors for cultural revolutions, i.e., the woke backlash, and why he's uncharacteristically bullish on the DOGE movement and new opportunities for lasting political change.00:00 Episode intro 01:40 UATX vs Harvard 04:45 What should talented people focus on? 07:40 Peter's thesis behind Palantir 11:05 Why Palantir sued the Army 14:30 Optimism vs pessimism 17:10 Peter's worst investment areas 20:30 Peter's perspective on Trump & DOGE 25:45 Trump's trade policy & how to deal with China 30:40 New opportunities in broken areas? 35:10 Los Angeles, Austin, and broken cities 40:25 Is the Silicon Valley vibe shift real? 45:45 Cultural revolutions and why speech codes backfired This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com

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• Episode 111: Sen. Tom Cotton on DOGE, TikTok, and "Seven Things You Can't Say About China"

  Sen. Tom Cotton is a key leader on Capitol Hill, standing up to cronyism and grift at home and our adversaries abroad. Does he think DOGE can effect lasting change? What can we do about activist judges blocking the new administration? And how do we stop the Chinese Communist Party from infiltrating our government, undermining American innovation, and targeting our kids with synthetic and digital drugs, i.e. fentanyl and TikTok?Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and member of the Armed Services Committee, Sen. Cotton plays a vital role in shaping our nation's foreign policy. He also knows the impact of policy firsthand, having deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in the U.S. Army after graduating from Harvard and Harvard Law school. His new book sounds the alarm on America's capitulation to the CCP and is appropriately titled "Seven Things You Can't Say About China."As the first elected official to publicly defend the lab leak theory, Sen. Cotton courageously challenged the CCP and our own establishment media, reinforcing his reputation as a bold fighter on issues foreign and domestic. We begin with DOGE and a key legislative mechanism he believes Republicans can use to remove waste, fraud, and abuse in the budget for good. He also explains why the Supreme Court needs to weigh in on activist district judges issuing nationwide injunctions. Next, we dive into his new book and the seven areas of the CCP's malfeasance, including its influence over the Panama Canal, what's going to happen with TikTok, and whether the U.S. is serious about stopping the "reverse opium war" and taking out the Mexican cartels. There are many in Hollywood, academia, corporate America, and even Washington D.C. who downplay or cave to Chinese influence; Sen. Cotton is not one of them!00:00 Episode Intro 03:05 DOGE & activist judges 08:40 Lab leak theory and exposing lies 11:27 Seven Things You Can't Say About China 15:47 Was Pres. Trump right about China and Panama Canal? 20:06 How China infiltrated Hollywood 25:50 What's going to happen with TikTok? 29:36 The CCP's reverse opium war 38:55 Is there optimism for a free China? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com

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• Ep 110: Dr. Mike Israetel on Miracle Drugs, the Aesthetic Revolution, Living to 200 & New Frontiers in AI-Powered Medicine

  Dr. Mike Israetel is one of the most influential voices in health and fitness. What are the "miracle drugs" he thinks will upend modern medicine? Why is he outspoken on AI and the coming "aesthetic revolution"? And what does he think of Bryan Johnson and living to 200? We discuss some of the most interesting developments in health science with Dr. Mike, co-founder of Renaissance Periodization, his health and strength lab for training athletes and professionals, while sharing his insights with millions online. He earned a PhD in Sport Physiology from East Tennessee State University and later taught at Lehman College, Temple University, and the University of Central Missouri. He also pushes his own body to the limits as a competitive bodybuilder and professional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu grappler. How did Dr. Mike become a leading authority on strength training? By following the science, he says, and debunking common myths and faulty logic. Learn about the most common misconceptions and why he believes nearly all of health and fitness boils down to a few fundamental principles. Next, Dr. Mike outlines the science behind everyday issues — sleep, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, testosterone — before diving deep into GLP-1s, steroids vs peptides, cutting-edge drug discovery, and why living to 200 is not as far-fetched as we think. Finally, he explains his journey into AI and philosophy, and why he believes the coming aesthetic revolution will transform the world for the better starting in the 2030s. Check out Dr. Mike's newest nutritional product, Genius Shot, here. 0:00 Episode Intro 01:32 Debunking fitness myths 04:23 Health Science that will change your life 07:44 Health Impacts: Alcohol, Sleep, Caffeine, and Nicotine 14:44 Testosterone Decline 16:41 Why Dr. Mike Is Obsessed with AI 21:00 AI Misuse, Threats, and Capabilities 24:27 Aesthetic Revolution, Modern Drugs, and Anti-Aging Technologies 32:48 Bryan Johnson and Longevity 37:28 Biggest Potential for Fitness & Nutrition Startups 41:10 Cybernetics, Prosthetics, and the Future of Human Enhancement This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com

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• Ep 109: Anson Frericks on the Rise & Fall of Budweiser; Milton Friedman vs Klaus Schwab; and How to Save Corporate America

  Budweiser was the undisputed king of American beers, until one controversial ad campaign erased $40 billion in market cap and thousands of jobs. How did this happen? Where did top-down frameworks like ESG and DEI originate? And how can we get corporate America back on mission?This week we're joined by Anson Frericks, a former president at Anheuser-Busch and author of the new book: “Last Call for Bud Light: The Fall and Future of America’s Favorite Beer." He recently founded Athletic Capital and co-founded Strive Asset Management with Vivek Ramaswamy.After graduating from Yale and Harvard Business School, Anson quickly ascended the ranks at AB InBev, which acquired Anheuser-Busch in 2008. But he began to notice the beer brand straying from its all-American roots. The culture shifted dramatically after InBev moved sales and marketing from St. Louis to New York City, and Budweiser became emblematic of a decades-long battle over the purpose of a corporation dating back to Milton Friedman's shareholder primacy theory versus the World Economic Forum's embrace of stakeholder theory. Anson explains how the latter captured boardrooms across Europe, spread to America, and led to the proliferation of ESG and DEI within our largest financial institutions.He details how BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard wield their outsized influence to force stakeholder theory on corporate America, and explains why, shortly before Bud Light's historic collapse, he left to launch Strive Asset Management as an alternative asset manager focused solely on maximizing returns for shareholders. Anson provides an important case study in what went wrong on Wall Street and in boardrooms across the country, and more importantly, how we can get back on track.00:00 Episode Intro 1:57 The rise & fall of Bud Light 08:50 What is the purpose of a corporation? 10:48 Milton Friedman vs Klaus Schwab13:50 How BlackRock manipulates investors & companies 16:15 What went wrong at Bud Light 19:00 Costco doubling down on DEI 23:35 How to fight back 28:10 Why Anson left to start Strive 35:38 How to save corporate America This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.joelonsdale.com

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