American Optimist

"The joke was...the iPhone was the greatest thing, except for a phone." Tony Fadell led the teams that created the iPod and the iPhone. In this clip, he gives a behind-the-scenes look at what went into creating the first iPhone. After his time at Apple, Tony went on to build the Nest Thermostat and now runs the investment firm Future Shape and recently released his memoir titled “Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making." Check out Joe's full conversation with Tony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAs1OU-GZCM ⏩ SUPPORT THE SHOW ⏪ Like this video and subscribe to the channel ➡️ http://tinyurl.com/xfjkadd4

Tony Fadell is one of the great engineers, designers, and business leaders of our time, responsible for creating the iPod, iPhone, and Nest Thermostat. He runs the investment firm Future Shape and recently released his memoir titled “Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making." In this episode, he discusses the lessons he learned at General Magic (which was building the iPhone 15 years too early) and Philips Electronics that paved the way for building some of the world's most popular devices at Apple. He explains why self-imposed constraints are essential to creating exceptional products and reveals where engineers and designers often go wrong. His passion for building is inspiring and informative for both business and everyday life. Pick up a copy of Tony's new book: https://www.amazon.com/Build-Unorthodox-Guide-Making-Things/dp/B09LGNR2TW ⏩ SUPPORT THE SHOW ⏪ Like this video and subscribe to the channel ➡️ http://tinyurl.com/xfjkadd4 If you're looking for more optimistic, informative conversations, check out these episodes: Historian Niall Ferguson: Why Great Civilizations Rise and Fall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAdUdrDaAqA&t=513s Dr. Rick Klausner: the Biotech Revolution Is Changing the World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kFxWiL1Q2A&t=0s

We asked former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper about the best reasons to be optimistic for the future. Here's his answer. Watch Joe's full conversation with Sec. Esper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqedi... Dr. Mark Esper served as the U.S. Secretary of Defense from 2019 to 2020 and Secretary of the Army from 2017 to 2019. He's currently the Distinguished Chair of the Modern War Institute at West Point and sits on the Board of Directors of Epirus [a defense startup co-founded by Joe]. His forthcoming memoir is titled "A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times.” Help us reach more people. Like this video and subscribe to the channel ► http://tinyurl.com/xfjkadd4

If America is a racist country why are so many people from all over the world desperately trying to come to America? Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper takes on the "woke" critique of America. From 2006 to 2015, the Right Honorable Stephen Harper served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada. His premiership confronted challenges ranging from a global recession to the war against ISIS, but his smart and courageous leadership increased Canadian prosperity and bolstered security. Check out the full conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2CpZTlTL1A Help us reach more people. Like this video and subscribe to the channel ► http://tinyurl.com/xfjkadd4

Bari Weiss reveals why she resigned from a prestigious position at the New York Times to launch her own independent newsletter. Check out Joe Lonsdale's full conversation with Bari: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBvUo2MSplM ⏩ SUPPORT AMERICAN OPTIMIST ⏪ Like this video and subscribe to the channel ➡️ http://tinyurl.com/xfjkadd4 If you're looking for more thought-provoking and informative conversations, check out these episodes: Historian Niall Ferguson: Why Great Civilizations Rise and Fall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAdUdrDaAqA&t=513s Dr. Rick Klausner: How the Biotech Revolution Is Changing the World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kFxWiL1Q2A&t=0s

Hacking DNA, creating new species, building space palaces... there are amazing possibilities in the years ahead, if you know where to look. In this clip, Palantir Co-Founder Joe Lonsdale highlights the new frontiers in biology, transportation, and technology, and explains why people are mistaken if they believe we're at the limits of humanity's potential and how that mindset devolves into zero-sum thinking. In Episode 37 Joe sits down with Zach Latta, Founder of Hack Club, to discuss the importance of learning to build and how it moves society forward. Check out the full conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaB5ltDmD0Q ⏩ SUPPORT THE SHOW ⏪ Like this video and subscribe to the channel ➡️ http://tinyurl.com/xfjkadd4 If you're looking for more optimistic, informative conversations, check out these episodes: Historian Niall Ferguson: Why Great Civilizations Rise and Fall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAdUdrDaAqA&t=513s Dr. Rick Klausner: How the Biotech Revolution Is Changing the World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kFxWiL1Q2A&t=0s

"I'm CEO but I'm really in the philosophy department." Charles Koch grew a small engineering firm into one of the country's largest private companies. He is one of the great business minds of our time yet considers himself first and foremost a philosopher. In this clip, Joe Lonsdale and Charles Koch discuss the impact of studying philosophy on some of the great CEOs of our time, such as Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Koch himself. Full conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCFcz8SESdQ&t=565s Subscribe to the channel ► http://tinyurl.com/xfjkadd4 If you enjoy optimistic, informative conversations, check out these episodes: Historian Niall Ferguson: Why Great Civilizations Rise and Fall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAdUdrDaAqA&t=513s Dr. Rick Klausner: How the Biotech Revolution Is Changing the World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kFxWiL1Q2A&t=0s

Joe Lonsdale sits down with Zach Latta, Founder of Hack Club, a non-profit network of high school coding clubs with over 15,000 members worldwide. At age 15, Zach helped design one of the most popular apps in the world. At 16, he dropped out of high school to become a programmer before founding Hack Club. He then received a Thiel Fellowship and decided to forgo college to build Hack Club full-time. In this episode, he talks about rethinking education and challenges teenagers to look beyond conventional, safe paths and take full advantage of the Internet Age. He paints an inspiring picture of what our world would look like with more coders and builders -- and explains how Hack Club provides teens with the skills to improve society and realize their full potential. 00:00 Episode intro 05:46 Rethinking education entirely 11:16 The new frontier 15:46 How to change education in America 27:42 Optimism for the future If you're looking for more optimistic, informative conversations, check out these episodes: Historian Niall Ferguson: Why Great Civilizations Rise and Fall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAdUdrDaAqA&t=513s Dr. Rick Klausner: How the Biotech Revolution Is Changing the World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kFxWiL1Q2A&t=0s

"I'm CEO but I'm really in the philosophy department." Charles Koch grew a small engineering firm into one of the country's largest private companies. He is one of the great business minds of our time yet considers himself first and foremost a philosopher. In this clip, Joe Lonsdale and Charles Koch discuss the impact of studying philosophy on some of the great CEOs of our time, such as Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Koch himself. Full conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCFcz8SESdQ&t=565s Subscribe to the channel ► http://tinyurl.com/xfjkadd4 If you like optimistic, informative conversations, check out these episodes: Historian Niall Ferguson: Why Great Civilizations Rise and Fall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAdUdrDaAqA&t=513s Dr. Rick Klausner: How the Biotech Revolution Is Changing the World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kFxWiL1Q2A&t=0s

Palantir Co-Founder Joe Lonsdale reveals a time when he tried to use Palantir's data and innovation to assist the Department of Education and was rejected because of the power of special interests. Check out the full conversation on how to inject innovation and competition into government, particularly in higher education: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t57vCXW8b-w ⏩ SUPPORT THE SHOW ⏪ Like this video and subscribe to the channel ➡️ http://tinyurl.com/xfjkadd4 If you enjoyed this clip, check out these other episodes: Force Fields & Directed Energy Are Here! Thanks to This Cutting-Edge Defense Company https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFMaaQDvGVQ&t=17s Niall Ferguson: Why Great Civilizations Rise & Fall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAdUdrDaAqA&t=471s

Gene Berdichevsky is the co-founder and CEO of Sila, a next-gen battery technology company. Previously, he was the seventh employee at Tesla, where he served as Principal Engineer on the Roadster battery and led the development of the world’s first mass-produced lithium-ion car battery. In this episode, he explains how Sila's new battery chemistry innovations can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and help electrify the future. He discusses the challenges in mining rare metals, battery recycling, and what's needed to sustainably build batteries at scale. By mid-century, Berdichevsky is optimistic that EVs will become ubiquitous, and we'll be able to fully integrate renewables into the electric grid. ⏩ SUPPORT THE SHOW ⏪ Like this video and subscribe to the channel ➡️ http://tinyurl.com/xfjkadd4 00:00 Episode intro 02:42 Designing Tesla's Roadster Battery 06:12 Leaving Tesla to Start Sila 12:42 How to Scale Battery Production 22:49 Why Everyone Will Drive EVs 28:09 Why Be Optimistic About Battery Tech If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these other episodes: Oklo's Amazing Small Nuclear Reactor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXbWC1mDrl4&t=1453s Niall Ferguson: Why Great Civilizations Rise & Fall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAdUdrDaAqA&t=471s For permission to use any portion of this video, please contact us at info@americanoptimist.com

Is college worth it? That is the question many Americans are asking given the state of higher education, the exorbitant cost of tuition, and the burden of student loan debt. Florida Speaker of the House Chris Sprowls explains why a four-year college degree is not required to live the American Dream. He discusses Florida's efforts to improve access to technical and vocational schools and provide better job placement services. Check out the full conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUL_jVCeGYE ⏩ SUPPORT THE SHOW ⏪ Like this video and subscribe to the channel ➡️ http://tinyurl.com/xfjkadd4 If you enjoyed this clip, check out these other episodes: Force Fields & Directed Energy Are Here! Thanks to This Cutting-Edge Defense Company https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFMaaQDvGVQ&t=17s Niall Ferguson: Why Great Civilizations Rise & Fall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAdUdrDaAqA&t=471s

Francisco Gimenez is Partner at 8VC and focuses on Bio-IT investments. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford in Biomedical Informatics and B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from UC Berkeley. In this episode, Francisco explains how breakthroughs in AI, gene editing, and cell therapies converged to jumpstart a new age in biology. He predicts that biomanufacturing platforms, armed with mountains of data and new tools, will bring down the costs of creating and commercializing drugs so smaller companies can treat rarer diseases and deliver more personalized cures. By decentralizing the pharma industry, Francisco is optimistic that the future of medicine will evolve from reactive care to preventative medicine that will help people fully self-actualize and lead their best, healthiest lives. ⏩ SUPPORT THE SHOW ⏪ Like this video and subscribe to the channel ➡️ http://tinyurl.com/xfjkadd4 00:00 Episode intro 04:58 The Year that transformed Medicine 12:19 Leather from mushrooms & synthetic biology 18:05 Understanding the biotech revolution 30:29 Resilience Bio and rebuilding biomanufacturing 36:54 Decentralizing the pharma industry 44:24 Optimism for the future If you enjoyed this conversation, check out these other episodes: Whole Foods Co-Founder & CEO John Mackey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmZYyxKRSlk&t=1900s Niall Ferguson: Why Great Civilizations Rise & Fall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAdUdrDaAqA&t=471s For permission to use any portion of this video, please contact us at info@americanoptimist.com