American Optimist

Secret police groups, illegal bio labs, and large-scale influence operations — China is engaged in these activities inside the United States today. How should we respond? Is economic divorce the answer? And are we destined for conflict, or is there a path toward peace and mutual prosperity? We discuss these pressing issues with Rep. Mike Gallagher, Congressman for Wisconsin's 8th District and Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). A distinguished warrior-scholar, Chairman Gallagher served in the Marines and deployed to Iraq, earned two Master's degrees and a Ph.D., and now leads one of the most consequential committees in Congress. In this episode, he details some of the CCP's most nefarious activities within the U.S., and our government’s inadequate responses. We discuss the right strategy for addressing the CCP, including when and where economic decoupling makes sense. Chairman Gallagher also provides an update on new legislative efforts he believes will finally succeed at forcing a sale of TikTok, and he explains why China's economic woes and looming demographic crisis might make Xi Jinping more likely to take aggressive action. If you want to understand the extent of the CCP's malign actions and influence campaigns, follow the bipartisan work of Chairman Gallagher's committee.

On the morning of October 7, Roni Eshel was stationed at a military base in Nahal Oz, not far from Gaza. The 19-year-old soldier was serving her second year of service in the Israel Defense Forces when Hamas stormed the base and set fire to the compound. Some soldiers escaped, some were killed, but Roni has not been found. Her family is desperately searching for her and fears the worst. Her uncle Elad Levy is speaking out in hopes of locating Roni and bringing awareness to the atrocities committed by Hamas. In recent days, we’ve seen shocking displays of pro-Hamas statements and demonstrations from student groups at "elite" universities, while many in the media cowardly display moral equivalence and fail to speak the truth about Hamas’ unspeakable actions. Elad hopes that out of this darkness comes a new moral clarity that will unite the free world behind Israel and make clear that Hamas will meet the same fate as the Nazis and ISIS: complete destruction.

Bob McGrew is at the epicenter of the AI revolution. As the VP of Research at OpenAI, he's instrumental in breakthroughs that are reshaping the world, from building GPT models and launching ChatGPT to overseeing the Dall-E project. How was GPT-4 trained and what will GPT-5 look like? Why does ChatGPT respond with certain biases and how do they correct for that? What breakthrough led Bob to believe AGI could be achievable? Bob and I were in Phi Psi together at Stanford and both interned at PayPal in its early days. We hired Bob as the second engineer at Palantir, where he built and shipped the first products for the intelligence community and went on to lead engineering and to help run the company. Bob joined OpenAI part-time in 2016 and full-time in 2017, where he's been at the forefront of AI innovation. In this episode, we discuss the early days of Palantir, how he knew AI's moment had arrived, and the most important research projects underway at OpenAI. We also look ahead to what GPT-8 could unlock for humanity and what's needed for Large Language Models to move beyond mimicking humans to higher forms of intelligence and creativity.

What's the best optimistic case for AI? Could AI actually save the world? What do the AI doomsayers get wrong? We dive deep into the AI debate with Marc Andreessen, cofounder and general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, for a special conversation held during the 2023 University of AustinForbidden Courses. We explore Marc'srecent essay (linked below)and why he believes AI could improve productivity, reduce human drudgery, and allow us to spend more time creating art or music, investing in relationships, and doing things that make us more human. Marc challenges the popular narratives on machine learning — why do we assume superintelligence will turn evil, for example? — and applies lessons from history to make a powerful case for embracing the AI age. However, his optimismis tempered by the realities of politics, and we debate whether it's the fault of the citizenry or special interests for stymieing innovation and progress. We also discuss how philosophical frameworks, like the precautionaryprinciple, have been used to inhibit progress, and why, sometimes, it takes great leaders creating exponentially better products or policies to overcome thestatusquo. Finally, we field a variety of smart and fun questions from students on AI, politics, and venture capital. Marc's Essay "Why AI Will Save the World": https://a16z.com/2023/06/06/ai-will-save-the-world/ Learn more about UATX & the Forbidden Courses: https://www.uaustin.org/forbidden-courses

Over the past two decades, Palantir has prevented a large number of terrorist attacks, deployed the most advanced civil liberties data infrastructure throughout western countries, and changed the course of history. Today, its technology is most evident on the battlefield in Ukraine, where its software has provided the Ukrainians a devastating advantage over Russian forces. And now, Palantir is quickly becoming the leading AI platform in the world for large organizations. How did a small startup overcome overwhelming institutional resistance to become one of the most important software companies in the world? And what can we learn from its CEO, Dr. Alex Karp — How does he attract the very best engineering talent? How did his dyslexia and outsider upbringing impact his views on the world and how Palantir is designed? We cover these questions and more in a special conversation between two of Palantir's co-founders. Dr. Karp holds a B.A. from Haverford College, a J.D. from Stanford Law School, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, where he studied under Jürgen Habermas and other leading intellectuals. In this episode, we explore the impact of philosophy on his life and why he ultimately left academia to build. We share some of our favorite stories from Palantir's early days, discuss how to reform the Pentagon to improve its results, and look ahead to how AI is changing the nature of warfare. Dr. Karp is one of the wisest leaders I know, and you'll learn how his iconoclastic views on software, patriotism, talent, and innovation have been proven right over the past years, and what they mean for the future.

Eddie Margain quickly ascended the ranks as a Mexican entrepreneur but fled the country when the cartels threatened his family. How does a nation lose its rule of law and does he see similar trends in America? Why was he inspired to build Austin FC and what did it take to bring the first professional sports team to the capital of Texas? We explore these topics and more with Eddie, co-founder of Austin FC and Managing Partner & Founder of Pixiu Investments (current investments include, among others, the historic Scarbrough Building and apparel maker Outdoor Voices). Eddie is a true leader and pillar of thecommunity who serves as President of the Greater Austin Crime Commission and also supports myriad other philanthropiccauses. His entrepreneurialjourney began in Mexico, first by founding an internet access provider and later building companies to manufacture and distribute mobile phones. In this episode, Eddie explains how his homeland surrendered to narcoterrorism, why he fell in love with Austin, and what motivated him to build the city's first soccer club.

Could modernizing one of medicine's oldest practices — the home visit — dramatically improve care for disadvantaged populations? What if doctors and nurses could treat an entire family in their home through a value-based care model that aligns incentives for both providers and payers? These are the questions Dr. Rebekah Gee aims to answer with Nest Health, a new health startup that's reinventing in-home care. Dr. Gee is uniquely suited to lead this effort; she's a mother of five and OBGYN who led Louisiana State University's healthcare program from 2020 to 2022 and the state of Louisiana's Department of Health from 2016 to 2020. She made a name for herself by deftly managing a $14 billion budget and negotiating drug pricing to make a costly Hepatitis-C drug available for tens of thousands of Louisianans. Previously, Dr. Gee served as the Medicaid Medical Director for Louisiana Medicaid and also worked on the healthcare transition team for President-elect Barack Obama. She's now applying the learnings from her extensive public service to build Nest, which is focused on improving health outcomes for Louisiana families on Medicaid. Dr. Gee explains the hurdles she overcame to innovate within Medicaid and how Nest's in-home care model could scale throughout the country to transform lives, cut costs, and increase productivity in American healthcare.

In India, "entrepreneur" was once a dirty word; today it's one of the most desirable career paths for young people. How did this transformation occur? How did the world's largest democracy break out of socialism? What does the remarkable rise of India augur for the 21st century? ‍ We explore these questions and more with Aditya Berlia, a serial entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist, and the co-founder and pro-chancellor of the Apeejay Stya University (ASU). Adi discusses his pioneering efforts in India's education sector, including building ASU — the country's first industry-focused technology and liberal arts university. He also explains his work around the world in biotech and how the U.S. FDA can more effectively partner with international manufacturers looking to access U.S. markets. Finally, he provides a unique perspective on America's challenges and how the world's two largest democracies can more closely ally and partner in the decades ahead.

How do we ensure that capital flows more efficiently to the best ideas and creates more value for society? One way is to enable more people to access the best investment opportunities, many of which are in private markets (aka alternative investments) that are notoriously difficult to navigate. It can take a team of lawyers to manage the mountain of paperwork and outdated analog processes — a stark contrast to one-click retail investing in public markets. Eliot Hodges, the CEO of Anduin, and his team are solving this problem. Anduin's software platform is digitizing the private markets and democratizing access — they've already helped more than 25,000 investors onboard at nearly 500 funds and raise over $45 billion in capital. An early employee at Palantir and Blend, Eliot explains his entrepreneurial journey and why Anduin's success is important for the innovation economy.What also makes Anduin unique is that it's a Silicon Valley startup employing top talent in Vietnam. Eliot discusses how he encourages collaboration across different cultures and why the caliber of engineering skills outside the U.S. is reshaping the tech landscape.

Is the U.S. on the verge of an unprecedented banking crisis? Other than Bitcoin, where is Balaji keeping his money? Could the government try to confiscate assets like FDR's gold seizures in the 1930s? Will red and blue states break into a cold civil war over the fiscal fallout? Learn why Balaji is sounding the alarm and why these scenarios may not be as far-fetched as you might think. We also discuss the roots of the current banking crisis and debate whether America's dysfunctional and broken institutions can be saved, or if it's too late to rescue our republic. Balaji is one of the leading investors, entrepreneurs, and writers of our time. For years, he's been an outspoken advocate for cryptocurrency and the larger decentralized finance movement, while boldly warning of the consequences of our nation's reckless fiscal policy. He was formerly the Chief Technology Officer of Coinbase and General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. He's also the author of "The Network State: How to Start a New Country" and host of the Network State Podcast.

Peter Attia is a renowned physician, podcast host, and best-selling author of "Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity." Peter received his M.D. from Stanford University and was awarded "Resident of the Year" in general surgery at Johns Hopkins University, but left medicine before coming back years later with new perspectives and becoming one of the world's most sought-after longevity experts. In this episode (we are also joined by our mutual friend and best-selling author Ryan Holiday), Peter explains the core principles and exercises to maximize and extend quality of life. We also discuss the obesity paradox and why Americans, on average, are becoming increasingly unhealthy -- and how we can reverse that troubling trend. Peter is trusted by a lot of amazing people I know, and he continues to innovate and test his theories, diets, and exercises on himself. His wisdom and expertise have improved lives around the world, and will challenge you to rethink your daily habits.

Joe Gebbia is the co-founder of Airbnb, which grew from an experiment in his San Francisco living room into a multi-billion dollar global company that transformed the hospitality industry. And his new startup, Samara, is reimagining how homeowners utilize their backyards by offering state-of-the-art Accessory Dwelling Units. In this episode, Gebbia explains the unlikely genesis of Airbnb, the challenges in unlocking the sharing economy, and how Samara could address many of America's housing issues.‍We learn about Gebbia's most famous high school prank - and how he channels his creative, entrepreneurial energy into reshaping how people live, travel, and engage with the world around them. We also discuss Gebbia's inspiring philanthropic work, which has touched millions of lives, and hear why he changed his perspective on nuclear energy and now believes it’s one of the most important technologies for the future of the planet.

Yitz Applbaum is a philanthropist, international bon vivant, and accomplished venture capitalist specializing in Israel and the Middle East. He began his career building a banking software company (acquired by Bank of America) before joining Lightspeed Ventures and later founding MizMaa Ventures. In this episode, he discusses how Israel transformed from a nation of impoverished refugees into an innovation powerhouse. Looking ahead, he explains how the Abraham Accords are reshaping the Middle East economically and culturally — Yitz, an orthodox Jew, is currently Chairman of a genome sequencing company in Saudi Arabia! He also expounds on some of the most important recent archeological discoveries in Israel, given his role on the Board of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation. Moreover, Yitz is a prolific collector of whiskey and Kosher wine — we open our favorite bottle of scotch in this episode! 00:00 Episode Intro 05:08 Israel's Economic Miracle 11:28 Incredible Opportunity in Middle East 18:57 Why Talent Is Going to UAE 21:25 Orthodox Jew Building Companies in Saudi Arabia 26:42 Opening a $5k Bottle of Scotch!

Admiral Bill McRaven is an American hero and former Commander of U.S. Special Forces Command who oversaw the planning and execution of the raid to kill Osama bin Laden. He's a retired Navy SEAL and four-star admiral whose command experience and academic writings helped shape U.S. Special Forces into the finest fighting force in the world. He's also a best-selling author and former Chancellor of the University of Texas System. In this episode, Adm. McRaven shares leadership lessons from his distinguished career, explains how the Bin Laden raid almost went awry, and reflects on why his "Make your bed" commencement address went viral to hundreds of millions of people worldwide. He also weighs in on current events like modernizing the Defense Department, Russia's surprising failures in Ukraine, and how the U.S. should address the rise of China. 00:00 Episode Intro 08:20 Leading the Osama bin Laden Raid 12:33 Make Your Bed 23:05 State of the U.S. military 30:23 Russia's failed "modernization"

Troy Carter is an iconic music manager who helped launch Lady Gaga to stardom and worked with many prominent artists like Eve, John Legend, and Meghan Trainor. Carter's work ethic and obsession with hip-hop helped him rise from a tough upbringing in Philadelphia, where his mother often had to choose between paying the water or electric bill each month. He ran errands for Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (Will Smith) before interning for P. Diddy and eventually launching his own management company. He fought through adversity at each stage of his career; he reveals how long it took before a single radio station would even play one of Lady Gaga's songs. He's currently supporting independent artists through his new company Venice Music and his passion for representing the "little guy" also extends to one of the most important policy issues of our time: school choice. Wait until you hear his courageous views on teachers unions and why he's not afraid to stand up for opportunity and accountability in spite of potential backlash. 00:00 Episode Intro 02:30 Growing up in Philly 12:52 Turning Lady Gaga into a Global Superstar 18:50 Revenge of the nerds 25:45 Speaking out on school choice 34:07 Rejecting cancel culture

Eboo Patel is the Founder and President of Interfaith America and author of "We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy." Why did a Rhodes Scholar like Patel — and so many in academia — become social activists preoccupied with race and oppression? And how did a college professor jolt him out of this dogmatic ideology toward embracing pluralism and social entrepreneurship? Learn from Patel's journey and efforts to steer more Americans away from zero-sum thinking toward building better alternatives. He uses powerful vignettes from history, like the Ottoman Empire welcoming Jewish refugees in the 15th century, to remind us that our shared heritage can — and should — transcend identity politics. Check out Eboo's book: https://www.amazon.com/We-Need-Build-Diverse-Democracy/dp/0807024066 Read his inspiring NY Times op-ed: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/10/opinion/race-teaching-school.html Help us grow the American Optimist movement! Like and subscribe 🙌

Rahul Gandhi is the CEO and President of Clutter (formerly MakeSpace) – a leader in the self-storage industry. The son of Indian immigrant entrepreneurs, Rahul cut his teeth serving customers at his father’s Arby’s franchise. He saw his family succeed — and almost lose everything — in the highly-competitive restaurant business. He talks candidly about overcoming the fear of failure and making the leap from venture capital to launching MakeSpace. He learned every inch of the business, from driving the trucks to packing boxes, in order to build a software solution that could disrupt the $38 billion industry and dramatically improve the moving and storage experience for consumers. ⏩ SUPPORT THE SHOW ⏪ Like this video and subscribe to the channel ➡️ http://tinyurl.com/xfjkadd4 Don't miss our recent episode with one of Africa's greatest entrepreneurs Iyinoluwa Aboyeji: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjKqgUY5CzM

John Chambers is the former Chairman and CEO of Cisco, responsible for growing the company from nearly $2 billion in revenue to almost $50 billion during his tenure. John is a legend in Silicon Valley, and a close advisor to leaders around the world including many CEOs and heads of state. Pankaj Patel was Cisco's former Chief Development Officer and led a $38 billion portfolio with over 26,000 engineers. Together, they made Cisco a global leader. Now, they're reinventing enterprise networking with Nile, a new startup that will bring networking into the cloud and apply AI to improve the customer experience and cut tens of billions of annual cost and hassle. Learn lessons from how Chambers and Patel took Cisco to the top, and how they're transforming networking again.

Sec. Mike Pompeo is a former entrepreneur, congressman, CIA Director, Secretary of State, and author of the new book, "Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love." From his early days running an aerospace company to negotiating with the world's most notorious authoritarian leaders, Pompeo discusses his leadership philosophy and how to project strength in critical moments. He details his efforts to reform Langley and Foggy Bottom, and warns against dysfunctional ideology seeping into our military and intelligence agencies. He also reveals how the Abraham Accords came to fruition, why the Trump Administration failed to ban TikTok, and how close the U.S. came to a deal with North Korea that may have changed the course of history. Order a copy of Sec. Pompeo's new book here: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Give-Inch-Fighting-America/dp/0063247445 ⏩ SUPPORT THE SHOW ⏪ Like this video and subscribe to the channel ➡️ http://tinyurl.com/xfjkadd4 NOTE: Due to some technical issues, the interview was filmed in two separate locations. Don't miss our recent episode with one of Africa's greatest entrepreneurs Iyinoluwa Aboyeji: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjKqgUY5CzM

Kimmy Scotti is Founding Partner of 8VC and the Co-Founder & Chairman at Fig.1. After launching a popular consumer brand as a teenager, Scotti went on to tackle the convoluted and broken PBM industry and built a powerful cost-saving alternative for millions of consumers. She explains her philosophy for building in complex sectors and how she applies that at 8VC through mentoring founders, identifying talent, and generating alpha. She also explains how she was the first investor in Hill House Home, the popular apparel and lifestyle company, and takes us behind the scenes of building her new company Fig.1 and using cutting-edge science to create a superior skin care product. ⏩ SUPPORT THE SHOW ⏪ Like this video and subscribe to the channel ➡️ http://tinyurl.com/xfjkadd4 Don't miss our recent episode with the greatest entrepreneur you've probably never heard of before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjKqgUY5CzM

I've known Iyinoluwa "E" Aboyeji since he was an aspiring, 19-year-old entrepreneur. Today, he's the founder of two African unicorns, Andela and Flutterwave — the latter of which is now the continent's most highly valued tech startup at over $3 billion. We discuss the challenges he overcame, plus those that remain, and why he's bullish on Africa's future. As the general partner and co-founder of Future Africa, "E" now invests in over a hundred African startups. He shares strong opinions on the cultural differences between Nigeria and the U.S. -- and the unique positive aspects we can learn from each society. ⏩ SUPPORT THE SHOW ⏪ Like this video and subscribe to the channel ➡️ http://tinyurl.com/xfjkadd4 Check out the most recent episode featuring Andrew Yang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=7AF5OKtCSUk

Andrew Yang is an entrepreneur, former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, and author of "Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy." A lawyer-turned-entrepreneur, Yang explains how he transformed early startup failures into success and why he's now intent on bridging partisan divides in America. In 2021, Yang became an Independent and launched the Forward Party, which seeks to counter the political polarization in America. He and Joe discuss what policy reforms are needed to change incentives and repair America's political and cultural fabric. ⏩ 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

Sebastian Caliri is Partner at 8VC with a focus on healthcare investing. Previously, Sebastian spent four years at Palantir where he was responsible for growing its commercial healthcare business. In this episode, Sebastian diagnoses the core problems in U.S. healthcare and explains why traditional fee-for-service care misaligns incentives, resulting in rising costs and inferior health outcomes. He makes the case for new models like value-based care and also highlights the potential of psychedelic medicine and other exciting innovation. Sebastian holds a BS and MS in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry from Yale University and spent a year in Stanford's MD program before pursuing a career in tech and investing. He argues that the conventional path in medicine is broken and often produces a risk-averse, complacent culture; he challenges the next generation of doctors and health care professionals to think boldly and take on the status quo. ⏩ 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

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

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