Joe Lonsdale: American Optimist

Joe Lonsdale
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Joe Lonsdale: American Optimist

American Optimist, hosted by Joe Lonsdale: entrepreneur, investor, and founder of four multi-billion dollar companies and other mission-driven organizations. American Optimist is an alternative to the fear, cynicism, and zero-sum thinking in mainstream media. Learn from the innovators and leaders who are solving our nation’s most pressing challenges, and doing it in a way that will lift everyone up. Hope should dominate our discourse, and American Optimist will show you why. blog.joelonsdale.com

  1. 21. FEB.

    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 Schwab 13:50 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

    43 Min.

  2. 14. FEB.

    Ep 108: Tim Urban on Superintelligence, Mars, Fermi Paradox & How to Conquer a Society

    My friend Tim Urban is one of the most influential writers and public intellectuals of the past decade. In 2015, his predictions about the coming AI wave shaped how many builders thought about the future. What happens next in the AI revolution? What new possibilities is he excited about and what concerns him the most? And why, despite technological progress, has our culture and politics descended into tribalism? We explore these questions and more with the writer and illustrator of the popular "Wait But Why" blog and author of "What's Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies." Tim's unique illustrations translate complex, technical topics in ways that are accessible and insightful to everyone from the layperson to our country’s top innovators. After studying government at Harvard, Tim noticed a glaring hole in online discourse: content was everywhere, but quality was lacking. So he began to write in-depth about pressing intellectual questions and debates. What is the nature of intelligence? Why does Mars matter? What does the Fermi Paradox teach us about the universe? His research led him to viral success and carved out his reputation as one of the most forward-thinking writers online, followed by Elon Musk and millions more. After exploring these themes, he noticed a troubling trend: technology was progressing but our culture and politics were not. He then dedicated six years to writing "What's Our Problem?" and developed powerful frameworks for understanding human nature, political dysfunction, and how illiberal movements conquer institutions. And he doesn't just diagnose our collective ailments, but also offers an antidote for how we can all draw from the higher aspects of our mind to transcend tribalism and move society forward. Tim's writings have been instrumental in the country's "vibe shift" and restoring sanity and intelligence to our national discourse. 00:00 Episode Intro 01:35 From Harvard to blogging 04:57 Understanding the Fermi Paradox 09:46 How Tim predicted the AI revolution 13:30 Narrow vs general intelligence 17:30 Should we pause AI research? 26:00 What's Our Problem? 31:00 Higher-rung vs lower-rung thinking 34:20 America vs wrecking balls 41:50 How to conquer a society 51:20 Tim's $10k bet on Mars & optimism for the future 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

    56 Min.

  3. 30. JAN.

    Ep 107: Off-Road Autonomy & Saving Soldiers' Lives with Overland AI CEO Byron Boots

    Self-driving is an immensely complex challenge; Tesla, Waymo, and others are locked in a years-long race. But equally challenging, and less known, is the race to develop off-road self-driving. How do you build systems that can navigate unmapped terrain, dodge boulders, and see behind trees — all at high speeds? And how can our military deploy this technology to enhance lethality and save soldiers' lives? We discuss these exciting breakthroughs with Byron Boots, Co-Founder & CEO of Overland AI — one of the most exciting new U.S. defense companies. Byron holds a PhD in machine learning from Carnegie Mellon and also teaches machine learning and robotics at the University of Washington. We begin with Byron's background as a philosopher-builder, and how he created the top ground autonomy research group in partnership with the Department of Defense. We dive into the engineering challenges of off-road self-driving, and Byron reveals what sets Overland apart from the competition. Next, we cover the strategic significance of Overland's work and how it will abstract humans from dangerous ground operations, like breaching, and transform warfare. If Overland is successful, thousands of autonomous vehicles, each with an elite operator controlling his own smart fleet, could replace the traditional ground campaigns of tanks, infantrymen, and heavy casualties — and that's something we can all be optimistic about. 00:00 Episode Intro 01:30 Byron’s Philosopher Builder Background 05:32 DARPA challenge & Overland origin story 08:15 On-road vs off-road self-driving 13:08 How ground autonomy changes warfare 18:59 Engineering challenges in off-road autonomy 23:30 AI-enabled swarming & the future of warfare 29:03 Building with the Pentagon 32:37 Optimism for the future 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

    34 Min.

  4. 23. JAN.

    Ep 106: Zac Bookman on Advice for DOGE & Building OpenGov into a $1.8 Billion GovTech Leader

    In 2012, Zac Bookman and I set out to bring efficiency and transparency to state and local governments using the best of Silicon Valley technology. Some said we were naive; others laughed when we tried to raise money from them. Over a decade later, OpenGov is a govtech leader, recently acquired by Cox Enterprises for $1.8 billion. And now, government efficiency, namely DOGE, is all the rage! What does it take to bring government out of the stone ages and into the cloud? And how can DOGE and the new administration seize upon this cultural and political sea change? We discuss this and more with OpenGov co-founder and CEO Zac Bookman. A litigator by training, Zac fought corruption as a Fulbright fellow in Mexico and as an advisor to General McMaster in Afghanistan. As we launched OpenGov, Zac was recruiting candidates on his cell phone from NATO HQ — reflective of his intense work ethic and leadership. We start with Zac's entrepreneurial journey and key lessons from Afghanistan, before diving into the make-or-break moments in building OpenGov. We also discuss his remarkable M&A track record and strategy of buying tiny govtech companies and helping them scale. Next, we explore Zac's advice for DOGE and how to effect meaningful and lasting change within government. Finally, Zac outlines how OpenGov is harnessing AI and the new possibilities for more functional and responsive governments around the country. 00:00 Episode intro 01:45 Zac's story 07:10 Fighting corruption in Afghanistan 11:30 The origins of OpenGov 19:35 Make-or-break moments 26:35 Understanding how local government works 28:10 Zac's unique M&A strategy 32:24 Advice for DOGE 37:35 Pivoting OpenGov to AI first 44:45 Biking across America & optimism 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

    50 Min.

  5. 14.12.2024

    Ep 105: What Can Aristotle Teach Us About AI? Training "Philosopher Builders" with Brendan McCord of the Cosmos Institute

    AI is transforming our world. Yet many people building these technologies have no grounding in the principles of Western Civilization. With the wrong ideas, we could hurtle toward an authoritarian, dystopian future. But with the right values, AI could unleash freedom and prosperity in ways never imagined. What are the philosophical frameworks needed to harness AI for good? And how do we train a new generation of philosopher builders? We explore these timely issues with Brendan McCord, founder and chair of the Cosmos Institute, a new nonprofit equipping technologists with pro-liberty values. After graduating from MIT and Harvard Business School, Brendan served on Arctic submarine missions for the Department of Defense and later authored its first AI strategy. He went on to build and lead two AI startups that were acquired for $400 million. Now, he's educating our best and brightest minds in the timeless wisdom of Western Civilization and preparing them for the serious ethical questions that AI poses. We begin with the importance of philosophy throughout history in harnessing emerging technologies for freedom or control. Next, Brendan breaks down the four dominant approaches to AI — doomsayers, accelerationists, regulators, and techno-authoritarians — and where each falls short. Alternatively, he offers three principles and their philosophical roots for harnessing AI for human flourishing: reason (John Stuart Mill), decentralization (Alexis de Tocqueville), and human autonomy (Aristotle). We also cover legitimate versus illegitimate concerns with AI and conclude with how the Cosmos Institute is putting these principles into action, from its Fellowship programs to its new AI lab at Oxford University. 00:00 Episode intro 02:04 Submarines to Building AI Companies 06:00 Why Philosopher Builders are needed 13:20 Why AI poses unique challenges 20:50 Doomsayers vs Accelerationists 25:50 Philosophical frameworks for human flourishing 30:10 Regulators & Techno-authoritarians 37:34 AI running for political office? 40:07 LLMs don't know how to reason 42:30 Purpose of the Cosmos Institute 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

    50 Min.

  6. 06.12.2024

    Ep 104: Will AI Replace Coders? Terminal Co-Founder & CEO Dylan Serota

    How is AI augmenting software developers? Will it replace or commoditize certain roles? And how should aspiring engineers prepare for the future? This week, we're joined by Dylan Serota, co-founder and CEO of Terminal, to discuss AI's impact on one of the most important aspects of company building: talent. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Dylan headed to Silicon Valley, where he helped build and scale global teams for Eventbrite. After seeing the flaws in traditional outsourcing firms, he set out to build Terminal — a new model for a global talent platform. Behind the scenes, Terminal is enabling some of the fastest-growing tech companies, like Hims&Hers, Chime, and NextDoor, to hire and manage teams around the world. We start our conversation with global hiring trends and how AI is transforming the competition for talent. Specifically, we discuss how new AI tools are augmenting coding and impacting demand for high-skill versus entry-level developers. We also tackle the challenges in building global teams and why some companies are reverting to face-to-face interviews and tests. Next, we explore the misaligned incentives in traditional outsourcing models and how Terminal differentiates itself. Finally, Dylan offers his advice to young engineers on how they should prepare for the AI age. 00:00 Episode Intro 02:00 The state of global talent 05:00 Why is Nike hiring thousands of engineers? 9:00 Will AI replace coders? 13:30 AI screening vs in-person interviews 18:00 Why is traditional outsourcing broken? 22:20 How Terminal helps startups scale 26:00 Advice for young engineers 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

    28 Min.

  7. 29.11.2024

    Ep 103: Raj Bhakta Created WhistlePig; Now He's Reinventing the Whiskey Industry (Again)

    Raj Bhakta is best known as the founder of Whistlepig Whiskey. But he also served in the Marines, rode an elephant across the Rio Grande while running for Congress, won a spot on The Apprentice with Donald Trump, recently purchased a college, and is reinventing the whiskey game (again). He's a patriot and creator of one-of-a-kind spirits — with a personality to match. The son of immigrants, Raj grew up learning his father's hotel business before setting out on his own. After adventures in investment banking, reality TV, and politics, he saw an opening in high-end American whiskey — and he seized it. WhistlePig quickly became one of the premier craft whiskeys. After exiting in 2019, he secured one of the world's oldest stashes of Armagnac and launched his newest ventures: Hogsworth and Bhakta Spirits. Raj recently acquired the now-defunct Green Mountain College in Vermont, where he plans to build a new university grounded in our Founding values, along with a world-class spirit library. We sample his newest whiskeys, joke about religion and politics, and learn from a great American entrepreneur. 00:00 Episode intro 01:44 Why Raj bought a college 03:32 Riding an elephant across Rio Grande 08:49 Origin story of WhistlePig 11:32 Growing up in America; joining Marines 18:32 Acquiring world's biggest stash of Armagnac 23:20 Building Hogsworth / how to blend whiskey 24:13 Catholicism vs Judaism 29:11 Working with Trump on The Apprentice 32:03 Bhakta Spirits & why drink Armagnac 39:40 Why Raj is building a new college 44:35 Advice for entrepreneurs 51:25 Bullying and adversity 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

    55 Min.

  8. 22.11.2024

    Ep 102: "If You're Not Blowing Stuff Up, You're Not Innovating!" — Stanford Professor Steve Blank

    In World War II, the U.S. government embraced a radical idea: putting scientists and technologists in charge of building advanced weapons. The rest, as we say, is history. What are the radical ideas we need today? And what can we learn from the history of Silicon Valley?  This week, we talk with Steve Blank — serial entrepreneur, Stanford professor, and influential author who created concepts that define today's innovation ecosystem. After serving in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, Steve landed his first job at William Perry's now-famous Electromagnetic Systems Laboratory. He went on to launch several companies, from taking on Intel in microprocessor manufacturing to building early versions of CRM. His book, "Four Steps to the Epiphany," is credited as the intellectual backbone of the lean startup movement. He has also studied the Pentagon for decades, served on the Defense Business Board, and co-founded Stanford's Gordian Knot Center.  We start with Steve's entrepreneurial journey and the evolution of Silicon Valley over the past 50 years, from helping end the Cold War to pioneering the computer and internet age. We also examine the devolution of government and its decline from the engine of technology and research in the 20th century to today's slow, bloated bureaucracy.  Steve outlines his bold ideas for reforming the Pentagon and outpacing China in the technology race; he also breaks down the difference between execution and innovation and how the best organizations, like SpaceX, can manage both simultaneously.  Finally, we discuss why Steve had called for a pause in AI research and, given his concerns over China, if we can afford to pause.  00:00 Episode Intro 01:40 "Bill Perry was my first boss"  7:43 The Secret History of Silicon Valley 12:14 How US govt fell behind SV 17:05 SpaceX vs NASA 22:00 Radical ideas for Pentagon  26:28 Execution vs Innovation 31:13 Lean startup vs fat startup  40:11 Does industrial policy work?  43:40 Why did Steve call for AI pause?  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

    50 Min.
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American Optimist, hosted by Joe Lonsdale: entrepreneur, investor, and founder of four multi-billion dollar companies and other mission-driven organizations. American Optimist is an alternative to the fear, cynicism, and zero-sum thinking in mainstream media. Learn from the innovators and leaders who are solving our nation’s most pressing challenges, and doing it in a way that will lift everyone up. Hope should dominate our discourse, and American Optimist will show you why. blog.joelonsdale.com

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