Modest Conversations - The Information

Sam Lessin

The Information presents Modest Conversations hosted by Sam Lessin, who writes the site's regular 'Modest Conversations' column. Modest Conversations are short conversations with interesting people about technology, culture, politics, and whatever else strikes our fancy.

  1. On Income Sharing Agreements with Erik Torenberg

    10/02/2019

    On Income Sharing Agreements with Erik Torenberg

    Sam and Erik discuss ISAs / and the future of equity investing in people / personal income vs. debt financing.

    31 min
  2. 30 - Runaway Objective Functions & Human Agency - Tim O’Reilly

    19/11/2017

    30 - Runaway Objective Functions & Human Agency - Tim O’Reilly

    Tim and I discuss some of the thinking around his new book WTF - What’s The Future and Why It’s Up To Us. We talk in particular about our world of runaway objective functions, and the role human agency must play to manage to a future we want vs. one we do not.

    1h 4m
  3. 29 - Attention and Addiction & What To Actually Do About It - Tristan Harris Fmr. Google

    05/11/2017

    29 - Attention and Addiction & What To Actually Do About It - Tristan Harris Fmr. Google

    Tristan and I talk about his viewpoint and mission around the attention economy and addition. We also debate ideas on what to practically do about it.

    56 min
  4. 28 - Lines - Waiting For Work To Be Done & Work To Do - Andrew Kortina co-founder Fin & Venmo

    30/10/2017

    28 - Lines - Waiting For Work To Be Done & Work To Do - Andrew Kortina co-founder Fin & Venmo

    Kortina and I discuss how much of modern life is about lines. As consumers we wait on line for restaurants, takeoff windows, and countless other experiences. As producers many of us - not just ER doctors - spend a good percentage of our 'working' time waiting for work to do and under-utilized. We discuss how technology and technology design is impacted by and impacts the nature of lines and waiting on them for producers and consumers.

    21 min
  5. 27 - The Human Side of Tech & Growth Mindset - Blake Barnes Director of Product at Instagram

    15/10/2017

    27 - The Human Side of Tech & Growth Mindset - Blake Barnes Director of Product at Instagram

    Blake joins to discuss the human side of technology - growth mindset, failure, and success. How do the people who build technology, and the ways they collaborate on teams, and the culture of tech companies define the products that come out?

    50 min
  6. 26 - Homo Deus in Short - Erik Torenberg, ProductHunt & co-founder Village Global VC

    08/10/2017

    26 - Homo Deus in Short - Erik Torenberg, ProductHunt & co-founder Village Global VC

    Erik and I discuss the ins-and-outs of Homo Deus, which has become extremely popular in Silicon Valley. What is the thesis? What is the appeal? What makes sense and what is a stretch?

    33 min
  7. 25 - Making of the Tree of Ténéré at Burning Man - Zach Smith, Founder of The Project

    01/10/2017

    25 - Making of the Tree of Ténéré at Burning Man - Zach Smith, Founder of The Project

    Zach Smith joins for a Modest Conversation on the making of the Tree of Ténéré at Burning Man. Where the project came from, trials and travails of getting it done, and thoughts on doing large scale art projects at Burning Man

    41 min
  8. 24 - The Golden Age of Oncology - Racquel Bracken of Venrock

    18/09/2017

    24 - The Golden Age of Oncology - Racquel Bracken of Venrock

    Racquel joins to talk about all that is changing in the world of oncology, and why she things we are entering the golden age of oncology.

    31 min
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The Information presents Modest Conversations hosted by Sam Lessin, who writes the site's regular 'Modest Conversations' column. Modest Conversations are short conversations with interesting people about technology, culture, politics, and whatever else strikes our fancy.

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