The Sunday Draft

The Sunday Draft
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A leisurely conversation, every Sunday — for new perspectives and deeper context. thesundaydraft.substack.com

  1. 2d ago

    Cartoons, Obama, and India with Matt Damon: The Peter Moore Story

    Peter Moore spent 30 years in magazines — 10 years as articles editor at Playboy, then two decades running Men’s Health, where he landed a rare 20-minute interview with President Obama in the Oval Office and traveled to rural India with Matt Damon for Water.org. When the magazine industry collapsed, he didn’t retire — he started drawing. On this episode of The Sunday Draft, Raj talks with Peter about turning a lifelong journaling habit (one entry every night since October 12, 1978 — over 7 million words) into a Substack that’s grown from 200 subscribers to over 20,000, built almost entirely on hand-drawn cartoons and travel sketches. They dig into how a wildly speculative post about who really killed Van Gogh became his breakout piece, why he cut back to posting once a week to protect his reach, the discipline behind daily creative practice, and where AI fits (or doesn’t) into work that depends on being unmistakably human. Also covered: growing up with a father obsessed with National Geographic, sketching as a way of remembering a place, the pressure of “creator niche,” and why community matters more than subscriber count. Find Peter’s work at Peter Moore on Substack. Watch the full conversation on YouTube. Support this channel by subscribe on YouTube and wherever you get you podcasts. For more interesting conversations visit www.thesundaydraft.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesundaydraft.substack.com

    Cartoons, Obama, and India with Matt Damon: The Peter Moore Story

  2. Aug 10

    Points, Miles & Travel Hacks (What Actually Works)

    Linda King has spent years traveling the world and helping others do it smarter — and this week she’s sharing the real tips most people never hear. * How to actually score an exit row for a few hundred dollars * Why you should save your points for long-haul instead of short trips, the exact window to book redemptions * Why you should never trust AI blindly when planning a trip We also get into the wilder side of travel — a China incident that nearly went very wrong — and Linda’s philosophy on what actually makes travel meaningful, instead of just checking places off a list. If you’ve ever felt travel-anxious or unsure where to even start planning, this is the episode to send yourself. 🎧 Listen above, or find The Sunday Draft on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 🎬 Watch the full episode on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesundaydraft.substack.com

  3. Aug 2

    Is the Internet Still Real? (with Ross Thorpe, founder of Rooverse)

    This week on The Sunday Draft, श्रीraj sat down with Ross Thorpe — founder of Rooverse, a social media platform built on one radical rule: no AI, ever. Every post is human-verified. Every image, video, and piece of text is checked and blocked if it’s AI-generated. We get into why he built it, whether a platform that refuses to use AI can actually survive as a business, and the bigger picture: research on how LLMs are quietly reshaping our ability to think, why dating apps are getting dystopian, and why Rooverse backs its data up in space (yes, literally). Episode synopsis:71% of images uploaded online are now AI-generated. Over half of all internet traffic isn’t human anymore. And the average 18-year-old will spend 25 years of their life scrolling. Ross Thorpe isn’t just worried about it — he built something to fight it. In this conversation, we dig into the research behind AI’s effect on how we think, what “authentic” even means anymore, and whether a human-only corner of the internet is a real business or a beautiful idea that can’t scale. It’s a conversation about trust, attention, and what we’re actually giving up every time we open an app. If you’ve ever felt like the internet stopped feeling human — this one’s for you. 🎧 Listen above, or find The Sunday Draft on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 🎬 Watch the full episode on YouTube. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesundaydraft.substack.com

  4. Jul 27

    The Fixer: 33 Years Inside the Middle East with CBS News' Amjad Tadros

    For 33 years, Amjad Tadros was the man CBS News and 60 Minutes relied on to get the story — the fixer who arranged access, built trust, and quietly made the impossible interviews happen across Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Syria, Yemen, and beyond. He covered every Iraq war from 1990 to 2003, worked alongside legends like Ed Bradley, Bob Simon, and Mike Wallace, and even became an accidental, unwitting favorite of Saddam Hussein after a chance encounter as a young engineer turned translator. In this conversation, Amjad Tadros — now a date farmer in Jordan’s Jordan Valley — talks about his book The Fixer, his front-row seat to three decades of Middle East history, and why he believes today’s conflicts (including the current war with Iran) are eerie repeats of 2003. We get into the real cost of war beyond the headlines, the misunderstandings between the West and the Arab world, the death of legacy journalism, and what it’s actually like to live a few miles from a falling missile. A rare, honest look at the region from someone who was actually there. Watch the full conversation on YouTube @TheSundayDraft— subscribe for new episodes every week. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesundaydraft.substack.com

  5. Jul 19

    India's Gen-Z Movement Crisis: Why Modi's Government Reacted Now

    Two months ago, a satirical jab at India’s Chief Justice — who called Gen Z’s unemployed youth “cockroaches” — sparked an online joke. That joke became the Cockroach Janata Party, and the joke became a movement: peaceful protests across India’s major cities, weeks of hunger strikes at Jantar Mantar, and a single demand — the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over years of leaked national exam papers and the students who paid the price for it. This week, the story took a turn. Environmentalist and educator Sonam Wangchuk, twenty days into a hunger strike in solidarity with the protesters, was removed from the site before dawn — quietly, and disguised as a medical procedure. He’s continuing his fast in hospital. It’s the first real reaction from the Modi government after weeks of silence. Raj is joined by returning co-host Kanti Kumar to unpack what’s actually happening on the ground: the significance of Jantar Mantar as one of the only sanctioned protest sites in Delhi, the long and complicated history of hunger strikes as a tool of Indian protest — from Gandhi to Anna Hazare to the farmers’ movement — and what happens when that tool meets a government unwilling to bend. They talk about the risk of the movement turning violent, why it hasn’t, and why empathy — or the absence of it — might be the real story here. It’s part news update, part reflection on what democracy owes its citizens between elections. And with a march to Parliament reportedly on the horizon, this might just be the beginning of the next phase. 🎥 Watch on YouTube: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesundaydraft.substack.com

  6. Jul 12

    Why Socialism Struggles: An Economist Takes on the Mamdani Effect

    Democratic socialism is on the rise in America — and it all traces back to one election. Zohran Mamdani becoming Mayor of New York City kicked off a wave of politicians breaking from traditional Democratic politics toward democratic socialism. But what actually IS democratic socialism, and how does it differ from capitalism, traditional socialism, and fascism? On this episode of The Sunday Draft, I sit down with Dr. Doug Cardell — economist, educator, U.S. veteran, former congressional aide, corporate CEO, and author of the bestseller “Why Socialism Struggles: Exposing the Economic Errors That Undermine Utopian Ideals” — to unpack it all. We cover: * Why Dr. Cardell believes no economy can be centrally planned (the “complex systems” argument) — 3:34 * A real-time report card on Mamdani’s first 100 days — rent freezes, city-run grocery stores, and whether they’ll actually work — 21:01 * The U-Haul Growth Index debate: is New York really seeing a mass exodus? — 27:30 * Why Dr. Cardell argues fascism and socialism are closer to each other than people think — and why capitalism isn’t the same thing as government — 30:59 * Five concrete reforms Dr. Cardell proposes to fix American politics regardless of your ideology: bill expiration dates, supermajority requirements, single-issue bills, restricting lobbying dollars, and fair redistricting — 34:46 * Kerala, India (my home state) as a real-world 70-year experiment in democratic socialism — and why voters just ended it — 39:52 * Why he wrote his book, and what he thinks is really at stake for the U.S. — 41:48 This is a respectful, substantive debate between two people who don’t fully agree — and that’s the point. Whatever side of this you’re on, I think you’ll walk away understanding the argument better. Get Dr. Cardell’s book “Why Socialism Struggles” on Amazon. If you found this valuable, please hit subscribe — I’m building this channel from scratch and every subscriber genuinely helps. Want to see this conversation, not just hear it? Catch the full video on YouTube — and subscribe while you're there, it genuinely helps. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesundaydraft.substack.com

  7. Jul 6

    Why Companies Aren't Getting ROI on AI (with Brenn Hill)

    Everyone’s spending big on AI coding tools — but is anyone actually measuring if it’s working? In this episode, we’re joined by Brenn Hill, a Berlin-based engineering leader and author of “The Delivery Gap,” to break down the AI ROI myth: why token-based pricing is nearly useless for real business planning, why companies like Uber and Microsoft have pulled back on major AI investments, and the three-part framework (cost, verification, intent clarity) Brenn uses to actually measure whether AI is paying off. We also talk about: * Why AI gets you “80% of the way there” — and why that’s not the same as production-ready * Machine catch rate vs. change failure rate, and why they matter more than token counts * Why tokens can’t be compared across AI providers or even across tasks * What it’s like navigating Berlin’s housing crisis as an American expat * Entrepreneurial culture differences between the US, Vietnam, and Australia Brenn’s book, “The Delivery Gap,” lays out the research behind what’s actually working (and mostly not) in AI-assisted software delivery — plus practical roadmaps for engineering leaders and individual contributors navigating this shift. 📖 Get the book: “The Delivery Gap” — available on Amazon 🔗 Connect with Brenn Hill on LinkedIn 🎥 Watch on YouTube: If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe for more casual, honest conversations at the intersection of tech, careers, and the future of work. Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro & catching up with Brenn in Berlin 08:00 – The AI ROI myth 12:00 – Why tokens are a useless cost metric 17:00 – The cost/verification/intent-clarity framework 24:00 – Machine catch rate & change failure rate 52:00 – About “The Delivery Gap” and where to find it This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesundaydraft.substack.com

  8. Jun 28

    Think Your Way Out of Billionaire-Driven AI Replacement

    Nabil went from spray-painting harassers' backs in Cairo to building a framework for how humans survive AI displacement. He's not pessimistic. He's proposing three interconnected ideas: a methodology for using AI to sharpen your thinking, a path to collective intelligence, and a vision of global citizen governance. This isn't abstract philosophy. It's actionable right now. And somewhat radical. Or is it? Listen for: How to use AI as a debate partner (not replacement), why billionaires won't voluntarily share AI gains, and what you can do about it. Chapter 1: Harass the Harassers — The Origin Story (0:00)Nabil shares how a campaign to fight sexual harassment in Cairo (2012-2015) led to legislation change, international coverage, and ultimately showed him the power of direct action against systems. Chapter 2: Why Both Experts and Mobs Are Wrong (7:40)Blind elitism, ignorant populism, and why algorithms push us into both traps. The introduction to Enlightened Populism. Chapter 3: AIDOP — Use AI to Sharpen Your Own Thinking (17:59)The methodology: prompt AI to criticize your work, publish the unedited debate within 24 hours. Revolutionary impact on education, policy, publishing, contracts. Chapter 4: What Global Governance Looks Like (30:21)Citizen assemblies, universal basic income, reduced work hours, and a world where creativity thrives because people have time to think. Chapter 5: The Feasibility Question (45:00)Hard truths: communities splinter, billionaires won’t cooperate, distracted populations are hard to mobilize. But it’s already happening globally in pockets. Chapter 6: Your First Action Step (1:16:48)Learn to prompt AI better. Make it debate you. Publish the transcript. That’s AIDOP. That’s how you start practicing Enlightened Populism today. Chapter 7: Final Thoughts (1:22:20)Closing remarks and momentum. ▶️ WATCH ON YOUTUBE Prefer video? This episode is also available as a live recording on YouTube with Mohammed Nabil in real-time. ⬇️ Watch the full video ⬇️ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thesundaydraft.substack.com

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A leisurely conversation, every Sunday — for new perspectives and deeper context. thesundaydraft.substack.com

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  • Creator
    The Sunday Draft
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Sunday Draft
  • Show Website
    The Sunday Draft