Firewall

Firewall
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Firewall

Politics, technology and the pursuit of happiness. Twice a week, Bradley Tusk, New York-based political strategist and venture investor, covers the collision between new ideas and the real world. His operating thesis is that you can't understand tech today without understanding politics, too. Recorded at P&T Knitwear, his bookstore / podcast studio, 180 Orchard Street, New York City.

  1. 2D AGO

    Live from P&T: The Art of Tactical Empathy

    Recorded in front of a live audience on July 7, Frank Carone, the renowned lawyer, business negotiator, political fixer and former chief of staff for Mayor Eric Adams, speaks with Bradley about his new book Everyone Wins! The Ultimate Guide to Optimize Your Business Relationships and Achieve Financial Freedom. From the streets of Canarsie to the corridors of City Hall, Carone shares the life principles, strategic mindset, and relationship playbook that helped him master the art of influence — and how you can use “tactical empathy” to win in business and life. This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio. Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media. Be sure to watch Bradley’s new TED Talk on Mobile Voting at https://go.ted.com/bradleytusk. Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

    41 min

  2. 4D AGO

    Mobilize the Vote

    Today marks the release of Bradley’s TED Talk on Mobile Voting, so you should really head over there and spend 11 minutes getting inspired about the future of democracy (and share the link with your friends if you're on board). This is a short-and-sweet episode with what Bradley learned from doing TED, how to think about your kids entering a job market distorted by AI and why Superman ranks so low on Bradley’s list of favorite superheroes. This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio. Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media. Be sure to watch Bradley’s new TED Talk on Mobile Voting at https://go.ted.com/bradleytusk. Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

    28 min

  3. JUL 10

    Where Few Start-Ups Dare to Go

    It’s hard to imagine anything less glamorous than government procurement, but that’s exactly why August Chen was drawn to it. The CEO and co-founder of Hazel talks to Bradley about the power of AI to modernize the purchase of billions upon billions of goods and services every year. Chen, who cut his teeth at Palantir, explains why legacy systems are so resistant to change, how Hazel earns trust, and what most people get wrong about working with government. This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio. Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media. Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

    38 min

  4. JUL 8

    Let’s Agree to Agree

    Returning from his recent trip to Estonia, Bradley pushes back on the idea that Americans are hopelessly divided. On core issues like immigration, taxes, housing, and foreign policy, he argues, there’s actually surprising consensus. In this episode, he breaks down where that agreement lies. Plus: big wins for Solving Hunger at the state level, why Elon Musk’s $300 million won’t go nearly far enough in starting in a serious political party, and a fresh look at Cicero — does his philosophy of the good life still hold up? This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio. Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media. Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

    1h 6m

  5. JUL 3

    A Conversation About Almost Everything

    Mike Pesca, host of The Gist, matches wits with Bradley on a wide range topics: the best sporting events to see in person, the most admirable world leaders of the 21st century, what its like not to feel stress, why America is fine with the Ivy League being destroyed, are sociopaths happier than the rest of us, who still believes that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, the pros and (mostly) cons of mushy food, plus much more. This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio. Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media. Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

    51 min

  6. JUL 1

    The View from Estonia

    While on a fact-finding trip to the so-called 'Digital Republic' — where e-voting has been on the books since 2003 — Bradley reflects on the ugliness of the One Big Beautiful Bill, the difficulty of Mamdani detractors to accept reality, why billionaires aren't the problem we should be worried about, whether Canada could be learning from Trump, and why he supports age-verification for everything from e-bikes to pornography. Discussed on today's episode: Next steps for Zohran Mamdani: Why he will win the general election by Bradley Tusk, NY Daily News (June 29, 2025). Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media. Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

    49 min

  7. JUN 27

    Bonus Re-Release: The (Free) Bus Stops Here [ft. Zohran Mamdani]

    Ever since Tuesday's shock results, Bradley's been sharing a steady stream of thoughts on Zohran Mamdani's win here on Firewall and his Substack — and now you can hear from Mamdani directly. We're re-releasing our interview from April with the (now) Democratic nominee for mayor, when he joined Bradley and Tom Allon from City & State to discuss his vision for a fairer, faster, and more functional New York. Real leadership, Mamdani argued, means empowering experts, not micromanaging. He believes that a reimagined, newly empowered public sector is key to the city's future if elected mayor in November. Check out Bradley's latest in Vital City: How Zohran Mamdani Could Succeed as Mayor This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City’s only free podcast recording studio. Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media. Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

    27 min

  8. JUN 25

    Bonus Episode: Mamdani Won, Now What?

    On this post-primary bonus episode, Bradley joins Ravi Gupta's Lost Debate to break down Zohran Mamdani's historic victory and how his administration might handle key policy issues like housing, education, and transportation. Also, what about those grocery stores? Of course, before any of that can happen, Mamdani needs to win in November. Bradley and Ravi preview the wild race that starts today, as a potentially crowded field mobilizes to derail the Mamdani express. Be sure to subscribe to The Lost Debate on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Send us an email with your thoughts on today’s episode: info@firewall.media. Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

    46 min
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4.8
out of 5
81 Ratings

About

Politics, technology and the pursuit of happiness. Twice a week, Bradley Tusk, New York-based political strategist and venture investor, covers the collision between new ideas and the real world. His operating thesis is that you can't understand tech today without understanding politics, too. Recorded at P&T Knitwear, his bookstore / podcast studio, 180 Orchard Street, New York City.

Information

  • Creator
    Firewall
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2025
  • Episodes
    209
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Firewall

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