"Upstream" with Erik Torenberg

Erik sits down with writer and political scientist Richard Hanania. This extended discussion encompasses Richard’s intellectual education and views on how the world works, including affirmative action, the dynamic divide between conservatives and liberals, government overreach, geopolitics, and intellectual contemporaries worth reading. If you’re looking for SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR or HIPAA complia...

In this episode, Erik sits down with Balaji Srinivasan to discuss the Fiat Crisis, geopolitics, conspiracies, and the signs of decline for a hyperpower. Balaji is an angel investor, tech founder, philosopher, and author of The Network State. He was formerly the CTO of Coinbase. This riveting conversation is, in many aspects, a follow-up to his appearance on Moment of Zen (see links below). If you’...

This week our guest is Kevin Kelly, the founding executive editor of Wired magazine, technologist, and author. We go into Kevin’s predictions for AI, interspeciation, and how humans need to be having more children. We also talk about practical and unpretentious advice for succeeding, communicating, and being good members of society. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, Net...

Today, we have a special new show to share. The Hill & Valley is a podcast that offers an inside look into how tech and the US government are starting to move closer together and pave the future of American technological leadership and national security. The show is hosted by author and commissioner of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission Jacob Helberg, Varda Space Industries Fou...

Erik Torenberg sits down with Tim Urban, writer of the popular blog Wait But Why, and author of the 2023 book What’s Our Problem? where he offers a framework for thinking about our chaotic political landscape. In this discussion, Erik and Tim discuss liberalism, why heresy is important, and the notion of equality. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite:  http://nets...

Erik Torenberg sits down with Katherine Boyle, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz where she invests in companies that promote American dynamism. Erik and Katherine discuss the private sector versus the public sector, the American dream in conflict with the rise of therapeutic culture, and how to reinstill a love of public service. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor,...

Erik sits down with Sam Harris, an author, neuroscientist, podcaster, and philosopher. Sam is known for having crucial conversations about morality, religion, rationality, and the pursuit of truth. This discussion covers Sam’s concerns about populism, polarization, and inequality. We also discuss why Sam is hated by the left and the right. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our spons...

We're excited to introduce Upstream listeners to Moment of Zen, a weekly podcast hosted by Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, Antonio Garcia Martinez, and additional guests. This episode features special guest Mike Solana, Editor in Chief of Pirate Wires (https://www.piratewires.com/) in conversation with Erik and Dan. They cover the recent AI congressional hearings, The Culture War's evolution, Twitter...

Erik sits down with independent analyst Benedict Evans for a wide-ranging discussion of predictions and frameworks spanning the vast realm of technology - where we’ve been, where we’re going, and what really matters. AI scout and podcast host Nathan Labenz (The Cognitive Revolution) joins for the last 20 minutes to deepen the discussion on AI. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our s...

Erik sits down with political scientist Samo Burja ( @SamoBurja  ) who founded Bismarck Analysis, a consulting firm that analyzes institutions (ranging from governments to companies). Samo is one of the most interesting and wide-ranging thinkers today. In this episode, they discuss the current state and future state of America, China, Russia, Ukraine, energy, the US dollar, AI, and more. If you’re...

Andrew Yang is a former founder of Venture for America and former candidate for president of the United States. Yang is now focused on introducing a third party to our two-party political system. He sits down with Erik to talk about why politics is broken and how to fix it, the current political landscape gearing into the 2024 elections, an inside look as to what's actually involved in running for...

Vivek Ramaswamy is a 2024 Republican presidential candidate who founded biotech company Roivant Sciences, now public. He has written books about what he sees as the excesses of woke capitalism and started an asset management firm called Strive, meant to be a right-wing competitor with BlackRock. With his presidential campaign, Vivek challenges conventional orthodoxy on several core issues, includi...

Joe Lonsdale is the founder of Palantir, 8VC, a number of other unicorns he’s incubated, and Cicero Policy Institute. In this episode we focus mostly on his policy, breaking down what are the real problems in healthcare, education, crime/police, homelessness and what are the solutions he recommends to fix them. We talk about how the right is focused on the culture war when fixing accountability wi...

David Sacks is known as a CEO/investor in multiple unicorns, and most recently a media mogul with All-In. In this episode, we trace David’s intellectual and political history from his days fighting student activism at Stanford to now. We cover the political and cultural changes in the last 30 years of silicon valley, how the real distinction today is between the college-educated and the not, and h...

Ezra Klein, journalist, political analyst, and podcaster, sits with Erik Torenberg to go deeper into the intellectual movement of supply-side progressivism and what Silicon Valley misses about politics. This conversation was recorded in early February 2023, but is even more relevant today. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite:  http://netsuite.com/UPSTREAM -- TIME...

Balaji Srinivasan, author of The Network State and co-founder of Counsyl, talks to Erik Torenberg about his past and future predictions, the future of the left and right, and why tech will never be able to escape politics.  -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Preview of episode (02:30) Why are the scariest words in the English language “Balaji was right” (07:06) When to reform vs start a new institution (09:50...

Marc Andreessen of a16z sits with Erik Torenberg to go deeper into his intellectual and political journey, and his quest to find out how the world works. Upstream with Erik Torenberg is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: turpentine.co . Check out Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial period -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (04:25) How much has Marc changed vs...

Upstream is where Erik Torenberg interviews the world's most foundational thinkers to map the constellation of ideas that matter across tech, culture, and politics. You'll hear topics here first, and in the mainstream months later. Ask yourself, what’s upstream of what you believe? Interviewed for this season of Upstream: Marc Andreessen, David Sacks, Ezra Klein, Balaji Srinivasan, Katherine Boyle...