Joe Lonsdale: American Optimist

• Ep 128: Hollywood Star Zachary Levi on Speaking Out for Trump, AI vs the Arts, and His $100M Texas Studio Project

  Zachary Levi is best known for starring in the popular TV series Chuck and hit movies like Shazam!, while millions of children, my daughters included, know him as Flynn Rider in Disney’s Tangled. But recently, he did something even more noteworthy in his industry: he endorsed Robert Kennedy Jr. and later President Trump, while openly sharing his Christian faith. Why did he put his career at risk? What’s the story behind his $100 million studio project in Texas? And will AI open new doors for actors and writers, or will it supplant human ingenuity and, ultimately, millions of jobs? Join us for a fascinating look behind the Hollywood curtain with a counter-cultural leader, and a spirited debate over technology’s impact on the human condition. We begin the conversation with Zachary’s courage to speak out ahead of the 2024 elections, and the role of leaders to put principles ahead of self-preservation. Next, we reflect on the legacy of Charlie Kirk, and his ability to engage his opponents with both truth and compassion. In contrast, not a single actor had the temerity to invoke Charlie at the recent Emmy Awards, and Zachary takes us behind the curtain to explain how a quintessential American institution like Hollywood capitulated to woke ideologues. And he’s not just speaking out, he’s also building an alternative: learn about Wyldwood — a $100 million studio project outside Austin aimed at reviving great art and providing a new kind of community for artists. Finally, Zachary discusses AI’s impact on Hollywood, and why he worries it will eventually consume the creative arts. He and I see the AI landscape very differently — his take is more pessimistic, mine more optimistic — but we have a fun debate, and ultimately agree that it’s our job as leaders to build toward solutions that lift up humans and preserve the values that make our civilization great. 00:00 Episode intro 01:40 Speaking out in Hollywood 07:10 Debating politics with truth & compassion 15:23 Charlie Kirk & Hollywood’s demise 20:10 Building a new type of Hollywood 25:51 Technology vs humanity - are we better off now than 1950s?33:25 The merits of capitalism: Jeff Bezos vs Elon Musk 41:41 Debating AI & technological progress 50:05 Will AI create or replace millions of jobs?56:45 The role of leaders / 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

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• Ep 127: Max Meyer, Arena Magazine, and the Battle for Truth, Beauty & Progress

  Max Meyer is the Editor and Publisher of Arena — an American technology magazine that is pro-America and pro-technology! How did legacy media become cynically motivated and ideologically captured? Will "AI slop" only make things worse? And, most importantly, what is the antidote?We discuss these issues and more with the entrepreneur and writer behind one of America's most exciting new media outlets. Before launching Arena, Max studied geophysics at Stanford University and served as editor of the Stanford Review, where he drew national attention for his investigative reporting, including exposing former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin's ties to Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez.We start with the fall of once-great magazines, like Scientific American, and why Max is going all-in on high-quality, shoe-leather journalism that stands the test of time. Next, we discuss the evolution of journalism from a working-class to elite profession, the implications therein, and why the attack pieces and hit jobs are starting to backfire. We dive into some of Arena's recent work, from the first-ever profile of Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf to covering breakout industries and entrepreneurs routinely overlooked by mainstream newsrooms. Then, we talk about Max's time as editor of the Stanford Review, and carrying on the tradition started by Peter Thiel and other editors, myself included, of challenging campus groupthink and defending Western values. Finally, we address the coming avalanche of "AI slop" and why Max is betting that trustworthy, premium-packaged content will stand apart from the noise. Learn why top builders and leaders are reading Arena -- and subscribe here to get the magazines. You can use code “JOE30” at checkout to get a 30% discount off your first year subscription!NOTE: This episode was recorded before the murder of my friend Charlie Kirk.00:00 Episode intro 01:38 What is Arena? 06:00 Why is journalism broken? 09:50 How Wired, TechCrunch, etc. went off the rails 15:07 Why Max is betting on premium, high-end media 19:00 Exposing Marxists as Editor of the Stanford Review 21:20 Should we be worried about AI slop? 25:58 What's next for Arena? 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

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• Ep 126: Will AI Spark A New Logistics Revolution? Harish Abbott Helped Pioneer Next-Day Shipping — And He’s Betting Yes.

  Harish Abbott is a serial entrepreneur at the forefront of the logistics revolution. He sold his last company to Shopify in 2022 for over $2 billion, and now he's back in the arena again. What are the new possibilities with AI? How will it impact workers? And what's the business opportunity he sees that no one else does? Harish is the co-founder and CEO of Augment, a new platform building AI teammates for logistics operations. Its first product, Augie, already boasts $25 billion in freight under management. Previously, Harish co-founded Deliverr, an e-commerce fulfilment platform (acquired by Shopify) that provided one and two-day shipping to smaller merchants. He started his career at Amazon Fulfillment, where he helped build industry-leading technologies and transform online shopping as we know it. We begin with Harish's background, why he came to America to build, and what makes our innovation economy unique. We discuss his most important lessons learned at Amazon, from Jeff Bezos obsessing over customer satisfaction to the company's unique writing culture. Next, Harish explains the origins of Deliverr, how he built a delivery network for the non-Amazon and Walmart world, and lessons learned from selling to Shopify. Then, we dive into the inflection point that sparked Augment, and how advances in LLMs can now manage vast asynchronous workflows and transform how information is traded. Learn why Harish sees a trillion dollar global opportunity to reduce waste in logistics, how he plans to capitalize on it, and why he believes AI can elevate brokers and shippers to higher-order thinking — a win for humans and the economy. 00:00 Episode intro 01:38 Merit matters & why build in the U.S. 05:00 Lessons from Amazon & Jeff Bezos 10:29 Deliverr & bringing next-day shipping to non-Amazon world 17:15 AI & the next logistics revolution 23:58 Meet Augie - the AI teammate for logistics 28:35 The trillion dollar opportunity 32:05 The AI talent battle 38:56 Reasons for 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

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• Ep 125: Sen. Eric Schmitt on Exposing Mass Censorship & Outsmarting the Far-Left

  Sen. Eric Schmitt is a fighter for our country — and knows how to win. In November 2022, as Missouri Attorney General, he sued the Biden administration for colluding with Big Tech to impose mass censorship on the American people. His actions exposed the most chilling government intrusion of our time, and launched a groundswell of opposition, culminating in Elon Musk buying Twitter. What was his strategy? How can it combat further government overreach? And how can we outsmart the far-left when it comes to redistricting, stacking the Supreme Court, and other battlegrounds? We discuss this and more with Senator Schmitt, author of the new book: "The Last Line of Defense: How to Beat the Left in Court." After serving as Missouri Attorney General, he was elected U.S. Senator, and currently serves on the all-important Judiciary and Armed Services committees. We begin with Sen. Schmitt's working class upbringing and his inspiration for running for office. Then, he reveals how he architected Missouri v Biden to expose the unholy alliance between the Biden White House and Big Tech to censor contrarian views (myself included, as it was later revealed in the Twitter Files). He also details his lawsuit against communist China for covering up COVID, winning $24 billion in damages for the people of Missouri. Next, we jump to his priorities in the Senate, and why he's pushing Republicans to get more aggressive, whether it's protecting the Supreme Court from court packing, defending redistricting, or securing an increase in FBI agents to crackdown on violent crime in St. Louis. Finally, we get his take on AI, and why he's wary of opportunities for censorship, but also bullish on robotics and automation bringing manufacturing back to the heartland. 00:00 Episode intro 05:00 Exposing Biden's mass censorship 09:30 How the FBI covered for Hunter Biden 15:18 Redistricting, packing SCOTUS, and next battlegrounds 21:40 Suing the CCP -- and winning 24:45 What have you learned in the Senate? 28:30 AI & Manufacturing renaissance 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

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• Ep 124: The Fearless Adversary of Venezuela's Dictators - A Special Interview with Maria Corina Machado

  This week, we're honored to be joined by Venezuela's "Iron Lady" — Maria Corina Machado. She's been physically assaulted, forced into hiding, and separated from her children, but that hasn't stopped her from standing up to dictators and fighting for liberty. Right now, she believes the end of Nicolas Maduro's regime is closer than it's ever been, and a bright new future for Venezuela — and the entire region — is in sight.In the early 2000s, Maria set aside her business and career aspirations to lead a recall against Hugo Chavez, quickly earning a reputation as his "most detested adversary." She went on to serve as an elected member of the National Assembly of Venezuela from 2011 to 2014, becoming a key leader in the widespread 2014 protests against Maduro. Leading up to the 2024 presidential election, she won her party's primary elections, but was disqualified and forced out by Maduro and his cronies. Still, her opposition party went on to win overwhelmingly, and Maduro has since rejected the results and refused to relinquish power.We begin with the tragic downfall of Venezuela, from the wealthiest country in South America to poorer than Haiti. Learn how socialism brought one of the world's most energy rich countries to its knees, and instead became the criminal hub of Latin America, flooding the U.S. with drugs and narco terrorism while providing safe harbor to Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, and other enemies. President Trump has taken strong actions in recent months, from placing a $50 million bounty on Maduro to designating cartels as terrorist organizations and directing the U.S. military to go after them — we get Maria's take on the President's policies and what else she hopes to see from our leaders in Washington. Many Americans are rightfully wary of foreign interventions; Maria explains why she doesn't see it as regime change but rather dismantling an international criminal enterprise. Finally, we cover Maria's personal journey and sacrifice, why she continues to fight even with threats against her life, and her ultimate vision for a free and prosperous Venezuela that becomes an energy powerhouse for the Americas.00:00 Episode intro02:30 How Venezuela became a criminal hub09:45 What's the right US policy? Regime change?16:24 Parallels between Chavez & the far-left in the U.S.22:17 Maria's personal story & sacrifice26:36 Maria’s vision for a free Venezuela 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

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