E4: USA vs Europe, Zeihan & Fukuyama, Reforming institutions vs starting new ones, and why we started "Moment of Zen"

We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com. RECOMMENDED PODCAST: The HR industry is at a crossroads. What will it take to construct the next generation of incredible businesses – and where can people leaders have the most business impact? Hosts Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich have been through it all, the highs and the lows – IPOs, layoffs, executive turnover, board meetings, culture changes, and more. With a lineup of industry vets and experts, Nolan and Kelli break down the nitty-gritty details, trade offs, and dynamics of constructing high performing companies. Through unfiltered conversations that can only happen between seasoned practitioners, Kelli and Nolan dive deep into the kind of leadership-level strategy that often happens behind closed doors. Check out the first episode with the architect of Netflix’s culture deck Patty McCord. https://link.chtbl.com/hrheretics SPONSORS: BEEHIIV | SHOPIFY Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝 to https://Beehiiv.com and use code “MOZ” for 20% off your first three months Shopify: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce in the US. And Shopify’s the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy’s, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one e-commerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you’re selling, Shopify’s got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/momentofzen (0:00) intro and sponsor (1:20) introductions (who the f are we?)  (3:00) Antonio introduction  (5:12) Dan introduction (6:50) Farcaster  (10:10) Erik introduction  (12:30) the life of the mind vs the life of the founder  (16:00) Being in the arena as a requisite to comment  (18:30) Why is the podcast named “Moment of Zen”?  (20:20) Erik is the Johnny Appleseed of group chats  (23:30) Group chat culture  (26:55) Reforming institutions vs building new ones  (29:30) Antonio’s intellectual evolution  (30:40) Europe is behind, but Antonio prefers it  (31:40) Antonio feels like a teetotaler who runs a bar  (32:50) LARPs  (34:00) Explaining Fukuyama  (37:50) What’s the best functioning institution today?  (39:10) Richard Hanania  (42:30) We don’t have a grand unifying projects anymore  (45:00) Should the China threat be the unifying narrative?  (48:05) Taiwan  (49:56) Explaining Zeihan  (1:00:20) When shit hits the fan, what country do you flee to?  (1:02:40) Why doesn’t Prince Harry get a paternity test?  (1:04:00) Europe vs America  (1:08:20) Dan is bullish on Europeans, bearish on Europe  (1:11:20) “Everything except the startup scene is better in Europe”  (1:15:19) Why is the US public sector so much worse?  (1:21:35) Why are we doing this show?  (1:22:32) “How about we just don’t get canceled?” (1:23:55) Teasing upcoming guests (1:24:34) Erik’s favorite ex-convict?