E62: Mike Solana on Thinking Freely and What Tech Means for Culture

"Upstream" with Erik Torenberg

In 2020 Erik Torenberg sat down with Mike Solana, then VP at Founders Fund (now the Editor In Chief of Pirate Wires) to go deeper into his commitment to controversial ideas and freedom. He discusses the dynamics of America's culture wars, debating freedom vs. equality, the resurgence of Marxism, and the roots of anti-American sentiment. This conversation was recorded orginally for Village Global's Venture Stories.

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FOLLOW ON X:

@eriktorenberg (Erik)

@micsolana (Mike)

@foundersfund

@TurpentineMedia

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:46) The Ethos of Founders Fund

(01:37) Mike's Journey to Founders Fund

(01:59) The Seasteading Institute and Anarcho-Capitalism

(03:19) Evolution of Founders Fund

(06:39) Hereticon: A Conference for Unorthodox Thinkers

(11:46) Anatomy of Next: A Vision for the Future

(13:42) Perception of Silicon Valley and Media

(16:10) Sponsor: Beehiiv | Squad

(18:44) Capitalism, Freedom, and Individualism

(26:00) Technology and Society

(33:39) A Journey Through Political Ideologies

(34:50) The Power of Belief and Free Market Capitalism

(36:06) Debating Nuclear Energy and Environmental Concerns

(39:22) Rebranding Longevity and the Death Meme

(40:43) The Future of AR, VR, and AI

(45:21) Exploring Space and the UFO Phenomenon

(50:13) Silicon Valley's Political Influence and Local Governance

(56:02) Envisioning a Post-Scarcity World

(58:25) The Culture of Trauma and Personal Responsibility

(1:01:22) The Culture War and Anti-American Sentiment

(1:09:10) Wrap