Mentioned

• Arthur C. Clarke did die in 2008. Brian has no idea what he saw now.
• The Tech Oligarchy Arrives
• Mark Zuckerberg's political shift
• Meta's Llama AI models versus other foundational models
• "Making the world a better place" from Silicon Valley TV show
• The world is not as bad as we think it is. HyperFixed: Kristen Has Doubts
• Alternative social platforms (Bluesky, Glass, Pencil Booth)
• Starting a Series B Company
• Climate tech investments

Topics Discussed

• Big tech's rightward shift
• Corporate motives behind progressive policies
• Tech's abandoned idealism
• Reclaiming technology for social good
• Finding hope in alternative platforms

Pull Quotes

• "There was all this optimism about changing the world, making the world a better place."
• "The masks are off and you understand that a lot of the family friendly policies and the pride banners and all that stuff, it is strictly employee morale capture."
• "The bloom is off the rose."
• "We've got to figure out a way to take it back. Social media and the web, those are ours. That belongs to us, the people."
• "Long game, long game. Let's collect our shit together, support each other. We can do this."

Connect with Joe & Brian

• Website: designer.fm
• Email: designer@designer.fm
• Don't forget to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Outro music: Hard Times by Baby Huey

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