RSS Amplifier

Podcast

Cloud Streaks

Chats between Duncan Anderson and James Peck on anything we find interesting... hopefully you find it interesting as well :) Please note all statements are the individuals own and do not represent the organisations they work for.

soundcloud.comSource feed ↗10 episodes

Live Last read · last published · next check

Latest episodes

Saves to your Listen queue, to pick up on another day or another device.

95. What is Likability and how important is it? Mentioning Maya Angelou, Jordan Peterson, Bill Maher, Tim Urban & more

Main ideas: - Likability is the residue of an interaction: did someone make you feel good, and would you look forward to seeing them again? - It is subjective but not completely arbitrary. Smiling, warmth, tone, body language, humour, listening and word choice are recurring ingredients. - Likability is learnable and effectively free. The speakers reject the idea that people are simply born likable…

Play

94. Is introspection bad? Mentioning Marc Andreessen, Eric Schmidt, Sad Saad, Socrates & more

This podcast is a deep dive into the tension between active progress and psychological introspection, sparked by tech mogul Marc Andreessen’s viral dismissal of self-reflection. The conversation explores whether our modern obsession with "feelings" is actually a roadblock to the very well-being we seek. The Core Tension: Building vs. Navel-Gazing - Progress as the Ultimate Healer: The speakers…

Play

93. Is there such thing as being born smart or dumb? Mentioning Paul Graham, Naval, Jo Boaler & more.

Not smart or dumb, but novice => competent => proficient => expert => master. Pascal's Wager, formulated by 17th-century philosopher Blaise Pascal, is a pragmatic argument for belief in God, suggesting that wagering on God's existence is the only rational choice. Because the potential reward (heaven/infinite gain) is infinite and the loss (if God does not exist) is finite, it is better to live as…

Play

92. Is there an AI bubble? Thoughts On What Markets Are Really Pricing In. Mentioning Warren Buffet, Paul Volcker, Larry Page & More

This blog is the best explanation of AI intelligence increase I've seen: https://metr.org/blog/2025-03-19-measuring-ai-ability-to-complete-long-tasks/ ### Defining Market Bubbles - Traditional definition: 20%+ share price decline with economic slowdown/recession - Alternative perspective: hype/story not matching reality over time (dot-com example) - Duncan’s view: share prices ahead of future…

Play

91. Techno Optimism Vs Socialism. Mentioning Marc Andreessen, Sam Altman & More

https://a16z.com/the-techno-optimist-manifesto/ " Techno-optimism is the belief that rapid technological progress is the main driver of human prosperity and should be pursued as a moral imperative. It argues that: Growth = Good: Innovation creates abundance, longer lives, and better living standards. Barriers = Bad: Regulation, caution, and pessimism slow down progress and should be resisted.…

Play

90. Is excess empathy a big problem? Mentioning Jon Haight, Nassim Taleb, Sam Altman & more

Jon Haidt three great untruths: (1) “What doesn’t kill you makes you weaker”; (2) “Always trust your feelings”; and (3) “Life is a battle between good people and evil people.” Possible opposites for the three untruths: (1) “What doesn’t kill you makes you weaker” => What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Or post traumatic growth. (2) “Always trust your feelings” => Your feelings are signals…

Play

89. The media has "the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent" Malcolm X. Mentioning Rupert Murdoch, Isaac Saul, Harleen Kaur (Ground News) & more

“The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” ― Malcolm X https://ground.news/about https://www.readtangle.com/

Play

87. Helpful Support (Independence) vs Harmful Support (Dependence). Mentioning Jon Haidt, Kim Scott,

Helpful Support = 1. Increased Trajectory + 2. Increase Resilience Harmful Support = 1. No Improvement In Trajectory + 2. Lowered Resilience Support in Different Contexts - Workplace: Managers should focus on developing employees' skills and independence - Parenting: The goal is to raise independent adults, not perpetually dependent children - Friendships: There's a delicate balance between being…

Play

86. Things we wish we knew before 18. Mentioning Naval, Alain de Botton, Esther Perel & More

The main points talked about are: - Teaching kids about the business world. For example, they could learn by trading shares. - Understanding how to build healthy relationships with themselves and others. A way to do this is by exploring philosophy. - Learning how to create things. Instead of focusing on music, we could emphasize entrepreneurship and building projects. If you want to contact us…

Play

85. The Rightification Of The Left. Mentioning Elon, Marc Andressen, David Sacks, Tim Urban & more

- A16Z on why they support Trump: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_sNclEgQZQ - Tim Urban explaining social justice fundamentalist (wokeness): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALdi_MX3bfQ - Nate Silver on election: https://www.natesilver.net/p/nate-silver-2024-president-election-polls-model If you want to contact us please do so at info@cloudstreaks.com

Play
Cloud Streaks · RSS Amplifier