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First Principles Meet the Real World

March 20, 2026 · 1 h 23 min

Show notes

But physiotherapists still use accountants, dentists are in great shape and our own vibe coding experiments run into snags. Plus: The return of Travis Kalanick and the Mount Rushmore of tech titans, Google Stitch, who lost BuzzFeed, The Trade Desk’s woes, the Oscars as reflective of the end of the old Hollywood model, why The Economist is catnip for billionaires, and why mass layoffs and rapid rehiring are the new corporate norm.

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Chapters:

* 00:00 Open

* 00:57 Welcome

* 01:18 Who’s Cooked

* 04:28 First Principle Thinkers

* 15:02 PvA Claude Projects

* 27:11 Finest Act of Self Mythologizing

* 31:06 PvA Mount Rushmore Lineup

* 37:15 The Economist Deal

* 43:17 Buzzfeed End is Near

* 48:48 Trade Desk Failures

* 54:21 Oscars

* 01:03:05 Good Product

* 01:22:32 Outro



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