Upstream with Erik Torenberg

You’ll hear consequential ideas here first, and in the mainstream months later. Upstream is a curated nexus feed from the Turpentine podcast network, bringing you expert-level conversations hosted by some of the most compelling thinkers in the world including Noah Smith, Samo Burja, Byrne Hobart, Erik Torenberg, and Nathan Labenz. Guests include Marc Andreessen, Balaji Srinivasan, Dario Amodei, Brian Armstrong, David Sacks, Sam Harris, Katherine Boyle, Curtis Yarvin, and many more unmissable conversations.

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Every guest on Upstream with Erik Torenberg

86 guests, ranked by how many people never want them back.

1. —
   Harley Finkelstein

   E119: Free Trade, AI Integration, and Shopify Q4 Results w/ Shopify President Harley Finkelstein · Feb 2025

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   Never again
2. —
   Josh Wolfe
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3. —
   Julia DeWahl
   0 votes

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4. —
   Katherine Boyle

   E70: Katherine Boyle on Religion, Journalism, and Polarization · 2 episodes

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5. —
   Keith Rabois
   0 votes

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6. —
   Kevin Ryan
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7. —
   Logan Bartlett

   E76: "The CEO is Always Responsible” | This Won’t Last w/ Logan Bartlett, Zach Weinberg, Kevin Ryan, and Keith Rabois · Sep 2024

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8. —
   Palmer Luckey

   E82: America’s Future with Palmer Luckey · 2 episodes

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9. —
   Qasar Younis

   E139: America’s Tech Strategy w/ Qasar Younis, Sen. Jack Reed, and Josh Wolfe · May 2025

   0 votes

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10. —
    Sam Lessin

    E31: Sam Lessin on Why We’re Heading into a New Era of Venture · Nov 2023

    0 votes

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11. —
    Samo Burja

    E133: China’s Energy Problem w/ Samo Burja · 13 episodes

    0 votes

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12. —
    Zach Weinberg
    0 votes

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13. —
    Agnes Callard

    E124: How to Have A Philosophical Marriage w/ Agnes Callard and Arnold Brooks · 3 episodes

    0 votes

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14. —
    Alex Karp

    E138: Palantir CEO Alex Karp & Rep. Ritchie Torres on Innovation & The West | Hill and Valley Forum 2024 · 2 episodes

    0 votes

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15. —
    Curtis Yarvin

    E92: Curtis Yarvin’s Pre-Election Advice to Elon Musk · Nov 2024

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16. —
    Helen Toner

    E137: AI Safety vs Speed: Helen Toner Discusses OpenAI Board Experience, Regulatory Approaches, and Military AI [The Cognitive Revolution] · Apr 2025

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17. —
    Igor Kurganov

    E49: The Legacy of Effective Altruism with Igor Kurganov · Mar 2024

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18. —
    Lyn Alden

    E135: The Problem With Reserve Currencies and Switching to Crypto w/ Lyn Alden [From the Archives] · 2 episodes

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19. —
    Martin Shkreli

    E20: Martin Shkreli on Public Vilification, Lessons from Prison, and Getting Back in the Arena · Aug 2023

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20. —
    Patty McCord

    E83: How Patty McCord Built Netflix’s Culture · Oct 2024

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21. —
    Victor Davis Hanson

    E122: Victor Davis Hanson on What Trump Thinks of Zelensky and Predicting Geopolitics · Mar 2025

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22. —
    Azeem Azhar
    0 votes

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23. —
    Glen Weyl
    0 votes

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24. —
    Packy McCormick

    E33: The Untold History of Nuclear Energy with Packy McCormick and Julia DeWahl · Nov 2023

    0 votes

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25. —
    Alex Blania

    E50: Alex Blania on Worldcoin, AGI, and Future Predictions · Mar 2024

    0 votes

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26. —
    Jacob Helberg
    0 votes

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27. —
    Emil Michael

    E95: Trump’s New Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering on Growing Uber | Emil Michael on Growing Uber | Emil Michael · Nov 2024

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28. —
    Nathan Labenz

    E108: Should AI have Rights? With Nathan Labenz and Yeshua God, Robopsychologist · 2 episodes

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29. —
    Dan Romero
    0 votes

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30. —
    Leo Pio Lopez
    0 votes

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31. —
    Liron Shapira

    E48: Liron Shapira on the Case for Pausing AI · Mar 2024

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32. —
    Sam Hammond

    E21: Sam Hammond on AI, e/acc, and Institutional Disruption · Aug 2023

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33. —
    Yeshua God
    0 votes

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34. —
    Jon Askonas

    E127: The Tech Right and How The Left Can Fix Itself w/ Jon Askonas · 2 episodes

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35. —
    Aaron Ginn

    E30: Aaron Ginn on the Moral Idea Maze, the GPU Revolution, and US-China Relations · Oct 2023

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36. —
    Arnold Brooks
    0 votes

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37. —
    Beff Jezos

    E36: Beff Jezos on doxxing, e/acc, and why crypto will save AI · Dec 2023

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38. —
    Ben Landau-Taylor
    0 votes

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39. —
    Brian Chau

    E56: Brian Chau on Spreading Informed AI Optimism · Apr 2024

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40. —
    David Gornoski

    E67: A Deep Dive on René Girard with David Gornoski · Jul 2024

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    Never again