Liberty's Highlights

My friends Tinkered Thinking (✍️📚 author of White Mirror & The Lucilius Parables) and Jameson Olsen (🎧 host of Becoming the Main Character) came back for the ultimate Project Hail Mary conversation: everything we loved, questioned, and overanalyzed about both the book and film. 📙🎬🚨 If you haven’t read the book or seen the film, bookmark this and come back. Seriously. This one’s worth avoiding spoilers and going in blind. 🚨We go deep on the book first, because it’s the foundation and the more complete version of the story, then turn to the film, the production, and what the adaptation gained and lost in translation.Some of the rabbit holes we go down: 🕳️🐇• Not a reluctant hero. An avoidant one, which is very rare!• Why making Grace alone on the ship is the decision that makes everything else possible, and how a group of humans may have reacted differently to first contact.• Stratt runs one algorithm on every choice, and it’s the one most of us are too squeamish to run. Why she’s the best character in the book, and why the film’s karaoke scene is its worst mistake.• The most alien alien possible: no face, lives in ammonia, looks like a spider. Weir stacked the deck against Rocky on purpose. So why do we love him? 🕷️👽• Is Rocky a preview of humanity's first contact with AI? 🤔• The one plot change in the film that Andy Weir says he wishes he’d thought of for the book.• A species that never looked up, and what that says about everything humans built because we happened to see the stars. 🔭• “Everybody did their job.” Gosling carrying a whole film alone in a room with a puppet, a four-hour cut you’ll never see, and why the book is still the canon.And, as always, we wander: Interstellar’s water-planet plot hole (Tinkered’s blood boils), whether more gravity would actually make Grace stronger rather than older, R2-D2 as the secret hero of Star Wars, the James Joyce theory of the “kneecapped” modern male, and me-burgers. 🍔 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.libertyrpf.com/subscribe

I recruited my friends Tinkered Thinking (✍️📚 author of White Mirror & The Lucilius Parables) and Jameson Olsen (🎧 host of Becoming the Main Character) to do a *deep* dive on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, HBO's adaptation of George R.R. Martin's 1998 novella The Hedge Knight.🚨 If you haven’t seen the show, bookmark this and come back. Seriously. This one’s worth avoiding spoilers and going in blind. 🚨I was totally charmed by this series. The writing, the acting, the music, the cinematography, the sets, and the costumes. It all feels more tactile and real than most of what's on TV right now. And here's the thing: after we watched it, we all read the novella, and we all agree the show might actually be better. That almost never happens with adaptations.In this pod, we go episode by episode, compare the novella to the show, and argue about what we want from season two. Along the way, we get into trailers that ruin movies, what makes a great villain entrance (hint: it involves a horse 🐴), the philosophy of praxis, David Goggins taking souls, and why Dunk might be one of the most lovable protagonists on television right now, despite being “thick as a castle wall.”Some of the rabbit holes we go down:Why narrow scope is this show’s superpower, and why more IPs should tell bite-sized stories instead of promising the world and failing to deliver it.The Die Hard approach to the final fight: he doesn’t win because he’s better, he wins because he won’t stay down."Are there no true knights among you?" The gap between the title and the oath. ⚔️🛡️👑Why Aerion knows every loophole. Showing up to a bar fight with a few Navy SEALs.Everything the show added to the novella (Lyonel! Flea Bottom! the goose eggs!) and why most of the additions are improvements 📙Dunk thinks like a child, Egg thinks like an adult. The inversion is the point.Where could Egg’s arc go from here? Can the show actually make us hate him? (Tinkered has a theory about the series finale that I kind of want him to write.)Word of the day: praxis. Lesson of the day: “Get up.” (Maybe it’s a whole philosophy 🤔) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.libertyrpf.com/subscribe

The annual tradition continues!David Kim (💚💚💚💚💚 🥃) and I look back at the past year, both for Scuttleblurb and for the world of finance & markets. We use David’s excellent ‘2025 business update’ as a foundation for our chat, and I encourage you to read it.We cover a lot of ground. David’s unusually candid look at the business of running a paid newsletter (subscriber churn, the tension between writing what interests you and writing what gets clicks, and why he almost renamed his blog “Fallen Angels”), the tactical changes he made to turn things around (frequency, the Scuttlebits format, a price increase that went better than expected), and his partnership with our common friend MBI (🇧🇩🇺🇸) on the Never Sell podcast (🎧).On the markets and investing side, we dig into:* The weird vibe of 2025: indices hiding a lot of pain underneath, with good companies down 40-50% while the index barely fell.* Why investors seem blind to cyclicality in ways they weren’t 20 years ago (Trex at 65x peak earnings vs. home builders at single-digit multiples in ‘05-’06).* The beaten-down compounder opportunity, and how fast some of those names recovered.* The AI pain trade rotating into SaaS and data providers (Gartner, FactSet, S&P, Thomson Reuters), and why the bear case on Gartner may be missing something important.* David’s forensic breakdown of how Shift Four calculates organic growth, including cross-selling synergies from acquisitions in ways most acquirers don’t, and why the sell-side comparisons to payment peers aren’t apples-to-apples.* Booz Allen and the frenemy dynamics with Palantir/Anduril. The write-up almost nobody read but David is most proud of.* How competitive boundaries between industries are getting blurrier, including for Big Tech, and what that means for moat analysis* David’s nuanced take on using AI tools for research, where it levels you up vs. where the “knowledge illusion” kicks in and de-skilling becomes a real risk.We also talk about what’s next in his research pipeline (Veeve, U-Haul, Lamb Weston, S&P, Moody’s, Thomson Reuters, etc), and whether Pluribus can stick the landing in season two.I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed talking to David! 💚 🥃 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.libertyrpf.com/subscribe

This is a massive one! Nearly two hours, but you know what they say: Too much of a good thing can be wonderful!My friend MBI (🇧🇩🇺🇸) and I sat down to do something that sounds simple but turned out to be a seminar. In 2018, Apple  became the first $1T company. Fast forward to now, and we’re living in the era of the Trillion Dollar Club, a small group of companies that collectively represent an almost comical amount of market cap (Nvidia, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, TSMC, Meta, Broadcom, and Tesla).We went through all of them one by one and shared our honest thoughts, bouncing between the big picture and small details that may turn out to be crucial.If the market is a card game, we wanted to figure out which hands we like best. ♥️♦️♣️♠️We touched on many interesting ideas that help better understand the forces at play for Big Tech these days. Early on, we dive into the “compute theory of everything.” MBI found this 1998 Hans Moravec paper with a sentence so good he repeats it to himself like a mantra on his daily walks! 🚶‍♂️(gotta get those 10k steps! 👣)Among many other things, we discuss:* Jensen’s “circular financing” strategy, and why it might actually be brilliant 🔄* East Coast vs. West Coast investing philosophy.* Why the job of the analyst is getting harder, not easier.* How academic papers create trillions in value (cat paper, “Attention is All You Need,” Chinchilla).* Apple as “Switzerland,” and their risky bet that we’re at the hardware end-state 📱* Whether Google has the best hand but keeps getting in its own way, and DeepMind as Google's "reverse takeover" and saving grace* Why Microsoft seemed to have everything and somehow ended up in the doghouse 💾* TSMC as the true choke point, the bottom of the inverted pyramid, and why MBI is Zen about geopolitical risk 🧘‍♂️* Meta’s confusing inability to reach the frontier despite checking every box, and what are the necessary ingredients for a frontier AI lab? 🧑‍🍳🍜* Tesla as the ultimate “West Coast philosophy” stock and Musk’s loss of interest in EVs.* Broadcom’s IP blocks + custom ASIC enablement + networking… with the risk of hyperscaler disintermediation.* Amazon's retail business being underestimated and Walmart as a sneakily smart company 🛒* A tribute to Buffett and Munger, where our emotions come out a bit.* Which CEOs are overrated and underrated? 👍👎We close with the hardest question: if you could own only one of these companies for the next 20 years, which would it be? We both landed on the same answer. Listen to the end to find out why 🎧Make sure to check out MBI Deep Dives, now with daily updates! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.libertyrpf.com/subscribe

You love reading. You’re always looking for great things to read? 📖 📚Me too! *high five* 🙏Today, I’m talking with my friends Tinkered Thinking and Dylan O’Sullivan about ‘White Mirror’, a book written by the former, edited by the latter, and published by OSV’s Infinite Books (full disclosure: I was involved in the publication of this book, but we wanted to publish it because it’s great, we don’t think it’s great because we published it. The order matters!).It’s a wide-ranging conversation aimed at those who HAVEN’T yet read the book, so don’t worry. We go down all kinds of rabbit holes 🐇 and tangents, including:* From a tweet to 31 stories, the wild origin of White Mirror* The intersection of technology & human experience* Reclaiming childlike imagination and a sense of wonder as an antidote to pessimism* Simulation theory, meditation, and the nature of reality* Literary architecture and chiastic structures* Predictions in the book that are coming true, and startup ideas hidden in the stories* The craft of writing fiction vs. non-fiction* Status games, adulthood, and missing rituals and rites of passage* Writing science fiction as someone who doesn’t read much scifi* …and much more🏆 Giveaway: 5 Signed Copies of White Mirror! 🪞📚✍️Thanks to Tinkered’s generosity, I’m giving away five signed copies of White Mirror. If you want to participate, the instructions are simple:* If you’re a paid supporter and are interested, send me an email to let me know you’d like one (you can just reply to any of the newsletter emails or this podcast email). Send this before December 1, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST. That’s it.* On December 3, 2025, I’ll draw names out of a hat, or buy one of those bingo machines with the balls bouncing around, or use randomizing software, whatever, and pick 5 winners. When you win, I’ll email you to ask for shipping details.* If you’re NOT yet a paid supporter, but would like to become one before December 1, no problem, you can participate. Hit the subscribe button, and then drop me an email that mentions you’re interested in the signed book (I’ll also send you a link to the private Discord and to Zoom Q&As I do with supporters).There aren’t that many of you, and not all will enter, so if you do put your name in the hat 🎟️ 🎩 your odds of getting a signed book are very good.But you don’t have to wait for that to buy it. And if you win, just keep the signed copy and give the regular one to someone else. 🎁🛒 Best Place to Buy the Book 👇You can buy White Mirror on Amazon, but the real pro move is to get it from Infinite Books because, for the same price, you get the deluxe paperback of the book + the audiobook + the ebook (DRM-free).The book is a beautiful artifact, we spent a ton of time obsessing over the details. 🔍 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.libertyrpf.com/subscribe

One of my very favorite annual traditions is conducting this interview with my friend David Kim, aka Scuttleblurb (🕵📝).His investment research journal/company deep dives/business explorations were a key inspiration for this 🚢 steamboat. While the format is different, I hope there are similarities in the spirit. And I know that he has influenced and inspired many others — especially the good ones!In our conversation this year — the fifth one! — we explore the State of Scuttleblurb 📊, his analyses of key industries and companies from the past year 🏭, and our perspective on the market looking back at 2024 and heading into 2025 🔮. We also discuss the evolution of his research process and the new tools he's adopted 🛠️.I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed having the conversation!Photo: David and his brother Rich.If you missed them, here are the previous four annual interviews I did with David:* 📄 Interview with David Kim a.k.a. Scuttleblurb (2020)* 📄 Interview with David Kim a.k.a. Scuttleblurb (2022)* 🎧 Interview with David Kim a.k.a. Scuttleblurb (2023)* 📄 Interview with David Kim a.k.a. Scuttleblurb (2024) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.libertyrpf.com/subscribe

Mark Nelson is back for Part 2!(If you missed it, here’s part 1)Another wide-ranging conversation: We discuss the implications of the new U.S. administration on energy policy, particularly focusing on Chris Wright, the incoming Secretary of Energy.We explore Wright’s background in the oil and gas industry, his connections to the nuclear sector through his board position at Oklo, and what his appointment might mean for both conventional and advanced nuclear power in America.We also get into the dynamics between different energy sources, including the relationship between nuclear power and electric vehicles, the future of LNG exports, and the complex economics of oil and gas production.Don’t miss the under-discussed love story (💞) between nuclear and batteries. ☢️🔋We also touch on recent regulatory challenges facing Big Tech companies’ nuclear power initiatives and how the energy landscape might evolve in the coming years.We close with why it’s time to build (again). 🏗️ ⚛️ 🚧👷‍♂️🛠️ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.libertyrpf.com/subscribe

🚨 Note: The first part of the podcast is spoiler-free. The spoilers only start after a warning 🚨What happens when six film enthusiasts dissect Christopher Nolan's most ambitious and polarizing puzzle box? 🧩We dive deep into TENET — exploring and deconstructing the film's twisted timeline, inverted action sequences, and reality-bending concepts. 🕰️ 🧠🌀What worked? What didn’t? Do we love it, hate it, or love/hate it?Our distinguished panel of inverted time-travelers assembled to discuss this crazy film is composed of:* 🗣️ Jim O’Shaughnessy* 🗣️ Jack Connor* 🗣️ Tinkered Thinking* 🗣️ Ed William* 🗣️ Dylan O’SullivanAlong the way, we venture into Nolan's other films and rank our faovrites, and somehow end up in Deadwood territory 🤠 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.libertyrpf.com/subscribe

Mark Nelson is back! (our first conversation is here)We discussed how AI's massive power needs are reshaping energy policy in unexpected ways.For years, Big Tech claimed to run on '100% renewable energy' while quietly relying on nuclear and fossil fuels. But now, as companies race to build massive AI computing centers requiring gigawatts of reliable 24/7 power, that pretense is crumbling. Starting with Microsoft's Three Mile Island deal for the revival of a shutdown nuclear plant, we explore how Silicon Valley's desperate hunt for steady power is forcing an energy policy reset across the industry and how that may impact anti-nuclear NGOs and policymakers everywhere.We dive into Germany's nuclear situation, Taiwan's power challenges, and how the world's richest companies went from being part of the problem to potentially part of the solution. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.libertyrpf.com/subscribe

I’m excited to share with you one of my favorite podcasts that I’ve recorded! 🎧🥇I hope you enjoy it and will ➡️ subscribe to ‘Cost of Glory’ ⬅️ (listen on: Spotify or Apple Podcast) and follow Alex’s explorations of the greatest stories from Roman and Greek antiquity.It’s like a time machine for the mind, and might inspire you to read some of the great books we recommend near the end of the podcast!In this episode, Alex and I discuss why the Romans and Greeks of Antiquity were 𝕤𝕠 𝕒𝕨𝕖𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖 and his journey following in Plutarch’s footsteps — telling stories of real heroes and learning from their lives. Except Alex does it with a podcast instead of with a reed pen (I had to look up what they used to write in antiquity…)There’s a lot to love about this one. One of my favorite parts is when we do a lightning-round through a bunch of big names from the era, and Alex gives a highlight on each. We discuss people like Alexander the Great, Sulla, Hannibal, Scipio, Julius Caesar, Pompey, Cato the Elder and Cato the Younger, Xenophon, etc.It gave me a lot of context about names I recognized but didn’t know much about — I feel better equipped to dig deeper! I hope it’ll do the same for you.Enjoy! 💚 🥃👇 Other Great Links For You* Cost of Glory Substack 📩📫* Cost of Glory Free eBook on Oratory 📙🗣️* Alex’s Guide on How to Read All of Plutarch's Lives 📖📚* Alex’s Interview w/ Nat Friedman on the Mysteries of the Scrolls 📜🤖* Follow Alex on Twitter/X 🐦 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.libertyrpf.com/subscribe