Actually After Hours #3: Finding the Tail with Dwarkesh Patel

Actually After Hours #3: Finding the Tail with Dwarkesh Patel

Author: The 80,000 Hours team April 23, 2024 Duration: 1:35:27

Matt Reardon, Arden Koehler, and Huon Porteous sit down with Dwarkesh Patel to find out how you become a world-famous (among tech intellectuals) podcast host at 23. We also discuss how 80k would have advised 21-year-old Dwarkesh and 80k strategy more broadly.

You can check out the video version of this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/H5px6CQTe8o

Topics covered:

  • How did Dwarkesh start landing world-class guests?
  • Why is Bryan Caplan such an easy get?
  • How does Dwarkesh think about ideological labels?
  • Dwarkesh explains his pivot towards AI
  • Do intellectuals matter for progress?
  • Was Microsoft or the Gates Foundation more impactful?
  • Do biographies ever matter more than their subjects?
  • How would 80k have advised young Dwarkesh?
  • What does motivate people in government and what should motivate people in government?
  • Should do-gooders seek power?
  • Should 80k advice always aim at the tails?
  • Are people just layering their simple political memes onto the AI debate?
  • How do you boost people’s agency?
  • How do we feel about self-perceived entrepreneurs?
  • What’s the tradeoff between having the right initiative and having the right ideas?
  • How does 80k’s advice deal with AI timelines?  
  • Are 80k users self-selected for not being the highest potential people?
  • Should you assume that everyone can make it to the extreme tail?
  • In how many areas should 80k have detailed advice?
  • What happened to the EA brand?

From the team behind 80,000 Hours comes 80k After Hours, a companion podcast that ventures beyond the main feed's structured career advice. Here, the researchers and producers gather for more informal, wide-ranging conversations that reflect their ongoing curiosities. You'll hear discussions that dig into the nuances of effective altruism, grapple with complex ideas in philosophy and policy, and explore unexpected topics in culture and science-all through the lens of how we might better understand and improve the world. The tone is conversational and exploratory, often feeling like you're listening in on a lively lunch debate among experts who don't take themselves too seriously. While the core mission of finding impactful ways to do good remains, this podcast allows for the tangents, personal reflections, and deeper dives that don't always fit a standard format. It’s a space for the team to think out loud, test arguments, and share the interesting, sometimes quirky, material they're engaging with in their own work. For listeners of the main show, it offers valuable background and new perspectives; for newcomers, it provides an accessible entry point into a community of ideas focused on practical problem-solving and self improvement. Tune in for a blend of thoughtful documentary-style analysis, societal deep dives, and candid chats that aim to be both intellectually substantive and genuinely enjoyable.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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