Today on the podcast, we speak with Jacob Gunter, Head of Economy and Industry at MERICS, about how securitization, industrial policy, and power govern China’s economic choices and long-term strategy.

Original publish date Jan 5, 2026

From isekai manhwa to Yung Lean going viral in tech circles, everything I’ve been noticing lately points to the same undercurrent: people are hungry for a life that actually feels like their own.

This is the first in a series of dispatches on what’s catching my attention — in culture, technology, and the quieter question underneath both: how do you actually want to live? For me a mix of balance and excellence. Not just optimization and noise. I think in the midst of slop slinging we’re all hoping for the real thing.