the best part of Dialectic was observing how meticulous and intentional @jacksondahl is about *his* craft
he spent this pod pressing me on every single "why" behind what I do: why quit my job, why longform, why legacy journalism, why AI. the guy asks hard questions!!
Jasmine Sun quit her tech job to tell the world about what she's seeing up close in Silicon Valley.
Dialectic 49: @jasminewsun!
I talked to her about the depth behind SF's memes, why quitting her job wasn't risky, and her "AlphaGo" moment--and why she'll keep writing anyway.
Jasmine writes independently on @Substack--where she used to lead core product--and for publications like @TheAtlantic and @nytimes.
Timestamps: 0:00 - Opening Highlights 1:30 - Intro to Jasmine 3:24 - Start: Being a "Historian of Vibe" and Learning to Look 15:00 - Taste for Questions & The Depth Behind Memes 24:28 - Translating Between Silicon Valley and The World 40:27 - Substack vs. "Serious" Journalism and Integrity as a Writer 47:35 - Integrity when Using AI and the AlphaGo Question 58:42 - Strategy Across Publications & Maximizing an Idea's Reach 1:06:45 - Going Independent, Risk, and Commercial Tradeoffs 1:24:35 - Great Writing: Style, Voice, and Resisting Summary 1:35:35 - Literary Inspirations, Favorite Essays, Writing vs. Thinking, and Getting Better 1:51:09 - Writing to Publish, Authenticity, and Art 2:00:38 - Grab Bag: China, Silicon Valley's Virtues and Problems, AI Transition, The Relational Economy, Parties, Debates, Self Belief, and More
Full episode of @dialecticpod 49: Jasmine Sun - Close Enough to See Clearly - as well as transcript and links to all platforms are available below.
