Historian and bestselling author Joseph Moore (‪@josephmoorebooks‬ ) joins Matt Zeigler to explore how commodification changes art, music, fashion, and culture, and why making creative work available to the masses may be a feature rather than a flaw. They examine the relationship between taste and status, why people turn against things once they become popular, and what Jane Austen, Taylor Swift, Andy Warhol, Louis Vuitton handbags, and 1990s alternative bands can teach us about costly signaling and the cycle of culture.

In this episode of Epsilon Theory Unplugged, Matt Zeigler talks with Brent Donnelly about his essay I Want It, But I Don’t Like It and the hidden costs of smartphones, Twitter, social media addiction, and attention capture. They discuss why phones can create a “dark zone” similar to gambling addiction, how boredom can be useful, and how Brent structures his writing process without letting AI take over his voice.

Brent Donnelly knows he can't get rid of his phone. That's the problem. The same design logic that keeps a gambler seated at a slot machine past the point of pleasure is running quietly in the background of every app on your screen. Here's his honest reckoning with the adversarial relationship - and a practical strategy for fighting back.

Matt Zeigler and Jack Forehand look at what recent Intentional Investor conversations can teach us about creativity, investing, YouTube, AI, mentorship and building a media business. Using clips from Michael Perry, Marc Rubinstein and Mat Cashman, they explore why knowing your limits, understanding your strengths, learning from mentors and building real relationships still matter in a world of algorithms and LLMs.