America Got Soft - China Got Ready - Time to Wake Up - Joe Lonsdale x Tom Bilyeu
In this 27 May 2025 Impact Thery, host Tom Bilyeu welcomes tech entrepreneur and investor Joe Lonsdale for a riveting discussion about the future of America’s competitiveness on the global stage. Joe unpacks why, over the last several decades, the U.S. has traded merit for fairness—and the devastating consequences this has had on its institutions, government, and ability to innovate. He candidly explores how China’s long-term strategy and relentless focus on building infrastructure, technology, and military capacity have left the West dangerously unprepared.
Tom and Joe dive deep into the inner workings of America’s defense sector, the rise of defense tech companies like Palantir and Anduril, and how bureaucratic bloat and the decline of merit-based systems threaten national security. Joe shares insights from his own journey as a tech founder, his firsthand experiences in both Silicon Valley and China, and his efforts to foster the next generation of courageous, high-achieving leaders through his new university.
If you care about America’s future, national security, and the role of true excellence in shaping our trajectory, this is a must-listen conversation. Get ready for bold ideas, behind-the-scenes stories, and a call to action on rebuilding the American spirit of innovation and merit.
https://youtu.be/4gYvX6s9gqY
00:00 Intro
01:00 Immigration or Invasion? The Cultural Fallout
13:07 Want Better Leaders? Start With This Test
17:31 China’s Biotech Blitz: No Rules, Just Results
24:16 How Palantir Helped Win a War
31:55 What Building a Bridge Should Look Like
35:27 Crime, Chaos, and the Cost of Leniency
37:31 Can Tolerance Go Too Far?
45:37 The Geopolitical Blunder No One Talks About
47:43 Why Biomanufacturing Could Decide Our Future
53:39 USAID: Corruption or Competence?
01:02:19 AI, Robots, and the End of Jobs?
01:07:02 The Ancient Ideas That Could Save Us
01:10:49 Leadership Lessons You’ve Never Heard Before
