Episode 15 - Ben Hunt
Doomer Optimism16 Jan 2022

Episode 15 - Ben Hunt

On this episode of Doomer Optimism, repeat host Anarcho-Contrarian (@AnarContrarian) is joined by Julie Fredrickson (@AlmostMedia) and Ben Hunt (@EpsilonTheory). The cover a wide range of economic and political topics, deflation versus inflation, and how the heck someone can navigate the coming insanity.


About Ben Hunt

Ben Hunt is the creator of Epsilon Theory and inspiration behind Second Foundation Partners, which he co-founded with Rusty Guinn in June 2018.

Epsilon Theory, Second Foundation’s principal publishing brand, is a newsletter and website that examines markets through the lenses of game theory and history. Over 100,000 professional investors and allocators across 180 countries read Epsilon Theory for its fresh perspective and novel insights into market dynamics. As Chief Investment Officer, Ben bears primary responsibility for determining the Company’s investment views and positioning of model portfolios. He is also the primary author of materials distributed through Epsilon Theory.

Ben taught political science for 10 years: at New York University from 1991 until 1997 and (with tenure) at Southern Methodist University from 1997 until 2000. He also wrote two academic books: Getting to War (Univ. of Michigan Press, 1997) and Policy and Party Competition (Routledge, 1992), which he co-authored with Michael Laver. Ben is the founder of two technology companies and the co-founder of SmartEquip, Inc., a software company for the construction equipment industry that provides intelligent schematics and parts diagrams to facilitate e-commerce in spare parts.

He began his investment career in 2003, first in venture capital and subsequently on two long/short equity hedge funds. He worked at Iridian Asset Management from 2006 until 2011 and TIG Advisors from 2012 until 2013. He joined Rusty at Salient in 2013, where he combined his background as a portfolio manager, risk manager, and entrepreneur with academic experience in game theory and econometrics to work with Salient’s own portfolio managers and its financial advisor clients to improve client outcomes.

Ben is a graduate of Vanderbilt University (1986) and earned his Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University in 1991. He lives in the wilds of Redding, CT on Little River Farm, where he personifies the dilettante farmer that has been a stock comedic character since Cicero's day. Luckily his wife, Jennifer, and four daughters, Harper, Hannah, Haven and Halle, are always there to save the day. Ben's hobbies include comic books, Alabama football, beekeeping, and humoring Rusty in trivia "competitions".


About Anarcho-Contrarian

They're anonymous so honestly not that much to share here. But here's their Twitter bio: Scale-Reductionism, Localism, Agrarianism, New Village-ism, Distributism... i.e. Redundant, Nostalgic & Politically Homeless.


About Julie Fredrickson

Julie is a serial entrepreneur and investor.

Avsnitt(277)

DO 246 - Metastatic Modernity with Prof. Tom Murphy

DO 246 - Metastatic Modernity with Prof. Tom Murphy

Josh catches up with Tom for a second conversation (first interview here) about two new series on Tom’s excellent Do The Math blog. Tom has produced a “Metastatic Modernity” series of 18 short (~10 min) videos accompanied by write-ups providing a succinct but comprehensive explication of the poly crises of modernity, along with a convenient index to the series. Tom also became an ad hoc demographer after examining population and fertility data and noticing anomalies in the official UN population projections for this century. Turns out, we may be facing peak population, peak energy throughput, and peak economic growth much earlier than anticipated!  Demography series: Watching Population Bomb—could we actually start to deflate before 2050? Peak Population Projections—demographic models supporting earlier peaks Whiff After Whiff—the U.N. models don’t capture/predict recent fertility declines Population “What If” Games—exploring population limiting cases Peak Population Video—why U.N. models may overestimate peak population Brace for Peak Impact—demographic driver for civilization’s peak power (soon) Peak Power Video—why we might hit peak power in the next decade Stubborn Expectations—U.N. models for fertility barely react to recent trends

17 Dec 20241h 28min

DO 245 - Regenerative Ag Technology W/ Josh Jeske and Ashley

DO 245 - Regenerative Ag Technology W/ Josh Jeske and Ashley

DO 245 - Regenerative Ag Technology W/ Josh Jenske and Ashley

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DO 245 - Regenerative Ag Technology W/ Josh Jeske and Ashley

DO 245 - Regenerative Ag Technology W/ Josh Jeske and Ashley

DO 245 - Regenerative Ag Technology W/ Josh Jenske and Ashley

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DO 244 - DO + egirl crossover w/ Twitter's Audrey Horne and Going Godward

DO 244 - DO + egirl crossover w/ Twitter's Audrey Horne and Going Godward

In this episode, Going Godward guest hosts X’s Audrey Horne in a Doomer Optimist/e-girl crossover. GG and Audrey discuss how the Machine affects women and its consequences on beauty standards, self-image, and identity.

3 Dec 202447min

D0 243 - The spiritual quality of global capitalism

D0 243 - The spiritual quality of global capitalism

In this episode I link up with my new buddy from a recent Doomer Optimism event in Margaretville NY, Travis Logan. Travis brought an essay to my attention, Techne-Zen and the Spiritual Quality of Global Capitalism, by Yale professor R. John Williams. We decided to call John up to see if he would discuss his work, and where he lands with trying to navigate technology, spirituality and religion. One of my (Ashley’s) favorite conversations yet!! Discussing: https://rjohnwilliams.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/williams-techne-zen-and-capitalism.pdf&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1731775211585824&usg=AOvVaw1ZTYOktfC-mKHhdUCdnVma Bios and links R John Williams is Associate Professor of English and Film Studies at Yale (https://filmstudies.yale.edu/people/r-john-williams) Travis Logan reviews books on Substack: https://postliberalbookreviews.substack.com/

26 Nov 20241h 23min

DO 242 - Jane Jacobs and the City as Liturgy w/ Dr. Timothy Patitsas, Michael Sellas and Ashley

DO 242 - Jane Jacobs and the City as Liturgy w/ Dr. Timothy Patitsas, Michael Sellas and Ashley

Ashley met Michael Sellas as a couple recent Doomer Optimism events and they immediately hit it off. After discussing urban planning’s connection to DO, Michael suggested some writing by his friends Dr. Timothy Patitsas, who not only thinks a lot about cities, but worked with Jane Jacobs!Michael Sellas, M.Div, is the founder of Michael Sellas Photography, and the Audio Producer for the No-Till Growers Podcast Network. Photography: michaelsellasphotography.comMusic: SpotifyTimothy Patitsas is the author of The Ethics of Beauty and the assistant professor of Ethics at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Boston.For his book: https://www.stnicholaspress.net/store/the-ethics-of-beautyFor his film work: https://www.beautyfirstfilms.com

19 Nov 20241h 36min

DO 241 - Motherhood Sabbatical w/ Ashley and Sean Blanda

DO 241 - Motherhood Sabbatical w/ Ashley and Sean Blanda

This is an interview Sean Blanda of Sabbatical did with Ashley on her approach to moving to Uruguay for a time when her kids were young. A write-up of the interview is here:https://sabbatical.email/interviews/ashley-colby-how-i-took-a-working-parent-sabbatical

14 Nov 202441min

DO 240 - Ecological Farming in Guatemala w/ Dwight, Tessa Carman and Ashley

DO 240 - Ecological Farming in Guatemala w/ Dwight, Tessa Carman and Ashley

Ashley speaks with Tessa Carman and her uncle Dwight about his journey to Guatemala from a small farming family in the Midwest. We discuss the push and pull of moving abroad, learning ecological farming, where to find home, and more.

12 Nov 20241h 4min

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