• 45 minutes 39 seconds
    Fire Bad Teachers and Bad Cops

    Why is it so hard to fire bad teachers and bad cops?

    Ravi sits down with Robert Gordon and Nick Bagley to discuss the problems with public sector unions—how they use political influence, protect ineffective workers, and make it difficult to reward excellence. They explore how a small number of poor performers can have an outsized impact on schools, policing, and public trust, and examine what states that have successfully reformed these systems are doing differently. 


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    Nick and Robert's recent piece in The Argument: 

    https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/democrats-should-fire-bad-teachers


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    Ravi Gupta

    ◾ Pre-Order Ravi’s new book The Invisible List -  https://readinvisiblelist.com/

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    Host: Ravi Gupta

    Guests: Nicholas Bagley and Robert Gordon



    25 June 2026, 11:38 pm
  • 47 minutes 19 seconds
    How Andrew Tate Gets Away With It

    Andrew Tate became one of the most influential figures on the internet by selling young men a vision of power, wealth, and masculinity. But behind the viral clips, luxury cars, and billions of views lies a disturbing trail of allegations, court cases, leaked messages, and accusations of abuse spanning multiple countries. In this conversation, New Yorker reporter Heidi Blake takes us inside her months-long investigation into Tate's empire, the women who say they were harmed, and the political forces that helped elevate him. It's a chilling look at influence, accountability, and the question of who, if anyone, will stop him.


    Heidi Blake’s piece,  Andrew Tate’s Empire of Abuse (New Yorker, June 2026)

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    23 June 2026, 10:00 am
  • 30 minutes 20 seconds
    A New Wave of Psychedelics

    What happens when technology starts reshaping the human mind—and recording every moment of our lives? Ravi Gupta sits down with Atlantic staff writer Ross Andersen to explore two fascinating frontiers: the next generation of engineered psychedelics and the rise of AI-powered surveillance devices that can remember everything. They discuss whether scientists can design specific emotional states on demand, how psychedelics may transform medicine, and why a growing number of people are carrying AI assistants that record their daily lives. The conversation raises a deeper question: as technology gives us more control over our minds and memories, what might we lose in the process?

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    21 June 2026, 10:52 am
  • 48 minutes 23 seconds
    How Britain Became as Poor as Mississippi

    Britain was once one of the world’s economic success stories. Today, parts of the UK are no richer than Mississippi. Atlantic staff writer Idrees Kahloon joins Ravi Gupta to unpack Britain's stunning decline: 18 years of wage stagnation, the fallout from austerity and Brexit, crumbling public services, sky-high housing costs, and the rise of Nigel Farage's Reform Party. They also discuss whether standardized testing is making a comeback in American higher education—and what that says about merit, inequality, and elite institutions.




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    17 June 2026, 8:01 pm
  • 53 minutes 16 seconds
    The Case for Constraints

    Why do constraints so often lead to better results? In this conversation, Ravi chats with bestselling author David Epstein, who explains how limitations can spark creativity, improve focus, strengthen decision-making, and drive innovation across writing, business, sports, and technology. Drawing on stories from Haruki Murakami, David Chang, Pixar, Amazon, and NASA, David argues that success comes from balancing exploration with focused execution. The lesson is counterintuitive but powerful: having fewer options is often what unlocks our greatest potential.

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    14 June 2026, 1:50 pm
  • 43 minutes 23 seconds
    An Optimist’s Guide to Investing

    Ravi sits down with financial writer and Animal Spirits co-host Ben Carlson to discuss investing, inflation, market psychology, and why long-term optimism still wins. From stock market crashes and recessions to AI, passive investing, retirement, and wealth building, Ben explains why trying to time the market often backfires—and what investors should do instead. They also explore today's biggest economic risks, from government debt and tariffs to tech concentration and speculative investing. If you're wondering how to build wealth in an uncertain world, this conversation offers a practical framework for staying invested and thinking long term.


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    10 June 2026, 7:53 pm
  • 39 minutes 54 seconds
    Will Platner Cost Dems the Senate?

    Ravi Gupta examines the growing scandals surrounding Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, from newly revealed sexting allegations to controversial past comments and mounting questions about his character and judgment. He explores whether Platner's supporters—and the Democratic influencers and leaders who helped elevate him—are overlooking serious warning signs. With control of the Senate potentially on the line, Ravi asks whether Platner has become a political liability and what his rise says about the future of the Democratic Party.


    Pre-order Ravi’s new book The Invisible List

    • Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-List-Passion-Year-Every/dp/0593980859/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2TKS6Y9B9VBMT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5LDAYpIV1QkF6qGXMXrOoA.RwdEWCV1lydW_PuYCdxwhLCv2L61Iu1CcRT9HDQXAxQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=ravi+gupta+invisible+list&qid=1780260764&sprefix=%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-1

    • Local: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-invisible-list-a-guide-to-conquering-deferred-dreams-ravi-gupta/cc0da5aa0e8c5bb9?ean=9780593980859&next=t

    • Book website: https://readinvisiblelist.com/

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    5 June 2026, 9:00 am
  • 53 minutes 21 seconds
    The Case Against Dating Apps

    Dating apps promised to make finding love easier. Instead, many people feel more disconnected, discouraged, and lonely than ever. Ravi sits down with relationship coach, matchmaker, and founder of The Feels, Allie Hoffman, to explore why dating apps may be failing us, what we've lost by outsourcing connection to technology, and how real-world community can help us find our way back. Together, they unpack modern loneliness, the hidden costs of swipe culture, and the case for getting off the apps and into real life.

    Ravi's new book The Invisible List

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    2 June 2026, 7:57 pm
  • 6 minutes 5 seconds
    Eight Years in the Making

    What did you used to want to learn, make, or finish? Guitar. Spanish. Salsa. The novel you've been starting for a decade.

    We all carry an invisible list: the skills we wish we'd learned, the talents we wish we'd developed, and the dreams we meant to pursue. Most of us file that list away, telling ourselves we'll get back to it someday. Most of us never do. In this episode, Ravi Gupta shares the framework behind his new book, The Invisible List, why he believes it's never too late to start, and how you can pre-order the book and begin reclaiming the dreams you've deferred.


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    To Pre-Order The Invisible List:

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    1 June 2026, 3:52 pm
  • 40 minutes 29 seconds
    The $40 Billion Money Pit

    New York City spends over $40,000 per student — more than almost anywhere in America — yet its schools deliver painfully average results while enrollment continues to collapse. Ravi sits down with journalist Marc Novicoff to unpack the exploding costs, shrinking classrooms, special education loopholes, and political dysfunction driving the crisis. They explore how billion-dollar programs, empty school buildings, and untouchable bureaucracy are reshaping public education in America’s largest city — and why almost nobody in power seems willing to confront it.


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    27 May 2026, 10:11 pm
  • 53 minutes 18 seconds
    Surprising Truths about Sex and Relationships

    Everything we think we know about dating, sex, love, and marriage may only be half true. In this episode, Dr. Justin Garcia, director of the Kinsey Institute and author of The Intimate Animal, joins Ravi to unpack the hidden forces shaping modern relationships — from dating apps and Gen Z’s “sex recession” to infidelity, pornography, monogamy, and why so many Americans are single. Drawing on decades of research, they explore the gap between what people say they want and how relationships actually work. It’s a fascinating, surprising conversation about intimacy, trust, desire, and what it really means to find connection today.


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    20 May 2026, 8:13 pm
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