Today on Upstream, we’re sharing an episode of The Riff (originally aired on April 1, 2025). Erik Torenberg and Byrne Hobart explore the shifting dynamics of global trade between China and the US, the potential for AI to replace senior rather than junior roles in the workplace, and the economic structure of live entertainment markets like StubHub.
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RECOMMENDED PODCASTS:
🎙️ @TheRiffPodcast Investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-riff-with-byrne-hobart-and-erik-torenberg/id1716646486
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6rANlV54GCARLgMOtpkzKt `
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LINKS:
Byrne’s writing: https://thediff.co
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X / TWITTER:
@byrnehobart
@eriktorenberg
@turpentinemedia
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Introduction and overview
(00:33) US-China trade dynamics
(01:10) China's economic strategy
(03:23) Currency manipulation and trade
(05:08) US tariffs and economic impact
(07:41) Manufacturing and tariffs
(10:52) Inflation and consumer goods
(12:18) Parenting and economics
(13:31) Sponsors: Oracle | Adquick
(17:22) China's demographic challenges
(24:24) China's financial stability
(26:49) AI in the workplace
(27:53) Breaking down large projects into steps
(27:59) Using LLMs for code review and bug fixing
(28:07) Building an e-commerce platform: customer database considerations
(28:33) The role of LLMs in providing synthetic wisdom
(28:47) Limitations of LLMs in mentorship
(29:03) LLMs as a substitute for mentorship in programming
(29:49) The potential of LLMs in finance and tech
(31:43) Fragmentation in finance and tech due to LLMs
(34:28) Sponsor: Squad
(35:38) The stack of monopolies in the live music business
(37:13) The economics of ticket pricing and StubHub's role
(42:38) The impact of AI on art and creativity
(48:37) Concluding thoughts on AI and art
(50:04) Wrap