Lessons Learned

Round two. Same four analysts, a lot more whiskey, and a lot less structure.

Peter Zeihan, Marko Papic, and Matt Gertken sit back down with Jacob - a man who cut his teeth pestering all three of them for their pieces as a Stratfor intern - for an unfiltered conversation about how they actually became geopolitical strategists. They trade formative-moment stories from Stratfor's early-2000s "golden age" (including the Egypt/Mubarak call that made Jacob's career), debate whether corporate America can ever hire real geopolitical talent, and each name the one book that shaped how they see the world - from World War Z to Aristotle to The Ingenuity Gap.

Along the way: George Friedman lore, the DC Comics-vs-Marvel theory of geopolitical shops, and a genuinely moving closing tribute to the mentor who built this whole coaching tree. Part reunion, part masterclass in how to think about the world - and part roast session.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) - Welcome Back Round Two

(00:52) - Whiskey And Loose Format

(01:34) - Formative Stratfor Moments

(02:24) - Arab Spring Cred Test

(04:17) - Stratfor Coaching Tree

(07:50) - Pipeline After Cold War

(14:17) - Academia Versus Geopolitics