California is Becoming a Trust Fund Society

California has been the greatest economic miracle in modern history. People came here to build, to dream, and to better their lives. But today I believe we are living off the inheritance of past generations instead of building a future of our own.

In this solo episode, I make the case that California has become a “trust fund society.” We are coasting on the wealth and institutions created before us while making it harder to build, harder to afford a home, and harder to run a business.

I walk through the anti-growth movement, the housing crisis, and the paradox of Silicon Valley’s dominance at the same time Sacramento seems hostile toward tech. I argue that California has ignored a basic truth: prosperity depends on building. Drawing on history, economics, and culture, I explore what it means to inherit greatness and what it will take to reclaim California’s role as the world’s engine of dynamism.

This episode also wraps up Season 1 of the Podcast! I am pausing the show as my wife and I welcome our second child. Thank you for all of you who have followed along with the journey so far. See you in the future. 

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/california-future-society/id1807612672
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0zzVSVdCUCTGuZUyl8qZXA
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVNumolJuKvqJScBEnhe8hQ

Chapters
00:00 – Pausing the Pod
02:04 – California as a Trust Fund Society
04:30 – The Cyclical Nature of Wealth
06:15 – California’s Past Success
08:34 – California’s Stagnation
12:49 – California Beats Up Our Tech Sector
20:12 – European Decline
22:07 – We’re Killing the California Dream