Machiavelli's Italy: Why Founders Must Plan for Total Reset
Machiavelli lived in an Italy where popes and rulers ripped up the rules every decade. What if your startup faces that same radical instability?
How Machiavelli's Florence bargained with Cesare Borgia for survival – Ada Palmer
With Dwarkesh Patel, Ada Palmer · Sunday, June 21, 2026
Dwarkesh Patel and historian Ada Palmer discuss the tumultuous political landscape of Machiavelli's Italy, characterized by constant regime change and papal corruption. They delve into Machiavelli's admiration for figures like Cesare Borgia, explore the pervasive patronage system, and examine the surprising role of art as a diplomatic tool for survival. The conversation concludes with a look at Machiavelli's personal exile, his fierce patriotism, and how his work, The Prince, gained global prominence centuries after his death.
Machiavelli's Fix for Your Company's Inevitable Rot
Machiavelli knew all institutions decay. Dwarkesh Patel and Ada Palmer discuss why, and his radical solution: 'return to foundations.' Apply it.
Machiavelli's Italy: Sin, Repentance, and the Pragmatic Founder
Dwarkesh and Ada Palmer reveal how Machiavelli's era embraced constant sin and repentance. Smart founders can apply this pragmatic approach to internal failures.
Machiavelli's Real Lesson: Why Founders Need 'Nepotism'
Renaissance Italy's patronage system wasn't corrupt; it was the engine of loyalty, justice, and survival. Founders, learn how informal networks still run the show.