
We live in a world where our civilization and daily lives depend upon institutions, infrastructure, and technological substrates that are _complicated_ but not _unknowable_. Join Patrick McKenzie (patio11) as he discusses how decisions, technology, culture, and incentives shape our finance, technology, government, and more, with the people who built (and build) those Complex Systems.
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 73 | Founded | 2 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | BusinessInvesting | |||

Our annual year-in-review episode covers some recurring themes from 2025 and some behind-the-curtains discussion of running a podcast. Patrick McKenzie (patio11) sits down with producer Sammy Cottrell to discuss the most popular episodes of the year,... more
For this week's holiday-inspired Complex Systems, Patrick reads his essay from Bits about Money on the gift card paradox: a legitimate payments rail, yet also a primary vector for fraud that leaves victims without recourse.
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Full transcript availab... more
In this episode, Patrick McKenzie (patio11) walks through how perpetual futures work, from funding rates to liquidations to the surprise of automatic deleveraging. Perps are the dominant trading mechanism in crypto (6-8X larger than spot volume) and ... more
In this episode, Patrick McKenzie (patio11) is joined by Ben Reinhardt, founder of Speculative Technologies, to examine how science gets funded in the United States and why the current system leaves much to be desired. They dissect the outdated taxon... more
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Patrick consistently puts out episodes on things that I don’t think I would be interested in but I end up being interested in it
Same as title with the addition that transcripts I’ve viewed are great!
Smart people discussing interesting things.
I’ve listened to almost every episode. It’s an outstanding place to learn about diverse topics. I came to the show page leave a review to get recommendations on similar podcasts because I’ve run out of episodes from Complex Systems to listen to! Super relevant to my professional and also surprisingly personal intelligence.
If you are curious about how the world works, and especially if you have dirt under your own fingernails from trying to help make it work, then this is a great podcast for your regular rotation. Whether you aim to discover new domains to ponder, glean fresh insights from an old stomping ground, or feel that you’re not alone in the struggle to craft workable systems from the often insane mess of the real world, Patrick’s depth of experience coupled with his pull among like-minded luminaries alwa... more
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
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Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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Exploring various complexities of modern society, this podcast discusses how decisions, technology, culture, and incentives shape multiple sectors, including finance, technology, and government. The host engages with a diverse array of experts and thought leaders, aiming to unravel the intricacies of systems that underpin contemporary civilization. Notable discussions focus on topics such as equity management in tech companies, the nuances of research funding, and the implications of artificial intelligence alignment, providing listeners with valuable insights into both operational mechanics and broader societal impacts.
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These podcasts share a similar audience with Complex Systems with Patrick McKenzie:
1. "Econ 102" with Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg
2. Dwarkesh Podcast
3. Conversations with Tyler
4. The Marginal Revolution Podcast
5. Money Stuff: The Podcast
Complex Systems with Patrick McKenzie launched 2 years ago and published 73 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on Complex Systems with Patrick McKenzie include:
1. Ben Reinhardt
2. Billy Gallagher
3. Chris Best
4. Emmett Shear
5. Will Wilson
6. Joel Becker
7. Jim Weisser
8. Cate Hall
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