Open Source vs Commercial: How "Winning Culture" Has Made Us More Vulnerable | Greg Epstein
Silicon Valley's shift from collaborative open-source principles to winner-take-all commercial dominance hasn't just changed business models—it's made us fundamentally more vulnerable. When companies prioritize winning everything over building secure, collaborative ecosystems, we all pay the price. But there's a profound irony: the more desperately these leaders chase absolute victory, the more they reveal themselves as losers of the most important game—building meaningful human communities.
In this episode, Harvard and MIT Humanist Chaplain Greg Epstein explores how tech's false prophets have led us astray and, more importantly, how we might find our way back to building human-centered security that actually works. The strongest security has never come from building higher walls—it comes from creating ecosystems where everyone's success strengthens the whole. When we understand how to work together better, we all create better security.
What You'll Learn:
• How winner-take-all thinking creates systemic vulnerabilities
• Why collaborative open-source principles build more resilient systems
• The hidden security costs of commercial dominance
• Practical strategies for building multi-stakeholder security
• How to shift from competition to collaboration in your organization
Watch this episode to discover how changing your approach to teamwork and partnerships can dramatically improve your security posture.
About Greg M. Epstein: Greg serves as Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University and MIT, and spent 18 months at TechCrunch exploring the ethics of companies shifting our definition of humanity. He's the author of "Tech Agnostic: How Technology Became the World's Most Powerful Religion, and Why it Desperately Needs a Reformation."
Timestamps:
Chapters
00:00 The Corruption of Winning Culture
02:39 The Role of Community in Security
05:44 Navigating the Media Landscape
08:20 The Algorithmic Influence on Information
11:01 The Cult of Personality in Tech
13:44 The Messianic Figures in Technology
16:24 The Fall of Tech Prophets
19:15 The Importance of Losing
21:44 The Future of Technology and Humanity
24:29 The Need for Ethical Technology
26:56 The Role of Men in Modern Society
29:39 The Impact of AI on Society
32:15 The Cult-like Nature of Tech Culture
34:54 The Importance of Human Connection
37:43 The Future of Humanism in Tech
40:11 The Path Forward for Technology and Humanity
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