Coffee and a Mike

Will Tanner #1353

Apr 10, 2026
Will Tanner, writer and co-founder of The American Tribune who hosts The Old World Show, explores history, politics, urban decay, AI and cultural change. He contrasts elite types, traces Virginia and Reconstruction-era shifts, and explains why cities decline. He also discusses AI tools for research, selective urban revival, and the value of patient, local action.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Mall Apartment Developments Are Financialized Blight

  • Modern mixed-use mall-apartment developments prioritize transaction churn over durable value and aesthetics.
  • Tanner criticizes flimsy five-over-one wood construction and identical retail chains that degrade long-term asset quality.
ADVICE

Use AI For Research And Memory Assistance

  • Use AI as a research and memory tool rather than a full autonomous operator.
  • Tanner uploads notes to Google/Readwise and uses Gemini for targeted quote retrieval, improving organization and recall.
INSIGHT

AI Will Displace Routine Digital Labor First

  • AI will replace routine digital labor roles before high-skill judgment roles, reshaping low-level employment.
  • Tanner compares AI to historical labor shifts: digital assistants may supplant email triage and basic accounting checks.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app