How does a college freshman take down the president of Stanford University?

Theo Baker became the youngest-ever recipient of the George Polk Award after exposing research misconduct tied to former Stanford president Marc Tessier-Lavigne. Now, in his new book How to Rule the World, Baker argues that the story goes far beyond one university leader—and reveals how Stanford became the training ground for Silicon Valley’s most powerful people.

Kara and Theo discuss Stanford’s secretive power networks, the university’s no-boundaries relationship with venture capital, and the elite circles that identify and cultivate future founders before they’ve even started companies. They unpack the “Stanford inside Stanford,” the mysterious class known as How to Rule the World, and why one professor described the school as an “incubator with dorms.”

They also examine what Stanford’s culture says about power, accountability, ambition, and the rise of Silicon Valley’s tech elite. Plus: Theo weighs in on AI, cheating on college campuses, and why so many young people are becoming skeptical of the tech industry.