Podcast Summary: The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

Episode Title: How to Get Involved in Politics, How Scott Galloway Writes, and How He Follows the News
Host: Scott Galloway
Release Date: December 5, 2025
Podcast Network: Vox Media Podcast Network

Overview

In this "Office Hours" episode, Scott Galloway answers listener questions on three major themes: practical ways to participate in politics, the mechanics and philosophy behind his own writing and content creation, and his evolving approach to staying informed in the age of algorithm-driven news feeds. Throughout, Galloway blends pragmatic advice, critical social commentary, and personal reflection, punctuated by the candor and wit that defines his brand.

1. How to Get Involved in Politics

(Timestamps: 02:01–06:26)

Key Discussion Points

• Voting and Civic Responsibility

  • Galloway underscores the foundational importance of voting, noting both the personal responsibility and the macro-level consequences of who turns out at the polls.
  • He laments that, while young people frequently skip voting, seniors show up—and the federal budget allocation reflects this skewed participation.

• Encouraging Others

  • Encourages listeners to get those around them, especially young people, to vote—not by lecturing, but by emphasizing the long-term impact of civic engagement.

• Budget as a Reflection of Values

  • "The budget reflects values and our values are that we don't really love our children." (03:28)
    He points out disparities in spending: 40% of the federal budget supports seniors versus fractions for education and SNAP (nutrition assistance), arguing this shows who actually wields political power.

• Grassroots Involvement

  • Suggests practical steps: volunteer at the polls, canvas, help register voters, use your personal platform to spotlight candidates and policy issues.
  • Asserts that getting involved in a campaign can be especially rewarding for young adults seeking purpose or experience.

• "Time, Treasure, Talent" Framework

  • Galloway advocates contributing to causes by volunteering ("time"), donating ("treasure"), or using your skills/platform ("talent"):

    "Those are really the three things, right? Your time, your treasure, and your talent." (05:13)

• Personal Commitment

  • He shares his own goal to help flip the House for Democratic control, explaining the importance of meaningful, targeted engagement beyond just voting.

Notable Quotes

• "Old people keep voting themselves more money, right? [...] We've decided to let kids go hungry. In the wealthiest nation in the world." (03:07)
• "I wish I'd started voting earlier because I find it a really inspiring experience." (04:52)

2. How Scott Galloway Writes & Builds His Content

(Timestamps: 06:26–13:31)

Key Discussion Points

• Authenticity and Fearlessness

  • Galloway values writing with bravery and honesty, as if only his children will read it many years from now. He tries to ignore the urge to self-censor for social media approval.

    "I want to be fearless. I want to write as if the only people who are gonna read it are my kids in 20 years." (08:11)

• Algorithmic Influence & AI

  • Reflects on how algorithm-driven platforms push creators toward polarized or sensational content for engagement, acknowledging the challenge of resisting these forces.
  • "AI is already controlling us. Our narrative and our orthodoxy and our beliefs and our values are being shaped by algorithms." (07:22)

• Handling Criticism and Backlash

  • Accepts that pushing against orthodoxy provokes ire online, but insists on writing what he believes has insight and personal meaning.
  • "There's so much pressure now to sign up to a certain narrative ... when we're all barking up the same tree, we get really stupid." (09:37)

• Creative Process and Teamwork

  • Reveals the collaborative nature of his work:
    • A research team headed by Mia Silverio generates ideas.
    • Weekly meetings to brainstorm and decide the right format (newsletter, podcast, book, presentation, etc.).
    • Multiple team members touch each piece before publication—scale and quality rely on this collective effort.

• Scaling Beyond the Individual

  • Discusses how most small businesses fail to scale because the founders withhold economic rewards and responsibilities from employees.

    "Greatness is in the agency of others." (12:00)

    • Lists both financial and non-financial incentives (e.g., equity, recognition) as crucial to keep talent engaged and invested.

Notable Quotes

• "People think I work 80 hours a week... and the answer is like, no, I do none of that. I work probably 40 to 50 hours a week now. I used to work 60 to 70. Greatness and scale is in the agency of others." (13:23)

3. How Scott Galloway Follows the News

(Timestamps: 16:07–20:06)

Key Discussion Points

• Rise of Social & Video News

  • Cites a 2025 Reuters Institute report:
    • More Americans now get news from social/video platforms (54%) than from TV (50%) or news sites/apps (48%).
    • TikTok is the fastest growing platform for news globally.

• Challenges of Misinformation and Algorithmic Amplification

  • Emphasizes that algorithms promote the most incendiary, controversial, or outright false claims because they drive more engagement (and ad revenue).

    "If somebody says MRNA vaccines alter DNA, which is verifiably false, it gets more reach than it would organically because it triggers people." (17:25)

  • Calls for regulatory changes: algorithmically boosted content should be treated as editorial, subject to media regulations.

• Galloway's News Diet

  • Personally, he uses TikTok and Instagram Reels, allowing their algorithms to serve him content like "boring economists and geopolitical experts."
  • Finds value in both established media clips and lesser-known commentators ("basement economists and geopoliticians") for depth and diversity of viewpoints.

• Impact on Traditional Media

  • Notes that cable news increasingly serves as content fodder for social platforms, where the real public impact occurs.

Notable Quotes

• "The problem with social media right now is that stuff is incendiary... It elevates controversial novel content, which is Latin for bullshit and misinformation, above its own organic reach." (17:47)
• "News doesn't happen when they're [cable news] doing it, he says. It's all about just trying to find a clip that can then get spun around the Internet because it's sort of interesting." (19:17)

Memorable Moments

• Candid Critique of American Values via Budget
  • Galloway doesn't pull punches, using hard federal spending numbers to illustrate who really benefits from current political participation trends.
• Realism about Social Platforms
  • He is self-aware about his own engagement with social media algorithms and how they shape perspective and discourse, admitting he's part of the same feedback loop as everyone else.

Key Timestamps

• 02:01 Intro to political engagement: voting, encouraging others
• 03:07 Statistical breakdown on budget reflecting voting demographics
• 05:13 "Time, Treasure, Talent" model for political involvement
• 06:44 Start of discussion on writing process and authenticity
• 07:22 The rise of AI/algorithms shaping views and engagement
• 09:37 Pushback against echo chambers and personal narrative
• 12:00 "Greatness is in the agency of others"—scaling businesses
• 16:07 Galloway’s news consumption habits & changing media trends
• 17:25 The amplification of misinformation on social platforms
• 19:17 The evolving role of cable news and social media's dominance

Final Thoughts

This episode provides candid, practical guidance for participating in civic life, insight into the discipline and philosophy behind Galloway’s prolific content creation, and a sobering diagnosis of how news and viewpoints are shaped (and warped) by algorithmic platforms. With clear, actionable advice and thoughtful warnings about digital echo chambers, Scott Galloway’s responses challenge listeners to reflect on how they consume information, contribute to society, and build organizations of genuine scale and value.