The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway
Episode: No Mercy / No Malice: The Algebra of Resistance
Date: February 21, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Scott Galloway reads his No Mercy / No Malice essay “The Algebra of Resistance” (narrated by George Hahn), unpacking the surprising impact and mechanics of modern grassroots activism. Focusing on the “Resist and Unsubscribe” campaign—a call to economically disrupt tech giants and companies supporting ICE—Galloway examines which media channels drive genuine action, the real-world financial effects of unsubscribing, and what history teaches about effective resistance. Through reflections, data insights, and striking analogies, he argues that coordinated, sustained economic action can still shift the balance of power.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The “Resist and Unsubscribe” Campaign: Mission and Momentum

• Campaign Launched: The campaign asks people to unsubscribe from companies enabling Trump’s policies, especially tech giants and ICE collaborators.
• Initial Response: In 21 days, over 1.2 million unique visitors landed on the site—entirely organic, no paid media, and ad buys even blocked by Meta and Google (02:06).
• Purpose: The goal is to “counter Trump’s assault on American values by zeroing in on what he really cares about: the markets” (03:17).

Measuring Media Impact: What Channels Drive Action?

• Scott’s Media Blitz: Galloway appeared across cable news (CNN, PBS, MS Now) and dozens of podcasts: “Since February 1st, I've hit every corner of the map...from Amanpour and Anderson Cooper to the Bulwark and MS Now” (03:35).
• Owned Channels Power: Galloway emphasizes the ROI of building one’s own media channel: “Arguably one of the best investments a young person can make is to build an owned media channel every day for 20 years” (05:28).
• Traditional Media Still Matters: Coverage on NPR led to 28,000+ unique visitors, placing it just behind Instagram, Facebook, and Google.
• Conversion Math: With an estimated 5% conversion, “that’s more than 1,400 people unsubscribing...that’s about $700,000 of lost sales and a $7 million impact on market cap” (07:14).
• Influencer Firepower: Celebrity and influencer posts—Chelsea Handler’s video in particular—drove tens of thousands to the site. Handler alone accounted for nearly $100,000 in lost revenue with her Instagram video (09:09).

Social Media vs. Traditional Media: Credibility and Reach

• Third-Party Credibility: After initial boosts from mainstream media, influencer engagement was crucial for maintaining momentum: “We knew we needed other voices providing third party credibility to maintain the energy” (08:23).
• The Celebrity Effect: “We live in a celebrity nation” (08:38), and the campaign rode another wave when Chelsea Handler, Tim Miller, and other public figures got involved.
  • Chelsea Handler Quote [08:54]:

  “I understand not everyone is in the same position I'm in, but we can all do things to make sure that these companies are not profiting off of ICE. You can get rid of Apple, you can get rid of Amazon. You can make sure that these companies actually feel an impact.”

• Podcasts & YouTube: Appearances on influential podcasts like Pivot and interviews with Nicole Wallace generated significant traffic and engagement, especially within high-value demographics (09:46).

The “Algebra of Resistance”: Real Economic Impact

• Dollar-to-Market Cap Power:
  • Cancelling a $20/month subscription (e.g., ChatGPT): “A withdrawal of $240 translates into a market cap reduction of about $10,000” for OpenAI, given their stratospheric valuation multiples (10:57).
  • Slowdowns in subscriber growth in tech and telco sectors create real Wall Street consequences—T-Mobile missed by 30,000 subscribers and lost $12 billion in value; Microsoft lost $350 billion over a minor slowdown (12:01).
• Target Companies: OpenAI, Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Netflix, Paramount, Uber, as well as ICE enablers like AT&T, Comcast, Dell.

Lessons from History: Only Sustained Resistance Works

• Reference to the 1955–56 Montgomery Bus Boycott:
  • “The black community...coordinated a massive carpool system—300 private cars—to boycott public buses over 381 days, costing the bus system about $3,000 per day” (13:12).
  • Key takeaway: “Sustained economic pressure is critical.”
• Expert perspective (Lucy Atkinson, UT Austin): Boycotts are only effective when persistent; brief efforts are easily absorbed by the giants.
• Scott’s Position: Not proposing a labor strike or mandating how people act: “Our hope is that we will ignite a conversation and provide people with a resistance roadmap, showing Americans they have a weapon hiding in plain sight” (14:45).

Reality Check, Motivation, and the Limits of Activism

• Real Impact: Galloway estimates the campaign has already cost Big Tech a quarter of a billion dollars in market value (15:19).
• Caveat: That’s “not enough to force the CEOs who have Trump’s ear to do the right thing,” but progress is visible.
• Call to Action:

  “What will you say at the end when your kids ask, Dad, what did you do when the war against fascism” (15:57).

• Resilience and Historical Perspective:

  "The nihilistic view that these are uniquely dark times is not accurate. Our nation has endured a civil war, world wars, plagues, and a depression. In each case, Americans were equal to the challenge and our democracy emerged stronger." (15:39)

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• [03:35] Scott Galloway:

  “Our goal is to counter Trump's assault on American values by zeroing in on what he really cares about: the markets.”

• [05:28] Scott Galloway:

  “Arguably one of the best investments a young person can make is to build an owned media channel every day for 20 years.”

• [08:54] Chelsea Handler:

  “I understand not everyone is in the same position I'm in, but we can all do things to make sure that these companies are not profiting off of ICE. You can get rid of Apple, you can get rid of Amazon. You can make sure that these companies actually feel an impact.”

• [10:57] Scott Galloway:

  “A withdrawal of $240 translates into a market cap reduction of about $10,000. That’s just one tech company we’ve identified as having an outsized influence over the economy and our president.”

• [13:12] Scott Galloway:

  “On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to relinquish her seat…But the black community, led by a young preacher named Martin Luther King Jr., coordinated a massive carpool system…boycotting public buses over 381 days, costing the bus system about $3,000 per day.”

• [14:45] Scott Galloway:

  “Our hope is that we will ignite a conversation and provide people with a resistance roadmap, showing Americans they have a weapon hiding in plain sight.”

• [15:39] Scott Galloway:

  “The nihilistic view that these are uniquely dark times is not accurate. Our nation has endured a civil war, world wars, plagues, and a depression.”

• [15:57] Scott Galloway:

  “What will you say at the end when your kids ask, Dad, what did you do when the war against fascism…”

Key Timestamps

• 02:06 – Campaign overview and initial website statistics
• 03:35 – Campaign goals: economic pressure as leverage
• 05:28 – Insight on building personal media channels
• 07:14 – NPR’s impact and the conversion math
• 08:23 – Importance of influencer engagement
• 08:54 – Chelsea Handler’s influencer clip
• 09:46 – The power of podcasts and YouTube
• 10:57 – The algebra: subscription loss extrapolated to market cap
• 12:01 – Real case studies: T-Mobile and Microsoft market impacts
• 13:12 – Historical example of effective resistance
• 14:45 – Scott’s intended approach: conversation, not prescriptions
• 15:39—15:57 – Historical resilience and a call to moral action

Takeaways

• Media influence is measurable—not every platform inspires action equally; influencers and owned channels are becoming as powerful as legacy media.
• Even modest mass actions add up: sustained, coordinated unsubscribes or boycotts can influence billions in market value.
• Historical precedent demonstrates that change is possible, but only with persistence and adaptability.
• There is no pre-packaged roadmap; Galloway’s push is for shared awareness, creative pragmatism, and collective moral accountability.

Tone note: Throughout, Scott Galloway’s familiar directness, wry humor, and urgency are present, reinforced by George Hahn’s narration and impactful real-life examples.