A Belgian CEO on Iran, Europe's Hypocrisy & Asian Geopolitics | Long Game #6

A Chinese Tech CEO on the Reality of Vietnam's Economic Boom

Get to know Vietnam’s economic boom, the reality of global supply chains, and why the country is positioned to be the defining industrial story of the next decade with Leon Ge.🎙 About the Host: Leon Ge Leon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform.In this episode, Leon covers: * Why the mainstream narrative is lazy: Vietnam is not replacing China, but becoming a crucial "China-adjacent manufacturing infrastructure" * The staggering Q1 2026 data: How 7.83% GDP growth, record-breaking foreign direct investment, and a surge in tourism prove this isn't just hype. * How global giants like Samsung, Apple, and Lego are moving Vietnam beyond cheap assembly into advanced electronics, green manufacturing, and AI. * The five structural reasons Vietnam's rise is permanent, driven by its geography, treaty-enabled trade architecture, and massive infrastructure acceleration. * The hidden bottlenecks and risks: The geopolitical threat of US tariffs, power shortages, and why the country's heavy reliance on imported components is a double-edged sword. * The seven massive opportunities for investors and operators who understand how to navigate Vietnam's pragmatic balancing act between major superpowers.

MIT Press Author: Why Net Zero Fails & The Great Material Crisis | Long Game #10

A profound exploration into the impending global resource crisis, the fragility of global supply chains, and the hidden "material transition" that could ultimately save us. About the Guest: Janet A. Ginsburg Janet A. Ginsburg is a strategist, systems thinker, and award-winning journalist who has covered stories for BusinessWeek, the Discovery Channel, and National Geographic. Throughout her career, she has acted as an "interdisciplinary traveler," crossing silos to cover everything from infectious diseases and renewable energy to design and manufacturing. She is currently writing a book with the MIT Press about the "material transition" and writes a popular Substack detailing her ongoing research. About the Host: Leon Ge Leon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform. In this episode, we cover: * Why the world's singular focus on "net zero" and "circularity" is not enough, and why we are quietly undergoing a massive, planet-altering "material transition". * The extreme fragility of global trade reliant on "skinny straits" like Hormuz and the Panama Canal, and how it impacts the supply of critical materials. * Why fresh water and phosphorus are the two ultimate limiting factors for human survival, and how breakthrough technologies like metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) could soon harvest water directly from the air. * Incredible, real-world innovations hiding in plain sight—from running shoes made using rabbit gut microbes to rare-earth-free magnets and 3D-woven clothing. * The devastating impact of U.S. political instability on long-term science and innovation funding, and how it is crippling the research pipeline. * Why the bar for "sustainability" is far too low, and why we must build a regenerative, imagination-driven "prosperity economy".

A 20-Year China CEO on Trump's Beijing Visit & Europe's Denial | Long Game #9

Sven Agten returns for a conversation on Trump's Beijing visit, the realities of the US-China superpower relationship, Europe's ideological paralysis, and the rise of the Global South. 🎙️About the Guest: Sven Agten Sven Agten is a Belgian executive, author and columnist who has spent more than 20 years living and working in China. He is CEO Asia Pacific at RHEINZINK, a Chinese green card holder, and a veteran operator with deep experience in general management, market entry, joint ventures, manufacturing build-outs and cross-border growth across China and Asia Pacific. He has also written extensively on doing business in China, the Chinese economy and Europe’s strategic challenges, bringing a rare mix of industrial, geopolitical and on-the-ground perspective. 🎙️About the Host: Leon Ge Leon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform. In this episode, we cover: * The truth behind Donald Trump's underwhelming state visit to Beijing, the apparent lack of American preparation, and China's new geopolitical framework for "constructive strategic stability". * Why Europe is being completely sidelined in the US-China equation, failing to leverage its geographical position, and entirely missing the boat on Eurasian and African integration. * How "democracy" has morphed into an unquestionable, rigid religion in the West, blocking critical thinking and blinding leaders to systemic economic failures. * Why citizens in the Global South prioritize pragmatic governance, tangible improvements in living standards, and social mobility over binary Western ideological labels. * The rising economic integration of the BRICS nations and the Global South, and why they are actively rejecting the colonial legacies and moral lecturing of the West to forge their own independent path.

An Award-Winning Biomechanics Designer: The Truth About Footwear & Joint Pain | Long Game #8

Dive into the hidden dangers of modern footwear, the truth behind natural human movement, and the hyper-personalized future of 3D-printed design. 🎙 About the Guest: John Gibson John Gibson sits at a rare intersection of a movement scientist, computational designer, and footwear researcher who builds what the industry hasn't thought to make yet. He holds three certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine in corrective and performance exercise, and four provisional patents in neuromuscular control and stimulation, systems designed to work with the body's own signaling architecture rather than override it. His work has been recognized by the Red Dot, the European Product Design Award, and the IDA, awards earned for footwear and packaging systems that simulate the natural mechanics of the body, supporting its functions rather than replacing them. Insoles that stimulate plantar neuromuscular response. Packaging that doubles as a foot health and strength tool. Products that treat the body as a collaborator, not a problem to be solved. 🎙 About the Host: Leon Ge Leon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform. In this episode, we discuss: - Why the modern footwear industry acts like "processed food and sugar" for our physical bodies, slowly degrading our musculoskeletal health over time. - The "use it or lose it" reality of human muscles, and how artificially propping up our feet causes misalignment and long-term wear and tear in our knees and hips. - The truth about advanced marathon running shoes and why standard consumers shouldn't be wearing the same ultra-performance gear as elite athletes. - Why the future of the industry is moving away from rigid "foot coffins" toward hyper-personalized, 3D-printed, and computationally designed shoes created from a simple phone scan. - The incredible potential of biomimicry and sustainable materials, like 3D-knitted, biodegradable PHA bacteria, to create zero-waste footwear. - Navigating the uncertainty of being a young entrepreneur, developing a growth mindset, and learning how to keep pushing forward through constant cycles of failure.

An Ex-Googler's Warning: Why the World is Dangerously Fragmenting | Long Game #7

Leon Ge discusses the Danger of Algorithm-Driven Tribalization, Democracy's Historical Trap, and the Launch of a 10-Year, 1,000-Episode Mission. About the Host: Leon GeLeon Ge is an ex-Googler, founder, investor and industrial systems thinker working across China, Europe and Southeast Asia. He focuses on materials, manufacturing, supply chains and the geopolitical shifts reshaping the real economy. He is also the founder and CEO of Tocco, where he is building an industrial intelligence platform. In this episode, Leon covers: * His journey from a small Chinese village with a $250 GDP per capita to traveling across 50+ countries as a "civilizational interstellar traveler". * The extreme danger of algorithm-driven echo chambers, the permanent loss of our shared reality, and how personalized feeds are pushing societies toward tribalization and fragmentation. * A 2,000-year-old warning: Why democracies in declining economic cycles are highly vulnerable to populism and the dangerous creation of foreign enemies. * The upcoming societal disruptions we are entirely unprepared for, including the normalization of AI robot relationships, extreme demographic aging, and the hidden threat of global soil depletion. * The launch of his 10-year mission: Why he is committing to 1,000 authentic conversations for Long Game to bridge our increasingly parallel worlds