Real Life Superpowers
Real Life Superpowers
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E93 - James Spiro (Journalist, editor, and independent creator of The Spiro Circle)
• 52 minIn this episode, we speak with James Spiro, a journalist and editor who spent years inside Israel’s tech ecosystem, including as a senior journalist and editor at CTech by Calcalist, where he wrote roughly 1,800 stories and conducted around 350 video interviews. In recent years, James moved beyond legacy media and built The Spiro Circle - an independent publication and podcast focused on long-form, trust-based conversations, often collaborating with Forbes Israel. This conversation is about independence, credibility, and what it takes to build real media value in a noisy ecosystem. What We Dig Into: The Courage to “Jump Off the Cliff” James speaks openly about how scary it is to go independent. “It’s scary... you jump off the cliff, and then you see what happens.” What made it possible: • Becoming a father • Living through the war • A feeling that even “safe” stability can be dangerous “Comfort is really appealing and actually quite dangerous.” Parenthood as a Confidence Engine James explains that learning how to be a parent reminded him what daily growth feels like. “For the first time in a long time, I was learning every day.” He ties that experience to confidence in other areas. “Slowly, Slowly, Slowly - Then All at Once” James describes how big changes often land. “Some things... happen slowly and then all at once.” It is not a single leap. It is an accumulation of readiness. The Biggest Opportunity in Media Right Now James names a very specific shift. The new PR and media skill is not the sound bite. It is long-form presence. “The emphasis is not to build a sound bite response for television, but it’s to hone the skills to sit down and talk for 40 minutes, 50 minutes for a podcast like this.” He extends it beyond business: • Politicians • Presidents • Unfiltered, unedited conversations becoming expected “We’re not going back... the public expects... to sit down and talk.” Truth, Reputation, and the New Risks The conversation goes deep into the modern trust crisis. Key ideas discussed: • Iterative journalism and compounding misinformation • Audience capture through subscription incentives • Echo chambers created by monetization models • AI and LLMs amplifying corrupted inputs James frames reputation as the long-term defense. “I’m not entitled to an audience. I have to work for my audience.” Where Media Is Evolving James believes media will become: • More fragmented • More democratized • Less institution-led • More individual-led “Individuals will be breaking stories... and traditional media outlets won’t be gatekeepers.” Childhood Pattern - Curiosity, People, and Stories Why This Episode Matters: This episode is a reality check for anyone building a voice, a platform, or a career path that relies on trust. It explores: • How credibility is built without institutions • Why long-form is becoming the new power format • How truth competes with incentives • What independence demands emotionally and practically You’ll Walk Away With: • A clearer understanding of the shift from institutions to individual credibility • A practical view of why long-form media is rising • A grounded look at what it really takes to go independent • A sharper lens on trust, reputation, and misinformation • A reminder that consistency compounds when you enjoy the craft • A simple framing of “success” as resonance, not vanity metrics Measured, thoughtful, and highly relevant to anyone building in public. Enjoy your listen.
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