About Only Advance with Jesse Thoeming

Set against the near-future backdrop of Jesse Thoeming’s speculative novel God Bless You, Mr. Trump, Only Advance explores how we might rise from the chaos of the “Terrible Twenties” into the promise of the “Fabulous Forties.” Each episode pairs the show’s central question—How do we get there from here?—with an expert voice offering insight from their field.

From technology and artificial intelligence to politics, gender equity, business, education, philanthropy, and more, host Jesse Thoeming sits down with subject matter experts to examine how their discipline could be vastly improved over the next 10 to 20 years. These conversations are less about punditry and more about potential—cutting through the noise to highlight what’s working, what’s broken, and what’s worth building.

Drawing inspiration from shows like Sam Harris’ Making Sense, Only Advance combines grounded conversation with forward-looking curiosity. It’s a space for deep thinking, practical imagination, and hopeful realism—where every discussion ties back to the idea that things can be better if we’re bold enough to shape them.

Whether you’re a future-focused leader, a restless idealist, or simply someone who believes we can do better, this show invites you to think beyond the moment—and imagine what it would look like if we actually advanced.