Alpha Schools Critique & Faith Exploration: Gary Sheng & Nils Lang

Date: August 8, 2025
Location: Phone call (Gary in Dripping Springs, TX with Travis Oliphant; Nils in Switzerland)
Participants: Gary Sheng (@gary-sheng.md), Nils Lang (@nils-lang.md)

Meeting Context

• Gary's Current State: Visiting Travis Oliphant in Dripping Springs, exploring collaboration while on faith journey, processing Alpha Schools experience
• Nils's Setting: In Switzerland with partner, stepson visiting Georgia grandparents, having "tough week"
• Tone: Deep philosophical reflection, mutual processing of shared Alpha/Gauntlet experience, exploration of faith and corruption
• Duration: Extended conversation covering institutional critique, spiritual warfare, and personal transformation

Major Discussion Topics

1. Gary's Current Transition and Faith Journey

Collaboration with Travis Oliphant

Gary: "I'm actually visiting Travis Oliphant right now. And we've been exploring any way that we can work together. I'm not fully sure yet, although it's been fun to talk to him. But also just, you know, I've been on a faith journey. So just obviously thinking a lot about what I value. And also balancing the practicalities of life in the world."

Faith-Tech Integration

Gary: "Travis is a very faithful man, a God-loving man. And so he doesn't have these kinds of conversations with people that are both tech-oriented and God-oriented. So I think that there might be something there."

Optimism vs. Delusion Recognition

Gary: "I think I'm just learning a lot about not seeing things, being really careful about making sure I'm not wearing rose-colored glasses. Because I have a deep sense of, I would say, optimism can easily, there's a fine line between optimism and delusional, wishful thinking. And also just misreading situations."

2. Comprehensive Joe Liemandt and Alpha Schools Analysis

Leadership Pattern Recognition

Gary: "One of the things that continues to, I don't know if it puzzles me anymore, because I think this was the experience that I needed to really ingrain it in my being, that different people, and you could argue, oh, these very wealthy people think at a different scale. So they almost don't necessarily need to reduce the amount of concern or care that they have for individual human beings. But if you're unable to build a proper relationship and lead those people, it's, and you're already doing not a great job of leading your existing big team. It's like onboarding dozens more people is just such an interesting strategy."

30-Year Pattern Analysis

Nils: "Because the evidence of the culture, I guess, most strongly shows in the people that have been there the longest. And if I look at how those people turned out, that's exactly how I would turn out in order to basically, either you already have to be that way, or that's how you turn out after 30 years of that, meaning very little personal accountability, because you constantly basically just have to forward whatever's coming from the top without really allowing yourself to critically engage with it, combined with aggressive micromanagement."

AI Amplification Effect

Nils: "I think the evidence points to it's kind of always been that way. And the AI false multiplier just multiplies whatever input you put in. So in this case, it also multiplied it, so it leads to more extreme outcomes faster, but the general dynamic is probably kind of the same."

Business Model Evolution

Nils: "But once they sort of got into this, like we're just managing, like acquiring software, managing existing users and dialing up prices, that is so formulaic, right? It doesn't really depend on onboarding significant intellectual capital and fresh ideas and like income and wealth in people."

3. Leadership and Personality Analysis

Joe's Interpersonal Limitations

Nils: "I mean, it is sort of interesting that he's like this very, clearly like very introverted person, right? Like, well, he's introverted and at the same time, I'm not sure he thrives in one-on-one relationships either, which like some introverts do."

Power Dynamics and Hierarchy

Nils: "So, I mean, in front of a group of like fairly young, impressionable people, like he's doing a good job, and obviously, and like a leadership team that is mostly also like quite deeply insecure, like the power dynamic there is strong enough for him to sustain these sort of hierarchical relationships."

Employee Quality Assessment

Nils: "Well, I mean, I've seen like instances of people in the organization where I thought, okay, these are like actually pretty good people, like especially just random sort of engineers that I've talked to, like from inside Trilogy, like completely unrelated to education, for example. But it also turns out, A, they haven't been there that long, B, they're all from countries where like the salary makes a huge impact."

4. Educational Vision Critique

Lack of Clear Vision

Nils: "Right. I think that's one of the problems that like in the end, like yes, we are revolutionizing education. I mean, just to also my personal experience with this, right? For the majority of Gauntlet, I basically, I never attended any office talk. I was there for the first one, and afterwards I had this kind of like in a, like opposing reaction to it somehow. It just didn't sit right with me."

Vision Clarity Problem

Nils: "But the general vision of like we're revolutionizing education, it never really resonated with me because I don't think I understood like completely what for, like what is really the vision? Like, yes, a revolution, but usually a revolution needs like, it needs a slogan or a goal or something. And I don't even know what it is in this case."

Facts Per Minute Critique

Nils: "Like two eggs in two hours and like maximizing facts per minute, right? Like that's the best basically that they came up with so far. And I don't think that's actually what education is. I mean, especially not the kind of education that we will need in the future. I don't think facts per minute is like."

5. Alpha School Culture and Outcomes

Shallow Culture Analysis

Gary: "What I quickly got a sense of was there's like no curiosity in this school because it collectives really. There's such a scene. It seems like there's such mirror images of their leader. And when your leader and McKenzie is really just a reflection of Joe as well. Joe is very, very image conscious."

Status-Driven Metrics

Gary: "And ultimately if I think that one of the biggest things that threw me off as recently as was as early as April or May was talking to Sloan and trying to get her feedback about what is holding Alpha back. And she was like, well, we just need more kids that get into Ivy League schools. And that's just a pure status. It's purely status."

Masterpiece Project Reality

Gary: "So this idea of masterpiece projects was really just like a narrative that was not really supported. And, you know, it all seems like it makes sense. But like from a very afar, right? Oh, you know, standardized tests make sense. You need to get your school ranked. Okay, cool. But then you hire a full-time AP tutor. Full-time AP tutor just to drill every student to get good AP scores. So the AP scores get up. And no one's working on their projects outside of getting good standardized test scores, right? So everyone's just drilling standardized testing."

6. Personal Stories and Systemic Issues

Nait Jones's Daughter Story

Gary: "One of my new friends, Nate Jones, he had his daughter almost killed herself after being asked to leave Alpha, even though her test scores were good. And it's a black girl. And she was like an introverted black girl who... But the parent, Nate, was outspoken about critiquing how the school was working. And so it was less about the girl. It was more about the parent that was asking too many questions."

Elite Complicity Pattern

Gary: "And then you add on the Bill Ackman and the Vols of the world. They send one of their kids to each New York and San Francisco school, respectively. These are people that... When have they really stood up to actual power? Bill Ackman loves to punch at Muslims all the time. He saw that Trump was gonna win. Seems like, oh, I'm gonna convert to Republican. Okay, very courageous, Bill. Very courageous, good job."

7. Systemic Analysis and Pattern Recognition

Cardboard Cutout Success

Nils: "So I guess in some sense it's a success even though it's very constructed and kind of a cardboard cutout of itself."

Learning from Inside Access

Nils: "I don't think we need to blame ourselves for falling for it. I wouldn't even look at it as falling for it. I think, as you said, we get to see this from the inside now. We get to see him from the inside. We get to analyze and learn and extrapolate if this is how this is run, which other parts of the world, which other institutions, which other organizations kind of operate like that potentially."

Gauntlet as Real Educational Value

Nils: "The real reason was Gauntlet. And even though Gauntlet also in many ways was flawed and doesn't necessarily deliver on its outward promise, it delivers on being a transformative experience. And in a way also a transformative educational experience. And also one that is significantly shaped by actually kind of engaging with and understanding, not necessarily understanding, but somehow adapting to the new AI world."

8. Epstein and Elite Corruption

Complicity Insight

Gary: "The Epstein stuff has been really interesting. I'm not saying that everyone is being blackmailed by Epstein. But everyone... Relationships... It's so easy to be complicit in things. It's so easy to be complicit in things. That's one of my biggest lessons."

Nils: "That's actually... That's such a good take on the Epstein, on the whole thing. I really like that. You should put that out there somehow. Because it's not... It's effective in its understatedness."

Network Complicity Analysis

Gary: "People are really... People tend to be pretty relationally smart. People tend to be pretty relationally smart. They can kind of calculate, oh, I should probably... They can kind of calculate, oh, I should probably... I think they're politically... I think they're politically... I hate to call this even smart. Because it just feels like cowardice. But they are politically smart in a way. And spiritually retarded."

9. Peter Thiel and Tech Elite Critique

Rebel Alliance Delusion

Gary: "It wasn't that long ago. I genuinely did feel. Maybe it was a misunderstanding. Of how... The world was. When Peter Thiel was saying. Like 20 years ago. 30 years ago. We really are the rebel alliance. And he talks about being the rebel alliance. As recently as two years ago. It's so interesting. And... I don't think that he made that switch. Since becoming one of the most powerful people in the world. Earthly powerful people. He has completely severed his connection from God."

Physiognomy and Spiritual State

Gary: "And his... His physiognomy. His body, his face. Reflects a deep torment. But when everyone is just... When there's really no... Yes, there's the concept of a yes man. But there's also a yes culture. And it's like... What is it guessing towards? It's guessing towards greater and greater accumulation. Of morally... Morally agnostic, let's say. Power."

Power Accumulation Goals

Gary: "The most ideal situation for any of these people. Is to... Anytime they're in a room with their friends. That room has... The ability to influence world events. It doesn't matter if the influence is very negative. But... Oh great, let's be ridiculously powerful."

10. Christianity and Faith Exploration

European vs. American Systems

Nils: "Part of the painful process of... In a way, growing up, I guess. Like... What I've been exposed to in Europe more is... Just this complete inability to... Take accountability in the sense that... Everything has to be decided through the collective. Right? There's no individualism. Everything has to go through the collective. Nobody can go... Out on a limb to risk something, try something. We can't tolerate any wild cards. We can't... So we move slowly. Always kind of a step behind. Might avoid some major traps. But also avoid most of the major upside."

Christianity's Radical Simplicity

Nils: "Well, like the core of Christianity... Is very, very simple. Like the core... Truths, rules, principles, whatever. But because they are so simple... It means they're like... It's incredibly radical. And so if you can't deal with the radicality of it... You have to construct all these intermediaries... That then build up complex... Like social systems of observance... And relations that kind of... In the end distract more than they help."

Denominational Complexity Problem

Nils: "Why if the principles are so clear and well documented... And also intuitively resonant... Why do we get like... Hundreds of different versions... And different sects, different convictions... And different systems of rules... Etc. I think it is because people are not ready... For the radical simplicity of it."

11. Gary's Theological Evolution

Open Source Faith Concept

Gary: "I think there's gonna be more groups of people that... Can more directly... Just get to the essence of it. So I think... On intermediate... So it's interesting that you're talking about the layers... I was like... Well, I think that with this... If this is all that the internet does... Which is... Make it easier for people to... Have almost open source... Faith system... Where... You're clarifying... How you worship... Like what holidays you observe... Like how you would gather people... For different kinds of things like Bible study... Or worship..."

Discipleship Infrastructure Vision

Gary: "I don't think that Christ... Wants us to feel oppressed... By earthly power structures... I think it has to be as minimum... To keep you... It's like... What is the point of religious structures? In the Christian sense... It has to be... Helping you know God and follow God... And stay on the Godly path... That's what it needs to be... It cannot be... Oh, we are the best denomination... That cannot be the goal..."

Temporal vs. Eternal Perspective

Gary: "My current lens is the lens of... What I interpret as... What God has designed the reality... Which is this is a temporary realm... Where we're tested... And... If that's the case... And all the other things that... We think that Jesus said, etc... Are true... Then... You really do have to... See everything differently... And... Stop doing a lot of things... That God supposedly doesn't want you to do..."

12. Wealth and Spiritual Obstacles

Biblical Wealth Teaching

Gary: "And I think about... What is the most... And God calls us out... That pride is the number one... Most deadly sin... And you think about... How much pride has hardened... Joe's mind and heart... And what would need to happen... For him to even start back on a journey... Or for the first time, let's say... To divine principles..."

Wealth as Divine Test

Gary: "Then I've also been reflecting on... What does the Bible say about wealth? When does it come? It comes when you prove to be financially... A good steward of a little... And that you don't see it as yours... You see it as God's money anyways... And you flow it and you tithe it..."

13. Nils's Christian Philosophy

Practical Christianity

Nils: "My favorite... Interpretation of Christianity... And the only one that I could sort of... Carry... Actually, my main problem was always with this... Sort of externalization of the realm... Like a different realm... And this is only a test... To me it's like... Kind of similar to simulation hypothesis... Or stuff like that... Maybe it's over-intellectualizing... But externalization I find quite dissatisfying... But I always liked the sort of... Practical version of it..."

Heaven and Hell on Earth

Nils: "Heaven and Hell are just places on Earth... And it's very practical... Like... You avoid being in Hell while you're on Earth... And you try to get to Heaven while you're on Earth... And it's directly about your experience here... And quite practical instructions on how... How to achieve that..."

14. Christian Political Engagement

Agency and Effectiveness Paradox

Nils: "According to Christianity, you always have agency... Right? There's always the correct choice... According to the commandments... But you just have to accept the fact that it might lead... To your demise... And the only vector... That you can align yourself with is like... Passing the test in this realm to pass on to the next realm... Right? That's the only reliable indicator of success that you can use... As a guiding principle for your action... So you have to detach yourself completely from any other indicator..."

Political Engagement Dilemma

Nils: "So let's say... You diagnose something deeply wrong with your society... From your Christian perspective... Something is deeply wrong... Should you act on it? And how should you act on it? And sort of... If you choose to pursue the path of acting on it... You have to in some sense maximize your effectiveness... Because otherwise... You're not going to make a difference... And by maximizing your effectiveness... You also sort of amplify the potential errors... And deviations you can make..."

15. Secularism and Cultural Analysis

Peak Secularism Recognition

Gary: "We live in a really really if we were to chart secularism not that it's like easy to measure that unless you're just being honest with yourself and I've thought about a lot like we're kind of peak secularism right and and I bet you a lot of cultural Christians or people that oh I believe in God they'd be like oh I'm definitely not secular."

Legacy vs. Faith Conflict

Gary: "Christianity only really... Christianity really doesn't resonate with people that... Christianity really doesn't resonate with people... That really want to have a legacy."

Social Media Corruption

Gary: "I think they're their brains in there if the brains have actually changed their character has changed because they are always thinking about how is this coming off to the public where I'm going to be cancelled by the Jews the Jews or whoever else right and so so what does it do about okay if your brain is is smart it may not be moral but it may be smart about not touching on genocide in Gaza right but yeah not smart enough to have courage and understand the power of the power the importance of courage to live a life that's not embarrassing."

Key Insights and Themes

Institutional Critique and Pattern Recognition

Both participants demonstrated sophisticated ability to analyze organizational dysfunction, recognizing patterns that extend beyond Alpha Schools to broader elite institutions and power structures.

Faith as Framework for Truth-Seeking

Extended exploration of Christianity not as cultural identity but as practical framework for navigating corruption and maintaining integrity in secular environments.

Complicity and Spiritual Warfare

Recognition that corruption operates through complicity and incremental compromise rather than overt evil, making resistance more difficult and requiring clear moral foundations.

Educational Philosophy Beyond Metrics

Critique of education reduced to "facts per minute" and status signaling, with emphasis on genuine character development and curiosity cultivation.

Elite Corruption Analysis

Sophisticated understanding of how power accumulation corrupts even those who began with good intentions, using Peter Thiel and tech elite as case studies.

Practical vs. Theoretical Christianity

Tension between activist Christianity and contemplative Christianity, with recognition that effectiveness in worldly terms may compromise spiritual purity.

Strategic Outcomes and Future Direction

Continued Friendship and Truth-Seeking

Commitment to maintaining non-transactional friendship focused on truth-seeking conversations rather than public performance or immediate productivity.

Faith Journey Integration

Both participants using their Alpha/Gauntlet experience as catalyst for deeper spiritual exploration and practical life decisions.

Institutional Alternatives

Recognition of need for alternative institutions and communities aligned with divine principles rather than worldly success metrics.

Character Development Priority

Emphasis on personal character development and spiritual discernment over professional advancement within corrupt systems.

Notable Quotes

On Joe Liemandt and Alpha Schools

• "It's very constructed and kind of a cardboard cutout of itself" - Nils
• "The bubble survives another few months. That's really how I see it" - Gary
• "Facts per minute is like... that's the best basically that they came up with so far. And I don't think that's actually what education is" - Nils

On Elite Corruption and Complicity

• "It's so easy to be complicit in things. It's so easy to be complicit in things. That's one of my biggest lessons" - Gary
• "They are politically smart in a way. And spiritually retarded" - Gary
• "His physiognomy. His body, his face. Reflects a deep torment" - Gary (about Peter Thiel)

On Christianity and Faith

• "The core of Christianity... Is very, very simple... But because they are so simple... It means they're like... It's incredibly radical" - Nils
• "Christianity really doesn't resonate with people... That really want to have a legacy" - Gary
• "We're kind of peak secularism right" - Gary

On Truth-Seeking and Friendship

• "We need more of that right we need we it's not but it but but you don't it's funny because then my thought immediately goes to you don't make academic conversations your idol either right everything like to your point it is simple everything in my life Neal's until I decide not to is for God right" - Gary

Personal Development Themes

This conversation represented mutual processing of shared institutional disillusionment while exploring faith as alternative framework for life decisions. Both participants demonstrated sophisticated integration of spiritual discernment with practical analysis of power structures, using their Alpha Schools experience as catalyst for deeper questions about purpose, integrity, and authentic community.