The free speech conversation everyone keeps dodging gets brutally honest here. We sat down with Jeff Dornik, founder and CEO of PickAx, to break down why algorithm-driven platforms reward outrage, bury real conversations, and leave creators at the mercy of systems they do not control.

PickAx was built as a different kind of social network - one focused on humans, not feeds. Jeff explains how a chronological, follow-based platform can produce dramatically higher engagement, why “warm market” distribution matters, and how PickAx is trying to restore actual community instead of doomscroll chaos. The conversation also gets into creator monetization, Rumble integration, rev share, and why transparency is becoming a rare feature in social media.

But this episode does not stay in one lane for long. The panel veers from COVID-era censorship and surveillance tech to AI, Neuralink, blockchain, government overreach, and the uncomfortable question of what happens when technology advances faster than accountability. Jeff also opens up about his worldview, the role of faith in his thinking, and why he believes human purpose cannot be reduced to convenience.

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