A podcast media company focussed on making sense out of complex topics without boring the hell out of everyone.
Home of Assume I'm an Idiot
The podcast that asks: Do we really understand how anything works at all?
No question is too dumb, no topic is off limits. Assume I'm an Idiot takes complex ideas, hot takes, and basic things you should know, and boils them down so even a 7-year-old can understand.
Ruff & Tumble is a media and podcasting company built on the belief that the best conversations aren't polished — they're real. We make content that cuts through the noise with authenticity, humor, and heart.
Can a guy with the IQ of a Wood Tick find a way to help folks understand the way the world functions? You be the judge.
The podcast that asks: Do we really understand how anything works at all? No question is too dumb, no topic is off limits. Assume I'm an Idiot takes complex ideas, hot takes, and basic things you should know, and boils them down so even a 7-year-old can understand.
Browse Episodes
Defend the podcast from rogue hot takes
Industry expert Tom West joins JR to untangle the legal, financial, and emotional realities of aging, retirement, and what comes after.
That “state-of-the-art” signal in your pocket runs on tech over 125 years old. Here's how cellular works — and why it sometimes doesn't.
GDP, GNP, and a pile of acronyms economists love. We break down what they actually measure and why it matters to you.
If the app is free, what are they selling? A look at how social media really makes its money — ads, data, and your attention.
Imagine cancer was gone tomorrow. We dig into the surprising economic, scientific, and human ripple effects.
Astrophysicist Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi helps us wrap our tiny brains around the genuinely incomprehensible scale of the universe.
Three little digits that quietly run your financial life. We explain credit scores and why they feel so rigged.
Do electric cars actually help the planet, or just help us feel better? We weigh the real-world difference.
An invisible, intangible system somehow decides how everyone's money does. We explain how the stock market runs your life.
Rockets, billionaires, and the red planet. We explore why we want to go to Mars — and whether we really should.
Host & Co-Founder
JR is the voice and co-creator behind Ruff and Tumble. With a knack for asking the questions everyone's thinking but nobody wants to say out loud, this self-professed buffoon created Assume I'm an Idiot as the antidote to media that talks way over your head — relying on corporate talk and industry code that nobody can digest. Equal parts curious, irreverent, and surprisingly informed, JR does his darnedest to get info into an easy-to-swallow format.
Executive Producer & Co-Founder
As co-founder and EP of Ruff & Tumble, Mike doesn't have time for shenanigans. He's a 10th-degree black belt in producing media content, possessing an exceptional ability to keep the wheels on the tracks. With three times the intelligence of its host, Mike keeps Assume I'm an Idiot and Ruff & Tumble rolling, freeing JR to mess everything up and make trouble.
Junior Assistant Associate Producer
As Junior Assistant Associate Producer, Stan does the work nobody else does. While he makes mistakes on a regular basis, he's poorly paid, so we deal with it. Stan is also the founder of Stan's Granola, a one-of-a-kind granola company featuring juicy granola.
Want to collaborate, sponsor a show, or be an expert guest? Feel like berating JR and telling him everything he got wrong? Just want to say hey or get something off your chest? We'd love to hear from you!
hello@rufftumblemedia.com