Can heirloom seed make you self-sufficient? Are hybrids a trap?

Steve Solomon once believed the hype: open-pollinated heirlooms over hybrids will set you free. Then he ran a seed company and trialed both. Much of what is sold as "heirloom" is old, poorly maintained commercial stock. Saving seed isn't as easy as one might think. This conversation is about what backyard seed saving can actually do, what it can't, and how a gardener can keep varieties alive without a fantasy collapse kit.