Podcast appearances and mentions of Tim Draper

(0:00) Intro(1:15) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel(2:02) Start of interview(2:45) Emily's origin story(8:27) Her start in venture capital through DFJ with Tim Draper in 2000.(11:56) About the history and evolution of VC(13:42) Investing thesis (founding principle) at her firm Threshold Ventures.(19:21) The venture mechanics of Threshold Ventures. "One of our SLAs is we'd like to be the founder's first call."(21:30) On navigating boardroom dynamics in venture-backed boards. "Building trust is critical" (26:20) On dealing with conflicts of interests at the board level in the VC context. "Decisions with an investors' hat vs board member hat"(31:35) Mention of the VC-Backed Board Academy in SF on May 14, 2025, and NYC on Oct 28, 2025.(32:31) The role of independent directors in VC-backed companies. "I love bringing in independent directors early."(38:09) On board observers. "I always try to think about [board roles] in a two-year cycle"(42:44) The state of diversity in VC. Discussion about All Raise (founded in 2018).(48:12) Navigating the AI Landscape "it's a different world"(55:10) Books that have greatly influenced her life:The Soul in the Game by Vitaliy Katsenelson (2022)(55:43) Her mentors: Heidi Roizen (E6, E108 and E116)(57:07) Quotes that she thinks of often or lives her life by. "Happiness = Reality - Expectation"(57:56) An unusual habit or an absurd thing that she loves. (58:31) The living person she most admires.Emily Melton is a co-founder of Threshold Ventures. She is looking for entrepreneurs who are genuinely excited about being agents of change and have an almost irrational drive to make things better. You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Jason Raznick interviews legendary investor Tim Draper—one of the earliest backers of Tesla, SpaceX, Hotmail, and Bitcoin—in a powerful conversation about the future of money, investing, and how smart investors are positioning themselves right now.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-raz-report/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

En el capítulo 808 de este lunes, 10 de febrero, @franaldaya te cuenta sobre el DNU que se viene por el nuevo programa con el Fondo, cómo le fue a YPF en 2024 y qué dijo Tim Draper sobre Milei y la Argentina. Además, Juan Pablo Álvarez con todo sobre los bonos en #LaFija, hoy con Fernando Baer de Quantum. Informáte más en www.bloomberglinea.com

FinTech and Digital Assets Panel - at 361Firm's NY Tech Summit Feb. 25, 2025SUMMARY KEYWORDSFinTech, digital assets, blockchain, stable coins, tokenization, payments, regulatory policy, venture capital, AI, decentralized finance, financial infrastructure, crypto winter, institutional investors, innovation, emerging markets.SPEAKERSMark Sanor, Brian Neirby, Speaker 6, Bill Deuchler, Ben Narasin, Rich Sobel, Speaker 4, Margaret Butler of BakerHostetler, Stephen Burke, Speaker 2, Will Wolf Mark Sanor  00:00But we're very I'll come see in a second. We're very lucky to be here. Baker, host, teller, I once practiced law in Cleveland, Ohio. Baker, we love Cleveland, and that's Baker's head quarters, and we are here at their home. And I'd like Margaret to say a few words. Margaret Butler of BakerHostetler  00:21Mark, thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. It's really a very few words, because all I want to say is thank you to Olga. I hope she's here for connecting me with Mark. And thank you, Mark, for bringing all these amazing people here. I have had such an amazing day listening to all of you, and I Well, thank you. I love all of you. I'm Margaret Butler. I am the head of the financial services industry team here at Baker, Hostetler. And so I want to thank my team, definitely. Joe Matteo, who's been putting everything together, Cynthia, Kevin e who is here, my Managing Partner, George Sam bollitus, who was also around for making this possible for all of us and for me. Because, like I said, I really just enjoy this so much. Thank you all for being here and get to the good stuff. I don't know if you need this one. I 01:18don't know how he has it set up, probably. So 01:22thank you for having us, Bill Deuchler  01:27I guess so. So this is Mark style. He just leaves the room and lets the panelists take over. Okay, so we can go ahead and do introductions when you talking about digital assets and fin tech and well, no, hey, I'm buying you time. Mark Sanor  01:47Get mark out of the way. 01:51Go ahead. Okay, Mark Sanor  01:55that was your 2024, go ahead. Sorry. Go right. Bill Deuchler  01:59So I'll introduce myself, and then hand the mic over to my colleagues up here. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Bill D clear. Currently, I serve as trustee for our municipal police pension fund. I've been on the board there for eight years. We have more of a traditional portfolio, but more recently, we've we have an active conversation, and actually an allocation for private equity that we've yet to fund, private credit, which has been funded and specialty real estate, which is another asset class. Previously, I was CIO for two two family offices, and have been around the institutional world quite a bit, and also currently advise a venture capital fund in the fin tech and AI space that has some very interesting characteristics, and I'll talk a little bit about that generally, as far as what an allocator looks for. But I will hand the mic over to my esteemed friend and colleague, Rich Sobel, Rich Sobel  02:55thanks. It's nice to be here. Nice to see everybody I am kind of wearing multiple hats. The hat that brings me up here is I'm a founder partner in a $50 million early stage fund that invests in blockchain and web three fin tech fund was set up three years ago, four years ago, I knew relatively little about this, and it's been a tough couple of years in the digital asset space. We went through what some people would call crypto winter. That's over, and I think we're coming into a period that could arguably be called a tipping point, kind of a renaissance, in the penetration of these technologies and tools and business models that are going to disrupt major markets, and we'll talk a little bit more about that catalyst. One of the catalysts is the change in regulatory policy. I'm sure we'll talk a little bit about that. So I'm quite excited about the changes that come but it's clearly a risky area. So it's not some place you put the majority of your of your assets, but it's something that I'm quite excited about, and I'm happy to share my perspectives. Will Wolf  04:18Yeah, thanks. Thanks everyone for being here and for having me. I This is me and my partner, Vanessa's first time here. My name is Will. I'm a managing partner and co founder of arc capital, which is an early stage Digital Asset Fund we just got off the ground last year, and I met Mark, I think, last week or two weeks ago, and we joined and so this is our first time here. So Thanks for welcoming us. We we are basically inter I am also a fin tech co founder. Back in 2012 I co founded a company in the fin tech space. We went through Y Combinator and ended up getting acquired into Airbnb, and I manage some of their back end payments infrastructure. So I know a bit about the the payment rails, Rails, at least in the West, and sort of the fin tech ecosystem. Them, but we're very excited at arch capital to be investing in what we think is the future of financial infrastructure globally, which is web three, and what's being built there, all Mark Sanor  05:11right, this is what happens when I don't lead off. So this is good. It's good. But what I want are insights. What are you seeing that we don't know? Or what scares or excites, hopefully both. Rich Sobel  05:25I know in some of the areas that we're focused, there's tremendous change going on under the surface that's starting to come out of the ground. And one of those areas is payments, and payments using Blockchain and stable coins, is a 1,000% improvement on the old, incumbent way of making payments. It's particularly impactful when payments are going across border to emerging markets, which is reducing, or, in fact, sometimes eliminating, the volatility and risk in emerging markets currencies, which is making the world closer, so incumbents are being disrupted, and we're invested in a company I spoke about, I think, back in December, that is making remittances to Africa, and they're using the data on the chain to help those people who are making payments improve their credit scores, which opens up all kinds of new financial products to the UN banked folks right here in America. And so there are growing number of companies that are doing that. Some of the incumbents, like Visa and others, are coming around and looking to partner in this space. And the second area I'll mention, and then I'll leave, there's many areas, so I'm clearly leaving some out of respect for my esteemed colleagues. Here is tokenization of assets. So there is a better model for holding and trading securities, funds and real assets, and the tokenization model now works, and so it's been held up by the US SEC and the litigation and impediments that they had established. But those litigations, last week, they dropped the litigation against coin base, which is really like the red light, and they're also changing policy. So there's an executive order going on that Trump signed in his first week. Within 180 days, he expects a whole new set of policies to be proposed, and that's going to make major financial institutions see a green light to move more actively into this space, on bringing assets on chain, democratizing access, improving liquidity. I mean, it's like the frog in the frying pan that if you know people don't see it on a day to day, week to week, basis, but I assure you that within five years, there's going to be dramatic changes. And this year, 2024 there was one and a half billion, one and a half trillion, of tokenized assets. Conservative estimates put it at 16 trillion by 2030 so it's really going to change the way we deal with financial assets, and eventually all assets. I Mark Sanor  08:10like everything. Just didn't quite understand the frog and the frying plan. You don't see it 08:15on a day to day basis, the frog in the well, you're not from Will Wolf  08:17Ohio, the boiling pot of water. Yeah, there you go. No, I agree with that completely. I think, I definitely do think that stable coins in this ecosystem, people sort of outside the ecosystem, don't appreciate maybe what's going on there. You know, we're very close with the teams at both Master Card and visa that have very intelligent blockchain web, three teams building very interesting things. A lot of people don't know. Visa has been settling actual, real payments on both Ethereum and Solana for almost two years, and they're growing that volume, and they, you know, that gets you to on Solana, 400 millisecond settlement times on global payments for visa. So that's pretty powerful for them, and that this is stuff that's really happening. And I also think in terms of the new administration in the US, I think they may not fully understand this yet, but I think the stable coin market right now, the is a couple 100 billion dollars, but the rate that it's been growing is, I mean, I think a couple years ago it was 10s of billions or less. And this is a new source of global demand for dollars, which is important with what's going on in sort of our treasury markets right now. You know, circle whole, which is one of the stable coin providers, holds 100 $50 billion of treasuries. And if that gets to a trillion or 2 trillion, that makes them pretty important. And people all over the world want dollar stable coins instead of their African currency or their South East Asian currency, and they can get it because it's just, you just need an internet connection. And so I think this is very powerful for the dollar, for the US system. I think the administration is going to realize that. And I think even broader, what the technology means is, over time, getting rid of middle men everywhere, globally in the financial system. I. Them because we don't need them anymore, and so this is going to take multiple decades, but I think that's the inevitable end game. Bill Deuchler  10:10One of the central themes, from an allocator standpoint, is investing in innovation. And you know, both ourselves and some of my colleagues from a much larger pension system were quite interested. You know, back actually around 18 or so in the blockchain space. Back then, it was much more nascent. Not much was going on, except people knew that Bitcoin was used by drug dealers and other nefarious schemes. But none the less, the idea of investing in innovation and seeing the kind of radical transformation to fundamental systems, to our economy was, was the attraction. And I think that things somewhat got put on pause with the FTX debacle and the crypto winter, but now things have matured considerably. And so you see, you know, the tremendous growth of the stable coin market and the ability to transact much more efficiently there, it's a great opportunity to participate in something that it's truly going to change the fundamental systems of how we interact. And I think also from an investor standpoint, both on the fin tech side, as well as the blockchain side, you can see various companies that have good ideas and who can master the go to market exercise. Well, all of a sudden, at very, very early stages of their growth, they are actually revenue positive. And if you can find companies that are revenue positive, and you can still get in at the seed and pre seed stage, that is a tremendous advantage, because then you can track them in a way that you can't track companies that are still pre revenue and and that's the whole venture capital exercise is either an exercise in the law of large numbers or just spray and pray, which is how it turns out. And there are very few who do it, but I think that this space facilitates a much more disciplined way to attack venture capital. And again, as an allocator, I've seen just two firms who have been able to master that. One is a master at understanding the law of large numbers and how to put the statistics in your favor. The other one goes after these types of companies, as I say, that are revenue producing and being able to act more like incubators or not. So I think that that again, you know, for an allocator perspective, the idea to be able to participate in significant innovation and then also seeing unique circumstances of the individual companies that you can then use to your advantage and build out your portfolios in a more robust way. There's two really great opportunities associated with this space, Rich Sobel  13:02I think it's probably clear to everybody here, but you know, what we do is not pure and simple crypto, and what we're doing is not trading currencies and trading staking or tokens on the secondary market. That's a different business. There are people who are good at it. We don't think that that's nearly as compelling as investing in companies and protocols that are building applications and tools that leverage the infrastructure that's been built. And so those are what we're looking at. Are more application, asset, light businesses that don't require a lot of money until until you figure out if it's going to work. So the risk return on those types of venture early stage investments is much more interesting. Again, I'm not speaking just for us, but I'm speaking for a class of investors. There are relatively few early stage GPS doing this, and most of them don't have a three fund track record. So it's an emerging market. I spent 20 plus years of my life working in another emerging market. That's how I ended up here. I have kind of an appetite for risk and comfort working in new environments where the model is you really have to underwrite the people and understand their business model. If they can't succinctly tell you what their business model they probably haven't figured it out yet, and they might, but it's a much higher risk. So we're investing in what I call my partners. Don't really like this, but because I'm kind of an older guy in this team, I call it the App Store for web three. So you're basically thinking about the phone comes out, the infrastructure is in place. Now you want the tools that solve real problems, and those are coming. And just to put a little icing on the cake, if you look at the NVCA data in 2021 a lot of money was raised. It was a. Hyped market, and in the last couple of years, relatively little capital has been raised for what they broadly call crypto and digital asset venture. So on top of all the other things that have been putting pressure on companies and funds, the lack of new capital flowing in creates a very interesting dynamic for capital that becomes available. So I fundamentally think there's a combination of reasons going to make it quite interesting. But as Tim Draper said to a group here, when people say, How's it going with your early stage deals? He said it's like raising kids. It's going to take a long time till you really know. But we're proud about the way things are going. We like talking about the portfolio. That's the way of giving people a tangible idea about the kinds of things that are coming out of the ground that will change our lives and our kids lives before you really know it. Will Wolf  15:54Yeah, I like that last part you talked about. One of the things we think about is, or a phrase I like to use is, every fin tech startup today is a crypto company. Some of them just don't know it yet, because I think that is what the new features that we'll be able to push the envelope and provide new functionality are going to be built on, like we've already got the stripes, and these guys that have, like, milked everything out of the current like legacy financial system with t plus one settlement and stuff like that. And so to push the envelope, I think they're going to have to offer crypto services underneath. And that's what I'm excited about, is to see, you know, PayPal now is another example. They have their own stable coin, and they're trying to integrate more utility into their consumer app, which I think is a little more interesting than, like the visa Master Card stuff, because they're not really targeting consumers, but we're seeing it with PayPal. Stripe, you know, I mentioned earlier, just did a billion dollar cash acquisition of a stable Coin Company, and stripe is arguably the, you know, the expert of the traditional credit card and payment rails, and they understood the value of this new ecosystem that they were willing to pay up for it. So I think that speaks a lot. But I think we're going to see a lot of even just traditional fin techs offering new products that wouldn't be possible without crypto rails, and I don't think a lot of their users are going to need to know or care that they're using stable coins or blockchains underneath. It will just be transparent, and we'll be able to do much more than we can today. Mark Sanor  17:13So questions to this group as we talked about fin tech 2019 we were in Detroit, and the guy runs a swimming school, and he said, even swimming school, everybody's a fin tech company, because, yeah, you interact with a customer. So I guess there's so by definition, every company is a crypto company. Potentially. Vince got a question. It's Ben Narasin  17:41going to push back a little, I think, stable coins and powering and amazing things. Basically, it's an alternative rail with no real cost associated, compared to the existing stuff and remittances. But I've always bridled at the term web three. The web changed everything for everybody. I'd love any of you didn't tell me anything that web three has changed in a material way. There's speculative currencies, there's meme coins, also speculative. There's an enormous amount of speculative products. Stable coin, though, to me, feels like a totally separate thing, and fractionalized ownership of assets is interesting, but I could just as easily do that in Oracle server. You have to trust me, if you're going to buy a 16 of the Mona Lisa from me. So I'm still questing for I did one blockchain related investment in 2014 I've never done any sense. I just can't find the the there. There other than stable coin transfers. Mark Sanor  18:36I love it when we don't all agree. Rich Sobel  18:39First of all, since 2017 the kind of power of the technology of blockchain has improved about 1,000% so the things that you could do in 2014 is kind of very, very insignificant compared to what the technology can do today. Second of all is, everybody talks about this boom on AI and how great AI is, and how much capital is flowing in, how many new businesses are having an AI component to them. But for AI to really work, you need to have smart contracts and blockchain based tools to help these agents interact with each other, for agents to make payments to each other for these automatic things to work. Software driven by blockchain is a key determinant to a big part of its pulling it along. And actually, interestingly, William and Vanessa and my partners and I are invested in a company together, nap the AI, that sort of services that space social is another one of the spaces that is allowing decentralized use of content and information to give users more control and allow users to essentially retain more of the economic value. So in. Say 10 years models like Facebook will not be monopolizing, that those tools will be decentralized. So it's 20:09been 1,000% better since 2017 we're 10 years past that. Again, eight. Only where? Rich Sobel  20:17Okay, okay, listen, in the United States. I'm sorry, in the United States, the regulatory policy has been so hostile that they have essentially litigated and driven money and entrepreneurship away from this. So I think we're when you build a building, first you go down, and then it comes out of the ground. When you have a plant, first it goes down, you build the infrastructure, and then it comes out of the ground. So if we meet in a year or three, I think you'll be buying me lunch. Will Wolf  20:47So first off, I think it's a very good, good criticism. Oh, can I answer this one? Yeah, I think, I think it's a good criticism that that we get a lot, I think from a Western centric view, I think it's, it's fairly valid. Because I think, you know, for all the bad things I said earlier. Our financial systems work, you know, but I think there are those in, say, Venezuela or almost any African country, where they are just devouring stable coins us, dollar denominated stable coins, because their currencies are devaluing by 15% to the dollar, they can hold a stable coin just on their phone with internet connection, the government can't stop them from doing it, and they can get 8% yield in US dollar terms, while their currency goes down 15% a year. And that's literally saving people's lives. For a more anecdotal example, you know, there have been people. There was one, one girl, specifically that I know, did an interview, and she was able to escape Afghanistan with her family's wealth because she put it into Bitcoin and wrote down her 12 seed words where, you know, they couldn't find it when she left. So she could actually bring her wealth and, like, have a family somewhere else. So I think these things are happening, and it's, it's not Western centric, mainly the stable coin, which is that one was Bitcoin with the Afghanistan girl, but, yeah, sort Ben Narasin  21:59of like Charlie Munger argument the dollar is freely available all over the world, and there are many ways to hold it, but this is a pH I do like stable coin, as I led with, yeah, I think that's rational. I don't I think the dollar is not available 22:13to Speaker 6  22:16Zimbabwe. And my thing is, I'm with him to where I'm going to push back as well, especially on the decentralization aspect of it, because you have large institutional players who are who see it as a threat to their to existing business models, right, and are innovating in that space in order to maintain some type of central control over what happens in this area. So I'm kind of also hesitant on saying, oh, that's going to decentralize everything, and you're going to completely eliminate middle men. I think they're just going to transform into something where they have some some grasp over the transactions. Will Wolf  23:01I also think it's a valid point. I don't know specifically, if you're talking about banks, Mark Sanor  23:05can you disagree with somebody not joking? Will Wolf  23:07Well, that doesn't that doesn't mean that I agree with it. I think it's a valid point. It's true. That's true. But I think, you know, part of me, I like that, maybe the Trojan horse analogy. But if you've been following, like with the new administration, a bunch has come out. I don't know if you've heard the term operation choke point 2.0 you know, we had silver gate bank go under, and it's become clear, and basically factual, that it didn't really fail. The Fed forced them to shut down by stopping them from doing crypto business. And I think we've seen now that there are over 47 banks in the last two years in the US that wanted to offer crypto products proactively, but the FDIC, and the FDIC shut them down and didn't let them do that. So I think to say that they don't want these things, you know, I think maybe some of them don't understand that it may ultimately destroy their businesses very far down the road. And maybe I'm wrong and they won't. So that's where I get the Trojan horse example. But I think a lot of these businesses want to offer these, whether it's a Bitcoin product or a stable coin product, to their customers getting involved, because there is Speaker 6  24:06a risk to the existing Speaker 4  24:10business model, right? So they're hedging Exactly. So that kind of makes my Brian Neirby  24:13point slightly different, pivot on the conversation. So we have what the state of Utah, Wisconsin, I know there's another one in there that's Louisiana, or this their treasury secretaries, you know, backing a crypto reserve, right? So those are three. We know that Don Junior loves crypto. We know that senior loves crypto. We know that Bobby loves crypto. So we have some tail winds coming out of this new administration. You. So I'm a nerd. I love the blockchain from a tech standpoint, I love the utilization and elasticity of Bitcoin. In particular, I believe all roads lead to Bitcoin. You walk around Istanbul, you see i. Are tickers everywhere of what's happening within all the coins. What's it going to take for the US to get to that point? Bill Deuchler  25:12You raise an excellent point, because since, since we are the world reserve currency, and because our economy, arguably, is the most robust in the world. A lot of the advantages of digital don't aren't readily apparent to us, but I think it's, as will has pointed out, if you're at all outside the US, if you are definitely in in a third world country, the advantage of the decentralized currency is huge. It is the litter, literally, night and day. And so I, I hate to say that it would be a crisis that would cause that, you know, to all of a sudden the light bulb go on. But it could very well be, but we're in a very enviable situation. I think the opportunity for the US is to be able to take advantage of all the features that digital offers and be able to build it into the system. The one thing that I'll say, that I've been saying for a real long time, is that one does have to be careful about Central Bank digital currencies, because digital currencies are programmable money, and if a central bank issues it, number one, it's tied to the monetary policy of that central bank and the state authority that oversees it. The other thing is that they can, for better or for worse, direct or Yeah, or imp, thank you. How the currency is used, and it is so easy. You know, everybody says, oh, micro monetary policy. Wouldn't that be just terrific, because then we can target like certain areas of the economy where it needs to be spent, things like that. Think about your bank account. All of a sudden you have digital currency in there. The next morning, you wake up and you don't so digital central bank digital currencies, will compromise freedom. They will compromise privacy in ways that we have no idea other than that. So I think kind of that's great. It's the decentralization aspect of it that is so critical for a real successful Mark Sanor  27:21so look, before you know, it's 330 just Stephen Burke  27:23on that bill. Isn't the bank financial settlements pushing for such beneficial currencies? Yeah, Speaker 2  27:33yeah. Certainly the the operational characteristics you know, are good, but one Mark Sanor  27:38so every, every quarter we revisit this subject. So it's time to revisit it. I Will Wolf  27:44think, I think they are and I think they will happen elsewhere. I think they're very unlikely to happen in the United States, at the Federal Reserve. Because what people usually mean, I think, by a central bank digital currency is the retail, the end user, you and I would have accounts directly at the Fed on this system. It would get rid of the banks entirely, like JP Morgan Chase would be gone, right? Like, we don't need them anymore. You would just have accounts directly with the Fed, because, because, other than that, the dollar is a central bank digital currency already. I mean, 98% of the dollars are digital. They just have to flow through the retail bank. But only the only the banks can have accounts with the Fed, not you or I, and so the banks own the Fed, so they're not going to let the Fed do a central bank digital currency, because they don't want to kill themselves. So that's that's my take. Mark Sanor  28:28Okay, so there will be a break out soon, and you can hammer this these questions, and we'll come back and have a de brief, and we'll have a I'll be here again, but let's thank this panel for kicking off the fin tech, digital. Now I'm joined our 361 firm community of investors and thought leaders. We have a lot of events created by the community as we collaborate on investments and philanthropic interests. Join us. You. You can subscribe to various 361 events and content at https://361firm.com/subs. For reference: Web: www.361firm.com/homeOnboard as Investor: https://361.pub/shortdiagOnboard Deals 361: www.361firm.com/onbOnboard as Banker: www.361firm.com/bankersEvents: www.361firm.com/eventsContent: www.youtube.com/361firmWeekly Digests: www.361firm.com/digest

In my interview with Tim Draper, we explored a diverse range of topics, from strategic investment insights and startup wisdom to discussions on income inequality and the evolving landscape of AI in finance. His perspectives offered a compelling look into the future of entrepreneurship and technological innovation.

Lots of healthy disagreement in this week's THAT WAS THE WEEK tech show with Keith Teare. We debate the impact of AI on coding jobs, with Keith suggesting that while traditional coding skills may become less important, system architecture and AI guidance skills will be crucial to maintaining the value of human labor. We also discuss the rise of early-stage unicorns, military-tech AI start-ups, and disagree strongly on the status of billionaires, with Keith arguing that it's “not hard” to be a billionaire in Silicon Valley today. Here are the five KEEN ON takeaways from today's conversation:* Divergent Market and Valley Sentiment: While the stock market is having its worst performance since Trump's inauguration, Silicon Valley remains optimistic, particularly about AI. Keith argues there's no short-term correlation between Silicon Valley sentiment and market performance.* Evolution of Tech Skills: The rise of AI is changing the nature of technical skills needed in startups. Keith suggests that traditional coding skills are becoming less crucial, while the ability to architect systems and guide AI is becoming more important. He notes that universities are already adapting their computer science programs to include AI.* Rise of Efficient Startups: AI is enabling lean startups to do more with fewer people. Keith uses his own company Signal Rank as an example, noting they've built a complex system with just five people, two of whom are coders, highlighting a shift in how startups can be built efficiently.* Military-Tech Convergence: There's a growing trend of Silicon Valley companies entering the defense sector, exemplified by Saronic raising $600 million for autonomous warships. This represents a broader shift in how military technology is being developed and funded through private companies.* Debate about Wealth Creation: The conversation concludes with a debate about wealth accumulation, sparked by Robert Reich's controversial X post about billionaires. Keith argues that technology's global reach and distribution capabilities have made it easier than ever to build valuable companies, with Andrew strongly disputing the idea that becoming a billionaire is "not that hard."That Was The Week - February 22, 2025With Andrew Keen and Keith TeareAndrew Keen: Hello everybody. It is Saturday, February the 22nd, 2025. The last Saturday in February, the last Saturday we're going to do That Was The Week tech roundup. It's been an odd week. On the one hand, the stocks notched the worst week since Trump's inauguration six weeks ago. It's been a long six weeks. According to the Financial Times, the geopolitical rupture, which of course has been caused by Trump, has sparked a quiet market rebellion. Niall Ferguson had an interesting piece in today's Wall Street Journal about the demise of the United States because of its massive debt, and Elon Musk has been continuing to make a public fool of himself this week, waving a chainsaw and pretending to be an Argentine politician, which I'm not sure reflects that well on him. However, in spite of all that bad news, Keith Teare's That Was The Week newsletter is actually very optimistic. Unicorns are back, according to Keith, and we have an image, of course, created by AI of these imaginary beasts horses with horns. Keith is joining us, as always, from Palo Alto, the home of optimism. Keith, do you think it's coincidental that suddenly everyone is optimistic again in Silicon Valley whilst the market is sliding to those two things in an odd way, kind of go together?Keith Teare: There's no correlation between Silicon Valley and the markets at all in any day to day sense. There's long term correlation, but not short term. Silicon Valley is having a moment because of AI, and Grok Three was launched this week. Crunchbase launched its new AI driven data platform, and the CEO declared that historical data is dead, meaning only future predictive data is any good anymore.Andrew Keen: And historical data being dead. The future is predictive intelligence. What does that mean?Keith Teare: He means that it's now possible, because of AI, to see patterns and trends and predict them. Just knowing the past is not the point anymore. Obviously it's stretching a point. You still need the history from the past to see the trends. But he's saying the needle has turned from looking backwards to predicting the future because of data. That's true in biology as well. There's a massive arc this week announced a new model that understands DNA and can predict the likelihood of solving diseases.Andrew Keen: Your editorial this week, Keith, is quite personal. You know that as the person in charge of Signal Rank, your startup, AI has been remarkably helpful in it. You refer in the editorial to an interesting piece in the New York Times about how AI is changing Silicon Valley build startups like your own Signal. What does your experience at Signal Rank tell us about the future of startups?Keith Teare: Signal Rank is five people. Two of us have coding skills. We've raised $5 million ever to spend on building Signal. All the other money we raised is to invest in companies. That article is focusing on the fact that it's almost like the Lean Startup story from the early 2000s, except it's true this time, because the most expensive thing in a startup is people. And the one thing you need less of is people. That's a massive shift. Of course, if you're building large language models, the opposite is true, because the most expensive thing is GPUs, which you pay Nvidia for. And that's super expensive. But everything else that's sitting on top of that is getting faster, cheaper and better.Andrew Keen: You also refer to a New York Times piece about how AI is prompting an evolution, not an extinction for coders. Your son's a coder, in a sense, you're a coder. Ultimately, one and I was at this thing with Tim Draper a couple of weeks ago where he was talking about companies, billion dollar companies built and managed by single people won't ultimately make most coders extinct. Maybe not all. But when founders like yourselves simply become coders and you won't have the need for other help.Keith Teare: I make the point in an editorial that I didn't write a single line of code, but I've built a very complex system with lots of AI agents working together and delivering results for users. Learning to code is going to be a low requirement. A very high requirement is learning to architect and guide the AI because the AI can code, but it can't imagine systems to build or know when it got it right or when it got it wrong. The skill base is going to shift to what normally would be the domain of a product manager who has coding skills and can understand what's happening and can understand what it can ask for and what it can't ask for. But coding itself, learning Python, learning JavaScript or Java? Probably less essential.Andrew Keen: So what happens to kids like your son who just graduated and now works in Silicon Valley as a coder?Keith Teare: He'll still be needed for some time. In his company, they're not allowed to use AI yet. It's a little bit like dying skills always protect themselves until they can't. Engineers that are defensive or companies that are defensive about using AI are going to fall behind a little bit. But eventually everyone gets there because it's just a better way of doing things.Andrew Keen: You're an innovator and instinctive in terms of innovation. But are people going to start going to college and doing majors and working with AI rather than learning how to code? Will computer science be really about how to ask the right questions and ask it to do the correct things?Keith Teare: Yes, but to do that you need to understand systems architecture. My youngest son just got an offer from my old university in the UK, Kent, and it's for a course called Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, so they're already evolving the courses to teach the new skills. I think it's going to be imperative if you can talk to a machine and you can imagine what you want it to build. Imagine you could describe to a machine the website you'd really like for Keen on America, and it would build it, and then you'd look at what it built and say, no, I didn't mean that, I meant this. It gives you massive power to produce things.Andrew Keen: And I think it's also true with writers. I'm not a coder. But the thing with AI is it's not designed to replicate human writing. It's designed to answer questions and organize ideas in ways that are instant as opposed to taking hours or days for humans. So it's similar in that sense. Meanwhile, let's go back to your unicorns. It's all coming out of Crunchbase that your wife works for. She writes for it. And what is Crunchbase telling us this week about quote unquote minting early stage startups? Are unicorns back in fashion? We haven't talked about unicorns for about a year. We talk about them every week.Keith Teare: The rates of unicorn production declined massively from 2021 onwards and reached the bottom last year.Andrew Keen: While the market was strong and now it's falling and unicorns are back.Keith Teare: This article is specifically about early stage unicorns. These are unicorns that become unicorns at a series A or a series B round. They're raising very large sums of money. The top six series A raises this week all raised more than $50 million.Andrew Keen: And the average valuation I guess early round has jumped to 3.3 billion. But doesn't the unicorn term become slightly absurd if you're raising hundreds of millions of dollars? It's given that you're going to be a unicorn. But does that really mean anything?Keith Teare: If you try to put it into a rational framework, the amount of money put into a company and the valuation is determined by supply and demand and likely outcomes. Investors who are writing these checks are making a calculation of what this company will be worth in the next five to ten years. They're writing checks appropriate to a gain of at least ten times that money. They're projecting into the future a likely outcome from writing the checks and the competition to invest in these companies is so intense that the checks get bigger earlier. Obviously that creates risk. The risk is that you're making the call too early and you're going to be wrong in your predictions. The upside is that you know you're right and you'll be smiling all the way to the bank. That's just the nature of any technology transfer.Andrew Keen: Is this different from any other hysteria boom? Just the numbers are larger. Is this different from the dot-com boom where huge amounts of money were poured in? Most companies failed. Some succeeded, like Amazon or like web 2.0, or like social media or like crypto.Keith Teare: It's very similar. It's more like the gold rush because there really was gold. There really is gold. Even in the dot-com boom, the asset class of venture capital did very well. Individual investments failed, but the asset class as a whole did very well. When you allocate to a tech boom like AI really is and the AI boom is real, there's real value being produced and real change in human experience that's going to generate lots of money. Placing those bets at the asset class level makes sense. Individual investments is a totally different story.Andrew Keen: You also refer to Hunter Walk, who is a very smart guy. He said, you have to assume every company will have access to the same LLMs and voices. The challenge then is to build a company that thrives despite this reality. Given the commodification of AI and all these platforms from xAI to OpenAI to Anthropic AI to Google Gemini, that are basically now all the same. We're seeing this commodification of LLMs. Doesn't that point to a weakness in this AI hysteria?Keith Teare: You have to distinguish between LLMs, reasoning agents and agents that can do things. This week, Grok Three was launched. It's very good, by the way. But it's only a little bit better than all the others. So it didn't get the attention that say deepfaked.Andrew Keen: And next week someone will come out with something else that will be a little better. And as this race continues, the differences between the products will become less and less.Keith Teare: But for you and me, that's fantastic. You use Anthropic, I use Perplexity, I use Claude, we're basically getting free intelligence to do work.Andrew Keen: I wonder whether in that sense it's rather like the early days of the internet where we got a lot of stuff for free, and then everyone woke up and started charging. I mean, we are paying. I pay my $20 a month to Anthropic. You pay your monthly fees, but it's still pretty small amounts of money.Keith Teare: OpenAI now has 400 million daily active users and is making billions of dollars.Andrew Keen: I hope so because it's raised tens of billions of dollars.Keith Teare: But that is the game. Think of the Andrew Keen world. You wouldn't want to constrain yourself to investing almost nothing and making almost nothing. You want to invest as much as possible as long as you know you can make more than that back.Andrew Keen: On the unicorn front, you've been at this rodeo before many times. You're about as experienced as it gets. Are you taking these arguments about unicorns seriously, or should we be taking them like unicorns themselves with a pinch of salt?Keith Teare: When you build startups, the valuation of the startup is not even in your mind as a variable. You're just building whatever your vision is and it costs money to build it. So you're raising money. You sell shares in your company at the highest price you possibly can. It's good news if you're a unicorn from the point of view of the company you're building. Founders don't really think about valuations as much as they think about how much money they need and what they're going to do with it. Normal people read the headlines and think that Silicon Valley is awash with irrationality. It isn't really true.Andrew Keen: Well, you're providing us with those headlines. One of the other pieces you linked to this week is from the FT about Silicon Valley fighting EU tech rules with backing from Trump. Most of the news this week has been about Trump outside technology. It's Trump changing the rules in terms of big tech and particularly Europe and tariffs completely.Keith Teare: Coinbase announced yesterday that the SEC has withdrawn its lawsuit against Coinbase. That's the latest little indication of the trend. There are rumors that Ripple, which was also subject to an SEC case, will have that case withdrawn. The Trump administration does not want to stand in the way of big tech or little tech for that matter, and it sees Europe, rightly so, as a bit of a backwater. The zeitgeist is changing. Even in Europe, the innovators are fairly pro the Trump message even if they're not pro Trump. The need to innovate and relax constraints.Andrew Keen: The German economy now seems to be in crisis or German culture is in crisis. But they probably left it too late. The horse or the unicorns, so to speak, has left the barn here, hasn't it?Keith Teare: Apple yesterday announced that it's turning off encryption in Europe, in the UK now, not the whole of Europe, because the UK asked for a backdoor. So now UK users of the iPhone have no security on their phones because Apple, rather than comply with a backdoor, would turn the whole security layer off. That's going to be a bit of a trend. The governments trying to control tech, especially if they're snooping on their citizens. Tech is not going to bend over and agree with them anymore. And Trump is going in the opposite direction. He's not trying to get them to do back doors.Andrew Keen: The interview of the week, my interview was with Tim Wu, who was perhaps the most influential critic of monopoly Big Tech in the Biden administration. He has an interesting new piece out on decentralizing capitalism. With the help of Claude, we came away with five points from my conversation with Wu. It's all about decentralizing capitalism, getting away from monopoly capitalism, which I think he sees in companies like Google and Facebook and even OpenAI. I know you're not a big fan of regulation, but do you think Wu has a point? He's in favor of decentralizing capitalism. He's not against the market. He's in favor of innovation.Keith Teare: What does he mean? Because you could frame that as being nation states that are too centralized or you could frame it that big tech is too centralized. How does he frame it?Andrew Keen: He frames it as capitalism lends itself to a winner take all economy. He goes over the argument that America has always been a more innovative and wealthier society when you attack the monopolies, whether it's the oil monopolies, the railroads, pharma. And the same needs to be done now to unleash creativity, to unleash guys like yourself. One of your close friends, Lina Khan, was on MSNBC this week, talking about what she calls an anti-monopoly hunger in America. I'm not sure whether that's an exaggeration, but certainly there is an anti-monopoly feeling, both on both sides of the aisle. It's one of the few things that unite Democrats and Republicans, isn't it?Keith Teare: No, I disagree. The zeitgeist is exactly the opposite. The desire to control, especially big tech is nonexistent. The Democrats live in their own bubble world on MSNBC, and they really don't know how normal people think. Most people think Google's awesome. They think Amazon is awesome. They like using AI. More and more people are using it.Andrew Keen: You can like using AI and not be in favor of monopolies. That's two different subjects.Keith Teare: Normal people don't even use the word monopoly. It's not a word in the normal lexicon. It's a purely political word, used only in the circles of the Democratic Party that have this kind of Stalinist influence. The word state monopoly capitalism came out of Stalin.Andrew Keen: But I think you need to read Wu's piece on decentralizing capitalism, because he's as much a critic of Stalinism and centralization as you. He uses models from postwar East Asia, particularly Taiwan, and of course, the Danish model to talk about reforming the US. So what would you advise guys like Wu to be arguing? Should they just throw in their chips with Donald Trump and say you're right?Keith Teare: Where I would agree with them, and this is the common thread where we can agree, is capitalism has the tendency to create what I think of as greater socialization. You get bigger and bigger units, more interconnected. The interconnected piece is super important. It's not just that they're big, they're interconnected and that tends to be global. There's a globalizing tendency within capitalism. As you globalize and you socialize production, small individual industries tend to go by the wayside. Artisan industries. All of that is true. But you don't fix that by trying to break it up. The real social good is that the human race increasingly becomes interconnected and interdependent. That's a good thing. What's wrong is the private ownership of the wealth that it produces.Andrew Keen: Last week we talked about Alva van Gogh's critique of Vance's Paris speech, although he agreed with it in part. This week, you connect with Albert's humanist vision for AI. The speech at the Paris AI summit he would have given. What is Albert's vision?Keith Teare: It's a little bit 1960s cumbayah-ish. I am one of those, so I agree with him. But it's basically saying that AI is a tool for humanity, not a tool against humanity. And he makes the case for that. He doesn't say there are no safety risks, but he minimizes safety risks and places human good first, which I think does correlate to Tim Vance. It's an opportunity to be taken, not a safety risk. So I think he's kind of on the same page as Vance, to be honest.Andrew Keen: Whenever anyone uses the word humanist, it always makes me slightly skeptical. I'm not entirely sure what it means. I mean, who's anti-humanist except for a few Marxist philosophers in Paris? Meanwhile, lots of other tech news. Microsoft announced what it sees as a breakthrough in quantum. Is that right, Keith?Keith Teare: You and I probably are not clever enough to know, but I think we are safe. The answer is yes. That headline says they've created a new state of matter, and that pertains to something called a topological qubit, which is a qubit that can be programmable. And they're so tiny and there's so many of them that a quantum computer can do calculations at much greater scale, much faster than anything before. And they claim to have reduced this new state of matter down into a chip that can be plugged into a computer, an electrical computer, not a quantum computer, and can run. And the claim is that that will accelerate quantum computing by decades, to the point where there are promising programs that mean something within five years. And so that's a new timeline from Microsoft.Andrew Keen: I think quantum is like we're going to talk about it and talk about it and talk about it, and everyone will be skeptical. Some people will say it's for real, and then suddenly something will come along, the equivalent of OpenAI or ChatGPT and quantum, and it will be real. But that certainly isn't this week. Meanwhile, your startup of the week is exactly what you've been talking about. A unicorn Saronic, which raised this week $600 million to mass produce autonomous warships. It's another example of how Silicon Valley and the Pentagon and the defense industry seem to be becoming one. Tell us about Saronic.Keith Teare: Saronic is part of that trend for Silicon Valley and military spending to converge. The same investors in Saronic are also in Anduril and some of the other companies we talked about from time to time, space as well. So it's symptomatic of two things. The first is militarized investment coming out of Silicon Valley, and the second is the valuations. I should disclose, by the way, that Signal Rank owns shares in Saronic. So this was good news for us this week.Andrew Keen: Or at least your investors own shares. It's interesting that this week Palantir also has done very well for the first few weeks of 2025. But it also crashed. This is a very frothy market, tech military startups isn't it?Keith Teare: I wouldn't say crashed. It's up like 200%. If you're an investor in Palantir and you've been holding, you wouldn't be too upset by this pullback. The world we're living in, and I'm not a fan of this by any means, but military investment by private companies selling to governments is going to be a rising trend because governments can't really innovate the military. They're so stuck with old fashioned views of what conflict might look like. It's interesting that even Musk and DOGE this week and Trump announced they're going to try to reduce the U.S. military budget by 10% annually.Andrew Keen: And they've seen some cuts. And I think when historians look back, the rise of companies like Saronic, the DOGE initiative, and the behavior which I'm like most people, I think rather critical of, of pulling back from Ukraine, they're all going to be part of the same narrative. Something is profoundly changing here on the military industrial, but the military political from the US's involvement in the world and the technological piece of this.Finally, post of the week and it comes back to the conversation you and I were just having about Tim Wu. Robert Reich, a well-known MSNBC type who was in the Clinton administration, posted that there are basically five ways to accumulate $1 billion: profiting from a monopoly, insider trading, political payoffs, fraud and inheritance. And Brad Gerstner, amongst others, was horrified with this. He said it was such a terrible, bitter and sad take on America. I'm assuming you're in the Gerstner camp, Keith.Keith Teare: I am, but that isn't why I posted it. I posted it because I wanted to focus on the absolute chasm between the democratic intellectual elite and the rest of us. Robert Reich almost is saying that you have to be a criminal to get rich. And that isn't how most people think.Andrew Keen: The American dream, right? But I, being a great fan of Reich, think he is the dinosaur of dinosaurs, but he isn't saying that. He's talking about being a billionaire. That's not being rich. So you have to distinguish.Keith Teare: This might be shocking to the listeners and maybe even to you, but it isn't that hard to become a billionaire if you do the right things these days, because 4 billion people on Earth are consuming technology outputs at increasing rates and paying for that. Being a billionaire is like what used to be being a millionaire. And it's only going up.Andrew Keen: I've got my title of this week's show Keith. "Keith Teare says it's not that hard to be a billionaire." How close are you to being a billionaire?Keith Teare: I've been very close twice in my career.Andrew Keen: No you haven't. When?Keith Teare: Absolutely have. Both RealNames and Easynet were valued at well over $1 billion.Andrew Keen: Yeah, but you didn't own the whole thing.Keith Teare: I owned a lot. And by the way, it was early in the life of the companies, and that was in 1994 and 1999. In 2025, those would be small outcomes. Today's outcomes, getting a company to be worth $1 billion happens early. That early stage unicorns point happens early.Andrew Keen: But let's be clear as well. What Reich is talking about is not billionaires. And as I said, I'm not particularly sympathetic to what he's saying either. But he's talking about real billionaires, people with $1 billion in the bank or with investors.Keith Teare: Let's just ask this question. Look back at what Reich says, and let's answer a few questions. Where would the brothers who run Stripe fit on that list? They're worth much more than $1 billion. They're not anywhere on that list. Where is Musk on that list? Where is Bezos on that list? Where are the founders of Google on that list?Andrew Keen: No, I agree with you. I think that he's wrong to say there are basically five ways to accumulate $1 billion: profiting from monopoly, insider trading, political payoffs, fraud and inheritance. You're absolutely right. But my disagreement with you is it's still incredibly hard to be a billionaire. How many billionaires are there in the US?Keith Teare: Of course it's hard.Andrew Keen: But you just said it was not that hard to be a billionaire.Keith Teare: Let me tell you what I mean by that. It's the easiest it's ever been, and it's going to get easier.Andrew Keen: Or it's easiest it's ever been because of inflation.Keith Teare: No, because of the scale of distribution networks and the revenues that come back from them. It used to be super hard. When I did Easynet, we had to put floppy disks on the front of magazines to distribute our software. When I did my most recent startups, you put an app in two app stores, and it's in the whole world the next day. And so the flow of money that comes from the ease of distribution of software to people who can pay for it if they like it, has completely changed the dynamics.Andrew Keen: I take your point. But coming back to this issue, how do you consider wealth? Who is rich? How much do you have to earn?Keith Teare: I think rich is totally subjective from your point of view. I thought I was rich when I didn't have credit card debt back in the day.Andrew Keen: Meaningless term, then. It's just entirely subjective.Keith Teare: Yes, but you can build the pyramid of wealth in terms of a smaller number of people at the top with very large amounts of wealth and go down to the bottom where lots of people have nothing. And that pyramid will change its shape and the scale at different levels through history, usually in a positive direction. That's one of the results of the socialization of production and the coming together of the human race into a single GDP growth. There's never been a period in human history recently where that pie or pyramid hasn't improved in both scale and distribution.Andrew Keen: As a bit frothy Keith, your new middle name is Keith "It's not that hard to be a billionaire" Teare. But coming back to Reich, I do agree with you. I think his approach is absurdly negative and reactionary, and the idea that you can't become a billionaire unless you're basically cheating, unless you're an inside trader or fraudulent or inherit money from someone else. He couldn't be more wrong on that, given, as you say, the Stripe guys, the Google guys, the Amazon people, even Musk. I'm no great fan of his but he didn't cheat to become a billionaire.Keith Teare: And you've got to believe, and this is why I put it in, that what he's saying is received wisdom in the minds of people like Lina Khan and Elizabeth Warren.Andrew Keen: That you're going to pick on your friend Lina Khan and Tim Wu as well. Wu teaches at Columbia. I wonder what Wu would say about that. I wonder whether Wu would argue that in a decentralized capitalism, it would be possible to be a billionaire. I'd have to get him back on the show to talk about that. Would we want a society, Keith? A decentralized capitalism where nobody was a millionaire, where the wealthiest people were worth 50 or $100 million?Keith Teare: No, I think the nightmare scenario for the future is that as production socializes and globalizes, a very small number of people control the wealth. But I think that's the right place to discuss how does the wealth get distributed to everyone? So you uplift human life, not just a few individuals, but I don't think you achieve that by trying to break up monopolies.Andrew Keen: The point is, it's not even breaking up monopolies. Reich's point is that one way to get $1 billion is to profit from monopoly. But the Google people, it's back to Peter Thiel's argument. Any entrepreneur wants to be a monopoly, that's the nature of doing startups. You want to win and winning becomes a monopoly, right? For better or worse. Google didn't start as a monopoly. Maybe it is one now because it's successful.Keith Teare: That's correct. If everyone was a failure, there'd be no monopolies. It's only success that creates market power and monopolies. It's a little bit like the word fascist. It's become a swear word to describe anything big. And fascist has become a swear word to describe anyone you disagree with. The truth is, these words mean things. Monopolies do get built. Google isn't one, in my opinion. And when they do, there's usually benefits that people are enjoying, which is why they're successful. And the key is how do you transition the world from massively concentrated private wealth to widely distributed aggregate wealth?Andrew Keen: And that's not about breaking up companies.Keith Teare: No, it's about distributing wealth, not breaking up companies.Andrew Keen: Also with Reich, there are lots of politically responsible or politically liberal billionaires. Reed Hoffman comes to mind. We talked about him last week. Finally, and this comes back to your point, Gerstner had another interesting post this week. He said the DOGE dividend could be a massive, game-changing legacy for Trump. Just one day of DOGE savings, apparently - this is what they claim, who knows whether they're really saving it - $3.7 billion could fund a private investment account with $1,000 for each child born in America. With just a little added per year, this could grow to $200,000 by age 30. Do you think Trump needs to do something radical on this front because he's not getting a great deal of good press on DOGE? A lot of people are losing their jobs every day. There are heart-rending stories of laid-off people. And it's not the billionaires losing their jobs. They're being fired by the billionaires. It's people working at poorly paid jobs in the first place. So does he need to do something with all the money he's supposed to have saved? Maybe in terms of a sovereign wealth fund or something more innovative?Keith Teare: What Gerstner is talking about there is about the distribution of wealth. It's one example of it. I think it's unlikely that Trump has the DNA to really follow through on anything like that. I don't think Donald Trump has any kind of social awareness at all about uplifting everybody. I do think there are people that do think like that. Sam Altman is one of them, and Reed Hoffman may be another, where the question of if there is abundance, how does everyone benefit from it? That's a real question. Gerstner's idea is not terrible, but I think it's a macro idea. There's a much bigger conversation needed than how to deploy the DOGE savings.Andrew Keen: I agree with you. And I think that I also agree with you on the Reich front that his kind of thinking, which is purely negative, is pointless. And what's missing on the progressive side amongst Democrats are creative, innovative thinking about the redistribution of wealth, rather than just taxing the rich or making it illegal to be a billionaire.Keith Teare: Yes.Andrew Keen: Well, we're in agreement, Keith.Keith Teare: Shocking.Andrew Keen: Shocking agreement. Although we disagree, I think it is still hard to be a billionaire. One thing I can guarantee is I've never been close and I never will be a billionaire. You say you've been close. What are the chances in the next few years, Keith, that you're going to be a billionaire from Signal Rank?Keith Teare: Don't even think about it. I think about what Signal Rank can do for everyone else. And if it does well, I'll do well.Andrew Keen: Go on bro. If it does well, I hope you'll pay me for this show. Keith Teare, publisher of That Was The Week. The man who argues that it's not that hard to be a millionaire. It's still a little hard, Keith, but we will be back next week to talk more billionaires, unicorns, AI, and everything else in the world of tech. Have a great week and we'll be back at this time next week. Thanks, Keith.Keith Teare: Bye. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

It is incredibly rare to have your startup become a verb. Google and Uber immediately come to mind. But what about when a group of strangers or friends with shared interests decide they want to get together? They, Meetup. Scott Heifferman didn't set out with becoming a verb in mind but he certainly started Meetup with the intent of building something big and impactful. And on those dimensions he delivered in spades. Along the way he sold 30% of his company for $1M to Tim Draper's DFJ (funny story around the 36 min mark), raised from other great investors (Brad Burnham from USV makes a cameo in the video), met face to face with Mark Zuckerberg who also decided that getting groups of people to meetup would be important for Facebook too, going so far as to run their very first Super Bowl ad promoting their meetup competitor product. There are so many great stories and anecdotes in this one. In our effort to mine Web 2.0 ideas and playbooks for applicable lessons for this current wave to startups, this conversation delivers in spades. A few take aways:— The Origins of Meetup and Community Building: Heiferman reflects on how 9/11 and experiences like Burning Man inspired Meetup's mission to foster real-world connections. He emphasized the importance of creating tools that empower people to form communities and build belonging offline, using the internet as a catalyst.— Early NYC Tech Scene vs. Silicon Valley: Heiferman shares stories of the scrappy, experimental nature of the 1990s NYC tech ecosystem, contrasting it with Silicon Valley's more established infrastructure. He recalls starting iTraffic with maxed-out credit cards and seeing startups like Razorfish and DoubleClick shape the local scene.— Facebook's Competitive Threat: Heiferman recounts how Facebook's groups feature directly competed with Meetup, even running Super Bowl ads mimicking its concept. This competition influenced his decision to sell Meetup to WeWork, as Facebook's scale and resources were hard to match.— Critique of Modern Marketplaces: Heiferman critiques platforms like Uber and DoorDash for extracting excessive margins from workers and businesses. He advocates for a fairer market economy where technology empowers individuals rather than exploiting them.— Future Vision and Lessons Learned: Looking ahead, Heiferman expresses interest in building impactful projects outside traditional VC structures. He emphasizes the need to focus on creating products that energize people, deliver value, and prioritize meaningful societal impact over maximizing profits.One thing that especially stood out to me in this conversation was a reminder of how “people” were so core to Web 2.0 ideals. Whether it was getting people to connect online or off, fostering real and personal connection was such an important driver for innovation at that time. When today's headlines are so  filled with stories that seem to pit people against algorithms, Scott's sentiment is a refreshing reminder that technology at it's best is a tool for enhancing our lives, not eradicating them. On that theme, a comment Scott made has been rattling in my head ever since. At around the 40 min mark he says something along the lines of “AB testing is the price you pay for not having a pulse on people”. In this conversation he talk a lot about energy, following the energy of individuals and his own energy and interests. He seems energized to build again and we talk a bit about what's next for him and how his time working in an Amazon warehouse informed his thinking around what problems he wants to tackle. We can't wait to see where he goes with all that energy. This was a ton of fun to connect with Scott and Brad to revisit the Meetup story. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording it. 

Hosts: Dee A & RA George (Blockchain DXB & Bitcoin DXB) Date: 18th FebTime: 18:30 PMLocation: LinkedIn Live (Watch replay here) https://shorturl.at/7ZqnWTopic: Bitcoin for Beginners - How to Acquire & Buy BitcoinIn this session of Bitcoin DXB, Dee A and RA George explore different ways to acquire and buy Bitcoin beyond just purchasing it from centralized exchanges. The discussion covers key aspects like accepting Bitcoin as payment, the Lightning Network, strategic Bitcoin reserves, and decentralized alternatives. They also touch on regulatory aspects, including Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) and the growing acceptance of Bitcoin by UAE banks.

So what to J.D. Vance's highly controversial speech at the Paris AI Summit this week? According to That Was The Week's Keith Teare, it was “a breath of fresh air”. Others will argue it was just more MAGA putridity designed to alienate our European friends. Some tech notables, like Union Square Ventures partner Albert Wenger, take both views simultaneously, acknowledging on the one hand that Vance was correct to push back against “regulatory capture”, but on the other that Vance was “mistaking jingoism and wishful thinking for true global leadership”. Here are the 5 KEEN ON takeaways from this weekly tech round-up with Teare:* J.D. Vance's Paris AI Summit speech marked a potential turning point in US-Europe AI relations. His message prioritizing AI opportunity over safety prompted European regulators to pull back on some restrictions, with the EU dropping its AI liability directive and the UK rebranding its AI Safety Institute.* Anthropic's growth is accelerating, with projections of $34.5 billion in revenue by 2027. They're currently outperforming OpenAI in some areas, particularly coding, and are expected to release a major new AI model soon.* The Musk-OpenAI conflict has intensified, with Musk's $100 billion bid for OpenAI's non-profit arm being rejected. Meanwhile, OpenAI is planning to incorporate its Q* (Q-star) model into a new GPT-5 release that will combine reasoning, operational capabilities, and multimedia functions.* The AI industry is seeing rapid advancement in humanoid robotics, with companies like Apptronics and Figure receiving significant valuations. Figure's valuation jumped from $2 billion to $39 billion after securing a major automotive partnership.* Traditional political alignments are becoming less relevant in tech policy, with Teare arguing that economic growth and technological progress are transcending traditional left-right divisions. This is exemplified by some progressives like Reid Hoffman embracing AI optimism while traditional conservatives champion technological progress. FULL TRANSCRIPTAndrew Keen: Hello everybody. It is Saturday, February 15th, 2025, a day after Valentine's Day. It's been a day or a week dominated by a certain J.D. Vance. Yesterday, he made a very controversial speech in Munich, which apparently laid bare the collapse of the transatlantic alliance. He attacked Europe over free speech and migration. So he's not the most popular fellow in Europe. And a couple of days before that, he spoke in Paris at the AI Summit, a classic Parisian event talking about summits. Macron, of course, also spoke there. According to The Wall Street Journal, Vance's counts were good. The German, of course, being a conservative newspaper. According to The Washington Post, which is a progressive newspaper, he pushed the "America First" AI agenda. Others, like Fast Company, ask what to make of Vance's speech at the Paris AI conference. According to my friend Keith Teare, the author of That Was The Week newsletter, the speech was a breath of fresh air. I was going to call you Marx, Keith. That would have been a true Freudian error. What do you admire about Vance's speech? Why is it a breath of fresh air?Keith Teare: Well, it's in the European context that it's a breath of fresh air. I think from an American perspective, he didn't really say anything new. We already think of AI in the way he expressed it. But in Europe, the dominant discussion around AI is still focused on safety. That is to say, AI is dangerous. We have to control it. We need to regulate it. And as a result of that, most of the American developments in AI are not even launched in Europe, because in order to be made available to citizens, it has to go through various regulatory layers. And that slows everything down. So in the context, Vance stood up on the platform in front of all of the people doing that regulation and told them basically, rubbed their noses in it, saying how self-destructive their approach was for European success. His opening lines were, "I'm not here to talk about AI safety. I'm here to talk about AI opportunity." And in the days since, there's been quite a big reaction in Europe to the speech, mostly positive from normal people and adjusting policy at the regulatory level. So it's quite a profound moment. And he carried himself very well. I mean, he was articulate, thoughtful.Andrew Keen: Yeah. You say his speech marks a crucial inflection point. I wonder, though, if Vance was so self-interested as a MAGA person, why would he want even to encourage Europe to develop? I mean, why not just let it be like social media or the Internet where American companies dominate? Is there anything in America's interest that the Trump-Musk alliance would benefit from strong European AI companies?Keith Teare: Well, from strong European AI openness, yes. I don't think Vance thinks for a minute there are any European companies that will be able to compete in that open environment. And so most of his purpose is economic. He's basically saying open up so that our guys can sell stuff to you and the money will flow back to the U.S. as it has done with Amazon and Google and every other major tech innovation in recent years. So it's basically an economic speech masquerading as a policy speech.Andrew Keen: I wonder if there's an opportunity for Europe given the clear divisions now that exist between the U.S. and Europe. I wonder whether there's an opportunity for Europe to start looking more sympathetically at Chinese AI companies. Did Vance warn in his speech, did he warn Europe about turning to the Chinese, the other potential partner?Keith Teare: Yeah. There are two parts of his speech I didn't really incorporate in the editorial. The first was a subplot all around China, which he didn't name, but he called "dictatorships." We don't want dictatorships leading in AI. And then there was another subplot, which was all about free speech and openness and not censoring, which was aimed at the Europeans, of course, and the Chinese.Andrew Keen: Discussion of their free speech, or at least it's their version of free speech, isn't it?Keith Teare: I think the funny thing is in order to be consistent, they're going to have to allow all free speech. And they will, because they know that. And so, weirdly, the Republicans become the free speech party, which makes no sense historically. But it is happening. And I thought there were a lot of interesting things in that speech that symbolized a very confident America. However, the reason America is doing this is because it's weak, which is a paradox.Andrew Keen: Politically weak or militarily weak or economically weak?Keith Teare: Not militarily - it's super strong, but economically it's relatively declining against China. It's the next Europe. America is the next Europe. China is the next America. And in that context, America's brashness sounds positive to our ears and to mine as well, because it's pro-optimism, pro-progress. But actually, it's coming from a place of weakness, which you see in the tariffs and the anti-Chinese stuff.Andrew Keen: And I want to come to the Munich speech where Vance was pretty clear. Trump's always been clear that if there is an opportunity for Ukraine, Ukrainians have to work for American access to its raw materials, minerals, etc. Whether America's foreign policy now is becoming identical to that of China, helping other countries as long as they provide them with essential resources.Keith Teare: Yeah, exactly. By the way, one of our commentators, David John William Bailey on LinkedIn, is saying we need to explain this. He says he's also attempting "$1 trillion mob-style shakedown." Anyone defending this is either deluded or only reads hard-right propaganda.Andrew Keen: Well, but Keith, you've always claimed to be a progressive. You always claim to be a man of the left. You have a background in left-wing communist activism. Now you're on board with Vance. You were on board the week before with Musk. You're ambivalent about Trump. What does this say to you? What does this suggest about you personally, or is the reality of politics these days that the supposed conservatives like Vance are actually progressive in their own way and the supposed progressives in the Democratic Party are actually conservative?Keith Teare: Well, as you know, I don't like those labels anymore because I think they're trying to fit a modern narrative into an old set of boxes. I think, broadly speaking, Vance is an economic progressive. He wants the economy to grow. He wants GDP to grow.Andrew Keen: Some people say everyone's a progressive in that sense if they want GDP to grow.Keith Teare: Yeah, but not very many people can do it. So I think they really are serious that they believe innovation in tech and GDP are correlated. And I believe GDP and social good are correlated. And so if you really want to be a progressive that wants people to have a good life, you have to support economic growth. And I think Vance does. And I think that's what his narrative is about. He's basically telling Europe that they're going to get the opposite, which has been true, by the way, now for a decade. European GDP per capita is as low as $35,000 a year. American is $85,000 a year.Andrew Keen: That's an astonishing shift. And this is going to be remembered, I think, as an important week in the American-European relationship. You said that the aftermath of the Vance speech has been remarkable and telling. The EU dropped its AI liability directive. The UK rebranded its AI Safety Institute. OpenAI removed diversity commitments. So a speech is now having an impact, particularly this Paris speech when it comes to AI policy, both in Europe but also in the US as well.Keith Teare: Yeah, I wouldn't give too much credit just to the speech. I think the speech is symptomatic of a lot of zeitgeist change and everyone is getting in line with the new zeitgeist, which is tech is good, AI is good, censorship is bad.Andrew Keen: Well, I don't know if that's - I'm not sure I would call that the zeitgeist, Keith. I mean, you're talking in Palo Alto, where that's always been the zeitgeist. I think if anything, in universities and book publishing, the reverse is true.Keith Teare: Yeah. So I'm an avid MSNBC watcher. I watch Morning Joe every morning with Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough. And so I'm kind of imbued with the liberal narrative compared to what's going on. And what's happened is a very rapid change from the days after the election when the liberal narrative was "we need to look at ourselves" has now become a narrative that "the judges have to save us from the administration." The administration is not democratic, even though it was elected, and we've got to rely on judges because there's no one else to rely on.Andrew Keen: That doesn't mean the zeitgeist has shifted. It just means that the people on one side have shifted their focus, but they still are not sympathetic to Trump, Vance, Musk.Keith Teare: I think there is increasing sympathy. I think you're going to be surprised. I think if an election was held today, Trump would win by more.Andrew Keen: Well, he would certainly win by more if he was running against Harris. That's another question. So it's been another remarkable week for AI content. One piece that you pick out, which I thought was interesting, is from somebody called Elizabeth Yin. Nice to have a female author - too many of our authors are male. Maybe I'm being too woke. But the AI takeover, according to Yin - no one's jobs are safe. This isn't exactly news, is it?Keith Teare: No, she's really summarizing what we've been talking about in That Was The Week for quite a while. But I thought it was a good summary. And she gives some kind of prioritization. There's a section that talks about regulated professions, human-centric jobs, creative and entrepreneurial jobs, energy and infrastructure and distribution. And she then breaks down what she thinks the main impact of AI is going to be. She kind of leaves it where you kind of want more from her because she doesn't thoroughly go through all of these. But she's a VC, she does early-stage investing. She's very good. And the one thing she says, which I don't think anyone's going to disagree with, is "fewer workers more." I was at an event this week in San Francisco where there was a panel with some VCs and entrepreneurs on exactly the same questions she's asking - where the cuts are going to come first or what sectors are going to be most dramatically affected in the short term. And people weren't entirely clear. But the one area that comes up is healthcare - that's the lowest hanging fruit at the moment.Keith Teare: Yeah, there's a funding event this week from a company that applies AI to biology, specifically cancer programming - anti-cancer cells. So you're going to see AI in everything. And it's that will lead to an acceleration of invention for sure, because the individual is still really important. By the way, there's another article about that this week. The individual now has an army of talent in AI, able to help them make progress. It just speeds everything up.Andrew Keen: Yeah. So what other AI news in the summary? There's a couple, 2 or 3 pieces on Anthropic. I use Anthropic. I like it. Their growth soars to 34.5 billion in 2027 revenue. That's of course, speculative. And they announce their next major AI model could arrive within weeks, Anthropic competitive with OpenAI.Keith Teare: Yes, and they're better than OpenAI at some things. They're already better than OpenAI at coding. If you put it in context, those three Anthropic pieces sit alongside the Google piece and the OpenAI pieces. And what it tells you is we've seen a major acceleration of product roadmaps and plans in the last couple of weeks, mainly in response to the DeepSea news, I think.Andrew Keen: Yeah, it's interesting that DeepSea was a one-week wonder, but there are no headlines at least from you on DeepSea. It seems to have stimulated change as you suggest, rather than change things in its own way. And then your Google pieces - interesting that they're rolling out a new memory feature for Gemini AI, allowing recall of past conversations, which is increasingly getting to the point where these AIs, if not human or sentient, certainly are able to remember things and have conversations.Keith Teare: Yeah, and that becomes much easier once you go from LLMs to other LLMs with agents. An agent is a piece of software that speaks to another LLM to complete a task. And so you could have in software a memory agent or a recall agent whose only job is to say, "Is this question been asked recently and what did I look at the last time?" and bring it into the context for whatever the current question is. And I think we're going to see more and more of this. I've spent most of my week building a multi-agent system for my company, Single Rank. I have a question taker agent that you ask a question of. It then farms out to a database agent or a chart drawing agent or an expert reasoning agent. They all have different jobs and they come back and give their answers to the original agent, and then it gives the answer to the user. So this collaborative agents concept is becoming very real now. And memory is one of those - I think Perplexity is the most advanced.Andrew Keen: Yeah. We were talking about Perplexity before we went live. You convinced me - I use Anthropic but you said for me it's probably wiser to use Perplexity where I still have all the access to Anthropic, but it adds a layer and some more intelligence. As I said, I was at an event this week where one of the venture people from OpenAI was there who talked about Sam Altman's projection that in the not too distant future there'll be billion-dollar individual startups. Are you suggesting, Keith, that's not that far on the horizon, given the power of AI that individuals can do all and do the entire startup without needing the help of anybody else?Keith Teare: Depends on the startup. If the startup is mainly software, that's probably true. But if it needs account management and billing and all the others...Andrew Keen: But eventually all that stuff will get - that's the easy part, isn't it? You can always get that done.Keith Teare: It's the hard bit right now, like reconciling invoices to receipts. I'm not very good at that. So I think it's coming with two things: rising agents and then agents that can use tools to follow, do actions, if you will. So it's coming and it's probably coming this year and it'll accelerate. So, yes, it will get there. I think the headline of a single founder of $1 billion company is just a headline. But it's directionally correct.Andrew Keen: It does. And it does reiterate Elizabeth Yin's point that no jobs are safe - in finance, in HR, in coding, in content. I mean, I'm using it more and more to summarize these conversations. I don't need a large editorial staff. So clearly dramatic change. And in fact, your startup of the week, Keith, the robotics startup Apptronics, is in talks for new funding at an almost $40 billion valuation - a hardware company. Does this speak of the reality of this new AI revolution? That it's not just theory, it's practice now?Keith Teare: Yeah. Well, Figure has gone from 2 billion to 39 billion in less than a year. And why? Because one of the major car companies signed an agreement with it to have these robots on production lines in its factories. And the start of the week, by the way, is Apptronics, which is a different humanoid robotics company, also raising a lot of money but slightly earlier in its journey than Figure.Andrew Keen: It's my mistake - I have to admit I thought it was Figure so that's my error. I'm going to add an Apptronics image to this content. I'm rather embarrassed.Keith Teare: You've probably already got one. That said, they both speak to the same truth, which is AI is going to manifest itself in the physical world in the form of humanoid robots sooner rather than later.Andrew Keen: And that was another of Tim Draper's - he was one of the speakers at this event I went to in San Francisco. I know he's an investor in your firm. That was his big prediction. So Apptronics is building robots for humans. Are they just a kind of earlier version of Figure in some ways?Keith Teare: An earlier version, possibly more advanced in concept because they started later when the software gets better by the week. So the later you start, the more advanced the software is that you can leverage. And so we're not going to see an end to this. There's going to be a lot more of it. I think humanoid robots are really interesting because the physical world is built for humans. You know, steps, ladders, everything.Andrew Keen: But I'm not sure that would be the case, especially when it comes to, say, self-driving cars and roads. That's going to change as well, isn't it?Keith Teare: Well, you still have roads because they still are...Andrew Keen: You still have roads. But I'm saying the roads themselves will become more and more suited to self-driving cars as opposed to human-driving ones.Yeah. You would hope the roads would become more intelligent and communicate to the cars, but that seems to be much further off.Andrew Keen: But I'm sure the Chinese will do that. Not the Americans, not even in San Francisco. Meanwhile, there is still lots of tech news. There's this open feud between Sam Altman at OpenAI and Elon Musk. Musk this week had a bid to buy OpenAI for around $100 billion. Is this just sensational, meaningless stuff? Is this froth or is it meaningful in the long run? The Musk-Altman fight?Keith Teare: Well, the specifics of this are super interesting because it's very clever of Musk. What Musk is offering to buy is not OpenAI. He's offering to buy the not-for-profit part of OpenAI. Now Altman is trying to put a value on that not-for-profit because he wants it to go away, or at least be subsumed. And he's trying to do it at a very low valuation so that the stakeholders in the not-for-profit don't get much. So Musk put a super high price on the not-for-profit to force the board of OpenAI to put a proper value on it as it transitions or to stop transitioning - one or the other. And I think if I was on the board of OpenAI now, I'd be very worried. They rejected his offer yesterday, by the way, but that will not be the end.Andrew Keen: What is Musk doing? Is it just because he hates Altman and he's annoyed that he was one of the co-founders and he's no longer involved? Because if he does indeed do what he seems to want to do, which is weaken, even undermine OpenAI - I mean, the real winners are probably Anthropic and Google then rather than Musk.Keith Teare: Well, and Grok - he has his own Grok xAI.Andrew Keen: But is xAI a real player? I mean, he can get massive valuations, but how does it compare with Anthropic or Gemini?Keith Teare: It's good. I mean, it's very good. And the next version, rumors are that it's going to be a top performer.Andrew Keen: Certainly not a top - you said it's good, but it's not...Keith Teare: It depends on what for. But it's certainly as good or better than DeepSea already.Andrew Keen: So there is a method to Musk's madness. It's not just about hating Altman and OpenAI.Keith Teare: Well, because it's Musk, there's more than one thing going on. He has economic interests in xAI, for sure. He's also really pissed off with Altman because he considers that Altman basically stole the OpenAI idea from him, which is not really true when you get into the facts. But he believes that. And not only that, but lied by making it not-for-profit and then turning it into a for-profit when he promised he wouldn't. So Musk basically feels like he's got the moral high ground and that gives him the energy to fight. Altman is clearly tired of the whole thing. He's just trying to do what he's trying to do, you know, and having a light shone on it.Andrew Keen: So it's the first time you have articulated some concern about OpenAI. You've always been quite bullish. Are you suggesting that your bullishness in the past is changing a little bit?Keith Teare: I don't think so, because I think this is a bit of a sideshow. The biggest news this week about OpenAI is the decision to abandon the Q* model - not abandon it, but incorporate it into a new GPT-5 later this year.Andrew Keen: So how would a unified next generation release work? Which would be what? Everything together?Keith Teare: It would do reasoning, operational stuff, actions, and it would do what other LLMs do, including being capable of video and image production all in one, and probably will retain its position as the best across all of those different things. So I don't see that anything bad is going to happen to OpenAI. I do think Musk can be an irritant and it could force them into corporate decisions about valuation and merging their different components that aren't to their liking. That could happen.Keen: My interview of the week, which you were kind enough to include in this week's newsletter, is with Greg Betta. Most people won't be familiar with Greg Betta. He's a tech writer, journalist based in the North Bay San Francisco, but he's also the coauthor with Reid Hoffman, who everybody knows, of a new book called "Super Agency: What Could Possibly Go Right With Our AI Future?" And from a progressive point of view, it's optimistic about AI. So I guess Hoffman is one of the few progressives, Keith, who actually is optimistic about AI. Is that fair?Keith Teare: Yeah. He really represents that part of the liberal spectrum that was in the New York Times article last week suggesting the Democrats should embrace technology and innovation. And the book is symptomatic of that. I didn't have a chance to listen to the interview - give us a flavor of what he said.Andrew Keen: It's standard - it's like listening to you. He believes that this progress will ultimately benefit. He distinguishes himself a bit too, I thought, created some light between him and Hoffman. I think he sees Hoffman as being slightly more optimistic than him. But it's about super agency - you and I have talked endlessly about agency, about humans being able to shape their lives. And of course, that's the big debate. For the critics, it's the AI that will shape us. For the optimists, AI will enable us to shape the world. It's an age-old argument, and it's not going away.Another figure on the left, if that's still a term that means anything, is Albert Wenger. He's your post of the week and he comes back to the Vance speech. He says praising this speech by Vance is mistaking jingoism and wishful thinking for true global leadership with a real vision of AI and humanity. I'm assuming you don't agree with Albert on this issue.Keith Teare: I do agree with him. I think I wanted to take a positive view of Vance's speech for his optimism in the context of Europe. It was a great speech. Albert's right that the American framing is entirely jingoistic. And AI isn't - AI is entirely global and humanistic. So there is a contradiction between a declining superpower being a champion of progress for its own nation versus what Albert would prefer, which is leadership that is truly global in nature.Andrew Keen: It's interesting that the first comment on Albert's tweet was from someone called "e/acc" who says this may be the most e/acc speech of all time. I didn't know what that meant - it meant effective accelerationism. Are you familiar with this term, Keith?Keith Teare: Yeah, this is the Marc Andreessen Peter Thiel framing against the philanthropists.Andrew Keen: So are you an effective accelerationist? Do you believe in...Keith Teare: Effective altruism versus effective acceleration? This is interesting. You say they're the same thing - I don't think anyone thinks that. But I think you might be right. But as long as you put them in the right order, I think if you get acceleration and growth and value, you're going to get a better life.Andrew Keen: Yeah, it's a play on effective altruism, but it's thinking in the same way that the world can become a better place.Keith Teare: Yeah. And the altruists wanted it to be done by good deeds as opposed to by economic progress.Andrew Keen: And even Albert acknowledges, like you, that there are aspects of the speech which in your language are a breath of fresh air. He said the only good point was the clear pushback against regulatory capture. Is it going to be effective? I mean, is it clear that the days of Lina Khan are over? Are we at the end of the period of regulatory capture, whether it's in Europe or the U.S.? As you say, one of the consequences of the speech was that the Europeans have taken a step back from regulation.Keith Teare: I would say the new Lina Khan is Elizabeth Warren. Lina Khan's gone. She's a sideshow. But Elizabeth Warren is still mainstream.Andrew Keen: Yeah, but a much, much older and perhaps less powerful figure, especially in Trump's America. I mean, Warren, she can talk a lot and get people annoyed, but she can't actually do anything. Whereas Lina Khan actually controlled regulatory capture - I mean, she was the head of the FTC.Keith Teare: Exactly. But I find Warren intensely irritating. It's amusing to me that Musk is asking how her net worth went from $200,000 to double-digit millions. And it's because she got subsidized by pharma, because she's pro-vax. And she's plugged into that.Andrew Keen: That's a controversial observation. You're saying anyone who gets supported by big Pharma is pro-vaccine? Does that mean that anyone who's anti-vax is not going to get the money? Most of us are pro-vax.Keith Teare: I'm totally pro-vax. But I'm just saying politicians like her typically get high net worth through serving stakeholders. And she is very against the credit card industry, for example. But she's not against pharma. So she's found her niche.Andrew Keen: Well, that's not a very generous interpretation, although it does suggest that when you give Elon Musk the keys to the Treasury and the IRS, then all these things are going to get revealed. And we should end with another interesting X from Albert, which I think gets to a lot of this. He said, "If you're young and capable and care about democracy, you should work for Doge." What do you make of that? I tend to think he's right.Keith Teare: I can't fully understand his meaning. In my brain, I'll interpret it the way I would, which is what I said last week.Andrew Keen: And to add to the quote, he said, "Offense is the best defense."Keith Teare: Yeah. The main threat to democracy is unelected bureaucrats blocking progress. I mean, if you think about it...Andrew Keen: Like Elizabeth Warren, in your view, at least.Keith Teare: No, I'd use the Obama example. Obama wanted to get a really good healthcare plan. And as soon as he was in office, he made speeches saying, "I won't be able to achieve what I want to achieve unless you, the people, are on the streets." Because Washington is averse to change. And it turned out that he had to make all kinds of compromises. And he ended up with what we today call Obamacare. But his experience was an experience of being blocked. And Trump basically has been through that himself. We're probably mostly thankful for that based on his first administration. He now is older, and he's not prepared...Andrew Keen: Suddenly older. I don't know about wiser.Keith Teare: He's not prepared to let the bureaucracy stand in his way. And Musk is his weapon. And there is something positive about a better, cheaper state and more democratic if the elected people can do what they said they were going to do.Andrew Keen: Yeah. And bring the expenses down. "If you're young and capable and care about democracy, you should work for Doge" - wise words from Albert Wenger. We will return to all these themes, Keith, in the future. Have a good week and we will see everybody again next week. Thanks so much.Keith Teare: Everyone. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

This is Derek Miller of the Salt Lake Chamber with your Utah Business Report. Silicon Valley venture capitalist, founder, and philanthropist Tim Draper is boosting Utah's young entrepreneurs with a 500,000 dollars gift to support the Utah Entrepreneur Challenge and High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge. The Utah Entrepreneur Challenge is a business-model competition for college students at universities statewide, while the High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge focuses on business ideas from students ages 14–18. Both initiatives, run by the nationally ranked Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute at the University of Utah, aim to empower aspiring entrepreneurs through funding, prizes, and real-world experience. Participants gain invaluable opportunities to connect with professionals, refine their ideas, and develop entrepreneurial skills, helping to launch their startups and prepare for the business world. The Salt Lake Chamber. We Stand as the Voice of Business. Originally aired: 2/5/25

Unlock the secrets of venture capitalism with Tim Draper, a trailblazer who has left an indelible mark across the global investment landscape. As the founder of Draper Associates, DFJ, and the Draper Venture Network, Tim's journey is a masterclass in strategic foresight and bold decision-making. From revolutionizing customer-driven growth with Hotmail to his daring investments in Baidu and Skype, discover how Tim's ability to spot key inflection points has fueled his success. His establishment of Draper University of Heroes has also empowered countless entrepreneurs, emphasizing the power of investing in passionate individuals and straightforward strategies for sustainable growth.Engage with powerful insights on transforming customers into a sales force, and learn why investing in human potential trumps mere capital preservation. Tim and Richard C. Wilson discuss the pitfalls of convoluted investment strategies and the pivotal role of early financial education, drawing lessons from giants like Amazon and Tesla. We also delve into the essential act of seizing opportunities, reflecting on the costly mistakes of hesitating on early investments in tech titans like Google and Facebook. This episode is packed with stories on overcoming fear, embracing freedom, and fostering a creative environment, all essential ingredients for cultivating successful entrepreneurship and investment ventures.This is episode #3 in the Billionaire Fire Side Series.To learn more about Jonathan's recession resilient mobile home park real estate Fund and Flex Space Development: https://www.midwestparkcapital.com/To learn more about Jonathan's business growth consulting and fractional CMO services, and digital marketing for small businesses and growing Ecommerce brands:https://www.revenueascend.com/consulting/The Family Office Club was founded in 2007 and has now become the world's largest association in the industry with over 4,000 registered ultra-wealthy investors-Richard C. Wilson is the partner of the Accredited Investor Podcast: https://familyoffices.com/To get your very own podcast tour of 20, 40 or 60 episodes as a guest and become the thought leader in your industry: https://getpodcastbookings.com/Sign up to get on the list for the World's Most Exclusive Social Networking App: https://www.prestigesocialapp.com/To those looking to potential exit or sell their business or talk about potential business roll up partnerships:https://www.businesscashout.com/Join one of the fastest growing real estate groups on Facebook, which is our 26,600 Multifamily Investor Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/451061265284414To learn more about mobile home investing, acquiring your first mobile home park:  https://www.mobilehomewealthacademy.com  https://linktr.ee/jonathantuttleAccredited Investor Podcast- sign up to the email list and get notified of new episodes, bonus content, and potential deal opportunities: https://www.accreditedinvestorpodcast.com/

You're probably familiar with Baiju Bhatt's work as the co-founder of Robinhood. But he's also obsessed with space, and recently started Aetherflux, a space solar power company.We get into the physics of using lasers to beam solar power to the Earth, Aetherflux's early roadmap, and how he went from zero to one going from building software to physical products.We also talk through the early days of Robinhood, getting turned down by hundreds of early investors, the accidental launch, how to know if you really have product market fit, how Aaron Levie at Box helped get Robinhood.com, the value of creativity and design, Baiju's philosophies on combining qualitative and quantitative user research, and his favorite animal and classic car. He also tried to cut my hair.Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(02:31) Aetherflux: a space solar energy company(02:50) Origins of space solar power in the 40's & 70's(10:31) Safely beaming energy from space to Earth with lasers(13:46) Building floating space solar farms(21:27) Aetherflux's early roadmap(27:08) Growing up with dad as a Physics professor(32:18) Going zero to one building physical products(35:15) Baiju's favorite car, attempting a haircut, contemplating mustaches(38:27) Trying to prove Einstein wrong(41:42) Meeting Robinhood Co-founder Vlad at Stanford(44:10) Starting an algorithmic trading company(46:41) The beginnings of Robinhood(52:04) Getting turned down by hundreds of early investors(56:49) How they convinced Tim Draper to invest(59:39) Getting Robinhood.com because of Aaron Levie(01:01:28) Accidentally launching on a Friday afternoon(01:03:09) How to know if you have Product Market Fit(01:06:35) Combining qualitative and quantitative user research(01:14:23) Loving cats despite being allergicReferenced: Robinhood: https://www.robinhood.comAetherflux: https://www.aetherflux.com/TechCrunch coverage: https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/09/billionaire-robinhood-co-founder-launches-aetherflux-a-space-based-solar-power-startup/Seinfeld mustache scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzZsLaLChRgThe Michelson–Morley experiment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelson%E2%80%93Morley_experimentEpisode with Aaron Levie @ Box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLn_tqPvNf4Follow Baiju:X/Twitter: https://x.com/BaijuBhatt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bprafulkumar Follow Turner:X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/TurnerNovakLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/turnernovak Subscribe to my newsletter to get every episode + the transcript in your inbox every week: https://www.thespl.it/   

We discussed a few things including:1. Their career journeys2.  Scaling Shoott3. Launching Lexore (formerly Frame Me)4. Lessons learned5. Trends, challenges and opportunities re photo and video industriesSequoia Blodgett is a visionary entrepreneur at the intersection of media and technology. As the CEO and co-founder of Lexore, an AI-powered video production platform, she is transforming how agencies create high-quality video content.Drawing from her extensive background in filmmaking, entrepreneurship, and venture capital, Sequoia empowers brands to craft compelling narratives that drive organic traffic and enhance customer engagement.She began her career in the entertainment industry, directing music videos for top-tier artists like Justin Bieber and Future. Her passion for entrepreneurship led her to co-star on ABC Family's Startup U, where she shared her journey as a tech entrepreneur.Her professional path includes pivotal roles at companies such as M13, Black Enterprise, and Truist, where she merged her creative expertise with innovative business strategies.Sequoia has earned accolades for her work, including multiple Telly Awards and the prestigious Women in AI Award. She is also recognized as a former venture-backed entrepreneur under Tim Draper's Draper Associates and as a mentor and entrepreneur-in-residence, guiding startups in their growth journeys.Through Lexore, she continues to leverage her expertise to simplify video production, enabling businesses to achieve exceptional results while scaling their digital presence.---With a diverse background in investment banking, strategic finance, documentary film producing, and acting, Jennifer combines her passion for all-things-process with my love of art and storytelling to manage growth, strategy, and operations for Shoott alongside my amazing team.As an actor, she was a longtime company member of The Bats at the Flea Theatre in NYC. She also performed in productions at Ensemble Studio Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, Yale Cab, and National Black Theatre, among others. In film & TV, she's appeared in The Other Two, High Fidelity, The Village, The Blacklist, and Bored to Death as well as in numerous on-camera and voiceover spots for Citi, AT&T Wifi, Samsung, Geico, and Manhattan Mini Storage. From her time as an actor and creative, she saw firsthand how most artists struggle because their lives are gig to gig and they can't find enough work to sustain a career. It became her mission to see if we could create a business model that could help artists stay artists while providing a value-driven service for clients, which is what led me to her work co-founding and growing Shoott.#podcast #AFewThingsPodcast

In this fascinating episode, I sit down with Silicon Valley legend Tim Draper, the billionaire venture capitalist behind groundbreaking investments in startups like Tesla, Skype, and Coinbase, as well as an early champion of Bitcoin. Founder of Draper Associates and Hero University, Tim has shaped the future of entrepreneurship and education, empowering leaders to innovate and thrive in a rapidly changing world.We dive deep into the potential golden age of tech in America, the geopolitical shifts shaping opportunity hotspots, and Tim's bold predictions for Bitcoin and blockchain. Tim shares the wisdom passed down from his father, the philosophies that guide him, and why he's always been obsessed with understanding how the world—and people—work.Shifting gears, we explore why businesses often fail—not because of markets or products, but due to trust, leadership breakdowns, and personal limitations like fear and self-doubt. Tim passionately discusses the role of education in fostering confidence and integrity, and how his Hero University helps entrepreneurs overcome these barriers to take the leap.We also get an update on Tim's personal bucket list, from his incredible story of freeing a prisoner in El Salvador to his plans for walking on the moon. Plus, he reveals his current mission to advocate for controversial figures like Elizabeth Holmes, Ross Ulbricht, and CZ, and the sectors he believes will drive the next wave of innovation.Packed with insights on life, leadership, and the future of investing, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to expand their perspective and take bold action.Resources:The Startup Game, by William H Draper III - https://amzn.to/4gFn9mdThe Start Up Hero, by Tim Draper - https://amzn.to/4fmiJQbDune, by Frank Herbert - https://amzn.to/4iEY64A                   Draper Associates -   https://www.draper.vc/Hero University -  https://www.herouniversity.co/Time Stamps:00:00 - Intro01:05 - Background5:18 The Future of Bitcoin11:48 America's Tech Renaissance22:32 VC, Geopolitics and Global Tech Opportunities32:33 Lessons from a Life of Learning and Leadership37:51 Failure & Trust 40:02 Rethinking Education and Entrepreneurship with Hero University46:52 Fear & Belief 49:53 Tim's Bucket List: Freedom, Moonwalking, and More52:44 Sectors to Watch for Future Investments

You can subscribe to various 361 events and content at https://361firm.com/subs. For reference:  - Web: www.361firm.com/home - Onboard as Investor: https://361.pub/shortdiag - Onboard Deals 361: www.361firm.com/onb - Onboard as Banker: www.361firm.com/bankers - Events: www.361firm.com/events - Content: www.youtube.com/361firm - Weekly Digests: www.361firm.com/digest

0xDesigner is an designer, imagineer and self-described provocateur. He is currently working on Design Everydays where he shares design concepts that explore ways web3 can be more useful, exciting or easier to use. Follow him on Warpcast @0xdesigner and on X @0xDesigner. Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake/187-0xdesigner For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

Camila Russo is the Founder of The Defiant, a media company focusing on decentralized finance, and the author of The Infinite Machine, the most read book on the history of Ethereum. Previously, she was a markets and crypto reporter at Bloomberg News. Follow her on X ⁠@CamiRusso. Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake/186-camila-russo For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

W1NTΞR is the co-creator of BasePaint, a collaborative pixel art project built on Base. He specializes in unique smart contracts, user interfaces, and everything in between. W1NTΞR has built several crypto projects in the last few years and worked for FAANG companies and startups before that. Follow him on X @w1nt3r_eth and on Farcaster @w1nt3r. Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake/184-w1nt3r For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

VC Billionaire investor Tim Draper says Bitcoin will hit $250,000 per BTC “FAST” under this condition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Draper Interview - we discuss Bitcoin, Crypto, Gary Gensler, AI and much more:Topics:- Tim's journey to being an investor - Does he still hold the 30,000 Bitcoin acquired from the U.S. Marshals Service - Bitcoin's adoption and growth - Are BTC ETFs a good thing?- Bitcoin price prediction - SEC and Gary Gensler vs Crypto. Tim's comments to Gary Gensler in 2018 revisited - Future of Fund Raising - US Crypto Regulations - AI impact on jobs and economy ⭐️ Show Sponsor - Learn about BitGo, one of the top crypto custodians - https://www.bitgo.com/ 

How will the rise of Web3 reshape the way we communicate? In today's episode, I'm joined by Shant Kevonian, co-founder of EtherMail, to explore the fascinating intersection of blockchain technology and email communication. EtherMail, founded in late 2021, has quickly emerged as a leading player in this space, providing anonymous and encrypted wallet-to-wallet communication. Imagine the power of Gmail, MailChimp, and Metamask all combined into a secure, decentralized platform—that's EtherMail. Shant shares the origin story of EtherMail and the vision behind creating the first Web 3.0 email solution. We discuss the significant milestones the company has achieved, including raising $3 million in a seed round led by top Web3 investors like Fabric Ventures and Greenfield One. I learn more about EtherMail's mission as Shant offers insights on how the platform is creating a new framework for email economics and consensual marketing, helping Web3 companies deliver blockchain-synced, relevant content to their asset holders. We also explore the recent launch of EtherMail's native utility token, EMT, and its critical role in their Advertising Platform. Shant explains how EtherMail's Email-as-a-Wallet (EaaW) solution is bridging the gap between Web2 and Web3, allowing users to create non-custodial wallets via Gmail or Apple accounts in under a minute. Throughout the conversation, Shant shares valuable advice for aspiring Web3 entrepreneurs and the importance of strategic partnerships, including EtherMail's backing from investors like Tim Draper. Tune in to learn more about how EtherMail is shaping the future of decentralized communication and what's next for this innovative platform.

RAC is a Grammy award-winning musician, record producer, and pioneering creator in crypto. He is currently building Factory.fm (a music app) and Oscillator (a music protocol). Follow RAC on X @RAC. [0:00] - How RAC combined his interests in business and music to create a remix-as-a-service collective [13:56] - His discovery of and excitement about Ethereum [20:56] - Permissioned vs permissionless remixes [28:07] - RAC's early attempts to bring music onchain [37:10] - Creating a shared social graph for onchain music [50:57] - Why music requires a dedicated social graph [1:03:14] - RAC's creative process Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake/181-RAC For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

Donna Griffit is a Corporate Storyteller who has worked globally for over 18 years with Fortune 500 companies and startups. She has consulted and trained clients in over 30 countries. Through her guidance, clients have raised over a billion dollars. In addition, Donna can magically spin raw data into compelling stories that captivate audiences and drive results. Donna has recently released her much-anticipated book, Sticking To My Story - The Alchemy Of Storytelling For Startups. Launched in January 2023, this book has quickly become a must-read for startup founders, and here is a quote from Tim Draper about her book in his introduction to it: “Well finally, there are no more excuses. Sticking to My Story is the new bible for startup founders. It's the A-Z recipe for how to create a powerful pitch deck, with all the right ingredients. It's filled with helpful tips, fascinating stories of what worked and what failed abysmally, peppered with insightful quotes from my colleagues in Silicon Valley.” Donna was featured on Forbes where she explained how she has helped female founders raise millions from investors. Most recent articles were published on Entrepreneur. What you will learn How storytelling can transform raw data into compelling narratives that captivate audiences. The importance of structuring pitch decks effectively and how to polish them for maximum impact. How AI tools like ChatGPT can assist with research and streamline the storytelling process. The critical role of visuals in presentations, ensuring they enhance rather than distract from the message. Insights into scaling personal expertise through books, courses, and new opportunities like academia.

Jason is the Founder & CEO of Airstack, a leading Farcaster development company, and the creator of Moxie, a community owned, community-governed Farcaster protocol on a mission to grow the Farcaster GDP. [0:42] - Jason's experience working at the White House during Bill Clinton's presidency [3:30] - Becoming a highly successful tech entrepreneur [12:18] - Making the decision to go all in on Farcaster [15:47] - Moving from Twitter to Farcaster after a decade [18:52] - Flipping traditional social economics with Farcaster [21:56] - Moxie's careful approach to monetizing Farcaster [34:48] - The Moxie airdrop and rewards structure [41:02] - Moxie 101 and how to get started Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake/180-jason-goldberg For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

Nobody (legal name: Nobody Special) is the founder & CEO of Theopetra Labs. Theopetra aims to build a network state where citizens collectively & equally own both the financial infrastructure of the nation and the real estate it encompasses. Nobody previously has spent several years working in residential real estate and experimenting with concept like microspaces. Follow Nobody on X @Mel_Anic. [0:42] - Growing up as an immigrant and early entrepreneurial experiences [4:45] - Introduction to crypto and early Web3 real estate projects [7:52] - Sourcing early interest in Theopetra [11:25] - Theopetra's approach to crowdfunding and community ownership [17:13] - Using micro spaces to bootstrap Theopetra [21:59] - Micro spaces as a minimal viable living space to reduce burn [27:24] - Lifestyles fit for micro space living [30:44] - The current state of Theopetra and benefits of being a member [35:55] - The importance of community within Theopetra [39:14] - Other projects building in the Network State space [42:43] - Attempting to break the longest live stream world record Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake/179-nobody-special⁠ For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

God Bless Bitcoin asks the timely question: How do we fix our broken money? Through in-depth conversations with bitcoin and interfaith religious leaders, the film exposes the broken, unjust, and immoral nature of our current fiat-based monetary system, one that is intimately connected to the military industrial complex and the propagation of war. The film also shows how and why members of the poor and middle class feel a financial squeeze even when they work hard and lead fiscally responsible lives. God Bless Bitcoin ultimately suggests the ways in which bitcoin can present alternatives to our current system that are more just, equitable, and peaceful.The documentary features interviews with high-level financial executives, religious leaders as well as well-known names from the entertainment and sports worlds such as: Anthony Pompliano, Cathie D. Wood, Cory Klippsten, Dan Held, David Bailey, Dennis Porter, Dr. Darrell Bock, Fr. Robert Sirico, Hailey Lennon, Harris Irfan, Jeff Booth, John Salley, Mark Cuban, Mark Moss, Mark Yusko, Matthew Roszak, Michael Saylor, Natalie Brunell, Nic Carter, Perianne Boring, Preston Pysh, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, Rabbi Michael Caras, Robert Breedlove, Robert Kennedy Jr, Robert Kiyosaki, Scott Snibbe, Stephan Livera, Thomas Lee, Tim Draper, Vikram Rangala, Warren Davidson.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

God Bless Bitcoin asks the timely question: How do we fix our broken money? Through in-depth conversations with bitcoin and interfaith religious leaders, the film exposes the broken, unjust, and immoral nature of our current fiat-based monetary system, one that is intimately connected to the military industrial complex and the propagation of war. The film also shows how and why members of the poor and middle class feel a financial squeeze even when they work hard and lead fiscally responsible lives. God Bless Bitcoin ultimately suggests the ways in which bitcoin can present alternatives to our current system that are more just, equitable, and peaceful.The documentary features interviews with high-level financial executives, religious leaders as well as well-known names from the entertainment and sports worlds such as: Anthony Pompliano, Cathie D. Wood, Cory Klippsten, Dan Held, David Bailey, Dennis Porter, Dr. Darrell Bock, Fr. Robert Sirico, Hailey Lennon, Harris Irfan, Jeff Booth, John Salley, Mark Cuban, Mark Moss, Mark Yusko, Matthew Roszak, Michael Saylor, Natalie Brunell, Nic Carter, Perianne Boring, Preston Pysh, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, Rabbi Michael Caras, Robert Breedlove, Robert Kennedy Jr, Robert Kiyosaki, Scott Snibbe, Stephan Livera, Thomas Lee, Tim Draper, Vikram Rangala, Warren Davidson.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

Mike is a co-founder of Rainbow, one of the most widely used wallets in crypto (wowowow). Before Rainbow, Mike started a couple of companies and worked for a few others after dropping out of college following his first semester. Follow Mike on X @mikedemarais and on Warpcast ⁠@mikedemarais.eth⁠. [0:42] - Mike's story from college dropout to crypto founder [10:31] - Starting companies to fix computers & 3D print toys [17:24] - Why Mike likes small towns and lower tier cities [23:53] - The irresistible opportunity to build in crypto [27:00] - Mike's product and design forward approach [30:33] - Inflection points in Rainbow's growth to date [38:25] - Breaking down Rainbow's ETH rewards program [46:25] - The future of Farcaster compared to Twitter Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake/178-mike-demarais For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

Joshua is the Founder & CEO of DoNotPay. He is a Thiel Fellow who has been called "Robin Hood of the Internet" for building products to save people time and money. DoNotPay is an automated service that handles over 200 consumer rights challenges such as cancelling subscriptions, obtaining refunds, and appealing tickets. Follow Joshua on X @jbrowder1. [0:16] - How Joshua turned his penchant for parking tickets into a successful business [6:31] - Joshua's early experiences building iPhone apps [9:11] - Why Joshua took a careful and patient approach to starting DoNotPay while at Stanford [14:11] - Why Joshua waited so long to start charging for DoNotPay [15:51] - Alternative business models for DoNotPay [19:32] - Joshua's approach to building a lean, efficient team [24:25] - Operating as a global, in-person, nomadic organization [26:45] - How the advent GPT has transformed DoNotPay's services [35:20] - Joshua's perspective on the current and future states of AI [39:16] - Why Do Not Pay issues dividends to its employees and investors [43:16] - Joshua's approach for growing DoNotPay from here [45:43] - Technology's fast pace of change versus society's slow pace of change [48:47] - Wisdom gained from The Thiel Fellowship Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake/177-joshua-browder For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

Jeremy is Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Circle, the financial technology company behind the USDC stablecoin. Before Circle, Jeremy co-founded several companies, including Brightcove and Allaire Corporation, which was acquired by Macromedia. Follow Jeremy on X @jerallaire. 0:00 - Jeremy's career growth in parallel to the internet 10:06 - Comparing the first decade of internet adoption to the first decade of crypto innovation 18:37 - Why infrastructure innovation precedes application innovation 25:44 - What happens when the marginal cost of moving value approaches zero 33:59 - Crypto's potential impact on existing institutions and society at large 43:19 - Jeremy's thoughts on internet-native currencies 48:07 - The potential impacts of regulating crypto Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake/176-jeremy-allaire For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

Luca is the CEO of the Pudgy Penguins. Pudgy Penguins is one of the two or three most successful PFP NFT collections in the world by floor price and volume. Since dropping out of high school, Luca has become a serial entrepreneur and successful internet marketer who has built multiple e-commerce businesses. Follow Luca on X @LucaNetz. [0:00] - How an entrepreneurial mindset allowed Luca to experience early success in brand building, e-commerce, and NFTs [9:35] - Luca's entrance into crypto and his fundamental beliefs about the industry [14:13] - The importance of self-awareness and building the right team for Pudgy Penguins [20:14] - The unique properties of building in Web3 [26:29] - Luca's experience building alongside the Pudgy Penguins community [30:56] - The pros and cons of being a Non-Founder CEO [34:26] - Why Luca believes IP is the most valuable part of NFTs [39:55] - The current state of NFTs at large [42:37] - The future of IP, NFTs, and crypto's impact on value Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake/175-luca-netz For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

Michael is the Founder and CEO of Big League Advantage (BLA), a company that uses deep analytics to forecast future performance of minor league baseball players in which it invests. Prior to creating Big League Advantage, Michael was a Major League Baseball player, pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies. Follow Michael on Twitter @mschwimer. 0:00 - Michael's baseball career, and entrepreneurial start 6:21 - Choosing baseball over basketball 10:52 - The challenges of starting Big League Advantage 15:27 - Breaking down BLA's VC-like model 22:21 - Why players choose to work with or pass on BLA 31:42 - Comparing predictive analytics between sports 36:41 - The key dynamics of BLA deals 41:44 - The progression and development of BLA to date 43:21 - Name, Image, and Likeness deals in college sports 44:40 - How age factors into BLA's investment decisions 46:40 - Michael's plans for the future of BLA Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake/174-michael-schwimer For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

Augustus is the Founder & CEO of Rainmaker, a cloud seeding and weather modification company. The company's objective is to facilitate more precipitation in the American West in the near-term, while terraforming Earth more broadly over time. Augustus previously co-founded another startup and was named a Thiel Fellow in 2024. Follow Augustus on X @ADoricko. Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake/173-augustus-doricko For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

Jesse is the creator of Base, an Ethereum Layer 2 incubated by Coinbase, where Jesse has worked since 2017. Less than one year since its mainnet launch in August 2023, Base has quickly become the leading L2 by many metrics as of the time of this episode's release. Prior to Base, Jesse led all of Coinbase's consumer-facing engineering from 2017 to 2021. Jesse originally joined Coinbase through the acquisition of Clef, a passwordless identity solutions company he started. Follow Jesse @jessepollak on both X and on Warpcast. [0:00] - Jesse's story and path to Coinbase [7:02] - How a sabbatical led Jesse to build Base [13:30] - How Coinbase's culture enabled the creation of Base [16:48] - Taking iterative shots with a talented team [21:06] - The importance of persistence [26:27] - How Base's builder-focused culture came to be [29:05] - Navigating when to move fast and breaking things versus when to make decisions carefully and deliberately [34:46] - Why Jesse believes many L2s will be successful [43:19] - Coinbase Smart Wallet & Onchain Summer II Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake/172-jesse-pollak For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

Emin is Co-Founder and CEO of Ava Labs, the organization behind the Avalanche smart contract network. He is a computer scientist, software engineer, and researcher who has focused on distributed systems, network security, and cryptocurrencies for more than 20 years. Before building Ava Labs, Emin was an associate professor of computer science at Cornell University and co-director of the Initiative for Cryptocurrencies and Smart Contracts at the university. In 2003, Emin designed Karma, the first cryptocurrency based on a proof-of-work protocol, years before the creation of Bitcoin. Follow Emin on X ⁠@el33th4xor. 0:00 - Emin's deep history around cryptocurrencies 8:20 - Why Bitcoin took him and his colleagues by surprise 11:28 - Emin's vision for the future of the crypto industry 16:34 - Avalanche's approach to scaling crypto-economic activity 23:05 - How Avalanche's architecture supports multiple sub-nets 27:34 - The real importance of decentralization 32:40 - Emin's perspective on technological regulation 41:57 - The unique properties of Avalanche's Snowball consensus 49:00 - Why the best technology does not always win in the market Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake/171-emin-gun-sirer For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

Brendan is Co-Founder & CEO of Mercor, a global labor market using AI to find optimal matches between people and work opportunities. He and his co-founders were selected as Thiel Fellows as part of the 2024 class. Brendan previously founded a cloud computing company called Seros and dropped out of Georgetown University. Follow him on X @BrendanFoody. Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake/170-brendan-foody For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

"Now, $250,000 or a million, or $2 million, or even $10 million per Bitcoin are the numbers that are probably going to happen for a couple of reasons” explains legendary billionaire investor Tim Draper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nick is the Founder and General Partner at 1confirmation, a cryptocurrency focused investment firm. After raising its first $26M fund in 2017, 1confirmation now has over $1 billion in assets under management. The firm's early-stage investments include OpenSea, Farcaster, Worldcoin, Polkadot, Cosmos, Polymarket, dYdX, Degen, and others alike. Prior to starting 1confirmation, Nick was a Principal at Runa Capital and worked in business development in the early days at Coinbase. Follow Nick on X @NTmoney and on Warpcast @nick. Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at pods.media/pod-of-jake/169-nick-tomaino For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

Embark on a Parisian adventure with me, Joeri Billast, as we revisit the electric atmosphere of Paris Blockchain Week. Imagine strolling alongside industry giants like Binance CEO Richard Teng and Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, diving into the mechanics of trust within the blockchain sphere. I gained more insights on blockchain's synergy with AI, the pioneering paths towards digital identities in Web3, and the whispers of Ripple's stablecoin dreams. Venture capitalist Tim Draper's keynote was nothing short of inspirational, and mingling at events like the Circle Soiree sparked connections that promise to bear fruit in upcoming episodes.Transforming your business with Web3 does not need be an enigma. I'm extending an invitation to join the discussion and define the actionable steps that can propel your business forward in these exciting times.This episode was recorded on my iPhone on April 11, 2024. Check the notes here for some concrete takeaways of the sessions: https://webdrie.net/paris-blockchain-week-2024-a-solo-recap/Ready to upgrade your Web3 marketing strategy? Don't miss Consensus 2024 on May 29-31 in Austin, Texas. It is the largest and longest-running event on crypto, blockchain and Web3. Use code CMOSTORIES to get 15% off your pass at www.consensus2024.coindesk.com

Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake⁠ Lucas is the founder of Pods — a platform for onchain podcasts. Pods launched in private beta in Q4 2023 and since then, has onboarded over 30 podcasts and over 250 episodes on the platform. Prior to Pods, Lucas was the first employee at Bankless, where he led the newsletter for 3 years and launched Bankless Collectibles — the first instantiation of podcast NFTs. Follow Lucas on Farcaster @0xl. For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

Joe is the Head Coach of the Basketball Team at Bishop O'Connell High School, one of the best high school basketball programs in the country. Joe has won more than 500 games in 24 seasons and has also served as the school's Athletic Director since 2010. He is also Chairman of the McDonald's All-American Basketball Game Selection Committee & Games and runs one of the largest summer basketball camps in the country which has hosted more than 200,000 campers since his father, Morgan Wootten, started the program more than 50 years ago. Alongside his father, Joe also co-authored the third edition of arguably the best book on coaching high school basketball, Coaching Basketball Successfully. [0:16] - Joe's origin story as a basketball coach [6:13] - The importance of chemistry for a team's success [8:02] - Handing responsibility to players to promote ownership [11:07] - How Joe thinks about captains and leadership [13:02] - Developing a successful 4-year program [20:41] - Distributing playing time at every level [22:28] - Tough conversations after tryouts [26:43] - Recruiting at the high school level [28:13] - The evolution and impact of AAU basketball [33:07] - Joe's coaching philosophy [35:22] - Scouting and game planning [36:37] - Focusing on a winning effort more than winning [38:13] - How to build coaching knowledge [42:26] - How Joe approaches running his practices [45:40] - Adapting to the strengths of your team [48:07] - Final words on coaching high school basketball For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

Tim Draper, an American venture capital investor worth an estimated $1.2 billion, is renowned for founding various entities including Draper Fish Jurvetson, Draper University, and Draper Venture Network. His diversified investments encompass prominent names like Bitcoin, Coinbase, Tesla, and SpaceX, making him one of the wealthiest figures in the crypto and blockchain realm.

Jacob is the Founder and CEO of Superpower, a personal healthcare startup with an all-in-one app focused on preventing disease, optimizing performance, and promoting longevity. Previously, Jacob co-founded and sold Commsor, a user engagement software startup. He also co-founded Launch House, a cohort-based incubator program for founders, and continues to invest through Launch House which now functions as a more traditional venture fund. Follow Jacob on X @J__Cub. [0:00] - How his mother's battle with chronic illness drove Jacob to build in the healthcare industry [7:35] - Why Jacob was originally drawn to entrepreneurship [10:00] - How Jacob uses his understanding of emotional volatility to make life decisions [14:33] - Jacob's experience creating remote businesses and supporting remote cultures [24:48] - Fostering human connection through community [30:19] - The success and limits of Launch House [37:07] - An introduction to Superpower [39:13] - How Superpower bundles the world of health apps For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Armstrong⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Keith⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Rabois⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Ali Spagnola⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Raoul Pal⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Julia Galef⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Jack Butcher⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Tim Draper⁠⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠⁠OpenAI⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Coinbase⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Solana⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Polygon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠AngelList⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Oura⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Replit⁠⁠, and investors from ⁠⁠Founders⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Fund⁠⁠, ⁠⁠a16z⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Union Square Ventures⁠⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy. Thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠⁠ for the music. Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠⁠. Thank you!

This week, join us with Maxime Bucaille from Draper Associates. Maxime began his career as a foreign exchange trader before becoming an operator at Airswap. His passion for blockchain continued when he joined Atari, a multi-platform gaming company. During the episode, we discuss raising $37M in two hours, mitigating centralized risk, and consumer adoption of virtual reality.Episode Chapters:Moving from Paris to NYC - 1:20FX Trader at BNP - 2:25Joining Airswap (3rd ever Decentralized Exchange) - 4:51Breaking down Draper Associates - 9:40Investing with Tim Draper - 14:57Crypto POV - 17:00Bullish on Bitcoin - 20:30Changing Consumer Behavior - 23:51The Future of the Metaverse - 26:55Coinbase: Leading the Way - 30:45 Ending Questions - 31:14As always, feel free to contact us at partnerpathpodcast@gmail.com. We would love to hear ideas for content, guests, and overall feedback

Farmers in Poland and Hungary are the latest to begin protesting over cheap produce flooding in from Ukraine. Elsewhere in Europe the complaints continue over pesticide use and costs; we bring you the latest.Global cocoa prices have hit a fresh record high as dry weather hurts crops in West Africa. We hear from a cocoa grower in the Ivory Coast.Rahul Tandon also hears from Tim Draper - one of the funders of Nikki Haley's Presidential campaign - about why he backs the former US Ambassador to the UN's attempt to take the Republican nomination.(Photo: A wheelbarrow full of hay with the letters UE written on the side panel. Credit: Jakub Kaczmarczyk/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Bitcoin's potential to revolutionize the global economy through financial inclusivity and enhanced efficiency lies in its technology and the innovations that can be built on top of the blockchain.This episode is sponsored by Consensus 2024 Now Available for pre-order | Michael Casey's New Book with Frank H. McCourt, their forthcoming book: Our Biggest Fight: Reclaiming Liberty, Humanity, and Dignity in the Digital AgeIn this week's installment of "Money Reimagined," hosts Michael Casey and Sheila Warren are joined by Tim Draper, Venture Capitalist and Founder at Draper Associates/DFJ/Draper University. The discussion delves into Bitcoin's evolution, its interactions with L1s and L2s, and analyzes the ramifications of spot ETF approval on Bitcoin's rebellious ethos. How does Bitcoin contribute to global wealth creation, and what is its potential to revolutionize the world economy, with a focus on user experience and upcoming innovations on the Bitcoin blockchain?Takeaways | Bitcoin's evolution goes beyond investment opportunities and explores its potential as a transformational economy.The spot ETF approval validates Bitcoin's presence in the traditional financial system but also raises concerns about its rebellious ethos.Bitcoin has the potential to create global wealth by providing liquidity and enabling participation in the world economy.The future of Bitcoin lies in its technology and the innovations that can be built on top of the blockchain.The age of AI will bring new challenges and opportunities, and Bitcoin can play a role in creating a depoliticized and decentralized form of money.Links | Why Tim Draper Is Still Bullish on Bitcoin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GFZI5dq88EA recent book that he launched:Amazon.com: How to be The Startup Hero: A Guide and Textbook for Entrepreneurs and Aspiring Entrepreneurs eBook : Draper, Tim: Kindle Store The World Economic Forum CoinDesk.com-Consensus is where experts convene to talk about the ideas shaping our digital future. Join developers, investors, founders, brands, policymakers and more in Austin, Texas from May 29-31. The tenth annual Consensus is curated by CoinDesk to feature the industry's most sought-after speakers, unparalleled networking opportunities and unforgettable experiences. Take 15% off registration with the code MRP15. Register now at consensus.coindesk.com-Money Reimagined has been produced and edited by senior producer Michele Musso and our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “The News Tonight ” by Shimmer. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Billionaire venture capitalist Tim Draper has doubled down on his Bitcoin price prediction for the king crypto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump's victory over Nikki Haley in the New Hampshire primary made two things clear: The MAGA wing of the G.O.P. is ready for his coronation, while anti-Trump Republicans believe the race is far from over.From inside Trump's victory party on Tuesday night, we hear from supporters of the former president and from the stars of his orbit, who see themselves as being on the verge of “obliterating the establishment.” And from Tim Draper, a billionaire venture capitalist who is backing Haley.Do you have a question about the 2024 election? We want to hear from you. Fill out this form or email us a voice memo at therunup@nytimes.com

Billionaire Tim Draper in a new interviews shares that he believes Bitcoin will hit the $250,000 per coin sometime in 2024. He also notes that he believes once BTC hits the $250,000 price level, it will continue to rise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices