What if the world’s most connected tech investor handed you his mental playbook? Elad Gil, an investor behind Airbnb, Stripe, Coinbase and Anduril, flips conventional wisdom on its head and prioritizes market opportunities over founders. Elad decodes why innovation has clustered geographically throughout history, from Renaissance Florence to Silicon Valley, where today 25% of global tech wealth is created. We get into why he believes AI is dramatically under-hyped and still under-appreciated, why remote work hampers innovation, and the self-inflicted wounds that he's seen kill most startups.  

This is a masterclass in pattern recognition from one of tech's most consistent and accurate forecasters, revealing the counterintuitive principles behind identifying world-changing ideas. 

Disclaimer: This episode was recorded in January. The pace of AI development is staggering, and some of what we discussed has already evolved. But the mental models Elad shares about strategy, judgment, and high-agency thinking are timeless and will remain relevant for years to come.

Approximate timestamps: Subject to variation due to dynamically inserted ads.

(2:13) - Investing in Startups

SHOPIFY: Upgrade your business and get the same checkout I use. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/knowledgeproject

NORDVPN: To get the best discount off your NordVPN plan go to nordvpn.com/KNOWLEDGEPROJECT. Our link will also give you 4 extra months on the 2-year plan. There's no risk with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee!

Newsletter - The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠

Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠ and get your own private feed.

Watch on YouTube: ⁠@tkppodcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices