In this episode, I interview Dr. Jessica Wade who is a physicist and material scientist at Imperial College in London. We discuss her research on polymer organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and talk about Raman spectroscopy. 

Raman spectroscopy is a vibrational spectroscopy technique that studies the vibrations of molecules by shining a laser on them. This technique provides valuable information about the chemical composition and structure of materials. Dr. Wade also discusses her work on chiral materials, circular polarization, and chiral optical technologies. 

She explains that chiral materials have a non-superimposable mirror image and can be used to emit and detect circularly polarized light. Additionally, she talks about the potential of room temperature solutions for quantum computing and the challenges and opportunities in the field of material science. 

Alongside quantum science, we cover the importance of diversity in science and venture capital, the need for better collaboration between academia and business, and the role of policy in supporting innovation. We also discuss the work Dr Wade has done writing Wikipedia biographies for underrepresented scientists and the impact it has had. 

Overall, the conversation highlights the potential of disruptive technologies and the importance of creating a more inclusive and supportive ecosystem for innovation.

Key Topics

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Jessica Wade and Raman Spectroscopy

02:09 Understanding Raman Spectroscopy and its Applications

06:32 Exploring Chiral Materials and Circular Polarization

12:38 The Potential of Room Temperature Solutions for Quantum Computing

38:10 Quantum Processing and Disruptive Technologies

39:06 The Power of Diversity in Science and Venture Capital

40:29 Innovation in Characterization and Materials

41:56 Quantum's Impact on Academia and Interdisciplinary Collaboration

44:44 Enhanced Conductivity and Unique Lighting Technology

56:56 Recognizing Underrepresented Scientists Through Wikipedia

01:07:44 Bridging the Gap Between Academia and Business

01:09:11 The Role of Policy in Supporting Innovation

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Rayyan Zafar, a scientist at Imperial College London who is researching how psychedelic therapy can be used to treat behavioral addictions such as gambling, alcoholism and opiate use.

We take a journey through the history of psychedelic research, talking about how they have been historically maligned and the potential that psychedelic therapy has for treating mental health disorders. Dr Zafar explains the role of Neuropsychopharmacology in studying the effects of drugs on the brain and how psychedelics work on the brain's neurochemistry. The conversation covers the classification of drugs, the addictiveness of different substances, and the safety profile of psychedelics compared to other drugs. 

Dr. Zafar also highlights groundbreaking research on psychedelic therapy for treatment-resistant depression and the potential that they  psychedelics have to revolutionise  mental health treatment.  By disrupting neurophysiological pathways associated with mental health disorders and introduce entropy in the brain, psychadelics can open a window of opportunity for relearning and adapting to better ways of thinking. 

We talk about the Entropic Brain theory which outlines how psychedelics can put the brain into a state of greater plasticity so that established thought patterns can be remoulded and reset the brain in order to change the way we think. Research has shown that psychedelics are highly effective in dealing with treatment-resistant depression and addiction-related disorders. 

We also talk about the commercial potential for the psychedelic pharmaceutical sector as well as the use of biomarkers, brain scanning, and AI to rive the selection of Psychotherapeutic packages and treatments.  We finish by talking about how brain computer interfaces (BCIs) have the potential to revolutionize treatment delivery and improve diagnostics in psychiatry and addiction.

Key Topics

00:00 Introduction to Psychedelic Therapy

09:29 The Safety and Addictiveness of Psychedelics

28:10 The Neurochemistry of Psychedelics

35:44 The Future of Psychedelic Therapy

41:01 Psychedelics and the Brain: Disrupting Neurophysiological Pathways

45:19 Psychedelics in the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders

48:40 The Growing Psychedelic Pharmaceutical Sector

01:00:38 Advancements in Biomarkers, Brain Scanning, and AI

01:09:28 The Future of Treatment Delivery and Diagnostics: Brain Computer Interfaces

In Episode 4, my guest is Adeo Ressi, a legendary figure in the Silicon Valley tech industry and startup world. He is the co-founder and Chairman of the Founder Institute, an early-stage startup accelerator. He is also the founder and CEO of VC Lab, an accelerator for Venture Capital Firms.

He’s a good friend of Elon Musk's - they shared a house at University together and is incredibly well connected with Silicon Valley VC's, Investors, Entrepreneurs and other influential figures in the startup world.

In this episode, we start by talking about the upsides and downsides of public profile. We then talk about Adeo's  early experiences and concerns about the world, including the Cold War and the power of centralized media. He explains how this led him to develop his first internet based business.

We get into his mission to transform the world of venture capital and startup investment, starting with his efforts to address the imbalance of power between investors and entrepreneurs. This led him to create The Funded, a site where entrepreneurs could rate venture capital investors. This helped to stamp out unethical practices in the Venture Capital industry.

His involvement with The Funded led to a realisation that many entrepreneurs needed help to develop venture-fundable businesses. He attacked this problem by creating the Founder Institute, a pre-seed startup accelerator. We discuss the challenges faced by startups and the venture capital industry and touch on the importance of technology and innovation in creating positive change and solving global problems.

The conversation then turns to how the friendship between Adeo and Elon Musk developed, their early entrepreneurial ventures, their shared vision for human colonization of Mars and how Adeo and Elon's collaboration led to the creation of SpaceX.

We then move to the sense of urgency that Adeo has in taking action to solve the world's problems - best summed up by the following excerpt from our conversation  "We have to literally like burn the ships, burn the bridges, right? Salt the earth. We need to just take action. If the world's on fire, drop what you're doing and run and put it out".

We close by talking about how we can all make a difference by replacing our current practices with more sustainable alternatives.

Key Topics

00:00 Introduction to Adeo Ressi

08:03 The Power of Entrepreneurship and the Internet

29:01 The Creation of The Funded

37:02 The Power of Technology and Innovation in Creating Positive Change

52:45 The Friendship and Shared Vision of Evan Maindonald and Elon Musk

01:03:53 Urgency of Taking Action to Address Environmental Issues

In this episode, I interview Gabriel Jarroson, a prolific investor and partner in his own Venture Capital fund, Lobster Capital.

Gabriel shares his journey from being an entrepreneur to becoming an investor. He started running social media and website development businesses at University, but decided to move on. He moved to China and started investing in tech startups while running an e-learning content producer business.

Upon returning to France, he started a syndicate to invest with friends and acquaintances. In 2017, he started a YouTube channel to share his expertise and investment experiences and has grown it to over 40,000 subscribers. This became a key acquisition channel for the syndicate.

He started to monetise his syndicate by charging 500 euros per year and initially faced resistance . However, he persisted and closed his first deal, which gave him confidence in the business. From 2017 to 2020, he invested in French startups, but then realized the best startups were in Silicon Valley and shifted his focus there.

He joined Y Combinator (YC), one of the biggest startup incubators in the world, and a number of made successful investments. He began to coach startups on how to achieve product-market fit by providing guidance on growth, customer acquisition, and value delivery.

In this conversation, we discuss Gabriel's approach to evaluating startups for investment. He emphasizes the importance of traction and repeatability in a startup's growth. He also highlights the need for a strong founding team and an unfair advantage that sets the startup apart from competitors.

Gabriel shares his experience of making mistakes in investment decisions and the importance of being open-minded. He also encourages the habit of reading non-fiction books to gain new perspectives and ideas.

Key Sections

00:00 Introduction and Background

11:14 Transition from Entrepreneurship to Investing

26:44 Becoming an Investor and Starting a Syndicate

35:54 Shifting Focus to Silicon Valley Startups

45:25 Investing in BK and Oxygen

01:01:14 Guiding Startups to Achieve Product-Market Fit

01:09:38 Factors in Investment Evaluation: Traction, Team, and Unfair Advantage

01:18:15 The Role of Unfair Advantage in Startup Success

01:27:22 The Value of Reading Non-Fiction Books

In this episode of Adventures in Venture, Milly (who I interviewed in Episode 1) interviews me.  He's much better at interviewing people and it shows!

I am an entrepreneur and the managing partner of Hyperlight Ventures. In this episode, I share my background and journey into venture capital. I discuss my experience with social media, the importance of entertaining and educating content, and leveraging social media for business.

I also talk about his upbringing, my academic parents, and the lessons I learned from being in a band. We then delve into my early interest in property investment and how I started building a property empire. I reflect on my journey from having two separate personalities in my personal and business life to merging the two and finding confidence in doing what I love.

I share my experience in property development and investment, as well as my transition to venture capital. We talk about my vision for my venture capital fund, Hyperlight Ventures, which focuses on investing in startups that create positive social and environmental impact.

Finally, we talk about my passion for wine and the joy of sharing it with friends.

Key Topics

00:00 Introduction and Background

07:02 Lessons from Being in a Band

31:52 The Confidence and Lessons from Performing

40:25 Balancing Carefree Creativity and Focused Strategy

52:00 Transition from Property to Technology and Investment

58:30 Venture Capital for Social and Environmental Impact

01:12:42 The Joy of Wine

In this first episode of Adventures in Venture, I interview Gareth Mitchell (Milly), an old friend of mine. While somewhat off the topic of Venture Capital, it is an erudite and interesting start to Adventures in Venture.

As the presenter of BBC Digital Planet for over 18 years, Milly shares his journey into the world of media and radio. He discusses his early fascination with TV shows like Tomorrow's World and his dream of working in the media. Milly got his start in student radio and fell in love with the discipline and ritual of radio production.

He describes the transformative moment of visiting a BBC radio studio at Bush House and feeling like he had found his place. Milly also reflects on the significance of the BBC as a global entity and its role in broadcasting. The conversation explores the role of broadcasting and media in shaping public opinion and combating propaganda.

We discuss the importance of the BBC World Service as an independent and trusted source of news and information. The conversation also touches on the topic of Brexit and its impact on the UK's global outlook. We delve into the field of science communication and the challenges faced by scientists in effectively communicating their work to the public. Milly knows something about this as it's what he does for a job.

We then conclude our conversation in a somewhat grand manner with a discussion on the nature of science and the potential for a unified theory of everything. A fine chat!. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Key Sections

00:00 Introduction and Background

20:22 Early Passion for Media and Broadcasting

29:18 Transformative Moment: Visiting a Radio Studio at Bush House

36:21 Reflections on the Impact of the BBC

51:20 Challenges in Science Communication

58:07 The Nature of Science and a Unified Theory of Everything

01:06:31 Advice for Those Starting in Media

01:13:37 Be Decent to People