Austin Next

Nothing motivates a parent to action like a sick child, and for the Andrews family, words like no and impossible became mere roadblocks on their journey to help their kids. Our guests, Pam and Chris Andrews, founders of the Firefly Fund, turned their battle with their daughters' rare genetic disorder into a mission to revolutionize rare disease research and treatment here in Austin and beyond.

Episode Highlights

• Firefly Fund's Origin
• Establishing a Rare Disease Center at UT Dell Medical School 
• Navigating the Diagnostic Odyssey
• Interplay of Tech Innovation and New Business Models in Healthcare
• Downstream Effects of Rare Disease Advancements
• What's Next, Austin?
  • Pam Andrews: "Let's see how the intersection of technology and healthcare really can transform healthcare because I think that rare disease can light the way and inform the way that we do precision medicine for generations to come. So that's what we want through the Center for Rare Disease here in Austin is for it to evolve and unfold in a partnership with the rare disease community."
  • Chris Andrews: "My dream is that when people think of Austin, they'll think of the University of Texas, they'll think of barbecue, but they also will think of a place where people work to save lives."

Firefly Fund: Website, Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn

-------------------
Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn

Angel investors are supposed to descend and bring early grace to startups but the reality of angel investing is much more complicated and complex. From individual big-check writers to small investors to organized groups, the will, experience, and dynamics vary widely.  Katie Russel (Central Texas Angel Network), Hall Martin (Ten Capital), and James Burkett (NuFund) join us to explore angel investing evolution and the state of Austin's scene. 

Episode Highlights

• Defining an Angel
• Angel Investing Intersections with the Ecosystem
• Dynamics of Individual Investors, Small Syndicates, and Angel Networks
• Where is Expertise in Verticals, Investing, and Startups
• Contrarian vs Consensus Decision Making in Angel Investing
• SAFE vs Convertible Note Debate 
• Austin's Angel Scene, its Evolution, and Challenges
• What's Next, Austin?
  • Katie Russel: "Making sure that Texas based startups have access to angel level capital and that investors, if they want to get involved in early stage investing, they know how to get involved and where to go"
  • Hall Martin: "Life science and deep tech...Austin's right there with the Bits and Atoms"
  • James Burkett: "Continue to do what defines Austin as a city. It's been really good at blazing its own trail in a number of unique industries and just because it's not something that someone in Sand Hill Road wants to fund doesn't mean it's the wrong thing to be building. And have conviction in that."

Katie Russel: LinkedIn, Central Texas Angel Network (CTAN)
Hall Martin: Ten Capital Group, Startup Funding Espresso, Investor Connect
James Burkett: LinkedIn, NuFund, Florin Digital

-------------------
Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn

Are we overlooking the most powerful model of intelligence we have  in our race to create smarter machines,  the human mind?  Peter Voss, CEO and Chief Scientist of Aigo.ai, coined the term "Artificial General Intelligence" (AGI) and brings decades of experience in AI research and development. We explore Peter's vision and challenge the current consensus path we are on.

Episode Highlights

• Defining AGI and Its Distinctions
• Measuring Intelligence Beyond the Turing Test
• Current AI Limitations and the Need for Real-Time Learning 
• Building Cognitive AI to Mimic the Human Mind 
• The Future of AI Development in Austin
• What's Next Austin?
  • "I hope Austin becomes the center of cognitive AI and AGI"

Peter Voss: LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Aigo.AI
Concepts Is All You Need: A Direct Path to AGI
Towards Incremental Learning
Why We Don’t Have AGI Yet?
INSA – Integrated Neuro-Symbolic Architecture
Creating The Future With Artificial General Intelligence

LLMs are not the Path to AGI

-------------------
Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn

What connects the Startup Nation to the Lone Star State? We're witnessing a growing nexus that crosses tech, cultures, and economic verticals. To explore this emerging relationship, I'm joined by Tal Shmueli and Simone Ledeen from Texas Venture Partners. They're at the forefront of catalyzing this intersection between two innovative ecosystems.

Episode Highlights

• Israeli Entrepreneurs in Texas: Shared Values and Culture
• Texas Venture Partners' Thesis and Scope
• Israel's Tech Expertise and Its Fit with U.S. Defense Needs 
• Accelerating Innovation from Concept to the Battlefield
• Balancing Collaboration and Competition with Defense Primes
• Is Dual-Use a Distraction or an Opportunity?
• Austin and Texas as Emerging Hubs for Defense and Hard Tech  
• What's Next, Texas?
  • Tal Shmueli: "It's what's next for the people who are considering Texas as a home. It's not perfect, but it's pretty close to it. Let's work to make it the place we want it to be...So let's keep Texas, Texas and preserve the good."
  • Simone Ledeen: "When we look at the threats that Western civilization broadly is facing...I think this is a great place for like-minded people to be and to work on solving these problems and meeting these challenges."

Tal Shmueli: Website, LinkedIn
Simone Ledeen: Website, LinkedIn
Texas Venture Partners: Website, LinkedIn

-------------------
Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn

From wargaming to Riskgaming, what can simulations and stories teach us about the future of technology and innovation? Danny Crichton, Head of Editorial and Risk Gaming at Lux Capital, brings his unique insights from his experience in both tech journalism and venture capital.  What started as a conversation on the tech-media divide expanded to encompass human psychology and all the little details and nuances that make innovation tick.

Episode Highlights:

• The Evolution of Tech Media and VC Communication
• Building Long-Lasting Companies With and Against Hype Cycles
• What is Riskgaming?
• Real World Incentives and Human Emotion in Decision Making
• Complexity vs Functionality in Modern Tech
• Ecosystem First Principles 
• What's Next?
  • "I have been really obsessed with xenotransplantation...Technology exists to potentially give them organs in relatively short order. And to me, it's sort of a national priority to move that very, very quickly, to make that happen fast. We've had the first successful cases. And so the ability to potentially save hundreds of thousands of lives in the next decade."

Hacking Primordial Soups
 
Danny Crichton: Website, Articles, X/Twitter, LinkedIn
Lux Capital: Website, X/Twitter, LinkedIn
Riskgaming: Website, Podcast

-------------------
Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn

Is venture capital on the cusp of a data-driven revolution? Gopinath Sundaramurthy, Founder & Head of Data Science at Ensemble VC, believes AI and advanced analytics are reshaping how VCs identify and support promising startups. From transforming deal pipelines to finding diamonds in the rough around the globe, we explore what this new era will mean for venture, startups, and even our own Austin backyard.

Episode Highlights:

• Ensemble VC’s Thesis
• Transforming the VC Pipeline with AI and Advanced Analytics
• Portfolio Support Using Data Science 
• Adapting VC to Global Talent and Technological Shifts 
• Austin's Unique Ecosystem and Its Role in the Future of Startups
• What’s Next, Austin?
  • “I am super pumped. I really think we are in the forefront of a very interesting evolution of the ecosystem.”

Data innovation + process innovation = top-tier VC

Gopinath Sundaramurth

Ensemble VC: Website, LinkedIn

-------------------
Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn

Can the stories we tell shape the future we build? Devon Eriksen, author of "Theft of Fire" and now Dragon Award finalist, argues that science fiction isn't just entertainment; it's a catalyst for innovation and human progress. Our narratives can be beautiful and optimistic, inspiring us to build, or ugly and pessimistic, causing us to stagnate. It's time to choose.

Episode Highlights:

• Role of Science Fiction in Shaping the Future
• Symbiotic Relationship Between Science Fiction, Engineering, and Innovation
• Changing Landscape of Publishing and Distribution
• Tensions and Connections Between the Media, Artists, and Entrepreneurs
• Asteroid Mining and the Space Industrial Revolution   
• What's Next?
  • "What's next is a choice. Humanity has a choice between sabotaging this new wave of innovation with the political process or benefiting from it and inheriting the stars."

Devon Eriksen: Website, X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
Theft of Fire, Theft of Fire Audiobook Kickstarter

-------------------
Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn

Evan Loomis, partner at Overmatch Ventures and co-founder of ICON, exemplifies Austin's entrepreneurial spirit in tackling audacious challenges. From revolutionizing construction to investing in frontier technologies, Evan shares his journey through Austin's rapidly evolving tech landscape and why now is the moment for critical tech. We don't shy away from some of the contentious issues arising from Austin's transformation. 

Episode Highlights

• Introduction and Background of ICON
• Difference Between 3D Printing and Construction Robotics
• Cultural Dynamics of Innovation in Austin and Texas
• Investment Thesis of Overmatch Ventures
• Surge of Deep Tech and Critical Tech
• Technoeconomic Competition and World Order
• Contrarian Investing and Venture Capital
• The Pain Threshold of Founders
• Current Austin Ecosystem Vibe
• What's Next Austin?
  • "I think Austin is going to be the center of America for working on the hardest problems, period."

Evan Loomis, Overmatch Ventures, Icon

-------------------
Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn

Can a city’s food scene serve as a catalyst for connection, creativity, and innovation? Grace Chow, Co-Founder & CEO of Austin-based Lobos Hospitality, joins me to share her insights from food scenes across the US, and her in-the-trenches view from building three distinctive Austin restaurants: Toasty Badger, Manny's, and the Powder Room.

Episode Highlights

• The State of the Austin Food Scene
• Balancing Local Sourcing, Trends, and Concept Authenticity
• Crafting Distinctive Dining Experiences
• What Austin Needs for a Vibrant Hospitality Industry
• How Restaurants Intersect with Other Sectors 
• The Impact of Tech on the Restaurant Industry 
• Restaurants as Potential Third Places in Austin 
• What's Next, Austin?
  • "I think just everybody kind of becoming a little bit nerdier about food and a little bit nerdy about restaurants."

Grace Chow, Lobos Hospitality 

-------------------
Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn

Promising startups often fail despite following best practices, while rule-breakers and those running through chaos can achieve massive success. Why? Mike Maples Jr, Founding Partner at Floodgate, tackles this paradox in his book "Pattern Breakers." We discuss his Inflection Theory, why some pivots work and others don't, unexpected inspirations like Lord of the Rings, and explore the nature of breakthrough innovation and startups. 

Episode Highlights

• The genesis of Mike Maples' new book "Pattern Breakers" originated from his realization that over 80% of his exit profits came from startups that had pivoted significantly from their original ideas, leading him down the rabbit hole of why.
• Business is never a fair fight, and the key is deciding who gets to fight unfair; startups create value by changing the subject and denying the premise of existing rules.
• Inflection theory shows how breakthrough startups harness powerful technological or societal inflection points, combine them with founders' non-obvious insights, and then build movements around new ideas that fundamentally change how things are done. 
• Living in the future to develop non-obvious insights is crucial for breakthrough startups, and founder-future fit is key to understanding what makes the right team that can turn that future vision into reality. 
• What's Next?
  • "I like to ask myself is in what world will certain types of cognition become asymptotically free and where, how will that shift power dynamics?... My instinct is it won't be the same way that the big companies of today monetize it. And my instinct is that an era of mass cognition will shift the balance of power in some very profound ways."

Mike Maples Jr: X/Twitter, LinkedIn
Pattern Breakers: Book, Podcast, Newsletter
Floodgate: Website, X/Twitter, LinkedIn

-------------------
Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn