In this episode of Escape Velocity, Anand Iyer shares his extensive journey from Microsoft to becoming a venture capitalist, discussing the evolving landscape of AI and its impact on startups. 

He emphasizes the importance of understanding market trends, the risks of the current AI bubble, and the significance of founder dynamics in early-stage investments. Our conversation also explores the intersection of AI and crypto, the potential of Web3 technologies, and the challenges of finding product-market fit in this rapidly changing environment.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Escape Velocity

01:00 Anand Iyer's Journey in Tech and Venture Capital

03:30 The Role of Experience in Venture Capital

06:09 AI's Impact on Startup Operations and Investing

09:54 Identifying Bubble Behavior in AI Investing

12:45 Navigating a Chaotic Investment Environment

16:49 Common Mistakes Founders Make in Their First Year

20:49 The Importance of Hiring in Startups

22:55 The Intersection of AI and Crypto

23:17 The Current Landscape of AI and Crypto

29:01 Evaluating Virtuals and AI Agents

33:45 Web3's Potential in AI

41:49 Investment Insights in AI Companies

46:05 Recommendations for Books and Media

Links:

- Anand's X profile: https://x.com/ai

- Anand's Website: https://www.anandiyer.com/ 

- Book: Who is Michael Ovitz: https://www.amazon.sg/Who-Michael-Ovitz-Powerful-Hollywood/dp/0753553384

Check out Teng Yan and CK's stuff:

- Chain of Thought Research: https://chainofthought.xyz

- Tensorplex Labs: https://www.tensorplex.ai/

#ai #investing #crypto #startups

Join us on Escape Velocity as Teng Yan, founder of Chain of Thought Research, and CK, founder of Tensorplex Labs, welcome a truly sharp mind to the show: Fiskantes, CIO at Sigil Fund and Partner at Zee Prime Capital. Known for his uncanny ability to spot emerging trends and make early, successful bets on companies like Nvidia and Palantir, Fiskantes shares his extraordinary journey from paper trading stocks as an 18-year-old law student to becoming a professional poker player, and eventually managing substantial crypto funds.

In this captivating episode, Fiskantes unveils his unique investment philosophy across both AI and crypto. Discover his strategy for identifying "undisputed market leaders" in the AI hardware space, and how he leverages AI daily, not just for professional insights but also for practical personal applications in health and fitness. Get ready for a candid discussion on AI's true impact on investing—from its current limitations in crypto research to its potential to replace junior analysts, and why he believes AI will amplify, not replace, human ingenuity in the long run.

Fiskantes also offers his nuanced perspective on the intertwined fates of AI and crypto, explaining why he leans bullish on their synergistic relationship despite short-term capital flow challenges. He shares powerful contrarian views, including why the hype around AI trading bots might be "misplaced and overrated", why AI-driven entertainment is a significant, if "dark," area for investment, and why AI-focused cybersecurity represents a crucial, yet underlooked, investment opportunity.

Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting out, Fiskantes' "words of wisdom" provide invaluable guidance: emphasizing the critical importance of "general trend timing", navigating the current landscape for new entrants, and perhaps most uniquely, the essential skill of learning to "prompt AI well" to unlock its true potential. Don't miss this insightful conversation that charts the next trajectories in the dynamic worlds of AI and crypto!

Timeline:

• 00:00 Welcome to Escape Velocity & Guest Introduction
• 01:27 Fiskantes' Unconventional Path: From Law to Poker to Crypto Investing
• 04:15 Identifying Market Leaders: Fiskantes' Early AI Stock Investments in Nvidia, ASML, TSMC, AMD, and Palantir
• 09:30 Evolving AI Usage: From Entertainment to Professional Tools, and its Limitations in Crypto Research
• 13:45 AI's Practical Applications in Personal Health, Diet, Fitness, and Risk Management
• 17:30 The Future of Investing: How AI Reshapes Human Edge Across Different Time Horizons
• 22:00 The AI Boom's Net Effect on Crypto: Bullish Synergies vs. Zero-Sum Competition
• 26:45 Capital Flows: Crypto vs. Equity Markets and the "Winners Keep Winning" Dynamic
• 32:30 Navigating the AI/Crypto Intersection: Identifying Substance Amidst the Noise
• 38:15 Contrarian Views: The Misplaced Hype of AI Trading Bots, the Rise of AI Entertainment, and the Untapped Potential of AI Cybersecurity
• 43:00 Words of Wisdom for New Investors: The Importance of Trend Timing, Learning to Prompt AI, and Embracing Luck

In this episode of Escape Velocity, CK and Teng Yan dive into Meta's ambitious push into superintelligence, explore XAI's bold $10 billion bet and the release of Grok 4, and analyze Tesla's robotaxi launch and its implications for autonomous driving. They also discuss Apple's strategic shift toward partnering with OpenAI and Anthropic, instead of developing in-house AI models. Additionally, they cover recent intriguing AI developments, including China's autonomous soccer tournament, Claude’s experimental vending machine, and SoftBank’s futuristic Crystal Land mega-hub proposal.Timeline:01:27 Meta’s Superintelligence and Talent War09:50 Discussing True Intelligence in AI Models12:29 AI's Impact on Labor and Economy19:30 XAI's $10 Billion Fundraise and Grok 426:33 Apple's AI Strategy Shift33:07 Tesla's Robotaxi Launch38:48 China's Autonomous Soccer Tournament40:41 Claude’s Autonomous Vending Machine Experiment43:03 SoftBank's Crystal Land AI Mega-hub

In this episode of Escape Velocity, CK and Teng Yan discuss key AI announcements from Google I.O. 2025 and Anthropic's Claude 4.0, unpack OpenAI's ambitious move into hardware, explore the UAE's strategic collaboration with OpenAI, and tackle the pressing question of AI-driven job displacement. Plus, they look into the exciting possibilities of decentralized AI training and its implications for the future of work.

Timeline: 00:07 Introduction to Escape Velocity
00:50 Google I.O. 2025 Highlights
04:42 Google's AI Integration Strategy
10:17 OpenAI's Strategic Moves
15:27 The Future of AI Devices
22:14 Anthropic's Claude and AI Job Market
28:27 The Impact of AI on Employment
34:00 UAE's AI Initiatives
42:48 Decentralized AI Training

Follow us on X: x.com/EscapeVPod