Jordan sits down with Dylan Patel, Founder and Chief Analyst at SemiAnalysis, a research and consulting firm specializing in semiconductor and other AI-infrastructure related research. Dylan started SemiAnalysis in 2020 and has built the business from a solo venture into a cohesive, highly focused team of more than 30 researchers.

In this conversation, Dylan shares his version of AI Infrastructure for Dummies, how he runs his research firm differently, and how China is dominating the robotics and industrial supply chains.

Follow Jordan on X: @jrwolfe

Links to Dylan’s Work:

• SemiAnalysis Website
• SemiAnalysis Robotics Report: America’s Missing New Labor Economy – Robotics Pt. 1
• Follow Dylan on X: @dylan522p

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:12 What Is A Semiconductor And Why It Is So Important

04:09 Understanding AI Infrastructure Stack

09:20 Is AI Progress Really Moving That Fast?

13:35 How SemiAnalysis Organizes Its Research Team

19:12 SemiAnalysis Origins And Recent Developments

23:59 Using AI In Their Own Processes

25:58 Entering An AI-First World

29:20 Why China Is Winning The Robotics Race

35:45 Industrial Policy And Supply Chain Challenges

41:55 Training Data For Robotics and The Coming Flywheel

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Jordan Wolfe sits down with Jeff Epstein, a serial software entrepreneur with deep experience in the affiliate and referral marketing worlds. From building poker affiliate networks in college to starting and exiting Ambassador, a B2B referral software company, Jeff shares his insights on affiliate and referral programs.

🔗 Follow Jordan on X: https://x.com/jrwolfe

👉Links to Jeff’s Work:

- Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-epstein-15a397239/

- Follow Jeff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeff_epstein

- Jeff’s current company: https://onboard.io/

- Learn more about Ambassador: https://getambassador.com/

👉 Key Influences & Resources Mentioned:

- Jordan Wolfe: https://x.com/jrwolfe

- Jensen Huang Interview: https://youtu.be/y6NfxiemvHg?si=55b4OtEUoEYaj2XJ

- Packy McCormick on AI and distribution: https://youtu.be/qkPRRRiBqyY?si=9ZHVyTqVmXMx_1rM

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

03:40 Building An Online Poker Affiliate Network

09:42 Insights From The Poker Experience

12:56 Birth Of Ambassador And Referral Software

15:54 Referrals vs Affiliates

21:54 Referral Strategies For Startups vs Corporates

27:04 Biggest Mistakes Companies Make With Referral Programs

28:35 Incentive Structures

30:50 Cash vs Status vs Emotional Rewards

34:20 The Evolution Of Referral Programs

36:10 Software Saturation And Commoditization

41:47 Navigating The Sale Of Ambassador

43:19 Building OnBoard: Lessons From COVID

45:55 Value Of Accelerator Programs

48:03 Importance Of Early Customer Feedback

51:01 Abundance vs Scarcity: Silicon Valley vs Europe

55:35 Rapid Fire: Influences, Podcasts, And More

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Jordan sits down with Stefano Bernardi, founder and general partner at Unruly Capital. Unruly is an early-stage venture capital fund investing in what seems crazy today and normal tomorrow. Stefano has an entire investment thesis around the decentralization of the real world. We don’t need to say much more than that…Enjoy!

Follow Jordan on X: https://x.com/jrwolfe

Links to Stefano’s Work:

• Stefano’s Decentralization Investment Thesis: https://blog.unrulycap.com/the-decentralization-of-the-real-world
• Unruly Capital – Portfolio Dashboard

• Follow Stefano on X: @stefanobernardi
• Follow Stefano on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanobernardi/
• Contact: [email protected]

Key Influences and Resources Mentioned:

• Bitcoin White Paper by Satoshi Nakamoto: https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf
• Satoshi Nakamoto, Creator of Bitcoin and the Bitcoin white paper
• Vitalik Buterin, Co-founder of Ethereum: @VitalikButerin

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:43 Why Decentralization Is The Only Path Forward For Humans

03:34 Historical Perspectives On Centralization

05:29 Bitcoin Whitepaper And Its Impact

08:23 The Environmental Case For Decentralization

11:58 Investing In Decentralized Solutions

19:56 Fiat Food And The Future Of Food Systems

26:14 The Cycle Of Centralization And Decentralization

29:52 Personal Views On Technology And Freedom

34:01 Intro To Unruly Capital

37:46 Investing Landscape: Europe vs. US

43:30 Zurich Is Becoming A Center Of Gravity For Robotics

45:22 Transparency In Venture Capital

51:04 Why Stefano Is Doing This Work

53:55 Rapid Fire: Influences, Podcasts, And More

Subscribe & Follow:

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Listen on Spotify – https://spoti.fi/3SjDliK

Listen on Apple Podcasts – https://apple_GoingDirect/3EOYsqa

Jordan Wolfe sits down with Josef Chen, founder & CEO of Kaikaku for an in-depth conversation on AI, robotics, and the future of restaurants. They dig into how disconnection and loneliness is our generation’s Black Death, what Josef is building, vertical-integration, and how a restaurant with a one-way mirror serves as his living laboratory.

Go eat at Common Room, Kaikaku’s 1st restaurant - https://www.eatcommonroom.com/Follow Jordan on X: https://x.com/jrwolfe

🔗 Follow Josef & Kaikaku:

• Josef on X: https://x.com/joseflchen

• Josef’s writing: https://josef.cn/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josef-chen/
• Kaikaku: https://kaikaku.ai

👉 Key Influences and Resources Mentioned:

• Josef Article: Alone Together: Disconnection Is Our Generation’s Black Death, https://josef.cn/blog/black-death
• Tai Lin, Managing Partner, Proterra Asia https://www.linkedin.com/in/taiclin/
• Podcast: Jack Altman’s New Podcast, Uncapped, https://open.spotify.com/show/25TNLkL7z6ogeWxchpRt17?si=4cc366c0307c446a

Resources listed in Josef’s essay:

• Social regulation of gene expression in human leukocytes: https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/gb-2007-8-9-r189
• Loneliness Matters: A Theoretical and Empirical Review of Consequences and Mechanisms: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/45283426_Loneliness_Matters_A_Theoretical_and_Empirical_Review_of_Consequences_and_Mechanisms

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:06 Disconnection Is Our Generation’s Black Death

06:03 The Role of Food In Human Connection

06:56 Meaning Of Kaikaku

08:55 Living Laboratory Restaurant: Common Room

14:35 Fast Iteration Cycles Are Difference Between Life And Death

15:57 Vision For A Fully-Integrated Food Tech System

19:19 HPP Technology

20:37 Future of Automation in Restaurants

24:24 Importance of Fast Iteration Cycles

27:04 Team Behind Kaikaku

28:41 Definition Of A "Business in a Box”

31:22 Private Equity’s Impact On Hospitality

34:00 Robotics Ecosystems and Talent

39:14 Josef’s Personal Journey and Cultural Influences

45:49 Advice For Aspiring Robotics Enthusiasts

47:47 People And Resources That Influence Josef

52:31 Where To Find Josef

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💡 Subscribe to learn how we can use technology to build a decentralized real economy and make commerce more human.

Jordan Wolfe sits down with Megan Lightcap and Yoni Rechtman from Slow Ventures for a deep dive into how the creator economy is intersecting with small businesses and real-world entrepreneurship.

Megan shares Slow’s unique approach to investing in creators at the holding company level. She explains why the long tail of the creator economy matters and how Slow backs creator-entrepreneurs.

Yoni talks about his thesis on long-tail, real-world entrepreneurship, and how Slow is building a portfolio of vertically integrated companies that are enabling the next-generation of small businesses.

Follow Jordan on X: https://x.com/jrwolfe

🔗 Follow Megan & Yoni:

Megan on X: @mmlightcap

Yoni on X: @yrechtman

Slow Ventures: https://slow.co/

Yoni’s Substack: https://99d.substack.com/.

People and Resources that influence Megan:

Glow with Ava: @glowwithava

Podcast: The Art of Accomplishment by Joe Hudson and Brett Kistler - https://open.spotify.com/show/6MjoHFfLmNgo0Msais7IJ2?si=283f71bd3eb84ffc

People and Resources that influence Yoni:

Megan Lightcap: @mmlightcap

Podcast: House of R by The Ringer https://open.spotify.com/show/4GyqecnSWZxUGNEUqJNNT7?si=71d4db3c11e14ed6

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:02 What is a Creator?

03:23 The Power of the Long Tail in the Creator Economy

05:18 Coordinating the Creator Economy

10:22 Trends Coming Together to Create a Bi-Modal Economy

14:43 Slow Ventures SMB Investment Thesis

19:11 Slow Ventures Creator Fund

21:10 Is Private Equity Killing the American Dream?

27:28 Problem with Gig Work

30:04 Investing in Creator Holding Companies

33:39 Are there Limited Opportunities with the Creator Fund Model?

35:52 Building Creator Ecosystems

39:18 Some Slow Venture SMB Investments

41:11 Tech-Enabled Buyouts

45:49 Slow Ventures Investment Criteria

46:58 Megan's Underlying Motivations

51:13 Yoni's Underlying Motivations

54:46 People and Resources that Influence Megan and Yoni

59:22 Where to Find Megan and Yoni

💡 Subscribe to learn more how we can use technology to build a decentralized real economy and make commerce more human

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🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-direct-conversations/id1800505663

Jordan Wolfe sits down with Eileen Galván, a content creator and creative lead behind the editing team at Going Direct. In this candid conversation, they explore the complex relationship between Gen Z and overconsumption, the paradox of being hyper-aware yet hyper-influenced, and what it means to build in public with authenticity.

Eileen shares her perspective growing up in rural Mexico, navigating the pressures of social media, and the cultural differences between the U.S., Mexico, and Europe.

🔗 Follow Eileen:

TikTok : @eileengalvanca

Instagram : @eileengalvanca

Marketing agency: @eileen&co

Follow Jordan on X: https://x.com/jrwolfe

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:56 Meet Eileen – Creator & Entrepreneur

04:07 The Overconsumption Dilemma of Gen-Z

06:26 Social Media Influence on Consumption

09:58 Cultural Differences in Consumption: US vs. Mexico

11:33 Gen-Z and the Race Against Time

12:18 The $20 Strawberry Phenomenon

19:14 Complexity of Conscious Consumption

20:55 Gen-Z Paradox: Overconsumption vs. Environmental Awareness

25:08 Local vs. Global Consumption Patterns

27:37 Cultural Insights: Mexico vs. US vs. Europe

34:12 Consumption Similarities between Mexico and the US

35:02 Work Culture: Mexicans vs Americans

38:01 Future of Conscious Consumption

41:55 Gen Z Craves Authenticity

42:55 Where to find Eileen

💡 Subscribe to explore how we can reconnect consumption with production and build a more decentralized real economy.

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Jordan sits down with Rafik Kheffache, founder of Heliosand (https://heliosand.com/), a French start-up using concentrated solar power to transform industrial waste into usable construction materials.

Rafik explains how his team is building massive solar furnaces capable of reaching 4,000°C to melt mud and toxic waste into glass-like rock, and why this breakthrough could disrupt cement production—the most carbon-intensive industry on Earth.

Follow Rafik on X: @KheffacheR62805

Follow Jordan on X: @jrwolfe

Links to Learn More:

Heliosand: https://heliosand.com/

Reach out to Rafik on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafik-kheffache-4a32a08b/

Resources:

📖 Michael Faraday: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Faraday

🎧 Recent Podcast: Joe Rogan Experience w/ Elon Musk (on Tesla): https://youtu.be/sSOxPJD-VNo?si=uZormfJir3FR9S1E

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:14 What Is Concentrated Solar Power?

04:09 Difference Between CSP and Traditional Solar Panels

07:23 Challenges With Centralized Production

09:32 The Real Problem in Solar Industry

12:21 Rafik's Journey Into CSP

14:29 Artist Who Made a 3D Printer from Desert Sand

18:27 Heliosand: Melting Things With Solar Energy

22:35 Rafik Operates Right In The Middle Of Trash, Waste, Construction

25:20 Corruption In The Waste Industry

27:01 Understanding the Waste Management Landscape

30:18 Innovative Solutions for Industrial Waste

34:33 Transforming Mud into Valuable Resources

39:03 Elon Musk And Ancient Theories

40:02 Heliosand Customers

43:36 Rafik’s Vision For The Future

46:58 Creating Market-Based Solutions for Circular Economy

49:09 Rafik’s Inspiration: Michael Faraday

50:07 Last Podcast Rafik Listened To

50:46 Where to Find Rafik

Subscribe to learn more about peoples and technologies working to change our systems of production.

• Join our newsletter: https://goingdirect.beehiiv.com
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Jordan sits down with Khaled Al Mezayen, founder and CEO of Inovaya (https://inovaya.com/en/), a French start-up focused on decentralized water treatment. They dive deep into one of the world’s most overlooked, but vital topics: water.

Khaled breaks down how water cycles work, why our current centralized water systems are broken, how treating water as an “infinite utility” is coming to an end, and why decentralized, on-site treatment is the future. Khaled shares how his personal story—from growing up with limited water access in Syria to becoming a pharmacist inspired him to start Inovaya.

Follow Khaled on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/khaled-al-mezayen-75391331/

Follow Jordan on X - https://x.com/jrwolfe

Links to Learn More:

Inovaya Website – https://www.inovaya.com/

Khaled's Influences & Recommendations:

• Jean-Marc Jancovici : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-marc-jancovici/
• Book by Dennis Meadows : Limits to Growth
• Podcast: 50 States : https://open.spotify.com/show/2ZQ7aoNwthPykcLaDNH1Q9?si=dc3027cd65bf4945

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

02:01 Inside The Water Cycle

06:01 Big vs Small Water cycle

07:54 Understanding Groundwater

11:21 Where Your Tap Water Comes From

15:06 Gray Water vs. Dark Water

18:02 Industrial Water Treatment

20:30 The Fundamental Problem With How We Treat Water

22:03 Inovaya's Decentralized Water Treatment Systems

26:36 Where Inovaya Plays In The Water Industry

29:23 Inovaya Is A Vertical Integrator

32:09 ROI Can Be As Short As 5 Days

36:27 Importance Of Water Resiliency

38:40 Khaled’s Journey: From Syria To France

43:28 The Future Of Water Management

45:13 Why Centralization of Water Treatment Is Not Scalable?

48:13 Who Inspires Khaled & What He’s Listening To

52:12 Where To Find Khaled

💡 Subscribe to learn how technology can decentralize the real economy and bring us back to the source.

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Jordan Wolfe sits down with Ed Mehr, founder and CEO of Machina Labs to explore how America can truly reinvent manufacturing. The key question Ed and his team at Machina are trying to answer with their Robotics Craftsman Platform:

Can you build a factory that doesn’t need to change every time you change the product?

Ed is rethinking manufacturing from the ground up. One that is much more decentralized and done in a way we America can invent their own game vs trying to compete with China in the existing one.

Follow Ed on X - @EdwardMehr

Follow Jordan on X - @jrwolfe

Other Places to Find Ed:

Machina Labs - https://machinalabs.ai/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-mehr/

Resources mentioned:

Recent book - Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins and Shobo GenzoRecent podcast/video - Sandy Munro and Elon MuskSomeone than inspires him - Elon Musk

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:33 The Core Problem With Manufacturing Today

05:26 Importance Of Fast Iteration Cycles

08:21 Need for a Multi-Planetary Species

12:46 Dreaming Big And The Human Spirit of Exploration

15:28 The Different Mindset Between the US and Europe

15:58 Introducing the Robotic Blacksmith Army

18:40 Why Machina Is Starting With Sheet Metal?

21:58 Where Is Machina Labs Now?

23:44 Long-Term Vision For Machina Labs

27:12 Current Production Capacity of Machina Labs

28:42 Machina’s Tech Stack

30:19 Ed’s Background And Journey That Led To Machina

33:35 Rethinking Manufacturing in the US

37:29 Importance Of Meeting The Market Where It’s At

39:53 Vertical Integration In Manufacturing

43:36 Current Customers

47:04 Government's Role In Revitalizing Manufacturing

49:59 Importance Of Robotics Foundational Models

54:49 Ed’s View On Humanoid Robots

57:53 Inspiration from the Past: Craftsmanship and Decentralized Production

01:00:33 Going Direct Rapid Fire

01:01:54 Elon Musk: The Unlikely Mentor for America

01:03:34 Where to Find Ed

Socials:

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Jordan Wolfe has a conversation with Oliver Beavers, founder of Phosphor, to explore the complex world of project finance and next-gen infrastructure development.

Oliver shares insights on the challenges of project financing for next-gen infrastructure and why the true bottleneck isn't capital—it’s the ability to organize large amounts of information and communicate projects properly to investors. He breaks down what he is working on at Phosphor to help solve the information problem in infrastructure and vision for standardizing the project finance industry.

Follow Oliver on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverbeavers/

Follow Oliver on X - https://x.com/oliverbeavers

Follow Jordan on X - https://x.com/jrwolfe

Resources:

For more information on Phosphor: https://phosphor.co/

Last book Oliver Read: Alchemy of Air

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:20 Understanding Infrastructure As An Asset Class

05:02 Breaking Down the Key Players In Project Finance

08:45 Financing Structures In Infrastructure

11:10 Project Finance vs. Real Estate: Key Differences

12:49 Disconnect Between Capital And Projects

14:41 The $10 Trillion Infrastructure Opportunity

15:55 Why Capital Isn’t The Problem

20:23 Navigating First-of-a-Kind Project Financing

22:23 How to Pitch Infrastructure Projects to Investors

28:09 What Oliver Is Building At Phosphor

31:36 Lessons from Financial History: Reduce Information Costs And Markets Explode

36:31 Why The Financial Model Is The Source Of Truth In Infrastructure

38:52 Phosphor's Vision: Standardize Project Financing For Next-Gen Infrastructure

41:49 Future of Project Financing & Standardization

49:34 Where to Find Oliver & Phosphor

📢 Subscribe to learn more about how people are using technology to enable a decentralized real economy!

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