Low Level Barbarians (LLB)

Will SORA kill your AI startup ambitions? Are we on the cusp of AGI? We discuss these topics and much more. Along with updates on SORA and Gemini 1.5, we'll explore which types of companies and industries are vulnerable and which are more defensible. Our second major topic revolves around Temu and their Super Bowl ads. We'll take a deeper look at their business model and compare them to Walmart, the dollar store, and Costco.

*Note: Jianggan's cat ripped out his lan cable half way through so we are stuck with the low quality recording :(

raw transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/KkjFpJ7iGNQ

substack: https://llbpod.substack.com/p/e35-sora-temu

00:00 Intro

00:21 Brief Update On Jianggan's Chinese New Year's Trip to China

02:33 The Setup For Sora (Startup Killer and AGI)

05:08 Speed of AI Development Is Undeniable

07:27 Navigating the AI Space As A Startup

10:38 Porn Industry Is Defensibility vs A.I?

11:21 Content Generation & Content Platforms In An AI World

16:45 Which Startups Will Sora / OpenAi Kill Now

19:05 What Will It Take To Survive As An AI Startup

21:48 Do You Need Deep Technical Knowledge To Build An A.I. Startup?

24:49 Do You Need To Be An AI Visionary?

28:50 Biggest Winners of AI Thus Far

30:55 AI Will Create New Realities

34:46 Artificial Starch

37:48 Temu Superbowl Ads

38:29 Does Temu Deserve Hate?

41:46 How Does Temu Work? Online Dollar Store or Online More Efficient Walmart?

52:01 What Is Costco's Magic Formula?

01:01:36 The Indonesian Elections

01:03:09 Why Should We Care?

01:03:39 Rise of Austronesian Dominance?

All things come back to land. What are the fundamental underpinnings of what is driving land value in the US? How does the evolution of e-commerce affect land. US commercial real estate land fundamentals vs Southeast Asia land fundamentals. Other interesting topics include, the right way to Live Sell, Myth of Palm Oil margins, effects of climate change on land value, the A.I. Sex Robots are taking over, and Grab's new advertising model.

All content is for informational purposes of a general nature only, and does not address any circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Do not construe any such information or material as legal, tax, investment, financial, professional or any other advice.

Raw Transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/myS0NhrpM9uc

Hosts:

Alex Le (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderle/),

Dave Chang (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidqchang/)

Andrew G ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewgntm/)

Joon Chan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joonchan/)

00:00 Intro

01:49 Is Land The Best Thing You Can Invest In?

04:46 Unpacking Dave's Thesis Around "Land" (Industrial Real Estate - MidWest USA)

07:15 Fundamental Underpinnings To Dave's Thesis

11:04 The Macro Of US Industrial Real Estate

14:13 The Big Vision

19:58 Industrial Distribution Real-Estate Thesis in SEA

20:53 E-commerce/Live Selling Fundamental Drivers to Industrial Real Estate

28:44 Fundamental Underpinnings For SEA

31:00 The Right Way To Live Sell

34:11 China Influencers vs SEA Influences

38:53 How To Approach Live Selling Today

44:32 Myth Of Palm Oil Margins

46:56 Effects Of Climate Change On Land and Immigration

56:29 The Pragmatic Case Of Illegal Immigrants

01:07:23 Apple Vision Pro

01:08:05 A.I. Sex Robots Are The Future

01:11:50 Societal pain point of A.I. Sex Robots

01:14:15 Land or Sex Robots?

01:22:15 Co-Pilot and LLMs

01:26:57 Grab's New Advertising Model

01:34:02 Outro

This episode covers three main topics. Trump, The Future of Vietnam and The Food Delivery Ecosystem in Southeast Asia 2024.

E:33 a comprehensive discussion revolving around Donald Trump's possible re-election and what it may mean for Vietnam. The results of the upcoming U.S. election could affect various aspects of the global economy, specifically focusing on countries in Southeast Asia. The Barbies also discuss the influence of respective political systems, economic policies, and geopolitical factors of countries, as they explore the dynamics of global trade relations, sovereign wealth funds, and investment climates. The second topic, "The Future of Vietnam" discusses the growth prospects and challenges of Vietnam, spurred by shifts in manufacturing sectors and influenced by China's economic policies. The hosts also touch on various other subjects including the U.S. Presidential election process, political communications, and media consumption.

Host:s Lê Th Minh, Tăng Khánh Tuấn, Lý Giang Can, Trương Kỳ ;-)

Raw Transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/9L45dPNZNBh

Articles Mentioned: https://llbpod.substack.com/p/topics-for-week-5-2024

Substack: https://llbpod.substack.com/p/e33-trump-future-of-vietnam

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:15 You Should Care About Trump

08:38 Does The Environment Make The Man Or The Man Make The Environment

16:31 The Hysteria Around Trump

20:51 Can you Separate The Man From The Politician?

23:48 The Most Morally Wrong Thing A President Can Do

24:58 Can you Attack Trump's Character?

29:50 The Mess Of The Democrats

38:42 The Impact of Trump's Second Term

43:42 If Jianggan & Joon Were American Who Would They Vote For?

45:42 The Future of Vietnam

49:07 China + 1 Thesis

51:25 Corruption As A Tax vs A Benefit

52:28 Political Continuity & Succession

54:44 Energy Security + High Income Potential

57:54 The South "China" Sea

01:05:47 Food Delivery Ecosystem 2024

01:07:24 Who is Buying Food Panda

01:15:16 Pre-Show Talk - SPACs

01:16:15 Help Dave Get A Job

E:32 takes a deep dive into the dynamic world of venture capital in Southeast Asia, examining the future of billion-dollar industries including digital banking and the rapidly growing electric vehicle market. We also explore the intricacies of the US industrial real estate sector and speculate on where the next 100 billion dollars will be invested in Asia. We then delve into an in-depth analysis of China's economic landscape, as we debate the bull and bear cases, shedding light on market growth, technological advancements, and geopolitical nuances. Additionally, we unpack the complex philosophy of monopolies and their global impact. Finally, join us for a critical discussion on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), as we dissect the balance between equal opportunities and outcomes. Understand the multifaceted implications of DEI in both Western and Asian contexts and how it shapes business, societal norms, and diversity efforts across industries

Raw Transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/0ovafvRPYDF

Substack: https://llbpod.substack.com/p/e32

Timestamps:

0:00 E:32 VC Dynamics | SEA Billion-$ Trends | China: Bull vs Bear | Monopoly Philosophy & DEI Debate

01:22 Dave's Perspective From Raising Money From Family Offices And LPs

08:26 The Change From VC Momentum Trading to Investing

13:15 DPI for Southeast Asia

15:34 Identifying Southeast Asia's Next $10 Billion Business Opportunities

17:53 Who Is The Leader In Digital Banking

24:12 Forecasting the $100 Billion Surge in Electric Vehicle Market

24:49 Bull Vs Bear Case For China

32:46 Philosophy Of Monopolies - West Vs East

51:47 DEI (Equal Opportunities vs Equal Outcomes)

58:45 Momentum Works Is 85% Female

01:01:36 Implications of DEI

01:03:14 How Did We Get Here With DEI?

01:07:55 Equal Opportunity vs Equal Outcome - Malaysia vs Singapore

01:11:43 Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect

01:13:25 Modern Critical Thinking & Journalism

01:20:48 Practice DEI Pragmatically

01:22:33 Pre-Show Talk

LLB this week discusses diverse topics surrounding key global issues. Starting off with sweeping views on China market trends and the population decline, Alex, Jianggan and Joon provide a comprehensive discussion on the potential implication. They also explore the controversial topic of a possible China war over Taiwan. The conversation further digs deep into the challenges with parenting and decisions around having more children in today’s world. Adding to the mix is a thought-provoking discourse on education policy internationally, standardized testing, and what 'equal opportunities' vs 'equal outcomes' might mean for future societies. Whether you're interested in geopolitics, education policy, or societal trends, this episode has something for you.

substack: https://llbpod.substack.com/p/e31

China Market Outlook 2024

Global Population Decline

Considering a War over Taiwan?

Choosing to Have Children

Education policy in Focus

Equal Opportunities vs Equal Outcomes

00:00 Intro

01:52 China Outlook 2024

05:04 Ronnie Chieng Distraction

06:36 Strong Domestic Consumption & Tourism

09:59 Joon's Personal View on China Growth

11:15 Chinese Business Owner Perspective

13:45 Global Population Decline

21:30 Immigration As A Balance To Population Decline

24:05 Can Technology Fix Population Decline

26:59 What Would It Take For YOU To Have More Kids

32:32 Can Population Growth Be Forced?

34:13 Education System China Vs US

44:01 Is Customized Education Scalable

46:29 European Vs American Education System Styles

52:20 The Case A China Taiwan War

01:08:22 Is Liberalism Leading to Socialism

01:12:55 Equal opportunity vs Equal Outcome

Bestie Barby, Joon Chan Join E:30 this week. The future of e-commerce and global politics. The discussions navigate through live selling on platforms like TikTok, exploring the revolution it brings to user shopping experience and the opportunities it presents to entrepreneurs. It delves into the political dynamics between China, Taiwan, and the U.S, with insights into the recent Taiwan elections and foreign relations. In addition, it debates the effects of electoral changes on global relations, Chinese tourism policy, and the surge of younger leaders worldwide. All aboard the choo-choo trains. High-speed railway in Southeast Asia is growing. The effects are profound on real estate, transport and business, and how infrastructure can foster peace amid global conflicts. Apologies for the low quality, Joon's mic got cut half way through but luckily the cloud recording saved the content. Next week we aim for high quality!

SubStack: https://llbpod.substack.com/p/e30

0:00 E:30 - TikTok Live Selling Deep Dive, Taiwan Elections Implications, Forgotten Ukraine & More

01:58 Government Controls vs. Personal Freedom - Vaping in Singapore/Vaping in China

05:56 Personal Up & Work Update for 2024 From Jianggan & Joon

08:57 TikTok Shop & Live Selling - Evolution of E-commerce

25:04 New Music Paradigm of Distribution

30:05 New Paradigm for Scaling Startups via Content

30:55 Shoppe, Lazada, and Live Selling

41:26 Is TikTok Leap Frogging Business Models Like Home Depot For Asia

44:30 Taiwan Election - What is Going On? What Are The Implications?

56:21 Implications of Taiwan Election - China response, US response

01:04:44 Chinese Tourism Loosens. Who Benefits?

01:07:55 France Paves Way For Next Generation Po liticans

01:12:36 Where is the Ukaine War Heading

01:19:11 High Speed Choo Choo Trains Coming to Southeast Asia

01:32:12 Pre-Show Talk Continued - Joon's First Child

01:34:11 Pizza in KL

This is the last recorded episode of 2023. A retrospective as we move forward into 2024. Jianggan was late to the party so Dave generously updated us on the state of commercial and industrial real estate in the US. It was clear that there was lots of risk off in 2023 and raising capital was much harder to raise. Jianggan joins the conversations about US debt, along with a take on Modern Monetary Theory. Hind sight 20/20 Dave made a fantastic call to hold onto Nvida stock from May last year. Lastly Dave and Alex hash out the state of China. Apologies for the quality,  @Descript  editing kept corrupting the high quality files unfortunately.

Accompanying Substack: https://llbpod.substack.com/p/e29-last-ep-of-2023

00:00 Dave's Personal Update - Commercial and Industrial Real Estate In The US

09:16 Regional US Bank Collapse of 2023

15:36 Intro

18:22 US Debt 2023

21:52 Modern Monetary Theory

24:18 MMT and China

27:32 Inflation 2023

33:16 Japan & Debt Historically

41:27 Succession Finale

43:26 Hollywood Writers Strike

45:30 Racoon Cat

46:42 Nvida Stock

50:04 Update on Alex and Andrew

53:07 Thoughts on the state of China

01:07:34 The Rest of Dave's US Trip

First episode of 2024. After a long hiatus Alex and Jianggan catch up. We have a short personal updated followed by the state of Chinese Tourism, the general economic outlook for 2024 and the nature of looming uncertainties. Towards the end we dig deep into the state of E-commerce and what is going on behind the Lazada layoffs. Tune in to hear it all!

Accompanying SubStack - https://bit.ly/LLBE28SubStack

Timestamps:

0:00 E27: Personal Updates, Outlook for 2024, Lazada Layoffs, State of E-commerce, Long Term Thinking & Clarity

00:24 Personal Update Reflections 2023

05:08 Chinese Tourism Into 2024

10:38 Outlook for 2024

16:05 Second Order Effects of Uncertainty

17:38 Hidden Global Risk in Asia For 2024

21:14 Where Are We Business-wise For 2024

27:25 State Of E-commerce & Lazada Layoffs

33:45 Lazada Layoffs Growing Pains? Or Failed Chinese Expansion?

38:29 Super Apps, still super?

41:44 Temu Outlook 2024

51:35 Innovation Outlook for E-commerce

52:01 Live Shopping

53:49 Long Term Thinking & Clarity

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:16 High Level Update Of Where We Are with AI

29:23 Brief On Unsupervised Reinforcement Learning

33:21 The Inherent Dangerous Without AI Alignment

E26: Another test run for the new studio. Joon Chan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joonchan/), has been living a quieter life since his venture building days. He stopped by the studio and shared his thoughts on Geopolitics in the context of countries aligning East vs West and the impacts on Southeast Asia. Joon also briefly gives some insights into Gdex’s diversification plans, the latest happenings in the Palm Oil Industry in 2023,  if it's possible to make money crypto trading, and his thoughts on how useful AI can or cannot be. 

 

00:00 Intro

00:27 Against the Mainstream Geopolitics 

02:56 Nord Stream

14:47 Nature of Malaysian/SEA geopolitics.

16:13 Building Business and Investing Along Geopolitics

22:19 Southeast Asia Beneficiary of Volatility

24:50 Gdex Moving Beyond Logistics

26:44 Palm Oil Industry 2023 and Innovations

32:51 Crypto Trading

36:55 What To Do With AI