New Frontier

Brian Streem joins Patrick Blumenthal (@PatrickJBlum) to discuss building his startup in Ukraine and his thoughts on the conflict. Some highlights:

• Brian's company Vermeer and its vision-based navigation system for GPS-denied environments
• Brian's journey from film production and drone cinematography to defense technology
• The impact of Russian electronic warfare on GPS-dependent systems
• Why Brian decided to move to Ukraine to work on the ground
• The challenges and opportunities of developing defense technology in an active war zone
• Differences between US and Ukrainian defense tech entrepreneurs
• The balance between innovation and immediate battlefield needs in Ukraine
• Brian's perspective on the importance of the Ukraine conflict and its global implications

• Do we already live in an Age of Superabundance?
• Are the values of the Enlightenment getting stronger or weaker?
• Why do we still have so many dormers?
• Why is doomerism seemingly so embraced by elites?
• The power of Malthusian ideas
• Is underpopulation an existential risk?
• Can technology save us from underpopulation?
• What causes resource curses?
• Will we have civilizational collapses in our lifetime?
• How fragile is the world today?
• Are we actually in a Great Stagnation?
• The usefulness of Time Prices
• Should we pause AI?
• Which countries is Marian bullish/bearish on?

• What Bilal looks for in a founder as a Lux GP
• What makes a great DefenseTech founder?
• How does DoD view Silicon Valley?
• Is DefenseTech in a bubble?
• Immigrant Founders in the Tech Ecosystem
• Tech’s Responsibility to Society
• Should we be pessimistic or optimistic about the world right now?
• Is AI headed towards regulatory capture?
• How Media isn’t actually against Tech
• Bilal’s Request for Startups

• Is AI going to kill us? Is AI going to take all of our jobs and cause massive inequality? Is it going to destroy truth?
• Is it better to be a tech incumbent or a startup right now?
• Is the future of software one-time-use?
• What are the consequences of negative mainstream media coverage of AI?
• Will model interpretability increase or decrease over time?
• Will AI be subject to regulatory capture? Will it be over regulated?
• What would the civilizational consequences of an AI ban be?
• What are the realistic trade offs of AI? What turmoil will it cause?
• How should DC approach regulating AI?
• What is the optimistic vision for AI?
• Is China ahead or behind the US in AI progress?
• How should people prepare themselves for AI?

• How Did Bill Predict SVB’s Collapse?
• His Other Bets and What Happens Next?
• Who Is at Fault for SVB’s Collapse? SVB? The Fed? VCs?
• The Impact of Passive Investing and Woke Capital on the Investment Landscape
• What Are the Lessons for Entrepreneurs and Regulators?
• Should Depositors Lose Their Money?
• Are We Learning Our Lessons from Crises?
• Should the Fed Continue Rate Hikes?
• How Should We Invest in the Current Climate? What’s Safe?
• Growing Tensions with China
• What Would Bill Do If He Was Starting His Career out Today?"