Smart Friends

Links:

Andrew on Twitter

Andrew’s Substack

The AI Salon

Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital by Carlota Perez

Topics:

(00:00:00) Eric welcomes you to the episode

(00:03:20) The rocketing popularity of superconductors

(00:05:28) The LK-99 Superconductor Breakthrough

(00:19:44) How to commercialize room-temp superconductors

(00:25:36) The value of superconductors and their impact

(00:34:16) When will Nuclear Fusion produce energy? 

(00:52:08) The overlap of engineering and science

(00:57:48) Understanding the physics behind economics

(01:03:53) How technology breakthroughs affect civilization 

(01:13:16) Predicting second-order economic effects from introducing this technology, punctuated equilibrium & 

(01:18:00) Crazy biotech breakthroughs

(01:21:47) How much of a breakthrough in the superconductor do we actually have?

(01:27:15) Where to get more of Andrew Cote

Researchers have spent their entire careers researching room-temperature Superconductors. It’s one of the Holy Grails of material science. About a week ago, two papers were published simultaneously claiming a breakthrough – actual Room-Temperature Superconducting Materials, created in a lab in Korea.

There seems to be big drama between the scientists. A nobel prize may be at stake. Or even scientific immortality. It’s not the main story and there are many unconfirmed details, I won’t go into it here, but @8teAPi is basically live-tweeting an HBO series so follow them for that angle. 

We might be one week into a MASSIVE change in humanity, seeing the first ripples of a coming tidal wave. 

Now, RIGHT now, there are thousands of scientists all over the world working frantically to reprocuce these results, confirm theory, run simulations, and improve methodologies. It is INCREDIBLE to see the scientific base of humanity from all over the world rise as one and tackle this opportunity. Feel like a scene from a Michael Bay movie, but nerdier.

Here is what they’re working on…

Superconductors are materials with zero electrical resistance. Normally, when energy moves between sources (an outlet to a phone battery), or over distance (through wires and power lines) there is loss of energy. Some estimates of that loss between generation and end user are 66%!! With zero resistance transmission materials, there could be near-zero loss of energy. Cost of energy could fall by one-third JUST by improving transmission. That would be great – and just the beginning.

I’m sure this description would make a Physics PhD cringe, but hey it’s my first week.

The problem is so far all of our superconductors only work at insanely cold temperatures. Those are complex and expensive to maintain, so superconductors have only been used very rarely in special circumstances to date.

Superconductors that work at room temperature would be an enormous breakthrough, making them less finnicky and cheaper to operate. We could put superconducting materials many more places like power lines, wires, computers, transportation, etc. 

Why is everyone SO DAMN EXCITED about the impact of room-temperature superconductors? So glad you asked…

“If successful LK-99 would be a watershed moment for humanity easily on-par with invention of the transistor. Overnight, we revolutionize all of electronics and energy.”

-Andrew Cote

To support this podcast:

>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter

>> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/

>> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun

>> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage

>> Text the podcast to a friend

>> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners!

Links:

Center for Growth and Opportunity

Where’s my Flying Car by J. Storrs Hall

Eli on Twitter

Eli’s Substack

Ethan on Twitter

Ouros Energy

Episode #32 of Smart Friends: book recap of Where’s My Flying Car?

Episode #34 of Smart Friends w/ J. Storrs Hall

Episode #58 of Smart Friends w/ Brett Kugelmass

Timestamps:

(00:04:09) Eli Dourado & Ethan Loosbrock’s backgrounds

(00:05:53) Impact of Next-Gen Batteries on the future: Flying Cars, EVTOL Jets, Electric Vehicles, AR Contact Lenses, Off-Grid Power, and more.

(00:10:51) Lithium-Ion Battery’s role in sustainable energy

(00:11:52) Higher Energy density is the key metric for battery quality

(00:27:18) Why Ethan Loosbrock devoted his life to battery technology

(00:30:55) How Ethan Loosbrock and Eli Dourado met and worked together 

(00:33:32) What needs to happen to change the world through batteries

(00:43:02) Starting Ouros Energy, the Standard Oil of Batteries

To support the costs of producing this podcast:

>> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/

>> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage

>> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun

>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter

>> Text the podcast to a friend

>> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners!

Links:

David on Twitter

Mitchell on Twitter

Founders Podcast

Stuff mentioned:

Jocko Go Drink

Capital Camp

People mentioned:

Jeremy Giffon on Twitter

Brent Beshore on Twitter

Clayton Dorge - CEO of Capital Camp

Books mentioned:

Setting the Table by Danny Meyer

Becoming Trader Joe by Joe Coulombe

In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules by Stacy Perman

Sam Walton: Made in America

The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert Caro

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

Creative Selection: Inside Apple’s Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs by Ken Kocienda

Podcasts mentioned:

Jocko Podcast

Modern Wisdom w/ Chris Williamson

Founders episode 305 - Robert Caro

Invest like the Best w/ Sam Hinkie 

Smart Friends - Kevin Espiritu

Invest like the Best with Peter Chernin

Acquired - Louis Vuitton

Audience of one with Jeremy Giffon

Infinite Loops: Billy Oppenheimer

Timestamps

(00:04:09) David & Jocko Go: a Love Story

(00:15:49) Recapping Capital Camp

(00:40:35) The power of audio & writing, Sam Hinkie, Podcast recommendations

(00:50:37) Finding conviction in your career pursuits

(00:56:58) The opportunity for niche businesses

(01:06:29) Power Leaking & the HoldCo phenomenon

(01:21:47) Favorite moments from Capital Camp

(02:00:49) The power of taste

(02:09:23) The Climb and the Summit

To support the costs of producing this podcast: 

>> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ 

>> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage 

>> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun

>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter

>> Text the podcast to a friend

>> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners!

Links

Epic Gardening

Kevin Espiritu on YouTube

Creator Capitalists post from Eric

Kevin’s first appearance on Smart Friends

Scribemedia.com/consult

Timestamps

(00:04:23) Kevin’s career leading to content

(00:14:00) What did raising capital unlock for you?

(00:20:36) Attaching a dollar value to your niche

(00:27:08) What is your high-leverage work today?

(00:28:24) What do you see for Epic Gardening over the next 10 years?

(00:29:43) What other places can this playbook work?

(00:37:29) Being *good* on every platform

(00:39:00) Not thinking about “Marketing”

(00:40:41) Is it easier to start with media and attach commerce after?

(00:46:52) The importance of authenticity

(00:53:55) Q&A

(01:03:00) Wrap up

To support the costs of producing this podcast: 

>> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ 

>> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage 

>> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun

>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter

>> Text the podcast to a friend

>> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners!

Topics:

(00:04:26) - Who are your influences?

(00:08:57) - When Facts Expire: The Half-life of Knowledge

(00:22:57) - The Playbook behind Boston Dynamics and DeepMind 

(00:28:36) - Research Orgs other than Academia, Govt, and Industry

(00:31:00) - DARPA and Speculative Technologies

(00:39:08) - Ink & Switch

(00:41:13) - Challenges of University Tech Transfer Offices

(00:47:42) - Transforming the future of Education 

(00:52:20) - Using AI tools in day-to-day life

(00:55:40) - Sam’s job at Lux Capital

(00:58:07) - Overperforming and Underperforming Technologies

(01:02:33) - What mental models do you use most frequently?

(01:03:45) - How to corner the market on a high-tech skillset

(01:05:40) - Industries you’re watching that no one else is paying attention to? 

(01:07:41) - Sci-Fi book recommendations

Links for more on Sam:

Sam on Tedx: The Half-Life of Facts

Sam’s books

Sam’s Website

Companies Mentioned:

Boston Dynamics

DeepMind

DARPA

Speculative Technologies

The Foresight Institute

Books Mentioned:

Why Greatness Cannot be Planned by Ken Stanley

The Three-Body Problem Trilogy by Cixin Liu

Neal Stephenson Books

Culture series by Iain Banks

Babel by R. F Kuang

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Don Swanson - Undiscovered Public Knowledge

To support the costs of producing this podcast: 

>> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ 

>> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage 

>> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun

>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter

>> Text the podcast to a friend

>> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners!

Links:

David on Twitter

Mitchell on Twitter

Founders Podcast

Invest like the best

How to Take Over the World

Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire

Joe Lonsdale - Lessons from Peter Thiel

Topics:

(5:51) - David’s dinner with Charlie Munger

(29:33) - The power of Podcasting, Chris Powers, and innovation

(36:21) - How to make a successful Podcast

(47:42) - The Scarcity of GREAT ideas

(55:30) - Self-funding businesses and the philosophy behind Venture Capital

(1:14:27) - Mitchell’s new business

(1:55:53) - Travel plans, meet-ups and live events!

To support the costs of producing this podcast: 

>> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ 

>> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage 

>> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun

>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter

>> Text the podcast to a friend

>> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners! 

Links:

XBE

Sean on Twitter & LinkedIn

ChatGPT

ChatGPT-4

BarelyKnown.com

OpenAI

CoPilot

Ben’s Bites newsletter

BaeKayla.com

Support our Sponsor:

Bread: https://www.madebybread.com/

Topics:

(5:04) - Setting the stage: Sean’s company & programming background

(20:38) - Part 1: Individual Contributor AI Applications: ChatGPT 4

(44:23) - Part 2: Product Improvement AI Applications

(1:11:40) - Part 3: Organizational expectations post-implementation

(1:21:26) - What resources would you recommend for people to learn more about AI tools?

(1:22:55) - How do you view the landscape of your company given the advancement of AI?

(1:26:50) - Will this cause margins to increase?

(1:30:21) - How do you feel about the potential risks of AI?

(1:36:14) - How helpful was your technical background in implementing AI?

(1:39:24) - Where can people find you online?

(1:40:07) - IF YOU ARE AN ELIGIBLE BACHELOR SEEKING A SMART & ENERGETIC WOMAN, LISTEN TO THIS SECTION

To support the costs of producing this podcast: 

>> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ 

>> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage 

>> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun

>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter

>> Text the podcast to a friend

>> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners!

Topics:

(4:21) - Introducing Omar & Zach (nerds)

(5:30) - Why will Web3 data take 100% of the market?

(7:22) - What are data flows?

(14:40) - Does the whole world need to be on Web3 to execute your vision?

(18:02) - Is there a gamification to this whole approach?

(25:05) - Are you seeing finance being the first industry to adopt Web3 Data flows?

(34:29) - CryptoPoops.com (Finest shit on the internet)

(36:02) - Being able to verify truth at any point

(44:59) - The history of HTTPS

(47:41) - The SVB crisis, wire transfers & chainalysis

(50:09) - Can we implement something like Weavechain without replacing the skeleton of the current financial system?

(1:01:15) - Distribution in Web3/Crypto & how Weavechain works in pharma and insurance

(1:14:49) - Decentralized Science

(1:17:35) - What is the 50-year vision for Weavechain?

(1:25:42) - Who are the best people for you to talk to regarding Weavechain?

Support our Sponsor:

madebybread.com

Links:

Weavechain

Omar on Twitter & LinkedIn

Zach on Twitter & LinkedIn

For Fintechsake Podcast

Money20/20 

To support the costs of producing this podcast: 

>> Buy a copy of the Navalmanack: www.navalmanack.com/ 

>> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage 

>> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun

>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter

>> Text the podcast to a friend

>> Give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners 

Helpful Links:

The Rolling Fun(d)

Al on Twitter

Bo on LinkedIn

Matt Loszak on Twitter

Midjourney

ChatGPT

Portfolio companies Mentioned:

FasterBetter

Solve.io

Sponsors:

Athena: Get a free first month (Worth $3k!) when you sign up with my code: athenago.me/eric-jorgenson

Listen and Learn more about Athena here: Creative EA Delegation with Athena on the Podcast

Topics:

(3:49) - Life Updates: Buying a cow, Sous Vide Bacon, and Eric’s book

(13:44) - Faster Better & Athena

(24:03) - Aalo Atomics (our first Nuclear company!!)

(33:25) - Solve Data, The Brain for Ecommerce Cos

(41:10) - Current fundraising environment & Artificial Intelligence

(52:02) - Portfolio Updates 

(1:01:02) - Growth of the fund

To support the costs of producing this podcast: 

>> Buy a copy of the Navalmanack: www.navalmanack.com/ 

>> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage 

>> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun

>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter

>> Text the podcast to a friend

>> Give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners

Links:

Bret Kugelmass on LinkedIn

Last Energy

Titans of Nuclear Podcast

Energy Impact Podcast

Marc Andreesen regulatory capture podcast episode

The Energy Impact Center

Decouple Podcast

Invest your money alongside ours in high-tech, high-growth startups: Rolling.fun 

Rolling Fun Podcast episodes:

Rolling Fun Ep. 1

Rolling Fun Ep. 2

Rolling Fun Ep. 3

Rolling Fun Ep. 4

Sponsors:

Athena: Get a free first month (Worth $3k!) when you sign up with my code: athenago.me/eric-jorgenson

Listen and Learn more about Athena here: Creative EA Delegation with Athena on the Podcast

Topics:

(5:42) - “The more nuclear meltdowns, the better!”

(11:06) - Working with regulators on nuclear fission

(12:10) - Making regulation capability a competitive advantage in nuclear

(16:09) - Bret’s previous startup (drones)

(22:14) - Starting The Titans of Nuclear Podcast

(24:41) - The process of learning a new industry

(26:27) - Factions inside the nuclear industry?

(27:52) - Nuclear evangelist Dr. Chris Keefer

(29:46) - How did you form Last Energy’s strategy?

(37:26) - Avoiding supply chain risks in nuclear

(42:59) - Perceptions vs realities of nuclear waste, and Cognitive Biases

(44:29) - Public Opinion is more and more pro-nuclear

(49:16) - How do you see the next 50 years playing out for the Energy sector?

(51:42) - Renewables are fine, Nuclear is magic

(54:14) - The beauty of Nuclear

(55:37) - Hiring people without a background in nuclear industry

To support the costs of producing this podcast: 

>> Buy a copy of the Navalmanack: www.navalmanack.com/ 

>> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage 

>> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun

>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter

>> Text the podcast to a friend

>> Give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners