4min chapter

#635: Jason Calacanis on Brooklyn Grit, Big Asks, Angel Investing (Uber, Calm, Robinhood, and more), The Magic of Thinking Big, and St*bbing People in the Face but Never in the Back

The Tim Ferriss Show

notes

CHAPTER

Is Your Dad a Tax Collector?

When Tim was 18, his dad had a bar in Bayridge, Brooklyn. He says the mafia, Hells Angels and Wall Street people all hung out there. The tax authorities threatened to arrest him if he didn't pay up. His mom worked at an ER where she cleaned blood off the floor from brawls or fights.

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Transcript

Episode notes

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Jason Calacanis (@jason) has invested in more than 300 startups in the past decade (Uber, Calm, Robinhood, and more), was Sequoia Capital's first Scout, and is the author of the book ANGEL. He also hosts two podcasts, This Week in Startups and All-In.

Please enjoy!

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[05:39] Why is this only the first time Jason’s been on the show?

[06:37] Never underestimate the power of checklists.

[08:56] How Jason’s young life was steeped in blood and taxes.

[11:57] How Jason entered the world of entrepreneurship.

[29:32] What happened when Jason got fired from his own company.

[34:05] Orchestrating a comeback the very next day.

[37:49] The Mercury Club that never was.

[41:37] The origin of “Calacanis.”

[43:01] Building a blogging empire.

[48:36] Finding blog writers.

[52:51] Planning events and making memories.

[58:39] Friendship, loyalty, and collaboration with close friends.