From Philosophy to Venture Capital: An Unconventional Journey

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The speaker shares their unique background in philosophy before becoming a venture capitalist, discussing their experience working with Peter Thiel and their involvement with the Thiel Fellowship. They also reflect on their unconventional path to working in Silicon Valley and offer humorous advice on how to get a job in venture capital.

Robert Leonard chats with Michael Gibson about the Thiel Fellowship, what it is and how it came to be, some of the most successful companies to come out of it, his firm 1517, startup investing, Luminar, and much, much more!

Michael Gibson is the founder of the venture capital firm 1517, one of the minds behind the Thiel Fellowship, and most recently, the author of Paper Belt on Fire.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

00:00 - Intro.

04:35 - The story of how he met Peter Thiel and started the Thiel Fellowship.

15:56 - Why he left the Thiel Fellowship to start his own venture fund, 1517?

27:10 - The flaws with the current education system and how we can create more effective alternatives for young people interested in entrepreneurship.

31:41 - Some of his most successful investments at 1517, such as Luminar and Loom.

59:46 - His thoughts on Luminar, the the role he thinks the company can have in the future of autonomous driving.

*Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences.

BOOKS AND RESOURCES

Join the exclusive TIP Mastermind Community to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Kyle and the other community members.
Check out: 1517 Fund.
Check out: Paper Belt on Fire: How Renegade Investors Sparked a Revolt Against the University.

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