Inside the AI Feedback Loop: Nvidia, OpenAI, and the Bubble Building Itself
Run the Numbers
Hiring Surge and Sourcing Tactics
CJ explains his EA hiring experience, the flood of applicants, and standout outreach tactics that won interviews.
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In this episode of Mostly Growth, CJ Gustafson, Kyle Poyar, and Ben Hillman dive into the question on everyone’s mind: are we in an AI bubble? What starts as a lighthearted riff on the U.S. Postal Service launching a podcast quickly spirals into a sharp, funny breakdown of today’s AI hype cycle — from Nvidia, OpenAI, and AMD trading money and GPUs in a trillion-dollar feedback loop, to startups burning cash chasing “AI-powered” everything. The trio share real examples of when AI helps and when it backfires (including one newsletter that totally tanked), debate whether companies are over-optimizing for automation, and laugh through the absurdity of the hype while grounding it in practical insights on product, finance, and growth.
Timestamps:
00:00 Preview and Intro
00:14 Are We in an AI Bubble?
00:44 The AI Feedback Loop: Nvidia, OpenAI, and AMD
01:00 Perplexity, We Caught You (Again)
02:18 The USPS Podcast and the End of Original Ideas
04:24 How the Team Actually Uses AI at Work
06:07 CJ’s DIY Dunning Saga
08:38 When Automation Goes Too Far
10:49 The Perplexity Gaslight Moment
13:27 AI vs. AI: Outsmarting Resume Screeners
16:09 What Recruiters Really Think of AI Resumes
17:17 The Chief of Staff Hiring Story
19:15 Is AI Adoption Already Slowing Down?
22:42 The “Crossing the Chasm” Moment for AI Tools
26:22 Bundling AI Like Streaming Services
28:49 Everyone’s Paying Everyone: The Circular AI Economy
31:15 Betting Big on AGI and Data Centers
34:09 The Margin: AI Erotica and Peak Absurdity
35:23 OpenAI’s Token Leaderboard and Other Blunders
41:43 What Kyle Tried This Week: Building an AI Agent
44:52 Wrap-Up and Outro
Episodes Referenced:
5,762 Job Applications. Zero Offers.
Episodes Referenced:
5,762 Job Applications. Zero Offers.
Why Only 2% of Startups Make It
The War for Talent is just getting started | Joe Floyd
Links:
https://usps-mailin-it.simplecast.com/
https://i.imgflip.com/a92oy5.jpg
https://tabs.inc/webinar/tabs-agent
https://substack.com/home/post/p-175615945
https://ramp.com/data/ai-index?utm_source=econlab.substack.com
https://medium.com/@samuelvandeth/crossing-the-chasm-162802d1cf27
https://x.com/TrungTPhan/status/1922669292929024017/photo/1
https://x.com/zerohedge/status/1977902195472322620?s=42
https://topline.beehiiv.com/p/the-era-of-haves-and-have-nots
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpd2qv58yl5o
https://fortune.com/2025/10/01/red-lobster-ceo-damola-adamolekun-comeback-plan-bankruptcy/
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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com
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