163 Pablos Holman: Lessons from Working with Tech Titans and Mad Scientists
Mar 11, 2023
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World-renowned hacker and inventor, Pablos Holman, shares experiences working with tech giants and mad scientists. Topics include evaluating good ideas, scarcity and funding challenges for inventors, understanding human needs and limitations of technology, role of inventors and entrepreneurs, working with tech giants, philanthropy and inventions for solving human problems, admiration for Jeff and Bill, importance of experimentation, and assessing the impact and potential of nuclear energy.
Investing in deep tech is crucial for solving important problems and advancing technology.
Long-term thinking is vital for solving complex problems and creating a positive impact for future generations.
The venture capital industry needs to shift towards supporting deep tech startups to address pressing global issues.
Technology should prioritize addressing quality of life problems, not just basic physiological needs.
Consistency, running experiments, and collaboration between technologists and entrepreneurs foster serendipity and successful innovation.
Deep dives
The Importance of Investing in Deep Tech
Investing in deep tech is crucial for solving important problems and advancing technology. Deep tech refers to technological advancements that go beyond software and require advanced physics, biology, or chemistry. While there is significant funding for software-based startups, there is a lack of support for deep tech ventures. The current focus on software in the venture capital industry has steered away from technology development that is needed to address critical issues like energy, water, waste management, and education. It is essential to create an ecosystem that supports deep tech and fosters innovation in these areas.
Long-Term Thinking and Being a Better Ancestor
Long-term thinking is vital for solving complex problems and creating a positive impact for future generations. As individuals, it is important to consider the long-term consequences of our actions and strive to be better ancestors. This means taking into account the needs of future generations, finding solutions that will benefit them, and working towards a sustainable future. By looking beyond our own lifetimes and considering the well-being of future generations, we can make choices that have a lasting positive impact.
Disrupting the Venture Capital Industry
The venture capital industry is currently focused on software and is largely ignoring the potential of deep tech ventures. This narrow focus limits investment in technological advancements and solutions to pressing global issues. To address this, there needs to be a shift in the venture capital industry towards supporting deep tech startups that are working on breakthrough technologies. By investing in and supporting these ventures, we can accelerate the development and adoption of new technologies that can solve critical problems and create positive change in the world.
Focusing on Quality of Life Problems
While technology has made significant advancements in solving physical needs, such as healthcare and infrastructure, there is a need to focus on addressing quality of life problems. These include areas like mental health, relationships, creativity, and personal fulfillment. Technology should not only prioritize solving basic physiological requirements but also enhance overall well-being and happiness. By directing efforts towards quality of life problems, we can create a more holistic and fulfilling future for individuals and society as a whole.
Importance of Running Experiments for Serendipity
Consistency and running experiments play key roles in fostering serendipity. By consistently engaging in activities like having conversations, exploring different solutions, and being open to new ideas, individuals can create opportunities for serendipitous discoveries. Running experiments and testing various approaches can lead to unexpected connections and potential breakthroughs.
The Role of Entrepreneurship in Innovation
Successful innovation often relies on the collaboration between technologists and entrepreneurs. While technologists excel at inventing and developing new technologies, entrepreneurs bring the necessary business acumen to market and scale these innovations effectively. A strong partnership between the two can lead to groundbreaking advancements in various industries.
Embracing Risks and Discomfort for Growth
Embracing discomfort and taking risks is crucial for personal and professional growth. Being open to new experiences, stepping out of comfort zones, and challenging oneself can lead to unexpected learning opportunities and result in new connections, insights, and accomplishments.
The Importance of Team Building and Leadership
Building a successful company and solving big problems requires finding people who can build teams to tackle these challenges. While there are some successful entrepreneurs who exhibit prima donna behaviors, this approach is not scalable. Some well-known founders like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk may come across as prima donnas, but they are actually taking the heat and providing cover for their teams by drawing fire and attention to themselves. This allows their teams to work without distractions and criticism. While the prima donna approach has its merits, it is not the most successful or scalable model in the long run.
Long-term Thinking and Challenging the Status Quo
Jeff Bezos' vision for Blue Origin is to make space colonization a reality, seeing Earth as a unique and beautiful planet, but recognizing that humanity will eventually need to expand beyond it. This long-term perspective and pursuit of a seemingly impossible goal sets Bezos apart. He has been driven by a desire to go to space since his teenage years and has committed considerable resources to make this vision a reality. Similarly, Bill Gates has channeled his focus and resources towards solving immediate problems on Earth through philanthropy. Both Bezos and Gates demonstrate different approaches to time and space, with Bezos aiming for a future in space colonization and Gates tackling present challenges.
My next guest is Pablos Holman, a world-renowned hacker, inventor, and technology futurist with a unique ability to distill complex technology into practical tools.
His past projects include building spaceships at Blue Origin with Jeff Bezos, working on an impact invention effort to eradicate malaria with Bill Gates, and founding Intellectual Ventures Lab for Nathan Myhrvold to support a wide range of invention projects, such as a brain surgery tool, a machine to suppress hurricanes, a nuclear reactor powered by nuclear waste, and a machine that can shoot mosquitoes out of the sky with lasers. With over 70 patents, Pablos is a true innovator.
Pablos is a sought-after speaker and has been invited to conferences around the world to share his expertise on innovation, invention, hacking, technology, and cybersecurity. He has spoken at prestigious events such as Stanford, the United Nations, the World Economic Forum at Davos, the Microsoft CEO Summit, The FORTUNE CEO Summit, the CIA, Google Zeitgeist, and The Milken Global Conference. His TED Talks have amassed over 30 million views.
Currently, Pablos serves as the Managing Director at Deep Future, where he backs mad scientists, rogue inventors, crazy hackers, and maverick entrepreneurs in implementing science fiction, solving big problems, and helping our species become better ancestors.
Link: https://deepfuture.tech/
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