Ep 89 - Anil Varanasi from Meter on AI and networking hardware, spotting talent early, on China and Cinema

Nov 3, 2024

Anil Varanasi, founder of Meter and a visionary in AI and networking hardware, shares his unconventional journey from his unique upbringing to entrepreneurship. He discusses the critical role of networking technology and the unsolved challenges in the sector. Anil emphasizes spotting early talent and nurturing it, along with how cinema influences entrepreneurial endeavors. He also touches on the cultural dynamics between China and the U.S. and the importance of integrating AI for innovative software solutions.

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Intro

00:00 • 4min

Cultural Journeys and Entrepreneurial Spirits

04:06 • 16min

Innovating Networking and Software Design

19:41 • 23min

The Future of Software Personalization

42:28 • 8min

Nurturing Talent and Cultural Narratives

50:48 • 32min

Identity, Immigration, and Innovation

01:22:50 • 8min

Favorite Indian Restaurants and Home Delivery Secrets

01:30:53 • 2min

Navigating Sneaker Culture and Philanthropy in Modern Times

01:32:32 • 4min

Long-Term Thinking vs Short-Term Gratification

01:36:20 • 16min

Innovations and Transformations in Gaming and Tech

01:52:41 • 12min

Entrepreneurial Narratives in Indian Cinema

02:04:41 • 6min

Some helpful links
Meter - https://www.meter.com/
Meter command - https://command.meter.com/
Link to Tyler’s book on culture - https://www.amazon.com/Praise-Commercial-Culture-Tyler-Cowen/dp/0674001885
Sam Hinkie - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Hinkie

0:00 - Intro
3:48 - Anil’s early years and background
5:23 - Unconventional parenting
9:35 - Anil's journey to entrepreneurship
12:30 - Sleeping in factories in China
15:22 - China VS U.S.
18:30 - Why Networks are so important
21:35 - Why networking is still an unsolved problem
24:10 - Is hardware too hard?
26:11 - What does Meter do?
37:17 - How does Meter work?
41:08 - Future of enterprise software
44:00 - Human interaction with AI models
46:30 - Why Meter is building AI models
50:50 - Spotting young talent
54:00 - Anil's framework to find good talent
57:30 - How Anil helped Dwarkesh Patel start his podcast
1:02:00 - The “X factor” in Anil’s investments
1:02:00 - Raising the ambition bar
1:06:55 - Escaping the competitive Indian dynamics
1:08:38 - How cinema influences entrepreneurship
1:17:25 - Why don't we know how planes fly
1:19:20 - Lessons from Sam Hinkie
1:21:04 - Kindness as an operating principle
1:22:10 - Why hasn’t Anil had a more public brand?
1:24:03 - US Immigration
1:28:00 - Aarthi, Sriram and Anil show?
1:30:44 - Best Indian restaurant in London
1:32:50 - Has sneaker culture peaked?
1:34:25 - Why don’t wealthy people build monuments anymore?
1:38:04 - London’s rich history
1:40:30 - Why does Sriram have sriramk.eth?
1:42:00 - Should all startups go direct on comms?
1:47:07 - Are Aarthi and Sriram “too online”?
1:49:10 - Sriram’s Silicon Valley groupchats
1:49:46 - Will Aarthi and Sriram move back to India?
1:48:12 - Aarthi and Sriram’s failures in tech
1:53:55 - Netflix’s 3D and streaming software
1:58:18 - Popfly
1:59:55 - Microsoft success under Satya
2:02:00 - On tech execs
2:03:10 - Nonfiction book that Aarthi and Sriram would write
2:06:27 - Aarthi and Sriram’s favorite Indian movie before 2000
2:09:48 - The End

Follow Sriram:

https://www.instagram.com/sriramk/

https://twitter.com/sriramk

Follow Aarthi:

https://www.instagram.com/aarthir/

https://twitter.com/aarthir

Follow the podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/aarthiandsriramshow/

https://twitter.com/aarthisrirampod