Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg

How can you tell if you're cut out for entrepreneurship? (with Matt Clifford)

Apr 5, 2023

In this engaging conversation, Matt Clifford, cofounder and CEO of Entrepreneur First, shares insights into entrepreneurship and innovation. He discusses the concepts of variance-amplifying versus variance-dampening institutions and how the internet has shaped societal ambition. Matt emphasizes key traits for aspiring entrepreneurs, such as resilience and problem-solving. The conversation also delves into the evolution of ambition and the impact of AI on entrepreneurship, questioning how true innovation is measured in today's fast-paced environment.

01:11:41

Creator website

Episode guests

Matt Clifford

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

The Future of Leverage Technologies

01:56

Embrace Definite Optimism for Real Impact

01:03

Intro

4min

The Internet's Impact on Ambition and Society

17min

Key Traits for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

3min

Navigating the Entrepreneurial Journey

16min

The Evolution of Ambition in Entrepreneurship

7min

Exploring AI Communication and Entrepreneurial Potential

2min

The Dynamics of Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital

23min

Read the full transcript here.

What are "variance-amplifying" and "variance-dampening" institutions? Has the world been getting weirder recently? Should entrepreneurs aim for variance amplification or variance dampening? What percentage of people should be entrepreneurs? What traits and skills are necessary for successful entrepreneurship? How has ambition changed over the course of history? How can entrepreneurs know if they're really changing the world, or just doing something slightly before someone else did it, or just doing something that would have happened anyway? How can entrepreneurs avoid getting mired in "tar pit" ideas?

Matt Clifford MBE is cofounder and CEO of Entrepreneur First, the leading technology company builder that invests in top technical individuals to help them build world-class deep technology startups from scratch in six locations across Europe, Asia, and Canada. Since 2011, Entrepreneur First has created over 500 startups worth over $10bn including Magic Pony Technology, Tractable, and CloudNC. Matt is also Chairman of the UK's new Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), which aims to enable exceptional scientists and researchers to identify and fund transformational research that leads to new technologies, discoveries, products, and services. Matt sits on the board of Code First Girls, which he co-founded in 2013 to teach young women how to code, and is a member of the Innovate UK Council. Matt started his career at McKinsey & Co. and holds degrees from Cambridge and MIT, where he was a Kennedy Scholar. He was awarded an MBE for services to business in the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours. Follow him on Twitter, interact with him on LinkedIn, or learn more about his work at Entrepreneur First.

Staff

Spencer Greenberg — Host / Director
Josh Castle — Producer
Ryan Kessler — Audio Engineer
Uri Bram — Factotum
WeAmplify — Transcriptionists
Miles Kestran — Marketing

Music

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