How Packy McCormick Finds His Next Big Idea - Ep. 29
Aug 7, 2024
auto_awesome
Packy McCormick, a leading voice in tech and writer of the popular newsletter Not Boring, shares his insights on leveraging AI in both writing and investing. He discusses how AI helps him distill complex concepts, improve his essays, and even create interactive visuals. Packy explains his belief in vertically integrated businesses for the future of tech and offers predictions on the next crypto bull run. The conversation delves into using AI tools to enhance creativity and efficiency, making it a valuable listen for anyone interested in technology and innovation.
Packy McCormick emphasizes the significant role of AI tools like ChatGPT in enhancing the writing and research process for complex topics.
The podcast discusses the rise of 'techno-industrial' companies that integrate advanced technologies to disrupt traditional market leaders and enhance efficiency.
A cautious outlook on cryptocurrency highlights the importance of understanding market influences and potential innovations shaping the landscape by 2025.
Deep dives
Creating a Grading Rubric
The discussion emphasizes the need for a detailed rubric to evaluate writing effectively. A thorough exploration of previous successful essays aims to identify characteristics that define high-quality writing. By analyzing top pieces, such as 'Excel Never Dies', the creators aim to articulate the structure, depth, and narrative techniques that embody excellence. This approach allows for a standardized way to assess future drafts against these established benchmarks.
The Techno-Industrial Focus
A major insight revolves around the emerging concept of 'techno-industrial' companies, which integrate advanced technologies into traditional industries. These companies aim to deliver products that are better, cheaper, and more efficient, challenging existing market leaders and their outdated business models. Examples such as Anduril and SpaceX illustrate how these firms are leveraging innovation to disrupt their sectors effectively. The conversation highlights the potential for significant impact as these types of companies gain traction in various industries.
AI's Role in Writing and Analysis
AI tools, particularly ChatGPT and Claude, have become integral to the writing process for producing essays and conducting research. Writers can utilize these technologies to generate drafts, conduct editing, and even derive insights from complex topics, enhancing their overall output. By leveraging AI as a collaborative partner, writers can save time and refine their ideas more effectively. The discussion reflects on how AI aids the writing journey, providing critical feedback and structure.
Navigating the Crypto Landscape
The conversation explores the current state of the cryptocurrency market, expressing mixed feelings about the future potential of digital assets. Holding established cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum reflects a cautious yet optimistic approach amidst market volatility. Predictions for significant changes in the crypto environment by 2025 suggest that the market's evolution may be driven by consumer applications and innovations. Overall, understanding what influences market movements will be crucial for future portfolio decisions.
Embracing Complex Ideas with AI
The ability to break down complex topics and distill them into accessible formats is a critical skill that is increasingly facilitated by AI tools. These tools can summarize large volumes of information, identify key insights, and suggest innovative ideas that may not have been immediately apparent. As the use of AI continues to evolve, writers are challenged to enhance their analytical capabilities while maintaining their unique voices. This transformative effect on writing underscores the importance of harnessing technology to augment traditional creative processes.
One of the most influential voices in tech explains how AI helps him write and invest. This episode is sponsored by Create. If you want to maximize your gains, both with your body and with ChatGPT, try creatinine gummies from Create. Place your order through this link to get a 30 percent discount: https://trycreate.co/products/creatine-monohydrate-gummies-270-count?discount=every24 Packy McCormick’s job is to find, articulate, and invest behind the next big idea. He writes Not Boring, a newsletter that analyzes technology and startups for 200,000 subscribers every week. He also invests in early stage companies through his fund Not Boring Capital and is an advisor at a16z crypto. I spent an hour with him to understand how he’s baked AI into the way he thinks, writes, and invests. We get into:
How he uses AI to understand dense concepts and refine his arguments
His thesis around vertically integrated businesses being the future of tech
How Packy uses Claude Projects to edit his newsletter
How he makes interactive graphics that represent concepts from his essays
The tools Packy uses to research, write, and edit Not Boring
When he thinks the next crypto bull run will take place
We also use Projects to build an AI tool that grades Packy’s essays live on the show. This is a must-watch for writers, investors, and anyone trying to understand the cutting edge of technology. If you found this episode interesting, please like, subscribe, comment, and share! Want even more? Sign up for Every to unlock our ultimate guide to prompting ChatGPT here: https://every.ck.page/ultimate-guide-to-prompting-chatgpt. It’s usually only for paying subscribers, but you can get it here for free. To hear more from Dan Shipper: Subscribe to Every: https://every.to/subscribe Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/danshipper Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Teaser 00:01:24 - Introduction 00:02:40 - Packy's thesis about the future of technology 00:07:42 - What Packy quick takes on your crypto portfolio 00:14:31 - Use LLMs to validate your understanding of complex concepts 00:18:26 - How Packy used Claude Projects to write an essay he published recently 00:24:00 - Packy's process to make interactive visual graphics for his essays 00:31:10 - How to use AI to be thorough in your research 00:35:04 - How Packy uses Claude to edit his writing 00:36:44 - The tools Packy uses to create his newsletter 00:44:12 - Using Claude Projects to make a tool that grades Packy's essays Links to resources mentioned in the episode: Packy McCormick: https://twitter.com/packyM Packy’s newsletter, Not Boring: https://www.notboring.co/ Packy’s fund, Not Boring Capital: https://www.notboring.co/p/introducing-not-boring-capital One of Packy’s first essays, about natively integrated companies: https://www.packym.com/natively-integrated-companies Anduril, the company Packy thinks is an example of a Techno-industrial: https://www.anduril.com/ Packy’s portfolio company that’s integration crypto into its product: https://v2.oncyber.io/ The interactive tool Packy made for a recent newsletter: https://goventvectorsum.replit.app/ for https://www.notboring.co/p/the-american-millennium Packy’s essay about America’s tolerance for risk: https://www.notboring.co/p/riskophilia Packy’s essays about Blackbird: https://www.notboring.co/p/blackbird
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode