Smart Friends

Topics: (2:11) - Tech Gossip about Elon, Twitter & Fast  (9:26) - Q1 Portfolio Recap: Gently & Terran Robotics (28:36) - Q2 Portfolio Update: Lumo, Stablegains (43:05) - How listeners can help portfolio companies (46:07) - Fund Updates (51:29) - Explaining how quarterly investments work in the fund and deadlines (53:01) - Reasons we passed on companies Links:  Rolling.Fun Gently.com Terran Robotics  Terran Robotics on YouTube Lumo.co Stablegains.com Other Episode You’ll Like:Shane Mac: Building Messaging Protocol for Web3 (XMTP), Company Culture, and Scaling Trust Chris Powers: Starting A Real Estate Empire at 17, Focus, Podcast Flywheels To support this costs of producing this podcast: >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter>> Text the podcast to a friend>> Give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners >> Name-your-price subscription monthly, annual, or one-time: https://app.omella.com/o/9Bufa >> Follow me on Twitter: @ericjorgenson>> Get in touch about sponsoring this podcast by replying to an email or DMing me on Twitter.

The sponsor for this week’s episode is Founders Podcast. David Senra, the host of Founders Podcast, is a biography-reading machine. If you don’t have time to spend 40 hours reading the full-length biography of some gilded-age entrepreneur, listening to David’s high-quality recap is the next best thing.The Founders Podcast is a paid podcast that costs $99/year or $299 for lifetime access. Subscribing gives you access to more than 200 episodes including the back catalog with episodes about Anthony Bourdain, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elon Musk, and many more.Visit founderspodcast.com to subscribe or listen to sample episodes.Links: Michelle on LinkedInMichelle on Mediuminfo@gosquaredaway.comSquared Away AsanaTrelloZirtualHarvest Support our sponsor: founderspodcast.com  Other Episode You’ll Like:Shane Mac: Building Messaging Protocol for Web3 (XMTP), Company Culture, and Scaling Trust To support this costs of producing this podcast: >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter>> Text the podcast to a friend>> Give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners >> Name-your-price subscription monthly, annual, or one-time: https://app.omella.com/o/9Bufa >> Follow me on Twitter: @ericjorgenson>> Get in touch about sponsoring this podcast by replying to an email or DMing me on Twitter.

The sponsor for this week’s episode is Founders Podcast. David Senra, the host of Founders Podcast, is a biography-reading machine. If you don’t have time to spend 40 hours reading the full-length biography of some gilded-age entrepreneur, listening to David’s high-quality recap is the next best thing.The Founders Podcast is a paid podcast that costs $99/year or $299 for lifetime access. Subscribing gives you access to more than 200 episodes including the back catalog with episodes about Anthony Bourdain, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elon Musk, and many more.Visit founderspodcast.com to subscribe or listen to sample episodes.Links: Josh’s Bio - Autogeny.org Where is my flying car? By J. Storrs Hall Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper The Martian by Andy Weir Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson Beyond AI by J. Storrs Hall Nanofuture: What’s Next For Nanotechnology by J. Storrs Hall Support our sponsor: founderspodcast.com Other Episode You’ll Like: Solocast #3: Nuclear, Nanotech, and the next Industrial Revolution (Book Recap: “Where is my Flying Car?”) Massive Opportunities w/in Design & User Interface with Cliff Kuang To support this costs of producing this podcast: >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter>> Text the podcast to a friend>> Give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners >> Name-your-price subscription monthly, annual, or one-time: https://app.omella.com/o/9Bufa >> Follow me on Twitter: @ericjorgenson>> Get in touch about sponsoring this podcast by replying to an email or DMing me on Twitter.

The sponsor for this week’s episode is Founders Podcast. David Senra, the host of Founders Podcast, is a biography-reading machine. If you don’t have time to spend 40 hours reading the full-length biography of some gilded-age entrepreneur, listening to David’s high-quality recap is the next best thing.The Founders Podcast is a paid podcast that costs $99/year or $299 for lifetime access. Subscribing gives you access to more than 200 episodes including the back catalog with episodes about Anthony Bourdain, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elon Musk, and many more.Visit founderspodcast.com to subscribe or listen to sample episodes.Support our sponsor: founderspodcast.com Links: Zach Pettet on TwitterZach’s Podcast - For Fintech’s Sake On YouTube On Spotify On Apple PodcastsMoney 20/20V-SumSoLo FundsMoneyLionBlooomFigure Other Episode You’ll Like: Jason Hitchcock: Your Guide to Web3 (DeFi, NFTs, and The Metaverse) Andrew Finn: WaitButWhy and G64 Co-founder on How To Acquire A Free Company To support this costs of producing this podcast: >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter>> Text the podcast to a friend>> Give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners >> Name-your-price subscription monthly, annual, or one-time: https://app.omella.com/o/9Bufa >> Follow me on Twitter: @ericjorgenson>> Get in touch about sponsoring this podcast by replying to an email or DMing me on Twitter.

Links:  Where Is My Flying Car? By J. Storrs HallWTF Happened in 1971? To support this costs of producing this podcast: >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter>> Text the podcast to a friend>> Give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners >> Name-your-price subscription monthly, annual, or one-time: https://app.omella.com/o/9Bufa >> Follow me on Twitter: @ericjorgenson>> Get in touch about sponsoring this podcast by replying to an email or DMing me on Twitter.

Links: Rolling.FunAlan DoanBo FishbackAirtaskerLambda Additional Episodes If You Enjoyed: Chris Powers: Starting a Real Estate Empire at 17, Focus, Podcast FlywheelsShane Mac: Building Messaging Protocol for Web3 (XMTP), Company Culture, and Scaling Trust To support this costs of producing this podcast: >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter>> Text the podcast to a friend>> Give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners >> Name-your-price subscription monthly, annual, or one-time: https://app.omella.com/o/9Bufa >> Follow me on Twitter: @ericjorgenson>> Get in touch about sponsoring this podcast by replying to an email or DMing me on Twitter.

Chris Williamson, an expert in self-reinvention and podcasting, shares his journey from reality TV fame to building a successful podcast. He discusses the importance of leveraging personal growth and social dynamics, drawing insights from influential figures like Jordan Peterson. The conversation touches on the art of engaging dialogues, the role of confidence in self-presentation, and the transformative power of pursuing authenticity in a conformist world. Listeners gain valuable lessons on adaptability, community building, and the intricacies of exploring personal identity.

Links: PropyNAR (National Association of Realtors)Natalia on TwitterNatalia on LinkedInAdam on LinkedIn Additional Episodes If You Enjoyed: Sean O’Connor: How Blockchain is Changing Society with Costless TransactionsShane Mac: Building Messaging Protocol for Web3 (XMTP), Company Culture, and Scaling Trust To support this costs of producing this podcast: >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter>> Text the podcast to a friend>> Give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners >> Name-your-price subscription monthly, annual, or one-time: https://app.omella.com/o/9Bufa >> Follow me on Twitter: @ericjorgenson>> Get in touch about sponsoring this podcast by replying to an email or DMing me on Twitter.

 During this conversation on Jorgenson’s Soundbox, I have my beautiful and brilliant fiancé Jeannine on as my guest, and we talk about all things HR, now known as the People Function or People Team in many organizations. Currently, Jeannine is leading the People Team at the startup Density, which has grown from 40 employees to 180 in the last year and a half.To start our discussion, I ask Jeannine to dispel some of the misperceptions of HR – she says often they are spending more time and energy fighting on behalf of employees. She also talks about the relationship between the CEO and the People Team and says she considers the CEO as a part of the People Team.We transition to talking about recruiting and why Jeannine self-proclaims herself to be the world's worst recruiter as she shows candidates the underbelly of the company and paints a realistic landscape of what working for the company will really be like and the hurdles they may face. She elaborates on the different kinds of recruiting, and she highlights how the People Team changes as companies reach different milestones in growth.Jeannine walks us through internal communications and some of the different systems she’s used, and she gives some examples of why people may seek out HR business partners for assistance. We talk about using Slack and whether it is a synchronous or asynchronous tool. She explains the necessary systems and processes and likens them to tree rings, with the HRIS (human resources information system) at the center, a ring for how the company gives and receives feedback, which we dive further into, and a third ring for things such as bonus programs and learning and development tools.Towards the end of our conversation, we talk about why people leave companies as well as the difficulties of having to fire someone, and we discuss companies’ compensation philosophies. We also explore the reality of Flat Organizations and how transparency and clarity are the more important factors. Jeannine says that now companies are focusing more on creating better work-life balances and true wellness including physical, mental, and financial health. We wrap up with Jeannine’s learning journey and talk about building company culture.Links: Jeannine on TwitterDensity.ioCasperNotionCultureAmp Additional Episodes If You Enjoyed: Andrew Wilkinson: De-risking Leverage, Investing vs. Operating, and the Best Part About BusinessShane Mac: Building Messaging Protocol for Web3 (XMTP), Company Culture, and Scaling Trust To support this costs of producing this podcast: >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun>> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter>> Text the podcast to a friend>> Give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners >> Name-your-price subscription monthly, annual, or one-time: https://app.omella.com/o/9Bufa >> Follow me on Twitter: @ericjorgenson>> Get in touch about sponsoring this podcast by replying to an email or DMing me on Twitter.

Will Barnes and Will Oliver are two fantastic individuals I met through Latticework and got to know by bonding over our fandom of Charlie Munger. They are the co-founders of In Practise, a company that conducts interviews with executives and sells them to investors looking at the companies and building conviction in their portfolio. They conduct one-to-one interviews in pursuit of finding the best investment opportunities for their clients. During our conversation, we talk about how they came to start their business, how it is structured to authentically align with themselves, and tactics they employ in conducting interviews.To kick off the conversation, I ask about who their heroes are and both Wills talk about their fathers as well as Munger and Buffet, and then we transition into how they met and came to start In Practise. They both worked for Third Bridge, an expert network that connects mainly investment companies with operators in private one-to-one phone calls, and they came together to build the content side of the business. They fell in love with the work, and seeing a niche in the market for a more affordable solution for smaller hedge fund managers, they spun out from Third Bridge and formed In Practise.We discuss how they are building a system to understand what quality means in a business and how they build conviction for investors. We talk a bit about Dee Hock, the founder and CEO of Visa, and how he has inspired and influenced In Practise. Their core offering is a library of interviews; they first aim to get their client up to speed quickly on the workings of the company they are interested in and then to delve into what really matters, and the next part is the analysis phase in which they offer investor dialogs about the company. Moreover, they are aiming to build a community for learning founded on trust.We explore how they approach the interviews of executives and the balance between noticing patterns but also allowing the interview to go where it flows. They must understand the business and what the customers care about but also have to be willing to really listen. Will Barnes emphasizes the importance of the line of questioning rather than just the questions and says the epiphanies often come when the original hypothesis was wrong. They walk me through a couple of company examples, Naked Wine and Burford, and what really matters in them. To wrap up, I ask about the companies they can list that they believe to be in the hundred highest quality public businesses in the world today and about their project of In Practise 40 years out. Links: In PractiseIn Practise on TwitterEric’s NewsletterThird BridgeIain McGilchrist Books by Dee HockNaked WinesBurford Capital Additional Episodes If You Enjoyed: Phil Huber: Crazy Alternative Assets, Crypto for Financial Advisors & the Book Writing Process Jason Hitchcock: Your Guide to Web3 (DeFi, NFTs, and The Metaverse)Shane Mac: Building Messaging Protocol for Web3 (XMTP), Company Culture, and Scaling Trust If you want to support the podcast, here are a few ways you can: >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ >> Share the podcast with your friends and on social media >> Give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners >> Make a weekly, monthly, or one-time donation: https://app.omella.com/o/9Bufa >> Follow me on Twitter: @ericjorgenson>> Learn more and sign up for the “Building a Mountain of Levers” course and community: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage I appreciate your support!