Exponential Wisdom

Peter and Dan discuss a common conversation theme in Silicon Valley — namely, that most people have no idea how quickly things are changing — and how technology has caused the world to move at an accelerated pace.   In this episode: Peter gives short overview of Moore’s Law, the history of computation and the exponential growth in this field. Dan and Peter discuss the number people using technology being the driving force that is causing more innovations, new ideas and ultimately new technologies. Peter tells the story of interviewing Marc Andreesen, an American entrepreneur, software engineer and co-creator of Netscape, the first web browser... and how, during that interview, he came up with the idea of the “interface moment,” which is the moment an exponentially growing technology becomes usable by entrepreneurs to generate massive revenue.

Peter and Dan discuss a conversation they had in 2013 that led to the creation of the Abundance 360 executive summit and the 25-year framework behind the idea.     In this episode: Peter describes how the 25-year framework changed his life, why this mindset shift becomes an organizing principle, and how it allows you to patiently focus on the goal. Dan discusses the concept of “The Gap”: the permanent distance between the ideal and the actual, and useful tools to help with measuring progress to big audacious goals. Peter talks about the “accessible possible” concept introduced by Dan Sullivan, why it’s powerful and how this has shaped the curation of Abundance 360.

Peter and Dan discuss entrepreneurial commercial space. Why is this happening now? Which companies are the most exciting to watch?     In this episode: Peter describes three reasons this is happening now: individuals concentrating massive wealth, the explosion of material sciences, and how the field of artificial intelligence has taken simulation to the next level. Peter gives a brief history of the space shuttle programs of the U.S. and Russia and discusses the dematerialization and demonetization of launch vehicles built by entrepreneurs today. Peter discusses why asteroids are important in the future of space travel, what his company Planetary Resources is doing to mine these near-Earth asteroids, and why he believes the next Gold Rush is in space.

In Episode 27: Evidence of Abundance, Peter and Dan discussed the 6 D’s framework and how this model is a road map to contextualize exponential technologies. In this episode, they dig deeper into the first step, Digitization, and why spending energy early on will ultimately lead to an enormous amount of time saved. In this episode: Peter and Dan each give examples of digitizing processes in everyday life: for example, governments using Global Entry to digitize the analog customs process, ultimately saving time and energy. What are the three most important digital improvements you can make 90 days from now, and what’s the first step you’re going to take? Dan asks three questions that make this process easily applicable to entrepreneurs in their current business. Peter discusses the fallacy of “waiting to get it right” in the analog world, and why acting early, getting feedback from your audience, and then iterating rapidly and experimenting is the mechanism for success in today’s world.

Peter and Dan discuss setting boundaries for kids and their gadgets. They explore the potential benefits and pitfalls of kids using technology and growing up in a world where every toy contains exponential technology. In this episode: Peter discusses his belief that kids who are technologically literate often have a self-driven exploration that allows them to seek their passions. Dan believes during this technological revolution it is extremely difficult to make predictions 10 or 20 years into the future, whereas 50 years ago, teachers had a pretty accurate idea of what the world would be like in the future. Peter gives examples of toys and tools like YouTube Kids, and LEGOs that teach kids to be insanely curious, to have grit and don’t give up up until the task is completed.

Peter and Dan explore the history of innovation over centuries and the “adjacent possible,” a concept developed by Steven Johnson in his book “How We Got to Now.”     In this episode: Dan outlines how many entrepreneurs get caught up in future possibilities that aren’t immediately actionable, and analyzes the impact of this negative thinking pattern. Peter discusses why the pace of innovation is picking up and how exponential tools like artificial intelligence, nanotech and brain-computer interfaces are quickly becoming resources available to the masses. Dan talks about using a tool he developed at Strategic Coach for getting people in touch with what is truly possible and in their control.

Peter and Dan discuss the massive change coming to the energy industry -- in particular, the switch to an all-electric economy in the next 20 years. With governments and large corporations relying on oil and gas, they discuss how this disruption will impact society.   In this episode: Peter gives a brief history of the energy economy and how humanity has transitioned from firepower to solar. Dan discusses his belief that technology is not replaced by another technology unless there is at least a 10X improvement. Peter discusses his belief that car ownership is going to be dead by 2025, which means we no longer own a car, but instead own a “car as a service.”

Peter and Dan discuss the ability of artificial intelligence (AI) to make predictions far better than humans, given the explosion in the amount of data in recent years.     In this episode: Peter discusses how MogIA, an AI system developed by an Indian startup, correctly predicted the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, basing its analysis on 20 million data points from platforms such as Google, Twitter and YouTube. Dan talks about another implication of predictive AI in sports betting. One company Unanimous AI runs a program called UNU using swarm AI, which correctly predicted the 2016 MLB playoffs and the Chicago Cubs as the World Series winner. Peter and Dan discuss how we will find out the true meaning of “being a human” in the next few years as AI’s start becoming more and more capable.

Peter and Dan discuss awarding the $10 million Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE, which involved designing a portable wireless device that can monitor and diagnose health conditions from the palm of your hand. The prize concept originated during a lunch with Qualcomm’s Executive Chairman Paul Jacobs, a fellow Star Trek fan, when they decided the Tricorder medical device should exist. In this episode: Peter describes the power of incentive prizes with examples dating back to 1714, including the invention of canned food. Considering the vast amounts of data in the healthcare field, Dan and Peter explain why AI will have a major role in democratizing healthcare, and how an AI diagnosis will ultimately be better than the best human experts in the world. Peter describes the process of awarding a XPRIZE and the roadmap needed to bring technology to market.

Dan and Peter discuss their common desire to live a long and healthy life, and takeaways from Peter’s recent visit to a cutting-edge stem cell clinic in Panama.     In this episode: Peter discusses his belief that if we’re able to stay alive for the next 50 years, we will have access to converging technologies that can keep us alive indefinitely -- what Ray Kurzweil calls reaching “longevity escape velocity” Peter explains what stem cells are and why they have the ability to rejuvenate the body.  Watch this short animation for more information: https://youtu.be/y0R4iaVOswk Peter and Dan discuss the Young Blood experiments at Stanford University and what this research means for rejuvenating the human body.