Austin Next

We live in an age of unprecedented creative tools, from generative AI and design platforms to open access to code, capital, and talent. Joining this episode is John Roescher, Founder and CEO of Raw Materials, the design firm behind the public-facing strategies of Anduril, Saronic, and Meta, to explore why design should not be treated as decoration, but as a cultural and strategic function. Because in the end, with all this power, the outcome still comes down to a choice: Will we design with intention or default to slop?Chapters01:13 Design as Product04:51 Outsourcing vs Partnering08:04 The Creative Process and Why “I Like That” Isn’t Enough11:30 AI, Craft, and Care: Tools vs Slop16:52 Efficiency or Excellence23:19 Unlocking Core Creativity Inside Companies28:01 Design as Strategy32:39 From Founders to Cities: Owning the Narrative40:28 Intentionality vs Accident45:04 What You Ship Says Everything46:45 What’s Next Austin?John Roescher: X/Twitter, LinkedInRaw Materials: Website, Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

Mushrooms, coffee, and diapers. It’s not the start of weird joke, but the the innovation arc of Tero Isokauppila, one of the most uniquely disruptive founders at the convergence of bio and consumer goods. From building the $2B mushroom coffee category at Four Sigmatic to launching HIRO, the world’s first fungi-based diaper, Tero’s work reflects something deeper; how Austin’s convergence of culture, capital, and cross-sector energy is creating the next innovation frontier.02:18 – From Farm Kid to Mushroom Category King05:45 – The Biology of Fungi as Platform Tech09:03 – Why America Is Mushroom-Illiterate10:38 – Product Before Mission: Lessons from Tesla and HIRO16:35 – CPG vs Biotech: Funding, Moats, and Returns25:57 – Why Austin Became a CPG Powerhouse31:39 – Tech and CPG: Still Separate Worlds in Austin35:41 – Frontier Cities Need Cultural + Sector Convergence1:01:15 – Manufacturing’s Real Bottlenecks (and Myths)1:05:06 – “What’s Next Austin?”: Ego Death, Rebirth, and Maturity Tero Isokauppila: LinkedIn, YouTubeFour SigmaticHIRO -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

What does it mean to build the future of Bio & Health at the frontier, and why is Austin the place to do it? Recorded live at Health Supernova, this episode explores the deep structural shifts underway in bio, health, and tech. From trillion-dollar ambitions to FDA bottlenecks, from digital-first hospitals to the rise of cowboy talent in Bio & Health, Austin is staking a claim not as a follower but as the system and stack that comes next.  Episode HighlightsAustin’s Bio & Health Frontier ThesisCan Austin build what healthcare won’t?FDA still runs on PDFsWhat would it take to build a trillion-dollar bio company?Frontier talent are cowboysCost of the biotech winterDigital-first hospital as a living labWhy bio needs platforms, not just transformational assetsIntegration is the real bottleneckWhat's Next, Austin Bio & Health?Steve Hahn: “The next major company that disrupts medicine and brings us 20, 30 years advanced over the next year.”Charley Taylor: “Re-envisioning what healthcare, academic medicine can look like”Micha Breakstone: “Make Austin into a real hub at the intersection of AI and biotech” -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

Is Bitcoin just a financial instrument, or is it a wedge into the future of energy, policy, and power? Brian Morgenstern, head of public policy at Riot Platforms, lays out how mining is becoming critical infrastructure and why the US can’t afford to fall behind. From sovereign wealth strategies to regulatory fragmentation, this conversation unpacks how Bitcoin could reshape geopolitical leverage and why Texas may be at the center of it. Episode HighlightsMining as energy monetizationBitcoin as a strategic reserveThe sovereign wealth fund questionTax policy throttles adoptionWhy stablecoins are infrastructureBitcoin's edge over other cryptoFragmented and reactive regulationNuclear’s resurgence via AI demandWhat’s Next Austin?“Bitcoin miners, AI, energy, all getting married in Texas to make the US the leader of the world.”Guest LinksBrian MorgensternRiot Platforms -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

Specificity isn’t just a design choice. It’s the differentiator when inches matter. Nick Tippmann, founding partner of TipTop VC, explains how vertical AI is rewriting the software industry by going deeper, not wider. From the transition beyond SaaS to the gray zone between foundational models and high-stakes applications, we explore how vertical AI can transform laggard industries and why Austin might lead the race.  Episode HighlightsWhat Vertical AI Really MeansSpecificity as the New MoatFounders, Not Just ModelsWhen General AI FailsSeed-Strapping Real or NotRewriting Pricing LogicVertical AI Talent MixRedefining TAM in Niche MarketsScaling without OverspendingWhat’s Next Austin?"Austin becomes a global hub for vertical AI winners with the rich combo of the enterprise SaaS lineage, the critical industries that are based here, the talent from the previous winners, the emerging talent from the universities, and more and more experienced operators and founders moving here for their second act"Nick TippmannTipTop VC -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

Innovation does not scale on size alone. It accelerates on the connective threads of an ecosystem, from curated founder groups to open networks and through shared stories and honest champions. Brian Hall, incoming President of the Austin Chapter of Entrepreneurs’ Organization, joins us to explore what actually drives trust, access, and scale in a thriving tech hub.Episode HighlightsRole of Ecosystem Connective TissueFounder Forums and Peer AccountabilityThird Rooms vs Third SpacesDepth Over Volume in RelationshipsTime Scarcity in Founder SupportWhy Healthy Ecosystems ScaleNavigating Fragmentation in AustinGatekeeping and Startup AccessScaling Founder InfrastructureWhat’s Next Austin? “Healthy things grow. And that starts with an individual, but then it goes to the city and beyond.”Episode LinksBrian Hall: LinkedIn, X/TwitterEO Austin; Traverse Legal; TraverseGC; TraverseConcierge -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

The $6 trillion chemical industry is on the verge of a revolution as biology moves from the doctor's office to the industrial zone. Veronica Breckenridge, Founder and Managing Partner of First Bight Ventures, is investing in early-stage bio manufacturing companies while building the ecosystem to catalyze their growth.  We discuss the tech powering the revolution, why Houston's first principles position the region to own the sector, and how Austin's innovation can help supercharge it. Episode HighlightsFirst Bight Ventures: Investing in Industrial BioDisrupting a $6 Trillion Chemical IndustryScaling Platform Molecules for Real-World ImpactCrossing Industrial Bio’s "Valley of Death"Houston’s Chemical Engineering AdvantageCapital Efficiency and Scale-Up StrategiesHow AI Is Accelerating Biotech DiscoveryBuilding Pilot Facilities and Collaborative EcosystemsUnlocking a Texas Bio Manufacturing HubWhat's Next Austin & Houston?"Texas should create a consortium...we're going to own bio-manufacturing" Episode LinksVeronica BreckenridgeFirst Bight Ventures -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

At a hinge point when tech leadership determines the balance of geopolitical power, deep tech investment has never been more critical to America's future. Jordan Blashek, co-founder of America's Frontier Fund, brings his perspective on innovation for national advantage. From investing in defense tech to the newly launched Endless Frontiers, we discuss Jordan's vision for rebuilding American strength through strategic innovation and how Austin finds itself right in the thick of this transformation. Episode HighlightsAmerica's Frontier Fund MissionDeep Tech Funding ModelsManaging Tech vs Market RisksDefense Tech Trends - M&A, Talent, Dual UseFamily Offices as Strategic InvestorsUS-China Tech CompetitionLaunching Endless FrontiersRebuilding American StrengthAustin as a True Power CenterWhat's Next Austin?"Arts and Culture...It means the storytellers are here. The most creative people are here. And when you combine that with the existing resources and things we have I think this city has no limits."Jordan Blashek: X/Twitter; LinkedIn -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

From cutting-edge chips to AI networks the disruption happening up and down the tech stack is upending invention and value. Everything is on the table. Tyson Tuttle, former CEO of Silicon Labs and current founder and CEO of Circuit, brings decades of experience building innovative products across multiple tech waves. In this conversation, Tyson shares insights on Austin's ecosystem past and present, the global tech competition, and how AI-powered knowledge networks that could finally deliver on the collaboration we have been promised.  Episode HighlightsAustin's Semiconductor LegacyGeopolitical Chip WarsA Million Transistors Per SpaceTaiwan's Silicon ShieldBalancing Risk and ProductionMoving Up the Technology StackRethinking Workflows with AINetwork Effects Beyond SocialAI-Powered Knowledge NetworksWhat's Next, Austin?"Tech is spreading everywhere. We've got to build great companies here, we have great talent, and we've got to make this a place that is affordable and where our quality of life doesn't diminish, but goes up" -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

The Texas innovation ecosystem is accelerating at breakneck speed as technologies like AI and institutions such as the Texas Stock Exchange reshape what is possible. Samantha Lewis, Partner at Mercury Fund, recently relocated to Austin from Houston to strengthen the firm's presence in the region. Our conversation reveals how the founders and funders in the Texas Triangle are positioning themselves during this tech revolution, and why the connections between Austin, Houston, and Dallas are a superpower that is just getting started.Episode HighlightsMercury Investment ThesisExpansion to AustinAI Competition LandscapeImportance of Founder VisionGood Businesses vs VC Backable Bits Meet AtomsHealthcare Innovation FrontiersAustin Growth OpportunityTexas Stock Exchange Impact High Speed Rail vs AirportsTexas Innovation Triangle and CollaborationHouston Industry ChallengesTech Inspiration MomentsWhat's Next Austin?"We're so excited to just hang out and see everybody, meet entrepreneurs, hopefully build a big fintech community here as time goes on...The more VC firms that are here, the better. The more entrepreneurs that are getting funding here, the better"Samantha Lewis: X/Twitter, LinkedInMercury Fund: Website, X/Twitter, LinkedIn -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack