Stranded Technologies Podcast

Does this sound straight out of a science-fiction novel? That's because it is.In "Termination Shock", Neil Stephenson described a near-future earth where climate change has significantly altered human society and follows the attempts of a businessman using solar geoengineering to cool the planet.Luke Iseman, a hardware entrepreneur and solarpunk, read the book and dug into Stephenson's research on solar geoengineering.To his amazement, he found that it was possible and nobody is trying it out!Luke founded make sunsets to experiment with balloons sending sulfur dioxide particles that reflect sunlight into the stratosphere, effectively replicating the process that volcanoes have done for millions of years to cool the planet.In this episode, we're joined by regulatory hacker Eli Dourado to better understand this powerful technology that could help humanity achieve climate mastery.Major innovations often start with hobbyists, tinkerers, and true believers, as Clayton Christenson's "The Innovator's Dilemma" found out. They are not taken seriously by the mainstream for a long time. While starting on a small scale, Luke's experiments have nevertheless engendered controversy in the scientific community.We talk about why science is disconnected from promoting real-world innovation by focusing too much on analysis instead of action and real-world experimentation.The episode is a fascinating journey that helps us better understand the challenges faced by entrepreneurs on the frontiers of science and technology.They are not hailed while they are doing the work, they instead face skepticism often from powerful groups - partly for good reasons as new technology never comes in a mature form, but also partly because incumbents fear for their status.As a result, we learn that entrepreneurs need to build a community of true believers around them on a mission against a hostile mainstream culture.If you are an entrepreneur and seek a community of techno-optimists, join us for upcoming conferences in Prospera, the startup city:Supercharging Health 2023 - A Próspera Builders’ Summit, April 21-23 on Roatan.Decentralizing Finance 2023 - A Próspera Builders’ Summit, May 5-7 on Roatan. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.infinitacitytimes.com

David A. Johnston is the Chief Strategy Officer at DLTx, the first public tech company run by decentralists who believe the future will be built on open public blockchains, owned and operated by their users.David is a major crypto OG, he was the chairman of the board of Mastercoin and facilitated the world’s first ICO (initial coin offering), he was one of the first people to analyze the Ethereum white paper.This episode is to understand the thinking that leads David to his current beliefs, to give us a better sense of how we can build a more decentralized financial system, a more decentralized “web3” or decentralized everything for that matter.David explains the "tokenization of everything" logic, and how it comes from his insights into economics and libertarian philosophy.One of his core insights in 2013 was that the network effects of technology companies are specialized. Arguing against others who believed Bitcoin would become the be-all-end-all, David foresaw and shaped the emergence of decentralized applications (dApps), before Ethereum even launched.The train of decentralization is now in motion and unstoppable. It will eventually lead to all assets having an on-chain record of transactions and ownership.This new decentralized finance system is orders of magnitude cheaper, faster, and more efficient than the traditional system that requires lawyers and intermediaries.Governments and legislators, consequently, fight against this new system that is threatening to upend their privileges. The United States has become a hostile environment for crypto, which is why David moved to Puerto Rico 3 years ago.Special jurisdictions have been forward-thinking, like Estonia, Switzerland, Portugal or Singapore, and especially Puerto Rico, in attracting the crypto community.Adoption of cryptocurrencies is highest in Nigeria, Vietnam or Argentina.David is quite open that the blockchain movement is on a collision course with nation states, and he would like to see a separation of nation and state.The future might be network nations that are globally distributed, but share an identity, a membership or residency, or a common culture.That is the ultimate end of the decentralization of everything.Join us on May 5-7 the Caribbean island of Roatan for a summit in Prospera and help us build exactly that decentralized future: https://infinitafund.com/defi2023For more information about Infinita, check this Linktree: https://linktr.ee/infinitavc This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.infinitacitytimes.com

Bret is an entrepreneur on a big mission as the CEO of Last Energy, a vertically integrated nuclear-powered electricity provider.Bret aims to create energy superabundance, fix climate change and elevate human potential to unimaginable heights and sees nuclear as the solution.Few if any people in the world have talked to more experts. Bret hosts the "Titans of Nuclear" Podcast, which has a whopping 380 episodes!Bret and Niklas talk about why nuclear has become such a stagnant industry.The history of the industry is, surprisingly, not one mainly driven by fear or public perception. Bret uncovered that the problems of the industry started before Chernobyl and Three-Mile Island were catalyzing fear.Instead, it was utility regulation in the US that incentivized the industry to build bigger and bigger nuclear power plants.The industry itself was selling the argument that nuclear power is dangerous and needs massive amounts of safety, and regulation needs to ensure that.The process known as "regulatory capture" is responsible for nuclear stagnation.Bret systematically debunks misconceptions about nuclear: meltdowns and nuclear radiation are not dangerous at all. Uranium is not a scarce resource - in fact it could power the planet for up to a billion years.However, nuclear energy does have a cost problem. The cost problem is the result of industry stagnation and overregulation, and it needs to be solved.With Last Energy, Bret is super-modularising and vertically integrating the value-creation process. It's not a technical innovation, but a business model innovation: Last energy takes responsibility for all aspects of project development, from conceptual design through operation and maintenance, selling electricity directly to customers through power purchase agreements.Bret expects the first nuclear power plant in 2025 in either the UK, Poland or Romania - European countries with high energy costs or dependence on Russia.If we can solve the energy problem, we can supercharge human progress.Infinita Linktree: https://linktr.ee/infinitavc This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.infinitacitytimes.com

Eche Emole is the co-founder of Afropolitan, a digital nation aimed at empowering Africans to lead abundant lives. With a background as a lawyer, technology executive, and community organizer, Eche has extensive experience in his field. He has successfully organized events for over 200,000 diaspora Africans, including the 2019 Year of Return in Ghana, which generated $1.9 billion in economic activity. Eche's vision for Afropolitan was further solidified after reading "The Network State" by Balaji Srinivasan, which inspired him to create a "cloud nation." Recognizing the problem of poor governance affecting the African people, Eche saw an opportunity to create a solution through Afropolitan, now recognized by the New York Stock Exchange. This is just the start for Eche, who has big plans for the future of Afropolitan, including gaining diplomatic recognition and establishing embassies, known as "Afrotowns," worldwide. The ultimate goal is to make Wakanda a reality. Infinita Linktree: https://linktr.ee/infinitavc This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.infinitacitytimes.com

Scott A. Beyer. is a journalist and consultant, and owner of the Market Urbanism Report, a think tank that advocates for free-market city policy. Scott is currently on a 1.5-year-long trip to document how Market Urbanism can apply to developing world cities in Latin America, Africa and Asia.Scott has just arrived in Africa after 6 months in Latin America.Niklas and Scott talk about what's wrong with cities, how can we improve them and colorful insights from Scott's travels to existing and new cities in Latin America.Cities in the USA are suffering from institutional sclerosis and favoritism when it comes to housing and transportation policy. What's the predominant cause for rising housing prices and shortages is land-use zoning regulations.It's one of the core policy sins of city development in the USA. It makes land development a process driven by often intransigent local politics and NIMBYism (not-in-my-backyard). This policy favors the status quo over dynamic change.Scott has grown frustrated with US city politics. As an investor looking for new areas to invest in, and as a free market thinker he is now looking toward developing countries for better opportunities.This sounds counterintuitive. Don't migration flows go from developing to developed countries in search for better opportunities? Scott and Niklas both have discovered a contrarian insight: cities in Latin America are cheaper, more pleasant and safe than commonly assumed. Places like Mexico City, Rio, Santiago, Medellin or Buenos Aires are bustling with life and opportunity, rich cultural experiences and wonderful people.Also, Latin America harbors some of the most forward-thinking new city developments in the world, such as Prospera and Cuidad Morazan in Honduras.Scott is continuing his trip to Africa - and we're looking forward to re-interview him in 6 months about his next wave of colorful insights into city development.Infinita Linktree: https://linktr.ee/infinitavc This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.infinitacitytimes.com

Patri Friedman is the legendary founder of The Seasteading Institute, and General Partner at Pronomos Capital, a VC fund focused on improving statecraft.Patri is the foremost thinker behind the idea of "competitive governance". Patri has been a huge inspiration for this show, and for Infinita VC.This makes this one of the most defining and important episodes in the history of the podcast.We talk about Patri's life's work and the venture funding side of funding new cities or governance experiments to foster human progress and flourishing.Patri talks about how ideas like charter cities, AI safety, internet money or life extension were part of fringe, cypherpunk-like groups.These ideas gained adoption to millions with the expansion of the internet, Silicon Valley culture and blockchain/cryptocurrency technology.After working on alternative governance ideas for 15+ years, including the foundation of Seasteading, Patri turned to VC as a way to realize these ideas.In 2019, he founded Pronomos to support charter cities. Initially, with little dealflow, new projects are now more than ever reaching him.We talk about how Balaji Srinivasan's book "The Network State" has added new fuel to the movement by innovating on a model with lower barriers to entry.The movement is now at an inflection point.The "zero-to-one" has been achieved with Próspera Honduras, and several dozens of projects like Praxis, Small Farm Cities or Kift are maturing rapidly.At this inflection point, the movement needs founders and entrepreneurs. Patri is planning to start a venture studio that is building a sales pipeline with governments open to new models for economic development and matching with founders to start them.There is no better time to build!Infinita Linktree: https://linktr.ee/infinitavc This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.infinitacitytimes.com

Max Borders is an author and public intellectual. He wrote books like "The Social Singularity" and "After Collapse". He is also Executive Director at Social Evolution, a non-profit organization dedicated to solving social problems through innovation.We start the conversation by discussing competitive governance and using "exit" to improve existing institutions. Max views existing institutions as increasingly ossifying due to their monopolistic nature coupled with high switching costs.This DOS operating system is holding back humans from technological and spiritual progress. For example, the "welfare-warfare" state has increasingly replaced mutual aid organizations and thereby outsourced community care.We further talk about how both centralizing and decentralizing pressures influence how large organizations become (Ronald Coase's "theory of the firm"), the concept of holacracy, and how alternative forms of governance such as DAOs (digital autonomous organizations) provide a useful avenue for experimentation. Towards the end, Max talks about his new project of a "Shadow Constitution" that's taking the work of Balaji Srinivasan's "The Network State" further. Max plans to provide the "ought" to Balaji's "is".Infinita Linktree: https://linktr.ee/infinitavc This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.infinitacitytimes.com

Adeo Ressi is an iconic entrepreneur, investor, and teacher. He is the CEO of VC Lab, which runs the leading venture capital accelerator. He is also the Executive Chairman of the Founder Institute, the world's largest pre-seed accelerator.Adeo has launched more than 14 venture capital funds and founded 11 startups, having nearly $2 billion in exits before the age of 30.Adeo speaks about his mission with VC Lab. VC Lab has to date accelerated 236 new VC firms and reduced the time to start a fund from 18-24 months down to 5.8 months.VC Lab is designed to turn venture capital into a force for good in the world.Traditionally, VC is an exclusive club and accessible only in select locations like Silicon Valley, New York, London, Berlin, etc.Regions like Latam or Africa need entrepreneurship the most to solve local problems, but the locally available capital is predatory.It is no accident that venture capital has not yet scaled globally: as so often, the barriers are regulatory. The "dinosaurs of the industry" have set up moats.Starting a VC fund is a black box, and requires a significant amount of upfront capital for legal fees to comply with a set of onerous laws.VC Lab is solving the problem by creating a full-stack: a free acceleration program, standardized legal advice in three domiciles, and fund management software.VC Lab is doing more than anyone to globalize access to VC by reducing the barriers to starting a fund for managers committed to the ethical principles of the Mensarius Oath, thereby unleashing a new wave of innovation through entrepreneurship.Towards the end of the episode, Niklas comments on why he chose VC Lab and how it helped him start Infinita VC.Check out VC Lab if you're thinking of starting a VC fund (applications for Cohort 10 are open): https://govclab.com/Infinita Linktree: https://linktr.ee/infinitavc This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.infinitacitytimes.com

Dan Epstein is Director at Trust Ventures, a VC fund helping entrepreneurs overcome regulatory challenges.As a political economist and regulatory litigator, Dan is uniquely positioned to understand the politics, law, and economics of regulation and how it affects entrepreneurs at the forefront of technology.Studying and practicing regulatory litigation on both the government side, and the entrepreneurs' side led Dan to surprising and important insights.Insights that are essential for any entrepreneur.You may not think of yourself as a regulatory entrepreneur yet, but maybe you are.According to Dan, entrepreneurship is about redefining an industry. Uber or Lyft is not a taxi company but invented the ride-sharing business.It's important for regulatory entrepreneurs to think about this because the existing industry is regulated not to fend off competitors and get a ticket to survival.Dan and Niklas develop some nuanced views about regulation and charter important territory for how to navigate the complex regulatory landscape.While the U.S. regulatory state is sclerotic, we do see hope for sustained activism, "right to try" regulations, and sunset clauses, as well as using the playbooks that are increasingly being developed for regulatory entrepreneurs.As VCs, we also see increasing international competition for jurisdiction, and entrepreneurs have the opportunity to choose.There are challenges, but there are exciting opportunities on the horizon for regulatory entrepreneurs.Infinita Discord: https://discord.gg/dwbNh7NKNiklas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NiklasAnzingerInfinita Website: https://infinitavc.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.infinitacitytimes.com

Niklas speaks with Thibault Serlet, the Director of Research at the Adrianopole Group, a firm providing intelligence on special economic zones (SEZs)Thibault is one of the world's leading thinkers on the past, present and future of governance innovation through SEZs.SEZs are business parks that are geographically walled off from the countries that they're in, and they have their own laws.The most famous examples are Shenzhen, China and Dubai, UAE, which both were growing into modern megacities and hubs of technology & prosperity.With the Open Zone Map Project, Thibault found more than 5.000 SEZs worldwide, a fact that is little known in the Western world.SEZs have a fascinating history, including the trade and export hubs of Europe starting in Champagne, France, proto-venture funding of city captures by crusaders, and as a tool to modernize an economy of 1bn+ people in post-Mao China.What makes SEZs so interesting is that they make governance innovation possible on a small scale, something that is not possible on a large scale due to entrenched interests. Successful innovations can then scale.That makes SEZs a laboratory for the future, both when it comes to governance innovation, and when it comes to harboring innovative firms or individuals.We talk about the pitfalls of governance innovation, such as the failed libertarian attempts since the 1960s Operation Atlantis.Also like anything, SEZs can be used for horrible things like human trafficking in the Golden Triangle in Laos.SEZs are a tool and can be used for good and bad.To illustrate their potential, Thibault talks how they could be used to test policies to combat climate change, such as a carbon tax or a biodiversity futures market.SEZs and governance innovation are at the heart of unleashing the potential of stranded technologies and start a new wave of technological progress.Infinita Discord: https://discord.gg/dwbNh7NKNiklas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NiklasAnzingerInfinita Website: https://infinitavc.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.infinitacitytimes.com