Podcast Notes Playlist: Business

Invest Like the Best Key Takeaways  Personalized, mastery-based learning (driven by AI) can enable students to learn 10x faster, mastering material in just two hours a day and freeing up time for real-world skills, entrepreneurship, and personal interestsMotivation is essential: Kids must love school for it to be effective. The greatest motivator is giving students time back in their day, achieved by efficient mastery learning.Time-based, lecture-driven models leave knowledge gaps: Most U.S. students plateau in middle school, as traditional education pushes content too fast, resulting in a fragile “swiss-cheese” learning foundationAI’s transformational role: With generative AI, obsolete textbooks and one-size-fits-all instruction are replaced by continuous, adaptive, and personalized feedback, tailored to each learner’s interests and needs.Feedback and growth mindset are superpowers: Receiving and seeking feedback in school builds resilience, accelerates learning, and prepares students to thrive beyond the classroomHigh standards + high support = success and happiness: Kids grow most when challenged and held to ambitious goals with strong mentoring, even if the process is uncomfortable.Gamification and engagement: Applying video game design and motivation mechanics to education can make learning irresistible, turning hard tasks into meaningful and fun challengesNo one-size-fits-all: Multiple school types, customized daily schedules, and teaching entrepreneurship, leadership, and teamwork ensure education aligns with each child’s unique strengths and ambitions.“I think this is one of the coolest projects happening in America that people are just starting to learn about.” – Patrick O’Shaughnessy on Alpha School Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgMy guest today is Joe Liemandt. Joe is the Principal at Alpha School and the founder of Triliogy Software and ESW Capital. He became the youngest member of the Forbes 400 in the 1990s before vanishing from public view for two decades—only to emerge with a $1 billion bet that he can make kids learn 10x faster using AI. Joe has built an AI tutoring system so effective that students at his Alpha School literally beg not to take summer breaks, achieving 2x learning outcomes in just 2 hours with standardized test results that compete with the best of them. We dive deep into why this could be the most valuable product he's ever built, his contrarian thesis that traditional SaaS is facing AI-driven obsolescence, and how his experience buying 100+ software companies prepared him for this moonshot in a trillion-dollar market that hasn't innovated in 200 years.  For investors, this is a masterclass in deploying patient capital to rebuild broken systems from first principles, with insights on everything from regulatory moats to the intersection of AI and human psychology. As your excited skeptic, I push hard on the technology readiness, parental adoption hurdles, and whether this audacious vision can actually scale to a billion kids. Additionally, in a Colossus Profile released last week, our editor-in-chief Jeremy Stern reported, for the first time, Joe as the product guy behind Alpha School in a can’t miss piece of writing. And now please enjoy my conversation with Joe Liemandt.  Joe Liemandt’s Colossus Profile by Jeremy Stern. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ramp’s mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp.com/invest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. – This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ridgeline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Head to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ridgelineapps.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about the platform. – This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AlphaSense⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. AlphaSense has completely transformed the research process with cutting-edge AI technology and a vast collection of top-tier, reliable business content. Invest Like the Best listeners can get a free trial now at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Alpha-Sense.com/Invest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and experience firsthand how AlphaSense and Tegus help you make smarter decisions faster. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Show Notes: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best(00:06:08) How Alpha School Is Revolutionizing Learning(00:12:47) Personalized Tutoring with AI(00:19:59) Measuring the Impossible: 2x Learning Outcomes(00:25:39) All Educational Content Is Obsolete(00:35:51) Motivating Students: The Key to Success(00:42:06) Life Skills Workshops: Real-World Lessons(00:47:47) The Key to Happiness: High Standards(00:52:33) The Role of Guides and Coaches(00:58:22) Feedback Loops and AI in Education(01:04:20) The AI-Powered Classroom Experience(01:18:06) From Self-Doubt to Limitless Learning(01:28:20) Challenges in Public School Systems(01:41:56) Gamified Learning and Technology(01:49:46) From Trilogy to Trillion-Dollar Markets(01:55:05) Why Software Companies Fail(02:01:21) Trilogy University(02:10:39) Lessons from Mentors(02:17:25) Pushing Limits and Finding Passion(02:27:12) Joe's Kindest Thing

On Purpose with Jay Shetty Key Takeaways  It is not about how much money you have; it is about how you treat it, and how you treat money determines whether it stays or leaves  Your sense of control – not your salary – predicts your financial well-being People with higher financial literacy experience lower anxiety, more savings, and better life outcomes than those with lower financial literacy “Don’t save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.” – Warren Buffett You cannot change your future until you challenge your programming: Unconscious scripts about money will drive your habits until you rewrite them The wealthiest people are not always the ones who made the most money; they are the ones who built the best relationship with it Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgDid anyone ever teach you about money when you were younger? What’s one money mistake you made in your 20s? Today, Jay shares the financial lessons he wishes he knew in his twenties. Insights that don’t just change how you handle money, but how you understand it. Jay reveals that most people aren’t actually bad with money, they were simply never taught how to build a healthy, secure relationship with it. Jay explains how these dynamics affect our financial habits, emphasizing that real financial security begins with mindset and choices, not income. From challenging inherited money beliefs to addressing debt with clarity rather than fear, this episode offers a roadmap to move from financial stress to financial stability. In this episode, you'll learn: How to Shift from Avoiding Money to Owning It How to Build a Secure Relationship with Money How to Invest in Knowledge Before Assets How to Break Free from Financial Programming How to Simplify Your Finances When Overwhelmed Wealth isn’t about looking rich, it’s about living with intention, respecting yourself, and aligning your money with purpose. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty Join over 750,000 people to receive my most transformative wisdom directly in your inbox every single week with my free newsletter. Subscribe here.   Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast   What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro 01:01 Is It Too Late to Learn Financial Literacy? 04:18 Myth: Money is the Root of All Evil 05:31 #1: It's About Good Decisions, Not Income 08:20 #2: You Can't Save What You Don't Have 11:26 #3: Buying More Won’t Build Wealth 17:14 #4: Don't Avoid Debt Education 18:25 #5: You're Not Lazy You’re Just Overwhelmed 19:56 #6: Where Did You Get Your Money Beliefs? 23:52 #7: Generosity Multiplies Wealth  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founders ✓ Claim Key Takeaways  The top maxims from this episode on Jimmy Iovine   Do not stop until you get it right If you go to sleep on a win, you will wake up with a loss Push through fear and use it as a tailwind Drop the ego and do whatever it takes to win Find the best people, then empower them Keep the main thing the main thing Focus on the big picture and be fearless about moving forward Opportunity is a strange beast; it often appears after a lossGo for great and know that it can come from anywherePrioritize speed, go all in, and get more reps  You must be relentlessly and unapologetically determined if you are going to accomplish something that has not been accomplished before If you are trying to push the boundaries on something, you need to be surrounded by people who truly believe in what you are doingAlways stay focused on the big picture; the work – the project – is what matters  Be mindful of ‘breathing your own exhaust’: Success can be one of the most dangerous things that can happen to youFind the very best people to work with, work like hell to get them to partner with you, and then give them the keys so that they can go drive “I didn’t want to be rich. I didn’t want to be famous. I didn’t even want to be happy. I wanted to be great.” – Bruce Springsteen  When you are running after something, do not look left or right; just go! Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgYou grow up in a rough neighborhood in Brooklyn. You drop out of college. Your dad is your best friend but you don’t want to work the docks like him. You’re determined to “do something special.” You get a job sweeping the floor at recording studio. You get fired—twice. You’ll do anything to work in the music business, including working on Easter Sunday. That’s how you meet John Lennon. This is the day your life begins. You focus on being of service. You stay in the room and in the saddle. Bruce Springsteen teaches you what work ethic really means. You work with Tom Petty, Bono, Patti Smith, Stevie Nicks, and countless others. You’ll produce hundreds of songs. You get restless, start a family, and start a record company. You get advice from David Geffen. You figure out your edge is producing the producers. You work with the absolute best, hand them the keys, and tell them to drive. You’re a scrapper, you’re persistent, you use fear as a tailwind, you keep the main thing the main thing, you work all the time, you put 100% into whatever is in front of you. You’re described as fiercely competitive, insanely driven, and brilliant. You can never turn it off and you don’t understand why everyone else isn’t like that too. You start multiple companies, make billions of dollars, and tell the best stories when you go on podcasts after you retire. You are Jimmy Iovine.  This episode is what I learned from rewatching the documentary The Defiant Ones and listening to these excellent interviews with Jimmy Iovine.  ----- Ramp gives you everything you need to control spend, watch your costs, and optimize your financial operations —all on a single platform. Make history's greatest entrepreneurs proud by going to Ramp and learning how they can help your business control your costs and save time and money. ----- Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book

Modern Wisdom Key Takeaways  IQ is not destiny: While IQ can predict some abilities, it only explains about 40% of performance variationYou can improve your skills and develop unique aptitudes regardless of your IQPersonality traits outpredict IQ for life outcomes: Traits like conscientiousness and neuroticism are stronger drivers of GPA, income, and educational level than IQ aloneIQ and happiness are uncorrelated: Studies find no link (positive or negative) between IQ and happiness, though high-IQ people may experience more isolation or indecisionHigh IQ individuals can face unique challenges: They may be more susceptible to loneliness, social isolation, and even imposter syndrome, questioning their worth despite clear achievementsNarcissists are often over-represented among leaders: Because narcissists excel at attracting attention and admiration, they are more likely to become politicians and business leaders, but not all unpleasant people have a personality disorder.Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgSpencer Greenberg is a mathematician, founder, CEO & creator of ClearerThinking.org How much does IQ really matter? Most of us have met people on both ends of the spectrum and wondered where we stand and what that means for our future. But is IQ truly fixed, or can it be shaped in some very surprising ways? Expect to learn how much IQ matters in all areas of your life, what the pubic misunderstands about IQ, if we should be treating intelligence more like a skill than an inherent trait, why the obsession with IQ might just be a form of intellectual status-signaling, why imposter syndrome is shockingly common and some counterintuitive benefits to imposter syndrome, if traits like narcissism or sociopathy can ever be adaptive or useful, the most common misinterpretations of the Dunning-Kruger effect, and much more… Sponsors: See me on tour in America: ⁠https://chriswilliamson.live⁠ See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period from Shopify at https://shopify.com/modernwisdom Get 60% off an annual plan of Incogni at https:/incogni.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular Flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Timestamps: (0:00) The Intelligence Test (3:25) What is IQ? (7:19) The Main Claims Around IQ (12:35) How Important is IQ? (17:50) More Claims Around IQ (19:52) Can a High IQ Be a Disadvantage? (22:25) Are IQ and Happiness Correlated? (35:20) What Does the Future of IQ Research Look Like? (36:31) - Deep Dive into Imposter Syndrome (55:07) Re-examining the Dunning-Kruger Effect (01:02:22) Deciding Your Own Attractiveness Level (01:06:14) Misunderstandings About Personality Disorders (01:16:56) The Differences Between Sociopaths and Psychopaths (01:17:56) Are Narcissism and Sociopathy Adaptive Traits? (01:23:27) Are We Over-Pathologizing Unpleasant People? (01:25:02) Find Out More About Spencer Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59 #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A16z Podcast Key Takeaways  Future historians will look back on this era and wonder why we needed a license to cut hair but not a license to own and operate a computer – the most powerful device ever created There is a power law for M&A just like there is a power law for startups: the best M&A can completely transform a company, but only about 10% of deals ever work out “The actual way of regulating big companies is with a thousand startup piranhas, not by regulation.” – Balaji A large acquisition signals the big company’s inability to build the product in-house, while also fueling the startup ecosystem by attracting talent and investment to that market vertical and spurring competition.The ultimate form of American capitalism is exploiting the rules in a clever way Balaji’s global pro-tech legislative playbook:Identify the optimal legal framework for each market and verticalDevelop standardized, modular policy templates for all 50 U.S. states and 190 sovereign nationsBuild a government-relations team to establish and scale relationships across jurisdictionsIdentify and engage pro-tech policymakers (with emphasis on small, builder-friendly states) and deploy capital into markets that implement the model legislationThe greatest risk to AI innovation is arbitrary regulation; allowing market dynamics to operate freely will accelerate progress and distribute benefits broadlyThe question we all should be asking is, how do we build competition against the monopoly that is the US government Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgThere’s been a wave of M&A deals lately - Meta and Scale, Windsurf and Google - and a lot of it points to something bigger: how regulation, capital, and innovation are colliding in 2025.In this episode Erik Torenberg brings together Steven Sinofsky, former Microsoft Executive and Balaji Srinivasan, founder of the Network School, and author of the Network State to break it all down. From acquihires to “acquifires,” from FTC crackdowns to the deeper battle between the state and the network, this is a sharp conversation on the future of tech and power. ResourcesFind Balaji on X: https://x.com/balajisFind Steven on X: https://x.com/stevesiLearn more about The Network State: https://thenetworkstate.comLearn more about The Network School: https://ns.com Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Shawn Ryan Show Intro  Advice for future innovators: Work on something that you would be proud to fail at“There’s a whole generation or two that did not go into aviation because the door was closed to innovation.” – Blake Scholl  Great people do not want to work for bosses who do not know what they are doing: There is no substitute for actually knowing what you are talking about and doing the work The world does not need more of what it has already got; the world needs more of what you can uniquely bring The incentives of government regulation agencies create an asymmetric bias towards conservatism, a reality that ultimately stifles progress and innovation; this centralizes and monopolizes risk decisions into the hands of government regulators The smaller the team, the easier it is to keep the talent bar high; the number one thing great people want is to work with other great people Using AI to create a talent engine: Have the AI handle the boring and rudimentary tasks so that human talent can work on the most interesting problems; this creates a flywheel of talent retention and magnetismBe unafraid to deploy inexperienced, high-aptitude talent – but phone somebody who has some gray hair The Speed Dividend from supersonic: If the flight is twice as fast, then you need half the number of pilots, half as many airplanes, and can get twice as many flights from the same number of airplanes and crewWork on what you love because you will learn so much about: You will learn 99% new stuff along the way, so why not learn 99.5% new stuff while working on something you really love?Go work on the thing that your five-year-old self would have been dazzled by Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgBlake Scholl is the Founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, a company he started in 2014 to revive commercial supersonic flight with the Overture airliner, designed to fly at Mach 1.7 and carry 64–80 passengers.  A Carnegie Mellon University computer science graduate (BS, 2001), Scholl began his career as a software engineer at Amazon, later owning a $300 million P&L at age 24, and co-founded Kima Labs, acquired by Groupon in 2012.  Inspired by seeing Concorde in a museum, he self-taught aerospace engineering to launch Boom, which achieved the first privately developed supersonic flight with the XB-1 demonstrator in January 2025. With orders from United, American, and Japan Airlines, Scholl aims to make sustainable supersonic travel mainstream using 100% sustainable aviation fuel, targeting passenger flights by 2030. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: https://americanfinancing.net/srs NMLS 182334, nmlsconsumeraccess.org https://tryarmra.com/srs https://betterhelp.com/srs This episode is sponsored. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/srs and get on your way to being your best self. https://meetfabric.com/shawn https://shawnlikesgold.com https://hexclad.com/srs https://hillsdale.edu/srs https://ketone.com/srs Visit https://ketone.com/srs for 30% OFF your subscription order https://ROKA.com – USE CODE SRS https://trueclassic.com/srs https://USCCA.com/srs https://blackbuffalo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A16z Podcast Key Takeaways  Human labor may become less valuable, but the property that humans own – such as the S&P 500 – will experience significant value growth Value will accrue to property owners, via capital incomeA practical definition of AGI: AI that can do 98% of jobs as well as humans and can automate 95% of white collar work People often think of AI replacing human jobs as a perfect substitute, but typically, new technological adoption is complementary to human labor The key capability of learning on the job has not been unlocked; this is a technological unlock that could supersede the brand effect So while OpenAI is leading on brand, it could be usurped by a lab that makes a technical breakthroughUnless more compute comes online to continue the growth, we will have to rely on advancements in AI algorithms to carry the torch With AI, capital and labor are functionally equivalent; we can just build more data centers and robot factories (which can build even more data centers and robot factories), thus creating an explosive dynamic The optimistic vision for humanity’s role in an AI-driven future mirrors how we currently treat retirees: valuing their past contributions and supporting them even as they step back from direct economic productivity The emergence of AGI will resemble the Industrial Revolution more than it will the creation of the atom bomb There was not ‘one machine’ that enabled the Industrial Revolution; there was a broader process of growth and automation due to many complementary innovations A sovereign-wealth fund type structure may describe the future of human work: Humans buy shares in investment firms that manage the investment of AI stuff and then become broad-based shareholders in the development of AI This is what Alaska does with oil Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgIn this episode, Erik Torenberg is joined in the studio by Dwarkesh Patel and Noah Smith to explore one of the biggest questions in tech: what exactly is artificial general intelligence (AGI), and how close are we to achieving it?They break down:Competing definitions of AGI — economic vs. cognitive vs. “godlike”Why reasoning alone isn’t enough — and what capabilities models still lackThe debate over substitution vs. complementarity between AI and human laborWhat an AI-saturated economy might look like — from growth projections to UBI, sovereign wealth funds, and galaxy-colonizing robotsHow AGI could reshape global power, geopolitics, and the future of workAlong the way, they tackle failed predictions, surprising AI limitations, and the philosophical and economic consequences of building machines that think, and perhaps one day, act, like us. Timecodes: 0:00 Intro0:33 Defining AGI and General Intelligence2:38 Human and AI Capabilities Compared7:00 AI Replacing Jobs and Shifting Employment15:00 Economic Growth Trajectories After AGI17:15 Consumer Demand in an AI-Driven Economy31:00 Redistribution, UBI, and the Future of Income31:58 Human Roles and the Evolving Meaning of Work41:21 Technology, Society, and the Human Future45:43 AGI Timelines and Forecasting Horizons54:04 The Challenge of Predicting AI's Path57:37 Nationalization, Geopolitics, and the Global AI Race1:07:10 Brand and Network Effects in AI Dominance1:09:31 Final Thoughts  Resources: Find Dwarkesh on X: https://x.com/dwarkesh_spFind Dwarkesh on YT: https://www.youtube.com/c/DwarkeshPatelSubscribe to Dwarkesh’s Substack: https://www.dwarkesh.com/Find Noah on X: https://x.com/noahpinionSubscribe to Noah’s Substack: https://www.noahpinion.blog/ Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

A16z Podcast Key Takeaways  Distribution was so scarce not too long ago: The Unabomber killed all those people so he could get an op-ed in the Washington Post; today, he could have published his manifesto on Substack Founders should go directly and build their distribution channel “The founding creator is as important as the founding engineer. The founding engineer is the implementation, but the founding creator is the distribution. The founding engineer is the ‘how’ and the founding creator is the ‘why’.” – Balaji Srinivasan  For the media, the best thing they can do is put a man out of work (Watergate), and for tech, the best thing it can do is put a man on the moon (SpaceX) Red America imposing tariffs on China is like blue America imposing tariffs on AI – both are protectionist measures“Democracy is creating startup cities. Moving to Starbase was voting with feet. Building up Starbase was voting with a wallet. And incorporating Starbase was voting with a ballot. This is the future of democracy. Not a two-party system with the illusion of choice. Instead, a 1000-city system with the reality of choice.” – Balaji Tech is flanking legacy media with short-form tweets and long-form podcasts – two areas in which the media does not have establishment influenceWe must remove the barriers to exit so that everyone has a choice about which government rules them “With technology, we can have a new birth of media, science, democracy, and equality on the internet, because that’s what the internet is: it’s a peer-to-peer network, we are all equal on the internet. And truth is everybody’s property; it is not Sulzberger’s property – it’s cryptography.” – Balaji    Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgWhat really caused the breakdown between tech and media—and what comes next?Erik Torenberg sits down with Balaji Srinivasan (entrepreneur, investor, and author of The Network State) to explore the long-building conflict between Silicon Valley and legacy journalism. Balaji explains how the collapse of traditional media business models gave rise to political capture, clickbait, and adversarial coverage of the tech industry.They discuss why “going direct” is no longer optional, how tech became the villain in establishment narratives, and what it would take to build a new truth infrastructure - from decentralized content creation to cryptographic verification.This episode covers power, distribution, and the future of media, with a signature mix of historical insight, social analysis, and Balaji’s forward-looking frameworks.Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction 1:26 The Media vs. Tech Conflict2:11 The Collapse of Journalism Revenue2:39 Rise of Wokeness and Political Realignment6:50 State vs. Network: A New Framework9:00 The Power Structure of Media Institutions19:25 The Role of Distribution and the Internet29:20 The Social War: Red vs. Blue America30:05 X Day and the Shift in Social Media Power42:56 Strategies for Technologists: Go Direct48:36 The Importance of Individual Creators1:10:00 Decentralized Truth and the Ledger of Record1:36:00 The Future of Media, Democracy, and Equality1:37:08 Conclusion & Final ThoughtsResourcesFind Balaji on X: https://x.com/balajisStay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Crazy Wisdom Key Takeaways  FarmBot is a robotic farmer for your garden, designed to take care of your garden by performing functions such as planting seeds, watering, weeding, and monitoringSimply being open source is not enough. For a project to be genuinely useful, it must also have extensive, clear documentation and use open, affordable file formatsToday, the vast majority of food that people eat is grown very far away and in ways that is not great for the food or environment We have very little control over the food production system, which is vital to our existence  Let us get back to the smaller scale, more diverse polycrop system of food production; many follow-on benefits will result Building a resilient alternative to industrial food systems (which often rely on single-crop farming) reduces single points of failure along vulnerable supply chains The more that we can distribute the food system and bring it closer to the end-eater, the more robust our overall food system becomes Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgOn this episode of Crazy Wisdom, Stewart Alsop speaks with Rory Aronson, CEO of FarmBot, about how his open-source hardware project is transforming home gardening into a more automated and accessible practice. Rory explains how FarmBot works—essentially as a CNC machine for your garden—covering its evolution from Arduino-based electronics to custom boards, the challenges of integrating hardware and software, and the role of closed-loop feedback systems to prevent errors. They explore solarpunk visions of distributed food systems, discuss the importance of “useful source” documentation in open-source hardware, and imagine a future where growing food is as easy as running a dishwasher. For more on Rory and FarmBot, check out farm.bot and the open-source resources at docs.farm.bot.Check out this GPT we trained on the conversationTimestamps00:00 Rory explains FarmBot as a CNC machine for gardens, using Arduino and Raspberry Pi, automating planting, watering, and weeding.05:00 Discussion on the hardware stack evolution, open-source electronics roots, and moving to custom boards for better integration.10:00 Stewart shares his Raspberry Pi experiments, Rory breaks down the software layers from cloud apps to firmware, emphasizing complexity.15:00 Conversation shifts to closed-loop feedback with rotary encoders, avoiding 3D printer-style “spaghetti” errors in outdoor environments.20:00 Rory explores open-source challenges, highlighting “useful source” documentation and hardware accessibility for modifications.25:00 Solarpunk vision emerges: distributed food systems, automation enabling home-grown fresh food without expert knowledge.30:00 Raised bed setup, energy efficiency, and FarmBot as a home appliance concept for urban and suburban gardens.35:00 Small-scale versus industrial farming, niche commercial uses like seedling automation, and user creativity with custom tools.40:00 AI potential with vision systems, LLMs for garden planning, and enhancing FarmBot intelligence for real-time adaptation.45:00 Sensors, soil monitoring, image analysis for plant health, and empowering users to integrate FarmBot into smart homes.50:00 Rory describes community innovations, auxiliary hardware, and open documentation supporting experimentation.55:00 Final reflections on solarpunk futures, automation as empowerment, and how to access FarmBot’s resources online.Key InsightsRory Aronson shares how FarmBot began as a DIY project built on Arduino and Raspberry Pi, leveraging the open-source 3D printing ecosystem to prototype quickly. Over time, they transitioned to custom circuit boards to meet the specific demands of automating gardening tasks like seed planting, watering, and weeding, highlighting the tradeoffs between speed to market and long-term hardware optimization.The conversation unpacks the complexity of FarmBot’s “stack,” which integrates cloud-based software, a web app, a message broker, a Raspberry Pi running a custom OS, and firmware on both Arduino and auxiliary chips for real-time feedback. This layered approach is crucial for precision in an unpredictable outdoor environment where mechanical errors could damage growing plants.Aronson emphasizes that being open source isn’t enough; to be genuinely useful, projects must provide extensive, accessible documentation and export files in open, affordable formats. Without this, open source risks being a hollow promise for most users, especially in hardware where barriers to modification are higher.They explore the solarpunk potential of FarmBot, imagining a future where growing food at home is as effortless as using a washing machine. By turning gardening into an automated process, FarmBot enables people to produce fresh vegetables without needing expertise, offering resilience against industrial food systems reliant on monoculture and long supply chains.Aronson points out that while FarmBot isn’t designed for industrial agriculture, its modularity allows it to support niche commercial use cases, like automating seedling production in cleanroom environments. This adaptability reflects the broader vision of empowering both individuals and small operations with accessible automation tools.The episode highlights user creativity enabled by FarmBot’s open hardware, including custom tools like side-mounted mirrors for alternative camera angles and pneumatic grippers for harvesting. These community-driven innovations showcase the platform’s flexibility and the value of encouraging experimentation.Finally, Aronson sees great potential for integrating AI, particularly vision systems and multimodal LLMs, to make FarmBot smarter—detecting pests, diagnosing plant health, and even planning gardens tailored to user goals like nutrient needs or event timelines, moving closer to a truly intelligent gardening companion.

Moonshots and Mindsets with Peter Diamandis ✓ Claim Key Takeaways  We will have artificial superintelligence by 2035: “Superintelligence” implies intelligence that is beyond the sum of what humans can do  As important as nuclear fusion and fission may be for the future, they will not arrive soon enough to meet the immediate surge in global power demand driven by AI and data infrastructureLearning machines accelerate to their natural limit, and the current limit of AI systems is electricityGreater energy infrastructure is essential to support the intellectual capacity required for a superintelligent abundanceWe will have specialized savants in every field, within five years; the real question is, once we have all these savants, do they unify? Do they ultimately become superhuman? The emergence of superintelligence comes with huge proliferation issues: Competitive issues, China vs. the US issues, electricity issues; we do not even have the language for the deterrence and proliferation aspects of these powerful models  The “Mutually Assured AI Malfunction” geopolitical competition framework: If one nation races ahead to develop superintelligent AI, rivals may sabotage their progress (through cyberattacks or strikes) to avoid destabilizing power imbalancesWhatever enables faster learning loops is the business moat of the future “The real risk is not Terminator, it’s drift. AI won’t destroy humans violently, but might slowly erode human values, autonomy, and judgment if left unregulated or misunderstood.”  – Eric Schmidt The tools change, but the structure of humanity will not When superintelligence emerges, every person will have the sum of Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci in their pocket; how humans choose to use their polymath is the question “We don’t know what artificial general intelligence will deliver, and we don’t know what artificial super intelligence will deliver, but we know it’s coming.” – Eric Schmidt Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgGet access to metatrends 10+ years before anyone else - https://qr.diamandis.com/metatrends   Eric Schmidt is the former CEO of Google.  Dave Blundin is the founder of Link Ventures – Offers for my audience:  Test what’s going on inside your body at https://qr.diamandis.com/fountainlifepodcast   Reverse the age of my skin using the same cream at https://qr.diamandis.com/oneskinpod     –- Connect with Eric:  X: https://x.com/ericschmidt  His latest book: https://a.co/d/fCxDy8P   Learn about Dave’s fund: https://www.linkventures.com/xpv-fund   Connect with Peter: X Instagram Listen to MOONSHOTS: Apple YouTube – *Recorded on June 5th, 2025 *Views are my own thoughts; not Financial, Medical, or Legal Advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices