Power Law with John Coogan

AI experts Gavin Uberti & Robert Wachen discuss advancements in AI models, custom chip design impact on job market, and scaling challenges in building data centers. They explore the future of GPU technology, government regulations, and the evolution of hardware/software in AI model training.

Explore the impressive career of turnaround expert, Strauss Zelnick, from music to gaming industry success. Learn about strategic moves in gaming, transition to video games with Grand Theft Auto, and the successful takeover of Take Two Interactive. Discover insights into leadership evolution, operational excellence, and navigating industry challenges.

The podcast delves into Adam D'Angelo's journey from high school AI projects with Zuckerberg to his roles at Facebook, Quora, and OpenAI. It discusses the challenges of early employees with stock options, Quora's monetization evolution, and the success of large language models.

James Dolan, the man behind the Vegas Sphere, is a controversial figure with an aggressive approach towards the media. This podcast explores his strategy of building an empire through cable TV and Madison Square Garden. It also delves into his hands-on approach with the New York Knicks, his PR disaster, and his passion for music.

Chris Power, founder of Hadrian Automation, discusses building automated factories for aerospace and defense companies. Topics include private equity, decline of American manufacturing, space industry growth, and TransDime's success. Plethora's failed automation is contrasted with Hadrian's approach.

Parker Conrad, one of the great comeback stories in Silicon Valley history. Everyone should study his "compound startup" idea, completely contrarian to how every other enterprise SaaS company is built these days. So many great stories in here. Excited to dive in deeper.

Mike Shebat is the hardest working man in tech right now. He grinds 12 hours per day, 6 days a week, but he works in the most boring industry imaginable: the "light industrial staffing" market. VCs love this guy because he found a massive industry and is just going to outwork the competition to build a massive company. A bunch of fun lessons from this one, hope you enjoy it!

TJ Parker shares his journey from founding PillPack to selling it for a billion dollars to Amazon. He discusses offering equity for payment terms, battling pharmacy giants, operational challenges, and post-acquisition insights. Intriguingly, he also mentions being hunted by the FBI!

From hacking the iPhone to building self-driving cars, George Hotz's incredible journey is explored. The podcast delves into his early success, legal battles with tech giants, and his unique approach to innovation in the tech industry. It also discusses his challenges in revolutionizing self-driving technology and disrupting the AI hardware market.

In this episode, I delve into the journey of A.J. Piplica, CEO of Hermeus, a hypersonic airplane company. A Star Trek-inspired fascination for aerospace, nurtured during his time studying at Georgia Tech and working at NASA, guided Piplica into his first professional role at Spaceworks Engineering. It was here he got an opportunity to lead Generation Orbit (GO), a subsidiary focusing on hypersonic aircraft.Intriguingly, the seeds of Hermeus were sown at GO, where Piplica worked closely with Glenn Case, Skyler Shuford, and Mike Smayda, the future co-founders of Hermeus. They left the secure but limiting confines of GO to embark on a daring venture — Hermeus, betting on an audacious dream with six months of self-funded effort. Their journey involved facing skepticism, refining their business pitch, and navigating through a challenging investment landscape.Their resilience paid off when Khosla Ventures, despite early setbacks, funded them to build a prototype engine. After demonstrating their technology's capabilities, the team managed to secure significant funding during a difficult pandemic-hit period, fuelled in part by contracts from the Air Force. The funding was used to build Chimera, their first full-scale engine capable of transitioning from an afterburning turbojet to a pure ramjet.As Hermeus continues to grow, Piplica stresses the importance of hitting regular milestones, bridging funding gaps, and maintaining operations and growth. The process, he shares, involves a steep learning curve about government contracts, building lasting relationships, and responding promptly to shifting mission requirements. The vision is clear: to develop hypersonic technology that can cover large distances quickly, operate in contested environments, and rapidly adapt to changing mission needs.