Podcast Notes Playlist: Startup

A16z Podcast Key Takeaways  The view of American businesses in the late 1990s was to get into China, outsource manufacturing, and reduce trade barriers between countries; this evolution was celebrated as the start of a new industrial era It has since turned into a national security issue for the United StatesChina’s unique blend of socialism, totalitarianism, and entrepreneurship enabled this to materialize Doing business in China often comes with onerous conditions, such as surrendering intellectual property or allowing government ‘inspectors’ access to operationsThe main risks to AI progress: (1) The government thinks that there is only one player, (2) One player thinks that it is the only player, and (3) The tech becomes geographically constrained It is very easy to pour money into China, but oftentimes, it does not come back out In the AI race, Microsoft’s strength lies not in being the best, but in ensuring it is embedded in whatever platform ultimately prevailsApple is not a first-mover company; it is a first-integrator company Apple faces a critical decision on its AI strategy – whether that is a ‘strange bedfellows’ partnership strategy (Microsoft and OpenAI), support anything that comes out (Amazon), or go its own way (Google, OpenAI, Anthropic) The silver lining for US manufacturing: Constraints fuel innovation; breakthroughs emerge when smart people focus on tough problems over timeCOVID exposed the fragility of the global supply chain system, revealing too many single points of failure to sustain a fracturing world order The role of IP in US-China competition is a litigation issue; we are in for years of market uncertainty as to how this dynamic will ultimately play out Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgWhat if the rise of Apple also built modern China?a16z’s Erik Torenberg is joined by board partner and former Microsoft Windows chief Steven Sinofsky to unpack how Apple’s pursuit of design excellence and supply chain scale catalyzed China’s manufacturing superpower status - and why that partnership is now under intense scrutiny.Inspired by the book Apple in China (but not a book review), the episode dives deep into:The early days of Apple’s shift to Chinese manufacturing What experts got wrong in 1999 about trade, globalization, and China’s trajectoryHow Tim Cook’s operational playbook reshaped the global tech industryBehind-the-scenes stories from Microsoft’s own hardware battles and Surface launchWhy Apple’s entanglement with China may now be a strategic liabilityWhat COVID revealed about fragile global dependencies — and where innovation goes nextHow national policy, intellectual property, and AI intersect in the new industrial eraThe episode opens with a few reactions to WWDC: Apple’s new UI, the iPad’s evolving role, and why Apple’s AI story still feels unfinished - before zooming out into one of the most consequential tech and geopolitical stories of our time.TImecodes:00:00 Introduction00:37 Guest Introduction: Steven Sinofsky00:49 WWDC Reactions and Apple's AI Story02:27 WWDC Highlights: Liquid Glass and iPad Updates05:16 Apple's AI Strategy and Market Dynamics06:34 Meta's AI Moves and Market Implications13:30 Apple's Manufacturing Evolution: From Garage to Global20:50 The Rise of ODMs and Global Manufacturing26:32 Microsoft's Struggle with Piracy in China27:19 Apple's Revolutionary MacBook Air29:30 Challenges in PC Manufacturing31:05 The Rise of Chinese Manufacturing Skills32:07 The Point of No Return for Apple and China32:59 Global Trade and Intellectual Property Issues37:04 COVID-19's Impact on Global Manufacturing41:19 Future of Innovation and Manufacturing47:10 Navigating Intellectual Property in the AI Era48:55 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsResources:Find Steven on X: https://x.com/stevesiFind Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenbergStay 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.

Knowledge Project Key Takeaways Check out the episode pageRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgMost people protect their identity. Andy Grove would rewrite his, again and again. He started as a refugee, became a chemist, turned himself into an engineer, then a manager, and finally the CEO who built Intel into a global powerhouse. He didn’t cling to credentials or titles. When a challenge came up, he didn’t delegate, he learned. This episode explores the radical adaptability that made Grove different. While his peers obsessed over innovation, he focused on something far more enduring: the systems, structures, and people needed to scale that innovation. Grove understood that as complexity rises, technical brilliance fades and coordination becomes king.  You’ll learn how he redefined leadership, why he saw management as a creative act, and what most founders still get wrong about building great companies. If you’re serious about getting better—at work, at thinking, at leading—this is the episode you’ll be glad you didn’t miss.  This episode is for informational purposes only and most of the research came from The Life and Times of an American by Richard S. Tedlow, Only the Paranoid Survive by Andy Grove, and Tom Wolfe’s profile of Robert Noyce available here. Check out highlights from these books in our repository, and find key lessons from Grove here — ⁠⁠https://fs.blog/knowledge-project-podcast/outliers-andy-grove/⁠ (05:02 ) PART 1: Hungarian Beginnings(06:48) German Occupation(09:27) Soviet Liberation(11:01) End of the War(12:35) Leaving Hungary (14:10) PART 2: In America(16:50) Origin of Silicon Valley(20:04) Fairchild (22:54) PART 3: Building Intel(25:15) Becoming a Manager(29:39) Intel's Make-or-Break Moment(31:35) Quality Control Obsession(34:41) Orchestrating Brilliance(37:49) The Microprocessor Revolution and Intel's Growth(40:32) Intel's Growth and the Microma Lesson(30:51) The Grove Influence(47:00) The Birth of Intel Culture(49:42) ​​The Fruits of Transformation(50:43) The Test Ahead (53:07) PART 4: Inflection Points(55:23) The Valley of Death(58:26) The IBM Lesson(01:01:18) CASSANDRA’s: The Value of Middle Management(01:04:09) Executing a Painful Pivot (01:08:25) Reflections, afterthoughts, and lessons Thanks to our sponsors for supporting this episode: MOMENTOUS: Head to ⁠⁠livemomentous.com⁠⁠ and use code KNOWLEDGEPROJECT for 35% off your first subscription.  NOTION MAIL: Get Notion Mail for free right now at ⁠notion.com/knowledgeproject Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of all episodes, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. Newsletter — The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Founders ✓ Claim What I learned from reading The Red Bull Story by Wolfgang Fürweger and Red Bull's Billionaire Maniac by Duff McDonald. ----Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders by investing in a subscription to Founders Notes----Come and build in-person relationships at the Founders Only conference----(1:30) "In literal financial terms, our sports teams are not yet profitable, but in value terms, they are," he says. "The total editorial media value plus the media assets created around the teams are superior to pure advertising expenditures."(2:30) "It is a must to believe in one's product. If this were just a marketing gimmick, it would never work."(5:00) He doesn't place a premium on collecting friends or socializing: "I don't believe in 50 friends. I believe in a smaller number. Nor do I care about society events. It's the most senseless use of time. When I do go out, from time to time, it's just to convince myself again that I'm not missing a lot."(7:30) The most dangerous thing for a branded product is low interest. (Edwin Land: The test of an invention is the power of an inventor to push it through in the face of the staunch-not opposition, but indifference-in society. (Indifference is your enemy)(9:00) Nike, Adidas and Vans episodes:Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight. (Founders #186)Sneaker Wars: The Enemy Brothers Who Founded Adidas and Puma and The Family Feud That Forever Changed The Business of Sports by Barbara Smit. (Founders #109)Authentic: A Memoir by the Founder of Vans by Paul Van Doren. (Founders #216)(11:00) The lines between Red Bull, Red Bull athletes, and Red Bull events are blurry on purpose. To Mateschitz, it's just one big image campaign with many manifestations.(12:00) He has no plans to sell or take Red Bull public. "It's not a question of money. It's a question of fun. Can you imagine me in a shareholders' meeting?”(13:00) Red Bull’s Billionaire Maniac https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2011-05-19/red-bulls-billionaire-maniac(16:00) He is universally described as a person with great charisma.(16:30) The Invisible Billionaire: Daniel Ludwig by Jerry Shields. (Founders 292)(17:00) He has a fierce desire for privacy. He buys a society magazine to make sure he never appears in it.(22:00) There is no market for Red Bull. We will create one.(24:00) Estée Lauder: A Success Story by Estée Lauder.  (Founders #217)(30:00) the NEW Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charlie Munger. (Founders #329)(31:00) Gossip and malicious rumors are worth more than the most expensive publicity campaign in the world.” — Dior by Dior: The Autobiography of Christian Dior (Founders #331)(36:00) Control your costs and maintain financial discipline even when making record profits.(38:00) Cult brands have their own laws, otherwise they would not be cultish.(38:00) Red Bull is Dietrich Mateschitz and Dietrich Mateschitz is Red Bull.(38:00) Many companies outsource their marketing and advertising activity. Red Bull consistently took the opposite route: It outsourced production and distribution and takes care of sales and advertising itself.(40:00) Charlie Munger and John Collison on Invest Like The Best #355 Rolex: Timeless Excellence on Invest Like The Best (41:00) If you are making a physical product make it look different from its competitors from the start.(43:00) Everything is marketing.(45:00) Never do anything that compromises your survival.(46:00) He keeps his empire constantly in motion(46:00) All corporate projects like Formula 1, football, Air Race, and media serve the core business: the sale of the energy drink.(47:00) This is a battle for attention.(49:00) Red Bull owns their events. They never relinquish media rights to any event. They invest in making the content and then they give their content to other media distributors for free. A very clever way to multiply their advertising and marketing spend.(52:00) The Bugatti Story by L’Ebe Bugatti. (Founders #316)The Dream of Solomeo: My Life and the Idea of Humanistic Capitalism by Brunello Cucinelli. (Founders #289)(54:00) Why he moved Red Bull’s headquarters to a little village on a lake: The aim was to create a more pleasant working atmosphere.(54:00) On why fitness is so important to him: “Everything that gives me pleasure in life is connected with a certain physical fitness and physical well-being. I like going to the mountain, I like skiing, I like sailing, I like riding a motorbike, I like fooling around - and everything is connected with a minimum of physical agility, motor skills, dexterity, strength, stamina. In order to enjoy it outdoors, I need the indoor program.”----Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders by investing in a subscription to Founders Notes----Come and build in-person relationships at the Founders Only conference----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested, so my poor wallet suffers.” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast ----Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work.  Get access to Founders Notes here. ----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast

Invest Like the Best Key Takeaways  Time is the best filter: History’s top entrepreneurs were completely focused over a long periodThe essential maxims from the episodeIt does not matter the pursuit; what matters is having a missionA great business takes time Find a simple idea and take it seriously – Charlie Munger Do one thing, and do it better than anyone else – Todd Graves Learning is not memorizing information; learning is changing your behavior The reward for great work is more work – Kevin Kelly  The hard way is the right way – Jerry Seinfeld  Be less interested in timely and more interested in timeless Overpay for talent because you really cannot overpay for talent Limit the amount of details, then make every detail perfect Pay attention to the nickels because the nickels turn into quarters Mediocrity is invisible until passion shows up and exposes it – Michael Ovitz The most successful businesses go ridiculously far in maximizing or minimizing one or a few variables Great entrepreneurs find opportunity in catastrophe Learning about history’s most ambitious people stretches your imagination for what is possible in life “You think what you want is money, but what you really want is meaning.” – David SenraJust keep going; you will figure it out – have the self-belief and keep going Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgMy guest today is David Senra. David is the host of Founders podcast and a dear friend. This is our third time doing Invest Like the Best together and we have conversations like this one all the time. In today’s episode, David distills wisdom from 400 entrepreneur biographies into a single word: focus. He reveals why exceptional builders like Todd Graves and James Dyson create billion-dollar empires through obsessive dedication to simple ideas—whether perfecting chicken fingers or designing vacuum cleaners—while rejecting conventional growth timelines and investor pressure. David challenges us all to find the one thing we’d pursue even without recognition or reward, or what I like to call your life’s work. We discuss the concept of “anti-business,” raising capital as a founder, and decades-long commitment. Please enjoy this discussion with David Senra.  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 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. – 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. ----- 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 (00:05:43) The Essence of Focus in Entrepreneurship (00:09:20) The Value of Long-Term Commitment (00:17:41) The Importance of Simplicity and Mastery (00:37:11) The Miracle of Entrepreneurship (00:44:56) James Dyson's Journey to Success (00:47:03) The Importance of Passion in Business (00:49:12) Critique of Modern Consumerism (00:52:18) The Value of Craftsmanship (00:56:36) The Drive for Excellence (01:04:06) The Importance of Hiring Top Talent (01:09:54) Creative Financing Strategies (01:19:35) Defining a Founder

My First Million Key Takeaways  Everything is an issue of agency; agency is the most valuable skill for any founderWork from a creative mindset by actively applying your sense of agency: Write down the value, how you can display it, and then do the thing Getting Ted Lasso’d: When a Brit with twice the intelligence and knowledge gets outperformed by the American who has 10x the agency and confidencePay attention to your ideas that make you laugh; if they elicit this type of emotion in you, then you might be onto something If you wait for the news, you will be wrong or lateWhat is ignored by the media today that will be studied by future historians?  Leverage on high agency has never been higher, thanks to modern AI tools Some people let reality happen to them and then use words to describe it, while others use words to edit and shape their reality Language shapes the world around usMinimize “should” from your vocabulary and start doing!The best way to increase your agency is to hang around people with high agencyIdeas are avocados: they are perishable – there is no time like the present to work on your idea The high-agency approach to problem solving: Ask “Why, Why, Why?” and continue to drill down on the problem until you arrive at the fundamental issue upon which you can take action today Speed is negotiable: Mobilize your army, which is your ideas, your resources, and your intention, to achieve your goal in much less time than you perceive to be possible Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgEpisode 703: Sam Parr ( https://x.com/theSamParr ) and Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) talk to George Mack ( https://x.com/george__mack ) about high agency.  — Links: • Steal Sam's guide to turn ChatGPT into your Executive Coach: https://clickhubspot.com/wec • High Agency - https://www.highagency.com/  • Nick Mowbray episode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pHcxoZ0j9A  — Check Out Shaan's Stuff: Need to hire? You should use the same service Shaan uses to hire developers, designers, & Virtual Assistants → it’s called Shepherd (tell ‘em Shaan sent you): https://bit.ly/SupportShepherd — Check Out Sam's Stuff: • Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/ • Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/ • Copy That - https://copythat.com • Hampton Wealth Survey - https://joinhampton.com/wealth • Sam’s List - http://samslist.co/ My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by HubSpot Media // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano

Knowledge Project Key Takeaways Check out the episode pageRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgMost accelerators fund ideas. Y Combinator funds founders—and transforms them. With a 1% acceptance rate and alumni behind 60% of the past decade’s unicorns, YC knows what separates the founders who break through from those who burn out. It's not the flashiest résumé or the boldest pitch but something President Garry Tan says is far rarer: earnestness. In this conversation, Garry reveals why this is the key to success, and how it can make or break a startup. We also dive into how AI is reshaping the whole landscape of venture capital and what the future might look like when everyone has intelligence on tap.  If you care about innovation, agency, or the future of work, don’t miss this episode.  Approximate timestamps: Subject to variation due to dynamically inserted ads. (00:02:39) The Success of Y Combinator (00:04:25) The Y Combinator Program (00:08:25) The Application Process (00:09:58) The Interview Process (00:16:16) The Challenge of Early Stage Investment (00:22:53) The Role of San Francisco in Innovation (00:28:32) The Ideal Founder (00:36:27) The Importance of Earnestness (00:42:17) The Changing Landscape of AI Companies (00:45:26) The Impact of Cloud Computing (00:50:11) Dysfunction with Silicon Valley (00:52:24) Forecast for the Tech Market (00:54:40) The Regulation of AI (00:55:56) The Need for Agency in Education (01:01:40) AI in Biotech and Manufacturing (01:07:24) The Issue of Data Access and The Legal Aspects of AI Outputs (01:13:34) The Role of Meta in AI Development (01:28:07) The Potential of AI in Decision Making (01:40:33) Defining AGI (01:42:03) The Use of AI and Prompting (01:47:09) AI Model Reasoning (01:49:48) The Competitive Advantage in AI (01:52:42) Investing in Big Tech Companies (01:55:47) The Role of Microsoft and Meta in AI (01:57:00) Learning from MrBeast: YouTube Channel Optimization (02:05:58) The Perception of Founders (02:08:23) The Reality of Startup Success Rates (02:09:34) The Impact of OpenAI (02:11:46) The Golden Age of Building Newsletter - The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at fs.blog/newsletter Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. Watch on YouTube: @tkppodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Infinite Loops Key Takeaways  AI is not thinking-as-a-service but collaboration-as-a-service: The wrong way to approach AI is to sit back and see what it comes up with; the right way is to tinker with it and poke it in different ways so that novel patterns emergeBanning AI in schools is like stopping humans from using fire because they might burn themselvesAfter discovering how to use fire, we created fire departments, firemen, and fire exits; the same thing will happen with AI“AI is a mirror, not a mold.” – Jim O’Shaughnessy Creation is fundamentally about choices: The choices reflect what the creator considers; the creation is the result of what the creator decidesThe best writers use the best prompts – the same skills that make them great writers help them get the best from AI“A lot of things that are revolutionary in the history of technology have taken something that was encoded into the substrate and then made it an abstraction.” – Nathan Baschez AI in 2025 is roughly where the internet was in 1995: So even if there is an AI ‘crash’, value creation will take place post-crash just as it did with internet companies following the Dot Com BubbleUnderstanding cumulative cultural evolution: Recognizing cultural shifts before others do gives you a competitive edge in both life and business The thinking that you should let the world pull companies out of your creative projects may be wrong; the vast majorities of successful businesses were started by people who wanted to create a successful business  Do not fall victim to the “Disney Princess Co-Founder” Fallacy: Instead of waiting to start because you have not found the perfect co-founder, just start on your idea!A common misconception about writing is that it is not only a way to communicate our thoughts, but also a way to formulate our thoughts Learn more by doing: Set aside preconceived expectations and follow your curiosityRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgNathan Baschez is the cofounder and CEO of Lex, an AI word-processor. He also cofounded Every, was the first employee at Substack AND co-created Product Hunt. Suffice to say, Nathan knows a thing or two about building on the internet. He joins the show to discuss how AI is changing writing, why it’s time to rethink the article, the rise of solo founders and MUCH more. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Lex Twitter Substack LinkedIn Show Notes: Lex: Your Spotter In the Writing Gym Letting People Into Your Creative Process Collaboration-as-a-Service Creation Is Fundamentally About Choices What Will Become of the AI Holdouts? AI Is Like the Internet In 1995 Can AI Unfuck the Government? Blindspots While Working In Organizations Rethinking The ‘Article’ As A Medium Memes Are Dense Information Packets It’s Time for Solo Founders Why Learning About Cumulative Cultural Evolution Is Vital What’s Next for Lex? Writing As A Way To Design Thoughts Nathan As World Emperor Books Mentioned: A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life; by George Saunders The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous; by Joseph Henrich The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution, Domesticating Our Species, and Making Us Smarter; by Joseph Henrich

Shawn Ryan Show Key Takeaways  Embracing the Founder Persona in America: The founder persona is a unique legacy of America that we should celebrate and embrace Rethinking the Software-Industrial Complex: If software is so great, why does nothing seem to work? Perhaps we need to reevaluate whether the software-industrial complex is genuinely serving society, or merely claiming to Data is not the “new oil”; data is the new snake oil: There is nothing inherently valuable about data – it is only valuable if you can use it to make a decision  Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgShyam Sankar is the Chief Technology Officer at Palantir Technologies. A builder at heart, he’s spent over 20 years designing and deploying cutting-edge software and AI for both government and private sector partners. As Palantir’s 13th hire, Shyam helped take the company from scrappy startup to S&P 500 powerhouse. A relentless opponent of inefficiency and red tape, Shyam has made it his mission to overhaul the institutions holding America back—starting with the government. His focus? The Defense Reformation: a bold effort to transform how the U.S. military buys, builds, and fights so we can win—and keep winning. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: https://roka.com - use code SRS https://tryarmra.com/SRS https://BetterHelp.com/SRS https://Blackbuffalo.com https://boncharge.com/SRS https://MeetFabric.com/SHAWN https://ShawnLikesGold.com | 855-936-GOLD https://Helixsleep.com/SRS https://hexclad.com/SRS https://hillsdale.edu/SRS https://PatriotMobile.com/SRS | 972-PATRIOT https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/SRS Download the app today and use code SRS https://RocketMoney.com/SRS Shyam Sankar Links: X - https://x.com/ssankar Substack - https://www.shyamsankar.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shyamsankar On The Defense Reformation - https://18theses.com First Breakfast - https://www.firstbreakfast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg Intro  Necessity is the mother of innovation: “We are putting enough friction into the system that it does theoretically give America an advantage at the cost of creating tremendous incentives for China to develop their semiconductor ecosystem.” – Gavin Baker Prohibiting China’s access to Nvidia GPUs encourages China to create its own Nvidia, though it may take a decade for it to do so If progress in the AI agent space continues, the only rate-limiting factor to its widespread adoption will be compute power; the days of AI agents competing in all of our daily tasks is a long time away because this will require so much computing, and the capacity does not exist yet Most everybody agrees that deregulation is good: Every time the admin says the word “tariff” it should say “deregulation” three times afterThe best way to encourage the reshoring of key industries is just making it easier to do business in AmericaThe US must figure out the difference between manufacturing and IP so that we can trap the real value of these industries back in AmericaThe admin is focused on making life better for normal, working-class Americans The goal of the tariffs is to restore the industries that can be restored into the US; but implementing them may create externalities, such as inflation and retaliatory tariffs The globalized “free trade” model of the last twenty years has benefitted US knowledge workers, but it has left the everyday American behind On DOGE: While Democrats and Republicans may disagree on where the government spends its money, both sides should want the spending to be efficient Using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, the Trump admin has deported 238 alleged gang members to El Salvador’s high-security CECOT prison The last use of this act was during World War II under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who ordered the deportation of thousands of Germans, Italians, and JapaneseSince 2015, El Salvador has slashed its murder rate by 99% through widespread arrests of suspected gang members without due process  “The one thing I learned: Everybody in America is always focused on making America better. Having been to eighty different places around the world, our only goal should be to not screw it up in America. Just don’t make it worse, because America is so much better than everywhere else.”  – Gavin sharing a quote from a Navy SEALRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.org(0:00) The Besties welcome Gavin Baker back on the show! (1:20) Nvidia balance sheet questions, CoreWeave IPO, M&A/IPO bounce back (16:22) US vs China in AI: Manus, China building its own Nvidia, and more (28:37) The Administration's endgame for tariffs (53:05) Signalgate: context and fallout (1:09:42) El Salvador deportations Follow Gavin: https://x.com/GavinSBaker Follow the besties: https://x.com/chamath https://x.com/Jason https://x.com/DavidSacks https://x.com/friedberg Follow on X: https://x.com/theallinpod Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theallinpod Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theallinpod Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allinpod Intro Music Credit: https://rb.gy/tppkzl https://x.com/yung_spielburg Intro Video Credit: https://x.com/TheZachEffect Referenced in the show: https://www.reuters.com/technology/coreweave-planning-cut-us-ipo-size-price-below-range-source-says-2025-03-27 https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-adds-dozens-entities-export-restriction-list-2025-03-25 https://modelcontextprotocol.io/introduction https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-plots-charging-20-000-a-month-for-phd-level-agents?rc=pxkrxo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8wJc7vHcTs https://x.com/JohnArnoldFndtn/status/1905296181208416744 https://x.com/chamath/status/1904547884877701610 https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/trump-administration-accidentally-texted-me-its-war-plans/682151 https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/invocation-of-the-alien-enemies-act-regarding-the-invasion-of-the-united-states-by-tren-de-aragua https://www.statista.com/statistics/696152/homicide-rate-in-el-salvador https://x.com/Sec_Noem/status/1905034256826408982

Founders ✓ Claim Key Takeaways  “Do one thing and do it better than anyone else.” – Todd Graves A winning idea can work for decades: Don’t think that you need to have a new idea every six months to be successfulCombine extreme patience with an extreme intolerance for slowness If you love what you are doing, then you will never stop doing it – and therefore, you will never interrupt the compounding effects of your efforts Make mistakes fast, but fix them even faster Make your people feel appreciated; constantly communicate your appreciation for them Corporate America makes financial decisions, not personal ones; this creates an opportunity for founder-led businesses that have more skin in the game You should be in a rush to get to your last business: “I’m not really interested in your first business. I’m interested in your last business.” – David Senra Lock in with a singular focus and do that thing better than anybody else; if you try to be all things for all people, then you are not anything to anybody Do not listen to “experts”; listen to your gut and intuition Limit the amount of details to perfect, then make every detail perfect “Never ever give up, and be fanatical. You’ve got to be fanatical. Nothing ever happens unless someone pursues a vision fanatically.” – Todd Graves  Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgTodd Graves is one of my favorite living entrepreneurs. He's a great example of Charlie Munger's maxim: Find a simple idea and take it seriously. Todd wanted to create a quick service restaurant that only focused on quality chicken finger meals and nothing else. Everyone told him that couldn't possibly work. The college paper that described the idea that would turn into Raising Canes got the lowest grade in the class. Banks wouldn't loan him any money —but nothing could stop Todd from living out his "chicken finger dream." He worked 95 hour weeks as a boilermaker, risked his life on a commercial fishing boat off the coast of Alaska, and scrounged up startup money from his bookie and a guy named Wild Bill. Todd made every mistake in the book, over leveraged himself, almost lost everything and yet he refused to give up or sell out. Today he has over 800 locations, 50,000 employees, and owns 90% of a business that's worth at least $10 billion. Todd's maxim is "Do one thing and do it better than anyone else." Sources: Trading Secrets: Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves reveals his path to building the wildly popular restaurantTheo Von: Raising Cane’s Founder Todd Graves----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 more. ----Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work.  Get access to Founders Notes here. ----Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book ----Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work.  Get access to Founders Notes here. ----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast