Smart Friends – Details, episodes & analysis

This is a replay of episode 34 of this podcast. Links:  Josh’s Bio - Autogeny.org Where is my flying car? By J. Storrs Hall Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper The Martian by Andy Weir Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson Beyond AI by J. Storrs Hall Nanofuture: What’s Next For Nanotechnology by J. Storrs Hall   Other Episode You’ll Like: Solocast #3: Nuclear, Nanotech, and the next Industrial Revolution (Book Recap: “Where is my Flying Car?”) Massive Opportunities w/in Design & User Interface with Cliff Kuang   To support this costs of producing this podcast:  >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/  >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage  >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun >> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter >> Text the podcast to a friend >> Give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners  >> Name-your-price subscription monthly, annual, or one-time: https://app.omella.com/o/9Bufa  >> Follow me on Twitter: @ericjorgenson >> Get in touch about sponsoring this podcast by replying to an email or DMing me on Twitter.

This episode is a replay of episode 22 of this podcast. Links:  Eric’s Blog Eric’s blog post on digital scarcity Eric’s Blog post on The Cost of Trust Technological revolutions and Financial Capital by Carlota Perez Topics: (0:08) - Introducing the Web3 discussion (4:13) - What is the Blockchain? (6:06) - Lowering transaction costs across Web1, Web2 & Web3 (9:46) - Creating cheap, digital scarcity (12:12) - Why does the blockchain matter? Trust & Decentralization (18:50) - What happens when blockchains are deployed? Digital and Physical impacts. (26:26) - Technological Revolutions & Financial Capital by Carlotta Perez (28:23) - DAO: Distributed Autonomous Organization (30:51) - Predictions: The biggest networks will be bigger than the biggest companies (39:03) - Wrap Up: What do you have to do? (42:02) - Web3 is supposed to be fun!

Links: Garrett Scott on X Pipedream Labs Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:00) - Pipedream (00:08:33) - What’s the existing infrastructure for this product? (00:12:55) - Finding geographical partners (00:14:52) - Hyperlogistics, regulations, and long-tail e-commerce (00:30:35) - What are the toughest technical problems? (00:34:32) - The ability to master multiple disciplines (00:37:18) - The challenge of implementation (00:42:20) - Finding partnerships and building trust (00:47:46) - How did you become the person who’s pursuing this? (00:52:30) - The first 18 months of ideating Pipedream (00:56:47) - What’s the 50-year projection for hyperlogistics? (01:01:31) - How can people be helpful to the mission To support the costs of producing this podcast:  >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanack: www.navalmanack.com/  >> Buy a copy of The Anthology of Balaji: https://balajianthology.com/ >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage  >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun >> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter >> Text the podcast to a friend >> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners!  Important quotes from Naval on building wealth and the difference between wealth and money:   How to get rich without getting lucky. - Naval Ravikant   Making money is not a thing you do—it’s a skill you learn. - Naval Ravikant   Seek wealth, not money or status. - Naval Ravikant   Wealth is having assets that earn while you sleep. - Naval Ravikant   Money is how we transfer time and wealth. - Naval Ravikant   Ignore people playing status games. They gain status by attacking people playing wealth creation games.    You’re not going to get rich renting out your time. You must own equity—a piece of a business—to gain your financial freedom. - Naval Ravikant Important quotes from the podcast by Naval on Leverage:   “Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand, and I will move the earth.”  —Archimedes    To get rich, you need leverage. Leverage comes in labor, comes in capital, or it can come through code or media. But most of these, like labor and capital, people have to give to you. For labor, somebody has to follow you. For capital, somebody has to give you money, assets to manage, or machines. - Naval Ravikant   Capital and labor are permissioned leverage. Everyone is chasing capital, but someone has to give it to you. Everyone is trying to lead, but someone has to follow you. - Naval Ravikant   Code and media are permissionless leverage. They’re the leverage behind the newly rich. You can create software and media that works for you while you sleep. - Naval Ravikant   If you can’t code, write books and blogs, record videos and podcasts. - Naval Ravikant   Leverage is a force multiplier for your judgment. - Naval Ravikant   Apply specific knowledge, with leverage, and eventually you will get what you deserve. - Naval Ravikant   Important Quotes from the podcast on Business and Entrepreneurship   There is no skill called “business.” Avoid business magazines and business classes. - Naval Ravikant   You have to work up to the point where you can own equity in a business. You could own equity as a small shareholder where you bought stock. You could also own it as an owner where you started the company. Ownership is really important.     Everybody who really makes money at some point owns a piece of a product, a business, or some IP. That can be through stock options if you work at a tech company. That’s a fine way to start. 

Links: Join us in Rolling Fun! Hear our other Rolling Fun eps! Ouros AltHQ Zencastr Atom Limbs General Fabrication Company Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:02:57) - Dear Listener (00:09:44) - Eric’s life as a CEO & Scribe (00:17:14) – Rolling Fun Q2 Investments (00:30:21) - Rolling Fun Q3 Investments (00:41:26) - Lessons from playing basketball with Mr. Beast for 3 days To support the costs of producing this podcast:  >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanack: www.navalmanack.com/  >> Buy a copy of The Anthology of Balaji: https://balajianthology.com/ >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage  >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun >> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter >> Text the podcast to a friend >> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners! 

Links: David Senra on X Mitchell on X Founders Podcast Better Bookkeeping Mentioned on the episode: Fiftyyears.com Foundersonly.com Poor Charlie’s Almanac Liar’s Poker Atomic Habits The Pathless Path Morgan Housel books Tren Griffin Blog - 25iq Brent Beshore on meeting Charlie Munger Who is Michael Ovitz? Powerhouse by James Andrew Miller The Eternal Pursuit of Unhappiness  Blake Robbins on Twitter Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:53) - David - Product launching machine & the power of building relationships (00:24:18) - Thoughts on Podcast advertising  (00:31:35) - Book Publishing (00:38:27) - Eric’s new life as a CEO (00:59:23) - The permissionless adding of value (01:13:08) - The Power of Podcasting  (01:17:04) - Updates on the Baldridge Empire (01:34:19) - Reflecting on Main St. Summit (01:56:57) - Book recommendations (02:08:24) - Hire a paid critic (02:22:30) - Wrap up To support the costs of producing this podcast:  >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanack: www.navalmanack.com/  >> Buy a copy of The Anthology of Balaji: https://balajianthology.com/ >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage  >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun >> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter >> Text the podcast to a friend >> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners!

Links for Matt’s stuff: Aalo.com Matt on Twitter Aalo on Twitter Aalo Job Board Link to invest alongside Eric in deals like Aalo: rolling.fun Links to stuff mentioned: Decouple Podcast Titans of Nuclear Podcast Nuclear Barbarian Substack Atomic Awakening by James Mahaffey Why Nuclear Power Has Been a Flop by Jack Devanney Topics: (00:03:08) How the popular opinion of nuclear has changed from the 1950’s (00:15:16) The regulation issues surrounding nuclear (00:17:20) Water-based nuclear reactors vs. advanced nuclear reactors (00:19:40) Matt’s journey into nuclear energy (00:34:42) Aalo’s strategy (00:41:12) What is the TAM for this nuclear microreactors? (00:45:53) The manufacturing process for a nuclear plant (00:48:51) The nuclear supply chain (00:50:01) The change in public opinion on nuclear energy (00:55:56) Support for nuclear energy in the VC world (01:01:12) Recommendations for learning more about the sustainable energy industry (01:03:30) What do you look for when hiring?   To support this podcast: >> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage >> Text the podcast to a friend >> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners! Important quotes from Naval on building wealth and the difference between wealth and money:   How to get rich without getting lucky. - Naval Ravikant   Making money is not a thing you do—it’s a skill you learn. - Naval Ravikant   Seek wealth, not money or status. - Naval Ravikant   Wealth is having assets that earn while you sleep. - Naval Ravikant   Money is how we transfer time and wealth. - Naval Ravikant   Ignore people playing status games. They gain status by attacking people playing wealth creation games.    You’re not going to get rich renting out your time. You must own equity—a piece of a business—to gain your financial freedom. - Naval Ravikant Important quotes from the podcast by Naval on Leverage:   “Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand, and I will move the earth.”  —Archimedes    To get rich, you need leverage. Leverage comes in labor, comes in capital, or it can come through code or media. But most of these, like labor and capital, people have to give to you. For labor, somebody has to follow you. For capital, somebody has to give you money, assets to manage, or machines. - Naval Ravikant   Capital and labor are permissioned leverage. Everyone is chasing capital, but someone has to give it to you. Everyone is trying to lead, but someone has to follow you. - Naval Ravikant   Code and media are permissionless leverage. They’re the leverage behind the newly rich. You can create software and media that works for you while you sleep. - Naval Ravikant   If you can’t code, write books and blogs, record videos and podcasts. - Naval Ravikant   Leverage is a force multiplier for your judgment. - Naval Ravikant   Apply specific knowledge, with leverage, and eventually you will get what you deserve. - Naval Ravikant   Important Quotes from the podcast on Business and Entrepreneurship   There is no skill called “business.” Avoid business magazines and business classes. - Naval Ravikant   You have to work up to the point where you can own equity in a business. You could own equity as a small shareholder where you bought stock. You could also own it as an owner where you started the company. Ownership is really important.     Everybody who really makes money at some point owns a piece of a product, a business, or some IP. That can be through stock options if you work at a tech company. That’s a fine way to start. 

Links: Andrew on Twitter Andrew’s Substack The AI Salon Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital by Carlota Perez Topics: (00:00:00) Eric welcomes you to the episode (00:03:20) The rocketing popularity of superconductors (00:05:28) The LK-99 Superconductor Breakthrough (00:19:44) How to commercialize room-temp superconductors (00:25:36) The value of superconductors and their impact (00:34:16) When will Nuclear Fusion produce energy?  (00:52:08) The overlap of engineering and science (00:57:48) Understanding the physics behind economics (01:03:53) How technology breakthroughs affect civilization  (01:13:16) Predicting second-order economic effects from introducing this technology, punctuated equilibrium &  (01:18:00) Crazy biotech breakthroughs (01:21:47) How much of a breakthrough in the superconductor do we actually have? (01:27:15) Where to get more of Andrew Cote What’s Happening with Superconductors RIGHT NOW Researchers have spent their entire careers researching room-temperature Superconductors. It’s one of the Holy Grails of material science. About a week ago, two papers were published simultaneously claiming a breakthrough – actual Room-Temperature Superconducting Materials, created in a lab in Korea. There seems to be big drama between the scientists. A nobel prize may be at stake. Or even scientific immortality. It’s not the main story and there are many unconfirmed details, I won’t go into it here, but @8teAPi is basically live-tweeting an HBO series so follow them for that angle.  We might be one week into a MASSIVE change in humanity, seeing the first ripples of a coming tidal wave.  Now, RIGHT now, there are thousands of scientists all over the world working frantically to reprocuce these results, confirm theory, run simulations, and improve methodologies. It is INCREDIBLE to see the scientific base of humanity from all over the world rise as one and tackle this opportunity. Feel like a scene from a Michael Bay movie, but nerdier. Here is what they’re working on… Superconductors put simply Superconductors are materials with zero electrical resistance. Normally, when energy moves between sources (an outlet to a phone battery), or over distance (through wires and power lines) there is loss of energy. Some estimates of that loss between generation and end user are 66%!! With zero resistance transmission materials, there could be near-zero loss of energy. Cost of energy could fall by one-third JUST by improving transmission. That would be great – and just the beginning. I’m sure this description would make a Physics PhD cringe, but hey it’s my first week. The problem is so far all of our superconductors only work at insanely cold temperatures. Those are complex and expensive to maintain, so superconductors have only been used very rarely in special circumstances to date. Superconductors that work at room temperature would be an enormous breakthrough, making them less finnicky and cheaper to operate. We could put superconducting materials many more places like power lines, wires, computers, transportation, etc.  Why is everyone SO DAMN EXCITED about the impact of room-temperature superconductors? So glad you asked… Why It Matters “If successful LK-99 would be a watershed moment for humanity easily on-par with invention of the transistor. Overnight, we revolutionize all of electronics and energy.” -Andrew Cote To support this podcast: >> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage >> Text the podcast to a friend >> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners!

Links: Center for Growth and Opportunity Where’s my Flying Car by J. Storrs Hall Eli on Twitter Eli’s Substack Ethan on Twitter Ouros Energy Episode #32 of Smart Friends: book recap of Where’s My Flying Car? Episode #34 of Smart Friends w/ J. Storrs Hall Episode #58 of Smart Friends w/ Brett Kugelmass Timestamps: (00:04:09) Eli Dourado & Ethan Loosbrock’s backgrounds (00:05:53) Impact of Next-Gen Batteries on the future: Flying Cars, EVTOL Jets, Electric Vehicles, AR Contact Lenses, Off-Grid Power, and more. (00:10:51) Lithium-Ion Battery’s role in sustainable energy (00:11:52) Higher Energy density is the key metric for battery quality (00:27:18) Why Ethan Loosbrock devoted his life to battery technology (00:30:55) How Ethan Loosbrock and Eli Dourado met and worked together  (00:33:32) What needs to happen to change the world through batteries (00:43:02) Starting Ouros Energy, the Standard Oil of Batteries To support the costs of producing this podcast: >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/ >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun >> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter >> Text the podcast to a friend >> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners!

Links: David on Twitter Mitchell on Twitter Founders Podcast Stuff mentioned: Jocko Go Drink Capital Camp People mentioned: Jeremy Giffon on Twitter Brent Beshore on Twitter Clayton Dorge - CEO of Capital Camp Books mentioned: Setting the Table by Danny Meyer Becoming Trader Joe by Joe Coulombe In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules by Stacy Perman Sam Walton: Made in America The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert Caro The Creative Act by Rick Rubin Creative Selection: Inside Apple’s Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs by Ken Kocienda Podcasts mentioned: Jocko Podcast Modern Wisdom w/ Chris Williamson Founders episode 305 - Robert Caro Invest like the Best w/ Sam Hinkie  Smart Friends - Kevin Espiritu Invest like the Best with Peter Chernin Acquired - Louis Vuitton Audience of one with Jeremy Giffon Infinite Loops: Billy Oppenheimer Timestamps (00:04:09) David & Jocko Go: a Love Story (00:15:49) Recapping Capital Camp (00:40:35) The power of audio & writing, Sam Hinkie, Podcast recommendations (00:50:37) Finding conviction in your career pursuits (00:56:58) The opportunity for niche businesses (01:06:29) Power Leaking & the HoldCo phenomenon (01:21:47) Favorite moments from Capital Camp (02:00:49) The power of taste (02:09:23) The Climb and the Summit To support the costs of producing this podcast:  >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/  >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage  >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun >> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter >> Text the podcast to a friend >> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners!

Links Epic Gardening Kevin Espiritu on YouTube Creator Capitalists post from Eric Kevin’s first appearance on Smart Friends Scribemedia.com/consult Timestamps (00:04:23) Kevin’s career leading to content (00:14:00) What did raising capital unlock for you? (00:20:36) Attaching a dollar value to your niche (00:27:08) What is your high-leverage work today? (00:28:24) What do you see for Epic Gardening over the next 10 years? (00:29:43) What other places can this playbook work? (00:37:29) Being *good* on every platform (00:39:00) Not thinking about “Marketing” (00:40:41) Is it easier to start with media and attach commerce after? (00:46:52) The importance of authenticity (00:53:55) Q&A (01:03:00) Wrap up To support the costs of producing this podcast:  >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: www.navalmanack.com/  >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage  >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun >> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter >> Text the podcast to a friend >> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners!