Brendan is Co-Founder & CEO of Mercor, a global labor market using AI to find optimal matches between people and work opportunities. He and his co-founders were selected as Thiel Fellows as part of the 2024 class. Brendan previously founded a cloud computing company called Seros and dropped out of Georgetown University. Follow him on X @BrendanFood…

Nick is the Founder and General Partner at 1confirmation, a cryptocurrency focused investment firm. After raising its first $26M fund in 2017, 1confirmation now has over $1 billion in assets under management. The firm's early-stage investments include OpenSea, Farcaster, Worldcoin, Polkadot, Cosmos, Polymarket, dYdX, Degen, and others alike. Prior …

Jacek is the creator of ⁠$DEGEN⁠, an innovative cryptocurrency and L3 built on Base on Ethereum and popularized on Farcaster. Follow Jacek on Farcaster ⁠@jacek⁠. Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at pods.media/pod-of-jake/168-jacek-trocinski For more episodes, go to ⁠⁠podofjake.com⁠⁠. Previous guests include ⁠⁠Mark Cuban⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Vitalik Buter…

Mint this episode for free onchain on Base at ⁠pods.media/pod-of-jake⁠ Lucas is the founder of Pods — a platform for onchain podcasts. Pods launched in private beta in Q4 2023 and since then, has onboarded over 30 podcasts and over 250 episodes on the platform. Prior to Pods, Lucas was the first employee at Bankless, where he led the newsletter for…

Joe is the Head Coach of the Basketball Team at Bishop O’Connell High School, one of the best high school basketball programs in the country. Joe has won more than 500 games in 24 seasons and has also served as the school’s Athletic Director since 2010. He is also Chairman of the McDonald’s All-American Basketball Game Selection Committee & Games a…

Paul is an independent writer, freelancer, coach, and digital creator. He is best known for his self-published book, The Pathless Path, which has sold more than 45,000 copies. In the book, he tells his personal story of self-discovery while questioning conventional work beliefs and exploring what really matters. Previously, Paul spent several years…

Jacob is the Founder and CEO of Superpower, a personal healthcare startup with an all-in-one app focused on preventing disease, optimizing performance, and promoting longevity. Previously, Jacob co-founded and sold Commsor, a user engagement software startup. He also co-founded Launch House, a cohort-based incubator program for founders, and contin…

DCinvestor is an investor, advisor, and digital art collector. He is known for having one of the world's greatest NFT collections and posts frequently about digital art and Ethereum more broadly. DC is also interested in other technologies beyond crypto and has been a long-time experimenter of various VR/AR devices including, most recently, the App…

James Jones is the Head Coach of Yale Men's Basketball. Currently in the middle of his 24th season, James is the 5th longest tenured coach in Division I Men's College Basketball and has the 2nd most wins of any basketball coach in Ivy League history. He has also served as an assistant coach for USA Basketball. Before becoming head coach at Yale in …

David is the CTO of Ripple and one of the original architects of the XRP Ledger. Prior to Ripple, David spent over a decade as the CTO of WebMaster Incorporated where he developed encrypted cloud storage and enterprise messaging systems. David is also known by his internet pseudonym “JoelKatz”. Follow him on X @JoelKatz. [0:16] - What sparked David…

Caitlin is the Founder and CEO of Custodia Bank, a Wyoming-based bank which serves as a custodian of digital assets and a compliant bridge to the US Dollar system. Caitlin previously worked on Wall Street for 22 years between Morgan Stanley, Solomon Brothers, and Credit Suisse. She has been involved with Bitcoin since 2012 and more recently has hel…

Noor is the Founder and CEO of Orchid, a reproductive technology company measuring genetic predisposition to disease for the purpose of helping people have healthier babies. Prior to creating Orchid, Noor was a Thiel Fellow and an AI researcher at Stanford where she worked on applications of deep learning to genomics. Follow Noor on X @noor_siddiqu…

Shreyas has worked as a product management leader at Stripe, Twitter, Google, and Yahoo. He has been a startup advisor to several companies including Airtable and Chainlink and has angel invested in many companies over the last decade. He is currently teaching a course through which he has coached more than 2,000 product managers. Follow Shreyas on…

Vitalik is the inventor and co-founder of Ethereum. In his second appearance on the podcast, we discuss his recent essay, My techno-optimism, and explore his philosophy, d/acc. [0:16] - Vitalik's motivation for writing My techno-optimism [11:48] - Why AI is different from other technologies [20:05] - Centralization and the costs of technological de…

Jake is a Thiel Fellow and Founder of Pilgrim Labs⁠ where he is working on building biotechnology for warfighters. Previously, he was in high school (Jake is 19). Follow him on X @jakeradler. [0:16] - How Jake’s got into human-computer interfaces [7:52] - Transitioning a sleep wearables product into a biological interface for warfighters [15:16] - …

Jim is a legendary investor and pioneer in the field of quantitative investing. He is the Founder & CEO of O’Shaughnessy Ventures (OSV). Prior to OSV, Jim was the Founder & CEO of O’Shaughnessy Asset Management (acquired by Franklin Templeton). He also hosts the Infinite Loops podcast and serves as the Executive Chair of the board of directors at S…

Jules is the CEO of ⁠OTOY⁠, the definitive cloud graphics company, and founder of ⁠⁠Render Network (RNDR)⁠⁠, which facilitates distributed GPU rendering on the blockchain. He is a pioneer in computer graphics, streaming, and 3D rendering with more than 25 years of industry experience. Follow Jules on X @JulesUrbach. [0:16] - How Dragon's Lair and S…

Ana Lorena Fabrega is an edupreneur, writer, and Chief Evangelist at Synthesis. Growing up, she attended ten schools in seven different countries. She then earned her BS in Childhood Education and Special Education from New York University and taught elementary school in New York, Boston, and Panama. Today, Ana Lorena writes online to over 200,000 …

Ross is the Co-Founder, President and CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management. He is well known for his investments in Tesla, Bitcoin, Nvidia, and Netflix and has become one of the most influential investors on social media and in traditional media. Follow Ross on X @GerberKawasaki. [0:16] - How Ross first got into investing when he…

Phil is a co-creator of Bright Moments, a DAO-governed NFT art gallery and community. Besides his involvement with Bright Moments, Phil often shares his insights on technology and governance through his essays published at philmohun.com. Follow Phil on Farcaster @phil and on X @philmohun. [0:16] - Phil story as shaped by his early interests in comp…

Alan Patricof is a venture capital pioneer. He has worked in the industry since 1970 when he founded Alan Patricof Associates later known as Apax. In 2006, Alan founded his second venture capital firm, Greycroft. Most recently, in 2020, Alan founded Primetime Partners at the age of 86. Alan was an early investor in Apple, AOL, New York Magazine, Au…

Doomberg is the pseudonymous group behind the #1 Finance Newsletter on Substack, Doomberg. The team’s background is in heavy industry, private equity, and the hard sciences. Read Doomberg at doomberg.substack.com. [0:16] - How Doomberg reinvented itself from a group of consultants to produce the #1 Finance Newsletter on Substack [4:28] - Leaving a …

Andy is the CEO of Eco, a crypto platform for everyday transactions. Prior to Eco, Andy was a Co-Founder of CoinList and a founding member of the Stanford Bitcoin Group. Follow Andy on X @andy_bromberg. [0:16] - Andy's story, from Stanford to startups [4:47] - The origins of the Stanford Bitcoin Group and Andy’s interest in crypto [11:45] - Andy’s …

Shane is an entrepreneur, investor, and the founder of Farnam Street, a renowned blog that shares timeless lessons, insights, and wisdom on fundamental topics like decision-making. He is also the host of The Knowledge Project podcast and the author of the Brain Food newsletter. Shane’s newest book, Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extr…

Paul (a.k.a. LindyMan) is a technology lawyer and writer that has made a name for himself living a lifestyle based on The Lindy Effect. He regularly publishes blog posts through The Lindy Newsletter and is active on social media. Follow him on X @LindyMan. [0:17] - How Paul became the LindyMan [10:33] - Introducing Lindy and its usefulness as a len…

Nir is a behavioral product designer and the author of two bestselling books, ⁠Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life⁠ and Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products. He previously co-founded and sold two tech companies and taught at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design. Fo…

Brent is the founder and CEO of Permanent Equity, a long-term focused private equity firm investing (with no intention of selling) in small to midsize, privately held companies throughout North America. He is also the author of The Messy Marketplace: Selling Your Business in a World of Imperfect Buyers and previously operated several businesses as …

Soren is a designer at Cash App where he is responsible for designing the investing product. He has become well known for posting new "sometimes unhinged, sometimes useful" design ideas daily. Soren has previously held design positions at Square and Envoy while also running his own freelance design business. Follow Soren on X @soren_iverson. [0:16]…

Peter is the Founder & Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation and the Executive Founder of Singularity University. He has started over 25 companies in the areas of health-tech, space, venture capital and education. Among other roles, Peter is the Co-founder and Vice-Chairman of two public companies, Celularity and Vaxxinity. He is also the Co-…

Mike is the CMO at Founders Fund and the Editor-in-Chief at Pirate Wires. Pirate Wires is a media company that focuses on the intersection of technology, politics, and culture. Follow Mike on Twitter @micsolana. [0:16] - How Mike met Peter Thiel and got his start at Founders Fund [2:53] - Mike’s interests in seasteading, charter cities, and local p…

Dr. Andy Galpin is a Professor at CSU Fullerton. He is a Human Performance Scientist with a PhD in Human Bioenergetics & Muscle Physiology. Andy is a well-known fitness expert and has coached and consulted elite athletes in the NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA, and MMA. He has written a best-selling book, Unplugged, and co-founded three companies: BioMolecular A…

Preethi is an entrepreneur, engineer, writer, and student. She is the Founder of DappCamp, a cohort-based Web3 development course for Web2 developers. Preethi previously founded a company called TruStory and worked as an early software engineer at Coinbase and a Partner at a16z after beginning her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs. Foll…

Scott is the Managing Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) where he is responsible for all operational aspects of running the firm. He also invests in growth-stage companies within the bio and healthcare industries. Scott originally joined Andreessen Horowitz as the first employee, joining Marc & Ben after they founded the firm. He is the author o…

Anthony is the Founder and Managing Partner of Skybridge, a global alternative investment firm. He is also the Founder and Chairman of SALT, a global thought leadership forum and venture studio. Anthony is well known for his stint as the former White House Director of Communications. He has written several books and hosts a podcast called Open Book…

Aswath is a Professor of Finance at the Stern School of Business at NYU where he teaches corporate finance and equity valuation. He is the author of several books on both subjects and is widely known as “The Dean of Valuation”. Follow Aswath on Twitter @AswathDamodaran. [1:41] - Aswath’s interest in finance and passion for teaching [5:53] - Why val…

Masha is the Founder and General Partner of Day One Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm that places an emphasis on leading public relations for its portfolio companies. Prior to starting Day One, Masha was a successful angel investor and the creator of a public relations studio for startups. Follow Masha on Twitter @mashadrokova. [1:36] -…

Turner is the Founder of Banana Capital, a global venture capital firm. Prior to launching Banana Capital in 2021, Turner ran all venture capital investing at Gelt VC. He writes a newsletter called “The Split” and hosts a podcast called “The Peel”. Follow Turner on Twitter @TurnerNovak [0:00] - Turner’s early interests in investing; how he ended up…

Sophia is a serial entrepreneur and investor who most recently launched Trust Fund, an early-stage venture capital fund. She also runs a digital course and exclusive community called Business Class through which she mentors aspiring entrepreneurs. Sophia made her entrepreneurial debut as the founder of Nasty Gal, a women’s fashion retailer which sh…

Kevin is the Founding Executive Editor of Wired magazine, where he still serves as Senior Maverick. He was previously publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Review. Kevin is a co-chair of The Long Now Foundation, creator of Cool Tools, and author of multiple best-selling books, including his most recent, Excellent Advice for Living. Follow Kevin o…

Packy is the creator of Not Boring, the #1 Business Newsletter on Substack with over 200,000 subscribers. In addition to writing, Packy invests in early-stage startups with his fund, Not Boring Capital. He also serves as an advisor to a16z crypto. Follow Packy on Twitter @packyM. [0:00] - Packy’s journey to becoming a full-time writer [4:18] - Pack…

Andrew is the Founder and CEO of Fount, a comprehensive health and performance program backed by Founders Fund. Prior to starting Fount, Andrew led human performance and biotech strategy efforts for the U.S. military. He has worked with the Navy Seals, US National Soccer Team, and Miami Heat, among others. Andrew is also an adjunct assistant profes…

Sahil is the Founder & CEO of Gumroad, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform for online creators. He is also the Founder & CEO of Flexile, a company creating the infrastructure for operating businesses online with part-time people working remotely from around the world. Prior to starting Gumroad, Sahil was the second employee at Pinterest. He re…

David is the Head of Samsung Next, the investment group within Samsung Electronics. Prior to his role at Samsung Next, David was a Managing Partner at both Refactor Capital and SV Angel. Follow David on Twitter @davidlee. [0:00] - David’s background in law and venture capital [6:54] - Do VCs and executive coaches need experience as founders to succ…

Ariel is the CEO & Co-Founder of Hivemapper, a decentralized mapping protocol that uses a crypto-enabled dashcam. Prior to Hivemapper, Ariel spent time working on Yahoo’s mapping product and founded a mobile mapping startup, Gigwalk. Follow Ariel on Twitter @aseidman. [0:00] - Ariel’s extensive experience in the world of mapping [9:10] - Learning, …

Keith is the CEO & Co-Founder of OpenStore and a General Partner at Founders Fund. He is an experienced technology executive and entrepreneur, a prolific investor, and a self-described contrarian. Keith previously served as a General Partner at Khosla Ventures. Before that, he was COO at Square and served in influential roles at LinkedIn. He also c…

Noah is an American economist and writer best known for his Substack, Noahpinion. He has made contributions to Bloomberg, Quartz, and The Atlantic, among other publications. Before starting his Substack, Noah wrote full-time for Bloomberg. Prior to that, he was an assistant professor of finance at Stony Brook University. Follow Noah on Twitter @Noa…

David and Daniil are brothers, serial entrepreneurs, and investors. After selling their augmented reality startup Kernal AR to Snap, the brothers created a holding company, LibermansCo, to incubate their current endeavors: Product Science and Humanism. Humanism allows people to invest in people. Follow them on Twitter @DaLiberman. [0:00] - How the …

Michael is co-founder of the 1517 Fund, a venture capital fund investing in teams led by dropouts, the uncredentialed, and renegade scientists. He recently published his first book, Paper Belt on Fire: How Renegade Investors Sparked a Revolt Against the University. Previously he was vice president for grants at the Thiel Foundation and a principal …

Will is the Founder of damus.io, a mobile client for the decentralized social media protocol Nostr. In addition to his work on damus, Will is a regular contributor to Bitcoin Core and the Lightning Network. Follow Will on Twitter @jb55 and find him on nostr: npub1xtscya34g58tk0z605fvr788k263gsu6cy9x0mhnm87echrgufzsevkk5s. [2:18] - Will’s early inte…

Dan is the Co-Founder and CEO of Rewind.ai, a search engine for your life. Rewind uses artificial intelligence to help you find anything you have seen, said, or heard on your computer. Previously, Dan was the Co-Founder and CEO of Optimizely, an A/B testing software platform which he grew to over $120M ARR prior to exit. [2:18] - How going deaf in …