Episodes
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In part 1 of this episode of The Valley Current®, host Jack Russo and David Nash explore the implications of a world where conversational AI enables nearly "cost-free" access to knowledge. As the barriers to information disappear, the duo debates whether this shift will foster greater global cooperation and democracy or perpetuate conflict and isolation. Nash compares the universal accessibility of knowledge to the widespread availability of electricity, suggesting that when information becomes as easy to access as flipping a switch, traditional power structures may be upended. They also delve into how this new dynamic could reshape societal roles, questioning the future of governments and the rise of decentralized systems like DAOs, or decentralized autonomous organizations. As AI continues to evolve, Jack ponders whether the collective intelligence of humanity will lean towards unity or maintain existing divides.
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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Traditional companies (such as oil, telecom, and automotive) are being disrupted by companies like Amazon, Nvidia, and Tesla, positioning individuals like Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, and Jeff Bezos to become the world’s first trillionaires. This shift in wealth concentration poses significant challenges in society due to its magnitude and implications. The pace of technological advances in AI and computing is exponential compared to past industrial revolutions, and most cannot grasp the implications these advances will ultimately have. One insight rarely discussed due to regulatory constraints is the direct correlation between the rising U.S. federal deficit and the stock market's trajectory. Host Jack Russo and Pat Duke explore the backgrounds of today's billionaires, inherited wealth, and the “Overton window” spectrum of acceptability.
Encore Edition
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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Missing episodes?
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Today host Jack Russo is joined by guest Jack Balletto for a deep dive into the roots and unique culture that shaped Silicon Valley. The conversation explores the region's evolution from its early military contracts to its role as a tech hub. Balletto reflects on the influential figures like Bob Noyce and Gordon Moore, whose work at Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel laid the groundwork for modern computing. They discuss how Silicon Valley’s openness to new ideas, rapid execution, and the absence of restrictive non-compete agreements allowed talent to flourish and innovation to thrive. The episode also touches on how early tech companies like Atari and Apple played pivotal roles in transforming high-tech ideas into consumer products. Through engaging stories, Jack Russo and Jack Balletto provide insight into the collaborative and fast-paced spirit that has defined the Valley’s growth and continued influence.
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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In this episode, Jack Russo dives into a conversation with Bob Acker, who offers a unique perspective as an American expatriate living in Laos. They explore how the U.S. election is viewed from abroad, with Bob expressing concerns about the political climate and rising polarization. From his vantage point, the media’s heavy focus on Trump—five times more coverage than Kamala Harris—has shaped global perceptions, making Trump a polarizing figure even overseas.
Bob shares doubts about Kamala Harris’s effectiveness in the current administration, while Jack questions the future leadership of the Democratic party. From his perspective abroad, Bob sees the media’s overwhelming focus on Trump shaping global perceptions, making him a polarizing figure even among expatriates. They also reflect on the stark political divide between rural and urban America, which seems more pronounced when viewed from an international lens. Both express concerns about the Republican party’s radicalization and how it could lead to further instability, leaving many expats like Bob questioning the future of the U.S.
Tune in for an insightful take on U.S. politics from abroad!
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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Brevity is the soul of wit. Irvin Younger may not have been Shakespeare, but his lectures have become a cornerstone for young lawyers learning the art and science of cross-examinations. Jack Russo and Professor Bob Acker know examinations can be daunting and confusing if you are not properly prepared and can result in a trial loss for you and your client. The trick is to follow Younger’s 10 Commandments which rejects the previously accepted ways of thinking and implements a set of guidelines for skilled and concise examinations that win over judge and jurors.
10 Commandments of Cross-Examination
Be brief. Short questions, plain words. Always ask leading questions. Don't ask a question to which you do not know the answer. Listen to the witness' answers. Don't quarrel with the witness. Don't allow the witness to repeat his direct testimony. Don't permit the witness to explain his answers. Don't ask the "one question too many." Save the ultimate point of your cross for summation.9 Rules of Impeachment
Did the witness understand the oath that he took? Was the witness a percipient witness from the events by which he testified? Did the witness remember and is able to remember these events? Is he able to recount them? Does the witness have a good or bad reputation for truth telling in his neighborhood? Is the witness is biased or prejudice against the parties or has the witness has been bribed to give his testimony? Has the witness been convicted of a crime? Has a witness made a prior inconsistent statement that contradicts his testimony? Has the witness committed other prior bad acts?Encore Edition
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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Very few entrepreneurs think of growing a business in a practical way. Oftentimes, it’s one person or a small group of friends with nothing more than an idea, the drive to see it come to fruition and not much else when that idea becomes a reality. Luckily for us, Dr. Philippe Bouissou has taken his knowledge of steady business growth and turned it into a formula for how to improve and align a company for success. Like drinking, growth has to be done responsibly and not just for the sake of growth.
Check out Blue Dots Partners for more about growing your business responsibly and to check out the book!
https://bluedotspartners.com/
Encore Edition
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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Storytime is one of the most influential times for children. Childrens' books are loaded with quotes and themes designed to encourage children to become the best people they can be. Over at Discussion Partners, Tom Casey and other senior executives spend most of their time teaching people to become more effective leaders and guiding them on how to invest in the development of their employees with the intention of promoting the overall success of the company. Reading children’s books to each other has become Discussion Partners go-to way to figure out what they would have learned about leadership if they had just paid attention all those years ago. Today host Jack Russo finds out the not so hidden messages we missed when those books were read to us, and when we read them to our children.
Encore Edition
https://discussionpartners.com/about-us
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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We don’t always get everything right; even smart people don’t really understand the finer points of studies in their field. Take this article by Sam Westreich, a microbiome scientist with a doctorate in genetics who just happened to get everything wrong regarding the Hayflick Limit… and Dr. Hayflick is calling him out on it. Listen in for this epic mic drop where Dr. Leonard Hayflick picks apart Dr. Westreich’s analysis of his eponymous discovery and explains what the Hayflick Limit really entails.
https://original.newsbreak.com/@sam-westreich-phd-561470/2680164112641-the-hayflick-limit-tells-our-cells-when-to-die-here-s-why-that-s-a-good-thing
https://medium.com/@westwise/about
Check out Dr. Hayflick's book Howand Why We Age: https://a.co/d/cs3xmQj
Encore edition to honor the passing of Doctor Leonard Hayflick
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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For a brief moment in time, astronomers were able to safely study the sun’s corona simply because it was in the perfect spot at the perfect time. As awesome as it was for us to watch, no major news organization mentioned how unbelievable it was that this happened in an ever-expanding universe. There are many things reported to us that we tend to take at face value. For instance, the media will report how many Palestinians died in Gaza, but not question the accuracy of those numbers which were provided to us from a terrorist organization. Many fundamentalistic religions promote blind faith and eschew outside thoughts as sacrilege. Critical thinking seems to be on the decline and taking offense has replaced acknowledging mistakes. Host Jack Russo and Dr. Leonard Hayflick steer us back to a becoming critically thinking society before our future falls apart.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/observations/einsteins-famous-god-letter-is-up-for-auction/
Check out Dr. Hayflick's book Howand Why We Age: https://a.co/d/cs3xmQj
Encore edition to honor the passing of Doctor Leonard Hayflick
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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In this episode of The Valley Current®, host Jack Russo sits down with tech visionary Ronjon Nag, whose journey through the world of AI and technology is nothing short of inspiring. From his days at Cambridge and MIT to founding a groundbreaking handwriting recognition company with just $500, Ronjon has always been ahead of the curve. His insights into the evolution of mobile technology, including his role in launching the first mobile app store, will captivate anyone interested in the tech industry’s rapid transformation.
But it doesn’t stop there. Ronjon’s current venture, R.42, is pushing the boundaries of AI, longevity, and healthcare, and he’s got some bold predictions about the future of these fields. As a Stanford professor, he’s not just shaping technology—he’s shaping minds, teaching the next generation about the ethical and practical implications of AI. Listen in as Ronjon educates Jack with fascinating stories, forward-thinking ideas, and a deep dive into the cutting-edge innovations that could change our lives. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or just curious about the future, this conversation is one you won’t want to miss.
Check out these links to learn more about Ronjon Nag or even chat with him via his avatar!
https://www.r42group.com/
https://www.superbio.ai/
https://app.mimio.ai/ronjon/chat
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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For most of us, the dream of staying in a castle is something meant for fairytales… but what if that dream was more available than you thought? In this episode of The Valley Current®, host Jack Russo chats with Yvonne Corbett about her remarkable transformation of a historic Scottish castle into a luxurious corporate retreat. Yvonne shares how she and her husband pivoted from hosting weddings to focusing on private and corporate events, drawing on her deep expertise in the Scottish real estate market. The castle, with its modern amenities and rich history, offers a unique venue for multi-generational family retreats and corporate gatherings. Yvonne's passion and connections in the industry shine through, making her castle a top choice for those seeking a unique blend of history and luxury as part of their stay in Scotland
https://www.instagram.com/turin_castle_scotland/
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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There’s not much Professor Myron Moskovitz hasn’t done in his 60 years of legal work. You can pretty much say he’s done it all, from being a Supreme Court clerk, legal aid attorney, and law professor to now running his own appellate law firm. Part of Myron’s long-standing success is his understanding of what judges care about and his ability to find themes of injustice instead of focusing on legal technicalities. Host Jack Russo and Myron Moskovitz discuss combating biased rulings, known as the “bad guy” phenomenon, where a judge’s opinions are swayed against a party even with strong legal merits.
Want to learn more about Professor Moskovitz? Check out his books:
Winning and Appeal: https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Appeal-Myron-Moskovitz/dp/1630447706
Strategies on Appeal: https://store.ceb.com/products/strategies-on-appeal?_pos=1&_sid=dfa3942bf&_ss=r
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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What does it take to become a litigation street fighter in San Francisco? In today’s podcast, host Jack Russo interviews Ed King, a veteran litigator who has quite a storied career. Ed began his career sharpening his litigation skills against seasoned attorneys at the Haight Ashbury Legal Clinic and went on to work with notable figures on high-profile cases to tackle complex legal challenges in antitrust and defamation cases. Strap on your kneepads when you listen to this funny and fascinating recount of Ed’s journey to being the ultimate SF (litigation) street fighter.
https://www.kingkelleher.com/
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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Over the past decade, FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) has been responsible for a lot of reporting about financial accounts, but recently FinCEN has been trying to keep track of who owns what businesses. This affects corporations, LLCs and other entities. In response to new regulations, FinCEN just issued a FAQ regarding what is and isn’t exempt around ownership structures, trusts and privacy strategies. Host Jack Russo and CPA, Steve Rabin try and make sense of these new regulations so we can all stay compliant.
https://taxservice2u.com/
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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Can Ukraine survive the upcoming US presidential election? While the Ukrainians bravely continue their battle against Russia, most American’s don’t have the foggiest idea of what life is currently like in Ukraine and probably aren’t really concerned about how a possible Trump re-election could end their support now that President Biden has officially withdrawn from the election. Plans are already underway to secure additional funding for USAID and mediation which will ideally end the war with Ukraine keeping its autonomy. All this is now under jeopardy for Zelensky who could find a lot of his support disappearing next year. Host Jack Russo and guests Professor Sergiy Borysov & certified mediator Lynn Cole look past this upset for the democrats to determine what big-world consequences our election will have for Ukraine if Trump takes office again.
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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What makes leadership work and what makes it fail? It’s an enormous topic to unpack, but one that is sorely needed. The lack of quality leadership showing not just in Silicon Valley, but nationally and even globally is worrisome with most people citing the reprehensible leadership behaviors they’ve observed being hypocrisy, biases, intolerance, expediency and aggression. Effective leadership in a post-covid workplace should demonstrate the four key behaviors that many workers are actively looking for: empathy, transparency, accountability and collaboration. Can we soothe the chaos without sending everyone to some sort of leadership bootcamp? Host Jack Russo and Tom Casey look to inspire a new generation of open-mined and ethical leaders through Tom’s new book Leadership’s Future: Shouting into the Wind.
https://discussionpartners.com/about-us
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
-
Traditional companies (such as oil, telecom, and automotive) are being disrupted by companies like Amazon, Nvidia, and Tesla, positioning individuals like Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, and Jeff Bezos to become the world’s first trillionaires. This shift in wealth concentration poses significant challenges in society due to its magnitude and implications. The pace of technological advances in AI and computing is exponential compared to past industrial revolutions, and most cannot grasp the implications these advances will ultimately have. One insight rarely discussed due to regulatory constraints is the direct correlation between the rising U.S. federal deficit and the stock market's trajectory. Host Jack Russo and Pat Duke explore the backgrounds of today's billionaires, inherited wealth, and the “Overton window” spectrum of acceptability.
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
-
Can political prediction markets act as a better analyst than polls and pundits? In prediction markets where people bet real money on election outcomes, Donald Trump’s odds of winning another term spiked at 66% following his assassination attempt while Joe Biden’s sunk to 25%. In fact, the markets suggest it is increasingly probable that Biden will not even secure the Democratic nomination! Similar to polls, it is possible that prediction markets can be manipulated and not capture the full picture of what the entire public truly feels, but is one significantly more accurate than the other? Host Jack Russo asks Professor Sam Savage if prediction markets are our most reliable analysis of the future.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/13/2024-election-campaign-updates-biden-trump-rally/?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&location=alert
https://www.probabilitymanagement.org/
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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Does Biden still have a viable shot at winning another term in the White House? As the race for the presidency gets heated so are the prediction markets, and gamblers at predictit.org currently have their monies on Trump. Although prediction markets cannot be guaranteed to be completely random, they do reveal instant reactions to debates, speeches, and any economic factor that people would consider before going to the polls. Today Professor Sam Savage teaches host Jack Russo how Bayesian statistics expresses probability and affect the political predictions markets.
https://www.probabilitymanagement.org/
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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Are SAFE (Simple Agreements for Future Equity) as safe tax-wise as convertible debt? SAFEs were created by Y Combinator to simplify fundraising by avoiding lengthy negotiations associated with convertible notes, and unlike traditional loans, a SAFE agreement is a promise for future equity. Tax treatment varies depending on whether a SAFE is considered debt or equity. This means investors can deduct total losses from their taxes, which is beneficial if the startup fails, and losses are classified as capital losses (with a $3,000 annual deduction limit) when treated as equity. So, what should investors know before going all-in on a SAFE agreement? Today host Jack Russo asks CPA, Steve Rabin to discuss the tax implications of using SAFE agreements versus convertible notes for startup funding.
https://taxservice2u.com/
Jack Russo
Managing Partner
www.computerlaw.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso
"Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
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