Episodes
-
Links:
Scribe Media
Paul’s website
The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd
Good Work by Paul Millerd
Paul on X
Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:03:15) - Introducing Paul, and the early days of the publishing industry.
(00:06:48) - The earliest days of publishing, distribution of profit, and printing methods.
(00:17:46) - The 2014 E-book collusion
(00:20:27) - The self-publishing surge, the $4.99 sweet spot, and where authors can optimize.
(00:24:47)- The history of paperbacks
(00:37:28) - Book deals and agents
(00:48:15) - The India market, publisher problems, and compounding disinterest.
(01:06:06) - The future of publishing
To support this podcast:
>> Explore writing or publishing your book with Scribe: Scribemedia.com
>> 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!
Here’s what we explored in the episode:
We dive deep into the quirky history of the publishing industry, tracing it all the way back to the 1400s.
In the 19th century, authors could increase their earnings by co-investing in fixed costs, like print plates and bookbinding.
Traditional Publishing has always seen hardcovers as “the real books” and sought to protect them and their profits.
Trade paperback was published only after a successful hardcover, with those rights often sold separately.
Self-publishing changed the game for authors, with Amazon enabling print-on-demand and much higher royalty percentages.
If you are an author signing with a traditional publisher, realize YOU ARE NOT THE CUSTOMER–book retailers are their customers.
Lots of authors who earned big money retained their rights.
Stephen King retained his paperback rights an early successful book. After the hardcover version succeeded, he sold those rights for $400,000
Harper Lee made significant earnings from To Kill a Mockingbird by retaining movie adaptation rights.
Tom Clancy held on to his film and international rights. This later became highly lucrative as his popularity grew and more of his books got adaptations.
Traditional Publishers often prioritize prestige, tradition, and their profits – which doesn’t always align with author’s goals.
Indie authors can now disregard tradition and experiment with pricing strategies to maximize reach, revenue, and their own personal results.
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. -
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. -
Missing episodes?
-
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! -
[This is a replay of episode #002]
Andrew Wilkinson is the co-founder of Tiny, a venture capital firm that has helped to build over 25 profitable internet businesses over the last 15 years. He got his start founding MetaLab, one of the world’s top design agencies. He has gone from working out of his apartment a little over a decade ago, to today overseeing a group of companies with over 300 employees and tens of millions in revenue.
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! -
Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:03:24) - Recapping FoundersOnly Conference
(00:36:36) - Helping others first
(00:44:32) - Baldridge updates & the power of working hard
(01:03:46) - How do you want to spend your time?
(01:10:38) - Great book recs, Scribe, and the knowledge gap
(01:44:38) - Unethical founders
(02:00:56) - Optimizing for usefulness
Links:
Founders Podcast
Mitchell Baldridge on X
Get in touch with Mitchell
David Senra on X
Perplexity AI
Books:
Hard Drive by James Wallace
So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport
Born Standing Up by Steve Martin
Jerry Seinfeld in GQ
Zero to One by Peter Thiel
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 David Senra and Mitchell Baldridge:
"People don't see things as they are, we see them as we are. And so like we could write a book on this two-hour or whatever long conversation we've had and every single person's going to have a different perspective."
— David Senra
"I'm here to be the best in the world at what I'm doing. And then you get around other people like that. Like we just talked about Mike Ovitz. You think he was optimizing for days on the golf course?"
— David Senra
“I wake up every day more obsessed to the point where, like, if this continues, we're going to have to be concerned about me. And what I love is I'm really trying to go after it.”
— David Senra
"Books don't have to make money to make you money."
— Mitchell Baldridge
"Mute the world and build your own world and it's like part of building your own world you don't want to start from zero like a feral child in the middle of the woods."
— Mitchell Baldridge -
Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:03:52) - The Gardener of Systems
(00:07:43) - Builders vs. Gardeners
(00:11:09) - Who are the best farmers of miracles?
(00:16:52) - How did you become a “systems” person?
(00:23:45) - What does Systems Thinking look like for you?
(00:53:09) - Alex’s Slime Mold deck
(00:55:12) - The iterative, adjacent possible
(00:59:53) - Alex’s experience at Google
(01:03:12) - AI uses and potentials
(01:17:54) - Book recommendations
Links:
Alex’s website
Alex on X
Alex on LinkedIn
Emergence by Steven Johnson
The Systems Bible by John Gall
The Origin of Wealth by Eric Beinhocker
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 Alex Komoroske:
"I think that to really wrestle with systems you have to let go and just dance with the system."
— Alex Komoroske
"I like the word gardening because it underlines that you are not in control of this system. You are influencing it."
— Alex Komoroske
"The builder gets immediately to work, but the gardener understands that other things can be alive."
— Alex Komoroske
"Technology should be about helping people create and use hand-tuned tools to extend their agency in collaborative ways."
— Alex Komoroske
"If people who are very unlike each other all find it interesting or intriguing, that's a good sign that it will spread out to be a very large audience."
— Alex Komoroske -
Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:04:43) - Russian interpretations of friendship
(00:09:28) - Thoughts on the state of society and its rate of technological adoption
(00:13:22) - Creating alliances between entrepreneurs, capitalists, and scientists
(00:17:17) - Rick Rubin on Creativity in Investing
(00:20:55) - Does Taste exist in the world of VC?
(00:26:06) - Becoming a better Communicator
(00:40:59) - What archetypes do you see in the folks you work with?
(00:44:18) - Arkady’s background and career
(01:00:34) - Arkady’s thesis and technical due diligence for rpv
(01:11:26) - Companies Arkady is excited about
(01:16:55) - What important problems are you not seeing pursued?
(01:21:11) - How can people get in touch with you?
Links:
Arkady on LinkedIn
Rpv Venture Fund
Specialist by Robert Sheckley
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
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 Arkady Kulik:
"Good communication is essential to avoid conflicts and build better relationships, both personally and professionally."
— Arkady Kulik
"Aligning visions with founders is critical. It’s not just about the business, it’s about shared values and missions."
— Arkady Kulik
"The alliance between entrepreneurs and scientists is the key to unlocking humanity's transition to an advanced civilization."
— Arkady Kulik
"Technology is the only source of never-ending growth. Our ability to reshape what we have with a small amount of resources into something fantastic is a never-ending source of creativity."
— Arkady Kulik
"People who are not true to themselves and lie to themselves are not founder material. The people who don’t lie to themselves and know what they are trying to do are the ones who can actually get there."
— Arkady Kulik -
Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:05:10) - The decision to live in Idaho
(00:08:21) - Nathan’s flying hobby
(00:15:09) - Building Flywheels
(00:46:07) - Incentive compensation and giving people ownership
(01:06:39) - Inflection points in building ConverKit
(01:14:16) - How to work on a ton of things
(01:23:15) - What are the rules of thumb you use the most in life?
Links:
Nathan Barry on X
ConvertKit
Nathan’s website
Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson
Good to Great by Jim Collins
Small Giants by Bo Burlingham
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 Nathan Barry on building audience, wealth, and startups:
"If I look back at all the good things that have happened in my career in the last 3 years, they all come from writing. One little habit of writing 1,000 words a day revolutionized my career."
— Nathan Barry
"ATTENTION IS THE MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE"
— Nathan Barry
"When you start writing you don’t have to worry about crafting perfect prose. Instead you just need to focus on teaching useful skills."
— Nathan Barry
Making money is a skill—like playing the drums or piano—that you can get better at over time.
I wouldn’t expect to be able to sit down at a piano for the first time and play a concerto. The same is true for making money.
This is why most first companies fail.
— Nathan Barry, Ladders of Wealth Creation -
Links:
Join us in Rolling Fun!
Hear our other Rolling Fun eps!
Rolling Fun GPs:
Al Doan - Founder of Creativity Inc., a $100m+ collection of e-commerce brands. Founder of Pretzel. BS from BYU Hawaii, OPM at HBS. Makes one hell of a peach cobbler. (Twitter, LinkedIn)
Bo Fishback - Founder of Lightspeed Genomics (acq 2008), Orbis Biosciences (acq 2020), Zaarly (acq 2020). BS in Biomedical Engineering from SMU, MBA at HBS. Once drank a whole gallon of milk in an hour. (Twitter, LinkedIn)
Eric Jorgenson - CEO at Scribe Media. Author of Almanack of Naval Ravikant. Has a podcast. Barely graduated from a state school. Received a cease & desist from Craigslist for some frowned-upon marketing techniques. (Twitter, LinkedIn)
Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:02:49) - Showing love for new LPs
(00:10:25) - Q1 New Investment: Dirac
(00:16:23) - Q1 New Investment: Reactiv
(00:26:53) - Q1 New Investment: Longshot
(00:34:44) - How Founders can find lead investors
(00:52:05) - Stell Engineering raised a Seed round!
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!
Rolling Fun GPs:
Al Doan - Founder of Creativity Inc., a $100m+ collection of e-commerce brands. Founder of Pretzel. BS from BYU Hawaii, OPM at HBS. Makes one hell of a peach cobbler. (Twitter, LinkedIn)
Bo Fishback - Founder of Lightspeed Genomics (acq 2008), Orbis Biosciences (acq 2020), Zaarly (acq 2020). BS in Biomedical Engineering from SMU, MBA at HBS. Completed the ‘impossible’ Gallon Challenge, drinking a whole gallon of milk in an hour. (Twitter, LinkedIn)
Eric Jorgenson - Founding team of Zaarly. Author of Almanack of Naval Ravikant. Has a podcast. Barely graduated from a state school. Received a cease & desist from Craigslist for some frowned-upon marketing techniques. (Twitter, LinkedIn)
Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:00:06) - Warming up the vocals/ catching up
(00:09:14) - Q4 Catch-up and new deal flow
(00:15:16) - Portola
(00:41:40) - Atomic Industries
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:
Atom Limbs
Waitlist
Crowdfunding Round - Wefunder
Tyler on X
Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:02:19) - Inside building Atom Limbs
(00:18:37) - The process of researching what knowledge was needed to build this company
(00:27:26) - Feedback loops in prosthetics
(00:29:23) - Where is Atom Limbs today?
(00:40:48) - Wild, irresponsible speculation: Where do you hope this company will be in 50 years?
(00:48:30) - Are there ways for these prosthetics to extend lifespan?
(00:52:21) - What’s the price point you’re speculating for a prosthetic?
(00:55:32) - How do you see the next 18 months playing out?
(01:03:16) - How can people support you?
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:
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! -
Topics:
(00:04:26) - Who are your influences?
(00:08:57) - When Facts Expire: The Half-life of Knowledge
(00:22:57) - The Playbook behind Boston Dynamics and DeepMind
(00:28:36) - Research Orgs other than Academia, Govt, and Industry
(00:31:00) - DARPA and Speculative Technologies
(00:39:08) - Ink & Switch
(00:41:13) - Challenges of University Tech Transfer Offices
(00:47:42) - Transforming the future of Education
(00:52:20) - Using AI tools in day-to-day life
(00:55:40) - Sam’s job at Lux Capital
(00:58:07) - Overperforming and Underperforming Technologies
(01:02:33) - What mental models do you use most frequently?
(01:03:45) - How to corner the market on a high-tech skillset
(01:05:40) - Industries you’re watching that no one else is paying attention to?
(01:07:41) - Sci-Fi book recommendations
Links for more on Sam:
Sam on Tedx: The Half-Life of Facts
Sam’s books
Sam’s Website
Companies Mentioned:
Boston Dynamics
DeepMind
DARPA
Speculative Technologies
The Foresight Institute
Books Mentioned:
Why Greatness Cannot be Planned by Ken Stanley
The Three-Body Problem Trilogy by Cixin Liu
Neal Stephenson Books
Culture series by Iain Banks
Babel by R. F Kuang
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Don Swanson - Undiscovered Public Knowledge
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! - Show more
