Tommy Potter — Building the CIA for Entrepreneurs (EP.264)

Young, polymathic, and full of energy — Tommy Potter is on a quest to build a “CIA for Entrepreneurs.” He calls it “The Power Hour” — a startup community in Michigan that hosts dropouts, undergrads and PhDs across many industries: enterprise, consumer, CPG, aviation, gaming, robotics and AR/VR, as they work together to build cool projects.

I had a great time chatting with Tommy as we spoke about non-linear career paths, embracing authenticity, working with dazzling, delusional people and more!

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack.

Important Links:

• X/Twitter
• Linkedin
• Powerhour: The CIA For Entrepreneurship

Show Notes:

• Tommy’s Origin Story
• Using The Third Door
• Lessons from Documenting the Homeless
• Can We Ever Be Our Authentic Self?
• What Traits Tommy Looks for in People
• Bringing Delusional People Together
• The East Coast - West Coast Bubbles
• Being a ‘Weirdo Broker’
• Process Over Outcomes. Serendipity Over Itinerary.
• Different Personalities in Public vs. Private Markets
• The Importance of Learning People
• Life Isn’t a Highlight Reel - Live It All
• Tommy As World Emperor

Books Mentioned:

• The Third Door: The Mindset of Success; by Alex Banayan
• One-upmanship; by Stephen Potter
• Class: Style and Status in the USA; by Paul Fussell
• Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America; by Chris Arnade
• The Science of Getting Rich; by Wallace D. Wattles
• The Act of Creation; by Arthur Koestler