Smart Friends

By: Eric Jorgenson
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  • Summary

  • Casual conversations with founders, technologists, investors, and artists about building a brighter future, together. Welcome to our digital living room.  With science, technology and entrepreneurship we can *continue* to create unfathomable leaps in quality of life. We show you how to find, apply, build, and invest in technologies to change your life and the world.  When we have smart friends, we do smart things. When we do smart things, we save the world.  No matter who, where, or when you are – now you have smart friends, too.  Outside this podcast, I’m the author of The Almanack of Naval Ravikant and The Anthology of Balaji. Connect at ejorgenson.com  Laugh and learn with people like Balaji Srinivasan, Naval Ravikant, Andrew Wilkinson, Austen Allred, David Senra, Josh Storrs Hall, Ashley Rindsberg, Zach Pettet, Bret Kugelmass, Omar ElNaggar, Grace Guo, Brett Kopf, Max Olson, Chris Williamson, Shane Mac, Tim Hwang, David Perell, Jason Hitchcock, Natalia Karayaneva, Sebastian Marshall, Taylor Pearson, Mitchell Baldridge and more. Join conversations with my partners in early-stage tech investing, Bo Fishback and Al Doan. Our Rolling Fun Episodes cover our investments and escapades as angel investors and startup helpers. We invest in startups creating the *next* industrial revolution. Learn more at rolling.fun “Surround yourself with people who remind you more of your future than of your past.”
    Copyright Eric Jorgenson, Magrathea Inc.
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Economics Leadership
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Episodes
  • #086 Jim O’Shaughnessy: Learning to Learn, AI Disruption, and the Future of Publishing

    #086 Jim O’Shaughnessy: Learning to Learn, AI Disruption, and the Future of Publishing
    Jan 21 2025
    Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:30) - What’s the most important thing you’ve ever learned? (00:07:23) - Learning to Learn (00:11:20) - How learning changes as you age (00:18:51) - How do you think about your circle of competence? (00:22:21) - The future of book publishing and how authors adapt (00:35:29) - AI disruption in book publishing (00:47:56) - Jim’s inaugural book: Two Thoughts (00:56:46) - LLMs for authors, and UBI Links: Jim on X Infinite Loops Podcast Infinite Books O’Shaughnessy Ventures Margins: Book Tracker 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! Here’s what we explored in the episode: "The most important thing I learned was how to learn and unlearn... most people are never taught it. It is something that, almost by definition, you have to do yourself." It’s important for leaders to admit when they are uncertain, and lead a culture of open-mindedness. It’s important to adapt to new environments, not cling to outdated practices. There’s an upcoming shift toward AI-driven, author-friendly publishing models that reduce inefficiencies and empower writers. Jim predicts AI will allow a “tsunami of slop” content and open huge opportunities in curation. In a world of abundant content, good taste and effective curation will be very profitable. Jim shares his evolving views on Universal Basic Income (UBI), arguing for experimentation to address societal shifts caused by technological advancements. Understanding opposing viewpoints to refine one's perspectives helps make better decisions. Jim uses AI to force him to debate and understand his own opinions better. Jim credits his success to a lifelong commitment to curiosity, whether through broad reading or questioning established norms. "Curiosity is a shit starter. It ignited my curiosity to the point where I just voraciously read everything." 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.
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • #085 Ben Reinhardt: How to Discover New Technology, Playing the Longest Game, and Philanthropy in Technology

    #085 Ben Reinhardt: How to Discover New Technology, Playing the Longest Game, and Philanthropy in Technology
    Jan 7 2025
    Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:05:25) - Studying both Medieval History and Engineering (00:09:48) - Founding Speculative Technologies (00:11:25) - Defining “Useful” in Science and Technology (00:13:46) - Building the roadmap of discoveries to unlock futuristic tech (00:17:24) - The need for new institutions (00:25:22) - Why focus on material science and manufacturing technologies (00:46:57) - The day-to-day work and impact of Speculative Technologies Links: Speculative Technologies Ben on X Ben’s website 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! Here’s what we explored in the episode: How studying history helps us see the present and the future more clearly. Ben’s vision is to work with founders who are not just chasing profits but are driven by the desire to solve meaningful problems. Most successful concepts emerge from multiple rounds of experimentation. As institutions evolve, gaps formed around important research that used to be funded by universities or R&D labs of corporations. Ben is building a non-profit to fill that gap. Ben shared why he chose to invest in startups rather than founding his own. Ben invests in "physics-enabled" startups that apply scientific principles to solve tough problems. For startups to be successful, there needs to be an alignment of motivations between investors and founders. Founders should approach investors with clarity about their vision and expect honesty and support in return. There are significant global issues that aren't being addressed by startups and opportunity abounds. Leaders must build complementary teams where members fill each other’s gaps, particularly in technical and strategic expertise. There’s a need for effective communication to bridge gaps between technical experts and the broader public. (hopefully some of what we’re doing here!) If you’re looking for non-profit causes for your philanthropic donations, SpecTech may be among the highest-leverage ways to advance human civilization through donations. 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.
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    57 mins
  • #084 Augustus Doricko: How to Terraform Earth, The History of Weather Control, and The Mandate of Heaven

    #084 Augustus Doricko: How to Terraform Earth, The History of Weather Control, and The Mandate of Heaven
    Dec 10 2024
    Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:13) - Catching up (00:13:14) - Making Earth (even more) Habitable by Controlling Weather (00:26:54) - Doug Burgum: Next Secretary of the Dept. of the Interior (00:31:30) - Building Rainmaker (00:44:19) - Are we short on clean water in America today? (00:50:37) - Drones, precipitation, cloud seeding, and the future Links: Rainmaker Augustus on X Augustus’ Thread on Doug Burgum 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! Here’s what we explored in the episode: Inspired by projects like China’s Green Wall, Rainmaker aims to terraform deserts into lush, habitable landscapes. Water scarcity can be solved by creating more water rather than just conserving to stay in the existing limits. There are already severely water-constrained communities and farms, especially in the American west and Southwest. Rainmaker’s cloud seeding program uses custom drones, radar, and safe, common chemical compounds. Cloud-seeding is decades-old tech. The breakthrough was a new radar to precisely measure the effectiveness of cloud-seeding efforts. China has more than 40,000 working on weather modification projects. The U.S. can catch up by supporting private sector innovation. Rainmaker is actively recruiting passionate engineers ready to work on cutting-edge tech. Being close to the frontier of innovation naturally drives the creation of new technologies and opportunities. Lots of examples inside Rainmaker. A commission in the book of Genesis in the Bible to steward the garden and take care of God’s creation is an intrinsic part of Rainmaker's purpose. 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.
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    1 hr and 2 mins

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