
Podcast Notes Playlist: Startup
Business & Economics Podcasts
We take notes on the best podcasts so you don't have to. Subscribe to this playlist in your podcast app to automatically get all the episodes we've taken notes for along with the notes themselves! The latest for the tag STARTUP
Location:
United States
Description:
We take notes on the best podcasts so you don't have to. Subscribe to this playlist in your podcast app to automatically get all the episodes we've taken notes for along with the notes themselves! The latest for the tag STARTUP
Language:
English
Website:
https://podcastnotes.org
Episodes
Sequoia CEO coach: Why it’s never been easier to start a company, and never been harder to scale one | Brian Halligan (co-founder, HubSpot)
2/18/2026
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career ✓ Claim
Key Takeaways
episode page
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
Brian Halligan co-founded HubSpot, ran it as CEO for about 15 years, and now coaches Sequoia’s fastest-growing founders as their in-house CEO coach.
We discuss:
1. His LOCKS framework for evaluating founders
2. Why you should build your team like the 2004 Red Sox
3. Why hiring “spicy” candidates beats consensus picks
4. Why enterprise sales will be the last white-collar job AI replaces
5. Some of my favorite “Halliganisms”
—
Brought to you by:
Sentry—Code breaks, fix it faster: http://sentry.io/lenny
Datadog—Now home to Eppo, the leading experimentation and feature flagging platform: https://www.datadoghq.com/lenny
WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs: https://workos.com/lenny
—
Episode transcript: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sequoia-ceo-coach-why-its-never-been
—
Archive of all Lenny's Podcast transcripts: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/yxi4s2w998p1gvtpu4193/AMdNPR8AOw0lMklwtnC0TrQ?rlkey=j06x0nipoti519e0xgm23zsn9&st=ahz0fj11&dl=0
—
Where to find Brian Halligan
• X: https://x.com/bhalligan
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brianhalligan
• Delphi: https://www.delphi.ai/bhalligan
• Podcast: https://sequoiacap.com/series/long-strange-trip
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Introduction to Brian Halligan
(03:56) The perpetual state of constructive dissatisfaction
(05:25) Coaching CEOs
(07:49) The art of interviewing and hiring
(11:21) Getting the most out of reference calls
(13:10) Homegrown talent vs. big company hires
(16:31) Traits of successful CEOs
(19:40) Brian’s LOCKS framework for evaluating founders
(21:34) Are great CEO’s born or made?
(23:41) Giving effective feedback
(25:54) The future of go-to-market strategies
(31:56) Understanding forward deployed engineers
(34:17) How the CEO role has evolved over the last 20 years
(38:10) Halliganisms
(01:01:18) The CEO’s role in scaling a company
(01:02:41) Lightning round and final thoughts
—
Referenced:
• Dev Ittycheria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dittycheria
• HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com
• Parker Conrad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parkerconrad
• McKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com
• Brian Chesky’s new playbook: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/brian-cheskys-contrarian-approach
• Jensen Huang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenhsunhuang
• Winston Weinberg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/winston-weinberg
• James Cadwallader on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsca
• Gabriel Stengel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabestengel
• He saved OpenAI, invented the “Like” button, and built Google Maps: Bret Taylor on the future of careers, coding, agents, and more: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/he-saved-openai-bret-taylor
• Scaling Entrepreneurial Ventures: https://orbit.mit.edu/classes/scaling-entrepreneurial-ventures-15.392
• OpenClaw: https://openclaw.ai
• Ruth Porat on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-porat
• Mike Krzyzewski: https://goduke.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/mike-krzyzewski/4159
• Dalai Lama’s 18 Rules for Living: https://www.prm.nau.edu/prm205/Dalai-Lama-18-rules-for-living.htm
• Zigging vs. zagging: How HubSpot built a $30B company | Dharmesh Shah (co-founder/CTO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-30-years-of-building
• Kareem Amin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kareemamin
• Glassdoor: https://www.glassdoor.com
• Tobi Lütke’s leadership playbook: Playing infinite games, operating from first principles, and maximizing human potential (founder and CEO of Shopify): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/tobi-lutkes-leadership-playbook
• Katie Burke on LinkedIn:...
Duration:01:14:37
10 contrarian leadership truths every leader needs to hear | Matt MacInnis (Rippling)
1/13/2026
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career ✓ Claim
Key Takeaways
Deliberately understaff projects: Constraints force creativity and prevent bloat from politics and bureaucracyHigh alpha, low beta framework: Evaluate people and processes on upside potential (alpha) versus volatility (beta)Know when to quit your startup: If you’re not certain you have product-market fit, you don’t have itLeadership means fighting entropy relentlessly
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
Matt MacInnis is the chief product officer and former longtime COO at Rippling, a unified workforce management platform valued at over $16 billion.
We discuss:
1. Why “extraordinary results demand extraordinary efforts”
2. Why you should deliberately understaff projects, and how to know when you’ve gone too far
3. Matt’s transition from COO to CPO and what surprised him about leading product
4. The “high alpha, low beta” framework for evaluating people, processes, and products
5. When founders should quit their startups (hint: much earlier than VCs want you to)
6. How to fight entropy in your organization through relentless energy and intensity
—
Brought to you by:
Google Gemini—Your everyday AI assistant: https://ai.dev/
Datadog—Now home to Eppo, the leading experimentation and feature flagging platform: https://www.datadoghq.com/lenny
GoFundMe Giving Funds—Make year-end giving easy: http://gofundme.com/lenny
—
Transcript: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/10-contrarian-leadership-truths
—
My biggest takeaways (for paid newsletter subscribers): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/181916584/my-biggest-takeaways-from-this-conversation
—
Where to find Matt MacInnis:
• X: https://x.com/stanine
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macinnis
• Email: macinnis@rippling.com
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Introduction to Matt MacInnis and Rippling
(04:38) The importance of extraordinary efforts
(08:37) The challenges and rewards of relentless effort
(10:11) Your job as a leader is to preserve intensity
(12:39) You learn far more from success than failure
(16:34) Transitioning to chief product officer
(19:54) Fixing product management at Rippling
(25:27) The “high alpha, low beta” framework
(28:55) The PQL framework
(35:16) Hiring frameworks and team dynamics
(36:52) A helpful interview tactic
(40:00) Leading as a COO vs. a CPO
(42:34) The reality of product-market fit
(46:38) The problem with venture capital
(49:29) When founders should quit their startups
(41:48) The immutable market
(54:13) Lessons from Notion’s success
(57:43) Investment strategies and narrative violations
(01:00:42) The power of compounding, power law, and entropy
(01:07:02) Maintaining intensity and fighting entropy
(01:11:33) The importance of feedback and escalations
(01:14:31) Rippling’s vision and success
(01:17:48) AI’s impact on SaaS and business software
(01:23:42) AI corner
(01:26:23) Final thoughts and lightning round
—
Referenced:
• Rippling: https://www.rippling.com
• Sunil Raman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunilraman
• Dan Gill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangill
• Carvana: https://www.carvana.com
• Brian Chesky’s new playbook: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/brian-cheskys-contrarian-approach
• Parker Conrad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parkerconrad
• Inkling: https://www.inkling.com
• Akshay Kothari on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari
• Notion: https://www.notion.com
• Conway’s law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway%27s_law
• Seeking Alpha: https://seekingalpha.com
• Dennis Rodman’s website: https://dennisrodman.com
• Dancing pickle emoji: https://slackmojis.com/emojis/456-dancing_pickle
• Pickle Rick: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickle_Rick
• SPOTAK: The Six Traits I Look for When I’m...
Duration:01:36:17
2754: Stress is Making You Fat! Here's how and how to fix it.
1/9/2026
MInd Pump
Key Takeaways
Gamify failure to accelerate learningDopamine drives getting, not havingConspiracy theories fill our need for controlAdults are input-rich but output-starved
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
Mind Pump Fit Tip: Stress is Making You Fat! Here's how and how to fix it. (2:28)
The most effective anti-inflammatory. (26:04)
Hip thrust king! (28:19)
Baby sumo. (31:27)
Kids do the darndest things. (34:13)
The delicate dance of getting your kids to do things they don't want to do. (36:48)
Carnival genetics. (39:24)
Effects of ultra-processed foods on kids. (41:32)
American culture and consumption. (43:18)
The importance of having a healthy microbiome on your skin. (49:42)
#ListenerCoaching call #1 – How to structure the workout when hitting two or more muscle groups in the same workout. (55:38)
#ListenerCoaching call #2 – How do you know when a low HRV score means you actually need to back off training, versus when it's just reflecting daily stress, hormones, or life chaos? (1:04:46)
#ListenerCoaching call #3 – How to balance work/life, while trying to be an inspiring entrepreneur. (1:12:15)
#ListenerCoaching call #4 – How can I continue to incorporate all of the things I love without losing muscle and strength gains, while also seeking optimal overall health outside of aesthetics (I deal with quite a bit of body dysmorphia)? (1:24:26)
Related Links/Products Mentioned
Get Coached by Mind Pump, live! Visit https://www.mplivecaller.com
Visit Fatty15 for an exclusive offer for Mind Pump listeners! ** You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit with code MINDPUMP **
Visit Caldera Lab for an exclusive offer for Mind Pump listeners! **Code MINDPUMP20 for 20% off your first order of their best products. **
MAPS 15 FORTY PLUS 50% half from Dec. 14-20th. Code DECEMBER50 at checkout.
Mind Pump Store
Purpose in life and stress: An individual-participant meta-analysis of 16 samples
Gratitude enhances health, brings happiness - Harvard Health
The importance of friendships in reducing brain responses to stress in adolescents exposed to childhood adversity: a preregistered systematic review
Ultra-processed foods threaten brain health in kids and teens, review warns
Australia's social media ban for kids under 16 goes into effect
'We fear people will end up in financial trouble.' Americans will spend a record $20 billion via buy-now-pay-later during the holidays.
Visit Seed for an exclusive offer for Mind Pump listeners! ** Code 20MINDPUMP for 20% off your first month of Seed's DS-01® Daily Synbiotic. **
Mind Pump #2469: Compound Before Isolation Lifts are the Best, Except When They're Not (Listener Live Coaching)
Online Personal Training Course | Mind Pump Fitness Coaching ** Approved provider by NASM/AFAA (1.9 CEUs)! Grow your business and succeed in 2025. **
Mind Pump #2560: How to Break Free from Destructive Body Image Issues
Mind Pump Podcast – YouTube
Mind Pump Free Resources
People Mentioned
Bret Contreras PhD (@bretcontreras1) Instagram
Christopher M. Naghibi (@chrisnaghibi) Instagram
Kyle P (@mindpumpkyle) Instagram
Duration:01:42:01
John Mackey, Whole Foods Market | David Senra
1/7/2026
David Senra
Key Takeaways
Acquisition strategy as a competitive moatDifferentiation during competitor distractionFounder-VC timeline misalignment as an existential riskThe forgiveness ceremony as a leadership toolPassion as a reality distortion fieldShoe Dog
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
John Mackey is the co-founder of Whole Foods Market, where he also served as the company's CEO for 44 years (1980–2022). More recently, Mackey is the co-founder of Love.Life, a wellness company focused on a holistic approach to health. He is an entrepreneur, author and advocate for conscious capitalism who spent over four decades building the natural foods industry.
Under his leadership, Whole Foods grew from a single store in Austin, Texas, in 1980 to the world's largest natural and organic foods retailer, with over 500 stores across North America and the United Kingdom before its acquisition by Amazon in 2017 for $13.7 billion.
After dropping out of the University of Texas at Austin, Mackey opened SaferWay Natural Foods in 1978 with Renee Lawson Hardy. He merged SaferWay with Clarksville Natural Grocery in 1980 to create Whole Foods Market. He became known for pioneering high-quality natural foods retail, championing stakeholder-oriented business philosophy and popularizing the concept of conscious capitalism.
His accomplishments include building Whole Foods into a Fortune 500 company, co-founding the Conscious Capitalism movement with Raj Sisodia, serving as CEO of Whole Foods for 44 years until his retirement in 2022, co-authoring "Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business" in 2013 and "The Whole Foods Diet" in 2017 and launching Love.Life in 2023 to focus on longevity and integrative medicine.
Episode show notes: https://www.davidsenra.com/episode/john-mackey
Made possible by
Ramp: https://ramp.com
Function Health: https://functionhealth.com/senra
Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/senra
Chapters
(00:00:00) Fanatical Entrepreneurs: Why Work Feels Like Play
(00:02:18) The Missionary vs. Mercenary Co-Founder Conflict
(00:06:16) The Shirtless Hitchhiking Hippie and Johnny Rockefeller
(00:08:12) Entrepreneur Confidence: Solving Puzzles and Cracking the Code
(00:10:19) Flying Under the Radar: How Supermarkets Ignored Whole Foods
(00:10:52) Venture Capitalists Are Hitchhikers With Credit Cards
(00:14:03) Builder Entrepreneurs vs. Serial Entrepreneurs
(00:16:31) Time Is the Only Filter I Trust
(00:20:52) How Walmart Accidentally Fueled Whole Foods' Success
(00:24:01) The Jaw-Drop Effect: When Customers First Walked In
(00:27:17) Growth Through Acquisition: Building Geographic Platforms
(00:29:19) Secret Allies: The Natural Foods Network
(00:33:17) Mrs. Gooch's and the Revelation of Scale
(00:34:52) Missionaries Sharing Financial Statements and Building Friendships
(00:38:10) Never Competing Head-On With Friends
(00:41:22) Going Public and Creating Liquidity for the Network
(00:42:00) Continuous Learning: The Michael Dell Principle
(00:44:10) Steve Jobs and Spotting Markets With Second-Rate Products
(00:46:50) The Joy of Watching Team Members Become Millionaires
(00:48:09) Capitalism: The Greatest Thing Humans Ever Invented
(00:55:59) Cult Brands Are Built by Evangelists
(00:58:01) Passion Is Infectious: The Reality Distortion Field
(01:00:08) From Busboy to CEO: The Resume of an Entrepreneur
(01:02:57) Learning From Near-Death Experiences
(01:04:05) Money Means Freedom: Early Work Ethic
(01:05:25) Shoe Dog as the Benchmark: Belief Is Irresistible
(01:09:16) Documenting Time: Why Chronology Matters in Memoirs
(01:11:14) Rockefeller, Bezos, and Musk: The Master Strategists
(01:14:39) Using Doubt as Fuel: The Slow Burn of Proving People Wrong
(01:20:04) Daniel Ek and Having No Ceilings
(01:23:09) How His Father Shaped His Ambition
(01:25:52) Firing His Father From the Board: The Hardest Decision
(01:28:01) His Mother's Deathbed Wish and Lasting Regret
(01:34:47) The...
Duration:01:41:06
The Life of Jesus
1/6/2026
Founders ✓ Claim
Intro
Master Communicator: Jesus revolutionized teaching by combining memorable maxims with vivid storytelling and imagery.eRadical Love Philosophy: Jesus taught a universalist approach centered on “philanthropia” (love all mankind)Inner Revolution Over External Change: Jesus emphasized that changing the world begins with self-transformationMission-First Leadership: When launching his ministry, Jesus prioritized recruiting committed followersThreat to Power Structures: Jesus’s teachings directly challenged both religious and political authorities of his time, ultimately leading to his execution
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
The Life of Jesus as told in the book Jesus: A Biography of a Believer by Paul Johnson.
This episode was originally published on Christmas Eve 2023.
Duration:00:34:39
Top 10 Lessons from 2025
1/6/2026
How to Take Over the World
Key Takeaways
Master clear, rapid communicationCommit fully or don’t start; half-measures failKnow precisely what you want: 95% of people drift through life without defining their goalsCombine solitude with collaboration: Breakthrough thinking requires extended periods alone for ideas to developPush beyond comfortable limits; going slightly too far reveals your true capacity
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
In this episode of How to Take Over the World, I do something a little different. Instead of breaking down one life, I share my top 10 leadership lessons drawn from every episode I released in 2025.
00:00 Introduction and Overview
02:19 Communicate Clearly at Scale
06:17 Define Your Myth
10:12 Seize Your Moment
13:28 Be Alone to Think, Collaborate to Build
16:33 Antis Inspiration
18:58 Make Extreme Decisions Quickly
24:31 Decision-Making Frameworks
28:06 Going a Little Too Far
31:20 The Power of Knowing What You Want
34:58 Being Competitively Playful
---
Sponsors:
David Senra Podcast
Zashi Wallet
Speechify
The Classical Society
Premium Version
Duration:00:37:45
Bernie Marcus: The Home Depot Story [Outliers]
12/20/2025
Knowledge Project
Intro
Sixteen lessons learned from Bernie Marcus, the outlier: Home Depot’s “Customer Bill of Rights” – the six things a customer wants to pay for: Culture isn’t what you say, it’s what you repeatedly do
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
Bernie Marcus is the co-founder and former CEO of Home Depot.
This is how he built a culture of ownership, kept going when everyone turned him down, nearly lost it all, and created one of the most successful retailers in history.
-----
Approximate Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:00) Part 1: An Accidental Miracle
(09:29) Part 2: A Golden Horseshoe Kick
(25:49) Part 3: Building From Nothing
(38:53) Part 4: Orange Everywhere
(49:40) Part 5: The Legacy
(54:17) Lessons
-----
Upgrade: Get a hand edited transcripts and ad free experiences along with my thoughts and reflections at the end of every conversation. Learn more @ fs.blog/membership------Newsletter: The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at fs.blog/newsletter------
Follow Shane Parrish:X: https://x.com/shaneparrish
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/
------
Thank you to the sponsors for this episode:
.tech domains: Nothing says tech like being on .tech https://get.tech/
reMarkable: Get your paper tablet at https://www.reMarkable.com today
-----
Sources:
Marcus, Bernie, and Arthur Blank. Built from Scratch: How a Couple of Regular Guys Grew The Home Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion. New York: Crown Business, 1999.
Best Practice Institute. "Bernie Marcus Interview." YouTube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNP0YYDi1FY.
-----
This episode is for informational purposes only.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:00:47
Emmett Shear on Building AI That Actually Cares: Beyond Control and Steering
11/20/2025
A16z Podcast
Key Takeaways
1. Alignment is an Ongoing Process, Not a Fixed State:2. Tool vs. Being: The Critical Fork in AGI Development3. Current LLMs Lack Coherent Self-Model, Creating Dangerous Dynamics4. Viable Path Forward: AIs as Caring Group Members
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
Emmett Shear, founder of Twitch and former OpenAI interim CEO, challenges the fundamental assumptions driving AGI development. In this conversation with Erik Torenberg and Séb Krier, Shear argues that the entire "control and steering" paradigm for AI alignment is fatally flawed. Instead, he proposes "organic alignment" - teaching AI systems to genuinely care about humans the way we naturally do. The discussion explores why treating AGI as a tool rather than a potential being could be catastrophic, how current chatbots act as "narcissistic mirrors," and why the only sustainable path forward is creating AI that can say no to harmful requests. Shear shares his technical approach through multi-agent simulations at his new company Softmax, and offers a surprisingly hopeful vision of humans and AI as collaborative teammates - if we can get the alignment right.
Resources:
Follow Emmett on X: https://x.com/eshear
Follow Séb on X: https://x.com/sebkrier
Follow Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg
Stay Updated:
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!
Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z
Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z
Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX
Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711
Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg
Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
Stay Updated:
Find a16z on X
Find a16z on LinkedIn
Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify
Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg
Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Duration:01:10:36
My conversation with Todd Graves
11/15/2025
Founders ✓ Claim
Key Takeaways
Top maxims from this episode: “Nothing ever happens unless someone pursues a vision fanatically.” – Todd Graves The word ‘delegation’ is used way too much in businessTake more risk and hold onto your equity so that your dream remains in your possessionYou want to work with people who are more concerned with contributing to a high-performing team than with titles or pay The best investors are not investors; they are entrepreneurs that never sold
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
Todd Graves is one of my favorite living founders. He owns over 90% of Raising Canes — a business that is worth at least $20 billion. Todd's maxim is "Do one thing and do it better than anyone else." It is impossible not to be inspired by his terminator levels of determination. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.
Episode show notes: https://www.davidsenra.com/episode/to...
Made possible by
Ramp: https://ramp.com
HubSpot: https://hubspot.com
Function: https://functionhealth.com/senra
Chapters
(00:00) The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Sleep and Business Obsession
(02:13) The Birth of Raising Cane's: Overcoming Skepticism
(03:29) Inspiration from In-N-Out Burger
(07:17) The Importance of Quality and Focus
(14:49) The Journey to Success: Hard Work and Sacrifice
(19:21) The Early Days: Building Raising Cane's from Scratch
(21:23) Financing the Dream: Unconventional Paths
(32:28) The Relentless Pursuit of Success
(33:02) Commitment and Oaths: The Camping Trip
(34:02) Fanaticism and Relentless Focus
(34:53) Learning from Others and Continuous Improvement
(35:06) The Never-Satisfied Mindset
(36:04) The Importance of Founders in Business
(39:55) The Purpose Beyond Profit
(51:52) Financing the Dream: Credit Cards and SBA Loans
(55:47) Building the First Restaurant
(57:56) Expanding the Vision
(58:59) Positive Motivational Management
(01:00:51) Creating a Coaching Culture
(01:01:42) Intrinsic Motivation vs. Titles
(01:02:41) The Importance of Being Present
(01:06:35) Respect, Recognition, and Rewards
(01:09:12) The Power of Encouragement
(01:18:10) The Myth of Delegation
(01:22:57) Focus on What You Do Best
(01:30:07) Dining at Jiro in Tokyo
(01:30:59) The Franchise Model Debate
(01:32:50) Challenges of Franchising
(01:35:21) Building a Business Authentic to You
(01:37:07) Financing and Expansion Strategies
(01:49:13) Surviving Hurricane Katrina
(01:55:48) Lessons from Estée Lauder
(01:58:06) Final Thoughts and Reflections
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:02:01:10
I asked Cathie Wood the question no one else will
11/1/2025
My First Million
Key Takeaways
Tesla as AI’s Largest Play: Tesla represents the world’s largest AI project, combining robotaxis ($8-10T opportunity, 50% platform capture) and humanoid robots ($26T opportunity in 7-15 yearsWright’s Law Investment Framework: Cost per unit falls by a constant percentage with every cumulative doubling of productionPortfolio Management Beyond Headlines: Selling Nvidia from early entry at $0.20 per share was not necessarily a mistake if proceeds were used to buy another stock that 10x’d in price Bull Market Discipline and Rebalancing: Top-performing stocks go crazy in bull runs; this requires active diversification and profit-taking
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
Get the free investing playbook to invest like Warren Buffet: https://clickhubspot.com/rme
Episode 760: Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) talks to Cathie Wood ( https://x.com/CathieDWood ) about her fund’s performance, her biggest bets on AI, and the most misunderstood stock on earth.
—
Show Notes:
(0:00) McDonald’s to Managing Billions
(8:54) A day in the life of Cathie Wood
(17:29) ARK’s Performance Review
(30:00) Cathie’s #1 stock pick
—
Links:
• ARK - https://www.ark-funds.com/
• The MFM Newsletter Challenge - https://www.beehiiv.com/application/mfm
—
Check Out Shaan's Stuff:
• Shaan's weekly email - https://www.shaanpuri.com
• Visit https://www.somewhere.com/mfm to hire worldwide talent like Shaan and get $500 off for being an MFM listener. Hire developers, assistants, marketing pros, sales teams and more for 80% less than US equivalents.
• Mercury - Need a bank for your company? Go check out Mercury (mercury.com). Shaan uses it for all of his companies!
Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC
—
Check Out Sam's Stuff:
• Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/
• Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/
• Copy That - https://copythat.com
• Hampton Wealth Survey - https://joinhampton.com/wealth
• Sam’s List - http://samslist.co/
My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by HubSpot Media // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano
Duration:00:42:33
My Conversation with Brad Jacobs
10/28/2025
Founders ✓ Claim
I’ve started a new show where I have conversations with the greatest living Founders. The show is called David Senra. It will be on a separate podcast feed from Founders.
So it is very important that you follow David Senra on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you're listening to this so you don't miss future episodes.
Nothing is changing with Founders. I will never stop making Founders.
Duration:02:04:09
Karim Atiyeh - Building Ramp - [Invest Like the Best, EP.445]
10/25/2025
Invest Like the Best
Key Takeaways
episode page
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
My guest today is Karim Atiyeh. Karim is the co-founder and CTO of Ramp, the fastest-growing finance automation platform in history, reaching over $1 billion in revenue in just over five years. Ramp is, of course, also our presenting sponsor, so I’m obviously very biased in how highly I think about Ramp and about Karim. But, this interview was not part of that sponsorship, I simply view Karim as one of the best operators active today.
Ramp is building what Karim calls "self-driving finance"—using AI agents to automate everything from expense policy enforcement to invoice processing, eliminating the bureaucratic waste that plagues modern businesses. Karim shares his framework for moving from using AI as a productivity tool to programming AI as your actual product, with policy agents that understand context better than humans and improve continuously. Our discussion captures the relentless iteration speed and technical depth required to build generational companies in the age of AI. We explore his systematic approach to building consumer-grade experiences for business software, the psychology behind his "divinely discontent" management style, and why he believes technical founders will dominate this era because they can see possibilities others miss. Please enjoy my conversation with Karim Atiyeh.
For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.
-----
This episode is brought to you by Ramp. Ramp’s mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to Ramp.com/invest to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus.
–
This episode is brought to you by Ridgeline. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Head to ridgelineapps.com to learn more about the platform.
–
This episode is brought to you by AlphaSense. AlphaSense has completely transformed the research process with cutting-edge AI technology and a vast collection of top-tier, reliable business content. Invest Like the Best listeners can get a free trial now at Alpha-Sense.com/Invest and experience firsthand how AlphaSense and Tegus help you make smarter decisions faster.
-----
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).
Show Notes:
(00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best
(00:05:09) The Competitive Landscape and AI Advancements
(00:07:27) Building Self-Driving Finance with AI
(00:08:28) Policy Agents and Automation
(00:12:14) Ramp's User Experience and Design Philosophy
(00:23:10) Kareem's Background and Entrepreneurial Journey
(00:28:06) Founding Paribus and Lessons Learned
(00:41:57) The Birth of Ramp and Early Challenges
(00:54:30) Nurturing Investor Relationships
(00:57:10) Challenges in Fundraising
(00:58:23) Customer Adoption and Product Evolution
(01:01:55) Transition to SaaS Revenue Model
(01:06:37) Marketing Innovations and Experiments
(01:24:16) Recruiting for Spikiness and Speed
(01:31:29) Future of Payments and Business Models
(01:39:06) The Kindest Thing
Duration:01:45:02
Marc Andreessen and Amjad Masad: English As the New Programming Language
10/25/2025
A16z Podcast
Key Takeaways
In any domain of human effort in which there is a verifiable answer, AI will drive extremely rapid progress;AI agents can now code autonomously for hoursThe definition of AI is always the next thing that the machine can’t do; nextWe may be hitting diminishing returns with frontier models“Functional AGI” may block true AGIThe real AGI benchmark should be efficient continual learning and generalized reasoning acquisition
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
Amjad Masad, founder and CEO of Replit, joins a16z’s Marc Andreessen and Erik Torenberg to discuss the new world of AI agents, the future of programming, and how software itself is beginning to build software.
They trace the history of computing to the rise of AI agents that can now plan, reason, and code for hours without breaking, and explore how Replit is making it possible for anyone to create complex applications in natural language. Amjad explains how RL unlocked reasoning for modern models, why verification loops changed everything, whether LLMs are hitting diminishing returns — and if “good enough” AI might actually block progress toward true general intelligence.
Resources:
Follow Amjad on X: https://x.com/amasad
Follow Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarca
Follow Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg
Stay Updated:
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!
Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z
Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z
Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX
Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711
Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg
Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
Stay Updated:
Find a16z on X
Find a16z on LinkedIn
Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify
Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg
Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Duration:01:11:38
Brainstorming $100M Ideas with the $1B+ King of Brands
10/11/2025
My First Million
Key Takeaways
The Eric Ryan Entrepreneurial Playbook:Relentlessly look for a cultural shift that a category has missed:If a category appears to take itself too seriously, then it is probably hiding something, and likely an opportunity to take advantage of in that spacThe goal is to create an object of desire;have towant toThe entrepreneurial sweet spot lives at the intersection of familiarity and novelty; finding these intersections is the art formThe Power of Consumer Auditions:When building off a successful product, change one thing at a timeThe Art of Simplification is the biggest hack in entrepreneurshipIf what you are working on is giving you energy back, then you are probably working on the right thing
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
Want the guide to spot $100M+ Product Ideas? Get it here: https://clickhubspot.com/hre
Episode 754: Sam Parr ( https://x.com/theSamParr ) and Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) brainstorm $100M ideas with Eric Ryan ( https://x.com/ericthomasryan ).
—
Show Notes:
(0:00) My $1B product playbook
(3:32) Look for a sea of sameness
(9:31) Trend trips
(15:27) Remix opposing ideas
(22:46) Case Study: Olly
(32:14) The State of Make
(37:54) IDEA: A better Metamucil
(44:34) IDEA: The SoulCycle of diners
(55:57) IDEA: White label chicken
(1:03:28) Holy Grail of Naming
(1:06:23) IDEA: Gourmet Babybels
(1:10:28) IDEA: fun shaped cheese
(1:14:26) Commit and then figure ou
—
Links:
• Method - https://methodhome.com/
• Olly - https://www.olly.com/
• Welly - https://www.getwelly.com/
—
Check Out Shaan's Stuff:
• Shaan's weekly email - https://www.shaanpuri.com
• Visit https://www.somewhere.com/mfm to hire worldwide talent like Shaan and get $500 off for being an MFM listener. Hire developers, assistants, marketing pros, sales teams and more for 80% less than US equivalents.
• Mercury - Need a bank for your company? Go check out Mercury (mercury.com). Shaan uses it for all of his companies!
Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC
—
Check Out Sam's Stuff:
• Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/
• Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/
• Copy That - https://copythat.com
• Hampton Wealth Survey - https://joinhampton.com/wealth
• Sam’s List - http://samslist.co/
My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by HubSpot Media // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano
Duration:01:20:36
How Peter Lynch Became The Greatest Fund Manager Of All Time
10/9/2025
The Compound and Friends ✓ Claimed
Key Takeaways
“Selling your winners and holding your losers is like cutting your flowers and watering the weeds.” “The real key to making money in stocks is to not get scared out of them.” “Far more money has been lost by investors preparing for corrections, or trying to anticipate corrections, than has been lost in corrections themselves.” “You get recessions, you get stock market declines. If you don’t understand that that’s going to happen, then you’re not ready and you won’t do well in markets.”“If you spend more than thirteen minutes analyzing economic and market forecasts, you’ve wasted ten minutes.”“Behind every stock is a company. Find out what it’s doing.” “In the long run, a portfolio of well-chosen stocks or mutual funds can outperform the most sophisticated investment strategy.”
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
On episode 211 of The Compound and Friends, Downtown Josh Brown is joined by Peter Lynch, Vice Chairman of Fidelity Management and Research to discuss: Peter's legendary career, how individual investors can succeed in the market, the biggest investing mistakes, and much more!
This episode is presented by Fidelity Investments and the all-new Fidelity Trader+, Fidelity’s most powerful trading platform yet. Learn more at: https://Fidelity.com/TraderPlus
Sign up for The Compound Newsletter and never miss out: thecompoundnews.com/subscribe
Instagram: instagram.com/thecompoundnews
Twitter: twitter.com/thecompoundnews
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-compound-media/
TikTok: tiktok.com/@thecompoundnews
Investing involves the risk of loss. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be or regarded as personalized investment advice or relied upon for investment decisions. Michael Batnick and Josh Brown are employees of Ritholtz Wealth Management and may maintain positions in the securities discussed in this video. All opinions expressed by them are solely their own opinion and do not reflect the opinion of Ritholtz Wealth Management.
The Compound Media, Incorporated, an affiliate of Ritholtz Wealth Management, receives payment from various entities for advertisements in affiliated podcasts, blogs and emails. Inclusion of such advertisements does not constitute or imply endorsement, sponsorship or recommendation thereof, or any affiliation therewith, by the Content Creator or by Ritholtz Wealth Management or any of its employees. For additional advertisement disclaimers see here https://ritholtzwealth.com/advertising-disclaimers. Investments in securities involve the risk of loss. Any mention of a particular security and related performance data is not a recommendation to buy or sell that security. The information provided on this website (including any information that may be accessed through this website) is not directed at any investor or category of investors and is provided solely as general information.
Obviously nothing on this channel should be considered as personalized financial advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any securities. See our disclosures here: https://ritholtzwealth.com/podcast-youtube-disclosures/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:00:56:27
Dylan Patel - Inside the Trillion-Dollar AI Buildout - [Invest Like the Best, EP.442]
10/6/2025
Invest Like the Best
Key Takeaways
Today, the challenge is not to make the model bigger;AIs do not have to get to digital god mode for AI to have an enormous impact on productivity and society: “If we didn’t have the AI boom, the US probably would be behind China and no longer the world hegemon by the end of the decade, if not sooner.”Dylan Patel The US is doing what China has done historically:If there is a sustained lag in model improvement, the US economy will go into a recession;On the AI talent wars: We actually are not dedicating that much power to AI yet;3-4%He is more optimistic on Anthropic than OpenAI;While Meta “has the cards to potentially own it all”, Google is better positioned to dominate the consumer and professional markets
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
My guest today is Dylan Patel. Dylan is the founder and CEO of SemiAnalysis. At SemiAnalysis Dylan tracks the semiconductor supply chain and AI infrastructure buildout with unmatched granularity—literally watching data centers get built through satellite imagery and mapping hundreds of billions in capital flows. Our conversation explores the massive industrial buildout powering AI, from the strategic chess game between OpenAI, Nvidia, and Oracle to why we're still in the first innings of post-training and reinforcement learning. Dylan explains infrastructure realities like electrician wages doubling and companies using diesel truck engines for emergency power, while making a sobering case about US-China competition and why America needs AI to succeed. We discuss his framework for where value will accrue in the stack, why traditional SaaS economics are breaking down under AI's high cost of goods sold, and which hardware bottlenecks matter most. This is one of the most comprehensive views of the physical reality underlying the AI revolution you'll hear anywhere. Please enjoy my conversation with Dylan Patel.
For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.
-----
This episode is brought to you by Ramp. Ramp’s mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to Ramp.com/invest to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus.
–
This episode is brought to you by Ridgeline. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Head to ridgelineapps.com to learn more about the platform.
–
This episode is brought to you by AlphaSense. AlphaSense has completely transformed the research process with cutting-edge AI technology and a vast collection of top-tier, reliable business content. Invest Like the Best listeners can get a free trial now at Alpha-Sense.com/Invest and experience firsthand how AlphaSense and Tegus help you make smarter decisions faster.
-----
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).
Show Notes:
(00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best
(00:05:12) The AI Infrastructure Buildout
(00:08:25) Scaling AI Models and Compute Needs
(00:11:44) Reinforcement Learning and AI Training
(00:14:07) The Future of AI and Compute
(00:17:47) AI in Practical Applications
(00:22:29) The Importance of Data and Environments in AI Training
(00:29:45) Human Analogies in AI Development
(00:40:34) The Challenge of Infinite Context in AI Models
(00:44:08) The Bullish and Bearish Perspectives on AI
(00:48:25) The Talent Wars in AI Research
(00:56:54) The Power Dynamics in AI and Tech
(01:13:29) The Future of AI and Its Economic...
Duration:01:58:15
Cheeky Pint: Marc Andreessen, John Collison & Charlie Songhurst on Tech’s Big Questions
10/3/2025
A16z Podcast
Key Takeaways
Be dispositionally optimistic on technology and refuse false nostalgia about the past The best investors have an extremely open mind and believe they will run into the next big thing at any given moment In VC, Type 2 errors are catastrophically expensive:Every new technology comes with a moral panic that it is going to ruin society The only comparison for AI is the creation of the computer itself The state of inflation:The Subsidy Spiral:How to spot the next big trend: (1) (2) (3) The Elon Method of Management“I have found people willing to tolerate any level of chronic pain in order to avoid acute pain. People would much rather lose slowly over five years than have the conversation that involves a dramatic change to stop losing.”Marc Andreessen
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
Today we’re sharing a feed drop from Cheeky Pint, where Stripe cofounder and president John Collison chats with legends in technology over a pint of Guinness.
In this episode, John is joined by a16z cofounder Marc Andreessen and tech investor Charlie Songhurst for a candid conversation about bubbles, downturns, and the psychology of markets. They discuss what makes Silicon Valley so hard to replace, the deep history of the Valley’s ecosystem, and the future of media. From the lessons of the dot-com crash to the future of venture capital and startups, this is an inside look at how big cycles shape innovation and what it takes to build on the frontier.
Timecodes:
0:00 Introduction
1:56 Marc Andreessen’s early internet stories
3:10 Silicon Valley, risk, and downturns
8:30 Marc Andreessen’s early internet days
11:52 Investing across cycles
16:30 Can you tell when you’re in a bubble?
19:10 Trust, high-status VCs & preferential attachment
27:00 Venture capital, startups, and investment cycles
33:34 East Coast vs. West Coast: risk and culture
44:00 High trust culture in Silicon Valley
50:00 Why Silicon Valley, not Boston or Europe?
55:00 Company tragedies and missed opportunities
1:00:00 The internet boom, bubbles, and AI parallels
1:15:00 AI’s impact: productivity, jobs, and society
1:35:00 Crypto, stablecoins, and fintech
1:50:00 Public vs. private markets & venture strategy
2:00:00 Big companies, competition, and bureaucracy
2:05:00 Boards, governance, and the Elon Musk method
Resources:
Watch more episodes from Cheeky Pint: https://www.youtube.com/@stripe
Listen to Cheeky Pint on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cheeky-pint/id1821055332
Find John on X: https://x.com/collision
Find Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlessonghurst/
Follow Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarca
Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/
Stay Updated:
Find us on X: https://x.com/a16z
Find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z
This information is for general educational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any investment or financial product. Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described in this podcast are not representative of all a16z investments and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by a16z is available at https://a16z.com/investment-list/. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of capital. Past performance is no guarantee of future results and the opinions presented cannot be viewed as an indicator of future performance. Before making decisions with legal, tax, or accounting effects, you should consult appropriate professionals. Information is from sources deemed reliable on the date of publication, but a16z does not guarantee its accuracy.
Stay Updated:
Find a16z on X
Find a16z on LinkedIn
Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify
Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Follow our host:...
Duration:02:09:12
Ed Stack: Lessons from Dick’s Sporting Goods [Outliers]
9/30/2025
Knowledge Project
Key Takeaways
Ignorance can be a superpower;As an entrepreneur, the moment that you think you have it figured out, that is when your business starts to dieThe best insights often come not from getting what you want, but from watching closely when you don’tNever put yourself in a position to need the kindness of strangersThe day you stop fearing competition is the day that competition stops fearing youKnow who the decision-maker is;The most profitable decision on a spreadsheet can be the worst decision for a business:Every business that you see is the result of someone’s irrational dedication The outliers know every detail of their company;Become someone people want to root for: Most people explain away failure; the best dissect it like surgeonsWhat you get out of any effort is directly proportional to the effort that you put into it
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
Ed Stack built Dick’s Sporting Goods from a struggling family store into an empire of more than 800 stores and billions in sales.
Along the way he nearly lost everything. Multiple times. This episode is the story of what he did, how he did it, and the lessons you can learn.
-----
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:48) Part 1: A Cookie Jar and a Cage
(20:56) Part 2: Battle for Control
(37:09) Part 3: The Race to Survive
(46:39) Part 4: The Devil's Bargain
(1:03:27) Part 5: Epilogue
(1:06:10) Reflections + Lessons
-----
Upgrade: Get a hand edited transcripts and ad free experiences along with my thoughts and reflections at the end of every conversation. Learn more @ fs.blog/membership
-----
Newsletter: The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at fs.blog/newsletter
-----
Follow Shane Parrish
X @ShaneAParrish
Insta @farnamstreet
LinkedIn Shane Parrish
-----
This episode is for informational purposes only.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Duration:01:20:14
Elon Musk on DOGE, Optimus, Starlink Smartphones, Evolving with AI, Why the West is Imploding
9/9/2025
All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
Key Takeaways
We should not think of AI as a destination, but as an escalation of intelligence that we become more aware ofMain lesson learned from government side quest: “I think it is accurate to say that, if successful, Optimus will be the biggest product ever.”Elon We need the revival of a coherent philosophy that people can get excited about;“I think that we might have AI smarter than any single human at anything as soon as next year. And in 2030, AI will probably be smarter than the sum of all humans.”Elon We need an increase in the scope and scale of consciousness to know what is truly going on in our universe“Unless people have a sense of optimism and purpose about the future, suicide might be just what happens. Having a child is an act of optimism about the future.”Elon Musk Getting to Mars is way easier than making it self-sustainable for human life;an
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
(0:00) Introducing Elon Musk, and reflecting on his DOGE experience
(2:47) Optimus: Progress and potential, the “hands problem”
(12:20) Tesla: AI5 chips, impact on FSD
(16:50) SpaceX: Vision for Starlink-enabled smartphones, $17B spectrum deal, Starship update
(26:16) xAI: Next-gen Grok models, Colossus 2, scaling laws, “Grokipedia”
(31:29) Evolving alongside AI, implosion of the West, the religion vacuum
(37:36) Understanding the universe, going to the Moon, what happens on Mars?
Thanks to our partners for making this happen!
Solana: https://solana.com/
OKX: https://www.okx.com/
Google Cloud: https://cloud.google.com/
IREN: https://iren.com/
Oracle: https://www.oracle.com/
Circle: https://www.circle.com/
BVNK: https://www.bvnk.com/
Follow Elon:
https://x.com/elonmusk
Follow the besties:
https://x.com/chamath
https://x.com/Jason
https://x.com/DavidSacks
https://x.com/friedberg
Follow on X:
https://x.com/theallinpod
Follow on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/theallinpod
Follow on TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@theallinpod
Follow on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/allinpod
Intro Music Credit:
https://rb.gy/tppkzl
https://x.com/yung_spielburg
Intro Video Credit:
https://x.com/TheZachEffect
Duration:00:44:48
Joe Liemandt - Building Alpha School, and The Future of Education - [Invest Like the Best, EP.439]
8/28/2025
Invest Like the Best
Key Takeaways
Personalized, mastery-based learning (driven by AI) can enable students to learn 10x faster, mastering material in just two hours a day and freeing up time for real-world skills, entrepreneurship, and personal interestsMotivation is essential: Time-based, lecture-driven models leave knowledge gaps:AI’s transformational role:Feedback and growth mindset are superpowers:High standards + high support = success and happiness:Gamification and engagement: No one-size-fits-all:“I think this is one of the coolest projects happening in America that people are just starting to learn about.” Patrick O’Shaughnessy on Alpha School
Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org
My guest today is Joe Liemandt. Joe is the Principal at Alpha School and the founder of Triliogy Software and ESW Capital. He became the youngest member of the Forbes 400 in the 1990s before vanishing from public view for two decades—only to emerge with a $1 billion bet that he can make kids learn 10x faster using AI. Joe has built an AI tutoring system so effective that students at his Alpha School literally beg not to take summer breaks, achieving 2x learning outcomes in just 2 hours with standardized test results that compete with the best of them.
We dive deep into why this could be the most valuable product he's ever built, his contrarian thesis that traditional SaaS is facing AI-driven obsolescence, and how his experience buying 100+ software companies prepared him for this moonshot in a trillion-dollar market that hasn't innovated in 200 years. For investors, this is a masterclass in deploying patient capital to rebuild broken systems from first principles, with insights on everything from regulatory moats to the intersection of AI and human psychology.
As your excited skeptic, I push hard on the technology readiness, parental adoption hurdles, and whether this audacious vision can actually scale to a billion kids. Additionally, in a Colossus Profile released last week, our editor-in-chief Jeremy Stern reported, for the first time, Joe as the product guy behind Alpha School in a can’t miss piece of writing. And now please enjoy my conversation with Joe Liemandt.
Joe Liemandt’s Colossus Profile by Jeremy Stern.
For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.
-----
This episode is brought to you by Ramp. Ramp’s mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to Ramp.com/invest to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus.
–
This episode is brought to you by Ridgeline. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Head to ridgelineapps.com to learn more about the platform.
–
This episode is brought to you by AlphaSense. AlphaSense has completely transformed the research process with cutting-edge AI technology and a vast collection of top-tier, reliable business content. Invest Like the Best listeners can get a free trial now at Alpha-Sense.com/Invest and experience firsthand how AlphaSense and Tegus help you make smarter decisions faster.
-----
Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).
Show Notes:
(00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best(00:06:08) How Alpha School Is Revolutionizing Learning(00:12:47) Personalized Tutoring with AI(00:19:59) Measuring the Impossible: 2x Learning Outcomes(00:25:39) All Educational Content Is Obsolete(00:35:51) Motivating Students: The Key to Success(00:42:06) Life...
Duration:02:26:32