POD OF JAKE

Latest Episodes:

#117 - DAN ROMERO Sep 29, 2022

Show notes

Dan is the Co-Founder of Farcaster, a sufficiently decentralized social network. He was previously the 20th employee at Coinbase where he eventually became Vice President for International Business. Dan is also an angel investor in dozens of early-stage technology companies. Follow him on Twitter @dwr and send him a DM for an invitation to join Farcaster.

[2:18] - Dan’s origin story and experience at Coinbase

[15:59] - Finding the greatest opportunities for personal and career growth at startups

[25:18] - Taking a long-term view and gaining the conviction to take risks

[34:00] - Breaking down the core architecture of Farcaster

[46:40] - Striking the right balance between centralization and decentralization

[53:54] - The importance of a user’s right to exit

[1:01:05] - Dan’s strategy for bootstrapping a great group of people on Farcaster

[1:10:21] - Working towards a future with full-time Farcasters

[1:15:06] - The challenge of controlling your time on social networks when it's your objective to build a new one

[1:22:31] - Dan’s personal strategy for managing his information diet

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#116 - ERICK BRIMEN Sep 22, 2022

Show notes

Erick is the Founder & CEO of Próspera, an economic development platform enabling sustainable, profitable growth in partnership with governments and communities, starting in Honduras. Próspera is building its first charter city on the island of Roatán in Honduras. In addition to Próspera, Erick is also the CEO of NeWay Capital, a firm that invests to profitably protect property rights and promote voluntary exchange, peace, and prosperity. Follow Erick on Twitter @erickbrimen.

[2:18] - How growing up Venezuela shaped Erick’s worldview and desire to fight poverty by facilitating prosperity

[11:17] - Próspera's purpose and unique business model

[19:10] - The role that for-profit enterprises can play in promoting economic growth

[23:37] - Why Próspera targeted Honduras for its first partnership

[32:35] - How small cities with innovative governance can serve as models for larger cities & countries to copy

[38:05] - Próspera’s alignment with and incorporation of crypto

[44:06] - What Próspera’s Honduras Hub could look like in 10 years

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#115 - BRIAN ARMSTRONG Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

Brian is the Co-founder and CEO of Coinbase, a leading cryptocurrency company on a mission to increase economic freedom in the world. He is also a Co-founder of NewLimit, a biotechnology company working to radically extend human healthspan, and ResearchHub, which is aiming to accelerate the pace of scientific research. In 2018, Brian launched a nonprofit called GiveCrypto.org and signed the Giving Pledge, committing to give the majority of his wealth to charitable causes throughout his lifetime. Follow Brian on Twitter @brian_armstrong.

[2:18] - Brian's origin story

[9:33] - Reflections on his early career and how it prepared him to start Coinbase

[16:02] - Coinbase’s mission to increase economic freedom in the world, and why economic freedom is important

[23:34] - The challenges of building through crypto's hype cycles and scaling Coinbase at a rapid pace

[31:08] - An introduction to The RAPID Decision-Making Framework

[35:36] - How years of experience with remote employees helped Coinbase become a remote-first company

[45:24] - Repeatable innovation and the rationale for Coinbase’s 70/20/10 strategy for resource allocation

[54:34] - Coinbase’s contrarian decision to work with regulators from the beginning, and how it is increasingly leaning in on decentralization

[1:03:38] - Extending the human healthspan, an overview of NewLimit, and epigenetic reprogramming

[1:15:25] - Prioritizing "new media" over mainstream media

[1:21:12] - How ResearchHub can enable more open science and help build a bridge from scientific research to commercial products

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#114 - ANNA GÁT Sep 07, 2022

Show notes

Anna is the Founder and CEO of Interintellect, a platform for intelligent discourse on the internet. She is also one of Interintellect’s most active hosts, speaking on topics such as social transformations, individualism, communality, performance vs. reality, and psychological breakthroughs. Anna is an Emergent Ventures grantee. Follow her on Twitter @TheAnnaGat.

[2:18] - Anna's story & why she created Interintellect

[6:09] - Building a public square for intellectual events on the internet

[16:43] - Optimizing for full attention and engagement rather than passive entertainment and consumption

[23:02] - Reforming existing platforms vs. creating new ones

[27:50] - Anna’s approach in designing Interintellect and how it works

[32:27] - Adapting the traditional salon concept for the modern world

[41:17] - The influence of India on Interintellect and the innovations that have come from the people there

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#113 - JASON CRAWFORD Sep 01, 2022

Show notes

Jason is the Founder & President of The Roots of Progress, a nonprofit dedicated to establishing a new philosophy of progress for the 21st century. He is also an adviser to Our World in Data and the creator of Progress Studies for Young Scholars, an online learning program about the history of technology for high schoolers. Jason writes and speaks about the history and philosophy of progress, especially in technology and industry. Follow him on Twitter @jasoncrawford.

[2:18] - How Jason’s evolving interests have influenced his understanding of human progress

[10:53] - Jason’s experience “dropping out” of high school and choosing to learn on his own

[15:22] - Why Jason chose to transition from building tech startups to studying human progress

[18:35] - Introducing The Roots of Progress

[24:07] - The kind of CEO Jason is looking to lead The Roots of Progress foundation and its fellowship program

[28:05] - Writers and models that have inspired and influenced Jason’s studies

[32:32] - Humanism vs. Environmentalism

[39:44] - Why Jason views the invention of electricity as one of the most important drivers of human progress in the last 150 years

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#112 - ALLISON DUETTMANN Aug 23, 2022

Show notes

Allison is the President and CEO of the Foresight Institute, a non-profit to advance biotech, nanotech, and computing for the long-term benefit of human life. Within the Foresight Institute, she directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Groups, and leads Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. Allison also founded existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. Follow her on Twitter @allisondman.

[2:18] - How Allison’s feelings on death drove her attention towards the future of human life

[13:38] - A philosophical perspective on the concept of aging

[20:34] - Technology as a catalyst for positive human development

[29:02] - Allison’s experience joining and working at the Foresight Institute

[33:05] - The history of the Foresight Institute and goals for the future

[40:00] - Details about the Foresight Fellowship

[43:12] - Competitions and prizes from the Foresight Institute

[47:12] - Allison’s interest in cryonics and human longevity

[52:02] - Why Allison believes crypto will revolutionize industries for decades to come

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#111 - ANDREW MILICH Aug 17, 2022

Show notes

Andrew is the Co-Founder and CEO of Skiff, a startup that offers privacy-first, end-to-end encrypted email, file sharing, and other collaboration software. He previously worked on crew displays for rockets at SpaceX, autonomous cars at Zoox, and researched using lasers to destroy asteroids. Andrew graduated from Stanford in 2019. Follow him on Twitter @milichab.

[2:18] - How Andrew’s early exposure to programming and robotics started him on the path to becoming a software engineer

[5:43] - The benefits of growing up in a big city like New York

[9:28] - Andrew’s interest in autonomous vehicle technology and how his care for safety led him to focus on digital privacy

[16:20] - The state of privacy technology today

[24:29] - How Skiff has evolved from a single product into an expanding suite that now includes end-to-end encrypted email

[27:37] - Andrew’s strategy for building out Skiff’s product offerings and adding product features

[33:24] - Skiff’s approach to facilitating a smooth and seamless process for people switching to Skiff

[39:41] - The advantages of having two technical co-founders

[42:26] - Skiff’s decision to cater heavily to crypto users with wallet-based features and decentralized storage infrastructure

[50:12] - The platforms that Skiff has sourced its early adopters from

[51:29] - How Skiff approaches the wide spectrum of users that value privacy to varying degrees

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Join Levels and get personalized insights to learn about your metabolic health. Go to https://levels.link/jake.

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#110 - NAIT JONES Aug 09, 2022

Show notes

Nait is the Head of Growth at Royal, a Web3 platform seeking to fix the music industry's broken business model by democratizing music ownership amongst artists and fans. Royal allows anyone to own a piece of their favorite songs and earn royalties alongside their favorite artists. Before Royal, Nait served as a partner at a16z for several years and was a serial entrepreneur before that. Follow him on Twitter @NaithanJones.

[2:18] - How Nait’s early interest in music primed him for success as an entrepreneur

[9:26] - The evolution of hip hop over time and its influence on Nait growing up

[15:42] - Nait’s transition from a16z to becoming Royal’s Head of Growth

[23:42] - Identifying talent and opportunities for viral product adoption

[32:03] - How Web3 can change business models and discovery in the music industry

[38:24] - Royal’s curation strategy for its first artists and why it plans to be an open platform

[42:12] - How Nait was inspired by Nas during his adolescence

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Support the show by checking out my sponsors:

Join Levels and get personalized insights to learn about your metabolic health. Go to https://levels.link/jake.

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#109 - MATT KAEBERLEIN Aug 03, 2022

Show notes

Matt is a researcher and professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. His research interests are focused on basic mechanisms of aging in order to facilitate translational interventions that promote healthspan and improve quality of life. Matt is co-Director of the Dog Aging Project, as well as the founding Director of the Healthy Aging and Longevity Research Institute at the University of Washington, Director of the Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, and Director of the Biological Mechanisms of Healthy Aging Training Program. He previously served as President of the American Aging Association and has served on their Executive Committee and Board of Directors since 2012. Follow Matt on Twitter @mkaeberlein.

[2:18] - Matt’s journey through academia and discovery of longevity research

[9:26] - The importance of being patient with personal development, considering future life extension developments

[16:21] - Forces that limit longevity, personal choices to extend life expectancy

[26:36] - Why Matt is increasingly optimistic about longevity developments

[35:58] - Comparing the ROI for investing in longevity research vs. cancer research

[45:30] - The Dog Aging Project

[50:59] - Matt’s research on rapamycin and his hope for its future applications in both humans and animals

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Support the show by checking out my sponsors:

Join Levels and get personalized insights to learn about your metabolic health. Go to https://levels.link/jake.

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#108 - ALEX BLANIA Jul 13, 2022

Show notes

Alex is the co-founder and CEO of Worldcoin, a privacy-preserving proof-of-personhood protocol seeking to reach a billion people. Learn more about Worldcoin at worldcoin.org and follow Alex on Twitter @alexblania.

[2:18] - How Alex’s research background led him to join Sam Altman in creating Worldcoin

[10:13] - Identifying personal rates of growth

[15:14] - An introduction to how Worldcoin works

[23:26] - The role of privacy in Worldcoin’s proof-of-personhood model

[27:28] - Possible applications and narratives for Worldcoin if it can successfully scale to one billion users

[35:58] - Dissecting Worldcoin’s growth model and expectations

[44:00] - Early and prospective challenges for Worldcoin

[48:31] - Worldcoin’s upcoming roadmap

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Support the show by checking out my sponsors:

Join Levels and get personalized insights to learn about your metabolic health. Go to https://levels.link/jake.

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