- 16
- Episodes
- 35
- Ratings
- 2023
- First episode
About Power Law with John Coogan
John Coogan investigates how humans impact technology.
- Publisher
- John Coogan
- Category
- business · technology
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 6 Jun 2023
- Latest episode
- 25 Jun 2024
Latest episodes
16 episodes in the feed.
25 Jun 2024
Interview with Gavin Uberti & Robert Wachen (Etched)
Haven't done any solo episodes in a while but figured I could post this interview here anyway. Hope you enjoy the conversation, I had a great time chatting AI with them!
9 Jan 2024
Strauss Zelnick - The Turnaround God (Rockstar Games, GTA5, Take-Two Interactive)
I wanted to know the story of Grand Theft Auto, but I got so absorbed in the history of Strauss Zelnick that I had to do an episode about him. Fascinating career, tons of lessons. Hope you enjoy it!
6 Dec 2023
Adam D'Angelo - Quora, Facebook, and OpenAI
Deep dive into Adam D'Angelo, very interesting career from building an AI app with Zuck in high-school to being a key player in the recent OpenAI drama. Hope you enjoy it.
17 Oct 2023
The Man Behind the Vegas Sphere (James Dolan)
Everyone is obsessed with the Las Vegas Sphere, but the story of the guy who built it (James Dolan) goes way deeper. Hope you enjoy this one!
29 Sept 2023
Chris Power is building automated factories at Hadrian
Chris Power started a company in 2020 to build automated factories. The goal is to supply parts for aerospace and defense companies more quickly and affordably. His journey touches a bunch of interesting stories around private equity and venture startups, as well as the general decline of American manufacturing capabilities. Hope you enjoy it!
21 Sept 2023
Parker Conrad Built the Same Billion Dollar Startup Twice
Parker Conrad, one of the great comeback stories in Silicon Valley history. Everyone should study his "compound startup" idea, completely contrarian to how every other enterprise SaaS company is built these days. So many great stories in here. Excited to dive in deeper.
15 Sept 2023
Mike Shebat's Road to $1 Trillion
Mike Shebat is the hardest working man in tech right now. He grinds 12 hours per day, 6 days a week, but he works in the most boring industry imaginable: the "light industrial staffing" market. VCs love this guy because he found a massive industry and is just going to outwork the competition to build a massive company. A bunch of fun lessons from this one, hope you enjoy it!
24 Aug 2023
TJ Parker sold PillPack for a billion dollars
TJ Parker sold PillPack to Amazon for a billion dollars. Now he's out and living life to the fullest. He's a great follow on Twitter and has a bunch of interesting lessons from his startup journey. Oh and he was also hunted by the FBI?!?
21 Jul 2023
George Hotz Hacked Everything (tinycorp)
The full story of George Hotz, starting as a kid in New Jersey, to hacking the iPhone, getting sued by Sony, then building a self-driving car company and eventually taking on Nvidia. Incredible person, hope you enjoy.
13 Jul 2023
AJ Piplica is building hypersonic aircraft (Hermeus)
In this episode, I delve into the journey of A.J. Piplica, CEO of Hermeus, a hypersonic airplane company. A Star Trek-inspired fascination for aerospace, nurtured during his time studying at Georgia Tech and working at NASA, guided Piplica into his first professional role at Spaceworks Engineering. It was here he got an opportunity to lead Generation Orbit (GO), a subsidiary focusing on hypersonic aircraft. Intriguingly, the seeds of Hermeus were sown at GO, where Piplica worked closely with Glenn Case, Skyler Shuford, and Mike Smayda, the future co-founders of Hermeus. They left the secure but limiting confines of GO to embark on a daring venture — Hermeus, betting on an audacious dream with six months of self-funded effort. Their journey involved facing skepticism, refining their business pitch, and navigating through a challenging investment landscape. Their resilience paid off when Khosla Ventures, despite early setbacks, funded them to build a prototype engine. After demonstrating their technology's capabilities, the team managed to secure significant funding during a difficult pandemic-hit period, fuelled in part by contracts from the Air Force. The funding was used to build Chimera, their first full-scale engine capable of transitioning from an afterburning turbojet to a pure ramjet. As Hermeus continues to grow, Piplica stresses the importance of hitting regular milestones, bridging funding gaps, and maintaining operations and growth. The process, he shares, involves a steep learning curve about government contracts, building lasting relationships, and responding promptly to shifting mission requirements. The vision is clear: to develop hypersonic technology that can cover large distances quickly, operate in contested environments, and rapidly adapt to changing mission needs.
29 Jun 2023
Palmer Luckey (Anduril)
In today's episode, I'm diving deep into the extraordinary journey of Palmer Luckey, the famed technologist and defense entrepreneur. I'll be tracing his path from being a youthful hacker tinkering with virtual reality to becoming the innovative trailblazer in the defense industry that he is today. Luckey's influence in the tech world is profound, and his narrative provides a unique viewpoint on creativity, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of ambition. His trajectory mirrors many of the powerful figures I've delved into in past episodes, individuals who have blazed their own trails and fostered disruptive platforms that have precipitated transformative change in their respective sectors. Throughout this episode, I aim to answer some pivotal questions: How did Luckey transition from an enterprising VR pioneer to creating his own defense technology company, Anduril Industries? How did he stand out in a field fraught with established players? What are his views on defense technology as a key area for innovation, given that he is one of its most influential advocates?
23 Jun 2023
Doug DeMuro (Cars and Bids)
In today's episode, I'm exploring the life and career of Doug DeMuro, the renowned car YouTuber and entrepreneur. I'll be following his journey from being a 20-year-old car fanatic darting around Atlanta's streets, snapping shots of exotic cars, to becoming the successful business owner he is today. DeMuro's footprint in the car world is extraordinary, and his story offers a distinctive perspective on dedication, long-term vision, and the pure love for one's passion. His trajectory reminds me of the influential figures I've covered in previous episodes, individuals who have carved their own path and created unique platforms that have brought about transformation in their respective fields. Throughout this episode, I aim to answer some key questions: How did DeMuro transition from an enthusiastic car lover to creating his platform, Cars and Bids? What approach did he take to stand out in a competitive field packed with major players? What are his thoughts on the creator economy, being one of its successful advocates? One of the pivotal parts of our conversation revolves around the relationship between creators and brands. How does DeMuro construct and uphold win-win collaborations? How has he nurtured a platform that caters to both creators and car enthusiasts? His insights could potentially shape our understanding of the future of the creator economy. And remember, you don't have to be a car enthusiast to enjoy this episode. If you're curious about the dynamics of the creator economy, or how a personal passion can morph into a thriving venture, this episode is for you. Join me in this enlightening exploration of DeMuro's world and prepare for an engaging ride.
20 Jun 2023
David Holz (Midjourney)
In today's episode, I'm diving into the career of David Holz, a figure who echoes the spirit of the early Silicon Valley era. Holz first entered the tech scene as the founder and CEO of Leap Motion. This company, separate from Magic Leap, introduced a fresh user interface for computers, using hand gestures and cameras. Despite its innovative approach, Leap Motion found itself ahead of its time and was sold to Ultrahaptics in 2019. Post-Leap Motion, Holz didn't rest. He established a studio to seek out new possibilities. This exploration led him to the intersection of AI and art. Through self-funding, he developed Midjourney, a product that brings AI-generated art to life, and introduced it as a Discord bot earlier this summer. This episode aims to explore Holz's journey, his experiences with the boom and bust of Leap Motion, and his pivot towards AI-generated art with Midjourney. It's a story of resilience, creativity, and the timeless Silicon Valley spirit of turning setbacks into opportunities.
13 Jun 2023
Sam Altman (OpenAI)
In today's episode, I delve into the life and work of Sam Altman, the co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, currently standing as one of the most influential technologists. I'll take you through his journey, sharing his thoughts on startup culture, exploring the technologies he believes will shape our future, and discussing his position on Artificial Intelligence. The focus on Altman shouldn't surprise anyone. His influence on the tech world is unparalleled, and his insights provide a rare look into the future of technology and humanity. Drawing on some threads from previous episodes featuring Tim Cook, under whose leadership Altman redefined the landscape of Y Combinator, and Alex Karp, who has seen similar meteoric rises in social standing, this conversation promises to be both informative and thought-provoking. I aim to answer key questions like, how did Altman end up building OpenAI? How does he perceive startups, considering his rich experience at the heart of several? And what are his long-term views on the future, from nuclear energy to cryptocurrencies? His perspective offers a sort of post-Elon Musk vision of the world. But perhaps the most critical question I aim to address is related to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). How does Altman plan to navigate the complexities of AGI? And, ultimately, is humanity in good hands under his technological stewardship? Stay tuned for a compelling exploration of these questions and more.
7 Jun 2023
Tim Cook (Apple CEO & creator of Apple Vision Pro)
In this episode, I take a deep dive into the career and impact of Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple. Often overshadowed by founders, Cook's legacy, marked by the successful launch of products like the AirPods and Apple Watch, speaks volumes. Now, with the advent of Apple Vision Pro headset, Cook is once again revolutionizing technology. Can this device redefine the future of computing, giving even Facebook's meta a run for its money? Join me as I examine Cook's journey to the helm of Apple and his pivotal role in launching this potentially game-changing technology.
6 Jun 2023
Alex Karp (Palantir)
In this episode, I explore the life and career of Dr. Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir. Karp, born in Philadelphia in 1967, struggled with dyslexia but persevered and graduated from Haverford College before studying law at Stanford. This is where he met Peter Thiel, entrepreneur and venture capitalist. Despite their contrasting political views, they became close friends. After Stanford, Thiel pursued a career in law, while Karp went to Frankfurt University to earn a Ph.D. in neoclassical social theory under the tutelage of the renowned philosopher, Habermas. However, Karp soon realized that academia was not his path. He turned to investing and started the Caedmon Group in London. Meanwhile, Thiel had built and sold PayPal, becoming a multi-millionaire. Thiel's vision for Palantir was to use technology to balance civil liberties and proactive counterterrorism. This would need a unique team of Stanford and PayPal alumni. While the team had the technical skills to build a product, they needed a CEO with the right connections to work with big government, which is where Karp's network came in handy. The challenge was creating a system that could identify threats while preserving civil liberties. This struggle was evident in the failed "Total Information Awareness" program, which Congress defunded due to concerns about government surveillance. The Palantir team learned from this, building a software that could link and search through disparate databases while maintaining access logs for audit. While the initial prototype was promising, selling to the government was a challenge, due to layers of decision-makers and red tape. While Thiel had initially funded Palantir, attracting additional venture capital proved difficult due to Silicon Valley's reluctance to deal with the government. However, the podcast concludes by highlighting the irony of this situation, as early Silicon Valley successes were built on partnerships with the American military. The podcast also features an interview with Stanford Professor Steve Blank, who discusses the difficulties tech companies face when working with the American government
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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 5.0 / 5
- 10 ratings
- Spotify
- 5.0 / 5
- 25 ratings
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