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Michael Thomsen is a freelancer writer, author, and UFC tragic from New York.   He is the author of Cage Kings: How an Unlikely Group of Moguls, Champions & Hustlers Transformed the UFC into a $10 Billion Industry, which unpacks the rapid rise of the UFC an mixed martial arts, the UFC’s business model and economics, the one man tour de force that is longtime UFC president Dana White, the role of the UFC’s owners over time - SEG, Zuffa and Ari Emanuel, and the organization’s anti-competitive behaviors and adversarial relationship with its fighters, which aren’t employees, but independent contractors - most of whom would earn more working a run of the mill admin job in the public sector.   Thomsen’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Slate, Vanity Fair, The Daily Beast, Aeon, Forbes, Al Jazeera America, Adult, Talking Points Memo, Los Angeles Review of Books, Complex, The Paris Review n+1, Bookforum, The Believer, The New Republic, Kill Screen, The New Inquiry, and The Millions.   With that, here’s my conversation with the one and only, Michael Thomsen.   Show Notes: 1. Twitter: https://twitter.com/mike_thomsen?lang=en 2. Get Cage Kings: https://www.amazon.com/Cage-Kings-Unlikely-Champions-Transformed-ebook/dp/B0BHTM6YRY 3. Email Mike: [email protected] 

Originally published: 2017 Jason Calacanis is a tech entrepreneur, wildly successful angel investor, and the host of the popular weekly podcast This Week in Startups. He's the founder of a series of conferences that bring entrepreneurs together with potential investors. As a “scout” for top-tier Silicon Valley venture capital firm Sequoia Capital and later as an angel investor, Jason has invested in 150 early-stage startups including four that have achieved billion-dollar valuations (so far) such as Uber, Evernote and Tumblr. Jason's newly released book "Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups: Timeless Advice from an Angel Investor Who Turned $100,000 into $100,000,000" puts readers inside the minds of successful angel investors, helping to understand how they prioritize and make the decisions that have resulted in phenomenal profits. Jason provides a step by step roadmap, revealing how leading investors evaluate new ventures, calculating the risks and rewards, and explains how the best startups leverage relationships with angel investors for the best results. In this episode we go back to Jason’s rough upbringing in Brooklyn, NY in the early 80s and cover a lot of ground leading up to the present day so you can expect to learn a lot of things, including: How to pick a billion dollar founder or startup How to bounce back from failure What Jason thinks of and what advice he has for corporates investing in startups All topics discussed: Jason’s humble beginnings in Brooklyn, NY What got Jason into startup investing The alchemy of startup investing Why you should always wait for external validation from other investors before investing Why ideas are a dime a dozen and you should invest in startups that have demonstrated traction The biggest mistake first time startup investors make The changing nature of angel investing and venture capital On books becoming a business card for many people Why building quality deal flow is a popularity contest of sorts How to get started investing with little money The number one thing Jason looks for in entrepreneurs Other factors to evaluate startups and entrepreneurs, including Jason’s ‘four founder questions’ How Jason navigated his Silicon Valley Reporter going bust during the dot com boom How to ask good questions What Jason’s views on corporate venture capital are and what advice he has for corporates looking to or already investing in startups How to go about taking lots of small bets when diversifying and building your portfolio What Jason thinks about ICOs, cryptocurrency and blockchain Show notes: Get the book: https://amzn.to/2QpLqkX The book: Angelthebook.com   @jason on Twitter Jason’s podcast: ThisWeekInStartups.com

Oliver Burkeman is a British author and journalist who has written for The Guardian and other publications. He was born in 1975 and has authored several books on topics such as time management, productivity, happiness, and self-help culture. His works include "Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals," "The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking,", "Help! How to Become Slightly Happier and Get a Bit More Done", and his most recent book, "Four Thousand Weeks," is a philosophical and practical exploration of time management and how to make the most of our finite lives. Show Notes: Twitter: https://twitter.com/oliverburkeman  Web: https://oliverburkeman.com 

Niki Scevak is co-founder of Startmate, and founder and partner at Blackbird VC, Australia’s largest venture capital fund, with its 5th fund having raised AUD$1B (US$640M). Blackbird was an early investor in Canva, SafetyCulture, CultureAmp, BugCrowd, RedBubble, and many more, and has to date generated a net internal rate of return of 56%.    Niki joined me today to discuss: His life before Blackbird Successfully raising his first fund back in 2012, without having a network or any startup successes of his own  Getting beyond the trough of disillusionment How Australian superannuation funds are opening their wallets to VC Scaling culture Generating deal flow Advice for founders and budding VCs on raising capital in a down market The AI investment landscape The battle between AI-powered indie hackers and venture-backed startups Whether sophisticated investor rules preventing retail investors from getting direct exposure to venture capital is just increasing the wealth gap  Diversity, quotas, and Startmate’s merit-based selection criteria And more.    Show Notes: Email Niki: [email protected]  Web: www.blackbird.vc   Twitter: https://twitter.com/nikiscevak?lang=en Contact Steve on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/steveglaveski Email Steve: [email protected] 

Mick Wall has spent over four decades interviewing rockstars and chronicling their amazing stories, and today, we're turning the tables on Mick Wall and unpacking his story in this marathon 3-hour and 40-minute, Joe Rogan-esque interview.   Our conversation focuses on the early years, taking in Mick’s childhood all the way through to Sounds magazine, Heavy Publicity, and the inception of the world-famous magazine Kerrang! magazine.   We touch on ghostwriting, his feud with Axl Rose, and revelations about the rock 'n roll lifestyle.   As you might expect, there’s plenty of sex, drugs n rock n roll, and some valuable life lessons.   So strap yourself in for my chat with Mick Wall.

Dennis Savic is a pioneering entrepreneur and innovative thinker in the fields of electric vehicles and sustainable transportation.  As the founder and CEO of SAVIC Motorcycles, he has introduced high-performance, eco-friendly models that cater to a wide range of consumers. Born in Sarajevo in the former Yugoslavia, and raised in Australia, Dennis holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and has always been passionate about the intersection of technology, design, and environmental responsibility.  We explored: Dennis’ upbringing and inspiration for getting into motorcycle building Savic Motorcycles' C-series cafe racer motorcycle  The company’s journey to $6m in pre-orders  Its current Equitise crowdfunding campaign Challenges faced by EV startups include manufacturing economies of scale, talent acquisition, and competition from established automakers. How the future of the motorcycle industry is evolving with the introduction of AI, autonomy, and charging infrastructure. How Savic Motorcyles is bringing the manufacture of parts in-house to reduce costs, improve performance, and speed up time to market  The entrepreneurial mindset The most impactful books Dennis has read And so much more   Show Notes: Website: www.savicmotorcycles.com  Crowdfunding campaign: https://equitise.com/offer/savic-motorcycles-offer

Torsten Hoffmann is a media entrepreneur, filmmaker, and technology investor.  He has produced and directed several documentaries, including "Bitcoin: The End of Money As We Know It" and the award-winning "Cryptopia: Bitcoin, Blockchains and the Future of the Internet"   Torsten joins me today to talk about his forthcoming feature documentary,  FORTITUDE: Forging the Trillion Dollar Space Economy, which uncovers how a few influential individuals with utopian ideas and vast fortunes are forging a trillion-dollar off-world industry, while inspiring millions of us back on Earth. In this conversation we unpack: The Space economy and its constituent parts Space tourism Sustainability in Space Controversy over Government contracts being awarded to billionaires The Colonization of Mars The new Space Race with China What the significance of SpaceX’s Starship is Opportunities for entrepreneurs And how you can preserve your DNA on the moon for future generations to discover, and possibly, resurrect you Show Notes: Film: www.fortitudemovie.com  Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bitcointheendofmoney/fortitude-forging-the-trillion-dollar-space-economy  Sponsored by: LVLUP Health’s BPC157. Get yours at: www.lvluphealth.com and use code FUTURE for 10% off.

Kevin Kelly is a renowned technology writer, futurist, and entrepreneur who co-founded Wired magazine in 1993. He has authored several books on the impact of technology on society, including "The Inevitable" and "What Technology Wants." He is also a sought-after speaker and advisor on emerging technologies and their social and economic implications. His new book, Excellent Advice for Living: WIsdom I Wish I’d Known Earlier, distils Kelly’s timeless advice on everything from right living to setting ambitious goals, optimizing generosity, and cultivating compassion. He has wisdom for career, relationships, parenting, and finances, and gives guidance for practical matters ranging from travel to troubleshooting. In this conversation, we unpack: How Kevin’s beliefs have changed his beliefs over time Kevin’s perspective on success and external validation Why we shouldn’t pursue being the best, but being the only 3 things Kevin would take with him into the afterlife Why you should kill your darlings, and throw out work you’ve labored over How Kevin would spend the next 10 years if he was 21 years old today  Learning how to be more compassionate towards people with views that we find abhorrent Why we shouldn’t measure our lives with someone else’s ruler, and how to get better at that Show Notes: Get the book: https://www.amazon.com/Excellent-Advice-Living-Wisdom-Earlier/dp/0593654528  Kevin on Twitter:  www.twitter.com/kevin2kelly  Future Squared: Website: www.futuresquared.xyz Twitter: www.twitter.com/steveglaveski  TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@futuresquaredpod  Instagram: www.instagram.com/futuresquaredpod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC63t7PVnhh6YaS1OSzELGng 

My guest today is Mike Todasco, former director of innovation at PayPal, and current self-imposed AI-researcher, and co-author of numerous AI-generated books under the pseudonym Alex Irons.   We covered a lot of ground in this conversation, including: Generative AI use cases The impact of AI on startups and the venture capital ecosystem AutoGPT The threat of misaligned goals and existential risks posed by AI The 6-month development ban proposal Regulatory considerations  Intellectual property challenges and solutions The AI Arms Race with China And so much more. --- Show Notes: 1. Alexirons.com  2. Mike on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todasco/ --- Sponsored by: 1. www.lvluphealth.com Use coupon code FUTURE for 10% off ALL products, including BPC-157, and heal yourself like wolverine! 

Rebroadcast: This episode originally appeared in 2019. --- James Clear is an author and speaker focused on habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement. A freak baseball accident put James in a desperate place, fighting to recover from brain damage. The debilitating brain injury forced him to discover a new way of living. Recovery took James to a new understanding of habits and the power of stacking simple, easy habits, one on top of the other, to create momentum and change. His book, Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results, shares his learnings with the world. It has sold well over one million copies and has been translated into numerous languages. He is a regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies and his work is used by teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Entrepreneur, Time, and on CBS This Morning. We covered numerous topics in this conversation, including, as you might expect: How to build good habits and break bad ones Why systems are much more important than goals alone; and What kind of ‘meta habits’ deliver a massive return in life We explore this and a whole lot more so strap yourself in for an hour with Mr Atomic Habits himself, James Clear. Topics Discussed: Why are good habits so difficult to form Our brain’s desire to optimize for energy conservation The three layers of behaviour change The four laws of behaviour change The power of rewards Habit stacking Environment design The power of small changes The path of least effort meets the laws of motion Picking the right metrics The Goldilocks Zone Short feedback loops What leaders can do to build better habits in their teams and companies Meta habits What role identity plays Values alignment Show Notes: com @jamesclear on Twitter Get the book: https://amzn.to/2DHgN5l ---------- Listen to Future Squared on Apple Podcasts  gl/sMnEa0 Also available on: Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Stitcher and Soundcloud Twitter: www.twitter.com/steveglaveski Instagram: instagram.com/@thesteveglaveski Future Squared: futuresquared.xyz Steve Glaveski: steveglaveski.com Medium: medium.com/@steveglaveski Steve's book: employeetoentrepreneur.io NEW Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/futuresquared/ Watch on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2N77FLx

This episode originally appeared in episode 318, Feb 2019. --- Dr Michael Shermer is an American science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor-in-chief of its magazine Skeptic. Shermer engages in debates on topics pertaining to pseudoscience and religion in which he emphasizes scientific skepticism. He’s also a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. He is the author of Why People Believe Weird Things, Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, and The Moral Arc. His new book is Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality & Utopia.                                  Shermer is also a member of what’s become known as the intellectual dark web, alongside others such as Sam Harris, Joe Rogan, Ben Shapiro, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Jordan Peterson. Having recently appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience and the  David Rubin Show, today he appears for the first time on Future Squared. We covered a lot of ground in this episode, including: People’s last words and what we can glean from them about how we live our lives Immortality and whether you and I might live long enough to live forever Tribalism, identity politics and diversity quotas in tech  This only scratches the surface of what we covered, so sit back and strap yourselves in for an enlightening conversation with the skeptic, Dr. Michael Shermer. --- Topics Discussed: Michael’s new book, Heavens on Earth Our fear of death and how people come to terms with the inevitable People’s last words The afterlife The technotopian quest for immortality The intellectual dark web Jordan Peterson The meaning of life Why people believe in God Evolutionary advantages of belief Morality without religion Tribalism and identity politics Diversity quotas in tech The shortcomings of science Why decision outcomes shouldn’t be equated with the quality of the decision Stein’s Law The value of counterfactuals Show Notes: michaelshermer.com skeptic.com Twitter: @michaelshermer Shermer’s books: https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Shermer/e/B001H6MCNY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1550116103&sr=1-1

My guest today is Daniel Cannizzaro, founder of fintech company Parpera. I invited Dan back on to discuss the difficult landscape that startups find themselves in, and how Parpera has been navigating both macroeconomic challenges, and some very unique technical setbacks. If you’ve ever found yourself or currently find yourself navigating uncertainty and staring at the proverbial abyss, then this conversation serves as a reminder that when we find ourselves going through difficult times, only by focusing on what we can control can we slowly but surely get back on track. We touch on the impact on Dan and his business, the impact on his team and customers, and how to manage relationships with key stakeholders through difficult times when there is little measurable progress to speak of, whilst maintaining a shared belief in your vision. We also touch on the global banking crisis, the impact on startups, and where the economy is headed. Show Notes: Parpera: www.parpera.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielcannizzaro Follow Future Squared online: TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@futuresquaredpod   IG: www.instagram.com/futuresquaredpod   Youtube: www.youtube.com/@futuresquaredpod  Subscribe to newsletter: www.futuresquared.xyz