Michael Shuffett is the founder & CEO of Compose AI, an AI startup backed by Y Combinator, Sequoia, and Craft Ventures.

In this episode of Founder Meditations, Michael shares his multifaceted journey from academia and martial arts to the entrepreneurial world, emphasizing how meditation, lucid dreaming, and spirituality profoundly influence his personal and professional life.

*Alert* This can be a fairly esoteric episode, as Michael & Weiting, being scientifically minded tech founders, discuss lucid dreaming and out-of-body experiences.

(00:00 Introduction

(05:00) Michael’s Early Career and Projects

(07:25) How Michael Started Compose AI

(12:15) Michael’s Spiritual Journey

(16:35) Exploring Lucid Dreaming and Out-of-Body Experiences

(33:51) Understanding Ego and Self-Identity

(49:42) Understanding Ego and Identity

(50:30) Experiencing Egolessness

(52:46) The Power of Fluid Identity

(54:05) The Dangers of Misaligned Identity

(56:28) Exploring the State of Non-Duality

(56:56) The Concept of Self in Meditation

(01:00:56) The Human Mind as a Language Model

(01:08:25) The Impact of Meditation on Entrepreneurship

(01:11:33) The Role of Morality in a Simulated Universe

(01:18:40) The Importance of Meditation for Founders

(01:29:49) Final Thoughts and Recommendations