This episode features an OG in the world of internet security, the Godfather of Cybersecurity, Bruce Schneier.Bruce describes himself as a public interest technologist, and has done many things under that banner - run companies, lectured at Harvard, testified before Congress, authored over a dozen books, and written a blog for over 20 years that has more than 250k regular readers - to name just a few.Key topics:- The need for better technical minds in policy making- The implications of AI for democracy (not as bleak as you might expect - Bruce’s new book Rewiring Democracy goes deep on the emerging implications and he remains largely optimistic)- Why the internet was not designed with security in mind- Why prompt injection makes AI applications inherently insecure for high stakes tasks- Threat modelling for personal security in an age of geopoliticsChapters00:00 What Bruce actually does03:58 The Journey to Becoming a Public Interest Technologist 06:54 Understanding Cybersecurity and the Internet Today 09:36 Advice for Online Safety and Security 12:39 The Role of Governments in Data Privacy 15:41 Geopolitical Implications of Cybersecurity 18:35 Cyber-Physical Systems and Their Risks 21:49 The Impact of AI on Cybersecurity 24:27 Rewiring Democracy in the Age of Technology 30:08 The Evolving Landscape of Cybersecurity and AI 32:21 Understanding Prompt Injection Vulnerabilities 36:30 The Internet's Security Flaws and Historical Context 39:25 Capitalism's Role in Cybersecurity Failures 46:11 Skepticism Towards Web3 and Blockchain 48:37 Rewiring Democracy for the Information Age 55:27 Trust, Power, and the Future of AI in GovernanceYou can find bruce at www.schneier.com
This episode features Tara Fung, co-founder of CO:CREATE - a digital platform for tattooing.
Tara and her co-founder raised $25m in seed funding from A16z at the height of the NFT hype with a technical vision for how to scale that ecosystem, but ultimately ran into hard times as the market for NFTs collapsed.
What followed was a journey into the unknown, seeking ways to successfully pivot the company into something they could build and scale.
Tattoos aren’t necessarily the first thing that spring to mind when you think of vc-backed businesses, but Tara’s own experience of getting tattooed served as a point of inspiration for CO:CREATE, coupled with a willingness to explore beyond the typical playbooks.
Key topics:
Chapters
00:00 The Evolution of CO:CREATE
12:57 Navigating the Fundraising Landscape
19:04 Navigating Investor Relationships and Pivots
23:48 Motivation and Purpose in Entrepreneurship
30:00 Finding Clarity in Direction and Focus
32:16 Breaking the Playbook: A New Approach to Entrepreneurship
34:23 The Future of Trust in a Distrustful World
38:17 Navigating Attention and Discovery in the Digital Age
42:12 Ethics and Technology: Balancing Business with Societal Impact
43:00 Exploring Trust, Ethics, and Technology
45:29 Empowering Artists in the Tattoo Industry
This episode features Sam Stephenson, co-founder of Granola - one of the standout UK success stories in AI product building.
Sam and I discussed his background as a designer, his journey to becoming a founder, the trajectory of the company so far, and shares his thoughts on designing for human agency and the future of work.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Granola and Its Purpose
02:33 Sam's Background and Design Journey
05:19 Influences from Communal Living
09:36 The Origin of Granola and Co-founder Dynamics
12:01 The Messy Process of Finding the Right Project
16:12 Simplicity in Product Design
19:11 Growth Trajectory and User Experience
21:45 Balancing Short-term and Long-term Goals
24:12 Navigating AI Development Challenges
26:50 Balancing Innovation and Practicality in AI
29:16 The Pressure of Rapid Growth in AI Startups
32:43 The Future of Work with AI Assistance
36:51 Reducing Coordination Complexity in Organizations
38:28 The Human Element in AI Interactions
41:01 Agency and Control in the Age of AI
43:31 Envisioning a High-Leverage Future with AI
In this conversation, I speak to William Morgan and Sylvan Rackham, the Co-Founders of Restless Egg, an incubator for Artist Founders, about the intersection of art, technology, and innovation.
They discuss the concept of the 'artist founder', the challenges faced by creative technologists, and the need for a supportive infrastructure to foster their ideas. The conversation explores the role of institutions, funding sources, and the future of technology, particularly in relation to AI. They emphasize the importance of agency in technology and the potential for artist founders to create meaningful experiences that go beyond mere productivity enhancements.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Restless Egg
01:21 Artist founders
04:18 Discovering the Community of Creators
10:10 Key Players in the Artist Founder Ecosystem
14:37 The Role of Philosophy and Technology
20:31 Bridging Art and Technology
25:32 Defining the Artist Founder
28:24 The Future of AI and Experience
29:20 The Role of Artist Founders in E-commerce
32:41 Funding the Creative Frontier
36:58 The Shift in Investment Perspectives
41:03 The Future of Technology and Agency
44:29 AI: Tool or Evolutionary Break?
51:45 The Playful Nature of Innovation
58:59 Empowering Agency Through Technology
Where you can hear more from William and Sylvan
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