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Out Of Office
Kartik Sathappan
22 episodes
4 days ago
Before the hype, before the funding—Kartik & Jack interview founders in the trenches, year one. Learn from the raw, unfiltered start. Follow us on X: ⁠Kartik - https://x.com/sathaxe⁠ ⁠Jack - https://x.com/jackndwyer Presented by Families Fund: wwww.families.fund
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Entrepreneurship
Business
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All content for Out Of Office is the property of Kartik Sathappan and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Before the hype, before the funding—Kartik & Jack interview founders in the trenches, year one. Learn from the raw, unfiltered start. Follow us on X: ⁠Kartik - https://x.com/sathaxe⁠ ⁠Jack - https://x.com/jackndwyer Presented by Families Fund: wwww.families.fund
Show more...
Entrepreneurship
Business
Episodes (20/22)
Out Of Office
Can Camera Glasses Democratize the Human Experience? Chris Samra on Building Waves (Ep.22)

Join Kartik Sathappan and Jack Dwyer as they sit down with Chris Samra, co-founder of Waves, the viral camera glasses built for creators. We explore how Waves went from a Black Mirror-inspired idea to a launch video with 30M+ views, the privacy debate, and why Chris wants Waves to be more like Ray-Ban than “smart glasses.”

𝕏 Follow Chris: https://x.com/crsamra
🔗 Waves: https://www.waveglasses.com/

🎧 Subscribe to Out of Office:
X – https://x.com/outofofficepodx
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/2oDg9z0aCNyS6L0YVbEIMD
Apple – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-office/id1789052920
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@OutOfOfficePodcastX

𝕏 Follow Kartik: https://x.com/sathaxe
𝕏 Follow Jack: https://x.com/jackndwyer

Sponsored by Families Fund — backing founders rebuilding education and health for American families.
https://www.families.fund

Chapters:

  • 00:00 Meet Chris & Waves
  • 05:37 Design that looks good
  • 10:45 Privacy debate
  • 20:46 From Black Mirror to clips IRL
  • 25:25 Capturing human moments
  • 30:44 Brand > hardware
  • 35:03 Creators as GTM
Show more...
1 month ago
37 minutes 5 seconds

Out Of Office
Can Healthy Fast Food Add Years to Your Life? Clayton Mooney on Building Clayton Farms (Ep.21)

Join us on this inspiring episode of Out of Office, where Kartik Sathappan and Jack Dwyer sit down with Clayton Mooney, founder of Clayton Farms, to explore the future of healthy fast food and the fight against the lifespan crisis caused by America’s eating habits.

Clayton shares his unlikely journey—from growing up on an Iowa farm, to a career in professional poker, to building indoor farms that now power a profitable restaurant model. His mission? To give back millions of years of life to humanity by changing the way we eat, one healthy fast food meal at a time.

We cover how Clayton is competing with giants like Sweetgreen, why transparency and open-source food systems matter, and the bold vision of scaling to a thousand restaurants over the next two decades.

🌱 Check out Clayton Farms: claytonfarms.com

🎧 Subscribe and listen to new episodes of Out of Office:
X - https://x.com/outofofficepodx
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2oDg9z0aCNyS6L0YVbEIMD
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-office/id1789052920
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OutOfOfficePodcastX

𝕏 Follow Kartik: @sathaxe
𝕏 Follow Jack: @jackndwyer
𝕏 Follow Clayton: @MooneyMillions

Sponsored by Families Fund — Backing founders rebuilding education and health for American families.
https://www.families.fund

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share to stay updated with future conversations!

Chapters:
00:00 From Iowa Farm to Poker Pro
06:02 Tackling Food Waste with Kinosol
08:46 Building Clayton Farms: Indoor Farming Innovations
11:26 From Delivery Service to Restaurant Model
19:53 Competing with Sweetgreen & Scaling Healthy Fast Food
30:49 Health, Entrepreneurship & Building a Mission-Driven Brand
44:33 Fundraising, Transparency, and Open Sourcing the Farm
59:21 The Future of Nutrition & Adding 70 Million Years of Life

Show more...
2 months ago
1 hour 2 minutes 6 seconds

Out Of Office
Can a Cute Computer Fix Your Phone Addiction? Sarv on Building Origami (Ep.20)

Out of Office — Ep.20

Kartik Sathappan and Jack Dwyer sit down with Sarv, founder of Origami Computing — a playful “sidekick computer” aiming to make our relationship with tech healthier. We cover the journey from scrappy, screenless prototypes to a colorful device that feels human, why phones exhaust us, and what it really takes to learn hardware, raise a round, and build something people love.

🧭 Links:
𝕏 Follow Sarv: https://x.com/SarvasvKulpati
🔗 Learn more about Origami: https://origamicomputing.com/

🎧 Subscribe and follow:
X — https://x.com/outofofficepodx
Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/show/2oDg9z0aCNyS6L0YVbEIMD
Apple — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-office/id1789052920
YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/@OutOfOfficePodcastX

👤 Hosts:
𝕏 Follow Kartik: https://x.com/sathaxe
𝕏 Follow Jack: https://x.com/jackndwyer

💡 Sponsor:
Sponsored by Families Fund — the first VC fund backing founders rebuilding education and health for American families.
https://www.families.fund

Chapters

  1. 00:00 Meet Sarv and the birth of Origami Computing
  2. 02:35 What makes a device “healthy”
  3. 05:12 The digicam prototype and retro tech’s comeback
  4. 07:46 A silent rebellion against social media
  5. 10:50 From screenless experiments to sidekick computers
  6. 12:57 Why cute eyes went viral
  7. 15:00 AI as self-actualization, not autocomplete
  8. 19:59 Moving to SF: from scarcity to abundance
  9. 22:27 Teaching himself hardware and PCB design
  10. 26:29 Mentors, suffering, and the hard truths of hardware
  11. 28:18 Staying true in a hype-driven Silicon Valley
  12. 30:56 GTM, social media virality, and the weight of followers
  13. 33:38 Building a tiny but mighty team
  14. 34:11 Berkeley lessons: liberal arts, CogSci, and POV
  15. 39:11 Almost dropping out, Tech Twitter, and finding direction
  16. 43:27 Early curiosity: clubs, skateboards, and coding hands
  17. 44:53 Creativity beyond tech: music, writing, and art
  18. 45:34 Social media, hermits, and healthier online spaces
  19. 47:41 Origami’s vision: a phone that feels human
  20. 49:09 The future of AI-native devices
Show more...
2 months ago
49 minutes 22 seconds

Out Of Office
Can this Alpha School student fix teen mental health? Alex Mathew on Building Berry (Ep.19)

In this inspiring episode of Out of Office, Kartik Sathappan and Jack Dwyer sit down with Alex Mathew, a high school student at the experimental Alpha School and the teenage founder of Berry, an AI-powered stuffed animal that teens can talk to for mental health support.

Alex shares how his own struggles with therapy and school stress led him to build Berry, why he believes AI will replace traditional therapy, and how a cuddly plushie could help millions of young people reflect and build self-awareness. We dive into the science behind “transitional objects,” what’s wrong with online therapy, and why he’s designing Berry to push back instead of just validate.

We also explore Alpha School’s radical education model: three hours of AI-powered academics, no teachers, and afternoons spent launching real-world ventures. Alex explains how he balances building a startup with being a student and how Alpha helps teens find their passion and develop it to Olympic-level standards.

🐻 Learn more about Berry: https://berryplush.com/
🏫 Learn more about Alpha School: https://alpha.school
𝕏 Follow Alex: https://x.com/alxmthew

🎧 Subscribe and listen to new episodes of Out of Office:
X - https://x.com/outofofficepodx
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2oDg9z0aCNyS6L0YVbEIMD
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-office/id1789052920

𝕏 Follow Kartik: https://x.com/sathaxe
𝕏 Follow Jack: https://x.com/jackndwyer

Sponsored by Families Fund:
The first VC fund backing founders rebuilding education and health for American families.
https://www.families.fund


Chapters:

  • 00:00 Meet Alex Mathew: Teen Founder of Berry and Student at Alpha
  • 01:13 Why He Built an AI Plushie for Teen Mental Health
  • 04:17 Gaps in Therapy and the Problem with ChatGPT as Support
  • 07:33 How Berry Works: Reflection, Voice, and Personalization
  • 11:28 Why a Plushie? Science, Nostalgia, and Virality
  • 18:42 Go-To-Market Strategy: Teens, Parents, Schools, and TikTok
  • 22:45 Data Privacy, Memory, and Ethical AI in Mental Health
  • 25:17 Building a Startup Inside High School
  • 27:41 Inside Alpha School: AI Learning, No Teachers, Big Projects
  • 39:04 Rethinking Focus, ADHD, and the Future of Learning
  • 48:31 Life at Alpha vs Traditional School
  • 51:39 Should You Still Go to College After Alpha?
  • 59:48 Real Role of Guides and How They Motivate Students
  • 01:01:11 Screens, SEL, and Defeating Brainrot
  • 01:06:50 What's Next for Berry and How to Get Involved
Show more...
3 months ago
1 hour 7 minutes 24 seconds

Out Of Office
Is Public School Broken Beyond Repair? Karen Kirchner Explains (Ep.18)

Join us on this special episode of Out of Office brought to you by Families Fund, where Kartik Sathappan and Jack Dwyer sit down with Karen Kirchner — a California elementary school teacher — to break down what’s really happening inside public schools today.

Karen shares how COVID, politics, and outdated literacy methods have collided to leave kids behind — and what it will take to turn things around. We explore why teachers get so little respect, how the “science of reading” can transform classrooms, and what parents should look for when evaluating their children’s education. From the rise of AI tutors to the false promise of endless tech in the classroom, this conversation cuts through the noise to spotlight what strong schools actually do right.

𝕏 Follow Karen: https://www.instagram.com/karenkirchnr/
🔗 Learn more about Families Fund: https://www.families.fund

🎧 Subscribe and listen to new episodes of Out of Office ASAP:
X - https://x.com/outofofficepodx
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2oDg9z0aCNyS6L0YVbEIMD
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-office/id1789052920
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OutOfOfficePodcastX

Sponsored by Noots — Enjoy 25% off your order!
https://sendnoots.com/discount/OUTOFOFFICEPOD

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share to stay updated with future conversations!

Chapters:
00:00 The State of Reading Scores and Education Systems
21:25 Science of Reading vs. Balanced Literacy + Teacher Training
29:55 Multi-Sensory Learning, Parent Roles, and Cultural Attitudes
38:19 Education Policy, Teacher Quality, and Curriculum Gaps
45:05 Classroom Management, Tech Hype, and AI Tutors
53:44 Alternative Models, Community, and What Traditional Schools Get Right

Show more...
4 months ago
1 hour 10 minutes 54 seconds

Out Of Office
Can a Robot Fold Your Laundry? Evan Wineland on Building Weave Robotics (Ep. 17)

Episode 17 – Can a Robot Fold Your Laundry? Evan Wineland on Building Weave Robotics

On this episode of Out of Office, hosts Kartik Sathappan and Jack Dwyer welcomeEvan Wineland, co-founder of Weave Robotics. Evan unveils Isaac—a telescoping,wheeled home robot that folds laundry, tidies rooms, and even taps human tele-operatorswhen autonomy needs a boost. We explore why wheels beat legs (for now), how onboardcompute keeps your data private, what Evan learned while shipping Apple Intelligence,and why your own robo-housekeeper could arrive as early as late 2025.

Links
𝕏 Follow Evan: https://x.com/evan_wineland
Weave Robotics: https://weaverobotics.com
𝕏 Follow the show: https://x.com/outofofficepodx
Spotify: show link
Apple Podcasts: show link
YouTube: channel link

Sponsored by Noots — Enjoy 25% off
https://sendnoots.com/discount/OUTOFOFFICEPOD

Chapters
00:00 Introduction & Isaac highlight reel
02:45 First impressions: Roomba ≠ Isaac
06:45 What Isaac is and isn’t
13:40 Wheels > legs: safety & reliability
19:40 Why start with laundry-folding & tidying
23:40 Mapping, memory & onboarding your home
32:00 Tele-operation, trust & guardrails
39:30 Pricing, early adopters & parents vs. entropy
49:10 From Apple Intelligence to home robots
57:00 YC, quadrupeds & pivoting to Isaac
1:03:00 Shipping timeline & Weave is hiring!

Enjoy the episode, and don’t forget to rate, follow, and share!

Show more...
5 months ago
58 minutes 52 seconds

Out Of Office
Can You Sell Gold Without Getting Scammed? Brandon Aversano on Starting Alloy (Ep.16)

Can You Sell Gold Without Getting Scammed? Brandon Aversano on Starting Alloy (Ep.16)

In this episode of Out of Office, Kartik Sathappan and Jack Dwyer sit down with Brandon Aversano, founder of Alloy, the online platform making it safe, simple, and transparent to sell gold and precious metals.

Brandon shares the wild origin story of Alloy—starting with a cancer diagnosis, medical debt, and a humiliating pawn shop experience. He explains how Alloy offers 80%+ payouts (versus 20–30% industry standard), the challenges of building trust in a scammy industry, and why customer empathy is his biggest weapon. We also discuss the future of jewelry resale, how Brandon bootstrapped his way from a failed app to state-backed funding, and what most people don’t understand about the value of their gold.

🔗 Check out Alloy: https://www.alloymarket.com/
📺 Watch on YouTube: Out of Office Podcast
🎧 Subscribe:
X | Spotify | Apple

𝕏 Follow Kartik: https://x.com/sathaxe
𝕏 Follow Jack: https://x.com/jackndwyer

🎙️ Sponsored by Noots — Enjoy 25% off your order!
https://sendnoots.com/discount/OUTOFOFFICEPOD

Chapters:

  • 00:00 Introduction to Alloy and Brandon's Cancer Diagnosis
  • 04:23 Selling Gold the Old Way—and the Idea That Sparked Alloy
  • 07:57 Building Empathy Into a High-Trust Customer Experience
  • 10:38 Hiring Non-Salespeople and Operationalizing Support
  • 12:35 Beating the Pawn Shops: Trust, Transparency, and Pricing
  • 15:07 Go-to-Market, SEO Strategy, and Early PR Wins
  • 20:39 Customer Segments, Indian Gold Culture, and Repeat Use
  • 25:32 Alloy’s Wild Origin: FBI Gold Scandal and Elderly Clients
  • 30:01 Partnerships, Value Chain, and Expanding Beyond Gold
  • 37:11 Funding Alloy: From 401k to Institutional Rounds
  • 44:29 Winning Over the State of Pennsylvania
  • 48:09 Fundraising Strategy in a Skeptical Market
  • 49:59 Competition, Ecosystem Vision, and What’s Next
  • 52:00 The Truth About Jewelry Valuation
  • 56:00 Why Gold Beats Diamonds—and Advice for Founders
Show more...
5 months ago
1 hour 3 minutes 41 seconds

Out Of Office
Can a Digital Pet Save Hardware? Daniel Kuntz on Building The Little Guy (Ep.15)

Join us for an imaginative and deeply thoughtful episode of Out of Office as Kartik Sathappan and Jack Dwyer sit down with Daniel Kuntz — founder of Creature Co. and the mind behind The Little Guy, a wearable digital pet that blends nostalgic design, emotional tech, and low-level engineering into a new kind of companion.

Daniel walks us through how a viral demo turned into a funded startup, how Fred Again ended up using his music plugin, and why he's rejecting the software subscription model in favor of playful, expressive hardware. We also dive into his artistic inspirations (like vintage Sony gadgets and absurd watches), the philosophy of meaningful design, and whether generative AI can ever create something with soul.

  • 🦴 Meet The Little Guy
  • 🎹 Try Daniel’s music plugins
  • 𝕏 Follow Daniel
  • 𝕏 Follow Kartik
  • 𝕏 Follow Jack
  • 🎧 Follow Out of Office

Sponsored by Noots — Enjoy 25% off your order

Chapters:

  • 00:00 Intro to The Little Guy and Creature Co
  • 03:00 Rethinking Tamagotchi: A Digital Pet for Adults
  • 06:05 Prototyping, Dev Kits, and Early Community Feedback
  • 08:52 Raising $1.2M and the Vision for a Hardware Company
  • 12:06 Business Model, Software Tools, and Artistic Intent
  • 14:55 Daniel’s Journey: Music Apps to Wearable Companions
  • 21:03 Design Philosophy: Playful UIs and Hardware Aesthetics
  • 28:09 Apple, iDog, and the Lost Era of Beautiful Tech
  • 34:28 From Demo to Funding: Going All-In on Hardware
  • 40:23 Can We Have Nice Things Again?
  • 55:11 Generative AI, Creativity, and the Future of Art
Show more...
6 months ago
1 hour 4 minutes 1 second

Out Of Office
Can Blocking the Sun Save the Planet? Andrew Song on Building Make Sunsets (Ep. 14)

Join us for this eye-opening episode of Out of Office, where we sit down with Andrew Song, co-founder of Make Sunsets, to discuss a radical approach to climate change: solar geoengineering. Andrew explains how releasing reflective aerosols into the stratosphere—something volcanoes do naturally—may help cool the planet, buying time for other sustainability efforts to catch up. We also dive into regulatory roadblocks, the role of public perception, and what it’s like to scale a startup focused on reversing global warming.

Sponsored by Noots — Enjoy 25% off your order! https://sendnoots.com/discount/OUTOFOFFICEPOD

Follow Andrew Song: https://x.com/asong408
Learn more about Make Sunsets: https://makesunsets.com

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Make Sunsets
03:23 The Science Behind Solar Geoengineering
06:46 Comparing Solutions: Stratospheric Aerosol Injection vs. Carbon Capture
10:26 Market Landscape and Competition
13:56 Customer Demographics and Engagement
17:17 Funding and Business Model
21:00 Regulatory Landscape and Challenges
24:21 Public Perception and Education
28:10 Operational Mechanics of Balloon Deployments
31:30 Future Outlook and Mission-driven Goals
34:48 Navigating Financial Sustainability
37:22 Evaluating Climate Solutions
39:13 The Reality of Recycling
41:46 Innovating for a Sustainable Future
45:16 Personal Journey to Climate Action
48:51 Future Aspirations and Opportunities
54:24 Building a Climate-Conscious Community

Subscribe and listen to new episodes of Out of Office:
X (Twitter)
Spotify
Apple
YouTube

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share—help us spread the word and keep the conversation going!

Show more...
7 months ago
58 minutes 40 seconds

Out Of Office
Can Coaching Beat Swiping? Hirbod Bigvand on Reinventing Dating with Cassius (Ep. 13)

Join us on this insightful episode of Out of Office, where Kartik Sathappan and Jack Dwyer sit down with Hirbod Bigvand, founder of Cassius, a unique dating wellness app designed to help men gain confidence, master communication, and build meaningful relationships through personalized coaching.

Hirbod shares how seeing his friends struggle on dating apps inspired him to bridge the gap between dating coaches and men searching for authentic connections. They discuss why traditional dating apps like Tinder and Bumble often fall short, the power and challenges of "cold approaching," and why San Francisco can be an especially challenging city for dating. Hirbod also reveals how Cassius leverages both tech and personalized coaching to transform men's dating experiences.

Follow Hirbod: X

Check out Cassius: cassius.love

🎧 Subscribe and listen to new episodes of Out of Office:

  • X
  • Spotify
  • Apple
  • YouTube

Follow Kartik: X

Follow Jack: X

Sponsored by Noots — Enjoy 25% off your order!
sendnoots.com

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share to stay updated with future conversations!

Chapters:
  • 00:00 Introduction to Cassius and Its Unique Approach
  • 06:33 Journey of Building Cassius and Client Success Stories
  • 11:48 Business Model, Coach Dynamics, and Recruitment Strategies
  • 17:20 Stigma in Dating Coaching and the Future of Dating
  • 27:14 Navigating Real-Life Dating: Gym Encounters and Cold Approaches
  • 31:51 Target Audience and Addressing the Gap in Dating Education
  • 34:47 Impact of Dating Apps and Challenges in San Francisco Dating Scene
  • 45:34 Commitment, Relationships, and the Journey of Self-Discovery
  • 49:14 From Immigrant to Entrepreneur
  • 57:48 Building Cassius Platform and Embracing Entrepreneurial Spirit
Show more...
7 months ago
1 hour 3 minutes 40 seconds

Out Of Office
Can Crypto Cure Hair Loss? Andrew Bakst on Building HairDAO (Ep. 12)

Join us on this fascinating episode of Out of Office, where Kartik Sathappan and Jack Dwyer dive deep with Andrew Bakst, founder of HairDAO, a groundbreaking community-driven initiative on a mission to cure hair loss using decentralized science and crypto.

Andrew shares how his personal experience—going from being called "Patches" to launching HairDAO—sparked a decentralized science (DeSci) revolution aimed at solving hair loss through community-driven research and blockchain technology. They unpack the unique ways HairDAO operates, how Discord became an essential tool for decentralized collaboration, and the groundbreaking development of innovative treatments like Anagen.

Highlights include:

  • Why traditional medicine overlooked hair loss for 25 years
  • How crypto-funded research is changing biotech
  • Andrew's personal journey from hair loss struggles to scientific breakthroughs
  • The surprising truth about hair loss drugs like Finasteride
  • Building trust and innovation with anonymous researchers online

This conversation is a must-listen for anyone interested in crypto, decentralized science, or the future of hair loss treatments.

Connect with HairDAO:

  • Discord Community
  • Buy Anagen Hair Treatment

Subscribe and listen to new episodes of Out of Office ASAP:

  • X (Twitter)
  • Spotify
  • Apple Podcasts
  • YouTube

Follow the Hosts:

  • Kartik Sathappan on X
  • Jack Dwyer on X

Sponsored by Noots — Enjoy 25% off your order!
Shop Noots

Chapters:

  • 00:00 Intro to HairDAO and Its Mission
  • 05:21 Crypto-Funded Innovative Research
  • 10:12 Customer Concerns and Treatment Science
  • 15:30 Personal Journey from Crypto to HairDAO
  • 25:41 Building and Governing a DAO Community
  • 34:25 Leadership and Decision-Making in DAOs
  • 39:33 Regulatory Challenges and Medical Onboarding
  • 42:27 The Era of Health Experimentation
  • 47:36 Finding and Solving the Right Problem
Show more...
7 months ago
49 minutes 24 seconds

Out Of Office
Can a Homeschool Rebel Reboot Education? Ben Somers on Building Recess (Ep. 11)

In this episode, Kartik Sathappan and Jack Dwyer chat with Ben Somers, the brilliant mind behind Recess—a platform that’s basically a "civilization for kids," empowering homeschoolers with real-world tools and mind-blowing experiences.


Follow Ben Somers

https://x.com/ben_m_somers

Check out Recess

https://recess.gg/

Follow Kartik on X:

https://x.com/sathaxe

Follow Jack on X:

https://x.com/jackndwyer

Subscribe and listen to new episodes of OOO ASAP:

X - https://x.com/outofofficepodx

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2oDg9z0aCNyS6L0YVbEIMD

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-office/id1789052920\

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OutOfOfficePodcastX

Sponsored by Noots — 25% off!

https://sendnoots.com/discount/OUTOFOFFICEPOD


Chapters

00:00 Building a Civilization for Kids

08:53 The Journey to Education Innovation

13:23 Recess: A New Educational Paradigm

21:24 Monetizing Education: The Recess Model

24:07 Navigating Homeschooling Challenges

31:36 The Future of Education and Policy Impact

35:03 Challenges to Educational Freedom

37:41 Education in San Francisco: Diverse Views

39:28 The Cost and Ideology of Education

41:20 Scaling Teaching and Technology

45:58 Personalized Learning and Standards

48:27 The Evolution of Recess

56:51 From Play to Purpose

01:05:42 The Vision for Recess and Beyond

Show more...
8 months ago
1 hour 16 minutes 7 seconds

Out Of Office
Can a Self-Taught 21yo Take On Nvidia? Elias Almqvist on Exa Laboratories (Ep. 10)

In this episode, Kartik Sathappan chats with Elias Almqvist, the innovative mind behind Exa Laboratories. From his roots as a self-taught tech enthusiast to leading a startup focused on energy-efficient AI chips, Elias shares his journey and vision. Discover why Exa uses PGP for authentic communication, how polymorphic computing could transform chip design, and the surprising role video games played in sparking his creativity.

The conversation also tackles the challenges of jumping from academia to startup life, the future of AI hardware, and the ethical questions shaping the industry. Plus, get insights into how collaboration and risk-taking fuel innovation at Exa. Ready for a dose of tech inspiration? Hit play!

Follow Elias Almqvist

https://x.com/fcvprzhfgsybj

Check out Exa Laboratories

https://exalaboratories.com/

Follow Kartik on X

https://x.com/sathaxe

Follow Jack on X

https://x.com/jackndwyer

Subscribe and listen to new episodes of OOO ASAP

X - https://x.com/outofofficepodx

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2oDg9z0aCNyS6L0YVbEIMD

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-office/id1789052920

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OutOfOfficePodcastX


Sponsored by Noots — 25% off!

https://sendnoots.com/discount/OUTOFOFFICEPOD

00:00 Introduction: Exa Laboratories

04:43 Elias’s Journey and Cultural Insights

10:33 From Passion to Hardware Innovation

14:56 Revolutionizing AI with XPUs

23:13 Polymorphic Computing and Prototyping

28:17 Design Trade-offs and Scaling

32:48 Market Landscape and Open Source

36:21 Future of AI: Implications and Ethics

44:21 Advanced Hardware: FPGAs to Space

51:20 YC Experience and Personal Reflections

01:00:56 The Future of Self-Taught Learning

Show more...
8 months ago
1 hour 3 minutes 43 seconds

Out Of Office
What If Your Notes App Could Talk Back? Kasra on building Lightpage (Ep. 9)

What If Your Notes App Could Talk Back? Kasra on building Lightpage


We discuss Airtable OG days, a notes app that’s your shrink and co-founder, midlife crises staring down AGI, and more—enjoy!


Chapters00:00 Pop-Up Villages to Lightpage Dreams

03:22 What’s Lightpage? Journal Meets AI Shrink

08:50 Crafting a Consumer Hit: From Chaos to Polish

13:56 Users Shape the Beast: Feedback & Future Vibes

20:18 AI as Your Chef and Cash Flow: Culinary to Cash

23:41 Memory, LLMs, and Code: AI’s Tech Soul

30:43 Ethics & Engineers: AI’s Code Conundrums

34:23 Your AI Guide: Companion or Overlord?

45:21 Art, Quotes, and Midlife: Human Soul vs. AGI

53:41 Brain Games & Big Questions: Creative Escape

01:02:49 Lightpage’s Endgame: Curiosity Fuels the Future


Follow Kasra Kyanzadeh on X

https://x.com/kasrak

Try Lightpage Now

https://lightpage.com/

Follow Kartik on X:

https://x.com/sathaxe


Follow Jack on X:

https://x.com/jackndwyer


Subscribe and listen to new episodes of OOO ASAP:

X - https://x.com/outofofficepodx

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2oDg9z0aCNyS6L0YVbEIMD

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-office/id1789052920

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OutOfOfficePodcastX


Sponsored by Noots — 25% off!

https://sendnoots.com/discount/OUTOFOFFICEPOD

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8 months ago
1 hour 6 minutes 34 seconds

Out Of Office
From JCal’s Apprentice to Wellness App Boss: Presh Dineshkumar (Ep. 8)

Presh Dineshkumar, founder of The Wellness Company, shares his journey of dropping out of college to work with Jason Calacanis and eventually starting his own company. He discusses his experiences with building multiple apps, including Go Polar, Sunseek, and Posture AI, and how he uses social media to promote them. Presh also talks about the importance of sleep, nutrition, and wellness, and how he uses various tools and gadgets to optimize his health. Tune in to learn more about Presh's entrepreneurial journey and his approach to building a successful wellness company.


Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Presh Dineshkumar

03:04 Journey into Tech, Startups & Transition to Founder

08:34 Lessons from Jason Calacanis & Founder Updates

13:52 Changing Perspectives in Venture Capital & Content Creation

19:17 Building a Wellness Company & Finding Traction

27:13 The Evolution of Ideas & Drive to Create

31:57 Product Development, Inspiration & the Studio Model

38:37 Distribution Strategies & Growth Experiments

51:04 Educating Users on Health & Wellness Protocols

01:03:21 Exploring Wellness: Light, Fasting & Posture AI

01:20:54 Innovative Wellness Tech: Hair Restoration & Air Quality

01:31:40 Genetic Testing & Advice for Aspiring Founders


Follow Presh on X:https://x.com/preshdkumar

Download The Wellness Company Apps Now:https://apps.apple.com/us/developer/the-wellness-company-inc/id1674352365

Follow Kartik on X:https://x.com/sathaxe

Follow Jack on X:https://x.com/jackndwyer


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8 months ago
1 hour 36 minutes 37 seconds

Out Of Office
How This Former Ghostwriter Built a Seven-Figure Meme Empire with Jason Levin (Ep. 7)

seventh ep of OUT OF OFFICE out now


We discuss feeding your family with memes, ghost writing, running an agency, goonmaps, and more — enjoy!


SHOW NOTES


Follow Jason

https://x.com/iamjasonlevin


Make Memes

https://memelord.tech/


Sponsored by Noots — 25% off!

https://sendnoots.com/discount/OUTOFOFFICEPOD


Thank you @YourNoors and @phattanle



Introduction: 00:01

How Jason built Memelord.tech and became the internet's meme lord: 00:12

From ghostwriting to building a meme empire: 00:28

Why AI can't replace unhinged human creativity (yet): 03:55

Inside MemeMore's tech stack and Grok integration: 05:28

The strategic acquisition of GoonMaps and building the meme lord mafia: 09:42

Growing from solo founder to managing a team of seven: 22:49

Finding product-market fit when it just feels natural: 29:41

Balancing marriage and meme entrepreneurship: 30:47

Silicon Valley meets Jackass: Jason's upcoming show: 32:47

Advice for young creators: Just start building distribution: 34:30

Why you don't need to follow Silicon Valley trends to succeed: 37:06


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8 months ago
35 minutes 42 seconds

Out Of Office
Building Windows for AI Agents with Pig.dev Founder, Erik Dunteman (Ep. 6)

sixth ep of OUT OF OFFICE out now

with Erik Dunteman, CEO of Pig, we discuss browsers for agents, opportunity cost, 𝔣𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔯 𝔟𝔲𝔯𝔫𝔬𝔲𝔱, picking your wife, fancy cheese, and more — enjoy!


Follow Erik

https://x.com/erikdunteman


Try Pig

https://www.pig.dev/


Sponsored by Noots — get 25% off!

https://sendnoots.com/discount/OUTOFOFFICEPOD


Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Pig.dev and Its Purpose

03:18 Differentiating Pig.dev from Competitors

06:07 The Journey to Found Pig.dev

09:12 Use Cases and Applications of Pig.dev

11:38 Navigating Legal and Ethical Considerations

14:14 The Future of AI and Automation

16:57 Solo Founding: Challenges and Insights

19:45 Burnout and Mental Health in Entrepreneurship

22:30 Leveraging AI Tools in Development

23:32 AI in Code Generation and Learning

27:03 The Balance of AI and Fundamental Skills

30:16 Writing, Learning, and the Role of AI

31:55 The Importance of Thinking in the Age of AI

36:37 Public Speaking and Authenticity

39:04 Erik's Journey as a Founder

46:20 Navigating Identity After Failure

49:02 Rediscovering Passions and Personal Growth

50:33 The Joy of Entrepreneurship and Mindset Shift

51:43 The Reality of Startup Risks and Safety Nets

54:14 The Burden of Forced Ideas and Burnout

56:42 Young Founders and the Pressure of Success

01:03:25 The Impact of Relationships on Entrepreneurial Drive

01:10:12 Building Trust in Relationships

01:11:48 The Importance of Time with Family

01:12:49 Finding Compatibility Beyond Checklists

01:14:07 Being Yourself in Relationships

01:15:25 Rapid Fire: Business Insights

01:18:26 Personal Goals and Resolutions

01:19:52 The Balance of Exercise and Mental Health

01:22:26 Navigating Remote Work Dynamics

01:24:10 Final Thoughts and Audience Engagement

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9 months ago
1 hour 28 minutes 1 second

Out Of Office
Building A Health-Focused Computing Timeline with Daylight CTO Drew Winget (Ep. 5)

fifth ep of OUT OF OFFICE nownew format for the show:

interview people building cool shit in sf (mostly) + a relevant current event.

with Drew Winget, CTO of Daylight, we discuss healthy computing, sunbros, the TikTok "ban", Apple under the new admin, and more — enjoy!


Follow Drew

https://x.com/DrewWinget


Buy A Daylight Tablet

https://daylightcomputer.com/


Hack your Daylight Tablet

https://www.daylighthacker.wiki/


John Markoff, What the Dormouse Said

https://www.amazon.com/What-Dormouse-Said-Counterculture-Personal/dp/0143036769


Bret Victor, Dynamicland

https://dynamicland.org/


Gerald Sussman, Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs

https://web.mit.edu/6.001/6.037/sicp.pdf


Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Daylight and Its Vision

02:36 The Motivation Behind Daylight's Creation

05:12 Building a New Ecosystem: Hardware and Software Integration

07:54 Challenges of Hardware Startups

10:10 User Experience and Feedback Loops

12:59 Creating a Third Timeline: A New Operating System

15:22 User-Centric Design and Community Involvement

17:41 Navigating Existing Timelines and User Behavior

20:26 The Future of Daylight and Its OS

23:09 The TikTok Debate: National Security vs. User Well-being

34:28 The Impact of Social Media on Youth

37:26 The Debate on TikTok and National Security

40:36 The Future of Technology and Innovation

45:57 The Role of Apple in the Tech Landscape

01:01:24 Health and Lifestyle Choices in Tech

01:03:53 Advice for Aspiring Hardware Entrepreneurs

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9 months ago
1 hour 5 minutes 30 seconds

Out Of Office
Episode 4 - News Roundtable

fourth ep of OUT OF OFFICE out now we discuss resolutions, crypto, immigration, the BRUV party, vail, ads in chatbots, YC, and more — enjoy!


Chapters

00:00 New Year Reflections and Resolutions

06:02 City Governance and Community Safety

15:00 Immigration and Crime: A Global Perspective

21:57 The Hard Path: Consequences of Inaction

28:11 Ski Resort Strikes and Economic Implications

41:10 Personal Experiences with AI and Search Engines

48:53 Insights on Y Combinator's Evolution

55:29 The Value of Incubators and Accelerators

01:00:34 Navigating the Seed Funding Landscape

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9 months ago
1 hour 2 minutes 5 seconds

Out Of Office
Episode 3 - News Roundtable

third ep of OUT OF OFFICE now we discuss the the $ZERO crypto scam(?), Bob Dylan, rating systems, H1B visas, entitlement, and liberal bias in art + dating — enjoy! Originally aired Dec 31, 2024

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9 months ago
1 hour 24 minutes 16 seconds

Out Of Office
Before the hype, before the funding—Kartik & Jack interview founders in the trenches, year one. Learn from the raw, unfiltered start. Follow us on X: ⁠Kartik - https://x.com/sathaxe⁠ ⁠Jack - https://x.com/jackndwyer Presented by Families Fund: wwww.families.fund