Tech Turns to Mining, Meta VR Layoffs, Thinking Machines Shakeup | Matthew Prince, Chirantan Desai, Delian Asparouhov, Deepak Pathak, David Tearse, Blake Resnick | TBPN

The hosts examine the increasing vertical integration of tech companies into raw material extraction, highlighting Tesla's lithium refinery and Amazon's copper deal with Rio Tinto. They explore the implications of Thinking Machines' recent turmoil, including the departure of key personnel and its potential impact on the AI landscape, and analyze the sauna boom in New York City, drawing parallels to the boutique fitness studio trend. The hosts then interview MongoDB CEO CJ, who discusses the company's focus on AI applications and its accelerated customer growth, and Cloudflare's Matthew Prince, who details his company's fight against internet censorship in Italy and concerns over Google's data advantage in AI. Finally, Deleon from Founders Fund discusses his investment strategy, and Blake from BRINC Drones showcases the company's drone technology for public safety.

Outlines

Part 1: Tech Trends, Vertical Integration

Part 2: AI Talent Wars, Thinking Machines

Part 3: Consumer Trends, Meta, Global Policy

Part 4: Enterprise Software, Cloudflare, Censorship

Part 5: Venture Capital, Investment Strategy

Part 6: Market Shifts, Robotics, AI Startups

Part 7: Drones, Public Safety, Geopolitics

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Tech Turns to Mining, Meta VR Layoffs, Thinking Machines Shakeup | Matthew Prince, Chirantan Desai, Delian Asparouhov, Deepak Pathak, David Tearse, Blake Resnick

TBPN

Part 1: Tech Trends, Vertical Integration

Introduction to TBPN Ultradome, New Animations, and Soundboard Features

Birthday Shoutout to Bobby and the Vertical Integration of Tech Companies

Tesla's Lithium Refinery and Rare Earth Mineral Discoveries in Utah

Amazon's Copper Partnership with Rio Tinto and Chamath's Copper Thesis

Part 2: AI Talent Wars, Thinking Machines

Turmoil at Thinking Machines: CTO Fired and Talent Wars with OpenAI

Speculation on Thinking Machines' Strategy, Products, and Culture

Drama Surrounding Barrett Zoff's Departure from Thinking Machines

Speculation on Rune's "Elves Leaving for Valinor" Post and AI Talent Wars

Part 3: Consumer Trends, Meta, Global Policy

The Sauna Wars Heat Up in New York City and Bathhouse's Dirty Hot Tub

Meta Lays Off 1,500 in Metaverse Division and Shifts Focus to Wearables

Bullish on Saunas, Meta Compute, and Beijing's Ban on CrowdStrike

Part 4: Enterprise Software, Cloudflare, Censorship

MongoDB CEO CJ Discusses the Company's Reintroduction and AI Focus

MongoDB's M&A Strategy, Compute Bottlenecks, and the Italian Fine

Cloudflare's Battle Against Italian Censorship and the Data Advantage of Google

Cloudflare's Thinking on Robots.txt, Agentic Commerce, and the Ski Season

Part 5: Venture Capital, Investment Strategy

Founders Fund's Delian Asparouhov on Holiday Deals and Bimodal Investment Strategy

Delian on Due Diligence, Hadrian, and the Venture Capital Landscape

SPACs, the Mag 7, and the Future of Venture Capital

Part 6: Market Shifts, Robotics, AI Startups

General Catalyst's New Creative Director, Land Investing, and Greenland Politics

Spray-On Wound Sealant, Toma Bravo's Thesis on Software Platforms, and AI Startups

Skild AI CEO Deepak Pathak on Building a General Purpose Robot Brain

Skild's Supply Chain Strategy and the Data Bottleneck in Robotics

Part 7: Drones, Public Safety, Geopolitics

BRINC Drones CEO Blake Resnick on Public Safety Drones and the DJI Monopoly

BRINC's 9-1-1 Response Drone and the Geopolitical Risk of Foreign Drones

The Three Risk Vectors of Foreign Drones and the Need for Domestic Production

BRINC's Business Model, Target Market, and the Phone Number on the Drone

BRINC's Self-Righting Drone, AI Advancements, and the PBR 99 Pack

Tech Turns to Mining, Meta VR Layoffs, Thinking Machines Shakeup | Matthew Prince, Chirantan Desai, Delian Asparouhov, Deepak Pathak, David Tearse, Blake Resnick

TBPN

Part 1: Tech Trends, Vertical Integration

00:00Introduction to TBPN Ultradome, New Animations, and Soundboard Features

Introduction to TBPN Ultradome, New Animations, and Soundboard Features

00:26Birthday Shoutout to Bobby and the Vertical Integration of Tech Companies

Birthday Shoutout to Bobby and the Vertical Integration of Tech Companies

03:37Tesla's Lithium Refinery and Rare Earth Mineral Discoveries in Utah

Tesla's Lithium Refinery and Rare Earth Mineral Discoveries in Utah

07:32Amazon's Copper Partnership with Rio Tinto and Chamath's Copper Thesis

Amazon's Copper Partnership with Rio Tinto and Chamath's Copper Thesis

Part 2: AI Talent Wars, Thinking Machines

11:14Turmoil at Thinking Machines: CTO Fired and Talent Wars with OpenAI

Turmoil at Thinking Machines: CTO Fired and Talent Wars with OpenAI

17:50Speculation on Thinking Machines' Strategy, Products, and Culture

Speculation on Thinking Machines' Strategy, Products, and Culture

21:39Drama Surrounding Barrett Zoff's Departure from Thinking Machines

Drama Surrounding Barrett Zoff's Departure from Thinking Machines

25:09Speculation on Rune's "Elves Leaving for Valinor" Post and AI Talent Wars

Speculation on Rune's "Elves Leaving for Valinor" Post and AI Talent Wars

Part 3: Consumer Trends, Meta, Global Policy

29:03The Sauna Wars Heat Up in New York City and Bathhouse's Dirty Hot Tub

The Sauna Wars Heat Up in New York City and Bathhouse's Dirty Hot Tub

37:09Meta Lays Off 1,500 in Metaverse Division and Shifts Focus to Wearables

Meta Lays Off 1,500 in Metaverse Division and Shifts Focus to Wearables

45:05Bullish on Saunas, Meta Compute, and Beijing's Ban on CrowdStrike

Bullish on Saunas, Meta Compute, and Beijing's Ban on CrowdStrike

Part 4: Enterprise Software, Cloudflare, Censorship

53:03MongoDB CEO CJ Discusses the Company's Reintroduction and AI Focus

MongoDB CEO CJ Discusses the Company's Reintroduction and AI Focus

1:03:06MongoDB's M&A Strategy, Compute Bottlenecks, and the Italian Fine

MongoDB's M&A Strategy, Compute Bottlenecks, and the Italian Fine

1:11:54Cloudflare's Battle Against Italian Censorship and the Data Advantage of Google

Cloudflare's Battle Against Italian Censorship and the Data Advantage of Google

1:24:49Cloudflare's Thinking on Robots.txt, Agentic Commerce, and the Ski Season

Cloudflare's Thinking on Robots.txt, Agentic Commerce, and the Ski Season

Part 5: Venture Capital, Investment Strategy

1:33:35Founders Fund's Delian Asparouhov on Holiday Deals and Bimodal Investment Strategy

Founders Fund's Delian Asparouhov on Holiday Deals and Bimodal Investment Strategy

1:40:00Delian on Due Diligence, Hadrian, and the Venture Capital Landscape

Delian on Due Diligence, Hadrian, and the Venture Capital Landscape

1:51:21SPACs, the Mag 7, and the Future of Venture Capital

SPACs, the Mag 7, and the Future of Venture Capital

Part 6: Market Shifts, Robotics, AI Startups

1:55:03General Catalyst's New Creative Director, Land Investing, and Greenland Politics

General Catalyst's New Creative Director, Land Investing, and Greenland Politics

2:03:01Spray-On Wound Sealant, Toma Bravo's Thesis on Software Platforms, and AI Startups

Spray-On Wound Sealant, Toma Bravo's Thesis on Software Platforms, and AI Startups

2:06:41Skild AI CEO Deepak Pathak on Building a General Purpose Robot Brain

Skild AI CEO Deepak Pathak on Building a General Purpose Robot Brain

2:17:02Skild's Supply Chain Strategy and the Data Bottleneck in Robotics

Skild's Supply Chain Strategy and the Data Bottleneck in Robotics

Part 7: Drones, Public Safety, Geopolitics

2:25:00BRINC Drones CEO Blake Resnick on Public Safety Drones and the DJI Monopoly

BRINC Drones CEO Blake Resnick on Public Safety Drones and the DJI Monopoly

2:35:35BRINC's 9-1-1 Response Drone and the Geopolitical Risk of Foreign Drones

BRINC's 9-1-1 Response Drone and the Geopolitical Risk of Foreign Drones

2:44:03The Three Risk Vectors of Foreign Drones and the Need for Domestic Production

The Three Risk Vectors of Foreign Drones and the Need for Domestic Production

2:51:10BRINC's Business Model, Target Market, and the Phone Number on the Drone

BRINC's Business Model, Target Market, and the Phone Number on the Drone

2:57:23BRINC's Self-Righting Drone, AI Advancements, and the PBR 99 Pack

BRINC's Self-Righting Drone, AI Advancements, and the PBR 99 Pack