This week I had the good fortune of interviewing my friend David Alston for the podcast.
We talked about the AI moment, and how - according to him - it’s a technological tidal wave.
About how the new startups built on top of AI will win.
About whether or not it makes sense to go to University now.
About how if you do go to University your German, sicko, physics prof will fail all of you intentionally (I don’t know how to remove the banner Substack created without my permission or desire).
And about how we need good people in the public service. David ran for politics - he didn’t win - but he did it with principles and values intact, and I admire him for that.
And we play an outrageously fun game of Overrated-Underrated at the very end of the episode.
If you’re a pod-walker and you’d like to access the audio only version, it will be live on the Spotify feed on Monday.
Please follow David, and enjoy the episode.
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Technical Setup
02:57 The Overrated vs. Underrated Game
05:38 Podcasting Medium Discussion
08:33 David's Background and Upbringing
11:16 Childhood Experiences on the Farm
14:18 Early Entrepreneurial Ventures
17:17 Education and Academic Journey
20:20 Influence of Family on Entrepreneurial Spirit
23:30 Social Skills and Personal Development
27:38 The Evolution of Technology and Its Impact
30:01 Generational Perspectives on Change
31:16 The AI Revolution: Understanding the Curve
31:59 Navigating Education and Career Choices
36:09 The Political Landscape: A Personal Journey
46:00 The Intersection of AI and Society
51:42 Cultural Perspectives on Technology and Change
01:00:29 The Evolution of User Expectations
01:01:06 The Future of SaaS and Agentic Applications
01:02:04 The Role of AI in Personal Assistance
01:03:03 The Barbell Strategy in Software Development
01:04:01 The Shift from Traditional Search to AI
01:06:06 The Impact of AI on Education
01:09:02 The Future of Work and Family Dynamics
01:12:02 Adapting to AI: The Importance of Engagement
01:14:52 Overrated vs. Underrated: A Rapid Fire Discussion
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