Business as a sport, Surge AI, and Waymo vs. Robotaxi
About This Episode
Sam and Shaan explore the 'business as a sport' mindset, emphasizing the value of being a 'generative' person who constantly builds and expands ideas. They break down the massive success of the bootstrapped data-labeling giant Surge AI and discuss how autonomous vehicles will transform urban planning, insurance, and the attention economy. The episode also highlights mental frameworks for performance and the emerging era of 'personal software' enabled by AI tools.
Episode Description
Show Notes
Check Out Shaan's Stuff
- Shaan's weekly email
- Visit
- Mercury - Need a bank for your company? Go check out Mercury (mercury.com). Shaan uses it for all of his companies!
- Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC
Check Out Sam's Stuff
Key Takeaways
Adopt the 'Inner Game' framework by silencing the judgmental 'Self 1' to allow 'Self 2' to perform tasks objectively without the paralyzing fear of failure.
Leverage the 'personal software' era by using AI-driven tools like Replit and V0 to build 'minimum viable promises' that demonstrate a product's value without needing a full engineering team.
Focus on 'picks and shovels' businesses during technological gold rushes, such as providing human-in-the-loop data labeling services for AI companies or specialized recruitment for emerging tech roles.
Business Ideas Mentioned
Floating Hole-in-One Roadside Challenge
Boring Business
AI-First Concierge Medical Practice
AI & Automation
Autonomous Vehicle Entertainment and Productivity Tools
Content & Media