Early Days

Summary: In this episode, Car talks with Lynne and Israel, to unpack what’s changing in Bitcoin startups and venture capital right now. They share their backgrounds, compare entrepreneurial ecosystems across Austin, San Francisco, Mexico, and Miami, and dig into why Bitcoin is creating outsized opportunities, especially across Latin America. Along the way, they explore new Bitcoin-native funding m...

Summary: In this episode, Car talks with Muzz of Lightning Ventures about the real mechanics of funding Bitcoin startups. Muzz traces his path from early Bitcoin experiments to running the world’s largest Bitcoin angel investing network, then breaks down what investors look for, how consistent updates change outcomes, and why Bitcoin founders are unusually resilient. He also introduces Thunder Fun...

Summary: In this episode of Early Days, Car sits down with Ted from Feed Filter AI to explore using AI as a tool to enhance user experience on social media by filtering out unwanted content. They discuss the role of Feed Filter AI in content curation, the challenges of social media today, and the importance of understanding user needs in early-stage products. Ted shares hard lessons from earlier s...

Summary: In this episode of Early Days , Car sits down with Joe from Unchained to explore what building early in Bitcoin really teaches you: ship fast, listen closely, iterate constantly, survive the hard parts, and play the long game. Joe shares lessons from selling his first startup before entering Bitcoin, learning to find real customer pull, make revenue make sense, and improve security withou...

Summary: In this episode of Early Days , Car sits down with Alex of Project 11 for a thoughtful discussion on the current state of quantum computing and its potential implications for cryptography and Bitcoin. They explore the risks and opportunities this emerging technology presents particularly in the context of ECDSA (Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm) and RSA (Rivest Shamir Adleman en...

Summary: In this episode of Early Days , Car sits down with Jim of CASCDR to talk about what he’s building and why it matters. We get into the future of AI and its impact on Bitcoin, media, podcasting, and even legal systems. Jim breaks down what CASCDR is, how feedback loops improve AI, and why leadership and team culture matter more than ever. We also dig into the ethics of it all, what’s coming...

Summary: In this episode of Early Days , Car sits down with Alekos of Portal, to discuss the Portal hardware device, they explore the importance of user experience, the concepts and future plans around decentralized identity, and examine the evolving role of hardware in the Bitcoin space. We explore: How decentralized identity can simplify online and offline authentication. How to transition from...

Summary: In this episode of Early Days , Car sits down with Matt of Solo Satoshi, to discuss the rise of Bitaxe and its impact on home mining. They discuss the possibilities of home mining, decentralization, and how community support fuels resilience when building a bitcoin business. We explore: Why Bitaxe open source design files allow users to build their own devices. How home mining is in its i...

Summary: In this episode of Early Days , Car sits down with Kilian, Co-founder and CEO of Boltz, to explore the inception and evolution of the platform—designed to enable non-custodial swaps across Bitcoin layers. Kilian shares insights into the early challenges of the Lightning Network, the integration of Liquid for more efficient transactions, and the ongoing pursuit of privacy in Lightning paym...

Summary: In this episode of Early Days , Car sits down with Ge, the founder of Alamo Labs, to talk about the new Bitcoin hub taking shape in San Antonio — and the grassroots journey that brought it to life. We explore: The importance of plebs playing a crucial role in grassroots Bitcoin initiatives. How the city often guides the direction and energy of local Bitcoin movements. How building a physi...

Summary: In this episode of Early Days , Car sits down with John to discuss the evolution of Synonym, its vision for a decentralized digital economy, and the development of the Pubky protocol. We explore: The importance of self-sovereignty, identity, and trust in the digital age Pubky introducing a public key domain system for censorship resistance. The Atomic Economy and why it is not just a tech...

Summary: In this episode of Early Days , Car sits down with Jeremy from Assign Money who shares his builder journey, detailing his love for creation, the challenges of building in Nigeria and why Bitcoin payroll is a growing need in Africa. We explore: Jeremy's journey into coding began with a desire to create and innovate. The Nigerian government strict regulations against cryptocurrency transact...

Summary: In this episode of Early Days , Car sits down with Alex from Heatbit who shares his entrepreneurial journey, detailing the inception of Heatbit during the COVID-19 lockdown, the challenges faced in product development, and the importance of market validation. We explore: The journey began with a curiosity about Bitcoin mining and heating. Market validation is crucial before fully developi...

Summary: In this episode of Early Days , Car sits down with Joshua, the founder of Bitspend, to discuss his journey in developing a payment solution using Bitcoin and the Lightning Network. The conversation also touches on the Ark protocol, revenue models for Bitspend, and the application of the 80/20 principle in development. We explore: Cross-border payments are difficult, especially from Nigeri...

Summary: In this episode of Early Days , Car sits down with Phil, the founder and CEO of 21M Communications, to discuss his journey in the Bitcoin space and the unique PR strategies he employs for Bitcoin companies. We explore: The importance of aligning PR strategies with low time preference values. How PR and marketing should work hand in hand. Building relationships with reporters for effective...

Summary: In this episode of_Early Days_, Car sits down with Kiki, a creative technologist and game designer, to dive into her unique journey from artist yogi to Bitcoin hacker and Unreal Engine maxi. Kiki shares how she discovered coding through an artist collective, fell in love with VR, and found her way into the ecosystem through hackathons. We explore: The evolution of AR, VR, MR, and XR – and...

Summary: In this conversation, Car talks with Keith, who shares his journey from Bloomberg to founding Branta. He reflects on the challenges of Building on Bitcoin, the need to adapt in a competitive landscape, and the value of long-term thinking when transitioning into the Bitcoin space. Keith delves into Branta’s evolution, highlighting its flagship product, Guardrail, which ensures safe transac...

Summary: In this conversation Car talks with Calvadev for a deep dive into Shopstr, a relatively new marketplace built on Bitcoin and powered by Nostr. Together, they discuss the importance of innovative revenue models, the unique challenges of launching a Bitcoin/Nostr business, and how user experience will shape the future of payments. Calvadev also shares practical advice for aspiring builders—...

Summary: In this conversation Car talks with the team behind Lightning Bounties discussing their journey from hackathon MIT participants to building a platform that rewards developers for contributing to open source projects. They share insights on the importance of teamwork, the evolution of their open source project, and the challenges they faced in creating a two-sided marketplace for bounties....