Going Direct Conversations

I sit down with Kary Bheemaiah, VP and Chief Technology & Innovation Officer at Capgemini Invent, to unpack the real-world challenges behind next-generation robotics and industrial automation. We break down what actually happens when new robots hit messy, legacy production floors and the ugly economics of automation that most people never talk about. We also dive into Edge AI and why Kary firmly b...

I sit down with Nic Radford, co-founder & CEO of Persona, to discuss the current labor shortage in heavy industries, declining fertility rates, and how important robotics and automation are for building an optimistic future. While many companies are chasing the dream of a general-purpose home assistant robot, Persona is looking to deploy humanoid robots for heavy industrial use. In this conversati...

I sit down with Chris Paxton and Michael Cho, the hosts of the @RoboPapers podcast, to geek out on all things robotics. We dive deep into the massive data gap, the pain of real-world evaluation, and what it will really take to power decentralized production with robots. Chris and Michael break down the pros and cons of different training methods, why physics is brutal, and why timelines are probab...

Description I sit down with Alan Perlstein, founder and CEO of California Cultured, to discuss how they are reinventing the chocolate supply chain from the ground up. Using breakthroughs in plant cell culture and biomanufacturing, Alan and his team are creating real cocoa butter, flavor, and antioxidants directly from cells. Their vision is to build modular “cocoa breweries,” where they bypass coc...

I sit down with scientist-turned-investor Jenny Kan, co-founder and general partner at Juniper VC, to talk about why bio-manufacturing is critical to making cleaner chemicals, materials, ingredients, and products—closer to home. We discuss the shift from making things with petroleum to microbes, why decentralized production is key to national security and resilient supply chains, and the hard-won...

Tiny and I break down the why life in America is starting to feel like Fee City — from exploding housing, healthcare, and education costs to the middlemen shaping prices behind the scenes. Links to this past month’s video podcast conversations are below: That’s it for this month. Remember to go direct. With love, Jordan Thanks for reading Going Direct! Subscribe for free to receive weekly conversa...

Reiss and I break down the 3 pillars that need to be built to decentralize the real economy. We discuss how AI, robotics, and the creator economy are all in the process of dismantling the middlemen that currently dominate our economy. This is the foundational episode for understanding the Going Direct thesis on how technology, culture, and geopolitics are converging to make decentralization of the...

I sit down with Liz Muller, co-founder and CEO of Deep Fission, to discuss their underground micro nuclear reactors, decentralized energy, and solve the skyrocketing energy demands of the AI boom. Liz breaks down the fundamentals of nuclear energy and shares her vision for building clean, safe, and cost-effective power sources that can be deployed in a decentralized way. Why nuclear is statistical...

I sit down with Karol Hausman and Kevin Black of Physical Intelligence (Pi) to unpack how they are building a general-purpose robot brain so any robot can perform any task, anywhere. We talk about the convergence of AI, robotics, and automation and what it will take to give machines true physical intelligence. How Vision-Language-Action Models (VLAs) differ from other AI models. The "Taylor S...

Tiny and I discuss the main blockers to going direct at scale, why we must endure short-term pain for long-term gain, and highlight this past month’s video podcasts (links below). #31 Dimitry Gershenson -Non-Dilutive Funding for Entrepreneurs; Capitalism’s Role In The New Economy #32 Kuba Graczyk: 3D Printer Factories, AI & U.S. Shoe Production #33 INSIDE GOING DIRECT: Capitalism in America vs Eur...

Reiss and I discuss how over-centralization is hollowing out many of our local economies and sense of connection. We explore why rebuilding decentralized systems may be the only path to restoring both economic sovereignty and meaning in daily life. Topics include: The collapse of local food production through the story of One Mighty Mill who is trying to rebuild America’s organic flour supply chai...

I sit down with Gaurab Chakrabarti, co-founder & CEO of Solugen , to discuss how the company is building mini chemical plants across the U.S. — without petroleum. Solugen is living proof that decentralized, clean production is possible. They have bold ambitions to transform the $5 trillion chemical industry. In this episode, we discuss: Solugen’s mission to decarbonize the chemical industry Wh...

Jordan sits down with Reiss Jones to explore how centralization and decentralization shape our economies , cultures, and daily lives. From the food supply chain to dating apps, they unpack how power in many areas of life is extremely concentrated and what it means for Gen Z’s trying to navigate today’s world. Topics include: What centralization really means How a handful of companies control most...

Jordan sits down with Jamie Gull, founder and solo GP of Wave Function Ventures , to explore investing across aerospace, energy, and robotics to drive the next wave of re-industrialization. Jamie is a former Space-X engineer who prescribes to the, “techno-industrialist” movement and invests in technical founders at the earliest stages. They unpack: Why venture capital is swinging back to hard asse...

Jordan sits down with Reiss Jones to discuss capitalism in America vs Europe. This is the second of a 2-part conversation where we discuss the European system in detail. We unpack: What values-led capitalism really means Why reality is messy Europe’s perfectionism vs. America’s “man in the arena” mentality The gray areas in European business vs. U.S. Why distribution, middlemen, and monopsonies ke...

Jordan sits down with Kuba Graczyk, founder & CEO of Koobz , to explore how AI, 3D printing, and automation are transforming footwear manufacturing. Kuba has invented a one-step production process where they 3D-print an entire shoe in a single pass. Koobz is building printer farms around this invention to bring shoe production back to the U.S. Koobz is already working with some of the world’s...

Jordan sits down with Dimitry Gershenson, Co-Founder & CEO of Enduring Planet , to discuss the importance of non-dilutive funding for early-stage entrepreneurs building in the real economy. Dimitry believes every part of the economy, from cement to diapers, must change to build a clean, resilient future. They discuss: Why non-dilutive funding matters and current credit gap left by traditional...

Jordan sits down with Reiss to discuss capitalism in America vs Europe. This is part 1 of a 2-part conversation. They unpack: Why American capitalism feels more “sociopathic” than Europe’s model How corporate incentives create soulless systems The role of AI and automation in enabling decentralized production Why robotics and industrial policy are key enablers for a decentralized future The tensio...

Jordan sits down with Bernt Bornich, founder & CEO of  @1X-tech  , to discuss how humanoid robots and AI will transform the way we work, produce, and live. Bernt shares his vision for building an AGI company that uses robots to solve both intelligence and general labor Why the internet is much smaller than you think Challenges with AI training data and robot performance Why 1X Technologies is...

Jordan sits down with Dr. Manan Shah, ENT surgeon and co-founder of Wyndly, to talk about his radically more effective and direct approach to treating allergies. From launching a telehealth startup during the pandemic to treating thousands of patients across all 50 U.S. states, Manan shares Wyndly’s direct care model that cuts out the healthcare middlemen to offer cheaper and more effective treatm...

Jordan sits down with Reiss for a deeper dives into the ideas behind Going Direct. Reiss is an inventor, technologist, and recent Thiel Fellow whose work is deeply aligned with the show’s core theme of decentralization. Together, they explore the meaning of decentralization and its implications for the future of work, production, and purpose. From farm automation in South Korea to factory towns in...

Jordan sits down with Joe Cross, a globally recognized nutrition advocate, thought leader, author and filmmaker who created a lifestyle revolution around the simple concept of juicing. He produced and starred in the award-winning documentary film, “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead,” which has been seen by more than 30 million people worldwide. Joe is also the cofounder of Nama, one of the most successf...

Jordan sits down with Luca Prosperi , founder of M0, a universal stablecoin platform. They dive deep into why Luca believes that everything in the future is a bank and how the infrastructure M0 is building can enable anyone to issue their own stablecoin. From working at the frontier of crypto to reflecting on the philosophy of money itself, Luca shares a systems-level vision for the future of fina...

Jordan sits down with Alex Barrett, founder of Meroka, a company on a mission to rebuild independent medical care in the U.S. They are focused on helping independent medical practices stay independent by transitioning ownership to existing employees and building an entire tech stack to help them run the practices. No more private equity rollups or corporate burnout for physicians. If you care abou...

Jordan sits down with Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, a physician, creator, and founder of Vineyard, a virtual clinic focused on obesity. They dive into America’s broken healthcare system, the obesity epidemic, the rise of GLP-1s like Ozempic and Zepbound, and how Spencer’s humorous Instagram content became the launchpad for Vineyard, a new direct care model for healthcare. Spencer is a perfect example of a...