Austin Next

What Building in Austin Actually Feels Like Right Now | Will Johnson & Alex Cohen

Jason Scharf — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0500

This was not the episode we planned. Will Johnson, founder and CEO of Gyde, and Alex Cohen, founder and CEO of Hello Patient, came on to talk about innovation in the business of health. Instead it became our off the record conversations, but behind the microphone.

An unfiltered field report on what it actually feels like to build a startup in Austin right now. The talent math, hunting for mid-size office space, the venture culture, Austin vs Miami, the press gap, and the political friction.

All of it from two founders who chose this city, are hiring here, and are naming what needs to change because they want it to work.

Agenda

0:00 Why Alex and Will chose Austin
5:17 The engineering talent gap
14:10 Who gets hired and the conference hustle
20:58 Miami, Palantir, and competing for wins
26:02 What SF's venture culture has that Austin is still building
32:58 Operator density problem and the office gap
41:05 Why selling to Main Street works better from Austin
50:16 More storytellers needed
59:16 SXSW's decline
1:05:18 King of Austin for a day

Guest Links and Bios
Alex Cohen: X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Hello Patient
Will Johnson: X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Gyde

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The First Thing Built on the Moon Will Come from Austin | Jason Ballard & Will Hurd, ICON

Jason Scharf — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:18:49 -0500

ICON has been telling the same story since 2018. Humanity has a construction problem that solving for regulations and supply-demand incentives alone won't fix. We need fundamentally new ways to build.

Jason Ballard, ICON's founder and CEO, and Will Hurd, the former CIA officer, congressman, and OpenAI board member who just joined as President of ICON Prime, came on to lay out what happens when a non-consensus thesis held for eight years starts to materialize in the real world. The conversation cuts across the full stack, housing, AI, robotics, labor, reindustrialization, and space. The through-line is Ballard's argument that breakthrough technologies are never narrow, that building the technology for a moon base solves the housing and building crisis on Earth.

Agenda

0:00 What ICON is building and why shelter is broken
6:40 The regulation stack and ICON as a technology company
11:40 Customer shapes, business model, and the innovation stack
17:10 AI, ChatGPT from the inside, and the case for optimism
23:40 The spoons-and-ditches fallacy and Hurd's regulation inversion
30:30 What is ICON Prime and the barracks crisis
36:40 Military construction, Afghanistan, and expeditionary printing
42:40 The moon base, Olympus, and in-situ resource utilization
49:40 Eight years of the same thesis and software's limit
56:40 Austin's talent gravity and the ICON diaspora
1:00:40 The moon in our lifetime
1:04:40 National security, espionage, and Austin as a target
1:08:40 Laser on the moon, 2028

Previous ICON Episode with Evan Loomis

Guest Links & Bio
Jason Ballard: X/Twitter
Will Hurd: LinkedIn
ICON: Website, ICON Prime, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube

Jason Ballard
Jason Ballard has dedicated his life to working on big problems in service to humanity, most recently and notably as the co-founder and CEO of ICON, the construction technologies company using construction-scale 3D printing to tackle the global housing crisis and prepare to build on other worlds. ICON has been named one of the "Most Innovative Companies in the World" by Fast Company and recently profiled on CBS’s 60 MINUTES. Raising $451 million to date in funding, ICON has delivered communities of resilient 3D-printed homes at high-speed and lower cost in the U.S. and internationally and forged partnerships with world-renowned architects, builders and housing organizations missionally aligned to shift the paradigm of homebuilding. In fall 2022, ICON was awarded $57.2 million from NASA to develop a lunar surface construction system that will target humanity’s first-ever construction on another planetary body. In 2019, Ballard was awarded the Austin Under 40 Award in the Technology category. In 2021, Ballard was named to TIME100 Next as one of the emerging leaders shaping the future as well as Newsweek’s America's Greatest Disruptors: Visionaries and Innovators Who Are Changing the World.

Prior to co-founding ICON, Ballard served as CEO of an eco-friendly home upgrade company that normalized sustainable and healthy approaches to home improvement. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Ballard worked at a homeless shelter, in various roles in sustainable building, and as an environmental consultant for ACRT. Ballard is a GLG Social Impact Fellow and served on the Carbon War Room / Rocky Mountain Institute Energy Think Tank. Ballard hails from East Texas and studied conservation biology at Texas A&M University. He also completed a masters program in Space Resources at Colorado School of Mines in 2022. He enjoys astronomy, ultrarunning, chess, comic books, and outdoor activities when he has free time. He resides in Austin, TX with his four children.

Will Hurd
The Honorable Will Hurd is a former CIA officer and congressman whose career spans intelligence, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence policy, and public service. He currently serves as Division President of ICON Prime, a space and defense tech company and will lead ICON Prime's strategy and government partnerships as the company scales its robotic construction technology across the national security enterprise and beyond Earth. He is also the author of American Reboot: An Idealist Guide to Getting Big Things Done. Hurd brings deep expertise at the intersection of technology, national security, and governance to his board roles and ongoing policy work.

Hurd began his career serving overseas in the CIA, where he worked to prevent attacks on the United States and disrupt efforts to smuggle nuclear materials into the country. He later held roles at Crumpton Group and FusionX, helping defend critical infrastructure from cyber threats. In 2014, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Texas’s 23rd District, where he served three terms and played a key role in shaping technology and national security policy.

Following his time in Congress, Hurd held leadership roles at Allen & Company and CHAOS Industries. He also previously served on the boards of In-Q-Tel and OpenAI.

He currently serves on the board of directors for Personal.AI, The Aerospace Corporation, the Council on Foreign Relations, and advisory boards of Palo Alto Networks and the Center for European Policy Analysis.

A San Antonio native, Will received a BS in Computer Science from Texas A&M University.

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Reinventing School Is Accelerating Austin's Talent Flywheel | Joe Liemandt, Alpha School

Jason Scharf — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0500

Joe Liemandt built Trilogy, recruited 2,000 Ivy League graduates to Austin, and is now running what he considers the higher-leverage version of the same play, K-12 education. Our host, Jason Scharf, brings a perspective no other interviewer has. He is an Alpha School parent, and he uses that to ask the questions no one else has put to Liemandt. What happens when the app breaks mid-rollout, why diagnostic scores terrify new parents, and whether the motivation model survives past year one.

But the bigger story is what Alpha and Austin's growing cluster of experimental schools are doing to the city itself. Families are relocating for schools that do not exist anywhere else. This education frontier is pulling learning scientists, game designers, and startup educators onto the same flywheel. The talent gravity is compounding in two complementary directions. The parents moving in are building and funding Austin's unicorns, and the kids coming out of these schools are the next generation of founders and operators.

Agenda

0:00 Intro and the Alpha School model
5:44 Good AI versus bad AI in the classroom
11:43 Diagnostic shock and what gifted students miss
16:04 Motivation and life skills versus vocational skills
21:08 Students making real money with AI tools
23:39 Hiring guides at $100K
26:34 The selection effect and founding families
31:51 Running a school like a startup
36:07 Iterating in public
42:27 Motivational models that actually work
47:01 Teaching kids to fail
49:33 Austin as the education capital
55:02 Education as the 20-year talent pipeline
57:52 Millionaires in high school
1:04:37 What college becomes next

Guest Links & Bio
Joe Liemandt, Alpha School

Joe Liemandt is principal at Alpha School, a growing nationwide network of K-12 schools dedicated to creating self-driven learners. Using TimeBack™, an AI-driven education OS, Alpha students master academics in two hours per day, allowing them to spend their afternoons developing essential life skills, including leadership, teamwork, and entrepreneurship. His goal is to improve education for 1 billion students over the next 20 years.

In the 1990s, Mr. Liemandt dropped out of Stanford to found Trilogy, where he developed the first AI product to achieve $1 billion in revenue. He brings decades of experience in AI and technology to transforming K-12 education.

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

We're Living Through the Cyberpunk Era of War | Jim Rebesco, CEO, Striveworks

Jason Scharf — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 07:30:50 -0500

Directed energy weapons, autonomous drones, and combat AI agents are not just real. They are deployed.

Jim Rebesco, cofounder and CEO of Striveworks, breaks down what's driving this moment, and the second and third-order effects most people aren't tracking yet. AI can't be bolted onto legacy systems and expected to perform.

It demands a blank sheet of paper. New design philosophy, new economics, new operational infrastructure.

The old model of pitching a PowerPoint and billing for development is already crumbling. What replaces it is being built right now.

Agenda

0:00 We're already living in the cyberpunk era of war
5:34 When do you trust an agent with your credit card
14:04 The blank sheet of paper and the F-16
19:34 From Wall Street algorithms to battlefield AI
24:34 What Gen Alpha already takes for granted
32:34 When science fiction becomes reality
38:34 The $500 drone and the new economics of defense
45:34 The trust stack and the agentic AI revolution

Guest Links & Bio
Jim Rebesco: LinkedIn
Striveworks: Website
Striveworks Raises Growth Capital Led By Washington Harbour Partners

Dr. Jim Rebesco is CEO and a co-founder of Striveworks, an artificial intelligence company focused on the deployment of AI/ML models at scale. He is a board member for Sayari Labs, a leading financial intelligence company, and has served as a consulting member of the Army Science Board.

Prior to founding Striveworks, Dr. Rebesco worked at Virtu Financial, a leading electronic market-making firm, where he led trading and data science teams as a partner in the firm. He was instrumental in building Virtu's capabilities from the beginning in data science and analytics and played a critical role in the firm's IPO in 2015.

Dr. Rebesco has been engaged with the Federal Reserve Board, elements within the Department of Defense, the United States Military Academy, and others as a recognized subject matter expert in both Al and its applications to various industries, including finance and national defense. Dr. Rebesco earned his B.S. in Physics from the California Institute of Technology and his PhD in computational neuroscience from Northwestern University.

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Innovation Ecosystems Are Inherited | Nait Jones

Jason Scharf — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 11:13:09 -0500

The hype that landed on Austin in 2021 was correct and at the same time ahead of the curve. Nait Jones, serial founder and former a16z partner who arrived in Silicon Valley in 2011 at the Web 2 moment and moved to Austin during the pandemic, argues that the fundamentals have now caught up

Jones traces what he calls a spiritual succession. A direct genealogy from Arthur Rock's invention of venture capital through Fairchild, Intel, Dell, and UT research into the current generation of robotics, defense, and energy infrastructure concentrated within a 200-mile radius. The city's defensible moat is where intelligence meets the physical world, the hardware and the software built as one.

The result will look nothing like what came before it.

Agenda

0:00 Intro + Silicon Valley 2011 and the Web 2 Gold Rush
9:17 How The Social Network Changed the Talent Pipeline
11:16 Inside the a16z Partner Meeting
14:48 Spiritual Succession from Arthur Rock to Austin
18:06 The 2021 Hype Was Real, Just Early
20:26 California and Delaware's Self-Inflicted Wounds
23:43 The 200-Mile Radius
26:26 Permission to Build and the Sunlight Metaphor
30:20 Foundational Models Belong to SF
34:48 Third Places and Connective Tissue
42:29 The Storytelling Gap
45:44 Six-Month Vesting in the AI Era
49:04 Seedance, Suno, and the Creation-Consumption Collapse
54:59 The Barbell of Synthetic Media and Analog Craft
59:27 Copyright, IP, and the Entertainment Layer Cake

Guest Links
Nait Jones: X, LinkedIn
Adtwin: Website, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Western Canon in the Age of Vibe Coding | Carlos Carvalho, President, University of Austin

Jason Scharf — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 09:01:52 -0500

American universities stopped optimizing for students a long time ago. The University of Austin was built as a direct counter to that failure. Carlos Carvalho, its president, brings a statistician's precision to the diagnosis, tracing the causal chain from dropped standards to credential collapse while building an institution with no tuition and no government money, staking its survival entirely on student outcomes 20 years out. The conversation moves from the financial architecture of a university, through a curriculum that starts with Plato before it touches Python, to the deeper question of what a university owes a civilization in the age of AI and whether Austin is the right place to answer it.

Agenda
0:00 Intro + Three Years In
9:42 The $300M Bet
15:42 The Conglomerate Problem
21:42 Western Canon First
28:42 What AI Changes About Teaching
34:42 The Bastrop Lab
41:42 UATX in the Austin Ecosystem
48:42 Atoms vs Bits in Texas
53:42 American Exceptionalism as Mission
59:42 The Hit Pieces
1:06:42 The UCSD Math Collapse
1:11:42 Grade Inflation as Decay
1:14:42 AI and the Soul Problem

Guest Bio
Carlos Carvalho is the President of the University of Austin. Prior to taking on this role, he spent 15 years as a professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, where he held the La Quinta Centennial Professorship and founded the Salem Center for Policy. A native of Brazil, Dr. Carvalho earned his doctorate in statistics from Duke University and has also taught at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. His research focuses on Bayesian statistics in complex, high-dimensional problems with applications ranging from economics to genetics to public policy. At UATX, he is leading a bold effort to build a new university that stands for American principles and academic excellence.

Guest Links
University of Austin: Website, Substack, Instagram, X, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Bootstrap vs. VC: Speed Costs Control | Rob Taylor, Silverton Partners

Jason Scharf — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 07:00:00 -0600

The decision to bootstrap a business or raise venture capital is not just financial. It is physics. You are choosing which system to operate within, which rules will govern your company, and whose incentives will shape your options at every inflection point.

Rob Taylor has lived both realities. He spent years building venture-backed companies, raising millions in institutional capital. His brother Chris bootstrapped a company for 20 years and owned nearly 100% at exit. They sold their companies the same year and ended up in roughly the same place financially.

The question is what do you optimize for, and the nature of that question is changing daily in the age of AI. Recorded live at Red Fridge Society.

The Agenda

0:00 Intro + Defining Bootstrap vs. VC
7:23 Is Your Business VC-Backable
11:54 The Ecosystem You Gain with Institutional Capital
15:03 The Ownership Curve
20:36 Control and Governance
26:24 Disruption in the AI Era
32:41 How Fund Size Shapes Investment Behavior
37:43 The Bootstrap-VC Overlap
40:54 Choosing Your Partner
45:14 The Incremental Approach to Raising

Guest Links
Rob Taylor: LinkedIn, Silverton Partners
Red Fridge Society

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Patient Capital in the Age of the $10B Seed | Brian Smith, S3 Ventures

Jason Scharf — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 06:44:00 -0600

The current venture market is defined by a dangerous decoupling of capital from reality. While the industry chases $10B seed valuations and trillion-dollar infrastructure bets, Brian Smith and S3 Ventures are executing a "Discipline Arbitrage." They argue that the real returns in AI will not come from the massive CapEx spenders, but from the application layer that solves boring, regulated, enterprise problems.

This episode audits the structural risks of the current AI wave and explains why staying as a small fund may be the ultimate competitive advantage.

Agenda

01:30 Cisco Moment & 28 Bellagios
06:31 Applications First, Agents Next
19:06 2021 Bubble vs 2025 Reality
32:55 Defining Patient Capital
44:09 Strategic Advantage of Small Funds
53:03 Return to Atoms

Guest Links
Brian Smith, S3 Ventures (Website, X, LinkedIn)

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Semiconductor Moment for the Mind

Jason Scharf — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 09:57:52 -0600

The market is mispricing the human brain. Some Investors view Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) and other neurotech as the next iteration of the medical device, a slightly better stent or a more advanced catheter. This is a category error. As Matt Angle (Paradromics) and Connor Glass (Phantom Neuro) articulate its not a product, its the next modem.

The parallel is the internet in 1993. We are moving from a low-bandwidth, text-based era of biology into a streaming, high-fidelity era. This shift requires a convergence of disciplines, Material science, analog engineering, and machine learning, mirroring the semiconductor boom of the 1960s. Austin, with its unique trinity of industrial scale, software speed, and risk-tolerance, has emerged as the global command center for this revolution

The Agenda:

0:00 - Intro
02:48 - Electrical Input and Output of the Body
08:13 - Navigating the Valley of Death via DARPA
16:54 - Moral Hazard of Regulatory Caution
23:45 - BCI as the Next Internet
37:51 - Capital Stack and the Platform Shift
50:31 - Declaring Austin the Global Neurotech Capital
55:23 - Convergence of Semiconductor Disciplines

Guest Links
Matt Angle: LinkedIn, Paradromics (Website, X, LinkedIn)
Connor Glass: LinkedIn, Phantom Neuro (Website, X, LinkedIn)

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Combat as the Minimum Viable Product | Cix Liv, REK

Jason Scharf — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0600

Cix Liv challenges the Silicon Valley consensus that humanoid robots belong in the warehouse or the battlefield. By explicitly rejecting the “Terminator” military arbitrage and the “Jetsons” domestic servant model, REK validates a new thesis: entertainment is the only sector where the reliability is acceptable and economically viable.

The discussion dissects the unit economics of robot combat, the “context window” required for mainstream sport adoption, and why American “lawyer culture” is fundamentally losing the hardware war to Chinese “engineering culture” explored in Dan Wang’s Breakneck This is a forensic look at building “Real Steel” without government grants or safe software margins.

The Agenda:

00:00 - Beta Testing Robot Roadshows
05:06 - Defining the Real Steel Concept
07:14 - "Context Window" of Violence vs. eSports
16:59 - State of Bipedal Balance & Chinese Hardware
26:02 - Robot Soldier vs Real Steel Decision
33:01 - B2B SaaS Brain Drain
37:01 - Unit Economics: Reliability Arbitrage
45:04 - Tech Stack of Tele-Operation
52:07 - Dan Wang’s Breakneck Thesis: Engineer China vs Lawyer US
57:37 - Bringing Detroit to Texas

Guest Links

REK: Website, X, Instagram, LinkedIn

Follow Cix: X, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Is The Venture Capital Model Broken? | Andrew Romans, 7BC

Jason Scharf — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0600

The venture capital model of the last two decades, characterized by the "30-minute rule" and the race to a quick IPO, is obsolete. We are witnessing a fundamental decoupling of capital from geography and a restructuring of how liquidity is manufactured. In this episode, Andrew Romans of 7BC Venture Capital argues that we have entered a new era where geopolitical friction is forcing a renaissance in hard tech, hedge funds have permanently altered the growth stage, and the "Series A" playbook has been rewritten by the realities of a market where companies stay private indefinitely.

Highlights

01:05 Why 30 Firms Control the Market
09:49 "Stay Private Forever" & The Secondary Market
19:51 Geopolitics, Supply Chains, & Defense Tech
30:30 Hedge Fund Tourists & Founder-Led VCs
37:11 The Death of the "30-Minute Rule"
47:35 Beyond "Silicon Hills"

Guest Links
Andrew Romans: LinkedIn, X
7BC Venture Capital
Fireside with a VC: Apple, Spotify, YouTube

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Zachary Levi | Can Austin Build an Ark for Human Creativity?

Jason Scharf — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0500

How do we nurture and protect the most human endeavors of creation and discovery? Zachary Levi joins us to discuss calling, technology, and a creative Ark in Austin. We move from one’s life mission to concrete plans for land and film incentives. The central question of our time is whether we ride the AI tsunami or get swept under it.

Highlights

00:00 Opening and Zachary Levi’s journey to Austin
05:53 Calling vs discovery
13:48 Build the ark and fix Hollywood
25:13 Community, work, and purpose
30:20 Why Bastrop for Wyldwood
38:05 Austin’s energy and first principles
46:57 Film incentives and ROI
54:00 AI reshapes studio vs creatives
1:10:40 Purpose through creation and discovery
1:19:07 What’s Next Austin?

Guest Bio
ZACHARY LEVI has proven himself a triple threat- he is an accomplished actor, singer, and dancer that was displayed with his Tony- nominated performance for “Best Leading Actor in a Musical” in the critically praised Broadway production, SHE LOVES ME. In August 2024, Zachary starred in HAROLD & THE PURPLE CRAYON for Sony, based on the wildly popular children’s book written by Crockett Johnson.

He will next star in both MGM/Amazon’s SARAH’S OIL as well as Joe Carnahan’s real-life survivor thriller, NOT WITHOUT HOPE. Zac is also set to appear in HOTEL TEHRAN, a new thriller from writer-director, Guy Moshe.

In March 2023, Levi reprised his role as Shazam! in the Warner Bros. DC franchise, SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS. Directed by David F. Sandberg, this was the follow-up to the first installment, SHAZAM! which held the #1 spot at the box office for weeks following its April 2019 release.

In 2021, Zachary portrayed iconic NFL MVP and Hall of Fame quarterback, Kurt Warner in AMERICAN UNDERDOG for Lionsgate directed by Andrew and Jon Erwin. Zac will return with the Erwin brothers for another Lionsgate film THE UNBREAKABLE BOY, based on the true story of the most inspiring boy who touched and changed the lives of those around him in theaters February 21, 2025.

In a fan favorite recurring role, Levi took home a SAG Award for “Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series” for season two and three of Amazon Studios’ Emmy winning series, THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL. The first season of the show won six Primetime Emmys, two Golden Globes, as well as a Peabody Award and two Critics’ Choice Awards. The second season won one Golden Globe, three Screen Actor Guild Awards, one PGA Award, two Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, one Critics Choice TV Award, and TV Program of the Year at the AFI Awards.

Additional previous film credits include: CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET; TEDDY’S CHRISTMAS; APOLLO 10 ½: A SPACE AGE CHILDHOOD; THOR: THE DARK WORLD; ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL; and TANGLED. The song “I See the Light,” written for TANGLED (performed by Levi & Mandy Moore) was nominated that year for an Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Original Song. The pair performed the duet at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards ceremony. “I See the Light” also won the Grammy Award for “Best Song Written for Visual Media” at the 54th Grammy Awards.

Levi is best known for his fan favorite performance as Chuck Bartowski in the hit NBC series, CHUCK. Other previous TV credits include the Netflix mini-series ALIAS GRACE & HEROES REBORN.

In June 2022, Levi made his author debut with his memoir, RADICAL LOVE: LEARNING TO ACCEPT YOURSELF AND OTHERS, which shares his emotional journey through a lifetime of crippling anxiety and depression to find joy, gratitude, and ultimate purpose

Guest Links
Zachary Levi: X, Instagram
Wyldwood

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Is Austin a Music Incubator? | Terry Lickona, Austin City Limits

Jason Scharf — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 10:47:49 -0500

Austin exports culture the way it exports tech. Terry Lickona, longtime executive producer of Austin City Limits, argues Austin is a music incubator, not the music industry, and that’s a feature. We map venues, economics, the tech crossover, and what keeps the scene original.

Highlights

01:12 Austin Music Today: vibrant, original, authentic.
06:49 Streaming’s role, why touring pays.
11:30 Arena bookings, pricing, club spend
18:30 Venue design and experience
25:55 Music districts and competition for your dollar
36:25 How ACL books talent and stays eclectic.
44:31 The “Live Music Capital” narrative and exports.
53:25 AI in music: Tool vs crutch
58:55 What’s Next Austin?

Guest Bio
Since 1978, Terry Lickona has been the producer, now executive producer, of "Austin City Limits." Celebrating 38 years on PBS, ACL is the longest-running popular music series in American television history. In 2003, the President of the United States awarded ACL the National Medal of Arts, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence. In 2012, ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement. Terry has also produced other specials and series for public television, cable, domestic and foreign syndication, home video, and DVD - over 800 programs, with artists ranging from Ray Charles and Johnny Cash to Juanes, Coldplay and Neil Young to Willie Nelson, Arcade Fire, Radiohead and Pearl Jam. October 2012 also marks the 11th anniversary of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, one of the most successful music festivals in the country. In 2011 Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater opened its doors in downtown Austin as a world class live performance venue combined with a state of the art studio soundstage.

Lickona has been the co-producer of the Grammy Awards Show on CBS since 2012. He served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences from 2005-2006. He also currently serves on the Board of the Latin Recording Academy.

A native of Poughkeepsie, New York, he has lived in Austin, Texas since 1974.

Guest Links
Austin City Limits: Website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

From Wristbands to AI: A New Cancer Playbook | Suzanne Stone, CEO, Livestrong

Jason Scharf — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0500

How do you go from a cultural icon like the yellow wristbands to building AI products? Livestrong’s CEO Suzanne Stone argues that the through line is a focus on survivorship, the life you live from diagnosis onward. This is the leap from story to community to software and back again.

Highlights

01:34 Mission: Survivorship Over Cures
06:18 The Wristband as Community Signal
12:39 Fertility Program and Real Cost of Cancer
14:34 Copycats and What Persists
25:20 From Guidebook to Ellis, a Trusted Closed-Loop AI
38:56 Guardrails, Swim Lanes, and Safety
51:35 Revenue Engines and Scaling
01:02:40 What’s Next Austin?

Guest Bio
Suzanne Stone is a Texas Christian University graduate and Louisiana native whose career began in television, earning a regional Emmy Award for her work in Dallas. In 1998, she transitioned from producing television to teaching it in the nonprofit sector, leading public access television initiatives in Naperville, Illinois, and later in upstate New York.

Beyond media, Suzanne spent four years as Head Coach of a New York Community college women’s basketball team while simultaneously managing a local TV station. Her passion for impact-driven work led her back to Texas, where she has since dedicated her career to leading nonprofit organizations across the state, including Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Children’s Miracle Network, Lake Travis Education Foundation, and Susan G. Komen Greater Central and East Texas.

In 2019, she joined Livestrong to spearhead its mission initiatives, and in November 2023, she was named President & CEO. Today, she leads the organization in its commitment to ensuring that anyone affected by cancer has the resources and support they need to live the highest quality of life possible, regardless of the diagnosis.

Guest Links
Suzanne Stone: LinkedIn
Livestrong: Website, X, Ellis, Livestrong Challenge 2025

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Did Austin Turn Soda Into Fashion? | Stephen Ellsworth, Co-founder, Poppi

Jason Scharf — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Poppi is a fashion brand that happens to be soda. Stephen Ellsworth, Co-founder of Poppi, joins us to walk through the operating choices behind turning a vinegar problem into a modern soda badge. It’s how you build, scale, and exit a consumer brand. It’s another signal that Austin’s flywheel is real and accelerating.

Highlights

01:48 Dark days, PMF before funding
08:05 Farmers market to Whole Foods
14:50 Rebrand beat Shark Tank awareness
24:58 Poppi as Fashion
33:46 Make healthy default via taste
38:54 AI palate mapping
46:48 Austin needs cross-sector collisions
51:40 What's Next Austin?

Guest Links
Stephen Ellsworth: Instagram, LinkedIn
Poppi: Website, X, Instagram

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Autonomy’s Moment Is Now. Austin Is the Autonomy Capital | Jeff Cavins, Outdoorsy Group

Jason Scharf — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Autonomy’s moment is now as the operating stack goes live across software, hardware, availability, and insurance. Outdoorsy Group CEO Jeff Cavins joins the show to unpack how RoboTaxis integrate with marketplaces, city systems, and the consumer experience. Austin’s talent, technology, and risk appetite are making it the Autonomy Capital.

Highlights

01:31 Why Outdoorsy Group is betting on RoboTaxis
05:44 Software must command the car
10:40 RoboTaxi as the default transpiration benchmark
15:30 FSD & the Airport
25:39 Coverholder status and dynamic underwriting
32:26 Austin’s autonomy flywheel
41:50 Safety is the X-factor
45:52 Cargo, errands, agentic ops
51:29 Autonomy in air and ground
58:44 What’s Next Austin?

Guest Bios
Jeff Cavins is a distinguished technology veteran with over 22 years of senior-level experience leading and transforming emerging growth technology, software, Internet, and digital media companies. His illustrious career has been marked by significant value creation, contributing to over $32 billion in total market capitalizations. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Outdoorsy Group, he steers a global leader in mobility and accommodations, encompassing Outdoorsy, the largest and most trusted peer-to-peer RV rental platform, and its pioneering insurtech arm, Roamly.

Jeff's leadership at Outdoorsy Group is rooted in a deep understanding of market dynamics and a relentless pursuit of innovation. This is exemplified by Roamly's recent achievement of Lloyd's Coverholder status, a testament to its specialized underwriting expertise in complex, niche markets. This strategic move positions Roamly to enable the future of shared mobility across RVs, campervans, carsharing, and even emerging transportation like cybercabs.

Before co-founding Outdoorsy in 2015, Jeff served as Chief Executive Officer of Fuze, a cloud communications company recognized by Inc. 500 as the 125th fastest-growing private company in America in 2013. His tenure at Fuze included overseeing the development of "Fuze for iPad," a product personally used by Steve Jobs and featured in Apple's 2011 "We Will Always" global iPad TV ad campaign.

Prior to Fuze, Jeff was President and CEO of CallWave (NASDAQ: CALL), a leading provider of internet and mobile-based unified communications solutions. He also served as CEO of Loudeye Corporation (NASDAQ: LOUD), a global leader in digital media distribution technology, which was subsequently acquired by Nokia. At Loudeye, he masterminded the company's global expansion and forged strategic partnerships with industry giants such as Apple, AT&T Wireless, Nokia, and Virgin, ultimately growing shareholder value by over 1700 percent.

Jeff's extensive experience also includes serving as a Venture Advisor at Azure Capital Partners in San Francisco, and as Senior Vice President for Exodus Communications, where he managed over $1.3 billion in revenue and 1,900 employees. There, he established crucial strategic partnerships with industry leaders like Google, Yahoo!, eBay, and MSN.

Earlier in his career, Jeff founded, presided over, and led CSI Digital, an advanced digital media technology software company specializing in visual effects for the TV and film industries. CSI Digital earned recognition from Inc. Magazine in 2007 as the 100th fastest-growing private company in America and was awarded first place in the inaugural Deloitte and Touche Fast-50 Program in the same year. He began his career with nearly a decade in the broadcast division of Sony Corporation, where he held sales management and engineering roles, and notably designed and developed the Instant Replay system for the NFL, leading its deployment across the league.

Guest Links
Jeff Cavins: LinkedIn
Outdoorsy Group: Website, LinkedIn, Instagram
Roamly: Website, LinkedIn, Instagram

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Reading the Global Rankings | Austin’s Momentum vs the Incumbents

Jason Scharf — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Rankings aren’t just a scoreboard. They’re a map. Dealroom’s Yoram Wijngaarde and StartupBlink’s Eli David Rokah join the show to unpack ecosystem momentum, enterprise-value growth, and the business-environment factors that move founders, corporates, and capital. We read the global rankings with Austin as a live case study, setting its momentum against incumbent hubs to find the signal in the noise.

Highlights

00:59 Momentum as design choice in rankings
03:22 Enterprise-value growth vs VC funding
07:30 Austin’s outlier growth among peers
11:15 Rankings: conversation starter, decision tool
23:22 Policy mistakes become tailwinds
29:05 Clusters, super-regions, friction costs
37:15 Austin ranked 4th US, 5th global
42:47 AI shocks ecosystem volatility
44:06 What's Next Austin?

Guest Bios
Yoram Wijngaard: Founder of Dealroom.co which was launched in 2014 to provide intelligence about the world’s most promising startups and ecosystems. Before founding Dealroom, Yoram was an investment banker at Lehman Brothers, Nomura Securities and NOAH Advisors in New York and London. Yoram has a cum laude Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Amsterdam.

Eli David Rokah: Founder and CEO of StartupBlink, advising governments and corporates worldwide and publishing the Global Startup Ecosystem Index.

Guest Links
Yoram Wijngaard: X, LinkedIn
Dealroom: Website, The Global Tech Ecosystem Index 2025

Eli David Rokah: X, LinkedIn
Startupblink: Website, The Global Startup Ecosystem Index Report 2025

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Can AI Really 2X Output and Break Legacy Business Models? | Dru Armstrong, AffiniPay CEO

Jason Scharf — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 07:13:47 -0500

How do 100X engineers, cheap development, and AI-everywhere workflows flip slow-moving industries and legacy business models? AffiniPay CEO Dru Armstrong joins to discuss how vertical fintech and generative AI reshape professional services, the evolution of a new small-business software stack, and Austin’s climb to a top five tech cities.

Highlights

00:00 AffiniPay overview & mission
02:57 Why solo firms need vertical SaaS
05:45 Unified platform vs best-in-class tools
08:26 AI’s early impact on law and accounting
11:39 Billable-hour model under pressure
14:20 Where AI in services is heading next
17:03 Culture change: adopting AI at work
20:14 Automating routine legal workflows
30:19 Manufacturing Cost crashes & roles
31:40 Austin emerging as a FinTech frontier
34:54 Building a legal-payments platform locally
39:34 Generative AI’s effect on big-law practice
45:55 Faster product cycles with AI tools
48:35 How engineering roles are evolving
53:34 What's Next Austin" “I want Austin in the top five."

Guest Bio
Dru Armstrong is the Chief Executive Officer of AffiniPay, LLC, a leading financial technology software provider for professionals, since July 2021, where she has implemented and executed a new strategic direction for the business, including its transformative acquisition of MyCase. Prior to joining AffiniPay, Ms. Armstrong served as Chief Executive Officer of Grace Hill, LLC, a real estate technology and software provider, from June 2016 to July 2021, and as Chief Product Officer from September 2015 to May 2016. Ms. Armstrong received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a Juris Doctorate from the University of Chicago Law School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Columbia University.

Episode Links
Dru Armstrong
Affinipay
Kaleidoscope September 2-4, 2025

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Design vs Slop | John Roescher, Raw Materials

Jason Scharf — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 12:33:50 -0500

We live in an age of unprecedented creative tools, from generative AI and design platforms to open access to code, capital, and talent. Joining this episode is John Roescher, Founder and CEO of Raw Materials, the design firm behind the public-facing strategies of Anduril, Saronic, and Meta, to explore why design should not be treated as decoration, but as a cultural and strategic function. Because in the end, with all this power, the outcome still comes down to a choice: Will we design with intention or default to slop?

Chapters

01:13 Design as Product
04:51 Outsourcing vs Partnering
08:04 The Creative Process and Why “I Like That” Isn’t Enough
11:30 AI, Craft, and Care: Tools vs Slop
16:52 Efficiency or Excellence
23:19 Unlocking Core Creativity Inside Companies
28:01 Design as Strategy
32:39 From Founders to Cities: Owning the Narrative
40:28 Intentionality vs Accident
45:04 What You Ship Says Everything
46:45 What’s Next Austin?
John Roescher: X/Twitter, LinkedIn
Raw Materials: Website, Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Fungi, Coffee, and Diapers | Tero Isokauppila, Four Sigmatic & HIRO

Jason Scharf — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Mushrooms, coffee, and diapers. It’s not the start of weird joke, but the the innovation arc of Tero Isokauppila, one of the most uniquely disruptive founders at the convergence of bio and consumer goods. From building the $2B mushroom coffee category at Four Sigmatic to launching HIRO, the world’s first fungi-based diaper, Tero’s work reflects something deeper; how Austin’s convergence of culture, capital, and cross-sector energy is creating the next innovation frontier.

02:18 – From Farm Kid to Mushroom Category King
05:45 – The Biology of Fungi as Platform Tech
09:03 – Why America Is Mushroom-Illiterate
10:38 – Product Before Mission: Lessons from Tesla and HIRO
16:35 – CPG vs Biotech: Funding, Moats, and Returns
25:57 – Why Austin Became a CPG Powerhouse
31:39 – Tech and CPG: Still Separate Worlds in Austin
35:41 – Frontier Cities Need Cultural + Sector Convergence
1:01:15 – Manufacturing’s Real Bottlenecks (and Myths)
1:05:06 – “What’s Next Austin?”: Ego Death, Rebirth, and Maturity

Tero Isokauppila: LinkedIn, YouTube
Four Sigmatic
HIRO

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Live from Health Supernova: Austin’s Rise as a Bio & Health Frontier Powerhouse

Jason Scharf — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

What does it mean to build the future of Bio & Health at the frontier, and why is Austin the place to do it? Recorded live at Health Supernova, this episode explores the deep structural shifts underway in bio, health, and tech. From trillion-dollar ambitions to FDA bottlenecks, from digital-first hospitals to the rise of cowboy talent in Bio & Health, Austin is staking a claim not as a follower but as the system and stack that comes next.

Episode Highlights

Austin’s Bio & Health Frontier Thesis
Can Austin build what healthcare won’t?
FDA still runs on PDFs
What would it take to build a trillion-dollar bio company?
Frontier talent are cowboys
Cost of the biotech winter
Digital-first hospital as a living lab
Why bio needs platforms, not just transformational assets
Integration is the real bottleneck
What's Next, Austin Bio & Health?
- Steve Hahn: “The next major company that disrupts medicine and brings us 20, 30 years advanced over the next year.”
- Charley Taylor: “Re-envisioning what healthcare, academic medicine can look like”
- Micha Breakstone: “Make Austin into a real hub at the intersection of AI and biotech”

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Bitcoin and the Future of American Power | Brian Morgenstern, Riot Platforms

Jason Scharf — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Is Bitcoin just a financial instrument, or is it a wedge into the future of energy, policy, and power? Brian Morgenstern, head of public policy at Riot Platforms, lays out how mining is becoming critical infrastructure and why the US can’t afford to fall behind. From sovereign wealth strategies to regulatory fragmentation, this conversation unpacks how Bitcoin could reshape geopolitical leverage and why Texas may be at the center of it.

Episode Highlights

Mining as energy monetization
Bitcoin as a strategic reserve
The sovereign wealth fund question
Tax policy throttles adoption
Why stablecoins are infrastructure
Bitcoin's edge over other crypto
Fragmented and reactive regulation
Nuclear’s resurgence via AI demand
What’s Next Austin?
- “Bitcoin miners, AI, energy, all getting married in Texas to make the US the leader of the world.”

Guest Links
Brian Morgenstern
Riot Platforms

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

How Specificity in Vertical AI Rewrites Industries | Nick Tippmann, TipTop VC

Jason Scharf — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 09:27:23 -0500

Specificity isn’t just a design choice. It’s the differentiator when inches matter. Nick Tippmann, founding partner of TipTop VC, explains how vertical AI is rewriting the software industry by going deeper, not wider. From the transition beyond SaaS to the gray zone between foundational models and high-stakes applications, we explore how vertical AI can transform laggard industries and why Austin might lead the race.

Episode Highlights

What Vertical AI Really Means
Specificity as the New Moat
Founders, Not Just Models
When General AI Fails
Seed-Strapping Real or Not
Rewriting Pricing Logic
Vertical AI Talent Mix
Redefining TAM in Niche Markets
Scaling without Overspending
What’s Next Austin?
- "Austin becomes a global hub for vertical AI winners with the rich combo of the enterprise SaaS lineage, the critical industries that are based here, the talent from the previous winners, the emerging talent from the universities, and more and more experienced operators and founders moving here for their second act"

Nick Tippmann
TipTop VC

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Threads That Scale Innovation with Brian Hall EO Austin

Jason Scharf — Thu, 22 May 2025 12:04:19 -0500

Innovation does not scale on size alone. It accelerates on the connective threads of an ecosystem, from curated founder groups to open networks and through shared stories and honest champions. Brian Hall, incoming President of the Austin Chapter of Entrepreneurs’ Organization, joins us to explore what actually drives trust, access, and scale in a thriving tech hub.

Episode Highlights

Role of Ecosystem Connective Tissue
Founder Forums and Peer Accountability
Third Rooms vs Third Spaces
Depth Over Volume in Relationships
Time Scarcity in Founder Support
Why Healthy Ecosystems Scale
Navigating Fragmentation in Austin
Gatekeeping and Startup Access
Scaling Founder Infrastructure
What’s Next Austin?
- “Healthy things grow. And that starts with an individual, but then it goes to the city and beyond.”

Episode Links
Brian Hall: LinkedIn, X/Twitter

EO Austin; Traverse Legal; TraverseGC; TraverseConcierge

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Houston Will Be the Industrial Bio Capital of the World with Veronica Breckenridge, First Bight Ventures

Jason Scharf — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 08:07:58 -0500

The $6 trillion chemical industry is on the verge of a revolution as biology moves from the doctor's office to the industrial zone. Veronica Breckenridge, Founder and Managing Partner of First Bight Ventures, is investing in early-stage bio manufacturing companies while building the ecosystem to catalyze their growth. We discuss the tech powering the revolution, why Houston's first principles position the region to own the sector, and how Austin's innovation can help supercharge it.

Episode Highlights

First Bight Ventures: Investing in Industrial Bio
Disrupting a $6 Trillion Chemical Industry
Scaling Platform Molecules for Real-World Impact
Crossing Industrial Bio’s "Valley of Death"
Houston’s Chemical Engineering Advantage
Capital Efficiency and Scale-Up Strategies
How AI Is Accelerating Biotech Discovery
Building Pilot Facilities and Collaborative Ecosystems
Unlocking a Texas Bio Manufacturing Hub
What's Next Austin & Houston?
- "Texas should create a consortium...we're going to own bio-manufacturing"

Episode Links

Veronica Breckenridge
First Bight Ventures

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Endless Frontiers and the Future of American Innovation with Jordan Blashek, Managing Director America's Frontier Fund

Jason Scharf — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 19:35:00 -0500

At a hinge point when tech leadership determines the balance of geopolitical power, deep tech investment has never been more critical to America's future. Jordan Blashek, co-founder of America's Frontier Fund, brings his perspective on innovation for national advantage. From investing in defense tech to the newly launched Endless Frontiers, we discuss Jordan's vision for rebuilding American strength through strategic innovation and how Austin finds itself right in the thick of this transformation.

Episode Highlights

America's Frontier Fund Mission
Deep Tech Funding Models
Managing Tech vs Market Risks
Defense Tech Trends - M&A, Talent, Dual Use
Family Offices as Strategic Investors
US-China Tech Competition
Launching Endless Frontiers
Rebuilding American Strength
Austin as a True Power Center
What's Next Austin?
- "Arts and Culture...It means the storytellers are here. The most creative people are here. And when you combine that with the existing resources and things we have I think this city has no limits."

Jordan Blashek: X/Twitter; LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

From Semiconductors to AI Ecosystems with Tyson Tuttle, Founder and CEO Circuit

Jason Scharf — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 08:45:37 -0500

From cutting-edge chips to AI networks the disruption happening up and down the tech stack is upending invention and value. Everything is on the table. Tyson Tuttle, former CEO of Silicon Labs and current founder and CEO of Circuit, brings decades of experience building innovative products across multiple tech waves. In this conversation, Tyson shares insights on Austin's ecosystem past and present, the global tech competition, and how AI-powered knowledge networks that could finally deliver on the collaboration we have been promised.

Episode Highlights

Austin's Semiconductor Legacy
Geopolitical Chip Wars
A Million Transistors Per Space
Taiwan's Silicon Shield
Balancing Risk and Production
Moving Up the Technology Stack
Rethinking Workflows with AI
Network Effects Beyond Social
AI-Powered Knowledge Networks
What's Next, Austin?
"Tech is spreading everywhere. We've got to build great companies here, we have great talent, and we've got to make this a place that is affordable and where our quality of life doesn't diminish, but goes up"

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Texas Innovation Ecosystems in the AI Era with Samantha Lewis, Partner Mercury Fund

Jason Scharf — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 09:53:05 -0500

The Texas innovation ecosystem is accelerating at breakneck speed as technologies like AI and institutions such as the Texas Stock Exchange reshape what is possible. Samantha Lewis, Partner at Mercury Fund, recently relocated to Austin from Houston to strengthen the firm's presence in the region. Our conversation reveals how the founders and funders in the Texas Triangle are positioning themselves during this tech revolution, and why the connections between Austin, Houston, and Dallas are a superpower that is just getting started.

Episode Highlights

Mercury Investment Thesis
Expansion to Austin
AI Competition Landscape
Importance of Founder Vision
Good Businesses vs VC Backable
Bits Meet Atoms
Healthcare Innovation Frontiers
Austin Growth Opportunity
Texas Stock Exchange Impact
High Speed Rail vs Airports
Texas Innovation Triangle and Collaboration
Houston Industry Challenges
Tech Inspiration Moments
What's Next Austin?
- "We're so excited to just hang out and see everybody, meet entrepreneurs, hopefully build a big fintech community here as time goes on...The more VC firms that are here, the better. The more entrepreneurs that are getting funding here, the better"

Samantha Lewis: X/Twitter, LinkedIn
Mercury Fund: Website, X/Twitter, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Activating the Future of Human Flourishing with Janine Leger, Co-Founder Edge City

Jason Scharf — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 10:15:14 -0600

Technology is advancing rapidly, but our social systems and institutions struggle to keep pace. Janine Leger co-founded Edge City, a society incubator accelerating social innovation through popup and experimental communities, and they're bringing their next gathering to Austin March 2-7. We explore how rethinking the intersection of technology and agency can lead to human flourishing, and why Austin is emerging as the perfect laboratory for this experimentation.

Episode Highlights

Edge City the Society Incubator
Innovation in Temporary Spaces
Building Default Healthy Environments
Invisible Protocols and Personal Agency
Edge City as Social Catalyst
Austin's Innovation Ecosystem
Edge City Austin
Key Personas in a Thriving Ecosystem
Future City Projects and Experiments
Austin's Next Decade of Growth
What's Next Austin?
- "If you're interested in new society models, new ways of living, new towns, Austin is going to be a hub for that...There's so much happening around community dynamism"

Janie Leger
Edge City Austin
Edge City: Website, X/Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Rewriting Biopharma's Playbook with Mallory Factor, Founder and CEO IntraBio

Jason Scharf — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 08:42:24 -0600

A unicorn biopharma that ignores the traditional playbook, breaks development speed records, and chose Austin over the traditional biotech hubs. Mallory Factor, Founder and CEO of IntraBio, joins us to share how his Oxford-born company created an FDA-approved drug in record time while doing everything differently. In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore how finding unconventional talent, maintaining ruthless focus, and embracing a different mindset has led to transformational success in an industry resistant to change.

Episode Highlights

Building a Different Kind of Biopharma Company
Breaking Speed Records in Drug Development
Finding Unconventional Talent
Challenging Traditional Pharma Thinking
Why Austin Over Boston and San Francisco
The Power of Focus in Drug Development
Austin's Creative Collisions and Future
What's Next Austin?
- "Austin has some political problems that's going to have to clear up to make it a better city. Hopefully in time it will and it'll catapult it into the top five, six cities in America"

Mallory Factor, IntraBio, Aqneursa

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Engineering Agency, Innovation, and Ecosystems with Gena Gorlin

Jason Scharf — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:56:53 -0600

A coffee conversation turned into a deep exploration and personal obsession about how we shape our world and how it shapes us. I had to invite my partner in that conversation, Dr. Gena Gorlin, on to the podcast to bring her perspective as a psychologist, professor, and founder coach to examine the interplay between agency, innovation, ecosystems, and technology.

Episode Highlights

Agency Mindset and Personal Choice
Technology Impact on Human Agency
Education Evolution in an AI World
Gaming as a Window into Human Potential
AI Tools for Self Discovery
Understanding Innovation Ecosystems
Psychology of City Culture
Ecosystem Metacognition Principles
Building Better Innovation Communities
What's Next Austin?
- "Really embracing Austin as this up and coming entrepreneurial cultural hub and participating in that evolution is something that I'm now way more excited about than I even was before"

Gena Gorlin: Substack, X/Twitter, Founder Coaching, UT Austin Faculty Page

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin4America Rises From SXSW's Military Sponsor Ban with Luke Fischer, Co-Founder & CEO SkyFi

Jason Scharf — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 10:36:39 -0600

Last June, SXSW announced they would no longer allow military and defense companies as sponsors. This sparked strong reactions from Austin's defense tech community, with one of those reactions leading to the creation of Austin4America. I'm joined by Luke Fischer, one of the summit's creators, to discuss why this matters and how it fits into Austin's broader innovation story.

Episode Highlights

SXSW's Military Sponsor Ban and Austin's Response
Modern Defense Tech Beyond Weapons
SkyFi: Building an Earth Intelligence Platform
Why Austin Leads Defense Innovation
Austin4America: From X/Twitter to Reality
Innovation & Defense Tech Agenda
Convergence of Veterans, Health, and National Security
What’s Next Austin?
- “A gravitation of some of the best companies in the world coming to Austin, where we see across all the industries, bio, defense, healthcare, manufacturing.”

Austin4America
Luke Fischer: X/Twitter, LinkedIn, SkyFi

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Science in the Commercial Space Age: Live from UATX's SOMA Inaugural Summit

Jason Scharf — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 10:37:29 -0600

This past November, the University of Austin hosted their Inaugural SOMA Summit to explore the amazing transformation in space right now, especially how the commercial space era is decentralizing access. I had the privilege to moderate a fascinating panel titled "Science in the Commercial Space Age" featuring Chris Sembroski from Blue Origin, along with University of Florida space biologists Dr. Rob Ferl and Dr. Anna-Lisa Paul.

As space becomes more accessible, it's evolving beyond merely a frontier to explore into its own innovation platform and ecosystem. This opens up a whole galaxy of possibilities.

Episode Highlights

Mission Experiences
Space Peppers
Understanding Human Adaptation
Space as an Innovation Frontier
Manufacturing in Microgravity
Plants' Role in Future Exploration
Ethical Considerations
What's next for science in the commercial space age?
- Rob Ferl: “More scientists flying to do their experiments in space.”
- Anna-Lisa Paul: “More research in how we effectively take our biology off the planet to have long-term existence elsewhere”
- Chris Sembroski: “Recognizing that it's not going to end with us, that we have to keep inspiring that next generation”

Chris Sembroski: X/Twitter, LinkedIn
Rob Ferl: UF Faculty Page
Anna-Lisa Paul: UF Faculty Page

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Why Gauntlet AI Chose Austin to Build the Next Wave of AI Engineers with Austen Allred

Jason Scharf — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 16:31:10 -0600

AI is becoming the biggest force multiplier for human talent in history. Austen Allred shares how Gauntlet AI is reimagining engineering education for this new reality and why Austin's is the perfect place to build this ambitious program. This is was quick turnaround episode as Gauntlet AI applications close January 4th (application link below). We also go deeper on the 2nd and 3rd order effects of this transformation on engineering, learning, kids, and Austin.

Episode Highlights

What is Gauntlet AI?
How AI transforms the engineering craft
Building $100M engineers
Breaking traditional talent signals & building new ones
AI's impact on adaptive learning
Developing spiky points of view
Austin's emergence as an edtech hub
What's Next Austin?
- "Austin just found a home for all of the people who think a little bit differently and see the world a little bit differently...And historically, if there's a place where all of the independent thinking vagabonds go with a lot of ambition, that's going to be a really cool place, and that's a place you want to be."

Gauntlet AI

Austen Allred: X/Twitter, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

From DNA to Deep Space with Eliah Overbey, Professor at University of Austin

Jason Scharf — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 04:00:00 -0600

Space is becoming our next great innovation frontier as we move from 700 astronauts spending days or months to tens of thousands spending years. What does that do to the human body? What does it mean for our species? Eliah Overbey, Assistant Professor of Bioastronautics at the University of Austin, joins the podcast to explore topics in the increasingly blurred line between science fiction and science fact.

Episode Highlights

What is Bioastronautics?
Space's Impact on Human Biology
Current Space Medicine and Healthcare Challenges
The Commercialization of Space and NASA's Evolving Role
UATX's Unique Approach
The SOMA Summit and Space Research Community
Genetic Modification for Mars
Human Evolution with Space Colonization
What's Next Austin?
- "I'm working on building at UATX is I'm getting a bioastronautics lab started up...More and more people go to space, we're going to have more and more people that we want to sequence to...answer these questions in a more scientifically rigorous way, get our end value higher than before in a single experiment."

Eliah Overbey: LinkedIn, X/Twitter
University of Austin: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter
BioAstra: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Skills and Learning Revolution in the New Tech World with Rob Rosenthal, CRO at Udemy

Jason Scharf — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 04:00:00 -0600

Austin is rapidly emerging as a significant edtech hub, attracting not just innovative startups but also established industry leaders. In this episode, Udemy's Chief Revenue Officer Rob Rosenthal joins me to explore what skills are in-demand and how technology is transforming both what we learn and how we learn it.

Episode Highlights

Generational Changes in Professional Learning
The Rise of Skills-Based Organizations
Foundational vs Transitory Skills
AI as a Teaching Tool, Not a Replacement
The Power of Learning Marketplaces
Why Austin is Becoming an EdTech Hub
What's Next Austin?
- "It's always been one of my favorite places in the world to spend time. I know you've had a lot of growth, you have a lot more coming."

2025 Global Learning & Skills Trends Report
Q3 2024 Global Workplace Learning Index

Rob Rosenthal

Udemy: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Quantum CEOs Get Real About Hype, Hope, and Hardware at Austin's Quantonation Day

Jason Scharf — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 04:00:00 -0600

Recorded live at Austin's Quantonation Day this past September, I sat down with senior leaders from Strangeworks, Qunnect, Pasqal, and Tau Systems to discuss the state of quantum and physics tech. This candid panel went beyond the typical quantum computing conversation to face the market realities of building a business in the space. We explored the tension between the possible future this technology brings and immediate needs of customers today.

Episode Highlights

Introduction to Quantum and Physics Tech
Deep Tech Communication
Scientific-Business Divide
Hype vs Market Reality vs Innovation Progress
Solving Customer Problems Today
The Role of Patience
Infrastructure and Horizontal Tech
What’s Next

William 'whurley' Hurley: Strangeworks, LinkedIn, X/Twitter
Noel Goddard: Qunnect, LinkedIn
Wasiq Bokhari: Pasqal, LinkedIn
Bjorn Manuel Hegelich: Tau Systems, LinkedIn
Quantoation

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Building Austin's Next Health and Wellness Revolution with Jim Donnelly, Humanaut Health

Jason Scharf — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 04:00:00 -0600

Optimizing health is about more than just new tech, it's about new models, new ways to engage, and being fun. Jim Donnelly, founder and CEO of Humanaut Health, is pioneering a comprehensive approach that combines advanced diagnostics, the latest interventions, with lifestyle changes to add decades of healthy living to people's lives. In this episode, we look at these new approaches and how Austin is emerging as a hub for health innovation companies.

Episode Highlights

Humanaut Health and Its Mission
Longevity vs. Health Optimization
Navigating the Wild West of Wellness
Measuring Prevention and Healthspan
New Business Models: Aligning Incentives, Dealing with Churn, Integrating Tech
Austin: A Hub for Health and Wellness Innovation
What's Next, Austin?
- "That many of these great things that are happening in Austin become less the purvey of the top 1%-5%. It's not the biohackers. It's not the rich people. It's like a lot of this sort of filters down more and more."

Jim Donnelly
Humanaut Health: Website, Instagram

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Backing Extraordinary Leaders to Build Austin Moonshots with Craig Cummings, Co-Founder and General Partner Moonshots Capital

Jason Scharf — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 04:00:00 -0600

Building companies that can 10x humanity requires extraordinary leadership. Craig Cummings of Moonshots Capital has made finding and backing these leaders his mission. Craig shares his insights on building the next generation of mission-driven companies and the future of the Austin ecosystem.

Episode Highlights

What is a Moonshot?
Finding the %$^* Yes: Moonshots Capital's Investment Philosophy
Austin's Open Networks and Culture of Help
Building the Nation's Defense Tech Hub
Dancing with the Stars Austin
What's Next Austin?
- "How do we get bigger and smaller at the same time...Don't try to change it, help us maintain it."

Craig Cummings
Moonshots Capital: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter
Dancing with Starts Austin
Center for Child Protection: Website, Instagram

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Can Austin Lead the Race to Solving Rare Diseases with the Founders of the Firefly Fund

Jason Scharf — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Nothing motivates a parent to action like a sick child, and for the Andrews family, words like no and impossible became mere roadblocks on their journey to help their kids. Our guests, Pam and Chris Andrews, founders of the Firefly Fund, turned their battle with their daughters' rare genetic disorder into a mission to revolutionize rare disease research and treatment here in Austin and beyond.

Episode Highlights

Firefly Fund's Origin
Establishing a Rare Disease Center at UT Dell Medical School
Navigating the Diagnostic Odyssey
Interplay of Tech Innovation and New Business Models in Healthcare
Downstream Effects of Rare Disease Advancements
What's Next, Austin?
- Pam Andrews: "Let's see how the intersection of technology and healthcare really can transform healthcare because I think that rare disease can light the way and inform the way that we do precision medicine for generations to come. So that's what we want through the Center for Rare Disease here in Austin is for it to evolve and unfold in a partnership with the rare disease community."
- Chris Andrews: "My dream is that when people think of Austin, they'll think of the University of Texas, they'll think of barbecue, but they also will think of a place where people work to save lives."

Firefly Fund: Website, Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Angel Investing's Evolution and What Austin's Scene Reveals

Jason Scharf — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Angel investors are supposed to descend and bring early grace to startups but the reality of angel investing is much more complicated and complex. From individual big-check writers to small investors to organized groups, the will, experience, and dynamics vary widely. Katie Russel (Central Texas Angel Network), Hall Martin (Ten Capital), and James Burkett (NuFund) join us to explore angel investing evolution and the state of Austin's scene.

Episode Highlights

Defining an Angel
Angel Investing Intersections with the Ecosystem
Dynamics of Individual Investors, Small Syndicates, and Angel Networks
Where is Expertise in Verticals, Investing, and Startups
Contrarian vs Consensus Decision Making in Angel Investing
SAFE vs Convertible Note Debate
Austin's Angel Scene, its Evolution, and Challenges
What's Next, Austin?
- Katie Russel: "Making sure that Texas based startups have access to angel level capital and that investors, if they want to get involved in early stage investing, they know how to get involved and where to go"
- Hall Martin: "Life science and deep tech...Austin's right there with the Bits and Atoms"
- James Burkett: "Continue to do what defines Austin as a city. It's been really good at blazing its own trail in a number of unique industries and just because it's not something that someone in Sand Hill Road wants to fund doesn't mean it's the wrong thing to be building. And have conviction in that."

Katie Russel: LinkedIn, Central Texas Angel Network (CTAN)
Hall Martin: Ten Capital Group, Startup Funding Espresso, Investor Connect
James Burkett: LinkedIn, NuFund, Florin Digital

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Artificial General Intelligence Modeled on the Human Mind with Peter Voss

Jason Scharf — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Are we overlooking the most powerful model of intelligence we have in our race to create smarter machines, the human mind? Peter Voss, CEO and Chief Scientist of Aigo.ai, coined the term "Artificial General Intelligence" (AGI) and brings decades of experience in AI research and development. We explore Peter's vision and challenge the current consensus path we are on.

Episode Highlights

Defining AGI and Its Distinctions
Measuring Intelligence Beyond the Turing Test
Current AI Limitations and the Need for Real-Time Learning
Building Cognitive AI to Mimic the Human Mind
The Future of AI Development in Austin
What's Next Austin?
- "I hope Austin becomes the center of cognitive AI and AGI"

Peter Voss: LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Aigo.AI
Concepts Is All You Need: A Direct Path to AGI
Towards Incremental Learning
Why We Don’t Have AGI Yet?
INSA – Integrated Neuro-Symbolic Architecture
Creating The Future With Artificial General Intelligence

LLMs are not the Path to AGI

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

From Tel Aviv to Austin with Texas Venture Partners

Jason Scharf — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0500

What connects the Startup Nation to the Lone Star State? We're witnessing a growing nexus that crosses tech, cultures, and economic verticals. To explore this emerging relationship, I'm joined by Tal Shmueli and Simone Ledeen from Texas Venture Partners. They're at the forefront of catalyzing this intersection between two innovative ecosystems.

Episode Highlights

Israeli Entrepreneurs in Texas: Shared Values and Culture
Texas Venture Partners' Thesis and Scope
Israel's Tech Expertise and Its Fit with U.S. Defense Needs
Accelerating Innovation from Concept to the Battlefield
Balancing Collaboration and Competition with Defense Primes
Is Dual-Use a Distraction or an Opportunity?
Austin and Texas as Emerging Hubs for Defense and Hard Tech
What's Next, Texas?
- Tal Shmueli: "It's what's next for the people who are considering Texas as a home. It's not perfect, but it's pretty close to it. Let's work to make it the place we want it to be...So let's keep Texas, Texas and preserve the good."
- Simone Ledeen: "When we look at the threats that Western civilization broadly is facing...I think this is a great place for like-minded people to be and to work on solving these problems and meeting these challenges."

Tal Shmueli: Website, LinkedIn
Simone Ledeen: Website, LinkedIn
Texas Venture Partners: Website, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Riskgaming and Tech's Future Frontiers with Danny Crichton, Lux Capital

Jason Scharf — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0500

From wargaming to Riskgaming, what can simulations and stories teach us about the future of technology and innovation? Danny Crichton, Head of Editorial and Risk Gaming at Lux Capital, brings his unique insights from his experience in both tech journalism and venture capital. What started as a conversation on the tech-media divide expanded to encompass human psychology and all the little details and nuances that make innovation tick.

Episode Highlights:

The Evolution of Tech Media and VC Communication
Building Long-Lasting Companies With and Against Hype Cycles
What is Riskgaming?
Real World Incentives and Human Emotion in Decision Making
Complexity vs Functionality in Modern Tech
Ecosystem First Principles
What's Next?
- "I have been really obsessed with xenotransplantation...Technology exists to potentially give them organs in relatively short order. And to me, it's sort of a national priority to move that very, very quickly, to make that happen fast. We've had the first successful cases. And so the ability to potentially save hundreds of thousands of lives in the next decade."

Hacking Primordial Soups

Danny Crichton: Website, Articles, X/Twitter, LinkedIn
Lux Capital: Website, X/Twitter, LinkedIn
Riskgaming: Website, Podcast

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Evolving Venture Capital for the AI and Data Era with Gopinath Sundaramurthy, Founder & Head of Data Science, Ensemble VC

Jason Scharf — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Is venture capital on the cusp of a data-driven revolution? Gopinath Sundaramurthy, Founder & Head of Data Science at Ensemble VC, believes AI and advanced analytics are reshaping how VCs identify and support promising startups. From transforming deal pipelines to finding diamonds in the rough around the globe, we explore what this new era will mean for venture, startups, and even our own Austin backyard.

Episode Highlights:

Ensemble VC’s Thesis
Transforming the VC Pipeline with AI and Advanced Analytics
Portfolio Support Using Data Science
Adapting VC to Global Talent and Technological Shifts
Austin's Unique Ecosystem and Its Role in the Future of Startups
What’s Next, Austin?
- “I am super pumped. I really think we are in the forefront of a very interesting evolution of the ecosystem.”

Data innovation + process innovation = top-tier VC

Gopinath Sundaramurth

Ensemble VC: Website, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Rekindling Humanity's Ambition Through Story with Devon Eriksen - Theft of Fire

Jason Scharf — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Can the stories we tell shape the future we build? Devon Eriksen, author of "Theft of Fire" and now Dragon Award finalist, argues that science fiction isn't just entertainment; it's a catalyst for innovation and human progress. Our narratives can be beautiful and optimistic, inspiring us to build, or ugly and pessimistic, causing us to stagnate. It's time to choose.

Episode Highlights:

Role of Science Fiction in Shaping the Future
Symbiotic Relationship Between Science Fiction, Engineering, and Innovation
Changing Landscape of Publishing and Distribution
Tensions and Connections Between the Media, Artists, and Entrepreneurs
Asteroid Mining and the Space Industrial Revolution
What's Next?
- "What's next is a choice. Humanity has a choice between sabotaging this new wave of innovation with the political process or benefiting from it and inheriting the stars."

Devon Eriksen: Website, X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
Theft of Fire, Theft of Fire Audiobook Kickstarter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

From Building 3D-Printed Houses to Funding Critical Tech with Evan Loomis, Partner at Overmatch Ventures

Jason Scharf — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Evan Loomis, partner at Overmatch Ventures and co-founder of ICON, exemplifies Austin's entrepreneurial spirit in tackling audacious challenges. From revolutionizing construction to investing in frontier technologies, Evan shares his journey through Austin's rapidly evolving tech landscape and why now is the moment for critical tech. We don't shy away from some of the contentious issues arising from Austin's transformation.

Episode Highlights

Introduction and Background of ICON
Difference Between 3D Printing and Construction Robotics
Cultural Dynamics of Innovation in Austin and Texas
Investment Thesis of Overmatch Ventures
Surge of Deep Tech and Critical Tech
Technoeconomic Competition and World Order
Contrarian Investing and Venture Capital
The Pain Threshold of Founders
Current Austin Ecosystem Vibe
What's Next Austin?
- "I think Austin is going to be the center of America for working on the hardest problems, period."

Evan Loomis, Overmatch Ventures, Icon

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Connection and Innovation in the Austin Food Scene with Grace Chow Co-Founder & CEO of Lobos Hospitality

Jason Scharf — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Can a city’s food scene serve as a catalyst for connection, creativity, and innovation? Grace Chow, Co-Founder & CEO of Austin-based Lobos Hospitality, joins me to share her insights from food scenes across the US, and her in-the-trenches view from building three distinctive Austin restaurants: Toasty Badger, Manny's, and the Powder Room.

Episode Highlights

The State of the Austin Food Scene
Balancing Local Sourcing, Trends, and Concept Authenticity
Crafting Distinctive Dining Experiences
What Austin Needs for a Vibrant Hospitality Industry
How Restaurants Intersect with Other Sectors
The Impact of Tech on the Restaurant Industry
Restaurants as Potential Third Places in Austin
What's Next, Austin?
- "I think just everybody kind of becoming a little bit nerdier about food and a little bit nerdy about restaurants."

Grace Chow, Lobos Hospitality

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Pattern Breakers with Mike Maples Jr., Founding Partner at Floodgate

Jason Scharf — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 04:00:00 -0500

Promising startups often fail despite following best practices, while rule-breakers and those running through chaos can achieve massive success. Why? Mike Maples Jr, Founding Partner at Floodgate, tackles this paradox in his book "Pattern Breakers." We discuss his Inflection Theory, why some pivots work and others don't, unexpected inspirations like Lord of the Rings, and explore the nature of breakthrough innovation and startups.

Episode Highlights

The genesis of Mike Maples' new book "Pattern Breakers" originated from his realization that over 80% of his exit profits came from startups that had pivoted significantly from their original ideas, leading him down the rabbit hole of why.
Business is never a fair fight, and the key is deciding who gets to fight unfair; startups create value by changing the subject and denying the premise of existing rules.
Inflection theory shows how breakthrough startups harness powerful technological or societal inflection points, combine them with founders' non-obvious insights, and then build movements around new ideas that fundamentally change how things are done.
Living in the future to develop non-obvious insights is crucial for breakthrough startups, and founder-future fit is key to understanding what makes the right team that can turn that future vision into reality.
What's Next?
- "I like to ask myself is in what world will certain types of cognition become asymptotically free and where, how will that shift power dynamics?... My instinct is it won't be the same way that the big companies of today monetize it. And my instinct is that an era of mass cognition will shift the balance of power in some very profound ways."

Mike Maples Jr: X/Twitter, LinkedIn
Pattern Breakers: Book, Podcast, Newsletter
Floodgate: Website, X/Twitter, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Startups Playing the International Game with Joe Merrill, Co-Founder and Partner Sputnik VC

Jason Scharf — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 08:16:03 -0500

What do global trends affects on startups, the art of selling, startup accelerators, and the future lizard king all have in common? They are all just a few of the diverse and intersecting topics that I explore today with Joe Merrill, Co-Founder and Partner at Sputnik VC.

Episode Highlights

Sputnik ATX invests in pre-seed startups across various sectors, attracting companies from around the world, including Vietnam, Japan, and France, while focusing on "training nerds on how to sell."
Austin is seen as a welcoming place for international startups due to its competitive marketplace and cultural acceptance, offering a less expensive and more supportive environment compared to Silicon Valley.
Successful global sales demonstrate cultural flexibility, while understanding at the end of the day selling is still selling no matter what country you are in.
Startups need to embrace adaptability by understanding how macro events affect them, leveraging international markets, and utilizing global talent pools to remain competitive and innovative
What's Next Austin
- "I really feel strongly that the next great wave of technology is going to be coming from this state and Austin specifically leading that because this is where the rebels are. This is where the people are who want to just dramatically change the status quo and other places have become the status quo."

Joe Merrill: Blog, LinkedIn, X/Twitter
Sputnik ATX VC: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

From the Archive: Can A Simple Walk Revolutionize Networking with Elle Beecher, Founder of The Board Walks

Jason Scharf — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In honor of the The Board Walks' 100th walk this past weekend, we are rereleasing our episode with Board Walks Founder Elle Beecher.

Episode Originally Aired September 12, 2023
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Fostering connectivity within an innovation ecosystem is crucial for its ongoing vitality and growth. Often revolutionary concepts emerge from the most unforeseen origins. My guest, Elle Beecher, founded The Board Walks, where community and innovation unite through a simple yet powerful concept—a five-mile walk. In this episode, we explore this social experiment, examine how these walks serve as catalysts for creative collisions, and bring back the intellectual dynamism of Paris in the ‘20s.

Episode Highlights

Drawing inspiration from the 1920s Parisian cafe culture, Elle crafted The Board Walks to ignite creative collisions in Austin, offering a fresh, organic approach to networking.
Curiosity stands at the heart of Elle's vision; she champions the idea that bringing together inquisitive minds sparks deeper, more meaningful dialogues.
Though spontaneous in nature, The Board Walks are intentionally designed with playbooks and guidelines to foster genuine connections and fruitful discussions.
Overheard dialogues during the walks resonate with Austin's innovative aura, reminiscent of Paul Graham's "eavesdropping quality" notion from his 2008 Cities essay.
The walks serve as a platform for attendees to not only build professional relationships but also to delve into personal narratives and aspirations.
Given its success in Austin, Elle envisions taking The Board Walks to other cities, like San Francisco, while ensuring the preservation of its foundational values and communal essence.
What’s next Austin? “More creative collisions that will bring about Paris in the 20s energy.”

“Cities and Ambition” by Paul Graham

Elle Beecher: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Instagram

The Board Walks: Website, X/Twitter, Instagram

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

AI, Defense, and the Future of Warfare with Charlie Burgoyne, Founder and CEO of Andromeda and Valkyrie

Jason Scharf — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 04:00:00 -0500

The future of defense and warfare has always been linked to technological change, from the discovery of fire to the Bronze Age to the Nuclear Age to now the AI Age. My guest today is Charlie Burgoyne, Founder and CEO of both Valkyrie and their newest spinout Andromeda, who joins me to discuss the future of warfare going forward. But we don't stop there as we explore every rabbit hole in search of Truth.

Andromeda synthesizes large volumes of information quickly and accurately, helping users understand the interconnected context to make informed decisions.
Pop culture and media narratives of innovation, from Terminator to Data to Her to Oppenheimer, shape how the public views, embraces, or fears technological waves.
History has shown that industry and defense have always been intertwined, with modern tech entrepreneurs playing roles similar to industrialists of the past in advancing defense capabilities.
Probabilistic thinking is essential in defense decision-making, especially where high levels of computation can easily mask high levels of uncertainties.
What's Next Austin
- "I think that we're going to see a big push to support the intelligence community the way we've seen a big push to support the defense community. I think that an equivalent to AFC is coming on the intelligence side."

Accountability in Age of LLMS at SXSW by Charlie Burgoyne

Valkyrie: Website, Facebook, Instagram
Andromeda: Website

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

A Texas Investment Thesis with Krishna Srinivasan, Founding Partner of LivOak Ventures

Jason Scharf — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 06:43:40 -0500

The only constant in Austin seems to be change. Whether that be the people moving here, the buildings defining our skyline, or the startups being founded and funded. Today, my guest is Krishna Srinivasan, founding Partner of LiveOak Ventures. We will explore what it means to invest in Texas startups yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Episode Highlights

The need for early-stage venture capital in Texas led to the founding of LiveOak Ventures, which has a multi-segment approach focused on Texas-based entrepreneurs.
Krishna identifies three types of founders now in Austin: experienced local entrepreneurs, successful founders from other markets relocating to Austin, and new residents inspired by the city's quality of life to start businesses here.
Despite significant progress in startup formation and mid-level scaling, Austin faces gaps in experienced talent for managing large-scale, nine-figure+ companies and in securing substantial late stage venture capital.
What's Next Austin?
- "Tremendous areas of promise and excitement where Austin takes all these newfound riches, when I say riches, newfound talent and with its traditional strengths and vertical markets to go to the next wave of and continuing this amazing wave of new company formation, growth, and scaling."

Krishna Srinivasan: LinkedIn
LiveOak Ventures: Website, X/Twitter, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Founder’s Perspective: What VCs Look for in AI & ML Startups with Cheryl Sew Hoy, CEO & Founder Tiny Health

Jason Scharf — Wed, 15 May 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In this episode, recorded at the Austin Data Science Salon, I sit down with Cheryl Sew Hoy, CEO and Founder of Tiny Health. Tiny Health is a pioneer in gut microbiome testing, providing critical health insights for moms and babies during the first 1,000 days. We dive into the current buzz around AI and machine learning, discussing the tailwinds and challenges founders face when raising venture capital. Cheryl shares her journey and insights, highlighting what VCs are looking for in today's dynamic environment.

Cheryl Sew Hoy: X/Twitter, LinkedIn
Tiny Health: Website, X/Twitter, LinkedIn
Data Science Salon: Website, X/Twitter, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Innovation at the Intersection of Venture and Nonprofits with Alice Pomponio, Managing Director BrightEdge - American Cancer Society

Jason Scharf — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 08:38:44 -0500

How does a nonprofit innovate and scale its mission? Joining me today is Alice Pomponio, Managing Director of BrightEdge, the venture arm of the American Cancer Society, to discuss the intersection of venture capital and nonprofit work. Is this approach a unique case, or part of a new wave of strategies catalyzing the defeat of cancer and other societal challenges?

Episode Highlights

BrightEdge, the innovation and venture capital arm of the American Cancer Society (ACS), aims to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and practical application, creating a new funding source for the nonprofit.
ACS has allocated over $5 billion to 25,000 researchers and 50 Nobel laureates, significantly influencing global cancer research.
Capitalizing on the ACS’s extensive partnership network and volume of grants, BrightEdge enhances its deal flow and supports innovative cancer care solutions, ranging from therapeutics to care delivery.
The newly announced Texas Accelerator by ACS highlights the strategic importance of the region in advancing national cancer research efforts, leveraging local capabilities, and enhancing ACS's impact through innovative cancer care approaches.
What's Next?
- "Bright Edge is investing in innovation for impact. So we are really excited about reporting on our impact performance. We're excited about the accelerators taking flight and we're excited about building community"

Alice Pomponio: LinkedIn, X/Twitter
BrightEdge: Website, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Race for Quantum Dominance with Scott Faris, CEO Eqlipse Quantum

Jason Scharf — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 04:00:00 -0500

I am diving back into the quantum realm where the stakes are high and the potential for innovation is even higher. Joining me is Scott Faris, a seasoned expert in the field, to unravel the complexities and opportunities of quantum technology. We explore how this revolutionary tech is shaping the future of global industries and national security, and why Austin is at the forefront of this next wave.

Episode Highlights

Amidst escalating geopolitical tensions, the US, China, and other nations are racing to define the future, positioning quantum technology as a critical battleground where securing a first-mover advantage may determine long-term global dominance.
Quantum technology leverages the principles of quantum mechanics to manipulate atomic and subatomic particles, unlocking new levels of precision.
Even while quantum computing is still in development, quantum technology enhances capabilities in sensing, timing, and communications, setting new standards for accuracy and speed.
Austin is poised as a key player in quantum technology, bolstered by its history with semiconductor manufacturing, a deep tech industry presence, and an ecosystem that efficiently supports scaling complex technologies.
What's Next, Austin?
- "I think next Austin, everyone says this, everyone wants to be this. It is the epicenter of the technology industry in the United States in my view. It is what Silicon Valley once was and priced its way out of and politicized its way out of it. You need that as an economic engine for this country to be successful...Austin has all the right ingredients to exist at that scale. It's scale of creative, it's scale of industrial, it's scale of capital."

Scott Faris: LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

AI in the Bio Century with Micha Breakstone, Founder and CEO of Somite.ai

Jason Scharf — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 07:34:40 -0500

As we enter the Bio Century, AI innovations are becoming pivotal in shaping the future of biology and medicine. In this episode, I am joined by Micha Breakstone, the founder and CEO of Somite.ai, who is at the forefront of integrating AI with stem cell biology. Together, we explore the intersection of AI and health, its history, and its impact on startups and enterprises alike.

Episode Highlights

AI innovations are transforming biology and medicine, paving the way for revolutionary advances in disease understanding, diagnostics, and treatments.
Somite.ai, aiming to be the OpenAI for stem cells, is developing a platform to map cell trajectories and guide pluripotent stem cells to become targeted cells for therapeutic use.
AlphaFold's understanding of protein folding represented a major breakthrough, deepening our scientific understanding and serving as a clear example of AI’s potential impact on biology.
The evolving landscape is creating tension between traditional asset-focused strategies and AI-driven platform business models, prompting questions about where the true value of these companies lies.
What's Next, Austin?
- "I would absolutely love to see Austin become a force of nature in moving innovation forward."

Micha Breakstone: LinkedIn, X/Twitter
Somite.AI: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

From the Frontlines of the Streaming Wars with Blake Sabatinelli, CEO of Atmosphere

Jason Scharf — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 04:00:00 -0500

In the midst of the streaming wars, a battle rages over the future of how we watch and interact with media. Joining me is Blake Sabatinelli, CEO of Atmosphere, to navigate the changes in consumer expectations, the future of the industry, and how Austin is quietly becoming a real player.

Episode Highlights

Atmosphere is designed to enhance communal environments with curated content intended to replace muted TV, currently reaching 137 million people monthly across 65,000 businesses.
The streaming industry is currently navigating an 'era of churn,' with likely consolidation ahead to enhance profitability and user experience, while Netflix remains well-positioned to thrive in this era through its expansive content library.
Roku's move to Austin, the building of new of film studios, and companies like Atmosphere's innovating in the space exemplify the region's growth as a media hub, at the intersection of creativity and technological advancement.
What's Next Austin?
- "I believe fundamentally that within the next 10 years, Austin will become a hub for creative use of AI. The companies that help drive it and the creatives that are around it, I think that will spur another revolution in this city."

Blake Sabatinelli: LinkedIn, X/Twitter
Atmosphere: Website, Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

What is the Gundo?

Jason Scharf — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 04:00:00 -0500

What makes innovation ecosystems thrive and can the learnings of one hub be applied to another? Today I am joined by Isaiah Taylor, a founder building in the Gundo, and John Coogan, who has done his own deep dive on the hub, to discuss all things Gundo. We explore its rise, what makes the region unique, its future, and the first principles that other hubs should be thinking about.

Episode Highlights

Stretching from Santa Monica to Long Beach and encompassing more than just El Segundo, the Gundo stands out as a broad hub for aerospace, defense, and hard tech, where a "small town Americana" vibe thrives.
The Gundo attracts companies and individuals focused on solving complex challenges with atoms, not just bits, embodying a hardcore ethos that underscores a commitment to ambitious tech innovation.
With its recent viral fame, the Gundo now faces the challenge of maintaining its innovation ethos amidst the pressures of increased visibility and expectations.
Key lessons that can be brought to other regional ecosystems include the importance of not being apologetic about their core strengths and ambitions, coupled with the impactful role of strong personalities.
What's Next?
- John Coogan "Startups were like in chaos...And in the midst of all that, there's like this small group of like five or so guys that are just like, we're going to go a very different direction. We're going to go off and do this thing. And, and it was like, so counter cultural that it, everyone just fell in love with it. Everyone just loves it online."
- Isaiah Taylor "I think what's next for the Gundo is we each have a company here has a lot of unbelievably ambitious things to pull off and we have to work extremely hard on it...here's a lot of people thinking about us the Gundo is the spot. And I think probably what's next for the the people who are here is making sure that people don't get overheated with it."

Gundo Deep Dive by John Coogan

Isaiah Taylor: LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Valar Atomics, Why Hydrocarbons
John Coogan: LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Website, YouTube

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Exploring the Rapidly Evolving E-Commerce Landscape with Roei Yellin Co-Founder and CRO at 8fig

Jason Scharf — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 04:00:00 -0500

E-commerce is reshaping how we do business, but where do we stand four years after lockdowns pushed everything online? I'm joined by Roei Yellin, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of 8fig, to dissect the current state of the industry. We'll explore whether we've returned to previous trends, settled into a new normal, the impact of Chinese competitors, and of course everyone’s favorite buzzword, AI.

Episode Highlights

8fig is a growth platform that combines financial planning and direct financing, uniquely supporting e-commerce sellers in areas where traditional bank lending falls short.
Despite a transient spike during the pandemic, the e-commerce industry has resumed its steady, long-term growth, reflecting an increasingly digital consumer base.
The maturing e-commerce market is raising barriers to entry and increasing competition, necessitating strategic and efficient business operations.
The emergence of Chinese e-commerce platforms is introducing new competitive dynamics, with consumers becoming increasingly comfortable ordering products from these platforms.
What's Next Austin?
- "So the reason we came and we built the office in Austin was because it's a very strong hub for e-commerce sellers...Austin is also becoming a hub for the creative space. So online creators, podcasters, YouTube creators, Instagram influencers are all coming to Austin together. I think there will be a very interesting mix between the two"

Roei Yellin: LinkedIn
8fig: Website, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Rise of the Meta City with Richard Florida

Jason Scharf — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 04:00:00 -0600

How we live, work, and innovate is changing, transforming not only our interactions within cities but also how regions interact with each other. In this episode, we welcome back Richard Florida to explore his concept of the Meta City. We discuss and dissect how the physical and digital relationships between regions are rooted in historical connections and the emerging ecosystem models of today.

Episode Highlights

The Meta City represents an evolution of the spatial division of labor, expanding beyond urban/suburban distinctions to digitally connect distant cities with unique economic specializations into a global network.
Informed by LinkedIn data on skilled professionals' mobility, the Meta City concept was born out of an attempt to understand remote work's impact and instead uncovered new linkages that redefine the connections between cities.
The relationship between Austin-Silicon Valley, Miami-New York, and Nashville-Los Angeles exemplifies these interconnected ecosystems, where talent and innovation flow is not only a result of their historical and cultural ties but also significantly enhanced in the digital connectivity era of the Meta City.
What's Next Austin?
- "Linking innovation, university research, high-tech ecosystems, startup ecosystems with popular culture innovation, and music, and all lifestyle, and not only music but outdoor recreation, all the things I like with now a production component. So it's kind of a more full-fledged model. So I like that. You know, I think what next for Austin, just keep doing what you're doing."

The Rise of the Meta City

Richard Florida: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Startups and Statistics: Analyzing 2023's Story and Anticipating 2024 with Peter Walker, Carta’s Head of Insights

Jason Scharf — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 04:00:00 -0600

As we navigate the tumultuous currents of the startup world, we're thrilled to welcome back Peter Walker, Carta’s Head of Insights. He comes with a treasure trove of data shedding light on the twists and turns of 2023 and what may lie ahead in 2024. We see the impact on the national level, from pre-seed to late stage, and how it is affecting founders and funders from Austin to Silicon Valley.

Episode Highlights

Despite talks about 2023 being the worst year in a decade for startup fundraising, the reality was more about the severe whiplash being felt from the highs of 2021/2022, as significant capital was still being deployed.
With the high number of bridge rounds and the leveling off of capital raised, questions remained about whether the market has hit bottom or if there are still less viable startups to churn through.
Amidst the flight to quality, startups are increasingly striving for runway and self-sufficiency, whether with new AI tools, creative hiring, or greater efficiency.
Austin was ranked as the number five market for total capital raised and performed well across a variety of industries, demonstrating a broad-based ecosystem that sets it apart from other growing ecosystems.
What's Next Austin?
- "Is the difference between Austin and, LA, New York, Boston, San Francisco, merely a question of scale? What percentage of people who have a lot of disposable income take some of that and put it into startups? Maybe that's the scale. That's like the next part up. And candidly, I think Austin could probably surpass places like LA in that without too much difficulty over the next three or five years."

Startups & Statistics: Analyzing 2023's Story & Anticipating 2024 Slides

Peter Walker: LinkedIn, Twitter, The Data Minute Newsletter

Carta: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

What is the SXSW Effect and how does it shape innovation?

Jason Scharf — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 04:00:00 -0600

How does innovation show up at SXSW? Is it all carefully crafted, or the result of spontaneous interactions among artists, musicians, technologists, and more? That is the key question that we dive into with Monica Sack and Chris Valentine, key organizers of the festival. We break down specific programs like Pitch and the Innovation Awards, explore how the conference fosters serendipity, and discuss how the spirit of Austin is always present.

Episode Highlights

SXSW facilitates creative collisions by bringing together diverse industries and encouraging attendees to explore content outside their daily work.
SXSW's Pitch Competitions and Innovation Awards highlight innovators from startups to established firms, showcasing groundbreaking ideas and helping create over $20B in company value.
Austin's influence is reflected in the content, with health topics booming post-Dell Med School launch and transportation themes possibly paving the way for Tesla's arrival.
What's Next Austin?
- Monica: A renaissance of the food space...Austin's going to be the place where it gets to redefine the food experience.
- Chris: Austin is a city that is continually changing and evolving, but in an exciting way. I feel like that we're one of the most, probably one of the best cities in the world to live, to work, to play in and I feel like we're kind of ahead of the curve.

Monica Sack: LinkedIn
Chris Valentine: LinkedIn, X/Twitter
SXSW: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Counter Culture Spark in Entrepreneurship with Tyler Norwood, Managing Partner at Antler

Jason Scharf — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 04:00:00 -0600

Is an entrepreneur a high-status position or are true innovators actually counter-cultural icons? This intriguing question forms the heart of my conversation with Tyler Norwood, Managing Partner at Antler. We discuss the role and impact of accelerators, the shift towards physical verticals and its implications for regional ecosystems, and the defining moments that shape generations of builders.

Episode Highlights

Antler's accelerator model is an eight-week, intensive evaluation program for founders, focusing on practical assessments over traditional business planning, culminating in a potential investment.
True disruptive innovation is inherently countercultural as it challenges established norms and appeals to those intrinsically motivated rather than by external status.
The Texas corridor's continued rise as global economic powerhouse is driven by the innovation surge in physical domains like energy, semiconductors, and space exploration.
The stagnation in productivity over the last 50 years may be attributed to the absence of 'frontier moments' that ignite public imagination, emphasizing the crucial role of inspiration in driving progress.
Ambitious projects like space exploration not only achieve technological feats but also inspire future generations, while conversely, those who don't witness such achievements may doubt the possibility of innovation.
What's Next Austin?
- In the next five to 10 years, Austin is going to have a surprising amount of really large, very successful, very innovative companies sprout up here.

Tyler Norwood: LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Podcasts - Early Days, The Deal
Antler: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter (Global), X/Twitter (US),

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Innovating at the Intersection of AI and the Physical World with Amir Husain, Founder and CEO of SparkCognition

Jason Scharf — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 04:00:00 -0600

The next phase of AI's evolution focuses on its convergence with the real world and the built environment, a key theme in my discussion with Amir Husain, Founder and CEO of SparkCognition. We explore the intersection of digital bits and physical atoms, examining the implications and challenges of creating solutions in this space, the progression of AI hardware, and Austin's potential as a hub for autonomy.

Episode Highlights

SparkCognition aims to develop an AI-powered operating system for the global $100 trillion existing infrastructure and the upcoming $100 trillion.
The unpredictability and rarity of real-world events, such as machinery failures, introduce unique complexities in applying AI to physical systems, necessitating innovative approaches to data and modeling.
Crucial for effective interaction with the physical world, multimodal AI integrates varied data types, such as temperature, vibration, and vision, thereby enhancing real-world applications.
Edge AI is essential for real-time, autonomous decision-making, embedded locally within hardware, especially in high-stakes scenarios like defense and aviation, where cloud access is often unreliable or unavailable.
What's Next Austin?
- “I would like Austin to be the birthplace…within which this new type of technology is formed, where systems that can take care of themselves, that are entirely self-contained, that can run on their own, optimize themselves, resolve issues within themselves to the maximum degree possible, can become the new infrastructure of this planet. And if that is a gift that Austin can give to the world, it would be one of the greatest gifts ever.”

Amir Husain: Website, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Generative AI for Leaders
SparkCognition: Website, X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Trailblazing Access to AI in Austin's Young Minds

Jason Scharf — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 04:00:00 -0600

We shift focus from the broad, macro-level implications of AI to its tangible effects on the ground, as Austin increasingly becomes a hub for educational innovation. Joining me are Principal Keith Moore of Austin's Campbell Elementary and Jules Beesley from Creative Action. We discuss their efforts in bringing AI and other cutting-edge technologies to their scholars, emphasizing the importance of providing access to these tools and technologies for students today and their impact on our future.

Episode Highlights

The goal of integrating AI in early education is to create access and provide opportunities for learning and exploring new technologies.
They strive to integrate the latest tools, keeping pace with their rapid evolution while ensuring effective learning experiences for students.
Demonstrating endless imagination, 4th graders created audio-visual poems combining their written and spoken words with striking images, while 5th graders produced science shows, integrating curriculum topics with personal creativity.
Austin's education market is increasingly becoming a hub for experimentation, characterized by the emergence of creative groups, unique partnerships, and new schools/universities, all offering diverse paradigms in education and technology.
What's Next Austin?
- Principal Moore: Greater opportunities for scholars, through increasing the use of technology, in these wonderful ways, to connect core curriculum to the arts.
- Mr. Beesley: How can we use these tools to tell stories, to use our imaginations, as well as explore issues of how we create.

Campbell Elementary School: Website, Instagram
Creative Action

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Understanding Agora and Humanity's Future with Byron Reese and Brett Hurt

Jason Scharf — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 04:00:00 -0600

In this thought-provoking episode, we are joined by Byron Reese, author of 'We are Agora,' and Brett Hurt, serial entrepreneur, to explore the intersections of superorganisms, technology, and human potential. The ideas presented in Byron's book, serve as a springboard to discuss how evolving technologies shape our future and the unfolding narrative of humanity.

Episode Highlights

Byron new book "We are Agora" explores superorganisms, drawing parallels between natural examples like beehives and emergent entities from human activity.
The concept of Agora is debated in relation to Adam Smith's invisible hand, free will, and human evolution, highlighting both the areas of convergence and divergence.
Human knowledge progression is traced from DNA to language to writing to the printing press to the internet, and now AI, each phase enhancing our ability to build upon previous knowledge.
The role of individual kindness and positive human actions is emphasized as crucial in sustaining and advancing the societal superorganism.
What’s Next?
- Byron: “We will spread to a billion planets, and we'll populate each of them with a billion people. and each of those billion people will be empowered to live their best possible life… Every Da Vinci will paint their Mona Lisa. Every Marie Curie would make her discoveries. Everybody would be empowered to achieve the most that they could they could”
- Brett: “Along the way of shooting high like, whether it's colonizing other planets, where it's inventing AGI, whether it's merging with the machines, whatever it is, we will invent so many things that are so bewilderingly great and make humanity better than ever before. That's our natural destiny”

The 4 Billion-Year History of AI’s Large Language Models by Byron Reese & Brett Hurt
We are Agora by Byron Reese

Byron Reese: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter
Brett Hurt: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, data.world

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Breaking Down the State of Austin's Pre-Seed & Seed Funding with Katelyn Donnelly and Rajiv Bala

Jason Scharf — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 04:00:00 -0600

The impetus for this episode was a recent viral tweet stating that "Austin desperately needs another real pre-seed fund." This sparked fierce debate around the health and scalability of Austin's earliest-stage investing landscape. Looking to settle the controversy, I interviewed two Austin-based VCs laser-focused on pre-seed and seed - Avalanche VC's Katelyn Donnelly and Clutch VC's Rajiv Bala. We discuss how we define the stages, the evolution of the Austin market, and what trends they saw this year and heading into next.

Episode Highlights

Avalanche VC invests in the first institutional round of companies transforming how people learn, earn, and own. Their focus areas include edtech, future of work, SaaS for small businesses, and companies related to home ownership or data ownership.
Clutch VC is a pre-seed and seed stage fund focused on Texas B2B software businesses. They aim to be the first institutional money in, participating in angel rounds up to $2 million pre-seed rounds.
The pre-seed round definition is usually less than $2 million raised, no revenue or early revenue/pilots. Seed rounds are around $3-5 million raised with $500k-$1.5 million ARR.
There is a lack of dedicated, local pre-seed funds in Austin compared to ecosystems like Seattle. More diverse early-stage managers are needed in Austin to cover the variety of companies starting up.
Katelyn observes a variety of small firms and solo GPs in Austin with vertical focuses, contrasting this with more generalist early-stage funds in other regions.
Rajiv provides a historical perspective on venture capital in Texas, highlighting the evolution from telecom and semiconductor to software and the shift of VC focus to Austin post-dot-com crash.
What’s next Austin?
- Rajiv: “I am just so excited about the opportunity set of the companies that are going to be built here in the next decade. I think the next $10 billion, $100 billion company is going to come out of Austin.”
- Katelyn: “I've been using the word ‘Austin's Scenius which is a combination of ‘genius’ plus ‘scene.’ I just feel this momentum of this collective genius in Austin, which is mixing and percolating and coming together for maker weekends and building things and trying things out. I think there's going to be amazing companies that are coming out of Austin, and they will be started next year and the year after that.”

Katelyn Donnelly: Linktree, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

Avalanche VC: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

Rajiv Bala: LinkedIn, X/Twitter

Clutch VC: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Plug and Play's Role in Austin's Evolving Innovation Landscape with Kevin Parakkattu, Partner at Plug and Play

Jason Scharf — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 04:00:00 -0600

As Austin continues to attract leading tech players and establish itself as a magnet for innovation, the role of new entrants becomes increasingly pivotal in shaping its future. In this episode, I talk with Kevin Parakkattu, Partner at Plug and Play, to explore their distinct approach to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. We cover a range of topics including the effects of their strategies on local markets, why Austin’s manufacturing, bio/health, and aerospace/defense sectors are key focus areas, and the broader implications for tech development and regional innovation.

Episode Highlights

Plug and Play's unique model combines physical space, corporate innovation, and venture capital to foster startup growth and ecosystem development.
Evolving from real estate to venture capital with early stakes in Google and PayPal, Plug and Play has now accelerated over 2,500 startups worldwide, including more than 35 unicorns.
Shortly after initiating their program in Alberta, their presence has already prompted notable local shifts, with three cohort companies relocating and four establishing second headquarters.
Austin's corporate growth, increasing number of unicorns, and tech promise were decisive in its selection as a new Plug and Play hub, with an emphasis on the region's emerging strengths in advanced manufacturing, bio/health, and aerospace/defense sectors.
Locating Plug and Play in Cedar Park, outside the central core of Austin, mirrors the region's evolution into a multi-hub area. This choice aligns with the needs of specific industries, as exemplified by the practicality of "You can’t build a rocket downtown."
As Austin's innovation landscape rapidly evolves, there's a growing focus on merging new ideas from recent transplants with local expertise, balancing the infusion of fresh attitudes while preserving the region's unique character.
What’s next Austin? “Plug and Play in Cedar Park, where we will become the innovation hub of the region.”

Kevin Parakkattu: LinkedIn, X/Twitter

Plug and Play: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Facebook

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

From the Archive: Austin's Next Innovation Hub - The Vision Behind the University of Austin with Pano Kanelos

Jason Scharf — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 04:00:00 -0600

An update since our original episode aired on May 9, 2023: The University of Austin is now accepting applications for their first undergraduate class starting fall 2024. To mark this milestone, we are resharing our interview with founding president Panos Kanelos.

The University of Austin is a new and promising institution set to open its doors to full time students in just over a year. The university is the brainchild of a few individuals who believe that an institution based on a new model is necessary. The school is committed to freedom of inquiry, a core tenet of any great university, that allows for the pursuit of truth. Today’s guest is the founding president, Pano Kanelos, a distinguished academic that had a successful tenure at St. John's College. We discuss the university's mission, building new institutions, and how they fit within Austin’s education and innovation ecosystems.

Episode Highlights

The University of Austin aims to become a new center for innovation and academic freedom in the city.
UATX aspires to become the "Stanford to Berkeley" for Austin, complementing the University of Texas.
By working closely with industry leaders, the university seeks to co-develop programs, offer internships, and provide support for student-led projects.
The Polaris Project emphasizes real-world application and impact on pressing global problems, while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among students.
They want to inspire new institutions around the world by proving that it’s possible to build a new university today
What’s next Austin? “A dozen years from now, there is a thriving campus in the Austin area that is attracting scholars, practitioners, and young people from across the country and across the world who are building things that we haven't yet dreamed of.”

University of Austin: Website, Undergraduate Application, X/Twitter, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

From the Archive: There’s Always an Us in Austin with Roy Spence, Co-Founder and Chairman of GSD&M and Founder of the Make it Movement

Jason Scharf — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 04:00:00 -0600

Roy Spence is the co-founder and chairman of GSD&M, an Austin-based advertising agency. With his significant background in the advertising industry, Roy and his team have played a pivotal role in shaping Austin's reputation as a city of ideas and innovation. Roy is also the founder of Make It Movement, a non-profit organization that helps young people discover their own purpose. In this episode, we will delve into Roy's journey as a business leader and advertising pioneer, exploring the early days of GSD&M, how he navigated the challenges of preserving the core values and purpose of Austin, the role of large events in shaping Austin's narrative, and his vision for the future of Austin. The episode will also shed light on Roy's thoughts on the intersection of purpose, values, and business.

Original episode aired January 17, 2023

Episode Highlights

The fundamental challenge that Austin faces with our hypergrowth is navigating the tension between persevering the core and stimulating progress
The original GSD&M Plan - Stay together; Stay in Austin; Make a difference; & Get Rich
Austin will continue punching above our weight if we evolve from not just a city of innovation, but to city of new ideas.
The Make It Movement is about letting young people discover what they could become great at and let them start learning to become great. Whether it's a lawyer or whether it's a welder.
What's next Austin - "We got to rediscover what made us. I think Austin should do a citywide purpose project"

Roy Spence

GSD&M: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

Make It Movement: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, YouTube

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

How My 10-Year-Old Son Became a ChatGPTer

Jason Scharf — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Today I explore how AI is reshaping learning and challenging traditional expertise. Through my own experiences with my 10-year-old son, we'll look at the potential of AI as a new educational frontier. Don't miss this intimate journey into the transformative impact of technology on the next generation.

Episode Highlights

As new technology empowers not just a new wave of entrepreneurs, it is also challenging traditional expertise, and raising questions about the role of AI in shaping the next generation.
With AI, a 10-year-old navigates vocabulary lessons, receives a tailored educational thought partner with ChatGPT, and explores startup dynamics through a bespoke interactive game.
AI's role in education foretells democratized access to knowledge and a potential overturning of the traditional teaching paradigm
What’s Next? “Whether it be the “Non Creative Creative Class”, the “Non Scientist Researcher”, the AI natives or as my son is starting to call us the ChatGPTers, this quickly approaching new era is going to be powered by those who are fearless, curious, and ready to explore.”

The Tech Tipping point w/Whurley & Brett Hurt

Decentralized Science and the Future of Discovery

How AI & Automation are Creating a New Wave of Entrepreneurs w/ Sameer Gulati

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

How Austin Can Write Its Own Innovation Roadmap

Jason Scharf — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 04:00:00 -0500

In this special solo episode, I dive into what makes Austin not just another 'Silicon Something' and about how we can transform into a generational ecosystem. After defining our region’s superpowers, I introduce a new mental model that synthesizes Austin's eclectic influences, from bleeding-edge technology to advanced manufacturing to the intellectual and creative spheres. All of this puts us on path to offer a promising vision for What’s Next Austin.

Episode Highlights

As cities worldwide strive to become the next Silicon Valley, adopting monikers like "Silicon Hills" in Austin, the real key to becoming a superstar innovation hub lies in leveraging unique local "superpowers" and assets.
Among Austin's 'superpowers' are its ability to invent and then deploy groundbreaking technologies locally, such as 3D-printed neighborhoods, and to radiate a 'cool factor' via iconic events like SXSW and brands like Yeti, as well as excelling in physical innovations like electric vehicles, advanced semiconductors, and rockets.
In stark contrast to more hierarchical ecosystems that resemble an 'onion,' Austin's open networks and culture of collaboration make room for creative collisions, fostering a dynamic and accessible environment.
A new framework is introduced that positions Austin as a unique blend of Silicon Valley's technological prowess, 1950s Detroit's manufacturing ingenuity, and 1920s Paris's intellectual and creative richness.
What's Next Austin? "In the longer term, our focus should be on increasing the density of founders, funders, and innovators within our region. Just like in ancient Athens or Renaissance Florence, I want to bump into the next Socrates or Da Vinci as I take a walk through Austin."

📘Zero to One by Peter Thiel
📘Startup Communities by Brad Feld
🎙️The Cities that Shaped Us w/Chelsea Follett
📘Centers of Progress by Chelsea Follett
🎙️There’s Always an Us in Austin w/Roy Spence
🎙️ Catalyzing Innovation in Austin w/Kaitlyn DeBernardo & Aaron Perman
🎙️The Future of Innovation: Austin and the New Creative Class w/Richard Florida
📘Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida
🎙️Can A Simple Walk Revolutionize Networking w/Elle Beecher

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Catalyzing Innovation in Austin: A Live Conversation at the Texas Venture Crawl with Kaitlyn DeBernardo and Aaron Perman

Jason Scharf — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 04:00:00 -0500

In this live episode from the Texas Venture Crawl, I'm joined by Kaitlyn DeBernardo of Next Coast Ventures and Aaron Perman of S3 Ventures to delve into Austin's entrepreneurial landscape. We unpack the shifts in venture capital operating models, the essential role of community in innovation, as well as the forces that both fuel and challenge Austin's ongoing growth.

Episode Highlights

Next Coast Ventures is an early-stage generalist venture firm in Austin with $500 million under management focused mainly on Series A, but will invest in Seed and Series B.
S3 Ventures is an Austin-based venture capital firm with $900 million under management, investing in B2B software, consumer digital experiences, and healthcare tech at Seed, Series A, and Series B.
The ubiquity of AI tools like Co-Pilots and ChatGPT allow companies to build faster than before making true technical innovation and product moats even more vital.
The VC platform role has grown to provide hands-on support to portfolio companies beyond just capital, especially for early-stage firms. Support spans talent, marketing, operations, and expertise like finance.
Venture capitalists are catalyzing long-term ecosystem growth by offering mentorship, making key introductions, and providing strategic advice to startups and founders, irrespective of their investment relationship. This broader engagement enriches the ecosystem creating a pipeline of future opportunities.
What’s next Austin?
- Aaron - “I think growth and scale…we're one of the few markets that hasn't seen a drop off. I really do feel like the gains Austin has made have been pretty well cemented, and it's almost given us a whole other foundation to go build on for the next decade.
- Kaitlyn - “I'm super excited about all things digital health right now—the addition of Dell Medical School, recent edition of new labs in town…the backdrop, the talent. I think there's going to be a real kind of step change in some digital health companies coming out of Austin.”

Aaron Perman: LinkedIn,

S3 Ventures: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

Kaitlyn DeBernardo: LinkedIn,

Next Coast Ventures: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

The Power of Platform: How VC Platform Teams Contribute to Outsized Fund Returns

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

How AI and Automation are Creating a New Wave of Entrepreneurs with Sameer Gulati, Chief Product Officer at ZenBusiness

Jason Scharf — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 04:00:00 -0500

In today's rapidly evolving entrepreneurial landscape, technology is the great equalizer, opening new avenues for innovation and challenging traditional notions of business scalability. We sit down with Sameer Gulati, CPO at ZenBusiness, to explore how the company is empowering startups on their business journey. We examine the impact of recent innovations on the entrepreneurial environment and delve into the rapid shifts in competition and remote work.

Episode Highlights

Technology is having a transformative impact on the entrepreneurial landscape, enabling a new wave of business ventures through accessible tech stacks and digital tools like Generative AI.
ZenBusiness positions itself as the K-12 level for early-stage businesses, offering specialized tools and services that guide startups through their formative years until they're ready for more specialized software.
The rise of platforms like ZenBusiness raises questions about the changing dynamics of small business scalability and regional competition.
The concept of a '1-button company' could revolutionize not just the startup phase but the entire lifecycle of running a business.
In a compelling example of eating their own dog food, ZenBusiness encourages team members to launch side hustles, serving as a real-world testbed for the company’s product offerings.
Despite having a majority of their workforce based in Austin, ZenBusiness's commitment to a remote work culture is so strong that even local social gatherings are rare.
What’s Next Austin? “Austin has shown that as an ecosystem, as a talent pool, as a well-connected city with ambition, it certainly has the potential to be the place which creates not just the next set of unicorns but also decacorns. I'm optimistic about that. We believe that we can be one of those.”

Sameer Gulati: LinkedIn, X/Twitter

ZenBusiness: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Cities that Shaped Us with Chelsea Follett of the Cato Institute & HumanProgress.org

Jason Scharf — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 04:00:00 -0500

What makes a city truly great? In this episode, we dive into the tapestry of cities that have shaped human history with Chelsea Follett, author of 'Centers of Progress: 40 Cities That Changed the World.' From the invention of writing to the digital revolutions in modern metropolises, we explore the key factors that have allowed cities to become centers of progress, innovation, and enduring impact.

Episode Highlights

The book looks at 40 cities throughout history that made major contributions to human progress, starting with ancient cities like Jericho that developed agriculture to modern cities like San Francisco that drove the digital revolution.
Many of the featured centers of progress reached their peak during periods of peace and stability, often characterized by open trade, effective governance, and intellectual freedom.
Paris' intellectual vibrancy in the Enlightenment and the 1920s and Cambridge's enduring scientific contributions highlight that being a center of progress can be a lasting trait for cities.
The extraordinary concentration of genius in Athens and Florence led to a cross-pollination of ideas that still resonates today.
Despite its smaller size, Edinburgh has made outsized contributions to various fields, thanks to its robust educational system and culture of intellectual curiosity.
What’s next? In March 2024, the Cato Institute plans to release a companion volume titled "Heroes of Progress" about individuals who made significant contributions to progress and changed the world.

Chelsea Follett: LinkedIn, X/Twitter

Cato Institute: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

HumanProgress.org: Website, Facebook, X/Twitter

Centers of Progress: 40 Cities That Changed the World

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Decentralized Science and the Future of Discovery

Jason Scharf — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 04:00:00 -0500

What is decentralized science and what will be its impact on research and innovation? Joined by experts from Arcadia Science, VitaDAO, and the Foresight Institute, we discuss the challenges posed by traditional scientific models and the rise of alternative approaches. From new funding mechanisms to the transformative potential of AI, we explore the evolving landscape of research and the promise it holds for the future.

Episode Highlights

Driven by a quest for faster breakthroughs, collaboration, and democratization, decentralized science is on the rise. It's a counter to traditional models—like tenure and strict lab hierarchies—that restrict autonomy and potentially dampen innovation.
Are scientific advancements speeding up or stagnating? The insights reveal that there is no simple answer as there are questions about how we measure innovation itself.
Through a diversity of new funding mechanisms through prizes, fellowships, or grants, there's a strong push to support bold projects that might be overlooked by traditional institutions.
Arcadia Science merges open science with for-profit models to accelerate research and ensure swift dissemination of discoveries.
VitaDAO harnesses blockchain for scientific governance, creating an inclusive and permissionless platform for collaborative research funding and exploration.
Foresight champions frontier technologies, such as nanotechnology, fostering collaborations and offering diverse enabling platforms suited to each field's unique needs.

What’s Next?

Seemay Chou emphasizes that in the future, the distinction between decentralized and centralized science may blur, as decentralized approaches become more common.
Vincent Weisser highlights the increasing role of AI in scientific progress. He envisions a future where AI, particularly multimodal AI, becomes a significant driver of scientific discoveries.
Allison Duettmann predicts that more countries worldwide may establish private and decentralized alternatives to traditional governmental funding for scientific research.

Seemay Chou: LinkedIn, X/Twitter

Arcadia Science: Website, GitHub, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

Vincent Weisser: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

VitaDAO: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

Allison Duettmann: LinkedIn, X/Twitter

Foresight Institute: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

Understanding science funding in tech, 2011-2021 by Nadia Asparouhova

Engines of Creation by Eric Drexler

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Can A Simple Walk Revolutionize Networking with Elle Beecher, Founder of The Board Walks

Jason Scharf — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Fostering connectivity within an innovation ecosystem is crucial for its ongoing vitality and growth. Often revolutionary concepts emerge from the most unforeseen origins. My guest, Elle Beecher, founded The Board Walks, where community and innovation unite through a simple yet powerful concept—a five-mile walk. In this episode, we explore this social experiment, examine how these walks serve as catalysts for creative collisions, and bring back the intellectual dynamism of Paris in the ‘20s.

Episode Highlights

Drawing inspiration from the 1920s Parisian cafe culture, Elle crafted The Board Walks to ignite creative collisions in Austin, offering a fresh, organic approach to networking.
Curiosity stands at the heart of Elle's vision; she champions the idea that bringing together inquisitive minds sparks deeper, more meaningful dialogues.
Though spontaneous in nature, The Board Walks are intentionally designed with playbooks and guidelines to foster genuine connections and fruitful discussions.
Overheard dialogues during the walks resonate with Austin's innovative aura, reminiscent of Paul Graham's "eavesdropping quality" notion from his 2008 Cities essay.
The walks serve as a platform for attendees to not only build professional relationships but also to delve into personal narratives and aspirations.
Given its success in Austin, Elle envisions taking The Board Walks to other cities, like San Francisco, while ensuring the preservation of its foundational values and communal essence.
What’s next Austin? “More creative collisions that will bring about Paris in the 20s energy.”

Elle Beecher: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Instagram

The Board Walks: Website, X/Twitter, Instagram

“Cities and Ambition” by Paul Graham

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Power of Narratives in Determining an Ecosystem's Future with Walt Maciborski, CBS Austin News Anchor

Jason Scharf — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Innovation ecosystems thrive not just on groundbreaking ideas, but also on the stories that bring them to life. In this episode, I chat with Walt Maciborski, the main anchor for CBS Austin News and an Emmy and Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist. We dive into Austin's tech transformation from its humble beginnings to today's mix of tech giants and startups. Our conversation also explores the profound influence of narratives in shaping Austin's tech identity and its promising future as a 'Technopolis.'

Episode Highlights

Walt's deep-rooted connection to Austin's tech scene dates back to the 1990s. From the Dell surge to the dot-com downturn, and now to today's groundbreaking startups, his journalistic journey gives him a unique vantage point on Austin's evolution.
Austin's tech landscape thrives with firms like ICON, Lazarus 3D, Focused Energy, Paradromics, Hylio, and Apptronik, showcasing a blend of innovation and real-world impact.
"In 'Tech This Out,' Walt highlights both vital and lesser-known tech stories of Austin, emphasizing engaging, uplifting coverage over adversarial journalism.
Narratives not only captivate but also attract investors and top-tier talent, driving a region's growth.
Media serves a twofold purpose in any ecosystem's narrative: capturing its evolution and simultaneously shaping its trajectory. The key is crafting stories that celebrate triumphs while critically navigating challenges.
What’s next Austin? “There's going to be an explosion here in the next year. I predict there's going to be a sense that we're not Silicon Hills. We're not the also-ran. There's going to be things coming out of Austin where they're going to say, ‘Wow, Austin Tech.’ The Austin Technopolis is its own thing. It's not something that's an also-ran or were trying to be in the shadow of Silicon Hills or Silicon Valley.”

Walt Maciborski: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Facebook

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Balancing Stakeholder Interests in a Fast-Paced Innovative World with Dr. Isaac Turner, Co-founder and CTO of Curative

Jason Scharf — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 04:00:00 -0500

In this episode, we unpack the idea that innovation transcends the mere creation of new solutions. Through the lens of healthcare, and with insights from Dr. Isaac Turner, Co-founder and CTO of Curative, we delve into two key areas: how payment design can redefine user interactions, and the intricacies of diffusing groundbreaking innovations to ensure they're not only invented but also effectively adopted and utilized. While our discussions pivot around healthcare, the insights and challenges resonate across industries.

Episode Highlights

Curative pivoted from COVID testing and vaccination programs to a vision to reshape the health insurance sector, emphasizing patient-centric care and efficiency.
Central to Curative's approach is removing barriers to care. By eliminating copays, deductibles, and coinsurance for in-network services, and deploying non-clinical “care navigators” to assist members, they streamline the healthcare experience, encouraging patients to actively seek and manage their care.
The distinct paradox for insurers lies is benefits like preventative care. Immediate financial returns are minimal and might even accrue to competitors due to customer turnover, while overall they are better for the patient and long term plan fiscal health.
Obesity drugs such as Ozempic/Wegovy and advancements like cancer liquid biopsies highlight the intricacies of the diffusion of innovation in healthcare. Success hinges on aligning the interests of patients, providers, and payers, ensuring these solutions not only penetrate the market but also become accessible, adopted, and effectively utilize.
Austin's dynamic growth, varied employment sectors, and a supportive healthcare regulatory backdrop made it Curative's prime choice as an innovation hub.
What’s next Austin? “We want to bring better benefits to more Austinites — expanding our footprint and getting the message out so that they can have zero-dollar coverage”

Dr. Isaac Turner: LinkedIn, X/Twitter

Curative: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, YouTube, Facebook:

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Fueling and Riding the AI Wave with Risto Miikkulainen, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin

Jason Scharf — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 04:00:00 -0500

In this episode, we dive deep into the AI wave and the nexus between academic research and commercial applications. Joining us is Risto Miikkulainen, an esteemed computer science professor at the University of Texas at Austin and AVP of Evolutionary Intelligence at Cognizant Technology Solutions. Together, we explore the journey to the current AI boom, delve into the era of digital natives, and assess Austin's pivotal role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence.

Episode Highlights

The recent explosion of progress in AI has been powered primarily by scaling up existing models with massive amounts of data and compute, rather than fundamental breakthroughs in new techniques.
Unlike previous waves of technology adoption, these AI tools were in the hands of consumers before the enterprise, allowing for more fearless experimentation.
In a real-world example, Jason's nine-year-old son created nonsensical prompts in Midjourney, yielding fascinating results that facilitated creative thinking and provided unique insights into the AI.
The integration of AI into educational platforms like Khan Academy, along with decentralized research tools, raises the intriguing possibility of fostering 'citizen scientists.' However, there is still an open question about how fully this vision could be realized.
Risto's current work specializes in using AI to create 'digital twins' of patients, enabling precise simulations to test and optimize various treatment strategies for conditions like stroke and dementia.
UT Austin's new online master's programs extend its AI expertise globally while also potentially attracting more talent to Austin and aligning education with local industry needs.
What’s next Austin? “We have lots of faculty and bright students who are learning about AI. Austin has a thriving startup community that hopefully will grow as a result. And one more factor is the medical school that was started. There are great opportunities, even for these large language models and generative AI in that domain. Try to encourage the AI folks and the medical folks to get together and identify these opportunities. That could be something that becomes a strength in Austin and we can become a world leader in it.”

Risto Miikkulainen: Website, LinkedIn

Constant Therapy Health: Website

Boston University Center for Brain Recovery: Website

AI Empowers Researchers to Bring Precision Medicine to Post-stroke Speech and Cognitive Rehabilitation

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Future of Innovation: Austin and the New Creative Class with Richard Florida

Jason Scharf — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Why is Austin leading the charge as a beacon for creative minds and how are cities like it rewriting the blueprint for our economic future? Dive into this episode with Richard Florida, the trailblazer behind the "Creative Class" theory. As we explore Austin's magnetic pull and its broader implications for cities from Madison to Nashville, we'll uncover the intersection of traditional industries, tech-driven innovation, and the burgeoning global creator economy.

Episode Highlights

Richard Florida developed the concept of the Creative Class to describe talented, highly skilled workers in technology, business, arts, and other innovative fields.
The initial spark for the insights, theories, and eventual book “Rise of the Creative Class” stemmed from questioning why graduates from Carnegie Mellon were opting to move to Austin over Pittsburgh.
Numerous heartland regions have the right foundation to adopt the Austin model, blending high-tech innovation in both the digital and physical realms. These cities stand uniquely positioned to bring together innovation, technology, and manufacturing revitalizing America's industrial foundation.
Austin and Nashville represent the next phase of the Creative Class evolution, emerging as pivotal centers for the burgeoning creator economy, characterized by a seamless blend of technology, music/culture, and digital storytelling.
What’s Next Austin? “I think Austin is part of this remaking of America around innovation and lifestyle, but with a real application to remaking our industrial base.”

Richard Florida: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter

Richard Florida’s Books: Rise of the Creative Class, The Breakthrough Illusion, Beyond Mass Production, The New Urban Crisis

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Analyzing Austin's Innovation Landscape: A First Half 2023 Review with Peter Walker, Carta’s Head of Insights

Jason Scharf — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 04:00:00 -0500

The startup ecosystem in Austin is experiencing a dynamic transformation, influenced by an influx of talent and marked changes in fundraising trends. Carta, an equity management platform that offers a distinctive lens into private market data, holds a unique vantage point to observe these shifts and more. Peter Walker, who helms Carta's Insights Team, joins us in this episode to shed light on the current landscape of US startup funding, the challenges of 2023, the intricacies of Austin's startup trajectory and its rising status as an epicenter for innovation and venture capital.

Episode Highlights

Carta manages cap tables and equity for 38,000 startups, giving them unique insights into startup fundraising, valuations, employees, and compensation. This data covers about 50% of US startup funding.
The fundraising environment in 2023 has been challenging for startups with activity significantly down from the 2021/2022 bubble, more down rounds and bridge rounds, though AI is an area still seeing excitement.
Austin has around 380 pre-seed startups on Carta, with 175 seed and 174 series A. The numbers dramatically decrease in later rounds as the region is still is a maturing market and Silicon Valley still dominates Series C and beyond stage companies.
74% of Series A rounds in Austin in Q2 2023 were bridge rounds, above the 44%-56% bridge round rate seen in other top regions, showing the high impact of the bubble on Austin startups.
Diversification across sectors is an advantage for Austin versus other regions more dependent on specific verticals like biotech or SaaS. This diversity makes Austin better positioned to withstand downturns impacting individual sectors.
Growth drivers like university talent, experienced angels, connector events, and an influx of talent from other regions position Austin for continued growth into a top-tier startup hub.
What’s Next Austin? “I don't get the sense that it needs to prove itself anymore as a great place for venture capital and startups. Now, what it has to do is double down on some of the deepening things that happen in places like the bay and elsewhere. Is there enough density of interesting people who are excited about hard problems that want to get together and talk nerdy stuff to each other? And I think that's the place that Austin is at now, where that's like the last bit of ecosystem you turn around and you say, there's so much new stuff happening here.”

Carta & Austin Next Austin's Innovation Landscape 1H 2023 Review Slides

Peter Walker: LinkedIn, Twitter

Carta: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Embracing The Pathless Path with Paul Millerd

Jason Scharf — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 04:00:00 -0500

How do defined tracks and cultural status symbols passed on from previous generations affect a person’s life choices? When we break with those paths is that being self-employed, an entrepreneur, a creative, or something else? In this episode, we challenge the traditional notions of career paths and entrepreneurial journeys, with thought leader and author of "The Pathless Path" Paul Millerd. The conversation delves into his unconventional road to professional and creative fulfillment, how technology is creating more opportunity for people to follow the Pathless Path, and the role of storytellers & creatives in innovation ecosystems like Austin.

Episode Highlights

Paul highlights the concepts from his book "The Pathless Path" that challenge traditional career paths and encourage unique, individual journeys in our evolving economy.
Paul emphasizes the significant shift in work and career trajectories due to changing economic trends and advancements in technology, heralding new opportunities for autonomy and creativity.
Alternative funding methods like the Thiel Fellowship and Emergent Ventures provide support for unconventional ideas and experiments, reshaping solopreneurship and entrepreneurship beyond just traditional VC-backed startups.
The conversation underscores the role creatives historically have played in innovation ecosystems and how today that role is also being filled by digital storytellers, comedians, podcasters, creators, YouTubers, and Instagrammers.
As Austin continues its rapid growth, rising costs pose a challenge to its creative scene, but acknowledging these obstacles allows for the formulation of strategies to maintain an inclusive and accessible hub for creativity and innovation.
What’s next, Austin? “I actually do think storytellers, creators, YouTubers, Instagrammers, they're sort of underrated. They're storytellers that can link those different worlds. I think creative people are very natural at shifting between ideas and crowds and groups. Austin has been able to cultivate a scene around that, and I think it will continue to emerge and grow. What will it look like in ten years? The history of Austin is that scenes have always emerged and sort of faded away. So, what is the next scene? How do you keep cultivating that environment? Is it going to become too expensive to nurture and cultivate those scenes? I don't know. But yeah, it's going to be interesting to watch.”

Paul Millerd: Website, Podcast, YouTube, X/Twitter

The Pathless Path

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

A New Era Begins for Austin Next and the Future of Austin's Thriving Innovation Ecosystem

Jason Scharf — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 04:00:00 -0500

In this culminating episode of Austin Next's first era, Jason engages with AndiBot, the AI-powered chatbot that amalgamates the insights of 19 innovation thinkers. Together, they explore AndiBot’s perspectives on how Austin can ascend to a superstar innovation hub. Later, Michael joins in for a reflective discussion on the AI's capabilities and the insights shared. Plus, don’t miss our special announcement that marks the beginning of a new chapter for Austin Next.

Episode Highlights

The Austin Next Dynamic Innovation ChatBot, or AndiBot, is an AI-powered chatbot anchored on ChatGPT, and is powered by a “hivemind” that brings together the intellectual prowess of innovation trailblazers such as Clayton Christensen, Everett Rogers, and Mariana Mazzucato.
Tasked with unraveling insights and forging new pathways, AndiBot endeavors to illuminate the steps necessary for Austin to transition from a thriving ecosystem to a superstar innovation hub.
Characterizing an innovation superstar hub, AndiBot outlines the quintessential traits: setting global trends, attracting a diverse talent pool, nurturing groundbreaking innovations, fostering a spirited entrepreneurial culture, establishing global collaborations, and achieving brand ubiquity in innovation.
AndiBot evaluates Austin’s innovation ecosystem at 7.5 with Silicon Valley as the pinnacle scoring a 10. She commends Austin's startup landscape, academic strength, and appeal to tech giants, but signals the imperatives of escalating startup density, talent diversity, capital influx, and global network expansion.
Jason and Michael reflect on the AndiBot interview and discuss the shift from coding to prompting in AI technology, signaling the emergence of more sophisticated and intuitive user interfaces.
Exploring Austin's startup landscape, they articulate the connection between productivity and external perception, proposing that a boost in perceived value could stimulate infrastructural improvements.
Jason spotlights Austin’s ability to “punch above its weight” noting the discrepancies between Austin's startup infrastructure rank (25th in the country) and its high ranking in exit values (6th in the nation, 9th globally) according to a recent Dealroom report.
This episode marks a transition as Michael is taking a step back from the podcast and will return as the occasional guest.
What’s next Austin? “I honestly believe only good things are going to happen next. I think we're going to have a recession nationwide within the next six months. But Austin, as we've discussed, is the last in and the first out. We need to keep Austin weird. It has worked so far for this town.”

Episode Links

The Next Generation of Tech Ecosystems Report by Dealroom

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Patient Capital, Potent Change: Ecliptic Capital’s Quest for Climate Tech Breakthroughs with David J. Neff, Operating Partner

Jason Scharf — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 04:00:00 -0500

In this episode, we dive into the world of patient capital and its potential to bring about transformative changes in climate technology. Joining us is David J. Neff, Operating Partner at Ecliptic Capital, who sheds light on Ecliptic's forward-thinking climatetech investment strategy, how they find innovations, and Austin's future as a hub for the sector.

Episode Highlights

Ecliptic Capital champions climatetech by prioritizing investments in adaptation, building and electrification, and then climate-friendly materials, aiming for long-term impact on climate issues and sustainable innovation.
David outlines a triad for university tech transfer success: forging ties with venture capital, aligning mutual goals, and employing discerning professionals to sift groundbreaking technology from incremental improvements.
The episode tackles the intricate regulatory landscape in climatetech, spotlighting the prolonged time to market and evolving environmental regulations as challenges.
David emphasizes Austin's potential to transcend its software and SaaS prowess and emerge as a stronghold for climate technology and material science innovation.
What’s next for Ecliptic Capital? “I think what's next for Ecliptic Capital is continuing a laser focus on really working with our founders, the people we've deployed capital to you. So I think we're continuing to do that. I think in fall of this year, we'll start talking about fund two and raising for fund two with very similar thesis.”
What’s next Austin? “I hope people are thinking about climate. And the climate crisis is one of the fundamental biggest problems of this generation and the next generation. They quit that big tech job to go work on climate and I hope I see a lot more of that in Austin. It would make me very, very happy and our kids and our grandkids very happy that that's the problem you chose to work on.”

Episode links

David J. Neff: LinkedIn, Twitter

Ecliptic Capital: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter

Embracing Systemic Complexity: The Ecliptic Capital Climate Thesis

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin vs. The World: Global Startup Ecosystem Rankings with Startup Genome’s Forrest Wright

Jason Scharf — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0500

In this episode, we take a discerning look at Startup Genome's Annual Ecosystem Report, seeking to comprehend what the data reveals about Austin's innovation landscape, while also critically examining and challenging it where discrepancies arise. Forrest Wright, Research Assessment Lead at Startup Genome, joins us to decode the metrics and shed light on Austin’s present and future trajectory in the innovation sector.

Episode Highlights

Startup Genome's insightful report evaluates 290+ global startup ecosystems by scrutinizing six pivotal metrics: performance, funding, market reach, connectedness, talent, and knowledge.
Despite a global 35% decline in startup funding in 2022, an unexpected trend emerged - the amount of funding per startup saw a significant surge, with AI cementing its position as a leading sector.
Singapore's meteoric rise in the rankings from 18th to 8th is attributed to an influx of venture capital funding, the creation of 4 billion-dollar exits, and the emergence of 18 unicorns, including Coda Payments, which secured an impressive $690M in Series C.
Demonstrating resilience and harboring potential for growth, Austin holds steady at 25th in the rankings despite a 30% fall in large-scale exits, countered by its burgeoning count of 12 unicorns.
Breyer Capital, Bedrock Capital, and 8VC are among the heavyweights moving to Austin, signaling a strong belief in its ecosystem. This migration starkly contrasts Startup Genome's more retrospective rankings and the forward-looking confidence expressed by these industry leaders.
What’s next Austin? “The future is really bright. I think it actually bodes really well for Austin is you have these stalwart AI companies already there like SparkCognition, Mythic, and Tethr. I think they've all raised north of a hundred million dollars and some of them much more than that. And so I think this is a lot of built-in institutional knowledge that's going to be a real advantage for Austin compared to a lot of companies that are starting now to kind of jump on the bandwagon. Austin's going to have a real advantage there.”

Episode Links

Forrest Wright: LinkedIn

Startup Genome: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter
Startup Genome Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2023

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

When Austin Next and Tech Connect: Exploring Q2 Software’s Digital Innovations with Lou Senko, Chief Availability Officer

Jason Scharf — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 04:00:00 -0500

In this special crossover episode of Austin Next and Austin Tech Connect, we welcome Lou Senko, the Chief Availability Officer at Q2 Software. Lou, an industry veteran with over two decades of experience in spearheading enterprise-wide solutions, enlightens us about Q2's mission-driven approach. We explore Q2's dynamic role in innovation, its extensive engagement with the vibrant Austin community, and its strategic focus on fostering a sustainable future for digital banking.

Episode Highlights

Q2 Software democratizes digital banking, giving local and regional banks and credit unions a competitive edge against their larger counterparts.
Lou Senko, in his role as Chief Availability Officer, guarantees secure and seamless banking experiences, accessible anytime, anywhere, across various devices and networks.
Q2's innovation studio serves as a bustling marketplace and accelerator, offering pre-packaged, customizable solutions from a range of startups, allowing swift system integration.
Q2 is deeply embedded in the Austin community. It holds the naming rights to the Austin FC stadium, runs the Dream Starter competition that provides a $100,000 grant to local start-ups, and contributes both financially and through volunteers to local charities.
Community, Collaboration, or Conversation? “I think the collaboration though, if I think about my day and how we work through where we want to go, where we want to be, what good looks like on our journey to get there. It's through collaboration. Our staff can choose to work wherever they want to work. They choose to work at Q2 because, again, for 11 years in a row we've been, the best place to work.”
What’s Next? “It's all about the customer. We're seeing people see value in digital platforms. I think the ecosphere, the ecosystems will continue to grow. I think you're going to see much, much tighter integration with the way banks and credit unions bring services to market, that there's going to be a bunch of FinTech names attached to all this.”

Episode links

Lou Senko: LinkedIn

Q2 Software: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter

Thom Singer: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter

Austin Tech Connect Podcast

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin's Autonomous Vehicle Revolution with Michael Staples, General Manager - AUS Market at Cruise

Jason Scharf — Tue, 30 May 2023 04:00:00 -0500

The transportation landscape in Austin is rapidly transforming with the advent of electric and autonomous vehicles. Taking a pioneering stance, Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, is already offering the public the chance to experience their self-driving vehicles. Leading this revolution in Austin is Michael Staples, Cruise's General Manager for the region. In this episode, we explore the exciting advancements in autonomous vehicle technology happening here.

Episode Highlights

Austin was chosen for its dynamic tech ecosystem, welcoming attitude towards innovation, and regulatory environment conducive to the development of self-driving technologies.
Staples underlines Cruise's use of thorough safety studies, such as the 'Million Mile' report, to boost public trust and showcase their dedication to regulators.
By focusing on downtown nightlife, Cruise aims to better understand the needs of service workers, students, and young professionals, using less congested conditions to optimize their autonomous technology.
The upcoming Origin, a rider-centric vehicle with luxury amenities, a cargo unit, and wheelchair accessibility, represents a significant evolution from Cruise's current Chevy Bolt.
Increasing fleet size is a central strategy for Cruise in Austin, with goals to shorten wait times and broaden service coverage across the Austin Metro area.
Cruise's long-term vision includes giving back to communities by minimizing the need for parking spaces and saving users' time through efficient, autonomous transportation.
What’s next? “We expect to launch the Origin experience to the public later this year. We're excited to service some customers and you're going to see a lot of our Bolts running around. We're going to be expanding the market as well. We'll be able to slowly service more Austinites. So eventually we can get rides from our homes across town.”

Episode Links
Michael Staples: LinkedIn
Cruise Self-Driving Cars: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter,
Cruise 1 Million Mile Report

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Tech Tipping Point: A Thoughtful Exchange with Brett Hurt and William "whurley" Hurley

Jason Scharf — Tue, 23 May 2023 04:00:00 -0500

We welcome back tech pioneers Brett Hurt and William “whurley” Hurley for a deep dive into the transformative influence of technological convergence. Drawing from their vast experiences, Brett and Whurley shed light on the intersection of advanced techs, such as generative AI and quantum computing, that are rapidly redefining our world. In our engaging discussion, we uncover the profound implications these emergent technologies have on industries, their role in supercharging productivity, and how they could catalyze an unprecedented surge in startup creation.

Episode Highlights

The conversation highlights a pivotal tech convergence, where AI intersects with quantum computing, Big Data, data privacy, and every other fundamental platform that has come before.
Generative AI's rapid rise has been met with excitement and unease, calls for political regulation, all amidst highly divergent dystopian and utopian views.
Echoing similar themes, Brett envisions AI as potentially the "biggest startup and job creation engine we've ever seen," while whurley posits it leading to a "rise of the non-creative creative class," amplifying the transformative potential of the technology.
Brett highlights the importance of creativity for engineers in the AI era, suggesting that those who can combine their technical skills with imagination will thrive, while those who can't may face commoditization.
Whurley’s recent dialogues with DC leaders underscores Austin's growing influence in shaping national technology policy and wider industry trends.
What’s next Austin?
- Brett Hurt: “I think that we're going to have an absolute explosion in the number of startups created. And as an effect of that, a derivative explosion in the number of jobs...I really want Austin to be the leader of that.”
- William “whurley” Hurley: “Everybody's talented, everybody plays an instrument, everybody paints or does art or they sculpt or whatever. It is a very creative city. So when you take those kinds of people and you give them this kind of power...like absolutely, Austin is next. If we're lucky.”

Episode links

William “whurley” Hurley: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Strangeworks

Brett Hurt: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter, data.world

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin Next Spotlight: Getting to the Next Funding Round with ClearCam

Jason Scharf — Tue, 16 May 2023 14:14:47 -0500

Doug Stoakley, co-founder and president of ClearCam, joins us for an Austin Next Spotlight. He shares the story of how ClearCam was founded and its most recent funding round.

Episode Highlights:

ClearCam is a revolutionary medical device that aims to solve the problem of dirty cameras in laparoscopic surgeries
They just closed their Seed Series 3, raising over $4 million with a post-money valuation of $18.5 million
The University of Texas at Austin continues to drive innovation as ClearCam was the second investment of UT’s new seed fund
With the new funding, the team is now leaning into commercialization and expanding its product line

Episode links

Doug Stoakley: LinkedIn

ClearCam: Website, Facebook, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin's Next Innovation Hub: The Vision Behind the University of Austin with Pano Kanelos

Jason Scharf — Tue, 09 May 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Episode Highlights

The University of Austin aims to become a new center for innovation and academic freedom in the city.
UATX aspires to become the "Stanford to Berkeley" for Austin, complementing the University of Texas.
By working closely with industry leaders, the university seeks to co-develop programs, offer internships, and provide support for student-led projects.
The Polaris Project emphasizes real-world application and impact on pressing global problems, while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among students.
They want to inspire new institutions around the world by proving that it’s possible to build a new university today
What’s next Austin? “A dozen years from now, there is a thriving campus in the Austin area that is attracting scholars, practitioners, and young people from across the country and across the world who are building things that we haven't yet dreamed of.”

Episode links

University of Austin: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Breaking the Boundaries between Deeptech and Traditional Tech in Austin with Andrew Busey Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Form Bio

Jason Scharf — Tue, 02 May 2023 04:00:00 -0500

The world of technology is expanding, and we're seeing a convergence of deep tech with traditional software and computation. Today, we're speaking with Andrew Busey, co-founder of Form Bio and Colossal Biosciences, two companies that sit at this intersection. With over 25 years of experience in the industry, Andrew has been a driving force behind some of the internet's most significant technologies. Andrew’s career has taken him through several pivotal moments in tech history, including the early days of the internet, gaming, AI, and now bio.

Episode Highlights

Andrew’s career spanned key tech products such as Mosaic (the first web browser), iChat (the first web-based chat system), and Zynga (one the most popular gaming companies of the social media era)
Software entrepreneurs are increasingly applying techniques, business models, and more to the bio, quantum, and AI fields
His approach is to make Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups “…software is either the chocolate or the peanut butter and then I'm finding some other thing to combine with it to make something that tastes great and is novel”
Form Bio, the first spinout from Colossal Biosciences, aims to solve the badly managed data issue in the biotech industry
AI's impact on business and society is shifting toward distributed vertical intelligence
The availability of remote work technology may lead to a more distributed talent pool and impact the future of Austin as a tech hub
What’s next Austin? “I think the big thing we're gonna see is fabs and Musk-related companies evolving here and how that affects the mix of things will be very interesting.”

Episode links

Andrew Busey: Twitter, LinkedIn

Form Bio: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn

Colossal Biosciences: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Why Austin and the Texas Triangle is Poised for Success: A Conversation with Cullum Clark

Jason Scharf — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Are the cities in the Texas Triangle on the right track to success? With their expansive population growth and focus on economic growth, the cities of the Texas Triangle have been on an upward trajectory in recent years. To answer these questions and more, we welcome back to the show Cullum Clark, director of the George W. Bush Institute and SMU's Economic Growth Initiative. Cullum discusses the Texas Triangle and its implications for economic growth, infrastructure, and housing.

Episode Highlights

The Texas Triangle has been more successful in balancing growth while preserving the unique character and identity of each city.
Every county across the San Antonio and Austin metros grew, while the core urban counties in Houston and Dallas lost population.
Cullum's key for regions is to prioritize education, human capital, livability, and being business-friendly to attract and retain talent and companies.
Austin's multi-hub economy has a diverse industry base with a unique mix of a big public university, the state capital, and the biggest tourist destination.
What’s next Austin? “I think that when you look at everything that's working in 21st Century America, Austin truly has it all. To be a place that kind of benefits from being a kind of, having a cultural cool factor, benefits from being a center of tech benefits from being a major higher ed center. There is an economic anchor as well. I'm absolutely as bullish as I could be and I would encourage others to be as well. The future of the Texas Triangle is very bright.”

Episode links

Cullum Clark: Twitter, Website

George W. Bush Center: Website

The Texas Triangle: An Emerging Metropolitan Model in the Lone Star State

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Beyond the Hype: Understanding Generative AI and Jasper AI's Innovations with Austin Distel

Jason Scharf — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Generative AI has been a hot topic in the tech world in recent years, and Austin is staking its claim with Jasper AI, a local unicorn making waves in the industry. Today, we had the pleasure of talking to Austin Distel, Senior Director of Marketing at Jasper AI, to shed some light on the topic. During our conversation, we discussed where Jasper AI fits in the tech stack, how Austin's tech ecosystem is playing a role in this area, and what the future holds for generative AI as a vital part of innovation.

Episode Highlights

Austin Distel believes that generative AI is a growing industry and that collaboration among companies is beneficial.
The responsible use of AI and mindful consideration of ethical concerns in content creation is a growing area of discussion.
Jasper AI is focused on creating new, unique, and original content based on data-driven insights to help businesses make decisions.
Jasper's goal is to augment human creativity, not replace it.
There is potential for the technology to impact industries beyond e-commerce and advertising, such as fashion and entertainment.
The generative AI ecosystem is still growing and there is a lot of potential for innovation.
What’s next Austin? “Today the generative AI is the smallest it'll ever be. It's growing. It's gonna be part of our ecosystem more and more and more. And so that just means that there's more opportunity. I think we're all gonna make each other better. So that's why I would love to get into the same room. Let's have conversations, let's make our products better together, and maybe team up.”

Episode links

Austin Distel: Twitter, LinkedIn

Jasper AI: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Redesigning Healthcare with Harbor Health Co-Founder Clay Johnston

Jason Scharf — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Clay Johnston, CMO and Co-Founder of Harbor Health, proposed a vision of health that would give people more knowledge and control over their care options. Harbor Health was born during Dr. Johnston’s time as the inaugural Dean of the Dell Med School and took its place in Austin’s growing Bio + Health ecosystem. We discuss his time as dean, innovation in healthcare business models, and Austin’s future in this sector.

Episode Highlights

As the inaugural Dean of the Dell Med School at UT Austin, Dr. Johnston got an up-close look at the business of health and experimented with new models.
Harbor Health's mission is to redesign the healthcare system to achieve better health outcomes and reduce wasteful healthcare spending.
The financial structure of Harbor Health, which moves away from the standard fee for service allows people to make decisions about their healthcare, while understanding the financial impact of their choices.
Amazon's acquisition of One Medical and PillPack creates new competition in the primary care & consumer space, putting them head-to-head with companies like CVS, Walmart, and Walgreens.
Austin is primed for digital health innovation, including new ways of delivering services and designing care.
What’s Next Austin? “Our plan is to grow. Our plan is to provide a real option for people in Austin that doesn't just look and feel different, isn't just about convenience, but really is embracing a new approach to the health system about empowering our members. I know we've grown rapidly, but we have plenty of capacity for folks who are ready to have a new kind of care.”

Episode links

Clay Johnston: Twitter, LinkedIn

Harbor Health: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Evolution of Downtown Austin in a Multi-Hub Innovation Region

Jason Scharf — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 04:00:00 -0500

This is a topic that we have had many conversations about off-air and thought it might be interesting and worthwhile to record and share with our listeners. We talk about downtown Austin's role within a multi-hub innovation region, the tension between physical proximity and remote work and their impact agglomeration effects, and the scale that only a central business district can bring.

Episode Highlights

Austin is evolving as a multi-hub innovation metro with growth happening from Bastrop to Georgetown to San Macros in addition to the continued convergence of the Austin San Antonio mega region.
Not all industries work in a central business district given space, price, and types of talent i.e., manufacturing doesn’t work downtown, while software development fits very well.
Intellectual density is key for a thriving innovation ecosystem and there is a challenge building that density in a physically larger region and with the growth and continued demand for remote work
The potential of downtown Austin becoming a central location for cross-sector convergence, and how the entertainment district, arts, and parks can be used to drive creative collisions.
What’s next downtown Austin?
- Michael: “Downtown is going to continue to be the kind of vibrant Austin-specific area that it always has been. Come back to me in two years where we are on the other side of this and all these companies are growing, all these companies are putting more people downtown, as well as other places the residential towers are opening and people are moving there.”
- Jason: “As downtown embraces and understands truly what its role in that ecosystem is I think then it's going to thrive at a new inflection point as we are hitting a new inflection point in Austin.”

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

SXSW 2023: The Nexus of Austin's Innovation and Creative Powerhouses

Jason Scharf — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Austin Next takes you on an exclusive, behind-the-scenes journey of SXSW 2023, showcasing the city's innovation-driven culture. Michael is the newbie this year, so we get his first-timer impressions. We had the pleasure of interviewing five companies making an impact at the festival: NeuraLight, Gigaroo, EverCase, Thrive360, and Eden Data. Our discussions center on their cutting-edge products, their experiences at SXSW, and their future goals. We also caught up with J&J Innovation again to discuss their sponsorship and activity.

Episode Highlights

Austin shows up at SXSW in as many ways as there are companies, whether they are looking for promotion, funding, sales, or just winning the innovation competitions, the Austin innovation community supports and needs SXSW.
SXSW Innovation Award Finalist NeuraLight's ocular signature technology for revolutionizing neurodegenerative disease diagnosis and treatment.
SXSW Pitch Finalist Gigaroo is an app that connects Gen Z job seekers with ideal positions via customized questionnaires.
SXSW Pitch Finalist EverCase has innovated food preservation that reduces food waste by keeping food at freezing temperatures without ice formation.
Thrive360 offers mental health and self-care experiences from practicing doctors and therapists in 2D and virtual reality, with B2B and B2C platforms.
Eden Data is a cybersecurity company that provides security and compliance expertise on subscription for startups and scale-ups.
J&J sponsored the Health and MedTech Track and is committed to accelerating healthcare solutions with technology and a growing presence in Austin.

Episode Links

SXSW YouTube playlist

Neuralight: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn, Micha Breakstone

Gigaroo: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn, Adir Oden

EverCase: Website, LinkedIn, Paul Levins

Thrive360: Website, LinkedIn, Christy Lamka

Eden Data: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn, Taylor Hersom

J&J Innovation: Website, Twitter, Stacy Feld LinkedIn, Stacy Feld Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Cultivating Austin Talent with Workforce Solutions Capital Area CEO Tamara Atkinson

Jason Scharf — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 04:00:00 -0500

Tamara Atkinson, CEO of Workforce Solutions Capital Area, delves into the role the organization plays in shaping the future of Austin's workforce. We'll explore how Workforce Solutions Capital Area supports the local workforce, what is the state of the talent market today, and how the region is balancing the constant shifts of supply and demand for labor and skills.

Episode Highlights

Workforce Solutions Capital Area supports individuals in finding jobs by providing career guidance, scholarships, and outsourcing services to employers and companies by providing labor market information and investing in talent pipelines
Recent partnership with Austin Transit Partnership aims to plan for jobs created by infrastructure and mobility projects in Austin, building up the local talent pool
Workforce Solutions Capital Area also collaborates with other workforce boards in Texas and sees the region as a super region for job opportunities
Innovative companies recognize the value of starting talent development earlier and investing in the local community
Five growing sectors with high demand for talent are healthcare, IT, manufacturing, skilled trades & construction, and mobility & infrastructure
What's next Austin? “Keep your eye on mobility and infrastructure. I think that this is what's next and what's big for Austin with approximately 25 billion coming to our community. Are we going to implement this money business as usual, or are we going to see it as an opportunity to really grow Austinite’s skills?”

Episode Links

Tamara Atkinson: LinkedIn

Workforce Solutions Capital Area: Website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin Next is at SXSW 2023

Jason Scharf — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 04:00:00 -0600

Join us for an exciting week at SXSW 2023. We're going to as many panels, meetups, activations, and events as we can. While we won't have a new podcast episode, catch us on Twitter and YouTube as we explore why innovators choose SXSW, how the Austin ecosystem shines, and catch up with some of our prior guests. Stay tuned to find out what's next for Austin!

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

From SXSW to the Texas Biohub: Exploring the Future of Healthcare with Melinda Richter and Stacy Feld from Johnson & Johnson Innovation

Jason Scharf — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 04:00:00 -0600

Melinda Richter and Stacy Feld of Johnson & Johnson Innovation discuss healthcare innovation and technology, including J&J's involvement in SXSW, the potential for Austin as a major biohub, and both the challenges and opportunities the sector faces.

Episode Highlights

J&J's sponsorship of the Health and MedTech track at SXSW signifies a shift for both J&J and the overall festival, showing its growing prominence.
JLABS is an example of J&J's approach between internal and external collaboration to help early-stage innovators by giving them access to resources and expertise they need to bring their solutions to market.
Consumerization of healthcare is a trend that can make healthcare more affordable and accessible but finding the right business model can be difficult.
Austin is a potential hub for healthcare innovation, and discussions about healthcare innovations and business models at SXSW could lead to a more efficient and effective healthcare system.
J&J recognizes the importance of leveraging data and insights to become more effective and efficient in providing care and solutions.
The future of telehealth is likely to include continued growth and innovation, as healthcare providers and patients become more comfortable with remote care and technology continues to improve.
What's next for Austin?
- Stacy Feld: "Continuing to unlock the value of the rich academic and clinical institutions, not just with UT and Austin, but across the Texas Triangle and to find the synergies and pair our disease area expertise and the resources that we have with entrepreneurs and with academics."
- Melinda Richter: "What's next for Austin is to become that next big player for health tech, solving equity and access issues, changing patient care and lives, and leading the charge. All of those things together combined with such a diverse population, people coming from all over the world."
What's next for J&J in Austin?
- Stacy Feld: "Building new early relationships with entrepreneurs, launching new companies out of academia, and continuing to invest in building long-term relationships."
- Melinda Richter: "There's going to be an amazing hub at SXSW with lots of J&J folks from around the company in different disciplines. And so we really want to have these conversations with everybody. So please reach out, come see us, and certainly, we want to continue to grow that conversation over time."

Episode Links

Top 10 Tips for Standing Out at Pitch Competitions
Melinda Richter: LinkedIn, Twitter

Stacy Feld: LinkedIn, Twitter

J&J Innovation: Website, Twitter

JLABS: Website, Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

SXSW 2023: Where Creatives, Tech, and Innovation Come Together with Hugh Forrest SXSW’s Co-President & Chief Programming Officer

Jason Scharf — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 04:00:00 -0600

SXSW is one of the most anticipated annual events that celebrate the convergence of music, film, and technology in Austin, Texas. We welcome Hugh Forrest, SXSW Co-President & Chief Programming Officer back to the podcast to explore the latest developments and insights from SXSW and learn how this dynamic event continues to inspire and shape the future of creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

Episode Highlights

The importance of SXSW in the Austin community and its core nature as a creative and entrepreneurial event.
Tips for first-time attendees of SXSW, including how to plan and make the most of their experience.
What's new in SXSW 2023, including the addition of new tracks, sponsors, and the use of generative AI.
An overview of the Health & MedTech and 2050 tracks at the SXSW conference.
Balancing optimism and skepticism in the age of AI, with insights from SXSW on climate change and technological innovation.
The launch of SXSW Sydney and what to expect from this new event.

Episode Links

Hugh Forrest: LinkedIn, Twitter

SXSW: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Fostering Innovation and Technology: The Texas Legislature's Commitment with Rep. Giovanni Capriglione and Rep. John Bucy III

Jason Scharf — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 04:00:00 -0600

The Texas Legislature's Innovation & Technology Caucus plays a key role in shaping the state's tech policy. In this episode, we are joined by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione and Rep. John Bucy III to discuss the role of the IT Caucus, the challenges the state faces in promoting tech innovation, and their efforts to address those challenges. We look at the future of tech innovation in Texas, and how the Caucus is working to position the state as a leader in the field.

Episode Highlights

The Innovation & Technology Caucus began in 2015 but gained attention in 2020-2021due to the increased presence of technology in Texas.
The Caucus aims to promote a healthy environment for innovation and growth in a bipartisan way by learning about what is happening in Texas and bridging the gap between the Senate and the House.
The narrative of innovation in Texas has been changing rapidly due to certain events, such as Tesla's arrival putting electric vehicles on the radar and recent developments in crypto and blockchain.
Examples of policy opportunities include using AI to modernize Texas government services, workforce development & education, and regulatory frameworks that create a friendly environment while ensuring accountability (such as was done with autonomous vehicles).
Self-regulatory frameworks can provide a middle ground for regulating industries, but government intervention may be necessary in cases where self-regulation fails.
What's next for Texas and what's next for Austin?
- Rep. Giovanni Capriglione: "Texas is going to come out of this session with a better workforce, more plans on how to improve our research, how to help and improve our companies and technologies, and also with lower property taxes."
- Rep. John H. Bucy III: An upcoming higher education session focused on workforce development, particularly in community colleges and public universities. And for Austin, the importance of addressing electric system vulnerabilities and supporting Austin Energy while ensuring the needs of the community are met.

Episode Links

Rep. Giovanni Capriglione: Website, Twitter
Rep. John Bucy III: Website, Twitter
Innovation & Technology Caucus of the Texas Legislature : Website, Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Where's the Next Terawatt? Powering the Future With Bill McCamley and Christy Cardenas

Jason Scharf — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 04:00:00 -0600

The combination of a booming population and an accelerating business sector, as well as the desire to "de-carbonize" creates a real challenge. In this episode we talk with Bill McCamley, the Executive Director at Transit Forward and Christy Cardenas, the Managing Partner at Grit Ventures. The discussion delves into the diverse and rapidly changing world of energy generation, the role of transportation in energy consumption, and how Austin’s power grid will change over the next five years.

Episode Highlights

Texas has a unique and diverse generation mix with a strong focus on natural gas and coal, but a growing interest in renewables like wind, solar, geothermal, and hydrogen.
The advancements in battery storage technology, government funding for better batteries, and the emergence of new business models for mature battery technologies.
The shift from gas stations to electric vehicle (EV) charging points and the challenges in figuring out the infrastructure for EV charging points.
The impact of individual decisions on power consumption in a city like Austin and the role of transportation in energy consumption.
The impact of housing development on the generation, distribution, and usage of power, with a focus on ETOD, multi-use development near transit lines, and reducing compatibility restrictions.
What’s next Austin - Bill believes that building more density around transit corridors, changing housing ordinances to allow for multi-use development, and reducing compatibility restrictions will be key in the next four to five years for the generation, distribution, and usage of power in Austin.
What’s next Austin - Christy “There is so much money and so much brain power chasing these solutions, whether it's fusion, nuclear fusion, better forms of generation, better forms of storage that we, as a state, with a huge component of our economy tied to oil and gas, best get in front of it and be a part of that energy revolution.”

Episode Links

Bill McCamley: Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Christy Cardenas: Linkedin, Twitter

Grit Ventures: Website, Linkedin, Twitter

Transit Forward: Website, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin Next Spotlight: Tokenizing Real Estate with OwnProp

Jason Scharf — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 04:00:00 -0600

Ethan Blumenthal is the CEO of OwnProp, a platform that enables investors–large and small–to invest in commercial and multi-family real estate. They do this by leveraging the power of the blockchain and NFTs. In this Spotlight episode, Ethan describes his background as a blockchain engineer and how he found his way to Austin to pursue a career in the crypto industry. He then explains OwnProp’s aim to lower the minimum investment and create a liquid secondary market for investment stakes. Ethan also shares the story of OwnProp's journey from its founding to its current stage, and its plans to open up investment opportunities to retail investors. He also discusses the difference between OwnProp and other tokenization startups in the market, emphasizing OwnProp's focus on prime assets with lucrative upside.

Episode links

OwnProp Website

OwnProp Twitter

OwnProp YouTube

Ethan Blumenthal Linkedin

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Making Quantum Computing Accessible to All with William “whurley” Hurley, Founder and CEO of Strangeworks

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 04:00:00 -0600

William Hurley, better known as whurley, is the founder and CEO of StrangeWorks, a quantum computing startup that makes the power of quantum computing easily accessible and available to all. He shares expertise on the topic and explains what quantum computing is, how it works, and its potential impact on industries such as healthcare, material science, and artificial intelligence. We also dive into the democratizing power of technology and Austin’s growth as a deep tech hub.

Episode Highlights

“Quantum computing is the future of humanity. It is the computational ability that we need to build other forms of computing… They'll be amorphic, neuromorphic, DNA-based things.”
Quantum mechanics’ unique properties allow computation of formerly intractable problems that classical computers require evaluation times of millions of years.
2023 may be to quantum technology what 1963 was to the space race.
When they launched Strangeworks, it was about humanizing quantum. The idea is to get into as many hands as possible.
ChatGPT’s rapid massive adoption has shown the power of UX innovation on top of complex technology and quantum is ripe for such an innovation.
What’s next Austin? “It needs to be community-focused, collaboratively driven with a cause, with a purpose. And that would be to build an ecosystem that supports an entrepreneur, whether they're me, or you, or some kid at UT or ACC or whatever that has an idea so that everybody can get a chance.”

Episode Links

Strangeworks: Website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

William Hurley: LinkedIn, Facebook, Website, Twitter, Instagram

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Texas 2036: Data-Driven Solutions for a Growing Texas with AJ Rodriguez and John Hryhorchuk

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 04:00:00 -0600

With an estimated 10 million more Texans calling the state home by 2036, it's important that we address the big challenges that come with growth. Texas 2036 is focused on providing nonpartisan ideas and data-driven solutions to break through the gridlock on issues that matter most to all Texans. In this episode, we are joined by AJ Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of Texas 2036, and John Hryhorchuk, SVP of Policy and Advocacy. We delve into the role of Texas 2036 in shaping the state's narrative and vision for the future, as well as discussing the organization's focus on the intersection of policy, data, and advocacy.

Episode Highlights

The budget for the current legislative session in Texas is expected to be different due to the historic surplus.
The stability of Texas' state budget is due to a combination of factors, including a lack of state income tax, a reliance on sales tax, property taxes, oil industry taxes, and economic stabilization funds.
The Texas 2036 organization and legislators are discussing the state's K-12 and university systems.
There is a growing recognition that there are multiple pathways to earning a living wage in Texas, and that skills-based hiring and industry-based credentials are becoming increasingly important.
There are new ideas in community college funding by moving away from a model focused on credit hours and towards performance-based funding model looking at student outcomes.
What’s next Austin? “We are blessed to have so many people moving to Texas. We're blessed to have population growth. We need more water, right? We need more roads. We need to make sure our education system is working for our children.”

Episode Links

Texas 2036: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter

Texas 2036 Strategic Plan

AJ Rodriguez: LinkedIn, Twitter

John Hryhorchuk: LinkedIn, Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin Next Spotlight: CIBC Innovation

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 04:00:00 -0600

Jonathan Schupack, Executive Director & Market Lead for CIBC Innovation Banking, talks about his role in lending and serving innovation companies all over the world, including software, hardware, life sciences, and cleantech companies. In this spotlight episode, Jonathan shares how he intends to utilize Austin's robust startup ecosystem to connect with founders and provide them with access to capital. Find out why Austin is an ideal location for starting a business, and what measures CIBC is taking to support companies during possible economic turmoil.

Episode Links:

Jonathan Schupack

CIBC Innovation Banking

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Art Meets Tech: Insights from Constance Y. White, Manager of Austin's Art and Public Places Program

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 04:00:00 -0600

Constance Y. White is the manager of the Art in Public Places Program for the city of Austin. In this episode, we will go over the intersection of art and technology in the city of Austin and explore how the program drives innovation to benefit artists, innovators, and residents. We will also discuss the program's goals of improving the quality of life for citizens, making art more accessible, and contributing to the city’s tourism. Constance also shares her thoughts on the visual art that represents Austin, the program's creative process, and the challenges they encounter.

Episode Highlights

How creativity plays a vital role in driving innovation in both the technology sector and the community of Austin.
Austin's Art in Public Spaces Program is funded through capital improvement projects and 2% of capital construction costs are allocated towards public art, which is higher than the average rate of 1% for similar programs across the country.
There are over 400 distinct objects and installations in the collection with 60 open contracts
Austin has been known for its visual art like our famous murals, but new technology such as augmented reality is making its mark
What’s next for Austin? “Continuing to be open to the world of ideas, but also understanding the portal of influence from our local artists and our local constituents”

Episode Links

Constance Y. White

Austin Art in Public Places Program: Website, Facebook, Instagram

Austin Public Art Archive

Austin Public Art Virtual Self-Guided Tour

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin Next Spotlight: Gary Hoover

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 04:00:00 -0600

Gary Hoover, founder of Hoover Academy and Executive Director at American Business History Center, shares his lessons for entrepreneurs and innovators today, including the importance of being curious, studying, and understanding the world. In this spotlight episode, he expresses his thoughts on the difference in the level of innovation today versus breakthrough innovations before, and how it's difficult to predict the patterns of evolution. He also delves into his favorite topics to lecture on at the University of Texas at Austin.

Episode Links

American Business History Center

Gary's GoFundMe Page

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

There’s Always an Us in Austin with Roy Spence, Co-Founder and Chairman of GSD&M and Founder of the Make it Movement

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 04:00:00 -0600

Episode Highlights

The fundamental challenge that Austin faces with our hypergrowth is navigating the tension between persevering the core and stimulating progress
The original GSD&M Plan - "Well, we wanna stay together. We wanna stay in Austin. We wanna make a difference and get rich. And we’ve lived up to our business plan"
"We will continue the journey of punching above our weight...if we will continue to be not just a city of innovation...but a city of new ideas"
The Make It Movement is about letting young people discover what they could become great at and let them start learning to become great. Whether it's a lawyer or whether it's a welder.
What's next Austin - "We gotta rediscover what made us. I think Austin should do a citywide purpose project"

Episode Links

Roy Spence

GSD&M

Make It Movement

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin Next 2023 Teaser

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0600

2023 is here and so is a whole new season of Austin Next. We are back and looking at the future of Austin and our transformation from a thriving ecosystem into a superstar region.

What's next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

From the Archive - Homegrown Venture Capital with Brian Smith, Managing Director of S3 Ventures

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 03:00:00 -0600

One of the biggest changes over the last few years in the Austin region is the influx of new venture capital firms and the raising of record funds by our homegrown firms. We spoke with long-time local VC, Brian Smith Managing Director of S3 Ventures about how the funding environment evolved, where is funding being deployed, and what the future holds. Since the airing of this episode S3 has expanded their team and announced a $250M Fund VII.

Original episode aired October 26, 2021

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

From the Archive - Austin is Becoming a Multi-Hub Region with John Garrett, Founder and CEO of Community Impact

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 03:00:00 -0600

Surprising when we started exploring the subject, but this has turned into one of our most popular episodes. The regional innovation ecosystem is more than downtown and more than just Austin. The entire metro from Bastrop to Dripping Springs and San Marcos to Temple is maturing and changing. We are establishing numerous innovation hubs that operate independently from each other and come together into mesh network that is our region. We spoke with John Garrett, Founder and CEO of Community Impact about this hyper-local phenomena and what is means for media, innovation, and the future of Austin.

Original episode aired May 31, 2022

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

From the Archive - History of the Austin Ecosystem with John Butler

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 03:00:00 -0600

We are traveling back to our very first episode with John Sibley Butler of UT Austin. Professor Butler has been a part of the ecosystem for decades and takes us through a journey from the beginning of the ecosystem to what it is today. We can't explore what's next before we know where we have been.

Original episode aired July 13, 2021

Episode Links

John Sibley Butler: UT Austin Bio, LinkedIn, Twitter

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

What's next Austin Next?

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 03:00:00 -0600

Michael and Jason take a moment to reflect back on what we learned in 22, the new questions we are asking in '23, and some surprising additional elements we are adding to the show.

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Mammoths, Tigers, and Genomics, Oh My! with Ben Lamm CEO and Founder of Colossal Biosciences

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 03:00:00 -0600

Bringing back the wooly mammoth, computer aided design for biology, is this a sci-fi novel or just a taste of what’s going on at the intersection of biology, technology, and Austin. Our next guest is Ben Lamm, CEO and Founder of Colossal Biosciences, Founder and Board Member of Form Bio, and a serial technology entrepreneur driven to solve the most complex challenges facing our planet. We talk about the Austin Bio Sector, how his team is leaning into our new distributed model of work, and what's next for the region.

What's next Austin?

Episode Links

Ben Lamm: LinkedIn, Twitter
Colossal Biosciences: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn
Form Bio: Website, Twitter, LinkedIn

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin Next Live: The Austin Bio Innovation Ecosystem

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 03:00:00 -0600

Austin Next did our first live recording on LinkedIn Live. Jason was joined by Jawad Ali (Austin Medtech Connect), and Dennis McWilliams (Santé Ventures) for a discussion on how we actually define the bio sector here in Austin, what makes us unique, our challenges, and more.

What's next Austin?

Episode Links

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Live at the Informa Tech AI/IoT/ Quantum Conference

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 03:00:00 -0600

The Informa Tech AI/IoT/Quantum Computing conference landed in Austin November 2nd and 3rd. Austin Next was there, listening, learning, and supporting the conference. With speakers ranging from chess champions and NFL quarterbacks to Austin’s Mayor and UT’s Athletic Director, everyone was here to talk and learn about changes and the intersections in the IoT, quantum computing and AI worlds. In the midst of a busy conference, we snagged Jenalea Howell, the VP AI & IoT Markets at Informa Tech for a discussion of conferences, Austin, and what it’s like to return home.

What’s next Austin?

Episode Links

Jenalea Howell

The AI Summit Austin

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Rise of the Rest with Steve Case

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 09:00:09 -0600

Steve Case is one of America’s best-known and most accomplished entrepreneurs and philanthropists. Case co-founded AOL in 1985 and under his leadership and vision, AOL became the largest and most valuable Internet company of its time. Moving beyond AOL, Case formed Revolution, a DC based investment firm focused on innovation beyond the coasts. On today's episode, we discuss his new book, their investments in Central Texas, and why Austin might be different than the rest.

Episode Links

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

A Deep Dive with Bob Campbell, a Longtime Austin Leader

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 08:00:07 -0500

Bob Campbell is a visionary senior business leader with a track record of building successful businesses while advising corporate and government leaders on management and policy issues. He is a management consultant; corporate board member; non-profit board member; private equity advisor, and active angel investor. We talk about his long history here, what's changed, and how the larger macro trends are affecting our region.

What's Next Austin?

Episode Links

Bob Campbell

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Road Trip to Houston - Innovation through the Investor Lens with Dougal Cameron, Managing Director of Golden Section

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 07:00:07 -0500

We continue our dive into the Houston innovation ecosystem from an investor point of view. Dougal Cameron is a co-founder and the managing director of Golden Section, a venture capital firm, engineering organization, and early-stage venture partner serving business software companies from ideation to $5M in revenue. We talk about the types and scale of startups, the Houston LP market, and how our ecosystems can connect.

What's Next Houston?

Episode Links:

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Road Trip to Houston - The Innovation Ecosystem with Houston Exponential

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Austin Next is still on the road and today we are visiting another point of the Texas Triangle. Houston has been on a tear the last few years growing from $400M in annual startup funding in 2018 to crossing the $2B threshold last year. There is the Texas Medical Center, the Ion, Rice University, and many more influential and growing institutions. Today we dive into the Houston innovation ecosystem with Lawson Gow and Chris Buckner the forces now behind Houston Exponential.

What's next Houston?

Episode Links:

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Road Trip to San Antonio Part 2 – Alamo Angels Make Substantial Progress

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Today we continue our visit to San Antonio and working to discover the unique innovation ecosystem here in the Alamo City. And no discussion would be complete without talking about the investors here. Juan “Sebastian” Garzon serves as Executive Director for Alamo Angels and Programs Manager for VelocityTX. In these roles, Sebastian supports early-stage companies by providing them access to funding and resources to accelerate their growth. The growth of this angel network is impressive and their future even more so.

What's next San Antonio?

Episode Links:

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Road Trip to San Antonio - The Innovation Ecosystem with Jim Perschbach, President & CEO Port San Antonio

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 00:00:00 -0500

A lot of conversations today talk about the competition & cooperation between San Antonio and Austin. Two growing cities separated by a strip of Interstate 35. Cities with very different histories, different experiences…but both growing innovation systems. For our San Antonio visit, we start with Port San Antonio, It’s the Alamo City’s large and dynamic technology and innovation campus. A 1,900-acre platform just southwest of downtown San Antonio and a place that provides connected solutions in an increasingly connected world.

What's next San Antonio?

Episode Links

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin Networking Groups We Like

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Lately, we've been talking and writing a lot about networking. Why is it so important to us? People are social animals. And no matter how much we can get done remotely, we need a connection with other people. But just as important networking groups are where the creative collisions happen. These collisions are critical to an innovation culture like Austin's, these collisions are often where we find our business ideas, our collaborators, and sometimes even our employees. So today, we wanted to celebrate three organizations that foster great networking and take a different approach.

Episode Links:

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

How Resilient is Austin to an Economic Downturn with Roland Pena, SVP of Global Technology and Innovation from the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 00:00:00 -0500

The US and perhaps the world’s economies seem to be headed for a rough patch. Given the growth of the Austin/Central Texas area over the past couple of years, the question is how resilient is the Austin economy, and are we ready for what comes next? Today, we’re joined by Roland Pena, Senior VP Global Technology & Innovation with Opportunity Austin at the Austin Chamber of Commerce and we dive into the data to see how Austin might respond to this downturn.

What's Next Austin?

Episode Links

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Return to the Austin Mortar with Thom Singer, CEO of the Austin Technology Council

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 00:00:00 -0500

A lot of things have changed since we last had Thom Singer on the podcast. We talk about Thom's new role, what the networking environment looks like now, and how that impacts the creative collisions between the foundations of Austin.

What's next Austin?

Episode Links

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin Next Goes Boom!

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Today, the Austin Next team and the Boom ATX podcast team get together. Lee Snedaker and Glenn Hart have been talking about Austin for about as long as we have. And they have the advantage of much deeper knowledge about Austin’s history and culture.

We had a wide-ranging discussion, from real estate to startups, from music to restaurants, and much more.

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Exploring Austin's Draper Startup House, a Global Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0500

The growth of our ecosystem and the critical mass of startups coming to Austin leads to unique opportunities to experiment with support infrastructure. One of those experiments is the Draper Startup House, a global entrepreneurship ecosystem including a network of co-living houses and a pre-seed “pop-up” accelerator program. Today we are joined by the co-founders Katie Russel and Daniel Wiegand to talk the mission, the importance of storytelling for startups, and why Austin.

What's next Austin?

Episode Links:

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Past, Present, and Future of Entrepreneurship in Austin. Part 2 of our Discussion with Brett Hurt Co-Founder and CEO of data.world

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0500

We are back with Part 2 of our discussion with Brett. In this episode we cover the expanding Austin region, identifying talent, the intersection of philosophy, politics, and innovation, and of course what comes next.

What's Next Austin?

Episode Links:

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Past, Present, and Future of Entrepreneurship in Austin. Part 1 of our Discussion with Brett Hurt Co-Founder and CEO of data.world

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Brett Hurt is a serial entrepreneur, launching Bazaarvoice, Coremetrics and now data.world. Over that time, he's learned a lot about software, people, software and soul. His latest company, data.world, is a B Corp, or as he calls it, Capitalism 2.0. Brett invited us to his home to talk about growing up in Austin, and the tension between the creative and the capitalist class.

Episode Links

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Changing Austin Venture Scene with CS Freeland, Executive Director of the Austin Venture Association

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Clearly the Austin entrepreneurial ecosystem has been growing dramatically for the last several years. And, with that growth has come a lot of new investors. Whether it be VCs building larger funds, entrepreneurs reinvesting earnings, incubators and angels willing to help startups, there are a lot of people getting involved. Today we are talking with CS Freeland, co-founder and executive director of the Austin Venture Association (AVA). We cover why do we need an organization AVA, the origin story, and the evolution of the venture environment here in Austin.

Capital that is leveling up raises...What's next Austin.

Episode Links:

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Innovation and Architecture with Todd Runkle Principal, Managing Director at Gensler

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Often how we live, work and play is determined by where we live, work, and play. The buildings we occupy can range from condos and offices in the central business district, to the wide-open spaces needed to test drones and farm equipment. Today with speak Todd Runkle on how Austin is evolving, how innovation districts play a role, and the growth of Central Living Districts.

Where we are and how we live, work, and play is... What's next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Peter Rex, Real Estate and PropTech Entrepreneur and now Austinite

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 00:00:00 -0500

We met and talked to Peter Rex, who with his team at Rex LLC owns substantial real estate in Austin and across the United States. Since 2018, Peter has focused a lot of his time and energy on Rex Tech Ventures, his technology incubator and PropTech software companies.

Rex Tech has now grown to ten companies and together they are looking to solve some of the most difficult problems in the real estate industry. We talked about Why Austin, the convergence of tech and real estate, and even a little blockchain and web3. It’s the disruptors who make…What’s next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Deploying Advanced Infrastructure with Jeff DeCoux of the Autonomy Institute

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 00:00:00 -0500

One of Austin’s superpowers is that we live in the future. We are both inventing the future and it’s being deployed here in Central Texas. We’re joined today by Jeff DeCoux founder and CEO of the Autonomy Institute to talk about one of our key challenges to build this future and that's infrastructure.

A 21st century technical foundation is the bridge to What's next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Unlikely Path from Creative to Life Science Entrepreneur with Casey McPherson, CEO to Cure A Rose Foundation

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 00:00:00 -0500

The road to being an entrepreneur has many twists and turns. Starting that journey from a nontraditional starting point, in this case the music world, can create even more unexpected challenges. Today we are talking with Casey McPherson and hear about his journey from accomplished musician to genetic disease advocate and life science leader. We learn about the role of creatives in an innovation ecosystem and how he sees the bio economy playing out here in Austin.

These unlikely journeys form...What's next Austin?

Episode Links:

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin Next 1 Year Anniversary - The Journey and What We Have Learned so Far

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 00:00:00 -0500

What an amazing year it has been. This week it's just the two of us reflecting back on where the podcast has been, what we have seen in the ecosystem, the insights that our guests have shared, and what comes next for both the podcast and Austin.

Austin Next Newsletter Survey

What's next Austin Next Podcast?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Is Austin the City of the Future with Cullum Clark, George W. Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative Director

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Cities are changing as rapidly as ever due increased migration patterns, new hubs of innovation, and an evolving way we work. What does the city of the future look like and is Austin the new leader of that trend? Today we bring in Cullum Clark the Director of the George W. Bush Institute & SMU Economic Growth Initiative and an Adjunct Professor of Economics at SMU. We talk about Austin’s transformation, what does a future city model look like, and how do we plan for the future.

The city of the future is...What's next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Where Does Austin's Ecosystem Rank with Farshad Fahimi of Startup Genome

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 00:00:00 -0500

We see all of these best of city lists. Best places to live, most affordable, growing tech employment, and so on. How does Austin stack up when looking at our overall startup environment? Today we are bringing on Farshad Fahimi (Director of Data Strategy), who is going to walk us through Startup Genome’s annual ranking of the global ecosystem. We discuss the big observations in this year's report, what does the data say about Austin, and how does our future look.

Rankings influence narratives and narratives create...What's next Austin

Episode Links:

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Moving Towards Energy Abundance with Christy Cardenas, Managing Partner Grit Ventures

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Infrastructure is one of the key issues impacting Austin’s rapid growth. Whether it’s water, roadways and transit, or power, we must ensure that we have the resources to handle our growth. Today, we focus on power… Joining us is Christy Cardenas Managing Partner Grit Ventures. Grit Ventures focuses, in part, on new energy sources, distribution systems, and transportation. We talk about the current energy situation, how we make a transition to new sources while working together with traditional producers, what does innovation look like with abundant energy, and finally where does Austin fit into all of this. We need the lights on to see...What's next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin is Becoming a Multi-Hub Region with John Garrett, Founder and CEO of Community Impact Newspaper

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 31 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Austin has been growing at breakneck speed. Over the past year, we were #1 in percentage population growth and #3 in employment growth. This doesn't event tell the whole story. The entire metro from Bastrop to Dripping Springs and San Marcos to Temple is maturing and changing. We are establishing numerous innovation hubs that operate independently from each other and come together into mesh network that is our region. We talk today with John Garrett, Founder and CEO of Community Impact Newspaper about this hyper-local phenomena and what is means for media, innovation, and the future of Austin. You can also check out their wonderful podcast The Austin Breakdown to get unique insights into the region. Austin is more than just Austin and that is the foundation for What's Next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

We are Living in the Future with Brad Bentz, Partner and Co-Founder of ATX Partners

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 24 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Our region not only builds futuristic technologies, but they are deployed and tested here as well. More and more when you hear autonomous vehicles, rockets, drones, and personal flying vehicles you think Austin. Today we are speaking with Brad Bentz, Co-Founder and Partner at ATX Partners a local venture firm that recently raised $150M for their 3rd fund, and now has over $300M under management. ATX’s tagline is “investing in people pioneering the future,” so we thought who better to talk about how this superpower drives What's Next Austin. The future is now and What's next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin Sector Deep Dive: Transportation with Meg Merritt and Joseph Kopser

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 17 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

With the changing nature of work, new regional ecosystems flourishing, and massive domestic migration the demands to our infrastructure are changing and evolving. One of the most fundamental parts of this equation is the question of how we move people and goods from point A to point B. We have seen a surge in new technologies such as mass electrification and driverless vehicles and new modalities like delivery drones and even tunnels. Austin is becoming an epicenter for transportation tech both in terms of innovation and deployment. Today we talk with Meg Merritt and Joseph Kopser about where this industry has been, where its going, and how it fits into the broader growth of the region. What moves Austin moves...What's next Austin?

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Check out all of the sponsors mentioned here

Austin Next Links

Our music is “Tech Talk” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons 4.0 License

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Semiconductor Industry Deep Dive with Dave Anderson of Semi.org

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 10 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Texas has long been a home for the semiconductor industry. I guess it started with a little company named Texas Instruments, but today in the Austin area, we have Samsung, NXP, Micron, AMD, and Intel, But, this growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum, it takes a lot of people doing a lot of work. So today, we’re going to take a deeper look into this part of our ecosystem and try to better understand where Austin’s semiconductor industry is coming from and where it’s going.

SEMI is the international organization representing semiconductor manufacturers and joining us today is David Anderson. At the time of this recording, David was President, SEMI Americas. His responsibilities covered all programs in the region. But more importantly he managed and nurtured relationships with SEMI as well as with local association and constituents in industry, government, and academia. David came to SEMI with a lot of experience, having held positions at Fairchild Semiconductor, National Semiconductor, the Semiconductor Industry Suppliers Association, and SEMATECH, where he helped launch their global initiative. David has moved onto a new position at NY Creates, and we wish him well.

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Funding the Future with Elizabeth (Ela) Mirowski SBIR/STTR Program Director at the National Science Foundation

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 03 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Capital is the fuel that drives the innovation ecosystem. Grants can make up an important component in funding and catalyzing innovation. The biggest source of grants is of course the US government through numerous agencies and programs. Today we talk with Elizabeth (Ela) Mirowski a Program Director for the SBIR/STTR program at the National Science Foundation. We talk about the programs available to small companies, how the NSF is evolving, and how Austin fits into all of this.

Grants and other nondilutive funding are key for...What's next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Super Regions: Texas Triangle with Ed Curtis, CEO of YTexas

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Today we’re going to expand our focus a bit, and look at the entire state of Texas, not just Austin. We want to dig into what has brought so much attention, and new people to the Lone Star State, how it’s impacting business, culture, and innovation. The concept of a super-region isn’t new. But the idea of a Texas Triangle is something new and unique. And that’s what we explored with Ed Curtis, Founder and CEO of YTexas. All of Texas is accelerating...What's next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Super Regions: The Austin Metro with Laura Huffman, President and CEO of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 00:00:00 -0500

We have gone deep and we have gone wide in looking at the sectors and factors that drive the growth of the Austin region. Today we are going to take a holistic look at the entire metro from San Macros to Taylor and Bastrop to Dripping Springs. This super-region is powering forward into the next great innovation epicenter. To understand what is at the heart of this region, what is bringing new people and companies, and what this evolution looks like we have Laura Huffman, President and CEO of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. All of Austin powers...What's next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Tech Transfer with Les Nichols, Director of the Office of Technology Commercialization at The University of Texas at Austin

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 00:00:00 -0500

A common plank in ecosystem development is having a strong research-focused university churning out discoveries and intellectual property that can then be spinout our licensed into the private sector. In Austin, we have one such university with UT, but that movement of technology from academia to industry is not magic. Tech transfer organizations sit at the crux of this bridge trying to balance the needs of the university with the needs of their startup and corporate partners. Today we have Les Nichols, Director of the Office of Technology Commercialization or OTC at UT Austin to talk about how this is done, the challenges they face, and the role this function plays in our innovation ecosystem . Innovations from academia help drive…What’s next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Future of Connected Work with Razat Gaurav, CEO of Planview

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Work is changing, whether that is how we work (remote, hybrid, in-person), the tools we use, or how we govern these organizations. One of the superpowers of Austin is that "We are living in the future" and in this case, it means the future of work is being developed, tested, and deployed here first. To understand how Austin is the source of these trends and tools, we interview Razat Gaurav, CEO of Austin-based Planview. We talk about their place in the region, how they are creating these new platforms, and the future of Austin. How we work is...What's next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

A 1st Timers' Impression of SXSW

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0500

We are changing up the format this week as we are flying without a net and without a guest. This time is just a conversation between our hosts. Jason had the opportunity to attend SXSW. Hear one point of view on how Austin was represented at the festival. What we learned, what caught our eye, and how we are already thinking about SXSW 2023. Here’s how SXSW influenced...What's Next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Digital Roadtrip to Atlanta and Nashville

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0500

We are hitting the road again and learning about all the other "emerging" ecosystems. This time we are heading to the Southeast and making pitstops in Atlanta and Nashville. We are joined by Blake Patton, Managing Partner Tech Square Ventures, and Brian Moyer, President and CEO at the Greater Nashville Technology Council to discuss their regions. We discuss their history, what's the secret sauce that is driving their growth, and how are they adapting to the changing dynamics of work and innovation. What's next everywhere else!

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Unique to Austin - It's SXSW with Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer at SXSW

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0600

This is another in our Unique to Austin series where we look at what gives Austin its special sauce. There is nothing more unique about Austin than SXSW. Over the past 30 years, Austin has grown, matured, and adapted to everything new, and SXSW has as well. Today, after two years of dealing with the pandemic, SXSW is back and it’s live. From March 11 through the 20th, there will be hundreds of presentations across dozens of topics, as well as workshops, seminars, screenings, and of course music. Today we are joined by Hugh Forrest, SXSW's Chief Programming Officer to talk about the event's history, this year's event, how it integrates/mirrors/supports the Austin ecosystem, and what the future holds. SXSW helps define...What's next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Unique to Austin - Army Applications Lab with Brance Hudzietz, Corporate Ventures and EIR

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0600

A key enabler of Austin’s growth are the unique institutions, events, and infrastructure that only exists in our region. In 2018, Army Futures Command chose our city as its base of operations. We wanted to learn why, how it connects with our broader innovation ecosystem, and what role it plays in empowering our future growth. We spoke with Brance Hudzietz, Corporate Ventures lead and Entrepreneur in Residence for The Army Applications Laboratory a division of the Army Futures Command to help answer these questions. What's unique to Austin creates...What's next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Flyover Country an Insult or the Future with Dale Buss, Executive Director of The Flyover Coalition

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0600

Over the course of the pandemic, migration trends already taking place were accelerated. It’s an open secret that the middle of the US is now a key engine of our nation’s growth. We’ve seen the ups and downs economically, mostly tied to manufacturing. But today, places like Austin, Denver, Chicago, and Nashville are tech and innovation hubs as well. We wanted to explore the growth and changes in this region in more detail, and so we are joined by Dale Buss, the founder and executive director of The Flyover Coalition.

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Digital Roadtrip to Chicago, Dallas, and San Diego

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0600

Austin is not the only ecosystem in the news as the next big thing. The past few years have seen massive disruption, geographic migration, and increased capital flows outside of the traditional big innovation centers of Silicon Valley, New York, Los Angeles, and Boston. We want to see what these other growing regions are up to, what's accelerating their next phase, and what can we learn from each other? We are joined by Jackie DiMonte Partner at Chicago Ventures, Charlie Lass Founder and CEO of Dallas Inc, and Fred Grier the former Technology and Life Science Reporter of the San Diego Business Journal to discuss their respective regions. What's next everywhere else!

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Research Speaks - Progress Studies with Jason Crawford, Founder and CEO of the Roots of Progress

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0600

For Austin to solidify its role as the next great innovation powerhouse, we must research what has come before and what are the trends pushing us forward. One area of study that greatly affects our future is the exploration of the very nature of progress itself…what is it, what drives it, and how does it affect our region’s future? Today we are talking with Jason Crawford, Founder and CEO of the Roots of Progress, a nonprofit dedicated to establishing a new philosophy of progress. How we view innovation and progress lays the foundation for...What's Next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Executive Talent with Lisa Novak, VP Employee Experience at data.world

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0600

We continue our conversations about talent, who companies need and how to get them. Are we positioned for the future needs of our region and its sectors? We’ve talked about the pipeline, we’ve discussed middle management, it’s time to turn to executive talent. More than any time in the past, it is the decision-making prowess of a senior team that drives its success, or its failure. Top tier talent isn’t grown overnight. The question for Austin firms is do you nurture your internal talent, recruit to the region, or is it the dog eat dog world of Austin companies pulling from the same local pool. To help us understand how Central Texas businesses are dealing with this challenge is Lisa Novak, VP Employee Experience at data.world. How does executive talent shape...What's next Austin?

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Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Talent Pipeline with Garrett Groves, Vice Chancellor of Strategic Initiatives for the Austin Community College District

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 00:00:00 -0600

Talent remains a hot topic in everyone of our discussions. Do we have enough workers, do we have the right skill sets, how are we positioned for the future needs of the region and sectors? We have demand for high end manufacturing workers, more frontline healthcare staff, and other more stereotypical blue collars. Migration is one method to grow our talent base, but the other and likely more sustainable is to develop our homegrown labor force.

Today we speak with Garrett Groves, Vice Chancellor of Strategic Initiatives for the Austin Community College District on how they are building this talent pipeline for the region. The next generation of workers will drive...What's next Austin.

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Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Mid-Management Talent with Bjorn Billhardt, CEO of Abilitie

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 00:00:00 -0600

Everyone we have interviewed on the podcast has mentioned talent as a key issue facing Austin as it quickly ramps up its innovation ecosystem. And a big part of that is developing mid-level managers that can make decisions and propel businesses forward. Joining us is Bjorn Billhardt, CEO of Abilitie to discuss how we are training these managers and the talent battle the region faces.

The next generation of leaders will drive...What's next Austin.

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Discussing the Austin Narrative with Amber Gunst, CEO of the Austin Technology Council

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 00:00:00 -0600

Over the course of this podcast, we have explored the Austin ecosystem from a variety of different angles. The sectors here, the major trends, and the entrepreneurial support system. One question that has percolated through has been why has Austin continued to punch above its weight when it comes to funding, startups, growth, etc. What is it about Austin that is resonating beyond our borders? Today we explore our observations of the Austin Narrative and the regional superpowers that are underlying it with Amber Gunst, CEO of the Austin Technology council.

The stories that travel are helping shape…. What’s Next Austin?

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Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin Sector Deep Dive: Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) with Kirstin Ross, Managing Director SKU

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 00:00:00 -0600

The innovation space is wider and more expansive than the traditional tech verticals. It extends to the food we eat, the health/beauty solutions we use, the products we utilize to clean our home, and many more. Joining us is Kirstin Ross, Managing Director of SKU a CPG focused accelerator here in Austin

Austin's reach expands beyond the city into every store and for every consumer...What's next Austin?

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Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin Sector Deep Dive: Space with with Melanie Stricklan, CEO Slingshot Aerospace & Michael Ciannilli NASA's Director of the Apollo, Challenger, Columbia Lessons Learned Program

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 00:00:00 -0600

The space race runs through Texas now. All types of rockets, satellites, control software, and the underlying infrastructure of the industry are being created and grown here in Austin. Our Austin Sector Deep Dive Series continues with Melanie Stricklan, CEO of Slingshot Aerospace & Michael Ciannilli NASA's Director of the Apollo, Challenger, Columbia Lessons Learned Program.

Is the final frontier...What's Next Austin?

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Austin Sector Deep Dive: Manufacturing with Ed Latson, Executive Director Austin Regional Manufacturers Association

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 00:00:00 -0600

Austin is more than the live music capital of the world or the latest tech-wonderland. Central Texas has a notable and growing manufacturing base as well. Today, we’re going to go deeper into this part of our home and try to better understand where our manufacturing industry comes from and where it’s going. Joining us is Ed Latson, Executive Director of the Austin Regional Manufacturing Association.

We build things in Austin...What's next Austin

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Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Austin Capital Environment #3: NonVC Sources of Startup Fundraising (Angels, Debt, Crowdfunding, and More)

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 00:00:00 -0600

Venture capital is just one source of funding available to early-stage companies. These sources both compete with and complement VC money. They range from existing methods such as angels and debt vehicles to new sources like crowdfunding. Austin is home to a growing variety of options for this alternative capital and so we are going to try something new with this episode.

In this episode, we have 4 mini-interviews with individuals that are active in this space. Nick Spiller, fundraising coach and host of the Beta Business podcast; Rick Timmins, former board chair of CTAN; Elizabeth Jennings, Board Member for SWAN Impact Network; and Kyle Robertson, entrepreneur, and free-agent investor. They provide a look at the organizations and players in town and also provide differing perspectives on the fundraising environment.

With capital flowing we can move towards...What's next Austin?

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Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Austin Capital Environment #2: New to Austin VC with Garheng Kong, Founder and Managing Partner HealthQuest Capital

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 00:00:00 -0500

As we continue our look at the Austin capital environment, we turn to the newcomers to the region. Over the past 18 months, we have had numerous VC firms either opening up offices here or an outright move. This influx of capital is one of the many drivers for why 2021 has been a historic year in Austin startup fundraising.

In this episode, we talk with Garheng Kong, Founder and Managing Partner of HealthQuest Capital. HealthQuest is one of those new firms that has newly put a presence in the Austin region. Drawing new capital into the ecosystem is a driving force of...What's next Austin?

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Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Austin Capital Environment #1: Homegrown Venture Capital with Brian Smith, Managing Director of S3 Ventures

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 00:00:00 -0500

The fuel that makes startups grow has always been capital. This is produced from revenue, debt, angels, crowdfunding, and venture capital. Austin has seen a record year in both funds being raised and companies raising rounds. Not only have the funds been flying, but new investors have decided to make the region their home. In this episode, we are starting our series on the Austin capital environment. How it evolved, where the funding is being deployed, and what the future holds. We start with a long-time local VC, Brian Smith Managing Director of S3 Ventures. Knowing where the capital is flowing will help us answer...What's next Austin?

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Private Innovation Support Infrastructure with Amos Schwartzfarb, Managing Director of TechStars Austin

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 00:00:00 -0500

We interview Amos Schwartzfarb, Managing Director of TechStars Austin about how private incubators support the innovation ecosystem here in Central TX.

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Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Academic Innovation Support Structures with Van Truskett and Ashley Jennings

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 00:00:00 -0500

History has shown that a strong university is a key element for an innovation ecosystem to thrive. The good news is that Austin is the home of the University of Texas, one of the largest and strongest universities in the US, and I’m not just talking about football.

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Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin Sector Deep Dive: Life Sciences with Scott Collins, President BioAustinCTX

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:00:00 -0500

The pandemic opened a lot of people's eyes to the importance of the life sciences industry. The 21st century is being called the bio century and Austin has the opportunity to be right in the middle of that next wave. We continue our Austin Sector Deep Dive Series with Scott Collins, President BioAustinCTX The next generation of innovation in health will drive forward...What's next Austin?

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Austin Sector Deep Dive: MediaTech with Paul O'Brien, CEO MediaTech Ventures

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 00:00:00 -0500

The Live Music Capital of the world is one of many slogans for our fine city. Music is just one of many forms of media that have been taking hold in the region. This includes film, gaming, and yes podcasting too. One fascinating collision between our growing media footprint and our technology hub is mediatech. We continue our Austin Sector Deep Dive Series with Paul O'Brien, CEO of MediaTech Ventures. This burgeoning sector helps shape the narrative of...What's Next Austin?

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Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin Sector Deep Dive: Blockchain and Crypto with Lee Bratcher, President Texas Blockchain Council

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 00:00:00 -0500

One of the strengths of the Austin innovation ecosystem is the wide sector diversification that plays within our region. All of these different industries provide multiple shots on goals for future unicorns, a hedge against a downturn in any single market, and opportunities for interesting and unique collaborations. We are going to break open the silos and provide a glimpse into each of these sectors. In today's episode, we are going to start with one of the newest technologies Blockchain/Crypto with Lee Bratcher, President of the Texas Blockchain Council. Each of these industries provides its own path to...What's Next Austin?

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Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Austin Mortar, an interview with Thom Singer, the Human Connection Catalyst

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 00:00:00 -0500

The building blocks of any ecosystem are the companies that have been founded or migrated here; however, it is the mortar between those blocks that makes a strong foundation. The mortar of an ecosystem is the people, culture, and ideas that flow throughout. Today we are speaking with Thom Singer, the Human Connection Catalyst on how the movement, interaction, and creative collisions of talent and innovation are changing, adapting, and growing in the region. With this solid bedrock for future growth...What's next Austin?

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Research Speaks with Ross Devol CEO of Heartland Forward Foundation

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 00:00:00 -0500

We talk a lot about how Austin is transforming into the next great innovation powerhouse, but how do you define a growing innovation powerhouse. What do the academics say are the right ways to measure an ecosystem’s growth and how does Austin stack up. In this episode, we speak with Ross Devol, President and CEO of Heartland Forward. We talk about his latest research, where Austin ranks, and what trends are creating both headwinds and tailwinds for our community. Understanding the data helps us understand…What’s Next Austin?

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Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Who's coming to the Austin Metro with Jason Ball

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 00:00:00 -0500

No innovation ecosystem exists in a silo and one of the significant growth drivers are the companies that are deciding to move here from other regions. Whether it is a satellite office or a new headquarters, these organizations have a big impact on the local community. In this episode, we talk with Jason Ball the President and CEO of the Round Rock Chamber on who is coming here, what is driving the transition, and the challenges they face once here. It’s the marriage of our home-grown enterprises with the continued inflow of new companies that sets the stage for…What’s Next Austin?

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Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin Now with Marc Nathan

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 27 Jul 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Episode 2: Interview with Marc Nathan Part of the evolution of Austin into the next great innovation powerhouse is the change in the types of companies that are being started here. The history of Austin is deeply connected to personal computers, enterprise software, and semiconductors. Today the next generation of companies are coming from CPG, consumer technology, life sciences, media tech, space, and more. We have a growing number of unicorns and “soonicrons.” Marc Nathan, a local player and reporter, on the startup ecosystem, walks us through who those companies are and how they are changing the landscape of what it means to be a startup in Austin. Understanding what is being built will help us answer…What’s Next Austin?

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Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

History of the Austin Ecosystem with John Butler

jason@austinnextpodcast.com (Michael Scharf and Jason Scharf) — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Before we can see what’s next for Austin, we have to know where we have been. To walk us through the history of the Austin innovation ecosystem, we interviewed John Sibley Butler from UT Austin. Professor Butler has been a part of the ecosystem for decades and sees the various waves of growth. Come listen for the history lesson that will help us answer…. What’s Next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack