Most Recent Episodes
Recent
EP 170: Patient Capital in the Age of the $10B Seed | Brian Smith, S3 Ventures
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 …
Patient Capital in the Age of the $10B Seed | Brian Smith, S3 Ventures
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 "Dis...
Ep 169: The Semiconductor Moment for the Mind
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. Th…
The Semiconductor Moment for the Mind
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 cat...
Robot Punching is Easy, Standing is Hard
A clip from our episode "Combat as the Minimum Viable Product | Cix Liv, REK"
#robotics #RealSteel #UFC #FutureOfSports #MMA #Tech #AustinNext #CombatSports #HardTech
Robot Sports Before Laundry and Soldiers
A clip from our episode "Combat as the Minimum Viable Product | Cix Liv, REK"
#robotics #RealSteel #UFC #FutureOfSports #MMA #Tech #AustinNext #CombatSports #HardTech
Robot Title Match: Little Girl vs Navy Seal
A clip from our episode "Combat as the Minimum Viable Product | Cix Liv, REK"
#robotics #RealSteel #UFC #FutureOfSports #MMA #Tech #AustinNext #CombatSports #HardTech
EP 168: Combat as the Minimum Viable Product | Cix Liv, REK
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 cult…
Combat as the Minimum Viable Product | Cix Liv, REK
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 valida...
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Recent Blog Posts
New Report says Austin is turning into life sciences "superstar" hub
Thrilled to have been featured on 'Tech this Out' with Walt Maciborski, discussing the booming Austin Life Sciences Sector!Our report, 'Austin Life Sciences Sector: A Powerhouse Emerging at a Pivotal Crossroads,' was born from a desire to catalyze a…
Austin's Venture Funding Challenges the Global Stagnation
The global venture funding landscape narrative for the first half of 2023 has been portrayed as one of stagnation. Headlines from notable publications, such as Crunchbase's "AI Was Q2’s Big Hope To Reverse The Global Venture Funding Slowdown. …
Austin Life Sciences Sector: A Powerhouse Emerging at a Pivotal Cross…
Welcome to Austin Next, where we explore Austin's ascension into a global innovation powerhouse. We delve into the region's evolution, examine the building of robust ecosystems, and consider the impact of emerging trends and technologies. With Austi…
About the Host
Founder & Host
Jason Scharf has spent nearly two decades pursuing his life’s mission of catalyzing innovation. As an early stage investor, he targets the bio innovation tech stack and the business of health. He has held key leadership roles in strategy and market intelligence at industry pillars such as Illumina, BD, and Amgen. Through the Austin Next podcast and Substack Ecosystem Metacognition, he explores innovation, Bio & Health, tech, ecosystems, Austin, and their convergence.