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Smart Friends

Smart Friends

By: Eric Jorgenson
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 Casual conversations with founders, technologists, investors, and artists about building a brighter future, together. Welcome to our digital living room.  With science, technology and entrepreneurship we can *continue* to create unfathomable leaps in quality of life. We show you how to find, apply, build, and invest in technologies to change your life and the world.  When we have smart friends, we do smart things. When we do smart things, we save the world.  No matter who, where, or when you are – now you have smart friends, too.  Outside this podcast, I’m the author of The Almanack of Naval Ravikant and The Anthology of Balaji. Connect at ejorgenson.com  Laugh and learn with people like Balaji Srinivasan, Naval Ravikant, Andrew Wilkinson, Austen Allred, David Senra, Josh Storrs Hall, Ashley Rindsberg, Zach Pettet, Bret Kugelmass, Omar ElNaggar, Grace Guo, Brett Kopf, Max Olson, Chris Williamson, Shane Mac, Tim Hwang, David Perell, Jason Hitchcock, Natalia Karayaneva, Sebastian Marshall, Taylor Pearson, Mitchell Baldridge and more. Join conversations with my partners in early-stage tech investing, Bo Fishback and Al Doan. Our Rolling Fun Episodes cover our investments and escapades as angel investors and startup helpers. We invest in startups creating the *next* industrial revolution. Learn more at rolling.fun “Surround yourself with people who remind you more of your future than of your past.”Copyright Eric Jorgenson, Magrathea Inc. Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • #094 Rolling Fun #8: Basketball, Asteroid Mining, Child Labor (Not Really Tho)

    #094 Rolling Fun #8: Basketball, Asteroid Mining, Child Labor (Not Really Tho)
    Sep 2 2025
    Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:46) - Personal updates and new ventures (00:04:06) - The youth sports complex project (00:05:21) - Challenges and strategies in youth sports business (00:09:09) - Community impact and future vision (00:19:00) - Reflections on education and parenting (00:34:05) - The magic of holding a newborn (00:34:32) - The joys and challenges of parenting (00:35:07) - Balancing work and family life (00:37:36) - Exciting company updates (00:38:03) - Success stories in venture capital (00:40:55) - Innovations in space and technology (00:47:19) - The future of asteroid mining (00:54:34) - Revolutionizing construction and robotics (00:59:01) - Battery technology breakthroughs (01:03:59) - Conclusion and next steps Links: Join us in Rolling Fun! Hear our other Rolling Fun eps! To support the costs of producing this podcast: >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanack: www.navalmanack.com/ >> Buy a copy of The Anthology of Balaji: https://balajianthology.com/ >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun >> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter >> Text the podcast to a friend >> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners! We discuss: Bo is turning around a Youth Sports Complex that was losing millions/year. “Never skip a funeral and always hold a baby” Investment updates across nuclear energy, asteroid mining, robotics, and batteries. Why enthusiasm, networks, and timing matter so much in early-stage investing. Quotes from Bo: "This was like 11 businesses stuffed into one building… and none of them were working yet." "My job right now is teaching people who love what they do how it fits into a business." "We get 2 to 3 calls a week from private equity firms, and I tell them all: don’t do it." "It’s a 600-person organization… a real thing with real complexity." "Maybe it’s a $30 million business—manageable, understandable, and ridiculously high impact." "It’s a cartel-organized market. You need to be a trusted actor to even play in it." "Helping it really succeed is time well spent—for Kansas City, for the kids, and for everyone here." "The youth sports market is a $40 to $80 billion space, and it’s on fire." "There’s not a lot of credible business builders in this space—and I haven’t found another one yet." "In 50 years, this will be even more awesome. I love working on stuff like that." Quotes from Al: "You couldn't just copy-paste this business into another city. You need deep trust and local knowledge." "This is a fun community challenge. If you get it right, you leave a real legacy." "I texted Bo—‘We did it’—because Eric and Jeannine had a baby. That’s how we all felt." "The bond between dad and baby isn’t immediate. But it grows—and it’s worth it." "I fixed the cheeseburger at Home Field before Bo was even involved." "Once you have a baby, every infant photo becomes magic." "The best underappreciated part of being an entrepreneur? You can get your kids working early." Important Quotes from the podcast on Business and Entrepreneurship There is no skill called “business.” Avoid business magazines and business classes. - Naval Ravikant You have to work up to the point where you can own equity in a business. You could own equity as a small shareholder where you bought stock. You could also own it as an owner where you started the company. Ownership is really important. Everybody who really makes money at some point owns a piece of a product, a business, or some IP. That can be through stock options if you work at a tech company. That’s a fine way to start.
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • #093 Behind the Scenes of a Nuclear Microreactor Startup with Matt Loszak, Founder CEO of Aalo Atomics [Replay]

    #093 Behind the Scenes of a Nuclear Microreactor Startup with Matt Loszak, Founder CEO of Aalo Atomics [Replay]
    Aug 19 2025
    ***This is a Replay Episode*** Links for Matt’s stuff: ⁠Aalo.com⁠ ⁠Matt on Twitter⁠ ⁠Aalo on Twitter⁠ ⁠Aalo Job Board⁠ Link to invest alongside Eric in deals like Aalo: rolling.fun Links to stuff mentioned: ⁠Decouple Podcast⁠ ⁠Titans of Nuclear Podcast⁠ ⁠Nuclear Barbarian Substack⁠ ⁠Atomic Awakening by James Mahaffey⁠ ⁠Why Nuclear Power Has Been a Flop by Jack Devanney⁠ Topics: (00:03:08) How the popular opinion of nuclear has changed from the 1950’s (00:15:16) The regulation issues surrounding nuclear (00:17:20) Water-based nuclear reactors vs. advanced nuclear reactors (00:19:40) Matt’s journey into nuclear energy (00:34:42) Aalo’s strategy (00:41:12) What is the TAM for this nuclear microreactors? (00:45:53) The manufacturing process for a nuclear plant (00:48:51) The nuclear supply chain (00:50:01) The change in public opinion on nuclear energy (00:55:56) Support for nuclear energy in the VC world (01:01:12) Recommendations for learning more about the sustainable energy industry (01:03:30) What do you look for when hiring? To support this podcast: >> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanak: ⁠www.navalmanack.com/⁠ >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage >> Text the podcast to a friend >> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners! Important quotes from Naval on building wealth and the difference between wealth and money: How to get rich without getting lucky. - Naval Ravikant Making money is not a thing you do—it’s a skill you learn. - Naval Ravikant Seek wealth, not money or status. - Naval Ravikant Wealth is having assets that earn while you sleep. - Naval Ravikant Money is how we transfer time and wealth. - Naval Ravikant Ignore people playing status games. They gain status by attacking people playing wealth creation games. You’re not going to get rich renting out your time. You must own equity—a piece of a business—to gain your financial freedom. - Naval Ravikant Important quotes from the podcast by Naval on Leverage: “Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand, and I will move the earth.” —Archimedes To get rich, you need leverage. Leverage comes in labor, comes in capital, or it can come through code or media. But most of these, like labor and capital, people have to give to you. For labor, somebody has to follow you. For capital, somebody has to give you money, assets to manage, or machines. - Naval Ravikant Capital and labor are permissioned leverage. Everyone is chasing capital, but someone has to give it to you. Everyone is trying to lead, but someone has to follow you. - Naval Ravikant Code and media are permissionless leverage. They’re the leverage behind the newly rich. You can create software and media that works for you while you sleep. - Naval Ravikant If you can’t code, write books and blogs, record videos and podcasts. - Naval Ravikant Leverage is a force multiplier for your judgment. - Naval Ravikant Apply specific knowledge, with leverage, and eventually you will get what you deserve. - Naval Ravikant Important Quotes from the podcast on Business and Entrepreneurship There is no skill called “business.” Avoid business magazines and business classes. - Naval Ravikant You have to work up to the point where you can own equity in a business. You could own equity as a small shareholder where you bought stock. You could also own it as an owner where you started the company. Ownership is really important. Everybody who really makes money at some point owns a piece of a product, a business, or some IP. That can be through stock options if you work at a tech company. That’s a fine way to start.
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • #092 Sarma Melngailis: Bad Vegan, Memoir as Recovery, and Reclaiming Your Story

    #092 Sarma Melngailis: Bad Vegan, Memoir as Recovery, and Reclaiming Your Story
    Aug 5 2025
    Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:37) - The Netflix documentary: Misrepresentation and struggles (00:03:19) - Writing the memoir (00:08:47) - The challenges of independent publishing (00:12:40) - The creative process and future plans (00:35:23) - Impact of the book on readers (00:36:04) - Scripted series and unused content (00:36:36) - New docuseries and correcting the narrative (00:37:04) - Psychological analysis in documentaries (00:40:13) - Challenges and rewards of writing (00:41:36) - Unexpected positive outcomes (00:45:38) - Vulnerability of publishing a memoir (00:49:44) - Future aspirations and business rebuilding (00:53:54) - Experience with Scribe Publishing (01:02:59) - Advice for aspiring authors Links: People: Andrew Huberman — https://hubermanlab.com/about David Goggins — https://davidgoggins.com Eric Jorgenson — https://www.ericjorgenson.com Mary Karr — https://english.utexas.edu/people/mary-karr Paul Millerd — https://www.pathlesspath.com Sarma Melngailis — https://thegirlandtheduck.com Tim Ferriss — https://tim.blog Podcasts: Huberman Lab — https://hubermanlab.com The Tim Ferriss Show — https://tim.blog/podcast Companies: Scribe — https://scribemedia.com Websites / Tools / Platforms: Scrivener — https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview The Girl and the Duck (Sarma’s memoir site) — https://thegirlandtheduck.com To support the costs of producing this podcast: >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanack: www.navalmanack.com/ >> Buy a copy of The Anthology of Balaji: https://balajianthology.com/ >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun >> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter >> Text the podcast to a friend >> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners! We discuss: What the Netflix docuseries got wrong—and how she’s correcting it. The emotional and creative process of writing a 200,000-word memoir over eight years. How storytelling, honesty, and empathy can help others escape manipulative relationships. Quotes from Sam: “I was in a cult of one.” “People very often don't understand how this happens to someone who’s intelligent, who went to a good school, and started a business. But it does happen.” “I started writing immediately after I got out of jail.” “I had no editorial control... They basically changed the reality of what happened.” (on the Bad Vegan docuseries) “I didn’t want anybody telling me what I can and can’t put in there... I wanted to have control over my story.” “The book is long because I needed the reader to go through the psychological experience with me.” “I have all my receipts. I included actual journal entries, G-chats, texts, and emails.” “The writing was therapeutic, but also grueling. Sometimes I felt like I was crawling up the wall and slithering out of my skin.” “I want the story to be useful. That’s what I’ve wanted all along.” “People tell me, ‘I don’t read books anymore, but I read yours.’ That feels amazing.” “Even if you're never going to publish it, writing about what happened to you can bring real relief.” “I turned down a deal with a major studio because I didn’t want to give up control of my story again.” “It wasn’t about power—it was about protecting the integrity of the story.” “Someone told me they left a toxic relationship because of reading my book. That alone makes it all worth it.”
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    1 hr and 8 mins
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