Bootstrapped from zero. “Sell a product or course online! Sell services locally!” There are millions of different get rich quick schemes floating online now. The goal here is to secure the bag and escape the grind ASAP. Raised $100M+ from VCs. “Are you a Unicorn yet? Which Y Combinator class were you in?” Startups areContinue reading “We Need A Middle Class For Startups”
Author Archives: Neil Thanedar
The Decades Are Short But The Centuries Are Long
Labdoor is turning 10 years old this month! We’ve been through so much — moving cross-country to SF to join Rock Health, raising a seed round led by Mark Cuban, creating a passionate community of smart consumers, getting accepted into Y Combinator’s Winter 2015 class, fighting multiple lawsuits from supplement companies, raising a Series A ledContinue reading “The Decades Are Short But The Centuries Are Long”
Utopic Live
Who: Ambitious OptimistsWhen: Summer 2023Where: On A Lake in Michigan Featuring: Utopic Debates Instead of panel discussions or speeches, our main events are competitive debates. Rules: Lincoln—Douglas debates. One hour per topic. One on One. Debaters TBD Three Days to Change the World — And Your Life New Ideas Every Hour No slide decks orContinue reading “Utopic Live”
The Most Important Job in the World
Goalie, St. Louis Blues: 1992-95 Astronaut, NASA: 1995-99 President, USA: 1999-2010 Owner, St. Louis Blues: 2000-Now Help Dad Rebuild His Business: 2010-12 Make Independent Testing Ubiquitous: 2012-2020 Solve the World’s Biggest Problems: 2020-Now My first loves were hockey and the St. Louis Blues. I started playing hockey when I was four, first street and rollerContinue reading “The Most Important Job in the World”
Best Quotes from the Becoming Warren Buffett Documentary
Notes: This HBO documentary covers the life and work of Berkshire Hathaway Chairman & CEO Warren Buffett, largely through his own quotes. We also hear a lot from his business partner Charlie Munger and his first wife Suzie Buffett. Warren Buffett’s advice can teach us way more about life than just business. Most people callContinue reading “Best Quotes from the Becoming Warren Buffett Documentary”
Public Ventures
How Governments Can Run VC Funds The public should get equity in businesses that take government funding. No more free-money bailouts for billionaires. Public VC funds share in the upside when the startups they fund succeed. This incentivizes governments to invest more in earlier-stage startups. Public VC is a renewable economic resource. Successful investments inContinue reading “Public Ventures”
UMICH 2050
Replace Student Loans: 0% Interest ISAs for All Students. Reinvent Our Education: Get Ready for the Future of Work Now. College tuition has risen over 150% in the last twenty years. Tuition is the #1 fastest growing consumer expense in America. Tuition is growing over three times faster than inflation. Colleges are not preparing graduatesContinue reading “UMICH 2050”
Real Real GDP
A woman in Coldwater, Michigan works 60 hours a week for $8.50 per hour ($510/week). Minimum wage is increased to $15 per hour. The same woman now works 34 hours a week for $15 per hour ($510/week). Answer: Nothing. That 26 hours per week goes into childcare and housework and, yes, leisure. But GDP doesn’tContinue reading “Real Real GDP”
Hidden Ambition
We’re scared of losing, but we’re terrified of being called a loser. We grew up watching elementary school bullies pick on the “nerds”. If you’re like me, you were usually the target of the teasing. It’s easy to internalize the idea that being ambitious isn’t cool. Social media is full of bullies making fun ofContinue reading “Hidden Ambition”
You Have To Make Life Meaningful
They’ll summarize your life into a few words, sentences, or paragraphs. The family you created, the friends you made, the things you did. In those words are the meaning of your life. Life’s secret is that these words aren’t predetermined. We get to pick these words through our actions now. We have to make ourContinue reading “You Have To Make Life Meaningful”