The Generalist

• Building Beautiful Homes with Robots: The Future of Construction | Salar al Khafaji (CEO and Founder of Monumental)

  Salar al Khafaji is the CEO and founder of Monumental, a company building autonomous robots that assemble buildings, starting with its bricklaying system. After selling his previous software company to Palantir, Salar took time to explore big industries ripe for disruption before landing on construction—a sector that represents a significant portion of GDP yet has seen decades of productivity stagnation.We explore:• Why construction represents a massive opportunity for technological innovation• How Monumental's system of three robots works together to lay bricks autonomously• Why Europe's severe bricklayer shortage has created wages as high as €80/hour• The post-WWII shift away from beautiful architecture and how to bring it back• Why operating as a subcontractor rather than selling robots makes business sense• The challenges of building a hardware startup in Europe's tech ecosystem• How Palantir's "cult-like" culture influenced Monumental's approach to company building• The balance between structure and productive chaos in scaling a startup• Why the best robotics companies solve specific problems rather than building general-purpose machines• How to foster ambition in Europe's startup ecosystem—Thank you to the partners who make this possibleEnterpret: Transform feedback chaos into actionable customer intelligence.Brex: The banking solution for startups.Persona: Trusted identity verification for any use case.—Transcript: https://www.generalist.com/p/building-beautiful-homes-with-robots-salar-al-khafaji—Timestamps(00:00) Introduction to Salar(04:44) Overview of Monumental’s work and mission(06:25) Salar’s journey after selling his company to Palantir(11:46) Stagnation in the construction industry(14:21) The mental shift from software to hardware entrepreneurship(16:10) Salar’s funding framework(18:21) The post-WWII decline in constructing beautiful buildings(20:23) Choosing bricklaying as the first construction trade to tackle(25:20) Why Monumental operates as a subcontractor(28:38) The limitations of 3D printing and prefab construction(33:15) The technology and pricing bets Salar made(33:45) Lessons from Palantir's culture(39:35) Monumental's company culture(42:31) An overview of a construction job from start to finish(45:50) Precision and tolerances(47:50) Surprising challenges in the construction industry(49:10) The current state of Monumental and what’s next(54:00) Why humanoid robots don’t make sense for Monumental(56:16) Building an ambitious company in Europe(01:00:56) Monumental’s approach to hiring(01:03:10) The state of European tech and what needs to change(01:06:00) Salar’s optimistic take on the current state of tech in Europe(01:10:46) Final meditations—Follow Salar al KhafajiLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salark/X: https://x.com/salarWebsite: https://sal.ar/—Resources and episode mentions—Books—• Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre: https://www.amazon.com/Impro-Improvisation-Theatre-Keith-Johnstone/dp/0878301178• Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX: https://www.amazon.com/Liftoff-Desperate-Early-Launched-SpaceX/dp/0062979973• Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed: https://www.amazon.com/Seeing-like-State-Certain-Condition/dp/0300078153• The Little Big Number: How GDP Came to Rule the World and What to Do about It: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Big-Number-World-about/dp/0691166528—Episode resources continued at: https://www.generalist.com/p/building-beautiful-homes-with-robots-salar-al-khafaji—Production and marketing by penname.co. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].

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• What Makes Something Alive? Assembly Theory and the Origins of Life | Sara Walker (Theoretical Physicist)

  Sara Walker is a theoretical physicist who studies the origins of life and the author of Life as No One Knows It. As AI prompts us to rethink what consciousness, intelligence, and life really mean, Sara’s work offers a provocative framework for understanding these questions. In this conversation, Sara shares how she developed assembly theory—a revolutionary approach suggesting that complex objects like DNA molecules (and even microphones) are evidence of life’s processes.We explore:• Why Sara believes we need entirely new laws of physics to understand life• How assembly theory quantifies the transition from non-life to life with a measurable threshold• Why complex objects like DNA and microphones are evidence of evolutionary processes• How our perception of objects as “physical” or “abstract” depends on their temporal scale• Why traditional definitions of life fail as scientific frameworks• How assembly theory could revolutionize our search for extraterrestrial life• The surprising connection between urban atmospheres and biosignatures• Why Sara sees fundamental differences between computation and physical construction• How assembly theory views AI systems and large language models• The creative parallels between theoretical physics and conceptual art—Thank you to the partners who make this possibleTezi: The AI agent for recruiting high-quality candidates quicklyBrex: The banking solution for startups—Transcript: https://www.generalist.com/p/what-makes-something-alive-sara-walker—Timestamps(00:00) Intro(03:32) Sara’s background and approach to studying the origins of life(08:21) Sara’s journey to theoretical physics(11:40) How the “origin of life” field has evolved since she began her research(17:35) Introduction to assembly theory and its core principles(23:11) How assembly theory differs from traditional definitions of life(25:53) The historical parallels between assembly theory and Newtonian physics(31:45) Life vs. alive(34:33) How dabbling across disciplines led to Sara’s focus and partnership with Lee Cronin(40:43) The connection between theoretical physics and art(42:32) The probabilistic nature of assembly theory’s threshold(45:05) The time–size continuum(48:06) New threads that have emerged after Life as No One Knows It(50:27) Why assembly theory may be our best tool for finding life beyond Earth(54:04) The second feature of assembly theory: the copy number(55:39) The challenges of detecting life on exoplanets versus in our solar system(01:00:50) How recent AI developments have impacted Sara’s thinking about life(1:05:48) Whether large language models qualify as “life”(1:13:05) Final meditations—Follow Sara WalkerX: https://x.com/sara_imariLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraimariwalker—Resources and episode mentions: https://www.generalist.com/p/what-makes-something-alive-sara-walker—Production and marketing by penname.co. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].

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• Reviving Forgotten Technologies: How Airships, Supersonic Flight, and Geothermal Energy Could Transform Our World | Eli Dourado (Head of Strategic Investments at Astera Institute)

  Eli Dourado is Head of Strategic Investments at Astera Institute, a foundation funding transformative science and technology across energy, aerospace, AI, and other frontier sectors. Before joining Astera, he worked as a "regulatory hacker" at Boom Supersonic, where he helped navigate complex aviation regulations to make supersonic flight viable again.In our conversation, we explore:• How Eli's refusal to be pigeonholed led to a career reviving forgotten technologies• How lifting the 1973 ban on supersonic flight could reshape aviation, after decades of stagnation and regression• Why airships need to be massive to be economical, and how they could transform global logistics• The untapped potential of geothermal energy and why drilling economics are the key bottleneck• Why titanium could be the next material to undergo a manufacturing revolution• How reading regulatory fine print can unlock trillion-dollar industries• Why AI might not automatically solve our productivity problems• The relationship between technological stagnation and potential civilizational collapse• The fascinating possibility of harvesting antimatter in space—Thank you to our sponsor: Brex—The banking solution for startups: https://www.brex.com/mario—Transcript: https://www.generalist.com/p/reviving-forgotten-technologies-eli-dourado—Timestamps(00:00) Intro and Eli's background(04:11) Eli’s work at Astera Institute(07:53) The frontier sectors Astera is betting on(08:57) Eli’s path from academia to tech investing(13:06) How Eli became involved with supersonic flight(15:42) Why the airline industry entered “the great regression”(18:38) The origins of the overland supersonic flight ban(20:37) Working as a "regulatory hacker" at Boom Supersonic(27:30) The current state of supersonic flight technology(30:40) Eli’s cargo airship research(37:20) What sparked Eli’s interest in airships(40:23) Why airships fell out of favor as a way to travel(42:53) How Jim Coutre found a path to profitable airships(47:00) The pros, cons, and profit potential of airship travel(50:08) A case for geothermal energy(55:37) Understanding the “idiot index” and scaling titanium production(58:36) Thoughts on AI and avoiding complacency(01:02:00) The risks fueling a potential societal collapse(01:06:10) Final meditations—Follow Eli DouradoNewsletter: https://www.elidourado.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elidourado/X: https://x.com/elidourado—Resources and episode mentions: https://www.generalist.com/p/reviving-forgotten-technologies-eli-dourado⁠—Production and marketing by penname.co. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].

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• Inside General Catalyst’s $1B+ Bet on Fixing Healthcare | Hemant Taneja (CEO and Managing Partner)

  Hemant Taneja is the CEO and Managing Partner of General Catalyst, a venture capital firm that has evolved into what he describes as a "strategic conglomerate with venture capital at its core." Under his leadership, GC has expanded beyond traditional investing to become an organization focused on transforming entire industries from healthcare to call centers to insurance.In this conversation, Hemant unpacks General Catalyst's unusual structure and ambitious mission. He shares why his firm acquired the hospital system Summa Health in Ohio, why AI roll-ups will create some of the most valuable IPOs in the coming decade, and how servant leadership principles have reshaped his approach to building organizations.We explore:• How General Catalyst evolved from a traditional VC firm into a multi-business "strategic conglomerate"• Why Hemant believes the next decade requires completely rethinking what excellence means in company building• How GC's healthcare transformation company (HATCo) is working to reinvent the American healthcare system• Why GC made the unprecedented move to acquire Summa Health, a hospital system in Ohio• How servant leadership principles learned from Ken Chenault transformed Hemant's approach to building organizations• Why AI is accelerating transformation across industries faster than anyone predicted• How General Catalyst built its global seed practice through unusual acquisitions of La Famiglia, Venture Highway, and Wayfinder• Why Hemant believes AI roll-ups of labor arbitrage businesses will become some of the most valuable IPOs in the next decade• The changing profile of successful founders in an era of rapid technological change• How General Catalyst thinks about balancing profit and purpose across its portfolio—Thank you to our sponsor: Brex—The banking solution for startups.—Transcript: https://www.generalist.com/p/inside-general-catalyst-hemant-taneja—Timestamps00:00) Intro(02:16) General Catalyst’s ambition to help shape the future(04:23) How General Catalyst challenges founders to think bigger(06:05) GC's structure as a strategic conglomerate(10:44) Balancing profit and purpose in venture investing(12:19) The unusual role of CEO in a venture firm(15:11) How Hemant approaches decision-making in operations vs. investing(16:43) Lessons from Ken Chenault and the case for servant leadership at GC(20:55) What Hemant has learned from Amazon, McKinsey, and Nvidia’s cultures(23:37) The Berkshire Hathaway model—and how GC’s strategy differs(25:19) Why Hemant felt GC needed a fundamental rethink(28:33) What has changed since Hemant wrote his book on AI in 2018(31:07) Why great founders have shifted from hackers to iterative builders(32:55) The origin of HATCo and GC’s push into healthcare transformation(39:32) Why HATCo acquired Summa Health(43:48) What HATCo is planning next(46:30) Hemant’s thoughts on policy and responsible AI self-governance(48:49) Europe’s AI lag, the cloud wave it missed, and the case for sovereign infrastructure(52:38) Why companies move to the US(54:22) How to transform traditional industries with AI(56:37) Rollout vs. buyout, and why starting small makes more sense now(58:56) How rapid model progress unlocks new opportunities to reinvent businesses(1:01:10) What companies need to be good partners in the creation portfolio incubator(1:05:13) Why General Catalyst made rare acquisitions based on deep conviction in people(1:11:34) Final meditations—Follow Hemant TanejaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hemanttanejaX: https://x.com/htaneja—Resources and episode mentions: https://www.generalist.com/p/inside-general-catalyst-hemant-taneja—Production and marketing by penname.co. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].

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• The Future of Crypto: Stablecoins, AI Integration, and the Path to Mass Adoption | Jesse Walden (Founder and Managing Partner at Variant)

  Jesse Walden is the founder and managing partner of Variant Fund, an early-stage crypto fund backing projects like Uniswap, Phantom, World, Morpho, Flashbots, Farcaster, Blockaid, Blackbird, and many more. Before launching Variant in 2020, he was an investor at a16z crypto, where he supported early-stage builders shaping the future of Web3.In this episode, Jesse offers a wide-ranging view of where crypto stands today, and where it’s headed. He unpacks the rise of stablecoins, the role of meme coins in capturing attention, and why NFTs are evolving rather than disappearing. We explore the challenges of interoperability between blockchains, the shift from invention to productization, and the intersection of crypto and AI, two technologies that may supercharge one another’s progress.In our conversation, we explore:• The fundamental difference between AI (technology of abundance) and crypto (technology of scarcity), and why the two technologies are complementary• How the GENIUS Act is transforming the regulatory landscape for stablecoins and creating unprecedented bipartisan support• How DAOs 2.0 will return to their original vision: automation at the center with humans at the edges• How meme coins generate hype and the value of attention• Why user experience still holds Web3 back and what needs to change• What still needs to be solved to scale crypto, including true cross-chain interoperability—Thank you to our sponsor: Brex—The banking solution for startups.—Transcript: https://www.generalist.com/p/the-future-of-crypto-jesse-walden—Timestamps(00:00) Intro(02:19) An overview of Variant’s work(03:03) Jesse’s vision of a tokenized future and why it makes sense(06:19) The state of crypto since 2022(10:46) The GENIUS Act: what it is and how it could reshape stablecoins(14:28) How stablecoins are both a payment tool and a communication layer(17:07) Why stablecoins are not yet convenient in the US(19:06) Variant’s investment in stablecoins and blockchains(21:33) The policy and regulation crypto still needs to mature(24:15) Speculation vs. stablecoins(27:06) Meme coins and the attention economy(31:53) The shift from invention to productization(33:47) How the user experience is evolving in crypto, and what’s still needed(38:15) Phantom and other companies Jesse is bullish on(42:20) The short-term dip and long-term rise in developer talent(47:48) Jesse’s heuristic for determining a founder’s passion in the crypto space(50:37) Where AI and crypto collide (and what they can do for each other)(56:48) Why there’s still opportunity for NFTs(01:01:57) An explanation of DAOs and DAO 2.0’s opportunity for humans(01:07:04) Final meditations—Follow Jesse WaldenX: https://x.com/jessewldnLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessewalden/Website: https://jessewalden.com/—Resources and episode mentions—Books—• Narrative Economics: How Stories Go Viral and Drive Major Economic Events: https://www.amazon.com/Narrative-Economics-Stories-Economic-Events/dp/0691182299• The White Paper: https://www.amazon.com/The-White-Paper/dp/1999675924—People—• Sam Altman on X: https://x.com/sama• Vitalik Buterin on X: https://x.com/vitalikbuterin—Other resources—• Bitcoin: https://bitcoin.org• Stablecoin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stablecoin• Beyond Speculation and Stablecoins: Crypto's Next Phase?: https://jessewalden.com/beyond-speculation-and-stablecoins-cryptos-next-phase/• What is DeFi?: https://www.coinbase.com/learn/crypto-basics/plp-what-is-defi• Morpho: https://morpho.org/• Pump.fun: https://pump.fun/• Zora: https://zora.co/• Docker: https://www.docker.com/• Privy: https://www.privy.io/• Stripe: https://stripe.com/• Kraken: https://www.kraken.com/• Phantom: https://phantom.com/...References continued at: https://www.generalist.com/p/the-future-of-crypto-jesse-walden—Production and marketing by penname.co. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].

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