Tremendous

An angel investor's take on life and business

  • Grok Connectors: Elon’s New Agentic System Excels on Simple Tasks, Falls Short on Complex Operations

    Elon recently dropped Grok Connectors, a new tool to manage your email, calendar and more. Grok excels at basic tasks like email summarization. But for more complex operations, it falls short. 

    This morning, I ran Grok Connectors through a three round test. I had it do everything from inbox management to meeting prep.

    Let me show you what Grok Connectors can do… 

    Round #1: Crushing My Inbox

    Every day, I seem to get more emails than the day before! Can Grok help me manage the chaos?

    First, I asked Grok to summarize my emails. All I had to do was type “@Gmail” and tell it to summarize.

    Grok gave me a great little summary of everything in my inbox. It’s pretty light at the moment —  I just checked it an hour ago. If I had an avalanche of messages, this would be even more useful.

    But Grok can do a lot more than summarize. It can reply to emails, move them, even delete them.

    I had Grok write a reply to a founder. It wrote a draft, but wouldn’t send it for me.

    I asked Grok if it can just send emails from now on, and it said yes. We’ll see how it goes on future emails!

    I also told Grok to delete some messages I didn’t need. That part worked beautifully.

    Overall, the Gmail Connector is great for summarization but less useful for replies. I’m giving this round a B.  

    Round #2: Prepping for my Meetings

    I’ve got a full slate of meetings next week with some great founders. So I used the Google Calendar Connector and had Grok prep me for Tuesday. 

    Grok gave me a nice calendar summary. But unfortunately, Grok said it cannot connect to my LinkedIn or X messages. I need to dig into those to prepare for my meetings.

    I’m surprised that Grok can’t connect to X. It’s the same company! Inability to read messages across platforms makes Grok Connectors a lot less useful. 

    In all, Grok didn’t give me anything I couldn’t get just glancing at my calendar. I’m giving this round a D. 

    Round #3: Helping Me Reconnect With Great Founders

    Sometimes, I chat with a great founder, but their company is a little too early. So I wondered, who I was talking to six months ago that I haven’t spoken with recently?

    I had Grok search my Gmail for founders I was corresponding with in late 2025 and haven’t spoken to lately. 

    Grok named a couple of founders that I’ve invested in. But I’ve actually corresponded with them recently. I even e-mailed one this morning!

    This round gets an F.

    Wrap-Up

    Overall, I’m giving Grok Connectors a D+.

    Connectors works well for simple tasks, like summarizing an inbox or replying to an email. But for anything more complex, it misses the mark.

    It doesn’t have many integrations yet. It also fails to understand complex prompts and act on them.

    Grok Connectors is a new product, so we can’t expect perfection. If xAI can really nail Connectors, it would make Grok 10x more useful.

    I’m excited to see future releases from xAI. I hope that in a year’s time, I can do everything in Grok.

    Have a great Memorial Day, everybody! 🇺🇸  

    More on tech: 

    Inside Japan’s Startup Boom: Elite Engineers, Exploding Revenue, and Almost No Funding

    “Don’t Be Afraid to Fail” — Three Lessons from Elon That Will Make You a Better Founder, Leader, and Investor

    Meet My Latest Investment: Perfectly

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Wispr Flow

    I used this app every single day to dictate to my computer, I’m even dictating this text using Wispr Flow! It’s way better than Apple’s native dictation.

    My productivity is up about 25% since I started dictating rather than typing. I’m also less tired and stressed.

    Get a free month of Wispr Flow Pro here!

  • My Top Japan Recs: Sushi, Castles and Samurai Graves

    Odawara Castle

    I just spent 3 weeks in Japan. Here are my top recommendations for food and awesome sights…

    Food

    Tsukiji Ginikkan

    This fantastic conveyor belt sushi bar isn’t actually in Tsukiji. It’s in a charming shopping street called Musashikoyama. But this sushi would stand up anywhere.

    You can order in English via tablet. Get the akagai, or ark shell clam.

    Ginjo Maguro Shinagawa

    The best tempura I’ve ever had. They also have incredible magurodon.

    The owner is very sweet. There’s an English menu, which is always super helpful. And there’s even a young lady waitress here who speaks perfect English!

    Centre Bakery French Toast, an amazing JCal rec

    Centre Bakery

    The finest French toast anywhere. They soak it in cream overnight. All the bread is baked in house.

    English menu available!

    Me pigging out at Jonathan’s — so awesome!

    Jonathan’s

    Last but never, ever least! This fantastic diner can get you just about food you want. It’s delicious, fast, and very reasonably priced.

    I especially love the drink bar, where you can enjoy unlimited coffee, juice, seltzer, soda and more!

    I ate here more than anywhere else on my trip! It’s the perfect breakfast spot. Try the pancakes with shaved butter.

    You can order in English via tablet too!

    I provided a link to the location I visited, but there are many across Japan.

    Sightseeing

    Koishikawa Botanical Garden

    Koishikawa Botanical Garden

    Japan has countless gorgeous gardens. But I especially enjoyed this one!

    The wooded paths are uncrowded. They branch off in every direction, giving you the feeling of being lost in nature in the middle of the city.

    Admission is just 500 yen, or about $3! An absolute steal.

    Shinjuku Gyoen

    This famous garden right near Shinjuku Station is easy to get to and filled with massive trees and beautiful flowers. Admission is a rock bottom 500 yen, or about $3.

    Be sure to check out the rose garden!

    Institute for Nature Study

    This garden is conveniently located right in Meguro. And yet, it’s so heavily wooded you’d think you were deep into rural Japan!

    The staff here are very nice, and admission is just a couple hundred yen. Please consider giving the extra donation for a total of 1000 yen.

    Odawara Castle

    Just 20 minutes from Shinagawa Station in Tokyo via Shinkansen, this beautiful castle is not to be missed. In the adjacent Samurai Museum, you can see a chain two brothers used to strangle the man who killed their father.

    The beach a couple blocks away makes a wonderful place to relax after!

    Wrap Up

    My goal is to get every single person to visit Japan. That includes you!

    You won’t find kinder people, more delicious food, or more amazing sights. I’ve been 7 times and I’m already planning an 8th trip.

    To all the wonderful Japanese people I met and who made this great society, a very hearty thank you! I look forward to joining you again soon.

    日本人の皆さん、本当にありがとうございます！すぐ戻りたいです！

    Note: I’m back in America! The blog will be back on its normal Monday-Friday schedule, with a day off on Monday for Memorial Day. Looking forward to sharing lots more cool tech and business happenings with you guys!

    More on tech:

    The US-Japan Hybrid Startup: Move Founders to America, Keep Talent in Japan

    Inside Japan’s Startup Boom: Elite Engineers, Exploding Revenue, and Almost No Funding

    Eating Breakfast With Robots in Tokyo

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Wispr Flow

    I used this app every single day to dictate to my computer, I’m even dictating this text using Wispr Flow! It’s way better than Apple’s native dictation.

    My productivity is up about 25% since I started dictating rather than typing. I’m also less tired and stressed.

    Get a free month of Wispr Flow Pro here!

  • “Don’t Be Afraid to Fail” — Three Lessons from Elon That Will Make You a Better Founder, Leader, and Investor

    “I ended up putting $10 million into SolarCity, $70 million into Tesla, and $100 million into SpaceX. I literally had to borrow money for rent. It was a close call.”

    Elon Musk

    Elon Musk is the world’s richest man. But in 2008, he was almost broke. 

    Both Tesla and SpaceX were on the brink of bankruptcy. Elon could’ve lost everything.

    But with countless hours of hard work, Elon made Tesla and SpaceX into some of the most successful companies ever.

    Elon’s approach to risk was one of the biggest lessons I learned from The Book of Elon, an excellent new book by Eric Jorgenson. 

    Here are three lessons from Elon you can use in your work….

    1. Take Risks. Most of us avoid risk, afraid to lose what we have.

    Elon leans into risk.

    “Go do it. Just go out there and do it. People are far too afraid to try. Fear is the biggest reason for failure. Don’t be afraid to fail. Just go.” – Elon Musk

    Elon took every cent he made from selling PayPal and put it into SolarCity, Tesla and SpaceX. He never let fear hold him back. 

    Reading this book got me thinking about what I really want and how fear might be stopping me. 

    2. How to Spot Talent. Elon spots talent by looking for evidence of exceptional ability.

    “When hiring, I look for evidence of exceptional ability, or at least exceptional aspiration.” – Elon Musk

    He asks interviewees about difficult situations they’ve overcome. These stories help show who has the most perseverance.

    Whether it’s Elon hiring for SpaceX or me trying to find the next great founder, we’re both looking for talent. 

    When I meet founders, I’m going to start asking them about difficult problems they’ve overcome. I also want to hear about the accomplishments they’re most proud of.

    3. The Power of Reading. Elon is a huge reader. As a child, he devoured the Encyclopedia Britannica, learning a little bit about a lot of fields.

    No wonder that today, he can range across aerospace, AI, and neuroscience.

    “I encourage you to read a lot of books. Just read. Try to ingest as much information as you can.” – Elon Musk

    Another idol of mine, Warren Buffett, gives the exact same advice.

    Breaking away from screens isn’t easy! Sometimes, a change of scenery helps. 

    I was able to get a lot of reading done on my recent trip to Japan. That’s one of my favorite things about vacations: catching up on books! 

    Wrap-Up

    Elon is the greatest entrepreneur on earth that’s still in the game. He does whatever it takes to achieve his goals. 

    We can’t all be Elon. 

    But we can all be better versions of ourselves. We can take more risks, get better at spotting talent, and read instead of scrolling.

    What have you learned from Elon Musk? 

    More on tech: 

    Elon Musk (Part 1): Overcoming the Odds

    Grok Companions — Elon’s AI Girlfriend?

    Inside Japan’s Startup Boom: Elite Engineers, Exploding Revenue, and Almost No Funding

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Wispr Flow

    I used this app every single day to dictate to my computer, I’m even dictating this text using Wispr Flow! It’s way better than Apple’s native dictation.

    My productivity is up about 25% since I started dictating rather than typing. I’m also less tired and stressed.

    Get a free month of Wispr Flow Pro here!

  • The US-Japan Hybrid Startup: Move Founders to America, Keep Talent in Japan

    I’ve spent 10 days meeting amazing founders here in Tokyo. I keep seeing the same strengths, and the same challenges. And I have a solution: The US-Japan Hybrid Startup. 

    Move the founders to the United States. Keep the rest of the team in Japan. This gives a startup the best of both worlds. 

    But why move the founders at all? And why retain a team in Japan? To understand that, we need to go through the strengths and weaknesses of the Japanese startup scene… 

    Strengths:

    – Strong technical teams. This likely grows out of the excellent education system.

    – Lots of revenue. When I meet a Japanese startup, I’m often shocked by how much revenue they have.

    These companies can’t rely on an endless supply of venture capital. They have to actually sell.

    – Less hype. Japan isn’t the center of tech right now. That has negative impacts, like less funding.

    But it also has positive ones: founders build real products instead of chasing hype.

    – Lower labor costs. This morning, a founder told me junior software developers in Japan make the equivalent of $30,000 per year. Senior developers are $60,000.

    You could easily spend 5x that in the U.S. Lower labor costs let Japanese companies hire and expand faster. 

    Weaknesses:

    – Japanese VCs. Founders tell me that many Japanese VCs are difficult to deal with.

    They tend to come from banking backgrounds and are risk averse. Founders also tell me that Japanese VCs can be dismissive. Maybe this is because of their position of power.

    – Lack of capital. Investors are few and risk averse. This means even great Japanese startups struggle to raise money. 

    – Failure is heavily stigmatized. According to one Japanese entrepreneur, Japanese society looks down on failed founders. It’s hard for them to raise money or hire for a new business.

    More than money, America’s willingness to let people try again is the most important reason we succeed in tech.

    – Slow sales cycles. Japan is dominated by big, old, slow companies. If you’re trying to sell to them, getting a yes or no could take months or even years. This makes it hard to grow fast.

    – Firing people is difficult. High-growth companies often have to hire fast and fire fast because they’re in a rapidly changing market. But Japan has strong worker protections.

    That sounds good on paper. But in practice, if you can’t fire, you’re less likely to hire.

    Big companies have a predictable business, so it’s easier for them to work around labor laws. But startups are at a disadvantage.

    Wrap-Up

    For both America and Japan, The US-Japan Hybrid Startup is a huge win. 

    America gets the most talented entrepreneurs Japan can produce. Japan gets tons of high-paying new jobs.

    Both these countries that I love are better off. 

    America and Japan must cooperate to build the next generation of technology. Together, there are no limits to what we can achieve.

    日本人の皆さんよろしくお願いします！🇯🇵🇺🇸

    More on tech: 

    Inside Japan’s Startup Boom: Elite Engineers, Exploding Revenue, and Almost No Funding

    Eating Breakfast With Robots in Tokyo

    Meet My Latest Investment: Cryopets

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Wispr Flow

    I used this app every single day to dictate to my computer, I’m even dictating this text using Wispr Flow! It’s way better than Apple’s native dictation.

    My productivity is up about 25% since I started dictating rather than typing. I’m also less tired and stressed.

    Get a free month of Wispr Flow Pro here!

  • Inside Japan’s Startup Boom: Elite Engineers, Exploding Revenue, and Almost No Funding

    Last week, I landed in Tokyo and put up a single tweet: “What founders should I meet?” It blew up, getting thousands of views.

    Ever since, I’ve been fielding a flurry of messages from awesome Japanese founders. These are some amazing companies!

    Here’s what I’m seeing in the Japanese startup world…

    Note: I’m getting together a select group of founders next week in Tokyo. We have 1-2 more spots. Message me if you’re interested.

    1. Elite technical teams. Every company I meet has several hardcore engineers on staff. This lets them build product fast.

    One of the biggest barriers I see for American startups is a lack of builders on the team. Japan is stronger here. Maybe it’s because of Japan’s excellent education system?

    2. Launched products. Since these startups have strong builders on the team, they’re able to ship product quickly.

    The Japanese founders that contact me almost always have a product in market. In the US, it’s a mixed bag.

    3. Serious revenue, fast. Better yet, these startups are making real revenue — often a huge amount for their stage.

    Japanese startups can’t rely on the venture capital gravy train. They need to make sales.

    4. Stunning lack of access to capital. Japanese startups have strong builders, launched products and paying customers. The one thing they don’t have: capital.

    Pre-seed rounds are about $300,000. That would easily be $1 million in the US.

    Japanese startups are getting to over $1 million ARR on just a couple hundred thousand invested.

    The number of messages I’m getting is a good indicator. If I had put that tweet up in America, I wouldn’t have gotten nearly as many takers. 

    5. Prepping to raise in the U.S. Having quickly exhausted the capital available in Japan, many are looking to raise in the US.

    Some founders I’ve met have been incredibly savvy about this process. One is already working on executing a Delaware flip. This turns his Japanese company into a subsidiary of a Delaware C Corporation.

    Sounds wonky, right? But it’s really important.

    Most U.S. investors only invest in Delaware C corporations, myself included. In fact, many VC funds have a legal agreement with their investors (the LPA) that only lets them invest in this structure.

    If you want to raise in the U.S., a Delaware flip is extremely helpful. The cost isn’t insurmountable: about $20,000. If that opens up millions in funding, it’s well worth it.

    6. Hybrid US-Japan teams.     One Japanese founder I spoke with last week is planning to move to SF. This will make raising money and finding customers much easier.

    The rest of his team will stay in Japan. Japan has tons of engineering talent, and salaries are lower than in the US. This means more great engineers for less.

    Distributed teams can work very well. One of my recent investments has the founders in New York and most of the rest of the team in their native Kosovo.

    Wrap-Up

    Japan is a massive pool of great startups. But these startups are largely ignored. 

    This is a giant opportunity. And of all American investors, I’m one of the best positioned to exploit it. 

    I’ve been to Japan many times. I can speak, read, and write some Japanese. And I love this beautiful country.

    So I’m excited about meeting more awesome Japanese startups. It’s time for American and Japanese tech to unite!

    More on tech: 

    Eating Breakfast With Robots in Tokyo

    Meet My Latest Investment: Perfectly

    Yes, You Can Raise VC Money in ‘Unsexy’ Areas — Here’s What Investors Want

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Wispr Flow

    I used this app every single day to dictate to my computer, I’m even dictating this text using Wispr Flow! It’s way better than Apple’s native dictation.

    My productivity is up about 25% since I started dictating rather than typing. I’m also less tired and stressed.

    Get a free month of Wispr Flow Pro here!

  • Eating Breakfast With Robots in Tokyo 

    My favorite breakfast spot in Tokyo is Jonathan’s. This chain serves some of the best eggs and pancakes around — with almost no human workers.

    I’ve been coming to Japan and Jonathan’s since 2014. In the past, it operated like other restaurants, with service entirely by humans. 

    I arrived in Tokyo again a couple of days ago, for the first time since 2020. Popping into Jonathan’s, I noticed everything had changed. 

    Robots traversed the floor. Tablets were on every table.

    If you want to automate your business, Jonathan’s is an awesome case study. Here’s how they did it…

    Automating a Business, End to End

    How eating at Jonathan’s worked before:

    1. Walk in, employee greets you.
    2. Sit down.
    3. Press button to summon waiter.
    4. Place order with waiter.
    5. Food comes.
    6. Eat.
    7. Press button, waiter brings check.
    8. Go to register.
    9. Employee rings you up

    How it works now:

    1. Walk in, employee greets you.
    2. Sit down.
    3. Order from tablet.
    4. Robot brings food and receipt.
    5. Eat.
    6. Go to register and ring yourself up.

    Jonathan’s has cut the steps from 9 to 6. It’s also removed around 90% of the front-of-house human labor.

    The food is as delicious as ever — maybe better. When I hear the robot roll along the tile floor, I salivate like Pavlov’s dogs. 

    As Humans Become Scarce, Machines Pick Up the Slack

    In a country with 2.7% unemployment and an aging population, you have no choice but to use less human labor.

    In America, I’ve never seen a robot bring food in a restaurant. Few restaurants even use tablets for ordering, aside from fast food chains. 

    Jonathan’s robots are made by Pudu Robotics, a Chinese startup. I’ve been to Jonathan’s four times so far on this trip (what can I say, I love it), and the Pudu robots have worked very well. 

    One time, it started driving away with my acai yogurt! But a helpful staff member stopped it in time. 

    Seeing how heavily the front of house is automated made me curious about the kitchen…

    Jonathan’s does not appear to be using cooking robots in its kitchens yet. They serve such a wide variety of food that it would be difficult. Robots would need to make everything from scrambled eggs to Japanese curry. 

    Preserving the Human Touch

    Overall, this automated system works great.

    One suggestion: station an employee at the register to make sure each customer is greeted on their way in and thanked on their way out. Folks in the back often manage to do this anyhow, but having a dedicated employee helps build that customer relationship. 

    I miss the personal attention from the old system a little. But despite being quite busy, the wonderful folks at Jonathan’s manage to slip in a smile and a kind word. 

    Wrap-Up

    I love seeing how people do things in the rest of the world. And in terms of restaurant automation, Japan is way ahead. 

    Will Americans accept this style of service? With low fertility rates and declining immigration, we may not have a choice. 

    My take: automating restaurant work is a positive, not a negative. It lets human beings move up the value chain and take on higher paid and more rewarding jobs. 

    If you’re looking to automate your business, study Jonathan’s. Map out every step of the customer journey and see how you can apply technology to it.

    You may find you need a lot fewer workers than you thought.

    More on tech: 

    Meet My Latest Investment: Perfectly

    Which Jobs Will AI Replace? Which Jobs Are Safe?

    The Iron Monster: China’s Massive Bridge Building Robot

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Wispr Flow

    I used this app every single day to dictate to my computer, I’m even dictating this text using Wispr Flow! It’s way better than Apple’s native dictation.

    My productivity is up about 25% since I started dictating rather than typing. I’m also less tired and stressed.

    Get a free month of Wispr Flow Pro here!

  • Meet My Latest Investment: Perfectly

    The best engineers won’t apply to your company. They already have jobs. But now,
    you can use AI to find them and bring them onboard.

    Perfectly messages ideal candidates using AI. It learns about their skills, then sets
    up interviews for you with the best engineers.

    Within 24 hours, you have 5-10 excellent candidates delivered to your Slack. It
    could take weeks or months for a recruiting agency to do this.

    Perfectly does an incredible job of finding the right candidate. The key to its power
    is the recommendation engine.

    The founders of Perfectly built the hottest recommendation engine in tech: the
    TikTok algorithm. Now, they’re using what they learned at TiKTok to find you the
    best engineers.

    Other platforms just manage candidates, making you contact them yourself. This slows you down and limits the number of candidates you can evaluate.

    Perfectly automates everything and just gives you great candidates to interview
    one-on-one.

    Perfectly is already working with many highly successful startups, like Corgi
    and Giga. Perfectly helps them hire great people faster. This gives them an edge on
    their competitors.

    Perfectly is one of the fastest growing companies I’ve ever invested in. That shows you how hard the team is working and how great their product is.

    Try Perfectly and hire great engineers faster than anywhere else!

    Note: I’m heading to Japan later today! For the next few weeks, I’ll only be posting on the blog occasionally. We’ll be back to our regular schedule at the end of May.

    Thanks for reading and be on the lookout for some fun photos from Tokyo!

    More on tech:

    Meet My Latest Investment: Cryopets

    I Put Elon’s New Grok 4.3 Beta to the Test — Here’s Why It’s My Favorite Model So Far

    How Fake Investors Scam Founders: 5 Red Flags

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Wispr Flow

    I used this app every single day to dictate to my computer, I’m even dictating this text using Wispr Flow! It’s way better than Apple’s native dictation.

    My productivity is up about 25% since I started dictating rather than typing. I’m also less tired and stressed.

    Get a free month of Wispr Flow Pro here!

  • Yes, You Can Raise VC Money in ‘Unsexy’ Areas — Here’s What Investors Want

    Every investor is throwing money at AI. But if you’re building in an unsexy area, is raising money even possible?

    A frustrated consumer hardware founder recently posed this question to Reddit. He’s seeing VC’s rip huge checks into AI while he’s struggling to raise any money at all.

    But there’s good news: investors are still investing in consumer hardware and other non-AI startups! Here’s what I look for in these companies…

    Founders With a Killer Track Record

    For any startup, by far the most important factor is the founder. I look for founders that have achieved something exceptional. 

    Let’s take the example of that consumer hardware startup….

    Ideally, they were involved with creating a successful consumer hardware device in the past. But exceptional can come in a lot of forms.

    Maybe the founder was a child chess prodigy. Maybe he built a car wash business to a $1 million a year in revenue as a teenager. 

    I recently invested in a fellow who led the team behind the world’s first commercial spacewalk. Now that’s an exceptional founder!

    A Team with Technical Chops

    In addition to some exceptional accomplishment, I’m looking for teams with real engineering ability. I want teams that are mostly or entirely technical. 

    For consumer hardware, I want to see people with backgrounds in hardware and software engineering. You usually need both to make a device work. 

    If the team is all idea guys, on the other hand, that’s a red flag. They just don’t have the skills to make their vision a reality. 

    The Prototype

    A great team is a wonderful starting point, but I also want to see a basic prototype.

    I’m definitely not expecting a polished device that’s ready for market. A prototype is more like a sketch…a gesture toward what the product will be.

    I’m expecting janky. I’m expecting wires all over the place.

    I just want to see the founders actually building something. 

    Wrap-Up

    If you’re a founder building in an area that isn’t hot, raising money might seem impossible.

    But you don’t need every investor to believe in your vision. You only need a handful. 

    Gather a team of hardcore engineers. Hack together a prototype. Then start contacting VC’s.

    You might be surprised how much money you raise!

    More on tech: 

    Meet My Latest Investment: Verustruct

    Three Management Secrets from Jensen Huang

    Elon Musk (Part 1): Overcoming the Odds

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Wispr Flow

    I used this app every single day to dictate to my computer, I’m even dictating this text using Wispr Flow! It’s way better than Apple’s native dictation.

    My productivity is up about 25% since I started dictating rather than typing. I’m also less tired and stressed.

    Get a free month of Wispr Flow Pro here!

  • What If AI Guided You Instead of Just Giving Answers? — Testing Gemini Guided Learning

    What if AI didn’t just hand you the answer…but actually taught you how to find it? Gemini Guided Learning is a great way to do just that.

    I tested Guided Learning this morning, having it prep me for my Japan trip this week. It gave me useful, realistic practice that will help me a lot during my visit! 

    Let me show you what this thing can do…

    (To access Guided Learning, click the “plus” sign in the Gemini app, go to More Tools, and choose Guided Learning.)

    A Common Freeze Up Point: “Do You Have a Point Card?”

    I had Guided Learning run me through some common phrases in a scenario I’m sure to encounter: buying treats at a convenience store. Gemini began by asking a question that often confuses foreigners like me…

    “Do you have a point card?”

    I’ve had clerks ask me this before at stores in Japan.

    “I wasn’t planning for this,” I thought. “Now what?”

    But thanks to Gemini, I’ll be ready. “Nai desu” (ないです in Japanese script), I responded, a polite way to say I don’t have one.

    Gemini confirmed that this was the correct response. Whew!

    Getting My Delicious Snack Heated Up

    Next, Gemini prepared me for another tricky scenario: asking the store clerk to heat a food item.

    It’s amazing you can even do this! Most American convenience stores wouldn’t be bothered.

    I use the phrase “Hai, atatamete kudasai” (“はい、温めてください” in Japanese script). Gemini’s verdict: I nailed it!

    One of the most fun things about learning a language is when you say the right phrase and something actually happens in the world. Utter the right syllables, and the clerk heats up your chicken.

    It’s like sliding a key into a lock. Do it just right, and a new world opens. 

    Finding the Bathroom

    Anywhere you go, eventually you’ll need to find the bathroom.

    In most Japanese konbini, it’s not hard to find. It’s usually near the front, and you’ll see it on your own.

    But just in case, let’s practice asking where the bathroom is.

    I hit Gemini with the phrase “toire wa doko desu ka” and even put it in Japanese script for extra points, which is “トイレはどこですか?”

    Gemini confirmed I had the right phrase. Success! 

    Wrap-Up

    When I chat with my friends about AI, they often say AI is going to do all our thinking for us and make us stupid. I disagree.

    Tools like Gemini Guided Learning are one way AI will make us smarter. Gemini did a great job of guiding me toward answers rather than giving them to me.

    Along with Guided lLearning, I’m using Gemini Live’s voice feature to practice Japanese speaking. I’ve had full conversations with it lasting up to 30 minutes. It’s an incredible learning tool!

    Where I live in northern New Jersey, there are few, if any, Japanese speakers. It’s hard to find anyone to practice with.

    But with tools like Gemini, I can practice any time. 

    Try Gemini Guided Learning and learn anything you want, absolutely free! 

    More on tech:

    I Put Elon’s New Grok 4.3 Beta to the Test — Here’s Why It’s My Favorite Model So Far

    Moonshot Drops Kimi K2.6 – Cheap, Powerful, and Worth Trying for Builders

    Grok Imagine Quality Mode: Jaw-Dropping Images, But Text Still Struggles

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Wispr Flow

    I used this app every single day to dictate to my computer, I’m even dictating this text using Wispr Flow! It’s way better than Apple’s native dictation.

    My productivity is up about 25% since I started dictating rather than typing. I’m also less tired and stressed.

    Get a free month of Wispr Flow Pro here!

  • Europe’s AI Window Is Slamming Shut – And There’s No Plan B

    The window for Europe to catch up in AI isn’t just closing — it’s slamming shut. Europe doesn’t have any of the fundamental inputs for AI: 

    • Major AI companies
    • Companies large enough to invest hundreds of billions
    • Rare earths
    • Chip fabs
    • Hydrocarbons to power data centers (aside from Norway)

    Let’s zoom in on two critical factors: money and talent. Here how Europe is falling behind on both…

    The Capital Drought

    The largest company in America (and the world) is NVIDIA, with a market cap of $5.1 trillion. 

    The largest company in Europe is ASML, market cap $563 billion.

    America has eight separate trillion dollar tech companies. Europe has zero. 

    No company in Europe can match the AI infrastructure spending of the U.S. hyperscalers. American companies are buying up all the chips, energy and data. 

    If European governments invested a huge amount of money in AI, they might be able to compete with the U.S. hyperscalers. But burdened with massive welfare states and aging populations, there’s no sign that Europe plans to make such an investment. 

    The Brain Drain

    Peter Steinberger is the most impressive AI builder Europe has produced in years. He created Openclaw singlehandedly.

    And he’s leaving.

    Peter is moving to the United States after accepting a job at OpenAI.  He cited strict labor regulations in Europe as a big reason for his move. 

    By law, Europeans aren’t allowed to work the 6-7 day weeks that all the top American labs are. Not even if they want to! 

    Peter couldn’t build a competitive startup if people can’t work long hours. So, he had no choice but to leave Europe. 

    A guy like Peter could help Europe catch up in AI. If Europe cannot retain Peter or the handful of others like him, they have no chance.

    An American probably would have built his own company. But in Europe, the only viable path was hitting Eject, joining OpenAI, and going to the United States. 

    A Subordinate Future

    Unable to create superintelligence of its own, Europe will have to rent it, either from the United States or China. That puts Europe in a subordinate position.

    Take a breakthrough like the Anthropic Mythos model. Right now, Anthropic is helping major companies patch security holes that Mythos uncovered.

    What if the EU angers the United States on trade or security? America may stop Anthropic from offering those security patches to European companies, leaving them exposed.

    This would be bad policy. But that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. 

    Wrap-Up

    Europe can’t retain its best AI builders. It can’t form the capital to invest in building superintelligence. 

    Without strong builders and the capital they need, Europe is sunk.

    I know it’s fashionable to hate on Europe these days. But honestly, I don’t see a way out for them.

    If the EU heavily deregulated its technology industry and labor market, they might still have a chance to catch up. But there are no signs they have the will to do so. 

    As Europe stands still, the U.S. and China are accelerating every single day. The window to catch up is closing.

    More on tech: 

    Why European Founders Should Move to America

    Peter Thiel: America Is Winning — And Pulling Away from the World

    I Put Elon’s New Grok 4.3 Beta to the Test — Here’s Why It’s My Favorite Model So Far

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    Fundrise

    This platform lets me diversify my real estate investments so I’m not too exposed to any one market. I’ve invested since 2018 with great returns.

    More on Fundrise in this post.

    If you decide to invest in Fundrise, you can use this link to get $100 in free bonus shares!

    Wispr Flow

    I used this app every single day to dictate to my computer, I’m even dictating this text using Wispr Flow! It’s way better than Apple’s native dictation.

    My productivity is up about 25% since I started dictating rather than typing. I’m also less tired and stressed.

    Get a free month of Wispr Flow Pro here!