Tremendous

An angel investor's take on life and business

  • 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!

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

    Moonshot just dropped a new, more powerful Kimi: K2.6. I tested it this morning, and it’s the best open source model I’ve used yet.

    Moonshot claims that Kimi outperforms GPT-5.4 and Claude Opus 4.6 on some benchmarks. Better yet, Kimi is dirt cheap to run, making it a popular choice for developers. 

    I ran Kimi through 3 difficult tests this morning: researching startup funding rounds, prepping me for a meeting, and helping me study Japanese. Overall, Kimi turned in a strong performance, although it struggled with some web search tasks. 

    Let’s see what the new Kimi can do! 

    Round #1: Researching the Cursor Seed Round

    SpaceX recently agreed to acquire Cursor for $60 billion. Almost every seed investor in the world is slapping their forehead, wishing they’d been in on it… including me!

    I’m curious: what did the company look like at the time? Maybe studying such a successful company can help me find the next Cursor. 

    Cursor had already passed $1 million ARR by the seed round…unusually strong traction. 

    Cursor also had an exceptional founder. CEO Michael Truell had interned at Google in high school, which is highly unusual. 

    The deal wasn’t cheap — around $60 million. But especially in 2023, seed stage companies with over $1M in ARR were quite rare. 

    Cursor was a hot startup with serious traction and a great founder. It had every factor I look for.

    The price was steep. But that shows the importance of focusing on median entry price, rather than an absolute price limit. Expensive deals make sense occasionally, so long as they’re balanced out by cheaper ones. 

    Kimi did a great job, citing reliable sources and giving me the info I wanted. I’m giving this round an A! 

    Round #2: Stalking a Founder 

    Can Kimi can help me find the next Michael Truell? Next week, I’m meeting a fellow who might fit the bill…

    This young man has a very interesting startup in robotics. I asked Kimi to tell me about his background and any exceptional achievements.

    With a little help, Kimi pulled some interesting info (name redacted). 

    He managed to work in ROTC and run a startup at the same time. That’s impressive! I’m looking forward to meeting him. 

    Kimi found useful info, but only with a lot of coaxing. Kimi claimed it couldn’t access Linkedin, so I had to screenshot his LinkedIn and upload it. 

    I gave the same prompt to Grok, and it found a bunch of information on the founder right away.

    I’m giving Kimi a C for this round.

    Round #3: Kimi the Language Learning Coach

    It’s less than a week until I ship off to Tokyo! I’m desperately trying to brush up on my Japanese. Can Kimi help? 

    Kimi gave great advice. It suggested I listen to the Nihongo con Teppei podcast and repeat everything he’s saying.

    I pulled up a short video of Teppei’s and tried it. It was a wonderful way to get myself speaking and thinking in Japanese.

    The only thing I didn’t like about Kimi’s response was that it didn’t give me a link to the podcast. I still had to Google it.

    Still, Kimi was super helpful! I’ll give this round an A- 

    Wrap-Up

    I’m giving Kimi K2.6 a B- overall in my testing. It’s light years ahead of K2.5, which I gave a D in February.

    Kimi is good at analyzing information, but sometimes struggles in web searches. The hosted version of Kimi definitely isn’t the best model around.

    But for a cheap, open-source model to use in your application, Kimi is a great choice. 

    A lot of startups begin with a frontier model like Claude or Grok and get the output they want. Then, they use a cheaper model and try to get the same results at scale. 

    Kimi is an excellent choice for that cheaper model. If you’re building an AI, give the new Kimi K2.6 a shot! 

    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

    NVIDIA Nemotron: Great for RAG, Weak on Web Search

    Kimi K2.5 Is Slow and Stupid

    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!

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

    Elon has quietly released Grok 4.3 Beta, xAI’s most powerful model yet. I tested it this morning, and it’s the best model I’ve ever used.

    I put 4.3 Beta through a grueling series of tests this morning. I had it analyze 5,000 venture deals, predict the future of the real estate market, even find under-the-radar travel recs for my trip to Tokyo.

    Elon’s new model excelled across the board. Let me show you what the new Grok can do…

    Round #1: Real Estate Investment Outlook

    High interest rates have meant a tough couple of years for real estate. That includes my Fundrise portfolio, which invests in housing across America. 

    What do the next couple of years have in store? Let’s ask Grok… 

    Grok predicts that Fundrise will see 8-15% returns over the next couple of years. This would be a big upshift from the low single-digit returns of late.

    Gradually declining interest rates should support real estate. Strong residential demand also plays into Fundrise’s strategy, which is heavy on multifamily. 

    Grok cited solid sources like CBRE and Reuters. Its analysis was clear and easy to understand. 

    Compared to the prior model, Grok 4.3 produced a more readable response. It’s shorter with better formatting, making it easier to digest. 

    I’m giving this round an A!

    Round #2: Planning My Trip to Tokyo

    A week from today, I’m getting on a plane to Tokyo! Lately, it’s all I can think about.

    It will be my first visit to Japan in six years. Ever since I first visited in 2014, Tokyo has felt like my home away from home.

    Can Grok recommend some awesome, under-the-radar spots for me to try? 

    I’ve actually been to around half these spots, including Todoroki and Hamarikyu! In each case, Japanese people brought me there.

    This tells me that Grok’s recommendations are superb. They’re the type of under-the-radar spots actual Tokyo residents recommend.

    The only flaw is a lack of dining options. Grok recommended some beautiful natural areas, but not much in the way of food.

    I’m giving this response an A-. 

    Round #3: Analyzing 5,000 Venture Deals

    Back to business…

    For the final round, I gave Grok 4.3 a difficult task: analyzing the nearly 5,000 deals I’ve passed on in the last couple of years. Can Grok find mistakes and opportunities to improve?

    I fed Grok a monster spreadsheet that includes details on every deal. Here’s what it found… 

    Grok thinks my approach is solid, carefully hewing to my thesis. I’ve systematically filtered out companies without builder founders, products or customers.

    My biggest opportunity to improve: tracking the close calls.

    Now and then, I find a company that almost meets my bar for investment. I haven’t systematically tracked the outcomes of those companies. That’s something I plan to do more of, assisted by AI. 

    Grok took its time, running analysis for around eight minutes. Still, that’s nothing for the amount of data I threw at it!

    Grok’s analysis was thorough and helpful. I’m giving this round an A+. 

    Wrap-Up

    Grok 4.3 Beta earns an A overall in my testing.

    It’s not a quantum leap from Grok 4.20. But its analysis is tighter, its formatting better, and its outputs more usable. 

    That makes Grok 4.30 Beta the best AI model I’ve used yet. If you’re looking for a frontier model, Grok 4.3 Beta is it. 

    For now, 4.3 Beta is only available to paid Supergrok subscribers. Plans start at $30 a month. It’s not available via API yet, but I expect that to be released soon.

    Everyone is excited about Anthropic right now. But xAI is building some incredible stuff in the shadows. 

    Don’t be surprised Elon if leapfrogs Dario soon…

    More on tech: 

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

    Meta’s New Model is Worth $60 Billion — But Struggles in Real World Testing

    NVIDIA Nemotron: Great for RAG, Weak on Web Search

    Save Money on Stuff I Use:

    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!

  • NVIDIA Nemotron: Great for RAG, Weak on Web Search

    NVIDIA sells $200 billion worth of chips every year. But Jensen isn’t stopping there. NVIDIA recently dropped its most powerful AI model ever. 

    This morning I tested Nemotron 3 Super, NVIDIA’s most sophisticated model. Nemotron is designed to let us build and run powerful agents cheaply.

    Nemotron does well if you give it data (also known as Retrieval Augmented Generation, or RAG). But it struggles with complex jobs and finding data on its own. 

    Let me show you where Nemotron can help and where you’re better off looking elsewhere…

    Round #1: Finding the Next Unicorn on Product Hunt

    Several times a week, I troll Product Hunt looking for the next great startup. Can Nemotron automate this? 

    Nemotron wouldn’t help, saying that it can’t browse the internet. For a model designed to create agents, this seems like a huge problem! 

    You can add a web browsing tool yourself. But it would be much easier if Nemotron included it automatically. 

    What’s more, Nemotron’s knowledge cutoff is July 2024, nearly two years ago. This makes it harder to build useful tools. 

    I love Jensen, but I have to give this round an F. 

    Round #2: Researching Drone Technology

    Earlier today, I chatted with a founder making very innovative drone motors. His motors don’t use any rare earth minerals.

    English major that I am, I don’t understand how existing drone motors use rare earths. Can Nemotron explain?

    Nemotron gave a great breakdown: the rare earths are used in a magnet that the motor needs to function.

    Nemotron’s explanation was a little technical. I asked a few follow-up questions, and it did a good job of breaking things down more simply.

    But there’s one big problem: Nemotron didn’t cite any sources. The information sounds plausible, but I can’t verify it.

    This makes it hard to rely on Nemotron. I’m giving this round a B-minus. 

    Round #3: Automating Intros to Startups

    Yesterday, I met a really cool biomanufacturing startup. Which investors in my network should I introduce them to?

    I fed Nemotron my spreadsheet of 75 top investors. Nemotron did a great job of looking through the list and finding investors interested in deep tech.

    When I give Nemotron all the data it needs, it parses it very well. You can take advantage of that in applications you build, RAG-ing Nemotron and getting outputs cheaply.

    I’m giving this round an A. 

    Wrap-Up

    I’m giving Nemotron a C- overall. 

    Nemotron really deserves two grades: an F for tasks requiring web search and an A for parsing data you provide. 

    Nemotron is way behind frontier models. But because it’s cheap to run, Nemotron could be a good choice for your application. 

    Just be sure to give it very specific instructions and lots of custom data. Then, you can get the output you need at lower cost. 

    I’m excited to see what Jensen does with Nemotron. Tenacious as he is, he just might score a come-from-behind victory.

    More on tech:

    Google Drops New Gemini macOS App — A for Easy Tasks, F for Complex Jobs

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

    Meta’s New Model is Worth $60 Billion — But Struggles in Real World Testing

    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!