A growing list of questions I’m eager to unpack, but haven’t had the headspace to tackle yet. If you can break down and explain any of them to me (bonus points for any great pointers of links, research papers, or real-world anecdotes) the next coffee (or bubble tea) is on me! Email
Startups
¤ What combination of founding-team attributes (backgrounds, network, domain expertise) most reliably predicts a startup’s growth?
¤ To what extent do innovation clusters / incubators (e.g. Silicon Valley, YC, NEO) drive startup success?
¤ How can you identify a start-ups that will be on a breakout trajectory?
Technology & Infrastructure
¤ Why is internet access so expensive? Is it possible to reduce deployment + maintenance costs while increasing bandwidth?
¤ Why do MTA trains run at such low average speeds? What inexpensive signaling, scheduling, or upgrades could halve travel times?
¤ With today’s focus on AI and “vibe coding,” why are there so few cybersecurity startups compared with AI-focused ventures?
Economics
¤ Why is manufacturing in the United States so expensive and operationally complicated compared with peer economies?
¤ Is it possible to eliminate federal income tax for households earning under sub $100k per year, once revenue loss and macroeconomic feedback loops are modeled?
Politics
¤ How could we identify the best possible candidate to run for president using an algorithm that evaluates domain expertise, knowledge, agility, mindset, and other factors?