Inside Travis Kalanick’s Wild New AI Company
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Why does Travis Kalanick commute by jet ski and how does it shape his routine?
I forgot to ask Jason if he has opinions about resto mods for jet skis. I'll ask you. Is there a jet ski that you'd recommend for somebody who's getting into it?
I saw a wooden jet ski recently. A wooden? That's cool. Like a really classic jet ski. Dude, don't get me excited.
I'm into it. Look, these things go fast. Yeah? I think I went 70 miles an hour on my jet ski at work.
Wow. Wow.
To work.
That's faster than most people commute. They're stuck in traffic.
I mean, I've got a five-minute commute to work on a jet ski. On a jet ski. Unless it's raining.
Yeah. Unless it's raining. Yeah, no. Unless it's raining. Not in lightning conditions. And it gets a little weird.
Okay. And you call an Uber.
Okay. Is it helpful? Do you do your best thinking on the jet ski?
No.
No.
Does it clear the mind? Does it clear the mind? No, it's just... I think going quickly... Guys, it's a... it's a fucking notch on the belt. It's like, who else do you know is jet skiing to work?
Nobody.
I'm the guy. Okay. I looked it up. I looked it up, uh, on your guys' application, open AI, you know, chat GPT on your guys' app.
Yeah.
On your app.
You're welcome.
Um, yeah, no, I want to thank you for all the great stuff that you guys are providing in chat GPT. But I think there's like one or two other CEOs, but nobody at a major, nobody thousand person plus that's a CEO is commuting to work. On a jet ski. On a jet ski.
Only a Texas resident, right?
Texas resident, that's right. Primary residence, let's go.
Before we start, the last time you were on here, that was, for me, the best moment of making the show ever, John and I. It was totally surreal, and we really enjoyed the conversation. But to me, we left that, and it was almost depressing because as somebody who started getting into startups in the 2010s, you were that guy. And then I was realizing with the show, we had that conversation with you, and it was a significant day for you. But it was sort of depressing, because I realized a moment like that would never actually come again, where I got to basically interview... It will happen, guys. No, it'll happen differently. But a childhood hero, having that conversation... That's one of one for me. I don't think it'll happen again.
It was peak. It was good. But anyways, you've been busy since then. I've been busy.
Look, I'm super excited. This is my first OpenAI podcast. I'm very excited about it. Also, I want to let you guys know that... If you need therapy sessions for what it's like to be a made man in retirement. Sure. If that's a thing, I can help motivate you guys.
Isn't step one of therapy in this situation just get a jet ski?
No, it's actually denial. You've got to get over the denial part. Okay.
Over the denial?
Just fucking.
And then the acceptance? Yeah, it's something.
I don't know the 12 steps.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Everyone just knows denial and acceptance. They don't know any of the other ones. It's like a bunch of shit in a row, yeah. Grieving, bargaining. There's a couple others in there, but you do go through that. It's natural. Yeah. It happens, but then you start building. Yeah, it's very good.
If you guys need advice, you need therapy, I'm here for you. I love it. I mean, no, the retard maxing is you're not supposed to do therapy. I'm just saying. There are benefits.
Yeah, especially with your new partners. They're like, if they're one thing they wrote into the fundraising round, they wrote into the docs, like, cannot go to therapy. Oh, that would be amazing.
Yes, but podcasts are modern therapy for men. This is what men do. They don't go to therapy.
They just go to podcasts. You should have office hours for founders, but they have to just come out on a jet ski while you're going, and you're going 70 miles an hour, and you'll coach them.
I am starting to teach many founders and people in the tech world how to water ski How to wake surf. A bunch of my engineers already. So there was one guy who didn't know how to swim, but I got him behind the boat wake surfing.
Whoa. Whoa. So you had a life jacket. Life jacket. The life jacket on.
Life jacket. It sounds weirder than it is.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
Why does Travis Kalanick commute by jet ski and how does it shape his routine?
0:00–13:24
2
What was the catalyst and structure behind the $1.7B raise for his new company?
13:24–16:15
3
Why is Kalanick focusing on industrial AI instead of consumer AI?
16:15–28:36
4
How does Pronto deploy autonomous mining and what is the mining go-to-market playbook?
28:36–45:38
Speakers
4 identifiedMore from TBPN
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