In this episode, Scotty and Matty swap the Apple Watch for knockoffs, swap politeness for precision, and dive into what it really means to operate in “vision mode.” From ditching devices and redefining productivity to the rise of humanoid robots, space-based data centers, and the end of polite AI — they explore how the world is shifting from intelligence as the goal to agency as the edge. Featuring reflections on Jensen Huang, Elon Musk, and the founder of Deel, they unpack how velocity, candor, and taste will define the next generation of builders and leaders.

Built 2 Scale | Episode 29

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Back in Melbourne: BuildPass Office Rooftop Recording

0:39 Melbourne Building Expo: Getting Recognized for the Pod

2:04 Wide Variety of Listeners: Builders to Tech Geeks

3:58 Ditching the Apple Watch: Battery Life Problems

1:07:45 The Cost of Intelligence Going to Zero

1:08:19 Generalist with Half Your IQ Will Outperform You

1:09:11 The “Stuck at Dinner Table Test” for Hiring

1:10:16 Base Level Intelligence Still Required

1:11:01 Pro-Competent vs Anti-AI in the Workplace

1:11:31 High Agency + Low Intelligence = Criminal

1:12:16 Agency, Intelligence, and Taste: The Three-Legged Stool

1:13:29 Toby Lütke: Don’t Make It Obvious You’re Using AI

1:14:10 Building AI Seamlessly Into Products (Magic Trick Analogy)

1:15:09 Intelligence as Substrate: Autonomy → Time → Well-Being

This Episode Covers:

• Why agency is becoming more valuable than raw intelligence in hiring decisions

• The three-legged stool framework: agency, intelligence, and taste

• How AI is commoditizing intelligence and what that means for hiring

• Why the “stuck at dinner table test” matters for company culture

• Toby Lütke’s philosophy: use AI but don’t make it obvious

• Building AI seamlessly into products like a magic trick

• The correlation between agency and intelligence in hiring matrices

• Why competence without AI still matters in the workplace

• Intelligence as the substrate that leads to autonomy, time, and well-being

KEY INSIGHTS:

• The generalist with confidence often outperforms the super intelligent person without agency

• High agency + low intelligence = dangerous; base competence is still essential

• Modern hiring prioritizes “who can get me out of a bind” over “who has the highest IQ”

• AI should be invisible in products—users should experience magic, not see the mechanism

• Intelligence → Autonomy → Time → Well-Being creates a feedback loop for modern work

• The best hires are people you’d happily be stuck with at a company dinner

About Built 2 Scale:

Weekly analysis of artificial intelligence business strategy, robotics adoption, and technology market dynamics. Hosted by Scott Wilcox (Australia) and Matt Perrott (Austin), providing actionable insights for founders, investors, and technology executives navigating the AI transformation.

Subscribe for AI business intelligence: /@built2scale

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#AI #Hiring #Agency #Intelligence #Startup #BuildToScale #TechPodcast #Melbourne #Leadership #AIStrategy

Episode	Podcast	Published	Duration	Status

Episode	Podcast	Published	Duration	Status

Vision Mode: Agency Over Intelligence | Ep. 29

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