Title: $2B for No Product, Robots Under $3K & Australia's Massive Miss

Hosts: Scott Wilcox (W & Elycium) & Matt Perrott (BuildPass)

This week, Scotty & Matt explore the seismic shifts in AI talent acquisition, humanoid robots reaching consumer price points, and Australia's untapped potential to become a tech superpower.

Episode Highlights

The Great AI Talent Migration

Thinking Machines raises unprecedented $2B seed round at $10B valuation with no product, just talent
OpenAI leadership exodus creating billion-dollar startups overnight
The new reality: buying teams vs traditional hiring in AI

Wearable AI Revolution

Limitless pendant deep dive: AI coach vs note-taker reality check
Future convergence of analog watches and AI technology
De-optimization movement challenging data-driven lifestyle tracking

Robotics Breakthrough

Hugging Face humanoid robots priced under $3K (cheaper than MacBooks)
Open-source revolution democratizing robotics development
Tesla robo-taxi milestone: 20+ rides with zero interventions

Australia's Trillion-Dollar Missed Opportunity

Energy policy crisis: shipping coal while paying 10% more for domestic power
Darwin/Geelong innovation hub vision as "Australian Shenzhen"
Cultural barriers: tall poppy syndrome vs American business optimism

Key Segments

Headlines & Hot Takes (00:00)

Limitless pendant early impressions
Noosa beach remote work setup
Thinking Machines $2B mystery round breakdown

AI Tool Showdown (32:50)

11 Labs conversational AI vs ChatGPT voice mode
Y Combinator AI startup school insights
Elon's 12-month AGI prediction analysis

Tool of the Week (48:35)

iPhone home screen optimization for AI-powered productivity

Robot Rundown (52:20)

Sub-$3K humanoid robots changing the game
SoftBank's $1T Arizona AI manufacturing hub
Autonomous vehicle update: Tesla vs Waymo strategies

Australia Tech Policy Deep Dive (01:02:15)

Energy crisis impact on tech competitiveness
Innovation hub strategy discussion
Cultural transformation needed for tech leadership

Companies & Resources Mentioned

AI Startups:

Thinking Machines (Mira Murati)
Cluely AI (A16Z-backed)
Limitless (AI pendant)
Eleven Labs

Major Players:

OpenAI, Y Combinator
Hugging Face, Tesla, Waymo
SoftBank Vision Fund, TSMC
A16Z (Andreessen Horowitz)

Key Figures:

Mira Murati, Sam Altman, Elon Musk
Masa Son (SoftBank)

Why This Episode Matters

The AI talent wars are reshaping venture capital, with teams commanding billion-dollar valuations before building products. Meanwhile, open-source robotics and autonomous vehicles are hitting critical adoption thresholds. Australia sits at a crossroads - blessed with resources but held back by policy and culture.

Perfect for: Founders, VCs, tech operators, and anyone tracking the intersection of AI, robotics, and geopolitics.

Built 2 Scale delivers weekly deep dives into the tech trends reshaping business. Subscribe for founder-focused insights on startups, AI agents, robotics, and the future of work.

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Episode	Podcast	Published	Duration	Status

Episode	Podcast	Published	Duration	Status

$2B for No Product, Robots Under $3K & Australia's Massive Miss

Description

Transcript not available

Transcript not available