Synthetic Fuels Threaten Electric Vehicle Dominance

Resources

Resources & Recommendations

Books

• "The Creative Act: A Way of Being" by Rick Rubin - This book explores the creative process and how artists cultivate their field, which is relevant to the discussion about how creators need to engage with and shape the environment for their work to be received.

Videos & Documentaries

• "Inventing on Principle" by Bret Victor - This video is mentioned as the most impactful video the host watches annually, inspiring a discussion on the importance of having a principle to guide one's work as an inventor.

Tools & Software

• OpenAI - Mentioned as a company powered by WorkOS, highlighting its role in enterprise software.
• Cursor - Mentioned as a company powered by WorkOS, highlighting its role in enterprise software.
• Perplexity - Mentioned as a company powered by WorkOS, highlighting its role in enterprise software.
• Vercel - Mentioned as a company powered by WorkOS, highlighting its role in enterprise software.
• Plaid - Mentioned as a company powered by WorkOS, highlighting its role in enterprise software.
• ChatGPT - Referenced as a widely accessible AI tool that has helped people understand the power of AI, even for those in Congress and the Pentagon.
• Kerbal Space Program - A video game Palmer Luckey would use to evaluate potential hires, as it demonstrates useful systems-level thinking and strategic planning skills.
• Quake 3 - A video game mentioned in the context of John Carmack's work and as an example of a game that relies on twitch reflexes, which Palmer Luckey would not use to evaluate hires.
• Unreal Tournament - A video game mentioned as an example of a game that relies on twitch reflexes, which Palmer Luckey would not use to evaluate hires.
• Call of Duty - A video game mentioned as an example of a game that relies on twitch reflexes, which Palmer Luckey would not use to evaluate hires.

People Mentioned

• John Carmack (Co-founder of id Software, former CTO of Oculus) - Referenced for his technical genius, his work on games like Quake 3, and his current focus on AGI, with Palmer Luckey expressing a desire for Carmack to figure out AGI.
• Jaron Lanier (Computer Scientist, author) - Credited with inventing the term "virtual reality" and described as an "out of the box" thinker, though with a different perspective than Palmer Luckey.
• Steve Jobs (Co-founder of Apple) - Referenced in the context of hiring and leadership, with Palmer Luckey emphasizing that even Jobs relied on deputies to cover his weaknesses.
• Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) (Founder of FTX) - Used as a hypothetical example of how negative affiliations can impact the reputation of a sponsor like Peter Thiel.
• Peter Thiel (Co-founder of PayPal, Founders Fund) - Mentioned as an "out of the box" thinker and the first institutional investor in Oculus, highlighting his unconventional belief in the company's success.
• Vladimir Putin (President of Russia) - Quoted for his statement on artificial intelligence, emphasizing its strategic importance for global power.
• Michael Csikszentmihalyi (Psychologist, author) - His work on creativity and flow is referenced, particularly his insight that great creatives cultivate the field for their work to be received.

Organizations & Institutions

• Anduril Industries - Palmer Luckey's current company, focused on defense technology, mentioned extensively throughout the episode.
• Oculus VR - Palmer Luckey's previous company, which brought virtual reality to the mainstream and was sold to Facebook.
• Founders Fund - The first institutional investor in Oculus, praised for their unconventional belief in the company's potential.
• WorkOS - A sponsor of the podcast, providing APIs for enterprise features to B2B SaaS companies.
• Colossus - The host's platform for publications and podcasts, including "Colossus's Review."
• Positive Sum - Patrick O'Shaughnessy's firm, mentioned in the disclaimer.
• Facebook - The company that acquired Oculus VR.
• US Department of Energy - Referenced for its 1950s documents on energy futures, which inspired Palmer Luckey's interest in synthetic fuels.
• US Department of Interior - Mentioned for its historical proposals regarding ecosystem management, including the idea of introducing hippos to Louisiana.
• Japan's government-run schools - Cited as an example of a country that prioritizes education in areas of national interest.
• Sensetime - A Chinese company mentioned for developing AI camera systems used to track dissidents, highlighting technologies used for internal control rather than defense.
• Skydio - A US company mentioned as doing a great job in the small drone market.
• Brinc - A US company mentioned as doing a great job in the small drone market.
• Teal - A US company mentioned as doing a great job in the small drone market.
• NASA - Mentioned for a fascinating paper on real-time distortion correction in VR headsets, which was discarded due to computational expense at the time.
• Nintendo - Referenced for its "lateral thinking with withered technologies" approach, combining new and old technologies successfully.
• Apple - Discussed for its Vision Pro headset and its approach to VR/AR in the market.

Websites & Online Resources

• WorkOS.com - The website for the podcast's sponsor, WorkOS.
• JoinColossus.com - The website for Colossus, where listeners can find episode transcripts and subscribe to "Colossus's Review."
• Psum.vc - The website for Positive Sum.
• PalmerLucky.com - Palmer Luckey's personal blog, where he wrote an article titled "Free isn't Cheap Enough."
• Mod Retro - An internet game console modification forum founded by Palmer Luckey, which helped shape his mindset on combining modern and retro technologies.

Other Resources

• "Free isn't Cheap Enough" (Blog Post) - A blog post by Palmer Luckey on palmerlucky.com discussing his thesis that VR needs to be desirable before it can achieve mass adoption, regardless of cost.