Infinite Loops

Parmita Mishra is a computational biologist and the founder & CEO of Precigenetics, a company aiming to become a rocket to precision medicine. Parmita is deeply knowledgeable about cutting-edge biology, particularly epigenetics — how behavior and environment can affect gene function without altering genetic code. Her passion for advancing our understanding of diseases is inspiring (and contagious: OSV is an investor in Parmita’s company!) In our conversation, Parmita and I discuss everything from the curious case of male baldness to how her parents have saved 50,000 lives.  I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, highlights, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: LinkedIn Twitter Website Precigenetics Twitter Preciginetics launch post Show Notes: Explaining epigenetics to a golden retriever The curious case of male pattern baldness How to think about biology: start from first principles & beware binary thinking The lens you look through determines what you see The problem of data collection in biology Why the FDA needs to change its approach Why we still don’t understand the human brain Garry Tan’s advice: “Get an idea. Get a co-founder.” What’s been surprising about foundership? Failure is a ladder Obsession & how Parmita’s parents have saved 50,000 lives The most surprising things about America Parmita as World Empress Books Mentioned: What is Life?; by Erwin Schrodinger I should have loved biology; by James Somers Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid; by Douglas Hofstadter The Hypomanic Edge: The Link Between (A Little) Craziness and (A Lot of) Success in America; by John D. Gartner

Professor Luis Seco is a mathematician, educator, and investor. Among many other titles and achievements, he is the Professor of Mathematics at the University of Toronto, Director of the quant research hub Risklab, Chair of the Centre for Sustainable Development at the Fields Institute, and co-founder of the asset management firm Sigma Analysis & Management Ltd. Got all that?! This one was really fun, and not just because Luis is a fellow quant. We discuss how maths resembles Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, the future of the ‘metaversity’, the most important lesson Luis gives his students, why investing isn't what it used to be, and much more. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Website Twitter YouTube Show Notes: What Luis learned from the Beethoven of mathematics “Mathematics is the language computers speak” The role of community in an increasingly confusing world Lifelong education & the voyage to the human brain Why to teach is to be human Timebinding & social media as a steam valve What matters more - content or communication? Math as a social science: quantifying risk in a nonlinear world From paper, to numbers, to images: The changing nature of data Why the future of education lies in decentralization Swarm solutions & why we’re in the century of collaboration Metaversities & the case for bringing your kids to work Why managing money is now based on words, not numbers Luis as Emperor of the World MORE! Books Mentioned: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; by Douglas Adams The Two Cultures; by C.P. Snow Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; by Robert M. Pirsig Manhood of Humanity; by Alfred Korzybski How to Win Friends and Influence People; by Dale Carnegie The Myth of 1926: How Much Do We Know About Long-Term Returns on U.S. Stocks?; by Edward F. Mcquarrie

Anthony Pompliano — investor, entrepreneur, and media powerhouse — returns four years and 228 episodes later to discuss his new book, How To Live an Extraordinary Life, a collection of 65 heartfelt letters to his two children. At just 36, Anthony has already invested in circa 200 companies, served in Iraq with the U.S. Army, built and sold multiple businesses, and created one of the world’s largest independent media platforms. You don’t accomplish all that without learning a thing or two, and in this episode we dig into his hard-earned insights — from the uniting traits of the world’s smartest people, to the luxury of pessimism, to why luck isn’t real. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: How To Live an Extraordinary Life Website Twitter The Pomp Letter Anthony’s Previous Episode Show Notes: The hidden power of “I don’t know” Why Anthony started writing letters to his children Today is practice for tomorrow Carve your ethics in stone, but your opinions in sand How bad positioning poisons decision-making Are there any parts of the book Anthony no longer believes in? What unites the smartest people in the world Why luck isn’t real The luxury of pessimism Power laws everywhere! Anthony as Emperor of the World MORE! Books, Articles & Podcasts Mentioned: Adventures of a Bystander; by Peter F. Drucker The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance; by Josh Waitzkin How Will You Measure Your Life?: A thought-provoking approach to measuring life's success; by Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth and Karren Dillon Rules for a Knight; by Ethan Hawke The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War; by Robert J. Gordon Why Writing Letters to Your Kids Is the Best Gift You Can Give Them as Adults; by Polina Pompliano Shane Parrish on the Clear Thinking podcast Lucky vs, Repeatable; by Morgan Housel What Kind of Lucky Are You?; by Jim O’Shaughnessy

There’s a quote I heard a long time ago that goes something like this - “India has consistently disappointed both the optimists and the pessimists”. It is equal parts pithy and profound, and does a somewhat passable job of summarising the multitudes contained in 21st century India. It’s a quote that was brought to life for me numerous times in my conversation with this week’s guest on Infinite Loops - Sajith Pai. Sajith is a GP at Blume Ventures, one of India’s largest homegrown VC firms. He's known for his prolific writing and sharp frameworks that have become part of Indian startup canon over the past decade. In 2018, he swapped a long-time career as a media executive for one as a venture capitalist. This changing of lanes, relatively late in his professional life, has given him a refreshingly nuanced perspective on the Indian startup ecosystem (which he’s bestowed with the moniker of ‘Indus Valley’, as a nod to both Silicon Valley as well as the Indus Valley Civilisation, one of the cradles of the ancient world and the ancestral civilisation of the Indian people). His most compelling insight? That India isn't the monolithic 1.5-billion-person market that many Westerners believe. Instead, it's three distinct "countries" hiding in plain sight. There's India One: 120 million affluent, English-speaking urbanites (think the population of Germany) who love their iPhones and Starbucks. Then comes India Two: 300 million aspiring middle-class citizens who inhabit the digital economy but not yet the consumption economy. Finally, there's India Three: a massive population with a similar demographic profile to Sub-Saharan Africa, that’s still waiting for its invitation to join India’s bright future. ‘India 1-2-3’ is one amongst many pearls of wisdom that Sajith gifted me over our conversation, that also touched on India as a "digital welfare state", India as a ‘low trust society’; the emergence of a new class of ‘Indo-Anglians’; how cultural nuances in India shape everything from app design to payment systems; and much, much more. Whether you're an investor, founder, or just curious about where the next decade of innovation might come from, this conversation is your crash course to understanding India in the 21st century. Sajith likes to say that ‘India is not for beginners’. Well, if you are a beginner on India, this week you’re in luck. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Sajith’s website Sajith’s Twitter Sajith’s Substack Blume VC’s Indus Valley Annual Report 2024 Show Notes: The Three Indias Navigating India in the 21st century India as a ‘low trust’ society Touring ‘India 2’ The States and the Union Caste and Class in Modern India Governance and the Government Brain Drain The English Tax The Rise of the Indo-Anglians I, Writer On Media and Markets India as a Digital Welfare State The Virtues of Leapfrogging Sajith, The Emperor of the World Books and Articles Mentioned: The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid; by C. K. Prahalad Supercommunicators; by Charles Duhigg Career Advice; by Scott Adams The Indus Valley Report 2024; by Blume VC