The Captain’s Diet
My latest obsession is to get into optimal shape. I’m exercising 1 to 2 hours a day and determined to lose 6 kg. I’ve already lost 3 kg. My diet is very simple:
1) Eat 30% less at every meal.
2) Don’t eat sugars, junk food, or fried food.
3) Don’t go out to eat too often.
That’s it. That’s my diet, and it’s working.
Predictions for the Future
While doing research for my next book, I found a number of interesting predictions. Here are some of the highlights:
• 1 trillion sensors will be connected to the internet by 2022.
• 10% of the world’s population will be wearing clothes connected to the internet by 2022.
• The first fully 3D printed car will be in production by 2022.
• The first implantable mobile phone will become commercially available in 2025.
How China Works
Check out the podcast How China Works by Brendan Davis and Yingying Li. If you’re planning on doing business in China, you don’t want to miss this!
APPLE: https://tinyurl.com/HowChinaWorks-iTunes
ANDROID: http://howchinaworks.libsyn.com
SOUNDCLOUD: https://tinyurl.com/HowChinaWorks-Soundcloud
STITCHER: https://tinyurl.com/hcw-stitcher
The Hidden Lesson in Life
What this video doesn’t tell you is that if you put the beer into the jar first, you can drink as much as you like and still fill it with pingpong balls, and then add even more beer. LESSON: Party first. Big things second. Party more! And don’t get stuck in the sand. That’s the secret to enjoying life.
I’ve Had More Careers Than Cats Have Lives!
You can have another life. Just change what you do.
I have lived many lives because I am always changing what I do. I’m interested in so many things, and I don’t want to miss out on anything.
I began my career as an electrical computer engineer. That’s what I studied in college. But I wanted a more creative job, so I went to work in Hollywood and became a TV executive.
CMI Management Book of the Year Awards
Make Elephants Fly just made the Shortlist for the CMI Management Book of the Year Awards!
Make Elephants Fly will help you implement the same methodologies and processes as the most innovative startups in Silicon Valley. It will show you how startups come up with breakthrough products and services; how to structure innovation teams; the best ways to identify and vet new ideas; what it takes to foster a culture of innovation and how to establish a process of innovation throughout your organization.
When Will True Human-Like AI Arrive?
I’ve done a lot of research on this and talked to numerous AI experts. There is no consensus on when Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) will arrive or how fast it will evolve. I can tell you that we’re still a ways off from developing true human-like AI. It’s not coming tomorrow.
What everyone can agree upon is that we keep raising the bar for AGI. It’s no longer a simple Turning Test using a chatbot. That goal for AGI is here already–or nearly so.
Founders Space Alumni Secure Funding
I want to congratulate two startups that received funding shortly after graduating our MIC Startup Program in Beijing.
Penny Li, PIMC, HR and team performance consulting, 10 million.
Wei ZHENG, Dianxiaohuo, retail data services, 20 million
Who Will I Become 10 Years from Now?
No one can predict the future. No one can control the events in their life. But everyone can make choices, and those choices add up to who we are and what we will become.
I hope you think carefully about each choice, even the small ones. Ten years from now, I hope you will be proud of your decisions. The sum of the decisions you make along the way, not the final results they produce, will define your character and the respect you deserve.
Founders Space Launching in Hangzhou
This has been in the works for a while now, and it’s finally come to fruition. We are excited to announce that we are launching Founders Space in Hangzhou, China.
Captain Hoff will be flying there for the official signing ceremony on Nov. 10, 2018.
Our partners include Futton, Inc., as well as the government of Hangzhou. If you want to collaborate with us or speak at Founders Space Hangzhou, feel free to contact us.
Founders Space Launching in Singapore
We’re happy to announce that we’re opening up Founders Space in Singapore. If you want to be a part of it, let us know.
Jagdish Pandya of FTAG will be heading up the operations.
• Founders Space runs over a dozen types of startup programs.
• These programs range from one day to several months.
• Some programs are designed for early-stage startups, while others focus on later stage.
• Some programs are focused on particular sectors, like Fintech, Agtech, Health, Advertising, Big Data, AI, SaaS, etc.
• We offer programs in Silicon Valley, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Awesomers Podcast: Captain Hoff’s Story (Podcast)
Listen to the Awesomers Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud.
In today’s episode, Captain Hoff tells his story and more…
01:29 Intro
07:04 Captain Hoff’s story
25:41 Difference between an incubator and an accelerator
28:16 Raising outside capital
32:44 Make Elephants Fly
53:11 What the future holds!
Machine, Platform, Crowd by Erik Brynjolfsson & Andrew McAfee
Review: Machine, Platform, Crowd by Erik Brynjolfsson & Andrew McAfee is a solid book focused on the digital-powered shift.
There’s no single big idea. Instead, it covers the integration of people, products and platforms, and ties this into the core and the crowd. It’s a good overview of what’s happening and why the changes are taking place.
Rating: ★★★★
Dr. Ryan Spitler (Deputy Dir of Precision Health & Integrated Diagnostics at Stanford) on Founders Space Podcast
Captain Hoff interviews Dr. Ryan Spitler, the Deputy Director of the Precision Health and Integrated Diagnostics Center at Stanford University.
If you like this, share it!
What’s Up with Elon?
Did you hear the latest Elon Musk interview with Joe Rogan? Listen to the tone of his voice. There’s wistful sadness. It’s almost like he’s crying inside.
I feel sorry for the guy. He’s clearly losing it.
It’s not that he smoked pot and broadcast it to the world. It’s the timing–right when everyone is questioning his competency.
Beyond Meat – The Startup that Grossed Me Out!
Beyond Meat – The Startup that Grossed Me Out!
I just tried the Beyond Meat Burger, which looks and tastes like real meat, but it’s not. It’s vegetarian, and people are raving about it.
I thought I’d love it. I’m looking to eat less meat for both environmental and ethical reasons, and I really wanted to support this startup. But I couldn’t!
My Personal Rules for Deal Making
I have one rule that is true for every type of sales is never chase losers. If someone is unwilling or unable to commit to deal, cut your losses and move on. The sooner you do this the better. Every day you spend chasing a deal that is unlikely to close is one day you could spend finding the right buyer, partner, investor, or client. Closing deals isn’t about spending time with the prospect; it’s about find the right prospect.
Winners from Founders Space Startup Pitch
Here are the winners from Founders Space’s Startup Pitch at the Technology of Tomorrow Event:
WINNERS:
Quorum AI
https://quorum.ai/
StreamFluence
http://www.streamfluence.io/
BitClaims
https://www.bitclaims.io/
FINALISTS:
Geopogo
https://www.geopogo.com/
Informu
https://www.informu.ai/
TestRigor
https://testrigor.com
XCINEX
http://www.xcinex.com/
Horzion Hover
http://www.horizonhover.com/
SINSAT
http://sinsat.com/
Mobilestack
https://www.mobilestack.com/
Ziggurat
http://ziggtec.com/
Never Chase Losers – Captain Hoff’s Rules for Closing Deals
I have one rule that is true for every type of sales is never chase losers. If someone is unwilling or unable to commit to deal, cut your losses and move on. The sooner you do this the better. Every day you spend chasing a deal that is unlikely to close is one day you could spend finding the right buyer, partner, investor, or client. Closing deals isn’t about spending time with the prospect; it’s about find the right prospect.
Innovation Forum
I participated in the China-U.S. Innovation Forum with my friends and partners from Xi’an.
I just heard a startup pitch from a professor of computer science who sings opera. She invented Alysia, which allows anyone to create original music, along with singing, in 10 minutes or less. You can try the demo at TryAlysia.com
Ziggurat is a professional Blockchain solutions provider from Xi’an. They’re from Jiaotong University. They are the first company to release a Crosschain protocol.