Ben Reinhardt — Speculative Technologies (EP.248)

Ben Reinhardt is the founder of Speculative Technologies "a nonprofit industrial research lab that's working to unlock a wonderful, abundant future through technologies that don't have a home in other institutions."
He has previously worked at NASA and Bay Area startups/VC firms, founded a startup building robotics for eldercare, and helped entrepreneurs start companies in Singapore. Oh, and he has a Ph.D. in space robotics from Cornell University and is one of the few people with a B.Sc (b.sc). in history!
Ben, who brings his expertise in emerging technologies to the OSV advisory council, joins the show to discuss why tech people don't do philanthropy, when to trust a credential, why there aren't more government moonshot programs, why academia is beholden to the new, 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:
• Speculative Technologies (spec.tech)
• Ben's Twitter (x.com/ben_reinhardt)
• Ben's LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/benjaminzreinhardt)
Show Notes:
• Speculative Technologies: the four-stage roadmap
• How early VC funding can affect incentives
• From 'eureka!' to getting it out into the world
• Market failure & institutional consolidation
• Where are the moonshot programs?
• The skills needed to run a research program
• Why tech people don't do philanthropy
• Turning philanthropy into a status game
• The hidden importance of materials & manufacturing
• When to trust a credential
• Agency & American culture
• Lean ideas vs. fat ideas
• Why academia is beholden to novelty
• Ben as World Emperor
• MORE!
Books Mentioned:
• What Works on Wall Street, Fourth Edition: The Classic Guide to the Best-Performing Investment Strategies of All Time; by Jim O'Shaughnessy
• The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations that Transform the World; by David Deutsch
• The Road; by Cormac McCarthy
• The Hypomanic Edge: The Link Between (A Little) Craziness and (A Lot of) Success in America; by John D. Gartner
• The Coffee Can portfolio; by Robert G. Kirby