Ashlee Vance reflects on the dramatic shift in Silicon Valley's reception toward Bryan Johnson's longevity ventures over time.
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Vance: SpaceX has lapped Blue Origin for 20 years, taking over rockets
“The difference between SpaceX and something like Blue Origin that started about the same time you know, I think Blue Origin's, like, coming on now, but they've had 20 years where SpaceX has just been lapping them, it's, like, taken over the entire rocket busin…”
Opinion
Vance: Bryan Johnson genuinely revels in public criticism rather than acting
“He was actually when I first met him, I mean, he was so, you know, the reputation was he was really sensitive to criticism and he was kind of like thin skinned and since he got famous, he just like revels at all these people crapping on him. And I don't actual…”
Opinion
Vance: Bryan Johnson genuinely understands the science behind longevity
“And so I think some people sometimes question like, Does he know the science at all? He, like, really does. I mean he can, like, it's impressive. He can talk at length about all this stuff.”
Insight
Vance: Quantum and fusion founders often overconvince themselves of their progress
“They're probably like the two areas where I feel the least comfortable trying to tell what's real from what's not real, because everybody's raised a ton of money, and it seems like serious people that are doing it, and they're smart people, and then you just c…”
Insight
Ashlee Vance: Worthwhile Hardware Breakthroughs Require 10 to 12 Years
“It seems like all the really good, the biggest things I've ever covered, they all take 10 to 12 years. I think Silicon Valley, sometimes you have this overnight sensation kind of thing where you see Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg turn up when they're 26 and the…”
Assertion Supported
Vance: George Hotz built a self-driving car alone in one month
“George Hotz built, like, a self-driving car on his own in, in, like, a month.”