Mar 8, 2025 · 20m · tbpn
Augustus Doricko talks Cloud Seeding, Christianity, The Gundo Boys and the future of Rainmaker.
gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions
Augustus Doricko, founder of Rainmaker, joins hosts John Coogan and Jordy Hays to discuss the technology of cloud seeding, the intense hardware startup culture of El Segundo, and the regulatory and technical paths to restoring arid ecosystems.
How this conversation actually went
Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. The hosts hold 26.7% of the talking time here. How this is scored →
speaking balance: gold is the hosts, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)
Doricko forcefully rejects the premise that human planetary modification is inherently destructive, invoking theological stewardship and the imperative to repair damaged ecosystems.
Hardest push from the hosts ▶ 15:23 Coogan cautions against aesthetic hype without substanceCoogan qualifies Doricko's defense of flashy PR aesthetics by stressing that founders must deliver authentic technical capability rather than vaporware.
Biggest teaching moment ▶ 2:26 Doricko explains the technical mechanics of cloud seedingDoricko educates the hosts on how remote sensing, severe-weather drones, and silver iodide trigger ice nucleation in clouds to produce precipitation.
The host holds their own ▶ 16:48 Coogan demonstrates domain knowledge on domestic supply chain vulnerabilitiesCoogan displays sharp industrial expertise by citing specific single-point failures in American manufacturing, such as the scarcity of domestic tin smelters and motor winding facilities.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
| Chapter | Topic | The hosts as informed peer | Guest teaching | Guest disagreement | The hosts pushing back | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factory Living and Growing Up in El Segundo | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Coogan opens with friendly banter about factory living and El Segundo tech culture, referencing recent magazine profiles. Doricko humorously details the transition away from office bunk beds as Rainmaker scales. | |
| Rainmaker's Technology and Crashing Drones on Mountaintops | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | Doricko provides a detailed breakdown of cloud seeding physics, radar tracking, and silver iodide deployment. He articulately dismantles political pushback from both fringe right-wing conspiracy theorists and far-left anti-interventionists. | |
| Restoring Great Salt Lake and Long-Term Terraforming Visions | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | Coogan references their past trip to Salton Sea and China's reforestation efforts. Doricko outlines the hydrology deficit of the Great Salt Lake and his long-term ambition for planetary terraforming. | |
| Balancing Public Hype and Technical Execution | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Hays asks how Doricko balances public evangelism with tangible technical milestones. Doricko credits Coogan with advising them to institute a media blackout to prioritize core engineering over hype. | |
| Fitness, Weightlifting Intensity, and Startup Culture | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | The conversation shifts to weightlifting habits before Doricko defends hyper-stylized hard tech aesthetics as necessary to recruit top talent away from finance. Coogan pushes back gently that aesthetics must be backed by real deliverables. | |
| Supply Chain Realities and American Manufacturing Capacity | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | Coogan demonstrates deep industry knowledge regarding domestic supply chain bottlenecks, citing tin smelting and drone motor manufacturing. Doricko explains Rainmaker's domestic sourcing strategies and local Gundo supplier relationships. | |
| Key Hires for Rainmaker and Episode Conclusion | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | The hosts invite Doricko to plug open roles at Rainmaker. Doricko details their unconventional hiring targets including aerosol chemists and radar scientists before a friendly outro. |