The Ledger
Every statement that passed quotation and attribution checks. Mix any filter with any other: certainty 1/5, debate potential 5/5, or both at once.
why aren't all 10 resolved? a statement only gets an assessment when the public record can support or contradict it. opinions and what-ifs never can, and 0 checkable ones are still open, waiting for their date. predictions held up or didn't; assertions are supported or contradicted. on every card: ▮▮▮▮▮ certainty · ▮▮▮▮▮ debate potential. speakers are clickable
Gilbert: standard interview content cannot support a great business
“If you are a person who is being interviewed, your incentive is to go and do as many interviews as possible. Therefore, that is not a scarce commodity. Therefore, you can't build a great business on it.”
Gilbert: Venture capitalists should guest on podcasts rather than hosting them
“The right strategy is just be really smart and interesting and just go do a bunch of Free organic media on other podcasts.”
Gilbert: AI Models Have Stronger Data Network Effects Than Prior Tech
“The one new thing is AI models have, because of scaling laws, have much stronger data network effects and data modes than we've ever seen in the past.”
Gilbert: Business books over-index on transient controversies rather than canonical history
“The more common thing books get wrong is they get the core story right in like half the book, But then there's something controversial about the company, or that it was at the time they were writing the book controversial... That, yeah, that you're reading thi…”
Gilbert: Affiliating Acquired with a VC Firm Would Have Killed It
“We were professional venture capitalists in various flavors for eight years after starting the podcast, and never once were tempted by, should Acquired be the XYZ Firm podcast. Sure, sure. Like, that'll kill the whole thing.”
Gilbert: Almost all foundation model leaders worked at Google in 2015–2016
“Everyone, almost everyone doing interesting things in foundational model companies at the leadership level. You can trace a lineage back to Google. And almost all of them were there, twenty-fifteen, twenty-sixteen.”
Gilbert: Acquired had about 400 listeners by end of year one
“And I think by the end of year one, we had about 400 listeners.”
Gilbert: Best Acquired Deep Dives Require a Hero, Secret, and Impactful Company
“The three things are one, you need a hero protagonist that has a great story where we can really hang all the lessons on this amazing hero's journey... Two is you need a secret hiding in plain sight... And then three is... An important company.”