241 Michael Gibson, Learning from Peter Thiel, Starting a VC Fund, and Investing in Youth

“If the rust belt has come to define the hollowed out industries of the Midwest, in the next ten years the paper belt will come to define the paper-based industries from Washington DC to Boston. In DC, they print money, visas, and laws on paper. In Delaware, companies incorporate on paper. In NYC, they print media on paper. And in Boston Harvard and MIT print diplomas on paper. I am dedicated to lighting the paper belt on fire.”   That’s straight from Michael’s profile.   Before co-founding 1517 Fund, Michael Gibson was vice president for grants at the Thiel Foundation and a principal at Thiel Capital. For nearly five years working for Peter Thiel, he has contributed research to Peter’s global macro hedge fund, assisted in teaching a course at Stanford Law School on sovereignty and technological change, and helped run the Thiel Fellowship.   He serves on the board of the Seasteading Institute. Before his academic apostasy, he was working towards a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Oxford.   Attend my one-day conference January 27th in Pittsburgh. Learn more here.   Michael’s Challenge; 2017 is the 500th anniversary of the 95 theses. Write you own declaration and post it somewhere in public.   Connect with Michael Twitter LinkedIn Website [email protected]   If you liked this interview, check out our most popular interviews. Subscribe on iTunes | Stitcher | Overcast | PodBay