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GameStop + eBay, Neural Computers | Nat Eliason, Michael York, Maddie Hall, Anjney Midha, Ben Lamm, Jake Stauch, Garth Sheldon-Coulson, Katie Haun, Nick Abouzeid

May 4, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The episode opens with hosts reflecting on shifts in AI-driven workflows, spotlighting Andre Karpathy's "neural computer" concept where devices run raw inputs like video or audio through LLMs and diffusion models to generate ephemeral UIs on demand. They demonstrate this with a single prompt yielding a polished infographic comparing GameStop and eBay financials—eBay at $10B operating income vs. GameStop's $232M, despite similar price-to-sales multiples—abstracting spreadsheets, APIs, or code. Vibe coding apps are seen as a temporary phase, with frontier models handling 90% of tasks in one shot, eroding SaaS edges and echoing "fat protocols" where value accrues to base models over apps. Walled gardens persist as a hurdle, but models circumvent via screenshots or agents.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:00) **Intro and Neural Computers Concept** - Hosts discuss Andre Karpathy's "neural computer" idea and vibe coding shift to software 3.0
  • 2 (02:33) **Image Gen for Financial Analysis** - Demo of single-prompt infographic comparing GameStop vs. eBay metrics
  • 3 (20:48) **GameStop's eBay Bid Breakdown** - WSJ reports $125/share offer (46% premium); half cash/stock structure questioned on CNBC
  • 4 (28:46) **Nat Eliason on Alpha School Founder Track** - Nat (ex-SEO agency, AI builder) joins as head of founder development
  • 5 (56:00) **xAI GPU Utilization Low** - 11% flops utilization despite infinite demand; inference stack issues
  • 6 (58:14) **Michael York on Casa Raise** - $20M Series A for AI-powered home property manager
  • 7 (71:24) **Maddie Hall on Living Carbon Deal** - Up to $500M from Octopus for US reforestation on mineland/farmland

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Show Notes

  • (02:42) - Neural Computers
  • (20:48) - GameStop Offers $55B for eBay
  • (28:44) - Nat Eliason, an entrepreneur and writer, is the Head of Founder Development at Alpha School, where he is launching a high school program that promises students will earn $1 million by graduation or receive a full tuition refund. In the conversation, he discusses his journey from running an SEO-focused marketing agency to exploring personal knowledge management and AI, leading him to develop this innovative educational model that combines AI-driven academics with real-world entrepreneurial experience.
  • (58:12) - Michael York, co-founder and CEO of Casa, discusses his journey from joining Uber at 18 to launching Casa, a subscription-based homeownership platform. He explains how Casa acts as a personal property manager, handling maintenance and services for homeowners by leveraging advanced technology to create detailed home profiles. York also highlights the company's recent $20 million Series A funding and plans for expansion beyond San Francisco and Los Angeles.
  • (01:11:15) - Maddie Hall, CEO and co-founder of Living Carbon, discusses her company's mission to restore degraded U.S. lands by planting genetically enhanced trees that capture more carbon and produce sustainable forest products. She highlights a recent $500 million deal with Octopus Energy Generation to reforest up to 250,000 acres, aiming to remove 50 million tons of CO₂ over 40 years. Hall also emphasizes the importance of active intervention in reforestation projects and the potential for these efforts to offset emissions from data centers and AI operations.
  • (01:18:43) - Anjney Midha is a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, focusing on AI, infrastructure, and open-source technology, with prior roles including VP of Platform Ecosystem at Discord and co-founder of Ubiquity6. In the conversation, he discusses the strategic rationale behind GameStop's acquisition of eBay, emphasizing the potential to eliminate $2 billion in marketing inefficiencies and leverage GameStop's physical stores for verifying collectibles, thereby creating a competitive edge in the AI-driven e-commerce landscape.
  • (01:44:23) - Ben Lamm, a serial technology entrepreneur and co-founder of Colossal Biosciences, discusses the company's recent advancements in de-extinction efforts, including the successful creation of woolly mice and dire wolf puppies, demonstrating their ability to revive extinct species through genetic engineering. He highlights the role of AI in accelerating these processes and mentions the company's expansion into projects like the bluebuck, emphasizing their commitment to biodiversity restoration. Lamm also touches on potential partnerships with ecotourism and governments to reintroduce these species into natural habitats, aiming to blend conservation with education and economic opportunities.
  • (01:54:43) - Jake Stauch, founder and CEO
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