Young, polymathic, and full of energy — Tommy Potter is on a quest to build a “CIA for Entrepreneurs.” He calls it “The Power Hour” — a startup community in Michigan that hosts dropouts, undergrads and PhDs across many industries: enterprise, consumer, CPG, aviation, gaming, robotics and AR/VR, as they work together to build cool projects.

I had a great time chatting with Tommy as we spoke about non-linear career paths, embracing authenticity, working with dazzling, delusional people and more!

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack.

Important Links:

Show Notes:

Tommy’s Origin Story
Using The Third Door
Lessons from Documenting the Homeless
Can We Ever Be Our Authentic Self?
What Traits Tommy Looks for in People
Bringing Delusional People Together
The East Coast - West Coast Bubbles
Being a ‘Weirdo Broker’
Process Over Outcomes. Serendipity Over Itinerary.
Different Personalities in Public vs. Private Markets
The Importance of Learning People
Life Isn’t a Highlight Reel - Live It All
Tommy As World Emperor

Books Mentioned:

The Third Door: The Mindset of Success; by Alex Banayan
One-upmanship; by Stephen Potter
Class: Style and Status in the USA; by Paul Fussell
Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America; by Chris Arnade
The Science of Getting Rich; by Wallace D. Wattles
The Act of Creation; by Arthur Koestler

Tommy Potter — Building the CIA for Entr...