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 - https://8ca54796.streaklinks.com/CJPd0z7cXCh07hc4JAiMaKTC/https%3A%2F%2Fnewsletter.osv.llc%2F.
Important Links:
- X/Twitter - https://x.com/tommypotter_
- Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommypotter/
- Powerhour: The CIA For Entrepreneurship - https://www.powerhour.vip/
Show Notes:
0:00:00 Intro
0:00:57 Guest introduction
0:02:12 Tommy’s Origin Story
0:10:59 Using The Third Door
0:22:37 Lessons from Documenting the Homeless
0:30:07 Can We Ever Be Our Authentic Self?
0:37:12 What Traits Tommy Looks for in People
0:41:00 Bringing Delusional People Together
0:48:15 The East Coast - West Coast Bubbles
0:54:29 Being a ‘Weirdo Broker’
0:56:09 Process Over Outcomes. Serendipity Over Itinerary.
1:10:41 Different Personalities in Public vs. Private Markets
1:20:34 The Importance of Learning People
1:38:19 Life Isn’t a Highlight Reel - Live It All
1:42:12 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
