Michael Gibson: Philosophers, Poets and VC Titans

Our latest episode features Michael Gibson, founder of the 1517 fund, co-founder of the Thiel fellowship and self-proclaimed “failed” academic.

Michael talks us through the identity crises of his early life, his poetic and philosophical ambitions at Oxford and his mentorship from one of the greatest VC investors of all time, Peter Thiel. Here are some of our key takeaways:

1. Pattern recognition: experience is akin to building a large data set, and decision making is intrinsically linked to pattern recognition based on accumulated experience.
2. Pursuing varied interests: let yourself be pulled in different intellectual directions and avoid getting dogged down by echo chambers and narrowly defined visions. It’s important to switch between micro and macro perspectives, and to understand how these interact.
3. Problem identifying: It’s not just about being able to connect the dots, it’s about being able to see the dots. Having a broad perspective and challenging perceptions is essential to success.

You can follow Michael here.

You can purchase Michael’s latest book, Paper Belt on Fire here. Part memoir, part guide for the next generation of innovators who seek an alternative to the traditional path in higher education, this book is poetic with a hint of punk rock