Inside Austin's Bitcoin Hackerspace: How PlebLab is Building Bitcoin's Future - Car Gonzalez

I'm always on the lookout for to Austin. Like, I will go out of my way I've been doing it for four of like, do they remind me of before? And like, and that's what I'm And so there's two people I'm trying to recruit to here because I want them in I look at it more like really people that you want inside everybody. Like, I'm just trying to If you're not trying to do incredibly outside the box, or above your weight, basically, else.

Welcome to the Business The show dedicated to helping business with bitcoin, the I'm your host, Josh Carl Car Gonzalez, who is the based in Austin. If you don't know about heard about some of the start there or reached escape his team are doing. We're going to get to our Car, welcome to the podcast. Thanks. So I'd like to start off every that help us to get to know us some insight for our own lives. Are you ready for these? Yeah, let's do it. Question number one.

When and how did you first It was probably when I was Small Orange. It was like a web design company. And then it got bought out, I But yeah, it was like this And we would do these standups And there is this stand up one day. And you know how these don't kind of wrangle in Well, we had this one guy, he he was talking about bitcoin must have been like 2014 or And anyway, they shut him down And I pinged him later just in chat. And it was like, hey, what is about? Because I had heard about it time.

And after that he shot me over And then I listened to that So this is kind of an off five, but when would you Joe Rogan interview to happen? Do you have any predictions on that? I don't know. I think it's. He probably gets. I would imagine he probably time. There was a time when Club Lab and we went to a comedy show some bitcoiners around him at That I saw at that time. And I was thinking, I was And it never did. But that was like probably or maybe three years ago. Forget how long ago.

So I think it's going to I think, I think off the top You'd need a Parker there for sure. You would need a Marty Ben and a Jimmy Song for technical stuff. I think that would. Do you think it would be an where Joe Rogan is? I think it would be an Austin. I think it would definitely be Like it would have to be, but at some point. Maybe this cycle. We'll see. Cool. Well, question number two is that you wish everyone Is to build on it?

I think that's just not I think from the sidelines you You can kind of like bang your. Bang your fist and be upset that are trying to push trying to do commit, you know And I used to be one of those about things. And then when you finally get spending time with these builders, you start realizing building on bitcoin and some I think that would be one is how hard it is to build on bitcoin. And a lot of these people are nothing else. Well, I'm sure we're going to we talk about pleblab.

But question number three is recommend to other people? I think the Jameson Lopp one We try to do our own version because I would get. People would ask me all the do I go? Where do I go if I want to do I go if I want to get started, like. And I would. I never had an answer. But outside of ours I would If you go to his like his a small little Wikipedia of accelerators, all the like everything. It's the best resource. I think that's lop.net right? I think so, yeah.

Yeah. And what would be the pleblob wanted to check that out? Yeah, pleb book.com and we're to push some code on there. So if you want to help out to Because it's been about a year so open to that too as well.

Well, so the next question Bitcoin. What's a resource, tool or your work recently? So yeah, we're going through And I think there's been a lot There's been a lot of things as like either software or as or stuff like that. And lately I've been kind of trying to find out what's the Because it's like, you know, I think talking to people me about like what gear they're using, like what Just cause I'm. It's time for upgrades. That's what I would say is Austin bitcoin community.

And now we have our final, question. And it's this. As a general life principle. Is ADV better to ask why or I think why? Yeah, it's better to ask why. It's better to ask why is that? And then dive into the reasons Because even some things that from the outside looking in, whole sort of hierarchy of scenes that, that you just Just on the surface, I would

Well, Carl, we're here today I'm guessing that a number of on a regular basis have heard But there may be some people no idea who you are or what And even those who do know may I've had the opportunity to see some of the other things builder competition. I think we're going to be but just could you give a what you're about? Yeah. My name is Car. I started a Plub. Wow. With a group of friends in 21.

We were just some plebs that doing companies and And so we were able to get a co working space downtown and from there we started pleblam. And almost immediately we naturally over overnight. Because Austin was just on moving here. It still is, but at that time right after the Bukele So we hadn't seen that sort of Hey, everybody's moving this direction. But yeah, we were a part of Shortly after that we helped my co founder at the time, too. And so we raised a little a bitcoin accelerator.

At the time we really didn't I think now we're a lot more ins and outs of it and we're founders and builders come success. And whether that's like a pre seed or even if they from the ground up, just as a them do that. And so that's what we. That's primarily I dedicate my get to success in whatever And that's what we've been doing. So if you go to our website, of people that are part of this founder community, and of growing thing that's evolving.

I think you've talked to new in our accelerator that company. It's been a blast. Yeah, the interview with it was before he had made some We did talk a little bit about education. That came up in the interview it, but he was dropping some as at least a portion of our discussion. What are some other brands or that have either started in from where you guys are? Yeah, I think our most famous was something that John had in Austin and 21 and myself of helping him shape and build Zap. Right.

And credit to him because at like the way he did. And that just goes to show you as a builder, you really have and how you see the world and But yeah, I would say he's And then after that would And that's Keon, one of my And that's a really cool. I love that site. It's one of my favorite sites It's like Reddit for bitcoin, And then the other one after of mine, Michael, who's doing stuff. And since then we've had Agents is one. It's like an AI company. We have somebody named Jim right now.

It's an AI company. Bit escrow is another kind of a sort that they're building. It's very, very, very high, And then, and then we've also out her company inside of She just recently left, but it literally nothing to now she's her company. That's really cool. Who else? Yeah, it's. It's a pretty big. It's a pretty big group of, of is another company that we've that has gone on to do amazing or I think they just launched an exchange here before the We'll see.

Well, it's really interesting Hopefully that will give Pleblab is. Because I interviewed Tristan Now they're bit escrow. Michael was one of the first ecosystem and we've become I've interviewed him a couple Same thing with John from Zapright. Interviewed him twice and just So there are a lot of things One of the things you Zapright actually moved down I'm curious how often you've You said back in 2021 there Austin for all sorts of were a number of.

I've talked with a number of for the bitcoin community. How many people have come to they can have that startup space and other builders Yeah, I think I want to see in Club Lab besides me that or for to build. I think the last one that already here trying to think Probably Nifty was the last to Austin. Maybe her I would probably say I have this saying inside the And so I'm like, I'm always on builder to recruit to Austin. Like, I will go out of my way to me, I really see this thing on Bitcoin.

And I was saying that earlier, type of skill sets, a certain type of person. And so when you're trying to find if they fall into all And I really don't have it formalized. It's more of a. I've been doing it for four So it's more of a kind of or something that I've seen before? And, like. And that's what I'm kind of And so there's two people I'm trying to recruit to here because I want them in So it's kind of like that. I look at it more like really, the people that you want gather everybody.

Like, I'm just trying to Like, you know, we have the it's. If it's mediocre, you probably Like, you probably should go And that's not, like, to be, like. Like, rude or anything. It just means, like, we have a to fall in that standard. And so the bar is really high. And so if you're not trying to or incredibly outside the box, punch above your weight, go somewhere else. And. Yeah, and I don't feel bad It's just.

It's just who we are because before us, and they've kind of be accomplished inside of the lab.

So you've mentioned a couple on. I'm wondering if you could more because, you know, I'm all. And I think a lot of people in And so it's easy to take why don't we have this thing? Why don't we have this thing? Without really knowing what So getting kind of a behind I think would be really valuable.

Yeah, I think the biggest revenue right inside of this It was a little bit different And I say that because they 2.0 and they really kind of to do things the hard way, And before you would have this can basically think of it kind Like there's like a spigot of It's right with the miners. Right. And so when you have these run like a, like a hose from of think of Stacker news, right? So he's able to run a host into his kind of platform. And then like there's a out.

Same thing with fountain is another. But it's. But during that time it was a was much easier to do. There was much more revenue that way. But it was all custodial. So the Biden Harris got pretty much got rid of with Phoenix left and there's because of that. And so the non custodial part It's like now you have to way.

There's different types of through like Mints or through type of like layer of bitcoin, but that requires them to hold And that's as you know, as I throughout history whenever bitcoin. So that's not an option, at revenue. So it, it really comes down to You have to find something that. Because bitcoin is entirely a middleman, so you really It's very hard for you to make That also falls into the ethos Right. Because you, Josh, you can you car if I can just send it That makes no sense.

And that's what we're trying I think the hardest part about And then, and then once you to figure out, like the whole which is extremely hard. And then there's that. So then there's all the figure out too, as well. So that's why when we were who are you looking for? I'm looking for somebody who loves. Enjoys pain pretty much.

It's like, is there somebody the head over and over and over and over and over again single time and still march on And that's what you're trying especially in bitcoin, because get tough. But as bitcoin founders, most to building formation and also That's why whenever I think I fold or like, even, even when they were doing Unchained like, wow, like they, they and they figured it out. And so that's why I'm saying really hard. So most of the easiest ways to which is why you see, like, direction.

Same thing with Zap, right? Is payments. So they're very modular, so which I think is still. They should be charging more, And same thing with Snacker News. They're charging, like, money off this community that So once you figure out that manageable as far as, like, of start planning For. So I'm curious here. Is it that people are building the fiat system and people created yet, they don't need to pay for it? Or do you see this being an space when people are trying make revenue with their Yeah.

So let me think of an example. Okay, this is a perfect example. So, like, you know, you your podcast, right? You could use Spotify or you other podcast, but you use Fountain. I would imagine you use that on that platform and they make wallet and to shoot it out limit.

And so you're able to generate Well, with that, Oliver's or some sort of revenue from that You know, it's smaller, it's because he has that on his And I think when you're pour it over, they really need And I think this is where, I think there's this kind of again. Because I think what we're know, the Z generation, I like, they're. Their mind is very short, So they need like dopamine like, kind of. There needs to be more than to get something out of as a service.

And this is where when I think they're going to have this to be able to give them that built in, but also allow them And when you think of that, that's going to come through these kind of milestones that And that's where I think when project or building a bitcoin long and hard about how you're there's a slice of that from. And I think when I think of G, Go is a successful product. But like what would a bitcoin It would be incredibly, it it would probably be really young people excluding it too.

But the, it would probably be 18 to 35 of that kind of, that it. So that's where, when I think it's, it's important to really that you want to check off revenue. And I think you need to exactly what, exactly what Right. We were talking about Fountain from this podcast and you're and that's the agreed upon contract that you have with them. And I think as long as that is of you, I think you will stay away from using Spotify I appreciate that explanation.

Now one of the things you have I don't know if this is a way but the Top Builder in bringing attention and I don't know exactly how many I know there was one last you had one as well. But what, what, what's Top Builder? How did it come about and how bring people and interest to pleblab? Yeah, so there was, there was was Brian. Shout Out Brian. Amazing guy. The whole team there is great. And we were talking about, to help you guys, let's do And I was like, cool.

I was like, if you guys And so at the time we were maybe we should do a hackathon. But I was like, eh, hackathons. Like I don't think you get With hackathons, I think there And I don't know if it was my I forget whose idea it was, do like Top Chef style for And there's one thing about very competitive people. We love making bets, we love for the most part.

I think the way I initially do like a Top Chef for bitcoin And we'll try to find the best And then every round we'll cut to the top five and then we'll present in front of everybody then they'll pick the Top Builder. It's like really simple. And so that's where the idea It was really successful last year. I think CNBC covered it. It was like a whole big thing It was awesome. I was very proud that we as a pull it off.

This year we're going to be 2 and it's going to be So Arman, who is this dox him, but he decided that Like the people in Plub Lab, He wants to have this options when things are tight during a So he created Type Stamp to has never been created before It's in the Fiat space, but And so we're going to partner Season 2. And yeah, and right now I'm in right now. You can go to the website, read through all the stuff and that type form, I'll be kind of fall into the of Top Builder.

Because I think last year we views and then we had like And then I got them down to And then. Yeah, and then from there we Yopaki won top Builder last year. That's what the judges voted And I think there's also a But not only that, it's like week basically kind of like Club Lab community. And then from there it's just or your project accelerates.

And then you're also getting like a lot of our network and And then before you know it, bitcoin company and you're And so that's, for me is people transform themselves do this, to actually getting And it's like, whoa. And last year was really good teams that I really But, like, seeing where they like super bullish for bitcoin that I don't think would have Because hackathons are good, weekend. And it's very rare that But I think you need a people going.

And because I would firmly bitcoinization, we need more Like, we need more bitcoin businesses. And until we have more of a bitcoinization anytime soon. I think we tried in the early had businesses to accept just to build companies and

Not easier, but it's. It's a. It's faster as far as like the timeframe. And what was the event in I know Oliver was talking Was that Top Builder or just a down there? Yeah. So we did. We do two Startup Days a year. So Startup Day is the one that We'll have another one here in Commons. And we, we do the Tom Builder So during March and then we do summer.

And that was the one that we And so that one was really that we had, I would say that were presenting that day And I think we probably, I that I had recruited in Startup Day because I felt probably should take a look at. So we did our best to present in bitcoin to everybody and This is what we think are the Here they go, here they are. And so that's what we did in I think next year we probably It was so hard to do another of the language barrier and extremely difficult.

And it would have probably America. But I think it looked great asking about it, I think than But I mean, I don't know. I think next year, I haven't we're going to do for the it'll be in America maybe, I We'll see. I don't know. I'm still thinking through Maybe we can do it at the I think that would be kind of cool. So I guess the last question from you is do you see any people should be building with you see out there that you there's no current great, like

I think there's some really be achieved through the non And I mean this like in like with, with their stuff in. I think because they pulled a gap there in the United and I don't know of anybody There probably is somebody Maybe it's, it's probably more But as far as a business, I inside the US that kind of that would. That would be really interesting. And I would imagine it's just it would take to do something probably why that's the only I think the. I think the most interesting I think could.

Could be really interesting to AI stuff. I think that bitcoin AI But it. Right now it feels like we his startup here. And I think the thing that I is that kind of sprinkler I think once we crack that on there could be significant And the. So when I think of that, I what he's doing, because I figure it out because he. They build so fast on that side.

And even with Christopher and stuff like that, like, favor for them to figure it And so when they do figure it of the window for everybody, in and copy it and be like, do that too. And that's just normal startup So I think the AI stuff is it's going to be some time. But I think once they do wow, that was so right in Very cool. Well, hopefully we'll see some But yeah, a lot of this is all of a sudden it explodes I interviewed John probably of this podcast.

And then it wasn't until last about Zapright. And right now there are things or so that we're not going to But it's exciting to know that builders have a place for share ideas with other people. Do you have any final thoughts As well as places where you'd to keep up with Pleblab. Yeah, I just want to thank do in bitcoin. I don't think you get enough credit. Like you said, you've been very. What you do about getting the exactly what they need.

Like, they really need the push to have them to keep a very good feeling to be able building. And so like, yeah, thank you doing with your podcast is exceptional. And like you said, you have hey, you're following closely on in the ecosystem. So, yeah, I just want to say anybody out there who's company, come find me in Car club lab. And yeah, let's talk because I I think we can. It's a bull run. It's like not. It's the best time to build a I mean, there's great times to like really great times.

And during a bull run is like company. And there's so many problems And if you have a. If you have a great idea and if you're non technical. That's how we met Francisco. Like he was non technical, had to pull it off, was everything else. Didn't have a developer, He came to Pleb Lab and within now he's building a bitcoin That's how easy it is within So I would say if you're and we'd love to help you get Yeah, sounds good. Well, Carr, thank you so much It's been a pleasure. Thank you.

Thank you, Josh. Well, friends, it's a wrap. Thanks so much for listening Show. If you want to reach out to links down in the show notes, competition as well. As always, keep building, keep living and leading. Well, thanks to those who have in the last week, including signs, who both stream sats to a boost and said zapping If you would like to support app and either stream chats as And if you include a note with it on the show.