Danny Bernstein left Big Tech to fund farm-bots | E2310

Summary

Danny Bernstein explains how labor shortages in specialty crop agriculture are driving demand for robotics and automation, and he discusses his Reservoir Farms incubator model. Jason Calacanis then shares his investment thesis for buying Figma stock, arguing it will benefit from AI and is attractively valued. Later, the hosts debate a new Department of Education policy tying federal loans to graduate earnings and discuss AI cheating in colleges, ending with media recommendations.

• Danny Bernstein highlights 400k farm jobs posted with less than 1% domestic applicants, framing agricultural automation as a national security issue.
• Reservoir Farms operates a 40-acre incubator in California, letting ag-tech startups test on working farms immediately.
• Jason Calacanis bought $100k of Figma (private) after a Twitter exchange, citing AI acceleration, strong user base, acquisition currency, and 7x sales valuation.
• Jevons paradox is invoked: AI design tools will increase demand for design, benefiting Figma.
• A proposed Department of Education policy would cut federal loans for programs whose grads don't earn more than comparable non-graduates.
• Hosts discuss a chart showing widespread AI cheating in college, arguing for in-person exams and more thoughtful use of AI as a supplement.
• Lon Harris recommends streaming shows 'Human Vapor' on Netflix and 'Sugar' on Apple TV+.