Salutations and prosperity to you, friends!
I know it’s been a few weeks since you’ve heard from me; I’ve been incredibly busy creating content, working on prototypes, iterating on my book, and making time to smell my fair share of roses this lovely spring. Please make yourself comfortable because this update covers a few weeks of missed events!
In my last recap, I shared my favorite moments from Coachella, having watched it from afar. What I didn’t know at the time is that I would make it to Stagecoach Festival, the third weekend after Coachella! The long and the short is that it took me a solid month to recover from all the dust I inhaled, but it was a whole lot of fun while it lasted. Eric Church had a controversial gospel set that had people heading home (I enjoyed it). Jelly Roll, Knickleback, Post Malone, Morgan Wallen, Miranda Lamber, Elle King and Wiz Khalifa were all incredible. The undisputed highlight was watching the iconic Willie Nelson play a set.
Adding to the whirlwind of amazing experiences in my free time this month, I managed to find my way to the Seth Rogen Smokes The Bowl show at the Hollywood Bowl! The event wasn't just a night of side-splitting laughs that were highly entertaining for all. It was also an opportunity to support a fantastic cause: Hilarity For Charity, Rogen's organization dedicated to fighting Alzheimer's disease. All the performers on the bill were phenomenal, making it a truly special evening that blended entertainment with giving back.
Ankord Labs Spotlight:
Audo:
The team at Audo has been laser-focused on securing grant funding lately. One particularly exciting opportunity they're pursuing is Robin Hood's AI Poverty Challenge. This initiative seeks groundbreaking solutions that leverage AI's potential to create real results that uplift those in poverty and support organizations helping fight poverty in America. Ankord Labs is lending a hand in crafting a compelling application, including translating technical jargon into the true story of how Audo helps immigrants, veterans, at-risk youth and others find career success. Ankord’s support includes deploying our media team to capture content featuring Audo's most successful users - individuals who've secured jobs thanks to Audo's technology. These real-life stories will hopefully help share the incredible work Audo is already doing to help fight poverty and hopefully secure some funding to help us expand on that work.
Meanwhile, Ankord Labs is also helping Audo design and create assets for a new product launch and marketing push later this summer. I’m excited to share more about the exciting features Audo will release later this summer, helping to solidify Audo's position as a leader in career advancement technology.
Ankord Media:
From Milan the Author:
This past week has been focused on insightful interviews with leading figures in psychedelic research and AI development. My journey began in Baltimore, Maryland, where I had the privilege of meeting the renowned father-and-son psychedelics therapy team of Drs. Bill and Brian Richards. Bill kindly opened his home to me, where we embarked on a fascinating, multi-hour discussion that explored the energized field of psychedelic research, particularly focusing on the cutting-edge studies they're spearheading. The conversation delved into the exciting new products and treatments on the horizon, along with the crucial role of trust-building between researchers/therapists and patients. These brilliant minds are at the forefront of advocating for safe, therapeutic, and responsible psychedelic use in controlled settings. Their profound wisdom was matched by their warmth, charm, and genuine helpfulness. I'm eager to share some of these interview highlights with my audience soon, but if you want a sneak peek, check out episode 2 on Netflix’s “How to Change Your Mind” to see Dr. Bill and Brian Richards in action.
After meeting with the Richards team, I fled the rainy weather of Baltimore and headed to beautiful Ann Arbor, Michigan to meet with respected theoretical mathematician Dr. Ben Kuipers, who has been offering valuable advice on my book manuscript. During our generous interview that lasted several hours, we delved into a broad spectrum of topics related to artificial intelligence and the future of data and information. His expertise provided a fascinating perspective on data privacy, regulations, and how corporations will navigate data management as AI continues to evolve. His refreshing neutrality struck a perfect balance, avoiding both the pitfall of pessimism about technological advancement and the overly optimistic view of corporate motivations driven by profit. The insights he shared will undoubtedly have a significant impact on my manuscript.
From Milan the Content Creator:
With those interviews in hand, I headed to NYC to catch up with old friends, continue my search for the best pizza in NY, and conduct some new interviews for Narratives. Kicking things off, I'm trying to find Eddie the Fiddler in the park again to do a longer-form interview for Narratives. Next is a conversation with Eric J3ng, one of the most captivating Instagram creators I follow. His content is always thought-provoking, and I'm sure our chat will be equally engaging. However, the interview I might be most curious about is with a former NYPD officer. Law enforcement in a city like New York is a complex dance, and I'm eager to delve into the challenges and rewards of maintaining order from their first-hand perspective. Keep checking back to upcoming newsletters, where I’ll link you to some of these great interviews once they’re live.
Things I’m Reading:
- How I Used AI to Break Free From Gaslighting from The Doe - This absolutely fascinating story of a woman who combines ChatGPT with therapy to get out of a gaslighting situation is a must-read for anyone thinking about how AI is going to change our interpersonal relationships in the future.
Things I’m Watching/Listening To:
- How the US is Destroying Young People's Future by Scott Galloway - I just watched Scott Galloway's recent TED Talk that brought to light many important issues and a narrative that I think is important. Galloway tells the story of how young people in the US are facing a much tougher financial reality than previous generations. He pulls no punches, calling social security benefits for all a "great intergenerational theft," and dissects the root causes and effects. Galloway doesn't just diagnose the problem; he explores solutions too, leaving everyone feeling both informed and hopeful about the future. His statistics and data were incredibly compelling, and I highly recommend checking out the talk if you have a moment.
- The Kendrick-Drake Beef - like so many of you, I’ve been following this feud since it started, but let’s ring the bell and crown the winner: Kendrick Lamar absolutely demolished Drake and proved his artistry and cultural significance is just levels beyond that of Drake. For those who want to follow the whole progression, here are the tracks:
- Drake - First Person Shooter (ft. J. Cole)
- Metro Boomin - Like That (ft. Kendrick Lamar & Future)
- Drake - Push Ups
- Drake - Taylor Made Freestyle (unavailable after Tupac Shakur’s estate filed a cease-and-desist order against Drake’s audacious use of AI to invent new content from Shakur)
- Kendrick Lamar - euphoria
- Kendrick Lamar - 6:16 in LA
- Drake - Family Matters
- Kendrick Lamar - Meet the Grahams
- Kendrick Lamar - Not Like Us
Wrapping Up
To close this newsletter, I want to thank you all for your support of my eclectic work and this newsletter. While I can sometimes get caught up in “doing” and forget to make time to write these journal entries, it’s one of my great pleasures to get to engage with my community and receive ideas and feedback from you all. Some weeks and months, I’m just heads down building, with little to present or show, so I promise that I’ll always try to spare you all from reading empty updates when the weeks are slow. But please stay tuned, because the coming weeks and months promise to be filled with lots of exciting startup updates and exciting new pieces of content. Thank you again for your support.
Until next time,
Milan Kordestani
