Professor Yan Guo

Season 1, Episode 11

JC de Swaan - Seeking Virtue in Finance

Season 1, Episode 6

Today, I’m excited to welcome JC de Swaan to the podcast. JC is a partner at Cornwall Capital, an investment fund based in New York, and teaches in the Economics Department at Princeton University. On the episode, we talk about his new book, Seeking Virtue in Finance, and how we can improve finance from within and help restore its focus on serving society. We discuss the 2008 financial crisis and how it shifted the way we think about finance. The book has been reviewed by The Financial Times and discusses the potential for a generational shift in how the finance industry operates and is perceived. We hope you enjoy the conversation. More on the book can be found here.

Amy Molk - EdTech, Virtual Reality, and Interactivity in Early Childhood Education

Season 1, Episode 4

Today, I’m excited to welcome Amy Molk on the podcast. Amy is the Founder and CEO of Beanstalk.co, a technology company revolutionizing the way early childhood education is delivered. On the episode, we discuss the future of EdTech, principles of decision-making, and maintaining a mindset of doing the right thing. We also chat about the journey of an entrepreneur as well as trends in virtual reality, and how it can serve as a catalyst for technological innovation in education. We hope you enjoy!

Epidemiologist Shailesh Date - Vaccine Development/Distribution and Combating the COVID-19 Pandemic

Season 1, Episode 3

Today, I’m excited to welcome Dr. Shailesh Date to the podcast. Dr. Date is the CEO of the Laboratory for Research in Complex Systems, a research institute based in Menlo Park focused on complex systems research and venture-building, including research and ventures aimed at tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also the head of Global Viral, an SF-based organization and leader in global research focused on pandemics, with the mission of combating the spread of infectious diseases and dedicated to pandemic prevention and monitoring the transmission of novel viruses globally. Dr. Date is an epidemiologist by trade and a leading expert on infectious diseases. On the episode, we discuss strategies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic globally and our continued fight to control the spread of infectious disease. We also talk about the trajectory of the pandemic, the path for vaccine distribution, and other areas of pandemic research. As we start to see progress in vaccinations across the country and make our way out of the COVID-19 crisis, we discuss the road forward, as well as the infrastructure needed for pandemic preparedness and to prevent potential future pandemics. We discuss Sample.Exchange, a new software venture that we’ve launched, and a spinout of the Laboratory for Research in Complex Systems, based here in Menlo Park. Sample.Exchange serves as a tech-enabled platform to aid the rapid development of urgently needed vaccines for novel viruses, including the COVID-19 vaccine. The platform will serve as part of key infrastructure needed to ensure pandemic preparedness and prevention of global outbreaks. Thanks for tuning in, we hope you enjoy!

(We apologize that some of the audio is removed for some parts involving the ventures we’re building and research we’re conducting around pandemics, as we can’t disclose some of the info due to confidentiality agreements!)

Rob Biederman - Authenticity, Leadership, and Company-Building

Season 1, Episode 2

I’m thrilled to welcome Rob Biederman to the podcast. Rob is the CEO and Co-Founder of Catalant Technologies, an enterprise software company based in Boston, as well as a seed investor in companies like ArtLifting, Dexai Robotics, and MedRhythms. He previously worked in investing at Bain Capital and Goldman Sachs. Rob is a fellow Princeton alum and received his MBA from Harvard Business School. On the episode, we chat about emerging areas in early-stage technology, principles of effective leadership, and the entrepreneurial mindset. We also discuss the future of work, TeleFitness, and the importance of strategy & alignment in business. We also chat about authenticity, company-building, and the process of creating something genuinely new. We hope you enjoy.

Professor J. Michael Kosterlitz - Topological Phase Transitions, Emerging Technologies, and Principles of Creativity

Season 1, Episode 1

Today, I’m excited to welcome Professor Mike Kosterlitz to the podcast. Professor Kosterlitz won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on topological phase transitions and exotic states of matter. He is a very close family friend by way of my Dad, who is his longtime colleague and lunch buddy. They talk physics over lunch every week, and I sometimes am lucky enough to join in, which is always an honor and a delight. On today’s episode, we dive into his Nobel Prize-winning work with David Thouless, and how physics research can be similar to rock climbing. We discuss topics in applied math and using topology for describing phase transitions in two-dimensional materials, and in the pursuit of the theory of everything. We also explore the frontier of quantum computing, emerging technologies, and various trends in our world. During our conversation, we also talk about creativity, resilience, and the human condition. We hope you enjoy.

The Absolute Value Podcast (Trailer)

Hey everyone, I’m Daniel Ling, and welcome to Absolute Value, the podcast about the frontier of technology, the trends that are shaping our world, and the essential principles that help us live happier, healthier, and more productive lives.

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About: The Themes of Absolute Value

I wanted to have a section on the Absolute Value website dedicated to unpacking all the layers of meaning within the title of the podcast.

The three major themes of Absolute Value are:

• Applied Math
  At its root, absolute value is a mathematical concept. Mathematics is omnipresent in our world, and the language in which the universe is written. The application of mathematics is ubiquitous across various disciplines, and math can be applied to practically every aspect of society. On the podcast, we talk about all things applied math, including applied math in economics, game theory, physics, computational biology, theoretical chemistry, and population health, as well as politics and government. Applied math provides a rigorous approach to evaluating phenomena in every context and at every scale.

  Applied math plays a significant role in the development of new technologies. At the frontiers of science and technology, applied math drives our understanding of phenomena and leads to new ways of developing future technologies. Applied math opens the door and provides a road to innovative solutions, advancements of emerging technologies, and news ways of thinking.

  My guests and I dive deep into the cutting edge of scientific research and technological innovation, as well as explore emerging technology. I’d love for you to tune in to the podcast and listen in on the journey of researching at the cutting edge of science and building companies at the frontier of technology.

• Investing
  One of the themes of Absolute Value is investing, and in particular value investing. The premise of investing consists of looking at trends in our world, examining the future of society, and predicting what is to come. We live in an ever-changing world, with complex patterns that constantly evolve over time. Investing, as well as value investing, is all about looking at our world and deciphering the trends, patterns, spaces, and markets that comprise it.

  I’ve been in investing for my whole career so far, ever since college, and was lucky enough to start my investment career straight out of undergrad. I feel lucky to have started in investing, while also completing the Investment Banking Division’s training program at Morgan Stanley in NYC. It was great to start my career at Morgan Stanley and get the thorough financial foundation and grounding that the firm provides. Morgan Stanley is a great place to start a financial career and a place that emphasizes comprehensive training for analysts.

  The premise of investing has always made for intellectually stimulating and cerebral work, in my mind, as it’s centrally about thinking about what the future will look like, studying various markets, and looking at the trends that are shaping our world.

  I’ve focused on technology investing since graduating from college, which I believe is an especially interesting category of investing. There are many unique aspects of technology investing that make it intellectually challenging, as technology companies can be wide-ranging and fundamentally different from one another in type and approach. New and interesting ideas are presented each and every day. Moreover, technology companies have to be evaluated based on their uniqueness, by their very nature being very different as they redefine markets or create entirely new ones. Evaluating every technology company presents a new and interesting challenge every time and is an intellectual exercise every time.

  A key part of VC has been formulating investment theses, looking at different markets that are being redefined, and developing views on various spaces within technology. One of the most intellectually stimulating and satisfying aspects of VC is deciphering how new technologies can create entirely new markets (or redefine existing ones), provide roads into new fields of innovation, and open new avenues of thought.

  A central premise of venture is the notion that, by building companies at the frontier of technology, we can play an active role in creating the future and a better world for the generations to come. Some of the crucial questions we ask in venture capital are - in what ways can we create the future? What market opportunities have the potential to change the world for the better, and what will it take to do that?

  As an investor, I’m always looking at the patterns and trends of our world and in search of the next big thing. On the podcast, we talk about emerging technologies that will change society and make the world a better place.

  I’ve found investing, at its core, and especially in venture investing, to be all about thinking about the society we live in and the trends that are shaping our world. At the heart of investing is thinking about where the world is heading, what the future will look like, and how we can create a better world to come. By working on the emerging technologies today, we can change the world and create a future where we can live, do, and be better.

• Core Values
  The third layer of Absolute Value is examining the core values for living happy, healthy, and productive lives. On the podcast, we talk about the essential principles that enable us to reach our fullest potential, as well as the core concepts that help us think, do, and be better.

  The notion of absolute value, as a mathematical concept, is also a story about optimism and positivity. After all, as a representation of distance from zero, or a physical vector and an expression of magnitude, the absolute value of a negative number becomes a positive number in nature. The mathematical essence of absolute value relates to optimism in this way, looking at the brighter side of things, and having a mindset of positivity.

  On the podcast, we also examine the human condition and talk to guests about real issues concerning life and death. We discuss the “absolute values” of life that matter most - the things that are most important in life, the things that are most pressing, the things we should focus on.

  In summary, in this third layer, we discuss the various ways we can live to our fullest potential and the healthy habits we can follow to become the best versions of ourselves. Tune in as we talk about the foundational concepts and underlying principles that help us live happier, healthier, and more productive lives. These are often general concepts that can apply to anyone, anywhere, and in any field. I personally strive for maximizing health in all aspects of life. On the podcast, my guests and I aim to bring these principles to you too.

  Blog

  April 30, 2012

  I’m super excited to have been named a Rabi Scholar! Thrilled to have gotten into Columbia College, Class of 2016 and also selected for the Rabi Scholarship!!

  

  March 15th, 2012

  I got into MIT!!

  

  May 14th, 2011

  Meeting and chatting with Professor Martin Chalfie at Intel ISEF 2011 in Los Angeles!

  

  Hi! Daniel here