Founding Architect of the Thiel Fellowship @DStrachman says community building was one of the most important early lessons for how to help young founders:

"We've all heard these adages of: you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with. These things are absolutely true and fellows got to spend a lot of time with each other."

"When we first set up the program, we never had any mandate about moving to San Francisco. The first year, almost all of them came to San Francisco, which was a bit of a surprise because we assumed they would stay where they were."

"But the majority came to the Bay and lived with each other in group houses. We set up group housing for them to start for the first summer of their fellowship for the next two years after that."

"Those houses actually spread and became startup houses like Mission Control, a startup house that's been around now for probably 13 years."

"Community was a really big anchor for them. They wanted to be around other like-minded young people."

Molly O’Shea

                      @MollySOShea

                    Jul 2

                  Dylan Field (@zoink) is a Thiel Fellowship OG.

He was accepted into the 2nd class back in 2012.

That cohort also had Chris Olah co-founder of Anthropic, famous nuclear fusion prodigy Taylor Wilson, & Noor Siddiqui of Orchid..

However, Dylan says the biggest value of joining the Thiel Fellowship wasn't the money or connections:

"$100K over two years was amazing, but the community was just even more special."

"It's just so lonely to start a company when you're younger."

"The class I was with I got to know well, and they're doing amazing stuff. Still some of them are really dear friends."

" The chance to be with this group of people and socialize with them for me, was very important."

"That was the biggest value that I did not even expect from that program."


Find your tribe!

Molly O’Shea

                    @MollySOShea

                  Jul 2

                Dylan Field (@zoink) is a Thiel Fellowship OG.

He was accepted into the 2nd class back in 2012.

That cohort also had Chris Olah co-founder of Anthropic, famous nuclear fusion prodigy Taylor Wilson, & Noor Siddiqui of Orchid..

However, Dylan says the biggest value of joining the Thiel Fellowship wasn't the money or connections:

"$100K over two years was amazing, but the community was just even more special."

"It's just so lonely to start a company when you're younger."

"The class I was with I got to know well, and they're doing amazing stuff. Still some of them are really dear friends."

" The chance to be with this group of people and socialize with them for me, was very important."

"That was the biggest value that I did not even expect from that program."


If you get invited to the Timars for dinner...GO!

Sanya Timar

                      @sanyatimar

                    Jul 3

                  hosted a dinner party serving--

arctic char with lemon parmesan asparagus, classic potato salad, and peach burrata for dessert.

i love summer suppers


Sure...but it still sucks and makes it sound like institutionalized school is normal.


Why is it ‘cancelled’ in the U.K. but ‘canceled’ in the U.S.?

Because we gave them that L in 1776.


Yup! Will be at Proto Town tomorrow!


Happy 250 America!!!

And let's go art that inspires hope and valor.

Atelier Missor

                      @AtelierMissor_

                    Jul 3

                  Our first contribution to the rebeautification of the USA, here in Washington DC.

As Frenchmen, we are honored to serve the friendship between our two great nations.


A sight to behold!!

Mo Monuments

                      @MoMonuments

                    Jul 5

                  we built a statue of George Washington for America’s 250th!


Grateful for you Mo!!


What's the difference between VC megafund economics, and PE buyout economics, on the assumption of $1B invested producing 3x gross MOIC?

A loss of $416M, for the VC megafund LPs.

In PE buyout, a larger share of capital is invested through low/no fee coinvestments, fees do not scale linearly, and there are more aggressive step-downs and scale-downs. Terms optimised for managing billions.

In VC, the industry still largely operates on 2–2.5% on committed capital, with modest step-downs, and 20% carry with no hurdle. Economics intended for boutique firms, usually managing double-digit millions.

With megafunds offering a scale and risk profile that is closer to PE buyout than traditional VC, with more capital going into relatively mature companies, there's a clear case to adapt the core terms.

Simply by emulating reforms from the PE buyout strategy, megafund LPs would benefit from better alignment and a meaningful lift in performance.

More importantly, it would curtail the mindless agglomeration incentivsed by linear fees, which is a structural contributor to poor performance, stagnant innovation and weak exit markets.

It’s remarkably low-hanging fruit.


Rebooting my X group chat for people building projects on Sundays.

One rule: you can only post on Sundays.

Reply if you want in.


If anyone in SF wants to live near Avalon a house just a block away just came up for rent. It's pricey but nice, 4bd. Then there'd be three twitter adjacent houses within a three minute walk of each other, and some cool critical mass would start kicking in


the most patriotic place to celebrate America’s triumphant victory was PROTOTOWN, USA 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸


Best 4th of July ever! A great reminder of how young our country is, how much we have accomplished in a short amount of time; and, if we stay the course with the founding father's mission; there will be much to celebrate in the future!

Sanya Timar

                      @sanyatimar

                    Jul 5

                  the most patriotic place to celebrate America’s triumphant victory was PROTOTOWN, USA 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸


Dan is one of the few people who I think would make for an incredible fund of funds manager. Someone should anchor him and let him rip.

Dan Gray

                      @credistick

                    Jul 5

                  What's the difference between VC megafund economics, and PE buyout economics, on the assumption of $1B invested producing 3x gross MOIC?

A loss of $416M, for the VC megafund LPs.

In PE buyout, a larger share of capital is invested through low/no fee coinvestments, fees do not scale linearly, and there are more aggressive step-downs and scale-downs. Terms optimised for managing billions.

In VC, the industry still largely operates on 2–2.5% on committed capital, with modest step-downs, and 20% carry with no hurdle. Economics intended for boutique firms, usually managing double-digit millions.

With megafunds offering a scale and risk profile that is closer to PE buyout than traditional VC, with more capital going into relatively mature companies, there's a clear case to adapt the core terms.

Simply by emulating reforms from the PE buyout strategy, megafund LPs would benefit from better alignment and a meaningful lift in performance.

More importantly, it would curtail the mindless agglomeration incentivsed by linear fees, which is a structural contributor to poor performance, stagnant innovation and weak exit markets.

It’s remarkably low-hanging fruit.


I can't wait until you're putting all your work together with some big finances to back it up!


If you're 30, you got your whole life ahead of you.


Wunderbar!


"We're the SpaceX for this. We're the Uber for that"

To define oneself as "like something else" is to assert that you yourself are not

Become who you are, be only who you can be


This fixed my golf swing btw

Danielle Strachman 💗 🐈 💃 🪴 🎸 🎨 🐕

                      @DStrachman

                    29 Oct 2024

                  Taking down Big Pillow, one sleeper at a time!


For reals?


Yes! Swinging much better after a couple nights no pillows


SF will never be a tier 1 city for as long as the restaurants continue to close at 8pm


Become a Rainmaker! Hiring now!

Augustus Doricko

                      @ADoricko

                    Jul 6

                  Today we placed posters around the country telling the story of what it means to Become a Rainmaker.

Modifying the weather requires frontier research.

Meteorology, physics, machine learning, solid state radar and optics systems, we are hiring for across all these disciplines

But, no amount of novel hardware or hours spent in the lab can actually modify the weather unless our systems are tested and deployed by humans in the field

Until teams of gritty, relentless, disciplined mountaineers deploy our tech in remote locations during freezing snowstorms—it’s all just theory.

And Rainmaker is in the business of contacting reality.

So we are hiring teams of Forward Operating Specialists to bring theory into practice again this coming winter.

In the hardest conditions imaginable, the FOS is responsible for using all the systems Rainmaker has built.

They are Rainmakers in the truest sense of the word.

They are the ones who work with nature.

They are the ones who modify the weather.

Their field work is the final factor determining whether our operations produce more water.

It is a tough job in service of a beautiful mission.

We are in search of gritty, soulful, dutiful people who want to work with nature, harness the elements, befriend the locals, and bring water where it’s needed most.

Become a Rainmaker.

More info in the replies.


Dropped out of my liberal arts degree at 19 and joined Rainmaker. No credentials — just daring and a dream. Stood on a mountain in a snowstorm and flew the drone, making snow fall into my eyes. A year later: founding team, next startup. Seize the frontier. Become a Rainmaker.


POV: you’re a little honeybee about to have the best day ever. 🐝


My toddler has been saying "oh dear" constantly in a British accent. We're American. We don't watch British shows. No idea where this came from. It's been three weeks. "Oh dear" when she drops something. "Oh dear" when the dog barks. Very concerned "oh dear" when my husband burned toast. Asked her teacher if they're watching Peppa Pig at daycare. Teacher said no, but she's noticed it too. It's spreading. Four other kids are now saying "oh dear" in British accents. The teacher is baffled. Parents are comparing notes. Someone suggested mass hysteria. Then we found out the elderly crossing guard has been saying "oh dear, careful now" to the kids every morning. She's from Wisconsin. She just has an affect. Fifteen toddlers have developed fake British accents from a crossing guard who isn't British.


Always has been, always will be.


Design inspiration from this past weekend


We always say our role is as the goofballs in the back passing up the snacks.

VCs Congratulating Themselves 👏👏👏

                      @VCBrags

                    Jul 6

                  I dream of a world where VCs can go one day without acting like the main character


Appreciate the work that they do at Sudbury Valley. It was the first wickedly student led program I had ever seen when a friend's daughter attended 25+ years ago. You want to see what the OGs do, check them out!

Sudbury Valley School@Sudbury_Valley
                    Jul 7

                  Replying to @DStrachman
                  Agreed. Mandatory school is the experiment, and a failed one.

The other phrase that gets us is “self directed” education. It suggests that education is something one directs, rather than an aside to “figuring stuff out” as one lives life and grows up.


Y'all should talk! @credistick


YES!


starting a contrarian VC firm that only invests in founders who finished their college degrees and are in loving relationships


two days at your parents house is the last test on your hero's journey. That's how you solidify your growth and ascend to your higher self by maintaining your integrity in spite of them triggering the f out of you.

You haven't integrated anything until you have returned

27.

                      @dimvji

                    Jul 6

                  two days at your parents house can undo years of personal growth


Sometimes Elmo just needs a hug. ❤


Highly encourage nannies, childcare workers, and teachers who want to get into tech to apply! An EA is a master juggler and anyone who works with children professionally can excel at this role!

Augustus Doricko

                      @ADoricko

                    Jul 8

                  Hiring an EA

Travel to far away lands, prep and shadow me in smoky room negotiations

Manage my schedule and run extremely inconvenient errands to the DMV

Intimately see how Rainmaker built the team and tech to terraform Earth

Must be maniacally focused, tactful

DMs open


^Major Cope


Which means that we should pay nannies a lot more!


And this is why I live in Oakland...stairs framed in greens.

Tyler | Kenji Capital

                      @KenjiCapital

                    Jul 7

                  Climbing Oakland’s longest stairway.

635 steps 😫

I was today years old when I found out these existed.


Thank you! Will check it out.


Candid walnuts for $23 is a bargain, could save you years of therapy

“paula”

                      @paularambles

                    Jul 7

                  no i liked the charcuterie board i just wasn’t expecting the walnuts to be that honest


i hooked up a rotary phone from the 1920s to an AI agent, that replies on a mechanical display

it’s like a dumbphone without distracting notifications

here’s how i built this w/ @cursor_ai


Request for startups: building new land. Underrated forgotten tech from the past that needs renewal  and innovation: worksinprogress.co/issue/why…


the best people i've worked with all share 2 common traits:

- extremely proactive
- ask really good questions / eager to learn


the urge you feel to scroll is just your urge to turn pages in a book. be less of a doom-scroller and more of a page-turner


Happy GPT 5.6 day! We dream of fighting disease with this kind of intelligence. In that spirit, here is a first preview of Cell Cinema, the future cell token for AI models.

And a first for humanity: we recorded ferroptosis label-free, in real-time.

A huge feat for biosciences.


Incredible news!

Garrett Smiley 🙂@gw_smiles
                    Jul 9

                  🚨Huge news! 🚨

This September, Sora is opening a public school in partnership with the Torrance Unified School District in Los Angeles.

It's called Torrance Meridian Academy. Public, tuition-free, and built on Sora's model: our project-based curriculum, our software, our training. All with the full weight of a top public school district and its facilities behind us.

We open with grades 5-8 this September, and we'll grow to high school over the next few years.

Torrance Meridian is a hybrid school. Students learn through live, remote classes Monday through Thursday.

On Fridays, they have the option to show up in person at Torrance Unified facilities and premier community spots: brand-new stadiums, eight-lane tracks, full performing arts centers, an Olympic-quality aquatic center. And mind-blowing field trips every few weeks.

This is one of the most ambitious public-private partnerships education has seen, and I think it's the path forward for how this country does school. We should NOT tear down public education in the name of innovation: public schools can offer a wide range of quality options within their own walls, so every student has access to the right path for them.

Torrance Meridian Academy’s success could genuinely change the trajectory of public education.

Pass this along to all 5th-8th-grade families in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Kern, or San Bernardino counties!

The link is in the comments.

Limited enrollment opens today!


normalize reaching out to old people who are legends in their filed, but retired. they love that shit


2 nannies applied! Let's go!!!!

Danielle Strachman 💗 🐈 💃 🪴 🎸 🎨 🐕

                      @DStrachman

                    Jul 8

                  Highly encourage nannies, childcare workers, and teachers who want to get into tech to apply! An EA is a master juggler and anyone who works with children professionally can excel at this role!


i don’t think anyone cares about VCs being top decile whatever i don’t even bother looking at the data

- do you return cash money
- are you interested / interesting
- are you surfacing new ideas and novel ways of seeing the world
- do people respect you

that’s all


God grant me the sass to become this old lady someday.

skooks

                      @skooookum

                    Jul 9

                  My grandma hit me with an all-timer on the phone today

“You’re shopping for solutions at the problem store”


If you're hanging out with a group that is ___-pilled that's probably the problem.

Tyler is finishing a book, slow to reply

                      @TylerAlterman

                    Jul 9

                  Can anyone articulate why the vibe is so off in California and the Bay Area in particular even though it seems like everything is amazing? (beautiful weather, interesting culture, etc)


I have yet to meet a cat-pilled group in the Bay...that would make the vibes 100X better!


It's a muppet eating a blueberry...that's it, that's the tweet.

WeRateDogs

                      @dog_rates

                    Jul 9

                  This is Oreo. He will eventually eat the blueberry. But first he must establish dominance over it. 12/10


Boardy, you're drunk, go home!


Read, read, read!!!

Dan Wuori

                      @DanWuori

                    Jul 9

                  “What do you read to a newborn? Can I just read her anything because she won’t understand?”

I love these questions and can try to shed a little light here.

Reading with your baby is incredibly powerful. It introduces rich vocabulary, begins exposing your child to how books - and ultimately reading - work, and provides wonderful opportunities for bonding and socialization.

And at the very earliest stages of infancy, it’s likely true that babies aren’t understanding content in the ways they soon will. But that said, let me offer a caution about language development that might make you think twice about exposing your baby to “just anything.”

Language develops - all across life - on two parallel tracks. There’s receptive language, which is what we hear and understand. And there’s expressive language, which is what we can speak aloud (or, later in life, express in writing.)

Receptive language comes first as I’ve recently been reminded on DuoLingo, where I’ve been practicing Finnish. As a novice, it’s fascinating to note how much more spoken and written language I understand than I can actually summon to speak aloud.

The same is true for your baby.

Infants are language sponges and begin soaking up your words from birth. This doesn’t mean that they’re instantly comprehending every word, especially in the newborn phase, but I always caution against the assumption that children are “too little to understand” the adult language and content to which they’re being exposed.

Ask any parent about the most embarrassing thing their toddler has blurted out in public and you’ll appreciate just how much more they’re taking in than we sometimes give them credit for.

All that to say, be thoughtful about what you’re exposing them to from the start. Language learning is a process… but it’s one that starts before children even enter the world.

As for what to read to newborns I have two responses. There are a wide variety of age appropriate “board books” designed for this very purpose. These heavy duty cardboard books are typically limited to a few pages, can be read in a minute or two, and often feature repetitive text and high contrast illustrations that pair well with your baby’s still-developing eyesight.

These are a perfect choice for early lap reading.

That said, I’m also an advocate for exposing your baby daily to a wide variety of vocabulary. Here you CAN read just about anything. I’d steer clear of content that’s profane, disturbing, or too adult in its themes - but otherwise have at it. Narrate your junk mail. Read a newspaper story aloud.

The real point here is to be judicious about content and never presume your child is too little to understand. While it’s probably true of newborns, this shifts rapidly and well before they can express these understandings aloud.

This lovely lap reading video from TripsandShips on IG illustrates beautifully. (Notice, for example, that baby knows what a lion is - and that it makes a different sound from a flamingo… even if she’s too young to fully narrate the book herself.)


Think of it like a game with strict rules and parameters and it can be surprisingly fun and engaging!

Khaylee

                      @RealKhaylee

                    Jul 9

                  I love and hate prepping someone for a deposition.

To make them understand how a deposition works, the first question I ask is, “Do you know what time it is?”

Nearly every single time, the person will either check his or her watch, or look up at a clock. Then, they will say “Yes, it is 10:30.”

At this point I just smile and shake my head. “No.” Then, I explain why their answer is wrong:

I asked if they knew the time. Not what time it was currently.

Me: “So what would your answer be then?”

Witness: “Yes.”

Me: “Wrong.”

They didn’t know the time, because they had to look at a watch or clock.

If you are ever deposed and do not have a bitch like me prepping you, remember this key: Listen to the question and answer only what is asked. And only what you actually know or recall.

No charge for this advice.


Take me to church!

Hedinist

                      @hedin__

                    Jul 9

                  I went to a best-in-SF deli near my house and got a sandwich with 11 ingredients, incl. both brisket and pastrami. They all interfered destructively, and it tasted exactly like hot dogs and mac and cheese.


Here’s the @DStrachman reading list

Danielle Strachman 💗 🐈 💃 🪴 🎸 🎨 🐕

                      @DStrachman

                    Jun 12

                  Books I regularly recommend to parents:

📕Absorbent Mind (Montessori) - she has the deepest reverse for the human condition focused on children.

📗 Positive Discipline series - great for instilling emotional intelligence and agency in young children.

📘 How to Talk so Children Listen and Listen so Children Talk (Faber) - fabulous practical communication tips.

📙 How Children Learn (Holt) - love his observations about helping young children to teach themselves.

📚 Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (Engelmann) - the bible of teaching reading.

📖 Magical Child (Pearce) - raising genius kids through play. He gets woo-woo at the end (but given that people love the telepathy tapes, maybe he's onto something).


Pretty fun to see us here, and all the boutique coinvestors we like to work with best, in the top percents!


Was super fun to get to chat about some practical tips for engaging with children, some edtech work that I love, and views on upbringing!

Morgan Barrett

                      @MorganBarrettX

                    Jul 10

                  What's the right amount of childhood trauma to guarantee success?

The answer may surprise you

I promise this is actually a very wholesome conversation with Danielle Strachman (Thiel Fellowship and 1517 Fund) about education and parenting


Softer edges, Marilyn drawn, and clipped wings.


I am the queen of typos but I think this person in my inbox has me beat...

"Assuming it's a busty time..." ><


This is like someone highlighting in the 80s and missing the most important piece of information

Adam Cohen

                      @adambcohen93

                    Jul 10

                  Founder friendly VCs in the 90's


Works like a charm!


And if you're having trouble getting your boyfriend to unload the dishwasher...these tips will work on him too.

Danielle Strachman 💗 🐈 💃 🪴 🎸 🎨 🐕

                      @DStrachman

                    Jul 10

                  Was super fun to get to chat about some practical tips for engaging with children, some edtech work that I love, and views on upbringing!


Oh wow! What was it like?


Just actually laughed out loud....so so good


Molly is an absolutely amazing interviewer. If you get a chance to be on her show - go! She dives deep, and has great energy.

Thank you for having me on. It was a huge honor.

Molly O’Shea

                      @MollySOShea

                    Jul 10

                  NEW: Cyan Banister's Legendary Track Record

Her first investment ever? SpaceX.

In 2007, she invested every dollar she had into SpaceX & never sold.

Combined, @cyantist & Scott Banister are easily the #1 angel investors in the world.

SpaceX. Anduril. Uber. PayPal. Affirm. Flexport. Postmates. Niantic. Opendoor. Carta. Together AI. Diamond Foundry. Crusoe. Flock Safety. Substrate. Brave. Depop. Calm. TrueMed. Turing. Crusoe

Cyan spent 4 years at Founders Fund, now Co-Founder & General Partner, @LongJourneyVC

Plus Founders Fund's Mafia, beating Phil Hellmuth in poker live, & free speech as her number one cause.

We cover
› The space between your values & your actions
› Human beings as why machines
› Why Marc Andreessen is wrong about introspection
› Peter Thiel University
› Nanotech & biotech

𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒
(00:00) Cyan Banister, Long Journey Ventures
(01:13) Inside Long Journey HQ
(02:17) The wild story behind the office mural
(05:32) What Cyan's actual house looks like
(07:18) The candle ritual
(08:08) What the Long Journey logo actually means
(10:41) Mafia's breakout stars
(14:45) Cyan's strategy
(16:30) What really happens off-camera at Mafia
(18:58) The blooper reel nobody's seen yet
(23:54) Brian Singerman x $40 /mo board game club
(29:10) Confessions of an accidental poker legend
(33:37) What relentless optimism reveals about people
(35:42) Why so many people are scared to be weird
(37:32) The daily ritual she prescribes to everyone
(43:56) The "why" behind her biggest investments
(50:49) Why sci-fi movies keep predicting the future
(53:37) Should you even go to college right now?
(59:58) Unconventional investing philosophy
(1:01:57) Full list of Cyan's investments
(1:04:28) All-in on SpaceX
(1:08:57) Why she never sold a single SpaceX share
(1:12:53) Top Bets: Becoming Bio + Substrate
(1:15:52) America's reindustrialization moment is now
(1:19:16) Cyan's mentors
(1:22:54) Manifesting Rick Rubin
(1:24:00) Real take on the Peter Thiel events


Congrats @1517fund !

Founders @William_Blake and @DStrachman believed in investing in teen entrepreneurs when no one else did.

Danielle Strachman 💗 🐈 💃 🪴 🎸 🎨 🐕

                      @DStrachman

                    Jul 10

                  Pretty fun to see us here, and all the boutique coinvestors we like to work with best, in the top percents!


Me vibe coding our new site...

Deep

                      @DeepStarts

                    Jul 9

                  "I only took 3 days to build SAAS with 0 coding knowledge using AI. Developers are obsolete."
Their build:


Read the last line


2E is back! Our fall camp in San Francisco for irrationally passionate teens.

Know a geeky teen (can be in any area)? Encourage them to apply by August 2nd -- it could literally change their life!

See our post about 2E in the comments.


Post about 2E 2026: 1517.substack.com/p/2e-may-t…

Teens apply here by August 2nd: airtable.com/appNMkm3N57HVMk…


And if you'd like to see more teen's lives changed, please retweet! Gotta get the word out!


You never stop learning from @DStrachman! These are awesome resources and real-life examples for how to communicate with the youth and meaningfully put them to work:


Thank you! Lots of love back!


YUM!


So excited to learn more about your daughter!


Congrats!!


The internet used to be romantic


If I had a geeky teenager, I would definitely get them to apply to this.

Danielle Strachman 💗 🐈 💃 🪴 🎸 🎨 🐕

                      @DStrachman

                    Jul 10

                  2E is back! Our fall camp in San Francisco for irrationally passionate teens.

Know a geeky teen (can be in any area)? Encourage them to apply by August 2nd -- it could literally change their life!

See our post about 2E in the comments.


Hello people of X! I’m looking for engineering work in the LA area.

Most of my work is within biomedical engineering working within cardiology (stents and pacemakers). Everything from R&D testing to designing new SOPs and material design for pre FDA work on the quality side.

I’ve been exposed to over 30+ clinical trials, built cooling prosthetics, and designed sodium battery chemistry in my basement.

Staying in med would be great but I’m open to new opportunities! Please reach out if you’re working on pushing the limits.


quest completed: we built an Apple 1 from scratch

then the big kids opened their first MacBook Air as a reward and key item for the next quest line.

solid nerd dad day
proud of you kids

britton

                      @Winterrose

                    28 Jun 2025

                  the kids (9 & 8) asked for a computer so I made a quest for them: build an Apple 1 from scratch and get a MacBook Air.

kit just arrrived, I’ll keep you posted


paperclips


It's been a blast doing drops on Education Supply every week for the past 4 months. Great way to do research + hear from families.

This week, we decided to try something new and spotlight @1517fund's upcoming 2E fall camp c/o the great @DStrachman and @William_Blake!


Wow, looks epic. We must go!


For too long we’ve asked the wrong question about AI:

“Will it write my emails?” “Will it take my job?”

The real question was always: Can AI help us finally end disease? The answer is yes. But only if we give it something worth seeing.

🧵


The Diamond Age teaches you one thing very concretely: educating and cultivating a person to become a sovereign individual doesn't actually scale well. sure, you might need it for a good baseline so that society can be educated at all. but to be extraordinary and raise the ceiling, a parent's loving attention, teaching, and modeling is irreplaceable. truly good parents are irreplaceable in their work.

Sanya Timar

                      @sanyatimar

                    Jul 9

                  the urge you feel to scroll is just your urge to turn pages in a book. be less of a doom-scroller and more of a page-turner


Maybe the French are the muse of our values. May we be inspired to act in accordance with heroic beauty.

Atelier Missor

                      @AtelierMissor_

                    Jul 13

                  The French are building statues for the USA once again!


Mine literally hop in a circle for their fresh greens in the morning


Been growing my own greens for a couple months and I love it! Super super easy and everyone keeps telling me it's the best salad they've had in a long time.

Kevin → Plant Daddy

                      @KevinEspiritu

                    Jul 13

                  It's wild this keeps happening with LETTUCE, one of the easiest crops in the world to grow at home no matter what you living situation is. If you grow anything, grow your own greens 🤦🏽♂


2E is back! Hide this from irrationally passionate teens (or don't).


"To the lady who loves bunnies- a very unconventional idea for 1517..."

Email opened and replied to immediately <3 I love me a good cool email. See my pinned tweet about it.


pastry expert here. croissants only do this when they’re in extreme distress


STARDATE 39534

After two years, we release our technical blog: the physical system for AI to interact with life. World's first video of drug-induced ferroptosis in the same living cancer cell. The product: a cell-state trajectory AI will learn from.

🧵READ HOW; BLOG BELOW🧵


This year, 11 years into our 1517 history and 16 years post our Thiel Fellowship history, we are hearing more and more..."my parents listened to a podcast of yours and told me about 1517!" What a change!!!

I always say that parents are our first investors and I just want to be your second. So moms, dads, aunties, etc, thank you for sharing our work with your children and trusting us with their brilliance!


Sings: "Begin at the very beginning, a very good place to start!"

Excited to see David launch his Champions program!

David Kaye

                      @davidkaye

                    Jul 15

                  Replying to @davidkaye
                  You don’t start with a form; you start with a conversation about who you are, what you’re building and why.
Afterward, you get an honest read on how an investor sees the company today and the constraint most likely to hold you back.


Deep tech founders apply!

Peter D'Ambrosio

                      @PeterDAmbrosio

                    Jul 15

                  APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN 🪽

if you are building deep tech that will change history, we want to do everything in our power to help

here’s what we’re offering in the upcoming cohort:
• $50k in compute credits
• housing, food, laundry services all taken care of
• peer group that might lead to life long friendships 📷
legal, health & wellness, immigration partners
• 1:1 venture partner

spend fall 2026 locked-in with other ambitious funders

🧵application link in the thread


If an LP invites me to golf, I will tell them that I'll book the course...and then take them to mini golf.

Brayton Williams ⏻

                      @BraytonKey

                    Jul 15

                  An LP just invited me to golf.

14 years as a VC and this is a first.

Calling the top.


Proud iPhone mini hold out!

Grant Slatton

                      @GrantSlatton

                    Jul 16

                  trying so hard to make my poor dying iPhone 12 mini survive until the folding iPhone comes out in the fall


Movin on up!

Dival Banerjee 🦆@divalbanerjee
                    Jul 15

                  in the arena


I know exactly what to do with a distressed croissant

“paula”

                      @paularambles

                    Jul 14

                  pastry expert here. croissants only do this when they’re in extreme distress


If you're of the praying kind, please pray for my family 💗


When is the best day to start your application for 2E Teen Camp?

Today!

It's free to attend, you'll get to meet peers who could become life long friends and have experiences that can literally change your life!


Networking at camp 🤮 -- you need a better model Boardy!


Around 10 years ago I started The ODIN in a garage, a DIY at home genetic engineering co, its still a crazy idea today which shows how much ahead of its time it was. Still running and generating revenue and I still own 100% of it, Craziest thing I have ever done was starting it


I will personally take you sailing with the rainmaker leadership team, and a charcuterie board, if you find me a procurement lead (buyer)

Rainmaker Technology Corporation

                      @RainmakerCorp

                    Jul 17

                  PROCURE. PROCURE. PROCURE. PROCURE.

Rainmaker is hiring a Procurement Lead

Link in the comments


Take it all you want and I'll keep enjoying it all to myself.

“paula”

                      @paularambles

                    Jul 16

                  everyone hates on salesforce park but it’s literally the “society if” meme


Here's my wife's entry in the Utah Quilt Show, which is going on at the Springville Art Museum. As usual I'm amazed at the quilts in the show and at the art form generally. More quilts in the replies 👇


There’s this inherent tension to being human—we didn’t ask to be here and yet we exist in this beautiful chaotic mess, of having to figure out how to be in the world.

I published something on how to be happy in the middle of all this nonsense. Check it out at the link below:


You've got this boss!

Vinay Hiremath

                      @vhmth

                    Jul 19

                  I just want to do something meaningful and really really difficult.


Is 1517’s investment in the Missor Brothers (the French sculptors) a glimpse at where the fund is heading?

I chat with Danielle Strachman about why she’s starting to invest in artists


Just a couple weeks until applications are due! I love reading about a teen's irrational passion💓


Yo friends, the google grant spreadsheet that I maintained for years seems to have gotten hacked by a spammer.

Grants are handily here also:

1517fund.com/grants


it's a shame!


Your siblings, cousins, children, and friends will thank you for sharing this -- let's get those teens some inspiration and bold friends!


Teens this is an incredible opportunity to be a part of a great ecosystem.

Apply!

NIMI VASHI (bio/acc to infinity & beyond)

Danielle Strachman 💗 🐈 💃 🪴 🎸 🎨 🐕

                      @DStrachman

                    Jul 20

                  Just a couple weeks until applications are due! I love reading about a teen's irrational passion💓


Show me your free thinkers!

groupon lobotomy@colleen_daves
                    Jul 19

                  so-called free thinkers when they see a blanky fort


Yes please!


Really enjoying the read so far! Especially because the definition of high agency is well thought out...it's not just doing things, it's doing things outside the noise!

Cate Hall@catehall
                    Jul 21

                  OMFG our book is actually out!!


Is this a crazy or crazy awesome investment?

Morgan Barrett

                      @MorganBarrettX

                    Jul 20

                  Is 1517’s investment in the Missor Brothers (the French sculptors) a glimpse at where the fund is heading?

I chat with Danielle Strachman about why she’s starting to invest in artists


Went out for dinner last night and was kinda blown away by the bill (but was with friends and didn't want to act up post meal...which was fine but not that fine)...apparently ordering sparkling water at a nice restaurant can get really pricey. We had $100 of water fml. I'm bringing a canteen and filling up at the bar nextdoor in the future.


Y'all are too good to me!


That's what I said. I should have bathed in that shit...I should be glowing from the heavens for $100 of sparkling water.


Happy 75th Dad!

Today I'm remembering your weirdness and your extraordinary capacity to love.

And for the folks out there who'd like to celebrate with me, go do something kind for someone. Make someone laugh. Put a little more good into the world.

Love you forever.


Little does this kitten daddy know that the way to capital is by sending me an email with said kitten in it.

Grant Dever 🌄@grantadever
                    Jul 22

                  Not now, kitten, daddy needs to make his skill set and special interests more legible to capital


This is exactly what happened...literally pissed away the experience.


This is why 90+% of my meals are at home!


Not so!


Definitely doing this in the future!


Oh my!


As it should be!


Absolutely can't stand this type of "art appreciation" that museums foster.

maja 🔭🍒

                      @majamediaco

                    Jul 21

                  today i went to the de young museum to see the monet exhibit. the art was luminous and wonderful, but the room was so crowded that it became somewhat difficult to appreciate it. every attempt to stand with a painting for more than a few seconds was met by someone pushing in front, moving through the crowd, or raising a phone

it was a 10:45am tuesday slot, so i assumed it would be empty. instead, it was completely packed and, as far as i could tell, fully booked, to the extent that i started watching people perceive the art as its own form of art, sometimes more than i was looking at the actual paintings

given that exhibitions like this are an entry point into how people encounter art and cultural institutions, i found myself wondering about who comes to these shows, what are they looking for, and what kind of relationship to art is actually being cultivated?

i don’t mean this in a gatekeepy way, because all major galleries have this problem to an extent, from the de young to the louvre to MOMA, and there is something wonderful about the fact that so many people want to see art on a tuesday morning. the demand in sf to experience and appreciate art is clearly there, and that should be celebrated. i’m excited by the possibility of more cultural experiences that meet this demand while still prioritising accessibility. especially when tickets already cost $40, the physical experience should give people enough space to slow down, immerse themselves and fully encounter the work


Be kind, rewind.

Bryan Johnson

                      @bryan_johnson

                    Jul 21

                  Being mean is bad for your health.

A single hostile interaction:
+ locks you in a cortisol penalty box for 60-90 min
+ suppresses recovery capacity
+ elevates your heart rate

Kindness conserves your energy resources.


srsly

Replying to @leeknowlton @alexandertmills


Just seems ridiculous to me to sell so many tickets (and many of these are timed as well) and know it's going to be stupidly crowded. I've seen little old ladies who can't even see the art because there just isn't a way to do so.


Legion of Honor is great and I've never had a bad experience there. Wonderful museum!


So good!


Thank you moms, dads, aunties, friends and family members for trusting us with your teens!

Our teen camp, 2E, applications are open. Link in comments.

"Fun fact: I am 13 years old and love both technology and music. Along with building software through, I am also a professional DJ and music producer. Both passions challenge me to be creative, solve problems, and turn ideas into something people can enjoy.

Referral: My dad told me about you."


Teen camp applications close August 2nd!

About: 1517.substack.com/p/2e-may-t…

Apply: airtable.com/appNMkm3N57HVMk…


What I've seen is even with timed tickets they just pack the room which is what really frosts my cookies...because it's clearly on purpose.


I have been speaking to a ton of young founders who crave connection to other young builders. @1517fund teen camp 2E is a great way to do that.

SF in October and Austin in April/May (more details to come).

Danielle Strachman 💗 🐈 💃 🪴 🎸 🎨 🐕

                      @DStrachman

                    Jul 23

                  Thank you moms, dads, aunties, friends and family members for trusting us with your teens!

Our teen camp, 2E, applications are open. Link in comments.

"Fun fact: I am 13 years old and love both technology and music. Along with building software through, I am also a professional DJ and music producer. Both passions challenge me to be creative, solve problems, and turn ideas into something people can enjoy.

Referral: My dad told me about you."


@1517fund teen camp applications close Aug. 2nd.  An incredible experience for incredible builder/entrepreneurial teens.


Happy meet-i-versary Mike! Love changing the world with you!

Michael P Gibson

                      @William_Blake

                    Jul 23

                  On this day, 16 years ago, I met Danielle Strachman, Jim O'Neill, and Jonathan Cain on a houseboat at Ephemerisle. Two months later we launched the Thiel Fellowship. @DStrachman @jonathanhcain @regardthefrost


that it is...met you there first too!

Replying to @paulbohm @William_Blake @jonathanhcain @regardthefrost


Never dwell on what you should’ve done.

Never leave trail mix containing dark chocolate in a hot car.


I seem to have an allergy to people who are in the same city and choose to select zoom meetings when they could do in person. Part of my brain is like "what are you even doing?" What's "efficient" isn't what's actually smart in those cases (especially for a first impression and wanting to raise money).


That is insane! And yeah...reasonable to think less of them. It's idiotic.


Thank you!


I loved to go to my tutoring client's homes because of this. So much more context!


Exactly


Gorgeous!


Beautiful sharing Mike! Thank you for sharing with us <3


daniel lurie is my favorite unemployed friend on a tuesday


Should have come to my house, would have grilled you a steak!


Need to get out of KY and back to SF on the double...

Anyone looking to hire a quirky generalist (myself) who can pivot between medical research, making friends with random strangers and knows how to treat a migraine?

Also has 10 years of construction management, 3 years of startup founding and genuinely enjoys the human experience.

Best fit rn are recruiting or storytelling; in house massage therapist is also on the table.


Last week to apply for 2E! Send me your irrationally passionate teens!


Info and application: 1517.substack.com/p/2e-may-t…


only formal in so far that we just know a ton of alpha team members and students...in fact, just got off a call with one, literally 2 minutes ago :D

Replying to @BensBeardButter @1517fund @Alphaschool


Last week to apply for 2E! If you're an irrationally passionate teen. I want to hear from you.

For this year, I would also love to experiment with having handfuls of teens from different ecosystems so that they can continue to collaborate in person with each other when they get home.

Particularly excited to get some global hubs going with teens from Bangalore, Sydney/Melbourne, Singapore and Tokyo!

Danielle Strachman 💗 🐈 💃 🪴 🎸 🎨 🐕

                      @DStrachman

                    Jul 10

                  2E is back! Our fall camp in San Francisco for irrationally passionate teens.

Know a geeky teen (can be in any area)? Encourage them to apply by August 2nd -- it could literally change their life!

See our post about 2E in the comments.


i caught up with a founder friend today who did something unexpected

instead of pitching their startup, they shared their worldview

we spent an hour talking about what they believe is changing, why existing approaches break, and how they're testing their assumptions

very little discussion of the company, and no ask to invest, just more time on the calendar for a working meeting to flesh out next steps to solve a problem they've been thinking about for a decade with a strong "why now"

working with someone is imo a much better way to understand them / their business than q&a assessing a single moment in time

curious who has experimented with this


This is the last week for teens to apply for our Columbus Day Silicon Valley camp, 2E, where we bring in speakers at a campground in the heart of Silicon Valley and at the top of the city's tallest skyscraper, visit hard-tech companies around the Bay Area, and see some of the great historical sites of Silicon Valley.

Share with any teens you know who would love to be thrown into the thick of seeing how technology gets built.

1517.substack.com/p/2e-may-t…


I’ve recently had a desire to strengthen my French. I grew up speaking French but I’ve lost the ability to have substantial convos :/. so I’ve just been talking to chatgpt voice as I walk home in French. It’s actually incredible! It gives me feedback and teaches me new vocab


APPLY APPLY APPLY

Danielle Strachman 💗 🐈 💃 🪴 🎸 🎨 🐕

                      @DStrachman

                    Jul 27

                  Last week to apply for 2E! Send me your irrationally passionate teens!


14 by the time of camp starting in October! So he might still be applicable.


Making smores, sharing geeky interests, hanging out with farm animals, going on a sci fi tour in San Francisco, having talks in sky scrapers, playing games and making new friends


AI transformed coding, science is next

@ReactorfieldAI makes scientists and deep tech startups AI-native

Built by me and @berkbuilds to accelerate science with frontier AI


If you have an entrepreneurial or startup-curious teen, I highly recommend checking out this camp.

@DStrachman, @William_Blake, Zak, and the rest of the 1517 team are some of the best advisors/mentors/networkers an ambitious teen can know

The community they’ve built is incredible

Zak Slayback

                      @zslayback

                    Jul 28

                  This is the last week for teens to apply for our Columbus Day Silicon Valley camp, 2E, where we bring in speakers at a campground in the heart of Silicon Valley and at the top of the city's tallest skyscraper, visit hard-tech companies around the Bay Area, and see some of the great historical sites of Silicon Valley.

Share with any teens you know who would love to be thrown into the thick of seeing how technology gets built.

1517.substack.com/p/2e-may-t…


It is!


lately i’ve realized how much i miss having a commute

living downtown is great. almost zero friction getting to the office. i optimized for that on purpose

but this weekend i was driving back from tahoe and i had some of the clearest strategic thinking i've had in weeks

gave me hours to decompress, think, and get clear on what i actually wanted to work on this week

sometimes the best way to access your subconscious thoughts is to give your conscious mind something simple to do (driving, walking, showering)

when you live and work in the same few blocks, that space doesn't exist unless you build it on purpose

you can spend all day working without ever really thinking


We're geography agnostic!


^^this guy is a king of belief capital!

We also write early checks before there's much to sneeze at :D

Replying to @ericbahn @kseniam0s @davidkomer @Boldstartvc @edsim @1517fund @weekendfund @rrhoover @PrecursorVC


We refer to visa support and help with O1 letters :D

Replying to @UrsJagadeesh27 @kseniam0s @Boldstartvc @edsim @1517fund @weekendfund @rrhoover @PrecursorVC


Find your tribe...early!

A.D. Besemer

                    @besemer_amanda

                  Jul 29

                My teenagers are finding their **TRIBES** on X thanks to @Alphaschool, @1517fund, and @DStrachman.

It's a little weird to DM a 15-year-old and say, "Hey, I think you'd genuinely get along with my kids." I probably overdo it as I end up sending screenshots of my kids' Discord profiles, YouTube channels, and whatever they're building.

But here's the thing...

My neurodivergent kids are finally finding people who think like they do. Kids with similar interests, aligned gifts, and the same obsession with building things.

I wish I'd had that when I was 15.

My boys have been building since they were about six. We've never treated screens as the enemy; we treated them as extensions of their good minds. As long as they were creating more than consuming, I was happy.

Many moms in my circles disagreed.  But when was the last time you built something truly significant in one hour?

Today they naturally balance themselves. They go to the gym, take walks, read books, make music, build games, and spend most of their time online creating, not scrolling.  Sure, sometimes it's a 3-day marathon, but so be it!  Genius doesn't have a time limit.

When I was growing up, people didn't recognize neurodivergence in girls. I spent years (correction decades) feeling like I was the odd one out.

Watching my kids begin to find their people has been healing for me in a way I didn't expect.

Maybe the goal isn't limiting screen time. Maybe the goal is helping kids find a mission, a community, and people who challenge them to build something bigger than themselves.  Maybe the goal should be encouraging innate gifts and talents and focusing on those, vs. correcting things on an IEP that simply don't need correcting, just redirecting to channel that obsession!

Finding your tribe might be one of the highest-ROI investments you can make in a young person.


Not true.

Not writing a check to everyone who asks doesn't make them liars, it makes them discerning.

Replying to @RyanCygnusA2 @kseniam0s @Boldstartvc @edsim @1517fund @weekendfund @rrhoover @PrecursorVC


Am not. Do not have a minivan :(


I'm designing a Weird Hobby Night next Monday in SF (the first of many) and raffling off 3 RSVP spots to attend.

Why? Hobbies are sacred. One of the meaningful things we do with no intention for monetization or attachment to outcomes. Just joy for its own authentic sake.

Some weird hobbies being shared:
- weird chocolate & coffee tasting
- sword fighting
- a stone fruit omakase
- a plant lab
- deception games
- juggling sticks
- eight 5-minute weird hobby talks (on lucid dreams, panoramic photos, sichuan peppers, sci-fi writing, etc.)

Since this is an experiment, it's invite-only, but I wanted to raffle off 3 golden tickets to attend.

Reply below with your weirdest hobby to enter + I'll randomly choose 3 humans. 👇🪄


I mean, it is teal blue, how could it not be! :D


I would like to see you race someone with my Honda Fit lol


Sounds like you didn't try anyone in that list then because I know for a fact that most of them ride the sober train and you're definitely not going to see them drunk at an event.


I know Hudson...he is not pretending.

Replying to @besemer_amanda @Alphaschool @1517fund


Just when you think you've met the final boss...

Jeff Giesea

                    @jeffgiesea

                  Jul 28

                When I was in my twenties and new to DC, I was at a cocktail party when someone brought up The Odyssey. Thinking I was being impressive, I recited the opening passage from memory. Another guy nodded in acknowledgement, then recited the same passage in Ancient Greek. I've been one-upped many times, but never so elegantly.


Some folks have a strange hiccup of not answering questions. Just answer the question and then add additional context if needed. Whenever someone goes in circles, for me it's like watching the toilet flush.


Case in point:

I asked a team how much funding they needed to go the next step.

They ramble and then say "well, if money was no object..."

And I interrupted with "Well, in this case, money is an object. You need a narrative for what you will do with a specific amount of money."

I think they got the coaching.


It could be! Sometimes I think it's about not understanding that "I don't know" is also a totally acceptable answer.


If you do any prototyping and don't have a wire edm machine....
Then boy you are missing out.

@CooperZurad just launched his new machine.

I bought one, you should to.

rackrobo.io/pages/pro-2

Do it

You know you want to.


WeRateDogs

                    @dog_rates

                  Jul 30

                This is Fenrir. He has not yet been successful in cuddling with the cat. But thinks if he goes slow enough she might not notice. 13/10


That's fair!


There are other modes outside of words!


It's so cute, but so unhealthy. Help this kitteh!


Was an honor and a pleasure!


I hope it was just the fly :)


lol


3 days left to apply to 2E teen camp!

"One of our students who attended your 2E camp last year always brings it up. I believe he applied again this year. We also encouraged many other students similarly.

Thank you for running the camp. If there's any way I can help the camp through my work, let me know. It's been highly motivating for [our student] the whole year and I agree that it's literally life-changing."

Danielle Strachman 💗 🐈 💃 🪴 🎸 🎨 🐕

                    @DStrachman

                  Jul 10

                2E is back! Our fall camp in San Francisco for irrationally passionate teens.

Know a geeky teen (can be in any area)? Encourage them to apply by August 2nd -- it could literally change their life!

See our post about 2E in the comments.


You could also just retweet Boardy!


Very very true! Which is why we are the dream team brother!


Assembling kits and running on belt driven hardware was not enough for many of our business customers.

They wanted something with precision, stability, and filtration right out of the box.

INTRODUCING THE RACK PRO-2, an affordable, Western, turnkey WEDM machine.


Lookin' good!


2 days left! Love to see the applications from teens rolling in :D

Danielle Strachman 💗 🐈 💃 🪴 🎸 🎨 🐕

                    @DStrachman

                  16h

                3 days left to apply to 2E teen camp!

"One of our students who attended your 2E camp last year always brings it up. I believe he applied again this year. We also encouraged many other students similarly.

Thank you for running the camp. If there's any way I can help the camp through my work, let me know. It's been highly motivating for [our student] the whole year and I agree that it's literally life-changing."


that's pretty good lol


Such a doggo move!


Camp is for 14 - 18 year olds