Jim Keller is a microprocessor engineer who has run the gauntlet of today’s leading tech companies during their peak performance years. He’s designed for Intel, AMD, Apple, and Tesla, he’s worked for Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, he’s survived the boom and bust cycle of the tech world, and is still surfing a wave of progress at least partially of his making. He’s currently CEO of Tenstorrent, an AI chip startup that’s out to unseat NVIDIA, and is the co-founder of Atomic Semi, which aims to produce the world’s first tabletop semiconductor fabrication device. Normally, Jim’s interviews are all about the technical aspects of his work - chips, computer architecture, and the future of AI. We sat down for a conversation about the soft-power side of progress - building teams, surviving bubbles, why small orgs are better, how no one knows how to maintain the sweet spot between chaos and order, and the weird coincidence of living on a planet that’s basically made of the raw materials needed for computers. Sign up for our Patreon and get episodes early + join our weekly Patron Chat https://bit.ly/3lcAasB AND rock some Demystify Gear to spread the word! https://demystifysci.myspreadshop.com/ 00:00 Go! 00:04:09 Institutional expiration dates 00:10:38 Life-cycles of companies 00:16:52 Steve Job on trend setting in tech 00:22:03 Do no evil doesn't pay 00:26:43 Predicting outcomes 00:34:55 Bigger company isn't smarter 00:40:12 Tesla & autopilot woes 00:46:02 Making new tech affordable 00:49:46 Gen one computer customers 00:53:29 The unrelenting progression of tech gens 01:02:24 Organization dynasties v. company lifetimes 01:11:46 End of life plan for companies? 01:20:29 Civilization level lifecycles in the background 01:26:54 Tools that re-engineered our culture 01:35:59 What is non computational about being human 01:43:07 Thinking subconsciously 01:49:44 Can computers announce and address a novel problem? 01:54:26 Super-intelligent machines aren't a threat 01:59:16 Stuck at a computed social optimum v. chaos 02:07:02 AI tailored personal realities 02:13:30 Scarcity mindsets are public enemy #1 02:24:25 Limits on government architecture 02:26:15 More small indy operations are better 02:30:52 "You can't build that" 02:36:26 Interesting v. perfection 02:42:51 Being part of the solution 02:49:24 Happiness v. progress #sciencepodcast, #JimKeller, #MicroprocessorEngineer, #TechCompanies, #Intel, #AMD, #Apple, #Tesla, #SteveJobs, #ElonMusk, #TechBoomAndBust, #Tenstorrent, #AIChips, #NVIDIA, #AtomicSemi, #SemiconductorFabrication, #SoftPower, #BuildingTeams, #SurvivingBubbles, #SmallOrganizations, #ChaosAndOrder, #ComputerRawMaterials, #InstitutionalExpiration, #CompanyLifecycles, #TechTrendSetting, #DoNoEvilJim Keller, microprocessors, engineering, Intel, AMD, Apple, Tesla, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Tenstorrent, AI chips, NVIDIA, Atomic Semi, semiconductor, soft power, building teams, tech bubbles, small organizations, chaos, order, raw materials, institutional expiration, company lifecycles, tech trends, do no evil, predicting outcomes, company intelligence, Tesla autopilot, tech affordability, tech generations, company dynasties, cultural reengineering, human computation, subconscious, novel problems, AI, social optimum, AI realities, scarcity mindsets, government limits, independent operations, innovation, perfection, happiness, progress Check our short-films channel, @DemystifySci: https://www.youtube.com/c/DemystifyingScience AND our material science investigations of atomics, @MaterialAtomics https://www.youtube.com/@MaterialAtomics Join our mailing list https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S PODCAST INFO: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities. - Blog: http://DemystifySci.com/blog - RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rss - Donate: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaD - Swag: https://bit.ly/2PXdC2y SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySci MUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671