Mere Mortals Conversations

Everybody NEEDS compute, but what are you willing to pay for it? In Episode #530 of 'Meanderings', we unpacked what it might actually take to finance the robotic future, starting with the current AI boom, looming IPOs and whether we’re approaching a classic bubble moment. We explored the idea that even if some of the biggest AI companies stumble financially, the underlying value of compute, models and automation won’t just disappear — it may simply get cheaper and become even more useful. Along the way, we dug into inflation versus deflation, why so much capital is pouring into data centres and memory, and how falling compute costs could create the next wave of practical adoption rather than signal the end of the trend. We also got into the more grounded question of where AI is already useful today. We compared model intelligence with the real unlock of agentic workflows and integrations, and discussed why the biggest near-term gains may come less from “smarter chatbots” and more from systems that can actually do things end-to-end. From there, we zoomed out to robotics, cybersecurity, privacy, physical-world constraints, and what kinds of jobs or human experiences may be hardest to replace. The big theme running through the conversation was this: digital AI may be close to a temporary overbuild, but that same excess could end up fuelling a much bigger shift once robots, real-world applications and human adoption catch up. What are your thoughts on this, reach out and let us know! Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:30) Setting the scene for financing the robotic future (00:03:20) Anthropic IPO talk and signs of an AI bubble peak (00:06:01) Debt, inflation and whether AI could be deflationary (00:10:45) Have large language models already peaked for daily use? (00:17:00) Productivity gains, media workflows and why jobs remain (00:24:38) Privacy concerns, open source tools and cybersecurity limits (00:37:24) AI personhood, digital labour and robot ethics (00:43:18) Compute costs, overbuild risks and the next wave of agents (00:53:20) Why robotics adoption may lag despite huge AI demand (00:57:33) Who benefits most from AI powered workflows next year (01:09:07) Which careers are resilient in an AI heavy world (01:14:13) Digital life, parks, and hopes for human connection Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next. Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently (and why?), reach out and let us know! Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:45) Fitness wins, nutrition and creative consistency (00:03:14) Courting Jas and the flat battery-flower story (00:07:37) Choosing a physical boss battle: powerlifting comp (00:13:45) The one unfinished goal and spring energy (00:15:00) Serenity, yoga and friendly social progress (00:17:30) Finances, crypto security and renovation trade-offs (00:27:32) October goals: power, recovery and more creation (00:36:09) October goals: events, yoga, BTC and long-term plans (00:45:31) Connecting habits, antifragility and spring momentum (00:49:30) Wrap-up and plans for more live episodes Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

The robot boom is attracting big money. But who actually gets paid when the machines get to work? In this Mere Mortals Robotics episode, I explore the robotics money map: the market’s size, the major players, and the economics that could determine what gets deployed between now and 2029. From NVIDIA, Alphabet and Amazon to Figure, Unitree and Boston Dynamics, we look beyond humanoid headlines to industrial robots, warehouse automation, autonomous machinery and robots working in our homes.This is me learning in public, testing ideas and trying to understand where robotics becomes genuinely useful. Recorded in September 2026. Company valuations and market figures reflect the discussion at that time. Cost examples and deployment scenarios are illustrative assumptions, rather than company quotes or guaranteed forecasts. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction: mapping the robot economy 01:36 Industrial robots versus humanoids 03:13 What counts as the robotics market? 04:08 Factory robot growth towards 2029 05:42 China’s role in robot adoption 07:17 Service robots and transport 08:09 Automation and global supply chains 09:31 Big tech and the robotics money map 11:06 Specialists, humanoids and autonomous machinery 13:22 Who pays for robots to learn? 15:12 The potential AI–robotics feedback loop 16:20 Can robots learn before arriving? 17:46 Getting more from existing robots 19:13 Why reliability compounds across a job 21:29 The cost of a useful robot hour 23:16 Human support and fleet failures 25:23 Obsolescence and resale risk 26:16 Who keeps the savings? 27:35 What could actually be deployed by 2029? 29:36 More robot output, less supplier revenue? 31:13 Insurance, risk and deployment plans 32:30 Home robot subscriptions and useful hours 33:20 Different countries, different opportunities 34:06 Five metrics that would change my mind 35:03 What needs to happen next? 36:20 Closing thoughts Where do you think robots will become economically useful first: warehouses, factories, mining or our homes? Let me know below. Subscribe for more Mere Mortals conversations exploring robotics, AI and the future of work. #Robotics #HumanoidRobots #RobotEconomyConnect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

This should keep me busy for a while. In Episode #529 of 'Meanderings', I unpack the “midlife crisis” I’ve been hinting at for months and explain how finally reaching a one-arm handstand left me asking, “what now?” That question, mixed with a rough patch of illness, renovation stress and my brother being away, pushed me into a deeper reflection on meaning, direction and long-term goals. Looking up at the night sky sparked an old fascination with space, and while I briefly entertained becoming an astronaut, I realised the lifestyle and trade-offs didn’t match the life I actually want to build. So instead, I’ve created a new framework: a set of big, interconnected 10,000-themed goals that I want to pursue over the long term. They span every major area of life, from giving 10,000% effort in love, teaching 10,000 people yoga and aiming to become a top 10k hand balancer, through to 10,000 acts of kindness, 10,000 days without porn, 10,000 hours of live streaming, and the wildest ones of all: becoming one of the first 10,000 people to step on the moon and a top 10k holder of BTC. It’s a conversation about building a life with cohesion, choosing goals that reinforce each other and setting a direction big enough to carry me well beyond the next yearly review. What are your thoughts on this, reach out and let us know! Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:15) After the one arm handstand, what comes next? (00:03:21) Looking at the stars and dreaming of the moon (00:05:31) Why becoming an astronaut is not the real path (00:08:55) Building a 10,000 themed framework for life goals (00:12:51) Partner, relationships and teaching 10,000 people yoga (00:19:26) Financial, fitness and spiritual goals at scale (00:27:03) The big moon goal and the path through storytelling (00:32:20) Character, mind control and 10,000 days without porn (00:35:48) 10,000 hours of live streaming and final reflections Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

I'm plotting my takeover of Juan's wife. In Episode #528 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: the famous “36 questions that can lead to love”, what these sorts of prompts actually reveal about a person, whether these questions help build genuine intimacy or just speed-run a connection that may not be viable in the real world, why it can sometimes be more useful to find the deal-breakers early rather than trying to fall in love with “anyone”. What are your thoughts on this, reach out and let us know! Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro (00:02:13) Dinner guests and what the answers reveal (00:09:15) Keeping the mind or body of a 30 year old (00:14:01) Secret hunches about death and odd dreams (00:17:26) The first 12 questions and first date practicality (00:20:01) Deeper questions, maturity and emotional timing (00:28:11) Set three, vulnerability and building understanding (00:40:46) Filtering for compatibility versus forcing love (00:51:53) Would these questions help with courting a spouse (00:54:24) Wrap up with goals, travel hints and crypto banter Connect with Mere Mortals: Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBn Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts Value 4 Value Support: V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast