Tommy Potter — Building the CIA for Entrepreneurs (EP.264)

Young, polymathic, and full of energy — Tommy Potter is on a quest to build a “CIA for Entrepreneurs.” He calls it “The Power Hour” — a startup community in Michigan that hosts dropouts, undergrads and PhDs across many industries: enterprise, consumer, CPG, aviation, gaming, robotics and AR/VR, as they work together to build cool projects. I had a great time chatting with Tommy as we spoke about non-linear career paths, embracing authenticity, working with dazzling, delusional people and more! I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: X/Twitter Linkedin Powerhour: The CIA For Entrepreneurship Show Notes: Tommy’s Origin Story Using The Third Door Lessons from Documenting the Homeless Can We Ever Be Our Authentic Self? What Traits Tommy Looks for in People Bringing Delusional People Together The East Coast - West Coast Bubbles Being a ‘Weirdo Broker’ Process Over Outcomes. Serendipity Over Itinerary. Different Personalities in Public vs. Private Markets The Importance of Learning People Life Isn’t a Highlight Reel - Live It All Tommy As World Emperor Books Mentioned: The Third Door: The Mindset of Success; by Alex Banayan One-upmanship; by Stephen Potter Class: Style and Status in the USA; by Paul Fussell Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America; by Chris Arnade The Science of Getting Rich; by Wallace D. Wattles The Act of Creation; by Arthur Koestler