California Hold'em
Jeremi reflects on a tough decision to take a test he might not be ready for; Luca recaps his journey so far co-founding a startup
Welcome back to Jeremi and Luca’s Newsletter, a weekly update brought to you by two friends on opposite ends of the country, connected by a relentless desire to learn.
The topics may seem random and disjointed (they are), but would it be fun otherwise? Either way, we promise each issue will be filled with insights, learnings, and updates, in what we hope is a good way to stay connected to friends and family.
In this third installment, enjoy Jeremi’s reflection on a tough academic decision spurred by sudden fevers and Luca’s recap of his journey so far co-founding a startup.
Jeremi: Table Stakes
A few days ago, I was faced with a difficult decision: risk failing a final, or get an incomplete grade on my transcript and be forced to return to school in the summer.
I had just caught the flu on Sunday, and despite four days of doing nothing but sleep, it wasn’t getting better. I had a final the next Saturday that I had been completely unable to study for. I was seriously worried that I would show up to the final fevering, delusional, and promptly flunk.
My professor offered me a choice: get an incomplete grade in his class, then come back over the summer and take the final again with a different class.
I wouldn’t have to retake the class; just show up for one specific day over the summer, and take a test.
But it would mean a black mark on my transcript until then, and it was risking the unknown—who knew how a test by another teacher would be? What concepts would be on it? And how much would I forget and have to relearn in the meantime?
On the other hand, I wouldn’t be leaving my grade up to fate. I could study over the summer, and ensure that I got a grade I was happy with. There was no insurance of anything going into that test on Saturday.
In the end, I went with the riskier option. I took the test.
Here’s why.
My personal rule has always been to let school take up as little space as I can allow it. I’ll work to get As, but they’re not my priority—they’re not going to get me where I want to go.
I want to work at companies that (I believe) are working on really interesting problems. For example: Figure working on humanoid robots. To get there, I need to be working on difficult projects that prepare me for that work. Not worrying about a statistics test.
Moreover, I’m going to be in Livermore, working at an internship (more on that in coming weeks!). My highest priority this summer is performing well there. I don’t need anything dividing my attention.
It may sound extreme, and in a way, it is. But I don’t think it’s crazy. I don’t mean to say that my education is worthless. I believe it’s worth every penny that it’s costing.
I just believe its value comes from the people I meet there, the projects I work on, and the opportunities I take advantage of. The degree is table stakes.
If I get a B here or there in sacrifice for that, so be it.
Luca: Upping the Ante
I’m super excited about a startup I’ve co-founded at the nexus of AI and aviation, a passion of mine since I was 11.
Back in April, I had the opportunity to attend the Generative AI + Aerospace Hackathon1 at AGI House in San Francisco. At the event, I teamed up with an augmented reality startup founder, a Google software engineer, a Stanford artificial intelligence researcher, and a Boeing flight test engineer.
In short, we integrated Infinite Flight’s mobile flight simulator2 and ForeFlight’s electronic flight bag3 into Apple Vision Pro and leveraged large language models (LLMs) for accurate feedback and procedural coaching. This allowed us to prototype a cost-effective and accessible tool for pilot proficiency.
That was all two months ago. Let me bring you up to speed.
When I posted about the hackathon on LinkedIn, our team was surprised and motivated by the wealth of positive feedback we received. ForeFlight’s research and development team reached out for a call. Infinite Flight wanted to learn more about how we incorporated their flight simulator into the project.
Our team met in the city multiple times to work on our demo, create a coherent pitch deck, and prepare for these calls. We were learners first and foremost, excited to be in conversation with industry leaders, no matter the outcome. We had calls with both companies within two weeks of the hackathon.
Christian Bailey, a deep tech founder and judge from the AGI House event, joined our team as an advisor. We interviewed for a16z Games’ SPEEDRUN, an accelerator for projects developing AI-driven games—or in our case, simulation. And just last week, we interviewed for HF0’s repeat founders program.
Heading into the summer, we have secured angel checks to cover our travel to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (the largest air show in the world) and FlightSimExpo in Las Vegas. As a pilot and aviation enthusiast, this is exhilarating. I’m looking forward to connecting with folks at Infinite Flight who I’ve known for years and other aviation friends.
I’m incredibly grateful just to be engaging in these conversations, having these experiences, and working with such bright people. Enjoying the journey.
I’ve used Infinite Flight for a long time now. In many ways, the flight simulator and its community inspired me to get my pilot license.
Electronic flight bags consolidate most of the information a pilot needs into a single device (often an iPad). There are many offerings, but I use ForeFlight when I fly.
Luca, so cool to hear about your venture! I’m looking forward to hearing more about it when we get together this summer.