Mike Maples Jr.

Basic Info

Role: Co-founder of Floodgate (Venture Capital Firm).
Known For: Early-stage investments (Twitter, Twitch, etc.), author ("Pattern Breakers" blog/book), thought leader on startups and identifying high-potential founders ("Thunder Lizards").
Connection: College roommate of Joe Liemandt.
Location: Silicon Valley (Implied).

Pattern Breakers: Focuses on identifying startups that break existing patterns and create new categories, rather than fitting into established ones.
Thunder Lizards: Metaphor for high-potential, category-defining startups.
Mental Models vs. Generative Models: Values both. Uses mental models (like checklists) to understand the present state and generative models (frameworks) to explore future possibilities. Believes different models apply under different conditions.
Asymmetric Upside: Focuses on investments with a lower probability but extremely high potential payoff (10% chance of 100x vs. 90% chance of 2x).
Insight over Consensus: Believes great startups often stem from non-consensus insights about the future.
Right Kind of Crazy: Looks for signals that an unconventional idea has merit and is worth exploring.
Execution Matters: Acknowledges the importance of execution but primarily focuses on the potential of the initial idea and team.
Deep Work & Checklists: Believes in using frameworks/checklists (like AI could provide) to handle routine aspects, freeing up time for deep, creative work and discovery.
Escaping Comparison Trap: Argues startups cap their upside if they can be easily compared to existing things; advises being a "world's first banana" instead of the "best apple".

Atomic Eggs / Transmogrifier: An AI-powered system concept designed to analyze startup ideas.
- Takes pitch decks/ideas as input.
- Uses various business frameworks (Business Model Canvas, Jobs To Be Done, Category Design, Storytelling) integrated via prompts.
- Asks clarifying questions in rapid sprints (like Pomodoro technique).
- Generates outputs/assessments based on frameworks (e.g., monopoly score, brand identity).
- Progressively refines the startup concept through iterative feedback.
- Goal: Quickly assess potential, identify gaps, and stress-test ideas using best practices, potentially acting like a virtual panel of experts.
Pattern Breakers Blog/Book: Shares insights on identifying and building high-potential startups.

2025-04-08 (approx): Presented the "Atomic Eggs" concept to Joe Liemandt and the Alpha/Gauntlet team. Discussed his investment philosophy and the potential for AI tools to aid startup analysis and development. Offered to potentially fund a team that could build out the Atomic Eggs concept.

Articulate speaker, uses metaphors effectively (Thunder Lizards, maps, sketches).
Has a clear investment thesis focused on non-consensus ideas and category creation.
Open about past investment misses (like initially passing on Airbnb) as learning experiences.
Sees potential for AI to codify and scale best practices in startup evaluation and development.

Transcript ID	Date	Summary
2025-04-08-alpha-school-strategy-meeting-tour	2025-04-08	Strategic discussions with Joe Liemandt and team on AI concepts including Atomic Eggs framework