Arpan Gupta

Background

• Participant in Gauntlet AI program.
• Part of the "Alpha Nano" team / "Superbuilders" with Danny Mota and Malekai Mischke.
• Considered part of Gary Sheng's core "Dire Wolves" squad.
• Previously worked remotely but now in Austin.

Role & Skills

• Engineering focus.
• Involved in building the micro-school platform / "Shopify for Teachers" concept, potentially branded as Strata School (though focus seems shifted to general school management platform).
• Specific current project: AI-driven marketing pages for students (with Bjorn Pagen).
• Working on platform(s) to automate school management headaches.
• Contributes to strategic discussions about the Alpha ecosystem and Joe Liemandt's methods.
• Aware of potential bottlenecks (e.g., accessing 2-Hour Learning via Andy Montgomery) and ecosystem dynamics.

Connections

• Gary Sheng
• Lamar Cannon
• Danny Mota
• Malekai Mischke
• Bjorn Pagen (Superbuilders team)
• Joe Liemandt
• Other Gauntlet AI participants

Interactions

• Pre-2025-04-12: Involved in Gauntlet AI, received feedback from Joe Liemandt on Alpha Nano team's MVP (Gary recorded session).
• 2025-04-12: Participated in conversation with Gary, Lamar Cannon, and Danny Mota, including interaction with an Iranian Uber driver and listening to/discussing Joe Liemandt's strategy discussion at the Gauntlet office.
• 2025-04-15: Call with Gary Sheng. Discussed the pivot of the Strata School strategy to focus on recruiting Texas high school coaches (especially sports coaches) for micro-schools, the economic proposition for coaches, Joe Liemandt's direct involvement/feedback, team progress, potential collaborations (Beef Jones, Mikey Gendel), challenges (2-Hour Learning access), and navigating the Gauntlet 2.0 environment.
• 2025-04-18 (Afternoon Tour): Met with Gary Sheng and Mahaveer Dharmchand during a tour led by Carson at Alpha School. Introduced as part of the "Superbuilders" team working on platforms to automate school management. Briefly discussed the need for better feedback loops between engineers and guides/users.
• 2025-05-09 (Super Builders Meeting with Stefanie Baduria):
  • Identified his team, Stratifyd, as building "micro schools for coaches."
  • Stated their goal is to launch 1,200 schools next year and need to figure out "guide training at scale."
  • Expressed interest in Stefanie's thoughts on automating guide training.
  • Agreed to coordinate with Heather Staker on a guide training solution that could apply to coaches.
  • Discussed "Schedule Master" with Stefanie, clarifying it's for operational logistics.
  • Inquired about remote scheduling of curriculum for 2-Hour Learning, which Stefanie clarified is AI-pushed.
  • Mentioned interest in the "Guide Agent" / "2-Hour Learning Coaching" app to help coaches monitor student progress and identify who needs help, stating Stratifyd would be most interested in taking this on to ensure their network of schools is the "best school district in the state of Texas."
  • Asked about a "guide light" course for coaches running schools of 25 kids, who already know the students well.
• 2025-07-11 (Superbuilders Office Group Discussion):
  • Participated in extended group discussion with Gary Sheng and team members at Superbuilders office.
  • Discussed internal Alpha Schools dynamics, including ranking system frustrations: "We were number one the whole month. The end of the month comes. They rerun the bucket numbers. I get an email. 50 hours cut."
  • Contributed insights about colleague departures and interpersonal dynamics: "Roger's just shitting on everyone in his tweets right now."
  • Shared knowledge about space industry opportunities: "Space is going to happen in about 10 years. A ton of shit. Space is, like, the next biggest trend that people just don't realize yet."
  • Discussed future of entertainment: "Hollywood's gonna be dead in three years. Customized movies."
  • Engaged in conversations about Austin real estate, technology trends, and team dynamics.

Notes

• Gary plans to gift him an Apple Watch (along with Danny and Malekai).
• Seen by Lamar as a logical counterpoint to Gary's energetic style.

Relationship Type: Colleague/Friend (Alpha Nano Team / Superbuilders) First Met: Unknown Last Interaction: 2025-07-11 (Superbuilders Office Group Discussion) Connection Strength: Strong

Background Information

• Involved with The Gauntlet program / Alpha School ecosystem (Alpha Nano Team / Superbuilders)
• Shows strong technical knowledge, particularly interested in AI, RAG systems, and vector databases
• Has entrepreneurial interests and is focused on building AI agents / micro-school platform / school management tools
• Previously had what he refers to as his "yap era" (possibly referring to public speaking/thought leadership)
• Has strong opinions on certain political topics

Professional Life

• Works with AI and agent technology
• Involved in developing the "Shopify for Teachers" micro-school platform concept (though focus may have shifted)
• Currently building platforms to automate school management headaches, including AI-generated marketing pages for students (with Bjorn Pagen).
• Understands technical concepts like RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) and Row-Level Security on databases
• Expressed that recent conversations have strengthened his conviction about his current work direction

Personal Traits

• Outspoken and willing to share strong opinions
• Values authenticity and directness in communication
• Critical thinker who questions established systems
• Anti-communist views expressed strongly
• Values high-agency individuals

Interests

• AI agents and vector databases
• Business opportunities in technology
• Authentication and security in AI systems
• Entrepreneurship, specifically the micro-school platform project / school management tools
• Education reform
• Space industry and satellite technology
• Trading and financial markets
• Technology trends and business opportunities
• Social media dynamics and strategy
• Austin real estate and investment opportunities

Shared Connections

• Joe Liemandt
• Gary Sheng
• Danny Mota (Alpha Nano team / Superbuilders)
• Malekai Mischke (Alpha Nano team / Superbuilders)
• Bjorn Pagen (Superbuilders team)
• Dallas Klein
• Lamar Cannon
• Spencer Chubb

Key Insights

• Skeptical about certain applications of AI, particularly the "Ephor" concept discussed with Joe, due to censorship concerns
• Values private, authentic conversations where people can speak freely without self-censoring
• Recommended "Conspiracy" by Ryan Holiday to Gary, suggesting strategic thinking about influence
• Has negative views on unions, specifically mentioned teachers unions and police unions
• Engaged in brainstorming the America 2.0 Summit concept (vision scope, branding, participant selection)
• Discussed the "Shopify for Teachers" model and platform requirements
• Critical of internal ranking systems and their arbitrary nature at Alpha Schools
• Believes space industry is the next major technological opportunity after AI
• Understands the economics of satellite launches and space technology
• Recognizes the value of authentic vs. performative social media presence
• Aware of the challenges of managing technical talent and organizational dynamics
• Has knowledge of trading and financial markets, particularly energy trading
• Pragmatic and realistic about both opportunities and limitations

Interaction History

2025-03-25: Post-Dinner Reflection

Participated in a candid conversation after a dinner with Joe Liemandt. Discussed education reform strategy, the limitations of AI knowledge repositories for controversial opinions, and the value of trusted circles for honest communication. Expressed skepticism about certain AI applications and suggested technical solutions like row-level security for vector databases.

2025-04-08: Alpha Nano team meeting

Brainstormed America 2.0 Summit (renaming, scope, selection process like "American Nerd Idol"). Discussed micro-school platform development and strategy.

2025-04-15: Call with Gary Sheng

Discussed the pivot to Strata School focused on sports coaches, Joe's feedback, team progress, potential collaborations, and challenges.

2025-04-18: Alpha School Tour Interaction

Met Gary and Mahaveer Dharmchand during Carson's tour. Introduced as part of the "Superbuilders" team. Discussed need for better feedback between engineering and school operations.

2025-05-09: Super Builders Meeting with Stefanie Baduria

Participated in a meeting with Stefanie Baduria and other Super Builders. Discussed Stratifyd's work on micro-schools for coaches and the need for scalable guide training. Expressed interest in automating guide training and coordinating with Heather Staker. Clarified understanding of "Schedule Master" and 2-Hour Learning curriculum scheduling. Showed strong interest in the "Guide Agent" app for monitoring student progress. Inquired about a "guide light" training package for coaches.

Potential Opportunities

• Collaboration on AI agent projects / micro-school platform / school management tools
• Technical advisor role for security aspects of knowledge management systems
• Potential ally in education reform initiatives

Contact Information

[To be added]

Notes

• Technically savvy and entrepreneurially minded member of the Alpha Nano / Superbuilders team
• Has strong political views that align with free market principles
• Values authenticity and is willing to discuss controversial topics in trusted circles

Additional Context (from October 2025)

• Strategic Calculation About Joe Liemandt: Per Ron Roberts' conversation with Gary (2025-10-25), Arpan has "made that calculation in their head" that "there's no way that they don't know that Joe's like super problematic" but has chosen to work within the system for strategic advantage rather than confrontation

Strategic Value

• applied-ai-society Technical Architecture Leader: Core engineering expertise in AI systems, RAG technology, and vector databases essential for building scalable AI community platform and educational infrastructure
• Educational Innovation Catalyst: Leading development of "Shopify for Teachers" micro-school platform and automated school management systems that directly support alternative education models and scaling challenges
• Austin Tech Ecosystem Connector: Deep integration with Alpha/Gauntlet ecosystem provides valuable intelligence on technical talent, organizational dynamics, and emerging AI industry trends
• Strategic Technology Advisor: Proven ability to identify technical solutions for complex problems including authentication, security, and process optimization crucial for community platform development and member management

Transcripts

Transcript ID	Date	Summary
2025-05-09-superbuilders-stefanie-baduria-school-expansion	2025-05-09	Super Builders meeting with Stefanie Baduria discussing tech needs and school expansion opportunities
2025-04-18-final-conversations-alpha-school	2025-04-18	Alpha School tour and platform development discussions with Gary, Mahaveer, and engineering team
2025-04-15-arpan-gupta-call	2025-04-15	Strategic call about Strata School pivot to coach recruitment and collaboration needs
2025-04-08-alpha-nano-team-meeting	2025-04-08	Team brainstorm on America 2.0 Summit and micro-school platform updates
2025-04-08-alpha-school-strategy-meeting-tour	2025-04-08	Strategic discussions with Joe Liemandt, Mike Maples Jr. and team on AI concepts and platform development
2025-03-25-post-dinner-reflection-group	2025-03-25	Post-dinner reflection with Arpan, Lamar, Spencer and Dallas discussing Joe's interactions and strategic approaches
2025-03-24-dinner-with-arpan-dallas-lamar	2025-03-24	Casual dinner conversation with fellow AI bootcamp participants covering various topics
2025-04-18-alpha-school-tour-with-carson	2025-04-18	Campus tour explaining educational philosophy and introducing engineering team