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Brian (Foundational Technologies)

Basic Info​

  • Location: Austin, Texas
  • Role/Occupation: Founder/CEO of Foundational Technologies (AI trading platform)
  • Met: Connected through Ross (mutual connection from gauntlet program)
  • Company Status: Raised seed round from Accel, well-funded startup

Professional Background​

  • Building AI-powered trading platform that acts as both broker and strategy development tool
  • Company is in stealth mode but well-funded with seed round from Accel
  • Focus on creating AI agents that can develop, backtest, and execute trading strategies
  • Platform will allow users to create trading agents through conversational interface
  • Planning to offer marketplace where successful agents can be shared for passive income

Key Projects & Interests​

  • Foundational Technologies: AI trading platform with chat interface for strategy development
  • Austin AI Community Building: Actively working to establish Austin as AI talent hub
  • Office/House Space: Planning to rent large house (20-50 people capacity) as community workspace
  • Talent Acquisition: Looking to hire software engineers starting January 2025
  • Community Events: Plans to host meetups, provide free lunch with professional chef, co-working days

Strategic Vision​

  • Prove that Austin has high-quality AI talent (counter to investor advice to move to SF)
  • Build strong AI community through physical space and regular gatherings
  • Create dual-purpose community: talent pipeline for company + beta testers for product
  • Put "Austin on the map from an AI talent perspective"
  • Demonstrate that Austin companies can grow as fast as Silicon Valley companies

Product Details - Foundational Technologies​

  • Core Concept: ChatGPT-like interface for developing trading strategies
  • Agent Creation: Converts refined strategies into autonomous trading agents
  • Full Broker: Not just connected to Robinhood - they are the broker
  • Features: Paper trading, backtesting, multiple agent versions, rebalancing
  • Marketplace: Successful agents can be shared for others to invest in
  • Triggers: Agents can trade on various frequencies (daily, hourly, news alerts, tweets)
  • Research Integration: Deep research capabilities and full internet context

Interaction History​

2025-11-23: Initial Introduction Call​

  • Context: Gary calling from Medici Roasting coffee shop in Austin
  • Connection: Ross recommended Brian as potential collaborator for Austin AI community
  • Discussion Topics:
    • Gary's background in community building and software engineering
    • Brian's vision for Austin AI community and office space
    • Foundational Technologies product demo and user research
    • Potential collaboration on community events and talent pipeline

Key Quotes from Conversation:

  • "I strongly feel that there's a good AI community here for us to build from and hire"
  • "My kind of personal goal is to put Austin on the map from an AI talent perspective"
  • "We're realizing that a large chunk of the people that would be good creators on our platform are going to be software engineers"
  • "I want people to think that just like [SF] has great AI talent, Austin does too"

Product Research Insights:

  • Gary prefers using other people's trading agents over building his own
  • Would start with "a few thousand" dollars to test
  • Trust factors: needs friend recommendations, peer-reviewed research, detailed case studies
  • Interested in beta testing with paper trading
  • Values verifiable logic behind AI trading decisions

Strategic Value​

  • Applied AI Society Leadership: Brian's vision to establish Austin as an AI talent hub directly aligns with building a community of AI engineers. His planned community space and hiring initiatives provide infrastructure for Applied AI Society members
  • Technical Credibility: As a well-funded startup founder with successful AI product development, Brian brings technical credibility and real-world AI implementation experience to the community
  • Physical Infrastructure: His planned 20-50 person community house/workspace creates a dedicated venue for Applied AI Society meetups, workshops, and co-working sessions
  • Talent Pipeline: Brian's hiring needs (starting January 2025) provide immediate job opportunities for Applied AI Society members and create a recruitment pipeline for qualified AI engineers

Previous Collaboration Areas​

  • Community Building: Shared vision for establishing Austin AI ecosystem
  • Event Collaboration: Brian interested in speaking/sponsoring Gary's events with Travis Oliphant
  • Talent Network: Gary offered to help identify potential early hires from his network
  • Physical Space: Brian's planned office/house could serve broader community
  • Mutual Referrals: Both building networks in Austin AI space

Connections & Network​

  • Ross: Mutual connection from gauntlet program who made the introduction
  • Travis Oliphant: Gary mentioned collaborating with NumPy/SciPy creator for January event
  • Accel: Seed round investor in Foundational Technologies

Notes & Observations​

  • Communication Style: Direct, strategic thinker, focused on execution
  • Decision-Making: Moves quickly when opportunities align (planning January house rental)
  • Community Mindset: Genuine interest in building ecosystem beyond just his company
  • Funding Approach: Realistic about sponsorship capabilities ("don't have Nvidia money")
  • Trust Building: Understands importance of social proof and friend recommendations

Future Plans​

  • January 2025: Start hiring for Foundational Technologies
  • January 2025: Secure and furnish community house/office space
  • Ongoing: Host regular community events (lunches, meetups, co-working)
  • Product Launch: Continue developing and testing AI trading platform

Action Items from Call​

  • Brian to send follow-up email with action items
  • Explore speaking/sponsorship opportunity for Gary's January event with Travis Oliphant
  • Consider collaboration on Austin AI community building
  • Gary to share potential hiring candidates when Brian starts recruiting in January

Recent Developments​

  • Successfully raised seed funding from Accel
  • Actively searching for rental property for community space
  • Preparing to begin hiring in January 2025
  • Building relationships with Austin AI community members

Transcripts​

Transcript IDDateSummary
2025-11-23-gary-brian-foundational-technologies-austin-ai-community2025-11-23AI trading platform demo and Austin community building collaboration discussion