Ian Wylie Hedrick

Life Philosophy & Faith

Entrepreneurship as Spiritual Calling

Ian sees entrepreneurship not as a career choice but as a spiritual imperative. Growing up watching his single mother run her own businesses (seamstress shop, then tanning salon), he learned early that working for oneself was the path to freedom. His philosophy centers on the belief that creating something from nothing is "more in the image of God who created something." He's had more jobs than years alive (30+), describing himself as "serially unemployable" because he takes too much ownership and refuses to play corporate politics.

Freedom and Death Awareness

"Momentum mori" (remembering death) serves as fuel rather than anxiety for Ian. He believes "Freedom is the most expensive thing God has put on this earth" because "Satan has dominion and does not want us to be free." This drives his refusal to accept what he calls "prison sentences" of four-year vesting schedules, viewing traditional employment as spiritually offensive to his calling.

Current Spiritual State

After years away from church, a difficult breakup has pushed Ian back to God. He's attending Catholic mass with Grimes Daniel in Berkeley despite his Protestant upbringing, finding value in worshipping in community even while questioning some Catholic practices. He receives divine guidance through dreams and visions, and strongly believes in God orchestrating connections and conversations for His purposes.

Overview

Ian Wylie Hedrick is a serial entrepreneur and spiritual seeker who met Gary at the Coinbase summit in DC on May 14, 2025. Currently living in a studio in the Berkeley Hills with stunning views, Ian is working with WAG to maintain cash flow while building City Farmers, his agricultural technology startup. He's reconnecting with God, attending Catholic mass with Grimes Daniel, and navigating a difficult breakup that has pushed him deeper into faith. Ian and Gary share a profound connection around being "serially unemployable" entrepreneurs who see traditional employment as spiritually offensive and believe in creating from nothing as being more aligned with God's image.

Background & Professional Details

• Lives in Berkeley Hills studio apartment (walking distance from UC Berkeley football stadium)
• Working with WAG providing "a few thousand dollars a month" cash flow
• City Farmers close to being properly incorporated with new lawyer creating fork of Nouns
• Raised by entrepreneurial single mother (seamstress who built tanning salon business)
• Has had more jobs than years alive (30 years old, turning 31 in January 2025)
• "Serially unemployable" - gets fired or quits due to taking too much ownership
• Working on custom Android boot development
• Connecting with deep tech infrastructure and climate tech VCs in San Francisco
• Progress on Kansas City greenhouse project
• Previously delivered pizza at Domino's before moving to Chicago
• Manager offered him $96k+ position but chose entrepreneurial path instead

Professional Focus

• City Farmers: Agricultural technology startup ("making things beautiful and useful")
• Project Manager for Schwartz Foundation (Noah Schwartz's family foundation)
• Open Doors Nonprofit: Forming new 501(c)(3) with Noah as liability shield for experimental initiatives
• Leading vinyl library/cultural center project in Berkeley/Oakland
• Developing reformed DAO model ("New Nouns") to address governance issues
• Addressing food waste (25% of waste stream) and metal recycling opportunities
• Working with WAG for cash flow while building City Farmers
• Deep tech infrastructure and climate tech VC connections
• Kansas City greenhouse project development
• Custom Android boot development
• Quarterly stipend model from foundation (paid every 45 days)
• Building without traditional employment: "I didn't want a job. I didn't want to work for anybody."
• Focus on creating from nothing as spiritual calling aligned with God's image

Spiritual Journey

• Raised Protestant, now exploring Catholicism with Grimes Daniel's group
• Recently baptized in water (October 6, 2025)
• Going through spiritual awakening triggered by difficult breakup
• Receives divine messages through dreams and visions
• Believes in divine orchestration of connections and conversations
• Views entrepreneurship as spiritual obedience vs corporate work as spiritual compromise
• King James Bible: "It's never done me dirty"
• Struggling with Catholic practices but finds community worship appealing

Relationship Philosophy

• Recently ended relationship with woman who had opposing values (abortion, anti-Christian)
• Learning not to project own change journey onto partners
• Woman refused to understand pro-life perspective: "Those women are brainwashed"
• Recognizes relationship didn't bring out best in each other
• Believes God has prepared the right partner who will appear when in obedience
• Processing breakup as catalyst for deeper faith journey

Connection to Gary

• Met at the Coinbase summit in DC
• Both see their November 18, 2025 call as divinely orchestrated
• Share profound understanding of being "serially unemployable"
• Both believe God sends messengers through people
• Ian sees Gary taking traditional job as "putting an animal in a zoo cage"
• Mutual confirmation about not compromising spiritual calling for traditional employment
• Ian: "You needed to hear from me... my confidence about work"
• Gary: "You needed my confidence about relationships"
• Both changing dramatically over past years and projecting that onto others
• Share similar views on LGBT and abortion as spiritual issues
• Working together on Noah Schwartz's Foundation projects
• Ian proposed Gary join as operator to help execute vinyl library and DAO projects
• Aligned on values of agency, decentralization, and mission-driven work

Personal Insights

• Recently going through difficult breakup with 34-year-old liberal woman (had abortion at 27, "turbo liberal")
• Reconnecting with God over past few years, started attending church again past couple weeks
• Attends Catholic mass with Grimes Daniel in Berkeley despite Protestant background
• Believes "Freedom is the most expensive thing God has put on this earth"
• Philosophy: "I'd rather live with the bitter taste of failure than the poison of regret"
• Sees entrepreneurship as aligned with God's image: "creating something from nothing"
• Receives divine messages through dreams and visions
• Believes "momentum mori" (remembering death) as fuel rather than anxiety
• Views traditional employment as spiritual prison: "four year vesting schedule... prison sentence"
• Always knew from young age he didn't want a job or to work for anybody

Potential Collaboration Areas

• Kansas City World Cup development opportunities
• City Farmers agricultural technology venture
• Faith-based entrepreneurship and ministry
• Applied AI Youth Empowerment: Teaching underserved communities practical AI skills through foundation
• Open Doors Nonprofit: Board member position alongside Noah for experimental initiatives
• Leveraging Peer Tutoring Resource Center (1970s foundation program) for contemporary AI education
• Corporate Applied AI training and consulting initiatives
• Supporting each other's spiritual journeys
• Taking California back spiritually: "We got to take California back, brother"
• Connection through Berkeley/SF Christian community (Grimes Daniel's group)
• Mutual support in choosing entrepreneurship over traditional employment

Key Quotes

"Freedom is the most expensive thing God has put on this earth. Because Satan has dominion. And he does not want us to be free and he does not want us in touch with God."

"I'd rather live with the bitter taste of failure than the poison of regret."

"I'm serially unemployable. I get fired. I take up too much ownership and then end up quitting or get fired."

"It's always been incredibly offensive to my spirit to tie myself down in that way... Why would I live this one life I have not just swinging for the fences?"

"The inspiration for my life is my mother... watching her never have a boss, really, and just doing the things that she wanted to do."

"This conversation was ordained. You needed to hear from me. You needed my confidence about work. And I need your confidence about relationships."

"The idea of you [in a corporate job], it feels like putting an animal in a zoo cage... like when you see the sad polar bear in their itty bitty enclosure."

"We got to take California back, brother."

[About traditional employment] "You're signing a prison sentence... a four year vesting schedule."

Interactions

• 2025-05-14: Met at Coinbase summit in DC. Discussed the vinyl record library project, Kansas City World Cup development opportunities, and potential collaboration with Gary's mentors for rapid construction methods.

• 2025-05-20: Arranged and participated in video call connecting Gary with Troy Carlson and Heidi Lehmann to discuss Kansas City development opportunities, particularly around the World Cup and broader city innovation initiatives.

• 2025-11-18: Deep spiritual conversation covering faith journeys, relationship struggles, and career philosophy. Both confirmed divine orchestration of call as mutual confirmation against traditional employment. Discussed breakups, reconnecting with God, and entrepreneurship as spiritual calling.

• 2025-11-20: Meeting with Noah Schwartz at Gauntlet AI office to discuss Foundation collaboration opportunities. Ian presented operator role for Gary - high agency position to help execute vinyl library and reformed DAO projects. Discussed compensation, potential Bay Area relocation, and alignment on mission-driven work. Ian emphasized peer collaboration over hierarchical management.

• 2025-11-21: Deep conversation about Gary's Applied AI vision and potential nonprofit collaboration. Gary shared his breakthrough realization about empowering people with practical AI rather than building the next OpenAI. Ian recognized Gary's renewed energy after months of existential struggle. Discussed board membership on new nonprofit entity (Open Doors), quarterly stipend model, and teaching underserved youth Applied AI skills. Ian connected with Gary's friend Ari the previous night, finding "ridiculous amount of synergy." Gary proposed helping businesses and youth see AI as "Iron Man suit versus the person that's going to replace them."

Next Steps

• Gary to write one-pager on Applied AI youth empowerment initiative
• Potential board membership on new nonprofit with Ian and Noah
• Negotiate quarterly stipend arrangement (45-90 day trial period)
• Schedule follow-up call with Noah for foundation alignment
• Continue supporting each other's spiritual journeys
• Connect through Grimes Daniel's Catholic mass community in Berkeley
• Leverage Gary's network for foundation initiatives

Transcripts

transcript-id	date	one-line-summary
transcript-id	date	one-line-summary
---------------	------	------------------
2025-05-20-kansas-city-world-cup-opportunity	2025-05-20	Facilitated discussion about Kansas City development opportunities and arranged strategic introductions
2025-11-20-foundation-vinyl-library-collaboration	2025-11-20	Foundation collaboration meeting on vinyl library project and reformed DAO models
2025-11-21-gary-ian-applied-ai-empowerment	2025-11-21	Applied AI empowerment vision discussion and foundation collaboration opportunities