With Q1 firmly behind us, I thought it a good moment to look back on the #AustinNext 2024 episodes. The podcast has definitely grown from its humble beginnings as a hack to meet interesting people and build social capital when I moved to Austin. Now it focuses on dissecting the rise of the Austin ecosystem, looking at macro trends through the lens of our thinkers and builders, and finally trying to understand the very nature of innovation itself. So far this year, I have had a good mix across all three pillars: Austin as The Next Superstar Hub 🚀 Startups and Statistics: Analyzing 2023's trends to anticipate what 2024 holds for startups with @PeterJ_Walker of @cartainc . austinnextpodcast.com/startups-and-s… 🎉 The @SXSW Effect: Understanding how this iconic festival shapes and propels innovation and the feedback loop with our local ecosystem with Monica Sack and @valentinechris. austinnextpodcast.com/what-is-the-sx… 🧠 AI for Austin's Young Minds: We are living in the future as I speak with a local elementary school that is pioneering access to AI tools with Principal Keith Moore of Austin's Campbell Elementary and Jules Beesley from @CreativeATX. austinnextpodcast.com/trailblazing-a… Insights from Austin's Builders & Thinkers 📺 From the Frontlines of the Streaming Wars: Navigating who’s up and who's down and Austin’s growth as a media hub with @bsabatinelli, CEO of @atmosphere_tv. austinnextpodcast.com/from-the-front… 🛒The E-commerce State of the Union: A deep dive into e-commerce’s evolution and where we stand today with Roei Yellin, Co-Founder and CRO at @eightfig. austinnextpodcast.com/exploring-the-… 🤖 AI Meets the Physical World: Understanding the next phase of AI as it intertwines with atoms and not just bits with @amirhusain_tx, Founder of @SparkCognition. austinnextpodcast.com/innovating-at-… 🌍 What does Agora mean for Humanity's Future: @byronreese, @databrett, and I explore Byron’s new book, superorganism, the evolution of intelligence, and of course, AI. austinnextpodcast.com/understanding-… Exploring the Nature of Innovation 🔮 What is The Gundo? A deeper look at the viral ecosystem and what other regions can learn with @isaiah_p_taylor, Founder of @valaratomics, and @johncoogan, @foundersfund. austinnextpodcast.com/what-is-the-gu… 🏙️ Rise of the Meta City: @Richard_Florida returns to the show to discuss his new concept of the Meta City and its role in the future of cities. austinnextpodcast.com/rise-of-the-me… 💡Counter-Culture in Entrepreneurship: @tylerfromantler of @AntlerGlobal and I go down the rabbit hole of how true innovation is a cultural phenomenon and what that means. austinnextpodcast.com/the-counter-cu… What was your favorite, and what was your biggest insight? What’s Next?