Ankord Memo - January 17, 2024

Good Morning from a gloomy morning in LA!

Since my last newsletter in December of 2022, a whirlwind of activities and exciting developments have taken place. I published my first book, The Doe has come back to life, Nota has gone on to fundraise a Seed round, Audo and Guin became leaner and more nimble! This edition won't be a recap of the past year; instead, it will zoom in on the present, capturing the essence of my current engagements and thoughts. Going forward, each newsletter will be segmented by each subsidiary of Ankord, featuring a rotating spotlight on an Ankord Labs startup, an Ankord Media project, what I’m listening to, what I’m reading, and anything else I’m focused on. Let's dive in!

Ankord Media:

From Milan the Author:

After a year-long hiatus from newsletters due to my foray into publishing a book, I'm thrilled to announce that my first book "I’m Just Saying: A Guide to Maintaining Civil Discourse" has not only recouped my publishers’s investment and paid dividends, reaching #2 on the WSJ BestSeller list, but also has been a tremendously fulfilling journey for me. Publishing this book and making content to market it has bolstered my confidence as a content creator, pushing me to get creative with what I want to create, and leading me to work on my next book! So much more detail is to come in future newsletters, but my second book will be a philosophical exploration of existential questions in an age dominated by AI and bio-engineering. Questions around evolution and the cultural and spiritual adaptation requirements in response to all the changes (like potential doubling of life expectancy in the next 50 years). The journey of researching and consulting with experts has been enlightening to say the least. While the book is unnamed as of now, it's slated for an April 2025 release. This new book deal has better terms for me, and builds on my last deal with my first publisher, Health Communications Inc, a division of Simon and Schuster. 

From Milan the Content Creator:

I just got back from Las Vegas this past weekend because I was at a tech conference called CES (Consumer Electronics Show). This trip was honestly a dream come true for me as I reflected on being a 13 year old who spent hours combing over CES recap videos after school when I was in middle school - with MKBHD being my tech Youtuber role model. To transition from a viewer to a recognized member of the media at CES, complete with my own videographer and engaging with global startup founders, is beyond surreal. It's a dream so grand, my teenage self wouldn't have dared to imagine it; I find myself incredibly grateful for these moments.

CES in Vegas was not just an event; but a vibrant, tech-filled playground where my creative director Josh and I unearthed some super exciting startups. Here are two of them that were incredibly intriguing to me:

Motion Pillow: AI Snoring Solution. This company has built a pillow with an airbag that gently rotates your head while you’re sleeping to open your airways and prevent further snoring. 

LexiLens: Glasses and computer screens for people with dyslexia that send waves to your brain completely eliminating your dyslexia and allowing you to read normally. 

The CES content and interviews I created last week is coming soon. Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel to see it all. If you’ve been supporting my content on social media and Youtube, a resounding thank YOU. I know the direction for where the content is going isn’t always clear, but thank you for sticking with me as I figure out what I love to make and iterate on delivering it to you in the best quality and formats possible. 

Ankord Labs Weekly Spotlight:

For those of you who are new or need a reminder, Ankord Labs is the startup incubator I created to house the costs of the services, as well as my investment, in each of the startups I’m building. Each week I’ll give a spotlight on one company, and general updates on the others that I can unpack further when rotating the spotlight.

Guin Records:

Jean Deaux and Tempest: Welcoming these extraordinary artists to our roster marks a thrilling start to 2024. Their unique talents and perspectives are set to invigorate our label. Jean Deaux is now our largest artist, symbolizing our commitment to empowering strong, female voices in music. Please hit the link to each artist and give them a follow.

"Guin Huddle" Podcast: Misha launched the "Guin Huddle” podcast, featuring Michael Bearden. This podcast offers deep insights into the music industry, reflecting on artist development, industry shifts, and personal experiences with music icons. Please click the link and give our show a follow so you are alerted to new episodes.

Guin Records Newsletter: Misha has also launched a Guin Newsletter, covering updates on Guin Records, our new signees, learnings, and industry gossip. Subscribe here. 

Ambitious Goals: This year, we aim to release 100 singles across various genres, from Farsi music to electronic, hip hop, and R&B. This goal underscores our dedication to amplifying the voices of diverse storytellers in music.

Expanding Distribution Options: We're committed to providing our artists with the best distribution partner possible, making us the first record label to tailor a different distributor for each artist’s needs.This approach empowers our artists to partner with distributors that align with their vision and market their projects effectively, a groundbreaking strategy in the music industry.

Ankord Labs General Updates:

Nota:

Currently finalizing a Seed Round of Financing, Nota weeks away from closing a 3M round at a 23M post-money valuation. With a burgeoning customer base including six publicly traded companies, this funding is a timely boost for our data science team and customer service capabilities.

Audo:

Audo is intensely focused on securing government funding for upskilling and career support for marginalized communities. We are working towards providing Audo access to individuals in half-way houses, on probation, or even incarcerated with tablet access, aiming for a transformative impact on their future careers. Alongside this, we're gearing up for a July launch of new features and product upgrades.

Narratives & The Doe:

Narratives is a new corporation I co-founded in 2023, a 501(c)(3) content house that rejuvenated The Doe in the latter half of 2023. The team at Narratives is small and focused on creating empathy on the internet by publishing content that challenges your echo chamber. The Doe, our anonymous publishing arm, specializes in anonymous, personal stories that challenge biases, evoke your emotions, and humanize major news stories, fostering real perspective change and empathy. Long term, Narratives will house personal stories from people’s lives, that aren’t anonymous.

Things I’m Reading:

• In the Shadow of the Machine: The Prehistory of the Computer and the Evolution of Consciousness 

  • This book explores the historical development of technologies leading to the computer and AI, arguing that these innovations are not sudden but the culmination of millennia of human thought and development. Naydler traces the evolution of logic, electricity, and consciousness through various historical eras, asserting that changes in human consciousness have been pivotal in technological advancement. He criticizes the mechanistic view of humans and warns against the dangers of transhumanism, emphasizing that true human distinctiveness lies in our consciousness and ability to innovate creatively. Ultimately, Naydler contends that understanding the deep-rooted history of technological developments can help us grasp their moral implications and the importance of maintaining our human essence in the face of advancing AI.

• Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

  • Max is an MIT professor and President of the Future of Life Institute, explores the future of artificial intelligence and its impact on human life. Tegmark presents a range of potential scenarios, from utopian to dystopian, emphasizing the need for ethical considerations and goal alignment in AI development. The book combines technical discussions, ethical debates, and speculative scenarios to challenge readers to think critically about the future of AI and humanity's role in shaping it

• The Joyous Cosmology: Adventures in the Chemistry of Consciousness

  • This book is a vivid exploration of his experiences with psychedelics, particularly LSD, during the early 1960s, a time before these substances were banned and were being researched. Watts intertwines his psychedelic experiences with philosophical insights, examining the nature of consciousness, the illusion of the self, and the interconnectedness of all things. The book also includes perspectives from influential figures like Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert, and challenges traditional views on religion, science, and the nature of reality, suggesting that psychedelics offer a unique and profound means of exploring the depths of human consciousness.

Things I’m Watching/Listening To:

• Antinatalist Interview - I find that the more I sit and listen to people who have completely different logic from myself, the more I’m able to find empathy for people in my life when I disagree with their actions or choices. Mark Laita from “Soft White Underbelly”, the channel producing this video and others like it, is a journalist I learn a lot from and look up to.

• The Stoic Art of Stillness - Ryan Holiday continues to be one of my favorite content creators, I often listen to one of his videos and go for a walk or listen while making my breakfast.

• Chemtrails Over The Country Club - In part because Lana is headlining Coachella, but also because something about her manufactured melancholy vibe is hitting on a grey weathered day. Don’t hate.

Wrapping Up

This newsletter is just a glimpse into all the dynamic projects I’m working on. From writing a new book, to supporting my co-founders as I incubate startups, and all the content creation in between, there's always something new and impactful on the horizon. For the first time in a while, it all feels nicely organized and like all the years spent trying to figure it out, have been worth it. Thank you, family, friends and acquaintances, for being a part of this adventure. Stay tuned for more updates, stories, and insights next week!

Stay Warm,

Milan Kordestani