Unreasonable

Max Bray + Cristian Pinto

A podcast about ambition. Telling the stories of the people we think are genuinely pursuing unreasonable goals with utterly unreasonable ambition. We're fascinated about what makes these people tick. Their frameworks, decision making processes, points of reference etc. In understanding these, maybe we can better understand what it takes to do genuinely ambitious things - opening this route up for others to follow

Episodes

  1. 23 Jun

    03. Maex Ament - The Most Interesting Man In Accounts Payable

    Six time founder (2x unicorns), 150x angel, 20x LP, +10x advisor, 2x Dad, 1x husband and infinite times deeply kind, authentic, and hilarious human being - Maex Ament is one in a million. He’s built massive companies like Taulia and Centrifuge in the fintech space, backed dozens of start-ups in everything from geo-engineering to AI-image generation, and has remained not just deeply passionate about technology, but joyous in everything he does through the few ups and many downs of a +30 year career in start-ups and technology. So much so that he’s decided to go again, raising another $10m pre-seed for Causa Prima at the age of 51. Having worked with him for a year building a (now extinct) fund, Max could think of no better a guest to add some grey hair, hilarity and bearded wisdom to our so far relatively young roster of guests. In sunny Madrid, we dug into: How he’s gone at +150 angel investments, 6 companies and 1 fund with the same irrepressible energy each timeHow he stays motivated in his 50s with financial security and external validation locked downWhat failure looks and feels like and how he bounces backHow he’s become the truly authentic version of himself, and the work requited to get thereHow he looks for co-founders and new ideas for companiesThe importance of taking genuine stances, even with B2B marketingWhy being a carpenter was a necessary side quest between start-upsHow each business has required finding different internal and external motivationThe arbitrage of building global businesses from lesser ecosystemsTimestamps: 00:00 Cold open: who is Maex Ament?01:03 Kaiserslautern, an Atari, and building video-games at 1202:35 Six companies and a through-line of invoices05:19 How to stay excited about "boring" for 25 years06:44 Building something that lasts08:49 The skills, and learning to sell in America12:51 Failure, and how he bounces back14:43 Slowing down vs doubling down15:21 The carpenter who became a crypto founder17:48 Why he can't build alone19:16 Why all his friends come through work20:00 Finding an idea: the Madrid penthouse method22:11 Falling down the geo-engineering rabbit hole25:02 The Stardust story27:17 The day we met, and being unmistakably yourself30:35 Why you want 50% of people to hate whatever you do31:29 The most interesting man in accounts payable36:33 Building a team and hiring for excellence38:18 How company-building has changed for the fourth time41:35 When experience becomes a commodity45:10 A global business that happens to be in Spain47:03 Faster at 51 than ever47:36 On age, and the fear of settling48:50 What he's still chasing49:50 The chip on the shoulder, company by company52:12 Work, family, and the sacrifice myth54:46 Quickfire

    03. Maex Ament - The Most Interesting Man In Accounts Payable

  2. 30 Apr

    02. Ernesti Sario & Nantte Kivinen - Building Hogwarts For Hyper Ambitious Young People

    There are very few people out there like Nantte and Ernesti. University dropouts, wise beyond their (limited) years, and building what could well be the next big Nordic tech sensation, as well as a model for where higher education goes in the AI era. FR8 is a shifting, mercurial beast - separately described as a hacker hotel, a finishing school for precocious young builders, Hogwarts for hyper ambitious young people, and a place where you can find your personal religion. What is clear however is the cult-like status is has picked up in an incredibly brief period, the passion the two founders bring to the table, and the unbelievable talent magnet it has become. As such, we could think of no better two people for our second outing as Unreasonable. We spent an hour with the guys in the magnificent board room of their Helsinki palace (no joke) talking meaning, purpose, reframing ambition and what the future of education could look like. Marvellous fun all round and we hope an equally enjoyable listen or watch. We covered: * Almost getting killed by presidential bodyguards at Davos * Negotiating a 12,000 square metre palace in central Helsinki for a fraction of what anyone reasonable would have paid * Why “the best people don’t need help” - and what that means for how they run cohorts * The asymmetry that makes unreasonable bets rational - why the odds don’t change but the outcomes do * Why manifestation isn’t some mystical idea - and more a rigorous observation about how ambition actually moves resources * How to Americanise Europeans (on sales) while keeping the values and integrity * Creating community and meaning and how this enables people to do their best work Timestamps: * 00:00 Cold open: who are Nantte & Ernesti? * 03:18 What is FR8? Hogwarts for the hyper-ambitious * 04:29 Why Nantte said yes: visiting the stars * 06:57 A new model for education in the AI era * 09:29 Walking into fundraising rooms with no track record * 11:23 Turning crazy vision into daily action * 15:25 Speed-running ambition: can you skip the levels? * 18:07 Inside a FR8 cohort: 30 people, 3 months, no rules * 21:05 Selecting a FR8 Maverick * 23:39 A home for outcasts * 26:34 Why FR8 only takes the young * 32:48 Unbundling the university * 35:11 From mansion to hotel to 12,000m² palace * 38:46 What manifestation actually means * 41:24 When belief breaks: the dark days * 43:23 "You can always send me an email" * 44:26 Owing it to humanity * 45:52 European bureaucracy and getting through walls * 47:09 The Davos story * 51:34 Why build in Finland * 54:29 The European emigration question * 58:43 Quickfire

    02. Ernesti Sario & Nantte Kivinen - Building Hogwarts For Hyper Ambitious Young People

  3. 20 Apr

    01. Harvey Hodd - Does It Make The Boat Go Faster?

    Welcome to Unreasonable - a podcast about ambition. In our first episode, we chat to the inimitable Harvey Hodd of Rivan Industries - a company building modular solar powered direct air capture-> e-fuels systems to tackle carbon, reliance on dirty natural gas and energy security. Harvey is a third time founder, ex-professional footballer, next level autodidact and thoroughly good human being. He's raised +£40m to date for Rivan from top tier investors including Plural (Wise Founders), the Collison Brothers (Stripe), Nat Friedman, Daniel Gross, IQ Capital and more. He's also the perfect introductory guest for Unreasonable - someone who pursues utterly unreasonable goals in a genuinely unreasonable manner. Inspiration for anyone doing anything, anywhere. We covered: Why Harvey spent 18 months alone in a factory before hiring anyoneWhy Rivan doesn't hire from elite universities — and what they ask insteadThe kettle, the go-kart, and the Olympic swimmers: what "does it make the boat go faster" actually looks like in practiceWhy aiming for 70% right is better than 100%"No miracles required" — why synthetic fuels can work todayTimestamps: 00:00 Introduction00:35 How to choose a good quest04:22 Making the complex, simple and starting from base principles07:11 Learning how to think08:33 The reality of learning through failure09:09 Hiring for attitude, not CV10:50 Reframing getting stuck14:01 From driven to RIVAN16:05 Sustaining performance at a consistently high level18:17 Optimising for chaos19:58 Being fast vs being right21:38 The kettle and the go-kart23:37 Translating a very big vision into something people can understand26:17 Clarity of communication as a key founder skillset27:44 Vertical Integration: A Strategic Necessity27:44 Setting a standard for excellence without external input29:29 The false dichotomy of perfection vs. momentum31:00 Using proof of work to attract top talent33:02 How every new hire needs to add to cultural density35:08 Surrounding oneself with great people36:44 Work-life balance39:04 Delegating decision making and removing key man risk39:57 Learning and Adapting in Complex Environments39:58 (Not) thinking about failure41:42 The RIVAN system explained45:28 Having one clear KPI for the business47:39 Making synthetic fuels ubiquitous49:26 Announcing the round and broader fundraising strategy52:41 Quick fire finish

    01. Harvey Hodd - Does It Make The Boat Go Faster?
  • 3 Episodes

About

A podcast about ambition. Telling the stories of the people we think are genuinely pursuing unreasonable goals with utterly unreasonable ambition. We're fascinated about what makes these people tick. Their frameworks, decision making processes, points of reference etc. In understanding these, maybe we can better understand what it takes to do genuinely ambitious things - opening this route up for others to follow

Information

  • Creator
    Max Bray + Cristian Pinto
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Max Bray + Cristian Pinto
  • Show Website
    Unreasonable