Going Direct Conversations

Jordan Wolfe

Going Direct explores the decentralization of the real economy and how new technologies can bring us closer to the products we buy and the people who make them. goingdirect.substack.com

  1. #62 Brian Morrissey: The Great Decentralization of Media & New Media Energy

    6D AGO

    #62 Brian Morrissey: The Great Decentralization of Media & New Media Energy

    I sit down with Brian Morrissey, and independent journalist and the founder of The Rebooting, to discuss a recent piece he wrote called, “New Media Energy” and our transition to a truly decentralized media landscape where the legacy media gatekeeper is no longer relevant. Among the topics we discuss are: • “New Media Energy” vs the unearned authority of legacy media • Why VCs are building their own media networks • Axios Local and the “Business in a Box” model for journalists • The most overrated and underrated platforms today If you want to understand where the media industry is heading, you will enjoy this episode. Enjoy. Recording date: April 27, 2026 Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:20 Brian’s Background & Digiday 03:42 Leaving Institutional Media And Going Independent 09:40 Defining New Media 16:17 Rise Of Citizen Journalism 18:52 Future Of Media And Information Ecosystems 23:06 Dichotomy Of Decentralization And Centralization 27:19 Prediction Markets & Hidden Media Incentives 30:54 Shift From Institutions To Individuals In Media 32:20 TBPN & The Trade Magazine Model 36:53 The Rise Of Direct Expertise In Media 41:40 AI Content & Synthetic “Slop” 49:05 Business In A Box For Local Media: Axios Local 56:31 Rapid Fire Follow Jordan on X - https://x.com/jrwolfe Connect with Brian Morrissey: - Website: https://www.therebooting.com/ - The Rebooting Show: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Rebooting-g4c - People versus Algorithms Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@peoplevsalgorithms - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmorrissey/ - Substack: https://therebooting.substack.com/ Remember to go direct! Jordan P.S. Build with love This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goingdirect.substack.com

    1h 2m
  2. #61 INSIDE GOING DIRECT: What, “Going Direct” Actually Means

    APR 21

    #61 INSIDE GOING DIRECT: What, “Going Direct” Actually Means

    I sit down with Rafik Kheffache, founder of Heliosand, for our first-ever in-person episode in Paris. This was a different kind of episode where Rafik asks me to pull back the curtain on Going Direct - why I started it, what I actually believe, and where it’s all going. Over the past year, I’ve had 50+ conversations with founders, engineers, and builders working on decentralized production, AI infrastructure, and the future of the real economy. This one was about connecting the dots and honestly, just have some fun over a few glasses of whiskey. It’s part philosophy, part story, part rant. Enjoy. Recording date: March 31, 2026 Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:18 Going Direct Podcast Adventure 14:39 Geopolitics and Decentralization 24:47 Heliosand Is Turning Garbage Into Gold 32:31 Why Decentralization Is So Important 37:48 Doing Business In Europe As An American 42:14 The Minitel, Concorde, And Failed Innovation In France 46:04 The French VC Scam & Work Culture 55:21 French Lifestyle Is Pretty Damn Good 01:05:00 Trading Bitcoin In Switzerland 01:08:29 Is Elon Musk The Riches Men In The World? 01:17:33 Simulation Theory 01:26:54 Money = Freedom 01:41:30 Incident With The French CIA (DGSE) 01:46:34 French vs American Cultural Differences 01:53:34 Bridge Building Between The US And France 02:00:09 Importance Of Community And Relationships Follow Jordan on X: * https://x.com/jrwolfe Connect with Rafik: * Heliosand – https://heliosand.com/ * LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafik-kheffache/?locale=en * X – @KheffacheR62805 Remember to go direct! Jordan P.S. Build with love This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goingdirect.substack.com

    2h 9m
  3. #60 Aleks Gampel: America Needs High Quality, Affordable Homes

    APR 15

    #60 Aleks Gampel: America Needs High Quality, Affordable Homes

    I sit back down with Aleks Gampel, the co-founder and COO of Cuby, to talk about why construction has become less productive over time, why skilled labor shortages are getting worse, and why the current system still relies on fragmented crews and outdated methods. Cuby’s answer is to build mobile micro-factories that produce home components close to where the homes are actually being built. Among the topics we discuss are: * Why construction productivity has gotten worse since the 1950s * Why construction is really a logistics problem * Cuby’s proposed solution - Mobile Micro-Factories (MMFs) * Eliminating middlemen through vertical integration * Launching the first Cuby micro-factory in New Mexico Enjoy. Recording date: April 08, 2026 Chapters 00:00 Introduction 03:50 Revisiting The Bottlenecks In Housing Construction 06:04 Why Construction Has Regressed Over 60 Years 09:32 Non-Obvious Problems In The Construction Industry 11:26 Cuby's Approach To Housing 14:03 Building High-Quality, Affordable Housing 19:16 Cuby's Mobile Micro-Factory Progress 23:22 Deploying The First Factory In The US 27:16 The Going Direct Economy 35:48 Applying The Toyota Production System To Construction 37:38 Coordination vs Control 41:10 Eliminating Middlemen 43:03 Regulatory Maze & Zoning Codes 45:43 Future Plans And Rapid Fire Follow Jordan on X * https://x.com/jrwolfe Connect with Aleks Gampel: * LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamaleksandrgampel/ * Cuby – https://cubytechnologies.com/home * X - https://x.com/buildwithcuby?lang=en Remember to go direct! Jordan P.S. Build with love This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goingdirect.substack.com

    48 min
  4. #59 Will Fry: The Great Wealth Transfer And Saving Small Business Ownership in America

    APR 7

    #59 Will Fry: The Great Wealth Transfer And Saving Small Business Ownership in America

    I sat down with Will Fry, founder and CEO of American Operator, to talk about one of the biggest questions in the U.S. economy: who will own the next generation of small businesses? Among the topics we discuss are: * Why allowing Private Equity to buy up Main Street is a disaster for local communities. * The Great Ownership Transfer (6 million businesses for sale). * The fatal flaw in most small business acquisitions. * American Operator’s, “Operate-to-Own” Model: From 10% to 70% equity. * Why Capital, not Operators, is the biggest bottleneck. Enjoy. Watch/listen on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts Recording date: April 1, 2026 Chapters 00:00 Introduction 04:02 Importance Of Local Business Ownership 07:05 From Mainshares To American Operator 17:28 Will's AHA Moment 20:20 The Operate-To-Own Model Explained 25:50 Scaling And Governance Challenges 27:42 How To Create Leverage For Local Business Owners 30:18 Why AO is a Holding Company, Not a PE Fund 32:17 The Vision For Going Public And Reviving The American Dream 35:11 Will's Background 42:21 Financialization And Its Effects On Society 48:36 The Future Of Small Business Ownership In America 53:25 Problems With The Franchise Model 57:59 Using Content To Build Trust 01:01:19 Rapid Fire Follow Jordan on X: * https://x.com/jrwolfe Connect with Will: * X (Twitter) – https://x.com/buysellsmb * LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/fryw * Website – https://americanoperator.com Remember to go direct! Jordan P.S. Build with love This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goingdirect.substack.com

    1h 4m
  5. #58 Aaron Feigelman: A New Model for Food Distribution in America

    MAR 31

    #58 Aaron Feigelman: A New Model for Food Distribution in America

    I sit down with Aaron Feigelman, the head of food systems at Cultured Supply, to discuss the hidden monopoly of broadline food distributors and the need to reimagine wholesale food distribution from the ground up. We discuss why the current supply chain forces suppliers to kill the nutrients in our food, High Pressure Processing (HPP) technology, and how the company we’ve been incubating, CS Juice, is using AI to build a decentralized distribution network for food service. Enjoy! Watch/listen on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts Recording date: March 25, 2026 Chapters 00:00 Introduction 03:19 Aaron's Interest In Improving The US Food System 05:12 Taking A Full-Stack Approach 07:23 Introducing CS Juice? 10:54 Understanding Broadline Distribution 14:44 High Pressure Processing (HPP) Technology 17:17 HPP vs. Heat Pasteurization 18:45 HPP Products In The Food Industry 20:10 Why New Local Food Distributors Keep Failing 26:19 The Production Layer & Vertical Integration 30:44 Why Vertical Integration Is Not Common In Food 40:24 Importance Of Going Direct 42:45 70% Margin Or Die In Traditional Retail 45:27 Why Software Alone Doesn’t Work 48:56 Americans Pay A Lot For Low Quality Product 52:26 Reimagining The Food System From First Principle 53:40 Amazon vs Etsy 59:28 Customer Service & Building Loyalty * Follow Jordan on X: * https://x.com/jrwolfe * Connect with Aaron: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronfeigelman/ * CS Juice: https://www.csjuice.com/ Remember to go direct! Jordan P.S. Build with love This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goingdirect.substack.com

    1h 5m
  6. #57 Scott Porter: America Runs on This $80 Billion Industry

    MAR 24

    #57 Scott Porter: America Runs on This $80 Billion Industry

    I sit down with Scott Porter, founder of Dynamic Green Products (DGP), to unpack an overlooked, unsexy corner of the real economy that literally keeps everything moving: industrial lubricants. Nearly 99% of lubricants today are petroleum-based. They’re part of an old, centralized system built on commodity inputs, distributor choke points, and entrenched incumbent brands. DGP is building high-performance, bio-based lubricants made from American-grown plants and soybeans. They are engineered to be drop-in replacements that outperform petroleum. But this conversation goes beyond oil. It’s about: * Changing how professionals buy lubricants by going direct * Disrupting a distributor-dominated industry * Competing with entrenched incumbents * Rebuilding domestic supply chains from the ground up Enjoy. Listen/watch on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts Recording date: January 29, 2026 Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 03:18 What’s Wrong With Industrial Lubricants 06:23 Dynamic Green Products Overview 11:42 Performance: Why Plants Can Beat Petroleum 16:38 People: Operator Health And Safety 19:22 Planet: Using American-grown Plants, Not Petroleum 20:09 Working With World’s Largest Equipment Brands 24:07 Applying The Going Direct Framework To DGP 26:11 Pillar #1: Production 30:41 Pillar #2: Wholesale Distribution 34:30 Amazon vs Bricks-and-Mortar Retail 45:49 Pricing Strategies for Bio-Based Products 49:02 Supporting American Farmers And Building Domestic Supply Chains 54:01 Reconnecting Production And Consumption 55:03 Creators And The Future of Buying Lubricants 01:01:26 Importance Of Knowing Your Customers 01:06:13 Rapid Fire Follow Jordan on X: * https://x.com/jrwolfe Scott & DGP Links: * Website: https://dgpworks.com * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-porter-a09644b/ Remember to go direct! Jordan P.S. Build with love This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goingdirect.substack.com

    1h 9m
  7. #56 Andra Keay: 5 Ethical Laws of Robotics & The Future of Automation

    MAR 17

    #56 Andra Keay: 5 Ethical Laws of Robotics & The Future of Automation

    I sit down with Andra Keay, a researcher on human-robot culture and head of Silicon Valley Robotics. We discuss the importance of ethical design in robotics, why humans form deep emotional bonds with physical machines, her 5 ethical laws of robotics, and how we can design robots that are actually good for humans. Enjoy! Recording date: March 10, 2026 Watch on YouTube; listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:30 About Silicon Valley Robotics 08:49 Designing Robots That Are Good For Humans 17:51 Why We Treat Robots Like Humans 21:46 Children And Robots 25:36 Creating Robots That Emulate Humans 30:38 Ethics And Incentive Structures In Robotics 34:51 Andra’s Five Laws Of Robotics 42:55 Policy And Regulation In Robotics 44:26 Community Building In Robotics 45:46 Andra’s Work At Singularity University 48:48 Rapid Fire Follow Jordan on X * https://x.com/jrwolfe Connect with Andra Keay * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andra-keay * Substack: robotsandstartups@substack.com * Silicon Valley Robotics: https://www.svrobo.org/ Remember to go direct! Jordan P.S. Build with love This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goingdirect.substack.com

    54 min
  8. #55 Toby Shorin: Financialization & The Death Of Culture

    MAR 10

    #55 Toby Shorin: Financialization & The Death Of Culture

    I sit down with Toby Shorin, a researcher, writer, and technologist, to discuss his popular essay “Life After Lifestyle.” We dig into why the lifestyle brand era has ended, how culture is being “eaten” by financialization, and why Toby is starting to abandon culture as the main lens for understanding what’s happening now. Enjoy! Recording Date: February 18, 2026 Watch on YouTube; listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 03:36 Understanding The Going Direct Economy 05:07 Brands Structure Our Relationships 06:09 Life After Lifestyle Article 08:37 The Era Of Lifestyle Brands 16:31 Culture As A Concept Is Only 200 Years Old 17:29 Culture vs. Tradition: A New Perspective 20:20 The Financialization Of Everything 26:15 Will AI & Robotics Create More Centralization? 34:19 Controlling Production = Controlling Minds 35:36 Defining The Cultural Production Service Economy 36:24 From Making Goods To Making Culture 44:21 Why Toby is Abandoning "Culture" 48:37 Closing The Door On The Past 59:39 Toby's Background Follow Jordan on X: * https://x.com/jrwolfe Links to Toby’s Work: * Website: https://tobyshorin.com/ * Email: toby@otherinter.net * Essay: “Life After Lifestyle”: https://subpixel.space/entries/life-after-lifestyle/ * Essay: “After Authenticity”: https://subpixel.space/entries/after-authenticity/ Remember to go direct! Jordan P.S. Build with love This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goingdirect.substack.com

    1h 6m
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About

Going Direct explores the decentralization of the real economy and how new technologies can bring us closer to the products we buy and the people who make them. goingdirect.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Jordan Wolfe
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    58
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jordan Wolfe
  • Show Website
    Going Direct Conversations

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