Arkady Kulik is a founding partner of rpv, a deep tech venture fund that aims to “*drive tangible advancements in the well-being of humankind*” by focusing on early, scientifically intensive ventures. He has over 15 years of experience in the IT sector as a C-level executive, a master’s degree in physics, and an MBA from INSEAD. Arkady joins the show to discuss how to evaluate a deep tech deal, why more scientists don’t become entrepreneurs, the ultimate goal of science, the two types of human motivation, and MUCH more! Important Links: - rpv’s Website - https://rpv.global - rpv’s Substack - https://rpvglobal.substack.com - Arkady’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/checkpoint/challengesV2/AQF19v1cB_id5gAAAYxDe012qoWzGzNUosWA9ChxD2n-3vcCzKn00lSsSt5-LJWlUtrJtpHQrinL-VM4Hwh9b3mwOY3BhHcrTw - Arkady’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/arkady_kulik Show Notes: 0:00:00 Intro 0:01:16 Main podcast 0:02:34 Judging Investments by Their Technology Readiness Level 0:03:51 Bringing Scientific Expertise Into Venture Capital 0:09:21 Scorecards & Dealbreakers: How rpv Analyzes a Deep Tech Opportunity 0:14:07 Spotting the Early Red Flags 0:20:47 How rpv Deploys Scientific Due Diligence 0:24:42 Providing Feedback & Educating the Industry 0:28:38 Self-Censorship, Ideology & the Scientific Method 0:34:37 Why Don’t More Scientists Become Entrepreneurs? 0:38:56 The Ideal Composition of a Deep Tech Founding Team 0:42:48 Science’s Ultimate Goal 0:48:36 Taking Progress for Granted 0:53:05 The Two Types of Human Motivation 0:55:46 How Neurotech Can Benefit Humanity 1:01:21 Why Arkady is Less Bullish on Quantum Computing 1:05:16 Incoming Deep Tech Developments Books Mentioned: - Survive & Thrive: Entrepreneurship Frameworks That Work; by Paul Kewene-Hite - The Nature of Technology: What It Is and How It Evolves; by W. Brian Arthur - One Summer: America 1927; by Bill Bryson