Automating the restaurant industry, with Josef Chen (KAIKAKU)
Josef Chen is the founder of KAIKAKU, a London-based company developing automation technology for restaurants. A former Imperial College student, Chen created his first Bitcoin faucet at age 13 and previously worked as the first intern at Bitpanda (Austria's first unicorn startup). After growing up working in his parents' Chinese restaurant from age six, Chen has now returned to the industry with a mission to transform it through robotics and technology.Calum and Tom talk to Josef Chen about:Josef's remarkable journey from peeling potatoes in his parents' Austrian restaurant at age six to founding a cutting-edge robotics companyHow KAIKAKU's "living laboratory" approach enables rapid hardware development and real-world testing of restaurant automationWhy specialised robots designed for specific tasks will outperform humanoid robots in practical applicationsThe widespread misallocation of engineering talent in Britain, with top graduates being lured into finance instead of building tangible solutionsHow restaurant automation can free staff from mundane tasks to focus on genuine hospitality and customer experienceJosef's vision for rebuilding Britain's engineering culture through initiatives like London Micro GrantsListen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Substack. Produced by Aeron Laffere.Further readingSweetgreen’s S-1 Filing - Deep dive into a US tech-forward restaurant chain’s unit economics, vision, and automation strategyOcado’s AI-powered robotic arms: levelling up efficiency in online grocery and logistics - Case study of one of the few globally competitive UK hardware automation effortsNeko Health - Example of vertically integrated tech x real-world experience design, referenced by JosephLondon Micro Grants - A live initiative for empowering grassroots builders in the UK with small-scale funding Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:01:29
Restoration and radical reform, with Douglas Carswell (Mississippi Center for Public Policy)
Douglas Carswell is a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament from 2005 to 2017, first as a Conservative before defecting to UKIP in 2014. A prominent Brexit campaigner and co-founder of Vote Leave, he now runs the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, a free-market think tank in the United States. Carswell is known for his advocacy of democratic reform, limited government, and economic freedom.Calum and Tom talk to Douglas Carswell about:Douglas's experience in Mississippi where free-market reforms have accelerated economic growth beyond the UK'sHow Britain's "Blairite Ascendancy" of 30 years has empowered unaccountable experts and regulatory bodies that block elected officials from governing effectivelyA detailed blueprint to restore executive power through orders in council, civil service reform, and judicial restraintProposals for public spending cuts of £170 billion and tax reductions including abolishing tariffs, lowering VAT, and reducing income taxesAddressing immigration through tighter controls and a voluntary "re-migration" program for non-contributorsThe cultural dimensions of Britain's troubles and the need to reassert Anglo-American values against cultural relativismHow these reforms could unlock British innovation and prosperity if leaders have the courage to endure short-term painListen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Substack. Produced by Aeron Laffere.Further readingMilestones: Nine steps to restore Britain - the essay outlining Douglas Carswell's detailed proposalsDominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World by Tom Holland - Mentioned by Carswell as influential to his understanding of Western valuesLooking for Growth campaign - A UK initiative advocating for policies to boost British economic growthWhy Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson - Explores how political institutions impact economic successThe Sovereign Individual by James Dale Davidson and William Rees-Mogg - Examines the changing relationship between individuals and the stateEconomics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt - A classic text on free-market economicsState Capacity Libertarianism by Tyler Cowen - A blog post that reimagines libertarianism with a focus on effective government Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:48:40
Sort out the Boriswave, embrace automation, with Cllr Tom Jones (Scotton & Lower Wensleydale)
We welcome Cllr Tom Jones to the KCIII. Tom serves as the Councillor for Scotton & Lower Wensleydale on North Yorkshire Council and is also an accomplished essayist.Cllr Jones joins Calum and Tom to discuss Anglofuturism, immigration reform, and how Britain can build a more productive, high-wage future:The origins and appeal of Anglofuturism as both an aesthetic and political movement responding to economic stagnation and declining living standards for young BritonsTom Jones' immigration paper "Selecting the Best" which argues Britain's reliance on mass immigration has created a low-wage, low-productivity economyHow "human quantitative easing"—importing cheap labor rather than investing in automation—has damaged British productivity and wagesThe car wash industry as a case study where cheap migrant labor replaced automated systems, creating exploitation and environmental problemsThe need to redirect state capacity toward strategic priorities like energy, manufacturing, and defence instead of dispersing resourcesHow greater automation and selective high-skill immigration could transform Britain into a high-wage economy capable of meaningful global influenceListen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Substack. Produced by Aeron Laffere.Correction: At 44:30, Cllr Jones says dependents are mostly economically inactive. He has written to correct this, clarifying that while a significant portion are economically inactive, it is not more than half.Further readingSelecting the Best: Building a Future-Focused Immigration System Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:26:41
The last hope for the Chagos Islands: Calum Drysdale
Calum and Tom on:The historical background of the Chagos Archipelago, which became British territory after the Napoleonic Wars and later served as a crucial military base for the US and UKThe forced expulsion of Chagossians from their homeland between 1967-1973, their subsequent compensation, and the ongoing legal battles over their right to returnThe international legal pressure on Britain through non-binding UN resolutions and how Mauritius has strategically leveraged international bodies to advance their claimsCalum's pre-action letter challenging the government's deal as potentially unlawful and his arguments for why Parliament should have the final sayCritical concerns about security implications, with fears that Chinese intelligence operations could compromise the strategic Diego Garcia military baseAlternative visions for the islands' future, including as a space launch facility, tourism destination, or expanded British territory in the Indian OceanListen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Substack. Produced by Aeron Laffere. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:04:43
Britain's manifest Antarctic destiny
Calum and Tom on:The history of British Antarctic exploration, from Captain Cook's mission to find Terra Australis to Shackleton's heroic survival after the Endurance was trapped in ice,The geopolitical status of Antarctica, including Britain's territorial claims, the 1959 Antarctic Treaty that prohibits mining and militarisation, and how this could change after 2048,The potential economic value of the British Antarctic Territory with its vast untapped resources (oil, gas, gold, and other minerals) and whether Britain should develop these resources before other nations claim them.Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Substack. Produced by Aeron Laffere.Further readingThe Antarctic oil bonanza that could save Britain – but we need to get there before ArgentinaLabour should look to the relics of empire for growthChina-Russia cooperation blocks Antarctic conservation proposalsChina opens Antarctic station south of Australia, New ZealandAntarctic Monitoring Tools in ActionEconomic resources — Antarctica Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Britain has lost its optimism, becoming less prosperous, influential, and capable of building essential infrastructure.But what if the future could inspire hope? From their thatched space station, Tom Ough and Calum Drysdale present Anglofuturism.Each episode dives deep on ambitious, outlandish, and yet remarkably achievable ideas to revitalise Britain. These ideas—crushing crime and building beautiful homes, spaceports in Cornwall and the North Sea, and British mining colonies in Antarctica—envision a future where Britain takes control of its destiny and reaches out into the galaxy.This podcast will self-destruct when the UK achieves the highest GDP-per-capita in the Milky Way.The Anglofuturism Podcast is published fortnightly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Substack. It is recorded on the King Charles III Space Station and produced by Aeron Laffere. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Netherlands