Question this briefing answers
Why did Bill Gates back geothermal heat, and what does the investment reveal about patient climate capital?
Brief answer: This week's mentors have one thing in common: they put their weight behind ideas others weren't ready for yet. Gates is backing energy from underground heat. Freeman is narrating a story 165 million years in the making. Tyson is demanding real proof before he believes anything — even if the Pentagon says otherwise. Three different fields. The same discipline: don't follow the crowd. Follow the evidence.
This week's mentors have one thing in common: they put their weight behind ideas others weren't ready for yet.
Gates is backing energy from underground heat. Freeman is narrating a story 165 million years in the making. Tyson is demanding real proof before he believes anything — even if the Pentagon says otherwise.
Three different fields. The same discipline: don't follow the crowd. Follow the evidence.
MENTOR SPOTLIGHT
Bill Gates
Microsoft Co-founder betting on geothermal energy to power the future
On May 10, Fervo Energy — backed by Gates's Breakthrough Energy Ventures — raised its US IPO target to $1.82 billion , up from $1.33 billion. The company increased its share count by 26% and bumped its top-of-range price roughly 8% in a new SEC filing. That's a significant vote of confidence from the market on a technology most people still can't explain at a dinner table.
Geothermal energy pulls heat from deep underground to generate electricity. It runs 24 hours a day, rain or shine, no batteries required. Gates has been funding it for years while the spotlight went to solar and wind. That patience is the point.
Gates left Microsoft in 2000 — near the top — to focus on problems with longer time horizons. Global health. Climate. Pandemic preparedness. None of those pay off in a quarter. His track record suggests that choosing a 20-year problem over a 2-year one isn't sacrifice. It's strategy.
If you're 25 to 35 and building a career, the question Gates implicitly asks is worth sitting with: are you working on something that matters in 10 years, or just something that looks good right now? The Fervo IPO is a reminder that boring, patient bets sometimes become $1.8 billion ones.
Ask Bill Gates in the app →IN THE NEWS
Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman is back as narrator for The Dinosaurs , a new 4-episode documentary released May 9 on Netflix as part of its "Life on Our Planet" series. The project drew on more than 50 scientific advisors to reconstruct life across the Jurassic Era and beyond. Freeman's voice has anchored some of the most watched nature and science content of the past two decades — there's a reason filmmakers keep calling him. For anyone in a creative or communications career, it's a reminder that a distinct, recognizable voice — literal or figurative — is one of the most durable assets you can build.
Neil deGrasse Tyson Neil deGrasse Tyson appeared on CBS Mornings on May 11 to discuss newly released Pentagon UFO files, including documents and videos from secret government archives. His take was blunt: he's not convinced yet. He told viewers he needs someone to "fork up the aliens" before he changes his position. It's a useful model for anyone making decisions under pressure — high-profile claims require high-quality evidence, full stop. Tyson also discussed the topic on the CBS Mornings on the Go podcast, released May 12, for those who want the full conversation.
QUICK WISDOM
"Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." — Bill Gates From The Road Ahead — worth reading every time a project goes well.
"Get busy living or get busy dying." — Morgan Freeman Delivered as Red in The Shawshank Redemption — seven words that cut straight to urgency.
"The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you." — Neil deGrasse Tyson From Astrophysics for People in a Hurry — a useful correction whenever reality doesn't cooperate with your plan.
FROM THE BLOG
AI Mentor App vs. Human Mentor A human mentor is valuable. But they're not always available at 11pm when you're working through a hard decision. This post breaks down exactly when each option serves you better — and when to use both.
I read every reply. If something hit home this week, just hit reply and tell me.
— Jesse Krim Founder, Get Mentors
