#044 - Luke Burgis: Author of Wanting, Mimetic Theory in Business, Investing, Life and Relationships

<p>Luke Burgis has co-created and led four Silicon Valley companies in wellness, consumer products, and technology. He is the author of the best selling book "Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life", which breaks down the theories of French philosopher René Girard. Luke is currently Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Director of Programs at the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship, where he also teaches business at The Catholic University of America.<br /> <br /> Girard's theories explain most human-related interactions, such as the virality of social media, the rise of Facebook, political beliefs, cancel culture and how the best investors pick the best companies. Luke deep dives into mimesis and his life's work with Iman and Cyrus on this latest Rational VC podcast.</p> <p>Luke's website: <a href= "https://lukeburgis.com/">https://lukeburgis.com/</a><br /> Luke's Twitter: <a href= "https://twitter.com/lukeburgis">https://twitter.com/lukeburgis</a></p> <p><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir= "auto">Timestamps:</span></p> <p><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto">00:00 Intro<br /> 01:37 Intro to Luke<br /> 02:58 Working in bars<br /></span> <span class= "style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir="auto">05:30 Luke's background<br /> 09:03 Shark tankification of worth<br /> 12:13 Mimetic tips for founders<br /> 14:52 Mimesis in venture capital<br /> 17:17 Cultivating an interdisciplinary mind<br /> 21:02 How to write well<br /> 25:40 René Girard intro<br /> 27:48 Mimesis<br /> 31:04 Finding a spouse<br /> 34:33 Idols<br /> 38:20 Mediators and comedians<br /> 41:10 Rituals<br /> 48:56 Anti-mimesis<br /> 52:54 Negative mimesis<br /> 55:20 Mimesis in PR<br /> 57:08 Deep silence<br /> 1:00:51 Navigating without GPS<br /> 1:04:24 How to reach Luke</span></p> <p><span class="style-scope yt-formatted-string" dir= "auto">--<br /></span></p> <p>Rational VC provides regular content on technology investing and technology building. We also write long-form memos. You can sign up for