Shaan Puri Says AI in Biology Beats Building Software
Shaan Puri explains why software wrappers are a race to the bottom and why the biggest AI returns sit in computational biology and drug discovery.
What I’d build if I wanted to get rich with AI
With Shaan Puri, Sam Parr · Monday, November 9, 2026
Shaan Puri presents a thesis on why building software or content with AI is a race to the bottom, arguing instead that the greatest financial and technological opportunities over the next decade exist in applying AI to the physical world, including biotech, food genetics, autonomous defense, and robotic housing construction. Sam Parr and Puri also debate America's trajectory toward a second Industrial Revolution, the political landscape, and how career professionals can evaluate opportunities like nomadic investors.
Key takeaways
- Building software wrappers or AI content tools creates low returns because identical models yield zero pricing power. Read more →
- Sam Parr argues the United States is entering an expansion matching 1880 to 1970, when Rockefeller's oil and Great Lakes iron ore drove global economic power. Read more →
- Nick Mowbray committed $1 billion of his own capital into Zuru Tech, refusing all external venture financing. Read more →
3 articles from this episode
Sam Parr Says America Has an Unbeatable Setup for the Next AI Boom
Sam Parr and Shaan Puri debate data centers, energy, and whether America can pull off an industrial revival or choke on regulation.
Zuru Tech Invested $1 Billion to Build Homes Like iPhones
Shaan Puri explains how Zuru Tech invested $1 billion in automated housing factories to build homes 20 times cheaper.
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