80: DTN Podcast | Jim Alstott Ep. 80 | He Ran for Mayor on Love | Helix Wolfson

What happens when a guy runs for mayor of Los Angeles on a platform of love? Helix Wolfson did exactly that. He legally changed his name to Paul E. Amori, put on a three-piece red suit, and ran for mayor on one question: what would love do? He came in last. He also walked off a debate stage with a dozen people telling him he'd earned their vote, and he says it felt like winning. That's one chapter. Helix grew up in the theater, made films, built stages at Burning Man and Lightning in a Bottle, and when COVID cancelled Burning Man he helped build the Infinite Playa, a virtual version of it. That project grew into Infinite Reality, a metaverse company that reached a $12 billion valuation. Then he walked away. We talk about what survives when you move a sensory experience like Burning Man into a virtual world, the difference between the cutting edge and the bleeding edge, and why the people who start a company usually aren't the ones who end up running it. Then we get into AI, and his answer surprised me: he thinks we're not scared enough. We go back and forth about jobs, fulfillment, and what's happening in the workforce I see every day in my recruiting work, and we land on the one thing he believes technology can't replace: being in a room with other humans. And stay for the Playlist Round: Helix shares some big personal news for the first time, right here on the show. KEY TOPICS Running for mayor as Paul E. Amori · Leading with love instead of fear · Career politics and liquid democracy · Building a virtual Burning Man · Amori's Casino and Burlesque · From startup to $12 billion, and walking away · Cutting edge vs. bleeding edge · Founders vs. operators · AI fear, AGI and superintelligence · Jobs, fulfillment and the changing workforce · What technology can't give us SOUND BITES "What would love do was my mantra." "To become authentic while assuming a role is quite a feat." "The bleeding edge… is as painful as it sounds." "I'm not sure you'll like this answer, but I actually think we're not scared enough." "Those are the places where we will always want to be in human connection." CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:12 Helix's thumbnail: theater kid, filmmaker, Burning Man builder 03:34 COVID, a cancelled Burning Man, and a $12 billion detour 05:35 Paul E. Amori and the Love Party 05:57 The alter ego came first: mayor of Lightning in a Bottle 08:05 Legally changing his name to run for mayor of LA 09:47 Trump wins, a dark night of the soul, and "what would love do?" 12:06 What a festival taught him about fear and love 13:44 3,300 votes: love came in last 15:06 Getting Candid with the Candidates over coffee 16:30 The debate nobody else would hold 20:23 Authentic in a wig: the night he earned their votes 21:26 What losing taught him about career politics 26:03 Liquid democracy and the most loving solution 27:59 Burning Man goes virtual: what survived the crossing 33:52 Amori's Casino and Burlesque 39:04 From a startup to $12 billion, and walking away 41:00 The cutting edge vs. the bleeding edge 43:22 Why founders leave what they built 44:52 Three new companies in a few months 47:05 AI and fear: "I actually think we're not scared enough" 50:29 AGI, superintelligence, and the robots 53:54 Jim's view from hiring: who shows up for work 56:22 Fulfillment: human work vs.