Call Summary: New Year's Day Catchup

Overview

New Year's Day phone call between Gary and Alex celebrating the start of 2026, sharing how each spent New Year's Eve, discussing personal updates, and setting intentions for the year ahead. Lighthearted conversation with mutual encouragement and affirmation of friendship.

Key Topics Discussed

New Year's Eve Celebrations

• Alex's NYE: Attended party in Midtown with Connor; enjoyed views of NYC; went solo as "independent entrepreneur"; got back around 4 AM; received 4 AM FaceTime from "Manila" (woman he's talking to)
• Gary's NYE: Spent at Encounter Church in Liberty, TX; brought friends who asked for deliverance from addiction during laying on of hands; experienced profound "soaking service" with ambient music that felt "very angelic"; didn't even watch ball drop - wasn't paying attention to countdown

Gary's Life Updates

• Moving Tomorrow: Transitioning to Hyde Park neighborhood in Austin; moving to friend's place (Dawson Carroll) who helped grow Andrew Huberman's and Ryan Holiday's podcasts; friend wants to help Gary with his podcast
• Spiritual Deepening: Meeting tomorrow with someone who has known his pastor since the pastor's teens (pastor now in 60s); Texas has "deepened my faith quite a bit"
• First Time Shooting: Shot a gun for the first time a few months ago - "I feel like I finally felt like a man"

Alex's Updates

• Interviewing Hires Tomorrow: Two interviews for positions paying ~$24/hour; state-reimbursed training program through Kathy Hochul initiative
• Apartment Decluttering: Did major cleaning; donated five garbage bags of clothes including suits that don't fit; "Feel like I got rid of some stuff that was weighing me down"
• Working on Puzzle: Thousand-piece puzzle of NYC Flatiron Building; just finished the border
• Manila Update: She's visiting next Thursday; Alex still evaluating "how effective long-distance dating is"

Business & Career Discussion

• Alex Found Old Service Agreement: From former employer charging $180K/year (3-year agreement) at $180/hour normal/$255/hour off-hours - six years ago, so rates now higher
• Scaling Challenge: Alex reflecting on what it takes to "command respect of future employees" - identified need to be "more intentional with the plan" and "more decisive" because "people follow people with certainty"
• Gary's Response: Agreed on decisiveness but noted need to balance against impulsivity - "when I get cocky, I can make decisions. But often I regret them"

AI Industry Update

• DeepSeek Announcement: Gary mentioned DeepSeek released evolution to transformer architecture on January 1st - "kind of a big deal"
• Gary's Positioning: Feels "relatively smart retard" compared to Demis Hassabis; focusing on "applying the genius" that others create; believes social skills plus expertise will remain important

2026 Goals

• Gary's Focus: "Continue to be obedient" (to God); find/meet his wife this year
• Shared Sentiment: "This is the year, bro. We gotta do it. Let's do it big."

Lighthearted Moments

• Alex's pickup lines at NYE party: asking about Times Square ball direction; asking girl to hold his drink
• Jokes about Texas stereotypes (everyone has horse, gun, cowboy hat); Gary's head too big for standard cowboy hats
• Alex didn't see Gary's "trad conversion" coming when they were friends in New York

Key Quotes

• Gary on obedience: "Continue to be obedient... to Alex Baydar, my lord and savior" (joking)
• Alex on decisiveness: "People follow people with certainty. So I feel like I need to have more certainty in my approach"
• Gary on balancing traits: "Be decisive, but also not impulsive. Because, look, when I get, like, cocky, I can make decisions. But often I regret them"
• Alex on decluttering: "Feel like I got rid of some stuff that was weighing me down"
• Gary on Texas: "It's been totally the state that has deepened my faith quite a bit"

Action Items / Takeaways

• Gary moving to Dawson Carroll's place in Hyde Park tomorrow
• Alex interviewing two candidates tomorrow for state-subsidized training positions
• Both committed to making 2026 a breakthrough year
• Gary to send Alex clip from his church service
• Manila visiting Alex next Thursday