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Hey there,

Ever wondered what happens when you ignore the "safe path" and instead pursue what truly fascinates you?

This week, I sat down with Kian Sadeghi, founder of Nucleus Genomics – a company making genetic testing more accessible than ever before. Kian dropped out of UPenn, lied to his immigrant parents, and bet everything on a vision now backed by Peter Thiel and Alexis Ohanian.

Let's dive in!

The 25-Year-Old Face Of The Genomics Industry

From Personal Tragedy to Revolutionary Healthcare

Kian's journey began with personal loss. When his cousin unexpectedly died in her sleep, he asked his father (a doctor) how this could happen.

"I became interested in genetics. I started realizing that disease isn't an inherent property of human beings. It shouldn't be just left to chance whether you die or not."

This curiosity led him to join a DIY gene laboratory in Brooklyn while still in high school. The pivotal moment came at UPenn, when he saw what he calls "my favorite chart in the world"—the decreasing cost of sequencing the human genome.

"Your DNA is like a thousand-page book. It used to cost around $100 million to read all 1,000 pages. At the time in 2020, it was just $1,000. This price is going towards zero. I have to build the application layer for DNA."

The Courage to Follow Your Passion

When Kian decided to drop out during COVID, his immigrant parents gave him an ultimatum: stay in school or work in a lab with a professor.

His solution? He programmed a fake email from a professor.

"I worked twelve hours a day for a year. It was extreme stress, extreme pressure. But I love stress. Bring it the fuck on."

This determination led to what he calls "the highest agency decision I made entirely on my own."

"Whenever I followed my bliss, good things happened. Whenever I borrowed someone else's brain, bad things happened."

From Zero to $18 Million

One of the most impressive aspects of Kian's journey was raising his first funding with no credentials, no degree, and no employees.

After countless rejections (including from Y Combinator), he reached out to investor Corey Levy through a cold text. Despite fumbling through "the most garbled pitch ever," Levy committed $200,000 the next day.

This initial investment was followed by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund leading an $18 million round, with Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian also participating.

"Think about me going from no money, no network, no college degree, nothing. Now imagine the discipline and determination I had without any money. Put money on there—it's like gasoline on the fire."

What Nucleus Is Building

So what exactly is Nucleus creating? Kian explains:

"Historically, reading someone's DNA would cost $100 million. Old companies would look at one page out of the thousand and give you a small read of your DNA."

Because of the dramatic decrease in sequencing costs, Nucleus now offers comprehensive genome sequencing for a few hundred dollars, combining what used to be 70,000 separate genetic tests into one.

The implications are enormous:

"Your DNA impacts your disease risk—cancers, diabetes, neuropsychiatric diseases. It impacts your family planning. It tells you what drugs you metabolize better and worse."

Looking ahead, Kian sees Nucleus evolving into a platform with two key functions:

1. Don't Die: A real-time health platform that predicts disease before symptoms appear.

2. Generational Health: Helping people have healthier children by reducing genetic markers that contribute to disease.

"That's not a billion-dollar business. That's a trillion-dollar business."

The Mindset That Makes All the Difference

Throughout our conversation, Kian shared insights that apply far beyond genomics:

Follow curiosity to the frontier: "The wonders of the universe are much closer than you think if you just pay attention."

Take the long view: "When you follow your bliss, you do it independent of everything else. You don't need the money or power. You do it because you love it."

Embrace failure: "Life makes it seem as if mistakes are fatal. That's not how life works. You make a mistake, no one gives a fuck. You wake up and do something else the next day."

Doing beats thinking: "You should always just do."

Perhaps most importantly, Kian emphasized that the AI revolution is creating unprecedented opportunities:

"If you're young and hungry, this is probably going to be one of the single greatest opportunities in history. The AI revolution is probably even bigger than the Internet revolution."

Connect with Kian and Nucleus

• Twitter/X: @KianSadeghi5

• Instagram: @therealKianSadeghi

• Website: mynucleus.com

• Podcast: High Alchemy with Kian Sadeghi

What's Your "Follow Your Bliss" Story?

Have you ever chosen between the conventional path and following your passion? What happened? Reply to this email and share your experience.

Until next time,

Andres Sanchez
Host, Beyond the Wealth Podcast

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