AI isn't just creating a software boom, it's creating an infrastructure crisis.

As demand for AI explodes, the real bottleneck isn't chips or models anymore. It's power, cooling, permitting, and the ability to build data centers fast enough to keep up.

Jason Van Gaal has spent more than a decade solving exactly that problem. After building and exiting multiple data center companies — including one of the largest Canadian tech exits of 2019 — Jason is now taking on his biggest project yet: building a $10 billion AI data center campus in Alberta powered by its own energy infrastructure.

In this episode, we break down the future of AI infrastructure, why data centers are becoming power companies, the realities of scaling massive industrial projects, and what Jason learned from building, exiting, and starting over again.

Key Takeaways with Jason Van Gaal

From Two Exits to a $10B Swing
Hire People Better Than Yourself
Cutting Build Time to 120 Days
Financing 400% Growth Without Imploding
How He Invests After the Exit
Why He Came Out of Retirement
Why Alberta Won the Build
Busting the Data Center Water Myth
Noise, Infrasound, and Tinfoil Hats
What Happens If Approvals Fail
Why He Stays in His Lane
Why Scaling Fast Is a Trap
Learning Just in Time vs Just in Case

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eRR-PLNkVtQ

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