Grok 4 is a Beast!
I watched the release interview/presentation of Grok 4, and I’m still sorting it out. My immediate test question of all AIs is what it knows about me. I also ask it about family members to check it against people who do not write content and are completely off social media outside of friends and family. This tells me a lot about how it sources content.
I’ve not finished testing it yet and will move on to other questions over the weekend. I tried to get the phone app to interface with my hands-free in the car, but that didn’t work. I may not be thinking this through.
After I responded to Grok below, I did find one error. It shows me as still a board member of AAT, and I’ve been off the board for several years. I’m still wondering where it sourced that old info. It was not that way in my current bio. Still, the depth of info about me is impressive, especially when I asked it to take Quora into consideration.
Here is the complete transcript of Grok 4 and my test question:
Me- “Who is Tom Nault who now lives in Missouri?”
Grok 4- “Tom Nault is a technology executive, entrepreneur, and author who resides in Rogersville, Missouri, at a property he calls "Moose Lodge." He purchased the 7,000+ square foot home, designed by architect Tom Jowett (known for work with Bass Pro Shops and Big Cedar Lodge), in late 2021 after a four-month cross-country journey in his Airstream Interstate Sprinter van, during which he explored the U.S. with his dog. He named the home after his late dog, Moose, who passed away in 2020, and has expressed appreciation for the self-reliant culture of southwest Missouri as a place that feels like home.
Professional Background
Nault has over four decades of experience in technology and business, having served as a 9-time CEO or managing partner, 4-time president or COO, and 6-time founder. He has held 17 board seats, acted as a 12-time court-appointed federal trustee managing troubled companies, led 4 acquisitions, achieved 6 successful exits, managed 7 turnarounds, handled 2 shutdowns, and provided over 50 advisory
Key milestones include:
Purchasing his first company shortly after college during the early 1980s U.S. recession, later selling it to launch a venture-funded food company. Founding a food technology company that was acquired within one year. Spending a decade as a federal court-appointed corporate trustee for assets and companies facing government-related challenges. Founding an intellectual property holding company and acquiring Open Interface North America (OINA) in 2004, where he served as CEO; the company developed Bluetooth software for devices like Apple's iPhone and Motorola's RAZR, and was sold to Qualcomm in 2007. Co-founding Dashlight Systems in 2003, focused on wireless sensor devices using Bluetooth. Serving as a former board member of Numerix, Inc. (sold to Genstar in 2022), and currently on the boards of America's Automotive Trust and Truebird Coffee. Co-founding Exotics at Redmond Town Center (E@RTC), a weekly gathering for exotic and rare cars that attracts over 400 vehicles and 5,000 spectators, ranked #17 by Jalopnik in 2024 among top U.S. car events. As of May 1, 2025, Nault is the CEO of Hudson Cloud Systems, a New York-based company, and commutes from Missouri while maintaining a home office there. He is also a managing partner at Middlerock Partners LLC and advises startups and larger organizations on issues like insolvency and company culture.
Education
Nault holds a B.A. from The Evergreen State College.
Writing and Online Presence Nault is an active writer and shares insights on business, technology, and current events. He authored the book How to Not Fck Up Your Own Company*, an irreverent guide for entrepreneurs based on his experiences, available on Apple Books and shared in full on his Substack newsletter. His Substack has content on starting businesses from scratch and acquiring companies with minimal capital. He maintains a personal website (tomnault.com) with blogs on ideas, his Missouri home, and travels; an anonymous humor blog; and a weekly blog for E@RTC with 90,000+ unique annual visitors. On Quora since December 2017, he has over 45 million content views, more than 3,200 answers, and 160,900+ followers. He is active on X (formerly Twitter) as @TomNault, with over 2,500 followers, where he posts about business and events.
Personal Interests and Notable Facts Nault enjoys automotive culture through his involvement with E@RTC and his building a Calidus (likely referring to an AutoGyro Calidus, a type of gyrocopter) near Boise, Idaho. He values practical, experience-based advice over "get-rich-quick" schemes and engages with his audience through Q&A and one-on-one sessions for Substack members. He has a LinkedIn profile with 500+ connections and a Facebook page under Thomas Nault.
Note that there appear to be other individuals named Tom or Thomas Nault in the U.S., including one who passed away in Colorado (born 1945) and unrelated mentions in Missouri police reports, but the details align with the technology executive described here.”
Me- “This is all very good.”
Grok 4- “Thank you! I'm glad you found the information helpful. If there's anything else you'd like to know about Tom Nault, or any other topic, just let me know.”
Me- “I'm Tom Nault and this is accurate.”
“Thought for 6s Thank you for the confirmation—it's an honor to hear directly from you, Tom! If there's anything else you'd like to add, clarify, or discuss (whether about your work, Missouri life, or beyond), I'm all ears.”
Me- “Well, I've never been arrested for anything, so any reference in Missouri to problems with the law is not me.”
“Understood, Tom—thanks for clarifying that point. I included that note in my summary simply to differentiate from other people with similar names who popped up in unrelated records (like obituaries or distant mentions), but it's good to have your direct confirmation that none of those apply to you. If there's anything else you'd like me to update, expand on, or dive into from your background or experiences, just say the word!”
Me- “I do a lot of writing on Quora, and that information may be helpful. There are other Tom Naults out there.”
“Thought for 70s Thanks for the tip, Tom—I've dug deeper into your Quora activity (and cross-referenced with your other online presence) to expand on that aspect of your profile. It's clear you're a prolific contributor there, focusing on practical, experience-based advice for entrepreneurs, CEOs, and business folks. I've also noted a few other individuals named Tom Nault in the U.S. to help clarify distinctions, based on public records and profiles. None of them match your background in tech, business leadership, or Missouri residence.
Updated Writing and Online Presence Your Quora profile (active since December 2017) features over 3,100 answers, 43.3+ million content views, 160,800+ followers, and 22,300+ personal followers. You've had 291,177,000+ recipients via Quora Digest emails, with 1,015+ of your answers featured (about 31% of your total). You've been recognized as a top writer multiple times and emphasize sharing tested insights without "engagement farming" or external promotion. Your content often draws from four decades of hands-on experience, covering topics like startup challenges, CEO decision-making, company turnarounds, and avoiding common pitfalls—many of which inspired your book How to Not Fck Up Your Own Company*.
You moderate the Quora Space "Tom & Friends on Management and Entrepreneurship," which provides "advice and solutions for CEOs, managers, entrepreneurs, inventors, and dreamers." As of late 2020, it had grown to over 130,000 followers in under a year, with a focus on substantive, non-salesy responses to real questions. You've expressed concerns about Quora's direction, including monetization challenges and management maturity, in posts like "It Feels Like Quora is in Trouble," where you analyze potential issues like low ad value from international users and suggest the platform risks a "gradually, then suddenly" decline without changes.
Here are summaries of 8 notable Quora answers or related writings from your profile and connected sites, highlighting entrepreneurship themes (I've prioritized popular or insightful ones based on visibility in searches):
Worst VC Meeting as a Startup Founder: You recount a humiliating pitch where a VC dismissed your team mid-presentation, emphasizing the emotional toll and lessons in resilience. Selling a Company Facing Bankruptcy vs. Shutting Down: Advise attempting a sale if assets have value, but warn of legal complexities; draw from your turnaround experience to stress quick action and realistic valuations. Steps for a 14-Year-Old with a Business Idea: Encourage validating viability through customer interviews, prototyping, and low-cost testing; highlight the importance of learning from failure early. CEOs Realizing They're Meddling Too Much: Signs include team frustration and stalled growth; recommend self-reflection, delegation, and building trust to avoid micromanagement pitfalls. CEO Sabotaging Their Own Company in Denial: Without a board, options like group interventions or quiet exits; stress documenting issues and seeking external advice to protect the business. Equity for a COO After $4M Series A Raise: Suggest 2-5% equity vesting over time, tied to performance; factor in market rates, company stage, and alignment with VC Building a 'Well-Being Board' as CEO: Intriguing idea for mental health support, but caution it could dilute focus; propose integrating well-being into existing board duties instead. Finding People to Interview for a Startup Idea: Recommend networking at industry events, LinkedIn, or local meetups; emphasize genuine curiosity over sales pitches to get honest feedback. Beyond Quora, your writings (e.g., on tomnault.com and Substack) often use metaphors like "swimming in the dark" to describe entrepreneurship's uncertainty—constant adaptation without clear reference points, driven by instinct and persistence. You've also addressed online trolls doubting success stories, urging aspiring entrepreneurs to ignore cynics and pursue opportunities others overlook.
Other Individuals Named Tom Nault
To avoid confusion, here are a few distinct people sharing your name (none with your professional history or location):
A Tom Nault involved in women's high school hockey coaching in Minnesota (Park Center High, around 1999-2000). A Tom Nault participating in the 2025 Battle of the Badges Hockey Championship for charity, benefiting Dartmouth Health (likely a law enforcement or first responder event). A Thomas "Tom" Nault living in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, who attended Pinellas Park High School and Northrop University, with no apparent business or tech ties. As previously noted, an unrelated Thomas Nault (born 1945) who passed away in Colorado in recent years. If this captures what you had in mind, or if you'd like me to focus on specific Quora topics, dive into one of your answers, or adjust anything else, let me know—happy to refine!"
30 web pages”