Episodes

Nov. 14, 2024

Anthony Pompliano — How to Live an Extraordinary Life (EP.242)

Anthony Pompliano — investor, entrepreneur, and media powerhouse — returns four years and 228 episodes later to discuss his new book, , a collection of 65 heartfelt letters to his two children. At just 36, Anthony has already invested in …

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Nov. 7, 2024

Sajith Pai — Exploring Indus Valley (Ep.241)

There’s a quote I heard a long time ago that goes something like this - “India has consistently disappointed both the optimists and the pessimists”. It is equal parts pithy and profound, and does a somewhat passable job of summarising …

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Oct. 31, 2024

Scott Aaronson — Quantumania (EP.240)

My guest today is Scott Aaronson, a theoretical computer scientist, OG blogger, and quantum computing maestro. Scott has so many achievements and credentials that listing them here would take longer than recording the episode. Here's a select few: ...

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Oct. 24, 2024

Danny Crichton — Player of Games (EP.239)

Danny Crichton is a man of many talents. He’s got a background in computer science, has worked in the worlds of foreign policy, was a managing editor at Techcrunch, and now serves as Head of Editorial at Lux Capital. As …

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Oct. 17, 2024

Yuk Chi Chan — On Rockets, Dog Years & Robotic Space-Snakes (EP.238)

My guest today is the human Swiss Army Knife, Yuk Chi Chan, who has packed more into the last decade than many people do in a lifetime. Yuk Chi is the founder of Charter Space, the first British space company …

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Oct. 10, 2024

Dan Shipper — I, Writer (EP.237)

“Ignoring what is obvious incurs a huge cost. It requires you to go about your day numbing yourself to the reality of who you are and what you want—which is a waste of time for you and everyone around you. …

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Oct. 3, 2024

Dr. Gena Gorlin — How to Build a Builder (EP.236)

My guest today is Dr. Gena Gorlin, a psychologist specializing in the unique needs of the ultra-ambitious. Unlike many in her field. Gena doesn’t aim to simply lift the floor of her clients’ ambitions — she wants to raise the …

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Sept. 26, 2024

Nir Eyal — How To Become An Indistractable Force (EP.235)

“Most people don’t want to acknowledge the uncomfortable truth that distraction is always an unhealthy escape from reality.” My latest guest, , writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of , technology, and business. Nir...

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Sept. 19, 2024

Alex Danco — Finding Mystery in the Margin (EP.234)

As the saying goes, only three things in life are certain: death, taxes & Alex Danco. Armed with sizzling hot takes on the sad death of Twitter likes and a new secret weapon in the form of his catchphrase-turned-episode theme …

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Sept. 12, 2024

Mike Maples, Jr. — How To Become a Pattern-Breaking Founder (EP.233)

Mike Maples, Jr., co-founding partner of the VC firm Floodgate, is the veteran seed investor behind some of the 21st-century’s great success stories, including Twitter, Twitch, and Applied Intuition. His book, Pattern Breakers (co-authored with...

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Sept. 5, 2024

Ben Orlin — Math As Universal Language (EP.232)

As a former quant with six grandkids, my spidey-senses started tingling as soon as I heard about Ben Orlin’s mission to make math fun. A native of St.Paul, Ben is a math educator and popularizer who is known for his …

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Aug. 29, 2024

Gurwinder Bhogal's Guide to Modern Survival (EP.231)

“We have created for ourselves a world that we didn't evolve for.” Gurwinder Bhogal is, for my money, one of the most independent, original and insightful thinkers you’ll find in our corner of the internet. He returns to discuss how …

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Aug. 22, 2024

Julia Sonnevend — Charming! (EP.230)

Professor Julia Sonnevend believes that charm is one of the defining political trends of our era. In her latest book, she argues that charm will do no less than “shape the future of democracy worldwide,” exploring how it is weaponized …

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Aug. 15, 2024

Bilawal Sidhu — How to Unite Reality With Imagination (EP.229)

As a proud owner of the exceedingly rare “two-digit” designation on CompuServe (the internet’s precursor), I’ve always been an early adopter of new tech. I was, therefore, particularly excited to speak to Bilawal Sidhu, a one-man corporation...

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Aug. 8, 2024

Luca Dellanna — How to Play (and Win) Long Term Games (EP.228)

When Luca Dellanna speaks, I listen. Unlike many of the other management, productivity and behavioral gurus out there, Luca is ruthlessly committed to providing actionable, tangible advice that is rooted in the messy, chaotic reality of daily life....

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Aug. 1, 2024

Ateet Ahluwalia — The Many Bosses of a Venture Capitalist (EP.227)

Let me introduce you to the four horsemen of the investment apocalypse: Fear. Greed. Hope. Ignorance. Notice anything? Three of four are emotions. I’ve long argued that effective investing is far more about emotional control than technical know-how...

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July 25, 2024

Audrey Wisch — How to Cultivate Curious Kids (EP.226)

I’ve always tried to encourage curiosity in my three children and now six (!) grandchildren. My kids often reminisce about my default response to their childhood questions: pointing to the bookshelf that flanked our sofa and saying, “look it up …

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July 18, 2024

Matthew Ball — Into The Metaverse (EP.225)

Matthew Ball is the CEO of Epyllion, which makes angel investments, provides advisory services, and produces television, films, and video games. He’s also a Venture Partner at Makers Fund, Senior Advisor to KKR, Senior Advisor to McKinsey &...

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July 11, 2024

Nat Eliason — Crazy, Crypto, Confidential (EP.224)

Nat Eliason is a writer with a keen interest in writing about challenging and revealing things. His debut book, Crypto Confidential: Winning and Losing Millions in the New Frontier of Finance (out July 9th, 2024), charts his personal odyssey into...

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July 4, 2024

Noor Siddiqui — A Thiel Fellow’s Guide to Having Healthy Babies (EP.2…

Noor Siddiqui is currently building Orchid, a reproductive technology company that measures genetic predisposition to disease and provides embryo screening for couples going through IVF. Noor joins the show to discuss the ambitious culture of the West...

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June 27, 2024

The Fourth Way - Mastering The Self (EP.222)

The Fourth Way is an anonymously run Youtube channel and Twitter page dedicated to the path of psychological and spiritual growth and self-improvement. Built around the philosophy of two thinkers - George Gurdjieff and Peter Ouspensky - the ultimate...

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June 20, 2024

Mona Sobhani — A Neuroscientist’s Journey From Materialism to Beyond …

Mona Sobhani, Ph.D. is a cognitive neuroscientist, researcher, and author. In 2022 she published her first book, Proof of Spiritual Phenomena: A Neuroscientist's Discovery of the Ineffable Mysteries of the Universe, which documents her...

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June 13, 2024

Ellen Fishbein — Make Art, Not Noise (EP. 220)

Described by David Perell as “like Rick Rubin for writing,” Ellen Fishbein is an author, writing coach and founder of Altamira Studio, an independent publisher specializing in short-form books. She joins the show to discuss how traditional...

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June 6, 2024

John A. Paulos — Avoiding Innumeracy (EP. 219)

Professor, Mathematician and Writer John A. Paulos joins the show to discuss math education, the power of puzzles, cognitive biases, and MUCH more! Important Links: Show Notes: Why Do People Hate Math? The Power of Posing Problems with...

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