Risk-Taking

Pretty Sure I Can Fly is a humorous exploration of things that had never been done, until someone did them. It’s a series of weekly conversations about what it takes to break through the barrier of “impossible” and set new standards for human limitation. Pretty Sure I Can Fly is like going to history class, except your teachers are actor, stuntman, and outlaw radio DJ Johnny Knoxville and long-time This American Life contributor Elna Baker. And each week they bring a new guest to tell you all about how they “grabbed the bull by the bunglesteen” or “really hogwrenched that spatooly.”

Listen to Pretty Sure I Can Fly: Wondery.fm/PSICF

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Soman Chainani is the bestselling author of The School for Good & Evil book series, which has sold more than 4 million copies, been translated into 35 languages across six continents, and been adapted into a major motion picture from Netflix that debuted at #1 in more than 80 countries. Visit SomanChainani.com to learn more and follow Soman on Instagram (@somanc).

Please enjoy!

Timestamps for this episode are available below.

Sponsors:

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Timestamps:

[04:54] Who is Soman Chainani?

[06:01] Follow the flow.

[14:52] Give stories away.

[23:34] Your bull might be gay.

[30:13] Indispensable assistance.

[36:36] Art appreciation: Christopher Marley.

[40:35] Coach Alpha.

[50:05] Mike Regula's Course of Action.

[52:31] The catharsis of being an intermittent pop star.

[59:20] How ketamine changed Soman's life.

[1:08:09] The Shadow Self vs. The Double (refereed by Kelly Clarkson).

[1:13:47] Thoughts on Netflix's Quarterback.

[1:17:34] Career lessons from Taylor Swift.

[1:24:07] Recommended reading.

[1:29:55] Cross-collar dating.

[1:35:12] The language of couples.

[1:36:59] Hookups.

[1:38:28] St. Louis vs. everywhere else.

[1:42:48] Dodgy allergies.

[1:48:41] Babysitting the fully formed.

[1:52:07] Parting thoughts.

*

For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

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Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How can you let go of something you love to do?

And when is the right time to let go?

Today, Jay is joined by Emmy Award winning host, writer, producer, and actor, James Corden. James is also a Tony Award winning and Golden Globe nominated actor; and a multiple BAFTA Award winner. In April 2023, James wrapped up his eight-year run as host of THE LATE LATE SHOW, which premiered on CBS in March 2015. The show garnered Corden four Emmy Award wins and an additional twenty-three Emmy Award nominations. Corden is the co-creator and executive producer of CARPOOL KARAOKE: THE SERIES for Apple TV+ which won five consecutive Emmy Awards and is currently nominated for 2023. The series also won three Producers Guild Awards, a Critics’ Choice Real TV Award and was nominated for a Writers Guild Award.  

James takes you through the successive successes and inevitable misses that shape our lives, the impact of expectations on our experiences and unravel the true meaning of success. He touches on his love for performance, the driving force behind success, and the reality that not all efforts receive the recognition they deserve; as well as the reflective process during significant transitions and gain insights into the complexities of the narcissistic dream.

As the conversation continues, James presents the powerful analogy of letting a balloon go, symbolizing the liberation that comes with releasing expectations. They also touch on the importance of mindful living, questioning how much of tomorrow you're willing to borrow.  

In this interview, you'll learn:

• How to effectively chase after success
• How to pick yourself up after failure
• The importance of surrounding yourself with good people
• How to balance family life and career
• How to make your marriage work
• How to slow down when things get tough

This episode is a reminder to cultivate a life filled with purpose, the art of slowing down, embracing life's pace, and savoring each moment. 

With Love and Gratitude,

Jay Shetty

What We Discuss:

• 00:00 Intro
• 02:52 The Successive Success and the Many Misses in Between
• 08:32 The Expectation OF is What Mostly Ruins Things
• 10:22 What is the True Meaning of Success?
• 12:56 Love for Performance and the Drive for Success
• 17:23 Not All Efforts Get Rewarded
• 20:36 Your Life Can Get Flipped Over Every Single Day
• 23:38 Reflection Process During Big Transitions
• 28:13 The Narcissist’s Dream
• 35:50 The Analogy of Letting a Balloon Go
• 41:02 Becoming More than the Man You Actually Are
• 46:44 Sleep is an Extraordinary Gift
• 49:42 How Much of Tomorrow Are You Willing to Borrow?
• 53:15 Why Do You Need to Stop Going on a Diet?
• 56:21 How Do You Keep Good Friends Around?
• 01:00:32 How to Calmly Talk to Your Child?
• 01:06:14 Where is the Best Place to Raise Your Family and Kids?
• 01:11:24 Effective Communication Between Married Couple
• 01:15:43 The Story of a Man Who Just Kept Going
• 01:21:08 The David Beckham Statue Prank
• 01:22:35 Learning to Slow Down and Not Rush Anything
• 01:32:27 James on Final Five

Episode Resources:

• James Corden | Instagram
• James Corden | Twitter
• The Late Late Show with James Corden | YouTube
• The Late Late Show with James Corden | TikTok

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Jim Koch created Samuel Adams Boston Lager in 1984, American craft beer was still in its infancy. But forty years and thousands of new craft breweries later, both the competition and Jim’s drive to innovate are fiercer than ever...

This week on How I Built This Lab, Jim reveals how thinking beyond paradigms and exploring aberrations has kept Boston Beer Company a leader in the alcoholic beverage industry. From hard teas to nitrogenated ales to non-alcoholic IPAs, Jim also shares the stories behind his company’s biggest hits — and biggest flops.

Also, check out Boston Beer Company’s founding story told by Jim in October 2016.

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Chris Maccini. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mike Cessario came up with the idea for a viral water brand by asking himself “What is the dumbest possible idea we could have?” His answer was Liquid Death: an aluminum can of water that looks like a cross between beer and poison. While it seemed self-destructive, the idea turned out to be brilliant: Liquid Death connected with customers who don’t typically buy bottled water, and built a moat around itself by being entertaining and edgy—something most brands struggle with. As a former ad-man with one failed business behind him, Mike initially sidelined his idea when he couldn't find a co-packer to put spring water in aluminum cans. But seven years after launch, Liquid Death is both a water and an entertainment company, with annual revenue well above $100M.

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Casey Herman.

Our engineers were Robert Rodriguez and Josh Newell.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tom Conrad is the CEO of Zero and on the board of Sonos. He began his career in engineering at Apple, where he helped build key features that remain in iOS today. Tom was previously the VP of Product at Snap and the chief technology officer of Pandora. He also held leadership positions at notable tech flops Pets.com and Quibi, giving him a unique perspective not only on what it takes to build a successful company but also on lessons from failure. In today’s conversation, we discuss:

• Lessons learned from the infamous failures of Pets.com and Quibi

• Lessons learned from the successes of Apple, Pandora, and Snap

• Advice on choosing where to work

• Understanding the math formula of a business

• How to avoid burnout

• Why Tom says not everyone needs to be a founder

• What he’s building now

—

Brought to you by Coda—Meet the evolution of docs | Jira Product Discovery—Atlassian’s new prioritization and roadmapping tool built for product teams | HelpBar by Chameleon—the free in-app universal search solution built for SaaS

—

Find the transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/billion-dollar-failures-and-billion-dollar-success-tom-conrad-quibi-pandora-petscom-snap-ze/#transcript

—

Where to find Tom Conrad:

• X: https://twitter.com/tconrad

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomconrad/

—

Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

—

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Tom’s background

(04:40) Landing a gig at Apple

(07:41) Pioneering the blinking folder design on iOS

(11:04) Advice on choosing where to work

(12:43) The importance of trusting your gut when it comes to people

(14:05) Lessons from failed ventures

(17:32) Why and how Pets.com shut down 

(18:30) How Tom’s experience at Quibi renewed his passion for building

(28:48) Takeaways from Quibi and why it ultimately failed

(31:42) Failing is okay

(35:04) Tom’s career at Apple

(39:11) Lessons from You Don’t Know Jack

(40:24) Lessons from building Pandora

(48:24) Looking back at Pandora and what could have been done differently

(55:17) How Tom became VP of Product at Snapchat

(1:01:31) Tom’s philosophy on being involved as CEO

(1:05:51) Tom’s current role as CEO of Zero, and what he’s learned along the way

(1:10:37) How Zero builds product

(1:18:33) Advice on work-life balance 

(1:27:22) Contrarian corner: why not everyone needs to be a founder

(1:30:08) Lightning round

—

Referenced:

• Ron Lichty on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronlichty/

• What happened to Pets.com?: https://fourweekmba.com/pets-com-failure/

• 11 reasons why Quibi crashed and burned in less than a year: https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/22/21528404/quibi-shut-down-cost-subscribers-content-tv-movies-katzenberg-whitman-tiktok-netflix

• Meg Whitman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meg_Whitman

• Jeffrey Katzenberg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-katzenberg-4b3b47123/

• John Sculley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsculley/

• Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/

• How Pandora Soothed the Savage Beast: https://www.fastcompany.com/3001052/how-pandora-soothed-savage-beast

• Joe Kennedy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-kennedy-329417/

• Why Did Yahoo Pay $160 Million for Musicmatch?: https://www.wired.com/2007/07/why-did-yahoo-p/

• TikTok Is the New TV: https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-new-show-tv-takeover/

• Evan Spiegel on X: https://twitter.com/evanspiegel

• Brian Chesky’s new playbook: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/brian-cheskys-new-playbook/

• What sets great teams apart | Lane Shackleton (CPO of Coda): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/what-sets-great-teams-apart-lane-shackleton-cpo-of-coda/

• Flashtags: https://lane.substack.com/p/flashtags

• Patrick Spence on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickspence/

• The Philosophy of Ikigai: 3 Examples About Finding Purpose: https://positivepsychology.com/ikigai

• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life: https://www.amazon.com/Subtle-Art-Not-Giving-Counterintuitive/dp/0062457713

• High Growth Handbook: Scaling Startups from 10 to 10,000 People: https://www.amazon.com/High-Growth-Handbook-Elad-Gil/dp/1732265100

• Hyperion: https://www.amazon.com/Hyperion-Cantos-Dan-Simmons/dp/0553283685

• A Fire Upon the Deep: https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Upon-Deep-Zones-Thought/dp/0812515285/

• Mrs. Davis on Peacock: https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/mrs-davis

• Watchmen on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/watchmen

• Lost on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/series/lost-466b3994-b574-44f1-88bc-63707507a6cb

• Eartune replacement tips: https://eartune.com/products/eartune-fidelity-ufa

• Charles Eames’s quote: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/charles_eames_169188

• Compuserve: https://www.compuserve.com/

• Steve Wilhite: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Wilhite

—

Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

—

Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.

Dr. Jordan B Peterson sits down with author and journalist Matt Taibbi. They discuss his early career both in journalism and professional basketball, his time in the U.S.S.R. learning Russian and publishing a successful gonzo-inspired newspaper, and his breaking coverage of the subprime mortgage bubble. They also examine the state of the world today with Russia and the U.S. military industrial complex, the upcoming presidential election, and the dire necessity for alternative news sources.

Matt Taibbi is an award-winning investigative reporter and one of America’s more recognizable literary voices.  In 2002, Taibbi began work as a contributing editor for Rolling Stone. There he won the National Magazine Award for commentary. He is best known for his coverage of four presidential campaigns, of the 2008 financial crisis, and the criminal justice system. He has written ten books, including four New York Times bestsellers: The Great Derangement, Griftopia, The Divide, and Insane Clown President. His book, I Can’t Breathe, about the police killing of Eric Garner, was named one of the year’s ten best books by the Washington Post. His latest book about media division, Hate Inc., has been hailed by everyone from Joe Rogan to Publishers Weekly, and called “The best explanation of media behavior since Manufacturing Consent” by Glenn Greenwald.

- Links -

For Matt Taibbi:

Racket News https://www.racket.news/

On X https://twitter.com/mtaibbi?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor 

Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research and development company.

www.openai.com 

Redefine Meat co-founder and CEO Eshchar Ben-Shitrit long had aspirations to lead a company, though he never imagined taking the risk to start his own. But learning about the environmental harms of mass beef production, plus having to answer his kids’ questions about what happens to baby cows at certain farms, was enough to convince him to say goodbye to corporate life and join the plant-based revolution.

This week on How I Built This Lab, Eshchar recounts his path from product manager to marketing executive to Redefine Meat — the company he launched in 2018 to commercialize 3D-printed, plant-based steaks. Today the company’s printed beef, lamb and pig alternatives can be found across Israel and Europe, with imminent plans to enter the U.S. market.

This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson and edited by John Isabella, with research by Chris Maccini.

Our music was composed by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For some entrepreneurs, risk is just part of the game. But for the reluctant entrepreneur, whose endeavors come as a response to a need they've identified, risk can feel more like a necessary evil. That’s why you need to learn to harness risk. Stacey Abrams, an entrepreneur and scale leader both in and outside of politics, is a perfect example of how harnessing risk can be key to your success. Outside of politics, she’s started three companies with her business partner, Lara Hodgson. Their new book, Level Up: Rise Above the Hidden Forces Holding Your Business Back, dives into the lessons learned from those experiences. She also founded and scaled two voting rights organizations: the New Georgia Project and Fair Fight Action, as well as the census mobilization effort Fair Count and the Southern Economic Advancement Project.

Read Level Up: Rise Above the Hidden Forces Holding Your Business Back, by Stacey Abrams and Lara Hodgson: https://amzn.to/36bw5Ay

Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com

Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.

Tetris is one of the most popular video games of all time, and Henk Rogers helped make it happen. He first discovered the game at a convention in 1988, and immediately saw how elegant and addictive it was. As a software developer based in Japan, Henk set out to obtain selected publishing rights, but waded into a tangle of red tape that stretched from Japan to the U.S. to the Soviet Union. He eventually ventured behind the Iron Curtain to bluster his way into the obscure government office that managed Tetris. While in Moscow, Henk also met the game’s inventor, Alexey Pajitnov, and the two of them hit it off. After much legal wrangling across many time zones, Henk and Alexey won the worldwide rights to the game; and today, Tetris has sold over 500 million copies.

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this deeply insightful episode, we explore the extraordinary journey of Doc Wright, a trailblazer in the woodworking industry. His voyage, defined by audacious risk-taking, sheer determination, and a ceaseless pursuit of his unique vision, is a testament to the power of individuality in an ever-standardizing world.

Doc shares his approach to building his business, which intriguingly involves disregarding industry trends and societal norms. Instead of conforming, Doc found success by chasing 'whales', large, complex projects that provide an expansive canvas for his creativity to fully express itself. This strategy is a testament to Doc's belief in the transformative power of individuality and originality, two qualities that have become his signature.

Unpacking his business model further, Doc emphasizes a relentless focus on quality and artistic value over mass production. His method underscores the potential of an artisan approach in a world increasingly driven by industrialization and mass-production. This perspective not only helps shape his business but also inspires others to value their unique talents and visions.

Moreover, Doc shares his unorthodox view of schedules. Instead of following a regimented daily routine, Doc prizes the freedom that allows his creativity to flourish naturally. He believes that inspiration and ingenuity cannot be scheduled and that the best ideas often come when we least expect them.

Despite the looming presence of AI and other technological advancements, Doc remains optimistic about the future of his trade. He expresses confidence that the demand for his one-of-a-kind, handmade furniture will continue to flourish, demonstrating a steadfast belief in the enduring appeal of unique and high-quality artisanal products.

Key takeaways from this episode include the crucial role of originality in business, the value of being selective in choosing projects, and the importance of perseverance and unwavering belief in one's vision amidst adversity. 

Join us as we dive into Doc Wright's world, where creativity, individuality, and artisanal craftsmanship intersect to create an inspiring success story.