Iain McGilchrist is a psychiatrist and author of The Master and His Emissary and The Matter with Things. In the episode we discuss:
- The differences between the left and right brain hemispheres and how they shape your perspective
- The 4 pathways to understanding - science, reason, intuition & imagination
- How the big problems we face including the assault on Nature, destruction of Culture are all related
We also talk about the significance of morality and the intersection of science and religion.
Andrew Warner is an entrepreneur, author and the founder of Mixergy, a platform for interviewing the world’s top founders. In this episode we discuss:
- Andrew’s techniques for learning anything from anyone, based on 2000+ interviews
- How to interrupt someone, ask tough questions and rescue bad conversations
- Strategies for building a thriving content business around interviews
We also discuss how Andrew improved his interviewing over time, what he learned from some of his interviewing heroes like Charlie Rose and the key mistakes to avoid for new interviewers.
Demetri Kofinas is a media entrepreneur, financial analyst and the host of the Hidden Forces Podcast. In this episode we discuss:
- The key events that shaped the modern world including 9/11 and the 2008 Financial Crisis
- The rise of ‘financial nihilism’ and how it’s playing out in asset markets including crypto
- How to build a profitable media business with integrity in a post truth world
We also talk about Demetri’s recovery from a brain tumour that almost completely wiped his memory, the pros and cons of the different forms of media & the power of memes in crypto.
Oliver Burkeman is a journalist and author of the book 4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. In this episode we discuss:
- The time management myths that are holding you back
- Practical strategies that help you focus on what matters most
- The true cost of convenience culture and what you lose
We also talk about how writing the book changed Oliver’s relationship to time, the path to producing original creative work and the issues with self-help culture.
Armand D’Angour is a professor of classics at the University of Oxford and the author of several books including Socrates in Love and his latest, How To Innovate.
In this episode we discuss:
- The 3 different types of innovation and how to use them to your advantage
- How the Greeks thought about change and what we can learn from them
- The relationship between innovation and ethics
We also cover the true story behind Archimedes’ famous “Eureka!” moment and Aristotle’s thoughts on political innovation.
Larry Grobel is a writer and interviewer who has interviewed every big name in Hollywood from Robert de Niro to Nicole Kidman, Al Pacino to Angelina Jolie. In this episode we discuss:
- The art of a great interview informed by Larry’ work with the world’s biggest stars
- Techniques for building rapport fast to make people feel comfortable and open up
- Larry’s principles for great storytelling that he’s used in his writing & interviewing
We also talk about Larry’s 10 days on Marlon Brando’s private island, his close 30 year friendship with Al Pacino and his controversial interview with former Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight.
Gary Lachman is a writer and philosopher, whose work focuses on human imagination and the history of occult ideas. In this episode we discuss:
- Moving between the rational and the imaginative modes of consciousness
- The rise of meme magic in politics and how Trump, Putin others have used it
- How to make sense of a world dominated by philosophies of nihilism
We also discuss Gary’s experience in the rock band Blondie in the mid 70s, how the internet shapes reality and the history of some of the most important ideas about consciousness.
Andrea Domenichini is a media producer and podcaster who runs his own show Voices in the Dark, and has been helping me with the latest episodes of the MetaLearn podcast. In this episode we discuss:
- The role curiosity plays in learning and how to cultivate it in yourself and others
- The nature of knowledge and the thread running between science and the arts
- What Dungeons & Dragons has taught Andrea about storytelling, creativity and media
We also talk about growing up in different cultures, neurodivergence and the HBO Series Westworld and what it teaches us about consciousness.
James Hollis is Jungian analyst and author of 16 books, including his latest work Prisms and Living Between Worlds. In this episode we cover:
- How to deal with competing desires and create the life you want to live
- The meaning of Jung’s big ideas like the shadow and what they mean for you
- How James has written a book every two years for the last 3 decades
This was a wide ranging, deep conversation that will give you a fresh perspective on how to live a meaningful life.
Sergey Young is the Founder of the Longevity Vision Fund and author of the book The Science and Technology of Growing Young. In this episode we discuss:
- How using health data will eventually enable us to reverse aging
- The current state of aging research and progress made in recent years
- The simple things you can do to extend your lifes and stay healthy
This episode will give you a broad overview of the longevity field and unique insights into what you can do to live a longer, healthier life.
Tom Chatfield is a philosopher and author of the books Critical Thinking and How To Think. In this episode we discuss:
- How to avoid common thinking mistakes and deal with your biases to be less wrong
- The three characteristics of valuable information sources
- How to understand statistics and form an accurate picture of reality in a data driven world
We also discuss Tom’s experience writing a book during the pandemic and the task of teaching people to think. This episode will help you overcome thinking mistakes and make sense of the world around you.
Visakan ‘Visa’ Veerasamy is a creator, marketer and the author of two books, Friendly Ambitious Nerd and Introspect. In this episode we discuss:
- How to reframe your ambition so you can succeed your way
- How to create content that helps people, makes money and connects you to your tribe
- How to market yourself and your work without selling out
We also discuss Visa’s experience growing up as a child of multiple worlds, turning ADHD into a superpower, and the importance of creative scenes like the Golden Age in Ancient Greece and the Renaissance in Italy.
Visa is one of the most interesting and unique thinkers I’ve come across and this episode will give you a lot of valuable insight into creating, marketing and more.
Michael Meade is a mythologist, storyteller and author best known for books like The Water of Life, Fate and Destiny and The Genius Myth. In this episode we discuss:
- How to find and tap into your inner genius
- How to tell transformative stories that move people
- The most valuable life lessons from world mythology
We also cover Michael’s near fatal run-in with a gang aged 13 and his experience going on hunger strike after being drafted into the Vietnam War. This episode will fuel your imagination and help you discover and tap into your own genius.
Luke Burgis is an entrepreneur and author of the book Wanting, The Power of Mimetic Desire and How to Want What You Need.
In this episode, we cover:
- How to turn blind wanting that leaves you unfulfilled to intentional wanting that supports your values
- The different kinds of role models and how they affect your desires and behaviour
- How conflict often comes from similarities, not differences and the tactics to break the cycle in your life
This conversation will help you better understand what you want and why you want it, giving you the power to find more meaning in your work and life and transform your life for the better.
Rob Fitzpatrick is an author and entrepreneur, best known for his book The Mom Test. His latest offering is Write Useful Books.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Rob’s 4-part system for writing useful books based on product testing principles
- Common mistakes to avoid in getting feedback from readers
- Business lessons Rob has learned from a decade and a half of entrepreneurial projects
We also cover the publishing industry and Rob’s plans to disrupt it. This episode will give you a system for writing great non fiction that solves readers' problems and give you an insights into running an entrepreneurial career in a sustainable way.
Thomas Moore is an author and psychotherapist, best known for the NYT bestseller Care of the Soul. His latest book, Soul Therapy is focused on therapy that actually makes a difference.
In this episode we discuss:
- What therapy or "soul care" is and how it works
- The myths that to help you through dark times in life
- The modern obsession with childhood trauma
This conversation will give you a fresh perspective of therapy and help you separate the signal from the noise in a world of shallow conversations about mental health.
David Heinemeier Hansson is the creator of Ruby on Rails, Co-Founder and CTO at Basecamp and the best-selling co-author of Rework and Remote.
In this episode we discuss:
- David’s learning process and how he’s applied it to everything from photography to race car driving
- Basecamp's recent battle against Apple and the implications of Big Tech monopolies for business and society
- David’s take on a recent controversy at Basecamp around discussing political issues at work
This conversation will give you access to the methods and philosophies of an exceptional learner as well as insight into some of the key issues of our time.
Raoul Pal is the Co-Founder & CEO of Real Vision Group, a disruptive financial media brand. He also runs his own macro research business the Global Macro Investor and was himself previously a highly successful portfolio manager at one of the world’s largest hedge funds GLG.
The global economy is in a state of transition and with the march of technology accelerating and a new financial system and digital economy being created before our eyes, Raoul is the perfect guide to help you make sense of what’s going on. In this episode we discuss:
- How we got to the current crisis point in the global economy and what that means for you
- The emerging digital asset space (including cryptocurrencies, NFTs & community tokens) and its significance as a source of return to combat monetary debasement
- The skill of investing and what Raoul has learned about it after several decades in the markets
If you’re expecting tips on which cryptocurrencies to buy or sell this conversation isn’t for you. But it is what I hope will be an evergreen conversation charting the story of how we got to where we are and where we’re going, through the lens of one of the world’s most successful investors.
Barbara Oakley is an educator and writer who’s empowering people all over the world to learn more effectively.
She’s best known for her role as the lead instructor on Coursera’s Learning How To Learn and her bestselling book A Mind for Numbers but in the last few years she’s created an incredible body of work including multiple books and online courses.
In this episode we discuss:
- How and why Barb is releasing not one but two books in quick succession Learn like a Pro and Uncommon Sense Teaching
- The main insights from the last 5 years of research on the learning process
- The difference between declarative and procedural memory and why that matters for learning
This was a great conversation, full of fascinating insights about the learning process that you can go away and apply straight away.
Dean Nelson is the director of the journalism program at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego and author of the book Talk To Me.
He has over 40 years of experience in journalism and has written stories from all over the world, which have been published the likes of the New York Times & Boston Globe.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How to navigate career crisis and the two questions that resolved Dean’s own struggles
- How jazz is a useful analogy for understanding how to having better conversations
- The path to becoming an effective interviewer and talking to your heroes
This was a really insightful conversation that will teach you how to ask better questions and get better answers whether you interview for a living or not.
Eric Jorgenson is the author of the Navalmanack, a distillation of the best insights from Angel List Founder Naval Ravikant and the Founder of Course Correctly, a site that curates the best online courses for knowledge workers.
Eric is in the process of creating a course about leverage and has learned from one of the best thinkers on the subject, Naval Ravikant, founder of Angel List and one of the world’s best-known technologists.
In this episode we discuss:
- The core principles of leverage & the limiting beliefs that prevent people from applying it
- How to curate the best online courses in an ocean of available learning materials
- How the best way to become a unique specialist is to start as a generalist
This was a really insightful conversation that will give you some great ideas on how to apply leverage to your own life and business, as well as some powerful insights into the future of online education.
Dhrupad Karwa is the Founder and CEO of Inspo, an AI Inspiration Partner designed to enrich creative thinking at brands and agencies. He is also the co-founder and CEO of HaikuJAM, a social writing game that helps people write collaboratively online. In this episode we discuss:
- The importance of inspiration and how AI can bring more of it to our lives-
The challenges of building startups and what kept Dhru going along the way
- The current state of the social media landscape and the challenge of navigating it
This was a great conversation that will give you an insight into the mind of an entrepreneur working on a fascinating problem at the intersection of human and machine creativity. Plus, if you’re craving some inspiration at the moment, Dhru’s stories and ideas will definitely give you a top-up.
Billy Broas is an entrepreneur, marketing coach and consultant and instructor of the Keystone online course. In this episode we discuss:
- Limiting beliefs holding you back from marketing yourself and your business
- Billy’s Bridge of Transformation Method
- What Billy learned from some of history’s greatest copywriters
This episode will give you the mindsets and skillsets you need to thrive in marketing, as well as great insights into human psychology, business and online education.
Anton Howes is a historian in residence at the RSA and a visiting lecturer at King's College London. He is also the author of the book Arts and Minds: How The RSA Changed a Nation.
In this episode we discuss:
- The innovator's mindset and why it’s much rarer than you think-
A vision for reviving the great exhibitions of the 19th century as a vehicle for progress
- How to research and write a book, as well as advice for getting your work read
This conversation will give you some great ideas for how you can innovate more in your life, your organisation, and even for society as a whole as well as some valuable insights into the creative process.
Kevin Kelly is the co-founder and editor at Wired magazine, and one of the world’s leading technologists. He’s the author of What Technology Wants and The Inevitable and has recently launched Vanishing Asia, a photo-book documenting 40 years of Kevin’s travels in Asia.
In this episode we discuss:
- Kevin’s lessons about photography, the world and himself from 40 years of travel in Asia
- What the rise of Asia and accelerating global convergence means for you and the world
- How to succeed in the industry of ideas and the current state of intellectual property
This was a wide ranging conversation that will offer you powerful insights about travel, technology and where the world is going. Most importantly, you’ll get a fresh perspective on how to discover your own unique attributes so you can future proof yourself and live a good life.