Niko Bonatsos is the Managing Director at General Catalyst Partners an early stage venture capital fund specialising in Series A and B tech startups. In this episode we discuss:
We also discuss Niko’s investment in Snapchat which IPOd with a $28 billion valuation so this was a great episode packed full of useful insights about all things tech.
Steve O’Hear is a leading technology journalist for Techcrunch where he focuses on European startups, companies and products.
Steve has written for some of the world’s top publications and has also started a company himself, co-founding the London and Prague-based startup Beepl, In his role as CEO there, Steve helped the company raise its first round and develop and launch its product
A man of many talents he also wrote and directed the critically acclaimed documentary 'In Search of the Valley', which was released in back in 2006 spending one month visiting and talking to many of the valley's biggest personalities.
In this episode we discuss:
We also discuss Steve’s experiences as a founder and filmmaker, which makes this episode a wide-ranging and multidisciplinary one. So whether you’re curious about the state of the global tech industry, how journalism is evolving or what it takes to make the most of an interview, this episode has you covered.
Barbara Oakley is an educator and writer who’s empowering people all over the world to learn more effectively.
For those of who you who are long time listeners you’ll remember Barb from Episode 46 of the show, where we discussed Barb’s insights from learning skills in the US military and retraining herself as an engineer at the age of 26.
She’s best known for her role as the lead instructor on Coursera’s Learning How To Learn, one of the world’s most popular online courses and her bestselling book A Mind for Numbers, which the course was based on.
It’s been a year and a half since we last spoke and in that time Barb has released her second MOOC Mindshift and launched a new book, Learning How To Learn, which is a guide at effective learning aimed at kids and teens.
In this episode we discuss:
This conversation is great as a standalone piece and I’m sure you’ll get a lot from it, whether you’re a parent who wants to be more proactive in your child’s education or an aspiring thought leader who wants to reach a big audience without compromising on your principles.
This episode is another special one on equations that changed the world.
Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity is widely known as the world’s most famous equation created by history’s most famous scientist.
In simple terms the equation reads - E = MC² which states that Energy = Mass x Speed of Light²
This theory predicts the equivalence of mass and energy and a space-time continuum, which fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe and how it works.
In practical terms, Einstein’s theory ultimately led to the creation of nuclear energy sources – a defining moment in the history of humanity similar to the discovery of fire, because it allowed us to have far greater energy yields than we’d ever had before by splitting the atom…
Today’s guest, Kalid Azad, is the founder of Better Explained, one of the world's most popular maths websites that makes hard concepts easy to understand. After studying Computer Science at Princeton, Kalid spent a few years at Microsoft as a program manager, founded a Y Combinator startup, and currently works as a developer.
Kalid uses an intuition first approach to explain difficult ideas in a way that anyone can understand and this makes him the perfect guide for this episode. In this episode we discuss:
- Einstein’s backstory and how it influenced his work
- The mechanics of the equation in a way that you can understand
- The implications of the equation for our view of the Universe
So whether you’re looking to find out more about Einstein, dive deeper into the equation and its importance, or explore maths and physics in a way that’s fun and accessible, this episode has you covered.
If you’re someone with multiple interests, you’ve probably been branded a “Jack of all Trades, Master of None” more times than you can remember. And those of us with many interests sometimes struggle because we can’t be put into a box and labelled as an expert in a specific field.
But during the Renaissance, a polymath was seen as a perfected individual, someone who had mastered intellectual, artistic and physical pursuits. Hence the term “Renaissance Man” that’s still often used to describe people with multiple interests to this day.
In this short episode, I'm joined by my friend Will Reynolds, who is a perfect example of a polymath and MetaLearner because he’s taught himself a whole range of skills including writing, playing the guitar and videography – and importantly he’s been able to make a living from these skills.
We discuss a range of topics including:
- The lessons we can learn from great polymaths like Leonardo Da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin and Johann Goethe
- Where society's obsession with specialisation comes from and how to deal with it
- How to balance exploring different fields with focusing on getting things done
So whether you're looking to balance your multiple interests, make progress on your learning projects or learn from the great polymaths of history, this episode will give you all that and much more.
Paddy Milner is a musician and songwriter who’s widely recognised as one of the leading blues piano players in the world.
He’s currently the piano player of choice for Sir Tom Jones, following several years with the late great Jack Bruce and his current group Londonola plays homegrown British music with a strong dose of New Orleans spirit.
On top of being an exceptional musician, Paddy is also a great teacher and has produced several blues piano courses for different levels. This makes him the perfect man to outline the process of learning and mastering an instrument.
In this episode we discuss a range of interesting topics including:
- Paddy’s creative process and where he draws inspiration from
- The key habits needed to pick up and master a musical instrument
- Paddy’s experience of working with the likes of Jack Bruce and Tom Jones
So whether you're looking to pick up a new instrument or take your current one to the next level this episode will give you all the inspiration you need and actionable strategies you can start applying straight away.
The human brain is a remarkable tool but so few of us actually know how to use it properly. Advances in neuroscience and cognitive psychology mean that we now know more about the brain than at any point in history, so there's a whole host of knowledge out there that can help us understand and use our brains better.
This episode will introduce you to the weird and wonderful world of the brain, showing you how to understand your own one better and how to apply some of the major insights from neuroscience and cognitive psychology to improve your learning and life.
Plus I answer some of your questions including:
- What are the major differences between the right and left sides of the brain
- How can we apply knowledge about the brain to improve learning and memory?
- How important are brain genetics in determining intelligence?
So whether you're looking to for an instruction manual to help you use your brain better, or want understand the difference between the left and right hemispheres or the role of genetics in intelligence this episode has you covered.
Richard Nisbett is the Theodore Newcomb Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Michigan and has written 3 great books for a lay audience on mental models, the nature of intelligence and how thinking differs across cultures.
Understanding the patterns behind our thought processes is a crucial part of developing self awareness and improving as learners, as we're often subject to cognitive biases that take us down the wrong path.
Richard has spent decades researching thinking across contexts and cultures, which is why I was so keen to reach out to have a discussion on the subject.
In this episode we discuss a range of topics including:
- How to become aware of the mental models that drive behaviour and decisions
- The differences between Eastern and Western thought
- The way we view intelligence and the state of the nature vs. nurture debate
So whether you're looking to become aware of your own thought processes, understand the main cultural differences between Asians and Westerners or gain insight into the nature vs nurture debate, this episode has you covered.
There’s a feeling nowadays that reading isn’t as important as it used to be – we have many other ways to get information including television and the internet. While all of these are useful in the right context, they can't replace reading fully.
In the US only 40% of people who graduate college ever read a book again. But it’s been well documented that most successful and intelligent people across fields from business, science and the arts are voracious readers.
In this episode I show you how to how to choose your books and the tools and techniques that will help you read better.
Plus I answer some of your questions including:
- Does speed reading actually work?
- Do you take notes while you read and what method do you use?
- How do I remember and apply more of what I read?
So whether you're looking to read faster, more widely or remember more of what you read, this episode has you covered with actionable strategies you can start using to take your reading to the next level today.
Vincent Dignan is an entrepreneur and growth hacker who helps early-stage companies acquire users. Through his company Magnific he’s driven thousands of followers, conversations, and signups for startups using a combination of social media growth and guerrilla community management tactics.
On top of this he’s a great public speaker regularly giving talks around the world on marketing and growth hacking and he recently completed a 45-date speaking tour of the US, speaking in 13 different cities.
In this episode we discuss a range of topics including:
- Vince’s tips that will help you market your content and grow your business
- The habits that will help you pick up skills and get more done with less
- How to give a memorable public speech and get people interested in the event
We also discuss Vince’s favourite books for entrepreneurs and his thoughts on the feedback loop between teaching and learning.
Whether you’re looking to grow your business and acquire users, become a better speaker or just get more done in less time, you’ll leave this podcast with plenty of actionable strategies you can apply.