Elad Gil (@eladgil) is CEO of Gil & Co, a multi-stage investment firm, holding company, and operating company working on the world’s most advanced technologies. Elad is a serial entrepreneur, operating executive, and investor or advisor to private companies, including AirBnB, Anduril, Coinbase, Figma, Instacart, OpenAI, SpaceX, and Stripe. He was previously VP of Corporate Strategy at Twitter and started mobile at Google. He was the founder and CEO of Mixerlabs and Color. Elad is the author of the bestseller High Growth Handbook: Scaling Startups from 10 to 10,000 People. This episode is brought to you by: * Matic the intelligent robot vacuum and mop that navigates obstacles and needs no babysitting: MaticRobots.com/Tim * AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim * Eight Sleep Pod Cover 5 sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating: EightSleep.com/Tim * Helix Sleep premium mattresses: HelixSleep.com/Tim Timestamps * [00:00:00] Start. * [00:02:21] What’s the “AI personal IPO” that just quietly happened across Silicon Valley? * [00:05:28] Tens to hundreds of millions per researcher: What top AI pay packages actually look like. * [00:06:44] The compute ceiling: Why Korean memory fabs are the unlikely bottleneck throttling every AI lab on earth. * [00:11:11] From zero to $30B run rate: The fastest revenue ramps in the history of capitalism. * [00:17:24] The dot-com survival rate was one in 100. Buckle up, AI founders. * [00:20:35] Your value-maximizing window: Why the next 12–18 months may be as good as it gets. * [00:21:32] Durable advantage — and why the AI market is an oligopoly (for now). * [00:24:12] Exit options for AI founders: labs, hyperscalers, vertical players, and the underrated merger of equals. * [00:28:11] Math, biology, and intuitive leaps: Elad’s pre-investing background. * [00:29:42] Elad’s revisionist genesis story. * [00:30:50] Go where the cluster is: 91% of global AI private market cap lives in a 10×10 mile square. * [00:33:20] The accidental investor: Patrick Collison walks, Airbnb intros, and deals that just happened. * [00:34:37] Want money? Ask for advice. Want advice? Ask for money. * [00:35:00] The High Growth Handbook: Tactical guide, not bedtime reading. * [00:35:41] Market first, team second — with a Perplexity-and-Anduril asterisk. * [00:37:43] Smoke in the distance: AlexNet and the transformative GPT-3 moment. * [00:45:15] AI cold-reading: Feeding photos to the model and getting eerily accurate personality reads. * [00:48:56] Has Elad ever done a retrospective on his own investing? * [00:52:13] Power laws are terrifying: 10 companies, 80% of returns, two decades. * [00:55:53] Avoiding science projects, and how SPACs accidentally saved hard tech investing. * [00:59:20] The one-belief framework: Coinbase = crypto index. Stripe = e-commerce index. That’s the whole memo. * [01:00:54] Due diligence theater vs. the one question that actually matters. * [01:02:13] The four-year vest is a relic: How venture capital ate growth investing. * [01:07:16] Boards as in-laws: You can’t fire them, so choose wisely. * [01:09:47] “Valuation is temporary. Control is forever.” — Naval Ravikant, as quoted by Elad, as relayed to you. * [01:11:30] How great companies actually grew: toolbars, name-targeted ads, and billions in distribution spend. * [01:15:36] Selling software vs. selling labor hours: The real shift generative AI made. * [01:18:40] Spotting a great market: regulatory shifts, technology shifts, and Hashi getting bought by IBM. * [01:21:28] Fake TAM, real TAM, and the Coke CEO who realized he wasn’t in the soda business. * [01:22:47] Right now, consensus is just correct. Save the contrarianism for later. * [01:25:15] Market entry vs. market disruption: SpaceX launched rockets, then disrupted the internet. * [01:26:16] How Elad learns: X, papers, 20-minute calls with the right people — and four AI models running in parallel. * [01:27:15] Deep dive: ADHD, autism, and why diagnostic rates soared without more people actually having it. * [01:33:40] Longevity for realists: sleep, creatine, and maybe rapamycin when the real drugs arrive. * [01:40:30] Ibogaine, anesthesia, and the next frontier of bioelectric medicine. * [01:45:15] Elad’s first-ever 10-year plan — and why making one changes everything. * [01:46:53] Parting thoughts. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brian Dean is the founder of Backlinko and Exploding Topics, both acquired by Semrush, which itself was recently acquired by Adobe for $1.9 billion. Brian's story starts exactly where a lot of great stories start: broke, directionless, and eating canned beef stew in his dad's basement during the 2008 financial crisis. He picked up a copy of The 4-Hour Workweek and took action. As is nearly always the case, his path wasn’t a straight line, but a series of winding turns, all fed by experiments. His journey includes failures, two successful exits, and a hard-won answer to the question most people never think to ask: what do you actually do with your freedom once you have it? This episode is brought to you by: * Incogni, which automatically removes your personal data from the web, helping shield you from fraud, scams, and identity theft: https://incogni.com/Tim (use code TIM at checkout and get 60% off an annual plan) * Fin powerful AI Agent for all your customer service: Fin.Ai/Tim Timestamps: * [00:00:00] Start. * [00:02:53] From PhD pipettes to Dad’s basement to Jerry Springer. * [00:04:38] The 4-Hour Workweek finds its dream reader — marginal notes and all. * [00:06:04] First product flops, free traffic beckons, and SEO. * [00:07:40] The 200-domain AdSense empire. * [00:09:40] Dreamlining: From “escape the basement” to “3k a month in Thailand.” * [00:11:27] When Google’s Panda update slapped the internet (and Brian’s empire). * [00:12:32] Scared straight: Black hat to white hat via a hostel in Spain. * [00:17:55] Backlinko is born. * [00:19:50] The 200 ranking factors post: 25 hours of patent-digging, a million visitors. * [00:22:13] New rule: One post a month, 10x better than anything out there. * [00:23:02] Semrush comes knocking to buy his company — Brian ignores the email. * [00:24:02] Taking celebratory shots at Legal Sea Foods while wondering where the contract is. * [00:25:32] Due diligence hell: Hunting down ghosted freelancers and the contractor commandments. * [00:29:25] SEC market-close rules vs. Brian’s 10 p.m. bedtime. * [00:30:16] Post-acquisition: Hopping from one treadmill to the next. * [00:34:19] Backlinko on autopilot, boredom on full blast, and the chapter everyone skips. * [00:35:42] Exploding Topics: The paid newsletter mistake vs. the obvious SaaS play. * [00:38:41] Data-driven content and the ChatGPT user stats flywheel. * [00:41:00] Noah Kagan’s advice: Double down on what works — then 10x down. * [00:42:26] Ready, Fire, Aim — the litmus test for would-be founders. * [00:44:06] Startup costs: $500 for Backlinko vs. $90k to acquire Exploding Topics. * [00:47:29] How love and a Craigslist apartment scam in Berlin landed Brian in Portugal. * [00:48:48] Geoarbitrage still works — just don’t trust the 2007 pricing. * [00:50:20] Post-exit stress: Oura Ring at 2x baseline and the Algarve hard reset. * [00:52:21] Why founders who launch within a year of selling usually regret it. * [00:53:30] Tennis as the ultimate void-filler: Fun, fitness, community, and fresh air in one sport. * [00:54:31] The paradox of choice after exit: Structure, identity, and vertigo. * [00:56:52] Parting thoughts. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Daredevil Michelle Khare lives life to the extreme in Challenge Accepted, amassing more than 6 million followers and more than 1 billion views. Across the show, you'll see Michelle attempt everything from Tom Cruise’s Deadliest stunt to Harry Houdini’s water torture cell to trying to earn a black belt in taekwondo in only 90 days. This episode is brought to you by: * Fin powerful AI Agent for all your customer service: Fin.Ai/Tim * Monarch track, budget, plan, and do more with your money: Monarch.com/Tim * Momentous Fiber+ 3-in-1 formula with soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, and Solnul® resistant starch: LiveMomentous.com/Tim * AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim TIMESTAMPS: * [00:00:00] Start. * [00:00:24] Challenge Accepted: The logline and why breakdowns stay in the edit. * [00:03:05] Growing up in Shreveport, LA: Friday night movies, the AFI Top 100, and interning on Snitch. * [00:06:15] Podcasting: While “easier” than writing books, it’s a heck of a lot more work than meets the ear. * [00:21:24] Quality over quantity: 8–10 episodes a year, scarcity as strategy, and building a defensible moat. * [00:31:47] “Hard choices, easy life.” — Jerzy Gregorek, calling the FAA 300 times, and why no one copies you when the barrier is insanity. * [00:35:32] Dartmouth to Google.org: the Fermi estimation faceplant and not getting the job. * [00:37:10] BuzzFeed as graduate school of the internet. * [00:40:37] Work for someone else first: My case against starting a company right out of school. * [00:47:28] The stolen book: Michelle pulls out a battered 2016 copy of The 4-Hour Workweek and reads her fear-setting chart aloud. * [00:51:10] “I’ve never designed my own rubric of success” — the nightmare, the repair plan, and what Michelle was putting off out of fear. * [00:56:59] Practicing poverty: studio apartment, stripped-down life, moonlighting for a year, then the three-month-savings leap. * [01:06:58] Kebab-shop destiny: meeting stunt coordinator Steve Brown in L.A. — now he does Avatar and straps Michelle to planes. * [01:09:04] Surface area for luck: Bill Gurley, Kevin Kelly’s sleeping bag, and Seneca on voluntary discomfort. * [01:12:44] Coach, mentor, cheerleader: the three-person Formula One team you actually need. * [01:17:20] The art of the cold email — and cold-calling the FBI tip line to meet “The Hollywood Guy.” * [01:21:55] Michelle’s three-paragraph, six-sentence formula for emails that open any door. * [01:26:15] My cold email playbook: the “via” trick, include your damn cell number, and why “Yo, Ferriss” is an auto-archive. * [01:36:24] The fake Tim Ferriss Podcast phishing scam: Zoom calls, screen access, and hijacked Facebook pages. * [01:40:58] Emailing Hank Green, Brandon Sanderson’s unpublished novels, and why your first cold emails are just practice reps. * [01:46:37] Michelle’s storytelling syllabus: Survivor, Snyder’s Save the Cat, and peer review of whatever went viral last week. * [01:48:44] The magic of Jeff Probst, and dissecting the bones of storytelling. * [01:53:12] John McPhee’s red-ink writing class at Princeton. * [01:58:38] Six Thinking Hats broke Michelle’s pessimism; Radical Candor taught her how to give feedback. * [02:07:20] The slinky org chart: Seven full-timers that balloon to 50 for a shoot, then compress right back. * [02:21:21] Scope creep, saying no to big checks, and why Michelle has never hit creator burnout. * [02:30:34] My No Book teaser: 850 pages on renegotiating commitments and getting back on the wagon. * [02:33:31] The Mindy Kaling manifesto: @MindyKalingFan, The Office, and shattering expectations for Indian women in entertainment. * [02:40:38] Wishlist shout-out: Norland College, where Mary Poppins meets Secret Service. * [02:42:48] Episodes Michelle would pay to relive. * [02:47:40] Episodes Michelle would pay to skip. * [02:52:15] Seven marathons, seven continents, one week. * [02:57:10] Free Solo, Alex Honnold in the creepy van, and things both of us would never do. * [03:00:38] Books gifted most: Radical Candor, The Great CEO Within, and Adam Grant’s Originals. * [03:01:21] Michelle’s billboard. * [03:02:45] A primetime Emmy run and parting thoughts. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome back to another in-between-isode, with one of my favorite formats: the good old-fashioned Q&A. This episode is brought to you by: * Our Place’s Titanium Always Pan® Pro using nonstick technology that’s coating-free and made without PFAS, otherwise known as “forever chemicals”: FromOurPlace.com/Tim * AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim * Wealthfront high-yield cash account: Wealthfront.com/Tim (New clients get 3.30% base APY from program banks + additional 0.75% boost for 3 months on your uninvested cash (max $150k balance). Terms and conditions apply. ) The Cash Account offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC (“WFB”) member FINRA/SIPC, not a bank. The base APY as of 1/30/26 is representative, can change, and requires no minimum. Tim Ferriss, a non-client, receives compensation from WFB for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of WFB, which creates a conflict of interest. Individual experiences and outcomes will differ. Instant withdrawals may be limited by your receiving firm and other factors. Investment advisory services provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, not bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. TIMESTAMPS: * [00:00:00] Start. * [00:02:12] Why I tend to choose the dull edge over the bleeding edge of tech. * [00:04:27] Leopold Aschenbrenner: The closest thing to an AI Nostradamus. * [00:05:32] What humans still do better than AI. * [00:07:55] The bull and bear case for Alphabet. * [00:11:30] Three things for which you should never use AI. * [00:16:05] Can AI be as creative as humans? * [00:17:01] Rising above the AI content flood. * [00:19:19] Chris Hutchins on optimizing workflow with OpenClaw and Claude Code. * [00:22:02] AI under the hood at Team Ferriss * [00:26:37] Making career jumps in the age of AI displacement. * [00:30:20] Cultivating a respectful community of 1,000 True Fans * [00:34:49] Dog training as community management. * [00:36:03] My favorite color * [00:36:21] Coyote’s steady state and the future of Cockpunch/Varlata. * [00:38:03] Essential reading from my own bookshelf. * [00:40:48] Most breathtaking places I’ve visited. * [00:41:44] Optimizing time and networking effectively at conferences. * [00:47:34] Choosing what not to do when your company’s growing quickly. * [00:49:12] Psychedelic practitioner red flags (and why you should watch Kumaré). * [00:52:35] The career I’m pursuing in an alternative universe. * [00:53:29] Dog training the right way with Molly the rescue mutt and Susan Garrett. * [00:55:28] Thoughts on Enneagram for matchmaking. * [00:57:02] Quantum computing: Fascinating, terrifying, and probably not 30 years away anymore. * [00:58:18] Maintaining friendships across ideological lines. * [00:59:49] The compounding upsides to selective ignorance. * [01:02:04] In-common humor: The glue that binds the most resilient relationships. * [01:02:36] The inspiration behind my blog post about 20+ years of “optimizing.” * [01:04:28] Simple ways to make the world shine brighter. * [01:05:16] The No Book. * [01:05:37] The 18th question: “What is the most generous interpretation of this?” * [01:07:42] The best way I’ve found to experience a new city with limited time. * [01:08:18] How “Ozymandias” informs the priority I place on wealth accumulation. * [01:09:59] Relationships over riches. * [01:11:16] What I consider the top three values for kids: Optimism, resourcefulness, physical activity. * [01:13:04] Weirdness in the wilderness and succumbing to a shipwreck scam. * [01:14:21] Ask your best friends when they’ve seen you at your best — and what superpower you’re blind to. * [01:17:33] Is courage internal or external? Can it be learned? * [01:19:27] Parting thoughts. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to another wide-ranging "Random Show" episode that I recorded with my close friend Kevin Rose (digg.com)! This episode is brought to you by: * Eight Sleep Pod Cover 5 sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating: EightSleep.com/Tim * AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim * Cresset family office services for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs: CressetCapital.com/Tim Timestamps: * [00:00:00] A meditative start. * [00:02:19] Reflecting on our second Zen retreat in Santa Fe with Henry Shukman. * [00:04:08] Ketone liver warnings and eggplant allergies: The perils of raiding Kevin’s fridge. * [00:08:06] “Just be still” — three simple words that miraculously shut down my OCD. * [00:13:54] Is meditation secretly vagus nerve stimulation? * [00:20:17] DIY vagus nerve stim for $25 vs. Kevin’s $900 ear clip. * [00:24:57] HeartMath and watching your HRV move in real time. * [00:27:57] Marching toward 50: balance boards and the end of jiu-jitsu. * [00:31:26] Tony Hawk snowboarding Hokkaido with screws in his hip. * [00:33:01] Slacklining and why your nervous system needs sleep cycles. * [00:35:19] Bertolotti’s Syndrome: My six-year back pain gets a name. * [00:37:09] The nerve block test: everything wrong, zero pain. * [00:44:10] Abrahangs tendon protocol: 10 seconds on, 50 off. * [00:46:24] The NUG: a pocket hangboard for travelers. * [00:48:31] Craig Mod’s Japanese toothbrush and Toaster’s cameo. * [00:50:45] Kevin’s $92 vintage fire jacket: Blue Heritage Japan. * [00:54:26] Podcast picks: The Power Broker and STEM Talk. * [00:56:20] Alzheimer’s: A plaque or mitochondrial problem? * [00:57:30] 10 grams of ketones turns one-word answers into sentences. * [00:58:40] Methylene blue on Amazon: 120 years of research, zero guardrails. * [01:02:36] Bredesen Protocol, APOE genotyping, and a cognitive comeback. * [01:05:32] Photobiomodulation: $30k laser to the forehead. * [01:07:55] Urolithin A and the high price of mitochondrial upkeep. * [01:14:56] Recipe for disaster pants: espresso + creatine + MCT oil. * [01:17:39] Norwegian 4×4 training and lactate as a brain lever. * [01:23:15] Blood flow restriction bands and schwantz ring koans. * [01:29:08] Hummingbirds named Sunset and squirrel obstacle courses. * [01:32:06] Parting thoughts. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Many of us feel like we’re drowning in invisible complexity. So I wanted to hit pause and ask a simple question: What are 1-3 decisions that could dramatically simplify my life in 2026? To explore that, I invited five long-time listener favorites: Maria Popova, Morgan Housel, Cal Newport, Craig Mod, and Debbie Millman. This episode is brought to you by: * Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: Shopify.com/tim * Helix Sleep premium mattresses: HelixSleep.com/Tim Timestamps: * [00:00:00] Start. * [00:01:49] Maria Popova * [00:02:04] The Cherish Quotient: Stop giving hours to people who rank as “fine.” * [00:03:15] When you apologize for your priorities, you’re apologizing for your life. Stop! * [00:04:41] Morgan Housel * [00:04:50] The do-nothing thesis: Be average long enough and you’ll end up in the top 1%. * [00:08:42] Read more history, fewer forecasts — and watch the news lose its power over you. * [00:09:32] How Stephen King’s 11/22/63 illustrates the futility of prediction. * [00:12:21] Cal Newport * [00:12:36] What deserves a “yes” when the default is “no?” * [00:16:38] Deep Work sells two million copies and creates a schizophrenic double life. * [00:19:07] The unifying insight: Both careers were always about technology and human flourishing. * [00:24:07] Craig Mod * [00:24:46] How quitting alcohol has been Craig’s highest-ROI decision. * [00:27:13] Therapy after a decade of sobriety: The cliché that actually cleared the water. * [00:30:27] The compounding interest that comes from committing to one craft. * [00:33:09] Debbie Millman * [00:34:30] How being offered the CEO seat at her company led to four months of paralysis. * [00:36:10] The sentence that broke the spell: “If it takes four months, you probably don’t want it.” * [00:37:38] Ambition changes shape: Validation isn’t fulfillment, and power isn’t purpose. More about today's guests: Maria Popova (@mariapopova) thinks and writes about our search for meaning, lensed sometimes through science and philosophy, sometimes through poetry and children's books, always through wonder. She is the creator of The Marginalian (born in 2006 under the name Brain Pickings), which is included in the Library of Congress permanent digital archive of culturally valuable materials. Her books and projects include Traversal, The Universe in Verse, Figuring, The Coziest Place on the Moon, and An Almanac of Birds: 100 Divinations for Uncertain Days. Morgan Housel (@morganhousel) is a partner at The Collaborative Fund. His book The Psychology of Money has sold more than three million copies and has been translated into 53 languages. Morgan is also the author of Same As Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes and The Art of Spending Money. Cal Newport is a professor of computer science at Georgetown University, where he is also a founding member of the Center for Digital Ethics. In addition to his academic work, Newport is a New York Times bestselling author who writes for a general audience about the intersection of technology, productivity, and culture. His books have sold millions of copies and been translated into over forty languages. He is also a contributor to The New Yorker and hosts the popular Deep Questions podcast. His latest book is Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout. Craig Mod (@craigmod) is a writer, photographer, and walker living in Tokyo and Kamakura, Japan. He is the author of Things Become Other Things and Kissa by Kissa. He also writes the newsletters Roden and Ridgeline and has contributed to The New York Times, The Atlantic, Wired, and more. Debbie Millman (@debbiemillman) has been named one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company and one of the most influential designers working today by Graphic Design USA. She is the host of Design Matters—a great show and one of the world’s longest-running podcasts. She is also chair of the Masters in Branding Program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, editorial director of Print magazine, a Harvard Business School Case Study, and a member of the board of directors at the Joyful Heart Foundation. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jim Collins has published multiple international bestsellers that have sold in total more than eleven million copies worldwide, including the perennial favorite Good to Great. His new book is What to Make of a Life: Cliffs, Fog, Fire, and the Self-Knowledge Imperative. This episode is brought to you by: * AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim * Cresset family office services for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs: CressetCapital.com/Tim * Momentous Fiber+ 3-in-1 formula with soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, and Solnul® resistant starch: LiveMomentous.com/Tim * Gusto simple and easy payroll, HR, and benefits platform used by 400,000+ businesses: Gusto.com/Tim Timestamps: * [00:00:00] Start. * [00:02:43] More energy at 68 than 37: Jim’s mysteriously expanding battery. * [00:04:57] Two mornings a day. * [00:08:24] How Marcelo Garcia avoids the “simmering six.” * [00:10:24] The portable coffee ritual. * [00:12:44] Side passions of high performers: Disco dancing, the occult, and Sunday school. * [00:18:20] Genesis of “What to Make of a Life” and the sage down the hall: John W. Gardner. * [00:20:51] Joanne’s IRONMAN triumph: winning by 90 seconds on a shattered hamstring — then the cliff. * [00:26:01] Cliff events, matched pairs, and the bigger question that swallowed the smaller one. * [00:31:35] The fog-clarity inversion: clear on life, foggy on projects. * [00:34:56] Fog happens to everyone — don’t freak out about it. * [00:40:38] Jim’s wife’s one-word review of life with him. * [00:47:29] When the fire went from red molten rage to a green-yellow warming glow. * [00:54:18] Encodings vs. strengths: The window frame metaphor and John Glenn’s click moment. * [01:01:49] My encoding candidates. * [01:08:07] 70 points on trust: Discovering your encodings matters, but trusting them matters more. * [01:12:43] Enneagram as an acceptable horoscope for tech guys. * [01:15:21] The 1,000 creative hours rule and Warren Buffett’s punch card: Life is the ultimate finite resource. * [01:23:37] “The most wonderful, disappointing answer”: How Jim’s team says no with grace. * [01:27:14] Right people, right seats, encoded edition: When management angst shrinks to almost nothing. * [01:38:23] Return on luck deep dive: What luck, who luck, and zeit luck. * [01:46:24] Natalie moments: Not all time in life is equal. * [01:46:52] Maximizing surface area of luck, return on luck, and Jim’s chain of who luck. * [02:04:47] Cardiss Collins and return on bad luck: Cliff events that expose encodings you never knew you had. * [02:08:33] A warning for founders: Sell your company, lose a decade — the cliff nobody plans for. * [02:11:23] “An option to come back has negative value”: Irv Grousbeck’s counterintuitive wisdom. * [02:14:22] Signing the Declaration as a death warrant: When there’s no option, the mind focuses. * [02:16:01] The hunt for Roger Sherman: Choosing matched pairs and the man who saved the Constitution twice. * [02:20:48] The mythology of youthful creativity: Jim’s rebuttal — Toni Morrison wrote Beloved at 56. * [02:34:35] Flipping the arrow of money: Is money fuel for your work, or is your work fuel for money? * [02:38:42] Commonwealth Club event: Jim Collins live in San Francisco, April 9th. * [02:39:44] The ultimate definition of success: “My spouse likes and respects me evermore as the years go by.” * [02:43:08] A plus-two day and parting thoughts. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is a bit different, and I am in the hot seat. Dan Harris (@danharris) interviewed me for his show, the 10% Happier with Dan Harris podcast, and I thought it was worth sharing here. Dan is a wonderful interviewer, and we got in the zone. He is also the bestselling author of 10% Happier and Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-To Book. This episode is brought to you by: Cresset family office services for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs: CressetCapital.com/Tim AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim Wealthfront high-yield cash account: Wealthfront.com/Tim New clients get 3.30% base APY from program banks + additional 0.75% boost for 3 months on your uninvested cash (max $150k balance). Terms and conditions apply. The Cash Account offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC (“WFB”) member FINRA/SIPC, not a bank. The base APY as of 1/30/26 is representative, can change, and requires no minimum. Tim Ferriss, a non-client, receives compensation from WFB for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of WFB, which creates a conflict of interest. Individual experiences and outcomes will differ. Instant withdrawals may be limited by your receiving firm and other factors. Investment advisory services provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, not bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. Timestamps: * [00:00:00] Start. * [00:02:16] The simple social secret that has me feeling better than self-help and isolation ever did. * [00:05:55] 70–80% depression remission with accelerated TMS and the SAINT Protocol. * [00:10:14] One day of TMS + an old tuberculosis antibiotic flipped the OCD switch to near-zero. * [00:14:10] The pros and cons of TMS accessibility for all. * [00:18:09] Dan’s parallel confession: The “desertification” of social life under workaholism. * [00:22:10] “It’s the relationships, stupid.” Evolutionary biology meets self-improvement. * [00:26:51] What you’re optimizing for should come before how. * [00:28:33] Health optimization made personal. * [00:31:12] Intermittent fasting: Just changing when I eat has been the single biggest needle-mover for my bloodwork. * [00:32:54] Working with your doctors: Replicate tests, respect diurnal cycles, and resist the four-drug opening salvo. * [00:37:17] AI as health co-pilot: Use LLMs for medical literacy and contraindication checks — but always fact-check one tool with another. * [00:41:48] Full-body MRIs: Over 40, you will find something. But Dan’s wife (a doctor) says skip ’em — and Rumi might have agreed with her. * [00:45:22] How my actual daily life compares to a poorly programmed Roomba. * [00:47:30] Jerry Seinfeld’s grand unified life theory: Lift weights and do TM. That’s pretty much it. * [00:51:28] The No Book: 800 pages, six years deep, co-written with Neil Strauss — because even the most accomplished people can’t say no. * [00:55:25] “I can’t do the life Tetris.” Martha Beck’s masterclass in declining without defending. * [00:59:04] Rocks, gravel, and sand: How to protect your life-changing commitments from death by a thousand small distractions. * [01:04:50] Three years without social media on my phone, fear-setting as clarity, and two hours of daily focus as the new top 1%. * [01:08:46] Coyote: My card game with Exploding Kittens, and why I only choose projects that let me win even if they fail. * [01:13:05] Parting thoughts. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tish Rabe (@tishrabebooks) is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 children's books with more than 11 million copies sold. She has written for Sesame Street, Disney, PBS Kids, Curious George, Clifford, and many more. She now heads her own children's book publishing company, Tish Rabe Books. This episode is brought to you by: * Circle complete community platform for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand: Circle.so/Tim * AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim * Helix Sleep premium mattresses: HelixSleep.com/Tim * Timestamps * [00:00:00] Who is Tish Rabe? * [00:00:24] How an opera major became a bestselling children’s author and songwriter. * [00:03:12] Tish’s trashy debut on television treasure Sesame Street. * [00:03:36] Pitching a childhood memory to dead silence — and landing book number one. * [00:07:27] The value of writing a story’s ending first. * [00:09:42] Jim Henson: The kind, gentle giant with a mind of steel. * [00:10:58] Keeping kids and their parents entertained with double-level humor. * [00:11:38] How Tish put her music training to work with Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. * [00:18:56] From nine-note auditions to signing on with Sesame Street‘s mission to level the kindergarten playing field. * [00:22:48] Churning out children’s books and writing bangers about animal gestation periods and lumber measurement for 3-2-1 Contact. * [00:26:56] The zero-rhyming genius of Joe Raposo’s “Bein’ Green” and why it works. * [00:29:59] Curriculum is king: Focus groups, orange Oscar, and making sure the kids aren’t lost. * [00:32:16] Random House rejected her book, but the late Dr. Seuss took a second look. * [00:37:17] Accepting the Widow Seuss’s challenge to write a book for babies in utero and ending up with a bestseller. * [00:40:39] The secret to perfect rhyme in Dr. Seuss’s paradigm. * [00:44:14] Is rhyming a part of Tish’s DNA, or did she learn it along the way? * [00:48:12] The time Tish transformed a planet from pizza into nickels to make her deadline. * [00:49:45] Has music as a mission preserved Tish’s cognition? * [00:55:10] What does Tish aim to do with the company she started in her 70s? * [01:01:18] Sometimes Apart, Always in My Heart: A military kid’s book born from a POW father’s legacy and a high-five traced on paper. * [01:05:30] Alaska the stuffed dog, financial literacy bunnies, hallucinated seagulls, and 843 acres of Central Park in 24 pages. * [01:12:54] Tish’s campaign to get free books to kids in underserved neighborhoods. * [01:14:02] Advice for aspiring children’s book authors. * [01:15:42] Tish doesn’t get derailed by writer’s block — she prepares for it. * [01:17:24] When Michelle Obama added 16 pages to a book Tish thought would be boring. * [01:19:37] Big Bird in China, 1982: One hand-painted costume, 13 days of rain, zero coffee, and a five-year-old who memorized the wrong script. * [01:23:41] Tish’s billboard. * [01:24:38] Kindness is Caring, Friendship is Sharing and other parting thoughts. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jordan Jonas (@hobojordo) grew up on a farm in Idaho, rode freight trains across the US, spent time in remote Russian villages, fur trapped and travelled for several years with nomads in Siberia, and won Alone Season 6, after being the first contestant to truly thrive in the wilderness and harvest big game. You can learn more about Jordan's axes at JordanJonas.com/Axe. This episode is brought to you by: * Momentous high-quality creatine for cognitive and muscular support: LiveMomentous.com/Tim * Monarch track, budget, plan, and do more with your money: Monarch.com/Tim * Eight Sleep Pod Cover 5 sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating: EightSleep.com/Tim * Cresset family office services for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs: CressetCapital.com/Tim * TIMESTAMPS: * [00:00:00] Who is Jordan Jonas? * [00:02:20] The Siberian axe gospel: Single bevel, wide eye, and why your Lowe's hatchet is basically a butter knife. * [00:07:16] A Montana downpour baptism. * [00:08:04] Feather sticks and ferro rods. * [00:12:36] A gnarly axe-ident, a quest for an abandoned boot, and frontier convalescense in a tipi. * [00:19:59] First Russian word learned, courtesy of a Moscow airport officer with zero chill. * [00:21:18] Jordan's youthful faith crisis and a Trans-Siberian prayer. * [00:29:16] From building an orphanage to living with the Evenki. * [00:31:29] Experiencing tug-of-war hospitality between ex-con Siberian families. * [00:39:34] Reindeer vs caribou. * [00:45:42] The Gulag Archipelago at 17. * [00:49:36] The homeschooling advantage: Finishing academics by noon, then deep-diving history for fun. * [00:53:50] Campfire psychology for gentlemen. * [00:56:00] Why llamas are more practical than reindeer on Jordan's expeditions in the northern United States. * [01:01:37] How Jordan's grandparents found purpose and built a joyful family after surviving Assyrian genocide. * [01:11:18] Dad's 12-year health collapse and facing death with radical joy. * [01:18:49] Freight train philosophy and evolutionary dopamine alignment. * [01:30:03] Grandma moose rodeo. * [01:33:07] Alone Season 6: The "Super Bowl of survival" just south of the Arctic Circle. * [01:40:38] How Jordan survived 77 days in the woods barely breaking a sweat. * [01:48:21] Harvesting a moose at day 20 via Russian fence-funneling tactics. * [01:56:21] Wolverine vs. man with axe, a tin can alarm, and a wife who likes rustic jewelry. * [02:03:05] The crappy fate of less-than-lucky rabbit feet. * [02:04:59] Fat as a survival bottleneck, and how to experience the wild with Jordan. * [02:09:31] Jordan hopes his upcoming book will help readers build reservoirs of resilience before they're needed. * [02:12:27] The most overlooked part of the Serenity Prayer: "Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace." * [02:14:48] The wilderness as political neutral ground and other parting thoughts. For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tim McGraw (@thetimmcgraw) is a Grammy Award-winning entertainer, author, and actor who has sold more than 106 million records worldwide, with 49 number-one singles and 19 number-one albums. He is one of the most-played country artists since his debut in 1992, has four New York Times bestselling books, and has acted for both film and television, including the movies Friday Night Lights and The Blind Side and Paramount Network’s Yellowstone. He recently starred alongside his wife Faith Hill and Sam Elliott in Yellowstone’s prequel—the three-time-Emmy-nominated 1883. You can find tickets for his upcoming Pawn Shop Guitar Tour at TimMcGraw.com. This episode is brought to you by: * Circle complete community platform for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand: Circle.so/Tim * Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: Shopify.com/tim * AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim TIMESTAMPS * [00:00:00] Who is Tim McGraw? * [00:01:51] Two Tims walk into a podcast. * [00:02:56] “The song always has to win.” * [00:05:02] Recording “Live Like You Were Dying” at 2 a.m. with Uncle Hank in a puddle in the corner. * [00:09:22] Sensing when the moment is right. * [00:10:29] The song Nashville hated that Tim heard his first night off the Greyhound. * [00:13:18] The one-two punch that saved Tim from novelty-act purgatory. * [00:15:22] Turning down the CMAs because the song wouldn’t fit the time slot. * [00:20:11] Why you can’t let the audience steer the ship when testing material live. * [00:25:51] Coping with the physical toll of performing for three decades. * [00:34:04] The Four Christmases wake-up call that changed everything. * [00:37:42] What training smarter looks like for Tim. * [00:41:22] When Tim found out his dad was a baseball legend whose picture was already on his wall. * [00:54:53] Important advice for aspiring parents. * [00:55:41] When Tim pawned his high school ring for a $20 guitar. * [00:58:27] Learning guitar from CMT videos and fret diagrams. * [00:59:37] The morning Tim tore up his Marines paperwork and bought a Greyhound ticket to Nashville. * [01:07:20] Nashville as creative accelerant: Tracy Lawrence, Kenny Chesney, and $50 singing competitions. * [01:12:45] Po’boy Don’s crawfish shack: The demo that launched Tim’s career. * [01:15:39] How Faith Hill saved Tim’s life. * [01:18:33] The 7 a.m. bottle of whiskey cry for help. * [01:20:27] Parenthood as selfishness-removal surgery. * [01:24:28] Tim’s “Glory Days” disaster with Bruce Springsteen. * [01:28:30] When Tim’s first album “went wood” — the failure that taught him everything. * [01:33:29] A rodeo monkey no longer: When Tim kicked his record company to the curb. * [01:37:35] Tim’s most important advice for artists. * [01:43:41] Announcing the summer 2026 Pawn Shop Guitar tour with The Chicks. * [01:46:28] If it’s so grueling, why does Tim still tour? * [01:49:50] Tim’s “Humble and Kind” billboard. * [01:50:50] Parting thoughts and a parting gift: “Different” — the new song only on social media. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Tommy Wood (@DrRagnar) is an associate professor of pediatrics and neuroscience at the University of Washington, where his research focuses on brain health across the lifespan. This includes therapies for brain injury in newborns, prevention and treatment of adult brain trauma, and the factors that contribute to long-term cognitive function and cognitive decline. He is the author of the forthcoming book The Stimulated Mind. This episode is brought to you by: Circle complete community platform for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand: https://circle.so/tim ($1,000 off when you demo Circle Plus) Monarch track, budget, plan, and do more with your money: Monarch.com/Tim (50% off your first year at monarchmoney.com with code TIM) Eight Sleep Pod Cover 5 sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating: EightSleep.com/Tim (use code TIM to get $350 off your very own Pod 5 Ultra.) Cresset family office services for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs: CressetCapital.com/Tim * TIMESTAMPS: * [00:00:00] Start * [00:02:30] The cognition conversation commences. * [00:03:11] Why human babies are chubby little brain-fuel tanks. * [00:05:16] Brain injury in newborns: Cooling, caffeine, and coming home. * [00:09:07] Adult concussion protocol: Fever management, ketones, and why you shouldn’t chug Powerade. * [00:18:59] Washington’s 2nd Strongest Man talks omega-3s, methylation, and why your brain needs the whole orchestra. * [00:29:34] Auguste Deter, Alzheimer’s mystery patient, and the 45-70% dementia prevention sweet spot. * [00:39:22] From CGM monitoring to the “use it or lose it” glucose paradox. * [00:55:54] VO2 max training as cardio insurance against dementia. * [01:01:32] Jiu-jitsu, sleds, and the Norwegian torture method (4×4 intervals). * [01:03:37] Lactate training: Forget the finger prick, embrace the misery. * [01:06:40] Announcing The Stimulated Mind: Tommy’s brain-saving book. * [01:07:35] Foundation supplements: Omega-3s, B vitamins, vitamin D, iron, and magnesium. * [01:08:58] Polyphenols, choline, and the case for eating more liver. * [01:10:40] Creatine: Tommy’s 10-gram cognitive stimulant ritual. * [01:11:58] Cheap creatine temptation leads to lavatory lamentation. * [01:14:16] Blood flow restriction training: High lactate, low load, maximum travel convenience. * [01:21:45] Language learning, music, StarCraft, and why your brain needs to fail. * [01:38:04] Sleep anxiety, air pollution, and gum disease: the overlooked dementia risk factors. * [01:45:32] Air purifiers, CO2 levels, and sleep optimization hacks. * [01:51:52] DORAs for sleep quality: when cognitive stimulation isn’t enough. * [01:54:55] The thesis behind The Stimulated Mind: Practical, referenced, and sustainable. * [01:56:32] Kelly and Juliet Starrett’s stamp of approval. * [01:57:44] The beautiful compounding effect of fixing just one thing. * [01:58:59] Who is Dr. Ragnar, and does he make housecalls to Valhalla? * [02:01:06] Tommy’s open invitation for complaints and scientific debates. * [02:02:21] Parting thoughts. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is part of a series called Meditation Monday. The teacher, Henry Shukman, has been on my podcast twice before. He is one of only a few dozen masters in the world authorized to teach Sanbo Zen, and now, he’ll be your teacher. In addition to my long-form interviews each week, every Monday I’ll bring you a short 10-minute or so meditation, which will help you for the rest of the week. Over this four-episode series, you’ll develop a Zen toolkit to help you find greater calm, peace, and effectiveness in your daily life. Henry’s app, The Way, has changed my life since I first started using it. Unlike other meditation apps, where you’re overwhelmed with a thousand choices, The Way is a clear step-by-step training program guided entirely by Henry. Through a logical progression, you’ll develop real skills that stick with you. I’ve been using it daily, often twice a day, and it’s lowered my anxiety more than I thought possible. As a listener of my podcast, you can get 30 free sessions by visiting https://thewayapp.com/tim and downloading the app. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Michael Levin (@drmichaellevin) is the Vannevar Bush Distinguished Professor of Biology at Tufts University and director of the Allen Discovery Center. He is primarily interested in how intelligence self-organizes in a diverse range of natural, engineered, and hybrid embodiments. Applied to the collective intelligence of cell groups undergoing morphogenesis, these ideas have allowed the Levin Lab to develop new applications in birth defects, organ regeneration, and cancer suppression. This episode is brought to you by: ShipStation shipping software: ShipStation.com/Tim AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim Our Place’s Titanium Always Pan® Pro using nonstick technology that’s coating-free and made without PFAS, otherwise known as “forever chemicals”: FromOurPlace.com/Tim TIMESTAMPS: * [00:00:00] Start * [00:03:18] The Body Electric: A Vancouver bookstore discovery that launched a career. * [00:04:19] Bioelectricity 101: Your brain uses it to think; your body used it before you had a brain. * [00:06:05] The lesson learned by scrambled tadpole faces that rearrange themselves. * [00:08:51] Software vs. hardware: The genome is your factory settings, not your destiny. * [00:11:43] Two-headed flatworms: Rewriting biological memory without touching DNA. * [00:16:20] Seeing memories: Voltage-sensitive dyes reveal the body’s hidden blueprints. * [00:20:12] Three killer apps for humans: Birth defects, regeneration, and cancer. * [00:24:27] Cancer as identity crisis: Cells forgetting they’re part of a team. * [00:25:40] The boredom theory of aging: Goal-seeking systems with nothing left to do. * [00:30:09] Planaria’s immortality hack: Rip yourself in half every two weeks. * [00:31:27] Manhattan Project for aging: Crack cellular cognition, everything else falls into place. * [00:33:47] Giving cells new goals: Convince a gut to become an eye. * [00:37:42] Must mammalian mortality be mandatory? * [00:40:25] Cross-pollination: Why biologists would benefit from programming courses. * [00:47:15] Does acupuncture actually do anything? * [00:50:57] Placebo as feature, not bug: Words and drugs share the same mechanism. * [00:55:06] The frame problem: Why robots explode and rats intuit what matters. * [00:59:41] Binary thinking is a trap: “Is it intelligent?” is the wrong question. * [01:07:46] Minimal brain, normal IQ: Clinical cases that break neuroscience. * [01:08:45] Super panpsychism: Your liver might have opinions. * [01:13:48] The Platonic space: Bodies as thin clients for patterns from elsewhere. * [01:15:24] Keep asking “why” and you end up in the math department. * [01:23:07] Polycomputing: Sorting algorithms secretly doing side quests. * [01:28:24] Power scaling for the future and avoiding red herrings for understanding machine minds. * [01:34:06] Sci-fi recommendations. * [01:37:24] Cliff Tabin’s toast and Dan Dennett’s steel manning. * [01:41:21] Parting thoughts. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is part of a series called Meditation Monday. The teacher, Henry Shukman, has been on my podcast twice before. He is one of only a few dozen masters in the world authorized to teach Sanbo Zen, and now, he’ll be your teacher. In addition to my long-form interviews each week, every Monday I’ll bring you a short 10-minute or so meditation, which will help you for the rest of the week. Over this four-episode series, you’ll develop a Zen toolkit to help you find greater calm, peace, and effectiveness in your daily life. Henry’s app, The Way, has changed my life since I first started using it. Unlike other meditation apps, where you’re overwhelmed with a thousand choices, The Way is a clear step-by-step training program guided entirely by Henry. Through a logical progression, you’ll develop real skills that stick with you. I’ve been using it daily, often twice a day, and it’s lowered my anxiety more than I thought possible. As a listener of my podcast, you can get 30 free sessions by visiting https://thewayapp.com/tim and downloading the app. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.