POD OF JAKE

Latest Episodes:

#147 - SHANE PARRISH Oct 04, 2023

Show notes

Shane is an entrepreneur, investor, and the founder of Farnam Street, a renowned blog that shares timeless lessons, insights, and wisdom on fundamental topics like decision-making. He is also the host of The Knowledge Project podcast and the author of the Brain Food newsletter. Shane’s newest book, Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results, is available for purchase as of October 3, 2023. Follow Shane on X @ShaneAParrish.

[0:17] - Shane's story and the decisions that have shaped it

[7:15] - Shane’s perspective on pseudonymity, why he started writing that way, and how he reflects on revealing his identity

[14:55] - The art of positioning and its ability to improve outcomes

[20:54] - Shane’s fundamentals for positioning in everyday life

[26:31] - The critical nature of conscious decision-making

[35:33] - Why “automatic rules” are more effective than trying to increase willpower for achieving desired behaviors and objectives

For more episodes, go to ⁠podofjake.com⁠.

Previous guests include ⁠Mark Cuban⁠, ⁠Vitalik Buterin⁠, ⁠Brian Armstrong⁠, ⁠Balaji Srinivasan⁠, ⁠Keith⁠ ⁠Rabois⁠, ⁠Ali Spagnola⁠, ⁠Anthony Pompliano⁠, ⁠Raoul Pal⁠, ⁠Julia Galef⁠, ⁠Jack Butcher⁠, ⁠Tim Draper⁠, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like ⁠OpenAI⁠, ⁠Coinbase⁠, ⁠Solana⁠, ⁠Polygon⁠, ⁠AngelList⁠⁠, ⁠Oura⁠⁠, and ⁠Replit⁠, and investors from ⁠Founders⁠ ⁠Fund⁠, ⁠a16z⁠, ⁠Union Square Ventures⁠, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy.

Thanks to ⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠ for the music.

Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠. Thank you!

#146 - "LINDYMAN" PAUL SKALLAS Sep 27, 2023

Show notes

Paul (a.k.a. LindyMan) is a technology lawyer and writer that has made a name for himself living a lifestyle based on The Lindy Effect. He regularly publishes blog posts through The Lindy Newsletter and is active on social media. Follow him on X @LindyMan.

[0:17] - How Paul became the LindyMan

[10:33] - Introducing Lindy and its usefulness as a lens for life

[17:41] - On the dynamic nature of Lindy and why generational churn is a critical qualifier

[23:55] - The Lindy Diet

[31:27] - A thesis on hydration driving youthfulness appearance

[40:20] - Drug use from a Lindy perspective

[45:52] - The Lindy Walk, and why walking is great for thinking

[54:56] - The 4 Hour Life, how modern employment and environmental design can be interpreted through the Lindy frame

[1:03:54] - The changing dynamics of modern dating (not Lindy)

[1:12:26] - Refinement culture and the flattening of aesthetics

For more episodes, go to ⁠podofjake.com⁠.

Thanks to ⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠ for the music.

Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠. Thank you!

#145 - NIR EYAL Sep 20, 2023

Show notes

Nir is a behavioral product designer and the author of two bestselling books, ⁠Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life⁠ and Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products. He previously co-founded and sold two tech companies and taught at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design. Follow Nir on X @nireyal.

[0:16] - How Nir’s interest in habit formation led him to work in behavioral design

[5:15] - Behavioral factors at the route of America's obesity epidemic

[12:56] - Distractions, the negative externalities of abundance

[18:09] - Combining scientific research with practical advice in writing

[22:03] - Writing as a means for thinking and a tool for iteration

[26:15] - The psychology of human motivation and distraction

[33:31] - Nir’s fundamental principles for preventing distraction

[38:16] - Why identifying and controlling internal triggers is more important than limiting external triggers in conquering distraction

[42:38] - Using timeboxing to turn distractions into periods of productivity

[52:10] - Balancing inspiration and spontaneity with timeboxing

For more episodes, go to ⁠podofjake.com⁠.

Thanks to ⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠ for the music.

Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠. Thank you!

#144 - BRENT BESHORE Sep 13, 2023

Show notes

Brent is the founder and CEO of Permanent Equity, a long-term focused private equity firm investing (with no intention of selling) in small to midsize, privately held companies throughout North America. He is also the author of The Messy Marketplace: Selling Your Business in a World of Imperfect Buyers and previously operated several businesses as an entrepreneur. Follow Brent on X @BrentBeshore.

[0:16] - How studying poverty in college helped Brent develop a unique investing outlook

[3:07] - Brent’s takeaways from growing up in Missouri’s farmlands under the guidance of his grandmother

[6:57] - Gaining wisdom from unplanned career experiences and optimizing for optionality

[12:47] - Permanent Equity’s long-term private equity model

[15:57] - Why Brent has avoided using debt to finance Permanent Equity’s investments

[19:34] - How Permanent Equity has changed since accepting its first outside capital

[22:19] - Breaking down Permanent Equity’s operating model

[25:11] - How Brent determines whether to reinvest cash flows or make distributions

[28:28] - Considering adjacent investments for existing portfolio companies vs. newer, riskier opportunities

[33:14] - Discovering and investing in overlooked industries and businesses

[40:40] - The benefits of sourcing deals using a team-based approach

[45:45] - How Permanent Equity divides work with distinct operating and investing teams

[49:46] - Why Brent prefers buying businesses over starting them from scratch

For more episodes, go to ⁠podofjake.com⁠.

Thanks to ⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠ for the music.

Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠. Thank you!

#143 - SOREN IVERSON Sep 06, 2023

Show notes

Soren is a designer at Cash App where he is responsible for designing the investing product. He has become well known for posting new "sometimes unhinged, sometimes useful" design ideas daily. Soren has previously held design positions at Square and Envoy while also running his own freelance design business. Follow Soren on X @soren_iverson.

[0:16] - Soren’s experience starting from scratch as a freelance designer

[3:08] - Learnings from his art/business education and early startup work

[12:56] - How Soren thinks about his creative work at Cash App

[14:45] - Why Soren has been creating and posting daily designs on X

[19:12] - Soren’s approach to prolifically producing new ideas daily

[31:46] - How Soren leverages Figma as the primary tool in his work

[37:24] - AI’s role in design work now and in the future

[39:35] - The trade-offs of going niche when building a brand online

For more episodes, go to ⁠podofjake.com⁠.

Thanks to ⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠ for the music.

Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠. Thank you!

#142 - PETER DIAMANDIS Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

Peter is the Founder & Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation and the Executive Founder of Singularity University. He has started over 25 companies in the areas of health-tech, space, venture capital and education. Among other roles, Peter is the Co-founder and Vice-Chairman of two public companies, Celularity and Vaxxinity. He is also the Co-founder & Chairman of Fountain Life, and the Co-founder of BOLD Capital Partners, a venture capital firm focused on longevity and other exponential technologies. Peter is a bestselling author of four books: Abundance, Bold, The Future is Faster Than You Think, and Life Force which he co-authored with Tony Robbins. He was named one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders" by Fortune. Follow Peter on Twitter @PeterDiamandis.

[0:16] - How Peter became fascinated by the concept of age reversal

[4:02] - Peter’s transitioning of focus from space to longevity

[10:26] - Making sacrifices to reach longevity escape velocity

[18:58] - Why underpopulation is riskier than overpopulation

[20:23] - Escaping the “pro-aging” trance

[22:22] - Peter’s take on the current state of longevity technology

[26:20] - The history and purpose of Peter’s XPRIZE competition

[35:03] - Why Peter champions the development of positive mindsets

[40:24] - How to turn a scarcity mindset into an abundance mindset

[44:15] - Why you should define your Massive Transformative Purpose (MTP)

[50:30] - How Peter manages to make progress across so many projects in parallel

For more episodes, go to ⁠podofjake.com⁠.

Thanks to ⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠ for the music.

Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠. Thank you!

#141 - MIKE SOLANA Aug 23, 2023

Show notes

Mike is the CMO at Founders Fund and the Editor-in-Chief at Pirate Wires. Pirate Wires is a media company that focuses on the intersection of technology, politics, and culture. Follow Mike on Twitter @micsolana.

[0:16] - How Mike met Peter Thiel and got his start at Founders Fund

[2:53] - Mike’s interests in seasteading, charter cities, and local politics

[10:51] - Why he hosted Hereticon, a conference for thoughtcrime

[17:20] - Contributing to Zero to One and growing with Founders Fund

[19:23] - Why he felt compelled to create his media company, Pirate Wires

[25:10] - Technological optimism and the real meaning of progressive

[29:45] - The role of science fiction in real-world technology and progress

[36:18] - How open & honest writing accelerated Mike’s audience growth

[46:30] - Mike’s thoughts on the current state of San Francisco

For more episodes, go to ⁠podofjake.com⁠.

Thanks to ⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠ for the music.

Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠. Thank you!

#140 - ANDY GALPIN Aug 16, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Andy Galpin is a Professor at CSU Fullerton. He is a Human Performance Scientist with a PhD in Human Bioenergetics & Muscle Physiology. Andy is a well-known fitness expert and has coached and consulted elite athletes in the NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA, and MMA. He has written a best-selling book, Unplugged, and co-founded three companies: BioMolecular Athlete, Absolute Rest, and RAPID Health and Performance. His mission is to enhance the human condition by providing the world with free and entertaining health, human performance, and nutrition education. Follow Andy on Twitter @DrAndyGalpin.

[0:00] - Why hydration is such a fundamental aspect of health

[8:21] - The risks of dehydration and overhydration

[14:02] - How salt and electrolytes factor into hydration

[19:27] - Andy’s simple rules for quality nutrition

[23:12] - How nutritional variety impacts various areas of health

[30:45] - How to know if you might be drinking too much water

[35:13] - Why eating sufficient protein is good and more is not bad

[40:23] - How nutrition relates to recovery

[43:51] - The importance of repetition in achieving physical goals

[48:24] - The present and future of human fitness technologies

For more episodes, go to ⁠podofjake.com⁠.

Thanks to ⁠⁠Chase Devens⁠⁠ for the show notes and ⁠⁠Yiction⁠⁠ for the music.

Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at ⁠jake@blogofjake.com⁠. Thank you!

#139 - PREETHI KASIREDDY Aug 09, 2023

Show notes

Preethi is an entrepreneur, engineer, writer, and student. She is the Founder of DappCamp, a cohort-based Web3 development course for Web2 developers. Preethi previously founded a company called TruStory and worked as an early software engineer at Coinbase and a Partner at a16z after beginning her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs. Follow Preethi on Twitter @iam_preethi.

[2:16] - Preethi’s unconventional path through investment banking, VC, software development, and entrepreneurship

[17:20] - Leaving a16z to follow her intuition and learn to code

[28:08] - Practices and processes Preethi finds helpful as a lifelong learner

[40:11] - Preethi’s experience transitioning into teaching at DappCamp

[44:42] - The future of education and how Web3 and AI may change it

For more episodes, go to podofjake.com.

Previous guests include Mark Cuban, Vitalik Buterin, Brian Armstrong, Balaji Srinivasan, Keith Rabois, Ali Spagnola, Anthony Pompliano, Raoul Pal, Julia Galef, Jack Butcher, Tim Draper, and over 100 others alike. Learn from founders and CEOs of companies like OpenAI, Coinbase, Solana, Polygon, AngelList⁠, Oura⁠, and Replit, and investors from Founders Fund, a16z, Union Square Ventures, and many more. I appreciate your support and hope you enjoy.

Thanks to ⁠Chase Devens⁠ for the show notes and ⁠Yiction⁠ for the music.

Lastly, I love hearing from fans of the pod. Feel free to email me any time at jake@blogofjake.com. Thank you!

#138 - SCOTT KUPOR Aug 02, 2023

Show notes

Scott is the Managing Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) where he is responsible for all operational aspects of running the firm. He also invests in growth-stage companies within the bio and healthcare industries. Scott originally joined Andreessen Horowitz as the first employee, joining Marc & Ben after they founded the firm. He is the author of the bestselling book, Secrets of Sand Hill Road: Venture Capital and How to Get It. Follow Scott on Twitter @skupor.

[1:41] - The start of Scott's career, from law school to investment banking

[6:00] - The evolution of Scott's relationship with reading

[10:29] - Persisting after an initial rejection from Stanford

[14:05] - Scott’s role in shaping the amazing growth of a16z

[17:46] - Transitioning from executing tasks to managing people

[22:03] - Scott's learnings from scaling a16z from scratch

[27:25] - The development of a16z's organizational design

[36:30] - Going from a generalized investment fund to multiple specialized verticals

[39:50] - Criteria for selecting new general partners at a16z

[47:01] - The value of making media efforts as a VC firm

[51:40] - Scott’s guiding principles for success in his work

For more episodes, go to podofjake.com.