Shit You Don't Learn in School

Latest Episodes:

40. The Future of Work: What Comes Next? (Part 1) Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

People say that COVID was an accelerator, forcing trends that may have taken decades to develop, to instead take hold in much less time. Remote work was one of those trends. But we're not done yet!
The future of work is constantly evolving and it doesn't just impact whether you can Zoom without pants. :)
In this episode, Cal and Steph discuss the second and third order effects of the remote revolution and what's to come. And in part one of this series, they discuss how this equation impacts the individual and companies. In part 2, they'll talk about new products and services, and macro trends to come.

Resources:

Printable user manual prompts: bit.ly/user-manual-questions
Steph’s user manual: bit.ly/steph-smith-user-manual
Calvin’s user manual: bit.ly/calvin-rosser-user-manual

39. 80/20 Habits, Beliefs, and Products Oct 14, 2021

Show notes

The information age gives us access to so much advice that it can be hard to see through the noise.
4AM morning routines that don't make sense for you. Productivity hacks that hardly move the needle. Hindsight bias cloaked as success stories.
Most advice is well-intentioned, but rarely translates to improvements in another person's life. So this week, Cal and Steph took a step back to ask the simple question: what are the 80/20 habits, beliefs, and products that had an outsized impact in changing their lives.
While many of their answers aren't revolutionary, they're universal and can be adopted by anyone.
If you find yourself looking for an 80/20 episode that cuts through the noise, this one is for you.

38. Open Salaries and Solving for an Equitable Workforce Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

With the exception of a few companies like Buffer and GitLab, 99.99%+ of companies opt to keep their salaries closed. This closed nature creates information asymmetry and at times, inequity in the workplace.
Lack of transparency gives companies a hall pass to not develop a robust compensation system, but at the same time, sharing salaries openly isn't without its pitfalls, including privacy and the tendency for people to over-compare themselves to others.
In this episode, Steph and Cal debate whether companies should share their pay methodology or even fully open up their book. They share a range of studies, including results from Norway, a country that has shared their tax returns publicly since 1863.
If you've felt the information asymmetry in the workforce or are considering how you can get more out of your career, this episode is for you.
Love this episode? Give it a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/learn

37. Should Billionaires Exist? Sep 19, 2021

Show notes

Wealth inequality has been increasing for decades, and recently, there has been a heightened focus on billionaires as we debate what to do about the concentration of large swaths of wealth in a few hands.
In this episode, Steph and Cal discuss whether or not billionaires should exist, common proposals for dealing with billionaires, and a few policy proposals for how we can start thinking about tackling wealth inequality.
Whether you find yourself saying, "billionaires are evil and don't deserve all that money", "billionaires deserve what they have earned", or "I don't care about billionaires, but I care about a world with more equality of opportunity," this episode is for you.
Love this episode? Give it a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/learn

36. The Psychology of Pricing Sep 12, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Cal and Steph discuss the subjective nature of pricing. They explore how a value extends beyond utility or the physical nature of an asset (think luxury items, NFTs, etc) and use these ideas to explore new pricing models, including tiered, retention-based, and completion-based pricing.
They also explore how our own psychology can inhibit use as consumers to spend on what's most meaningful and the importance of unlearning certain spending habits.
If you find the psychology of money as fascinating as we do, give this episode a listen.
Love this episode? Give it a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/learn

35. Does Marriage, Retirement, or the 40-Hour Work Week Still Make Sense? Sep 04, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Steph and Cal dive deep into traditions, the societal defaults that shape how we think and act in the world. They start by exploring the origins of the 40-hour work week, modern alternatives, and how we can rethink the idea of retirement. In the second half of the episode, they explore how the ways in which commonly held beliefs about monogamy, love, and marriage may not set people up for the life they want to live. If you're interested in questioning the norms and designing a life that works for you, this episode is worth a listen.
Love this episode? Give it a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/learn

34. Rethinking Productivity & How You Spend Your Time Aug 07, 2021

Show notes

The big failure of most productivity advice is the focus on efficiency – getting things done more quickly. We should be focused on effectiveness – making sure we're doing the right things. In this episode, Steph and Cal explore how we can rethink productivity to get more out of how we spend our most valuable resource: time. They cover a variety of topics, including many practical ideas about getting more out of every day, including the Eliminate, Automate, Delegate, and Iterate framework from their new course: Doing Time Right.
You can dive deeper into the concepts discussed and learn more about the course here: http://doingtimeright.com/.
Love this episode? Give it a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/learn

33. Digital Security – Are You Safe? Jul 05, 2021

Show notes

We're all familiar with how to increase physical security – locking our doors, paying attention to our surroundings, putting valuables in a safe, etc. – but what about our digital security?
With an increasingly digital world comes a less perceptible risk – the risk of having your information hacked and exploited by someone with whom you will never see or interact.
In this episode, Steph and Cal explore the basics of digital security, the risks involved, where many people go wrong, and what you should consider doing at a minimum to move from "at-risk" to "safer" with your digital information.
See if you've been hacked: https://haveibeenpwned.com/.

32. Are We in a Bubble? Jun 28, 2021

Show notes

At a time where several asset classes are at all-time highs, there's a lot of talk about whether we're in a bubble. That, coupled with crypto assets falling to ~half of their highs, prompted Cal and Steph to dive in to try to answer this question.
In this episode, they discuss the markings of past bubbles, the innovation hype cycle, the difficulty in profiting from nascent innovations, the importance of educating yourself and building your own conviction behind your decisions, managing your psychology (offense vs defense), the cyclical nature of market cycles, and of course... the burning question of whether they think we're in a bubble today.
They also share how they've fared in crypto and how they're thinking about investing moving forward (including Cal's foray into de-fi)
Recommended resources include the books "The Simple Path to Wealth" and "A Random Walk Down Wallstreet", as well as economic indicators like the Shiller PE ratio: https://www.multpl.com/shiller-pe
*** NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE *** :)

31. Surprising Travel Hacks From Visiting 70+ Countries Jun 17, 2021

Show notes

Travel is fun, but it becomes even more enjoyable once you know how to do it well. Collectively, Steph and Cal have visited over 70 countries while working remotely, learning a bunch of useful tips for better travel along the way. In this episode, they share some of the most useful learnings, including:
- How to avoid getting scammed
- How to choose a location and plan a trip
- How to choose an accomodation that's suitable for work
- How to interact with a place
- How to get the most out of visiting different countries
- How to optimize your personal finances
- And more...
Episode Resources

Nomad List - Find a cool location to visit.
Message to Airbnb host to ensure good wifi - Make sure you have good wifi.
Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking - No foreign ATM fees.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card - All around great travel card.
Priority Pass - Access airport lounges worldwide.

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