Thought Stack: Design Principles, Mental Models, & Cognitive Biases

TS 34: An Underutilized Super Power May 09, 2018

Design Principle: Consistency.

The usability of a system is improved when similar parts are expressed in similar ways.

Thinking is energy. Good design reduces the amount of energy a person has to input to use the entity.

That’s why consistency is so powerful. Little actions over time tend to amount to huge outcomes.

For more resources on Consistency, visit http://thoughtstack.co/consistency

If you'd rather listen to the audio, check out the podcast: → http://www.thoughtstack.co

Reach me on Social Media: → Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jonstenstrom

Have a Project You Need Help With? I Recommend Toptal: → https://www.toptal.com/#get-only-elit...

Credits:

→ Book: Universal Principles of Design

Stay Thought-Full,

Jon

TS 33: Why You CAN Compare Apples and Oranges Apr 29, 2018

The next time someone says "you can't compare apples and oranges"...tell them you CAN.

Design Principle: Comparison.

A comparison is a method for understanding information in a controlled manner within a system.

It's important to understand the variables you are comparing, how you are measuring the data, and how you're conveying the information to others.

For more resources on Comparison, visit http://thoughtstack.co/comparison

If you'd rather listen to the audio, check out the podcast: → http://www.thoughtstack.co

Reach me on Social Media: → Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jonstenstrom

---- Credits: → Book: Universal Principles of Design → Music: Apples and Oranges - Pink Floyd, Dreams - Joakim Karud → Links and Videos: 1. More information about NASA scientist Scott Sandford: https://www.improbable.com/airchives/paperair/volume1/v1i3/air-1-3-apples.html 2. Funny bad visualizations of data: http://viz.wtf/ 3. Mass spec: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-wao0O0_qM

Stay Thought-Full, Jon

TS 32: 5 Ways to Increase Empathy for Better Accessible Design Apr 23, 2018

5 Ways to Increase Empathy:

Travel more
Listen more
Volunteer doing something you enjoy
Stay curious (learn something new)
Realize everyone is unique. Find those differences.

For more resources on Accessibility, visit http://thoughtstack.co/accessiblity

If you'd rather listen to the audio, check out the podcast:

→ http://www.thoughtstack.co

Reach me on Social Media:

→ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jonstenstrom

Stay Thought-Full, Jon

Credits:

→ Book: Universal Principles of Design

→ Music: Dreams - Joakim Karud

TS 31: Thought Stack Is Now on YouTube Apr 18, 2018

Watch the Podcast on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyo71bciLTsdRZsGNZhtkQQ

Thought Stack's Mission

While studying to be an engineer, we never seemed to learn about how humans think or interact with each other.

After I realized my limited perspective, I started diving into the cognitive sciences, focusing on cognitive biases and mental models.

It's a lifelong pursuit I want to share with you so we can learn them together and build upon each other's perspectives.

Join me in exploring cognitive biases, mental models, and design principles.

Together we can design an ethical and more robust world.

Stay Thought-Full, Jon

TS 30: The 80/20 to Not Killing Yourself Too Early Apr 05, 2018

Podcast video can be found here: https://www .youtube.com/watch?v=GQRMLrHT8eU

TL;DL: The 80/20 Principle means focusing on the small number of things that have the greatest impact on your life. Join me on a typical day in LA where I grab some coffee, hit the gym, play some volleyball and mess around with Crixus.

80/20 a Better Life: 1. Lift weights 3X/wk so you don't break a hip when old. 2. Sprint often 3. Sleep greater than 7.5 hours/night to have more productive awake time. 4. Meditate - Our ancestors were present.

Driving: 1. Look L at intersections so you don't get T-boned. 2. Imagine 1 person trying to kill you on the freeway to stay aware.

Products: 1. GUIs - Menus are set up in categories to make it easier for you to find what you're looking for, rather than display everything at once making things confusing.

Design Principle 001: 80/20 Principle (Pareto Principle)

Today's video kicks off my new design principles project. The goal is to share a principle with you each week to help us see the world from a new perspective.

I want this to be more of a discussion. If you've seen this principle in your life, please share it in the comments. The more we're aware of these principles the better we'll able to navigate this complex system we call life.

Patrick and Peter's podcast episode I referenced: → http://investorfieldguide.com/attialive/

If you'd rather listen to the audio, check out the podcast: → http://www.thoughtstack.co

Reach me on Social Media: → Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jonstenstrom

---- Credits: → Book: Universal Principles of Design → Music: Rock Angel - Joakim Karud

TS 28: Lessons in Creativity From an Underappreciated Genius Sep 12, 2017

This podcast is about a genius reflecting on what it means to be a genius...that's pretty FREAKIN' cool!

Hey Thought Stackers, you're in for a treat. Today we have Jimmy Soni, author of A Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age, joining us on the cast.

Today You'll Learn Five Things:

Claude Shannon's unique approach to networking - More like Anti-Networking.
Why you should start visualizing the end state of problems you're trying to solve BEFORE diving into the details.
Claude's six step process to creative thinking.
Our biggest take away: Avoiding over specialization.
Why the connection between our hands and our minds is not valued enough in today's culture - we get into how Claude, who was a mathematical genius was also a tinkerer who enjoyed building and juggling.

Be sure to follow Jimmy on Twitter: @jimmyasoni and pick up his book on Amazon.

Stay Thought-Full.

TS 27: How a Little Anarchy Can Revitalize Our Society Aug 25, 2017

Hey Thought Stackers!

We have a special episode, today we have one of the most inspiring people I’ve met, Mark Lakeman.

I met Mark a few years ago at the Lightning in a Bottle festival where he covered many of the topics you’re about to hear on this cast.

Portland has been in the midst of a total renaissance and that can be attributed to Mark and his team over at City Repair.

If you make it to the end of this cast, you might just become an activist for a better community.

In this episode you’ll learn three things:

The big realization Mark discovered while traveling the world for 7 years.
How colonialism has damaged our villager instincts and what we can do to fix it
How you need to be slightly anarchist if you want to live in a better world.

A full list of resources can be found at http://thoughtstack.co/mark-lakeman-interview

TS 26: The Bible for Creating Intelligent Machines Aug 03, 2017

When you hear the term Artificial Intelligence, what’s image pops in your mind? Is it a Terminator-style doomsday scenario or maybe a bit more optimistic?

For this Book Short, we are covering The Essential Turing by Alan Turing.

To help us make sense of the book, we've brought in AI expert, Dr. Shalini Ananda, who teaches us three things:

Who is Alan Turing and why is he important for AI?
What are some of the limitation in developing an AI platform?
Where do you see AI benefiting our lives in the near future?

Hopefully, this gives you a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes at companies such as Google, Facebook, and all of the startups pushing the boundaries of machine intelligence.

Be sure to reach out to Dr. Ananda on twitter: @ShaliniAnanda1.

TS 25: Level 9000 Personal Growth Hacking Aug 01, 2017

Learn the secrets of personal growth hacking:

Part One: The Experiment List - What do you want to achieve in the next five years?
Part Two: The Pipeline - You list of experiments you're actively testing.
Part Three: The Experiment Journal - Track what works and what doesn't.

For a detailed breakdown of this episode visit: https://www.kevinespiritu.com/personal-growth-hacking/

Stay Thought-Full!

TS 24: Why Being #2 Might Be Better Than Being #1 Jul 28, 2017

Scott Hartley [Author, VC, past Facebook & Google] shares why the liberal arts will rule the digital world.

In this episode, you'll learn three things:

Why being number 2 might be more valuable than being number 1.
Why it's important to have a diversity of thought in the tech industry.
Why we should be taking a more interdisciplinary approach to learning.

BONUS: If you stay to the end, you'll hear in Scott's opinion, "the greatest Sand Hill Prank of all time."

Check out his book: The Fuzzy and the Techie: Why the Liberal Arts Will Rule the Digital World

Say hi to Scott at: @fuzzytechie and @scottehartley.

TS 23: The Wolf of Fitness - Depression, Jail, and Books Jul 05, 2017

In today’s episode, you’re going to meet Kane Sumabat. I found out about Kane when I realized I wanted to enter my thirties in my best physical shape, so I filled up my Instagram with tons of inspiring individuals.

Kane is my favorite. At 49 years old his physique is impeccable. With someone with over 30 years of commitment and experience, Kevin and I had to see how his brain ticks…

Kane took us on quite the journey and you have to give it up to him for being so open with his trials and tribulations.

We learn about his battle over the years with depression, how the Great Gatsby showed him how to almost never miss a gym session in 30 years, and even what landed him in jail for a month and what he’d rather do than go back...

Send him some love on Instagram: @timbahwolf

TS 22: Asymmetric Information - Winning The War of Knowledge Jun 19, 2017

The concept of information asymmetry seems fairly obvious from its name. However, as a mental model, it deserves deeper study to fully understand all of its nuances.

At its most basic, information asymmetry describes a situation where two parties have different quantities or qualities of information. When one person has either more or better information than another, they have a massive advantage.

This mental model shows up a lot in investing, but can be applied in many areas of life.

For example, I remember being intuitively aware of information asymmetry during my poker days, despite not knowing the concept by name.

Be sure to check out the in-depth article on ThoughtStack.co.

TS 21: How To Lie With Statistics Jun 18, 2017

We need to stop using statistics to communicate with the public.

Don’t get me wrong, statistics is a valuable tool for certain applications. Informing the public is not one of those applications.

You might be thinking, “That’s a little extreme...why?”

Simple:

The average (mode) of society is not statistically literate enough to avoid being manipulated.

To combat this, I recommend you read How To Lie With Statistics to get a basic understanding of how people, organizations, and even governments use statistics to further their own agendas.

Make sure you check out the full article at ThoughtStack.co

TS 20: When "Good Enough" Is Better Than Perfect Jun 12, 2017

How do we know when we should put in the effort to make the best choice, product, or decision, versus picking something that is simply “good enough?”

The answer is the mental model of maximizing vs. satisficing.

We Have Too Many Options for Unimportant Things

In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz notes that as our options for every aspect of our lives have increased, so has the cognitive load of making decisions in everyday life.

It wasn’t hard to choose a shampoo 100 years ago — there were probably 5 brands. Now, you have an aisle of 100+ options to choose from. If you’re a maximizer at heart (like me), this abundance of choice will prompt you to spend a great deal of time evaluating the best shampoo for you.

Learn how to switch from over-analyzing all of your life decisions, which wastes mental energy, by satisficing those that aren't critical to your happiness.

Read the complimentary article at ThoughtStack.co.

TS 19: Lessons On Reading and Writing From Mr. 500 Books Jun 09, 2017

I remember reading Othello back in high school…

It was bound in a bright blue paperback sleeve with the word “Sparknotes” written above the title.

I know. Sparknotes isn’t the same thing as reading the book. But I was young and at that time, Shakespeare didn’t interest me the way Final Fantasy VII did.

Imagine my relief when I heard that our guest for today’s podcast — Roy Lotz, one of the top reviewers on Goodreads — also wasn’t into reading back in the day, I felt relieved. He’s since found a love of reading and has read over 550 books...cover to cover.

He writes some of the best book reviews on Goodreads, which made me ask the question, “How can a guy go from reading Sparknotes in high school to reading 500+ books and becoming an amazing writer?”

I decided to reach out to him. Thankfully, Roy took some time to talk with me.

Here’s what I learned.

TS 18: People Aren't Out To Get You...They're Just Dumb Jun 05, 2017

I was biking to the grocery store a few days ago. As I was pedaling along happily, a bright-red car door materialized in front of my face…

I swerved. I almost fell off my bike but was able to recover. As soon as I was stabilized, I looked back to yell at the man who’d opened the car door and almost killed me.

“What a @#$%ing dick,” I muttered to myself as I pedaled into the parking lot of the grocery store. In that moment, this man was clearly an asshole.

Or was he?

As I walked through the grocery aisles, I realized that I’d failed to apply Hanlon’s Razor to the situation:

“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”

Read the full article at Thoughtstack.co.

TS 17: Liberate Yourself Using Systems Jun 04, 2017

I’m ashamed to admit it, but I used to despise people who planned.

I felt they were missing out on life’s beauty by being so regimented in their routines.

I was mistaken.

It wasn’t until I read Work the System that I realized I had it backwards. By planning, you think through the way you want your life to go. After you plan, you have an opportunity to be truly spontaneous instead of having it thrust upon you.

The spontaneity of missing a flight on your honeymoon because you didn’t plan for traffic isn’t a fun experience. Neither is the spontaneity of missing the gym for the 3rd week in a row because you’re “too busy.”

Spontaneity is great, as long as you plan for it.

Find out the reasons your goals won't succeed without designing and implementing proper systems.

Learn how by reading the full article here.

TS 16: Winning Is an Emotional Game May 29, 2017

Tilt is a poker term for a state of mental or emotional confusion or frustration in which a player adopts a less than optimal strategy, usually resulting in the player becoming over-aggressive. – Wikipedia

Tilting usually occurs when you get an outcome that you did not want or expect – for instance, losing an all-in with AA, the best pre-flop hand in No-Limit Texas Hold’Em. Statistically, you win that about 80% of the time, so the 20% of times that you do end up losing the hand can become emotionally frustrating.

One of my favorite quotes about tilt comes from Gigabet, an old poster on an old poker forum that I used to frequent:

“Everyone will eventually run worse [have worse luck] than they thought was possible. The difference between a winner and a loser is the latter thinks he doesn’t deserve it.”

Read the full article here.

TS 15: Why We All Need To Be More Curious May 28, 2017

We’re far less important than we think we are.

And yet...

Everything had to work out exactly the way it did for us to come into existence.

The Milky Way had to form ~12.21 billion years ago and the Earth had to form ~4.43 billion years ago. Our species, Homo sapiens, had to survive countless threats to pop up ~160,000 years ago, which is but a minor blip on the vast cosmic timeline.

What makes us significant is that we’re the first species to realize all of this.

That’s what makes us matter — we’re the species that was curious enough to ask questions and develop cognitive tools to help discover the answers.

Today's Actionable Book Short is on A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson.

For the corresponding article, be sure to read it on our site.

Stay Thought-Full.

TS 14: Do You Believe All Life Is One? May 26, 2017

I usually call these mini episodes Thought-Full Thursdays, but I’m changing them to Pattern Breakers.

The purpose of these shorts is to allow you a few moments to ponder and reflect on a few questions that relate to the week’s Actionable Book Short, and hopefully get you thinking in new ways and enhance your typical daily patterns …

That brings us to this week’s Pattern Breaker on A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson.

First question: It’s been said that 99.99 percent of all species that have ever lived are no longer with us. What makes you think things will be different for the future of our species?

Second question: Over 60 percent of human genes are fundamentally the same as those found in fruit flies and at least 90 percent correlate at some level to those found in mice. Do you think humans are equivalent to other animals or superior?

Third question: Since DNA is the common connector between all animals, do you feel that all life is one?

Be sure to Join the Tribe by signing for the Weekly Thought-Full Newsletter. It’s a short email the covers the past week’s episodes, articles, and randomness you’d find worthwhile.

Tune in this weekend for the Weekly Actionable Book Short a Short History of Nearly Everything. You’re going to love it.

Thanks for listening.

Stay Thought-Full.

TS 13: Do We Believe Only What We Want to Believe? May 23, 2017

We differ in how we see the world because we grew up differently.

Since we are a product of our individual experiences, any new information presented to us has to pass through our individual mental filter.

Today's Mental Monday, we're covering Confirmation Bias.

Our brains evolved to be able to make quick decisions based on information that’s available to us. To be quick, we have to fill in the gaps with our beliefs, assumptions, and experiences that helped us get to where we are in life.

And therein lies the problem. We favor viewpoints that helped us get to where we are, even if they aren’t right. We also HATE changing them…

We’d much rather keep things comfortable and the same. It’s this wishful thinking for stability that makes any new information that disagrees with us fall on our mind’s deaf ears.

Make sure you never miss an episode by signing up for my Weekly Thought-Full Newsletter.

TS 12: Crush Your Self-Doubt With Discipline May 22, 2017

In the book The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield, he states that each day you wake up you’re battling The Resistance, that little voice inside you saying you’re not good enough, you’ll never amount to anything, and that you’ll never get disciplined enough to reach your goals.

The hard truth is this: anything that’s worth it to you will not be easy. If you decide to give up and let The Resistance win, you’ll be stuck in your current state for the rest of eternity.

Learn how to spot The Resistance and how to beat it in this week's Actionable Book Short.

Make sure you never miss an episode by signing up for my Weekly Thought-Full Newsletter on my site.

TS 11: If You Were the Last Person on Earth...How Would You Spend Your Time? May 19, 2017

This episode is not a podcast, but more of an active meditation. Your moment of zen in this crazy world.

This weekend we will be covering The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, therefore today I'm asking you a few questions based on the book to allow you a few moments to just think for yourself.

Note: There will be a 30ish second pause after I ask a question for YOU TO THINK. Let your mind wander and be free! There are no right or wrong answers here.

If you want to share your thoughts, leave me a comment on my site. If it's too personal, feel free to send me a private note or private voicemail by clicking the green button on the right middle side of the site as well.

This is an experiment, let me know if you enjoyed it. I'm always testing new ideas that I discuss with awesome people like yourself.

Stay Thought-Full.

P.S. If you have signed up for our Weekly Thought-Full Newsletter, you're missing out on a chance to WIN free books and might miss out on future episodes and book notes. Sign up at FuckingRead.com.

TS 10: Want to Solve Any Problem? Be More Like “Opposite Costanza” May 16, 2017

Mental Monday time! Today's mental model is Inversion.

Learn the brilliance of "Opposite Costanza" for solving all of your toughest problems.

The best way to think of this is by asking yourself if I want this thing, what do I have to do to NOT get it?

For example, I want to be Happy. Which is very tough to answer because the options seem endless. Well, what are things that would GUARANTEE my unhappiness? That’s something much easier for your brain to start answering.

This episode is full of examples of how inversion is one of the most powerful tools in your mental toolbox.

Special guest Kevin from Epic Gardening who shows you how he uses Inversion to improve his business and health.

Make sure you sign up for our Weekly Newsletter so you never miss an episode and also get some special goodies each week.

Stay Thought-Full.

TS 9: Your Views Might Be Ruining Your Life May 13, 2017

If you're not in control of your thoughts and emotions, someone else will control them for you.

So how do you defend against it? Learn how the most powerful man in the world did it by mastering Stoic Philosophy.

Today we cover 4 lessons:

Develop mind control through meditation.
Know that consistency is everything.
You only get one life, don't blow it.
Don't be afraid to change your mind.

Lastly, for today's actionable nugget, show one person around you that you care for them.

Stay Thought-Full.

TS 8: The Best Way To Get Revenge On Anyone May 11, 2017

This episode is not a podcast, but more of an active meditation. Your moment of zen in this crazy world.

This weekend we will be covering Meditations by Marcus Aculeus, therefore today I'm asking you a few questions based on the book to allow you a few moments to just think for yourself.

Note: There will be a 30ish second pause after I ask a question for YOU TO THINK. Let your mind wander and be free! There are no right or wrong answers here.

If you want to share your thoughts, leave me a comment on my site. If it's too personal, feel free to send me a private note or private voicemail by clicking the green button on the right middle side of the site as well.

This is an experiment, let me know if you enjoyed it. I'm always testing new ideas that I discuss with awesome people like yourself.

Stay Thought-Full.

TS 7: Greatly Improve Your Life Using the Least Amount of Effort May 09, 2017

Today's Mental Monday we are exploring the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 Principle.

A common rule of thumb states that the 20% of an input produces 80% of an output. For example, 20% of your clients will produce 80% of your revenue or 20% of the population will have more money than the other 80%.

This rule works outside of business and economics as well. Use it in your daily life to focus on what really matters and forget the rest.

If you missed last week's Actionable Book Short, it was on Deep Work by Cal Newport, who shows you that by learning to focus you'll prevent the robots from taking your job.

Never miss an episode by signing up for my newsletter at fuckingread.com. Also, reach out to me via voicemail or email, I'd love to meet you.

Stay Thought-Full.

TS 6: Why Constant Distractions Will Leave You Unemployable...And What To Do About It May 06, 2017

Today's Actionable Book Short is hosted a special guest @KevinEspiritu who's introducing Deep Work by Cal Newport.

Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. If you master this skill, you'll be valuable and employable in the future when this skill becomes rare.

Learn how to find true fulfillment in your work by developing a sense of craftsmanship from focused and meaningful work.

Listen to learn how to excel by going against the grain.

TS 5: When Is It OK Not to Say Something? May 02, 2017

Welcome to the first Mental Monday. Today we're covering the Say / Do Something Syndrome!

Every Monday I'll be introducing to you a new mental model to add to your mental toolbox. The purpose of mental models is to help you see the world in a new light and make the best decisions for whatever life throws your way.

The Say / Do Something Syndrome occurs when we're compelled to feel important by contributing to a situation, even when our contribution ultimately hurts the end result you're trying to achieve.

Stay thought-full!

TS 4: Friendship is Making Others Feel Important Apr 29, 2017

We are social creatures, therefore we need friends. If you want to get ahead in life, you'll need to influence people to get what you want...just be sure it's authentic and a win-win for both.

Since it's release in 1936, How to Win Friends and Influence People is still as relevant as it was when written. Learn the tactics of some of the most influential people and how they found success through friendships.

Enter this week's book contest to WIN a copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People! Leave me a comment or send me a voice message by visiting my site.

Much thanks to @TrentShelton for the spoken word intro! Check out his amazing site!

TS 3: Why Are We Doomed to Repeat History? Apr 23, 2017

Unlocking the combined wisdom of two historians, Will and Ariel Durant in their book The Lessons of History. Special guest, Kevin Espiritu, from EpicGardening.com joins us to give his thoughts on some of the key lessons discussed in the book.

Get the show notes at fuckingread.com/podcast.

Leave me a comment on today's nugget: What entrenched belief have you changed recently? For you chance to win a copy of Lessons of History.

Stay Thought-full.

TS 2: Hello Big Brother Apr 19, 2017

George Orwell's masterful depiction of a dystopia where no one can think without fear of retribution from the Party.

This book shows us the world where those in power control the thoughts and actions of their citizens steeped in fear. Wars are created for the purpose of unifying one country (or team) against the other.

Although fiction, this book has lessons that we should always hold dear and prevent that type of future from manifesting.

Be sure to reach out and say hi to your representative either by email or meeting at their office: whoismyrepresentative.com.

Keep thinking,

Jon

TS 1: How to Protect Yourself from Fake News and Alternative Facts Apr 11, 2017

Fake News. Alternative Facts. How did we get here?

Ex-media manipulator Ryan Holiday exposes the dirty secrets of how the mainstream media gets its stories.

Blogs like Buzzfeed and the Huffington Post drive the media agenda. Bloggers are slaves to money, technology, and deadlines. Manipulators wield the levers to shape everything you read, see, and watch -- online and off.

You are no long able to claim innocents. Arm yourself with the knowledge of how media manipulation works so you can see through the BS.

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