The Tim Ferriss Show

Reid Hoffman (@reidhoffman) is often referred to as "The Oracle of Silicon Valley" by tech insiders, who look at his company-building and investing track record (Facebook, Airbnb, Flickr, etc.) with awe. Reid is Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of LinkedIn, which has more than 300 million users. He was previously Executive Vice President at PayPal, which was purchased by eBay for $1.5 billion. There, he was nicknamed "firefighter-in-chief" by CEO Peter Thiel.

Noted venture capitalist David Sze says of Reid, "[he] is arguably the most successful angel investor in the past decade." They are now both partners at Greylock Partners.

In this podcast, he is joined by Michael McCullough, MD, a close friend, co-founder of QuestBridge.org, and a successful investor with training as an ER physician. Michael is as an Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSF and previously served as the on-call ER physician to the Dalai Lama. Michael is also a Rhodes Scholar, Kaufman Fellow, and Ashoka Fellow. An avid meditator, he is particularly interested in investing in technologies and companies pertaining to the mind.

We cover A LOT, including:

  • Meeting Mark Zuckerberg for the first time and deciding to invest in Facebook
  • "Fire-fighting" in startups and beyond
  • Using board games to develop strategy
  • Reid's view of what Uber has done well and what they could improve
  • Some of Reid's suggested philosophers for entrepreneurs
  • Non-technical founders and symbolic systems
  • Going "off algorithm" in the ER to manage life-and-death decisions
  • The 3 types of CEOs
  • What Reid has learned from his network, including the founders of Airbnb, Kiva.org, etc.

And, of course, we discuss QuestBridge, as Reid and I are both on the advisory board.

All show notes, links, and resources from this episode can be found at http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast

This podcast is brought to you by MeUndiesHave you ever wanted to be as powerful as a mullet-wearing ninja from the 1980’s, or as sleek as a black panther in the Amazon? Of course you have, and that’s where MeUndies comes in. I’ve spent the last 2-3 weeks wearing underwear from these guys 24/7, and they are the most comfortable and colorful underwear I’ve ever owned. Their materials are 2x softer than cotton, as evaluated using the Kawabata method. Check out MeUndies.com/Tim to see my current faves (some are awesomely ridiculous) and, while you’re at it, don’t miss lots of hot ladies wearing MeUndies.

This podcast is also brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour BodyHere are some of the impressive results.  Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade. Give it a test run...

Enjoy!

Direct download: Tim_Ferriss_Show_-_Reid_Hoffman_and_Michael_McCullough.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:21pm EDT

#100: Brené Brown on Vulnerability and Home Run TED Talks

Dr. Brené Brown (@BreneBrown) is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Brené’s 2010 TEDx Houston talk, The Power of Vulnerability, has been viewed more than 20 million times and is one of the top five most viewed TED talks in the world.

She has spent the past 13 years studying vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame. Brené is the author of two #1 New York Times bestsellers: Daring Greatly and The Gifts of Imperfection. Her brand-new book is titled Rising Strong. In it, she writes, “If we are brave enough, often enough, we will fall. This is a book about what it takes to get back up.”

She is also the Founder and CEO for The Daring Way™, an organization that brings her work on vulnerability, courage, shame and worthiness to organizations, schools, communities, and families.

For all links, show notes, resources from this episode, please visit http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast

This podcast is brought to you by Vimeo Pro, which is ideal for entrepreneurs. In fact, a bunch of my start-ups are already using Vimeo ProWealthFront uses it to explain how it develops personalized investment portfolios. TaskRabbit uses it to tell the company’s story. Twitter uses it to showcase Periscope. Why are they using it instead of other options out there? Vimeo Pro provides enterprise level video hosting that typically costs thousands of dollars for a tiny fraction of the cost. Features include:

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  • Up to 20 GB of video storage every week
  • Unlimited plays and views
  • A fully customizable video player, which can include your company logo, custom outro, and more

You get all this for just $199 per year (that’s only $17 per/mo.) There are no complicated bandwith calculations or hidden fees. Just go to Vimeo.com/business to check it out. If you like it, you can use the promo code “Tim” to get 25% off. This is the deepest discount you will find anywhere for Vimeo Pro.

This podcast is also brought to you by Wealthfront. Wealthfront is a massively disruptive (in a good way) set-it-and-forget-it investing service, led by technologists from places like Apple and world-famous investors. It has exploded in popularity in the last 2 years, and now has more than $2.5B under management. In fact, some of my good investor friends in Silicon Valley have millions of their own money in Wealthfront. Why? Because you can get services previously limited to the ultra-wealthy and only pay pennies on the dollar for them, and it’s all through smarter software instead of retail locations and bloated sales teams 

Check out wealthfront.com/tim, take their risk assessment quiz, which only takes 2-5 minutes, and they’ll show you—for free--exactly the portfolio they'd put you in. If you want to just take their advice and do it yourself, you can. Or, as I would, you can set it and forget it.  Well worth a few minutes: wealthfront.com/tim.
 
Mandatory disclaimer: Wealthfront Inc. is an SEC registered Investment Advisor.  Investing in securities involves risks, and there is the possibility of losing money. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Please visit Wealthfront dot com to read their full disclosure.
 
Enjoy!
Direct download: Tim_Ferriss_Show_-_Brene_Brown.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:22am EDT

#99: How to Build a World-Class Network in Record Time

Welcome to a special edition of The Tim Ferriss Show. Back in 2007, I experienced a massive tipping point for The 4-Hour Workweek at the South by Southwest (SXSW)conference held in Austin, Texas. Two or three days played a key role in the book becoming a worldwide bestseller in 40+ languages.

So what exactly happened at the event? How did I optimize those 2-3 days?

The below audio is a presentation I recently gave about a better, more effective way to network. My suggestions might surprise you or seem counterintuitive–the best way to build a world-class network quickly is to spend very little time networking, at least not in the “ugh, gross” sleazy sense of the word.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How SXSW played a role in the success of The 4-Hour Workweek
  • How you can “stack the deck” for your own product launches
  • Simple biohacks for handling booze overload and sleep deprivation
  • Why it’s so important to meet people in person  to build your network
  • The most common mistakes people make when attempting to “network”
  • How to interact with A-listers (or opt not to)
  • How to enjoy the ride and not end  up exhausted with a pocket full of business cards that do nothing
  • And much, much more…

If you are able to apply a few lessons from this talk, you may find that you never have to network again.

There is a better way.

For all links, show notes, resources from this episode, please visit http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast

This episode is brought to you advertisement free. Want this to happen more often?

Every Friday I send out a very short email called 5-Bullet Friday. These are the coolest things I've been playing with that week. It could include favorite articles, gizmos and gadgets, and a lot of other awesome stuff you could use immediately. 

Sign up for a week, and give it a try.

It would mean a lot to me and I think you'll enjoy it. 

Enjoy!

Direct download: Tim_Ferriss_Show_-_How_to_Build_a_World-Class_Network_in_Record_Time.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:00am EDT

#98: The "Wizard" of Hollywood, Robert Rodriguez

Robert Rodriguez (@Rodriguez) is a film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor, and musician. He is also the founder and chairman of El Rey Network, the new genre-busting English-language cable network.

While a student at the University of Texas at Austin in 1991, Robert Rodriguez wrote the script to his first feature film while he was a paid subject in a clinical experiment at a drug research facility. That paycheck covered the cost of shooting his film. He planned to make the money back by selling the film to the Mexican home video market.

The film, “El Mariachi,” went on to win the coveted Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, and became the lowest budget movie ever released by a major studio. Rodriguez wrote about these experiences in Rebel Without a Crew, a perennial guide for the independent filmmaker.

Rodriguez went on to write, produce, direct and edit a series of successful films including Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, the Spy Kids franchise, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Frank Miller’s Sin City, and Machete.

I hope you find listening to this episode as much fun as it was to record.

For all links, show notes, resources from this episode, please visit http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast

This podcast is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is, inevitably, Athletic GreensIt is my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body and did not get paid to do so. Get 50% off your order at http://Athletic Greens.com/Tim

This episode is also sponsored by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour BodyHere are some of the impressive resultsClick this link (http://99designs.com/tim) and get a free $99 upgrade. Give it a test run.

Enjoy!

Direct download: final-timferrissshow-robert-rodriguez.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00pm EDT

#97: The Evolutionary Angel, Naval Ravikant

Naval Ravikant (@naval) is the CEO and a co-founder of AngelList. He previously co-founded Epinions, which went public as part of Shopping.com, and Vast.com. He is an active angel investor and has invested in more than 100 companies, including more than a few “unicorn” mega-successes.

His deals include Twitter, Uber, Yammer, Postmates, Wish, Thumbtack, and OpenDNS, which Cisco just bought for $635 million in cash.

You can find many more examples here, but suffice to say — he’s really, REALLY good at start-up investing.

In this episodes you'll discover: 

  • How AngelList and Venture Hacks came to be
  • What Naval looks for when deciding to invest in a founder 
  • Common "wives tales" in venture capital 
  • How to replace bad habits with good habits 
  • How to set stakes and awards 
  • And much, much more...

Links, resources, and show notes from this episode can be found at http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast

This episode is sponsored by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour BodyHere are some of the impressive resultsClick this link and get a free $99 upgrade. Give it a test run...

This podcast is also brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is, inevitably, Athletic GreensIt is my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body and did not get paid to do so. Get 50% off your order at Athletic Greens.com/Tim

Enjoy!

Direct download: Tim_Ferriss_Show_-_Naval_Ravikant.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:54pm EDT

#96: Kevin Kelly on Artificial Intelligence and Designer Babies

Kevin Kelly (@kevin2kellyreturns to the podcast due to popular demand. Kevin continues to be perhaps the Most Interesting Man in the World.

He is Senior Maverick at Wired magazine, which he co-founded in 1993. He also co-founded the All Species Foundation, a non-profit aimed at cataloging and identifying every living species on earth. In his spare time, he co-founded the Rosetta Project, which is building an archive of all documented human languages, writes bestselling books,and serves on the board of the Long Now Foundation. As part of the last, he’s investigating how to revive and restore endangered or extinct species, including the Wooly Mammoth.

As usual, Kevin's responses and answers are fascinating.

For all links, show notes, resources from this episode, please visit fourhourworkweek.com/podcast

This podcast is brought to you by Vimeo Pro, which is ideal for entrepreneurs. In fact, a bunch of my start-ups are already using Vimeo ProWealthFront uses it to explain how it develops personalized investment portfolios. TaskRabbit uses it to tell the company’s story. Twitter uses it to showcase Periscope. Why are they using it instead of other options out there? Vimeo Pro provides enterprise level video hosting that typically costs thousands of dollars for a tiny fraction of the cost. Features include:

  • Gorgeous high-quality playback with no ads
  • Up to 20 GB of video storage every week
  • Unlimited plays and views
  • A fully customizable video player, which can include your company logo, custom outro, and more

You get all this for just $199 per year (that’s only $17 per/mo.) There are no complicated bandwidth calculations or hidden fees. Just go to Vimeo.com/business to check it out. If you like it, you can use the promo code “Tim” to get 25% off. This is the deepest discount you will find anywhere for Vimeo Pro.

This podcast is also brought to you by Mizzen + Main. These are the only “dress” shirts I now travel with — fancy enough for important dinners but made from athletic, sweat-wicking material. No more ironing, no more steaming, no more hassle. Click here for the exact shirts I wear most often. Don't forget to use the code “TIM” at checkout.

Enjoy!

Direct download: Tim_Ferriss_Show_-_Kevin_Kelly_QnA.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:25pm EDT

#95: Lessons Learned from Jeff Bezos, Reid Hoffman, and More

Phil Libin (@plibin) is the co-founder and executive chairman of Evernote.

Evernote has roughly 150 million users, and I personally use it at least 10 times a day. It is my external brain for capturing all the information, documents, online articles, lists, etc. in my life.

In this episode, Phil and I cover a ton. Here are just a few examples:

- Philosophical and performance systems: Stoicism, electrical brain stimulation, and more
- Phil's favorite lessons learned from Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn), and Hiroshi Mikitani (Rakuten)
- Creating tech "for yourself" and Evernote's genesis story, leading to approximately 150 million users
- The best toast in Singapore, the best hamburger in Tokyo, and why "Goat Simulator" is amazing.
- Long-term (10,000-year) thinking and real versus imagined threats

More importantly, he digs into his "a-ha" moments, and what you need to do bring your next big idea to life.

Links, resources, and show notes from this episode can be found at http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast

This episode is sponsored by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour BodyHere are some of the impressive resultsClick this link and get a free $99 upgrade. Give it a test run...

This podcast is also brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is, inevitably, Athletic GreensIt is my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body and did not get paid to do so. Get 50% off your order at Athletic Greens.com/Tim

Enjoy!

Direct download: Tim_Ferriss_Show_-_Phil_Libin.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

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