• How to Appreciate Your Life
    Jul 16 2025

    What humans are capable of is so fucking awesome. Why don't we lean into more of that and less efficiency and making money?


    What does it mean to live fully? How do we be present to enjoy our lives? We explore the value of boredom, and Aaron commits to going on a boredom quest. We discuss the pleasures of getting to know the landscape of our neighborhoods and the simple yet mind-bending idea that we are one with all of existence.


    We refer repeatedly to Alan Watts, including The Book, which is available as a downloadable pdf.

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    43 mins
  • Be Kind but Not Nice
    Jul 2 2025

    In this episode, we explore what it really means to be kind, the cost of being nice, what it means to be real, and what’s the deal with so much fakeness these days?

    We mention these pieces:

    Kim Scott: Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity

    Greg Story of Brilliant Crank: We've built a society on bullshit and emojis and LinkedIn is a waiting room of doom

    Jim Dethmer on conscious leadership

    Dave Gray: Liminal Thinking: Create the Change You Want by Changing the Way You Think

    Bryan Cantril talk: Principles of Technology Leadership | Bryan Cantrill | Monktoberfest 2017

    From Sahil Bloom's Curiosity Chronicle: Are you into your pattern interrupts?

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    44 mins
  • Creative Process (you have one!)
    Jun 18 2025

    All humans – including you! – are creative. And we all have creative processes, though we aren't always aware of what they are.

    In this conversation, we explore our creative processes, and barriers and facilitators to creativity.

    We mention a bunch of people, including:

    Gary Bernhardt of Destroy All Software

    I credit Maya Angelou with the quote that you should let your failures refine you, not define you, but it turns out it was Max Lucado who said that.

    Atomic Habits by James Clear

    Louie Parkinson of Catalyst Climbing

    Brene Brown in reference to midlife "unraveling"

    adrienne maree brown and her quote that, "Feeling good isn't frivolous; it's freedom."

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • What Is Your Life For?
    Jun 4 2025

    In this episode, we explore the concept of work life balance, the definition of success, and the foundational question of what is your life for?

    We mention a bunch of books, podcasts, and people! Here they are:

    Douglas Rushkoff and his Team Human podcast

    Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World by Henry Grabar

    Killed by a Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies our Transportation System by Wes Marshall

    The High Cost of Free Parking: Updated Edition by Donald Shoup

    Professor Scott Galloway (No Mercy / No Malice), whose Prof G pod and Pivod Podcast can be found here

    The Daily Stoic - Stoic Wisdom For Everyday Life - by Ryan Holiday

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    47 mins
  • Is It the End?
    May 21 2025

    We explore endings, beginnings, their cocreative nature, and how we relate to them. Why is it easier to feel the pain of loss than the delight of gain?


    In this episode, we refer to:

    Jim Rohn, motivational speaker

    breathwork for metabolizing stress and supporting embodied health and wellness

    Sahil Bloom and his Curiosity Chronicle newsletter

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    44 mins
  • Unsustainable
    May 7 2025

    Unsustainable is just another way of saying "losing strategy". We explore layers of unsustainability in our current modern life and expansive reframes for optimism.


    Resources mentioned:

    Nebula video platform

    Team Human by Douglas Rushkoff


    Favorite charities mentioned:

    Transformative Change

    Direct Relief

    Brennan Center for Justice

    American Civil Liberties Union

    Earthjustice

    National Park Foundation

    Electronic Frontier Foundation

    Parking Reform Network

    America Walks

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    51 mins
  • Truth (or: you woke up today, you might as well be a badass)
    Apr 23 2025

    This episode explores the idea of truth, whether objective truth exists, and how to relate to uncertainty. We cover ground from spirituality to politics.

    Books, services, and other sources we mention in this episode include:

    Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich

    Liminal Thinking: Create the Change You Want by Changing the Way You Think by Dave Gray

    Readwise app

    The Curiosity Chronicles by Sahil Bloom

    The Dawn Wall (movie) and Free Solo (movie)

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    35 mins
  • Us vs. Them
    Apr 9 2025

    Us vs. Them, and can we overcome our social programming to become wise? How do we engage with difference while respecting each others' humanity? What do we do with the messiness of reality, where multiple people can disagree and be right at the same time?

    Books that are relevant to this conversation include:

    Liminal Thinking by Dave Gray

    What It Takes to Heal by Prentis Hemphill


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    46 mins