This is the second part of my chat with Davis Fattedad (originally from Episode 1). We continue our conversation and discuss AI, our meditation experiences, and the problem with education today.

Davis Fattedad (Episode 1) returns again to the podcast. Because our discussion was so long, I cut our conversation into two episodes, where this is the first part of our chat. We talk about his process so far in shedding his old identity, and what he's learned so far.

Recorded August 24, 2025

I chat with Samantha Wu (Ivey HBA) a former student of mine. Samantha talks about her transitions from investment banking on Wall Street, to private equity, and ultimately to her becoming the founder of her own startup. Each transition was a step in her path to find more career fulfillment.

---Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV

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Recorded July 9, 2025

I chat with Jane Jiang (Ivey HBA) about her path after graduation. I haven't spoken to Jane since she was an undergraduate at Ivey, and learn about her journey to find career fulfillment.

---Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV

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03:02 -- Jane's big decision

05:49 -- Did Jane have any doubts as a student?

16:02 -- Did Jane need to be pushed?

18:06 -- Dealing with the discomfort and fear

19:32 -- What exploration looks like

22:32 -- Most guides aren't real guides

26:17 -- How Jane knew something was off

30:15 -- Immigrant kids feel bad for complaining

33:13 -- Asia is behind on this

38:22 -- Jane drank the Kool-Aid at Ivey

46:52 -- The discovery process

53:02 -- Lessons learned

58:32 -- A world of few pioneers

01:00:47 -- How people around us react

01:08:47 -- How Jane does introspection

Recorded July 5, 2025

I chat with Jeremy DeMello (Ivey HBA) about his thoughts on the the positive aspects of the Ivey experience, as well as whether he would attend Ivey again. We also discuss the implications of AI. This is the second of two separate episodes.

---Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV

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06:50 -- Where elite B-schools go wrong

11:42 -- Is our education system becoming obsolete?

21:22 -- How AI is making B-schools even less relevant

30:32 -- ChatGPT is an incompetent employee

34:42 -- AI will not decrease working hours

39:42 -- AI companionship

41:42 -- AI as a motivating coach

46:42 -- Relational AIs will replace advertising

50:17 -- What will organizations look like with AI?

53:32 -- Will AI reinforce good or evil?

Recorded July 5, 2025

--- I chat with Jeremy DeMello (Ivey HBA) about his experience dealing with a toxic colleague, as well as his thoughts on the the negative aspects of the Ivey experience. This is the first of two separate episodes.

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Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV

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10:15 -- Organizations are terrible at dealing with toxic colleagues

12:56 -- The real cost of toxic colleagues

17:56 -- Does a culture of radical transparency solve this?

22:46 -- Bridgewater might not really be a cult

25:32 -- Most firms don't compete on culture

31:22 -- Do we teach students how to deal with toxic workplaces?

34:56 -- The challenge of explaining why you left a toxic environment

36:56 -- The people who won't leave toxic places

41:26 -- HR management awards don't mean what you think

42:56 -- Organizations never ask about your values

47:56 -- Is Ivey a toxic place?

54:16 -- Jeremy's attempt to give feedback

01:03:56 -- Are NYU and Wharton different?

Recorded May 1, 2025

---I chat with Rob, a former MBA student of mine when I taught at NYU Stern. We talk about whether getting the MBA degree was worth it, the challenges of balancing fulfillment with the need for pragmatism, and where intellectuals can thrive in society. ---

Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV

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00:50 -- Was the MBA degree worth it?

03:59 -- Rob reflecting on the road not taken

08:14 -- What percentage of Rob's class would say the MBA was worth it

10:35 -- Why isn't there there more honest conversation from B-school graduates?

12:01 -- Rob: I came to the MBA to explore

12:51 -- B-school isn't Dead Poets Society

14:28 -- Global demand for MBAs is declining

15:40 -- Full-time MBAs: Not the most profitable part of a B-school

17:40 -- B-school don't publicize their satisfaction rate

19:53 -- Satisfaction rates are a better metric to measure B-schools

23:54 -- Rob's framework to finding happiness at work

29:10 -- A lot of organizations aren't intellectually satisfying

30:07 -- Where do intellectuals get to be free in society?

00:47 -- The newest wave of intellectual leadership doesn't come from academia

08:47 -- How far beyond survival can we go?

39:20 -- When we lose our job, how limited are our options?

41:40 -- Why the ability to take on risk matters

46:40 -- Rob's practices to figure out the right next step

50:47 -- Could the education system have helped more?

56:28 -- Things could be worse, but can they also be better?

58:19 -- The voice of the pragmatist vs. another voice

01:00:39 -- Advice Rob would give his younger self

Recorded June 22, 2025

----I chat with Dave Tang (former Ivey HBA) about how he managed two major life and career pivots in his 20s after graduation. The last time I spoke to Dave was over a decade ago, and at the time it was already clear the path he was on wasn't the right one. In this episode, he discusses what unfolded next.----Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV

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05:10 -- Overview of Dave's path

07:50 -- Dave's big decision

13:10 -- How Ivey defined success

22:15 -- ...and then the pandemic came

27:30 -- Dave learning about himself

32:10 -- Challenges relating

35:10 -- On finding a new community

45:00 -- What would the other path have looked like?

53:10 -- London to Barcelona

55:45 -- Finding a new home that feels more like home

1:01:20 -- Did Dave know things would turn out this way?

1:06:45 -- How Ivey's rat race distorts students' goals

1:10:13 -- Dave discovers Bryan's book

1:15:30 --The declining appeal of universities