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The Do It Podcast

The Do It Podcast

By: Edwin Do It
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 Explanations and How-To’s covering Productivity, Problem-Solving and Philosophy.Edwin Do It Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • The Usefulness of Factual vs Explanatory Knowledge — Drawing from David Deutsch

    The Usefulness of Factual vs Explanatory Knowledge — Drawing from David Deutsch
    Oct 7 2025
    In today's video we explore two kinds of knowledge: factual knowledge—rules of thumb that seem to work but don’t explain why—and explanatory knowledge, which reveals how and why things work. Drawing on David Deutsch’s idea that humans are universal explainers, I show why explanations lead to better decisions, fewer mistakes, and more adaptable thinking. We look at why explanations are more accurate and versatile, how they scale far better than memorizing endless facts, and how an explanatory worldview helps you filter information, reason from first principles, and adjust your approach when new knowledge arrives. Timestamps00:00 Intro00:58 Differences between Facts and Explanations01:23 Qualitative differences01:51 1. Accuracy02:30 2. Improvability03:52 3. Range of applicability05:00 Differences in Efficiency05:32 1. Error-rate05:52 2. Storage08:00 Benefits of an Explanatory Worldview08:11 1. Filtering information09:10 2. First-principle thinking10:27 3. Making adjustments11:57 OutroFeatured linksConjecture Institute: https://www.conjectureinstitute.org/My upcoming book: https://edwindoit.com/4actsMore from meBook: https://edwindoit.com/4actsWebsite: https://edwindoit.comNewsletter: https://edwindoit.substack.comProductivity blog: / edwindoit X: https://x.com/Edwindoit
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    13 mins
  • The True Limits of What’s Possible — Drawing from David Deutsch

    The True Limits of What’s Possible — Drawing from David Deutsch
    Sep 20 2025
    In this episode, we explore the limits of reality—not as reasons for pessimism, but as the best explanations we have for what truly cannot be done. Drawing from David Deutsch, I explain 1) the laws of physics, 2) unpredictable actions caused by quantum fluctuations, 3) the unknowability of future knowledge and technologies, and 4) intractable problems that require resources we don’t yet have. The key takeaway is hopeful: anything that doesn’t violate these limits is possible, and human creativity can always find a way forward.Timestamps00:00 Intro01:01 Limit 1: The Laws of Physics02:23 Limits due to a lack of knowledge03:10 Limit 2: Unpredictable actions06:09 Limit 3: Unknowability08:31 Limit 4: Intractable actions10:35 Optimism and the Potential of Human Creativity11:53 Constructor theory12:44 OutroFeatured linksThe Science of Can and Can’t (Popular science book on constructor theory): https://www.chiaramarletto.com/books/...Constructor Theory of InformationDavid Deutsch, Chiara Marletto: https://arxiv.org/abs/1405.5563Constructor theory of time David Deutsch, Chiara Marletto: https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.08692The Fabric of Reality (Chapter 9): https://www.daviddeutsch.org.uk/books...My upcoming book: https://edwindoit.com/4actsMore from meBook: https://edwindoit.com/4actsWebsite: https://edwindoit.comNewsletter: https://edwindoit.substack.comProductivity blog: / edwindoit X: https://x.com/Edwindoit
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    13 mins
  • Applying Critical Rationalism to Business – Bart Vanderhaegen

    Applying Critical Rationalism to Business – Bart Vanderhaegen
    Jul 31 2025

    Bart Vanderhaegen, business consultant and host of the Seeking Good Explanations podcast, joins me to explain his Problem Based Management method, built on critical rationalism. We discuss how organizations can improve by focusing on knowledge creation, a simple four-step problem-solving process, and the common traps businesses fall into when defending ideas instead of improving them. We also touch on Austrian economics, the experience of flow, and why personality tests can be misleading—plus much more.

    📚 Mentioned Resources
    Bart's Problem based management paper:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aWIUHqjv_wr6Y1F1ozPCV2s-9k6ATjdQ/view

    Bart's TEDx on Flow:

    https://youtu.be/XnPy3uVc3xo?si=XJyihagGxNnGiZV5

    Seeking Good Explanations podcast:

    https://open.spotify.com/show/0hypZrKSlBFktwXaD1qp4m?si=cv5hJkh9TxO5UAffY9GJlw&nd=1&dlsi=64ce27b28cdd4271

    The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch:

    https://www.thebeginningofinfinity.com/

    ⏱️ Timestamps
    00:00 Intro
    00:53 The role of knowledge creation in business
    06:51 The basic process of knowledge creation
    09:11 Visual walkthrough of the 4 moves of problem solving
    13:40 What is a "problem"?
    18:13 The role of goals/success criteria
    23:28 Generating ideas
    26:16 The explanatory component of an idea
    29:35 The different modes of criticism
    33:43 When (not) to move on to execution
    40:48 The wrong approach to problem solving
    49:37 Assigning idea "owners" or not?
    51:24 Encouraging a problem-solving mindset
    53:19 The benefits of CR-based problem solving
    58:47 Are we early to CR-based problem solving?
    01:00:44 The Flow state
    01:02:39 Austrian economics
    01:07:27 Personality tests
    01:10:39 How Bart approaches problem solving in daily life
    01:12:41 Outro

    🧠 More from me
    Book: ⁠https://edwindoit.com/4acts⁠
    Website: ⁠https://edwindoit.com⁠
    Newsletter: ⁠https://edwindoit.substack.com⁠
    Productivity blog: ⁠https://medium.com/@edwindoit⁠
    X: ⁠https://x.com/Edwindoit⁠
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    1 hr and 13 mins
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