AI Can Give You Every Answer. It Can’t Find a Problem Worth Solving | Natalie Nixon

When Google made every calendar meeting 50 minutes instead of 60, nothing changed. We kept meeting for the full hour. So what if the problem was never meetings themselves?Steven Rogelberg is a Chancellor's Professor at UNC Charlotte, where he founded the Organizational Science program. For over 25 years he has studied thousands of employees across hundreds of organizations to build the science of why we meet, why meetings fail and what makes the rare great one work. Adam Grant calls him the world's leading expert on how to fix meetings. His new book, The Even More Surprising Science of Meetings, tackles what has changed since 2019: hybrid work and AI.If your days are full of meetings and still end without a sense of accomplishment, this episode is for you. Steven shows you how to become a steward of other people's time, and why the mindstate a leader brings into the room shapes everyone in it.In this episode, you'll discover:Why almost nobody wants a meeting-free dayWhy the more a leader talks, the worse the meeting getsWhy agendas are a hollow crutch, and what to use insteadThe one question that tells you if you need a meeting at allWhat to do with zombie meetings, and why meetings cost more than ITWhy Steven is wary of sending a digital twin to your meetingsThis episode is for every leader, manager and team member who wants their time together to count. You'll leave with a simple way to plan your next meeting and one thing to change before you walk in.Chapters:00:00 Coming up00:43 Larry Page and the 50-minute meeting02:57 200 to 350 million meetings a day04:42 Why bad meetings drain us07:20 The meeting epidemic11:12 Why nobody wants a meeting-free day13:54 What the pandemic taught us about virtual meetings20:10 Talk less, listen more22:58 Agendas are a hollow crutch25:46 Do I need a meeting?27:25 Zombie meetings and their hidden cost32:03 Offsites that actually work36:52 The real cost of an unneeded meeting39:13 Digital twins in meetings44:07 When the purpose is connection47:03 Meetings around the family table48:29 Fast future round50:02 What Steven knows now that he didn't 25 years ago51:05 One thing to change before your next meeting52:08 ClosingConnect with Steven Rogelberg:Website and his books, The Surprising Science of Meetings and The Even More Surprising Science of Meetings: https://stevenrogelberg.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogelbergTwo free gifts from Frederik:Mindstate Moments: one small practice every morning. Takes two minutes. Changes the rest of your day. https://frederikgpferdt.link/joinWhere to Start: you know that feeling of wanting to change something but not knowing where to begin? 30 doors into the best of this podcast, matched to how you feel right now. https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/where-to-start

Frederik taught futuring, innovation and creativity at Stanford for ten years and built the creative culture at Google. Here is what he gives away for free:Mindstate Moments: one small practice every morning. Takes two minutes. Changes the rest of your day. https://frederikgpferdt.link/joinAI can give you every answer. It can’t find a problem worth solving. That part is still yours, and it starts with how you treat your time.Dr. Natalie Nixon is a creativity strategist, the founder of Figure 8 Thinking and the author of The Creativity Leap and Move. Think. Rest. Her work redefines productivity and shows why our best ideas need movement, wonder and rest.If you have ever filled every free minute with more work and wondered why your ideas dried up, this episode is for you. Natalie shows you why rest is not a reward for productivity but part of it, and how a few seconds of daydreaming can change the way you think.In this episode, you’ll discover:Why AI can give us answers, but only we can find the right problemsWhy we’re in the middle of a human revolution, not a tech revolutionThe 90-second daydream break you can take at any windowWhy moving your body moves your ideasHow wonder and rigor work together, and why goals are dreams with deadlinesThis episode is for every leader, creator and team member who feels busier than ever in the age of AI. You’ll leave with a new way to see your time and a simple first step you can take today.Please note: due to technical issues during recording, Natalie’s audio quality varies in parts of this episode.Connect with Natalie Nixon:Website and her books, The Creativity Leap and Move. Think. Rest.: https://www.figure8thinking.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalienixonphd/Two free gifts from Frederik:Mindstate Moments: one small practice every morning. Takes two minutes. Changes the rest of your day. https://frederikgpferdt.link/joinWhere to Start: you know that feeling of wanting to change something but not knowing where to begin? 30 doors into the best of this podcast, matched to how you feel right now. https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/where-to-startListen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.podpage.com/the-future-is-how/Chapters00:00 A human revolution, not a tech one00:36 Welcome, Natalie Nixon01:21 Introduce yourself as your future self03:14 The two-day micro retreat06:27 Why daydreaming isn't wasted time09:00 The 90-second daydream break10:02 What dance teaches that a desk can't12:59 Starting with movement at Stanford13:51 A Monday that starts like a dance15:41 Wonder and rigor, explained17:44 Where wonder hides in a normal day19:54 When to stop dreaming and start doing22:44 Natalie's two books25:53 Rest: the one we skip most28:05 What readers changed after the book30:33 The five-minute doodle sprint34:50 The human, AI, human sandwich37:20 Finding problems worth solving39:33 Try this week: read fiction41:31 We're in a human revolution42:06 Why in-person experiences gain value43:46 What's next for Natalie44:41 Three ideas to take with you

Why do the most trusted people say “I don’t know”? It starts with how you treat being wrong.Amy Edmondson is a professor at Harvard Business School, ranked the number one management thinker in the world, and the researcher who gave us psychological safety. Her newest book, Right Kind of Wrong, is about failure, and not the kind we usually mean.If you have ever stayed quiet in a meeting because you were afraid to look wrong, this episode is for you. Amy shows you why the three words most of us avoid can unlock a room, build trust and open the door to the future you want.In this episode, you’ll discover:Why saying “I don’t know” makes you look more confident, not lessThe difference between basic, complex and intelligent failuresWhy the most successful teams often look the messiestHow to stop clearing the path for your kids and hand them a shovel insteadOne small experiment you can run before the end of the weekThis episode is for every leader, parent and team member who wants to take smarter risks and keep going when things go wrong. You’ll leave with a new way to see your mistakes and a clear first step you can take today.Connect with Amy Edmondson:Website and her book, Right Kind of Wrong: https://amycedmondson.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycedmondson/Connect with Frederik:Sign up for the NEXTletter: https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/nextletterGet What’s Next Is Now: https://whatsnextisnowthebook.com/Are You Future Ready? Take the test: https://awareness.frederikgpferdt.com/Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9bRbuGrfrpcfrederikgpferdt.com

How do you raise kids for a future none of us can see? It starts with the past you carry.Dr. Shefali is a clinical psychologist, New York Times bestselling author of The Conscious Parent, and a pioneer of conscious parenting whose work has helped millions of families around the world.If you have ever heard your parents' words come out of your own mouth, this episode is for you. Dr. Shefali shows you why the patterns you inherited don't have to become the patterns you pass on, and why the most powerful thing you can do for your children's future is to raise yourself first.In this episode, you'll discover:• Why your child's behavior is often a mirror of what is still unhealed in you• The simple pause that turns a reaction into a response• How to see your child for who they truly are, not who you need them to be• Why your own growth is the greatest gift you can give your child• Simple practices you can try with your family todayThis episode is for every parent who wants to do it differently, and for anyone who wants to stop living by a script they never chose. You'll leave with more compassion for yourself and a clear first step you can take today.Connect with Dr. Shefali:Website and her new books, Raising Conscious Daughters and Raising Conscious Sons: https://drshefali.comYouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@doctorshefaliConnect with Frederik:Sign up for the NEXTletter: https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/nextletterGet What's Next Is Now: https://whatsnextisnowthebook.com/Are You Future Ready? Take the test: https://awareness.frederikgpferdt.com/Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.podpage.com/the-future-is-how/frederikgpferdt.comThe future doesn't start tomorrow. It starts within.#TheFutureIsHOW #ConsciousParenting #Parenting #DrShefali #Podcast

Ruchika Sikri spent 25+ years in tech (Google, Microsoft, Cisco) and led wellbeing and mindfulness learning at Google for 15 years, scaling programs like Search Inside Yourself and the gPause community of practice to more than 120,000 employees with a community of 400+ volunteers. Today she is a Founding Partner of Wisdom Ventures - which recently closed an oversubscribed 77.7 million dollar fund, with Dr. Vivek Murthy joining as a partner - and the author of Brain Fitness Blueprint, which connects ancient wisdom with modern science. This episode is a future built from within: clarity, compassion and connection as the foundation for navigating what's next - the Future-ready Mindstate, turned toward how we work, lead and care for each other.Chapters 00:00 Cold open: congratulations on the book and the 77.7M fund02:45 The geodesic dome: why no one builds anything alone06:09 How it began: a heart palpitation and 20 painful minutes of sitting08:35 Finding gPause and Search Inside Yourself at Google10:35 Scaling mindfulness: Thich Nhat Hanh fills Charlie's Cafe with silence14:34 Guardrails: keeping it secular, science-backed and real16:16 What worked: growing wait-lists, quiet rooms, Googlegeist results 18:10 Caring for humans at work (and the "nine-to-nine" worry)20:57 Teachers: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Jack Kornfield's candle27:10 Practices she's experimenting with: cooking, roots, connection29:35 From doing to being31:16 Loneliness: what's really underneath it38:51 Why Wisdom Ventures - and how a 2M plan became a 77.7M fund44:27 What she looks for in a founder: sincerity and "jugaad"51:36 A short mindfulness practice59:10 What gives Ruchika hope for the futureRuchika onlineLinkedInWisdom VenturesBook - Brain Fitness BlueprintFrederik onlinePodcast - The Future Is HowNewsletter - NEXTletterLearn & ExperienceOnline CoursesLive Events1:1 CoachingBook - What's Next Is NowAwareness TestEngageAsk Frederik - Digital TwinContactAboutShop

Sonja Lyubomirsky is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at UC Riverside and the author of The How of Happiness, The Myths of Happiness, and her new book How to Feel Loved (with Harry Reis). Her work has reached readers in 39 countries. In this conversation she shares the five mindsets that help us feel more loved, why being known matters more than being impressive, the vulnerability paradox, what her research says about control and the future, and her own daily practice of presence and radical curiosity.This is a future built from within: less about better tools, more about the human capacity to connect. It is the Future-ready Mindstate turned toward the most personal question of all - how we love and let ourselves be loved.Chapters00:00 Cold open: when did someone last make you feel loved?02:33 Welcome - and how Frederik and Sonja met in Copenhagen03:27 Waking up happy and loved: morning anxiety and the "magic potion" of a friend04:50 What Sonja was most wrong about early on: social comparison06:23 Social media and the comparison trap07:56 What to do about it: "Excessive self-focus is the door to all misery"11:06 Being genuinely happy for others12:09 From happiness to love: why feeling loved is the key13:47 Loved vs. feeling loved, and why the answer is to be known19:42 The vulnerability paradox (and JFK after the Bay of Pigs)21:58 Our relationship with the future: expectations and losing a future24:07 The sailing story: handing over the wheel and the power of control27:11 Self-love: the open-heart mindset and treating yourself like a kind friend29:21 Sonja's own rituals: deep intimacy, presence, curiosity31:20 On boredom and going beyond the words33:49 The nature of love (Fast Future Round)36:49 The smallest first move you can make today39:06 NEXTletter outroSonja's Website: https://sonjalyubomirsky.com/Sonja's New Book: https://howtofeelloved.com/Sonja at UCR: https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/sonjaFrederikThe Future Is How: https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/#podcastNEXTletter: https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/nextletterOnline Courses: https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/course1:1 Coaching: https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/coachingBooks: https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/bookAwareness Test: https://awareness.frederikgpferdt.com/Ask Frederik: https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/ask-frederikContact: https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/contactShop: https://shop.frederikgpferdt.com/

What's left of us when AI can generate the idea, write the memo, and build the prototype faster than we ever could? Brice Challamel, Head of AI Strategy and Adoption at OpenAI offers a surprising answer: we become stewards of our own intent. In this episode he shares why he doesn't ask AI for answers in the morning but for questions, how a movie-night app turned into a love letter to his family, why he has actually cried during AI conversations - and what makes us irreplaceably human.Chapters00:00 - What exactly am I for?02:24 - 5 minutes, 22 seconds: how Brice built a pharma pitch in Codex04:46 - "Coffee by any love" – the morning ritual05:46 - The first thing he asks AI every day09:30 - From knowledge worker to intelligence worker11:34 - Why good AI should make you uncomfortable, and how AI turned movie night into a love letter21:27 - "I made this" vs. "I meant this" – from author to steward26:27 - The Joy of Missing Out vs. the Fear of Missing Out28:33 - Imagining a future of thought-driven society31:57 - Externalizing mental models with AI33:44 - The role of emotions in AI interactions38:16 - Practical experiments with AI engagementMore from Brice ChallamelLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bricechallamelPower of Why: powerofwhy.aiMore from Frederik G. PferdtTake the Awareness Test – How future-ready is your mindstate?8-Day Foundation Course – Build your Future-ready MindstateAsk Frederik – AI trained on 20 years of Frederik's workNEXTletter – One question, two perspectives, one experiment (bi-weekly, free)Live Events 2026 – See Frederik speak liveThe Future Is How Podcast – New episodes every two weeks

Dushka Zapata has written 17 books and is one of the most-read writers on Quora. Dan Roam wrote "The Back of the Napkin" and has taught Google, Microsoft, and the U.S. Navy how to think with pictures. For the first time on this show, I have two guests at the same mic - recorded inside my geodesic dome, words on one side, pictures on the other. Together we explore why imagining your future too clearly is actually a form of anxiety, why the fear of drawing is really the fear of your own future, and the practice that helped my 10-year-old draw a horse in under two minutes. Dan also shares a brand-new idea, born live in this conversation: the Palace of the Present Moment. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the future, this one is for you.Chapters00:00 - First time in the dome, first time with two guests03:15 - How Dan helped my daughter Josefina draw a horse in under two minutes05:42 - The fear of drawing is the fear of your own future11:27 - Dushka's antidote to overwhelm (and the Einstein quote you'll steal)14:00 - Why half of your brain is built for visual thinking17:17 - Generative AI and why you should draw first, prompt later20:00 - "Claude is mad at me" - why AI is just a mirror24:00 - Patience as a minor form of despair disguised as a virtue26:48 - The annoying bell and the power of the pause30:00 - The Zen master, the trash over the fence, and a better way to react32:11 - Drawing your future self39:09 - Anxiety is too much future41:00 - What if everything works out?50:30 - Find silence. Draw a circle. Repeat.Links Dushka ZapataHow to Be Ferociously Happy (Book)Dushka on Quoradushkazapata.comLinks Dan RoamThe Back of the Napkin (Book)Draw to Win (Book)Napkin Academydanroam.comLinks FrederikTake the Awareness Test – How future-ready is your mindstate?What's Next Is Now (Book) – Frederik's book on designing your future (HarperCollins)8-Day Foundation Course – Build your future-ready mindstateAsk Frederik – AI trained on 20 years of Frederik's workNEXTletter – One question, two perspectives, one experiment (bi-weekly, free)Live Events 2026 – See Frederik speak liveThe Future Is How Podcast – New episodes every two weeks

In this episode, Frederik sits down with Laura Jones, CMO of Instacart, to explore how connection isn't just a strategy, but a way of leading, seeing, and creating. Laura shares the moment she stood outside a trailer on Stanford's campus, placed her hand on it, and knew: "Whatever is inside here will change my life." That moment became the beginning of a career that took her to Google, Uber, and one of the most joyful Super Bowl ads of the year.We talk about the power of "How might we" and "Yes, and," about 1.8 billion bananas, about a heart-opening trip to Vietnam with UNICEF, and about what it really takes to practice curiosity, not just preach it.Chapters00:00 The Power of Connection - Welcome Laura Jones01:35 From Google to Uber to Instacart - Laura's Path02:24 Creativity as a Superpower - The d.school Moment04:54 The Trailer Story - "Whatever Is Inside Will Change My Life"07:34 What Connection Really Means in Daily Practice09:22 Borrowing from Tinder - Lateral Thinking in Action11:19 The Power of "How Might We"12:05 The Art of Ideation13:57 Reading the Data - The Banana Insight17:00 Yes, And - Turning a Story into a Product19:41 Inside the Super Bowl Ad - Five Years of Foundation22:26 The Pressure of Public Creative Work24:23 From Blank Page to Ben Stiller and Benson Boone25:56 Why the Linear Path Was Never an Option27:04 Lessons for/from a Fourth Grade Class29:55 Why Brands Run Ads - And Why Most Are Forgettable32:37 200 People Behind 30 Seconds34:43 Skills vs. Behaviors - What Makes a Great Team38:44 Career-Defining Moments as a Leadership Tool42:43 Holding Generative Space And Bringing Innovation to UNICEF45:12 Reflections from Vietnam52:39 The Multi-Dimensional Life54:56 Double and Triple Plays - A Practical Framework56:43 Rapid Fire - The Future Round And Quick Answers01:05:11 A Practice for Listeners - Thank You, Laura!Connect with Laura Jones:https://www.instacart.com/company/about-us/laura-joneshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/laurajonesdcsf/Connect with Frederik:https://awareness.frederikgpferdt.com - How future-ready is your mindstate?https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/book - Frederik's book on designing your future (HarperCollins)https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/course/8-days - Build your future-ready mindstate in 20 min/dayhttps://www.frederikgpferdt.com/ask-frederik - AI trained on 20 years of Frederik's workhttps://www.frederikgpferdt.com/nextletter - One question, two perspectives, one experiment (bi-weekly, free)https://www.frederikgpferdt.com/tour - See Frederik speak livehttps://www.frederikgpferdt.com/#podcast - New episodes every two weeks

Bill Burnett co-wrote the number one New York Times bestseller Designing Your Life andhelped over a million people figure out what to do with their lives. Now he's asking the harderquestion: once you're doing it, does it actually feel worth it? In this episode, Bill and I explorewhy fulfillment might be a dead end, how Maslow got his own pyramid wrong, and what it reallytakes to design a life full of meaning - not just success. We talk about wonder, community, flow,and why the most meaningful moments are already right in front of you. If you've everwondered whether there's more to life than crossing things off your to-do list, this one is for you.Chapters00:00 - What it means to search for meaning in life04:11 - Was Maslow selling us something that never existed?!08:31 - The two ways of looking at the world09:53 - Why students are not burning down stuff anymore when protesting12:49 - Reframing the Meaning of Life17:40 - Where in the world are wonder and awe27:05 - Do Communities help us avoid personal crisis and finding meaning?29:01 - The crisis of loneliness and community building34:32 - How you design a meaningful life in a world hostile to slowness?41:18 - Fast Future with Bill Burnett46:58 - Get the human part right and everything else is gonna work.Links Bill BurnettHow to Live a Meaningful Life (Book)Designing Your Life (Book)Fully Alive by Design (Newsletter)Links FrederikTake the Awareness Test — How future-ready is your mindstate?What's Next Is Now (Book) — Frederik's book on designing your future (HarperCollins)8-Day Foundation Course — Build your future-ready mindstate in 20 min/dayAsk Frederik — AI trained on 20 years of Frederik's workNEXTletter — One question, two perspectives, one experiment (bi-weekly, free)Live Events 2026 — See Frederik speak liveThe Future Is How Podcast — New episodes every two weeks#designingyourlife #billburnett #meaningoflife #fulfillment #maslowhierarchy #lifedesign #loneliness#communitybuilding #frederikgpferdt