The Pathless Path with Paul Millerd

In this episode we discuss:How do you survive during an unpaid sabbatical?The psychological stress of not having a salaryWhat Vikram learned about psychology from Elon Musk at UniversityThe 2,000 year old ritual that Tim Ferriss still practices to prepare for adversity If you want to start something new, should you burn your bridges or leave yourself an escape?Overcoming the limiting belief that you are your jobThe massive lie hidden in our education and employment systemsThe creative approach to work that unites the greatest thinkers from Richard Feynman to Ernest Hemingway, David Ogilvy, and Richard BransonTactics for tapping into your subconscious mind to overcome creative blocksDealing with the mental struggle of asking your first clients for moneyWhy Vikram (an economist) and his brother Mrinal (a designer and developer) started teaching traditional Indian dance classesThe common denominator that determines your success in any business or jobShould you "scratch your own itch" when starting a business?How to deal with starting a business and having zero customers show upThe Magic of the Internet, Micro-niches, and following your own passionHow the internet is "undoing the industrial revolution" for creatorsGoing in to "Fear Mode"Balancing "scale of impact" vs "direct impact"What if you could keep your job and pursue your passion? Links to Resources and Books Mentioned:Vikram on Twitter (https://twitter.com/vsethco)Bounce Bhangra Website (https://bouncebhangra.com/)Bounce Bhangra on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bouncebhangra/)Tim  Ferriss on Practicing Poverty (https://tim.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/137-tim-ferriss-how-to-practice-poverty-and-reduce-fear.pdf)Kevin Kelly's essay "1,000 True Fans" (https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/)

Jonathan Hillis is the founder of Creator Cabins. It began as a single cabin in the Texas Hill Country, a place for creators to gather together to work on exciting projects 'IRL'. They've since launched a token and formed the Cabin DAO and now they're expanding into a decentralized city.  Prior to founding $CABIN, Jon was Director of Product, Shoppers, and Marketplace at Instacart, where during the pandemic, he grew their workforce of shoppers 5x.Jon also recently published an excellent essay on the history of centralization and decentralization cycles in Western Civilization.We cover all of that and more in this episode. Enjoy!In this episode we discuss:Decentralization and centralization cycles throughout historyAre we headed for collapse? Civil war? What about America vs China?What role will decentralized cities play in the futureCreating a playbook for future decentralized cities / nodes Opportunities for blockchain / innovation in governmentWhy are all the "internet intellectuals" moving to Austin, Texas?How the gig economy helped pave the way for Web3Is remote work a disadvantage for young people starting out in their careers?What people and companies get wrong about 'hybrid' (office/remote) workWhy Jon left Instacart (after growing their gig work force 5x)Promises and perils of working in the gig economyIs it fair to criticize Web3 for not living up to it's decentralization ideals?How to make it as a creator - what are the most relevant skillsets / experience to have today?Six ways to make $100,000 as a creator on the internet these daysOvercoming the "ickyness" of sharing your life and work on social mediaHow to succeed by finding community / "your corner of the internet" Links:Jon's essay: A brief history of decentralized cities and centralized states (https://creators.mirror.xyz/s9h4_PQAcJyqgC0rnsWjw9geU2wJs-IBPXIzHhgi-P8)Jon's essay: Six economies of online creators (https://www.meatspacealgorithms.com/six-economies/)Clay Christensen's theory of Disruptive Innovation (https://hbr.org/1995/01/disruptive-technologies-catching-the-wave)The Nature of the Firm by R. H. Coase (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-0335.1937.tb00002.x)My first impressions of web3 by Moxie Marlinspike (https://moxie.org/2022/01/07/web3-first-impressions.html)   

In this episode we talk about:“The Great Resignation” happening now. Why are workers quitting jobs?What is a sabbatical?What forced Vikram to re-evaluate his life and confront his own mortalityHow do you arrange a sabbatical with your boss?The two things you need to do before you can ask for extended time off“Hunting like a lion” at workManaging your schedule and your energy to do your best creative workHow to play to your strengths and gain leverage in negotiations at workSo you’ve arranged a year off… now what? How should you use that time?A fateful first stop in Dubai, leaning in to serendipity and where it leadsWhat a 10 day Vipassana silent meditation retreat teaches youHow to get out of your head and back into your bodyEastern vs Western views of time. “Transcend and include”Zooming out to see the “upward Spiral Graph”What is Hindu philosophy, once you strip away all the mythology?Mysticism and the power of direct experienceConsensus mechanisms and why crypto gives Vikram hope for humanityLinks to Resources and Other Books Mentioned:Vikram on TwitterBounce Bhangra WebsiteBounce Bhangra on Instagram Confessions of an Economic HitmanVipassanaIdo PortalWim HofMammalian Dive Reflex 

Justin Gary is an award-winning game designer and entrepreneur.He started his career in gaming at the age of seventeen when he won the Magic: The Gathering US National Championships. Justin then escaped from NYU Law School to pursue his dream of becoming a professional game designer.He's since made games for global brands including Marvel, DC, World of Warcraft, and Bakugan. In 2010, Justin founded his own publishing company, Stone Blade Entertainment and released the hit deck-building game, Ascension.  Justin has taught creativity principles at the Wharton School of Business and to companies including Twitter, Zillow, and Google. Earlier this year, Justin and I launched Quality Questions (https://qualityquestions.co/), where we collect and send questions that help you apply the key lessons from self improvement books and lectures to your own life. Justin's latest project is the Level Up habit journal (https://justin-gary.lpages.co/level-up-habit-journal/), In this episode we talk about:Running a creative company remote vs in office Learning to prototype games as a fully remote teamThe two weeks that changed everything ("It was a shock to us. Why weren't we doing this before!?")How not being allowed to come to the office turned into a new marketing strategy for Justin's company The "kick in the ass" that finally prompted Justin to move out of his apartment"Fear setting" - What's the worst that could happen when you move out to travel?"The opportunity is never going to be better than now..."The mindset shift Justin had to make to become a digital nomadBeing conscious of when your assumptions no longer holdOptimizing for "being open to what presents itself" and "Get what's good where you are"What was harder about being a digital nomad than Justin expectedNightmare in Costa Rica"Discomfort is the price of admission"How to balance the trade off between comfort, adventure, and productivityHow things change once you've been a digital nomad for yearsHow to plan travel when you have unlimited optionsBuilding travel around your bucketlist The "positive pressure" effect of only being in a place for a short timeThe "surprising best part, by far, of being a digital nomad" for JustinWhat Justin would do differently if he started againWhen you should be willing to spend instead of saving moneyPreserving your morning routine as a digital nomadBooks and Products Mentioned:The LevelUp Habit Journal (https://justin-gary.lpages.co/level-up-habit-journal/)SolForge Fusion (https://www.stoneblade.com/solforge)Ascension Tactics (https://www.stoneblade.com/tactics)Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua FoerFollow Justin:JustinGary.com - Justin’s main websiteThink Like A Game Designer - Justin’s book, course, and podcast on Game Design@Justin_Gary on Twitter

Kevin Maguire writes "The New Fatherhood" a weekly newsletter dedicated to "Helping dads be better dads."Kevin is also a former Google employee and the founder of QuickHatch (https://quickhatch.xyz/) where he uses Design Sprint thinking to help bold companies solve complex problems in record time.In this episode we discuss:The three phases of scarcity that we experience throughout our livesWhat's missing from the existing advice for dads that prompted Kevin to start The New FatherhoodWriting a book one week at a timePutting the "dominoes" in the right order for your business to grow and succeedStruggling with screen time as a parentThe training we get for becoming dads. What advice do new dads need to hear?Fatherhood lessons from Bandit the Dog and setting the bar higher for dadsThat hardest thing for me about being a parentWhy did Kevin leave Google, one of the best companies in the world to work for?Moving away from San Francisco and the USA to optimize for family lifeAdvantages of living in Barcelona and attitudes towards children in SpainThere's more to life than "What's your name, what do you do?"The power of vulnerability, especially for menShould we encourage kids to play video games?How to approach choosing where to live with a familyLinks:The New Fatherhood on Substack (TheNewFatherhood.org)The New Fatherhood on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/newfatherhood/)Selected issues from the New FatherhoodHow to choose where to live (https://www.thenewfatherhood.org/p/how-to-choose-where-to-live)You are not your job (https://www.thenewfatherhood.org/p/you-are-not-your-job)Brene Brown on the Power of Vulnerability (https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability/transcript?language=en)David Brooks' book, The Second Mountain (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MC94WDB/)

In this episode we discuss:What is the Pathless Path?Why Paul left his dream jobA letter Paul wrote to himselfHow do you get started on the Pathless Path?What quitting your job teaches you about yourselfIf there's no path, how do you know if you’re on the right track?Dealing with uncertaintyWhat's next for PaulFurther Reading:Nat Eliason on "Reclaiming the Joy of Work" (https://www.nateliason.com/medley/283)What Ben Hunt calls "Industrially Necessary Work" (https://think-boundless.com/ben-hunt/)Andrew Taggert's "The Way Of Loss And The Way Of Wonderment" (https://andrewjtaggart.com/2019/09/12/coming-to-the-other-side-of-total-work-the-way-of-loss-and-the-way-of-wonderment/)More from Paul:Paul's website Boundless https://think-boundless.com/Paul's podcast, Reimagine Work https://think-boundless.com/podcast/Paul's substack newsletter Boundless https://think-boundless.com/boundless-newsletter/And on Twitter: https://twitter.com/p_millerd 

In this episode we discuss:How Tom got started freelancingLanding the first clientDo you need to be able to "sell yourself" to make it as a freelancer?Getting out of the "feast/famine" cycle that traps many freelancersWhat are the biggest mistakes that most people make when first starting out as freelancers?What would Tom do if he was starting over again today?Should you use marketplaces/platforms like UpWork to sell your services as a freelancer?Is it important to choose a niche? Where Tom gets virtually all of his new leads fromThe advantages of "working in public"Finding success on TwitterTom's viral Twitter thread on pricing freelance projects ( https://twitter.com/tom_hirst/status/1277933730078785537How to create additional sources of income as a freelancer (besides client work)Translating freelance expertise into creating and selling content onlineTom's new agency, Run the Show (https://twitter.com/rtsagency) that specializes in Headless WordpressWhat is "Headless Wordpress" and why would someone use it?You can find links to all of the resources we discussed and more on Tom's website here: https://www.tomhirst.com/links/

In this episode we talk about:The difference between being a "digital nomad" versus actually settling into a new home in a foreign landWhat Serenity's life is like as a kid growing up in the Canary IslandsWhy Serenity started blogging about her adventures around Gran CanariaWhy Shane (and Serenity's mom) want their kids to have the experience of growing up outside the United StatesLinks:Serenity's Blog: Traveling with Serenity (https://travelingwithserenity.com/)

Amanda Goetz is the founder of House of Wise, a luxury CBD brand for women. She's also the part-time Chief Marketing Officer for Teal. And she has a popular account with a very engaged following on Twitter. On top of all that, Amanda is a single mom with three young kids. In this episode we discuss:How Amanda launched House of Wise while she was still VP of Marketing at The Knot Worldwide Building something new versus managing what you've already built"You have more options than you realize" The importance of empathy when raising capital from investors for a start-up while still working a full-time job The mission behind House of Wise and how it's creating new paths for women to build wealth Overcoming stigmas around self-care, CBD, and affiliate marketingWhy it's important to build a business in a space that you care deeply about Amanda's journey from not using cannabis to starting her own CBD brand Why Amanda started a business at a time when most people would be looking for financial stability and job securityAmanda's "shadow work" that led her to freedom and rediscovering her true selfMaking space in your life and to follow your intuition and explore new ideas How "childhood trauma" shapes our adult decisionsHow Amanda landed a "fractional executive" role at TealThe benefits of building a personal brandHow Amanda changed her mind about who can succeed on TwitterLinks:Amanda on TwitterHouse of WiseTeal"What Do You Do with an Idea" (book)Lasting (App)Become a Wise Woman

In this episode we discuss:What pushed each of us to become digital nomadsWhat's holding most people back from going nomadic?Will there be a new wave of nomads post-COVID?What people struggle with once they go nomadicAlex's experience traveling abroad during the pandemicHow our travel styles change after years of being digital nomadsTraveling to countries where you don't know anyone and dealing with loneliness on the roadAlex's "Pop-Up Coliving" experiment in Medellin, ColombiaHow to meet people and make lasting connections at conferencesThe origins of Airbnb and how Alex got started building coliving communitiesHow to meet more people and make friends while coworking Staying productive with the pomodoro technniqueSetting boundaries and meeting friends during the pandemicKeep communities going when everyone is stuck at homeLinks to People, Articles, and Books Mentioned in this Episode:Alex on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsalinsky/)Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H6JBFOS/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)Christine McDannell  - Coliving Consultant (https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinemcdannell)How to Meet People While You Travel and Avoid Becoming a Lonely Digital Nomad (https://nevilleamehra.com/digital-nomad-guide/how-to-avoid-becoming-a-lonely-digital-nomad/)