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David Perell

David Perell
Own It Mentality My goal is simple: Be a man of my word. Do what I say I'm going to do, when I say I'm going to do...
a year ago
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a year ago
My goal is simple: Be a man of my word. Do what I say I'm going to do, when I say I'm going to do it. That means showing up on schedule, communicating clearly, and getting things done on time. The post Own It Mentality appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
Ambitious People Need Each Other Ambitious people don’t just need peers. They need mentors. They need people who will encourage them...
a year ago
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a year ago
Ambitious people don’t just need peers. They need mentors. They need people who will encourage them to pursue hard and meaningful projects.  The post Ambitious People Need Each Other appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
Learning to Actually Listen I’ve been listening the wrong way my entire life — with just my ears. True listening is a...
a year ago
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a year ago
I’ve been listening the wrong way my entire life — with just my ears. True listening is a totalizing, full-body experience. The post Learning to Actually Listen appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
How I’ve Studied the Bible Years ago, I realized that the Bible is the foundational book of Western civilization. If I was...
a year ago
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a year ago
Years ago, I realized that the Bible is the foundational book of Western civilization. If I was going to be an educated person, I needed to know what it said. The post How I’ve Studied the Bible appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
A Divine Intuition Under a secular mindset, intuition is all about you — your wants, needs, passions, and desires. A...
a year ago
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a year ago
Under a secular mindset, intuition is all about you — your wants, needs, passions, and desires. A heavenly, God-inspired intuition is different. The post A Divine Intuition appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
Where the Liberal Arts Went Wrong We’ve lost touch with the ultimate purpose of education: to transform our being and improve our...
a year ago
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a year ago
We’ve lost touch with the ultimate purpose of education: to transform our being and improve our character. The liberal arts are the ends, not the means.   The post Where the Liberal Arts Went Wrong appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
The TWA Hotel The core concepts are simple. The implementation is borderline excessive. The post The TWA Hotel...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
The core concepts are simple. The implementation is borderline excessive. The post The TWA Hotel appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
Surrendering to Your Nature A mark of maturity is surrendering to the person you actually are instead of the one you wish you...
a year ago
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a year ago
A mark of maturity is surrendering to the person you actually are instead of the one you wish you were. The post Surrendering to Your Nature appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
I Hate Writing (and So Will You) When I hate writing, it’s because I love it so much. An experienced writer is somebody who knows...
a year ago
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a year ago
When I hate writing, it’s because I love it so much. An experienced writer is somebody who knows when the hatred is temporary. The post I Hate Writing (and So Will You) appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
Gagan Biyani: Building Silicon Valley Startups My guest today is Gagan Biyani, the current CEO of an education startup (where I’m both an investor...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
My guest today is Gagan Biyani, the current CEO of an education startup (where I’m both an investor and an advisor) that helps teachers run Cohort-Based Courses on the Internet and has students from around the world. Gagan also founded a multi-billion dollar online education...
David Perell
Coolest Things I Learned in 2020 This is a collection of the most popular ideas I shared in 2020. The post Coolest Things I Learned...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
This is a collection of the most popular ideas I shared in 2020. The post Coolest Things I Learned in 2020 appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
Zena Hitz: Liberal Arts Thinking My guest today is Zena Hitz, a tutor at St John’s and the author of an excellent book called Lost in...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
My guest today is Zena Hitz, a tutor at St John’s and the author of an excellent book called Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life. Her book explores the meaning and the value of learning for its own sake, through images and stories of bookworms,...
David Perell
Lifting Alone Gyms were once communal places. Nobody wore headphones. People helped each other out and talked...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Gyms were once communal places. Nobody wore headphones. People helped each other out and talked between sets.  Today, things have changed. Everybody is plugged into their own virtual reality world where they craft their desired mood and intensity level, which definitely gives...
David Perell
Rob Henderson: An Internet Academic Rob Henderson is one of my favorite up-and-coming writers. I like him because he’s one of those...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Rob Henderson is one of my favorite up-and-coming writers. I like him because he’s one of those people who doesn’t fit into a category. He’s a Ph.D. candidate in psychology, but I met him in a book club about technological stagnation. He’s spent years in the academy, first at...
David Perell
How Learning Happens From music, we learn what humanity has always known but schools have forgotten: learning begins with...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
From music, we learn what humanity has always known but schools have forgotten: learning begins with inspiration. The post How Learning Happens appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
Against 3X Speed Mike boastfully reads 100 books per year. He listens to audiobooks at 3x speed whenever he drives...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Mike boastfully reads 100 books per year. He listens to audiobooks at 3x speed whenever he drives and swears he can remember it all. His browser has a plugin that lets him speed up YouTube videos, and for a while, he listened to podcasts on a special app because of its unique...
David Perell
Sensitivity Isn’t Static The sensitivity of our senses ebbs and flows. If you’re looking to be more perceptive, start by...
a year ago
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a year ago
The sensitivity of our senses ebbs and flows. If you’re looking to be more perceptive, start by changing your environment. The post Sensitivity Isn’t Static appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
Punctuation is Music If you want to improve your writing, match your punctuation to the mood. Punctuation is to writing...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
If you want to improve your writing, match your punctuation to the mood. Punctuation is to writing as music is to movies. In The Joker, the renowned composer Hildur Guðnadóttir used the cello in the opening scenes to create empathy with the protagonist. But then, as The Joker’s...
David Perell
Annual Review 2022 This year was an emotional odyssey. At times, it was tormenting, at others intoxicating. Here, I...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
This year was an emotional odyssey. At times, it was tormenting, at others intoxicating. Here, I share my joys and struggles, my dreams and regrets. 2022 completely changed my life. The post Annual Review 2022 appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
Saving the Liberal Arts We start with their history by returning to the origins of Western thought. We argue that splitting...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
We start with their history by returning to the origins of Western thought. We argue that splitting education into two halves — Professional and Civilized — is the only way to think about education clearly. We then outline the evolution of the Liberal Arts, from the ancients to...
David Perell
Trevor Bauer: Playing Professional Baseball My guest today is Trevor Bauer, who is arguably the very best pitcher in Major League Baseball. In...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
My guest today is Trevor Bauer, who is arguably the very best pitcher in Major League Baseball. In 2020, he had the lowest Earned Run Average of any pitcher and won the National League Cy Young Award, which goes to the top pitcher in the game. I wanted to interview Trevor not...
David Perell
Intellectual Loneliness I have a confession to make: I leave most parties early because I’d rather read a book. That’s not...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
I have a confession to make: I leave most parties early because I’d rather read a book. That’s not what I tell people though. Usually, I make up an excuse. Something like “Oh, I have early plans in the morning.” I don’t like being deceptive, but there’s no socially acceptable way...
David Perell
Chrisman Frank and Ana Lorena Fabrega: How Childhood Education Will Change This week, I have two guests. Both are affiliated with Synthesis, a new kind of online school where...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
This week, I have two guests. Both are affiliated with Synthesis, a new kind of online school where kids learn through games and simulations. One is Chrisman Frank, the CEO of Synthesis. The other is Ana Lorena Fabrega, who is their Chief Evangelist. Here’s the backstory: A few...
David Perell
Nik Sharma: Building DTC Companies My guest today is Nik Sharma, the founder of Sharma Brands and an advisor to companies like Judy and...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
My guest today is Nik Sharma, the founder of Sharma Brands and an advisor to companies like Judy and Cha Cha Matcha. Nik is one of my very best friends and my go-to person for all things commerce. Since we first met, we’ve spent hours exploring the future of marketing and...
David Perell
Annual Review 2020 Writing this Annual Review, I realize that I’m incredibly fortunate.  While some people spent the...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Writing this Annual Review, I realize that I’m incredibly fortunate.  While some people spent the quarantine alone, I moved into my childhood home and spent five months with family. While America saw the worst unemployment spike in recent history, my business grew because the...
David Perell
The Jerry Seinfeld Guide to Writing Writing and editing should be separate activities.  When I’m in this creation mode, I shoot for a...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Writing and editing should be separate activities.  When I’m in this creation mode, I shoot for a flow state. I keep my fingertips on the keyboard and measure progress by how many words I put on the page.  My physical environment helps me be generative too. If I’m sitting down at...
David Perell
Imitate, then Innovate Imitate, then Innovate is my motto for improving at any skill.  It’s counterintuitive, but the more...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Imitate, then Innovate is my motto for improving at any skill.  It’s counterintuitive, but the more we imitate others, the faster we can discover our unique style. The post Imitate, then Innovate appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
Why You’re Christian Becoming an educated citizen starts with understanding the lineage of your beliefs. For example,...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Becoming an educated citizen starts with understanding the lineage of your beliefs. For example, look at this iconic line from one of America’s founding documents: "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.” The post Why You’re Christian appeared...
David Perell
Thoughts on Free Will My friend Chris Sparks says: “When it comes to creating your environment, assume you have free will....
over a year ago
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over a year ago
My friend Chris Sparks says: “When it comes to creating your environment, assume you have free will. When it comes to living in it, assume you have no free will.” Here’s an example: I lost my love of working out during the pandemic. Before it started, I worked out at a nice,...
David Perell
Should You Write Every Day? When I started working out, I hated it. I wanted to gain muscle but dreaded working out. Eventually,...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
When I started working out, I hated it. I wanted to gain muscle but dreaded working out. Eventually, a friend got fed up with my laziness and told me what I needed to hear: “If you want to build the habit, go to the gym every single day without fail.” So that’s what I did. The...
David Perell
What Networks Whisper Every city changes you. San Francisco tells you to be powerful, LA tells you to be famous, Boston...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Every city changes you. San Francisco tells you to be powerful, LA tells you to be famous, Boston tells you to be smarter, and New York tells you to be richer.  In the words of Paul Graham, “every city whispers something.” So when you choose to live in a city, you’re also...
David Perell
Tiago Forte & Will Mannon: Building Cohort-Based Courses I have two guests today: Tiago Forte and Will Mannon. Tiago is my business partner and the creator...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
I have two guests today: Tiago Forte and Will Mannon. Tiago is my business partner and the creator of an online course called Building a Second Brain. The two of us record a podcast like this every year to reflect on what we’ve learned about the online education industry. And...
David Perell
After Minimalism It's time for us to move beyond minimalism. If we want a dynamic world, we should splash our...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
It's time for us to move beyond minimalism. If we want a dynamic world, we should splash our buildings with enthusiastic colors, bold patterns, and visions of a better tomorrow. The post After Minimalism appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
How Should You Write? There are two ways to write: The Printer Method and the Pixel Method. With the Printer Method, you...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
There are two ways to write: The Printer Method and the Pixel Method. With the Printer Method, you write and rewrite every sentence until it’s perfect. Nail the first sentence, then the second, and so on. Perfection is the name of the game so you don’t advance to a new sentence...
David Perell
The Perks of Niche Fame There are two kinds of fame: Celebrity-Fame and Niche-Fame. The post The Perks of Niche Fame...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
There are two kinds of fame: Celebrity-Fame and Niche-Fame. The post The Perks of Niche Fame appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
Thoughts on Montreal I visited Montreal for the first time. Here are my general impressions of the city, based on walks...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
I visited Montreal for the first time. Here are my general impressions of the city, based on walks around town and casual conversations with friends: Culture: My favorite thing about Montreal is its commitment to culture. French is the dominant language, which is partially why it...
David Perell
Kevin Kelly: Seeing the Future My guest today is Kevin Kelly, who co-founded Wired Magazine in 1993 and served as its Executive...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
My guest today is Kevin Kelly, who co-founded Wired Magazine in 1993 and served as its Executive Editor for the first seven years. As one of the most important futurists of our generation, he’s published a number of books including The Inevitable, What Technology Wants, and New...
David Perell
The Ultimate Guide to Writing Online For years, I thought that being successful and being myself were diametrically opposed, but becoming...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
For years, I thought that being successful and being myself were diametrically opposed, but becoming an online writer has shown me that I can succeed by bringing out more of myself — and so can you.  The post The Ultimate Guide to Writing Online appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
The Book You Need to Read There is an epidemic of people who bash Christianity but haven’t read the Bible. No matter where you...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
There is an epidemic of people who bash Christianity but haven’t read the Bible. No matter where you stand on religion, if you don’t know what the Bible actually says, it’s time to change that.   The post The Book You Need to Read appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
28 Pieces of Life Advice In honor of my 28th birthday, here are 28 pieces of life advice. The post 28 Pieces of Life Advice...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
In honor of my 28th birthday, here are 28 pieces of life advice. The post 28 Pieces of Life Advice appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
What’s Up with Austin? Austin is a mediocre city, but a great place to live.  The post What’s Up with Austin? appeared...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Austin is a mediocre city, but a great place to live.  The post What’s Up with Austin? appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
The Stupid Test Whenever you're trying to solve a problem, ask yourself: "What answer am I missing because it seems...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Whenever you're trying to solve a problem, ask yourself: "What answer am I missing because it seems too stupid?" The post The Stupid Test appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
Beer Mode and Coffee Mode Creatives have two ways of working: beer mode and coffee mode.  Beer mode is a state of unfocused...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Creatives have two ways of working: beer mode and coffee mode.  Beer mode is a state of unfocused play where you discover new ideas. In contrast, coffee mode is a state of focus where you work towards a specific outcome.  The problem with traditional productivity advice is that...
David Perell
Ash Fontana: Building Artificial Intelligence Ash Fontana is an entrepreneur, investor, and author. As an entrepreneur, he was only of the early...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Ash Fontana is an entrepreneur, investor, and author. As an entrepreneur, he was only of the early employees at an online investing platform called AngelList. From there, he became the Managing Director at Zetta, the first investment fund focused on artificial intelligence. Now,...
David Perell
How Philosophers Think Philosophers are the most rigorous thinkers I know. Like intellectual boxers; they come to...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Philosophers are the most rigorous thinkers I know. Like intellectual boxers; they come to understand ideas by making them fight with each other. Their style of analysis is effective because it’s so bloody. One friend calls his style “violent thinking.” He talks about thinking...
David Perell
Li Jin: Creating the Creator Economy My guest today is Li Jin, the founder and managing partner at an early-stage venture capital...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
My guest today is Li Jin, the founder and managing partner at an early-stage venture capital firm called Atelier. Before recording this introduction, I didn’t know what an atelier was, so I looked it up and it’s right on brand for Li: it’s defined as a workshop or a studio,...
David Perell
Hugging the X-Axis I’ve always struggled with commitment. In a world as grand as ours, shouldn’t we try to experience...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
I’ve always struggled with commitment. In a world as grand as ours, shouldn’t we try to experience it all? Change it up. Visit every country. Try a bunch of careers. The menu of life is vast, and it’d be a shame to only order a single entrée.  When I say I was allergic to...
David Perell
What I Got Wrong About Business Too many people waste years in hollow ‘entrepreneurship’ classes. Instead, we need to develop the...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Too many people waste years in hollow ‘entrepreneurship’ classes. Instead, we need to develop the domain expertise that leads to entrepreneurial ideas. The post What I Got Wrong About Business appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
The Paradoxes of Modern Life The Paradox of Reading: The books you read will profoundly change you even though you’ll forget the...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
The Paradox of Reading: The books you read will profoundly change you even though you’ll forget the vast majority of what you read. The Paradox of Writing: Great writing looks effortless. But because the ideas are so clear, casual readers don’t appreciate how much time it took to...
David Perell
The Microwave Economy America has become a Microwave Economy. We’ve overwhelmingly used our wealth to make the world...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
America has become a Microwave Economy. We’ve overwhelmingly used our wealth to make the world cheaper instead of more beautiful, more functional instead of more meaningful. The post The Microwave Economy appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
The Counterfactual Theory of Value The Labor Theory of Value argues that the value of a product or a service is determined by the...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
The Labor Theory of Value argues that the value of a product or a service is determined by the amount of labor required to produce it. If so, something that takes 100 hours to produce is worth 10x more than something that takes 10 hours. One issue with the Labor Theory is it...
David Perell
People Don’t Actually Read People don’t read as much as they say they do. This trend is accelerating too. I’m in a friend group...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
People don’t read as much as they say they do. This trend is accelerating too. I’m in a friend group of intellectually curious people, and just about everybody says they’re reading fewer books than they used to. But at the risk of sounding like your 5th grade English teacher,...
David Perell
Annual Review 2021 I’ll start this Annual Review by reflecting on 2021. I’ll share highlights and reflect on the goals...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
I’ll start this Annual Review by reflecting on 2021. I’ll share highlights and reflect on the goals I set at the beginning of the year. Later, I’ll outline how I plan to improve my life and set a new vision for 2022. The post Annual Review 2021 appeared first on David Perell.
David Perell
The Paradox of Abundance Information abundance, like all markets of abundance, is bad for the average person but great for a...
over a year ago
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over a year ago
Information abundance, like all markets of abundance, is bad for the average person but great for a small number of people. Abundance is a paradox. Environments of abundance are bad for the median consumer but extremely good for a small number of conscious ones. Average consumers...
David Perell
Practice Analytically, Perform Intuitively The greats in every field follow this mantra to perfect their craft. The post Practice...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
The greats in every field follow this mantra to perfect their craft. The post Practice Analytically, Perform Intuitively appeared first on David Perell.