Timothy Ferriss's Blog, page 99

How to Be In My Next Big Book

Photo Credit: Sarah Dippity

The 4-Hour Workweek is coming up on its 10th anniversary in a few years (insane), and the time is ripe for a killer companion.  Therefore…

My next book will be a monstrous encyclopedia of success stories from readers of The 4-Hour Workweek.  There are innumerable stories I couldn’t have predicted. Taking multiple companies to IPO? Getting to the Super Bowl? Building a seven-figure muse and traveling the world with a family of 3-7…as a single parent?!

That’s just the beginning.  Now, I want to hear your story.  And I want to put you in my next book.

If you don’t yet have a success story, keep reading and I’ll show you how to create one.  I’ll also give you a benevolent kick in the ass (i.e. amazing bribe).

Please read this entire post.  To start off, there are three ways to share your story with me:

1) If you already have a success story to tell, please fill out the form at fourhourworkweek.com/success.  Easy peasy.

2) If you joined the latest Shopify Build-A-Business Competition that started last year, you can select the “Muse Category” and compete. Read below.

3) If you haven’t yet created a “muse” (automated cash-flow business), keep reading.  Things are about to get very interesting for you.

The prizes for sharing are simple: potentially be in my next book, and (if in categories 2 or 3 above) get flown to Richard Branson’s private island for billionaire coaching.

And here’s how it all works…

If you have not joined the latest Shopify Build-A-Business Competition, do this:

Read The 4-Hour Workweek if you haven’t.  
Still not sure what business to start, or which product to choose? Read this guide from Shopify and then come back to this post.
Create a new business: Launch an online store with Shopify by using this link. You *must* use this link or I can’t track you properly.
Start selling, change your life, and keep records: After the eight-month competition, Shopify will calculate your best two months of sales. From there, based on a $5K-per-month minimum, Shopify will compile a list of 20 finalists. Tim Ferriss and his magic elves will judge each of the 20 finalists using the following criteria: gross sales during the top two months (60% weight), Lifestyle Design (25% weight – i.e. how much your improve your life), and recording (15% weight – This could include YouTube clips, blog posts, Instagram pics, Twitter, Facebook, Vine, or whatever, but it should track your experiences and lessons learned. Use #4hourlaunch and link back to this blog post.)
Get support: Use all of the Shopify support resources, how-to guides, and community forums to learn how to grow, grow, grow.

If you’ve already entered the Shopify Build-A-Business Competition, and you want to join the Muse Category:

Just click this link. Enter your Shopify URL there, and you’ll be added into the Muse Competition.
Read The 4-Hour Workweek if you haven’t.
Follow the above steps from “Start selling…”  Same rules and criteria apply.

The Prizes (For Those Building Businesses and Competing):

For all competitors who sign up:

Private Facebook group. On February 15, 2015 at 5pm ET, Shopify will send me a list of all the email addresses of people who’ve signed up. Each person will then be invited to an exclusive and private “Muse” Facebook group, where I’ll also make occasional appearances.  It’s free, but you must sign up by Feb 15 at 5pm ET to be invited.

For the ultimate winners:

5 days of mentorship on Necker Island, Richard Branson’s private island in the British Virgin Islands
A private jet from New York to Necker Island. Shopify will also cover the cost of getting you to NYC.
You can invite a guest (!), and their costs are similarly covered.
You’ll be joined by 5 other winners, and you’ll be mentored by Tim Ferriss, Sir Richard Branson, Daymond John (founder of FUBU), and Marie Forleo. You will get plenty of one-on-one time with every mentor.
Complimentary nearly-everything: meals and drinks, as well as all the island has to offer, including water sports, tennis, pools, and jacuzzi.
Seth Godin will hold an private group workshop on the island.
And many other surprises!

Timeline:

You must enter your Shopify store into the competition no later than March 31, 2015.  Obviously, good to get started ASAP.  Just click the damn link and get started. If not now, then when?
Last day to generate sales for the competition: May 31, 2015

Restrictions:

Entrants must have opened a Shopify store after June 1, 2014 in order to be eligible
The competition is open to legal residents in any one of the United States, excluding Arizona, Maryland, Vermont, Delaware, Louisiana and Montana (sorry!). The competition is also open to legal residents of the District of Columbia, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Spain and Canada.

Videos, Just for Fun:

5th Annual BAB Launch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh4iZJwfdA4
Last year’s winners (4th Annual BAB): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X3t4K_-jbA
3rd Annual BAB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJkTs470ILY
2nd Annual BAB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMfOcxa7vF0
1st Annual BAB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEtWqw4ZtVc

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime?  Sign up here and get started!

Look forward to raising a drink with you on Necker :)

How to Think Like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos

Dr. Peter Diamandis (center) floating with Elon Musk (r), James Cameron (l), and others.

Dr. Peter Diamandis has been named one of “The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” by Fortune Magazine.

You asked for an entire episode with him, so here it is!  The subject is simple: How to think big, and how to use the key strategies of Peter’s friends and investors, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Larry Page. How do they create maximum leverage? How do they think differently? We explore all of this.

In the field of innovation, Diamandis is Chairman and CEO of the X PRIZE Foundation. Among many other things, Diamandis is also the Co-Founder (along with Craig Venter and Bob Hariri) of Human Longevity Inc. (HLI); and Co-Founder of Planetary Resources, a company designing spacecraft to mine asteroids for precious materials (seriously).

If I could ask one person to write one book, it would Peter and his new tome, Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth, and Impact the World.  In fact, I have been asking him for years, and now it has arrived.  The back cover alone gives me serious envy. Check out these testimonials from Bill Clinton, Eric Schmidt, and Ray Kurzweil. Ray says simply: “If you read one business book in the twenty-first century, this should be the one.”

There are a few ways to listen to this episode, and I highly suggest a notepad:

Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream here.
Download is as MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

This podcast is brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body? Here are some of the impressive results.

Also, how would you like an all-expenses-paid trip to Richard Branson’s private island for a week of mentoring with Sir Richard, yours truly, and other teachers? It’s coming up soon, and it’s going to be amazing. Click here for all the details.

Enjoy!  I didn’t have time for show notes on this one, but — as usual — I’m happy to include the first comprehensive show notes (with links) that any reader leaves in the comments. I will gladly link to your website in appreciation.

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QUESTION OF THE DAY:  What books or resources have most inspired you to think BIGGER, to 10x your results or impact?  Please share in the comments by clicking here.

Subscribe to The Tim Ferriss Show on iTunes.

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Pavel Tsatsouline on the Science of Strength and the Art of Physical Performance

This episode was a real treat. It was one of the most enlightening and lucid conversations about physical training I’ve ever had.  If you want strength, power, endurance, and flexibility, it’s all covered in this one interview.

Pavel Tsatsouline is Chairman of StrongFirst, Inc. and was born in Minsk, USSR, which is now part of Belarus.

In the 1980s, he was a physical-training instructor for Spetnaz, the elite Soviet special-forces units. Pavel is now a subject matter expert to the US Marine Corps, the US Secret Service, and the US Navy SEALs. He is widely credited with introducing the now ubiquitous kettlebell to the United States.

Over the last several years, Pavel has become a friend, and his input was critical to the success (and experiments) of The 4-Hour Body.  His massively popular post on 80/20 Powerlifting and How to Add 110+ Pounds to Your Lifts appears on this blog.

Whether you’ve heard of him or not, prepare to have your mind blown, and I don’t say that lightly :)  Enjoy!

Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

This podcast is brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body? Here are some of the impressive results.

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What’s the most valuable exercise tip you’ve ever received or learned? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Enjoy!

Do you enjoy listening to this podcast? If so, please leave a short review here. It’s important for keeping the show going.

Subscribe to The Tim Ferriss Show on iTunes.

Non-iTunes RSS feed

Selected Links from the Episode

Learn more about StrongFirst
Kettlebell: Simple and Sinister by Pavel Tsatsouline
Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Deadlift Dynamite by Pavel Tsatsouline and Andy Bolton
Easy Strength by Dan John and Pavel Tsatsouline
Learn more about The Four Quadrants by Dan John
Pick up some Captains of Crush grippers from Iron Mind
Hard Style Abs by Pavel Tsatsouline
The Naked Warrior by Pavel Tsatsouline
Learn more about Tim’s suggested writing software – Scrivener
Learn more about Dr. Mark Cheng and the Turkish getup
The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz
The trailer for Pavel’s favorite movie – The Magnificent Seven
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson

Show Notes

How Pavel and Tim first came in contact [1:00]
How others define Pavel as “world-class” [2:00]
Considerations for designing training for top performers [5:00]
The biggest misconceptions about Pavel Tsatsouline [11:25]
When in doubt, what’s the minimum you should train? [18:00]
How to train “grease to groove” [21:15]
Approaching training as a practice [35:45]
Prioritizing skills that lead to strength [39:20]
The most counter-productive myths about strength training [42:20]
Pavel’s hypothesis for the science behind hypertrophy [48:30]
What is preventing new powerlifting records? [1:02:00]
Deadlifts, kettlebells, and the most common mistakes with both [1:10:00]
Morning rituals [1:13:50]
Most frequently played music [1:16:50]
Pavel’s writing mechanics [1:18:05]
Current professional improvement endeavors [1:21:30]
Mobility, flexibility, and the goal of full side splits [1:22:45]
On the malfunction of over-sharing [1:39:00]
What Americans can learn from former Soviet culture [1:40:20]
Mitigating distractions [1:48:40]

People Mentioned

Andy Bolton
Dan John
Ed Coan
Konstantin Konstantinovs
Dmitry Klokov

What My Morning Journal Looks Like

History is littered with examples of successful (and unsuccessful) people who kept daily journals. It ranges from Marcus Aurelius to Ben Franklin, and from Mark Twain to George Lucas.

But what on earth did they write about?

Or perhaps you’ve seen examples of their writing and thought to yourself, “Goddamn, that reads like the Gettysburg Address!” and become demoralized.

In this post, I’ll show you what my raw morning journal looks like.

Why?

Because it’s easy to imagine our heroes as unflappable juggernauts, who conquer insecurity with a majestic mental karate chop every morning. This is, of course, an illusion. Most people you see on magazine covers have plenty of mornings when they’d rather hide under the covers all day long.

A while back, I bared my soul in a post about “productivity” tips for neurotic and crazy people (like me). I was overwhelmed by the hundreds of heartfelt comments, letters, and more that I received.

Many of you have since asked about my “morning pages,” so I’m oversharing again…

The Daily Struggle

Nearly every morning, I sit down with a hot cocktail of turmeric, ginger, pu-erh tea, and green tea. Next, I crack open this large-format paperback (pic from my Instagram):

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To be honest, I never read the original Artist’s Way, which was recommended to me by many mega-bestselling authors.

More book consumption didn’t interest me, as I often use it to procrastinate. What I needed was a daily and meditative practice of production, like the tea ceremony. So, voila, I bought the journal. This “companion” provides plenty of context to be used by itself.

But why journal in the first place?

I don’t journal to “be productive.” I don’t do it to find great ideas, or to put down prose I can later publish. The pages aren’t intended for anyone but me.

Morning pages are, as author Julia Cameron puts it, “spiritual windshield wipers.” It’s the most cost-effective therapy I’ve ever found. To quote her further, from page viii:

“Once we get those muddy, maddening, confusing thoughts [nebulous worries, jitters, and preoccupations] on the page, we face our day with clearer eyes.”

Please reread the above quote. It may be the most important aspect of trapping thought on paper (i.e. writing) you’ll ever encounter. Even if you consider yourself a terrible writer, writing can be viewed as a tool that you can and should use. There are huge benefits to writing, even if no one — yourself included — ever reads what you write. In other words, the process matters more than the product.

Below is one of my real entries.

I’ve typed out the text below the image, as it’s easier to read.

SUNDAY, DEC. 28, NEW YORK

Woke up at 7:30am, before everyone else. Feels great.

It’s a Sunday, so I feel I can take it slow, which is probably the reason it feels great.

Why should Monday or Tuesday be any different? There are still people waiting regardless. Let them wait.

It’s funny how we work and aim and strive to get to a point where people wait for us, not the other way around. Cue Get Shorty!

And yet, when we arrive at this vaunted point, the masses of people (often rightly) incessantly knocking on the door, one after another, causes far more stress than when you were a mere peon (sp)! [I was unsure of spelling]

Is it because of the 100x more inbound, which decreases a feeling of self-directed free will? A feeling that you’re constantly choosing from someone else’s buffet instead of cooking your own food?

Or is it because you *feel* you must be defensive and protect what you have: time, money, relationships, space, etc.?

For someone who’s “won” through a lifetime of offense, of attacking, playing the defensive game conflicts with the core of who they are.

[END]

So… What’s The Point Again?

There are two ways to interpret the above journal entry, and they’re not mutually exclusive:

1) I’m trying to figure things out, and this might help.

For instance: I’ve realized conflicts between goals (become “successful”) and related side-effects one must manage (100x more inbound). I’ve also noted that my big wins in life have come from being aggressive, much like iconic coach Dan Gable, who’s epic rant here is one of my favorites of all time. But the fetters of even a modicum of professional success makes one feel like they have to play defense, or manage instead of conquer. This runs counter to my DNA, which leads to unhappiness. Therefore, I need to divest myself of assets that require “protecting,” or I need to better delegate this responsibility.

That all sounds pleasantly analytical. Aren’t we smart? But perhaps the real value is that…

2) I’m just caging my monkey mind on paper so I can get on with my fucking day.

#2 is key.

Morning pages don’t need to solve your problems. They simply need to get them out of your head, where they’ll otherwise bounce around all day like a bullet ricocheting inside your skull.

Could bitching and moaning on paper for five minutes each morning change your life?

As crazy as it might seem, I believe the answer is yes.

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Would you like more posts like this? Or never again? Please let me know in the comments (click here), or I’ll never know. Thank you for reading!

Are We Really 10% Human and 90% Bacteria? Exploring The Microbiome…

By popular demand, an entire episode dedicated to exploring the human microbiome!

Are you really 90% bacteria and 10% human? How can you manage or optimize your own microbiome? Should we do fecal-matter transplants from “untouched” indigenous tribes to reverse chronic illness? We tackle all this and much more…

Jessica Richman is co-founder and CEO of uBiome, a startup backed by Y Combinator and Andreessen Horowitz, which uses citizen science to understand the human microbiome.

Jonathan Eisen is a Full Professor at the University of California, Davis with appointments in the School of Medicine and the College of Biological Sciences. Dr. Eisen’s research focuses on the evolution, ecology and function of communities of microorganisms.

Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

This podcast is brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body? Here are some of the impressive results.

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY:  What’s the most interesting or helpful thing you’ve ever learned from a medical or biological test? Please share in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Enjoy!

Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review here. It keeps me going…

Subscribe to The Tim Ferriss Show on iTunes.

Non-iTunes RSS feed

Selected Links from the Episode

UC Davis Genome Center
Learn more about uBiome
Seth Robert’s honey and vinegar bedtime trick
Neil Gaiman – The Best Commencement Speech You May Ever Hear (20 Minutes)
Oxford Internet Institute
Start-Up Chile
A Field Guide to the Birds of North America by National Geographic
The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway
The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Shackleton with Kenneth Branagh
The Edge with Anthony Hopkins
Connect with Jessica Richman:

uBiome’s Twitter | Jessica Richman Twitter | Indiegogo

Connect with Jonathan Eisen:

Twitter | Personal Blog | The Tree of Life | TED

Show Notes

Interesting answers to boring questions… [1:00]
Defining “microbiology” [2:30]
What is “phylogenomics”? [4:00]
Microbiome misconceptions [6:40]
Defining citizen science [9:30]
Gut | Mood | Behavior [11:30]
Scaling microbiome research using the public [21:30]
How experts think about probiotics [34:30]
A new perspective on probiotic solutions [42:20]
The idea of a fecal bank, and the scientific feasibility of actually doing it [52:00]
Exploring vegetarianism [1:04:45]
Rules that stifle vs. constraints that enable [1:07:10]
Jessica’s founding story of uBiome [1:13:40]
Long-term goals of uBiome [1:17:00]
Rapid-fire questions for Jonathan [1:19:55]
Rapid-fire questions for Jessica [1:29:55]
Many more rapid-fire questions…

People Mentioned

Seth Roberts
Barry Jacobs
Jim Watson
Rubin “Hurricane” Carter
Stephen Pinker

Ed Cooke, Grandmaster of Memory, on Mental Performance, Imagination, and Productive Mischief

One tiny favor for 2014! If you’re enjoying the podcast, could you please take 30 seconds now to leave a brief review on iTunes? Just click “View in iTunes” under my pic here. If I pass 2,000 reviews before Jan 1 (a goal of mine for 2014!), I will reciprocate by writing a massive, behind-the-scenes post on everything I’ve learned about podcasting. I promise tricks of the trade galore, just as in-depth as the “Hacking Kickstarter” post. Speaking of which…

Ed Cooke is a dear friend and a Grandmaster of Memory.  In 2010, he was interviewed by a journalist named Joshua Foer. Under Ed’s Yoda-like training, Joshua became the very next American Memory Champion in 2011.  It took less than a year for Ed to transform a novice from unknown to world-class.

But how?!?

Aha… This interview explores Ed Cooke’s brilliant techniques (many of which I use), strategies, and practical philosophies.  To boot, he’s also a wicked funny bastard!  If you enjoyed the epic interviews with Kevin Kelly, Josh Waitzkin, or Maria Popova, you’ll love Ed.  He’s one of a kind.

Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream it by clicking for Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
Download both as MP3s by right-clicking and choosing “save as”: Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

This podcast is brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body? Here are some of the impressive results.

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What’s one mental feat you’d love to accomplish in 2015? Any tips or tricks you can share? Please share in the comments by clicking here.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Enjoy!

And also… please subscribe to The Tim Ferriss Show on iTunes!  A kitten gets super powers every time you do this.

Non-iTunes RSS feed

Selected Links from the Episode

Ed Cooke on Twitter (@tedcooke). Say hello!
Learn more about Memrise
Learn more about the World Memory Championships
Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
Theory of Colours by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Read Tim’s thoughts on delayed philanthropy (and the reasons against it) – The Karmic Capitalist
Spectacle by David Rockwell & Bruce Mau
Station to Station by Doug Aitken
In Praise of Idleness by Bertrand Russell
Armando Iannucci and The Armando Iannucci Show
Withnail and I
Learn more about Sensory Substitution and Paul Bach-y-Rita
Touching the Rock by John Hull
The Blind Man Who Taught Himself to See by Michael Finkel
The Joyous Cosmology by Alan Watts
Is Trilled Smell Possible?

Show Notes

Part 1

How Tim and Ed were introduced, and what it takes to be a “grandmaster of memory” [5:02]
The dynamic that produces rapid developments in speed and capability [8:15]
The outcome of the unusual 4-Hour Chef memory competition [13:02]
The story of winning the US memory championships and subsequently training Joshua Foer [21:02]
Exploring the extraordinary skill of imagination [24:22]
Memory techniques which can be utilized in everyday life [32:02]
Recommendations for designing house parties based on memory techniques [39:02]
Clarifying and finding objectivity…and the value thereof [41:47]
Rapid-fire questions [47:45]

Part 2

Balancing intuition and analytical decision making [1:27]
How to set up incentives to flog yourself into self-discipline and systems thinking [5:55]
On merit and virtue [8:05]
Contrasting homelessness with the strange selfishness of Silicon Valley [10:00]
The conundrum of the Bill Gates model of philanthropy [18:25]
What is financial security, and how does Ed Cooke define it? [24:20]
Ed Cooke’s take on Burning Man [30:55]
Quick fire theory about why Burning Man is the most brilliant institution in the world [32:20]
How to extract the Burning Man experience for a group of 20? [41:40]
Escaping existential doldrums [45:55]
Balancing present-state mindfulness with building things [52:25]
More rapid-fire questions [55:40]
A specific defining moment from Ed Cooke’s childhood and the theory of exteroception [1:07:25]

People Mentioned

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Monty Python
Armando Iannucci
Alan Partridge
Withnail and I
Kevin O’Regan
Paul Bach-y-Rita
Seymour Papert
Daniel Kish
Alan Watts

Looking for a Change in 2015? How About Becoming My Managing Editor?

I’m looking for the perfect Managing Editor.

This person will be my right hand for all things related to content. Some of things you’d get to work with:

- One of the world’s most popular blogs (this one). Typically 1.5-2 million readers per month. See “The Tim Ferriss Effect” on Forbes for a funny description of what it can do.

- One of the world’s most popular podcasts — The Tim Ferriss Show — selected by iTunes as “Best of 2014″ and often the #1 business podcast across all of iTunes (at times, #1 across all categories).

- Email broadcasts to nearly 500,000 people.

- Social media accounts that reach millions of people.

- New top-secret projects for 2015, including high-end video and new book stuff.

Things would start with a paid one-month trial, probably around 20 hours per week. If things go gangbusters, there would be potential to expand significantly from there. Competitive pay and tons of interesting options.

Here’s more on me, if needed.

JOB DESCRIPTION

To help me focus exclusively on writing, interviewing, and other content creation, I need someone who’s expert at handling quite a bit.

The Managing Editor’s responsibilities would include, but not be limited to, the following:

* Spearheading the editorial calendar for the blog, podcast, email, etc. for the next 6-12 months. I’m too ad hoc and last-minute right now. It’s unnecessarily stressful. I need someone to manage most or all of it, including…

* Helping me reach out to would-be podcast guests and book them, prep them, confirm them, etc., whether celebrities, world-class investors, or scientists.

* Helping me draft blog posts that I don’t otherwise have the bandwidth to adapt. For instance, great unused parts of The 4-Hour Body that are currently Word docs with footnotes, etc. A past example of such adaptation: The Truth About “Homeopathic” Medicine.

* Sourcing great guest posts and guest authors. Here are two different but equally successful examples: Hacking Kickstarter and 20 Things I’ve Learned From Traveling Around the World for Three Years.

* Helping plan and implement content promotion. This would include social accounts reaching millions of people, cutting-edge experimental stuff, and more.

* Experiment with different ways of increasing traffic (syndication, managing SEO/SEM contractors, etc.).

PERKS

* You’d be working behind the curtains on high-profile projects. You’ll see all of my projects first, and get to play a critical role in their creation and launch. This could range from interviewing icons to wordsmithing posts or book chapters that will be seen by millions of people.

* I will ask your advice and look to you for original ideas, new experiments, and more.

* If you’re in SF (or willing to visit), you will also be invited to spend time with the most impressive people in my network. In fact, that would be part of your job.

* I might send you great tequila, there will be strange assignments, and you get to work with a weirdo. That’s me. There won’t be a lot of boredom.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Please note that most of the below are “must have,” not “nice to have.”

First and foremost, you need to understand and love the goal of my content — helping people unlock their latent potential, and providing non-obvious toolkits to that end.

These types of stories must make you excited to conquer the world, do huge things, and tackle big problems. Alignment with the above mission is the most important, but you should also:

1) Have at least 2-4 years of writing/editorial experience

2) Be a great writer and equally good at editing/improving other people’s writing.

3) Have managed tight deadlines and successfully put together editorial calendars.

4) Ideal: Have managed other writers.

5) Ideal: Comfortable with WordPress.

6) Ideal but not required: Live in or near SF.  Remote is also possible.

I need someone with relevant experience. This is non-negotiable. I cannot take fresh grads or people who don’t check most of the above boxes. I’m hiring a pro, not looking to mentor someone from ground zero.

DOWNSIDES

A friend and well-known editor for a massive site cautioned me about this section. In his words:

“[It’s] great to tell people about these, but maybe be a little less brutal with your self-descriptions? These are reasonable expectations in my trade.”

Alas, I still prefer the Shackleton approach to job descriptions. Being my Managing Editor will not be easy. Rewarding? Definitely. Exciting at many times? Absolutely. Easy? Not likely. Think of it like a professional sports team.  I’m not going to haze you or anything stupid, but my content works because I take it very, very seriously. We’re here to create posts that are more valuable (traffic-wise) two years after publication than the week we put them out. We want epic content that gets linked to by “real” media all over the world. If you have the right personality for it, you’ll love this. But…

Here are some fair expectations:

* I’m an unrelenting perfectionist. If you’re not the same, it will probably make you insane.

* I live and die by deadlines. They are absolutely sacred, and I am merciless about this.

* You will need to be self-directed and very self-organized. Besides inflexible deadlines, I won’t provide a lot of structure. I assume you’re bringing a lot of your own process and best practices.

* You need good mental and physical stamina, and you MUST have the discipline to “turn off” and recharge during off hours. You should have a regular exercise regimen or activities for decompressing.

STILL INTERESTED? NEXT STEPS…

Great!

Just to re-emphasize: I absolutely need someone with experience. If you have no experience, there will be other opportunities with me in 2015. Please don’t clog things up here.

If you do check most boxes, I’d LOVE to hear from you.  2015 is going to be a LOT of fun.

Please click here to tell me about yourself.  Any questions?  Please let me know in the comments, which I’ll be watching.

Thank you for reading this far, and Happy New Year, all!

Pura vida,

Tim

What I’d Add To The 4-Hour Workweek for 2015 (And Much More)

(Photo: Aaron Benitez)

“Luxury is feeling unrushed. It is designing a life that allows you to do what you want with high leverage, with many options, all while feeling unrushed.”

-Tim Ferriss [30:36]

The short audio below answers your 20+ most popular questions, as determined by 7,000+ votes.  For those who missed it, I’ve included a bonus part 3 on how to avoid decision fatigue.

This was a fun opportunity to answer great questions, including:

1. “If you were to write The 4-Hour Workweek 2.0 for 2015, what would you change or update from the original version? Are there new tools, technology, business models, or ideas that would make it more adaptable to today’s realities?” – Matt Coughlin, Costa Rica [2:56]

2. “What is a main communication technique that you use to network with people of higher status, especially before you reached mainstream success?” - Andrei, Canada [6:26]

3. “Regardless of industry, what is a trend you see developing that you think most people are missing?” – Malcolm, DC [12:56]

4. “What is the one thing that you have absolutely have to do everyday no matter what your schedule is?” – Vik Dulat, Toronto, Canada [16:01]

…and about 15 more questions.

Listen to them on iTunes.
Stream now by clicking on Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3.
Download as MP3s – right-click and choose “save as”: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

This episode is brought to you by Onnit. I own Onnit supplements (like chewable melatonin for jetlag and flights), maces, battle ropes (not “battle robes,” as I first heard it), kettlebells, and enough gear to ensure a lifetime of self-inflicted torture and higher performance.

This podcast is also brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body? Here are some of the impressive results.

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What would you like to see in an updated 4-Hour Workweek? OR Do you have any morning routines that make a huge difference in your day? Please share (or read others’ ideas) in the comments!

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Enjoy!

Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review here. It keeps me going…

Subscribe to The Tim Ferriss Show on iTunes.

Non-iTunes RSS feed

Select Links from Parts 1 and 2

Do you have a 4-Hour Workweek success story? If so, please share it with me by clicking here!
Rishi turmeric and ginger tea
Foxcatcher
Unbounce
Optimizely or Visual Website Optimizer
VHX.tv
The Pomodoro Technique
Morning Rituals and Daily Routines
The 5-Minute Journal
The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz
Guided Meditation with Tara Brock as recommended by Maria Popova
Concept 2 Rower
How I Learned Yabusame – Japanese horseback archery

People Mentioned

Jack Canfield
Ed Byrd
Trip Hawkins
Naomi Shihab Nye

 

Dr. Peter Attia on Life-Extension, Drinking Jet Fuel, Ultra-Endurance, Human Foie Gras, and More

“How do you balance the desire to live longer with the desire to perform well?” (Tweet It)

– Peter Attia, MD

This episode delves into all types of performance enhancement and tracking — optimizing blood testing, drinking “jet fuel,” training for ultra-endurance sports, consuming synthetic ketones, using metabolic chambers, extending longevity by avoiding certain types of exercise, and much more.

Peter Attia is the co-founder and current president of the Nutritional Science Initiatives (NuSI).

He is an ultra-endurance athlete, compulsive self-experimenter, and one of the most fascinating human beings I know. Peter also earned his M.D. from Stanford University and holds a B.Sc. in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. He resided at John Hopkins Hospital as a general surgeon, then conducted research at the National Cancer Institute under Dr. Steve Rosenberg, where Peter focused on the role of regulatory T cells in cancer regression and other immune-based therapies for cancer.

PLEASE:  Join Peter and I (I’m matching up to $50,000) in supporting this high-leverage project, ideally before the end of December.

Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

This episode is brought to you by Onnit. Joe Rogan introduced me to Onnit, and since then, my garage has resembled a showroom. I own Onnit supplements (like chewable melatonin for jetlag and flights), maces, battle ropes (not “battle robes,” as I first heard it), kettlebells, and enough gear to ensure a lifetime of self-inflicted torture and higher performance.

This podcast is also brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body? Here are some of the impressive results.

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY:  What counter-intuitive physical “hacks” or dietary approaches have been most impactful in your life? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Enjoy!

Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review here. It keeps me going…

Subscribe to The Tim Ferriss Show on iTunes.

Non-iTunes RSS feed

Selected Links from the Episode

Learn more about NuSI – The Manhattan Project of Nutrition
Learn more about the Laura and John Arnold Foundation
Connect with Peter Attia on Twitter
Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson
Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard Feynman
10% Happier by Dan Harris
Eating Academy – Peter Attia’s Blog
Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes

Show Notes

Peter Attia’s obsessions on performance [11:35]
Is hemoglobin A1C a running 3-month average of your aggregate glucose level? [16:50]
Managing metabolic syndrome [17:15]
What are synthetic ketones and why might people care? [19:45]
Peter Attia’s first experience consuming synthetic ketones [24:55]
Potential benefits or advantages of consuming synthetic ketones [28:55]
Exploring the difference between ketoacidosis and ketosis [31:10]
A mnemonic for the difference between exogenous and endogenous [34:40]
Interesting results derived from tests with metabolic chambers  [35:15]
Thinking about the health complications related to blood bio-markers [41:45]
The bio-effects of swimming from Catalina Island to Los Angeles (10 hours later) [51:05]
Questioning fecal matter transplants [53:45]
Challenges regarding daily cycles of testosterone and how this effects testing [46:35]
The sloppy thinking around life extension [58:45]
Perspectives of death avoidance, IGF-1 and growth hormone use [01:03:00]
Heart-rate optimization for longevity [1:14:15]
Exercise recommendations for extending life [1:21:15]
Addressing challenges with cancer, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease and neurodegenerative disease [1:44:45]
Rapid Fire Questions: Meditation, the most enjoyable $100 spent in recent memory, the successful and the punchable [1:31:30]

Information Mentioned

Joe Rogan
John D. Arnold
Krebs Cycle
ATP
Richard Veech
Richard Feynman
Dan Loeb
John Griffin
Dennis Calibrese
Katharine McCormick

Human Foie Gras — A Golden Opportunity

To kick things off, what is foie gras?

It can be explained with a short missive from our friend Wikipedia:

The California foie gras law, California S.B. 1520, is a California State statute that prohibits the “force feed[ing of] a bird for the purpose of enlarging the bird’s liver beyond normal size”…

Former Senator John Burton called foie gras production “an inhumane process that other countries have sensibly banned.”

Given this outrage related to mistreating birds, you might be surprised to learn that human foie gras industries are booming.  Children’s livers are apparently particularly tasty. Not unlike veal, I suppose.

I’m putting $50K of my own money into related investments, but we’ll get back to that in a minute. First, some background…

For most of the 20th century, fatty liver and liver cirrhosis had two primary causes: drinking too much alcohol (e.g. Mickey Mantle) or hepatitis B or C (via IV drug use, unhygienic tattooing, tainted blood transfusions, etc.).

But in the last few decades, even infants are showing up with livers that should belong to hardcore alcoholics.  And the numbers aren’t small.

It’s estimated that one in ten American children now suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alongside 40 million affected adults. If you’re an obese Mexican-American boy, the odds are 50-50 (!) that you have NAFLD, thanks to genetic predisposition (PNPLA3 gene).

15 years ago, this disease was unheard of.  In 10 years, it’s projected to be the #1 cause of liver transplants. Put another way — In 2001, NAFLD was the reason for 1 out of every 100 liver transplants; by 2010, it was up a ten-fold to 1 in 10; by 2025, assuming nothing stems this tide, there could be five million Americans who need new livers because of it.

Who are driving this trend?

Some point fingers at good folks such as Coca-Cola, juice “cocktail” manufacturers, and the like.  Given that many researchers blame fructose, it’s not a huge stretch. Personally, the whole thing makes me sick.  I’d like to sic the best scientists in the country on them.

Ah, and this is where the good news comes in.

There is a way, albeit an indirect way, to do this. I implore you to read on and bear with me.  This is where it gets exciting.

The NIH alone has spent $155 billion on cancer research since 1972, and cancer survival is up a paltry 3% as a result. The US government spends over $25 billion EACH year on HIV/AIDS. That’s a lot of money.

One might assume fatty liver disease would require similar sums. After all, more American adults have NAFLD than prostate cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, or type 2 diabetes.

That’s the disconnect…and the opportunity to be part of history.

Enter the “Manhattan Project of Nutrition”

The Nutrition Science Initiative–NuSI–has been called the “Manhattan Project of nutrition.” They are run like a lean startup, and I’m proud to be a part of their advisory board.

They don’t take industry money, so they have no interests to protect.

They believe the NAFLD epidemic can be curtailed for a total of $50 million, but the whole domino effect starts with just $1 million.  It is a rare day in science when fundamental questions about an epidemic can be answered with such little money (respectively). It’s an incredible Archimedes lever.

For context, NuSI argues that there are dietary triggers of diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and fatty liver disease. To determine what the triggers are, NuSI assembles teams of the best scientists in the country (e.g., from Stanford, Harvard, Columbia, NIH, UCSF, UCSD, Emory, etc.) to fund and execute the kind of research nobody else is willing (or able) to perform.

For NAFLD, NuSI’s team of experts have designed three trials to determine the respective roles of too many calories, too many carbohydrates, and too much sugar–the leading three hypotheses–as dietary triggers.

In early 2015, this team will begin the first ever controlled clinical trial to see if removing sugars from the diet can reverse fatty liver disease in children.

40 kids with NAFLD will be split into two groups, with 20 simply observed on their normal diet as controls, and 20 provided with a diet that’s identical to what they usually eat, but completely devoid of added or refined sugars. The scientists’ hypothesis is that the sugar-free diet will at least stop the progression of NAFLD in these kids, and may even reduce the amount of fat in their livers.

If that’s the case, it’ll be the best evidence we have linking sugar to fatty liver disease.

My $50,000 Challenge…And How to Get Involved

I’m personally matching up to $50,000 for whatever is raised through this blog post, and every donation–big or small–makes a major difference.

NuSI is looking to raise $1 million dollars for the first of these three trials—the one that determines how the rest get done.  The snowball that starts the avalanche. There are few chances in the world to have this type of impact for this type of money.  Could it end up forcing labeling changes, product modifications, obligatory package warnings, policy shifts, and more?  I believe so.

Supporting this campaign very easy, and remember–I’m excited to be putting my own skin in this game.  I sincerely hope you join me.  Every bit counts.

There are three options:

1. Donate by credit or debit card. Visit: http://nusi.org/donate. Enter your donation amount, indicate “NAFLD — Tim Ferriss” in the message field, and click “Donate.”  Done.

2. Donate by check. Send your check to: NuSI, attention: Lacey Stenson, 6020 Cornerstone Court W. Suite 240, San Diego, CA 92121. Be sure to write “NAFLD – Tim Ferriss” in the memo line.

3. Donate by transferring securities (stocks, etc.). Email TimFerriss1million@nusi.org [remember the double “r” and double “s”] and they’ll do as much heavy lifting as possible.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for supporting if you’re able.  This is a good fight.

If you’d also like to hear a fascinating chat with Peter Attia, MD, co-founder of NuSI, I interview him here on radical sports experimentation, synthetic ketones, meditation, and more. He’s a competitive ultra-endurance athlete, MD, surgeon, and obsessive self-tracker, so we get along great :)

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Relevant reading and citations:

Browning JD et al. Prevalence of hepatic steatosis in an urban population in the United States: Impact of ethnicity. Hepatology, 2004.

Welsh JA, Karpen S, Vos MB. Increasing prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease among United States adolescents, 1988-1994 to 2007-2010. Journal of Pediatrics, 2013.

Targher G, Day CP, Bonora E. Risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The New England Journal of Medicine, 2010.

Dudekula A et al. Weight loss in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients in an ambulatory care setting is largely unsuccessful but correlates with frequency of clinic visits. PLoS One, 2014.

Kawasaki T et al. Rats fed fructose-enriched diets have characteristics of nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis. The Journal of Nutrition, 2009.

Sanchez-Lozada LG et al. Comparison of free fructose and glucose to sucrose in the ability to cause fatty liver. European Journal of Nutrition, 2010.

Best CH et al. Liver damage produced by feeding alcohol or sugar and its prevention by choline. British Medical Journal, 1949.

Ouyang X et al. Fructose consumption as a risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Journal of Hepatology, 2008.

Abid A et al. Soft drink consumption is associated with fatty liver disease independent of metabolic syndrome. Journal of Hepatology, 2009.

Abdelmalek MF et al. Increased fructose consumption is associated with fibrosis severity in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Hepatology, 2010.

Assy N et al. Soft drink consumption linked with fatty liver in the absence of traditional risk factors. Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology, 2008.

Stanhope KL et al. Consuming fructose-sweetened, not glucose-sweetened, beverages increases visceral adiposity and lipids and decreases insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese humans. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2009.

Maersk M et al. Sucrose-sweetened beverages increase fat storage in liver, muscle, and visceral fat depot: a 6-mo randomized intervention study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2012.

Browning JD et al. Short-term weight loss and hepatic triglyceride reduction: Evidence of a metabolic advantage with dietary carbohydrate restriction. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2011.

Vos MB, Lavine JE. Dietary fructose in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Hepatology, 2013.

Chung M et al. Fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or indexes of liver health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2014.