Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 37

Michael Gervais On The First Rule Of Mastery – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #928 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to

Let’s explore what it means to master something. Dr. Michael Gervais is a world-renowned high-performance psychologist whose work has revolutionized the way we think about fear, potential, and personal growth. Mike, whose career spans working with top athletes and Fortune 100 leaders, delves into the critical barriers that impede our success and satisfaction in life — chief among them, the Fear Of Other People’s Opinions (aka FOPO). His new book, The First Rule of Mastery – Stop Worrying about What People Think of You, dives deep into overcoming this pervasive fear. Mike articulates how FOPO manifests in nearly all aspects of our lives, constricting our actions and dampening our authenticity. From the sports field to the boardroom, the consequences of surrendering to FOPO are universally detrimental, leading us to play it safe and small. During our conversation, Mike shares his personal journey of curiosity, which has fueled his passion for understanding the human mind and its vast capabilities. He emphasizes that the path to mastery isn’t just about achieving external success but about engaging in a lifelong process of learning, artistic expression, and embracing the moment. This approach not only enhances personal fulfillment but also drives us to contribute meaningfully to the world around us. We discuss the broader implications of living under the shadow of FOPO in today’s society, where insularity and tribalism often dominate. He highlights the importance of embracing a balanced perspective and the dual recognition of our significance to others while acknowledging our smallness in the grand scheme of things. As someone who splits his time between innovative projects at the Performance Science Institute at USC and his podcast Finding Mastery, Mike embodies the balance between action and reflection, making him an ideal guide for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of themselves and the world through the lens of mastery. Whether you’re a leader, educator, or simply someone pursuing personal growth, this conversation will empower you to lead a high-performance life by mastering the art of tuning out the noise and focusing on what truly matters. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose):  #928 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

SPOS #928 – Michael Gervais On The First Rule Of Mastery

Welcome to episode #928 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #928. Let’s explore what it means to master something. Dr. Michael Gervais is a world-renowned high-performance psychologist whose work has revolutionized the way we think about fear, potential, and personal growth. Mike, whose career spans working with top athletes and Fortune 100 leaders, delves into the critical barriers that impede our success and satisfaction in life — chief among them, the Fear Of Other People’s Opinions (aka FOPO). His new book, The First Rule of Mastery – Stop Worrying about What People Think of You, dives deep into overcoming this pervasive fear. Mike articulates how FOPO manifests in nearly all aspects of our lives, constricting our actions and dampening our authenticity. From the sports field to the boardroom, the consequences of surrendering to FOPO are universally detrimental, leading us to play it safe and small. During our conversation, Mike shares his personal journey of curiosity, which has fueled his passion for understanding the human mind and its vast capabilities. He emphasizes that the path to mastery isn’t just about achieving external success but about engaging in a lifelong process of learning, artistic expression, and embracing the moment. This approach not only enhances personal fulfillment but also drives us to contribute meaningfully to the world around us. We discuss the broader implications of living under the shadow of FOPO in today’s society, where insularity and tribalism often dominate. He highlights the importance of embracing a balanced perspective and the dual recognition of our significance to others while acknowledging our smallness in the grand scheme of things. As someone who splits his time between innovative projects at the Performance Science Institute at USC and his podcast Finding Mastery, Mike embodies the balance between action and reflection, making him an ideal guide for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of themselves and the world through the lens of mastery. Whether you’re a leader, educator, or simply someone pursuing personal growth, this conversation will empower you to lead a high-performance life by mastering the art of tuning out the noise and focusing on what truly matters. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 1:03:16.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on Twitter.Here is my conversation with Dr. Michael Gervais.The First Rule of Mastery – Stop Worrying about What People Think of You.Finding Mastery Podcast.Finding Mastery.Follow Mike on LinkedIn.Follow Mike on X.Follow Mike on Instagram.Follow Mike on YouTube.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Takeaways

Fear of other people’s opinions (FOPO) can be a major obstacle to personal growth and potential.Setting high standards for oneself is more effective than having expectations.Context and culture play a crucial role in shaping our actions and behaviors.The path to mastery involves a deep commitment to learning, artistic expression, and a love affair with the unfolding moment.Maintaining authenticity and staying true to oneself can be challenging in the face of external expectations and pressures. The voice inside our heads can either be a protector or a propeller, and it’s important to be aware of its influence on our thoughts and actions.Success is a subjective concept that varies from person to person and is influenced by cultural and individual values.The current state of society is characterized by increasing insularity, tribalism, and a focus on superficial metrics of success.To live a good life, it is important to prioritize experiences, relationships, and personal growth over external achievements.Investing in mental skills training, such as mindfulness, journaling, and conversations with wise individuals, can help cultivate a positive mindset and navigate challenges.The path to mastery involves embracing duality, recognizing our significance in the lives of others while also acknowledging our smallness in the grand scheme of things.

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction and Background.08:24 – Setting High Standards for Personal Growth.30:34 – Navigating Authenticity in the Face of External Expectations.39:33 – The importance of awareness.48:30 – The current state of society.55:24 – Unleashing human potential.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #928.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Six Links That Make You Think #721

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another: 

The Race To Make Humans Obsolete – Pointers Gone Wild. “Maxime Chevallier-Boisvert is one of the smartest people I know. She built parts of the compiler on which your computer runs. Her work on optimizing programming languages makes Shopify, Github, and much of the Internet 20% faster. She built a modular synth that runs entirely in a browser, for fun. She’s also a fellow Montrealer. So when Max publishes something with a title this bleak, I tend to pay attention.” (Alistair for Hugh). I Challenged AI To Create A Better YouTube Channel Than Me… Here’s What Happened – adumb – YouTube . “The video you didn’t know you were waiting for. It’s not just you: Content started getting dumber long ago, with creators kowtowing to the whims of the algorithm. So why not take it full circle? @Adumb is quickly becoming one of my favorite online thinkers, and here he sets up a controlled experiment that pits an AI against a human. The results, and his conclusions, are spot on.” (Alistair for Mitch). I’ve Been At NPR For 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust – The Free Press . “I’m a pretty lefty kind of guy, but I have been sadly disappointed over the past 5-6 years about how a transformation of the left to something I don’t quite recognize on a number of issues. Particularly the orthodoxy of some kinds of opinions that are tolerated within the (largely left-leaning) media. I was a Covid policy hardliner, but I was shocked by the absence of space for debate and discussion in media, for instance, about the relative negative impacts of school closures on overall health, versus impacts of Covid. Anyway, an NPR editor wrote a piece arguing that newsrooms are now made up almost exclusively of people educated at elite colleges with political views significantly out of step – much farther to the left – with mainstream America. And this is a problem.” (Hugh for Alistair). An NPR Editor Who Wrote A Critical Essay On The Company Has Resigned After Being Suspended – AP News . “Cue the irony bell – ding ding ding. The editor from NPR above got suspended and then resigned.” (Hugh for Mitch). Politics, Religion And Cancel Culture – Jimmy Carr – Triggernometry – YouTube . “Forever a fan of smart conversation with clever comedians. What you think might be an over-analysis of how to write a joke or what makes for a successful career in comedy, we’ve got something completely different here… and it’s captivating. As an aside, I did a keynote in London several years back for Salesforce. After my presentation, the emcee came on stage and dismantled what I had done in a flurry of brilliant and funny jokes. I had no idea who Jimmy Carr was at that moment in time, but became an instant fan of his. You may not agree with everything that Jimmy has to say here, but that (for me) makes it even more compelling.” (Mitch for Alistair). The Internet’s New Favorite Philosopher – The New Yorker . “One of the aspects of Internet culture that keeps me on my toes is articles like this. I subscribe to countless newsletters and listen to podcasts forever and still find out about individuals doing amazing things in and around my domain of interest that I have never encountered before. The real beauty is that we all get to share these people and stories in places like this (which I always love to do). Meet Byung-Chul Han – a South Korean-born philosopher and cultural theorist living in Germany. From Wikipedia: ‘Han is the author of more than twenty books (none of which I had heard of), the most well known are treatises on what he terms a ‘society of tiredness’ (Müdigkeitsgesellschaft), a ‘society of transparency’ (Transparenzgesellschaft), and the concept of shanzhai, a style of imitative variation, whose roots are, he argues, intrinsic to Chinese culture, undermine the distinction often drawn between original and fake, and pre-exist practices which in Western philosophy are called deconstructive. Han’s current work focuses on transparency as a cultural norm created by neoliberal market forces, which he understands as the insatiable drive toward voluntary disclosure bordering on the pornographic. According to Han, the dictates of transparency enforce a totalitarian system of openness at the expense of other social values such as shame, secrecy, and trust.’ I know… I won’t pretend to understand that description of his work either. This article inspired to dig in (which included purchasing his latest book, The Crisis of Narration).” (Mitch for Hugh).
 

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on X, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Swipe Left For Excess – Balancing Pixels And Play In Kids’ Lives

A note from The Olds (me) about kids, smartphones and social media…

We are not thinking deeply enough or tackling the tough questions about kids and technology.
Too much screentime for a young mind is (clearly) not a good thing.
Governments, schools and (some parents) are scrambling for smarter strategies to keep our kids healthy, happy, and connected — both online and off.

If you think it’s not a big deal… you may not be thinking.

Let me help you out in getting you up to speed:

Quick read: Get Tech Out of the Classroom Before It’s Too Late by Jessica Grose via the New York Times.Dig deeper: Potential risks of content, features, and functions: The science of how social media affects youth via the American Psychological Association.Rabbit hole: The Anxious Generation – How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt.

You don’t have to dig so deep.

Recent findings beyond the sources above have linked heavy screen use with poorer social skills and higher levels of anxiety and depression among kids.
Throw in the global pandemic that turned living rooms into classrooms, and it’s clear why screens are a hot topic.
The challenge isn’t just to cut down screen time, but to make the screen time kids do have really count.

It takes a village (not just a government).

While the United States and Canadian governments (along with others) have kicked off campaigns and floated guidelines to help keep kids’ screen habits in check, they’re clear on one thing: Parents need to take the lead.
After all, no law can police screen time quite like a parent can.
Where I live, the province of Quebec thought about it and then opted not to legislate screen limits, but betting instead on parents to steer the ship.
In Florida, children under 14 will no longer be allowed to make accounts on social media platforms beginning January 1st, 2025

Education meets recreation.

There is no doubt that tech in schools has its perks for enhancing learning, but it’s about finding the right mix.
It’s not about banning screens but using them better — making sure they complement books and blocks rather than replace them.
The goal is to ensure tech-savvy kids also develop essential life skills like critical thinking and communication, not just having them act like office workers who are attached at the hip to their phones and laptops.

Adjust your digital diet.

Experts emphasize setting clear rules at home.
Think of it like tech nutrition — just as you balance veggies and treats, balance educational screen time with fun.
Guidelines from folks like Jonathan Haidt suggest waiting until high school for smartphones and age 16 for social media to keep young brains in check.

Here are a few recent quotes that have made my raise an eyebrow:

“We’ve let tech companies and their products set the terms of the argument about what education should be, and too many people, myself included, didn’t initially realize it. Companies never had to prove that devices or software, broadly speaking, helped students learn before those devices had wormed their way into America’s public schools. And now the onus is on parents to marshal arguments about the detriments of tech in schools.” – Jessica Grose.“Children do not have ‘the experience, judgment and self-control’ to manage themselves on those platforms. The association says burden shouldn’t be entirely on parents, app stores or young people — it has to be on the platform developers.” – Jonathan Haidt“They (the social platforms) are rewiring their brains so they have similar symptoms as autistic brains, where they’re having trouble reading social cues, feeling comfortable and social situations… Your kids need boundaries.” – Dr. Perry Adler.

This is what Elias Makos and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

Mitch Joel · Swipe Left For Excess – Balancing Pixels And Play In Kids’ Lives

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Scott Shigeoka On Unleashing The Power Of Curiosity – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #927 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to

Let’s get much more curious in our work (and in our daily lives) to help bring this world closer together. Scott Shigeoka has spent his time exploring the power of curiosity. This has not only won him accolades but also transformed how we think about bridging divides in our increasingly complex world. His new book, Seek – How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World, offers a look into curiosity as a force for positive change, earning praise from thinkers like Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Grant, and recognition as an Amazon Best Book of 2023. Scott’s unique perspective is shaped by a diverse background — from his roots in Hawaii to teaching groundbreaking courses at the University of Texas at Austin, and speaking for brands like Google and Pixar. His journey through curiosity began as a personal quest and has evolved into a universal call to action, underscored by his work at UC Berkeley‘s Greater Good Science Center. Our conversation also touches on the impact of the pandemic on curiosity, a time when questions and the search for understanding became more critical than ever. Scott discusses how embracing curiosity can empower us to navigate through crises with resilience and hope. He also delves into the challenges of cancel culture and scrutiny, which can stifle curiosity. Beyond individual growth, Scott explores how institutions like universities can serve as incubators for curiosity, promoting an environment where challenging discussions can occur without fear. The role of emotions in fueling or hindering curiosity emerges as a key theme, with Scott advocating for emotional intelligence as a complement to intellectual inquiry. As Scott splits his time between the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area and the tranquil Mojave Desert, he embodies the balance between action and reflection, making him an ideal guide for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of the world through the lens of curiosity. Whether you’re a leader, educator, or simply someone looking to foster more meaningful connections, this conversation promises to offer valuable insights into making curiosity a dynamic part of your everyday life. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose):  #927 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

SPOS #927 – Scott Shigeoka On Unleashing The Power Of Curiosity

Welcome to episode #927 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #927. Let’s get much more curious in our work (and in our daily lives) to help bring this world closer together. Scott Shigeoka has spent his time exploring the power of curiosity. This has not only won him accolades but also transformed how we think about bridging divides in our increasingly complex world. His new book, Seek – How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World, offers a look into curiosity as a force for positive change, earning praise from thinkers like Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Grant, and recognition as an Amazon Best Book of 2023. Scott’s unique perspective is shaped by a diverse background — from his roots in Hawaii to teaching groundbreaking courses at the University of Texas at Austin, and speaking for brands like Google and Pixar. His journey through curiosity began as a personal quest and has evolved into a universal call to action, underscored by his work at UC Berkeley‘s Greater Good Science Center. Our conversation also touches on the impact of the pandemic on curiosity, a time when questions and the search for understanding became more critical than ever. Scott discusses how embracing curiosity can empower us to navigate through crises with resilience and hope. He also delves into the challenges of cancel culture and scrutiny, which can stifle curiosity. Beyond individual growth, Scott explores how institutions like universities can serve as incubators for curiosity, promoting an environment where challenging discussions can occur without fear. The role of emotions in fueling or hindering curiosity emerges as a key theme, with Scott advocating for emotional intelligence as a complement to intellectual inquiry. As Scott splits his time between the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area and the tranquil Mojave Desert, he embodies the balance between action and reflection, making him an ideal guide for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of the world through the lens of curiosity. Whether you’re a leader, educator, or simply someone looking to foster more meaningful connections, this conversation promises to offer valuable insights into making curiosity a dynamic part of your everyday life. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 1:00:26.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on Twitter.Here is my conversation with Scott Shigeoka.Seek – How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World.Greater Good Science Center.Follow Scott on Instagram.Follow Scott on X.Follow Scott on LinkedIn.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Takeaways

Hope and optimism are essential for fostering curiosity and a vision for the future.Cancel culture and the fear of scrutiny can hinder curiosity and prevent the exploration of different perspectives.Power dynamics play a role in curiosity, with those in positions of power needing to be curious about the perspectives of others.Emotions can impact curiosity, and it is important to create spaces where different perspectives can be shared without fear of judgment.College campuses can serve as laboratories for fostering curiosity and bridging differences.Curiosity has the power to change perspectives and create positive relationships.

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction and Background02:15 – The Science of Curiosity04:54 – The Catalyst for Writing the Book07:49 – Curiosity During the Pandemic12:51 – The Importance of Curiosity in Healing18:36 – The Role of Curiosity in Bridging Differences19:13 – The Power of Asking Questions21:31 – The Dive Model28:38 – Scaling Curiosity and Bridging Differences43:17 – The Importance of Hope and Optimism44:03 – The Fear of Scrutiny and Cancel Culture45:00 – The Impact of Cancel Culture on Curiosity46:47 – The Role of Power in Curiosity49:17 – The Impact of Emotions on Curiosity52:41 – Curiosity and Polarization on College Campuses55:23 – Creating Spaces for Curiosity on College Campuses59:04 – The Power of Curiosity to Change Perspectives

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #927.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Six Links That Make You Think #720

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another: 

Reality Has A Surprising Amount Of Detail – John Salvatier. “What an amazing essay. It can be summed up as ‘The existence of a surprising number of meaningful details… is a near universal property of getting up close and personal with reality.’ For someone who largely thinks in the abstract, lately I’ve been finding real value in forcing myself to dive into the details, whether that’s implementing a QR code hack or understanding what it would mean for AI users to have ‘recourse’.”It’s also an almost poetically beautiful explanation of why we get stuck in our thinking: Once a mental model is good enough, it’s hard to go back upstream and improve it.” (Alistair for Hugh). I Made A Graph Of Wikipedia… This Is What I Found – adumb codes – YouTube . “If Wikipedia is the sum of all knowledge, biased through the lens of things people want to – and are able to – write about. @adumb_codes wrote software to analyze the popularity and interconnectedness of every article on the site, with some fascinating results, and published this summary.” (Alistair for Mitch). Welcome To The Age Of Technofeudalism – Wired . “Yanis Varoufakis wore a leather motorcycle jacket as a socialist-ish Greek finance minister battling (unsuccessfully) the European Central Bank during the Greek financial crisis. He founded a political party focused on the voice of the people, and has written many books, the most recent of which is about all the ways in which we now work for our tech overlords.” (Hugh for Alistair). What Is ChatGPT Doing … And Why Does It Work? – Stephen Wolfram . “Stephen Wolfram – an excessively smart person – goes into great depth explaining how and why ChatGPT works.” (Hugh for Mitch).  Get Tech Out of the Classroom Before It’s Too Late – The New York Times . “How many alarm bells (or, in this case, articles, podcasts, news segments, statements from politicians and more) do we need before some action is taken. If teacher’s find themselves battling between what they’re teaching and the screens that the kids are supposed to using for school work in class, isn’t the solution obvious? And, while we’re at it, if we don’t update what it means to even be a student in a world where ChatGPT can answer every secondary high school question better than most students, we are going to have a very difficult near-future. What are solving for? Ultimately, we want these young people to build a better society. So, let’s start thinking now… quickly… about what school is for. If the tech is in the way of creating the best humans possible… we should use that as our starting point.” (Mitch for Alistair). This Woman Deconstructs 100-Year-Old Books To Restore Them – Jason Kottke . “For now, there is much to be done that artificial intelligence won’t be able to do better than humans. There are many interesting trades and ways in which us humans can keep being valuable, knowledgable and interesting. Books are always my starting point for real knowledge. Now, check out how old books are restored… seems more like an art form than a trade to me… but this seems like vital, passionate and important work that compensates the creator… which is a beautiful thing… just like this video.” (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on X, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

AI, Eh? – Unpacking Canada’s $2.4 Billion Bet

How much is your country investing in artificial intelligence?

Up here in Canada, our Liberal government, under current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has made a bold move to attempt at securing the nation’s standing as a frontrunner in the AI race with a $2.4 billion investment package.
This commitment, announced at Scale AI‘s offices in my hometown of Montreal, aims to secure high-quality jobs for future generations.

The money is one thing, but getting that kind of compute is another thing.

Central to this initiative is the government’s plan to inject $2 billion into significantly enhancing the computing capabilities accessible to Canada’s AI researchers, startups, and scaleups.
The AI Compute Access Fund and the development of a Canadian AI Sovereign Compute Strategy signal a long-term commitment to growing AI infrastructure, ensuring that Canadian-owned and located AI resources flourish.
Getting the chips, computers and processing power will be no easy task.
Anyone else remember how countries threw money at Covid vaccine producers?
This feels more like that… only exponentially bigger.

Let’s say Canada can circle that square…

Beyond computing power, an additional $405 million is earmarked for a variety of projects aimed at nurturing AI startups, driving AI adoption across critical sectors, and laying the groundwork for a safer AI future.
This includes funding to bring new AI technologies to market, boost AI integration within small and medium-sized businesses, and establish a Canadian AI Safety Institute to navigate the ethical challenges posed by advanced AI systems.

And this is where the real work comes in.

How do we ensure that we can get the best talent to stay here or move here?How do we ensure that this money doesn’t help these startups to grow and simply be acquired by one of the Big Tech players?How do we ensure that this money doesn’t give the Big Tech companies much more money and power?How do ensure that these well-funded initiatives can now get access to enough data to create meaningful and valuable Large Language Models?

With Budget 2024 on the horizon (which means this funding could be more of a election promise than a deliverable), the Canadian AI community eagerly awaits further details on the implementation of these ambitious measures.

Is it possible to both fund new AI initiatives and keep them locked within a geographic border?

This is what Elias Makos and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

Mitch Joel · AI, Eh? – Unpacking Canada’s $2.4 Billion AI Bet

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Joanna Robinson Unmasks Marvel’s Superhero Business – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #926 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to

A titan of pop culture commentary and a guiding voice in the realm of fandom is the best way to describe Joanna Robinson. With her profound insights into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and a finger firmly on the pulse of the entertainment industry, Joanna’s expertise is unparalleled. Her recent book, co-authored with Dave Gonzales and Gavin Edwards, MCU – The Reign of Marvel Studios, offers a deep dive into the phenomenon that has reshaped global cinema… and turned nerds into the cool kids. Joanna’s journey from a senior writer at Vanity Fair to becoming the “Queen of Game of Thrones,” as dubbed by SyFy, showcases her unique ability to dissect and discuss complex cultural narratives, making her a beloved figure among fans and critics alike. Her transition to The Ringer, where she appears on shows like The Ringer-Verse and Trial By Content, further solidifies her status as a cultural critic par excellence. I am a comic book collector and lover of all things pop culture. This has not only become big business but a smart industry for all professionals to spend some time thinking about. Our conversation spans the intricate web of strategic decisions that led to the MCU’s unprecedented success. From Marvel‘s acquisition by Disney to the delicate balance of interconnected storytelling and standalone tales, Joanna sheds light on the elements that keep audiences hooked. She also explores the MCU’s cultural impact, particularly post-9/11, where a surge in superhero popularity reflected a collective yearning for escapism and heroism. Joanna points out the potential for content fatigue as Marvel’s expansive universe grows ever larger across movies, TV shows, and streaming platforms. Beyond the MCU, Joanna and I delve into the broader comic book industry, contrasting Marvel’s success with DC‘s franchise-building struggles and discussing the power of nostalgia in reigniting interest in iconic characters. Joanna emphasizes the untapped potential within Marvel’s vast catalog, hinting at exciting directions the studio could explore in the future. MCU – The Reign of Marvel Studios is more than just a recounting of Marvel’s rise to dominance – it’s an invitation to understand the strategic, cultural, and creative forces behind one of the most influential entities in modern entertainment. Joanna’s contribution, alongside her co-authors, offers invaluable insights for fans, aspiring creators, and industry observers alike. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose):  #926 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

SPOS #926 – Joanna Robinson Unmasks Marvel’s Superhero Business

Welcome to episode #926 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #926. A titan of pop culture commentary and a guiding voice in the realm of fandom is the best way to describe Joanna Robinson. With her profound insights into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and a finger firmly on the pulse of the entertainment industry, Joanna’s expertise is unparalleled. Her recent book, co-authored with Dave Gonzales and Gavin Edwards, MCU – The Reign of Marvel Studios, offers a deep dive into the phenomenon that has reshaped global cinema… and turned nerds into the cool kids. Joanna’s journey from a senior writer at Vanity Fair to becoming the “Queen of Game of Thrones,” as dubbed by SyFy, showcases her unique ability to dissect and discuss complex cultural narratives, making her a beloved figure among fans and critics alike. Her transition to The Ringer, where she appears on shows like The Ringer-Verse and Trial By Content, further solidifies her status as a cultural critic par excellence. I am a comic book collector and lover of all things pop culture. This has not only become big business but a smart industry for all professionals to spend some time thinking about. Our conversation spans the intricate web of strategic decisions that led to the MCU’s unprecedented success. From Marvel‘s acquisition by Disney to the delicate balance of interconnected storytelling and standalone tales, Joanna sheds light on the elements that keep audiences hooked. She also explores the MCU’s cultural impact, particularly post-9/11, where a surge in superhero popularity reflected a collective yearning for escapism and heroism. Joanna points out the potential for content fatigue as Marvel’s expansive universe grows ever larger across movies, TV shows, and streaming platforms. Beyond the MCU, Joanna and I delve into the broader comic book industry, contrasting Marvel’s success with DC‘s franchise-building struggles and discussing the power of nostalgia in reigniting interest in iconic characters. Joanna emphasizes the untapped potential within Marvel’s vast catalog, hinting at exciting directions the studio could explore in the future. MCU – The Reign of Marvel Studios is more than just a recounting of Marvel’s rise to dominance – it’s an invitation to understand the strategic, cultural, and creative forces behind one of the most influential entities in modern entertainment. Joanna’s contribution, alongside her co-authors, offers invaluable insights for fans, aspiring creators, and industry observers alike. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 59:46.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on Twitter.Here is my conversation with Joanna Robinson.MCU – The Reign of Marvel Studios.Joanna’s amazing podcasts.Follow Joanna on X.Follow Joanna on Instagram.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Takeaways

The success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a result of strategic decisions made by Marvel and Disney, including the acquisition of Marvel by Disney and the interconnected storytelling approach.The cultural shift towards superheroes can be attributed to a desire for escapism and heroism, particularly in the aftermath of 9/11.Marvel faces the challenge of content fatigue as it expands its universe across movies, TV shows, and streaming platforms.DC has faced challenges in building successful franchises, while Marvel has excelled in creating interconnected storylines.Nostalgia plays a significant role in the success of superhero movies, as audiences connect with iconic characters and stories from their childhood.There are untapped potential assets in the Marvel catalog that could be explored in future projects.Comic books offer a diverse range of storytelling beyond superheroes and can be a gateway to discovering new genres and perspectives.

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction01:07 – The Love for Comic Books03:13 – The Rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe06:12 – The Cultural Shift towards Superheroes08:57 – The Acquisition of Marvel by Disney11:25 – The Marvel Studios Inception Story15:06 – The Challenge of Licensing Characters19:23 – The Marvel Cinematic Universe Expansion23:08 – The Challenge of Content Fatigue28:28 – The Need for Change in Marvel’s Strategy30:33 – The Difficulty of Replicating Kevin Feige36:27 – The Haunting History of Marvel’s Business Model38:08 – The Potential of Secret Wars39:50 – Serialized Movies vs. TV Shows45:21 – DC’s Struggles with Franchise Building50:30 – The Power and Pull of Nostalgia54:33 – Unused Assets in the Marvel Catalog55:51 – Changing Perspectives on Comic Books

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #926.

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