Lessons and Warnings From Successful Risk Takers
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“Don’t let someone knock you off your course after you’ve put in all the work.” – Soman Chainani
This is a special episode of the podcast, which features three guests: author Soman Chainani (@SomanChainani), author Susan Cain (@susancain), and East Rock Capital co-founder and investor Graham Duncan.
All three are featured in my latest book, Tribe of Mentors, and all three share something in common: they’re experts at mitigating risk. All of them have been great at capping downsides and making various career decisions that have paid off in large ways.
I hope you enjoy this episode with these three brilliant guests!
Lessons and Warnings From Successful Risk Takershttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/a5fe1e27-0fc8-4134-a007-6bd2a1c4c988.mp3
Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Want to hear a conversation with a mentor from Tribe of Mentors? Listen to this episode with Tim Urban, in which we discuss the future, how to deal with procrastination, AI, and much much more. Listen to it here (stream below or right-click to download):
Managing Procrastination, Predicting the Future, and Finding Happiness - Tim Urbanhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/f2d4392d-c8c5-4a41-9f18-392532e29098.mp3
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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Selected Links from the Episode
Connect with Soman Chainani:
Website|Twitter|Instagram|Facebook|YouTube
Connect with Susan Cain:
Quiet Revolution | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Connect with Graham Duncan:
The School for Good and Evil Series Complete Box Set: Books 1, 2, and 3 by Soman Chainani
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
Mother Dirt AO+ Mist Live Probiotic Skin Spray
Headspace
ALF
The Best of Archie Comics: 75 Years, 75 Stories by Archie Superstars
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang (includes Liking What You See: A Documentary)
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverted Kids by Susan Cain, Gregory Mone, and Erica Moroz
Susan Cain’s TED Talk: The Power of Introverts
Dance Me to the End of Love by Leonard Cohen
Famous Blue Raincoat by Leonard Cohen
Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen
Hinach Yafah (You Are Beautiful) by The Idan Raichel Project
Saudade: An Untranslatable, Undeniably Potent Word by Jasmine Garsd, alt.latino
O Canto Da Saudade (Pam) by Madredeus
Saudade by Cesária Évora
East Rock Capital
SubPac M2X Wearable Physical Audio System
Making Sense of People: The Science of Personality Differences by Samuel Barondes
The Big Five Personality Theory: The 5 Factor Model Explained by Courtney Ackerman, Positive Psychology Program
The Big Lebowski
In Over Our Heads: The Mental Demands of Modern Life by Robert Kegan
Changing on the Job: Developing Leaders for a Complex World by Jennifer Garvey Berger
Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey
The Tim Ferriss Show, Episode 22: Ed Catmull, President of Pixar, on Steve Jobs, Stories, and Lessons Learned
Parable by Louise glück
Work with Source
“One Last Time” — Hamilton at the White House
FINIS Freestyler Hand Paddles
Cressi Palau Short Snorkeling Swim Fins
Matiz Gallego Sardines
Vital Choice Redtresca Salmon Bellies
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
This is Water by David Foster Wallace
Integration is Better Than Rigidity or Chaos by Dr. Arnie Kozak
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis
Arcadia by Tom Stoppard
The Quiet Master of Cryptocurrency — Nick Szabo
Show Notes
Introducing Soman Chainani. [06:18]
Three books that help Soman work creatively, live genuinely, and explore humanity. [07:11]
What recent purchase of less than $100 had the most positive impact on Soman’s life? [11:18]
A failure that taught Soman a valuable, but humbling lesson. [13:42]
Soman’s billboard and musings on life, death, and meditation. [17:11]
One of the best investments of energy, money, or time Soman has ever made. [19:31]
An unusual habit or absurd thing that Soman loves, and why he feels the best stories are universal. [22:08]
In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved Soman’s life? [24:12]
What advice would Soman give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the real world — and what advice would he ignore? [26:19]
Bad advice Soman hears given often to artists. [28:27]
In the last five years, what has Soman become better at saying “no” to? [29:48]
What does Soman do to overcome feeling unfocused or overwhelmed? [31:12]
Introducing Susan Cain. [32:32]
How has a failure or apparent failure set Susan up for later success? [33:30]
One of Susan’s most worthwhile investments of time. [36:14]
An unusual habit or absurd thing Susan loves. [37:40]
Susan’s favorite word in any language. [39:01]
What advice would Susan give a smart, driven college student about to enter the real world? [40:02]
What does Susan do to overcome feeling unfocused or overwhelmed? [43:06]
Introducing Graham Duncan. [44:02]
An unusual habit or absurd thing Graham loves. [45:07]
What would Graham’s billboard say? [45:43]
Books that have greatly influenced Graham’s life and the mental models that guide how he thinks about people and teams. [47:17]
What recent purchase of less than $100 had the most positive impact on Graham’s life? [57:44]
How has a failure or apparent failure set Graham up for later success? [58:49]
Bad recommendations Graham often hears in his field. [1:01:20]
What does Graham do to overcome feeling unfocused or overwhelmed? [1:02:59]
In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved Graham’s life? [1:03:50]
What advice would Graham give a smart, driven college student about to enter the real world? [1:04:51]
People Mentioned
Soman Chainani
Susan Cain
Graham Duncan
Brian Koppelman
Celine Dion
Bill Gates
Leonard Cohen
Idan Raichel
Josh Waitzkin
Bobby Fischer
Kwame Anthony Appiah
George Saunders
Samuel Barondes
Leonardo da Vinci
Robocop
Bill Clinton
Barack Obama
The Dude
Woody Allen
Kanye West
Scott Barry Kaufman
Robert Kegan
Jennifer Garvey Berger
Laird Hamilton
Gabrielle Reece
Ed Catmull
Steve Ballmer
Satya Nadella
George Washington
Alexander Hamilton
Ray Dalio
Yuval Noah Harari
Byron Katie
David Foster Wallace
Dan Siegel
Robert M. Pirsig
Mike Burry
Eddie Lampert
Steve Jobs
Elon Musk
Ayn Rand
Steve Eisman
Michael Lewis
Tom Stoppard
Charlie Munger
