Nick Ganju on The Majesty of Ping Pong, Poker, and How to Write Hit Songs
(Photo: Foxxyz)
“It turns out that writing Tetris on your calculator doesn’t actually win you the cheerleaders.”
-Nick Ganju
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In this episode, I talk to my old friend Nick Ganju about ping pong, poker, hit songs, and tackling my most feared subject (oh, the suspense!).
He makes complex subjects seem simple, which is a rare gift. Nick is one of the few people I consistently ask for advice when trying to acquire tough skills.
Nick is the founder and CTO of ZocDoc, which allows you to find doctors and immediately book appointments online. As CTO, he is responsible for overseeing all software development. It’s a huge job for one of the fastest-growing startups in the US (6+ million monthly users, $95M+ in funding raised to date), and he’s repeatedly proven himself to be a master teacher.
Enjoy!
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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.
This episode is also brought to you by ExOfficio, which I’ve personally used since 2005 or so. They make ultra-lightweight, quick drying, antimicrobial clothing for men and women. Here’s my own ultra-light packing list (scroll down for video), which went viral.
QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: Have you overcome subjects or skills you initially found super-intimidating? What was the key moment? Please share in the comments.
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Scroll below for links and show notes…
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Selected Links from the Episode
ZocDoc
War Games
The Birthdate Problem
Long Term Capital Management
SMART Goals
Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug
Michel Thomas – Rapid Language Learning
How to Measure Anything by Douglas Hubbard
The Handshake Grip - Ping Pong Skills
Loss Aversion
Sunken Cost Fallacy
List of Cognitive Biases
Secrets of Power Negotiating
Getting to Yes
Getting Past No
Across the Universe
Connect with Nick on LinkedIn
Axis of Awesome – The 1-5-6-4 – How to write a hit song
Show Notes
ZocDoc stats [6:34]
Rewinding the clock, comfort with computer science and global thermo-nuclear war [10:44]
What makes the University of Illinois a top computer science school [14:04]
“Coachablity” of computer languages and thoughts for those starting in computer science [16:14]
How to make it easier to develop high-level math and computer science skills [21:44]
Resources and books for optimizing your math/emotional intelligence skills [28:44]
Setting objective goals and how Monsters Inc. can help [30:14]
How to encourage measurable goal selection and tracking within your team [38:14]
Excel spreadsheets? [44:14]
Nick Ganju’s favorite movie [53:14]
Skill acquisition and the glory of ping pong [55:29]
How to practice ping pong when no one is around, plus the most common mistakes [1:02:44]
The daily rituals of Nick Ganju [1:05:44]
What it means to rid yourself of cognitive biases [1:06:29]
Cognitive Biases and how to price anchor like a god [1:11:14]
The Bill Gates-like life plan [1:16:04]
Rapid Fire Questions: Punchable, frequent plays, and how to get people hooked on music. [1:17:39]
Advice for the 20-year old Nick Ganju, or anyone seeking to rapidly develop business skills [1:25:14]
Choosing your fist gig or your next gig -> How to get started [1:27:14]
People Mentioned
Mac Andreessen
Max Levchin
Phil Gordon
Keith Devlin
