The Tim Ferriss Show

Professor Lisa Randall (@lirarandall) researches particle physics and cosmology at Harvard, where she is a professor of theoretical physics. Professor Randall was the first tenured woman in the Princeton physics department and the first tenured female theoretical physicist at Harvard. In autumn 2004, she was the most cited theoretical physicist of the previous five years. In 2007, Randall was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People (Time 100) under the section for "Scientists & Thinkers". Randall was given this honor for her work regarding the evidence of a higher dimension. She has written several mind-expanding books, the newest of which is Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs: The Astounding Interconnectedness of the Universe. If you want a semi-psychedelic experience (viewing the world through a new lens) without imbibing substances, this is worth checking out. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast. This podcast is brought to you by Thriv

Jimmy Chin (@jimkchin) is an artist and professional athlete, often at the same time. If Chase Jarvis and Laird Hamilton had a love child, it would be Jimmy. He has participated in and documented breakthrough expeditions around the planet, from climbing first ascents in the Karakoram to skiing first descents in the Himalayas. He is one of the few people to both climb Mount Everest and ski it from the summit. Most recently, he filmed and directed the incredible feature documentary MERU, which is in theaters now and won the 2015 Audience Award at Sundance. What is MERU? In the high-stakes game of big-wall climbing, the Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru is the ultimate prize. Everest is a cakewalk by comparison. Sitting at the headwaters of the sacred Ganges River in Northern India, the Shark’s Fin has seen more failed attempts by elite climbing teams over the past 30 years than any other ascent in the Himalayas. This movie is the story of one group’s journey to conquer it—a white-knuc

This short (~20 min) episode covers the latest tools, gadgets, and tactics I'm using for faster and better sleep. As a lifelong insomniac, I've tried everything, and these are the critical few that make the cut. Enjoy! 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. Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade. Give it a test run… This podcast is also brought to you by Wealthfront. Wealthfront is a massively disruptive (in a good way) set-it-and-forget-it investing service, led by technologists from places like Apple and world-famous investors. It has exploded in popularity in the last 2 years, and now has more than $2.5B under management. In fact, some of my good investor friends in Silicon Valley have millions of their own money in Wealthfront. Why? Be

Sophia Amoruso (@Sophia_Amoruso) is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Nasty Gal, a global online destination for both new and vintage clothing, shoes, and accessories. Founded in 2006, Nasty Gal was named “Fastest Growing Retailer” in 2012 by Inc. Magazine, thanks to its 11,200% three-year growth rate. Sophia has been called "fashion's new phenom" by Forbes magazine, and she has become one of the most prominent and iconic figures in retail. She recently founded the #GIRLBOSS Foundation, which awards financial grants to women in the worlds of design, fashion, and music. Sophia's first book, #GIRLBOSS, is a New York Times bestseller published in fifteen countries. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast. This podcast is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “if you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is, inevitably, Athletic Greens. It is my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body

"I should be used as a mercenary, not a lifer." - Tim Ferriss In this episode, we have a change of pace... Expa (@expa) is a startup studio. It was founded by Garrett Camp, who co-founded Uber. Every once in a blue moon, they put together a night of education. I was invited to participate. In this episode, I discuss the topic of startup design vs. lifestyle design. Some of you may be aware that I've been involved with various startups ranging from Uber to Facebook, Twitter and DuoLingo, and other businesses that have grown to more than 100 million users and customers. Simultaneously, I have written many times about lifestyle design, and I've suggested that it should come before career planning. The question is, how do we reconcile these two different approaches to business? Should you focus on building your muse and creating cash-flow focused business to fuel your ideal lifestyle...or should you swing for the fences and bet it all on a startup that is equity driven

Richard Betts (@yobetts) served as the wine director at The Little Nell in Aspen from 2000 to 2008. Much more interesting to me, Richard passed the Court of Master Sommeliers' Masters Exam on his first attempt, becoming the ninth person in history ever to do so. I first met Richard through investing wunderkind Chris Sacca, and we immediately hit it off. Richard can help you train your senses for anything, including wine, whiskey, his current love of mezcal, and far beyond. He's also done a lot of wild experiments, got a lot of tattoos, almost been shot in Mexico, and developed an incredible ability to simplify the complex. We get along. In this conversation, we talk about nearly everything, ranging from the value of quitting to tricks of the trade, travel tips (he's traveling 300+ days per year), and "starter" wines. We also drink a boat-load of whiskey, me tasting and Richard teaching. The pictures below show a sample. Side note and cool rule of thumb: did you know it's spelled "whiskey" when from count

I get asked a lot about investing. This is mostly due to start-up investing and the hoopla around it, but I've expanded my experiments to late-stage deals, real estate, and more. So far, my startup bets are 10x+ more successful (on paper) than my publishing career. Based on cashed-out positions, they're still several times more successful. I've had a lucky stretch. By no means am I an elite investor, but I've borrowed from elite investors since 2007. I'm incredibly fortunate that amazing people have been very generous with their time. Thank you, all! I've made hundreds of survivable mistakes, networked my little bald head off, and--net-net--I'm happy with the results. In this short podcast episode, I'll explain the 5 (or so) steps I took to become a better investor, starting at ground zero. Caveat emptor: I am NOT a financial advisor, and none of this advice should be taken without speaking to a qualified professional first. Also, my results could be due to pure luck and zero skill. M'kay? M'kay. Ho

This episode features a dynamic duo. Seth Rogen (@SethRogen) is an actor, writer, producer, and director. Evan Goldberg (@EvanDGoldberg) is a Canadian director, screenwriter, and producer. Together, they get into a lot of mischief and create amazing comedy. They’ve collaborated on films such as Superbad (which they first conceived as teenagers), Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, The Green Hornet, and Funny People. They have also written for “Da Ali G Show” and “The Simpsons.” In 2013, Evan and Seth released their directorial debut, This Is the End. In 2014, Seth starred in and produced (alongside Evan) Neighbors, which was a worldwide comedy hit and has taken in more than $268 million worldwide. In December 2014, Rogen and Goldberg’

Jocko Willink (@jockowillink) is one of the scariest human beings imaginable. He is a lean 230 pounds. He is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert who used to tap out 20 Navy SEALs per workout. He is a legend in the Special Operations world. His eyes look through you more than at you. He rarely does interviews, if ever. But a few weeks ago, Jocko ended up staying at my house and we had a caffeinated mind meld. Here's some background... Jocko enlisted in the Navy after high school and spent 20 years in the SEAL Teams, first as an enlisted SEAL operator and then as a SEAL officer. During his second tour in Iraq, he led SEAL Task Unit Bruiser in the Battle of Ramadi--some of the toughest and sustained combat in the SEAL Teams since Vietnam. Under his leadership, Task Unit Bruiser became the most highly decorated Special Operations Unit of the entire war in Iraq and helped bring stability to Ramadi. Jocko was awarded the Bronze Star and a Silver Star. Upon returning to the United States, Jocko served as the Officer-i

Scott Adams (@scottadamssays) is a famous cartoonist and the creator of the Dilbert comic strip, which has been published in more than 2000 newspapers in 57 countries and in 19 languages. In my conversation with Scott, we cover topics ranging from the rise of Dilbert's success, to how he uses affirmations to impact stock market decisions, success with women, and building his career. We also talk about Scott’s interest in hypnosis and its role in Dilbert's success. Plus, we dive into his current fascination -- Donald Trump. You'll also find out more about: Goals vs. systems, and how he has used them to get what he wants in life His first ever Dilbert paycheck The six dimensions of humor How he got into the best shape of his life at age 58 and much, much more. It is a really fun conversation. Scott is one hell of a character and a hilarious guy. Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast. This podcast is brought to you by Vimeo Pro, which is the

This episode of The Tim Ferriss Show is a bit of an experiment. Most the time, I interview many world-class people, and I ask them many, many questions to try and figure out what makes them good at what they do. Many of you have wondered what would happen if I flipped the script and had to answer my own questions. In this episode, I decided to do just that and answer one of your most common questions: what does your morning routine look like? What you’ll find here are the five things I do every morning. These are the five things I’d like to accomplish on an “ideal day.” If I can hit at least three of these items, then I’ve won the morning. And, as the saying goes, “If you win the morning, you win the day.” Let me know if you like this type of episode by responding to me on Twitter (@tferriss) or Facebook. Please let me know if you want more, never want to hear these answers again, or suggest another question you’d like me to answer. Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be

Martin Polanco (@Martin_Polanco7), M.D., is the founder and program director of Crossroads Treatment Center, based in Rosarito, Mexico. Crossroads specializes in helping patients conquer powerful addictions (heroin, cocaine, etc.) by using the African hallucinogen ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT, also referred to as “the God molecule.” Martin's areas of expertise also include addiction medicine and therapeutic neurotechnologies. Dan Engle (@drdanengle), M.D., is a psychiatrist and neurologist, who combines functional medicine with integrative psychiatry to enhance regenerative health and peak performance. His prior and relevant experience includes traumatic brain injury (TBI) and working in the Peruvian jungle with plant medicines such as ayahuasca. In this episode, we step outside the lines of traditional medicine to discuss impulse control, introspection, and self-awareness through the use of powerful psychedelic and hallucinogenic agents like ibo

100 episodes! Whaaat?! This celebratory episode involves me drunk dialing a bunch of you on Skype. We'll get to that. But first, a little background and thank you... My podcast--The Tim Ferriss Show--was started on a whim. It was intended as a break between big book projects. "I'll do six episodes to get better at interviewing" was the grand goal. In the first episode (and after two bottles of wine), Kevin Rose nicknamed the show TimTimTalkTalk (damn you, KevKev). Later, after reviewing my ridiculously slurred and iffy questions ("If you were a breakfast cereal, which would you be?"), I let out a long sigh. I've always hated the sound of my own voice, but this was the worst. The Tim-as-host idea would not last. Or so I thought. Now, here we are, passing the 100-episode mark. It's crazy, and I can say one thing for certain -- I've only made it this far because of YOU. Your amazing feedback, support, questions, and comments are what kept this podcast&n

WARNING: AS I’VE EMPHASIZED BEFORE, NEVER DO BREATHING EXERCISES IN WATER OR BEFORE TRAINING IN WATER. SHALLOW-WATER BLACKOUTS CAN BE FATAL. Wim Hof (@Iceman_hof) is a Dutch world record holder, adventurer and daredevil, commonly nicknamed “The Iceman" for his ability to withstand extreme cold. He is the creator of the Wim Hof Method and holds more than 20 world records. Wim is an outlier of outliers, as he routinely asks scientists to scrutinize and validate his feats. Here are just a few examples: In 2007, he climbed past the “death zone" altitude on Mount Everest (~7,500 meters) wearing nothing but shorts. In 2009, Hof completed a full marathon above the polar circle in Finland, in temperatures close to −20 °C (−4 °F). Dressed in nothing but shorts, Hof finished in 5 hours and 25 minutes. Hof holds the current Guinness World Record for the longest ice bath, now set at 1 hour 53 minutes and 12 seconds. But it’s not just cold. In 2011, he ran a full marathon in the Namib Desert without water.

Reid Hoffman (@reidhoffman) is often referred to as "The Oracle of Silicon Valley" by tech insiders, who look at his company-building and investing track record (Facebook, Airbnb, Flickr, etc.) with awe. Reid is Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of LinkedIn, which has more than 300 million users. He was previously Executive Vice President at PayPal, which was purchased by eBay for $1.5 billion. There, he was nicknamed "firefighter-in-chief" by CEO Peter Thiel. Noted venture capitalist David Sze says of Reid, "[he] is arguably the most successful angel investor in the past decade." They are now both partners at Greylock Partners. In this podcast, he is joined by Michael McCullough, MD, a close friend, co-founder of QuestBridge.org, and a successful investor with training as an ER physician. Michael is as an Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSF and previously served as the on-call ER physician to the Dalai Lama. Michael is also a Rhodes Scholar, Kaufman Fellow, and Ashoka Fellow. An avid meditato

Dr. Brené Brown (@BreneBrown) is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Brené’s 2010 TEDx Houston talk, The Power of Vulnerability, has been viewed more than 20 million times and is one of the top five most viewed TED talks in the world. She has spent the past 13 years studying vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame. Brené is the author of two #1 New York Times bestsellers: Daring Greatly and The Gifts of Imperfection. Her brand-new book is titled Rising Strong. In it, she writes, “If we are brave enough, often enough, we will fall. This is a book about what it takes to get back up.” She is also the Founder and CEO for The Daring Way™, an organization that brings her work on vulnerability, courage, shame and worthiness to organizations, schools, communities, and families. For all links, show notes, resources from this episode, please visit http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast This podcast is brought to you by&n

Welcome to a special edition of The Tim Ferriss Show. Back in 2007, I experienced a massive tipping point for The 4-Hour Workweek at the South by Southwest (SXSW)conference held in Austin, Texas. Two or three days played a key role in the book becoming a worldwide bestseller in 40+ languages. So what exactly happened at the event? How did I optimize those 2-3 days? The below audio is a presentation I recently gave about a better, more effective way to network. My suggestions might surprise you or seem counterintuitive–the best way to build a world-class network quickly is to spend very little time networking, at least not in the “ugh, gross” sleazy sense of the word. In this episode, you’ll learn: How SXSW played a role in the success of The 4-Hour Workweek How you can “stack the deck” for your own product launches Simple biohacks for handling booze overload and sleep deprivation Why it’s so important to meet people in person to build your network The most common mistakes people

Robert Rodriguez (@Rodriguez) is a film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor, and musician. He is also the founder and chairman of El Rey Network, the new genre-busting English-language cable network. While a student at the University of Texas at Austin in 1991, Robert Rodriguez wrote the script to his first feature film while he was a paid subject in a clinical experiment at a drug research facility. That paycheck covered the cost of shooting his film. He planned to make the money back by selling the film to the Mexican home video market. The film, “El Mariachi,” went on to win the coveted Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, and became the lowest budget movie ever released by a major studio. Rodriguez wrote about these experiences in Rebel Without a Crew, a perennial guide for the independent filmmaker. Rodriguez went on to write, produce, direct and edit a series of successful films including Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, the Spy Kids franchise, Once Upon a Ti

Naval Ravikant (@naval) is the CEO and a co-founder of AngelList. He previously co-founded Epinions, which went public as part of Shopping.com, and Vast.com. He is an active angel investor and has invested in more than 100 companies, including more than a few “unicorn” mega-successes. His deals include Twitter, Uber, Yammer, Postmates, Wish, Thumbtack, and OpenDNS, which Cisco just bought for $635 million in cash. You can find many more examples here, but suffice to say — he’s really, REALLY good at start-up investing. In this episodes you'll discover: How AngelList and Venture Hacks came to be What Naval looks for when deciding to invest in a founder Common "wives tales" in venture capital How to replace bad habits with good habits How to set stakes and awards And much, much more... Links, resources, and show notes from this episode can be found at http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast This episode is sponsored by 99Designs, the wo

Kevin Kelly (@kevin2kelly) returns to the podcast due to popular demand. Kevin continues to be perhaps the Most Interesting Man in the World. He is Senior Maverick at Wired magazine, which he co-founded in 1993. He also co-founded the All Species Foundation, a non-profit aimed at cataloging and identifying every living species on earth. In his spare time, he co-founded the Rosetta Project, which is building an archive of all documented human languages, writes bestselling books,and serves on the board of the Long Now Foundation. As part of the last, he’s investigating how to revive and restore endangered or extinct species, including the Wooly Mammoth. As usual, Kevin's responses and answers are fascinating. For all links, show notes, resources from this episode, please visit fourhourworkweek.com/podcast This podcast is brought to you by Vimeo Pro, which is ideal for entrepreneurs. In fact, a bunch of my start-ups are already using Vimeo Pro. Wea