🦉 Writing tips from the author of Big Short & Money Ball, The Best Protein Source for Fat Loss, How to Organize your Digital Life, Retirement and Having Enough, plus more.
Spend more time implementing wisdom, not collecting it.
In this week’s edition, you will learn:
The only wrong answer is to do nothing. Take action by implementing these ideas.
Episode: Business tricks we've learned from gamblers, pick-up artists, and Feynman
Podcast episode length: 57 mins
Ed Thorp was the first to count cards, apply his maths theories to win at Black Jack and start the first hedge fund averaging 25% returns for over 60 years. Ed is in his 90s and can still do pull-ups.
How to be an interesting person?
Answer: For others to be interested in you, be interesting by doing interesting things.
The reason why you become less interesting over time is because you stop doing things just for fun. You create expectations and set desired outcomes. The fear of these expectations stops you from ever doing anything new.
So, to be an interesting person, manage your expectations and the fear they create.
Wish you could retire now? Maybe you can
Retirement is not when you stop working or doing things for some future reward (mostly money).
Retirement is when you start doing things when the thing itself is the reward.
Implement: Do things where the joy of doing them is the only reason you do them. Disregard the future payoffs.
Most successful people are successful because:
They are curious, and they follow wherever their curiosity leads
They pick the right game, and most often, the game isn't to launch a product faster; it is to be an entrepreneur. The game is to experience the highs and lows of building a business. It's something meta, something bigger than you.
Vicious circle vs. Virtuous circle
A human behavior hack - Just knowing there is a solution will lead you to a solution.
Roger Bannister proved this when he broke the 4-minute mile record. Four runners replicated his results within 3 months of him breaking the record.
Starting something challenging?
Talking to others who have done something similar, reading relevant books or theories about the topic, and talking to others who believe it’s possible can increase your belief.
More belief will create more action, which will create results and solidify your belief.
This is a virtuous cycle, the opposite of a vicious cycle.
No belief, no action, no results 
Strong belief leads to action which leads to results If you are going to play a game, enter with an absolute belief that you can win it. This applies to both personal and professional life.
Episode #749: Michael Lewis and Martine Rothblatt
Podcast episode length: 2 hours 13 mins
Michael Lewis is a financial journalist and the author of best-selling books such as The Big Short and Money Ball.
Martine Rothblatt is a transgender woman and entrepreneur who has founded multiple billion-dollar businesses. She also founded SiriusXM.
She is the founder and former CEO of United Therapeutics, a biotechnology company that develops and markets treatments for rare diseases.
Writing routine and tips from Michael Lewis, the author of Big Short & Money Ball:
Money or fame are inaccurate measures of success. As a writer, the feeling of accomplishment and self-satisfaction from creating something great are better metrics.
Begin with writing by hand in a stream-of-consciousness style without worrying about grammar or structure, then type it up, and finally edit it.
The best writing comes from a place of vulnerability and authenticity.
Write every day, even if it's just for a few minutes.
Find the best time for when you are in your writing rhythm. Some people write best at 2 am in the morning, others at 2 pm in the afternoon.
Create an environment conducive to writing. Wear headphones to limit distractions. Play one soundtrack on repeat.
The purpose of the music is to shut out interruptions and create a focused writing space.
Either get better at editing or hire a good editor.
Editors like Michael Kinsley, the editor of the New Republic, create great writers through their ruthless editing. A good editor helps average writers become great writers by reducing their vices (like using big, smart-sounding words) and removing the inefficiencies of their story-telling abilities.
Apply ‘Productive Laziness’: A writer must be able to step away from work and get into a state of mind where it's okay not to do anything for a while. This allows for a better selection of potential stories and material to engage with. It raises the bar for what is worth doing.
One tell-tell sign is to work on things where you feel "If I don’t write this, It won’t get written."
Set this as the lowest standard for your writing session - Don’t be good, be great.
Martine Rothblatt:
Ai can create a copy of your loved ones:
Martine created BINA48, a digital simulation or copy of Martine Rothblatt's personality and memories. Martine drew inspiration and parallels to episodes in the TV series Black Mirror, where individuals are effectively resurrected through data and patterns extracted from social media and their digital imprints.
To get ahead in our modern technology-driven world, it is important to cultivate scientific literacy by relating science to our everyday lives. Read books like "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions"
The Vagus nerve, the largest nerve in the body, connects the brain to organs like the heart, lungs, and gut.
Stimulating the Vagus nerve can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing inflammation and providing therapeutic benefits for conditions like Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Music is the original technology, as every human is exposed to his/her mother's heartbeat, which has a rhythm. Music, therefore, can be hugely therapeutic.
Martine built a 150,000-square-foot zero-carbon building in Silver Spring, Maryland, which is the largest zero-carbon building in the world. It produces more energy than it uses yearly by managing energy through geothermal heat exchange, solar panels, and natural ventilation.
United Therapeutics refurbishes unusable lungs and makes them suitable for transplant. The process involves removing the lungs from the donor, cooling them, and transporting them to a facility in Maryland. The lungs are placed in a glass dome with artificial blood and air, and technicians work to remove mucus and perform surgeries.
Within four hours, the lungs are transformed into viable organs.
The refurbished lungs are then transported to transplant surgeons, who have a 100% success rate in lung transplants using these lungs.
Over 150 lives have been saved through this process.
Thinking differently is a superpower.
How to think positively: Connect with your ancestors. Realize how hard their lives were 200 years ago. All they had was a will for survival and a hope that their children might do slightly better in life if they could keep going and give their best.
You, today, have a lot going for you. Life is much easier in many ways. We have all the world's knowledge at our fingertips, resting in a device that lives in your pocket. The good fortune you exist in these times is something to cherish and maximize.
Episode #801: George Mack - 13 Life-changing ideas you have never heard of
Podcast episode length: 2 hours 15 minutes
Adults don’t exist. Adulthood is being pushed when you turn 18 and spend the rest of your life catching yourself.
The S&P has returned over 8% yearly for more than 100 years. What if, instead of a retirement pension or Social Security, we put 10k or 20k for each child in the S&P? By the time they are 65, it will turn into millions.
Does money buy happiness? This age-old question is poorly phrased because not all happiness is created equal. A better question is, does strategically spent money buy happiness? The answer is yes.
Have you had enough of not having enough?
In a society obsessed with getting more, saying, "I have enough," is a superpower. The weird part is that you get to decide what enough is.
It certainly ain’t millions of dollars or followers.
Not convinced - watch this… If not for the content, just for the pants.
Strategic ignorance is choosing what you will ignore and be ignorant about. In the Information Age, you are constantly bombarded with news, videos, new dance trends, wars, etc. Choose what you pay attention to, and don’t let the hottest trends or news run your life.
Stay away from gossip or new news stories that will emotionally charge you.
Only the weird survive. Have you ever noticed the stories told at someone's funeral? They are most likely about their weird quirks, the wild risks they took, and the lofty goals or passions they pursued. Don’t kill the quirky in you.
Revive your quirkiness by watching this - The weirdness of Salvador Dali
The best things in life are free. The second best things are very, very expensive.
Who really owns your work?: If you only run your business based on A-B tests and do more of what is working, you will end up with a porn site. Why? You're only making what sells and not what you set out to create. You have lost your Why? Stop chasing the likes, the subscribers, and follows. Don’t write about P Diddy because that’s what's getting the clicks today.
As an entrepreneur, you want to produce something of value; you wish to be successful. Get the market validation that your art, your idea, has value. Once validated, find more people aligning with your core message.
What does your brand, you, your company, your business - what do you stand for? Why do you exist? Test within those walls, those guidelines.
Nothing is worse than climbing to success only to realize you put your ladder against the wrong wall.
Incentives are the most under-discussed topic.
The Greek government wanted to solve the congestion in one of the cities. So, they limited cars to even-number titles for one day and odd-number titles for another. The result was an increase in congestion because many people bought two cars.
Lesson: On average, people will never go against their incentives.
A lot of conspiracy can be explained by uncovering the real incentives.
Episode: Dr. Gabrielle Lyon: How to Exercise & Eat for Optimal Health & Longevity
Podcast episode length: 51 mins
Dr. Andrew Huberman's new book, Protocols, provides practical guidelines for optimizing sleep, nutrition, exercise, stress control, oral and gut microbiome, and more.
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is a leading expert on the science of aging and has published over 100 scientific papers on the topic. She is the founder and director of the Women's Health Research Institute at Stanford University and the author of several books, including "The Longevity Diet" and "The Menopause Reset."
Focus on skeletal muscle to optimize your health for longevity. Skeletal muscle is responsible for 80% of glucose disposal. It is your body's armor, and it is really responsible for how you age.
To build more and better-quality skeletal tissue, focus on resistance training and eating 30-50 grams of high-quality protein per meal (especially the first meal of the day).
Muscle size is different from muscle health. Unhealthy muscle has increased fat deposits (mostly caused by overeating carbs), which affects its ability to contract and overall mitochondrial activity. Mitochondria are the engine, the source of energy within your muscles.
Being sedentary is not the absence of movement. Being sedentary is a disease in itself.
You need more protein as you age - 50 years and over. High-protein diets are mistakenly linked to liver and kidney issues - there is no long-term research to support these claims. However, if you are going from low to high protein intake, exercise helps reduce potential cancer risk from overstimulation of mTOR pathways.
Taking BCAA (branch amino acids) as a supplement can be helpful but not optimal. Your body needs a lot more to utilize these BCAA. That is why eating complete dietary protein sources - steaks, chicken, some legumes, etc. is better. You can get sufficient amounts of protein from plant sources.
High or optimal dietary protein (1 gram/pound of body weight) can result in fat loss (based on studies).
The Best Protein Source for Fat Loss
Insulin resistance, a major contributor to childhood obesity and hypertension, can be improved through regular exercise.
Resistance training cures the problem of inactivity and muscle loss, which leads to metabolic derangement, fatty acid infiltration, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation.
Resistance training = applying enough stress or stimulus on your muscles and joints to create growth and improved quality of muscle and strength. Resistance training doesn’t mean lifting heavy weights. Sometimes, body weight can be enough stimulus, depending on the individual. Focus on safe, low injury-risk movements - use machines like leg presses, etc., at your gym. A typical resistance training workout should include a 10-15 minute warm-up, 50-60 minutes of intense exercise, and a cool-down. Intensity (safely pushing to or close to failure) is more important than the duration of your workout and lifting heavy.
Myth-busting - Tendons do not take too much more to develop. Tendon strength takes time to develop, with a turnover rate of 0.5 to 1.5% per day, while muscle turnover is 1 to 2% per day. So, not too dissimilar to muscle growth. Tendons respond better to slower, intentional movements.
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon's recommended supplements:
Creatine monohydrate - 5 to 10 grams/day
Urolithin A - a gut microbiome-derived postbiotic, enhances mitophagy, strength, and endurance.
Whey Protein or Rice and pea protein blends (fermented is better)
Fish Oil - around 4 grams/day
Collagen (can be added to your coffee)
Milk protein casein is slower absorbing and may benefit muscle health, especially closer to bedtime.
Magnesium and Zinc
Organ meats like Liver and Heart can be beneficial
GLP-1 analogs like Ozempic and Mounjaro can cause an average of 13% weight loss, and Mounjaro causes up to 22% weight loss over 24 weeks and can help with alcohol and other addictions. However, work with a qualified practitioner and include exercise and proper nutrition.
Optimal health cannot come without focusing on mental and emotional health. Feeling worthy of health and wellness is crucial for achieving optimal health. It prevents behaviors leading to self-sabotage.
Episode 148: Conviction and compassion - How to have hard conversations
Podcast episode length: 28 mins
A successful entrepreneur is an opportunity finder who doesn’t wait and builds with the resources they control
Get comfortable with the domain you are in. Healthcare is not a domain. Back office support for Healthcare is a domain.
A bad entrepreneur doesn’t change his/her position when new information comes to light.
Learn how to communicate briefly. Break down complex ideas so you explain them in simple terms.
Difficult conversations are not about you; they’re about understanding the needs, desires, and wants of the other person.
The magic word in any difficult conversation is 'We'’. Don’t use ‘You’ because it polarizes and creates opposition and division.
The art of the conversation comes from being respectfully direct. Another way to think is combining strength (decisiveness) with warmth (empathy). Don’t confuse being vague with compassion. Being vague is actually being dispassionate.
Hard conversations demand preparation and rehearsal.
“You should always work on redefining the edge of your competence” - Warren Buffett.
Episode: Tiago Forte on Building a second brain to free our Minds
Podcast episode length: 53 minutes
You need a second brain. A Second brain is a system that lives outside your brain, such as reminders, lists, or any framework that allows you to control your input to produce the desired outcome.
Your mind is for having ideas, not storing them.
A system that doesn’t create action is useless. The danger is not having a system; the danger is not taking action.
Setting up your productivity systems is the most dangerous and tempting trap because it gives you the allusion of being productive.
Writing is still the best form of therapy. Externalize your thoughts so you can objectively evaluate them. Writing your thoughts before a therapy session can be extremely productive as it helps you crystalize the issues or problems at hand. It helps you get the most out of your therapy session.
Writing allows you to see connections between your thoughts—find the common threads. A repetitive theme can uncover deeply held beliefs that might be running or ruining your life.
Frameworks to organize your digital life and share ideas faster
Share your ideas faster with this framework: CODE - Capture, Organize, Distill, and Express.
The CODE Method, Explained (Building a Second Brain)
Organize your Digital Life using the PARA Method:
How to Organize Your Digital Life in Seconds (PARA Method) | Part 1
Episode: Thinking about thinking with Brené Brown and Adam Grant
Podcast episode length: 60 minutes
You don’t know how to give feedback. Because you are trained to yell out adjectives like smart and enthusiastic. This is meaningless, incomplete, and nonspecific. Instead, provide specific examples of deeper character traits that describe the whole person. For example, based on you repeatedly denying to take credit for other people’s work on this project even though you easily could have, you are ethical. You value your team and camaraderie.
Simon’s company uses the following format for 360 feedback sessions for employees:
The employee shares 3 specific examples of where they are weak or need help. Then, they share 3 examples of where they have made improvements or growth and 3 examples demonstrating their strengths.
Once complete, the others (peers and managers) provide feedback.
Opening with a self-analysis makes others comfortable in providing feedback.
Show me the last time you got angry, and I will show you your values.
Deep questions with Cal Newport
Episode 301: Reclaiming time and focus with Jordan Harbinger
Podcast episode length: 1 hour 33 minutes
Self-awareness is hard to achieve without situational awareness. It’s hard to know if you're talking too much without being aware of the context or meeting you're in or the audience you are with.
What is success?
Success is not the ability to go alone. Success is being someone who others can depend on.
Episode 310: Essential Trade-offs & Saying Yes with Sam Bridgestock
Podcast episode length: 36 mins
There is power in saying no when you know your priorities. There is power in saying yes when you know your no comes from fear of doing something new and unknown.
Your life will be much happier if you realize these are the good old days. Years from now, when you look back at these days, despite all the difficulties, you will reminisce about them. You will miss the safety, unity, and bond your difficulties created and how they forged your character. Embrace the now as you build future memories of the good old days.
Implement the ideas:
Why?
"Because there is only one wrong answer, which is doing nothing.”
This week, do one of the following:Take a 30-minute walk to capture the idea that these are the ‘good ol’ days. Bring a notebook and a pen with you.
For the next 30 days, try eating 1 gram of protein per lb of body weight, combined with two 30-minute exercise sessions per week.
Genuinely answer - What is having enough for you? Write down the specifics. How much money? What body weight, etc?
Please share in the comments which of the 3 ideas above resonated more with you or you are excited to complete.
I hope this post was useful. If not, please let me know how I can improve it.
Much Love,
PM
Disclaimers: I have no affiliation with any of the sources linked above. This information should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment and is not financial advice. Please use your discretion before applying this information. Please refer to the original source for references. I use AI-generated images.