Pull up a chair for Barstools #5, where Kanav and Ajay join me for a conversation that hits close to home. We talk about what it really means to be a mentor, the quiet weight of loneliness, and whether Covid changed us more than we’d like to admit.

It’s part reflection, part storytelling the kind of talk that drifts between laughter and late-night honesty. Think of it as a reminder that growing up doesn’t mean having it all figured out.

Pull up a chair for Barstools #4, where I sit down with Shayaz to unpack what it really means to connect. From the strange magic of the network effect to the art of talking to people, we explore how comfort, curiosity, and conversation shape who we become. Somewhere between ambition and meaning, we also ask the big one — what’s the end goal, really?

We live in an age where every door seems open careers, connections, adventures, side hustles. But saying yes to everything can turn freedom into a cage. In this episode, we unpacks the hidden cost of chasing every opportunity, weaving together ancient parables and modern reflections on choice, commitment, and the courage to say no.

Pull up a chair for another round at Barstools, where ideas spark and collide in ways you might not see coming. This time Deema and Ajay join me to tackle the puzzle of destiny, unpack the big “thank yous” (including one to ChatGPT), and explore why resilience might just be the secret thread tying it all together. It’s part laughter, part late-night philosophy, and part digging into what keeps us moving forward when life throws its curveballs.

Every revolution breeds fear first. Keynes told how, during the Industrial Revolution, people saw “extraordinary economic pessimism” as they became convinced machines would cause despair rather than deliver change. Today we are in the same place with AI.

This episode juxtaposes Keynes’s 1930 reflections from Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren with modern reports on AI, unraveling why we so often overestimate the dangers of change and how history shows us that most fears are temporary.

📄 ⁠Keynes — Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren (1930) — PDF via Brian Weatherson's Blog

Pull up a chair for another round at Barstools, where the conversation twists and turns in ways you don’t expect. This time Aryaa and Ajay join me to unpack the addictive world of Instagram Reels, wrestle with what statistics can (and can’t) really tell us, and dive headfirst into the age-old debate of nature versus nurture. It’s part banter, part big questions, and part wondering what actually makes us who we are.

Why do suits make us look more trustworthy, feel more confident, and even think differently? In this episode we dive into the psychology of dressing up, looking at how clothes shape our mindset, how first impressions are made in seconds, and why a blazer can sometimes be as powerful as a business card.

References & Further Reading:

• Adam & Galinsky (2012) – Enclothed Cognition ScienceDirect

• Slepian et al. – Formal Clothing Shapes Abstract Thought & Perceived Power ResearchGate

• How suit fit influences first impressions ResearchGate

• Book: Steven Landsburg – The Armchair Economist

Pull up a chair this is Barstools #1, where I sit down with my friends Varun and Ajay to wander through big, messy ideas. From the strange appeal of zombie stories to what death really means to us, and ultimately, how we find belonging in a world that often feels uncertain his episode is a mix of laughs, reflection, and raw honesty. Think of it as late-night bar talk, minus the actual bar.

Who really controls a conversation: the one who talks the most or the one who asks the questions? In this short episode, we explores how curiosity shapes power, why listening builds influence, and what research says about the balance between asking and speaking.

📚 Sources & References:

• Dale Carnegie — How to Win Friends and Influence People

• Huang, K., Yeomans, M., Brooks, A., Minson, J., & Gino, F. (2017). It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask: Question-Asking Increases Liking. ⁠Harvard Working Paper PDF⁠

• Anderson, C., & Kilduff, G. J. (2009). Why Do Dominant Personalities Attain Influence in Face-to-Face Groups? The Competence-Signaling Effects of Trait Dominance. ⁠Study Link⁠

Expect more quick dives into ideas that change the way you think, from human behavior to the hidden patterns that shape our world!