#219: At 18, I thought success came from being the smartest guy in the room, saying what people wanted to hear, and chasing every new opportunity. I was wrong.

In this episode, I share 14 life lessons that would have saved me years of mistakes — from authenticity and disagreement to sacrifice, focus, and cycles of success.

Get ready to learn why it’s okay to have different opinions, how authenticity helps you overcome people-pleasing, why writing a life vision reduces anxiety, the reason champions sacrifice more than others, how goodwill compounds faster than money, why ordinary actions done long enough become extraordinary, the danger of complacency after success, why focus is a superpower, plus a lot more…

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro – Why I wish I knew these 14 lessons at 18

(01:17) Lesson 1: It’s okay to have different opinions

(05:18) Lesson 2: The fastest path to authenticity

(09:25) Lesson 3: Write down a life vision

(13:45) Lesson 4: Assume you’re the dumbest person in the room

(17:15) Lesson 5: Respect starts with yourself

(18:53) Lesson 6: Business is just solving problems

(23:07) Lesson 7: Champions sacrifice more

(28:48) Lesson 8: Ignore the opinions of sheep

(33:50) Lesson 9: Goodwill compounds faster than money

(38:35) Lesson 10: Extraordinary comes from ordinary done long enough

(44:33) Lesson 11: Stay lean and frugal

(47:26) Lesson 12: Focus is a superpower

(48:02) Lesson 13: Success is cyclical, not linear

(49:42) Lesson 14: Pay to see reality clearly

(56:15) Outro – Key takeaways & closing thoughts

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#218: Most people choose what feels good now without realizing the hidden cost it creates. From fast food to debt to business shortcuts, short-term thinking slowly destroys progress.

In this episode, I explain why chasing instant gratification leads to failure, how to think in second-order consequences, and why choosing the harder path today sets you up for long-term success.

Get ready to learn the simple rule that separates winners from losers, the lesson behind the marshmallow test, why Valiant Pharmaceuticals collapsed, how Michael Jordan refocused to stay on top, plus a lot more…

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(01:15) Part 1: Short-Term vs Long-Term Thinking

(02:57) Part 2: The Marshmallow Test

(03:48) Part 3: Second-Order Consequences

(05:30) Part 4: The Effect Horizon Model

(09:40) Part 5: Stories

(13:00) Part 6: Key Takeaways

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Nicola Flückiger

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#217: In today’s world, overeating is effortless — the average American eats nearly 900 more calories a day than other developed countries. No wonder sticking to a healthy diet feels hard.

In this episode, I share two simple approaches: Alex Hormozi’s protein-first diet and my own routine of eating a few standard meals every day.

Get ready to learn how to make nutrition predictable, enjoy your meals, handle cheat days without guilt, stay consistent long-term, plus a lot more…

Timestamps

(00:10) Eating too many calories

(03:20) How I eat

(05:40) Standard meals

(12:35) Impulse control

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Nicola Flückiger

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#216: Your life is shaped by the decisions you make. Good ones move you forward. Bad ones set you back.

In this episode, I share the simple 3-part framework I learned from entrepreneur Sam Ovens that changed how I decide — plus a 4-step method from Alex Hormozi you can use to make a better decision today.

Get ready to learn how to cut decision fatigue, think for yourself, use mental models to choose the right path, avoid rushed choices you’ll regret, plus a lot more…

Timestamps

(01:45) What is a decision?

(02:54) Part 1: Reduce the Load

(12:45) Part 2: Think Critically

(20:56) Part 3: Apply Mental Models

(33:13) 4-Step Decision-Making Framework

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Nicola Flückiger

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#215: We live in a world built to steal your focus. But if you can control your attention, you have a serious edge.

In this episode, I break down why attention beats intelligence, how deep work creates unfair advantages, and why most problems are easier to fix than you think.

Get ready to learn how to sharpen your focus, the 4 types of safety women look for in a man, why sales should start with pain, how to be more authentic, why rest is your hidden edge, plus a lot more…

Timestamps

(00:20) Attention Is the New I.Q.

(10:14) The 4 types of safety a woman wants from a man

(13:36) People act on problems more than benefits

(17:55) Authenticity

(23:48) There is no such thing as being overworked, only under rested

(28:20) Most problems are easily fixed

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Nicola Flückiger

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#214: Most people think success means doing more. More habits, more hobbies, more hacks. But that’s wrong.

In this episode, I explain why the key to success is living a simple, even boring life — and how energy, clarity, and focus come from doing less, not more.

Get ready to learn why early Bezos kept it simple, how I structure my own life to stay focused, why chaos kills progress, why boring people often win, plus a lot more…

Timestamps

(00:30) Imitation of Habits

(05:22) How I Simplify My Life

(07:45) Extreme People Get Extreme Results

(13:30) Mike Tyson

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#213: Most people are told to be nice. Harmless. Play it safe. But what if that’s the worst advice you could follow in a brutal world?

Today, I dive into why it’s better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war. Inspired by Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, I explore what it means to become a monster. 

Get ready to learn why “nice guys” often finish last, how saying what you really think makes you stronger, what I learned about my limits during my internship in Salt Lake City, why the world respects those who speak up for themselves, plus a lot more…

Timestamps

(00:28) Why You Should Become a Monster

(13:05) A Thousand Hard Conversations

(17:47) Communication with Women

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Nicola Flückiger

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#212: Most people talk too much and say too little. But what if the real power lies in saying less?

In this episode, I share the sales lesson that changed how I communicate: be concise. From cutting filler words to writing sharper emails to talking more confidently in real life.

Get ready to learn what Paul Graham says about word count, how Mark Cuban's advice can make your product easier to buy, what “be precise in your speech” means, how to remove filler words like “like” and “basically,” and what I learned from approaching women in Arosa plus a lot more…

Timestamps

(01:16) Make it easy to buy from you

(06:00) Short emails 

(16:30) How to speak concisely

(23:15) Talking to women

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Nicola Flückiger

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#211: Most people live their lives playing it safe. But what if the real path to meaning is telling the truth—even when it’s uncomfortable?

In this episode, I reflect on a powerful idea from Dr. Jordan B. Peterson: that truth is an adventure. I break down what that actually means, why telling the truth is so difficult, and how doing it anyway creates authenticity.

Get ready to learn how telling the truth makes life more meaningful, what true authenticity looks like (according to Alex Hormozi), why most people don’t actually know what they think, how I try to say what I really believe on the podcast, and the four big benefits of making your work visible plus a lot more…

Timestamps

(01:09) The essence of an adventure

(15:45) A lesson that changed how I work

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#210: Silvan Krähenbühl is an entrepreneur, investor, and podcast host.

How do we actually get our personal finances right? Where do we even start? Silvan’s my go-to guy whenever I’ve got questions about this stuff. He built an entire course on personal finance and his setup is unlike anything I’ve seen before.

Get ready to learn what you’d need to do if you wanted to mess up your finances, where to start if you want to get them right, how to handle money in a marriage or relationship, how to optimize taxes as a business owner, what changes when you have children, the dynamics between men and women, socialism vs. capitalism, the role of incentives in society, fundraising vs. bootstrapping in software startups in the age of AI, his #1 piece of advice for podcasters plus a lot more…

Timestamps

(03:00) Personal finance basics

(28:07) Tax optimization for business owners

(38:50) Finances in relationships, children, man & woman

(1:19:30) Fundraising vs. bootstrapping in startups

Silvan Krähenbühl

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Nicola Flückiger

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P.S. Thanks for listening to my podcast. As a gift, I’ve put together a free list of 100+ podcast episodes from other shows that I’ve loved most. Click here to get the list.