Deep See With Bilal

In this podcast, I talk about the non-controversial subject of race. Why do we use terms like African American and Black. What do they imply about people who are designated with that label? What are the correct terms to use? What does it mean for me? I hope you find this stream of thought useful. Bilal

In this podcast, I talk about taking my first proper work break in over a year. I've been busy with my start-up. But I've realised that taking a break is essential - not least to give your mind a rest. In the end, you'll be healthier and more balanced and hopefully it will positively impact others too. Enjoy the pod

...a Liberal is a Conservative who’s been arrested" so said the author Tom Wolfe. It's quotes like this that make light of politics. I find them useful to remind us that we can take politics too seriously. In this podcast, I run through some funny quips that put politics in its place. Enjoy! Bilal

I’ve been thinking about how I react to news stories whether delivered through traditional or social media. Whatever the source, I often get upset by it. Why is that? In this podcast, I discuss this, and I describe how I tackle news consumption. 

Thanks

Bilal

I'm not going to gloat about Liverpool winning the English Premier league for the first time in thirty years. Instead,  I talk about the lessons we can learn from a once-successful sports team regaining its success after decades in the wilderness. Hopefully, the non-sports fans will find the podcast as interesting as soccer fans. 

Thanks

Bilal

It's the one year anniversary of our start-up, Macro Hive. In this podcast, I discuss the five main lessons I've learned along the way from the importance of trust in running a company to not getting outside investors to thinking as an open network rather than a closed shop.

Enjoy

Bilal

There are some areas of life that appear to lend themselves to training and systems, such as using spreadsheets, law, accounting and medicine. 

But for things like coming up with new ideas or creativity we rely on luck or inspiration. However, there is a way to systematise this. Inspired by a book from the 1940s, in this podcast, I describe a 5-step process for idea generation.

They are in order:

Gathering knowledge.

Reflecting until you are exhausted.

Distracting yourself away from the problem.

Let the magic happen as the idea comes out of nowhere.

Exposing the idea to the world of healthy criticism.

I’ve been using this system and it works. 

Enjoy

Bilal

In this podcast, I discuss the cyclicality of politics and crises based on two books I've recently read: "The Fourth Turning" by Howe and Strauss and "The Politics Presidents Make" by Skowronek. The idea is to look at political and economic regimes as seasons - where we start with the spring of hope and end with the winter of crisis. This is a recurring feature of recent history.

According to this, on a long cycle, we started with the spring of the post-WW2 hope phase (first turning) and are currently in the crisis phase (fourth turning). Or according to political time, we started with the transformational Reagan years and are now in the disjunctive Trump crisis years. Either way, it makes little sense to extrapolate current crisis trends into the decades ahead, but rather we need to see the crisis as a precursor of the spring of a new more hopeful regime.  

Hope you find it interesting

I got a big reaction to a blog wrote on the world before and after COVID. In this podcast, I expand on the topic. I talk about how boomers will be viewed differently, the shift out of cities, the decline of in-person events, the rise of fast food, and much much more. 

Enjoy!

Bilal

We’ve all played Monopoly. You go around the board, try to accumulate sets of properties build hotels and then drive everyone else into bankruptcy. It can often drag on and on, but it’s worth the wait if it means you defeat your siblings. But did you know that this celebration of monopolistic capitalism was actually based on a game that was meant to show the evils of monopolies?! Find out more in this podcast.

I hope you find this helpful. You can subscribe to my podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Overcast, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for “Deep See With Bilal”. Also make sure to rate and review this podcast and enjoy! 

Bilal