First Principles

By Adrian Wells

First Principles isn't another business podcast recycling the same startup stories. Adrian Wells takes the fundamentals that actually matter and breaks them down like you're having coffee with the sma... more

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

FAQs about First Principles:

How many episodes does First Principles have?

The podcast currently has 197 episodes available.

First Principles episodes:

March 27, 2026 Why Buying Your Dream House Is Actually Making You Broke (Expert Reveals)
What if everything you believed about the American Dream was actually keeping you poor? In this eye-opening episode, Adrian Wells sits down with a passive income expert who claims that buying your dream house is one of the worst financial decisions you can make.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• The brutal math behind why homeownership costs way more than you think (spoiler: it's not just the mortgage)
• Why the stock market beats real estate investing over time, and the numbers that prove it
• The hidden wealth formula that most Americans completely ignore: avoid debt, spend less, invest the surplus
• How moving every 7 years (the American average) destroys any equity gains through fees and transaction costs
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone questioning whether they should buy, sell, or keep renting their home.
This expert breaks down the real costs of homeownership that nobody talks about. Property taxes that never end. Maintenance that eats your weekends and your wallet. Insurance premiums that only go up. Meanwhile, renters can invest that down payment money and often come out ahead after a decade.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the controversial housing take
[01:30] The three-step wealth formula most people skip
[04:00] Stock market vs. real estate: the 20-year showdown
[07:00] Hidden homeowner costs that kill your returns
[10:00] Why Americans move too often for real estate to work
[12:00] Action steps: rent vs. buy calculator breakdown
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: real estate investing, passive income, homeownership costs, stock market returns, personal finance
Find all episodes at First Principles
-------------
Keywords: thinking skills, behavioral economics, billionaire mindset

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
...more
12min
March 27, 2026 Why Your Liver Is Fat (And How to Fix It in 30 Days)
Your liver might be packing more fat than your waistline, and you'd never know it until it's too late. In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down the hidden epidemic of fatty liver disease and reveals why your scale isn't telling the whole story about your metabolic health.
Most people think calories in, calories out is the whole game. But insulin throws that rule book out the window because it's the master hormone controlling where every calorie ends up. Your liver can quietly store up to 10% of its weight as fat before you feel a single symptom, which means millions of people are walking around with fatty liver disease right now.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why insulin can completely override the calories equation (and what this means for your diet)
• The 30-day carb cycling strategy that helps drain liver fat naturally
• How ketones produce 25% more energy than glucose with less inflammation
• Why your body fights weight loss harder in fall and winter (evolutionary survival mode)
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone who's tried everything but can't seem to lose stubborn weight or boost their energy levels.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the fatty liver crisis hiding in plain sight
[01:45] How insulin hijacks your metabolism
[03:30] The liver's secret fat storage system
[05:15] Why traditional dieting fails most people
[07:00] Strategic carb management for liver health
[09:30] The ketone advantage and energy production
[11:00] Seasonal insulin resistance patterns
This isn't about another fad diet. It's about understanding the actual mechanisms your body uses to store and burn fat so you can work with your biology instead of fighting it.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow First Principles on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: insulin resistance, fatty liver disease, metabolic health, ketones, carb cycling
Find all episodes at First Principles
---------------
Keywords: business fundamentals, business strategy, behavioral economics

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
...more
13min
March 26, 2026 Your TikTok Addiction Is Rewiring Your Brain (Here's the Hidden Science)
Ever check your TikTok "just for a minute" and emerge three hours later wondering where your brain went? Adrian Wells breaks down the actual neuroscience behind why these apps are so addictive, and it's not what you think. The real culprit isn't the content itself, it's how your dopamine system gets hijacked by anticipation.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why your brain gets 50% less pleasure from normal activities after heavy social media use
• The variable ratio reinforcement schedule that makes TikTok more addictive than slot machines
• How decreased gray matter in your prefrontal cortex literally changes your impulse control
• Simple strategies to reset your dopamine baseline without going full digital detox
👤 Perfect for: anyone who's noticed their attention span shrinking or feels weirdly anxious when they can't check their phone
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian introduces the dopamine hijacking epidemic
[01:45] Why anticipation beats reward every single time
[03:30] The slot machine psychology built into your feed
[05:15] What happens to your brain after heavy usage
[07:00] Real evidence from neuroimaging studies
[09:30] Practical reset strategies that actually work
[11:00] How to enjoy technology without letting it rewire you
This isn't another "phone bad" rant. It's a clear-eyed look at how these systems work so you can make informed choices about your own brain chemistry. Wells connects ancient philosophical ideas about pleasure and self-control with cutting-edge neuroscience research.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow First Principles on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: dopamine, TikTok addiction, brain science, attention span, social media psychology
Find all episodes at First Principles
--------
Keywords: relationship psychology, leadership psychology, anxiety management, first principles, logical reasoning, billionaire mindset

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
...more
4min
March 26, 2026 Poo Doctor Reveals: This Kitchen Spice Heals Gut Damage Better Than Medicine
Your $5 gut health breakthrough is sitting in your spice rack right now. While pharmaceutical companies spend billions developing new treatments, gastroenterologists are quietly recommending a kitchen staple that outperforms many medications. In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down the surprising science behind turmeric and why your gut bacteria might be the key to everything from immunity to mental clarity.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why fecal transplants have a 90% success rate and what this reveals about gut restoration
• How turmeric reduces inflammatory markers by 58% in clinical studies (and the right dosage)
• The shocking way antibiotics devastate gut diversity for up to two years
• Why your birth method still affects your health decades later
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone dealing with digestive issues, chronic inflammation, or just curious about the gut-brain connection that affects daily energy and mood.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the poo doctor's kitchen cure
[01:45] Fecal transplants: gross but genius gut science
[03:30] Turmeric's anti-inflammatory power vs. prescription drugs
[05:15] How antibiotics wreck your microbiome
[07:00] C-section births and lifelong bacterial differences
[09:30] Practical dosing and what actually works
[11:00] Simple steps to rebuild gut health today
This isn't another wellness trend. It's evidence-based medicine using ingredients you probably already own. The gastroenterologist's approach strips away marketing hype to focus on what clinical research actually proves works.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: gut health, turmeric benefits, microbiome restoration, anti-inflammatory foods, digestive wellness
Find all episodes at First Principles
---------
Keywords: thinking skills, cognitive biases, motivation psychology, personal development, health myths, productivity science, performance optimization, philosophy business

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
...more
14min
March 10, 2026 Donald Hoffman: Your Brain Is Lying To You (And Why That Keeps You Alive)
Your brain is lying to you right now. As you read these words, you think you're seeing reality, but cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman has proof that what you perceive is nothing more than a survival-optimized illusion. In this eye-opening episode, Adrian Wells explores Hoffman's groundbreaking research on why seeing true reality would literally kill you.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why evolution favored deception over truth in our perceptions (computer simulations prove it)
• How we only see 0.0035% of the electromagnetic spectrum yet base our entire understanding on this tiny slice
• The mathematical framework revealing that conscious agents, not physical particles, might be reality's foundation
• Why general relativity and quantum mechanics completely break down at the Planck scale
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone ready to question everything they think they know about perception and reality.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the reality deception
[01:45] Computer simulations: Why truth-seekers die out
[04:20] The electromagnetic spectrum illusion we live in
[06:50] Conscious agents as reality's building blocks
[09:15] What this means for how you see the world
[11:30] Key takeaways that will change your perspective
This isn't just abstract philosophy. Hoffman's research has real implications for how you navigate decisions, relationships, and your understanding of consciousness itself. It's the kind of conversation that makes you question fundamental assumptions about existence.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow First Principles on your podcast app and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, and your next mind-bending insight is just one tap away.
🔍 Topics: cognitive science, perception, consciousness, evolution, reality, Donald Hoffman
Find all episodes at First Principles
--------------
Keywords: relationship psychology, thinking skills, fame psychology, performance optimization, philosophy business, productivity science

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
...more
14min
March 09, 2026 Why Gavin Newsom's Dyslexia Makes Him the Perfect President for 2028
Could Gavin Newsom's biggest weakness actually be his greatest presidential strength? Adrian Wells breaks down how the California governor's dyslexia and childhood trauma shaped a political style that might be exactly what America needs in 2028. Spoiler: it's not what you'd expect.
The numbers tell a wild story. Newsom survived a brutal 2021 recall with 61.9% of voters backing him, but his path there was anything but smooth. Born with severe dyslexia, he couldn't read until age 5. Add an absent father and a working single mom, and you've got the recipe for either complete failure or something pretty extraordinary.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why Newsom's learning disability gives him a unique edge in high-pressure political moments
• The 2004 same-sex marriage gamble that defined his career (and broke federal law)
• How childhood abandonment issues actually make politicians more effective leaders
• The real reason California voters chose to keep him despite massive national pressure
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone curious about how personal struggles shape public figures.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the dyslexia advantage
[01:30] The reading struggle that lasted until kindergarten
[04:00] How an absent father created a risk-taking politician
[07:00] The San Francisco marriage move that changed everything
[10:00] Why trauma-informed leadership works in crisis moments
[12:00] What this means for 2028 and beyond
Here's what's fascinating: most presidential candidates try to hide their weaknesses. Newsom's entire political brand is built on his. That's either genius or completely insane, and honestly, it might be both.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow First Principles on Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: Gavin Newsom, dyslexia leadership, 2028 presidential election, California politics, trauma-informed governance
Find all episodes at First Principles
---------
Keywords: depression stories, business strategy, motivation psychology, first principles, logical reasoning, career advice

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
...more
14min
March 09, 2026 Nischa Shah: Why Buying a House is the Biggest Lie Banks Tell You
What if everything you've been told about buying a house is keeping you broke? Adrian Wells sits down with investment banker turned wealth strategist Nischa Shah, who built $200K in passive income without falling for the property trap that's crushing an entire generation.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• The 652510 rule: Shah's exact framework that works regardless of your starting income
• Why the average house deposit now takes 7+ years to save (and what banks don't want you knowing)
• How investment bankers actually think about wealth building vs. what they sell to regular people
• Three passive income streams you can start building today without massive debt
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners tired of getting the same financial advice that only worked for their parents' generation.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the housing lie everyone believes
[02:15] Nischa Shah's background: from investment banking to financial freedom
[04:30] Why property investment became a wealth trap for millennials
[07:45] The 652510 rule explained: your step-by-step roadmap
[09:30] Three passive income alternatives to property
[11:15] How to start building wealth with what you have right now
Shah's approach flips conventional wisdom on its head. Instead of stretching yourself thin for a mortgage that'll own you for 30 years, she shows you how wealthy people actually think about money. It's not about property at any cost. It's about cash flow that works while you sleep.
The numbers don't lie: house prices have outpaced income growth by 400% in major markets. The old playbook is broken. But Shah's alternative isn't some get-rich-quick scheme. It's a methodical approach based on how investment professionals build real wealth.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next breakthrough insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: passive income, property investment, wealth building, investment banking, financial freedom
Find all episodes at First Principles
---
Keywords: first principles, philosophy business, performance optimization

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
...more
13min
March 08, 2026 The Sunscreen Lie That's Causing Dementia (Vitamin D Doctor Exposes All)
What if the sunscreen industry has been giving you advice that's slowly destroying your brain? Adrian Wells exposes the vitamin D crisis hiding behind well-meaning sun safety warnings, and the numbers are pretty alarming.
Over 40% of Americans are vitamin D deficient, with blood levels below 20 ng/mL. Here's what's wild: people with vitamin D deficiency have a 122% higher risk of developing dementia compared to those with adequate levels. Meanwhile, that SPF 30 sunscreen you're religiously applying? It blocks 97% of your body's natural vitamin D production.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why your skin can produce 10,000-25,000 IU of vitamin D in just 20-30 minutes of midday sun
• The real connection between vitamin D deficiency and cognitive decline (the research is eye-opening)
• How to balance sun protection with vitamin D production without frying your skin
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to make informed decisions about their health based on actual science, not marketing.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the vitamin D deception
[01:45] The dementia connection nobody talks about
[03:30] How sunscreen blocks your brain's best defense
[05:15] What 20 minutes of sun actually does to your body
[07:45] The deficiency epidemic hiding in plain sight
[10:30] Smart sun exposure strategies that actually work
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: vitamin D deficiency, dementia prevention, sun exposure, sunscreen myths, brain health
Find all episodes at First Principles
-------
Keywords: business fundamentals, depression stories, thinking skills, personal development, cognitive biases, philosophy business

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
...more
13min
March 08, 2026 Eric Weinstein: The Hidden Tech That Could Save Us Is Being Buried
What if the most important technologies that could save humanity are being deliberately buried by the people who claim to protect us? In this eye-opening episode, Adrian Wells sits down with Eric Weinstein to expose the hidden power structures suppressing breakthrough innovations while we watch civilization teeter on the edge.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why over 5,000 patents get classified by the US government every single year under secrecy orders
• How major tech giants like Google and Facebook maintain deep intelligence agency connections through contracts most people never hear about
• The shocking reason nuclear weapons technology hasn't evolved since the 1960s despite billions in research funding
• Eric's framework for recognizing when you're being fed manufactured narratives versus actual truth
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to understand the real forces shaping our world behind the scenes.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the technologies being hidden from us
[01:30] The government's post-WWII physics research lockdown
[04:00] 5,000 patents classified annually: what they don't want you to build
[07:00] Big Tech's intelligence connections: the contracts that change everything
[10:00] Why breakthrough energy and propulsion research gets buried
[12:00] How to spot suppressed innovation in your own field
This isn't conspiracy theory territory. This is about documented secrecy orders, provable government contracts, and a pattern of suppression that Eric Weinstein has spent years documenting. The implications are staggering when you realize how much human potential gets locked away.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: Eric Weinstein, classified patents, government secrecy, suppressed technology, breakthrough innovation
Find all episodes at First Principles
-------------
Keywords: evidence evaluation, depression stories, entrepreneurship philosophy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
...more
18min
March 07, 2026 The $2.8 Trillion War Nobody Knows We're Fighting
Wait until you hear the number: Global military spending just hit $2.4 trillion in 2023, the highest since the Cold War ended. But here's what nobody's talking about - experts think World War III isn't coming. They think it's already here. In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down why the war we're fighting today looks nothing like the wars in history books.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why cyber attacks on critical infrastructure shot up 400% in just four years
• The 50+ active conflicts happening right now that most people don't even know about
• How the Doomsday Clock reached 90 seconds to midnight for the first time ever
• What modern warfare actually looks like when it's fought with economics and code instead of tanks
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone who wants to understand what's really happening in our world beyond the headlines.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian introduces the $2.8 trillion question
[01:45] Why military experts think WW3 already started
[03:30] The cyber war happening in your backyard
[05:15] Economic weapons that hit harder than bombs
[07:00] Proxy conflicts: fighting without fighting
[09:30] What the Doomsday Clock actually measures
[11:15] How to think about global conflict today
The scary part? Most of this war is invisible. No dramatic invasions, no Pearl Harbor moment. Just infrastructure failing, economies crashing, and democracies destabilizing while we scroll through social media.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: world war 3, global conflict, cyber warfare, military spending, proxy wars
Find all episodes at First Principles
--------
Keywords: anxiety management, fame psychology, social media addiction

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
...more
13min

FAQs about First Principles:

How many episodes does First Principles have?

The podcast currently has 197 episodes available.