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

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FAQs about First Principles:

How many episodes does First Principles have?

The podcast currently has 197 episodes available.

First Principles episodes:

April 16, 2026 Why Your Arms Are Sabotaging Every First Impression You Make
What if the reason people don't warm up to you has nothing to do with your personality and everything to do with what your arms are doing? In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down the unconscious body language mistakes that tank first impressions before you even speak.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why crossed arms kill trust in the first 7 seconds (and the surprising psychology behind it)
• The exact eye contact percentage that builds rapport without seeming creepy
• How fidgeting behaviors literally stress out everyone around you (backed by research)
• Simple arm positioning that instantly makes you appear 30% more competent
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone who wants to master the unspoken rules of human connection.
Most people think charisma is some mystical quality you're born with. But the research tells a different story. Your body is sending signals whether you know it or not, and those signals are either working for you or against you. The good news? Once you know what to look for, you can fix it immediately.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the 7-second rule
[01:30] Why your posture is sabotaging job interviews
[04:00] The eye contact sweet spot that builds instant trust
[07:00] How pen clicking makes people want to escape
[10:00] The arm positions that signal confidence vs. insecurity
[12:00] Your 24-hour body language makeover plan
This isn't about becoming someone you're not. It's about making sure your body language matches the person you already are inside. Small tweaks, massive results.
🔔 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: body language, first impressions, nonverbal communication, social skills, confidence
Find all episodes at First Principles
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Keywords: performance optimization, fame psychology, celebrity interviews, leadership psychology, billionaire mindset, first principles

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45min
April 16, 2026 No.1 Nitric Oxide Expert: The Anti-Aging Molecule Your Doctor Won't Tell You About
What if I told you there's a molecule your body makes that could be the key to staying young, but your doctor probably never mentioned it? Adrian Wells sits down with the world's leading nitric oxide researcher to uncover why this Nobel Prize-winning discovery is being called the "fountain of youth molecule" hiding in plain sight.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why nitric oxide drops by 50% between ages 40-70 and what that means for your health
• The simple beetroot trick that boosts plasma nitrate levels by 300% in under 3 hours
• How the 1998 Nobel Prize discovery connects to why some people age gracefully while others don't
• The endothelial function test that predicts longevity better than most medical screenings
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone who wants to understand the science behind healthy aging without the marketing hype.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian introduces the anti-aging molecule doctors ignore
[01:45] What nitric oxide actually does in your body
[03:30] Why production crashes after 40 (and what to do about it)
[06:15] The beetroot study that changed everything
[08:45] Simple ways to measure your nitric oxide levels
[11:00] Practical steps you can start today
This isn't another supplement pitch or biohacking fad. It's hard science about a molecule that regulates blood flow, cellular energy, and tissue repair. The kind of foundational knowledge that helps you make better decisions about your health for decades to come.
🔔 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: nitric oxide, anti-aging, longevity science, cardiovascular health, Nobel Prize medicine
Find all episodes at First Principles
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Keywords: behavioral economics, cognitive biases, success psychology, thinking skills, evidence evaluation, depression stories, relationship psychology, leadership psychology

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20min
April 15, 2026 Mo Gawdat: AI Will Create Hell Before Heaven (Google X Insider Reveals All)
What if a former Google X executive told you that everything's about to get much worse before it gets dramatically better? In this episode, Adrian Wells sits down with Mo Gawdat, who spent a decade at the heart of Google's most ambitious projects and now believes we're entering 15 years of AI chaos before reaching what he calls "heaven on earth."
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why Gawdat left his dream job at Google X in 2017 and what he saw that made him sound the alarm
• The specific 15-year timeline he's predicting, starting now, and what comes after the disruption
• How Google X projects like self-driving cars and AI health diagnostics shaped his view of our future
• The personal tragedy that shifted his focus from tech innovation to human happiness research
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners who want to understand where technology is really taking us, beyond the hype and fear-mongering.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells introduces Mo Gawdat's shocking prediction
[01:45] Inside Google X: What Gawdat learned from a decade of moonshot projects
[04:20] The 15-year timeline: Why things get worse before they get better
[06:50] Personal tragedy that changed everything: How losing his son reshaped his mission
[09:30] The "heaven" phase: What prosperity looks like after AI disruption
[11:15] Key insights you can use to prepare for what's coming
This isn't your typical "AI will save us all" or "robots are coming for your job" conversation. Gawdat's perspective comes from actually building these technologies at Google, then stepping back to see the bigger picture. His timeline might sound extreme, but his track record of predicting tech trends makes it worth considering.
🔔 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: artificial intelligence, Google X, technology disruption, future predictions, Mo Gawdat
Find all episodes at First Principles
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Keywords: first principles, business fundamentals, health myths

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13min
April 15, 2026 The Psychological Trick That Turns $0 Into $100K (Financial Experts Hate This)
What if the biggest lie about money isn't that you need money to make money, but that making your first $100,000 is actually complicated? In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down the exact four-step psychological framework that turns regular people into millionaires, and why financial experts would rather you didn't know about it.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• The $300-per-month formula that creates millionaires in 40 years (and why starting at 25 beats starting at 35 by $600,000)
• Why writing down your financial goals makes you 42% more likely to hit them, plus the specific wording that actually works
• The psychological trick that makes the S&P 500's perfect 20-year track record work for you, even if you panic-sell during crashes
• How average teachers and government workers quietly become millionaires while high earners stay broke
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone who's tired of complicated investment advice that never seems to work for regular people.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells reveals why $100K isn't the real goal
[01:45] The millionaire timeline: why 28 years is actually fast
[03:20] The $300 monthly magic number and compound interest reality
[05:40] The writing trick that doubles your success rate
[07:15] Why the S&P 500 has never failed patient investors
[09:30] The teacher millionaire phenomenon nobody talks about
[11:00] Your exact next steps to start today
The math is simple, but the psychology is everything. Most people know what to do but can't stick with it. This episode shows you how to hack your own brain so the money part becomes automatic.
🔔 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: investing, compound interest, financial psychology, wealth building, retirement planning
Find all episodes at First Principles
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Keywords: productivity science, performance optimization, mental health celebrities

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18min
April 14, 2026 Why Pfizer Spent $2.3B Blocking These 5 Natural Cures From You
Ever wonder why that turmeric latte costs $8 but the studies showing it beats prescription anti-inflammatories never make headline news? Adrian Wells breaks down the uncomfortable truth about five natural compounds that have pharmaceutical companies quietly worried.
Turns out, when you can't patent a plant that's been around for thousands of years, there's not much incentive to fund the marketing campaigns. But the research? It's pretty solid.
🎯 What You'll Discover:
• Why curcumin outperformed ibuprofen in 100+ clinical trials (and costs about 30 cents per dose)
• How berberine drops blood sugar as effectively as metformin without the side effects
• The mushroom extract that boosted cognitive scores by 12% in just 8 weeks
• Why ashwagandha can cut your stress hormone levels by 30% in two months
• The real reason these studies don't get the attention they deserve
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone who's tired of being told "there's no evidence" for natural medicine while the actual evidence sits buried in medical journals.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the $2.3 billion cover-up
[01:45] Turmeric's secret weapon against inflammation
[03:30] The blood sugar miracle hiding in goldenseal
[05:15] Why Big Pharma fears this ancient adaptogen
[07:00] The mushroom that rebuilds your brain
[09:30] How to access these compounds safely and legally
[11:00] What this means for your health decisions
This isn't about conspiracy theories. It's about following the money and asking why some research gets billion-dollar marketing budgets while other studies get filed away quietly. The compounds exist. The studies are real. The question is: what are you going to do with this information?
🔔 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: natural medicine, pharmaceutical industry, curcumin benefits, berberine diabetes, ashwagandha stress relief
Find all episodes at First Principles
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Keywords: business strategy, productivity science, performance optimization, wealth mindset, business fundamentals, anxiety management, logical reasoning, behavioral economics

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13min
April 14, 2026 Neuroscientist Proves We Can Talk to the Dead (The Evidence Will Shock You)
What if everything you thought you knew about death was wrong? In this episode, Adrian Wells sits down with neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart to examine the scientific evidence that consciousness might actually persist after we die. This isn't spiritual speculation: it's hard data from cardiac arrest studies and brain imaging research.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why 60% of widowed people report contact with deceased spouses within the first year
• The specific brain patterns that show up in people experiencing after-death communication
• How cardiac arrest patients describe detailed awareness when their brain monitors show no activity
• Dr. Swart's Cambridge-trained perspective on what this means for our understanding of consciousness
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to explore the edges of what science can tell us about human consciousness.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the evidence we can communicate after death
[02:15] Dr. Swart's background: from Cambridge MD to consciousness research
[04:30] The cardiac arrest studies that changed everything
[07:00] Brain imaging reveals: what happens during after-death communication
[09:30] Why 60% of widowed people report contact with their spouse
[11:00] What this means for how we think about consciousness
Dr. Swart brings serious scientific credentials to questions most researchers won't touch. Her work bridges the gap between rigorous neuroscience and the experiences millions of people report but rarely discuss openly. Whether you're skeptical or curious, the data she presents will make you think differently about what happens when we die.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow First Principles on Spotify and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: consciousness, neuroscience, after-death communication, brain imaging, cardiac arrest studies
Find all episodes at First Principles
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Keywords: depression stories, cognitive biases, leadership psychology, social media addiction, decision making, success psychology

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16min
April 13, 2026 What 6 Months of ChatGPT Did to My Brain (Shocking Memory Test Results)
Your brain is changing. Right now. And if you're using ChatGPT regularly, scientists have some surprising news about what's happening up there. In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down the shocking research that's making neuroscientists rethink everything about AI and human cognition.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why your brain shows 23% less activation in key regions after using AI tools (and what this really means)
• The 68% confidence drop that's happening to regular ChatGPT users when making solo decisions
• How AI is rewiring your memory patterns: you're 40% better at finding info but worse at retaining it
• The evaluation vs. creation brain shift that could change how you think forever
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to understand how technology is literally reshaping their mind.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian introduces the brain study that stunned researchers
[01:30] The 23% activation drop: what's really happening in your head
[04:15] Why ChatGPT users are losing decision confidence
[07:00] Memory formation changes: the good and the concerning
[09:30] Brain scan revelations about creativity vs. evaluation
[11:45] What this means for your thinking long-term
The findings aren't what anyone expected. Your brain isn't getting lazy, it's getting selective. But there's a trade-off happening that most people don't realize. Some changes might actually make you smarter. Others? Well, that's the concerning part.
These aren't theoretical predictions about the future. This is documented neurological change happening right now in millions of brains, including yours.
🔔 Never miss an episode:
Follow First Principles on your podcast app and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap away.
🔍 Topics: ChatGPT brain effects, AI memory changes, cognitive science, decision confidence, neuroplasticity
Find all episodes at First Principles
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Keywords: leadership psychology, productivity science, wealth mindset, fame psychology

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13min
April 13, 2026 Why Mohnish Pabrai Quit His $200K Job (The Strategy Wall Street Doesn't Want You To Know)
What if the smartest investor you've never heard of makes millions by copying other people's homework? In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down how Mohnish Pabrai turned "cloning" Warren Buffett's moves into a 20% annual return strategy that's lasted two decades.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• The "dhandho" method that helped Pabrai's family buy distressed motels and build generational wealth
• How to legally track what billionaire investors are buying through SEC filings (it's all public)
• Why keeping your day job for 5-7 years is actually the fastest path to financial freedom
• The specific risk calculation that turns $100K into millions without gambling
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners tired of get-rich-quick schemes who want a proven playbook that actually works.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the $200K job Pabrai walked away from
[01:30] Why "cloning" successful investors isn't cheating, it's smart
[04:00] The motel business strategy that changed everything about risk
[07:00] How to read SEC filings like a professional investor
[10:00] The 5-7 year patience principle most people ignore
[12:00] Your first steps to start building real wealth today
Pabrai's approach flips conventional wisdom on its head. While everyone chases the next hot stock, he's building wealth by following a 2,000-year-old business philosophy his grandfather taught him. The best part? You don't need an MBA or a trust fund to start.
🔔 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: value investing, financial freedom, Warren Buffett, investment strategy, wealth building
Find all episodes at First Principles
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Keywords: evidence evaluation, success psychology, performance optimization, leadership psychology, business fundamentals, fame psychology, social media addiction, thinking skills

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14min
April 12, 2026 Why Your Belly Fat Won't Disappear (Even With Perfect Diet and Exercise)
You've been doing everything "right" - eating clean, hitting the gym, maybe even intermittent fasting - but that belly fat just won't budge. Frustrating? Absolutely. But there's actual science behind why your midsection is so damn stubborn, and once you understand it, everything changes. In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down the biological reasons your belly fat fights back and the evidence-based strategies that actually work.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why visceral fat produces 30 different hormones that actively sabotage your weight loss
• The cortisol-stress connection that can increase belly fat storage by 50% (and how to break it)
• Why getting less than 6 hours of sleep literally grows your waistline by 30%
• The hormonal differences between men and women that explain why fat settles where it does
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone who's tired of generic fitness advice that ignores the actual biology of fat loss.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the belly fat paradox
[01:30] The hormone factory in your midsection
[04:00] Why stress eating is biochemically different
[07:00] Sleep deprivation's direct line to your waistline
[10:00] Gender differences in fat storage patterns
[12:00] Evidence-based fixes you can start today
This isn't another "eat less, move more" lecture. It's a deep dive into why your body fights you on this specific type of fat loss and what actually works when willpower isn't enough.
🔔 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: belly fat, visceral fat, cortisol, sleep weight loss, fat burning, stress hormones
Find all episodes at First Principles
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Keywords: motivation psychology, entrepreneurship philosophy, philosophy business

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13min
April 12, 2026 Why Former CIA Agents Are Fleeing America (2030 Deadline Revealed)
What if the people trained to predict global threats are quietly preparing for 2030? In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down why former CIA analysts aren't just worried about America's future-they're actively planning exit strategies.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
• Why a $33 trillion debt isn't just a number-it's a ticking clock with real consequences
• The Social Security math that has intelligence pros spooked (and what it means for you)
• How 40% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck creates national security risks
• The "scenario planning" mindset that helps intelligence officers see around corners
👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to understand the bigger economic forces shaping our world.
📍 Chapters:
[00:00] Adrian Wells reveals the 2030 intelligence community warning
[01:45] The debt spiral: Why $33 trillion changes everything
[04:20] Social Security's funding cliff and what it triggers
[06:50] The emergency expense crisis that caught analysts' attention
[08:30] How intelligence pros think about long-term stability
[10:15] Your personal preparation playbook for uncertain times
The same analytical framework that helps intelligence professionals evaluate threats can help you make better decisions about your own future. Wells shows you how to think like an analyst without the security clearance.
🔔 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: CIA analysis, national debt crisis, economic stability, intelligence community, scenario planning
Find all episodes at First Principles
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Keywords: business fundamentals, motivation psychology, evidence evaluation, personal development, social media addiction, logical reasoning, cognitive biases

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13min

FAQs about First Principles:

How many episodes does First Principles have?

The podcast currently has 197 episodes available.