Most people don’t fail at big projects because they lack talent.

They fail because they never protect their attention.

In this conversation, Eric Koester sits down with Cal Newport, Georgetown professor and author of Deep Work and Digital Minimalism, to break down what it actually takes to finish meaningful, career-defining work in a distracted world.

Cal explains why passion is overrated, why constraints quietly create momentum, and why two to three hours of real focus consistently beat twelve hours of scattered effort. They also unpack why most people misunderstand productivity, and how attention has become the scarcest resource in modern knowledge work.

If you’re trying to write a book, launch a podcast, or make real progress on a long-term project that keeps getting delayed by “busyness,” this episode gives you a better system.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why attention is more valuable than time

How constraints force higher-quality work

Why professional writers don’t write all day

How to build a deep work rhythm that fits real life

Why “follow your passion” is bad advice for serious projects

Big projects don’t get finished by motivation.

They get finished by systems that protect attention.