Podcast Notes Playlist: Latest Episodes

Podcast Notes Key Takeaways

• As a startup, use ads to generate growth
  • Contrary to popular belief, ads are very often profitable – people simply don’t do them right
  • Organic traffic can take YEARS to build up
• Why do you want traffic to your business/website as quickly as possible?
  • Once you have a lot of it, you can start running A/B tests to optimize the user experience and improve your page
• Find out what channel your niche users like to spend time on (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) and advertise there
  • But do know that Twitter is often one of the worst channels to advertise with (meaning the cost per click is very high)
• Advertise on new social media channels as early as possible
• Video ads almost always outperform image ads
• Focus on building a product or experience that is so good, people will want to talk about it and share it with others

Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org

After helping dozens of Silicon Valley startups grow their businesses, Julian Shapiro (@Julian) knows a thing or two about growth. In this episode, he shares some strong opinions about why every company should run ads, why e-commerce is more promising than SaaS, and how you should prioritize your focus as a founder to ensure you start a business that can grow.

Transcript, speaker information, and more: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcast/079-julian-shapiro-of-bell-curve

Jack Dorsey dropped out of college to start Twitter, and is now a billionaire businessman. He is the CEO of Twitter, CEO & Chairman of Square, and a co-founder of both.

But what most people don't know about Jack is his keen interest in all things fitness, nutrition and health. So in today's episode we dive into Jack's daily routine, diet, stress management strategies, workout and fitness habits, and much more.

Show notes: https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/jack

Society will pay you for creating what it wants, but doesn’t know how to get, and delivering it at scale.

with Brian Koppelman (@briankoppelman), Marc Andreessen (@pmarca), and Sonal Chokshi (@smc90)

The writer-showrunner is a relatively new phenomenon in TV, as opposed to film, which is still a director-driven enterprise. But what does it mean, as both a creative and a leader, to “showrun” something, whether a TV show… or a startup? Turns out, there are a lot of parallels with the rise of the showrunner and the rise of founder-CEOs, all working (or partnering) within legacy systems. But in the day to day details, really “owning” and showunning something — while also having others participate in it and help bring it to life — involves doing the work, both inside and out.

This special, almost-crossover episode of the a16z Podcast features Billions co-showrunner Brian Koppelman — who also co-wrote movies such as Rounders and Ocean’s 13 with his longtime creative partner David Levien — in conversation with Marc Andreessen (and Sonal Chokshi). The discussion covers everything from managing up — when it comes to executives or investors sharing their “notes” aka “feedback” on your work — to managing down, with one’s team; to managing one’s partners (or co-founders)… and especially managing yourself. How to tame those irrational emotions, that ego?

Ultimately, though, it’s all about unlocking creativity, whether in writing, coding, or other art forms. Because something surprising happened: Instead of TV going the way of music à la Napster with the advent of the internet, we’re seeing the exact opposite — a new era of “visual literature”, a “Golden Age” of television and art. Are artists apprenticing from other artists virtually, learning and figuring out the craft (with some help from the internet, mobile, TV)? And if we really are seeing “the creative explosion of all time”, what does it take to explode our own creativity in our work, to better run the shows of our lives? All this and more in this episode of the a16z Podcast… as well as some Billions behind-the-scenes (and light spoilers, alerted within!) towards the end.

“All these things you’re sure are true — what if they weren’t?”

— Safi Bahcall

Safi Bahcall (@SafiBahcall) is the author of Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas that Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries. Loonshots describes what an idea from physics tells us about the behavior of groups and how teams, companies, and nations can use that to innovate faster and better. It has been selected for The Washington Post‘s 10 Leadership Books to Watch for in 2019, Inc.‘s 10 Business Books You Need to Read in 2019, and Business Insider‘s 14 Books Everyone Will Be Reading in 2019.

Safi received his PhD in physics from Stanford and his undergrad degree from Harvard. After working as a consultant for McKinsey, Safi co-founded a biotechnology company specializing in developing new drugs for cancer. He led its IPO and served as its CEO for 13 years. In 2008, Safi was named Ernst and Young’s New England Biotechnology Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2011, he worked with President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology on the future of national research.

This podcast is brought to you by Uber. Uber makes getting around town easier than ever before, and now Uber is introducing Uber Rewards, a new rewards program that helps keep modern life going. With Uber Rewards, you can earn points on Rides and Uber Eats and unlock rewards such as Uber Cash for your next Uber ride or your next Uber Eats order. You can unlock new benefits at every membership level, such as flexible cancellations with Gold, price protection with Platinum, complimentary surprise upgrades with Diamond, and more. For terms and to learn more about all the ways you can earn Uber Rewards, go to Uber.com/Rewards.

This podcast is also brought to you by Peloton, which has become a staple of my daily routine. I picked up this bike after seeing the success of my friend Kevin Rose, and I’ve been enjoying it more than I ever imagined. Peloton is an indoor cycling bike that brings live studio classes right to your home. No worrying about fitting classes into your busy schedule or making it to a studio with a crazy commute.

New classes are added every day, and this includes options led by elite NYC instructors in your own living room. You can even live stream studio classes taught by the world’s best instructors, or find your favorite class on demand.

Peloton is offering listeners to this show a special offer. Visit onepeloton.com and enter the code TIM at checkout to receive $100 off accessories with your Peloton bike purchase. This is a great way to get in your workouts, or an incredible gift. Again, that’s onepeloton.com and enter the code TIM.

Podcast Notes Books Mentioned

• A quote too good to miss:
  • “If you work for yourself, if you’re a sovereign individual in the sense that you’re self-made, self-paid, and self-employed…you’re very untouchable in a certain sense”
• The nature of work has changed
  • A job used to be something that you were. Now a job is just something that you do, often times temporarily.
• Over 80% of Americans are either indifferent or actively unhappy with their jobs
• The most important skills to cultivate in the 21st century:
  • Rhetoric
  • Logical thinking ability
  • Knowing how to build a website
  • The ability to speak/write well
    • “If you can communicate effectively, whatever environment you’re in, you’re always going to be near the top”
• Want better focus? – Just stop multitasking
• On building a personal brand:
  • “If you want to have a really good relationship with your audience and your work, you have to be fully invested in the sense that you want to deliver consistent value, but you need to be detached from it in regards to the outcome it gives you” – Alex
  • “People connect with people, they don’t connect with brands” – Chris

Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org



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Alexander Cortes is a trainer, writer and speaker.

Expect to learn what skills Alex would give a human if he was designing them for the 21st century, why we think Gary Vaynerchuk might have been pressing on the CEO of Fyre Festival's amygdala and our strategies for reading more throughout 2019.

Extra Things:

Sign up to Alex's Newsletter - https://cortes.site/newsletter/

Follow Alex on Twitter - https://twitter.com/AJA_Cortes (he tweets some GREAT stuff)

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Get in touch. Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me...

Twitter: www.twitter.com/chriswillx

Instagram: www.instagram.com/chriswillx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast

Email: [email protected]

People living far below their means enjoy a freedom that people busy upgrading their lifestyles just can't fathom.

Podcast Notes Key Takeaways

• Always try to add value to other people without asking for anything in return – you never know where it might lead you
• Constantly be running A/B tests for your company/product/service
• If you put in a ton of work into building something great, put in the effort to share it with as many people as possible
  • “If you build something incredible, it would be selfish to not put in the hours to share it with others so their lives get better”
• Constantly seek feedback from customers and users about EVERYTHING
• When you can, try to get press coverage for your product/company
  • To increase your chances of getting covered: when cold emailing journalists, include a prewritten article – this lessens the amount of work the journalist has to do themselves

Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org



Growth consultant Julian Shapiro joins me for an extra long episode in which he shares a wealth of knowledge and stories about making numbers go up and to the right.

Social Capital CEO Chamath Palihapitiya talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher and Teddy Schleifer about an “identity crisis” that pitted his wealth and fame against personal happiness and relationships.

In this episode: Social Capital’s attempts to disrupt venture capital;  Palihapitiya’s “identity crisis” and search for happiness; nonwhite people aren’t allowed to appear crazy; “to all the people that worked for me ... you’re fucking welcome”; why Silicon Valley has never been unhappier; the lack of heroes and values in modern society; the uneasy balance between a business' mission and its profits; disarming the concept of mental health; why Palihapitiya isn’t a fan of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; why the startup world is a “ponzi scheme”; what entrepreneurs need to ask prospective investors to avoid getting fleeced; the looming debt crisis; the five areas he would invest in now; and the current state of Social Capital.

Thanks to Microsoft Azure for sponsoring this episode. Get started with a free account and 12 months of popular free services at Azure.com/trial today.

Marc Andreessen, inventor of the web browser, on creativity and innovation.