PyJamas Pillow Talk

PyJamas Pillow Talk

By PJ (Poh Jie)BusinessEntrepreneurship
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PyJamas Pillow Talk episodes

  • #11 Alan Choudhry- Societal Systems Engineering

    My guest today is Alan Choudhry. He is author of ‘Introduction to Societal Systems Engineering’, and has Masters of Engineering in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering respectively from McGill University. Please enjoy the show.

    Show Notes
    • [0:40] What is sustainability?
  • [6:17] What technologies will form the pillar of sustainability in the future?
  • [13:10] Why are governments and organisations still not calculating the full cost?
  • [28:35] Thoughts on China’s economic success, what India can do better and different systems of governance
  • [49:52] Solving the problem of fake media
  • [53:20] Example of technology that is designed and cannot be misused
  • [56:20] Resources to learn about sustainability
    • Mentions
    • Introduction to Societal Systems Engineering by Alan Choudhry and Dr Dieter Feldmann
    Connect

    If you like to find out more about me, please find me on my personal website at www.pohjie.com, or connect with me on Twitter (@pohjie_pj).

    Outro

    Thank you for listening to this episode. If you like this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and share this episode with 1-3 friends. I started this podcast with the intention of having awesome conversations with interesting people, and having your support means a lot. Thank you.

    Music credits
    • Shades of Spring by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4342-shades-of-spring
  • License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
    • 1 hr 3 min
  • #10 Liam Clegg- On the Origins of the American Slave System

    My guest today is Liam Clegg. He is a business process analyst at Kopin Corporation, and formerly a visiting instructor at College of the Holy Cross. He has a Master of Science in social science from Caltech. Please enjoy the show.

    Show Notes
    • [0:40] Liam’s self-introduction on his academic and work background
  • [2:04] Liam’s current job as a business process analyst
  • [8:47] Benefits of studying mathematics, and how it has helped with learning philosophy/Hegel
  • [12:20] How does Liam’s view of economics differ from other people?
  • [20:08] What is racism in the United States and why was Liam unsatisfied with the existing literature on the origins of slavery in the US?
  • [45:02] Mitigating the narrative fallacy in social science research
  • [50:12] Origins of American slavery
  • [1:29:24] What is the root cause of racism in US today?
    • Mentions

    'On the Origins of the American Slave System' slides by Liam Clegg

    Introduction to the Reading of Hegel by Alexandre Kojève

    The Peculiar Institution by Kenneth M. Stampp

    Jody David Armour

    Glenn Loury

    Connect

    If you like to find out more about me, please find me on my personal website at www.pohjie.com, or connect with me on Twitter (@pohjie_pj).

    Outro

    Thank you for listening to this episode. If you like this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and share this episode with 1-3 friends. I started this podcast with the intention of having awesome conversations with interesting people, and having your support means a lot. Thank you.

    Music credits
    • Shades of Spring by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4342-shades-of-spring
  • License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
    • 1 hr 36 min
  • #9 Bradley Congram- Meta-learning in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and being a vegan athlete

    My guest today is Bradley Congram. He is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt, former play-by-play announcer, and a long time vegan. He has a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration and Leadership from Royal Roads University and Master’s Degree in Economics from University of Alberta. Please enjoy the show.

    Show Notes
    • [0:36] Why did Bradley decide to become a vegan?
  • [5:50] Attending parties as a vegan
  • [7:04] Making the vegan lifestyle work and cooking delicious vegan meals
  • [20:16] Brazilian jiu-jitsu scene and development in Canada, learning how to learn in jiu-jitsu
  • [38:04] Books on meta-learning
  • [45:25] Bradley’s progression in structuring his BJJ classes
  • [49:35] Getting to know the non-obvious details in BJJ
  • [56:30] Thoughts on Ortega vs The Korean Zombie, Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Justin Gaethje
    • Mentions
    • Happy Cow (https://www.happycow.net)
  • Alton Brown YouTube channel
  • The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin
    • Connect

    If you like to find out more about me, please find me on my personal website at www.pohjie.com, or connect with me on Twitter (@pohjie_pj).

    Outro

    Thank you for listening to this episode. If you like this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and share this episode with 1-3 friends. I started this podcast with the intention of having awesome conversations with interesting people, and having your support means a lot. Thank you.

    Music credits
    • Shades of Spring by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4342-shades-of-spring
  • License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
    • 1 hr 2 min
  • #8 Neil Sinhababu- US Politics in 2020

    My guest today is Neil Sinhababu, an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the National University of Singapore. He wrote Humean Nature and Possible Girls and has taught normative ethics and political philosophy. He majored in philosophy as an undergraduate at Harvard University and obtained a PhD in Philosophy at University of Texas at Austin. Please enjoy the show.

    Show Notes
    • [0:40] How does Neil view the 2016 US Presidential Election?
  • [3:11] Donald Trump’s history of corruption
  • [4:50] US-Russia relations
  • [6:55] Vladimir Putin and Russia post-Putin
  • [8:33] How will Neil’s actions and thoughts change if he was immersed in Russia’s culture of falsehood?
  • [9:40] Understanding US media system
  • [15:02] Thoughts on tech and legacy media, and the narrative of tech vs legacy media
  • [20:08] Getting a sense of Singapore’s political system
  • [21:58] Politicians risking their seats and arguments for democracy
  • [30:08] US-China relations, institutions, and a stable democratic world government 
  • [37:46] What can unite humans in the absence of an alien invasion?
  • [39:51] How have the US institutions fared in the Covid-19 pandemic? What should the institutions have done instead?
  • [48:02] Thoughts on 2020 Democratic Primary
  • [56:25] Neil’s broad social democratic strategy and his thoughts on billionaires’ impact on the system
  • [1:04:26] Prediction for upcoming 2020 US Presidential Election
  • [1:06:23] Changing the system to prevent undesirable candidates from taking power. Democrats’ knock-out vs Republicans’ submission-hold
  • [1:13:58] Influencing votes in favour of Democratic Party
  • [1:17:20] Does being a philosophy professor bring about the maximum utility?
  • [1:20:00] Media that Neil consumes
  • [1:21:46] How does Neil synthesise information and how does he know the worldview that he has is the right one?
    • Mentions
    • Vox
  • Washington Post
  • GiveWell
  • Jeff Merkley
    • Connect

    If you like to find out more about me, please find me on my personal website at www.pohjie.com, or connect with me on Twitter (@pohjie_pj).

    Outro

    Thank you for listening to this episode. If you like this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and share this episode with 1-3 friends. I started this podcast with the intention of having awesome conversations with interesting people, and having your support means a lot. Thank you.

    Music credits
    • Shades of Spring by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4342-shades-of-spring
  • License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
    • 1 hr 25 min
  • #7 Christine Seow- Films and storytelling

    My guest today is Christine Seow. She is a filmmaker who graduated from Wee Kim Wee School of Communications and Information at Nanyang Technological University, and was doing a one year course in Beijing Film Academy’s Directing Department until the pandemic occured. 

    Her thesis film was awarded the Asian Television Awards Cash Prize and was screened at Fort Myers Film Festival 2018. Several of her documentaries was screened at Freedom Film Festival 2018, where ‘Life After Death’ won the Commendation Award. She has also directed a Viddsee Original documentary series titled ‘While You Sleep’ which won Best Documentary at the Asia Web Awards 2018. She was also involved in a narrative Toggle Original series called Perfect One, which premiered in March 2019.

    As a casting associate, Christine has also worked with local renowned directors such as Anthony Chen, Kirsten Tan and Boo Junfeng. She was part of the Youth Jury & Critics Programme during the 2016 Singapore International Film Festival and wrote for SINdie, a local film critic website.

    Please enjoy the show.

    Show Notes
    • [1:10] What is Christine’s first impression of a story that left an impact on her?
  • [3:26] How has Christine’s definition of a story evolved over time? Moonlight and how it reflects life.
  • [8:42] Will Christine want her audience to understand her message, or have their own interpretation?
  • [11:20] How can we approach films as more than entertainment?
  • [20:20] Did Christine choose film or did film choose her?
  • [22:37] What are stories that Christine has intention to tell but the opportunity has not shown up yet?
  • [25:16] How will the nature of film change if there is the ability to record all our experiences and review them?
  • [31:25] Are good shots and edits sufficient to make a good film? What are some under appreciated skillsets in film-making? 
  • [41:50] How can an aspiring filmmaker sharpen their skills? Recommended media
    • Mentions
    • Moonlight
  • The Arrival by Shaun Tan
  • Corpus Christi
  • The Actor's Art and Craft: William Esper Teaches the Meisner Technique by William Esper and Damon Dimarco
  • He: Understanding Masculine Psychology by Robert Johnson
    • Connect

    If you like to find out more about me, please find me on my personal website at www.pohjie.com, or connect with me on Twitter (@pohjie_pj).

    Outro

    Thank you for listening to this episode. If you like this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and share this episode with 1-3 friends. I started this podcast with the intention of having awesome conversations with interesting people, and having your support means a lot. Thank you.

    Music credits
    • Shades of Spring by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4342-shades-of-spring
  • License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
    • 1 hr 2 min
  • #6 Jacob Wedderburn-Day- Building Stasher, and our own Desert Island Discs

    My guest today is Jacob Wedderburn-Day, CEO and co-founder of Stasher, a travel tech startup that connects travellers looking to store luggage with shops and hotels providing storage space. Prior to Stasher, he got his Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Management from Oxford and Master’s degree in Economics from University College London. Please enjoy the show.

    Show Notes
    • [0:28] What was growing up like for Jacob? Education and parenting
  • [8:00] Does UK’s education system differ from Singapore’s?
  • [12:25] Philosophy and math- foundations in logic but difference in conclusive outcomes
  • [17:07] What are some good resources to self-learn philosophy?
  • [20:46] Jacob’s preparation for his podcast
  • [24:34] Are there ‘right answers’ in philosophy? How should we come to consensus on issues as a society?
  • [32:24] What was the Brexit experience like? What will nations be like in the future?
  • [42:24] Principal-agent problem and working on the problem at Stasher
  • [49:41] Improving the interview process, and establishing a culture at companies
  • [58:13] What made Jacob want to be an entrepreneur?
  • [1:03:00] How did Stasher get its first 5, 10, 50 customers?
  • [1:08:19] Jacob’s weekly/daily schedule
  • [1:16:48] What are the media that Jacob consumes?
    • Mentions
    • Stasher
  • The Morality of everyday things
  • Michael Sandel
  • Balaji's Tweet on 'devolution' of nations into states
  • Lex Fridman's Day in the Life
  • Arrow's Impossibility Theorem
    • Connect

    If you like to find out more about me, please find me on my personal website at www.pohjie.com, or connect with me on Twitter (@pohjie_pj).

    Music credits
    • Shades of Spring by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4342-shades-of-spring
  • License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
    • 1 hr 21 min
  • #5 Deanna See- Renaissance gal

    My guest today is Deanna See. I thought long and hard about how I should introduce her- but I always feel that it is too easy to pigeonhole her and that will do her injustice. She is currently a Cognitive Science and Media Studies double major at University of Virginia. She breaks the norm of a ‘science’ or ‘arts’ person, which is why I am super excited to see what she does next. Please enjoy the show.

    Show Notes
    • [0:49] Tribalism and coronavirus in the United States
  • [4:44] Running a city state vs running a nation state
  • [11:40] Incentive structure
  • [15:50] Black Lives Matter protests and how they affect people’s view
  • [21:08] Experience working at a news agency
  • [27:35] Possible transition to an independent media outlet? Truths in media?
  • [34:27] How has being a double major in Cognitive Science and Media Studies been for Deanna?
  • [36:27] Conformism and standard career paths in Singapore vs carving out own path
  • [44:22] How did Deanna spend her gap year?
  • [47:29] How will Deanna describe herself?
  • [48:12] Developing into the person Deanna is now. Parenting in Singapore
  • [1:06:35] Looking forward to the next semester
  • [1:11:11] Deanna’s early prediction for herself?
    • Links:

    Deanna See’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/deansodium

    Connect

    If you like to find out more about me, please find me on my personal website at www.pohjie.com, or connect with me on Twitter (@pohjie_pj).

    Music credits
    • Shades of Spring by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4342-shades-of-spring
  • License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
    • 1 hr 22 min
  • #4 Lim Wei Jie- Bridging understanding, a cup of coffee at a time

    My guest today is Lim Wei Jie, co-founder and director of Foreword Coffee, a social enterprise that seeks to bridge understanding between ‘regular’ people and people with disabilities and special needs. I have a lot of respect for Wei Jie for having the heart to do a social enterprise, and to take the path less travelled as he has never been an employee after he graduated from NUS. I hope this conversation inspires the people out there who are thinking of starting their own social enterprise, but are not quite sure how. I also got Russell Lim, a good friend of mine who linked Wei Jie and I up, on the show as well. Please enjoy the show.

    Show Notes
    • [0:50] How did Wei Jie and Russell met each other in CAPT?
  • [1:50] What sparked Wei Jie’s interest in community issues
  • [4:20] A brief introduction to Foreword Coffee
  • [6:06] The process of starting Foreword Coffee
  • [8:39] Reaching out to special needs school
  • [11:10] Testing out training programs for special needs individuals
  • [17:24] Why most of us misunderstand what ‘special needs individuals’ really entail
  • [19:30] Was there any point when Wei Jie knows Foreword Coffee will work?
  • [22:19] What are the big hurdles that Wei Jie has to overcome?
  • [27:00] What are other sectors that special needs individuals can contribute to? Any potential advice to employers who wish to employ special needs individuals?
  • [34:37] Facing doubts at social enterprise startup competitions and the importance of the human element in creating impact
  • [41:36] Is there anything that Wei Jie has changed his mind on 3 years into his entrepreneurial journey?
  • [46:02] Foreword Coffee’s customer base
  • [48:48] Future plans for Foreword Coffee
  • [50:37] How does Wei Jie go about planning for Foreword Coffee?
  • [53:26] Was this journey harder or easier than initially expected?
  • [55:23] How does Foreword Coffee plan to expand beyond Singapore?
  • [58:50] How does Wei Jie feel about having never been an employee after graduating from NUS?
  • [1:01:56] How has stigma of special needs individuals change within Foreword Coffee’s ecosystem?
    • Links

    Foreword Coffee: https://www.forewordcoffee.com

    More

    If you like to find out more about me, please find me on my personal website at www.pohjie.com, or connect with me on Twitter (@pohjie_pj).

    Music credits
    • Shades of Spring by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4342-shades-of-spring
  • License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
    • 1 hr 5 min
  • #3 Madison Fischer- Pursuing the peak of climbing

    Madison is a competitive climber and has competed in 4 continents representing Canada both as a youth climber and now an Open competitor. In 2016, Madison was a part of the team that opened The Core Climbing Gym in Cambridge, Ontario; The town and gym she currently calls home.

    Madison graduated from International Baccalaureate Program in 2019, started a popcorn company, Podyum, in 2020, and is currently training full-time with her sights on the Olympics in 2024.

    Show notes
    • [0:40] Self-introduction from Madison Fischer
  • [1:25] Meditation and being social media free. How did Madison Fischer get exposed to meditation?
  • [4:06] How meditation has helped Madison at American Bouldering National Championships
  • [6:06] Cognitive recovery for rock climbing
  • [8:00] How Madison approach meditation
  • [11:40] Madison’s current training environment
  • [17:03] Madison’s coaching experiences and principles
  • [22:35] Getting exposed to social media, then deciding to cut it out
  • [37:46] Encouraging others to quit social media as well
  • [40:19] What does Madison think about advertising on social media platforms?
  • [44:04] The businesses that Madison is starting
  • [47:43] Scheduling training, rest and running businesses
  • [54:56] Choosing a major and planning for the future
  • [1:03:37] Self image- tension between self belief and not becoming over-confident
    • Links
    • Madison Fischer's blog
  • Podyum
  • Podium Partner
    • More

    If you like to find out more about me, please find me on my personal website at www.pohjie.com, or connect with me on Twitter (@pohjie_pj).

    Music credits
    • Shades of Spring by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4342-shades-of-spring
  • License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    •  

    1 hr 18 min
  • #2 Siddharth Jadhav- Enhancing Food Security with Automation

    My guest today is Siddharth Jadhav- founder and CEO at Polybee, a startup that seeks to enhance food security with automation. I first spoke to Siddharth when I was looking to get a summer internship- my first interview was very different from the usual ones because Siddharth spent a lot of time explaining the mission behind Polybee. I left the interview feeling fascinated, and I wish that whatever was shared about agriculture was more widely available to the public. This interview is an attempt to capture Siddharth’s knowledge. Please enjoy the show. 

    Show notes
    • [0:00] Introduction
  • [0:46] Background that Siddharth grew up in
  • [10:54] Siddharth’s parents’ attitude towards parenting
  • [14:45] Siddharth’s undergrad studies in India and first trip to Singapore
  • [23:36] A quick crash course on aerodynamics, natural vs man-made flight
  • [41:33] How was the idea for Polybee conceived?
  • [1:02:44] Interesting challenges faced at Polybee, and their current progress
  • [1:08:22] Has any idea re: running a company changed for Siddharth?
  • [1:13:45] Principal-agent problem
  • [1:27:41] What is a typical week like for Siddharth and how he manages his time
  • [1:38:30] Recommended media
    • Book mentioned:
    • Understanding Aerodynamics: Arguing from the Real Physics
    More

    If you like to find out more about me, please find me on my personal website at www.pohjie.com, or connect with me on Twitter (@pohjie_pj).

    Music credits
    • Shades of Spring by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4342-shades-of-spring
  • License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
    • 1 hr 49 min

About PyJamas Pillow Talk

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We are made to be multivariate- explore science, entrepreneurship, philosophy, economics, art and martial arts with me. Be different; learn for the intrinsic joy. #skininthegame