Sonia and Simon

What makes Elon Musk capable of building companies that attempt what others consider impossible?Eric Jorgenson, author of The Book of Elon and The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, has spent years distilling the ideas, philosophies and mental models of some of the world's most influential thinkers.Eric breaks down the principles behind Elon Musk's approach to success from thinking from first principles and questioning conventional wisdom to building exceptional teams, executing relentlessly and pursuing a mission bigger than yourself.But extraordinary success comes with uncomfortable trade-offs. Eric explores why achieving something meaningful can require upsetting people, challenging the status quo and accepting that you won't always be liked.We Discuss:The principles behind Elon Musk's successWhy first-principles thinking changes how you solve problemsWhy execution matters more than having a great ideaThe role of obsession, urgency and extreme commitmentWhy pursuing a meaningful mission sometimes means upsetting peopleElon Musk vs Naval Ravikant: wealth, freedom and ambitionWhat exceptional founders understand that others missHow AI could transform work, wealth and the future of humanityEric's central message is that if you believe something important needs to exist, you can't wait for everyone else to agree with you. Sometimes, you have to build it yourself.About Eric Jorgenson:Eric Jorgenson is an author, entrepreneur and investor best known for The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, The Anthology of Balaji and The Book of Elon, a collection of Elon Musk's ideas on purpose, engineering, business and the future.Get in touch with Eric: Website: https://www.ejorgenson.com/X: https://x.com/EricJorgensonSubscribe to the Sonia & Simon Show for conversations with the thinkers, founders and leaders shaping what comes next.Expand your worldview. Every Monday.

What happens when the gap between rich and poor becomes too wide? What will happen to society if AI takes our jobs? And are we forgetting the very real threat of nuclear war?Branko Milanović is one of the world’s leading economists on inequality, he unpacks the forces reshaping our world, from the concentration of wealth and the political instability it can create, to the long-term consequences of AI replacing human work.We discuss:The problem with extreme wealth, why Branko believes concentrated wealth can destabilise society and fuel political upheaval.AI taking our jobs, what happens when work disappears and with it, the identity and purpose people build around their careers.Taxing the ultra-wealthy, why the debate goes beyond economics and into the stability of society.The threat of nuclear war, why Branko fears the world is losing sight of the devastating consequences of nuclear conflict.Lessons from history, what previous periods of inequality and political instability can teach us about the future.Connect with Branko:X Substack

What if everything you know about negotiation is wrong? ⁨Chris Voss former FBI lead international kidnapping negotiator and author of Never Split the Difference, reveals the psychological tactics used to negotiate with kidnappers, defuse high-stakes situations and influence human behaviour.We Discuss:The FBI negotiation tactics you can use in everyday lifeWhy “no” can be the beginning of a better dealHow to get people talking and uncover what they really wantThe psychology behind trust, influence and persuasionThe questions that can shift a negotiation in your favourHow to negotiate better in business, relationships and lifeAbout Chris:Chris Voss is a former FBI lead kidnapping negotiator, bestselling author of Never Split The Difference, and founder and CEO of The Black Swan Group; a negotiation, training, coaching, and consulting organization that teaches people how to achieve better outcomes in high-stakes conversations.Recognized globally as a leading authority on negotiation, Chris developed his approach through decades of experience in crisis negotiation. Today, he and The Black Swan Group apply those principles to business, sales, leadership, difficult conversations, and high-stakes communication through The Black Swan Method® and Tactical Empathy®.Never Split The Difference has introduced millions of readers around the world to Chris's negotiation methodology. Through The Black Swan Group, Chris and his team help people go beyond understanding the concepts in the book and develop negotiation as a practical, repeatable performance skill through training, coaching, practice, and live experiences.The Black Swan Group offers in-person negotiation training, live and self-paced online negotiation training, coaching, keynote speaking, and advanced negotiation experiences for business owners, leaders, sales professionals, and other professionals who want to become more effective dealmakers.Learn from Chris Voss and The Black Swan Group:⁠Negotiation training and resources⁠⁠In-person and live training⁠⁠Online negotiation training

Why are so many people earning good money but still struggling to build wealth?Half of Australian workers say they’re living paycheque to paycheque even as wages continue to rise.Investment expert and author Ben Carlson unpack where our money is going and what it actually takes to build wealth over the long term. He reveals the biggest mistakes people make with money, why humans are so bad at investing, what market crashes can teach us, whether buying a home is still the best path to wealth, and what investors should make of the AI boom.We Discuss:Why earning more doesn’t always lead to building wealthThe biggest mistakes investors makeHow to survive a market crashWhether you should be buying a home or investing insteadThe truth about renting vs owningIs AI creating an investment bubble?Follow Ben XWebsite

What if aliens almost certainly exist and humans could one day live forever?Theoretical physicist Dr Michio Kaku has spent seven decades searching for the single equation that could explain everything in existence. He takes us to the edge of what we know about the universe and what could be possible next.We Discuss: Why Michio believes there is almost certainly life beyond EarthWhat UFOs can and can’t tell us about extraterrestrial lifeWhether humans could ever become immortalHow quantum computers could threaten today’s digital security and banking systemsThe possibility of multiple universesAnd the biggest unanswered questions about our universeFollow Dr Michio:XWebsite