Not Overthinking

In this episode, we chat with Jason Blakely, an associate professor of political science, discussing a range of topics related to political science, ideology, and the role of science in society. Jason critiques the approach of treating social sciences like natural sciences, highlighting the limitations and misinterpretations this can lead to. The discussion also delves into the concept of "Psi-ops" in social sciences, the influence of cultural and narrative elements in understanding social phenomena, and the distinction between natural and social sciences. The conversation critically examines the current ideological and cultural frameworks in society, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and interpretation in understanding human behaviour and social dynamics.Enjoy! x

SummaryIn this episode, Ali and Taimur delve into a range of personal and professional topics. Taimur shares his recent experience with contracting COVID-19 for the first time, discussing the physical and mental effects of the illness. He talks about experiencing severe cold symptoms, fever, and an altered mental state that included persistent song lyrics in his head, particularly from the musical "Hamilton."Ali reflects on his own past experience with COVID-19, particularly focusing on the lack of motivation to work or be productive during the illness. They explore the idea of how illness affects one's desire to "grind" and the role of dopamine and testosterone in motivation.Further into the episode, Ali discusses his recent book launch, including making it onto the New York Times bestseller list, appearances on various TV shows, and his feelings of relief and validation following these achievements. The conversation also covers the concept of Productivity Club, an online community and platform Ali is developing, aimed at enhancing productivity through structured support and communal activities.TakeawaysExperiencing illness like COVID-19 can significantly alter one's mental state and productivity levels.The importance of motivation in personal and professional life, and how it's affected by various factors including health.The satisfaction and validation that come from achieving major career milestones, like a bestseller book.The potential of online platforms and communities, like Productivity Club, to foster productivity and create a supportive environment.Chapters00:00 - Introduction and Taimur's COVID-19 Experience05:03 - The Mental Effects of Illness and Song Earworms10:33 - Ali's Reflection on Past COVID-19 Experience and Motivation15:06 - Ali's Book Launch and Achievements20:10 - Discussion on Future Projects and Direction25:01 - The Concept and Development of Productivity Club30:00 - Taimur's Thoughts on Online Platforms and User Experience35:13 - Ali Expands on Productivity Club's Structure and Goals40:00 - Further Discussion on Effective Productivity Strategies and Tools44:57 - Closing Thoughts and Future Plans

SummaryIn this episode, Ali and Taimur catch up and discuss various topics. They introduce a calendar widget that allows users to provide feedback on meetings. They also discuss the value of experience and the misconceptions around being an ideas person. They reflect on their past impressions of fundraising, sales and marketing, delegation and outsourcing, brand deals and gifting, and book writing. Overall, they highlight the importance of gaining experience and understanding the intangibles in various fields. In this conversation, Ali and Taimur discuss the discovery of Zotero and the gap in the market for business coaching content. They also explore the value of zoom screen shares and internal dashboards in learning about business processes. The conversation touches on the importance of hands-on experience and learning from founders, as well as the process of book promotion and dealing with negative reviews. They also discuss the upcoming book promotional activities and the financial aspect of book sales.TakeawaysExperience brings valuable intangibles that are hard to explain but essential in various fields.Being an ideas person is not enough; having tangible skills and expertise is crucial for success.Misconceptions about fundraising, sales, and marketing can hinder progress and understanding.Delegation and outsourcing can free up time and allow individuals to focus on their core strengths.Impressions of brand deals and gifting can change as one gains experience and understanding.Learning from others and seeking guidance can provide valuable insights and improve outcomes. Discovering new tools and resources can fill gaps in knowledge and improve productivity.Learning from experienced entrepreneurs and observing their processes can provide valuable insights.Hands-on experience and exposure to real-world business situations can be more valuable than theoretical knowledge.Book promotion involves various activities, including interviews, podcasts, and media features.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Catching Up03:18 Introducing the Calendar Widget09:06 The Value of Experience13:50 The Role of an Ideas Guy18:20 The Importance of Experience and Intangibles23:21 Misconceptions about Fundraising24:49 Impressions of Sales and Marketing26:15 The Value of Delegation and Outsourcing27:39 Changing Perceptions of Brand Deals and Gifting29:27 Perceptions of Subscriber Count and Book Writing33:10 Discovering Zotero and the Gap in the Market34:48 The Rise of Alex Hormozi and the Business Coaching Market35:14 The Value of Zoom Screen Shares and Internal Dashboards36:20 Learning from Sales Calls and Emailing Processes38:25 The Importance of Experience and Learning from Post-Exit Founders39:44 Seeking Guidance from Those Who Have Achieved Your Goals40:20 The Fluidity of Starting Something New41:59 The Value of Hands-On Experience and Learning from Founders43:30 Bookshelf Themes and the Productivity Genre44:48 The Process of Book Promotion and Translations46:00 Dealing with Negative Reviews and Imposter Syndrome48:37 Preparing for Daytime TV Segments49:08 Rehearsing for TV Interviews and Being Concise52:00 Upcoming Book Promotional Activities54:32 Earning Royalties from Book Sales56:00 The Financial Aspect of Book Sales57:25 A Plug for Lucia's Work and Job Opportunities

In this episode, we talk about other podcasts and the future of the Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal podcast. Enjoy xx

In this episode, we talk about the last five-or-so months of not posting any podcast episodes. Enjoy xx

In this episode, we catch up (and firmly put all the book highlight reading behind us). Merry Christmas! Enjoy xx

In this episode, we carry on our discussion of the book 'Why Love Hurts' once more. Enjoy xx

In this episode, we continue our discussion of the book “Why Love Hurts” by Eva Illouz. Enjoy xx

In this episode, we discuss a few highlights from “Why Love Hurts” - a book which argues that our relationships go wrong due to 'institutional forces', rather than our dysfunctional childhoods or our insufficiently self-aware psyches (which is the more commonly accepted modern belief).

In this episode, we discuss pysops: are things like 'eight hours of sleep a night' really necessary, or are we just unfoundedly made to believe them? Enjoy xx

In this episode, we catch up on the past 6 weeks of our lives, discuss some calendar hacks and then break down our thoughts on the FTX crypto drama that’s been rampant on Twitter these past few days. Enjoy xx

In this episode, we discuss what we've been up to since the last episode, and we also continue discussing the book we've been reading. Enjoy xx

In this episode, after a bit of rambling about our lives, we discuss Carl Trueman's book "The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self". Enjoy xx

In this episode, we discuss the spiritual journey that we're both dabbling with. Enjoy xx.

In this episode, we ramble a bit about what’s going on in our lives,  Ali’s recent discovery of Alan Watts, and the idea around whether or not we should give a ‘platform’ to potentially-controversial guests on our podcast. Enjoy xx

In this episode, we discuss Taimur’s biggest life update in a long time. We explore the feelings behind being engaged vs being married, try to work out whether an expensive wedding is worth it, and a few other bits. Enjoy!

In this episode, we discuss the idea of ‘enough’ and where our drive for ‘numbers go up’ comes from. Enjoy xxSearch “One Sec” on the App Store and use the coupon code ALI15 to get a 15% discount on the premium subscription, if you want to pay for the premium subscription. Works perfectly fine as a free app too.

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Get the book here: https://geni.us/cyNMAli's Part-Time YouTuber Crash Course - https://aliabdaal.com/part-time-youtuber-crash-course/ Ali's Part-Time Creatorpreneur Crash Course - https://aliabdaal.com/creatorpreneur-crash-course/

In this episode, we take a look back over the past 3 years of doing this podcast, and how our lives have changed since that fateful day in March 2019 when we decided to start recording “Not Overthinking”. Enjoy!