4 Actionable Insights from Tim Ferriss on the Huberman Lab Podcast

Kevin Connelly

Jun 27

https://hubermanlab.com/tim-ferriss-how-to-learn-better-and-create-your-best-future/

Two of my favorite internet heroes collided last week.

Tim Ferriss' podcast was a personal staple each week from 2014-2017. It changed my life for the better.

Times changed. I didn't have as much time for long-form audio content so I stopped listening as much, except for select episodes.

Fast forward to 2020, Andrew Huberman explodes onto the scene. Providing, in my opinion, the best and most actionable health & biology podcast. It's not just me. Any supplement he talks about on his show has an immediate spike in sales. This guy has built trust with his audience. And for good reason. He promotes low or no cost behavior changes backed by science first before ever talking about products you'd need to pull your wallet out for.

Tim was on the Huberman lab last week.

I encourage you to listen.

Here are some actionable takeaways:

Be a useful volunteer. Tim talked about how he built his network in SF early in his career by going above & beyond as a volunteer. The bar is so low since most people do the bare minimum. Show up, be useful, and you'll be surprised how far this gets you. I had a similar experience volunteering for my fraternity years ago.
Learn from world-class talent by approaching "silver medalists". Tim talked about how difficult it is to contact the top person in your field. They are busy and assistants to filter the crowded incoming requests. Instead, consider approaching someone who is at the top of the field but isn't the top. It turns out this person might be a better teacher. If you are at an event, consider approaching the moderator instead of the panel guests. The panel will be crowded after the event, but you can learn just as much from the moderator.
Useful questions to ask yourself:
1. What would this look like if it were easy?
2. Would I still do this if I couldn't talk about it?
3. How can I pick a project where I win even if it fails?
4. How can I set up systems so this will run without me?
Optimize for adherence. For example, Tim discusses the diet he popularized called the "slow carb" diet (here is a one-pager explaining it). Is it the most optimal diet in the world? No. But it is easy to adhere to, and adherence is effective. Tim likes building habits where it is easy to stick to it. I've found this concept to be especially helpful as a new dad.

Gentlemen's agreement :

Let's make a pact – a gentlemen's agreement if you will. If you've found something useful in this post, do me the kindness of sharing it with a friend who you think would appreciate these insights. While I'll never know if you actually do it or not, think of it as a token of gratitude for keeping this site ad-free and full of delightful wisdom. Deal?