Charles Beames — Welcome to the Second Space Race (EP.269)
Aerospace investor and York Space Systems chairman Chuck Beames joins me for a fascinating discussion on the commercial space revolution and the future of satellite security. A retired Air Force colonel with over 20 years experience as a space and intelligence officer, Chuck brings unparalleled expertise to our conversation about what many are calling "the second space race”. We explore how America can leverage her free-market strengths, why ‘zero trust’ protocols could revolutionize cybersecurity, the military origins of GPS, and why Space Force needs a streamlined procurement approach. I hope you enjoy this insightful conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Chuck's Twitter Chuck's Forbes Contributor Page The SmallSat Alliance Show Notes: The Second Space Race The Zero Trust Approach and ‘Secure By Design’ GPS as a Military Technology The Space Force is dealing with Multiple Complex Adaptive Systems New Paradigms in Satellite Design What VCs and Bankers Need to know about the Space Community Wargaming with AIs and Humans Laser Spoofing and Adversarial AIs Establishing Supply Chain Sovereignty Open Organizational Cultures Chuck’s Lessons from Woodworking The Job of an Executive Chairman Chuck as World Emperor
--------
1:26:49
Natasha Joukovsky — On Recursion, Status Games & Manufactured Nonchalance (EP.268)
Strategy consultant turned writer Natasha Joukovsky joins me to discuss why bourgeois comfort is more conducive to writing than you think, why choice-plots make for better fiction, the eyerolling prevalence of manufactured nonchalance, our shared distaste for Atlantis Bahamas, and MUCH more! I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Natasha’s Website Natasha’s Substack The Portrait of a Mirror Show Notes: “You can do everything, just not at the same time” It’s Recursion All the Way Down Pretending to Read vs Actually Reading Manufactured Nonchalance as a Status Signal Counter-Signalling, Fake-Famous & Jim’s Cursed Trip to Atlantis Bahamas On No-Choice Plots & Writing in Service of Beauty The Self-Deception of Status Hunting Why Bourgeois Comfort is More Conducive to Art Than You Think Natasha’s Next Book “We don’t do auctions” Natasha as World Empress Books Mentioned: The Portrait of a Mirror; by Natasha Joukovsky The novels of Jane Austen Status Anxiety; by Alain de Botton The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (poem); by T.S. Eliot Class: A Guide Through the American Status System; by Paul Fussell Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid; by Douglas R. Hofstadter Ulysses; by James Joyce Metamorphosis; by Franz Kafka Beloved; by Toni Morrison In Search of Lost Time (Remembrance of Things Past); by Marcel Proust Collective Illusions; by Todd Rose The Status Game; by Will Storr Anna Karenina; by Leo Tolstoy The Theory of the Leisure Class; by Thorstein Veblen A Little Life; by Hanya Yanagihara
--------
1:32:08
Tiago Forte — Unlocking the Power of the Annual Review (Ep. 267)
I’ve said before that one of the best parts of hosting Infinite Loops is the chance to connect with people who consistently make me think differently — and few do that quite like Tiago Forte. Tiago Forte joins Infinite Loops for the first time, and within minutes we closed the door on his best-selling “Building A Second Brain” and were off to the races: from digitizing 50,000+ words of personal data to build an AI-powered life coach, to the emotional intelligence hiding inside envy, to the surprising lessons he learned walking through a tiny historical museum in Coconut Grove. We also dig into the messy magic of identity shifts, how fit dads triggered a personal transformation, and why letting go of productivity-as-performance might be the most productive thing you can do. Plus: the power of NotebookLM, building AI-native systems of self-awareness, and why the future will belong to those who embrace the one-way door. Unsurprisingly, this was a fun one. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Tiago Forte’s Website Tiago Forte on X Tiago Forte on LinkedIn Tiago Forte’s Annual Reviews Building A Second Brain Book The PARA Method Book I Replaced my $700/hour Coach with NotebookLM — Here’s What Happened (YouTube) What I Learned About the Future By Reading 100 Science Fiction Books Show Notes: Closing the Door on Second Brain The Power of the Annual Review Tiago's Family: Incredibly Vibrant, Visual, Auditory Incorporating AI Into Work & Life Joe Hudson: Mentorship and Emotional Intelligence Miami: The Most Introspective Place on Earth Irreversible Decisions Archival Material: Underrated Forcing Function The Future of Book Publishing The Hard Truth on Performance Reviews AI Skepticism & Building Moats AI-First Mentality for Early Adopters Learning From Sci-Fi Books Cumulative Cultural Evolution Tiago as Emperor of the World Books Mentioned: Building A Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential; by Tiago Forte The PARA Method: Simplify, Organize, and Master Your Digital Life; by Tiago Forte How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain; by Lisa Feldman Barrett Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World; by Anne-Laure Le Cunff Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned; by Kenneth O. Stanley and Joel Lehman Molecules Of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine; by Candace B. Pert What Works on Wall Street; by Jim O’Shaughnessy The Beginning of Infinity; by David Deutsch One Summer: America, 1927; by Bill Bryson White Mirror; by Tinkered Thinking The Forever War; by Joe Halderman
--------
1:36:30
Nir Eyal — The Psychology of Addictive Products (EP.266)
Author, speaker, founder, investor and behavioral design maestro Nir Eyal joins me for his second appearance on the show. Today, we dig into Nir’s first book, “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products.” We also discuss the difference between coercion and persuasion, AI’s use case as our personal Jiminy Cricket and MUCH more! I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Nir’s personal blog Nir’s LinkedIn Nir’s Twitter Nir’s YouTube channel Nir’s Habit Tracking Tool Nir’s Schedule Maker Tool Show Notes: What Makes Silicon Valley’s Tech Products So Sticky? The Morality of Manipulation The Perils of Legalized Gambling Twitter is for Journalists and Nerds AI for Behavioural Design Believing in our own Agency On Labels and Limiting Identities Pills Don’t Teach Skills The Power of an Internal Locus of Control Escaping Discomfort & Getting Hooked AI as a Self-Directed Personal Tutor Nir As Emperor of the World Books Mentioned: Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products; by Nir Eyal Influence; by Robert Cialdini Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life; by John Kaag
--------
1:02:30
Nathan Baschez — On AI Writing, Thought Design & Solo Foundership (EP.265)
Nathan Baschez is the cofounder and CEO of Lex, an AI word-processor. He also cofounded Every, was the first employee at Substack AND co-created Product Hunt. Suffice to say, Nathan knows a thing or two about building on the internet. He joins the show to discuss how AI is changing writing, why it’s time to rethink the article, the rise of solo founders and MUCH more. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Lex Twitter Substack LinkedIn Show Notes: Lex: Your Spotter In the Writing Gym Letting People Into Your Creative Process Collaboration-as-a-Service Creation Is Fundamentally About Choices What Will Become of the AI Holdouts? AI Is Like the Internet In 1995 Can AI Unfuck the Government? Blindspots While Working In Organizations Rethinking The ‘Article’ As A Medium Memes Are Dense Information Packets It’s Time for Solo Founders Why Learning About Cumulative Cultural Evolution Is Vital What’s Next for Lex? Writing As A Way To Design Thoughts Nathan As World Emperor Books Mentioned: A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life; by George Saunders The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous; by Joseph Henrich The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution, Domesticating Our Species, and Making Us Smarter; by Joseph Henrich
Every Thursday, join Jim O'Shaughnessy and his favorite people as they arm you with the tools & fresh perspectives required to upgrade your HumanOS and thrive in our messy, probabilistic world.
Visit our Substack at newsletter.osv.llc for full transcripts, highlights, weekly doses of timeless wisdom, and a bounty of other goodies designed to make you go, "Hmm that’s interesting!"