The Tim Ferriss Show

#777: Derek Sivers, Philosopher-Entrepreneur — The Greatest Year of His Life

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Episode notes

Derek Sivers is an author of philosophy and entrepreneurship, known for his surprising, quotable insights and pithy, succinct writing style. Derek’s books (How to Live, Hell Yeah or No, Your Music and People, Anything You Want) and newest projects are at his website: sive.rs. His new book is Useful Not True.

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Timestamps:

[00:00] Start

[07:18] Derek Sivers: A Man who brings his own introduction.

[09:25] First mind change: Emirati coffee.

[12:34] Second mind change: Ruby to Python.

[13:54] Third mind change: Rats.

[17:23] Fourth mind change: China.

[23:24] Fifth mind change: Dubai.

[26:48] Tamashee: Come for the sandals, stay for the culture.

[30:52] Cormac McCarthy Writes to the Editor of The Santa Fe New Mexican.

[31:47] Shifting perspectives and the value of questioning preconceptions.

[51:23] Brian Eno and MusicThoughts.

[53:57] John Cage.

[56:34] Three glasses.

[57:08] Derek’s experimental housing project.

[01:03:51] Rich Hickey and practical applications of simplicity.

[01:29:20] Tyler Cowen.

[01:35:57] Inchword and language learning.

[01:46:35] Traveling to inhabit philosophies.

[01:54:14] Parting thoughts.

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Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.

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