Ryan Tran Podcast

Over the holidays I had the fortune of catching up with an old friend and basketball teammate, Derek King. Expect to hear about how he first came across Bitcoin and why it has stuck with him since, the potential outcomes of a Bitcoin ETF and the upcoming halving, his basketball journey from JUCO to UC Berkely to playing professionally throughout Asia, and why individual sovereignty and controlling...

Expect to hear my thoughts on the recent trend around the Roman Empire, how I've used ChatGPT to help me with a variety of tasks, the inflation phenomena that is happening in our country and abroad, the failures of Establishment Democrats and why they've dramatically lost support over the years and how that has led to the emergence of legitamate presidential candidates like RFK Jr. or Vive...

Expect to hear what the month of August was like, my critiques of the DEI space and framework, my critiques of the mainstream response to Covid, why self-censorship is harmful, why hubris and the inability to acknowledge where you were wrong will destroy your credibility, and the importance of speaking openly when solving problems - especially in times of crisis. Clearly some sensitive topics, but...

Expect to hear what having a summer break has been like, how all things basketball related have been going, getting a Golden Retriever puppy, mentally preparing to get back to teaching, quality family time, and my continued appreciation for the Stoicism philosophy.

Wes is a close friend I met in our time together at UCLA and someone I've learned a lot from over the years. We covered a lot and still had plenty to discuss for another time. Expect to hear about the roots of his ambitious nature, what it was like growing up around Sacramento, why the city and its sports team - the Sacramento Kings - instilled a sense of loyalty in him, his experience at UCLA...

Mr. Gabriel is another colleague I've gotten to know over the past year through many interesting conversations. In this conversation we get into his upbringing in Peru, how studying linguistics led him into his teaching career, what he appreciates about travel and different cultures, and his relationship with conservatism. Limited on time, we were just getting started so I hope to have Mr. Gab...

Expect to hear how I try to conduct myself when I'm feeling both tired and moody, why the teacher memes/videos out there are so relatable, the challenge and importance of sticking to my principles in turbulent times, and the difficulty I have answering the question "How are you?"

Expect to hear why I look forward to having more free time after work in these next few weeks, why I think having a complete skill set in your sport is essential to playing at a high level, the joy I get from playing against the best, my thoughts on the latest around the NBA playoffs, and the gratitude I've felt for the opportunities I've had.

Expect to hear what its been like learning about World War I & II with my class, some brief thoughts on Elon Musk, the story of Jeffery Epstein, my thoughts on the potential lack of presidential primary debates on the Democratic side, my thoughts on a four minute compilation of public figures demonizing the unvaccinated, and taking breaks.

Expect to hear what the past two months have been like, what it's been like playing in organized basketball games, why I relate playing formidable opponents in basketball to the boss fights in video games, why I think having fun is essential to remember, my relationship with leadership, and a reminder to myself about the concept of "Amor Fati" aka loving your fate.

In this conversation I sat down with a fellow teacher, Ms. Williams, who I had the pleasure of meeting when she subbed for my class. Since then we've had many interesting conversations and she was kind enough to sit down with me for a pod. Expect to hear what it was like being born and raised in Bermuda, what she learned from people watching, what it's like wearing different masks in diffe...

Expect to hear my recent struggles with teaching, what it's been like working at full capacity, what it's been like coaching a new 12u team to play competitive basketball, the willingness and humility to lose, and thoughts on the description about my recent personality test result (INTJ-T).

I treated this episode as a brief check-in. Expect to hear why saying no is hard for me, why spontaneity is usually a cool experience, why gratitude has been essential recently, two small gestures that lifted me up in rough moments, why tipping the hat to strangers can help spread love, my thoughts on public education, why my stress management strategies have been put to the test recently. (00:01:...

The following is a conversation with a good friend I met through basketball at the park. Xzavier Crittendon. Expect to hear about why being on his own as a young person catalyzed his maturation, what it was like to live and play basketball in New York, the soul searching that comes after sports end, his interest in history and learning in general, the art of trash talk, the therapeutic benefits ca...

Expect to hear some additional thoughts on Notes From Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky that I didn't get to last time, the way I process human interaction of all kinds, small but meaningful wins I've had recently, the recent news around Silicon Valley Bank, the FDIC, and why it adds to my stance on Bitcoin, and how I try to persevere through times of feeling low. (00:00:53) How podcasts ha...

The following is a conversation with someone I work with and have coached alongside, Shannon Garrett. Expect to hear about his experience growing up in Berkeley, moving to Stockton and his journey to working in education, how he ended up working with SPED students, the opportunities to have an impact in Stockton, and his experience coaching our middle school basketball team.  (00:00:26) Golden Sta...

Expect to hear what the idea of getting the most out of life has meant to me recently, why the character depicted in Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky resonates with me, my tendencies to overthink and how I've tried to overcome that and develop courage through action. 

In this episode I sat down with my dad, Linh Tran to walk through different parts of his life. Expect to hear what it was like growing up in Saigon, Vietnam. The process and journey to the United States. Where his interest in engineering, handy work, and aviation came from. How he came across basketball and shared it with me. And his thoughts on family, parenting, and discipline. (00:01:05) Growin...

Expect to hear what it's felt like putting myself out there via podcasts, why I find a beginner's mind important, the hubris that can come with being considered an "expert", why humility about what you don't know is vital, what it was like reading Animal Farm by George Orwell with my 6th graders, and why silence has been therapeutic for me recently.   (00:01:11) Putting yourself out there&nbs...

Expect to hear about the Stockdale Paradox and how it's influenced the way I view life, human tendencies to be cynical, the political and ideological division in society is very frustrating for me, the learning challenges I've observed in my students, and how the book The White Pill by Michael Malice might offer some hope for the future despite the current circumstances.  (00:01:11) The Stock...

This is an interview style conversation with a close friend of mine, Thieu Ngo-Phan aka Derek. Expect to about how we met, what high school was like for Derek, why he was a loud trouble maker, how independence at university helped him develop, why he spent so much time in office hours, why he chose to study math, some advice for young people to learn math and the role of family in his life.  ...

Expect to hear some reflections on recording the first 10 podcasts, key takeaways I've had from losing, the drive to compete and bounce back, the frenzy that was the NBA trade deadline, and Albert Camus. (00:01:00) Reflecting on the first 10 podcasts  (00:10:00) Losing  (00:13:39) Competing  (00:16:25) Bouncing back  (00:19:21) NBA Trade Deadline  (00:26:42) Albert Camus

Expect to hear about different situations where telling the truth can be hard, snitching, the social pressures to go along with the group, and being okay with thinking for yourself.

Expect to hear about my journey with money and how I started taking it seriously, how I came across Bitcoin, what we understand money to be, different stores of values available to us, the concept of being in full control and possession of your money and why Bitcoin is the innovation to enable that.  (00:02:01) - Caveats, disclaimers, and due diligence  (00:03:52) - The start to my journ...

Expect to hear about my relationship with death, how I learned about Stoicism through Viktor Frankl, why 2019 might have been the lowest point of my life, what I love about playing basketball with my friends, and some quality family time I've had recently.  (00:00:20) - The start to my 2023  (00:03:55) - Memento Mori  (00:04:32) - How I learned about Stoicism through Viktor Frankl a...