R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness

What if Science Isn’t About Truth After All? When I started out, I believed research was about uncovering some objective reality. Something we’re all moving toward, together. But over the years, I’ve let go of that belief. Not out of cynicism, but because I’ve seen how science actually works. We don’t just ask what is “true or valid.” Truth and validity is just the beginning. Seeking truth is chal...

After years in academia, I’ve realized something few people admit: most people don’t actually want to change the world. They just want to live their lives, stay comfortable, and avoid risk. Innovation, entrepreneurship, and research only attract a rare few who are willing to keep going despite rejection and ambiguity.

You’ve been fed lies about productivity. “Do more, faster, smarter.” But in real research careers, that ratchet-up mindset breaks labs and burns people out. Most “efficiency gurus” overlook the truth: productivity doesn’t come from hacks—it comes from culture. I used to believe I had to optimize everything—every minute, every task, every thought. But all that pressure to “ratchet up” only made me...

Can a non‑top‑tier doctorate program get you into a job or career within the academic or research world that is top tier? I used to think that if you did everything right—you were producing more papers, asking profound questions, and had the “nod”—you could eventually land that rare job at Stanford or Princeton. But after years in the profession, I’ve come to realize there are tremendous headwinds...

Everyone says the algorithm is broken. That it penalizes you. That it keeps you invisible. But after 6,000+ YouTube videos, I’ve realized something: The algorithm isn’t the enemy. It’s just a mirror. It reflects what we click on, what we crave, what we can’t look away from. Here’s the problem: If you’re not exceptionally beautiful, funny, shocking, or extreme, the internet ignores you. “Being norm...

I was just having this conversation with my son—about how human nature drives so much of what we see online. You go on LinkedIn, and it’s like everyone has to sound like they’ve got their act together. “Founder of this,” “Thought Leader of that.” You meet them in real life, and it’s like… wait a minute. That title doesn’t match the person. Sometimes it’s funny. Sometimes it’s sad. But mostly, it’s...

Don’t buy into the highlight reels. The truth behind progress—real, lasting, meaningful progress—is much slower and far more painful than anyone admits. Most people who look successful are just better at hiding their struggle. The ones who are actually making a difference? They often feel like failures. Because they’re pushing. Because they’re going slow. Because they’re honest with themselves abo...

I had no investors. No team. No roadmap. Just one strange, stubborn belief: that I could build something that changed the way research is done. Everyone said it was foolish. Many still do. But I kept showing up. Every day. With nothing but a broken idea and a full heart. This post is about what it actually feels like to create something when the odds are against you. It’s not glamorous. You’ll be...

The internet is designed to keep you scrolling. Not thinking. Not learning. Most people check out the second a conversation gets difficult. Not “heated.” Just difficult. Hard conversations — about data, about money, about failure — get ignored, not because they’re wrong, but because they’re inconvenient. They feel uncomfortable. And this is why so many of us never learn the most important lessons....

We keep hearing AI will ruin everything—but no one talks about how much of our life already changed without us noticing. From daily showers to spotless homes to chauffeuring kids every night—this is all new. In 30 years, we quietly reinvented “normal.” So what happens when robots don’t just work for us—but become better partners, better parents, even better lovers?

Everyone says they want innovation—until you actually try to fail on purpose. But living in the land of failure is the only way anything truly new happens. You won’t get applause. You won’t get permission. You will be told you’re wrong—by people who only repeat what worked last time. But the truth is simple: Those who win in the long run are the ones who keep failing deliberately, quietly, again a...

Try things that lead to failure. You never know what it will bring.

You were an R&D exec, an engineer, a builder of real things. And now? You’re told to watch Wheel of Fortune and sit still. That’s nonsense. You’ve still got curiosity. You’ve still got edge. You’re finally free to mess around, screw up, and chase what made you excited in the first place. Reinvent your toaster. Obsess over headlights. Start that blog about Lego men. No one’s stopping you now. So… w...

I used to think I needed to build something massive to matter. Publish groundbreaking research. Get recognized. Maybe even win awards. But when I look back, the people who shaped me the most—my mom and dad—never chased any of that. They just did small things. My mom still knits mittens for people in her community. My dad used to give away carrots and potatoes from his garden. No one gave them a me...

I believed education would unlock everything—happiness, clarity, purpose. And in some ways, it did. But the hardest part of life wasn’t solved in any classroom. The real challenge is waking up each day and doing the hard, boring, painful things that don’t feel exciting anymore. Managing your own motivation, your aches, your disillusionment—that’s the work no one teaches you. What’s missing from th...

Most of us think money problems are solved with budgets, rules, and discipline. But the truth is, you don’t need a budget—you need a reframing. We live in a world where marketers are paid to make us feel like we don’t have enough. They pull on every psychological trick: comparison, fear of missing out, the idea that the “good life” is always just one more purchase away. And because we can’t measur...

Brilliant ideas don’t start brilliant. They start lonely. Ugly. Scary. The first time you share something that matters, it will be misunderstood. It will feel like a punch in the gut. And your instinct will be to shrink. To cry. To quit. But that moment—that heartbreak—is the cost of entry. Every meaningful idea feels dumb before it feels right. I study innovation. I live this life. And I still ge...

I talk about the politics of PhD life because gossip—yes, gossip—has a purpose. We think of gossip as petty, but in research life, it’s often how we make sense of ambiguous, uncomfortable situations no one will say out loud. It’s the quiet way someone whispers, “Here’s what’s really going on.” The reality is that research careers are messy, political, and resource-scarce. Most of us eventually rea...

As researchers, we are trained to demand evidence before believing something. We pride ourselves on the phrase, “Show me the data.” And yet, I’m struck by how quickly we discount the human side of knowing—the intuition, tacit knowledge, and “spidey sense” that quietly guides so many of our decisions. In my own life, I’ve learned that those gut feelings often point to something real. You try someth...

I know I’m weird. I record podcasts while driving. I talk to strangers on the internet. I’ve poured time, money, and reputation into something that might go nowhere. It’s embarrassing. It’s terrifying. And I do it anyway. This episode is for anyone sitting on a dream but too scared to start. I get it. I feel that same fear—every single day. I’m shy. I hate being the center of attention. I worry I’...

If you’re looking for a rational, financial reason to have kids, you won’t find one here. I’ve looked. I teach strategy and economics. I live in a world obsessed with optimization. And by all those measures, having children is just… a cost. But I did it anyway. Twice. This episode is about the truth no one wants to say out loud: there’s no economic model that justifies raising kids. It’s time-cons...

Everyone tells you to be bold—but when you’re actually in the middle of a PhD, or building something real, all you feel is pressure. Pressure to finish quickly. To not mess up. To not look like a failure. So what do you do? You choose the “safe” project. You chase metrics. You kill the weird idea that kept you up at night. I’ve seen this story unfold a hundred times—students who could’ve done some...

Everyone around me says I’ve made it—tenure, a house, a good life. But inside the system I work in, I’m told—explicitly and implicitly—that I don’t count. That I’m invisible. That I’m failing. Why? Because I didn’t play the game the way I was supposed to. I didn’t chase citations or prestige. I chased joy. Stability. Meaning. Love. This isn’t just my story—it’s a quiet rebellion against a broken d...

Why do we feel guilty when we finally enjoy our lives — as PhDs, professors, or researchers? There’s this unspoken rule in academia: if you take weekends off, you’re not serious. If you rest during the summer, you’re lazy. If you enjoy time with your family, you’re not really committed. And yet… the best insights always come during the pause — on the walk, in the shower, during the laughter. This...

Artificial intelligence is the most powerful innovation we’ve seen in a generation—maybe ever. I know many people still don’t see the impact it will have. But as someone who studies failure, I can’t help but think about the things we’re not seeing. The things we can’t predict. The blind spots that history has shown up again and again. This isn’t fear-mongering. I’m not saying we should stop buildi...