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

At some point in your PhD or academic career, the pursuit of knowledge turns into a grind for survival — passing comps, getting published, getting grants, staying relevant. The dream fades. But what if the only way to stay whole is to stop taking it seriously? What if joy, play, and laughter are the real resistance?

There’s no perfect template for success — not in academia, not in life. Even people who look like you, think like you, or grew up with you will want different things. The truth is, you’re unique. And those academic metrics, rankings, or definitions? They don’t define who you are. You don’t need to belong to succeed. You just need to say, “Screw it — I’m doing OK.

I’ve spent the last nine years building something that matters—at least, it matters to me. It’s called the Reciprocity Project. It’s a platform I started to help researchers and writers get better feedback, improve their work, and deal with the quiet, brutal struggle of doing hard things in isolation. I’ve posted nearly every day. I’ve shared thousands of thoughts, built tools, recorded videos, wr...

If you’re doing anything that really matters in your life, there are two things you have to hold onto. First: Persistence. Just. Keep. Going. I know that sounds stupid—like a motivational poster—but honestly? Most people quit way too soon. They stop when it gets boring, or slow, or hard. But if you keep showing up, you will do something extraordinary. I promise. Second: Self-forgiveness. You’re go...

I was talking with my son about life, work, and why I insist on building this “weird” thing in public. R3ciprocity isn’t just an app; it’s my way of showing the world—especially the mom on the bus, the single parent in Brazil, the early-career scholar in Afghanistan—that you can change the game without dropping everything or being a 25-year-old with rich parents. I’m a dad, a husband, a professor,...

I know I’m a world-class researcher. I know I’m doing careful, meaningful work—stuff that will matter in 30 years. I also know that I’m building something with the R3ciprocity Project that helps people finally feel like they belong in this world of research. It’s not just a tool. It’s a quiet movement—a belief that you’re already good enough, even if the system never says it out loud. But most peo...

Let’s be honest: where you went to school still shapes your academic career. If your degree says “top 10,” doors magically open. If it doesn’t? You hustle harder. You stay later. You apply three times more. And you hear, “we had many qualified applicants” way too often. I didn’t know the rules when I started. I didn’t grow up around people who talked about elite universities or academic journals....

If someone told you you’re not good enough, it’s probably because they’re just afraid. Most people who try to shut you down are projecting their own pain. You are not flawed — you just believed a story someone else gave you. Pursue what matters, over and over, until you see the possibilities for yourself. There is no weakness in trying. Just keep going, with a kind heart.

This podcast is a bit of a diary. I treat myself like a Petri dish. And I just have to say it—after I sit and read and think and work through research, I almost always feel this deep sadness. Not because the ideas aren’t exciting (they are, sometimes!), but because the process is cognitively demanding, isolating, and just… heavy. I’ve tried things—exercise helps. Face-to-face interaction helps. Bu...

Some professors say they love this job. They say it’s rewarding. That it’s exciting. And maybe it is for them. But I’m going to be honest with you: Every single day, I ask myself if I should quit. It’s not because I’m bitter. It’s because I’ve seen how the system works. And once you’ve worked with real data—not cleaned-up, publishable models, but real-world messy data—you start to see how deeply b...

Every region, every country, every decision — it’s always a complicated mess. Even when you think you’re doing the right thing, time and context reveal otherwise. Life doesn’t follow a simple plan. What feels clear now might look completely wrong ten years later. So keep yourself a whole bunch of humility. Eat some humble pie. Be okay with feeling embarrassed by who you used to be. Because no matt...

You’ve worked for months—sometimes years—on an idea. Then someone says: “You just have to do this.” And suddenly, it feels like everything you built is slipping away. In this raw episode, David Maslach unpacks the frustration researchers feel when the core contribution of their work remains fuzzy to them—but strangely clear to others. He speaks openly about the emotional weight of feedback, the di...

What if the dream you’ve been chasing your whole life—was never really your dream? I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately. About how much of what I’ve pursued was shaped by the environments I was raised in, the people I admired, and—most of all—the perception of value and scarcity I was taught to believe in. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a priest. Then I met someone who studied engineering...

I used to believe that if I just perfected myself, people would love me. That if I worked hard enough — became successful enough — I’d finally earn their respect. That belief drove me to get a PhD, to become a professor, to keep pushing every single day. But it never gave me what I really wanted. I’ve learned something else. Something harder. No matter how much you try, some people just won’t like...

What if I’m honest and everyone finds out I’m a fraud? This quiet fear shaped the beginning of my career in academia—and still lingers. It’s a feeling that cuts across disciplines and professions: if we speak honestly, we’ll be exposed as not good enough. But in academia, where truth is supposed to be the job, that fear is especially paradoxical. I’ve spent years training to be a scientist, only t...

Doing a PhD has nothing to do with coming up with better knowledge. I know that sounds wild. But I strongly believe this — and in this episode, I’m going to explain why. We think science is about finding truth. But the truth is, science is doubt. It’s frustration. It’s being torn down, over and over again. It’s thousands and thousands of conversations with people who don’t believe in you — and nev...

I get these waves. Waves of fear. Of doubt. At least once or twice a day. Why am I doing this? Why am I so public about something I don’t even understand myself? I don’t want to mess up anyone’s life. What if someone hears this and does something terrible because they misunderstood me? What if I’m screwing it all up? I feel like a buffoon most of the time. A giant mess, walking around pretending t...

I have seen a lot of people—especially in academia—try to ban ChatGPT outright. But the world doesn’t work like that. Banning tools like this doesn’t teach students how to live in a messy, shifting world—it just teaches them guilt and silence. I grew up in a strict household, so I get the instinct. But I also know what happens when people are told something is morally wrong: they hide. They feel s...

So what if you work on something for two, three, five years… You write the dissertation. You build the app. You post the idea. And no one looks. Your advisor doesn’t read it. Your peers don’t respond. The internet gives you five views and one pity like. This is not a bug in research. This is the game. Dissertations go unread. Projects die in inboxes. New ideas get met with condescension, silence,...

This is just a one-minute thought—but it might change how you see yourself. We’re told to be humble. But the truth is, no one gets far without a little arrogance. You need to believe you can do it— Even when others doubt you. Even when you doubt yourself. At the same time, that belief can’t turn into self-importance. You also have to listen. Stay open. Learn fast. It’s not about choosing one or th...

I have a PhD. I’m a professor. And still—some days, I can’t keep up. There are emails I haven’t answered. People I haven’t followed up with. Promises I meant to keep but couldn’t. Not because I don’t care. But because I’m human. I wrestle with guilt. With fear. With the thought: “What will they think of me?” I’ve always been shy, and when people take me seriously, it still scares me a little. But...

What If You Picked the Wrong Career—And Can’t Fix It? I think about this almost every day. I am sure you do, my friend. What if I picked the wrong career? What if I can’t undo it? I’m a professor. I have a PhD—with 15 years of experience. But most days, I still ask: What the hell am I doing here? This isn’t what I imagined. I feel typecast. Trapped. Like I can’t change direction because the world...

I’m Still Not Over My PhD — 15 Years Later It’s been almost 15 years since I ended my PhD. I graduated in 2011. And if I’m being honest, I’m still not over it. I came in strong—undergrad and master’s at one of the best engineering schools in the world. The first in my family to get an university degree told me I was no slouch. I thought I’d accelerate through a top business school, graduate in fou...

We’re living through the biggest information shift in 100 years—and no one’s prepared. Institutions are stuck. Algorithms reward chaos. But there’s hope in something no one talks about: being a thoughtful, average, flawed, and kind person who still shows up every day. In a world built for extremes, the future belongs to those who build slow, human, and real.

There are days I feel like I’ve done nothing important since high school. Like the best is behind me—and I’m just slowly fading. And I know I’m not the only one. Even as a professor of innovation, I wrestle daily with the quiet fear that I’m falling short of who I’m “supposed” to be. The shame of wanting recognition. The guilt of not doing enough. The fear that others will take advantage of my vul...