The Tim Ferriss Show

Caroline Paul (@carowriter) is a blast and can also probably kick my ass... seriously. Caroline is the author of four published books. Her latest is the New York Times best seller The Gutsy Girl: Escapades for Your Life of Epic Adventure. Once a young scaredy-cat, Caroline decided that fear got in the way of the life she wanted--of excitement, confidence, and self-reliance. She has since flown pla...

This is an interview you’ve been asking for since before I started the podcast: Morgan Spurlock. Morgan Spurlock (@morganspurlock) is an Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker based in New York. He is a prolific writer, director, producer, and human guinea pig. His first film, Super Size Me, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004, winning Best Directing honors. The film went on to win...

I once wrote, "We all like to appear 'successful' (a nebulous term at best) and the media likes to portray standouts as superheroes...Most 'superheroes' are nothing of the sort. They’re weird, neurotic creatures who do big things DESPITE lots of self-defeating habits and self-talk." Focusing on what people accomplish without understanding the mindset that allows them to experience that success lea...

Ever since episode #2 of the podcast, you’ve been asking for more Josh Waitzkin, so here it is! This is an in-depth jam session, and you can definitely listen to this one independently. Josh Waitzkin was the basis for the book and movie Searching for Bobby Fischer. Considered a chess prodigy, he has perfected learning strategies that can be applied to anything, including his other loves of Brazili...

Today's episode is a bite-sized morsel for your brain and for your life. This is an excerpt from my favorite writing of all time. This letter is #22, "On the Futility of Halfway Measures." As usual, Seneca takes a little time in his preamble to get warmed up. That is his style. He seems to enjoy feeling out the recipient of his letter before jumping into the details. I love this letter becaus...

This is not going to be a long form interview where I dissect and deconstruct a world-class performer. Instead, this is a special edition of the Random Show. I am joined by Kevin Rose (@KevinRose), serial entrepreneur, and all around wild and crazy guy! Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast. This podcast is brought to you by Wealthfront....

This episode is very special to me and features a verbal Jedi who never gets interviewed himself: Cal Fussman. Cal (@calfussman) is a New York Times bestselling author and a writer-at-large for Esquire Magazine, where he is best known for being a primary writer of the “What I Learned” feature. The Austin Chronicle has described Cal's interviewing skills as "peerless." He has transformed oral histo...

If you've enjoyed my previous in-between episodes , then this might be your favorite episode ever. It's one of the most actionable, information-packed interviews I've ever done. This time, it's Joel Stein (@TheJoelStein) asking the questions. Joel is one of the funniest writers I have ever read, and he's great at leading an interview. Here's how it all happened: Joel wanted me to he...

At the behest of my astute legal counsel, here is a legal disclaimer for this episode: First, I am not recommending, endorsing, or supporting any of the substances or compounds (especially illegal) discussed or described in the interview. I am interviewing Patrick Arnold as a journalist seeking additional information regarding matters of public interest and concern. Second, I have removed some of...

This is one of my favorite letters from Seneca. Before you listen, I want you to think about this philosophy from Fight Club: "The things you own end up owning you." - Tyler Durden Understanding this mindset will help you to explore the practical philosophies found in this episode. Please enjoy Letter 42, On Values, by Seneca the Younger. If you find this useful, you can pick up the...

This episode is a special double header. It features one interview and one performance. First up is Kaskade (@Kaskade), widely considered one of the Founding Fathers of Progressive House Music. He's been voted "America's Best DJ" twice by DJ Times, headlined Coachella 4x, and been nominated for Grammys 5x. Next, you'll hear Sekou Andrews (@SekouAndrews), the most impressive poetic voice I've ever...

"My parents never really told me I couldn't do anything." - Shaun White This particular episode comes from a fun event -- my first live podcast at the iconic Troubadour in L.A. It sold out through my newsletter in 30 minutes, so thanks to all of you who came. If you haven't signed up for the email newsletter, you should check it out. It's free. Just go to fourhourworkweek.com/friday. There were qu...

This episode might make your head explode... in the best way possible. Walter O'Brien (AKA "Scorpion") (@walterobrienscs) is the founder of Scorpion Computer Services and ConciergeUp.com, a for-hire global think tank that provides intelligence-on-demand as a concierge service. The tag line for the latter is, "for any funded need." Need to defend against chemical warfare? Move an ent...

I expected this episode to be amazing, and Seth 10x'd expectations. He's incredible. Seth Godin (@thisissethsblog) is the author of 17 bestselling books that have been translated into more than 35 languages. He writes about the way ideas spread, marketing, strategic quitting, leadership, and--most of all--challenging the status quo in all areas. His books include Linchpin, Tribes, The Dip, Purple...

Sometimes mindset is everything. That's why I hope you pay close attention to this episode of the podcast. This two-thousand-year-old letter from Seneca the Younger is a practical guide for constructing world-class habits. The careful listener will find an extremely practical blueprint for optimizing performance in high-stress situations. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.f...

When a guest is nominated for "Podcast of the Year," that's usually a good sign to bring them to the show for more. That's why Naval Ravikant (@naval) is back, and this time, he's answering your questions. For those of you that missed round 1, Naval is the CEO and a co-founder of AngelList. He has invested in more than 100 companies, including more than a few “unicorn” mega-successes. Ma...

Luis von Ahn (@luisvonahn) is an entrepreneur and computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He is known for inventing CAPTCHAs, being a MacArthur Fellow ("genius grant" recipient), and selling two companies to Google in his 20's. Luis has been named one of the 10 Most Brilliant Scientists by Popular Science Magazine, one of the 50 Best Brains in Science by Discover, one of the Top...

This is a special episode that is the result of more than 10 years of dreaming. For years, I've been studying Stoicism, but I've always had a particular interest in The Tao of Seneca. What is the Tao of Seneca? There's a collection of letters called, "The Moral Letters to Lucilius." And I have read this entire collection of letters and other letters of Seneca, the author, probably more than 1...

This episode, I sit down with Edward Norton (@EdwardNorton). Edward is an actor, filmmaker and activist. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards for his work in Primal Fear, American History X, and Birdman. He has starred in scores of other films, including Fight Club, The Illusionist, and Moonrise Kingdom. Unbeknownst to most people, Edward is also a serial startup founder (e.g. Crowd...

Sometimes one interview just isn't enough. That was certainly the case with my good friend, Chris Sacca. Chris (who I interviewed before) was recently the cover story of the Midas Issue of Forbes magazine. He was on the cover because he's a newly minted billionaire and the proprietor of what will likely be the most successful venture capital fund in history: LOWERCASE Capital. He's an early-s...

My guest this episode is my friend, Eric Weinstein (@ericrweinstein), managing director of Thiel Capital, a Ph. D in mathematical physics from Harvard, and a research fellow at the Mathematical Institute of Oxford University. We recorded at my house after Eric emailed me this question: "Wanna try a podcast on… psychedelics, theories of everything, and the need to destroy education in order to save...

Usually, it's my job to deconstruct world-class performers. This time around, the tables are turned. Many of you have wanted to hear me interviewed, so this week Daymond John (@thesharkdaymond), star of ABC's Shark Tank and the CEO and founder of FUBU, is in charge and asking the questions. Daymond has a new book called The Power of Broke, and he is an expert interviewer and interrogator...

This episode is ~99% serious recommendations and resolutions for 2016. But I am joined by tech entrepreneur and investor, Kevin Rose, so it's at least 1% shenanigans. The conversation is also a new experiment for The Random Show. O-tanoshimi dane! For all previous episodes of The Random Show, including the infamous China Scam episode, click here. ### This episode is b...

Derek Sivers (@sivers) is one of my favorite humans, and I call him often for advice. Think of him as a philosopher-king programmer, master teacher, and merry prankster. Originally a professional musician and circus clown, Derek created CD Baby in 1998. It became the largest seller of independent music online, with $100 million in sales for 150,000 musicians. In 2008, Derek sold CD...

Amelia Boone (@ameliaboone) has been called the Michael Jordan of obstacle course racing (OCR). This episode explores her training, nutrition, rehab, "pre-hab", and more. In a sense, Amelia is more impressive than MJ, as she conquered OCR while building a stellar full-time career in law. Since the sport’s inception, she’s amassed more than 30 victories and 50 podiums. In the 2012 World's Toughest...