I love the idea of randomness something again it's I may be quantumly entangled with you but when he was younger and music was still CDs I would go to tower records and literally by 50 CDs at random, totally at random. Is there a way that you find a way into their thinking that unlocks that ability in them? It goes back to our original discussion topic of nerve and courage because nominally everybody knows how to do this but they don't practice it. There's an element of like real courage and nerve the great scientists artists and even people in their everyday lives have that element of courage which we often from the outside think of us as special thought some image genius is actually just courage
Venkatesh Rao is a writer, consultant, and author. He has been writing about indie consulting for years and has recently published The Art of Gig, Volumes 1 & 2, which together take an in-depth look at the gig economy. Venkatesh joins the show to discuss tragic luck, becoming slightly nonsensical, the advantages of mediocrity, and a whole lot more! Important Links:
Show Notes:
- Origins of The Art of Gig
- Paycheck People
- Learning how to take risks
- Is there a risk-taking gene?
- The case for fixed-point futurism
- Finding meaning
- Personality types, narrative, and becoming a courageous thinker
- Don’t get tragically lucky
- Generational agency
- Sparring, pressure and meaning-making
- Be slightly nonsensical
- Teaching others to appreciate randomness
- Towards infinite games; be mediocre
- Understanding divergentism
- MUCH more!
Books Mentioned:
- The Art of Gig: Volumes 1 & 2; by Venkatesh Rao
- The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich; by Tim Feriss
- Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself; by Daniel H. Pink
- The Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story For Work and Life; by Paul Millerd
- Tempo: timing, tactics and strategy in narrative-driven decision-making; by Venkatesh Rao
- The Redemptive Self: Stories Americans Live By; by Dan P. McAdams
- Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life As Play and Possibility; by James Carse
- Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity; by David Allen