In 'Bullshit Jobs: A Theory', David Graeber argues that a significant portion of jobs in modern society are meaningless and contribute little to no value. He categorizes these jobs into five types: flunkies, goons, duct tapers, box tickers, and taskmasters. Graeber contends that these jobs are not only inefficient but also psychologically destructive, leading to chronic misery and social divisions. The book is based on his 2013 essay 'On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs' and includes testimonials from workers who feel their jobs are pointless. Graeber suggests solutions such as unions and universal basic income to address the issue of meaningless work.
Alfie Kohn's "Punished by Rewards" critically examines the widespread use of rewards and punishments in various settings, including education and the workplace. Kohn argues that these systems, while seemingly effective in the short term, often undermine intrinsic motivation and lead to negative long-term consequences. He explores the psychological mechanisms behind this phenomenon, demonstrating how rewards can decrease interest in activities and how punishments can foster resentment and anxiety. The book offers a compelling case for fostering intrinsic motivation through autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Kohn's work has significantly influenced educational practices and parenting styles, advocating for more humane and effective approaches to motivation.
In this book, Angela Duckworth presents a compelling argument that success is driven more by grit, a fusion of relentless passion and perseverance, than by talent. She explains what grit is, how to identify and develop it, and how it can be grown through stages such as developing interests, consistent practice, finding a pro-social purpose, and cultivating optimism. The book is structured in three parts: explaining what grit is and why it matters, how to grow grit from the inside out, and how to grow grit from the outside in, targeting parents, coaches, teachers, and organizational leaders. Duckworth supports her arguments with personal stories, historical insights, and interviews with high achievers from various fields.
In this classic work, Csikszentmihalyi investigates 'optimal experience' and reveals that true happiness and satisfaction can be achieved through a state of consciousness called 'flow.' During flow, individuals experience complete concentration on the task, clarity of goals, and immediate feedback. The book demonstrates how this positive state can be controlled and how it can improve the quality of life by unlocking meaning, creativity, and peak performance.
Guest: David Heinemeier Hansson, CTO & co-owner of 37signals and creator of Ruby on Rails
37signals CTO David Heinemeier Hansson has organized his life around his passions: Writing, racing sports cars, and coding. “ Why aren't we all doing that?” he wonders. “Why aren't we all trying to optimize our life in such a way that much of it is enjoyable?”
Part of the problem, David argues, is that it’s impossible to find a creative or productive flow inside of mainstream work culture. Open offices, managerial over-hiring, and sloppy scheduling prevents people from reaching a flow state.
“40 hours a week is plenty than most people,” he says. “... So many people today are focused on just adding more and more hours. They're not thinking about how those hours are spent.”
Chapters:
- (01:19) - 24 Hours of Le Mans
- (06:48) - Amateurs in sports car racing
- (10:54) - Flow and meditation
- (15:25) - Mundane bulls**t
- (18:14) - Optimizing for flow
- (21:09) - Calendars and open offices
- (24:30) - Full-time managers
- (29:06) - Small companies
- (32:20) - Selfishness and work
- (40:21) - Taking other people’s money
- (45:43) - Temptation
- (49:49) - Moderately rich
- (55:19) - “The day I became a millionaire”
- (58:56) - The hassle
- (01:03:58) - Achieving the dream
- (01:08:34) - Shopify and Tobias Lütke
- (01:14:50) - Trade-offs and downsides
- (01:18:43) - The impact of Ruby on Rails
- (01:22:02) - “I love being wrong”
- (01:25:37) - DEI and illegal drugs
- (01:29:49) - Not hiring
- (01:30:35) - What “grit” means to David
Mentioned in this episode: TikTok, Minecraft, Mario Kart, Formula One, NASCAR, Lewis Hamilton, the NBA, Tesla Model S, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Steve McQueen, Jason Fried, Tetris, Bullshit Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber, Elon Musk and Twitter, the Dunbar number, Zappos, Google, Adam Smith, Stripe, Meta, Jeff Bezos, Basecamp, Zapier, 1Password, GitHub, SpaceX, private jets, Aesop, the Pagani Zonda, the Porsche Boxster, Lamborghini, Coco Chanel, LeBron James, Hey, Steve Jobs, Michael Arrington and TechCrunch, Y Combinator, Dr. Thomas Sowell,Punished by Rewards by Alfie Kohn, Grit by Angela Duckworth, and LEGO.
Links:
Connect with David
Connect with Joubin
Learn more about Kleiner Perkins
This episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm
Grit 
