Lessons from High-Stakes Decisions, with Polina Marinova Pompliano

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Dec 17, 2024

Polina Marinova Pompliano, a former Fortune Magazine reporter and author of "Hidden Genius," explores how high-performers handle uncertainty. She shares a gripping story about astronaut Chris Hadfield going blind during a spacewalk and the vital role of mental clarity in crises. Discussing trust as consistency over time, she highlights Charlie Munger's approach to beliefs, emphasizing understanding opposing viewpoints. Polina also covers the importance of reframing challenges, diversifying income, and honing negotiation skills to build resilience in high-stakes situations.

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ANECDOTE

Blind in Space

Astronaut Chris Hadfield went blind during a spacewalk due to cleaning solution.
He stayed calm, assessed his options, and ultimately vented his helmet, clearing his vision.

INSIGHT

Defining Success

Define success by intrinsic values, not external factors like money or status.
Tying your identity to things you can lose leads to crises when those things are gone.

ANECDOTE

Nonlinear Path

Polina Marinova Pompliano quit her job at Fortune Magazine in March 2020.
A week later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, highlighting life's nonlinearity.

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#567: What happens when an astronaut goes blind during a spacewalk?

For Chris Hadfield, this wasn't a hypothetical scenario. While working outside the International Space Station, cleaning solution from his helmet visor spread into both eyes, leaving him completely blind in the vacuum of space.

His response? Stay calm and methodically evaluate options. He could call Houston. He could have a crew member rescue him. He could try to cry to flush out his eyes - though that's tricky in zero gravity.

This story opens our conversation with Polina Marinova Pompliano, former Fortune Magazine reporter and author of the new book "Hidden Genius."

Through her interviews with high-performers across fields — from astronauts to investors to extreme athletes — she uncovers patterns in how people handle uncertainty and build resilience.

Take trust, for example. Reid Hoffman's formula is simple: Trust = Consistency + Time.

It's not enough to show up sporadically when it's convenient. Trust builds through meeting deadlines, following through on commitments, and maintaining clear communication — even during challenges.

Reliable consistency compounds over time, much like interest in an investment account.

Or consider Charlie Munger's approach to beliefs. Rather than defending positions "to the death," he argues you should only claim to believe something if you can argue the opposition's viewpoint better than they can. This forces you to genuinely understand different perspectives rather than just reflexively disagreeing.

The conversation explores how people navigate major setbacks, from Conrad Anker surviving an avalanche that killed his climbing partners to Polina's own experience of quitting Fortune magazine right before COVID hit. A key theme emerges: resilience isn't about avoiding difficulty, but about training yourself to handle it through small daily practices.

Former Navy SEAL David Goggins calls this "callusing the mind." By deliberately doing one uncomfortable thing each day - whether that's running in the rain or having a difficult conversation - you build your capacity to handle larger challenges. The goal isn't to become superhuman, but to expand your comfort zone step by step.