

Great Books Distilled: Summaries of Bestselling Business and Investing Books
Outlier Academy
Listen as we decode bestselling books across disciplines with their authors — distilling hours of reading into a short, definitive conversation. We break down the big ideas, how to apply them, and take you behind the scenes into the process of writing the book. Past guests include Yale professor Verlyn Klinkenborg (Several Short Sentences About Writing), polar explorer Erling Kagge (In Praise of Silence and Philosophy for Polar Explorers), survival expert Laurence Gonzales (Deep Survival), geopolitical expert Jacob Halberg (The Wires of Ware), 1-800-GOT-JUNK founder Brian Scudamore (WTF?! - Willing To Fail), and renowned investor Sir Ronald Cohen (IMPACT). Visit OutlierAcademy.com for episode notes, searchable transcripts, videos, and more.
Great Books Distilled is a mix of The Knowledge Project, Founders, Oprah's Book Club, and The Tim Ferriss Show.
Great Books Distilled is a mix of The Knowledge Project, Founders, Oprah's Book Club, and The Tim Ferriss Show.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 20, 2021 • 44min
Personal Socrates: On Self-Reflection, Self Improvement, and the Socratic Method | Marc Champagne, Author
We explore self-reflection, self improvement, and the Socratic Method. We’re joined by Marc Champagne, author of Personal Socrates. We cover building a mental fitness practice, simplifying the Socratic method, and the writing process.
“You need to understand if you're climbing the right mountain to begin with and understand who you're optimizing to become.” – Marc Champagne
EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/marc-champagne1-outlier-academy-show-notes
FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/marc-champagne-outlier-academy-transcript
CHAPTERS
This episode is our definitive guide to self-reflection, self improvement, and the Socratic Method. In it we cover:
(00:00:00) – Introduction
(00:01:55) – We are one question away from a different life
(00:07:22) – Building a mental fitness practice
(00:11:33) – Marc's morning reflection routine
(00:16:00) – Behind the Human podcast
(00:20:09) – Simplifying the Socratic method
(00:28:45) – Profiles and questions in Personal Socrates
(00:34:50) – The writing process
(00:39:28) – Pausing the autopilot of life and work
ABOUT PERSONAL SOCRATES
Personal Socrates is filled with profiles of incredible people from Cal Fussman and Robin Williams to Kobe Bryant and Maya Angelou. Each chapter contains a short profile along with a few clarifying questions you can ponder and use as a journaling prompt, questions like how could I be clearer in fewer words or my personal favorite from Cal Fussman, how can I be the most curious person in the room? This is the first book published by Baron Fig.
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iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outlier-academy/id1523851182
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/58edVNgqaPNaCSGSxM6pef?si=88f37a5d20434775
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182
ABOUT OUTLIER ACADEMY
Learn timeless lessons on work and life from iconic founders, world-renown investors, and bestselling authors. Outlier Academy is the forever school for those chasing greatness. Past guests include Gokul Rajaram of DoorDash, Scott Belsky of Benchmark and Adobe, Joey Krug of Pantera Capital, Mark Sisson of Primal Kitchen, Luke Gromen of The Forest for the Trees, and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK.
Website: https://www.outlieracademy.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outlieracademy
ABOUT DANIEL SCRIVNER
Outlier Academy is hosted by Daniel Scrivner. Over the last 15 years, Daniel has led design teams at Square and Apple, turned around a $3M+ ARR SaaS business, and invested in more than 100 companies. He launched Outlier Academy in 2020 to learn from the world’s best founders, investors, authors, and peak performance experts.
Website: https://www.danielscrivner.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/danielscrivner
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Sep 1, 2021 • 55min
Impact: Optimizing Risk, Return, and Impact in Investing | Sir Ronald Cohen, Author
We explore optimizing risk, return, and impact in investing with Sir Ronald Cohen, author of Impact: Optimizing Risk, Return, and Impact in Investing. We cover the three major forces that increase gains with impact investing, how larger companies are addressing impact, and how companies can get started in making a positive impact.
“If you want to run a big successful company or a successful growth venture, you have to bring impact into your decision-making.” – Sir Ronald Cohen
EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/ronald-cohen-outlier-academy-show-notes
FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/ronald-cohen-outlier-academy-transcript
CHAPTERS
This episode is our guide to optimizing risk, return, and impact in investing . In it we cover:
(00:00:00) – Introduction
(00:02:28) – Sir Ronald’s background and career in venture capital
(00:08:06) – The second and third order effects of impact investing
(00:10:38) – The three major forces that increase gains with impact investing
(00:15:41) – How we can measure a company’s impact
(00:23:01) – Why impact investing is so important right now
(00:29:46) – Early impact companies and their models
(00:37:33) – How companies can get started in making a positive impact
(00:42:18) – The future of impact investing
ABOUT IMPACT
Impact: Reshaping Capital to Drive Real Change is an incredible book about how capitalism, investing, and the goals with which they're employed need to change to focus on holistic impact rather than sheer financial gain. Here's just two quotes from the back of the book that I really love, Forbes called it “A must-read book from the godfather of impact investing”, and Bono, lead singer of U2 and co-founder of The Rise Fund wrote that “Capitalism is amoral, it's a wild beast that needs to be led.”
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Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182
ABOUT OUTLIER ACADEMY
Learn timeless lessons on work and life from iconic founders, world-renown investors, and bestselling authors. Outlier Academy is the forever school for those chasing greatness. Past guests include Gokul Rajaram of DoorDash, Scott Belsky of Benchmark and Adobe, Joey Krug of Pantera Capital, Mark Sisson of Primal Kitchen, Luke Gromen of The Forest for the Trees, and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK.
Website: https://www.outlieracademy.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outlieracademy
ABOUT DANIEL SCRIVNER
Outlier Academy is hosted by Daniel Scrivner. Over the last 15 years, Daniel has led design teams at Square and Apple, turned around a $3M+ ARR SaaS business, and invested in more than 100 companies. He launched Outlier Academy in 2020 to learn from the world’s best founders, investors, authors, and peak performance experts.
Website: https://www.danielscrivner.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/danielscrivner
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Aug 25, 2021 • 1h 2min
The New Consumer: On The Future of Consumer Brands and What The Best Ones Get Right | Dan Frommer, Founder
We explore the future of consumer brands and what the best ones get right with Dan Frommer, Founder of the New Consumer. We cover what technology can unlock for brands, how legacy brands fail to serve the consumer, and how small and direct-to-consumer brands can grow in today’s market.
“That's the lesson here: the businesses that figure out how to use technology to the best of their abilities are the ones that are going to be stronger and more resilient, no matter what happens.” – Dan Frommer
EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/dan-frommer1-outlier-academy-show-notes
FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/dan-frommer-outlier-academy-transcript
CHAPTERS
This episode is our guide to the future of consumer brands . In it we cover:
(00:00:00) – Introduction
(00:02:06) – Dan’s background in journalism and technology, and how it led to The New Consumer
(00:07:42) – What technology can unlock for brands
(00:11:03) – Who is the modern consumer?
(00:14:29) – How legacy brands fail to serve the consumer, and authenticity at scale
(00:18:22) – How Target and other big brands have kept up with the modern consumer
(00:21:21) – How small and direct-to-consumer brands can grow in today’s market
(00:34:09) – On Sweetgreen’s success and branding
(00:39:25) – Why brands must embrace digital experiences to move forward
(00:41:55) – The Consumer Trends Report with Coefficient Capital
ABOUT THE DAN FROMMER AND THE NEW CONSUMER
Dan Frommer launched The New Consumer, a premium newsletter, in 2019 after more than a decade of writing for Forbes, Business Insider, Quartz, and Recode. Growing up, Dan's dad ran an advertising agency, giving him a fascinating early window into why consumers spend their time and money. Dan covers new brands that are making waves like Fishwife and Omsom, as well as established players like Sweetgreen to give readers a broad sense of how the consumer landscape and the players in it are changing.
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iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outlier-academy/id1523851182
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/58edVNgqaPNaCSGSxM6pef?si=88f37a5d20434775
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182
ABOUT OUTLIER ACADEMY
Learn timeless lessons on work and life from iconic founders, world-renown investors, and bestselling authors. Outlier Academy is the forever school for those chasing greatness. Past guests include Gokul Rajaram of DoorDash, Scott Belsky of Benchmark and Adobe, Joey Krug of Pantera Capital, Mark Sisson of Primal Kitchen, Luke Gromen of The Forest for the Trees, and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK.
Website: https://www.outlieracademy.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outlieracademy
ABOUT DANIEL SCRIVNER
Outlier Academy is hosted by Daniel Scrivner. Over the last 15 years, Daniel has led design teams at Square and Apple, turned around a $3M+ ARR SaaS business, and invested in more than 100 companies. He launched Outlier Academy in 2020 to learn from the world’s best founders, investors, authors, and peak performance experts.
Website: https://www.danielscrivner.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/danielscrivner
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May 12, 2021 • 54min
The Messy Middle: Lessons Learned as a Founder, Investor, and Bestselling Author | Scott Belsky, Author & Venture Capitalist
We explore lessons learned as a founder, investor, and bestselling author with Scott Belsky, author and venture capitalist. We cover how the desire to buy an education led to Scott’s interest in investing, seeing an investment grow from Seed to IPO, and startups avoiding the fate of the “one-hit wonder.”
“Great opportunities never have ‘great opportunity’ in the subject line.” – Scott Belsky
EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/scott-belsky-outliers-show-notes
FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/scott-belsky-outliers-transcript
CHAPTERS
This episode is our guide to lessons learned as a founder, investor, and bestselling author. In it we cover:
(00:00:00) – Introduction
(00:01:42) – Scott’s learnings from his start at Goldman Sachs
(00:07:11) – On co-founding Behance, and attempting to manage the “most disorganized community on the planet”
(00:10:51) – Tactics for entrepreneurs and their teams
(00:15:03) – The transition from startup (Behance) to large company (Adobe)
(00:18:10) – How the desire to buy an education led to Scott’s interest in investing
(00:20:35) – Seeing an investment grow from Seed to IPO
(00:24:23) – How design can move the needle for a business
(00:30:12) – Scott’s foray into venture capital and finding his ideal role melding investing with company-building at Benchmark
(00:35:40) – On writing Making Ideas Happen and The Messy Middle
(00:40:48) – Startups avoiding the fate of the “one-hit wonder”
(00:45:08) – Investment trends that Scott is focusing on
ABOUT SCOTT BELSKY AND THE MESSY MIDDLE
Scott Belsky is currently the chief product officer at Adobe, as well as a venture partner at the world renowned venture capital firm, Benchmark. He began his career at Goldman Sachs before leaving to found Behance, which he later sold to Adobe for $115 million. Scott is also the best selling author of Making Ideas Happen and The Messy Middle, two of my all time favorite books. And he's an investor in an incredible roster of companies, including Uber, Pinterest, Airtable, Carta and Sweetgreen.
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iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outlier-academy/id1523851182
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/58edVNgqaPNaCSGSxM6pef?si=88f37a5d20434775
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182
ABOUT OUTLIER ACADEMY
Learn timeless lessons on work and life from iconic founders, world-renown investors, and bestselling authors. Outlier Academy is the forever school for those chasing greatness. Past guests include Gokul Rajaram of DoorDash, Scott Belsky of Benchmark and Adobe, Joey Krug of Pantera Capital, Mark Sisson of Primal Kitchen, Luke Gromen of The Forest for the Trees, and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK.
Website: https://www.outlieracademy.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outlieracademy
ABOUT DANIEL SCRIVNER
Outlier Academy is hosted by Daniel Scrivner. Over the last 15 years, Daniel has led design teams at Square and Apple, turned around a $3M+ ARR SaaS business, and invested in more than 100 companies. He launched Outlier Academy in 2020 to learn from the world’s best founders, investors, authors, and peak performance experts.
Website: https://www.danielscrivner.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/danielscrivner
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 27, 2021 • 1h 13min
Vanishing Asia: A Masterclass on the Past, Present, and Future of Asia | Kevin Kelly, Author
We explore the past, present, and future of Asia with Kevin Kelly, author of Vanishing Asia: A Masterclass on the Past, Present, and Future of Asia. We cover Kevin’s travel in Asia and how he viewed its changes over time, his thoughts on how to embrace the future while retaining cultural values and beauty, and understanding the nuances of Asia and the power it will hold in the future.
“Don't try to be the best; try to be the only. If at all possible, you want to be doing something that you have trouble describing because there's not a name for it. That's a sign that you are working in the territory of the only." – Kevin Kelly
EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/kevin-kelly2-outliers-show-notes
FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/kevin-kelly2-outliers-transcript
CHAPTERS
This episode is our guide to the past, present, and future of Asia. In it we cover:
(00:00:00) – Introduction
(00:01:44) – The full-time job of managing a Kickstarter campaign
(00:08:29) – The “1,000 true fans” concept
(00:22:39) – Art by the pound and writing out loud
(00:26:14) – The process of creating, compiling and culling photographs for Vanishing Asia
(00:38:27) – The photos in Vanishing Asia that resonate the most with Kevin
(00:44:45) – Kevin’s travel in Asia, and how he viewed its changes over time
(00:51:59) – Kevin’s thoughts on how to embrace the future while retaining cultural values and beauty
(00:58:49) – How Kevin's travel in Asia has affected his life
(01:06:41) – Understanding the nuances of Asia and the power it will hold in the future
ABOUT VANISHING ASIA
Kevin Kelly's new book, Vanishing Asia, features over 1,000 pages with 9,000 images from his hundreds of trips to remote places in Asia over the last 49 years.
💌 FREE NEWSLETTER
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iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outlier-academy/id1523851182
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/58edVNgqaPNaCSGSxM6pef?si=88f37a5d20434775
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182
ABOUT OUTLIER ACADEMY
Learn timeless lessons on work and life from iconic founders, world-renown investors, and bestselling authors. Outlier Academy is the forever school for those chasing greatness. Past guests include Gokul Rajaram of DoorDash, Scott Belsky of Benchmark and Adobe, Joey Krug of Pantera Capital, Mark Sisson of Primal Kitchen, Luke Gromen of The Forest for the Trees, and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK.
Website: https://www.outlieracademy.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outlieracademy
ABOUT DANIEL SCRIVNER
Outlier Academy is hosted by Daniel Scrivner. Over the last 15 years, Daniel has led design teams at Square and Apple, turned around a $3M+ ARR SaaS business, and invested in more than 100 companies. He launched Outlier Academy in 2020 to learn from the world’s best founders, investors, authors, and peak performance experts.
Website: https://www.danielscrivner.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/danielscrivner
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Feb 10, 2021 • 1h 12min
Several Short Sentences About Writing: A Masterclass on Becoming a Better Writer | Verlyn Klinkenborg, Author & Yale Professor
We explore becoming a better writer. We’re joined by Verlyn Klinkenborg, author and Yale professor. We cover learning from farm life and work, finding rhythm in writing, and debunking writing cliches.
“So what I do now is essentially help students escape from their education. That's my enterprise every year. And it's always fun, because they escape quite readily. They all know that what they're making in their classes is an artificial product that doesn't actually have any particular interest for anyone except them.” – Verlyn Klinkenborg
EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/verlyn-klinkenborg-outliers-show-notes
FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/verlyn-klinkenborg-outliers-transcript
CHAPTERS
This episode is our definitive guide to becoming a better writer. In it we cover:
(00:00:00) – Introduction
(00:01:54) – Rural life and the “home place”
(00:04:50) – Raising animals and eating meat
(00:11:07) – Learnings from farm life and work
(00:15:35) – Verlyn’s reading habits
(00:28:40) – Verlyn’s book Several Short Sentences About Writing
(00:34:49) – What is academic prose?
(00:40:08) – Why people should use shorter sentences in writing
(00:44:43) – Finding rhythm in writing
(00:48:49) – Self authorization and noticing the world around you
(00:55:26) – Writing cliches that are untrue
(01:06:43) – Writing is rooted in experience more than language
ABOUT SEVERAL SHORT SENTENCES ABOUT WRITING
Verlyn Klinkenborg teaches creative writing at Yale University, and was a member of the editorial board of The New York Times for 16 years. His work has been featured in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, Esquire, and National Geographic, and he has authored several books, including Several Short Sentences About Writing. This book aims to debunk general cliches about writing and creativity and remove obstacles keeping us from clear self-expression.
💌 FREE NEWSLETTER
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iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outlier-academy/id1523851182
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/58edVNgqaPNaCSGSxM6pef?si=88f37a5d20434775
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182
ABOUT OUTLIER ACADEMY
Learn timeless lessons on work and life from iconic founders, world-renown investors, and bestselling authors. Outlier Academy is the forever school for those chasing greatness. Past guests include Gokul Rajaram of DoorDash, Scott Belsky of Benchmark and Adobe, Joey Krug of Pantera Capital, Mark Sisson of Primal Kitchen, Luke Gromen of The Forest for the Trees, and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK.
Website: https://www.outlieracademy.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outlieracademy
ABOUT DANIEL SCRIVNER
Outlier Academy is hosted by Daniel Scrivner. Over the last 15 years, Daniel has led design teams at Square and Apple, turned around a $3M+ ARR SaaS business, and invested in more than 100 companies. He launched Outlier Academy in 2020 to learn from the world’s best founders, investors, authors, and peak performance experts.
Website: https://www.danielscrivner.com
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Jan 29, 2021 • 42min
The Chemistry of Fire: Stories from the Top of Mount Washington to 12,000 Feet Beneath the Ocean to Night Assaults with the 82nd Airborne Divison | Laurence Gonzales, Author
We explore The Chemistry of Fire: Essays with the author, Laurence Gonzales. We cover an adventure story of ice climbers on Mount Washington, the importance of rules and systems for decision making, and Laurence’s work with the Santa Fe Institute.
“There’s no way to stop these accidents from happening, but there’s a way to stop them from happening to you.” – Laurence Gonzales
EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/laurence-gonzales2-outliers-show-notes
FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/laurence-gonzales2-outliers-transcript
CHAPTERS
This episode is our definitive guide to The Chemistry of Fire. In it we cover:
(00:00:00) – Introduction
(00:01:32) – The concept of the chemistry of fire
(00:05:06) – An adventure story of ice climbers on Mount Washington
(00:06:57) – Why people keep going when they know they should turn back
(00:15:54) – The importance of rules and systems for decision making
(00:21:32) – The survival of a cross-country skier after a major mishap
(00:27:32) – Laurence’s work with the Santa Fe Institute
(00:34:02) – Words of wisdom for 2021
ABOUT THE CHEMISTRY OF FIRE
Laurence Gonzales is the author of The Chemistry of Fire: Essays. In our previous conversation, we discussed Laurence's best selling book, Deep Survival, on who lives, who dies, and why. It's an incredible book, and it's filled with so many parallels to the worlds of business, investing, and peak performance. So when Laurence told me that he had a new book coming, I couldn't resist the urge to pick his brain one more time.
💌 FREE NEWSLETTER
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🎙 LISTEN ON
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outlier-academy/id1523851182
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/58edVNgqaPNaCSGSxM6pef?si=88f37a5d20434775
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182
ABOUT OUTLIER ACADEMY
Learn timeless lessons on work and life from iconic founders, world-renown investors, and bestselling authors. Outlier Academy is the forever school for those chasing greatness. Past guests include Gokul Rajaram of DoorDash, Scott Belsky of Benchmark and Adobe, Joey Krug of Pantera Capital, Mark Sisson of Primal Kitchen, Luke Gromen of The Forest for the Trees, and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK.
Website: https://www.outlieracademy.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outlieracademy
ABOUT DANIEL SCRIVNER
Outlier Academy is hosted by Daniel Scrivner. Over the last 15 years, Daniel has led design teams at Square and Apple, turned around a $3M+ ARR SaaS business, and invested in more than 100 companies. He launched Outlier Academy in 2020 to learn from the world’s best founders, investors, authors, and peak performance experts.
Website: https://www.danielscrivner.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/danielscrivner
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 9, 2020 • 1h 25min
The Art and Business of Online Writing: On Data Driven Writing and How to Reach 100 Million People | Nicolas Cole, Author
We explore data driven writing and how to reach 100 million people. We’re joined by Nicolas Cole, author of The Art and Business of Online Writing. We cover self-belief vs. desperation, self-publishing, and the secrets of ghost writing.
“You have to surround yourself with the people that are a version of who you ultimately want to become.” – Nicolas Cole
EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/nicolas-cole-outliers-show-notes
FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/nicolas-cole-outliers-transcript
CHAPTERS
This episode is our definitive guide to data driven writing and how to reach 100 million people. In it we cover:
(00:00:00) – Introduction
(00:01:33) – World of Warcraft and bodybuilding
(00:09:22) – The mental game of self-belief vs. desperation
(00:15:33) – Goal setting and why self-publishing is a good idea for authors
(00:25:25) – The Art and Business of Online Writing, and why writing interested Nicolas
(00:35:08) – Advice for writers who are just getting started online
(00:49:40) – The secrets of ghost writing
(01:00:37) – The writing process
(01:09:09) – Confessions of a Teenage Gamer, and about writing memoirs
(01:16:43) – Nicolas’ daily habits, and the importance of mentors
ABOUT THE ART AND BUSINESS OF ONLINE WRITING
Nicolas Cole the founder of Digital Press, where he helps the world's most successful people, most of whom aren't "writers," write and publish their own books. In this episode, we go deep on writing, including how to break through the noise and become an influential voice in your space. Nicolas has worked with over 300 Silicon Valley founders, executives of publicly traded companies, New York Times bestselling authors, Grammy award-winning musicians, and Olympic athletes to shape their writing.
To date, Nicholas's writing has reached more than 100 million people. He's one of Inc Magazine's most popular columnists, with over 200 columns published to date, and his writing has been featured in Time, Forbes, Fortune, and Huffington Post. He's also written several books, including his most recent and the one that got my attention, The Art and Business of Online Writing.
💌 FREE NEWSLETTER
https://www.outlieracademy.com/newsletter
🎙 LISTEN ON
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outlier-academy/id1523851182
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/58edVNgqaPNaCSGSxM6pef?si=88f37a5d20434775
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182
ABOUT OUTLIER ACADEMY
Learn timeless lessons on work and life from iconic founders, world-renown investors, and bestselling authors. Outlier Academy is the forever school for those chasing greatness. Past guests include Gokul Rajaram of DoorDash, Scott Belsky of Benchmark and Adobe, Joey Krug of Pantera Capital, Mark Sisson of Primal Kitchen, Luke Gromen of The Forest for the Trees, and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK.
Website: https://www.outlieracademy.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outlieracademy
ABOUT DANIEL SCRIVNER
Outlier Academy is hosted by Daniel Scrivner. Over the last 15 years, Daniel has led design teams at Square and Apple, turned around a $3M+ ARR SaaS business, and invested in more than 100 companies. He launched Outlier Academy in 2020 to learn from the world’s best founders, investors, authors, and peak performance experts.
Website: https://www.danielscrivner.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/danielscrivner
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 2, 2020 • 1h 9min
Erling Kagge: The Famed Norwegian Explorer on Silence, Philosophy, and Summiting Mount Everest
We explore silence, philosophy, and summiting Mount Everest. We’re joined by Erling Kagge, famed explorer and author. We cover Erling’s expeditions across the Atlantic and to the North and South Poles, how he dove into philosophy, and his foray into book publishing.
“Experience is the best education you can have, but it's very costly.” – Erling Kagge
EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/erling-kagge-outliers-show-notes
FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/erling-kagge-outliers-transcript
CHAPTERS
This episode is our guide to Erling Kagge’s experiences with silence, philosophy, and summiting Mount Everest. In it we cover:
(00:00:00) – Introduction
(00:01:57) – How Erling’s daughters inspired his book about silence
(00:07:36) – Erling’s experience walking solo to the South Pole
(00:13:34) – Erling’s expeditions across the Atlantic and to the North and South Poles
(00:21:15) – Erling’s struggle with dyslexia, and how reading became an important part of his life
(00:24:23) – How Erling dove into philosophy
(00:29:51) – On how Erling got into book publishing, the publishing process at Kagge Forlag
(00:47:55) – Why moving slowly is better than speeding through life, and how walking plays into that
(01:01:01) – Erling’s daily rituals
ABOUT ERLING KAGGE
Erling Kagge is a man of many firsts. The New York Times has described Erling as a philosophical adventurer, or perhaps an adventurous philosopher. In 1990, Erling and his expedition partner Børge Ousland became the first people to ever reach the North Pole unsupported. Over the course of 58 days, they covered nearly 500 miles on skis, pulling hundreds of pounds of supplies behind them the entire way. In 1993, Erling became the first person to make a solo, completely unsupported expedition to the South Pole, where he covered over 800 miles in 50 days without any contact with the outside world.
And in 1994, Erling summited Mount Everest, completing what's called the “Three Pole Challenge” by making it to both the North and South Poles, as well as the summit of Mount Everest. Out of those experiences, he's published multiple best selling books, including two of my all time favorites, Silence: In the Age of Noise, and Philosophy for Polar Explorers: What They Don't Teach You in School.
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ABOUT OUTLIER ACADEMY
Learn timeless lessons on work and life from iconic founders, world-renown investors, and bestselling authors. Outlier Academy is the forever school for those chasing greatness. Past guests include Gokul Rajaram of DoorDash, Scott Belsky of Benchmark and Adobe, Joey Krug of Pantera Capital, Mark Sisson of Primal Kitchen, Luke Gromen of The Forest for the Trees, and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK.
Website: https://www.outlieracademy.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outlieracademy
ABOUT DANIEL SCRIVNER
Outlier Academy is hosted by Daniel Scrivner. Over the last 15 years, Daniel has led design teams at Square and Apple, turned around a $3M+ ARR SaaS business, and invested in more than 100 companies. He launched Outlier Academy in 2020 to learn from the world’s best founders, investors, authors, and peak performance experts.
Website: https://www.danielscrivner.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/danielscrivner
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Nov 18, 2020 • 47min
WIRED: On Technology's Origins, What Technology Wants, and Advising Steven Speilberg on Minority Report | Kevin Kelly, Founding Executive Editor
We explore technology's origins, what technology wants, and advising Steven Spielberg on Minority Report. We’re joined by Kevin Kelly, founding executive editor of WIRED. We cover what technology wants, Magic Leap and virtual worlds, and Kevin’s work on Minority Report.
“What is this thing we call technology? In the cosmological sense, like, where does it fit in? How does it relate to life? And my current summary would be that it is an extension of life and therefore is not contrary to life. It's an extended version of life—and that gives me hope, because it means that we can always make a greener version of whatever we make.” – Kevin Kelly
EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED)
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/kevin-kelly-outliers-show-notes
FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT
https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/kevin-kelly-outliers-transcript
CHAPTERS
This episode is our definitive guide to technology's origins, what technology wants. In it we cover:
(00:00:00) – Introduction
(00:01:38) – The turning point for Kevin's relationship with technology
(00:06:32) – What technology wants
(00:12:05) – General purpose vs. specialized technology
(00:17:49 – Kevin's start with Wired magazine
(00:25:59) – Magic Leap and virtual worlds
(00:34:19) – Kevin's work on Minority Report
(00:39:03) – Kevin’s newsletter, Recomendo
ABOUT KEVIN KELLY AND WIRED
Kevin Kelly was the Founding Executive Editor at WIRED magazine and is the author of multiple bestselling books, including What Technology Wants and the New York Times bestseller The Inevitable: Understanding The 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future. His perspectives of science and technology have been featured in the New York Times, The Economist, and Time Magazine.
Kevin helped shape the world of Minority Report as a futurist advisor to Stephen Spielberg, and he helped dream up the gestural interface shown in the film, which is something we talk about a little bit in the interview. Today, Kevin publishes a weekly newsletter called Recomendo as well as the weekly podcast, Cool Tools.
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🎙 LISTEN ON
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outlier-academy/id1523851182
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/58edVNgqaPNaCSGSxM6pef?si=88f37a5d20434775
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182
ABOUT OUTLIER ACADEMY
Learn timeless lessons on work and life from iconic founders, world-renown investors, and bestselling authors. Outlier Academy is the forever school for those chasing greatness. Past guests include Gokul Rajaram of DoorDash, Scott Belsky of Benchmark and Adobe, Joey Krug of Pantera Capital, Mark Sisson of Primal Kitchen, Luke Gromen of The Forest for the Trees, and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK.
Website: https://www.outlieracademy.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outlieracademy
ABOUT DANIEL SCRIVNER
Outlier Academy is hosted by Daniel Scrivner. Over the last 15 years, Daniel has led design teams at Square and Apple, turned around a $3M+ ARR SaaS business, and invested in more than 100 companies. He launched Outlier Academy in 2020 to learn from the world’s best founders, investors, authors, and peak performance experts.
Website: https://www.danielscrivner.com
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/danielscrivner
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