To achieve big progress, we need really weird people who can challenge the status quo and change the way we think about things. However, as companies get comfortable, they lose their innovative edge and become less adaptable to change.
The podcast hosts discuss the need to continue creating and innovating, and question whether other organizations have looked at Tony Hsieh's success with Zappos as a model.
The episode features stories of technical malfunctions at an event where Farnam Street's The Great Mental Models project is discussed along with one innovator's approach of having different projects to work on.
This podcast discusses Elon Musk's Boring Company which started with digging a hole in a parking lot and gradually progressed to create better technology for digging tunnels through experimentation rather than theoretical analysis. It also touches on Elon's famous quote about not hearing a bird chirp since he was 12.
The obsession with innovation and progress has become ingrained in modern society's ideals, often overshadowing the value of consistency and improvements made to existing systems over time. This has led to a societal pressure for constant change and revolution in all aspects of life, rather than recognition of the importance of incremental progress.
In times of crisis such as the pandemic, occasional disruptions can lead to businesses becoming less risk-averse and more innovative. On the other hand, too much planning and detail can take away the spontaneity that is often required for one to have a good time.
Companies often try to turn opinion-based decisions into data-driven decisions as a fear of losing their job. However, in order to innovate and create new products, it is important to own and articulate those opinion-based decisions, especially in the early stages of a project.
The transcript discusses the story of an innovator and inventor who experienced a big setback in his superconductor work and how he dealt with it, as well as his struggle to get his film scripts produced.
Seeking cross-category solutions can bring innovation to spaces they wouldn't belong to otherwise, according to the quote: "your idea needs to only be original in its adaptation to your problem". A study from the 60s found that when people needed a high number in a casino game, they tended to roll the dice harder.
The speaker discusses three ways to push the boundaries of human achievement including investing in a small venture, pioneering research in how to use stem cells, and making the content and curriculum accessible to everyone online.
