Episode

Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
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1:45:10
Published: Thu Oct 09 2014
Description

Alexis Ohanian is best known for being: - On the Forbes "30 under 30" list multiple times (then he turned 30)- A co-founder of reddit and hipmunk- In the very first class of Y Combinator, arguably the world's most selective startup "accelerator" (bootcamp)- Investor or advisor to more than 100 startups- A newly minted parter at Y Combinator- An activist related to SOPA/PIPA, etc.Enjoy! Tim***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Visit tim.blog/sponsor and fill out the form.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chapters
Tim Ferriss Show promotes Athletic Greens, a supplement product that claims to improve immunity, gut health and energy with its all-in-one formula and additional free vitamin D supplement.
00:00 - 04:11 (04:11)
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supplement, Athletic Greens, Tim Ferriss Show
Summary

Tim Ferriss Show promotes Athletic Greens, a supplement product that claims to improve immunity, gut health and energy with its all-in-one formula and additional free vitamin D supplement.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The host interviews Alexis Ohanian and they discuss how to spot the next big company, and how he chooses companies to invest in.
04:11 - 06:13 (02:02)
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Entrepreneurship
Summary

The host interviews Alexis Ohanian and they discuss how to spot the next big company, and how he chooses companies to invest in. The conversation also includes some fun questions about Ohanian's personal life.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In this interview, Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and partner at Y Combinator, shares some physical health tips and thoughts on philanthropy.
06:13 - 15:01 (08:47)
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Physical health
Summary

In this interview, Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and partner at Y Combinator, shares some physical health tips and thoughts on philanthropy. He suggests variations of plank pushups and body weight rows to maintain physical health and shares how Bill Gates and Warren Buffett inspired him to engage in philanthropy.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The key to reaching out to successful professionals is to be focused and to come up with a clear and thoughtful request.
15:01 - 19:17 (04:15)
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Professional Development
Summary

The key to reaching out to successful professionals is to be focused and to come up with a clear and thoughtful request. It is important to listen to your gut and only reach out when you have a genuine interest in what the person has to offer.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Y Combinator is teaching a course at Stanford this semester with guest professors from its network of founders, investors, and other influential people, in the hopes that it will yield positive results, as it is personally offensive to not see good.
19:17 - 26:12 (06:55)
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Y Combinator
Summary

Y Combinator is teaching a course at Stanford this semester with guest professors from its network of founders, investors, and other influential people, in the hopes that it will yield positive results, as it is personally offensive to not see good.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In this podcast, the speaker talks about the notion of progress for young founders and removing the idea of being an amateur in the startup game.
26:12 - 33:01 (06:48)
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Startups
Summary

In this podcast, the speaker talks about the notion of progress for young founders and removing the idea of being an amateur in the startup game. They also discuss a new hand grinder and the feeling it gives them while grinding coffee beans.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses how to maximize productivity by scheduling office hours specifically for meetings and switching to individual work or relaxation outside of those hours.
33:01 - 40:50 (07:49)
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Productivity
Summary

The speaker discusses how to maximize productivity by scheduling office hours specifically for meetings and switching to individual work or relaxation outside of those hours.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The lack of a modern curriculum for entrepreneurship is part of the reason why it's such a hot topic right now.
40:50 - 45:57 (05:06)
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Entrepreneurship
Summary

The lack of a modern curriculum for entrepreneurship is part of the reason why it's such a hot topic right now. Founders need guidance on growth, prioritization and challenging their own hypotheses.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The foundation of a successful business is making an amazing product that people love and want to talk about, rather than relying solely on aggressive advertising or buying a ton of Google ads to build the business on top of something that hasn't been proven to meet the needs of people.
45:57 - 50:58 (05:01)
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Product Development
Summary

The foundation of a successful business is making an amazing product that people love and want to talk about, rather than relying solely on aggressive advertising or buying a ton of Google ads to build the business on top of something that hasn't been proven to meet the needs of people. Companies that focus obsessively on making something people want will have the benefit of natural and organic word-of-mouth marketing.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses the benefits of Teespring and how he used it as an early entrepreneur to launch a product.
50:58 - 1:00:29 (09:31)
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Entrepreneurship
Summary

The speaker discusses the benefits of Teespring and how he used it as an early entrepreneur to launch a product. He also touches upon the importance of building the foundation for entrepreneurship and preparing for big things by tightening conversion for a better end output.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The founders of Reddit and Hipmunk attribute a lot of their success to the user experience they created and the special touches they built into their products.
1:00:29 - 1:07:20 (06:50)
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Product Development
Summary

The founders of Reddit and Hipmunk attribute a lot of their success to the user experience they created and the special touches they built into their products. They believe that obsessing over the user experience is crucial in product development.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker emphasizes the importance of responding to feedback emails and tweets as it shows that the founder cares about their users.
1:07:20 - 1:11:55 (04:35)
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Customer Feedback
Summary

The speaker emphasizes the importance of responding to feedback emails and tweets as it shows that the founder cares about their users. This does not require programming expertise but rather a dedication to listening to customer feedback.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In this podcast, the speaker discusses the dangerous balance between determined and resilient individuals versus entitled and arrogant individuals in Silicon Valley, warning against a lack of self-awareness that can lead to failure.
1:11:55 - 1:16:55 (04:59)
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Silicon Valley
Summary

In this podcast, the speaker discusses the dangerous balance between determined and resilient individuals versus entitled and arrogant individuals in Silicon Valley, warning against a lack of self-awareness that can lead to failure. He also cites a comedy video called "The Ivy League Hustle" as evidence of the dangers of collective identity and a sense of entitlement.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Y Combinator has grown from a small house with just four individuals to a company with a diverse range of projects in various areas including nuclear energy, biotech, and non-profit organizations.
1:16:55 - 1:23:12 (06:17)
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Y Combinator
Summary

Y Combinator has grown from a small house with just four individuals to a company with a diverse range of projects in various areas including nuclear energy, biotech, and non-profit organizations. Their hopes are to inspire teens and future individuals to invest their time towards building a business or implementing technology for the better of the world.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Believing in the potential of a company should outweigh the concern for its valuation, as investors ultimately desire a return and the existence of a successful business.
1:23:12 - 1:27:54 (04:42)
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Investing
Summary

Believing in the potential of a company should outweigh the concern for its valuation, as investors ultimately desire a return and the existence of a successful business. The process of founders selling stock before investors or employees often occurs, yet a belief in the company's success is the main priority.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Larger companies could initiate discussions about acquiring smaller ones to gain insight into their internal workings, without actually having the intention to go through with the acquisition.
1:27:54 - 1:32:35 (04:40)
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Business Acquisition
Summary

Larger companies could initiate discussions about acquiring smaller ones to gain insight into their internal workings, without actually having the intention to go through with the acquisition. This gives them leverage in negotiations, as well as the chance to validate the price and bleed the company through protracted due diligence negotiations for a better deal, which is not uncommon or ethical in the business world.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In this podcast episode, the hosts discuss the importance of holding on to equity in a company and the potential benefits it can bring, especially when the company is predicted to skyrocket in value in the future.
1:32:35 - 1:36:22 (03:47)
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Equity
Summary

In this podcast episode, the hosts discuss the importance of holding on to equity in a company and the potential benefits it can bring, especially when the company is predicted to skyrocket in value in the future.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Wu will host Skype chats with people from all over the internet who are using the internet in cool, creative entrepreneurial ways.
1:36:22 - 1:42:54 (06:31)
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Entrepreneurship
Summary

Tim Wu will host Skype chats with people from all over the internet who are using the internet in cool, creative entrepreneurial ways. Additionally, Tim discussed how reclassifying broadband as title two wouldn't change internet experience for consumers.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker talks about trying different martial arts such as Armenian fighting, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and boxing.
1:42:54 - 1:45:04 (02:10)
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Martial Arts
Summary

The speaker talks about trying different martial arts such as Armenian fighting, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and boxing.

Episode
Ep 36: Alexis Ohanian on Y Combinator, Getting Punched, and Picking Winners
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show