Episode

#600: Jason Portnoy of PayPal, Palantir, and More — Porn Addiction, The Corrosiveness of Secrets, Healing Wounds, Escaping Shame Cycles, and Books to Change Your Life
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
2:26:03
Published: Wed Jun 15 2022
Description

Brought to you by LinkedIn Marketing Solutions marketing platform with ~770M users, Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, and Shopify global commerce platform providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business. Entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and author Jason Portnoy began his career at PayPal, working closely with technology icons like Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Max Levchin, and Reid Hoffman. He served as the first chief financial officer of Palantir Technologies and later founded Oakhouse Partners, a top-performing venture capital firm.Jason is sought after as a trusted advisor to technology company CEOs and has spoken on topics ranging from executive leadership to the intersections of technology and humanity. He holds engineering degrees from both Stanford University (MS) and the University of Colorado (BS).His new book is Silicon Valley Porn Star.Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, the go-to tool for B2B marketers and advertisers who want to drive brand awareness, generate leads, or build long-term relationships that result in real business impact.With a community of more than 770 million professionals, LinkedIn is gigantic, but it can be hyper-specific. You have access to a diverse group of people all searching for things they need to grow professionally. LinkedIn has the marketing tools to help you target your customers with precision, right down to job title, company name, industry, etc. To redeem your free $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to LinkedIn.com/TFS!*This episode is also brought to you by Shopify! Shopify is one of my favorite platforms and one of my favorite companies. Shopify is a platform designed for anyone to sell anywhere, giving entrepreneurs the resources once reserved for big business. In no time flat, you can have a great looking online store that brings your ideas to life, and you can have the tools to manage your day-to-day and drive sales. No coding or design experience required.More than a store, Shopify grows with you, and they never stop innovating, providing more and more tools to make your business better and your life easier. Go to Shopify.com/Tim for a FREE 14-day trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features.*This episode is also brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1 by Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system. Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.*[04:45] A caffeine-free breakfast[08:22] Background basics[10:52] Education and career diversions[16:51] Getting a job on the merits of an eclectic reading list and company t-shirt[21:47] Early days at PayPal[25:54] Lessons learned from Thiel, Hoffman, and Musk[31:40] Why were so many disparate projects seeded by the PayPal diaspora?[36:59] Peering into Palantir and the low-profile mindset[41:22] Origins of the title Silicon Valley Porn Star[44:02] Recognizing addiction, its escalating consequences, and its contributing factors[53:50] Escaping self-imposed victimhood and rescuing the marriage[1:05:52] Shared therapy and vocabulary[1:08:06] Simplifying and subtracting[1:15:20] Shame spirals and 12 steps (not South Africa)[1:25:22] From Porn Star to The Monk with help via choice reading selections and Coach Melissa[1:30:12] Reconciliation[1:33:22] Most important keys to the repair process[1:34:54] Safeguards against relapse[1:38:02] Modern porn vs. “natural” urges[1:40:11] What compelled Jason to write Silicon Valley Porn Star?[1:44:51] Time for surrender: filling in the post-book timeline[1:50:26] Enduring challenges[1:51:49] Retreat lessons[1:55:36] Jason’s billboard[1:57:34] Books most gifted[1:59:29] Good investments made[2:02:03] The obscure side of Microsoft Excel[2:04:36] What makes a great CFO?[2:08:52] Finance: on the job vs. school[2:11:21] Opening up to a partner about secrets we’ve been holding[2:17:52] Parting thoughts*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/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
Learn about Athletic Greens' special offer, which includes a free vitamin D supplement and travel packs, and the impressive growth of Shopify from a small team to serving customers in 175 countries.
00:00 - 04:59 (04:59)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Health and Wellness
Summary

Learn about Athletic Greens' special offer, which includes a free vitamin D supplement and travel packs, and the impressive growth of Shopify from a small team to serving customers in 175 countries.

Episode
#600: Jason Portnoy of PayPal, Palantir, and More — Porn Addiction, The Corrosiveness of Secrets, Healing Wounds, Escaping Shame Cycles, and Books to Change Your Life
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses how caffeine blocks adenosine, which builds up over time and creates sleep pressure, and shares personal experiences with avoiding caffeine to improve sleep quality.
04:59 - 08:08 (03:09)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Caffeine, Sleep
Summary

The speaker discusses how caffeine blocks adenosine, which builds up over time and creates sleep pressure, and shares personal experiences with avoiding caffeine to improve sleep quality.

Episode
#600: Jason Portnoy of PayPal, Palantir, and More — Porn Addiction, The Corrosiveness of Secrets, Healing Wounds, Escaping Shame Cycles, and Books to Change Your Life
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Learn what chemical engineering is and how it differs from chemistry.
08:08 - 11:32 (03:24)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Chemical Engineering
Summary

Learn what chemical engineering is and how it differs from chemistry. Discover how chemical engineers scale up chemical processes from the lab to the industrial level.

Episode
#600: Jason Portnoy of PayPal, Palantir, and More — Porn Addiction, The Corrosiveness of Secrets, Healing Wounds, Escaping Shame Cycles, and Books to Change Your Life
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker reflects on her own experience with a minor in business prior to attending graduate school and the value of having work experience before applying for an advanced degree.
11:32 - 16:02 (04:29)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Graduate School
Summary

The speaker reflects on her own experience with a minor in business prior to attending graduate school and the value of having work experience before applying for an advanced degree.

Episode
#600: Jason Portnoy of PayPal, Palantir, and More — Porn Addiction, The Corrosiveness of Secrets, Healing Wounds, Escaping Shame Cycles, and Books to Change Your Life
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
A man shares his experience of getting hired by Google after jokingly saying that he got the job because he wore a company t-shirt to the interview and then was asked to read books recommended by his interviewer.
16:02 - 23:32 (07:30)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Google
Summary

A man shares his experience of getting hired by Google after jokingly saying that he got the job because he wore a company t-shirt to the interview and then was asked to read books recommended by his interviewer.

Episode
#600: Jason Portnoy of PayPal, Palantir, and More — Porn Addiction, The Corrosiveness of Secrets, Healing Wounds, Escaping Shame Cycles, and Books to Change Your Life
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The most successful entrepreneurs, including Peter Thiel, Reid Hoffman, and Elon Musk, all had a habit of multitasking and pursuing multiple ventures simultaneously, which allowed them to gain exposure to different ideas and meet new people.
23:32 - 30:01 (06:29)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Entrepreneurship
Summary

The most successful entrepreneurs, including Peter Thiel, Reid Hoffman, and Elon Musk, all had a habit of multitasking and pursuing multiple ventures simultaneously, which allowed them to gain exposure to different ideas and meet new people.

Episode
#600: Jason Portnoy of PayPal, Palantir, and More — Porn Addiction, The Corrosiveness of Secrets, Healing Wounds, Escaping Shame Cycles, and Books to Change Your Life
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, had a tendency to hire people without experience in the industry that the business operated in, which may seem counterintuitive.
30:01 - 35:30 (05:28)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Peter Thiel
Summary

Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, had a tendency to hire people without experience in the industry that the business operated in, which may seem counterintuitive. However, this allowed for the development of versatile utility players who could adapt to changing contexts and take on specialized roles as the organization grew.

Episode
#600: Jason Portnoy of PayPal, Palantir, and More — Porn Addiction, The Corrosiveness of Secrets, Healing Wounds, Escaping Shame Cycles, and Books to Change Your Life
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The author hopes that this article will inspire couples to be more honest with each other.
35:30 - 2:21:28 (1:45:58)
listen on SpotifyListen on Youtube
Positive