Episode
#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
2:41:53
Published: Sun Jul 10 2016
Description
Chris Young is an obsessive tinkerer, inventor, and innovator. His areas of expertise range from extreme aviation (world-record goals) to mathematics and apocalyptic-scale BBQs. Above all, he is one of the clearest thinkers I know. In this interview, we discuss a great many things, including his wild story and lessons learned from rainmakers like Bill Gates, Gabe Newell, Neal Stephenson, and many more. More topics we tackle: How he managed to get jobs working for the best in the world...despite having no credentials. Advice -- and incredible questions -- from self-made billionaires. Why raw foodism isn't always what it's cracked up to be. How geniuses show disappointment and ensure you correct yourself. The "emoji egg" breakfast. And much more... If you only have 5 minutes, I highly recommend listening to Chris's secret to working with hard-to-reach people. Enjoy! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast. This podcast is brought to you by Audible. I have used Audible for years, and I love audio books. I have two to recommend: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman Vagabonding by Rolf Potts All you need to do to get your free 30-day Audible trial is go to Audible.com/Tim. Choose one of the above books, or choose between more than 180,000 audio programs. That could be a book, a newspaper, a magazine, or even a class. It's that easy. Go to Audible.com/Tim and get started today. Enjoy. This podcast is also brought to you by Wealthfront. Wealthfront is a massively disruptive (in a good way) set-it-and-forget-it investing service led by technologists from places like Apple. It has exploded in popularity in the last two years and now has more than $2.5B under management. Why? Because you can get services previously limited to the ultra-wealthy and only pay pennies on the dollar for them, and it's all through smarter software instead of retail locations and bloated sales teams. Check out wealthfront.com/tim, take their risk assessment quiz, which only takes 2-5 minutes, and they'll show you -- for free -- exactly the portfolio they'd put you in. If you want to just take their advice and do it yourself, you can. Well worth a few minutes to explore: wealthfront.com/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
In this episode, Tim Ferriss promotes his highly acclaimed Five Bullet Friday email newsletter along with a subscription offer to Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement formula, which includes a free vitamin D supplement and five travel packs with the first purchase.
00:00 - 05:01 (05:01)
Summary
In this episode, Tim Ferriss promotes his highly acclaimed Five Bullet Friday email newsletter along with a subscription offer to Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement formula, which includes a free vitamin D supplement and five travel packs with the first purchase.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Chris Young, a renowned chef and co-author of "Modernist Cuisine," explains how vegetables have evolved a chemical weapons system as protection against predators and why raw vegetables may not be as healthy as people think due to the toxins and poisons found in them.
05:01 - 10:25 (05:23)
Summary
Chris Young, a renowned chef and co-author of "Modernist Cuisine," explains how vegetables have evolved a chemical weapons system as protection against predators and why raw vegetables may not be as healthy as people think due to the toxins and poisons found in them.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
This episode follows Harold McGee's journey from a passion for cooking to his love for biochemistry and the science behind cooking.
10:25 - 15:42 (05:16)
Summary
This episode follows Harold McGee's journey from a passion for cooking to his love for biochemistry and the science behind cooking.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses how his introverted and antisocial tendencies led him to find solace in cooking professionally.
15:42 - 22:41 (06:59)
Summary
The speaker discusses how his introverted and antisocial tendencies led him to find solace in cooking professionally. He also explains the concept of rotisserie cooking and its practical uses in diffusing heat through large animal meat.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Neil Perry, a surprisingly fit writer, and Tim Ferriss, a chef, recall how their friendship was forged through creating outlandish and dangerous meals together such as cooking a 300-pound pig in a six-foot pit in Perry’s backyard and creating a “tornado of fire” at Ferriss’ house.
22:41 - 28:45 (06:03)
Summary
Neil Perry, a surprisingly fit writer, and Tim Ferriss, a chef, recall how their friendship was forged through creating outlandish and dangerous meals together such as cooking a 300-pound pig in a six-foot pit in Perry’s backyard and creating a “tornado of fire” at Ferriss’ house.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
This episode discusses how to know when it's time to leave your job through the personal experience of the host and his time working in a high-end restaurant kitchen.
28:45 - 36:03 (07:17)
Summary
This episode discusses how to know when it's time to leave your job through the personal experience of the host and his time working in a high-end restaurant kitchen.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker talks about his experience of working with Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck, where he initially started as an unpaid stager and later learned a lot about the art of cooking.
36:04 - 42:18 (06:14)
Summary
The speaker talks about his experience of working with Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck, where he initially started as an unpaid stager and later learned a lot about the art of cooking.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The process of grinding meat and using a pressure cooker for stocks and sauces increased surface area and allowed for more heat extraction, resulting in better flavor and significant cost savings for the restaurant.
42:18 - 48:01 (05:43)
Summary
The process of grinding meat and using a pressure cooker for stocks and sauces increased surface area and allowed for more heat extraction, resulting in better flavor and significant cost savings for the restaurant. This process was discovered through experimentation and eventually led to the purchase of a 36,000 pressure brat pan, paid back within the first six months in terms of savings.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Bill Gates discusses how he uses his understanding of basic concepts of energy to evaluate the practicality of ideas and technologies, and how it helps him cut through hype and identify real breakthroughs.
48:01 - 56:32 (08:30)
Summary
Bill Gates discusses how he uses his understanding of basic concepts of energy to evaluate the practicality of ideas and technologies, and how it helps him cut through hype and identify real breakthroughs. He also talks about his interest in reading and the book he recommends for understanding energy.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The founder of ChefSteps, Chris Young, speaks on the positive influence his father had on his early career as an entrepreneur and shares his experiences working with Nathan Myhrvold in the food industry.
56:32 - 1:02:12 (05:40)
Summary
The founder of ChefSteps, Chris Young, speaks on the positive influence his father had on his early career as an entrepreneur and shares his experiences working with Nathan Myhrvold in the food industry.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker emphasizes the importance of not worrying about what your job will be in the future, and pursuing what you are interested in instead.
1:02:12 - 1:09:44 (07:32)
Summary
The speaker emphasizes the importance of not worrying about what your job will be in the future, and pursuing what you are interested in instead. They credit their success to taking risks and creating their own opportunities.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker reflects on the insightful conversations with Chef Heston Blumenthal and his ability to ask people in different ways but getting to the same end result of what interesting thing are you working on, and also shares lessons on striving for excellence and fairness in decision-making.
1:09:44 - 1:19:59 (10:14)
Summary
The speaker reflects on the insightful conversations with Chef Heston Blumenthal and his ability to ask people in different ways but getting to the same end result of what interesting thing are you working on, and also shares lessons on striving for excellence and fairness in decision-making.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
ChefSteps is a company trying to solve the problem of bad kitchen technology by building devices that augment people’s intuitions in the kitchen, combining it with content and community so as to provide better outcomes for people.
1:19:59 - 1:26:04 (06:04)
Summary
ChefSteps is a company trying to solve the problem of bad kitchen technology by building devices that augment people’s intuitions in the kitchen, combining it with content and community so as to provide better outcomes for people. On the other hand, Valve is the most unique company in the video game space, with a focus on solving problems for video gamers or people that create video games with its Steam platform.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Gabe Newell's ability to ask clarifying questions and challenge assumptions has led to success in his digital video game publishing career, as well as in his investment in ChefSteps.
1:26:04 - 1:35:02 (08:58)
Summary
Gabe Newell's ability to ask clarifying questions and challenge assumptions has led to success in his digital video game publishing career, as well as in his investment in ChefSteps. He has provided favorable loans to ChefSteps, allowing them to make big bets while maintaining control over their work.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The co-founder of ChefSteps, Chris Young, talks about the challenges of a flat hierarchy in a business, emphasizing on disciplined execution and finding perspective from influences such as peers and reading business articles.
1:35:03 - 1:44:21 (09:18)
Summary
The co-founder of ChefSteps, Chris Young, talks about the challenges of a flat hierarchy in a business, emphasizing on disciplined execution and finding perspective from influences such as peers and reading business articles.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Competitive gliding involves racing against the sun for a period of about three to four hours, covering up to five hundred kilometers and deciding when to turn through imaginary cylinders such as turn points.
1:44:21 - 1:49:36 (05:15)
Summary
Competitive gliding involves racing against the sun for a period of about three to four hours, covering up to five hundred kilometers and deciding when to turn through imaginary cylinders such as turn points. Pilots use sailplanes made of carbon fiber and fiberglass composites to fly within a couple of minutes of the minimum time on course and not obliterate average speed.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Glider pilot and adventurer, Jim Payne, discusses his latest goal of setting a world distance record in gliding of over 3,000 kilometers by using new technologies and techniques in his custom-built airplane.
1:49:36 - 1:55:18 (05:41)
Summary
Glider pilot and adventurer, Jim Payne, discusses his latest goal of setting a world distance record in gliding of over 3,000 kilometers by using new technologies and techniques in his custom-built airplane.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Inventing and other unpredictable activities require an unstructured day.
1:55:18 - 2:02:44 (07:26)
Summary
Inventing and other unpredictable activities require an unstructured day. By waking up and sleeping when he wants and spending time doing things that might be unproductive, Peter Thiel has found that this approach has allowed him to make certain leaps in his career that he wouldn't have been able to make otherwise.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker talks about their superstitions with writing and creativity, including the importance of rituals and specific locations.
2:02:44 - 2:10:55 (08:10)
Summary
The speaker talks about their superstitions with writing and creativity, including the importance of rituals and specific locations. They also discuss their creative process and the importance of following interesting ideas over a predetermined process.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The history of science is about more than equations and theorems; it is about the controversies and people behind them.
2:10:56 - 2:21:21 (10:25)
Summary
The history of science is about more than equations and theorems; it is about the controversies and people behind them. This episode explores the intersection of science and culture and how the two have shaped each other throughout history.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The higher the quality of the food served at a restaurant, the lower the margins appear to be, making it harder to run as a business.
2:21:22 - 2:26:17 (04:54)
Summary
The higher the quality of the food served at a restaurant, the lower the margins appear to be, making it harder to run as a business. Heston Blumenthal shares his experience nearly going bankrupt at The Fat Duck restaurant despite serving high-quality food.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The co-founder of ChefSteps, Chris Young shares a story of how he and his co-founder missed an opportunity in Spain only to be recognized the following year after their presentation at the Madrid Fusion competition.
2:26:17 - 2:30:56 (04:39)
Summary
The co-founder of ChefSteps, Chris Young shares a story of how he and his co-founder missed an opportunity in Spain only to be recognized the following year after their presentation at the Madrid Fusion competition.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Nathan Myhrvold reflects on his experiences working with talented but difficult people, and how he learned to balance his own ego with the success of the team.
2:30:56 - 2:36:56 (06:00)
Summary
Nathan Myhrvold reflects on his experiences working with talented but difficult people, and how he learned to balance his own ego with the success of the team. He acknowledges that while individual brilliance can be valuable, unchecked egos can lead to destructive team dynamics and ultimately hinder success.
Episode#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Listen to this podcast for interesting conversations and learn about the coolest things in cooking, tools, and technology!
2:36:56 - 2:41:50 (04:53)
Summary
Listen to this podcast for interesting conversations and learn about the coolest things in cooking, tools, and technology! Check out the show notes at four-hourworkweek.com.