Episode
#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
2:10:59
Published: Sun Mar 19 2017
Description
Ricardo Semler (@ricardosemler) is the former CEO of Semco Partners, a Brazilian company best known perhaps for its radical form of industrial democracy and corporate re-engineering. During his leadership, Semco grew from four million in 1982 to two hundred and twelve million in 2003. His innovative -- but very controversial -- business management policies have attracted widespread interest from all over the world. He is the best-selling author of Maverick: The Success Story Behind the World's Most Unusual Workplace and The Seven-Day Weekend: A Better Way to Work in the 21st Century (not to be confused with another book titled in an admittedly similar fashion). Ricardo recently started a podcast called LeadWise, where he has conversations with leaders about "challenging assumptions and changing how we live and work." Entrepreneurship and education are just two of the topics discussed in this wide-ranging conversation. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Ricardo Semler as much as I did! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast. This podcast is brought to you by FreshBooks. FreshBooks is the #1 cloud bookkeeping software, which is used by a ton of the start-ups I advise and many of the contractors I work with. It is the easiest way to send invoices, get paid, track your time, and track your clients. FreshBooks tells you when your clients have viewed your invoices, helps you customize your invoices, track your hours, automatically organize your receipts, have late payment reminders sent automatically and much more. Right now you can get a free month of complete and unrestricted use. You do not need a credit card for the trial. To claim your free month and see how the brand new Freshbooks can change your business, go to FreshBooks.com/Tim and enter "Tim" in the "how did you hear about us" section. 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 and world-famous investors. It has exploded in popularity in the last two years and now has more than $5B under management. In fact, some of my good investor friends in Silicon Valley have millions of their own money in Wealthfront. 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. Or, as I would, you can set it and forget it. Well worth a few minutes: 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 talks about his email newsletter, Five Bullet Friday, where he shares the coolest things he has found each week.
00:00 - 01:22 (01:22)
Summary
In this episode, Tim Ferriss talks about his email newsletter, Five Bullet Friday, where he shares the coolest things he has found each week. He also shares how he meets guests for his podcast.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Athletic Greens is an all-in-one formula with around 75 vitamins, minerals and whole foods sourced ingredients including multi-vitamins, multi-mineral greens complex, probiotics, prebiotics, digestive enzymes adaptogens, and more.
01:22 - 07:00 (05:37)
Summary
Athletic Greens is an all-in-one formula with around 75 vitamins, minerals and whole foods sourced ingredients including multi-vitamins, multi-mineral greens complex, probiotics, prebiotics, digestive enzymes adaptogens, and more. While most of us are deficient in Vitamin D, they are offering a year's supply of this supplement and five free travel packs with the first purchase of their subscription service.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this podcast episode, Tim Ferriss interviews Yuval Noah Harari, the author of Sapiens, on his childhood as a refugee and roadie and their shared concern for putting wisdom into work and life.
07:00 - 10:57 (03:57)
Summary
In this podcast episode, Tim Ferriss interviews Yuval Noah Harari, the author of Sapiens, on his childhood as a refugee and roadie and their shared concern for putting wisdom into work and life. They discuss the importance of resilience, creativity, and humility in difficult times.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares his experience joining a traditional business run by his grandfather and how it clashed with his previous world of rock music.
10:57 - 16:00 (05:02)
Summary
The speaker shares his experience joining a traditional business run by his grandfather and how it clashed with his previous world of rock music. He eventually found a consultant who advised him to look for broke companies with big debt and purchase them for a dollar.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker talks about why he had to fire all of his managers and directors over an entire weekend and restructure the company completely, due to the amount of sabotage, calcification, and resistance to change he encountered.
16:01 - 22:17 (06:16)
Summary
The speaker talks about why he had to fire all of his managers and directors over an entire weekend and restructure the company completely, due to the amount of sabotage, calcification, and resistance to change he encountered.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
This episode discusses the origin story of the wildly successful Brazilian book "Virando a Própria Mesa" (English translation: Turning the Tables).
22:17 - 27:02 (04:45)
Summary
This episode discusses the origin story of the wildly successful Brazilian book "Virando a Própria Mesa" (English translation: Turning the Tables). The book's title refers to the act of flipping the table over as a metaphor for completely disrupting and changing traditional systems.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
A Brazilian businessman faced rejection when trying to share his insights in the business industry at first; however, after a while, people started to think about doing things differently and they took his book forward to success.
27:02 - 33:24 (06:21)
Summary
A Brazilian businessman faced rejection when trying to share his insights in the business industry at first; however, after a while, people started to think about doing things differently and they took his book forward to success.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
By establishing a process based on trust in employees and allowing them to have a say in coworker selection, the issue of theft in the workplace was ultimately eliminated.
33:24 - 42:35 (09:11)
Summary
By establishing a process based on trust in employees and allowing them to have a say in coworker selection, the issue of theft in the workplace was ultimately eliminated. Trusting people as individuals first and foremost is key in eliminating issues in the workplace.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Peter Thiel advises that the process of getting organized can trap businesses and organizations in bureaucracy and following predetermined rationalities rather than value-creating and creative communication efforts with staff members.
42:36 - 47:46 (05:10)
Summary
Peter Thiel advises that the process of getting organized can trap businesses and organizations in bureaucracy and following predetermined rationalities rather than value-creating and creative communication efforts with staff members. He recommends resisting the urge to prescribe and ascribe how things should be done in favor of focusing on the few things that truly matter to the company or organization's goals instead of being trapped by irrelevant information and communication and structure needs.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Author Paulo Coelho talks about the danger of getting lost in your own success and believing in your own bullshit.
47:46 - 53:30 (05:44)
Summary
Author Paulo Coelho talks about the danger of getting lost in your own success and believing in your own bullshit. He also shares how coming across an insight which was already yours can change your life.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker reflects on the lack of wisdom in modern organizations and businesses, and suggests that reading literature such as Kafka and Jung can provide insight into human behavior and motivation.
53:32 - 57:37 (04:05)
Summary
The speaker reflects on the lack of wisdom in modern organizations and businesses, and suggests that reading literature such as Kafka and Jung can provide insight into human behavior and motivation.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The host discusses the benefits of nonfiction literature and how it has impacted his perspective on storytelling.
57:38 - 1:02:32 (04:53)
Summary
The host discusses the benefits of nonfiction literature and how it has impacted his perspective on storytelling. He also addresses a question from a fan about how to "zero base" his life and start anew.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Author and podcaster Tim Ferriss discusses the trap of comparison and accumulation, giving examples of wealthy people who are miserable because they are always comparing themselves to others, and explains how this mentality can lead to an insatiable need for more.
1:02:33 - 1:09:10 (06:36)
Summary
Author and podcaster Tim Ferriss discusses the trap of comparison and accumulation, giving examples of wealthy people who are miserable because they are always comparing themselves to others, and explains how this mentality can lead to an insatiable need for more.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The accumulation of wealth by the top 0.1% is becoming more widely recognized as a problem; however, attempting to answer why we do what we do on a deeper level is where the real challenges begin.
1:09:10 - 1:16:11 (07:00)
Summary
The accumulation of wealth by the top 0.1% is becoming more widely recognized as a problem; however, attempting to answer why we do what we do on a deeper level is where the real challenges begin.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses the importance of making small but less self-serving choices throughout life, which can help during moments of risk and uncertainty.
1:16:11 - 1:23:46 (07:34)
Summary
The speaker discusses the importance of making small but less self-serving choices throughout life, which can help during moments of risk and uncertainty. He emphasizes the fragility of life and the need to rely on humility and a sense of balance during challenging times.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares his experiences of having a lot of success in 2016 by prioritizing deep work and leisure time, but feeling overwhelmed by inbound noise in 2017.
1:23:47 - 1:31:29 (07:42)
Summary
The speaker shares his experiences of having a lot of success in 2016 by prioritizing deep work and leisure time, but feeling overwhelmed by inbound noise in 2017. He explains how metrics have gone away and how he is focusing on building a process of doing what he wants with the people he loves.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker expresses their elation when someone cancels an important appointment and highlights the significance of little things over big issues.
1:31:30 - 1:38:22 (06:52)
Summary
The speaker expresses their elation when someone cancels an important appointment and highlights the significance of little things over big issues.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The fear of failure is often greater than the statistical risk, and people tend to prioritize the opinions of others over their own enjoyment of the passing of time.
1:38:22 - 1:47:03 (08:40)
Summary
The fear of failure is often greater than the statistical risk, and people tend to prioritize the opinions of others over their own enjoyment of the passing of time. Success should be measured by making the most of the present and not depending solely on ephemeral things.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares his thoughts on consuming collectible wine, stating that the interesting part is that once you consume your collectible by drinking the wine you're left always with 20 cents of glass.
1:47:03 - 1:52:00 (04:56)
Summary
The speaker shares his thoughts on consuming collectible wine, stating that the interesting part is that once you consume your collectible by drinking the wine you're left always with 20 cents of glass.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The host suggests doing a round of rapid-fire questions before the end of the podcast with an unspecified guest, who talks about Carl Jungen's book and the notion of collective unconscious and the importance of trailblazing.
1:52:01 - 1:55:38 (03:36)
Summary
The host suggests doing a round of rapid-fire questions before the end of the podcast with an unspecified guest, who talks about Carl Jungen's book and the notion of collective unconscious and the importance of trailblazing.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The chances of changing your life's trajectory and social context from which you come from are very rare, as evidenced by a study that followed the lives of dozen kids from different backgrounds for over fifty years.
1:55:38 - 2:03:04 (07:25)
Summary
The chances of changing your life's trajectory and social context from which you come from are very rare, as evidenced by a study that followed the lives of dozen kids from different backgrounds for over fifty years.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Wealthfront is an innovative technology-based investment management firm that delivers high-end financial advice at a fraction of the cost of a traditional financial advisor.
2:03:04 - 2:09:43 (06:38)
Summary
Wealthfront is an innovative technology-based investment management firm that delivers high-end financial advice at a fraction of the cost of a traditional financial advisor. The firm's services offer tax-efficient, low-cost investment options that are monitored every day across more than a dozen asset classes to look for opportunities to rebalance or harvest tax losses.
Episode#229: Ricardo Semler -- The Seven-Day Weekend and How to Break the Rules
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Freshbooks is a cloud accounting software designed for self-employed professionals, providing features such as invoicing, time tracking, and expense management.
2:09:43 - 2:10:47 (01:03)
Summary
Freshbooks is a cloud accounting software designed for self-employed professionals, providing features such as invoicing, time tracking, and expense management. It recently relaunched with a focus on simplicity and provides a 30-day unrestricted free trial with no credit card required.