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Episode

#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
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2:01:21
Published: Wed Mar 09 2022
Description

Brought to you by Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating, Wealthfront automated investing, and Tonal smart home gym. More on all three below.Matt Mullenweg (@photomatt) is a co-founder of the open-source publishing platform WordPress, which now powers more than one-third of all sites on the web. He is the founder and CEO of Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Tumblr, WPVIP, Day One, and Pocket Casts. Additionally, Matt runs Audrey Capital, an investment and research company. He has been recognized for his leadership by Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, Inc., TechCrunch, Fortune, Fast Company, Wired, Vanity Fair, and the University Philosophical Society. Matt is originally from Houston, Texas, where he attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and studied jazz saxophone. In his spare time, Matt is an avid photographer. He currently splits his time between Houston and Jackson Hole.For my first interview with Matt, way back in 2015, go to tim.blog/matt.Please enjoy!*This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep! Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover is the easiest and fastest way to sleep at the perfect temperature. It pairs dynamic cooling and heating with biometric tracking to offer the most advanced (and user-friendly) solution on the market. Simply add the Pod Pro Cover to your current mattress and start sleeping as cool as 55°F or as hot as 110°F. It also splits your bed in half, so your partner can choose a totally different temperature.And now, my dear listeners—that’s you—can get $250 off the Pod Pro Cover. Simply go to EightSleep.com/Tim or use code TIM at checkout. *This episode is also brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront pioneered the automated investing movement, sometimes referred to as ‘robo-advising,’ and they currently oversee $20 billion of assets for their clients. It takes about three minutes to sign up, and then Wealthfront will build you a globally diversified portfolio of ETFs based on your risk appetite and manage it for you at an incredibly low cost. Smart investing should not feel like a rollercoaster ride. Let the professionals do the work for you. Go to Wealthfront.com/Tim and open a Wealthfront account today, and you’ll get your first $5,000 managed for free, for life. Wealthfront will automate your investments for the long term. Get started today at Wealthfront.com/Tim.*This episode is also brought to you by Tonal! Tonal is the world’s most intelligent home gym and personal trainer. It is precision engineered and designed to be the most advanced strength studio on the market today. Tonal uses breakthrough technology—like adaptive digital weights and AI learning—together with the best experts in resistance training so you get stronger, faster. Every program is personalized to your body using AI, and smart features check your form in real time, just like a personal trainer.Try Tonal, the world’s smartest home gym, for 30 days in your home, and if you don’t love it, you can return it for a full refund. Visit Tonal.com for $100 off their smart accessories when you use promo code TIM100 at checkout.*In Antarctica, even your neatest scotch is served on the rocks — and you have to take it with you when you’re finished. [06:12]How we’re dealing with perpetual daylight and zero access to the internet. [08:26]For anyone who hasn’t caught his past appearances and mentions on this show, who is Matt Mullenweg, and what keeps him busy when he’s not camping on Antarctican sea ice? [11:12]What our morning immersed in the “patient” landscape of Antarctica has been like so far. [13:56]Why a total solar eclipse needs to be experienced firsthand to understand why it’s such a big deal. [17:15]Antarctican skin care and rollicking penguin imitations. [20:52]What’s happened in Matt’s world since the last time we talked on this podcast? How does he keep each day interesting? [24:30]What Matt has found most helpful for enduring the grieving process since his father passed away. [26:36]You probably have a smartphone. Here’s why you should use it to record some of the time you spend with loved ones when you have the chance, and what you might talk to them about. [32:25]Podcast tech spec updates since our last conversation that make recording possible at any temperature on Earth. [34:39]As Matt says, “You can’t spell ‘Tim’ without ‘TMI.’” That’s why I’m going to talk about the time I sampled my own urine. [40:04]We each answer the question posed by a card from the Holstee Reflection Deck: “What is one fear you would like to conquer?” [42:13]Strange comfort I derived from a recent existential revelation, and where I found it. [50:48]Next card: “If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about your life, the world, or anything else, what would you want to know?” [1:00:29]Another card: “If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, what would you change about the way you’re living now? Why?” [1:08:35]At the time of this conversation, what would I put on my billboard? [1:19:20]New card: “What are two things still on your bucket list?” [1:19:38]We need more billionaires exploring the oceans and the non-Western worlds of ritual and myth with the same exuberance as the ones currently exploring space. [1:26:39]Would I clone my dog Molly? Matt shares his own experience with getting to know a cloned animal after its genetically identical predecessor passed away. [1:38:49]More bucket list items. [1:43:12]Why Matt doesn’t curse, and what he does when he gets really angry. [1:43:42]The next card: “Do intentions matter more or less than actions?” [1:47:29]The last card: “What are you grateful for right now?” [1:52:07]Parting thoughts. [1:55:07]*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.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, Margaret Atwood, 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, Balaji Srinivasan, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, Dr. Michio Kaku, 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
The podcast includes an advertisement for 8 Sleep, a product that enhances sleep by reducing sleep interruptions and helping users fall asleep faster.
00:00 - 02:23 (02:23)
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Advertisement
Summary

The podcast includes an advertisement for 8 Sleep, a product that enhances sleep by reducing sleep interruptions and helping users fall asleep faster. Coupon code TIM can be used to avail $250 off on the purchase of PodPro Cover.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Tonal is a strength training machine that uses advanced technology to provide personalized feedback and offers more than 170 exercises for a full body workout.
02:23 - 06:36 (04:13)
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Fitness
Summary

Tonal is a strength training machine that uses advanced technology to provide personalized feedback and offers more than 170 exercises for a full body workout.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares his experience of camping and emphasizes the importance of peeing in a bottle to avoid peeing in the snow that stays there for thousands of years.
06:36 - 11:24 (04:48)
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Camping
Summary

The speaker shares his experience of camping and emphasizes the importance of peeing in a bottle to avoid peeing in the snow that stays there for thousands of years.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Co-founder of WordPress, discusses his goal for the next 10 years to get more remote work available and his experience working remotely.
11:24 - 15:27 (04:02)
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WordPress
Summary

Co-founder of WordPress, discusses his goal for the next 10 years to get more remote work available and his experience working remotely.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The hosts discuss the impact of solar eclipses on humans and their historical significance, from the awe-inspiring experience to past beliefs and predictions.
15:27 - 21:01 (05:33)
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Solar Eclipses
Summary

The hosts discuss the impact of solar eclipses on humans and their historical significance, from the awe-inspiring experience to past beliefs and predictions.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker talks about being introduced to Tim Urban's "The Great One" through Matt Mullenweg and the impact it had on him.
21:01 - 26:22 (05:21)
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Productivity
Summary

The speaker talks about being introduced to Tim Urban's "The Great One" through Matt Mullenweg and the impact it had on him. The conversation then shifts to discussing the idea of weekly routines for optimizing long-term productivity.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares how using a Chrome new tab extension called Momentum, which allows users to customize their new tab screen, helped him calculate the average number of days he will live and come to terms with his mortality.
26:22 - 30:29 (04:06)
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Mortality
Summary

The speaker shares how using a Chrome new tab extension called Momentum, which allows users to customize their new tab screen, helped him calculate the average number of days he will live and come to terms with his mortality.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses using smart mats to track fitness and activity, and also wishes that he had more recordings of his father.
30:29 - 34:09 (03:40)
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Fitness
Summary

The speaker discusses using smart mats to track fitness and activity, and also wishes that he had more recordings of his father.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Two XLR cables, one going to a handheld mic format and another going to a handheld mic in the host's hand, got so hot during a recording in the Antarctica sauna that they had to take breaks and do ice baths.
34:09 - 38:31 (04:22)
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Podcasting
Summary

Two XLR cables, one going to a handheld mic format and another going to a handheld mic in the host's hand, got so hot during a recording in the Antarctica sauna that they had to take breaks and do ice baths.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The transcript includes an advertisement for Wealthfront investment account.
38:34 - 42:39 (04:04)
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Finance
The speaker discusses the fear and excuses they experience when it comes to exercise and how it may be a result of their subconscious trying to protect them.
42:39 - 45:37 (02:58)
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Exercise
Summary

The speaker discusses the fear and excuses they experience when it comes to exercise and how it may be a result of their subconscious trying to protect them.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Nick Wignall talks about the gravitational pull towards depression and self-loathing, despite implementing routines or trying to change different areas of life, and how to work through it.
45:37 - 50:06 (04:28)
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Mental Health
Summary

Nick Wignall talks about the gravitational pull towards depression and self-loathing, despite implementing routines or trying to change different areas of life, and how to work through it.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The overwhelming evidence suggests that humans can't resist harming themselves or their environment.
50:06 - 56:48 (06:42)
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Human nature
Summary

The overwhelming evidence suggests that humans can't resist harming themselves or their environment. The speaker invests in an app that doesn't make a difference and struggles to find motivation to deal with email. The concept of cosmic insignificance therapy helps in realizing how little things matter in life.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The host discusses rating the book "Four Thousand Weeks" using Kyle Maynard's rule, which doesn't allow the number seven as a rating option and typically results in a more definitive response.
56:48 - 1:03:19 (06:30)
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Self-improvement
Summary

The host discusses rating the book "Four Thousand Weeks" using Kyle Maynard's rule, which doesn't allow the number seven as a rating option and typically results in a more definitive response.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The concept of karma and reincarnation can affect one's behavior and decision-making in certain iterations of the afterlife.
1:03:19 - 1:07:01 (03:42)
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Reincarnation, Karma, Afterlife
Summary

The concept of karma and reincarnation can affect one's behavior and decision-making in certain iterations of the afterlife. Short chapters on hypothetical manifestations of the afterlife are discussed in this podcast episode, including whether or not suicide can impact one's afterlife.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode, the speaker discusses the importance of increasing the number of contributors to open source projects and democratizing publishing on the web.
1:07:01 - 1:10:48 (03:46)
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Open Source
Summary

In this episode, the speaker discusses the importance of increasing the number of contributors to open source projects and democratizing publishing on the web. They also share their thoughts on the possibility of our brains acting as antennas to connect with a deeper consciousness.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The podcasting industry allows for creative freedom and editorial control, making it unique from other forms of media.
1:10:48 - 1:15:11 (04:23)
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Podcasting
Summary

The podcasting industry allows for creative freedom and editorial control, making it unique from other forms of media. Sacrificing this freedom for collaborations with platforms or companies would not make sense and could lead to decision fatigue.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares his thoughts on fatherhood and having kids with his girlfriend, citing it as fundamental to human existence but still needing time to think about it.
1:15:11 - 1:22:14 (07:02)
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Fatherhood
Summary

The speaker shares his thoughts on fatherhood and having kids with his girlfriend, citing it as fundamental to human existence but still needing time to think about it.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker wishes there was a billionaire exploring the ocean like Bezos and Musk are going into space, and discusses his love for scuba-diving and how it can be used a metaphor for psychedelic experiences.
1:22:14 - 1:28:45 (06:30)
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Ocean Exploration
Summary

The speaker wishes there was a billionaire exploring the ocean like Bezos and Musk are going into space, and discusses his love for scuba-diving and how it can be used a metaphor for psychedelic experiences.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The behavior of wolves and coyotes reveals their high levels of intelligence, as they head off in specific directions and travel in a straight line to intercept their prey.
1:28:45 - 1:37:25 (08:40)
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Animal Intelligence
Summary

The behavior of wolves and coyotes reveals their high levels of intelligence, as they head off in specific directions and travel in a straight line to intercept their prey. The idea of the "noble savage" is popular in discussing the community lifestyle of these animals.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker mentions an episode of Radio Lab which talks about inter-tree communication, and discusses their experience of the emperor penguins and viewing totality.
1:37:25 - 1:43:32 (06:06)
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Communication, Bucket List
Summary

The speaker mentions an episode of Radio Lab which talks about inter-tree communication, and discusses their experience of the emperor penguins and viewing totality.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares their coping mechanism when they encounter frustrating situations and their tendency to be overly protective, while also reflecting on past experiences of expressing frustration through curse words.
1:43:32 - 1:47:20 (03:47)
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Coping Mechanisms
Summary

The speaker shares their coping mechanism when they encounter frustrating situations and their tendency to be overly protective, while also reflecting on past experiences of expressing frustration through curse words.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The debate surrounding whether doing the right thing for the wrong reason is still the right thing; a discussion of a cold-blooded capitalist killer who gives to charity as a strategic move.
1:47:20 - 1:51:41 (04:21)
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Ethics
Summary

The debate surrounding whether doing the right thing for the wrong reason is still the right thing; a discussion of a cold-blooded capitalist killer who gives to charity as a strategic move.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss describes his newsletter, Five Bullet Friday, which provides subscribers with a short and fun email every week before the weekend, and discusses how to sign up.
1:51:41 - 1:58:57 (07:16)
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Newsletters
Summary

Tim Ferriss describes his newsletter, Five Bullet Friday, which provides subscribers with a short and fun email every week before the weekend, and discusses how to sign up. He also promotes Tonal, a fitness equipment company that uses 17 sensors to provide real-time feedback, and provides a website link to try it out.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Improve your sleep quality with 8Sleep, the crowd favorite for sleep-enhancing tools.
1:58:57 - 2:01:11 (02:13)
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Sleep Technology
Summary

Improve your sleep quality with 8Sleep, the crowd favorite for sleep-enhancing tools. Get more restful sleep by falling asleep faster and reducing sleep interruptions with 8Sleep's temperature management system.

Episode
#578: Tim Ferriss and Matt Mullenweg in Antarctica: Exploring Personal Fears, Bucket Lists, Facing Grief, Crafting Life Missions, and Tim’s Best Penguin Impressions
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show