Moonwalk

"Some people go to sleep and have God appear in their dreams. I just looked her up" - Sudev Namboodiri Remarkable. If you didn't pass 5th grade, you have no idea what that word means. But, when something's remarkable - you know it when you see it. On this episode, we talk to the founders of a fake religion and then, one of TIME's People of the Year to uncover how to transform your working life by being remarkable. Plus: - How do you become the most interesting woman in the world? - What happens when you meet strangers on the internet? - What are the inner-mechanics of being remarkable and how can you use them to your advantage?  - How do you build the foundation for a deep, focused career? - What happened to Pardis Sabeti in 2015 that really, really sucked? For more material on this episode, go to realtalkstudio.com. P.S. Sign up for the email list here.    Production and Special Credits Special Guests: Pardis Sabeti, Sudev, Amanda, and Paca Host, Producer, Sound Design, Research: Mohnish Soundararajan Co-Hos

"We can curse all we want, but this is the most explicit thing that's ever been said on our podcast" - Mohnish Soundararajan, to Ted Gonder While your friend Jen is working at the White House, you're on the couch eating Ramen at 4 o' clock in the morning and you can barely feel your face. Jen - you figure - must be lucky.  But what if you could reverse engineer the moments that would come to define you? And what if you could break into the White House while doing it? The guys cover:  - The weirdest thing about 5 Silicon Valley billionaires.  - Is it possible to go from unlucky to lucky?  - How do you engineer random chance in your life? Is it even possible?  - What is "bulk, positive, randomness"?  For more on this episode, go to www.realtalkstudio.com.  P.S. Become an Insider, get on the email list, and get your questions answered. Seriously - any question.    Production and Special Credits Host, Research, Production, Sound Design, Editing: Mohnish Soundararajan Co-Host and Editing: Kevin Sanji  Feedback: Ja

"You see this cute little vial here? It's crack - rock cocaine - the most addictive form. You think it's the glamor drug of the 80's? Well, that's the point of this friendly little reminder. It can kill you." - Clint Eastwood   Humans are bad. We're ridiculous. And we act in complex ways that I honestly have no idea how to describe. From Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign to the reality of teaching low-income students, we figure out: Why is changing and understanding human behavior so hard? To boot: What's the best way to change human behavior in a hopeless situation? We cover: - Did the "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign work? - What are the hidden sources of bad behavior? - How does complex, emergent behavior work? - What is the Gloomy Prospect? - Why is the learning-to-see model so effective at causing good behaviors? And more, all on this episode. For more, go to realtalkstudio.com P.S. Sign up for the email list and get your mind blown every other Tuesday.    Production and Credits Host, Resea

"Do you know what it's like to be a Top Gun pilot? What about a violin player?" - Mohnish Soundararajan, Host Season 3 is coming soon - the wait ends October 11th. We'll be releasing twice a month (so that's every other Tuesday) in exchange for more people, better stories, better research, better production, and stupider jokes. It's about to get nutty. See you in 2 weeks.           

"That's a whole 'nother chips n' guac" - Kevin Sanji, co-host Hard work and experience can make you worse at what you do. This sounds absolutely bat-nut insane and it sounds wrong - but it's not. I'll take you back to the 70's, the early 1900's, and back to the present to a modern-day Japanese pushup champion to uncover why we get worse with hard work and experience (and, of course, what to do instead). In this episode, we cover:  - Why Steve Faloon's short-term memory mattered - The nature of hard work and experience over a long period of time - How to become an expert at what you do  - The key to expert performance - at anything Huge thanks to Anders Ericsson's book Peak - which inspired this. For more info, go to www.realtalkstudio.com.   P.S. We got an email list. Join the Insider list here - get bonus content, get your mind blown every Tuesday, and get your questions answered.    Production and Credits Host, Producer, Sound Design, and Editing: Mohnish Soundararajan Huge thanks to Ander Ericsson and Robe

"Keep the doors locked. Don't go outside. Keep the windows shut. Just be a little bit cautious - we'll have a squad car patrolling the area all night. We'll try to make contact with Pizzaland and see if we can get some information on this guy"  - Woman, to Kevin Sanji  You don't want to tell bad stories because telling bad stories makes you feel bad ("Brad, I'm finally encountering the idea that loneliness is my only end-goal"). So here's what's going to happen next: We're going to get Kevin to tell a story about a pizza delivery gone wrong. And then we're going to break the story down step-by-step, uncover the mechanics of storytelling, and get you telling better stories. We cover: - What happened after Kevin ordered pizza?  - Who is the "Pizza Man"?  - Why does the order of events matter? - A simple process (using observation and deliberate practice) to improve your storytelling performance If you want to go deeper than the podcast, go to realtalkstudio.com.  P.S. Get your mind blown every Tuesday and sign

"I wish these photos I was sending this girl would just disappear" - Reggie Brown, ousted Snapchat co-founder Everyone is losing their minds. Flat out - we're obsessed with Snapchat. But why? Why do we use it the way we use it? And why did our special guest used to receive 20 - 30 "below-the-belt" pics a day from random strangers? Well - ladies, gents - we've got answers. Special guest Virginia Salas Kastilio and the guys cover: - The reality of becoming a Snapchat celebrity - Why are we obsessed with Snapchat? - The evolutionary and social underpinnings of why we use Snapchat - How does Kevin use Snapchat? - Also: how much ridiculous, dramatic music can Mohnish get away with?  And more, all on this episode. Want to go deeper than the podcast? More books, articles, and research here.  P.S. Sign up for our email list and get bonus materials you can't get anywhere else.    Who is Virginia Salas Kastilio? - Virginia really blew me away with how fun it was to talk to her. She's got a t-shirt brand which is based

"We're not designed to know how little we know" - Daniel Kahneman  Imagine you made a bet. You get a car, a jet plane, and a pet tiger if you win. And all you have to do is convince your mother that global warming is real. Could you do it? If you want to change someone's mind about anything, we've got 5 guidelines on exactly how to do it. It's non-obvious, it's counter-intuitive, but it works. We cover: - How to change someone's mind about anything (including getting them to marry you) - The importance of intellectual honesty - How dangerous is drunk walking? - Why social media feels like a battleground - How to have a hard conversation with anyone, and do it like a pro And more, all on this episode. More research and fun stuff (if you want to go deeper) at realtalkstudio.com.  P.S. Sign up for the email list - it's free, you get bonus goodies, and you get an email when the podcast comes out.    Production and Credits Host, Producer, Research, Editor, Sound Design: Mohnish Soundararajan Co-Host: Kevin Sanji S

"Make sure you stay thin...because that's what the boys want" - Armi Legge Sticking to your workouts, day in and day out, is almost as easy as entering an intergalactic wormhole that bends and transcends the physics of time and space. Most of absolutely suck at it so hard that it would make your ancestors, relatives, and next door neighbors cry and publically disown you. On this episode, Armi tells a secret, and we talk about: - How to stick to a workout routine, forever  - How battling with an eating disorder changed the way Armi looked at science - The counterintuitive flip that changed Armi's fitness approach - Why everyone is wrong. Except Armi.  - The science of adherence, implementation intentions, the hot and cold effect, and more - How to use the habit loop to your advantage Plus, dig into additional research, books, and more fun stuff at realtalkstudio.com P.S. Sign up for the email list here, you punk.     Production and Special Credits Special Guest: Armi Legge Host, Producer, Research, Editor, and

"If I was more emotionally vulnerable, I would probably cry right now" - Joe Antenucci  When it comes to dating, most of us have no idea what the hell we're doing. But one guy decided to try something different. And in the process, he didn't just reinvent his dating life - he changed the romantic lives of thousands of guys across the country. The truth is - it's not what you think and it's not what you expect. Special guest Joe Antenucci sits down with the guys and cover: - The specific process Joe used to exponentially improve his dating life (with the help of a few guys) - How to recreate a derivative of that process for yourself (and be a normal human being) - An exclusive behind-the-scenes look at "Helping Joe"  - How long should you wait to text back?  - What is deliberate practice? What's a mating market?  For more fun stuff, including additional research used in the show, go to realtalkstudio.com P.S. Want to know when the show comes out before my parents? Sign up for the Insider list, plus, get bonus

"Have you ever fallen in love with anybody you've lived with, Al?" - Mohnish Soundararajan, Host  In America, it goes: you live with your parents, you live with your roommates, you live with your spouse, and then you die. Al Jeffery is trying to change that. In this episode, the guys cover how to live with your friends, how to find them in the first place, plus: - What specific steps do you need to take to find a social circle (a tribe, if you will) that fits who you are?    - What happened to the mysterious town of Roseto? - How do you make the transition from living by yourself in LA and crying into your Chinese takeout, to coliving with a thriving community of 100+ people?   - What's an effective tactic to make sure your roommates don't want to punch you in the face or, how do you get 'Roommate Resentment Insurance'? - Why should you rethink the way you're living?  For more material on this episode, including research, go to realtalkstudio.com P.S. Sign up for the Insider List here. It's awesome. (Plus you

"There's a guy, a couple years ago....he actually got sued by United because the airlines really didn't like this..." - Tim van der Lee Here's Tim. He's like the guy from Taken - he's got a very specific set of skills that make him a nightmare for airlines. If you're 20, you've got pennies to fly on. But, if you game the system, saving thousands on airline tickets is easier than you think. On this episode, special guest Tim van der Lee and Mohnish cover: - How to save thousands on flights, for novices - An easy, actionable framework Tim uses to travel for pennies on the dollar - How does Mohnish know Tim and why is it ridiculous? - The economics behind price discrimination and why the same person traveling next to you paid a thousand dollars more for the same seat - Advanced ways to save on flights that can get you sued by the entire legal representation of United Airlines - Why is finance so boring? For more material on this episode, check out realtalkstudio.com P.S. Sign up for the email list and get bonus

"Not all those who wander are lost" - J.R.R. Tolkien Airline tickets. Sights. Sounds. Instagram posts with way too many likes. This can be your life - special guest Andrea Wien (host, author, business-lady, and wine drinker) shows us how, plus covers:   - How do you travel effectively?  - How do you travel when you're shit-house broke? Where do you stay? When do you buy airline tickets?  - If you're a guy, and all your guy friends rent a cabin in the woods, should you make out with them?  - Why are some world travelers unhappy?  - How do you calibrate between a safe trip and a dangerous trip?  For more material on this episode, including research, go to realtalkstudio.com If you haven't joined the email list, what the hell are you waiting for?   Who is Andrea Wien? - She's awesome. She's a host, author, business lady and wine drinker. She's the author of the book "Gap to Great: A Parent's Guide to Gap Year", she's got a podcast (oh yeah!) Gap to Great, and you can find her work here. Highly recommended.   

"I thought you were going to tell me to go with Mohnish in my closet and shine a flashlight at him" - Kevin Sanji, co-host Stress comes in all shapes and sizes. Thousands of years ago, people stressed out about wild animals attacking them. Today, you're not being attacked by wild animals unless you work for Discovery channel. On this very, very, very special episode (you'll see what I mean), special guest Caroline Beaton (award-winning researcher and writer at Forbes), Mohnish, and Kevin cover:  - How can you outthink stress and make it your friend?  - Why is stress evolutionarily programmed into us? - How do you stress less?  - What's the one pill with only good side effects you should take everyday?  For more material on this episode, go to realtalkstudio.com Sign up for the Insider list here - get bonus content you can't get anywhere else.   Who's Caroline Beaton? - She's awesome and you should absolutely check out her stuff - well informed, researched backed, and she knows what she's talking about. She wr

"Our spouses and children arrive comparatively late in our lives; our parents leave us too early. “Our brothers and sisters,” says family sociologist Katherine Conger of the University of California, Davis, “are with us for the whole journey.” - Jeffrey Kluger Contrary to popular belief, you can have a sibling and not want to punch them in the face, at the same time. On this very special episode, Mohnish and his sister Vysali deconstruct how to have good sibling relationship and cover: - The basics: how do you have a good relationship with your brother or sister? - What percentage of sibling relationships are unfixable? - Why did Mohnish's sister smoke him like a salmon? - Why are sibling relationships so valuable (and how do they affect you)? For more material on this episode including additional research, books, cover artwork and more fun stuff, check out www.realtalkstudio.com P.S. Sign up for the email list punk! It's awesome, you'll get updates, and you'll get all the lessons from Season One in one beaut

“Before you attempt to beat the odds, be sure you could survive the odds beating you.” - Larry Kersten Everyone - from your grandmother that you never call because she lit the house on fire, to your next door neighbor - wants to be confident. But what does the research say? Mohnish and Kevin dive into how exactly to build real, long-term confidence and cover:  - Is "Fake It Till You Make It" a good strategy? - Why is low confidence a good thing? - Why is "not thinking about building confidence" actually the way in which you build confidence? (hint: it's not what you think) - What's the one thing about building confidence that no one seems to talk about? For more material on this episode, including links to relevant research and more fun stuff, check out realtalkstudio.com. P.S. You should sign up for our email list (Insider). It's awesome.  Production Credits and Special Thanks Host, Producer, Editor, Research: Mohnish Soundararajan Co-Host: Kevin Sanji  Special Effects: Angels Singing Anthem Sound Effect Mus

Season Two, Episode #16 "Attachments and relationships can bring us pain: as a character in Jean-Paul Sarte’s play No Exit said, “Hell is other people.” But so is heaven." - Jonathan Haidt, The Happiness Hypothesis Being in a relationship takes work. Plus, love (cue the saxophones) can make Operation Relationship get a little complicated. But what does the science say? On this episode, special guest Cam Poter returns with Mohnish and Kevin and cover: - How do you keep a relationship alive, strong, and on the right track without screwing it up? - Is there a right time for love? - What's the big danger point for couples where many are prone to break up - but shouldn't? - Is "true love forever" biologically impossible? (hint: yes) - Why do arranged marriages have just as good, if not better, marital satisfaction than love marriages? And more, all on this episode. Sign up for our email list - it helps us help you better, plus, get free swag (like all the notes from Season One).   Production Team - Credits and Spe

Season Two, Episode #15 "I'd like to play a video game where you help the people who were shot in all the other video games. It'd be called 'Really Busy Hospital.” - Demetri Martin From playing Mario Kart to hearing that Jimmy from down the street went missing for 72 hours because he was in his basement playing World of Warcraft, video games are nuts. But are they good? Are they bad? And what's the science say? On this episode, Mohnish, Kevin, and special guest Devyn Tammons cover: - What are the benefits of video games? - Are all video game players socially isolated, lonely, and want to punch themselves in the face due to sadness? (short answer: no) - According to the research, do video games cause aggression? - How can playing video games screw with your emotional life? For more bonus material on this episode, go to www.realtalkstudio.com Sign up and get a free digital copy of "Season One Episode Breakdowns" + email updates from your favorite minorities here. It's awesome.   Production Team - Credits and S

Season Two Premiere, Episode #14 You're in a new city. You have no idea who anybody is. You're in your apartment shower crying (naked) while eating a soggy burrito because you're lonely. Truth is, you need some friends. On this episode, Mohnish, Kevin, and (mostly) Armi talk about how to get them, and cover: - Why is making friends so hard when you're in a city with thousands of people around you? - Is traveling around the world a bad idea? - Why are Mohnish and Kevin absolutely screwed after they leave college? - Step-by-step: how do you make friends in a place where you have none? Check out more material on this episode here. P.S. Get your free digital copy of all the "Season One Episode Breakdowns". Think all the theory and practical application from Season One in one place. Sign up and get it here. Production Team - Credits and Special Thanks Host, Producer, Audio Mixing, Editing, and Research: Mohnish Soundararajan Co-Hosts: Kevin Sanji and Armi Legge Content Ideation and Feedback: Mohnish Soundararajan,

Higher production. Better music. More people. More segments. Once a week. Better quality. Season Two - next Tuesday. Mark your calendars. More material at www.realtalkstudio.com Credits and Special Thanks Main Host and Editing: Mohnish Soundararajan Co-Host: Kevin Sanji Music: CJ Beats