Podcasts about mere mortals website

After a year of gambling I am none the wiser of understanding probabilities.In Episode #523 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: probabilities/gambling/arbitrage, how my brother first found ways to exploit betting promotions, using sports betting apps in conjunction with Polymarket, how markets set probabilities, whether AI will become genuinely better than humans at predicting future outcomes, complexity making exact prediction almost impossible and the future of livestreaming and personal data. Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:02:33) How betting promotions can tilt the odds(00:05:52) Getting gubbed and the limits of beating bookies(00:07:28) Casino systems, card counting and roulette stories(00:12:29) Polymarket, lay bets and online arbitrage appeal(00:15:17) Bots, algorithmic trading and speed advantages(00:20:56) A human edge in clunky betting markets(00:23:04) Probability confusion and betting both sides(00:27:36) How do you build probabilities from scratch(00:35:52) Weather, complexity and what probability really means(00:43:58) Can AI actually predict the future(00:54:30) Why the betting edge disappears over time(00:57:15) Live data, streaming and future tech habits(01:03:26) AI music, data ownership and universal compute(01:09:04) Human judgement, long bets and future projects(01:15:22) Podcast updates, yoga training and closing notes Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBnTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Abstract ideas made definite.In this episode of Mere Mortals book reviews, I dive into Peter Thiel's 'Zero To One' and why its big-picture thinking resonates more than tactical business how‑to. I explore Thiel's blend of abstract philosophy and concrete startup stories (from PayPal to Palantir) and discuss his contrarian takes on competition, monopoly and the value of being the last mover. I unpack the optimistic vs pessimistic, determinate vs indeterminate lens Thiel uses to read cultures and markets and why these frames can guide founders to build something truly unique rather than drift into “zombie company” territory. I share what made the book engaging for me, where it might fall short if you're after nuts-and-bolts execution and who I think will get the most out of it. Ultimately, it's a concise, idea-rich read that can reorient how you think about differentiation, market definition and creating from zero to one.If you got value from the podcast please provide support back in any way you best see fit!Timeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:00:35) Introducing Zero to One by Peter Thiel(00:04:27) Contrasting with other business classics(00:07:41) Why high‑level ideas can beat operational minutiae(00:11:03) Who is Peter Thiel? Background and ventures(00:12:52) Verdict: a solid read for entrepreneurs(00:14:00) Value for Value: how to support the show(00:15:08) What's next: upcoming book reviews Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

The main question I have received is .... why do it in the first place? In Episode #522 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: the behind the scenes of our first official marathon, why “finishing” can be its own kind of win, the three layers of marathoners you meet on race day, solo marathon attempts compared to the buzz of an organised event, tips (racing lines, shade-hunting, aid stations), where the wheels came off (cramps and blistered feet), reflect on why we choose hard things, what it would actually take for us to go sub‑4 and why halves and 10ks might be our sweet spot. Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:01:15) Placings shock and expectations vs reality(00:03:59) Cut-offs, DNFs, and what "winning" really means(00:07:50) Atlas Events series and the gamification of running(00:13:02) Race day atmosphere: fun, roads and course quirks(00:17:16) Course difficulty matters: elevation and flatter options(00:19:14) Post-race reflections and future distance preferences(00:22:06) How their race unfolded: pacing, packs and turning points(00:25:28) The wall arrives: hills, slowing and first walks(00:29:29) Fuel, fluids, and the underrated racing line(00:33:34) On-course coaching with AI? Ethics and usefulness(00:38:03) Juan's rocky prep, surprises, and recovery week(00:41:04) Kyrin's near-perfect prep and where sub-4 slipped(00:45:02) Why do a marathon at all? Choosing hard things(00:48:12) Mental vs physical barriers: running vs lifting(00:51:09) What it takes to go faster: sub-4 and beyond Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBnTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

I'm begging you PLEASE, I'll be your very best friend.In this episode I review Dale Carnegie's classic 'How to Win Friends & Influence People' nearly a century on from its publication. I walk through the book's structure: principles on handling people, making people like you, winning others to your way of thinking and leading without resentment. Timeless advice still shines (smile, remember names, be genuinely interested, listen well) but some parts feels dated (the slow course‑shilling intro and lack of psychological depth on becoming “genuinely” interested). I also dig into the tension at the heart of the book: wanting friends and influence while being told to act without obvious self‑interest.If you got value from the podcast please provide support back in any way you best see fit!Timeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:01:52) Book structure overview: parts and principles(00:06:31) Key principles sampled: smile, names, listen, importance(00:11:17) Childhood lens on making friends and sorting people(00:13:41) Author background: Dale Carnegie's path and motives(00:17:19) The hard part: becoming genuinely interested(00:20:34) Does it hold up? A dated yet durable self‑help classic(00:22:29) Wrap‑up, support links and what's next Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

After a mini break we're back and tired as hell.In Episode #521 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: being very busy versus truly tired, how priorities shift as life gets more complex and why sometimes the smartest move is pruning commitments instead of optimising them, reminisce on the “end of an era”—pinpointing a final carefree night with friends before marriages, kids and tighter schedules reshaped everything & maxing out your skills to learn what truly fits. Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:01:32) Today's loose topics: busy, tired, and ends of eras(00:04:29) Work surge, funding cycles, and context switching(00:07:14) Time slipping: dating, late nights, and sleep debt(00:10:52) Merging habits: training with podcasts, dropping networking(00:13:20) Reducing decision fatigue, going with the flow (kids)(00:18:18) Meal batching as an antidote to micro decisions(00:21:24) The Springwood night: last carefree gathering(00:25:56) Complexity vs difficulty: why coordination gets hard(00:31:04) Revisiting UQ: inner child, fear and growth(00:35:00) Wisdom with age and limits of advice to your younger self(00:39:37) Practices over time: identity, social media shifts(00:44:21) University credential vs building ‘monsters'(00:47:20) Purpose can wait; in youth, max your stats(00:51:01) Generational shift: job hopping and portfolio lives(00:53:38) Looks‑maxxing influencers and the price of attention(00:55:57) Capping off: embracing the thirties era Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBnTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Most people approach The Iliad expecting the Trojan Horse. Instead, they find something darker: a story about wounded pride, uncontrollable rage, brutal violence and the moment vengeance finally gives way to pity.In this review, I break down Samuel Butler's translation of Homer's epic, the feud between Achilles and Agamemnon, Hector's terrifying presence, the petty interference of the gods, the oral tradition behind the poem, and whether a modern reader should actually tackle this ancient monster of a book.00:00 — An Ancient Epic in My Hands00:42 — The Samuel Butler Translation01:03 — Did Homer Actually Write The Iliad?02:23 — What Is an Epic Poem?03:05 — This Is Not the Trojan Horse Story03:40 — Achilles, Hector and the Gods04:53 — How This Edition Structures the Story06:15 — The Core of The Iliad: Rage07:33 — Achilles Loses Everything08:19 — The Gods Are Petty as Hell09:49 — Violence, Nature and Ancient Imagery11:41 — The Sections I Fast-Read13:19 — The Power of Oral Storytelling15:00 — The Brutality of Battle15:43 — Hector Smashes Through the Gates17:29 — No Simple Villains, Only Human Beings18:13 — Honour, Glory and the Heroic Code19:03 — Should You Read The Iliad?19:22 — The Odyssey Review Is Coming Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

I was wrong and I admit it .... this is the real OG self help book.Today I dive into James Allen's 'As a Man Thinketh' (paired in my edition with From Poverty to Power) and it still lands today. It's short, punchy and refreshingly non-woo-woo with clear calls to personal responsibility, character-building and right thought leading to right outcomes. I read standout quotes, reflect on how its agnostic tone (with light biblical echoes) keeps the focus on self-mastery and share how it inspired me to become better. I also highlight where From Poverty to Power lost me (preachier with some outlandish claims about illness and sin) while acknowledging Allen's hard-earned optimism given his tough life story. Overall verdict: skip Poverty To Power, but As a Man Thinketh is a timeless, motivating read that influenced Hill, Peale and Carnegie. If you got value from the podcast please provide support back in any way you best see fit!Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:02:16) Core premise: thoughts shape character and outcomes(00:05:40) From Poverty to Power: preachiness and sermon feel(00:13:22) Author profile: James Allen's hard‑earned optimism(00:16:12) Overall take: the real OG of self‑help(00:18:39) Value for Value, feedback and support(00:19:27) What's next: upcoming reviews and schedule Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next.Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why?Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:00:31) Juan May 2026 Review(00:14:18) Kyrin May 2026 Review(00:22:27) Juan June 2026 Goals(00:29:51) Kyrin June 2026 Goals(00:40:16) Fitness(00:45:06) Wrap-up Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBnTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

What happens if the game really is better than real life?In this episode I dive into 'Ready Player One' by Ernest Cline and explore whether a virtual paradise can outshine the messy real world. I outline the OASIS, the 80s-saturated Easter egg hunt and the Gunter vs corporate showdown then share why the novel's early gritty realism hooked me but later lost its footing as coincidences piled up and the real world became improbably rosy. While the tech flourishes feel contemporary and the ride is undeniably fun (especially for gaming and 80s pop-culture tragics) the lack of deeper philosophical bite kept it from being more than entertaining sci‑fi for me. I touch on Cline's screenwriter sensibilities and how the book's cinematic qualities likely helped its rapid path to film. If you got value from the podcast please provide support back in any way you best see fit!Timeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:04:19) Big theme: Choosing virtual worlds over a broken reality(00:09:06) From gritty realism to full fantasy stakes(00:11:49) Why the ending undercuts the books premise(00:14:17) Author focus: Ernest Cline, screenwriting vibes(00:16:55) Verdict: a fun 6/10 for gamers and 80s fans(00:17:20) Closing and ways to support the podcast(00:18:26) Live schedule and what is next Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Are you entering into the dungeon? In this episode of Mere Mortals Book Reviews, I dive into 'Dungeon Crawler Carl' by Matt Dinniman, a fast-paced RPG romp that mixes real-world apocalypse with game-show chaos. I share why this was the perfect palate cleanser after some drier reads, how the humour lands (crude, clever and consistently fun) and what makes Carl and his imperious feline companion Princess Donut so engaging as they descend through deadly, rule-laden dungeons watched by an intergalactic audience.I touch on the book's setup: Earth flattened and repurposed into a subterranean dungeon, humans given a stark choice to enter or struggle topside and reflect on the “would you go in?” dilemma. Expect comparisons to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in premise vibe (but with very different humour), thoughts on the world-building quirks, and where I'm at with committing to a six-book series. Final verdict: a brisk, entertaining read that hit the spot for escapist fun 7.5/10 and I'm keen for book number two.If you got value from the podcast please provide support back in any way you best see fit!Timeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:03:41) Carl and Princess Donut(00:06:08) Gags, dry vs absurd humour and running jokes(00:08:43) Would you enter the dungeon? Personal reflection(00:13:15) Author notes, community and Reddit mentions(00:15:24) Summary, rating 7.5/10 and sign-off Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

The classic self-help book is a bit different than I remember. In Napoleon Hill's 'Think And Grow Rich' I discover it's not quite the book I remembered. I walk through what still shines—its optimism, self‑analysis prompts and the motivational push that helped me as a younger bloke to build self‑confidence, set goals and act with intention. I share the quotes and practices that I used to use as inspiration for growth.Then I dig into the doozies: dated claims, sciencey overreach, baldness-by-hat myths, telepathy talk, name-dropping and a tendency to state opinions as facts. I contrast Hill's inspiration-first approach with more modern, evidence-based self-help and explain why I'd now recommend reading it with a strong filter. Take the useful 50% and discard the rest. I wrap with some context on Hill himself and why timing likely supercharged the book's impact post-Depression.Timeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:02:55) Core promise: riches, goals, and optimism(00:04:25) Personal history: how the book helped in early 20s(00:09:16) Turning defeat into advantage: key quotes and reframes(00:12:35) Persistence, ambition, and study outside work(00:16:01) Where it falls apart: pseudoscience and bold claims(00:22:55) Name‑dropping, experts and borrowed authority(00:25:02) The Wallis Simpson example and selective narratives(00:28:25) Author profile: grift vibes, success without substance?(00:32:12) Final verdict and how to read it: keep half, discard half Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

At some point, the body sends you the invoice. In this episode of the Mere Mortals Podcast, I sit down with Chris Ryan, former Division 1 runner, fitness coach, Men's Fitness cover model, former Mirror coach and founder of Chris Ryan Fitness, to talk about what it actually takes to stay strong, durable and fit as you get older. The core lesson: fitness is not just about effort. It is about intelligent effort, repeated long enough to become identity. Connect With Chris Ryan Website: https://chrisryanfitness.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisryanfitness YouTube: Search “Chris Ryan Fitness” App: Search “Chris Ryan Fitness” in the App Store or Google Play 00:00 - Welcome to Mere Mortals 00:24 - Who is Chris Ryan? 00:42 - From sport to Division 1 running 01:26 - Why the 800m teaches toughness 02:26 - From athlete to fitness coach 02:48 - Men's Fitness, NBC Strong and Mirror 03:15 - Mirror, Lululemon and building an app 04:41 - Why men learn about tendons too late 06:00 - Prehab beats rehab 07:09 - Why tendons need smart loading 08:16 - Marathon training mistakes 09:30 - The hidden cost of running on hard surfaces 10:00 - Why elite runners avoid too much pavement 11:19 - Zone 2 training and managing intensity 13:07 - Body checks and relaxed running 14:12 - What a coach sees that Google cannot 15:27 - Consistency as the foundation 16:10 - How to recover from a missed workout 17:05 - Heavy lifting after 40 18:39 - Pull-ups, grip strength and longevity 20:12 - VO2 max training and Hyrox 21:31 - Dumbbells, bands and simple home training 23:15 - Teaching people why they train 23:54 - Why people avoid hard intervals 25:37 - Run your fastest mile first 27:12 - Running form, heel striking and efficiency 29:13 - Four-minute intervals and VO2 max work 30:34 - How to raise active kids 32:15 - Making fitness fun for children 34:09 - Home gyms, pull-up bars and accessibility 36:27 - Building a fitness community 37:20 - Why community questions matter 38:53 - Members empowering members 40:36 - Chris's expensive business mistake 42:04 - Why TV apps failed 43:36 - Let the marketplace tell you what it wants 45:01 - The overlooked power of rest and recovery 45:56 - Protect your bedtime 47:37 - Programming recovery into training 48:03 - Muscles grow when you recover 48:44 - Why 80% consistency still wins 49:43 - The habit most disciplined people neglect 51:07 - Where to find Chris Ryan Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBnTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next.Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why?Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:01:40) April review (Juan): running ramp-up, Achilles issues(00:06:09) April review (Kyrin): energy, social push and AI chats(00:20:55) Podcasting 2.0 update: AI slop, indexing, and curation challenges(00:24:51) Setting May goals (Juan): body, mind, soul focus(00:30:14) Setting May goals (Kyrin): energy, courageous conversations(00:37:31) Streamlining podcast workflows: thumbnails, uploads, automation(00:42:31) Thumbnails by AI? Tools, costs and what to keep(00:44:54) Interviews vs effort: where the time really goes(00:48:00) Always-on media: "Monitor the Situation" and live nuance(00:50:12) Fitness wins: 2-minute handstand and one-arm progress(00:56:41) Life admin rant: hail damage, insurers, and time trade-offs(00:59:30) Wrap-up and next week's plan Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBnTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Just how reliant are we on fossil fuels ..... well it turns out a lot! 'How The World Really Works' by Vaclav Smil showed me just how much we still need petroleum and coal to make plastics, ammonia, concrete and steel. So they're not going away any time soon.If you got value from the podcast please provide support back in any way you best see fit! Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

After a short hiatus, I'm back with a paired review of The World According to Coco and The Little Book of Chanel. Truthfully, neither book is extraordinary on its own. But together, they open a far bigger question: what does it cost to reinvent yourself so completely that the myth becomes more powerful than the person?In this review, I explore Coco Chanel's brutal beginnings, her obsession with uniqueness, the creation of Chanel No. 5 and the little black dress, the moral ambiguity of her wartime years, and the deeper tension beneath it all — greatness, ego, loneliness, and whether success is worth the price.Timestamps00:00 – Back After the Hiatus00:25 – The Two Chanel Books I Read01:05 – Why This Review Is About Perspective, Not Just Facts02:11 – Honest Verdict: Are These Books Actually Worth Reading?02:54 – Coco Chanel's Harsh Origins04:09 – She Didn't Just Build a Brand, She Built a Myth07:06 – Where the Name “Coco” Came From08:23 – Self-Creation, Status and the Modern Social Media Parallel10:30 – Chanel No. 5 and the Simplicity of Genius12:41 – The Little Black Dress and Designing for Movement13:57 – The Better Chanel Biographies to Read14:50 – Was Coco Chanel a Nazi?18:02 – The Quotes That Reveal Her Character23:19 – The Final Question: Was Greatness Worth the Solitude?25:16 – Closing ThoughtsConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Can you succeed without setting expectations & goals to hit?In Episode #520 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: riff on dreaming big: how our top‑level life aims can stay steady for decades while the reasons and execution evolve, whether you truly need a “big dream” to reach elite performance, how to cultivate direction in your twenties by chasing curiosity and I tease a 20‑year out‑of‑this‑world goal that's resurfaced from childhood. Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:03:22) Decades, seasons of life and planning horizons(00:07:56) Hinting at a 20-year goal out of this world(00:10:29) Belief, luck, and the role of drive(00:14:29) Stumbling into success and the power of effort(00:18:14) Visualisation that works: mindset vs magic(00:23:01) Aspirations shift: presence over prestige(00:29:56) Massive Transformational Purpose and skill discovery(00:32:01) Follow your obsession? Benefits and pitfalls(00:36:00) Meaning, contentment and age(00:40:13) Small dreams, goals, and purposeful practice(00:45:26) Wrap-up and value-for-value sign-off Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

When does training become trickery become manipulation?In Episode #519 of 'Meanderings', Juan and I discuss: the messy art of celebrating wins, the difference between admiration and genuine celebration, how expectations can warp our enjoyment of milestones, how to separate rewards from celebrations, why minimum thresholds matter, and how to design simple, sustainable rituals that create real memories and why routine can quietly erase the impulse to recognise achievements. Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:02:00) State of the podcast: cadence, book reviews, life updates(00:03:45) Milestones hit but rarely celebrated: listens, views, totals(00:06:50) From optimisation to ease: audio quality, AI cleanup, and routines(00:10:40) Gratitude for better gear versus big milestone parties(00:13:44) Tiny rewards after effort: beer in the shower and habit loops(00:16:56) Long‑term mindset: willpower, running mileage, and durable rewards(00:21:58) Birthdays, experiences, and low‑key celebrations for others(00:24:52) Do milestones create memories worth keeping?(00:30:00) Expectations shape feelings: two athletes, same silver, different joy(00:32:14) Should celebration be separate from expectations?(00:35:15) Rewarding effort vs outcome: half marathon thought experiment(00:40:05) Positive manipulation, parenting and intent behind rewards(00:44:45) Overblown rewards backfire: the doughnut race cautionary tale(00:47:56) Ritualising post‑run rewards without overdoing it(00:51:41) Wrap‑up: goals for next week and tongue‑in‑cheek yacht plans(00:55:18) Closing thanks and sign‑off Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

What do Michael Gerry, Big Brother and Clavicular all have in common?In Episode #518 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: broadcasting everyday life (potentially 24/7), how feasible it is to capture more of life with minimal setup, early backpack rigs to Michael Gerry's 2019 year-long life stream, the pull toward performative behaviour, the appeal of using life streaming as a mirror for self-improvement, why human interest in real humans won't vanish in an AI-simulated world, predictions on “life media”/consent challenges/audience capture risks and why intent matters more than ever if you're thinking about streaming your life. Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:01:06) Wearables and the dream of frictionless livestreaming(00:05:56) Social impact: cameras change behaviour and relationships(00:08:46) Predicted effects on relationships and self-discipline(00:14:56) NSFW pivot: audience shift, consent, and consequences(00:17:38) Costs, logistics, and why fame is unlikely(00:20:55) Community, new friends, catfishing, and fallout(00:24:56) Why even boring streams get views(00:27:50) Motivations: fame, money, connectionand a private pensive(00:31:02) The sexual attention problem and why lines matter(00:34:39) If we did it: gyms, runs, handstands, and zero-edit streams(00:38:53) The consent minefield and protecting loved ones(00:41:04) Audience capture and changing your life later(00:45:25) AI editors, multimodal search, and the end of manual cuts (00:47:18) AI characters vs human messiness: what viewers really want(00:56:00) Forecast: life media expands; humans keep watching humans(00:58:16) Try-before-you-go: real-time looks at venues and events(01:06:01) Housekeeping: Boostagrams paused, V4V still valued(01:09:18) One-person unicorns and why wed watch their day(01:11:23) Wrap-up and Easter sign-off Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next.Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why?Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:00:33) Juan's March 2026 Recap(00:03:32) Kyrin's March 2026 Recap(00:10:46) Support Overview(00:15:55) Juan's April 2026 Goals(00:23:17) Kyrin's April 2026 Goals(00:38:35) Fitness Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

In this episode of Mere Mortals, I review Solve Everything: Achieving Abundance by 2035 by Dr Peter H. Diamandis and Dr Alexander D. Wissner-Gross, a bold manifesto arguing that AI could give humanity the capability to solve nearly every major problem within a decade. I break down the article's moonshot vision, the idea of directing intelligence with precision, and the hard truth that culture, government, and human inertia may still trap us in the muddle.00:00 Intro00:49 The promise of abundance by 203501:10 Who are Peter Diamandis and Alexander Wissner-Gross?01:53 Was this article written with AI?02:30 How the article is structured04:06 The core thesis: solving everything through intelligence05:15 The real world vs the dream world05:59 “Shape the charge” — directing AI where it matters07:20 The moonshots that could unlock abundance09:33 Why benchmarks should reward outcomes, not hours11:40 What abundance actually means12:19 The biggest weakness: culture, government, and the muddle14:33 Is this realistic or just optimism?15:15 Why the article is still worth reading16:49 Final reflections17:10 Subscribe and what's nextConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

In this episode of Mere Mortals Book Reviews, I break down The Adolescence of Technology by Dario Amodei and why it reads less like a tech article and more like a civilisational warning memo. We explore AI safety, misuse, power, economic disruption, and the frightening speed at which these systems are advancing. The core tension is brutal: if this technology keeps accelerating without real guardrails, humanity may not get a second chance to correct the course.https://www.darioamodei.com/essay/the-adolescence-of-technology(00:00) – Welcome Back to Mere Mortals(00:39) – Why I'm Reviewing More Long-Form Articles(01:09) – Who Is Dario Amodei and Why He Matters(01:37) – What The Adolescence of Technology Is Really About(02:08) – The Five Big AI Risks in the Article(03:04) – The “Country of Geniuses” Thought Experiment(04:18) – The Two Extreme Narratives About AI(06:00) – Why Dario's Position Makes This Different(07:21) – This Is Happening in Years, Not Decades(08:08) – Anthropic, Government Pressure and Ethical Boundaries(09:50) – Safety vs Speed in the AI Arms Race(10:21) – Why Governance and Guardrails Matter(11:31) – AI, Power Seizure and Geopolitical Risk(12:33) – The Meaning Behind “The Adolescence of Technology”(13:00) – Work, Meaning and the Coming Economic Upheaval(14:02) – What Happens If We Fail to Slow Down(15:16) – Who This Article Is For(15:58) – Final Reflections and Why It Hit So HardConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

The mindset of a poker pro can now be applied outside of a narrow game.In Episode #517 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: Annie Duke's 'Thinking In Bets' book and how the poker mindset can reshape everyday decision-making, why focusing on process over outcomes matters, how using AI as a sounding board revealed hidden risk-taking in my own finances, testing assumptions in small experiments before going all-in, how arbitrage opportunities appear with prediction markets and why clarity on desired outcomes should drive bet-sizing. No support for this week so no beanie either. Also my laptop died suddenly hence the rather curt cut off at the end. Luckily we were almost done anyway phew. Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:03:22) Outcome vs process: luck, good decisions, and post mortems(00:09:16) Poker as repeated high impact decisions and learning while folding(00:12:45) Symmetry, asymmetry, and spotting obviously bad bets(00:18:34) Focus on decision quality, not results: lessons from early poker hands(00:23:34) Plans that fail from wrong models: refining sell strategies(00:28:15) Designing a simple, robust framework: time, percentage, and mean reversion(00:31:28) Support break and playful side bets (brief interlude)(00:31:59) Defining enough: goals, asymmetry, and chasing deltas(00:35:18) Context is king: life design vs maximising returns(00:38:56) Lifestyle upgrades vs status buys(00:42:39) Comparing lives you don't want(00:45:14) Test your dreams: mini retirements and truth over fantasy(00:48:25) Prediction markets 101: from politics to Eurovision(00:51:08) Arbitrage basics: finding edge across bookmakers(00:56:24) Overconfidence, Dunning Kruger and too much information(01:01:02) Avoiding tilt: energy, time, and knowing when to walk away(01:03:27) AI flights of fancy: unified physics and healthy scepticism(01:05:01) Wrap up: from thinking in bets to betting on ideas Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

As much as it sucks, more volume is almost always the answer.In Episode #516 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: volume versus form (sparked by a YouTuber/runner known as Ran to Japan), what extreme running volume really looks like when you're fast enough to compress a marathon into a couple of hours per day, how training load evolves across years, why sheer reps often trump optimisation, steadily ramping the volume to match your goals and importance, why novice gains come from doing more before optimising, how soreness can signal meaningful work done and when “working dumber” (less overthinking) can paradoxically deliver better outcomes. No support this week.Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:01:00) Train Harder Not Smarter Mantra(00:04:44) Ran To Japan: marathons, ultras and doing wild challenges(00:08:16) Efficiency, pace, and why elite volume takes less time(00:11:16) Shifting volumes over years: weights, tonnage, and time(00:17:20) Handstands as a case study: years of reps beat tweaks(00:23:52) Wind, conditions and noticing small effects with mastery(00:26:45) Finding and fixing true failure points(00:28:47) Treadmill tales: the mental game of sticking it out(00:30:00) Nose breathing, footwear chat and beginner priorities(00:36:01) Boosts, Brisbane rain and a segue back to effort(00:36:34) The anterior mid cingulate cortex and doing hard things(00:41:14) Loving the soreness: goals, injuries, and form trade-offs(00:46:01) IQ, overthinking and why volume still wins(00:51:04) Reps over tech: golf, tennis, and learning by doing(00:55:11) Today's takeaway: do more, then do it smarter Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next.Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why?Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:00:45) Juan's February 2026 Recap(00:08:34) Kyrin's February 2026 Recap(00:17:49) Support Overview(00:18:48) Juan's March 2026 Goals(00:22:58) Kyrin's March 2026 Goals(00:35:41) Fitness(00:41:14) V4V Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Why is iterating hardware so difficult and what would we do if it came time to start a business.In Episode #515 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: Clayton Christensen's 'The Innovator's Dilemma' book, why incumbents like IBM and Blockbuster struggled with disruptive shifts, how spin-outs can help large firms explore new markets, whether today's tech giants (NVIDIA, Amazon, Alphabet) are genuinely pivoting faster than past eras, the trap of single‑thesis bets (e.g., x402 via Coinbase/Circle), the difference between wealth and money via Paul Graham's classic essay, my slow‑ship shift toward building something around livestreaming/value-for-value/OpenClaw-style agents, Juan's practical plan to buy and streamline existing local service businesses and the enduring challenge of measuring value in a world awash with AI-generated content. No boostagrams but we do appreciate the streaming!Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:00:36) The Innovator's Dilemma book(00:05:20) From hardware to software: DiSASSter(00:10:58) CapEx arms race: Nvidia up, Apple lagging(00:15:04) Incumbents can't buy their way out every time(00:19:13) Is AI truly disruptive? Capital, energy, and hype checks(00:24:50) Business cycles repeat: pivots, exits, and getting left behind(00:29:34) Investing today: concentration, tech dominance, and copper(00:34:05) Investing is prediction: outcomes vs decisions(00:38:02) Finding exposure: beware tiny bets inside behemoths(00:41:01) Boostagram Lounge and supporter shout-outs(00:42:04) Micropayments, value, and streaming money(00:45:19) Why Lightning may not fit continuous payments(00:49:53) Two paths: analogue community vs full-tilt AI grind(00:53:41) A niche edge: 'human-made' as a selling point(01:03:31) A creator's plan: livestreaming with OpenClaw automation(01:08:02) Work futures: lifestyle businesses and human uniqueness(01:14:58) Zero-to-one vs sustainment: knowing your role(01:20:04) Juan's near-term play: buy, streamline, and bundle SMBs(01:23:40) Wrap-up and sign-off Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

I don't even have the physical book… because Accelerando is free online and after reading it, I understand why it's become a cult recommendation.This is dense, idea-heavy sci-fi that doesn't hold your hand.It throws you into transhumanism, post-human economics, AI evolution, and singularity-level futures… and expects you to keep up.You'll get:uploaded “lobsters”humans splitting into multiple versions of themselves“alien” civilisations that look suspiciously like corporate structuresand a final twist involving a cat… that reframes the entire storyI didn't understand everything.But I couldn't stop thinking about it.(00:00) No book in my hand… here's why(00:40) It's free online (and why that matters)(01:10) Charles Stross: the “idea-dense” writer(01:50) Warning: this book fights back(02:20) The concepts you need before reading(03:15) The structure: 3 generations, huge time jumps(05:10) Uploaded lobsters & the early weirdness(05:40) “Aliens”… or evolved corporations?(06:20) Dyson/Matrioshka-scale engineering madness(07:40) People splitting into copies of themselves(08:35) My honest verdict: hard, but worth it(09:00) Final takeaway: what this book is really sayingConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Will the lowering returns on violence along with digital wealth storage lead to an exodus?In Episode #514 of ' Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: The Sovereign Individual book (1997) highly recommended by Bitcoiners, early chapters bogged in Y2K angst versus strikingly prescient calls on digital money, decentralised media and the emerging cyber economy, how portable digital wealth might change the return on violence, what sovereignty means when nation-states still control critical infrastructure, historical arcs the book frames well (church cohesion and bloat, the rise of nation-states, industrial-era labour leverage) and where its predictions remain wavy, why megapolitics is way more interesting than regular politics and whether we will eventually see the demise of the nation state. No boostagrams or support for this week, the beanie remains off!Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:02:12) Why this book is famous in Bitcoin circles(00:03:21) A shaky start: Y2K anxiety and dated worries(00:07:24) Did they really predict Bitcoin? Tech hits and misses(00:11:14) Core thesis: becoming sovereign and limits of the nation state(00:13:32) What the book mostly covers: history and the rise of states(00:16:05) Have nation states fractured? Power, wealth, and timelines(00:18:39) Tech predictions vs social change: flying cars to hoverboards(00:22:45) Numbers vs life: the underestimated intangibles of place(00:25:01) Mobility is hard: visas, citizenship, and places that want you(00:28:58) Libertarian reactions and margin notes in the library copy(00:35:03) Evolution, brutality, and who loses in a sovereign-first world(00:39:41) Public goods dilemma: bins, buses, roads, and who pays(00:41:07) Free market hopes vs missing pure libertarian examples(00:45:15) Effective vs efficient government and outsourcing to markets(00:50:50) Boostagram Lounge and live chat banter (skating and humour)(00:53:02) Key idea 1: Returns on violence across societal stages(00:56:54) Key idea 2: The churchs early positive role and later bloat(01:00:48) From fiefdoms to nation states: merchants, money, and armies(01:05:09) Tech stacks of state power: cannonballs, printing presses, ledgers(01:10:14) Can states still crush you? Blacklists, access, and workarounds(01:17:12) Anonymity needs crowds: mixing, privacy coins, and cash claims(01:20:19) Verdict on portability: harder to police digital than physical(01:25:59) The Jenga tower of ideas: keeping what sticks(01:27:55) New vocabulary: Megapolitical and thinking above politics(01:31:14) Final thoughts, sign-off, and when to listen live Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

What makes a bun dance?In Episode #513 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: the definition of abundance versus how futurists/technologists and everyday folks actually use it, the conflation of “lots of something” with “zero friction access,” whether abundance must be global or can be meaningfully local, test the concept across water, food, intelligence and money, why more does not equal free (or even better), scarcity's persistent psychological pull, whether a world of replicators (à la Star Trek) would make us healthier or simply more indulgent, Dyson spheres/Matryoshka brains/chess engines and why perfect performance is boring compared to messy human stories. Huge shoutout to Cole for the support!Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:00:26) Defining abundance: frictionless access vs sheer quantity(00:03:21) Is abundance local or global? Water as a case study(00:05:23) Tech and food narratives: AI will make everything abundant(00:08:46) Limits, time and space: why infinite abundance breaks down(00:11:14) Air as the closest real abundance; distribution still matters(00:14:29) Observer effects: meaning, colour and value are perceived(00:20:29) Wealth, perspective and the abundance mindset(00:21:45) Boostagram Lounge: Star Trek replicators and personal vs private property(00:23:07) Is abundance actually good? Utopia, suffering and growth(00:26:25) Replicators and diet: would unlimited food make us healthier?(00:32:29) Health, sport and sameness: does abundance kill excitement?(00:36:58) Scarcity still drives value: the mine effect(00:40:00) Waste, recycling and shifting norms in abundant contexts(00:43:27) Raising the floor vs widening the gap: distribution dynamics(00:46:54) Utopian promises, isms and the risk of abundanceism(00:51:58) More isnt always better: goals, dieting and selfcontrol(00:56:57) Longevity, time perception and what remains human(00:59:26) Closing thoughts and next weeks book review: The Sovereign Individual Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Are there any downsides to taking part in upsides?In Episode #512 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: how the internet moved from corporate networks to open protocol networks to blockchain networks, Dixon's framing (read, write, own), why he thinks open protocols like RSS struggled against corporate platforms, where blockchains might change take rates, the real-world viability of tokenomics, if ownership will matter for in a future of AI, micro‑payments and abundant digital goods, games vs music business models and whether people will actually care about on-chain ownership if everything becomes cheap and effortless to access. No support for this week :'(Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:00:25) Book pick: Read, Write, Own by Chris Dixon(00:04:16) Corporate vs protocol networks; email and the open web(00:07:23) Owning the network: why blockchains change incentives(00:13:25) Governance, take rates and platform lock-ins(00:17:56) Music vs gaming revenues: models and innovation(00:21:30) Protocol pessimism and the RSS debate in podcasting(00:25:04) Value for value: Podcasting 2.0 funding dilemmas(00:30:08) Could a blockchain fund open infrastructure?(00:34:27) Designing a micropayments-first podcast app(00:38:22) Do users care about digital ownership?(00:41:48) Abundance thesis: free content and data trade-offs(00:45:30) Will advertisers pay users directly?(00:49:45) Will ownership still matter in an abundant world?(00:53:01) Digital status, scarcity and beachfront reality(00:58:48) Extreme efficiency futures: cars, housing and cost curves(01:03:05) Human status, achievement and digital provenance(01:08:33) Voice-first generation and app-less experiences(01:14:47) Ownership vs access: memories, messages and guarantees(01:16:54) Wrap-up: book verdict and sign-off Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next.Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why?Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:00:36) Juan's January 2026 Recap(00:06:10) Kyrin's January 2026 Recap(00:12:51) Support Overview(00:13:27) Juan's February 2026 Goals(00:18:24) Kyrin's February 2026 Goals(00:24:01) Moltbot Sidenote(00:32:21) Fitness(00:37:00) V4V Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Welcome back to the Mere Mortals Book Reviews. Today I'm reviewing Habits of High Performance by James Laughlin, a practical, activity-driven book built around foundational principles like getting radically clear, strengthening belief systems, leading life on purpose, multiplying motivation, doing the work, focusing priorities, and taking no shortcuts.(00:00) — Welcome + What We're Reviewing(00:23) — Who is James Laughlin? (Author background)(01:51) — What the Book Covers (Core sections)(02:50) — The Structure: Short Chapters + Practical Activities(03:29) — QR Codes + Guided Exercises (How it's meant to be used)(05:05) — My Experience: Entertaining, but Surface-Level(07:02) — Example Principle: Purpose + ‘When your why is clear…'(10:25) — Comparison: Atomic Habits vs This Book(11:08) — Final Verdict: Easy Read, Not a Re-readConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

You can't say yes to everything .... so where do you draw the line?In Episode #511 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: the “hell yes versus no” decision-making lens and where it truly fits, opportunity cost/time constraints/certainty versus uncertainty, how emotion or rationality shapes decisions, stacking reasons to make a strong yes, a practical quadrant for choosing activities based on enjoyment and likelihood of meeting people. Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:03:39) Context matters: opportunity cost, age and life stage(00:07:45) Replacing habits: when a simple yes is enough(00:09:44) Decision heuristics: yes vs hell no for everyday choices(00:13:14) Capacity fills the time: stacking commitments and hard trade-offs(00:19:10) Workplace decision matrices vs personal life choices(00:23:06) System 1 and System 2: training intuition with deliberate thinking(00:27:49) Certainty vs uncertainty: when you need a hell yes to persist(00:31:07) A practical framework: enjoyment vs meeting-people quadrants(00:35:25) Boostagram lounge(00:36:02) Listener input: lazy no vs instinctive no(00:37:40) Upcoming moonshot gathering: why it's a clear yes(00:44:31) Stacking reasons: VeeCon memories, serendipity and energy(00:50:00) New tech temptations: why not every tool warrants a yes(00:55:01) Where we're still weak at decisions: money and overcommitting(01:03:17) Emotion vs reason: explaining feelings with rationality(01:05:48) Wrap-up, live time and Brisbane Marathon team invite Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Welcome back to another edition of the Mere Mortals Book Reviews — and this time it's the final instalment of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.(00:00) Welcome back + final instalment setup(00:47) I literally ripped the book in half (and why it fits the story)(02:30) The split storylines: battles vs Frodo & Sam(03:51) Sam as the real hero (stronger in the book)(04:32) Book vs movie: the extra Shire material(06:52) Writing mastery: descriptions that put you there(07:11) Suffering, sacrifice, and carrying Frodo(08:11) Appendices: deep lore (and why I skipped them)(10:29) Why Tolkien is considered one of the greatestConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

We're destressing and just going over all the non-goal related things swirling around in the current moment.In Episode #510 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: the old million dollar homepage and the new x402 version, experimenting with a cheeky one‑pixel squatting strategy to test rent‑seeking dynamics, why some value‑for‑value/Lightning initiatives plateau despite strong early communities, advertising economics from retro web banners to F1 liveries, if energy could become the unit of exchange in agent‑to‑agent worlds and whether the current moment has the most amount of historical rate of change. Huge thanks to Cole for the support!Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:00:49) Remembering the Million Dollar Homepage and link rot(00:03:07) Hype cycles and the modern x402 Wall revival(00:06:44) Domain‑squatting pixels: ethics and ROI debate(00:12:45) Advertising realities: from F1 liveries to failed walls(00:15:04) Old web ads versus brands and what's obsolete now(00:19:10) Micropayments vision: beyond subscriptions(00:23:56) Index decentralisation, AI spam, and niche podcasts(00:28:20) Ads, ethics, and why ‘wall squatting' targets advertisers(00:32:03) Boom–bust build‑outs, block space, and critics(00:36:54) Agents, moats, and access to compute(00:39:02) Boostagram Lounge and community shout‑outs(00:45:34) Agents doing business end‑to‑end: Truth Terminal case(00:50:07) Beyond attention? Energy, agency, and ‘currency'(00:56:36) Speculating on rights for uploaded minds and AI(01:00:24) Short‑term goals, schooling, and planning in fast change(01:05:03) Is today's change really faster? Moore's Law debate(01:10:26) Exponential feels: compressing change into months(01:16:22) Falling out of the loop: TikTok, crypto, and pace(01:19:35) Can AI replace governments? Companies vs states(01:23:46) Wrap‑up, shout‑outs, and value‑for‑value support Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

This is the book learnings companion to my Mastery book review: I pulled 17 personal takeaways (from ~70 notes) and unpack what they mean in real life. We go from vocation and apprenticeship, to why “not even enlightenment is enough”, to the prepared mind, the dimensional mind, and why tech (especially AI) is collapsing the walls between fields.(00:00) Book learnings (and why you should watch the review first)(00:19) Pen-in-hand reading + 70 notes → 17 key lessons(01:23) Lesson 1: “Mind under the lights of the world” (focus beats distraction)(02:32) Lesson 2: Vocation — the well-employed life(03:55) Lesson 3: “Seed/uniqueness” — and my pushback (life can change you)(05:14) Lesson 4: Ask “how did you get there?” (the invisible chrysalis years)(06:26) Lesson 5: Value over money in apprenticeship (Accenture crucible)(07:30) Lesson 6: Trust the process (and don't mentally quit)(08:12) Lesson 7: Not even enlightenment is enough — pushed to the abyss(09:52) Lesson 8: The “seven deadly realities” + social intelligence undertow(10:14) Lesson 9: The mask vs authenticity (effective… until it breaks)(10:51) Lesson 10: Dimensional mind — creating instead of consuming(11:35) Lesson 11: Serendipity, but with a prepared mind (Pasteur)(12:48) Lesson 12: Think away from the obvious (out-of-the-box production)(13:43) Lesson 13: Manufacture pressure (Edison / Elon-style)(14:33) Lesson 14: Prolonged immersion → creative abstraction (the real crux)(14:57) Lesson 15: Fuse intuition + rationality (higher-level intuition)(15:44) Lesson 16: Mastery equation: time + intense focus + self-awareness(16:25) Lesson 17: Tech/AI connecting fields — become part of it(17:36) Wrap: key favourites + what hit hardestConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

It's a new year ... no new goals ... instead we're focusing upon what NOT to focus upon.In Episode #509 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: what we're not bringing into 2026, expectation inflation (how setting grand scenarios can pre-bake resentment), how to strike a workable balance between Eastern contentment and Western drive, choosing realistic marathon aims without sacrificing other priorities, ditching negative self‑talk, making room for smarter training decisions that prevent injury and burnout and avoiding philosophers/what ifers/haters in the media landscape. No support so we can't focus on the beanie.Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:02:02) Framing the episode: inverse goal setting(00:06:31) Mindset traps from past races and comparison(00:09:40) Gym mastery vs beginner runner mentality(00:11:40) Training without self punishment and injury management(00:14:10) Working on relationships and reducing negative self-talk(00:17:36) Expectation inflation and premeditated resentment(00:24:19) Choosing realistic goals and tradeoffs(00:30:22) Livestream hiccup and Boostagram Lounge(00:32:08) Media focus: stopping attention leakage(00:37:46) Media diet rules: useful now over future hypotheticals(00:45:25) Entertainment vs actionable insight in moonshots(00:49:41) Cutting whatifs, doom and haters from feeds(00:53:19) Confusing consumption with growth(00:56:36) Abundance over scarcity and closing thoughts Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

I'm shifting away from listening to podcasts and I'm a blog reader now.In Episode #508 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: why our media diets are shifting, how we each consume information across video, audio, books, Substack, X long‑form (even X Spaces), why written digital content is winning more of our attention lately, the flood of AI‑generated media (from YouTube videos to TTS podcasts spun from Reddit threads), the challenge of finding high‑signal sources, fiction vs non‑fiction swings, curation styles (tabs vs phone-first), rising ad density in pods/YouTube to near ad‑free long‑form writing and why subtlety and cadence get lost in AI summaries of long videos. No support for this week, the beanie remains cold.Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:01:48) How we consume now(00:04:26) From video rabbit holes to purposeful listening and reading(00:09:35) Podcasting 2.0 and structuring feeds to handle AI content(00:12:20) Why digital reading wins for AI and crypto topics(00:16:30) Finding and filtering digital reading: Substack, X longform, and curation styles(00:19:37) Longform on X and email newsletters as modern blogs(00:22:07) One inbox vs many silos: different workflows for discovery(00:26:21) Timeless vs timely episodes: examples from Rick Rubin, Brian Armstrong, Lex Fridman(00:29:07) Boostagram Lounge(00:31:21) Enhancement vs slop: subtle AI in scripts and production(00:38:20) AI guidance wins and fails: car fixes vs an $800 vet visit(00:41:03) TTS flooding the podcast indexes: Reddit threads to AI voices(00:46:28) High signal vs hype: debating Gary Vee and trend timing(00:52:38) Uniqueness from humans vs AI clones: where interviews still shine(00:56:37) Superabundance everywhere: YouTube, podcasts, music, and text(00:59:14) Hard mediums breed quality: from early podcasting to AI curated media(01:03:00) On demand past, uncertain future: predicting the next media shift(01:08:51) Follow the money: ads, creators, and why text feels cleaner(01:10:27) Wrap-up Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Mastery is not a gift handed to the “talented", it's a ruthless process: time, patience, humility, apprenticeship, and the emotional control to not quit when it gets boring. In this review, I break down Greene's core ideas, why social intelligence matters as much as skill, and how intuition gets forged through long exposure to the craft.(00:00) — Go against the tide: develop mastery(00:11) — Why this book, why now(00:38) — Context: comparing to 48 Laws of Power(00:57) — Reading experience: chunky, dense, “Greene” style(02:42) — Power vs Mastery: maturity and intent(03:24) — Who this book is (and isn't) for(04:32) — The myth of talent: process beats “genius”(06:16) — Core point: mastery is a process(07:31) — Time, patience, humility IQ (and people quit early)(08:17) — Freddie Roach: mastery through endurance(09:52) — The book's structure: life task → apprenticeship → mastery(10:37) — “Life task”: curiosity vs passion(12:18) — Apprenticeship: long, boring, necessary(13:50) — Mental dynamic: emotional regulation(14:24) — Social intelligence: skill alone won't save you(15:48) — Dimensional mind: intuition + rational(18:18) — AI analogy + building a “bigger matrix” of insight(20:44) — Closing: the six steps and the seduction of masteryConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next.Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why?Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:01:17) Juan's December 2025 Recap(00:06:19) Kyrin's December 2025 Recap(00:09:30) Support Overview(00:11:47) Juan's January 2026 Goals(00:18:17) Kyrin's January 2026 Goals(00:34:29) Fitness(00:37:04) V4V Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

We're expanding out from an AI blog into the real world. Also had some issues with the audio this episode so I'm working from the backup copy (that was super loud for some reason). In Episode #507 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: the shift from attention to intention in the AI era, what truly agentic AI might look like versus glorified chatbots and automated workflows, where the tech is actually useful right now, whether the real breakthroughs will come from bolt-ons to existing platforms or from new rails built natively for agents, testing jailbreak games, microtransactions and betting on an AI Monopoly, job market dislocations, new forms of basic services and the rise of agent-first marketplaces.Huge thanks to Petar for the baller boost this week, the beanie is back!Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:01:20) Agentic AI: what it is and what it is not(00:06:08) Hands-on agents: calls, purchases and speed trade-offs(00:10:54) Agents vs automated workflows: real differences(00:15:06) Trust, bugs and the need for human verification(00:20:04) The Intent Economy article: key takeaways(00:27:59) Legacy rails vs new rails: why 2026 may surprise(00:31:05) Slow to sudden shifts: adopting AI-first systems(00:34:16) Content for AIs, not humans: a paradigm shift(00:39:11) Bootstragram Lounge(00:43:06) Daily use-cases: new profiles, payments and x402(00:49:20) Model guardrails vs open models: practical lessons(00:53:17) Spinning up a podcast agent: limitations revealed(00:57:47) Intent drift: when your goals change mid-stream(1:00:12) Human relationships, agents and future norms(01:06:36) Free money? x402 Monopoly and betting agents(01:12:32) When rules break: brittleness of current agents(01:15:00) Keeping up: daily AI briefs and real-world inertia(01:19:59) Wrap-up Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Ever looked at the art world and thought: how does any of this actually work?I read How to Collect Art (2024) by Magnus Resch to figure out whether a normal person can buy a single great piece… and whether art is actually a good investment.Resch approaches the art market like an economist: data, power structures, and the brutal reality of gatekeepers. The big theme? The art world isn't a free market, it's a pyramid. A tiny number of fairs, galleries, curators, and institutions sit at the top… and they decide what becomes valuable.In this review, I cover:Why the “mysterious” art market feels so closed-offThe alpha / beta / gamma / delta pyramid Resch uses to explain status and accessWhy “art as an investment” is mostly a trap (unless you're playing at the top end)Why the book made me want to buy art for meaning, not resale00:00 – Intro: why I picked this book00:21 – The empty wall problem (why I want art)00:58 – What I hoped the book would solve02:12 – The book's style: blue quotes + companion “artist” book03:22 – Resch's economist approach to art04:09 – The real driver of value: representation & institutions05:11 – The “35-year-old” cliff edge for artists06:12 – The harsh truth: most art has near-zero resale value06:52 – Art index vs S&P 500 (and what happens with broader data)09:11 – When art can be an investment (and the price floor)10:24 – The better frame: be a patron, not an investor10:52 – The parts I skipped: emails, CVs, auction house logistics12:22 – “Networking and Instagram” (useful but irritating)13:26 – The collector mantra: buy what you love14:13 – The pyramid: alpha / beta / gamma / delta18:35 – NFTs + digital art gets a mention19:11 – Did it help me buy art? What I'm taking away21:11 – Final verdict + what I'll do insteadConnect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Magnus is back with a master class on how to buy art.In Episode #506 of 'Meanderings', Juan and I discuss: the big blank wall behind us, how to choose something meaningful for your home, Magnus Resch's books 'How To Become A Successful Artist' and 'How to Collect Art', why branding and networking matter in the art world, why most buyers should treat art as a sunk cost and purchase only what they truly love, practical buying tips (galleries, fairs, auctions, pricing signals), comparing art collecting with car collecting, digital art and NFTs as a way to prove ownership and enable utility and reflect on building personal connection to pieces and artists. No support for this week, so the Chux Cloth beanie stays off.Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:01:03) Two books by Magnus Resch(00:06:08) Defining success and the pyramid of artist types(00:11:06) Practicalities for artists: branding, pricing and Instagram(00:13:01) How to Collect Art – structure of the market and roles(00:18:18) What is a fair price? Treat purchases as sunk costs(00:23:53) Buy what you love: quotes and guiding principles(00:26:18) Access, opacity and why networking is crucial(00:34:46) Car collecting vs art collecting: rarity and value(00:41:11) Tactics: auctions, fairs, timing and discounts(00:41:53) Boostragram lounge and value‑for‑value break(00:43:12) Personal shifts: curating with sentiment and story(00:52:49) NFTs 101: ownership, authenticity and utility(00:58:02) Rebalancing a digital collection: fewer, loved pieces(01:01:30) Wrap‑up lessons and next week's AI intent teaser Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

A short snippet on the way we do things behind the scenes as the new year approaches and a concerted effort in our book reviews rises.Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

I'm a woman trapped in a man's body analysing dating advice for women given by a man. In #505 of 'Meanderings', Juan and I discuss: three dating and relationships books (The New Rules, Get the Guy by Matthew Hussey and Attached), how prescriptive “rules” aimed at women can backfire, why some advice feels outdated (Facebook walls and BBM), how scarcity games tend to attract the very players you might want to avoid, why attachment styles are useful as a lens but less so as a to‑do list, a focus on authenticity over mere effectiveness, watch the influence of your friend circle, understand how strong male sexual drive can shape dating dynamics, apply Pareto principles to health and appearance first, build an interesting life (travel, skills, community) and learning to read yourself so you don't try to fill loneliness with just anyone.No boostagrams this week, very sad puppy.Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:00:47) The books: The New Rules, Get the Guy & Attached(00:04:21) Lot's of Don'ts(00:07:12) Perfectionism and the hunt for Mr Right(00:11:09) Who this attracts: playing games gets game players(00:16:21) What men reportedly dislike(00:20:25) Quick verdict on The New Rules & Switch To Matt Hussey(00:25:48) Practical prompts: compliments, conversations, and friendly vibes(00:30:15) Brief detour to Attached: anxious, avoidant, secure(00:39:24) Boostagram Lounge(00:41:15) Effectiveness vs authenticity: advice for daughters(00:45:00) Masks, faking confidence and why acts won't last(00:48:00) Be interesting: travel, stories and easy conversation openers(00:55:14) Broad advice: the male mind, sex drive, and expectations(01:02:26) Pareto squared: health and appearance(01:07:09) A raw moment: walking through Brisbane and feeling loneliness(01:11:24) Closing reflections Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

There is a reason why the art 'space' is divisive and why money distorts many things.In Episode #504 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: the book by Magnus Resch titled '100 Secrets of the Art World', tight‑knit gatekeeping at the high end of the market, how control of information shape what gets seen and sold (often more than artistic merit), parallels to other status markets such as watches/supercars, why 'better' often defaults to 'more expensive', where marketing can overshadow craft yet many collectors still buy for love and to support artists and why the truest encounters with art might still be found in small local galleries rather than at Art Basel.No support for this week, very sad puppy :( Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:01:52) Defining the 'art space'(00:03:38) First impressions: elitism, provenance and pretence(00:09:04) Gatekeeping: cabals, galleries and New York(00:12:06) Parallels with cars/watches: scarcity and status(00:15:27) Art Basel anecdote: committees, control and quiet coups(00:20:02) NFTs, provenance on-chain and collectibles vs art(00:22:22) Popularity: storytelling, marketing and money(00:27:38) Quality heuristics: effort, complexity and the 22blue painting22 problem(00:32:38) Boostagram Lounge(00:34:00) Misconceptions across niches: calisthenics, hand balancing, circus(00:39:03) On labels and assumptions: steroids, fitness and nuance(00:44:04) Finding the essence: local galleries, pure enjoyment(00:48:06) Would creation persist without cash?(00:53:56) Purity at the base, distortion at the peak(00:55:27) Housekeeping and support links; live chat banter Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

The master does nothing .... yet he leaves nothing undone.In Episode #503 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: why the mindset of mastery may matter more than the title of “master", Robert Greene's book called Mastery, the role of obsession, whether teaching is required for mastery, “unearned” mastery and savant talent and a pragmatic take on how to design your own path toward improvement without sacrificing what matters most. Huge thanks to Petar for the support, very much appreciated! Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:01:08) Why read Robert Greene's 'Mastery'?(00:04:54) Podcasting as a case study: from basics to refinement(00:06:58) Local mastery vs global mastery and reference frames(00:10:33) Choosing what to master: obsession, trade-offs and limits(00:13:16) Mastery as mindset vs outcome; daily improvement lens(00:17:25) Boostagram Lounge(00:19:00) Challenging outcome-first goals; internal vs external focus(00:21:11) The costs of global excellence and life balance(00:24:39) Prioritising self-mastery: emotions and immediate circles(00:26:29) Unearned talent? Kyrgios, training minutiae and masters(00:32:56) Reframing goals: skills, learning and public speaking(00:35:00) Applying lessons like biographies, not blueprints(00:39:11) Do you need to teach to be a master? Savants vs transferable methods(00:41:14) Mastery (process) vs Master (status)(00:45:59) Wrap-up and ways to support Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

It's time for our monthly check in where we review our goals from last month and see what's coming up for the next.Do you set yourself monthly goals and if so, how many do you set? Juan and I on the first week of every month go over our progress from the previous month and where we are heading for the next. Emphasis as always is on the shortcomings; what we didn't achieve in the previous monthly goals and how we will fix that for the month that comes. We hope you get some value from this series, showcasing our own methodology. What do you do differently and why?Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:03:41) Juan's November 2025 Recap(00:06:42) Kyrin's November 2025 Recap(00:10:05) Support Overview(00:12:59) Juan's December 2025 Goals(00:28:09) Kyrin's December 2025 Goals(00:37:40) Fitness(00:41:44) V4V Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

It's time for the male version of therapy .... podcasting!!! In Episode #502 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: Lori Gottlieb's book 'Maybe You Should Talk to Someone', the emotional burden therapists carry plus the mirror-like role they play in helping people surface what's unsaid, my own brief stint with therapy as a late teen, why men seek therapy less, what they tend to talk about (anger, identity, intimacy, parenting), whether gym time/mates/modern tools like AI can substitute for a human therapist and how to decide when an external guide could reveal the real question behind the problem you're trying to solve.Huge thanks to Petar & The Late Bloomer Actor for the support, much appreciated! Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline: (00:00:00) Intro(00:00:36) Book setup: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone (Lori Gottlieb)(00:04:22) Is talk therapy an "easy job"?(00:07:34) Personal histories with therapy(00:13:37) When would you go?(00:19:35) Male substitutes for therapy and why some need a neutral listener(00:24:13) What therapists really offer: safe disclosure and third-party perspective(00:31:03) Introspection vs understanding; overthinking and feeling understood(00:35:05) Boostagram Lounge(00:39:56) What Aussie men discuss in therapy(00:47:15) Low affect: numbing vs regulation(00:51:15) When does therapy end? Termination, success metrics and vagueness(00:55:02) Therapy as a business, niches and the rise of AI/text-based care(00:59:12) The value of a well-formed question and paid accountability(01:03:11) Risks: authority, bad guidance and incentives(01:06:54) Wrap-up: Meanderings as free therapy and support links Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

In this Mere Mortals book review, I dive into Secret Weapon, the 12th entry in the Alex Rider series, but not a traditional one. Instead of a full-scale mission, Horowitz delivers seven short, fast-paced stories set early in Alex's spy career. It's action-packed, easy to consume, and offers small bursts of worldbuilding without fundamentally shifting the universe.(00:00) - Welcome & Book Intro (01:17) - What Makes Secret Weapon Different (02:39) - Horowitz's Intentions Behind The Stories (02:53) - High-Paced Nature of the Book (05:27) - Will I Re-read It? Probably Not (05:55) - Worldbuilding at the Margins (07:16) - Overall Enjoyment & Final Take Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

Let's help Juan find some excitement in the daily grind!In Episode #501 of 'Meanderings', Juan and I discuss: the shifting meaning of “adventure” across seasons of life, adventure beyond skydiving (think ballet classes, new walking routes, digital art experiments and structured learning), how vicarious adventures through kids or friends can scratch the itch without derailing priorities, a note on podcasting 2.0's KeySend/LNURL Lightning shift and practical ideas to add novelty without burning your foundations.Huge thanks to Petar for the support, much appreciated! Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortalsTimeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:01:17) Framing adventure and seasons of life(00:05:21) Reality check: priorities, phases and filtering ideas(00:09:41) Broadening experiences: ballet, novelty without risk(00:15:42) Travel temptations vs relationship goals(00:18:57) Miniadventures and planning around family life(00:23:03) Designing doable novelty: tracks, cafes and small switches(00:29:56) Tiny tweaks to shake patterns: routes, movement, mindset(00:32:38) Routine builds longterm payoffs(00:36:00) Boostagram Lounge(00:41:39) Swapping motivation for systems: dating, friends and classes(00:47:16) Big projects as adventures: the gym dream and obsession(00:53:03) Finding excitement in small stakes: digital art and curiosity(00:54:56) Living history: AI race, power and echoes of the space race(01:02:11) Perspective at the park: Luma Lads, comparison and gratitude(01:08:09) Wrapup: comments, Discord and socials Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReUTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast