Johnathan Bi - Why the Best Founders Might Need a Little Delusion (Ep. 308)
Infinite Loops
Johnathan Bi returns to Infinite Loops for a conversation about founders, delusion, America, religion, mysticism, and the strange tension between truth and action. We explore why some of the most effective builders may be the least introspective, why societies often run on useful fictions, how America encourages megalomania, what happens when materialism starts to feel incomplete, and why the “seeker” may matter even more in the age of AI. The episode moves from Plato and Caesar to founders, mystics, near-death experiences, and the future of human creativity. Important Links: Johnathan's...
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Polina Pompliano - What Truly Drives Successful People (Ep. 307)
Infinite Loops
Polina Pompliano studies some of the most successful people in the world—and what she’s found challenges how we think about success, creativity, and human behavior. In this episode of Infinite Loops, we explore the mental models behind high performers, why we misunderstand people (including ourselves), and what it really takes to see the world differently. From creativity and rationality to identity, media bias, and the hidden motivations driving success, this conversation is a deep dive into how great thinkers actually operate. Important Links: Check out Polina's new book: More...
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Adam Mastroianni - Why Creativity Feels Like It's Dying (Ep. 306)
Infinite Loops
In this episode of Infinite Loops, we speak with Adam Mastroianni—experimental psychologist and sharp critic of modern culture and science. We ask, why does creativity feel like it’s fading? From endless remakes to cultural sameness, Adam argues that as society becomes more stable and risk-averse, we may be unintentionally reducing the “deviance” that drives originality and breakthrough thinking. We also discuss why science should get weirder, how to fight credentialism, and the dangers of professionalization. Important Links: To learn more about Adam Mastroianni: Adam's Piece on...
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Arkady Kulik - The Psychology of Self-Deception (Ep. 305)
Infinite Loops
In this episode of Infinite Loops, we sit down with venture capitalist and physicist Arkady Kulikov to explore the psychology behind founders, responsibility, and self-deception. Kulik discusses why the hardest problems in business are almost always human problems, how great founders deal with stress, and why the biggest lie entrepreneurs tell is often to themselves. He also explains how investors evaluate founder psychology, why difficult conversations are essential in business, and why resilience is more about adaptability than stubbornness. Important Links: Listen to our last...
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Angus Fletcher - The Biggest Mistake We Made About Intelligence (Ep. 304)
Infinite Loops
In this episode of Infinite Loops, Jim O’Shaughnessy sits down with Angus Fletcher, Professor of Story Science at Ohio State University's Project Narrative and author of multiple books at the intersection of narrative theory, psychology, and brain science. Angus’ research challenges one of the most widely accepted ideas in modern culture: that the human brain works like a computer. Drawing on his work with U.S. Army Special Operations, he argues that humans think not in equations, but in actions and stories — and that modern education systems are failing to cultivate the...
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Jonathan Tepper - Growing Up in the Heroin Capital of Europe (Ep. 303)
Infinite Loops
In this episode of Infinite Loops, we sit down with author Jonathan Tepper to discuss his extraordinary childhood. In 1985, when Jonathan was seven, his missionary parents moved the family to San Blas — then the heroin capital of Europe — to start a drug rehabilitation center. Jonathan and his brothers grew up alongside former bank robbers, prison survivors, and people living through the AIDS epidemic. These recovering addicts became like older siblings to them. What began with one man in a small apartment grew into a global movement operating in 20 countries. Jonathan's memoir, Shooting...
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Paul Millerd & Jimmy Soni — The Creative Opportunities of a Boring Life (EP. 302)
Infinite Loops
Fresh off releasing hardcover books we’ve ever seen, Paul Millerd returns alongside Infinite Books CEO Jimmy Soni for a deep dive into the broken incentives of traditional publishing, why the industry breeds “cynicism at scale,” and how the internet is powering a second Renaissance for creators. We get into what it means to build a creative life on your own terms, the Taoist approach to growing an audience, how to navigate financial uncertainty while raising a family, and why seemingly boring daily routines fuel extraordinary creative work. I hope you enjoy this...
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Packy McCormick - How Writing Shapes Companies (Ep. 301)
Infinite Loops
Packy McCormick is one of the most thoughtful writers in tech and investing. In this episode of Infinite Loops, we talk about why writing is still the most powerful way to think clearly, how optimism becomes rational when you spend time with people actually building things, and what happens when the internet punishes you for being early and wrong. Important Links: Packy McCormick on Optimism: The Internet Contrarian: Elliot Herschberg on GitLab Founder and Cancer: Ben Thompson's Aggregation Theory:
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Jean-Marc Daecius - The Last Human Chief of Staff (Ep. 300)
Infinite Loops
What happens when you design a company assuming AI should do everything it possibly can? Jean-Marc Daecius, OSV's Chief of Staff, joins Infinite Loops to explain what it means to be “AI first” — and why he believes he may be the company's last human chief of staff. The conversation explores how AI can remove meaningless cognitive load, protect deep work, and unlock creative leverage — from reshuffling priorities and filtering email, to reinventing publishing, agriculture, education, and even how we discover books, movies, and ideas. Important links: Substack: Jean...
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John Wang - The Man Who Built The Queens Night Market (Ep. 299)
Infinite Loops
The Queens Night Market is one of New York City’s most beloved institutions — but it was never supposed to last more than a year. John Wang, founder of the Queens Night Market, joins Infinite Loops to explain how a side project with a “terrible business model” unexpectedly became one of the most celebrated food markets in the world. From leaving a traditional legal career to imposing a strict price cap in one of the most expensive cities on earth, John shares how the market evolved into a cultural institution representing more than 100 countries through food. Important links:...
info_outlineNick Maggiulli is a financial educator, author of the blog “Of Dollars and Data”, and the newly released book “Just Keep Buying: Proven Ways To Save Money And Build Your Wealth.”
In this episode, we talk with Nick about the robust empirical research that has gone behind the insights and ideas presented in his new book!
You can follow Nick on Twitter at https://twitter.com/dollarsanddata and buy his book at https://ofdollarsanddata.com/justkeepbuying/
Show Notes:
- Coming up with title of the book
- The save-invest continuum
- Is buying a house a good investment?
- Debt: Good or bad?
- On being shaped by our experiences
- One path the wealth creation?
- 2020 vs 2021 as an investment year
- Handling emotions during a bear market
- Importance of diversification
- The ideal asset allocation
- The Great Reshuffle
- The argument against stock picking
- Negative yield bonds
- Lump sum vs. DCA
- Index investors or momentum investors
- Life as a growth, and value stock
Books Mentioned:
- Just Keep Buying; by Nick Magguilli
- Security Analysis; Benjamin Graham
- The Intelligent Investor; Benjamin Graham
- Influence; by Robert Cialdini