Graham Mann’s Personal Podcast

What's the point of work, if not to have fun, build cool things, and provide value for other people?

I chose to study engineering because I wanted to build things. It's why I went into tech and entrepreneurship too. Today, not much has changed.

Should you be a specialist, or a generalist? The answer is different for different people. I don't have the patience to be a specialist. But there is a middle ground that appeals to me.

The modern work day wasn't built for knowledge work. There's a better way, and it's the way I prefer.

The most important part of work isn't the work itself. It's the people.

I don't love giving up my Saturdays, of course. But there's a reason I'm more productive when I do.

We like certainty in our lives. We like to think we know what will happen. But the reality? We can't.

I spent a long time optimizing my productivity.

Task management systems, pomodoro timers, software—I tried it all.

Some of it helped. Most of it didn’t.

Dating and sales are the same skills: the only difference is what you’re selling.

Ray Dalio cites this as his most fundamental principle:

“Truth —more precisely, an accurate understanding of reality— is the essential foundation for producing good outcomes.”

It's not hard to see why.