#838: The Random Show — The 2–2–2 Rule, The Future of AI, Bioelectric Medicine, Surviving Modern Dating, The Promises of DORAs for Alzheimer’s, and Wisdom from Anthony de Mello

This episode explores what The 4-Hour Workweek looks like in the age of AI, rebuilding momentum when you’re stuck, navigating friendships, making room for serendipity, and much, much more. This episode is brought to you by: Incogni, which removes your personal data from the web, helping shield you from fraud, scams, and identity theft: Incogni.com/Tim (use code TIM at checkout and get 60% off an annual plan) Our Place’s Titanium Always Pan® Pro using nonstick technology that’s coating-free and made without PFAS, otherwise known as “forever chemicals”: FromOurPlace.com/Tim Momentous high-quality creatine for cognitive and muscular support: https://LiveMomentous.com/Tim AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://DrinkAG1.com/Tim Timestamps [00:00:00] Introduction. [00:01:23] The 4-Hour Workweek in the age of AI. [00:06:29] Revisiting old advice as your life changes. [00:09:10] Rebuilding momentum with small daily actions. [00:12:58] The one question Tim would ask every guest. [00:18:06] Staying close when friends drift apart. [00:22:19] Knowing when to persist and when to quit. [00:27:15] Oryx and age-related vision changes. [00:31:51] Investing 10 times more in health and relationships. [00:37:35] Making room for serendipity. [00:42:37] What Tim gets from live Q&As. [00:43:54] Climbing and building finger strength. [00:44:49] Tim's experience with accelerated TMS. [00:48:01] Bioelectric medicine and vagus nerve research. [00:49:22] State, story, strategy: answering questions well. [00:53:39] The movies and music behind Tim's writing routine. [00:55:09] Ten-minute meditation sessions, twice a day. [00:57:45] John Sarno, back pain, and the limits of one explanation. [01:04:26] Back Mechanic and the Egoscue exercises Tim still uses. [01:05:03] The 4-Hour Body after 40: Slow-Carb, fasting, and supplements. [01:09:01] A book recommendation for grieving. [01:09:55] What Tim would prioritize as a new parent. [01:12:20] The Happy Body and gymnastic strength training. For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this edition of The Random Show, Tim and Kevin reunite in L.A. to talk AI super assistants that run your life over text message, agentic shopping, beta-alanine for climbing endurance, walnuts and sperm quality, dream engineering and anesthesia dreams, boner pills, man makeup, The Dark Wizard, Tim's upcoming book, a Jean-Claude Van Damme splits bet, and much more. Please enjoy! This episode is brought to you by: Timeline Mitopure, a highly pure form of Urolithin A that supports mitochondrial health and cellular renewal: Timeline.com/Tim (30% off for a limited time) Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: Shopify.com/Tim Fin powerful AI Agent for all your customer service: Fin.Ai/Tim Gusto simple and easy payroll, HR, and benefits platform used by 400,000+ businesses: Gusto.com/Tim Timestamps: 00:00:00 Start 00:00:52 AI super assistants: Instinct, Muse, Grok Bot, and ChatGPT dots 00:09:04 How AI agents could reshape shopping and video editing 00:19:43 Beta-alanine for climbing endurance 00:26:23 Psyllium, contaminants, and creatine without stomach trouble 00:30:34 Walnuts, sperm quality, and micronutrients 00:40:15 A2 protein shakes and practical training nutrition 00:46:20 Dream engineering, lucid dreaming, and brain stimulation 00:53:06 Anesthesia dreams and trauma recovery 00:59:19 DORA sleep medications and Alzheimer’s research 01:01:25 Plum Flower Curing Pills and Airofit breathing training 01:05:36 Brain-stimulating contact lenses and the mysteries of anesthesia 01:10:06 Boner pills, back pain, and the lure of enhancement 01:12:55 AI writing tools and the value of lived experience 01:16:51 “Personal Renewal”: John Gardner and the story of Cervantes 01:18:44 Man makeup, rosacea, and Kevin’s skincare routine 01:22:17 The Dark Wizard and the extraordinary life of Dean Potter 01:24:48 Studs Terkel’s Hard Times, Working, and the art of oral history 01:27:34 Exploring romantasy: Fourth Wing and A Court of Thorns and Roses 01:30:40 What Fifty Shades of Grey teaches about clear positioning 01:34:43 Tim’s next book: saying no in a world of noise 01:37:23 Authors Equity, publishing timelines, and the case for print 01:43:10 “Please Use AI,” Kurt Vonnegut, and preserving human connection 01:44:53 Will AI create more leisure—or just more work? 01:47:34 The $500 Jean-Claude Van Damme splits bet * DISCLAIMER FROM TIM FERRISS: I am not an investment adviser or a medical professional. Nor is Kevin Rose. All opinions are mine alone. Or his. Nothing here is investment or medical advice; it is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Please talk to your doctor before trying any drug, supplement, or protocol we mention. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Many of us feel like we’re drowning in invisible complexity. So I wanted to hit pause and ask a simple question: What are 1–3 decisions that could dramatically simplify my life? In this episode: Chip Conley shares how a near-death experience on stage changed his life. Greg McKeown reveals what a stormtrooper costume has to do with all the goddamn clutter in our lives. David Allen explains why the to-do list living in your head costs you more than you think. Elizabeth Gilbert explains why she treats her inbox like her home and what she does when uninvited guests show up. And Oliver Burkeman explains why so much simplicity advice backfires and what has actually worked for him. This episode is brought to you by: Eight Sleep Pod 6 which cools or heats each side of the bed, with custom elevation and snoring reduction, and wearable-free sleep tracking: EightSleep.com/tim AG1 Pro all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim Timestamps: Chip Conley: 00:01:36 Greg McKeown: 00:13:00:22 David Allen: 00:20:18:27 Elizabeth Gilbert: 00:28:35:17 Oliver Burkeman: 00:36:37:01 * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kevin Ryan is one of the leading entrepreneurs and investors in New York. Often called the “Godfather of NYC tech,” he is the founder and CEO of AlleyCorp, a New York based venture capital firm that incubates and invests across healthcare, AI and software, consumer tech, deep tech, and more. Kevin is also the co-founder of several notable companies including MongoDB, Business Insider, Zola, Gilt Groupe, and Transcend Therapeutics. Earlier in his career, Kevin was the CEO of DoubleClick, which he helped grow from a 20-person startup to a publicly-traded company with more than 1,500 employees. This episode is brought to you by: Eight Sleep Pod 6 which cools or heats each side of the bed, with custom elevation and snoring reduction, and wearable-free sleep tracking: EightSleep.com/tim Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: Shopify.com/Tim Momentous high-quality creatine for cognitive and muscular support: LiveMomentous.com/Tim AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim Timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro from Tim 00:01:25 Kevin Ryan’s entrepreneurial track record 00:03:40 Spotting long-term trends and turning them into businesses 00:06:33 Designing gatherings and trips for great conversations 00:11:42 Second-order thinking and the missed YouTube opportunity 00:17:47 Gilt’s rise, shrinking moat, and knowing when to sell 00:22:06 From Dilbert to DoubleClick: early lessons and fast decisions 00:27:52 AlleyCorp’s model: start narrow, then scale 00:32:26 Recruiting founders and building Business Insider 00:38:28 Recognizing a business crush and choosing what to build 00:41:44 Investing in nuclear energy 00:43:26 Taking money off the table and keeping funds small 00:47:15 Ping-pong and the value of coaching 00:49:05 Making time for family, fitness, and vacation 00:51:52 Psychedelics and the origins of Transcend Therapeutics 00:54:20 Methylone, PTSD trials, and navigating the FDA 00:59:57 Transcend’s public-benefit mission and giving back 01:05:46 Deep tech, robotics, and the next wave of opportunities 01:11:35 Failed startups, MongoDB, and knowing when to persist 01:15:06 A more caring society: inequality, taxes, and opportunity 01:17:26 Immigration and attracting the world’s best talent 01:20:04 Why Kevin is bullish on New York * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast. For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday. For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts. Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books. Follow Tim: Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

My guest today is Tania de Jong, co-founder of Mind Medicine Australia. Tania and her husband, Peter, helped lead the push that, in 2023, made Australia the first country in the world to allow MDMA and psilocybin to be prescribed for psychiatric conditions. I wanted to understand how the hell they helped make that happen and what the rest of the world can learn from it. This episode is brought to you by: ProLon science-backed Fasting Mimicking Diet that helps activate cellular renewal through fasting, while still eating nourishing meals: https://prolonlife.com/Tim Momentous high-quality creatine for cognitive and muscular support: https://LiveMomentous.com/Tim AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim Timestamps [00:00:00] Intro from Tim. [00:02:46] The article that changed Tania’s life. [00:04:39] A first psychedelic experience—and the year it took to integrate it. [00:10:17] Rick Doblin’s encouragement and the birth of Mind Medicine Australia. [00:13:15] Turning regulatory rejection into a stronger application. [00:20:48] Building a grassroots movement and training clinicians. [00:23:23] Cold emails, scientific allies, and singing your way into the room. [00:31:11] A week with Ram Dass: silence, singing, and an extraordinary LSD story. [00:37:54] Bringing David Nutt—and a family’s devastating story—to the regulators. [00:42:42] Dancing in the kitchen: Australia’s rescheduling breakthrough. [00:43:40] From changing the rules to treating patients. [00:48:18] Why Tim thinks MDMA is still underestimated. [00:50:23] Integration beyond the session: therapy, nutrition, and exercise. [00:52:29] Scaling access and collecting real-world evidence. [00:58:13] Getting insurers, government agencies, and philanthropists on board. [01:00:44] Syrian rue, psilocybin, and learning to let go of control. [01:09:06] Dosing, expectations, and the pressure to take more. [01:11:07] The promise of group therapy and shared integration. [01:13:27] Hiring mistakes, personal attacks, and the resilience advocacy requires. [01:22:43] Turning a window of change into lasting habits. [01:24:56] Getting through to regulators and pushing for end-of-life access. [01:27:32] The bureaucratic barriers that remain. [01:30:43] What treatment costs—and why therapist time drives the bill. [01:34:12] Could shorter-acting compounds make treatment more affordable? [01:37:51] Ketamine, kratom, and the limits of “all natural.” [01:42:19] The unexpected payoff from Tim’s ketamine experiment. [01:46:51] What might come next for psychedelic access worldwide? [01:48:10] Persistence versus pushiness—and knowing when to try another door. [01:53:27] Supporting patients and training the next wave of clinicians. [01:56:56] “Be curious”: exploring your inner world and walking each other home. [02:00:40] The ripple effects of sharing your curiosity—and simply asking for help. Timeline: February 2, 2015: Michael Pollan publishes “The Trip Treatment” in The New Yorker, which is the article Tania credits with setting her journey in motion. March 21, 2015: Tim releases his James Fadiman interview, “The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide” (#66). Its show notes link to “The Trip Treatment.” January 15, 2016: In 5-Bullet Friday, Tim announces support for Johns Hopkins’ psilocybin research and a personal commitment of at least $100,000 toward psychedelic research that year. 2016: Tania and Peter travel to the Netherlands for their first guided psilocybin experience. (Source) 2017–2019: UCSF conducts the psilocybin-assisted group-therapy study involving long-term AIDS survivors that Tim helped support. (Source) May 6, 2018: Michael Pollan joins Tim for “Exploring the New Science of Psychedelics” (#313), discussing his forthcoming book (How to Change Your Mind). May 15, 2018: Pollan’s How to Change Your Mind is published. February 13, 2019: Tania and Peter publicly launch Mind Medicine Australia. (Source) 2020–2022: MMA applies to reschedule MDMA and psilocybin, faces rejection, and sub