Dec 01
229: Lessons & Anti-Lessons from Gymnastics —
After 16 years in competitive gymnastics including a national championship at Stanford, Jason Shen shares the positive lessons and maladaptive mindsets the sport instilled in him.
Nov 23
228: Building 10x Better —
Building something 10x better sounds impossible for a tiny startup. Jason Shen explains how narrowing down — like Bezos selling only books for four years — makes the seemingly impossible achievable.
Nov 16
227: The History in Our Habits —
We don't always know why we do what we do. Jason Shen shares his father's story of never finishing a glass — a habit rooted in China's Cultural Revolution — and why self-empathy matters.
Nov 09
226: Write It Out —
When cofounder conflicts get emotionally charged, face-to-face conversations often fail. Jason Shen makes the case for letter writing as a powerful tool for resolving deep business partnership disputes.
Nov 02
225: What Should We Talk About? —
Getting the most from coaching requires knowing what to bring to each session. Jason Shen shares a framework for choosing the right topics — from fires to decisions to personal growth.
Oct 27
224: Uncovering Your Patterns —
Exploring moments of authentic pride reveals deep patterns in how you operate. Jason Shen shares his signature coaching exercise and the research behind why pride is a powerful tool for self-discovery.
Oct 19
223: Book Advice —
Thinking about writing a book? Jason Shen shares practical advice from self-publishing two books — on motivation, process, and why writing for the backlist beats chasing bestseller launches.
Oct 12
222: Treading Water —
Surrounded by high achievers, it's easy to feel like you're going nowhere. Jason Shen offers a four-part reality check for founders who feel stuck while everyone else seems to be winning.
Oct 07
221: Best Practice —
Industry best practices don't always apply to you. Jason Shen draws on sprinter Michael Johnson's unconventional stride and Paul Graham's Founder Mode to argue for finding your own personal best practice.
Sep 29
220: Productivity Judo —
There's no single productivity system that works forever. Jason Shen shares a meta-strategy of rotating tactics — from body doubling to environment changes to unconventional task management.
Sep 22
219: Long Term Conviction & Short Term Confidence —
Conviction is the most persuasive quality a founder can possess — and it's built through progressive risk-taking. Jason Shen connects gymnastics training to the psychology of entrepreneurial belief.
Sep 15
218: How to Conference Better —
Most of a conference's value comes from what happens outside the planned programming. Jason Shen shares tactical advice for founders on networking, speaking, and making the most of industry events.
Sep 08
217: Read This Before You Hire an Executive / Founder Coach —
Thinking about hiring a coach? Jason Shen breaks down what coaching actually delivers — clarity, conviction, and momentum — and how to find the right fit for your needs.
Sep 02
216: Learning to Speak Naturally —
Giving a rehearsed speech and speaking naturally to camera are two entirely different skills. Jason Shen shares lessons from Ultraspeaking's Creator Cohort on overcoming speaking anxiety.
Aug 23
215: "You Have to Be a Little Delusional" —
A talk on startup pivoting from Medium Day 2024: why founders need productive delusion, and how the Double Loop Pivot framework helps struggling startups find their next direction.
Aug 10
214: A Weirdly Brilliant FAQ —
Jason Shen answers the most common questions about his book Weirdly Brilliant — a guide for ambitious outliers who want to swing big, own their genius, and play a different game.
Jul 05
213: Two tech interviews that are four decades apart —
Steve Jobs in Playboy (1985) & Threads/IG chief Adam Mosseri in Platformer (2024)
Jul 03
212: Writing a book in 30 days —
Never let a good deadline go to waste
Jun 28
211: "Good writing is the Grammarly fixes you ignore" —
On good writing and good characters
Jun 26
210: How come some longtime couples get divorced when they’re old? —
On Frustration in Relationships