The Tim Ferriss Show

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
00:20:02 Beta-alanine for climbing endurance
00:26:42 Psyllium, contaminants, and creatine without stomach trouble
00:30:53 Walnuts, sperm quality, and micronutrients
00:40:34 A2 protein shakes and practical training nutrition
00:46:39 Dream engineering, lucid dreaming, and brain stimulation
00:53:25 Anesthesia dreams and trauma recovery
00:59:38 DORA sleep medications and Alzheimer’s research
01:01:43 Plum Flower Curing Pills and Airofit breathing training
01:05:54 Brain-stimulating contact lenses and the mysteries of anesthesia
01:10:25 Boner pills, back pain, and the lure of enhancement
01:13:13 AI writing tools and the value of lived experience
01:17:10 “Personal Renewal”: John Gardner and the story of Cervantes
01:19:03 Man makeup, rosacea, and Kevin’s skincare routine
01:22:35 The Dark Wizard and the extraordinary life of Dean Potter
01:25:07 Studs Terkel’s Hard Times, Working, and the art of oral history
01:27:52 Exploring romantasy: Fourth Wing and A Court of Thorns and Roses
01:30:59 What Fifty Shades of Grey teaches about clear positioning
01:35:02 Tim’s next book: saying no in a world of noise
01:37:42 Authors Equity, publishing timelines, and the case for print
01:43:29 “Please Use AI,” Kurt Vonnegut, and preserving human connection
01:45:12 Will AI create more leisure—or just more work?
01:47:53 The $500 Jean-Claude Van Damme splits bet
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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 submits new applications in March 2022. (Source)
November 21, 2022: David Nutt presents to Australia’s medicines regulator, the TGA, supporting the case for therapeutic access. (Source)
February 3, 2023: The TGA announces restricted prescribing access to MDMA for PTSD and psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, effective July 1, 2023. (Source)
January 2024: Patients begin receiving treatment under the new prescribing program. (Source)
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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.

This episode is a bit different. It's a live, unscripted working session with a founder, and I've only done one other earlier this year.
Niels Hoven (@NielsHoven) is the founder and CEO of Mentava, a company building software to support fast learners. Eager kids are dramatically underserved by today's education system, and Niels created Mentava to allow students to achieve their potential. Prior to Mentava, Niels worked at Cloudflare, ClassDojo, and Pocket Gems, where he ran the highest-grossing mobile game in the world in 2011. He has a graduate degree in electrical engineering from UC Berkeley.
This episode is brought to you by:
Fin powerful AI Agent for all your customer service: Fin.Ai/Tim
Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: Shopify.com/Tim
Wealthfront high-yield cash account: Wealthfront.com/Tim
New clients get 3.30% base APY from program banks + additional 0.75% boost for 3 months on your uninvested cash (max $150k balance). Terms and conditions apply. The Cash Account offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC (“WFB”) member FINRA/SIPC, not a bank. The base APY as of 1/30/26 is representative, can change, and requires no minimum. Tim Ferriss, a non-client, receives compensation from WFB for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of WFB, which creates a conflict of interest. Individual experiences and outcomes will differ. Instant withdrawals may be limited by your receiving firm and other factors. Investment advisory services provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, not bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value.
Timestamps:
[00:00:00] Start.
[00:01:32] What Mentava is—and the toddlers reading before age three.
[00:08:31] Game design, slot-machine motivation, and lowering the hoop.
[00:11:54] Tim's red pen: rewriting the bio and positioning.
[00:16:59] The real problem: wasted early years, high-school pressure.
[00:23:55] Learning at your own pace—and "what if you did nothing?"
[00:29:32] Dog-fish, fish-dog: readiness, failed trials, and follow-ups.
[00:35:06] The $500 price, school pilots, and videos-for-tuition scholarships.
[00:41:39] Teach a kid to fish: selling relief, not nagging.
[00:47:49] Viral posts, the culture-war trap, and why exaggeration is death.
[00:55:05] Put the ask on top: investor updates and what actually converts.
[00:59:35] The thirty-year phonics war—and it's not with teachers.
[01:01:10] A $1,000 coupon, zero takers: why the referral bribe flopped.
[01:08:04] Lead with the love letters: testimonials, homepage, and who's buying.
[01:20:03] "No scam charges $500 a month": pricing and who you're not for.
[01:34:16] Uncrowded channels and workshopping like a standup.
[01:42:08] Don't let Amazon be your debutante ball: testing what sells.
[01:46:42] Alpha School, the competitive map, and the eager investor.
[01:48:39] Reaching the already-converted: be the painkiller, TiE, surround sound.
[02:08:18] Niels's charge: advocate for your child, unapologetically.
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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.