Episode
Why You Need to Subtract: The Vasa Effect
- Podcast
- Curiosity Chronicle
- Published
- Aug 21, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 487
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://share.transistor.fm/s/6be7dba1
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Summary
In 1628, Sweden's mightiest warship sank less than a mile into its maiden voyage -- not because of an enemy attack, but because a king couldn't stop adding to it. I call it the Vasa Effect: the addition of individual positives can eventually create a catastrophic negative. In this week's piece, I break down why our bias for addition is holding us back and how creative subtraction might be the fastest way to improve. ••• This episode brought to you by: DeleteMe - DeleteMe makes it quick, easy, and safe to remove your personal data online. Origin Financial - Your personal AI Financial Advisor. Track your spending, investments, and net worth—all in one place. Innerbody Labs - A Higher Standard. After reviewing thousands of health products, we built formulas we wished existed. Lemon - The Al agent that turns your voice instructions into finished tasks.