{"podcast":{"title":"First Principles","slug":"first-principles-7708985","podcast_index_feed_id":7708985,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/PODAGEN4765221373","website_url":null,"image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/06eebd2a-0779-11f1-826e-37926ac18342/image/fca7c8febd1441fc3b0d54084418b06d.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"Adrian Wells","episode_count":426,"summary":"First Principles isn't another business podcast recycling the same startup stories. Adrian Wells takes the fundamentals that actually matter and breaks them down like you're having coffee with the smartest professor you ever had. Wells spent twelve years teaching philosophy and critical thinking before ditching the lecture hall for the microphone. Turns out, the same principles that help you think clearly about ancient Greek ethics also work pretty well for modern business decisions. Who knew? Every episode strips away the latest trends and buzzwords to focus on the core ideas that don't change. How to actually evaluate evidence when everyone's throwing around statistics. Why most \"revolutionary\" business advice is just old wine in new bottles. The thinking patterns that separate smart decisions from lucky guesses. You won't get hyped-up success stories or flavor-of-the-month strategies. Instead, you'll learn how to think through problems the way philosophers have for centuries, applied to the stuff that matters in your work and life right now. Multiple new episodes drop daily, so there's always something fresh when you need it. Follow now if you're ready to think better, not just…","last_synced_at":"2026-09-20T02:18:54.580675+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985"},"episode":{"title":"Adam Grant: The Brutal Truth About Why 98% of People Never Make It","slug":"adam-grant-the-brutal-truth-about-why-98-of-people-never-make-it","published_at":"2026-09-12T15:03:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985/adam-grant-the-brutal-truth-about-why-98-of-people-never-make-it","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985","url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/PODAGEN9511566375.mp3?updated=1776258348","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/PODAGEN9511566375.mp3?updated=1776258348","summary":"What if I told you that 98% of people fail not because they don't work hard enough, but because they're getting the fundamentals of success completely backwards? Adrian Wells breaks down Adam Grant's most eye-opening research that flips everything you think you know about achievement on its head. Turns out, the people who make it to the top 2% aren't who you'd expect. They procrastinate (but not too much), they keep their day jobs longer, and they fail way more than everyone else. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why givers end up both dead last AND at the very top of success rankings • The surprising 16% creativity boost that comes from procrastinating the right way • Why 50% of successful entrepreneurs kept their day job while building their business • How top performers generate 25% more ideas (even though 90% of them are terrible) 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone who's tired of surface-level success advice that doesn't actually work. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells reveals the brutal 2% statistic [01:45] The giver paradox: why nice guys finish first AND last [04:15] The procrastination sweet spot that boosts creativity [06:30] Why keeping your day job might be the smartest move [08:45] The failure rate that separates winners from everyone else [11:00] Three takeaways you can apply today Grant's research cuts through the motivational fluff to show what actually separates the people who make it from the 98% who don't. And honestly? Some of these findings are going to make you rethink everything. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next breakthrough insight is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: Adam Grant, success statistics, procrastination benefits, entrepreneur research, high…","meta_description":"What if I told you that 98% of people fail not because they don't work hard enough, but because they're getting the fundamentals of success completely bac…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1929,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/first-principles-7708985/episodes/adam-grant-the-brutal-truth-about-why-98-of-people-never-make-it/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985/adam-grant-the-brutal-truth-about-why-98-of-people-never-make-it.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}