{"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":"Dr. Malhotra: Why I Went From Prescribing Pills to Fighting Big Pharma","slug":"dr-malhotra-why-i-went-from-prescribing-pills-to-fighting-big-pharma","published_at":"2026-09-09T13:54:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985/dr-malhotra-why-i-went-from-prescribing-pills-to-fighting-big-pharma","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985","url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/PODAGEN9812706443.mp3?updated=1776258481","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/PODAGEN9812706443.mp3?updated=1776258481","summary":"What if the doctor who once promoted pharmaceutical treatments now claims those same companies have been lying to us for decades? In this episode, Adrian Wells sits down with Dr. Aseem Malhotra, the cardiologist who went from prescribing pills to fighting the very industry he once trusted. Dr. Malhotra reveals how he discovered that about 75% of clinical trials are now funded by pharmaceutical companies, and these industry-backed studies are 4 times more likely to report positive results. Even more shocking: for every 100 people taking statins for 5 years, only 1 to 2 will actually avoid a heart attack or stroke. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why negative trial results get published 50% less often than positive ones • How pharmaceutical companies systematically hide research that hurts their profits • The real numbers behind statins that your doctor probably doesn't know • What happens when a respected cardiologist speaks out against Big Pharma 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone who wants to make informed decisions about their health and understand how financial incentives shape medical advice. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the doctor who got banned for truth-telling [01:30] From drug advocate to industry critic: Dr. Malhotra's transformation [04:00] The statin scandal: why the numbers don't add up [07:00] How pharmaceutical funding corrupts medical research [10:00] The personal cost of challenging a multi-billion dollar industry [12:00] What patients can do to protect themselves This isn't about conspiracy theories. It's about following the money and asking the questions that make powerful people uncomfortable. Dr. Malhotra backs every claim with peer-reviewed research and real-world data. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify or…","meta_description":"What if the doctor who once promoted pharmaceutical treatments now claims those same companies have been lying to us for decades? In this episode, Adrian…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2125,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/first-principles-7708985/episodes/dr-malhotra-why-i-went-from-prescribing-pills-to-fighting-big-pharma/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/dr-malhotra-why-i-went-from-prescribing-pills-to-fighting-big-pharma.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}