{"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":324,"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":"2026-07-23T16:19:48.696188+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985"},"episode":{"title":"The $2M Mistake 90% of Entrepreneurs Make (I Did It Too)","slug":"the-2m-mistake-90-of-entrepreneurs-make-i-did-it-too","published_at":"2026-07-11T16:12:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985/the-2m-mistake-90-of-entrepreneurs-make-i-did-it-too","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985","url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/PODAGEN5178091639.mp3?updated=1776257870","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/PODAGEN5178091639.mp3?updated=1776257870","summary":"Here's your most expensive mistake: 90% of entrepreneurs chase every shiny opportunity instead of mastering one business first. Adrian Wells built his million-dollar companies by doing the opposite, and in this episode, he breaks down the six core principles that separate successful entrepreneurs from the ones who burn out chasing trends. Most business advice focuses on tactics that change every year. This episode cuts through the noise to reveal the fundamental principles that have worked for decades and will work for decades more. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • The 18-24 month focus rule that prevents the $2M mistake most entrepreneurs make • How the \"someday shelf\" captures your best ideas without destroying your current focus • Why self-belief beats intelligence, connections, and even funding (backed by entrepreneur research) • The sprint-based execution system that increases your project completion rate by 300% 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to think like successful entrepreneurs instead of just copying their surface-level strategies. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells reveals the $2M mistake he made (and how to avoid it) [01:45] Why focus beats opportunity every single time [04:20] The someday shelf: capture ideas without losing momentum [06:30] Self-belief research that will change how you approach challenges [08:45] Sprint execution: borrowing from tech to accelerate business results [11:00] The one principle that ties all six together This isn't about getting rich quick. It's about building something that lasts using principles that don't change when the market does. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite i…","meta_description":"Here's your most expensive mistake: 90% of entrepreneurs chase every shiny opportunity instead of mastering one business first. Adrian Wells built his mil…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":890,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/first-principles-7708985/episodes/the-2m-mistake-90-of-entrepreneurs-make-i-did-it-too/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/the-2m-mistake-90-of-entrepreneurs-make-i-did-it-too.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}