{"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":"Why MIT Graduate Payal Kadakia Walked Away From Bain Consulting","slug":"why-mit-graduate-payal-kadakia-walked-away-from-bain-consulting","published_at":"2026-09-20T00:06:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985/why-mit-graduate-payal-kadakia-walked-away-from-bain-consulting","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985","url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/PODAGEN1202704058.mp3?updated=1776257505","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/PODAGEN1202704058.mp3?updated=1776257505","summary":"MIT graduate, Bain consultant, guaranteed six-figure salary. Payal Kadakia had everything ambitious people dream of. So why did she walk away to chase a fitness startup that almost nobody understood? Adrian Wells breaks down how one woman's \"crazy\" decision to follow her authentic passion built ClassPass into a billion-dollar empire. Most people think you need to \"play it safe\" and climb the corporate ladder. Payal's story proves the opposite: the biggest risk is ignoring what actually lights you up. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why Payal left Bain & Company despite having zero business plan • The pivot from Classtivity that saved her company and created ClassPass • How dance became her compass for building authentic businesses • The exact moment she knew consulting wasn't her path 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone wrestling with whether to leave their \"safe\" career for something that actually excites them. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells on why smart people make \"dumb\" career moves [01:45] From MIT to Bain: Why prestige isn't enough [03:30] The dance connection that changed everything [05:15] Classtivity to ClassPass: The pivot that saved millions [07:00] Building a billion-dollar business around authenticity [09:30] What Payal's parents really thought about her choice [11:00] Three signs you're in the wrong career This isn't another \"follow your dreams\" pep talk. It's a case study in how following your authentic interests can lead to business success most people only dream about. Payal didn't just build a company, she created an entirely new category that millions of people now can't live without. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite insight is one tap…","meta_description":"MIT graduate, Bain consultant, guaranteed six-figure salary. Payal Kadakia had everything ambitious people dream of. So why did she walk away to chase a f…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1009,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/first-principles-7708985/episodes/why-mit-graduate-payal-kadakia-walked-away-from-bain-consulting/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/why-mit-graduate-payal-kadakia-walked-away-from-bain-consulting.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}