{"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":"Young Men Are Checking Out: The $2.3 Trillion Crisis Nobody's Talking About","slug":"young-men-are-checking-out-the-2-3-trillion-crisis-nobody-s-talking-about","published_at":"2026-09-05T07:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985/young-men-are-checking-out-the-2-3-trillion-crisis-nobody-s-talking-about","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985","url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/PODAGEN2515542343.mp3?updated=1776257575","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/PODAGEN2515542343.mp3?updated=1776257575","summary":"What if 2.3 trillion dollars is disappearing from our economy, and the culprits are young men who've simply... stopped trying? In this episode, Adrian Wells breaks down a crisis hiding in plain sight: an entire generation of men checking out of education, careers, and life itself. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why college enrollment for men dropped 8.5% in just five years (while women's barely budged) • The shocking reality that men 25-34 are three times more likely to live with parents than in 1980 • How 2.9 hours of daily gaming is replacing actual career development • The economic ripple effects when nearly 12% of prime-age men exit the workforce entirely 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to understand the forces reshaping our society and economy. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the $2.3 trillion question [02:15] College enrollment collapse: the numbers that should terrify us [04:30] From basement to boardroom: why moving out became optional [06:45] The gaming trap: when virtual achievements replace real ones [09:00] Economic consequences: what happens when men disappear [11:30] Signs of hope and actionable solutions This isn't about pointing fingers. It's about understanding how economic pressure, social media addiction, and a fundamental crisis of purpose created a generation stuck in extended adolescence. Wells connects the dots between individual choices and massive economic trends, showing why this matters for everyone. The data is clear: something fundamental shifted in how young men see their future. The question is whether we'll recognize this crisis before it reshapes our entire society. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episo…","meta_description":"What if 2.3 trillion dollars is disappearing from our economy, and the culprits are young men who've simply... stopped trying? In this episode, Adrian Wel…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1085,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/first-principles-7708985/episodes/young-men-are-checking-out-the-2-3-trillion-crisis-nobody-s-talking-about/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/young-men-are-checking-out-the-2-3-trillion-crisis-nobody-s-talking-about.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}