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Tim FerrissRandom Show — Fasting, Biohacking, and Tony Robbins | The Tim Ferriss Show (Podcast)
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CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 2:48
Welcome Back to the Random Show and Kevin's Background
Tim Ferriss introduces the long-dormant Random Show and his guest Kevin Rose. Kevin describes his career from Digg to investing, and the two recall shared investments like Blue Bottle Coffee.
- •Kevin was guest number one on The Tim Ferriss Show
- •Kevin is best known for creating Digg in 2004 and now invests at True Ventures
- •They co-invested in Facebook, Twitter and Blue Bottle Coffee
- •Tim says Blue Bottle was ridiculed for raising money but later sold a majority stake to Nestle
- 2:48 – 13:31
Fast Mimicking Diet and Kevin's Cancer-Fasting Story
Kevin explains how he got into fasting and Dr. Valter Longo's fast mimicking diet. He recounts his friend Mike's fasting before chemotherapy, and Tim shares his own experience with long water fasts.
- •Kevin started the Zero fasting app about three years ago
- •Both describe difficult water-only fasts, including trouble sleeping and a racing heartbeat
- •Mike fasted before chemotherapy and avoided the side effects others had; Tim links this to Dominic D'Agostino's work
- •The FMD allows about 700 calories a day to keep the body in a fasted state
- 13:31 – 17:44
Cholesterol Results, Attia's Keto FMD and Measuring Ketones
Kevin describes using three rounds of the FMD to improve cholesterol given his family history of heart disease. He compares ProLon with Peter Attia's higher-fat version, and Tim explains blood ketone measurement.
- •Kevin's cholesterol dropped dramatically by the third five-day fast
- •Attia's version is one salad a day with olive oil, olives and seeds, and Kevin saw higher ketones and more energy
- •Longo's protocol is three monthly fasts, then maintenance once a quarter
- •Tim recommends blood ketone testing over pee sticks because of false negatives
- 17:44 – 27:25
Fatherhood and Living a Minimalist Lifestyle
Kevin talks about his four-month-old daughter Zelda and how she is changing his priorities. He describes his minimalist approach of discarding one item a day, influenced by Marie Kondo and a tea master's one key.
- •Zelda is named after the video game that Kevin and his wife bonded over
- •Kevin gets rid of or donates one item every day
- •Marie Kondo's idea is that an item has already taught you its lesson
- •Kevin puts purchases over $100 on an Amazon 'save for later' list and usually doesn't buy
- •Tim prefers the one-per-day approach and likes the idea of donating
- 27:25 – 31:52
NAC, Lithium and Tim's Approach to Supplements
Prompted by an item in Kevin's Amazon cart, Tim explains why he tried NAC and low-dose lithium orotate. He stresses that supplements shouldn't replace fixing basic lifestyle inputs.
- •Tim says they are not doctors and listeners should consult professionals
- •He tried NAC for recovery and found a more even-keeled mood
- •He cites a New York Times article on lithium in groundwater
- •Supplements should not absolve you of eating well or fixing your habits
- 31:52 – 38:38
Tracking Baselines and a Social Experiment on Drinking
Tim and Kevin discuss what to track. Tim keeps it simple, focusing on how he feels on waking and falling asleep, while Kevin shares his daily dashboard and a spreadsheet experiment to create social pressure to drink less.
- •Tim's baseline is how he feels waking up and how easily he falls asleep
- •Tim warns against becoming addicted to measuring things that don't matter
- •Kevin logs glucose, meditation, fasting hours, drinks, workouts and food
- •Kevin's group spreadsheet used a 'two plus' cap on drinks to reduce shame in reporting
- 38:38 – 48:13
Cutting Back on Alcohol: Sauna, Travel Hacks and Measuring Cups
Kevin explains why and how he drinks less, including fear of dementia, wanting to live longer for his daughter, and sauna use. Both share practical tactics for social situations and travel.
- •Motivations include dementia studies, hangovers at two and a half drinks, and living longer for his daughter
- •Sauna sessions and hot baths help replace the urge to drink
- •Kevin arrives late to parties and uses measuring cups to cap his wine at two drinks
- •Tim says he is on weird drugs, drinks club soda with cranberry, or takes a thimble-sized splash
- 48:13 – 56:18
Learning How to Learn and Spaced Study Techniques
Kevin describes the Coursera course Learning How to Learn, covering focused versus diffuse modes. Tim shares his language-learning experiments and they discuss exercise and learning.
- •The course recommends 25-minute focus intervals followed by relaxed breaks
- •Kevin mentions the Salvador Dali keys-in-hand napping trick
- •Tim found that studying right before bed and doing recall on waking improved retention
- •Tim cites the book Spark and BDNF but cautions about how studies of cardio are designed
- •He suggests asking what else could explain a scientific claim
- 56:18 – 1:03:24
Getting Back on Track and Kevin's Tony Robbins Experience
After a short aside about falling off the wagon and muffin tops in the sauna, Kevin raises Tony Robbins. He describes his three-day event, the wheel of life exercise, and the realization that he wants to help women in abusive relationships.
- •Kevin had initially been wary of Tony's infomercial image but was won over by the documentary
- •The event drew 12,000 people with diverse reasons for attending
- •The wheel of life ranks areas of life from 0 to 10
- •Kevin realized he wants to contribute meaningfully, beyond writing checks, to helping abused women, linked to his mother's experience
- 1:03:24 – 1:12:27
Tim's Take on Tony Robbins Events and Social Proof
Tim recommends being skeptical but not cynical at Robbins events, and describes the Dickens process that improved his relationship with his father. Kevin explains how the dancing and playful exercises reframe limiting beliefs, and Tim cites well-known people who credit Robbins.
- •Tim approaches the events skeptical but not cynical, trying every exercise
- •Roughly half the exercises you discard, some you dislike, and a minority are powerful
- •The Dickens process led Tim to improve his relationship with his father
- •Kevin explains that the dancing and laughing at beliefs puts people in a receptive state
- •Tim mentions Marc Benioff and Paul Tudor Jones, and Robbins's tapes helping him early in his career
- 1:12:27 – 1:18:21
Rethinking the Self-Help Genre and Spotting Bad Science
Kevin and Tim discuss how the stigma of self-help is fading. Tim recounts a BBC interview, argues the label shouldn't disqualify useful learning, and recommends resources for spotting bad science.
- •Kevin says self-help has become a shared journey of lifelong learning
- •Tim told the BBC that 99.9% of the genre is horseshit but the label is unfairly negative
- •Online courses and tutorials are a form of self-help
- •Tim recommends the appendix of The 4-Hour Body and Ben Goldacre's Bad Science
- 1:18:21 – 1:23:08
Most Recommended Books and Sign-Off
Kevin asks about a ranked list of books recommended by Tim's guests. Tim describes the list and some top titles, then Kevin shares where to find him and they wrap up.
- •Tim has a page ranking books recommended in Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors
- •Top picks include Man's Search for Meaning, Poor Charlie's Almanack, Seeking Wisdom and Atlas Shrugged
- •Kevin's podcast is at kevinrose.com and his free meditation app is Oak
- •Kevin prefers his monthly newsletter over Twitter
- •Tim closes with a reminder to follow professional advice on medical matters
