Dopamine Fasts, Cruise Ship Investing, and Elon Musk vs. Jeff Be…
About This Episode
Andrew Wilkinson joins Sam and Shaan to discuss his journey through a 30-day dopamine fast to recover from digital burnout and anhedonia. The conversation explores the 'cruise ship' vs 'speedboat' investment framework through the lens of Wilkinson's $70 million acquisition of Aeropress. Finally, the group analyzes the concept of mimetic desire and how entrepreneurs can avoid the trap of chasing thin, peer-driven goals.
Episode Description
Show Notes
- * 00:20 - Andrew’s monk-like retreat from technology
- * 01:45 - What triggered his “digital meltdown”
- * 09:20 - The power of a 4-week dopamine fast
- * 22:40 - Why Andrew bought Aeropress
- * 30:45 - “Cruise ship investing” vs “speed boat investing”
- * 37:30 - The benefits (or lack thereof) of being famous
- * 39:33 - How coming on MFM led Andrew to be able to start a DTC pregnancy health company
- * 49:15 - Readwise and the Feynman method for learning
- * 52:41 - The pitfall of constant optimization
- * 01:07:35 - When Andrew met Steve Jobs
- * 01:17:32 - Elon Musk & Jeff Bezos’s Twitter beef
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Links
- * Tiny
- * JoelOnSoftware.com
- * Wanting
- * Readwise
- * Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage
- * Elon Musk & Jeff Bezos Thread
Key Takeaways
Reset your dopamine baseline by taking a 30-day fast from high-stimulation digital inputs like social media, news, and even non-fiction books.
Prioritize 'cruise ship' investments—established, category-defining businesses with low overhead and proven demand—over high-stress 'speedboat' startups.
Identify and prune 'thin desires' modeled by peers to ensure your career goals align with your 'thick' intrinsic values rather than status competition.