The decisions we make have a tremendous impact on our lives and the lives of those around us. But what goes into making better decisions? Hear from experts from...
Episode 035: Your Future Self Will Thank You with Bina Venkataraman
How do we bridge the gap between the present and the future? In this episode, our host, Annie Duke, speaks with Bina Venkataraman, journalist, author, and science and technology policy expert, about the psychological, social, and institutional barriers to making long-term decisions. Drawing from Bina’s experiences in science communication, climate policy, and journalism, they discuss the difficulty of imagining the future and yourself within it, and how creative tools such as virtual reality and role-playing games can help us master the tug-of-war between now and later.
Key takeaways include innovative ways to promote future savings, the challenges of communicating complex science in uncertain times, and how culture, social norms, and scarcity affect people's ability to delay gratification and plan for the future.
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This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives.
Thanks to First Round Capital for supporting The Decision Education Podcast—empowering leaders to make choices that shape our future.
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46:48
Episode 034: The Systems That Shape Us with Seth Godin
What forces shape the choices we make? Seth Godin, renowned author, entrepreneur, and marketing expert, joins our host, Annie Duke, to explore the impact of societal and external pressures on decision-making, and the role of systems in shaping our choices. Godin shares his unique perspectives on the power of social identities and the significance of empathy in leadership. Together, they examine how both social identities and systems shape human behavior and discuss actionable ways to reclaim our agency, even as forces work against us.
Key takeaways from this episode include how tribes foster community but can also perpetuate division, how emotional appeals and storytelling drive decisions, and how differentiating between "picking" and "sorting" can reduce decision fatigue.
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This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives.
Thanks to First Round Capital for supporting The Decision Education Podcast—empowering leaders to make choices that shape our future.
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1:00:58
Episode 033: The Neuroscience of Optimism with Dr. Tali Sharot
Can optimism be both a strength and a weakness? Annie Duke welcomes cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Tali Sharot to explore her groundbreaking research on optimism bias, memory, decision-making, and human behavior. Tali shares how the brain processes information, the adaptive functions of optimism bias, and the impact of habituation on motivation.
Key takeaways from this episode include the intricate relationship between memory and forecasting, the challenges of updating our beliefs, and practical strategies to help mitigate the negative effects of cognitive biases.
This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives.
Thanks to First Round Capital for supporting The Decision Education Podcast—empowering leaders to make choices that shape our future.
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51:22
Episode 032: Imagine If with Josh Kopelman
How do you know a good founder when you see one? Annie Duke and Josh Kopelman, a co-founder and managing partner of First Round Capital, tackle this question by exploring the transition from gut feeling to quantifiable evaluation in venture capital. Together, they highlight First Round Capital's rigorous process for assessing startups and the role of understanding probability in enhancing decision quality.
Key takeaways from this episode include the importance of making the implicit explicit, addressing long feedback loops, and the necessity of truth-seeking and humility for effective decision-making.
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This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives.
Thanks to First Round Capital for supporting The Decision Education Podcast—empowering leaders to make choices that shape our future.
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54:36
Episode 031: Unlocking the Brain with Dr. David Eagleman
What if the future you imagine is actually based on your memories? Annie Duke chats with neuroscientist and host of the Inner Cosmos podcast, Dr. David Eagleman, about how the surprising ways our brains process and interpret information influence the decisions we make. They tackle sensory hacks, decision quirks, and why “lashing yourself to the mast” could be your best bet against temptation.
Key takeaways from this episode include the way simulating the future helps us combat temporal discounting and make better decisions, the power of Ulysses contracts, and the social dynamics of decision-making.
This is The Decision Education Podcast, where we explore the science of decision-making with a diverse range of experts and offer practical strategies to transform our understanding of the role decisions play in our lives.
This season of the podcast is brought to you by First Round Capital.
The decisions we make have a tremendous impact on our lives and the lives of those around us. But what goes into making better decisions? Hear from experts from diverse backgrounds as they share insights on how asking the right questions, improving predictions, managing cognitive biases, and other strategies can make us better decision makers. Through real-life stories and cutting-edge research, gain practical strategies and transform your understanding of the role decisions play in our lives.
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