John Zeratsky on Creativity, Focus, and Building Great Companies

What is truly worth our attention? In this episode of The Bigger Why, I sit down with John Zeratsky—venture capitalist, entrepreneur, designer, and co-author of the bestselling books Sprint, Make Time, and Click. John is the co-founder of Character Capital, an early-stage venture firm that backs ambitious founders building at the frontier of software and AI. Before that, he helped create the Google Ventures Sprint process, which has been used by hundreds of startups to solve critical business and product challenges. Our conversation goes far beyond productivity. We explore creativity, focus, venture capital, artificial intelligence, decision-making, founder psychology, and why boredom may be one of the most underrated ingredients for great thinking. We also discuss how to identify what truly matters, how founders make better decisions under uncertainty, what AI will and won't change, and why human experiences may become even more valuable in the years ahead. Whether you're building a company, pursuing a creative project, or simply trying to spend your time more intentionally, this conversation offers practical wisdom for navigating an increasingly distracted world. Topics include: • Creativity and innovation • Making time for what matters • Building great companies • Venture capital and startup investing • AI and the future of work • Decision-making under uncertainty • Focus and attention • The value of boredom • Character Capital and founder evaluation • Living intentionally Connect with John: https://www.character.vc Subscribe to The Bigger Why for conversations with leaders, creators, investors, and thinkers exploring ambition, meaning, purpose, and the ideas that shape our lives. 00:00 Introduction 03:10 John's journey from Google to venture capital 08:15 What Character Capital looks for in founders 14:45 How great investors make decisions under uncertainty 22:30 The venture capital scorecard and cognitive biases 31:40 AI, software, and the future of work 44:50 What AI is unlikely to replace 52:15 Why human experiences become more valuable in an AI world 58:40 What young people should learn in an age of AI 1:07:20 Creativity, intelligence, and original thinking 1:15:45 How large companies lose their edge 1:24:10 The origins of Make Time 1:33:30 Productivity, focus, and attention management 1:42:20 The power of boredom and long periods of thinking 1:49:15 Walking, creativity, and generating ideas 1:54:50 The Foundation Sprint and validating big ideas 2:03:40 Building companies and building a meaningful life 2:10:30 John's advice for navigating uncertainty 2:14:00 Closing reflections