Dave Flynn on the Radio

I remember the pain of those final miles. Heavy legs, every step negotiated. But somewhere in that last straightaway, I heard cowbells and cheering. Strangers—families waiting for their own runners, neighbors with too many mimosas—were cheering for me. My eyes welled up. I've found the same is true with writing. The more distant the person, the more the encouragement means. Your inner circle loves you, but they're biased. That friend who hasn't read a book in 20 years isn't breezing through your manuscript.Strangers have no obligation. So when they show up with something kind, it feels different.Blog Post: Cheers From A StrangerSponsors: ⁠31 Easy™⁠, ⁠TempRxChapters:00:00 - Introduction: Elite Marathons and Unexpected Support01:59 - The Pain, The Cheers: My Marathon and Writing04:11 - Why Family and Friends Can Disappoint08:28 - Trea Turner and the Power of Cheers From A Stranger12:35 - Final Thoughts

I jumped into a freezing pool by accident and came out changed. That’s been my approach to these magic pills: try it, jump in, keep what works, and discard the rest.This volume covers the few mental performance tools that earned a permanent spot—morning sunlight, creatine, cold exposure, high-EPA fish oil, and fermented foods. No hype, no gimmicks. Just protocols with real effect sizes: depression reduction comparable to SSRIs, sharper focus under stress, steadier energy across the day.The brain lives in the body. Stack these right, and the returns compound fast.,Blog Post: Magic Pills, Volume Two: The BrainSponsors: 31 Easy™, TempRxChapters:00:00 - Introduction: Setting the Stage for Brain Optimization with Magic Pills01:45 - From Accidental Cold Plunge to Brain Optimization Philosophy04:14 - Reset Your Circadian Clock with Morning Sunlight06:44 - Sharpen Focus and Lift Mood with Cold Exposure10:07 - Stabilize Mood and Boost Cognition with High EPA Fish Oil13:39 - Improve Gut Integrity and Mood with Fermented Foods16:11 - Enhance Cognitive Resilience with Creatine Monohydrate19:14 - Dave’s Brain Optimization Stack20:30 - Thank You

I went looking for a developmental editor and accidentally ran a live experiment on trust.Dozens of polished proposals came in—impressive, credentialed, and completely generic. Not one engaged with the actual work. Then one editor did something simple: he read it. What followed was specific, thoughtful, and honest feedback that immediately stood apart.It clarified something I’ve been circling for years: trust isn’t built through credentials or pricing—it’s built through engagement.This piece is about that gap: between transaction and trust, volume and craft, saying the right things and actually doing the work. If you’ve ever wondered what real trust looks like in practice, this is it.Blog Post: The EditorsSponsor: Passing Notes to Strangers00:00 - Introduction: The Search for an Editor and Trust02:26 - Why Generic Editor Pitches Miss the Mark05:52 - Laura and Sarah: The Pitfalls of Credentials08:46 - How One Question Found the Right Editor12:00 - Building Trust Beyond Transaction and Volume

Stripe is now worth over $100 billion, but it started with nine lines of code and a radically hands-on approach. When potential customers showed interest but hesitated to act, founders John and Patrick Collison didn't just send instructions—they asked for their laptops and installed the code themselves. This "Collison Installation" wasn't just about removing friction. By sitting beside customers during implementation, the brothers observed real workflows, caught moments of hesitation, and heard unguarded questions that revealed true needs. They traded scalability for understanding, building trust one installation at a time. The lesson? Scale doesn't begin with technology—it begins with being present, watching closely, and caring enough to understand what users actually need.Blog Post: The Collison InstallationSponsor: Passing Notes to Strangers00:00 - Introduction01:24 - How Stripe’s Founders Solved Early Customer Hesitation03:17 - Gaining Unscalable Understanding by Watching Customers05:31 - Eliminate Inertia: Apply “The Collison Installation” to Your Life

What if your incentive system is quietly sabotaging the very behavior you want?From broccoli and pudding to bonuses and beach trips, most rewards teach the wrong lesson. They signal that the work itself has no value—only the prize at the end does. Over time, that logic creates compliance machines, not committed people.In this sharp, story-driven essay, David Flynn unpacks the “Broccoli Problem” and exposes how punishment, bribes, gamification, and even identity labels can erode intrinsic motivation. Drawing on research, Little League dugouts, sales floors, and Berkshire boardrooms, he argues for a radical rethink: sometimes the best incentive is subtraction.The work should be the reward. The question is—would you still show up if the pudding disappeared?Blog Post: The Broccoli ProblemSponsor: Passing Notes to StrangersChapters:00:00 - Understanding Incentives and Intrinsic Motivations02:05 - Why Incentives Sabotage: The Broccoli Problem04:26 - Exploring Five Common, Yet Flawed, Incentive Systems07:59 - Charlie Munger's Inversion and GEICO's Effective Incentive Design11:10 - From Candy Rewards to Mexico Trips: Real-World Incentive Traps15:02 - How External Rewards Undermine Intrinsic Motivation18:27 - The Cycle: Why Incentive Programs Keep Getting Designed20:33 - The Path to Intrinsic Motivation: Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose23:34 - Thank you for Listening

Every business makes a critical choice early on: Who will we serve? Most don't even realize they're making it—but that choice determines everything that follows.In the 1930s, Barnett Helzberg Sr. made a decision that seemed crazy: he would only sell "Certified Perfect" diamonds. His competitor Zales took a different path, serving middle America with accessible jewelry. Both started as family businesses selling to the same market.One choice. Two completely different futures.Blog Post: Choose Your Customers, Choose Your FutureSponsor: Passing Notes to Strangers

You’re in the match. Heart racing. Three seconds to decide. You make your move—and get pinned.Your coach says, “You had it the whole time.”The problem wasn’t effort. It was perspective.In football, teams use something called the All-22—a camera angle that shows every player on the field at once. It’s humbling. It reveals what really happened, not what you felt happened.What if you had that for your decisions? Your conversations? Your business bets?In this week’s piece, I walk through three ways to start seeing the whole field.Blog Post: All-22Sponsor: 31 Easy™

At 21, Jack Smith looked at the mobile ad industry and said "these ads obviously suck"—then built a $750 million company proving it. The secret wasn't better video. It was the same insight that changed music retail, reshaped e-commerce, and sits behind every great return policy ever written: stop trying to convince people, and just remove the risk. This is the story of Vungle, playable ads, and why the best businesses don't sell—they invite.Blog Post: Let Them PlaySponsor: Passing Notes to Strangers

Wade Boggs ate chicken before every game. Jason Giambi had a lucky golden thong. Moises Alou peed on his hands. Baseball players negotiate with randomness the only way they know how—rituals, superstitions, anything to feel in control.This piece is about something different. The performers who figured out how to control the one thing that actually can be controlled: which version of themselves showed up.Blog Post: The Man in the MirrorSponsor: 31 Easy™

When Harvey Mudd College mailed envelopes labeled “JUNK MAIL,” they took a counterintuitive approach that worked. In a sea of glossy brochures and empty slogans, their humor and honesty stood out. They didn’t try to impress—they connected. From Harvey Mudd to Avis and Domino’s, brands that own the truth earn something flashier campaigns can’t buy: trust. This isn’t just a story about college recruitment—it’s a reminder that transparency, when backed by real substance, isn’t a risk at all. It’s the ultimate competitive edge.Blog Post: Junk MailSponsor: Passing Notes to Strangers

Before he painted happy little trees, Bob Ross spent twenty years as Master Sergeant Robert Ross—the voice that corrected, inspected, and demanded perfection. This piece traces how he deliberately killed that voice and built a method designed to silence self-doubt by never stopping. Wet-on-wet painting wasn’t just a technique; it was a way to starve the inner critic of oxygen. Along the way, it becomes a meditation on coaching, parenting, creativity, and growth—why constant correction backfires, why momentum matters, and why every meaningful leap requires risking temporary ruin. Keep the brush moving.Blog Post: Keep the Brush MovingSponsor: 31 Easy™

Ever notice how some people can turn criticism into their secret weapon? That’s the B Rabbit Close, named after the climactic rap battle in 8 Mile. By owning your flaws before anyone else can, you disarm critics, earn trust, and even win over skeptics. Billionaire Bryan Johnson does it with his “Snake Oil” olive oil — poking fun at himself before others can. In this blogcast, we break down the psychology behind self-disclosure, vulnerability, and authenticity, and show how you can use the same move in your own life or business.Post: The B Rabbit CloseSponsor: Passing Notes to Strangers

Last year, a post I barely thought about ended up driving two-thirds of my site’s traffic. Not my favorite, not my best work, just something I found interesting enough to put into the world. Then history rhymed, the moment shifted, and it exploded. This essay is about Black Swans, power laws, and why creative hits can’t be predicted—only discovered. It’s a reminder that effort, confidence, and personal judgment have almost no correlation with what resonates. All you can do is keep swinging, keep publishing, and give luck a place to land.Post: Fourth AnniversarySponsor: Passing Notes to Strangers

Welcome to SEGAVILLE, USA—where SEGA finally got through to Walmart. When the world’s biggest retailer shut them out, SEGA didn’t argue harder in the boardroom—they listened harder in the real world. What followed was a guerrilla campaign built on empathy, not ego. Kids became the messengers, and the message was simple: fun wins. This is the story of how understanding outpaces persuasion, how trust forms from connection, and how a company that played by different rules ended up changing the game for everyone.Post: Segaville, USASponsor: 31 Easy

Everyone wants the one thing that changes everything. It doesn’t exist. But a handful of “almost unfair” body habits come close.This is the foundation—sleep, walking, strength, cardio, heat, and simple glucose control—stacked at the minimum effective dose. Not beach muscles. Not biohacking theatrics. Just practices that quietly compound: lower mortality, better mood, more energy, and resilience you can feel.Get the body wrong and nothing sticks. Get it right and everything else works better. This is where the Magic Pills series starts—because it has to.Blog Post: Magic Pills, Volume One: Your Physical FoundationSponsor: 31 Easy

Have you ever met a customer so frustrated you didn’t know where to start? Barnett Helzberg Jr.’s The Jack Story shows why it’s not always about the problem—they’re carrying the weight of their journey before they even reach your door.Post: The Jack StorySponsor: Passing Notes to Strangers

On my 45th birthday, I decided to take stock—not with resolutions or advice, but with notes I’ve been quietly keeping for years. What started as a private “Note to Self” has grown into a list of lessons about work, attention, friendship, courage, and choosing what matters. Some are practical, some philosophical, all earned the slow way. This is a snapshot of what I believe right now—shaped by mistakes, experiments, and paying attention. Consider it unfinished. I do.Post: Note to SelfSponsor: 31 Easy

It started with a photo, a little extra weight, and a decision to do something hard. A marathon seemed simple enough—until it wasn’t. One race left me full. The next left me empty. In between were injuries, early mornings, quiet negotiations with pain, and strangers ringing cowbells for anyone still moving. This piece isn’t really about running. It’s about what goals leave behind once the medal’s in a drawer. Through ancient ships, lonely tunnels, and broken records, I explore three paths of work—and ask the only question that matters after the finish line: what remains?Post: What RemainsSponsors: 31 Easy

Once a year, I publish the Recommengine: a curated list of the books, videos, podcasts, ideas, and strange little discoveries that stuck with me over the past twelve months. These are the things I’ve recommended to friends, family, coworkers, and now you—because they made me laugh, think, argue, or see the world a little more clearly. It’s long. It’s opinionated. It wanders. And if you follow every link, read every book, and watch every video, we may not see you again until next year. Worth it.Post: Recommengine, 2025Sponsors: 31 Easy

This week’s blogcast starts with Billy Mack, detours through Dickens and Yvon Chouinard, and ends up right where every creator eventually lands: staring down the temptation to make solid gold shit. The shiny thing that charts well, trends well, sells well—and leaves you feeling nothing.Instead, I make the case for building the weird, specific thing you’d rip open on your own Christmas morning. A Christmas fable for anyone trying to create something that lasts in a world drowning in competent sameness.If you’ve ever chased applause and regretted it, this one’s for you.Blog Post: Solid Gold Shit (and Other Things Worth Unwrapping)

The final trap isn’t money or status—it’s the rice in the monkey trap: sunk costs, identity, and the illusion of meaning. In Part III, we explore why people stay in environments they’ve long outgrown, clutching rewards they can’t use and identities they didn’t choose. Freedom requires value elasticity, the courage to reprice what mattered yesterday against what matters now. Letting go feels like loss, but it’s the only way to reclaim your time, purpose, and self. This chapter shows why leaving is so hard—and why leaving is often the first real act of autonomy you’ll make.Blog Post: How They Keep You - Part III: Why You’ll Stay

When money stops motivating, companies don’t lose power—they just switch currencies. Titles, recognition, access, belonging: these are the subtler, more potent levers that keep people striving long after their paychecks stop mattering. From Cheers to President’s Club to “Emerging Leaders,” Part II shows how status and affiliation infiltrate our identity, how they blur the line between reward and manipulation, and why even smart, ambitious people fall for the trap. Because once you’re seen, once you’re included, the fear of dropping in status—or losing your place—keeps you bound tighter than any bonus ever could.Blog Post: How They Keep You - Part II: Status and Affiliation

We like to think we choose our jobs, but much of the time our jobs choose us. From billion-dollar pay packages to corporate KPIs, the game isn’t about money—it’s about control. Value rigidity keeps even the richest and most powerful people locked into systems they can’t leave, and we’re no different. We learn to love the rope the longer we’re tied to it. Part I unpacks the hidden strings companies pull, the currencies they use to keep you in place, and why it’s so hard to recognize the pull until you’re already deep inside the machine.Blog Post: How They Keep You - Part I: Strings Attached

We all do it—round up a story, polish an answer, hide the rough edges. Not to deceive, but to belong. From Chris Rock and Ice Cube to Seinfeld and a writer named Vicky Ball, You Ain’t Gotta Lie Ta Kick It looks at how performance and authenticity overlap until even honesty becomes an act. What happens when we see the performance for what it is? Can we ever be truly real—or just more aware of the mask we wear?Blog Post: You Ain’t Gotta Lie Ta Kick It

Even the most talented players struggle against their own nature. When Julio Rodríguez struck out to end the Mariners’ season, it wasn’t just bad luck—it was a lesson in the cost of chasing the wrong pitch. From Ted Williams’ disciplined strike-zone approach to Josh Waitzkin’s “power of empty space” in chess, and even Roy McAvoy’s aggressive mindset in Tin Cup, success often comes from making fewer mistakes, not taking bigger swings. In this piece, discover how recognizing your opportunities, running a blunder check, and resisting instinctive aggression can compound into real advantage—on the field and in life.Blog Post: Becoming Blunderless

Why doesn’t the best product always win? Because we confuse solicitation with solutions.Elizabeth Holmes sold billionaires on promises of revolutionary blood testing that never worked. Even Apple stumbled, hyping AI features that didn’t exist. Meanwhile, Palantir bets on building software that actually solves problems.The difference? Solicitation creates “trust-lite”—influence masquerading as credibility. Solutions create real trust through results.In a world of steak dinners and slick presentations, it’s easy to mistake the menu for the meal. But solicitation only gets you in the door. Solutions are what keep you there.Because trust isn’t built on charm—it’s built on results.Blog Post: We Play Software

We talk about what’s “better” like it’s obvious. But better for whom? In Better, How?, a lesson in music, memory, and movies reveals that context and audience matter as much as product.Blog Post: Better, How?

Seth Godin has shaped my thinking more than almost anyone else. This week's post dives into the lessons that have transformed how I approach work, creativity, and life.The biggest insight? Flying too low is just as dangerous as flying too high. We've been conditioned to fear standing out so much that we've guaranteed ourselves less than we're capable of. "Being safe is risky," as Godin puts it.I explore his "marathon mindset"—entering races you know you won't win but running anyway, why failure isn't fatal (it's the toll you pay for discovery), and the difference between following maps versus venturing into the wilderness where the real rewards lie.These aren't just business lessons—they're life lessons about choosing freedom, creativity, and responsibility every day.The cage door is open. Will you walk through?Blog Post: What I've Learned From Seth GodinFrom Seth Godin: The World's Worst Boss, Stop Stealing Dreams

Bill Simmons coined irrational confidence to describe players who believe they’re stars—and sometimes play like it. But it’s not just for athletes. It’s the force that drives us toward impossible catches, unlikely dreams, and bold moves in life. This piece explores where irrational confidence comes from—and why passing it on might be the greatest play we can make.Blog Post: Irrational Confidence Guy

Cerulean Blue and Country Music Too: What We Miss When We Dismiss.I thought country music was beneath me. Then Chris Stapleton and The Devil Wears Prada exposed the blind spots in my taste—and what I was really protecting.Blog Post: Cerulean Blue and Country Music Too

Meet Adam Zahn, the master of small deceptions. From dating apps to burger ads, Adam bends the truth to fit his needs. Know anyone like that?Blog Post: Meet Adam Zahn

Why did Jobs succeed when Ballmer failed? The Pirate and the Thief reveal the psychological principle most leaders miss: the reputation you keep with yourself becomes the ceiling for the reputation others will keep of you. Self-perception shapes everything.Blog Post: The Pirate and the ThiefThe Steve Ballmer Interview on Acquired Podcast

Think Different: Steve Jobs’ masterclass in reputation transformation. How self-perception becomes your company’s ceiling.Full Blog Post: Think Different

A strong reputation starts from within. The Reputation You Keep: How internal congruence shapes external perception.Full Blog Post: The Reputation You Keep

We Make Rock and Roll: How AC/DC, Jerry Seinfeld, and Mariano Rivera mastered success through consistency.Full Blog Post: We Make Rock and Roll