Fresh off releasing one of the most beautiful hardcover books we've ever seen, Paul Millerd returns alongside Infinite Books CEO Jimmy Soni for a deep dive into the broken incentives of traditional publishing, why the industry breeds "cynicism at scale," and how the internet is powering a second Renaissance for creators.
We get into what it means to build a creative life on your own terms, the Taoist approach to growing an audience, how to navigate financial uncertainty while raising a family, and why seemingly boring daily routines fuel extraordinary creative work.
I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, "Hmm, that's interesting!," check out our Substack.
Important Links:
Show Notes:
- Make Books Beautiful
- Why Paul Turned Down Penguin
- Creative Work Should Inspire More Creative Work
- Cynicism at Scale in the Publishing Industry
- The Long Tail of Book Marketing
- Why Paul Launched a Hardcover Pathless Path
- Dre, Spielberg & Chappelle: Design Your Own System
- Playing Probabilistic Games
- How to Live a Pathless Life With a Family
- The Creative Perks of a Boring Life
- "What If I Do Less?"
- Books Are Win-Win
- Paul as World Emperor
Books Mentioned:
- The Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story for Work and Life; by Paul Millerd
- Good Work: Reclaiming Your Inner Ambition; by Paul Millerd
- The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley; by Jimmy Soni
- What Works on Wall Street; by Jim O'Shaughnessy
- How to Retire Rich; by Jim O'Shaughnessy
- Walden (Steel Brothers reimagined edition); by Henry David Thoreau
- Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned: The Myth of the Objective; by Kenneth O. Stanley
- The Work Is the Win; by Billy Oppenheimer (forthcoming)
- Reclaim the Book; by Paul Millerd (essay)
- Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World; by Anne-Laure Le Cunff
- The Chronic; by Dr. Dre (album)
- Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing); by Lao Tzu
