Shit You Don't Learn in School

One of the most important decisions in life is who you choose to spend your life with, yet it's also one of the hardest things to get right.Inspired by a recent conversation with a friend that may have unrealistic expectations, Cal and Steph discuss the data behind dating, but also their own very different approaches to it... and if they ever ended up back on the market, how they might do things differently in an era dominated by apps.

Have you ever looked around your home and thought, "Where did all this stuff come from?!"Cal and Steph are currently going through this exercise, as they go through their first move in years.It turns out they're not alone in this feeling of overwhelm and is shared by many others who used to be nomads. The need for *things* is universal, but so is the slippery slope to acquiring too many. In this episode, Cal and Steph explore why weight of stuff – both physically and mentally – and how our decisions are often unconsciously driven by phenomena like the Diderot and Endowment effects. They also explore how our digital lives, although seemingly benign, can also turn into weights on your life and what simple frameworks they're using to change behavior.

Each January, Steph and Cal sit down to reflect on the prior year and this one is no different. You'll find out their...Best New IdeaBest New Life HackBest New ExperienceBest/Worst PurchaseBest/Worst TrendBest Personal Win/Accomplishment#1 Goal for Next YearPrediction for the New YearJumpstart 2023 by doubling down on the best activities and avoiding the worst. It's going to be an awesome year.PS: If you liked the sound effects in this episode, we found them here.PPS: Since Steph now works at a16z, please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

A few weeks ago, Steph and Cal had a locksmith come in. It cost $185 and was shockingly quick... just 10 minutes! Little did they know it would also be the fodder for one of Steph's most popular tweets of all time.Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising – people love learning about new opportunities. That's why they decided to record this (hopefully) recurring segment where they share various opportunities they've found in everyday things and how they're crafted a curious lens with time.In this episode, they discuss 6 business ideas:niche sports like freedivingsecond-hand LEGO marketsthe AI education opportunitylupini beans: the next healthy snack?the story behind the musicusing the full agave plantLet us know if you liked this episode on Twitter. If there's enough demand, we'll continue to run it monthly.

Cheating scandals are everywhere—from chess to fishing. With staggering stats revealing that up to 98% of college students have cheated, the hosts unpack the slippery slope of dishonesty. They share personal stories of guilt and the emotional weight of betrayal in competitions and relationships. The discussion delves into the moral dilemma of resume lies and the growth that can stem from ethical missteps. Ultimately, they stress the importance of integrity and open communication in all aspects of life.

For years, people thought that artificial intelligence would wipe out repetitive tasks, but leave the creatives untouched. But recent developments have left many people surprised and taken the creative world by storm. Tools like DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion gave anyone with a keyboard and a wifi connection the ability to spin up images from text prompts, far earlier and higher quality than many imagined. So what comes next for the artists... the writers... the musicians...? No one knows for sure, but in this episode Cal and Steph discuss the exciting new world of generative AI. They discuss what it is (and isn't), the tools they've played with, how culture and trust are shifting, who "wins" in this new world, and what they think might be on the horizon. Check out Steph's new AI-generated avatarCheck out Calvin's new AI-generated avatarLexica prompt databaseNat Eliason's articleMarie Dolle articleProfile Pic AIAvatarAI

It's human nature to worry about the things that can go wrong.But often overlooked is the mentality of attraction instead of detraction, or in other words focusing on what you can bring to the table instead of what you can prevent from happening.While so many companies signal they want entrepreneurial candidates yet don't allow side projects, want out of the box thinkers yet expect them to work in a box (office), and vow they only hire top talent yet pay below market rate... there's power in thinking through whether you're truly focusing on attracting the right people or just trying to prevent wrong behavior.In this episode, Steph and Cal discuss the mentality of being a magnet instead of a jail, originally inspired by this tweet of Steph's.

Money is a leading cause of problems in relationships. It’s not just not having money, it’s conflict around money, lack of alignment, and the downstream effects of that.Money is complicated because it’s influenced by your direct circumstances, but also by your childhood, psychology, and trajectory. It's also complicated because so few people talk openly and honestly about money.In this episode, Steph and Cal open up the kimono and explore how they deal with and think about money in their relationship. They share their current working philosophy on money and stories about the things they struggle with and are still working on.

In part 3 of our 3-part series, Steph and Cal discuss how they planned a wedding in 10 days, what they did (including traditions kept and scrapped), and the pros and cons of taking a less conventional approach to marriage.

In part 2 of this 3-part series, we decided to re-air part of our most popular episode, #35: Does Marriage, Retirement, or the 40-Hour Work Week Still Make Sense?In this segment, we share:How humans are actually not wired for monogamyWhat animals within the animal kingdom are monogamousThe history of marriage and when marriage started to be associated with loveExplore the concept of love and whether the 37% rule could be applied to itUnderstand the key difference between animals and humansThe importance of travel and exposure to different ways of livingHow narratives drive the adoption of technology