DeepSummary
In this episode of the podcast, Jake Knapp and John Zyratsky discuss various topics related to books, podcasts, and their ability to influence behavior change. They ponder the effectiveness of books in changing habits and behaviors, and Jake wonders what he would change about their book 'Make Time' if he were to write it again. The conversation also touches on the idea of writing books to be evergreen versus optimizing them for immediate impact.
They reflect on Malcolm Gladwell's podcast, 'Revisionist History,' and Jake expresses puzzlement over Gladwell's seemingly incongruous choice to include advertisements for products he may not genuinely endorse. John attempts to rationalize this behavior, suggesting that Gladwell may simply be applying his natural curiosity and enthusiasm to the ad reads.
The episode meanders through tangents about the hosts' tendencies to resist popular or trendy things initially, only to later appreciate their merits. They also discuss the potential of combining books with online courses, apps, and communities to create a more comprehensive and effective product for driving behavior change.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Books alone may not be the most effective way to drive behavior change and habit formation.
- Optimizing a book for long-term relevance ('evergreen') may conflict with making it immediately impactful.
- Successful creators like Malcolm Gladwell may engage in seemingly inauthentic behavior (e.g., product endorsements) for reasons that are not always clear.
- Combining books with online resources like apps, courses, and communities could create a more comprehensive and effective product for changing behaviors.
- People often initially resist popular or trendy things, only to later appreciate their merits.
- Podcasts with a conversational, meandering style can still offer valuable insights and perspectives.
- Authors and creators may need to find additional revenue streams beyond book sales to fully capture the value they create.
- Self-awareness about one's tendencies and biases can lead to more thoughtful decision-making.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I can't tell if that's, like, the least likely thing that he'll do or the most likely thing he'll do.“ by Jake Knapp
- “And I don't know where on the spectrum of authenticity it really is, but you get, like, I remember one of the first episodes for the armchair expert I ever listened to was the sponsor was some minivan brand, and I did not pay attention to what the brand was. Cause I'm not in the market for a minivan.“ by John Zyratsky
- “I mean, imagine if we went in like, right now, we're like, we're going to write a sequel to make time or sql to sprint or any kind of thing that you want to change what people are doing. And you started with, let's get the app right first.“ by Jake Knapp
Entities
Book
Person
Podcast
Product
Episode Information
Jake and Jonathan
Jake Knapp & Jonathan Courtney
8/31/20
Are books really effective in changing behavior and habits? 🐒 What would Jake change about Make Time? 🤔 Should books be evergreen? ☘️What if books weren’t written to be page-turners? 😴 Podcasts are boring. 😩The cash trucks of Malcolm Gladwell. 💰 Podcast ads. 🎙
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- Course: Make Time Course
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