The world is complex, everything is in flux, no man steps in the same river twice. It’s been a fun ride, and it’s time to say goodbye.

Welcome to Episode 128 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

Amit and Ajay say goodbye to the show in this episode, and tell you why they are stopping.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: Reasons For Leaving05:10 Chapter 1: This Body of Work14:00 Chapter 2: Lessons From EIE29:05 Chapter 3: So, Goodbye!

For full show notes, please click here.

This episode is an intimate offering. Through the years, Amit and Ajay were shaped by learnings that changed who they were as people, and how they saw the world. It’s time to talk about them!

Welcome to Episode 127 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: An Intimate Offering03:01 Framework 1: Natural Selection06:25 Framework 2: The World is Complex13:32 Framework 3: Spontaneous Order18:54 Framework 4: Distrust the State25:29 Framework 5: The Double Thank-You Moment29:39 Framework 6: Rule of Law35:06 Framework 7: Play to Play40:11 Framework 8: Life is Not a Spectator Sport42:43 Framework 9: How We Spend Our Days is How We Spend Our Lives45:40 Framework 10: Give Unconditionally

For full show notes, please click here.

The most complex part of human nature is our sexuality. What do we want? What do we lust for? Where did these instincts and feelings arise? WTF even?

Welcome to Episode 126 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Amit looks at the cutting-edge literature on the What and Why of human sexuality, using insights from evolution — and the revealed preferences of all of us. In other words, this episode is about YOU.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: Life Lessons in Goa05:48 Life Lessons Montage06:28 Chapter 1: The What and Why of Human Sexuality14:01 Chapter 2: Why Does This Matter?20:00 Chapter 3: A Few Caveats27:21 Chapter 4: Some Broad Learnings33:13 Chapter 5: One Headline Finding34:43 Chapter 6: Men Prefer Visual Cues46:19 Chapter 7: Women Like Stories52:18 Chapter 8: Psychological Arousal vs Physical Arousal56:50 Chapter 9: Romance is the Porn for Women1:06:22 Chapter 10: Some Interesting Observations

For full show notes, please click here!

Know thyself, goes an Ancient Greek exhortation. And yet, too many of us have little understand of how we are hardwired. To truly know ourselves, we must understand the processes of evolution: natural selection and sexual selection.

Welcome to Episode 125 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Amit and Ajay explain why understanding natural selection changed the way they look at the world.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: Know Thyself05:13 Chapter 1: Some Starting Points35:07 Chapter 2: The Mechanics of Evolution43:36 Chapter 3: Epigenetics49:49 Chapter 4: Some Examples1:08:19 Chapter 5: Evolutionary Timescales1:14:15 Chapter 6: The Brain is a Part of the Body1:18:09 Chapter 7: Closing Thoughts

For complete show notes, please click here.

Gig work gets a bad rap. Critics claim that workers are exploited, algorithmic bosses are creepy, it’s capitalism gone bad.

But actually, Gig Work = Freedom + Empowerment.

Welcome to Episode 124 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Amit and Ajay tackle the arguments against gig work — and lay out the economic, ethical and social reasons for why it is so amazing.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: Bourbon Company01:19 Chapter 1: Defining Gig Work13:28 Chapter 2: Steelmanning the Anti-Gig-Work Position29:13 Chapter 3: Why Gig Work is Awesome!41:05 Chapter 4: Gig Work in India47:57 Chapter 5: Gig Work is the Urban NREGS

For full show notes, please click here!

There are people who argue that real reforms can only happen in a crisis. A crisis is a terrible thing to waste, they say.

They are wrong.

Welcome to Episode 123 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Ajay explains how crises, most of the time, lead to terrible outcomes. Chaos is a ladder. And to actually do reforms during a crisis, you need not just the circumstance but also a scaffolding of factors in policy and politics and culture that need to be in place already.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: Is a Crisis a Good Thing?01:21 Chapter 1: Steelmanning the Position07:44 Chapter 2: The Prerequisites18:54 Chapter 3: Chaos is a Ladder29:03 Chapter 4: Weak States and Crises35:11 Chapter 5: Progress Comes From Incrementalism40:24 Chapter 6: The Lessons to Learn

The term ‘nationalism’ sounds so benign, almost as if it refers to something that is good for a nation. But it is a deeply toxic concept that tears societies apart.

Welcome to Episode 122 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Amit argues that nationalism is always bad for the nation, and we should think deeply before we are seduced by its charms.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: One of the biggest questions of our times04:32 Chapter 1: What is Nationalism?16:11 Chapter 2: How Nationalism Spread31:25 Chapter 3: The Good and the Bad of Nationalism46:06 Chapter 4: Nationalism Gone Wrong54:41 Chapter 5: India’s Journey With Nationalism1:07:44 Chapter 6: Tagore on Nationalism1:09:59 Chapter 7: How Nationalism Invades Our Everyday Lives1:22:42 Chapter 8: Closing Thoughts

For full show notes, please click here!

The GST was conceptually superb, utterly necessary — and implemented poorly. There are still so many problems with it that it defeats the purpose. How do we think clearly about its problems? How do we fix it?

Welcome to Episode 121 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Ajay, one of the authors of the original paper of 2004 that proposed a GST in India, talks about what the GST is meant to do, why it fails in its current design and what we can do to make it better.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Edge-of-the-Seat Excitement01:59 Chapter 1: It All Comes Down to Economic Growth09:08 Chapter 2: The Disaster of Cascading Taxes18:59 Chapter 3: How the World Solved This With VAT28:13 Chapter 4: How to Get the VAT Right31:59 Chapter 5: The Indian Journey to a Flawed GST48:23 Chapter 6: The Fix

For full show notes, please click here!

Everyone wants to read more — but how do we do it? As lifelong readers, our hosts get asked this all the time, and decided to do an exhaustive primer with three parts.

1. Why should we read?

2. How do we build a reading habit?

3. How should we actually read a book?

Welcome to Episode 120 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Amit does his best to answer the three questions above — but please don’t stop watching this show if you do end up reading more!

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: The Hood and the Hoodie04:01 Chapter 1: Why You Should Read Books33:31 Chapter 2: How to Build a Reading Habit50:03 Chapter 3: How to Read a Book1:06:40 Chapter 4: Closing Thoughts1:20:23 Chapter 5: How Amit Takes Notes on a Book

For full show notes, please click here!

Financial crises are an unavoidable part of modern economies — and all of us have skin in the game. Why do they happen, how do they unfold, what can we do?

Welcome to Episode 119 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Ajay shares his learnings from a lifetime of studying and tackling financial crises — and Amit voices his strong dissent at the end.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: The Fate of the World is on the Line08:35 Chapter 1: Let’s Start With History36:43 Chapter 2: But Should the State Intervene?50:21 Chapter 3: Types of Financial Crises1:12:50 Chapter 4: Why Crises Happen1:22:26 Chapter 5: What Can We Do?1:32:48 Chapter 6: Tackling the Extreme Positions1:41:19 Chapter 7: Amit Attacks the Conventional View

For the full show notes, please click here!

Men and women have always struggled to understand each other — and never more so than in these complex, changing times. What can new forms of data reveal about what we really want?

A lot!

Welcome to Episode 118 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Amit and Ajay discuss what anonymised search results, dating apps and innovative surveys reveal about what our hearts contain.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: Energiser Bunny02:39 Chapter 1: Metrics of Empowerment09:40 Chapter 2: What Your Searches Reveal26:40 Chapter 3: What Dating Apps Tell Us47:41 Chapter 4: When Harry Met Sally53:20 Chapter 5: Over to YOU!

For full show notes, please click here!

How do we understand the world? Over the last couple of decades, new sources of data have given us great insights into our deep past — and our deep present.

Welcome to Episode 117 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Amit and Ajay discuss what our genetic data tells us about our prehistory — and how phone battery life can reveal character!

Also discussed: lipstick, underwear, diapers and parking lots. :)

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: The Importance of Measurement05:00 Chapter 1: The History38:57 Chapter 2: Getting Into the Details50:44 Chapter 3: Ajay’s Journey With the Data59:51 Chapter 4: The Russia-Ukraine War

For full show notes, please click here!

Sometimes, the data just ain’t enough. What’s going on in Russia? In fact, what’s going on in Karnataka — and all the rest of the world? Can we glean some insights in alternative sources of data?

Yes we can. All hail nighttime lights!

Welcome to Episode 116 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Ajay discusses his pioneering work in using nighttime lights data from satellites to get crucial insights about the world — most recently, Russia. Watch!

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: A poem! A poem!02:07 Chapter 1: The History07:07 Chapter 2: Getting Into the Details14:04 Chapter 3: Ajay’s Journey With the Data25:28 Chapter 4: The Russia-Ukraine War

For full show notes, please click here!

Ideas can often be an engine to think about the world. Seeing Like a State by James C Scott is a great book that has illuminated the world with the power of its frameworks — and both Amit and Ajay are fans.

Welcome to Episode 115 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Ajay talks about what Scott’s book meant to him — and lays out an easy introduction to its powerful ideas.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: The Velvet Underground of Ideas03:57 Chapter 1: What the Book Means to Ajay13:17 Chapter 2: State Legibility26:36 Chapter 3: High Modernism31:12 Chapter 4: Metis33:07 Chapter 5: An Example: Prussian Forestry Management39:27 Chapter 6: Watch out for These Four Things41:38 Chapter 7: More Examples49:14 Chapter 8: Some Takeaways1:00:49 Chapter 9: An Engine for Thinking About the World1:02:14 Chapter 10: Recommendations

For full show notes, please click here!

The US state has gone rogue. 50% tariffs are crazy. What should India do now? How does one think rationally about an irrational world order?

Welcome to Episode 114 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Ajay lays out a roadmap for how India can thrive again despite the madness in the world.

Note: Amit and Ajay have launched their online course LIFE LESSONS. Click here to sign up.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: This Present Moment09:01 Chapter 1: 1991-2011 – The Good Times26:47 Chapter 2: The India-US Relationship34:19 Chapter 3: What’s Happening in the US?40:10 Chapter 4: The Impact45:47 Chapter 5: Building a New Global Order55:44 Chapter 6: Some Concrete Examples1:03:13 Chapter 7: Reforming Within India1:25:52 Chapter 8: How to Deal With US and China1:31:31 Chapter 9: Amit’s Pessimism1:42:34 Chapter 10: What Should Firms Do?

For detailed show notes, click here!

The Indian media has lost its way. But how? And why? Well, there have been crises of relevance, purpose, money, quality, trust, power, incentives and attention.

Phew!

Welcome to Episode 113 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Amit gives us a lowdown on exactly what’s wrong with the Indian media.

Note: REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for Cohort 3 of Amit & Ajay’s online course, LIFE LESSONS. Click here to sign up: https://lifelessons.co.in/

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: The World is a Housing Complex09:54 Chapter 1: The Crisis of Relevance18:36 Chapter 2: The Crisis of Purpose24:52 Chapter 3: The Crisis of Money48:05 Chapter 4: The Crisis of Quality58:45 Chapter 5: The Crisis of Trust1:04:44 Chapter 6: The Crisis of Power1:13:37 Chapter 7: The Crisis of Incentives1:23:53 Chapter 8: The Crisis of Attention1:30:08 Chapter 9: The Future1:41:39 Chapter 10: Recommendations

For the full show notes, please click here!

Human beings remain the same, while technology grows at a mad pace. This means that the face of war has changed forever. Everything we know now is already outdated.

Welcome to Episode 112 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Ajay & Amit discuss the future of war. It’s scary. Are we prepared?

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: The Memory of Cities08:22 Chapter 1: Why Understanding War is Important11:41 Chapter 2: The Evolution of War18:03 Chapter 3: Naval Gazing25:19 Chapter 4: The Hellscape28:55 Chapter 5: Operation Spiderweb34:53 Chapter 6: Operation Rising Lion37:45 Chapter 7: The India-Pakistan Conflict40:11 Chapter 8: The Taiwan Question42:19 Chapter 9: Drone Swarms, Iron Beam and 3D Printers49:36 Chapter 10: Eight Principles1:09:41 Chapter 11: The Implications1:26:57 Chapter 12: Two Fears and One Exhortation1:37:25 Chapter 13: Recommendations

For full show notes, please click here!

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is fully amaze — and also, sometimes, fully a maze. It should be something a country welcomes with open arms — and yet, India has often done fisticuffs with it. This should change.

Welcome to Episode 111 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Ajay explains why he loves FDI so much — and how India should embrace it and make it work for us.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: The Many Loves of Ajay Shah’s Life04:09 Chapter 1: What is FDI?08:20 Chapter 2: Measuring FDI11:06 Chapter 3: The Dream of FDI25:08 Chapter 4: What about Foreign Portfolio Investment?34:21 Chapter 5: The Political Economy Around FDI37:40 Chapter 6: Tariff-Jumping FDI40:58 Chapter 7: Building the Right Environment47:47 Chapter 8: Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman52:58 Chapter 9: A Remarkable Opportunity for India

For full show notes, please click here!

How does one plan for retirement? What amount of money does one need to be sorted? Can you even arrive at a number?

Welcome to Episode 110 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Ajay explains why the question itself is misguided — and the approach one should take towards our future in such an uncertain world.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: Ajay Shah Get Violent02:11 Chapter 1: There Is No Good Answer07:04 Chapter 2: The Equity Premium17:45 Chapter 3: The Spreadsheet Approach is Wrong30:28 Chapter 4: Actionables41:22 Chapter 5: The Importance of Diversification49:51 Chapter 6: The Government’s Role57:13 Chapter 7: The Excel Sheet58:05 Chapter 8: Recommendations

For full show notes, please click here.

For almost 80 years, one book has been the go-to book for understanding economics — and the world. Henry Hazlitt wrote that book.

Welcome to Episode 109 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Amit and Ajay discuss Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt — a book you must read if you want to understand the subject!

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging00:13 Intro: The Economist Who Puked on a Forest02:27 Chapter 1: Economics in One Lesson10:58 Chapter 2: The Key Lesson13:20 Chapter 3: The Parable of the Broken Window19:46 Chapter 4: Public Works27:24 Chapter 5: Taxes and Incentives33:08 Chapter 6: The Folly of Credit by the State35:43 Chapter 7: The Fear of New Technology49:45 Chapter 8: Jute ka Jhoot53:57 Chapter 9: The Blunder of Rent Control1:08:09 Chapter 10: Three Broad Lessons1:11:34 Chapter 11: The Toolkit

For the full show notes, please click here.