This is the second part of my chat with Davis Fattedad (originally from Episode 1). We continue our conversation and discuss AI, our meditation experiences, and the problem with education today.
Davis Fattedad (Episode 1) returns again to the podcast. Because our discussion was so long, I cut our conversation into two episodes, where this is the first part of our chat. We talk about his process so far in shedding his old identity, and what he's learned so far.
Recorded August 24, 2025
I chat with Samantha Wu (Ivey HBA) a former student of mine. Samantha talks about her transitions from investment banking on Wall Street, to private equity, and ultimately to her becoming the founder of her own startup. Each transition was a step in her path to find more career fulfillment.
---Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV
---
Recorded July 9, 2025
I chat with Jane Jiang (Ivey HBA) about her path after graduation. I haven't spoken to Jane since she was an undergraduate at Ivey, and learn about her journey to find career fulfillment.
---Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV
---
03:02 -- Jane's big decision
05:49 -- Did Jane have any doubts as a student?
16:02 -- Did Jane need to be pushed?
18:06 -- Dealing with the discomfort and fear
19:32 -- What exploration looks like
22:32 -- Most guides aren't real guides
26:17 -- How Jane knew something was off
30:15 -- Immigrant kids feel bad for complaining
33:13 -- Asia is behind on this
38:22 -- Jane drank the Kool-Aid at Ivey
46:52 -- The discovery process
53:02 -- Lessons learned
58:32 -- A world of few pioneers
01:00:47 -- How people around us react
01:08:47 -- How Jane does introspection
Recorded July 5, 2025
I chat with Jeremy DeMello (Ivey HBA) about his thoughts on the the positive aspects of the Ivey experience, as well as whether he would attend Ivey again. We also discuss the implications of AI. This is the second of two separate episodes.
---Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV
---
06:50 -- Where elite B-schools go wrong
11:42 -- Is our education system becoming obsolete?
21:22 -- How AI is making B-schools even less relevant
30:32 -- ChatGPT is an incompetent employee
34:42 -- AI will not decrease working hours
39:42 -- AI companionship
41:42 -- AI as a motivating coach
46:42 -- Relational AIs will replace advertising
50:17 -- What will organizations look like with AI?
53:32 -- Will AI reinforce good or evil?
Recorded July 5, 2025
--- I chat with Jeremy DeMello (Ivey HBA) about his experience dealing with a toxic colleague, as well as his thoughts on the the negative aspects of the Ivey experience. This is the first of two separate episodes.
---
Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV
---
10:15 -- Organizations are terrible at dealing with toxic colleagues
12:56 -- The real cost of toxic colleagues
17:56 -- Does a culture of radical transparency solve this?
22:46 -- Bridgewater might not really be a cult
25:32 -- Most firms don't compete on culture
31:22 -- Do we teach students how to deal with toxic workplaces?
34:56 -- The challenge of explaining why you left a toxic environment
36:56 -- The people who won't leave toxic places
41:26 -- HR management awards don't mean what you think
42:56 -- Organizations never ask about your values
47:56 -- Is Ivey a toxic place?
54:16 -- Jeremy's attempt to give feedback
01:03:56 -- Are NYU and Wharton different?
Recorded May 1, 2025
---I chat with Rob, a former MBA student of mine when I taught at NYU Stern. We talk about whether getting the MBA degree was worth it, the challenges of balancing fulfillment with the need for pragmatism, and where intellectuals can thrive in society. ---
Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV
---
00:50 -- Was the MBA degree worth it?
03:59 -- Rob reflecting on the road not taken
08:14 -- What percentage of Rob's class would say the MBA was worth it
10:35 -- Why isn't there there more honest conversation from B-school graduates?
12:01 -- Rob: I came to the MBA to explore
12:51 -- B-school isn't Dead Poets Society
14:28 -- Global demand for MBAs is declining
15:40 -- Full-time MBAs: Not the most profitable part of a B-school
17:40 -- B-school don't publicize their satisfaction rate
19:53 -- Satisfaction rates are a better metric to measure B-schools
23:54 -- Rob's framework to finding happiness at work
29:10 -- A lot of organizations aren't intellectually satisfying
30:07 -- Where do intellectuals get to be free in society?
00:47 -- The newest wave of intellectual leadership doesn't come from academia
08:47 -- How far beyond survival can we go?
39:20 -- When we lose our job, how limited are our options?
41:40 -- Why the ability to take on risk matters
46:40 -- Rob's practices to figure out the right next step
50:47 -- Could the education system have helped more?
56:28 -- Things could be worse, but can they also be better?
58:19 -- The voice of the pragmatist vs. another voice
01:00:39 -- Advice Rob would give his younger self
Recorded June 22, 2025
----I chat with Dave Tang (former Ivey HBA) about how he managed two major life and career pivots in his 20s after graduation. The last time I spoke to Dave was over a decade ago, and at the time it was already clear the path he was on wasn't the right one. In this episode, he discusses what unfolded next.----Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV
---
05:10 -- Overview of Dave's path
07:50 -- Dave's big decision
13:10 -- How Ivey defined success
22:15 -- ...and then the pandemic came
27:30 -- Dave learning about himself
32:10 -- Challenges relating
35:10 -- On finding a new community
45:00 -- What would the other path have looked like?
53:10 -- London to Barcelona
55:45 -- Finding a new home that feels more like home
1:01:20 -- Did Dave know things would turn out this way?
1:06:45 -- How Ivey's rat race distorts students' goals
1:10:13 -- Dave discovers Bryan's book
1:15:30 --The declining appeal of universities
Recorded June 13, 2025
I chat with Tony Wu (former Ivey HBA and finishing his MBA/MPA at Wharton) about how he navigated the pressures and intense competition as an undergraduate at Ivey, and what motivated his different career choices so far. Tony also shares how a personal loss during his time at Ivey shaped his values and perspective on life.
---
Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV
---01:48 -- Overview of Tony's path
07:37 -- How Ivey locks students in
11:27 -- How Ivey helped, and how it didn't
15:03 -- B-school: A world of seemingly few choices
16:27 -- What Tony would change about it
19:42 -- Getting away from the "one track mind"
30:47 -- How he would change education
37:12 -- Why he's choosing climate over education
44:47 -- What would a world of purpose look like?
47:57 -- Asia has much less freedom
49:49 -- Is there a generational shift?
52:38 -- How do we deal with lack of purpose in the collective?
58:17 -- The "other" Tony's path
1:00:47 -- How Tony thinks about his path
1:09:22 -- Would any path have been fine?
1:12:13 -- How to decide your path?
1:14:44 -- How Tony makes his pivotal decisions
Recorded May 7, 2025
Will Christodoulou (former Ivey MSc and one of the founders of Cyder) and I connect again to finish our conversation. In this second part of our chat, Will talks about what he did and didn't like about his experience at Ivey, why more of his classmates didn't pursue entrepreneurship, and the diminishing returns of money.
---
Learn more about Will's startup here: https://www.getcyder.com/
---
Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV
---
00:21 -- Why weren't Will's classmates more interested in entrepreneurship?
04:31 -- B-school recruiting is biased to big corporate paths
05:27 -- Not knowing what's out there breeds apprehension
06:48 -- School is nothing like the real world
07:40 -- We train students to be addicted to structure
08:49 -- Community helps us deal with self-doubt
12:53 -- Will's path may not be for everyone
13:41 -- What Will liked and didn't like about Ivey
17:36 -- What surprised Bryan about Wall Street
21:04 -- What if more people did what Will did?
24:18 -- The diminishing returns of money
25:51 -- Financial constraints can be in the mind of the beholder
26:40 -- Most people are too risk averse
28:51 -- Advice Will would give his younger self
33:27 -- Does success mean a life of extreme highs and lows?
33:02 -- Does spirituality help manage the lows?
35:46 -- What Will would be doing if not Cyder
37:39 -- What Bryan learned about the importance of culture
40:18 -- Good leadership is more than using a stick
Recorded on May 2, 2025
Can you really do what you love without sacrificing the money? I chat with Will Christodoulou, a former Ivey MSc student and one of the founders of Cyder, a loyalty platform for credit unions. Will tells the story of his path, which is a great story of how vision, staying true to your values when making a decision at each crossroads in life, and faith in passion can create the life you want--even if you don't know how you'll get there at the outset.
---
Learn more about Will's startup here: https://www.getcyder.com/
---
Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV
---
00:30 -- Bryan discovers Will read his book
03:08 -- Why aren't profs talking to former students about their education?
04:51 -- Will tells his story
09:32 -- What Cyder does
11:56 -- What guided Will's career decisions
15:31 -- Do what you love, and the money will come
17:00 -- Weighing money vs passion
20:32 -- Favoring generalist vs specialist training
21:48 -- When Will knew Cyder was what he wanted
22:22 -- What Bryan loves about Will's story
23:44 -- Parallels to Rivian
25:37 -- Comparing to legal or medical career paths
27:02 -- Competing for a limited menu at Ivey
Recorded April 30, 2025
Is it worth getting an MBA degree anymore? I chat again with Brian, a former MBA student of mine when I taught at NYU Stern. This was supposed to be a short video focused only on whether the MBA is worth getting anymore, but it ended up turning into another podcast episode, where we also talk about the importance of passion, and how the world may not need as many professors in the future.
---
Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV
---
00:35 -- Intro, and the short answer from Brian
07:35 -- Work before getting an MBA
08:45 -- Bryan tries to defend the MBA
10:20 -- One positive of the MBA: Trying new things
12:25 -- Brian doing what "made sense" vs. what he loved
13:35 -- The challenge of getting a crypto job in 2020
15:05 -- How Brian knew what road to take
16:05 -- Bryan tries again to defend the MBA
18:05 -- Brian getting rejected was a blessing
20:05 -- Passion beats any MBA
20:55 -- MBA degrees are a filter
22:23 -- Companies care too much about resumes
25:30 -- Why passion should be THE criterion
27:25 -- Brian never looks at the clock when working
27:46 -- Passionate people will always figure out the answer
29:25 -- Does passion may matter more with emergent phenomena?
31:15 -- Lack of passion cripples organizations
36:15 -- Is expecting passion realistic?
36:35 -- Brian either loves or hates every job
41:05 -- People can make you love a job
42:35 -- Fulfilling work is about community
43:33 -- When is the MBA most valuable?
46:35 -- The jobs that suit MBAs
49:35 -- Declining interest in MBAs
51:08 -- Timing an MBA in the economic cycle
53:35 -- The AI threat to MBAs
55:55 -- NYU Stern is focused on AI
58:35 -- AI might replace white collar jobs
01:00:35 -- MBA is riskier than it used to be
01:03:20 -- How to career pivot without the MBA
01:05:06 -- A more uncertain future
01:08:30 -- The value of going to university
01:10:35 -- The bottom line
01:15:35 -- What the MBA isn't good for
Recorded April 28, 2025
I chat with Brandon Kucera, a former HBA student of mine when I taught at Ivey Business School. We talk about the Canadian reaction to Trump, why school doesn't help one find a fulfilling career, and investing in stocks.
---Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV
---
00:58 -- How Canadians feel about the trade war
09:28 -- Are we better off not knowing when eating meat?
15:13 -- The prophet who foresaw NVDA
18:58 -- The psychology of meme coin investing
20:24 -- Why crypto took off quickly in South Korea
21:58 -- Bryan asks: What did we not teach in school that we should have?
24:58 -- Why don't we ask what brings us joy more often?
29:43 -- Students don't realize what's happening
31:28 -- What Ivey HBA won't help you figure out
33:40 -- Looking back, what would have helped Brandon more?
38:20 -- Is Brandon an outlier among his peers?
44:28 -- Why people have crises
45:38 -- Is a world without insecurity a lazy one?
47:53 -- What if kids were encouraged to do what they love?
51:13 -- We have a cynical societal structure
52:23 -- Brandon explains emergence
54:58 -- We have a positive and negative future, at the same time
58:58 -- The explosion of life coaches
01:00:53 -- Bryan's tech strategy course
01:04:43 -- Most people on financial news don't know much
01:06:58 -- Why studying finance doesn't help you pick stocks
01:09:48 -- Renaissance Technologies
01:11:43 -- Factor models and investing
01:12:35 -- An easy way to beat the stock market indexes?
01:20:23 -- Each style of investing has its camp
---
Disclaimer: The content in this video is for entertainment purposes only and nothing we say should be considered financial advice.
Recorded April 14, 2025
I chat with Brian, a former MBA student of mine when I taught at NYU Stern. We talk about trading crypto vs. stocks, the tokenization of attention and people, implications of AI for the future, and finding a fulfilling career.
Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV
---
00:42 -- Getting whipsawed in the stock and crypto markets
02:34 -- Bryan being drawn to gold
06:49 -- How the US is using crypto to maintain USD dominance
07:37 -- Playing stocks vs. crypto to get rich
17:42 -- The need to believe in your trades
20:50 -- The perception of the US has changed
29:52 -- How do you tokenize attention?
35:16 -- Tokenizing yourself
42:26 -- Examples of celebrities tokenizing
45:42 -- Will people be valued more than AI?
46:56 -- AI companionship
52:23 -- The dark side of AI
54:59 -- Why centralized AI might dominate decentralized AI
01:00:05 -- Where will AI replace jobs?
01:03:42 -- The coming creativity explosion
01:13:48 -- Challenges in teaching creativity
01:26:27 -- Brian discovers most people don't like their job
01:33:08 -- Is grit good when doing something you hate?
---
Note: We started recording a few minutes after our conversation started.
Disclaimer: The content in this recording is for entertainment purposes only and nothing we say should be considered financial advice.
Correction: I make a math error early on at 03:15. The last time there was a major financial system restructuring (end of the Bretton Woods system and the beginning of fiat currency) was in the early 1970s, which I somehow calculated as being 80 years ago. It was 54 years ago.
Recorded April 10, 2025.
I chat with Davis Fattedad, a former MBA student of mine when I taught at NYU Stern. We talk about the challenge of finding a fulfilling career, his recent experience at a meditation retreat, and how we're playing (or trying to play) the markets in the middle of the trade wars
Amazon link to my book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5N6F1FV
---
01:03 - - High achievement or homelessness
02:41 -- The middle path
10:00 - -Davis' meditation retreat experience
18:43 -- Blindness to our other options in life
29:28 -- We have no framework for life transitions
35:03 -- Difficulty taking the first step
37:40 -- What's needed for the first step
40:08 -- What stops people from exploring
45:14 -- Playing stocks in the trade wars
57:18 -- Bryan being drawn to gold
---
Note: We started recording a few minutes after our conversation started (my mistake).
Disclaimer: The content in this recording is for entertainment purposes only and nothing we say should be considered financial advice.