In this special solo episode of the Polymath Podcast, @HarperCarrollAI gets deeply personal and vulnerable, sharing 30 life lessons she has learned on her journey to turning 30.
About Harper: Harper Carroll is an AI expert and educator who makes complex AI concepts accessible. She has deep technical expertise: Harper holds two Computer Science degrees from Stanford University (M.S. + B.S. specializing in AI), built machine learning systems at Facebook/Meta (News Feed Ranking, Integrity Intelligence, Wearables), and was the Founding Engineer and Head of AI/ML at a startup acquired by NVIDIA. Her model fine-tuning coding guides became the most popular on Google in 2023.
This is a vulnerable reflection on growth, relationships, and the choices that shape us. Harper moves through four layers of wisdom, starting with the inner work of self-awareness and healing, expanding into how we navigate others, then the lessons of everyday life, and finally, the spiritual truths that tie it all together.
She unpacks what it means to live with integrity, why love alone isn’t enough, and the three non-negotiable traits every lasting relationship needs: loyalty, honesty, and reliability.
We explore:
Why chasing perfection destroys progress.
The real reason consistency compounds.
How regret becomes meaningless once you act with integrity.
Why your partner is the most important life decision you’ll ever make.
The truth that love should feel like peace, not chaos.
And the quiet, universal beauty of faith and surrender.
Harper ends with a heartfelt reflection inspired by a new older friend — a reminder that the best lessons are the ones lived, not just learned.
Show notes:
The "fruits of the Spirit" are nine qualities—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—listed in the Bible (Galatians 5:22-23) as being produced in a person's life by the Holy Spirit. These are seen as a result of living a life guided by faith and reflect the character of God.
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