Invent Your Success: The Lifelong Journey of Uniqueness

Resources

Books

• "Excellent Advice for Living" by Kevin Kelly - This book is mentioned as Kevin Kelly's latest work, and it encapsulates many of the ideas discussed in the episode, particularly about living an authentic and unique life.
• "The Brand You 2.0" by Tom Peters - Mentioned as a concept that could have helped Kevin Kelly articulate his own brand earlier in his career, which in turn could have accelerated his clarity of choices.
• "Humankind: A Hopeful History" by Rutger Bregman - This book is cited as evidence that humans are naturally kind, challenging the received wisdom that people are inherently selfish.
• "The Secrets of Happy Families" by Bruce Feiler - Recommended for its research on understanding family identity and practical advice for family life.

Videos & Documentaries

• "Wall Street" (Movie) - A scene from this movie is referenced to illustrate how people often pursue wealth for superficial goals (like buying a motorcycle to ride across China) when those goals could be achieved much more simply and affordably.

Research & Studies

• "The technium" (Kevin Kelly's concept) - This refers to the interconnected system of all technologies in the world, posited as a seventh kingdom of life that has its own internal biases and tendencies, extending the forces of evolution.

Tools & Software

• WorkOS - Mentioned as a sponsor, this tool provides APIs for enterprise features like SSO, SCIM, and RBAC, simplifying the process for B2B SaaS companies to become enterprise-ready.
• AI (Artificial Intelligence) - Discussed as a potential tool for enhancing human imagination by helping to explore orthogonal directions and overcome human biases and education.

Articles & Papers

• Colossus Profile on Kevin Kelly: "Flounder Mode" - This profile described Kevin Kelly's work style as Hollywood-style, focusing on a series of creative projects rather than one big thing.
• Colossus Review - A quarterly publication from the podcast, featuring in-depth profiles of people shaping business and investing.

People Mentioned

• Joseph Campbell - Referenced in the context of "following your bliss" and the idea of a life quest.
• David Allen - The "Get Things Done" guy, mentioned in relation to a misunderstanding about productivity.
• Stewart Brand - Mentioned as a mentor who was very good at identifying important and emerging trends.
• Mark Frauenfelder - Mentioned as a partner at Cool Tools who was good at identifying important trends.
• Steven Levy - Mentioned as someone who wrote about crypto after Kevin Kelly gave him a chapter on digital money in 1994.
• Napoleon - Mentioned in the context of a skill like tasting milk, as an example of a rarefied mastery.
• Jesus - Mentioned as a potential example of someone who achieved ultimate self-expression.
• Buddha - Mentioned as a potential example of someone who achieved ultimate self-expression.
• Gandhi - Mentioned as a potential example of someone who achieved ultimate self-expression.
• Steve Jobs - Used as an example of someone who clearly did his life's work, but also noted as potentially being a "jerk."
• Rutger Bregman - Author of "Humankind: A Hopeful History."
• Bruce Feiler - Author of "The Secrets of Happy Families."
• Esther Perel - Mentioned for her "rule of three" in conversation, valuable in marriage.
• Rumi - The Afghan poet credited with the "three gates" (true, necessary, and kind) for speaking about others.
• Einstein - Used as an example in the context of intelligence not being sufficient to get things done, contrasting with a tiger.
• Brian Eno - Mentioned in the context of "unthinkables" and the ability to inhabit improbable worlds.
• Marvin Minsky - Described as an imaginative person who would pretend to be a Martian or a robot to approach things from a different perspective.

Organizations & Institutions

• OpenAI - Mentioned as a company powered by WorkOS.
• Cursor - Mentioned as a company powered by WorkOS.
• Perplexity - Mentioned as a company powered by WorkOS.
• Vercel - Mentioned as a company powered by WorkOS.
• Plaid - Mentioned as a company powered by WorkOS.
• Wired Magazine - Co-founded by Kevin Kelly, discussed in terms of its editorial control and unique expression.
• Whole Earth - Mentioned in the context of Kevin Kelly's work and a former editor.
• Positive Sum - Patrick O'Shaughnessy's company, mentioned for disclaimers.

Courses & Educational Resources

• Geoguesser - Mentioned as an example of people who can identify locations from random photographs using clues, similar to Kevin Kelly's observational skills.

Websites & Online Resources

• Workos.com - The website for the sponsor WorkOS, where listeners can get started.
• JoinColossus.com - The website where listeners can find all episodes of the podcast, transcripts, and subscribe to Colossus Review.
• psum.vc - A website mentioned for learning more about Positive Sum.

Other Resources

• Ninja Travel Photographer - A self-described mastery of Kevin Kelly's, involving 50 years of traveling in Asia and photographing cultural things.
• The "Rule of Three" in Conversation - An advice, particularly valuable in marriage, where one listens for three rounds to fully understand what the other person is trying to convey.
• The "Three Gates" for Speaking - A principle attributed to Rumi: before speaking about someone else, ask if it is true, necessary, and kind.
• Burning Man - Mentioned as an example of a powerful ritual that derives its meaning from the act itself, not necessarily from an external message.
• Family Meals with No Screens - An exercise recommended for families to foster connection and identity.
• Gratitude Rounds - A ritual practiced in families, like during Thanksgiving, where members share what they are thankful for.
• "The 10% Rule" - The advice to give away 10% of what you take in, which is said to increase happiness and well-being tenfold.
• "The Rule of Seven" in Research - The idea that by pushing research for seven levels deep, one can generally reach a reliable answer.
• The Technium as the Seventh Kingdom of Life - Kevin Kelly's concept that the technium (the totality of technology) is an extension and acceleration of the same forces that evolved life on Earth.
• The "Adjacent Possible" - A concept in innovation that suggests ideas should be one or two steps away from current reality to be useful.