Phil Libin (@plibin) is the co-founder and executive chairman of Evernote.
Evernote has roughly 150 million users, and I personally use it at least 10 times a day. It is my external brain for capturing all the information, documents, online articles, lists, etc. in my life.
In this episode, Phil and I cover a ton. Here are just a few examples:
- Philosophical and performance systems: Stoicism, electrical brain stimulation, and more
- Phil’s favorite lessons learned from Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn), and Hiroshi Mikitani (Rakuten)
- Creating tech “for yourself” and Evernote’s genesis story, leading to approximately 150 million users
- The best toast in Singapore, the best hamburger in Tokyo, and why “Goat Simulator” is amazing
- Long-term (10,000-year) thinking and real versus imagined threats
More importantly, he digs into his “a-ha” moments, and what you need to do to bring your next big idea to life.
- Listen to it on iTunes.
- Stream by clicking here
- Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.
Want to hear another podcast with more detail on brain stimulation for performance enhancement? — Listen to my conversation with amazing neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley. In this episode, we discuss what happens when you combine cognitive-focused video games with neurofeedback, magnetic and electrical stimulation, and even performance-enhancing drugs (stream below or right-click here to download):
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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: When you think of successful products, what is the first that comes to mind? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Enjoy!
Selected Links from the Episode
- Learn more about Sugru
- Read Peace in Every Step by Thich Nhat Hahn
- Learn more about QuestBridge, the non-profit Reid Hoffman and I are involved in
- The Alliance by Reid Hoffman
- Check out the games Phil Libin enjoys:
Elite Dangerous | Goat Simulator | Radical Rappelling
- Check out The World of Tomorrow (scroll down)
- Favorite documentaries:
The Gatekeepers | Cosmos (Tyson) | Cosmos (Sagan) | An Honest Liar
- The Clock Of The Long Now by Stewart Brand
- Learn more about The Long Now Foundation and visit The Interval in Fort Mason
- Learn more about Thync, the device for brain stimulation
- The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
- A Guide to the Good Life by William Irvine
- Connect with Phil Libin:
Show Notes
- Why shave the trademark beard? [0:45]
- How I was introduced to Evernote: what it is and how to use it [2:30]
- The “aha” moment at Evernote and theological horizontal integration [8:15]
- Common uses of Evernote and how Phil personally uses it [10:45]
- The CEOs and leaders that Phil admires [18:15]
- Important lessons Jeff Bezos gave Phil that changed his life [25:30]
- Lessons for scaling businesses from Hiroshi Mikitani [29:05]
- What makes Reid Hoffman compelling [39:30]
- Thoughts on religion and philosophy [43:30]
- Most used apps besides Evernote [49:55]
- Thoughts on living in space [53:45]
- Thoughts on the end of the world scenarios [55:10]
- Favorite documentaries and movies [1:0045]
- Phil’s strategies for taking great notes [1:09:35]
- When you think of the word “successful,” who is the first person that comes to mind? [1:16:00]
- Which historical figure do you most identify with? [1:18:10]
- Phil’s meditation practice [1:21:45]
- In the last 6-12 months, what purchase of $100 or less had the most impact on your life? [1:29:50]
- Phil’s morning and evening ritual [1:34:05]
- Phil’s most recommended books [37:40]
- Why philosophy is important for decision making and leadership as a CEO [1:39:25]
- If you could have one billboard anywhere, where would it be and what would it say? [1:44:00]
- Advice for your thirty-year-old self [1:45:45]
- Parting advice or suggestions [1:46:55]