by

Tim Ferriss

Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers — Chris Young (#173)

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Chris Young

“The interesting jobs are the ones that you make up.” – Chris Young

Chris Young is an obsessive tinkerer, inventor, and innovator.

His areas of expertise range from extreme aviation (world-record goals) to mathematics and apocalyptic-scale BBQs. Above all, he is one of the clearest thinkers I know.

In this interview, we discuss a great many things, including his wild story and lessons learned from rainmakers like Bill Gates, Gabe Newell, Neal Stephenson, and many more. More topics we tackle:

  • How he managed to get jobs working for the best in the world…despite having no credentials.
  • Advice — and incredible questions — from self-made billionaires.
  • Why raw foodism isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.
  • How geniuses show disappointment and ensure you correct yourself.
  • The “emoji egg” breakfast.
  • And much more…

If you only have 5 minutes, I highly recommend listening to Chris’s secret to working with hard-to-reach people.

Enjoy!

#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers

Want to hear another podcast with a world-class chef and entrepreneur? Listen to my conversation with Andrew Zimmern. In this episode, we discuss his meditation practice, morning routines, and creative process (stream below or right-click here to download):

Ep 40: Andrew Zimmern on Simple Cooking Tricks, Developing TV, and Addiction

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

    • Connect with Chris Young:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

Show Notes

  • Chris expresses surprise that I remember much about the last time we hung out in Seattle. [06:07]
  • Why are vegetables trying to kill you? [06:59]
  • Chris explains his interest in math and biochemistry. [10:43]
  • Chris’s first job out of college (and the Jedi mind trick that secured it). [13:09]
  • How Chris’s chosen profession plays perfectly into his anti-social behaviors. [18:45]
  • Chris explains the science behind the inverted rotisserie spit that was built for Neal Stephenson’s BBQ. [19:30]
  • Gabe Newell and The Tornado of Fire. [23:17]
  • Chris explains how he befriended Neal Stephenson while working for Nathan Myhrvold. [24:23]
  • Neal Stephenson’s Victorian exercise regimen. [26:38]
  • The journey between Chris’ first job and working for Heston Blumenthal. [27:40]
  • The symptoms of maxing out the learning curve. [29:35]
  • Permission to apprentice in a famous kitchen is often granted — if you know how to ask. [32:59]
  • Liquid nitrogen, fine dining, and the science of palate cleansing. [35:41]
  • The circumstances (and pressure) of sudden promotion. [39:35]
  • How to reverse engineer and solving problems. [42:03]
  • Has Chris always had OCD superpowers? [48:22]
  • How did Chris become interested in math? [49:41]
  • What books has Chris most gifted to others? [51:37]
  • What is competence porn? [54:52]
  • What’s Chris’s secret to getting hired by hard-to-reach people, and what lessons has he learned from them? [57:54]
  • “The interesting jobs are the ones that you make up.” [1:02:14]
  • The biggest lesson Chris learned from Heston Blumenthal. [1:06:45]
  • Chris reminiscences about one of his most cringeworthy mistakes under Blumenthal. [1:08:29]
  • How does one uphold high standards without driving support staff toward mutiny? [1:10:56]
  • The challenging questions Heston Blumenthal asks that provoke excellence. [1:16:12]
  • What is Chris’s company, how has it changed over time, and what novel decisions have pushed it forward? [1:20:33]
  • Who is Gabe Newell, and how has he influenced the trajectory of Chris and his company? [1:24:15]
  • What’s worth spending $100 million on in the kitchen space? [1:31:30]
  • Gabe Newell’s real superpower. [1:33:20]
  • Wisdom from Matt Mullenweg regarding people who steal intellectual property online. [1:34:13]
  • What Chris thinks doesn’t work well for a company that’s supposed to get the best, most innovative, and most interesting work out of people. [1:37:54]
  • Books and people who have influenced Chris’s business decisions. [1:41:45]
  • Why Chris is prone to changing his mind a lot. [1:42:41]
  • Chris and competitive gliding. [1:44:31]
  • Chris’s thoughts on sleep [1:50:08]
  • The value of less structure. [1:56:12]
  • Chris’ thoughts on batching activities. [1:58:36]
  • Chris and his creative process. [2:04:10]
  • When Chris thinks of the word “successful,” who comes to mind? [2:04:52]
  • Does Chris have any superstitions? [2:08:31]
  • Music Chris listens to when he writes. [2:10:42]
  • Chris’s editing process. [2:12:48]
  • Favorite documentaries and movies. [2:14:30]
  • What recent purchase of $100 or less had the most positive impact on Chris’s life? [2:16:60]
  • Morning rituals [2:21:31]
  • How The Fat Duck almost went bankrupt in spite of being so innovative and respected in the culinary community. [2:25:30]
  • What advice would Chris give his younger self? [2:30:14]
  • We discuss shifting focus from being “right” to being effective. [2:35:07]
  • What would Chris Young’s billboard say, and where would he put it? [2:37:15]
  • Last requests for the audience. [2:37:53]

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