August 18, 2021November 12, 2022 by Tim Ferriss

The Random Show — Life-Extension Misadventures, Blockchain/Crypto Investing, NFT Experiments, Dogecoin, Zen Buddhism, and Weathering Sharp Elbows (#527)

Technologist, serial entrepreneur, world-class investor, self-experimenter, and all-around wild and crazy guy Kevin Rose (@KevinRose) rejoins me for another episode of “The Random Show.” In this one we explore crypto investing, NFT experiments, Dogecoin, Zen Buddhism, current workouts, sleep supplements, and much more.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch our conversation on YouTube here.

Brought to you by UCAN endurance products powered by SuperStarch®, Vuori comfortable and durable performance apparel, and Tonal smart home gym. More on all three below.

The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

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#527: The Random Show — Life-Extension Misadventures, Blockchain/Crypto Investing, NFT Experiments, Dogecoin, Zen Buddhism, and Weathering Sharp Elbows

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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear the last time we did one of these Random Shows? Check out our celebratory episode 500, in which KevKev and I discussed hair transplants, indelible mistakes, high-performance course corrections, shameful snacks, life hacks in retrospect, best movies to watch on mushrooms, and much more.

#500: KevKev TimTim TalkTalk on Dragon Slaying, Lessons Learned, Viagra, and Assorted Nonsense

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Kevin Rose:

Website | Modern Finance | Instagram | Twitter

SHOW NOTES

The evolving war against elevated blood glucose, and why this show was almost rescheduled. [06:12]
A light and refreshing alcoholic beverage I’ve been enjoying lately. [14:57]
A recent bad decision I made. [18:12]
As we get older, how have our workouts been focused? [20:43]
What type of exercise, in particular, has made Kevin more durable during playtime with his kids? [34:40]
Will I ever create my own NFTs or participate in the market surrounding them? [41:07]
With so many NFTs being created these days, how do you separate the wheat from the chaff? [49:12]
What is generative art? [49:39]
There’s nothing quite like having your house struck by lightning in the middle of recording a podcast to remind you of the importance of emergency preparedness. [54:21]
Back to NFTs: even Jay-Z has gotten in on the action by changing his Twitter icon to a CryptoPunk — a trailblazing class of NFTs that big-name auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s take seriously and sell for millions of dollars. How significant is this, really? [1:01:14]
On riding the emotional roller coaster that is investment and trying to guess where the markets will be down the track. Regrets? I’ve had a few. [1:07:40]
In the blockchain space, what is Kevin — as an investor — paying close attention to? [1:12:50]
On the general worthlessness of meme coins, the transcendence of Dogecoin, and what makes one cryptocurrency more “real” over another. [1:14:06]
Do public statements from heavy hitters like Elon Musk cause the value of various cryptocurrencies to artificially fluctuate, or are these fluctuations more significantly controlled by other market factors? [1:18:25]
If Bitcoin is such a “dirty” currency that has environmentalists concerned, can we expect it to clean up its act? Or are alternatives like Ethereum and Chia better poised to bring us greener crypto? [1:20:08]
The best way to learn how blockchain technologies work? Don’t sink your life savings into them, but get your hands dirty and play. [1:25:08]
With so many blockchain projects active today, how do Kevin and his partners at True Ventures vet potential investments? What wild innovations are being pitched right now that might revolutionize the future of finance? [1:25:55]
What is BlockFi, and what are its rewards and risks compared to traditional banking alternatives? Does Kevin see future governmental regulation putting a damper on the potential of this kind of platform, or will it bolster its use by the average consumer? [1:30:13]
Only in the world of DeFi: how self-repaying loans work through the Alchemix protocol. [1:34:06]
While Kevin welcomes sensible blockchain regulation in the US to clarify the intangibles for the average consumer, what are the potential pitfalls of crypto that worry him? [1:36:26]
Dollar cost averaging and risk management to avoid the dreaded panic sell. [1:39:13]
Why I don’t make an investment I can’t hold for at least three years. [1:40:52]
Why, based on current information, I’m holding onto my Bitcoin and Ethereum for the foreseeable future. [1:42:17]
When it might make sense for even a true believer to sell off their cryptocurrency and diversify assets. [1:44:09]
Why even modest, but stable interest returned on an investment isn’t the worst thing in the world, and how to ensure you’re earning interest on the crypto you’re holding. [1:46:13]
What I’ve been doing to facilitate better sleep in the past few weeks, and how I’ve been tracking it. [1:49:33]
What constitutes a bad night of sleep for me? [1:54:00]
How do I supplement my omega-3s, and what seem to be their unexpected benefits? [1:55:56]
Why you should never oil your sauna. [2:00:53]
The biggest game-changer for Kevin: a year of daily 55-minute Zen meditation sessions. [2:03:10]
I reflect on my own deep experiences — including a psychotic breakdown — with Vipassana meditation, and how a sauna can put me in the right frame of mind to meditate effectively, feel physically and emotionally refreshed, and dramatically increase HRV. [2:03:42]
In order to stay committed to his goal of a daily, 55-minute practice for the past year, how did Kevin’s approach to meditation differ from previous attempts? [2:07:43]
What does one of Kevin’s meditation sessions look like, how does it feel, and in what way do koans — paradoxical anecdotes or riddles — fit into the equation? [2:11:41]
What prompted Kevin’s commitment to Zen meditation, what has he learned so far, and how much does he have left to learn? [2:22:19]
Why Kevin thinks I’d be an ideal candidate for Zen meditation, why I should invite his Zen teacher to the show, and how Zen and psychedelics might perceive reality through similar lenses. [2:25:16]
Why you should listen to The Darya Rose Show. [2:37:23]
Parting thoughts. [2:39:44]

PEOPLE MENTIONED

DISCLAIMER FROM TIM FERRISS: I am not an investment adviser. Nor is Kevin Rose. All opinions are mine alone. Or his. There are risks involved in placing any investment in securities or in Bitcoin or in cryptocurrencies or in anything. None of the information presented herein is intended to form the basis of any offer or recommendation or have any regard to the investment objectives, financial situation, or needs of any specific person, and that includes you, my dear listener or reader. Everything you’re going to hear is for informational entertainment purposes only.

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The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.

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M C

2 years ago

Mr. Rose’s comments plus approach to Ozempic is cavalier and concerning. !!!
This is an example of people with no medical training offering an opinion which has the potential to be dangerous. Beware of the Dunning-kruger effect

Jay Kay

2 years ago

Tim, you mentioned JuneShine as a good hard kombucha. You should also give Flying Embers a try. 100 calories, zero carbs, 7.2 percent alcohol. Dry fermented thus no carbs. Give it a try.

Thomas Whalen

2 years ago

Thanks for the episode. I was most interested in the discussion of Zen, including Koan practice. I’m a Zen teacher/guide in the Soto/Rinzai/Sanbo Kyodan lineages (I am transmitted in the Taizan Maezumi Roshi, Tetsugen Glassman Roshi, Jitsudo Ancheta Roshi lineage). I appreciated your honesty about mistrusting “enlightenment.” The “good” news is that it is pretty easy to have a kensho experience, without the need for koans. The “bad” news is that it usually slips away very quickly (seconds to minutes at first), and we return to ordinary conceptual consciousness. Koans are very helpful here, in exploring the roots of conceptual consciousness. The problem is that the koans that are traditionally worked with are culturally specific to India/China/Japan from more than 800 years ago. I prefer to work with an individual’s dream conscious as koan, as this speaks directly to the heart of each individual. I’m also an MD, currently offering ketamine treatments in my practice; and I’m in the process of obtaining certification through CIIS/MAPS to offer other psychedelic treatments when available. I am interested in exploring the intersection of psychedelic medicines with Zen. If you (or any of your listeners/readers) would like to dig more deeply into these areas, please contact me. With deep appreciation for your work…Thomas Whalen

sandeep

2 years ago

Thanks for sharing such an amazing post with us

Priya

2 years ago

Hi Tim, You have a lot successful males on the show, and I think we, speaking on behalf of women, would like to hear more from successful women who are managing work and family. I applaud the successful males, but women have it really hard out here and would appreciate if you can incorporate more questions around work/life balances of women in the workforce or entrepreneurship, the good, bad and the ugly. It would be a tremendous help for many! We make a lot of sacrifices, take in societal pressures (all The while dealing with monthly hormones which we didn’t sign up for) more than men to get to the level of where they are. Would love to hear more on that and systematic tips to be successful. How does it even look like for women?

Thanks.

Clayton Cornell

2 years ago

Hey Tim, really enjoyed the episode but please get rid of that generator and get yourself a solar array with batteries. It’s a way better deal: seamless switchover, no noise, no local air pollution, nothing to refill/maintain etc (continuously refilled by the panels). Not to mention functions as a long term investment. Tesla is not the only option. Worth checking out!

Eric

2 years ago

Love the podcast especially the bit on Omega-3 fish oil. So many benefits across the board and one of the best supplements you can take for health, longevity, and cognitive function.

Johnnie

2 years ago

Reply to Eric

I appreciated it as well, and it prompted me to look deeper into the research. Perhaps Tim has his information backward/misspoke about EPA for sleep -? It seems what I am finding is high EPA is recommended as an antidepressant (per Andrew Huberman and others-?) and DHA for better sleep. I am confident Tim is interested in improving both, as am I, but understanding relationships to food, dosage, timing, etc. helps in making informed decisions. Regardless, I am cranking up the fish oil supplements. Thanks, Tim and Kevin!

Garrett

2 years ago

Tim, I implore you sincerely to look into the environmental ramifications of NFTs. In their current incarnation, they’re extremely carbon & electrically heavy. You’ve spoken about environmental awareness around psychedelic plants & sustainability. Please look into that for NFTs. One of the original minters calculated that he burned 2 years worth of studio electricity in 10 seconds worth of minted video.

Also note that, as of Aug 24 2021, there is a massive forest fire in Siberia due to a major heat wave. So please consider the environmental impact of NFTs before going ahead with it. Particularly since you do have a massive influence in the world.

Katherine

2 years ago

Hey Tim I just have to say — even though I have lived more life than I have left — you and your guests are such an inspiration to me! I love your authenticity and heartfelt commitment you apply to your shows. I love the balanced approach to your interviews — and your application of science. PS I agree with your potential agreement w/ zetia as a former healthcare provider and I love your articulateness. You rock!

Takeshi Young

2 years ago

Great interview! Would love to see more interviews with people in the crypto/NFT space.

Kimberly Pedeson

2 years ago

Tim love your stuff! I have to recommend you try Kyla Kombucha – specifically anything in the SunBreak Series – it’s bombdiggity. I am not affiliated with this company, just an avid imbiber of the products 🙂 Enjoy!

Jecca

2 years ago

Zen Buddhism is awesome. Also check out Vajrayana-Tibetan-Tantra. Richard J. Davidson and Richard Gere would both be excellent guests to discuss the philosophy of HH The Dalai Lama.

Robin Turner

2 years ago

Reply to Jecca

Great idea. I’d like to add Joan Halifax As well as being a Zen Roshi, she’s a social activist and wrote a great scholarly but readable book about shamanism (before it was trendy).

David Bitterman

2 years ago

Reply to Robin Turner

Pema Chodron would be interesting as well and high profile enough to be potentially worth while as a marquee guest. Also Adyashanti. Yeah, he’s a big name with lots of pretty book covers and a smile befitting a popular guru, but he’s actually a very sage guy and able to talk about a diverse range of topics. I’d request Francis Lucille & Rupert Spira, but they’re probably a little bit more obscure for most folks, although Francis’s background as a military man and working physicist developing advanced systems for the French military defense gives him a flexible range on a wide variety of topics.

David Bitterman

2 years ago

This was a really fun and informative show, and I’m glad to hear you both are cracking the lid on Zen et al and not relegating it to the bin of topics that remain shrouded in poetic mysticism (not that there’s anything inherently wrong with poetic mysticism, but it often becomes a veil to keep a worthwhile subject from being clarified).

I had a question about Crypto though. I am someone with modest funds who is not an active investor, but I enjoyed Kevin’s advice on dollar-cost-averaging your way into crypto month by month as well as keeping it in an interest bearing location. I was wondering if you guys could offer any advice on some reliable sources to determine which currencies to purchase in general. I’m going to do some research, but Kevin’s advice on avoiding meme coins and all things trending without a thorough investigation makes me a little leery of media sources that like report on all things trending. Any advice on quality sources for determining which coins are worth purchasing would be much appreciated!

For instance, Kevin suggested spending $100 (could be $1000, depends on scale) on the first of every month, or whatever your date is. On that date, how would one determine which coin(s) to purchase?

Thanks guys, the random episodes are always a fun listen!

Dbit

Jack

2 years ago

Good Article. Good information in article.