#754: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ann Miura-Ko

This episode is a two-for-one, and that’s because the podcast recently hit its 10-year anniversary and passed one billion downloads. To celebrate, I’ve curated some of the best of the best—some of my favorites—from more than 700 episodes over the last decade. I could not be more excited. The episode features segments from episode #60 "Arnold Schwarzenegger on Psychological Warfare" and #331 "Ann Miura-Ko — The Path from Shyness to World-Class Debater and Investor." Please enjoy! Sponsors: AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://DrinkAG1.com/Tim (1-year supply of Vitamin D (and 5 free AG1 travel packs) with your first subscription purchase.) Eight Sleep’s Pod 4 Ultra sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating: https://eightsleep.com/tim (save $350 on the Pod 4 Ultra) Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: https://shopify.com/tim (one-dollar-per-month trial period) Timestamps: [00:00] Start [04:08] Notes about this supercombo format. [05:11] Enter Arnold Schwarzenegger. [05:45] Where did Arnold develop his cast iron confidence? [09:15] Mastering the psychological warfare of bodybuilding. [13:58] Transferring this skill set to Hollywood. [17:13] On making millions before becoming a movie star. [19:48] Playing good bricklayer/bad bricklayer with Franco Columbu. [24:41] How Twins came together. [29:14] Meditation as one of many answers. [35:47] Enter Ann-Miura Ko. [36:14] Ann's childhood shyness. [38:14] The Japanese phrase Ann used as a hostile kid in Michigan. [40:20] How Ann overcame introversion. [43:13] Ann's first solo stage speech. [44:22] Why Ann continued with speech and debate. [45:17] Ann's love for competition. [46:54] Ann's extreme efforts for pizza. [48:57] The catalyst for Ann's debate improvement. [53:01] Debate competition format. [56:56] Ann's recommended resources for improving debate skills. [59:56] Observations on modern debate in politics and family. [1:02:01] The most important lesson from Ann's debating years. [1:04:50] Differences between debate and negotiation. [1:06:53] Ann's father's journey to America and favorite phrase. [1:10:29] Ann's world-class effort in menial job tasks. [1:13:15] How a Yale tour led to shadowing a CEO. [1:18:36] Ann's first job experience. [1:20:20] Ann's favorite office supplies. [1:21:32] Ann's cherished personal artifacts. [1:23:06] Ann's experience teaching Mayfield Fellows at Stanford. [1:24:42] A reading list and plans for Ann's Stanford startup class. [1:28:05] Spotting artificial inflation in startup valuations. [1:31:29] Why Ann changed her career path from medicine. [1:34:45] What Ann knew about herself that her parents and test scores didn't. [1:38:55] Ann's entry into venture capital and startup investing. [1:39:29] An encounter with Steve Jobs. [1:40:40] A job offer based on shared interests. [1:44:40] Ann's experience at CRV during 9/11. [1:47:55] The most expensive words in investing. [1:48:16] First principles thinking and common leadership decisions. [1:50:52] Winning strategy vs. strategy not to lose. [1:51:59] Manifestations of hedging as a defensive strategy. [1:53:46] The importance of focusing on your own race. [1:55:47] A need for aggressiveness to win. [1:56:38] How Ann met Mike Maples, Jr. [1:59:26] Ann's PhD plans and shift to working with Mike. [2:02:12] Ann's reaction to Mike's unusual proposition. [2:06:40] Ann's hectic first year at Floodgate. [2:08:41] Ann's real first name. [2:09:21] Ann's struggles and coping mechanisms. [2:14:56] Ann's superpowers. [2:18:44] Thunder lizards and Ann's pursuit of them. [2:20:20] Ann's view on AI and machine learning's impact. [2:23:11] Philosophy exercises and real-world applications. [2:24:50] Aligning collective and self-interests in problem-solving. [2:27:08] Books Ann has gifted or reread most. [2:29:09] A recent, game-changing purchase under $10