Ep. 339: Let Brandon Cook
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In a recent appearance on the Tim Ferriss podcast, the prolific fantasy author Brandon Sanderson revealed how he reshaped his media company to help him do what he does best. In this episode, Cal explores the idea, and asks the key question: why is this not more common? While exploring an answer, Cal uncovers a bigger issue in modern digital knowledge work and points towards potential answers. He then answers listener questions and concludes with a tech corner about Alan Turing.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
Deep Dive: Let Brandon Cook [4:56]
- What is your opinion on mind mapping and have you ever used it? [32:35]
- What “really matters” to develop career capital for a civil servant? [36:28]
- What’s your view on Daniel Immerwahr’s recent New Yorker article on the attention crisis? [42:23]
- How does mentoring fit into knowledge work development? [49:54]
- Is it possible to use Paul Jarvis’s approach to start a company to merge the divide with Slow Productivity? [57:20]
- CALL: A 15-year-old and a smartphone [1:03:28]
CASE STUDY: Using AI to expand work skills [1:07:59]
TECH CORNER: Let Turing Cook [1:21:41]
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
tim.blog/2025/02/05/brandon-sanderson/
spectrum.ieee.org/alan-turings-delilah
podcast.feedspot.com/computer_science_podcasts/
Thanks to our Sponsors:
byloftie.com (Code: DEEP20)
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
Cal Newport is a computer science professor and a New York Times bestselling author who writes about the impact of technology on society, and the struggle to work and live deeply in a world increasingly mired in digital distractions. On this podcast, he answers questions from his readers and offers advice about cultivating focus, productivity, and meaning amidst the noise that pervades our lives.
- No. of episodes: 368
- Latest episode: 2025-07-07
- Technology
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